Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 432 Lighting the Lamp: My disciple, why don't you hurry up and become my disciple?
The golden pagoda unleashed its immense divine power, radiating countless rays of golden light. Terrifying fluctuations surged down, and the golden light from the pagoda's opening enveloped and suppressed Bifang below.

"Get out of my way!"

Bifang was both shocked and furious. It roared to the sky. Although it did not know who was behind it, it was determined that freedom was within its grasp and it would never surrender.

But upon hearing an angry cry, its aura surged instantly, and its demonic power reached its peak.

The azure-red demonic fire that had been attached to it suddenly surged and burned fiercely, turning its surroundings into a sea of ​​fire, seemingly with the power to burn the heavens and boil the seas.

Bifang flapped its wings, unleashing its full power, and charged towards the golden light that enveloped it, carrying the fire of the demon god.

"Not good!" Li Jing exclaimed softly, as no one knew Bi Fang's strength better than him.

That was a powerful ancient demon god, whose power at its peak was comparable to that of a great immortal.

The fact that he used Bifang's demonic power to kick Huanglong Zhenren, one of the Twelve Immortals of Jade Void, into serious injury last time is proof of this.

He could see that this mysterious pagoda was an extraordinary treasure, but could it withstand the desperate efforts of the ancient demon god Bifang?
The azure-red Bifang divine bird flapped its wings and crashed resolutely into the golden light of the pagoda, unleashing a deafening roar. The shockwave surged like a tsunami, and the demon god fire was also struck, bursting forth with countless flames that fell in all directions.

"Oh no..." Li Jing exclaimed. Although the sparks that burst out seemed insignificant, they were the demon god's fire that could burn mountains and boil seas.

Even a single spark can start a prairie fire, let alone the fire of a demon god, which would be a disaster if it fell on earth.

To his astonishment, the pagoda remained completely unmoved by Bifang's impact, and even the bursts of fire vanished upon contact with the pagoda's golden light.

"How is this possible... What kind of tower is this?"

Bi Fang exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

The ancestral witch Gonggong once smashed Buzhou Mountain with his head, and now he is smashing it with all his might, making himself dizzy, but he still couldn't shake the tower in the slightest.

But no one answered him.

With a loud "thud," the golden pagoda unleashed countless layers of divine light, crashing down without giving Bifang any chance to resist and taking it inside.

Then, after the Golden Pagoda absorbed Bifang, its divine light receded, and it continued to shrink as it flew towards the sky.

Li Jing looked up in astonishment and saw the pagoda fly back into the palm of a Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest had an otherworldly air about him, with a unique and refined appearance. He wore a Taoist robe in two colors, Qiankun (Heaven and Earth), and stood riding a deer on a cloud, with a divine wheel hanging behind his head.

"Is that Li Jing below?" the Taoist asked with a smile.

Li Jing snapped out of his daze and quickly summoned the crow demon king beneath his feet to fly closer. The crow king bowed respectfully and said, "It is indeed Li Jing. Thank you, Great Immortal, for subduing this scoundrel Bifang and saving the people from a calamity. May I ask what your Daoist name is?"

At this moment, Bifang in the tower shouted, "Randeng Daoist, I have no grudge against you. Today you are meddling in my affairs and trying to capture me. Hehe, my Demon Court clan will not let you go."

"Hehe, Bifang, you're still not being honest. The remnants of the Demon Court are too busy taking care of themselves to care about you. Besides..."

Ran Deng smiled and looked at Li Jing: "Who said that I was meddling in other people's business?"

"What do you mean?" Bi Fang was taken aback.

But then Ran Deng stroked his beard and laughed, "Li Jing, kneel down. I will secretly bestow upon you this Seven Treasures Ruyi Exquisite Golden Pagoda. If this wicked child misbehaves again in the future, you can use this golden pagoda to subdue him."

"This……"

Li Jing was stunned upon hearing this and said, "How can this be?"

There was something he hadn't dared to say earlier: the moment he first saw the pagoda, he inexplicably felt a connection with it.

Maybe it was just a feeling of attraction.

