Journey to the West: Starting by becoming an apprentice of Emperor Donghua

Flowers bloom and fade, flowers bloom and fade, ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the season of blooming flowers has arrived again.

On this day, on Golden Rooster Mountain, several little monsters were playing and frolicking on a grassy slope.

The warm sun shone directly on the grassy slope. Several little demons, tired from playing, lay down on the thick grass, smelling the fragrance of flowers and chatting.

"Big Black Pig, how long do you think our King has been in seclusion this time?"

A monster with two small deer antlers on its head asked a question while chewing on wild grass and flowers.

Lying beside him was a black pig covered in black hair. The pig grunted twice, as if to say:

"It started last winter, didn't it? This time it's been going on for quite a while. The fox spirit who teaches us to read has been going to check on the secluded room every day lately; he's really worried."

The little deer became curious:

"Do you think our king is the strongest monster in this area?"

With a snap, the big black pig smacked the little deer spirit on the head:

"What monster? Our king is a true cultivator, unlike us! He's not just the strongest monster around here, but no one within thousands of miles can rival him!"

The little deer rubbed its head, showing no sign of displeasure, its eyes full of anticipation:

"Really? I haven't seen him since I joined Jinji Mountain last year. How powerful must this king be?"

Just then, a dragon's roar resounded through the sky, startling several half-closed little demons.

"What's going on? Is there a monster?"

The next moment, two crimson fire dragons suddenly leaped into the sky from the mountaintop.

These two fire dragons sometimes coiled left and right, sometimes soared up and down, sometimes fought angrily, and sometimes played and frolicked. They were so lively and intelligent that they were almost indistinguishable from real ones.

Suddenly, the two fire dragons flew to the south and north, respectively, and opened their mouths, roaring in unison, spewing out tongues of fire hundreds of feet long.

The flames almost dyed the sky above Golden Rooster Mountain red. The lesser demons on the mountain were stunned with fear upon seeing this.

At this moment, a tiger leaped from the mountaintop into the air, with a handsome young man in a white robe riding on its back.

Three fire crows circled around the young man.

The young man gently patted a pouch at his waist, and the two fire dragons instantly vanished into thin air, transforming into two flying swords that flew into the pouch.

The red in the sky faded instantly, and it was another sunny day.

The monsters all over the mountain cheered:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The King has emerged from seclusion!"

The little deer spirit was mesmerized, muttering to herself:

"This...this is our king? Not to mention those within thousands of miles, even the gods in heaven would probably be no match for him..."

This young man was Ji Sheng. The two fire dragons were the transformations of the two dragon souls.

He did not directly refine the dragon soul into a fire beast, but first used the secret technique recorded in the Jia Yi Sword Forging Method to refine the dragon soul into his two flying swords.

Then, using the inner magic of the Three Qi Controlling Fire True Technique, the dragon soul was refined again and transformed into a fire dragon.

The process involved far more trouble than directly refining the dragon soul into a fire dragon.

However, the effect was excellent. These two flying swords not only had the blessing of the dragon soul, but also possessed even greater spirituality, and were able to resonate with Ji Sheng's thoughts.

It can also transform into a fire dragon at any time, with fire-based attacks, changing its attack style to strike the enemy.

The pouch containing these two swords was a sword sheath that Ji Sheng had modified from the Black Serpent King's storage bag.

Inside the sword sheath, he used the Pot Heaven Technique to create a new world.

This world is a vast bamboo forest, with strange rocks, hot springs, and even lava.

This is a world dominated by the element of wood, supplemented by the elements of metal, water, and fire.

As long as the flying sword is placed inside, it can be nurtured day and night. Over time, it can even break through its current grade and reach a higher quality.

This result is a testament to the hard work he has put in over the years.

After retracting the fire dragon, Ji Sheng nodded to the cheering little demons on the mountain, then rode his tiger back down to the mountaintop.

"Mangosteen, Mangosteen! You...you've finally come out of seclusion!"

Hu Zhitang ran up from the foot of the mountain, panting, and jumped for joy when she saw Ji Sheng.

Ji Sheng smiled and said:

"I've only been in seclusion for a little over a year, why are you so happy? Tell me, has anything happened on the mountain lately?"

