Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Zhang Kui pushed his escape technique to its limit, his body shimmering with five-colored light, his figure transforming into a streak of light that tore through the sky.

However, when he glanced back amidst his busy schedule, he almost lost his composure.

Nezha stood on his Wind and Fire Wheels, which were wreathed in flames and swirled around him. The wind howled beneath his feet, and his speed was incredibly fast. He was only a few body lengths behind Nezha, and he seemed to be moving with ease.

What left Zhang Kui speechless was that the little guy had the leisure to turn his head with interest and ask him while flying, "Hey! Who are you? How did you suddenly appear and scare me?"

While frantically squeezing out his magical power, Zhang Kui replied irritably, "I am Zhang Kui, and I have some connection with Daoist Yun Zhongzi of the Chan Sect. I have long heard of your name, Nezha, and your deeds of causing havoc in the East Sea Dragon Palace, pulling out the dragon's tendons and peeling off its scales are legendary." He deliberately pointed out Nezha's "glorious deeds," both to build rapport and to see the boy's reaction.

"Wow, so I'm already this famous!" Upon hearing this, Nezha beamed with pride, his little face full of joy, and the Wind Fire Wheels under his feet seemed to spin even faster.

Just as he was about to ask a few more questions about the details of his "renowned reputation," a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from behind him, and a terrifying, ferocious demonic aura surged in like a raging tide.

Yu Yixian and Ma Yuan have caught up.

"Run!" Nezha's expression changed, and he said no more. Suddenly, the Wind and Fire Wheels beneath his feet erupted with even more intense flames, and his speed increased dramatically. With a "whoosh," he instantly overtook Zhang Kui, transforming into a streak of crimson fire as he sped away into the distance.

"It can even speed up? I'm really..." Zhang Kui looked at Nezha's departing figure and felt even more resentful, so frustrated that he almost vomited blood.

These Wind and Fire Wheels truly lived up to their reputation as a flying magic weapon meticulously crafted by Taiyi Zhenren; their speed was simply insane. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, disregard the strain on his golden core, and frantically channel his magic power once more, pushing the Five Elements Escape Technique to its limit in an attempt to shake off the ever-closer pursuers behind him.

Four figures engaged in a thrilling chase amidst the clouds and mountains.

Yu Yixian's true form was a golden-winged roc, and even with Ma Yuan on her back, her speed was still astonishing, closely following Zhang Kui. Ma Yuan continued to unleash venomous curses and attacks, with streaks of sinister sword energy and poisonous mist attempting to slow down Zhang Kui.

After a fierce chase, the terrain below gradually became desolate and treacherous. Finally, a mountain range with a peculiar shape and shrouded in eerie energy appeared ahead. The highest peak in the range resembled a giant skull, emanating an unsettling aura.

"Skull Mountain!" Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat, remembering that this was Ma Yuan's lair. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes. Taking advantage of the way through a valley full of strange rocks, he used the air currents and shadows created by the terrain to instantly activate "Flying Body and Traces - Frost Without Fixation". His figure and aura blended perfectly into the surrounding environment, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, completely disappearing.

Yu Yixian and Ma Yuan, who were closely following behind, suddenly lost sight of their target and were stunned, stopping in mid-air.

"Where is he?! Zhang Kui, you little thief, get out here for me!" Ma Yuan was furious. He frantically scanned the mountains below with his divine sense, but found nothing.

But then, as he took in his surroundings, a look of wild joy appeared on his face. "Hahaha, heaven is on my side! This is my Daoist temple, Skull Mountain. No matter how strange or powerful you are, once you enter my territory, you won't be able to escape."

He turned to the gloomy-faced Winged Immortal and said, "Fellow Daoist Winged Immortal, please protect me for a moment. Once I activate the mountain's great formation, those two will definitely not be able to escape."

After saying that, Ma Yuan ignored Yu Yixian's skeptical gaze, sat cross-legged in mid-air, rapidly formed strange and complicated incantations with his hands, and chanted incantations. The obscure and ancient syllables aroused the Yin energy of the entire Skull Mountain.

"What is Ma Yuan up to now?" Zhang Kui, hidden in the shadow of a giant rock in the distance, carefully observed Ma Yuan's actions with the help of Shuang Wuding's divine power, his heart filled with puzzlement.

Not long after, dark clouds suddenly gathered over Skull Mountain, the sky darkened, and night fell prematurely. In the eerie wind, the faint roars and cries of countless ferocious and painful beasts echoed, sending chills down one's spine. The yin energy of the entire mountain range was frantically drawn out and gathered around Ma Yuan.

"Mysterious Yin Gathering Beast Banner, rise!"

With a ferocious roar from Ma Yuan, dozens of eerie banners, each three zhang long, suddenly flew out from all directions of Skull Mountain. The banner poles were forged from thousand-year-old ebony mixed with Netherworld iron, chilling to the bone. The banner surfaces were tanned from the hides of various powerful beasts, exuding an aura of savagery and death. Each banner contained the powerful spirit of a primordial beast as its main soul, tempered day and night with pure Netherworld energy, amplifying its ferocity. The more powerful the beast's soul was in life, the deeper the resentment generated when its soul was cruelly stripped away, and the more terrifying the power of the banner after its forging.

