I'm The Devil - Chapter 289

Chapter 289: Recruiting 2

The God Plane lay quiet that day, its celestial palaces untouched by mortal strife. Yet within the hallowed halls of the Jade Emperor’s court, whispers of unrest began to ripple. A golden scroll materialized in the Jade Emperor’s hand, a missive inscribed with the ethereal threads of fate. His impassive gaze flickered over its words, unreadable as ever. Only the faintest tightening of his jaw betrayed his thoughts before he rolled the scroll and let it vanish into the void.

Far below, on the shores of the mortal realm, Nezha strode forward, his every step resonating with unshakable purpose. The wind-fire wheels beneath his feet spun in a harmonious rhythm, carrying him across the earth like a comet skimming the heavens. The faint heat emanating from his form caused the air around him to shimmer, his reborn body thrumming with contained energy.

Nezha paused atop a jagged cliff overlooking the ocean, his spear resting lightly against his shoulder. The sea before him was calm, almost deceptively so, its surface reflecting the muted hues of the late afternoon sky. Yet the tension in the air was palpable, as if nature itself braced for the storm that would soon follow.

The boy’s expression was serene but taut, a paradoxical blend of youthful innocence and hardened resolve. His delicate features betrayed no fear, only a quiet determination that glimmered in his golden eyes like a fire refusing to be extinguished.

Nezha tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze catching movement beneath the waves. His grip on the spear tightened imperceptibly, his knuckles whitening against the smooth shaft. From the depths emerged the immense, coiling figure of Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, his glittering scales catching the light like shards of emerald and sapphire.

The Dragon King’s massive form towered over the waters, his serpentine body undulating with restrained power. His eyes, slitted and gleaming with malice, locked onto Nezha. A low, guttural growl escaped him, resonating across the ocean and shaking the cliffs.

“You return to my domain, lotus warrior,” Ao Guang hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “Have you come to taunt me with your defiance, or to finally pay for the blood you spilled?”

Nezha’s lips quirked into a faint, humorless smile. He lowered his spear, pointing its tip directly at the Dragon King’s heart. “I’ve come to ensure that no one else suffers under your arrogance, Ao Guang. You would rather rule with fear than protect your domain. If you seek vengeance, so be it. But you’ll find no child here today.”

The wind picked up, whipping Nezha’s long hair behind him in a cascade of black and crimson. His stance was unwavering, the subtle shift of his weight signaling readiness. The air around him grew hotter, the faint scent of lotus blossoms mingling with the sulfurous tang of the Dragon King’s rage.

—

The battle began without warning.

Ao Guang surged forward, his immense body carving through the water like a tidal wave. The ocean beneath him roared to life, great plumes of saltwater crashing against the cliffside. Nezha leaped into the air, his wind-fire wheels blazing with golden light as they carried him skyward.

Their first clash sent shockwaves rippling across the sea. Ao Guang’s talons swiped through the air with deadly precision, but Nezha was faster, weaving through the strikes like a dancer caught in the rhythm of a storm. The boy’s flaming spear struck out, its tip trailing embers that seared the Dragon King’s scales. Ao Guang roared in fury, his coiled tail lashing out to catch Nezha mid-flight.

Nezha twisted his body at the last moment, his face a mask of focused intensity. His muscles coiled and released like springs, his movements fluid yet deliberate. The spear spun in his hands, catching Ao Guang’s tail and deflecting its crushing force. Sparks erupted where the weapon and scales met, the boy’s feet finding purchase on the Dragon King’s massive tail before he launched himself higher into the air.

Hovering above his foe, Nezha’s golden eyes narrowed. The faintest crease formed between his brows, a subtle expression of disappointment. “Still hiding behind your size, Ao Guang?” he muttered under his breath. “Have you learned nothing?”

The Dragon King roared, his breath turning the air to steam as he summoned the ocean itself to his aid. Massive columns of water rose like pillars around Nezha, twisting and spiraling toward him with devastating force. The boy’s expression remained calm, though a flicker of something fierce burned in his eyes.

With a deft movement, Nezha hurled his spear into the heart of one of the watery columns. The weapon pulsed with divine energy, splitting the torrent in two as it carved a path through the storm. Nezha followed in its wake, his wind-fire wheels spinning faster, the flames licking at the edges of the water but never extinguishing.

As he reached the Dragon King’s head, Nezha struck with precision. His spear blazed with fiery light as it drove into Ao Guang’s armored brow, the force of the blow sending tremors through the beast’s colossal frame. Yet the Dragon King endured, his coiled body twisting to catch Nezha in an iron grip.

Pinned in the vice of Ao Guang’s coils, Nezha gasped, his teeth gritted against the pressure. Yet even as his body strained, his expression remained fierce, unbroken. “You think brute force will win this, dragon?” he spat, his voice sharp as steel. “Let me show you the strength of a lotus reborn.”

—

In an explosion of fire and light, Nezha unleashed his full power. Flames erupted from his body, the golden lotus at his heart glowing with an intensity that turned the night to day. Ao Guang’s coils slackened, the heat searing his scales as he roared in pain and fury.

Freed from the dragon’s grip, Nezha descended like a falling star, his spear aimed at the Dragon King’s heart. His face, illuminated by the blazing light, betrayed a flicker of sorrow—an acknowledgment of the pain he was about to inflict, and the necessity of his actions.

When the strike landed, the heavens themselves seemed to mourn.

“Impressive. ”