Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

The moment the strange phenomenon manifested, a pressure far exceeding the late stage of Foundation Establishment, reaching perfection and flawlessness, swept across the entire Yunmang Mountain like a tide.

The Black Water Poison Fang Sword in the hand of the Azure Scale Demon Lord suddenly stopped, and the madness in his crimson eyes vanished, instantly replaced by boundless horror and disbelief.

"It's only been a few days? How could he possibly..."

The crimson lightning and black water pillars of light exuded a pure and perfect aura, indicating that the master of the cave had firmly stepped into the perfect Foundation Establishment stage, and was only one step away from the Golden Core path.

What made him even more uneasy was that the fierce thunderous power and deep watery intent contained in the aura made him, who had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for a hundred years, feel a sense of oppression from the depths of his bloodline.

What was originally thought to be an easy target of subordinates has suddenly grown into a force to be reckoned with, and even shows signs of overtaking.

This shock and disparity left the Azure Scale Demon Lord, whose mind was already unbalanced due to his inner demons, momentarily dazed.

A figure in black robes slowly emerged, his aura blending seamlessly with the entire Yunmang Mountain, calm and unfathomable.

Chen Jiao's face was cold and stern, and his eyes grew increasingly deep, as if they contained a boundless ocean.

Black Wind was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up with joy, and he couldn't help but let out a triumphant howl.

"Haha! Good, Fellow Daoist Xuanling, congratulations on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage and achieving perfection."

He turned to look at the Azure Scale Demon Lord, his bear face revealing undisguised mockery and pleasure:

"Old worm! Did you see that? Fellow Daoist Xuanling has already emerged from seclusion."

Your delusions are completely shattered. Hurry up and get back into your quagmire!

When the Azure Scale Demon Lord met Chen Jiao's deep, cold, crimson-gold eyes, his heart skipped a beat, as if he had been doused with icy water.

He instantly came to his senses, realizing that all was lost.

This young man has broken through to a higher realm and is at the height of his power. Moreover, with this foolish bear by his side, if I continue to entangle him, I may be in danger of perishing.

No matter how intense the greed, it is not as important as life!

Chen Jiao's gaze calmly swept over the two demons facing off in the air, finally settling on the Azure Scale Demon Lord, whose face was ashen and whose eyes were filled with resentment. He said indifferently:

"What brings you here, Demon Lord? What brings you here?"

The Azure Scale Demon Lord stared intently at Chen Jiao, then glanced at the menacing Black Wind Mountain God, knowing that things were beyond saving today.

He suppressed his surging murderous intent and resentment, and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Very well! Very well! Xuan Ling, Black Wind... I will remember what happened today!"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and transformed into a streak of green light, fleeing in a sorry state back into the depths of Qingchi Lake.

"My Yunmang Mountain is not a place you can come and go as you please!"

Chen Jiao spoke calmly, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of the Azure Scale Demon Lord, who was eager to escape, like an ice pick piercing to the bone.

Before he finished speaking, Chen Jiao raised his hand, his fingers forming a sword shape, and made a long, sweeping motion in the direction where the Azure Scale Demon Lord had fled.

"laugh!"

A soft sound, like the tearing of cloth.

A condensed, exquisitely fine, azure sword aura suddenly appeared between heaven and earth, swelling as it faced the wind. Within the sword aura, there was a long, flowing watery quality and an inner thunderous power.

"Ugh—"

The Azure Scale Demon Lord let out a mournful howl, his body trembled violently, and his protective demonic light shattered like paper. Like a kite with a broken string, he was slammed into the Azure Pool by the water and thunder sword energy.

With a deafening roar, it crashed into the Qingchi Lake, sending up a towering column of water that remained motionless for a long time.

The lingering power of the sword energy had not yet dissipated, and it fell directly onto the vast lake surface.

From the spot where the Demon Lord fell, a smooth, mirror-like, straight sword mark slowly spread outwards from both sides of the vast expanse of Qingchi Lake.

From a distance, it looks as if an invisible giant sword has cleaved the entire Qingchi Lake in two.

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals patrolling the lake were already terrified, crawling on the ground, trembling with fear.

Black Wind's eyelids twitched at the sight, and his opinion of Fellow Daoist Xuan Ling rose even higher.

