Chapter 27: Fierce Battle with Yang Jian

Erlang Shen stomped his foot against the ground and soared high into the air, flying past Taishang Xiaojun and reaching out to seize Mie Ying.

Caught off guard by the golden light, Mie Ying’s eyes lost focus and her head spun; she could not dodge in time. Her petite frame was firmly captured within Erlang Shen’s palm.

Mie Ying struggled, her hands pushing hard against the webbing of Erlang Shen’s thumb, but she was powerless to move even an inch. She cried out, "You are a dignified general of the Heavenly Court, yet you treat a girl like this! Don't touch me! Let me go at once!"

Erlang Shen ignored her struggles and barked angrily, "Trespassing into the Biannu Celestial Prison! Today, I shall capture the lot of you!"

Taishang Xiaojun hurried to mediate, standing beneath Erlang Shen and waving his hands. "General! General! She is the adopted daughter of the Fire-Wheel Heavenly King, Nezha, and the granddaughter-in-law of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing! Please, loosen your grip! Don't accidentally crush her with your divine strength!"

Erlang Shen replied, "I am capturing this child to discipline her on behalf of the Li family for the trouble she has caused! Nezha should be thanking me!"

Taishang Xiaojun pleaded, "Please, no! If the General captures her, a young lady of such high standing will have a criminal record—that wouldn't look good! How is she to live or find a boyfriend in the future? Surely the True Lord Erlang would not want the adopted daughter of the Fire-Wheel Heavenly King to remain unmarried because of this!"

Though she was struggling to breathe, Mie Ying heard this and immediately began scolding Taishang Xiaojun from mid-air. "Pah! Who said this young lady wants a boyfriend! To hell with you! You’re the one who needs a boyfriend! Your whole family needs a boyfriend!"

Just then, Hua Sheng landed on the platform and shouted, "General! Mie Ying is only playful; she was merely joking with you. Please, do not take it to heart!"

Erlang Shen let out a thunderous roar. "You’ve come at the right time; I was just looking for you! A mere student of the Academy, forming gangs to infiltrate the Biannu Celestial Prison and trespassing in a restricted area! Such blatant disregard for the law—surrender at once!"

Hua Sheng quickly scrambled for an excuse. "Wait! I was just looking for the restroom and got lost..."

"Lies!" Erlang Shen reached out with his other massive hand to grab Hua Sheng.

Taishang Xiaojun, still struggling to keep the peace, kept saying, "Great Sage, let’s talk this over! Let’s talk!" While trying to block Erlang Shen, he turned back to scold Hua Sheng. "You two are always causing trouble for me. Why did you keep me in the dark about Mie Ying posing as you? Now you’ve put me in such an awkward spot! The situation has become completely passive!"

Hua Sheng replied helplessly, "Plans couldn't keep up with the changes! I didn't have time to notify you!"

Taishang Xiaojun flew into the air, grew an extra pair of hands, and said, "True Lord, please, for the sake of this humble immortal, let these two poor children go! Another day, I shall put in a good word for you before my grandfather..."

Erlang Shen was incensed. "Hmph! Little brats! If I don't make you suffer a bit, the Biannu Celestial Prison will become a park where you can come and go as you please!"

Just as Taishang Xiaojun was about to argue further, Mie Ying shouted, "Fourth Sister! Fourth Sister! My powerful Fourth Sister! Don't hide anymore, this is an unprecedented crisis! Come save Little Seven!"

As soon as Mie Ying finished speaking, her body instantly transformed into a dazzling, blinding white light. The light illuminated the celestial prison, turning it as bright as if a red sun had risen within.

Suddenly, a long spear flashed out from within the blinding white light!

The spear was over eighteen feet long, its tip shaped like a flame, with tongues of fire coiling around the shaft.

With a sharp *shing*, a gash was cut into the right hand of Erlang Shen, Yang Jian.

The white light that was Mie Ying broke free from Erlang Shen's massive grasp. As the light faded, Mie Ying reappeared, her hair having turned snow-white, flowing through the air. Her posture was as straight as the spear in her hand. She shimmered, looking elegant and striking.

"The Purple Flame Snake-Spear Fire-Tipped Lance!"

Upon seeing the weapon and recalling the magic treasures of Mie Ying’s sisters, Hua Sheng blurted out, "Amazing, Mie Ying!"

"Oh my! Don't start drawing weapons!" Seeing Mie Ying reveal her treasure, Taishang Xiaojun was frantic. He yelled at her, "Don't make this any worse!"

The white-haired Mie Ying slung the Fire-Tipped Lance behind her back, lifted her chin, and declared, "Enough is enough! Fourth Sister is going to tell True Lord Erlang today that the daughters of the Mie family are not to be trifled with!"

Seeing he couldn't stop her, Taishang Xiaojun turned back to Hua Sheng. "Girls are just too impulsive! Hua Sheng, you talk her into—"

But with a flash of golden light, Hua Sheng had already gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang. His eyes were sharp, and the immortal charms embroidered on his school uniform were emitting a bright red glow. It was clear he was prepared to risk his life against Erlang Shen.

"You two are a pair of walking disasters! Fine, fine! Please, proceed with your drill!" Taishang Xiaojun covered his eyes and sighed. "If you end up getting locked up with the Star Lord, don't expect me to help fish you out."

