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

The four rode on a cloud, leaving the turbulent sea area and heading straight towards the East Sea Dragon Palace.

The clouds were not very high, skimming across the blue waves, with the islands below scattered like pearls.

After traveling no more than a thousand miles, a fairy mountain suddenly appeared on the sea ahead.

The mountain wasn't large, but it possessed an extraordinary grandeur.

Crimson cliffs and strange rocks, sheer walls and wondrous peaks. Rare herbs and exotic flowers never fade, green pines and cypresses remain evergreen. Immortal peaches always bear fruit, and tall bamboos always retain the clouds. A ravine is densely covered with vines and creepers, and the surrounding banks are covered with fresh, vibrant grass.

It is the pillar that holds up the sky where all rivers converge, the unmoving root of the earth through countless eons—Huaguo Mountain.

As the clouds swept across the mountaintop, Chen Jiao's gaze inadvertently swept over a certain spot on the summit.

There was a magnificent boulder, 36 feet 5 inches high and 24 feet in circumference, with no trees to provide shade on any side, but surrounded by orchids and magnolias on the left and right.

There are nine orifices and eight holes on the stone, arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and a faint, clear mist seems to circulate around it.

Chen Jiao's gaze lingered on it for only a moment before he looked away.

His expression remained unchanged, without the slightest ripple, as if he had merely glanced at an ordinary scene.

The barefoot immortal beside him stopped his cloud, shaded his eyes with his hand, and observed carefully. He couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration:

"What a magnificent mountain! It truly is a place of outstanding natural beauty and spiritual energy, a place where the wind gathers and energy accumulates!"

Especially that sacred stone atop the mountain, which subtly corresponds to the numbers of the heavens and earth, possesses considerable spiritual power; it will likely become extraordinary in the future.

Upon hearing this, Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, stroked his beard and laughed:

"The master has excellent eyesight."

This mountain is indeed a first-rate place of spiritual beauty in the East China Sea, and those immortal stones are naturally formed, having absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for countless millennia.

Zhu Lie also craned his neck to look, and smacked his lips, saying:

"This mountain is a good place, much more vibrant and wild than my old Zhu's Heavenly River Palace."

He was by nature lazy, but seeing the smooth, rounded stone on the mountaintop and hearing the immortal's praise, he couldn't resist the urge to try it himself. He chuckled, his belly protruding, and said:

"Hehe, this stone is quite round and smooth, it looks like a good item."

If you hollow out the middle and polish it smooth, you'll feel incredibly comfortable lying in it to cool off in the summer!

Or, after polishing it, it could be made into a reclining pillow or a footrest, which would be excellent!

After saying that, he stretched out his large, fan-like hand and gestured twice in the air.

He touched the nine-toothed rake, looking eager to try it out.

Chen Jiao glanced at him upon hearing this.

No wonder the two later became enemies.

He spoke calmly, his voice clearly reaching Zhu Lie's ears and completely dispelling his thoughts.

"All things born and nurtured by heaven and earth have their own destiny and fate. Since this stone has been favored by heaven and earth, it is no ordinary stubborn stone."

"Having unfounded thoughts may lead to unnecessary karmic consequences, which will be detrimental to your spiritual path."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lie's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the excitement on his face instantly vanished.

He secretly glanced at the True Lord's calm profile, then looked at the celestial stone shrouded in mist, and his heart skipped a beat.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand, scratched the back of his head, and muttered:

"What the True Lord says is true, what he says is true."

"It was my recklessness. This stone, it's better not to carve it, it's better not to carve it..."

As he spoke, he quickly looked away, no longer daring to glance at the plants and trees of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Upon seeing this, the Barefoot Immortal shook his head and chuckled.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, also twitched his lips slightly, thinking to himself, "This Marshal Zhu Lie is indeed as rumored."

The four of them, their cloud-like light never ceasing, flew straight over Flower Fruit Mountain and headed towards the deeper East Sea Dragon Palace.

Only the celestial stone atop the mountain remains standing quietly, bathed in the essence of the sun and moon, seemingly oblivious to the words spoken from the clouds.

Its inner light swirled, faintly revealing a shape.

After passing Flower and Fruit Mountain, continue onward.

The colors of the sea and sky grew even deeper, and the view before us suddenly opened up.

Beneath the sea surface, faint rays of light shone through the water, casting a shimmering, glassy hue upon the clouds above.

"Gentlemen, we are now at Little Dragon's Crystal Palace."

With a flick of his sleeve, Ao Guang caused the seawater below to part naturally, creating a wide passage that revealed a towering crystal palace deep within.

