Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 525 Striving for Fifth Place and Aiming for Fourth
Since Zhang Guifang was executed, Xiqi enjoyed a period of peace.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived, another year has gone by.

However, as the prime minister, Jiang Ziya was never idle. Although he had the help of the three Li brothers and Ao Bing who came down the mountain, these people only knew magic arts and did not know how to train troops.

Therefore, these men were only suitable to be generals, and he still ordered Nangong Shiwuji to train the troops.

Furthermore, he also sensed from what the Four Saints of Kowloon Island, as well as Muzha and Jinzha, had told their master that... even greater trouble awaited him in the future.

The night is deep.

It was summer, and the weather was hot.

In the Xiqi Prime Minister's residence, Jiang Ziya, who was sitting at his desk in the study handling official business, stretched and got up to close the window.

He glanced towards the backyard and saw that the lights in the houses of his fellow disciples were off. He sighed, closed the windows, stood in the center of the house, took a deep breath, and started to stretch his limbs.

As he continued to throw punches, bursts of explosive sounds were produced...

There's nothing we can do about it; his fellow apprentices are all more skilled than him.

To maintain his image as an elder, he would only stretch his muscles late at night after the boys had gone to sleep.

At this time, in the backyard.

"It's starting! It's starting! Come and see, my martial uncle is practicing his fist techniques again!"

Nezha, who had climbed the tallest tree, looked at his shadow on the front window and called out to the others, "He always looks so frail, I didn't expect him to be so strong, huh?"

Because it was hot, everyone was cooling off in the courtyard. Some sat on the ground with their backs against the trees, while others lay on the roof.

These days, the group has become quite familiar with each other.

Mu Zha said, "No matter what, our Uncle-Master came down from Kunlun Mountain, so he is still our Uncle-Master."

Nezha flipped over, hooking his legs onto a tree branch, and laughed, "I can't say who was the most powerful among our seniors' generation, but as for who was the worst..."

"Third brother, you must not make fun of Uncle-Master Ziya. I heard from Master that Uncle-Master has poor aptitude and is not destined for the path of immortality, which is why Grandmaster bestowed upon him the great task of conferring gods."

Jinzha interrupted, "He's already adjusted his cultivation time to this late just to avoid embarrassing himself. Putting everything else aside, his spirit of hard work is something we should all learn from."

"It's boring!"

Nezha pouted, then suddenly became interested again: "By the way, who do you think is the most powerful among the second generation of the Chan Sect, in our master's generation?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Bing, Jinzha, and Muzha exchanged glances, all of them showing interest.

Everyone wants to say something, but no one wants to be the first to speak.

Mu Zha was the first to break the silence. He pondered and said, "I have heard my master mention that Guang Chengzi, Chi Jingzi, Yu Ding, and Dao Xing are the four with the best comprehension and cultivation among them. This has been praised and recognized by our grandmaster."

Ao Bing secretly raised his eyebrows. It was a bit pretentious for him to praise his own master, but it was incredibly satisfying to hear it from someone else.

Beier has face!
Jinzha nodded in agreement: "The strongest should be none other than these four, but I heard that Uncle Yuding previously..."

He glanced at Ao Bing but didn't say anything more.

"Pah! Your master just suffered a calamity, all of your masters suffered calamities..." Ao Bing cursed inwardly.

Although he knew his master was full of energy and vigor at the moment, he was still a little annoyed to hear this.

Nezha glanced at Ao Bing and tactfully changed the subject: "So, among our three generations of disciples, who do you think is the most powerful?"

Upon hearing this, Jinzha and Muzha exchanged a glance, then both looked at Ao Bing.

"Asking knowingly."

Jinzha said, "The first and second should be between Senior Brother Yang Jian and Senior Sister Longji."

No one uttered a word. Yang Jian and Long Ji were already Golden Immortals, and this fact had already been spread by their master and was considered common knowledge.

"I've got Yuquan Mountain covered, first, second, third, and fourth..." Ao Bing's eyes revealed a hint of pride.

Senior Brother Yuan Hong and Senior Brother Fei Peng have both entered the Golden Immortal realm, but he just can't say it out loud. It's so painful!

Originally, he was the weakest member of Yuquan Mountain besides Qingyun, on par with Senior Sister Yang Chan.

Guess what happened after we came down the mountain?

