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

Chapter 424 The All-Encompassing Mirror, Guiding the Inner Palace

The Mysterious Realm of Treasure Mirror is filled with illusions.

Chen Jiao's Daoist heart was firm and focused. He surveyed all kinds of power, freedom, achievements, and relationships, but his mind remained unmoved and his thoughts unwavering. They were all like fleeting shadows, passing before his eyes and not lingering in his heart.

Having understood the true nature of this place, he did not wish to waste any more time getting entangled in this endless illusion.

Standing in the mist, Chen Jiao raised his hand, took off the Xuan Tian Bi Jie Yun Brocade he was wearing, and casually tossed it into the air.

The black cloak, once detached from the body, billowed in the wind, instantly transforming into a hundred-foot-wide cloud hanging high above the vast, illusory sky.

Above his body, clouds and stars lit up one after another, emanating a pure and gentle Daoist charm that could ward off all laws and remained untainted by worldly tribulations.

Chen Jiao raised his eyes, looking down at the ever-flowing, clear and ethereal Daoist aura, and said, "The illusory remains illusory, the real remains real. With the Xuan Tian above, all illusions are empty."

The eight-character mantra is like an imperial edict.

As soon as he finished speaking, the high-hanging Xuanqing light shone brightly, and the pure energy itself descended, like a curtain or screen, silently permeating the air.

Wherever it passed, the vast spiritual mist that filled the heavens and earth, and the ever-changing illusions, all vanished as quickly as ink stains washed away by clear water.

The Daoist patterns on the cloak flowed and descended, purifying the universe with a pure and clear aura, like the bright moon in the mid-sky, and sometimes settling the ever-changing and turbulent energy of this mysterious realm.

The swirling spiritual mist cleared away, and the chaotic illusions faded somewhat.

Where the clear light shone, the foundation of the illusion began to falter, revealing a thread of reality.

Chen Jiao's eyes flashed like lightning as he followed the mystery of the light's stillness and gazed into the depths of the illusionary realm.

Amidst the lingering mist and floral shadows, a woman dressed in an elegant Taoist robe, her hair slightly disheveled, walked alone.

Holding a jade hoe, she would sometimes bend down to examine the flowers and plants, and sometimes look up at the sky, her expression blank. She seemed oblivious to the changes around her and the dark cloak hanging high above, completely immersed in her own illusory world of plants and trees.

It was none other than the Mysterious Fairy Jinghuan.

In just a few breaths, the area a hundred feet below had returned to clear skies.

Although this treasure mirror is wonderful and can stir the mind and manifest the heavens, Chen Jiao's Dao heart is as firm as a rock. Furthermore, he comprehends the ancient profound principles in the Pure Void Dao Realm, and his spiritual platform is exceptionally clear.

Even the fierce sword intent of Yu Zhen Zhan Mo Yuan Jun, who specializes in killing, could not shake his foundation. The illusion that bewitches the mind here has very limited effect on him.

Without lingering, he took a step forward, his figure piercing through the clear light of the cloak, and arrived in front of the solitary Taoist nun.

The fairy seemed to sense something, and raised her head blankly, her eyes lacking divine light, with demonic energy swirling within them.

Chen Jiao said no more, pointing his fingers like a sword. A point of clear lightning condensed at his fingertips and pointed it towards the fairy's brow.

The lightning is gentle and mild, containing no killing intent, but only the wonder of cleansing demons, purifying the mind, and enlightening the spirit.

"Duh."

With a soft shout, lightning entered the fairy maiden's spiritual platform.

The fairy maiden's body trembled slightly, and the demonic light in her eyes receded like a tide. The scattered self-light gradually condensed, revealing a long-lost clarity and weariness.

The shimmering, misty "Mysterious and Enlightened Mirror" she held in her palm also dimmed its brilliance and emitted a soft hum.

Chen Jiao raised his hand and the treasure mirror flew into his palm on its own. It was cool to the touch, and the mirror was clear, reflecting his calm face. The illusions around him quickly faded away.

He didn't linger. Holding the treasure mirror, he turned and took a step forward. Ripples spread across the air beneath his feet, as if he had broken through an invisible film of water.

Before my eyes, light and shadow shift and change, and all illusions burst and vanish, returning to their true nature.

Once they regained their footing, a completely different scene unfolded before them. The spiritual mist had dissipated, the world was clear, and what came into view was an endless fairy garden.

Jade grass carpets the ground, rare flowers bloom in a sea of ​​color, and a spiritual spring murmurs, all exuding an intense and irresistible fragrance of plant essence.

Thousands of spiritual plants and immortal trees, each with its own unique shape and shimmering light, some lush and verdant, some bursting into bloom, and some laden with fruit, are all rare treasures hard to find in the outside world.

This is exactly what Changqing Garden originally looked like.

The dozens of cultivators who had been trapped in the illusion were now either sitting slumped over, leaning against trees, or looking around blankly. They had all gradually broken free from the boundless dream and slowly woke up.

"That breathtakingly beautiful scene just now—was it all an illusion?"

