Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Liu Yizi felt his spiritual energy stagnating as if he were trapped in a quagmire, and the spiritual light on the sword's edge was faint.

Looking up, one sees a dim sky and clouds gathering from all directions like a cage.

The disciples of the Sword Pavilion were shocked to find that their flying swords were buzzing and out of control, darting around like headless flies.

"I am an elder of the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion, and the Pavilion Master, Venerable Xuan Guang, is a Golden Core cultivator!"

Even if you retire now, you will still be regarded as an honored guest of our sect!

Liu Yizi looked around, shouting loudly with a fierce but weak voice, trying to find a glimmer of hope by invoking the prestige of his sect, while secretly circulating his sword energy, preparing for a desperate fight.

"Senior, please consider this carefully. My Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion is the foremost of the three sects in Aolai Kingdom. With a long history and numerous disciples, it is not something that a rogue cultivator can afford to offend!"

Seeing that everything was calm around him, he thought his words had been effective and had made this cowardly person wary. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved and his tense nerves relaxed a bit.

He secretly speculated that this person was definitely not a Golden Core cultivator, but perhaps just someone who had stumbled upon an opportunity to learn about formations.

They intended to stall for time until their fellow disciples arrived to help, then surround and kill this fiend!

Unfortunately, Chen Jiao was never a fool who talked too much for no reason.

A sudden storm brewed.

A ferocious giant claw covered in jet-black scales tore through the cloud barrier, plunging straight down from the depths of the thunder and lightning. Thunder and water flowed on the scales, and water essence condensed into frost wherever the claw's wind passed.

It appeared to move slowly, like drifting clouds, but in an instant it covered the heads of the Sword Pavilion disciples.

"No!!"

"Master, save me..."

The screams and cries were immediately drowned out by the terrifying dragon claws.

puff-

Under the dragon's claws, the protective aura, the robes, the flesh and bones... are all as fragile as paper.

Seven late-stage Qi Refining Sword Pavilion inner disciples were swatted into a cloud of blood and flesh by this sudden claw attack before they could even utter a complete sentence.

Only one disciple, who was standing a little further away, came into contact with the edge of the dragon's claw and the power of the lightning and water demon. Half of his body exploded instantly, and he was sent flying backwards, his fate unknown.

The dragon's claws struck once and then vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a mess and the pungent smell of blood.

Liu Yizi watched helplessly as his elite troops perished in an instant, his eyes wide with rage and his heart filled with dread!

"You monster, how dare you slaughter my Sword Pavilion disciples?!"

He roared and changed his hand seals three times in quick succession, activating his natal sword essence. Immediately, a dazzling azure sword light shot into the sky, intending to slash at the source of the dragon claw.

Amidst the clouds, Chen Jiao's eyes gleamed coldly, and his black-scaled right claw lashed out once more, stirring up wind and thunder.

His method of manifesting his true form contains some connotations of the laws of heaven and earth, and therefore is not vulgar.

"clang!"

The clang of metal against metal caused rocks to tumble down the mountain.

The natal sword essence collided with the dragon claw, emitting a piercing, mournful cry. The dragon claw closed its five fingers and crushed the sword essence.

The sword shattered and the man was injured. The backlash was like a heavy hammer blow to his chest. Liu Yizi staggered backward and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His breath instantly weakened, and he was filled with horror and despair.

Before he could catch his breath, crimson lightning surged and swirled within the five fingers of the dragon's claw, lashing out at him.

Before the claw wind even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused the protective spiritual light around his body to flicker and almost shatter.

Liu Yizi gritted his teeth and summoned his protective magic weapon, a cloud-and-water azure mirror. The azure light flowed like ethereal clouds, and the clear mirror surface shimmered with water.

Click!

The crimson lightning dragon claw struck down, and crimson lightning snakes crawled all over the mirror-like surface of the lake, shattering the precious mirror instantly like glass.

Liu Yizi was terrified and could only hastily parry with the Cangshui sword in his hand.

He once used this Azure Cloud Mirror to fight a mid-Foundation Establishment stage demon for three days, and his robe remained spotless.

I never imagined that it would be broken in an instant today.

The Cangshui sword in his hand snapped in two, and then the protective aura around him shattered.

As if struck by a mountain, Liu Yizi was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the rock wall.

At this moment, the fog dissipated in a thin line.

Chen Jiao walked out slowly, his black robes fluttering in the wind.

Severely injured, Liu Yizi's survival instinct overwhelmed everything; he spoke rapidly, screaming hoarsely:

"Senior, stop! If you kill me, you will be relentlessly hunted down by the Sword Pavilion!"

"Whether you go to heaven or hell, there is nowhere for you to hide! Spare my life, and I swear on my soul that I will never seek revenge!"

Chen Jiao, expressionless, waved his hand and killed him.

The light in Liu Yizi's eyes quickly dimmed, leaving only a deathly gray and disbelief.

In the depression, the three-leaf sword heart orchid stood quietly, its three golden leaves like jade and swords, exhaling incomparably pure sword intent and spiritual energy.

He took out a jade box that he had prepared beforehand, carefully put the plant, roots and all, into the box, and sealed it with a talisman.

Then, Chen Jiao swept his sleeves, collected the belongings of Liu Yizi and the disciples of the Sword Pavilion, and his figure transformed into a faint stream of light, quietly escaping from Thousand Needle Valley.

As the clouds and mist dispersed outside the valley, the three dark array flags also disappeared.

The eagle demon and the pig demon looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and then cautiously ventured into the valley.

The valley was a scene of utter devastation. The Sword Pavilion disciples lay dead in gruesome ways, Liu Yizi's body lay on the ground, and the hollow was now completely empty.

