I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Ning Chen cupped his hands and asked the land deity.

"Land God, do you know the origin of the mountain spirits?"

The old man looked up at Ning Chen, a look of doubt in his eyes.

"May I ask who you are? What is your name?"

Before Ning Chen could speak, Nezha slammed his Fire-Tipped Spear down hard, startling the local earth god.

"This is my sworn brother, speak your mind! If you keep hiding anything, I, the Crown Prince, will burn your old bones!"

The old man was so frightened that he trembled all over and repeatedly bowed in submission.

"This old man knows his mistake, please forgive me, Third Prince!"

The difference in rank between him and Nezha was as vast as the difference between a street director and a deputy commander of a military region.

Nezha's anger terrified him so much that he almost lost his soul.

Ning Chen reached out and pressed down lightly, signaling Nezha to calm down.

He crouched down, his gaze level with that of the hunched old man.

"Old man, do not be afraid. Tell me in detail the origins of these mountain demons. What kind of monsters are they? And how did they suddenly become so powerful?"

Tu Di wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his withered fingers trembling as he pointed into the depths of the poisonous fog.

"My lord, the scorpion demon and snake demon in that poisonous cave were originally powerful demons who had roamed this place for ten thousand years! The two demons were inherently cruel, wreaking havoc on the area, causing widespread suffering and leaving countless bones scattered for miles around. Later, a celestial being, seeing this tragedy, used his Golden Thunder Gourd to transform into a thousand-foot-tall divine mountain to suppress the two demons, saying that he would refine them for ten thousand years. The day they were to perish, body and soul, at midnight on the winter solstice this year, had passed for nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years. But for some reason, these two demons suddenly escaped..."

Nezha suddenly chuckled.

"Ten thousand years of cultivation? I thought that meant some extraordinary background! Which of the gods in Heaven doesn't have ten thousand or even a hundred thousand years of cultivation?"

The old man of the land responded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, compared to you, Third Prince, these two demons are like the light of fireflies, how dare they compete with the sun and moon!"

Ning Chen, who was listening from the side, was deeply hurt.

He originally thought that with his thousand years of cultivation, he should have some strength.

Unexpectedly, both the scorpion demon and the snake demon in Beiju Luzhou possessed ten thousand years of cultivation!

Nezha and the other celestial beings in Heaven have cultivation levels measured in tens of thousands. Does that mean I only have 0.1 years of cultivation?

Damn it, all that hard work cultivating for a thousand years has only resulted in mere demon level!

The Journey to the West world is too exciting, I want to watch The Legend of the White Snake or A Chinese Ghost Story.

What about the White Snake Lady, the Lanruo Temple, and the Black Wind Demon? These monsters have a thousand years of cultivation, making them the pinnacle of combat power!

Xiaoqing, a snake demon, only has five hundred years of cultivation, making her incomparable to the Golden Snake Demon...

Noticing Ning Chen's unusual expression, Nezha realized that this Brother Ning was probably not very skilled. He quickly paused his Fire-Tipped Spear and said in a deep voice.

"Enough with the chit-chat, get to the point!"

The land deity hurriedly prostrated himself and kowtowed.

"Very well, several years ago, the two demons suddenly broke free for some unknown reason! Their strength increased dramatically afterward, and even the heavenly soldiers and generals sent by the Heavenly Court couldn't subdue them!"

A look of understanding flashed in Ning Chen's eyes. The reason why the two demons' strength had increased so much was probably because the seven gourd brothers born from the Golden Thunder Gourd seeds had been refined into the Seven Star Pill by the two demons.

The landowner bowed respectfully.

"That's all I know, old man. After all, this is the territory of the mountain god, and it's already quite remarkable that I know this much..."

Nezha snorted coldly.

"Where is the mountain god? I called him over, but he's nowhere to be found!"

The old man from the land smiled bitterly.

"These two demons have greatly increased their strength and have captured that mountain god to serve as his slave... It's not that he refuses to come, but he probably won't be able to."

He wiped his sweat, still shaken.

"If it weren't for my cleverness in hiding, I would probably be working like a slave in that demon's cave right now."

