Time flies like an arrow, years go by like a swift runner.
Spring comes and goes, autumn arrives, and many months have quietly passed.
Outside, the maple leaves blaze like fire, turning the imperial capital into a vermilion hue.
During this period, the power of the divine elixir has been activated to more than half, and there are still two or three months left to use.
During this period, Chen Yun's power has been growing more profound, gradually approaching the late stage of the earthly immortal realm, but the real realm still hasn't experienced much growth.
In the sixth year of Hui Tong, on the morning of September 5th.
Chen Yun was sitting lazily in the garden, with his named disciple Chang Wei standing beside him.
He closed his eyes and sensed himself, faintly sensing that, if he refined the power of the divine elixir again, his power level should be able to reach the late stage of the earthly immortal realm.
After exploration, Chen Yun slowly opened his eyes and asked: "Chang Wei, how is your meditation in the past few days?"
Chang Wei spoke with the utmost respect, "Reporting to Master, the internal alchemy is profound and complex. After so many years of cultivation, the apprentice has finally reached the brink of condensing the elixir of immortality, and it may be any moment before he becomes an immortal."
Chen Yun nodded with satisfaction, "You already had a good foundation, but you've always lacked the true method. Therefore, your cultivation has been slow, relying on incense and fire to become a god. However, there are numerous shamanistic schools in the north that all compete for your offerings. Your divinity is not particularly strong. If you can truly cultivate to become an immortal, you will no longer need to rely on offerings. Furthermore, the Khitan have recently mobilized their troops and are preparing to invade the south. At that time, shamans and shamanism will emerge from their nests in the north to contend with sacred beings in the south. If your cultivation level is too low, you may perish on the battlefield. I hope you will diligently cultivate and become an immortal as soon as possible so that you have some self-preservation power."
Chang Wei replied, "Disciple will strictly follow Master's instructions."
Chen Yun changed the topic and said, "Have the many sacred beings of Chicheng King and Ganjiang Temple returned?"
Chang Wei replied, "They have been away from the imperial capital since they left in the spring, and there has been no sign of anyone returning. However, I have heard that recently envoys from the southern dynasties were sent to reconcile with the Khitan and restore their vassal relationship. It is feared that this battle will not occur."
Chen Yun laughed, "This war is bound to break out."
Chang Wei asked in confusion, "Why do you think the Jin Dynasty will definitely fight against the Khitan?"
Chen Yun pointed south and said, "You have not yet reached a high level of cultivation, so you are not aware of the situation in the Southern Dynasties. Recently, I used a great law to look into the Southern Dynasties and found out one thing. The Jing Yanguang has imprisoned and killed the Khitan merchants in Jin's territory. If you were the Khitan emperor, could you bear this grievance?"
Chang Wei was greatly shocked and said, "For a southern minister to act in such a manner is truly a provocation."
"It's not just that," Chen Yun sighed. "The Jing Yanguang declared that the Jin Dynasty has ten million crossbow arrows. If you want to fight, why wait? If he doesn't come in a day or two, he will be laughed at by the world and it will be too late to regret it. This is a provocation that no one can resist, not even the Khitan emperor. So, I believe this war will definitely break out."
Chang Wei said with compassion, "The rise and fall of dynasties bring only suffering to the common people. I truly do not wish for there to be a war."
With these words spoken, Chen Yun fell silent.
Indeed, the rise and fall of dynasties bring only suffering to the common people.
If it were not for the historical trend, he would truly not want to incite the Khitan emperor to launch a military invasion to the south.
To be honest, Chen Yun is not interested in the title of immortality or the achievement of being enshrined in the Hall of Gods.
The reason why he participated in this battle for immortality was initially because he promised Ji Xin and other immortals to help them achieve success and become yin officials.
Later, when his master went on a campaign, it further strengthened Chen Yun's determination to gain enough merit to save people.
Without these two things, he would definitely not have participated in the War of Deification.
After all, internal alchemy is incredibly profound, and he has already cultivated to the stage of the earthly immortal realm. With the help of the《Da Luo Ling Tang》, he is just a few steps away from becoming a true Da Luo Immortal, so there is no need to fight on the battlefield.
The risk of death on the battlefield is one of the reasons he doesn't want to participate, but it's not the most important one.
