Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The City Lord had already recognized the four people before him at this moment, as the ones being hunted by an Immortal, His face flickered with wild joy, but he immediately felt something was amiss and asked with his eyes wide open, "What do you mean?"

"Power truly is the thing in this world that most confuses the heart. I've made myself so clear, yet you still haven't caught on," the old crone said with her unpleasant voice, laughing.

"What makes you think Immortals will actually satisfy your needs? Medicine of Immortality, what a huge joke! Which Immortal would part with such treasure for you commoners? Even if given to you, could your feeble body withstand that powerful medicine?" the old crone still mocked with her shrill voice.

Upon hearing this, the City Lord's complexion turned like a dye shop, various colors filled his face, constantly changing. He bowed his head to look at his own hands, which were already stained with the fresh blood of his kin.

"Is it you?" He pointed his finger in fury at the old crone before him, finding that wrinkled face utterly terrifying, as if it were a ghoul that had crawled out of Hell.

"Of course, it's me. If I hadn't amplified your desires, how could this show have begun? Oh, and the news about the Immortal having the Medicine of Immortality was spread by me too," the old crone boasted to the City Lord proudly.

"You evil spirit! May you die a terrible death." The City Lord's face bore shame and anger as he cursed the aged woman.

"Ha, how laughable. It was your own choice, but in the end, you want to blame it on me. If you had no desire in your hearts, even with my utmost ability, I couldn't have done this; it's all your own decision from inside. I merely gave it a little push to commence this drama ahead of schedule," she retorted.

The City Lord was so enraged by the old crone's words that a spurt of fresh blood sprayed out instantly, and then to his surprise, he cast a glance at the woman behind him.

Only then did he notice that at some unknown point, the woman, delicate as a flower, had donned a resolute expression. In that moment, she resembled a beautiful but tragic Red Spider Lily, exuding an air of beauty and death.

The City Lord immediately realized, and incredulously said, "The wine is poisoned? But didn't you drink it too?"

The woman revealed a devastatingly beautiful smile, and said, "Yes, I drank it too, because I don't intend to live any longer. Someone like me no longer deserves to be with him." A tinge of red began to appear on her beautiful face, clearly the poison was taking effect.

"Ha ha ha ha, what a joke. I thought everything was under my control, but never imagined I'd end up a clown being manipulated by others, ultimately dying at the hands of a woman," the City Lord suddenly laughed out loud.

The intense emotional upheaval spread the poison faster through his body; he couldn't help but vomit blood profusely, the blood dripping onto the polished hall floor, blooming like a Red Spider Lily.

In the end, with despair and regret, he slowly closed his eyes, concluding his life. He rose to power because of a woman and perished by her hand as well—such is the way of karma.

The woman, watching the City Lord now breathless, showed no trace of happiness on her face. From the day she was taken by force, her heart had died. Dragging her frail body, she slowly crawled to the side of the second young master lying in the pool of blood, grasping his lifeless hand tightly, and closed her eyes in satisfaction.

"Amitabha!" the Lustful Monk chanted the Buddhist mantra as a farewell to the woman whose fate was fraught with hardship.

"Why, Lustful Monk, have you started to pity and cherish the fairer sex again?" the venomous old monster chuckled at his side.

"Seeing such a beautiful woman die before me, a monk's heart feels as if it has been slashed by a thousand knives." The monk still had his hands pressed together in prayer, but his words no longer carried the solemn dignity of a holy man; instead, they bore a hint of licentiousness.

"Indeed, the lustful heart never changes, and there, the body is still warm," the venomous old monster said with another laugh.

"Alright, it's time for serious matters, whether we survive or not depends on this attempt," the Taoist cut off their banter, speaking with a grave expression.
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His words instantly brought a solemn atmosphere to the array of people present, each with different expressions. The image of that burly man emerged in their minds, becoming their nightmare. If only they could choose again, they would stay far away from that snake demon. Sadly, there is no medicine for regret in this world.

The four looked at each other and nodded slightly, reaching an unspoken agreement. They released the mana they had been hiding and quickly dispersed to the four corners of the great hall. Unbeknownst to them, an array had already been inscribed outside the hall, and they were now positioned at its four nodes.

Meanwhile, on a mountain far outside Banished Immortal City, a robust man was gnawing on a chicken leg when he suddenly sensed these four released auras. He put down his food, looked in the direction of the City Lord's Manor, and laughed loudly, "You guys really can't hold back, can you? Second sister, wait for me to avenge you."

The big man was none other than Zhu Ganglie, the former Marshal Canopy, who was hunting the four. He boarded a cloud and flew straight towards the City Lord's Manor.

"He's coming!" The Taoist, already activating the Array, frowned and said. Zhu Ganglie had made no attempt to hide his aura, and the overwhelming and despairing force was rapidly approaching the City Lord's Manor.

The four instantly had a look of determination on their faces, knowing that if they did not succeed this time, they would die trying; there was no alternative.

The quartet channeled their mana, and the inscribed Array immediately began to emit a faint glow. The blood from the accumulated corpses in the great hall was sucked into the Array, and a colossal aura shot straight into the sky. Suddenly, the weather changed dramatically.

What had been a clear sky became covered with dark clouds, and where the clouds met, there was a terrifying crimson, as if blood would soon pour down from the heavens, enveloping Banished Immortal City with an aura that seemed like the end of days.

The residents of Banished Immortal City first heard the sounds of battle from the City Lord's Manor and then saw such a spectacle. Terrified, they hid in their homes, quietly praying to the Immortal who once protected their ancestors, hoping to survive this disaster.

Perhaps influenced by the grand Array, or perhaps resonated by the prayers of the many inhabitants of Banished Immortal City, a mysterious force seemed to be added to the world. This force came from the sky, from the earth, and even from the void, converging above the City Lord's Manor.

"We've succeeded!" The Taoist exclaimed with joy, a rare smile breaking across his normally unchanging stoic face as he seemed to see a glimmer of hope for his life.