Gou Zai Xi You Dao Chang Sheng

That local earth god, whose surname was Zhang and given name was Fude, received Li Yan's elixir and the Five Elements Token that day.

Back at the local earth god shrine at the foot of the mountain, I felt both grateful and apprehensive.

He had lived for hundreds of years, and although he was only a minor god, he had seen many storms.

Those celestial officials and Arhats all appeared virtuous, but secretly harbored their own ulterior motives.

Today, this Taoist priest gave him medicine, treated his illness, and sent him instructions to aid in his cultivation. He was considerate in every way, which made him feel uneasy.

However, after taking the pill, the liver qi stagnation did improve.

The Five Elements Decree, when affixed to the mountainside, indeed saved ninety percent of the magical power required to refine iron balls and molten copper.

These benefits are undeniable and real, leaving him no choice but to believe them.

"Never mind," the Earth God sighed.

"This little god is nothing but a lowly landowner, what is there for him to scheme against?"

If that Taoist priest really wanted to harm me, why would he go to all this trouble?

He suppressed his doubts and, as usual, used the Five Elements Token to draw upon the power of the five elements in the mountain to refine iron balls and molten copper.

It was delivered to the foot of the Five Elements Mountain on time and fed to the monkey.

Day after day, month after month.

At first, the Earth God did not notice anything unusual.

The monkey was trapped under the Five Elements Mountain, with only its head showing and its hands barely able to move.

Every day when I see him, I get a good scolding as usual.

"Old servant! You've come to bring me that iron stone and copper soup again?"

"I, Old Sun, eat peaches of immortality and drink the finest nectar in heaven, and this is what you give me?"

The Earth God wasn't angry; he simply brought the iron pellets and molten copper to the man's lips and said:

"Great Sage, if you starve to death, you'll have nothing left."

The monkey may curse, but it still knows right from wrong.

Each time, they would eat every last iron pellet and copper molten metal, leaving not a single one.

At first, the local deity thought the monkey was just extremely hungry and would eat anything.

But after some time, he began to sense that something was amiss.

The monkey started swearing less and less.

In the past, when he delivered food to the monkey every day, the monkey would curse for at least half an hour, cursing even the important figures.

They then cursed him, calling him a nobody, a lackey, and a spineless coward.

But lately, the monkey would swear a few times, then stop.

Sometimes he would not say a word, but would silently finish eating the iron pellets and copper juice, then close his eyes as if he were sleeping.

The Earth God was puzzled, but dared not ask any further questions.

He assumed that the monkey had been suppressed for too long, its spirit had dissipated, and it had resigned itself to its fate.

One day, while delivering food, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the monkey's eyes.

Those golden eyes, which were originally dull and lifeless, were as if covered with a layer of gray.

But on that day, he clearly saw a faint light flickering in those golden eyes.

That light, though not as dazzling as when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, was certainly not the look of someone who had resigned himself to his fate.

The Earth God's heart skipped a beat.

He returned to the shrine, closed the door, sat before the stone statue, and felt a turmoil in his heart.

"What should we do, little god?"

The Earth God muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the Five Elements Token.

The token was entirely black, covered with runes, and faintly glowed.

These days, he uses it daily to draw upon the power of the five elements in the mountains, and he has long since become quite adept at using it.

But looking at the token now, one feels that there is an indescribable eeriness hidden in its dim light.

"If that Taoist priest really tampered with the iron ball and molten copper, then I am an accomplice."

"If the mountain god finds out, even nine lives wouldn't be enough for this lowly god to die."

"But what if we don't report it..."

The Earth God shivered. Although he was a minor deity, he had read a few books and knew some principles.

The monkey's suppression by Buddha was a predetermined calamity.

In the Three Realms, who dares to defy Heaven and help that monkey escape his predicament?

Who exactly is that Taoist priest, that he dares to provoke the Grand Duke Jupiter?

The more the Earth God thought about it, the more frightened he became. He felt as if the Five Elements Token in his hand was a piece of red-hot iron, burning his palm.

"To report...or not to report?"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the ancestral hall countless times.

He needed to report to the mountain god first.

The mountain god's surname was Huang, and his given name was Guangyi. He was a mean and ungrateful person.

They usually bossed the local earth god around and never gave him a kind look.

If he reports this matter to the mountain god, it will eventually reach the ears of the Buddha.

At that time, the Taoist priest will surely die.

And he might not survive either.

If the mountain god asked him, "Why did you accept that person's token?"

Why use that token to activate the power of the five elements in the mountain? Why not report it sooner?

He couldn't answer.

He accepted bribes and used their credentials, making him an accomplice.

The mountain god wouldn't care whether he was deceived or misled; he would simply deal with him and the Taoist priest together.

Those important people care about results, not the process.