He also wished that the tower were his.

But he never expected that the Taoist Ran Deng would actually give him the tower.

Ran Deng pointed at Li Jing and laughed, "Don't be modest, Li Jing. You and I have a master-disciple relationship, and this treasure is also destined for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing immediately understood what the Taoist Ran Deng meant and couldn't help but frown.

He was no longer the ignorant peasant who had come out of the mountains. He knew the weight of the name "Randeng Daoren" and understood how fortunate it was to become his disciple.

But... I already have a master.

Li Jing thought to himself.

His life was full of misfortunes. When he came out of the mountains, he was as lowly as a speck of dust on the ground, and no one cared about him.

At that time, although he liked Yin Guangling, no one took it seriously, and no one believed that there would be a future between them.

Including himself!
He knew very well that although he and she lived in the same world, they were also from two different worlds.

Later, when Lingzhuzi introduced him to Master Yuding, he was rejected, which dealt him a heavy blow. He felt hopeless and thought he could not see any hope for the future.

Until... he met his master, Master Taixu.

He mastered his skills, gained wealth and status, achieved upward social mobility, and even married the woman he had loved since childhood.

It can be said that he has now fulfilled all his wishes in life except for revenge.

No one understood the weight that master held in his heart, and no one could take his place.

He lost his father at a young age and ventured out into the world alone. If he hadn't met that master, he would probably have lived a life no different from any other mortal.

In his heart, this master was more important than his father.

His father only gave him life, but this master truly changed his destiny.

Seeing Li Jing's expression, Ran Deng frowned and said, "What are you still hesitating about?"

Li Jing looked up and sighed, "Great Immortal, please allow me to report. I dare not deceive you... I already have a master."

Upon hearing this, Ran Deng's brows relaxed and he smiled, "Is it Master Taixu? Heh, I already know about this matter. Furthermore, I also know that he has severed his master-disciple relationship with you. Li Jing, why don't you quickly become his disciple?"

Li Jing looked up in surprise but decided not to make excuses and refused directly.

But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly paused, recalling a profound remark his master had made to him afterward.

Fate, destiny, treasures… Li Jing felt as if his eyes had suddenly opened up, his gaze slowly burning brightly. Without hesitation, he bowed and said, “Disciple Li Jing greets Master.”

"Good! Good! Good!"

Ran Deng stroked his beard and laughed as he accepted Li Jing's deep bow: "Disciple, please rise and receive the tower."

He pointed his right hand at the pagoda, and the pagoda emitted golden light and flew from his hand toward Li Jing.

Li Jing quickly reached out and caught the treasure. As soon as he touched it, his expression changed drastically. The foot-long pagoda felt as heavy as Mount Tai, making his body sink.

"It's so heavy!" Li Jing said through gritted teeth.

As soon as he finished speaking, the pagoda emitted a golden light, and its weight became as light as a feather.

Upon seeing this, Li Jing couldn't help but marvel, turning the pagoda over and over in his hands, clearly quite fond of it.

Ran Deng smiled and said, "This treasure is called the Seven Treasures Exquisite Golden Pagoda. My disciple, you do not yet recognize the wonder of this treasure. Let me tell you about it."

This tower was forged by my master from gold. It has seven levels, each a world unto itself, containing seven treasures and possessing immense, unparalleled power to subdue demons and monsters. If necessary, it can even subdue gods, humans, ghosts, and immortals. Tell me, is this tower heavy or not?

Li Jing was stunned, then both surprised and delighted. He looked at the pagoda again and again, wiping and examining it carefully, afraid of getting it covered in dust.

He finally understood what his master meant by the other good fortune he had been given.

Even the ancient demon god Bifang was suppressed; the power of this treasure has exceeded his imagination.

He might have truly been nothing without Bifang in the past.
But with this tower, humph!
"Heh, Randeng, your pagoda is impressive, but in the primordial world it's just average. I know two pagodas that are far more powerful than yours," Bifang sneered from the window inside the pagoda.

The window and railings were also made of gold, and although they were not closed, golden light shone down, making it impossible to escape.

