Chapter 145: Wind Wheel, The Opportunity for Supernatural Powers to Blossom

Having departed from the Pure Yang Realm of Longle, Cao Kong gave some brief instructions to Cao Xiang and the others before heading southeast.

Along the journey, he frequently practiced the golden and fire elemental escape techniques, intending to refine them to the realm of minor mastery.

Unaware of the passage of time, he transformed into a streak of flowing fire and arrived at a desolate place. Here, white bones lay strewn across the fields, and unyielding grievances gathered without dispersing.

Cao Kong frowned slightly, intending to recite a passage of the *Supreme Scripture of Relief from Suffering* to deliver and liberate the resentful spirits of this place.

Suddenly, to the south, a fierce wind arose accompanied by roaring flames. Wind and fire intertwined, scorching half the sky. A divine general was locked in battle with two fiends amidst the gale and blaze. Although the general showed no signs of defeat, he had been unable to subdue them for a long time.

"The Wind and Fire Judges..."

A brilliant light flashed in Cao Kong's eyes, and with a thought, he vanished from the spot.

Simultaneously, within the all-encompassing sea of fire, beside a fierce, red-haired demon, a wisp of flame flickered uncertainly as Cao Kong abruptly merged into it.

Yet the red-haired demon, who was none other than the Fire Judge, remained completely oblivious.

At that very moment, as the Wind and Fire Judges and the divine general were engaged in fierce combat:

The divine general possessed a vertical third eye upon his forehead. Wielding a golden spear that swept forth radiant divine light, he thrust, poked, lashed, parried, and coiled, exhausting the utmost mysteries of spearmanship.

His momentum was ferocious, resembling roaring waves and layer upon layer of overlapping force, demonstrating the exquisite mastery of his martial arts.

He beat the two wind and fire fiends to the point where they could only evade his sharp edge, relying on divine powers to circle around him.

Cao Kong knew inwardly that this person must be the three-eyed Lingyao, also known as Ma Lingyao, or the Huaguang Great Emperor of later generations.

This Ma Lingyao feared neither wind nor fire. His body was formless within the wind and at ease within the fire—not due to acquired spells, but through innate divine powers, bestowed upon him alongside his heavenly eye by the Buddha himself.

Legend has it that Ma Lingyao's first incarnation was the Buddha's disciple "Sudatta" (Miaoxiang), who was originally the lamp oil before the Buddha's throne cultivated into human form. The reason he was reincarnated and bestowed with the heavenly eye and divine powers was because he had committed a grave transgression.

Originally, the western Lingshan Mountain did not belong to the Tathagata Buddha, but was the dwelling place of a Poison Fire Great King.

In former years, the Tathagata Buddha practiced his sixteen-foot golden body upon the snowy mountains. Once the golden body reached perfection, he came to Lingshan and found the mountain's green peaks secluded, its clear waters deep, and its spiritual resonance boundless.

He asked the Poison Fire Great King if he could borrow it as a dwelling place and even drew up a deed.

The deed stated that the mountain would be returned to the Poison Fire Great King after one year. When the year passed and the Poison Fire Great King came to reclaim it, the Tathagata Buddha instead claimed that what had been borrowed was ten years.

The Poison Fire Great King angrily took the deed to inspect it, only to discover that the "one" on the deed had been altered into a "ten." Helpless, he had no choice but to return a decade later.

Yet the Tathagata Buddha declared once more that what had been borrowed was originally a millennium. Upon checking the deed, the Poison Fire Great King found it indeed stipulated a thousand years.

Enraged and intending to cause a massive uproar, but fearing the boundless magical power of the Tathagata Buddha, the Poison Fire Great King could only swallow his anger.

Later, while the Tathagata Buddha's ten major disciples were expounding the scriptures and preaching the Dharma, he wreaked havoc in Lingshan, releasing the five-bucket fires from within his body, determined to burn everything down to ashes.

It was at this exact moment that Sudatta used a mouthful of Samadhi True Fire to burn the Poison Fire Ghost King into complete annihilation of both body and soul.

Consequently, the Tathagata was furious and demanded severe punishment. However, Guanyin offered to vouch for him, so the Tathagata ordered him to be reincarnated with his memories intact as punishment, while also granting him five penetrating divine powers and the heavenly eye capable of seeing the three realms.

Cao Kong's thoughts shifted. Seeing that the two demons were troublesome to deal with, he revealed his figure and stepped out from the fire.

This sudden appearance startled Ma Lingyao and the Wind and Fire Judges alike.

Cao Kong laughed heartily, saying, "Divine general, do not be alarmed. I am one who has come to assist you."

Ma Lingyao's expression was rebellious and arrogant. "Step back. This general has no need for anyone's assistance."