Hey, he found himself suddenly becoming the strongest fighter in Xiqi.

Qingyun is a True Immortal, he and Senior Sister Yang Chan are two Celestial Immortals, there are four Golden Immortals and an unfathomable master... Hiss, the lineup of his Yuquan Mountain lineage is simply terrifying.

Nezha glanced at Ao Bing and said with a grin, "And what about third place?"

Mu Zha pondered for a moment and said, "But I also heard Master say that Uncle-Master Daoxing has a disciple named Wei Hu, who entered the sect very early, has very high talent, and has profound cultivation..."

"Alright, there's no point in discussing this."

Ao Bing waved his hand: "It's getting late, I'm going to sleep. Everyone, get some rest."

Watching Ao Bing's retreating figure, the three Jinzha brothers, after some thoughtful consideration, dispersed and returned to their respective rooms.

"Wei Hu? I don't know him and I don't recognize him."

In the next room, Ao Bing, who claimed he was going to sleep, sat cross-legged, his eyes darting around. The only mountain peaks blocking his view were a few of his senior brothers and sisters.

Others... are not good enough for him.

Even his senior uncle works so hard at such an advanced age, how could he possibly slack off?

He has been at the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm for quite some time now, and his power is sufficient, but he is just a little bit away from breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm...

"Yang Jian, Long Ji, Ao Bing, Wei Hu..."

Nezha's lips twitched: "The competition among the third-generation disciples is so fierce, no way, I'll not just steam buns to save face, I can't let my master down, I have to..."

He suddenly froze, because he realized that he couldn't shake the first two, but the third, Ao Bing...

He suddenly felt a bit defensive and wanted to curse. How did Uncle Yu Ding teach these freaks?

So if we calculate it that way, wouldn't he only be able to secure a top-five finish and strive for a top-four finish?

Of course, his two brothers, Jinzha and Muzha, were not much better off than him at this time, as they were trying to calm their turbulent Dao hearts.

Maintaining a top-five finish and striving for fourth place became the unanimous goal of the three brothers.

go to bed?

Only useless Qi cultivators need to sleep.

Jiang Ziya was completely unaware of this. After a round of boxing, he felt his blood and qi surging like thunder, and he felt refreshed. Suddenly, a strange gust of wind blew open the window, and he saw Bai Jian, the God of Blessings, standing outside the arena, looking at him with some fear.

Jiang Ziya closed his eyes to calm his blood and qi, then picked up his outer garment and put it on, asking, "What is it?"

Bai Jian bowed and said, "Reporting to the Immortal, the Conferring God Platform has been completed and the Conferring God List can be displayed."

"Is it finished? Let me choose an auspicious day to hang the altar."

As Jiang Ziya spoke, he raised his hand to make a calculation, and suddenly his expression changed.

Bai Jian hurriedly asked, "Immortal, what's wrong?"

Jiang Ziya waved his hand: "It's alright, you may go."

Bai Jian bowed and disappeared into the darkness.

Once he left, Jiang Ziya's face showed horror, and he murmured, "Blood sacrifice..."

Somewhat disbelieving, he stepped forward, and instantly a mysterious magic array rose up, engulfing him entirely.

After a while, suddenly, he flew out of the magic circle, spitting blood, and crashed into the table on the ground, his face drained of color.

Jiang Ziya struggled to his feet, sat down against the wall, looked up at the sky with a bitter smile, and began to circulate his internal energy to heal his injuries.

The next day, a messenger came to the government office: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, there is a large army encamped on Mount Qi."

"Qishan, Qishan... Is this truly the will of Heaven, beyond human control?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head and ordered, "Order Nangong Shi to lead 5,000 troops to Qishan to set up camp, block the road, and prevent other troops from passing through."

This group of men was led by Lu Xiong, the general of Chentang Pass, who had come to attack after receiving the imperial edict.

The main hall of the Prime Minister's residence.

Wu Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Master..."

Jiang Ziya reprimanded, "How many times have I told you? There's no master-disciple relationship when we're discussing serious matters. What will the other generals think?"

Wu Ji quickly replied, "Yes, Prime Minister!"

Ao Bing, Jinzha, Muzha, and Nezha looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jiang Ziya then said, "None of you hold any official positions, so you don't need to concern yourselves with these matters."

Wu Ji: "..."

