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

Sword light flashed, and crimson clouds reflected on their faces.

The second lion had no time to react, and even fear had not fully arisen.

Countless fragmented images flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

It finally settled into an endless expanse of crimson.

The world seemed to suddenly turn upside down and spin.

A lion's head, its mane bristling and its eyes wide open, rolled and soared into the sky.

Hot blood gushed from his neck cavity, more than ten feet long, and before it hit the ground, it was instantly vaporized into a crimson blood mist by the fire attached to the sword light.

The headless lion's body remained in the posture of making hand seals to activate its escape technique. It staggered forward for several more feet before crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dry branches and dust.

Only the gradually dissipating blood mist and the nauseating smell of burnt blood remained on the spot.

A hundred miles away, where the lingering purple light dissipated.

The burly figure of the eldest bear staggered into existence, appearing at the spot where the second lion had been fleeing for his life.

His face was as pale as paper, and his breath plummeted, clearly indicating that the mouthful of elixir and blood he had just spat out had greatly depleted his energy.

As soon as it appeared, it mustered a strong burst of demonic energy, and a demonic wind rose beneath its feet as it frantically fled forward without looking back!

Xiong Laoda's heart pounded wildly, a mixture of lingering fear from escaping death and a complex mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

"Fortunately...fortunately, I obtained this [Mysterious Purple Qi Teleportation Talisman] from that ancient cultivator's cave back then, and I've never been willing to use it!"

His mind raced, and a fleeting sense of guilt was quickly suppressed by an even stronger will to survive.

"Second brother, don't blame your elder brother for being ruthless. That wicked Taoist priest is extremely ruthless and far beyond our ability to defeat."

Better to die than see my friend perish. You can go in peace. If we try to escape together, my elder brother can't keep up with you and will surely die.

Only by using the path you took to escape by burning your blood can my elder brother gain a sliver of hope...

We've been brothers, and from now on, during festivals and holidays, I'll make sure you have plenty of paper money to offer, so you can be a wealthy ghost even in the afterlife..."

Boss Xiong activated his escape light with all his might, leaving the chilling sword intent and firelight behind him far behind.

Two hundred miles of forest rushed past beneath my feet, and the exhaustion and relief of surviving the ordeal gradually welled up in my heart.

"At such a distance, it won't be easy for that Taoist priest to catch up, will it?"

In the forest clearing, the smoke and dust had not yet dissipated, and the smell of scorched earth lingered.

The surrounding area fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, a buzzing sound rang out as whispers and discussions surged forth from behind the ancient trees and strange rocks where they were hiding.

The demonic spectators peeked out one by one, their faces displaying a variety of expressions.

The expected scene of Xiong Laoda sacrificing himself to cover the retreat and dying a tragic death did not occur.

Instead, he used a strange purple talisman to forcibly move the Lion King, who had already escaped, back to the dead end, while he himself slipped away and disappeared.

Lion King probably never understood how he suddenly returned to that deadly sword light until his death.

"This...this..."

Some of the slower ones were speechless, pointing at the spot where Lion Two had died, then looking towards the horizon where Bear One had disappeared, unable to utter a coherent sentence.

"Excellent tactic! Truly excellent tactic!"

"Good for you, brother, go first, and I'll cover the rear! You've really opened my eyes!"

That Boss Xiong probably already had a backup plan, just waiting to use his own brothers as a scapegoat!

"Tsk tsk, just now, seeing how sincerely that black bear demon roared, I was almost intimidated by him. He really is a righteous man."

A fat, big-eared pig demon shook its head and smacked its lips.

"But who would have thought... that he would be so 'loyal'! That Lion Second probably never understood how he could take a sword for his 'good big brother' in the blink of an eye."

"Brothers in love and respect, brothers in love and respect..." A demon drew out the words, eliciting several suppressed snickers from the vicinity.

"What brothers? They're just people who come together for profit and scatter when the profit is gone, and they all fly away when disaster strikes! But the way they fly away is truly eye-opening."

