Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Ju Liusun slowly withdrew his magic weapon, and the nine golden dragons dispersed, transforming back into the Immortal Binding Rope and falling into his sleeve.

His expression shifted between anger and resentment. He forced himself to suppress his rage, took two steps forward, and bowed to the three, including the Holy Mother of Wudang, saying, "Why do you three fellow Daoists choose to dabble in the mortal world's calamities instead of enjoying a peaceful and tranquil life on Jin'ao Island? This is our Chan Sect's mandate to fight against the Shang Dynasty. Your interference is perhaps inappropriate."

Although the words were polite, they contained a hidden barb, first seizing the moral high ground and accusing the Jie Sect of interfering with destiny.

"Ju Liusun, your hypocritical demeanor is nauseating no matter what!" The Golden Spirit Mother held the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi in her hand, her eyebrows and eyes glancing sideways, making no attempt to hide the disdain on her face. "You always talk about destiny and righteousness, but why didn't you mention these things when you four were besieging a junior? Bullying the weak and the many with the few, is this your Chan Sect's 'destiny'?"

With each word she spoke, her tone grew sharper, until finally her voice was filled with anger.

"You..." Ju Liusun's hair stood on end in fury, veins throbbing on his forehead. Who was he? One of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, a Great Luo Golden Immortal in cultivation—how could he have ever been so openly humiliated?

But circumstances were beyond his control, and he was well aware of the strength of the three Holy Mothers of the Jie Sect before him.

The Holy Mother of Wudang is unfathomable, the Holy Mother of Guiling is even more fiery, and the Holy Mother of Jinling is known as the number one female immortal of the Jie Sect. If they were to really fight, all four of them would be injured and would not come out on top.

Suppressing his anger, Ju Liusun gritted his teeth and said, "Fellow Daoist, you've gone too far! We descended the mountain on our master's orders to assist Xiqi, which is in accordance with Heaven and the people. Zhang Kui aided and abetted the tyranny and obstructed the Mandate of Heaven; shouldn't he be executed?"

"So noisy!"

The Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit, dressed in red, stepped forward, blocking the Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit's path. Her face was beautiful, but her brows betrayed a deep weariness; her eyes were now as cold as ice. "Either we fight it out, and see who's the better fighter; or retreat immediately and stop spouting this nonsense about destiny and morality!"

As she spoke, she took something out of her sleeve. It was a pair of precious pearls, one red and one white. The red one was as bright as the sun, and the white one was as clear as the moon. These were her famous magic weapons, the "Sun and Moon Pearls." As soon as the pearls appeared, the radiance of the sun and moon within a hundred miles reflected each other, half as hot as summer and half as cold as winter. The two powers coexisted in her palm without conflict, yet were ready to be unleashed.

This is no longer just a threat, but a blatant declaration of war.

The Holy Mother Wudang, holding her whisk, remained as gentle and refined as ever. She first nodded slightly to the Holy Mother Guiling, signaling her to calm down, then turned to Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang beside Julusun, and bowed, saying, "What are your considerations, my three junior brothers? To fight or to make peace? Today's matter should be settled."

The three, including Manjushri, had solemn expressions. They looked at each other and exchanged thoughts rapidly.

Master Puxian, with his fiery temperament, saw the three disciples of the Jie Sect pressing him so aggressively, and prepared to draw his sword and step forward. The four of them working together might not be without a fighting chance.

Just as Puxian was about to unleash his power, Cihang Daoren, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "Greetings, three senior sisters."

Her voice was clear and melodious, like spring water striking stone, instantly attracting everyone's attention. Cihang stepped forward, bowed to Wudang and the other two, and slowly said, "The Chan and Jie sects originate from the same source and are both orthodox schools of the Xuanmen. Why must we fight each other and become a laughingstock to outsiders?"

This was a clever way of putting it, giving both sides a way out and highlighting their shared origins and affinity.

But the Holy Mother of Wudang merely smiled slightly and did not respond. The Holy Mother of Guiling and the Holy Mother of Jinling were even more dismissive.

