Chapter 441: Western Pure Land

When Demon Heart Cave Master proposed to recruit the Old Monster in the Stone, Lu Hongtu immediately allowed it.

It was just unexpected that multiple recruitment attempts failed.

Lu Hongtu naturally knew the dark thoughts of Demon Heart Cave Master and others, but he couldn't care about it, after all, people were needed before the great war.

But he couldn't let these people play small tricks, so he thought about it and decided to go out himself, taking the two Nascent Soul Cave Masters, Demon Heart and Blood Shadow, to put pressure on the Old Monster in the Stone together, forcing the latter to come out of the mountain!

Deep in the cave.

Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, although exhausted, his eyes were full of joy.

"Stone Casting Earth Treasure supernatural power... 60%!"

He was preparing to rest, but found that Sun Lingtong was missing.

"Eh? Where did Boss go?"

The flying letter specially left by Sun Lingtong circled around Ning Zhuo like a bird.

Ning Zhuo took the letter and immediately knew the cause and effect.

"Boss, he came up with something new again."

Ning Zhuo shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly.

He immediately chiseled open the stone skin and saw the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat that had become a stone boat. The full text of the "Heaven-Born Earth-Raised Fetal Breath Great Method" was shining brightly.

Ning Zhuo came to the stone boat and penetrated his spiritual sense.

Sun Lingtong sensed it and immediately communicated with Ning Zhuo using spiritual sense.

"Little Zhuo, it's so fun."

"Relying on this method, my physical foundation has soared, and I can also know the past experiences of the Old Monster in the Stone."

"As an Earth Essence, it's really boring. But occasionally, many new things happen."

"You come and play too!"

Sun Lingtong enthusiastically invited Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief: "Boss, it's good that you're okay."

"I'd better go back to the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon to rest."

"This is the Thousand Peaks Forest, after all, it is the enemy's territory. We'd better mine as soon as possible to avoid accidents."

As soon as Ning Zhuo finished saying this, a powerful force fluctuation occurred.

The fluctuation quickly covered the entire mountain peak.

On the periphery, a huge magic array was activated, and the formation boundary formed shrouded the entire Heavenly Pillar Giant Tree!

Sun and Ning:??!!

Sun Lingtong could no longer care about cultivation: "Not, not good, is this a trap? Little Zhuo, let's run!"

Ning Zhuo reacted faster.

Just as Sun Lingtong transmitted his thoughts, he pulled out the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat and plunged into the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon with the boat and Sun Lingtong.

The stone skin on Sun Lingtong's body was several inches thick, and he was struggling hard with his little arms and legs.

Ning Zhuo had already mastered 60% of the supernatural power, and at a glance, he saw the details, and transmitted his spiritual sense to Sun Lingtong: "Don't mess around, Boss. You have to let me solve this stone skin. Wait a moment, let's leave here first!"

As a result, after Ning Zhuo came to the dragon head cabin, he discovered an extremely bad reality.

"Boss, we can't run. This formation suppresses space, and the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon cannot travel at all. Forcing it to start is like an egg hitting a stone wall." Ning Zhuo transmitted his spiritual sense.

"?!!" Sun Lingtong was struck by a bolt from the blue.

"I'll let you out first." Ning Zhuo just reached out his hand, preparing to untie Sun Lingtong's stone skin.

The voice of the Ink Abyss Cave Master resounded throughout the mountain peak: "Six Caves Sect Lu Hongtu, with Demon Heart and Blood Shadow, two Cave Masters, come to visit the mountain."

"Old Monster in the Stone, come out and talk, how about it?"

The sound waves were vast, running through the cave entrance, and finally reached the depths of the cave bottom.

The Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon vibrated slightly in the sound waves.

In the dragon head cabin, the hearts of Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong also jumped fiercely.

"Lu Hongtu? The Great Cave Master of the Six Caves Sect!"

"And Demon Heart, Blood Shadow... why are they here?"

"They want to contact the Old Monster in the Stone, with such a posture, they want to force him out of the mountain!"

Sun and Ning communicated with spiritual sense and realized the severity of the situation almost instantly.

The Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon could not travel through the void, and the space that could be moved became extremely limited.

Once the three Nascent Soul cultivators discovered that the Old Monster in the Stone was dead and had traces of being mined, they would inevitably not cancel the formation, but search on a large scale.

By then, could the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon continue to hide and avoid the search of these three people?

The possibility is too small!

Because before this, Sun Lingtong had tried. In the main hall of the Six Caves Sect, they were discovered by the Demon Heart Cave Master.