"Oh," Cao Kong replied, flashing aside.

The Wind and Fire Judges, seeing the sudden appearance of someone whose depth was unfathomable, felt extremely anxious and reluctant to entangle themselves further with Ma Lingyao.

Yet Ma Lingyao's offensive was too fierce, so the two brothers exchanged a glance, a look of resolute determination flashing in their eyes.

The Fire Judge struck his own nose twice, drawing vital essence blood, then smeared the blood all over his face. Chanting incantations and performing hand seals, his aura instantly withered.

However, from his mouth he spat a stream of fire, while thick smoke billowed from his nose.

This fire was no ordinary fire, heavenly fire, or wild fire; it was the Samadhi fire refined by demons.

At that precise moment, the Wind Judge whipped up a violent gale, which swelled the flames and spread toward Ma Lingyao along the path.

Yet Ma Lingyao was originally the reincarnation of lamp oil, possessed the divine power of being at ease within fire, and was himself an expert in wielding the Samadhi True Fire. Therefore, he stood unmoving, pitting his own Samadhi True Fire against theirs.

Still, the two demons had the wind aiding the flames. Although Ma Lingyao was not outmatched in terms of fire, he could not endure the thick smoke driving straight into his eyes.

It left his eyes stinging and his nose choking. The Wind and Fire Judges exchanged a glance—a golden opportunity to avoid his sharp edge!

Thus, stepping upon their wind and fire wheels, the two prepared to flee far into the distance.

"Wind, cease."

A light, casual voice echoed, and the howling gale whipped up by the Wind Judge instantly subsided.

At the same time, a breeze blew from the southeast—a clear and bright wind carrying the essence of freshness and purity. Blowing across his eyes, it instantly relieved a great deal of the stinging pain.

Thus, while weeping tears, Ma Lingyao saw a Daoist priest looking at him with a smiling expression.

Arrogant though he was, he knew right from wrong. He cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Daoist friend."

With that, he moved to pursue the Wind and Fire Judges. Yet the escape skills of the Wind and Fire Judges were truly formidable, and the two magical treasures beneath their feet were extraordinarily miraculous, carrying them thousands of miles away in the blink of an eye.

With a slight thought, Cao Kong stepped forward using the wind escape technique. Derived from the wood escape, the wind escape in Cao Kong's hands even surpassed it. With a single step, his figure blocked the path of the Wind and Fire Judges.

Appalled, the Wind and Fire Judges panicked and turned to flee in another direction, only to find Ma Lingyao already chasing after them. Remembering Ma Lingyao's divine powers and magic, and then looking at the inscrutable Daoist priest standing before them:

Hardening their gazes, they decided to forcefully break through the Daoist's barrier!

Could this person possibly be stronger than Ma Lingyao?

Stepping once more on their wind and fire wheels, they blew forth fierce flames and wild winds.

Cao Kong smiled faintly and took a breath. *Hoo—*

Instantly, within the wood palace, the divine power seeds that already showed signs of blooming flowers shone brilliantly, and the Eight Winds issued forth.

Formless, traceless, and shadowless, they blew until the azure heavens were completely free of clouds.

*Boom!*

The winds and fires unleashed by the Wind and Fire Judges were instantly rebounded back at them with even greater velocity.

The Wind Judge was injured by the fire, the Fire Judge was blown away by the gale, and even the wind and fire wheels beneath their feet were blasted into the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Ma Lingyao caught up, pulled out a triangular gold brick, and struck the two demons one by one, knocking their eyes rolling back and tongues lolling out until they fainted cold away.

Glancing around, Ma Lingyao cupped his fists and said, "Ma Lingyao thanks Daoist friend. Yet Daoist friend looks rather unfamiliar; may I ask your esteemed name?"

Cao Kong smiled and said, "This poor Daoist is Dongzhen."

As he spoke, Cao Kong's gaze lingered on the wind and fire wheels scattered on the ground, especially the wind wheel. Seeing it constantly gathering and scattering as if concealing the profound mysteries of the wind within it,

A strange sensation suddenly sprouted in his heart. Perhaps the opportunity for his Eight Winds divine power to blossom lay upon this wind wheel.

Hearing Cao Kong's Daoist title, Ma Lingyao showed no ordinary surprise, but rather felt a surge of deep envy.

Thinking to himself: *"What a grand Daoist title! How utterly enviable."*

Following Cao Kong's gaze, he looked toward the wind wheel, and his heart tightened instantly. He, too, fancied this item; if the Daoist before him were to ask to take it away, it would be difficult to refuse.

Then he heard:

"Daoist friend, might I borrow these wind and fire dual wheels to contemplate for a time?"

Instantly, Ma Lingyao's heart relaxed.