Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

The three Mo brothers were consumed by grief and anger with nowhere to release it. Now that Li Jing had tasked them with uprooting the demon's foundation, it aligned perfectly with their desires.

The three sped forward without rest, reaching Chessboard Mountain's Xuanyuan Temple in less than half a day.

They were about half a day's journey ahead of the Gao Ming and Gao Jue brothers. Should they have been delayed even slightly, they might have encountered them.

"Brother, why do I have this constant feeling of unease?"

On the way back to their lair, Gao Jue spoke with unease.

"You feel it too, brother? I have the same feeling. It's indescribable, like an impending catastrophe looming over us."

Gao Ming responded gravely. They knew such sensations didn't arise without reason—there had to be a cause.

Beings like them, with extraordinary spiritual senses, always had faith in such instincts.

"Forget it; let's not dwell on it. Once we get back to Chessboard Mountain, we brothers can focus on our cultivation in peace. Surely, no one will track us down there!"

Gao Ming sighed helplessly. They had initially thought their journey to the Mortal World might lead to wealth and power; little did they realize that in such a short time, even their Divine Skills would be damaged.

"Indeed, it's better to cultivate in peace!"

Gao Jue agreed. Both believed that there were forces under Li Jing targeting them, which only spurred them to hurry back to Chessboard Mountain.

Little did they know, Li Jing's approach was one of cutting weeds by eliminating the roots—rendering their dreams of peaceful cultivation mere folly.

Without their foundation and devoid of Spiritual Energy, how could they survive?

All wood and plant spirits are inherently tied to their foundational energy, which explains the rarity of such beings within the Demon Clan.

Compared to other types of spirits, the path of cultivation for wood and plant spirits is fraught with even greater peril.

However, the Heavenly Dao is always fair. Precisely because their path is difficult, once a wood or plant spirit succeeds in cultivation, their power far surpasses others.

Take for example the venerable Yang Mei Ancestor of Chaos Deities and Demons. Among the Three Thousand Chaos Deities, he ranked second only to Pangu.

Even Shi Chen, the master of the Time Law, was a notch below Yang Mei despite the supremacy of time over space in their respective laws.

The law of time may be superior to the law of space, but Yang Mei's inherent nature eclipsed that of Shi Chen.

But enough digression—back at Xuanyuan Temple within Chessboard Mountain, the three Mo brothers followed Wu Chen's instructions. They unearthed and burned the peach and willow tree roots, smashed the two clay figures serving as ghosts of the temple, thus severing the root of their Spiritual Energy. They then cloaked the camp in a heavy mist.

They went further to arrange numerous talismans to ensure absolute safety. The moment their meticulous preparations were completed, the Gao Ming and Gao Jue brothers—on their way back to their lair—transformed into two wisps of green smoke, formless and intangible.

Without the support of their physical forms, the two became as fragile as aimless ghosts, blown down by the mere wind.

They couldn't withstand the invasion of Yang Energy and were ultimately reduced to two True Spirits, ascending to the Investiture of the Gods. After accomplishing their task, the Mo brothers prepared to return and report to Li Jing.

As for the other contents of Xuanyuan Temple, the trio did not dare disturb them—this was a Holy Emperor Temple, and they dared not act recklessly.

"Marquis, though Gao Ming and Gao Jue are now slain, the crisis has not been resolved!"

In the main camp, Yin Shi sighed.

"Indeed, even without Gao Ming and Gao Jue, as long as Chong Houhu isn't a fool, he cannot possibly lose. Not to mention, we've just lost nearly a hundred thousand soldiers in battle."

Li Jing expressed his frustration. What had initially appeared to be a masterstroke of strategy was undone by the two anomalies, Gao Ming and Gao Jue, pushing him to the brink of total defeat.

Although it wasn't an outright defeat now, it wasn't far from it either.

"What is the Marquis' next move?"

Yin Shi cautiously probed. At this moment, Li Jing, as the commanding leader, had to present a clear plan.

"Pulling back to the North Sea is non-negotiable. However, with the morale of our troops so low, we must first secure a victory before we can proceed."

After a moment of thought, Li Jing responded.

"The Marquis is absolutely correct. This poor Daoist suggests a night raid on Canglan City!"

Wu Chen pushed open the tent flap with a smile as he entered.

He spoke truthfully, though it was uncertain if Li Jing had the audacity to execute such a plan.

"Daoist Wu, isn't that plan too risky?"

Yin Shi questioned. Canglan City still housed a defending force of 200,000, not to mention Zhang Guifang, a fearsome demon.

Should they fail to capture the city swiftly, the arrival of Chong Houhu's reinforcements would leave them with no chance at all.

"Do as the Daoist says. But whom should we appoint to lead the attack?"

Li Jing interjected, cutting off Yin Shi's concerns, and directly endorsed Wu Chen's suggestion while seeking further details.

"The solution has just arrived. Haha!"

Wu Chen laughed heartily and stepped outside the tent, just as Lei Zhenzi arrived.

Upon seeing Lei Zhenzi, Li Jing immediately understood that Wu Chen intended for him to lead the assault.

Although Lei Zhenzi still maintained the appearance of a teenager, his abilities were something Li Jing could unquestionably rely upon.

"Greetings, Marquis."

Lei Zhenzi entered the tent and saluted Li Jing.

"No need for formalities. The Mo brothers have suffered a crushing defeat, and surely, you've heard of it. Morale among our troops is at rock bottom, and we desperately need a victory. Thus, I entrust you to lead tonight's raid on Canglan City without fail!"

Li Jing wasted no words and promptly placed this heavy responsibility upon Lei Zhenzi's shoulders.

"Acknowledged! Lei Zhenzi will surely vanquish Canglan City!"

Lei Zhenzi responded resolutely. He, too, understood that now was the time for him to step up.

"Very well. However, be cautious. The defending general of Canglan City, Zhang Guifang, possesses an Abnormal Skill capable of dismounting riders. Mo Liqing himself was defeated by this technique."

Li Jing reminded him, aware that this was their only chance for a counterattack. Once Chong Houhu's forces arrived, they would be entirely on the defensive.

The possibility of launching another offensive would likely have to wait until Li Mingzhu emerged from seclusion.

"Understood!"

Lei Zhenzi responded and exited the tent to begin rallying the troops.

Meanwhile, Li Jing turned his attention to the myriad other tasks that required his leadership. As lord of a city and a military commander, his responsibilities were countless.

The night descended as expected, and whether it was luck or fate, there were neither stars nor moon in the sky tonight.

The dark, windy night was an opportune time for bloodshed.

Though Lei Zhenzi still appeared as a mere boy of ten, clad in black armor, his presence commanded immense authority, and no one dared defy him.

A critical aspect of leading troops is maintaining discipline, and Lei Zhenzi excelled in this, making his military governance exceptional.

With the heavens aiding their cause and Lei Zhenzi employing Illusion Technique Arrays, it was virtually impossible for his advancing forces to be detected.

Furthermore, Zhang Guifang, whether out of arrogance or carelessness, had arranged defenses that were shockingly lax.

Did he truly believe Li Jing had been so thoroughly cowed as to not dare strike back?

A united force of 200,000 troops is a fearsome sight, but if fragmented and disorganized, they are nothing more than frail chickens and dogs!