Chen Yun, of course, knows that once the war is ignited, how many people will be displaced and the immense harm it will cause to the world's people.
As a Daoist, he began receiving Daoist education at the age of sixteen and has always adhered to the idea that the way of life should be respected. Naturally, he does not wish for war to cause suffering and pain to countless living beings.
Therefore, he once came to the Khitan and asked Yelu Deguang whether he dared to drink the Two-Heart Tea. This time, he directly stated that they could not invade civilians.
"I hope Yelu De'guang won't massacred the Han people like history."
Chen Yun pondered, "If he really does that, the Two-Heart Tea will certainly claim his life!"
Those who achieve enlightenment and become immortals are not allowed to harm ordinary people according to the laws of heaven. However, Chen Yun has explained the specific effects of the Two-Heart Tea, which is something that Yelu De'guang willingly drank. Therefore, if Yelu De'guang really does die from breaking his promise and failing to keep his end of the deal, it will not be Chen Yun's fault.
As he was thinking, Chen Yun suddenly noticed that the qi in the heavens and earth began to vibrate.
He suddenly looked up towards the sky.
He saw a seven-colored glow flicker across the blue sky and white clouds.
The next moment, all the strange phenomena vanished.
Chang Wei's cultivation level is relatively low, and he did not notice the situation at all.
Chen Yun had already stood up, loudly declaring, "Which sacred being has descended? Please reveal yourself."
As the words fell, a child in tigerskin clothes, with an unusual belt around his waist, looking like a three or five-year-old, appeared abruptly before them.
His appearance seemed incredibly cute, chubby, and like a lost child from any household.
The child, whose speech sounded old and weary, said, "Are you Chen Pu brother? I am Nezha, a good friend of Chicheng King. I was invited here. If you're happy, call me Nezha brother. If you're not happy, it's fine to call me by my full name."
Chen Yun was about to reply when he noticed that Chang Wei was sweating profusely on his forehead, and he couldn't help but hesitate.
Nezha seemed to notice as well, slapping his head and saying, "I almost forgot. This belt of mine is one of the eight dragons from the Thatra dynasty, which is restraining your great snake."
Saying this, he patted his belt, "Don't cause trouble, or I'll eat you."
The next moment, Chang Wei returned to normal and quickly bowed his hands in respect, "Thank you, Third Prince."
Nezha waved his hand, "It's alright."
Chen Yun knew that Nezha had great powers and that he would need the other's assistance in the upcoming battles. Generously, he said, "I am very grateful to Nezha brother for not holding back and coming to help me."
Just as they were chatting, a flash of golden light appeared in the sky.
In an instant, a middle-aged man wearing multiple pieces of green turquoise chainmail armor, chainmail armor boots, holding a treasure umbrella, holding a jade and ivory pot with precious relics, sleeping with a mouse that spews treasures on his shoulder, and riding a red mane white lion appeared out of nowhere.
At the moment the man appeared, Nezha clearly made a face, as if he didn't like him much.
Chen Yun and Chang Wei looked at each other in confusion, secretly guessing who this person might be.
Fortunately, the middle-aged man got off the red mane white lion and introduced himself, "Master Chen, I am Li Jing, the King of Heaven's Armies."
The moment Chen Yun saw the precious relics tower, he had already guessed that the person was Nezha's father, King of Heaven's Armies. However, he had not expected King of Heaven's Armies to actually claim to be Li Jing.
He was somewhat puzzled and said, "General, are you the former great military genius of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing?"
Li Jing smiled and said, "That's right."
Chen Yun asked in confusion, "I have heard that the Heaven King was a distinguished official of the Tang Dynasty. How did he become a Buddhist king?"
Li Jing replied with great politeness and elegance, "Li Jing is a reincarnation of the King of Vaisravana. After recovering his past wisdom, I naturally returned to the Buddhist sect to take on my original position."
Nezha didn't give Li Jing any face, snorted and said, "This fellow was chased by me and forced to reincarnate. It was only after I made him my father in the Buddhist sect that he dared to return to his position."
Li Jing's face showed some embarrassment.
Chen Yun and Chang Wei broke out into a sweat.
It really didn't occur to them that there would be such a difficult story between these father and son.
Chen Yun suddenly recalled a term called: the spire law.
This law means that the most prominent feature of a tower is its tip.
