Chapter 560: Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Supreme

Demonic Enchantment!

This ability plunged targets with low cultivation or intelligence into confusion, causing them to lose their minds. Although Daji was only at the peak of the 4th rank, many of the Bone Warriors and the Guman Thong were more powerful than her. However, they shared a common characteristic: extremely low intelligence. Even though the Guman Thong possessed the ability to bewitch people, their own intellect was not high. Thus, Daji’s Demonic Enchantment proved to be their perfect nemesis.

Upon hearing the music, the Bone Warriors and Guman Thong in the field descended into chaos. Though their faces should have been expressionless, everyone could sense their agony. Soon, they began frantically attacking their comrades, turning the area into a scene of pandemonium. The monstrous snakes were even worse; they were already entangled, biting each other with poisonous fangs or strangling with their bodies, creating a hellish spectacle.

Pei Mianman stared in disbelief, instinctively leaning closer to Zu An, as if only his presence could offer some comfort. At this moment, the young girl Jiang Jiang was also astonished. Given her capabilities, the Demonic Enchantment naturally had no effect on her.

Seeing that she could no longer control her subordinates, Jiang Jiang, whose arm was adorned with jade cong patterns, pressed her hand directly onto the head of a nearby Guman Thong. A flash of light transferred to the Guman Thong, and it visibly began to enlarge. In an instant, it transformed from an infant-like figure into a giant nearly ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) tall, with Jiang Jiang standing atop its head.

Zu An: "..."Pei Mianman: "..."

At this point, Jiang Jiang pointed towards the two of them, and the colossal Guman Thong began to stride towards them. Though it was walking, its immense size meant each step covered dozens of meters, moving faster than an average person could run.

Boom, boom, boom!

Its heavy steps shook the entire underground palace, pulverizing the Bone Warriors in its path. Seeing the gigantic foot descending, Zu An and Pei Mianman obviously did not attempt to meet it head-on, tacitly dodging in different directions. However, the enormous Guman Thong was unexpectedly agile, its two plump hands smashing down at them. The two kept dodging, and many areas around them were shattered, sending stone fragments flying.

Then, Jiang Jiang manipulated the giant Guman Thong to move towards Daji. Clearly, she understood that if she eliminated Daji, her subordinates would naturally return to normal. Daji lightly tapped her toes, her figure gracefully dodging, her skirts fluttering like a celestial maiden. Although she lacked a soul, her combat instincts remained, making evasion effortless.

Zu An knew this couldn't go on. The Guman Thong could fail countless times, but if it landed just one hit, they would likely be in serious trouble. He immediately summoned the Great Wind, teleporting above the Guman Thong's head. Jiang Jiang seemed to sense something and made the Guman Thong dodge. Zu An found himself striking empty air. In that moment of crisis, he plunged his Tai'e Sword directly into the Guman Thong's shoulder.

Normally, the Guman Thong's body was as tough as tempered iron, difficult to wound with swords. But Zu An, wrapping the sword in the Qi of Primordial Chaos, sliced into it as easily as cutting tofu. The Guman Thong let out a painful shriek, then its massive hand slapped towards its shoulder. Zu An felt a pang of frustration; he was caught between old momentum and new, planning to retreat to the ground and find another opportunity. However, with Jiang Jiang now on guard, it might not be so easy to get above it again.

Just then, Pei Mianman brought out her owl zun (a type of ancient bronze vessel). The owl zun quickly enlarged, spinning rapidly and whistling towards them, just in time to block the Guman Thong's giant hand. Zu An seized the opportunity to regulate his vital energy. Pushing off the Guman Thong with his toes, he leaped onto its head.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiang was greatly alarmed. She waved her hand, and countless phantoms from the surroundings swarmed towards him. Zu An snorted, activating the Qi of Primordial Chaos. The long sword in his hand glowed brightly, and the phantoms melted away upon contact, like ice meeting fire.

