Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 375 Xia Fu is captured, Xia Island changes hands (5.6K words presented, please support with monthly votes~)

"You wicked creature, surrender now and return the Buddhist treasure immediately!"

With the sect's most precious treasures scattered outside, Master Xiuhui, the leader of Hidden Dragon Mountain, already harbored extreme hatred for Aunt Hong. Upon arriving at the battlefield, she disregarded the gathering of various demons and monsters, leading her disciples straight towards Aunt Hong.

The thin Taoist priest gave a signal, and his men understood immediately. Instead of stopping the people from Hidden Dragon Mountain, they made way for them.

Hidden Dragon Mountain, being a seaside Zen sect, was naturally quite familiar with the overseas demonic forces. They immediately recognized that the Earthly Yin Sea was attacking the Great Belly Sea. Moreover, the once formidable Sunset Array had been utterly destroyed by the Earthly Yin Sea's corpse demons. Considering how quickly the news from the sea had arrived, Abbess Xiuhui immediately realized that the demonic path was using a borrowed knife to kill.

However, while it's a case of using someone else to do the dirty work for the evil cult, it's a case of the snipe and the clam fighting while a third party benefits. Since the two evil cults are going to fight like dogs, there's no harm in going along with it.

Furthermore, it's hard to say whether it's using someone else to do the dirty work or letting a wolf into the house.

Master Xiuhui secretly conveyed her thoughts, instructing her subordinates to also be wary of Diyin Island. This voyage was not for exorcising demons, nor to actively get involved in trouble; the key was simply to obtain the lost treasure.

This opportunity created by the demonic path is truly rare. In previous years, Aunt Hong Er remained holed up in the formation, and the Crocodile King was no longer asleep, so there were very few opportunities for her to make a move. Today, the two demons are fighting each other and have broken the great formation, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After giving a reminder, the nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain entered the dilapidated Sunset Glow Formation and surrounded Aunt Hong. Master Xiuhui roared and immediately summoned her magic weapon, a multicolored bead emitting a strange fragrance.

The bead was no bigger than a fist, but it was radiant and its weight was unknown. As it flew, it left ripples in the air like skipping stones, which was truly terrifying.

The magical weapon was thrown towards Aunt Hong Er. The gang leader beside her tried to raise his spiked club to block it, but Aunt Hong Er pulled him away quickly. This gang leader hadn't dealt with Hidden Dragon Mountain much, so he didn't know that it was the "Fragrance Dragon Pearl," left behind by an ancient dragon, with the immeasurable weight of the ocean, and absolutely could not be taken head-on.

"boom--"

The two demons narrowly dodged, but their magical artifacts struck Red Cloud Island, causing the mountains to crumble and the earth to split, sending dust flying. The aftershocks of the magic transformed into a gale, blowing Black Boss and Red Aunt several meters away in the air.

The nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain surrounded the two demons, so they couldn't escape. While the two demons hid from the precious pearl, another nun on the other side brought out a golden alms bowl.

The golden bowl, once released, was about ten feet in diameter, entirely golden in color, with scriptures secretly engraved on it, emitting a radiant golden glow. As the bowl covered the two demons' heads, it instantly generated an immeasurable suction force, attempting to pull them inside.

The two demons used all their skills to resist, but at the same time, the magical treasures sent by Lingzhu and the other nuns attacked again.

"fall!"

Aunt Hong Er once again used her supernatural powers, and indeed managed to drop a Buddhist golden needle amidst the swirling magical treasures. However, the nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain had brought dozens of magical treasures; how could she possibly catch them all? At the same time, she summoned her Dharma Image to hold up the "Fragrance Dragon Pearl," fanning the flames herself and using her escape techniques, struggling to cope.

The gang leader was also surrounded, using all his skills to help. The gang leader's Dharma form was a towering black buffalo with curved horns, truly possessing immense strength. When the golden bowl was placed in its place, he simply used his Dharma form's buffalo horns to push it open.

However, while the two demons could hold their own for the time being and fight the nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain to a standstill, they were powerless to protect Red Cloud Island. At this time, the island's great formation had been shattered by the "Seven Fiends Profound Yin Heavenly Net" and the "Azure Phosphorous Charge," rendering it completely useless. Meanwhile, the thin Taoist led his men across the island, engaging in a one-sided massacre.

