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

Chapter 394 Imperial Edict: Dragon's Journey and Spring Thunder Book; True Man and Lion King Both Assist

Chen Jiao was holding a halberd and had captured the dragon, intending to kill it.

Seeing the Azure Phoenix charging towards them, True Man Ziyang immediately used his abilities to assist True Lord.

Then one could see countless silver threads, fine as rain, yet supple as steel, either binding its wings or its claws, with specks of clear light seeping into the gaps between its feathers.

The ferocious bird's forward momentum abruptly halted, letting out a long cry of alarm and rage. It struggled frantically, but for a moment, it could not break free.

Master Ziyang's face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that the injuries he sustained in his previous battle with Dapeng had not yet fully healed.

However, with his upright posture and fluttering Taoist robe, he still smiled and said, "Although this is not a great killing technique, it should be fine to trap this true spirit for a moment."

"True Lord, please act swiftly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a demonic aura surged into the sky, followed by a loud laugh.

"Hahaha! How majestic is the True Lord Jingfa!"

But then the Lion Camel King strode in, riding the clouds, his beard bristling and his eyes gleaming.

"I also wish to enter this Jianmu Palace to seek some kind of destiny."

If we sit idly by and watch the True Lord fight the two villains alone, and gain an advantage for nothing, wouldn't it make us a laughingstock among fellow Daoists from all directions?

"I've come to join the fun today and lend a hand to the True Lord!"

Without waiting for Chen Jiao's response, Lion Camel King reached into the leopard skin pouch at his waist and pulled out a dark, heavy pebble.

Without even looking, he flicked his finger at the blue phoenix that was struggling to tear itself apart, which was entangled in silver threads!

The pebble then spun and flew out, growing larger with the wind. At first, it was the size of a fist, then a bucket, and in the blink of an eye, it had become the size of a house.

A deafening roar of wind and thunder followed!

The stone's expansion in the wind showed no signs of slowing down. In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into a dark mountain peak, over a hundred feet high, with jagged rocks, which crashed down on the blue phoenix!

Chen Jiao seized this opportunity without hesitation, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

With a burst of strength from his left arm, he yanked the thunder halberd that was pinning the azure dragon upwards, and then slammed his right palm down heavily on the end of the halberd handle!

"puff!"

Driven by this immense force, the Thunder Halberd exploded with blazing white lightning, tearing through the dragon's body and bones, and emerging from the dragon's spine!

Dragon blood cascaded down like a waterfall, spraying out streaks of lightning. The dragon, in agony, let out a heart-wrenching, mournful roar that echoed across the land.

Before its massive dragon body could fall, Chen Jiao had already moved with lightning speed, his right fist clenched, and he unleashed a punch without any fancy moves at the ferocious dragon head that was twisted and raised due to the intense pain!

"Thump!"

A dull, thunderous sound, like the beating of a heavenly drum, was heard as it advanced.

Where the fist landed, the dragon's scales shattered, creating a terrifying crater.

The vast thunderous intent, mixed with pure and domineering metal elemental energy, entered the brain through the wound, instantly destroying all vitality and spiritual energy within.

The dragon's furiously wide-open eyes suddenly dimmed, and its roar abruptly ceased.

The enormous dragon body completely lost its life force, and like a kite with a broken string, it fell limply towards the blue waves below, crashing into the spiritual liquid and stirring up a monstrous wave.

Chen Jiao knew that these restrictions, relying on the boundless wood elemental energy of the Jianmu Palace, might be reborn.

Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed at the air. The lightning halberd that had pierced through his body flew back into his palm, grew larger in the wind, and transformed into a hundred-zhang-long giant. He then slashed down fiercely at the place where the dragon corpse had fallen below!

"Boom!"

The blazing white lightning, like a celestial river pouring down, instantly engulfed that area of ​​the sea.

Thunder raged, turning the dragon's remains and the surrounding spiritual liquid into a blinding sea of ​​lightning, crackling and hissing.

As the lightning faded, strange phenomena suddenly appeared.

The scattered dragon corpse did not completely disappear. Instead, ten thousand strands of azure energy struggled out from the lightning, gathering and dispersing in mid-air, vaguely forming a dragon shape. It circled several times, emitting a long and desolate dragon roar, and finally withdrew its brilliance, condensing into a dragon-shaped jade talisman in Chen Jiao's palm.

This talisman is about a foot long, with an ancient and simple shape. It has faint scale patterns and a flowing blue light inside, as if clouds and thunder are generated. Its powerful and profound energy far surpasses that of the jade talismans transformed from the previous jade beasts.