"That was close! I almost believed the words of the old friend in the mirror and was about to abandon my cultivation to search for him—"

"Thanks to the True Lord! If the True Lord had not shattered this mirror, we would have been forever trapped in the Sea of ​​Illusion, our cultivation and spirit scattered!"

"Why is True Lord Jingfa here? Could it be that the True Lord broke the illusion?"

In a low voice, Master Ziyang let out a long sigh, straightened his old brown robe, and looked at Chen Jiao, who was standing holding the mirror, with gratitude on his face.

Many other cultivators, however, were still shaken but also relieved. The light gathered around Chen Jiao, a complex and indescribable feeling, filled with awe and deep gratitude.

Chen Jiao seemed oblivious to the discussions around him, and simply spread his divine sense across the garden full of immortal plants.

Among them are ancient spiritual species that have long been extinct in the outside world, and several of them have already developed spirituality, emitting rosy light.

Without further hesitation, he rolled up his sleeves and used magic to collect the precious spiritual plants in the garden, along with the spiritual soil beneath them, and carefully placed them in the space within his sleeve.

This trip was by chance, and there's no reason for me to leave empty-handed.

Then Chen Jiao nodded slightly to the Fairy Disenchantment, whose expression was complex, seemingly both sad and happy, and activated the clear light of the Treasure Mirror to capture a bit of her true spirit.

"Gentlemen, please follow me out of the garden."

Chen Jiao's voice was calm, yet it possessed a convincing power.

The cultivators seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all stood up and followed closely behind the True Lord, filing out one after another.

Outside Changqing Garden, Immortal Lord Qinglin had already sensed the change and came forward to greet them.

Seeing that his senior sister's true spirit had temporarily resided in the precious mirror, and although she was weak, she was no longer entangled by demonic obstacles, he showed a complex expression of gratitude. He bowed deeply to Chen Jiao and said, "Thank you for your righteousness, True Lord, for helping my senior sister temporarily escape the sea of ​​suffering and also saving everyone from danger. I will remember this kindness."

Chen Jiao returned the greeting, saying, "It is my duty, Immortal Lord, you need not worry about it."

Immortal Lord Qinglin straightened up, surveyed the gathering cultivators, his expression turned serious, and said in a clear voice: "All of you fellow Daoists have already experienced the opportunities of the three trials in the outer garden. Now, if you wish to enter the inner palace and pay homage to His Majesty's legacy, you still need one thing as proof."

The cultivators' expressions hardened, and they awaited the next part.

"One must collect both the 'Azure Dragon' and 'Green Dragon' primordial jade talismans, using their energy as a guide, before one can open the inner palace's doors."

Immortal Lord Qinglin calmly swept his gaze over the crowd, then asked again, "Which fellow Daoist obtained these two talismans?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

The cultivators looked at each other, their expressions suddenly clear, as if they remembered the two holy spirits in front of the palace gate; some even glanced at the Xuanzhen Lord who had been standing quietly to the side.

The Roc Demon King narrowed his golden eyes, the Lion Camel King raised his thick eyebrows, and the Macaque King scratched his ear in thought.

Whispers began softly.

"The Azure Phoenix and the Azure Dragon, aren't they the same two creatures standing in front of the palace gate?"

"That must be it! Those two talismans must be the manifestations of the spirit that was suppressed!"

"So, those two talismans—"

"Shut up! Who else could it be in their hands?"

The murmurs subsided, eventually culminating in a meaningful silence.

All eyes, whether open or hidden, ultimately converged on Chen Jiao.

The swift and decisive actions taken at the palace gates are still vivid in my mind.

At this moment, those two keys, which hold the key to the inner palace's secrets, are clearly in the hands of this ruler.

Who dares to fight? Who can fight?

Even those with quick wits would abandon any inappropriate thoughts at this moment.

Seeing this, Immortal Lord Qinglin understood and turned to Chen Jiao, saying gently, "It seems that the opportunity lies in the hands of the True Lord."

Chen Jiao remained calm, showing neither pride nor humility. He simply nodded slightly and took out two jade talismans from his sleeve. One was azure, with a dragon shape faintly visible; the other was emerald green, with a phoenix silhouette gracefully fluttering.

As soon as the two talismans appeared, clear and melodious sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes singing faintly harmonized with them, creating a mysterious resonance with the majestic Jianmu tree in the distance and the aura of the entire palace, with flowing light and abundant Taoist charm.

The cultivators, witnessing this scene, though having anticipated it, were still filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

Some admired, some revered, and some accepted it with equanimity. But in any case, no one spoke out, and no one objected.

Before this majestic and powerful Jingfa Zhenjun, whose Daoist teachings were profound and mysterious, the opportunities within the inner palace were beyond their reach.

Chen Jiao held the two talismans firmly, raised his eyes to look at Immortal Lord Qinglin, and said, "Immortal Lord, please lead the way."

Immortal Lord Qinglin smiled and stepped aside, pointing his whisk forward, saying, "True Lord, please follow me."

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