Jiang Jiang raised a hand, and the jade cong radiated light, conjuring countless blue light arrows around her. With a flick of her finger, a volley of arrows shot towards Zu An. The Dongyi people were indeed skilled archers, living up to their reputation. Yet, Jiang Jiang showed no joy, for although the arrows struck their target, the figure shattered into light and shadow—it was merely an illusion.

As she was about to use another ability, her body suddenly stiffened. A long sword was already held against her neck. Zu An had used his "Sunflower Phantom" movement technique, instantly circling behind her.

Jiang Jiang spoke with difficulty, "Why did you spare me?" Although the sword only touched her, the terrifying white light radiating from it caused a burning pain, and she was already sustaining irreversible damage. If the sword had pierced her, she would likely have died instantly.

Zu An glanced at her, sighing, "You are a pitiable person to begin with. How could I add fuel to the fire and make your life even more miserable? My companions and I are not merchants; we only carry their aura because we participated in their trial." He could have killed her to end everything, but he recalled how this young girl was captured by the Shang Dynasty, cruelly sacrificed as a human offering, her head even boiled in a pot, and how she had spent countless years alone in this sunless secret realm. Her existence was truly tragic to the extreme.

Hearing his words, Jiang Jiang's expression shifted, and the blood red in her eyes gradually receded, losing its previous madness. She whispered, "I'm sorry, I couldn't control my emotions just now."

"Deep-seated hatred in one's bones is normal," Zu An said, retracting his sword. The bitter enmity between the Shang and Dongyi people was indeed difficult to resolve.

Seeing him so easily release the sword, Jiang Jiang's face showed a hint of surprise. "Aren't you afraid I'll attack you again?"

Zu An shook his head, "I know you're not the kind of vengeful spirit filled with killing intent." In truth, he wasn't foolish; he was confident that the Qi of Primordial Chaos would restrain her, which was why he wasn't afraid of her turning hostile, though he couldn't put it that way.

Jiang Jiang fell silent. After a long pause, she said, "Thank you!" She gently patted the Guman Thong beneath her feet, and its massive size began to rapidly shrink, quickly returning to normal. Then, she raised her hand and casually waved it; the monstrous snakes retreated, the Bone Warriors returned to the burial pits, and the Guman Thong giggled as they departed. Zu An watched in amazement, wondering how she controlled them.

Jiang Jiang turned to Zu An, "Big brother, I want to bring peace to my people. Can you take me there?"

Zu An nodded. This was indeed what he had promised her earlier. Pei Mianman opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She actually had a hundred questions for Zu An, such as who the impossibly beautiful woman in white beside him was… However, she also sympathized with Jiang Jiang's plight and decided to resolve her matter first.

The group arrived before the previous high platform. Looking at the steps, Jiang Jiang sighed softly. Countless vengeful spirits seemed to sense something and rushed out, surrounding her, murmuring. Their previous fierce expressions now looked somewhat wronged and emotional. Jiang Jiang comforted them, then held out her hand. The jade cong slowly floated into the air, and she began to chant, bringing peace to her people.

Waves of gentle light spread from the jade cong. The vengeful spirits were bathed in it, their expressions becoming serene. One by one, they closed their eyes and transformed into countless specks of light, dispersing into the air. They had been confined there for ten thousand years, and today, they were finally set free.

After completing the ritual, Jiang Jiang turned and bowed to Zu An, "Thank you, big brother and big sister. Without your help, I could never have done this."

Zu An was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, "Your body..." Her body was flickering, as if it could dissipate into the wind at any moment.

Jiang Jiang smiled faintly, "The reason I have remained in this underground palace is to free my people. Now that my wish is fulfilled, I naturally must also find peace for myself. After living for so long, I am tired."

Zu An was silent. Her life had been truly tragic, and she had lived alone in the underground palace for so long. Any words of comfort seemed meaningless.

