Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

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Back in Xiqi City, the Taoist Ran Deng was restless.

Wen Zhong's words had deeply resonated with him. Based on his understanding of Yuanshi Tianzun, he knew this matter would surely enrage him.

But he had no choice but to face it.

Since the decision has been made, it's better to act sooner rather than later.

Afterwards, Randeng immediately summoned Jiang Ziya and instructed him, "Ziya, regarding the matter of Ju Liusun, I must return to Yuxu Palace to present the matter to the Heavenly Venerable for a decision. You should stabilize the situation for now, and we will make further plans after I return."

"Disciple obeys!" Jiang Ziya immediately agreed and then left the reed hut.

The Taoist Ran Deng rode his escape light away from Xiqi, but instead of heading straight to Kunlun, he lingered in the sky above Qishan for a while, looking down at the Shang army camp below.

"Who...was behind this?"

A moment later, Ran Deng withdrew his gaze and urged his escape light to ascend straight to Kunlun.

As his figure disappeared into the horizon, Zhang Kui slowly opened his eyes. Under the Great Yin-Yang Void True Eye, the trajectory of that escape light was clearly visible.

"Only when the mind is burdened can one be in this state," Zhang Kui murmured to himself as he stroked the spine of the Dragon Sparrow Blade, then closed his eyes again to regulate his breathing.

……

Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace

Burning Lamp knelt prostrate at the foot of the jade steps, not daring to raise his head. On the steps, the Primordial Celestial Venerable sat upright on his cloud bed, his body exuding an aura of Dao that was indistinguishable from joy or sorrow.

"Do you know your crime for fearing the fall of your grandson?"

The voice of the Celestial Venerable was like thunder from the heavens; though soft, it shook the very spirit of Burning Lamp.

"This disciple knows his sins." Ran Deng prostrated himself on the ground, his voice calm and even. "However, the battle was fraught with danger, and this disciple had already exerted all his strength. But the incident happened so suddenly that this disciple was caught off guard, resulting in..."

"So that?" Yuanshi Tianzun interrupted him, his tone still calm, but it made the temperature in the entire Jade Void Palace drop sharply.

Cold sweat poured down Ran Deng's forehead.

Ju Liusun was a direct descendant of the Chan Sect's Golden Immortals; his demise diminished the Chan Sect's fortune.

Soon, the voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable rang out again, "I already know about the matter of Ju Liusun. This is a calamity, not your fault. Rise!"

The man lit the lamp as if granted a pardon, kowtowed, rose, and stood with his hands at his sides.

Yuanshi Tianzun glanced at him, his gaze piercing: "The war in Xiqi will still be under your command... Go."

"Disciple obeys." Randeng respectfully replied, bowing as he withdrew from Jade Void Palace.

After he left, Yuanshi Tianzun turned his gaze to the void and said calmly, "Now that you have arrived, why not show yourself?"

In the void, a figure slowly materialized; it was none other than the Western Sect's Daoist Zhunti. Holding the Seven Treasures Tree, he wore a compassionate smile: "Fellow Daoist, I have come here to resolve a karmic entanglement."

"What about the karma of Ju Liusun?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked calmly. "Now that he's on the Investiture of the Gods list, he'll have his own destiny."

The Taoist Zhunti shook his head slightly: "It's not that I'm afraid of leaving a grandson, but rather that I'm concerned about lighting the lamp."

He paused, then said, "I have a past relationship with Randeng, and I will protect him during this tribulation. If the Heavenly Venerable is willing to grant my request, the Western Sect will owe the Chan Sect a debt of karma."

Yuanshi Tianzun remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Fellow Daoist is indeed frank. In that case, may we..."

The Taoist Master Zhunti smiled and clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you."

As the sandalwood incense dissipated, Jade Void Palace returned to silence.

Yuanshi Tianzun sat upright on his cloud bed and sighed softly, "Alas... I wonder if this is right or wrong?"

……

Xiqi City, Prime Minister's Residence

"This man, Ran Deng, harbors two minds and has long been secretly colluding with the West."

The words Guang Chengzi had just spoken kept echoing in Jiang Ziya's mind.

Although Jiang Ziya had cultivated for decades without achieving immortality, he was well aware that the Chan Sect had long been divided into two factions:

One faction was led by Guang Chengzi, and the Red With Taiyi Zhenren and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun as his assistants, he upheld the orthodox tradition, respected the laws of Yuanshi Tianzun, and regarded the Chanjiao lineage as the only one.

Another faction, led by Dipankara Buddha and assisted by Julusun, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Cihang, and others, believed that all dharmas are dharma and had long-standing ties with Western disciples.

The two factions have been locked in a struggle for years due to their differing ideologies, but they fear that with Liu Sun's death, the conflict is likely to escalate completely.

As Jiang Ziya was pondering, Wu Ji came to report: "Master, Daoist Masters Xiao Zhen and Qiao Kun have arrived as invited."

Jiang Ziya composed himself and rose to greet him.

A short while later, the two entered.

Xiao Zhen had a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, an air of otherworldly elegance, and a hint of arrogance between his brows.

