Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Nezha, having received a boost of Zhang Kui's magical power, was invigorated. He twirled his Fire-Tipped Spear in a dazzling display, flicking away the sweat from his forehead and hair. His little face was full of stubbornness and fighting spirit: "Fight? I've never been afraid of anyone. Let's continue."

Before he finished speaking, he charged forward again with his spear. His three-headed, six-armed body moved like the wind, colliding fiercely with the surging wave of beast souls. Spears flew in circles, sparks flew everywhere, and he forcefully repelled the several bear and tiger beast souls that were pouncing on him once again.

Zhang Kui wielded the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade, slashing and hacking with fierce blade energy, annihilating several approaching wolf and eagle spirits.

This won't work. Enduring this endless stream of beast souls is definitely not a good strategy. Even if he and Nezha take turns healing, they will eventually be worn down to death by this Profound Yin Myriad Beasts Slaughtering Immortal Formation.

"We must break this formation!" Zhang Kui's eyes were sharp as a hawk's as he wielded his sword to defend himself while rapidly analyzing the origins of the bizarre formation before him. "These beast souls aren't natural undead; they're likely evil beings crafted by fusing ghostly energy with ferocious beast souls, possessing both the ethereal nature of a soul and the substantial power of malevolent energy. Ordinary attacks have limited effect, and even if they're scattered, they can quickly regenerate using the ghostly energy of the banner formation..."

A flash of inspiration struck him, and combining it with his understanding of the formation, he quickly deduced two possible ways to break the deadlock:

"Firstly, we can use the ultimate Yang to break the ultimate Yin. The foundation of these beast souls, and even the entire grand formation, lies in the Netherworld Qi. If we can draw upon the ultimate Yang and the most powerful force, such as the blazing heavenly thunder, it should be able to inflict a devastating blow on them, or even directly purify their core soul essence, making it difficult for the beast souls to be reborn within the banner. Nezha comes from the Chan Sect, a righteous sect of the Xuanmen, and must be proficient in thunder magic."

"Secondly, we must cut off their source of power. Instead of engaging with these summoned creatures, we should directly attack their source of power. This great formation relies on the Yin energy of the Skull Mountain's ley lines. If we can disrupt or even cut off the supply of Yin energy from the ley lines, the power of the formation will be reduced, and the beast souls will also become weak."

Having finalized his plan, Zhang Kui no longer hesitated. While slashing away a sneaking python spirit with his sword, he circulated his magic power, condensed his divine sense, and transformed it into a subtle yet clear voice, which directly entered Nezha's ears as he fought fiercely: "Nezha, this kind of attrition is not a solution. I have a plan to break the formation, and I need your help."

Nezha was smashing the soul of a golden eagle with his Universe Ring when he heard this. His movements paused almost imperceptibly, and he replied with his divine sense, his tone urgent: "What method? I can hold on for now, but it's hard to say what will happen in the long run."

"Listen carefully!" Zhang Kui spoke very quickly. "First, you come from the Chan Sect. Can you use thunder magic? Summon heavenly lightning to strike these beast souls, or attack the long banner. Thunder is extremely yang, and it is the nemesis of these yin and evil things."

"Thunder magic?" Nezha's eyes lit up. "I'm good at this. My master taught me the Jade Purity Divine Thunder. It just takes a while to activate, and it can't be disturbed."

"It's alright, I'll buy you some time," Zhang Kui said immediately. "I have a second plan. This great formation relies on the earth's yin energy. I'll try to disrupt the earth's yin energy and sever its foundation. If we work together, we might be able to break it in one fell swoop."

"Alright, let's do it that way." Nezha was a decisive person, and immediately agreed. "I'll prepare the divine lightning right away, be careful!"

After the conversation ended, the two exchanged glances and instantly reached a tacit understanding.

"Subduing dragons and tigers! Size as you wish!"

Zhang Kui roared, unleashing the power of his fifth-stage Golden Core cultivation and the blood essence of the Witch Clan. His body swelled, channeling his power to its limit into his arms and the blade. The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade emitted a resounding hum, its dark golden light surging forth, transforming into a sweeping storm of blade energy.

"roar!"

"Aww!"

The sounds of dragons roaring and tigers howling, accompanied by the aura of sword energy, resounded throughout the Xuan Yin domain.

Zhang Kui no longer held back, expanding his attack range. His sword strikes were like a raging storm, and he single-handedly managed to temporarily stop all the dozens of beast souls rushing towards him and Nezha.

Where the blade flashed, the beast souls scattered. Although they quickly reformed in the eerie light of the banner array, Zhang Kui managed to create a relatively safe space for Nezha to cast his spells, thanks to his formidable strength.

