Techniques and Dao

Chapter 122 Erlang Shen (1)

"What kind of formation is the durian formation?"

"What durian? That's called the Crystal Locking Array!" the bull-faced jailer said, pointing into the distance. "Look at that dark blue one, that's it."

Hua Sheng looked up and saw a dark blue, almost black, point of light in the distance.

After Taishang Xiaojun determined the location, she gave Huasheng a wink. Huasheng nodded, understanding.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun then asked, "This formation must be incredibly powerful, right?"

"Of course, it's one of the top prisons in the Blazing Heaven Prison, and the Crystal Lock Array is solid."

"Solid?"

"This cell is made entirely of a single piece of crystal that has lasted for 100,000 years. Moreover, the closer to the center, the stronger the immortal magic becomes. Forget about getting out from the inside; you can't even take a single step in from the outside!"

"Hiss, this..."

Upon hearing this, Hua Sheng took a deep breath and immediately felt at a loss.

This Blazing Heavenly Prison is truly not just for show; they must devise a plan before meeting Erlang Shen.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang Xiao Jun walked close to the deep red wall for a short while before the bull-faced jailer pointed above.

Hundreds of meters up the high wall, a dozen or so buildings were constructed on its surface. The pavilions and towers seemed to have been built in their entirety before being miraculously and perfectly glued to the wall.

The bull-faced jailer led the two onto a stone platform about ten zhang square. Once they were settled, the platform rose up. Hua Sheng stood on the platform, carefully observing the interior of the Heavenly Prison. He pretended to be curious, but secretly he was scrutinizing the immortal array.

The stone platform rose higher and higher until it was almost within reach of the clouds above the building, at which point it stopped.

Hua Sheng looked ahead and saw a house with a plaque that read "Hall".

Although it was called the "main hall," the wooden door of the room was actually five or six zhang high. The bull-faced jailer pushed open the heavy wooden door. Behind the door was a spacious reception hall.

The interior of the main room is decorated in a simple and rustic style, with most of the colors being black and red wood grain, exuding an antique charm.

However, perhaps because it was in a prison, a chill permeated the room, and one could feel a distinct sense of murderous intent as one walked in.

As Hua Sheng entered, the first thing that caught his eye and surprised him the most was the central seat. This seat was several times larger than ordinary seats, while the two rows of guest wooden chairs next to the main seat looked like miniature models in comparison.

The bull-faced jailer pointed to the two rows of wooden guest chairs and said, "Please sit down first, I'll go report to the general!"

After the jailer left, Hua Sheng asked Tai Shang Xiao Jun, "Is this chair so big? Is Erlang Shen some kind of giant?"

"Knowing that Erlang Shen was so brave and powerful, and now that he has been a high-ranking official in the Heavenly Court for thousands of years, he must have become quite arrogant," Taishang Xiaojun explained according to his own thoughts.

"Even expansion doesn't involve a physical expansion method like this, does it?"

The Supreme Lord smiled but remained silent.

However, compared to Erlang Shen's physical appearance, Hua Sheng was more worried about whether he could even see Dao Ling Xing Jun. He said, "We just passed through the prison area of ​​Tianyu. Not only was there a celestial array protecting the outside, but the cell where Dao Ling Xing Jun is imprisoned also has a separate crystal lock array. What should we do?"

"Perhaps I have a way to break that immortal formation," a young girl's voice rang out.

It turned out to be the watch that Mieying had transformed from on Hua Sheng's wrist. The bird on the watch face whispered, "I'll tell you later."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun put his index finger to his lips in a whispering gesture and said softly, "We are not familiar with this place, so we must be careful of eavesdroppers. Don't rush, let me talk to Erlang Zhenjun for a while and see if he can let us meet with Dao Ling Xingjun. If that doesn't work, we'll try to stall Erlang Shen and let Mie Ying try."

The ground suddenly began to shake as soon as he finished speaking!

The two felt the thumping sound growing closer and closer, and the floor shaking more and more violently.

