[Yu He, the rebel general of the Southern Liang Dynasty: The Ghost General]
...
Further down, you'll find ghost soldiers and generals from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.
Jiang Liu subtly moved his fingers away, thinking to himself, "If the Tang Dynasty were to bestow titles upon ghosts and gods, how could they possibly use ghost generals from a hundred years ago? And even more so, traitors from the Liang Dynasty! The Liang Dynasty... if we follow the historical precedent of my previous life, was it the Hou Jing Rebellion? There's something wrong with these jars! Is this Mohist Jing Xuan also problematic?"
"Can I have this jar?" Jiang Liu asked tentatively.
The armored man shook his head and said in a cold voice, "This is the soul of a Tang Dynasty general. Naturally, you cannot take it away, not even with the general's order."
"Oh, I see! Then I'll pick some more!"
"I have other important matters to attend to. You'd better choose within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"
"Alright! Let's take this piece of wood struck by lightning!"
Jiang Liu took the lightning-struck wood and headed out of the tent. He wasn't sure if Mozi's Jing Xuan was problematic, but those jars were definitely suspicious. If it weren't for "The Vanished One" being able to see information about everything under heaven, absolutely no one would have discovered it.
"Li Jian is Li Jing's son, and he is absolutely loyal to the Tang Dynasty. I'll go find him!" Jiang Liu thought to himself, quickening his pace.
As I walked out of the supply depot, I looked up and saw a crescent moon, pale white like a skeleton.
"Guards, listen to my command! This man is a spy from the East Sea. Kill him immediately!"
Behind him, the armored man suddenly roared, pointing a dark, heavy iron sword at Jiang Liu.
Chapter 84 First Hearing of the Demon God (Bonus Chapter, Please Recommend)
As the army's military commander and in charge of the supply depot, the armored man's words immediately drew the attention of a dozen guards who thrust their spears at him without hesitation. Meanwhile, a guard not far away picked up a horn-shaped object from his waist, raised it, and blew on it, producing a deep and resonant sound that echoed throughout the entire camp.
"Damn it, you actually turned the tables on me..."
Jiang Liu, his eyes blazing with fury, rushed toward the armored man while shouting, "There's something wrong with this armored man! Quickly call General Li!"
However, Jiang Liu had only recently joined the army, so who knew him? These guards naturally only obeyed the armored man.
Jiang Liu's martial arts skills were already quite advanced, and in an instant he had already bypassed the soldiers' encirclement. Even so, these soldiers were able to remain calm despite their panic. The five guards shouted and stepped forward together, thrusting out their spears once again.
Five men, five spears, a single, ordinary thrust—the movements were identical, yet the angles of the thrusts varied, completely blocking out any blind spots. Clearly, their coordination was impeccable, the result of countless hours of practice.
The timing and force of the spear thrusts were meticulous, demonstrating the elite and formidable nature of the Tang army!
The art of battle emphasizes coordination, which is why Qi cultivators don't easily immerse themselves in the midst of a large army. After the five spears were thrust out, it appeared that four of them were aimed at empty space, with only the spear aimed directly at Jiang Liu's chest. However, in reality, these four seemingly empty spears completely blocked his dodge angles and escape routes.
Meanwhile, horns sounded continuously in the night sky, and a large army was already closing in.
Jiang Liu gritted his teeth. If the main army arrived, he would be utterly unable to defend himself. Only by exposing the true nature of these armored men and releasing the Southern Dynasty's vengeful spirits hidden within the jars could he have a sliver of hope. These soldiers were so well-trained and their reactions to the enemy were extraordinary; they were practically the elite of the elite. Unfortunately for them, they had encountered none other than Jiang Liu and Xie Chou!
Although Xie Chou didn't know what had happened, upon seeing the attack, he sneered as he faced the spear aimed at Jiang Liu and actually straightened his chest and forcefully pushed it forward!
