Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

The moment the Dragon-Suppressing Stake was unleashed, a majestic dragon roar resounded throughout the heavens and earth. Countless golden chain phantoms appeared around Manjushri, intertwining to form a net that completely imprisoned the space within a thousand feet, as if even the flow of time had slowed down.

Zhang Kui knew that Manjushri was about to get serious.

He took a deep breath, thrusting the Dragon Sparrow Blade into the ground with a backhand motion. His golden core circulated wildly, unleashing a torrent of magical power as he focused all his energy on condensing the Great Five Elements Extinction Divine Light. At the same time, his Great Yin-Yang Void-Piercing True Eye opened to its fullest extent, attempting to find a flaw in the sealing net formed by the Dragon-Hiding Stakes.

"Immortal Master, take this!" Zhang Kui thrust his hands forward with all his might.

Five rainbow lights—blue, yellow, red, black, and white—intertwined and merged, transforming into a five-colored beam of light as thick as a water bucket, which shot straight toward Manjushri.

Wherever the five-colored beam of light passed, everything turned to dust.

Faced with this attack, Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, finally changed his expression.

He no longer acted arrogantly. With a tremor of his Dragon-Slaying Stake, three golden rings detached from the stake and grew in the wind, transforming into three golden dragons with clearly defined scales and claws.

These three golden dragons were formed using the Jade Purity Immortal Technique, and each one contains the magical power of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"Imperial Edict of Jade Purity: Lock the Heavens, Dragon-Slaying Sword!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva chanted mantras, and three golden dragons roared as they met Zhang Kui's Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light. They linked head to tail, coiled and intertwined, forming a huge golden light shield in the void, forcefully blocking the advance of the five-colored light pillar.

Rumble—!!!

The moment the two forces collided, the world seemed to freeze for a split second.

The next moment, a violent vortex of spiritual energy swept outwards from the point of impact in all directions. Wherever the shockwave passed, the earth was as if it had been turned over by an invisible giant plow, with ravines hundreds of feet deep crisscrossing and stretching for dozens of miles. The clouds in the sky were completely torn apart, revealing the azure sky, and the sunlight shone down, but was distorted and refracted into eerie colors.

Not far away, the walls of Xiqi City shook violently, and the light of the protective array flickered wildly. If Jiang Ziya had not reinforced them in advance, they would probably have collapsed into ruins long ago.

Zhang Kui was thrown hundreds of feet backward by the recoil, crashing heavily into the ground like a cannonball, creating a crater ten feet in diameter. He spat out blood, his internal organs were in excruciating pain, and even his golden core showed tiny cracks.

Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, also took three steps back. The Dragon-Binding Stake in his hand trembled with a buzzing sound, and the three golden dragon phantoms dimmed slightly.

At this moment, the way he looked at Zhang Kui was completely different from before, carrying a hint of fear. A mere Xuanxian could actually unleash such power.

"Very well, very well." Manjushri Bodhisattva suppressed his anger, but his voice was as cold as ice. "Zhang Kui, no wonder Senior Brother Sun valued you so much. But today, I've made up my mind to take you down."

After saying that, he no longer held back and activated the Dragon-Binding Stake with all his might.

The three golden dragons transformed back into golden rings and rushed towards Zhang Kui simultaneously.

Zhang Kui struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes showed no fear. He reached out and summoned the Dragon Sparrow Sword, which had been stuck in the ground, back into his hand. The blade trembled and emitted a defiant ringing.

Zhang Kui's figure once again merged into the void, attempting to evade the golden circle's lock. However, this time, the sealing power of the Dragon-Binding Stake was fully unleashed, completely solidifying the space within a thousand feet, even suppressing the laws of nature. Although Zhang Kui's escape technique was exquisite, he was still a fraction too slow.

"Snap!"

The first gold ring locked around his neck.

Next, the second and third gold rings locked the waist and abdomen and the feet respectively.

With the three golden rings encircling him, Zhang Kui felt his magical power instantly freeze, and even the circulation of his golden core became sluggish. What was even more terrifying was that the three golden rings resonated with each other, and the more he struggled, the tighter the confinement became.

"Zhang Kui, my previous promise still stands." Manjushri Bodhisattva walked slowly, his expression calm. "Hand over the Book of Changes, swear never to aid the wicked again, and I may spare your life. I might even lead you into the Jade Void Palace and grant you access to the orthodox Xuanmen Dao. Otherwise..."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "These three golden rings will slowly tighten, first crushing your physical body, then obliterating your soul, and finally turning your Dao Fruit into dust. At that time, you won't even have the chance to reincarnate."

