Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 14, The Wind Rises at Dusk (Part 1)
On this day, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the border region of Tibet.

A golden dragon could be vaguely seen in the clouds, soaring through the mist.

Upon seeing this, officials and common people alike came out to kneel and worship, calling him the Dragon God.

After receiving the reward, Ao Tu first refined the true dragon's essence blood, then ate the immortal elixir and peaches of immortality. His cultivation level loosened, and with a dragon's roar, he was about to cross the Golden Immortal realm.

Golden Immortals are immortal and unaffected by the Three Calamities, therefore Heaven and Earth send down tribulation lightning to strike them.

Legend has it that in the ancient primordial era, the dragon race was born divine, possessing the cultivation of a Golden Immortal from birth, and thus had no tribulations to undergo.

Unfortunately, the dragon race of today is not what it used to be.

Thirty-six tribulation lightning bolts struck Ao Tu one after another. When he was halfway through the tribulation, Ao Tu gradually felt his internal magical power failing. His cultivation level had been forcibly increased by consuming immortal pills and peaches of immortality, so his foundation was not very solid.

Ao Tu acted decisively, taking out the true dragon pearl from the belly and refining it in one gulp.

In an instant, Ao Tu's magical power increased greatly, revealing the true form of a dragon.

That dragon ball was a true dragon at the Golden Immortal level, which had undergone countless years of arduous cultivation and tribulations, transforming into its entire cultivation.

It contains the rudiments of a small world. If one slowly comprehends it, the benefits will be immense. Now, Ao Tu has refined it in one gulp. The immense power allowed Ao Tu to break through the tribulation lightning in one fell swoop and achieve the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit.

Amidst the clouds and mist, old scales shed and new golden scales emerge.

With its winding horns, dazzling dragon pearl, and a fifth finger growing from its claws, it is also known as the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon.

From then on, Ao Tu completely shed his old body and transformed into a true dragon. The dragon pearl around his neck, like the true dragon pearl, gave rise to the prototype of a small world. It can be said that: the wonderful method of the mind gives birth to the great way, and the supernatural power is boundless and carefree.

After breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm, Ao Tu was in high spirits. After roaming freely in the world, he flew towards the Huangfeng Ridge area with a whooshing sound.

When they reached the sky above Huangfeng Ridge, they encountered a Buddhist monk.

The monk saw Ao Tu and flew over, saying:
"You wretched beast, where have you been? You've kept me waiting here!"

Ao Tu squinted and asked, "Who are you?"

The monk said, “I am a monk serving under Venerable Ananda. The Venerable sent me to tell you that there is no need to create any more calamities. I will take you back right here at Huangfeng Ridge.”

Ao Tu asked, "Did the Venerable One say anything else?"

Bhikkhu:

"The Venerable One also said that you, you wicked beast, have some skill. He thought you would be captured by Sun Wukong after one trial, but you created two trials and still escaped unscathed."

However, the Venerable One said that one should not be too greedy in one's actions. The merit of preventing the three calamities is already enough. After you are subdued at Huangfeng Ridge, you will be richly rewarded upon your return.”

Ao Tu said, "No, no, no, I wanted to ask if the Venerable One had told you that Huangfeng Ridge was extremely dangerous, or if he had given you any treasures to protect you or anything like that?"

Upon hearing this, the monk shook his head and said, "No, that's not true..."

Before he could finish speaking, a golden light swept over, instantly turning the monk into ashes and shattering even his true soul.

Ao Tu opened his mouth and inhaled, sucking in the shattered true soul and spirit. After swallowing it, he said:

"You dare to be so arrogant without any protective treasures? You're wasting my time!"

Flying down Huangfeng Ridge.

[Ding, entering the mission area]

[Current Side Quest: The Wind Rises at Dusk]

【Mission Requirements: Block the pilgrims in the Huangfengling area. Rewards will be calculated based on the time taken to block them.】 【Mission Rewards: 3 days/3,000-year-old peaches, 7 days/Divine Weapon: Xuanjin Iron Rod Spear, half a month/Spell: Golden Light Across the Earth, one month/Ten Deadly Formations: Red Sand Formation, one season/Divine Power: Five-Colored Divine Light, half a year/Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood, one year/Innate Spiritual Treasure: Soul-Scattering Gourd, three years/Innate Spiritual Treasure: Hetu Luoshu, twelve years/Chaos Bell, sixty years…】

Current progress: three days

After Ao Tu enters Huangfeng Ridge, the rewards for the previous stages have been updated.

