NOVEL WEB Chapter 53: The Trace of Moluo
[In the same year, Nezha, taking advantage of his free time, descended to the mortal realm to seek you out, desiring to regain the face he had lost to you earlier. Without using mana or Divine Skills, you challenged him near Shuilian Cave at the naval training grounds and defeated him, earning his heartfelt admiration and respect.]
[Thus, Nezha regarded you as a friend. You took him to Yu Yan's tofu cake workshop, where he witnessed an extraordinary alchemy process and developed a fondness for tofu cakes. Within three months, you toured Huaguo Mountain with him, and he fell in love with this place where humans and demons coexisted, eventually returning to heaven reluctantly with a Qiankun Bag filled with tofu cakes.]
[When Three Lives Academy started its new term, the Peng Demon King was recruiting students. During your meditation, you felt someone spying and sensed it was Moluo. Despite your discerning eyes scanning the entire Huaguo Mountain, you found no trace of him.]
[Therefore, you instructed Ao Yun to keep a stricter watch over the Six-Eared Macaque.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-two, you ascended to report your duties in heaven, then held a banquet at Huaguo Mountain afterward, inviting deities from the heavenly court, scattered immortals from the Eastern Sea, and even Immortal Zhenyuan from Wu Zhuang Guan who brought two ginseng fruits to celebrate.]
[The banquet lasted for three days and nights. You formed bonds with deities from all three realms; many expressed their interest in forging ties with you, and Immortal Zhenyuan openly acknowledged you as sworn brothers before all.]
[You led the immortals on a tour of Huaguo Mountain, experiencing the distinct ambiances of its seventy-two cities, which greatly impressed them. All praised you as a wise and insightful ruler.]
[Regarding the Eternal and Heavenly Dao coins of Huaguo Mountain, the immortals could not stop singing their praises, eagerly bringing out Immortal Fruits and magical treasures to exchange for your coins.]
[As the feast concluded, the immortals lingered in Huaguo Mountain for over half a year before bidding farewell one by one, and Immortal Zhenyuan even stayed nearly a year before saying goodbye with reluctance, preparing to return to Longevity Mountain with his disciples.]
[You asked Zhenyuan about Moluo, to which he agreed to help investigate, but came up empty-handed, finally telling you that The Buddha from Spirit Mountain might know something.]
[However, you did not want to ask for The Buddha's help. After bidding farewell to Zhenyuan, you quietly continued your investigations.]
[That year, the Dragon Demon King continued to be drained by the vixen...]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-three, Huaguo Mountain continued its development, and you covertly continued to search for traces of Moluo.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-four, Huaguo Mountain continued its development, and you covertly continued to search for traces of Moluo.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-five, Ao Yun suggested to you that Huaguo Mountain could establish its own kingdom. You agreed and officially established the Holy Kingdom of Huaguo Mountain, expanding it to include one hundred and eight cities.]
[Rumors about your Huaguo Mountain spread throughout the demon realms, and various demons, overcoming numerous obstacles, came to visit.]
[You covertly continued to search for traces of Moluo.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-six, the circulating currencies of Huaguo Mountain had shifted from mainly gold and silver to predominantly Eternal and Heavenly Dao coins. In Ao Lai by the Eastern Sea, the currency mainly consisted of gold, silver, copper coins, and Black Pattern coins, with the latter slowly gaining dominance.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-seven, your wisdom reached the Nanshan Continent.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-eight, your wisdom spread throughout the Nanshan Continent, but most people did not believe it, assuming you were merely a great demon attempting to deceive them into their doom.]
[In the same year, a scholar from Nanshan Continent who had studied at Huaguo Mountain returned to his homeland and propagated the true deeds of Huaguo Mountain, gradually convincing the people.]
[At the age of three hundred and thirty-nine, a craze for learning swept across the nations of Nanshan Continent, drawn by the abundant knowledge of Huaguo Mountain. Many sailed out in search of wisdom from Huaguo Mountain.]
