"Master, is there even the slightest clue?" the Flood Dragon Demon King asked tremblingly.
"No, within the Three Realms, you must search high and low, and you must find it faster than anyone else!"
"Yes, we'll arrange it right away!"
Finding someone within the Three Realms whose name, race, or even gender is unknown is like finding a needle in a haystack...
On Mount Ling in Xiniu Hezhou, the Buddha received a decree from the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, but he did not react in any way and continued to preach his scriptures.
In the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Tushita Palace, Laozi, who was originally sitting cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, now stood up and looked down at the mortal realm. It seemed that he could see through the barriers of the heavens and descend to the mortal world with a single glance, but in the end, he had no choice but to withdraw his gaze.
"Within these three realms, even though I am the only one who is an incarnation of a saint, I still cannot find a single clue... Who obtained the One that escaped? Was the aura from beyond the realm a few days ago related to the One that escaped?"
The Jade Emperor, residing in the Lingxiao Palace, and the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect shared the same thoughts as Laozi.
As for Houtu Niangniang, who has transformed into reincarnation in the Nine Netherworlds, Styx Ancestor in the Blood Sea, and Zhenyuan Daxian in Wuzhuang Temple, they were unaware of these things because no decree was issued by the sage.
However, both the Heavenly Court and the Demon Realm are about to make big moves, so the purchase shouldn't take much longer.
...
Jiang Liu led Princess Asura and the Third Holy Mother back to Zhongnan Mountain. After entertaining them, the Third Holy Mother returned to Mount Hua, waiting for Jiang Liu to give her news so that her journey to the West could be saved from disaster.
In the heavens above, in the netherworld below, and throughout the three realms, turmoil was brewing, but Jiang Liu remained completely unaware. After dismissing Hong Lian, Jiang Liu went into seclusion again, preparing to use this time to travel through time once more.
Upon entering the small world within his body, he discovered that the earth had increased in size several times over after he had devoured the Heavenly Dao of the "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" world.
Even the central mountain, which pierced the clouds like a sharp sword, became even more majestic and imposing, most notably in its increased size, appearing several times larger, like a pillar reaching to the heavens.
Gazing at the vast fields of Dragon Tooth Rice and the imposing Sword Tomb, Jiang Liu was extremely satisfied.
Jiang Liu first went to check on the Qilin seed, a celestial herb he valued highly. To his astonishment, the celestial herb, shaped like a Qilin, had vanished, leaving only a large pit where it had taken root.
"Holy crap, could it have been eaten by the divine silkworm? That shouldn't be the case!" Jiang Liu went to check the Immortal Fire Tree again and was horrified to find that it was gone too.
Upon reaching the palace halfway up the mountain, it was deserted. The peach grove at the foot of the mountain was also empty, as were the mighty Vajra Divine Apes. Even the demonic ape "Ba" was nowhere to be found.
Jiang Liu immediately used his divine sense to perceive the area and discovered that in the center of the Dragon Tooth Rice, at the location of the Azure Emperor's followers' residence, in a huge square, tens of thousands of people were gathered together, forming a circle, all sitting cross-legged.
But in Jiang Liu's perception, the center was completely empty.
"What exactly are they doing?"
Jiang Liu became increasingly curious and immediately went there. In a short while, he arrived above the square and saw an ordinary-looking old man with white hair sitting cross-legged in the center, preaching.
Before him stood a small tree of immortal fire, a Qilin seed, and a golden sprite, a nine-transformation divine silkworm.
They all listened quietly like obedient children. The little fairy fire tree seemed to have heard something wonderful, and its fiery leaves danced wildly, just like a person dancing.
Meanwhile, the demon ape "Ba" would occasionally show a bewildered yet enlightened expression.
Even Ning Caichen, who had been brought into the world of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" by Jiang Liu, sat cross-legged on the outermost edge, listening with rapt attention.
"Young friend, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
The old man looked up at Jiang Liu, stopped preaching, and then said to the crowd, "Go, all of you!"
"Teacher, will there be another sermon tomorrow?" the demon ape "Ba" asked respectfully.
"That's enough! That's enough! Go on, everyone!"
The demon ape "Ba" was somewhat disappointed. He bowed respectfully and then retreated. The sapling of the Immortal Fire Tree, with its flame-shaped branches and leaves, flew back to the mountaintop. Even the Qilin seed had learned earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique for escaping through the earth) and returned directly to its rooted location.
The Nine Transformations Divine Silkworm was somewhat reluctant to leave, and after some hesitation, it transformed into a golden light and departed.
Jiang Liu stood in front of the old man, looking at his face, and suddenly realized that the face had no fixed shape. It could be whoever he thought he was, neither male nor female, neither old nor young.
Such a person, without any awareness, entered the small world that was being nurtured within his own body, opened an altar to preach, and attracted all living beings in the world to listen to his teachings, while "the one who escaped" did not react at all!
"Could this be the illusionary form that the one who vanished has manifested?"
