People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

Chapter 373 The Flying Bear Taoist Dies, the Great Shang Wins a Minor Victory in its First Battle!
Before the war began, at the border between the Shang and Xiqi allied forces, both sides built a tall city wall and set up a large number of formations to defend against the other side's attack.

By the time Daji, Shen Gongbao, Deng Chanyu, and others arrived with their army, the city wall had already vanished.

Even the land behind the city walls, spanning tens of millions of miles, has been reduced to ruins, with chaotic spiritual energy and damaged earth veins.

As for the dead, their number is countless!
The great calamity has only just begun, and the great Shang-Zhou formation has only just erupted, yet such a fierce war has already occurred, demonstrating the perilous nature of this great calamity.

Shen Gongbao and Daji did not react much to this situation.

One of them was a righteous god in the Heavenly Court, responsible for recruiting immortals and gods for many years.

In the beginning, the Heavenly Court did not have the influence it has now. The recruitment process inevitably produced some struggles, and they were used to life and death.

The other one was of extraordinary origin. Although he had not seen much of life and death, he was knowledgeable and had a firm belief in the Dao, so he was not easily moved by this.

But the human warriors like Deng Chanyu are different; they were basically born after the Lich War.

In fact, a large portion of them were born after the Nine Cauldrons Formation was set up. Their living environment was not exactly peaceful and prosperous, but it could be described as 'stable'. They had never seen such a tragic scene before.
They knew that war would inevitably involve sacrifices, and they knew how dangerous a great calamity would be, but they never imagined it would be this dangerous.

This is just the beginning, and the casualties on both sides are already so huge.

If this fighting continues, wouldn't most of the ley lines and cities that the human race has spent so many years and so much effort to cultivate be reduced to ruins?

As for the human casualties...

The number can only be described as countless!

"Ugh!"

Deng Chanyu sighed deeply, feeling helpless.

Now that things have come to this, how could these high-ranking officials of the Shang Dynasty not know that the nature of this Shang-Zhou War was no longer about the change of dynasties in the Nine Provinces, but about a trade dispute between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect?

If it is merely a change of dynasty, it is an internal matter of the human race. Even if external forces are invited to assist, the human ancestors of Fire Cloud Cave can restrain the battle between the two sides and control the scope of influence, so as not to cause too much damage.

However, when it comes to the doctrinal disputes between the Chan and Jie sects, there is probably a sage behind it all, so the words of Huoyun Cave are not so useful.

"Fortunately, the Nine Cauldrons Formation is still in place, otherwise the entire Nine Provinces would probably have been destroyed..."

Deng Chanyu looked up at the sky, gazing at the illusory bronze cauldron above, her heart filled with many emotions.

With the Nine Cauldrons Formation suppressing the Nine Provinces, all non-human beings, whether Golden Immortals, Great Luo Golden Immortals, or even Quasi-Saints, will be suppressed and unable to unleash their full strength.

Otherwise, the damage to this battlefield would likely have been even more severe.

"Let's go down and have a look!"

Daji's divine sense swept across the area, located the Shang army camp, and she led the way, flying downwards.

Among this group of people, Daji held the highest official position, serving as the Grand Preceptor of the Shang Dynasty. Her cultivation was also remarkable, having already reached the level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

In addition, during Daji's reign, she implemented many policies that benefited the human race and strengthened the connection between the human race and the Heavenly Court.

The human soldiers present did not resist her orders and all followed her as they flew downwards.

Shen Gongbao watched Daji's retreating figure, his gaze lingering for a moment on the red string on her wrist, and he vaguely began to guess about Daji's identity.

Because of Yang Xuan, there are many people from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan in the Heavenly Court. Even Tu Shan Nu Jiao, a Great Luo Golden Immortal of the Fox Clan, held a sinecure position in the Heavenly Court a few years ago.

Foxes who meet the requirements either serve in the Heavenly Court or work in the Underworld, making them the race with the closest ties to the Heavenly Court among all the races of the primordial world.

Although I had never seen a nine-tailed fox like Daji when I was in Heaven.

However, the fox clan is also a member of the demon clan, and due to the constraints of karma, there are only a handful of Taiyi Golden Immortals in the entire fox clan.

Considering Daji's image and her political achievements over the years, it seems that only one person fits the criteria.

"Speaking of which, Daji does indeed resemble her somewhat. If I remember correctly, the Emperor himself brought her to the Heavenly Court. The Emperor's schemes are indeed unfathomable..."

Shen Gongbao was filled with emotion; looking back now, he remembered it clearly.

Years ago, Yang Xuan was dressed in a bright red Taoist robe in the Heavenly Court, with a small white tiger perched on his head. He was accompanied by two girls, one big and one small, with a faint smile on his face. He was kind and approachable, without any airs.

This image left a deep impression on him.

Because of Yang Xuan, many righteous gods in the Heavenly Court regarded him as an idol and imitated his image. It was common to see immortals wearing bright red Taoist robes and with various mythical beasts on their heads.

In modern terms, the art style can be described as quite peculiar.

If left unchecked, this strange style of painting might be seen all over the ancient world.

