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

Deep within Hulao Cave, the stone palace stands solemnly.

The cave was filled with malevolent energy, and loose stones rained down.

Tiger King sat on a stone seat, his knuckles tapping the skull carvings on the armrest, the black and yellow stripes on his body writhing like a living creature.

The dozen or so commanders seated below him had their eyes downcast and their noses closed, all holding their breath and bowing their heads.

After the little demon finished his stammering report, the cave fell into an eerie silence so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the crackling of demonic fire on the stone walls.

The leaders of the late-stage Qi Refining realm in Hulao Cave were all shaken to their core. They looked at each other and saw the horror in each other's eyes.

The Grand Commander Hu Lie is at the ninth level of Qi Refining. He has been cultivated by the Tiger King for a long time and is expected to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. His strength is unparalleled among the four caves of Qingchi Ridge.

They actually managed to kill Xuan Ling, a guy who had only come to join the Demon Lord a few years ago!

This is absolutely unbelievable!

I am no match for Hu Lie. Does that mean I would die instantly if I were to take a single claw?

For a moment, all the commanders felt their hair stand on end.

The figure on the high seat suddenly opened his eyes, and a scarlet aura emanated from him as if it were a tangible substance.

"Lie'er... is dead?" Hu Sha's voice was deep and rumbling like thunder rolling across the rock wall, and a piece of the stone seat under his claws shattered silently.

"It's...it's Xuan Ling...one claw and..." The little demon who delivered the message trembled like a leaf, and before he could finish speaking, his head exploded like a watermelon.

Before the little demon could even scream, its life essence was drained away, leaving a thin red line that disappeared into the tiger demon's palm.

All that remained was a withered demon skin, lying limply on the ground.

"Xuan Ling..."

Tiger Fiend spat out the name through clenched teeth. His tiger-like eyes, once filled with mockery and arrogance, now held a surging ferocity and a hint of incredulous disbelief. "He dares… how could he…"

He had cultivated Hu Lie for many years, allowing him to freely consume his blood and spiritual materials, waiting only for him to successfully establish his foundation before secretly refining him into a puppet.

It's not just about having an extra Foundation Establishment combat power; it's also about having a way out!

All the hard work of the past years has now been in vain.

"Very well, very well indeed." General Tiger Fiend clenched his five fingers, and the crimson blood in his palm burst into red mist. "I am still too merciful. Even the most insignificant mudfish and catfish dare to ride roughshod over me."

A red-haired demon leader witnessed this scene, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he whispered, "To be able to so easily kill Commander Hu Lie... could it be that he has already broken through the Foundation Establishment barrier?"

"Foundation Establishment?" Hu Sha's voice was hoarse like the grinding of gravel. "Even if he has truly achieved Foundation Establishment, killing him will only require a little more effort from me."

The black-skinned boar demon leader hesitated and took half a step forward, his mane trembling slightly: "Your...Your Majesty, he also asked me to tell you...that he will pay you a visit soon."

The cave fell silent instantly.

This dragon demon Xuan Ling is truly arrogant! He actually wants to establish his authority by stepping on the Tiger Demon!

Tiger King has been famous for a long time. His strength in the late stage of Foundation Establishment is second only to the Azure Scale Demon Lord, who is at the peak of Foundation Establishment, among the four caves of Qingchi Ridge.

Even if Xuan Ling, this dragon demon, was lucky enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, facing the Tiger Demon King would still be a matter of life and death.

Tiger Demon's face trembled slightly, revealing a ferocious expression, before gradually calming down.

All the demons knew the king's temperament—the angrier he was, the calmer he became.

"You think that just because you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage, you can be on equal footing with me?"

He strode down the stone steps, his boots grinding against the demon skin. His gaze swept over the commanders, and all who were caught in his sight fell as if struck by lightning, bowing their heads and giving way.

"I swear to extract his soul and refine him into a demon, and to skin his bones and make them into drumsticks!"

The words, accompanied by a foul wind, swept through the cave, causing the hundred demon heads hanging from the beams to tremble in unison.

The commanders held their breath and lowered their heads, their heavy shirts soaked with cold sweat.

The king's ambition, which he had suppressed for many years, finally found an opportunity to be unleashed with the death of Hu Lie.

……

The East China Sea, a sea of ​​flowing clouds.

A salty wind swept across our faces, and turbid waves surged into the sky.

Chen Jiao ran his fingers over the crack in the shrimp's shell, channeling a wisp of pure water essence into it. Flesh buds sprouted and intertwined from the gaps in the shell. He then patted the back of the black fat man's chest, and the accumulated evil energy steamed out from the seven orifices, turning into black smoke and dissipating into the sea breeze.

"A tiger demon at the ninth level of Qi Refining dares to confront me head-on?"