Qiao Kun was dressed in a black Taoist robe, his aura was calm, but there was a hint of caution in his eyes.

"I wonder why Ziya summoned us here so late at night?" Xiao Zhen asked calmly, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Ziya with a hint of disdain.

He was a rogue cultivator of the Chan Sect, with the cultivation level of a Xuanxian, and he held himself in high esteem. He disdained to associate with Jiang Ziya, who had cultivated for decades but had not yet achieved immortality.

Jiang Ziya didn't take it to heart and said directly, "I invited you two here because I have a favor to ask. Three of the Ten Deadly Formations remain, and I want to send people to investigate their strength. Therefore, I would like to ask for your assistance."

"Of course, of course!" Xiao Zhen immediately agreed, a hint of smugness flashing between his brows. "A mere investigation is a piece of cake."

Qiao Kun frowned slightly and asked, "Lord Ziya, shouldn't we discuss this matter more carefully? Perhaps we should wait until Master Randeng returns before making a decision?"

Jiang Ziya picked up his teacup, paused slightly, then put it down, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Master Ran Deng has gone to Yuxu Palace to meet the Emperor, and his return date is unknown. Moreover, the opportunity to fight is fleeting."

"But..." Qiao Kun was about to say something more.

Xiao Zhen waved his hand to interrupt him: "Fellow Daoist, you are too cautious. Seven of the Ten Deadly Formations have already been broken; the rest are merely at their last gasp. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When we meet Master Ran Deng again, we will have something to report!"

Jiang Ziya nodded and then cautioned, "Be careful, both of you."

Xiao Zhen didn't take it to heart and waved goodbye.

Just as Xiao Zhen and Qiao Kun were about to use their escape techniques to head towards the merchant camp, they encountered someone face to face.

This man was burly with a dark complexion, dressed in a Taoist robe. He was none other than Xue Ehu, a disciple of Dao Xing Tian Zun.

"Where are you two going, fellow Daoists?" Xue Ehu asked, seeing that the two were in a hurry.

Xiao Zhen glanced at him, pondering: Although Xue Ehu was not as good as them, he was still a True Immortal and a direct disciple of Dao Xing Tian Zun. If he took him along, he would be there to help in case something happened.

Thinking of this, Xiao Zhen smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Xue, your arrival is timely. Ziya ordered us to investigate the merchant camp. If you have nothing else to do, why don't you come along?"

Xue Ehu was tempted by the offer and immediately agreed, "Of course, of course, thank you both very much."

The three immediately used their escape techniques and headed straight for the Shang army camp.

The novel "Zhang Kui Asks the Way in the Investiture of the Gods" is full of classic quotes, so come and find resonance.

……

The Shang army camp stretched for ten miles.

The camp was sparsely lit, and security was lax. Xiao Zhen and his two companions concealed themselves and quietly infiltrated the camp.

Xiao Zhen glanced around the tent and said in a low voice, "Let's split up and explore, then meet up here."

Qiao Kun shook his head: "That's not a good idea. If we split up, it will be difficult to help each other if we encounter danger."

Xue Ehu nodded in agreement: "Fellow Daoist Qiao is absolutely right."

Although Xiao Zhen was dissatisfied, he couldn't force the issue.

The three of them stealthily made their way through the patrolling soldiers, gradually approaching the southeast direction. The further they went, the more tense the atmosphere became, with a subtle sense of oppression permeating the surroundings.

A sudden sense of unease washed over Qiao Kun, and he whispered, "Something's wrong. It's too quiet."

Before the words were finished, a soft laugh suddenly came from ahead.

The three looked up in shock and saw a figure slowly emerge from the darkness. In the moonlight, the man had a handsome face and bright eyes, and held a precious sword. It was Zhang Kui.

"I apologize for not welcoming you properly since you three have come so late at night."

Zhang Kui spoke in a relaxed tone, but his eyes gleamed with a ghostly light under the moonlight—his left eye was like the sun and his right eye was like the cold moon; these were the Great Yin-Yang Penetrating True Eyes.

"Go!" Qiao Kun made a quick decision and summoned his magic weapon to escape.

Zhang Kui remained unmoved, only smiling slightly: "Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

Before he finished speaking, a scroll flew out from his sleeve, unfurled in the wind, and in an instant, the world seemed to be upside down.

The scroll was a chaotic color, with clear and turbid energies swirling around it; it was none other than the innate spiritual treasure—the Qiankun Diagram.

Xiao Zhen and his two companions felt a blur before their eyes and were swept into the diagram. The surrounding scenery changed drastically; it was no longer the Shang army camp, but a chaotic, undeveloped void where earth, water, fire, and wind surged endlessly, evolving into boundless killing intent.

"This is... an innate spiritual treasure?" Qiao Kun exclaimed in shock.

Xiao Zhen's face turned ashen. Although he was arrogant, he knew what was dangerous.

Xue Ehu had already unleashed his magic weapon, a black gold demon-subduing pestle. Driven by the power of a true immortal, it transformed into a giant pestle thousands of feet long and smashed fiercely into the void.

boom!

The giant pestle crashed into the chaos, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, without a sound or trace.

