Chapter 431: Western Pure Land
When the Heart Demon Cave Lord suggested recruiting the Stone Dwelling Old Monster, Lu Hongtu immediately approved.
What he didn’t expect was that repeated attempts at recruitment had failed.
Of course, Lu Hongtu was aware of the dark intentions harbored by the Heart Demon Cave Lord and the others, but he couldn’t afford to fuss over it—after all, they were on the eve of a great war and manpower was urgently needed.
However, he also couldn’t let them continue playing tricks unchecked. After much deliberation, he simply decided to step in himself, bringing along Heart Demon and Blood Shadow, the two Nascent Soul cultivators, to jointly pressure the Stone Dwelling Old Monster and force him out of seclusion!
Deep within the cave.
Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes. Though utterly exhausted, his gaze brimmed with joy.
“Stone-Forged Earth Treasure Divine Ability... sixty percent mastered!”
He was just about to rest when he realized Sun Lingtong was missing.
“Eh? Where did Boss go?”
The Message Bird left behind by Sun Lingtong hovered around Ning Zhuo like a bird in flight.
Ning Zhuo caught the message and read it, immediately understanding what had happened.
“Boss went and pulled off something new again.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head helplessly and gave a bitter chuckle.
He immediately chiseled through the stone layer and found the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel, which had already transformed into a stone ship. It was struggling hard to survive, with the full scripture of the Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal-Breath Great Method radiating brilliantly.
Ning Zhuo approached the stone ship and extended his spiritual sense.
Sensing it, Sun Lingtong immediately communicated with him through spiritual sense.
“小拙，好好玩啊。”
"Xiao Zhuo, this is so much fun."
“I used this method, and not only did my physical foundation surge, but I also came to know the past experiences of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.”
“As an Earth Essence, life is truly boring. But occasionally, some very curious things do happen.”
“You should try it too!”
Sun Lingtong enthusiastically invited Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo let out a sigh of relief. “Boss, it’s good to see you’re okay.”
“I’d better go rest inside the Wanli Dragon first.”
“This is the Thousand Peaks Forest, still enemy territory. We should start mining quickly to avoid any surprises.”
Just as Ning Zhuo finished speaking, a surge of powerful energy rippled forth.
The fluctuation rapidly enveloped the entire mountain.
At the outer perimeter, an enormous formation was activated. The formation barrier it created enveloped the entire Sky-Pillar Giant Tree!
Sun and Ning: “??!!”
Sun Lingtong had no time to continue cultivating. “No—this is bad. Don’t tell me this is a trap? Xiao Zhuo, let’s run!”
Ning Zhuo reacted even faster.
Just as Sun Lingtong transmitted his thought via spiritual sense, Ning Zhuo grabbed the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel, and with the ship and Sun Lingtong, dove headfirst into the Wanli Dragon.
The stone layer on Sun Lingtong’s body was already several inches thick. He struggled with his tiny arms and legs, fighting to break free.
Now that Ning Zhuo had mastered sixty percent of the divine ability, he immediately saw through the situation. He transmitted his thoughts to Sun Lingtong via spiritual sense: “Don’t struggle, Boss. I’ll need to remove that stone skin. Just hang on for now, let’s get out of here first!”
However, upon reaching the Dragon Head Cabin, Ning Zhuo was met with an extremely grim reality.
“Boss, we can’t run. The formation has sealed off space. The Wanli Dragon can’t traverse it. If we force it, it’ll be like an egg crashing into a stone wall,” Ning Zhuo transmitted.
“?!!” Sun Lingtong was struck like thunder on a clear day.
“I’ll get you out first.” Just as Ning Zhuo reached out to remove Sun Lingtong’s stone layer—
The voice of the Ink Abyss Cave Lord thundered through the entire mountain: “Lu Hongtu of the Six Caves Sect, together with the Heart Demon and Blood Shadow Cave Lords, has come to pay respects.”
“Stone Dwelling Old Monster, why not come out for a chat?”
The sound waves were vast and sweeping, traveling along the tunnel mouth and ultimately reaching the depths of the cave.
The Wanli Dragon trembled slightly beneath the sonic force.
Inside the Dragon Head Cabin, the hearts of Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong pounded violently.
“Lu Hongtu? The Grand Cave Lord of the Six Caves Sect!”
“And the Heart Demon and Blood Shadow… why are they here?”
“They’re trying to reach out to the Stone Dwelling Old Monster. With such a display, they’re trying to force him out!”
The two exchanged via spiritual sense and instantly grasped the gravity of the situation.
