Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 372 Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net, Gluttonous Yin Banner

"Azure-eyed Heavenly Net?"

Hua Yaosong exclaimed in surprise.

Cheng Xinzhan was overjoyed to see that the Corpse Immortal indeed knew the truth, and exclaimed...
"What kind of magical artifact is this? Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."

Hua Yaosong thought for a moment, then said,
"This is the unique magic weapon of the Demon Corpse Valley Master Chen. It can attack, defend, search, and set up formations. Although it is filled with demonic energy, it is indeed a rare treasure. But as far as I know, this Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net has long been destroyed. Where did you see it, sir?"

"destroyed?"

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised and asked,

"When was it destroyed, and how was it destroyed?"

Hua Yaosong replied,

"That was before Gu Chen was sealed away by the Long-Browed Immortal. At that time, Gu Chen had cultivated to the fifth realm and relied on the Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net to roam the world, committing all kinds of evil deeds, and few people could control him."

"At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and demons rose up everywhere. Gu Chen came to Qingzhou to plunder and harm the people. At that time, Master Yutian, the abbot of Jiuhua Mountain, came down from the mountain and fought Gu Chen in the heavens. The battle was so fierce that the sky darkened and the earth was shattered. In the end, he destroyed Gu Chen's evil treasure. Unfortunately, he did not capture Gu Chen and let him escape."

"According to Master Yutian after the war, when the two were fighting in the heavens, Gu Chen boasted that this treasure was extremely difficult to refine. It required killing ten thousand of their own kind who were also related by blood, taking their eyes, and refining them together. Its power was unparalleled."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan immediately recalled that on the day Gu Chen escaped from the underground of Juqu Mountain, he used the "Mysterious Yin Gathering Beast Banner." At that time, a master in Juqu Mountain saw it and said that the beast soul in the banner was obtained by Gu Chen from killing the ape bear.

The orangutan bear has the head of an orangutan and the body of a bear, with a fierce appearance and immense strength, yet it is a strong but timid beast, a kind and gentle creature. This tribe lived in the northwestern mountains, feeding on snowmelt and avoiding the world. Their total number was only a few hundred thousand, but Gu Chen killed them to refine a treasure, wiping out the entire tribe.

Looking back now, Cheng Xinzhan realized that the eyes on the net that his true self had seen underground the day before yesterday, although they looked very similar to human eyes, were not human eyes. They should be the eyes of an ape!
The conditions for refining the Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net are so demanding: one must possess cultivation, be a blood relative of the same clan, and be prepared in quantities of tens of thousands. It's not something easily obtained. Gu Chen's previous demonic net was destroyed when he went to the northwest to kill ape bears and refine the "Mysterious Yin Gathering Beast Banner" after breaking the Long Eyebrow Seal, and he also managed to refine the Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net along with it.

Cheng Xinzhan asked,
"How did Master Yutian destroy the Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net back then?"

Hua Yaosong replied,

"According to Master Yutian, this net is strange and evil, and all magic methods are ineffective against it. Only the most powerful and yang magic treasures can be effective against it. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of eyes in this net. Even if the most powerful and yang magic treasures can destroy the eyes, no matter how many are destroyed, as long as one remains, the rest will immediately regenerate. They are endless and there is no way to kill them."

"Finally, Master Yutian unleashed one of the most treasured Buddhist artifacts of Mount Jiuhua, the 'Wrathful Fire Sumeru Needle,' a radiant Buddhist treasure of extreme yang energy. This needle multiplied into millions, simultaneously piercing the meshes of the Azure-Eyed Heavenly Net, thus destroying the demonic net and severely injuring Gu Chen."

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"So that's it."

In the East Sea, south of Diyin Island and north of Hongxia Island, a suspended black shuttle flies through the air above the waves. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the shuttle is hollow, with a gunwale and a cabin, making it a magical artifact similar to a covered boat. However, this treasure is entirely black, emitting a ghostly light, and moves at an extremely high speed, making it appear from a distance like a black shuttle.

There were several people inside the cabin, one of whom was Cheng Xinzhan, who had transformed into Lai Youde. At this moment, he nodded to himself, thinking to himself that the demonic net in the cave was such an evil object. It was made by killing tens of thousands of living beings to extract their eyes, no wonder it looked so sinister.

As for the fact that it requires an extremely powerful and yang magic weapon capable of splitting into countless forms to break it, this should be a difficult task for others, but for me, it seems not difficult at all.

I have one of these myself.

If we're talking about the most masculine and yang qualities, how many treasures in this world can compare to "Peach Capital," which was made from the seven yang essences that the Long-Browed Immortal refined before his ascension, and then, imitating the actions of the Pleiades, was made by mixing nineteen yang-attribute evil spirits into the yang palace of his left eye?

If we're talking about the myriad variations, "Taodu" has already twice refined itself from tangible to intangible. Coupled with the "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Technique," and the fact that I even created a move called "Golden Threads" specifically for "Taodu," it's already quite familiar with it. So this really isn't a difficult task.

