Chapter 653
Ambush in Qiongya
Obeying the imperial edict? Of course we should obey the imperial edict and be granted amnesty! Only a fool would refuse! Do we want to end up like Sun Chengdong and Ang Zhengxuan, having our heads twisted off by Chi Ling?
Chi Ling's killing of the two leaders was very effective, and the remaining seven hundred people did not hesitate at all, and accepted the imperial edict to surrender.
Ao Qing, the Dragon King of Bailongjiang, was deeply shocked and finally understood the weight of the position of Grand Commandant.
Chi Ling led the seven hundred men to bid farewell to Ao Qing, then rode the clouds and left Wenzhou towards Chang'an.
Half a month later, Chi Ling returned to Lingtai Dao Palace with seven hundred people and gathered at the Xuantan within the palace.
The moment Zhuang Yan appeared, Chi Ling's gaze swept over the seven hundred scattered immortals, who immediately knelt down and bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Divine Firmament Emperor."
Zhuang Yan smiled and said with his hands behind his back, "Get up, there's no need to kneel, just be casual."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The seven hundred scattered immortals bowed in thanks, stood up, and stood with their hands clasped in front of them.
Seeing their expressions, Zhuang Yan knew that Chi Ling had used some tricks. "Did you kill someone?" Zhuang Yan asked Chi Ling.
Chi Ling cupped her hands and said, "Your Majesty, we have killed two leaders. They refused to obey the imperial edict and even offended me with their words."
Zhuang Yan nodded, then asked, "After killing two leaders, how many leaders are left?"
“That’s it,” Akaya said. “There were only two leaders in total.”
Zhuang Yan: "Okay, I understand."
After saying that, Zhuang Yan stepped forward and looked at the seven hundred scattered immortals, saying, "You were once supported by Zhu Yu, the mountain god of Huoshan, so you must have feelings for him, right?"
The seven hundred scattered immortals were startled and waved their hands, saying "No."
Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "If it's there, it's there; if it's not, it's not. I won't blame you for telling the truth."
The immortals still denied it, so Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Zhu Yu has supported you for so many years, and you're not even a little bit grateful?"
The immortals all paled at this. One of them, his face pale, stepped forward and bowed to Zhuang Yan, saying, "Your Majesty, if you wish to kill us, please do so. Please do not humiliate us like this."
"Hahaha!" Zhuang Yan burst into laughter upon hearing this, but the laughter terrified the scattered immortals.
After a moment, Zhuang Yan looked at the group of rogue immortals in front of him and said, "I can kill you all with a wave of my hand, and as the Great Emperor of Shenxiao, I have no need to humiliate you."
At this point, Zhuang Yan slowly continued, "Although I have recruited you, you have only come out of fear of my power, so I must first break the thief in your hearts."
"The thief in your heart?" The wandering immortals were all bewildered when they heard this.
At this moment, a cloud of auspicious clouds appeared behind Zhuang Yan. Zhuang Yan sat cross-legged on it and then raised his hand to the seven hundred scattered immortals, saying, "Sit down."
Upon seeing this, the wandering immortals bowed and accepted the order, then sat down cross-legged on the ground.
After they were seated, Zhuang Yan asked again, "I ask you all, do you really have no feelings for Zhu Yu?"
The assembled immortals fell silent. After an unknown amount of time, the immortal who had spoken first bowed and said, "Your Majesty, humans are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Marquis Anlu has supported us for sixty years. If he were truly without feelings, wouldn't we be ungrateful and heartless scoundrels?"
Once this wandering immortal started the conversation, the other wandering immortals also took the initiative to speak up, acknowledging their gratitude towards Zhu Yu.
Zhuang Yan was very satisfied and said, "This time you have finally understood your true nature and defeated the evil in your hearts. Zhu Yu was killed because he did evil and harmed life, which was intolerable to the laws of Heaven, so he was executed. He supported you all so that you would serve him in the future. But in any case, he has been kind to you, and it is only natural for you to be grateful for his kindness."
After saying this, Zhuang Yan had Chi Ling hand over the charges against Zhu Yu and his wife to the scattered immortals, saying, "Take a look, these are all the charges against Zhu Yu and his wife, investigated and filed by the Southern Mountain Divine Palace, and the evidence is conclusive."
Upon hearing this, the scattered immortals began to read Zhu Yu's list of crimes. It took about an hour for all seven hundred immortals to finish reading it.
At this moment, everyone's feelings had changed. Although Zhu Yu had been very kind to them, they also loathed him for his crimes.
“If Zhu Yu is not brought to justice, you will be aiding and abetting evil in the future. When the wrath of Heaven descends, you will all be crushed to pieces along with Zhu Yu and his wife,” Zhuang Yan said.
The scattered immortals broke out in a cold sweat, because what Zhuang Yan said was true. Just a month before Zhu Yu was arrested, the Huoshan Divine Palace had issued a decree to them, ordering them to go to the Huoshan Divine Palace to serve next year.
At this moment, a wandering immortal asked, "If it weren't for Your Majesty's guidance, we would still be stubbornly deluded. This humble immortal thanks Your Majesty."
