Under One Person: I Opened the Age of Mythology

Chapter 354: Capture the Grand Master and defeat the Holy Mother!
Qu Ying gently put down the teacup in her hand, and tapped her fingertips unconsciously on the table, making a slight sound. The eyes of all the generals in the tent were focused on her, waiting for her further analysis.

She hesitated for a moment and continued:
"Master Wen is cautious in his use of troops. He suffered a loss from the formation before, so he must be prepared this time. We must not attack rashly."

She walked to the sand table and pointed her slender finger at a valley outside Sishui Pass:
"In my opinion, Master Wen is likely to set up an ambush here to lure our troops deeper into the territory."

Jiang Ziya stroked his beard, stared at the sand table with deep eyes, and said after a moment's silence:

"Qu Ying's analysis is reasonable. We need to be careful and take advantage of the situation."

He looked around at the generals and said firmly:

"Send the order down, and send Nangong Shi to lead a small force to pretend to go out of the city to fight, while the main force will ambush on both sides, ready to ambush Master Wen's army."

Qu Ying added:
"For this operation, I will improve the 'Death Storm Formation' to make it more flexible and changeable."

She took out a brand new formation diagram from her sleeve, spread it on the sand table, pointed at the intricate patterns on the diagram, and explained in detail the changes in the formation and the countermeasures.

"This formation is called the Uncertain Wind and Wave Formation. Although its killing power is slightly weaker, it is more unpredictable and difficult to grasp. The center of the formation is set here and I control it personally. I can adjust the formation at any time according to the battle situation to divide and surround the enemy."

The generals of Xiqi listened attentively, writing down the key points on their cloth from time to time, with excitement flashing in their eyes.

After the military meeting, the Xiqi army acted according to the plan. Nangong Shi led a thousand elite soldiers out of the city, beating drums and shouting all the way, and attacked the army of Master Wen.

With flags fluttering and drums roaring, the Xiqi army was in high spirits. Under the sunlight, the soldiers' armor reflected a dazzling light. The dust was flying and the sound of horses' hooves was deafening.

Outside Sishui Pass, Master Wen led a large army to prepare for battle.

He rode his new mount, a majestic black war tiger, holding a male and female whip, and stared at the Xiqi army approaching in the distance with sharp eyes.

Beside her, the Golden Spirit Mother was wearing a golden Taoist robe, holding a dragon and tiger Ruyi in her hands, with a solemn expression.

Seeing that the main force of the Xiqi army had not shown up yet and only a small force was sent to harass, Master Wen felt vaguely uneasy.

His brows were furrowed, his eyes flickered:

"Why did the Xiqi army only send a small force out of the city? Is there some trick?"

The Golden Spirit Mother narrowed her beautiful eyes, looked at the dusty battlefield in the distance, and said thoughtfully:
"Master Wen, I always feel that something is wrong. The Xiqi army seems to be too rash in going into battle this time."

The dragon-tiger Ruyi in her hand turned gently, emitting a faint golden light.

Master Wen couldn't hold back his desire to end the battle quickly. He took a deep breath, raised the whips in his hands, and shouted:

"Send out the entire army to chase after the small group of Xiqi troops. Don't let them escape back to the city!"

The sound of war drums suddenly became more intense, and the Shang army soldiers poured out like a tide, following Master Wen's black war tiger and chasing after the small group of Xiqi troops. The shouts of killing shook the earth.

The small Xiqi army led by Nangong Shi fought and retreated, seemingly in a panic, but in fact they led the Shang army into the "Unstable Wind Wave Formation" arranged in advance by Qu Ying in an orderly manner.

On both sides of the valley, hidden under the dense woods, the main force of the Xiqi army was lurking quietly, waiting for the best time to attack.

Seeing the Shang army gradually advancing deeper into the valley, the Golden Spirit Holy Mother's heart was alarmed. She suddenly raised her head and stared at the terrain around the valley with a sharp gaze. Her face suddenly changed:

"No, we fell into a trap!"

However, it was too late. With Qu Ying's clear voice:
"Set up the formation!".

A thick fog suddenly rose around the valley, covering the sky and the sun, enveloping Master Wen and the main force of the Shang army.

The "Unstable Wind Wave Formation" was activated, with howling winds, flying sand and rocks, and the earth shaking. Countless golden lights shot out from the formation, interweaving into a huge net, dividing and surrounding the Shang army.

Qu Ying stood on a high platform outside the formation, holding the formation flag, and commanded the changes of the formation with a stern expression, dividing and surrounding the Shang army and defeating them one by one.

The flags in her hands were waving, and the formation was changing unpredictably, sometimes like a violent storm, sometimes like huge waves, trapping the Shang army in the formation and making it difficult to escape.

"Form a formation! Charge!"

The next moment, the Xiqi army emerged from the woods on both sides of the valley and rushed towards the Shang army trapped in the formation like a tide.

