“It’s been a few days, and your cultivation has improved again, Brother Lu!”
As the words fell, Xin Zhanting turned to Shen Ying, “Fairy, keep your Peach Blossom Sha on high alert. Let’s join forces and trap his soul-splitting avatar here.”
“Very well!”
Shen Ying agreed, and the manor filled with pink mist. Peach blossom shadows swirled, surrounding Night King defensively, preventing his escape to the Netherworld.
Xin Zhanting grinned fiercely, long blade in hand, his form turning into a grey-brown streak of light, charging at Night King like a ferocious tiger.
Night King’s black mist trembled as he dodged Xin’s blade strikes, weaving through Peach Blossom Manor, seeking an escape route.
Lu Zheng stood idly by, finding it somewhat amusing.
Night King had come with such bravado, yet failed to kill him, failed to ambush Shen Ying, failed to take the Nether Heart, and now, with Xin Zhanting’s arrival, risked being trapped himself.
The Night King of the Netherworld, reduced to this?
“Xin Zhanting, you’ve got some nerve, abandoning your post at the Yin Division. Aren’t you afraid my Night Mountain army will invade and raze your City God Temple?”
Xin Zhanting scoffed, “Come if you dare! I’ll be waiting for you on the Yin-Yang Road!”
His blade strikes surged, and Lu Zheng finally witnessed Xin Zhanting’s true strength.
Endless yin qi swirled, his blade light flashing like a roaring tiger, leaping and striking. Even a graze on Night King vaporised swathes of black mist.
Night King would rather crash into the Peach Blossom Sha than face Xin’s blade head-on.
…
As a mere century-cultivator, Lu Zheng stayed out of the fray, but his mind raced, feeling a bit uneasy and itching to join in.
The reason? His fortune light was running low.
Learning the Binding Spell, enhancing his physique and spirit, boosting true qi and blood qi, all cost a fortune, or rather, a ton of fortune light.
“Reminding Shen Ying, using the Binding Spell to help her wear down Night King, foiling his ambush, and stalling until Xin arrived, if we trap Night King’s avatar, I’d have made a major contribution, right?”
Having gained so much fortune light, Lu Zheng had figured out some rules of the jade seal’s absorption.
First, the impact must be direct, like killing Yan Jie, whereas Night King’s three ghosts later had little to do with him.
Second, he must participate and alter the outcome, like helping kill the white-robed young ghost, but not the other two, which yielded no share.
Third, the deed must be accomplished, and he likely needed to be within a certain range, like the Peach Blossom Shrine, where he gained fortune light only after its formal completion.
By these rules, trapping Night King’s avatar, weakening his forces, and diminishing his fortune would surely yield a share of fortune light.
So…
Lu Zheng used a breath-concealing technique, using the manor’s peach trees as cover, quietly approaching the battlefield.
Aside from Shen Ying, even Xin Zhanting didn’t notice Lu Zheng had moved.
…
Night King’s avatar was far weaker than Xin Zhanting, but by dodging and not engaging, he could hold out briefly, his elusive form nearing the manor’s walls.
But as Night King passed a peach tree…
“Supreme Primordial, Three Pure Ones’ Decree, Freeze!”
Night King’s black mist rippled, his heart jolted.
He hadn’t expected Lu Zheng, a mere minor Taoist, to dare join the fray amid three masters’ fierce battle.
Xin Zhanting laughed heartily, his aura surging, a tiger-shaped blade light, even more solid than before, bursting forth.
Night King, immobilised, his mist trembling, said calmly, “Today, you have a slight edge. We’ll meet again.”
…
“Boom!”
Night King dissolved into scattered black smoke.
“Buzz!”
Twenty-three strands of fortune light were absorbed by the jade seal in Lu Zheng’s mind.
Lu Zheng smacked his lips, not much, probably because the main body was unharmed?
Still, draining over twenty strands likely dealt Night King a heavy blow.
Xin Zhanting sheathed his blade, looking at Lu Zheng in surprise, “Binding Spell? You’ve mastered the Binding Spell, Brother Lu!”
Lu Zheng gave a shy smile, “Just luck.”
Xin Zhanting blinked, unsure how to respond.
Shen Ying withdrew her spell, the nearly hundred peach trees turning back into roots, wrapping the Nether Heart and sinking underground.
Floating down, Shen Ying landed beside Lu Zheng, bowing to Xin Zhanting, “Many thanks for your aid, Lord Xin.”
“No need for formalities, Fairy,” Xin Zhanting waved with a smile, “It’s my duty.”
“Oh, right!” Xin slapped his forehead, gave them a quick salute, and turned to leave.
“Night King’s lost half his cultivation, a severe blow. It’s my chance to storm Night Mountain.
I’m off to seize Night Mountain. After the battle, I’ll return to chat with you and Fairy.”
Shen Ying curtsied gracefully, “Safe travels, Lord Xin. May you return victorious!”
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up, calling out, “Brother Xin, I’m coming with you.”
