Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

After several days of practice, Zhang Kui had basically mastered the operation of the Qiankun Wuji Formation.

This process was far more difficult than he had imagined. The array patterns of this great formation flowed in accordance with the evolutionary laws of the primordial world, and each node transformation corresponded to the delicate balance of the pure and turbid energies.

Initially, he only intended to buy time and wait for Wen Zhong's reinforcements to arrive. After all, it would be unwise for a Xuanxian cultivator to directly confront a Chan Sect Golden Immortal. However, when his mind truly immersed itself in the great formation and he discerned the patterns of the array, which resembled the veins of the Heavenly Dao, Zhang Kui felt a profound sense of awe.

"The three energies interact, the pure and the turbid are separated, and from chaos all things are born..." He sat cross-legged at the center of the formation, "This is no ordinary protective formation!"

Yang Sen stood in the Qian position, with the Heaven-Opening Pearl hanging three feet above his head, drawing down the pure energy of heaven, which transformed into an invisible blade to cut through the void; Gao Youqian guarded the Kun position, with the Earth-Splitting Pearl sinking three feet beneath his feet, drawing up the turbid energy of the earth, which condensed into a gravity chain to imprison all things; Li Xingba guarded the central palace, with the Primordial Chaos Pearl spinning endlessly in his chest, harmonizing the pure and turbid energies, generating a chaotic vortex, and dissolving all magic and supernatural powers.

Zhang Kui himself was positioned at the core of the array—the original location of the Demon King. He not only had to maintain the energy balance between the three precious beads, but also had to use his understanding of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements to adjust the direction and speed of the "Great Millstone of Heaven and Earth" at any time.

"The pure and turbid energies move in opposite directions, while chaos resides in the center, harmonizing them..." Zhang Kui closed his eyes and deduced, the five internal organs and five energies surging accordingly. "The three flowers of man, earth, and heaven gather at the top, corresponding to the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit, and this great formation..."

He suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of enlightenment in them: "This is the Dao of 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Top' and 'Five Qi Converging at the Origin' that simulates the Golden Immortal! The Jie Sect's formation actually interprets the Great Dao through the Dao of Formations."

If this little-known Qiankun Wuji Formation is already so powerful, then how magnificent must other formations like the Ten Deadly Formations, the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation, and even the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation be!

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, everything is ready. Today, we will show those people from the Chan Sect the power of our Jie Sect's formation!" Li Xingba walked over excitedly, holding the Earth-Splitting Pearl in his hand, the pearl emitting a thick, earthy yellow light.

Yang Sen and Gao Youqian also arrived at the center of the formation, their eyes burning with the flames of revenge.

Zhang Kui glanced at the three men and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, when setting up the formation, remember not to be greedy for quick results or act rashly. Although this formation is strong, if you are impatient and easily agitated, the enemy will easily find a weakness. What we need to do is hold our ground, buy time, and look for an opportunity to kill the enemy."

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, we understand." Yang Sen nodded, but the killing intent in his eyes did not diminish. "However, if that scoundrel Manjushri dares to enter the formation, we will make him taste the bitterness of being crushed by the 'Great Millstone of Heaven and Earth'."

Zhang Kui said no more and stood up to look at the foot of Qishan Mountain.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the outline of the Xiqi army camp was already clearly visible. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, indicating that the enemy soldiers were having their breakfast.

"Let's begin," Zhang Kui said calmly.

At the foot of Qishan Mountain, the two armies faced off.

Zhang Kui, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li Xingba each took their positions. Five hundred elite soldiers, their bodies adorned with talismans, were already prepared, positioned according to the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, Man) principle, each talisman glowing faintly.

"Charge!"

At Zhang Kui's command, the four of them simultaneously activated their incantations.

The Heaven-Opening Pearl soared into the sky, transforming into a beam of clear light that pierced the heavens and drew down the pure energy of the heavens; the Earth-Splitting Pearl sank into the earth's veins, drawing up the turbid energy of the earth; the Primordial Pearl hung above the array's eye, slowly rotating, and began to harmonize the pure and turbid energies.

In an instant, the world turned upside down.

The once clear sky suddenly darkened, and the clear and turbid air converged above Mount Qi, forming a huge chaotic vortex. The vortex slowly rotated, distorting space and refracting light wherever it passed, making the entire Mount Qi blurry.

A massive formation rose from the ground, enveloping the entire Qishan Mountain.

The formation was in complete disarray, with orientation rendered useless. The flow of time also became aberrant, sometimes feeling like an eternity, sometimes like a snap of the fingers. This disarray was enough to drive any untrained person to the brink of mental collapse. Even more terrifying was that the Five Elements Escape Techniques were utterly ineffective here—any attempt to use escape techniques to traverse the formation would be dissolved and assimilated by the chaotic energy.

"It's done!" Li Xingba exclaimed excitedly.

Zhang Kui stood at the center of the formation, feeling the immense power brought about by its operation. He could clearly sense that the pure and turbid energies were like two giant dragons moving within the formation, while the chaotic energy was like an invisible millstone, slowly grinding everything within the formation.

This power... if he hadn't been one of the organizers, entering the formation with the cultivation of a Xuanxian, he probably wouldn't have lasted even an hour.

"But this formation consumes a great deal of resources." He looked at the three of them. "We can only maintain it for seven days at most. After seven days, we either need to dismantle the formation and rest, or..."

