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

Chapter 456 The Lamp of Despair

The heavenly general glanced at the jade cauldron with reverence and added in a low voice, "That is, your grand-disciple."

"Where did this Water Elephant come from?"

Yu Ding's smile vanished instantly, and he rebuked, "Nonsense! How could I not know about this?"

Speaking of disciples and followers, Yang Jian did indeed subdue two golden-haired boys when he obtained the divine weapon, the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Sword.

Apart from that, there are no records of Yang Jian having any disciples in either the original Investiture of the Gods or other mythological legends, let alone any Shui Zha whom he had never heard of.

At this moment, Ao Guang stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Little Dragon greets the three immortals."

"Hmm, Dragon King of the East Sea, what are you doing here?" Yu Ding asked, somewhat surprised.

Ao Guang said tactfully, "I was shocked to hear about the turmoil at Chentang Pass. I came to Heaven to explain the situation, but I never expected such a disaster to occur in Heaven."

"Why panic over such a trivial matter?"

Yu Ding said, "Someone will step forward and take responsibility for this matter."

Taiyi rebuked the heavenly general, saying, "Li Jing only has three sons, where did this Water Zha come from?"

The heavenly general said cautiously, "How dare I speak nonsense in front of you immortals? All five of Li Jing's sons, Jin, Mu, Shui, Huo, and Tu Wu Zha, have appeared this time to save their father. Now everyone is saying that we have stirred up trouble in Li Jing's sons' nest."

"What? Where did these five Zha come from?"

Huanglong looked at Yuding and Taiyi in surprise and said, "Aren't they the three Zha's, Jin and Mu?"

Taiyi, Yuding, and Ao Guang, who knew about the Li family's population, looked at each other in bewilderment, especially Yuding, whose face was filled with surprise and doubt.

Wait a minute, what's going on?
No... Even with such a wide-ranging intelligence network of clones, there were still some messages that slipped through the net?

Huanglong looked at Yu Ding, whose brows were furrowed: "What's the deal with Water Nezha, Fire Nezha, and Earth Nezha?"

Yu Ding replied irritably, "How would I know?"

Huang Long raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't you have an avatar in Heaven? Don't you have any friends?"

Yu Ding said with a dark face, "No!"

Actually, he did exist before; his incarnation, the Empty Void Taoist, once worked in the Dou Niu Palace of Heaven.

The Bullfighting Palace is an important department, and his position is equivalent to the deputy director of the Bullfighting Office.

But who knew that he would be called back by his master to become his last disciple?

In retrospect, it was indeed a mistake not to establish another intelligence source in the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly General said, "That's right. It is said that Shui Zha wielded a large axe, and with each swing of the axe, he slashed his way from the Demon-Slaying Platform to the Western Heavenly Gate. He was incredibly brave and invincible, no less than Erlang Shen in his prime."

The youngest of the five sons, Tu Zha, claims to be the disciple of the invincible demon king Yuan Hong. His iron staff sweeps across all directions, making him impervious to even a massive army. But who is the master of the fourth son, Huo Zha?

An axe? Yang Jian? An iron rod? Yuan Hong?
Upon catching these keywords, Eye Jade Cauldron's pupils contracted, and it froze in shock, momentarily crashing its system.

A very bad feeling welled up inside me.

He seemed to remember that Ao Bing, that little brat, was playing with an axe in the Demon Sealing Cave.

As for the iron rod, Yuan Hong's weapon was indeed an iron rod.

The key point is that he's the one who delivered it, it's unbelievable.

What exactly is this big... mischievous monkey trying to do?
Yu Ding roared inwardly. In the past, when Yang Jian and Long Ji caused trouble, he would come and interfere. Fine, let's just consider this as friendship between fellow disciples.

But Li Jing has something to do with him... cough, although it's a bit complicated, it really does have some connection.

This... even with Yu Ding's resilience, which had been trained many times by his disciples,
But at this moment, my head is still buzzing, I feel dizzy and unsteady.

No, could it be that Master Yuding truly has some kind of predestined, inextricable connection with this hellish place, the Heavenly Court? A destiny or fate?
That doesn't make sense; there's no such setting in the original Investiture of the Gods.

Just as Yu Ding was deciding whether to fall down and play dead, leaving everything to Randeng Taiyi and the others to handle, suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder, interrupting his actions.

Yu Ding turned his head and saw Ao Guang beside him rolling his eyes, his face pale, breathing rapidly as if he could hardly breathe, and clutching his chest. The violent pounding of his heart could be clearly heard by everyone present.

Ao Guang's eyes trembled with anxiety as he reached out to say something, but the next moment his body went limp and he collapsed unconscious.

Yu Ding: ? ∑(△｀)? !
Why are you fainting?

No...is that really your son inside?
Yu Ding's dizziness and blurred vision had subsided, and his blood pressure had decreased, but he remained silent.

