Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

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At dawn, before the morning glow had faded, auspicious clouds appeared on the horizon outside Xiqi City.

A divine blue phoenix led the way, its feathers as green as jade, its tail trailing three zhang of colorful light. With a flap of its wings, a gentle breeze followed, and it rode on the clouds.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao rode on swans and peacocks respectively, followed closely by Hanzhi Fairy and Caiyun Fairy, each riding on auspicious clouds, their robes fluttering.

In the Shang army camp, Wen Zhong spotted them at a glance and was about to get up and go forward, but Zhang Kui stopped him.

"Grand Tutor," Zhang Kui shook his head slightly, "Several fairies, please step forward. This matter is merely a sectarian dispute and is still under control. We should remain still for now and be ready to provide support at any time. After all, we must guard against the other side using underhanded tactics."

Wen Zhong paused, turning back to look at Zhang Kui.

"You're right." Wen Zhong suppressed his excitement and sat back down in his tent.

Zhang Kui did not sit; instead, he stood with his hands behind his back behind the curtain, gazing into the distance through the gaps. A golden light flickered in his left eye, while a ghostly glow flowed in his right; the Great Yin-Yang Void-Penetrating True Eye had already been activated.

The leader, Yunxiao, was surrounded by pure energy, with auspicious clouds faintly shining above his head. His calm and composed demeanor was far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Immortal.

"No wonder she dared to face the entire Chan Sect directly," Zhang Kui thought to himself. "This Lady Yunxiao is probably no less formidable than Daoist Ran Deng."

On the city wall of Xiqi, five female immortals stood in mid-air, their imposing aura as heavy as mountains, making the soldiers on the city wall breathless.

Yunxiao sat upright on the back of the Azure Phoenix, his gaze sweeping over Xiqi City, his voice like a clear spring: "Lu Ya, come forward quickly."

In Xiqi City, Jiang Ziya's expression changed, and he subconsciously looked at the Taoist Ran Deng beside him.

Ran Deng's face was gloomy, and he simply bowed to Lu Ya Dao Ren.

A moment later, a rainbow light rose from the city, and Daoist Lu Ya emerged gracefully.

He wore a crimson Taoist robe, surrounded by auspicious clouds and colorful lights, with a faint phantom of a sun appearing behind him.

Zhang Kui saw it from afar and raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed that Lu Ya's cultivation had improved again.

Qiongxiao, however, was impatient with all this. Seeing the other party's composed demeanor, her anger intensified. She urged her flower-feathered bird forward and shouted sharply:

"Lu Ya! My brother had no grudge against you, why did you take his life?"

Lu Ya remained calm and composed, bowing respectfully to the Three Immortals of Sanxiao. He then slowly began to speak: "Fellow Daoists, please be patient and allow me to explain the reason in detail."

He paused, then his voice echoed across the land: "The Way of Heaven is vast and unpredictable. We cultivators should firmly uphold our principles and follow the will of Heaven. Fellow Daoist Zhao Gongming's obstruction of Zhou's conquest of Shang was a perverse act. I am merely acting in accordance with Heaven's will and punishing him on its behalf."

Upon hearing this, Qiongxiao's face turned ashen, Bixiao's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and even Yunxiao's usually cold face showed a hint of anger.

Lu Ya, however, seemed oblivious and continued speaking eloquently: "Moreover, as far as I know, when the three religions jointly signed the Investiture of the Gods, all the sages discussed and decided that each disciple should accept their fate. Since Fellow Daoist Zhao has chosen to enter the tribulation, he should know that he cannot escape it. I advise you all to leave as soon as possible, for this place is fraught with danger, lest you meet a bad end."

"That jerk..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Is his mouth poisoned?"

He'd certainly learned something new. Someone murders their own family member, then accuses the other of acting perversely, casting a curse, and even claims to be acting on behalf of Heaven to punish them.

"Extremely noisy!"

Bi Xiao flew into a rage, drawing her sword with a flash of cold light, aiming straight for Lu Ya. "You sharp-tongued, hairy beast, how dare you speak so eloquently! You're courting death!"

