Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 76, The Treasure Hunt at the Lotus Cave (Part Two)
Meanwhile, Ao Tu came to visit, bringing gifts for Golden Horn and Silver Horn.

Tiger Vanguard brought out the wooden box.

King Silver Horn opened the wooden box and saw two enormous dung beetles inside.

The Silver Horned King asked, "What is this?"

Ao Tu said, "This is a gift that I have carefully selected for you."

King Silver Horn roared, "This is what you call a gift?"

Ao Tu said, "This was carefully prepared by me! I heard that you have a leg ailment and are looking for a mount. Isn't this the perfect mount? Wouldn't it be suitable to have this thing push you around?"

Upon hearing this, the Silver Horn King flew into a rage, smashed the box, and said:
"How dare you insult me! Men, charge!"

At the Silver Horn King's command, the lesser demons charged forward with shouts.

Tiger Vanguard roared and charged towards the lesser demons.

After consuming the Six-Turn Golden Elixir, Tiger Vanguard's strength increased significantly. If placed alone outside, he would be equivalent to some weaker demon kings.

With a swing of its paw, the tiger swatted away a group of lesser demons; with a sweep of its tail, another large group of lesser demons were swept away.

King against king, general against general!
Silver Horn King, wielding the Seven Star Sword, leaped towards Ao Tu to attack.

Seeing this, Ao Tu took out his peach wood staff and used it to hit Silver Horn King.

The Silver Horn King's Seven Star Sword struck Ao Tu, but a golden lotus appeared to protect Ao Tu's body. Despite being struck more than a dozen times, Ao Tu was unharmed.

Ao Tu's peach wood staff struck Silver Horn King. Silver Horn King had no defensive magic weapon and was hit more than a dozen times, leaving him with a bruised and swollen face.

Seeing that he was no match for the enemy, the Silver Horn King turned back to his cave to retrieve his treasure.

Ao Tu unleashed a small seal and smashed it onto the back of Silver Horn King's head, knocking him to the ground. He then pounced on him and subdued him.

Silver Horn King said, "You've cheated!"

Ao Tu asked, "How could I cheat?"

Silver Horn King said, "I only used one treasure, but you used three. Isn't that cheating?"

Ao Tu laughed and said, "You have treasures but don't use them, so who can you blame? Since ancient times, the victor is king and the loser is villain. If I make a move, I can take your life directly. What can you do even if you have ten thousand treasures?"

Upon hearing this, the Silver Horned King fell silent, though his face clearly showed his continued dissatisfaction.

When the little demons saw that the Silver Horn King had been captured, they hurriedly ran back to their cave to report to the Golden Horn King.

The Golden Horned King was in his cave when he saw the little demons running back crying, saying:
"Your Majesty, the Second King led us out to capture that tiger spirit, but unexpectedly, the tiger spirit's family arrived, and they were called something like the King of Lingshan."

The other party and the Second King had a disagreement, started a fight, and the Second King was captured alive. They're outside the cave now, Your Majesty, you should go and see them quickly!

The Golden Horned King, being somewhat indecisive, was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and exclaimed:
"Then how did we manage to provoke such an opponent when Tang Sanzang and his disciples haven't even arrived yet? What should we do? What should we do?"

He hesitated for a few steps, then took out a banana leaf fan, tucked it into the back of his collar, picked up a jade bottle, and went out of the cave.

Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard stood outside the cave, with Silver Horn King bound to one side.

Upon seeing this, the Golden Horned King said:
"Who are you people, and why are you coming to my door to bully me for no reason?"

Ao Tu said, "My name is King Lingshan. I did not come here to bully you for no reason, but I want to explain things to you."

I desire to devour the flesh of Tang Sanzang. Knowing that Tang Sanzang will soon pass through this area, and having heard of the renowned Lotus Cave of Pingdingshan, I have sent my trusted generals to discuss an alliance with your family to plot against Tang Sanzang.

But your brother wants to seize one of my beloved generals to use as a mount! Isn't this an insult to me? How can I tolerate this! That's why I've come here today to seek your counsel!

Upon hearing this, the Golden Horned King hurriedly said:
"It's a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding! We were just about to capture Tang Sanzang. It was my younger brother who was unaware of your purpose and offended you. Please come into the cave. I will certainly prepare a feast to apologize!"

Upon hearing this, Ao Tu released Silver Horn and went into the cave.

King Golden Horn immediately ordered his men to prepare a feast.

The Silver Horn King was unhappy because he had just lost to Ao Tu because he had used two fewer magic weapons.

After several rounds of drinks, Ao Tu said, "Brother Jinjiao, do you have any plans or strategies for capturing Tang Sanzang?"

King Golden Horn shook his head and said, "To be honest, although we brothers said we wanted to capture Tang Sanzang, we haven't even seen his face yet, let alone come up with any plans or strategies."

