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

Chapter 435 Immortal, Stop Making Trouble
"Immortal, that's the Demon Sealing Cave ahead, and the one above is the Demon Suppression Hall."

Ao Guang carried the jade cauldron at breakneck speed, and saw a volcano rising on the seabed ahead, with an ancient palace engraved with demonic patterns in the center of the crater.

At this moment, the ancient temple radiated five-colored divine light, forming a glass-like bowl inverted above the crater.

Inside the crater, surging demonic energy, carrying scorching red magma, relentlessly pounded against the ancient temple, actually pushing it upwards little by little.

Around the crater, in five directions, there are five divine chains, inscribed with runes, connecting to the ancient temple, guarded by five old men dressed in five-colored robes.

At this moment, the divine chains had snapped straight, and the five old men, covered in sweat, were constantly channeling their magical power into the ancient hall, trying to suppress the dark aura.

Yu Ding's face also turned solemn as he gazed at the volcano: "Just how many demons are sealed inside?"

He initially thought it wouldn't be a big problem, but the surging demonic energy inside the cave entrance made him shudder.

Furthermore, he sensed several other auras from the cave entrance that were no less powerful than his own, filled with ferocity, antiquity, violence, and destruction...

Ao Guang said urgently, "There are too many to count. Immortal, please wait here for a moment. I will go and lend them a hand..."

Yu Ding nodded slightly, then floated down from behind Ao Guang and hovered in the sea.

The golden dragon that Ao Guang transformed into shook its head and tail, rushing straight to the Demon Sealing Cave. When it reached the top, it transformed into a human form with its feet up and its head down, its whole body shining with brilliant golden light. Its magical power poured down like rivers and seas and was sent into the ancient palace.

Immediately, the ancient palace's slow ascent came to a halt.

Ao Guang and five elders of the Dragon Clan's Celestial Realm joined forces to create a stalemate between the ancient palace and the demonic energy beneath the volcano.

That ancient hall was extraordinary… Yu Ding’s eyes flashed; otherwise, Ao Guang and the others wouldn’t have been able to stop even one of those powerful auras.

If the Demon-Sealing Cave beneath the volcano is a prison, then the ancient temple is the gate and the greatest barrier.

Yu Ding pondered for a moment, then suddenly formed a hand seal, and divine light flashed from his fingertips, passing before his eyes.

"Sky Eye, open!"

Yu Ding let out a soft shout, his eyes immediately glowing, mysterious runes illuminating his pupils as he peered into the secrets of the ancient palace.

Unlike Yang Jian's Heavenly Eye, which is a divine object formed from the heavens and earth,

His third eye was cultivated later in life, relying on painstaking effort; it would take hundreds or thousands of years to develop.

After opening his third eye, everything he saw changed. Although it couldn't compare to Yang Jian's, it still had the wonderful ability to see through illusions and analyze things.

But then, under his divine eye, the structure came to life, and its internal structure slowly emerged, radiating different colors.

"Wait, that is..."

The golden light in Yu Ding's eyes faded, revealing a look of surprise on his face. He saw a divine tower in the center of the ancient hall.

However, it only has one layer of tower.

Nevertheless, this tower became the core of the Demon-Suppressing Hall, and at this moment it was activated, emitting a blazing and mighty divine light to suppress the thousands of demons inside the cave.

The two sides remained deadlocked on the crater, and gradually, Ao Guang was also covered in sweat and looked exhausted.

"Dragon King, quickly summon the Sea-Suppressing Dragon Pearl to suppress this surge of demonic energy."

An elder dressed in blue shouted, and the other elders echoed his words.

Upon hearing this, Ao Guang gritted his teeth, his body radiating golden light as he raised his magical power to its limit in an attempt to suppress this wave of demonic energy.

Unfortunately, this wave of dark demonic energy was extremely fierce and powerful. Even though he gritted his teeth and tried his best, he still couldn't suppress it, and some demonic energy had already escaped from the edges.

"Dragon King, why haven't you brought out the Sea-Suppressing Dragon Pearl yet? What are you waiting for?"

"We've held on for so long, we're almost at our breaking point, what are you doing?"

"Ao Guang, are you trying to kill us all?"

Seeing that Ao Guang had not made a move, the elders became anxious. It was only because of this ancient palace that they could suppress the group of ferocious demons below.

If those mad demons, ferocious beasts, and calamity gods were to escape from below, the East Sea Dragon Clan would surely be the first to suffer.

"Looks like it's the poor guy's turn...wait?"

Suddenly, Yu Ding seemed to sense something, and after a moment of fumbling in his sleeve, he took out a palm-sized metal object, which at that moment radiated a brilliant divine light.

"The Heavenly Emperor's Treasury..." Yu Ding's eyes flickered; it was the very same treasure trove that Long Ji had led him to, the one where the Heavenly Emperor had hidden himself.

But don't get me wrong, he wasn't embezzling; he was just keeping it safe for the guy who was going down to the mortal realm for his tribulation.