The Earth God stopped in his tracks, cold sweat pouring down his face.

If he doesn't report it, he'll be guilty of knowing something but failing to report it, which is an even more serious crime.

But if he reports it, he will be setting himself up for disaster and courting death.

He's doomed either way, what should he do?

The Earth God sat before the stone statue, burying his head in his hands in deep thought.

It felt like a million ants were gnawing at my heart; I couldn't describe the pain.

Just then, he remembered what Li Yan had said to him that day.

"Between heaven and earth, everything has its place."

Dragons have their dragon positions, snakes have their snake positions, and even ants have their ant positions.

Now that the Earth God has taken this position, he should manage it well.

Do not envy the glory of those in high positions, nor lament the poverty of those in low positions.

"The right path is for everyone to stay in their place and fulfill their duties."

Everyone should stay in their place and fulfill their duties.

His position was that of a local official at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain. His duty was to guard the monkey and feed it iron pellets and molten copper every day.

The token the Taoist priest gave him saved him magical energy, allowing him to better fulfill his duties.

As for whether there was anything else in the iron pellets and molten copper, he didn't know, nor should he know.

He was merely a lowly local deity with meager magical power and limited knowledge, so it was only natural that he couldn't discern anything amiss.

If anyone asks, he says that he made the token himself in order to save some magical power.

As for the origin of the token, he said he found it on the mountain many years ago, but had never used it until recently.

The Earth God made up his mind and breathed a long sigh of relief.

He stood up, put the Five Elements Token into his sleeve, pushed open the ancestral hall door, and looked outside.

As dusk approached, the setting sun bathed the entire Five Elements Mountain in a golden-red hue.

The five mountains, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, appeared majestic and magnificent, displaying a myriad of breathtaking sights.

At the summit, the golden inscription fluttered slightly in the wind, the six-character mantra shimmering with golden light, solemn and sacred.

The Earth God gazed at the talisman and silently prayed.

"Buddha, please forgive me. I am but an ant, only seeking to survive, and dare not cause trouble."

Although that was what I thought in my heart, in the days that followed, whenever I thought of the Taoist priest's methods,

He felt as if he had a thorn in his back, and was restless and uneasy.

On this day, as dawn was breaking, Zhang Fude was meditating in the shrine when he suddenly felt a tremor coming from the earth's veins.

The tremor was faint, carrying with it an aura of majesty.

It's like the feeling of a minor official trembling with fear before an important person sets out on a journey.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his expression changing drastically.

"Is this... the mountain god's procession?"

Zhang Fude hurriedly got up and straightened his clothes.

He took out the Five Elements Token from his sleeve, hesitated for a moment, and then stuffed it deep under the bed.

He took a few more ordinary spirit stones and put them in his pocket before leaving the shrine and looking towards the Five Elements Mountain.

On the eastern horizon, the faint sound of an imperial carriage could be heard.

The leader was an old man dressed in a black robe.

His face was as red as a jujube, his beard as thick as a halberd, he wore a scholar's cap, and a gold fish-shaped pouch around his waist.

Holding a white jade tablet, he sat upright on a sedan chair carried by four men.

A servant led the way in front of the sedan chair, and attendants followed behind, making a grand and impressive procession.

Upon seeing the imperial carriage, Zhang Fude immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This humble god Zhang Fude respectfully welcomes the Mountain God."

The imperial carriage stopped in front of the local shrine. Huang Guangyi stepped out of the sedan chair, flicking his black robe.

His gaze swept over Zhang Fude, and he said indifferently, "Get up."

Zhang Fude stood up, stood to the side with his hands at his sides, and didn't dare to breathe loudly.

Huang Guangyi entered the ancestral hall and sat down in the main hall, whereupon a servant served him fragrant tea.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, glanced around the ancestral hall, and slowly said:

"Zhang Fude, I ask you, how is that monkey doing lately?"

Zhang Fude quickly replied, "Reporting to the mountain god, that monkey eats iron pellets and molten copper every day, behaves itself, and has not made any unusual moves."

Huang Guangyi nodded slightly and then asked, "Has there been any change in the golden characters pressing down on the Five Elements Mountain?"

Zhang Fude said, "The golden light shimmered on the talisman, just as it always has."

Huang Guangyi put down his teacup and took something out of his sleeve.

The object was entirely golden, shaped like a lotus petal, with Sanskrit inscriptions engraved on it, and faintly radiating Buddhist light.

"This is a Dharma treasure bestowed by Guanyin Bodhisattva, named the Mind-Illuminating Mirror."

It can see the essence of all things and discern all falsehoods.

The Bodhisattva sent a message to this deity the day before yesterday, saying that she saw it with her wisdom eye.

