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

The writing on the letter was done with a special mixture of gold powder and elixirs, with a faint medicinal fragrance and a shimmering light, clearly the work of the wealthy and powerful monk.

This letter, quite coincidentally, came from the hand of the Golden Toad Demon Lord.

Chen Jiao naturally remembered this Golden Toad Demon Lord.

At the opening banquet of Huanghua Temple, Xuan Ling intimidated the Jin Guang Zhenren's Dan Du business, which he had attempted to seize.

The invitation contained the details of the upcoming "Hundred Treasures Elixir Drug Appraisal Conference".

This conference invited renowned alchemists and pharmacists from all over Xiniu Hezhou, as well as powerful merchants of medicinal herbs and pills.

Ostensibly a gathering to exchange alchemy techniques, share experiences, and exchange resources, it was in reality a grand event for trading elixirs and spiritual materials, as well as a platform for networking.

The network of interests and relationships involved behind the scenes is considerable.

Those who receive this letter are all people with some reputation or influence in the field of elixirs or related businesses in Xiniu Hezhou.

Unexpectedly, the Golden Toad Demon Lord's business network also extended to the Seven Fiends Grand Master.

This demonstrates the breadth of his social circle and the influence of the Hundred Treasures Elixir Appraisal Conference in Xiniu Hezhou.

"The Hundred Treasures Medicine Appraisal Conference..."

Chen Jiao gently touched the smooth, cool texture of the invitation, his mind racing with thoughts.

He was pondering when and where to place the Vermilion Bird, in its transformed form, Crimson Cloud, in the Western Continent of Niuhe.

This invitation presents a good opportunity.

His mind stirred slightly.

Deep within the spiritual realm, atop the Daoist scroll.

The true form of Jiang Xiao, clad in red robes and carrying a sword, exuding an air of refined elegance, also lit up slightly.

Just as he was pondering this, footsteps came from outside the hall.

General Hu Lei She Qi led a man in, his expression somewhat strange.

The newcomer was dressed in the armor of a celestial general, with an unfamiliar face and a somewhat hesitant expression.

It was a Yaksha general under Li Jing's command.

Chen Jiao shifted his gaze from the invitation to the Yaksha General, his brows twitching slightly.

At this time and place, Li Jing's subordinate arrived alone...

Chen Jiao already had a vague idea of ​​their purpose in coming.

Before the Yaksha general could even approach to report, several beams of cloud light descended from the surrounding area.

The generals of Lei's mansion all fixed their sharp eyes on the Yaksha general.

They naturally knew that this was a Yaksha general under Li Tianwang's command.

The generals of the Thunder Department clearly remembered Li Jing's veiled refusal at the South Heavenly Gate not long ago.

Now they've sent someone to find the True Lord who just wiped out the evil cultivators and is still cleaning up the mess. What's their intention?

It must be that we've encountered a tough nut to crack!

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became somewhat solemn due to the arrival and gazes of the Thunder Department generals.

The Yaksha felt the unfriendly gazes directed at him and inwardly groaned.

He stole a glance at the serene and silent Jingfa Zhenjun above him, his throat went dry, and he didn't know how to speak for a moment.

Yaksha took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. He dared not conceal anything, nor did he dare to completely repeat Li Jing's pretentious words.

After careful consideration, he recounted the events at Wujin Mountain in a humble and sincere manner, concealing the most obvious tone of reserve.

Finally, the Yaksha General said again:

"The Heavenly King said that the True Lord is ordered to patrol and cleanse the demonic atmosphere, which is his duty."

The evil spirits of Wujin Mountain are vicious and wicked, skilled in the art of defiling and corrupting the gods. I fear that they will grow stronger and cause even more harm.

Therefore, I have specially dispatched this humble general to earnestly request that Your Majesty, considering that we are both ministers in the same palace and jointly uphold the peace and tranquility of Heaven, please move your carriage to me.

"With the divine thunder and righteous law, we will lend our army a hand, enabling us to quickly sweep away the demon's lair, capture the fugitives, and thus complete the merit of vanquishing the demon."

However, no matter how the Yaksha modified it, the key point is that Li Jing suffered a defeat and setback, unable to defeat the demon, and had no choice but to ask for help.

This fact, however, cannot be concealed.