Seemingly sensing Jiang Liu's thoughts, the old man shook his head and said, "Lying high in the nine heavens, I attain the true Dao on my futon. Beyond the mysteries of heaven and earth, I shall be the supreme master. Pangu gave birth to Taiji, and the two polarities and four symbols followed. One Dao was passed on to three friends, and the two teachings, Chan and Jie, were established. I am the leader of the Xuanmen, and one Qi transformed into Hongjun."
The river flowed instantly into a suffocation.
"Young friend, do not be alarmed. I have now transformed into the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao outside is me, and I am the Heavenly Dao. I will not do anything that violates the operation of the Heavenly Dao, nor will I do anything that would harm you!"
"What brings the Dao Ancestor to see me?" Jiang Liu suppressed his heart, which was pounding in his throat, and calmed himself down before speaking.
"I came here to see if this world could truly witness the return of the primordial chaos! Now that I have a conclusion, I can rest assured!"
"A reenactment of the primordial era?"
"Young friend, don't repeat my mistakes. Just manage this world well. This place doesn't belong to the Forty-Nine Heavenly Daos, so I've defied the workings of the Heavenly Dao and will hold a three-day sermon. I hope it will be of some use to you. Alright, I should be going now!"
"Daoist Ancestor, I haven't started the lecture yet!"
The old man who was Hongjun gradually faded away, leaving only a voice: "My way is not that way, and the Heavenly Way is not the Great Way either... Be careful, be careful, protect this world!"
"Be careful! Has my background been exposed?"
"No, we need to increase our strength quickly, otherwise we really won't be able to protect ourselves..."
Chapter 396 Re-entering Doupo
Battle Through the Heavens, Central Plains, Tianmu Mountains.
Jiang Liu stood beneath the starry sky once more. The night was hazy, and the stars and moon were not particularly bright. His complexion was poor. Although the starlight was dim, the undulating shadows and piles of rubble connected together in front of him were clearly visible to his senses.
Jiang Liu strolled along the river. It was a vast ruin, and what blocked his way was only a small part of it. An even larger ruin stretched horizontally into the distance.
The broken walls and rubble seem to tell a story of a bygone era.
Under the moonlit night, the place seemed exceptionally desolate. In the past, this place should have been a magnificent, sprawling complex of palaces, but now it was a scene of utter desolation.
This is a vast ruin, covering a wide area. The solid foundation is entirely made of huge stones, which gives an idea of the magnificence and grandeur of this palace in its heyday.
A night breeze swept through, whistling through the mountains and forests.
Awooo, awooo!
A mournful howl of wolves echoed from the depths of the mountains. Then, howls reverberated from all directions, creating a chilling atmosphere.
This is the Tianshan Blood Pool where Jiang Liu established the Qianlong Temple, but now it is a ruin.
Click!
He walked step by step, his footsteps crunching on the rubble. Beneath a collapsed ruin, half a statue was revealed, and the face was none other than Jiang Liu's.
"I left behind several treasures, imparted numerous cultivation techniques, set up the Heavenly Blazing Fire Formation, and even the Yangtze River Dragon King was left behind to possess the Fire Cloud Ancestor, who had reached the Dou Sheng level... yet it was still destroyed! The Soul Palace? Or one of the eight ancient clans?"
Jiang Liu looked at the ruins, which were significantly more vast than when he left. It was clear that a period of construction had taken place, but it had still been destroyed.
By observing the traces of several battles, extremely powerful flames were seen appearing during the fighting, possessing the power to devour everything. It can be clearly seen that the core of the Heavenly Blazing Fire Array has been completely corroded, creating a giant crater several meters deep.
"A strange fire... and it's definitely one of the top-ranked flames! A flame with the power of devouring, could it be the Void Devouring Flame, ranked second on the Strange Fire List?"
After observing for a while, Jiang Liu felt relieved. Judging from the traces of the battle, it was clear that the retreat was well-planned and that they had not been crushed.
Its divine sense spread out, searching for living intelligent life in the Tianmu Mountains.
"A few Gold-Eating Rats!" Jiang Liu spotted a small number of Gold-Eating Rats hiding in a cave deep within the Tianmu Mountains.
This magical beast clan was originally native to the Tianmu Mountains. Although most of them were ordinary second or third-tier magical beasts, their numbers were quite terrifying. Of course, the true core of the Gold-Eating Rat Clan consisted of those members who could transform into human form; they were the true rulers of the Tianmu Mountains.
Before Jiang Liu left, the patriarch of the Gold-Eating Rat Clan had also reached the seventh rank, with strength comparable to a six-star Dou Zong expert, and had already been subdued.
Jiang Liu has searched the Tianmu Mountains and only found a few of these enormous magical beast families.
Several gold-devouring rats with human bodies and rat heads surrounded the campfire. The firelight reflected off their bodies, revealing traces of the battle. One of the gold-devouring rats even lay in front of the campfire, covered in wounds and on the verge of death.
"who?"
