Chapter 97: Great Battle With Red Boy
It is said that Ancestral Witch essence blood entered Ao Tu’s body and began to refine.
The boundless innate laws within the essence blood merged into Ao Tu’s flesh and blood.
Ao Tu’s entire body’s flesh and blood rapidly collapsed and then was reborn.
During the Flat-Top Mountain period, Ao Tu had attempted to control it himself, using the innate laws in the Ancestral Dragon essence blood to transform his flesh and blood.
However, he ultimately failed because his physical body and soul were not strong enough to withstand the innate laws within the Ancestral Dragon essence blood.
Now, the power of the Ancestral Witch essence blood compensated for this.
Twelve distinct powers merged into his physical body.
The first change occurred in his heart.
Flames burned within Ao Tu’s heart; fire is the most ferocious power in heaven and earth, capable of incinerating all. The residual laws of the killing sword dao within the heart dissipated under the scorching flames.
If Ao Tu had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have needed to use the Five-Colored Divine Light to brush away his heart over forty-nine thousand times.
Within the heart, under the burning flames, light was born. Streams of pure innate laws merged into Ao Tu’s heart.
After the heart, the kidneys and liver began to change.
Within the kidneys, water veins accumulated, concealing water essence. Until the accumulation was sufficient, the sound of water was incessant, and the water’s power reached the heavens. Where the profound water flowed, all things sank.
Within the liver, green light manifested, and vitality cycled.
The power of divine wood nurtured all things, bringing spring to withered trees. Where green light reached, life teemed. The power of creation was endless.
Streams of innate laws merged into Ao Tu’s kidneys and liver.
The spleen and lungs also began to change.
The spleen governs creation and sustenance, bearing all things with virtue, stabilizing heaven and earth. Covered by thick earth, all laws were impenetrable.
The lungs govern contraction and expansion, containing the power of slaughter and sharp metal qi.
Streams of innate laws merged into Ao Tu’s spleen and lungs.
Until the Five Elements circulated, creating life endlessly, Ao Tu let out a dragon’s roar and transformed at the bottom of the pond into a nine-zhang, nine-chi, nine-cun, five-clawed Golden Dragon body.
Ao Tu had cultivated since childhood and had no demonic aura on him, only pure dragon qi. However, at this moment, a powerful primeval aura appeared from nowhere, suppressing White Bone Spirit and Tiger Vanguard, forcing them to their knees, trembling all over.
Ao Tu’s dragon body coiled at the bottom of the pond. The Ancestral Witch essence blood integrated into his bloodline, causing his body to evolve in a peculiar direction.
Ao Tu wanted to control this evolution, but he couldn’t.
The dragon scales on his left hand turned crimson, with flames burning. The dragon scales on his right hand turned deep blue, with profound water condensing. His left leg’s dragon scales became a thick layer, heavy like metal. His right leg’s dragon scales were filled with the vitality of plants and trees, green like wood. The dragon tail behind him turned earth yellow, controlling the earth’s veins.
This was not all; something else was about to emerge from Ao Tu’s back.
Ao Tu held his breath, wanting to stop it.
But just as a person cannot stop their own breathing, Ao Tu could not stop this change.
With a “shredding” sound, a pair of golden wings grew from Ao Tu’s back.
The wings flowed with space, making a distance of a thousand miles seem like a mere step.
Ao Tu’s spine arched, and a row of Xuanming spikes emerged.
The spikes pierced to the bone marrow, accompanied by bleak winds and bitter rain.
Ao Tu’s eyes transformed into double pupils.
Double pupils could observe the passage of time and peer into the past.
A vertical eye grew on Ao Tu’s brow.
The vertical eye could turn clear skies to overcast and reverse the weather.
Ao Tu’s mouth and nose were sealed, not daring to make a sound.
If Ao Tu were to make a sound:
A hum would become thunder, and divine thunder would erupt, breaking all laws.
A cough would become lightning, piercing the universe and slaying evil spirits.
A single exhale would transform into a hurricane from the Nine Heavens, with gales howling, making all laws unattainable.
