Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

When he uttered the name, Lu Ya spoke casually.

Upon hearing this, Ran Deng's pupils contracted sharply, and an uncontrollable rage surged from the depths of his heart. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, word by word, "Fellow Daoist Lu Ya, are you joking?"

"I never joke," Lu Ya said leisurely. "Ji Fa is the ruler of Xiqi, the future emperor of the mortal realm, and possesses immense destiny. If he were to fire the seventh arrow, it would not only be more powerful than Jiang Ziya's, but also..."

"And what?" Ran Deng's voice was as cold as ice.

"Moreover, Ji Fa is destined by Heaven, and the backlash from the curse won't harm him in the slightest," Lu Ya laughed. "Didn't you just say you were afraid Jiang Ziya would die? Let Ji Fa shoot him; wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

Xiqi rebelled against the Shang under the banner of "mourning the people and punishing the guilty." As the ruler of a region and the future sovereign of the world, how could Ji Fa be tainted by such a curse? Leaving aside Ji Fa's own willingness, just the thought of it spreading would damage Xiqi's reputation. If the story of King Wu using evil magic to curse and kill a Grand Luo Golden Immortal of the Jie Sect were to spread throughout the world, how would the other states view Xiqi? Would those still hesitant states and tribes willingly submit?

not to mention……

Randeng gave Lu Ya a deep look. He suddenly understood Lu Ya's intention.

This guy is digging his own grave. If he dares to suggest that Ji Fa fire the arrow, not to mention whether Ji Fa agrees or not, Jiang Ziya will definitely not let it go after he wakes up, and he will have no way to explain it to Yuanshi Tianzun.

But if he doesn't mention it, who will shoot the seventh arrow? Will they just watch all their previous efforts go to waste?

"Fellow Daoist, you've got a good plan," Ran Deng sneered. "Let Ji fire the arrow, and all the consequences will fall on my shoulders, not yours, is that right?"

Lu Ya smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, what you say is well-intentioned. Besides, the Seven Arrows of Nailhead Book was originally presented by me, so if we really want to be fair, I also have a share in the karma. However..."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming meaningful: "In my opinion, fellow Daoist should not be concerned about taking on more karmic burdens."

The lamp burner's face turned ashen.

An eerie silence fell over the secret chamber, broken only by the faint crackling of the lamps on the altar.

After a long silence, Ran Deng slowly spoke: "Besides Ji Fa, who else is there?"

Lu Ya shrugged: "Then you'll have to come in person, Fellow Daoist. With your cultivation as a Great Luo Golden Immortal, shooting this arrow is more than enough, and the backlash from the curse won't fundamentally harm you. However..."

He glanced at Jiang Ziya, who lay unconscious on the ground, then at Randeng, and said meaningfully, "If you, fellow Daoist, were to personally intervene, it would be an open declaration to the world that the Vice Leader of the Chan Sect used evil magic to ambush the eldest disciple of the Jie Sect's outer sect. The consequences of that are far greater than those of letting Ji fire the arrow."

The lamp remained silent.

He knew, of course, that Lu Ya was telling the truth. At this moment, he faced two paths: either let Ji fire the arrow, offending everyone in Xiqi and ruining the relationship between Chan Sect and Xiqi; or fire the arrow himself, bearing the infamy of plotting against the Great Luo of Jie Sect and suffering the wrath of the disciples of Tongtian Sect Master.

Regardless of which path Lu Ya chooses, he will not be involved in any cause or effect.

What a fine Prince Jinwu! What a fine Daoist Lu Ya!

A murderous intent surged within Ran Deng, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He gave Lu Ya a deep look, then suddenly smiled: "Fellow Daoist is indeed quick-witted; I admire you."

Lu Ya felt uneasy at his laughter and subconsciously took a half step back.

Ran Deng stopped looking at him, turned and walked towards the door of the secret chamber, leaving only one sentence: "After Ziya wakes up, tell him that I will find a way to deal with the seventh arrow."

