Journey to the West: I have Nine Golden Crows Inside Me
Chapter 367 - 353 It’s hard to enter the Immortal Dao

Chapter 367: 353 It’s hard to enter the Immortal Dao

"Enemy attack!"

Within the fortress of Three Mountain City, more than ten Taiyi Golden Immortals took to the sky, jointly pouncing on those ten massive figures of starlight.

At the same time, the array patterns on the city walls of the Three Mountain City lit up, bursting forth bright divine light, turning into a huge light curtain, enveloping Three Mountain City.

This was the City Protection Array of Three Mountain City, built by a Great Luo Golden Immortal who had already perished, having spent half of his accumulated wealth on it. It was his trump card.

If he were still alive, with the power of this great array, no matter how many Great Luo from ancient times came, they wouldn’t be able to break the Three Mountain City.

However, he was killed by Jiang Chen not long ago. Consequently, the City Protection Array of Three Mountain city directly lost half of its effectiveness, with its power greatly reduced, barely able to obstruct a few Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Now, under the joint attack of thirty thousand Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers, this mighty Array appeared to be tottering on the verge of collapse.

An individual Heavenly Soldier might not have strong combat power, but when the number of Heavenly Soldiers exceeds ten thousand, their fighting power undergoes a qualitative change, possessing the power to rival that of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

And these were just common Heavenly Soldiers. If they were elite Heavenly Soldiers, their strength would be even stronger.

As far as Jiang Chen knows, the Jiang Family had spent a lot of resources to create elite Heavenly Soldiers. Once the one million Sun Divine Guards unite, they can lay out the Ten Sun Burning Sky Array, with power enough to be on par with an Innate Dao Sovereign.

Although Jiang Chen’s Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers were not as good as the Jiang Family’s Sun Divine Guards, they were still better than ordinary Heavenly Soldiers. Thirty thousand Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers joining forces could handle one or two Great Luo Golden Immortals.

After a probing round, the Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers finally played their real trump card. The Heavenly River Great Formation shifted again, forming one array with three thousand people, attracting endless starlight, turning into ten dazzling Star Rivers that wound down from the starry sky, encircling Three Mountain City.

Boom! Boom!

The Star Rivers spun, creating a vast thunderous noise when rubbing against the void. Wherever the Star Rivers passed, the array patterns carved on the city walls lost their spirit energy rapidly, first becoming dim, then shattering into light spots and vanishing.

The Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers were using the power of the Star Rivers to wear down the City Protection Array of Three Mountain City. They didn’t need to shatter all the array patterns, only needed to destroy three to four tenths of them, and then even if the array wasn’t broken, it would no longer pose a threat.

Inside the Three Mountain City, thirteen Taiyi Golden Immortals were still holding the fort after the departure of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. They were the ones battling the Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers at the moment.

At this moment, seeing the spinning Star Rivers, they obviously figured out the intentions of the Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers. They quickly formed arrays: seven became the Big Dipper Formation and six became the Southern Dipper Formation, trying to break the Heavenly River Great Formation.

...

The battle between the two sides intensifies. Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was leisurely observing his surroundings as if nothing was happening.

He was pondering how to govern this land after conquering Little Cang Mountain Range. The Little Cang Mountain Range spanned millions of miles, and it couldn’t all be towering peaks. There were many plains suitable for the Human Race to live in between the mountains.

However, there were many demons and evil spirits in this place. Even if there were people here before, they would have long been eaten. Therefore, there were no traces of mortals in this place.

Jiang Chen thought that after he conquered the Little Cang Mountain Range, he would relocate some people here to reproduce and add some vitality to this place.

In addition, Jiang Chen also planned to place the Immortal Transformation Pool in the Little Cang Mountain Range and establish another Shangqing Palace here.

By then, the disciples of the Shangqing Palace in Qingcheng Mountain, if they cultivated to the realm of Celestial Immortals, would not need to ascend to Heaven. They could come here directly.

Since there is an Immortal Transformation Pool here, transforming their bodies into Immortal ones directly here would be better, wouldn’t it? There’s also no need to owe any favors to Heaven Court.

Did they really think that the Immortal Transformation Pool of Heaven Court was so good to use? If you use Heaven Court’s Immortal Transformation Pool, you must work for Heaven Court. That’s the price you pay.

Because of this, some Immortals would rather slowly refine their Immortal bodies by themselves than enter the Immortal Transformation Pool. Their goal is not to work for Heaven Court.

Under these circumstances, Jiang Chen actually got an Immortal Transformation Pool, and it’s hard to know how much trouble it will save.

Furthermore, because a lot of people had been relocated under the mountain, in the future, when the Shangqing Palace recruits disciples, they won’t need to go out. They can simply recruit people from the foothills.

