Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

The next chapter is even more exciting: Chapter 130 Undercurrents, Return to Mianchi, we look forward to your visit.

"Husband, are you alright?" Gao Lanying quickly supported Zhang Kui, placing her palm on his back and channeling her true energy into him.

Zhang Kui closed his eyes and regulated his breathing for a moment. When he opened his eyes, his expression had eased slightly: "My five internal organs have shifted, my meridians have been damaged in thirteen places, and even my golden core has been damaged... It will probably take some time to fully recover."

"By the way, Lan Ying," Zhang Kui suddenly remembered something, "how did you and the three senior members of the Jie Sect arrive so timely?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lanying's face flashed a teasing smile: "Husband, you're the one who told me this."

"Me?" Zhang Kui was taken aback, his mind racing through his recent experiences. "When did I tell you that?"

He was surrounded at the time, how could he have had the chance to send a message?

Seeing that Zhang Kui really didn't react, Gao Lanying stopped teasing him and said seriously, "It was the message from the Emperor of Fengdu. Just as you were fighting fiercely with Manjushri and the other three, I received a divine message from the Emperor of Fengdu in the Northern Yin: 'Outside Xiqi City, people from the Chan Sect are coming. Zhang Kui is in danger.'"

Zhang Kui's pupils contracted slightly; he truly hadn't expected his avatar to take the initiative to contact Gao Lanying.

This means that the incarnation in Fengdu not only communicates with the original consciousness, but also possesses independent judgment and action capabilities.

"I happened to be listening to my master preach on Jin'ao Island at the time," Gao Lanying continued. "After receiving the message, I immediately informed my master. Coincidentally, my two senior uncles, Jinling and Guiling, were also present, so we came together."

At this point, Gao Lanying suddenly looked troubled and hesitated to speak.

Zhang Kui saw this and took her hand: "We are husband and wife, what can't we say? Speak up."

Gao Lanying sighed softly, "Husband, let's return to Mianchi as soon as possible. Just before I left, a military order came from Chaoge to transfer Zhang Shan to the position of deputy commander of Sanshan Pass."

"The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sanshan Pass?" Zhang Kui frowned. "Under Deng Jiugong's command? What's going on here?"

Zhang Shan is currently stationed at Mianchi, the gateway to the Yellow River and a strategic location. He's being transferred to Sanshan Pass, the southeastern front, where he directly faces the rebel army of Marquis E Shun of the Southern Hegemony.

"Is it a military order from the Grand Tutor's Mansion, or a direct order from the central government?" Zhang Kui continued to press, his voice icy.

Gao Lanying lowered her voice: "It's an order from the central government. According to a secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Grand Tutor Wen is leading troops in the field, and His Majesty has recently gained a new Imperial Advisor, I think his name is Shen..."

"Shen Gongbao!" Zhang Kui blurted out.

"Yes, that's the name!" Gao Lanying then asked with some doubt, "Husband, do you know this person?"

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Kui's eyes.

More than just acquaintances!

The line "Fellow Daoist, please wait" in the Investiture of the Gods led to the deaths of many virtuous Quanzhen disciples.

"Lan Ying, remember this," Zhang Kui said seriously, "If this person says to you, 'Fellow Daoist, please wait,' don't hesitate, run immediately."

"Why? Is this person very powerful?" Gao Lanying asked, looking bewildered.

Zhang Kui reached out and pinched her cheek, a wry smile tinged with a hint of mischief: "Haha! Just remember this. This man is a jinx; whoever he targets dies, whoever he begs for perishes. If he sets his sights on you, nothing good ever comes of it."

Gao Lanying angrily slapped Zhang Kui's hand away, but seeing his serious expression, she still secretly remembered his words.

"Alright, let's go back to Mianchi first." Zhang Kui took Gao Lanying's hand, rode the clouds, and flew towards Mianchi.

……

Less than a hundred miles from Mianchi City, Zhang Kui and his wife Gao Lanying flew high in the sky on clouds.

The wind from the Yellow River brushed against my cheeks, carrying the distinctive fishy smell of water vapor. Below, the river stretched out vast and turbid, its waves surging into the sky, while the mountains on both banks rose and fell, presenting a magnificent scene of the heart of the Central Plains.

As Zhang Kui flew, he secretly circulated his Nine Breaths Qi, slowly repairing his internal injuries. Although his Golden Core had cracked, its foundation remained intact, requiring only time to nurture it. His Spirit Witch Realm body was also healing itself; the regenerative power of the Witch Clan bloodline far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Suddenly, he frowned.

From the southwest, two familiar auras erupted.

"Zheng Lun and Chen Qi!" Zhang Kui's pupils contracted slightly. "Their auras are so violent, what's going on?"

What puzzled him even more was that these two auras were not in Mianchi City, but in the Funiu Valley, fifty miles outside the city.

Funiu Mountain is a remote valley beside the Luo River, a tributary of the Yellow River. It is usually deserted. How did Zheng Lun and Chen Qi end up there?

"That's not right." Zhang Kui activated the Great Yin-Yang Hollow Void True Eye.

His left eye was a faint sun-like aperture, and his right eye a deep, dark moon-like aperture. His gaze pierced through layers of mountains and clouds, reaching deep into the Funiu Valley.

Calamity clouds are gathering above the valley.

But the tribulation clouds were the wrong color. Ordinary celestial tribulation clouds are bluish-gray, containing the five elements of thunder and the illusion of inner demons. The tribulation clouds above the valley at this moment were black and red mixed together, with faint blood light appearing, and a fierce aura emanating from them.

Beneath the clouds of calamity, Zheng Lun and Chen Qi sat cross-legged on two giant rocks in the center of the valley.

The two had adjusted their magical power to its peak, and the initial forms of their respective natal Dharma images were condensing above their heads.