The shouts of killing shook the earth, the flags fluttered, and Jiang Ziya rode on a Sibu Xiang, standing in front of the formation, his eyes as sharp as lightning and his commands with confidence.

"Kill! Leave no one behind!"

The generals took the lead, waving their weapons, and rushed into the Shang army, attacking left and right with unstoppable courage.

The Xiqi soldiers behind them followed closely behind them, and with great force, they divided the Shang army into several pieces.

In the battle formation, Master Wen was shrouded in thick fog, his vision was obstructed, and it was difficult for him to discern the direction. He waved his male and female whips to fend off the Xiqi soldiers who kept pouring in from all around him, his brows furrowed, and he was extremely anxious.

"Golden Spirit Mother! Break the formation quickly!"

Master Wen shouted loudly, but his voice seemed a little weak in the strong wind.

The Golden Spirit Mother held the Dragon and Tiger Ruyi in her hand and barely resisted the attack of the formation. She clenched her teeth and beads of sweat oozed from her forehead.

In her eyes, this "Unstable Wind Wave Formation" was more sophisticated and changeable than the previous formations, and she found it difficult to find a way to break the formation for a while.

"Master Wen, this formation is unpredictable. I need time!"

The Golden Spirit Mother responded with a hint of anxiety in her tone, while waving the Dragon and Tiger Ruyi. A golden light shot out and repelled several approaching Xiqi soldiers.

Qu Ying was watching everything in the formation closely from the high platform. When she saw what the Golden Spirit Mother did, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

She waved the flag in her hand again, and the formation changed. An even stronger gust of wind swept over, blowing the Shang soldiers toppling over and over, making the formation even more chaotic.

"Humph, you want to break the formation? That's not that easy!"

Qu Ying snorted coldly, her eyes determined.

On the battlefield, the morale of the Xiqi soldiers was high and they fought bravely, while the Shang soldiers were trapped in the formation, lost their way and their morale was low.

Some Shang army soldiers began to lay down their weapons and kneel down to beg for mercy.

Master Wen saw that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, and he was extremely anxious. He brandished his male and female whips, repelled several Xiqi soldiers, and then shouted:

"All soldiers, listen up and follow me to break through!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he whipped his whip in a direction and led the remaining Shang soldiers to charge out of the formation.

However, the "Unstable Wind Wave Formation" was unpredictable. As soon as they broke out of one encirclement, they fell into another one, like being stuck in a quagmire, unable to extricate themselves.

In a short while, the Golden Spirit Mother realized that it was difficult to break the formation by herself. She gritted her teeth and summoned the Four Symbols Pagoda. The pagoda swelled in the wind, emitting thousands of golden lights in an attempt to suppress the center of the formation.

On top of the tower, the shadows of the four animals - Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise - circled and roared, and a powerful pressure instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.

She raised her hand lightly and pointed to the center of the formation. The Four Symbols Tower then streaked across the sky like a meteor and headed straight for the center of the formation.

Seeing this, Qu Ying frowned slightly, and a gleam of light flashed in her eyes.

She quickly changed the formation and waved the formation flag. The Unstable Wind Wave Formation suddenly changed color. The originally violent wind instantly restrained and turned into a huge suction force, sucking the Four Symbols Tower into the formation.

The face of the Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit suddenly changed. She felt a strong backlash coming, and she spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering back. The Four Elephants Tower was shining in the formation. The power that was originally used to suppress the center of the formation now reacted on the Shang army. The Shang army, which was already in chaos, became even more panicked, and wailing sounded one after another.

The Golden Spirit Mother was injured by the backlash and had to withdraw from the formation, sit cross-legged, and regulate her breathing to heal her wounds.

Her face was pale and her breathing was disordered. It was obvious that she had suffered serious internal injuries. At the same time, she looked up at the formation, with a trace of unwillingness and regret in her eyes.

Seeing that even the Golden Spirit Mother was unable to break the formation, Master Wen became more and more desperate. He looked around and saw that the soldiers of Xiqi were pouring in like a tide, while his own soldiers were trapped in the formation and were in disarray.

Seeing this, he took a deep breath, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes, and he burned his blood and essence with a desperate effort, raising his own cultivation to the extreme, turning into a ray of blood light, and breaking through by force.

"what!"

Master Wen roared angrily and waved the two whips in his hands like two mad dragons, tearing open a passage, allowing him to briefly break out of the formation.

He flashed and appeared outside the formation, gasping for breath, his face as pale as paper, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.

Upon seeing this, Qu Ying's expression remained unchanged. She quickly pinched her fingers together and the Unstable Wind Wave Array shrank rapidly, like a huge cage, trapping Master Wen inside again.

Just as Master Wen took a breath, he was trapped again. He looked up at the sky and let out a sad sigh.