Jiang Jiang extended her hand, and the jade cong flew to Zu An. "This is our sacred artifact of the Dongyi. Big brother has helped us so much; I give this to you, so it does not remain here forever. You can control it like this..." After speaking, she completely transformed into countless specks of light and vanished into the air.

Pei Mianman's eyes reddened. "Jiang Jiang is so pitiful."

Zu An held her tightly, equally filled with emotion, speechless for a moment. They stood there for a very long time...

A gentle breeze swept by, and Pei Mianman suddenly caught a faint fragrance. She turned around and saw the beautiful woman in white standing quietly beside them, like Zu An's personal attendant. She finally couldn't help but ask, "Ah Zu, who is she?"

"She's my summoned creature..." Zu An explained roughly in a way she could understand.

Pei Mianman was astonished. "How amazing!" She had initially thought the woman was a confidante Zu An had found somewhere, but hearing she was merely a summoned creature, her previously tense mood instantly relaxed. Then she hurried to Daji's side to examine her, even poking her with a finger. "Oh, she's just like a real person."

The two women stood side by side, truly like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, each excelling in their own way, leaving Zu An utterly mesmerized. However, he was more surprised by something else: why was it fine for Pei Mianman to touch Daji so freely, while he had almost been slapped when he tried to get close to her?

"She is a real person," Zu An explained how Daji had lost her soul for various reasons.

Pei Mianman couldn't help but sigh. "There are so many pitiable people in this world. A woman of such heavenly beauty, I wonder what she went through to be reduced to someone else's puppet."

Zu An immediately protested, "What do you mean 'someone else'?"

Pei Mianman hummed, her face slightly flushed, "She's already pitiful enough; you're not allowed to do anything bad to her."

Zu An: "???"

"Am I that kind of person?"

"Don't you have any idea what kind of person you are?"

"Er, don't worry, even though I'm her master, I can only use her for combat. I can't get close to her..." He then demonstrated, making Pei Mianman burst into laughter, shaking like a flower branch in the wind. "You rascal, you clearly had bad intentions and already tried!"

"I just accidentally bumped into her," Zu An said, feeling guilty. "Stop laughing, I'll get angry if you keep laughing."

Seeing his frustrated expression, Pei Mianman stifled her laughter. "Alright, no more laughing. Does she have a name?"

"Daji."

"Daji?"

Seeing Pei Mianman's surprised expression, Zu An said with a wry smile, "She's the Daji you're thinking of. After her world was annihilated, she probably drifted in the river of time and was then summoned by me."

During their long time in the previous trial, Pei Mianman had heard Zu An mention many things about Daji, and naturally knew her story from history. She couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "She truly possesses beauty that can overthrow kingdoms. No wonder she's called a 'thousand-year fox spirit.'"

Suddenly, her face flushed, and she instinctively pinched Zu An. "I finally understand why you were so excited that night in the trial when you realized I was 'Daji'!"

Zu An: "..." To avoid being judged by her, Zu An recalled Daji while changing the subject. "Uh, we should probably leave the secret realm now."

Pei Mianman was startled. "Where did she go?"

Zu An explained, "She probably returned to a special space..." He didn't know how to describe it, but in short, he could summon her at any time. Additionally, if Daji sustained a certain level of injury, she would be forcibly returned to that space, where her body would slowly repair and recover, though that process was lengthy and primarily depended on the master providing medicinal treatment.

Pei Mianman finally understood. She then took out the owl zun and began communicating with the secret realm through it, preparing to leave. Zu An, meanwhile, touched the jade cong, which had transformed into a pattern on his wrist. He thought of Jiang Jiang's words before she vanished. This artifact was rumored to have the ability to communicate with ghosts and gods, primarily used for rituals. Of course, its more practical use was to control many unintelligent creatures, and even undead beings, just as Jiang Jiang had controlled the creatures in the underground palace to attack them.