"Alas, it's strange, Tang Sanzang has been traveling so slowly. He should have arrived here long ago, but we haven't seen him anywhere."

Ao Tu said, "Since that's the case, there's something I have to say."

King Golden Horn said, "Please speak."

Ao Tu said, "As the saying goes, a snake cannot move without a head, and grass cannot grow without roots. If we want to capture this Tang Sanzang, we must first set a plan and choose a leader."

King Golden Horn asked, "Then who should we choose?"

Ao Tu said, "I am not very talented, but I have dealt with Tang Sanzang and his disciples several times before and know their background well. I am willing to be the leader."

Upon hearing this, King Golden Horn was about to agree.

Silver Horn King said, "Wait! Brother, don't be fooled by him!"

King Golden Horn asked, "What do you mean?"

Silver Horn King looked at Ao Tu and said:
"Brother, think about it! If he were really that capable, he would have dealt with Tang Sanzang several times already, so why hasn't he eaten Tang Sanzang's flesh yet? It's clear that he's exaggerating and trying to deceive you and me!"

King Golden Horn hesitated and said, "This..."

Ao Tu said, "Tang Sanzang's eldest disciple is Sun Wukong, who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. If it weren't for my help, I'm afraid you brothers would not only fail to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh, but would also bring disaster upon yourselves!"

Upon hearing this, the Golden Horned King, somewhat frightened, said to the Silver Horned King:
"Brother, I've heard that monkey is really powerful!"

Silver Horn King said:
"What's there to be afraid of? We have five treasures, why should we be afraid of that monkey? I can capture Tang Sanzang by myself, without needing any outside help!"

Silver Horn King looked at Ao Tu and said:
"Don't be so arrogant! I only lost to you because I forgot to take my treasure. If I had all my magic weapons with me, I would definitely not lose to you!"

Ao Tu sneered, "I'm afraid you won't be able to defeat that monkey when the time comes. When disaster strikes, you'll have to come begging to me."

The Silver Horned King said, "Let me show you how we get to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh!"

The two sides parted on bad terms.

Ao Tu, along with Tiger Vanguard, found a desolate mountain in the southwest of the Pingdingshan area and settled down there.

This went on for some time.

[Rewards are being calculated; a total of 204 days of interception.]

[Received reward: Fire Dates.]

[Received reward spell: Binding Spell.]

[Received the reward spell: Life Growth.]

[Received the reward supernatural power: Three Heads and Six Arms.]

[Reward: Nine-Bend Yellow River Grand Formation]

[Reward: Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood.]

The extra 24 days will automatically be carried over to the next side quest; the next side quest is: Lotus Cave Treasure Hunt.

Among the various rewards distributed, the one that Ao Tu cared about most was undoubtedly the reward for half a year: the essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon.

This was the first time he had received a six-month-level reward.

The best reward I've ever received was three months of Five-Colored Divine Light and the Rainbow Transformation Technique.

But the essence blood of the ancestral dragon is above both of them. Just how powerful is it?
A drop of essence blood appeared in Ao Tu's hand.

It was a drop of somewhat turbid liquid, its color indescribable, like chaos, completely out of place in this world. There was no immense pressure as expected; Ao Tu could only sense the closeness of their bloodlines and the extreme power contained within it. But outwardly, it was just an ordinary drop of liquid.

It's like the first raindrop falling from the eaves on a rainy day, full of dust and impurities.

As rewards are distributed, new tasks are also released.

[Enter the mission area]

[Current Side Quest: Lotus Cave Treasure Hunt]

[Mission Requirements: Block the pilgrims in the Pingdingshan area. Rewards will be calculated based on the time taken to block them.]

[Task Rewards: 3 days / Spell: Immobilization, 7 days / Seven-Leaf Lingzhi Grass, 1/2 months / Acquired Spiritual Treasure: Bowl, 1/2 months / Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, 1 season / Supernatural Power: Six-Foot Golden Body, 1/2 months / Ancestral Witch Essence Blood, 1 year / Innate Spiritual Treasure: Soul-Scattering Gourd, 3 years / Innate Spiritual Treasure: River Map and Luo Book, 12 years / Chaos Bell, 60 years...]

Current progress: 24 days

The essence and blood of the ancestral witch!

Ao Tu's brow twitched slightly when he saw the rewards that had been refreshed every six months.

This thing...

I feel like the things the system is giving me are getting more and more... difficult to deal with.

Moreover, he already has the essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon. After he consumes the essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon, can he still consume the essence blood of the Ancestral Witch?
What will it become then?
Ao Tu found it hard to believe.

However, if he consumes the essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon and then the essence blood of the Ancestral Witch, his physical body will be strengthened to an unimaginable degree.
As for the other rewards, they seem much more normal in comparison to the essence of the Ancestral Witch.

A golden body standing sixteen feet tall, possessing great supernatural powers in Buddhism.