The two demons inside the encirclement naturally saw it as well, and the leader of the gang then used telepathy to communicate with Aunt Hong.

"Second Madam, what treasure did you steal from Hidden Dragon Mountain? Could it be more important than your Red Cloud Island foundation? If you lose the island, the King will not let you off easily! In my opinion, it would be better to return the treasure and let these people retreat, so that we can do our best to defend the island and repel the people from the Earthly Yin Sea!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Hong was naturally extremely unwilling, her eyes practically spitting fire, for that was a priceless treasure concerning her cultivation of the Great Dao!

But then the demon thought about it again and realized that his elder brother was right. Although an island was not as valuable as the pearl he had stolen, he could not withstand the wrath of the Alligator King.

Hesitating, the two demons fought with Hidden Dragon Mountain for another twenty or thirty rounds. At this moment, looking at Red Cloud Island again, it had been completely occupied by the Earth Yin Sea. They were already setting up a new protective formation for the island!
Aunt Hong was so enraged that she bit her teeth until they bled. Finally, she made a decision. She channeled her magic and summoned a precious pearl.

This precious pearl was clearly extraordinary. The moment it appeared in the world, it emitted a magnificent seven-colored Buddhist light. Moreover, this light was gentle and not dazzling, transforming into wisps of light mist that swirled around the pearl. In addition, golden flowers and rain of light spontaneously arose in the surrounding void, making the pearl appear exceptionally sacred.

The gang leader was standing nearby. Upon seeing the precious pearl, he felt that even the spiritual energy in the void had become sweeter. He thought to himself, "No wonder Second Sister was unwilling to return it."

The nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain all changed color upon seeing this treasure, and Abbess Xiuhui immediately spoke up.
"You wretched creature, have you thought it through? Return the pearl, surrender, and perhaps you can save your life!"

At this moment, Aunt Hong Er, holding the precious pearl in her hand, said,
"I will return the pearl, but you must kill Yuan Fachen!"

On the other side, the thin Taoist was also greedily eyeing Baozhu. When he saw that Aunt Hong had mentioned him, his expression changed slightly, and he looked at Master Xiuhui.

Then he saw Master Xiuhui shake her head without hesitation.

"Today we set sail for the Spirit Pearl. Regardless of the grudges between you demons, our thousand-year-old Zen temple will never be at the beck and call of demons."

The thin Taoist priest immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Aunt Hong's face turned grim, but she knew in her heart that the Zen sect was unlikely to agree to this, so she continued,
"Then I want you to swear an oath to Hidden Dragon Mountain that you will leave the sea immediately after obtaining the pearl, and that all past grievances between us will be wiped clean, and Hidden Dragon Mountain will never again cause me trouble!"

"Written off?"

Master Xiuhui was furious upon hearing this, seemingly having a thousand words to say, but in the end she suppressed them, only saying one sentence.
"You make it sound so easy for you to talk about the past!"

However, at this moment, Aunt Hong no longer backed down and looked directly at Abbess Xiuhui.
"If you don't agree to this condition, I won't give it to you even if I destroy the pearl!"

Master Xiuhui was furious and could not hide her anger, but after hesitating again and again, she still uttered a word of "good" and began to make a vow by pointing to the mountain.

Aunt Hong Er breathed a sigh of relief and was about to return the Dragon Ball.

However, at this moment, her expression suddenly changed, and at the same time, the gang leader's expression also changed. The two looked at each other and saw the joy in each other's eyes.

Aunt Hong Er laughed loudly, put the Dragon Pearl away again, and then ignored Red Cloud Island. Instead, she and Boss Hei took off and fled, catching the nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain off guard and allowing the two demons to escape the encirclement.

"withdraw!"

After leaving the encirclement, the two demons simultaneously shouted the word "retreat," causing the people on Red Cloud Island to cease resistance and retreat, handing over the island to the island without resistance.

"What a beast!"

Before Master Xiuhui could finish reciting her vows, she saw Aunt Hong Er fleeing. Feeling like she had been tricked, her face turned bright red, and she immediately flew after her.