Lu Ya remained calm and composed, summoning his own sword, its azure light gleaming as he parried. The two clashed in mid-air, their swords flashing like rainbows, their sword energy crisscrossing. Bi Xiao's swordplay was fierce, each move deadly; Lu Ya's swordsmanship was exquisite, his defense impenetrable.

In the blink of an eye, they had fought more than twenty rounds, and Bixiao was gradually growing impatient. She feigned an opening, making a false sword strike, and suddenly raised her left hand...

A golden light flew out from her sleeve, growing longer in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a huge golden bucket with a diameter of three zhang. The golden bucket was radiant with golden light, and its mouth was filled with chaotic mist. Within the mist, one could vaguely see stars turning and the sun and moon rising and falling, and an overwhelming pressure that could devour the heavens and the earth spread out.

Hunyuan Golden Bucket.

Lu Ya's expression changed drastically. He had already recognized the treasure. The pressure it exuded was so strong that it even caused his internal magical power to stagnate. He dared not linger in the fight. A rainbow light flashed around him, and he was about to use the Rainbow Transformation Technique to escape.

However, the Hunyuan Golden Bucket is even faster.

The golden dougong suddenly turned, and a beam of golden light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, instantly enveloped Lu Ya. Lu Ya's rainbow transformation technique was only halfway through when it was abruptly interrupted by the golden light. He was as if captured by an invisible hand and involuntarily flown towards the golden dougong.

"not good!"

Lu Ya was shocked and desperately circulated his magic power, causing the illusory sun behind him to shine brightly as he tried to break free. However, the golden light was incredibly resilient, and no matter how much he struggled, it remained completely still.

The next moment, a golden light swept through, and Lu Ya was sucked into the bucket. The Hunyuan Golden Bucket trembled slightly, pouring Lu Ya out of the bucket and slamming him to the ground with a "thud," raising a cloud of dust.

Lu Ya struggled to get up, but found that all his magical power was frozen and he couldn't use it at all. He looked up and saw that Qiong Xiao had already landed gracefully. She flicked her finger at his brow and a talisman entered, completely sealing his magical power.

"You beast!"

Bi Xiao sneered, and suddenly an object appeared in her hand, shaped like scissors, with a golden light shining all over it. Two phantom dragons were wrapped around it, and the sound of dragon roars could be heard faintly. "Let me let you taste the flavor of the Golden Dragon Scissors."

The Golden Dragon Scissors spread out in the air, and two illusory dragons bared their fangs and claws, about to scissor Lu Ya.

A hint of fear flashed in Lu Ya's eyes, and then he suddenly activated his vital energy, causing a blinding burst of true solar fire to erupt from his body.

The flames were incredibly intense, actually managing to create a crack in Qiongxiao's sealing talisman. Taking advantage of this opening, Lu Ya's body shone with brilliant rainbow light...

"Hahaha, this humble Taoist is off!"

He transformed into a long rainbow and soared into the sky.

Zhang Kui, who had been watching from a distance, did not hesitate at all upon seeing this.

He took a step forward, instantly activating the Five Elements Escape Technique, his figure transforming into a five-colored stream of light as he swiftly gave chase.

At the same time, he made a hand seal with his left hand and flipped his right hand, and the Dragon Sparrow Blade was already in his grasp. The Great Five Elements Extinction Divine Light began to condense at the blade's edge, with points of cold light flashing and intertwining.

Five-colored streams of light and a golden rainbow chased each other in the air. At this moment, Lu Ya was first injured by the Hunyuan Golden Bucket and then frightened by the Golden Dragon Scissors, and was actually overtaken by Zhang Kui who had arrived first.

Lu Ya looked back and his expression changed drastically. He never expected that this junior human at the early stage of Golden Immortal could catch up with him.

Without hesitation, Zhang Kui unleashed a horizontal slash with his Dragon Sparrow Blade, sending a blade of light several feet long flying forward.

Lu Ya had no choice but to stop.