Which of the generals from Lei's household present wasn't a seasoned and discerning individual?

Moreover, only a few days have passed since that scene at the South Heavenly Gate.

Sure enough, after hearing this, the generals' expressions grew increasingly unpleasant.

So, when they don't need us, even helping out along the way is considered a burden, for fear of taking away credit or disrupting the strategy.

Now that they've run into a tough opponent and can't break through, suffering heavy losses, they're suddenly thinking of the True Lord and the might of the Thunder Department's divine thunder?

He still maintained the airs of a high-ranking general, showing little sincerity in genuinely asking for help.

Where in the world is there such a cheap deal?

Chen Jiao's face was ashen as he unconsciously glanced at the supple, golden invitation card hidden in his sleeve.

He was naturally unhappy about it.

He could roughly guess what Li Jing was thinking.

He is concerned with saving face and greedy for complete success, but his abilities are insufficient to support his ambitions.

Chen Jiao clearly saw through the other party's desire to avoid sharing the credit at the South Heavenly Gate that day, so he went along with it.

Unexpectedly, Li Jing encountered a setback so quickly.

Now that we've come to their door seeking help, they still offer the same insincere and aloof responses.

If it weren't for the overall situation and the fact that the golden-nosed white-haired rat spirit was acting on the Buddha's orders, he would have indeed considered sending the Yaksha general back.

However, given Chen Jiao's current status and temperament, he wouldn't show it on his face.

Before he could even speak, the Firebell Thunder Messenger below could no longer contain himself.

Firebell has the fiercest temper and is known for her sharp tongue.

Seeing that the True Lord remained calm and silent, without showing any sign of agreement, he immediately began to consider his options.

The Firebell Thunder Messenger stepped forward, gave the Yaksha General a forced smile, and said:

"General Yaksha, let me let you know that my True Lord is ordered to patrol the four continents and cleanse the demonic atmosphere. He has no time to spare."

It was my duty to wipe out a group of evil cultivators from Skull Ridge and save the people from suffering.

Little did they know that Li Tianwang's capture of a rat demon would only cause more harm, requiring others to come and assist him in order to complete the task of vanquishing the demon.

Could it be that even with Li Tianwang's literary and martial prowess, he couldn't defeat two demon kings from the lower realms?

His words were ostensibly praise but actually criticism; he never mentioned the events at Nantianmen, yet every sentence hit that awkward spot.

Although he did not openly rebuke Li Jing, the sarcasm in his words was clear even to a deaf person.

The way he uttered the words "King Li" and his tone of voice was even more offensive than directly cursing someone's mother.

The Yaksha General's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he lowered his head even further, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He had heard of the Firebell Thunder Messenger's notorious sharp tongue and bad temper, and today he finally experienced it for himself.

Chen Jiao slightly raised his eyelids, glanced at the Fire Bell Messenger, but did not immediately reprimand him.

The other generals, though not as sharp-tongued as Huo Ling, also spoke up, their words filled with discontent.

General Hu Lei She Qi shook his head and sighed:

"If we had traveled together at the South Heavenly Gate that day, would we be in this predicament today?"

General Qian Tian Fu Mo said calmly:

"When asking for help, one should at least do it properly. Especially when you're asking our True Lord for help."

"Hey, we are here on a mission to cleanse the demonic forces, and we have our own procedures. Wujin Mountain? That's where Li Tianwang personally appointed us to capture the demons on the Buddha's orders."

How dare we interfere and steal the Heavenly King's credit?

The fierce official who devoured demons and monsters had a booming voice, but his words were like a knife hidden in a soft tongue.

One after another, they talked until the Yaksha general's face turned pale and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He could only bow repeatedly, saying, "Generals, please calm down," and "The Marshal is only trying to capture the demon and bring him to justice as soon as possible," and so on.

The Yaksha general knew perfectly well that his marshal had handled the matter rather poorly, and had fallen into a low position. No wonder the generals of Lei's mansion were resentful.

As a mere messenger, he could only swallow his bitterness and felt no resentment whatsoever.

I only hope that the True Lord Jingfa in front of me can consider the overall situation and not get angry over this.

After a while.

Chen Jiao slightly raised his hand.