On the other side, the thin Taoist and Cheng Xinzhan saw the two demons abandon the island and flee, and withdraw their troops. They immediately realized that this must be a message from the Crocodile King.

"Those prayer beads are truly a treasure. I reckon even the Alligator King would be tempted by them and would give up the island altogether."

The thin Taoist priest said with a smile.

He naturally coveted the pearl, but he knew better what his purpose was today, so he ignored Aunt Hong and instead ordered his men to quickly occupy the island and set up an array.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

At the same time, the gang leader and Aunt Hong fled southeast, which was the direction of Half Moon Island. Their two strong and fat bodies cast huge shadows on the sea.

The nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain followed closely behind. Abbess Xiuhui exerted all her strength, her eyes blazing with anger, and the relic within her abdomen began to burn, rapidly closing in on Aunt Hong. She knew that once the wicked beast escaped to Half Moon Island, and the ancestral relics fell into the hands of the Alligator King, they would never be recovered.

Just then, while everyone's attention was focused on the chase in the sky, no one noticed that on the sea, within the enormous shadow of Aunt Hong, the waves shifted and solidified into a strange beast with the body of a turtle and the tail of a snake.

The strange beast swam extremely fast in the sea, always keeping itself within Aunt Hong's shadow. At this moment, the beast's turtle head and snake head rose simultaneously, and its turtle beak and snake mouth opened at the same time.

A stream of black sand shot out from the tortoise's beak and landed on Aunt Hong's shadow, while the tailed snake opened its mouth to reveal its venomous fangs and bit down hard on the shadow.

"what--"

Then a scream of pain was heard, and Aunt Hong fell from the sky like a bird with broken wings.

Although Master Xiuhui, who was following closely behind, did not know what had happened, she knew that this was a golden opportunity. Without saying a word, she took out the "Perfume Dragon Pearl" and smashed it hard on Aunt Hong's forehead, instantly tearing the demon's skin open and splattering his brains out.

That wasn't all. The nun then produced a golden hoop covered in incantations, radiating brilliant light, and threw it at the unconscious Aunt Hong.

The golden hoop moved with incredible speed, leaving a series of afterimages in the air before landing squarely and firmly on Aunt Hong's forehead. At this moment, Abbess Xiuhui finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaped down, caught Aunt Hong mid-air, and turned back. Just then, the abbess holding the golden alms bowl arrived and directly placed the unconscious Aunt Hong into the bowl.

The nuns of Hidden Dragon Mountain did not linger for a moment and quickly headed west.

The gang leader watched helplessly, unable to react at all. The turn of events was too sudden; one moment Aunt Hong was laughing, the next she was screaming in agony—it was truly catching everyone off guard.

Seeing that Aunt Hong had been captured and that the people of Diyin Island had already occupied Hongxia Island—or perhaps calling it Hongxia Island was no longer appropriate, as it was now shrouded in ghostly mist—the Black Boss sighed and led his men away, having no other choice.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Hongxia Island.

One hundred and eight Xuan Yin Beast Face Flags, prepared in advance by the Thin Taoist, were inserted into the earth vein nodes of Red Cloud Island under Cheng Xinzhan's guidance.

In fact, although Lai Youde had visited Hongxia Island long ago, he could not possibly understand the geomantic patterns of Hongxia Island, nor could he obtain a map of Hongxia Island's coastal defenses.

However, Cheng Xinzhan made up an excuse, saying that Huang Laosan had previously coveted Hongxia Island and had bribed its people to obtain a rough geomantic map, which roughly marked some nodes. He had specifically sought out Huang Laosan to look at it before coming to Diyin Island. Lai Youde himself had been a merchant with the Wuling Land Gang before coming to the sea, growing up in the dense forests of the mountains, and also knew a bit about astrology. So he volunteered to lead the skinny Taoist's men to plant a flag.

But in reality, it was Cheng Xinzhan, who was visiting Hongxia Island for the first time, who pointed out the earth's vein nodes while tracing the veins and observing the energy.

