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

At the third quarter of midnight, the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion was completely silent.

The night was as dark as ink, staining the majestic mountain gate.

The pavilions and towers, where sword energy soared into the sky during the day, were now shrouded in darkness, with only the scattered torchlights of the patrolling disciples flickering like fireflies along the distant mountain paths.

The aura of the mountain-protecting formation flowed slowly under the night sky, operating as usual, but it lacked some of the fierce and murderous aura of the past, and had a slightly sluggish feel to it.

The Zangzhen Hall is located on the shady side of the main peak, built against the mountain. Its appearance is simple and unadorned, with bluestone walls and black tiles covering the roof.

Only a plaque hangs above the door, inscribed with the two characters "Cangzhen" (藏真), the brushstrokes sharp as swords, with a hidden cold glint.

This place is where the Sword Pavilion has accumulated its foundation over hundreds of years, a treasure trove of martial arts manuals, jade slips, and rare spiritual materials.

At the foot of the stone steps in front of the hall, two young disciples dressed in blue sword robes were standing guard against the doorposts.

One was slightly taller, with a still somewhat childish face, named Li Qing; the other was shorter and stouter, with lively eyes, named Zhao Lu.

Both of them were at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, yet they showed no signs of vigilance.

"Ugh, what bad luck!"

Zhao Lu yawned and complained.

"The Grand Elder and the others went to Qingchi Lake to slay demons and monsters. I heard that there are many treasures in the lair of the Green Scale Demon."

"And yet, we're stuck guarding this cold, desolate Zangzhen Hall, not even getting a sip of soup!"

Li Qing, being more composed, said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Zhao, be careful what you say. Guarding the Hidden Truth Hall is also an important task. I've heard that the Azure Scale Demon Lord is extremely powerful; this journey will be dangerous..."

"What's so dangerous about it?" Zhao Lu scoffed, pursing his lips.

"The First Elder is at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and the Second and Third Elders are at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. How can that old worm possibly turn the world upside down?"

The Azure Scale Demon has been entrenched in Azure Pool Lake for hundreds of years, and its cave holds countless treasures... If we could go with it, even just picking up some scraps would be enough for us to enjoy for a long time.

What's the use of guarding this treasure vault? The contents won't end up in our hands anyway.

He rambled on and on, full of regret for not being able to go along and reap the benefits.

Unbeknownst to the two, a faint, almost imperceptible shadow had silently glided past them like flowing water, passing through the heavy iron gate.

The interior was not the glittering palace one might imagine, but rather a deep, secluded passageway with fluorite inlaid on the stone walls on both sides, emitting a soft white light.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and books, and a subtle yet sharp sword intent permeated the atmosphere.

Chen Jiao's figure solidified, his gaze calmly sweeping across the surroundings. Following his spiritual senses, he walked straight to the deepest part of the passageway.

At the end of the path was a relatively spacious stone chamber.

In the center of the room lay a demonic beast, resembling a lion or tiger, its entire body covered in fine silver scales, with a single horn on its forehead. It was dozing off, its aura clearly that of a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator.

These are silver-armored beasts specially trained by the Sword Pavilion. They have a keen sense of smell, sharp claws and teeth, and are dedicated to guarding the inner treasury.

Chen Jiao did not conceal his figure. As soon as he stepped in, the silver-armored beast suddenly raised its head. Its amber vertical pupils locked onto the person in front of it, and its silver scales exploded, turning into a silver light that rushed straight towards him.

The claws were sharp and fierce, creating a sound as they tore through the air.

Chen Jiao did not move, but simply pointed his fingers like a sword, pointing them out from a distance.

A wisp of highly refined demonic power shot out from his fingertip, striking first and hitting the silver-armored beast's brow with perfect precision.

"Waaah..."

The silver-armored beast's forward lunge came to an abrupt halt, letting out a short, mournful cry. The light in its eyes dimmed instantly, and its massive body collapsed limply to the ground, lifeless.

It killed him instantly, without making much of a commotion.

Having dealt with the guards, Chen Jiao then carefully examined the inner stone chamber.

The interior space is much larger than what can be seen from the outside, as if it were expanded by a spatial array.

The air was cool, filled with a faint scent of medicine and the aroma of metal.

At the end of the hall, instead of a direct path to the treasure vault, stood several tightly closed stone doors, each inscribed with characters such as "丹" (elixir), "器" (equipment), "材" (material), "典" (canon), and "秘" (secret) in ancient seal script.

Clearly, Jian Ge categorized its treasures and placed them in different stone chambers.

The first thing that catches the eye is a storage room for weapons, with hundreds of gleaming flying swords, magic knives, and magic mirrors hanging on the walls and displayed on shelves, exuding a spiritual aura.

Most of them are ordinary ritual implements, with few magical treasures.

Chen Jiao swept his sleeves clean, filling a small storage bag halfway.

Five or six storage bags, eagerly awaiting food, were still hanging from his waist.

The interior of the Lingkuang mine was chillingly cold, with rows of jade shelves and golden pillars on display.

Millennium-old cold iron, red-hot copper, cloud-patterned steel mother material and other precious materials for refining weapons.

