Chapter 145: The True Lord Erlang Who Manifests Sanctity

Ciyun wore a look of utter dejection. How he longed to return and summon reinforcements! Yet, he could not fathom what sorcery that monkey had employed; with nothing more than a single painting, it had trapped them all here. Even with his cultivation at the realm of an Earthly Immortal, he remained unable to break free from the shackles of that scroll.

"We cannot just sit here and wait for death! Rather than being trapped until we wither away, we might as well fight that demonic monkey to the death..."

The longer they remained imprisoned, the more the captives lost control of their emotions. The situation was becoming impossible to contain.

But what could they do? The monkey was incredibly cunning. After trapping them, it paid them no mind, spending its days atop the immortal mountain drinking wine and admiring the moon, living with an air of carefree arrogance. The outsiders could not get in, and those inside could not get out. The entire East Sea had practically been carved into two separate realms by this single monkey.

"Everyone, calm down! Please, hear me out..."

Although the Taoist Ciyun had suffered repeated setbacks and lost much of his prestige, he still commanded significant respect among the group. Hearing his voice, the crowd quieted down, and he continued, "That demonic monkey’s methods are highly unusual; we certainly cannot overcome it through brute force. Furthermore, beyond that demonic monkey, it has summoned the great ancient clans of the wilderness to its side. Their current strength is no less than our own. Rather than engaging in a desperate, suicidal struggle, it is better to wait quietly for an opportunity, preserve our combat strength, and wait for reinforcements to arrive..."

"Reinforcements? Where would we find reinforcements? Most of the experts are in the Imperial City, locked in a standoff against the Void. Who would come to help us?"

"Indeed! We have been trapped here for so many days, and we haven't seen a shadow of help. Not only are there no reinforcements, but in these past few days, the monkey's own allies have only grown in number. How are we supposed to fight this? If I had known, I never would have come to the East Sea to join in the fray. I’d rather be facing those Void creatures in a fight to the death than be stifled to death trapped in here..."

Public resentment grew, and the situation spiraled completely out of control. Ciyun shook his head with a bitter smile. He never imagined that his lifelong reputation would be ruined by a monkey. It was a disgrace—an utter and humiliating shame. Unable to face the crowd, he lowered his head in silence.

"Ha! Are these the so-called human experts? Isn't this just too pathetic to look at?"

At that moment, a provocative voice boomed from the opposite shore. It was a white tiger with black-ringed eyes, one of the great ancient beasts of the wilderness. Beside the tiger, a giant rhinoceros followed with a mocking tone: "I thought these human experts were supposed to be strong. Who would have thought the Great Sage would capture them all with just a single painting! They are nothing but weaklings..."

"Indeed, indeed!"

The barrage of insults infuriated everyone, yet they remained helpless. These beasts were all summoned by the monkey, and for days, they had been wreaking havoc on the islands surrounding the East Sea. Even the Peacock clan had come to assist the monkey; no one knew what they hoped to gain. Some speculated that the monkey had promised them some benefit; otherwise, why would they openly declare war on humanity?

One must understand that for years, humans and the beast clans had kept to their own paths. In the Imperial City, many ancient beasts had even joined the struggle against the Void, standing in great unity. The best examples were the Fearless Great Ape, the Nine-Headed Lion, and the Suanni. Yet, the beasts of the East Sea were the exception—they were uncooperative, and instead of showing any solidarity, they openly rebelled. Was the Great Wilderness truly united? No... not at all. Even among humans, there were those who watched the fire from the other shore, ignoring the crisis of the Great Wilderness. The beasts were no different.

"Brother White, tell me... wouldn't it be amusing if we just burned them all to ash?" the giant rhinoceros asked with a playful sneer.

Hearing this, the crowd erupted in rage, desperate to rush forward and slaughter the two wretched beasts. However, the painting was made of an unknown material, incredibly tough; no matter what techniques they unleashed, they could not break the seal.

After consulting with the tiger, the giant rhinoceros struck. A towering inferno surged toward them.

"Argh!"

A series of screams echoed as those with weaker cultivation within the seal were scorched by the flames. Just then, a streak of azure light illuminated the horizon! A three-pointed, double-edged spear descended from the heavens, instantly striking the white tiger and the giant rhinoceros and leaving them severely wounded.

"Who goes there?"

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. As they looked toward the sky, they saw a man in white robes and an azure cloak standing against the horizon, holding a three-pointed, double-edged spear, appearing like a god of war.

"Have the reinforcements arrived?"

A cheer erupted from the crowd. For the first time since being trapped, they saw hope. The man, looking down upon the living like a war god, slashed his spear toward the immortal mountain. The white tiger and the giant rhinoceros were slain on the spot—they did not even have the capacity to resist and were obliterated completely.

"Who dares to act so audaciously at the Penglai Immortal Mountain?"

A roar of fury erupted from below, and a massive figure charged up.

Qing Cheng looked on with disdain. This was merely a minor ancient beast, not even at the Supreme realm, yet it dared to show off its clumsy skills in front of him?

"You court death!"

In an instant, he raised his spear and struck! The giant beast was cut down by Qing Cheng. He seemed to find his confidence, establishing his prestige the moment he appeared.

"Who exactly are you?"

Qing Cheng’s imposing arrival drew fear from the beasts below, and one of them dared to ask.

"I am the Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun! I have been ordered to come here and capture the demonic monkey... Go, call that monkey out, and I might spare your lives..."

Qing Cheng spoke with disdain, his expression cold. In reality, he was incredibly thrilled inside. *Haha, it’s finally my turn to show off! It hasn't been easy; I've been here for so long and haven't had a single chance to look this cool.*

Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun? That was a title Ye Qiu had specifically bestowed upon him. Though he didn't know what it meant, he loved it. It sounded imposing, like a true god of war, and suddenly, he felt invincible again.

*Ah... wonderful. The feeling of being awe-inspiring is just great! Look at those expectant eyes. This is what it means to be a hero; it is simply marvelous...*

His coolness lasted less than three seconds. Though he started out composed, as he thought about it, he began to chuckle like an idiot.

The crowd was completely bewildered. Where did this god-like figure come from? Why did he seem a bit unhinged, and why was he giggling to himself? Was he really from a proper sect?

"Ahem..."

Realizing his impropriety, Qing Cheng coughed to ease the awkwardness and continued coldly, "Are you deaf? Go, call that monkey out, or else... today, blood will flow for three thousand miles across the East Sea..."

"Hiss... what an arrogant brat!"

"How dare he!"

The crowd was terrified by Qing Cheng’s bold words, all of them left in complete shock.

"Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun? Has anyone ever heard of this title?"

"Never heard of it. But looking at him, he seems quite formidable! Well, it doesn't matter; he’s here to help us anyway, let's just wait and see..."

Though the crowd had many doubts, they did not dwell on them. Meanwhile, the beasts below were beginning to panic.