With the Wanli Dragon unable to traverse space, the area in which they could maneuver had become severely limited.
If the three Nascent Soul cultivators discovered that the Stone Dwelling Old Monster was dead and found signs of mining, they certainly wouldn’t withdraw the formation. Instead, they’d launch a large-scale search.
By then, could the Wanli Dragon continue to hide and evade the trio’s search?
The chances were far too slim!
Because before this, Sun Lingtong had already tried. Back at the main sect hall of the Six Caves Sect, they had been discovered by the Heart Demon Cave Lord.
And now, the Heart Demon Cave Lord was here in person.
What’s more, the publicly acknowledged stronger Ink Abyss Cave Lord had come himself!
Desperate straits!
The highs and lows of life had arrived far too quickly, far too suddenly.
Just moments ago, Sun and Ning had been brimming with excitement, dreaming of a bright future. In the next instant, everything had taken a sharp turn—plunging them into a hopeless crisis.
The pressure of death loomed over them.
Ning Zhuo’s face turned pale, his breath becoming labored. “How do we break this siege?”
Sun Lingtong instinctively struggled within the heavy stone shell.
Suddenly, Sun Lingtong’s movements froze, and his spiritual sense surged. “Xiao Zhuo, I—I’ve got an idea!”
“We’ll crawl into the Stone Sphere, and let the stone layer wrap us up.”
“That way, we can disguise ourselves as the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “I thought of that. It won’t work! Because Ink Abyss and the others will definitely probe the Stone Dwelling Old Monster. We don’t even know his voice or tone…”
At that moment, Ning Zhuo stopped mid-sentence.
He suddenly remembered what Sun Lingtong had told him earlier.
By actively enduring the divine ability Stone-Forged Earth Treasure, and through the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel, Sun Lingtong had entered the fetal-breath state and gained access to many of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster’s memories.
Voice, tone—those were no problem!
Outside the cave.
Ink Abyss, Heart Demon, and Blood Shadow hovered in the sky. After waiting a while without any reply from the Stone Dwelling Old Monster,—
“Hmph, that old freak is so dull—don’t tell me he’s still in deep sleep?” Blood Shadow Cave Lord snorted coldly.
“No. We’ve sealed off the void and suppressed the earth element. Although the Stone Dwelling Old Monster is a Nascent Soul cultivator, he originates from Earth Essence. The instinct to burrow and escape has long been ingrained in his bones. Now that earth escape has been disabled, he must have already noticed. He’s just too afraid to come out since our Grand Cave Lord is here,” Heart Demon Cave Lord flattered the Ink Abyss Cave Lord.
The Ink Abyss Cave Lord remained expressionless. “Let’s go. We’ll go meet the Stone Dwelling Old Monster ourselves.”
With that, he took the lead and descended.
The Heart Demon and Blood Shadow Cave Lords exchanged glances and followed closely behind.
The cavern within the Sky-Pillar Giant Tree was complex, full of winding tunnels, but this posed no obstacle to Nascent Soul cultivators.
Moreover, they had previously sent cultivators here to pay respects and had already mapped out the path.
Although those cultivators had been killed by the Heart Demon Cave Lord, the intelligence they brought back hadn’t been destroyed.
Thus, Ink Abyss and the others quickly arrived at the final chamber at the mountain wall.
The massive cave entrance was pitch black, as though even light was devoured.
The previous batch of Six Caves Sect cultivators had stopped here, laid down a formation, and even sacrificed many companions.
From start to finish, none of them dared to delve deeper into the cave.
Ink Abyss and the others, however, did not slow down. They went straight through a tunnel and arrived at the Stone Sphere at the bottom.
The three of them halted voluntarily when they were ten paces away from the sphere.
“Stone Dwelling Old Monster,” Ink Abyss called softly.
Heart Demon and Blood Shadow stood solemn and silently on guard.
Though they had the numerical advantage, this was still the Stone Dwelling Old Monster’s lair, and he held the terrain.
He had been residing here for many years—perhaps he had prepared some powerful trump cards. Caution was always wise.
They did not know that the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had long since died, and inside the body now resided a Puppet Dragon, along with Sun and Ning.
Sun Lingtong and the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel had both been removed and were pressed tightly against the Stone Sphere.
As for Ning Zhuo, he was gasping for breath, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
Just now, he had raced against time, squeezing out every bit of his essence, energy, and spirit to activate the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure Divine Ability from his Upper Dantian Sea of Consciousness.