……

In the crimson sands, time has lost its meaning.

Zhang Kui sat cross-legged on the altar, his five-colored radiance intertwining and merging with the blue light of the Falling Treasure Coin, transforming into a light curtain that enveloped Zhao Gongming. Using the Falling Treasure Coin as a bridge, he sensed Zhao Gongming's soul that had been captured by the curse.

This was an extremely difficult task. The Seven Arrows of Nailhead was an ancient incantation, and Zhao Gongming's separated soul was like a kite with a broken string, drifting aimlessly in the vast world, its whereabouts unknown.

With the aid of his Great Yin-Yang Void-Piercing True Eye, Zhang Kui opened both eyes simultaneously, merging Yin and Yang, attempting to capture Zhao Gongming's faint, lingering soul within the endless chaos.

found it!

Zhang Kui was secretly delighted, but dared not be careless.

This is the most dangerous step. If it's not precise enough, those remnant souls will not only fail to return, but will also be completely dissipated due to the disturbance, at which point Zhao Gongming will surely fall into an abyss of no return.

Zhang Kui remained true to himself, his mind as still as water.

He sat cross-legged, made hand seals, and silently recited the mantras transmitted by Xuandu.

The treasure coin trembled violently, and its azure-gold light surged.

The remnant soul seemed to be pulled by a tremendous force, suddenly tensing up. The next moment, a faint halo of light rushed in, like a shooting star chasing the moon, and entered Zhao Gongming's sea of ​​consciousness.

Become!

Zhang Kui was overjoyed and was about to cast a spell to merge the remnant soul with Zhao Gongming's remaining one soul and two spirits when a strange change occurred...

An extremely cold and chilling power surged forth along the remnant soul and crashed violently into Zhao Gongming's sea of ​​consciousness.

Zhang Kui's soul trembled violently, and the scene before him spun around him.

A pair of cold eyes, devoid of any emotion, filled only with endless death and destruction. The owner of those eyes sat cross-legged in the endless darkness, surrounded by a blood-red light, holding a mulberry wood bow with a seventh peach wood arrow nocked on the bowstring.

No, that's not right, it's not Lu Ya... that aura...

Master Ran Deng!

Zhang Kui was terrified, instantly realizing that Randeng had personally taken action.

He had no time to think and focused all his energy on activating the Falling Treasure Coin. The azure-gold light condensed into a light screen, tightly protecting Zhao Gongming's sea of ​​consciousness. But the power of the seventh arrow far exceeded his expectations. Although the arrow had not yet been fired, merely pointing at it, its chilling power had already pierced through the light screen and invaded Zhao Gongming's soul.

Zhao Gongming's remaining soul and two spirits trembled violently, and his newly returned remnant soul was also teetering on the brink of collapse, as if it might dissipate again at any moment.

"not good!"

Zhang Kui gritted his teeth and desperately circulated the Golden Core Dao, causing the Dao Fruit to radiate an unprecedentedly brilliant light. Within that light, five illusory figures could be vaguely seen—the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the Yellow Dragon of the Center, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North—the five divine beasts appeared together, letting out a long roar in unison.

The five elements revolve endlessly, enveloping all of Zhao Gongming's soul within them.

At the same time, Zhang Kui communicated with the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor.

In the netherworld, in the Fengdu Mountains.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu sat upright in the main hall, suddenly opening his eyes. Sensing the call of his true self, he raised his right hand without hesitation and drew a line in the air…

A force of the law of reincarnation pierced through the Yin and Yang realms, silently descending upon the Red Sand Formation and merging into Zhao Gongming's body.

Reincarnation is the final destination of the soul, and also its original origin. Using the power of reincarnation to stabilize the soul is virtually unsolvable.

Zhao Gongming's violently trembling soul finally stabilized.

The chilling power transmitted through the void was slowly dissipating.

Inside the secret chamber, the Taoist Ran Deng, holding a mulberry wood bow, suddenly changed his expression.

