They hadn’t been here for just a day or two; they had been here for over a dozen years, which was more than enough time to clearly see the current situation.
Anyone capable of supporting Daji to sow chaos in the Shang Dynasty had to be someone at the level of a Saint.
With such a heavyweight backing them, they were safe.
“Oh, right,” Verdandi suddenly remembered, “Open a faction mission and put a bounty on Su Fu’s whereabouts. With the battles getting more intense, I refuse to believe she’ll stay hidden forever!”
***
Xiqi Army Camp.
Su Fu looked at Huangfu Yun’s latest reply: [“Currently considering it. Wait a moment.”]
She expected Huangfu Yun and the others to hesitate.
After all, they were dealing with Saints.
Anyone would have to weigh their options carefully.
However, it wouldn’t be long now.
Once they saw the Saints personally taking the field, they would likely be scared to death.
Just then, she noticed the newly posted faction mission that specifically named her and sought her tracks.
‘Heh,’ Su Fu raised an eyebrow and thought, ‘Is Verdandi targeting me now?’
She didn’t feel any particular fluctuation in her heart; in fact, she almost wanted to laugh.
By choosing to stay in Chao Ge and cling to Daji’s leg, they were walking a path toward death.
Their spots on the Investiture of the Gods were already reserved.
Thinking of the Investiture of the Gods, Su Fu’s expression paused.
If… she could find a way to take Jiang Ziya’s place and hold the Investiture of the Gods himself?
Such a golden opportunity to snatch the fruits of victory could not be missed.
Once they were on her list, they would be working for her forever.
Su Fu couldn’t help but sigh.
The Investiture of the Gods was truly a wonderful item.
And soon, even more good things would be arriving.
It had to be China — a vast land with abundant resources and countless treasures!
Meanwhile, in the center of the military camp, Jiang Ziya was convening the generals for a meeting.
“Wen Zhong’s personal expedition is no small matter.” Jiang Ziya’s white beard fluttered as he spoke with a solemn expression.
“He has many capable men and eccentrics under his command, and he even has the support of the Sect of Interception. Do any of you have a good plan?”
Nezha declared, “What’s there to fear! I’ll go meet that Wen Zhong right now!”
Yang Jian pressed a hand on Nezha’s shoulder and said in a deep voice, “Wen Zhong’s third eye can distinguish loyalty from treachery, and his Dragon Golden Whip is incredibly powerful. We must not underestimate the enemy. The priority is to strengthen the city’s defenses and wait for reinforcements from Yuxu Palace.”
Jiang Ziya nodded, “What Erlang says is correct. I have already sent someone to Kunlun to seek aid. I believe my Master will not sit idly by.”
Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong’s army had already set up camp outside the city of Xiqi.
The tents stretched on endlessly, their aura imposing.
During the pre-battle mobilization, he roared: “The rebels of Xiqi have committed crimes that cannot be pardoned! Tomorrow, I shall lay out the Ten Desolate Arrays and capture that old man Jiang Shang!”
The generals in the tent responded in unison, their morale like a rising tide.
The next morning, the war drums shook the heavens.
Wen Zhong’s army approached the walls of Xiqi.
“Pass the order! Lay out the ten arrays!”
The ten Great Desolation arrays were arranged in sequence, sending a murderous aura into the sky.
Inside the Heaven-Extinguishing Array, thunder and lightning flashed.
In the Earth-Splitting Array, lava surged.
The Wind-Howling Array kicked up astral winds as sharp as blades, and the Cold-Ice Array condensed ten-thousand-year-old mysterious ice…
Each array was guarded by a master from the Sect of Interception.
They looked on with arrogant expressions, clearly confident in their formations.
Grand Preceptor Wen sat atop his Black Kirin as it hissed.
He shouted, “Today, the Ten Desolate Arrays are set! Children of Xiqi, if you have the courage, come and break them!”
Su Fu carried her medicine chest as usual, following the army out.
For a battle of this level, she naturally chose a front-row seat to watch the drama.
‘The Ten Desolate Arrays… in the original story, it took the Twelve Golden Immortals to break them. But the Golden Immortals haven’t arrived yet. This task will likely fall on the Xiqi Test Takers.’
Su Fu opened the Great Desolation Channel, which was currently filled with heated arguments: [Do not underestimate them! This array is definitely not simple. The Chinese gods are truly too powerful. We’ve already suffered once. You all must be careful!]
[I still remember the horror of that Primordial Umbrella to this day. This array formation will only be stronger!]
However, the Test Takers from the Chan Sect who had come down from Kunlun did not agree: [Laughable. We aren’t as pathetic as you.]
[It’s just an array formation. Look how scared you are. You’ve just been beaten into submission!]
[Today, we’ll show you how we break this array with ease!]
Su Fu shook her head while watching, ‘Another batch of people seeking death…’
The fact that this group of Test Takers could gain the recognition of Shen Yan to enter Kunlun Mountain meant they had their strengths.
Not to mention, after practicing Dao in Kunlun for so long, they must have improved somewhat.
But if they wanted to break the Ten Desolate Arrays?
Sorry, but they were far from it.
Setting everything else aside, did they have Divine Artifacts?
Did they have top-tier treasures at the level of the Twelve Golden Immortals?
Su Fu fished out a handful of melon seeds from a hidden compartment in her medicine chest and leisurely began to crack them.
She was in a VIP seat, ready for the show.
In the center of the battlefield, the two armies faced off.
In front of the Shang army, Grand Preceptor Wen stroked his beard and laughed, “Rats of Xiqi! Who dares to break my Ten Desolate Arrays?”
