Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

Chapter 65 The next one won't be a mortal.

Youhun Pass.

This formidable pass was built against the mountain, with towering walls guarding the vital east-west passage.

Inside the pass, the General's Mansion.

General Dou Rong, with a solemn expression, was reporting military intelligence to Su Yunbai.

"General Su, the Xiqi army has been frequently gathering thirty miles outside the pass recently. Although they have not attacked, their provocative intentions are obvious."

"How many troops do you have?"

"At least 50,000, and all of them are elite troops," Dou Rong said. "The commander is Nangong Shi, a general from Xiqi. He is brave and once killed three demons from the north single-handedly."

Su Yunbai walked to the sand table.

How many troops are stationed inside the pass?

"We originally had 30,000, but a few days ago 10,000 were diverted to support Chen Tang Pass, so now we only have 20,000." Dou Rong smiled bitterly. "If Xiqi really attacks, I'm afraid..."

"Where are the reinforcements?"

"We have requested aid from Chaoge, but it will take at least seven days for them to arrive."

Su Yunbai pondered.

"In other words, we have to defend with 20,000 troops against 50,000 elite soldiers for at least seven days."

"Yes." Dou Rong's face was grim. "This subordinate is prepared to defend to the death."

"There's no need to hold out," Su Yunbai said. "I have a plan."

He looked at Dou Rong.

"Are there any people inside the pass familiar with the terrain?"

"Yes. My deputy general, Zhang Kui, is a local and knows the terrain of this area like the back of his hand."

"Call him here."

"yes!"

Soon, a capable middle-aged general entered.

"This humble general, Zhang Kui, greets General Su!"

Su Yunbai sized him up.

This person exudes a calm and composed aura, having already reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, making him one of the best among mortal generals.

"General Zhang, are there any strategically important locations outside the pass suitable for an ambush?"

Zhang Kui walked to the sand table and pointed to a valley.

"This place is called 'Eagle's Sorrow Gorge'. The cliffs on both sides are steep, and there is only a narrow path in the middle. It is a place that the Xiqi army must pass through when advancing."

"Setting up an ambush here would make our efforts twice as effective."

Su Yunbai nodded.

"Alright. You will take five thousand elite soldiers and leave the pass tonight to ambush at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge."

"Five thousand?" Dou Rong exclaimed in surprise. "General, there are only fifteen thousand garrison troops left inside the pass!"

"That's enough," Su Yunbai said. "Xiqi won't launch a full-scale attack."

Why?

"Because they are just testing us," Su Yunbai said. "Ji Chang and Jiang Ziya want to see how quickly Chaoge can react, and how well I can cope."

He looked towards the direction beyond the pass.

"So, we need to give them a 'surprise'."

---

That night.

Zhang Kui led 5,000 elite soldiers out of the pass and lay in ambush on the cliffs on both sides of Yingchoujian.

Su Yunbai then climbed the city wall and looked towards the Xiqi camp.

Under the moonlight, campfires flickered, stretching for miles.

"General, will Xiqi really come?" Dou Rong asked.

"Yes," Su Yunbai said, "but it won't be a large army."

"That could be..."

"An elite squad," Su Yunbai said. "Night raids, harassment, probing—these are Jiang Ziya's usual tactics."

The voice just fell.

Suddenly, a faint sound of wind breaking came from beyond the pass.

Dozens of dark figures, like ghosts, swept towards the city wall.

"They're here." Su Yunbai sneered.

He raised his hand and waved it.

Suddenly, countless torches lit up the city wall.

The light shone brightly, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.

The shadowy figures were immediately exposed.

They were the night raiders from Xiqi, all dressed in black and masked, wielding short blades.

"Release the arrows!"

Dou Rong gave the order.

Arrows rained down.

The night raid team hastily resisted, but outnumbered, most of them were quickly shot dead.

Only a few people with higher cultivation levels withstood the rain of arrows and continued to charge towards the city wall.

"court death."

Su Yunbai raised his hand and pressed down gently.

The pressure of a quasi-saint descended like a mountain.

Those people were immediately stuck in the mud, unable to move.

"Take it down."

The guards stepped forward and captured him.

---

Xiqi Camp.

Nangong Shi's face darkened when he learned that the night raid had failed.

"Useless! They were wiped out before they even reached the city walls!"

The lieutenant whispered, "General, I heard that Su Yunbai has come to Youhun Pass in person."

"Su Yunbai?" Nangong Shi frowned. "That Grand General Who Protects the Nation?"