[Ao Yun welcomed nobles, scholars, and samurais from various countries, arranging for them to enter Three Lives Academy to pursue their studies.]
[Initially filled with fear at the sight of supernatural beings, the foreigners could not think of tea or food. However, after three months, they gradually grew accustomed and managed to coexist peacefully with the beings of Huaguo Mountain.]
[Although there were frictions, none were significant.]
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[That year, a young man emerged prominent in the academy, excelling in both literary and martial arts, brimming with talent. His name was Hai Feng, and he expressed his desire to stay in Huaguo Mountain as a teacher.]
[At the age of three hundred and forty, the Dragon Demon King finally escaped his drained state, only because his body, once a thousand-fathom dragon, had shrunk to a mere hundred-fathom serpent-like waist, leaving him too weak to hold his form.]
[The vixen went into retreat to cultivate, refining nine years of harvested vitality.]
[The Dragon Demon King secretly contacted the Lion Camel King, Peng Demon King, Yurong King, and Mi Monkey King, hoping they would come to rescue him from his misery. However, these four great demon kings, having heard that you had ascended to the rank of immortals, did not agree to help. Instead, they brought rare treasures to curry favor with you.]
[They thought it better to be a leader in their own right than a follower in others, thus seeking out your alliance as a precaution in case of future failures, hoping you might intercede on their behalf.]
[The Dragon Demon King secretly resented this but was helpless. In his desperation, he was approached by a mysterious figure and received demonic Qi.]
[You discovered this affair and summoned the Dragon Demon King, demanding he reveal the identity of the mysterious figure. Then, in an outburst, the Dragon Demon King reverted to his original form. Under the influence of the demonic Qi, his dragon body grew to ten thousand fathoms.]
[However, you were well-prepared. With a gesture of covering the sky with one hand, you easily suppressed the Dragon Demon King. Finding it impossible to capture the demonic Qi, you obliterated it along with the Dragon Demon King's Primordial Spirit.]
[Heaven sensed this deed and as a reward for your meritorious demon-slaying, bestowed upon you the title of the Carefree Sage King and Sovereign of Equal Heavens. You were placed among the six supreme lords, granted the privilege to establish your own palatial court.]
[At the end of the same year, gods once again came to offer their congratulations, and even the Western Patriarch, Tathagata, arrived with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain to pay homage to the newly returned Emperor.]
[You discussed Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism with the divine beings, and all regarded you as exceptional. The Tathagata even invited you to become a Venerated King Buddha in the West.]
[You did not refuse, as both parties had connections that could facilitate future endeavors. However, you expressed to Tathagata that your path was different from his, and that a confrontation might be necessary in the future.]
[Tathagata smiled slightly, unconcerned, and conferred upon you the title of Venerated King Buddha, Holy Sage of Heaven and Earth.]
[You inquired to Tathagata about the issue of Mazin, and he told you that Mazin was both Buddha and demon, extremely difficult to contend with, the demon among demons, and that any slight demonic thought in one's mind could be sensed by it.]
[However, Tathagata assured you not to worry, as Mazin had been sealed and could not escape.]
[At the age of three hundred and forty-one, the divine beings departed each to their own realms, Huaguo Mountain continued to prosper, and you kept tracking the whereabouts of Mazin.]
[In that same year, a significant event occurred at Huaguo Mountain.]
[Unexpectedly, the thousand-year-old Fox King passed away.]
[Yu Yan implored you to find the murderer, as you knew that with the Fox King's abilities, he should not have perished in such a manner; someone must have acted against him in secret.]
[After a thorough investigation, you focused on Hai Feng and, using Great Divine Power, extracted from him the fractured Primordial Spirit of Mazin; but as it was merely a remnant of the mixed element, you were unable to annihilate it.]
[At the end of that year, The Buddha came to you to claim the residual soul of Mazin, explaining that he had initially overlooked a slight fracture in the seal and had failed to link the Demon King with Mazin, leading to such a situation.]