With the divine ability more than halfway mastered, and relying on the massive mana supply provided by the Wanli Dragon, Ning Zhuo managed to restore the Stone Sphere just in time, before the arrival of the three cultivators—though it had been extremely close.
Previously, Ning Zhuo would never have imagined that he’d be helping to restore the appearance of the Stone Sphere himself.
The Stone Sphere temporarily bluffed the three Nascent Soul cultivators.
But this was only the beginning of a life-and-death ordeal.
As soon as the Ink Abyss Cave Lord softly called out “Stone Dwelling Old Monster,” Sun and Ning had to respond.
Remaining silent would be tantamount to insulting Lu Hongtu, a cultivator of Nascent Soul level!
So, drawing from fragments of memory, Sun Lingtong responded in a hoarse, aged voice: “Lu Hongtu, have you finished the Thousand Peaks Earth Vein Map you promised to make for me?”
The Ink Abyss Cave Lord's face instantly darkened.
That touched on an old matter.
The Ink Abyss Cave Lord was skilled in the art of painting. Back then, seeking a breakthrough in his technique, he had wanted to depict the Thousand Peaks Forest's Earth Vein Map.
He had taken the initiative to approach the Stone Dwelling Old Monster, spending much time and paying a hefty price to finally persuade him to assist.
The Stone Dwelling Old Monster, being an Earth Essence, could greatly benefit in his cultivation if he obtained the Thousand Peaks Earth Vein Map.
The two joined forces and managed to explore about thirty percent—only to be ruthlessly suppressed by the Dragon Ginseng King.
The Dragon Ginseng King was a Soul Formation-level being, unquestionably the strongest in the Thousand Peaks Forest, commanding the most devout faith. Its countless ginseng whiskers extended deep into the earth, wrapping around numerous Sky-Pillar Giant Trees, entangled in intricate roots.
Although the Ink Abyss Cave Lord and Stone Dwelling Old Monster were formidable, they were still only Nascent Soul level—not the Dragon Ginseng King's match.
And in probing the Earth Veins of the entire Thousand Peaks Forest, they had clearly encroached upon the Dragon King's interests.
Such a vital thing as Earth Veins naturally had to be kept in one’s own hands for safety.
As expected, the pair suffered a crushing defeat.
Their first collaboration ended in failure.
The Stone Dwelling Old Monster was gravely injured and bore resentment toward the Ink Abyss Cave Lord, as Lu Hongtu had previously guaranteed the plan’s high likelihood of success, pushing for it while severely underestimating the presence of the Dragon Ginseng King.
Now, Sun Lingtong deliberately brought up this old grievance for two reasons.
First, to establish his identity—to prove he really was the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.
Second, to preemptively block the trio’s recruitment attempt. Because once the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had to move, he could no longer remain in Stone Sphere form—and Sun and Ning would be exposed!
Lu Hongtu replied coldly, “Old Monster, you’ve got the gall to bring that up?”
“If you hadn’t pulled out early, we could have fought side by side and severed a hundred of that Dragon King’s ginseng whiskers!”
“But you fled mid-battle, left me fighting alone—I cut thirty-something whiskers before being forced to surrender.”
“You were gravely injured, sure—but you think I wasn’t?”
“And because of that incident, my entire Six Caves Sect had to establish a Dragon King Temple, offering incense ever since!”
“We paid a tremendous price just to appease the Dragon King’s fury. From that perspective, you owe me.”
Sun Lingtong immediately retorted, “Hmph, if not for your instigation back then, I would’ve been perfectly fine on my own. How would I have ended up injured?”
“This time, no matter what, I won’t be coming out.”
“If the Liangzhu Kingdom’s army wants to attack, let them! Worst case, I’ll just leave the Thousand Peaks Forest!”
Sun Lingtong’s heart thudded wildly.
Even wrapped in stone skin, it was hard to stay calm.
But those words hadn’t been improvised—they were suggested by Ning Zhuo beforehand.
To Sun Lingtong, they sounded far too risky, as if they were provoking the three Nascent Soul cultivators to strike!
Lu Hongtu’s face darkened further.
Sun Lingtong’s words had struck right at the heart of his biggest concern.
If the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had offered to surrender, it would’ve been easy to handle. At least then, taking action would seem just and justified in the eyes of the local powers.
But if the Stone Dwelling Old Monster wanted to leave, that would be hard to stop.
Any move against him then would seem tyrannical, drawing resentment from many forces and individuals.
The Stone Dwelling Old Monster was a unique case among Nascent Soul cultivators.
