bacchusnovels Chapter 85: Lighting the Lamp Together, Heading to Kunlun Mountain
Chapter 85: Lighting the Lamp Together, Heading to Kunlun Mountain
The Taoist Ran Deng stroked his long beard with satisfaction, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealing a gratified smile.
His deep gaze slowly moved down, finally landing on the ancient glass lamp floating in his palm.
The lamp was a dark bronze color, with intricate Taoist patterns engraved on its surface, and several shimmering gemstones inlaid in the base.
A strange gray flame burned at the wick of the lamp. Although the flame was not intense, it faintly exuded a mysterious aura and emitted a faint innate spiritual light, which stood out in the dim cave.
Although this glass lamp is only ranked as a low-grade innate spiritual treasure, its power should not be underestimated, enough to make ordinary cultivators tremble with fear.
The Taoist Ran Deng's gaze shifted slightly. He first carefully examined Niu Ben and saw that he had an extraordinary bearing and a Taoist aura flowing around him, indicating that his cultivation was quite remarkable.
With a gentle flick of his sleeve, the glass lamp radiating seven-colored light transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into his sleeve.
Then, with a warm smile, he turned his gaze to Niu Ben, his tone carrying a hint of friendliness:
"So you are a esteemed disciple of my Supreme Elder Brother! I was busy collecting spiritual treasures just now and have neglected you."
He paused, then said gently, "It is a rare fate that we meet here today. Why don't you come with me into my cave for a chat? That way, I can fulfill my duty as a host."
Earlier, when Niu Ben introduced himself as a disciple, Daoist Ran Deng happened to sense the aura of the birth of the Glass Lamp and was too busy to say anything more.
Now that he had the treasure in his hands, he naturally did not want to neglect this distinguished visitor.
You should know that ordinary Golden Immortals are nothing special in his eyes, but the one in front of him is the personal disciple of the Supreme Saint, the head of the Three Pure Ones.
Based on this identity alone, he deserves to be treated with courtesy and even to befriend him.
Seeing that the Taoist Ran Deng was sincere, Niu Ben readily nodded in agreement:
"Very good." With that, he followed the Taoist Ran Deng toward the cave hidden in the clouds. The two of them disappeared at the entrance of the cave in the blink of an eye.
Inside the cave, ethereal mist swirls and a spiritual spring murmurs.
Ran Deng served Niu Ben some divine tea and spiritual fruits, and they began to chat happily.
……
Meanwhile, in the core area of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court, there is a magnificent palace complex.
With a solemn expression, the Celestial King Luo Tian passed through numerous palaces and arrived at a main hall shrouded in purple immortal mist. This hall was entirely crafted from Nine Heavens Mystic Jade, and its doors were carved with lifelike dragon and phoenix patterns, exuding a chilling aura of power.
As soon as the Celestial King Luo Tian stepped into the palace, a terrifying aura as vast as an abyss swept over him from the main seat.
The pressure was so strong that it made Luo Tian, a Great Luo Golden Immortal, tense up, and his immortal power stagnated.
He looked up and saw an old man in a purple-gold Taoist robe sitting in the main seat. He was a quasi-saint powerhouse from the Purple Mansion Immortal Court.
It turns out that a thousand years ago, the Celestial King Luo Tian had reported the matter of the Niu tribe in the Ten Thousand Mountains to the Eastern King.
At that time, the Bull Clan not only refused to submit, but also openly challenged the majesty of the Purple Palace Celestial Court.
Upon hearing this, the Eastern King was furious and immediately ordered that troops be sent to attack them a thousand years later. The reason for giving a thousand-year deadline was that he hoped the Niu tribe would recognize the situation and take the initiative to submit.
However, the Celestial King Luo Tian never informed the Bull Clan about this matter.
Deep in his heart, he had long believed that only by completely annihilating the Bull Clan could the supreme majesty of the Purple Mansion Celestial Court be demonstrated.
At this moment, he respectfully bowed deeply to the Quasi-Saint and asked in a deep voice, "My lord, the thousand-year period has arrived. Shall we immediately send troops to attack the Bull Clan?"
Upon hearing this, the Quasi-Saint's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he slowly stood up from his jade throne.
His body surged with immortal power, his robes fluttering even without wind, and he coldly declared, "Issue my decree: dispatch troops immediately!"
As soon as the order was given, war drums thundered throughout the Purple Mansion Celestial Court, and 100,000 celestial soldiers quickly assembled. In an instant, the entire Celestial Court was filled with murderous intent and overwhelming fighting spirit.
Led by a quasi-saint, this mighty celestial army marched towards the Ten Thousand Mountains, determined to annihilate the Bull Clan in one fell swoop.
……
On the other side, in the Taoist temple where Niu Ben and the Burning Lamp Taoist were located.
The two had just finished their discussion when Niu Ben got up to take his leave.
He respectfully bowed to Daoist Ran Deng and said sincerely, "Senior Ran Deng, I have troubled you for a long time and it is time for me to take my leave. I have benefited greatly from this discussion, and I thank you for your kind hospitality."
As Niu Ben spoke, he straightened his clothes, preparing to leave this blessed land.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Ran Deng appeared slightly surprised. He stroked his long beard, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and then asked, "Young friend Niu Ben, please wait. What are your plans next? Where are you headed?"
Upon hearing the senior's inquiry, Niu Ben truthfully replied, "To be honest, senior, I have been traveling for several years and now intend to return to Kunlun Mountain to pay my respects to my master."
His tone was calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of homesickness.
"Back to Kunlun Mountain?"
Upon hearing this answer, a glint flashed in the eyes of the Taoist Ran Deng, and an unusual expression appeared on his face.