"Humph!"

With a soft hum, Ran Deng flicked his sleeve, and the window on that floor immediately closed.

"Master, what is Bifang talking about?" Li Jing asked curiously.

Ran Deng said calmly, "That's not something you should be thinking about. Come, I will pass on the secret to controlling the pagoda to you." Li Jing said "Oh," but in his heart he still felt that his previous master was better; as long as he asked, the master would definitely answer him.

The so-called secrets included not only verbal instructions but also hand gestures, which Li Jing quickly memorized.

Ran Deng said, “Disciple, you have not yet achieved immortality, so you should enjoy worldly wealth and honor. But now the fate of the Shang Dynasty is exhausted and chaos has begun. You should resign from your official post and temporarily forget fame, fortune and honor. Take your family and live in seclusion in the mountains. When King Wu of Zhou raises his army, you can come out and make contributions. It will not have been a waste of your cultivation.”

"What? Master said... the Yin Shang dynasty's fate is sealed?" Li Jing looked up in surprise upon hearing this.

Although he was also a cultivator, after descending the mountain he joined the Xuan Niao Bureau, and later, by chance, he met the current King of Shang.

The position of General of Chentang Pass was also due to the favor of the Shang King. He had been guarding Chentang Pass for many years, and this was the first time he had heard of the fall of Shang and the rise of Zhou.

Ran Deng nodded slightly and said, "That's right. Now that you've joined my sect, it's natural that I need to let you know about this. Do you still have any concerns?"

Li Jing paused for a moment and then said, "Master, I have enjoyed wealth and honor for so many years because of the favor I have received from King Di Xin of Shang. Now that Cheng Tang is in danger, is it unjust for me to resign from my post? And if I help Zhou destroy Shang in the future... would that be disloyal?"

Ran Deng rebuked, "Nonsense! Foolishness! So-called loyalty and righteousness are nothing but tools used by monarchs to bind and kidnap their subjects."

"I ask you, does he value you because of your abilities or because of who you are? If you didn't have those abilities, would he still value you?"

“This…” Li Jing was stumped by the question.

Ran Deng said earnestly, "My disciple, remember this: your wealth and status are earned through your own abilities. You are not begging from them, nor are you giving them charity. In essence, you are simply taking what you need and using each other."

Your efforts are worthy of what he has given you; you must not be bound by any notion of loyalty or righteousness, and do not act rashly to repay him with your life.

“This…” Li Jing was stunned.

Although he instinctively wanted to refute it and say that what he said was wrong, he couldn't say the words.

Although this statement is outrageous to humans, it... seems to make a little bit of sense.

Is this really the case?
Li Jing was somewhat confused. He had some prejudice against his master, but at this moment he couldn't find any reason to refute it.

After a long silence, Li Jing sighed and said, "This disciple has remembered."

Ran Deng nodded in satisfaction, patted Li Jing on the shoulder, and urged his celestial deer to ride away on auspicious clouds.

"The Shang dynasty fell and the Zhou dynasty rose... The Shang dynasty fell and the Zhou dynasty rose?"

Li Jing murmured, a look of confusion in his eyes. He didn't know what to do at this moment.

According to the traditional culture he was raised with, a scholar would die for one who understands him. The Shang Dynasty had given him wealth and honor, so he should naturally repay them with his life.

But his master told him that it was all just an exchange between them, and told him to resign from his post and go home to wait for the next opportunity to make a name for himself.

clang!clang!clang!
Just then, a knocking sound came from the window of the Linglong Tower. Li Jing lifted the window cover and saw the Bifang bird panting, "I'm suffocating, kid, let me out quickly."

Li Jing sneered: "Let you out? Hmph, didn't you say that some birds are destined to be caged?"
"A cage can't hold you; I think this tower would be perfect for you."

Bi Fang quickly said, "No, kid, you can calculate how long I've been sealed. Is it too much to ask me to come out for some fresh air? Let me out right now. I don't want to stay in this broken tower inside you for even a second longer."

Li Jing sneered, "Hmph, I can't do anything to you without the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, but with the pagoda I can easily suppress you. Tell me, do I still need you?"

