Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 180 Dragon Scale Staff, Divine and Demonic Fusion

The giant white dragon's head burst forth from the water, bringing not only a sky full of water vapor, but also a majestic dragon's might, as if it could crush the entire mountain.

A foul stench wafted through the air, the steam carrying a faint, pungent smell of blood that assaulted the senses.

Even though Jiang Yi's temperament had long been tempered to the point of being as calm as an ancient well, when he suddenly faced the legendary body of a true dragon, he felt as if his soul was being gripped by an invisible hand, and his breath hitched slightly.

He had long known that there were gods and strange beasts in this world, but the records in books were never as real as seeing them with one's own eyes.

Upon closer inspection, the dragon's head was majestic and awe-inspiring, with dazzling silver scales and two prominent horns on its forehead, resembling halberds.

Only between his brows and under his jaw were several deep, bone-revealing wounds, with dragon scales curling and seeping out strands of golden blood.

When divine punishment descends upon you, even the most revered dragon will suffer no relief.

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the old man who was supposed to be the village god had already retreated with a smile and quietly disappeared behind the rocks.

This cliff top was perfectly reserved for him and the dragon.

"Who are you?"

The sound from the bottom of the ravine roared up again, now so close, deep and muffled like thunder, yet hoarse, cracked from long torment:

"Stop trying to claim kinship with me! How could the Rainbow Silk be on you?"

Before the words were finished, the oppressive aura intensified, as if it were an interrogation or a threat.

After a brief adjustment of his breathing, the slight sluggishness caused by his first encounter with the true dragon had already dissipated.

He looked up and met those lantern-like dragon eyes, neither humble nor arrogant, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"My name is Jiang Yi."

He paused, his tone as calm as if he were talking to someone in a casual conversation:
"My eldest grandson, Jiang Feng, is already engaged to your younger sister, Ao Yu. How can we not be relatives upon meeting him?"

The voice was not loud, but every word was firm and resounding.

Upon hearing this, the overwhelming dragon's might, like a taut bowstring, suddenly loosened and gradually dissipated.

The ferocity and malevolence in Bailong's enormous eyes faded somewhat, replaced by a complex and unfathomable scrutiny.

Although he was imprisoned here and tortured, isolated from the outside world, he was still of dragon blood, and some important matters concerning the clan were not kept secret here.

He had heard about his younger sister's marriage.

Jiang Yi felt a lightness spread through his body, knowing that the other party had believed him to a great extent. He then continued unhurriedly, a warm smile appearing on his face:
"Third Prince, please don't be offended. Your sister is very concerned about you. However, she comes from the Western Sea and is currently in a difficult situation, so it is not appropriate for her to come and visit you in person."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly calm, as if it were truly a casual conversation:

"I have come here on behalf of my grandson and granddaughter-in-law, to do my part for them."

The white dragon's massive head narrowed its eyes slightly, but a sneer escaped its throat:
"Relatives? According to this generational hierarchy, shouldn't I be calling you an elder?"

Although it was a question, the innate arrogance of the dragon race remained undiminished.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi laughed instead, waving his hand as if he didn't care at all:
"Why bother with such things? I'll call you Third Prince, and you can call me Old Man, and that'll be fine."

Though he spoke casually, he knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

He had heard Jiang Feng say that all the gods, immortals, mountain spirits, and even cultivators lived long lives.

If you really try to count the kinship and seniority on your fingers, it will only become more complicated and tangled.

Therefore, apart from blood relatives, when traveling, people mostly determine their status and social standing based on their position and cultivation, and the way they address each other follows suit.

Just like the one buried under the hill behind the mountain, who is probably older than anyone else, yet he always refers to this person as his grandson or that person as his great-grandson.

Those around him could only laugh and agree, treating it as just an amusing anecdote.

When Ao Lie heard him say this, it was not unexpected.

The caution in his eyes faded, and he finally suppressed his inherent pride, uttering in a deep voice:
"Old sir, what brings you here?"

“I told you, I came to visit on behalf of my grandson and granddaughter-in-law,” Jiang Yi said with a smile, “and also to bring some food for the Third Prince.”

