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

The golden light was initially very faint, but then it suddenly surged.

It was as if a great sun had leaped from the seabed, tearing apart the inky blackness of the sky.

Where the light passed, the cold and deathly atmosphere instantly dissipated.

In the blink of an eye.

A colossal pillar, entirely dark gold with dazzling golden hoops at both ends, has pierced through the bottomless sea and stands majestically between heaven and earth.

Its height is unknown; its lower end is deeply embedded in the seabed, while its upper end reaches straight into the clouds, as if it were supporting the sky by three feet.

The pillar, made of black iron, is adorned with golden hoops, exuding a warm and profound radiance, and a sense of boundless power spreads throughout the world.

"boom--!"

The earth is shaking!

The inky black seawater crashed against the golden pillar, producing a dull thud, but could not advance even an inch further.

Yunniang and Aqi, who had survived the ordeal, stared blankly at the sudden miracle before them.

On the pillar, golden light flows continuously, and the five ancient characters "Ruyi Jingu Bang" can be faintly seen.

In the distance, the fleeing people all stopped in their tracks, embracing each other and weeping.

Although Haiding Village was destroyed, this glimmer of hope was firmly anchored to this land by this golden pillar.

Sunlight streamed through the golden pillars, dispelling the surrounding chill and deathly silence.

It is unknown who first looked up and saw the azure dragon hovering beside the golden pillar in the distance, appearing and disappearing in the clouds.

He couldn't help but shout in a trembling voice:

"It's the Dragon King! The Dragon King of the East Sea has appeared! It was the Dragon King who saved us!"

The villages, large and small, along the coast of the East China Sea depend on the sea for their livelihood, and the villagers naturally worship the Dragon King of the Sea day and night, daring not to neglect him.

Although there were almost no spiritual manifestations...

That shout was like a spark igniting dry grass.

The villagers looked up and saw a huge blue dragon coiling and circling in the clouds high above the top of the golden pillar.

"It really is the Dragon King!"

"Dragon King, have mercy! Save us from suffering!"

As if waking from a dream, the villagers immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly to the Azure Dragon in the clouds, chanting words of gratitude to the Dragon King.

In their simple understanding, who else but the Dragon King who rules the East Sea could command such a divine creature and manifest the true form of a dragon to quell disasters?

Yunniang hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming silently down her face. Gazing at the colossal golden pillar that seemed to connect heaven and earth, she murmured:

"It's a deity...it's the Dragon King manifesting!"

Ah Qi stared blankly at the suddenly appearing golden pillar in front of him, reaching up to the sky and down to the vast sea.

The little girl did not look at the dragon that everyone was worshipping, nor did she cry like the other children.

A pair of eyes that were originally clear and innocent have, after this great change, strangely lost their childishness.

It became as clear as the sky after a rain, as if there were flowing glass inside.

Ah Qi tilted her little face up, her gaze piercing through the swirling clouds and mist, past the shimmering cold light of the blue dragon scales, and landing directly on the top of the giant dragon's head.

Atop the dragon's head stood a figure dressed in a black robe.

The man stood with his hands behind his back, his face seemingly shrouded in ethereal beauty.

Ah Qi's eyes, just beginning to spark with inspiration, were not clearly visible.

I could only vaguely make out the person's eyes.

He looked down calmly and indifferently at the common people and the weak waters below, without joy or sorrow.

Ah Qi didn't want to blink, her little hands unconsciously clenching her mother's clothes, murmuring to herself:

"Mother, there's... a person on the Dragon King's head..."

The sound was very soft, yet exceptionally clear.

Yunniang was still immersed in the excitement of surviving the ordeal and did not hear her daughter's babbling.

The cheers and prayers of the surrounding villagers drowned out this lighthearted remark.

Only Ah Qi himself remained, his eyes, now unusually clear, fixed on the dragon's head.

She watched as the figure in the black robe slightly raised his hand, seemingly pressing down on the golden pillar below.

The light from the golden pillar seemed to solidify further, suppressing the Weak Water and preventing it from flowing.

Atop the dragon's head, a figure in a black robe stood still, his garments fluttering slightly in the fierce winds of the high sky.

