Chapter 626
An excellent place for cultivation!
"You wretched creature! Where do you think you're going!"
Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong's eyes blazed with fury, and his golden cudgel instantly grew to the thickness of a bowl, slamming down on the flesh ball with a whooshing sound.
He hated the evil fetus for tormenting his master, and he hated even more the evil aura emanating from it that he loathed. This strike concentrated eighty percent of his strength, determined to smash it to pieces.
"bang"
With a loud bang, the ball of flesh was slammed solidly into the ground by the golden cudgel, instantly flattening into a meat patty, black blood splattering everywhere, and a foul stench spreading throughout the air.
The female butcher frowned, took a step back, and kicked the meat pie on the ground with disgust. "Hmph, nothing special."
Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel and was about to comfort his master when he saw Tang Sanzang struggling to sit up. Ignoring the bleeding wound on his abdomen, he said urgently, "Wukong, quick, cut it open and see!"
He felt a sense of unease; the evil fetus in his dream had spoken with such certainty that it could not possibly be so easily destroyed.
"Master, it's all turned into meat patties now, what's there to see?"
Although Sun Wukong was puzzled, seeing his master's solemn expression, he still did as he was told and unleashed a golden light, cutting the ball of flesh on the ground in half.
Everyone stared intently, only to be stunned.
The fleshy ball appeared to be a bloody mess, but its interior was hollow. Apart from a thin membrane, there was nothing inside, and not even a trace of a soul could be detected.
How could this happen?
The female pig butcher's eyes widened, and the scar on her face twitched. She had been butchering pigs for many years and had seen many strange things, but she had never seen such a bizarre sight.
Tang Sanzang's face grew increasingly grim. He raised his hand to his brow, feeling the emptiness of his spiritual energy. His voice trembled slightly as he exclaimed, "This wretched creature... it absorbed my cultivation as a Great Luo Golden Immortal and has already shed its skin!"
He could clearly feel that his years of Buddhist cultivation had vanished without a trace, leaving only a desolate area in his dantian, with only a faint trace of his innate spiritual light sustaining his life.
"what?!"
Sun Wukong was filled with shock and anger, his golden cudgel humming in his hand. "Where did that evil fetus run off to? I, Old Sun, will go after it right now!"
Tang Sanzang closed his eyes, focused his mind and sensed for a moment, then slowly opened them, his eyes full of worry: "Since it has absorbed my cultivation, it must be looking for a place to reincarnate and stabilize its cultivation."
Of all the realms, only the Six Paths of Reincarnation can allow it to reincarnate quickly; it must have gone to the Bridge of Helplessness!
At this moment, a chilling wind swept across the Bridge of Helplessness, and the River of Oblivion beneath it churned with dark water, upon which floated the severed limbs of countless wronged souls, emitting mournful howls.
At the Bridge of Helplessness, several ghost messengers of the Golden Immortal level stood guard, their expressions solemn, watching each ghost crossing the bridge warily to prevent anyone from causing trouble.
Suddenly, a barely perceptible cloud of dust drifted by and landed on the stone slabs at the bridgehead.
The dust slowly gathered and transformed into the shape of an infant, no more than three feet tall, with a faint layer of black mist covering its body, its skin so white as to be almost transparent, and its features so exquisite as to be unlike any other.
But what's most chilling are his eyes. They're the eyes of an infant, yet they're as deep as an ancient well, churning with a sinister and murderous intent beyond his years, as if they can see right through people's hearts.
"Where did this wretched creature come from, daring to cause trouble here?"
A ghost messenger noticed the anomaly, shouted sharply, and a ghost axe appeared in his hand, which he swung at the baby.
As a Golden Immortal-level ghost messenger, he was considered a formidable figure in the underworld, and naturally, he was full of confidence in dealing with a seemingly harmless infant.
The baby's lips curled into a strange smile. Without flinching, it simply raised its right hand, bent its index finger, and flicked it lightly at the ghost messenger.
A seemingly casual flick of the finger contains terrifying power.
A jet-black finger strike shot out and instantly hit the ghost messenger's brow.
The smile on the ghost messenger's face froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief. His body fell straight down, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating into the air.
The other ghost messengers were terrified upon seeing this and drew their weapons, surrounding the baby.
"You dare kill a ghost messenger from the underworld? You're courting death!"
The baby's eyes turned cold, and its figure flickered, transforming into a blur as it weaved among the ghost messengers.
His movements seemed slow, yet they carried an eerie rhythm; every time he raised his hand or stepped down, he precisely struck the ghost messenger's vital points.
Screams rang out one after another, and in no time, all the Golden Immortal-level ghost messengers perished, turning into black smoke and dissipating without even a chance to resist.