Ning Chen nodded and said in a deep voice.

"Old man, do you know how to enter this demon's cave, or if there's a way to avoid the poisonous fog?"

The old man whispered.

"This old man doesn't know, but I heard from the nearby monsters that the Scorpion King and the Golden Snake Demon are preparing to hold some kind of Seven Star Pill Gathering soon, at which time the poisonous fog might dissipate..."

Ning Chen knew that these demons were used to being poor, and when they got some good fortune, they couldn't help but show it off in front of other demons.

As the saying goes, wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown are like wearing brocade at night; who will know of it?

Seeing that he couldn't get any other information, Ning Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for your hard work, Earth God. Go on with your work!"

The land deity bowed deeply.

"No, no, please. Just call me Old Man Earth. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call me..."

Then the old man spun around three times before turning into a wisp of white smoke and disappearing.

"Is this poisonous fog really that dangerous?"

Nezha refused to believe in evil spirits and stretched out his arm toward the black and green poisonous mist in front of him. Even his lotus incarnation made a hissing sound and emitted puffs of white smoke.

He pulled his arm back, and small pits appeared on his once smooth arm, but they disappeared within a few breaths.

Nezha frowned slightly.

"What a potent poisonous mist! Even my lotus-shaped golden body can't fight within it for long. If I were to be bewitched by that illusion, I would inevitably suffer a severe blow to my vital energy, and might even lose my life..."

Nezha suddenly looked at Ning Chen.

"Brother Ning, you must have foreseen this situation, right? Back at Louguantai, you mentioned seven little children with gourds on their heads, which strangely matches the story of the Golden Thunder Gourd..."

Ning Chen nodded.

"Now is not the time to dwell on this. The poisonous mist can corrode an immortal's body, but it may not withstand a fire attack. Brother Zha, try burning it with your Samadhi True Fire!"

Nezha obeyed, inserting his Fire-Tipped Spear into the poisonous mist and roaring angrily.

"Come!"

The fire-tipped spear spewed forth raging flames, completely igniting the poisonous fog that stretched for dozens of miles, but these flames were quickly extinguished by a sudden surge of poisonous water.

"No, the opponent is an expert in water magic!"

Hmm, is it Shuiwa's ability?

Ning Chen nodded secretly, having a general idea of ​​the abilities of the scorpion demon and the snake demon.

He said to Nezha.

"Brother Zha, why don't we wait a few days until the Seven Star Pill Gathering? After we've transformed, we can blend in and investigate before making any further plans!"

"Nezha is both highly skilled and daring," he said in a deep voice.

"I'll leave everything to Brother Ning's arrangements!"

.........

Ning Chen and Nezha returned to the camp, and Nezha went to rest.

Ning Chen then went alone to a nearby mountain peak. It was early morning, and a full moon hung high in the sky, its light pouring down on the mountain forest like water.

Ning Chen sat cross-legged and quietly cultivated, waiting for the sunrise to gather a wisp of purple energy from heaven and earth.

Suddenly, they heard someone on the cliffside, clapping and singing.

Ning Chen looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in white leaning against a blue stone. He raised his wine pot to the moon and recited aloud:

"Chang'e must regret stealing the elixir; her heart aches night after night for the vast blue sea and sky. Oh, fairy, why must you suffer alone in your cold palace? Why not drink with me!"

The man's voice was deep and resonant, tinged with the effects of alcohol.

Ning Chen looked closely and realized it was Marshal Tianpeng, whom he had seen during the day. Now, he had taken off his golden chainmail and was wearing a light robe with his hair down. He was completely different from the imposing figure he had been in the camp during the day, and looked more like a down-on-his-luck scholar drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

Marshal Tianpeng also caught a glimpse of Ning Chen. He squinted his drunken eyes and shook the wine pot indifferently.

"The moonlight is just right, Fellow Daoist Ning, would you like to join me for a drink?"

Ning Chen hesitated for a moment, then finally sat down.

During the day, Marshal Tianpeng was arrogant and domineering, but now that he had drunk too much, he became a bit more approachable.