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

Chapter 239 Using Formations to Enlighten the Gods, Ao Lie is Completely Convinced

Jiang Yi looked at the faint wisp of divine light and shadow, which revealed a weariness that seeped from the very bones, and then reached out and gently patted his son's shoulder.

"Thank you for your hard work these days."

With years of incense offerings, this auction has finally come to fruition.

My palms were slightly cool, yet they felt genuine.

Jiang Liang lowered his eyes and smiled, a smile that contained both weariness and a hint of self-deprecation.

"A little running around is nothing. Compared to those unlucky colleagues, I am already much luckier."

What he said was absolutely true.

I've seen a lot over the years.

Former colleagues and subordinates were implicated or purged, some even having their souls thrown into the fires of the underworld, never to be reborn.

If it weren't for his father's insistence on stopping him back then, and his clever use of the "righteousness of the world" rhetoric to send Jiang Rui to Mount Futu, he would have severed ties with the Taiping Dao group long ago.

I fear that by now, my family has long since become a wisp of ashes on the case file.

Hearing the lingering fear in his words, Jiang Yi's gaze softened.

She patted him on the shoulder again, her tone gentle.

"Today is a good day, don't think about so much. Let's go up Snake Coil Mountain together to celebrate your third child's birthday."

His words dispelled some of Jiang Liang's gloomy demeanor.

He smiled in response and nodded in agreement.

Back when Xiao Jiangchao was born, he could only be confined to this Water God Temple, gazing at the mountain from afar.

Now that the incense offerings are growing stronger, the spirit has also become more stable.

Leaving this memorial tablet, one can gradually enter the territory of the local ancestral hall.

Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the temple.

But it was Jiang Qin who returned.

With the two little ones who had run off earlier, covered in sweat, they laughed and played as they made their way into the temple.

Upon seeing that his grandfather and father were both present, he immediately stopped smiling and respectfully stepped forward to bow.

Jiang Yi focused his attention slightly and took a closer look, and a sense of relief arose in his heart.

This grandson exudes a calm and steady aura, his body and soul are in harmony, and his every move carries a sense of refinement.

Life and health are both preserved, and all worldly dust is gone.

What's even more remarkable is that he's only thirty-two years old, yet his foundation is so solid that it puts people at ease.

From now on, this road construction will likely be a smooth, unobstructed journey.

Jiang Yi stroked his beard, his eyes crinkling with a smile, and nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, okay."

"Indeed, each generation surpasses the last. It seems that my old bones are about to be overtaken by you youngsters."

After saying that, he couldn't help but laugh.

Jiang Qin, though somewhat pleased with himself after receiving the praise, remained humble and said:
"Grandpa, you flatter me. You are so kind. We younger generations still have so much to learn from you."

Before the words were finished, a childish voice interrupted from the side:

"Father, you're not being honest!"

Jiang Chao tilted his head back, earnestly dismantling the plan.
"Didn't you just teach my cousin and me on the ship that we should 'surpass our teachers'?"

He said this with an innocent look on his face.

Liu Chengming, standing to the side, also nodded solemnly, mimicking the adults.

His words sparked laughter throughout the temple. Jiang Liang laughed so hard he bent over, and even Jiang Yi was amused, his beard trembling.

As they chatted and laughed, the group climbed the steps up the mountain.

A gentle evening breeze caressed my face, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees and the sweet aroma of cooking smoke.
The whole family walked side by side, their laughter echoing in the wind, carrying a sense of peace rarely found in the mundane world.

When we returned to the Lishe Ancestral Hall, the hall was already brightly lit.

Several spirit lamps hung from the beams, swaying like stars, while incense smoke swirled around them, and a table was laden with food and drink.

Chicken, duck, fish, meat, wild delicacies, and fruits were piled up so high they almost overflowed the edge of the table.

Old Gui was waiting with a happy expression. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he immediately clapped his hands and said:
"Come, come, let's celebrate properly today!"

