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Chapter 189 Seventy-two Changes
Inside the Moyun Cave on Mount Jilei, the air was filled with the fragrance of warm jade. The Bull Demon King was embracing the Jade-Faced Princess, coaxing her with gentle words.

"My darling, it's been two years since I last saw Princess Iron Fan..."

The Bull Demon King gently stroked Princess Jade Face's smooth shoulders and arms with his fingers, his voice deep and magnetic.

Princess Jade Face pouted her red lips slightly, "Hmph, you say two years and it's two years? You tell me you haven't seen me, but you haven't been here at Moyun Cave much these past two years. Who knows if you've been secretly going there?"

"Oh, my beauty!" the Bull Demon King immediately cried out, swearing to the heavens.
"Heaven and earth bear witness, my heart is now entirely with you in the Moyun Cave of Jilei Mountain. But as you know, I, Old Niu, still have some social obligations..."

The voice has not fallen,

A deafening roar shook the entire cavern. The jeweled light from the jade dome flickered wildly, and the nectar in the crystal goblets spilled out.

"Ah!" Princess Jade Face was so frightened that her face turned pale. She screamed and shrank into the Bull Demon King's arms.

"Which ignorant beast dares to run wild in my Jilei Mountain!"

The Bull Demon King roared like thunder, his voice booming. He shoved the Jade-Faced Princess away from his arms, not bothering to comfort the frightened beauty, and rushed to the cave entrance in a few steps.

Outside the cave, smoke and dust filled the open space. The towering figure of the Yellow Wind Monster appeared amidst the swirling dust.

"Yellow Wind!" The Bull Demon King was even more enraged when he saw who it was.
"Are you tired of living? I, Old Niu, just treated you to a good meal and wine in the cave, and you come here to bang on my door as soon as you leave? Don't you want to live?!"

The Yellow Wind Monster was fearless, meeting the Bull Demon King's fiery gaze head-on.

"Bull Demon King, how dare you ask me that? I came here out of kindness to ask you to join forces against that deputy commander of the Heavenly Court. This is to help your Bull family out of a predicament. I borrowed the Banana Leaf Fan because I needed it urgently, and I will return it to you immediately after I'm done. I will never embezzle it. But what have you done?"

He pointed in the direction of the cave, his tone filled with disappointment and anger.
"That fox spirit stirred things up a little, and you chickened out, saying you wanted me to go and discuss it properly with Princess Iron Fan? You know that woman's temper better than I do. That fan is her lifeblood. Without your permission, Bull Demon King, would she give it to me? You're clearly just making excuses and playing me for fools."

The Yellow Wind Monster grew angrier and angrier as he spoke.
"You, the mighty Bull Demon King, always hide from trouble, only wanting to enjoy yourself in your fox den, leaving me to run into that old hag Iron Fan's wrath alone? I, Old Huang, came to you because I saw you were in trouble and genuinely wanted to help you! And what do you do..."

Yellow Wind Monster pointed at you and Bull Demon King with his finger and said nothing more.

"Bullshit, you yellow wind monster!"

The Bull Demon King sneered, "Who are you to tell me what to do? I've told you, go find Princess Iron Fan about this."

Upon hearing the Bull Demon King's words, the Yellow Wind Monster no longer tried to hide anything.

"I came here today because I genuinely want to help you, not to take advantage of you. I'll fight for you, and I'll return the fan when I'm done."

"You old bull, you're a bit ungrateful, Mighty Bull Demon King. Since you're like this now, don't blame me for being impolite. Now that I've left Yellow Wind Ridge, I can go anywhere. I hope you'll keep a close eye on your own territory."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yellow Wind Demon glared fiercely at the Bull Demon King and said no more. With a flicker, he vanished into the distant horizon.

The Bull Demon King, having been threatened, naturally flew into a rage.

"Huang Feng, you've gone too far! Don't run away if you dare!"

The Bull Demon King cursed loudly at the sky, jumping up and down in anger. He really wanted to chase after it immediately and vent his anger. But after taking a step, he suddenly stopped.

He remembered the banquet invitation from the Myriad Saints Dragon King's Azure Wave Pool and immediately summoned the Water-Avoiding Golden Crystal Beast.

"Let's go to Bibo Pool!"

He didn't even glance back at the still-terrified Princess Jade Face inside the cave before striding away.

Princess Jade Face stood alone in the center of the luxurious yet cold cave, feeling a pang of unease. The warmth she had just felt from being coaxed had now turned into a deep sense of resentment and bitterness.

She dressed up carefully and flattered others cautiously, but she couldn't withstand the cursing of a brute, nor could she withstand the stench of money at a banquet.

"Heh." Princess Jade Face gave a cold laugh that was more like a grimace, then turned and went back into the inner chamber. The cave was still incredibly luxurious, but it was so empty it was chilling.

