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

Chapter 282: Innate Gourd Vine

"Today, the way of heaven is not with demons..."

Xiao Chen's heart seemed to be hit by a huge rock, causing huge waves.

It was the first time he heard such a statement.

Heaven's Way, this distant and mysterious word, was still too unfamiliar to him.

Xiao Chen knew very well that his cultivation was far from reaching the realm of observing the Heavenly Dao, but as Demon Master Kunpeng was the top existence in the demon world, his words must have contained deep meaning.

"The way of heaven?"

Xiao Chen couldn't help but recall the scene when he was learning from a master in the Xieyue Sanxing Cave on the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The solemn and profound words of Master Subhuti still echo in his ears:

"Now, the heavens have their own laws, and the trends of the laws of nature cannot be reversed or changed. All living things in the world must follow the will of heaven."

"If you go against the will of heaven, you can't do it."

“But destiny is not fixed, following the will of heaven is not following the will of heaven, and going against the will of heaven is not going against the will of heaven.”

"Of the fifty great ways, forty-nine are derived from Heaven, and only one is hidden by man. The great trends cannot be changed, but the small trends can be altered."

The words of Patriarch Subhuti coincide with the remarks of the demon master Kunpeng, both emphasizing that the laws of nature cannot be disobeyed.

Xiao Chen couldn't help but fall into deep thought:
"Could it be that even the strongest men like Subhuti Patriarch and Demon Master Kunpeng cannot go against the will of heaven and can only go with the flow?"

"Or, they once challenged the way of heaven, but were defeated in the end..."

Xiao Chen recalled some memories of his past life. The practitioners described in those online novels would go against the will of heaven and kill the heavens at any time...

It seems that being against the way of heaven is the ultimate goal of practice.

However, those were just fictional worlds after all, completely different from the real primitive world he was in.

In this world, the power of Heaven seems to be extremely strong. Even someone as powerful as a saint must obey its will and cannot go against it.

"It is said that in the past, when the Ancient Demon Court was first built, our demon race was at its strongest, and it was our demon race that ruled the vast prehistoric world."

Mo Lang's voice was filled with a sense of distance and emotion, as if bringing Xiao Chen back to that distant era. He continued:

"At that time, the Way of Heaven was in my demon clan. My demon clan was prosperous and all creatures in the prehistoric world respected me. How majestic I was."

"But later on, the Wu Clan rose up, and the Demon King 'Donghuang Taiyi' went against the will of heaven and wanted to change the great trend of the prehistoric world... and our demon clan declined from then on."

When Mo Lang said this, there was a hint of regret and helplessness in his tone.

But Mo Lang obviously had only a vague understanding of what the heavenly way was. He hesitated for a long time before speaking incoherently:
"Later, there was the Master Tongtian who was also very kind to the demon race like us. He taught everyone without discrimination, accepted many demon races, and taught them his methods."

When Mo Lang mentioned Master Tongtian, a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes, and then he said:

"It's a pity that it is said that the general trend of the heavens at that time was the decline of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty."

"Although Master Tongtian is a saint, he could not change his fate and eventually fell..."

Mo Lang stopped here. Apparently, everyone knew the fate of Master Tongtian.

"Compared with the Demon Emperor Donghuang Taiyi and the Patriarch Tongtian, I am just a small dragon."

Mo Lang smiled self-deprecatingly:

“Even if I devote my entire life to this, I still cannot even begin to compare to him.”

"The difference is like that between a firefly and the bright moon. They are simply incomparable."

"What's the point of going against the will of heaven..."

Mo Lang shook his head, as if denying his former arrogance and ignorance:
"I... just went out to have some fun, that's all."

At this point, Mo Lang seemed to have finally let go of his worries. He picked up the wine glass and drank a swig, then said in confusion:
"But the way of heaven is not with the demons, so where is the way of heaven?"

"When will the Heavenly Dao return to my demon race?"

"Where is the Heavenly Dao..."

After hearing this, Xiao Chen also started thinking about this problem.

Xiao Chen knew very well that his cultivation was far from enough to touch the mysteries of the way of heaven, but he was a time traveler and knew some of the things behind it.

The Way of Heaven represents the general trend of this world and is the law and rule for the operation of all things.

In the long river of history, there has never been an eternal protagonist.

The dragon, phoenix and unicorn tribes were once the overlords of the world. The demon tribe, witch tribe and Xuanmen tribe also had their own glory and ruled this vast primitive world.

Now, according to the normal trajectory of this world, in a few hundred years, it will be an era of westward journey, the spread of Buddhism to the East, and the prosperity of Buddhism.

That means Buddhism flourished.

However, what happens after traveling west?
Is it that the demons are rising again, or... that the devil has suddenly appeared?
Xiao Chen and Mo Lang stared at each other in amazement, both of them only had a vague idea of ​​this, as this question was clearly beyond their current scope of knowledge.