"Yes. This person's cultivation is unfathomable; it is said that he is already a quasi-saint."

Nangong Shi felt a chill run down his spine.

Quasi-Saint...

That's beyond his capabilities.

"Order the entire army to retreat ten li and await the Prime Minister's instructions."

"yes!"

---

Inside the Ghost Pass.

Su Yunbai interrogated the prisoners.

"Tell me, who sent you?"

The prisoner sneered, "Kill us if you want, but don't expect to get a single word out of us!"

"You have guts." Su Yunbai nodded. "However, I don't need you to say anything."

He raised his hand and placed it on the prisoner's head.

Soul Searching Technique!

The prisoner screamed and his eyes glazed over.

A moment later, Su Yunbai withdrew his hand.

"As expected, it was Jiang Ziya's instruction."

He looked at Dou Rong.

"The Xiqi army is preparing to retreat."

"Retreat? Why?"

"Because they know I'm here," Su Yunbai said. "Jiang Ziya is very cautious and won't take risks easily."

Dou Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

"So...the crisis is over?"

"It's temporarily off," Su Yunbai said, "but bigger trouble is coming soon."

"What's the trouble?"

Su Yunbai looked eastward.

"Chaoge".

---

Chaoge, Tiance Mansion.

Bixiao was handling government affairs when suddenly an idea struck her.

A chilling aura was sensed appearing within Chaoge City.

"Demon aura..."

Her expression hardened, and she got up and went out.

Ao Ling also rushed over from the Water Conservancy Department.

"Sister Bixiao, you felt it too?"

"Hmm." Bixiao nodded, "It's very well hidden, but it can't escape my senses."

"Could they have been sent by Xiqi?"

"That's possible," Bixiao said. "With Yunbai gone, some people are getting restless."

She took out the communication jade pendant.

"Xiao Wu, Da Ji, be careful. A demon has infiltrated Chaoge."

---

The Imperial Palace.

King Zhou was cultivating when suddenly a system notification sounded:

[Warning! Demon race has been detected infiltrating Chaoge!]

Quantity: Unknown

[Cultivation Level: Lowest Golden Core, Highest Early Stage Great Luo]

[Purpose: Suspected assassination or sabotage]

King Zhou opened his eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them.

"It's finally here."

"System, bring up the map of Chaoge and mark the location of the demonic energy."

A virtual map appeared before my eyes.

Five red dots are scattered throughout the city.

"Only five?" King Zhou frowned.

[The system can only detect demons whose presence has been revealed; there may be many more lurking.]

"Have you notified Su Yunbai?"

[Su Yunbai is at Youhun Pass; the distance is too great, and sending a message will take time.]

King Zhou stood up.

"Then I will handle it myself."

He changed into casual clothes and walked out of the imperial study.

In the shadows, several figures silently followed.

Those were the secret guards arranged by Wen Zhong.

---

In the south of the city, there was a secluded residence.

Three men in black robes are having a secret conversation.

"Su Yunbai has gone to Youhun Pass, leaving Chaoge vulnerable. It's the perfect time to make a move."

"What's the target?"

"First, Bixiao. This woman is a disciple of the Jie Sect. If she dies here, the Jie Sect will surely turn against Su Yunbai."

"The second one is Ao Ling, the Dragon Princess. Killing her will break the alliance between the Dragon Clan and Chaoge."

"Thirdly, Daji and Jiang Xiaowu. Although their cultivation levels are not high, they are both Su Yunbai's Daoist partners. Killing them can disrupt his mind."

"When to make our move?"

"Tonight at midnight."

Before he could finish speaking...

A soft laugh suddenly came from outside the door.

"Why wait until midnight? Isn't now better?"

The three men's expressions changed drastically.

The door shattered with a loud crash.

Bi Xiao and Ao Ling stood outside the door, their faces cold.

"Demons, how dare you!"

The three men in black robes instantly revealed their true forms.

One is a black bear spirit, one is a leopard spirit, and one is a venomous python spirit.

They're all at the level of powerful demons!

"The Fairy of the Intercepting Sect, the Dragon Princess... Perfect, let's kill them all together!" The Black Bear Demon roared and pounced on Bixiao.

Bixiao sneered and raised her hand to summon the Golden Dragon Scissors.

With a flash of golden light, the Black Bear Demon was cut in half at the waist!

The leopard spirit and the venomous python spirit were horrified and turned to flee.

Ao Ling gave a soft shout, releasing the dragon's aura.

