Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Not wanting to be around a drunken Wu, Chang'e waved her entourage out of the room before stating, "I heard about Senior's encounter with my daughter. Please, allow me to apologize on her behalf. Though her essence is even older than mine, she is still a naive and innocent girl...I hope her actions did not cause too great an offense..."Punctuating her statement, Chang'e performed a rather peculiar curtsy that involved pulling up the sides of her lotus-like gown whilst simultaneously lowering her head. What made this different from a normal curtsy was the fact she hiked her gown up just enough that it displayed her thighs without showing off the contents hidden within. The top of her gown also shifted to reveal just a hint of her pale-white, ethereally luminescent cleavage.Without shifting his gaze away from Chang'e's pale yellow, moon-like, Vahn raised his brows ever so slightly as he answered, "Don't worry about it. I didn't take what Xiao Yue said to heart. She also apologized and even gave me one of her Ginko Seeds. There is nothing for you to apologize for..."Seeing Vahn's clear, focused, and undeviating gaze, a breathtakingly beautiful smile spread across the face of Chang'e. Most people would get flustered or stare possessively if she revealed even a hint of her body. The only other person who had stared at her with such a stoic expression on his face was the Jade Emperor, so, while it was difficult to view Vahn in similar regard, Chang'e felt he must be exceptional not to be swayed by her beauty."That is the main reason I wished to meet with Senior. My daughter spoke rather highly of you, but, as her mother, I can't help worrying about her safety. The Sacred Ginko Seeds are among the most precious treasures in the Heavenly Domain. They are coveted by all, but, due to the nature of their blessing, it is impossible to force the owner to bestow them unwillingly. Now that my daughter has given away her first and most important seed...I would like to learn more about the person she has bequeathed it to. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about the contents of your request..."As she spoke, Chang'e meandered slowly and gracefully towards Vahn. The luminance of her moon-like eyes became noticeably brighter while her pupils, evocative of the night sky, glistened with the distant light of countless stars. By the time she was finished with her explanation, her exposed feet had carried her to just outside of Vahn's range...Having already laid the three balls of fluff on the hammock, Vahn rose to his feet, his height letting him stand more than a head taller than the 159cm Moon Goddess. This sent a trepidatious tremor through Chang'e aura. In spite of this, her expression appeared smoldering and eager as her mouth parted just enough to appear inviting...Extending his hand, Vahn motioned as if to caress Chang'e's face. This was what the latter believed, but, the moment she closed her eyes in anticipation, a sharp yet temporary pain radiated from the center of her forehead as Vahn said, "Don't play with fire unless you're prepared to receive a burn. If I was actually a bad person, this little trinket wouldn't have helped in the slightest."Dangling the thumb-sized jade fetish Chang'e had been grasping in her left, Vahn earned a terrified and befuddled look from the Goddess even as he handed it back to her. The fetish was a life-saving treasure known as the Ten-Thousand Li Transfer Jade. It allowed the user to instantaneously teleport a distance of 5000km. This wasn't a particularly great distance when there were individuals capable of moving faster than the speed of light, but, so long as she never left the Jade Palace, it was more than enough.Taking advantage of Chang'e's momentary stupor, Vahn pulled out two peculiar pieces of furniture known as globe chairs. Unlike the normal variety, however, these radiated a glow reminiscent of the full moon. Chang'e immediately took notice of this, her moon-like eyes widening quite a bit as Vahn handed her a thick, pale-yellow blanket that radiated a very similar glow."These should help you calm down. The chair serves as a charging station of sorts for those with Yin Affinities. The blanket possesses a similar function but its foremost selling point is the fact it's super soft. