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

Deep within the flowing clouds and sea, ripples quietly spread across the crystal palace.

Inside the underwater palace, the gilded coral mirror suddenly hummed.

The mirror reflected the strange phenomenon of crimson lightning covering the sea. The dragon girl, who was lying in the silk tent, let out a soft exclamation, her eyes curving upwards with a touch of allure, and her tail fin swept out a shower of pearls.

Looking closely in the mirror, it was difficult to see the true face; only a figure in black robes could be vaguely seen, with a slender and elegant posture, who waved his sleeve to disperse the thunder.

He even possessed some of the charm of that person from back then.

"The phenomenon is magnificent; who is breaking through here? This is quite interesting."

The red jade pendant on her forehead trembled slightly. She languidly propped herself up, her brocade skirt slipping down to reveal her snow-white waist, her slender fingers brushing against her lips.

"Crimson Pearl".

The mermaid standing to the side immediately bowed, her earrings swaying.

"Go and see if he is a handsome young man. Then invite him for me... to drink a cup of spring honey wine."

Seeing the dragon girl's eyes sparkling like spring water, the maid Jiangzhu understood. As she bowed her head to take her leave, she caught a glimpse of the dragon girl's tail fin unconsciously patting the jade steps, creating ripples in the water.

A soft bell tinkled from outside the corridor, and two rows of young men draped in veils emerged from beneath it.

The young man at the head of the group had striking blue eyes and a prominent snake-scale mark on his forehead; he was none other than Qing Heng, who had recently gained considerable favor.

He held a gilded incense burner, while the young men behind him carried peacock feather fans. As they walked, their robes billowed with a sweet fragrance, and they meandered into the beaded curtains of the imperial bedchamber.

The Dragon Maiden's gaze swept over Qing Heng's tall, straight back before returning to the humming coral mirror. Her thoughts chuckled, a soft sigh escaping her lips: "Don't disappoint me again..."

……

On the shore of the East China Sea.

A mermaid envoy dressed in silk gauze robes and wearing a pearl crown arrived on the waves. Her aura was pure and ethereal, and she was actually a late-stage Foundation Establishment aquatic cultivator.

Her voice was clear and melodious:

"Jiangzhu, a female official under Prince Ao Ying of the Flowing Cloud Sea, has come on His Highness's orders to congratulate you on your successful Foundation Establishment."

"Your Highness Ao Ying?"

Upon hearing this name, Chen Jiao's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Exactly."

Jiangzhu's gaze swept over the handsome, aloof brow of the young man in black, her smile warm and gentle.

"My lord cherishes talent the most, and has specially ordered me to invite you to the Crystal Palace to taste the Spring Honey Immortal Wine."

Chen Jiao pondered for a moment, having already made up his mind. He bowed to the female official Jiangzhu, his tone calm but tinged with regret:

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness Ao Ying. I am unworthy of such praise."

However, this breakthrough is not yet solid, and his demonic power still needs to be sorted out. He needs to go into seclusion and cultivate in the coming days to consolidate his realm.

Moreover, my two lesser demon subordinates are still injured and need my care. It is truly inconvenient for me to travel far to attend the banquet.

Chen Jiao spoke earnestly and with impeccable manners.

Upon hearing this, Jiangzhu carefully observed his aura and indeed sensed that while his demonic power was surging, there seemed to be slight ripples that had not yet subsided, indicating that he was just beginning to consolidate his foundation.

His gaze swept over the large, black shrimp not far away, but it was clearly in a sorry state, its demonic aura dissipated.

She frowned slightly, as if weighing her options.

His Highness's orders are rarely refused.

Her gaze lingered on the young man in black, subconsciously considering whether she should use some means to "invite" him to come over.

Although Your Highness has been punished and sent to this place, she is still a princess of the Dragon Clan. How could a mere Foundation Establishment demon cultivator dare to defy her?

Chen Jiao added another sentence, his voice as gentle as a sea breeze:

"Once Xuan Ling has stabilized his cultivation and finished dealing with his affairs, I will personally prepare gifts and visit the Flowing Cloud Water Mansion to apologize and pay my respects to Your Highness."

Jiangzhu gazed at him for a moment, feeling regretful. Recalling the events of the past, she dared not act rashly, and any inappropriate thoughts vanished.

She nodded slightly and took out a glass jade talisman: "In that case, I will not disturb your cultivation."

This item is His Highness's token. Fellow Daoist, you may use this jade talisman to enter the Crystal Palace; the shrimp soldiers and crab generals will not obstruct you.

After handing the jade talisman to Chen Jiao, Jiangzhu led the two Yaksha sea generals and slowly disappeared into the waves.

Chen Jiao stroked the cool, smooth glass talisman in his hand, his gaze fixed on the vast east, seemingly able to penetrate the endless waves, a faint trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

The original being in the Heavenly Court has some connection with this Dragon Girl Ao Ying of the East Sea.

