Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

This "Tian Ji's horse racing" strategy is indeed brilliant! By using Li Jing, this tough nut to crack the enemy's stubbornness, no matter the outcome, our side will not lose!

"We understand! We will obey Lord Prison God's arrangements!"

Everyone responded in unison, with no further objections.

Lin Zhu nodded slightly, and his divine sense spread out again, covering the entire Snowstorm City and the vast battlefield in front of him.

The scene outside the snow-covered city is now completely different from yesterday.

Yesterday, it was a desolate battlefield of scorched earth and corpses strewn everywhere; today, it has been transformed into a standoff between two colossal and terrifying war behemoths!
On the Tang side, crimson banners, like a burning ocean, formed an endless, massive battle formation in front of the Snowstorm City.

A rough estimate suggests that the number exceeds one million! This is not the entirety of the Tang Dynasty's standing army; at least half of them are civilian powerhouses, sect cultivators, and independent heroes who have spontaneously rushed from all over the Southern Continent since the proclamation was issued yesterday!
Overnight, an additional 500,000 troops were added! And this number continues to increase over time! More cultivators, some riding flying swords and magical artifacts, some using escape techniques, and some riding tamed spirit beasts and exotic birds, converged on this majestic border city from all corners of the Southern Continent, like rivers flowing into the sea!

Cultivators, rarely seen in the past and mostly living in seclusion in the mountains or cities, have now set aside their cultivation and conflicts to protect their homes and country and avenge their grievances, forming groups and heading to the frontier. Some ancient patriarchs of Daoist sects, with white hair and beards and profound auras, spared no effort to expend their magical power, piloting a massive cloud boat carrying a full load of their fellow cultivators and descendants.
There were mountain spirits and demons who had cultivated for thousands of years, revealing their thousand-meter-long forms and taking the initiative to let those low-level cultivators who were not good at flying climb onto their backs, serving as temporary "transportation tools"; and there were also many ordinary people who usually did not show their talents, but at this moment they also burst out with amazing cultivation and fighting spirit.

These 500,000 newly added "righteous soldiers" are merely the vanguard! In the rear camps, there are several times, even ten times, more powerful figures from various factions gathering, reorganizing, and awaiting orders!
Compared to five hundred years ago, when the Tang Dynasty could only rely on hundreds of thousands of ordinary soldiers to desperately resist the invasion of India, its strength today is more than ten times greater. This is the amazing result of Li Shimin's five hundred years of hard work and governance, his implementation of "education for all," and his secret accumulation of power!
The opposing Indian Buddhist Kingdom camp is also a force to be reckoned with.

Five hundred years ago, the Buddhist kingdom of India angered the Buddha and was ravaged by his "storm of compassion," severely weakening its nation. However, with the Western Paradise as its backer, it received the protection and covert support of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, and over the past five hundred years, it has accumulated a vast number of Buddhist soldiers and the power of faith.

At this moment, on the vast plains in front of the Golden Lotus Fortress, the army of the Indian Buddhist Kingdom was displayed, numbering as many as 1.5 million! Moreover, this was only its local forces! In Xiniu Hezhou, a continent firmly controlled by the Western Religion, the monarchs of various countries were merely figureheads; the true rulers were the temples and monasteries of Arhats and Bodhisattvas in various places.

As the most important representative and frontline of the Western Paradise on Earth, the entire Western Continent's manpower and resources would be directed towards the Buddhist Kingdom of India should war break out! No country would dare to be stingy in the slightest, otherwise it would be a grave crime of "destroying and slandering Buddhism"! Therefore, the Buddhist Kingdom of India's military strength and resources are virtually inexhaustible!
This is destined to be the largest and most far-reaching super war in human history! It is not only a war between the Tang Dynasty in Jambudvipa and the Buddhist Kingdom of India in Aparagodaniya, but also a full-scale confrontation between the human forces, civilizations, and even the supporting forces of the two continents!

The outcome of this battle will determine the future balance of power between the two continents, and may even overturn the relatively stable division of power among the three realms since the Investiture of the Gods! If the Tang Dynasty is defeated, the human race of the Southern Continent will suffer a severe blow and may be completely reduced to a vassal state of the Western Heaven, falling into boundless darkness.

If the Buddhist kingdom of Tianzhu is defeated, the Tang Dynasty will use Tianzhu as a springboard to launch its military campaign directly towards Xiniu Hezhou, breaking the Western Sect's absolute control over Xiniu Hezhou and shaking the foundation of the Western Heaven! Neither the Western Heaven nor other forces secretly watching this war can afford the cost of defeat! This is an ultimate clash with no way out, involving the lives of billions of people, and worthy of being described as "mountains of corpses and seas of blood"!
The two armies faced each other from afar, their tense and murderous aura soaring into the sky, dividing it into two completely different scenes.

Above the Tang army formation, the fighting spirit, blood energy, and the mixed yet powerful spiritual energy emanating from various cultivators converged, forming a thick cloud of crimson and multicolored spiritual light, like a burning battle cloud, rolling and surging.