She sat there for a long time, feeling increasingly frustrated and restless. So she took two personal maids with her, rode a fragrant breeze, and left Moyun Cave, intending to go to the clear spring behind the mountain to clear her mind.

A clear spring gurgled behind the mountain, shrouded in mist. Princess Jade Face sat on a smooth stream stone, her jade hand supporting her chin, gazing blankly at the flowing water, her worries barely abated. Just then, a deliberately hushed yet still clear murmur of conversation drifted down from the stream downstream.

"Have you heard? Our King, tsk tsk, he's got a deep mind." A little demon's voice carried a hint of mystery.

"What's wrong? The King treats the Jade-Faced Lady so well, giving her whatever she wants." Another little demon chimed in, but her tone was a bit hesitant.

"Good? That means Your Majesty has money!" the first little demon scoffed.
“You’re new here, so you don’t know. But I heard from the old demon of Jilei Mountain that the Great King has been secretly transporting things to Cuiyun Mountain recently. There are several large boxes, made of gold-plated sandalwood, and they’re very heavy. They must be full of good stuff.”

"No way? Isn't the King with Princess Iron Fan..."

"You know nothing!" The little demon's voice was even lower, yet clearer. "This is called hedging! The Empress has mountains of gold and silver, but can she live off them forever? Princess Iron Fan, on the other hand, is the original wife..."

These words struck Princess Jade Face like a bolt from the blue. She felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her blood ran cold. She stood up abruptly.

"Who, who's spouting nonsense here? Get out here!"

Princess Jade Face's voice was shrill and piercing, completely changed.

But when she heard a rustling sound in the grass by the stream, she went over and found no one there.

Princess Jade Face stood by the stream, her chest heaving violently. Ignoring the strangeness of the situation, the voice she had just heard kept echoing in her mind.

The thought of the Bull Demon King transferring his assets to Princess Iron Fan gnawed at her mind.

No, we must find out. We need to find the local earth god. He controls the earth's veins and cannot be completely unaware of any disturbances, especially those caused by the Bull Demon King.

She immediately gave an order to the maid beside her, who was also pale with fright.
"Go, immediately summon the local earth god of Jilei Mountain. Tell him that this princess has important matters to discuss and will reward him handsomely!"

The maidservant dared not delay and hurried away. The Jade-Faced Fox, on the other hand, went straight back to the Cloud-Piercing Cave.

Before long, a short, old man with white hair and beard, wearing an earth-yellow robe and leaning on a rattan cane, was led by a maid and tremblingly approached Princess Jade Face. He was none other than the local earth god of Jilei Mountain.

"This humble deity... pays respects to the Jade-Faced Goddess."

The Earth God bowed deeply, sweat beading on his forehead, his heart filled with unease. Even though he was the Earth God and the person opposite him was merely a monster, he still treated him with utmost respect.

Princess Jade Face suppressed her anger, forcing a reasonably kind smile as she gracefully removed a shimmering pearl bracelet from her wrist and handed it over.

"Thank you for your hard work, Earth God. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

The Earth God stared wide-eyed at the priceless pearl, but then waved his hands in fear.

"No, no, Your Majesty, please give me your orders. I will do my best and dare not accept such a generous gift!"

Even so, his gaze remained fixed on the beads.

Princess Jade Face's smile remained unchanged, but her tone carried an unyielding coldness.

"I will accept it. I just wanted to ask if my king has been doing anything unusual at Mount Jilei lately? For example, has he been transporting any valuables out?"

The Earth God's hand trembled violently as he took the pearl, his face turned deathly pale, and his eyes darted away.

"Well, well... how could I presume to speculate on His Majesty's actions? Nothing... nothing special..."

Even a fool could see something was wrong with that reaction.

The smile on Princess Jade Face vanished instantly, her eyes turned sharp as ice blades, and her voice became as cold as a deep, dark spring.
"Earth God, it seems you think this pearl isn't heavy enough? Or... do you think I, Princess Jade Face, am easy to fool?"

She stepped forward, an invisible demonic aura pressing down on the Earth God. Her red lips parted slightly, and the words she uttered sent the Earth God's soul scattering in terror.
"If you don't tell the truth today, I'll lock you up in this Cloud-Piercing Cave and tell everyone that you shameless old woman were trying to take advantage of me. Guess how the Heavenly Court will deal with you when they find out? Guess how the Bull Demon King will treat you when he returns? Anyway, if you had nothing to do, why would you be in my cave?"

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!" The Earth God was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He collapsed to his knees with a thud, abandoning the pearl, and kowtowed repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down his face. "This humble god will tell you everything! It is...it is true."

He was completely overwhelmed by this deadly threat and blurted out what he had said in a rush.
"Yes, some things were sent away, several large boxes, but I don't know where they were sent."

The Earth God's words were like a final, heavy blow, shattering all of Princess Jade Face's wishful thinking and forced pride.

