Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

The cave was pitch black, yet the passage of time was clearly perceptible.

Zhang Kui sat cross-legged, his golden core slowly rotating within him. Under the nourishment of his own magical power, the cracks within him gradually healed. With each circulation of his energy, a portion of the stagnant blood accumulated in his internal organs dissipated, and the hidden injuries in his bones caused by the Dragon-Escape Stake slowly healed.

He looked inward at himself, and the bloodline power of the Spirit Witch Realm flowed through his meridians, merging with the immortal magic power of the Profound Immortal Realm. The five-stage golden pill floated in his Purple Mansion, its surface gleaming with five Dao patterns—Nine Breaths Breath Control, Five Elements Great Escape, Subduing Dragons and Tigers, Size Control, and Flying Body Transmission. The five Heavenly Gang Divine Powers had become second nature.

"Manjushri's palm strike, seemingly casual, actually contained the Great Luo Law." Zhang Kui closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, reviewing the gains and losses of that battle in his mind. "If I hadn't cultivated the bloodline of the Witch Clan, and my physical strength far exceeded that of others of the same level, I would probably have had my internal organs shattered on the spot."

Three days later, the cracks in his golden core finally stabilized. Although they hadn't fully healed, they no longer affected his ability to use supernatural powers and mobilize his magic power. Zhang Kui opened his eyes, a flash of golden light appearing in them, and deep within his pupils, the Yin and Yang energies faintly circulated—the Great Yin-Yang Void-Penetrating True Eye. This supernatural power had become even more profound after he advanced to the Profound Immortal realm.

Zhang Kui opened his eyes, a flash of golden light appearing briefly in them: "It's time to go out."

He rose, his figure transforming into a streak of earthen-yellow light, merging into the rock wall. He unleashed the Five Elements Great Escape technique to its fullest extent, silently ascending along the cracks in the earth's veins.

A moment later, Zhang Kui emerged from the ground in a secluded corner.

The blinding sunlight made him squint.

Having spent three days underground, he felt somewhat unwell upon suddenly seeing the light of day. He circulated his magical power between his eyes and instantly returned to normal.

Looking around, this is a valley surrounded by green mountains, rich in spiritual energy yet unassuming. In the distance, the mountains rise and fall, with one main peak having a unique shape, its top flat like a platform, and its two ridges spreading out like wings.

"This terrain..." Zhang Kui frowned, feeling that something was off.

Activating the Great Yin-Yang Void Eye, Zhang Kui took in the landscape within a radius of hundreds of miles. When he finally confirmed the name of this place, his pupils contracted sharply.

Lingjiu Mountain!

This place is actually the Taoist temple of the Burning Lamp Taoist.

Zhang Kui's expression turned strange. He had been chased by Manjushri that day, and in his panic, he had fled through the earth, only to find himself in the territory of this vice leader of the Chan Sect by some twist of fate.

"What a small world," Zhang Kui muttered to himself.

The Daoist Burning Lamp had reached the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, just one step away from severing his corpse. His status in the Chan Sect was second only to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. This man was extremely cunning and shrewd. In the original Investiture of the Gods, he first assisted the Zhou in overthrowing the Shang, and with the twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls he obtained, he attained enlightenment in one fell swoop. Afterwards, he switched allegiance to the Western Sect and became the Ancient Buddha Burning Lamp.

It can be said that this is a clever person who practices the way of survival and regards the calculation of interests as the guiding principle.

More importantly, this person possessed a magical artifact that Zhang Kui feared—the Qiankun Ruler. This ruler was an innate spiritual treasure, capable of measuring heaven and earth and stabilizing the universe, subtly countering the "Way of Balance" of the Falling Treasure Coin.

"Since we're here, we can't just leave empty-handed." A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhang Kui's eyes.

He activated his Flying Body Transmission Divine Power, and with the blessing of the "Frost Without Fixation" True Meaning, his aura became like frost and dew, gradually blending into the surrounding environment.

After concealing himself, Zhang Kui began to slowly search within the Lingjiu Mountain area.

What they were looking for was the cave dwelling of the Taoist Ran Deng—Yuanjue Cave.

However, after searching for a long time, Zhang Kui still found nothing.

Mount Lingjiu covers a vast area, containing numerous blessed lands and grotto-heavens, all protected by array formations and restrictions. These formations are exquisitely crafted, connected to the earth's veins and celestial phenomena, subtly forming a colossal whole.

