I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 197 Snake Coil Mountain and Eagle Sorrow Stream
"Ao Lie, back then I used the Queen Mother's hand to let you break the desire to hold hands with the power of reversing the scales, and completely led you into the great calamity. Do you blame me?" Ye Xuantian asked.

“This disciple dares not. If it were not for the Sage’s methods, the fortune of the Four Seas Dragon Clan would have been lost after the Great Sage took away the Sea-Stabilizing Needle. It was the Sage’s supreme methods that caused the fortune of the Four Seas Dragon Clan to flow back, which gave the Dragon Clan a chance to breathe. This disciple, Ao Lie, is willing to go through fire and water for the Sage.”

"Did that brat Ao Jun send you a message?" Hearing Ao Lie repeatedly refer to him as a disciple, Ye Xuantian naturally understood the connection.

Ao Lie looked up, his words earnest: "Since the Sage has accepted Ao Jun, it means he is willing to give my Dragon Clan a chance. Although I am foolish, I know how difficult it is to gather the scattered fortune of the four seas."

"The sage has the intention to cultivate his disciple, how can the disciple be an ungrateful person? Please, Master, take me in!"

"I currently have seven disciples, with Ao Jun ranking fifth. If you were to join my sect, you would likely only be ranked eighth, and below Ao Jun. Are you willing to accept this?"

"This disciple is willing! This disciple greets Master!" Ao Lie said, kowtowing three times in succession. When he looked up again, tears were hidden in his eyes.

"Although the Dragon Clan is weak now, the two they released are both exceptionally intelligent, and you two are willing to support each other, which is quite good." Ye Xuantian opened his palm, and a bright pearl appeared in his hand.

"This is the bead that Ao Jun helped me use to locate you. I've tampered with it a little to ensure that you can transform into a white dragon horse without destroying your dragon body. In the future, when you accumulate merit, you can release the dragon energy hidden within it and return to your original form. Are you willing to be the mount of the pilgrim?"

Ao Lie looked troubled. It was not uncommon for dragons to use their true forms as mounts, but what if they were to transform into horses?

Ao Lie's hesitation didn't last long; he finally accepted the bead earnestly: "This disciple is willing."

"The mortal horse is not enough for me to fully control the progress of the journey to the West, so I need someone to carry me. The Styx Ancestor had the same idea, which is why he asked Zhishou to plead with the Jade Emperor. Unfortunately, he was a step too slow. To be precise, the Buddha Tathagata persisted until the moment I completed my plan before finally choosing to let the Styx Ancestor out. Therefore, Zhishou's desire will inevitably be broken!"

Having personally experienced the desire to hold hands, Ao Lie knew very well how dangerous that day was. Fortunately, the Queen Mother took his place; otherwise, Ao Lie did not believe he could have unleashed the full power of that reverse scale.

"Sage, could it be that the Buddha and the Styx Ancestor have reached an agreement?" Ao Lie asked tentatively. If the Buddha and the Styx Ancestor were in cahoots, Ao Lie dared not imagine what changes would occur in the Three Realms.

That's the Styx Ancestor. The Asura lineage is a being despised by the Heavenly Dao, and the Styx Ancestor is feared by everyone in the Three Realms.

Fortunately, after the three paths stabilized back then, the Styx Ancestor was suppressed in the Blood River. But now, upon hearing Ye Xuantian mention that terrifying name, Ao Lie also became curious.

Not to mention, Ye Xuantian also mentioned the current leader of Buddhism.

"No, the Buddha made a great vow to clear the Blood River, but he did not expect to fall into the trap of the Styx Ancestor. Although he is the Buddha of the present, he must have seen the opportunities of the future, so he took the initiative to invite him into the trap."

"The fact that Buddhism is now being corrupted is also part of the Buddha's plan. He knows very well that once you are trapped in the Blood River, it will not be easy to escape. Therefore, he wants to use my power to weaken the Styx Ancestor."

"So after Guanyin left Mount Ling, there was a tacit understanding between me and Buddha. He used my hand to weaken the Blood River's suppression of Him, and I used this to exchange you for becoming my pawns."

Ye Xuantian's words were exceptionally blunt, but Ao Lie showed no displeasure. After all, he had already joined the Xuantian Sect. Being used by his master was a precedent since the time of the Investiture of the Gods; it was tragic, but ultimately he was still among the immortals, so it wasn't all that bad.

"Master, is there anything you wish to instruct me on?"

"Now that you have the strength of a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal, you would be a powerful figure anywhere else. First, you had the power of the Reverse Scale and the desire to hold hands, and then you received the influx of the Four Seas Dragon Clan's fortune. Now, are you capable of fighting your second senior brother?"

Ao Lie fell silent. He was indeed very strong now, but the problem was that the second disciple of Xuan Tian Sect was none other than the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who had caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace!
Not to mention, after causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, Sun Wukong was not killed, but instead suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain for five hundred years, which allowed him to refine the elixir he had swallowed from Laozi.

Not long ago, news came from the East Sea that the Second Senior Brother has now reached the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and with the Sea-Stabilizing Needle...

"This disciple can only offer a fifty-fifty chance!" Ao Lie gave this answer after considering the strength of both sides.

"That's good. Your senior brother has been blessed with good fortune and has never been restrained in the slightest. In the previous tribulation, the Six Roots blocked his way, but not only did it not hinder him in the slightest, it also allowed him to obtain the roots of the ancient demon god Chaos Demon Ape. He may become arrogant. You don't need to defeat him. Just make sure you can fight him to a draw, so that he knows that the journey to the West is not as simple as he thinks, and make him cultivate more diligently."

"Disciple will follow Master's teachings!" A fighting spirit appeared in Ao Lie's eyes. After all, he had just come out of seclusion and was about to compete with his senior brother. Moreover, he had received Master's approval, so he naturally wanted to show his strength.

"What if I accidentally erase my senior brother's fighting spirit?"

Ao Lie regretted his words the moment he opened his mouth. After all, that was his master's most prized student. How could he have such thoughts? Just as he was about to make amends, he heard Ye Xuantian say, "That would be best!"

"Huh?" This time it was Ao Lie's turn to be shocked. There was no other reason than he thought of a possibility: he might actually be able to defeat the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who was beyond the capture of the 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, and render him completely devoid of fighting spirit.

"If you can really do that, I will be very happy. Only in this way can your second senior brother have three more lives. Strive hard and fight with all your might, so that the Three Realms can hear the voice of your dragon clan."

As Ye Xuantian's voice faded, his figure slowly dissipated.

"Three lives?" Although Ao Lie was puzzled, he saw that Ye Xuantian was not angry, so he made up his mind that he would go all out in this battle. The Dragon Clan needed to show enough potential in this great calamity and also needed to plunder some merit in order to continue the name of the Dragon Clan.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang traveled for several more days. It was the coldest time of the year, with a biting north wind. The white horse beneath Tang Sanzang seemed unable to withstand the cold and moved slowly.

While Tang Sanzang was on horseback, he suddenly heard the sound of water and hurriedly asked, "Wukong, listen to the sound of water, where are we?"

The traveler leaped to a stone tablet: "Master, this mountain is called Snake Coil Mountain, and there is a stream inside called Eagle Sorrow Stream."

(End of this chapter)