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I head outside and prepare tea and snacks for the girls? I'll be back in a few minutes."Without waiting for Chang'e's response, Vahn raised his hand in a casual gesture of farewell before making his way outside. This left the silver-haired Goddess staring at his retreating figure, confusion and disbelief marring her expression as she wondered how Vahn had managed to both see through her and resist the temptation of her beauty...Chang'e didn't consider herself a vain woman. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was among the most beautiful women in the Divine Realm. This was how the people of the Little Garden viewed her, and, thanks to the machinations of a Poet that had become infatuated with her several hundred years prior, her body exuded a natural grace and charm that made her irresistible to most men."How peculiar..."As she had personally witnessed Fenrir and Mikoto at Vahn's side, Chang'e doubted he was the type that sowed seeds among his fellows. Since her charm was supposed to affect everyone who viewed her with libidinous or even affectionate intentions, this implied that Vahn was either immune to her charms or simply wasn't attracted to her. Either way, he was an exceptional person as even Buddhist monks needed to recite mantras to rid themselves of libidinous thoughts in her presence...Recalling her previous encounter with the Buddhist Faction, a shudder ran through Chang'e's body as she attempted to shake away the memory from her mind. Sanzang had attempted to convince her to shave her head so that she could feel more attuned with the energies of Heaven and Earth while simultaneously quelling the desires many directed her way. When Chang'e refused, the mad monk attempted to petition the Jade Emperor directly, but, fortunately, he politely refused before sending Sanzang back to the West..."Was the chair not to your liking...?"Startling back to awareness, a rosy hue colored Chang'e's cheeks as she noticed Vahn staring at her from the entrance to the room. He kept a supply of tea and snacks in his Inventory, so, while he was briefly delayed due to Xiao Yue's questioning, it had only taken him a short while to return.Seeing how startled the Moon Goddess was, Vahn didn't need to be a genius to figure out she had been standing in the same place since his departure. A wry yet amused smile immediately found its way to his face, and, as a result, he could feel the effects of Chang'e's charm washing over him like a cool and relaxing shower after an intense workout.Fortunately, not that he actually needed it, Vahn's charm was far superior to Chang'e's. He was, after all, an A-Rank God of Sex. It was one of his highest-ranking Divinities, so, even if he didn't possess a natural immunity to mind-altering abilities, Chang'e's comparably weaker charm wouldn't have had any effect on him. Rather, because she was a 'pure maiden', her charm possessed a nostalgic quality that reminded people of their first love...Resisting the urge to allow Chang'e to experience a far more potent charm, Vahn made his way over to the chair he had prepared for himself before teleporting the 'sleeping' Fenrir and Mikoto over to him and asking, "So? What, specifically, did you want to know about me? I don't mind keeping you company until Erlang Shen, Wu, or whoever else arrives."Hearing Vahn mention Wu, Chang'e's senses immediately returned. As a result, she elected not to ask why he hadn't picked up the Jade Rabbit as well. Instead, she procured the snowy white rabbit for herself before getting comfortable in the remarkably cozy chair. It was a lot more pleasant than she had anticipated, but, staying focused, Chang'e managed to ask, "Where did you come from...?" before losing herself in the conversation that followed.........After thrashing more than seventy percent of the Gods attending the banquet, Wu was beginning to feel a little bored. The only people present who could realistically compete with her were Erlang Shen, Guan Yin, Yan Wang, Huangdi, Nuwa, and the Jade Emperor himself. She was on good terms with most of these, so, after her battle with Erlang Shen, Wu had thrashed a few upstarts before the rest simply kowtowed and called her Grandfather.When she first initiated the Gift Game, Wu had been looking forward to facing off against Vor, but, the moment the ashen-haired woman reached the front of the line, she immediately kowtowed ten times before referring to her as Grandfather with a completely straight expression on her face. This irked Wu to no end, but, as part of her agreement with the Buddhist Faction, she had no choice but to follow the rules listed within the Geass Roll.In the end, Wu's frustration reached the point where she told the remaining Gods to piss off before snatching up Nezha and promptly