I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

However, just now, a warning suddenly arose in his mind. The ripple on the western horizon, though subtle, was as clear as a needle prick.

He narrowed his eyes, clenched his palm slightly, and the power of space flowed quietly, trying to capture the source of the fluctuation.

Sure enough, the fluctuation was not natural, but rather carried a trace of deliberately concealed demonic energy, illusory and eerie, seemingly there yet not there.

"here we go again."

Jiang Wang muttered to himself in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of coldness.

This wasn't the first time he had sensed such an aura.

Since the revival of humanity, the Heavenly Dao's control over the human realm has gradually weakened, and Hongjun has repeatedly sent down demon gods in an attempt to disrupt the human race's fortune.

This time, however, the aura was even more concealed than before, making it difficult even for divine sense to detect its true form.

Not far away, the Three Sovereigns Fuxi were the first to open their eyes, their gazes sharp as torches, looking in the same direction: "Jiang Wang, you noticed it too?"

His voice was low and heavy.

Immediately afterwards, Shennong, Xuanyuan, and the Five Emperors also rose up, each using their supernatural powers to try to pinpoint the source of that aura.

However, no matter how they investigated, the aura vanished like ripples in water, leaving no trace.

"This demon god has an illusory form and an elusive aura, which even our divine senses cannot detect."

Xuanyuan frowned, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, the scabbard faintly shimmering with golden light. "Could this be Hongjun's doing again?"

Jiang Wang nodded slightly, but his gaze did not leave the western horizon.

With a thought, the spatial power in his palm suddenly erupted, and he instantly disappeared from the spot.

The next moment, he appeared in the wilderness hundreds of miles away, with a withered yellow grass under his feet. Surrounded by mountains, three human cities were faintly visible at the foot of the mountains, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, exuding a sense of human life.

However, the demonic energy still lingered, as if mocking his pursuit.

He took a deep breath, formed a hand seal, and the power of space spread out like ripples. In an instant, the world within a radius of three hundred miles was shrouded in an invisible barrier.

This barrier appears transparent, yet it is incredibly strong, even a saint's divine sense cannot penetrate it.

Jiang Wang frowned slightly. There were three cities and tens of millions of lives in this area. If he rashly sealed the barrier with the merits of the Great Dao, he might harm the innocent. He could only temporarily trap the demon god in this way.

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors arrived shortly afterward, and dispersed to search for traces of the demon god.

Fuxi held the Bagua diagram, the hexagrams shifting as he tried to deduce the location of the demon god; Shennong bent down to examine the plants, seeking clues from the subtle changes in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; Xuanyuan's sword energy swept across every possible hiding place.

However, as time passed and the nine searched several times, they still found nothing.

Just then, Shennong suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on a village not far away.

He frowned, as if sensing something, and strode into the village.

Jiang Wang and the others followed closely behind, only to find that the fields and villages, which should have been bustling with activity, were now completely silent.

The farmers leaned against the ridges of the fields or slumped under the eaves, all with their eyes closed and their breathing heavy, as if they had fallen into some kind of deep sleep.

"wrong."

Shennong crouched down, reached out and touched a farmer's forehead. He scanned the area with his divine sense and his expression changed drastically. "These villagers... are all trapped in a dream, and the dream is bizarre. The men seem to be indulging in erotic dreams, while the women are plagued by nightmares."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's heart sank.

He strode into the village, casually touched the forehead of a young woman, and probed her consciousness with his divine sense.

Sure enough, the woman's mind was in chaos, and her dream was shrouded in mist. She could vaguely see a hideous demonic figure moving through the mist. The woman was trapped in a gloomy old house, screaming in terror. There were many ghostly figures around her, as if they wanted to devour her.

He withdrew his divine consciousness and scanned his surroundings. Villages, cities, and even the distant mountains and fields—all living beings were trapped in a dreamlike state.

Shennong said in a deep voice, "The hour of Si has passed. In principle, the people should be working, but now... this calamity of the dream has affected millions of lives, and the number of deaths is increasing rapidly."

Jiang Wang's heart tightened, and he activated his supernatural powers in an attempt to awaken everyone.

However, his magic power vanished without a trace. Only a few with strong wills slowly awoke, while the rest remained asleep. Many even weakened in their dreams until they perished completely.

Shennong took a moment to calculate, and his expression grew increasingly grim: "In just half an hour, the number of dead has reached five million, and the number is still skyrocketing."

"Nightmare Demon God".

Jiang Wang uttered these four words in a low voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He had heard of such a demon god, who was skilled at manipulating dreams, causing people to sink into a life of debauchery until their souls withered and they died.

The fact that the demon god's aura was so concealed this time must mean that he had obtained some kind of supreme treasure to cover it up; otherwise, with the power of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, it would have been impossible for them to have been completely unaware of it.

He made a quick decision and said in a deep voice, "I need to enter the dream to explore."

This demon is cunning; if it is not suppressed quickly, the human race will suffer even greater casualties.