"You... brat, no, Li Jing, ah, General Li, alright? You humans say the first thing a blind person does after regaining their sight is to throw away their cane. I've helped you for so many years, we're like ironclad friends, you can't do that!" Bi Fang said anxiously.

Li Jing wasn't buying it: "Then why were you so heartless when you ran away, showing no regard for our ironclad friendship?"

Bi Fang was too guilty to speak.

Li Jing sneered: "By the way, let me ask you, besides sealing my master and placing shackles and curses on you, how were you able to escape?"

Bi Fang pondered, "I don't know either. Anyway, the seal was broken somehow, and the shackles on my body disappeared... Did you and your wife go too far... Ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Jing slapped the Linglong Pagoda hard, instantly making Bifang dizzy and clear-eyed.

"If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll kill you, you bastard."

Li Jing snorted, his eyes flashing. He still felt that Bi Fang's escape tonight was too suspicious.

"Cough cough, no, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Bi Fang said helplessly, "They used to call me 'Grandpa' and 'Big Brother' when they needed my power, but now that they have other treasures, they call me 'You bastard'."

He glanced at Li Jing and sighed, "Human nature..."

Li Jing softened a little after hearing this and pondered for a moment, saying, "I can let you stay in my body, but you can't run away now that the shackles are gone."

"No, no, with that thing you're holding in your hand, who would dare to run?"

Bi Fang muttered to himself, "Besides, if I hadn't run away this time, would you have been able to become an apprentice of that old Bi Deng, Randeng? Would you have been able to obtain this pagoda?"

Li Jing smiled broadly and said, "What you said makes some sense. Alright, let's go home. By the way, what were you talking about earlier, those other two towers?"

"Oh, that? I mean, although your pagoda is incredibly powerful, there are two other pagodas in the primordial world that are even more powerful than it."

"Oh, which two?"

"This is the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, which belongs to the Supreme Saint who will be invincible once he uses it."

"Where's the other one?"

"Another one is called Haotian Tower, which is the companion spirit treasure of the primordial god Haotian. Its divine power is unfathomable. The tower has nine levels and is said to connect to all the heavens and myriad worlds, but it has been severely damaged."

"This...it can still be damaged? If it's not damaged, what are you talking about?"

Li Jing was shocked and said he couldn't understand it.

"I didn't like Randeng, so I deliberately said it to annoy him. By the way, that great god Haotian now has another identity, that's right, he is the Heavenly Emperor."

"Heavenly Emperor... that damage is good! No, it's excellent! Who did this?" Li Jing exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know, but I guess it's my demon king, Donghuang Taiyi. Otherwise, who else would have the ability to destroy a top-grade innate spiritual treasure that is born with a primordial god?"

As Li Jing departed, their voices gradually faded into the air.

At this moment, a lantern appeared high in the night sky, riding a deer, where a figure was already waiting.

"How was your trip, teacher?"

"I am Cihang Zhenren, dressed in white," asked.

Randeng laughed and said, "I helped him suppress Bifang and also passed on a precious treasure. How could things not go smoothly?"

Bi Fang was released by him using a little trick.

Under his various methods and schemes,

Everything went incredibly smoothly, as naturally as could be.

"That's good!" Cihang smiled and nodded: "Now we can wait for the great calamity to come."

……

East China Sea Dragon Palace.

Ao Bing brought Nezha to the Dragon Palace, intending to introduce him to his father, the king, as his first good friend.

What puzzled him was that his father was not at home.

Not only his father, but even their master was nowhere to be seen.

So he took Nezha to his palace to play and wait, but when they got tired of playing, he still hadn't come.

He couldn't sit still any longer, so he immediately asked someone where his master was and went to find him.

"Come on, Master and Senior Uncle are at Jade Dragon Pool. What are they doing there?"

The two little ones ran very fast and soon arrived outside the Jade Dragon Pool. They used their invisibility spell to deceive the guards, and slowly pushed open the door. Immediately, a white, steaming mist of water vapor gushed out.

(End of this chapter)