Chapter 75

Zhu Ganglie listened to Yuan Shoucheng's words, his expression turning slightly bitter. It seemed he would have to become a thief this time.

He then clasped his hands and immediately set off, riding a beam of light toward the Jing River outside the city.

As Zhu Ganglie left, the abbot of Qingyang Palace, holding a string of golden prayer beads, walked out slowly, with Yuan Shoucheng, who looked helpless, following beside him.

"Old Yuan, can this little Taoist really steal the treasures of the old Dragon King?"

"That old dragon made me lose a bet and become your laborer. If I don't trick him, how can I relieve my anger? You want to find some helpers for the Jade Emperor, and this kid is not bad. He has a connection with the Lord of the Moon and has met the reincarnation of an ancient Buddha. He might be a fortunate one."

Yuan Shoucheng's words were more sincere this time.

"It's difficult. Even if the Three Teachings have bestowed divinity, those ancient gods are still arrogant and unruly. The newly ascended True Immortals are also divided, and the Lord of the Moon is constantly competing with the Lord of the Sun, causing endless turmoil. I don't want to provoke either side for now. And although the Red Lotus is the reincarnation of an ancient Buddha, his mind is clouded in this life. Without a special opportunity, he will have to reincarnate again, so he cannot be a helper."

As the abbot and Yuan Shoucheng spoke, Zhu Ganglie had already entered the Jing River.

The Jing River was vast, with countless giant beasts living in it. Zhu Ganglie concealed his presence, relying on the effect of the Heavenly Cicada Spirit Leaf, and was not easily detected.

After practicing the Supreme Cold Wave of the Heavenly River, Zhu Ganglie moved through the water like a fish, quickly finding the palace of the Jing River Dragon King.

Seeing the massive palace, Zhu Ganglie felt a bit wary. The Jing River Dragon King was a true Dragon King, a pure dragon, and his strength, though not genuine, was certainly close to that of a True Immortal.

If it weren't for the Heavenly Cicada Spirit Leaf and the matter of his own immortality, he would never have come here.

Fortunately, he had come stealthily, and he quickly passed through the layers of defenses, entering the Crystal Palace.

As soon as he entered, Zhu Ganglie felt a massive dragon aura hit him, almost making him unable to breathe.

"Is it you, little boy, who wants to steal my nine-colored coral?"

In the midst of the substantial dragon aura, Zhu Ganglie heard a faint voice, which made his hair stand on end.

The Ancient Yang Lamp immediately transformed into a golden shield to protect him, and the Supreme Cold Wave of the Heavenly River turned into a huge river, sweeping him away from the Jing River.

The Five Ghosts of the Heavenly King Sutra condensed around him, tightly guarding him.

However, as Zhu Ganglie instantly activated multiple spells, the golden shield shattered, and the protective spell of the Heavenly River was crushed.

"Transform!"

Zhu Ganglie shouted softly, and the five ghosts turned into five giant beasts, blocking in front of him. The Nine-Headed Serpent opened its mouth and spewed out a massive flood, the Black-Winged Beast protected him with its black wings, and the Chisel-Tooth blocked the dragon aura from above.

"Hmm, the Ten Directions of Hell?"

"An ancient technique, but it seems to have been altered by someone."

As the Jing River Dragon King was surprised, Zhu Ganglie heard a familiar voice, and he was directly picked up by a huge dragon claw.

"Little boy, don't resist! If I can't catch you, then my thousands of years of cultivation would be for nothing!"

After hearing the old Dragon King's words, Zhu Ganglie found himself in the main hall of the Crystal Palace, where he saw three people sitting.

One was a stern-looking old man in a golden robe, looking at him mockingly. On the right was a middle-aged scholar in a white cloak, with star-like eyes. What made Zhu Ganglie furious was that Yuan Shoucheng was sitting on the left, smiling at the Jing River Dragon King and saying, "You ugly mud eel, didn't you bet that this boy could successfully steal the nine-colored coral? Why did you catch him early?"

"Haha, this boy dodged the Crystal Palace's defenses, and the old Dragon King couldn't save face. He was also afraid that the boy would find the nine-colored coral and you would steal it later!" the middle-aged scholar laughed.

Hearing their words, Zhu Ganglie's face turned black. He now knew that these three were betting on him.

In a fit of anger, he clasped his hands and said to Yuan Shoucheng, "Please, Senior, tell me the whereabouts of the ancient witch!"

Seeing Zhu Ganglie's expression, Yuan Shoucheng smiled and said, "Don't be angry, boy. This was just to test your strength. The Spirit Marsh is another battlefield from the ancient war between gods and demons, filled with boundless death qi. There are countless ancient beasts and the corpses of gods and demons, driven by death qi, fighting instinctively. If you don't have some strength, it's better not to go. However, now that you have practiced the Five Ghosts of the Heavenly King Sutra and have a method to conceal your presence, you can勉强 go."

Although Yuan Shoucheng's words made sense, Zhu Ganglie knew that his actions still had a playful aspect.

But since he needed help, he could only bow and say, "Thank you, Senior, for your guidance. When will you tell me about the Spirit Marsh?"

"Don't rush, don't rush. If you want to go to the Spirit Marsh, you need to seek help from Taibai. Only he can safely send you there!" Yuan Shoucheng said, pointing to the middle-aged scholar.

Hearing this, Zhu Ganglie bowed respectfully, "Please, Senior, lend me a hand!"

"Don't be so formal. I am Taibai Jinxing, a celestial star lord. Since Old Yuan mentioned it, I will send you directly to the Spirit Marsh."

Hearing the middle-aged scholar's words, Zhu Ganglie was stunned. In his memory, Taibai Jinxing was a lecherous old man with a white beard, not a handsome middle-aged scholar.

Though puzzled, he dared not show it and said, "Disciple greets the Star Lord!"

"Alright, alright, no need for formalities. Let's send this boy away quickly. The old witch, that love-struck fellow, should be relieved."

Seeing everyone being formal, the Jing River Dragon King waved his hand.

"Haha, fine, go! Remember to conceal your aura and don't reveal any signs of life."

Yuan Shoucheng laughed, and Taibai Jinxing lightly touched Zhu Ganglie, who felt a beam of starlight envelop him. In a moment, his figure flickered and disappeared.

After a dizzying moment, Zhu Ganglie found himself on a vast plain, with dark clouds covering the sky as far as the eye could see.

Under the dark clouds, countless mountain-like corpses, enveloped in thick black qi, moved like zombies.

These giant beasts would immediately fight each other upon contact, until one of them fell.

But under the control of the black death qi, these corpses would stand up again, becoming headless beasts, or lacking limbs, or even just half a body.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Ganglie was utterly horrified. Such a sight was more terrifying than the Netherworld. At this moment, he understood why the Spirit Marsh was so terrifying.

Most importantly, the death qi from these corpses was too strong, making them unsuitable for practicing the Five Ghosts of the Heavenly King Sutra or creating zombies.

Moreover, these corpses were extremely powerful, each one being the remains of an ancient fierce beast or a god. If they were released into the world, they would cause endless bloodshed.

Zhu Ganglie had already concealed his presence and was following the clues given by Yuan Shoucheng, heading toward the black cliff at the center of the plain.