NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37 - Clouds in the Blue Sky, Water in the Vase
Chapter 37 Clouds in the Blue Sky, Water in the Vase, Five Elements Spiritual Roots, and the Thousand-Year Thunder Peach Tree!
After hearing the reports from the various demons, King Yellow Wind praised them and then turned to Golden Lion and Silver Wolf, saying, “Go and summon the demon troops.”
“Yes!”
Golden Lion and Silver Wolf eagerly rubbed their fists. Both of them had a combative nature, and they were excited for the chance to go into battle.
“We’ll go too!”
Mouse General and Six-Tusked Elephant quickly called out. Old Black Fox and Flower Deer Lady also volunteered to join. Only Iron-Eating Bear remained calm and composed.
In its youth, it had fought alongside the War God, wreaking havoc in battles. However, fighting was risky, and since its ancestors had long passed, it had chosen to live peacefully, getting along with others.
“I’ll just stick to eating,” it muttered, pulling out a piece of bamboo shoot and chewing on it.
Golden Lion and Silver Wolf sneered, “You all go ahead with your work, leave the fighting to us.”
Mouse General wasn’t happy about that.
“We can go to battle too!”
Old Black Fox added, “I’ve learned the Six Arts of a Gentleman. I can command troops and even understand some basic martial arts!”
Silver Wolf mocked, “Talking about theory? Don’t be like Zhao Kuo!”
King Yellow Wind was surprised.
“Zhao Kuo is so famous?”
Old Black Fox puffed out his cheeks and said, “Let me tell you about Zhao Kuo, you wouldn’t understand ‘paper warfare’!”
King Yellow Wind initially thought Zhao Kuo was so famous that even demons knew of him, but it turned out it was the Eastern scholars who had taught them about him.
Not sure whether Zhao Kuo had reincarnated, King Yellow Wind decided not to dwell on it, as he didn’t want to risk any awkwardness. Seeing the demons bickering, King Yellow Wind raised his voice.
“Enough!”
He stopped the argument and said with a softer tone.
“Since this is our first time in battle, let’s all go together.”
“There’s a saying, ‘Clouds in the blue sky, water in the vase, a family of brothers, each has their own merit and hard work, don’t let discord harm the harmony.'”
“Understood!”
The demons quickly agreed, ceasing their bickering.
Old Black Fox pondered King Yellow Wind’s words, feeling there was a deeper meaning behind the phrase. He couldn’t help but admire the king’s knowledge. While the demons went off to gather troops, King Yellow Wind went up the mountain.
He reached into his Cosmos Bag and pulled out a jade stone vein. He threw it into the mountain, and the jade vein grew, spreading like a jade dragon, glowing with a soft white light. It landed in the mountain, merged with the earth, and began to sink.
Boom!
The mountain trembled slowly as if a dragon had flipped over, with the jade vein integrating with the earth’s veins, becoming part of Wu Zhen Mountain’s mineral network. The jade vein had already gained spiritual awareness and was hiding beneath the Flower-Fruit Mountain. The spiritual presence remained concealed, but it wasn’t unnoticed by King Yellow Wind.
“Rest well, gather the earth’s veins and energy. When the right time comes, you’ll transform into the dragon vein of Yellow Wind Ridge.”
A deep humming sound echoed from the earth, and streams of yellow-white energy began to rise, swirling around the mountain. The plants on the mountain swayed, their roots and branches reaching out to absorb the energy, causing the leaves to grow more vibrant and higher.
“Gathering spirits and energy? The work of creation?”
In the camp, Taibai Jinxing sensed the change. He looked towards the mountain, his thoughts stirring, “Who’s behind this?”
The beautiful woman, teaching the fox lady how to weave, squinted her eyes.
She thought to herself, It seems he has mastered both the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend transformations?
“Heavenly Gang transformation refines pure spiritual energy.”
“Earth Fiend transformation refines the energy of the earth’s core.”
“Normally, practitioners would choose one to refine. If they manage to perfect it, it would be a remarkable achievement. But how can he refine both?”
She was slightly shocked. The Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend transformations were not easy to master. Not only that, his bloodline purification and mutation were faster than expected, far beyond ordinary demons.
This is no ordinary creature, she thought. Who’s plotting here? I must investigate this thoroughly.
After planting the jade vein, King Yellow Wind planted a Five-Leaf Vine at the base of an old tree on the mountainside. The Five-Leaf Vine could gather the energy of the five elements, and the old tree could do the same. They were complementary to each other, their energies resonating together.
The two spiritual roots, both possessing their own spiritual awareness, spread the energy of the five elements in the air, creating ripples that communicated with one another. King Yellow Wind could feel their unique way of interacting, like long-separated brothers reunited.
When King Yellow Wind was about to plant the thousand-year-old peach tree, a wave of angry and opposing thoughts reached him.
King Yellow Wind was taken aback.
“Are the trees also engaging in discrimination?”
The trunk of the old peach tree revealed a weathered, ancient face, speaking in a slow tone.
“Those two are afraid of being struck by lightning.”
“Struck by lightning?”
King Yellow Wind realized. The old peach tree had been struck by lightning three times and now contained a powerful Thunderwood energy within it.
The tree regularly released and absorbed the energy of lightning, which could trigger thunderstorms and wasn’t friendly to other plants.
King Yellow Wind asked, “Where do you want to plant it?”
Although plants could not usually transform into demons, the thousand-year-old peach tree had accumulated enough spiritual awareness to gain intelligence.
King Yellow Wind had negotiated with it when he first obtained the tree. King Yellow Wind practiced the “Five Thunders Method” and would undergo a thunder tribulation. At that time, he could use the lightning energy from the tribulation to assist the peach tree in transforming.
In exchange, the tree would share half of the lightning energy it absorbed to help King Yellow Wind improve his Thunder Method. The old peach tree’s branches trembled, and after a moment, several branches pointed in a certain direction.
“That way, there seems to be a large number of yin creatures.”
King Yellow Wind looked and saw that it was indeed the direction of the Flowing Sand Kingdom.
“Yes! There’s a ghost immortal from the Underworld, who escaped and gathered a host of ghost souls and zombies to build a human ghost realm.”
The old peach tree was pleased.
“A ghost immortal? That’s perfect. All the merits will be mine! Take me there now.”
King Yellow Wind smiled, almost forgetting that peach wood, also known as Dragon Subduing Wood or Ghost Scaring Wood, was used to ward off disasters and evil spirits.
On New Year’s Eve in the human world, families hang peach charms to keep ghosts away, indicating that peach wood indeed has a restraining effect on spirits.
Moreover, this particular peach tree had been struck by lightning three times and was even more powerful. Its charred bark and new buds showed its resilience, and even ghostly creatures would be wary of it.
King Yellow Wind descended the mountain, and as he reached the Moon-swallowing Lake, a splash of water erupted, and a golden carp leapt into the air.
It called out, “Old Yellow, you’re going to fight? Take me with you! Take me with you!”
Its voice was childish, but its tone was unexpectedly mature. Below it, a group of water creatures—catfish demons, crab monsters, old turtles, and others—formed a circle around it.
With its true dragon bloodline, it had a natural dominance over water creatures, making it the little overlord of Moon-swallowing Lake.
King Yellow Wind glanced at it and said, “Who told you I’m going to fight?”
The little carp pointed to the camp and said, “You’re gathering the demon troops, aren’t you? I may be small, but I’m not stupid!”
Its tone was childish yet serious, with a touch of arrogance.