Seeing that Cheng Xinzhan was indeed quick at finding the earth's vein nodes, the thin Taoist felt reassured and entrusted the task to him. As for himself, he went to plunder Aunt Hong's treasure trove and explore for any hidden caves or vaults.

These flags passed through Cheng Xinzhan's hands, and upon inspection, he knew that, like the Fire Dragon Flag, they also contained the ghostly script of the Mysterious Yin Gathering Beast Banner. Once all one hundred and eight flags were planted, a preliminary, simple formation was complete.

These flags drew upon the earth's energy, transforming it into a thick, dark mist that enveloped the entire Red Cloud Island.

The formation itself was ordinary, but the flags were extraordinary, possessing a rapid and efficient conversion of earth energy. Moreover, once formed, it resonated with the Earthly Yin Island, their magical auras intertwined, leading Cheng Xinzhan to believe that it could draw upon the energy from the Earthly Yin Island.

When Cheng Xinzhan finished his work, a ghostly corpse came to invite him, saying that the thin Taoist had summoned him.

The messenger led Cheng Xinzhan to a temple in the center of the island that had miraculously survived the war. This became the temporary council hall for the thin Taoist.

As soon as Cheng Xinzhan entered, the thin Taoist priest took the lead in standing up and clapping. Then, the people on both sides of the hall also stood up and clapped.

"Our Star-Picking Palace's greatest hero has arrived!"

"The thin Taoist priest said loudly."

The others also looked at Cheng Xinzhan with smiles. Among them were some who had previously disliked Cheng Xinzhan, but now they were all convinced. Because they all knew that, no matter what, without Cheng Xinzhan, even if they could win this battle, the losses would likely be more than double.

Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said...
"This subordinate dares not accept such a great gift."

The thin Taoist smiled, sat down, and stopped clapping. Those in the hall followed suit, stopping their applause and sitting down. Once it was quiet, he said...

"The strategist devised a plan to first defeat the crocodile demon, then break the great formation, and then rebuild the great formation for us. If this isn't the greatest achievement, who else could deserve it?"

Furthermore, everyone present knew that Cheng Xinzhan had also contributed to the scheme of using someone else to do the dirty work. However, this was ultimately not something that could be said in public. From then on, it could only be assumed that the people from Hidden Dragon Mountain had simply happened to be there.

But at this moment, it did not prevent the thin Taoist and all the people from the Star-Picking Palace from believing that Cheng Xinzhan was the one who made the greatest contribution in this battle.

"I am unworthy of such praise. It is all thanks to Your Highness's skillful leadership and extraordinary good fortune. If Your Highness had not found the Blood Vine Silkworm Gu, and had not gambled lavishly on the 'Seven Fiends Profound Yin Heavenly Net' and 'Azure Phosphorus Rush' to achieve success, and had not made such a large-scale purchase to accomplish everything in one battle, how could we have won so easily?"

The thin Taoist priest burst into laughter upon hearing this, unable to stop laughing. After a long while, he calmed down, looked at Cheng Xinzhan, and said...
"I remember before we set off, the strategist said that if we could capture Red Glow Island, he would reward you with the red glow on the island, wouldn't you agree?"

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head repeatedly and said,

"At that time, I only wanted to bring good luck to Your Highness and did not expect any reward."

More importantly, the Crimson Cloud Formation has been completely destroyed. The crimson clouds were either dissolved by the "Seven Fiends Profound Yin Heavenly Net" or blown away by the "Azure Phosphorous Rush," leaving nothing behind. So how can there be any reward?
Upon hearing this, the thin Taoist's smile grew even more satisfied, and the heartache in his heart lessened somewhat. He said,

"Strategist, you've struck gold! You're truly my lucky star! I never hesitate to reward meritorious officials, and you deserve a great reward for your outstanding contribution. Moreover, you're incredibly lucky; the rosy clouds you desired are right here with me. Please take a look, strategist, what is this?"

As the thin Taoist priest spoke, he took out a lead bottle.

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

The skinny Taoist priest threw the lead bottle over and said,

"Strategist, you're in luck! Little Wang found a five-zhu 'Blazing Sky Fiery Divine Energy' in Aunt Hong's secret vault. It's the main ingredient for the Sunset Glow Formation, and I suppose it's the crimson glow you've been looking for?"

