Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 377 The Giant Python at the Bottom of the River
Under a sky full of stars, Lü Yan and Daojun chatted happily in the stone pavilion atop the mountain.

As if influenced by the tranquil aura emanating from Daojun, Lü Yan felt a sense of peace in his heart and was no longer as fixated on the answer as he had been before they met.

At this moment, Daojun glanced at the Pure Yang Sword that Lü Yan was carrying on his back. The sword spirit of the sword was cheerfully greeting him with its spiritual sense.

Daojun nodded with a smile, then casually reached out and grabbed at the glittering starry sky, causing the starlight to fall onto the Chunyang Sword, making it hum comfortably.

This sword has always been Lü Dongbin's personal sword. It is no different from the natal magic weapons that are forged among the demon race. It has been refined for countless years and is full of spirituality. It is no different from an ordinary person and is familiar with him.

Lu Yan turned his head and looked curiously at the Chunyang Sword. His master had given him this sword when he became a disciple, and it had shown great power from the very beginning.

Many times, it was not so much his master Zhongli Quan who taught him swordsmanship, but rather the sword itself that taught him, and he inexplicably trusted the sword completely.

Upon seeing this, Daojun took out a jade gourd from his sleeve and presented it to Lü Yan.

"This gourd contains starlight that I collected from the Milky Way. I usually use it to refine elixirs and treasures, and it is also very beneficial for nurturing magical treasures."

"Although it's not of much use to the sword behind you, it seems to like it quite a bit, so you should keep it."

"buzz"

The Pure Yang Sword emitted another buzzing sound, clearly reminding Lü Yan to quickly catch the gourd.

Lu Yan's expression turned somewhat strange upon seeing this scene.

He felt as if the Daoist Master had simply spotted a favorite child on the street and casually given him some candied fruit.
Feeling the urging coming from behind him, Lü Yan put away the gourd on the stone table.

"Lü Yan thanks Daoist Lord."

Daojun nodded with a smile, looked at the bright moon in the sky, and said slowly:

“Since I began my cultivation, the bright moon and the moon palace have hung high in the sky, and the bright moonlight seems to have remained unchanged since time immemorial.”

"However, just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too do people experience joy and sorrow, separation and reunion."

Daojun slowly turned his head, his calm and gentle gaze falling on Lü Yan, who was also staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.

“When you woke up from your dream of the Yellow Millet, you knew that a mortal’s life was only a few decades long. That’s why you decided to cultivate the Tao. Your heart was firm in your pursuit of the Tao, and you were very diligent in your cultivation.”

"But don't forget that there are people in your family waiting for you. In the future, don't make decisions that you will regret."

Daojun's words made Lü Yan shudder and drew his gaze back. He looked at the gentle face of the immortal opposite him and, for some reason, it was as if he saw another face imprinted deep in his mind.

Lu Yan's vision suddenly blurred as memories flashed through his mind.

Seeing Lü Yan lost in thought, Daojun slowly rose, took a step into the air, and walked towards the sky. Before long, his figure disappeared into the night sky.

After Lu Yan recovered from his memories, he found that he was no longer in the stone pavilion but in the mountains and forests. The mountain had also disappeared completely, as if what Lu Yan had seen before was just a dream. Only Dao Jun's words kept echoing in his ears.

"Don't let yourself regret it."

Lu Yan murmured to himself. In recent years, he had been engrossed in cultivation, practicing diligently every day, and making rapid progress. For a moment, he had forgotten that he had been away from home for several years, and that his older brother, sister, and parents must be missing him terribly. The calls of his parents kept flashing through Lu Yan's mind, making him want to return home immediately, and this desire was growing stronger and stronger.

"Zheng!"

Suddenly, a sword's cry startled Lü Yan awake. He saw the Pure Yang Sword flying swiftly from its sheath on his back and landing steadily in front of him, with a urging intent emanating from it.

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then a smile slowly appeared on his face as he cupped his hands and said:
"Thank you."

After Lü Yan finished speaking, he leaped up from the ground and landed firmly on the Chunyang Sword. The Chunyang Sword then emitted a hum and turned into golden light, shooting straight into the sky and flying rapidly towards the direction of Hezhong Prefecture.

Meanwhile, Ao Wang, who had visited Daojun Temple, had returned to Baihe River alone.

Although his mother, the Dragon Queen, had prepared a lot of treasures for him when he came here from the West Sea Dragon Palace to take up his post, his father, the King, did not allow him to bring a single soldier from the Dragon Palace with him.

Although Ao Wang knew something about his father's intentions, he was new to Baihe and had no one of his own to his side, so he was really at a loss as to how to handle his thoughts.

As the young prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace, he has been living a life of luxury since birth. Now that he has come to Baihe, a place so barren that it doesn't even have a water palace, he is really not used to it.

At this moment, Ao Wang was walking on the bottom of the Baihe River with his hands behind his back. Although the surface of the Baihe River was calm, the currents were swift and strong. If someone fell into the water, they would probably be swept away very quickly.

Therefore, he needs to manage this river as soon as possible.

“Now that my second brother has been imprisoned by our father, he should no longer be able to do evil. Now that I have left the West Sea and taken office as the Water God of the White River, I must govern this river well. This is my most important task.”

As Ao Wang pondered this, he noticed that as he walked across the riverbed, the turbulent undercurrents around him gradually calmed down.

For the West Sea Dragon Clan, taming a river that wasn't very wide wouldn't take long, but just as Ao Wang had gone a short distance along the undercurrent, he suddenly stopped and frowned slightly.

In the dark cave at the bottom of the river in front of him, a huge python lay quietly, its head and tail hidden in the darkness.

Suddenly, the python's body began to slowly move, quickly retreating into a dark hole at the bottom of the river. Moments later, a weak cry for help came from the hole.
Daojun Mountain, in the space of incense offerings.

The Daoist Lord, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the Hundred Herbs Cauldron refining pills, slowly opened his eyes. With a wave of his whisk, he caused the two points of light to fall into his hand and disappear.

"This fourth prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace, Ao Wang, has actually become entangled with the celestial snake demon containing the bloodline of the Teng Snake that Zhong Kui is pursuing. However, given Ao Wang's intelligence, it is still uncertain who is scheming against whom."

"Although this child is ignorant of the ways of the world at home, he is intelligent and kind-hearted, but he just lacks experience."

"Lu Yan is returning home, and we only hope that he can resolve his regrets about his family in the mortal world. This is a hurdle that many cultivators must overcome. We hope he can get through it safely. It is also a test of his mental state. We hope he can get through it safely."

Daojun looked toward the white jade square not far away, where a portal vortex was slowly rotating at its very center.

"He Liansheng sent a message saying that it would take at most fifty years for the demonic sword to be completed. This is much faster than we expected."

"With the Heavenly Dao Divine Weapon suppressing it, I can feel much more at ease."

(End of this chapter)