More than a hundred years ago, Chen Jiao was first appointed to an important position in the Thunder Department and was ordered to descend to the mortal world to hunt down a group of demons who stole the essence of the Weak Water of the Milky Way.

To avoid alerting the enemy, he concealed his divine light and transformed into an ordinary rogue cultivator to investigate the East Sea.

Just as they were about to pinpoint the demon's location in the East China Sea, they suddenly encountered a procession from the Dragon Palace.

Beneath the canopy, the beautiful dragon maiden rode in a jade carriage. Seeing his aloof demeanor and extraordinary bearing, she was moved with desire.

He then sent a yaksha to block the road. A maidservant came and asked if he wanted to enter the mansion to cultivate the Great Dao together. Her words were frivolous and she kept pestering him.

Chen Jiao was concerned about his duty to vanquish demons and feared that revealing his true form would alarm the demons and prevent him from completing his mission. Therefore, he refrained from acting immediately and simply refused with cold noodles.

This delay nearly allowed the cunning demons to escape using the water veins.

Afterwards, the Dragon King of the East Sea personally went to the Heavenly Court to plead guilty. The Jade Emperor, mindful of his merit in suppressing the sea and the fact that the demons had not escaped, and also considering that Chen Jiao did not pursue the matter further, decided against it.

Therefore, they only gave her a minor punishment as a warning, stripping the arrogant dragon girl of her fine clothes and title, and banishing her to a remote and desolate sea area to guard and reflect on her mistakes.

Unexpectedly, the place where the Dragon Girl was punished was this Flowing Cloud Sea.

Chen Jiao composed himself, set up a water array to envelop the two little demons who were healing, and began to consolidate his cultivation level.

……

Qingchi Ridge, Hulao Cave.

Within a radius of a hundred miles, ominous clouds gathered.

Three months have passed since Hu Lie's sudden death.

The atmosphere inside Hulao Cave grew heavier day by day.

The cave master, Tiger King, has become increasingly violent and unpredictable. Although he was fierce in the past, he still had some discipline. Now, he is like a wounded mad tiger trapped in a cage, unpredictable and prone to thunderous rage.

The demon skulls hanging from the eaves swayed without wind, and lesser demons often carried away the mangled corpses of their colleagues—all of whom had offended the Tiger Demon King.

The newly added deep claw marks on the stone wall, blood and rust mixed with bits of flesh embedded in the crevices, the stench was so strong it was hard to breathe.

Tiger General sat atop a stone seat, his eyes flashing with an unpredictable crimson light. Suddenly, he slammed a claw into the jade tiger guarding the cave beside him, his roar causing the demonic skulls on the beams to rattle.

"A bunch of useless trash! They can't even catch a trace of a mudfish!"

The little demon beside him trembled violently as he held the wine, but dared not make the slightest mistake—two of his companions had already had their souls extracted and refined yesterday because they spilled a little wine and made too much noise.

The several commanders, who were in the late stage of Qi Refining, were constantly on edge, acting and speaking with extreme caution, and even breathing softly.

Despite bearing the title of leader, the black-skinned boar demon was more terrified than anyone else. He huddled in a corner, his plump body trembling slightly, wishing he could hide himself in a crevice in the rocks.

If he hadn't led Hu Lie there that day, things wouldn't have turned out this way... But he himself had no choice in the matter, and dared not reveal a single detail of what had happened.

He stole a glance at the enormous figure shrouded in thick, blood-red demonic energy deep within the cave, his throat going dry.

Sudden--

"boom!"

A deafening roar suddenly came from the entrance of the cave! The entire Tiger Prison Cave shook violently, and rocks fell everywhere.

"What's going on?" The demons' expressions changed drastically.

The little demon guarding the gate scrambled in, pointing outside the cave, his voice shrill and distorted: "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Someone...someone has come to attack!"

The cave fell into a deathly silence, followed by what seemed like the roar of whales and dragons, and the rolling of the sea.

The sound waves, like snow melting in a spring stream, actually dispersed the boundless evil clouds that shrouded the cave, allowing the light of the sky to pour down.

The demons only saw a flash of mysterious light, and then they saw a figure in black robes bathed in the light that broke through the clouds, like ink stains on the dim world.

Tiger Demon suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with blood-red light, and the bronze goblet in his hand was instantly crushed into a bronze disc.

All the demons, including their leaders, stared in disbelief at the uninvited guest.

No, he actually dared to storm Hulao Pass alone?!

Even if Xuan Ling had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he was still only a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator. How dare he take the initiative to attack Tiger Prison Cave? Had he lost his mind? Who didn't know that the Tiger Fiend King had nowhere to vent his pent-up resentment?

The next moment, all the monsters in the cave knelt on the ground, terrified and unable to stand up due to the invisible pressure.

The sudden influx of sunlight from outside the cave illuminated Hu Sha's ferocious and twisted face, as well as the cold, disdainful glint in Chen Jiao's eyes.

"Xuan Ling has come to summon Hu Sha to his death."