"Well, now that things have come to this, let's drink first."

Mo Lang broke the silence, raised his glass and gestured to Xiao Chen.

"If you have wine today, you will be drunk now. Don't let the golden bottle stand empty against the moon."

Xiao Chen also raised his glass and drank with Mo Lang.

He, King Jinjiao, has always been an optimist and has rarely been pessimistic. He believes that as a monster, he should live a carefree life.

A person cannot earn money beyond his own knowledge, nor can he do things beyond his own ability.

The injustice of heaven is far away from him, and it is not something a little monster like him can worry about.

After another round of drinking, both demons felt a little tipsy.

They continued to chat about each other's past and interesting stories.

The reception room was filled with laughter, as if all the previous heaviness and confusion had been swept away.

"Back then, after the monkey and I parted ways at the Flower-Fruit Mountain, we traveled to the Western Niu He Continent and established a weapon-refining force in the Chechi Kingdom, called 'Four Powers House'. In the Chechi Kingdom..."

Xiao Chen's voice was filled with a hint of nostalgia as he recounted what had happened to him over the years.

Mo Lang was also filled with emotion when he heard this:
"It's been decades now, and I remember when the three of us were seeking the truth together. What a scene that was."

"It's been a long time since we've been together."

At this point, Mo Lang suddenly changed the subject and said:

"Toad, about twenty years ago, the monkey came to Uttarakuru to look for me."

"Oh?"

Xiao Chen was stunned when he heard this.

"He brought me some peaches."

"My origin has been severely damaged, and I have been looking for a way to repair it over the years."

"It is thanks to the peaches from the monkey that my essence has been able to slowly recover."

Mo Lang said this, with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

"Yeah, he brought me some before."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen nodded. He was not surprised that Sun Wukong gave Mo Lang peaches.

The three brothers, the Toad, the Monkey, and the Dragon, had sought the truth together and were close friends. The Dragon King and the Monkey King had also fought against the gods together, so naturally they had a deep relationship.

Mo Lang suddenly changed the subject and said in a deep voice:
"Toad, but I always feel that this matter is a bit strange."

The Demon King Jiao had experienced the disaster of genocide and all kinds of great sufferings since he was a child. He has a calm temperament and meticulous mind, which is beyond that of ordinary people.

He stood up, paced in the reception room, and said in a deep voice:

"You and I both know that this monkey likes to eat peaches the most. It's his nature."

"Just like my love for eating fish, it's ingrained in my bones and can't be changed."

"Why would the Heavenly Court let a monkey guard the Peach Garden? Isn't this clearly letting him steal from the garden?"

"and."

The Jiao Demon King continued:

"The monkey may not have paid attention to these details, but I got them from his description."

"The Heavenly Court first... built him a palace of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven on the right side of the Peach Garden."

"Later, he was asked to guard the Peach Garden."

"This order...wasn't it already arranged?"

"The monkey said it was all right, there were a lot of peaches and he would only eat a few a day, not many, so he wouldn't be discovered."

"But this... I always feel like something is wrong."

The Jiao Demon King looked at Xiao Chen in confusion. Xiao Chen nodded, as if he had agreed to something.

"This……"

When the Dragon Demon King heard this, his eyes flickered and he felt mixed emotions.

He knew very well that his strength compared to that of the Heavenly Court was like an ant trying to shake a tree or a moth flying into a flame.

Attack Heaven?
How could he do something that even his master couldn't do?

He makes the master suffer again, is he going to rescue him once?

"It's still early, we still have time."

Xiao Chen patted the Jiao Demon King on the shoulder and said.

"Also, I have already obtained the guidance that Sun Wukong's master gave me back then."

Xiao Chen said.

In just over a hundred years, he had grown from a tiny tadpole that couldn't even beat small fish into a great demon at the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal.

He can even fight with a powerful Golden Immortal like Venerable Bai Xiong.

Give him another thousand years...

All we can say is that as long as King Golden Horn is alive, he will be invincible.

"So, Mo Lang, what treasure is this Jiu Shou Qing Jun fighting with you for?"

"I'm in the equipment refining business now, and I've always liked these treasures."

Xiao Chen asked.

He has always been interested in this treasure.

But this Nine-Headed Qingjun was always hesitant and reserved towards his King Golden Horn, and was not honest enough.

I'm afraid that even if I really help them get the treasure, they will not let the Golden Horn King play with it at will.

Not as friendly as my own brothers.

"Oh, speaking of this treasure, it has some connection with our Ancient Demon Court."

Mo Lang said with a smile.

"Oh?"

Xiao Chen became even more curious after hearing this.

"Toad, do you know how many innate spiritual roots there are in this world?"

Mo Lang studied under the Demon Master Palace, so naturally he had extraordinary insights. He explained them to Xiao Chen one by one.

"Innate spiritual roots? I would like to hear more details."

