Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

About half an hour later, the three streaks of light landed steadily on the south gate pavilion of Chentang Pass.

Zhang Kui, Gao Lanying, and Nezha appeared, and the scene inside the pavilion had changed drastically.

The Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle floated in mid-air, tilted, and the chaotic airflow gushing from its mouth tightly enveloped the Qiankun Bow and the Zhentian Arrow.

The tremors of the two sacred artifacts almost ceased, clearly indicating that after losing their continuous resonance with the nation's destiny, they could no longer stand alone and were about to be completely sealed away.

"We can't wait any longer!" Zhang Kui knew that if the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle completely took it away, it would be extremely difficult to take it back.

He took a step forward, and the five-stage golden core within his body began to circulate rapidly, the immense magical power surging and interacting with the five internal organs and five energies. He dared not hold back in the slightest, unleashing his most powerful and secret divine abilities right from the start.

"The Great Five Elements Extinction Divine Light!"

Zhang Kui let out a low shout, and five-colored divine light shot into the sky behind him. Under his exquisite control, a five-colored pillar of light appeared, and the surrounding space emitted a hum that could not bear the weight.

"go!"

The five-colored beam of light slashed fiercely into the black and white airflow that enveloped the sacred artifact, continuously neutralizing the power of the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle.

As the suppression eased, the Qiankun Bow and Zhentian Arrow seemed to be infused with new vitality, emitting a clear and resonant buzz as they struggled to break free of their restraints and flew directly into Zhang Kui's arms.

The Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle dimmed its spiritual light the instant its supernatural power was broken, and let out a mournful cry of unwillingness. It then transformed into a thin stream of black and white light, attempting to escape.

"Want to leave? Stay here." Zhang Kui had anticipated this and was not about to let the treasure escape.

"Subduing Dragons and Tigers!"

His blood and energy surged like a dragon and an elephant, and he extended his right hand with his five fingers spread wide. A vast and boundless force instantly enveloped that area of ​​air, like an invisible shackle, firmly imprisoning the fleeing black and white streaks of light.

The light darted left and right, but was like a flying insect trapped in amber, unable to break free.

Zhang Kui's mind stirred again, and his chest rose and fell slightly. Within his five internal organs, the Azure Dragon roared, the White Tiger howled, the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings, the Black Tortoise coiled, and the Qilin guarded. The power of the five elements circulated through his body, transforming into a miniature phantom of the five elements world, which swallowed the struggling Yin-Yang Qi bottle in one gulp.

The bottle fell into the "Five Elements Cage" constructed by Zhang Kui's own Dao foundation and immediately fell silent. The five internal organs and five energies circulated endlessly, like the most precise millstone, slowly wearing down and refining the unclaimed restrictions on the bottle's surface, temporarily suppressing and sealing it.

After doing all this, Zhang Kui slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his face slightly pale. Continuously activating the Great Five Elements Extinction Divine Light and the Dragon Subduing Tiger Divine Power, especially forcibly suppressing a magic weapon, had taken a heavy toll on him.

"Brother Zhang, you're amazing!" Nezha flew over on his Wind Fire Wheels, his big eyes full of admiration.

Gao Lanying walked to Zhang Kui's side and looked at him with concern. Seeing that his aura was slightly fluctuating but his foundation was solid, she felt relieved.

With the crisis involving the sacred artifact resolved, Zhang Kui felt relieved and looked at Nezha, asking, "Nezha, now that this matter is over, what are your plans?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha's excitement quickly faded, replaced by a hint of desolation. He pursed his lips and said, "Brother Zhang, Sister Gao, I'm going back to Qianyuan Mountain to find my master. As for the matter of the East Sea Dragon Palace, I've completely fallen out with my family." His tone was calm, but the slight pause when he mentioned "family" betrayed his inner turmoil.

Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying exchanged a glance, knowing this was Nezha's family matter and it wasn't appropriate for them to interfere too much. Zhang Kui patted Nezha's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "In that case, returning to the mountain to cultivate diligently is not a bad idea. Nezha, take care, we'll meet again."