Zhang Kui's voice came from all directions, making it impossible to discern his location: "The three of you don't need to struggle anymore."

Xiao Zhen's face was deathly pale, but he still forced a show of arrogance: "Zhang Kui, don't be so arrogant! I am a disciple of the Chan Sect. If you hurt me, Master Randeng will not let you off the hook."

"Randeng?" Zhang Kui chuckled. "He's too busy taking care of himself to bother with you."

Xiao Zhen's heart sank, wondering if what Zhang Kui said was true.

From the void, Zhang Kui sighed, "You guys..."

Before he finished speaking, five-colored light suddenly shone brightly.

The divine light surged from all directions, red like fire, yellow like earth, white like gold, blue like wood, and black like water, the five elements intertwined, endlessly generating life, it was the Great Five Elements Extinction Divine Light.

Xiao Zhen fought back desperately, unleashing all his Xuanxian magic power, but the five-colored divine light swept past.

"No……"

Xiao Zhen screamed in agony as his body was struck by the five-colored divine light. In an instant, his flesh and blood melted away, his bones turned to ash, and he finally transformed into a ball of five-colored light, returning to chaos.

Xue Ehu desperately tried to defend himself by activating his Demon-Subduing Pestle, but Zhang Kui shattered the magic weapon with a single punch using his "Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming" divine power. Then, five-colored divine light swept past, and he followed in Xiao Zhen's footsteps.

Only Qiao Kun, the instant the five-colored divine light swept over him, suddenly crushed a jade talisman, his figure transformed into a stream of light, forcefully tearing a crack in the Qiankun Diagram, and escaped.

"what?"

Zhang Kui raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting Qiao Kun to have such methods.

……

Qiao Kun exhausted all his strength to escape from the Qiankun Diagram, his heart filled with joy. As long as he could escape back to Xiqi, there was a glimmer of hope.

He urged his escape light forward with all his might.

Suddenly, a thunderous shout came from overhead:

"Where do you think you're going!"

Qiao Kun looked up in shock and saw a figure descending from the sky with wings on its ribs and holding a thunder chisel. It was Xin Huan, a general of the Shang army.

Xin Huan, acting on Zhang Kui's orders, had been waiting in the air for quite some time.

Seeing Qiao Kun escape, Xin Huan did not hesitate and swung down the Thunder God Chisel in her hand.

Rumble!

A bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket struck down from the heavens, heading straight for Qiao Kun.

Qiao Kun's expression changed drastically as he desperately channeled his magic power to defend himself. However, having just escaped from the Qiankun Diagram, his magic power was completely depleted; how could he possibly withstand Xin Huan's full-force attack?

The lightning struck down with a deafening roar, shattering his protective divine light and striking directly into his primordial spirit.

Qiao Kun screamed in agony as his physical body shattered and his true spirit escaped, but he was already severely injured by the lightning and was in a daze.

Xin Huan swung his chisel again, completely shattering the true spirit. The true spirit transformed into specks of light, drifting and floating towards the Investiture of the Gods.

Xin Huan put away the Thunder God's Chisel and looked down. He saw that Zhang Kui had already put away the Qiankun Diagram, stood with his hands behind his back, and nodded slightly to him.

Xin Huan landed and cupped his hands, saying, "General Zhang, I have not failed you."

Zhang Kui smiled slightly.

"Let's go." Zhang Kui turned around. "Back to camp."

Xin Huan nodded, flapped her wings, and returned to the camp with Zhang Kui.

……

Xiqi City, the Prime Minister's Residence.

Jiang Ziya suddenly felt a tremor in his heart, did some quick calculations with his fingers, and his expression changed drastically.

Xiao Zhen, Qiao Kun, Xue Ehu... they're all dead.

"How could this be..." Jiang Ziya muttered to himself, "Even if we were outmatched, there should have been at least one survivor..."

Just as they were still in shock, footsteps came from outside the tent.

Jiang Ziya looked up and saw Daoist Ran Deng slowly walk in, his aura calm and composed.

"Teacher?" Jiang Ziya was taken aback, then stood up respectfully and said, "It's good that you've returned, Teacher. Just now, I sent Xiao Zhen, Qiao Kun, and Xue Ehu to investigate the Shang camp, but now the three of them..."

Ran Deng fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the crowd that was arriving one after another.

Guang Chengzi's expression remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

But Randeng knew that he must be sneering in his heart, for those who died were all from his own lineage.

Ran Deng looked around at everyone and slowly spoke: "I am deeply saddened by the fall of three fellow Daoists. However, death and injury are inevitable in the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods. Next, we should prioritize breaking the formation."

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

Guang Chengzi said calmly, "Now that the teacher has returned, it is only right that the teacher should take charge."

His tone was calm, yet it carried a deeper meaning. "Since you, Ran Deng, are the commander-in-chief, any losses during tomorrow's battle against the enemy formation will be your responsibility."

Ran Deng understood the meaning behind his words, but remained calm and simply nodded slightly.

Jiang Ziya stood aside, watching this scene of undercurrents, and sighed inwardly.