Journey to the West: I have Nine Golden Crows Inside Me
Chapter 379: Three Six Four Nether Spirit

Chapter 379: Three Six Four Nether Spirit

Jiang Chen was shocked!

This mountain, this river, this city, completely overturned his understanding of the Little Cang Mountain range.

In any Cave Heaven, Jiang Chen would not find such a picturesque and remarkable place surprising. Only the appearance of it in a place like the Little Cang Mountain range would astonish him.

Does a barren mountain and bad water give rise to a true dragon?

Amid the doubt in his heart, Jiang Chen lowered his gaze towards the city, only to see a bustling scene of flocks of cattle and sheep, living just like humans.

Apart from that, there were also many humanoid beings in the city, the women beautiful and men handsome, with plenty of children who had white teeth and red lips, looking so exquisite that they didn’t seem like mortals.

Indeed, they were not mortals. These handsome men, beautiful women, and adorable children were all transformations of plant essences, natural spirits that should not be regarded as monsters.

It would be more appropriate to call them the Spirit Race.

The cattle and sheep, too, were all green in color, exuding not a demon aura, but the spiritual energy of plant life as well as the energy of the yin wood.

This means that these cattle and sheep are not real cattle and sheep, but the essence of the yin wood, transformed after plants develop spiritual intelligence.

The inheritance of Fuxi records, "Grass and trees may become spirits and transform into strange beings after gaining the essence of the sun and moon. Trees that have lived for a thousand years will turn into a green sheep, and those that have lived ten thousand years will turn into a green bull."

"Those grass and trees that gain the six human desires will become spirits, called Wood Spirits. Their color is green and they radiate like a wheel, do not like to eat blood, benefit mostly from the virtue of the Taiyin, also called the Green Emperor’s Children..."

"They are not afraid of fire but fear metal. Considering the transformation of the Five Elements, wood is the father of fire and metal is the enemy of wood. When the metal wind comes, the wood decays. When encountering Wood Spirits, one could avoid them by arraying weapons."

All beings have a spiritual nature, birds and beasts can open their spiritual wisdom and transform into demons, so can flowers, plants, and trees naturally. However, among the species of grass and trees, transforming into spirits is much more difficult compared to the beasts.

First, the species of grass and trees find it difficult to develop spiritual intelligence and cannot swallow the essence of the sun and moon like the beasts.

Second, they are susceptible to the sword calamity.

Any grass or tree in the mortal world that has lived longer than a hundred years will surely produce strange phenomena. Its materials can be used in replenishing medicine and refining tools, treasures for practice, that will attract the curiosity of countless practitioners.

Moreover, the species of grass and trees cannot move freely like beasts. Hence, those spirits of the species of grass and trees, just when they have gathered enough spiritual energy but before they have opened their spiritual intelligence, are felled by practitioners.

The species of grass and trees opening their spiritual intelligence is already more difficult than the beasts, coupled with the sword calamity, the spirits of the species of grass and trees in the world become even rarer.

Among the species of grass and trees, one in ten thousand can give birth to spiritual intelligence, and among those that give birth to spiritual intelligence, one in ten thousand can transform.

So, this has led to the scarcity of spirits of the species of grass and trees attaining the Dao in the world.

However, because it is so difficult for the species of grass and trees to transform, after the spirits of grass and trees transform, they can receive protection from the Green Emperor.

The inheritance of Fuxi mentioned that the spirits of grass and trees have another name, the Green Emperor’s Children. This is a symbol of the protection of the Green Emperor.

The Green Emperor is the god of spring and the emperor of wood, presiding over all life. Generally, the species of grass and trees are all under the jurisdiction of the Green Emperor.

Therefore, although the spirits of grass and trees are spirits, no one from the Mystic Sect can kill them. Otherwise, at best their fate will plummet, and at worst they will face heavenly punishment.

Jiang Chen looked down and only saw the city’s qi soaring into the sky, gathering into a huge canopy in mid-air. The whole body was green, hanging down millions of strands of life qi, creating a myriad of phenomena.

Above the canopy, there was a slightly blurred silhouette of an emperor dressed in green robes, intermittently visible, emitting an endless majesty.

