Journey to the West Creation Technique

On the scorched earth, a swirling mass of quicksand appeared out of nowhere.

The vortex suddenly stopped and then rapidly reversed direction.

A person and a cat were squeezed out by the swirling quicksand.

"Ah! Pfft pfft pfft..." Lu Chengjun and Amiya spat out the sand in their mouths and broke free from the vortex of the quicksand spell.

so close!

Lu Chengjun had just hidden under the withered mantis, which was a way of diverting trouble, but the mantis would surely take revenge on him before it died.

So he simply used a quicksand technique to perish together with his opponent!

Having faced life and death several times, Lu Chengjun has now grasped the essence of remaining calm even when the sky falls.

It's very simple: when a person dies, the bird flies to the sky; if they don't die, they live for ten thousand years.

When danger comes, the more afraid you are of dying, the easier it is to die. It's better to stay calm and try to survive even in the face of death.

Just as the withered mantis swung its blade down, Lu Chengjun used quicksand magic to escape underground, incidentally trapping it as well.

The startled dead mantis could only fly away ahead of time.

However, Lu Chengjun, who was trapped in quicksand, was in great danger. If the land were to be leveled, he would be buried alive.

Fortunately, he had mastered the quicksand technique to an extremely high degree, casting it forward and then backward without any interruption in the spell.

Looking up, the distant mountains and forests were already ablaze with flames and billowing smoke.

The ferocious roar of the Crimson-Crowned Fire-Feathered Dragon shook the heavens and the earth.

They clashed...

That withered mantis is no match for the Crimson-Crowned Fire-Feathered Dragon; the battle should end soon.

However, since the Crimson-Crowned Firewing Dragon killed the Deadwood Mantis, it should at least have a bite to eat.

Run away while it's dizzy from eating!

Lu Chengjun immediately cast a Lightness Talisman on himself, grabbed the tabby cat, and dashed off to the other side. He quickly left the scorched, barren land.

……

Salt station.

"roar!"

A strange roar tore through the sky, and even the rammed earth walls of the salt station trembled slightly.

The cultivators stationed at the salt station changed their expressions drastically and froze on the spot.

Team leader Zhou Hu frowned deeply: "They called out last night, why are they still calling out now?"

Lin Xiaoshun, who was on lookout duty, shrank back and said in a trembling voice, "Captain Zhou, this ferocious beast has probably been provoked again."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhou Hu said dismissively, then ordered, "Turn off the fires in the kitchen, and postpone making the meal! Don't attract this terrifying beast!"

After saying this, Zhou Hu turned back, intending to hide deep in the mountain valley.

As they passed through the cracks in the rocks, a young-looking cultivator named Zhang Mo secretly pulled out a few pieces of yellow paper, intending to light them.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Hu shouted angrily.

"Team Leader... Team Leader... I... I want to burn some paper money for Fellow Daoist Lu, to send him on his way..."

"You're asking for death!" Zhou Hu stepped forward and kicked out the spark. "You think this place is safe?! The Fire Feather Dragon is nearby; even a tiny spark could lead to your death!"

"I...I'm sorry." Zhang Mo's face turned pale, and he quickly put away the yellow paper, apologizing repeatedly.

No one dared to say anything more. They extinguished their flames, crawled into the cracks in the rocks, and hid in the houses.

Time passed little by little...

As darkness fell completely, the Crimson-Crowned Fire-Feathered Dragon ceased its roars, and the area around the salt station returned to silence.

夜深… …

Zhou Hu waved his hand, signaling, "Let's start a fire and cook."

Chen Song and several other cultivators rekindled the fire in the stove, steaming rice and chopping vegetables. The salt station had installed smokeless stoves, so even when burning charcoal, there would be no smoke.

Before long, the aroma of food filled the salt station.

As everyone gathered around the table and picked up their bowls and chopsticks, they noticed a noise coming from the entrance to the mountain valley.

Is someone passing through the Bagua Stone Formation?

Was it a wild animal that wandered in by mistake?

Wild animals would usually get confused by the Bagua Stone Formation and wouldn't be able to find the entrance.

But the sound clearly indicated that they had found the right location.

However, the Bagua Formation is no match for large demonic beasts. Even if a beast manages to escape the formation by chance, they have ways to deal with it.

