The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 349 appears calm on the surface, but is actually extremely dangerous.

Li Jingxiao and Baihuaxiu didn't care at all about how much food Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing ate.

After the two of them had eaten enough food for at least a hundred people, they asked Pigsy if he wanted another steamer of steamed buns.

Old Pig patted his skin, shook his head with a smile, and started chatting with Li Jingxiao.

Sha Wujing would occasionally chime in with a few words, trying to make his presence known.

Moreover, the two brothers held a high status in Heaven.

Knowing many of the rules of the Heavenly Court, he explained them to Li Jingxiao while eating and drinking.

Li Jingxiao immediately felt that this amount of food and wine was indeed a great deal.

After chatting for a while, seeing that it was getting late, the two brothers got up to say goodbye.

Before leaving, Sha Wujing specially packed four large steamed buns to take back to Tang Sanzang for dinner and breakfast the next day.

In the following days, the three monkey brothers would always find various excuses to come over for drinks and meat.

So much so that in five days, they had only covered less than half the distance.

Li Jingxiao had already discussed this with Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing in the past few days.

The ordeal at Thorn Ridge was overcome by everyone acting it out together.

He also promised not to harm any of the tree spirits.

The five pine tree spirits agreed without hesitation when Li Jingxiao asked them to compose poems with Tang Sanzang and discuss the differences and superiority of Buddhism and Taoism.

They even thought that if they could win the debate against Tang Sanzang, the Taoist patriarch might be pleased and reward them.

Even if things don't go well, completing the task assigned by Li Jingxiao will definitely bring benefits in the future.

The group of master and disciples spent nine days in the Thorn Ridge, and only managed to travel 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers) at a leisurely pace.

We arrived at a mountain god temple.

Sitting on his horse, Tang Sanzang looked at the deserted little temple and thought to himself that this desolate place might be inhabited by demons.

Just as they were about to send Sun Wukong to investigate, a gust of cold wind blew by.

The door to the small temple opened by itself.

An old man emerged, wearing a turban, simple clothes, a cane, and straw sandals.

Behind him followed a ghost messenger with a blue face, fangs, a red beard, and a naked body.

He was carrying a bowl filled with steamed buns and flatbreads.

He knelt down and said, "This humble god, the Earth God of Thorn Ridge, greets the Great Sage."

A plate of steamed buns and flatbreads, and a pot of vegetarian wine were specially prepared.

"Respectfully offer sacrifices to the Great Sage and the elders."

Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing immediately recognized the old man as someone who resembled a vengeful ghost.

They were both tree spirits beside Li Jingxiao.

These past few days, everyone had already planned to kidnap Tang Sanzang here, marking the beginning of this ordeal at Thorn Ridge.

Since it was an act, the three Sun Wukong brothers naturally cooperated and pretended to act.

Pigsy grabbed a steamed bun and ate it, while Monkey King pretended to say that the two tree demons were not good people.

However, while raising the stick to strike, the speed at which the stick is swung is slow.

The two tree demons not only easily dodged, but also successfully abducted Tang Sanzang.

The golden cudgel had just landed.

Sha Wujing didn't say a word, and didn't even move his weapon.

I watched the whole thing as a show.

After Tang Sanzang was abducted, he was taken directly to the Muxian Temple.

The pine tree spirits first flattered Tang Sanzang, which dispelled his wariness.

Then we recited poems together and chatted about romance and nature.

So the more Tang Sanzang talked, the happier he became, and the more he felt that the tree demons were quite knowledgeable and well-mannered.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards her.

But actually, as the conversation went on, the topic of the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism came up.

To put it bluntly, this trial was actually meant to corrupt Tang Sanzang's resolve to follow the Dao.

If he cannot outwit the five tree demons and his resolve to seek the Buddha wavers, it would be tantamount to severing the necessity of the pilgrimage from the root.

This difficulty is actually quite dangerous.

Moreover, in the original story, the five tree demons did not have any martial ethics.

During the debate, the Fairy of the Apricot was brought in to use her beauty to confuse Tang Sanzang.

At this time, Li Jingxiao was with Baihuaxiu, Xingxian, and Princess Wansheng.

While hosting a banquet for Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse who had already arrived.

The group sat on a cliff near the Wooden Immortal Temple, drinking and eating, watching and listening to Tang Sanzang and the five tree demons debating.

I thought Tang Sanzang was a useless, cowardly man.

But his fame in Chang'an was entirely due to his sharp tongue and extensive reading of Buddhist scriptures.

He won over renowned monks of the Tang Dynasty through genuine debate, which is how he became famous in Chang'an.

It was sought after by both the powerful and the common people.

Unexpectedly, at this Muxian Temple, just after midnight, they found themselves at a disadvantage.

Of course, Tang Sanzang was at a disadvantage when he had to argue with five people.

Li Jingxiao shook his head helplessly and said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage, how about we call it a day?"

When Sun Wukong was learning Taoism from Patriarch Bodhi, he learned a great deal about Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Seven years to lay the foundation, three years to learn martial arts and cultivate Taoism.

To say that he lacks knowledge is to underestimate Sun Wukong.