After saying that, he took out a tightly sealed jar of spirit wine.

The aroma of the wine was so strong it almost seemed to glow; one was intoxicated before even taking a sip.

Even Jiang Liang, whose physical body was in the form of a spirit, felt his primordial spirit brighten a bit after taking a couple of sniffs.

Cups were poured and toasts were exchanged, laughter and chatter filled the air.

When the wine had flowed freely, the two little ones started banging on the table and making a ruckus.

"Daddy! Do a somersault!"

Jiang Qin didn't refuse, laughed heartily, and with a light tap of his toes, he leaped into the air.

Under the moonlit clouds, he performed several somersaults in the night sky. In a flash of inspiration, his clothes fluttered, drawing cheers from everyone at the table.

As the cheers subsided, Jiang Yi's smile faded slightly. He put down his wine glass and turned his gaze to Lao Gui.

“My dear in-law,” he said calmly, yet with a certain weight, “I have already asked someone to find out the exact details about Chao’er’s matter.”

"The Flaming Mountain is indeed a matter, but the time is not yet ripe. It will take at least two or three years to get a definite answer, so there's no need to rush."

Upon hearing this, Lao Gui paused slightly in the hand holding the cup.

The glint in his eyes flashed and disappeared in an instant; amidst his surprise, he also revealed a hint of admiration.

He laughed heartily, let out a long sigh, and drank the spiritual wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Okay, okay, that's good!"

The anxiety that had been hanging over him finally subsided, and the tense expression on his face relaxed a bit.

He then personally refilled the wine cups for Jiang Yi and Liu Xiulian, his tone carrying a hint of explanation, but also a lingering weariness:

"To be honest, my family has spent some years in heaven, and we are fairly well-informed about our brothers and sisters. However, we mostly travel around the Western Paradise and are not very close to the Tushita Palace."

"This matter is only rumored, but we have no idea about the details."

Old Gui sighed, his voice a mixture of frustration and urgency.

"I was afraid of missing out on that incredible opportunity, so I panicked and thought that I should take some risks to help Chao'er awaken her soul as soon as possible."

At this point, he seemed to realize he had overstepped his bounds, and his expression changed, a smile returning to his face.

"Now that we have your exact time, there's no need to rush."

"It's better to proceed slowly and steadily, allowing the young man to reach his goal step by step, than to rush him too much and damage his foundation."

The implication is that the Ming Shen Formation will ultimately still have to be used.

It's just a change of time and temperature.

Jiang Yi understood.

With Chao'er's limited cultivation level, it would take three years for him to cultivate to the point of "bright and vigorous spirit and awaken the yang fire within his soul."

To rely solely on arduous practice is simply wishful thinking.

Since the formation can still be used temporarily, there's no need to force him to come to our door with the force of tigers and wolves; this is quite reasonable.

He raised his wine glass and gently clinked it against Lao Gui's.

With a crisp sound, as if striking the evening breeze, the matter was settled.

The wine in the cup was not yet finished, but the thoughts had already circled back to where they started.

Jiang Yi paused slightly between his fingers, his tone indifferent yet probing:

“My dear in-law, there’s something I don’t quite understand.”

"Since you say your family has never had any dealings with the Tushita Palace, how can you be so certain that you can send Chao'er into the Flaming Mountains?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Gui's smile faltered slightly.

His previously confident expression faded somewhat.

He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then gently put it down, as if he had something to say but didn't know where to begin.

After a long pause, he gave a dry laugh and said in a muffled tone:
"Well... someone in the family did leak the word."

"As for which route or which person opened the door for me, I... actually don't know very well."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi understood seven or eight parts of the meaning.

Such vague and ambiguous statements mostly refer to matters that are difficult to discuss openly.

He asked no more questions, but his thoughts drifted away.

Suddenly, I remembered an old news story that Jiang Liang had casually mentioned years ago.

The demon mother and son were old friends with Princess Iron Fan of the Rakshasa Kingdom.