"Either we fight to the death," Yang Sen replied, a resolute glint in his eyes. (For die-hard fans of the late-ripening rice, the latest chapter of "Zhang Kui Asks the Way in the Investiture of the Gods" has been released.)

……

In the central command tent of the Xiqi camp.

"Report!"

The scout galloped into the tent and knelt on one knee.

Jiang Ziya was discussing military matters with a group of generals including Yang Jian, Nezha, Jinzha, and Muzha when he heard the sound and paused his discussion to look at the newcomer.

The generals inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jiang Ziya frowned and looked at Yang Jian: "Nephew Yang, have you noticed anything amiss?"

Yang Jian slightly opened his third eye on his forehead, a flash of golden light disappearing in an instant. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "That was not ordinary mist, but a barrier formed by the convergence of pure and turbid energies. Uncle-Master, I can't see anything else."

"A formation?" Jiang Ziya's heart sank.

"Exactly." Yang Jian nodded. "Moreover, it is an extremely sophisticated formation, which is in harmony with the principles of heaven and earth."

The atmosphere inside the tent immediately became heavy.

At this moment, Manjushri, the Heavenly Venerable of Vast Dharma, lifted the curtain and entered, his steps leisurely and his expression serene.

"Ziya, there is no need to panic," Manjushri said calmly. "This is the 'Universe Limitless Array' set up by Yang Sen and others. In the past, when the three religions discussed the Dao, I heard my Uncle Tongtian mention this array, saying that it is 'close to the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, and it is not easy to break. It is even more difficult to break it without any obstacles'."

Jiang Ziya hurriedly asked, "Does Senior Brother have a solution?"

A cold glint flashed in Manjushri's eyes: "No matter how exquisite the formation is, it depends on who is in charge. If Wang Mo were still alive, this formation might pose some threat. But now that Wang Mo is dead, how much power can Yang Sen and the other two possibly unleash?"

He looked towards Qishan outside the tent: "Let's go and take a look first, and then make a decision."

The group followed Manjushri out of the camp and arrived at the front of the battle.

The entire Qishan Mountain was shrouded in chaotic mist. Amidst the swirling mist, one could vaguely see the pure and turbid energies intertwined like dragons and snakes, while a chaotic vortex slowly rotated, emanating a Daoist aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

Manjushri observed intently for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "The operation of this formation has become sluggish, which means that the person in charge has not yet fully grasped the changes in the formation's core. Ziya, you wait here while I enter the formation to take a look and find its weakness."

"Be careful, senior brother!" Jiang Ziya hurriedly said.

Manjushri waved his hand, stepped on auspicious clouds, and flew straight into the chaotic mist.

……

Inside the Qiankun Wuji Formation.

As soon as Manjushri entered the formation, he felt the world turn upside down and his senses become disoriented. He snorted coldly, and three auspicious clouds appeared above his head, spreading the Daoist aura of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, temporarily stabilizing the surrounding space.

But then, three forces attacked simultaneously.

Pure Qi transforms into blades, countless invisible wind blades appear out of thin air, specifically designed to break through the protective immortal light; turbid Qi condenses and locks, the gravity of the earth suddenly increases a thousandfold, like invisible chains binding the body; chaos erodes, wherever it passes, the five elements magic dissipates, and even the precious light in his auspicious clouds dims a bit.

"What a magnificent millstone!" A solemn look flashed in Manjushri's eyes. He then formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation, "Seven-jeweled golden lotus, protect my true body!"

The Dragon-Hiding Stake emerged in response, transforming into a seven-jeweled golden lotus that hovered above his head. The lotus showered down rays of golden light, temporarily isolating the pure and impure energies from the outside.

However, the erosion of the chaotic energy could not be completely blocked—that power that dissolves all things and returns them to their origin is gradually eroding the golden lotus's precious light.

Yang Sen performed the Dipper Steps in the Qian position, his hand seals changing as the Heaven-Opening Pearl shone brightly, drawing upon increasingly violent pure energy; Gao Youqian chanted incantations in the Kun position, his Earth-Splitting Pearl bobbing up and down, layers of turbid energy stacking upon each other; Li Xingba guarded the central palace, his Hunyuan Pearl spinning rapidly, harmonizing the flow of pure and turbid energy.

The three were of one mind, and the formation operated like the cycle of heaven, endlessly regenerating. Although Wang Mo, the true mastermind, was absent, the great formation still displayed terrifying power under Zhang Kui's coordination.

Zhang Kui stood at the center of the formation, harmonizing the balance of the pure and turbid energies, while simultaneously operating the Great Yin-Yang Void-Piercing True Eye at full power.

"The Seven Treasures Golden Lotus formed from the Dragon-Hiding Stake is indeed formidable in its defense..." Zhang Kui calmly analyzed in his mind, "but the chaotic energy is specifically designed to overcome all tangible and material things. Given enough time, it will surely be able to wear through his defense."

With a thought, he began to adjust the operation of the formation.

The originally balanced flow of pure and turbid energies began to reverse under his control. The pure energy sank, while the turbid energy rose, and the two collided and intersected in the middle, unleashing an even more violent chaotic vortex.

This is one of the changes in the Qiankun Wuji Formation: Yin and Yang reverse, and heaven and earth are upside down.

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