The three-day reward turned into a three-thousand-year peach, which was quite effective.

The reward for the seven-day event is a divine weapon. Its exact strength is unclear, but since it's included in the seven-day reward tier, it shouldn't be too weak.

The reward for half a month is quite impressive, a golden light that seems to pierce the ground.

This is a spell that allows one to walk in light.

During the Investiture of the Gods period, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had their three flowers on their heads and their five qi scattered by the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation of the Three Immortal Maidens. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable bestowed upon the immortals the method of leaping across the earth and emitting golden light, which allowed them to protect themselves.

This spell isn't particularly fast for long journeys; its true purpose is to disengage during combat. With a simple hand seal, it transforms into a golden light and vanishes without a trace.

As for the Red Sand Formation reward for the following month, it is even more famous.

The Red Sand Formation is a formation used by Zhang Tianjun of Jin'ao Island in the Jie Sect.

The formation is filled with red sand, seemingly ordinary, but actually formed from innate malevolent energy. Touching it will melt flesh and blood, and it harbors a triple calamity of wind, thunder, and fire. As the poem says:
The three battles of Red Sand Bewitched Immortals, turning them into blood and water the moment they entered the battle.

It's a pity that even with a divine body, one can perish instantly upon encountering red sand.

King Wu, Nezha, and Lei Zhenzi once tried to break this formation, but they were all trapped inside for over a hundred days until the Antarctic Immortal broke the formation and rescued them. King Wu died, but was eventually resurrected using an elixir of immortality.

Upon seeing this, Ao Tu immediately thought of something.

There aren't any major tribulations on the journey to the West, so why not set up this formation on the pilgrimage route, leaving that monkey with nowhere to go, and even invite all the gods and generals to trap him in the formation, thus giving this Great Sage Equal to Heaven a proper boost in strength?

Ao Tu landed on the ridge.

All that could be seen was Huangfeng Ridge, with its towering peaks and steep cliffs, deep ravines, and rolling white clouds swirling around its summit. At its foot lay jagged rocks, and all that could be seen was the towering Soul-Seizing Cliff, behind which lay the winding Hidden Dragon Cave.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by, and from the foot of the hillside, a magnificent, striped tiger leaped out.
With a pair of piercing golden eyes and four gleaming white steel teeth, he shouted:
"Hey! You travelers! I am the vanguard under the command of King Yellow Wind. I am here on the king's orders to patrol the mountains. Who are you, daring to trespass here?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu realized that it was Tiger Vanguard.

He said, "You little demon! You don't recognize me! I am an old acquaintance of your king from his time in Mount Ling. I have come to visit you today with good news to give you. You should hurry up and report to your king. Don't waste your breath here and ruin my important business."

Upon hearing this, Tiger Vanguard noticed Ao Tu's extraordinary demeanor and sensed that he was no ordinary person. So he said, "Wait a moment while I return to the cave to report."

Having said that, he conjured a gust of evil wind and returned to the cave.

Ao Tu waited for a while, and then a yellow wind blew by, and a demon king appeared in the wind.

He wore a golden helmet and armor, and a pale yellow robe; a breastplate covered his chest, and a dragon-patterned sash around his waist; he wore deerskin boots and a brocade apron, and held a three-pronged steel fork that gleamed coldly.

It was none other than the Great Sage Yellow Wind of Yellow Wind Ridge.

"Hey, who are you? I have no acquaintances in Lingshan, how dare you impersonate me here?"

Ao Tu laughed upon hearing this:

"You weasel, don't you recognize me? Back when I was the bell ringer at Mount Ling, you came to steal oil. If I hadn't turned a blind eye, you would have been captured by Vajra long ago!"

(End of this chapter)