The Spiritual Attainment of Minghe Chapter 261-270

Chapter 261: Ao Guang's Vengeance

Ao Guang frowned when he heard the news. And upon seeing the wounded Crab General, he immediately asked, "What happened to you? Who on earth is the man that beat you? You just said that my son, Ao Bing, had an accident. But, did not he go out to play? Who in the East Sea dares to make our Dragon Tribe lose face? How could he have an accident?"

On hearing that, Crab General looked sad and hastily reported in a sobbing voice, saying, "Today, a child came down to the shore of the East Sea and disturbed the nearby sea. Sea- patroling Yaksha was beaten to death while he went out to investigate. The Third Prince was also beaten to death by that little devil after going to ask for an explanation. Now, the little devil is pulling out the Third Prince's tendons."

Suddenly, Ao Guang opened his eyes wide and exhibited an aggressive posture. All the Water Tribe members in the main hall were frightened and kneeled down, not daring to take deep breaths to avoid angering the Dragon King. Over the years, the Dragon Tribe members had paid off their Heaven and Earth Karma debts. As a result, they could rest and build up strength. As one of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, Ao Guang had plenty of the Dragon Tribe's Luck, so his cultivation had naturally improved. So far, he had reached the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Having learned that his son, Ao Bing, had died, Ao Guang became filled with anger and he roared, "How did you protect the prince? How could he have been killed? Tell me, who on earth is the man that killed my son? I will catch him and cut him into pieces. Moreover, I will imprison his soul in the Land of Tranquility to suffer timeless torture so that he will never be allowed to die."

Having felt Ao Guang's rage, Crab General suddenly quivered with fear. He dared Ao Guang to vent his anger on him as he responded while trembling, saying, "My Dragon King, the little devil who killed the Third Prince calls himself Nezha, the third son of Li Jing, the Chief General of Chentang Pass. Nezha has several uncommon Magic Weapons. The Third Prince was killed by a circle-shaped Magic Weapon."

Ao Guang was furious and said, "Well, Li Jing, we were once sworn to be brothers. Normally, we live in peace with each other. However, you allowed your son to kill my son today. I will not leave the matter at that. Turtle Prime Minister, please muster the army rapidly. I will take the army to apprehend Nezha, the murderer. Then, I will send the army to Chentang Pass to seek some justice from Li Jing." Turtle Prime Minister, kneeling down beside him, accepted the order at once. The horn for gathering and scrutinizing soldiers resounded. A few moments later, 100,000 shrimp soldiers and Crab Generals had gathered. With wholehearted killing intent, Ao Guang led the army and departed. They were marching in an apparently endless line and all the Water Tribes in the East Sea gave way. Since the Dragon King of the East Sea was full of killing intent, no one wanted to bring trouble onto themselves. That would have been courting death.

From the dead body of a giant dragon near the shore, Nezha painstakingly pulled out all of its tendons. After smelling of a fishy odor, he jumped into the sea to clear his head. He then thought that such a long dragon tendon was useful for making lots of things, including belts, bowstrings, and so on. He thought that his father, Li Jing, would be pleasantly surprised at the sight of the dragon tendons. However, he did not know that Li Jing would only be surprised without having any pleasure.

While swimming in the water, Nezha suddenly raised his chin up and looked at the sea. The mighty, turbulent waves forced the water to separate and the numerous sweeping waves crashed onto the shore, sprawling outward several feet. Countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals rushed out from the water and lined up in regular arrays. Finally, a green dragon flew out of the water and fell in front of the army to become a human. It was Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea.

Seeing the dead body of Ao Bing near the sea and the dragon tendons in Nezha's hands, Ao Guang was immediately exasperated and said, "Nezha, your father and I swore to be brothers. But today, you killed Ao Bing, my beloved son. Therefore, I will not forgive you." As Ao Bing's tragic image was lying before his eyes, Ao Guang turned all his grief and indignation into wholehearted killing intent. He was very anxious to kill Nezha.

On hearing that, Nezha fearlessly shouted, "You said that Ao Bing is your son, so you must be Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea. Without a doubt, Ao Bing was killed by my hand. However, I had to kill him because he coveted my Magic Weapons and threatened my family. How could I let him kill me and steal my Magic Weapons? There is no such a way of doing things in the world."

Ao Guang got angry and said, "You little rogue, how can you slander my son and not mention your murder? As the Third Prince of the Dragon King of the East Sea, my son had seen all sorts of Magic Weapons, so why would he covet your Magic Weapons?" Seeing the light from the treasures overflowing from the Universe Ring and Red Armillary Sash that were attached to Nezha's body, Ao Guang knew that Nezha's words might have been true, but he would not admit it.

Nezha grew angry, saying, "Old Dragon King, you are being unreasonable. It really is like father, like son. You and your son are both the same. You must be dreaming to apprehend me. Do you think that I'm afraid because you have brought so many people here?" Although 100,000 shrimp soldiers and crab generals was an incredible number, their cultivations generally were not very high. At the Peak Realm of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, Nezha was not afraid of such a mob.

He was only worried about Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea. Although several Primordial Unity Golden Immortals were in the army, Nezha disregarded them. The only one he could not understand thoroughly was Ao Guang. However, he was fearless because of his high-speed Wind Fire Wheels. Even if he did want to run away, Ao Guang was unable to leave him behind. Moreover, it was embarrassing to escape without fighting.

Ao Guang was furious and said, "Attention, please. Anyone who kills the little devil will be rewarded well." As the old saying goes: Generous rewards rouse one to heroism. Upon hearing that, the 100,000 shrimp soldiers and crab generals charged at Nezha with overweening arrogance. In particular, several Taiyi Golden Immortals were continuously leading them, with the intention to behead Nezha with their weapons.

Nezha did not withdraw, but dropped the tendons in his hands, stepped on his Wind Fire Wheels, and fiercely threw the Universe Ring. It appeared that it could divide Heaven and Earth or Yin and Yang. Its combat power was much higher than what was exerted fighting with Ao Bing. The Universe Ring then became a golden light to split the 100,000 troops in half. Thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded with only a single shot.

The assault of shrimp soldiers and crab generals was not stopped by the attack of Nezha, but his attack surely contained more than just that. His Red Armillary Sash returned and became a 333-meter -long strand of damask silk. As Nezha waved the silk, it whipped them again and again, preventing their assault and beating them into disorder while they suffered numerous casualties.

However, this time they also became alert enough to disperse and outflank him. Seeing that, Nezha returned the Universe Ring and the Red Armillary Sash and displayed the Fire-tipped Spear in his hands. He immediately fought with several Primordial Unity Golden Immortals. Meanwhile, those nearby shrimp soldiers and crab generals also slowly came over. It seemed that Nezha faced a dilemma of there being no path to Heaven that he could go and no door to Earth that he could enter.

But Nezha was fearless. He waved the Fire-tipped Spear in his hands and turned the Wind Fire Wheels under his feet. Both released an endless Samadhi True Fire to burn those nearby shrimp soldiers and crab generals into flying ashes. And as two generals were accidentally trapped, they were stabbed to death by Nezha with the Fire-tipped Spear. A Veridical Soul appeared above one general's head, flew away into the sky, and disappeared. Obviously, he was listed on the Investiture of the Gods, the same as Ao Bing. But, the other was not lucky enough.

Under Nezha's attack, the 100,000 shrimp soldiers and crab generals were scattered here and there, and two generals had died. Seeing that, Ao Guang felt embarrassed and thought the whole thing was completely blown out of proportion. He guessed that all sides of Untainted Land had already been attracted to go there and they had probably seen the embarrassment of the water army of the East Sea. Thus, the East Sea had already become a joke. Ao Guang roared, "Out! All of you! What a useless bunch! It's embarrassing that you could not deal with a child." Those shrimp soldiers and crab generals assaulting Nezha started to retreat as they were granted amnesty. Presently, they looked at Nezha as if they had seen a devil. In a short instant, 20-30,000 had already been killed and wounded among 100,000 shrimp soldiers and crab generals. In their eyes, Nezha was really terrifying.

Ao Guang sneered and drew a huge seal out from his hands. The seal could be possessed only by the head of the Dragon Tribe. The great seal of Ao Guang was the Green Dragon Seal, which corresponded to his dragon body. It was a Mid Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. And although it did not rank high, its power was extraordinary through the sacrifice of generations of Dragon Tribes heads and the Luck of the Dragon Tribe.

Chapter 262: Nezha's Perseverance

Ao Guang held a huge seal in his left hand and pointed at the seal with his right hand. The vibratory supernatural power of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was terrifying. Furthermore, the power was used to activate a Mid Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. A giant green dragon flew from the Green Dragon Seal. The dragon flew to Nezha with fangs bared and claws brandished. Although it was formed by supernatural power, it seemed to be a real green dragon because it was so awe- inspiring.

Under the attack of the green dragon, Nezha's expression turned solemn. Although he was mischievous, he was not foolish. He knew that, at the Peak Realm of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, he could not withstand the attack of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. If he could not ward off this attack, he could be killed here.

Instead of attacking, Nezha immediately threw out the Universe Ring for defense. At once, the ring emitted golden lights in the air and a solid defense was built with the power of Heaven and Earth. However, Nezha also knew that the green dragon's attack could not be warded off with only this. Then, he promptly brandished the Red Armillary Sash. Immediately, Nezha was tightly wrapped like a rice dumpling without any leakage after it had lengthened.

As expected, the green dragon ran into the Universe Ring. The golden light barrier immediately broke into pieces after one or two breaths and scattered between Heaven and Earth. The Universe Ring also became dim. As the green dragon dashed against the ring, the Universe Ring immediately flew out and left an arc in the air. In the end, it hid in the defense of the Red Armillary Sash.

The Universe Ring was extremely firm. Although it failed to ward off the green dragon, it could weaken the power of the attack to some extent. Conversely, the Red Armillary Sash was extremely soft. After dashing against the sash, the green dragon seemingly entered into a muddy swamp and its attack slowed down. However, the Red Armillary Sash was also split into pieces by the green dragon and scattered all over the sky.