There was a strange aura flowing faintly beneath the Five Elements Mountain, so I was ordered to come and investigate.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fude's heart tightened, and he asked, "Mountain God, did the Bodhisattva say what the anomaly was?"

Huang Guangyi shook his head: "The Bodhisattva didn't say."

She could only vaguely sense the strangeness, sometimes present and sometimes absent, and she couldn't see it clearly.

Therefore, I command the spirit to examine the matter thoroughly, leaving no detail overlooked.

Zhang Fude inwardly groaned, but outwardly remained respectful and said:

"The Mountain God is all-powerful, and with the help of the Bodhisattva's magic treasures, he will surely be able to find out the truth."

Huang Guangyi did not answer, but stood up, holding the Heart-Revealing Mirror in his hand, and walked out of the shrine.

Zhang Fude quickly followed, his hands hanging down behind him.

The two arrived at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, where Huang Guangyi stood where the monkey had been suppressed.

Sun Wukong was trapped under the Five Elements Mountain, with only his head showing and his hands barely able to move.

At this moment, his eyes were closed, his body hair was dull and lifeless, his golden eyes were tightly shut, and his face was sallow.

He looked like he was on his deathbed.

Huang Guangyi glanced at him, but said nothing. He simply held the Heart-Revealing Mirror in his palm and silently recited the mantra.

The Mirror of the Mind sensed his magical power, and on the lotus petals, Sanskrit characters lit up simultaneously, radiating brilliant golden light.

The golden light transformed into a pillar of light, shooting out from the mirror and shining on the monkey.

Sun Wukong trembled, and his golden eyes snapped open.

Two beams of golden light shot out from his eyes and collided with the golden light of the Heart-Mirror.

Chi Chi!

Sun Wukong's golden light only lasted for a moment before being suppressed by the golden light of the Heart-Illuminating Mirror and shrank back into his eyes.

Sun Wukong grunted, his face paling even more, and he cursed:

"Who's blind enough to hold a mirror up to their grandpa Sun's face?!"

Huang Guangyi ignored his curses and simply swept the golden light of the Heart-Mirror over him.

From head to toe, from toe to head, inch by inch, meticulously, leaving no spot unchecked.

Wherever the golden light passed, the condition inside Sun Wukong's body was revealed to the Mirror of the Mind as if it were transparent.

Huang Guangyi looked closely and saw a series of images appearing on the mirror.

The monkey's internal organs were mostly broken, and its bones were covered with cracks.

The internal organs were eroded by the power of the five elements, becoming dull and lifeless.

Within his dantian, his magical power was exhausted, his primordial spirit was weak, and he appeared to be on the verge of death.

There is nothing else.

Huang Guangyi frowned, moved the Heart-Revealing Mirror aside, and turned to the stone wall next to the monkey.

On that stone wall, there were traces left by the daily feeding of iron pellets and copper juice, mottled and accumulated in a thick layer.

He looked at the mark with his own heart.

All that could be seen in the traces were remnants of the power of the five elements and dregs of iron balls and molten copper, nothing unusual.

Huang Guangyi frowned even more deeply.

He also examined the stone bowl that the monkey used to eat iron pellets and molten copper every day with his own eyes.

The stone bowl was rough and simple, covered with marks and scratches.

As the golden light swept across, only a few iron filings and drops of molten copper remained at the bottom of the bowl; nothing else was visible.

Huang Guangyi put away the mirror, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

He stood at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, silent for a long time, muttering to himself:

"The Bodhisattva clearly stated that the strange phenomenon was sometimes present and sometimes absent, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden."

Why, after examining it carefully with my inner eye, did I find nothing?

Zhang Fude stood to the side with his hands at his sides, secretly rejoicing, and said respectfully:

"Mountain God, has the Bodhisattva made a mistake?"

Huang Guangyi glared at him and said, "The Bodhisattva's eyes are like torches, how could he be wrong?"

"It must have been that the anomaly was too faint, appearing and disappearing intermittently, and just as I was investigating, it vanished."

Zhang Fude nodded quickly: "The Mountain God is right."

Since the anomaly appears and disappears intermittently, Lord Mountain God might as well investigate a few more times; perhaps you will be able to find out.

Huang Guangyi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."

I will stay in your shrine for a few days and examine your heart once a day.

If that anomaly recurs, we must investigate it thoroughly.

Zhang Fude inwardly groaned, but outwardly could only say:

"It is my honor that the Mountain God has deigned to stay in my humble temple. I will now go and prepare a room."

Huang Guangyi waved his hand and said, "No need. I will make do in your shrine for a few days."

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the Earth God Temple.

Zhang Fude hurriedly followed, but his heart was filled with anxiety.

The mountain god will stay in the shrine for a few days.

He would examine himself daily with his inner mirror, and if he ever discovered anything amiss, he would be held responsible even if he were to die a thousand deaths.