At this moment, under Ma Yuan's control, the eighty-one Xuan Yin Gathering Beast Banners quickly formed a huge banner array covering an area of ​​dozens of miles, following a mysterious trajectory.

At this moment, under Ma Yuan's control, the eighty-one Xuan Yin Gathering Beast Banners quickly formed a huge banner array covering an area of ​​dozens of miles, following a mysterious trajectory.

Xuan Yin Myriad Beasts Slaying Immortal Formation!

The moment the banner formation took shape, a massive, dark gray "Mysterious Yin Domain" suddenly descended. Within the domain, a howling wind howled, and the chill was biting, as if even the air itself was about to freeze. At the same time, a powerful spatial confinement force spread out.

"Not good!" Nezha, who was trying to find a way out in the distance, suddenly stopped. The flames of his Wind Fire Wheels dimmed a bit, as if he had sunk into a swamp. No matter how he urged them on, his speed decreased greatly.

"Hahaha!" Ma Yuan stood beneath the main banner at the heart of the formation, looking at the trapped Nezha, and laughed triumphantly. "Little brat, don't waste your energy. Once my Profound Yin Myriad Beasts Slaying Immortal Formation is complete, all those below the Great Luo Golden Immortal level are nothing but ants, and they won't escape easily. Tell me, where did Zhang Kui hide?"

Although Nezha was trapped, he refused to admit defeat. He raised his little face and snorted, "How would I know? Didn't you brag that everyone below the Great Luo Golden Immortal is an ant? If you're so capable, find him yourself. Why are you asking me?"

"You!" Ma Yuan was speechless for a moment, then became furious. "You sharp-tongued brat. Let's see if you'll still be so stubborn when I capture you and extract your soul."

"Ten Thousand Beasts Devour Souls, crush him!"

As Ma Yuan activated his magic technique, within the Xuan Yin Domain, all eighty-one banners, except for the main banner which was temporarily missing its main soul, began to tremble violently, their surfaces adorned with roaring beastly figures. In an instant, dozens of phantom images of savage beasts, each with a different form but equally ferocious and overwhelming, materialized. There were ferocious dragons, raging giant bears, sharp golden eagles, bloodthirsty tigers… They let out silent roars, carrying Xuan Yin baleful energy, and surged towards Nezha in the center from all directions like a tidal wave.

"Three heads and six arms!"

Despite the danger, Nezha remained calm and instantly unleashed his supernatural powers, manifesting a three-headed, six-armed form. He wielded the Fire-Tipped Spear and the Universe Ring, his arms were wrapped in the Chaos Ribbon, and he stood on the Wind-Fire Wheels, displaying six magical treasures and supernatural abilities.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The first few beast souls charging forward were instantly torn apart by the ferocious attack, turning into pure Yin energy that was drawn back into the long banners. However, before Nezha could even catch his breath, the eighty long banners flashed with eerie light again, and the shattered beast souls instantly reformed. More and more beast souls surged forward relentlessly, endlessly, immortal and indestructible.

Although Nezha was brave and fierce, his magical power was being consumed extremely rapidly in the face of this almost endless battle of attrition. His face gradually turned pale, sweat appeared on his forehead, and the speed at which he wielded his magical weapon inevitably slowed down.

Just then, a cunning and treacherous tiger spirit, lurking nearby, seized an opening and silently pounced on Nezha's unsuspecting back, its sharp claws aimed straight for his neck.

Hidden in the distance, Zhang Kui was caught in a fierce internal struggle.

"According to his original destiny, Nezha was the reincarnation of Lingzhuzi, the future vanguard in the war against King Zhou, and a great general in the Investiture of the Gods. He possesses profound fortune and could not possibly perish here so easily. Whether I save him or not may be insignificant to the overall situation. Master Taiyi must have a backup plan..."

"But... I watched helplessly as a child was surrounded and fought a bloody battle, while I, concerned about 'fate,' chose to stand idly by... I had previously advised others not to forget their original intentions, but how could I myself have achieved 'following my heart's desires without overstepping the bounds'? Cultivation is cultivation; if one cannot even follow one's own heart and refuses to help in times of danger, how is one different from those petty, self-serving opportunists?"

Thinking of this, a clear and resolute look flashed in Zhang Kui's eyes, and he no longer hesitated.

"Clang!"

A clear, resonant whistling sound tore through the eerie wind, and a dark golden blade of light, like a dragon emerging from the abyss, burst forth from the shadows.

Zhang Kui moved with lightning speed, wielding the Dragon Sparrow Blade, and instantly appeared behind Nezha. With a flash of light, the blade, imbued with the divine power to subdue dragons and tigers and the sharp edge of the Dragon Sparrow, slashed down fiercely.

"Pfft!"

The attacking tiger's soul didn't even have time to howl before it was completely shattered into its most primordial Yin energy by Zhang Kui's decisive strike, which could not be reassembled for a short time.

At the same time, Zhang Kui clapped his left palm, and a pure and gentle magical power containing the nourishing power of the Nine Breaths was transferred into Nezha's nearly depleted body.

"Hey, Nezha, can you still fight?" Zhang Kui stood beside Nezha with his sword drawn, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surging waves of beast souls that were rushing towards them again, and asked in a deep voice.