Chapter 76: Treasure-seizing In Lotus Cave
It is said Ao Tu arrived to visit, bringing a gift for Golden Horn and Silver Horn.
Tiger Vanguard brought forth the wooden box.
Silver Horn Great King opened the wooden box and saw two large dung beetles inside.
Silver Horn Great King said, “What is this?”
Ao Tu replied, “This is a gift carefully selected by this King for you.”
Silver Horn Great King angrily exclaimed, “You call this a gift?”
Ao Tu said, “This was meticulously prepared by this King! I heard you have trouble with your legs and were looking for a mount. Isn’t this an excellent mount? Let it push you along, wouldn’t that be fitting?”
Upon hearing this, Silver Horn Great King became enraged, threw the box aside, and declared:
“How dare you insult me! Minions, attack!”
With Silver Horn Great King’s command, the little demons rushed forward with shouts.
Tiger Vanguard charged towards the little demons with a roar.
After consuming the Six-Revolving Golden Elixir, Tiger Vanguard’s strength greatly increased; if placed alone in the outside world, he would be equivalent to some weaker Demon Kings.
With a sweep of his tiger claws, he knocked away a group of little demons, and with a flick of his tail, another large group of little demons was sent flying.
King versus King, General versus General!
Silver Horn Great King, wielding the Seven Star Sword, flew towards Ao Tu to attack.
Seeing this, Ao Tu took out his Peach Wood Staff and struck at Silver Horn Great King.
Silver Horn Great King’s Seven Star Sword struck Ao Tu’s body, and Golden Lotuses appeared to protect him. Even after more than a dozen sword strikes, Ao Tu remained unharmed.
Ao Tu’s Peach Wood Staff struck Silver Horn Great King’s body. Silver Horn Great King, lacking any defensive magic treasures, was struck more than ten times and was beaten until his face was bruised and swollen.
Silver Horn Great King, seeing he was outmatched, turned and fled back into the cave to retrieve a treasure.
Ao Tu summoned a small seal and smashed it onto the back of Silver Horn Great King’s head, knocking him to the ground. He then moved forward and subdued him.
Silver Horn Great King exclaimed, “You cheated!”
Ao Tu asked, “How did I cheat?”
Silver Horn Great King replied, “I only used one treasure, but you used three! Isn’t that cheating?”
Ao Tu chuckled, “If you have treasures and don’t use them, who can you blame? Since ancient times, the victor is king and the vanquished is a bandit. If I had decided to kill you, I could have taken your life directly. Even with ten thousand treasures, what could you have done?”
Silver Horn Great King heard this and said no more, though his expression clearly showed he was still unconvinced.
Seeing Silver Horn Great King captured, the little demons quickly ran back into the cave to report to Golden Horn Great King.
Golden Horn Great King was in the cave when he saw the little demons running back in tears, saying:
“Great King, the Second Great King took us to capture that Tiger Demon, but unexpectedly, the Tiger Demon’s family arrived, calling themselves the Spirit Mountain Great King.
The other party and the Second Great King had a disagreement and began fighting, and the Second Great King was captured alive. He is now outside the cave; Great King, please go quickly and see!”
Golden Horn Great King, being somewhat indecisive, was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and said:
“The Pilgrim Tang Sanzang and his disciples have not yet arrived, so why have we provoked such an opponent out of nowhere? What should we do? What should we do?”
After pacing for a few steps, he took out the Banana Fan and tucked it into the back of his collar. He then picked up the Jade Pure Bottle and walked out of the cave.
He saw Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard standing outside the cave, with Silver Horn Great King bound nearby.
Golden Horn Great King saw them and said:
“Who are you people, and why have you come to my home without reason to bully me?”
Ao Tu replied, “This King is called the Spirit Mountain Great King. I have not come to bully you without reason, but to make things clear.
This King desires to eat Tang Sanzang’s flesh. I know Tang Sanzang will pass through this area soon, and I have heard that your Flat-Top Mountain Lotus Cave has a renowned reputation here, so I sent my trusted general to discuss an alliance with your family to jointly capture Tang Sanzang.
Unexpectedly, your brother instead tried to capture my trusted general as a mount. Is this not an insult to me? How can this be tolerated! Thus, I have come to your door today to seek counsel!”
Golden Horn Great King heard this and quickly said:
“A misunderstanding, it is truly a misunderstanding. We were just planning to capture Tang Sanzang. My younger brother did not understand your intentions and has offended you both. Please come into the cave. I will host a banquet to apologize!”
Hearing this, Ao Tu released Silver Horn and entered the cave.
Golden Horn Great King immediately ordered his subordinates to prepare a banquet.
Silver Horn Great King, having lost to Ao Tu earlier by not using two of his magic treasures, was not convinced and remained unhappy.
After three rounds of wine, Ao Tu said, “Brother Golden Horn, in capturing Tang Sanzang, do you have any plans or strategies?”
Golden Horn Great King shook his head and said, “To be honest, although my brother and I want to capture Tang Sanzang, we haven’t even seen Tang Sanzang’s face until now, let alone having any plans or strategies.
