Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

When news of Jiang Ziya's death reached Xiqi City, King Wu Ji Fa was struck dumb, and the teacup in his hand shattered on the ground with a "crack".

"The Prime Minister...he..."

The messenger, San Yisheng, was deathly pale and knelt on the ground, unable to rise: "King Wu, the Prime Minister was struck down with a whip and died on the spot!"

Ji Fa staggered backward, but was fortunately supported by those on either side. He took a few deep breaths, barely managing to steady himself, and said in a deep voice, "Prepare the carriage, I am going to see the Prime Minister one last time!"

Before long, King Wu, Ji Fa, led his civil and military officials to the reed hut. Jiang Ziya's body lay in the center of the hut, his face ashen and lifeless.

Nezha, Yang Jian, and the others stood to the side, their eyes all bloodshot.

"Prime Minister..." Ji Fa knelt before Jiang Ziya, tears streaming down his face, "Prime Minister, you have suffered such a calamity... It is all my fault!"

A chorus of weeping echoed from the reed hut.

Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out: "King Wu, there is no need to be sad. This is the tribulation destined for Jiang Ziya."

Everyone looked up and saw Guang Chengzi walk in from outside, surrounded by immortal light and exuding a calm demeanor.

Ji Fa quickly rose and bowed: "Immortal Master!"

Guang Chengzi nodded slightly, walked to Jiang Ziya's corpse, bent down to examine it for a moment, and then took out a pill the size of a longan from his sleeve. The pill was golden yellow, with nine red patterns on it, and a faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard from it.

"This Soul-Gathering and Form-Refining Pill, though it cannot bring the dead back to life, only caused Ziya's physical body to collapse, while his true spirit remained intact. This pill can help him reunite his soul."

Having said that, Guang Chengzi flicked his finger, and the golden elixir transformed into a golden light, flying into Jiang Ziya's mouth.

In an instant, Jiang Ziya's body shone with golden light.

The golden light rose from his dantian, flowing through his limbs and bones, finally converging at his heart. Everyone held their breath, watching as Jiang Ziya's chest rose and fell slightly…

"Cough cough cough!"

Jiang Ziya suddenly opened his eyes and cried out, "It hurts so much!"

He was breathing heavily, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. After a moment, he struggled to his feet and saw Guang Chengzi standing in front of him. He immediately knelt down and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Senior Brother."

Guang Chengzi helped him up and said gently, "No need to thank me. You should rest well. I'll go back to Lupeng to keep watch, in case Zhao Gongming comes to cause trouble again."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already disappeared from the spot.

Jiang Ziya stared blankly in the direction Guang Chengzi had left, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Yang Jian: "Where is Zhao Gongming?"

Yang Jian said in a deep voice, "We have retreated back to the merchant camp. Don't worry, Uncle-Master, if he comes again, we will protect him with our lives."

Jiang Ziya shook his head with a wry smile.

……

The next day, at the first light of dawn.

In the midst of the merchant camp, a figure soared into the sky and landed with a thud in front of the two armies.

Zhao Gongming, the Black Tiger, wielded a golden whip, his aura surging skyward without restraint. His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced the depths of the Zhou camp, his voice booming like a bell:

"Light the lamp, come out and answer!"

Inside the reed hut, Daoist Ran Deng's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He stood up and descended in a beam of light to the front of the formation.

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?"

Zhao Gongming sneered, "Randeng, stop pretending to be confused. I killed Jiang Ziya with a single whip yesterday. Does no one in your Chan Sect dare to step forward?"

Ran Deng remained expressionless and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, are you aware of the fact that the three sects jointly signed the Investiture of the Gods in the past?"

Zhao Gongming raised an eyebrow: "Of course I know."

Ran Deng nodded, his tone calm, yet every word pierced the heart: "Since you know this, you should understand that the names on the Investiture of the Gods list include disciples of the three religions. When the sages of the three religions signed their names, the fate of heaven had already been determined. Who lives and who dies is all within the calamity."