"Hey, Dragon King, Dragon King?"

Taiyi quickly swept his whisk to support Ao Guang, gently laid him down, and looked up at the jade cauldron: "What happened?"

Huang Long rushed forward in alarm and asked, "No, nephew, what's wrong with you?"

After saying that, he was about to transfer his magical power.

"Don't rush, let me examine the symptoms. The most effective treatment is to treat the symptoms directly."

Yu Ding made a hand seal and opened his Heavenly Eye, scanning Ao Guang from head to toe.

"The Dragon King... suffered a brain hemorrhage that compressed his brain, causing him to fall into a coma." Yu Ding stared at Ao Guang, somewhat speechless.

The mighty Dragon King of the Celestial Realm actually suffered a brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured blood vessel caused by high blood pressure...

He had never heard of or seen anything like this in the primordial wilderness... Today he has truly broadened his horizons.

To be honest, Ao Guang, the Dragon King, has a really poor ability to withstand pressure.

Even though his disciple, Jade Cauldron Immortal, stormed the Heavenly Palace, wreaked havoc in the Western Sea, and slaughtered the remnants of the Demon Court, causing all sorts of monstrous disasters, Jade Cauldron Immortal was never so frightened that his blood vessels would burst.

is not it?
Moreover, after these training sessions with his disciples, Master Yu Ding's Dao heart is now terrifyingly strong.

Even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, or the sky fell, Master Yu Ding would only smile slightly, his Dao heart as steady as still water and as firm as a rock, and he would never waver.

Taiyi and Huanglong asked in surprise, "A brain hemorrhage?"

Yu Ding explained, "He must have been stimulated by something that caused his heart to beat too fast, his blood pressure to spike, and his blood to flow too rapidly, causing the blood in his head to, cough, to burst."

As he spoke, his hand glowed and touched Ao Guang's forehead, channeling his magic to help repair Ao Guang's cerebral blood vessels and dissolve the blood stasis.

"Stimulated..."

Taiyi glanced at the unconscious Ao Guang, then at Yu Ding who was actively treating Ao Guang. His eyes flashed, and after a moment's thought, he curled up the corner of his mouth.

He seems to have... guessed a little bit of what's going on.

"He will wake up soon. I have to go now."

Yu Ding stood up, expressionless, but a terrifying aura was brewing around him, as if it would explode at any moment.

The heavenly soldiers and generals guarding the South Heavenly Gate felt their hearts pound with fear and immediately became filled with awe.

Yu Ding sighed inwardly. If he could still hold onto a sliver of hope when there was only a 99% chance before, Ao Guang's actions had now extinguished even that last bit of hope.

"What a rebellious disciple..." Yu Ding sighed inwardly. He should have known better than to name that supernatural power "Rebellious Dragon Technique." To be honest, it was just too rebellious.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to be the foreman of the Chan Sect's construction team this time, and could have stayed out of it and watched as Dipankara, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra worked together to build the Heavenly Court.

"By the way, what's your name, General?"

Just as he was about to go in, Yu Ding suddenly turned around and looked at the heavenly general guarding the gate, his eyes flashing.

This Heavenly General is not weak either. He has already reached the True Immortal Realm and is only one step away from comprehending the true essence of Heavenly Immortal to directly enter the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

Just now, you revealed the secret of Yu Ding's destiny in a single sentence. This boy is terrifying beyond belief...

That day, the general said anxiously, "This humble general is Kunzhong."

“Kunzhong…” Yu Ding pondered, having never heard of him before, and then asked, “What is your background?”

Kunzhong Tianjiang said cautiously, "I was born in the Lingguang Great World. My parents died early. Fortunately, I was picked up and raised by an immortal. I became his disciple, who gave me a name and taught me the Dao. I was able to cultivate and after a hundred years of hard work, I was able to ascend to the prehistoric world."

This experience doesn't seem like that of an unknown person... Yu Ding pondered, "Then how did you become the guardian of the Heavenly Gate?"

Kunzhong Tianjiang said with a wry smile, "After my ascension, the Heavenly Emperor promised me the position of Heavenly Immortal and Curtain-Raising General. But before that, I had to train at the South Heavenly Gate. I didn't expect that things would be so busy here that I could no longer find peace of mind to cultivate."

Kunzhong, Juanlian, Lao Sha... Yu Ding looked at the two-meter-tall man in front of him in surprise: "I remember there was already a Juanlian General before."

He hadn't expected that this question would lead to someone with a distinguished background, but he had indeed met the former General Yunyangzi.

The five members of the Journey to the West group correspond to the five elements. Sha Wujing belongs to earth and is in the middle, so the name is not wrong.

"I arrived late and don't know much, but I've heard that the previous Curtain-Rolling General resigned due to some mental trauma," Kunzhongtian explained.