departing the banquet hall. This was met with a mixture of relief and frustration by the Gods present within, but, not caring about them in the slightest, Wu hopped, skipped, and jumped across a few jade-tiled roofs before setting the dizzy-eyed tomboy down and asking, "Do you know where that man and his little pets are staying?"Rubbing the back of her head and neck to alleviate some of the pain caused by her whiplash, Nezha answered, "If he's a guest of the Jade Fart, he should be staying in the Celestial Star Gazing Pavilion. If he isn't there, we can always ask Yunuu and Jintong. They should know where all of the guests are staying.""Ah, I almost forgot about those brats. Good job, Nezha...!"Though she smiled in response to Wu's praise, Nezha's expression quickly soured when she found herself promptly flung over the mischievous monkey's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. This was a little better than being carried by the collar of her jacket, but, by the time they finally reached the Celestial Star Gazing Pavilion, Nezha felt like she was on the verge of regurgitating the contents of her stomach. Had the food at this year's banquet not been the best she had ever eaten, she might have...Seeing Nezha breathing heavily on her hands and knees, a teasing smile developed across Wu's face as she crouched down to pat the boyish youth on the back, saying, "You've been slacking off in your training. Tomorrow morning, I'll go and give your old man a piece of my mind. After that, you can come live with me on Mount Huaguo. It's been a few decades since we last trained together..."Shuddering in response to Wu's words, Nezha had to cover her mouth with her left hand in a last-ditch attempt to hold her lunch. She respected Wu's strength and regarded her as her Big Sis, but, every time they trained together, it was like bungee jumping between Heaven and Hell. There were times when it was both relaxing and fun, but, more often than not, 'training' with Wu actually meant serving as her punching bag for months on end...After failing to get Nezha to throw up even after three and a half minutes, Wu clicked her tongue in frustration before retracting her hand from the paling youth's back and asking, "This is the Celestial Star Gazing Pavilion? It looks exactly the same as every other pavilion."Without dropping her guard, Nezha repositioned herself so that she was sitting on her butt before answering, "The Immortals whine like little babies whenever they think someone is receiving better treatment than them so the Jade Fart made all the pavilions look the same. The only real difference between them is the furnishings on the inside..."Though she nodded her head in understanding, Wu's brain was abuzz due to a sudden and intense urge to paint each of the pavilions a different color. That would have to wait until later. For now, she had a promise to keep, so, after dragging Nezha to her feet, the similarly sized duo entered into the pavilion without bothering to knock or announce their presence.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*approving Itachi noises*','Chang'e is lucky that Vahn is a good boi xD...','Wu might be a bully...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Sensing Wu's arrival the moment she entered the pavilion, Vahn's brows perked up as he realized she had the ability to pass through barriers and wards without triggering them. This explained how she was able to pilfer, not one, but six different means of obtaining immortality. She simply didn't trigger the protective formations that would have alerted people to her presence."It would appear my guests have arrived. Would you like me to teleport you outside...?"Hearing Vahn's words, Chang'e nearly spilled the cocoa he had given her. She had been so engaged by their conversation that she had completely forgotten about Wu. After all, it wasn't exactly normal for her to be able to converse with a man, much less one from outside the Heavenly Domain.Gesturing for the startled Goddess to be calm, a teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as he casually explained, "Don't worry. I've adjusted the flow of time between this room and the outside world. Even if you were to linger here for days, weeks, or even years on end, you would be able to leave before Wu arrived.As even the Mortal Domain governed by the Jade Palace was filled with disconnected realms and secret caves where the passage of time might be thousands of times faster than the outside world, Chang'e wasn't too surprised by Vahn's words. She was more confused by the fact