The twelve types of innate laws from the Ancestral Witch flowed into Ao Tu’s body. The strength of these twelve innate laws was not too great, as the power contained within a drop of essence blood was limited, causing these powers to be far from those of an Ancestral Witch.
However, this was relative.
To an Ancestral Witch, this bit of power was not significant.
But for Ao Tu, the integration of these twelve innate laws into his physical body directly elevated his body’s strength by a level.
The previous sword wounds were directly eliminated.
The twelve innate laws in his flesh and blood spread throughout his body, granting Ao Tu twelve innate supernatural powers.
The only drawback was that these twelve powers converged in his body, and while they integrated with each other, they also warred with each other.
This resulted in the current strange and awkward physical manifestation.
Ao Tu found it difficult to control his body’s transformation for a while.
These twelve powers surged within his body; although they had integrated into his body and become his strength, he found it hard to consolidate them in a short period.
In such a situation, perfectly controlling these powers would likely require a long time to gradually master.
Or, engage in several life-and-death battles and comprehend them during combat.
Other than these, Ao Tu could hardly think of any other solutions.
Suddenly, the Purple Gold Red Gourd in his embrace trembled slightly.
Ao Tu took it out.
He saw a pill fly out of the Purple Gold Red Gourd, black and white in color.
“When?”
The pill landed in the water, dissolving directly, turning black and white, spinning, and encircling Ao Tu’s body, suppressing the twelve innate laws.
The anomalies on his limbs and dragon tail receded, his back wings retracted, his double pupils returned, his vertical pupil closed, and Ao Tu resumed his form as a five-clawed Golden Dragon.
The power within him did not disappear; it merely became more obedient.
If Ao Tu wished, he could reveal it at any time.
Ao Tu looked inward at his bloodline and could see that most of the laws from the Ancestral Witch essence blood and the Ancestral Dragon essence blood were mutually repelling.
These were two entirely different powers, difficult to integrate.
However, surprisingly, amidst the large areas of repelling laws, both sides shared a single law, independent of the others, merging together.
That law was chaotic, incomprehensible, and difficult to decipher.
Ao Tu recognized that during the Flat-Top Mountain period, he had attempted to decipher this law and had his mind drained.
He dared not look again.
With his current strength, he was not yet capable of deciphering this law.
Ao Tu retracted his true form and returned to human form.
Tiger Vanguard and White Bone Spirit stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Great King!”
Ao Tu said, “Tiger Vanguard, go out and scout. How far is this place from Ku Song Stream?”
Tiger Vanguard accepted the order, emerged from the pond, transformed into an evil wind, captured a few transformed little demons occupying the mountain peaks, and after inquiring, returned to report:
“Reporting to the Great King, two thousand li to the east is Drill Mountain. Four hundred li into the mountain is Ku Song Stream, which is the territory of Bull Demon King’s son, Red Boy.”
Ao Tu said, “I was severely injured in the Heavenly Court that day and fled in haste, but I didn’t expect to have traveled this far.”
Tiger Vanguard reminded him, “Great King, six hundred li further west is Black Water River.”
Ao Tu nodded and said, “Let’s go to Ku Song Stream first.”
Ao Tu, along with Tiger Vanguard and White Bone Spirit, arrived at Drill Mountain in an instant.
【 Entered Mission Area】
【 Current Side Quest: Great Battle with Red Boy】
【 Mission Requirement: Obstruct the Pilgrim in the Drill Mountain Area. Rewards will be settled based on the obstruction time.】
【 Mission Rewards: Three days/Snow Lotus, Seven days/Six-Revolving Golden Elixir, Half a month/Purple-Veined Flat Peach, One month/Demon Court · Great Zhou Tian Formation, One season/Supernatural Power · Yuqing Divine Thunder, Half a year/Demon Emperor Essence Blood, One year/Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation Diagram, Three years/Innate Spiritual Treasure · River Diagram and Luo Book, Twelve years/Chaos Bell, Sixty years…】
【 Current Progress: One hundred and twenty-five days】
Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation!
