Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 243: Great Priest of Light

Che Chiguo.

The three brothers, Huli Daxian, Luli Daxian and Yangli Daxian, became the state teachers of Chechi Kingdom. They used their ability to "call the wind and rain" to ensure good weather and good harvests in Chechi Kingdom.

The people of Chechi State were all grateful to these three national masters.

The three Huli immortals took the opportunity to build the Sanqing Taoist temple on a large scale, enshrining the three Sanqing grandfathers Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Daojun and Taishang Laojun.

For a while.

The Sanqing Taoist Temple has sprung up like bamboo shoots after the spring rain on this fertile land.

The Taoist temple is filled with the smoke of incense and attracts pilgrims in an endless stream.

The rise of Taoists in Chechi State was able to gradually compete with Buddhists.

As Hu Li Daxian said:

"This is an upright strategy, an open conspiracy."

"I am not as skilled as others, this is an obvious fact."

"Then there's nothing the monks at Zhiyuan Temple can do."

The three Huli immortals worship the Three Pure Ones of Taoism and set up a Taoist temple of the Three Pure Ones. They collect incense and faith for the Three Pure Ones.

People compete for a breath, and gods compete for a stick of incense.

For gods, offering incense and burning candles is like a job.

Even if the monks from Lingshan came down from the mountain, they would not dare to directly destroy the Sanqing Taoist temple, cut off the incense offerings to the Sanqing, and ruin the Sanqing's jobs.

Therefore, everyone had to rely on their own abilities and fight on the stage.

In the first few years, the three Huli immortals were able to gradually gain the upper hand by relying on the "Five Thunder Method" to call the wind and rain.

But in the last three years.

The great immortal Huli gradually fell into a disadvantage.

There is no other reason. The drought in Chechi Kingdom is getting more and more serious. The land is almost barren and the crops cannot grow.

The once lush farmland of Chechi State is now left with only withered grass roots and cracked soil.

The one or two rains that Huli Daxian prayed for could no longer solve the problem.

His Five Thunder Method, the Great Immortal Huli, is a formal Taoist method that can bring rain, but it cannot be used without limits.

It would be great if he could pray for rain once a year.

After all, one day in heaven and one year on earth.

After all, this is "praying" for rain. Even if you follow the regular procedures, it is impossible for the Heavenly Court to approve it every day.

Rainfall is not that cheap.

The people's beliefs are very simple. They will believe in whichever god or Buddha can help them solve their problems.

Worship whatever is useful.

In the Chechi Kingdom, there are people who continue to believe in the Three Pure Ones. After all, believing in the Three Pure Ones, the Three Huli Immortals can indeed bring rain, which can slightly alleviate the drought.

But, not as many as before.

And, less and less.

On the contrary, from the marginal areas of Xiniu Hezhou, the countries of Uszang, Liusha, Baoxiang, Wuji and others spread the legend of a deity called "Great Priest of Light" who saves people from suffering and is compassionate.

It is said that this "Great Priest of Light" can end drought.

When the people worshipped this "Great Priest of Light", the drought went away, and it was very effective.

The city of Chechi State was full of tall buildings and was magnificent, where princes, nobles and wealthy families lived.

They live a comfortable life and do not need to farm themselves, so they are not so deeply affected by the changes in nature.

Therefore, the trend of worshipping the "Great Priest of Light" has not yet emerged in the city of Chechi Kingdom.

However, in some remote suburbs of Chechi Kingdom, especially in rural areas, simple but sincere altars have quietly emerged among the villages.

The believers express their gratitude and respect for the "Great Priest of Light" in the simplest way.

The number of believers of this "Great Priest of Light" gradually increased, and the power of the incense became stronger and stronger.

……

In the solemn and magnificent National Master Hall of Chechi Kingdom, the Great Immortals Tiger Power, Deer Power and Sheep Power were sitting together, discussing response strategies with serious expressions.

The flickering candlelight in the hall illuminated the worries on the three demons' brows.

The leader of the three immortals, Huli Daxian, frowned and paced back and forth in the hall with heavy steps.

"Brother, this is wrong!"

"Why has Chechi Kingdom suddenly become so dry in recent years?"

"Now your Five Thunders Technique can't save me."

Immortal Luli slammed the table and couldn't help but say.

"It's indeed a bit strange. Could it be that the monk from Zhiyuan Temple is secretly interfering behind this?"

"They have always been at odds with our sect. Maybe this is their trick!"

Upon hearing this, Yangli Daxian slammed the sandalwood table beside him, causing the tea set on the table to tremble slightly. His eyes flashed with anger and confusion.

"Second brother, third brother, let's go. We can't stay in this city and keep guessing."

"We still have to go out and see it with our own eyes to know what the root cause of this drought is."

The Great Immortal Huli frowned, made up his mind, and looked at his two brothers.

"Okay, brother, let's go take a look."

Yang Li Daxian echoed. "Let's go!"

The three Huli immortals looked at each other, then each used their magical powers, rode on the clouds and turned into three streams of light, and headed straight for the outside of the city of Chechi State.