The Bull Demon King really is transferring his assets; he really is giving away the good stuff to that damned Princess Iron Fan!

That damned Princess Iron Fan!
Princess Jade Face stood frozen in place, her face ashen white, her body swaying as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant. Her meticulously made-up face lost all its luster in an instant.

……

At the banquet hosted by the Dragon King of the Jade Wave Pool, the Bull Demon King toasted and drank, his face glowing. The Dragon Palace was filled with dazzling treasures, and fine wines and delicacies were served in a continuous stream, with flattery and praise filling the air.

He felt elated, having long forgotten his slight displeasure at Jilei Mountain, and was now preoccupied with how to consolidate his power and reap more benefits. In the midst of his drunken revelry, he boldly agreed to several collaborations.

After the banquet, the Bull Demon King, slightly drunk, walked out of the Crystal Palace of the Azure Wave Pool, satisfied. He was about to summon the Water-Avoiding Golden Crystal Beast to return home when his gaze swept over the place where his mount usually rested, but it was empty.

The Bull Demon King's smile froze instantly, and he sobered up considerably. His heart tightened, and he demanded sharply, "Where is my Water-Avoiding Golden Crystal Beast? Has anyone seen my mount?"

A fish-spirit guard standing guard nearby stepped forward tremblingly to reply.
"Your Majesty, I saw you riding it yourself, heading northeast."

"Nonsense!" The Bull Demon King roared in fury, grabbing the fish demon by the collar, his copper-bell-like eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
"When did I ever ride out like this? Look closely, is it really me?"

The fish spirit was so frightened that its soul almost left its body, and it stammered,

“It’s absolutely true, Your Majesty! I saw it clearly, it was you… your clothes, appearance, and build were exactly the same, you were riding the Golden-Eyed Beast, and you were traveling very fast, heading straight to the northeast…”

"The Northeast?" The Bull Demon King frowned, his face instantly turning extremely ugly.

To the northeast… lies Mount Cuiyun! He abruptly released the fish spirit, ignoring his reprimand, and transformed into a streak of black light, carrying boundless fury, speeding northeastward like lightning. His violent momentum parted the water, leaving a long white wave in its wake.

……

From the nearby reeds, the Yellow Wind Monster and Chen Guangrui appeared. Looking in the direction where the Bull Demon King had disappeared, the Yellow Wind Monster clicked his tongue, his gruff voice tinged with admiration.
“Brother Chen, your trick really worked. That old ox is indeed in a hurry, and judging from the direction it’s heading, it’s heading towards Cuiyun Mountain.”

Chen Guangrui remained calm, his gaze fixed on the direction of Moyun Cave on Jilei Mountain.
"He wasn't worried about the mount; he was worried that he had ridden it away. Now, it's time to go to Moyun Cave to add the last bit of fire."

"Okay!" came a deliberately gruff voice from the side, but one that couldn't hide its childishness.

Tang Sheng had already transformed into the Bull Demon King, even his imposing armor was perfectly lifelike.

He was currently riding proudly on the Water-Avoiding Golden Crystal Beast, his small body ramrod straight. He stroked his non-existent beard, imitating the Bull Demon King, and thought about the Jade-Faced Princess's face.

"This is great, this is great, watch this!"

……

Meanwhile, at Leopard Head Mountain.

Dust billowed and banners fluttered. The colossal body of the Giant Spirit God stood like a mountain, holding the Yellow Lion Demon, who was bound by ropes and had revealed his true form, in one hand, as if he were carrying a listless, sick cat.

He surveyed the ravaged lair of the lesser demons, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the rocks, "Hahaha! Mere lesser demons, utterly defeated! Heavenly King, your humble general has lived up to your mission, a resounding victory in the first battle!"

His face was full of smugness as he slammed the Yellow Lion Demon heavily in front of Li Jing's horse.

Nezha, holding his Fire-Tipped Spear, leaned against a boulder, looking at the Giant Spirit God's ugly face, then at the powerless Yellow Lion Demon on the ground. He let out a barely audible snort from his small nose, turned his head away, and thought, "What's so great about a useless monster?"

Li Jing sat atop his magnificent celestial steed, holding a pagoda in his hand, his imposing gaze sweeping across the battlefield. The heavenly soldiers and generals were methodically clearing away the remnants and collecting spoils. His brow furrowed slightly, a growing sense of unease creeping into his heart.
This yellow lion demon has been entrenched at the foot of Mount Ling for many years, and should be no easy opponent. How could it be so easily defeated today? Why did Chen Guangrui vehemently oppose the conquest of this place in the first place?

As he pondered, an indescribable, terrifying pressure descended without warning. The sky suddenly darkened, as if the once clear sky had been soaked in thick ink.