In the end, the green dragon's attack was not warded off by the Red Armillary Sash. With a great sound between Heaven and Earth, the green dragon was defeated and dispersed. When debris of red cloth was scattered all over the sky, the figure of Nezha appeared inside. All the people were stunned, and even Ao Guang pulled a long face and frowned. He had never thought that Nezha could ward off this attack or that Nezha still had other terrifying defensive skills.

The Red Armillary Sash broke into pieces and scattered all over the sky. Inside, Nezha looked pale and the corner of his mouth was bleeding. The scene was heartrending. He held the Universe Ring with one hand and caught the remaining one- foot Red Armillary Sash with the other hand. The most important thing was that he stepped on a sixth-ranked, blood- red lotus throne.

At the sight of the Sixth-Ranked Red Lotus of Fire, those people who did not know Nezha's master immediately realized that the Red Lotus of Fire was a supreme treasure of Ancestor Minghe of the Blood Sea. Ancestor Minghe divided his Evil Separation with a 24th- Ranked Red Lotus of Fire. It was unknown how it came into being. Therefore, the disciples of the Blood Sea were represented by the Red Lotus of Fire, and each disciple owned a Red Lotus of Fire.

Since Nezha had a Red Lotus of Fire, he had to be the disciple of Ancestor Minghe. As an expert of Origin, Ancestor Minghe only had three self-imparting disciples—Liu Er, Kong Xuan, and Black Tortoise. As a child, Nezha probably was received as a disciple by one of the three self-imparting disciples. Judging by Nezha's behavior, it could be predicted that he might be the disciple of Taoist Liu Er.

Nezha wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and then looked at the remaining one-foot Red Armillary Sash in his right hand. He randomly waved it several times and then it became longer at once. In an instant, it had gotten back into its original shape. One of the Red Armillary Sash's features was that it could get back to normal as long as there was a little of it left. Nezha stood on the Red Lotus of Fire and looked at Ao Guang fearlessly.

Ao Guang looked at Nezha with complicated emotions. Under the present situation, he faced a dilemma. On one hand, he mobilized so many troops to get revenge for his son. All sides of the Untainted Land were watching. If he was frightened into retreating by the Red Lotus of Fire, he would lose face before all living beings of the Untainted Land. On the other hand, Nezha was Ancestor Minghe's disciple's disciple, and he dared not to start a fight.

Ancestor Minghe was an expert of Origin, and even his Three Separations were in the Realm of Origin. Although the Dragon Tribe was also a major tribe, for Minghe, it was not even worth mentioning. If Ao Guang were to wound or kill Nezha today, that would be equal to thoroughly offending Minghe. Let alone the small Four Seas, Minghe even dared to send troops to attack the Sage Ashram.

Originally, the Human Tribe sent troops to the East Sea. Although it was a matter of the Human Tribe, all people knew it was led mainly by Musen, the Ancestor of Martial Arts. Musen was the Self-centric Separation of Ancestor Minghe. At the thought of his words "Kill the Dragon Tribe", Ao Guang was still terrified. Not to mention one of his disciples, Musen could intimidate the Dragon Tribe just with the Human Tribe.

Between his own prestige and the survival of his race, Ao Guang wanted to choose the easier one. But, as a head of the tribe, he could not bring the entire Dragon Tribe into danger due to his personal grudge. He took a breath, suppressed his killing intent, and said indifferently, "Nezha, I just punished your little mistakes to prevent a large-scale repetition. As long as you make an apology, I will forgive you because you are very young."

Everyone watching laughed upon hearing that. They clearly knew that Ao Guang was afraid of the disciples of the Blood Sea, rather than the reason that he had just mentioned. He had just found a way to save face and settle the problem. Unquestionably, what he did was indeed right as the Dragon Tribe could not afford to offend those people from the Blood Sea, even a third generation disciple. After all, there were only a few disciples in the Blood Sea.

On hearing that, Nezha said coldly, "Make an apology? Elder Dragon King, is there something wrong with you? I do not think I did something wrong. If your bad son had not induced evil ideas at the sight of my valuables, he would not have died. So you want me to make an apology? Dream on!" Nezha was young, but he was headstrong. He was reluctant to make an apology if he had not made a mistake. Although he was young, he was principled.

Killing intent flashed in Ao Guang's eyes. He did not think that Nezha had no sense of propriety. Although he conceded out of fear of Nezha's master, he still could not suppress his killing intent somewhat. He ground his teeth and said, "Nezha, do you want to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit? If not for your age, I would not forgive you so easily."

At the Peak Realm of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, Ao Guang directly approached Nezha with a momentum like a huge mountain, mixed up with a little bit of killing intent. Although Ao Guang tried his best to restrain himself, he still showed some killing intent. After all, his son was just killed by Nezha. His hatred of Nezha was absolutely irreconcilable. If not for the Dragon Tribe, Ao Guang would not have made a concession.

Nezha faced the huge momentum and killing intent. Although he had the Red Lotus of Fire, he still felt ill. He was injured before, and now he looked paler. He did not give way but showed great perseverance on his pale face. One should not be bent by force. If he gave way, he would not have been Nezha.

Nezha endeavored to sustain under the coercion as his Primordial Qi ran through him to gradually let him recover from his injury. As the coercion got stronger and stronger, Nezha had the possibility of overturning at any time like a shaky boat on the sea. Although there was only one realm between a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, they were incomparable, because it was not proper to speak of ice to insects that only live for one summer.

To make Nezha apologize, Ao Guang constantly forced Nezha with coercion. Gradually, his killing intent could not be suppressed due to Nezha's perseverance. He had an impulse to kill Nezha, but his mind told him that it was wrong. There was no turning back. Once he killed Nezha, everything would be irreparable. Stimulated by the coercion of Ao Guang at the Peak Realm of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, the Primordial Qi rapidly ran through inside Nezha, as if it had reached the limit. Suddenly, Nezha gave a light shout. The Cloud of Blessings drifted over his head. Three Flowers just budding were in full bloom. A momentum of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal rose up from Nezha. For a moment, Ao Guang's momentum was somewhat overwhelmed. All of the people were surprised that Nezha could make a breakthrough under such circumstances.

Chapter 263: Liu Er's Presence

Nobody expected Nezha to make a breakthrough at that moment, which was somewhat dramatic. Although Nezha had just reached Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm, he possessed an incomparable momentum much greater than those whose cultivations were at the Early Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. His cultivation was at least at the Secondary Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. It would be interesting to see how Nezha, at this Stage, would fight Ao Guang at the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Ao Guang had never thought that his coercion promoted his opponent. Although his cultivation was at the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he had spent tens of thousands of years on cultivating it. However, Nezha was only a child and he had reached the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm. Presumably, it would not be hard for Nezha to reach the Sage-to-be Realm with his aptitude.

After the breakthrough, Nezha laughed and said, "Ha-ha-ha, Old Dragon King, I want to thank you. If not for you, I, the young master, would not have made a breakthrough so quickly to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm. Just now, it does not count. Let us start over. I want to see what skills you have." Now, Nezha was more confident to fight Ao Guang. He did not consider their stark differences as well as his injuries.

Hearing Nezha mention "young master", "Old Dragon King", and "thank you", Ao Guang could not suppress his intent to kill, and his anger exploded. His eyes grew red and he said, "Nezha, since you are ungrateful, I'll show you no mercy. Today, I'll kill you, the lawless fanatic, in your master's stead."

Obviously, no one foresaw Nezha's arousing of Ao Guang's intent to kill. However, Ao Guang was completely possessed by the killing intent, and he had never  considered  the consequences. His overweening arrogance indicated that he would show no mercy.

"Eh! Ao Guang, do you think you are qualified enough to punish him in my stead?" A slight laughter suddenly came from the sky. A figure quietly appeared beside Nezha. At that moment, Ao Guang's momentum disappeared. When Nezha saw the comer, he called out with a smile, "Master, why are you here?" The comer was Liu Er.

Everyone was still a little surprised at the sight of Liu Er although they had guessed that Nezha's master was likely to be Liu Er, as their behaviors were almost the same. How the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal competed with a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was similar to how Liu Er competed with the Honoured Lord of the Origin. The master and apprentice were really alike.

Upon seeing Liu Er, Ao Guang calmed down at once and looked sullen.Taoist Liu Er, Minghe's chief disciple, had at least reached the Late Stage of Sage-to-be Realm. Since he challenged many Sage-to-be masters in the Untainted Land, he had not fought for many years. No one knew which realm he had reached.

As Minghe's chief disciple, Liu Er had attracted much attention. However, few people knew his background. He was very mysterious because only the Sages and a few Almighties knew his actual strength besides the Blood Sea. Once upon a time, someone had speculated that Liu Er would have acquired the Fruit of Origin like Minghe several years later. By then, the Blood Sea would be powerful and prestigious.

As Liu Er despised his questions, Ao Guang could only suppress his anger. He looked sullen and said, "Liu Er, my Fellow Taoist, Nezha beat a Sea-patroling Yaksha to death. Moreover, he beat my son Ao Bing to death and pulled out his dragon tendons. What's your opinion, my Taoist friend?" Before Liu Er, Ao Guang was no longer domineering.

Obviously, Liu Er did not pay attention to what he said. Instead, he looked at the nearby Nezha and derided, "Nezha, I shouldn't have let you out. Just within a moment, you've created trouble. You really are good at this. But I forgive you this time, since you have broken through the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm. Come here and eat Peaches of Immortality for healing. Otherwise, your parents will be worried about you."

At the sight of the peaches passed to him by Liu Er, Nezha could not help drooling. The peaches were not planted by Liu Er, but from the Garden of Peaches of Immortality. Furthermore, they were only harvested once every 9,000 years. After Liu Er became Haotian's brother-in-law, he had often gone to the heavenly palace. Each time, he would wander around the Garden of Peaches of Immortality in the Jasper Lake. Since Haotian and Yaochi wanted to cozy up to Liu Er, they would turn a blind eye.