He paused, then looked directly at Zhao Gongming: "Fellow Daoist, what you have done today has brought disaster upon yourself, and you will likely not escape the calamities of the mortal world."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Zhao Gongming laughed loudly, his laughter echoing through the mountains. After laughing, his smile faded, and his gaze sharpened like a knife.

"What a joke! What if I said that everyone from your Chan Sect is on this list?"

He brandished his golden whip, pointing it directly at the reed hut behind Ran Deng: "I've heard that Ju Liusun has already made the list. Hahaha, you all have a chance too!"

Fearing that Zhao Gongming would expose the matter of leaving Sun behind would be tantamount to a public slap in the face.

"Zhao Gongming!"

A furious roar rang out as Master Huanglong leaped forward, his face flushed and his anger barely contained: "Today I'll put you on the list!"

He drew his sword from his back, its blade flashing like snow, and aimed straight at Zhao Gongming.

The sword light was as fast as lightning, and in an instant it was in front of Zhao Gongming.

"Watch out, senior!"

A figure suddenly appeared, parrying with a sword.

Clang!

Swords clashed, sparks flew.

Zhang Kui felt an overwhelming force surge towards him, his arm trembled violently, his tiger's mouth split open, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

Huanglong Zhenren, however, only swayed slightly.

"Don't panic, young friend!"

Zhao Gongming made a hand seal, and a gentle breeze flew out from his palm, steadily supporting Zhang Kui and gently setting him down.

He looked at Zhang Kui, his eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and emotion: "Young friend, this Huanglong Zhenren is a five-clawed yellow dragon who attained enlightenment, a rare species from the primordial era, born with divine strength. Although you have already attained the Golden Immortal realm, it is not a wise move to contend with him."

After calming his breathing, Zhang Kui rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Fine, I'll just consider it meddling in other people's business.

He suddenly remembered something and pondered to himself: This Master Huanglong was often jokingly referred to as the "Four-No Daoist" in the original work—no magic weapon, no disciples, no battle record, and no brains. But the power of this sword strike today—how could he be anything but incompetent?

Indeed, none of those who made it into the Twelve Golden Immortals were simple characters. Those so-called "jokes" are nothing more than later generations judging heroes by their success or failure.

At this moment, Master Huanglong attacked again.

The longsword in his hand transformed into a thousand-foot-long sword light, carrying a world-destroying power, and cleaved down.

Zhao Gongming snorted coldly: "Dragon-Binding Rope!"

Before he finished speaking, a long rope flew out from his sleeve.

The rope was entirely black, with countless golden runes flowing across it, as if it were alive, growing longer in the wind. It coiled in the air like a serpent emerging from its hole, instantly wrapping around Huanglong Zhenren's body.

"This is……"

Master Huanglong's expression changed drastically, and he struggled desperately. But the more he struggled, the tighter the ropes became, and in the blink of an eye, he was bound tightly and unable to move.

"Zhao Gongming!" roared Huanglong Zhenren, "What kind of sorcery are you using?!"

"Sorcery?" Zhao Gongming sneered. "This is the Dragon Binding Rope. Do you think I don't know your background? Dragons are born with divine strength, but this item was made by my master, the Sage Tongtian, during his travels across the four seas, using the remains of the Ancestral Dragon. It is specifically designed to subdue dragons."

Master Huanglong turned deathly pale and could no longer utter a word.

Seeing that Huanglong Zhenren had been captured, another sword light shot into the sky from Zhou's camp.

Master Yu Ding charged out with his sword.

Zhao Gongming brandished his whip to meet the challenge, and the two fought for more than ten rounds, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

Master Yu Ding was Yang Jian's teacher and was renowned for his swordsmanship. His swordsmanship was in harmony with the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. If Zhao Gongming's cultivation had not far surpassed his, he would probably have been defeated long ago.

Suddenly, Zhao Gongming created an opening, and Yu Ding Zhenren thrust his sword at him.

In that split second, Zhao Gongming suddenly produced something.