But he couldn't drive the mountain god away, nor did he dare to show any sign of anything unusual.

They had no choice but to bite the bullet, put on a smile, and serve him carefully.

For three consecutive days, Huang Guangyi used his Mirror of the Mind to examine the monkey and the traces of the iron ball and molten copper.

But nothing was gained.

He frowned, put away the Heart-Revealing Mirror, and murmured:

"Could it be that the Bodhisattva's perception was wrong? Or does that unusual object simply not exist?"

Zhang Fude stood to the side with his hands at his sides, and said cautiously:

"Mountain God, perhaps that anomaly is some kind of divine secret sensed by the Bodhisattva, rather than the actual situation under the Five Elements Mountain."

The secrets of heaven are elusive, sometimes hidden, sometimes revealed; this is simply the way of the world.

Huang Guangyi glanced at him, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes, and said indifferently, "You certainly know how to talk."

Zhang Fude quickly replied, "This humble god wouldn't dare. This humble god was merely making a wild guess."

Huang Guangyi remained noncommittal, turned back into the ancestral hall, sat down in the main hall, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said:

"Zhang Fude, I ask you, have you seen any suspicious people these days?"

Zhang Fude's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. He simply said:

"Reporting to the mountain god, I, the humble god, guard that monkey every day at the foot of Five Elements Mountain, and have never left his side even for a moment."

These days, apart from the mountain god, I've only seen a few passing woodcutters and hunters; there's been no one suspicious.

Huang Guangyi asked, "Did those woodcutters and hunters come near this Five Elements Mountain?"

Zhang Fude shook his head and said, "No."

The Five Elements Mountain is bathed in Buddha's light, and ordinary mortals would feel dizzy and disoriented if they approached it. How could they dare to get close?

Even woodcutters and hunters only dared to operate a few dozen miles outside the mountains, never daring to venture deeper.

Huang Guangyi nodded slightly and then asked, "How did you refine those iron balls and molten copper?"

Zhang Fude took out several spirit stones from his sleeve, presented them with both hands, and said:

"My magical power is weak, and I have to spend most of my magical power every day to refine iron balls and copper juice."

These days, Xiao Shen has tried several methods.

Finally, it was discovered that by using spirit stones as a guide to activate the power of the five elements within the earth's veins, some effort could be saved.

These spirit stones are what I've accumulated over the years; though not many, they're enough.

Huang Guangyi took the spirit stones and examined them carefully.

The spirit stone was crystal clear, with a faint radiance flowing within it.

He nodded, returned the spirit stone to Zhang Fude, and said:

"You certainly know how to come up with solutions. Have there been any problems with those iron pellets and molten copper?"

Zhang Fude said, "I have been refining and feeding them on time every day without fail."

Huang Guangyi asked a few more questions, which Zhang Fude answered one by one, leaving no room for error.

Seeing that he answered calmly and with a normal expression, Huang Guangyi had doubts but did not press him further.

He stayed in the land temple for another day, carefully examining every corner of the temple, but found nothing.

Zhang Fude hid the Five Elements Token deep under the bed, covering it with mud and then pressing it down with several broken bricks and tiles.

Unless you dig three feet into the ground, you won't be able to see it at all.

Although Huang Guangyi examined the area under the bed with his discerning eye, he only found a patch of mud and a few bricks and tiles, with nothing unusual.

The runes on the Five Elements Token were concealed by Li Yan using the art of Qimen Dunjia.

If it weren't for the presence of a Great Immortal, no one would be able to discern the truth.

On the morning of the fourth day, Huang Guangyi finally decided to leave.

He stood in front of the land god shrine and said to Zhang Fude:

"Zhang Fude, I'm returning to the mountain now. You must keep a close eye on that monkey. Report back immediately if there's any unusual activity."

Zhang Fude quickly kowtowed and said, "This humble god obeys. Mountain God, please take care."

Huang Guangyi boarded a sedan chair carried by four men, with a grand procession leading the way, bells and drums resounding, and flew towards the eastern horizon.

Zhang Fude knelt on the ground, watching the imperial carriage disappear into the sea of ​​clouds, before letting out a long sigh and collapsing to the ground.

He reached up and touched his forehead, only to find that he was covered in cold sweat, which soaked his clothes.

"That was close...that was close..." Zhang Fude muttered to himself, his heart filled with shock and fear.

Li Yan, ever since returning from Qingfeng Town, has been in seclusion in the valley of Qingcheng Mountain, cultivating his skills.

After a long while, his mind withdrew from the grotto.

He looked in the direction of the Five Elements Mountain.

He had already sensed the matter of the mountain god Huang Guangyi inspecting the Five Elements Mountain through his Eye of Cause and Effect.

The golden light that illuminates the mind can reveal the essence of all things, but it cannot reveal the methods he has devised.