As for hitting ten thousand demonic eyes at the same time, it only requires mastering the magic weapon and choosing the right moment. Cheng Xinzhan didn't think much of it, since it was such an easy task.

In addition, his "Peach Capital" seems to have a certain apotropaic effect on breaking through the evil demon eyes. When he killed the Five Poison Heavenly King, he used "Peach Capital" to differentiate the pure yang golden light and broke through the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's Dharma form in the four realms in one fell swoop.

By the way, I didn't think that much about it at the time; I just did it on a whim, swinging my sword to pierce through all the eyes at once.

"What is the strategist thinking?"

Seeing Cheng Xinzhan in a daze, the thin Taoist priest asked a question.

Cheng Xinzhan came to her senses and replied,

"Your Highness has deployed all your elite troops this time. Judging from this display, I am indeed a little apprehensive. We have at least tried the vine seeds and the Gu worms, but we don't know if the 'Azure Phosphorous Surge' and the 'Seven Fiends Profound Yin Heavenly Net' will work. If something goes wrong... how am I supposed to explain this!"

If we broaden our perspective further, we can see that in the sea area between Earth Yin Island and Red Cloud Island, there is not just one Black Shuttle, but countless flying magical artifacts, flying Yin corpses filling the void, and countless demons in the sea.

After testing the effectiveness of the Dragon Claw Vine and the Golden Silkworm Gu against the Crocodile Demon, the Skinny Taoist spared no expense, sending people ashore to purchase large quantities from the Blood Vine Sect of the Southern Wilderness and the Heavenly Silkworm Sect of the Three Xiang Regions. However, to the Skinny Taoist's displeasure, perhaps because he wanted so much and so urgently, these two sects seized on his weakness and actually raised prices, and even started selling in limited quantities.

Although the rice was undercooked, the skinny Taoist had to eat it, but he harbored resentment towards the two families for taking advantage of his misfortune. This matter was far from over.

Moreover, after verifying that Cheng Xinzhan's method for subduing the crocodile demon was effective, he spent a lot of money, almost emptying his family's coffers, to purchase more and higher-level "Azure Phosphorous Strike" and "Seven Fiends Profound Yin Heavenly Net" from Beiman Mountain in Heluo and the Xuan Yin Sect in Longxi.

Today, after all the purchasing teams returned, the thin Taoist priest did not hesitate to mobilize all the forces of the Star-Picking Palace and launch a large-scale attack on Red Cloud Island. He knew that the feint attack and the killing of the crocodile demon to test the magic a few days ago had already alerted Red Cloud Island. The longer the battle dragged on, the more time Red Cloud Island would have to react, and they might even have to find a way to counterattack. Therefore, a quick victory was the best course of action.

Upon hearing Cheng Xinzhan's words, the thin Taoist laughed loudly, patted him on the shoulder, and said,
"The strategist has already made such a contribution, so there is no need to give him any explanation. Moreover, the weapon for breaking the formation is not like the Dragon Claw Vine and the Golden Silkworm Gu. We cannot try it, because if we try it, that fat woman will find out. We might as well bet on it and decide the winner."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and said,

"I hope it works."

The thin Taoist priest said again,
"The strategist's cultivation level is not high, so don't take any risks. When the fighting starts, just stay in the back. If there is any danger, the strategist will flee and you will be forgiven. Once we've entered Red Cloud Island, we'll need the strategist to lead the way." Cheng Xinzhan nodded in agreement and thanked him repeatedly.

Before long, the thin Taoist led his men across the boundary between the Earth Yin Sea and the Big Belly Sea, and marched into the waters of Red Cloud Island.

Even from this distance, Cheng Xinzhan could see the rich red glow on the distant island, stretching to the sky and reaching the sun. This was far more impressive than the sulfurous miasma that had plagued Huangliu Island back then.

There were naturally patrollers on Hongxia Island as well, consisting of red manta rays that flew and circled in the sky. Upon seeing the entourage of the thin Taoist, they immediately raised their voices to warn others, their voices like the long, drawn-out notes of a conch shell.

Before long, the protective formation on Red Cloud Island was activated, and the red glow on the island spread out like exploding smoke, from which many people flew out.

Besides, around Hongxia Island, rows of golden wooden stakes emerged from the sea. These stakes ranged in length from ten to forty feet, rising and falling with the waves. When green eyes appeared on these stakes, it became clear that they were not stakes at all, but rather giant golden crocodiles!
Finally, a crimson ray of light flew out from Red Cloud Island, stopped in front of the demons, and solidified into a human shape.

This was a woman, but she was eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. She wore a bright red silk robe and a pomegranate-colored skirt. Her clothes were densely embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread, which shone so brightly in the glow of the sunset that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The woman deliberately left her collar slightly open, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin. Her face was round and full, like a dough ball, with thick rouge applied to her cheeks. A pair of fist-sized red coral earrings hung from her ears, giving her the appearance of a smiling tiger.

"Oh my, whose heroes are these, bringing so many people here, trying to scare this old lady?"

