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

Master Xuanguang coughed up blood and retreated in defeat, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

He stared intently at the dark figure atop the distant mountain peak, almost unable to believe what had just happened.

However, before he could catch his breath, a magnificent and vast aura rose up from the summit of Yunmang Mountain.

Chen Jiao, dressed in black robes, was bathed in the wind. Above his head, clouds gathered and did not disperse. They were dark blue in color, with tiny electric sparks moving like dragons and snakes within them, and muffled thunderous sounds emanating from them.

Amidst the churning clouds, a wisp of supremely gentle water essence emerged, intertwining and swirling with a touch of supremely yang fire intent.

Water cannot extinguish fire, nor can fire boil water; instead, they stimulate and generate each other, transforming into a hazy glow that encompasses all the clouds and thunder.

Clouds and thunder give rise to each other, and water and fire are in harmony.

This is precisely the supreme state of the Golden Elixir Dao being achieved, with Yin and Yang in harmony, and the dragon and tiger converging.

Its aura was so harmonious and vast that it far surpassed that of ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivators, approaching the mid-stage.

"Golden Core?"

Master Xuanguang cried out in shock, his voice hoarse and distorted, filled with incomprehensible terror.

He clearly remembered that this demon was still at the Foundation Establishment stage a year ago. How could it have changed so quickly in such a short time? How is that possible?

He can't accept it!

I was born with extraordinary talent and cultivated diligently for hundreds of years to obtain the Golden Core. How could my opponent, a mere demon cultivator, have reached this point so quietly?

Master Xuanguang roared angrily, disregarding his injuries, and slammed his Taoist crown on his head.

"Monster! What merit do you possess to have reached the Golden Core stage? Prepare to die!"

A blazing golden light shot up from the top of his head.

Amidst the golden light, a golden ring covered with mysterious runes spun out.

Master Xuanguang also had a fortuitous encounter. This treasure is called the Burning Heaven Golden Ring. He obtained it by chance. It is extremely powerful, and only those at the Golden Core stage can barely activate it.

This time, after being injured by Chen Jiao, he used it for the first time.

The Heavenly Golden Ring leaped out from the top of its head, initially no bigger than a palm, its crimson gold shimmering.

However, it grows longer when it faces the wind, and in an instant it has transformed into a huge halo stretching across the sky, as if a real blazing sun has been imprisoned and suspended above Yunmang Mountain.

On the ring, countless intricate runes are now lighting up one after another, flowing with scorching flames.

At the center of the ring, a ball of flowing, golden flames gathered, burning silently and radiating a massive, overwhelming heat wave.

"Buzz—!"

A massive golden ring, wreathed in golden flames, slowly rotated, descending upon the figure in black robes atop the mountain below, as if suppressing the mountains and encompassing the four cardinal directions.

Before the golden flames arrived, the scorching heat that could burn the sky and boil the sea had already descended. The vegetation in Yunmang Mountain withered and curled at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the surface of the rocks turned dark red, as if they were about to melt.

At this moment, it was as if the sky had collapsed, and a burning sun had fallen, intending to refine the entire Yunmang Mountain along with the demons within, and suppress them into ashes.

A rare look of seriousness appeared in Chen Jiao's eyes as he muttered to himself:

"This fire actually resembles the true fire of the sun, and this golden ring has quite a history."

After a sigh, Chen Jiao regained his composure.

If Master Xuanguang can truly control the pure solar fire, then this water-attribute Xuanjiao incarnation must indeed avoid his sharp edge.

However, the current wisp of true solar fire energy is merely a remnant that has been refined and absorbed by the golden ring.

Who will avoid whose sharp edge?

Achieving the Golden Core not only brings a surge in magical power, but more importantly, it elevates one's control over one's bloodline supernatural abilities to a whole new level.

The innate divine power [Crimson Demon Lightning], which could only be activated superficially during the Foundation Establishment stage, can now reveal its true power.

As the golden ring, like the sun molten gold, slowly pressed down, the space was imprisoned, and the heat wave scorched the mountains.

Chen Jiao neither dodged nor avoided, but slowly raised his right palm with his five fingers slightly spread.

There was no surge of magical power in his palm, but a deep and intense crimson light quietly emerged.

At first it was the size of a bean, but it quickly transformed into a twisting and leaping ball of crimson lightning.

"break!"

Chen Jiao uttered a single word, and a crimson arc of lightning suddenly shot out from his palm.