Zhang Kui dared not rush in and could only observe from the outside.

"As expected of the Great Luo Dojo, it is truly impeccable." Zhang Kui sighed inwardly.

Just as he was about to give up and prepare to leave quietly—

"boom!"

Suddenly, a violent surge of magical energy emanated from a valley in the northeast.

Zhang Kui paused, immediately concealed all his aura, and headed towards the source of the fluctuations.

A moment later, he lay in the shadow of a cliff and looked down.

The scene in the valley was eerie.

A Taoist priest is engaged in a fierce battle with a lamp-shaped magical artifact.

The Taoist priest was handsome and imposing, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, with three long strands of beard hanging down. Most peculiarly, he had a vertical eye on his forehead. At this moment, his expression was solemn, and his hands were constantly forming hand seals. Blue immortal light surged around him, transforming into barriers in an attempt to resist the attack of the lamp opposite him.

The lamp opposite was ancient in design, with a lotus-shaped base and its body covered with densely packed innate runes. At this moment, clusters of eerie green flames were gushing from its wick.

The flames were utterly bizarre—though they were flames, they emanated a chilling aura. Wherever the flames passed, the vegetation did not burn, but withered and decayed instantly, turning into grayish-black dust. Even more eerie was the countless illusory figures that flickered within the flames, as if reenacting the joys and sorrows of a certain being's life.

"Netherworld Ghost Fire!" Zhang Kui's pupils shrank suddenly.

He was all too familiar with this kind of flame.

On Mount Luofeng in the underworld, this flame is ubiquitous. This fire connects directly to the netherworld and can reveal scenes from the life of the deceased. Once one is tainted by it, it is like a maggot clinging to the bone, binding one with karmic burdens that are extremely difficult to remove. However, for the beings of the underworld, it is like sweet rain, nourishing their souls.

Zhang Kui's incarnation as the Emperor of Fengdu is an expert in controlling this fire.

"How could ghostly flames appear in the mortal world? And even on Mount Lingjiu?" Zhang Kui was filled with doubts.

Looking back at the arena, the ghostly flames spewed from the lamp-shaped magical artifact grew increasingly intense, transforming into a sea of ​​eerie green fire, attempting to completely engulf the Three-Eyed Taoist. The Taoist opened his vertical eye on his forehead, firing a golden beam that barely withstood the flames, but was clearly at a disadvantage. (Highly recommend "Investiture of the Gods: Zhang Kui Asks the Way!" Click to go directly to the story world.)

"This magic weapon..." Zhang Kui keenly sensed something amiss.

The lamp's objective was clear: to capture the three-eyed Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest clearly realized this as well. He fought and retreated while chanting incantations, increasing the speed of his spellcasting. Gradually, the azure immortal light around him began to change, and wisps of golden patterns emerged in the radiance, forming a complex sealing pattern.

"roar!"

The Three-Eyed Taoist suddenly let out a long howl, his vertical eye on his forehead shone brightly with golden light, and the sealing pattern formed by his hands suddenly expanded, slamming into the lamp.

The lamp shook violently, and the ghostly flames it emitted were momentarily halted.

Taking this opportunity, the Taoist bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The blood essence merged with the sealing pattern, transforming into a large blood-red net that enveloped the lamp.

"Buzzing—"

The lamp-shaped magical artifact trembled violently, attempting to break free, but the crimson net contained a special restriction that temporarily suppressed the ghostly flames at the lamp wick.

Upon seeing this, the Taoist turned around without hesitation, transformed into a long blue rainbow, soared into the sky, and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

The lamp, bound by the blood-red net, fell to the ground, and the eerie green flame at its wick gradually extinguished, returning to its seemingly ordinary, rustic state as an oil lamp.

The valley fell silent for a moment.

Zhang Kui lurked in the shadows, waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until he was sure the Taoist priest had not returned and no one else had been disturbed, before slowly revealing himself.

He walked up to the lamp and looked down at it.

The lamp body is neither gold nor jade, but has a warm and smooth feel to the touch. The lotus-shaped lamp base is engraved with two ancient seal characters: "Lingjiu" (meaning coffin).

"The coffin lamp..." Zhang Kui took a deep breath, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

One of the four primordial divine lamps of antiquity!