Bound by the golden ring, Zhang Kui's face was flushed, and veins bulged, clearly indicating he was enduring immense pain. Yet, he gritted his teeth and persevered, a flicker of struggle in his eyes.

Seeing Zhang Kui captured, Manjushri Daoist finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could finally give his senior brother, Julu Sun, an explanation, and repay the favor of having been taught the Lotus Flower Technique—Julu Sun had secretly imparted a secret method to him, helping him break through a bottleneck; this karmic debt was considerable. If he could capture Zhang Kui and find out the whereabouts of the *I Ching*, he might even glimpse some of the mysteries of human destiny, which would greatly benefit his future path to enlightenment.

"Immortal Master..." Zhang Kui spoke with a hoarse voice, "This junior... has a question."

Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, frowned slightly: "What is it?"

"Your Excellency is a Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect, with a revered status and unparalleled cultivation. Why... are you so fixated on the Book of Changes, this treasure of humanity?" Zhang Kui asked breathlessly. "This book is indeed wonderful, but for a Great Luo Golden Immortal, it is merely icing on the cake."

A strange light flashed in Manjushri's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "The Book of Changes is a sacred artifact of humanity, concerning the flow of human destiny. Such a treasure should not fall into the hands of the Shang Dynasty."

These words sounded grand and dignified, but Zhang Kui could tell they were just empty words.

He suppressed his pain and continued to press, "If it's just for this, Immortal Master, there's no need for you to personally intervene. Xiqi has many other capable and extraordinary individuals; why trouble you, Immortal Master? Unless... this book holds another meaning for you, Immortal Master?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva's eyes turned cold: "Zhang Kui, stop talking. My patience is limited. I advise you to make a decision soon."

Seeing that Manjushri hadn't fallen for the trick, Zhang Kui knew he wouldn't get any more information out of him. But he hadn't really expected to get anything out of him anyway; he was just stalling for time while secretly preparing a backup plan.

Zhang Kui pretended to weigh the pros and cons, his face showing a complex expression of struggle, hesitation, and fear. Secretly, however, two fingers moved subtly within his sleeve, taking out an object—a coin.

This copper coin had been dormant since it devoured Ma Yuan's ancestral witch remnant, until Zhang Kui was reforged by the Goddess Pingxin in the Underworld, at which point it was awakened. At this moment, the Fallen Treasure Coin still looks ancient on the surface, but inside there is a faint ring of reincarnation Dao patterns, which are connected to both the human and earthly paths.

Under the guise of a "painful struggle," Zhang Kui slightly bent his fingers, holding the precious coin between them. At the same time, he was still bargaining with Manjushri:

"Immortal Master... if this junior were to hand over the Book of Changes, would it truly be possible for me to become a disciple of Jade Void Palace?"

Seeing that he seemed to be relaxing, Manjushri Bodhisattva softened his tone: "Of course. Although you are born with the blood of a witch, you cultivate the orthodox methods of the Xuanmen, with a solid foundation and extraordinary talent. If you can enter the Jade Void Palace and receive guidance from a sage, it will not be difficult for you to become a Golden Immortal or even a Great Luo Immortal in the future."

"Then... my family and subordinates in the Shang Dynasty..."

"Xiqi is benevolent and will not implicate the innocent. If you submit, they will take care of you."

Zhang Kui nodded "with difficulty," as if he had made up his mind: "In that case... this junior is willing..."

Just as he was speaking, his arm, which was locked by the golden ring, "accidentally" touched a corner of the Dragon-Binding Stake.

The moment the fingertips touched it, the Treasure Coin silently adhered to the Dragon-Diving Stake.

Om-!

An invisible wave emanated from the Falling Treasure Coin.

In an instant, the immortal patterns on the three golden rings of the Dragon-Binding Stake suddenly dimmed, the originally brilliant golden light became as if covered in dust, the flowing magic power receded like a tide, and even the terrifying binding power disappeared.

Zhang Kui felt a sudden lightness throughout his body as the three golden rings fell off him like ordinary iron.

"What?!"

Manjushri's expression changed drastically as he discovered that his mental connection with the Dragon-Hiding Stake had been forcibly severed.

