Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

Chapter 38 Observing the Ceremony: A Worthwhile Trip

The echoes of Lü Yue's reverence for the Way of Heaven reverberated above Kowloon Island, as three pillars of blue smoke rose straight up.

In an instant, the weather changed dramatically!

The once clear sky darkened visibly, not from gathering clouds, but from an invisible, heavy pressure that seemed to shroud the entire heavens, making them low and gloomy. The vast East China Sea instantly calmed down, its surface still and calm, as if held down by an invisible giant hand. The sea was smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded a chilling stillness.

Rumbling--

A muffled thunder rumbled down from the heavens, accompanied by a chaotic sound that blended the wails and curses of countless beings, striking directly into the depths of everyone's primordial spirit. An indescribable fluctuation of law, carrying the connotations of decay, decay, disease, and death, began to permeate the heavens and earth, firmly locking onto Lü Yue at the center of the cloud platform.

This is Lü Yue's Great Luo Heavenly Tribulation. Because of its special Dao, it does not trigger the ordinary Five Elements Thunder Tribulation or the Heart Demon Tribulation, but the more bizarre and unpredictable "Plague Dao Tribulation".

Lu Yue stood barefoot on the cloud platform, his hempen clothes fluttering even without wind. His face was expressionless, his eyes clear and resolute. He looked up at the sky, and his body began to emanate rays of gray-green divine light. That light contained the supreme mysteries of the cycle of life and death and the transformation of plagues, making him appear like a deity who held the power over disease and life.

The first wave of calamity descended silently.

It was neither thunder nor heavenly fire, but an invisible aura of decay. Invisible ripples spread through the air, and wherever they passed, the spiritual flowers and herbs adorning the cloud platform withered, decayed, and turned to ash at an alarming rate. Even the hard jade ground began to lose its luster, becoming dull, as if eroded by millennia.

Everyone watching the ceremony held their breath in awe.

Zhao Gongming summoned twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, which emitted a hazy blue light, protecting everyone and isolating them from the terrifying aura of decay. Zhang Kui felt his life force subtly draining away, so he quickly circulated his Golden Core Dao. His Golden Core became as stable as a mountain, dispelling the discomfort, while he secretly comprehended the operating trajectory of the decay law. Gao Lanying, whose cultivation was slightly weaker, had a pale face. Zhang Kui quietly took her hand and transferred a stream of pure magical power to her, which calmed her down.

Facing this invisible erosion, Lü Yue neither dodged nor evaded, chanting incantations as the gray-green divine light around him grew ever more brilliant. Wherever that light touched, faint glimmers of life stubbornly emerged from the withered remains of grass and trees, though instantly suppressed by the decaying aura, yet they persisted, endlessly cycling. He demonstrated through his own path that the plague was not purely destructive, but also contained the principle of rebirth after adversity, thus enduring this first wave of calamity.

However, just as Lü Yue was fighting against the plague calamity brought down by the Heavenly Dao, a sudden change occurred.

On the East China Sea, towering, turbid waves rose without warning. The seawater turned as black as ink, emitting a foul stench and containing an extremely strong corrosive power. From the waves, two enormous and ferocious figures slowly emerged.

First, there was a creature with a human face and a snake's body, covered in thick, bluish-black scales, and nine enormous, ferocious heads, each spewing out poisonous mists and miasma of different colors. Wherever it passed, even the space itself was corroded and hissed – this was none other than the ancient great shaman, Xiang Liu.

Secondly, it has a human face and a bird's body, with two wings on its back, and its entire body is crimson. It is surrounded by an inextinguishable ghost fire, and its claws are sharp as hooks. It emits a sharp and piercing cry that shakes people's souls—it is another great witch, Jiufeng.

"Lü Yue!" Xiang Liu's nine heads roared simultaneously with intense hatred, their voices overlapping and sending chills down one's spine. "In the past, during the Battle of Xuanyuan, you slaughtered millions of my Jiuli sons with your plague. How can you be allowed to attain enlightenment peacefully today, given such a deep-seated blood feud?"

