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

Chapter 218 Dragon Scales Display Power, Spirit Chicken Suppresses Insects

Liu Zian hadn't had time to turn around.

Suddenly, several streaks of green light appeared beneath their feet.

"laugh!"

Several green wood roots broke through the soil, stirring up dust, intertwining and twisting, like serpents, instantly forming a thick root shield, firmly protecting him behind him.

"boom!"

A loud bang suddenly erupted, sending dirt and wood chips flying everywhere.

That fierce, earthy force crashed into the root shield, grinding it layer by layer until it turned into a wisp of pale yellow mist.

The mist, carried by the wind, dispersed into dust.

The world returned to silence, except for Liu Zian's chest heaving rapidly, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, while the immortal peach tree in his arms continued to flow with spiritual energy, as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Xi's figure appeared beside Liu Zi'an almost before the dust had settled.

With one hand she held his swaying body, while with the other hand she slightly raised, a glint of inspiration emanating from her fingertips.

Her gaze was as cold as a frost blade, fixed on the deep crater that had been blown open.

As the dust settled, something was faintly visible at the bottom of the pit.

About the size of a lamb, it resembles a locust, but is heavier and quieter.

The insect was entirely muddy yellow, as if it had been molded from wet soil and then dried over a low fire, with its shell bearing the rough texture of an unfinished pottery.

His compound eyes were cloudy and dull, like two pieces of unpolished topaz, radiating a lifeless light.

Its six legs were half-buried in the soil, as if rooted, and its breath was so deep that no fluctuations could be seen.

It remained motionless, as if such a dead object had always existed in the world, but its eyes, by simply turning a slight angle, chilled the air.

Jiang Yi did not appear.

He was lurking in the shadows, three inches off the ground, his breathing silent.

The black and white energies flowed slowly around him, like mist and water, washing away all traces of his aura, as if he had never existed in the mortal world.

But that locust demon... seemed to have sensed it all along.

Its topaz-like eyes slowly swept across the room, first landing on Liu Zian's pale face, then sweeping over Jiang Xi's cold brows and eyes, and finally lingering in mid-air as if they were not there.

Right where Jiang Yi was hiding.

Immediately, a voice resounded in the hearts of the three.

The sound was soft and even, like someone gently tossing a cold stone into water.

"The three of you can't stop me."

His tone was flat and emotionless.

Jiang Yi's heart tightened, and the energy between his fingers almost went awry.

A chill ran through me.

This beast not only possesses supernatural powers, but his whereabouts have also been known to him long ago.

This level of cultivation...

They are probably far superior to me.

Before Jiang Yi's astonishment could subside, the locust demon's second divine thought quietly arrived.

Those cloudy compound eyes slowly fell on the peach tree in Liu Zi'an's arms.

The trees were filled with spiritual energy, and the leaves trembled slightly, as if they too sensed the impending calamity.

The locust's voice was like grinding sand, low and deep, yet revealing an undisguised greed:

"Hand over this peach tree, and I can make the wild locusts in the village retreat."

As soon as he finished speaking, the night grew even darker.

Jiang Xi and Liu Zi'an looked at each other, both with hesitation in their eyes.

Now that the trick has been discovered, hiding it any longer would seem petty.

Jiang Yi remained silent for a moment, and the wisp of black and white energy at his fingertips slowly dissipated.

He strolled forward to Liu Zi'an's side and reached out to take the peach tree that had been used as fish bait.

The branches and leaves trembled slightly, a flash of inspiration appeared, as if hesitating, or perhaps sighing softly.

Jiang Yi raised his eyes, looking at the yellowish-brown locust at the bottom of the pit, his tone as calm as a still well:
"How can I trust you?"

The locust's antennae twitched slightly, and its sneer was as fine as sand.

Suddenly, a cold glint appeared deep within those lifeless compound eyes.

Before it could respond, a sudden commotion came from behind them.

The sounds came from the direction of Liangjie Village, a mix of shouts of battle and intermittent screams.

The battle line, which had been holding on, was instantly swallowed up by an even denser buzzing sound.

A gust of wind blew in, carrying with it the mournful cry of a dying rooster.