After speaking, he lightly spread his sleeves, and without any apparent movement, a hundred or so pounds of colorful spiritual fruits appeared out of thin air, like a rainbow, and fell straight to the bottom of the ravine.

With a single, massive gulp, the white dragon swallowed the entire hundred-pound fruit without even a splash.

Such a high-quality spiritual fruit would have been beneath the notice of the former Third Prince of the Western Sea.

But for a prisoner like him today, he is a rare find.

At least, it's much more palatable and nourishing than the bloody, pungent smell of cattle and horses.

The hundred or so pounds of fruit were eaten clean in no time.

Bai Long smacked his lips, a muffled sound rolling down his throat, as if he still felt unsatisfied.

With another flick of his sleeve, Jiang Yi emptied the entire pot, leaving not a trace of its contents.

Seeing that the wariness and aloofness in the giant white dragon's eyes had faded slightly, he calmly continued speaking:
"In addition, your younger sister asked me to pass on a message."

His tone was extremely slow, yet every word was clear and distinct.
"Hold on firmly, there will be a way."

Eight characters, unremarkable, without the slightest hint of emotion.

Bai Long's eyes suddenly narrowed, becoming as deep as an abyss, as if he wanted to chew these eight words over and over again and swallow them carefully.

After a long silence, they remained silent.

Jiang Yi didn't press further, assuming that his mission was complete.

The conversation then shifted back to casual, everyday chatter:

“Every three to five months thereafter, I will come again to bring some fruits to satisfy my cravings.”

These were not just casual remarks.

He already had a plan in mind: the orchard behind the house should be prioritized for the back mountain and not neglected; secondly, it was for his family's daily needs in their spiritual practice, and they should also share some of it.

After all the calculations, it would take three to five months to gather enough spiritual fruits to make a decent bag of them.

Bai Long remained silent for a long time, staring at him quietly with his unfathomable eyes.

His gaze was sharp as a blade, as if he wanted to cut open the skin and see straight into the marrow.

After a long silence, he finally uttered a sentence in a muffled voice:
"These mountains are high and the waters are treacherous. I'm afraid it won't be very safe for the old man to travel here."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi smiled and, without hiding anything, recounted in detail the method he had used to travel all the way with the help of temples and mountain gods.

Bai Long listened without comment, letting out a cold snort that carried the chilling edge of someone with experience:

"You're underestimating this place. Mountain gods and local deities... aren't all benevolent."

As they spoke, their gaze suddenly fell on the long staff behind him.

Immediately following, a clear and long whistle rang out. The sound was not loud, but it possessed a sharpness that could pierce through metal and split rocks.

The dragon's head tilted slightly, and a scale with faint golden bloodstains flew out from its body.

The dragon scale was initially the size of a palm, but when it reached mid-air, it shrank to the size of a fingernail.

Like a streak of light, it landed precisely on the dark, yin end of the Yin-Yang Copper Cudgel, adding a touch of gleam to the black cudgel.

Jiang Yi understood perfectly well.

This scale, firstly, is because Ao Lie is unwilling to owe people favors for nothing;

Secondly, it also serves as a reliable checkpoint for his round trip.

Dragons have always acted this way; even when imprisoned, their pride prevents them from receiving undeserved benefits.

At that moment, he didn't say much, but simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the churning water from a distance.

The white dragon seemed to snort coldly, and water vapor gushed out as its giant head slowly sank in.

Before long, it had vanished without a trace.

Only the stream gradually calmed down, but deep inside, there were still dull eddies, slowly swirling.

Jiang Yi then turned around and, unhurriedly, returned to the village shrine.

Upon seeing the old man who was the local deity, he remained as gentle as ever, cupping his hands in greeting:

"I am sorry to bother you, Your Excellency. I will bring some fresh fruit in a few days so that we may enjoy it together."

The old man chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "You're too kind, Immortal Master."

The two understood each other implicitly, exchanged a few polite words, and then considered the matter closed.

Jiang Yi then set off on his journey home.

Upon reaching the bend in the stream, a temple was seen built over the water.