The Five Elements Token was crafted by him using the art of Qimen Dunjia and the power of the grotto-heaven.

When the token draws upon the power of the five elements to refine iron balls and copper molten metal, it will also incorporate the power of the elixir.

It merged with the power of the five elements, becoming one with them.

Although the Mind-Mirror can perceive the power of the Five Elements, it cannot perceive the power of the elixir.

Because the power of that elixir was already enveloped by the power of the five elements, layer upon layer; peel back one layer, and there are ten more.

Even after peeling away all the layers, all that can be seen is the power of the five elements, not the elixir.

This is done by using heaven and earth as the furnace, yin and yang as the charcoal, creation as the craftsman, and all things as the copper.

Only a Great Immortal can break it.

The monkey, when it was learning its skills at Fangcun Mountain, learned the secrets of longevity.

That wondrous technique is the foundation of cultivating both body and spirit, and it is most effective at concealing one's aura and hiding one's primordial spirit.

When the Bodhi Patriarch transmitted the Dharma, he said:

"This technique seizes the creation of heaven and earth and invades the mysteries of the sun and moon."

Once the elixir is completed, even ghosts and spirits will find it intolerable. Therefore, a subtle method must be used to conceal the heavenly secrets, preventing ghosts and spirits from noticing.

Although the monkey was suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain, its magical power was sealed, and its primordial spirit was injured, the foundation of that wonderful technique remained.

He used a special technique to refine the power of the elixir.

The power of the elixir merged with his primordial spirit, becoming indistinguishable from it.

Therefore, when the mind-illuminating mirror was used to examine it, it was seen that the monkey's meridians were broken, its bones were shattered, and its primordial spirit was weak.

It was on the verge of death, yet the presence of the elixir's power could not be detected.

Li Yan secretly rejoiced.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and took out a jade slip from his sleeve.

The jade slip was covered with runes, and a faint light flowed around it.

This is what he has obtained from deducing celestial secrets using the art of Qimen Dunjia these past few days.

He probed his mind into the jade slip, and saw a series of images appear within it.

The images, complex and varied, flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

In that mortal realm, several individuals are experiencing their own tribulations.

Those people were connected to him.

Li Yan's gaze sharpened, and he focused his attention on those few figures.

The image gradually became clear.

In that mirror of the heart, the image gradually became clear.

Li Yan stared intently, and saw in the scene...

There is a magnificent palace with a plaque above the palace gate that reads three large characters: "Tianhe Palace".

Before the palace, the sea of ​​clouds surged and rolled, a vast expanse of silver waves, and a celestial river stretched across the sky, its shimmering waves resembling a coiled silver dragon.

On the banks of the Milky Way, stood a person.

The man was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a face as black as charcoal, a beard as thick as a halberd, and wore a suit of chainmail.

Wearing a three-pronged flat crown, he looked majestic and imposing.

This person was none other than Marshal Tianpeng.

When Li Yan was an official in the Heavenly Court, he had seen him from afar a few times.

This person commands 80,000 naval soldiers of the Milky Way and is one of the most formidable generals under the Jade Emperor.

Although not as famous as Erlang Shen Yang Jian, he was still a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal, and his power shook the Milky Way, with no one daring to offend him.

But at this moment, Marshal Tianpeng in the picture looks completely lost and dejected.

He stood on the banks of the Milky Way, gazing at the surging silver waves, his eyes unfocused, his lips trembling slightly.

He held a wine jug in his hand, the wine in it already empty, yet he still raised it to his lips.

He tilted his head back a few times, and only a few drops of liquid dripped onto his lips.

"Good wine...good wine..."

Marshal Tianpeng muttered to himself in a hoarse voice, then smashed the wine jug on the ground.

Click!

The wine jug shattered, shards flying everywhere.

He staggered a couple of steps, grabbed the railing, and gazed into the depths of the Milky Way, his eyes filled with confusion.

The scene changes.

Li Yan saw that the Yaochi Palace was brightly lit and filled with celestial music.

That was the Peach Banquet hosted by the Queen Mother of the West, where immortals from all walks of life gathered together, exchanging toasts and enjoying a lively atmosphere.

Marshal Tianpeng was also among those invited. He sat at the table, picked up his wine cup, and drank one cup after another.

That exquisite nectar was sweet and mellow upon entry, with a lingering aftertaste.

But he found it as bitter and difficult to drink, like drinking water.

His gaze would occasionally drift toward the fairy dancing gracefully in the palace.

Those fairies were all stunningly beautiful, their robes fluttering, and their dances graceful.

The fairy at the head of the group wore a flowing, feathered dress; her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and her features were exquisite.

Her figure was graceful, and her dance moves were light and agile.