If it were a wild animal, even better; we could slaughter it and cook it.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a figure carrying a basket on his back, holding a hoe in his hand, and followed by a tabby cat stepped into the courtyard.

With the help of the moonlight, everyone could see who had come.

A dead silence.

With a "clang," the bowl and chopsticks in Zhou Hu's hands fell onto the table. Lin Xiaoshun's eyes widened, and Chen Song even stood up, his face full of disbelief.

"You...you're still alive?"

Lu Chengjun leaned the hoe against the wall, dusted himself off, and walked straight to the table full of food.

Always calm and composed, neither hurried nor slow.

The crowd looked at each other in astonishment, seeing him completely unharmed.

Before anyone could react, Lu Chengjun had already started his attack in a whirlwind.

I was starving...

The meal originally intended for a group of people at the post station was devoured by him in less than half an incense stick's time. The tabby cat Amiya squatted to the side, slowly and methodically chewing on jerky, which was much more refined.

Everyone: "..."

Zhou Hu snapped out of his daze and quickly ordered the kitchen to steam rice again.

After filling his stomach, Lu Chengjun put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "The Crimson-Crowned Fire Feather Dragon has been provoked. I need to rest for two days and cannot take any risks for the time being."

Zhou Hu swallowed hard.

You angered that ferocious beast, how did you manage to come back alive?

How did you manage to do that?

Although he was full of questions, Zhou Hu did not ask them out of tact.

The burden of feeding all 15,000 people of the Nanming Guard with salt fell entirely on him.

If Lu Chengjun refuses to take this most dangerous salt route, they will have no choice but to risk their lives.

How could things be so peaceful now?

Zhou Hu said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lu, please rest. There is still some salt stored in this post station."

"How much is left?" Lu Chengjun pressed.

Zhou Hu's expression turned serious, and he quickly replied, "Reporting to Fellow Daoist Lu, there's enough to send two shipments to the Southern Underworld Guard. After that, there's no more stock left."

Lu Chengjun was silent for a moment: "Then I will rest for five days."

"Fellow Daoist Lu, just rest. Have you eaten enough? Should I have the kitchen prepare a few more dishes?" Zhou Hu said with a fawning expression.

"Okay." Lu Chengjun was indeed somewhat unsatisfied.

……

Five days later.

night.

Lu Chengjun, still carrying a basket on his back and a hoe in one hand, with a tabby cat following at his feet, walked through the Bagua Stone Formation and into the night.

After five days, the Crimson-Crowned Fire Feathered Dragon should have calmed down no matter how agitated it was.

In the territory of powerful demonic beasts, one must not rashly use the "Aura of the Demon King." This is something to remember for the future.

Lu Chengjun continued along the old route, except for the burned-down area which required a detour; he did not intend to change the rest of the route.

As they approached the incineration zone, Lu Chengjun suddenly sensed something amiss in the surrounding atmosphere.

It smells bloody!

He stopped and looked up, his heart sinking.

Half a wild boar's carcass was hanging from the branches of the trees overhead, and the treetops all around were covered with the corpses of various ferocious beasts and monsters, with a faint stench of decay permeating the air.

There were never anything like this on the road before!

Who did it?

Crimson-Crowned Fire-Feathered Dragon!

This place has become its grain warehouse.

The Fire Feather Dragon has moved its nest!?

This is its lair!?

That beast has not left since it sensed the demon king's aura five days ago.

Sha Wujing's appearance is so striking that even if the sky were to collapse, he would remain unfazed!

I'm probably very close to the Crimson-Crowned Fire Feather Dragon right now.

retreat!

We can't go any further...

Just as Lu Chengjun was about to leave, his eyes caught sight of a hard object.

It resembles tree bark but is not tree bark.

Lu Chengjun immediately recognized it as the molted shell of a dead mantis.

A moment later, a magical fluctuation came from not far away in the forest. The Crimson-Crowned Fire Feather Dragon standing in the forest suddenly opened its eyes, and a sharp glint flashed in its huge pupils.

Its enormous body moved through the forest without making a sound.

When it patrols its territory, the earth trembles with every step it takes.

But when it comes to hunting, it will do so silently.