Although Xiao Chen had also heard of it, he naturally didn't know as much as Mo Lang, the heir of the Demon Master Palace.

Mo Lang cleared his throat and said slowly:

"These innate spiritual roots are all everlasting, and contain extremely strong vitality and ductility. Each one is a treasure."

"One is the Chaos Green Lotus, which grew in the boundless chaos and used chaos as nutrients. Later, when the great god Pangu opened the sky, he shattered it."

"This Creation Green Lotus is a treasure. Its broken remains, such as the lotus seeds, lotus flowers, lotus leaves, lotus pods, lotus stems... have all turned into countless powerful innate spiritual treasures."

"For example, the Qingping Sword of Master Tongtian was transformed from the green lotus leaf."

"The twelve-level golden lotus of merit used by the Buddhist sect to suppress destiny was also transformed from its lotus seeds."

Having said that, Mo Lang paused and continued:

"Some of the lotus petals turned into a book of the earth, which was obtained by Zhen Yuanzi, one of my master's rivals."

"It is said that there was also a half-ripened lotus seed that turned into the 'Precious Lotus Lantern' and was later obtained by Yang Jian's sister Yang Chan."

"As for the lotus stem, it absorbed the evil spirit and turned into..."

When Xiao Chen heard this, his eyes lit up and he thought to himself:
"Even the small residues dropped from this green lotus are valuable treasures."

Unfortunately, it is obvious that these lotus treasures are now in the hands of the big boss and he has no chance of getting them.

Only the Precious Lotus Lantern...is destined to be with the Golden Horned King.

"The second one is the Xiantian Renshui Peach Tree."

"The Queen Mother used it to breed many peach trees, which became a forest of peaches. This is the Peach Garden that the monkey is looking after now."

"But the main purpose of the peaches is to prolong life, increase cultivation, and become an immortal."

"It's not a good magic weapon."

Having said that, Mo Lang took out two peaches from his sleeve and wanted to share them with Xiao Chen.

"No, Mo Lang, your essence is damaged, keep it for food."

Xiao Chen waved his hand and refused.

He has eaten a lot of these peaches. If you eat too much of them, their effects will be weakened.

"The third one is the ginseng fruit tree, which is also an innate wood spiritual root. It is also... with my master's enemy Zhen Yuanzi."

Mo Lang said helplessly.

"The fourth one is the Xiantian Fusang Tree, which belongs to our Ancient Demon Court and is the habitat of the Great Sun Golden Crow."

"There is also the Xiantian laurel tree, which grows on the Taiyin Star. Its branches and leaves are all good materials for refining weapons."

Mo Lang continued.

"The innate laurel tree..."

Xiao Chen groaned, he knew this.

Sha Seng's magic staff for subduing demons was made from the branches of the innate laurel tree in the Moon Palace.

There is a poem that goes: "Wu Gang cut down a branch, and Lu Ban made a cover for it. There is a golden core inside and thousands of pearls and silk threads outside. It is called a magic staff that can subdue demons."

"There are also the innate gourd vine, the innate bodhi tree, the innate banana tree, the innate bitter bamboo... These are the innate spiritual roots that were born when the world was first created. Each one contains infinite power."

Mo Lang explained them one by one.

"Xiantian Huangzhongli, Xiantian Banana Tree..."

Xiao Chen nodded after hearing this.

He knew all of these.

No one has ever eaten Huangzhongli.

But it is said that the fairy apricot that Yun Zhongzi gave to his disciple Lei Zhenzi was the spiritual root grown from the core of the Huangzhongli. Although the fairy apricot was not the real Huangzhongli, its power was still incredibly strong, and it allowed Lei Zhenzi to easily control the power of wind and thunder in heaven and earth.

As for the banana tree, Laozi's banana fan is made from the banana leaves of the banana tree.

To put it bluntly, this innate spiritual root is the first lotus flower born in heaven and earth since the beginning of chaos...

The first peach tree, plum tree, bodhi tree, banana tree, bamboo... were born early.

"And the treasure we are fighting for now is one of the innate spiritual roots, which is closely related to our Ancient Demon Court."

Mo Lang said.

"Oh? Tell me?"

Xiao Chen asked curiously.

"Our ancient demon court was built on Mount Buzhou."

“Since the beginning of the chaos, the first gourd vine ever created by heaven and earth grew on Mount Buzhou.”

“And this is the innate gourd vine.”

Mo Lang explained.

"Innate Gourd Vine?"

Xiao Chen was stunned when he heard this.

He knew this innate gourd vine. It seemed that the purple-gold-red gourd used by Taishang Laojun to hold the elixir was the gourd on the innate gourd vine.

The Golden Horned King was still holding the purple-gold-red gourd, wanting to capture Sun Wukong.

"That's right. The treasure we want to seize is related to this innate gourd vine."

Mo Lang said seriously.

(End of this chapter)