Chen Jiao's voice was cold and clear, tinged with a helpless frustration: "If I delay even a moment, you will all perish as demons, your souls reduced to mere vengeful spirits!"

The usually cautious and quick-witted Big Shrimp scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. Fatty Blackie tried to argue, but a beam of green light silenced him, leaving only his two big eyes darting around.

"Go back and cultivate diligently; I will test you."

"Master, shall we return to Qingchi Ridge?" Xia Da asked, somewhat puzzled. "That scoundrel Hu Lie is the adopted son of Tiger Fiend King. If you go back, I fear he may harm you."

"No need to worry. If he doesn't come to me, I'll go and reason with him."

Chen Jiao waved his hand, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.

"Wait here. The strange phenomena that form the foundation of the Dao are all mysterious. How much you can comprehend depends on fate."

Having said that, he stepped onto the waves and his black robes disappeared into the blue water.

Chen Jiao transformed into his true form as a black dragon and dived into an underwater cave.

In the realm of Qi cultivation, one consumes the essence of the morning mist and absorbs its energy, opening up the dantian and the sea of ​​qi, and accumulating magical power.

The Foundation Establishment stage involves building a foundation for the Dao, condensing and compressing gaseous magical power into liquid true essence, and initially combining the true essence with the physical body and soul, which is the beginning of cultivating both nature and life.

For the past three years, without fail, every full moon night, beneath the vast ocean eye, he has gathered the essence of water and moonlight, condensing thirty-six strands of the Heavenly Gang number of the Vast Ocean Profound Qi, which has already pushed his Qi Refining Realm to the Great Perfection Realm, a state from which there is no further advancement.

Within his dantian, the dark blue-black profound energy was overflowing and surging like a tide.

Chen Jiao focused his mind on his dantian and began to circulate the foundation-building method recorded in the "Mysterious Chapter of the Vast Sea Whale Dragon".

In an instant, the invisible spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the cave was stirred, transforming into tiny vortexes that flowed through the dragon's scales and into its body.

Within his dantian, thirty-six streams of profound energy, like subjects obeying the king's command, began to slowly rotate and compress and condense towards the center!

This process is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires painstaking effort, constantly guided by the mind and spirit, and tempered by the power of the bloodline.

The slightest mistake would lead to death and the annihilation of one's soul.

For Chen Jiao, it was a piece of cake.

Time slips away silently in the deep sea.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a day, maybe a month.

At a certain moment, the body of the Xuanjiao suddenly trembled!

At the very center of the dantian, the point that had been compressed to its limit suddenly burst forth with a dazzling bluish-black light!

A drop of liquid true essence, heavy as mercury, crystal clear, containing immense magical power and profound Daoist charm, quietly condensed!

The first drop of true essence has been successfully formed!

As if triggering a chain reaction, after the first drop of true essence was formed, the surrounding vast ocean of profound energy seemed to have found its home, frantically converging towards it, being devoured and transformed by it...

One drop, two drops, three drops...

More and more liquid true essence is generated in the dantian and gradually gathers into a small true essence lake!

At the same time, Chen Jiao's Xuanjiao body is also undergoing earth-shattering changes.

The muscles and bones resonated, producing a muffled sound like thunder in the deep sea.

The demon's blood flowed like a mighty river.

A faint light flowed across the scales, making them even harder.

A pair of deep, crimson-gold vertical pupils, as dark and unfathomable as a lake concealing a dragon or python.

The powerful bloodline originating from ancient times within him is being completely awakened by this incomparably pure and vast true essence.

Chen Jiao suddenly opened his dragon eyes, and the crimson-gold light surged, almost illuminating the entire cave!

He let out a deep and majestic dragon roar, which spread through the water, causing the cave to tremble slightly, and the fish and shrimp outside to flee in panic.

Foundation building complete!

Above the East China Sea.

Rolling clouds surged and converged from all directions, obscuring the sky and sun, and descended like a white ribbon to the sea.

A light blue mist rose from the sea, obscuring the ocean.

Beneath the vast sea, a low murmur, like that of a whale or a dragon, resounded, followed by a ball of crimson light rising up, and then a muffled rumble of thunder.

The crimson ball of light suddenly expanded and exploded, unleashing countless crimson lightning bolts that shattered the mist and clouds between the sea and the sky.

Chen Jiao waved his sleeve to disperse the raging crimson lightning, and streaks of lightning still appeared on his clothes. The waters of the East Sea were tamed like satin beneath his feet.

The two little demons seem to have gained some insight and are still cultivating.

Chen Jiao's crimson vertical pupils narrowed slightly as he saw the sea suddenly split into two walls in the distance, revealing several figures.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on establishing your Dao foundation. Your achievements are truly remarkable."