Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Before Zhang Kui could make a move, another unexpected change occurred in the arena.

Ma Yuan, who was intently watching Yu Yixian cast her spell, suddenly frowned and his nostrils twitched slightly, like a jackal that had smelled blood. His eyes were filled with suspicion and uncertainty as he repeatedly scanned the area where Zhang Kui was hiding.

Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat: "Could I have been discovered? Impossible. My flying and teleportation technique, based on Shuang Wuding, has been guided by two Great Luo Golden Immortals, Yun Zhongzi and Zhao Gongming. My aura and figure blend perfectly with the surrounding environment. Zhao Gongming even stated that even he himself would find it difficult to detect unless he deliberately scanned it with his divine sense. Ma Yuan is only a Xuanxian cultivator; he certainly doesn't have this ability."

However, Ma Yuan's scrutinizing gaze was not accidental, and it couldn't be faked. Zhang Kui held his breath and focused his mind to the extreme, as if he had truly transformed into a wisp of frost in the corner, even his thoughts almost stopped.

Noticing Ma Yuan's unusual behavior, Fa Jie asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Ma Yuan, what is the matter that causes such doubt?"

Ma Yuan's brows furrowed, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. He glanced around, his voice low, as if talking to himself, yet also as if confiding to Fa Jie beside him: "Something's not right... Fellow Daoist Fa Jie, I just clearly caught a familiar aura."

He paused, a look of regret on his face: "In the previous fierce battle with Zhang Kui, my 'Remnant Will of the Ancestral Witch,' which I had cultivated for many years, was taken away. This is the foundation of my Dao path. The pain of damaging this foundation is like having my heart ripped out. But just now..." He suddenly looked up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "I actually faintly sensed a trace of the extremely weak, same-origin, same-material aura of the Remnant Will of the Ancestral Witch. Although it was only fleeting and as faint as a candle in the wind, it should be true. It's really quite strange."

Hearing this from the shadows, Zhang Kui was deeply shaken. The lingering will of the Ancestral Witch? That's right, it must be that long-dormant Treasure-Falling Coin.

He immediately focused his inner energy on his dantian, where he saw the dormant Falling Treasure Coin floating silently, its surface shimmering with an imperceptible chaotic luster. This treasure had stagnated after devouring the remnant spirit of the Ancestral Witch in Ma Yuangu's hands. Although he had refined some of the restrictions, the root aura of that remnant spirit was still sealed deep within its origin.

"I was careless!" Zhang Kui cursed himself for his negligence. Ma Yuan had been with that ancestral witch's remnant spirit day and night for many years, and his perception of it had reached the level of the subtlest. Even the slightest ripple of its origin could not escape his spiritual sense.

He immediately separated a wisp of pure divine thought and sank it into his dantian, not daring to hesitate for a moment. He then gently enveloped the Fallen Treasure Coin with the warm, spring-like power of the Five-Turn Golden Elixir. At the same time, he activated the Dao Palaces of the Five Organs: the heart fire flickered, the liver wood flourished, the spleen earth became robust, the lung metal became pure, and the kidney water flowed continuously—the five organs and five energies circulated endlessly, constructing a perfect and flawless Five Elements barrier around the Fallen Treasure Coin. This barrier not only nurtured the rare treasure but also, through his own perfect Five Elements cycle, completely isolated any possible leakage of his original energy.

Upon hearing Ma Yuan's words, Fa Jie's eyes flashed with a strange light. He quietly spread his divine sense, like an invisible spider web, meticulously probing every inch of the surrounding space. After a moment, he withdrew his divine sense and shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Ma Yuan, I have just carefully examined the area and have not detected any special lingering aura, nor any trace of other hidden persons. It must be that you are preoccupied with the old artifact, and given that this place is where the Xuanyuan Sacred Artifact is located, the energy is disordered, thus creating a slight illusion."

Ma Yuan himself focused his senses again for a while, confirming that the faint aura had indeed vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed. He rubbed his temples and said self-deprecatingly, "Perhaps it was truly due to excessive mental strain that I hallucinated... I apologize for the spectacle, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, the two put the little incident behind them and focused their attention back on the Winged Immortal who was casting a spell with all her might.

Zhang Kui slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, only then realizing that his clothes were soaked with a fine layer of cold sweat, and a gentle breeze brought a chill.

"That was close!" If it weren't for the fact that Fa Jie's perception of the lingering will of the Ancestral Witch was far less acute than Ma Yuan's, and if he had acted decisively by constructing a circulatory barrier with the five internal organs and five energies, he would probably have been exposed by now. If he were to face the combined attack of three ancient demons at the same time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His mind raced; this experience served as a wake-up call for Zhang Kui. On the path of cultivation, possessing a treasure is a crime—an eternal truth. A primordial spiritual treasure like the Fallen Treasure Coin, once its news leaked, would attract the covetous eyes of most people.