As she twirled, her skirt billowed like clouds, her hair flowed like a waterfall, and her eyes seemed to hold tender affection.

Marshal Tianpeng was mesmerized, his wine cup hovering at his lips.

His gaze was fixed on the fairy, unable to look away for even a moment.

The fairy seemed to sense something, glanced at him, and smiled slightly.

That smile was like a spring breeze, stirring Marshal Tianpeng's heart.

He drank a few more cups, and as the alcohol took effect, he became bolder.

After the fairy left, he, emboldened by the alcohol, followed her.

After passing through numerous palaces, we arrived at a secluded side hall.

The fairy was resting in the hall when Marshal Tianpeng suddenly burst in. Her expression changed slightly, and she bowed, saying:

"Marshal, this is where the women are resting. It is not appropriate for you to stay any longer. Please leave."

Marshal Tianpeng would never listen.

He stepped forward, reached out to tug at the fairy's sleeve, and mumbled indistinctly:

"Fairy, I...I have admired you for a long time, today...today, please give in to me."

The fairy was startled and quickly retreated. With a flick of her jade hand hidden in her sleeve, she pushed away Marshal Tianpeng's hand and said sternly:

"Marshal, please have some self-respect! I am a fairy maiden under the Queen Mother of the West, how dare you be so disrespectful?"

Marshal Tianpeng was drunk and couldn't listen to anything.

He staggered forward, trying to pull the fairy away again.

Just then, a cold snort came from outside the hall.

That cold snort, like a thunderclap, jolted Marshal Tianpeng sober up considerably.

He turned around and saw a person standing outside the palace gate.

The man, dressed in a golden dragon robe and with an ashen face, was none other than the Jade Emperor.

Behind the Jade Emperor followed the Queen Mother of the West and a host of celestial officials.

Marshal Tianpeng was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying:

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I... I lost control after drinking, I deserve to die!"

The Jade Emperor stared at him coldly, his gaze sharp as a knife, without uttering a word.

The Queen Mother's face darkened further, and she flicked her sleeve, saying:

"Marshal Tianpeng, how dare you!"

How dare you flirt with one of my fairy maidens in the Jade Pool Palace!

"Guards! Seize this madman!"

Several heavenly generals rushed in from outside the hall, pinned down Marshal Tianpeng, and bound him tightly with the Immortal-Binding Rope.

The Jade Emperor then spoke slowly, his voice icy:

"Marshal Tianpeng, as a high-ranking official of the Heavenly Court, commanding 80,000 naval soldiers of the Milky Way, how dare you commit adultery while drunk at the Peach Banquet!"

Teasing the fairy and defiling the sacred Jade Pool.

Do you know your crime?

Marshal Tianpeng kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling: "Your subject knows his crime! Your subject knows his crime!"

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

"I originally intended to take you to the execution platform and punish you according to the law."

Considering your years of service guarding the Milky Way, your meritorious service is commendable; though you may be spared the death penalty, you will not escape punishment!

"Someone come here!"

Marshal Tianpeng will be sent to the mortal realm, stripped of his celestial status, and demoted to a mortal to endure a thousand lifetimes of tribulations before he is allowed to return to heaven!

Upon hearing this, Marshal Tianpeng's face turned ashen. He remained on the ground, allowing the heavenly generals to drag him out of the palace.

The scene then changes.

Li Yan saw that outside the South Heavenly Gate, Marshal Tianpeng had been stripped of his golden armor and removed from his crown.

He was wearing only a white prison uniform, his hair was disheveled, and he knelt on the platform.

Venus, holding the Jade Emperor's edict, read aloud:

"Marshal Tianpeng, as an important minister of the Heavenly Court, did not think of serving his country. Instead, he became drunk and acted immorally at the Peach Banquet, harassing fairies and defiling the sacred Yaochi. His sins are grave."

I remember his past merits and spare his life, but strip him of his celestial status and banish him to the mortal realm to endure a thousand lifetimes of tribulations.

This is the intention.

Marshal Tianpeng kowtowed, stood up, and turned to look at the celestial palace.

The palace was majestic, surrounded by auspicious clouds, golden light, and auspicious energy.

He lived here for who knows how many years.

Starting as a lowly soldier, he climbed step by step to the position of marshal, guarding the Milky Way and awe-inspiring throughout the Three Realms.

But today, all of that has vanished.

He closed his eyes, leaped, and jumped off the South Heavenly Gate, falling towards the mortal realm.

The fall felt like a dream, with the wind whistling in my ears and the sea of ​​clouds churning before my eyes.

He fell for an unknown amount of time before finally landing in a desolate wilderness.

He felt as if all his bones were shattered, his meridians were broken, his magic power was sealed, and his primordial spirit was injured, leaving him on the verge of death.