Both demons felt a chill run down their spines and dared not linger. They flapped their wings and pawed at the ground, each displaying their unique abilities, and fled this dangerous place without looking back.

……

The setting sun dipped halfway down, and the bloody atmosphere lingered in the valley.

Liu Yizi's body lay prostrate on the ground, his blue robe soaked with blood, his eyes wide open, frozen with the horror and resentment of his death.

All around, the severed limbs of Sword Pavilion disciples were scattered, fragments mixed with pebbles, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Two gusts of demonic wind departed and then returned, silently landing in the valley.

It was the same eagle demon and pig demon from before.

The two demons had been frightened away by Chen Jiao's thunderous methods and fled a hundred miles away, still feeling lingering fear.

Once they realized that the oppressive aura in the valley had dissipated and a long silence had fallen, greed finally overcame fear, prompting them to return once more in search of an opportunity.

"Hiss... such a strong smell of blood!"

The eagle demon's crimson eyes swept over the horrific scene in the valley, its sharp beak opening and closing, emitting a hoarse, low cry:

"That scoundrel is gone... He didn't even bother to destroy the evidence, which is a boon for me."

The pig demon's nostrils twitched, drool dripped from its mouth, and it said in a muffled voice:

"The flesh and blood of Foundation Establishment cultivators... are incredibly nourishing! And these Qi Refining sword cultivators, their spiritual energy hasn't dissipated... this should be my opportunity!"

"Are there really stupid monsters who won't eat such delicious blood food?"

It nudged the severed arm on the ground with its fangs, its eyes filled with a gluttonous look.

The two demons exchanged a glance, then without further hesitation, pounced on the blood-soaked feast spread across the ground.

With a flap of its iron wings, the eagle demon grabbed a headless corpse and prepared to peck at it.

The pig demon couldn't wait any longer and bit down on Liu Yizi's thigh, trying to drag him away and devour him.

Just then, a sharp, piercing sword cry pierced the sky.

"You beast! How dare you desecrate the corpses of my fellow disciples from the Sword Pavilion!"

A furious shout, filled with shock, anger, and murderous intent, resounded like a thunderclap from outside the valley.

Before the words were finished, a dazzling, incomparably sharp azure sword aura tore through the sky, like clouds falling from the heavens.

Before the sword energy even arrived, the chilling sword intent had already pierced the pig demon's skin and flesh, causing it to ache.

The pig demon looked up in horror, only to see a sword beam as powerful as a pillar, and the shadow of death instantly enveloped his entire body.

It let out a strange cry, abandoned the bloody food it had just caught, and its body erupted with a stench of demonic energy. Its ferocious fangs glowed with an earthy yellow light as it desperately pushed upwards.

"Sizzle—"

The sword energy slashed down, and blood splattered everywhere.

The fangs, harder than refined iron, were cut off at the root.

The pig demon let out a miserable howl as a huge, deep gash, revealing bone, was slashed open on its shoulder and back, from which blood gushed out like a fountain.

It was cleaved by the immense force and rolled away, smashing a section of stalagmites and sending dust flying.

On the other side, the eagle demon was also attacked and killed.

Several invisible sword energies were generated from the void, following him like a shadow, silently entwining and cutting towards him, instantly leaving dozens of deep marks on his iron feathers, causing the black feathers to fly everywhere.

The eagle demon cried out in alarm, flapping its wings with all its might to rise into the air, narrowly escaping the subsequent strangulation, terrified out of its wits.

At the valley entrance, two sword lights stopped.

The elder at the head had a clear and ancient face, sharp eyes, and a powerful sword aura emanating from his body. He was clearly a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and the Grand Elder of the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion—Changhe Zhenren.

Beside him was a middle-aged cultivator, also in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, both of whom were now filled with anger and murderous intent.

They had received a message from Liu Yizi and rushed to the aid of their sect overnight.

Master Changhe swept his gaze across the horrific scene in the valley. Seeing that Liu Yizi's body had been almost devoured by demons and that all the disciples were dead without any complete remains, he was filled with murderous intent, and his sword energy surged like a long river.

"How dare you, you monster! You slaughtered my fellow disciples, stole my Spirit Orchid, and now you even want to devour their corpses."

Today, I will surely extract your souls and refine your spirits to comfort Junior Brother Liu's soul in heaven!

The voice was icy cold, and the killing intent was almost tangible.

With a flick of his sword, a sky-blue flying sword hummed and returned from the air, locking onto the heavily injured pig demon from afar.

The middle-aged cultivator also summoned his flying sword, its blade flashing with light, its chilling aura locking onto the eagle demon in the air.

The pig demon and the eagle demon were terrified and no longer cared about any blood food or tonics. All they wanted now was to escape!

The pig demon endured the pain, rolled over, and got up. Its body was covered in thick, earthy yellow spiritual light, and it was about to use the earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic/escaping technique).

The eagle demon let out a long cry, its iron wings whipping up a demonic wind and clouds, attempting to soar into the sky and escape.

"Where do you think you're going!"

How could the elders of Jian Ge allow them to escape?

The sword formation unfolded instantly, with blue and white sword lights intertwining into a net that sealed off the sky and locked the earth. The sharp sword energy poured down like rain, completely blocking all the two demons' escape routes.

A fierce encirclement and slaughter erupted in an instant.

The two demons were inwardly groaning, cursing the monster for its viciousness and inhumanity, for leaving this mess to lure them into its trap.

Meanwhile, the culprit, Chen Jiao, had already fled thousands of miles away and returned to Xuanqing Cave to prepare for the initial refining of the Spirit Orchid.

The conflicts in the valley were nothing more than a trivial matter to him.