Seeing this, Cihang sighed inwardly. She turned to Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Julusun and transmitted her thoughts to them, saying, "My three senior brothers, we have been away from the mountain for a long time and should return to Kunlun Mountain to report back. There is plenty of time for today's matter in another day."

The meaning behind these words is quite clear: avoid direct confrontation and plan for the long term.

Ju Liusun was unwilling to accept this and wanted to argue, but Manjushri had already seen through the situation. The four of them were still injured, while the three Holy Mothers of the Jie Sect were well-rested and ready. If a fight broke out, they would definitely be the ones to suffer.

Moreover, although Zhang Kui seemed to be at his limit, who knew if he still had any tricks up his sleeve? Their crazy act of detonating the illusion of the Six Paths of Reincarnation just now still made them feel uneasy.

"So be it." Manjushri sighed inwardly, bowing to the Holy Mother of Wudang. "Since the three of you are determined to protect Zhang Kui, I will give you face today. However, fate is hard to defy. We will meet again on the battlefield in the future. I hope the three of you will not interfere again."

The Holy Mother of Wudang lightly swept her whisk and smiled, saying, "Brother Manjushri, you are too kind. Matters of destiny are determined by fate. Today I am merely here to receive my disciple's Daoist companion, nothing more."

She emphasized the words "disciple's Daoist partner" slightly, drawing a line: today's purpose is solely to save lives, and it is not related to the conflict between the two religions.

Just as the two sides reached an understanding and the atmosphere eased slightly...

Gao Lanying had already flashed to Zhang Kui's side. She caught the swaying Zhang Kui and placed her jade hand on his back, her pure true energy flowing into Zhang Kui's body like a gentle stream to help stabilize his injuries.

As the true essence entered his body, Zhang Kui felt a warmth spread throughout his body, the intense pain eased slightly, and his body, which was on the verge of collapse, finally got a chance to catch its breath.

"Husband, are you alright?" Gao Lanying's eyes were full of concern, and her words were filled with undisguised heartache. Zhang Kui's perilous battle against four Great Luo Golden Immortals was truly frightening.

"Husband, are you alright?" Gao Lanying's eyes were full of concern, and her words were filled with undisguised heartache. Zhang Kui's perilous battle against four Great Luo Golden Immortals was truly frightening.

Zhang Kui forced himself to stand up straight, and grasped Gao Lanying's hand in return, feeling the familiar warmth in his palm.

He grinned, and despite the blood still clinging to his lips, his smile remained bold: "Don't worry, Lan Ying, I'm fine. I'm incredibly resilient; four mere Grand Luo Golden Immortals can't take my life."

Gao Lanying's eyes were slightly red, but she smiled. This was her husband; no matter how dire the situation, he never lost his heroic spirit.

Ju Liusun watched this scene with deep resentment. Zhang Kui had too many secrets; if he were released today, he would likely become a major threat in the future.

He wanted to make another effort; even if he couldn't keep Zhang Kui, he wanted to at least force him to hand over the Book of Changes.

But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, the Golden Spirit Mother on the other side became impatient.

"If you want to fight, then fight; if you want to leave, then leave. What are you dawdling for?" The Golden Spirit Mother's eyes narrowed, and her aura suddenly changed.

In an instant, the Golden Crown, without needing to be activated, naturally emitted boundless radiance, like a rising sun enveloping her. The golden light was dazzling yet not blinding; instead, it exuded a gentle, Daoist charm. Within the golden light, the illusory images of the celestial stars flowed, causing all evil to retreat and all magic to remain untouched. At the same time, the Seven Fragrance Chariot appeared beneath her, rotating without wheels, rising in mist and surrounded by precious radiance, lifting her suspended in the air, like a celestial maiden descending to earth.

The dragon and tiger jade ruyi in her hand rested casually on her arm. The dragon and tiger on the ruyi's head seemed to come alive, their phantoms swirling and emitting deep dragon roars and tiger howls, exuding an oppressive aura. Even more chilling was the flying sword that materialized from behind her—pure white, its blade as transparent as glass, with seven gemstones inlaid at the hilt, arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. As soon as the sword was drawn, it traced an unparalleled trajectory in the air, so fast that even the afterimage was invisible. Only a white light could be seen darting left and right, up and down, sealing off the hundred-zhang space around the Golden Spirit Mother completely.