The baby stood in the middle of the Bridge of Helplessness, glanced down at the churning River of Oblivion below, a hint of disdain flashing in its eyes, and then turned and walked towards the Reincarnation Channel.
His steps were light, as if he were walking on clouds, completely unaffected by the yin energy of the underworld.
Just then, a golden light streaked across the sky and landed at the head of the Bridge of Helplessness.
A human Grandmaster dressed in white appeared. His face was stern, and he exuded a powerful aura. He was the human powerhouse who had been ordered to patrol the underworld.
He saw the dissipating aura of the ghost messengers on the ground, and then he saw the infant walking towards the reincarnation passage. His brows furrowed, and his eyes were full of confusion.
"Who is this infant? How could it possess such power, capable of killing a Golden Immortal-level ghost messenger?"
He thought to himself, and in a flash, he chased after the baby, shouting, "You wretched creature, leave your life behind!"
Upon hearing this, the baby turned and glanced at him with a hint of mockery in its eyes, but its steps did not falter at all, and it stepped straight into the reincarnation channel.
Within that passage, countless rays of reincarnation light flickered, enveloping the infant's figure before vanishing instantly.
The human Grandmaster arrived at the Reincarnation Passage, only to watch helplessly as it closed, his eyes filled with doubt: "Strange, this infant didn't drink the Meng Po soup, nor did he undergo the reincarnation review, so how could he enter the Reincarnation Passage so easily? How exactly did he cross the River of Oblivion and evade the underworld's detection?"
Completely baffled, he could only turn away and report the matter to the Heavenly Court.
Not long after, Sun Wukong arrived at the Bridge of Helplessness on his somersault cloud.
He immediately noticed the remaining black mist on the ground and the traces of the dissipating ghost messengers. He also sensed the lingering aura of the evil fetus in the reincarnation passage and knew something was wrong.
He rushed to the reincarnation passage, only to find it already closed, and no matter how much he knocked, there was no response.
"Damn it! I'm still too late!"
Sun Wukong scratched his head in exasperation, smashing his golden cudgel into the ground, creating a deep crater. "This evil fetus has taken away Master's cultivation. After reincarnation, its strength will surely increase greatly. If we meet again in the future, it will definitely be a great disaster!"
He turned around and rushed back to the slaughterhouse in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, where he saw Tang Sanzang sitting cross-legged, using the last bit of his innate spiritual light to barely suppress the wound in his abdomen.
The female butcher was packing up her knives, her face full of dissatisfaction.
“Master, that evil fetus has already entered the cycle of reincarnation and has been reborn,” Sun Wukong said in a heavy tone.
Tang Sanzang opened his eyes, his gaze filled with worry, and sighed softly: "So be it, this is fate."
This wicked creature absorbed my cultivation and killed a ghost messenger from the underworld; its heart must be filled with resentment.
Reincarnated with such hatred, he will surely wreak havoc on the world and disrupt the peace of the three realms.
He was filled with self-reproach. If he hadn't been careless and allowed the evil fetus to take advantage of him, such a disaster wouldn't have happened.
"Master, things have come to this point, there's no point in saying anything more."
Sun Wukong stepped forward, took out a crystal-clear bead from his bosom, and handed it to Tang Sanzang. "This is the Youth-Preserving Bead. Take it. It can protect your body and heal your injuries. After we are revived, we will continue our journey westward."
"As long as we obtain the true scriptures and attain enlightenment, we will eventually have the opportunity to deal with that evil entity."
Tang Sanzang looked at the Youth-Preserving Pearl in his hand. The pearl emitted a soft, warm, and pleasant spiritual light.
Sun Wukong is right. Now that things have come to this, the only way is to continue the journey westward to obtain the true scriptures and gain enough power to deal with future crises.
He nodded, took the Youth-Preserving Pearl, and swallowed it.
The Youth-Preserving Pearl melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm current that flowed down the throat and into the stomach.
Wherever the warm current passed, the wound on his abdomen healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the empty dantian inside his body gradually felt a little warm, and his innate spiritual light became more and more stable.
Seeing that Tang Sanzang's injuries were improving, the female butcher standing nearby couldn't help but say, "Monk, you really go back on your word."
You just said that if I could get rid of the evil fetus, you would give me your brocade cassock. Now that the evil fetus has run away, you want to take the cassock with you?
She had long coveted the brocade cassock on Tang Sanzang's body. That cassock was a Buddhist treasure, impervious to water and fire, and invulnerable to swords and spears. If she could obtain it, it would be of great benefit to her.
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes turned cold, and he shouted sharply, "Insolence! My master is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, who traveled west to seek the true scriptures. This brocade cassock is a sacred Buddhist artifact. How dare you, a mere mortal, covet it? If it weren't for your help earlier, I, Old Sun, would have killed you with a single blow! Get out of here at once, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The female pig butcher was intimidated by Sun Wukong's imposing aura and took a step back, her face filled with fear.