The Green Emperor’s Canopy!

This is a symbol of the protection of the Green Emperor.

The creatures in this city had no blood on their hands, nor any karmic forces on their bodies. Even Jiang Chen, respected as a heavenly god, cannot harm them.

Otherwise, an imperial edict from Gouchen’s heavenly palace could result in his severe punishment.

The Green Emperor is an honorary title of the Emperor Fuxi!

During the times of the Emperor Xuanyuan, the god Haotian had accidentally fallen and entered the cycle of reincarnation to endure the hardship of cultivation again.

However, Heaven Court could not remain without a leader for a day. Therefore, upon the recommendation of the gods, Emperor Fuxi ascended the heavens and temporarily took on the role of the Heavenly Emperor.

Millions of years later, Emperor Fuxi abdicated and Emperor Shennong, the god of the earth, succeeded him. Later generations appreciated Emperor Fuxi’s grace, calling him the Eastern Heavenly Emperor. Because the east corresponds to the wood, people also call him the Green Emperor.

...

Green Emperor City!

That is the name of the city in front of Jiang Chen, named for the protection of the Green Emperor. Without the Green Emperor’s protection, this city would have been wiped out long ago, and the spirits of the grass and trees inside would have had difficulty escaping the demons.

The spirits of the grass and trees are mostly transformed from the essence of the yin wood and they are naturally medicinal. If a mortal takes a bite, it can extend their life, and if a practitioner takes a bite, it can increase their cultivation.

Jiang Chen roughly calculated that if a Great Luo Golden Immortal were to refine all the spirits of grass and trees in this city, he would definitely be able to break through to the realm of the Ancient Daluo.

What Green Emperor City? This was simply a peerless god pill that could help people ascend to heaven in one step. Without a supreme powerhouse like the Green Emperor to protect it, this place would have been swallowed up by someone long ago.

The Green Emperor’s canopy was not just for show. It could borrow a strand of the Green Emperor’s power, and even the Innate Dao Sovereign couldn’t break it.

...

"I see now, the Nine Heavens Fragment beneath the Little Cang Mountain Range must undoubtedly be from Cangtian."

Gazing at Green Emperor City, Jiang Chen experienced a sudden revelation, now understanding the origin of the anomaly in the Little Cang Mountain Range.

The Eastern Cangtian corresponds precisely with the Innate Wood Element. The innate Primal Qi born from this Heaven is called Cangtian Qinghua Primal Qi, the essence of Innate Yi Wood. It contains a substantial amount of life force.

The fragments of Cangtian buried beneath the Little Cang Mountain Range, somehow leaked out this Cangtian Qinghua Primal Qi, which became absorbed by the creatures here, stimulating their lineage and promoting their continuous revival.

The Cangtian Qinghua Primal Qi is a sacred object affiliated with the Plant Spirits. When the plants gain this, they can open their spiritual intelligence, accelerating their practice pace at a rate where one year equals a hundred years. Thus, so many Plant Spirits were born here.

"Cangtian, is it?"

"From the looks of it, I truly am connected to Emperor Fuxi."

In the Great Ancient Times, Emperor Fuxi was indeed the ruler of Eastern Cangtian, and was also known as the Green Emperor during that era.

Having initially obtained the inheritance of Emperor Fuxi, Jiang Chen now encounters Eastern Cangtian. If he didn’t know that Fuxi Tiandi was the reincarnation of Fuxi, he might genuinely doubt if he were Fuxi’s reincarnation.

"I am indeed connected to Emperor Fuxi!"

Jiang Chen didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he figured it wasn’t bad. At least, for now, he decided to accept it.

Anyway, he couldn’t refuse it.

When a person of Emperor Fuxi’s stature offers benefits, could you even refuse? Accept them happily. You may even leave a good impression.

With a thought, Jiang Chen intended to leave this area and directed his Demon Suppression Heavenly Soldiers to reroute elsewhere.

This city was a place sheltered by the Green Emperor. Even demons dared not to violate it. Naturally, Jiang Chen would not start a fight here either.

However, just as Jiang Chen was about to leave, a surge of green energy swayed in Green Emperor City. Suddenly, a strand of it separated and flew towards Jiang Chen’s direction.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen halted his steps.