He seemed unaware of the fleeting, innocent gaze below that seemed to see through the illusion.

Or perhaps, they simply don't care.

Embraced by azure clouds, a golden pillar guards the sea. Treading upon a true dragon, the prayers of all beings enter like a gentle breeze.

This is the boundary between immortals and mortals.

…………

High in the sky, the thousand-foot-long azure dragon, transformed from Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, coiled and perched atop the golden pillar.

The dragon's head was lowered, its eyes gleaming with light as it opened and closed, radiating a majestic dragon aura.

The True Lord stood on the dragon's head, using his Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) to suppress the surging Weak Water.

"This is... the Divine Iron that Stabilizes the Sea?"

"Ao Yinglongnu murmured, her voice filled with disbelief and shock.

As the daughter of Ao Guang, she naturally knew that within the Dragon Palace's sea treasures lay a treasure left by Emperor Yu, used to suppress the eye of the East Sea.

The golden pillar stands silently, unmoved.

But it simply stood there, supporting the crumbling sky and stabilizing the vast ocean that was about to collapse.

The Tianhe Navy, which had been struggling to hold on, suddenly felt the mountain-like pressure around them vanish.

Many celestial soldiers, exhausted of their magical power and relying solely on willpower to withstand the attack, collapsed onto the damaged deck of the warship, panting heavily.

On the front line, there was a heavy, labored breathing sound, a sign of relief after the ordeal.

"Form ranks! The entire army must retreat three hundred li! Quickly!"

The hoarse voice of Zhu Lie, the commander of the Tianhe River, who had rushed back, rang out.

The surviving generals mustered their strength and began to rally their scattered troops, treat the wounded, and reorganize their nearly shattered formation.

Although they were in a sorry state, the relief of escaping from a desperate situation was evident on every tired face.

High in the clouds, the Thunder God and the Thunder God, who had been ordered to come to help, were able to catch their breath.

The lightning surrounding them gradually subsided, and they no longer needed to constantly summon lightning to bombard the Weak Water.

A red-haired thunder god, unable to contain himself, leaned on his hammer amidst the clouds and coughed violently. His face flushed from exhaustion, he said to his colleague beside him:

"What a powerful divine weapon! It can actually hold back the Weak Water. Yi Lie... True Lord Jingfa, your supernatural powers are truly unfathomable."

The leading deified Yin Lei Bi Tianjun looked up at the figure in black robes on the head of the true dragon, a hint of respect flashing in his eyes. He then clasped his hands and bowed respectfully from afar.

Seeing that the situation had temporarily stabilized, the Barefoot Immortal clapped his hands and smiled, a look of relief on his face:

"Excellent! True Lord, your divine powers are boundless!"

He dared not delay and hurriedly took out a black wave-fixing ruler from his sleeve.

"Let the old Taoist priest take action, using a ruler to collect the essence of the Weak Water and completely quell this calamity!"

He spoke with a hint of confidence.

This ruler is a treasure personally passed down by Emperor Yu, created specifically to subdue the Weak Water; it should be easy to obtain.

The Barefoot Immortal rode a cloud forward and arrived at the center of the Weak Water, his face solemn.

Holding the wave-fixing ruler in both hands, his immortal energy surged, and streams of clear light flowed into the ruler.

The wave ruler trembled slightly, emitting a soft, clear light. The ancient scales on the ruler seemed to come alive, and the faint sound of rippling water could be heard.

However, when the immortal channeled his magic power and infused his divine thoughts into the ruler in an attempt to activate its ability to gather and control, an unexpected change occurred.

The constant wave ruler trembled slightly, emitting an extremely low hum, like a dragon's roar or a sigh.

A vast, ancient, and boundless water elemental energy flowed from the ruler, rising and falling like tides, forming its own rhythm.

The barefoot immortal's expression changed slightly.

He felt his pure immortal power surging into the ruler, like a stream flowing into the sea.

Although it can stir up some ripples, it cannot evoke the vast power within.

"this……"

The Barefoot Immortal was startled.

He knew long ago that this ruler was transformed from the reverse scale of the Great Sage of Demons, and was no ordinary object.