The rather plump woman in red in the air held a small round fan, no bigger than her palm, and patted her chest with the fan, laughing exaggeratedly.

This is Hong Eryi, the second-in-command under the King of Alligators.

Aunt Hong looked around and saw many familiar faces, so she called out again.
"Oh, so this is the Star-Picking Palace. Where's that skinny reed? Why haven't I seen him come out? Or has he already come out, but he's too thin for me to see? Why don't you make a sound?"

After Aunt Hong finished speaking, the people of Hongxia Island burst into laughter.

"Ah, the orangutan bear has come out of its den and is making a racket."

Cheng Xinzhan heard the thin Taoist beside him burst into laughter, then leap out of the black shuttle and come to the front of the people in the Star-Picking Hall, where he uttered vicious words.

This reminded him of his first encounter with the thin Taoist priest, whose sharp tongue had infuriated Nan Jing back then. It seemed that after all these years, the man hadn't changed in this respect.

"Who's speaking? Who's speaking?"

Aunt Hong squinted and looked around, ignoring the thin Taoist priest right in front of her.

The thin Taoist priest didn't take it to heart and laughed.

"Someone as thick-skinned and plump as you would taste best roasted over a fire. I wonder if you'll still be able to make such a loud noise once you're inside my stomach."

Then, before Aunt Hong could speak again, the thin Taoist priest conjured a banner that grew to eight feet long in the wind. With a thought, the banner fluttered, signaling the people of the Star-Picking Palace to advance and begin their attack.

"on!"

Aunt Hong waved her small fan and shouted, and the people of Hongxia Island rushed forward to meet her.

At this moment, the smiling tiger's expression had completely turned cold. She knew that the skinny Taoist had come out in full force today, and things were bound to end badly; one side would inevitably suffer heavy losses. But she wasn't afraid. Even if this person was a direct disciple of the Yin King, he was still young, hadn't cultivated for long, and his realm was far lower than hers. Besides her trusted subordinates, she also had the crocodile offspring sent by the Alligator King—these fierce demons were not to be trifled with.

Even if we take a step back and retreat to the island, we can defend it. With the Sunset Glow Formation in place, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Two groups of people were about to clash, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Cheng Xinzhan also flew out of the black shuttle along with the group of confidants of the thin Taoist, and each went to find their enemy.

He immediately released Zhong Yuan, stood on the back of the Ghost Crab, and approached a Golden Core water demon of the second level of Red Cloud Island, using the Corpse Needle to fight off the enemy.

His moves looked dangerous, but in reality, he barely used any strength, letting Zhong Yuan do as he pleased. Finding an opportunity, he reached the sea surface and, taking advantage of the chaos, released Ji Zhen and threw him into the sea.

Such a chaotic battle at sea would be perfect for Ji Zhen to showcase his abilities. Moreover, Ji Zhen has a good foundation, and with the awakening of his innate consciousness, his intelligence is basically sound, so Cheng Xinzhan doesn't need to worry about him.

Following Cheng Xinzhan's instructions, Ji Zhen neither helped either side, or rather, he helped both sides. Concealing his form, he used water escape techniques to hide in the sea, specifically watching the three realms in battle. Whoever was at a disadvantage, he would secretly spit sand to ambush them, helping them die faster—as dawn broke and the rosy clouds blazed, everyone's shadows were reflected on the sea.

No one could discover the bizarre methods used by the hunter.

Cheng Xinzhan's attention was focused on the battle of wits between the Thin Taoist and Aunt Hong. The former had undergone two cleansings, while the latter had undergone at least five. He wanted to see what abilities the Thin Taoist possessed to secure his position as the master of the Star-Picking Palace.

The thin Taoist waved the banner—it was the same familiar banner, its surface gray and covered with a black beast head pattern. The beast head pattern was extremely abstract and rough: a pair of huge eyes, a nose below the eyes, and two curled horns above the eyes, somewhat like a bull's head, but without a lower lip, or rather, the entire mouth was integrated with the banner surface.

When they first met, Cheng Xinzhan was just a novice cultivator and didn't recognize the beast head. But now, he was a highly respected master of all laws and a scholar of extensive knowledge of the Daoist canon, so he recognized it at a glance: the beast head was the Taotie head, one of the legendary Four Fiends.

Moreover, unlike when we first met, the mouth of the Taotie on the banner now seemed even deeper, as if it swallowed up even the light shining on it, making it look exceptionally dark, like the deepest night sky.

In addition, something seemed to have appeared in the Taotie's two eyes, acting as pupils, flashing and rotating, which made the entire facade seem to come alive, and the banner on the front also had a touch of evil.

Because of the great distance, he could not see clearly with his mind's eye, so he activated his Dharma Eye to look. He then saw that there were two ghostly characters in the eye pattern, which served as the pupils.

Cheng Xinzhan was also very familiar with this ghost script, which was the same as the one in the Fire Dragon Island command flag, and was the ghost script of the "Mysterious Yin Gathering Beast Banner".

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(End of this chapter)