The demons were all talking amongst themselves, and their earlier admiration for Boss Xiong's boldness had long since vanished.

In spiritual cultivation and the pursuit of the Dao, the law of the jungle is the natural order of things.

But such blatant scheming and betrayal, occurring between sworn brothers, still drew ridicule from these bloodthirsty demons.

In the store.

The clamor and discussion coming from outside the door were clearly audible.

Two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps flickered silently in the deep-set eye sockets, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

The shopkeeper muttered to himself in a barely audible voice, "Black people eat black people, ghosts cheat ghosts, the world has never changed."

Amid the murmurs, countless gazes, filled with complex and unreadable expressions, were cast toward the solitary figure in crimson robes standing in the center of the open space.

Xiong Laoda's escape was incredibly decisive. He sacrificed his sworn brothers, used his Blood Burning Escape Technique to create enough distance, and then used the power of talismans to instantly fly far away.

At this moment, the aura was already three hundred miles away, and the vast and secluded black pine forest, filled with miasma, was the easiest place to conceal one's whereabouts.

If we wait until it completely disappears before trying to find it, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Will this Immortal Jiangxiao simply give up and let him escape? Or... do he have another plan?

Chen Jiao remained indifferent to the remarkable camaraderie between the two demons during the battle.

Having cultivated the Tao for a long time, I have seen many such things. The human heart is full of evil and the nature of demons is treacherous, and they are all the same.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the southwestern horizon where Boss Xiong had disappeared. The night sky there remained deep and still, without stars or moon.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the southwestern horizon where Boss Xiong had disappeared. The night sky there remained deep and still, without stars or moon.

Without any apparent action, he simply thrust out his sword.

"Clang!"

A clear, melodious sword rang out, seemingly carrying the long, drawn-out cry of a phoenix, piercing through clouds and splitting rocks.

The fire elemental energy in the surrounding world emerged from the void and converged on the longsword in his hand from all directions.

A beam of sword light burst forth from the scabbard!

At first it was just a line, but in an instant it transformed into a long red rainbow that stretched across the sky and earth, its length unknown, perhaps hundreds of miles!

It was as if the Milky Way had been reversed, with crimson clouds paving the way, piercing through the long night in an instant, chasing after the elusive light that had already turned into a faint glimmer in the sky.

The demons in the forest looked up and saw a crimson rainbow piercing the sky, stretching endlessly. They were speechless for a moment, with only the clear and melodious sword chant, like the cry of a phoenix, lingering for a long time.

The distance of hundreds of miles was infinitely shortened by this one sword strike.

…………

…………

The crimson sword light chased after the stars and the moon, illuminating half the night sky as bright as day, before suddenly receding and disappearing beyond the distant mountains.

The demons watching outside the shop, regardless of their level of cultivation, all fell silent at this moment.

Any previous doubts or speculations have now vanished into silence.

The terrifying scene of a single sword illuminating a hundred miles of sky and relentlessly pursuing the fleeing enemy speaks volumes beyond words.

"Incredible, truly incredible, I only realize it today..."

An old demon murmured softly, breaking the silence.

"The legend of that sword igniting the sky and the fiery clouds reflecting half the wall red is indeed true."

"It's more than just not false..."

Another demon chimed in, his voice dry: "I'm afraid it's even worse."

"To slash from hundreds of miles away, such a technique, even for a Golden Core cultivator at their peak, would likely be..."

Whispers and sighs gradually increased, and the eerie shadows began to retreat quietly, merging into the darkness and gradually dissipating.

It is conceivable that after this night, the name of the Crimson Cloud Immortal will likely rise even higher.

However, this reputation was forged by stepping on the corpses of three Golden Core Demon Lords in such a cruel and domineering way.

Most of the demonic guests had already left, leaving only two figures lingering in the shadows near the shop entrance—the eccentric monster and the liar.

The two demons looked hesitant, talking in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the open space outside the shop.