Dozens of precious pearls flew out from his sleeve and hung in mid-air.

Each of the pearls was the size of a fist, crystal clear, and radiated five-colored light. The light was dazzling and eye-catching, yet also elusive and ever-changing, making it impossible to see clearly or discern.

"This is..." Zhang Kui's pupils contracted slightly.

Dinghai Pearl!

This treasure is a primordial spiritual treasure, consisting of twenty-four pieces. Originally, it was formed from the first ray of light that condensed between heaven and earth when the sun, moon, and stars were first separated in the chaos. It can release five-colored rays of light to obscure the opponent's senses, and with a single swipe, it can injure the enemy invisibly.

Five-colored shimmering light in one stroke.

Master Yuding felt a blur before his eyes and could see nothing. He was greatly alarmed and quickly retreated…

But it was too late.

The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl swept down from above.

"what!"

Master Yu Ding let out a miserable scream as he was knocked to the ground, spitting out blood.

"Master!"

A cry of surprise rang out, and Yang Jian leaped out.

His third eye opened wide, emitting golden light, and he aimed straight at Zhao Gongming. But just as he was about to reach Yu Ding Zhenren, a long rainbow flew from the horizon, swept up the fallen Yu Ding Zhenren, and prepared to return to the reed hut.

Yang Jian looked closely and realized it was the Grand Master Lingbao.

This person is one of the Twelve Immortals, with a profound foundation in cultivation and among the best in terms of comprehension and magical power. He usually keeps a low profile, but he has a very good personal relationship with Huanglong Zhenren and Yuding Zhenren.

Seeing that one of his fellow Daoists had been captured and the other injured, how could he sit idly by?

"This is outrageous!"

Enraged, Zhao Gongming once again summoned the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and attacked the Grand Master Lingbao.

"Don't harm my fellow Daoist!"

With a loud shout, Guang Chengzi leaped out.

He raised his hand and waved it, and an ancient seal flew out from his sleeve—the Heaven-Turning Seal.

The seal grew taller in the wind, instantly transforming into a thousand-foot-tall mountain that stood before the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl.

boom!

The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and the Heaven-Turning Seal clashed in mid-air.

In an instant, the world lost its color.

A devastating shockwave spread out from the point of impact, causing rocks to crumble and trees to turn to ash in its wake.

Zhang Kui's expression changed, and he immediately activated the Five Elements Great Escape, condensing a five-colored light screen in front of him to protect the Shang soldiers behind him.

The shockwave lasted for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before gradually subsiding.

The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and the Heaven-Turning Seal each flew back backwards.

Zhao Gongming caught the Dinghai Pearl, his expression solemn.

Guang Chengzi retracted the Fantian Seal, his brows furrowed.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then each snorted coldly and turned back to their own camp.

"That's enough for today." Zhao Gongming put away his golden whip and looked at Huanglong Zhenren, who was bound by the Dragon-Binding Rope. "I'll take this man back to the merchant camp first. If you want to save him, we'll have another match tomorrow on the battlefield."

Having said that, he urged the black tiger to take off into the air.

Inside the reed hut, Grand Master Lingbao supported True Man Yuding, their faces ashen.

Yang Jian knelt to one side, his eyes bloodshot.

The Taoist Ran Deng stood to the side, his face calm as still water, but his eyes were fixed on the direction Zhao Gongming had left, or more precisely, on the twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls.

"Today I have finally seen this wondrous pearl..." he murmured to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it, "My path has been completed."

There was nothing but longing in those eyes.

……

Within the business camp, Wen Zhong personally came out of the main tent to greet them.

"Brother Dao is mighty!" he praised sincerely. "In one battle, you captured Huanglong and injured Yuding, greatly dampening the morale of the Chan Sect."

Zhao Gongming waved his hand and said calmly, "This is just a small test. If they dare to come again tomorrow, I will capture a few more."

Wen Zhong was overjoyed and immediately ordered a banquet to celebrate his victory.

……