[Without claiming fault, The Buddha resurrected the Fox King, allowing Yu Yan and him to reunite as father and daughter.]
[At the age of three hundred and forty-two, influenced by the scattered Demonic Qi of Mazin's residual soul, the Seductive Fox prematurely cultivated a male form, and the male and female forms exhibited distinct personalities.]
[Intrigued, you used your psychic vision and discovered that the Seductive Fox hosted two entangled souls within, one Yin and the other Yang, with the Yin soul predominantly in control in the past.]
[With mighty mana, you recreated the Qiankun, dividing the Seductive Fox into two: the demon energy integrated with the Yang soul forming the Fox Son, while the Yin soul was transformed into Mei'er through the interplay of your magical power.]
[One demon and one immortal, their existence mutually interdependent yet restraining, they both possessed the potential to become Heavenly Immortals.]
[Both were grateful and vowed to serve as your protectors.]
[At the age of three hundred and forty-three, Huaguo Mountain continued to prosper, and Yu Yan and Tie Fan dedicated themselves even more diligently to their cultivation...]
[At the age of three hundred forty-four, Huaguo Mountain continued to develop, and as the Carefree Sage King and Sovereign of Equal Heavens of the Heavenly Court, you received an invitation to the Flat Peach Banquet.
Hence, you took Ao Yun, Tie Fan, Yu Yan, and the two protectors, Fox Son and Mei'er, riding the Great White Ox, which had shed much of its blood-murderous aura, to attend the grand event.]
[At the age of three hundred forty-five, you attended the Flat Peach Banquet in the Heavenly Court.]
[At the age of three hundred forty-six, you attended the Flat Peach Banquet in the Heavenly Court.]
[At the age of three hundred forty-seven, the Flat Peach Banquet ended, and you returned to Huaguo Mountain with Ao Yun and others, continuing the development of Huaguo Mountain, while Yu Yan and Tie Fan kept striving in their cultivation in order to protect Huaguo Mountain.]
[At the age of three hundred fifty-six, an uninvited guest arrived at Huaguo Mountain, The Buddha's second disciple, Jin Chan Zi.]
[He was commanded by The Buddha to transcribe scriptures, heading east to preach, and although he managed to subdue many demons in the region of West Niu Hezhou through force, he felt uncertain upon reaching Nanshan Continent.]
[This was because the people of Nanshan Continent, engrossed in their scramble for fame and profit, scorned Buddhist teachings, yet they were particularly fond of the scholarship of Ao Lai and Huaguo Mountain, especially the "Crafts of a Hundred Families," which many pursued for its monetary opportunities.]
[Jin Chan Zi was displeased, for he felt that you, being the Carefree Sage King and Sovereign of Equal Heavens of the Heavenly Court and Venerated King Buddha, Holy Sage of Heaven and Earth of Spirit Mountain, had an obligation to discuss Taoism and Buddhism with him.]
[You gladly agreed, engaged in deep discussions on scriptures with him, until finally, Jin Chan Zi, still perplexed, ascended to Spirit Mountain on a cloud to seek guidance from The Buddha, who instructed him to reincarnate for further cultivation.]
[You knew then that the quest for scriptures was about to begin anew.]
[At the age of three hundred ninety-eight, Fox Son and Mei'er, through the power of immortal and demon, achieved the status of Heavenly Immortals and were titled by you as the Solar Demon Marshal and Lunar True Maiden, standing by your side as the King of Yin-Yang Protectors, enjoying celestial fortune and Eternal Peace.]
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[At the age of eight hundred seventy-two, Huaguo Mountain had become a celestial kingdom revered by the other three major continents. The High Monk Sanzang set off from Nanshan Continent, planning to measure the land by foot, from Nanshan Continent to West Niu Hezhou, then to Northern Jambu Continent, finally reaching East Shengzhou, to seek from you scriptures that could advance Great Tang.]
[However, this time on the journey to obtain the scriptures, they were accompanied by an unexpected guest...]