Seeing Nezha eating the 9,000 years Peaches of Immortality, those bystanders could not help swallowing. It was exasperating if one was being compared with another. Nezha not only wore spiritual treasures but also ate the 9,000 years Peaches of Immortality. They looked at themselves and lamented that they could not compare with Nezha, who was so lucky to have a good master.

It was like pouring fuel on fire when Ao Guang felt that he was being despised by Liu Er. At first, he was filled with the intent to kill. At present, he bristled with anger. Looking at Liu Er and Nezha, Ao Guang said angrily in a low voice, "Liu Er, my Fellow Taoist, don't push me. Even if you have a deep cultivation and a good master, I won't be afraid of you. If ... Puff..." Before he could finishing speaking, he spat one mouthful of blood out of his mouth.

Liu Er suddenly turned around and squinted at Ao Guang. His strong coercion at the Late Stage of Sage-to-be Realm gradually weakened. However, Ao Guang was fully affected by such a strong coercion. Although Ao Guang had reached the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm, he was far away from Liu Er in cultivation. Just one strike from Liu Er, Ao Guang was injured and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Looking at Ao Guang, Liu Er stopped smiling and said coldly, "Ao Guang, you haven't taken my words to heart. Let me say it again. You aren't qualified to call me your friend. At least, only those Sages-to-be are qualified. Since I'm in a good mood, I forgive you this time. But next time, I'll kill you."

It was so unreasonable for Liu Er to kill Ao Guang just because Ao Guang called him Fellow Taoist. Obviously, he had a prejudice against Ao Guang. There were so many cultivators in Untainted Land, and they called each other Fellow Taoists when greeting without considering the differences amongst the realms. However, Liu Er only called those of the same realm as Fellow Taoist. Although it was so easy to offend people, Liu Er did not care.

Ao Guang looked sullen after hearing that. He looked at Liu Er and clenched his jaw, saying, "Ok. Liu Er, I, Ao Guang, will remember the humiliation of this day and seek retribution later. However, your disciple Nezha killed my son Ao Bing, will you account for that?" Since Ao Guang was totally disgraced that day, the whole Dragon Tribe would be the laughingstock of the Untainted Land if he conceded.

Liu Er laughed gently, "Account? What account? Your son Ao Bing coveted my disciple's Spiritual Treasure, so he deserved to die. Do you want my disciple to die? It's so ridiculous. Ao Guang, you think highly of yourself and your Dragon Tribe. Are you capable of asking me for an account for my actions? " After hearing that, Ao Guang turned frosty. He knew it was impossible to ask Liu Er for an account, as Liu Er did not take the Dragon Tribe seriously. How pathetic! Back in the old days, the Dragon Tribe was awe-inspiring  during  Longhan Cultivation Tribulation. However, during the reign of the sages, the Dragon Tribe had lost its superior status. In case of any carelessness, it could be exterminated.

Just then, the sea waves intensified. A golden spiritual dragon suddenly flew out of the sea, and its golden scales glittered in the sun. Surprisingly, the golden dragon had five claws. So, it was a Five-clawed Golden Dragon. In the Dragon Tribe, the Five-clawed Golden Dragon was highly respected and inferior only to Ancestor of Dragon. However, it was the only Five- clawed Golden Dragon in the Dragon Tribe.

It fell before Ao Guang and turned into a man – a domineering middle-aged man. As Ao Guang looked at the man, he immediately knelt and said, "Greetings, Forefather. I am Ao Guang of the Dragon Tribe of East Sea." At the same time, all the shrimp soldiers and crab generals also knelt down. The man nodded and said gently, "You have my permission to rise!"

Chapter 264: Conspiracy? So What?

Seeing the Ancestor of the Dragon Tribe, Liu Er smiled. He never expected that there was such a master in the Dragon Tribe. Surprisingly, he and the Ancestor, who had reached the Late Stage of Sage-to-be Realm, were well-matched. Liu Er smiled and asked, "It was said that Ancestor of Dragon had a brother, who was a Five-clawed Golden Dragon and named Winged Rain-dragon. Are you the one?"

Winged Rain-dragon replied, "Yes, I am. After the Cultivation Tribulation that year, my brother fell and I was severely wounded. Moreover, I was encumbered by Karma. Therefore, I had to live in seclusion for Closed-Door Meditation. When I paid off my Karma, I came out and discovered that the present Dragon Tribe could not be compared to the past  one.  My brother dramatically expanded the Dragon Tribe. It's a pity that I am unable to guard it. I've failed to live up his expectations."

Winged Rain-dragon gave Liu Er a piercing stare. It said coldly, "Liu Er, my Fellow Taoist, although your master is an expert of Origin, it's a vain attempt if you want to trample on our dignity. If you can't answer to our dragon tribe, I'll attribute the responsibility to you." Winged Rain-dragon's appearance stunned everyone. They never thought that there was such a great master in the Dragon Tribe. They were also surprised by Winged Rain-dragon's attitude. It did not matter even if there was one more master at the Late Stage of Sage-to-be Realm. If Minghe was angry, the Dragon Tribe would be completely crushed.

Perhaps there were sages who supported the Dragon Tribe? However, even so, the situation of the Dragon Tribe was not optimistic. Moreover, Minghe alone was equal to four Sages, not to mention that he had a Puppet of Origin. Five Sages were needed at least to deal with Minghe. Were there so many Sages supporting the Dragon Tribe in the Untainted Land?

...

In the Holy Square Mountain, Jieyin looked at the scene in the East Sea. He asked the smiling Zhunti, "My Junior Apprentice Brother, why did you provoke Winged Rain-dragon to attack Liu Er at this time? Furthermore, you said that you supported the Dragon Tribe. Originally, we were enemies with Minghe. At present, you're provoking the Dragon Tribe against him. Without a doubt, Minghe will first deal with our Western Religious Sect during the Battle of Gods Investiture." Zhunti smiled and said, "My Senior Apprentice Brother, please be assured. I have my own plan. Do not forget that it was not just us who sneaked up on Minghe at that time. Moreover, I plotted the Dragon Tribe's provocation against Minghe for a reason. You should know that the ashram of the Sect Leader Tongtian is in the East Sea. Meanwhile, many in the Dragon Tribe are disciples of the Tribe of Severity. If Minghe recklessly slays the Dragon Tribe, he'll surely fight with the Tribe of Severity. It'll be interesting to see that."

Jieyin immediately understood that Zhunti had not planned to save the Dragon Tribe but instead, wanted to provoke Minghe into going against Tongtian through the Dragon Tribe. Amongst the seven sages of the Untainted Land, although Laozi had the most advanced cultivation, Tongtian with the God- killing Sword Formation was the strongest. At that moment, Minghe had openly quarreled with five saints, including Laozi, the Honored Lord of the Origin, Houtu, Jieyin, and Zhunti. If he provoked Tongtian, it would be hard for Minghe to win.

The Blood Sea was stuck in a dilemma. If Liu Er did not give the Dragon Tribe an account, the Dragon Tribe certainly would not give up that easily. Until then, a major war would be unavoidable. Even the Sect Leader Tongtian and the Tribe of Severity would be probably get involved. As a result, it would be bad for Minghe. If Liu Er did not give them an account, it would certainly damage the awe-inspiring reputations of the Blood Sea and Minghe.

...

At the peak of an unnamed mountain, Minghe naturally sensed the changing situation in the East Sea. Winged Rain- dragon's attitude was enough to prove that he was supported by sages. Certainly, Minghe could predict their scheme that someone wanted to drag the Sect Leader Tongtian into the mire. In that case, it would not be easy for Minghe to win.

Would Minghe withdraw? His face took on a faintly ironical look. Although it was a good move, it was impossible to make Minghe withdraw. He thought to himself,"The God-killing Sword Formation, what's the big deal? Is it true that only four Sages can break the formation?" Minghe wanted to have a try because the worst situation was for the both of them to die together. After becoming Rakshasa, Minghe became more combative. He was eager to have a big fight, a phenomenal one.

... After Winged Rain-dragon finished his speech, Liu Er's smile instantly disappeared because the Winged Rain-dragon's overtones were obvious. If he did not give the Dragon Tribe an account, they would not give up easily. Until then, there must be a big fight between the Blood Sea and the Dragon Tribe, which would cause a butterfly effect. Therefore, Liu Er had to make careful considerations.

Seeing Liu Er's smile disappear, Winged Rain-dragon re- evaluated his intentions. Previously, the Sage Zhunti had connected with him. It meant that Two Sages of the West were willing to support the Dragon Tribe. Moreover, they told him two possibilities. At that time, the Dragon Tribe was faced with a terrible dilemma. If they shrank back again, the Dragon Tribe would be thoroughly discredited. Reluctantly, Winged Rain- dragon had to bet on the Blood Sea's people not being absolutely desperate lunatics.

Unfortunately, he was wrong. Liu Er laughed sardonically and said, "Ha-ha-ha, Winged Rain-dragon, having someone like you in the Dragon Tribe is alright. However, even if you threaten me with the name of the Dragon Tribe, I won't be afraid. Since Nezha is not wrong, so I think it's unnecessary to give you an account. If you want to fight, please shut up and fight with me. I would like to see your capability as the Ancestor of the Dragon Tribe." Winged Rain-dragon's expressioned changed. This was the worst ending he could imagine. Had Liu Er not know that he probably will be against the Tribe of Severity by doing so? Had he not thought about the consequences? Winged Rain-dragon said coldly, "Liu Er, have you thought it through clearly?" Meanwhile, he was looking at the Golden Turtle Island as if he was giving him a heads-up.

Although Liu Er was often careless, he was not stupid. Looking at the Golden Turtle Island, Winged Rain-dragon was reminding him of the Tribe of Severity in the East Sea. The Tribe of Severity was known for being worshipped by tens of thousands of immortals. Among them, some people of the Dragon Tribe were apprenticed to the Sect Leader Tongtian. In case of a big fight, the Tribe of Severity would probably be involved. But if Liu Er was afraid for this reason, he would not be Liu Er.

