The Dangerous Bellyband

The lightning beneath Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus looked just like a bouquet of flowers.

But it moved at the speed of lightning, and at such close range, it reached Tiger-Taming in almost an instant.

With lightning right in his face, Tiger-Taming was at a loss for a moment.

But almost instantly, Tiger-Taming Arhat sensed just how much power was contained in this lotus formed from flames.

Especially at such close range.

"No!" Tiger-Taming's pupils contracted, and he struggled desperately to get away.

But how could he escape when the Lightning Calamity's lightning had already locked onto him?

With a thunderous boom, the Lightning Calamity's second bolt descended.

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, the ten-meter-thick pillar of lightning struck Jiang Zhe and Tiger-Taming at the same time.

Jiang Zhe immediately retreated, bathing in the light of the Lightning Calamity's lightning as though he felt no pain.

But Tiger-Taming was not so lucky.

Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus had already been on the verge of exploding. The lightning bolt Jiang Zhe had inserted into it had ultimately served as something like a bomb's fuse.

But before the thunder unleashed by the Lightning Calamity, it ignited completely.

Boom!

A muffled thud suddenly sounded, followed by an earth-shattering explosion.

The thunderclouds covering dozens of kilometers were swallowed up by a sea of fire in an instant. From afar, the boundless sea of fire looked like a red cloud in the sky.

Yang Chan, who was closest, immediately sensed such violent energy.

The Precious Lotus Lantern in her hand emitted a faint glow. As if sensing something, the expression on her face suddenly turned strange.

Beneath the shroud of flames, that faint trace of Buddhist light seemed to have begun fading.

"What on earth is going on? Samadhi True Fire and the demon-subduing presence of Buddhism. Could it be that this eminent monk from Spirit Mountain has gotten into a fight with some Taoist master?" Yang Chan racked her brains but could not make sense of it.

After thinking for a moment, she still decided not to tell anyone what had happened here.

Although she was certain that if she sent word, her second brother would come rushing over immediately.

But if nothing had happened here and she made her second brother come all this way for nothing, she might even get a scolding.

She did not want that.

The sea of fire covered more than a hundred kilometers. The instant the explosion occurred, its immense range naturally engulfed Jiang Zhe as well.

But one should not forget what armor he had transformed into.

The fire of the Great Dao! Flame Dragon Armor!

Empowered by the Great Dao, Flame Dragon itself had the ability to command all flames.

It would not be an exaggeration to call it the Flame Emperor Armor.

How could the emperor of fire possibly be harmed by fire?

So whether it was the scorching samadhi true fire or the Fallen Heart Flame, which could burn the mind, Jiang Zhe felt nothing at all when they touched him.

In the light of the flames, Jiang Zhe's eyes resembled a dragon's as he quietly watched the very center of the explosion.

The golden light had vanished from sight. Before Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus, which fused two supreme Heavenly Flames and a mythical fire, an avatar with only one percent of Tiger-Taming's power naturally could not withstand it.

The system's task completion notification was the best confirmation.

[Task complete: Congratulations, host. You have obtained 10,000 merit points and the divine ability Five Thunder Method]

Looking at his increased merit points and the five new thunder method imprints in his mind, Jiang Zhe could not help smiling.

Although the battle had been tiring, the gains were worth it.

The five thunders corresponded to the five elements of heaven and earth: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each thunder could fuse with an element to unleash a different attack.

And because it was a system reward, Jiang Zhe had mastered it almost the instant he completed the task. One could even say he had cultivated it to the perfection realm.

Should he use the 10,000 merit points for draws, or save them to raise his cultivation technique's realm?

He had only cultivated the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts to the introductory realm. Raising it to the minor accomplishment realm required 30,000 merit points. With what he had earned from completing tasks and what he had just recovered, he had only 15,000 merit points now.

Raising the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts to minor accomplishment would mean he had gained proficient control over transforming at will, and could also reshape his limbs. The speed at which he refined the primordial Qi of heaven and earth would also increase by a level.

But if he wanted to take a gamble on becoming stronger, the system's draws were also an excellent choice.

Besides, for the duration of Yang Chan's task, Jiang Zhe had no plans to leave. The spiritual Qi here was just enough to meet the cultivation needs of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts at the introductory realm.

Once he raised it to minor accomplishment, he would have to find a grotto-heaven or blessed land. If he was lucky, joining a sect or being taken in as a disciple by some great immortal would also work.

The problem was that it depended too much on luck.

And although Jiang Zhe was now a Heavenly Immortal, this was the mythical world of Journey to the West.

To protect himself, he would need to be a Golden Immortal at the very least, perhaps even a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, right?

"I still need to lie low." As he muttered to himself, Jiang Zhe immediately made up his mind. For now, it was best to stay by Yang Chan's side. After all, she had the Precious Lotus Lantern, so protecting herself should not be a problem. Besides, Yang Chan's tribulation was still centuries away, giving him plenty of time to lie low.

If he could take care of Joyful Boy while lying low, all the better.

Even if he could not, Yang Chan, who had True Lord Erlang at her back and could even be said to have the Jade Emperor at her back, was still the best choice.

Most importantly, Yang Chan was not a pest, unlike Weaver Girl, who followed him around like a shadow.

After coming back to his senses, Jiang Zhe chose to draw, anticipation on his face.

Once again, it was ten low-tier draws!

[Super delicious lollipop]

[Bone Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame rankings]

[100 mid-grade spirit stones for cultivation]

[One thousand taels of incense offerings for cultivation]

[One Three-Turn Golden Elixir]

[Ten high-grade spirit stones]

[One supreme-grade spirit stone]

[Yang Chan's bellyband]

[Chang'e's bellyband]

[Jade Rabbit's bellyband]

In an instant, the question marks over Jiang Zhe's head were practically visible to the naked eye.

The earlier rewards were fine, either Heavenly Flames or cultivation resources, but what the hell were those last three?

A triple bellyband combo!

Who wanted those?

Especially Chang'e's and Jade Rabbit's. What were those two playing at? He had never even met them.

And system, be honest: did you steal them or copy them?

At that thought, Jiang Zhe's heart instantly began to pound. If they were copies, that was one thing, but if the system had stolen them...

Jiang Zhe swallowed, then reached out, and a silvery-white silk bellyband appeared in his hand.

It was very smooth to the touch and quite cold, as though he were touching a block of ice.

Chang'e likes this sort of thing?

Almost the instant the bellyband appeared, moonlight suddenly spilled down from the sky onto it.

In an instant, it was as if the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. The moon seemed to have grown eyes.

Jiang Zhe's expression changed slightly. This was exactly the sort of thing he feared most.

After all, there were immortals here. Who knew whether the things they wore every day might carry their presence or something, allowing them to be tracked down the moment they were brought out?