Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

Li Mingzhu and Fu Yao left Beiming together. Along the way, the two did not use any special movement Divine Skills, yet with their profound cultivation, they were nearing North Sea City after only a day's journey.

"Watch out!"

Li Mingzhu suddenly shouted as she pulled Fu Yao backward. The previously calm waters of the North Sea suddenly erupted in crashing waves. Something was clearly about to emerge, and its target was none other than Fu Yao.

Pulling Fu Yao back, Li Mingzhu leaped forward, her Cheng Ying Sword in hand, and stood protectively in front of Fu Yao.

Although Fu Yao possessed the cultivation of a Golden Immortal at his peak, Li Mingzhu couldn't help but feel he was somewhat like a decorative pillow—flashy but useless. After all, her first impressions of a "pretty boy" were hard to dismiss.

Besides, wasn't it natural for the elder sibling to protect the younger one? After all, Fu Yao was here to follow her lead.

A whale as large as a mountain leapt from the sea, its enormous head smashing upwards. If Li Mingzhu hadn't dragged Fu Yao away in time, he would have been hit head-on.

Fu Yao felt truly aggrieved—he could've dodged it himself without her interference!

Li Mingzhu's Cheng Ying Sword released a radiant Sword Qi as she slashed toward the whale's massive head. Being a Holy Dao Slaughter Sword with power comparable to the finest-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, the Cheng Ying Sword could easily kill a cultivator at the True Immortal level—let alone this whale.

With a clean stroke, the sword fell, and so did the whale's head. Li Mingzhu killed it without hesitation—decisive and efficient.

But something was wrong. Li Mingzhu sensed danger. Even though the whale was dead, its massive body did not fall back into the sea.

Perhaps it wasn't fully dead yet, allowing it to remain suspended in mid-air. But Li Mingzhu felt it wasn't that simple—there was something inside the whale's belly.

"Who's there?"

Li Mingzhu bellowed as she slashed forward again with her Cheng Ying Sword, its immense Sword Light tearing through the sky.

"Not good!"

This time, it was truly not good. As Li Mingzhu sliced the whale completely apart, a Void Cage descended from the heavens!

Li Mingzhu suddenly understood—this was entirely a trap set for her. The Void Cage came so swiftly that there was no time to avoid it.

The Void Cage severed the surrounding space, enclosing Li Mingzhu within as if she had entered another world.

A black speck in the distance slowly approached. The figure wore white robes as pure as snow, their emaciated frame possessing an unnatural beauty—so beautiful, in fact, that one couldn't distinguish their gender.

"Who are you?"

Li Mingzhu glared at the figure that exuded an aura of extreme danger, asking in a low tone.

"The one who will kill you."

The voice was cold and sinister, as if it echoed from the Eighteen Layers of Hell itself. Yet there was still something androgynous about it, leaving one guessing.

"We'll see if you have the ability to back that up!"

Li Mingzhu gave a slight shake of her Cheng Ying Sword and charged at the white-robed figure. Given the immense pressure and the spatial confinement similar to the one used by Aoguang's bounded realm, Li Mingzhu dared not rely solely on Daoist Skills to face the enemy.

Besides, she had recently cultivated the "Domineering" technique, giving her confidence in both her physical power and close combat prowess.

Yet as Domineering crossed her mind, she felt a growing sense of dread. Her Spirit Communication Eye was malfunctioning! She couldn't see through the true nature of the white-robed figure or discern their origins.

"You think your physical body is invincible?"

The mysterious figure spoke again, their voice dripping with disdain as they mocked Li Mingzhu mercilessly.

"Let's find out!"

Li Mingzhu activated her mana, combining Domineering's Power Transmission Method with Shrinking Ground to Inches, reaching the figure in an instant.

The Cheng Ying Sword, swift and formless, unleashed a Sword Light as brilliant as the midday sun.

"A petty trick!"

Just as the Sword Light was about to strike the figure, they vanished. It was impossible to see how they disappeared.

"Whoosh!"

A deadly Sword Light appeared behind Li Mingzhu without warning. She turned sharply to see an exceptionally thin, flexible sword—delicate yet ethereal.

The sword was stunning, as was the Sword Light it emitted. But this strike was a sure-kill, aimed with ruthless precision at Li Mingzhu's temple.

Had this strike landed, Li Mingzhu would undoubtedly be dead.

The fact that she spotted the attack made it no easier to defend. Li Mingzhu dared not relax for a moment; the Treasure Lotus Lamp materialized above her head, rendering her uninvadable by all techniques.

A metallic clang rang out. The white-robed figure's fatal blow had actually shifted toward Li Mingzhu's throat as a feint. If not for the all-encompassing protection of the Treasure Lotus Lamp, she would've already suffered a grievous wound.

Having missed their mark, the white-robed figure disappeared once again—their classic move as a consummate assassin.

Here was a peak assassin. Li Mingzhu had heard tales of assassins in her past life but never expected to encounter one in the Primordial World.

Closing her eyes, Li Mingzhu concentrated fully, pushing her Spirit Communication Eye to its limits, hoping to enter its second stage: the Heart Eye Realm. Without achieving this, surviving today's assassination attempt seemed nearly impossible.

The flowing radiance of the Mixed Heavens Silk Ribbon, River Map and Luo Book, and Treasure Lotus Lamp enveloped Li Mingzhu in layers of light, holding back the assassin for now. But this defense couldn't last forever—her mana would eventually deplete.

Having witnessed the sharpness of the assassin's swordplay earlier, Li Mingzhu no longer dared to overestimate her physical strength. She knew that if a strike like that hit her, even her body, fortifying the fifth layer of the Nine Revolution Profound Skill, wouldn't withstand it.

The assassin was equally patient, biding their time. They searched meticulously for the slightest opening—Li Mingzhu knew that one moment of weakness would spell her doom in a thunderous strike.

This much was certain. Both Li Mingzhu and the assassin knew it.

What followed was a battle of patience. Li Mingzhu awaited the breakthrough of the Spirit Communication Eye, while the assassin waited for Li Mingzhu's mana to drain.

This assassin was a killing machine, honed exclusively to eliminate formidable opponents.

The essence of the Spirit Communication Eye lay in the words "Spirit Communication." All things in the world possess spirit, and this ability observed spirit to pierce through illusions and see the truth.

The first stage relied solely on observing through the physical body's Divine Powers. The second stage, however, required seeing through the heart, perceiving all spiritual essences.

There was a fundamental difference. If Li Mingzhu could attain the Heart Eye Realm, everything would change drastically.

Not only would the white-robed assassin be unable to hide, but the entire situation could be reversed. Though the assassin was powerful, should it come to open combat, Li Mingzhu wouldn't yield!