she hadn't even been able to sense when he triggered the formation necessary to influence time to such an extreme degree. Even more confusing was the fact that they were currently resting in a room connected to a patio. When she looked outside, the world appeared completely normal.Understanding the Goddess's confusion, Vahn slowly rotated his hand. This caused the scene in the background to appear as though it was speeding up rapidly. When he reversed the direction of his movement, time appeared to flow in the opposite direction as he explained, "As someone who has frequently deviated from the Standard Axis of Time, I understand how dreary the sight of grey skies and never-changing surroundings can be. This barrier emulates the passage and creates a looping simulation of the outside world in accordance with a number of different variables. As for how I can reproduce the energies emitted by the Sun and Moon...well, let's just say you're not the only Moon Deity in the Divine Realm..."Shifting his attention to Fenrir, Vahn elected to momentarily conceal his Moon Divinity a secret by using his beloved companion as a scapegoat. This was the same as killing two birds with one stone as he was well aware of the fact that both Chang'e and Xiao Yue were curious about the lovable Vanargandr's inordinate affinity with Yin Elemental Energy.Following Vahn's gaze, realization donned upon Chang'e's face as she softly remarked, "I see...it's no wonder Xiao Yue was so taken with her. From her perspective, your companion gives off the feeling of a close relative..."As another wave of realization washed over her, Chang'e shifted her attention back to Vahn, asking, "If you wouldn't mind my asking, what Divinities does Senior possess? If one of your companions is a Moon Goddess, it stands to reason that Senior is also a God..."Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn left Chang'e astonished beyond words as he pulled out a veritable stack of Gift Cards infused with Divinity, asking, "Are you sure you want to know each of them...?"Swallowing hard, Chang'e nodded her head even as a feeling of giddiness began to swell in her abdomen like a swarm of butterflies. The whimsical smile on Vahn's face reminded her of Wu, but, as someone who had spent thousands of years in isolation on the Moon, she couldn't restrain her curiosity.Deciding to list them in the order they were recorded in his Status, the corners of Vahn's smile curled upward as he revealed, "B-Rank Creation, C-Rank Destruction, C-Rank Space, C-Rank Time, B-Rank Forging, B-Rank Sword, D-Rank Spear, E-Rank Archery, B-Rank Life, D-Rank Death, A-Rank Nature, S-Rank Wisdom, D-Rank Sun..."With even her highest Divinity clocking in at C-Rank, Chang'e's eyes were practically spinning by the time Vahn's words began to trail off. His S-Rank Wisdom Divinity, in particular, had impacted her mind like a sledgehammer. As a result, her mind had already stalled by the time he went on to add, "D-Rank Moon, C-Rank Sky, and A-Rank Sex...""..."Though it took her a moment to process Vahn's words, a vermillion hue spread through Chang'e's face and neck when she realized what he had just revealed. This wasn't an exaggeration either, as, even at normal times, Chang'e's body always exuded a glow reminiscent of moonlight. When a bit of red was added to it, her incandescence resembled what many referred to as a harvest or a blood moon.Amused by Chang'e's response, Vahn elected to punctuate his statement with a playful wink. At the same time, he dangled the card signifying his Sex Divinity to make it clear he wasn't merely playing around. When Chang'e saw it, her face and body became even ruddier as she hid behind the pale-yellow blanket he had lent her prior to their conversation.Fueled by a combination of curiosity and amusement, Vahn took advantage of Chang'e's flustered state to ask, "What happened to the Hou Yi of this world? The existence of Xiao Yue implies quite a bit but his absence during the banquet implies even more..."Hearing Vahn reference her former husband, Chang'e's heart began to pound in her chest as the notion he may be trying to seduce her emerged in the back of her mind. This was as terrifying as it was exciting, as, despite having a daughter, she had never actually had sex. If she did, she couldn't remember it as the Poet who had previously taken an interest in her ended up modifying her story in such a way that she could only recall being a virgin. As for her husband...Exhaling a sigh, Chang'e's complexion gradually returned to normal as she explained, "In an effort to protect the Mortal Domain, my former husband ended up murdering nine of Uncle Dijun's and Auntie Xihe's children. As punishment, both he and I were sentenced to live amongst mortals and protect their Domain for nine hundred generations. The Jade Emperor and Empress Xiwangmu attempted to mediate on our behalf but Auntie Xihe's demanded justice for her children. In the end, Hou Yi was expelled from Heaven while I was sent to the Moon Palace to serve as a handmaiden for the Moon Rabbit Royal Family..."