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

Outside the cave, a murderous aura was brewing.

The clanging of metal and the howling of a demonic wind could be faintly heard.

Inside the quiet room, Chen Jiao's Yin spirit, which had been wandering outside his body, had quietly returned to its place and silently disappeared into the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows.

He sank into a state of profound stillness, introspecting on himself.

Inside the Crimson Palace.

The refining of the relics of Zen Master Baoxiang is nearing its end.

The relic, containing the lifelong cultivation of a highly accomplished monk who had attained the stage of enlightenment, has shed the last trace of heretical influence.

All of it transformed into the purest magical power, flowing seamlessly into his limbs, bones, and dantian.

Chen Jiao silently channeled his profound inner energy, guiding this magical power slowly downwards along the Ren and Du meridians, sinking into his dantian.

Within his dantian, the dark demonic energy surged like a boundless ocean.

The nascent soul figure sat upright in the center of the waves, performing profound incantations, holding a sword entwined with a dragon, its appearance solemn and dignified.

With each breath through the mouth and nose, streams of pure energy flowed forth like dragons and snakes, extracting the essence of the relics, removing their attachments, and integrating them into one's own foundation of Tao.

As the [Vast Ocean Whale Dragon Profound Chapter] gradually reached its full cycle, the surging torrent of magical power subsided, transforming into a calm and vast primordial essence.

Once the last wisp of pure magical power was refined, the nascent soul's precious light receded and sank deep into the sea of ​​qi, like a dragon lurking in the abyss, quietly awaiting the coming storm.

In the void, a faint, deep sound, like the song of a whale, and a clear, melodious sound, like the roar of a dragon, echoed, then quietly disappeared.

Chen Jiao slowly opened his eyes, and the surging spiritual pressure around him subsided like a tide, returning to calm.

His mind stirred slightly, and he had already grasped the situation outside.

Ruyi Zhenren is struggling to stay afloat with his pair of golden hooks, facing imminent danger under the combined pressure of Tianyang Zhenren and Xiaoyue Yaojun.

"It must have been difficult for him."

Chen Jiao originally planned to share the [Stone Fire] with Ruyi Zhenren before leaving to search for the [True Sun Fire].

Unfortunately, there are always some blind fools who come seeking their own doom and delaying our plans.

He got up and disappeared without a sound.

…………

Ruyi Zhenren, wielding two hooks, struggled to maneuver amidst the swirling demonic energy and Taoist magic.

Although the pair of Ruyi Golden Hooks danced so tightly that they were impenetrable, their light shining like rings, protecting all the vital points of her body, she was already struggling to defend herself.

The Demon Lord Xiaoyue revealed some of his true form, his arms covered in striped tiger fur. He completely ignored any profound Taoist techniques and relied solely on brute force to overwhelm people.

The offensive appears fierce, but it actually leaves room for maneuver.

The Demon Lord Xiaoyue, who can rule over the nine mountains, is certainly not a fool. He has no mortal enmity with this True Man Ruyi.

It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement between him and Master Tianyang; he's here to lend a hand, so there's no need for him to risk his life for them.

The attack at this moment was powerful and imposing, but in reality, it used seven-tenths of its strength, reserving three-tenths for any eventuality.

"You old man, those hooks of yours are slippery!"

The Demon Lord of Xiaoyue's voice was like thunder:

"Too weak and feeble, like a woman's! Take another strike from me, Divine Wind Shattering Mountains!"

He opened his mouth and spat out a jet-black, demonic wind. It seemed as if thousands of evil spirits were wailing in the wind, stirring up the broken stones on the ground and covering the sky and the sun, enveloping Ruyi Zhenren.

This evil wind not only contains immense power, but can also corrupt the spiritual light of magical artifacts.

Ruyi Zhenren's face was pale, the blood at the corner of his mouth was still wet and new blood appeared, and his Taoist robe was torn in many places, revealing the bloodstains caused by the demonic energy inside.

Even more sinister was the watchful eye of Master Tianyang, who was lurking nearby.

He was not in a hurry to launch a full-scale attack, but instead moved around the perimeter like a venomous snake.

He would occasionally sweep the whisk in his hand, unleashing several scorching and bone-chilling [Fire-Breaking Golden Needles], as fine as cow hair, specifically designed to shatter the protective aura.