Listening to the thin Taoist's words and looking at the lead bottle in his hand, Cheng Xinzhan was overjoyed. As for the claim that Aunt Hong's secret vault only contained five zhu of spiritual energy, Cheng Xinzhan didn't believe it. If there were five zhu, he would be lucky to get two zhu in his own hands.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the generous reward!"

However, this was an unexpected windfall, and having five zhu (a unit of currency) was quite good.

"Strategist, please take a seat."

The thin Taoist pointed to the first chair on the right and said.

Cheng Xinzhan took his seat.

Immediately afterwards, the thin Taoist rewarded all the meritorious officials, and everyone was overjoyed.

After all the leaders had received their rewards, the thin Taoist began to give instructions. He was the young island master of Earth Yin Island, the only disciple of the Yin King. He had conquered Red Cloud Island to prove his strength, but he wouldn't stay there long and would return to Earth Yin Island.

Therefore, it is necessary to carefully decide who should return to Diyin Island with him and who should stay on Hongxia Island to manage his business, as this is a unique force of the Thin Taoist.

After a long time, the thin Taoist finally got everything arranged—only Cheng Xinzhan remained.

"Strategist, you are one of King Li's men, and I borrowed you to work on Diyin Island. Now that we have conquered Hongxia Island, I wonder what your thoughts are? Just say the word, and I will speak to King Li. Zhaixing Palace will certainly welcome you with open arms!"

The thin Taoist looked at Cheng Xinzhan intently. Previously, when he borrowed people, his only thought was to find someone familiar with the situation on Red Cloud Island. However, judging from the clarity and effectiveness of this man's advice, it was more than just familiarity. This man had a complex background, having traveled through Wuling Mountain, Dadu Sea, and Li Huo Sea, and had come into contact with all sorts of people. Yet, his ability to find something useful from such a vast amount of information showed that he was clearly intelligent, quick-witted, and resourceful.

Furthermore, this man, a surrendered general from Huangliu Island, rose to the position of head of the Funiu Guard within a few months. Tang Yusheng was ambitious and willing to promote surrendered generals, and was even reluctant to lend him men, which further demonstrates that Lai Youde was no ordinary person.

If you want to do great things, what you lack is talent. Now that you've lent someone out, how can you easily return them?
The others also looked over. Although such a person could not help much in terms of combat strength and would share the credit, there was one real benefit—the best strategy is to outwit the enemy and reduce the number of deaths.

Cheng Xinzhan already had an idea in mind, but with so many people watching, he still had to put on an act. He hesitated for a moment, then said...

"Your Highness is discerning in recognizing and employing talent, accepting good advice, and being fair in rewards and punishments. You are truly a wise ruler. Naturally, I wish to continue serving you, but..."

"But what?"

"My former master, Protector Tang of the Fire Dragon Island's Protectorate, has been incredibly kind and benevolent to me. This makes it difficult for me to make a choice."

The thin Taoist laughed heartily upon hearing this. He understood the strategist's true intentions simply by listening to his words; the strategist had already put it so bluntly. He knew perfectly well what the strategist was thinking; it was just polite talk, and he would say the same thing himself.
"Strategist, do not worry! It is a good thing to miss your former master, and it is only human nature. However, Protector Tang is highly respected and has many fierce generals under his command. I will go to him personally to discuss with him and ask him to give you to me. I believe he will agree. You can stay with me with peace of mind. You do not need to show your face."

After listening, Cheng Xinzhan's expression changed several times, and finally he bowed with his hands clasped.
"I am at Your Highness's behest."

The thin Taoist was quite pleased with Cheng Xinzhan's tact and said,
"Then, strategist, would you like to stay on Red Cloud Island or return to Earthly Yin Island?"

Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment, then said,
"Your Highness has a solid foundation on Diyin Island and countless capable people under your command. Even if I went there, I wouldn't be of much use. On the other hand, Hongxia Island has just been acquired and is in a period of great need for reconstruction. I would prefer to stay on Hongxia Island and manage the villa for Your Highness."

The thin Taoist priest nodded repeatedly and said,
"As the strategist says!"

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(End of this chapter)