Unfortunately, not long after, this matter was dealt a blow by Hyōbu Shōjin.

You think you can imitate the image of the Emperor?!

Later, the crimson Taoist robe became a forbidden item in the Heavenly Court, and no one except Yang Xuan was allowed to wear it in the Heavenly Court.

Once discovered, it won't be long before they receive orders from the Ministry of War to descend to the mortal realm and slay the evil spirits. As for whether they can return, that depends on fate.

However, immortals with various mythical beasts on their heads can still be seen everywhere. If you look closely, you will find that many statues of celestial gods have a mythical beast on their heads or shoulders.

These spirit beasts are either their mounts, spirit pets, or the forms of their true forms.

The Heavenly Court of today is not only more powerful than it was in later legends, but its image also seems quite different...

"Let's go too."

Shen Gongbao didn't think much of it and led a group of Jiejiao immortals to the military camp.

For immortals, building a house is simply a matter of supernatural power.

Although this military camp was built temporarily, it was fully equipped and well-organized, showing no signs of being rudimentary.

However, in the barracks, whether they were soldiers of the Shang Dynasty or immortals of the Jie Sect, their condition was not good; everyone was injured.

This outcome was once again beyond Deng Chanyu and the others' expectations. They never imagined that the Shang Dynasty would suffer such great losses in just the short time they had been traveling from Chaoge.

If it weren't for the first group of Jiejiao immortals arriving early to guard the border, the losses in this battle would probably have been even greater.

However, Deng Chanyu and the others were not too pessimistic. As long as it was not a one-sided outcome and both sides suffered casualties, it would not have a significant impact on the overall situation.

Afterwards, Deng Chanyu and Shen Gongbao summoned the immortals of the Jie Sect and the soldiers from the border to inquire about the specific details of the battle.

The good news is that Xiqi's situation is also not good; the damage is equally severe, even greater than that of the Shang Dynasty. Before the Ten Heavenly Kings and other second-batch Jiejiao immortals who came to the Nine Provinces reached the border, Xiqi's advantage lay in having more Grand Luo Golden Immortals assisting it from the Chanjiao.

However, the Chan Sect values ​​face above all else, and these immortals who have some connection with the Chan Sect and are destined to face tribulations for the Chan Sect are no exception.

It would be too shameful for them to lay a hand on beings below the Great Luo level; they simply couldn't bring themselves to do it.

Even if these Great Luo Golden Immortals were to make a move, it would only be against the Great Luo Golden Immortals of the Jie Sect, and the same would be true for the Taiyi Golden Immortals and Golden Immortals. It can be said that they were quite virtuous in their martial arts.

This is why, in the end, the Shang Dynasty gained the upper hand in this battle and successfully forced Xiqi to retreat.

More importantly, many high-ranking figures from Xiqi died in this battle.

Two of them were killed, causing the greatest impact.

One of them was Ji Shuqian, the younger brother of Boyi Kao and one of Ji Chang's hundred sons.

Over the years, Xiqi's reputation has grown greatly, and more and more people have come to flatter him, making Ji Shuqian's personality increasingly arrogant.

Furthermore, with the Great Tribulation approaching, and the Nine Provinces being the main battlefield of the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, the tribulation energy was the most concentrated. Ji Shuqian was slightly provoked by the generals of the Great Shang Dynasty, and then ventured alone deep into the enemy's territory.

The fighting was so swift that the Shang and Zhou forces were locked in a fierce battle at the time.

By the time Jiang Ziya discovered this, Ji Shuqian was already locked in a fierce battle with Feng Lin.

The former wielded a long staff, while the latter held a spiked club; each clash produced a fierce metallic sound.

Ji Shuqian was, after all, the son of Ji Chang. The resources, techniques, and supernatural powers he possessed for cultivation, as well as the spiritual treasures he held, were all of the highest quality among humans in the Nine Provinces.

After exchanging blows for more than ten rounds, Feng Lin gradually lost ground and fell into a disadvantageous position.

Seeing that he was about to win the first battle, Ji Shuqian thought that he would soon take the lead, kill this famous general of the Shang Dynasty, and greatly increase his fame. A look of pride gradually appeared on his face.

However, he had very little experience in combat, and perhaps due to the influence of the calamity energy, he was distracted at this crucial moment.

On the other hand, although Feng Lin's cultivation and spiritual treasures were inferior to Ji Shuqian's, he had rich combat experience and keenly sensed that Ji Shuqian was somewhat distracted. He immediately used his trump card.

He exhaled black smoke, which transformed into a large net. From within the net flew a precious pearl at incredible speed, striking Ji Shuqian directly in the face, damaging his primordial spirit and leaving him stunned in place.

In the end, Feng Lin smashed his head, and his fate was sealed on the spot. He became the first high-ranking figure in Xiqi to die in battle, which caused Xiqi's morale to drop significantly.

Fortunately, the battle was so intense that high-ranking generals of the Shang Dynasty soon died, so it was barely a draw.

However, the Shang Dynasty was stronger than Xiqi. As time went on, Xiqi gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. If this continued, Xiqi would definitely be the one to retreat.