This forced Ruyi Zhenren to distract himself from defending himself.

Sometimes the silver threads would surge and coil around the golden hook, attempting to lock onto the weapon.

Master Tianyang's moves were cunning and ruthless. Every time Master Ruyi was fully engaged in dealing with the ferocious attacks of Demon Lord Xiaoyue, he would launch a surprise attack, leaving the latter defenseless.

"Sizzle!"

As Ruyi Zhenren took a heavy palm strike from Xiaoyue Yaojun and his blood and qi surged, a golden thorn pierced through the hook shadow and struck his left shoulder.

Ruyi Zhenren let out a muffled groan, his Taoist robe on his shoulder was charred black, and he staggered, almost falling over, narrowly avoiding a heavy claw attack from Xiaoyue Yaojun.

The spot where he used to stand has been dug into several deep trenches.

"Tianyang! You have wronged your cultivation of Taoist arts and committed such a despicable act!"

Ruyi Zhenren patted the storage jade, and a Big Dipper banner engraved with the Big Dipper pattern flew out.

It grew tall in the wind, scattering starlight and temporarily hindering the demon lord for a moment.

He then threw out three purple talismans, which spontaneously combusted in mid-air and transformed into three bolts of azure lightning, striking towards Tianyang Zhenren in a triangular formation, forcing him to dodge.

"The way of nature is to win or lose; it's simply a matter of the victor taking all."

Master Tianyang was prepared; with a mere sweep of his whisk, he deflected the azure lightning, causing it to blast several shallow craters into the ground.

Xiaoyue Demon Lord glanced at him and said in a gruff voice:

"Fellow Daoist Tianyang, as promised, I'll help you take this place, and the materials and crafting of my treasured halberd must not be neglected!"

"Rest assured, Lord Mountain Lord, how could I dare to go back on my word?"

Master Tianyang responded with a smile, but his hands did not stop. He flicked his whisk again and threw several more fire talismans at Master Ruyi.

Upon hearing this, the True Man Ruyi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately shouted loudly:

"Mountain Lord! Don't be fooled by this old man Tianyang! What he can forge, I can also forge! Moreover..."

He took a deep breath, swung his hook to extinguish the fire talisman, his voice rapid yet clear:

"I have personally witnessed the divine power of the Azure Halberd wielded by the Great Demon Lord Xuanling, the Flood Dragon Demon King!"

If the Mountain Lord trusts me, I, this humble Taoist, am willing to do everything in my power to forge a divine halberd for him that is absolutely incomparable to his!

The moment the words "Jiao Demon King" were uttered, Xiao Yue Demon Lord's fierce eyes narrowed sharply.

The giant claw it had swung out abruptly stopped in mid-air, the resulting gale stinging Ruyi Zhenren's cheek.

Seeing this, Master Tianyang's face immediately darkened, and he shouted sternly:

"Mountain Lord! Don't listen to this scoundrel's nonsense! He's already trapped like a turtle in a jar, and his dying words are not to be believed."

Once we capture him, the Fire Vein and the weapon-forging method will be at your disposal!

However, the Demon Lord Xiaoyue turned a deaf ear.

He stared intently at Ruyi Zhenren, whose breathing was disordered but whose eyes were burning, and a muffled gurgling sound came from his throat.

"You mean the azure halberd of the Great Demon Lord Xuanling?!"

He practically gritted his teeth as he squeezed out those words.

Qingchi Ridge in the East Sea, where the Flood Dragon Demon King Xuanling resides!

In just over a month, this name has swept across the entire Xiniu Hezhou like a silent storm!

Initially, when the rumor originated from the birthday banquet of the Dragon King of Bibo Pool, most people who heard it scoffed at it.

Who would believe that?

Who is the Mighty Bull Demon King? He has roamed the Western Continent of Hezhou for thousands of years, possessing great supernatural powers and virtually no rivals.

A newly emerged East Sea Flood Dragon Demon is actually able to match him in martial arts?

The public generally believed it was an exaggeration, and that it was just Bibotan's boastful words to enhance the prestige of his birthday banquet.