Having said that, he took out a bronze mask from his bosom. The mask was carved with the smiling face of an artist, lifelike, seemingly both sad and happy.

He covered his face with a mask, instantly concealing his aura, appearing as an ordinary person.

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors exchanged glances and none of them stopped them.

They knew that Jiang Wang was exceptionally capable, and that only he could find the Demon God in the fastest way during this dream.

Jiang Wang chose a desolate mountain and abandoned temple, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.

His consciousness slowly sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, and as darkness fell, he found himself in a dreamlike illusion.

At first, the dream was normal. All around was a desolate wilderness, with the wind whistling and withered grass swaying.

Jiang Wang had a thought and tried to exit the dream, but found that his sea of ​​consciousness was being held back by an invisible force and he could not break free.

He snorted coldly, his spatial power flowing in his palm, and was about to forcefully break through the dream when he suddenly saw a red figure drifting over from afar.

She was a bride, her face veiled in red gauze, her steps light and graceful, as if she were coming from a distant village.

She called softly, "My lord, I have been waiting for you for a long time, why are you so late?"

Her voice was soft and alluring.

Jiang Wang's gaze sharpened, realizing that the bride was a demon god in disguise.

He remained calm and pretended to be an ordinary person. He slowly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Why is my lady traveling alone? This place is desolate and there may be danger."

The bride giggled, revealing a pair of captivating eyes beneath her red veil, as if she wanted to draw Jiang Wang's soul into them.

Jiang Wang sneered inwardly, but outwardly pretended to be intoxicated and slowly approached.

Just as the bride reached out to touch his face, he suddenly struck, and the power of time was quietly activated, causing everything around them to flow backward, returning to four seconds earlier.

The bride was stunned and before she could react, Jiang Wang had already set up a spatial barrier, trapping her firmly.

The bride finally revealed her true form, transforming into a cloud of black mist. From within the mist, a ferocious demon god appeared, roaring, "How do you know where I am?"

Jiang Wang didn't bother to answer. A flash of light from the system in his palm suppressed the demon god, turning it into a wisp of black smoke and storing it in the system space.

The dream collapsed, and Jiang Wang opened his eyes to find himself back in the ruined temple.

He took off his mask, but his expression was not good.

He had just used up a Yuan Dao merit to suppress the demon god, a priceless treasure he had painstakingly accumulated, now gone like water. He asked in a deep voice, "System, are there any hidden quest rewards for suppressing the demon god this time?"

The system's voice remained as cold as ever: "The first three suppressions of the demon god were hidden missions, and have been completed."

Afterwards, you must suppress a total of ten demon gods to receive the next stage's reward.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang was so angry he almost shouted, "Ten demon gods? You're clearly just indirectly withholding my salary!"

The system remained silent, leaving Jiang Wang alone in the ruined temple, a tightness in his chest.

Meanwhile, inside the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun sat on his cloud bed, carving the second Hidden God Jade in his hand.

Suddenly, he felt a jolt in his heart as he sensed that the aura of the Nightmare Demon God had completely vanished.

He frowned slightly and murmured, "Jiang Wang... really does have some skills."

He stopped what he was doing, his gaze deep and thoughtful, as if he were pondering a solution.

After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Next time, I need to try a different approach."

First, send the demon god to the lowest level of the Jade Purity Realm, then let it infiltrate the human realm on its own. Even with Jiang Wang's extraordinary abilities, he will have difficulty detecting it.

Jiang Wang was unaware of Hongjun's scheme.

He left the abandoned temple and returned to Shouyang Mountain.

When the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors saw him return, they all surrounded him and asked about the outcome.

Jiang Wang briefly recounted what had happened, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but also lamented the loss of the five million lives.

Jiang Wang looked up at the sky, a cold glint in his eyes: "Hongjun, if you come again, I will let you know that the fate of the human race is not something you can manipulate at will."

Jiang Wang stood atop Shouyang Mountain, a gentle breeze blowing from the valley, fluttering the hem of his dark robe. The cloud patterns embroidered on the robe appeared and disappeared in the mist, as if he had merged with heaven and earth.

His gaze was deep as he swept across the rolling mountains below, while the mournful words of Shennong echoed in his ears: "Five million lives, all perished at the hands of the Nightmare Demon God..."

The voice was low and filled with endless sorrow, as if the mountain wind itself had become heavier because of it.

Jiang Wang lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently caressing the two black jade stones in his palm. The jade stones were dark and faintly exuded a chaotic aura. They felt cold to the touch, yet it seemed as if some kind of mysterious power flowed within them.

The crowd gathered on a wide stone platform on Shouyang Mountain, the atmosphere heavy and somber.

Suirenshi stood with his hands behind his back, his long gray hair fluttering slightly in the wind, his brows furrowed with worry: "The Nightmare Demon God has infiltrated without a trace, and the Curse Demon God has killed without leaving a trace. If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Jiang Wang discovering the secret of the Black Jade, we would probably still be in the dark."