Jiang Liu made no attempt to hide himself. His appearance within the range of the flames immediately attracted the attention of the wary Gold-Eating Rats. He drew his sword, his face radiating a fierce aura.
Upon seeing Jiang Liu's face clearly, the leader of the Gold-Eating Rats immediately stopped them and respectfully said, "Please, sir, display your supernatural powers!"
A ball of azure flame immediately surged up in Jiang Liu's palm, blooming like a blue lotus. Then, a flame that seemed to have no heat at all burst out from his hand, condensing into a ferocious fire beast.
With a dragon's head, a horse's body, and dragon scales, it looked very strange. Its body was as if it were made of magma, and the scorching white energy inside could be seen through the cracks.
This is a Qilin!
Fire Qilin.
This was a divine power that Jiang Liu used before leaving the "Battle Through the Heavens" world, and he can now use it with even more ease.
"Master, you've finally returned!" The Gold-Eating Rat immediately knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.
"Tell me, what happened after I left? Who destroyed Qianlong Temple? How long have I been gone?" As he spoke, Jiang Liu brushed his hand across the heavily injured Gold-Eating Rat, and the wounds on its body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Master, you have been gone for three years and five months. Just three months ago, the Lord of the Soul Palace led a large number of powerful figures to invade. The Dragon King was held back by a mysterious expert and was unable to protect the Hidden Dragon Temple. Queen Medusa, City Lord Yunyun, and the Green-Clad Ancestor fought desperately, but they were still no match for the Soul Palace. Now, the Green-Clad Ancestor, City Lord Yunyun, and Queen Medusa have retreated to Burning Flame Valley and are in dire straits... We... we have finally waited for the Master's arrival..."
"Burning Flame Valley!" Jiang Liu remembered that the Dragon King of the Yangtze River had possessed the body of the Fire Cloud Ancestor, who was at the Dou Sheng level in Burning Flame Valley, so he obviously regarded Burning Flame Valley as his base.
Jiang Liu sent the Gold-Eating Rats into his small world and rode the clouds towards the Burning Flame Valley.
Burning Flame Valley is located in the Blazing Fire Mountain Range in the southwest of the Central Region. This mountain range is entirely composed of blazing volcanoes. As far as the eye can see, it is uniformly crimson. Thick white smoke constantly rises from the tops of some peaks, and occasionally, lava overflows from them.
The Blazing Fire Mountain Range enjoys a considerable reputation even in the entire Central Continent. Of course, this is partly due to the presence of the Burning Flame Valley, but the other reason is the harsh environment of this mountain range.
Although the environment here isn't exactly pleasing to the eye, the endless volcanoes result in an exceptionally rich concentration of fire-attribute energy. Cultivating fire-attribute techniques here would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort. Therefore, even knowing that this place is quite dangerous, many people who cultivate fire-attribute techniques still venture here.
Since the Dragon King of the Yangtze River possessed the body of the Fire Cloud Ancestor of the Burning Flame Valley, he began to build temples in the Blazing Fire Mountain Range area. Given his original status as a deity in the Heavenly Court, he naturally had to follow the path of becoming a god through incense offerings.
With Jiang Liu's current cultivation level, it wouldn't take him long to traverse thousands of miles. Soon, he could faintly sense that the energy in the surrounding world was gradually becoming more abundant, and within this abundance, there was also a hint of violence.
As Jiang Liu rode the clouds, he looked into the distance and saw a fiery red line appear at the end of his vision. This fiery red line was extremely majestic, and it seemed to have no end in sight.
Just outside a volcano, where yin energy surged, Jiang Liu saw the green-clad cultivator atop the volcano—the Little Immortal Doctor. She sat cross-legged on the ground, a large banner waving above her head, from which a burst of dazzling clouds spewed forth, resisting the invasion of the yin energy.
"...It was indeed a mistake on my part of the Soul Palace to let you grow to this level, but don't think that just because you have these miraculous techniques, the Soul Palace will be afraid of you! My clan's Soul Emperor went into seclusion and destroyed the foundation you built over three years in just three months. Hand over those techniques, and my Great Celestial Venerable will guarantee that your lives will not be threatened!"
In the void, black mist swirled, and from within it came a cold and ancient voice.
"The Soul Palace is nothing but a piece of cake. Once my master returns, suppressing you will be a piece of cake!" The green-clad man looked up at the dark mist and sneered.
"Arrogant and conceited!"
A cold voice rang out, and then a thick black mist surged out from it. From within the black mist, a gaunt, skeletal old figure, exuding a sinister aura, slowly emerged!
"If you're not afraid of death, then come here. Sister Yunyun's sword didn't kill you, but do you want to taste my poison? I want to ask, has the poison from that Soul-Cleansing Saint been forced out? If not, then go to hell!" the green-clad man sneered.
The Great Celestial Venerable who emerged was dressed in a black robe. His aged face appeared extremely withered, his eyes were sunken, and two ghostly flames flickered in his eye sockets, exuding a hint of eeriness.