"What is this?" He tried to move, but found himself as if he were imprisoned, which terrified him even more.
"Haotian Mirror!" As soon as Jiang Liu finished speaking, he walked step by step towards the sky, his steps leisurely, as if he were stepping on a tangible staircase.
"Fire is not my forte! You taste the power of heavenly thunder again..." In an instant, the dark clouds in the sky began to gather layer upon layer, and the whole world seemed to be filled with faint, angry groans. Upon closer listening, it was the rumble of thunder crushing across the sky!
Jiang Liu walked to a position higher than Gu You, closed his eyes, raised his hands high, and chanted: "With wind and rain, let thunder roar!!! The heavenly thunder shakes, the majestic power of heaven descends!"
As his words were spoken, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, dark clouds pressing down on the city as if to crush it. In the deep darkness, lightning flashed and a strong wind rose.
"I felt the trembling of your soul..." Jiang Liu's gaze towards the Bone Nether Saint revealed an incomparably sharp edge, his killing intent gathering as if it wanted to pierce directly into the Bone Nether Saint's heart! Then he said, word by word, "I really want to know, how long can your Myriad Soul Bone Armor withstand the might of the Nine Heavens Thunder?"
The Bone Nether Saint finally felt a surge of fear welling up inside him. His body turned ice-cold, and although he no longer had a physical body, his soul trembled uncontrollably. This fear was like a crack appearing on a dam—initially almost invisible, but then rapidly expanding, spreading like a spiderweb, until finally causing a complete collapse!
Because the Heavenly Blazing Fire Formation dispersed, the fiery clouds receded, and within the dark clouds in the sky, a blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky, like the light of a sword being drawn from its sheath, almost blinding anyone!
The thunder from the heavens, mixed with a trace of purple lightning, is a heavenly tribulation that all living beings in the world, whether human, ghost, or immortal, must fear!
This is the result of last night's tribulation. Although it was only a trace of the mighty heavenly power, the heavenly lightning it controlled underwent a qualitative change.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and lightning flashed everywhere.
After Jiang Liu advanced to the Earth Immortal realm of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, his strength underwent a qualitative change. Therefore, the "Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method" he used at this time could be said to be exceptionally skillful and natural.
"No……"
With a long, mournful roar from the Bone Nether Saint, a blinding bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and struck straight down!
With a tearing sound, everyone's heart trembled, and then they saw the lightning, sharp as a sword, strike down fiercely. Black energy surged, and Gu You roared to the sky. Clanging sounds rang out, and countless black chains from within the black mist rushed towards the incoming lightning.
In an instant, the thunder exploded into countless fragments with a loud "crack".
The electric snakes, winding and coiling, hissed as they disappeared in all directions along the iron chains.
Although he had blocked the lightning strike, Gu You still felt a sense of dread. In the instant the lightning struck, an immense unease and palpitation surged within him. Only after the soul chains had blocked the attack did he finally exhale a long breath.
"Hehe...haha..."
As the Bone Nether Saint laughed, another deafening roar resounded from the sky, seemingly a furious cry from heaven and earth. Then, a beam of light illuminated the dark world, followed by a second bolt of lightning striking down.
After the lightning bolt struck, the eerie chains still managed to block it. The place where the lightning struck was filled with sparks and crackling sounds, and electric snakes were flying and darting everywhere.
The chain made a crisp "crack" sound, and the dark iron chain, already covered with spider web-like cracks, collapsed with a bang.
At this moment, the Bone Nether Saint was truly panicked.
Therefore, Gu You felt that there was only one way to stop all of this: kill Jiang Liu! Kill this culprit. All of this would inevitably subside instantly. With this thought in mind, Gu You couldn't help but take a deep look at Jiang Liu, and the resentment in his heart instantly materialized, turning into two green flames that shot out of their eye sockets by more than a foot.
Unfortunately, he was unable to retaliate under the Haotian Mirror.
Jiang Liu sneered, made a lightning hand seal, and two bolts of lightning struck down simultaneously.
"Snap!"