These techniques actually possess the aura of a golden elixir!

The sword mark lasted for about three breaths before gradually fading, and the water walls on both sides lost their support and closed with a roar.

A deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, resounded as the waters of Wan Jun Lake crashed violently, creating towering waves that shot into the sky. The entire surface of Qingchi Lake trembled violently for a long time.

From the depths of the lake, a muffled groan, barely suppressed, rose from the depths before falling completely silent.

……

The clouds in front of the Xuanqing Cave gradually dispersed.

The only sounds were the rustling of the mountain breeze through the new leaves and the ripples on the distant Qingchi Lake that had not yet completely subsided.

Chen Jiao turned to look at the slightly disordered ape struggling to regulate its breathing and the somewhat ethereal land deity of Yunmang Mountain beside him, cupped his hands slightly, and spoke in a gentle tone:

"Thank you both for your righteous help just now, which stopped Qinglin for a moment. I will remember it forever."

The blue ape quickly returned the greeting, his face showing both relief and lingering fear:

"Brother Dao, you flatter me. I am ashamed that I was unable to stop him for long."

The Earth God felt a weight lifted from his heart, secretly delighted, and stroked his beard, smiling:

"It is my duty, my duty! Fellow Daoist Xuanling's safe breakthrough is truly a blessing for Yunmang Mountain."

With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Jiao channeled two streams of pure and gentle water-based energy into the two individuals' bodies.

The green ape felt the obstruction in his chest disappear instantly, and his demonic power flowed smoothly again. The Earth God also felt his soul clear up, and his injured spirit body became much more stable.

Chen Jiao's gaze finally settled on Hei Feng, whose face was dark, and he bowed respectfully.

"I am grateful for Fellow Daoist Black Wind's protection in enabling me to successfully break through this barrier. I thank you in advance."

Black Wind's voice boomed like a bell. He stepped forward, patted Chen Jiao on the shoulder, and laughed heartily:

"Fellow Daoist, why be so polite! Our friendship is not just empty words. Today, seeing you break through to the next realm, I am also very happy!"

That old snake overestimated himself and brought shame upon himself—how delightful! Let's drink a big toast!

His words were frank and sincere, clearly showing his genuine joy and admiration for the strength he had just displayed.

Chen Jiao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile:

"Fellow Daoists, how can we enjoy such refined tastes without wine? There are still a few jars of aged and treasured Stone Marrow Fire Wine in the cave, a gift from the Qiuming Mountain God. I would like to share them with you fellow Daoists."

"Good! That's exactly right!" Black Wind clapped his hands and laughed.

The Green Ape and the Earth God readily agreed.

Just then, two demonic gusts of wind swept in from afar, landing on the ground and revealing their figures. They were none other than the Poisonous Centipede King of Thousand-Legged Cave and the Iron Mountain King of Golden Stone Cave.

Although the two demons did not directly stop the Azure Scale Demon Lord, they had been watching from a distance.

Seeing that the dust had settled and that the Azure Scale Demon Lord had fled in a sorry state, and that Fellow Daoist Xuan Ling had not only successfully broken through to the next realm but also displayed overwhelming strength, he was utterly shocked.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing the resolve in each other's eyes.

The venomous centipede had many legs and got there first. A warm smile, unlike anything seen before, spread across the gloomy face as he bowed and said:

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Xuan Ling... no, congratulations to Demon Lord Xuan Ling on achieving perfect cultivation and attaining the status of Foundation Establishment Venerable. Fellow Daoist's supernatural powers are unparalleled. Meeting you today, I realize that there are heavens beyond heavens!"

From now on, I, from the Thousand-Foot Cave, will follow your lead, my fellow Daoist.

His words were sincere, and his posture was extremely humble.

Iron Mountain's copper eyes glared at the poisonous centipede, and he hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice like muffled thunder:

"Demon Lord Xuanling, in the future, you shall follow my instructions regarding matters concerning Qingchi Ridge."

He was straightforward and honest, and his words were completely unvarnished, directly expressing his loyalty.

For a time, in front of Xuanqing Cave, Black Wind was a powerful ally, Green Ape and Earth God were confidants, and Poison Centipede and Iron Mountain were subordinates.

The gazes of the crowd, a mixture of awe and anticipation, all focused on one person.