Above Zheng Lun's head was a blazing, illusory sun. Within the sun, a three-legged golden crow could be vaguely seen flapping its wings, its body surrounded by pure golden flames. Those flames were extremely yang and powerful, scorching and distorting the surrounding air, and the vegetation on one side of the valley had already withered.

Above Chen Qi's head was a chaotic whirlwind. In the eye of the whirlwind, the phantom of a ferocious beast with wings on its back and resembling a tiger appeared and disappeared—it was the ancient ferocious beast Qiongqi. This phantom controlled the Void Wind, which was colorless and formless, yet it left subtle cracks in space wherever it passed, and the rock surface on the other side of the valley was covered with cuts.

"The Dao soldiers are giving back, the Dharma forms are drawing forth tribulations." Zhang Kui instantly understood, "They're about to undergo the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation!"

Gao Lanying also noticed the unusual situation at Funiu Mountain: "Husband, are those Generals Zheng Lun and Chen Qi?"

"Exactly." Zhang Kui said solemnly, "The Daoist soldier techniques they cultivate, the Crow Soldiers and the Flying Tiger Soldiers, have already taken shape. The Daoist soldiers' cultivation is feeding back to their commanders, and with the Nine Breaths Breathing Method that I taught them, it's not surprising that they are now preparing to undergo the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation."

"Celestial Immortal Tribulation?" Gao Lanying was somewhat surprised. "I remember that the two generals only passed the Earthly Immortal Tribulation a year ago!"

Gazing at the dark red calamity clouds in the distance, Zhang Kui said in a deep voice, "A great calamity for heaven and earth, an era of great strife, where danger and opportunity coexist. The more perilous the calamity, the greater the reward after overcoming it. However..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "This tribulation cloud carries a fierce and bloody aura, which is probably related to the Daoist military techniques they cultivate. The Golden Crow and the Qiongqi are both ancient ferocious creatures, so the heavenly tribulations they attract are naturally extraordinary."

Gao Lanying nodded, sensing the oppressive aura emanating from afar. Having already reached the Profound Immortal Realm herself, she naturally understood the terror of the Heavenly Tribulation.

As the two were talking, they had already flown over Mount Funiu.

From a high altitude, the entire valley is even clearer.

Zheng Lun and Chen Qi each occupied one side of the valley, three hundred feet apart. Behind them, three thousand soldiers were arrayed in formation on each side.

Behind Zheng Lun stood three thousand crow soldiers clad in black armor, wielding long spears, with faint black crow shadows circling above their heads. These Dao soldiers had all reached the Yi Jin realm, their qi and blood condensing into a black cloud, echoing the golden crow dharma image above Zheng Lun's head.

Behind Chen Qi, three thousand Flying Tiger soldiers, clad in tiger-striped battle robes and carrying short crossbows, were surrounded by flowing azure energy. Having also reached the Yi Jin realm, their qi and blood transformed into azure whirlwinds, swirling around Chen Qi's Qiongqi dharma image.

The Dao soldiers and their commander were connected by their auras and had become one.

"This is an attempt to use the power of Dao soldiers to jointly resist the heavenly tribulation." Zhang Kui saw through the scheme. "That's clever. I just wonder how powerful this mutated heavenly tribulation will be."

As they were talking, the tribulation clouds above the valley had already fully gathered.

Dark red clouds churned, with lightning flashing through them. It wasn't the usual blue or purple lightning, but a dark red, like congealed blood.

"Boom!"

The first bolt of lightning struck.

Not one, but two, slashing simultaneously at Zheng Lun and Chen Qi.

Above Zheng Lun's head, the Golden Crow Dharma Image flapped its wings and cried out, and the golden flames of the Great Sun shot into the sky, transforming into a golden pillar of fire that fiercely confronted the tribulation lightning.

"laugh--"

The crimson lightning collided with the golden flames, unleashing a piercing sound. The flames were shattered by thirty percent by the lightning, but ultimately the attack was blocked. The remaining lightning power flowed into Zheng Lun's body through the Golden Crow Dharma Image. He shuddered, his face paled slightly, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

On the other side, Chen Qi's Qiongqi dharma form opened its massive maw, and the Void Wind transformed into a vortex, engulfing the incoming tribulation lightning. Wind and lightning clashed, space trembled, the Qiongqi phantom swayed, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of Chen Qi's mouth, but his eyes became even more sharp.

"The first tribulation lightning is already this powerful." Gao Lanying's expression was solemn. "For ordinary celestial immortals, the first three tribulations are just appetizers."

Zhang Kui remained silent, his Great Yin-Yang Void-Piercing True Eye fully open, carefully observing the changes in the tribulation clouds.

He saw that deep within the tribulation clouds, not only was the power of thunder gathering, but also a malevolent aura was brewing. That malevolent energy resonated with the Dharma forms of Zheng Lun and Chen Qi, as if it were about to awaken something deep within their bloodlines.

"The Golden Crow and the Qiongqi are both ancient ferocious creatures," Zhang Kui muttered to himself. "The Heavenly Tribulation senses these two forms and is likely to unleash a corresponding calamity."

As expected, the second wave of tribulation lightning took even longer to prepare.

The calamity clouds churned, their blackish-red color gradually deepening until they finally turned into a dark purple.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two more bolts of lightning struck, but this time, the lightning changed in the air...

The lightning bolt that struck Zheng Lun transformed into a giant fiery bird with wingspans of ten zhang, its body wreathed in crimson lightning and fire, and it pounced towards the Golden Crow Dharma Image.

The lightning bolt that struck Chen Qi transformed into a thunder tiger with wings on its back, sharp fangs and claws, its power overwhelming, and it pounced straight at the Qiongqi Dharma Image.