The disciples recruited this way, having lived in the Little Cang Mountain Range for several generations, are all familiar faces. There’s no need to worry about any problems arising.

After all, when it comes to disciples, it’s always better to have those whose origin is known. It can save a lot of trouble.

It should be noted that the Immortal Dao is pure and refined and should not be casually transmitted. It is not about taking in anyone who shows promise as a disciple. Only the minor sects do this; any well-regarded orthodox sect would have a strict set of standards for accepting disciples.

Not only would they investigate the prospect’s ancestry for several generations, but they would also clear their past lives to make sure they are not tied to any significant karma, so as not to implicate the sect.

However, with these strict standards for accepting disciples, the benefits that one enjoys after being accepted into the sect are extraordinary. Once you enter the Mystic Sect, you become a part of it for life and in turn, the Mystic Sect takes responsibility for you entirely.

Such responsibility does not end with the disciple’s death. If a Mystic Sect disciple dies, the elders of their sect will not only avenge their death but also locate the disciple’s soul.

If the disciple wants to cultivate the Divine Dao, the elders will personally negotiate for a divine position in the Heavenly Court. If they choose reincarnation, the elders will escort them to the path of reincarnation.

After reincarnation, if they wish to cultivate the Dao, the elders will guide them back. If they do not wish to cultivate, the sect will ensure they have a life of wealth and honor, not allowing them to suffer any injustice.

The bond between a master and disciple here is even closer than that of a father and son, where the master genuinely takes full responsibility for his disciple.

Therefore, accepting a disciple is a very serious matter. They will be extremely cautious when selecting a disciple, thoroughly investigating their lineage and past lives. Only when it is clear that they have a clean background will they be accepted as a disciple.

During the Investiture of the Gods, disciples from the Jiejiao Sect went out to face certain death because of their solidarity with their peers. "If my brothers are in trouble, how can I stand by?"

Knowing it meant death, they had to go, unable to resist.

The Chan Teaching sect’s disciples also stand together.

After entering the Immortal door, whether dead or alive, they will arrange everything for you. Even if you are bullied outside, there will be fellow disciples to seek justice for you.

Compared to these benefits, it is understandable why the standards for accepting disciples are so strict. After all, the benefits of the Immortal Dao are just too good.

From Jiang Chen’s perspective, the idea of a group of people coming to pay their respects and gathering enough potential disciples, all eligible to enter the Immortal Door and learn the Immortal Law, is impossible.

Forget about the ones with unknown backgrounds; even those with understood origins must first study the Tao scriptures for three years before becoming eligible to enter the Immortal Door and be taught the Immortal Law.

The purity and nobility of the Immortal Dao should not be lightly transmitted. Only those on the fringes, like the Buddhist door, when recruiting disciples, indiscriminantly accept anyone who comes to pay respects, regardless of background.

The stricter Immortal doors not only require three years of studying the Tao scriptures but also three years of serving the sect’s elders and another three years of manual labor. Only then are they eligible to be taught the Immortal Law.

This method informs the world that the Immortal Dao is noble and should not be lightly transmitted. It is also a metaphor for the difficulty of seeking the Dao, implying that only with a firm temperament and unyielding will do you have the potential to achieve something.

You might wonder why Jiang Chen dares to confront the disciples’ sect after capturing several Great Luo Golden Immortals? It’s because the relationship between the disciple and their sect is so tight.

Under such circumstances, when a disciple makes a mistake, it can indeed implicate the entire sect. Therefore, when Immortal doors recruit disciples, they prefer those with known backgrounds, as they have been burned before.

Even known entities can cause problems, let alone those with unknown backgrounds.

This is why Jiang Chen plans to relocate people under the Little Cang Mountain Range and let them prosper. People under his scrutiny are, of course, more trustworthy than those from other regions.

In addition, the Shangqing Palace can spread its teachings here, instilling in nearby beings the unwavering will to follow the Dao from a young age and always putting the interests of Shangqing Palace first. In this way, it will be easier to recruit disciples in the future.

Furthermore, the nearby beings who have been bathed in the Dao Rhyme of the Shangqing Palace for many years have a higher probability of producing gifted individuals than other places.

If Jiang Chen’s plans succeed, the Shangqing Palace, with its abundant personnel, will undoubtedly become more prosperous over time, producing countless masters. Becoming one of the top powers within the Three Realms will only be a matter of time.

Of course, all of Jiang Chen’s plans, although impressive, depend on him successfully capturing and improving the environment of the Little Cang Mountain Range.

If Jiang Chen fails to capture the Little Cang Mountain Range, or even if he does conquer it but fails to improve its harsh environment, all his plans will be like flowers in a mirror or the moon’s reflection in water—fragile to the touch.

...

.......

After observing the Little Cang Mountain Range for a while, Jiang Chen took out the Immortal Transformation Pool and asked it, "Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this place?"