Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 222 Bamboo Weaving as a Lure
The war drums at the east gate of Qiang City were gradually drowned out by the roars of the demon soldiers. Crouching in a clump of grass beneath the city wall, its paws tightly clutching the still-warm bear gall bladder, it watched Shen Anzhi's figure disappear completely into the black torrent of demon soldiers. Its round eyes were filled with bewilderment, its tail drooping listlessly on the ground. The sounds of battle and clashing weapons continued to echo behind it, but it seemed not to hear them. It turned and walked towards the back of Qiang City, each step heavy with deliberation.

"Orcs will never be slaves..." Tuan Tuan kept repeating the words her old friend Monkey had said, but Shen Anzhi's image kept flashing through her mind. In the bamboo forest, she saved the best bamboo shoots for herself; on the Shu Road, she shielded herself from the poisonous vines; just now, at the foot of the city wall, she held her mother's bear gall, tears falling onto it. She didn't understand why Shen Anzhi carried her mother's scent, why her old friend Monkey said humans were all liars, yet Shen Anzhi was willing to charge alone into a million demon soldiers for her friends.

Confusion, like a tangled mess, weighed heavily on Tutu's heart. It shook its head, trying to shake off these thoughts, but the more it thought about them, the more confused it became. It could only quicken its pace, heading away from the battlefield, as if by going far enough, it could escape these troubling problems.

At this moment, Shen Anzhi was fighting alone in the demon army formation. The Demon-Slaying Sword hummed in her hand, and the runes on its blade shone brightly. With each swing, she could kill several demon soldiers. As soon as the souls of those demon soldiers left their bodies, they were absorbed into the Demon-Slaying Sword. The dark patterns on the sword blade became deeper and deeper, and its power grew stronger and stronger.

Shen Anzhi could clearly feel that the Demon-Slaying Sword seemed particularly excited. A powerful force emanated from the sword and flowed into her body through her arm, making her almost unable to control her movements.

"Don't be impulsive..." Shen Anzhi gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing the restlessness of the Demon-Slaying Sword. She knew that once she was devoured by the sword's power, she would become a monster who only knew how to kill. At that time, she wouldn't be able to save her friends, let alone herself. She took a deep breath, poured her spiritual power into the sword, and gradually stabilized its momentum. She carved a bloody path through the demonic army formation and sped towards the direction of the Yellow Springs Valley.

From Qiang City to Huangquan Valley, Jianmen Pass is the only way through. When Shen Anzhi arrived at Jianmen Pass, she found that this treacherous pass was firmly occupied by demonic soldiers. The pass walls were covered with dark blue demonic soldiers, who held bows and arrows with eerie green demonic energy at the tips. However, not one of them charged down; they just stared at her intently, as if waiting for something.

"Oh no, they're trying to trap me here!" Shen Anzhi's heart tightened. Jianmen Pass was strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as the demon soldiers held the pass, it would be difficult for her to get through. Once the demon soldiers caught up, she would be caught in a situation where she was attacked from both sides.

At this critical moment, Shen Anzhi's hand suddenly touched the storage ring on her finger. Her eyes lit up as she remembered the gift the bamboo weaving old man had given her before he left in the bamboo forest: dozens of bamboo carvings of mythical beasts woven from thousand-year-old bamboo strips. These bamboo carvings were incredibly lifelike, depicting tigers, eagles, and cheetahs. Most amazingly, with just a trace of spiritual energy, they could transform into phantom images indistinguishable from real mythical beasts, enough to fool anyone.

"Got it." Shen Anzhi immediately stopped and took out the divine beast bamboo weavings from her storage ring. She quickly infused the bamboo weavings with spiritual power, and they grew larger and larger in her hands, transforming in the blink of an eye into more than a dozen majestic divine beast phantoms. A tiger roared and bared its fangs, an eagle spread its wings and circled in the air, while a cheetah lay on the ground, its sharp eyes fixed on the demon soldiers on the gate wall.

The demon soldiers on the gate were indeed attracted. They had never seen so many divine beasts before, and they all poked their heads out to look. Several fire-attribute demon soldiers couldn't resist and spit fireballs at the eagle phantom, but the fireballs passed through the phantom and hit nothing. Now, the demon soldiers were completely in chaos. They thought these divine beasts had come to support Shen Anzhi, and they rushed down from the gate and surrounded the phantom beasts. "Now!" Shen Anzhi seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of the demon soldiers' attention being drawn to the phantom beasts, she rushed towards the gate of Jianmen Pass like a swallow. She didn't stop, and soon rushed into the pass. She could even hear the angry curses of the demon soldiers behind her who were being held back by the phantom beasts.

"I should have asked the bamboo weaver to weave more!" Shen Anzhi cursed as he ran. These bamboo-woven mythical beasts did indeed play a significant role, but they also had obvious weaknesses—they were not durable. After several fire-attribute demon soldiers reacted, they spewed a large amount of flames at the tiger phantom, which was instantly engulfed by the flames and turned into a pile of charred bamboo strands that fell to the ground.

Shen Anzhi dared not look back and could only run forward desperately. She knew that the bamboo-woven divine beast wouldn't last long, and once the demon soldiers regained their senses, they would immediately catch up.

Sure enough, not long after, she heard the roars of demon soldiers behind her. When she turned around, she saw a dense swarm of demon soldiers rushing towards her. The demon soldiers on the city wall also opened the city gates and joined the pursuit.

"Damn it!" Shen Anzhi quickened her pace, the Demon-Slaying Sword in her hand slightly hot, as if urging her to leave as soon as possible. The passage inside Jianmen Pass was narrow, and if the demon soldiers caught up, it would be difficult for her to maneuver. She took a deep breath, channeling all her spiritual power into her feet, and her figure grew faster and faster, like a golden lightning bolt, darting through the passage.

The demonic soldiers behind her drew ever closer, their stench filling the air, their weapons brushing against her clothes. Shen Anzhi gritted her teeth, suddenly turned, and unleashed a golden slash from her demon-slaying sword, slaying the leading demonic soldiers and temporarily halting their pursuit. She seized the opportunity to accelerate again, finally breaking through to the other end of Jianmen Pass.

When Shen Anzhi ran out of Jianmen Pass, she was covered in sweat, and her arms ached from wielding the Demon-Slaying Sword for so long. She glanced back and saw that demon soldiers were still pouring out of the pass, chasing after her. The bamboo-woven divine beast in her hand had been completely destroyed by the demon soldiers, leaving only a few charred bamboo strands scattered on the ground.

"Thank goodness I made it..." Shen Anzhi gasped for breath, leaning against an old tree to rest. She knew that Jianmen Pass was only the first hurdle; the Imperial Pavilion awaited her next, and the demon soldiers' pursuit never ceased. But thinking of her friends trapped in Huangquan Valley, she immediately rallied, gripped her Demon-Slaying Sword, and headed towards the Imperial Pavilion.

Sunlight streamed through the clouds, illuminating Shen Anzhi and gilding her figure with a golden edge. Alone, she walked the road to the Valley of the Underworld, demon soldiers swarming behind her and unknown dangers looming ahead, yet her gaze remained resolute. As long as she had a breath left, she would never give up.