Journey to the West: From Stealing the Teachings of Patriarch Bodhi to Becoming a Saint Through a Hu

As soon as Yuan Li finished speaking, the Azure Bird Daoist's figure stopped in mid-air. He rode on a cloud of mist, his voice long and drawn out:

"No need. Since we've already discussed this, I'll be taking my leave now."

The Azure Bird Taoist left without looking back. Yuan Li hadn't even finished asking the questions when, according to the Azure Bird Taoist, the Coiled Serpent Demon was in the Buddha Luan Temple and even knew the art of earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape through the ground).

His yellow-haired weasel was still with the snake demon, but he didn't know how the Green Bird Taoist knew about this. He wanted to ask for more detailed countermeasures, but the Green Bird Taoist turned around and left.

Afterwards, Yuan Li traveled alone to Black Wind Mountain and, out of curiosity, sought out the local earth god.

"Old Earth God! Come out and see me, the Black Wind King!"

Yuan Li shouted, his voice echoing underground. As he shouted, a silver-haired earth god slowly emerged from the ground, holding a cane. With a kind face and wearing a green robe, this was the earth god of Black Wind Mountain.

Upon hearing that it was the Black Bear Spirit, the Earth God immediately emerged. Knowing everything about this place, the Earth God naturally knew that Yuan Li's appearance was extremely strange. As the Earth God of Fortune and Virtue, the Earth God had already inquired about the situation on Mount Luojia in the South China Sea.

The Earth God had witnessed Guanyin Bodhisattva capturing the Black Bear Spirit. Therefore, the Earth God knew perfectly well what had happened; he understood everything perfectly. Now that the Black Bear Spirit had summoned him, he wanted to ask him some questions.

The Earth God asked, "What business does the Black Wind King have with me?"

Yuan Li asked, "Lord Earth God, can you detect monsters that are hiding in the earth using the earth shield technique?"

The local official said, "Did the Black Wind King seek me out just for this? Of course I can explore underground, but I have to go underground to do so."

Yuan Li said happily, "Then please help me investigate the Buddha Temple in Wusizang Kingdom. Once you find out about the serpent demon in the Buddha Temple, I will definitely help you gain merit. I can find a way to give you whatever benefits you want."

The local earth god looked troubled. He was the earth god of this area within a hundred miles, yet he was being asked to go to the Kingdom of Wusizang, which was so far away. Moreover, he was also to find the coiled serpent demon who had escaped underground, and that coiled serpent demon was a demon king.

Some time ago, he personally witnessed the serpent demon transform into a beam of light and burst out of the Black Wind Cave. Its demonic power rivaled that of the former Black Bear Demon. Wasn't this blatantly sending him jumping into a fire pit?

The old and decrepit local earth god coughed twice and said, "My cultivation is low, and I can't help you with this much. You should go find the local earth god in Tibet. His cultivation is much higher than ours, the local earth gods in the mountains and fields. You can go to Xiaomapo outside Tibet to find him. Don't bother me."

Yuan Li still wouldn't give up, saying, "How can that be? I just got back from there, and you're wasting my time again and again?"

The Earth God originally intended to return to the underworld, but he went straight to the point, saying, "I know you are a new Black Bear Spirit, but you are exactly the same as the original Black Bear Spirit. The real Black Wind King has become the guardian deity of Mount Luojia. You are just an imposter. Do you really want to make things difficult for a minor Earth God like me? Why don't I reveal this to the other demons?"

The Earth God's sinister face twisted in a grimace, causing Yuan Li to swallow hard. He felt pressured and sensed impending doom. Yet, he calmly said:

"Earth God, you know quite a lot, don't you? But knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing. Even if you tell all the monsters of Black Wind Mountain, what harm will it do? No one can mistake me for the Black Bear Spirit. Besides, my senior brother is a nine-headed lion. Believe me or not, I can chop you down with one stroke, you old scoundrel!"

Yuan Li drew his bear-skin broadsword, its blade gleaming coldly, making the local earth god feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The local earth god immediately regretted threatening Yuan Li. He was just a minor earth god, but he hadn't expected that Yuan Li wouldn't be afraid of impersonation at all.

The Earth God quickly clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said apologetically:

"I apologize for my rudeness, and please forgive me, King Black Wind. Your repair of the Guanyin Temple has helped me gain a lot of incense offerings and merits. As for going to Tibet, I will do my best to help you with that."

Yuan Li planted the knife among the tall weeds, then said with satisfaction, "That's good. Don't go back on your word in twelve hours. I'll come back to call you again."

The Earth God agreed and quickly disappeared into the grass from head to toe.

Having dealt with the local deity of Black Wind Mountain, Yuan Li strode confidently toward his Black Wind Cave. Putting aside everything else, Yuan Li was quite adept at assessing situations and making judgments.

However, the Earth God wasn't wrong. The black bear spirit currently on Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea will eventually become a threat. He will inevitably have time to keep an eye on Black Wind Mountain, but he probably won't be able to come there. He can only stay on Luojia Mountain, acting as a guardian deity.