Above the Buddhist kingdom of India, endless Buddhist light shone, chanting could be heard faintly, and layers of golden auspicious clouds rose and fell, radiating a tranquil and peaceful yet incredibly resilient and inviolable pressure.

On the ground battlefield, Yuchi Gong, who had just been resurrected and was even more eager to fight, and who had been temporarily entrusted with the vanguard by Li Shimin, led a mixed army of 100,000 of the most elite armored soldiers and cultivators of the Tang Dynasty out of the city and issued a thunderous challenge to the Indian army!

On the Indian side, they dispatched a legion of "Vajra Monks" who claimed to be reincarnations of "Vajra Arhats" and had cultivated Buddhist protective supernatural powers. These monks were tall and strong, with skin that faintly shimmered with a metallic sheen. They carried heavy weapons such as vajras and crescent shovels, and stood silently as mountains as they met them.

Before the two sides even engaged in battle, their chilling killing intent already clashed and intertwined on the battlefield, stirring up gusts of wind.

High in the sky, the real extraordinary battle unfolds silently.

Lin Zhu, along with Nezha, the Golden Turtle of the Abyss, and dozens of elite law enforcers drawn from the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison, quietly hid above the Snowstorm City. Using the top-tier "Heaven-Covering Talisman" that Lin Zhu had prepared beforehand and obtained from the system, they perfectly concealed all their aura and secrets.

From the outside, that sky appears no different from anywhere else. Even those with Buddhist supernatural abilities like clairvoyance or telepathy would only find it empty or shrouded in natural celestial clouds.

This is the "dark place" that Lin Zhu wanted.

Above the army of the Buddhist Kingdom of India, the thick golden light and auspicious clouds were not merely for displaying majesty, but also a powerful means of protection and concealment, preventing the enemy from spying on the true strength of their camp. Ordinary divine sense probing in was like throwing a stone into the sea, and might even be backfired by the Buddhist light.

However, how powerful was Lin Zhu's divine sense? Especially after breaking through to the half-step Quasi-Saint level, his perception had reached the level of laws.

He focused his senses and, from the depths of that seemingly peaceful golden light, vaguely detected several obscure yet incredibly powerful fluctuations of energy. One of them, though much weaker and mixed with some kind of lingering weakness from unhealed damage, still possessed a unique aura—pure like that of the Pure Lotus Flower, yet also carrying an undercurrent of annihilation—that Lin Zhu would never mistake—the White Lotus Child!
This guy wasn't really dead after all, and he was hiding in the Indian army! It seems that the other side also anticipated my arrival, and may even have set up a trap to kill me.

"The debt of tens of thousands of lives, and the grudge of Yuchi Gong's arrow... White Lotus Boy, I will settle accounts with you sooner or later."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes, his killing intent hidden.

From a higher perspective, this battle was also a tacit "covert war" between the Heavenly Court and the Western Paradise. The Jade Emperor tacitly allowed Lin Zhu to intervene in his "personal" capacity, mobilizing the "personal" armed forces of the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison. Meanwhile, the Western Paradise secretly supported the Indian Buddhist Kingdom through the White Lotus Boy and possibly other Buddhas and Arhats.

Neither side has completely broken off relations or directly declared war in the name of the Heavenly Court or Mount Ling, but the resources and attention they have invested are already considerable. If Lin Zhu's side is defeated, not only will the Tang Dynasty be in danger, but the Heavenly Court's reputation and even the special force of the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison will suffer a severe blow.
Conversely, if the Buddhist army supported by the Western Paradise were to be defeated, the Western Religion would suffer immeasurable losses in terms of low- and middle-level military strength and popular faith. It was at this tense moment, with the world on the verge of chaos and a great war about to erupt, that things began.

At the towering gates of the Snowstorm City, a somewhat lonely yet upright figure rose slowly into the air, stepping on auspicious clouds.

It was Li Jing who was appointed as the "vanguard captain"!

At this moment, he was filled with mixed feelings. He was excited and expectant about to "return" to the Western Paradise camp and even make great contributions, but he was also wary of Lin Zhu's unfathomable methods and even more uneasy about going into danger alone with an uncertain future.

He glanced back at the direction of Wind and Snow City, and with his divine sense sweeping across, he could vaguely "see" Lin Zhu casually leaning against a battlement on the city wall, holding the pitch-black God-Slaying Spear that terrified the Three Realms. He was slowly and meticulously wiping the spear with a piece of snow-white silk cloth, as if it were not a murder weapon but a beloved toy.

Lin Zhu even raised her head and gave Li Jing in the air a smile that seemed gentle but sent chills down Li Jing's spine.

That one glance, that one smile, instantly shattered Li Jing's original plan to raise his hands and shout "I am Li Jing, the special envoy of the Western Paradise, here to surrender!" as soon as he left the city!

