Journey to the West: A clone sacrifices to the heavens, possessing boundless magical power.

Fan Yuan straightened up, a compassionate smile appearing on his face, though it looked somewhat ferocious against the wolf's face.

He said loudly, "I am a lowly demon, Canglang. I have long admired the great king of the Black Wind. I have heard that the king is not only powerful but also well-versed in Buddhism. He often discusses scriptures and doctrines with the eminent monks of Guanyin Temple. He is a rare scholar among the demons. Although I was born in the wilderness, I also yearn for enlightenment. I have come to seek refuge with the king and am willing to guard the gate and the temple and listen to his teachings."

Fan Yuan spoke in a refined and scholarly manner. Although the pig demon didn't quite understand what he was saying, he grasped a few key words: "King," "proficient in Buddhism," and "refined scholar."

The little demons who make a living in Black Wind Mountain all know that their king has a strange quirk: he doesn't like being called a monster, but prefers to be called a layman or king. He loves collecting robes and Buddhist scriptures, and he also likes to imitate human scholars by holding Buddhist robe gatherings.

For this reason, the king often complained about how crude and vulgar his underlings were.

Now, a wolf demon who knows manners and can chant Buddhist scriptures has actually appeared?

The pig demon's small eyes darted around, and its attitude changed instantly.

This isn't a wild wolf; it's a talent delivered right to my doorstep! If I introduce this wolf demon to the king, he might be pleased and even reward me with a piece of meat.

"Cough cough."

The pig demon cleared his throat, put away his spiked club, and dramatically puffed out his greasy belly: "You wolf-headed fellow do have some sense! Our king is indeed that... refined scholar! He's a big fan of... whatever Buddhist teachings!"

He waved his hand and shouted to the little demons behind him, "Go, make way for this wolf brother! We Black Wind Mountain people are the most hospitable!"

Then he turned to Fan Yuan and said, "Come with me, I will take you to see the King. You have come at the right time. The King has just returned with a treasure and is in a very good mood."

Fan Yuan's heart skipped a beat; he knew he had passed the first hurdle.

"Thank you for leading the way, Commander." He maintained his humble posture, clasped his hands together, and followed behind the pig demon.

The group of demons passed through the mist and finally arrived at the Black Wind Cave on the top of Black Wind Mountain.

The entrance to the demon's lair was clean and free of weeds, and several large, elegant characters were even carved on the cliff walls on both sides.

After passing through the first door, you'll see a red paper couplet pasted on the second door: "Quietly hidden in the deep mountains, free from worldly worries; living in seclusion in a mountain cave, enjoying the simple joys of life."

"This..." Fan Yuan thought to himself, this is not a man-eating demon cave, but a blessed land where one can attain enlightenment!

Stepping inside the cave reveals a completely different world. Beneath the rocky cliffs, flowers and plants flourish in tranquility, pine and bamboo provide shade, and stone tables and benches are arranged in a pleasing manner. On a stone shelf to the side, there are even several scrolls of bamboo scriptures. There is no trace of blood in the air; instead, there is a faint fragrance of sandalwood and tea.

"This black bear spirit has quite the high standards." Fan Yuan's initial contempt subsided somewhat, replaced by a deeper sense of vigilance.

It's not the ferocity of monsters that's scary, it's the culture of them. This black bear spirit has managed to build his cave in such a way, he's definitely not the kind of stupid creature that only knows how to kill.

"The king is inside. Go in, but watch out for your wolf pelt!" the pig demon warned in a low voice, then bowed and stepped aside.

Fan Yuan controlled his clone, and entered the three-layered door with his head bowed and eyes downcast.

This place is adorned with painted beams and carved pillars, bright windows and colorful doors, and in the very center sits a dark-skinned man on a tiger-skin armchair.

The dark-skinned man was as tall as an iron tower, with a face as black as charcoal and a full beard as sharp as needles. His eyes gleamed with a terrifying light. He was not wearing armor, but rather a worn-out blue cloth robe, a black gold headband, and black leather boots.