But it was during this brief pause...

Behind them, golden light had arrived.

Click!

A sharp crack was followed by Lu Ya's piercing scream:

"what……"

The sound echoed across the fields, startling birds into falling to the ground and warhorses neighing.

Zhang Kui sheathed his sword, turned around, and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

The next moment, his gaze fell on the lump of something that had fallen to the ground, and he froze for a moment.

What is that?

A bloody, mangled object, about the size of a fist, emitted a faint golden glow, with a few golden feathers clinging to it...

The expressions of the people present were quite different.

The man instinctively crossed his legs, and the woman blushed, both turning their heads away.

Zhang Kui looked closely and recognized the thing.

Cloaca.

Well, this thing can also be described in another way—a bird's "penis".

He couldn't help but take a second look. After all, it was a three-legged golden crow... cough cough, he'd certainly broadened his horizons.

Taking advantage of this gap, Lu Ya once again used the Rainbow Transformation Technique. This time, his speed was even faster than before. He was almost desperately fleeing westward.

The piercing screams still echoed in the air, but his figure had already disappeared into the western horizon.

In the end, it was Yunxiao who made the move.

With a gentle lift of her hand, she unleashed a burst of Samadhi Fire, instantly reducing the filth on the ground to ashes, leaving not a trace of its presence.

Zhang Kui, however, was not idle.

He secretly cast a spell, his left hand making a grasping motion, and an invisible suction force gathered all the scattered drops of Golden Crow essence blood, which were rare treasures.

Yunxiao glanced at him, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

She turned her gaze back to Xiqi City, her voice still cold:

Where is Jiang Shang?

Jiang Ziya's expression changed several times, and finally he sighed deeply, urging his Qilin to slowly leave the city. He arrived at the front of the formation, cupped his hands in a gesture of utmost humility towards Yunxiao:

"Senior Sister Yunxiao! I..."

"Jiang Shang!"

Yunxiao interrupted him, her voice indifferent, yet each word like a knife: "I can't accept that."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the city walls of Xiqi, then over the faintly visible figures of the Chan Sect immortals, her voice gradually turning cold:

"We are detached from worldly affairs, focused solely on seeking immortality. But what crime has my brother committed that you, disciples of the Chan Sect, would resort to such a heinous act, using the evil magic of the Seven Arrows of Nailhead to assassinate him? Could it be...?"

She spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice as cold as ice:

"Does Master Yuanshi intend to abolish my Jie Sect's lineage?"

These words immediately caused an uproar in Xiqi City.

"Be careful what you say!"

The Taoist Ran Deng shouted sternly, and in a flash, he appeared on the city wall.

"What makes you say that!"

Guang Chengzi then appeared, his face ashen.

"Fellow Daoist, you've gone too far!"

Jiang Ziya waved his hands repeatedly, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

The three denied it in unison, their voices urgent.

After all, Yunxiao's accusations were too malicious. Red flowers, white lotus roots, and green lotus leaves—the three religions were originally one family; this was the consensus reached when the three religions were founded.

If this were to spread, how would the Chan and Jie sects in the Xuanmen (Taoist school) position themselves?

Yunxiao coldly observed their reactions, a slight mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Very well, since you still acknowledge that the Chan and Jie sects originated from the same source, then let us sit down and discuss the Dao."

She changed the subject, her tone softening, "Three days from now, my Jie Sect will set up an array, inviting you, the members of the Chan Sect, to come and break it. This time, it's only a contest of skill, not a matter of life or death."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya subconsciously looked at Daoist Ran Deng. Ran Deng's expression was gloomy, and he nodded slightly.

Jiang Ziya took a deep breath and cupped his hands to Yunxiao: "It's a deal, Senior Sister Yunxiao."

Yunxiao did not refuse his call of "Senior Sister," but merely glanced at him before turning and urging the Azure Phoenix to drift away.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao glared at Jiang Ziya before following their sister away. Hanzhixian and Fairy Caiyun followed closely behind, and the five figures quickly disappeared into the eastern horizon.