Those celestial officials took everything from him, leaving him only with his life.

Marshal Tianpeng lay on the ground, gazing at the gray sky, a sense of sorrow welling up in his heart.

"A thousand lifetimes of calamities...a thousand lifetimes of calamities...when will I finally endure this?"

He muttered to himself and closed his eyes.

Li Yan sighed inwardly upon seeing this.

Marshal Tianpeng, though he was at fault, did not deserve such punishment.

The incident of flirting with the fairy, which seemed to be a drunken act, was actually a scheme orchestrated by someone.

After all, why did the Fairy of Rainbow Robes turn around and smile at that exact moment?

And there happened to be no one on duty in that side hall?

Why did the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother happen to appear at that time?

The intricacies of this matter are obvious to anyone with discerning eyes.

Marshal Tianpeng was framed.

The person who set up the scheme might be the same group of people who plotted against Sun Wukong.

Li Yan suppressed his thoughts and continued to gaze at the mirror of his heart.

The scene then shifts again.

It is a bridge.

The bridge spans a large river, and its structure is simple and unadorned.

The bridge surface was covered with runes, from which a faint, eerie light emanated.

At the bridgehead stands a stone tablet with three large characters engraved on it: "Naihe Bridge".

The great river beneath the bridge is called the River of Oblivion.

The river water was murky, yellowish-black, churning endlessly, and faint sounds of ghosts howling and wolves wailing could be heard coming from the riverbed.

Countless ghosts were struggling in the river.

The riverbanks were covered with red spider lilies, their crimson petals as vibrant as blood, dazzling and alluring.

Li Yan's gaze sharpened, and he saw a soul standing at the head of the Bridge of Helplessness.

He stood at the head of the Bridge of Helplessness, dressed in a white prison uniform, his hair disheveled, gazing at the River of Oblivion, without uttering a word.

Beside him stood two ghost messengers, one black and one white.

Black Impermanence holds a soul-snatching rope, while White Impermanence holds a mourning staff.

The two men flanked him, one on each side, as if afraid he would run away.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Black Impermanence urged.

"Don't dawdle! Once you cross the Bridge of Helplessness and drink the Soup of Oblivion, all past lives will be wiped clean!"

Upon hearing this, Marshal Tianpeng trembled.

Can the past be wiped clean?

Then his glory in Heaven, his prestige in guarding the Milky Way, and his friendship with those celestial officials who drank and made merry with him must all be wiped out.

He was not reconciled.

But what could he do even if he was unwilling?

He was a sinner who was banished to the mortal realm. His magic was sealed and his primordial spirit was injured. He couldn't even defeat an ordinary ghost messenger. What right did he have to say he was unwilling?

Marshal Tianpeng sighed and walked towards the Bridge of Helplessness.

When he reached the middle of the bridge, he stopped and looked back.

All that could be seen along the path was a thick black mist, with ghostly shadows looming overhead, and no end in sight.

He looked away and continued walking forward.

After crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, there is a high platform.

That high platform is called the Viewing Platform.

On the platform stands a huge rock, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting one's past and present lives.

Marshal Tianpeng ascended the Viewing Platform and stood before the giant rock. On the rock's surface, images appeared one after another.

Those were his moments in Heaven.

When I first arrived in Tianhe, I became a lowly soldier, training every day under the wind and sun.

Because of his bravery in battle, he was promoted to lieutenant general and led a detachment of sailors to guard the upper reaches of the Tianhe River.

Due to his repeated military achievements, he was promoted to deputy commander of Tianhe and assisted the marshal in handling military affairs.

Finally, the old marshal retired, and he was personally appointed by the Jade Emperor to become Marshal Tianpeng, in charge of 80,000 naval soldiers in the Milky Way.

On the day he was promoted to marshal, he held a banquet in the Tianhe Palace and drank heavily with his generals until they were completely drunk.

As I gazed at them, the images gradually became as if seen through a veil, everything appearing hazy and indistinct.

The image on the boulder vanished, leaving only a blank space.

Marshal Tianpeng closed his eyes, turned around, and descended from the Looking-Home Terrace.

Below the Terrace of Longing for Home lies the Pavilion of Meng Po.

An old woman sat in the pavilion, her hair white and her face withered.

He was dressed in gray cloth, holding a wooden spoon, with a large pot in front of him.

A pot of soup was simmering, the soup was murky like mud and had a bitter smell.

When Meng Po saw Marshal Tianpeng approaching, she glanced at him and said indifferently:

"Drink this soup, and all past events will be forgotten. In the next life, you will be reborn as a new person."

Marshal Tianpeng looked at the bowl of soup and felt a surge of resistance.

"Grandma, can I...can I not drink it?"

Meng Po shook her head and said:

"This is the rule. All those who are reincarnated must drink this soup to forget their past lives in order to start anew."

