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

The tiger roams the mountains silently.

Only the mountain wind, blowing across the rugged rock face, makes a mournful sound.

After walking for a short while, mist began to rise from the mountain valley ahead, and the sound of water could be faintly heard.

After turning around a rock wall, the view suddenly opened up before us.

There was a clear spring, nestled among the rocks, about five zhang wide and ten zhang long, shaped like a crescent moon.

The spring water is crystal clear, and you can clearly see the small white pebbles and ochre gravel at the bottom of the pool.

On the four stone walls of the pool, six or seven holes about the size of a bowl can be vaguely seen, from which warm water gurgles out and flows into the pool.

It then flows slowly out along a natural ditch by the pond, meandering down the mountain. Even two or three miles away, wisps of heat can still be seen seeping into the fields.

This is the Cleansing Spring.

The spring water steams up, but it has no sulfurous smell; instead, it has a faint, refreshing aroma.

The tiger stopped more than ten feet away from the spring, lowered its body, flared its nostrils, and let out a low growl. Its eyes revealed instinctive vigilance and unease.

Chen Jiao gracefully descended and stood quietly by the spring.

The pool water was clear, with droplets of water shimmering like pearls and jade.

It may seem like an ordinary hot spring, but the scorching heat emanating from the depths of the spring quietly washes over the skin and seeps into the meridians.

He was an ancient black dragon, born to rule over all waters, and was impervious to heat and cold.

However, the heat here is unique; it is not a violent, scorching heat that burns the sky and boils the sea, but rather an inner, restless heat.

This agitation doesn't burn the skin, but penetrates directly to the mind, stirring the vital energy.

Even with Chen Jiao's profound cultivation and stable spirit, he felt that the pure and refined water elemental power deep within his dantian was somewhat restless.

A subtle, burning sensation arose from deep within my limbs and bones; though not intense, it lingered like a persistent, intractable infection.

His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Beside Chen Jiao, the spotted tiger transformed from the demon lord Xiaoyue was in an even more obvious predicament.

Tigers are the kings of the mountains and forests, and are of pure Yang nature. They should not be afraid of ordinary fire, and may even be able to use fire to cultivate themselves.

However, the yang fire aura emanating from this cleansing spring is completely different from the earth fire and demon fire it usually absorbs.

Stimulated by this extremely yang and intense aura, almost every hair on his body, as sharp as steel needles, stood on end.

A low, painful sob was suppressed in his throat, and the air that came out of his nostrils was no longer a foul stench, but hot air carrying sparks.

Its four paws gripped the ground tightly, its sharp claws carved deep grooves into the rocks, blood vessels were visible in its tiger eyes, and its demonic aura surged and churned uncontrollably around it.

If Chen Jiao hadn't been there, his aura as deep as an abyss, suppressing its mind and spirit.

At this moment, he was probably already unable to hold back any longer and wanted to roar to the sky to release the scorching heat within his body that was about to explode.

Chen Jiao glanced at the tiger and said calmly, "Step back a bit."

The tiger, as if granted a pardon, let out a low growl and hastily retreated.

Only after retreating more than twenty paces and finding a shady rock to lie down did the intense heat that shot straight to the lungs subside slightly.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light as he stared intently at the seemingly calm spring, filled with apprehension.

But the gaze directed at the figure in black robes by the spring grew ever more reverent.

Xiao Yue was a tiger demon who had attained enlightenment, and he was most sensitive to such pure yang fire. As soon as he got close, he felt his demonic power boiling, almost burning him to the bone.

But our king is clearly a water-elemental dragon, naturally averse to dryness and drawn to water. Yet, he remains so calm in the face of such terrifying heat.

Xiao Yue let out a low, awe-inspiring sob, lowering his head even further.

Your Majesty's abilities are indeed beyond comprehension!

Chen Jiao stood by the spring, observing quietly for a moment.

The pool water is crystal clear, and steam rises gently. No matter when or where, Cola Novels is your most loyal reading companion. While ordinary people might risk burns by getting too close, it's perfectly normal for him.

He took a step forward, and his whole body seemed to merge into the water's reflection, silently disappearing into the spring.

The spring water is warm, far exceeding that of ordinary geothermal springs.

Chen Jiao hovered in the center of the pool, his eyes closed, his vast divine consciousness spreading out like an invisible tide.

It seeps into every inch of water, every rock at the bottom of the pool, and every wisp of rising steam.

Within the reach of divine sense, the structure of the pool water, the direction of the earth's veins, the source of the fire energy...

Every little detail is reflected in my mind.

Apart from the abundant and powerful Yang fire energy, which far surpasses that of ordinary earth fire, there was not a trace of any special aura related to the origin of the true fire of the sun.

This is indeed a rare earth fire spirit eye.

Over the years, it has been tainted by the remnants of the ancient golden crow, and its fire nature has changed. It is more domineering than ordinary earth fire, but it is also cleaner, with less of the turbid air from the earth's lungs.

However, that's all.

Chen Jiao opened his eyes, a dark light swirling within them, reflecting the tiny bubbles rising in the water.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Could it be that there is another secret here, concealing the true source of fire extremely deeply?

Or perhaps its remaining true fire has been completely refined and merged with the earth's veins, making it difficult to distinguish.

After a moment's thought, Chen Jiao's sleeve flashed with a faint light, and the [Burning Heaven Golden Ring] quietly landed in his palm.

The gold ring was simple and unadorned, with obscure runes on it, and there was nothing unusual about it.

However, just as the golden ring appeared...

"Buzz".

A deep, clear tremor resounded without warning from inside the golden ring.

It then slowly floated up on its own, detached from Chen Jiao's palm, and hovered above the pool.

Even more strangely...

The yang fire energy that had been slowly spreading in the surrounding springs suddenly began to converge on the golden ring, like rivers flowing into the sea.

It formed visible streams of red air, which were swallowed up by the golden ring.

And it doesn't stop there.

As the golden ring frantically absorbed the Yang Fire Qi, subtle ripples seemed to appear in the void above the spring pool.

In the void, tiny, yet dazzling golden specks of light appeared out of nowhere.

Though as thin as mist, it is real and true.

As soon as these golden shards appeared, they were drawn by some invisible force, fluttering and swirling like moths to a flame towards the radiant golden ring, merging into it.

The golden ring shone even brighter.

At its core, a tiny, yet seemingly incinerating, golden flame is slowly taking shape and pulsating!

An ancient, noble, and supreme aura spread out, carrying a primal pressure that surpassed all fires.

It is the aura of the True Fire of the Sun!

Chen Jiao's pupils contracted slightly, and a trace of solemnity finally flashed across his eyes, which had been as calm as an ancient well.

This cleansing spring truly holds a hidden world within!

The [Burning Heaven Golden Ring] actually became a medium for summoning the true fire of the sun from the void.

Chen Jiao was delighted.

There are many kinds of spiritual fire in the world, each with its own mysteries.

For example, the "Stone Fire" is gentle and long-lasting, and has miraculous effects in both weapon crafting and alchemy, making it a rare and precious item.

The fact that Ruyi Zhenren obtained it can be regarded as an extremely fortunate opportunity, and Tianyang Zhenren was also very envious.

However, such spiritual fire is ultimately born from acquired spiritual energy.

Although we are endowed with the gifts of heaven and earth, our abilities are ultimately limited.