Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

At this moment, the Xuanlang Demon King had lost all of his previous arrogance. His demonic power was suppressed by the dragon and tiger phantoms, and he couldn't even destroy his demon core to perish together with them.

Zhang Kui's eyes were cold, devoid of any pity. Mercy towards the enemy was cruelty towards himself and his soldiers. These demons of the North Sea were vicious and tyrannical, feeding on humans; their crimes were unforgivable.

"In your next life, remember not to be an animal, not even a beast that has become a spirit."

Without the slightest hesitation, the wolf-tooth wind-breaking blade in his hand, with a resolute determination to cut through everything, was swung down fiercely...

puff!

The sound of a sharp blade cutting through bone was sickening. A huge, ferocious wolf head flew off, and dark silver blood gushed out like a fountain from the severed neck, staining the surrounding snow a strange dark red.

Almost the instant the head was severed from the body, a wolf-shaped primordial spirit, about the size of a palm and containing the entire consciousness and remaining demonic power of the Xuanlang Demon King, carrying a dim demon core, fled in panic from the severed neck, turning into a green light and attempting to tear through the void to escape.

"I was prepared for this!" Zhang Kui sneered.

How could a celestial demon be so easily killed? Its primordial spirit could escape, possess another body to rebuild its cultivation, or seek help from its own kind, all of which could give it a chance to recover completely.

With a thought, Zhang Kui's golden core emitted a faint glow from the seed representing the Five Elements Great Escape. He then pointed his left hand, fingers joined like a sword, at the fleeing green light.

"ban!"

An invisible spatial ripple instantly spread out from the finger force. The air around the fleeing wolf-shaped primordial spirit instantly turned into a gel-like substance, its escape light suddenly stopped, its speed plummeted, and it emitted a terrified and desperate shriek.

At the same time, Zhang Kui raised his long sword in his right hand again. This time, the blade was filled with pure and incomparably fierce blood energy, a power that naturally restrained the soul.

With a flash of light, the blade traced a mysterious trajectory and struck the wolf-shaped primordial spirit directly.

"Agh..." The scream was extremely agonizing.

The wolf-shaped primordial spirit shattered like glass struck by a hammer, scattering in all directions. The dim demon core also lost all its spirituality, falling to the snow with a "thud."

The Xuanlang Demon King, who had dominated the northern lands for so long, was utterly destroyed, disappearing completely from the world.

"General's divine might!"

"Victory! Victory!"

All the soldiers were awestruck by this ruthless and decisive tactic, which in turn instilled in them an unparalleled sense of security. Following such a powerful commander, how could they not be victorious in battle or conquer any obstacle?

Zhang Kui took a deep breath, suppressing the slight turmoil in his body, and glanced towards Black Wind Gorge.

The demon soldiers who had been lying in ambush were now in a state of panic.

The news that the king had been killed, or that he had been completely annihilated, spread like a plague among the demons.

Boundless fear gripped the heart of every demon soldier.

"The king is dead."

"Run!"

……

The demon horde was thrown into complete chaos, abandoning their armor and fleeing like headless flies into the depths of the canyon.

"All troops, listen to my command!" Zhang Kui's voice boomed across the battlefield.

"Attack! Annihilate the remaining enemy forces, leave no one alive!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The gates of the fortified village burst open with a roar, and a makeshift pontoon bridge had already been erected over the moat. The Shang soldiers, who had been holding back their energy and whose morale was soaring, charged like tigers released from their cages. Led by officers of all ranks, they formed battle formations and roared as they charged toward the fleeing demon soldiers.

This was a pursuit battle with no suspense whatsoever. On one side were routed soldiers, their leader slain, their courage shattered, and utterly disorganized; on the other side were a highly motivated, well-equipped, and eager-to-achieve elite royal army.

The battle turned into a one-sided massacre. Archers and ballistae reaped the lagging demon soldiers like the Grim Reaper, chariots and cavalry mercilessly crushed the chaotic demon horde, while the infantry steadily advanced, clearing out any remaining enemies who tried to resist or hide.

The stench of blood filled the air, staining the snow-covered canyon red.

Zhang Kui did not personally participate in the pursuit. He dismounted, walked to the corpse of the Xuanlang Demon King, first picked up the dull demon core, and then put its head into his pouch. This demon king was a treasure trove; its fur, bones, and claws were all excellent materials for refining weapons, so naturally, he couldn't waste them.

After doing all this, he found a relatively clean open space and sat down cross-legged. He circulated the Nine Breaths Breathing Technique, and with each breath, countless tiny vortexes formed from the pores and acupoints of his body, absorbing the energy of the surrounding world.