Flying Golden Sword!

Everyone present knew the name of this sword. The Golden Spirit Mother wielded it to roam the primordial world, slaying countless great demons and monsters.

"Talk? I'm too lazy to waste words with you; fight? I'm absolutely ready to fight to the end." The Golden Spirit Mother's voice was icy, already prepared to attack. "Fight if you want, or get lost!"

The last word, "Get out," was uttered like a thunderclap, causing the clouds within a thousand miles to churn.

Ju Liusun's face was ashen, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?

"Wait a minute, Senior Sister Jinling!"

At this critical moment, Manjushri spoke up. He stepped forward, blocking Julusun's path, and bowed to the Golden Spirit Mother, saying, "It's a misunderstanding, Senior Sister, please calm down. We will return to Kunlun Mountain to report back. Let's leave it at that."

Having said that, he turned around, grabbed Puxian Zhenren and Julusun on either side, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go!"

Although Puxian was unwilling, he knew that the situation was beyond his control. Julusun was held back by Manjushri, and could only grit his teeth, filled with boundless hatred.

Cihang sighed softly and bowed again to the three Holy Mothers of Wudang.

Seeing that the tense situation between the two sides had subsided, the atmosphere finally eased.

Zhang Kui let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. This relaxation, however, caused his injuries to become uncontrollable. He groaned, blood spilling from his mouth, and swayed. If Gao Lanying hadn't supported him, he would have almost collapsed.

"Husband!" Gao Lanying exclaimed, and hurriedly increased the flow of true energy.

The Holy Mother Wudang moved swiftly, appearing before Zhang Kui. She touched his brow, and a beam of clear light entered, rapidly circulating through his meridians. After a moment, the Holy Mother Wudang frowned slightly: "The injuries are severe. His golden core is cracked, his meridians are damaged in many places, his internal organs have shifted, and what's more troublesome is the excessive consumption of his divine soul, as well as the hidden injuries left by the backlash from that external force."

With each word she spoke, Gao Lanying's face paled a little more.

"However..." The Holy Mother Wudang changed the subject, her eyes revealing admiration, "It's already remarkable that you've managed to withstand the siege of four Great Luo Golden Immortals until now. What's even more remarkable is that you've used that external force so skillfully, and your understanding of the Law of Reincarnation has exceeded my expectations."

Zhang Kui smiled wryly: "Senior, you flatter me. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the three seniors, I'm afraid I would really be here today."

"Good to know." The Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit also came over, looked Zhang Kui up and down a few times, and nodded. "But you managed to force Manjushri and the others into such a sorry state, that takes skill. I admire your courage."

Golden Spirit Mother put away her magical artifact and landed on the ground. She looked at Zhang Kui and suddenly asked, "Where did that power at the Great Luo level that you just used come from? It was definitely not from your own cultivation."

As soon as the question was raised, Wudang and Guiling also looked over.

Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat, knowing he couldn't hide it from these powerful beings. He hesitated for a moment, then said frankly, "By chance, I obtained a Netherworld Authority, which allows me to borrow its power temporarily. However, the price is considerable, and the time is limited."

He didn't elaborate on the matter of the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor, as it involved too much. But the four words "the authority of the underworld" were enough for the three Holy Mothers to understand that this involved the cycle of reincarnation and karma, and should not be investigated too deeply.

Everyone was about to leave, but just then...

In the distance, two golden beams of light appeared and returned; they were none other than Jinzha and Muzha. Their faces lit up with joy, clearly unaware of what had just transpired. They excitedly called out to Manjushri and Samantabhadra, who were preparing to leave:

"Master, the Yin Shang army has been defeated. Zhang Guifang and Feng Lin are dead, and their true spirits, like the Four Saints of Kowloon Island, have entered the Investiture of the Gods!"

The sound pierced through the clouds and reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

"Oops!"

Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and other Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, who were already preparing to leave, changed their expressions drastically. These two foolish disciples, of all times, had to come back to report good news.

No, this is almost like announcing a death!