The general idea is that as Li Jing's tower gets closer to him, Nezha's Fire Tip spear gets further away, and as the tower moves further away, the tip of the Fire Tip spear gets closer to him.
Li Jing acted as if he hadn't heard Nezha's words, and changed the topic, saying, "I heard that the Chicheng King has invited your disciple to assist you. I am afraid my child may be in trouble, so I have followed him specially and hope to be able to assist you in any way."
Chen Yun thought to himself that you must be afraid that Nezha will be too far away from you, and you're worried he'll sneak up and attack again, so you've come along?
Of course, such a thing can't be said out loud in front of him.
He responded politely, "Having the help of a Heaven King is undoubtedly the best."
Nezha still didn't give Li Jing face and sneered, "With your meager divine skills, who can you help?"
Li Jing was not at all angry, smiling and saying, "Although my divine abilities are trivial, I have the jade and ivory pot with precious relics that is bestowed upon me by the Buddha. With it, dealing with immortals in the heavenly or celestial realm is not a problem at all."
Upon hearing this, Nezha's face changed, and he immediately became puffed up and silent.
Chen Yun knew that the father and son were in a feud, not that Li Jing's cultivation level was really low.
As the King of Vaisravana, he himself is a revered king in Buddhism, with incredible divine powers. It's just that he may be slightly weaker compared to Nezha.
It's worth noting that initially, both Li Jing and Nezha were Buddhist sacred images, later they were worshipped in state sacrificial altars and were revered by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
For example, Nezha is known as the Virtuous Child of Three Teachings, General of the Central Pavilion, Master Tian Tian, General with a Prestigious Presence and many more in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Additionally, in the myths and legends, Nezha subdued ninety-six cave demons, including King Bull, King Lion, King Elephant, King with a Horse Head, Demon King Who Swallowed the World, Demon Mother King, Nine-Headed Demon King, Doli Demon King, Fan Tian Demon King, five hundred yakshas, and seventy-two fiery crows. He defeated them all until he struck down the Red Monkey and subdued the evil dragon.
The red monkey mentioned here is the prototype of Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, in the "Journey to the West."
In "Journey to the West," the account of Nezha subduing King Bull is not an original creation by Wu Cheng'en, but there had been a legend of Nezha subduing King Bull before him.
In the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist teachings, Li Jing is referred to as the King of Thunder and Tower, King of Inspiration, King of Vaisravana, King of Spiritual Manifestation, and so on.
Chen Yun saw the father-son argument and acted as a mediator to change the topic, "It's a pleasure to have your assistance, your majesty. I am very grateful. When will Brother Liu return to the Qidan?"
Nezha said, "Brother Ylang has previously said that he will return after inviting some more assistance. Don't worry."
Chen Yun knew that the Second Deity would return after completing his task, so he was deliberately changing the topic.
Now that they have successfully achieved their goal, he pretends to be ignorant and asks, "What other sacred beings does Brother Erlang need to ask for assistance?"
Nezha said, "He is probably going to Fengdu to find the nine-headed Niu Magua and Jing Baiyanyan Demons. In the past, when Brother Ylang drunkenly shot the lock magic mirror, he sent these two cave demons away. He asked me to join him in subduing them. Later, the nine-headed Niu Magua and Jing Baiyanyan Demons were captured and brought to heaven. Brother Ylang pleaded for mercy for the two demons, and Emperor Tian opened an exception to the law outside of judgment, but did not extinguish their forms; they were merely suppressed in Fengdu. He said that one day they would build a feat of merit and wash away their karmic stains. Now that the God War has begun, Brother Ylang wants these two reformed demons to establish a feat of merit and wash away their karmic stains. Therefore, he specially went to invite them."
Chen Yun seemed to have heard this story, called "The Second Deity Drinks and Shots the Lock Magic Mirror."
The nine-headed Niu Magua is the prototype of the Bull Demon King in "Journey to the West."
He doesn't know whether the Jing Baiyanyan Demon is the prototype of the Hundred-Eyed Demon King.
Chang Wei seemed to have heard of these two demons and was greatly startled, "Third Prince, the nine-headed Niu Magua and the Jing Baiyanyan Demon have incredible magical abilities and are extremely ferocious. If they come to the mortal world, won't they cause trouble?"
Chen Yun also had this concern and looked at Nezha's face.