Whether it was the lingering spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the water elemental power in the wind and snow, or even the bloodthirsty aura permeating the battlefield, all of it was forcibly absorbed. After the initial refinement through the Nine Breaths Breathing Cultivation and the further refinement through the Golden Core Dao, it was transformed into incomparably pure natal true essence, which surged into Zhang Kui's dantian to quickly replenish the energy consumed in the fierce battle just now.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhang Kui's face, which had been slightly pale from the battle, returned to a rosy color, and his aura returned to normal. In fact, due to the life-and-death struggle and the breakthrough in his supernatural powers, his cultivation had even improved.

He recalled the image of Kuafu he had summoned during the battle and the scene of his breakthrough in the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Divine Power.

"The great shaman Kuafu... chased the sun, drank the Yellow River and the Wei River dry, and died of thirst on the way. His will and strength were beyond the reach of ordinary people." Zhang Kui was filled with shock and awe. "That a trace of my bloodline can actually trigger such a powerful projection is truly mysterious and boundless. That feeling of merging with the earth and drawing life from the plants makes me feel as if I myself am a part of this world..."

"Subduing dragons and tigers is not about subduing external dragons and tigers, but about subduing one's own restless mind and controlling one's own vast blood and power, making them as responsive as one's own limbs, perfectly integrated and unimpeded. The dragon represents the ultimate in strength and the agility of change; the tiger represents the sharpness of ferocity and the might of slaughter. Only when the two complement each other can the true essence of power be revealed... Today's battle has given me a chance to glimpse a trace of the true nature of this divine power." He sank his consciousness into his dantian, and the Dao patterns representing subduing dragons and tigers on his golden core became clearer and brighter, the images of dragons and tigers lifelike.

Immersed in his reflections, Zhang Kui continuously digested the valuable experience gained from this battle, gaining a deeper understanding of his own power system.

After an unknown amount of time, the shouts of battle gradually subsided. The lieutenant, covered in blood but beaming with excitement, rushed over, knelt, and reported, "General Qi! The demon soldiers who ambushed our army in Black Wind Gorge have been completely annihilated. Our army suffered 27 lightly wounded and 8 seriously wounded, with no casualties. The captured supplies are currently being tallied and inventoried."

The lieutenant's voice was filled with unbelievable excitement and pride. To annihilate an ambush force several times their size at minimal cost, and to slay a demon king at the Heavenly Immortal Realm—this was an absolutely glorious victory.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui nodded, showing little surprise on his face.

"Well done. Soldiers, you've worked hard. Rest here, cook your meals, and stay on high alert."

"Yes, sir!" The lieutenant accepted the order and respectfully withdrew.

Just as the army began to clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and set off cooking fires, no one noticed that on a snow-capped peak several miles away from the battlefield, a blurry figure almost blended into the wind and snow was peering at everything at the Black Wind Gorge through a water mirror spell.

This man was tall and thin, wearing a light gray Taoist robe. His face was sinister and his eyes were darting around. He was Qiu Yin, a rogue cultivator of the Jie Sect, who had been secretly asked by Marquis Chong Houhu of the North to "seize the opportunity to act".

Having witnessed firsthand how Zhang Kui created a city out of thin air, how he slew the Xuanlang Demon King, and how he annihilated the primordial spirit... Qiu Yin was terrified and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Hiss... Just what kind of monster is Zhang Kui?" Qiu Yin gasped, the water mirror in his hand trembling with the shock of his mind. "Slaying celestial demon kings like slaughtering dogs? And that giant dharma form, the dragon and tiger phenomena... it's simply horrifying."

He had originally harbored the idea of ​​taking advantage of Zhang Kui's weakness after the battle or his entanglement in the major battle to launch a sneak attack and gain an advantage, but now he had long since forgotten about it.

"Chong Houhu, Chong Houhu, you didn't tell me you were dealing with such a vicious person..." Qiu Yin didn't hesitate and immediately extinguished the Water Mirror spell. His figure retreated silently like a ghost, blending into the wind and snow, and fled far away without looking back.

After a night of rest, the army broke camp and set up camp the next morning.

Despite the continued snow and wind, the group continued along the established route. After the battle at Black Wind Gorge, no demon forces dared to harass them again.

After another day of travel, the outline of a large military camp gradually became clear on the distant horizon, with banners fluttering and the character "Zhang" (张) on the commander's flag faintly visible.

A scout rode up to report: "General, this is the camp of General Zhang Guifang, commander of the Left Army, thirty li ahead."

We're finally approaching our destination.

Zhang Kui's spirits lifted, and he urged his unicorn-like beast to charge forward, ordering, "All troops, speed up! Move towards the main camp ahead!"