He looked at the glowing treasure vault, then glanced at the ancient palace above the Demon Sealing Cave. After a moment's thought, he suddenly raised his hand and gently tossed it out.

Click!

The Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, which he had been unable to open before, opened on its own in mid-air, and three divine lights flew out and headed towards the Demon Sealing Cave.

The three beams of divine light grew longer in the wind, transforming into three parts of the pagoda.

Even Yu Ding was stunned by what he saw: "Uh, such a fine treasure, and the fisherman didn't even bother to repair it after breaking it."

However, upon closer inspection, he understood why the Heavenly Emperor had stopped cultivating.

However, it can be seen that in this part, the smallest part is the top of the tower, the largest part is the bottom of the tower, and a part is the first floor of the tower body.

"The legendary Haotian Tower, huh? But... who the hell is so wicked?"

Yu Ding couldn't help but want to curse: "What a fine treasure! How could it be damaged like this? Is there any justice in this world?"

Such a priceless treasure was smashed to pieces, beyond repair. No wonder the fisherman hid the remaining parts.

Who wouldn't be angry if they saw this?
If the power of this divine tower when it was complete was rated as ten...
Even if it has four layers now, because it is incomplete, it probably can't even unleash one-fifth of its power.

Boom!

But then, the three tower sections resonated with the ancient temple, unleashing terrifying divine power that instantly suppressed the once invincible, surging demonic energy, causing it to recede like a tide.

Although the demonic energy had receded, the ancient palace resonated with the tower above it, causing it to tremble and try to break free from the Demon-Sealing Cave.

Seeing this, the demon-sealing cave seemed to see hope as well, with demonic energy surging and signs of a comeback appearing.

"not good!"

Upon seeing this scene, Ao Guang and the other dragons, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, were immediately terrified.

Just as they were in a panic, Yu Ding suddenly appeared, holding a metal box engraved with mysterious runes in his right hand.

Yu Ding raised the metal box high, swept the whisk in his left hand, and muttered incantations. With a final sweep of the whisk, he shouted sternly, "Why aren't you coming back? When are you going to do it again?"

Immediately, the top, bottom, and first floor of the tower had no choice but to obediently fly over and land inside the box. The Demon Suppression Hall gradually quieted down and slowly sank to suppress the demonic energy.

Upon seeing this, the dragon clan elders immediately looked at the mysterious Taoist who had suddenly appeared with surprise and uncertainty.

"Ah! These ignorant fools are meddling in our business?!"

An angry roar echoed within the Demon-Sealing Cave, followed by a sharp shout: "Don't give us a chance to come out, or else..."

Yu Ding smiled and said, "Otherwise what? Come out if you dare."

The voice roared, "Come down here if you dare!"

Yu Ding said loudly, "Very well, then I will grant your wish, fellow Daoist. Is it possible for the Dragon King to open the seal and allow me to enter?" Since he began his cultivation anew, he has never fought with anyone, either out of consideration for his reputation or out of respect for the powerful figures behind him.

He could only watch helplessly as his apprentices went down the mountain and made a name for themselves, feeling utterly frustrated.

To be honest, he was really itching to get his hands moving, especially since there was another layer of the tower here.

If he clears out this Demon-Sealing Cave, the Demon-Suppressing Hall will be useless, and he can take away that layer of the tower, right?
"Stop fooling around, Immortal!"

These words startled Ao Guang.

Putting aside the fact that this immortal suffered a great loss of power due to the calamity, even if he had entered this Demon Sealing Cave at his peak, he probably would not have returned.

At this moment, another voice said in a muffled tone, "May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"

Yu Ding snorted, "They are just nobodies. Since the Dragon King of the East Sea cannot break the seal, then you can try to break the seal again. I will not allow the Dragon King of the East Sea to interfere."

"That's what you said!"

The menacing voice below seemed somewhat excited.

Ao Guang was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and shouted, "Wait a minute, everyone! This is the Jade Cauldron Immortal from the Golden Cloud Cave of Jade Spring Mountain!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the place fell into a deathly silence.

The Demon Sealing Cave fell silent, and several dragon elders stared at the jade cauldron in astonishment.

Sigh, I've benefited from my master and fellow disciples again... Seeing this, Yu Ding could only sigh and give Ao Guang, who had ruined his plan, a resentful look.

Ao Guang smiled bitterly and said, "Immortal, please don't joke. This Demon Sealing Cave has sealed away the most ferocious, violent, and cruel evil gods, beasts, demons, and monsters from ancient times to the prehistoric era. The consequences of releasing them would be unimaginable."

Yu Ding had no choice but to give up, but then suddenly asked, "I remember you once said that there seems to be one of the four Demon Sealing Caves in the four seas, which means... there are also four Demon Suppression Halls?"

If this Demon-Suppressing Hall is the same, it means that each of these places contains a tower.