Nezha laughed and said, "They did indeed do much evil in the past, but they have already repented and dare not do any more injustice. Moreover, with me and Brother Ylang here, they cannot cause any trouble."
Li Jing butted in, looking for something to say, "Yes, I have the jade and ivory pot with precious relics that is bestowed upon me by the Buddha. With it, I can subdue those two demons if they cause trouble."
Nezha again sneered, "You really are relying on your tower to intimidate others!"
Li Jing's smile was insincere, "Why not rely on the tower if it's available? Unfortunately, you don't have a treasure tower."
Nezha's mouth twitched, and he didn't respond to his father's words.
Chen Yun could see that these father and son were truly unfriendly with each other.
If they were to continue their conversation, it might not be long before they ended up in a fight.
He quickly said, "Since both of you have come from afar, I will arrange for you to stay."
After speaking, he let Chang Wei take Li Jing to the west side of the guesthouse, while he took Nezha to the east side of the guesthouse.
...
The next day.
Chen Yun originally thought that he would have to wait until the initial nine days of the power drug's birth for Er Langshen to return to the Old God Temple.
To his surprise, by mid-morning, he saw that Er Langshen, the Seven Sages of Meishan, and a group of subordinate gods from the Guanjiang Temple of the Second Deity had all returned together.
Among these holy beings, there were two demons who stood out particularly.
The demon on the left was one and a half zhang tall, with nine different ox heads.
As expected, it must be the nine-headed Niu Magua, the prototype of the Bull Demon King.
The demon on the right was radiant with golden light.
Chen Yun could clearly see that all the golden light emanated from the vertical eyes scattered all over the demon's body.
The identity of the demon was now obvious; it was the Jing Baiyanyan Demon, the Gold-Eyed Hundred-Eyed Demon.
Chen Yun had heard Nezha say yesterday that the strength of these two demons was not inferior to Er Langshen or Nezha, and they were among the most powerful warriors.
He was about to say something to them.
Er Langshen had approached first, laughing and saying, "Chen brother, I have not disappointed you. The tasks you asked me to do are almost all completed."
Chen Yun knew that what Er Langshen was referring to were things like setting up arrays in the south.
He smiled and said, "This time, it's a pleasure to have Brother Ylang and all of you brothers here."
Er Langshen said, "It's all right. Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to two people."
Saying that, he turned to introduce the two demons, "These two are my brothers, although they are demons, they have great powers. One is called Niu Pingtian, and the other is called Jing Duomu."
Chen Yun made a bow and said, "Greetings to the King of Cows and the King of Gold."
The nine-headed Niu Magua, completely without any demon demeanor, politely returned the greeting, "Mr. Chen, you have my respects."
The Jing Baiyanyan Demon was also polite and returned the greeting, "Mr. Chen, you have my respects."
After the introductions were made, Er Langshen casually said, "This time, I invited Nezha brother, Niu brother, and Jing brother to come and stay permanently. Some of my friends have also agreed to come if we encounter any dangerous situations to assist."
Chen Yun said, "That's great."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but look at the nine-headed Niu Magua a few more times.
After all, this is the famous prototype of the Bull Demon King, and he was naturally interested.
Chen Yun had a sense of admiration in his heart. The network of connections for Er Langshen was truly vast, being able to invite people from Buddhism, demons, or other yet-to-be-seen holy beings.
To put it simply, with such powerful allies, the likelihood of winning this unprecedented war would become much greater.
Now it's autumn, and the war will start in a month or two.
Chen Yun knew that he had to use this time to quickly boost his own power to the late stage of the Earth and Deity realm.
When he really went on the battlefield, the first person he would personally kill would be Gouteng Daojin!
Although with his current strength, the possibility of killing Gouteng Daojin without using the "Killing" and "Trap-Killing" laws is quite high, who knows if there have been any unexpected encounters that have increased his strength in this year?
Therefore, for the sake of safety, the stronger his own strength, the better.
Of course, Chen Yun naturally thought of refining more "Sacred Ranking" medicine to increase the power of his own body, ensuring that he could kill Gouteng Daojin.
He thought to himself, "Two days from now, the power of the Sacred Ranking potion will reach its peak. Perhaps I can advance my strength to the late stage of the Earth and Deity realm as I predicted."