Unlike Daji's Demonic Enchantment, which primarily caused targets to fall into confusion, this artifact could completely control certain creatures for one's own use, and the targets for both abilities were also somewhat different. Zu An considered it and felt that the jade cong's function was very similar to certain talent skills of a Druid in his previous life's games, allowing him to control many animals to follow commands. Compared to using it for combat, he felt its reconnaissance applications were even greater. One could easily imagine how terrifying it would be if ordinary small animals surrounding an enemy were his eyes and ears.

Hmm, what if, by accident, these small animals saw some women bathing... *cough, cough*, I am a respectable person, how could I use it that way!

As his thoughts drifted, Pei Mianman took his hand. "Alright!"

Suddenly, a teleportation portal appeared before them. Pei Mianman pulled him, and they resolutely walked out. After a moment of disorientation, their eyes were greeted by a bright light. The surroundings were no longer the gloomy underground palace, but instead, gentle breezes, birdsong, and the fragrance of flowers. Looking at the sun above and feeling the familiar vital energy in the air, they exchanged a smile. "We're finally back."

Pei Mianman suddenly felt nervous. "Ah Zu, the Emperor is still seeking you. Should we take this opportunity to hide? They'll just think you died in the secret realm. Once the Emperor passes away, you'll be safe."

Zu An shook his head. "Although everyone says the Emperor doesn't have many years left, he is, after all, the strongest person in the world. He can at least live another ten to eight years, and if he's lucky, perhaps even decades. Can I hide for that long?" He continued, "Besides, the fact that I possess the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' is already known throughout the world. It's better with the Emperor suppressing things; if he dies, I'll be in even greater danger. It's better to use this trip to the capital to resolve everything completely."

Pei Mianman pouted slightly. "You speak so grandly, but in reality, you just can't bear to leave Chuyan."

As she spoke, an awkwardness settled between them. In the secret realm, they could cast aside all inhibitions and act as husband and wife, but in the real world, there were many more concerns. Zu An gently held her hand. "Manman, I'm actually doing this for you too. Everyone saw you enter the secret realm with me. If I were to go into hiding, wouldn't that make it impossible for you to appear before everyone as well? You're not like me, alone; you have a family, relatives."

Pei Mianman thought of her mother, and her eyes reddened. She directly embraced him. "Ah Zu, you're so good."

As they embraced tenderly, a familiar cold chuckle soon came from nearby. "What a pair of lovesick fools. But you two ruined my grand plan; how will you compensate me?"

Zu An and Pei Mianman were startled. With their cultivation, they hadn't even detected someone nearby. Turning to look, their hearts immediately sank. A woman dressed in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe was coldly smirking at them. Who else could it be but the Mosquito Daoist?

Recalling how even so many masters combined had been so miserably defeated by the Mosquito Daoist, and now only the two of them remained, with the Mosquito Daoist's injuries fully healed and the oppressive feeling emanating from her even stronger than before, the two couldn't help but shiver. However, what was strange was that previously, the Mosquito Daoist had always exuded a gloomy and fierce aura, but now, a Buddhist radiance seemed to flow about her, adding a touch of solemn sanctity.

"Why are you here?" Zu An asked in a low voice.

The Mosquito Daoist snorted, "You just came out of the secret realm; naturally, I also came out of the secret realm. Hmph, it's a pity I didn't run into you two in there. Otherwise, I would have just killed you both, and it wouldn't have ruined my grand plan."

Seeing that she didn't even care about the "Phoenix Nirvana Sutra" anymore, Zu An couldn't help but be curious. "What grand plan did we ruin?"

The Mosquito Daoist gritted her teeth, the sanctity on her face instantly replaced by ferocity. "Originally, I was absorbing the Western Teaching's supreme spiritual treasure—the Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus. As long as I absorbed all of it, I would be supreme under heaven and earth. What Great Zhou Emperor, what Demon King, none of them would be my match. Unfortunately, I had only absorbed the Three-Grade Lotus Platform when you pulled me out of the secret realm!"

"What?" Zu An was instantly dumbfounded.

(Two chapters combined.)