And now, the Demon Heart Cave Master is among them.

Not only that, the Great Cave Master Ink Abyss, who is recognized as stronger than him, also came in person!

Desperate situation!

The ups and downs of life came too fast, too suddenly.

Just now, Sun and Ning were still in a state of joy, imagining the future in a beautiful reality, but the next moment, it turned sharply and fell into

The pressure of death rushed toward them.

Ning Zhuo's face turned pale, and he felt that even breathing was difficult: "How are we to break this deadlock?"

Sun Lingtong, meanwhile, was subconsciously struggling with all his might within the thick stone skin.

Suddenly, Sun Lingtong's movements came to an abrupt halt, and his spiritual sense fluctuated violently: "Little Zhuo, I—I've thought of a way!"

"We will both drill into the stone ball and let the stone skin wrap around and cover us."

"In this way, we can disguise ourselves as the Old Monster in the Stone."

Ning Zhuo shook his head: "I've thought of that. It's unreliable! Because Mo Yuan and the others will inevitably test the Old Monster in the Stone. We aren't even familiar with the Old Monster in the Stone's tone or manner of speech..."

Having said this, Ning Zhuo paused.

He suddenly remembered Sun Lingtong's communication with him not long ago.

By actively enduring the divine ability Stone Casting Earth Treasure, as well as the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat, Sun Lingtong had entered a fetal breath state and acquired many of the Old Monster in the Stone's memories.

Tone and manner of speech were naturally not a problem!

Outside the cave.

Mo Yuan, Mo Xin, and Xue Ying hovered high in the air, waiting for a moment, but saw no response from the Old Monster in the Stone.

"Hmph, this old monster is extremely dull; could he still be in a deep sleep?" Cave Master Xue Ying snorted coldly.

"Unlikely. We have sealed the void and suppressed earth-travel. Although the Old Monster in the Stone is a Nascent Soul, he was born an earth spirit, and the instinct to burrow and flee has been deep in his bones for a long time. This time, earth-travel is forbidden, so he must have already reacted. It's just that seeing our Great Cave Master here, he doesn't dare to come out!" Cave Master Mo Xin flattered Cave Master Mo Yuan.

Cave Master Mo Yuan's expression was indifferent: "Let's go, we will go together to meet the Old Monster in the Stone."

As he spoke, he took the lead and flew down.

Cave Masters Mo Xin and Xue Ying exchanged a glance and followed closely behind.

The caves within this giant Pillar Tree were complex and filled with secret passages, but that could not stump Nascent Soul-level cultivators.

Furthermore, they had previously dispatched cultivators to pay a visit to the mountain and had already mapped out the path.

Although those cultivators had been killed by Cave Master Mo Xin, the intelligence they brought back had not been destroyed.

Therefore, Mo Yuan and the other two quickly arrived at the final stone-walled cave hall.

The massive cave entrance was pitch black, as if it had swallowed even the light.

The previous batch of Six-Cave Sect cultivators had stopped here, set up a magic array, and even sacrificed many of their companions.

From beginning to end, they had never dared to venture deep into the giant cave.

Mo Yuan and the other two did not slow down; they went straight forward, passed through a section of the passage, and saw the stone ball at the bottom of the cave.

Mo Yuan and the other two cultivators stopped voluntarily when they were ten steps away from the stone ball.

"Old Monster in the Stone," Mo Yuan called out softly.

Mo Xin and Xue Ying looked solemn, secretly on guard.

Although they had strength in numbers, this was, after all, the Old Monster in the Stone's territory, and the latter possessed the advantage of the terrain.

The Old Monster in the Stone had resided here for many years and might have cultivated some formidable trump cards here. In short, caution could never be wrong.

They did not know that the Old Monster in the Stone had long since died, and what was hidden inside the body at this moment was a mechanical wandering dragon, along with Sun and Ning.

Sun Lingtong and the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat had both been taken out and were pressed tightly against the stone ball.

As for Ning Zhuo, he was panting and nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

Just a moment ago, he had raced against time, squeezing out all his essence, energy, and spirit to activate the Stone Casting Earth Treasure divine ability within his spirit sea dantian.

With more than half of the divine ability used, and under the massive spiritual power provided by the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon, Ning Zhuo had still thrillingly managed to restore the stone ball to its original state before the three cultivators arrived.

Previously, Ning Zhuo would never have imagined that he would one day actively help the stone ball return to its old appearance.