Outside the city of Chechi State, as the three Huli Immortals explored, the scene became increasingly desolate and barren.

The sky is no longer the azure blue it used to be, but is covered with a layer of gray gauze. Although the sun is still shining, it is not as warm and lively as before, and only makes people feel extremely hot.

The severity of the drought is shocking, as if it is a cruel punishment imposed by nature on this land.

The earth cracked into wide gaps. The cracks were bottomless and winding, like the fangs of a giant beast, tearing apart this once fertile land.

Occasionally, you can see some tiny grains of sand rolling in these cracks, which is the earth silently telling its pain and thirst. The vegetation is withered and yellow, losing its former greenness.

The rivers were not spared either; they were supposed to be the source of life with clear water flowing, but now they have become dry riverbeds, with exposed pebbles and withered aquatic plants becoming the only scenery here.

The further east you go, the more severe the drought becomes.

“There’s still water here!”

"Give me a drink!"

"I'll beat you to death and this water will be mine!"

……

The villages here have almost become ruins, with collapsed houses and barren fields. People have either fled to other places or gathered around the few remaining wells, vying for the last sip of precious water.

"Wow wow wow!"

Suddenly, a childish cry broke the silence.

A baby, whose skin was slightly red due to long-term dryness, cried weakly, as if telling the world about the sorrow of this land.

"Hey!"

"Second brother, third brother, let's take him back and make him a Taoist boy."

Upon seeing this, the Great Immortal Huli sighed, pressed down the clouds, lowered his body, and picked up the baby.

The three Huli immortals were monsters before, but later they became disciples of Mount Zhongnan, often listened to the teachings of their master, never ate humans, and learned all the Taoist magic, without any trace of monster on them.

The Three Immortals Huli are now the state masters of Chechi State. They do have some Taoist thoughts on saving the world and are worthy of the title of "immortal".

The great immortal Huli first took the baby back to the Sanqing Temple in Chechi Kingdom and settled him down, and then continued to investigate.

After several days of sleepless searching.

The three Huli immortals finally discovered something unusual in the deserted land at the edge of Chechi State, close to Wuji State.

On the land scorched by the scorching sun, a strange figure moved slowly, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding silence.

This is a brown-skinned ghost-shaped monster.

The monster's skin was a desert bronze color, a color that had been exposed to wind and sun for countless years and was almost blending into the earth, as if it was the color of despair that the earth showed when it was extremely dry.

Its head is slightly long and narrow, with sunken cheeks, giving it a thin and sharp feeling, and the fine wrinkles covering its face are like pieces of cracked bark.

What is even more unbearable is that this monster exudes a strong stench, a mixture of corruption and drought, which makes people want to vomit and is difficult to approach.

The most striking thing is the strong heat that continuously radiates from its body.

This heat was like an invisible flame, rapidly evaporating all the moisture around it, making the already dry land even more barren and lifeless.

Its eyes were empty and lifeless, without any light of wisdom. It just relied on instinct to walk around blindly in this barren land, like a never-ending monster of destruction.

"Is this... Hanba?"

The great immortal Huli studied Taoism in Mount Zhongnan and learned all kinds of Taoist techniques. He recognized the legendary monster that caused the drought, Hanba.

"Brother, no wonder the Chechi Kingdom has been suffering from drought for so long. It turns out that a drought demon has come to cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Yangli Daxian suddenly realized.

"The drought demon is tyrannizing, and it is as if it is burning. Where the drought demon is, the red land is thousands of miles away."

"With this drought demon here, it doesn't matter how much rain we make!"

"Only by expelling this drought demon can we end the drought in Chechi Kingdom, and then our Five Thunder Technique can be put to use."

"Only then can we gather the incense of Grandpa Sanqing again."

The Great Immortal Huli took over the conversation.

"Go, drive away the drought demon!"

Upon hearing this, Yangli Daxian could no longer hold back.

He suddenly grabbed the glowing peach wood sword in his hand and rushed forward.

However, it was obvious that Yangli Daxian was no match for this drought demon and was unable to hold out after just a few rounds.

Seeing this, the great immortals Huli and Luli were not willing to be left behind, so they used their skills to follow closely behind.

For a while.

The three Huli immortals joined forces to fight against the drought demon, trying to drive it away.

However, the abilities of these three Tiger Power Immortals are all in their Taoism, their martial arts are mediocre, and their fighting skills are really average.

This Hanba is a ferocious monster. It is tall, swift as the wind, and surrounded by scorching flames.

It is fearless and moves as fast as the wind, and each attack carries enough heat to burn everything.

The three Tiger Power Immortals fought with the Hanba for dozens of rounds and gradually fell into a disadvantage. Facing the Hanba's ferocious attacks, they gradually felt overwhelmed.

The body of the Great Immortal Huli was covered with burns, his Taoist robe was torn, and he looked in a miserable state.

Not only did they fail to subdue it, but they were also burned by it.

After attempting one last fierce attack, the three Tiger Power Immortals could only flee in defeat.

(End of this chapter)