Xin Zhanting turned back, puzzled, thinking, you just fought a battle, and instead of comforting your lady, you’re leaving with me?
Lu Zheng hugged Shen Ying briefly, then dashed to catch up with Xin Zhanting.
Xin blinked, nodded to Shen Ying, and left with Lu Zheng.
In the courtyard, Shen Ying watched Lu Zheng go, her eyes soft as water.
…
The two sped along.
Lu Zheng suddenly asked, “Brother Xin, can I enter the Netherworld?”
“Hm?” Xin Zhanting glanced at him sharply.
Lu Zheng shrugged, “Shen Ying and I have made a mortal enemy of Night King. Now that there’s a chance to crush him, I want to lend a hand and follow your lead.”
Xin’s eyes brightened, “That’s the spirit!”
Lu Zheng wasn’t an official of the Jing Dynasty, so the City God Temple couldn’t demand his aid in their Netherworld campaigns, and Xin had never asked.
Most non-official cultivators avoided the Netherworld unless necessary, so Xin hadn’t expected Lu Zheng to volunteer to join him in storming Night Mountain.
But since Lu Zheng offered, Xin wouldn’t pass up a Taoist who had mastered the Binding Spell.
“The Netherworld is filled with Nether qi, ideal for ghosts. Even those practising ghost or yin-based arts struggle to survive there long,” Xin explained.
“Long-term survival?” Lu Zheng caught the key point.
Xin nodded with a smile, “With your qi refinement and true qi protection, you can stay in the Netherworld for ten days or half a month without issue, though fighting would make it harder to linger.”
Lu Zheng grinned, “How long will this battle take?”
Xin clenched his fist, “By dawn tomorrow, I’ll be drinking atop Night Mountain!”
Lu Zheng nodded, “Good. I’ll grab two bottles from home for you!”
Xin beamed, slapping Lu Zheng’s shoulder, “Great brother, it’s a deal! I’ll rally the troops at the Yin Division. When you arrive, we’ll charge through the Yin-Yang Road.”
As they spoke, they met Duan Zhong and a dozen yin soldiers patrolling.
“General!” Duan Zhong saluted swiftly.
Xin nodded, leading the group back, “Let’s go! Rally the troops, we march to the Netherworld to seize Night Mountain!”
Duan Zhong’s spirits lifted, the yin soldiers buzzing with excitement, their morale soaring as they followed Xin back.
…
Entering the county, Lu Zheng took his leave.
At home, he gathered all his stored exorcism spells, plus a few other talismans for backup.
He strapped the Xiuchun Blade to his back, tucked the white jade fan at his waist, and carried the peachwood sword in hand.
Then, crossing to the modern world, he swapped two bottles of Wuliangye into porcelain jars.
Crossing back, he headed to the City God Temple.
Stepping in, the scene shifted. A thousand yin soldiers stood neatly on the parade ground, silent, exuding a chilling aura of slaughter.
Xin Zhanting stood at the front, flanked by four deputy generals, with eight patrol officers on either side.
Lu Zheng, entering, was startled by the atmosphere.
A twenty-first-century youth, when had he seen such a scene?
But thanks to online exposure, having watched military parades and war films, plus his own considerable cultivation, he quickly calmed down, handing the two bottles to Judge Li, who greeted him, and saluted Xin Zhanting, “General Xin, I’m ready!”
With the army about to march, he addressed the commander formally.
Poised and composed, neither servile nor arrogant.
Xin’s eyes grew more appreciative, the deputies and patrol officers showing delight.
They knew Lu Zheng’s strength. From Duan Zhong and others, they heard he could face century-old ghosts head-on, rivaling the deputies.
A new powerhouse joining them was cause for joy.
Xin nodded, “Army, move out!”
The next moment, Lu Zheng saw the space at the temple’s rear courtyard twist.
The buildings behind vanished, replaced by a ghostly road.
The Yin-Yang Road!
Linking yin and yang, connecting to the Netherworld, formed at the fragile boundary of realms, condensed by cosmic power.
Xin waved, and two deputies with four patrol officers led three hundred yin soldiers onto the road.
Xin, with two deputies, two patrol officers, and five hundred yin soldiers, followed, Lu Zheng at his side.
Two patrol officers with the remaining two hundred yin soldiers brought up the rear.
On the Yin-Yang Road, Lu Zheng felt caught between realms, a strange sensation.
“Damn, I’m the first Blue Star human to experience real subspace travel. Jealous much?”
Well, not counting the jade seal, which zips through dimensions like a quick visit, no real experience.
Yeah, I know that just proves the jade seal’s superior, but no experience is no experience, right?
Jade seal, “…”
Whoosh!
Lu Zheng’s vision blurred, and the surroundings changed entirely.
A dark, misty sky, Nether qi swirling, strange flora on the ground.
In the distance, a towering, majestic mountain stood, resembling the one in Night King’s illusion.
Night Mountain!