The 100,000 celestial soldiers and generals were well-trained and formed a formidable battle formation almost the instant Li Jing raised his hand. Swords and spears were like a forest, shields were like a wall, and celestial light and precious energy soared into the sky, forming a huge defensive light curtain.

However, this imposing and imposing presence seemed so insignificant in the face of the nine enormous lion heads that suddenly appeared.

The lion's head was as large as a mountain, its mane was as tangled as an ancient vine, and its eyes were cold and indifferent, like nine cold suns hanging in the sky, looking down at the ant-like army below.

"What kind of monster are you! How dare you..." Li Jing shouted before he could finish.

At that very moment, all the generals present, from Li Jing himself, the vanguard Giant Spirit God, to the indignant Nezha, and the several trusted generals surrounding Li Jing, all sensed the danger and took action. They instinctively unleashed their strongest protective spells or offensive techniques in an attempt to resist or counterattack this unknown and terrifying existence.

The pagoda in Li Jing's palm shone brightly, and the exquisite pagoda spun rapidly, attempting to freeze space and protect the central army.

The giant spirit roared like thunder, and its huge Xuanhua axe, carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, slashed fiercely at the nearest lion's head, attempting to cut through this ferocious creature that blotted out the sky.

Nezha's Wind-Fire Wheels blazed fiercely beneath his feet, and his Fire-Tipped Spear transformed into a dazzling crimson streak, shooting towards the cold lion's eyes like an arrow released from a bow.

The other generals also unleashed their magical treasures, either activating their immortal swords or condensing magical shields. Various colored lights instantly lit up above the military formation, converging into a powerful force of resistance.

However, faced with this concentrated counterattack that was enough to shatter the soul of an ordinary demon king, the nine enormous lion heads showed only cold indifference.

They didn't even make any dodging or defensive moves.

"Roar!"

The nine enormous mouths opened simultaneously, without a deafening roar, only a deep, grand, and seemingly primordial howl. This lion's roar did not affect the eardrums, but directly resonated deep within the souls of every heavenly soldier and general.

The seemingly indestructible defensive light barrier, formed from the magical power of 100,000 heavenly soldiers, shattered like glass under the shock of this invisible lion's roar, instantly dissipating into nothingness.

The axe light unleashed by the giant spirit was silently annihilated by the lion's roar. His massive body was struck as if by a heavy hammer, and he groaned as he spat out blood and flew backward.

The light of Nezha's Fire-Tipped Spear, which had been imbued with all his magical power, was completely extinguished the moment it touched the sound waves of the lion's roar. The spear flew back with a mournful cry, and Nezha himself was also shaken, causing his blood to surge. His figure, which was standing on the Wind-Fire Wheels, swayed violently and almost fell from the sky.

The light from Li Jing's exquisite pagoda fluctuated violently, emitting a hum that seemed unable to bear the strain. Li Jing himself turned pale and felt a sweet taste in his throat.

The magical swords and artifacts unleashed by the other generals were like mud oxen entering the sea; they lost all their luster and fell to the ground without even causing a ripple. Their magical shields crumbled at the slightest touch, like bubbles.

The entire Leopard Head Mountain battlefield, with its formidable battle formation of 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, was utterly routed by the roar of the nine lion heads.

The celestial soldiers in the front ranks, wielding shields, were sent flying like leaves in the wind, spitting blood. The warhorses in the center neighed in terror, rearing up and throwing the celestial generals on their backs to the ground. The archers in the rear ranks could barely hold their bows, clutching their heads and writhing in agony.

All the heavenly generals' attacks seemed so pale and powerless before absolute power, utterly ineffective. Only the lion's roar echoed between heaven and earth, carrying the will to crush everything.

Li Jing held on tightly to the trembling, dimly lit Linglong Pagoda, his eyes filled with unprecedented fear and despair.

They were thoroughly beaten up. From the beginning until now, the nine lion heads only roared once, and his heavenly soldiers and generals didn't even have a chance to resist before being wiped out like dry leaves.

He had no idea who this nine-headed giant lion was!
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Li Jing's voice trembled slightly. He no longer cared about his ambition to wipe out Leopard Head Mountain, nor about the captured Yellow Lion Demon. He only wanted to lead as many remaining soldiers as possible to escape from this place.

The 100,000 heavenly soldiers, who had arrived with overwhelming momentum, were now fleeing in disarray, their armor and weapons discarded, heading back towards the Heavenly Court in utter disarray. The Giant Spirit God, his face ashen, dragged his wounded body among the chaotic army.

Nezha, riding on his Wind Fire Wheels, barely managed to steady himself. He looked back at the nine enormous lion heads that blotted out the sun and thought to himself that Chen Guangrui must have known what was here all along.

We're brothers, you should at least have told me so I could have run away beforehand and then come back to see what Li Jing was up to.

He began to resent Chen Guangrui, and at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder...

Whose nine lion heads are they?

(End of this chapter)