......As a Generation in the Little Garden was defined as a period ranging between 25-50 years, Hou Yi's punishment was slated to last upwards of 45,000 years. This might not sound like a long time when there were beings with ages ranging in the billions of years, but, similar to how Shiroyasha was only around a thousand years old, Chang'e's chronological age was much younger than the concept she represented. She had memories dating back upwards of 4.5 billion years but the time she had spent manifested in the Little Garden was a mere 33,392.Worried that she would become lonely and depressed, Hou Yi had gifted Chang'e their marriage certificate prior to being expelled from Heaven. He had left the decision regarding whether or not they would stay married up to her. So long as Chang'e kept the document safe, they would return to being husband and wife the moment his punishment had ended.Not wanting to be regarded as someone who had turned her back on her husband, Chang'e had done her best to safeguard the document for the better part of six thousand years. Unfortunately, the fates hadn't been kind to them. The assault on the Moon Palace more than three hundred years ago had resulted in the deaths of more than ninety-three percent of the Lunar Deities. Chang'e was one of the few to escape, but, much like the palace that had served as her home for more than six thousand years, the marriage certificate between her and Hou Yi had been destroyed........."Shortly after the destruction of the Moon Palace, the surviving Moon Gods and Goddesses became a hot topic among the residents of the Little Garden. My beauty garnered a considerable amount of attention. As a result, I ended up earning the attention of a rather...peculiar group of Eastern Poets. After that...it's difficult to distinguish fact from fiction even within my own mind. All I know with any reasonable degree of certainty is that my union with Hou Yi had come to an end. Shortly after that, the Jade Empress created Xiao Yue from a beam of moonlight. Since then, I have focused on raising her as my daughter..."Not expecting to hear such a story in response to his teasing, Vahn's expression had softened into a concerned look as he stated, "If you'd like, I can free both you and Hou Yi from your fates. It won't be long before the Sage Dragon's Hearth attains the status of a 4-Digit Community. The Jade Em-"Without waiting for Vahn to finish, Chang'e shook her head, stating, "Thank you, but I'm afraid I'll have to refuse Senior's kindness..." with a melancholic smile on her face. When Vahn was about to ask why, the pale-haired Goddess beat him to the punch, explaining, "In his current incarnation, my former husband is a King who rules over his Kingdom with three wives and eleven children. He also loses his memories near the beginning of each cycle so this is far from the first time he has started a family in the Mortal Domain. As for me...I'm happy so long as Xiao Yue is able to continue living a peaceful existence..."Swallowing his words, Vahn experienced a moment of emotional turmoil as he attempted to think of a solution to Chang'e's predicament. He might be able to convince her to come with him, but, if the notion of Hou Yi having multiple wives bothered her, she probably wouldn't be too enthused to learn about the existence of his harem. That wouldn't deter him from doing everything in his power to make her happy, but, in the grand scheme of things, sex often complicated more problems than it solved...As if she could suddenly peer into Vahn's mind, an affectionate smile developed across Chang'e's face as she softly remarked, "You're a very kind person..."Opening his mouth, Vahn, for reasons he couldn't fully comprehend, intended to refute Chang'e's statement. Before he could find the words, Chang'e issued an amused laugh before tugging at one of the golden Ginko Seeds attached to her necklace. Then, rather than gifting it to him, she pinched it between her thumb and index finger..."I feel like I have learned more about you these past few minutes than the two hours we conversed