"Goodness, impressive!" Nezha exclaimed in praise, not daring to be negligent. He quickly withdrew his three heads and six arms, and all his magical treasures were retrieved, leaving only the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon) to protect him. At the same time, he stood on the Wind and Fire Wheels, hovering in mid-air, his hands rapidly forming profound hand seals, chanting incantations—the incantation for the supreme thunder technique of the Chan Sect—the Jade Purity Divine Thunder.

"Jade Purity Begins, True Talisman Proclaims the Covenant, Promoting the Shifting of Two Qi, Unifying into True Being. Five Thunders, Five Thunders, Quickly Assemble the Yellow Peace, Amidst the swirling transformations, Roaring Lightning and Swift Thunder... Jade Purity Divine Thunder, Command!"

As Nezha's youthful yet authoritative voice rang out, the thick dark clouds above the Xuan Yin Domain seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, beginning to churn violently.

A majestic aura began to gather, and the oppressive atmosphere caused even the frantically attacking beast souls to show a trace of instinctive fear and hesitation.

Ma Yuan, who was in charge of the formation, suddenly changed his expression: "Not good! This little brat is actually trying to trigger the Jade Purity Divine Thunder. We must stop him as soon as possible." He frantically activated the banner formation, frantically absorbing the power of the earth's veins. Countless Yin energies from the ground flowed into the Profound Yin Gathering Beast Banner, and more beast souls surged towards Nezha like a tide, trying to interrupt the spell.

"Don't even think about it!" Zhang Kui's eyes were icy cold as he pushed his magic power to the limit. He wielded the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade with impenetrable force, and his Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Divine Power surged, forcefully withstanding this wave of frenzied impact. He stood firmly in front of Nezha, ensuring that his spellcasting would not be disturbed.

At the same time, Zhang Kui was distracted, and another part of his divine sense and magical power sank into the ground beneath his feet.

"The ley lines obey my command!"

He manifested the form of Kuafu, communicating with the power of the earth's veins. At the same time, through his profound understanding of the power of the five elements, especially the power of the earth element, he infused his magical power into the earth's veins of Skull Mountain like roots.

After that, Zhang Kui keenly sensed that countless streams of pure and cold earth vein energy were being drawn by the eighty-one Xuan Yin Gathering Beast Banners, just like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, to maintain the operation of the great formation.

"Break it...!"

Zhang Kui silently chanted, his immense magical power acting like an invisible wedge, slowly cutting into several key nodes of the earth's veins. He didn't violently destroy the veins, as that would trigger landslides and earthquakes, damaging them and potentially causing widespread death and increasing his karmic burden.

"Buzz—"

The entire Skull Mountain trembled slightly.

The Yin Sha earth vein energy that was continuously pouring into the banner formation instantly became chaotic and thin. The light of the Xuan Yin Domain that enveloped the four directions dimmed significantly, and the Yin wind within the domain seemed to weaken a bit. The beast souls that were attacking frantically also experienced a momentary blurring and stagnation, and their reorganization speed obviously slowed down.

"What's going on? The ley lines..." As the person in charge of the formation, Ma Yuan felt it most clearly. He was both shocked and angry. He tried to stabilize the ley lines, but Zhang Kui's exquisite ley line interference technique made him flustered.

And in that instant when the earth's veins were in disarray and the beast souls' offensive slowed down—

"Boom!"

A bolt of Jade Purity Divine Lightning, as thick as a palace pillar, dazzling and imbued with the supreme will to extinguish evil and vanquish demons, tore through the dark clouds. Like a sword of judgment from the heavens, it slashed down with a destructive aura.

The lightning struck the area where the beast souls were most concentrated, and covered several Xuan Yin Gathering Beast Banners within the area.

Thunder roared, and a blinding white light illuminated the world. The supremely yang and powerful lightning spread like mercury across the land in an instant.

The dozen or so beast souls struck directly by the lightning didn't even have time to struggle before they were completely reduced to wisps of smoke amidst mournful howls, their core ferocious soul essence being instantly purified. The other beast souls within the affected area also faded and dissipated rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the sun, their ferocity greatly diminished.

Furthermore, the closest Xuan Yin Beast Gathering Banner was struck by the edge of the lightning bolt. The banner surface was charred black, and its eerie light trembled wildly. The beast souls imprisoned on it let out painful howls, clearly indicating that it had been severely injured.

The power of a single strike was so great.

"It works!" Zhang Kui and Nezha's eyes simultaneously lit up with surprise.

Ma Yuan was heartbroken and furious: "My precious banner...you deserve to die!" He could no longer care about anything else. He personally controlled the main banner, condensing an even larger amount of Netherworld evil energy, which transformed into a huge ghostly claw that blotted out the sky and grabbed fiercely at Zhang Kui and Nezha.

At the same time, Yu Yixian could no longer restrain herself. She let out a long howl, flapped her wings, and countless black and gold feathers shot towards the two of them like sharp arrows.

The situation has once again become extremely dangerous...