Xie Chou's act of using his chest to block their spear was not unexpected for the guards. Monsters have strong bodies and it is not surprising that they can use their bodies to block weapons. However, these guards were also very fierce. Although they knew they were no match, they still gritted their teeth and thrust out their spears.
Sure enough, the guard's all-out thrust did not feel like it had pierced through flesh and ribs and then plunged into his chest cavity with unstoppable force. Instead, it felt as if it had struck a massive piece of steel.
With a loud "clang," the immense force of the recoil caused the guard to groan, and two-inch-long gashes were torn from the tiger's mouth of his hands, blood flowing freely, revealing even the bright red flesh beneath.
At this moment, where Xie Chou had been stabbed in the chest, his clothes were torn up, revealing the thick, black hair beneath, each hair as hard as steel wire. He was skilled in external martial arts, protected by his vital energy, and possessed the innate defensive abilities of the demon race, so he was naturally fearless.
However, if surrounded by a large army, exhausted, or stabbed in vital areas, then they would be unable to resist.
With the guard blocked by Xie Chou, Jiang Liu took the opportunity to leap over and rush straight at the armored man.
The "Thousand Birds" thrust straight at the armor, but it only produced a burst of sparks upon impact. Jiang Liu instantly changed his attack method, switching to the "Shock" technique.
This is a technique that can strike from a distance, and it is most effective against armored enemies.
But after a few punches, he discovered that there seemed to be no flesh inside the armor, and it was completely unaffected. On the contrary, the armored man was riddled with hidden traps, putting Jiang Liu in grave danger.
A ball of emerald green flame suddenly shot out from his palm. Had Jiang Liu not dodged in time, he would have been engulfed by the flame. The flame clung to the ground, burning for a long time, clearly possessing strong adhesion and high temperature.
"Jing Xuan!" The first to arrive was the Grand Master of Fate from the Yin-Yang School.
"The spy from the East China Sea, kill him immediately!"
As he spoke, the armored man slashed at Jiang Liu with his black greatsword. Gears inside the armor twisted, and with a single strike, the force of ten thousand jin was overwhelming. Jiang Liu dared not resist and could only deal with it cautiously.
"Capture it alive!" After saying this, the Grand Commander formed various hand seals with his blood-red hands, and a yin-yang energy emanated from between his palms, resembling a tai chi symbol. In an instant, ten thousand hand seals shot towards the water buffalo.
Jiang Liu was now speechless. Although he wanted to rush into the supply depot, he was restrained by the armored men, whose every move was deadly, so he could not succeed.
Surrounded by a large army, facing imminent danger, Jiang Liu gritted his teeth and had no choice but to fight desperately. He instantly activated the "Power of One Province" from the Nine Provinces Cauldron, which, although potentially causing further serious injury, was already beyond saving.
With a roar, blood spilled from the corner of Jiang Liu's mouth, while ripples of power emanated from his fist, resonating with the mountains and earth.
Immediately afterwards, the ripples of power began to materialize, and a faint rumbling sound came from the depths of the earth.
A punch of immense weight, possessing an aura of power that enemies cannot withstand!
Suddenly, it felt as if the whole world was shaking.
A punch landed squarely on the armored man's chest, and the incredibly strong armor instantly shattered with a series of "cracks," the explosion being utterly clean and complete, sending gears flying and steel fragments flying everywhere.
Jiang Liu was covered in blood, staring at the person in front of him with his bloodshot eyes.
A dark figure in front of them let out a painful roar, then rose into the air with a hundred-foot-tall ghostly aura, filled with eerie shadows.
After a long while, a wild and domineering voice finally rang out: "I never expected you to have such strength. I really underestimated you! My men, tonight we will have a hundred ghosts parade!"
All that could be heard from the supply depot was the sound of clay jars shattering, and one by one, ghost soldiers and ghost generals emerged and merged into the hundred-foot-tall ghostly aura.
"Ghost King Sect's Ghost Li? It's you! You've been hiding in the Mo family for over ten years, it seems this is what you've been waiting for!"