The temple itself isn't too old; the bricks and tiles are still relatively new, yet it already shows signs of decay. It's likely that in earlier years, the temple was still quite popular, with people making offerings and cleaning it.

In recent years, it seems that the deities in the temple are no longer effective, and gradually no one pays attention to them anymore.

The fallen leaves piled up in front of the door, and spider webs clung to the corners. If left to linger for a few more years, the villagers down the mountain might just tear it down and use it for firewood and bricks.

In truth, the position of water god of Eagle Sorrow Gorge would have been an excellent business if Ao Lie hadn't been suppressing it.

This place is a vital east-west thoroughfare, ferrying travelers year after year. Accumulating incense offerings and good deeds is extremely easy.
Especially since it can ferry monks traveling west along the way, if a good connection is truly formed, it may not be inferior to the opportunity in Liu Family Village.

Unfortunately, the benefits were misplaced and turned into a disaster.

Eagle's Sorrow Gorge has now become a dangerous place that everyone avoids. If it weren't for that, how could a mere water ghost be in charge of it?

The words of the Sheshan Sheshen were not unfounded.

So-called good karma depends on who receives it and who notices it.

The good karma formed in Liujiazhuangzi was so easily manipulated by the old ancestor in the Tushita Palace that the whole family ascended to heaven and enjoyed extraordinary blessings.

And what about the mountain and water ghosts?

They struggled to escape their fate of being destined to die in someone else's place, and finally managed to accumulate a little bit of incense offerings and good deeds. In the end, all they could do was uphold the name of a temple in this desolate and harsh place.

They must appear daily and work diligently night after night, for fear that one day the people at the foot of the mountain will change their minds and complain that the offerings are not enough, and even this little place that shelters them from the wind and rain will be destroyed.

The word "chance" truly has nothing to do with human will.

Jiang Yi saw this, but only had a fleeting thought in his mind and said nothing more.

Although they called each other relatives, their relationship was actually quite shallow.
In the world of martial arts, it is extremely taboo to speak too intimately with someone you don't know well.

Even a few words cannot buy a proper meal.

Unless... we can fundamentally solve his problem of "basic needs".

As Jiang Yi pondered these thoughts, he called back the sparrows that had been perched in the woods.

Just as he had come, he concealed his presence, put his hands behind his back, and embarked on his journey home.

After walking for half a day, I suddenly heard the babbling of a stream, which was the branch of Eagle's Sorrow Stream.

A small temple stood quietly by the stream, looking exactly the same as when we arrived, standing alone by the water.

Jiang Yi had stopped here before, and now that he was back, he knew the way well and settled down.

He sent the sparrows to the woods to peck at food, and then he walked confidently into the temple.

The local earth god in the temple still has that kind and benevolent old face, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles from smiling.

Upon seeing Jiang Yi, he merely nodded, warmly but not saying much, as if he were welcoming just an ordinary pilgrim.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jiang Yi casually found a futon, closed his eyes, and sat down in meditation.

An hour or so passed, and feeling refreshed and full of energy, he got up to take his leave.

But as soon as he moved, the local deity suddenly beamed with smiles and quickly stepped forward to greet him:

"Why must you rush off, Immortal Master? I have prepared a simple feast in the mountains and fields to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey. After you have eaten and drunk your fill, it is not too late to continue your journey."

Jiang Yi smiled faintly: "I appreciate your kind intentions. I still have household matters to attend to at home, so I dare not stay any longer."

Having said that, he stepped outside.

The local earth god, still smiling, took another step forward, his body blocking the temple entrance, and uttered the same old cliché:
"No delay, no delay, just a few cups of wine, it'll be over in no time."

Jiang Yi stopped walking, and the easygoing smile on his face faded away.

Just then, in the woods outside the temple, the sparrows, which should have been resting quietly, suddenly fluttered up, chirping and chattering in a chaotic mess.

An inexplicable restlessness, transmitted clearly through some unseen connection, came through.

Almost simultaneously, several streams of foul and turbid demonic energy silently surged from all directions.

Like an invisible giant net, it completely enveloped this local temple.

When the landowner saw that help had arrived, the benevolence on his face vanished instantly, like a candle being blown out by the wind.