Today, a major disaster was almost caused.

The phrase "be cautious and meticulous" must always be kept in mind, as any slight oversight could become the fuse that extinguishes one's path.

He composed himself and turned his gaze back to the arena.

Yu Yixian's magical power surged like a tide, his wide robe fluttering even without wind. The Yin-Yang Qi Bottle hovered in the air, its mouth spewing out a chaotic, undifferentiated stream of black and white energy, within which the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind circulated and mutated, completely enveloping the Qiankun Bow and the Zhentian Arrow.

Inside the pavilion, the ancient aura that had subtly resonated with the fate of the Yin Shang dynasty was rapidly diminishing. The luminous sheen flowing across the bow and the golden light leaping from the arrowheads were quickly dimming under the suppression of this chaotic power, fading away like the afterglow of a setting sun.

"Now is the time!"

Yu Yixian suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils swirling with the energy of Yin and Yang, and his voice boomed like thunder: "Yin and Yang have separated, and the flow of fortune has temporarily ceased. Fellow Daoist Ma Yuan, if you don't seize this opportunity now, when will you?"

Before the words were even finished, the invisible bond between the two sacred artifacts and the nation's destiny was completely severed. The Qiankun Bow, which had been trembling incessantly, suddenly stopped, and the golden light leaping on the Zhentian Arrow completely subsided. At this moment, they no longer possessed any divine power, lying quietly on the altar like two ordinary objects that had slumbered for thousands of years.

Ma Yuan let out a long-suppressed growl, his figure transforming into a streak of blood-red light that shot straight towards the pavilion. His withered hands trembled uncontrollably as he grasped at the bow, his eyes burning with an almost insane greed—as if he could already see the glorious scene of all immortals bowing before him when he wielded the sacred bow.

Meanwhile, Zhang Kui, who had been hiding in the shadows, was also secretly gathering his strength, like a lurking oriole, quietly waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

However, just as Ma Yuan's fingertips were about to touch the cold bow, a scorching heat suddenly came from behind him.

"Where did this petty thief come from, daring to steal from my turf!"

A clear yet defiant shout exploded like thunder, the sound waves making the beams and pillars of the pavilion rustle.

Before the words were even finished, a blazing streak of light tore through the sky. A fire-tipped spear, burning with Samadhi True Fire, hurtled through the air. Even before the spearhead arrived, the scorching heat wave had already charred and torn the back of Ma Yuan's Taoist robe. This spear came too fast and too fiercely, like a meteor falling from the heavens, carrying a destructive intent.

Ma Yuan's expression changed drastically. He unleashed his full Xuanxian cultivation, and his cracked bone hand hastily condensed a blood-red killing aura, forcefully meeting the spearhead head-on.

"boom--"

The clang of metal against metal resounded through the sky. A violent shockwave swept outwards from the point of impact, causing the entire pavilion to tremble violently and sending rubble flying.

Ma Yuan felt an overwhelming force surge through his arm bone, causing him to stagger back seven steps before regaining his balance. A piercing pain shot through his joints, and the original crack spread even further.

He looked up in shock and anger, only to see a seven- or eight-year-old Daoist boy standing in mid-air. The boy's face was as white as powder, his lips as red as cinnabar, and his bright eyes shone like stars, yet his brows held a sharp, murderous aura completely incongruous with his age. He rode on the Wind and Fire Wheels, his left wrist was encased in a golden, gleaming Qiankun Ring, and his Hun Tian Ling shimmered like rosy clouds around him. In his hand, the Fire-Tipped Spear emitted Samadhi True Fire, making him appear like a fire god descended to earth.

Zhang Kui, hidden in the shadows, narrowed his eyes slightly: "It's him... the reincarnation of Lingzhuzi, the greatest troublemaker of all time, the future Great God of the Three Altars and Seas - Nezha."

What shocked Zhang Kui even more was that Nezha had clearly mastered the true teachings of Taiyi Zhenren, possessing not only several innate spiritual treasures but also reaching the peak of True Immortal cultivation. Such wealth and cultivation speed were nothing short of heaven-defying.

Nezha struck successfully, his Fire-Tipped Spear flashing with countless spear flowers, his youthful face filled with arrogance. He extended the tip of his spear and pointed it at the three demons in turn, his voice clear yet chilling: "Three ugly monsters, do you dare to touch the treasure of my Chen Tang Pass? Today, I'll show you what it means to come and never return."

The flames of the Wind and Fire Wheels surged, the Hun Tian Ling moved without wind, and the pressure of the True Immortal enveloped the entire area like a tidal wave.