The monkey nodded hurriedly, knowing that if the debate continued, his master's resolve to seek Buddha might be shaken.

While we are still in a weaker position, let's interrupt this debate to avoid offending the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Li Jingxiao probably understood at this point why Zhu Bajie insisted on using a rake.

Rake down and kill all five tree demons of Thorn Ridge, along with the Apricot Fairy's true form.

Unable to win an argument with five tree spirits, they simply resorted to violence and killed them without any regard for reason.

To avoid the matter getting out and causing Lingshan to lose face.

In reality, there were quite a few gods and Buddhas in heaven protecting Tang Sanzang.

The day and night wandering gods and the six Ding and six Jia are all people of the Heavenly Court, so it is impossible for them not to report to the Jade Emperor.

Since they couldn't keep it a secret, they still killed five tree spirits and an apricot fairy.

To put it bluntly, it's telling the Three Realms that it doesn't matter if you can't win an argument; as long as you have the might to back you up, that's the truth.

So Li Jingxiao simply used the transformation technique taught by Sun Wukong to create illusions of five tree demons near the Muxian Temple.

Then he winked at Pigsy, who immediately understood and nodded.

Together with Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing, they thought to themselves that Li Jingxiao was expressing his gratitude to the Bodhisattva.

We've saved face for Lingshan.

Tang Sanzang was frowning, pondering how to refute the tree demon's words, when he suddenly heard Sun Wukong's voice.

He was immediately overjoyed and responded loudly.

"Wukong, Wukong, your master is here."

Upon seeing this, the five tree spirits disappeared into the surrounding woods without uttering a word.

When Pigsy used his rake to rake away the five illusions, Tang Sanzang complained that Pigsy shouldn't have been so ruthless.

He also claimed that he had merely exchanged poems and discussed scriptures and mysteries with five immortals.

Since we didn't intend to harm him, there was really no need to take the lives of these immortals.

Pigsy ignored Tang Sanzang's words, saying that leaving these tree demons would surely bring disaster to the region in the future.

Tang Sanzang had no choice but to mount the white dragon horse and, sighing, continue westward with his three disciples.

After the pilgrimage team had gone far away, the five tree demons revealed their true forms and went up the high cliff.

They knelt down before Li Jingxiao, shouting, "Thank you, Master, for protecting our lives!" The five tree demons then realized that if it weren't for Li Jingxiao's protection, they would have been in serious trouble when they debated with Tang Sanzang earlier.

He was speechless, having already lost face for Lingshan.

Li Jingxiao waved his hand, but in his heart he was thinking that beyond Thorn Ridge was the Yellow-Eyebrowed Monster of Little Thunderclap Temple.

This demon is incredibly powerful.

Not only is he exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but he also possesses three treasures.

One is a mallet for striking a chime, and the other is a gong.

The last one is called the human seed bag.

No matter how many people there are, this bag can hold them all.

Laozi's Vajra Bracelet can only be used to capture weapons and magical treasures, not people.

The Human Race Bag can hold people, weapons, and magical treasures all at once.

Fortunately, while the human race is powerful, it is not invincible.

If you're fast enough, you can still dodge it.

After Sun Wukong was captured for the first time, he escaped.

They were never caught by human scavengers again.

As long as Li Jingxiao thought about how Maitreya Buddha was the Buddha who came from the East, that is, the Buddha of the future, he was unwilling to get involved in this matter.

After thinking it over, he stayed in the Thorn Ridge for half a month before telling Baihuaxiu, Xingxian, and Princess Wansheng that he had to return to the Tushita Palace.

After completing the monthly alchemy task assigned by Laozi, I also took the opportunity to consult with him on cultivation issues.

Upon hearing this, the three women no longer dared to stop him from leaving.

Li Jingxiao escorted Baihuaxiu back to Boyue Cave.

However, he didn't actually go to the Tushita Palace. Instead, he went to Peacock Mountain and spent a few more days with the Peacock Princess.

Only then did they return to Heaven.

Just as they entered the Western Heavenly Gate, they saw the Turtle and Snake Generals emerge from the Heavenly Palace.

Upon seeing an acquaintance, Li Jingxiao quickly stepped forward to greet him.

After some casual conversation, I learned that the two of them were acting on the orders of the True Martial Ancestor.

They descended to earth to capture the water monkeys that were causing havoc among humans.

If Li Jingxiao hadn't needed to return to the Tushita Palace, he might have followed the two to watch the excitement.

Now I can only wish the tortoise and snake generals a safe journey, and then I bid farewell and went to the Tushita Palace.

But after Li Jingxiao left, the two generals, Turtle and Snake, exchanged a glance and said helplessly, "Isn't this kid the one who can't stand demons causing evil in the world?"

A few days later, the two returned to Heaven.

The mission was not completed, and the True Martial Emperor did not punish the two.

Instead, he said that Li Jingxiao had to refine two batches of at least 10 fifth-grade golden pills every month at the Doushuai Palace.

The two generals, Turtle and Snake, finally understood why Li Jingxiao hadn't gone with them to capture the water monkey a few days ago.