The warmth in his voice was completely gone, replaced only by a chilling greed.

"Immortal, all my sworn brothers are here. You can't escape even if you grow wings today. You'd better be sensible and hand over all the spiritual fruits and treasures hidden in your sleeve. Considering our past acquaintance, I might spare your life."

Jiang Yi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he let out a faint, cold laugh.

It turns out that the spiritual fruit that was kindly obtained on the road was seen by filthy people as nothing more than a source of trouble by being exposed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that several monsters had already gathered outside the temple. One had the head of a beast and the body of a human, another had the head of a wolf, another had the head of a leopard, and yet another resembled a bear spirit. All of them had a murky aura and were filled with demonic energy.

Those murky eyes weren't just staring at the bottom of his sleeves; they were also assessing the value of his entire body, flesh and bones. Drooling dripped from the corners of his mouth, leaving a foul, fishy smell on the ground.

Clearly, this deal cannot be settled simply by handing over the treasure.

Jiang Yi, too lazy to waste words, paused, and his whole body sank silently like a drop of water seeping into dry soil.

"Want to go?"

Seeing this, the land deity's smile deepened, full of the teasing of a cat playing with a mouse: "Trying to burrow underground in my land? What a fool you are."

After saying this, his body swayed, as if he were one with the earth, and he chanted incantations while his hands formed hand seals rapidly.

At first, he appeared calm and composed, as if he had it all figured out.

But in an instant, that confidence froze on his face, replaced by a hint of surprise and panic.

He hurriedly shouted at the menacing monsters around him:

"That old bastard's escape techniques are bizarre! This place can only trap him for a while, it can't stop him! Quick, chase him eastward!"

Upon hearing this, the monsters roared like thunder. Without hesitation, they transformed into gusts of foul wind and vanished.

The leopard-headed demon, with its four limbs on the ground, leaped swiftly, leaving only a yellow and black afterimage. It took the lead and in the blink of an eye, it had already leaped several feet away.

Jiang Yi hid underground, but the surrounding soil and rocks seemed to come alive, sticky like a swamp, tightly binding him inch by inch.

Every step forward felt like wading through mud.

But the foul wind behind them, like a maggot clinging to a bone, pierced through layers of soil and stone, clinging tightly to them.

Jiang Yixin already understood that being dragged along like this was just a waste of energy.

Since escape is impossible, then we might as well not try to escape.

With a sudden thought, he burst forth from the ground, stirring up a cloud of mud and dust.

Almost simultaneously, the long staff behind him was already in his hand. Yin and Yang energies flowed through the staff, but because of the dragon scale, it became somewhat sluggish, unlike its usual smooth flow.

The leopard demon was not surprised but delighted to see him appear. It growled in its throat, pushed off with its four feet, and pounced in a yellow shadow.

Jiang Yi didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and simply handed the long stick, which he wasn't very good at using, forward casually.

The stick was thrust out, but there was no thunderous roar.

The eerie, chilling vapors poured down with the wind, carrying with them an invisible dragon's roar that was inaudible to ordinary people but powerful enough to shake the soul.

The leopard spirit's pride in its speed became a huge joke in the face of this oppressive aura emanating from the depths of its bloodline.

It leaped into the air, but its body froze abruptly. Its large, bell-shaped eyes were filled with terror, and it couldn't even muster the thought of struggling.

Layers of white frost spread rapidly across its fur at a speed visible to the naked eye.

How could a demon that had only taken half a step into human form possibly withstand the remaining power of a true dragon?

Jiang Yifei stepped forward and gently tapped the frozen body with the tip of his stick.

"Click."

The leopard spirit shattered like an ice sculpture in the dead of winter, breaking into pieces and turning into bloody ice shards.

Jiang Yi put away his stick and stood up before looking back.

The remaining monsters lay limp on the ground, trembling like leaves, as if their bones had been pulled out.

Let alone going forward to help, even if they wanted to get up and escape, they couldn't straighten their bodies.

Only then did he realize what was happening.

These lowly mountain demons, before the remaining dragon might of the Third Prince of the West Sea, probably wouldn't even have the right to stand up straight.

(End of this chapter)