Sigh, it’s strange. Tang Sanzang has been traveling so slowly. He should have arrived here long ago, but there is no sign of him.”
Ao Tu said, “Since that is the case, there is something I must say.”
Golden Horn Great King replied, “Please do.”
Ao Tu said, “A snake cannot move without a head, and grass cannot grow without roots. If we want to capture Tang Sanzang, we must first set a plan and choose a leader.”
Golden Horn Great King asked, “Who should we choose then?”
Ao Tu said, “I am not talented, but I have had several encounters with Tang Sanzang and his disciples before, and I am well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. I am willing to be the leader.”
Hearing this, Golden Horn Great King was about to agree.
Silver Horn Great King interrupted, “Wait! Brother, don’t be fooled by him!”
Golden Horn Great King asked, “What do you mean?”
Silver Horn Great King looked at Ao Tu and said:
“Brother, think about it! If he were truly capable, having dealt with Tang Sanzang several times, why hasn’t he eaten Tang Sanzang’s flesh yet? This shows he is exaggerating and trying to trick us!”
Golden Horn Great King hesitated and said, “This…”
Ao Tu warned, “Tang Sanzang’s eldest disciple is Sun Wukong, who caused great havoc in heaven five hundred years ago. Without my help, your brothers might not only fail to eat Tang Sanzang’s flesh but also bring disaster upon yourselves!”
Golden Horn Great King heard this and, with a hint of fear, said to Silver Horn Great King:
“Virtuous younger brother, I have heard that monkey is indeed powerful!”
Silver Horn Great King replied:
“What are you afraid of? We have five treasures, why should we fear that monkey? I alone can capture Tang Sanzang, so why would we need help from outsiders!”
Silver Horn Great King looked at Ao Tu and said:
“Don’t be arrogant. I was merely forgetful of bringing my treasures just now, which is why I lost to you. If you let me bring all my magic treasures, I will certainly not lose to you!”
Ao Tu sneered, “I fear that when the time comes, you will not be able to defeat that monkey, and disaster will befall you. You will come begging me.”
Silver Horn Great King declared, “Let me show you how we will eat Tang Sanzang’s flesh!”
Thus, the two parties parted on bad terms.
Ao Tu, taking Tiger Vanguard with him, found a desolate mountain in the southwest of the Flat-Top Mountain area and settled there.
Some time passed.
【 Settlement reward in progress, intercepted for a total of two hundred and four days. 】
【Reward obtained: Fire Jujube. 】
【Reward obtained: Magic, Spirit Binding Incantation. 】
【Reward obtained: Sorcery, Myriad Things Sprout. 】
【Reward obtained: Supernatural Power, Three Heads Six Arms. 】
【Reward obtained: Formation, Nine-Bend Yellow River Great Formation. 】
【Reward obtained: Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood. 】
【The extra twenty-four days will automatically carry over to the next side quest; the next side quest is: Treasure Seizure Lotus Cave. 】
Among the distributed rewards, the one that mattered most to Ao Tu was undoubtedly the half-year reward: Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood.
This was his first half-year level reward.
Previously, the best rewards he had obtained were the Five-Colored Divine Light and the Rainbow Transformation Technique, both for three months.
This Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood, however, was superior to both. What kind of power did it possess?
A drop of essence blood appeared in Ao Tu’s hand.
It was a drop of liquid that looked somewhat murky, its color indistinct, resembling chaos, out of place with the Heaven and Earth.
It did not exude the immense pressure one might expect. Ao Tu could only feel a bloodline kinship within it and the ultimate power it contained. However, outwardly, it was just an ordinary drop of liquid.
It was like the first drop of rainwater in a storm, washing off the eaves, filled with dust and impurities.
As the rewards were being distributed, new tasks were also issued.
【Enter Mission Area 】
【Current Side Quest: Treasure Seizure Lotus Cave 】
【Mission Requirements: Obstruct the Pilgrim in the Flat-Top Mountain area, rewards will be settled based on the obstruction time. 】
【Mission Rewards: Three days/Magic, Immobilization Spell; Seven days/Seven-Leaf Lingzhi Grass; Half a month/Acquired Spiritual Treasure, Alms Bowl; One month/Eight-Nine Arcane Arts; One Season/Supernatural Power, Sixteen-Foot Golden Body; Half a Year/Ancestral Witch Essence Blood; One Year/Innate Spiritual Treasure, Soul Scattering Gourd; Three Years/Innate Spiritual Treasure, River Diagram and Luo Book; Twelve Years/Chaos Bell; Sixty Years… 】
【Current Progress: Twenty-four days 】
Ancestral Witch Essence Blood!
Ao Tu’s brows twitched upon seeing the half-year refreshed reward.
This thing…
He always felt that the items the System gave him were becoming increasingly… difficult to deal with.
Moreover, he already possessed Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood. After he consumed it, could he still consume Ancestral Witch Essence Blood?
What would happen then?
Ao Tu found it difficult to imagine.
However, if he consumed the Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood and then used the Ancestral Witch Essence Blood, wouldn’t his physical body be strengthened to an unimaginable degree?
As for the other rewards, they seemed much more normal in comparison to the Ancestral Witch Essence Blood.
