Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"What are we afraid of? Where is the dignity of our Demon Clan?"

Lady Green Sparrow shouted sharply. Though a woman, her courage rivaled that of any man.

Call her reckless if you must, but her loyalty to the Demon Clan Heavenly Court commanded genuine respect.

However, she had already been captured by Li Mingzhu, who had no intention of killing her, or how else would she still be able to speak?

With a casual flick of his hand, a streak of blue light landed on Lady Green Sparrow, temporarily sealing her mana, and then he tossed her to Heavenly Silkworm and Little Zhu Xiong for safekeeping.

"Lady Green Sparrow is right! The Demon Clan Heavenly Court may have fallen, but our Demon Clan still exists. Are we really going to let ourselves be intimidated by some mere brat? Aren't you ashamed?"

The Wandering Sage Tongxuan stepped forward, shouting as well. While he appeared unremarkable, he was second only to Lady Green Sparrow in influence.

Now that Lady Green Sparrow was captured, it was naturally his duty to take the lead.

"Fellow Daoist Li, can this poor sage offer my allegiance once more?"

Ancestor East Wind quietly stepped out from the crowd, timidly pleading to Li Mingzhu.

He had seen Li Mingzhu's capabilities firsthand. A single move had subdued Lady Green Sparrow, leaving him with no illusions of escape. Thus, he opted to shift his allegiance again, like a leaf in the wind.

"Very well. I grant you permission to submit,"

Li Mingzhu replied with a faint smile. Though he disliked Ancestor East Wind's opportunistic nature, he acknowledged the contributions the latter had made in this matter.

Ancestor East Wind wasn't entirely aware of the role he played, but Li Mingzhu fully understood—he was like a minor version of Shen Gongbao.

Li Mingzhu wouldn't kill him, not when his public defection would deal a severe blow to the morale of Wandering Sage Tongxuan's camp.

"East Wind! Sigh!"

Wandering Sage Tongxuan wanted to rebuke him, but no words came to mind.

"And the rest of you?"

Li Mingzhu pressed on, advancing step by step. Beneath his feet, the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation surged fiercely. The Primordial Golden Bowl remained inactive, but its fiery red glow was deeply intimidating. The Great Demons feared being swept away in its power.

Before Wandering Sage Tongxuan could respond, Li Mingzhu formed a spell gesture with both hands—Yellow River, move!

The Nine Bends Yellow River churned, its waters reversing and surging upward in tide after relentless tide!

Those Great Demons with Daluo Golden Immortal-level cultivation could manage to hold out for now, but the lesser demons fared worse. A single sweep of the river sent them all tumbling down to the island, where they were captured by Heavenly Silkworm and Little Zhu Xiong.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the Demon Clan of the East Sea has done nothing to provoke you. Why press us so hard?"

Struggling against the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, Wandering Sage Tongxuan called out. To him, the aggression seemed entirely unnecessary.

"Indeed, there's no personal grudge. But the plans of this poor sage require your strength. That is all. Surely, as demons who have survived since the Witch-Demon Era, you must understand that might makes right?"

Li Mingzhu snorted coldly. "No talk of right or wrong—this simply had to be done."

"You're right, the strong rule the weak. Let's see if you truly have what it takes!"

"Brothers, form the formation!"

Wandering Sage Tongxuan shouted, and the eleven others behind him quickly rallied to form a great formation, their auras intertwining.

Vaguely, the roars of tigers and dragons could be heard, the galloping of white horses...

It was none other than the Twelve Zodiac Formation. Long ago, the Demon Clan Heavenly Court had established the twelve zodiac signs based on the Heavenly Stems, and thus this formation had been passed down. Who would've thought it would appear here today?

Li Mingzhu's expression turned serious. He glanced at Fu Yao, who instantly understood and fully activated the Primordial Golden Bowl.

What of the Twelve Zodiac Formation? Even the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had succumbed to the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation. What could be done with a formation, no matter how strong?

The Nine Bends Yellow River Formation alone was terrifying, but when combined with the Primordial Golden Bowl, its power surged to unimaginable heights!

Why could the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation deprive the Twelve Golden Immortals of their divine essence, immortal souls, physical forms, vital energies, and even their intrinsic celestial nature? Why could it strip them of their three flowers on the crown and five energies in the chest?

All thanks to the Primordial Golden Bowl. A flash of red light fell from the bowl into the Yellow River below, changing its previously murky waters to a vivid crimson.

The Three Talents stood firm, Primordial Qi surged, and under Li Mingzhu's control, the crimson river waters churned again.

The Twelve Zodiac Formation, led by Wandering Sage Tongxuan and composed of twelve Great Demons, appeared capable of conjuring a Chaos Deity but was ultimately just a hollow imitation.

It seemed to brush against the boundaries of the Quasi-Saint Realm but fell just short. Perhaps it was no weaker than the ill-fated Leng Ying who perished in this formation, but it was still insufficient to resist the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation.

Each surge of crimson river water drained a portion of the Chaos Deity's strength, and its attempts to counterattack floundered, not knowing where to direct its power.

If the Demon Clan had been at its peak, with twelve Quasi-Saints forming the Twelve Zodiac Formation, Li Mingzhu would have fled even with the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation. But formed with merely twelve Daluo Golden Immortals? Nothing to fear.

Water, soft and formless; water, firm and invincible!

The Nine Bends Yellow River Formation embodied water's essence to perfection. Each strike of the Chaos Deity conjured by the Twelve Zodiac Formation fell as though on cotton, utterly ineffective.

Breaking the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation required more than brute strength. With power comparable to Zhen Yuanzi, Kunpeng, or the River of Styx, or with the might of a Saint, one could shatter it with a single finger. Yet none here had that capability.

Otherwise, to break the formation, one had to target the Primordial Golden Bowl, the formation's core. Without destroying it, all attacks were futile.

"Yellow River of Nine Bends, transform into the Holy Sword! Flowing endlessly, Sword Intent reaches its zenith!"

With a mighty shout, Li Mingzhu leapt skyward. A streak of red light shot from the river, transforming into a crimson sword that he gripped tightly and slashed forward!

The crimson radiance cleaved through the Chaos Deity's form with ease. With a grand sweep of his sleeve, the river waters surged forth, transforming into divine dragons that subdued his foes one by one.

Their coordination flawless, Li Mingzhu and Fu Yao ensured that, aside from those already sworn into his alliance, every remaining member of the East Sea Demon Clan was captured alive.

A glorious victory indeed. On the plaza, every demon found themselves sealed, powerless, and unable to move.

"Someone from the Phoenix Clan is here, arriving from Nanli Volcano."

Just as Li Mingzhu prepared for a grand indoctrination, Fu Yao approached him quietly with this news.

"Nanli Volcano? The Phoenix Clan? Why have they come?"

Li Mingzhu frowned in confusion. Could it be for him?

Li Mingzhu's thoughts turned to Lady Green Sparrow. After all, the only individual here with any connection to the Phoenix Clan was her.

The Phoenix Clan had remained exceptionally low-key for years, their presence nearly invisible across the Primordial World. Completely hidden.

Yet now, they had suddenly appeared before him, leaving Li Mingzhu deep in thought.