Princess Iron Fan... Flaming Mountain...

As these two titles flashed through his mind, he began to have some suspicions.

However, his expression remained completely unchanged; he simply laughed heartily, raising his glass to conceal his slight unease. "It's alright, it's alright," he said lightly, his smile gentle.
"Any connections are fine, as long as they can get our child in, they're all good connections."

Amidst laughter, the topic was gently dropped.

The banquet ended late at night.

The cups and plates were cleared away, and the lights gradually dimmed.

Jiang Liang was preoccupied with his duties in Chang'an, so he did not stay long. He simply clasped his hands in a salute, turned into a wisp of smoke, and disappeared with the wind.

The few people remaining in the courtyard, warmed by the slight buzz of the wine, became even more energetic.

Old Gui rolled up his sleeves, walked into the courtyard, and readjusted the Ming Shen formation.

He slightly altered a few runes, reducing seven parts of their fierce energy to three parts of their gentleness.

Light and shadow shifted within the array, and the flames of the runes flickered in and out of sight.

He then invited Jiang Chao to sit at the center of the formation, where they sat cross-legged steadily.

Jiang Yi, Liu Xiulian, Lao Gui, and the newly promoted cultivator Jiang Qin, whose aura was still strong.

The four men each occupied a corner, chanting incantations in low voices, their palm strikes like clouds, their breaths long and deep.

As the magical power slowly flowed in, there were no thunderous phenomena within the formation, only a faint halo, like ripples on water, quietly enveloping Jiang Chao's small figure.

At that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, with only the soft sound of the wind rustling through the pine branches remaining.

The night was gentle, and the light was undisturbed, which made it seem even more serene and solemn.

Under the warm, jade-like light, Jiang Chao's soul trembled slightly, like a hibernating insect awakened by spring thunder, gently turning over and waking from its dream.

The faint mark between his brows, originally like a ray of sunlight in the morning mist, was now gradually brightening.

The light was not intense, but it possessed a gentle yet steadfast quality, like a small sun in the quiet mountain shrine at night.

Jiang Yi looked down and sighed inwardly.

Just a few days ago, he had come into contact with the inner elixir fire of the Camel Peak Mountain God.

Although the fire was blazing at that time, it was ultimately a long-smoldering ember, carrying a hint of death.

Looking at the faint light between his great-grandson's eyebrows, though weak, it was extremely pure, refined and unmixed, gentle yet not scattered, and contained an unblemished noble spirit within its innocence.

The four of them worked together until the moon was high in the sky.

The brilliance within the formation gradually faded, like the tide receding, leaving only starlight.

The small figure had tilted its head and fallen asleep in the halo of light, sleeping very peacefully, with a slight smile on its lips.

Seeing this, Lao Gui couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile, his tone full of comfort.

"It's done."

He nodded slightly, his voice as soft as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping child inside.

"If we continue in this manner for another six days, we should see initial results."

"After that, nurture it once a year, and it will be successful within three years."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi simply nodded and smiled, without saying anything more.

Amidst the chaos of the world, I feel only tranquility at this moment.

The next day, as dawn broke, the dew outside the courtyard was fresh.

When Jiang Chao woke up, he felt light and refreshed, even more comfortable than if he had slept for ten hours.

He sat up abruptly, not even bothering to straighten his clothes, and hurriedly pulled his younger cousin: "Come on, come on! We need to get up early today."

I arrived in a hurry yesterday and only planted a black flag by the stream. I didn't even have a chance to see the three familiar monsters.

It was just dawn, and he was so worried that he didn't even bother to eat breakfast before dragging the person towards the other side of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

The children ran off like the wind, their laughter echoing at the foot of the mountain.

Jiang Yi slowly got up, put his hands behind his back, and found Jiang Qin.

“Let’s go,” he said calmly, but with a hint of a smile. “Come with me to the stream and meet your ‘Third Brother Ao’.”

