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

Upon hearing this, the Earth God's eyes flashed with admiration.

This Xuanling Jiaojun truly possessed keen insight, revealing the key to understanding with a single sentence.

His wrinkles deepened, as if he were lost in distant memories. He stroked his long, gray beard and slowly said:

"The Supreme Being's Dharma Eye is like a torch, able to see through the key points at a glance. This ridge is named 'Yangquan' because it contains an ancient story, which is a long one."

The Earth God paused briefly, carefully considering his words, before continuing:

"In ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, and this is not an exaggeration."

Ten suns blazed in the sky, their heat unbearable, rivers dried up, the earth cracked, and all living beings perished. Then came the great god Yi, who shot down nine of the suns with his bow.

The truth is not wrong; the Yang Fire Qi was indeed not originally generated by this mountain.

The nine suns that fell were not completely annihilated; one of them, its remains carrying with it an undying flame, fell to this place.

"Where the sun fell, it created a deep crater, and the earth's fire gushed forth, flowing endlessly, forming a hot spring."

Because of its ability to cleanse impurities and wash away dirt, the villagers both feared and revered it, calling it the "Cleansing Spring."

The Earth God looked up at the several bare, crimson peaks in the distance and slowly said:

"Over a long period of time, the scorching heat within remained and gradually merged with the earth's veins. Over the years, through this process of penetration and transformation, it has taken on its current form."

The mutual restraint and harmony have created a delicate balance, giving rise to some unique fire-attribute spiritual materials.

However, this anger ultimately originates from external sources, and occasionally it becomes restless and unstable. My wife and I must always carefully manage it to prevent any trouble.

After he finished speaking, he and the Earth Goddess looked towards the steaming heat in the south, their eyes filled with awe.

Chen Jiao stood quietly listening, his crimson-gold eyes flashing slightly.

The golden crow fell to the ground, and true fire became a spring; it was indeed so.

Then the Earth God and Goddess mentioned the distribution of several spiritual veins around Yangquan Ridge, as well as the occasional abnormal ground fire in recent years.

His words were sincere and he spoke frankly about everything he knew.

Finally, the topic turned to the Golden Light Immortal's desire to open the Yellow Flower Temple.

It is said that when he first arrived, he seemed to be surveying the earth's veins and had not yet committed any misdeeds. However, it is said that his disciples were somewhat flamboyant in their behavior.

Chen Jiao listened quietly for a moment, noting down the key points one by one. He didn't say much, but simply nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.

Seeing that Chen Jiao's expression was calm, the local deity knew that he had his own ideas, so he said no more.

He and the Earth Goddess exchanged a glance, then bowed deeply, showing the utmost respect.

"If the Supreme Deity needs to know about the affairs of the mountains, or has any requests, please summon him with your divine thoughts, and the two of us humble deities will do our utmost."

After speaking, he bowed again, and his figure seemed to turn into a wisp of green smoke and disappear.

On the eve of departure.

The Earth Goddess could not suppress her curiosity, or perhaps the colorful tiger was too mysterious.

She glanced quickly out of the corner of her eye at the tiger lying quietly beneath Chen Jiao, as fierce as a small mountain.

Just then, the tiger seemed to sense something, and its huge head turned slightly, its enormous eyes meeting the gaze of the Earth Goddess who was peeking at it.

"Hmph."

Two streams of scorching white breath shot out from the tiger's nostrils, like two small arrows. Although it did not use any demonic power, they still brought a foul wind that caused the Earth Goddess's clothes to flutter slightly.

She was startled and hurriedly looked away, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. She dared not look any longer.

Immediately afterward, the Earth God, who had mostly turned into blue smoke, disappeared into the ground in a flash.

The mountain wind still blows, as if everything just now was merely an illusion.

Chen Jiao sat on the tiger's back, his black robes fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze.

His gaze fell upon the location of the Cleansing Spring, and his divine sense quietly spread outwards.

"Let's go and investigate that Cleansing Spring."

Upon hearing this, the tiger let out a low growl and swept away in a whirlwind.

…………

The two wisps of green smoke disappeared into the earth's veins and returned to the hermitage in an instant.

The figures of the Earth God and Goddess reassembled, their respectful expressions not yet completely gone, before they both breathed a sigh of relief.