The two originally wanted to go directly to Li Jingxiao for help, but that required the approval of the True Martial Emperor.

The True Martial Emperor thought for a moment, then closed his eyes, remained silent, and began to meditate.

The two generals, Turtle and Snake, immediately understood their boss's meaning.

The True Martial Emperor didn't intend to harm Li Jingxiao, but there were some things that it was indeed inappropriate for them, as big shots, to get involved in.

Just like the Green Ox Demon of Jindu Mountain, who was Laozi's mount.

Sun Wukong wouldn't seek out figures like Taiyi Tianzun or Zhenwu Dadi to subdue him.

Since they are of different generations, Laozi either descended to the mortal realm himself to capture the Green Ox and bring it back to the Tushita Palace.

Either send Li Jingxiao, who has received Laozi's favor, or...
-
Li Jingxiao was in the alchemy room of the Tushita Palace, chatting with Jinjiao, Yinjiao, and Kui Mulang by the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Although Laozi agreed to let Li Jingxiao use the Eight Trigrams Furnace, he imposed very strict time restrictions.

After all, Laozi himself also needed to refine the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir to present to the Jade Emperor.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao's task of refining five-stage golden pills every month is not something he can do whenever he wants, as he can use the Eight Trigrams Furnace anytime, anywhere.

If it just so happens that Laozi is about to refine the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, Li Jingxiao will have to use a different alchemy furnace.

But those alchemy furnaces are definitely not as good as Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Of course, if the alchemy furnace used by Laozi were to fall into the mortal world, it would definitely be a divine artifact.

But Li Jingxiao didn't want any of them.

The reason is simple: there is also a pill furnace in the alchemy room in the game.

In Li Jingxiao's eyes, the efficiency of alchemy was even better than Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace.

One can easily refine a dozen or even dozens of fifth-level golden pills.

It's the genuine version, a full-effect Golden Elixir that grants +500 lifespan.

Li Jingxiao chatted with Jinjiao, Yinjiao, and Kui Mulang for half an hour, and it was almost time to finish refining this batch of golden pills.

The four then began to stare at the fire in the alchemy furnace.

After the furnace was extinguished and then reopened, seven fifth-stage golden pills lay quietly inside.

Golden Horn, Silver Horn, and Kui Mulang couldn't help but smile with delight.

Although Laozi assigned the three of them to assist Li Jingxiao, the young master of the Tushita Palace.

But if Li Jingxiao had any sense of propriety, he wouldn't have let the three of them help him for nothing.

It was agreed beforehand that each batch would be limited to five golden pills.

The extra money all went to their compensation.

After all, Laozi said that only 10 five-stage golden pills are needed per month.

Li Jingxiao himself had no interest in deliberately refining a 'second-rate' elixir.

But in the eyes of Golden Horn, Silver Horn, and Kui Mulang, anything that can increase lifespan is a treasure.

Although the big shots look down on him, even Kui Mulang had actually eaten a peach of immortality that was six thousand years old, and had long since achieved immortality.

However, the need to extend lifespan remains strong among the lower and middle levels of Heaven, as well as among the cultivators, wandering immortals, and earth immortals in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Resource exchange can always yield the good things you want.

Moreover, this batch of seven pills is actually from the second batch.

The first batch had 6 pieces, this time it has 7.

One of the Golden Horned Beasts, one of the Silver Horned Beasts, and one of the Kui Mulang each received a fifth-level Golden Pill.

The three guys were naturally quite happy, after all, this was much better than 'working for free'.

Jinjiao happily used Li Jingxiao's purple-gold gourd to fill it with 5 golden pills.

Of the remaining two, he threw one to Kui Mulang.

Li Jingxiao then took out over a hundred jars of Immortal's Intoxication and looked at Golden Horn and Silver Horn, saying, "Get me 10 Pure Yang Qilin Fruits."

The Jin brothers nodded without hesitation. As long as the money was right, they could indeed get Li Jingxiao a lot of things he wanted.

Kui Mulang looked at Jinjiao and Yinjiao with some envy.

Although he was one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations of Heaven, his official status and rank were far higher than those of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn constellations.

In reality, these two were Laozi's attendants, and they usually accompanied Laozi in refining the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

Just based on their identities alone, Golden Horn and Silver Horn were destined to have a network of connections and influence that were countless times greater than Kui Mulang's.

Moreover, although the two brothers were sometimes foolish, it was precisely because they didn't have much brains that Laozi liked them the most.

Even the purple-gold gourd and various golden pills were under the management of the two brothers.

After watching Golden Horn and Silver Horn happily take Immortal's Drunkenness out to find the Qilin Pure Yang Fruit.

Li Jingxiao dragged Kui Mulang to find the Green Ox Demon for a drink.

Unexpectedly, when Golden Horn and Silver Horn returned, they brought the Turtle and Snake Generals with them.

Li Jingxiao was surprised to hear that the two of them had failed to subdue the evil water monkey.

However, regarding the two people asking for his help, he decided to give them his advice because they had personally shared the True Martial Emperor's insights on swordsmanship with him.

She agreed immediately.

(End of this chapter)