How is that possible?

The Dragon-Hiding Stake is an innate spiritual treasure. Having cultivated with him through life and death, it has long been imprinted with his natal soul mark.

"You audacious Zhang Kui! What have you done to my Dragon-Binding Stake?!" Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, was furious and could no longer maintain his image of a virtuous and complete Taoist. His face was contorted with rage, and the aura of a Great Luo Golden Immortal erupted from his body like a volcanic eruption.

Ignoring his shock, Zhang Kui, the instant he was freed, swiftly grabbed the now-extinguished Dragon-Binding Stake with his left hand.

It was warm to the touch, the pillar was no more than three feet long, and it was golden all over. It was carved with three coiled dragon patterns, and three crimson pearls were inlaid in the dragon eyes - which were the three golden rings that had been transformed.

Zhang Kui scoffed, weighing the Dragon-Binding Stake in his hand: "Immortal Master, your Dragon-Binding Stake? Please call out to it and see if it responds?"

"You—!" Manjushri Bodhisattva trembled with rage. He had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, and had never suffered such humiliation. "Zhang Kui, this humble Taoist will send you into the cycle of reincarnation today, your soul scattered and your spirit never to be reborn."

Before he finished speaking, Manjushri formed a mudra with his hands and chanted the Jade Purity Immortal Mantra.

"Five thunder rectification."

Behind Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, thirty-six illusory thunderbolts appeared, each representing a type of Heavenly Thunder: Purple Mansion Thunder, Jade Pivot Thunder, Great Cave Thunder, Immortal Capital Thunder, Arctic Thunder, Taiyi Thunder... The thirty-six thunderbolts appeared together, forming a thunder array covering a hundred miles.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! ...

Thirty-six bolts of lightning rained down, each one precisely targeting Zhang Kui. No matter how he tried to escape, the lightning always managed to track him down.

During Manjushri's display of thunder magic, Zhang Kui finally understood why this Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect was known as the "Venerable Heavenly Venerable of the Vast Laws"—because his understanding of the "Dao" was profound and his application of the "Laws" was unparalleled.

Seeing that if things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before he was defeated, Zhang Kui dared not be careless.

He looked at the Dragon-Slaying Stake in his hand, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Since you, Manjushri, value this treasure so much that you even went so far as to personally hunt down a mere Xuanxian despite your supreme status as a Great Luo Immortal, let's see whether it's more important for you to kill me or to retrieve your natal magic treasure.

Zhang Kui used all his strength to throw the Dragon-Binding Stake eastward with all his might.

"go!"

The Dragon-Hiding Stake transformed into a golden streak of light and flew into the distance.

"Immortal Master, if you don't chase after it soon, this Dragon-Hiding Stake might really change hands." After dodging a bolt of lightning, Zhang Kui called out to Manjushri with a hint of mockery.

Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, had a livid face.

He could see that this was Zhang Kui's scheme—using the Dragon-Hiding Stake to distract him so he could escape.

The problem is, this scheme hits his weak spot.

The Dragon-Hiding Stake is not only an innate spiritual treasure, but also closely related to his path of cultivation. If an ordinary magic weapon were lost, it would be lost, but a natal magic weapon is related to one's hope of severing one's corpse and proving one's Dao.

Zhang Kui... is merely a Xuanxian (a type of immortal), troublesome but not dead today; there will be other opportunities later. However, if the Dragon-Escape Stake is truly lost, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Zhang Kui, I will remember you." Manjushri Bodhisattva gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with murderous intent that was almost tangible.

After saying that, he no longer hesitated, his figure transformed into a streak of azure light, and he chased after the direction in which the Dragon-Binding Stake had flown away.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to wave his sleeve and set up a barrier around the west gate of Xiqi to prevent Zhang Kui from taking the opportunity to attack the city.

However, what Manjushri didn't know was that Zhang Kui had no intention of attacking the city at all.

Just as Manjushri turned to chase after the treasure, Zhang Kui took a deep breath, merged his entire body into the earth, and fled.

"Cough cough..."

They stopped in a natural cave deep underground. Zhang Kui collapsed to the ground and vomited several mouthfuls of blood.

The dozen or so cracks that appeared on the golden core would require at least several months of nurturing to heal.

"Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma..." Zhang Kui murmured to himself, a cold glint in his eyes. "I will remember what happened today and will repay you handsomely in the future."