However, when the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints personally confirmed it, and all the Golden Core cultivators and even several Nascent Soul cultivators present that day witnessed it, and even mentioned that the Bull Demon King and the Flood Dragon Demon King had become brothers.

All doubts vanished into silence, only to erupt into an even greater uproar and shock!

A halberd, capable of going toe-to-toe with the Bull Demon King's iron cudgel without being at a disadvantage?!

Countless demon cultivators, accustomed to wielding swords, spears, axes, and halberds, silently sheathed their weapons upon hearing of this.

They then searched far and wide for halberd techniques manuals or sought to purchase the finest halberds.

In a short time, the price of decent quality halberds quietly rose in various markets and towns throughout Xiniu Hezhou.

As a result, even some incomplete and unverified ancient halberd manuals have become hot commodities.

The prices of any martial arts techniques and materials related to halberds skyrocketed overnight.

There are even old demons who have lived in seclusion for many years, who reforge their natal demon weapons in an attempt to emulate their form.

Demon Lord Xiaoyue, who had reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, was even more sensitive to this.

If we could truly persuade this Ruyi Zhenren to create a replica of a divine weapon imbued with some of the essence of the Jiao Mo Wang's halberd...

The murderous intent in the valley subtly took a turn for the worse.

The Demon Lord Xiaoyue slowly retracted his claws, and the boiling demonic energy around him gradually subsided, but his gaze became even sharper:

"You're saying... you can replicate the Azure Halberd of the Flood Dragon King?"

Master Tianyang's face turned completely gloomy, and the silver threads of his whisk moved without any wind.

He stared intently at Ruyi Zhenren, as if trying to find the slightest flaw in his face, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible chill:

"You're about to die, yet you spout such nonsense! Do you think you're worthy of replicating the Demon King Jiao's divine weapon?"

Master Tianyang's tone made no attempt to conceal his doubt:

"How could you possibly glimpse or imitate such a world-shaking weapon? It's nothing more than a clumsy trick to buy time and try to survive!"

Lord Xiaoyue, do not be misled! Take action immediately!

Ruyi Zhenren felt his blood and qi churning in his chest, and his wounds ached faintly.

However, at this moment, the shock in his heart far outweighed the physical pain.

He suddenly realized just how terrifyingly important the name of Brother Xuanling was in the hearts of the demons of Xiniu Hezhou.

In the past, the True Man Ruyi was devoted to the Dao of alchemy and artifact crafting.

Despite his elder brother Bull Demon King's infamous reputation that resounded throughout Xiniu Hezhou, he always harbored a deep-seated pride and a reluctance to rely on him.

He, the True Man Ruyi, lives in this world, cultivating and refining the Dao; why would he need the legacy of his elder brother?

Therefore, he rarely mentioned his relationship with the Bull Demon King and was content to be a Taoist priest who refined elixirs and crafted artifacts.

But it was only at this moment, on the brink of life and death, that he suddenly realized this.

The word "renowned reputation" can sometimes be sharper than thousands of magical artifacts or exquisite supernatural powers!

He only mentioned the word "imitation" and did not even explain his true relationship with Brother Xuanling.

This actually stopped the ferocious Xiaoyue Demon Lord's offensive and made the cunning Tianyang Zhenren wary!

This is no longer just a simple force, but a kind of "momentum" that hangs high above all living beings, enough to shake their minds and influence the situation.

Without a single strike, the fighting could be stopped.

There's no need for swords to be drawn or for supernatural powers to clash.

The intangible weight of a name alone is enough to turn the tide of a life-or-death crisis in the blink of an eye.

The power he used to regard as shackles and avoid at all costs turned out to be more than just tyrannical oppression.

It is also an order and rules that need no words, yet are as heavy as mountains.

Ruyi Zhenren raised his hand and wiped away the blood that kept overflowing from the corner of his mouth.

His gaze swept over the gloomy and ever-changing expression of True Man Tianyang, and then turned to Demon Lord Xiaoyue, whose eyes were flickering and who clearly had no desire to fight anymore.

The pride born of perseverance in my heart seemed to crack quietly at this moment.

In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, some forms of power are not humiliating, but rather the wisdom of survival, or even the strength to protect one's own path.