Nine Phoenixes also let out a mournful cry: "Blood debts must be repaid in blood. Today is the day you face your tribulation."

It turns out that Lü Yue once assisted the Yellow Emperor in his battle against Chi You, using the plague to annihilate the Jiuli tribe's army, creating boundless karmic debts. These karmic debts and the resentment of the dead souls did not dissipate; instead, they entangled his Dao fruit. Now, as he attempts to break through to the Great Luo realm, the Heavenly Dao responds, and these past causes and effects transform into obstacles to his path, attracting two ancient great shamans closely associated with the Jiuli tribe to seek revenge.

These two great shamans were both physically powerful and possessed extraordinary supernatural abilities, their strength comparable to that of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. Their choice to launch their attack at the crucial moment of Lü Yue's tribulation was extremely malicious.

On the cloud platform, the faces of the Holy Mother Wudang, Zhao Gongming, the Three Immortal Maidens, and others darkened, their magical power surging as they prepared to intercept. Kong Xuan also slightly raised his eyes, his five-colored robes fluttering without wind.

However, Lü Yue spoke loudly and firmly: "Fellow Daoists, there is no need to intervene. This is a calamity caused by my own karma and cause, and it is my duty to resolve it myself. I will take this opportunity to cleanse myself of my past sins."

As they spoke, Xiang Liu's nine heads spewed out nine different colored, world-destroying torrents of poison, like nine roaring venomous dragons, rushing towards Lü Yue. Meanwhile, the Nine Phoenixes flapped their wings, and the ghostly flames that filled the sky transformed into countless wailing skulls, crashing down like a tidal wave.

Despite being attacked from both sides, Lü Yue remained completely calm. He swiftly waved his hands, and the Plague Umbrella that had been hanging at his waist shot skyward. The umbrella unfurled, instantly unleashing countless rays of gray-green Plague Divine Light, completely protecting him. The poisonous torrents and ghostly flames collided with the divine light, erupting in a deafening roar. Corrosive and destructive energies raged wildly, yet were firmly blocked by the seemingly resilient divine light.

At the same time, three flowers appeared above Lü Yue's head, with his natal magic treasures, the Plague Seal, the Plague Bell, and the Plague Banner, suspended above them. He chanted an incantation, and in an instant, three colorless and odorless, yet terrifyingly potent plagues that could make even a Great Luo Golden Immortal frown spread out, actively merging into the Plague Tribulation descended by the Heavenly Dao.

"Fight poison with poison, transform calamity into calamity." Zhang Kui's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he saw through Lü Yue's intention. He actually wanted to use the power of the Heavenly Tribulation to refine his own plague poison, and at the same time, use his own plague poison to weaken and assimilate the power of the Heavenly Tribulation. This method was extremely dangerous; if it was not controlled, it would be like playing with fire and getting burned. However, if successful, the benefits would be enormous.

As expected, after the three peerless plagues merged with the decaying aura, the Heavenly Tribulation Power became even more violent and chaotic. However, Lü Yue seemed to have become part of the tribulation cloud, guiding the power that was mixed with his own plagues and the decaying Heavenly Dao, and turning it back to sweep towards Xiang Liu and Jiu Feng.

"Not good!" Xiang Liu and Jiu Feng had not expected Lü Yue to be so crazy, daring to use the power of calamity to attack the enemy. Although they were great shamans and were not afraid of ordinary spells, this power, which was a mixture of the power of the Heavenly Tribulation and Lü Yue's innate plague poison, made them feel extremely threatened.

The poisonous torrent spewed by Xiang Liu was swept back by the gray-green divine light, and Jiu Feng's ghostly flames were also corrupted by the decaying aura, flickering uncertainly. The two great shamans roared repeatedly, forced to devote most of their energy to resisting this all-pervasive and eerie attack.

Taking this opportunity, Lü Yue closed his eyes. His mind was completely absorbed into his own path of cultivation.

