The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 321 The Bull Demon's Covetousness
Ding Lin strode into the hall. He concealed his aura, but when he appeared in the hall, he immediately became the focus of attention. Although he did not reveal any magical power, his killing intent was so intense that it was almost tangible. In his hand, he held a hideous head.

It resembles a snake but is not a snake, and it resembles a bird but is not a bird.

Ding Lin chased Xiang Liu all the way to the border of the North Sea. A little further ahead was Beiju Luzhou, the territory of the demon race, where he stopped. During the chase, he also took Xiang Liu's head.

The slight pressure that the Bull Demon King had placed on Qingyi was instantly dispelled by the killing intent emanating from Ding Lin. Yet, he seemed oblivious, and his body involuntarily rose from the main seat. His gaze fell on Ding Lin, or more precisely, on the severed head that Ding Lin was holding.

It is indeed the aura of Taiyi.

The Bull Demon King's eyes were filled with inquiry, and he didn't look away for a long time, as he was assessing Ding Lin's strength through this severed head.

Xiang Liu's head had only been removed recently, and it still retained much of the aura of his life. Moreover, because of his death, there was no longer any way to conceal it, and it was clearly revealed.

From these auras, the Bull Demon King could roughly deduce Xiang Liu's strength. Although he was a Taiyi, his aura was not strong, which should be due to the fact that his core superior law was too mediocre.

Moreover, Xiang Liu survived nine lives but only brought back a head, indicating that he was only seriously injured and should have ultimately escaped with his life.

But this doesn't mean Ding Lin wasn't strong. On the contrary, the Bull Demon King was greatly wary of the severed head.

Xiang Liu's mediocrity is only relative. Among those who can enter the Taiyi realm, how could there be any truly mediocre fighters? In battles within the Taiyi realm, it has always been easy to win but difficult to kill the enemy. For Ding Lin to force his opponent to the point of decapitation to save his life is already an extraordinary victory.

Thankfully, it wasn't a real kill.

The Bull Demon King looked at Ding Lin and involuntarily stood up from his seat, his eyes solemn.

"Young lady, is this fellow Daoist the 'master' you serve?" the Bull Demon King asked.

"Fu Hai, who is this person?"

Ding Lin also looked at Qingyi. With the Bull Demon King in front of him, he didn't want to expose his relationship with Qingyi.

"My lord, let me introduce you," said the man in green. "This mighty Bull Demon King is my sworn brother. He was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the leader of the Seven Sages of the Demon Race who was once the talk of the Three Realms. Now he has also become a Venerable. Brother," the man in green looked at the Bull Demon King again, "this is my lord, Venerable Crimson Scale." As if by telepathy, the man in green also gave Ding Lin a false name.

"I hadn't even entered the hall yet when I heard someone trying to poach my men. I wondered who it was, but it turns out to be a fellow Daoist." Ding Lin looked at the Bull Demon King.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I was just worried and confused. After all, she is my own sister. I was afraid she might have been wronged outside, so what I did just now might have been a bit..." Bull Demon King explained. He then looked at Qingyi, and a flash of spiritual light appeared in his palm as he took out a jade bottle. "Sister, this golden pill was obtained by my brother by chance. I am giving it to you as a token of my apology."

“Fu Hai and Brother Niu have a sworn brotherhood, so I won’t say any more. However, Brother Niu’s way of showing concern is indeed easy to misunderstand.” Ding Lin’s palm flashed with spiritual light as he put away Xiang Liu’s head, slowly calming his sharpness.

He returned late and didn't see the covetous look in the eyes of the Bull Demon King towards the woman in green.

"Uh."

The Bull Demon King scratched his head, his expression seemingly a little embarrassed, but both sides knew that he was just putting on an act to give each other a way out.

Ding Lin didn't pursue the matter further, thus letting it go.

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints and Qingyi sat on one side, also unaware of the Bull Demon King's gaze. However, Princess Wansheng sat opposite her father, diagonally behind Qingyi. From her angle, she could clearly see the Bull Demon King's gaze. Listening to the verbal exchange between Ding Lin and the Bull Demon King, she paused slightly while rubbing her stomach.

"Old Bull is cultivating diligently on Mount Jilei, not far from here. When I was still a nobody, the Old Dragon King once helped me. So when I sensed the fighting between Taiyi here, Old Bull rushed over..." Bull Demon King changed the subject, still using the same words as before.

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist."

Ding Lin nodded. He wasn't a battle maniac. Since the Bull Demon King hadn't crossed the line, he could take the excuse with a grain of salt. After all, it's good to be a little confused sometimes.

"This nine-headed worm is returned to its original owner for your disposal, fellow Daoist." The Bull Demon King pointed at the nine-headed worm and gestured to Ding Lin.

Ding Lin looked at Qingyi: "Fu Hai, Nine-Headed Insect, are you still of any use to you?"

Qingyi shook her head. Just now, the Nine-Headed Insect had desperately tried to drag them down with him, so it was unlikely she could get a single word from him. Besides, at the Golden Immortal realm, one's primordial spirit is in harmony with the laws, so the Soul Searching Technique was useless. The Nine-Headed Insect was already of use. Ding Lin looked at the Nine-Headed Insect again. This character, who had been described in detail in his memory and had even led Erlang Shen and the Stone Monkey to join forces, was now quietly floating at his feet, his life and death entirely in his hands. He suddenly remembered the scene of the havoc in the Heavenly Palace that he had witnessed earlier. He realized that he had unknowingly reached this point. His thoughts churned in his mind.