The stone ball had temporarily fooled the three Nascent Soul cultivators.

But such a severe test of life and death had only just begun.

When Cave Master Mo Yuan called out "Old Monster in the Stone," Sun and Ning had to respond.

Not responding would be to show contempt for Lu Hongtu, a Nascent Soul-level expert!

Thus, Sun Lingtong followed the content from the memory fragments and emitted a weathered, aged voice: "Lu Hongtu, the Thousand Peaks Earth Vein Map you promised to make for me, is it finished?"

Cave Master Mo Yuan's expression sank immediately.

This involved an old matter from years ago.

Cave Master Mo Yuan was proficient in the art of painting and had sought a breakthrough in his personal painting skills back then, wanting to depict the Earth Vein Map of the Thousand Peaks Forest.

He had taken the initiative to find the Old Monster in the Stone, spent much time, and paid a considerable price to finally persuade the Old Monster in the Stone to cooperate with him.

The Old Monster in the Stone was himself an earth spirit; if he could control the Thousand Peaks Earth Vein Map, it would be quite helpful for his own cultivation.

As a result, the two joined forces, and just as they completed thirty percent of the exploration, they were ruthlessly suppressed by the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King.

The Ginseng-Beard Dragon King was a Soul Transformation-level existence and the undisputed strongest in the Thousand Peaks Forest, possessing the most faith, with thousands of dragon whiskers reaching deep into the ground, spreading across many Pillar Trees, their roots tangled and intertwined.

Although Cave Master Mo Yuan and the Old Monster in the Stone were a powerful alliance, they were ultimately only Nascent Soul-level and were no match for the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King.

Furthermore, their attempt to explore the earth veins of the entire Thousand Peaks Forest had touched upon the interests of the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King.

Such important things as earth veins were naturally only safe when held in one's own hands.

Without any surprise, Great Cave Master Mo Yuan and the Old Monster in the Stone suffered a disastrous failure.

Their first collaboration ended in failure.

The Old Monster in the Stone was severely injured and held a grudge against Great Cave Master Mo Yuan. Because beforehand, Lu Hongtu had guaranteed that the possibility of success was very high, had boasted for a long time, and had severely ignored the existence of the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King.

Now, Sun Lingtong had taken the initiative to bring up this old matter for two purposes.

The first purpose was naturally to indicate his identity and confirm that he was indeed the Old Monster in the Stone.

The second purpose was to preemptively block any invitation from the three cultivators. Because, once the Old Monster in the Stone had to move, he would no longer be in the form of a stone ball, and Sun and Ning would be exposed!

Lu Hongtu said coldly: "Old monster, do you still have the face to bring up what happened back then?"

"If you hadn't pulled out early, we could have fought side by side and surely cut off a hundred of the Dragon King's ginseng whiskers."

"As a result, you deserted the battle, leaving me to fight alone; I cut off thirty-some whiskers and had no choice but to admit defeat and surrender."

"You were indeed severely injured, but do you think I wasn't?"

"And ever since then, my Six-Cave Sect has had to establish a Dragon King Temple and offer incense to the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King!"

"It was precisely because our side paid a huge price that we pacified the Dragon King's anger. In this respect, you owe me a favor."

Sun Lingtong immediately retorted: "Hmph, if you hadn't instigated it back then, I was living perfectly well on my own; how would I have been injured?"

"This time, no matter what, I will not go out."

"If the two-kingdom army wants to conquer, then let them come. At worst, I'll just leave the Thousand Peaks Forest!"

Sun Lingtong's heart was pounding.

Even wrapped in stone skin, it was hard to remain calm.

These words were not improvised on the spot, but were suggested by Ning Zhuo.

In Sun Lingtong's view, these words were too dangerous, as if they were meant to provoke the three Nascent Soul cultivators into attacking!

Lu Hongtu's expression sank further.

Sun Lingtong's words had struck the deepest concern in his heart.

If the Old Monster in the Stone had threatened to surrender, he would have been easier to handle. At least in attacking, he would occupy the moral high ground of the Thousand Peaks Forest natives!

But if the Old Monster in the Stone wanted to leave, he could not easily stop him.

Once he took action, the move would be too overbearing and would provoke the resentment of many forces and figures.

The Old Monster in the Stone was a rather special existence among Nascent Soul cultivators.

He only occupied this one Pillar Tree, stayed in the bottom of the cave year-round without moving, and rarely had conflicts with surrounding forces.