The assembled immortals bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhuang Yan waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze swept over everyone. The scattered immortals felt an irresistible force lift them up.
"No need to thank me. From now on, you will all be incorporated into the Zhechong Prefecture and placed under the command of the Zhechong Grand Commandant," Zhuang Yan said.
The scattered immortals all accepted the order, and then one of them asked, "Your Majesty, Zhu Yu has been kind to us by providing for us, and we still owe him a debt of gratitude. We don't know how to settle this debt?"
Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Zhu Yu did evil and harmed living beings, and was punished by the law of heaven. As long as you sincerely accept your mission and bring blessings to all living beings from now on, you will be able to resolve this cause and effect."
Upon hearing this, the wandering immortals bowed deeply and said, "We will certainly obey the mandate of Heaven and bring blessings to all living beings. If we disobey this command, may we be punished by Heaven and Earth!"
Zhuang Yan nodded slightly, then smiled and said, "Now that I have offered you amnesty, I will also bestow upon you an opportunity."
Then, Zhuang Yan said to Chi Ling, "Take them to the Dao Pavilion to see the Dao Stele."
Chi Ling bowed and accepted the order, then stepped forward and said to the scattered immortals, "Come with me."
The scattered immortals rose to bid farewell to Zhuang Yan, and then followed Chi Ling to the Dao Pavilion.
Upon arriving at the Dao Pavilion, Chi Ling ordered them to go inside and examine the Dao Stele, and everyone accepted the order and entered.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the seven hundred wandering immortals emerged from the Daoist pavilion with great joy and swagger, each one walking out with imposing and majestic bearing.
When they saw the red silk outside, they all stepped forward and bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Grand Commandant."
Seeing the beaming faces of these people, Chi Ling couldn't help but ask, "What kind of opportunity did you all obtain?"
The scattered immortals exclaimed in unison, "A thousand-foot-tall Dharma Form!"
Chi Ling nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Zhang Qian Fa Xiang" is a supernatural power, and the Giant Spirit God's version is Zhang Qian Fa Xiang.
"You are all cultivators who have achieved physical sainthood, and this thousand-foot Dharma Form is just right for you." Chi Ling said, and then said to everyone, "This is the great power of the Divine Firmament Emperor. The Dao Stele in this Dao Pavilion was erected by His Majesty the Divine Firmament Emperor. It contains the Dao methods left by the Divine Firmament Emperor and the Supreme Lord Laozi. Any living being who looks at this Dao Stele can obtain opportunities based on their comprehension."
Upon hearing this, all the wandering immortals were filled with awe and respect, and were completely convinced of Zhuang Yan's virtues.
Afterwards, Chi Ling led everyone to pay their respects to Zhuang Yan again. All the wandering immortals bowed their heads in worship, their hearts filled with piety. "Chi Ling, take them back to Buzhou Mountain to register them, and then come to Nanzhanbuzhou to serve," Zhuang Yan said.
Chi Ling bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Meanwhile, Wu Zhao and his two companions, following Zhuang Yan's orders, escorted the old ginseng king and others to Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea for a pilgrimage.
After more than four months of trekking, the group finally arrived in Qiongya Prefecture. They landed from the sky and rested temporarily on a mountain peak.
At this moment, they could already see the vast South China Sea with their naked eyes. The old ginseng king said to Wu Zhao, "Fellow Daoist Wu Zhao, Qiongya Prefecture is located on the coast of the South China Sea. We only need to fly for another half an hour to enter the South China Sea, so the three of you do not need to be escorted here anymore."
“Yes,” said Huangjing Yaowang. “The three of you have escorted us for more than four months, which has been very arduous. Now that we have reached the shore of the South China Sea, you can turn back.”
Wu Zhao smiled and said, "The master's order is to escort you all to Luojia Mountain. How dare we disobey?"
Upon hearing this, Old Ginseng King and the others were slightly taken aback, and then fell silent.
After resting for a while, the group prepared to continue their journey when a shout rang out, "Fellow immortals, please pause."
Wu Zhao and the others turned their heads and saw a woman dressed in a beautiful, emerald-green robe walking quickly towards them.
The woman smiled at the crowd and said, "I am a cultivator from this mountain. I have come to pay my respects to you fellow cultivators who have landed here."
Upon hearing this, the old ginseng king and the others bowed and greeted him, but Wu Zhao stepped forward and asked, "We have never had any dealings with you, fellow Daoist, so there is no need for such formality."
The woman chuckled softly and said, "I apologize for the abruptness of your arrival, fellow Daoists. Are you all from the north?"
“That’s right,” the old ginseng king said with a smile. “I was just about to go to Luojia Mountain to pay homage to Guanyin Bodhisattva.”
Upon hearing this, the woman quickly put her hands together in prayer and chanted towards the South China Sea, "Greatly Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva."
Then the woman continued, “You fellow Daoists have come at just the right time. These days are the Dharma assembly in Qiongya Prefecture to worship Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is why I have taken the liberty of coming here to stop you fellow Daoists.”