Finally, Ding Lin casually flicked his palm, unleashing a beam of spiritual light.

The palm struck the Nine-Headed Insect's head, causing his spirit to emerge, his face contorted with resentment and malice.

Ding Lin remained silent, his eyes indifferent as he used demonic energy to imprison the Nine-Headed Insect's primordial spirit. He casually suppressed the two laws, and with a single twist, the Nine-Headed Insect vanished into thin air.

As for the pearl stolen by the Nine-Headed Insect, with his death, the cause and effect naturally dissipated. Although Ding Lin was the mastermind behind the scenes, he had already entered the Taiyi realm and had the Heavenly Court as his backer, so he would no longer be involved in the cause and effect. If there were any entanglements with that pearl in the future, it could only be due to human actions. At that time, even if he still had his current cultivation level, he could probably just say that he was unaware of it and return the pearl to its original owner to get through the matter.

If there really is a Journey to the West five hundred years from now, with eighty-one tribulations and the death of the Nine-Headed Insect, then other demon races will naturally fill the gaps.

Ding Lin had another realization: the so-called cause and effect was nothing more than a powerful magician using it to justify his actions.

After watching Ding Lin's attack, the Bull Demon King felt somewhat regretful. The Nine-Headed Insect was still too weak, and Ding Lin was quite experienced and cautious, only using conventional methods. He couldn't see anything from it.

Ding Lin looked up at the Bull Demon King. He was still standing at the entrance of the hall, but the Bull Demon King was now on the main platform, seemingly taking the initiative.

“Your Excellency,” the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints’ eyes flashed, “Now that we have had several rounds of drinks, I imagine you have enjoyed yourself. My master has also returned. After drinking so much, I feel a bit stifled in the hall. I wonder if Your Excellency would be willing to move around? I will have my servants prepare the courtyard and serve you a few cups of fragrant tea. That would be quite an elegant experience.”

“That would be excellent,” the Bull Demon King said naturally as he stepped down from his seat. “Thank you for your trouble, Old Dragon King.”

So they moved to another small pavilion.

After the clam spirits made a simple arrangement, Ding Lin and the Bull Demon King sat facing each other across a jade table, with Qingyi standing behind Ding Lin. The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints then excused himself, saying that Princess Ten Thousand Saints was pregnant, and withdrew with his daughter.

Ding Lin returned with Xiang Liu's head and showed no signs of weakness, so the Bull Demon King naturally abandoned his previous idea and changed course, focusing on making friends. He was a man of principle, and although Ding Lin was somewhat clumsy with words, he had no prior grudge against the Bull Demon King. Since the Bull Demon King was willing to do this, he, though not enthusiastic, didn't mind going along with it. Their relationship was quite harmonious, at least on the surface. Qingyi refilled the water several times, and after a few cups of hot tea, the Bull Demon King enthusiastically pulled Qingyi, wanting to become sworn brothers.

"Brother Niu, please forgive me. I have been alone since childhood. It's not that I want to refuse, but I have long been used to being alone. It is enough that we are kindred spirits and consider each other confidants. There is really no need for these formalities," Ding Lin said politely.

"Not at all, it was just me being presumptuous, Brother Dao is just being true to my nature!" The Bull Demon King wasn't angry, after all, he and Ding Lin had only just met, and it was normal for them to be a little wary of each other. "There may have been some misunderstandings today, but it doesn't matter. As you spend more time together in the future, you'll know that I, the Bull Demon King, am also a man of strong character."

“Like my sister, whether you believe me or not, I was truly in a moment of panic. Although my sister is highly skilled, she is also quite solitary and has always been alone. Now that she has suddenly joined your ranks, I couldn’t help but… At the time, I thought that even if I had to be a bit forceful, I would keep my sister by my side. I was overthinking it, but I have never had any dealings with you before, so I think you can understand me,” said the Bull Demon King.

"It's all in the past, Brother Niu. If you're bringing this up again, feel free to speak frankly." Ding Lin's smile faded slightly.

"It is so," said the Bull Demon King. "After much deliberation, I have decided that, though it may be presumptuous, I would like to ask you to part with my beloved sister and bring her to my side."

The faint smile that was playing on Ding Lin's lips vanished completely.

“This way, I won’t make things difficult for you, fellow Daoist,” the Bull Demon King said, steeling his heart. A flash of spiritual light appeared in his palm, and he took out another jade bottle. “Inside this bottle is a five-patterned golden pill, with a law inscribed on it. It is of the fire element and can help those above the Golden Immortal level comprehend the law, with a 50% chance of success. If you are willing to let my little sister go, I am willing to reward you with this pill.”

The man in green stood behind Ding Lin without saying a word.

Ding Lin looked up at the Bull Demon King. He was puzzled as to why the Bull Demon King was so determined to take Qingyi away, but he didn't think much of it. As for the changes in his expression, they were mostly for Qingyi's benefit.

“This pill is not bad,” Ding Lin said, shifting his gaze from the Bull Demon King to the jade bottle in his palm. “However, the Overturning Sea is a priceless treasure to me. Brother Bull, please take the golden pill back. There’s no need to say anything like that again.”

Standing behind Ding Lin, Qingyi felt a warm glow in her heart.

Ding Lin remained expressionless, glancing quickly at Qingyi out of the corner of his eye. This rejection seemed somewhat affected, but relationships needed nurturing, especially since he himself…

Fortunately, this is a mythical world; in his previous life, he might have been killed by a woodcutter's axe.

Qingyi's face was expressionless, but Ding Lin knew that Qingyi must have appreciated his attitude just now.

(End of this chapter)