I returned to the Heavenly Court, where the banquet was still ongoing.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, the immortals and buddhas were drinking to their hearts' content, enjoying themselves.

The Great Sage Spirit came in and out, carrying leftovers as huge as mountains, sprinkling them down to the mortal realm.

These remnants would be seen as "miracles," nourishing their believers.

"Tianpeng, you're here," the Jade Emperor beckoned to me, "Come over, I have something to tell you."

I went over as instructed, the Jade Emperor and the Tathagata exchanged glances, while the Bodhisattvas and Arhats occasionally let out strange laughs.

I felt nervous.

"We've come up with a way to deal with those three beasts," the Jade Emperor said, "Taiyi, you're experienced in this, you tell him."

Old Taiyi spat out a bone, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, "If you can't kill them physically, then kill their hearts!"

He chuckled, "Since we could remake a Nezha, we can also reform them!"

"Kill... their hearts?" I was puzzled.

Taiyi looked pleased, "Nezha, come here!"

There was a commotion at the table, and a young man with his head almost touching the ground emerged, standing respectfully in front of Taiyi - he had been serving as Taiyi's stool just now.

"Master, do you have any orders?"

"Nothing, just wanted to ask if you have any grievances against us?" Taiyi stroked his white beard, then raised his voice suddenly, "After all, you were the child who once pulled dragon tendons and peeled dragon bones!"

I suddenly recalled the scene of seeing Nezha for the first time:

He was only five years old at the time, even smaller than Ao Bing's eye.

But this little child was holding a long knife as tall as half a person, pointing at the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and cursing loudly, "Your son is causing trouble, preying on the people. If I kill him, I kill him. What right do you have to come here seeking justice? I am justice, I am righteousness. What can you do to me?"

With that, he plunged the knife into Ao Bing's head, blood splattering.

He wiped his face, smiling at the multitude of gods and buddhas.

But now—

Nezha suddenly shuddered, knelt down with a thud, and knocked his head repeatedly, "Master, that was the ignorant act of a young child. I now know my mistake, I beg for your mercy, please spare me..."

His head was bleeding, quickly forming a pool of black blood on the ground.

Taiyi kicked Nezha's buttocks, causing him to tumble head over heels a few times.