"Oh?" The group exchanged glances, then asked, "What's the reason for this?"
The woman said, "Because it is a Dharma assembly of Guanyin Bodhisattva, there has always been a custom in Qiongya Prefecture that all practitioners must burn incense and bathe in the Pure Heart Pool before they can go to the South China Sea for pilgrimage; otherwise, they will be blaspheming the Bodhisattva."
Upon hearing this, the old ginseng king and the others immediately became solemn and bowed to the woman, saying, "Thank you for informing us, fellow Daoist. Otherwise, we would have been disrespecting the Bodhisattva."
Then Huanglian Yaowang asked, "Where is the Pure Heart Pool?"
The woman raised her hand and pointed east, saying, "It's inside Yongqing Temple. I'll lead the way for you fellow Daoists."
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhao immediately said, "No need for you to trouble yourself, fellow Daoist. We will go on our own."
The woman smiled slightly and said to Wu Zhaoyan, "Fellow Daoist, please don't worry. I am a devout Buddhist and an old friend of the abbot of Yongqing Temple. Recently, many cultivators have been going to the Pure Heart Pool to bathe. If you don't have someone to guide you, you may have to wait a long time to get a turn. If you fellow Daoists are not in a hurry, then I won't bother you any further."
Upon hearing this, Old Ginseng King and the others quickly said, "Then please lead the way for us, fellow Daoist. Thank you very much."
Wu Zhao frowned and said, "Let's go ourselves."
But the old ginseng king insisted, "I have already troubled three fellow Daoists. How can I feel at ease if I make them wait any longer? Since this fellow Daoist is willing to lead the way and make things convenient, that is of course very good."
Seeing that the old ginseng king was so insistent, Wu Zhao could not say anything more about the matter and immediately nodded and said, "Alright then."
Seeing Wu Zhao nod, the woman smiled and said, "In that case, fellow Daoists, please follow me."
So everyone followed the woman and rode the clouds, flying eastward. After about half an hour, just as they were about to leave Qiongya Prefecture, Wu Zhao immediately asked, "Why haven't we seen Yongqing Temple yet?"
The woman turned around and smiled, then pointed to a cluster of mountains shrouded in mist ahead and said, "That's it."
After saying that, the woman landed first, and everyone else followed suit.
After passing through the dense clouds, they were greeted by a valley, but there was no trace of Yongqing Temple.
Wu Zhao immediately stopped and shouted, "It's a trap! Run!"
Before the old ginseng king and the others could react, they had already flown hundreds of feet away after hearing Wu Zhao's shout.
Just then, an unexpected event occurred. A lightning-fast net descended, instantly wiping out Old Ginseng King and his men.
Several exclamations were heard as the seventeen Medicine Kings and Immortals, including the Old Ginseng King, were instantly enveloped by the lightning net and then swiftly suppressed.
Wu Zhao immediately flew forward to try to grab Lei Wang, but the woman leading the way attacked Wu Zhao with a long sword.
Upon seeing this, Wu Zhao immediately formed a hand seal and unleashed the 'Dragon Control True Technique'. A desolate dragon roar resounded, and a black cloud rose behind Wu Zhao, followed by a black dragon from the Nether Spring that was two thousand feet long.
Wu Zhao flew onto the back of the Netherworld Black Dragon and rode it into battle with the woman.
The black dragon of the Nether Spring blocked the woman's longsword with one claw, and then spat out a mouthful of ghostly light that shattered the protective immortal light on the woman's body, startling her into retreating repeatedly.
At this moment, Wu Zhao turned around and shouted, "Bao'er, Hongxian, go and save the Medicine Kings. You must protect them well."
Rat Baby and Red Thread responded, and then quickly flew down on the wind.
At this moment, the lightning net that had trapped the Medicine Kings had fallen to the ground, pinning them down. Then, flames leaped on the lightning net, and moments later, bolts of lightning and fire ignited.
Old Ginseng King and the others immediately let out screams of agony. The lightning and fire burned everything in their path and quickly engulfed them.
Seeing this, Red Thread immediately formed a hand seal, then opened its mouth and inhaled, instantly sucking the lightning and fire into its mouth. In just a moment, Red Thread had absorbed all of the old ginseng king and the lightning and fire on the lightning net.
However, the old ginseng king and others were also burned black, lying there screaming in agony, but fortunately their lives were saved.
But at that moment, more than a hundred powerful demons suddenly appeared and surrounded Bao'er, Hongxian, the old ginseng king, and others.
Leading these hundred-plus great demons were two heavily armored divine generals. The leader was none other than Marquis Ningxiang, Jia Yan, and beside him was Jia Yan's nephew, the newly appointed Marquis Rongxiang, Jia Daishan.
Seeing this, Hongxian immediately used the 'Clay Transformation Technique'. With a flick of her finger, a small clay figure flew down among the old ginseng king and the others. The clay figure flashed with spiritual light and instantly formed an air wall barrier, enveloping the old ginseng king and his companions within it. (End of Chapter)