He paused, his gaze falling on the black jade in Jiang Wang's hand, his voice low: "But if all the demon gods possess this, it will be difficult for our divine senses to detect, and we will be unable to defend against it."

Jiang Wang raised his eyes and slowly swept his gaze over everyone. Fuxi, Shennong, Youchao, and others all had solemn expressions.

He raised the two black jade pieces and said in a deep voice, "This item is called 'Chaos Black Jade'. It can shield divine sense and help demons move without a trace."

However, it does not inherently possess this ability; it must be due to the formation within the jade.

He twitched his fingertips slightly, and a wisp of his divine sense probed into the black jade, touching the intricate array patterns within. He frowned slightly: "The array is exquisite, seemingly created by a top-tier array master."

I suspect that... Hongjun may have already mastered this method and is refining black jade in batches.

If all demons possess this item, the defensive line will be rendered useless.

Upon hearing this, Fuxi stepped forward, took a piece of black jade, and examined it closely.

His white robes fluttered, and a faint image of the Bagua symbol appeared between his brows. His gaze was as deep as the stars: "The Chaos Black Jade is something from the beginning of heaven and earth. It is tough, but it has no ability to shield divine sense."

Fellow Daoist Jiang Wang's conjecture is reasonable; it must be due to the enhancement of an array.

He lightly tapped the jade surface with his fingertips, as if deducing the flow of the array patterns. After a moment, he pondered and said, "If we can break the array, we may be able to find a way to counter it."

only……"

He looked up at Jiang Wang, his tone slightly heavy: "This formation is complex; it will take ten years to decipher it."

"ten years?"

Suiren frowned, his voice tinged with urgency, "The demons are rampant; ten years is too long, and things may change."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's gaze shifted slightly, but a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Ten years, for us, may not be insurmountable."

He raised his hand, and with a flick of his sleeve, a golden light burst forth from his fingertip, instantly enveloping the area within a hundred miles of Shouyang Mountain.

As the light shimmered, the world seemed to stand still; the wind, clouds, and even the swaying of the grass and trees in the mountains became incredibly slow.

Jiang Wang's voice was clear and resonant: "Time Dilation, a divine power of time."

He lightly tapped the void with his fingertips, and an invisible ripple spread out, as if the entire ancestral land of the human race was enveloped by an invisible force, and the flow of time suddenly accelerated.

"The flow of time here has been adjusted to 396 times that of the outside world."

Jiang Wang looked at everyone, his tone calm yet filled with undeniable confidence, "Ten years inside is but ten days outside."

Fellow Daoist Fuxi, you can rest assured and continue your studies.

A hint of surprise flashed in Fuxi's eyes, then he clapped his hands and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Jiang Wang is incredibly powerful. Such methods are truly admirable."

He put away the black jade, turned around and walked deeper into the ancestral land. The illusory image of the Eight Trigrams behind him became clearer and clearer, obviously he was immersed in the deduction of the formation.

Shennong and the others also showed joy and clasped their hands in greeting: "With Fellow Daoist Jiang Wang's help, the trouble of the demon god may be resolved."

Jiang Wang waved his hand, but his gaze remained fixed.

He knew that although Fuxi was proficient in array formations, the Black Jade Array was created by Hongjun, and breaking it might not be easy.

Just in case, with a thought, his spiritual power surged like a river, transforming into streams of light.

The next moment, the void around him trembled slightly, and twelve figures separated from his body. Each one looked exactly like him, but their auras were different, like twelve independent gods.

"One Qi becomes the Three Pure Ones."

Jiang Wang said softly, his voice echoing through the mountains, carrying a hint of leisurely composure, "These twelve clones each have their own duties."

He glanced at everyone and pointed his finger at three of his clones: "These three, go to the Purple Cloud Palace in the Outer Heavens to investigate Hongjun's movements."

In a critical moment, they could storm the palace.

The three clones nodded slightly, then flashed and disappeared into the sky as streaks of light.

Jiang Wang then pointed to the other nine clones: "These nine are sent to patrol the ancestral land of the human race, the Heavenly Emperor Heaven, the Jade Purity Heaven, and other places."

If you encounter a demon, immediately trap it with a spatial barrier and notify me.

The nine clones responded in unison, transforming into nine beams of light that scattered in all directions.

Upon seeing this, everyone marveled at Jiang Wang's extraordinary abilities. Suirenshi even cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Jiang Wang's considerations are thorough, which puts our minds at ease."

After making his arrangements, Jiang Wang entered a secluded cave deep within Shouyang Mountain and sat down cross-legged.

Outside the cave, clouds and mist swirl around, but inside, the cave is full of spiritual energy, and the naturally formed stone patterns on the walls seem to contain the principles of the Great Dao.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, his thoughts sinking into his sea of ​​consciousness, and the system interface slowly appeared.

Jiang Wang whispered, "Check the attributes." (End of Chapter)