With a rumbling sound, the main hall doors swung open to both sides. A giant over two zhang tall strode into the hall, wearing a three-peaked phoenix hat, a pale yellow imperial robe, dragon-patterned socks, and gold-embroidered boots.

This must be Erlang Shen! Hua Sheng and Taishang Xiaojun immediately bowed to greet him.

Hua Sheng glanced at him and saw that Erlang Shen had ears that reached his shoulders, appeared to be middle-aged, with a handsome yet dignified appearance and an imposing aura. Besides his bright eyes, there was a thin, vertical golden line on his forehead. This must be the legendary Erlang Shen's third eye.

Erlang Shen truly lived up to his reputation as a great general of the Heavenly Court. Upon first contact, one could feel his imposing aura, and the air in the room became oppressive as soon as he entered.

After the hall trembled, Erlang Shen sat down in the main seat, and two beams of golden light, which made people feel extremely pressured, stared directly at the two of them.

Bathed in this golden light, it felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on their heads. If they hadn't possessed some magical abilities, their legs would probably have gone weak long ago.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun spoke first, cupping his hands and saying, "I, Tai Shang Xiao Jun, pay my respects to Qing Yuan Miao Dao Zhen Jun!"

"I, Hua Sheng, pay my respects to the True Lord Qingyuan Miaodao!"

Erlang Shen nodded and said, "I heard years ago that Laozi was overjoyed to have a grandson, but I haven't had a chance to congratulate him yet. I never imagined he would grow up to be so handsome. May I ask what brings you to this desolate land of Chizhou today, young master?"

Seeing this, Taishang Xiaojun quickly said politely, "This is hardly a wild and desolate place. Erlang Zhenjun's power is known throughout the land, and the place where he is located is a treasure land of auspicious feng shui."

He then introduced Hua Sheng to him, saying, "My fellow disciple Hua Sheng and I came to Chi Biao Nuzhou for cultivation and to visit other places along the way. We happened to pass through Biao Nu Tian Yu and had long heard of your illustrious reputation, so we wanted to pay you a visit. We also wanted to bring some entertainment for your beloved dog."

As she spoke, Tai Shang Xiao Jun took out the bag of dog food and toys.

"As expected of someone from a prestigious family, so thoughtful for such a young age." Erlang Shen pointed to the side and said, "Just leave the things for Xiaotian Dog aside. I'll have someone put them away later."

Taishang Xiaojun continued, "It is said that the General was originally stationed at Guanjiangkou in Sichuan. I wonder when he was transferred to take charge of the Heavenly Prison of Shengpingning?"

"I've been here for quite some years now. Back in the old days, the land of Sichuan was in chaos, both on earth and in the heavens, so I was stationed at Guanjiangkou. Now Guanjiangkou has long been renamed Dujiangyan, and in recent years it has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and a national 5A-level tourist attraction. With all this turmoil and chaos in the human world, with nearly ten million tourists every year, how could I possibly station troops? I also don't want to attend court every day, so the Jade Emperor transferred me to Shengpingning, saying that I was in charge of the Blazing Wrath Heavenly Prison, but in reality it's just a sinecure."

"Guarding the Heavenly Prison is a weighty responsibility, General. You've worked very hard. Thank you for your hard work!"

"It is my duty."

Taishang Xiaojun then changed the subject, saying, "I saw Xiaotian Dog when I passed by the front porch just now. So many years have passed, he must be quite old by now..."

Erlang Shen waved his hand and said, "My Yang family's Howling Celestial Dog is as mighty as ever. Even today, who among Zhao Gongming and Sun Wukong wouldn't fear it?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun chuckled and said, "I do keep a dog at home, and this Hua Sheng is a dog-loving activist; we're both dog lovers. But my dog, even if I feed him the finest delicacies, he just can't shake his habit of eating poop. He has to lick it after he poops..."

Upon hearing the word "shit," Hua Sheng immediately frowned.