"Yes, until we meet again." Nezha nodded vigorously, said no more, and the flames of his Wind and Fire Wheels surged, turning into a streak of crimson light, heading straight towards Qianyuan Mountain.

Watching Nezha leave, Zhang Kui turned to Gao Lanying beside him, took her hand, and said softly with gentle eyes, "Lanying, let's... go home."

Gao Lanying felt the warmth from Zhang Kui's palm, a bright smile bloomed on her face, and she nodded, saying, "Yes, Brother Zhang, let's go home."

The two exchanged a smile, then mounted their escape lights and flew towards Mianchi.

……

Shortly after Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying left.

Two figures suddenly appeared in the sky above Skull Mountain.

One of them was Fa Jie, who had escaped earlier using the secret treasure when he sensed the danger. At this moment, his face still showed lingering fear, and his eyes warily scanned the huge sinkhole below, which seemed to have been wiped off the earth.

The other person was a seemingly ordinary Taoist priest in plain clothes. He had a thin face, a slightly yellow complexion, a few long wisps of beard on his chin, and his hair was tied in two buns. In his hand he held a branch that seemed to have been casually broken off, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that the branch was intricately connected with seven kinds of precious materials—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, glass, giant clam shell, red pearl, and agate—all radiating a unique Taoist aura.

Fa Jie bowed respectfully to the Taoist priest. "Master, this is Skull Mountain... but I have searched carefully and found no trace of Fellow Daoist Ma Yuan. I can't even sense his aura."

The Taoist priest in plain clothes, whom Fajie respectfully addressed as "Teacher," calmly swept his gaze across the ravaged land below. In the depths of his seemingly ordinary eyes, it seemed as if countless worlds were arising and ceasing. He did not rush to answer, but simply raised his left hand slightly, his fingertips moving as if he were calculating the secrets of heaven.

However, just as the Daoist aura at his fingertips was about to solidify—

"Buzz!"

At the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, a long banner shrouded in chaotic energy shot into the sky, stirring up the winds and clouds for thousands of miles, and the trajectory of the Heavenly Dao became blurred.

Almost simultaneously, at the Eight Views Palace of Shouyang Mountain, a phantom image of a treasure map, entwined with yin and yang fish and evolving into earth, water, fire, and wind, appeared, stabilizing the earth, wind, water, and fire, but also making the secrets of heaven even more chaotic and difficult to discern.

Even more unexpectedly, in the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, in the land of reincarnation, a jade disc phantom, imbued with the vast power of the Six Paths and seemingly in control of the reincarnation of all beings, quietly appeared and silently joined the scene.

The three supreme powers, like boulders thrown into water, stirred up the already subtle secrets of heaven into chaos, making them impossible to calculate in detail.

The Taoist priest in plain clothes paused slightly as he was calculating, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He then lowered his hand and said calmly, "There's no need to search anymore. Ma Yuan's soul has already been scattered. It seems that he and my Western Paradise are destined to meet but not to be together."

Upon hearing this, Fa Jie's face showed shock and regret. Ma Yuan's cultivation was quite remarkable; if he could be introduced to the West, he would be a great asset.

"Master Zhunti, that was just now..." Fajie's address finally revealed the identity of this Taoist in plain clothes—Zhunti Saint, one of the two leaders of the Western Sect, who, together with the Taoist Jieyin, governs the Western Paradise.

The Daoist Zhunti's gaze seemed to pierce through layers of void, looking towards the direction from which those forces originated. A meaningful smile curved his lips as he softly said, "Nothing more. Interesting, very interesting... It seems the matter here involves quite a lot. Well, the time is not yet ripe; forcing it will be futile."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a beam of auspicious light swept up himself and the Dharma Ring, and they disappeared from the sky above Skull Mountain as if they had never existed.

Inside the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, the Primordial Celestial Venerable remained expressionless, continuing to deduce the eternal and unchanging trajectory of the Heavenly Dao.