Even if one is completely ignorant of military strategy, one knows the importance of winning the first battle, and the immortals of the Chan Sect naturally cannot just stand by and watch.

Seeing that Xiqi was showing signs of defeat, Jiang Ziya led a group of Chan Sect immortals to join the battle.

Although these Chan Sect immortals valued their reputation and there had been no instances of Great Luo Golden Immortals attacking Taiyi Golden Immortals, their arrival instantly tipped the scales of victory in Xiqi's favor.

It wasn't until the immortals of the Jie Sect joined the battle that the situation returned to a stalemate, with both sides fighting back and forth, neither able to gain the upper hand.

This continued for several years, with casualties on both sides increasing and the impact of the calamity on them growing stronger. Even the immortals of the Chan and Jie sects became somewhat bloodthirsty, and casualties began to appear.

Later on, both sides gradually made some unwise moves, such as fighting against multiple enemies and penetrating deep into enemy territory.

As such incidents increased, so did the number of casualties, with even immortals from the Jie Sect and Chan Sect suffering injuries and deaths.

After these immortals of the Jie Sect perished, they did not die like the human race. Instead, a wisp of their primordial spirit was protected by a divine light and disappeared, ending up on the Investiture of the Gods list, thus saving their lives.

The second important figure to fall in this battle was an immortal from the Chan Sect, the one who held the Heavenly Mandate List—

Jiang Ziya!
Although Jiang Ziya has been nurtured by Yuanshi Tianzun and has now reached the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal, his combat experience is almost non-existent.

In the past, there were few opportunities to make a move. Even when he encountered some dangers on his way to Xiqi, Jiang Ziya relied on his profound supernatural powers and powerful magic weapons to easily defeat his opponents.

The lack of combat experience was not apparent.

However, during the Shang-Zhou War, enemies were all around, including disciples of the Jie Sect, which greatly amplified the problem of insufficient combat experience.

In addition to the influence of the calamity, Jiang Ziya encountered several crises on the battlefield.

Fortunately, he was destined to be the one to hold the list, and with the protection of good fortune, he was often able to escape danger and turn the tables on his opponents.

However, good fortune is not a panacea. Moreover, Jiang Ziya was destined to face seven deaths and three calamities, meaning he could not escape danger every time.

Towards the end of this battle, Jiang Ziya, under the influence of the calamity's aura, became completely bloodthirsty and fought his way to Li Xingba, one of the Four Sages of Kowloon Island.

Although there were many immortals in the Jie Sect, of varying quality, even though Jiang Ziya lacked experience in combat, he relied on his profound supernatural powers and powerful spiritual treasures to defeat some Jie Sect immortals at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level.

Even a few Taiyi Golden Immortals from the Jie Sect perished at his hands.

The Four Saints of Kowloon Island are different. Although their fame in the Jie Sect is not as great as that of the Ten Heavenly Lords, their cultivation is among the top among the Taiyi Golden Immortals of the Jie Sect. They are among the group with the best chance of becoming Da Luo.

Moreover, they were righteous gods of the Heavenly Court, often accompanying the righteous gods of the Ministry of War to the mortal realm to kill evil spirits and maintain order. Their combat experience was far beyond what Jiang Ziya could match.

The outcome of Jiang Ziya facing off against Li Xingba is self-evident.

Even though Jiang Ziya's supernatural powers were passed down by the Primordial Heavenly Lord and were even more profound and extraordinary, Li Xingba gained a lot of merit after ascending to heaven, and his cultivation level improved further, which was incomparable to Jiang Ziya's. In addition, he had rich experience in combat.

In the end, after only a few exchanges, Li Xingba found an opportunity to unleash the Earth-Splitting Pearl, striking Jiang Ziya in the chest, severely injuring him and waking him up, making him realize that Li Xingba was not someone he could defeat.

Jiang Ziya dared not linger in battle and hastily used his escape technique to retreat.

However, the Four Saints of Kowloon Island always join forces to fight enemies. When you see one of them, the other three are definitely nearby.

Now that Jiang Ziya is seriously injured, even if the Four Sages of Nine Dragons Island don't know that he is the one who controls the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, they will not let this opportunity pass.

Just as Jiang Ziya was preparing to escape, Wang Mo suddenly summoned the Heaven-Opening Pearl, which flew behind Jiang Ziya's head and smashed his head, causing him to fall from the sky.

If the disciples of the Jie Sect didn't know Jiang Ziya's identity, how could the disciples of the Chan Sect not know?
Upon seeing this, they immediately came to their senses, and several Great Immortals simultaneously took action, carrying Jiang Ziya's corpse back to the Xiqi army camp.

Seeing the immortals of the Chan Sect retreat, the people of Xiqi dared not linger in battle and retreated one after another.

The Shang dynasty and the Jiejiao immortals did not pursue them; they had both expended considerable energy and it was time for them to rest.

With both sides retreating, the first battle between the Shang and Zhou dynasties ended with the death of Jiang Ziya and the Shang dynasty gaining a slight advantage.

However, Jiang Ziya was, after all, the one destined to be listed, and his spirit was not on the list after his death, so he could not simply die...

(End of this chapter)