Mie Ying held the Purple Flame Snake-Spear Fire-Tipped Lance, and Hua Sheng gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang. These two legendary divine weapons, which had seen countless battles and had once been enemies themselves, now stood together because of two young people.

The Fire-Tipped Lance! The Jingu Bang!

For the first time in thousands of years, these two weapons that had slaughtered soldiers and vanquished demons were crossed together. They radiated an intimidating light that seemed capable of leveling the heavens and the earth once more.

Watching this, Hua Sheng suddenly smiled. His heart raced, and he could feel his blood surging through his veins.

"We won't lose."

Hua Sheng momentarily forgot what fear was; he forgot who this great general of the Heavenly Court was. This was the raw, unbridled spirit of youth. No matter who stood before him, his courage to challenge them would not diminish by a single fraction.

He laughed, "Mie Ying, we won't lose!"

The white-haired Mie Ying narrowed her eyes, her face devoid of expression, and replied coldly, "Less talk!"

Facing the two youngsters armed with the Fire-Tipped Lance and the Jingu Bang, Erlang Shen was first startled, then threw his head back and laughed. "Nezha actually passed the Fire-Tipped Lance to his adopted daughter; he truly treats you well!"

With that, Yang Jian reached out and conjured a Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear! The blade was roughly the same height as Erlang Shen, with a three-pronged tip and edges on both sides. Though called a spear, it resembled a long-handled sword.

He pointed the weapon at Hua Sheng and said, "You brat, you’ve taken Sun Wukong's Jingu Bang, but you must know that when that Monkey King wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he was eventually captured by me, Yang Jian. Today, a mere mortal like you, brandishing an iron rod—how could you possibly escape the palm of my hand?!"

Taishang Xiaojun interjected earnestly, "General, that statement is slightly inaccurate! When Sun Wukong was captured, it was because the Bodhisattva Guanyin entrusted the task to my grandfather, the Dao Ancestor, who first struck the Monkey King's crown with the Diamond Snare. It was only after being injured that the Victorious Fighting Buddha was caught by you. We must be factual and respect history!"

It was true that when Erlang Shen fought Sun Wukong, Taishang Laojun had indeed assisted from the sidelines. Although Erlang Shen never intended to claim sole credit, being called out on the details by Taishang Xiaojun at this moment left him unable to save face. He gave an annoyed huff.

The white-haired Mie Ying, meanwhile, refused to yield an inch. She raised her Fire-Tipped Lance and pointed it forward. "General, it has been over three thousand years since the conquest of the Shang Dynasty; are you getting old and muddled? Why not follow my godfather's example and put down your blade to enjoy life? Why bother with swords and spears, competing with the younger generation?"

Erlang Shen roared, "You are the ones who came here looking for trouble! You are the ones who broke the rules first!"

Hua Sheng, not to be outdone, used his expertise in finding excuses. "We were wrong, that is true, but men and women are not to touch. Just now, your giant hand reached for Nezha's young adopted daughter. I’m afraid if word of that gets out, the gossip won't be very pleasant either!"

"Audacious brat! The children of the Daoist Academy certainly have sharp tongues; it seems the Dao-Ling Star Lord is too lenient with his discipline."

"Do not slander our Academy!" Mie Ying snapped. "Today, I was in the wrong, but I was also molested by your grubby hands, so let's call it even. We are leaving immediately; there is no need for the General to see us out."

Erlang Shen laughed heartily, the sound shaking the prison until it felt as if the earth were moving. "Ridiculous! Do you really think you can leave? Even if Nezha and Sun Wukong were here today, I doubt they could escape my Biannu Celestial Prison!"

He performed a hand seal and shouted, "Behold, I summon the Howling Celestial Dog!"

When Hua Sheng heard it was the Howling Celestial Dog, he grinned and turned to Mie Ying. "Hahaha! Don't be afraid, Mie Ying! It's just a short-legged Corgi! Ha..."

He wanted to laugh out loud, but as the sound left his lips, his smile froze.

Looking at Erlang Shen’s side, it was no longer the Corgi with the white belly from before. It was a giant, white, sleek-haired hound, as massive as a prehistoric dinosaur. The giant beast’s white fur stood on end like an owl’s plumage, and it was stepping on clouds, baring its teeth as if it intended to swallow them whole!

The sound of its bark made Hua Sheng’s skull ache.

"Hey, hey, hey?!"

Hua Sheng gasped and turned to ask Taishang Xiaojun, "Didn't you say that Corgi was the Howling Celestial Dog? Why is it so ferocious now?"

Taishang Xiaojun shook his head. "When did I ever say the Howling Celestial Dog was a Corgi? Changing into other breeds is likely just its hobby. Now it has revealed its true form! True Lord Erlang possesses the Seventy-Two Transformations; naturally, his dog can transform as well!"

He added, "Hua Sheng, your habit of believing whatever you see will be your downfall sooner or later!"

Hua Sheng was left speechless.

The Howling Celestial Dog, having revealed its true, ferocious form, lunged straight at Hua Sheng without a second's warning.

Hua Sheng was half a step too slow to retreat, and the dog sank its teeth into his arm!