Even among those so-called Bodhisattvas and Venerable Ones, not many can do it. For example, Lingji Bodhisattva cannot, nor can Ananda.

If he learns this supernatural power, then he will undoubtedly be more like a true Buddha.

In fact, if he were to emulate the Buddha to the extreme, he would be a true Buddha.

Although he scoffed at Buddhist doctrines, he believed that supernatural powers and methods were not sinful, and he was willing to learn them.

As for the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, that is a Taoist practice.

In the past, Ao Tu would have been very happy to receive it.

Now, it's just icing on the cake.

The rewards that follow need no further explanation, but as for higher-level rewards, such as the annual reward of the Innate Spiritual Treasure - Soul-Scattering Gourd, they are still too far away for him.

He is currently only at the Golden Immortal realm, and has no need for innate spiritual treasures to comprehend the Great Dao.

Ao Tu ordered Tiger Vanguard to protect him, and he took out the essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon and refined it in one gulp.

Instantly, an immense power erupted within Ao Tu's body.

This power was somewhat beyond Ao Tu's imagination.

A dragon's roar resounded through the sky, and Ao Tu flew directly outside, transforming into his true form as a five-clawed golden dragon.

The power brought by the essence of the ancestral dragon caused his body to grow uncontrollably.

Hundreds of feet, thousands of feet, tens of thousands of feet, hundreds of thousands of feet...

Its enormous form obscured the entire Pingdingshan area.

Silver Horn King said, "Hey, brother, why is it dark?"

King Golden Horn said, "I don't know? Light the torches!"

Inside the Dragon-Suppressing Cave, the nine-tailed fox stared at the enormous figure in the sky, so frightened that it prostrated itself on the ground. The little foxes around it were all trembling with fear and dared not utter a sound.

Compared to the Lotus Cave of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn, which is located deep in the mountains, the Nine-Tailed Fox's Dragon-Suppressing Cave is in the forest, so one can more directly see the oppressive feeling of that enormous creature.

Ao Tu gasped for breath, stirring up a fierce wind.

Ao Tu moved his body, and the earth shook.

Ao Tu's dragon whiskers hung down, forming a pillar supporting the sky.

Ao Tulong's eyes blinked as the sun rose and the moon set.

The power of the five elements naturally submits, and the Yin and Yang of creation flow on the dragon scales, causing clouds and mist to rise, thunder and lightning to be controlled, just like eating and drinking.

Yes, these are all abilities that dragons are born with.

It was only because the descendants of the dragon race became increasingly inferior that various distinctions arose, such as those that breathed fire and those that controlled water...

The original Ancestral Dragon was a true innate deity who mastered all rules.

There is a supernatural power called "following the laws of heaven and earth," but for the original ancestral dragon, using this supernatural power was simply revealing his true form.

Now, Ao Tu has absorbed the essence of the Ancestral Dragon and gained some of its power.

His scales and bones were covered with innate patterns of the Great Dao.

This is a characteristic that only the innate divine possesses, and now it has been inherited by Ao Tu.

His every move is in harmony with the Great Dao, and he wields a portion of the dragon's authority. However, he is not yet a fully primordial being, so he can only wield a portion of the authority and is still quite far from being a true primordial deity.

The body began to shrink, and the laws flowing within the dragon scales became less visible. It shrank from ten thousand feet to a thousand feet, a hundred feet, ten feet, until it shrank to a size of nine feet and nine feet before it stopped.

Ao Tu reverted to human form and returned to the mountains, where he meditated and regulated the power within his body.

Outside, an old woman hurriedly leaped, half riding the demonic wind, to the foot of the mountain where Ao Tu was.

What do you think of her?

His face was rosy and wrinkled, and his teeth were sparse but he looked very energetic.

It resembles the chrysanthemum's faded color amidst frost, and its shape is like an old pine tree after the rain.

It was an elderly woman who rushed over in such a hurry.

Why do you think she came here?
But they were climbing the social ladder and relying on wealthy families.

Behind her followed nine female monsters of varying sizes.

The nine female monsters were of different ages, but all were extremely beautiful.

The smallest one was only half a person tall, with nine white fox tails trailing behind it, but it had not yet fully transformed.

"Grandma, there's no need to rush like this!"

Upon hearing this, the old woman scolded:
"Stand properly and be polite. How have I always taught you? Such a person and such an opportunity will not come again even after another century. Make sure you are well-groomed."

Upon hearing this, the nine female monsters all became much more dignified.

The old woman then led them up the mountain to pay their respects.

Ao Tu was recuperating in the mountains.

At this moment, Tiger Vanguard entered and said, "Your Majesty, a group of fox spirits have come outside, saying they want to pay homage to your countenance and offer you treasures."

Ao Tu said, "Are you the foxes from the Dragon Suppression Cave?"

Tiger Vanguard said, "That's right."

Ao Tu said, "That's perfect. Let them in. I want to see this Dragon-Suppressing Cave for myself."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)