Jiang Qin understood perfectly well.

His good fortune is largely thanks to Brother Ao.

Logically, it should be Grandpa who makes this trip.

The two descended the mountain path, the mountain breeze carrying a hint of dampness, and the faint sound of water flowing from the bottom of the ravine could be heard.

Upon reaching the pool, Jiang Qin, as always, stood on the blue stone and called out softly to the water.

Before long, the deep pool rippled, and a white figure broke through the water.

Ao Lie's snow-white dragon head protruded slightly, its whiskers drooping, its divine might as before.

Those golden eyes seemed to flash with lightning as they opened and closed.

"Grandpa Jiang," he called softly, his voice echoing through the valley, "it's been many days since I last saw you, and you still look as dashing as ever."

The form of address remained the same, but the tone was different.

The perfunctory pleasantries of the past were replaced by heartfelt respect.

Jiang Yi might not care about this change, but Ao Lie knew its significance.

Having been trapped in this ravine for many years, he often listened to Jiang Qin's idle chatter about interesting things in life to relieve his boredom.

He knew how Old Master Jiang had defied public opinion and insisted that his family sever ties with the Taiping Dao when it was at its peak.

That's not something that can be explained by simply saying "good luck".

That was a choice that required both insight and courage.

Given Ao Lie's status, he naturally understood the complexities involved.

When Jiang Yi saw him leaning forward, he didn't exchange many pleasantries and simply bowed politely.

"Third Prince, I have come here specifically to express my gratitude."

As he spoke, he took out several baskets of spiritual fruits and several cleaned spiritual chickens from his sleeve.

The air is filled with a spiritual aura, and the fragrance is clear and pure.

"It's just a small gift, not a token of respect."

Usually, these words are just polite formalities.

But this time is different.

His expression of "respect" was sincere.

However, the spiritual items I have, though of high quality, are not enough to be presented to others.

He knew in his heart that Ao Lie had helped him more than just a little.

However, if they really wanted to kill those three spirit chickens to repay this kindness, they ultimately couldn't bring themselves to do it.

Upon hearing this, the enormous dragon head even revealed a slight smile.

The dragon's whiskers trembled slightly, its voice like rolling thunder, yet carrying a hint of warmth.

"There's no need for the old man to be so polite among his own brothers."

The sincerity in his voice was noticeably greater than usual when he said this.

When Ao Lie speaks to the Jiang family now, he no longer shows any perfunctory attitude.

In his heart, he admired the old man Jiang Yi even more.

I admire his foresight in seeing through the situation and extricating himself early, and I also admire his seemingly gentle but actually subtle methods.

Of course, there was also a bit of personal motive involved.

His "sincerity" also relied on one person.

His brother-in-law, who is now enjoying immense success.

Over the years, he had always harbored resentment.

Seeing her younger sister marry into the Fan family and become an ordinary woman, she always felt that her status had been lowered.

Jiang Feng, though not without talent, was just too bland back then and seemed unambitious.

In his eyes, it was inevitable that she would be suspected of "living off a woman".

Although his sister was willing, Ao Lie didn't say anything, but he was always unhappy inside.

But things are different now.

Jiang Feng not only returned to Heming Mountain in great glory, but also became the most favored disciple of the Heavenly Master.

At a very young age, he was granted the title of "Guardian Deity of Taoism".

Taking advantage of the collapse of the Taiping Dao, he single-handedly controlled dozens of temples, which flourished and became famous.

Such achievements are so remarkable that, among all the sons of the West Sea Dragon Palace, apart from the eldest brother who was a genius of unparalleled talent, it would be difficult to find another who could rival him.

Whenever Ao Lie thought of this, the old feelings in his heart would vanish.

Nowadays, mentioning the word "brother-in-law" adds a touch of pride.

Now that he had accepted his brother-in-law, Ao Lie naturally found his brother-in-law's family much more agreeable.

(End of this chapter)