VIMworld Universe Lore Series Story #3 (Part 1): Erlang Shen, The War God of the Jade Palace

This is the third entry in our VIMworld Universe Lore Series.

Erlang Shen, the next limited edition VIM from the Journey to the West series will be introduced as a new addition to the Devotion Oathsworns clan!

More details on how to acquire Erlang Shen will be revealed in a separate article.

Enjoy Part 1 of 2 in this action-packed story series!

Part 1: The Attack on the Jade Palace

At the grand hall of the Jade Emperor’s palace in the Divine Realm, a powerful general for the emperor, named Erlang Shen and his faithful Howling Celestial Hound, a mighty creature in its own right, were staving off blackened demons coming out of portals that ripped into reality from nowhere. As Erlang Shen deftly took many of their numbers down with blindingly quick spear thrusts from his trident imbued with Qi, Erlang Shen was finding himself rather overrun. While they were not stronger than him, the numbers continued and only increased, pressing both the celestial hound and Erlang Shen.

Erlang Shen, which his name meant “Second Son God”, was the nephew of the Jade Emperor and general of the palace that sat in the sky, amongst the clouds. For many years, he served the Palace with his third eye, the truth seeking eye, and a faithful legion of soldiers to protect the denizens in the Jade Palace and Divine Realm. Yet now, demons had suddenly appeared from portals that tore into their realm, thus sending all of the soldiers into battle to defend the Heavenly Realm, with Erlang Shen leading at the front.

Erlang Shen had incredible battle prowess: his trident was used unconventionally not just as a spear, but a polearm that he chained his other attacks off of. An expert of martial arts and Qi cultivation, Erlang Shen was quite proficient with using his trident to mix hand to hand attacks, avoid and defend from danger, and when further pressed in battle, imbue the weapon with his Qi. For centuries, people in both the Middle Kingdom and Jade Palace had always revered him as a decorated war general. It was the truth. He was a warrior god unmatched by others and was the embodiment of devotion, filial piety, and loyalty, while not letting his abilities push his pride into pure ego.

The battle reminded Erlang Shen of the time he stopped the rampage of the Monkey King through the heavens, at least from the absurdity of the foolishness of an invasion to the Divine Realm alone. Nonetheless, he is never one to underestimate any intruders, especially ones that are clearly inter-dimensional. Across the palace, soldiers swarmed the place, swiftly coming to Erlang Shen’s aid, and lent their own battle prowess to staving off the demons. Each of the soldiers wore similar adornments and outfits like Erlang Shen, with flowing hems, sleeves and sashes, the sky blue motif matching that of the palace’s location in the clouds. Their movements with their weapons were almost imperceptible to the eye, the flowing garments hiding the deadly strikes, slashes, and blows they delivered to the purple-tinged demons that flowed from the portals.

“General!” one of the soldiers cried out to Erlang Shen, “We are securing the front of the palace! It is best to head inside and hold on from there!”

“Let us retreat to the outer doors and have the enemies funnel inside!” he commanded, but was abruptly cut off by a demon that found an opening. Erlang Shen took a powerful kick to the midsection and was blasted off his feet, sending him backwards. Worse, Erlang Shen knew his troubles were tenfold as the swirling miasma of the portals started to surround him, and his body became weightless within. As the portal began to suck him along to the unknown, the form of the Howling Celestial Hound came flying through with him, rejoining his master.

“Wait! You followed me through? There may be no way back though!” Erlang cried out in shock. The faithful companion simply barked his disapproval, following his master wherever in the realms he may go, reaffirming his steadfast loyalty. The two continued to traverse the stretch of endless miasma warp, awaiting to see where the portal would take them next. The weightless feeling was similar to when Erlang Shen used the gusts of wind around the palace to traverse between the clouds, except there was a powerful pull he could not fight. They both rode the pull of the portal through space and time, until a light appeared at the end. The light began to grow brighter until it became blinding, and the duo felt their bodies accelerate through the warp until the light overtook them, senses and all.

***

Erlang Shen experienced what felt like a year’s worth of vivid dreams: dreams of his home in the Jade Palace, dreams of his battles with the Monkey King, dreams of faraway lands he had never imagined.

One particularly unpleasant dream found him and his Howling Celestial Hound wandering through a forest. They were alone, had no idea how they got there, and Erlang Shen felt, with dismay, that his divine powers had lost some of their potency.

He wandered for a long period before realizing that it might not be a dream. He felt his memories of the moments before come rushing back. The Jade Emperor’s Palace, the demons, the portals…

His confusion faded slowly as Erlang Shen began to adjust his eyes. He realized he was awake, and was in some strange realm filled with bountiful flora and a lush but imposing forest; a place that sapped him of his powers, his divine energy. Only through his Qi, his inner energy cultivated through martial arts training and meditation, could he resist losing them altogether.

He was worried at the unknown place. The flora and fauna in this forest did not resemble the ones found in the Middle Kingdom in the Eastern lands of the mortal world he kept watch over, but some place that he was unfamiliar with. He looked to his Howling Celestial Hound, who, by the look on its face, shared similar concerns.

After a delirious moment, he decided to begin walking. His truth seeking eye, which has never failed him, did not activate. He had to find help, answers, anything.

They walked for hours, the unbroken tedium of the forest slowly wearing down their hope. Finally, the forest began thinning, and Erlang Shen felt his heart lift as he saw mountains through the veil of trees.

He and his Howling Celestial Hound emerged from the forest into a great valley ringed by beautiful, imposing, grand mountains. The sky was a bright blue, and the sun shone on his face, warming his cheeks and his heart.

The Howling Celestial Hound started barking, and soon Erlang Shen realized why: far in the distance, along the ridges of the mountains, the natural beauty was broken by ugly light: the demons were crossing the ridge. Erlang Shen suddenly remembered them slipping through the portal after him. They must’ve landed in another part of this world. And now, he guessed, they were searching for him.

But they seemed to be moving over the ridge with purpose. He looked ahead, and that’s when he realized. Not far from him was a village. And the demons were headed right for it.

To be continued…