Although most of them are commonly used in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, their quantity is so large that it is enough to support a sect's expenses for decades.

As the divine sense passed by, it was like a whale sucking up water, taking all the ore into the storage artifact, leaving only a few scraps flying around.

In the subsequent spiritual materials room and alchemy room, Chen Jiao moved with lightning speed, and in just a dozen breaths, he had already collected all the essence from both rooms.

The last room, the Imperial Library, contained dozens of rows of wooden shelves displaying a large number of jade slips and silk books.

Chen Jiao scanned the area with his divine sense and found mostly cultivation techniques collected by the Sword Pavilion, notes on the cultivation experiences of seniors, and some anecdotes and stories.

A stack of dusty animal hides in the corner suddenly caught his eye.

Brush away the dust and unfold a scroll.

The book begins with the title in ancient demon script: "Miscellaneous Records of Xuanzhen's Journey to the Northern Continent".

The content is mixed and seems to be the travelogue of a senior from the Sword Pavilion who traveled to the far north of Beiju Luzhou. It even mentions some ancient demon clan relics and legends, and there are a few vague records of what appears to be a secret realm.

Chen Jiao's eyes narrowed, and he quickly unfolded the other volumes, all of which were similar miscellaneous notes.

Without hesitation, he collected all seven ancient scrolls made of animal hide.

At the deepest part of the pavilion, there was not a bookshelf, but a white jade platform, which was shrouded in a soft yet resilient barrier of light.

Inside the light screen, three jade slips of different colors floated silently.

One is jet black with subtle wave-like patterns; another is clear as light, with an inner sharpness; and the last is dull in color and unremarkable.

The runes flowing on the barrier were clearly several times more sophisticated than the palace gate's barrier, the work of a Golden Core cultivator, and could not be easily broken by force.

Chen Jiao stared for a moment, then formed hand seals, and strands of pure water elemental demon power flowed from his fingertips, like spring rain nourishing all things, quietly seeping into the barrier light screen.

At the same time, he separated a wisp of his divine consciousness and carefully wrapped it around the restriction node.

This method is extremely dangerous; the slightest mistake could trigger a backlash from the restrictions.

However, his understanding of the Dao far surpasses that of his peers, and he also possesses a powerful divine sense and exquisite control over his power.

About half an incense stick later, a soft "hum" was heard, and the barrier light screen rippled out like water, revealing the true appearance of the stone platform.

Chen Jiao reached out and first took the black jade slip into his hand.

The sword's form is faintly visible with flowing runes, revealing a vast and profound sword intent that seems to be in harmony with the elements of heaven and earth.

【The Complete Record of Xuan Tian Sword Qi - Water Section】.

The opening few words perfectly capture the essence of the Water-based Sword Technique, which subtly aligns with his "Mysterious Chapter of the Vast Ocean Whale and Dragon".

Although it is only a part of the general record and leans towards the water element, the sword techniques and methods of condensing qi contained within are profound and mysterious. If one can comprehend and integrate them, it will greatly benefit Chen Jiao's future path of cultivation.

"This scroll of true teachings is extremely precious, and I have a connection with it."

He suppressed his joy and scanned the other two jade slips with his divine sense.

The clear jade slip contained the [Mysterious Light Water Dividing Sword Technique].

It is the fundamental method of the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion, containing the complete inheritance from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul stage, including swordsmanship, mental cultivation, and the key points of the [Xuan Guang Water Dividing Sword Formation].

Although it does not have the lofty ideals and profound Daoist essence of the "General Record of Xuantian Sword Qi - Water Section", it is still a lineage that directly leads to the Nascent Soul stage.

Chen Jiao's gaze finally fell on the jade slip with its dark color. He probed it with his divine sense, but there was an extremely tough seal on the outside, which was difficult to see through for a while. He could only vaguely feel a desolate and ancient aura.

Time was of the essence, and there was no time for further investigation. Chen Jiao put them all away.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the entire inner treasury of the Zangzhen Hall had been emptied, leaving only an empty stone chamber and cold jade shelves.

Chen Jiao stood in the center of the empty room, his divine sense scanning the area carefully once again to confirm that there were no omissions or hidden restrictions.

He glanced at the silver-armored monster's corpse on the ground, flicked his finger and released a wisp of crimson lightning fire, turning it to ashes without leaving a trace.

Immediately, his figure transformed into a phantom again, repeating the same method, silently passing through the gate's restrictions and merging into the still-deep night outside.

As they crossed the stone steps, the two Sword Pavilion disciples were still muttering their regret at not being able to plunder Qingchi Lake, completely unaware of the change that had just occurred within arm's reach.

The night was deep, and the Xuan Guang Sword Pavilion remained quiet.

However, deep within the Hidden Truth Pavilion, hundreds of years of accumulation have quietly changed hands.

Chen Jiao's escape light was not visible. Using the shadows of the mountains and trees as cover, he quietly fled into the distance, heading straight for Yunmang Mountain.

The battle on Qingchi Lake is still undecided, but the wealth accumulated by Jian Ge over a century has already fallen into the hands of the fisherman.