Hu Zhitang started counting on his fingers:

"Mr. Leopard recently contracted malaria and almost died; Junior Monkey married a new wife two months ago; Sister Crow laid several more eggs, and..."

Ji Sheng quickly interrupted her:

"That's not what I'm asking. Has anything major happened?"

Hu Zhitang frowned:

"Something big? When you first went into seclusion, a monster appeared in the west, claiming to be some kind of Bull Demon King. The Zhu Mountain God often came to see you, but you were always in seclusion, and also..."

Ji Shengyi perked up and quickly asked:

"What? The Bull Demon King?"

Hu Zhitang nodded:

"Yes, his name is Bull Demon King. I heard he's a big white bull with two horns, and he has a terrible temper; he even overturned a mountain..."

Could that big white ox really be the Bull Demon King?

Ji Sheng asked again:

Where is the Bull Demon King now?

Hu Zhitang said:

"He had a duel with a monster before, and I haven't heard of him in a while now. He's probably gone by now?"

Ji Sheng nodded:

"Is there anything else?"

Seeing Hu Zhitang frown and start to think hard again, Ji Sheng smiled and said:

"Alright, you don't need to say anything more. Go down the mountain and summon the mountain leaders for me. I need to ask them about their recent situation."

A moment later, all the demons gathered in the cave. Ji Sheng inquired about the situation on the mountain, and then began to preach halfway up the mountain.

He gained extraordinary insights from this cultivation. Although he had not yet found the opportunity to take the great elixir and break through to the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage, he gained a great deal of understanding.

This sermon lasted for several days. All the demons on the mountain, from the demon generals to the lesser demon soldiers, and even some newly enlightened little creatures, gained some insights.

On this day, after Ji Sheng finished his sermon, he suddenly felt something and used his Qi Observation Technique to look south.

Hidden by the mountains, a plume of black energy shot straight up towards the Dipper.

He soared into the air and looked into the distance. The source of the black mist was none other than the Southern Continent Kingdom.

Ten years ago, when Ji Sheng looked at the Southern Continent, it also looked like a building on the verge of collapse, but compared to today, it was nothing.

Such a grim sign indicates that a critical juncture has been reached. Soon, the Southern Land Kingdom will be torn apart, and the entire world will rebel.

It seems I still have some important matters to attend to in the Southern Continent Kingdom? The Merit Register stated that overthrowing the Southern Continent court would bring great rewards.

I wonder what has become of Zhao Xingshuo and Li Jun.

Given the current state of affairs, shouldn't they put in their best effort?

Thinking of this, Ji Sheng didn't make any further preparations. He instructed Commander Niu Er, who was guarding the mountain, summoned Hongyun, and flew towards the Southern Continent.

About two hours later, Ji Sheng arrived in the Southern Land.

Looking towards the capital of the Southern Continent, the sky was filled with black mist, and the demonic energy within it was even stronger than before, intertwined with the black mist, making it extremely dangerous.

Ten years had passed, and the emperor had not heeded Ji Sheng's advice. Instead of distancing himself from the monsters, he actively recruited them.

This capital of the Southern Land Kingdom has become a den of demons.

He didn't heed Ji Sheng's advice; he deserved to be the ruler who brought about the downfall of his country.

Ji Sheng was just about to look for Zhao Xingshuo and Li Jun when he suddenly heard someone shouting from high above:

"Ji Sheng! Ji Sheng!"

Ji Sheng was startled and quickly looked up. He saw an old man with a long head and large ears, leaning on a cane, looking down at him from the sky.

The old man had white hair and beard, a high hood, and a gourd hanging from his cane. He held a peach in his hands and had a kind and benevolent expression.

"Ji Sheng, come up here quickly, I have something to tell you."

Ji Sheng quickly flew up on a cloud, cupped his hands and said:

"I have met the venerable immortal. May I ask...?"

The old man laughed and said:

"I am the birthday celebrant, no need for formalities."

Ji Sheng's heart skipped a beat. He had guessed correctly; it really was the birthday boy.

The God of Longevity and Emperor Donghua are both immortals from the Three Islands and Ten Continents, and they have a very close relationship.

Sure enough, the birthday celebrant said:

"I have come here on the behalf of Emperor Donghua. He beat me three times in a row in a game of chess a few days ago, so I agreed to give you this opportunity."