The four descended from the clouds and stepped into the passage.

The seawater closed in overhead, but there was no feeling of stuffiness; only the soft, precious light illuminated the surroundings as bright as day.

When the aquatic creatures patrolling the sea saw the Dragon King return to the palace, they all respectfully bowed and made way for him.

But his eyes couldn't help but steal glances at the three immortals with different auras behind the Dragon King, his eyes filled with awe and curiosity.

At the end of the avenue, a magnificent palace stands majestically.

On either side of the palace gate, a squad of golden-armored shrimp soldiers and silver-speared crab generals stood solemnly. Though they remained silent, they exuded an air of sternness.

Then, graceful clam maidens, each holding a bright pearl, stood quietly on either side, their entourage quite extraordinary.

It is far superior to the Crystal Palace of Flowing Clouds.

The main gate is open, and the magnificent scene inside the palace can be vaguely seen.

The True Lord's gaze swept across this underwater world, his eyes thoughtful.

The Barefoot Immortal clapped his hands and chuckled:

"Fellow Daoist Ao Guang's Crystal Palace always seems to have a fresh new look every time I see it."

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, quickly bowed and said, "Great Immortal, you flatter me. My humble abode is nothing compared to the Heavenly Court."

Zhu Lie stared with wide eyes and clicked his tongue, saying:

"Old Dragon King, you have a very substantial fortune."

I must come and bother you for a few days sometime, to sample your Dragon Palace wine!

As he spoke, his eyes fell on the charming palace maids around him.

After passing through the winding corridors and numerous restrictions, we arrived at the place where the sea was hidden.

Although there are no bright pearls shining in the sea, there is a hazy, clear light that permeates the air.

Looking around, there was nothing else but a dark iron pillar in the center, standing tall and reaching for the sky.

However, it was not the size Chen Jiao remembered.

The iron pillar is about a hundred feet tall and requires dozens of people to encircle it; it is entirely black.

It appears simple and unadorned, yet it exudes an unparalleled majesty that can suppress the vast blue waves and establish dominion over the eight wastelands and four seas.

The seawater around the iron pillar was unusually calm, without even a ripple, as if time had frozen there.

"This is the divine iron that stabilizes the seas!"

The Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang, gazed at the iron pillar with a solemn expression. He slowly spoke, his voice echoing in the silent sea.

Its origins are quite ancient.

He paused, as if recalling ancient times:

"It was formed in ancient times by the Supreme Dao Ancestor who personally collected divine iron and primordial gold essence and tempered it in the Eight Trigrams Furnace."

Initially, it was not used to stabilize the sea, but rather as one of the base materials for pillars supporting the sky.

Later, as the world became stable, it was temporarily left idle.

Ao Guang's gaze swept over the three people beside him who were listening intently, and he continued:

"Until Emperor Yu controlled the great flood, the Daoist Ancestor lent him this iron."

"Emperor Yu held this divine iron to measure the depths, dredge the waterways, and calm the storms."

Ao Guang's tone carried a hint of admiration:

"After successfully controlling the floods, Emperor Yu placed it deep in the eye of the East Sea, using its ability to stabilize the sea and forever protect the fortunes of the four seas."

He further stated that although the iron was temporarily stored in the Dragon Palace, its ownership still belonged to the Dao Ancestor's lineage, and the Dragon Palace was merely acting as its guardian.

The Barefoot Immortal clapped his hands and sighed softly:

"Indeed, it is this thing! Back then, when the Great Emperor controlled the floods and determined the depth of rivers and seas, he used it as a measuring tool."

"Today's threat to the Weak Waters can perhaps only be completely averted by the Wave-Stabilizing Ruler, and by relying on the immeasurable merit and divine power of this divine treasure to stabilize the sea."

Zhu Lie stared with his big eyes, which gleamed with a sharp light.

As if curious, it took a few steps closer, stretched out its large, fan-like hand, seemingly wanting to touch it, and muttered:

"Goodness, this black iron lump has such a background?"

It looks quite heavy...

"Marshal, you mustn't!" Ao Guang cried out urgently.

But it was too late.

The Dinghai Divine Iron suddenly trembled.

A tremendous force suddenly erupted, like an ancient divine mountain collapsing or the raging waves of the four seas crashing back.

"Oh!"

Zhu Lie felt an irresistible force crashing into him.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, screaming, and slammed hard against the stone wall behind him.

The earthquake caused the entire Hai Zangku reservoir to tremble slightly.

He collapsed to the ground, grimacing, unable to get up for a long time, his face filled with horror and lingering fear.

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