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

He was both shocked and furious, and frantically thrashed his tail as he lunged into the deep water.

Teacher Luo felt an overwhelming force coming from the other end of the fishing rod. His hands went numb, his feet slipped, and he staggered forward, almost being dragged into the water!

"Teacher Luo!"

Tang Hao, Chen Feng, Zhou Tao, and other Divine Realm cultivators cried out in alarm and rushed forward. Some hugged Teacher Luo's waist, some grabbed his arm, and some bent down to grab the fishing rod.

Zhu Ganglie, Sha Wujing, and Ao Lie also flew over, each using their supernatural powers to press down the fishing rod with all their might.

The King of Inspiration leaped and bounded underwater, using every trick in the book, sometimes diving deep, sometimes tumbling wildly, and sometimes accelerating and charging sideways.

The crowd was pulled and thrown about, scattered and disorganized.

Under the moonlight, one could see water splashing everywhere on the 800-mile-long Tongtian River, with waves rising and falling, as if a dragon was churning the sea beneath the surface.

Teacher Luo gritted her teeth and roared angrily.

"Hold on tight! You damn dead fish, I'll get you ashore today!"

Pigsy bared his tusks, shoved his nine-toothed rake into the ground, gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands, and said in a deep voice.

"This fish is incredibly strong. Even when I was releasing fish into the Milky Way back in the day, I'd never seen one fight so fiercely!"

Ao Lie's face was ashen, one hand resting on the fishing rod. A cold current swirled between his fingers, and a thin layer of ice gradually rose on the water's surface, as if to freeze the demon's range of movement underwater.

Sha Wujing remained silent, but held the Demon-Subduing Staff horizontally in front of him, using it as a pillar to desperately brace against the staff with his body.

Old Sha thought to himself, "I'm sorry, Brother Fish, you're eating too well. I'm jealous!"

This went on for two or three hours.

The moon gradually climbs from the eastern sky to its zenith, and then slowly sets in the west.

People on the shore took turns, one group after another.

The King of Inspiration initially struggled fiercely, but gradually weakened, his struggles diminished, and he was eventually dragged little by little toward the shore.

As dawn broke and the eastern sky began to lighten, a loud splash was heard, and a golden figure was pulled out of the water by the combined efforts of the group and slammed heavily onto the shallow beach on the shore.

The Great King of Inspiration revealed its true form: its golden scales were dull and lifeless, its eyes blinked on their own, its cheeks twitched weakly, and its tail slapped twice in the mud before drooping limply.

Even in this dire situation, he still held the bait tightly in his mouth, chewing it greedily, refusing to let go.

Ning Chen watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, sighing in his heart.

"The fishing skills of fishermen are truly ruthless. People die for money, and fish die for food. The ancients were right."

Everyone had drawn their weapons, and Pigsy raised his nine-toothed rake high, grinning maliciously.

"You filthy fish spirit, you've finally fallen into your grandpa's hands! I'll make you into fish head stew!"

Sha Wujing snorted coldly, his demon-subduing staff gleaming with a dark light. "What kind of level is this? Daring to eat young boys and girls? Back in my day, I only ate some middle-aged men..."

Ao Lie's spear flashed with cold light, aimed at the heart of the goldfish.

Amidst the sneers of the crowd, just as they were about to step forward and finish off this demon on the spot, a loud Buddhist chant suddenly rang out from the sky.

"Amitabha!"

"Please, esteemed benefactors, show mercy!"

Before the words were finished, a myriad of rays of light appeared on the eastern horizon, accompanied by layers of auspicious clouds, and golden lotuses emerged from the void.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sits on a lotus throne, holding a jade vase, and slowly reveals her form above auspicious clouds.

Behind her, a halo of light shone, illuminating the entire Tongtian River.

The Bodhisattva, with a compassionate expression, bowed to the crowd and said...

"Greetings, esteemed benefactors."

Ning Chen looked up at the lotus platform in the clouds, a slight smile playing on his lips, but there was no warmth in his smile.

He spoke coldly, his voice calm.

"The Bodhisattva has personally arrived; what brings you here?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva's gaze fell on the goldfish lying limp on the ground, and she sighed deeply.

"This fiend is a goldfish from the pond in the Purple Bamboo Grove of the South China Sea. He listens to the sutras and Dharma every day and has some spiritual insight. That year, the Purple Bamboo Grove was flooded. Taking advantage of my carelessness, he fled to the mortal realm and wandered here, where he became a water demon and harmed the local area. This is my fault for not disciplining him properly. I hope that you benefactors will spare this fiend's life for my sake. I will definitely take him back to the South China Sea and keep him under strict guard so that he will never commit the slightest crime again."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Ning Chen.

Ning Chen remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the goldfish before looking up at Guanyin Bodhisattva.

He suddenly smiled, his tone gentle, but his words were as cold as ice.

"If the Bodhisattva wants to take him back, it's easy. Just let all the boys and girls he's eaten over the years return to life and be given to the families in those villages. Then I'll let him go immediately and won't say another word."

Guanyin Bodhisattva lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment before reciting the Buddha's name.

"Amitabha Buddha, the dead cannot be brought back to life. If it were just one or two people, this humble monk could still go to the underworld to pray to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for mercy and to find them a good place to be reborn. However..."

She paused, her words tinged with difficulty.

"This fiend has been in the mortal realm for many years, and has probably devoured no fewer than a hundred boys and girls. Although this humble monk possesses some minor magical power, I am powerless to reverse the situation."

Ning Chen's smile slowly faded, and his voice turned cold.

"If even a Bodhisattva can't do it, then don't blame the boy for being ruthless. This monster has devoured over a hundred innocent children. If we just brush it off with a simple 'keep a close watch,' where will we find solace for the blood and tears of those children's parents?"

As he spoke, he took a step forward.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's expression changed slightly, and her voice deepened.

"Benefactor Ning, are you truly unwilling to grant this humble monk even this small favor?"

She paused, her gaze deepening slightly.

"Please do not forget, benefactor. That day outside the Guanyin Temple, I gave you three willow leaves of innate creation and helped you subdue the black bear demon. I have never treated you badly, benefactor. On our journey westward, I have not made things too difficult for you. Do you really intend to turn against me today for the sake of some mortals?"

The river breeze rustled, stirring Ning Chen's clothes.

He stood in the morning light, his expression unwavering, and simply replied.

"Those three willow leaves from the Bodhisattva were indeed helpful that day, and I am grateful. However, things have changed, and kindness is kindness, while enmity is enmity. How can they be confused?"

He pointed to the dilapidated village on the shore.

"Bodhisattva, look! That village is in ruins, every house is draped in white mourning clothes, and every household is filled with the sound of weeping. The parents of those young boys and girls are still kneeling before the ruins, mourning the departed souls. If you, young man, spare this blood-stained demon out of a shred of old affection, how will you face the world in the future?"

Having said that, he suddenly turned around, facing the Great King Linggan, the Tai'a sword already resounding in his hand.