previously. As there is a chance this will be our last meeting, allow me to bestow unto you a parting gift..."As the Ginko Seed fragmented into a surprising volume of milky-white light, the Jade Rabbit within the hammock stirred for the first time in hours. The light produced by the Ginko Seed immediately flowed into its body, and, much like how Fenrir and Mikoto were able to transform, it quickly took the form of a young woman with short, silvery-white hair and pale golden eyes.Though the woman lacked Chang'e's glow, Vahn would have to be blind not to see the similarities between the two. He even suspected that the woman's appearance was templated from a previous version of Chang'e. Perhaps even her original considering Chang'e went on to explain, "This young woman is my Mortal Avatar, Heng'e. My destiny is bound to the Jade Palace but that doesn't mean I can't experience life in the outside world. May she serve you well in my stead..."Adopting a smile that was nearly as breathtaking as Chang'e's, Heng'e offered a courteous bow as she said, "I vow to do my best..." in a soft yet audibly excited tone.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn over here casually distorting space-time at his leisure...','That's one bashful bunny...','Sasuga Chang'e-sama...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though Vahn and a few others had departed, that didn't mean the events in the banquet hall had come to an end. Not everyone was willing to immediately kowtow to Wu Kong. Many would rather suffer a beating than lower their heads to another, so, shortly after Vahn's departure, the banquet hall became a battlefield.Among the group of Gods that refused to lower their heads was Erlang Shen. He had fought Wu numerous times in the past, and, at one point, he had even managed to defeat her with the help of the Buddhist Faction. He was one of the people responsible for Wu's transition from a Demon King to one of the Seven Great Sages, so, whenever she appeared to cause trouble, he would be among the first to butt heads with the mischievous monkey."Wu, you stone-headed monkey. Why couldn't you just participate in the banquet like a normal person? Thanks to you, I missed my opportunity to face off against the Sage Dragon Emperor...!"Snorting through her nose, Wu performed a half-turn, smacking her left butt cheek and flaring her tail as she taunted, "Bite me, dog breath...!"Baring his teeth as if he was tempted to do exactly that, Erlang Shen charged towards Wu with the momentum of a wayward solar flare. The space encompassing him illuminated as if lit by a golden flame, and, by the time he reached Wu, a draconic visage more than twenty meters in diameter had formed in response to the superheated spear in his right hand."Dragon Shatters the Rampart...!"Under normal circumstances, Erlang Shen's attack would allow him to pierce through the heart of a mountain in a single thrust. Unfortunately, Wu's head was significantly harder, so, the moment Shen unleashed his attack, she reared her head back with a smile, shouting, "Monkey Shatters Illusions of Grandeur...!" before surging forward to headbutt the tip of his spear.Refusing the backdown, Shen sent a surge of Divine Qi into his spear the moment it made contact with the center of Wu's head. Ancient runes immediately lit up across the body of the spear, and, as a result of the impact, a violent shockwave rocked the center of the arena before collapsing inward to produce a swirling, gravitational vortex.Smiling even wider, Wu appeared as though she was fully committed to breaking the spear with her forehead. Even Shen believed this was the case, so, after a brief moment of hesitation, he clenched his teeth hard enough to produce blood as he sent nearly half of his Divine Qi into his spear.Waiting for that exact moment, Wu sent chills through the bodies of nearly every God present by manifesting a clone right behind Shen. Then, before the God could react, she practically inverted her body as she raised her foot backward in the preliminary movement of punting motion."Soul-Shattering Branch Kick...!"Hearing Wu's voice behind him, the ruddiness of Erlang Shen's complexion immediately faded away as he instinctually closed his legs. This disrupted his balance, and, as a result, Wu was able to smash through the tip of his spear before reversing the direction of her movement to give him a powerful uppercut to the lower jaw.Though he was extremely angered by Wu's actions, Erlang Shen couldn't conceal an expression of considerable relief as he flipped in the air, massaged his jaw, and