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

At the bottom of Qingchi Lake, deep within the Spirit Serpent's Palace.

The water palace was dark and gloomy, and the bright pearl shone coldly, reflecting a damp, eerie light onto the stone walls inside the palace.

The Azure Scale Demon Lord sat atop a cold, dark jade throne, his demonic aura fluctuating wildly, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

The backlash and inner demons from his failed attempt to break through to the next realm, like a persistent, insidious disease, continued to haunt his soul.

Although the wound from being struck by Xuan Ling's sword energy and plunged into the lake had healed, the humiliation and fear remained deeply ingrained in his bones, causing him to often be filled with resentment.

He was closing his eyes and regulating his breathing, trying his best to suppress the chaotic thoughts churning in his mind, attempting to straighten out the demonic power that was becoming increasingly difficult to control due to the mixed bloodline.

Suddenly, a rapid wave of water came from outside the mansion.

Immediately, a lake-patrolling yaksha stumbled and crawled into the hall, his face filled with fear, holding a jade slip branded with sword energy in his hands, his voice trembling:

"Reported to...reported to the Demon Lord! The Sword Pavilion sent someone to deliver this item, which was thrown onto the lake, saying...saying..."

The Azure Scale Demon Lord suddenly opened his eyes, bloodshot veins appearing in them. An uncontrollable surge of violent energy overflowed, forcing the Yaksha to prostrate himself on the ground, trembling in fear.

He grasped the jade slip from afar and immersed his consciousness into it.

The jade slip contained simple and direct information, inscribed with the sharp sword intent unique to the Sword Pavilion:

"Five days later, Master Changhe of the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion will lead his forces to raze the Spirit Serpent's Mansion to the ground, and take Qing Lin's head to appease the spirits of Elder Liu Yizi and the disciples of Thousand Needle Valley. Blood debts must be repaid in blood!"

Every word was like a sword, filled with chilling killing intent!

"Buzz—"

The Azure Scale Demon Lord felt a sudden boom in his mind, and his hand holding the jade slip tightened abruptly, turning the jade slip into dust in an instant.

His chest heaved violently, and his demonic aura exploded out of control, causing the water in the hall to ripple and the pearls to tremble.

"Jiange... Old Man Changhe!"

He forced out those words through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse, filled with disbelief, astonishment, and raging fury.

"What does the matter of Thousand Needle Valley have to do with me?"

Has that old bastard Mao Changhe lost his mind? He's actually trying to pin this mess on me!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more absurd it seemed.

The Sword Pavilion's actions are utterly baseless, simply...

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

The Azure Scale Demon Lord suddenly stood up, his body trembling slightly with anger.

A sense of humiliation, of being belittled and framed, burned his reason like a poisonous flame.

"Could it be... could it be that you think that now that I've lost power and am stuck in shallow waters, you can bully me at will?"

The thought flashed through his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Since he was injured by Xuan Ling and fled back to the bottom of the lake, his prestige has been completely destroyed, and it has long been an open secret that the other two cave masters of Qingchi Ridge have changed their allegiance.

Sword Pavilion must have found out about this matter and thought that he was weak and easy to bully. So they found a pretext to take action against him, so that they could not only avenge their grievances, but also plunder the treasures accumulated by Qingchi Lake over the years and restore their prestige.

Yes! That must be it! The news about the Blood Coral Crystal was probably just a smokescreen. The Sword Pavilion's real target was Qing Lin's head and the Spirit Serpent Mansion's treasury.

Having grasped this point, the Azure Scale Demon Lord, enraged, laughed instead. His laughter echoed through the empty water palace, carrying a hint of sorrow and madness.

"What a cunning Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion! What a righteous sect! Taking advantage of others' misfortunes and kicking them when they're down, how are they any different from demons!"

The bloodlust in his eyes intensified, his inner demons stirred by the sudden stimulus, and his ferocity surged.

In his prime, he might have carefully weighed the options and tried to maneuver.

But at this moment, he was physically and mentally wounded, sensitive and easily angered, and completely enraged by this unfounded accusation, leaving him with only one thought:

"Want to take my life? I'm afraid your Sword Pavilion isn't tough enough."

"Even if I were a dragon adrift in shallow waters, I would still be a demon lord at the peak of Foundation Establishment. How dare you lowly scoundrels insult me ​​like this!"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and inner demons, and shouted sternly at the yaksha who was still kneeling and trembling on the ground:

"Issue the order! Close the restrictions on the Water Palace and summon all demon troops to stand ready for battle."

I want to see what this old man Changhe is capable of, daring to venture into my dragon's den and tiger's lair.

Also…send a demon to keep an eye on Yunmang Mountain. See what that scoundrel Xuan Ling is up to.”

Despite his anger and doubt, he did not completely lose his mind.

The Jianmen forces are coming on strong; we must be on guard.

The choice that the unfathomable Xuan Ling would make at this moment was also a thorn in his side.

As soon as the order was given, the atmosphere inside the Spirit Serpent Palace became tense. Demon soldiers and generals rushed to set up defenses, and the light of various restrictions shone brightly, covering the water palace like an iron barrel.

The Azure Scale Demon Lord stood alone before the cold throne, gazing at the dark lake, his face grim and filled with murderous intent.

