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

Chapter 231 Refining the Wood Impurities, the Locust-Exterminating Pill is Complete

The ancient trees in the mountains are heartless; flowers bloom and fade, and they do not remember the years.

The two peach trees that had been transplanted from Aolai Kingdom by the Lingquan Spring blossomed and bore fruit again for another season, and Jiang Jun took them into the mountains.

With the help of the pure and spiritual energy of the immortal peach tree in the center, Jiang Yixiu's liver, which was turbid, moved exceptionally smoothly.

In less than two years, the last trace of impurity was completely purified.

When the liver is cleared, the eyes will naturally become bright.

Looking at the world again, it is different from what it used to be.

When the wind blows, the trails of dust particles in the air are clearly visible;

As the plants breathe, the subtle, almost invisible vitality rises and falls in the light and shadow.

This is what is meant by "breaking through delusion to see the truth".

Jiang Yi remained seated under the peach tree, and after finishing his breathing exercises, he casually glanced around, his gaze falling towards the back mountain.

This glance, however, was different from any other.

The refreshing aura of the peach tree flowed into my eyes, as if wiping away a thin layer of cloudiness.

In the once hazy, verdant forest, a narrow path marked by human footprints could be faintly discerned.

Not far away, there is a man-made irrigation canal with gurgling spring water flowing down from the mountainside.

But that's all.

Further up, on the mountainside, it was still shrouded in thick fog.

The fog swirled, seemingly intentionally obscuring the view, making it difficult to see clearly even with his sharpest eyesight.

After that one glance, Jiang Yi didn't look at it again.

Once the liver wood element is cleared, it is time to refine the heart fire element.

Among the Five Elements, the heart fire governs the spirit, and its turbidity is hatred.

If hatred accumulates too deeply, the mind will become confused, leading to madness and insanity, ultimately becoming a slave to fire, from which there is no escape.

This time, however, things did not go as smoothly as before.

Jiang Yi considered himself to have no deep-seated hatred in his life, and his state of mind was relatively peaceful.

Unfortunately, this tranquility became a constraint when it came to the refining process.

His cultivation practice is largely based on water and wood elements.

There was neither fire magic to rely on, nor fire treasures to assist, nor fire land to borrow.

Once you enter a meditative state, you don't even know where to begin.

The immortal peach tree that I used to rely on for cultivation contains pure Yi wood energy, which was originally an aid.

This has now become an obstacle.

When wood meets fire, it's like adding fuel to the fire; instead of helping, it ignites a surge of turbid fire within the heart.

Left with no other choice, Jiang Yi had to temporarily leave the backyard and find another quiet place to meditate.

Even so, the fire's progress was still as slow as a snail's pace.

One day's work yields less than a fraction of what was gained from refining wood in the past.

At this rate, it may take another twenty or thirty years before the inner fire and impurities are completely purified.

In recent days, Jiang Yi has tried almost every method he could think of, but still couldn't find the right approach.

The fire in my heart is murky, like damp firewood meeting a flame; it only produces choking smoke and does not become a real fire.

It cannot be refined or burned thoroughly; no matter how many thoughts he has, it is all in vain.

The progress of cultivation was thus deliberately slowed down.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, a faint shadow suddenly materialized silently under the old locust tree in the courtyard.

The familiar aura of his spirit was none other than Jiang Liang's.

This time, however, his soul was overflowing with uncontrollable joy, and even his illusory features seemed to be smiling.

Jiang Yi emerged from his meditation, slightly surprised by the sight, and asked, "What brings you such joy?"

"Thanks to Father!" Jiang Liang's voice trembled, "Feng'er has finally refined that pill over in the Western Sea!"

These words, like a clap of thunder in spring, shattered the pent-up frustration that had been building up in Jiang Yi's chest for days.

His tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

This is an immense act of merit.

After years of planning and anticipation, this day has finally arrived.

Seeing the joy on his father's face, Jiang Liang smiled even more broadly and stopped keeping him in suspense.

With a wave of his hand, he took out a wooden box from the hidden chamber in his sleeve.

The wooden box was extremely ordinary, without any radiance or auspicious aura.

There lay a dark, unremarkable pill inside, which was strangely captivating.

Before Jiang Yi could speak, the green locust that had been living peacefully in his sleeve for several years jumped out on its own.

It was nimble and landed on the side of the wooden box with a leap.

Its compound eyes were fixed on the dark pill, its antennae trembled slightly, and it sniffed it as if trying to discern some kind of scent.

After a long while, it seemed to confirm something and nodded in a very human-like manner.

A hint of excitement flashed in those normally cold and indifferent insect eyes.

The next moment, it tilted its head back, opened its mouth, and swallowed the pill in one gulp.

After swallowing, his body froze, and he stood still as a stone.

For a moment, even the patterns on the wings seemed to freeze.

After a long while, it slowly opened its eyes.