In the Eight Views Palace of Shouyang Mountain, Taiqing Laozi's gaze was indifferent, as if he had only done a trivial matter, and he continued to focus on the alchemy furnace in front of him.

Deep within the Nine Netherworld, Lady Pingxin withdrew her gaze from the mortal realm. Her jade hand gently cradled her chin, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes as she murmured softly, "The blood of the Witch Clan… let's see how far you can go in this great calamity…"

……

In just a few days, Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying crossed thousands of mountains and rivers and returned to Mianchi.

The two went directly back to Jishantang Pharmacy in the west of the city.

The familiar courtyard, the familiar scent of herbs. Mother Wang Yunniang was drying herbs in the yard when she heard the noise and looked up. She was taken aback when she saw Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying standing side by side. Then, an uncontrollable smile of joy spread across her face.

"Shitou! Aying! You're back!" The old man quickly put down his work and rushed over to greet them. He took Gao Lanying's hand and looked her up and down, his eyes full of love and excitement. "Good, good, it's good that you're back! Come in, come in!"

Feeling the old woman's undisguised care, Gao Lanying felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She obediently responded and took Wang Yunniang's arm as they entered the house. Wang Yunniang pulled her close, asking all sorts of questions, from whether her spiritual practice was arduous to whether she had suffered any grievances outside, her words flowing gently but filled with the warmth of home. Gao Lanying patiently answered each question, her voice gentle, which made the old woman nod frequently, her wrinkled face beaming with joy.

Zhang Shan, who had rushed back from the General's Mansion upon hearing the news, grinned mischievously and nudged Zhang Kui with his elbow, whispering, "Brother, alright! Now I really have to call you sister-in-law, right?"

Zhang Kui glared at his younger brother, who was making faces at him, and deliberately put on a stern face, saying, "Otherwise what? Don't worry about me, kid. Let me ask you, have you made any progress in your cultivation lately? Have you been slacking off? I'll have to test how well you've condensed your martial arts dharma form later."

Upon hearing that his homework would be tested, Zhang Shan immediately wilted and quickly begged for mercy: "No, no, no, brother, dear brother! I was wrong, I promise I didn't slack off! You just got back, rest first, rest..."

Just as the two brothers were bickering in hushed tones, their mother, Wang Yunniang, suddenly turned her head and looked intently at Zhang Kui. "Shitou, your marriage with Aying can't be delayed any longer. I think we should pick a good day in a few days, and I'll hold the wedding for you. Our family is small and doesn't have many fancy customs. Aying's family doesn't have many members left, just our family and your loyal brothers. We'll have a lively and festive celebration."

Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying exchanged a glance, then nodded to their mother: "Mother, we'll listen to you."

Gao Lanying's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded shyly but firmly: "It's all up to Aunt Yun to decide."

Seeing this, Wang Yunniang was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "Okay, it's settled then. Shanzi, hurry up and make arrangements to tell Zheng Lun, Chen Qi, Wenhua, Boyuan and the others to come to our house for the wedding feast."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Shan responded excitedly and ran out to make the arrangements.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

As dusk fell, the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-red, and Jishan Hall was brightly decorated, filled with a festive atmosphere.

In the presence of their mother Wang Yunniang, younger brother Zhang Shan, Zheng Lun, Chen Qi, Wu Wenhua, as well as Zhang Boyuan, Li Zhongqian, Sun Shubao, Zhao Jiyu, and others, Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying bowed deeply in reverence.

After the ceremony, a lively banquet naturally followed.

As the moon rose high in the sky, the guests gradually dispersed.

Inside the bridal chamber, red candles burned brightly, illuminating the entire room. Gao Lanying sat on the edge of the bed; usually so spirited and capable, she now appeared even more exquisitely beautiful in the candlelight, her eyes filled with shyness and charm.

Zhang Kui walked over gently, sat down beside her, took her soft hands in his, and gazed intently at her. "My wife, hello."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lanying was taken aback at first, then raised her eyes and smiled in response, "Hello, my husband."

Their eyes met, and spring was in the air. That night, the boudoir was warm, and fish and dragons danced all night long...