If one is reincarnated with memories of a past life, it will disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang, and reverse the cycle of reincarnation. This is the way of Heaven, and cannot be defied.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Tianpeng's face paled even more.

He reached out and took the bowl of soup, brought it to his lips, but hesitated to drink it.

The bitter smell of the soup was so strong that it almost made him vomit.

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and drank the bowl of soup in one gulp.

As the soup entered his stomach, he felt a cool sensation rise from his stomach and rush to the top of his head.

Wherever that chill passes, memories begin to blur.

Heavenly palaces, Milky Way storms, celestial officials' faces.

Those nights of drinking and merrymaking have gradually faded away.

He tried to grasp those memories, but it was like trying to hold sand; the harder he tried, the faster they slipped away.

Finally, all those memories vanished, leaving only a blank space.

Marshal Tianpeng opened his eyes, his gaze filled with confusion.

"who I am?"

"You are a ghost about to be reincarnated."

Meng Po said calmly, "Go. Beyond this pavilion lies the Well of Reincarnation. Jump in, and you will be reborn."

Marshal Tianpeng nodded and turned to walk towards the Well of Reincarnation.

That well was about three zhang in diameter, and its walls were covered with runes, with a faint six-colored light flowing around it.

That is the power of the six realms of reincarnation.

Six beams of light surged from the bottom of the well, intertwining and swirling above the wellhead to form a huge vortex.

The vortex spun slowly, sucking everything around it in.

Marshal Tianpeng stood by the well, gazing at the whirlpool, his mind blank.

He didn't know who he was, where he came from, or where he was going.

All he knew was that he had to jump, and that he would be reborn after jumping.

He closed his eyes and leaped.

But at the very moment he leaped up...

The six rays of light in that well of rebirth suddenly became disordered.

The light of the Heavenly Way dimmed considerably, the light of the Human Way weakened accordingly, and the light of the Asura Way flickered erratically.

Only the light of the animal realm suddenly surged, enveloping Marshal Tianpeng within it.

Marshal Tianpeng felt a tremendous force pull him in and drag him into the animal realm.

He tried to struggle, but found himself unable to move.

The radiance of the animal realm, like a giant hand, gripped him firmly and dragged him to the bottom of the well.

"No!"

The roar was quickly swallowed by the vortex, turning into a mournful cry.

Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing this.

The six rays of light in that well were originally operating in a balanced manner, each performing its own function.

However, when Marshal Tianpeng was reincarnated, the light of the animal realm suddenly surged, suppressing the other five realms.

This is by no means a coincidence.

Someone must have tampered with it.

That person used his supreme magical power to interfere with the operation of the Reincarnation Well, forcibly throwing Marshal Tianpeng into the animal realm.

Marshal Tianpeng was supposed to be reincarnated as a human, but after enduring countless tribulations, he was allowed to return to heaven.

But that person amplified the light of the animal realm, causing him to be reborn as a pig and become a pig demon.

As a pig demon, cultivation is difficult and intelligence is hard to develop, making it almost impossible for him to return to the Heavenly Court.

The scene then changes.

At the bottom of the Well of Reincarnation, Marshal Tianpeng's image was swallowed up by the Animal Realm, transforming into a stream of light that shot down to the lower realm.

The streak of light pierced through the clouds, crossed the mountains, and finally landed in a village.

The village has about a hundred households, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with houses scattered about.

There was a family in the village named Zhu, who were butchers.

Zhu the butcher kept several sows in his backyard. One of the older sows had recently become very pregnant and was about to give birth.

On that day, strange phenomena appeared in the sky.

A golden light fell from the horizon into Zhu the butcher's pigsty, filling the sty with a wonderful fragrance and a red glow that soared into the sky.

The old sow let out a miserable cry and gave birth to a piglet.

The piglet was incredibly ugly.

It has a pig's head and body, yet it walks upright with its tusks protruding.

Its body was covered with coarse, stiff black hair, and its cries were like thunderous howls.

Zhu the butcher rushed over with his knife, but when he saw that the piglet had stood upright, he was so frightened that he fainted on the spot.

That piglet was the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng.

The scene continues.

Li Yan saw several figures standing on a desolate mountain outside Zhu Family Village.

Those figures were hidden in the clouds and mist, their faces obscured.

The leader was dressed in a black Taoist robe, holding a whisk, and surrounded by black mist, making him look sinister and terrifying.

He gazed in the direction of Zhu Family Village, gave a cold smile, and said:

"That day, Marshal Peng was reincarnated as a pig, and his mind was not yet developed, which was the perfect opportunity to strike."

"You few, go and kill him to prevent future trouble."

Several figures behind them cupped their hands in unison, transformed into streaks of black light, and flew towards Zhu Family Village.