Sun Wukong stared at the Primordial Qi in his hand, a sense of familiarity and connection washing over him. Even someone as unruly and defiant as him couldn't help but be moved.

  "Senior Brother..." Sun Wukong murmured, his heart swelling with gratitude.

  "Hurry and refine the Primordial Qi. Once you've fully integrated it, you'll have nothing to fear within this Eight-Trigrams Furnace," Xu Fang said, no longer trying to dissuade Sun Wukong. Deep down, he had made a decision of his own.

  "Understood!" Sun Wukong knew this wasn't the time for sentimentality. He opened his mouth, and the Primordial Qi, which had always belonged to him, returned to his body.

  The return of the Primordial Qi had a profound impact on Sun Wukong. The state he thought would take ages to recover was instantly restored to its peak. In fact, his power had even advanced further.

  Fortunately, Xu Fang had acted quickly. The Bull Demon King and his allies hadn't yet divided the Primordial Qi among themselves. If they had, even if Xu Fang had retrieved it, its potency would have been greatly diminished. Now, with the complete Primordial Qi fully refined by Sun Wukong, the Eight-Trigrams Furnace, which had been tempering him with the Six Ding Divine Fire, began to emit the sounds of wind and thunder.

  Seeing this, Xu Fang finally felt at ease. At the very least, he had done everything he could for Sun Wukong at this point.

  "Divine General Xu, since everything is settled, you may leave now," Lord Lao Zi appeared silently beside Xu Fang, startling him.

  Even though Xu Fang knew of Lord Lao Zi's immense power, such subtle and effortless movements still made him wary.

  "Thank you, Ancestor of Dao. For every cause I have sown, I will bear its fruit in the future," Xu Fang clasped his hands in respect, though his disheveled appearance hardly conveyed any dignity.

  "Remember those words, Divine General Xu," Lord Lao Zi said with a wave of his hand, and the Golden Robe Boy led Xu Fang out.

  After Xu Fang left, Lord Lao Zi turned his gaze to Sun Wukong within the Eight-Trigrams Furnace and shook his head slightly. But in the next moment, his eyes gleamed with surprise.

  "This... Great Luo Golden Immortal, mid-stage!"

  Indeed, after fusing with the Primordial Qi, Sun Wukong had unexpectedly broken through once again within the Eight-Trigrams Furnace. With the additional aid of the Immortal Peaches and Elixirs, he had not only reached the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm but had also stabilized his cultivation at this level.

  "Never mind. Though he is a variable, he still cannot distinguish good from evil. Since that is the case, I shall lend him another hand," Lord Lao Zi muttered. He formed a hand seal and pressed it onto the Eight-Trigrams Furnace.

  Instantly, the furnace radiated a golden light, illuminating the entire alchemy room.

  Meanwhile, Xu Fang, still in his tattered robes, appeared outside the Jade Pool. He knelt on one knee and called out, "Your guilty subject, Xu Fang, requests an audience with the Jade Emperor!"

  "Summon him!"

  Shortly after, a celestial attendant emerged and invited Xu Fang inside.

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  "Divine General Xu, you call yourself a guilty subject. What is your crime?" The Jade Emperor reclined lazily, his expression calm. Now that Xu Fang had broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, he was naturally pleased.

  After all, having such a powerful subordinate would give him much more leverage when dealing with the Four Heavenly Kings.

  Compared to that, Xu Fang's unauthorized trip to the Northern Uttarakuru Continent to hunt down the Bull Demon King and his allies, even at the cost of antagonizing the demon race, was a minor matter. In fact, the Jade Emperor could easily spin it as Xu Fang purging the northern regions of demons, turning it into a merit rather than a fault.

  "Your guilty subject descended to the mortal realm without permission to hunt down the Bull Demon King and his allies for Sun Wukong, and I returned the Primordial Qi to him," Xu Fang stated openly. This wasn't because he had some hidden advantage, but because he understood that the Jade Emperor was already fully aware of everything that had happened.

  Rather than hiding the truth, it was better to be forthright. This would also make the Jade Emperor more at ease.

  As expected, the Jade Emperor didn't show any anger. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Divine General Xu, today's events are not your fault. The demon race is despicable, and it is truly a cause for celebration that you managed to break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

  "As for Sun Wukong, he has his own path to follow. Excessive interference is unnecessary. It may be better to step back and avoid entangling yourself in his karma. Perhaps that will lead to a better outcome for both of you."

  The Jade Emperor's words were clear. As for the Primordial Qi, neither he nor the others cared much for it.

  Whether it was the Jade Emperor or the Kun-Peng, they were all ancient beings who had existed since the primordial times. What the Bull Demon King saw as a priceless treasure was nothing more than a trivial matter to them.

  Moreover, Primordial Qi wasn't about quantity but rather its presence or absence. Even if they acquired more, it would be of little use to them. Rather than dwelling on this, it was better to focus on winning Xu Fang's loyalty.

  Especially given Xu Fang's current performance, the Jade Emperor was quite pleased.

  "Understood, Your Majesty! Your subject has been fortunate to break through and wishes to descend to the mortal realm to recuperate. I hope Your Majesty will grant me this request," Xu Fang continued.

  "Oh?" The Jade Emperor's expression shifted slightly. He couldn't quite grasp Xu Fang's intentions. "Where do you plan to go, Divine General Xu? Will the thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops accompany you?"

  After all, Xu Fang had trained these troops for a hundred years. Though they numbered only thirty thousand, their combat prowess far surpassed the hundred thousand celestial soldiers typically assigned to Pagoda Bearer Devaraja Li Jing. If Xu Fang were to take the thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops with him, the Jade Emperor would have to reassess his trust in Xu Fang.

  "Your Majesty, the thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops will remain in the Heavenly Court. I will temporarily entrust the management of the camp to the Lord of the Martial Star. As for me, I plan to go to Mount Hua to recover from my injuries and stabilize my cultivation."

  Xu Fang knew the Jade Emperor would never allow him to take the Divine Strategy troops with him, so he hadn't even considered it. This time, he only needed to leave alone.

  And going to Mount Hua was also part of his plan.

  He wasn't oblivious to Yang Chan's feelings, but now wasn't the time to consider such matters. The reason for going to Mount Hua was primarily to pull Erlang Shen over to his side.

  "I see. Your arrangements are naturally trustworthy, Divine General Xu. As for recuperating at Mount Hua, you may go. For matters concerning the Divine Strategy camp, you may summon the Lord of the Martial Star to Mount Hua at any time."

  The Jade Emperor was very satisfied with Xu Fang's response. Especially since Xu Fang was going to Mount Hua, he was aware of his niece Yang Chan's feelings. From what Xu Fang had said, it seemed he had finally come to a realization. In that case, the Jade Emperor was willing to grant him some leeway. He might as well have explicitly told Xu Fang that the Divine Strategy troops would remain under his command and that he would still be consulted on important matters.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your subject takes his leave." This time, Xu Fang didn't refer to himself as a guilty subject. Since the Jade Emperor had declared him innocent, there was no need to keep labeling himself as such.

  Leaving the Jade Pool, Xu Fang immediately returned to his divine general's residence. As for the immortals he encountered along the way, they all looked at his disheveled state but chose not to comment.

  After all, if the Jade Emperor had no objections, who were they to say anything?