Yuan Li planned to go to Tibet again after twelve hours, and then use the method of seeking good fortune and eliminating misfortune.

He refused to believe he'd encounter a wandering immortal making things difficult for him. Whether it was auspicious or inauspicious, he was determined to cause trouble for the coiled snake demon.

On Black Wind Mountain, the yellow-haired monster hummed a tune that sounded somewhat familiar to Yuan Li as he swayed and staggered down the mountain.

"The king has ordered me to beg for alms!"

As they drew closer, the sounds became clearer. Yuan Li, his eyes gleaming strangely, stepped forward and asked, "Yellow-haired monster, when did I order you to go and freeload?"

The yellow-haired monster paused, then chuckled and said, "Since the King didn't order me to go out and beg for money, and now that the King has abolished the demon-slaying order, of course we should go out and show off a bit."

Yuan Li said with a wry smile, "Don't go around causing trouble and come back crippled. How many of the alchemy materials I asked you to collect have you gathered yet?"

The yellow-haired monster scratched the yellow hair on his ear, thought for a moment, and said, "I have collected three portions of Bone Strengthening Pills and one portion of Sheep Strength Pills. I have recently obtained many of the necessary immortal herbs and spiritual fruits from other great demons."

Yuan Li said, "That's good. You'll get a share of the bone-strengthening pills too."

The yellow-haired monster thanked him, and Yuan Li waved his hand, letting the yellow-haired monster continue down the mountain.

Yuan Li went to discuss important matters with the other two great demons.

Outside the Black Wind Cave, on either side of Yuan Li, are the Flower Bear Demon and the Black Panther Demon, both of whom are considered Great Demons if they have cultivated for over a hundred years. These two Great Demons each have around two hundred years of cultivation.

Yuan Li brought up the Guanyin Temple. He pretended to ponder it and said:

"Guanyin Temple is currently presided over by the monk Lixin. Every year, Guanyin Temple produces 70% of its low-grade Xuan-rank spirit peaches. Although those few spirit peach trees have been saved, they have been burned and are now in ruins. As a result, it is feared that it will not produce even half a grade of spirit peaches next year."

Yuan Li was thinking about how to repair the damage to those spirit peach trees. To restore them to their original state, he would need to use a spiritual object with spiritual roots.

The bear demon racked its brains but couldn't come up with a solution, as could the black panther demon beside it.

The catfish demon, invited by Qi Keduo from White Bone Ridge, said, "I have a spiritual spring in White Bone Ridge. The water there can probably quickly restore the vitality of the spirit peach tree."

Yuan Li turned his head, revealing a look of joy. What the catfish demon didn't say was that the spiritual spring was in the very immortal treasure land she had told Yuan Li about.

The spiritual roots of that celestial paradise were everywhere, and a spiritual spring flowed within it. However, there were too many people around, so the catfish demon didn't specify which celestial paradise it was.

Yuan Li asked curiously, "Shuiyao, which spring are you referring to?"

The catfish demon smiled without saying a word, and Yuan Li slowly recalled that celestial paradise. He then understood the catfish demon's meaning. He simply chuckled and said in a low voice, "Alright, then let Shui Yao handle this matter."

If the spirit peach trees in the Guanyin Temple's peach orchard can be restored to life, they can bring over a hundred low-grade Xuan-level spirit peaches to Black Wind Mountain each year. Although the quantity is small, less than a third of Black Wind Mountain's total, it should not be underestimated.

Yuan Li ate the low-grade Xuan-level spiritual peach, which also benefited him. He could increase his cultivation level by more each year, and in his next life, he could inherit more of the cultivation level from his previous life.

If he can cultivate to a level of cultivation that lasts for a thousand years in this life, Yuan Li will be able to do many more things at the same point in time in the next life that he cannot do now.

Now, let the catfish demon solve the peach orchard problem at Guanyin Temple. Yuan Li then went to Black Wind Cave.

He took all the materials for the three Bone Strengthening Pills collected by the Yellow-Haired Monster, intending to refine them. His Seven-Star Alchemy Furnace stood in the center of the Black Wind Cave. These materials were useless to him; he would only feel at ease after refining them into pills and consuming them.

It only takes a few hours to refine a batch of Bone Strengthening Pills. After refining a batch of Bone Strengthening Pills using the Seven-Star Alchemy Furnace, Yuan Li closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing. He inhaled and exhaled spiritual energy throughout his body, carefully sensing the trace of innate energy within him.

Aside from the first time when his superior strategy added a trace of innate energy, he was almost unable to strengthen his innate energy in subsequent attempts. The reason was that he couldn't eliminate the ominous signs in the divination, as the ominous signs varied in strength and magnitude.

A major misfortune brings strength, while a minor misfortune brings weakness. The first minor misfortune was the rhinoceros demon he killed. That was the best strategy indicated by the best divination slip, allowing Yuan Li to easily eliminate the evil spirit and thus strengthen his innate energy.