Short and desolate, as if dragging that little bit of life into darkness as well.

Jiang Yi frowned slightly, but did not utter a word.

He knew that the defenses on the other side of the village were riddled with holes.

Such a commotion is naturally the best bargaining chip.

The demonic locust's divine sense quietly seeped in again, its tone carrying a hint of condescending charity:
“I swear on behalf of my lord Xuanhuangzi, with this peach tree, they will immediately retreat.”

After a moment of silence, a thought arose again, and his tone was low and lingering, with a half-smile:
"When our army arrives, we may spare your lives out of consideration for our past kindness. Being our servants is better than being food for our people."

Hearing the screams behind him, Jiang Yi's expression wavered slightly, as if he felt both unwilling and helpless.

After a long while, only a soft sigh escaped from his throat.

His fingertips twitched slightly, and he finally nodded slowly, his voice so calm it was almost emotionless:

"Okay... I'll give it to you."

Having said that, he lifted the peach tree with both hands, as if it were a respectful offering, and walked step by step toward the deep pit.

The locust at the bottom of the pit, seeing that he was so sensible, did not dare to relax its guard.

Its compound eyes were half-closed, still retaining most of their wariness on Jiang Xi and Liu Zi'an.

Clearly, in its eyes, these three people were nothing more than ants.

But if they were to pounce together, it would have to flee first.

Although Jiang Xi and Liu Zi'an did not understand their father's intentions, they both remained silent.

The trust cultivated since childhood taught them to remain silent, their breath held tightly together, like a bowstring trembling in the wind, yet not yet released.

Jiang Yixing was not in a good mood.

The dejection and helplessness in his expression were perfectly conveyed.

It seemed like resignation, yet also like a loss of soul.

When they reached the edge of the pit, they were less than half a zhang away from the locust monster.

At such close range, the spiritual energy seeping from the roots of the immortal peach tree almost condensed into a fine mist, seeping into the mouth and nose of the demon locust like sweet spring water.

In the murky compound eyes of the demonic locust, a hint of joy could finally be concealed.

Along with the cold aura surrounding him, it also relaxed and began to circulate slightly, as if it had been raining after a long drought.

In that very instant.

Jiang Yi shook his hands slightly and suddenly tossed the peach tree into the air.

A burst of light scattered, and the branches and leaves, accompanied by a soft murmur, soared into the air.

Instead of retreating, he turned his palm.

A dark, copper-bound wooden stick silently slid out from the pot and landed in the palm of the hand.

The staff exuded a chilling aura, yet a wisp of intense heat emanated from its depths.

Each end is inlaid with a different type of iron.

One end is as black as ink, and the other end is as white as jade.

At the top of that pitch-black end, a gleaming scale was quietly embedded, its light as sharp as a knife, chilling to the bone.

The cultivation level of that demonic locust was already slightly higher than that of Jiang Yi.

Moreover, it was an insect that had become a demon, naturally clever and quick-witted.

The moment a murderous intent is revealed, it is as if a rustling of grass stirs the wind, and one knows that disaster is imminent.

The moment the copper cudgel appeared, and the aura of the dragon scale began to emanate, the string in its heart snapped.

They had no time to care about the peach tree!

That seemingly clumsy body, with just a slight sway, sank like a drop of water sinking into mud.

Without making a sound or raising a dust, it quietly disappears into the ground.

They vanished incredibly fast, faster than lightning, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Jiang Yi, however, remained calm, as if he had already made up his mind.

He knew all along that this strike would most likely miss the mark on that slippery beast.

The force of the stick in his hand did not stop in the slightest.

The locust had just disappeared underground when he turned his hand around, holding the black end inlaid with dragon scales...
Suddenly, it slammed towards the spot where the demon had fled.

"Pfft."

With a soft thud, the half-stick sank into the ground without any obstruction.

next moment.

Jiang Yi's entire magical power poured down the staff like a floodgate opening.

“Crack…Crack…”

The cold air emanated from the copper rod and spread rapidly at a visible speed.

With the staff at its core, a circle of pure white frost slowly spreads out.

The soil was frozen, and the air was cold and still. Jiang Yi dared not hold back any longer.