She knew how powerful Sun Wukong was, and she dared not test the power of his golden cudgel.
He could only glare at Tang Sanzang, pack up his knives, and leave the slaughterhouse dejectedly.
Tang Sanzang watched the female pig butcher's departing figure, shook his head slightly, and said to Sun Wukong, "Wukong, do not be rude."
"After all, you helped me just now; without you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to hold on until now."
"Master is kind-hearted."
Sun Wukong curled his lip, "This kind of profit-driven mortal doesn't deserve your leniency."
Let's hurry back to life and continue our westward journey, lest things get complicated.
Tang Sanzang nodded, stood up and straightened his slightly disheveled brocade cassock. Although he had lost all his cultivation, his eyes remained firm: "Let's go. We cannot rest until we obtain the true scriptures."
The two transformed into a streak of light, leaving the City of the Wrongfully Dead and flying towards the mortal realm.
Unbeknownst to them, in a distant hidden realm, a conflict concerning spiritual treasures and cultivation levels was quietly unfolding.
Within the hidden realm, clouds and mist swirl, and the spiritual energy is so dense it's almost tangible, transforming into streams of white spiritual energy that meander through the mountains.
Far from the conflicts of the Three Realms, this place is an excellent place for cultivation.
Deep within the hidden realm, a colossal treasure-refining furnace stands in the valley, its body covered with intricate runes, exuding an ancient yet powerful aura.
Beneath the treasure-refining furnace, chaotic fire burned fiercely, its flames a purplish-gold color, and its temperature high enough to melt metal and stone.
Jiang Wang sat cross-legged in front of the treasure-refining furnace, his black clothes fluttering without wind, his long hair casually draped over his shoulders, his face expressionless, only his eyes fixed intently on the furnace.
Before him lay a densely packed mass of golden dragon corpses, totaling 5,039.
These golden dragons are all ancient and exotic species, with strong bodies, hard scales, and contain immense dragon energy and spiritual power, making them excellent materials for refining spiritual treasures.
Jiang Wang stretched out his right hand, palm facing the refining furnace, and his spiritual power continuously flowed into the furnace, stimulating the chaotic fire.
He muttered incantations, reciting ancient spells for refining treasures, his voice low and obscure, carrying a strange rhythm.
As the incantation was chanted, the runes on the refining furnace gradually lit up, emitting a dazzling golden light that resonated with the chaotic fire.
"Om-"
The treasure-refining furnace emitted a deep rumble, and the lid slowly opened, releasing a surge of scorching heat, carrying a rich dragon aura.
Jiang Wang's eyes narrowed, and he quickly formed hand seals, casting a series of spells into the treasure refining furnace.
"With dragon as its bone, spirit as its edge, tempered by the fire of chaos, and forged with the power of heaven and earth—Condensation!"
As he shouted, the golden dragon's corpse in the treasure-refining furnace began to melt, turning into streams of golden liquid that tumbled within the furnace.
Dragon energy and spiritual power intertwine, constantly being purified and compressed under the tempering of the chaotic fire.
Each drop of golden liquid contained terrifying power, and under Jiang Wang's control, it gradually condensed into the shape of a spear.
Time passed slowly, and the alternation of day and night in the hidden realm was meaningless to Jiang Wang, who devoted himself wholeheartedly to refining the treasure.
Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and his face gradually turned pale. Refining so many spiritual treasures had been a huge drain on his spiritual and mental strength.
But the light in his eyes grew even more intense, and with each condensation of the dragon spear, a sense of anticipation grew in his heart.
After an unknown amount of time, when the last golden dragon corpse turned into golden liquid and condensed into the shape of a spear, Jiang Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He slowly withdrew his hands. Most of his spiritual energy had been consumed, and he was somewhat exhausted. But looking at the rows of dragon spears floating in the treasure refining furnace, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
The treasure refining furnace slowly opened, and four thousand seven hundred and twenty-six innate spiritual treasure dragon spears and three hundred and twelve top-grade innate spiritual treasure dragon spears floated neatly in mid-air, radiating dazzling golden light.
Each dragon spear is entirely golden, with dragon patterns engraved all over its body. The spearhead is extremely sharp, gleaming with a cold light, and contains a vast dragon aura and spiritual power.
The innate spiritual treasure dragon spear possesses a powerful aura, enough to drive even Golden Immortal level cultivators mad; while the top-grade innate spiritual treasure dragon spear is even more extraordinary, with a sharp aura and a faint power to tear through space, making even Great Luo Golden Immortals eager to possess it.
Jiang Wang raised his hand and waved it, and all the dragon spears were neatly arranged in front of him, densely packed and stretching as far as the eye could see. (End of this chapter)