Five days later... no, Jian Ge might not be on time! He must be prepared to fight at any time.

……

Inside the Xuanqing Cave, the jade chimes rang softly.

Chen Jiao awoke from his meditation, his crimson-gold eyes gleaming with divine light, his aura perfectly harmonious and flawless.

Outside the cave, Zi Teng quietly entered, offering a communication jade slip sealed with water patterns, and whispered:

"Master, Commander Chiyu has sent an urgent report."

Chen Jiao took the jade slip, and the water element flowed between his fingertips, causing the seal to quietly dissolve on its own.

A sweep of divine sense revealed the news that the Sword Pavilion had openly declared war, boasting that it would flatten the Azure Pool and kill the Azure Scale Demon Lord in five days.

The words are brimming with murderous intent.

His expression remained unchanged as he placed the jade slip on the table and gently tapped the bluestone surface with his fingertips, producing a soft, resonant sound.

"Five days later?"

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Master Changhe is no ordinary person; how could he so openly inform his opponent of his itinerary?

The Azure Scale Demon Lord was no fool; he was suspicious of everything.

He failed in his seclusion, was plagued by inner demons, and suffered a blow from his own hand, leaving him terrified.

Upon receiving this challenge, he must have been filled with shock and anger, and would have devoted all his energy to preparing for war, focusing his mind entirely on the defense of Qingchi Lake, with no time to spare for anything else.

In order to achieve a decisive victory, Master Changhe will surely lead his elite forces out in full force, carrying the sect's most precious treasures.

In this way...

The situation is now settled; the rivalry between the snipe and the clam is evident.

Meanwhile, the old fisherman holding the fishing rod had already turned his gaze beyond Qingchi Lake and toward the location of the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion in Aolai Kingdom.

At that time, the Sword Pavilion will be in seclusion, with Master Xuanguang consolidating his flawed Dao foundation, and Changhe will lead his elite troops on a long-range attack on Qingchi. Within the sect, the defenses will inevitably be unprecedentedly weak.

Perhaps only one or two Foundation Establishment elders remain, leading some Qi Refining disciples to guard the mountain gate.

"This is a golden opportunity," Chen Jiao thought to himself.

He had completed his foundation building and was on the verge of achieving the Golden Core, but he was still short of the necessary resources. The usual methods of gathering them were incredibly slow.

Sword Pavilion has been established for hundreds of years and has a profound foundation. Its accumulated resources, especially spiritual items related to the Golden Core Dao, are exactly what he urgently needs right now.

Once the mind is made up, it is as firm as a rock.

"Black and fat, big shrimp."

His voice was calm and carried outside the cave.

A moment later, the two demons strode in and bowed to receive the order.

"Keep the cave entrance tightly closed and activate all protective barriers. No one may leave, regardless of any disturbances outside, nor may any outsiders enter."

Chen Jiao gave the order, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, sir!"

Although the two demons didn't understand, seeing the master's solemn expression, they dared not ask any more questions and quickly agreed.

Having given his instructions, Chen Jiao said no more and turned to enter the inner room to regulate his breathing.

As night deepened, the Xuanqing Cave was brightly lit yet silent, with only the mountain breeze carrying the faint sound of the tides from the distant mountains.

The next day passed uneventfully.

No unusual news came from the direction of Qingchi Lake either, as if it were the stillness before a storm.

Night fell.

The stone gate of Xuanqing Cave quietly opened, and Chen Jiao's figure, like a wisp of light blue smoke, disappeared into the thick night.

He neither rode the demonic wind nor revealed his aura, but relied solely on his exquisite escape techniques to silently stealthily make his way towards Aolai Kingdom.

As midnight approaches, the moon hides and the stars become sparse.

Just as Chen Jiao had predicted, dozens of sharp sword lights silently swept out of the mountain gate from the main peak of Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion, like arrows released from a bow, heading straight for Qingchi Lake.

The leader was none other than Master Changhe, who held a long sword and had a cold, iron-like expression.

Chen Jiao concealed himself in the distant clouds, carefully observed for a moment, and confirmed that the mountain gate's aura was indeed weak and that the main force had left.

His gaze fell on the most subtle spiritual energy node in the array's light barrier.

"Now is the time."

His figure blurred again, like a ghost approaching the edge of the mountain gate formation.

A jade cone that breaks through barriers silently slid out from his sleeve, infused with a trace of pure magic power. The tip of the cone shone with a tiny, cold light, and he gently pierced the target point.

"Pop..."

With a barely audible sound, the array of light trembled slightly, and as the ripples spread, the jade cone briefly eroded a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Chen Jiao moved with lightning speed, instantly disappearing into the gap. The gap immediately closed, as if it had never existed.

The skill level of the technique was simply unbelievable.

Inside the gates of Jiange Mountain, the lights were sparse, and the security was far less than usual.

The two elders who remained were in the early stages of Foundation Establishment. One meditated in the Scripture Pavilion, while the other stood guard at the core of the formation.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow had already crept in.

Chen Jiao's target was the Xuan Guang Treasure Vault, a strategically important location within the Sword Pavilion.

It houses the treasures accumulated by the Sword Pavilion over hundreds of years.