The two demons were immediately trapped in a quagmire.

"die!"

Ao Ling raised his hand, and two water arrows pierced through the heads of the two demons.

The battle ended quickly.

However, Bixiao and Ao Ling did not relax.

"There are two more," Bixiao said, "in the direction of the palace."

"Walk!"

---

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Garden.

Two men in black robes are stealthily moving.

Their target was King Zhou.

If King Zhou is killed, the Shang Dynasty will surely fall into chaos.

Suddenly, a golden light descended.

King Zhou stood before them.

"You two, are you looking for me?"

The two were startled, then grinned maliciously.

"Di Xin, you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep!"

They revealed their true forms: one was a golden eagle spirit, and the other was a pangolin spirit.

They were all at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

That's enough to deal with a "mortal" emperor.

But King Zhou laughed.

"System, activate Imperial Aura."

[Ding! Imperial Aura (Advanced) activated!]

A vast and majestic aura erupted from King Zhou.

The golden eagle spirit and the pangolin spirit immediately knelt down as if carrying a mountain on their backs.

"What...what kind of power is this?!"

"My power," King Zhou said calmly.

He raised his hand, and the Human Emperor's Technique began to circulate.

Two beams of golden light shot out, piercing through the foreheads of the two demons.

"System, absorb the demon core."

[Ding! Absorbed two Golden Core Demon Cores, Luck Points +500!]

[Current Luck Points: 4000.]

King Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems that I am not entirely powerless to fight back."

He looked towards the direction of Tian Ce Mansion.

"Bixiao and Ao Ling should be dealt with as well."

"However... this is just the beginning."

---

Tiance Mansion.

When Bixiao and Ao Ling arrived back, the battle was already over.

Daji and Xiaowu are safe and sound.

With dragon clan experts and disciples of the Jie Sect secretly protecting them, the demons couldn't get close at all.

"It seems Xiqi is desperate," Bixiao sneered. "They're even resorting to such despicable tactics."

Ao Ling frowned: "But how did they know Yun Bai wasn't in Chaoge?"

"There's an inside man," Jiang Xiaowu said. "The Military Intelligence Bureau just intercepted a secret report that someone in the court is passing intelligence to Xiqi."

"Who?"

"It's not certain yet, but the scope has been narrowed down to five people." Jiang Xiaowu took out a list, "They are all officials closely related to the Marquis of Dongbo."

Bixiao took the list, a cold glint in her eyes.

"We'll deal with these people before Yunbai returns."

"What should we do?"

"Gather evidence and wipe them all out in one fell swoop," Bixiao said. "Yunbai said that when dealing with enemies, you either don't touch them, or... eradicate them completely."

---

Youhun Pass.

Su Yunbai received a message from Chaoge.

"A demon clan has infiltrated... an inside agent is passing on intelligence..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Jiang Ziya, you are indeed extraordinary."

Dou Rong asked worriedly, "General, will Chaoge be alright?"

"No," Su Yunbai said. "With Bixiao and Ao Ling here, and His Majesty secretly overseeing things, nothing serious will happen."

He paused.

"However, we need to speed things up."

"The general means..."

"Now that Xiqi has made its move, we can't just defend," Su Yunbai said. "It's time to make a move on Zhang Kui's side."

---

Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

Zhang Kui led 5,000 elite troops and had been lying in ambush for two days and two nights.

Although the soldiers were exhausted, they maintained strict military discipline and no one complained.

That evening.

A scout reports.

"General! The Xiqi grain transport team has arrived! There are about three thousand men, escorting a large amount of grain!"

Zhang Kui's eyes lit up.

"Finally, the big fish has arrived!"

"Give the order: Prepare for action!"

---

Half an hour later.

The grain transport team from Xiqi entered Yingchoujian.

The leader was a young general, who was chatting and laughing with his adjutant.

"Once we cross Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, we'll be nearing the camp. This grain transport went smoothly; the Prime Minister will surely reward us handsomely upon our return..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Suddenly, countless boulders rolled down from the cliffs on both sides!

"There's an ambush!"

The grain transport team was thrown into chaos.

Zhang Kui led his troops out to attack.

"kill!"

Five thousand against three thousand, another ambush.

The grain transport team from Xiqi was completely powerless to fight back.

The battle ended a quarter of an hour later.

Of the three thousand soldiers escorting the grain, more than half were killed or wounded, and the rest were captured.

All the grain and fodder were intercepted.

Zhang Kui counted his spoils, beaming with joy.