Qu Ying raised the battle flag high and commanded the Xiqi soldiers to besiege Master Wen:

"Capture Master Wen alive!"

Her voice was clear and firm, echoing across the battlefield. The Xiqi soldiers received the order and pounced on Master Wen like a tiger descending from a mountain.

Although Master Wen had burned his blood and energy, he was ultimately outnumbered. He waved his double whips, barely resisting the siege of the Xiqi soldiers, but his body was covered with more and more wounds, and his clothes and armor were stained with blood.

Finally, under the siege of many generals, Master Wen was exhausted and captured. He dropped his arms weakly and allowed the Xiqi soldiers to tie him up.

When he was escorted back to the Xiqi formation, he raised his head and looked at Qu Ying standing on the high platform, his eyes filled with reluctance and helplessness:

"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit, I have nothing to say."

His voice was low and a little tired, and he immediately closed his eyes, seeming to have accepted his fate.

At this moment……

Qu Ying walked down from the high platform and came in front of Master Wen. She looked down at him condescendingly without saying a word.

There was no expression on her face, and her plain Taoist robe fluttered gently in the wind. The battlefield was dusty and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood. The Xiqi soldiers cheered, celebrating this hard-earned victory.

Then, Qu Ying raised her hand and signaled the two Xiqi soldiers behind her to take Master Wen away:

"Keep a good look at it, and don't let anything go wrong."

Her tone remained calm, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

The two soldiers took the order, carried Master Wen on the left and right, and walked towards the Xiqi camp.

When everything was settled, Qu Ying turned around and glanced across the battlefield, which was filled with smoke, fallen flags, and the bodies of Shang soldiers were scattered all over the ground.

She sighed softly, raised her hand and rubbed her brows, feeling that all this should not have been necessary, but...

At this moment, a Xiqi general quickly walked up to Qu Ying, knelt on one knee, and saluted:
"Congratulations, fairy, for your great victory!"

His face was full of excitement and his voice was loud.

Qu Ying withdrew her thoughts and nodded slightly to him:
"This battle was won thanks to the bloody battles of all the soldiers. We will reward them according to their merits, and no one should be left behind."

Her voice was cold, yet with a barely perceptible softness.

"Thank you, fairy!"

The general saluted again, then stood up and directed the soldiers to clean up the battlefield.

Qu Ying stood there, watching the busy soldiers quietly.

After a while, the figure of the Golden Spirit Mother appeared in her sight in the distance. Her face was pale and her breathing was disordered. It was obvious that she had not fully recovered from the backlash of the Four Symbols Tower.

Qu Ying walked towards it. The noise on the battlefield gradually faded away. The wind blew, blowing up the dust and fallen leaves on the ground.

"Golden Spirit Mother."

Qu Ying walked up to the Golden Spirit Mother and spoke softly.

The Golden Spirit Mother raised her head and looked at Qu Ying, her eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness:
"you win."

Her voice was hoarse and trembling.

Upon hearing this, Qu Ying shook her head:

“There are no winners in this war.”

She stretched out her hand and handed a pill to the Golden Spirit Mother.

"This is a healing elixir, take it."

The Golden Spirit Mother hesitated for a moment, but finally took the pill and swallowed it. The pill melted in her mouth, and a warm current flowed through her body, making her feel much more comfortable.

"Thank you."

The Golden Spirit Mother spoke in a low voice, her tone still cold, but without the previous resentment.

When his complexion improved a little, Qu Ying narrowed her eyes and said lightly:
"You and I have different paths. What happened today was also God's will."

The Golden Spirit Mother remained silent, looking down at her hands. Her Taoist robe was covered in dust and blood, making her look a little disheveled.

"I lost."

After a moment's silence, she finally spoke. Her voice was low and weak, but she seemed calm. However...

"I... am too ashamed to face my master."

Qu Ying looked at her quietly after hearing this, knowing that this was not just a battle, so she spoke again:
"Victory and defeat are common in the military, why do you care?"

Qu Ying's voice was calm and peaceful. On the slightly bleak battlefield, it was like a trickle of water, soothing the surging emotions in the heart of the Golden Spirit Mother.

Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Holy Mother smiled bitterly, shook her head, and said:
"This battle is extraordinary. It concerns the reputation of Jiejiao. As a disciple of Jiejiao, how can I ignore it?"

As she spoke, she raised her hand to tuck her scattered hair behind her ears, revealing a slightly haggard face.

Qu Ying looked at the Golden Spirit Mother with a hint of understanding in her eyes. She said slowly:
"You have fought bravely for your master and your comrades. Heaven and earth can bear witness to your loyalty. Even if you are defeated, no one will blame you."

"Besides, this battle is not your fault alone. Although Master Wen is brave, he cannot defeat fate. Why do you have to take all the responsibility on yourself?"

"Those who practice cultivation should never make themselves suffer."

(End of this chapter)