The green light flew over and, after a moment of distortion, transformed into a green bull. Its body cycled with Yi Wood Green Qi, and an aura of life permeated around it.

This was a Plant Spirit with the cultivation level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and its true form should be a millennial ancient tree. The green bull was the form it had transformed into.

Jiang Chen stepped forward to pay his regards: "I am Yu Dou, bearing the reputation of my ancestries, serving under the Green Emperor. I am on a mission to exorcise demons and didn’t mean to disturb your noble place, I hope you will not take offense."

The green bull had seen the Heavenly Soldiers coming in full force and thought they were here to deal with the Green Emperor City. Even though the Green Emperor’s shelter was there, it couldn’t help but feel a bit worried, and so it came out to investigate the situation.

Now that it heard Jiang Chen revealing his identity, who was also serving under the Green Emperor, it realized it was all a misunderstanding and was relieved immediately.

After learning of Jiang Chen’s identity, the green bull courteously said, "So it’s Dao Friend Yu Dou. We failed to greet you upon your arrival because we weren’t aware of your background. Please pardon us, pardon us."

Afterwards, the green bull introduced itself, "I am called Ming Ling. A thousand years ago, I was fortunate to be enlightened by His Majesty, and that’s how I achieved my current success."

When Jiang Chen heard this, he was astonished. Ming Ling was an ancient spirit tree from the ancient times, whose spring lasted five hundred years, followed by an autumn of another five hundred years. Its sap was like jade marrow and could extend one’s lifespan by a hundred years.

When the green bull said it had achieved Dao a thousand years ago, it certainly wasn’t referring to the years in mortal terms, but those of Ming Ling, which would be two million years.

This Ming Ling was truly ancient.

Similarly, it was also an extraordinary treasure.

A minimum of two million years of cultivation would result in incredibly dense Yi Wood Essence Qi. If made into a pill, it would undoubtedly be a rare divine pill, even more precious than the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill or the Nine Heavens Xuan Pill.

Even his true form, that Ming Ling great tree, with a casual refinement, could become a top-grade magic item no weaker than an Innate Magic Treasure.

Fortunately, this place was Green Emperor City, sheltered by the Green Emperor’s Aura, and even the Innate Dao Sovereign couldn’t act rashly. Otherwise, someone would have already devoured Ming Ling down to the bone.

While Jiang Chen was thinking these thoughts, Ming Ling spoke again: "Is Dao Friend Yu Dou here to suppress the local demons? That’s great, after all these years, Heaven Court finally remembers this place and intends to manage it."

"The local demons are truly detestable. If not for His Majesty’s protection, they would have broken into the city long ago. Even so, it’s hard to curb their greedy desires. Any Plant Spirit that ends up lost outside can hardly escape their poisonous hands."

When it got to this point, Ming Ling expressed its grievances: "Over these years, who knows how many youngsters have fallen victim to their wickedness. Yet, when I’ve repeatedly reported it to the Heaven Palace, it’s always brushed aside by some Demon Sovereigns."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen furrowed his brows, "The demons here are so rampant, knowing you are under the protection of the Green Emperor but still daring to act? The underworld demons are disrespectful to His Majesty’s command, cause unprovoked harm, they truly deserve to die!"

"And then, those Demon Sovereigns in the Heaven Palace, ignoring the situation here, idly watching as the underworld demons trample over His Majesty’s dignity. A bunch of seat-warming good-for-nothings, they deserve to die even more!"

"They all deserve to die!"

After angrily reproaching them and demonstrating his loyalty, Jiang Chen stated righteously: "Rest assured, Dao Friend. Yu Dou is here precisely to suppress the local demons. As long as the local demons are not eliminated, Jiang Chen will not return to Heaven Court."

He even stated his real name, showing the anger in Jiang Chen’s heart.

Disrespecting His Majesty’s command!

That’s good, this offence adds another death sentence for the local demons.

Moreover, the Demon Sovereigns of Gouchen Heaven Palace, knowing full well about the situation here, yet still ignoring it, this isn’t negligence, it’s dereliction of duty.