For Lu Hongtu to take action to eradicate such an existence was unjustifiable and would trigger wariness and suspicion within the native alliance of the Thousand Peaks Forest.

And these were things Lu Hongtu very much did not want to see.

Thus, Lu Hongtu smiled lightly, took a portion of soil from his bosom, and displayed it in public.

This was a portion of white soil; it appeared bright white and was pure and flawless. It had no earthy smell, but instead emitted a faint fragrance, like a gentle breeze brushing against the face, resembling temple sandalwood.

A supreme treasure of earth-travel merit, and also one of the supreme treasures of the Buddhist sect: Western Pure Land!

A poem says:

Bright earth emits light to illuminate the soul,

Ten thousand thoughts purified, Buddhist dharma arises.

Western Paradise's stainless soil,

Washes away dusty troubles, returning to a pure realm.

Wherever this soil is, it is a pure land that transcends the secular, capable of cleansing dust, purifying pollution, eliminating evil obstacles, offsetting the erosion of demonic energy, and transforming everything it touches into purity and harmony.

Not only that, for those who practice, it can also purify the mind, eliminate troubles and attachments, and guide practitioners into the holy realm of the Pure Land.

Once this soil appeared, Buddhist incense swirled.

Cave Masters Mo Xin and Xue Ying immediately took a step back, revealing looks of disgust and wariness.

Sun and Ning:?!

They had not expected that Cave Master Mo Yuan had come prepared; coercion and inducement were his methods. Secretly building a magic array was his coercion, and taking out the Western Pure Land was his inducement.

"Old Monster in the Stone, haven't you always wanted to seek the Western Pure Land?" Lu Hongtu smiled, "Now, it is right before your eyes."

Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo consulted urgently.

"Old Monster in the Stone" was silent for a moment before speaking: "Leave the Pure Land; when the army attacks this place in the future, I will naturally take action."

Lu Hongtu laughed: "The Western Pure Land is such a heavy treasure, how could I let you obtain it so easily?"

"Your place here is not some vital location; the kingdom's army might not even attack here."

"Don't say such cheap things, lest you be looked down upon by us."

Having said this, Lu Hongtu paused and revealed a shocking plan: "The vanguard army of the two-kingdom kingdom has already stationed itself below the Thousand Peaks Forest."

"The commander, Du Tiechuan, is also directing the central army and is located in Wood Wheel Town."

"Both of these places are heavily defended, so we will not attack them."

"Canglin Immortal City is the rear area for this war and has been training and reorganizing a new army."

"We have learned that one of the imperial guard armies, the Golden Halberd Army, has already arrived at Canglin Immortal City. They are about to set off to head to Wood Wheel Town and rendezvous with the central army."

"Therefore, we have decided to gather most of the Nascent Soul and Jin Dan cultivators of the Thousand Peaks Forest, lie in ambush on their marching route, and carry out an ambush!"

"If you want the Western Pure Land, sign this contract, and we will all take action together at that time."

Sun and Ning:...

Lu Hongtu took out a divine decree, reminding them on the surface while actually applying pressure: "I must make it clear to you beforehand, old monster, this is a divine decree personally created by the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King. Once you sign it, you must execute it, or you will surely suffer divine retribution."

"The power of the Dragon King, we have both experienced it, haven't we?"

Sun and Ning:...

After Cave Master Mo Yuan finished speaking, he stared quietly at the Old Monster in the Stone.

The atmosphere in the cave gradually became heavy.

The expressions of Cave Masters Mo Xin and Xue Ying became increasingly dangerous, and they were ready to move.

"Fine." Sun and Ning were forced into a corner and had no choice but to agree.

What other way was there?

The situation was very clear; if they didn't agree, a fight would break out!

Let's just survive this disaster first and worry about the rest later.

The two had no choice but to grit their teeth and sign the contract.

Seeing the Old Monster in the Stone's performance, Great Cave Master Mo Yuan's expression softened: "On the day of the operation, you and I will rendezvous at the summit of Wild Wood Peak."

Sun Lingtong snorted coldly and said in the Old Monster in the Stone's tone: "No need, I will go ambush the two-kingdom army myself."

Cave Master Mo Yuan nodded, left the Western Pure Land, and turned to leave with Cave Masters Mo Xin and Xue Ying.

The figures of the three cultivators disappeared into the pitch-black cave, and Cave Master Mo Yuan's final instruction echoed: "Old Monster in the Stone, do not play any tricks of doing the bare minimum; the constraints of the Dragon King's divine decree are far beyond what you or I imagine!"