The lightning continued to strike, almost engulfing Gu You in its light. The "Ten Thousand Souls Bone Armor" was indeed incredibly powerful, enduring three strikes before finally letting out a heartbreaking "crack" sound.
Then a broken piece of bone armor fell down.
"Click-clack!"
As the next lightning strike landed, the bone armor shattered into bone fragments with a "bang," which then scattered in the air.
The bone armor shattered, revealing the true form of the skeleton within. However, even the black skeleton's body, once as hard as diamond, was now covered with countless cracks. Under the illumination of the Haotian Mirror, the eerie green light in the skeleton's eye sockets dimmed and dissipated with a soft "poof."
As the two beams of light disappeared, the black skull, under the astonished gazes of many, slowly turned to ashes and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Bone Ghost's soul appeared naked under the light, wanting to return to its body, but it was constantly illuminated by the "Haotian Mirror" and could not escape.
"Hehe..." Jiang Liu sneered, flicked his finger, and a flame shot out, burning the old body to ashes.
"How dare you!" Gu You roared, gritting his teeth, "The Soul Palace will not let you go! You're going to die! You can kill me, but do you think you can be a match for a five-star Dou Sheng..."
"You've fallen into my hands, and now I can make you do whatever I want. You still have the nerve to threaten me... Soul Palace? Heh, I'm about to refine the Profound Yin Soul Gathering Banner and set up the Profound Yin Soul Refining and Gathering Array. Pure souls like yours are always welcome!"
Under Gu You's horrified gaze, a large cauldron appeared in the sky.
Suddenly, a tremendous suction force appeared, pulling Gu You into the Nine Provinces Cauldron.
Chapter 172 The Dragon King of the Yangtze River
Inside the main hall of Qianlong Temple, Lei Zun Zhe, the master of Fenglei Pavilion, knelt on the ground in a sorry state, covered in wounds, his right arm severed at the root, showing none of his former majesty.
"Master, spare my life! My Wind and Thunder Pavilion is willing to submit... no, from this day forward, the Wind and Thunder Pavilion will cease to exist in Central Plains..."
Jiang Liu sat on the throne in the main hall, coldly watching Lei Zunzhe for one second... two seconds...
The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop. Large beads of cold sweat trickled down Lei Zunzhai's forehead, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
"You've invited the Bone Nether Saint of the Soul Palace, so it seems you intend to destroy my Hidden Dragon Sect! If it weren't for my greatly improved power, I wouldn't have let you succeed! Heh..."
Jiang Liu sneered, and Lei Zun Zhe felt a chill run down his spine.
"Bang!"
Without Jiang Liu making any move, Thunder Venerable was instantly crushed, his flesh and blood splattering everywhere. He didn't even have time to scream before he was smashed into a pile of minced meat.
Then, a ball of flame ignited, and in the blink of an eye, it completely incinerated Thunder Venerable, leaving not a trace.
"This is what happens when you offend my Qianlong Temple!"
The leaders and elders of the various factions, large and small, who had allied themselves with Qianlong Temple couldn't help but swallow hard.
Master Feng and his disciple left the Tianmu Mountains in a daze. Master Feng had no idea what to do with the Starfall Pavilion.
Having walked all the way to the edge of the Tianxing Mountains, Venerable Feng looked at the forest before him and sighed, "We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping block. The Central Continent is about to change! Brother Chen, if you were alive, what would you choose? It's a pity that this Starfall Array is ultimately not a vast space created by a Dou Sheng powerhouse! Even if I wanted to close the mountain gate, I couldn't stop it... I couldn't stop it!"
The forest before Venerable Feng was somewhat peculiar; without a specific method of entry, even a Dou Zun expert would be unable to enter. While it appeared to be an ordinary forest, it was actually the Starfall Array of the Starfall Pavilion. This array was not man-made but naturally formed.
Strictly speaking, it is actually a space constructed from the stellar energy of meteorites.
Of course, this cannot compare to the vast space constructed by a Dou Sheng powerhouse; its area is only about the size of a city. However, because it is entirely natural, its concealment is extremely high. Even a Dou Zun powerhouse flying through here would find it difficult to detect its secrets.