However, in the subsequent divinations, except for the second one which resulted in a backlash, it was the same in all cases that it was extremely difficult for Yuan Li to eliminate the ominous signs.

He returned from Tibet, and the fierce man he was referring to was the Bluebird Taoist who had been chasing him. He quelled the internal strife in Yellow Wind Ridge and, in doing so, gained a small amount of innate energy.

Unfortunately, he still had a hard time dealing with Qingniao Daoren. A few more hours would pass before the second day, and Yuan Li had little confidence.

His eyes lit up. Before his wife returned, he thought he might as well go to Chechi Kingdom to see her and ask his brother-in-law, the immortal Yangli, for help.

In Journey to the West, Yangli Daxian can be considered a demon immortal. If he, along with Huli Daxian and Luli Daxian, were to join forces, they should be more than capable of dealing with a coiled snake demon.

"The Great Immortal Yangli has actually become my brother-in-law. I still have to acknowledge him as my brother-in-law," Yuan Li couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Chechi Kingdom.

Yuan Li made up his mind and immediately rode the demonic wind.

They had already arrived in Chechi, a foreign country.

Black Wind Mountain is not too far from Chechi Kingdom. With his current cultivation level, he arrived at Chechi Kingdom's territory in just half an hour.

Chechi Kingdom is still ruled by three demon immortals. Buddhist temples have been destroyed, while Taoist temples have been erected. Yuan Li went directly to the National Preceptor's Mansion.

Before long, a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a Bagua robe and wearing a jade crown strode out. It was none other than the Great Immortal Yang Li. He was fair-skinned and beardless, with bright and piercing eyes. Upon seeing Yuan Li, he smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even send a message beforehand."

Yuan Li returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Brother-in-law, how have you been? I've come to ask you for a favor."

Immortal Yang Li welcomed Yuan Li into the inner hall, instructed a servant to serve tea, and then asked, "Brother-in-law, please speak freely. We are family, there's no need for such formalities."

Yuan Li then recounted in detail how the serpent demon stole the yellow-haired weasel and what the Green Bird Taoist had said. Finally, he said, "That serpent demon knows the art of earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape into the ground) and is hiding in the Buddha Mountain Temple. I cannot deal with it alone, so I have come to ask my brother-in-law for help."

After listening, Yangli Daxian pondered for a moment and said, "I do know about Foluan Temple; it's a famous ancient temple in Tibet. Since that snake demon was able to occupy this temple, its cultivation must be quite profound. However, since my brother-in-law has asked, I will naturally help him."

Yuan Li was overjoyed: "Thank you, brother-in-law! May the two great immortals, Tiger Power and Deer Power, accompany us?"

"I will accompany you," said the Great Immortal Yangli.

Yuan Li had no choice but to remind him, "It will be dawn in two more hours. At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), I will take you to Black Wind Mountain to see my local earth god. That earth god will help me find the location of the Coiled Serpent Demon."

Immortal Yang Li nodded slightly. He poured tea for Yuan Li, then took a sip of tea himself and slowly exhaled.

Yuan Li picked up the teacup from the table and only then inquired about his wife's well-being. "How has my Lady Antelope been these days?"

"She's practicing the Five Thunder Technique here with me, so you probably won't see her."

Yuan Li said nonchalantly, "It's alright. So, Great Immortal Yang Li, you also know the Five Thunder Technique?"

Yuan Li casually called him "Great Immortal Yang Li." Great Immortal Yang Li also indicated that he could address him as he pleased, either as "elder brother" or simply as "Great Immortal Yang Li."

Yuan Li only knew that the Sheep Power Immortal was skilled in disemboweling and gutting, and had a cold dragon that could make a pot of oil lose its temperature, while the Five Thunder Technique was something that the Tiger Power Immortal had used.

Sheep Power Immortal nodded again, and Yuan Li understood.

At dawn, Yuan Li and the Great Immortal Yang Li were at the foot of Black Wind Mountain, in a place where they could summon the local earth god.

Yuan Li summoned the local earth god, who was still the same old earth god wearing a green coat and holding a cane.

The Earth God emerged from the ground and, seeing that Yuan Li had summoned helpers, felt somewhat relieved. "Black Wind King, you've arrived. I was truly rude yesterday. This is a small token of my appreciation; I hope you, Black Bear Spirit, will accept this treasure."

Yuan Li stared intently as the old earth god pulled out the golden rope tied around his waist. It was a golden belt, and once it was in the earth god's hand, it was clear that it was no ordinary object.

Yuan Li asked in confusion, "What is this?"

The Earth God said calmly, "This is the Golden Rope, a magical treasure that I was fortunate enough to receive from Laozi. It is also known as the Immortal Binding Rope, which can bind even celestial beings, preventing them from escaping."

Yuan Li was immediately struck as if by lightning. The Immortal Binding Rope? Isn't that Laozi's belt? How come it's on the Earth God's waist? Even if the Earth God hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have recognized it.