As a quasi-saint level powerhouse, he has recently sensed the aura of a great calamity permeating the world. Even with his cultivation level, he dares not say that he is fully confident that he can safely survive this calamity.
Prior to this, Emperor Jun of the Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan and the Eastern King Duke of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court had both sent people to persuade him to join their respective camps.
However, Daoist Ran Deng was meticulous and never agreed. In his view, if one wanted to find a backer, one should naturally choose the most powerful force.
In the primordial world, the Three Pure Ones were undoubtedly the best choice.
In fact, the Taoist Ran Deng had planned to visit Kunlun Mountain soon.
Upon hearing that Niu Ben was also going back, a brilliant idea immediately came to mind.
He pondered for a moment, then smiled broadly and looked at Niu Ben eagerly, saying:
"Young friend Niu Ben, this is truly a stroke of luck! I was just about to visit my senior brother Yuanshi at Kunlun Mountain. How about we travel together?"
Upon hearing this, Niu Ben's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.
He readily nodded in agreement, saying, "That would be excellent!"
Although he readily agreed on the surface, Niu Ben had already seen through the situation and understood that Randeng intended to take this opportunity to become a disciple of his second master, Yuanshi Tianzun.
Seeing that Niu Ben agreed, the Taoist Ran Deng was overjoyed and immediately got up.
The two smiled at each other and left the secluded cave together, embarking on their journey to Kunlun Mountain.
However, just as Niu Ben and Daoist Ran Deng finished packing and were about to set off for their destination, the once clear sky suddenly changed, and strange phenomena appeared.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar shook the entire void, and the rolling thunder, like war drums, reverberated through the sky, making people's eardrums ache.
"Um?"
This sudden and huge commotion naturally alerted Niu Ben and the Taoist Ran Deng.
The two stopped in their tracks and looked up at the sky.
This sight was quite remarkable. Above the vast sky, a massive army of immortals and generals descended on auspicious clouds, obscuring the sun and sky.
They were dressed in uniform armor, wielding gleaming weapons, their banners fluttering in the wind, their overwhelming killing intent almost tangible, sending chills down one's spine.
Even more eye-catching was a large flag with gold trim fluttering in the wind at the very front of the army formation. The flag bore two large, gold-plated characters: "Zifu!" which shone brightly in the sunlight and were particularly striking.
"Oh?"
"Is it the forces of the Purple Mansion Celestial Court?"
Upon seeing this, Daoist Ran Deng frowned slightly, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. He pondered for a moment, then said thoughtfully:
"Judging from this display, some foolish creature must have offended the Purple Palace, and the Eastern King Duke has sent people to punish it."
The Taoist Ran Deng spoke calmly, as if he were already used to it.
Since the establishment of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court, the Eastern King Duke, relying on his status as the head of the male immortals appointed by the Dao Ancestor, has begun to expand his power recklessly.
Not only did it recruit immortals and gods from all walks of life to expand its power, but it also took strong measures to suppress those races and forces that were unwilling to submit to the Purple Mansion Immortal Court.
Daoist Ran Deng had seen similar large-scale mobilizations many times before, so he was not surprised at all.
He knew perfectly well that the Eastern King's ambitions were not limited to this.
This male immortal leader has grand ambitions; his ultimate goal is to unify all races in the primordial world and become the supreme ruler of the primordial world!
"Dong Wang Gong Yao?"
Niu Ben muttered to himself, he didn't have a good impression of the Eastern King.
Previously, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden of the Western Kunlun Medicine Pool was hunted down by male immortals from the Purple Mansion Immortal Court.
Upon encountering them, he immediately killed those people from the Purple Mansion Immortal Court and escorted the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden to the Western Kunlun Medicine Pool.
After leaving Yaochi, he then set off for Buzhou Mountain.
"If this Dongwanggong hadn't courted death, he might have lived a few more years."
Niu Ben sighed inwardly, but didn't dwell on it further.
He knew this very well, though others might not.
The Eastern King Duke, the head of the male immortals in the Purple Mansion Celestial Court, probably won't be able to keep his power for much longer.
He will eventually die at the hands of the demon race.
Then, Niu Ben and the Taoist Ran Deng went together.
Little did they know that the Purple Mansion army they had just encountered was the very army that the Eastern King Duke had sent to the Ten Thousand Mountains to exterminate the Bull Clan.
"The cattle tribe!"
"Your time to die has come."
"So, a Grand Luo Golden Immortal is in charge? This time, my Purple Mansion Immortal Court has dispatched a Quasi-Saint. Let's see what you can do to stop them!"
In the army of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court, the Luo Tian Immortal King whispered, a sinister smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.
Earlier, because he had his eye on the innate spiritual treasure in the hands of the Bull Clan, he led a large army there, thinking it was a sure thing.
Who would have thought that Niu Qing of the Bull Clan, wielding that innate spiritual treasure, would utterly defeat them, forcing them to flee in disarray.
For this, Luo Tian naturally harbored resentment towards the Bull Clan.
After returning to the Purple Mansion Celestial Court, he went on to exaggerate and embellish the story of the Ox Clan before the Eastern King Duke.
The Eastern King was furious, which led to the current situation where the Purple Mansion Immortal Court army, led by a Quasi-Saint, is going to suppress the Bull Clan!
At this moment, the Quasi-Saint of the Purple Mansion Immortal Court had an indifferent expression.
He had already learned about the situation of the Bull Clan from Luo Tian. The entire clan was only under the control of one Great Luo Golden Immortal, who could wipe them out with a flick of his wrist.
……
the other side.
Niu Ben and the Taoist Ran Deng traveled swiftly and soon arrived at Kunlun Mountain.