The Earth Goddess patted her chest, still shaken, and said:

"Finally gone... This Jiaojun Shangzhen doesn't seem as ferocious as the rumors say."

The oppressive aura was so overwhelming it was hard to breathe. And that mountain lord terrified me!

The Earth God stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, and remained silent, as if reflecting on whether there had been any oversights in his previous response.

He strolled to the table and subconsciously reached out to touch the rough edge of the incense burner.

His gaze fell on the wisps of smoke rising from the furnace.

My thoughts were wandering.

"Old woman."

He suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty and hesitation:

"Just now... when we discussed the origin of the Cleansing Spring with the Supreme Being, was there anything we missed?"

The Earth Goddess was tidying her hair, which had been ruffled by the tiger's breath. Upon hearing this, she paused for a moment, then tilted her head and thought for a moment:

"The ancient golden crow fell to earth and transformed into a hot spring, which the villagers call the Cleansing Spring... That's all. Is there anything missing?"

That spring is exceptionally hot, and ordinary creatures find it difficult to approach. We should also avoid provoking it, as I've already said."

The Earth God's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his fingers unconsciously twirling his beard as he muttered:

"Yes, the golden crow fell to earth and transformed into a spring, cleansing away the dust and grime. That's all correct. But I always feel like I've forgotten something..."

A hint of confusion flashed in his cloudy old eyes, as if memories were swirling deep within his mind, something he wanted to grasp but couldn't quite make out.

"What was it again?"

He muttered to himself as he slowly paced in the cramped space of the retreat, his wooden cane tapping the ground with a soft thud.

Seeing his appearance, the Earth Goddess became nervous and leaned closer to ask:

"Old man, don't scare me! Have you forgotten something important? Could you have offended that person?"

The Earth God shook his head, then nodded, his expression shifting, before finally letting out a dejected sigh:

"I can't remember...maybe just some trivial country gossip, I'm getting senile..."

He rubbed his temples, ultimately unable to piece together the blurry fragments, only feeling a vague unease in his heart.

But it lingered like the wisps of smoke that never dissipated from an incense burner.

…………

As dusk fell, the forest glowed a warm, golden yellow.

Deep in the mountain valley, several palaces and pavilions are scattered along the mountainside, their eaves peeking out from among the ancient trees, blending in with the yellow leaves covering the mountain.

Occasionally, a young Taoist boy dressed in an apricot-yellow robe would silently traverse the stone steps.

When the wind blows, the copper bells on the eaves ring softly, startling two or three crows into flight before they disappear into a deeper silence.

In the distance, the windows of the building were half-closed, letting out a dim yellow light from an ever-burning lamp, which blended with the lingering sunset on the horizon, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was dusk or incense smoke.

Above the lintel hangs a newly made plaque with the three ancient characters "Huanghua Temple" written on it. The ink is still fresh and seems to have a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

This is the Taoist temple of the Golden Light Immortal – Huanghua Temple.

Daoist Zhenzhi, riding on his escape light, landed somewhat hastily on the blue stone platform in front of the temple.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the palpitations in his heart and the lingering chill.

He straightened his Taoist robe, which was slightly disheveled from his hasty escape, before stepping into the temple.

Master Zhenzhi composed himself and quickly crossed the front courtyard.

The young Taoist priest sweeping the courtyard saw him return and was about to greet him, but he waved his hand to stop him, signaling him to be quiet.

Master Zhenzhi walked straight through the main hall, around the back corridor, and arrived at a quiet and secluded room.

Several gnarled pine trees stand outside the gate, and the stone tables and benches beneath them are spotless. The air is filled with a faint blend of sandalwood and medicinal fragrance, which is refreshing and invigorating.

He took a deep breath, stood respectfully outside the door, and said in a respectful voice:

"Disciple Zhenzhi has been ordered by Master to deliver a talisman to the local deity of Yangquan Ridge and has come to report back."

Inside the quiet room.

The faint, long, and peaceful breathing sounds paused slightly.

Then a gentle yet clear voice rang out: "Come in."

Master Zhenzhi responded with a "Yes" and gently pushed open the half-closed bamboo door.

He lowered his head and went inside.