said, "You unscrupulous rascal..."Sniggering in response to Shen's remark, Wu produced double-peace signs as she teased, "You're lucky I'm a magnanimous person. Even I wouldn't go out of my way to neuter a dog that has yet to leave behind a litter~!"Clicking his tongue, Erlang Shen discarded his three-pointed, double-edged spear before forming a seal with his hands and shouting, "Heaven's Punishment...!"As she was incapable of flying without assistance, Wu's brows perked up as an extremely complex, circular magic formation appeared beneath her feet. At the same time, five black pillars emerged covered in golden runes emerged along the periphery to form a pentagonal cage of vibrant golden electricity.Spreading his hands apart, hazy golden triangles in the center of Erlang Shen's palms as the third eye at the center of his forehead began releasing an intense, blinding light."You think you can simply destroy my weapon and be done with it? Do not underestimate the spirit of those who pursue the Dao of the Spear...!"Clapping his hands together, cracks appeared along the gauntlets adorning Erlang Shen's hands and forearms as he shouted, "Divine Art - Heaven's Divide...!"Though most expected some kind of massive energy attack to be unleashed the moment Erlang Shen's slapped his hands together, a far more peculiar scene presented itself as the arena beneath Wu's feet spontaneously opened to reveal a seemingly bottomless chasm. The moment she began to fall, the fiery golden eye at the center of Shen's forehead ruptured, blood pouring down his face as a much larger version of his three-pointed, double-edged spear pierced towards Wu at a speed most of the Gods present couldn't even follow."Well, fu-"With the spear impacting her the exact moment she became aware of its presence, Wu wasn't even able to finish her exclamation as the skyscraper-sized projectile impacted the center of her chest. Its momentum ended up carrying her deep into the chasm as Erlang Shen, anticipating this, produced a third and final seal as he shouted, "Divine Art - Earth Prison...!"As a Stone Monkey whose legend included being sealed beneath a mountain for five hundred years, prisons formed from earth were one of Wu's only weaknesses. This was common knowledge in the Divine Realm, but, unless they were a literal Earth God or Goddess, most people were unable to take advantage of it.Following the activation of Erlang Shen's third seal, the massive chasm formed in the center of the arena promptly slammed shut with enough force to compel numerous Gods to take a knee. A few of the younger Gods were even impertinent enough to cheer while those closest to Wu's stupefied clones adopted scornful, jeering smiles. This earned them incredulous looks from the clones, who, all at the same time, remarked, "Did someone replace your brains with a bunch of rocks?"As if to punctuate their sonorous rebuttal, a tremor that seemed to shake the very foundation of the Jade Palace reached the Gods present within the hall. Almost immediately thereafter, the fissure at the center of the arena began to open up, and, despite his best attempts to keep it closed, Erlang Shen had already exhausted most of his Divine Qi. He could normally endure for weeks on end, but, against an opponent like Wu, he had to go all out from the very beginning."Dammit...!"Realizing he wasn't going to be able to keep the fissure closed, Erlang Shen released the seal in an attempt to use his remaining energy to send Wu even deeper into the rift. The moment he did so, however, an angry and high-pitched voice could be heard bellowing, "Monkey Bounds Across the Heavens...!"Like a golden beam of light, Wu emerged from the seemingly bottomless pit with an enraged look on her face. Her trusted Ruyi Jingu Bang had been used to pry open the rift, so, while she wanted nothing more than to smack Erlang Shen on the top of his head, she settled for wrapping her tail around his neck before treating his face like a speed bag.Though he gave as good as he got, Erlang Shen lacked the ostensibly indestructible body of Wu. She literally had seven forms of Immortality overlapped on top of each other, two of which made her impervious to both physical and magical attacks. She was widely considered to be one of the most immortal and invincible beings in all of creation, so, by the time their exchange had come to an end, his previously majestic helmet looked like a crushed can while his face was battered to the point of resembling a Pig Demon.With Erlang Shen's body going slack in her tail's embrace, Wu was about to discard him to