At this moment, he was toying with a dazzling robe in his hands, his eyes filled with fascination, and he clicked his tongue in amazement: "What a treasure, what a treasure! Although that old monk was a worldly person, this robe is indeed a Buddhist treasure."

It was indeed that brocade cassock!

Fan Yuan's clone only glanced at it before feeling a stinging pain in his eyes. He immediately lowered his head, knelt down, and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble demon, Canglang, pays respects to King Black Wind! May Your Majesty enjoy eternal bliss and live as long as the heavens!"

The black bear spirit was engrossed in watching when he suddenly heard someone speaking below. Only then did he reluctantly shift his gaze from the cassock and glance at Fan Yuan.

"Oh? You're new here?" The black bear spirit's voice boomed like a bronze bell. "You do have a handsome appearance. Although your demonic aura is weak, you do know some manners, unlike the idiots all over this mountain who only know how to eat people."

Seeing that Fan Yuan's kneeling posture was proper and his words were respectful, he immediately felt a bit of goodwill towards him. He usually called himself the Bear Hermit and liked to imitate the mannerisms of human literati, so he naturally liked to have a sensible subordinate.

"This humble demon admires Your Majesty's charisma and has come to serve you. I am willing to serve Your Majesty by holding your horse's stirrups." Fan Yuan bowed again.

"Hmm, not bad." The black bear spirit nodded in satisfaction and casually said, "Since you are a wolf spirit with gray fur, I'll call you Gray Fur from now on."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this name upon me!" Although Fan Yuan inwardly grumbled about the incredibly rustic name, he outwardly feigned gratitude.

The black bear spirit waved his hand, as if shooing away flies: "Since you understand some human affairs, you don't need to patrol the mountain anymore. The alchemy room in the back cave needs someone to sweep and tend the fire. Go there and be at their service. Remember, the alchemy room is a sacred place; don't touch anything, or I'll skin you alive and use your skin as a mattress!"

Alchemy room? !

Fan Yuan's heart pounded wildly, and he could barely control his facial expression.

It's like a pillow being delivered to someone's head when they're sleepy! He went to great lengths to sneak in, all for the resources of this Black Wind Cave. He was originally thinking about how to gradually infiltrate from the outside, but unexpectedly, this black bear demon took a liking to him and threw him directly into the core area.

"Yes! This humble demon will certainly do his utmost!"

Fan Yuan respectfully withdrew.

Led by a little demon, Fan Yuan arrived at the back cave.

This place was even quieter than the front hall, and the air was filled with a rich medicinal fragrance. Through the half-open stone door, Fan Yuan could vaguely see a huge Bagua furnace standing in the center of the alchemy room. The furnace fire was blue, which was obviously not an ordinary fire.

"This black bear spirit... is indeed practicing Taoist alchemy!"

Fan Yuan was overjoyed.

The demon race cultivates by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to refine their physical bodies. Very few of them are proficient in alchemy, because alchemy requires extremely high control over the soul and an understanding of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, which is a closely guarded secret of the orthodox Taoist sect.

This black bear spirit is not only well-versed in Buddhist principles, but also practices Taoist alchemy, clearly following the path of dual cultivation of Buddhism and Taoism!

No wonder Guanyin Bodhisattva didn't kill him in the original story, but instead took him in as a guardian deity of the mountain. This guy's talent and comprehension are extremely rare among demons.

"A stroke of luck!"

Suppressing his excitement, Fan Yuanqiang obediently picked up a broom and began clearing the fallen leaves around the alchemy room. At the same time, he quietly extended his divine sense to record the surrounding terrain and the distribution of restrictions.

……

The following morning, Black Wind Cave was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Black Bear was in high spirits. The little demons below were writing invitations to invite the demon kings of the surrounding area to a gathering called the Buddhist Robe Gathering, but in reality, it was to show off the brocade cassock he had just acquired.

The little demons inside the cave were so busy they barely had time to breathe, slaughtering cattle and horses, skinning and removing bones.