Chapter 1766: Deploying Troops and Generals

If Zhaoyou God wanted to escape, he would have to suffer the consequences of his own making. He Lingchuan gave Granny Zhu a thumbs-up, exclaiming, "Well done! This is our good Granny Zhu."

Just then, two squeaks came from the side. He Lingchuan turned his head and saw several small spiders chasing a squirrel, surrounding and cornering it.

After deploying the artifacts for the Coiling Abyss Array, the little spiders had nothing to do. They turned their heads and discovered this little creature peeking out from a crack in the rock.

The squirrel was small and agile, but wherever it could go, the spiders could too.

He Lingchuan and the others recognized that this squirrel was actually the physical form of the Earth Spirit. However, the entire mining area was still under a restriction that nullified escape techniques, so it couldn't simply vanish and had to rely on its legs to escape.

During the recent battle between the two sides, it didn't intervene but instead huddled at the side, too afraid to move. Only when Zhaoyou God died did it get a chance to sneak away. However, its movements had been monitored by the Eyeball Spiders the entire time; Granny Zhu hadn't missed this little accomplice.

Its method of escape was also peculiar: as long as its four legs were on the ground, it could instantly change direction and size. However, the spiders were spraying webs all around it, and the Earth Spirit, with one careless move, was ensnared.

Granny Zhu's silk web was even more potent than mouse glue; once stuck, the Earth Spirit couldn't move at all, with only its mouth still able to open.

"What should we do with this thing?" Granny Zhu asked. She heard its earnest pleas for mercy, and what it said sounded quite pleasant. She then noticed the dark green necklace around its neck; the runes had faded.

With Zhaoyou God dead, the Earth Spirit's bindings were also released. "You handle it," Elder Liu said, eager to leave.

Granny Zhu picked up the Earth Spirit from the ground and wrapped it seven or eight layers thick, like a zongzi. The small spiders, from somewhere, retrieved the coconut shell urn and put the Earth Spirit back inside it.

Poor creature, it had just escaped the tiger's den only to enter the spider's nest.

Granny Zhu tucked the urn under her belly, concealing it somewhere unknown. "I'll take it back and ponder over it," she said.

At this moment, a huge bang came from not far away, and light flashed on Banqiu Hill.

Everyone turned to look. It turned out that the Eye of Truth on the Banqiu Hill lighthouse was flickering, its light alternately bright and dim.

"Elder Liu and their battle must be fierce," someone commented. "The lighthouse's body was likely damaged; otherwise, it wouldn't be flickering so intensely."

The Illusionary Sect Immortals were truly formidable. He Lingchuan asked Xiao Wencheng, "How many powerful experts does the Heavenly Palace have at the Banqiu Hill lighthouse? Have we ascertained that?"

Both sides had already engaged; surely, they wouldn't still be unaware of the enemy's numbers?

"Two Sky Demons are guarding the tower," Xiao Wencheng replied. "Strictly speaking, only one and a half. You're right, Fenghe Sky Demon was severely wounded earlier, so its current power can only count as half."

He Lingchuan took a shallow breath. Bai Ziqi still attached great importance to the spiritual mine at Banqiu Hill, having almost sent all his remaining forces here.

Just then, two arcs of rainbow light flew out from the direction of the Upside-Down Lake and headed towards them.

"The Heavenly Palace has sent reinforcements," Elder Liu said, urging everyone, "Let's go."

They stepped into the domain, and the Haoyuan Golden Mirror immediately vanished from its spot.

Deep within the mine.

When Elder Liu and He Lingchuan arrived, the Soul-Capturing Mirror was still embedded in the rock wall. Seemingly, everything was as before, but He Lingchuan could feel it trembling.

As soon as he reached out and touched the mirror's frame, the mirror's cry echoed in his sea of consciousness: "You're finally back! This giant lizard is about to smash me to death!"

The Labyrinth.

It turned out that the mirror didn't dare to confront True Immortal Jieshui head-on, so it specifically opened up several labyrinths for him.