He occupied just a single Sky-Pillar Giant Tree, secluded deep in its cave, rarely clashing with surrounding factions.
To eliminate such a recluse without cause was indefensible and would arouse suspicion and fear among the Thousand Peaks Forest’s native alliance.
That was exactly what Lu Hongtu wanted to avoid.
So, he smiled faintly and took out a lump of soil from his robes, presenting it publicly.
It was a piece of white earth—pure and pristine, without a trace of soil stench. Instead, it exuded a faint fragrance, like temple sandalwood carried on a gentle breeze.
A supreme treasure of the Earth Element and also one of the Buddhist sect’s most sacred artifacts—Western Pure Land!
There is a poem that says:
Bright earth radiates, illuminating the heart,
All thoughts cleansed, from Dharma they start.
Stainless soil of the Blissful West,
Washes away worries, returns peace and rest.
Wherever this soil is present becomes a realm beyond the mundane—a place of clarity that purges filth, dissolves corruption, eliminates karmic burdens, and counters the corrosion of demonic energy, transforming all it touches into purity and harmony.
Not only that, but for cultivators, it could also purify the mind, dissolve attachments and obsessions, and guide one into the sacred realm of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
As the soil appeared, Buddhist incense spiraled around.
Heart Demon and Blood Shadow Cave Lords immediately took a step back, revealing expressions of disgust and dread.
Sun and Ning: “?!”
They had never imagined that the Ink Abyss Cave Lord came so prepared. Coercion and enticement were both in his arsenal. Secretly establishing a formation was his coercion—taking out the Western Pure Land was his enticement.
“Stone Dwelling Old Monster, haven’t you always coveted the Western Pure Land?” Lu Hongtu smiled. “Now, it’s right before your eyes.”
Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo conferred quickly.
The “Stone Dwelling Old Monster” was silent for a moment before speaking: “Leave the Pure Land behind. When the army arrives, I will act.”
Lu Hongtu gave a light laugh: “Such a sacred treasure as Western Pure Land—you think I’d just let you have it so easily?”
“This place of yours isn’t exactly a strategic stronghold. The kingdom’s army might not even bother attacking it.”
“Don’t say things just to make yourself look good—lest we start looking down on you.”
At that, Lu Hongtu paused and revealed a shocking plan: “The vanguard of the Liangzhu Kingdom has already stationed beneath the Thousand Peaks Forest.”
“Their commander, Du Tiechuan, leads the central army from Woodwheel Town.”
“Both sites are heavily fortified—we won’t attack them.”
“Instead, Canglin Immortal City is the main rear base for this war. It has been training and reorganizing new troops.”
“Our scouts have learned that one of the royal elite units, the Golden Halberd Army, has already arrived in Canglin Immortal City. They are preparing to depart for Woodwheel Town, to rendezvous with the central army.”
“So, we plan to gather most of the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators in the Thousand Peaks Forest, lie in ambush along their route, and launch a surprise attack!”
“If you want the Western Pure Land, sign this Contract—we act together then.”
Sun and Ning: “……”
Lu Hongtu produced a divine decree, outwardly framed as a notice but clearly pressuring them. “I must be upfront, Old Monster. This is a Divine Decree personally crafted by the Dragon Ginseng King. Once you sign it, you must follow through—or suffer divine punishment.”
“You and I both know the might of the Dragon King, don’t we?”
Sun and Ning: “……”
After he finished, the Ink Abyss Cave Lord simply stared quietly at the Stone Sphere.
The atmosphere in the cave thickened with tension.
The expressions of Heart Demon and Blood Shadow grew increasingly dangerous, itching to strike.
“Fine.” The desperate Sun and Ning had no choice but to agree.
What other choice did they have?
It was obvious—refusal would mean battle!
Better to survive this ordeal and think about the rest later.
The two could only grit their teeth and sign the Contract.
Seeing the Stone Dwelling Old Monster behave this way, the Ink Abyss Cave Lord's expression eased. “On the day of the operation, we’ll meet at the summit of Arbor Peak.”
Sun Lingtong snorted coldly, mimicking the Stone Dwelling Old Monster’s tone: “No need. I’ll go ambush the Liangzhu Kingdom army myself.”
The Ink Abyss Cave Lord nodded, left behind the Western Pure Land, and departed with Heart Demon and Blood Shadow.
The three figures disappeared into the pitch-black cave, leaving behind the Ink Abyss Cave Lord’s final warning: “Stone Dwelling Old Monster, don’t even think of slacking off. The Dragon King’s Divine Decree is far more binding than you or I can imagine!”