Liu Er sneered and said, "Winged Rain-dragon, you're not who I thought you were. You're just a coward scoundrel. Do you think that I'll hesitate because your people are members of the Tribe of Severity? You underestimate me. My teacher said that all conspiracies are absurd under the absolute power. Since you have appeared today, I think that will be fine to have a big fight." Winged Rain-dragon's expression changed. He never thought of that Liu Er would figure out his plan and verbalise it. Although a few people of the Dragon Tribe worshipped the Tribe of Severity, the Tribe of Severity and the Sect Leader Tongtian were also set up, as Winged Rain-dragon wanted to force Liu Er to withdraw by the name of the Tribe of Severity. If the Sect Leader Tongtian was offended and got angry, the Dragon Tribe would suffer great calamity.

In the Jadeite Palace of the Golden Turtle Island, the Sect Leader Tongtian watched everything on the east coast with a solemn expression. It was not because he had been set up by Winged Rain-dragon. He knew that Winged Rain-dragon was not that brave. He suspected that there might be some sage offering advice in the background. Moreover, it was probably Two Sages of the West. Of course, it might also be Laozi or Honored Lord of the Origin.

Since the Battle of Gods Investiture had not started yet, Minghe was still the most powerful person in the Untainted Land, and the Sect Leader Tongtian was second. If the two of them fought with each other, it would greatly benefit the other three religions. Obviously, the Sect Leader Tongtian understood the mystery. Although the Tribe of Severity believed in education without distinction, it was just propagating doctrines. If the Dragon Tribe wanted to resort to the Tribe of Severity, it would just be an idle dream. As for the disciples of the Dragon Tribe, he would keep them safe, as long as they did not leave the Tribe of Severity.

As for Minghe, the Sect Leader was interested in fighting him. But, it was not appropriate to fight at that time. As the Battle of Gods Investiture was imminent, the Sect Leader Tongtian had to show consideration for his disciples, even if not for himself. The Tribe of Severity was powerful, but it had no supreme treasure to suppress evil luck. In case of any carelessness, the Tribe of Severity might be beyond redemption. Therefore, the Sect Leader Tongtian had to be cautious.

Chapter 265: Liu Er versus Winged Rain- dragon

Now, Winged Rain-dragon had no choice but to fight with Liu Er to retain the Dragon Tribe's dignity. He stretched out his hand to hold a spear at the level of Top Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. And then, he said coldly, "Liu Er, since you want to fight, I'll fight till the end to see how strong you are."

Liu Er laughed and a golden light flashed across his body. Suddenly, He put on a suit of armor and held the Rod of Origin. "Now that's the way to talk! Take this!" Liu Er immediately leapt towards Winged Rain-dragon with the intent to kill. He waved a long rod to hit Winged Rain-dragon with endless power. Although it was just a piece of rod, it was suffocating like being pressed by Mount Tai.

After all, Winged Rain-dragon had lived in the "Three Tribes" period, so he had experienced many battles. Confronted with Liu Er's thunderous attack, he was in no hurry. He fiercely stabbed at Liu Er with his glittering spear. The spear stopped Liu Er's Rod of Origin and remained intact. That proved that his spear was extraordinary.

Although Winged Rain-dragon successfully warded off Liu Er's attack, the aftermath of the collision between spear and rod was unevitable. Under the strong impact force, a fathomless trench was formed in the sea, and all nearby shrimp soldiers and crab generals died. At the sight of this, Ao Guang ordered his shrimp soldiers and crab generals to retreat to safe zones.

Nezha had eaten Peaches of Immortality and was watching the battle between Liu Er and Winged Rain-dragon. When he saw the deterrent force of one strike, his jaw dropped with fright. As a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he would have been seriously injured if he had suffered the aftermath. Although Sage-to-be Realm was one level higher than Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm, their realms could not be compared, because Sage-to-be Realm was somewhat related to Sage.

Nezha was extremely shocked when he saw the battle between Liu Er and Winged Rain-dragon. All the time, he had been proud of his cultivation. At three or four years old, he had been a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. Now, he was a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. It was really unprecedented in the Untainted Land and it was something to be proud of.

However, Nezha suddenly felt that he still had a long way to go. Although he had broken through the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, there were still the Sage-to-be Realm and even the Realm of Origin, which was dreamt of by all living beings of Untainted Land. At that moment, Nezha suddenly desired to become stronger. A seed of being a powerhouse was silently planted in his heart, and it would bloom and yield fruit one day.

The battle between Sages-to-be was so extremely turbulent that mountains fell, the earth split, the sea disordered, and the ambient creatures escaped one by one. Fortunately, they noticed this and gradually shifted the battle to the sky to reduce the damage. Furthermore, they could boldly fight with each other, without Nezha, Ao Guang, as well as shrimp soldiers and crab generals nearby.

After warding off Liu Er's rod, a ball suddenly appeared in Winged Rain-dragon's left hand. It was the Dragon Tribe's supreme treasure, also Ancestor of Dragon's Eternal Spiritual Treasure. Dragon Pearl was a Primordial Spiritual Treasure. After Ancestor of Dragon died, it fell into Winged Rain-dragon's hands. Being activated by supernatural powers, the Dragon Pearl immediately emitted golden rays to Liu Er, as if he was directly penetrated.

Liu Er promptly brandished the Rod of Origin to form an airtight rod-wall, to ward off the oncoming golden light. However, the golden light was too much, and some light bypassed the wall to shoot at Liu Er. And then, Liu Er unhurriedly conjured the Ninth-Grade Red Lotus of Fire to ward off the golden light.

As the golden light disappeared, a Five-clawed Golden Dragon with a Dragon Pearl in its mouthjumped on Liu Er. As soon as it opened its mouth, a bolt of violent lightning illuminated Liu Er. Liu Er shouted loudly and his figure expanded sharply to become a giant ape. He struck a blow and smashed the bolt of violent lightning. Without hesitation, he faced the upcoming Winged Rain-dragon's true form.

Winged Rain-dragon obviously underestimated Demon Ape, Liu Er's Real Body. Liu Er was personally taught by Minghe to practice the Arcane way of Divine Beings, so his human body was no less than Ancestor of sorcerer's Real Body. Although Five-claws Golden Dragon, Winged Rain-dragon's true body was next only to Ancestor of Dragon's in the Dragon Tribe, it was still inferior to Ancestor of Sorcerer's. It was evident that Liu Er gained the upper hand when he fought Winged Rain-dragon's claws with fists.

"Click..." As Winged Rain-dragon's claw collided with Liu Er's fist, it was surprising that its dragon scales broke into pieces and its dragon claw was badly damaged. He never thought that Liu Er's human body was so strong. At that moment, he spouted a water column to force Liu Er back. Originally, he had planned to take advantage of hand-to-hand combat. However, clever people may be victims of their own cleverness. Now, he had become the victim.

Liu Er was fearless in the face of Winged Rain-dragon's water attack. He waved the Rod of Origin to divide the water column into two, and Winged Rain-dragon behind the water column appeared. With a stronger momentum, Liu Er rushed atWinged Rain-dragon again with the intent to kill. Liu Er had perceived the Law of War that if the battle lasted longer, his combat power would be stronger.

Winged Rain-dragon was stunned that Liu Er was launching another attack. He never considered Liu Er to be that strong. Previously, he saw that Liu Er was at the Late Stage of Sage-to- be Realm, so he agreed to fight with him. His cultivation time was tens of thousands of years longer than Liu Er's. He believed that he could suppress Liu Er with his cultivation, but Liu Er's strength was far beyond his previous expectations.

Since he did not take advantage of the Real Body, Winged Rain-dragon would not continue to do this. And then, he immediately turned into a human and his Dragon Pearl spat endless True Concentration Fire to burn Liu Er. Correspondingly, Liu Er restored from Demon Ape into his true form. He rotated the Red Lotus of Fire under his feet to spurt endless Red Lotus Fire. It directly collided with Samadhi True Fire.

Although Samadhi True Fire was strong, it was not a top-level flame. However, Red Lotus Fire was different. As long as it was an object, it could burn anything, including fire. After being burned by Red Lotus Fire, Samadhi True Fire was burned out. Later, it overspread Winged Rain-dragon, leaving no leeway for him.

Winged Rain-dragon was shocked, as he never expected Red Lotus Fire to be so fierce. He once again activated his Dragon Pearl to draw water from Ruoshui River to damp down Red Lotus Fire. However, Liu Er would not miss such a good opportunity. And then, he changed his figure and rushed to Winged Rain-dragon without giving him a chance to take a breath.

Confronted with Liu Er's attack, Winged Rain-dragon just dealt with it in a hurry. When Liu Er swept through once with his rod, Winged Rain-dragon managed to ward if off, but he was still hurt. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he looked very pale. In despair, Winged Rain-dragon could only shake himself and change his form. He conjured his Good Separation and Evil Separation to help him in fighting. Finally, the three  joined hands to force Liu Er to retreat.

Chapter 266: Settlement

Winged Rain-dragon's Good Separation and Evil Separation both had good cultivations, reaching the Secondary Stage of Sage-to-be Realm. Even with their assistance, Winged Rain- dragon did not feel relieved. He had Good Separation and Evil Separation, but so did Liu Er. Through the previous fight, he had also known that he could not defeat Liu Er. If they kept fighting, he would probably be the one who would take a beating.

After being forced back, Liu Er was struck by a sudden idea and calmed down. Then, he sent his voice with Spiritual Thoughts to Winged Rain-dragon. "If you'd like to  keep fighting, I'll accompany you. But, I'm afraid that  you  don't know one thing. Now, Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth will rise again and the Battle of Gods Investiture will start soon. Although I don't know which Sage incited you, I'm sure that he has ulterior motives."

Winged Rain-dragon was taken aback at first. And then, he replied, "Liu Er, what does Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth and the Battle of Gods Investiture have to do with our Dragon Tribe?" Having experienced Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth twice, Winged Rain-dragon sensed that another one would come. But, he did not know the Battle of Gods Investiture. Since Liu Er had mentioned it, he was instinctively filled with curiosity.