Adding the three layers he has, it becomes seven parts. Although there are only seven layers, it is a valuable treasure once it is repaired.

Anyway, the fisherman won't need it anymore; his own Investiture of the Gods has already begun, so having more treasures means having more lives.

As for ownership... we'll have to wait until the fisherman goes back; until then, he'll use it for now.

Ao Guang nodded slightly and said, "That's right. When the Demon Court built these Demon-Sealing Cave prisons, it bestowed upon each one a Demon-Suppressing Hall. However, these Demon-Suppressing Halls are of great importance, so I hope the Immortal will act with caution."

He also realized that the treasure in Yu Ding's hand had some connection with the Demon Suppression Hall.

Yu Ding nodded and said, "I understand."

"I'm here. How did it go? Did you get it sorted out?"

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared from afar; it was Huang Long: "If you can't handle this, let me deal with these bastards."

Yu Ding said, "It's obvious that everything is taken care of here. You're too late."

Huang Long gave an awkward smile.

At this moment, the five elders over there exchanged a few words and then said to Ao Guang, "Dragon King, please come over here for a moment."

Ao Guang's expression changed slightly. He took a deep breath and smiled at the two of them, saying, "Immortal, Ninth Uncle, you should go back first. I still have some things to attend to here."

Yu Ding noticed that the dragon elders looked rather grim and thoughtful, and he began to guess what was about to happen.

This is a domestic matter of the East Sea Dragon Palace. Since Ao Guang has already done it all just to create Ao Bing, there's nothing he can do about it.

"Dragon King, please make yourself at home. This humble Taoist..."

Just as Yu Ding was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed. He immediately opened his Heavenly Eye, looked up at the coastline, and his expression immediately turned serious.

"Senior brother, I have something to attend to here, so I'll take my leave first."

Yu Ding hurriedly said something, and before Huang Long could reply, he took a step and vanished into thin air.

Huanglong didn't have time to say anything else, he just said "Hey, hey" twice before the jade cauldron disappeared, and he couldn't help but purse his lips.

"Running so fast, did your butt get on fire or something? Humph!"

Huang Long snorted softly, then suddenly paused, his eyes narrowing: "Wait a minute, has this guy's cultivation level almost recovered?"

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to say a word.

……

Jiuhe Town is located on the coast of the East China Sea.

This is a large and prosperous town, bordered by mountains on the left and the East China Sea on the right, with a population of over two thousand, and located more than a hundred miles from Shicun.

On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, villages from all around would come here to trade aquatic and mountain products.

But now this place is no longer as prosperous as it once was. The ground is full of potholes, and the houses are collapsed and emitting black smoke.

There were many shadowy figures on the ground, creating an extremely somber and oppressive atmosphere.

Some strong men were digging through the rubble with some armored soldiers, searching for survivors.

Some carried the corpses together, including men, women, the elderly, and children; some even had only severed limbs.

Some women and children sat around the fire, food was cooking in the earthenware pot, and children made frightened sobs, while the women only dared to secretly wipe away their tears.

And this is not an isolated case!
Jiuhe Town seemed very big to them, but it was very small in the face of this calamity.

In the area where the bodies were piled up, the families of the dead wept uncontrollably.

Some lost their parents, some lost their wives and children, some lost their husbands...

People inside the city cheered for Li Jing's heroic act of shooting down a celestial being, while those outside the city who had lost loved ones wept bitterly, proving that human joys and sorrows are not shared.

Meanwhile, the soldiers from Chentang Pass have rushed to these disaster-stricken areas to carry out rescue operations.

A Taoist priest appeared here.

He watched all of this, but he saw more than others. He saw the souls of the deceased gathered here, gazing longingly at their families and weeping with them.

They were lucky; their souls were still intact, giving them the chance to be reincarnated.

The most unfortunate are those whose bodies are completely destroyed and whose souls are scattered.

"Alas!" Yu Ding sighed deeply, then chanted the Scripture of Salvation, guiding these souls into the cycle of reincarnation in the underworld.

After doing all this, he looked up at the sky and shook his head.

What a makeshift operation!
The fisherman clocked in at work but didn't do his job properly, and his subordinates acted recklessly and without any rules, which led to what happened to Yuan Hong and his subsequent appeal to the Heavenly Court.

Every cause has its effect!
He was absolutely certain that what happened to Yuan Hong and Li Jing was not an isolated case; it was just that Yuan Hong had gained the ability to resist and made his voice heard by the Heavenly Court.

But these are always exceptions; the vast majority of people never have the chance to make their voices heard by the Heavenly Court.

The cause of all this is not his disciples, but the Heavenly Court.

Yu Ding fell silent. Perhaps the higher-ups knew about these problems in the Heavenly Court, which is why they orchestrated the Investiture of the Gods, appointing the Zhou Tian Zheng Shen (righteous gods of the heavens) as both a recruitment drive and a way to patch up the Heavenly Court.

But before the patch is applied, these things may still be happening elsewhere, right now.