"The task assigned by the King..."

The eccentric man lowered his voice to a very low hue and said, "How did that Seven Fiends Grand Master of Skull Ridge suddenly perish?"

His mastery of Yin Dan techniques is exactly what the King desperately needs. It was so difficult to make contact with him, and now this is perfect.

The liar licked his lips, his beady eyes gleaming with cunning:

"That's not all."

I heard that Master Luo of Jieyang Mountain also suddenly went into seclusion some time ago, sealing his cave tightly, saying that he wanted to comprehend some ancient elixir formula and would not come out easily.

The king was very displeased by this.

In the southwest of Xiniu Hezhou, there are very few experts who are skilled in alchemy and can also refine elixirs with yin and cold properties.

As the two demons spoke, they both turned their gazes toward Jiangxiao Zhenren.

There, Chen Jiao had already sheathed his sword and was heading towards the spot where Lion Lao Er had died.

With a slight flick of his sleeve, the enormous lion's head, still bearing a frozen expression of shock, flew into the air and landed in his hand.

Carrying the lion head, he turned and walked back into the dark doorway of "Midnight Lamp".

"This Immortal Jiangxiao..."

The man who was tearing his hair out moved his throat, his voice lowered, and he said again:

"His fire magic is so profound, and he dresses like a Taoist priest... Do you think he might also be skilled in alchemy?"

I've heard the King mention that if someone could refine yin materials with yang fire, achieving a balance of yin and yang, the resulting elixir would be of even higher quality than that made using pure yin methods. However, such individuals are extremely rare.

You mean...

But this person doesn't seem like someone to be trifled with; didn't you see what happened to those three?

Even the eccentric monster was somewhat tempted, but looking at the ancient longsword and recalling the earth-shattering sword strike just now, he couldn't help but shrink back.

"We have to give it a try. If it works, wouldn't that be a shared achievement?"

A flicker of struggle and determination flashed in the eyes of the man who was pulling apart his skin. He watched the figure in crimson robes enter the shop and whispered.

If we could find someone like him to refine elixirs for the king, even just by making a connection, it would be a great achievement.

"When he comes out again, act according to the circumstances, and be sure to speak respectfully..."

While the two demons were scratching their heads and anxiously discussing the matter,

Chen Jiao, carrying the lion head, stepped over the threshold and re-entered the shop.

The shop was dimly lit, and the shopkeeper sat behind the counter as if he had never moved.

Upon seeing Chen Jiao return, his deep-set eyes shifted slightly, landing on the lion's head before slowly moving away.

Chen Jiao walked to the counter, raised his wrist slightly, and tossed the still-warm, mane-stirring lion head onto the dark counter surface with just the right amount of force.

"Lion's head meatballs, braised."

The shopkeeper's hand emerged from the shadows, and without any visible spellcasting, the lion's head hovered steadily a foot or so in front of him.

His gaze swept over the ferocious lion's head before returning to Chen Jiao, and his dry voice slowly uttered the words:

"Sir, our shop is closed for today."

Besides, didn't the guest already have a bowl of bamboo noodles?

Chen Jiao casually sat down on a relatively clean bench nearby, his ancient longsword leaning against the edge of the table.

He looked up and chuckled, "Noodles are noodles, and dishes are dishes. That bowl of noodles was just to fill my stomach. This braised lion's head meatball is the main dish."

"No wonder Daoist Jiao sent you here. It must be to go to 'that place'."

Having said that, he said no more, got up, lifted the greasy, black curtain, and stepped back into the kitchen.

Before long, he came out carrying a steaming hot, coarse earthenware bowl.

The bowl contains several large meatballs, which are dark red and glossy, and shaped like lion heads. You can see the muscles and bones are tender and muscular.

In his other hand, he was carrying a pot of freshly warmed Yunye wine.

He placed the bowl and wine in front of Chen Jiao, and then sat down on an empty stool next to him, facing him.