The Yin and Yang energies within the body surged like a tide, like a river bursting its banks and flowing a thousand miles.

The dragon scale embedded at the end of the stick suddenly emitted a faint glow.

The extremely yin and cold energy poured out without any obstruction.

The chill spread, the soil turned white, and even the rocks underground crackled from the cold.

The sound of the wind seemed to be sealed within this icy shell, so silent that only the heartbeat remained.

Only when the last wisp of magical power in his body was exhausted, Jiang Yi's face turned pale and his body swayed slightly, did he take a deep breath and manage to steady himself.

As soon as he finished speaking, a green shadow swept across the sky.

Jiang Xi moved with agility, and with a flick of her sleeve, she caught the peach tree steadily without breaking even a single leaf.

Liu Zian understood immediately, and with a flicker of his body, he vanished into the frosty land.

A moment later, he broke through the ice, his face beaming with joy:
"Father-in-law! That beast is frozen solid! It's thirty feet below, frozen into a solid block of ice, and he can't move at all!"

Jiang Yi remained silent and did not smile.

The bloodless face remained cold, its breath so faint it seemed about to dissipate.

He simply raised his hand and waved it, his gaze falling on the peach tree in Jiang Xi's arms. His tone was slightly urgent, but brooked no refusal:

"Jin'er, quick, plant it back. Don't let its spirit dissipate."

In just that brief moment of being off the ground, he noticed that the originally harmonious spiritual energy of the immortal peach tree had thinned slightly.

Jiang Xi knew the importance of this peach tree and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He responded and went, hugging the tree, and in a flash, he was back in his own yard.

Following the old trail of the spiritual spring, she replanted the tree, gently covering it with her palms and nurturing it with the wood energy she had cultivated.

The spring water is misty, and the branches and leaves tremble slightly, as if a spiritual spirit has just returned.

Just as Jiang Yi was about to catch his breath, a sudden uproar erupted from the village behind him.

The voice was different from before.

He was no longer delirious, but instead showed signs of panic.

Without the divine suppression of the demonic locust, the fear of the natural enemy, the spirit bird, in the blood of the billions of locusts burst forth like a spring bursting its dam.

The more arrogant they were before, the more chaotic they are now.

The overwhelming black tide suddenly retreated in panic, like waters receding from the sea.

The former pushed the latter aside, and the latter trampled on the former, creating a chaotic mess that even the daylight was turned gray.

Jiang Yi gazed at the receding black waves, his expression still cold.

His face showed no joy whatsoever, only silence.

Letting these beasts escape is just another way for them to wreak havoc on people.

His mind stirred slightly, his expression remained calm, and a wisp of divine thought was quietly released.

A moment later, amidst the gradually fading sounds of fighting, three loud crowings of roosters suddenly rang out.

Gold feather, red feather, green feather.

Three sounds rose in succession, each one carrying the weariness of a fierce battle, yet still clear and resonant, each one exuding an undeniable authority.

Immediately, three streaks of light shot into the sky from the village, each leading a surviving rooster, and flew away like arrows released from a bow.

The golden light was sharp as a blade, the red light was like a flame, and the blue light was electrified.

The three-colored light and shadows dispersed in mid-air, not converging, but rather spreading far apart, creating a broad arc that completely encircled the retreating swarm of insects.

It's strange.

The three races of spirit chickens were not numerous to begin with, and after this bloody battle, only thirty or forty remained.

Scattered across the vast wilderness, separated by miles, they appear sparse and scattered, resembling a few lonely lights in the night sky from afar.

Yet this sparse ring acts like an invisible chasm, making it impossible for the insect swarm to cross.

A loud cry rose, echoing through heaven and earth.

Whenever the sound rang out, the dense swarm of locusts would scatter in chaos, colliding with each other, yet daring not to cross the line even a step.

This is neither a formation nor magical power.

It is the fear in our blood, it is the will of Heaven.

It's unreasonable, but it works the most.

The insect swarm was trapped, and the clamor between heaven and earth finally subsided somewhat.

Jiang Yi let out a sigh of relief, but his gaze remained fixed on the frosty land.