The generals in the hall immediately fell silent, concealing all their dissatisfaction and regaining the solemnity befitting a Thunder God General.

Yaksha felt a sudden tightness in his chest and involuntarily straightened his back slightly, but still kept his head down and his ears perked up.

They await the judgment of this young yet increasingly dignified True Lord.

Chen Jiao's gaze swept calmly across the faces of his generals before finally settling on the Yaksha general.

He was certainly not the kind of person who could be summoned and dismissed at will, used when needed and discarded when not.

Li Jing's actions, while perhaps forgivable in a public sense, are chilling in a private one.

Especially for his own subordinates who had risked their lives and were proud and arrogant, if they were to agree so easily, it would be a blow to their morale and dampen the spirits of the army.

Li Jing was unwilling to share the credit and wanted to claim all the credit for capturing the demon, but after hitting a wall, he thought of others.

Is there such a cheap deal in the world?

Chen Jiao remained calm. Since he was going to take action, he couldn't let his efforts go to waste.

Not for himself, but for the sake of his officers and soldiers, he should fight for the merits and dignity they deserve.

The decision was made.

Chen Jiaofang spoke slowly, his words echoing throughout the hall:

"Exorcising demons and monsters is our duty, and upholding the laws of heaven and purifying the world is the responsibility of the Thunder Department."

He paused, then said:

"The decrees of the Buddha and the Master concern the dignity of Mount Ling, and therefore cannot be taken lightly or delayed."

Since King Li Tianwang has made this request, and we are both officials of the Heavenly Court, I, Your Majesty…”

Chen Jiao's tone shifted slightly, and his gaze seemed to deepen:

"We must prioritize the overall situation and not sit idly by while evil forces run rampant."

Hearing this, the Yaksha general felt relieved, thinking that things were looking promising. He was about to bow and express his gratitude when Chen Jiao continued:

"only--"

Yaksha's heart, which had just settled down, was raised again.

"The generals under my command are not like the detached troops that can be freely commanded by others."

"If it is our Lei family's duty to contribute on this trip, we will certainly work together with one heart and one mind; if we achieve any results..."

He paused briefly, his gaze returning to the Yaksha general. Though there was no fierceness in his eyes, it sent a chill down the other's spine.

"The laws of Heaven are clear, and rewards and punishments for merits and demerits will be determined accordingly. Please make sure to convey these words to the General."

The yaksha general felt a chill run down his spine and a bitter taste in his mouth.

This True Lord Jingfa spoke calmly, even politely, yet the weight of his words was as heavy as a mountain.

This clearly means: Go, you can, but my Lei family is an independent army, not your subordinate Li Jing, and we will not listen to your orders.

How to determine merits and rewards and punishments must be based on the rules of heaven and actual achievements, without any ambiguity.

It's not like what you, Li Jing, claim—that it's all your doing, and that we're helping you for nothing. Don't dream about it.

"This humble general... will remember the True Lord's teachings and will certainly report back to the Marshal truthfully."

The Yaksha bowed and replied, secretly sighing inwardly that the Marshal's expression would likely be even more unpleasant upon hearing these words upon his return.

Chen Jiao said no more, stood up, and his black cloak fluttered.

"In that case, there's no time to lose."

His gaze swept over the generals in the hall, and he said in a deep voice:

"Gather the troops and set off immediately for Wujin Mountain."

"I will obey the True Lord's decree!"

The generals responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the palace.

The slight resentment from before seemed to transform into a fierce fighting spirit with this echo.

After a while.

Thunderclouds gathered again above Skull Ridge.

Chen Jiao led the generals of the Thunder Department and elite Thunder Soldiers, riding on rolling thunderclouds, and left this place, heading straight towards Wujin Mountain.

The thunderous roar continued incessantly, displaying a majestic and righteous divine power that swept away all evil influences.

Once the thunderclouds had dispersed, Skull Ridge returned to silence.

Only the mountains, cleansed by thunder, gradually regain their pristine air.

On the ruins of the Seven Fiends Main Hall.

A figure in crimson robes, carrying a sword, stood silently amidst the ruins.

Gazing in the direction where the thunderclouds had disappeared, a faint crimson light flickered in his eyes, like a quietly burning flame.

He was the incarnation of the Vermilion Bird—the Immortal Jiangxiao.