Jiang Ziya asked, "What do you want to say?"

Wu Ji said, "This humble general would like to say that it is the height of summer now, and the weather is extremely hot. They have traveled a long way and are already exhausted. They will not be able to fight us without resting for ten days or half a month. This is the perfect time for us to launch an attack."

Jiang Ziya waved his hand: "You and General Nangong set up camp opposite them, without attacking, and build a three-foot-high earthen platform behind the camp."

Upon hearing this, not only was Wu Ji surprised, but Ao Bing and the others also looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jiang Ziya shouted, "Why aren't you going yet?"

Helpless, Buji had no choice but to accept the order and leave.

Nezha asked in surprise, "Uncle-Master, why are you building an earthen platform?"

Jiang Ziya simply shook his head and sighed, unwilling to speak.

That night, Jiang Ziya brought a batch of supplies to the camp, which were cotton clothes and firewood. He ordered people to distribute them, while he himself, with disheveled hair and a sword in hand, went up to the platform, bowed to the sky, and then performed the ritual of chanting incantations.

In an instant, the night sky shifted, and soon rain and snow began to fall...

The next day, the entire Qishan Mountain was frozen solid. When Jiang Ziya led his men to the Shang camp, he found that almost all of the three armies had frozen to death.

He immediately ordered his men to rush to the main camp and capture the commander, Lu Xiong.

"Jiang Ziya, you old scoundrel, how dare you use such trickery in battle?"

Lu Xiong was bound tightly, but he was still defiant, his eyes wide with anger as he stared directly at Jiang Ziya.

"Who said you can't use Taoist magic, right?"

Jiang Ziya sighed, "General Lu, it's been a long time."

Lu Xiong angrily said, "Jiang Ziya, when you first entered the court as an official, serving as a minister of the Shang dynasty, the king and the prime minister treated you well. How dare you defect to Xiqi and rebel against the king?"

Jiang Ziya sighed and said, "Back then, I was framed by a treacherous concubine, and I couldn't prove my innocence, so I had no choice but to leave and find a way to survive."

The Shang dynasty's fate is sealed; the world is in chaos, and heroes are rising up everywhere. As the saying goes, those who understand the times are the heroes. Old general, do not make a mistake for yourself.

Lu Xiong angrily rebuked, "I eat the king's food and should die for the king. The only thing I can do is die. Even if I die, it's better than you, a treacherous man who betrays his master for personal gain. Why say more?"

Jiang Ziya knew there was no way to persuade him, so he shook his head and said, "Then I will borrow the old general's head for a while."

He immediately ordered his men to take Lu Xiong away, and then went up to the platform to use magic to melt the snow water from Qishan.

Of the 100,000 soldiers in the Yin Shang army, some died and some fled.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister... four or five thousand soldiers of the Yin Shang army have frozen to death, and the rest are fleeing towards the Five Passes. Should we pursue them?" Wu Ji came to report.

Five thousand… Jiang Ziya waved his hand and said, “Never mind that, go and invite King Wu here immediately!”

After Ji Fa arrived, Jiang Ziya ordered his men to kill Lu Xiong and use his head as a sacrifice at the Investiture of the Gods Platform. One of Lu Xiong's souls then went to the Investiture of the Gods Platform.

Jiang Ziya then bowed towards Mount Kunlun.

At this moment, on Penglai Island.

"Then it's settled, Senior Brother."

Wen Zhong smiled and said, "Please help Elder Lu Xiong, Senior Brother..."

Just then, a chill swept in, carrying a few leaves. Wen Zhong was slightly startled, calculated with his fingers, and suddenly stood up, angrily shouting, "Jiang Ziya!"

Yu Yuan asked in surprise, "What?"

Wen Zhong gritted his teeth and said, "General Lu was a master of military strategy, but he suffered because he didn't know the magic. Jiang Ziya used magic to make snow fall and freeze Qishan, which led to his defeat and death. I'm so angry!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan flew into a rage: "What kind of skill is it to bully mortals by relying on Taoist arts? If you want to compete, then compete with us."

"Senior brother, farewell. The Jade Void Sect members are bullying our Great Shang far too much by relying on their Taoist arts."

Wen Zhong stood up and shook his head, saying, "It seems that apart from me personally leading the western expedition, there is no one left in the Great Shang Dynasty who can be subdued."