Liu Er continued, "The Cultivation Tribulation is a God Deification Ceremony in Heavenly Court for 365 Gods and 2,000 Demigods as well as 84,000 celestial troops and generals, who will be driven by the Jade Emperor. Ao Bing, who was killed by Nezha, has been listed in Investiture of the Gods. If you keep fighting, only a few people of your Dragon Tribe will be listed. Instead, the people being involved with killing calamity, in the Tribe of Humanity, the Tribe of Severity, the Clan of Enlightenment, and the Western Religious Sect will benefit greatly. This God Deification Ceremony is focused on the four sects."

All of a sudden, Winged Rain-dragon looked pale and cursed

Zhunti in his heart. "I wondered why he was so kind to help our Dragon Tribe. Now I understand. Even if Sect Leader Tongtian and Ancestor Minghe finally fight with each other, the Dragon Tribe will also suffer casualties. Until then, more of my tribesmen will be listed in the Investiture of the Gods, to replace

people of the four sects for nothing in God Deification

Ceremony."

Winged Rain-dragon looked at Liu Er uncertainly. After thinking about it for a while, he withdrew Good Separation and Evil Separation. He said indifferently, "Fellow Taoist, you're really unfathomable. I'll consult you another day. Considering that your apprentice killed the Third Prince of our East Sea, your account is paid. Now, I must be off." Unhesitatingly, he turned back and left.

Ao Guang was unwilling to agree with Winged Rain-dragon's words. Although Ao Guang was Leader of the Dragon Tribe of East Sea, he could not be against Winged Rain-dragon's decision, because Winged Rain-dragon was the Ancestor of the Dragon Tribe. Therefore, he had to order for a retreat, and the fierce struggle ended. Those spectators were puzzled over why Winged Rain-dragon suddenly gave up on seeking revenge.

Liu Er watched Winged Rain-dragon's departure and came back to Nezha. While seeing Nezha was excited, he could not help knocking Nezha's head. "You little troublemaker! You merely came out once but caused a lot of trouble. Go back with me, or else your parents will be worried about you."

...

In Holy Mountain of the West, Zhunti looked at Winged Rain- dragon's departure without a smile. He provoked the Dragon Tribe not only for intensifying the contradiction between Sect Leader Tongtian and Ancestor Minghe but also for filling up the vacancy of the Investiture of the Gods with the Dragon Tribe's people. A lot of people in the Dragon Tribe were above Golden Immortal level. If they filled up the vacancy of the Investiture of the Gods, it would be of great benefit to the four sects.

Zhunti was unhappy because his plan was spoiled by Winged Rain-dragon's retreat. At the sight of this, Jieyin told Zhunti, "My Junior Apprentice Brother, you plan to fill up the vacancy of the Investiture of the Gods with the Dragon Tribe's people, but you forget that if the Blood Sea really fought with the Dragon Tribe, the Ashura tribe's people would be probably listed. Don't you think Minghe would have considered this?"

...

Minghe really did expect this to happen. During the battle between Liu Er and Winged Rain-dragon, he sent voice to Liu Er to end it. However, he did not fear that Ashura tribe would be damaged, but that Liu Er's secret would be discovered by the Sages. In the Cultivation Tribulation, it was secondary to clean the slate with Sages of three religions, including the Tribe of Humanity, the Tribe of Severity, and the Western Religious Sect. The most important thing was to seek a Fated Chance for Liu Er to actualize.

At the sight of Liu Er Macaca Mula, Liu Er's Real Body, Minghe was struck by a sudden idea. When Winged Rain-dragon showed his Good Separation and Evil Separation, Liu Er would probably not fight alone. At that time, Liu Er's secrets would be revealed before all Sages, from Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey to the Good Separation, and Wise Monkey, the Evil Separation, as well as Liu Er Macaca Mula, the Original Body. They would easily figure out Liu Er's way to actualize the Realm of the Origin.

Between Heaven and Earth, there were Four Monkeys of Destruction, the incarnation of Demon Monkey of Destruction, one of 3,000 Rakshasas. If Minghe could figure out this point, so could other Sages. Since Liu Er had divided Good Separation and Evil Separation, he must have owned the Origins of Red- Bottomed Horse Monkey and Wise Monkey. If the Long-Armed Ape Monkey was found, Liu Er would probably become the second Rakshasa in Untainted Land. All the Sages who hated Minghe would not allow this to happen.

To avoid further complications, Minghe had to communicate with Liu Er. He asked Liu Er to tell Winged Rain-dragon the stakes. As the Ancestor of the Dragon Tribe, Winged Rain- dragon certainly knew the severity of the matter. Meanwhile, Liu Er's secrets would not be revealed. As long as the Long- Armed Ape Monkey was found, it would not be not far from Liu Er's actualization. Until then, if all Sages deliberately blocked Liu Er, Minghe would certainly sweep away all obstacles for him.

...

In Mount Shouyang, Laozi watched all that was happening in the East Sea. A slight frown appeared on his serene face as if he was contemplating. Abruptly, he was a little astonished and muttered. "Minghe, I never expected you to be so shrewd. Liu Er Macaca Mula, the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, Wise Monkey, and the Long-Armed Ape Monkey. The Four Monkeys of Destruction, indeed!"

Laozi watched Liu Er, who was going back to Chentang Pass and thought to himself. His eyes indicated that he might have found something. He counted on his fingers to calculate something. Soon, Laozi stopped his hand movements and frowned again. He said to himself, "It all depends on providence." ...

Liu Er and Nezha returned to Chentang Pass. When Nezha excitedly rushed into the home, Lady Yin said with anxiety. "Nezha, where have you been? Why are you so late?" However, when she saw Liu Er behind Nezha, she bowed and said, "Great Immortal, I'm embarrassed that I haven't welcomed you since you have traveled so far to visit us."保存(Ctrl+Enter)

At that moment, Li Jing walked in. Nezha immediately ran to Li Jing and took out Ao Bing's dragon tendons from behind. Like presenting a treasure, he handed over the tendons to Li Jing, saying, "Dad, Dad, see what I prepared for you." Li Jing carefully looked at it and guessed it was some animal's tendons, but could not determine what kind of animal it was.

Nezha looked at the puzzled Li Jing and said with a smile. "Dad, I went to the sea today. Later, I met the Third Prince of the Dragon Bay in the East Sea. He cast greedy eyes on my Magic Weapons. So, I killed him and pulled out his tendons. I intend to make a belt for you with the tendons, and some bowstrings with the remaining parts."

Li Jing and Lady Yin were stunned as they registered the news of dragon tendons and the Third Prince of Dragon King. Unexpectedly, Nezha made such a big trouble during his absence. They never thought that Nezha would kill the Third Prince of Dragon King. In their opinions, the Dragon Tribe was very powerful, so it would not let him go. But  they  felt reassured when they saw Liu Er.

Liu Er discerned their anxiety and said, "Please be reassured. The matter has been settled and the Dragon Tribe won't call for an account again. Since I've sent Nezha back, you must watch over him to ensure that he stay home and practice, lest he goes out to create more trouble."

Nezha was unhappy and said in anger, "Master, I haven't created trouble. If Ao Bing hadn't robbed me of my Magic Weapon, I wouldn't have killed him. You also agreed with me and fought with Dragon King of the East Sea and some Ancestor of the Dragon Tribe. Now, you blame me for creating trouble. Your acts belie your words!"

Liu Er mocked and derated. He said, "You indeed created trouble. If you aren't convinced, you can settle the matter yourself next time. Don't turn to me. If your cultivation is as same as mine, I won't discipline you, even if you exterminate the Dragon Tribe. My little Nezha, please remember that there's no right or wrong in Untainted Land, but that only the powerhouse is respected."

Hearing Liu Er's last sentence, Nezha was absorbed in thought. Li Jing and Lady Yin were startled by Liu Er's teaching methods. No wonder Nezha dared to kill the Third Prince of Dragon King. When Liu Er mentioned exterminating the Dragon Tribe, Li Jing and Lady Yin shook with fear. At that moment, they wondered if they should indeed send Nezha to be Liu Er's apprentice.

After all, Li Jing had seen the world and he understood exactly what Liu Er meant. In Untainted Land, the powerhouse is respected. Take this matter as an example. Although Nezha killed the Third Prince of Dragon King, he was still safe and sound, because Liu Er was strong enough. If you are strong enough, you can do anything you want.

Chapter 267: King Zhou Praying for Goddess Nvywa

In the Crystal Palace of East Sea, Winged Rain-dragon sat in the front of the hall, while Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Ming, the Dragon King of the South Sea, Ao Run, the Dragon King of the West Sea and Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the North Sea all stood around. Looking at Winged Rain- dragon, Ao Guang asked restlessly, "Ancestor, why did you suddenly order to leave? You were..."

Winged Rain-dragon replied, "I know what you are trying to say. But I was also thinking of our Dragon Tribe. The Sage Zhunti told me that he would like to support the Dragon Tribe and we could use Sect Leader Tongtian's power before. I later learned that he just wanted to frame us."

Noticing the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas' confusion, Winged Rain-dragon continued, "I heard from Liu Er that the Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth this time was a God Deification Ceremony of Heavenly Court, which was based on the Tribe of Humanity, the Clan of Enlightenment, the Tribe of Severity and the Western Religious Sect. If we, the Dragon Tribe, start a war against Blood Sea, countless tribesmen from our clan will die and become members of the Investiture of the Gods. We can't allow this to happen." After hearing that, Ao Guang understood that Winged Rain- dragon considered the whole situation. But he was very sad as soon as he thought of his son's death. Feeling Ao Guang's sadness, Winged Rain-dragon said, "Liu Er told me that Ao Bing had already been in the Investiture of the Gods. And you will meet your son in Heaven soon or later, so you don't have to be too upset now. Now that God Deification Ceremony and Cultivation Tribulation are coming, the Dragon Tribes musn't leave the Four Seas from today without permission."

...

In Zhaoge City, King Zhou sat on his throne in the palace, which was glorious and splendid. In front of the white jade Rank, the ministers of civil and military stood on both sides of it, while the leading position of the Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong was empty. Wen Zhong was not back from marching to the North so this position was empty all the time. It was evident that Wen Zhong possessed a high authority.