In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, some forms of power are not humiliating, but rather the wisdom of survival, or even the strength to protect one's own path.

The violent aura in Xiaoyue Demon Lord's fierce eyes receded like a tide, replaced by an almost scorching urgency.

He stared intently at the still-breathing Ruyi Zhenren, his massive body even unconsciously leaning forward slightly.

A gust of foul wind swept up, and the voice lowered, carrying an incredulous hoarseness and longing:

"Bull nose...no, Master Ruyi!"

What you just mentioned... that the green halberd that was a replica of the Great Demon Lord Xuanling, is that true?"

He even subconsciously changed his address to "Master," and his tiger claws unconsciously clenched in the air, as if he wanted to grasp that legendary divine weapon.

"You...you haven't seen that halberd, have you? Do you know its specific shape? What kind of supernatural powers does it possess?"

The Demon Lord Xiaoyue spoke at an extremely fast pace, throwing out one question after another, completely forgetting that just moments before he had intended to tear the other person to pieces.

Xuan Ling, the Flood Dragon King of the East Sea, is now considered by many demon cultivators in Xiniu Hezhou to be on par with giants like the Bull Demon King.

The legend of him fighting the Bull Demon King to a draw with a single green halberd is especially revered as a legend.

Demon Lord Xiaoyue, a demon cultivator obsessed with power and martial prowess, had long been captivated by it.

Hearing that there was a chance to obtain a replica, how could he not be excited? Even if it was a lie, he would still want to hear a few words.

Seeing his expression, Ruyi Zhenren's understanding deepened.

He forced a breath of true energy to suppress his surging blood and qi, slowed his speech to appear more composed, and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Xiaoyue, although I am not talented, I still have some experience in the art of weapon crafting."

"I was indeed fortunate enough to witness the splendor of Brother Xuanling's green halberd."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the ashen-faced Master Tianyang, before continuing:

"Its shape is simple and grand, the blade of the halberd contains mysterious patterns, and when it is swung, there is the momentum of wind and thunder, and there is also a profound Daoist charm that commands the blue thunder."

"If you trust me, Mountain Lord, I can craft a weapon tailored to your specifications, based on my memories and the unique characteristics of your demonic body."

With each word he spoke, the eyes of the Demon Lord Xiaoyue brightened a little more. When he heard "wind and thunder follow," he couldn't help but let out a low roar, clearly extremely excited.

"Tailor-made..."

The Demon Lord Xiaoyue murmured repeatedly, his eyes filled with fervor, completely ignoring the fiery gaze of True Person Tianyang beside him.

His breathing was slightly heavy, and he murmured to himself:

"I...I have heard of the power of the Bull Demon King's iron cudgel in the battle at Bibo Pool."

It is said that the Flood Dragon King was still a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he was able to fight the halberd to a standstill!

"A halberd... that's incredible!"

His eyes revealed an undisguised longing:

"If only I could possess such a divine weapon..."

Seeing that Demon Lord Xiaoyue had been completely distracted, True Man Tianyang's face turned ashen, and he shouted urgently:

"Mountain Lord! Don't let him bewitch you!"

He's on the verge of death now; all that talk about green and red halberds is just nonsense to save his life!

If we join forces, we can take him down in no time. Then, this cave, the fire vein, and even all his weapon-refining inheritance will be yours for the taking.

Why listen to his empty promises!

However, at this moment, the Demon Lord Xiaoyue's mind was already completely occupied by the immense temptation of the "imitation green halberd".

He abruptly turned his head, glared at Master Tianyang, and growled impatiently:

"Tianyang, you old fool, shut up! Do I need you to tell me how to act?"

Their attitude is completely different from when they cooperated before.

Then, the Demon Lord Xiaoyue turned his intense gaze toward the True Man Ruyi:

"Master! If you can truly imitate three or five parts of that green halberd... no, just one or two parts of its spirit, that would be great!"

I will let this matter rest immediately! But if you dare to deceive me…”

He bared his mouthful of yellow, gritty fangs, his lingering threat palpable.

Master Tianyang stood alone in the same spot.

His face turned pale and then red, and he was both shocked and furious as he looked at Xiaoyue Demon Lord, who had clearly sided with Ruyi Zhenren.

A strong sense of unease welled up inside me.