The other three lamps are: the Lotus Lamp, which is in the hands of the Goddess Nuwa; the Jade Void Palace Lamp, which is with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable on Kunlun Mountain; and the Eight Scenery Palace Lamp, which is with the Sage Taiqing on Shouyang Mountain. The fourth lamp, which is the coffin lamp before us, is held by the Daoist Burning Lamp.

This lamp is an innate spiritual treasure. Within it lies a ball of "ghost fire from the underworld," which connects directly to the netherworld and possesses the ability to reveal scenes from the life of the deceased. More importantly, this lamp is intricately connected to the laws of reincarnation. If one can fully control it, it will greatly aid in comprehending the Great Dao of Reincarnation.

"That three-eyed Taoist should be the wick of the coffin lamp transformed into, named 'Ma Shan'," Zhang Kui recalled from the original Investiture of the Gods. "This person later descended to the mortal realm as a demon, but Yang Jian used the Demon-Revealing Mirror to expose his true nature, and he was eventually taken back by the Taoist Ran Deng. Now it seems that he was trying to break free from the constraints of his original form and escape the control of the coffin lamp."

Zhang Kui squatted down and reached out to touch the lamp.

It felt cool to the touch, and faintly carried the aura of reincarnation. He tried to infuse it with a trace of magic power, and a ghostly green spark immediately flickered at the wick, but it quickly went out again—the seal of the blood-red net was still in effect.

"Randeng Daoist should not be at Lingjiu Mountain right now, otherwise he would have appeared if the lamp spirit had escaped such a major event." Zhang Kui quickly judged, "This seal was set up by Ma Shan using his own essence as a medium, specifically targeting the body of the coffin lamp, and it can last for at least several days."

He looked up and glanced around.

The valley was silent, devoid of birds and beasts, clearly frightened away by the recent battle. In the distance, the main peak of Lingjiu Mountain remained shrouded in mist, showing no signs of disturbance.

A bold idea arose in Zhang Kui's mind.

"What would happen if I took this lamp?"

The risk is extremely high.

If he were discovered by the Daoist Ran Deng, he would likely be hunted down to the ends of the earth. However, the opportunity was equally immense—the Spirit Coffin Lamp was an innate spiritual treasure containing the laws of reincarnation. If he could refine it, it would greatly benefit his comprehension of the Great Dao of Reincarnation and enhance the power of his Fengdu Emperor incarnation.

Moreover, this lamp is currently sealed, making it its most vulnerable moment.

Zhang Kui's eyes flickered, his mind in turmoil.

After a full half-incense stick's time had passed, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

"If Heaven gives it to me and I don't take it, I'll suffer the consequences. Burning Lamp was a potential enemy to begin with, so taking his magic weapon today is a preemptive strike." Without further hesitation, he reached out and grabbed the coffin lamp.

The instant your fingertips touched the lamp body...

"Buzz!"

The coffin lamp suddenly trembled violently, and eerie green sparks flickered wildly at the wick, while the blood-red net made a tearing sound as it could not bear the weight.

"Oh no, the seal is about to break!" Zhang Kui's expression changed.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the coffin lamp with his left hand and used the Earth Element Secret Technique from the Five Elements Escape Technique to envelop the coffin lamp in a beam of yellow light.

Without daring to delay, Zhang Kui immediately used his flying technique, transforming his figure into a faint wisp of frost mist, and sped away towards the outside of Lingjiu Mountain.

The journey was fraught with danger but ultimately safe.

Two hours later, Zhang Kui had traveled hundreds of miles away from the Lingjiu Mountain area. He found a secluded cave, set up several layers of restrictions, and then stopped.

Inside the cave, Zhang Kui sat cross-legged and placed the coffin lamp in front of him.

The lamp body was still sealed by the blood-red net, but the net had developed many cracks and obviously wouldn't last much longer.

"We must refine it as soon as possible, or at least imprint it with my divine sense." Zhang Kui's gaze was solemn. "Otherwise, once the seal is broken, the coffin lamp will spontaneously unleash its power, or Daoist Burning Lamp will sense the anomaly and come after us, and we'll be in big trouble."

He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and the golden core within his body slowly emerged above his head.

The moment the coffin lamp was lit, Zhang Kui instantly "saw" a bizarre and fantastical world...

Countless phantom images of living beings flashed before my eyes: birth, aging, sickness, death, love, hate, and reincarnation... These were fragments of life recorded by the coffin lamp through the ghostly fire of the underworld over the long years.