King Zhou sat on the throne and looked at all his ministers. Then, he said in a deep voice, "My dear ministers, do you have anything to say? If not, you can leave." At this moment, a person stepped out, keeling down in front of the white jade Rank. He made a bow to King Zhou and said, "Your Majesty, Shang Rong needs to report something. Tomorrow is March 15th, Goddess Nvywa's birthday. Therefore, we want to invite you to the Nvywa Palace to light incenses and pray for goodness."

Hearing this, King Zhou's eyes flickered and said, "Goddess Nvywa was the Holy Mother of our Human Tribe. I should go to worship so that Goddess Nvywa can bless our dynasty with endless Blessings of Heaven. Shang Rong, you should be responsible for lighting incenses." Hearing this, Shang Rong knelt and said, "I must follow the orders." And then all the ministers left.

The next day, along with the ministers, King Zhou arrived at the Nvywa Palace, which was splendid and fragrant. There was a statue of Goddess Nvywa at the center of the hall surrounded by curtains so humans could not see the appearance of Goddess Nvywa. It was surrounded by rich mist, adding a sense of mystery to it.

King Zhou held three long incenses in hands. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the hall when he was intending to kowtow. All the ministers raised their hands to cover their faces. Right at this moment, a golden light shot from the other side and surged into the center of King Zhou's eyebrows. King Zhou twitched suddenly but later he returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

The curtains were blown apart, and the mist scattered. The statue of Goddess Nvywa inside was exposed. It was beautiful, colorful and lifelike. King Zhou was obsessed with it when he saw it. Then, he waved his sleeves and said, "Come on, take scholar's four jewels to me." The attendant brought scholar's four jewels to King Zhou immediately.

King Zhou took the writing brush, dipped in ink, and then wrote a poem on the wall of Nvywa Palace: The curtains and mantles were gorgeous. The statue of Goddess Nvywa was decorated with gold lacquer. The winding mountains were surrounded by green. Goddess Nvywa in was dancing and she was dressed beautifully. Her face was shy like a pear flower bathed in the rain and her makeup was like a peony but showed her charm. I must marry her and take her back to Changle if the enchanting Goddess Nvywa can turn into a real person.

All ministers were astonished at this after King Zhou finished writing. Shang Rong said quickly, "Your Majesty, Goddess Nvywa is a Sage and the Holy Mother of Human Tribe. This time, we come here for incenses and pray that all our people can live happy lives. Today, you write such a blasphemous poem. If the Goddess gets angry about this, it's not a blessing to our Zhaoge. Therefore, please allow me to wash off this poem lest common people see it. It will make you lose your authority."

After hearing this, King Zhou said vigorously, "This poem is meant to praise Goddess Nvywa's beauty. I have no intention of blasphemy and I am the most respectable man among humans. What's more, all humans can look up at my poem and praise Goddess Nvywa's gorgeous face. Why not me?" With a wave his sleeves, King Zhou left.

All the ministers were looking at Shang Rong after King Zhou left. Shang Rong said, "Bring some water here quickly. I need to wash off the ink on the wall lest other people should see it. You musn't discuss what happened today or you will all be removed." Shang Rong cleaned the wall immediately. Then, he went away with all ministers after confessing to Goddess Nvywa.

A golden light flickered after they went away. The ink marks which were cleaned reappeared. A shadow appeared in the hall suddenly. He looked at the words on the wall with a smile. At this time, there was a burst of laughter from his back. "Haha, Zhunti, I haven't imagined that you had such feeling in Fellow Taoist Goddess Nvywa." That shadow was Zhunti, one of the Two Sages of the West. Zhunti's face changed after he heard this. He hadn't expected that there were other people. Actually, Zhunti had  already known this person through his voice, Minghe. Zhunti turned his body with a gloomy expression on his face, and he saw Minghe standing behind him quietly looking at him with  a smile.

Zhunti looked at Minghe and said, "My Fellow Taoist, Minghe, how could you have time to travel here? Did you see this profane poem written by King Zhou and then appearing again? King Zhou was too bold and even dared to violate Goddess Nvywa. It seems that Fate of Chen Tang will end at his generation."

Minghe smiled and said, "Zhunti, what I admire most is your spirit of shamelessness. Did you think that I'm a blind guy and had no idea about who did something underhand to King Zhou? Or else, did he do it by himself?" What Zhunti had done in the hall did not escape Minghe's observation.

Zhunti's face changed but he recovered himself quickly. He still looked calm and said, "My Fellow Taoist, you shouldn't slander me. I came here just by chance. It's Goddess Nvywa's palace and it should be dealt with by her. I have something to do, so I will take my leave now."

With a twisted smile, Minghe looked at Zhunti who was ready to leave. He said, "Do you think I will let you leave so easily?" Zhunti was surprised at Minghe's words. However, he had no time to react and Minghe punched him in his body. Zhunti was blown off immediately and became blood fog in the sky.

There was a shock between the Heaven and Earth. The bright sunny day suddenly changed into a bloody rainy day. Sadness permeated the Heaven and Earth as if the God was crying. All living beings of Untainted Land were astonished at this view because it represented that a Sage had passed away. It didn't take many years that this kind of Mysterious Signs happened again in Untainted Land.

Chapter 268: Goddess Nvywa Summoning the Evil Spirits

In the Holy Square Mountain, Zhunti looked at Zhaoge with hatred and cursed saying, "Minghe, I'll not let it go. You unexpectedly attacked me and destroyed my Evil Separation." The person that exploded next to Minghe was the Evil Separation of Zhunti. Though the Evil Separation was not a Sage, he was The Sage's separation, and the Mysterious Sign would descend when the separation died.

Looking at the furious Zhunti, Jieyin sighed saying, "junior brother, I advise you not to go. It is not only your Evil Separation that is destroyed, but you also offended Goddess Nvywa and Tongtian. That's not worthwhile." It was all right to offend Sect Leader Tongtian, as he would face Tongtian in the Battle of Gods Investiture sooner or later. However, it was a different situation to offend Goddess Nvywa, who remained neutral all the time.

Zhunti was extremely depressed. He had planned to plot against King Zhou and wanted to cause a panic in the Shang Dynasty so that the Western Religious Sect would have an opportunity. However, Minghe appeared halfway and exploded his Evil Separation, leading to the Mysterious Sign descending from the Heaven, which made all people know. It was not a big deal to lose his reputation, but it was severe that Sect Leader Tongtian bore his grudge. Then in the Battle of Gods Investiture, the Western Religious Sect must be the first to bear the brunt.

···

On the Golden Turtle Island, endless killing intent gathered and formed countless swords overrunning between Heaven and Earth, terrifying all the people at first sight like a dreary Formation. Seeing this, the disciples of the Tribe of Severity on the island were frightened. They all knew that their master, Sect Leader Tongtian, was angry. Otherwise, such a Mysterious sight would not emerge on the Golden Turtle Island.

In the Jadeite Palace, Sect Leader Tongtian looked at the Square Mountain with killing intent and coldly said, "Zhunti, I haven't gotten you into trouble, but you have schemed against me. You even plotted against the Human Sovereign. I'd like to see how you give a satisfying story to the Human Tribe. As for the Karma between you and me, I'll settle it with you in the Battle of Gods Investiture."

··· In the Wahuang Heaven, Goddess Nvywa angrily looked at the Nvywa Palace in Zhaoge and shouted, "Well, Zhunti, you dare to insult me in this way. I won't let it slip like that." Goddess Nvywa suddenly deduced by fingers, and then her anger turned into surprise. Finally, she sighed, saying, "Oh, that's the Luck of the Shang Dynasty, and the Way of Heaven tends to destroy the Luck of the Shang Dynasty through me."

Though the secrets of heaven were in chaos, the Luck of the Shang Dynasty already had a weakened tendency after this matter. That was the will of the heaven, which made Goddess Nvywa sad. As the Holy Mother of the Human Tribe, she had to destroy the Luck of a dynasty. How ridiculous! However, that was the general trend of heaven. How could she resist it? For the first time, Goddess Nvywa admired Minghe.

As the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of Origin and Rakshasa, Minghe was in charge of the Way of Heaven in the Untainted Land, but he needn't obey it for  everything. Otherwise, he would not refine the True Body of Rakshasa. But how about The Sages? They looked superior and immortal, but that was in the premise of obeying the Way of Heaven. Considering that, what was the difference between a Sage and a puppet? Since that was the will of Heaven, Goddess Nvywa was also helpless. Though King Zhou fell prey to the plot and wrote down that poem, the evil results could only be borne by him. Goddess Nvywa reached out for the Demon Summoning Banner and shook it, then three streaks of golden light were projected and descended to the Untainted Land. Now that Goddess Nvywa had to destroy the Fate of Chen Tang Prehistoric, she needed some help. As for Zhunti's insulting her, Goddess Nvywa would not forget. Sage as she was, she was a woman as well. And the woman was always dreadfully narrow-minded.

A moment later, three streaks of golden light wrapping three evil spirits arrived at the Royal Nu Wa Temple. After the golden light faded, three evil spirits showed up, which were a millennium Nine-tailed Fox, a Nine-headed Pheasant Spirit, and a Jade Pipa Spirit. After the three evil spirits appeared, they immediately bowed to Goddess Nvywa at the sight of her sitting on the seat, and said, "Three Evil Spirits of the Xuanyuan Tomb greet Goddess, and wish you the best."

Goddess Nvywa looked at the Three Evil Spirits of the Xuanyuan Tomb and said, "Nowadays the Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth retakes place. The Honorable Ancestor asked the other Sages and me to take charge of the God Deification Ceremony for the Heavenly Court, while the Battle of Gods Investiture will begin among the human dynasties. Now the Fate of Chen Tang is weak; he shall lose the world. The calls of the Phoenix in Qishan mean that the Lord of the Western Zhou has been born, so it's the Way of Heaven that the Zhou Dynasty will replace the Shang Dynasty. I'm calling you over just for this matter."