Li Jian, dressed in white robes, slowly walked out from the army, his bloodthirsty aura occupying half the sky behind him, resisting the soaring ghostly aura.
"Hahaha... Ten years ago, my Ghost King Sect was forced to leave the Central Plains by the Great Tang Dynasty. I never thought we would return in such a way! With the decree of the Styx Ancestor, my Ghost King Sect is both famous and powerful. Who in the Upper Realm dares to stop us! The Great Tang Dynasty is surrounded by enemies. The establishment of my Ghost Kingdom is an inevitable trend!"
Jiang Liu swallowed hard, utterly shocked. Although Xie Chou had been injured by the Great Master of Fate, he was still able to move. He carried Jiang Liu on his back and slowly retreated into the army.
According to what Jiang Liu learned from the novels he read in his previous life, this Styx Ancestor was one of the primordial demon gods, the creator of the Asura race, the leader of the Asura religion, and possessed the two supreme weapons, Yuan Tu and A Bi. He called himself the number one person below a saint. In this Journey to the West world where saints do not appear, he can be said to be invincible.
Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs!
Heaven and Earth are supremely benevolent, treating all things like straw dogs!
As you can see, among the six realms there are the Asura realm, the ghost realm, the animal realm, and the hell realm, which contend with the human realm and the heavenly realm.
Although the Heavenly Court controls the workings of Heaven and intends to promote humanity, the cycle of reincarnation means that all beings in the world—demons, monsters, ghosts, and humans—are equal, and thus it dares not interfere too much in the conflicts of the mortal realm. Immortals above the Earthly Immortal level cannot directly intervene in mortal conflicts; this is an ironclad rule, and no one dares to cross it.
The Heavenly Court dared not, the Buddhist sect dared not, and naturally, even the Styx Ancestor dared not!
Chapter 85 The Third Time Travel
"Holy crap! So he had this big shot backing him up, no wonder he was so arrogant! Alas! Thunder magic can defeat earth immortals and is especially effective against ghosts and evil spirits. Master, you died unjustly! Without a backer, you can't be the one who sticks out... The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind, the ancients were right!"
Jiang Liu gave a wry smile, and Xie Chou carried him quickly towards the outside of the battlefield.
"Da Niu, find a military tent, I need to heal my wounds!"
"good!"
He crawled into a large tent, gripped his Baxia axe, and stood guard outside the door, watching the battlefield, ready to flee this dangerous place at any moment.
Jiang Liu, trembling, reached into his storage space and grasped a mid-grade spirit stone. He had previously absorbed over a hundred spirit stones, just one step away from transmigrating. Now, having absorbed a few spirit stones, he had exceeded his limit, and the gate to transmigration opened uncontrollably.
Another massive bronze gate appeared before them.
In an instant, a dazzling light burst forth from the bronze gate, and energy surged like a torrent between the ancient and mysterious bronze gate, instantly forming a vortex.
Stepping inside, my vision was instantly filled with dazzling light, while my consciousness gradually blurred until I was completely lost in it...
Jiang Liu looked around. This world was in the late autumn and early winter season. The red leaves and persimmons all over the mountains were as bright and red as fire, reflecting the afterglow of the evening sun, like a fairyland.
Seeing that there was no danger around, Jiang Liu looked inward and said with a wry smile, "I am really badly injured! My foundation has been damaged. Although the 'Power of a Province' is strong, I can't use it too much. If I use it again, my physical body will collapse."
After swallowing a few pills and meditating for a while, Jiang Liu felt that he had recovered some of his strength before he began to look around.
"The spiritual energy is abundant, comparable to that of the Tang Dynasty in Journey to the West... Judging from the scenery, this place seems to be a blessed land. Since there is spiritual energy, there must be cultivators. My strength has not yet recovered, so I should be careful."
