When the topic shifted to Yang Chan, Xu Fang felt extremely awkward.

  To be honest, he had never really thought about such matters. But now that her brother was directly asking, it didn’t seem appropriate to avoid answering. And if his answer didn’t satisfy Yang Jian, that would be even worse...

  "What are your thoughts?" Xu Fang asked cautiously. He had no choice but to deflect the question back.

  Yang Jian rolled his eyes and looked at Xu Fang with exasperation.

  "Forget it, let’s not talk about this for now. We’ll discuss it later. My sister has been spoiled by me, but if anyone dares to bully her, I, as her brother, won’t stand by and do nothing!"

  "I understand, I understand," Xu Fang replied with a nervous laugh, but he didn’t make any promises. However, Yang Jian’s straightforward threat made him admire the man even more.

  "If you want to succeed, there’s one more person who could be a great help. But whether you can convince him depends entirely on your skills," Yang Jian said after some thought.

  Xu Fang’s eyes lit up. If Yang Jian was offering advice, it meant that the matter was as good as settled!

  "Who?"

  "The Third Lotus Prince, Nezha!" Yang Jian said a name. "Although he’s only at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, he’s on the verge of breaking through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. He’s been suppressing his cultivation all this time."

  "Nezha?" Xu Fang was puzzled. After all, Nezha had never shown any particularly impressive abilities. In fact, the first time Xu Fang had met Nezha, it was Xu Fang who had helped him defeat the Asura clan.

  "That’s right. Nezha may seem weak, and he often loses battles, but that’s only because of Li Jing," Yang Jian explained. "Nezha and Li Jing don’t get along. Whenever Li Jing gives an order, Nezha treats it as background noise and only puts on a show. But his true strength is no weaker than mine!"

  "Moreover, his master, Taiyi Zhenren, has retired, but for others, he’s still a formidable deterrent."

  After hearing Yang Jian’s words, Xu Fang couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Regardless of Nezha’s abilities, Taiyi Zhenren alone was enough to make Xu Fang take this seriously.

  "Thank you for the advice, True Lord. I’ll send someone to contact Nezha," Xu Fang said seriously.

  "Once things start, there’s no turning back. If I’m not mistaken, the day the Eight-Trigrams Furnace opens after forty-nine days will be the day you make your move, right?" Yang Jian’s insight was sharp, and Xu Fang nodded. That was indeed his plan.

  "In that case, I won’t stay here any longer. I need to prepare things at the Mouth of Guan River."

  Yang Jian came and went in a hurry. Major decisions were often made in just a few words. What truly took time wasn’t making the decision but preparing for what came after.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  After Yang Jian left, Xu Fang didn’t immediately go to find Nezha. Instead, he went into seclusion again. If he met with Yang Jian in a short period of time, that was one thing, but meeting Nezha right after might raise suspicions.

  For now, the only thing Xu Fang was truly concerned about was Sun Wukong, who was still lying inside the Eight-Trigrams Furnace.

  The forty-nine days of refinement in the furnace equated to forty-nine years in the mortal realm. After twenty years had passed, Xu Fang had not only stabilized his Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation but had also reached the peak of the early stage, just one step away from the mid-stage.

  However, if he knew that Sun Wukong had already reached the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, Xu Fang might have felt differently.

  "Lord of the Martial Star requests an audience!"

  One day, while still in seclusion, Xu Fang heard the Lord of the Martial Star’s summons. He felt that the time had come. He emerged from his secluded spot and invited the Lord of the Martial Star to speak.

  "Lord of the Martial Star, has anything happened in the Heavenly Court recently?" Xu Fang asked as he sat in the cave dwelling.

  "Reporting to the General, the thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops have been training day and night. The Jade Emperor wishes to send them to the Northern Uttarakuru Continent for further training," the Lord of the Martial Star said. This was the main reason he had come to see Xu Fang.

  "Alright. You can lead them there," Xu Fang nodded.

  The Lord of the Martial Star seemed hesitant, but Xu Fang smiled. He knew this was another test from the Jade Emperor to see if he could still command the army. The Jade Emperor seemed to trust him but remained cautious.

  "Don’t worry about it. Just remember to bring the troops back in about twenty days. Also, when you return, contact the Third Prince Nezha. Tell him I have something to discuss and invite him to Mount Hua for a chat," Xu Fang said. He understood that now wasn’t the time to arouse the Jade Emperor’s suspicions. Only when the time was right would he reveal his plans.

  "Yes, sir!" Although puzzled, the Lord of the Martial Star agreed.

  Without staying long on Mount Hua, the Lord of the Martial Star returned to the Heavenly Court. Instead of going straight to the Divine Strategy Army, he went to the residence of Pagoda Bearer Devaraja Li Jing.

  "My father isn’t here. If you’re looking for him, you can leave," Nezha’s lazy voice came from inside before the Lord of the Martial Star could even enter.

  "Lord of the Martial Star requests an audience with the Third Prince!" The Lord of the Martial Star had been in the Heavenly Court for a long time and knew Nezha’s temperament well, so he spoke politely.

  "See me? What for?" The door opened, and Nezha walked out. Inside the residence, he was dressed casually, with his hair down, looking nothing like an immortal.

  "By order of the Demon-Slaying Divine General, I’ve been asked to invite the Third Prince to Mount Hua for a discussion," the Lord of the Martial Star said directly. As for how Nezha was dressed or whether he cared about his appearance, that was something even Li Jing couldn’t control, so it wasn’t his concern.

  "Oh, I see. You can go back now," Nezha said, and with a slam, the door closed again.

  From start to finish, Nezha didn’t even invite him inside. Although this was quite disrespectful, the Lord of the Martial Star didn’t take it to heart. He simply headed to the military camp to prepare for the Divine Strategy Army’s training mission.

  After the Lord of the Martial Star left, Nezha’s expression turned serious.

  "Xu Fang? What does he want with me?"

  Nezha was genuinely puzzled. Since Xu Fang had ascended to the Heavenly Court, the two of them had barely interacted. The only time they had met was when Sun Wukong had ascended, and even then, they hadn’t spoken.

  Now, Xu Fang was inviting him to Mount Hua, which made Nezha even more curious.

  "I might as well go and see. It’s been a while since I last saw Yang Chan," Nezha thought. Besides, time flowed differently in the mortal realm. A trip down there would only take a short while in the Heavenly Court. As for the guards at the South Heavenly Gate, he didn’t believe they’d dare report his descent to the higher-ups.

  With that in mind, Nezha changed into a proper outfit and flew out the door, heading straight for the South Heavenly Gate.

  Meanwhile, Xu Fang was facing Yang Chan, who had just emerged from seclusion, and the lunch she had prepared...