Although Shi Ji was a woman, when she fought, she was like a war god possessed, a killing god reborn.
With a flick of her spear, endless destructive energy surged forth.
Roooar—
Several dragons cried out mournfully as the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover shattered.
Taiyi Zhenren was stunned. Since when had Shi Ji become so powerful?
At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, he had once been able to suppress Shi Ji with ease. Now, she had gained the upper hand.
Taiyi Zhenren brought out his Taiyi Whisk and swept it through the air, sending boundless Mysterious Yellow Power sweeping forth.
The power of merit?
Shi Ji sneered inwardly. You must have forgotten that I still possess a Merit Treasure.
The merit light emitted by the Merit Saint Garment was also golden, identical to the radiance of the golden body. Taiyi Zhenren failed to notice in time. The moment his whisk met the God-Breaking Spear, it was split in two.
This...
Only then did Taiyi Zhenren recall Shi Ji's Merit Treasure.
If Gu Changqing could restore it once, he could restore it twice.
Taiyi Zhenren wanted to bring out another treasure, but Shi Ji had no desire to continue the fight.
Her spear flashed forward, piercing Taiyi Zhenren's chest in an instant.
"You..."
Before Taiyi Zhenren could utter another word, a True Spirit flew into the Investiture of the Gods List.
Among the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, his strength ranked relatively high. He had never imagined that he would be the first to meet his tribulation.
Shi Ji withdrew her spear, turned to Zhou Ji, and shouted, "Why haven't you opened the gates? Must this general force them open herself?"
Shi Ji's forceful slaying of the enemy expert had been witnessed by every soldier defending the city.
Who would dare say she was not reinforcements from the court?
An expert like her alone could stand against a hundred thousand soldiers!
Zhou Ji had no choice but to open the city gates and let Shi Ji enter.
Following behind Zhou Ji toward the Martial Accomplishment King Residence, Shi Ji found herself growing increasingly suspicious.
More than a decade ago, when the Martial Accomplishment King had quelled the Northern Sea rebellion, she had also gone to provide support.
Zhou Ji claimed to have served in the army for decades, so it was impossible that he did not know her.
His pretense of not recognizing her beneath the city gates clearly concealed another motive.
As the route became more and more secluded, Shi Ji's vigilance quietly rose.
Bold by virtue of her skill, Shi Ji continued following without making a sound. She wanted to see what tricks Zhou Ji had up his sleeve.
Before long, Zhou Ji brought Shi Ji to a secluded place. He suddenly turned around and sneered. "More than ten years have passed since we last met. I never imagined that Immortal Shi Ji would be able to slay Taiyi Zhenren. Congratulations."
Shi Ji said coldly, "So you truly do recognize me. Weren't you taking me to see the Martial Accomplishment King?"
Zhou Ji sneered. "You will not be seeing the Martial Accomplishment King, but you can see Lord Yama instead."
"With you?" Shi Ji said icily. "When did you betray Great Shang?"
"Amitabha. General Zhou is naturally no match for Fellow Daoist Shi Ji."
At that moment, a monk with a Precious Flower atop his head stepped forward and added, "General Zhou has abandoned darkness for the light. How can that be called betrayal?"
Shi Ji frowned slightly when she saw the newcomer.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva of the Western Sect!
He was also at the Great Luo Peak, yet his cultivation was far beyond the likes of Taiyi.
With the defending general Zhou Ji having rebelled, enemy cultivators could freely enter and leave Chong City. The danger facing Chong City was even more severe than she had imagined.
A million ironclad soldiers surrounded the city outside. The tiny Chong City could be broken with a flick of a finger, yet the enemy had surrounded it without attacking. They clearly had another scheme.
Shi Ji frowned. "Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, what does the Eastern Lands have to do with the Western Sect? The Western Sect has stretched its hand too far!"
"Amitabha!" Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva proclaimed a Buddhist invocation and replied, "The Western Sect originally had no wish to participate in the conflict of the Mystic Gate. Yet your Intercepting Sect has acted perversely, establishing its own Human Emperor in defiance of Heaven's Way, drawing the outrage of gods and men alike. The Western Sect cherishes compassion and naturally cannot bear to watch the living beings of the Eastern Lands suffer."
"Since you are so compassionate, I will send you to meet the Buddha!"
Shi Ji did not wish to waste words. She brought out the God-Breaking Spear and clashed with Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva.
Though Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's cultivation surpassed Taiyi Zhenren's, his treasures were far inferior.
After several exchanges, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva also joined the list.
"You..."
Facing the terrifying Shi Ji, fear appeared on Zhou Ji's face.
He had never imagined that Shi Ji could successively slay a True Immortal of the Chan Sect and a Bodhisattva of the Western Sect.