When it left my hand, it was only a foot or so long, but it grew larger in the wind and transformed into a ferocious thunder dragon with grotesque scales and crimson lightning coiled around its body. Its eyes were like two burning blood flames, and it roared silently as it charged upwards.

Wherever the thunder dragon passed, the golden flames that seemed capable of melting gold and fossils dissipated and vanished like boiling water poured on snow.

Although the Crimson Demon Thunder's Solar True Fire was inferior in essence, Xuan Ling's pure Golden Core cultivation and the ultimate condensation of his divine power made him not at all inferior.

A blinding crimson-gold light suddenly exploded, accompanied by a deafening roar.

The violent impact spread in a ring, instantly clearing the clouds from the sky.

The thunder dragon continued its momentum, crashing headlong into the massive Burning Heaven Golden Ring itself.

"Click—"

A crisp cracking sound echoed through the sky.

The Heavenly Golden Ring trembled violently, and all the flowing runes on its surface dimmed instantly, its brilliant light, like the sun's rays, suddenly extinguished.

The golden flames in the ring seemed to be extinguished by an invisible hand, slowly dissipating.

The giant golden ring rapidly shrank, returning to its original size, its luster dimmed, and it fell downwards.

Chen Jiao rolled up his sleeve and put it into his hand, intending to examine it carefully at a later time.

The magic weapon was connected to his mind, and Xuan Guang Shangren was struck as if by a heavy blow. He spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turned ashen, and his eyes were filled with despair.

He never expected that his trump card, the Heaven-Burning Golden Ring, would be so easily broken by the opponent.

However, before he could catch his breath and regroup, Chen Jiao's counterattack had already begun.

"Fellow Daoist gifted me a treasure, and I will return the favor with a sword."

Chen Jiao's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, making a virtual gesture in the air.

A low rumble of thunder could be heard from the magic sword in its dark sheath at his waist.

A silver-white sword aura, crackling with lightning, silently leaped out.

Master Xuanguang's soul was greatly disturbed.

He instantly crushed the treasured life-saving jade talisman he kept close to his body.

A solid cyan light shield instantly appeared, protecting him. Runes flowed on the light shield, emitting waves of spatial fluctuations.

A very faint sound, like the sound of cloth being sliced ​​by a sharp blade.

The cyan light shield was easily split in two by the silver-white sword energy, and the runes shattered instantly.

The sword's momentum remained undiminished.

In the rush, disregarding the shock to his golden core, Master Xuanguang exerted all his remaining magical power and offered up his last life-saving magic treasure—the Azure Spirit Black Tortoise Shield Armor.

A small, palm-sized, jet-black tortoise-shell shield instantly expanded, transforming into a deep, heavy armor that enveloped Xuan Guang's body.

The silver-white sword energy struck the surface of the armor, but vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into water.

Before Master Xuanguang could even feel joy, he felt a tightness in his chest.

The next moment, a barely perceptible crack appeared on the seemingly sturdy and heavy armor, which then spread across the entire armor like a spider web.

"Snap... Bang!"

The Azure Spirit Black Tortoise's shield shattered inch by inch, turning into dust.

The sword energy pierced through the armor and slammed into the protective aura of Xuan Guang Shangren.

"Ugh—!"

Master Xuanguang let out a mournful howl, and his protective aura shattered instantly.

The sword energy pierced through his body, and although it did not directly hit his heart, it writhed the meridians in his chest and abdomen, causing his golden core to tremble violently.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, his breath as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, instantly becoming extremely feeble.

Master Xuanguang barely managed to steady himself. The young man's face was no longer arrogant; his gaze toward Chen Jiao was filled only with deep-seated fear.

He knew that if he hadn't used those two treasures, he would already be a corpse.

Chen Jiao showed no surprise when he saw that his sword had failed to kill him.

Golden Core cultivators have numerous ways to protect themselves, and killing someone with a single blow is by no means easy.

It's just a matter of delivering another sword.

Master Xuanguang was terrified and dared not harbor any more illusions. He burned his life essence and used the Blood Burning Escape Technique.

Without looking back, it fled desperately towards the horizon, its speed even three times faster than when it came, hoping only to escape alive.

"Fellow Daoist, why are you in such a panic? Xuan Ling is not a bloodthirsty person and has no intention of pursuing you."

Chen Jiao gazed at the disheveled figure of Xuan Guang Shangren from afar, then sent a telepathic message away, feeling as if the world had misled him greatly.

In his palm, a blue-gold sword pellet appeared, humming softly.