Psychological trauma... Yu Ding's lips twitched meaningfully as he said, "It is fate that we meet today. I will give you a word. I will say whatever I want, and you can listen however you like."

Kunzhong Divine General hurriedly said, "Please speak, Immortal."

Yu Ding recited: "The Great Dao is not far from this small space; comprehend the innate nature. It is easy to achieve in a short time; becoming a celestial being is just a matter of a moment."

Kun Zhongtian frowned and whispered, feeling that the more he chanted, the clearer his mind became. His thoughts became clear in an instant, as if a layer of mist had been lifted before his eyes, and the celestial immortal fruit that was originally difficult to see was now close at hand.

They're just one step away from making it through, and they could be there any minute.

This is sometimes how cultivation is: sometimes you forget to eat and sleep, exhausting yourself in the pursuit, yet still find no result; sometimes a single, casual word can dispel all your confusion, leading to enlightenment and ascension. "Thank you for your guidance, Immortal..."

He looked up in surprise to express his gratitude, but saw that Yu Ding's figure had already floated into the South Heavenly Gate. He was stunned, but then bowed deeply.

"Junior brother, wait for me."

Taiyi flashed after him and asked, "Junior Brother Yuding, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Yu Ding glanced at Taiyi Zhenren, who was barely holding back his laughter: "You know perfectly well why I'm asking!"

Taiyi chuckled and said, "Originally, I was alone, and I really didn't know how to handle this matter, but with my experienced junior brother here, I feel much more at ease."

"Damn it..." Yu Ding's face darkened: "I didn't expect my disciple to get involved this time. That wretched Nezha."

Taiyi said unhappily, "Hey, Yuding, what do you mean by this? Besides, didn't my disciple help your disciple when he broke into the Demon Sealing Cave last time? This has nothing to do with us, it's just a matter of friendship between the younger generation. I think Ao Bing is a good kid."

Yu Ding fell silent.

Taiyi smiled and said, "I feel much better now."

Yu Ding: (▼⊿▼)
"Do you have a connection with that day?" Taiyi turned around and asked.

Yu Ding shook his head: "No!"

Taiyi asked in surprise, "Then why are you giving him pointers? Sometimes it takes him hundreds or thousands of years to understand just one sentence from you."

“I don’t have any other thoughts. I just want to make a good connection, that’s all. It’s not easy for those who ascend from other worlds,” Yu Ding said.

As they were talking, Huanglong had already caught up quickly.

"Has the Dragon King awakened?" Yu Ding asked.

Huang Long's expression looked a little off: "Hmm, he's awake. I must say, Yu Ding's medical skills are quite impressive. I, Huang Long, admire him."

Yu Ding said calmly, "Stop flattering me. Did you say anything?"

Huang Long said guiltily, "No, I didn't say anything."

Yu Ding nodded.

Huang Long cautiously probed, "Yu Ding, what if—I mean, what if?"

Yu Ding looked at him and asked, "Hmm?"

Huang Long asked cautiously, "What would you do if your apprentice caused you trouble again, and a big one at that?"

Yu Ding smiled and asked, "How big is it?"

Huang Long's eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact with Yu Ding, and he chuckled dryly, "Actually, it's not that big, maybe about the same size as Yang Jian or Long Ji!"

"This isn't big enough?"

Yu Ding glanced at him and said decisively, "Purge the sect, skin it alive, tear it apart, grind its bones to dust, banish its soul to the Netherworld, and never be reincarnated."

"Hey, Yu Ding, you old codger, why are you still being biased?"

Huang Long got angry: "When Yang Jian and Long Ji caused trouble, you rushed over to clean up their mess without uttering a single word of blame, but why is it that when it comes to my Ao..."

He suddenly realized he had spoken out of turn, shut his mouth, and looked at Yu Ding guiltily.

Yu Ding sneered, "I knew it."

Seeing this, Huang Long stopped pretending and argued, "You know better. Why is Yang Jian treated better, while my little Bingzi is to be expelled from the family?"

Even if you, Yu Ding, are biased, you can't be this biased! What, did my little Bingzi get taught by his stepmother?

Yu Ding's face darkened: "I already helped him and your dragon clan clean up the mess at the Demon Sealing Cave last time. As for 'stepmother,' you can't expect anything good to come out of a dragon's mouth. You're talking complete nonsense."

Huang Long paused for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "I don't care about that. You still have to help us this time, or I'll expose all your dirty secrets."

Wow... Just as Taiyi was about to explain that Yu Ding was there to clean up the mess, he immediately shut up upon hearing this, looking on with anticipation.

Yu Ding was also furious: "How dare you threaten me? If I help you again, what will become of my old face? You think you can tremble? I, Yu Ding, have done nothing wrong and I refuse to believe it."