Previously, he had also lured many cultivators from immortal sects who had come to provide aid into death traps.
Those people either died beneath the city walls or, if they were fortunate enough to enter the city, still could not escape the Bodhisattva's hands.
Shi Ji said coldly, "Use whatever methods you have!"
"I..."
Zhou Ji fled in panic, but how could a mere mortal escape Shi Ji's grasp?
With a wave of her left hand, Shi Ji brought out the Eight Trigrams Dragon Beard Scarf, which instantly wrapped around Zhou Ji.
Her divine sense swept out, and the Martial Accomplishment King Residence appeared in her mind.
Shi Ji seized Zhou Ji and flashed away, arriving before the Martial Accomplishment King Residence.
"Shi Ji requests an audience with the Martial Accomplishment King."
Her voice was like a dragon's roar, carrying all the way into the depths of the residence.
The Martial Accomplishment King, who had been discussing matters, heard that Shi Ji had arrived, and the gloom on his face vanished.
Behind Shi Ji stood the all-powerful Imperial Preceptor!
As long as the Imperial Preceptor turned his gaze toward Chong City, the city's crisis would soon be resolved.
Just as during the Northern Sea rebellion years ago, the Imperial Preceptor had single-handedly pacified the chaos of the Northern Sea in an instant.
"Summon her!"
"No, this king will welcome her personally!"
The Martial Accomplishment King hurried toward the entrance, with Chong Yingbiao following behind him.
When Shi Ji had entered the Northern Sea years ago, Chong Yingbiao had still been young and did not know her.
"Father, what kind of expert is Shi Ji? Why has she made you lose your composure?"
"Silence!" Chong Houhu turned back and berated him. "When you meet Immortal Shi Ji, you must be humble. Immortal Shi Ji is an expert of the Intercepting Sect and the Imperial Preceptor's senior sister."
"Ah?"
Chong Yingbiao was greatly surprised.
"Chong Houhu greets Immortal Shi Ji."
Upon seeing Shi Ji, Chong Houhu hurriedly offered his respects.
Shi Ji smiled. "Martial Accomplishment King, there is no need for such ceremony. We now serve in the same court, so Shi Ji should still defer to the Martial Accomplishment King."
"I would not dare, I would not dare!"
The Martial Accomplishment King looked at Zhou Ji in Shi Ji's hand and frowned. "Immortal, what is the meaning of this? Did Zhou Ji offend you?"
Zhou Ji had followed him in battle for many years. The Martial Accomplishment King had never expected Zhou Ji to be captured by Shi Ji.
Shi Ji said coldly, "If he had merely offended me, I naturally would not have held it against him. This man has forgotten the Emperor's grace. I saw through him and deliberately captured him for the Martial Accomplishment King to deal with."
Shi Ji then recounted what had happened. The Martial Accomplishment King flew into a rage upon hearing it and ordered Zhou Ji thrown into prison to be beheaded on a later date.
The Martial Accomplishment King added, "Thank you for this, Immortal. With your help, Chong City will surely turn misfortune into fortune."
Shi Ji replied, "The Martial Accomplishment King overestimates Shi Ji. Though I possess some cultivation, I am not skilled in battlefield formations and may not be able to help you much."
"This time, when I came to reinforce Chong City, His Majesty assigned a hundred thousand elite troops for Shi Ji to place under the Martial Accomplishment King's command."
As Shi Ji spoke, she brought out the Primordial Chaos World Piercing Shuttle, and a hundred thousand Armored Soldiers immediately appeared before them.
She truly was an otherworldly expert!
The Martial Accomplishment King was secretly astonished, marveling at the methods of immortals.
To the Martial Accomplishment King, a hundred thousand Armored Soldiers were merely icing on the cake. Shi Ji herself was timely aid in a snowstorm.
The Martial Accomplishment King asked again, "Did the Imperial Preceptor give any instructions?"
Shi Ji replied, "The Imperial Preceptor only instructed me to hand the hundred thousand Armored Soldiers over to the Martial Accomplishment King. I am also to serve under the Martial Accomplishment King's command and focus on dealing with the enemy cultivators."
Hearing this, the Martial Accomplishment King felt slightly disappointed. If it was only Shi Ji alone, even with another hundred thousand Armored Soldiers, it might not be enough to resolve Chong City's crisis.
Thinking of the million-strong army outside the city, Shi Ji added, "The rebel army numbers no fewer than a million. When the Martial Accomplishment King requested aid, why did you say there were only three hundred thousand?"
"Three hundred thousand? Impossible!"
Upon hearing this, the Martial Accomplishment King immediately denied it.
Shi Ji frowned. "Could His Majesty have lied to me? Could the Imperial Preceptor have lied to me?"
"This..."
The Martial Accomplishment King was left speechless.
Before you continue