Sixteen-Foot Golden Body, a great Buddhist supernatural power.
Even among those so-called Bodhisattvas and Venerables, few knew it, such as Bodhisattva Lingji, nor did Ananda.
If he learned this supernatural power, he would resemble a true Buddha even more.
In fact, if he perfected it, he would be a true Buddha.
Although he scoffed at Buddhist doctrines, the supernatural powers and cultivation methods were not inherently evil, so he did not mind learning them.
As for the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, that was a Taoist cultivation method.
If it were in the past, Ao Tu would have been very happy to receive it.
Now, it could only be considered adding icing to the cake.
The rewards further down the list were not worth mentioning. As for higher-level rewards, such as the one-year reward of Innate Spiritual Treasure, Soul Scattering Gourd, it was still too distant for him.
He was currently only at the Golden Immortal realm and did not need Innate Spiritual Treasures to comprehend the Great Dao at all.
Ao Tu ordered Tiger Vanguard to guard him and took out the Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood, refining it in one gulp.
Instantly, an immensely powerful force erupted within Ao Tu.
This power was somewhat beyond Ao Tu’s imagination.
A dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens, and Ao Tu flew outside, transforming into his true form as a five-clawed golden dragon.
The power from the Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood caused his body to grow uncontrollably.
A hundred zhang, a thousand zhang, ten thousand zhang, a hundred thousand zhang…
His colossal form covered the entire Flat-Top Mountain area.
Silver Horn Great King exclaimed, “Hey, brother, why has the sky turned dark?”
Golden Horn Great King replied, “I don’t know? Light a torch!”
In the Dragon Subduing Cave, the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, seeing the enormous figure in the sky, was terrified and prostrated herself. The surrounding little fox spirits were all paralyzed with fear and dared not make a sound.
Compared to the Lotus Cave of Golden Horn and Silver Horn, which was located deep in the mountains, the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit’s Dragon Subduing Cave was in the forest, allowing her to more directly witness the oppressive presence of the colossal being.
Ao Tu panted, stirring up a gale.
Ao Tu shifted his body, causing the earth to tremble.
Ao Tu’s dragon whiskers drooped, like pillars supporting the sky.
Ao Tu’s dragon eyes blinked, and the sun and moon rose and set.
The power of the Five Elements naturally submitted, the Yin and Yang transformations flowed on his dragon scales, conjuring clouds, spitting mist, and controlling thunder and lightning, all as easy as eating and drinking.
Indeed, these were innate abilities of the Dragon Clan.
It was only that later generations of the Dragon Clan became increasingly incompetent, leading to various distinctions, such as those who breathed fire or controlled water…
The original Ancestral Dragon was a true innate divine being, mastering all rules.
There was a supernatural power called Heavenly Manifestation, but for the original Ancestral Dragon, using this supernatural power was merely revealing its true form.
Now, Ao Tu had absorbed the Ancestral Dragon Essence Blood and obtained some of the Ancestral Dragon’s power.
His scales and the bones within his body were covered in a layer of innate Dao patterns.
These were characteristics of innate divine beings, now inherited by Ao Tu.
Every movement he made was in harmony with the Great Dao, and he possessed a portion of the Dragon Clan’s authority. However, he was not yet a complete innate being, so he could only grasp a portion of the authority, and there was still a significant gap between him and a true innate divine being.
His body began to shrink, the laws flowing within his dragon scales retracted and became imperceptible. Ten thousand zhang, a thousand zhang, a hundred zhang, ten zhang, until he shrunk to the size of nine zhang and nine chi, and then it stopped.
Ao Tu reverted to human form and landed back in the mountains, meditating to regulate the power within him.
Outside, an old woman hurriedly leaped into the air and, half-riding a demonic wind, arrived at the foot of the mountain where Ao Tu was.
You see her appearance:
Her skin was ruddy with many wrinkles, her teeth sparse but her spirit strong.
Her face resembled a withered chrysanthemum in the frost, her form like an old pine after rain.
She was indeed such an aged old woman, rushing over.
You ask why she came here?
She came to climb a high branch and rely on a powerful family.
Behind her followed nine female monsters, large and small.
These nine female monsters were of varying ages, all possessing great beauty.
The smallest was only half the height of a person and had nine white fox tails trailing behind her; she had not yet fully transformed.
“Grandma Ancestor, there’s no need to rush like this!”
The old woman heard this and reprimanded:
“Stand up straight and be polite. How have I always taught you? An opportunity like this, with such a person, will not come again even after an epoch. Tidy up your appearance.”
Hearing this, the nine female monsters each composed themselves and became much more dignified.
That old woman then led them up the mountain to pay their respects.
Ao Tu was recuperating in the mountains.
At this moment, the Tiger Vanguard came in and said, “Great King, a group of Fox Spirits has come, saying they wish to pay homage to your esteemed presence and offer treasures.”
Ao Tu said, “Are they that group of foxes from the Dragon Subduing Cave?”
The Tiger Vanguard replied, “That’s right.”
Ao Tu said, “That’s perfect. Let them in. I want to get a look at this Dragon Subduing Cave.”
【 For monthly tickets】