Taishang Xiaojun, on the other hand, seemed at ease and continued as if no one else was around: "I wonder how Erlang Zhenjun trained Xiaotianquan to get rid of these bad habits?"

Erlang Shen waved his hand and said, "The Howling Celestial Dog has never had such a habit."

Taishang Xiaojun laughed again.

Despite the slightly awkward situation, Erlang Shen wasn't angry. He simply asked, "Thanks to the Jade Emperor's great blessings, Heaven has enjoyed a thousand years of peace. As I've been in charge of the Blazing Heavenly Prison, I haven't been invited to the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet for several years, and naturally, I haven't been able to meet Laozi. I wonder if Grandmaster Ancestor is well these days?"

Taishang Xiaojun seemed to have known all along that Erlang Shen was concerned about her grandfather, so she replied, "Thank you for your concern, True Lord! My grandfather is in good spirits. It's just that he often misses the General..."

"How so?" Erlang Shen asked, seeing that Taishang Xiaojun seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun deliberately feigned a troubled expression.

Erlang Shen waved his hand and said, "Little Lord, what have I ever hesitated to do? Please speak freely."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun then continued, "To be honest, my old man feels sorry for you, General..."

Erlang Shen pressed further, "Oh? What do you mean?"

Taishang Xiaojun flicked his Taoist robe, sat half-on on a stool, bowed slightly, and said, "The Taoist Ancestor often mentions the General. Who in the world does not respectfully address Erlang Shen as the Pure Source Wonderful Taoist True Lord? For thousands of years, the General has been renowned for his meritorious deeds in pacifying demons and bestowing divine titles. However, for a long time, the Jade Emperor has only obeyed your orders, not summons. Outsiders may see you as carefree, but they actually keep their distance from you. Not only the Taoist Ancestor, but also the immortals of the Heavenly Court have many complaints about this."

Erlang Shen's face was somewhat stiff. Taishang Xiaojun glanced at him and continued:

"In the past, the general was stationed at Guanjiang Estuary, and now you have been transferred to be the warden of the Blazing Heavenly Prison. But in the end, it is not a proper position in the Heavenly Court. On the other hand, Marshal Tianpeng's civil and military achievements over the past two thousand years are not as good as the general's. Back then, when the Victorious Fighting Buddha made a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace, he was hiding somewhere. Even if heavenly generals want to perform rituals to enhance their power, I have never heard of them going to the mortal world to enhance their power. Now, you have been given a lucrative position and become the Cleansing Altar Messenger."

"This... Heaven has its own arrangements, Xiao Jun, you must not presume to guess Heaven's will." Erlang Shen seemed to be rebuking him, but there was no displeasure on his face. He only glanced at Hua Sheng beside him.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "General, look at Sheng Ping Ning. The immortals and mortals no longer have offspring like they used to. Times have changed, and things are different now. That's why my old man feels sorry for you."

To prevent Erlang Shen from being too concerned about the occasion, Taishang Xiaojun pointed to Hua Sheng and said, "This Hua Sheng has met the old man before. During the Battle of Qiankun, the Dao Ancestor asked us to deliver a message. Not only that, the Victorious Fighting Buddha also temporarily entrusted his Ruyi Jingu Bang to this young brother."

Erlang Shen chuckled twice and said, "That monkey is protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West, and he's been behaving himself for now. But in the long run, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'll be constantly chanting the wooden fish. A thousand years will pass, and he'll probably be itching to get back to his old ways. He's devoted to Buddhism, yet he lets his golden cudgel sweep away all the enemy troops. I'm afraid this is just a metaphor for his own ambitions."

Taishang Xiaojun, wanting to smooth things over, laughed and said, "The Victorious Fighting Buddha's idea was perhaps just to help others; he had already sealed the Golden Cudgel at the summit of the East Sea. Although it's being lent out here, it's still a temporary change of ownership..."

Erlang Shen stroked his chin: "So, the Dao Ancestor was a master strategist who used a pretext to retrieve the weapon that monkey took. What a brilliant move."

(End of this chapter)