The sky was azure, the mountains were ablaze with red leaves, and there was no trace of modernity, so it was definitely not modern. As Jiang Liu was groping around, he suddenly saw a cave opening in the cliff face ahead, and from the opening came a small horse, only a little over a foot long, carrying a tiny person who was about seven or eight inches tall.
The little man saw Jiang Liu and looked surprised. Then he directed the little horse to run through the maple forest, trying to get away from him.
Jiang Liu was also stunned for a moment. Although he didn't know exactly what it was, he was certain that it was a spirit formed from a rare and precious treasure.
He was seriously injured and couldn't catch up. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared without a trace.
Jiang Liu wasn't in a hurry, so he settled down in this maple forest.
Three days later, his physical body had only recovered about 50%, and the damage to his foundation was beyond repair. During these three days, Jiang Liu cut the lightning-struck wood into talisman-sized pieces, inscribed them with lightning talismans, and prepared to capture the unknown little horse-man. Even without Jiang Liu's lightning magic control, the lightning talismans contained a weak lightning bolt, which could attack enemies within a certain range and have a temporary paralyzing effect.
Jiang Liu observed that the man and horse appeared in the maple forest every day, leaping and bounding about like the wind. It was almost impossible to capture them by force, so he gave up the idea early on to avoid alerting them.
But they often find these little people and horses climbing high cliffs, picking a fruit with a red stem and green skin that looks like a kumquat.
On this Maple Mountain, there are many exotic flowers and fruits, but this particular fruit is extremely rare.
Having figured out its activity range and habits, Jiang Liu prepared to set a trap. He searched the entire mountain for this fruit, then transplanted it, soil and all, to one place, and set up a minefield. Jiang Liu waited patiently, knowing that once someone entered the trap, there would be no way for them to escape.
As expected, Jiang Liu waited for two more days. Dozens of fruits with red stems and green skin, resembling kumquats, hung on the high cliff at the transplant site. Little people and little horses peeked out in front of the cliff, seemingly having made a discovery, but hesitated to move forward.
Ultimately, he couldn't resist his desires. He cautiously leaped towards the high cliff, his movements exceptionally agile, dodging all the lightning talismans he had set up. Then, he grabbed a fruit and began to eat it.
Jiang Liu transplanted all the plants from the mountain, clearly having been craving them these past few days.
Upon seeing that they had entered the hub, Jiang Liu was overjoyed. Suddenly, thunder roared from the ground, and eighteen thunder talismans instantly filled the area with lightning, engulfing the little man and horse.
Jiang Liu immediately rushed forward, only to see a flash of light, and the little horse carrying the little man turned into a white light and was about to escape. Seeing that the duck he had in his grasp was about to fly away, Jiang Liu naturally wouldn't let it go, and reached out to grab it.
Swift as lightning, a large hand instantly enveloped the horse. Seeing no way to escape, the little horse bucked, throwing the tiny person off its back. Jiang Liu scooped it up in mid-air, and the horse was like a fly stuck in glue, struggling to break free.
Without even taking a closer look, he grabbed it and stuffed it into the storage space. As for whether it lived or died in that chaotic space without air, Jiang Liu didn't care.
The little man had barely landed when, still reeling from the shock, he saw Jiang Liu rushing towards him with a ferocious expression. He then vanished without a trace by burrowing underground.
Jiang Liu was helpless and was about to give up when he discovered that the little man's skin was torn open by the lightning, and tiny, extremely fine drops of blood were dripping down onto the grass and trees. The blood was slightly green and had a pleasant fragrance.
"Heaven is on my side! As long as I follow this blood, I will surely find that villain." Jiang Liu immediately beamed with joy, took the little horse out of his storage space, and after a brief sensing, he was even more delighted.
Jiang Liu was in dire need of rare and precious treasures to heal his injuries, so he simply stuffed the little horse into his mouth. Without chewing it, it transformed into a clear stream that flowed into his internal organs, instantly making him feel refreshed and causing him to shiver.