The arrow was on the bowstring, but it couldn't be released. The power that should have destroyed Zhao Gongming's remnant soul vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

"How is this possible?" Ran Deng exclaimed incredulously.

He clearly sensed that Zhao Gongming's remnant soul was on the verge of collapse, just one final blow away. But just as he was about to release the string, a vast power suddenly descended, protecting Zhao Gongming.

Is there... an aura of reincarnation within that power?

Reincarnation?

Ran Deng's pupils contracted slightly, and a figure suddenly appeared in his mind...

It's him?

Randeng thought of the Fengdu Emperor in Fengdu Mountain.

"Interesting," Ran Deng murmured to himself, slowly lowering the mulberry wood bow.

The seventh arrow, in the end, failed to be fired.

……

In the red sand formation, Zhang Kui was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Zhao Gongming's face. The face that had been ashen was now regaining some color; the wavering breath had gradually calmed down.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao..." Zhang Kui smiled weakly, "You've survived this ordeal."

Zhao Gongming's eyelids twitched slightly, as if he wanted to open his eyes, but in the end he was too weak and fell into a deep sleep again.

Zhang Kui finished his practice and stumbled as he stood up, almost falling. He steadied himself by holding onto the high altar and taking a few deep breaths.

Outside the altar, Zhang Shao had been waiting for a long time. Seeing him rise, the last remaining Heavenly Lord hurried forward and asked urgently, "General Zhang, what about Senior Brother Zhao...?"

"It's alright now." Zhang Kui smiled slightly. "His soul has reunited; he just needs to rest."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shao felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

Outside the formation, Wen Zhong, Chen Jiugong, and Yao Shaosi were already pacing anxiously. Seeing Zhang Kui and Zhang Shao come out to meet them, the three of them went to meet them together.

"How is it?" Wen Zhong grabbed Zhang Kui's wrist.

Zhang Kui was about to reply, but Wen Zhong's grab aggravated his injuries, causing him to frown slightly. Only then did Wen Zhong notice his pale face and weak breathing, clearly indicating that he had exhausted himself. He quickly released his grip and said apologetically, "I was too hasty."

"It's alright." Zhang Kui waved his hand. "Fellow Daoist Zhao is out of danger. He just needs to rest for a while and he will recover."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiugong and Yao Shaosi knelt down and kowtowed to Zhang Kui, saying, "General Zhang, your kindness and virtue are unforgettable!"

Zhang Kui quickly helped the two up: "What are you doing, fellow Daoists? Fellow Daoist Zhao has been kind to me in passing on his teachings, so saving him is simply my duty. Get up, get up quickly."

In the distance, the city walls of Xiqi were brightly lit. The Taoist Ran Deng stood alone on the city tower, gazing at the Shang army camp. His gaze was deep, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Lu Ya appeared behind him unnoticed and said softly, "Why didn't you shoot that arrow, fellow Daoist?"

Ran Deng didn't turn around, but simply said, "It can't be shot out."

"Can't shoot?" Lu Ya raised an eyebrow.

"Someone is protecting Zhao Gongming." Randeng turned around and looked at Lu Ya. "You know that person too."

Lu Ya was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized: "Zhang Kui?"

Ran Deng nodded.

Lu Ya was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Interesting. A mere human junior at the early stage of Golden Immortal was actually able to save Zhao Gongming from your hands, fellow Daoist. You've really lost face."

Ran Deng remained expressionless: "If you are interested, fellow Daoist, you might as well try to see for yourself how deep his abilities are."

"No need," Lu Ya waved his hand. "This humble Taoist is only responsible for offering advice and strategies, not for charging into battle. Besides..."

He looked up at the night sky and said slowly, "There's still a chance to shoot that seventh arrow, isn't there?"

A night breeze blew by, causing the Taoist robe with the lit lamp to flutter.

Should we really let Ji fire this arrow?