To outsiders, he appeared to be struggling against the heavenly tribulation and the witch's enemy. But within his sea of ​​consciousness, he was reliving the battlefield of Xuanyuan from years past. Images of countless Jiuli soldiers writhing in agony under the plague and turning into pus and blood flashed before his eyes, and the soaring resentment and karma bound his primordial spirit like shackles.

"Is killing... a sin?" Lü Yue's primordial spirit questioned.

"What crime is there in fighting for righteousness and slaughtering evil?" a voice replied.

"But all living beings suffer, and millions of lives are subject to cause and effect," another voice retorted.

Lu Yue's primordial spirit was scorched by karmic fire, undergoing painful struggle and reflection. In the end, he realized his true nature: "My way is not for killing, but for life. Plague is the power of heaven and earth; used righteously, it saves all living beings; used wickedly, it brings calamity to the world. In the past war, to protect the flame of humanity, I had no choice but to use ruthless methods. Although there was killing involved, I have no regrets. From today onward, I will use my way to harmonize yin and yang, to control life and death, rather than simply destroying everything."

As soon as this thought occurred to him, his primordial spirit suddenly emitted boundless light. The entangled resentment and karmic force were gradually purified and absorbed by this light, transforming into a part of his Dao foundation. His Dao of Plague became more harmonious, filled with a profound understanding of life and death, rather than simply destruction.

Outside, Lü Yue suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with divine light, and shouted, "Disperse!"

The terrifying energy, a mixture of the Heavenly Tribulation Power and his innate plague, obediently and slowly dissipated into the world at his command. The oppressive darkness in the sky also began to recede rapidly, and the aura of decay vanished completely.

Instead, a sky full of auspicious golden clouds filled the air, celestial music filled the air, and heavenly flowers rained down. The purest primordial energy of heaven and earth, mixed with fragments of the Great Dao Laws, cascaded down from the sky like a waterfall, pouring into Lü Yue's body.

His aura surged at an alarming rate, shattering invisible barriers and entering a completely new and profound realm. His Daoist essence merged perfectly with heaven and earth, his words became law, and he was impervious to all laws.

The Great Luo Golden Immortal Dao Fruit is complete!

Xiang Liu and Jiu Feng were forced to retreat by the final burst of Daoist energy. Looking at Lü Yue, whose aura was as deep as the sea and who had successfully advanced to the Great Luo realm, their faces were extremely grim. They knew that they could no longer do anything to Lü Yue today.

Xiang Liu's nine heads snorted coldly, and the Nine Phoenixes also let out a reluctant cry. The two great witches ultimately dared not provoke the powerful figures of the Jie Sect any further. They reluctantly cupped their hands in the direction of Lü Yue, which was considered an acknowledgment of his Great Luo Dao Fruit. Then, their figures merged into the turbid waves and disappeared.

"Congratulations to Junior Brother Lü Yue (Fellow Daoist) on attaining the Great Luo Dao! From now on, you will be indestructible for countless eons and roam freely throughout heaven and earth." The Holy Mother of Wudang, Zhao Gongming, the Three Immortals of Sanxiao, Kong Xuan and others stepped forward one after another, offering their congratulations with smiles.

Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying were also genuinely happy for Lü Yue and went forward to congratulate him.

Lu Yue returned the greetings one by one, his face beaming with the joy and composure of someone who had attained enlightenment. "Thank you for coming to witness the ceremony, fellow Daoist."

Following this, Lü Yue began expounding his Great Luo Dao on the cloud platform, elucidating the profound principles of the transformation of plague and the cycle of life and death. The others also spoke, exchanging their insights on the Great Dao. In an instant, the cloud platform was filled with the sounds of the Dao, the laws manifested, golden lotuses rose from the ground, and wondrous phenomena appeared.

Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying listened with rapt attention, especially Zhang Kui. He possessed both the Golden Elixir Dao and the bloodline of the Witch Clan, and had also glimpsed the Heavenly Gang Divine Power. Upon hearing about Lü Yue's journey to attain the Great Luo Dao with the Plague, as well as the understandings of various powerful beings regarding different Daos, he felt that many of his previous confusions about cultivation had suddenly become clear.

This trip to Kowloon Island was far more rewarding than I had expected.