There was no change in his aura, but Jiang Yi sensed something different in his heart.

The green locust turned around and bowed respectfully to him.

A thought then entered his mind:
"Over the years, I have been grateful for your care and support, Benefactor Jiang."

Benefactor Jiang?
Jiang Yi was slightly taken aback.

After being together for several years, this is the first time I've heard it call out so solemnly.

As if sensing his doubt, Bihuang continued to transmit a thought, calm as the low tolling of a Zen bell:
“The Zen master once said, ‘If I swallow this pill, it will be the time for me to enter the Buddhist gate and take refuge in the Buddha.’”

The phrase "I take refuge in Buddha" echoed gently in my heart.

Jiang Yi was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood.

To first examine oneself before others—this kind of conduct is in line with the Buddhist spirit.

He smiled slightly, clasped his hands together, and returned the greeting to the tiny green locust, his words tinged with amusement:

"Congratulations... Master Locust."

After thinking for a moment, this somewhat strange name could only be found.

That green locust... no, now it should be called the Locust Master.

It neither humbled nor rejected the title, but simply bowed deeply again, its thoughts as gentle as a breeze rustling through willows:
"This humble monk is now going to fulfill his original vow. If Benefactor Jiang is interested, you may come and see. However, please do not reveal the appearance of this humble monk."

Having said that, it lightly flapped its wings, and a streak of emerald light shot into the sky, transforming into a thin line that swept straight across the heavens.

Their destination was the vast wilderness of the Central Plains, ravaged by locust plagues.

The wind was still in the courtyard, and the peach leaves fell silently.

Jiang Yi and Jiang Liang exchanged a glance, but ultimately did not move.

He raised his hand and gently beckoned to the few birds pecking at food under the eaves.

Having stayed at the Jiang family's residence for a long time, those ordinary birds had also acquired some spiritual energy. They stared at him blankly for a moment, then spread their wings and took flight.

Not too far, not too near, not too fast, not too slow, it followed the sliver of light with a thin shadow.

There was indeed a tacit understanding among the locust swarms that was difficult for outsiders to perceive.

The green locust, having received its Buddhist name, set its sights on a particular direction. Without deviating from it, it flapped its wings for more than a day and found a large swarm of locusts wreaking havoc on a field that had been completely devoured.

The locust swarm blotted out the sky, cutting down all vegetation in its wake. Its sheer size was comparable to the demonic invasion that struck Liangjie Village years ago.

Although the green locust had received the enlightenment of Buddhism, its aura did not change in any special way; it was still like an ordinary grasshopper in the field.

With a slight flap of its wings, it blends into the vast swarm, like a drop in a river, undisturbed and serene.

The birds that Jiang Yi was controlling from afar lost their target.

They could only follow the dark cloud from afar, watching it travel eastward, devouring all life along its path.

For the first two days, nothing was different.

Jiang Yi was in no hurry. He held a few birds and followed slowly, his mind as still as water. It wasn't until dawn on the third day that some clues appeared in his field of vision.

After the locust swarm had passed, a few locust corpses were scattered across the barren wasteland.

Not many, scattered in various places, if not carefully examined, they would be mistaken for dust in the wind.

Jiang Yi's heart stirred slightly.

Once the locust swarm that blotted out the sky had flown far away and its buzzing had been swept away by the wind, he then gently led the boldest bird to land.

With its wings folded, it approached the ground and peered inside.

Upon seeing this, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Those that died were all the lowest, most unintelligent locusts.

There were no bite marks or signs of poison on its body; it seemed as if it had simply collapsed from exhaustion.

But the end of his life came too quickly and too suddenly.

Their bodies were completely shriveled up, their skin so thin it could barely cover their joints, as if someone had drained all their blood, flesh, and vitality from them.

The bodies lay on the ground, covered in dust, and even their ravenous kin wouldn't bother to touch them.

Jiang Yi could see these things clearly through the eyes of the birds.

Although I was shocked, I couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

This time, he used his divine sense to follow from a distance.

Firstly, he wanted to see with his own eyes how the "Locust Master" would use Buddhism to resolve this calamity;

Secondly, they inevitably had some ulterior motives.

If one could collect the corpses of a few higher-level demon locusts and bring them back to refine into Blood Bird Pills, it would be a small but significant gain.

Now it seems that such good fortune did not exist.

The wind swept across the fields, raising a thin layer of soil, and even carrying away several of the locust corpses.

Although somewhat disappointed, Jiang Yi eventually composed himself and patiently continued to follow.

As the days went by, the locust swarm's momentum waned day by day.

At first, only the lowest-ranking mortals aged;
Later, even those locusts that had gained some spiritual power and some Taoist abilities stopped their wings and fell from the sky.

His appearance remained unchanged.

To age cleanly and thoroughly.

His body was empty, as if the years had drained the last drop of his life force.

Jiang Yi observed this and occasionally had some strange speculations in his mind.