The Ten Heavenly Lords also began to challenge them: “I am Lord Qin, and I have laid out the Heaven-Extinguishing Array! Who dares to break it?”
“I am Lord Zhao, and the Earth-Splitting Array is here! Come one, and I shall kill one! Come two, and I shall kill a pair!”
“I am Lord Dong! My Wind-Howling Array will ensure none of you return alive!”
On Xiqi’s side, Jiang Ziya’s brow was furrowed when a Test Taker stepped forward.
“I’ll take the first trial! I don’t care what kind of array it is. I’ll blast it into nothingness!”
Lightning swirled around his body as he held a hammer flickering with thunderous light.
He grinned.
Su Fu nearly choked on a melon seed.
She was familiar with this Principal God; she didn’t know how many of His Divine Summoners she had already taken down.
It was the Norse Pantheon’s Thor.
She remembered that the Heaven-Extinguishing Array utilized Pre-Celestial Pure Qi transformed into lightning.
So, this Test Taker likely felt the aura of thunder?
Did he think his specialty was a match, so he proactively tried to break the array?
She shook her head, not even bothering to say anything.
The Test Taker stepped into the Heaven-Extinguishing Array with total confidence.
Immediately, the interior was filled with thunder and lightning.
The Pre-Celestial Pure Qi turned into thousands of bolts of lightning.
In the midst of the electric roar, purple lightning snarled like dragons.
Seeing this, he wasn’t afraid but overjoyed.
He held Mjolnir high and laughed, “How can mere lightning hurt me, the God of Thunder? Watch me—”
Before he could finish, the Test Taker’s face changed drastically!
“Boom!”
Following a massive sound, the Test Taker didn’t even have time to scream before he was blasted into powder by the lightning.
Not even ash remained.
He died quickly and cleanly.
Inside the Heaven-Extinguishing Array, Lord Qin sneered, “Where did this rat come from, dare to speak of the Dao of Lightning? My Heaven-Extinguishing Array is formed from Pre-Celestial Pure Qi and contains Pre-Celestial Divine Lightning. How can your Post-Celestial lightning compare?”
The Great Desolation Channel went silent for a moment before the messages began to scroll frantically: [What?! Thor was struck to death by lightning?! Is this a joke?]
[How is this possible? He was an expert in lightning-based Divine Power!]
[Is Chinese lightning and our lightning not even the same concept?]
[My… My God…]
[I told you! These Chinese deities are sinister, and their abilities are incredibly strong, but you wouldn’t believe me!]
[How can this be… The gap is too large, isn’t it?]
[Do you believe it now?]
[But this is only the first array! There are nine more!]
[…The sky is falling! I’m reminded of Su Fu’s Eighteen Levels of Hell! After you finish one, there are seventeen others!]
[…]
In front of the Xiqi army, Jiang Ziya’s white beard trembled slightly.
Meanwhile, on the Shang side, the Ten Heavenly Lords let out unrestrained laughter.
Lord Qin clapped and laughed, “You couldn’t even distinguish between Pre-Celestial and Post-Celestial, yet you dared to call yourself a God of Thunder?”
Su Fu agreed, ‘That makes sense.’
“Next!” Lord Zhao of the Earth-Splitting Array called out, “Who wants to try my Earth-Fire Lightning?”
A Test Taker wrapped in flames gritted her teeth and stepped forward.
She thought that since her Principal God was a Fire Giant, she could surely break this fiery array.
The moment she stepped into the array, the ground suddenly cracked open.
The Test Taker discovered to her horror that the flames she usually controlled with ease were actually burning her!
“No! These flames aren’t listening to me—AAAAHHH!!!”
Amidst the screams, her entire body was refined alive, melting like a candle.
[Can… Can we just stop the exam?]
[This is too terrifying. Even the Eternal Fire didn’t work?]
[Help, help!]
[Who exactly said ‘it’s just an array formation’? You call this ‘just’?]
Many Test Takers looked as if they were mourning their own parents, their hearts filled with the desire to retreat.
The Ten Desolate Arrays were difficult to break, so Jiang Ziya could only order a retreat back into Xiqi.
Mixed in with the retreating troops, Su Fu thought, ‘It’s time to call in the big guns.’
Sure enough, to boost morale, news soon spread: “The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect are coming to personally break the arrays!”
The next morning, as the sky began to brighten, twelve streaks of golden light flew from the direction of Kunlun Mountain and landed on the walls of Xiqi.
At the head was Guangchengzi, followed by Chijingzi, Master Huanglong, Taiyi Zhenren, and other famous Golden Immortals.
In addition, the Vice Leader of the Chan Sect, Randeng Daoren, also arrived.
He would serve as the commander-in-chief for breaking the arrays.
Su Fu’s eyes lit up with excitement when she saw the Twelve Golden Immortals.
Taiyi Zhenren suddenly turned around and looked around suspiciously.
Why did he feel a chill down his spine just now?
What was going on?
Was someone trying to plot against him?
But after looking for a long time and seeing nothing, Taiyi could only withdraw his gaze.
With Randeng Daoren in place and the Twelve Golden Immortals present, the Xiqi forces headed out again to break the arrays.
However, the Test Takers from the previous day had already been scared out of their wits.
Each one of them was terrified and didn’t want to go to their deaths.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to them.
Seeing the situation, Randeng Daoren directly ordered: “Continue breaking the arrays.”
“What?!” Everyone reacted instantly.
They were being used as cannon fodder!
They were being sent in specifically to trip the traps for the Golden Immortals!
Soon, the unwilling Test Takers, who had no way to resist, were sent up to investigate the arrays.