But having witnessed Jiang Liu's abilities, he naturally knew that this mere "Starfall Array" was no match for him.
"Alright... Qingluan, prepare to gather the disciples. We will march on Burning Flame Valley in seven days!"
Jiang Liu's purpose in sending troops to Burning Flame Valley was naturally to obtain the "Nine Dragons Thunderfire"!
The development of Qianlong Temple in the past three years has far exceeded Jiang Liu's imagination. In the entire Northern Region of Zhongzhou, Sifang Pavilion has become a mere shell of its former self, Huangquan Pavilion has just become a branch of Qianlong Temple, and Lei Zun of Fenglei Pavilion was killed by Jiang Liu and is on the verge of destruction. If Wanjian Pavilion and Xingyun Pavilion do not submit, they will only become the next Fenglei Pavilion.
Managing such a large organization was not Jiang Liu's forte, so he consciously took on the role of abbot and focused on cultivation. He entrusted all management authority to Medusa and Yun Yun, who worked together perfectly as a general and a prime minister.
Yun Yun cultivates the way of flying swords. With the Green Ox Sword in hand, no one below the four-star Dou Zun can withstand a single blow.
Medusa learned the "Zhen" technique, cultivated the "Baiyang Zhenjie", and was protected by the "Nine Heavens Yuanyang Ruler". In addition, she had the strength of a Dou Zong, making her the strongest in terms of overall strength.
Gu He is completely absorbed in alchemy and has already broken through to become a seventh-grade alchemist. Although he is not good at fighting, he is very talented in cultivation.
Green Robe has rarely left Qianlong Mountain in the past three years. His strength surpasses that of the latter, and he calls himself Green Robe Ancestor. He possesses a hundred poisons and supernatural powers. Although his realm is far from that of Green Robe Ancestor, his supernatural powers and methods are not much different from those of Green Robe Ancestor.
The art of Gu worms has been perfected, and even Dou Zun (Battle Venerables) would be wary of the Gu worms he has created.
With Jiang Liu, a powerful Earth Immortal comparable to a Dou Sheng, in charge, they naturally have the strength to expand outwards.
After his primordial spirit returned to its place, Jiang Liu did not leave the belly of the volcano, but instead took out the blood jade cicada from his storage space.
Jiang Liu had already reached the Earth Immortal realm, and with his primordial spirit probing, he could naturally detect the abnormality of the "Blood Jade Cicada." The Dragon King's soul inside was extremely weak, on the verge of being completely destroyed.
He took out the Nine Provinces Cauldron, then released the soul of the Bone Nether Saint, captured it with one hand, and then extracted a wisp of soul power, stuffing it into the Blood Jade Cicada.
After being fed with soul energy for seven consecutive days, a soul fluctuation finally emanated from the Blood Jade Cicada.
"Many thanks to my benefactor. I was originally the Dragon King of the Yangtze River, named Ao Yang. In my previous life, my water palace was occupied by Ao Qing, the son of the Dragon King of the Jing River, and I was killed by him. Fortunately, my primordial spirit escaped, but I was seriously injured and could only hide in the blood jade. I never thought I would see the light of day again!"
In just a few words, Jiang Liu gleaned several key points.
First, this change of leadership in the Heavenly Court seems quite bloody. Killing a Heavenly official and then seizing control of the Water Palace to become the Dragon King is quite a feat. Second, the slain Yangtze River Dragon King possessed a primordial spirit, meaning his strength was naturally above the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage. And the Huai River Dragon King, whom Jiang Liu offended, is undoubtedly also above the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage. Third, the Jing River Dragon King, who was killed in Journey to the West, actually appeared in his words.
"Greetings, Dragon Lord. I am Jiang Liu. May I ask if the Dragon Lord knows the Dragon King of the Huai River?"
"The Huai River? This dragon is also the son of the Jing River Dragon King, named Ao Huang! Although the Jing River Dragon King holds the position of Jing River Dragon King in the Heavenly Court, he also serves as the Chief Administrator of the Eight Rivers and the Great Dragon God in charge of rain. It can be said that in the Tang Dynasty, apart from the Four Seas Dragon Kings, we water gods respect him the most. However, he allows his offspring to seize the water palace and suppress dissidents. One day he will be sent to the Dragon-Scraping Platform!"