In the Shang army camp, Zhang Kui and Wen Zhong looked at each other with bitter smiles.

To be honest, after these rounds of competition, Zhang Kui is now really wary of formations.

In the battle of the Ten Deadly Formations, ten Heavenly Kings died, fled, or were injured. Of the ten masters of the Intercepting Sect, only Zhang Shao remains. Each of the Ten Deadly Formations is more dangerous than the last, but those who break them are more cunning than the last.

Now the Three Immortals are about to set up their formation again...

"Hopefully this one will be more reliable than the Ten Deadly Formations." Zhang Kui shook his head inwardly. "But who would believe that if I said it? I don't even believe it myself."

He followed Wen Zhong back to the central command tent. They had barely sat down when the tent flap was lifted and Yunxiao and his four companions filed in.

Yunxiao led the way, her expression unreadable. She walked straight to Zhang Kui and nodded slightly.

"Fellow Daoist, thank you for your help earlier."

Zhang Kui quickly rose to return the greeting: "Your Majesty is too kind. I have long disliked Lu Ya, that scoundrel. However, his Rainbow Transformation Technique is too fast, and I could only try to stop him, but I was unable to capture him."

Yunxiao shook her head: "That slash was just in time. If the general hadn't intervened, my sister's Golden Dragon Scissors might not have been able to harm him." She paused, then changed the subject, "The general has quite the eye for those Golden Crow essence blood he collected earlier."

Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm: "Your Majesty flatters me. This junior merely feels that it would be a pity to waste such a rare and precious treasure."

Yunxiao smiled slightly, not revealing anything. She turned to Wen Zhong and said seriously:

"Nephew Wen Zhong, I need six hundred elite troops; they'll be useful."

Wen Zhong was taken aback: "What use do you have for soldiers, Uncle-Master?"

"Set up the formation," Yunxiao said calmly. "My two sisters and I, along with our junior sisters Hanzhi and Caiyun, will set up a unique formation here, called..."

She paused, then said, slowly and deliberately:

"The Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation"

Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat.

Yunxiao continued, "This formation uses Yin and Yang to divide chaos, secretly conforming to the mysteries of the primordial world; it sets up the Nine Palaces to reflect the Eight Trigrams, clearly defining the cycle of life and death. After the formation is completed, it will conceal the secrets of heaven and earth according to the principles of the Three Powers."

Her gaze swept over the crowd, her voice clear and heavy:

"This formation can cause immortals to lose their spirit, dissipate their soul, trap their form, damage their energy, destroy their essence, and harm their body. Immortals who enter this formation become mortals, and mortals who enter this formation perish immediately."

The tent was deathly silent.

Wen Zhong's expression was solemn, and he remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Zhang Kui.

"A god who has lost his immortality, a soul that has vanished from immortality..." he murmured repeatedly, then suddenly looked up at the clouds, "Your Majesty, does this formation contain the law of reincarnation?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Yunxiao's eyes as he gave him a deep look: "General, you have a good eye. Indeed, this formation subtly embodies the mysteries of reincarnation. Those who enter the formation will have their three flowers on their head and five energies in their chest washed away by the power of reincarnation within the formation. At best, their cultivation will be greatly damaged; at worst..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Zhang Kui was deeply shaken. Suppressing his thoughts, he solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yunxiao:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this junior will cooperate fully. Six hundred elite troops will be delivered within one hour."

Yunxiao nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist."

She turned and went to discuss the battle formation with Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and others.

The Yellow River Array with its Nine Bends.

Zhang Kui vaguely remembered that in the original book of Investiture of the Gods, this formation had trapped the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, reducing their thousand-year cultivation by more than half.

Ultimately, it was only through the personal intervention of Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun that the formation was broken, and the Three Immortals of Sanxiao were thus...

Zhang Kui shook his head, unwilling to think about it anymore.

Outside the tent, the sky was gradually darkening.

The six hundred elite troops quickly assembled and, led by Wu Wenhua himself, were sent to the location designated by the Three Immortals.