The Three Evil Spirits of the Xuanyuan Tomb were terrified to hear those words. The Nine-tailed Fox, with the highest cultivation among them, had only cultivated for a thousand years. She had never experienced the Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth but heard its horrors. Now Goddess Nvywa called them for the Cultivation Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, which meant it was not a trivial thing. However, they were only evil spirits. How dare they refuse the order of The Sage of the Demon Tribe?

Since they could not refuse the order, they had to accept it obediently. In addition, they might get a reward from Goddess Nvywa if they did it well, which might not ruin their Fate. The Nine-tailed Fox carefully asked, "Goddess, our cultivations are low. I wonder what you want us to do? Please tell us."

Goddess Nvywa whispered, "Nine-tailed Fox and Pipa Spirit, I call you in to hide your demon forms and become members of the imperial harem of King Zhou. You shall charm King Zhou and make him neglect state affairs. When Xiqi succeeds in replacing the Shang Dynasty, you two will become immortals. Remember that you two must not slay mortals. Otherwise, you will end up dead."

The Nine-tailed Fox and the Pipa Spirit agreed after hearing what Goddess Nvywa had said. Then Goddess Nvywa waved her hand, putting two currents of the Pure Aura of Fate into their bodies to cover up their Demon Aura, and then sent them back to the Untainted Land. Finally, only the young Chicken Spirit was left, nervously kneeling down on the ground. She whispered, "Since Goddess keeps me, you must want me to do something. what's that?"

Looking at the young Chicken Spirit trembling with fear, Goddess Nvywa said, "I keep you because I need you to do another thing. Here it is." After Goddess Nvywa finished, the young Chicken Spirit was still puzzled, so Goddess Nvywa continued to say, "You do as I say and when it is done, I will reward you, but you can't tell anyone about it. Do you understand?"

Goddess Nvywa even showed the coercion of a Sage when saying the last words. It greatly frightened the young Chicken Spirit who immediately replied saying, "Goddess, you may take it easy. I'll keep everything to myself. I won't tell anyone, including my two sisters." Goddess Nvywa nodded in satisfaction and then waved her hand. As a result, a lot of Pure Aura of Fate entered Chicken Spirit's body. When the Green Light disappeared, the young Chicken Spirit transformed into a 16 year old girl.

Goddess Nvywa nodded in satisfaction. When seeing herself transform into the human body, the young Chicken Spirit immediately expressed her thanks, saying, "Goddess, thank you for the Fate that you give me." Goddess Nvywa said, "Now you have gotten rid of the Demon Aura and look the same as mortals. You only need to persist in practicing the transforming exercises I have taught you, and then you can make an achievement. Now you can go!" Goddess Nvywa waved her hand and sent the young Chicken Spirit back to the Untainted Land, but not to the Xuanyuan Tomb.

···

In the Nvywa Palace of Zhaoge City, Minghe was a little surprised looking at the Mysterious Sign between Heaven and Earth. He only detonated Zhunti's Evil Separation; however, he never thought the Heaven would descend the same Mysterious Sign as it would do when a Sage died. That was all right as Zhunti's actions were naturally well-known in this way. Though Zhunti's plan was a success, he succeeded in offending the two Sages as well, including Tongtian and Goddess Nvywa.

As the saying: the shot hits the bird that pokes its head out, goes, the Battle of Gods Investiture had not started yet, but Zhunti had offended Sect Leader Tongtian. Looking at the killing intent of the swords on the Golden Turtle Island, Minghe knew that Sect Leader Tongtian was furious. After the Battle of Gods Investiture broke out, the Tribe of Severity would first attack the Western Religious Sect, which not only Minghe would be pleased to see, but Laozi and Origin also would.

However, Minghe also knew that Zhunti raised this matter, but the Luck of the Shang Dynasty had shown a declined tendency. The decline was the general trend of heaven. Even if Goddess Nvywa hated Zhunti, she had to help with destroying the Luck of the Shang Dynasty. Seeing Goddess Nvywa calling the Three Evil Spirits of Xuanyuan Tomb, Minghe understood her plan.

To Minghe's surprise, the Three Evil Spirits of Xuanyuan Tomb were called in, but only two were sent back. It was unknown where the last one had gone. Minghe wondered whether Goddess Nvywa made other arrangements. After deducing by fingers, Minghe gained nothing and had to give up, only hoping Goddess Nvywa's plan would not upset his plan.

···

Goddess Nvywa's summoning the evil spirits could naturally not escape all Sages' attention, but they wondered why one of the three was missing while the others were sent back. Was she kept in the Wahuang Heaven by Goddess Nvywa? However, after Goddess Nvywa's actions, the decline of the Luck of the Shang Dynasty became more apparent, which the three religions were pleased to see. If the Shang Dynasty were not in chaos, when would the Battle of Gods Investiture begin?

Chapter 269: Su Hu Opposing to Shang

After Goddess Nvywa called over the evil spirits, the Evil Spirit between Heaven and Earth became thicker. With killing intent floating between Heaven and Earth, all Cultivators clearly felt the Cultivation Tribulation was coming. They all chose to close the door and stay at home, hoping to avoid the Cultivation Tribulation. They forgot, however, that it could not be avoided.

In the Jadeite Palace, Sect Leader Tongtian could not help sighing when he saw Goddess Nvywa call over the evil spirits. He understood the reason why the Luck of the Shang Dynasty became weaker, but he was helpless. It seemed that Goddess Nvywa called over the evil spirits to destroy the Fate of Chen Tang. It was done by The Way of Heaven with the hand of Goddess Nvywa. Sage as he was, he could not go against the will of Heaven.

However, Sect Leader Tongtian was not the sort of person who gave up quickly. The Clan of Severity, established by Sect Leader Tongtian advocated making no social distinctions in teaching to understand the secrets of heaven thoroughly. Which he was trying to fight for, for his disciples. The Battle of Gods Investiture had not begun, but Sect Leader Tongtian had a presentiment about it. As extreme prosperity foreboded the beginning of the decline, The Clan of Severity was the strongest clan in the Untainted Land. Of course, the Untainted Land did not include the Blood Sea. Minghe's Ashura tribe was composed of members of the Religion of Asura, which was even stronger than one hundred Clans of Severity. After all, the Ashura tribe had a large population, including one tribe and one religion, while the Clan of Severity had no such useful resources.

The Religion of Asura aside, disciples of the Clan of Severity were all over the Untainted Land, the Human Tribe, the Demon Tribe, and the Dragon Tribe, etc., which made the Luck of the Clan of Severity reach its peak. However, the God-killing Sword Formation could not serve to suppress the Luck of a clan. That was fine if its Luck did not decline, otherwise, it would drop to the bottom.

The Luck of the Clan of Severity was linked to that of the Shang Dynasty. Since the Luck of the Shang Dynasty had a declined tremendously, its only natural that it affected that of the Clan of Severity. Sect Leader Tongtian knew the results if the Luck dropped. He looked at the two Maps of Formation floating on his hands, which were the most reliable guarantee for the Clan of Severity and his disciples. Whether it worked or not depended on the will of Heaven. Sect Leader Tongtian was a bit confused that Minghe had shattered Zhunti's Evil Separation and found his plot against the Human Sovereign. Minghe could use the Holy Land of Human Tribe to put pressure on the Western Religious Sect or directly take the opportunity to suppress the Western Religious Sect. However, Minghe did nothing and had no follow-up actions, which was somewhat suspicious. That was not his style.

···

In the Holy Square Mountain, Zhunti was depressed, his Evil Separation was destroyed, and his plan was ruined as well, but now his depression was swept away. Although he was exposed, his plan was successful. Goddess Nvywa called over the evil spirits to destroy the Fate of Chen Tang, leading Cheng Tang into chaos, of which the Western Religious Sect could take advantage. The process had some twists and turns, but Zhunti got what he wanted.

Looking at the excited Zhunti, Jieyin said bitterly, "Junior, it's too early to be happy. Since you plotted against the Human Sovereign, Minghe should have taken the opportunity to make a big issue, but he did nothing. Goddess Nvywa called over the Three Evil Spirits of the Xuanyuan Tomb, but only two of them were sent back. Both things are weird, so we have to take precautions."

Zhunti was not so pessimistic as Jieyin. He said with a smile, "Senior, You can rest assured. Though I plotted against King Zhou, I didn't leave any evidence, so Minghe can't do anything to me. As for the missing evil spirit, maybe Goddess Nvywa likes her and keeps her around to be the substitute of Ling Zhuzi. It's nothing to be surprised about."

After hearing what Zhunti said, Jieyin was relieved, but he was still a little worried. He told himself, "I wish what you said is true and I'm just overthinking." That being said, Jieyin still had his concerns. The best plan was to stay alert for everything in the Cultivation Tribulation.

···

In Zhaoge, King Zhou seemed to have transformed into a different person after he went to pray at the Goddess Nvywa Temple. He could not forget the beauty of Goddess Nvywa. Thus he neglected state affairs and lied in a drunken stupor in the imperial burial place all day long. Besides, he always talked about the beauty of Goddess Nvywa and ignored his concubines in the imperial harem. He was in dismay and sought solace in alcohol. The officials were worried.

At that moment, the Admonition Official, Fei Zhong suddenly had a thought. King Zhou was so obsessed with the beauty of Goddess Nvywa, which made Fei Zhong seem to have an excellent opportunity for promotion, he went to the palace and greeted King Zhou. Seeing King Zhou hold the glass in a drunken stupor, Fei Zhong asked, "Your Majesty, since you're obsessed with wine, I wonder what bothers you." Although Fei Zhong knew it, he still felt it was good to be careful.

King Zhou shook the jade bottle in his hand and said, "Fei Zhong, I'm the Sovereign of the World, but why can't I have a woman with the beauty of Goddess Nvywa? None of the women in my harem can match Goddess Nvywa by a tenth. Do you have some good strategies to solve my bitterness of Acacia?"