It was as if you could see the frozen beast beneath the thick earth.

He leaned against the dark bronze staff, his breath slightly unsteady, his voice a few decibels lower than usual:
"Zi'an, go back and take a look."

He paused, then added, "With all this turmoil in the village, people are probably panicked. Go and calm things down."

Liu Zian nodded without saying anything more.

"Don't worry, father-in-law."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blurred, transforming into a yellowish-brown phantom and disappearing into the night.

The wind blew, and all was quiet except for Jiang Yi.

Breathing, long and smooth.

The ashen look on his face gradually faded as he breathed.

He appeared to be adjusting his breathing, but in reality, he was not relaxed.

He held the copper staff in his hand, his five fingers slightly tense. From time to time, a subtle magical power flowed from his palm into the staff, like a spring seeping into the soil, silently seeping into the ground.

The cold of the frozen soil has increased by another inch.

He guarded the place so closely, leaving no room for error, for fear that the beast might have some evil trick to escape.

The night was deep, and I don't know how much time had passed.

He felt a little relieved after the emptiness was somewhat filled by the newly generated magical power.

Lightly pinch the earth-moving mudra between your fingers.

His other hand still gripped the copper rod tightly.

With a sudden drop in height, he and his staff sank silently into the ground.

It sank about 30 zhang (approximately 15 meters).

The surrounding ice crystals intertwined, reflecting the faint light of the bronze staff and dragon scales, their cold gleam almost imperceptible.

In the very center of the earth and rocks, a piece of black ice hung silently, sealing within it the earth-yellow demon locust.

It remained in its fleeing posture, its six legs curled up, its head slightly raised, and even the last trace of panic in its turbid yellow compound eyes was frozen into ice.

Jiang Yi's divine sense, like mercury spilling onto the ground, gently roamed over the mysterious ice.

It was completely empty and lifeless.

He couldn't believe it.

Such a powerful and influential spirit died so quietly that it inevitably aroused some suspicion in people's hearts.

He paused for a moment before raising one hand.

With fingers slightly spread and palm loosely clenched, he aimed at the piece of black ice.

The method of the Heavenly Pot was slowly activated.

Silent and powerless.

The ice block seemed to have had a layer of dust brushed away by the wind; it swayed gently.
It then vanished into the small world within his palm, disappearing without a trace.

It became.

The copper rod is in my palm, my knuckles slightly loose.

The taut string in my heart finally fell back to its original place.

His method of creating a heavenly pot is extremely profound, but it has a fatal limitation: it cannot contain living things.

If they can be taken in, then they're completely wiped out.

As Jiang Yi emerged from the soil, the biting cold dissipated.

The night breeze caressed my face, no longer chilly, but carrying a hint of sweet, fishy smell.

He put away the Yin-Yang Dragon Scale Staff, and without even touching the ground, he merely touched the ground with his toes, and his figure had already risen several feet high, soaring towards his own courtyard.

The moonlight was slightly cool, and looking down, Liangjie Village resembled a dilapidated painting.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of insect corpses, shiny black, as if splashed with ink.

Among the various colors are the figures of members of the ancient and modern gangs, as well as the scattered feathers of the spirit chicken.

Jiang Yi's gaze darkened.

When a person dies, the lights go out; thinking about it is pointless.

At the village entrance, Jiang Jin stood dressed in a blue robe, with little dust on it.

He remained relatively calm and was directing his gang members to carry the bodies of their fallen comrades to one place.

The villagers also came out of their houses one after another, heads down, to clean up the wreckage.

There were cries, but they were low, like the wind sweeping through the weeds.

Tragic, but not chaotic.

The chickens, on the other hand, are busier than people.

The mixed-feathered spirit chickens outside the three clans, along with the ordinary native chickens in the village that had gained some spiritual energy, were all freed.

They lay scattered among the piles of insect corpses, heads held high, treading on the flesh and blood of their own kind, pecking at the larger, still demonic-looking carcasses.

They fought and vied for it, their voices never ceasing.

Amidst the stench of blood, they pecked at the ground with great gusto, as if it were a feast following a bountiful harvest.

(End of this chapter)