With deep, dark eyes, he quietly gazed at the crimson-robed immortal who had slain three demons that day and was now ordering a dish of "braised lion's head meatballs".

Every time Chen Jiao looked at this enormous meatball, he couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

It's as if through these grotesque ingredients, cooked into famous dishes, one can see certain scenes that only exist in the corners of memory.

The ingredients are a bit strange, and the size is a bit frightening, but in this respect... it's pretty much the same.

Chen Jiao picked up a piece with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. The meat was tender and the sauce was rich, making it quite delicious.

The shopkeeper also took a cup, poured half a cup of Yunye wine, and sipped it slowly.

A ghostly fire flickered silently in his eyes. Suddenly, he spoke, his voice dry and hoarse, asking:

"What is your relationship with that Jiao Daoren?"

Judging from the way you ordered the food and your taste, are you perhaps his grandson?

Otherwise, why would someone like him have such a fondness for this kind of food?

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao paused slightly in his chewing motion.

Grandchildren?

He felt somewhat helpless.

Chen Jiao swallowed the food in his mouth, took another sip of wine, and then looked up at the shopkeeper with a calm expression:

"We're not really friends. He was just a senior I met by chance during my travels. We found we shared similar interests and he gave me some pointers."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper nodded, letting out a few short, low chuckles, seemingly finding it amusing, and slowly said:

"That's not surprising. Someone who shares his interests... hehehe..."

Chen Jiao's chopsticks froze in mid-air, unsure of what to say.

The shopkeeper didn't press the matter further, sipping his wine and gazing out at the deep night, as if piercing through hundreds of years.

"I knew it, that guy's tough as nails, he won't die."

There's been no news for centuries... Without him ordering this dish every few days, my skills in making lion's head meatballs have almost become rusty.

The shopkeeper took another sip of wine, his voice low and slow, carrying a hint of distant reminiscence:

"Speaking of that Jiao Dao Ren... he was also a lawless and unruly person."

Once, for some reason, he offended an old demon lion king who was at the Nascent Soul stage.

He paused, a flicker of ghostly fire in his eyes:

"Not only was the Daoist Jiao not afraid, but he also came to our door."

Instead of fighting the old demon to the death, they targeted the lion demons under his command who had formed their cores and become infants.

"They cut off his head and brought it to my little shop..."

He raised his eyelids and glanced at the empty shop:

"During that period, there were far fewer beast-like monsters like lions and tigers visiting my shop."

I was terrified that if he saw me, I'd end up like the braised lion's head meatballs in this bowl.

"And then...?"

"That old lion demon couldn't escape his grasp after all. The round head of the Nascent Soul Realm lion demon is incomparable to these younger generation."

Chen Jiao listened quietly; he naturally remembered.

At that time, his cultivation had improved and he needed to test his sword. The Lion King and his demon followers came crashing into him and became his whetstone.

When the fighting got heated, the lion demons in the surrounding mountains and forests were terrified and all who could run away fled, making it a peaceful time for quite a while.

Chen Jiao showed no emotion, only nodding slightly as if listening to an interesting anecdote unrelated to himself, and said indifferently:

"This Daoist Jiao's methods are quite unique."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper slowly added:

"Later, no one knew where that guy went, and there was no news of him at all."

The old man's skill in making braised lion's head meatballs, which he learned from him, has also been neglected for many years.

As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece from the bowl, put it in his mouth, slowly savored it, and nodded slightly.

"The cooking time was just right, and the sauce was also quite flavorful."

However, the materials... are ultimately quite inferior to those of the Nascent Soul stage old lion from back then.

He put down his chopsticks, and his eyes, which were flickering with eerie green light, suddenly fixed on Chen Jiao.

The previous relaxed, casual tone vanished completely, and his voice became calm and slow:

"So, you've really come here to go to that place? Have you really made up your mind?"

Before Chen Jiao could answer, he slowly uttered three words, his voice dry and strained, yet seemingly carrying the weight of a thousand pounds:

"Tongyou City".