If he used this formation, he shouldn’t have to fear that blood-colored long sword from before, right?
Ao Tu looked at the Soul Scattering Gourd he had just acquired.
Both were rewards for one year…
The Soul Scattering Gourd was sentient and, sensing Ao Tu’s emotions, wobbled in dissatisfaction.
Ao Tu reached out and gently caressed it, pacifying it.
The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation was excellent, but it required many people to jointly operate it to unleash its power. For someone like Ao Tu, who was alone with few friends, even possessing this formation would be of little use.
In a way, it was not as practical as the combat power boost provided by the Soul Scattering Gourd.
Ao Tu traveled four hundred li into the mountain and reached Ku Song Stream.
It was a strange mountain range with a strange stone cliff, and below the cliff was Fire Cloud Cave.
Before the Fire Cloud Cave, a group of little demons were gathered.
Tiger Vanguard pointed and said, “Great King, look, it’s Fine Ghost and Clever Worm!”
Ao Tu smiled and shook his head, saying, “These two little demons have actually come all the way here.”
Fine Ghost and Clever Worm were directing something in front of the Fire Cloud Cave.
Red Boy had six generals under him.
They were Cloud in Mist, Mist in Cloud; Urgency Like Fire, Speed Like Wind; Xing Hong Xuan, Xuan Hong Xing.
These six were trusted and capable demons under Red Boy, yet they were now being commanded by these two little demons, Fine Ghost and Clever Worm. It was unclear why.
Fine Ghost painted Urgency Like Fire with red oil paint, and Clever Worm, from somewhere, found a green Daoist crown and placed it on Speed Like Wind’s head.
Fine Ghost said, “Fire Department Fire God, receive my command!”
Urgency Like Fire quickly replied, “Fire Department True God, Urgency Like Fire, is here!”
Clever Worm said, “Wind God, receive my command!”
Speed Like Wind replied, “Wind God is here!”
Fine Ghost and Clever Worm continued to adorn other little demons.
Cloud in Mist and Mist in Cloud were given gray umbrellas and black banners on their backs, disguised as plague gods.
Xing Hong Xuan and Xuan Hong Xing donned fierce masks, disguised as Star Gods.
The remaining little demons all held swords, spears, long swords, and halberds, impersonating Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals.
Fine Ghost, using yellow mud, built a pagoda and impersonated Li Tianwang.
Clever Worm used copper strips to make a hoop, serving as the Golden Fillet. He also carved a willow wood stick to make the Golden Cudgel.
The two demons, having prepared, approached the cave entrance and said, “Great King, we are ready.”
A voice from inside replied, “Quickly begin!”
Fine Ghost picked up the Precious Pagoda, stood on a large rock, and announced loudly:
“Bold demon, how dare you capture the Tang Monk, Xuanzang of Great Tang! Come out and accept your death!”
As the words fell, the entrance to Fire Cloud Cave opened, and Red Boy emerged from within.
Red Boy appeared as a child, with lips like painted cinnabar and a face like powdered jade. He held a Fire-Tipped Spear. He wore no armor or battle attire but a battle skirt similar in style to Nezha’s lotus skirt. In terms of physique, he was not as slender as Nezha but rather plumper.
Red Boy declared, “I am the Little King of Spirit Mountain! Who dares to fight me!”
As his words landed, Tiger Vanguard almost burst into laughter.
Ao Tu directly shook his head and started laughing.
Seeing Ao Tu laugh, Tiger Vanguard could no longer hold back and also laughed.
White Bone Spirit, a truly cold-hearted Corpse Demon, saw this scene but remained expressionless, not laughing at all.
Tiger Vanguard asked, “Great King, what should we do this time?”
Ao Tu replied, “I will not show myself this time. I will use this opportunity of being injured to remain behind the scenes.”
Tiger Vanguard heard this and asked, “Then what should your subordinate do?”
Ao Tu said, “You all follow him!”
Ao Tu’s head emitted three streams of qi.