the side when the unconscious God gave her one final slug across the face. It didn't do any damage, but, as she was about to say something, Wu ended up biting the tip of her tongue. This also failed to injure her, but, as she still felt sensations such as pain, faint moisture built upon the surface of her eyes as she grabbed the sides of Erlang Shen's head and gave him a parting headbutt.Having been knocked out halfway through the exchange of blows, Erlang Shen ended up impacting the arena with meteoric force. Wu was half-tempted to throw him into the rift he attempted to seal her in, but, understanding his assistance would be necessary to retrieve her Ruyi Jingu Bang, she left him with easily treatable injuries. Most of his bones were broken, but, when it came to Gods on the level of Erlang Shen, even the destruction of their physical body wasn't an irrecoverable injury...Landing outside the arena, Wu adopted a petulant glare as she snorted through her nose and said, "So, you thought you could laugh and jeer at me just because you thought I got trapped? We'll see how you like it...!"Grabbing one of the Immortals who had laughed at her, Wu planted more than half his body in the ground before he could even hope to protest. Then, with an ostensibly murderous expression on her face, she glared at the group of Gods who had laughed at her, commanding, "Laugh...!" as her eyes shifted from beautiful, crystal-clear emeralds to fiery red orbs reminiscent of hot coals.........While Wu was in the middle of bullying her fellow Gods, Vahn was enjoying a relaxing rest back at the pavilion prepared for him by the Jade Emperor. He had already retrieved Fenrir, Mikoto, and the Jade Rabbit from his Little Garden so he was unsurprised when, a few minutes after his arrival in the pavilion, a gentle, natural-sounding bell echoed through the halls.Feeling a little lazy, Vahn simply answered, "It's open..." without rising from the hammock he was currently resting in. Shortly thereafter, Chang'e, accompanied by Xiao Yue and a few of her sister-cousins appeared at the entrance of the resting area with curious looks on their faces. They were unaccustomed to not following the Jade Palace's rules on etiquette so this was the first time many of them had entered someone else's pavilion without a guide.Waiting for the moment Chang'e made eye contact with him, Vahn gently massaged the interior of the Jade Rabbit's ear. This caused a faint blush to spread through her cheeks, but, having prepared herself prior to coming over, Chang'e managed to appear calm and unflustered as she remarked, "I heard about what happened during the banquet. How did you manage to escape from Senior Wu's Gift Game...?"As someone who had suffered as a result of Wu's antics in the past, Chang'e knew how difficult it was to escape the golden-haired monkey's grasp. She had suffered the effects of Wu's curse on no less than thirteen occasions. To have the curse removed, she had been forced to cohabitate with the aforementioned Monkey King for months on end. Wu could be exceptionally lazy, so, whenever her curse affected female Immortals and Goddesses, she had them wait on her hand and foot for a few months before sending them back. During that time, they would be tasked with hand-feeding her, filling her glass with wine, washing her back, brushing her hair, and, every now and then, caressing her head until she fell asleep.Removing his hand from the Jade Rabbit's head, Vahn grabbed the three of the balls of fluff as he rose to a seated position and answered, "I gave Nezha a hand when they nearly got in over their head. She let me go after telling me she would stop by with a gourd of monkey wine."Hearing that Wu would be coming by to pay a visit, the complexion of the various Yue's paled as Chang'e adopted a wry smile and muttered, "I see..." in a slightly troubled tone. She knew Wu was just lonely, but, much like Nezha, the golden-haired monkey girl didn't seem to know the meaning of the word restraint. She was also extremely daring at times, so, while many of the Goddesses had a secret fondness for the greatest of the Seven Sages, they didn't exactly look forward to interacting with her.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I felt that kick...','Wukong, "Think, Shen, think! Everyone you know, everything you care about will get thrashed! What will you have after ten thousand consecutive punches to the face!?"','Erlang Shen, "My dignity...I'll still...have my dignity..."','Wu, "..."')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2165: Expectations vs Reality