Did the life essence and lifespan of these locusts, from demonic locusts to ordinary insects, really just vanish into thin air?
Or was it secretly taken away by some more sophisticated means?

If it really was absorbed... then where did that essence go?

Is it that "Locust Master" secretly converting demons and devouring all living beings?

Or perhaps, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, it was enshrined on the summit of Mount Futu, becoming a wisp of incense in Buddhism.
After much thought, I still couldn't find a solution.

The locust swarms in the sky became increasingly sparse as they flew.

The "dark clouds" that once covered the sky now appeared so thin that the sunlight could almost penetrate them.

Sure enough, the monstrous locusts that drove this swarm underground finally realized something was wrong.

At first, there was only a rough, iron-like divine thought sweeping back and forth deep within the earth's veins, as if searching for something.

A few days later, seeing that he had gained nothing, the divine thought suddenly became agitated.

With a loud bang, the soil churned up, and a giant locust with a dark golden shell burst out of the ground.

Its body was as big as a water vat, and its aura was deep and fierce, far surpassing that of ordinary locusts.

The gold shell reflected light, like dazzling armor, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

It weaves back and forth among the locust swarm, its divine senses sharp as blades, repeatedly scraping at the surrounding void.

Along with that, I also noticed the few miscellaneous birds trailing far behind.

Taking advantage of Jiang Yi's momentary hesitation, it suddenly leaped up, a golden light streaking through the air, and caught a lone sparrow with a single claw.

However, after searching the entire bird's body and the surrounding area, they still found nothing.

It could only watch helplessly as its vast "divine army" declined day by day in this invisible decay.

Its once overwhelming power has now vanished, leaving only a fleeting shadow in the wind.

Even the buzzing sound faded a bit.

I followed them for a few more days.

The sky no longer held that overwhelming momentum.

The once overwhelming sea of ​​locusts has now dwindled to just a few scattered individuals, their roar completely gone.

A few powerful locusts, still hovering in mid-air, had lost their direction and purpose, like a group of old soldiers who had lost their souls, flying and crashing around aimlessly without any order.

Jiang Yi saw it all and knew what was going on.

He summoned his divine power and risked urging the crow to gently land on the ground.

The ground was eerily still; even the dust seemed sluggish when the wind blew.

Using the crow's eyes, Jiang Yi carefully examined his surroundings, but could no longer find the shadow of the dark golden locust.

Whether they were frightened away by this "invisible plague" or not,
Knowing it was powerless to change the situation, it quickly burrowed back underground to report back to its master.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yi's heart stirred slightly.

Will it be...

That dark gold locust had also unknowingly fallen victim to that invisible calamity.
If it really returned to the underground, wouldn't it bring this invisible power back to the side of the "Ancestor of All Locusts," Xuanhuangzi?

If that's the case, then this calamity that stretches for thousands of miles may finally be eradicated.

This sudden thought made him chuckle to himself.

He knew in his heart that these were just wild guesses.

He had no way of knowing the truth.

Because, in Jiang Yi's eyes, that green locust had also vanished without a trace.

It seems they have successfully completed their mission and are now quietly moving on to the next locust plague.

In this way, Jiang Yi's group of informants also lost their purpose.

He had witnessed the methods of Zen Master Wuchao and knew that such a person could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.

At this point, they wouldn't be foolish enough to leave traces of their own investigation of the locust swarm.

The thought barely crossed his mind when the few birds still in the sky understood.

Several clear, long cries pierced the sky, transforming into several black shadows that rushed straight towards the locust with the strongest aura, yet already showing signs of aging.

"boom……"

A faint light flashed, and the explosion was not loud, but extremely deep.

Several ordinary birds exploded in unison, their spiritual energy scattering like a tiny firework.

When the dust settled, the demonic locust was nothing but a pile of broken armor and shattered wings, completely devoid of warmth.

It wasn't earth-shattering, but it was better than nothing.

By eliminating a scourge from this world, one can perhaps accumulate some good karma for them.

Jiang Yi withdrew his divine sense, and the courtyard returned to silence.

Life returned to its old ways.

He would sit quietly every day, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, only occasionally going to the backyard to look at the immortal peach tree.

However, Jiang Yi knew the truth in his heart.

The world outside is unlikely to calm down anytime soon.

Jiang Yi was in no hurry and waited in the courtyard for news of Jiang Liang.

Sure enough, the incense was lit again in just a few days.

The familiar ghostly figure materialized in the smoke, its expression carrying a hint of barely suppressed strangeness.

"Father, guess what?"

"In the locust plague area you mentioned a few days ago, people have already discovered the ground covered with dried-up locust corpses."

"The news spread extremely quickly, and has now reached several states, even alarming the Taiping Dao."

He paused, his lips twitching slightly.
"They were already tightly packed, but now they've suddenly sped up, and there's a hint of panic in their movements."

(End of this chapter)