Chen Jiao held the talisman in his hand, understanding dawning on him.

As expected, these two ancient spirits, who were the leaders, were the key to opening the palace. They possessed a unique and mysterious power, unlike the ordinary guardian beasts.

Before Chen Jiao could examine it closely, a vast and ancient Daoist aura suddenly emanated from the depths of his mind, accompanied by a faint voice that seemed to have come from countless ages ago, imprinting itself into his heart.

"The Azure Dragon is the essence of the East, the spirit of Jia and Yi. It is endowed with the vital energy of spring and spring, and holds the power of spring thunder and the awakening of insects."

The trigrams horn and ridge represent the stars, signifying the pivotal mechanism of heaven and earth; clouds and thunder represent the elements, revealing the profound virtues of creation.

"Perched atop the Jianmu tree, guarding the easternmost point, it is no ordinary scaly creature, but a true spirit of the wood element, in charge of the mechanism of longevity and wielding the power of thunder."

Before the lingering echoes of the Daoist chant had faded, Chen Jiao's consciousness had already been drawn into the Azure Dragon Jade Talisman.

He suddenly felt his mind clear, as if he were under an ancient blue sky.

The talisman shimmered with azure light, faintly carrying ancient magical rhythms. It did not involve specific cultivation techniques; instead, one could see a Jianmu tree reaching for the sky, with a blue dragon coiled among its branches, holding thunder runes in its mouth.

A misty blue aura rises from the east, giving rise to cloud-like patterns:

[Imperial Edict: Dragon's Journey and Spring Thunder]

"The Azure Emperor of the East holds the pivot of Jia and Yi, and governs the growth and development of all things. He commands the Azure Dragon to travel in the spring season, thunder shakes the nine heavens, hibernating insects open their burrows, and grasses and trees sprout."

Thunder is the mechanism of life, the beginning of creation and nurturing. It unites the Emperor's heart with the Heaven's heart, governs the dragon's nature with the Heaven's heart, and operates the thunder mechanism with the dragon's nature.

Where thunder passes, withered plants are revived, and lifelessness is restored; this is the virtue of spring thunder, and also the benevolence of the Green Emperor.

Those who cultivate this path should clearly observe the pivot of the four seasons' rotation and comprehend the balance of life and death, grant and take. Their hearts should align with the spirit of the rising sun and their spirits should reside in the root of the Jianmu tree that connects to heaven.

Using the essence of Jia and Yi as a guide, it summons the power of the seven constellations in the east. When thunder comes out, all things revive; when thunder stops, all the body is still. Between movement and stillness, the mysteries of creation can be revealed.

However, the ability to control dragons and wield thunder is not achieved through force, but through virtue and command.

The Emperor once decreed: "You, Azure Spirit, are to receive my imperial edict. You shall oversee all matters, including the seasons, and be in charge of the spring season's decrees."

Thunder roars, rain nourishes the streams. The living must not be taken away, the dead must be killed justly. Your actions, your stillness, your whistling, your chanting—all are the rhythm of the Way, the form of Heaven.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the azure dragon followed its lead, thunder roared in response, and blessings spread throughout the eight directions.

Therefore, this method is not a technique for controlling dragons, but rather a covenant with the laws of heaven and earth, and a shared control over life and death.

When using it, one should understand the fundamental nature of the Wood element's growth and development, and know the opportune moment of thunder's killing force.

Internally observing the Qi of Jia and Yi, it is like spring trees sprouting new shoots; externally sensing the changes of clouds and thunder, it is like dragons and snakes rising from the land.

"With my spirit, I unite with theirs; with my energy, I draw upon their thunder. My commands reach not by force, but by the unity of our principles."

Chen Jiao withdrew his mind from the vast Daoist aura of the "Imperial Decree: Dragon's Journey in Spring Thunder," realizing that this technique was an ancient immortal art, a secret transmission of the Azure Emperor, incomparably precious and far beyond the reach of ordinary opportunities.

However, this is not the time for careful understanding.

His gaze shifted, landing on the distance.

The Azure Phoenix was locked in a fierce battle with True Man Ziyang and Lion Camel King Yishan, still displaying its ferocity.

As soon as the Azure Dragon dissipated, the Azure Phoenix trembled violently and let out a mournful cry. Ignoring the attacks all around it, it suddenly raised its head to the sky!

The misty green vapor that had been slowly flowing between the towering trunk and endless branches of the Jianmu tree suddenly accelerated as if drawn by an invisible force.

Thousands of threads transformed into streams of azure light, cascading down from the highest point and pouring into the body of the Azure Phoenix!