Upon ascending the Dragon-Scraping Platform, Jiang Liu chuckled softly. The Jing River Dragon King had indeed been slain by Wei Zheng in a dream three years later. However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst; three years was a long time! He couldn't simply hide like a tortoise for three years! So he asked, "Dragon Lord, what is the strength of Ao Huang?"
"Our benefactor must be at the initial stage of Earth Immortal! If our benefactor has a grudge against Ao Huang, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, it would be best to avoid conflict for the time being!"
"Eighth level! Not too high, still acceptable! Since the Dragon Lord's primordial spirit has recovered somewhat, can this person's soul be devoured?"
The Dragon King of the Yangtze River then transmitted his voice, saying, "I have fallen to such a state that I can only become a ghost cultivator or be reborn to start anew. However, my last wish remains unfulfilled, so I can only become a ghost cultivator. I, Ao Yang, will repay your kindness with a ring and grass in my mouth."
Jiang Liu pondered for a moment and said, "Dragon Lord, sense this world. We are no longer in the Southern Continent!"
"Huh! What strange energy! Where is this?"
Chapter 173 Planning and Return
In his lifetime, Ao Yang, the Dragon King of the Yangtze River, was at the fifth level of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, holding the position of Dragon King of the Yangtze River. As a civil servant of the Heavenly Court, he possessed the supernatural power to command the aquatic creatures of the Yangtze River and to overturn the seas. Now, his position as Dragon King has been usurped by Ao Qing, the son of the Jing River Dragon King. The supernatural powers that came with his position have naturally been stolen by Ao Qing, and his physical body has been severed, leaving him as a wisp of a ghost, transformed into a ghost cultivator. His strength has temporarily shrunk to a level comparable to that of Jiang Liu.
However, it's only a matter of time before he returns to the original fifth level of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation.
However, Jiang Liu was able to firmly suppress him. Not to mention the two immortal artifacts, "Nine Provinces Cauldron" and "Haotian Mirror", his supernatural powers were something that the ghost cultivator could not withstand.
The Dragon King of the Yangtze River devoured the Bone Saint and transformed into an old man with white hair and green robes, standing before him.
"Dou Qi Continent! Is this some lost little world?" the Dragon Lord exclaimed in shock.
He devoured the Bone Netherworld and naturally gained a trace of memories, giving him a general understanding of this world.
"What a tremendous opportunity! This is a tremendous opportunity, my benefactor! The Heavenly Dao of this world has not yet been established; there is no Heavenly Court, no Underworld. If one attains the Dao in this world and then merges with the Dao, there is a great possibility of becoming a saint! Even if not, one can still establish a Heavenly Court, obtain the right to operate the Heavenly Dao, and control this small world..."
As the Dragon King of the Yangtze River, Ao Yang was still a local official in the human world, but he was also a big shot in his own right and was no stranger to the workings of the Heavenly Court under the Heavenly Dao.
"It's not that simple!" Jiang Liu knew it wasn't simple, and neither did the Dragon Lord, but if this sliver of hope appeared in the Journey to the West world, it would brew a terrifying catastrophe like the "Investiture of the Gods".
In this Dou Qi Continent, naturally no one would compete for it; this is the opportunity.
Ao Yang calmed down, looked up at the sky, and laughed, "There's always something to look forward to. Even if it takes a lifetime, or even ten or a hundred lifetimes, it's worth it!"
Jiang Liu cupped his hands in greeting to the Dragon King, his face solemn. The time for his return was drawing ever closer. Although he didn't want to go back so soon, it wasn't up to him. With his current strength, he could only suppress it for half a month at most. After half a month, even if he wanted to stay in this world, he would be sucked in by the portal and thrown back into the Journey to the West world.
Having just broken through to the Earth Immortal realm, he originally wanted to show off his skills and plunder all the strange fire, but he had no choice but to give up.