Huang Long said, "Alright, then don't blame me for being heartless. What if the Demon Court knew that you killed several demon gods back then, causing the Zhou Tian Star Array to be less powerful?"

Yu Ding looked completely bewildered: "This... give me a moment to process this. When did this happen? How come I didn't know about it?"

Huang Long snorted, "You must remember the moon goddess Chang Xi, right?"

Yu Ding pondered for a moment and then shook his head.

He wasn't faking it; he genuinely didn't remember anything after being beaten and losing his memory.

No, did he become so successful in the prehistoric world after being single for so long in his previous life?
Huang Long sneered, "Keep pretending, you even have the Demon Emperor's wife..."

Taiyi: ('')
Yu Ding laughed, a somewhat chilling laugh: "Is your news... really true?"

No, was he really that brave before?
The key question is, what was he thinking before? How could he let Huang Long know about something like this?

Huang Long, seeing the soaring sword energy rising from Yu Ding's body, hurriedly said, "Ahem, this is an unofficial history I stumbled upon, I can't guarantee its authenticity, it seems to be fake, Yu Ding, don't get excited."

Taiyi quickly said, "Junior brother, please calm down. You know Huanglong well; he has a loose tongue and says whatever comes to mind. Please calm down."

He then scolded Huang Long, "And you, senior brother, are really something, using such false information. Do you think your junior brother is the kind of person who doesn't care about his disciples?"

Huang Long quickly said, "No, no!"

Taiyi said, "Apologize quickly!"

Huang Long quickly replied, "Junior Brother Yu Ding, I was wrong. You left something with me. I'll return it to you after this matter is settled."

Things… Yu Ding’s eyes flashed before he put down the innate sword embryo in his hand.

However, he still stared at Huanglong and said, "If you dare to threaten me with such unfounded rumors again, don't blame me for disregarding our fraternal bond."

Although he didn't know if he really had these stories from the past, he still made his stance clear first, so that Huang Long wouldn't bring them up again.

Also, how could he be involved with the Demon Emperor's wife?
The Demon Emperor's wife is the Sun Goddess Xihe, who is also the mother of the Ten Golden Crows.

His only connection with Xihe was that he seized a Xihe Divine Pearl from the Six Golden Crows, and that was all.

He and the Demon Emperor's wife... isn't this just pure comedy?

This ancient history is truly outrageous; the first victim of unofficial history has appeared in history.

Once this matter is resolved, he needs to investigate and nip the rumors in the bud. He absolutely cannot allow anyone to tarnish the reputation of Master Yu Ding.

Huang Long hurriedly said, "No, no, let's go and see... Is this the Heavenly Court? How come we can't even see a ghost?"

He suddenly looked around, and the scene that appeared before them left the group looking at each other in bewilderment.

After the twentieth level, all was quiet, without a single person in sight, which was extremely eerie.

If they didn't know they had come to the Heavenly Court, they would definitely have thought this was a ghost town.

"Where did this guy go?" Huang Long muttered.

The Yu Ding trio were mentally prepared, so they weren't too surprised, but the Ran Deng trio in front of them were terrified.

All that could be seen were shattered floating islands, fragments of heavenly palaces and treasure halls floating everywhere, as well as ruins, blood, short limbs, and flesh... a scene resembling the end of the world.

"Why is there no one in Heaven?"

Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, looked pale and felt a chill run down his spine as he asked, "Are we too late?"

The face of the lamp was also extremely ugly. Suddenly, with a 'thud', a huge golden pagoda rose up in the distance, taking a heavenly palace and countless people into the pagoda.

Countless panicked cries for help emanated from the windows of the seven-story pagoda, a chaotic cacophony of voices, faintly audible as cries of "No more room!" echoed.

Ran Deng felt his blood pressure spike, his head spin, and his mind buzz. He leaned back on the deer, his vision blurred, and he couldn't see anything.

"Teacher, what's wrong with you?"

At this moment, Manjushri and Samantabhadra, whose heads were also buzzing, hurriedly said.

Ran Deng said, "The Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda... each level is a world."

The two exchanged a glance: "And then?"

Ran Deng roared, "Did you hear that? That wretched creature... it's so full it can't fit anymore?!"

Manjushri and Samantabhadra gasped in shock: "Could it be that there isn't a single person in the Heavenly Court...?"

Ran Deng closed his eyes in despair, wishing he could go back to the time when he wanted to take Li Jing as his disciple and slap him to death.

You've already taken on disciples, but you've also spread the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda around...

Now that wretched creature is running rampant with the magic weapon he passed down. Not only has it turned the Heavenly Realm into ruins, but it has also filled the entire Heavenly Court with so much stuff that you can hardly see a single person.

This is an overwhelming disaster, no, it's a catastrophe!

At this moment, Li Jing's sudden outburst caused even his master to feel a deep sense of powerlessness and despair.