Fei Zhong suddenly got an idea upon hearing those words, and replied, "Your Majesty, you are a ruler with ten thousand chariots at your command, and the whole world belongs to you. Your moral characters can't be mentioned in the same breath with those of Three Royals and Five Emperors. The whole world is yours, thus what you want is within your reach. You can deliver an imperial order to the four vassals and ask them to select one hundred beauties in each town to come to serve in the imperial court. Then you'll be accompanied by beauties."

King Zhou was inspired when he heard those words. At the morning audience the next day, the imperial order was read out loud in public. However, Shang Rong led all ministers to advise against it. As a result, King Zhou had to give up. Although the matter was not completed, King Zhou appreciated Fei Zhong. Fei Zhong said, "Your Majesty is kind to give up selecting beauties under the advice of the prime minister. I'm willing to find beauties and give them to you secretly."

King Zhou was so pleased to hear what Fei Zhong had said that he immediately ordered Fei Zhong to take charge of the matter. At this moment, the four big vassals were leading other vassals to be presented in Zhaoge. They heard King Zhou trusted Fei Zhong deeply. Besides, the Grand Preceptor, Wen Zhong, was not in court. Thus they all gave gifts to Fei Zhong to approach him, except for the Marquis of the Province of Ji, Su Hu. He had a very violent, frank and straightforward temper, and did not send gifts to Fei Zhong.

Fei Zhong was quite angry when he got to know about it, so he sent someone to investigate Su Hu. Learning that Su Hu had a daughter named Daji, whose beauty could overthrow states and cities, he immediately rejoiced. He entered the palace and reported the matter to King Zhou. King Zhou was also delighted with the news. He called over Su Hu and asked him to send his daughter to court and be his concubine.

However, Su Hu was so straightforward that he refused King Zhou. King Zhou was furious and wanted to kill him. Fortunately, Shang Rong and the other ministers all appealed for King Zhou's mercy. Thus King Zhou spared Su Hu's life, but King Zhou also ordered Su Hu to leave Zhaoge for Feng as soon as possible. After hearing that, Su Hu thanked Shang Rong and the other ministers and left.

After returning to the post house, Su Hu told about the matter to others, and they all protested for Su Hu. The more Su Hu thought of it, the angrier he became. When he left Zhaoge, he wrote a poem on the town gate. The poem said, "King Zhou destroyed the way of the Monarch and his subjects and damaged the five constant virtues, so I, Su Hu from Province of Ji, will never have an audience with Shang." After finishing his poem, he led his family to his fiefdom in the Province of Ji, without stopping.

When Fei Zhong got to know about this matter, he immediately reported it to King Zhou. He said, "Your Majesty, Su Hu was dissatisfied with your order and wrote a 16-word ironic verse on the front gate. I made a copy of it to send it to you. You can give out punishment."

King Zhou was furious when seeing Su Hu's poem. "He is so rude. I'm kind enough to spare his life and order him to return home, but he even writes he will never have an audience with Shang, which is treason and heresy. I can't forgive him. Deliver an imperial order to Yin Pobai, Chao Tian, and Lu Xiong, etc. to lead the army and wipe out Su Hu."

The Shang army was approaching the Province of Ji, Su Hu hurried to arrange arms and array to meet them head-on. Both sides had capable people, so it was hard to decide a champion for the time being. However, Su Hu's daughter, Daji, could not bear to see the ordinary people in the Province of Ji suffer a war because of her. So she pleaded with her father, Su Hu, with tears in her eyes and asked him to send her to King Zhou, to relieve the danger of Province of Ji.

The Marquis of the West, Ji Chang, sent Su Hu a letter, in which Ji Chang explained the advantages and disadvantages to him. For the sake of the common people of the Province of Ji, Su Hu reluctantly opened the gate, surrendered, and send his daughter Daji to King Zhou. King Zhou was overjoyed to hear the news that he immediately ordered the army to withdraw. Meanwhile, he asked Su Hu to take his daughter to Zhaoge. That's how the turmoil of the Shang Dynasty began.

Chapter 270: A Substitution for Daji

On the second day after surrendering, Su Hu mustered 3,000 soldiers and horses, and 500 servants. He also prepared a felt- topped carriage for Daji. Accompanied by her mother, Daji was dressed up. However, both of them could not stop crying, and their moaning saddened people. The people of the Province of Ji had to part, even if they were reluctant to say goodbye.

After Daji got on, Su Hu led the army to advance. When parting, the people in the Province of Ji saw her off. At the sight of this, Daji was even sadder. She held a jade pendant firmly in her hands, which was peculiar because it seemed to be a half one. Looking at the jade pendant, she was extremely sorrowful as if she were bidding farewell.

It was already evening when the army reached the En Prefecture. Since it was so late, Su Hu ordered to check in at a posthouse for one night and leave the day after. He put Daji in the inner room of the posthouse and appointed guards to be stationed to protect her because he heard from the post assistant that a Devil Incarnation haunted here. Meanwhile, it was dark, and it was inadvisable to rush on, so they had to be careful. Outside the En Prefecture, there was a spooky place called the Xuanyuan Tomb, which no one dared to get close to. The Nine- tailed Fox and the Pipa Spirit were looking at the brightly lit En Prefecture and had a wicked idea. The Pipa Spirit said, "Sister, do you know who is coming to the En Prefecture on such a grand occasion?"

After hearing that, the Nine-tailed Fox said, "I do not know either. It seems that they are going to Zhaoge to meet the King of the Zhou Dynasty. Since our empress sent us to Zhaoge to tempt King Zhou, we can infiltrate them at the right moment." Although Goddess Nvywa had covered up their Demon Aura, they dared not to enter Zhaoge without a human body, because a large number of competent people were there.

Pipa Spirit sighed, saying, "We're more miserable than our sister Chicken Spirit, who stays in the Royal Nu Wa Temple. If she gets imparted martial arts again, she'll get outstanding achievements. However, we have to take a big risk doing things. In case of any carelessness, we'll kick the bucket." The Chicken Spirit, who did not join them, was misunderstood.

The Nine-tailed Fox suddenly envied her a little. She could not figure out the reason why Goddess Nvywa preferred  the Chicken Spirit over her. She was not inferior to the Chicken Spirit in cultivation nor aptitude. Thus, she snorted and said, "Hum, cut the crap. Let me go to the city and find out the truth. If I get a chance, I'll go to Zhaoge. When everything is ready, I'll pick you up."

Then, she turned into a gust of wind and flew out of the Xuanyuan Tomb toward the En Prefecture. Seeing the posthouse being guarded by soldiers in armor, she sneaked inside in one blow. Seeing the inner room of the posthouse tightly packed with guards both outside and inside, she guessed there must be some crucial tasks. Therefore, she turned in a gust of wind and sneaked in.

In the inner room, she saw a beautiful woman with dark hair, a rosy face, elegant eyebrows, and a delicate waist. This pretty sobbing lady was no less attractive than the fairies in the Ninth Heaven and Chang'e of the moon. She was Su Daji, the daughter of Su Hu. At that time, Daji was holding a jade pendant, falling tears covered her face. The scene was heartrending.

A gust of weird wind swept through the inner room, all the surrounding oil lamps went out and Daji's maid  suddenly fainted. At the sight of this, Daji was started panicking. Then, the Nine-tailed Fox walked out of mosquito net and looked at Daji with a sinister smile. Daji was scared out of her wits, but she could not cry out because the Nine-tailed Fox had cast a spell upon her.

As the Nine-tailed Fox tried to approach Daji and swallow her soul, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a huge force and could not move. She was terrified and said, "Great Immortal, please spare my life. I'm just following orders, that's why I took such an unwise decision. I beg for your mercy."

All of a sudden, a black-robed man appeared in the room. He looked at the fainted Su Daji, and then at the Nine-tailed Fox, he said, "I not only know that you are following orders but I also know your master. You'll swallow her soul, take her body and replace her. But Su Daji is still useful, so I can not give her to you. Let me do you a favor."

After the man stretched his hand and pointed, a streak of silver light emitted from between the fainted Su Daji's eyebrows. The light directly hid between the Nine-tailed Fox's eyebrows. Subsequently, the man injected a ball of blood into the Nine-tailed Fox's body. All of a sudden, Nine-tailed Fox's figure changed. Be it appearance or temperament, she was identical to Su Daji. The Nine-tailed Fox quickly bowed and thanked the man, saying, "Great Immortal, thank you for assisting me with my reincarnation. I'll follow any orders you give." Since the man knew who ordered her, he must have a powerful backing. Although Goddess Nvywa guarded her, it would be harmless to have one more backing. The Nine-tailed Fox would not miss such a good opportunity.

However, the man ignored the Nine-tailed Fox. He waved his sleeves and carried away the fainted Su Daji. Meanwhile, he also disappeared. After the man had left, the Nine-tailed Fox was relieved. From the man's means to change her body, it could be deduced that his cultivation must be high. But, the man did give her any attention, which made her feel a little regretful and sighed secretly.

The next day, Su Hu led his army to escort 'Su Daji' to Zhaoge again. However, as an ordinary person, he could not recognize that this Su Daji was a 1,000-year-old fox spirit, rather than his daughter. Not to mention the father of Su Daji, even the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal could not find out, if the Nine-tailed Fox did not give herself away.

Standing on the hill along the state highway, Su Daji saw with tears in her eyes how her father, Su Hu, took his leave with his army. Although she felt saddened departing, she was a little joyful. Owing the men present, Su Daji knelt and said, "Great Immortal, thanks for saving my life." If not for the man present, she would have been killed by the Nine-tailed Fox.

The Taoist said coldly, "I saved you merely because you are a good pawn for me. I hope you won't waste my effort. Tell me, is the jade pendant around your waist given by Bo Yikao, the eldest son of Marquis of the West? Are you in love with each other? The jade pendant must be a token of love given by Bo Yikao, right?"

Hearing that, Daji was stunned at first and then a little shy. She replied, "Great Immortal, you're indeed omnipotent. This is indeed a pair of jade pendants. The one around my wrist is given by Bo Yikao, the eldest son of Marquis of the West. If not for your kindness, I might have parted from him forever." At that time, the Nine-tailed Fox had replaced her to the palace. Therefore, she had an opportunity to look for Bo Yikao.