But after True Immortal Jieshui navigated two labyrinths, he caught on to the pattern. He became increasingly agitated, charging wildly through the mirror's internal space. The mirror had done its utmost, but it could no longer contain him.

In twenty breaths at most, this thing would break out of the mirror.

"That's quite impressive," He Lingchuan said, patting it to encourage it. After all, this time it had contained a genuine Demon Immortal. Although the entire process lasted less than half an incense stick's time, it was enough for the mirror to boast about for a long time. "Open the door."

With its master back, the Soul-Capturing Mirror sighed in great relief, immediately opening the entrance to the mirror world.

With the formidable team of Elder Liu, He Lingchuan, Granny Zhu, and Dong Rui, they had no trouble fighting Zhaoyou God one-on-one earlier. Now, ganging up on True Immortal Jieshui was even less of a challenge.

Don't forget, the mirror world was still He Lingchuan's home turf.

On a side note, when Granny Zhu faced Zhaoyou God this time, she had previously donned her sister's battle robe—the Spider Immortal's relic.

The last time she did this, on Mount Xu in Lingxu City, she could only unleash about twenty percent of the Spider Immortal relic's power. Three or four years later, Granny Zhu was no longer what she used to be. Wearing this battle robe again, she could essentially harness sixty to seventy percent of her peak abilities. In ancient times, she was already a Spider Immortal; now, her cultivation was a return to her old path, like a second playthrough that progresses much faster.

Before long, True Immortal Jieshui, with no escape route, was pinned down and thoroughly beaten by them, yelping and surrendering. This time, Elder Liu was quick to act, using the Immortal Binding Rope to tie up the large lizard securely and temporarily seal it within an alchemical furnace.

This was also Xiao Wencheng's request: to capture him alive.

"Quick, to the Banqiu Hill lighthouse!" He Lingchuan urged, even before exiting the mirror world. "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Success or failure hinges on this!"

Meanwhile, outside the mine, the two arcs of rainbow light landed on the flat ground and transformed into two people, each carrying a large box on their back.

They saw the corpses on the ground, and their expressions turned grim. They immediately reported the situation to Bai Ziqi and asked if they should go down into the mine to investigate.

Bai Ziqi's response was swift:

"No need. Immediately go support the Banqiu Hill lighthouse!"

He clearly understood that Zhaoyou God and True Immortal Jieshui were likely in grave danger. This was, of course, a significant loss for the Heavenly Palace, but the most crucial thing now was to strive to protect the Banqiu Hill lighthouse.

After the battle in the mine concluded, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui crossed back through the mirror to Wenhue Pavilion on Stone Dragon Peak, where Xiao Wencheng oversaw the overall situation.

They also brought True Immortal Jieshui back and handed him over to Xiao Wencheng for handling.

Elder Liu and Granny Zhu, meanwhile, headed to Banqiu Hill to rendezvous with Elders Liu, Zhao, and others, fully attacking the Banqiu Hill lighthouse.

Granny Zhu's strength had surged before facing Zhaoyou God, which Elder Liu had naturally noticed, so he invited her to go to Banqiu Hill for support.

The Spider Queen readily agreed.

She hadn't participated in a battlefield of major clashes between immortals and demons for a long time and truly missed it a little.

When He Lingchuan returned to Stone Dragon Peak this time, Xiao Wencheng's attitude towards him was exceptionally warm. In the battle at the mine, the enemy lost two major figures while their side remained unharmed. This represented a significant shift in power between them, and might even alter the outcome of the Banqiu Hill lighthouse battle.

He pointed into the mirror. "While you were capturing True Immortal Jieshui, the Heavenly Palace also sent two strong experts to Banqiu Hill. Soon after they arrived, the lighthouse suddenly began to grow rapidly. It's now nearly ten *zhang* tall."

He Lingchuan looked. The lighthouse was indeed brighter, and its footprint had expanded considerably. This growth rate was truly extraordinary, and even as they watched, the Banqiu Hill lighthouse continued to grow taller.