But I never imagined that its inherent spirituality and pride would reach such a level!

Even a Great Immortal cannot unleash its true power in the slightest if it is not recognized by its master!

At this moment, the ancient patterns formed from the reverse scale of the Xuanjiao Great Saint on the ruler's body faintly exuded an indescribable aura of pride.

It was a kind of unyielding spirit that originated from one's roots and endured many hardships.

Only those who truly possess the supreme essence of water manipulation, like Emperor Yu of old, can command it with ease.

The barefoot immortal's forehead was slightly sweaty. He tried several more times, but the wave ruler still only trembled slightly, and the halo flowed freely.

But it refused to obey his orders and collect the essence of the Weak Water that was so close at hand.

The barefoot immortal felt no embarrassment, only anxiety.

Ao Guang, who was standing to the side, and Zhu Lie, who was in the distance, were also secretly shocked when they saw this.

They originally thought that with the Golden Cudgel to suppress the water and this ruler in hand, calming the Weak Water would be a piece of cake. Who would have thought that such a change would occur!

The Barefoot Immortal tried several times, but ultimately failed. He could only smile bitterly and slowly withdraw his magic power.

He held up the heavy, silent wave-fixing ruler, looked up at the True Lord, and spoke with a hint of helplessness and solemnity:

"My Lord, this ruler possesses extraordinary spiritual power and is beyond the control of this old Taoist."

It seems that to subdue the essence of the Weak Water, we need to find another method, or perhaps we need a fellow practitioner who is truly proficient in the Great Dao of Water to help us.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, glanced at the man standing to the side and let out a soft groan, but did not step forward.

He was clear-headed.

Our own dragon clan and that ancient black dragon lineage had a long history of rivalry and grudges.

This ruler was transformed from the reverse scale of the Great Sage Xuanjiao. It is proud and arrogant. It is already lucky that it did not turn against him because of the dragon's energy. How dare he try to control it again?

He shook his head slightly, his dragon whiskers swaying gently, indicating that he had no intention of trying.

At this moment, Zhu Lie, the Marshal of the Tianhe Navy, who had been eyeing Dingbo Ruler with envy, rubbed his thick palms together and came forward with his protruding belly.

His big eyes darted around the black ruler a few times, and he chuckled:

"Wow, this little one has quite a temper!"

Great Immortal, your magic is boundless! Perhaps this treasure is too proud and shy!

Although I, Old Zhu, am of shallow cultivation, I have been in charge of the Milky Way for many years, and my water element magic power is... cough cough, quite profound!

Why don't you let me give it a try?

Maybe this ruler just likes a straightforward person like me, Old Zhu?

He spoke politely, but the greed and eagerness in his eyes were unmistakable.

Having just witnessed the divine power of the Golden Cudgel in suppressing the sea, he was already itching to try it.

Now that I see this ancient treasure, the wave ruler, how can I not be tempted?

If I were lucky enough to have this precious ruler recognize me as its owner, wouldn't I have gained an earth-shattering treasure for nothing?

The Barefoot Immortal pondered for a moment, thinking it might be good to teach this lazy fellow a lesson, so he handed forward the wave-fixing ruler and laughed:

"Since the Marshal is so inclined, we may give it a try. However, this object is exceptionally spiritual, so the Marshal must proceed with caution."

Zhu Lie, however, couldn't wait any longer. He stretched out his right hand, channeled a surge of Heavenly River Water Elemental Power, and with a grin, reached for the Wave-Stabilizing Ruler, muttering to himself:

"My darling, be a good boy and help me, Old Zhu, achieve this great feat. You'll definitely get your share of the rewards later..."

Zhu Lie hurriedly took the wave gauge, and felt that it was cool to the touch and there was nothing unusual about it, which made him even happier.

He cleared his throat in a pretentious manner, then channeled his internal magical power into the ruler.

At first, the wavemeter did not react at all, and did not tremble like the celestial being; it remained silent.

Zhu Lie was secretly delighted, thinking he had a chance, so he increased his magical output.

Suddenly.

The ruler's body suddenly trembled!