He had no doubt that the moment he dared to utter the first word, the God-Slaying Spear, which was being wiped clean, would pierce his forehead in an instant! Lin Zhu was absolutely capable of doing it!

"No...we can't surrender directly...it's too obvious, a dead end..." Li Jing was sweating profusely. "We have to...we have to fight first, make a show of it, and then find an opportunity...Yes, that's it!"

He forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath, and channeled his magical power. He shouted loudly at the boundless, Buddha-light-filled Indian army opposite him. His voice was like thunder, echoing throughout the battlefield.

"Hey! Listen up, you bald Indian monks over there! I am the Heavenly King Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King of the Heavenly Court. I am here today as the vanguard of the Great Tang Dynasty, ordered by Lord Lin Zhu, the God of Law Enforcement of the Three Realms! You have betrayed your oath and slaughtered countless lives; you deserve to die! Come out and face your death!!"

He specifically revealed his identities as a member of the "Heavenly Court" and "under the command of the God of Hell," both to bolster his own courage and to remind his opponents—I have a powerful background, so don't get caught in the crossfire! Watch out while we fight!
After delivering these blustering yet cowardly words, Li Jing felt his acting was spot-on, both stating his position and hinting at his identity.

He tightened his grip on the mediocre standard longsword he had somehow produced, and steeled himself, he urged the auspicious clouds beneath his feet, and cautiously, step by step, took his first step into the battlefield void outside the protective formation of Wind and Snow City, a void filled with a chilling atmosphere and unknown dangers.

Once he steps out of this barrier, he will be temporarily out of Lin Zhu's direct control, and he can then act according to the situation!
However, just as Li Jing's left foot stepped out of the invisible barrier created by the protective array of Wind and Snow City, and his toes touched the outside space—

The change occurred suddenly, without any warning!
"Buzz—!!!"

It did not come from the Indian Buddhist Kingdom's army on the other side, nor from Lin Zhu and his group who were hiding high in the sky.

Instead, the space within a radius of several hundred feet centered on the void beneath Li Jing's feet suddenly twisted and vibrated violently, like a red-hot boulder being thrown into a calm lake!
Countless fine, mysterious golden runes, exuding a cold, Buddhist aura of confinement, appeared instantly, like thorny vines growing out of thin air. They intertwined into an enormous, dazzling net, completely enveloping and sealing off Li Jing, who had just taken half a step, along with all the space around him!
Immediately afterwards, the golden rune net shone brightly, and a terrifying suction and suppressive force far exceeding Li Jing's Golden Immortal cultivation level suddenly erupted!
"What?! Ah—!!"

Li Jing only had time to let out a short, horrified scream before he was pulled to the ground by that force, like an insect caught in an invisible giant hand, powerless to resist!

His destination was not the open space in front of the two armies, but rather... the core area deep within the camp of the Indian Buddhist Kingdom's army, where the Buddhist light was most intense and the pressure was most terrifying!

At the same time, a cold, indifferent, seemingly emotionless yet subtly cruel childlike voice, like a cat playing with a mouse, clearly rang in Li Jing's ears and faintly echoed over the battlefield.

“Lord Li, since you’re here, there’s no need to be so polite. This servant… has been waiting for you for quite some time.”

Above the army of the Buddhist Kingdom of India, deep within the layers of golden Buddhist light that exuded a serene yet awe-inspiring majesty, there was not nothing but several figures, some with powerful auras, some with obscure auras, and some with eerie presence, quietly hovering.

The leader was none other than the White Lotus Child, who was heavily injured and whose aura was obviously unstable. His moon-white Taoist robe was stained with dark gold bloodstains that were difficult to remove. Although a hole in his left shoulder, which was transparent from front to back, was barely sealed by a layer of glazed Buddhist light, black demonic energy was still faintly emanating and corroding it.

His once delicate and flawless childlike face was now as pale as paper. Deep in his eyes remained a trace of lingering fear and deep-seated resentment from being pierced by the God-Slaying Spear and nearly annihilated. But more than anything, there was a forced, almost obsessive madness and urgency.

Behind him stood two majestic and dignified deities, each sixteen feet tall, exuding a compassionate aura unlike that of ordinary Buddhas.

On the left is a figure with a bluish-black body, three faces and eight arms. Each face is wrathful, but its eyes radiate a wisdom that penetrates the three realms and subdues the root of all afflictions.

He held in his hands two ritual implements, symbolizing the subjugation of the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, as well as the authority to rule over the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity. His aura was as deep as the sea, and he had clearly reached the perfect state of a Great Golden Immortal! He was none other than the Eastern Three-Worlds Wisdom King, the second of the Five Great Wisdom Kings of Esoteric Buddhism, a figure of great esteem and regarded as the wrathful manifestation of Vajrasattva!

On the right stands a figure, slightly shorter but far more imposing and robust, with indigo skin, three faces, six arms, protruding fangs, and a ferocious, terrifying expression. He is surrounded by a destructive aura of Vajra power, seemingly capable of crushing all evil and heretics. (End of Chapter)