Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

The battles between cultivators have little to do with mortals; no matter how intense the fighting is, it won't affect the large-scale battles between mortal armies.

Huang Feihu led all the garrison troops inside Jiepai Pass, including the cooks, and gathered a total of 25 men. The Xiqi side also had an army of 25.

As the two armies faced off, Huang Feihu immediately ordered his men to bring Nangong Shi up.

The monks from both the Chan Sect and the Western Sect were tied up, and no one came to rescue Nangong Shi.

Huang Feihu's personal guards kicked Nangong Shi in the back of the knee, and Nangong Shi fell to his knees with a thud.

"You traitors and rebels of Xiqi, watch closely! The fate of Nangong Shi today is your future! Execute him!"

At Huang Feihu's command, his personal guards raised their swords and slashed, beheading Nangong Shi in front of the Xiqi army.

Ji Shuang's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Nangong Shi was the vanguard general of the army that was attacking Shang, and he had been killed by Huang Feihu. This was a huge blow to the morale of the Xiqi side.

Ji Shuang was about to rush forward and fight to the death.

Jiang Ziya grabbed him and said, "Fifth Prince, don't be anxious. Huang Feihu's public killing of General Nangong may not be a bad thing for us. There are many loyal soldiers of General Nangong in our Xiqi army. The killing of General Nangong will surely boost the morale of these soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Ji Shuang turned around and indeed found that many soldiers in the army were gritting their teeth, looking as if they wished they could fight the Shang Dynasty to the death.

Of course, many soldiers were also pale and looked devastated by the execution of Nangong Shi.

"Strategist, what should we do now?"

"We have no other choice but to fight to the death!" After saying this, Jiang Ziya shouted loudly, "My soldiers, the fate of the Shang Dynasty is sealed, and destiny rests in Xiqi. Do not be afraid, charge with me! Whoever captures Huang Feihu alive will be enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households!"

The generals of Xiqi were greatly encouraged upon hearing this. Ji Shuang's eyes lit up when he saw this, and he drew his sword and roared, "All soldiers, follow me and charge!"

Huang Feihu, however, looked disdainful. Jiang Ziya had exhausted all his tricks in motivating soldiers with such methods.

Although the morale of the Xiqi army was temporarily high thanks to Jiang Ziya's encouragement, the shadow of Nangong Shi's execution still loomed over some soldiers, and their formation was somewhat unstable.

In Huang Feihu's view, Jiang Ziya's use of bestowing titles on soldiers to motivate them could only make the Xiqi army act bravely for a short time. Once their charge was blocked, the Xiqi side would surely be defeated.

As for Ji Shuang leading the charge, it was merely because he relied on his status as the Fifth Prince of Xiqi, thinking that no one would dare to kill him.

Huang Feihu snorted coldly and urged the Five-Colored Divine Ox forward.

When Ji Shuang saw that Huang Feihu dared to take the initiative to step forward, his face turned cold. He rushed over first, his long sword flashing coldly, pointing directly at Huang Feihu.

Ji Shuang roared, "Huang Feihu, you slaughtered my Xiqi general! Today I will take your head to avenge General Nangong!"

Seeing the Fifth Prince's bravery, the soldiers of Xiqi cheered him on, and the sound of drums shook the heavens.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Ziya ordered the archers to quickly form ranks, and arrows rained down on the Shang army.

Huang Feihu sneered and waved for the shield soldiers behind him to step forward. Their giant shields stood like walls, blocking the rain of arrows.

He patted the Five-Colored Divine Ox's rump, and the Five-Colored Divine Ox under his hind legs let out a low growl and strode forward to meet Ji Shuang.

The marshal personally led the charge, and the Shang army's war drums resounded. Spearmen followed behind shieldmen in square formations, advancing slowly and methodically.

Huang Feihu shouted, "Ji Shuang, you brat, you're still wet behind the ears, yet you dare to fight me? Today I'll show you the might of my Great Shang!"

"You think I'm afraid of you? Come and fight!"

The two commanders immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

At the same time, the armies of the Shang Dynasty and Xiqi began to clash, with shouts of battle shaking the heavens and the earth.

The Xiqi army sent cavalry forward in an attempt to break through the Shang army's formation, but Huang Feihu was prepared. The Shang army's elite cavalry on both flanks quickly surrounded them, cutting the Xiqi cavalry into several sections.

Jiang Ziya stood on the high slope behind him, his brows furrowed. He immediately ordered his soldiers to form a three-man formation, attempting to use the formation to mobilize their forces and stabilize the situation. However, the Shang army's offensive was relentless and relentlessly pressing forward.

The clash between Huang Feihu and Ji Shuang was particularly intense on the battlefield.

Ji Shuang's swordsmanship was swift and ruthless. Her sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning as she slashed towards Huang Feihu, aiming to finish the battle quickly and capture him.

Huang Feihu remained as steady as a mountain, his spear swirling, creating a series of shadowy strikes, each carrying immense force.

After more than ten rounds of fighting, Ji Shuang gradually felt overwhelmed, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Huang Feihu seized the opportunity and thrust his spear at Ji Shuang's mount. The white horse neighed and fell to the ground, and Ji Shuang rolled and landed, narrowly escaping being slashed by the soldiers of the Shang army who rushed up.

"Fifth Young Master!" someone in the Xiqi army exclaimed, but Ji Shuang gritted his teeth and got up, brandishing his long sword and glaring at Huang Feihu: "Huang Feihu, if you have the guts, fight me one-on-one!"

Huang Feihu laughed loudly: "A one-on-one duel? On the battlefield, the victor is king!" He waved his hand, and his personal guards swarmed forward, dozens of spears pointing directly at Ji Shuang.

Ji Shuang charged left and right, her sword flashing, and successively cut down several merchant soldiers, but her physical strength was nearing its limit.

Taking advantage of the situation, Huang Feihu urged the Five-Colored Divine Ox to charge forward, his spear like a dragon, aiming straight for Ji Shuang's chest.

Ji Shuang parried with his sword, but Huang Feihu unexpectedly changed his spear stance, the tip of the spear drawing a strange arc and piercing through Ji Shuang's right shoulder. He groaned and knelt on one knee, his battle robe stained with blood. The morale of the Xiqi army plummeted upon seeing this, and their formation began to fall into disarray.

Seeing the situation was dire, Jiang Ziya shouted, "Don't panic! The Fifth Prince hasn't lost yet! Hold your ground!"

Jiang Ziya tried his best to stabilize the army, but how could the Shang Dynasty miss this opportunity?

Zhang Guifang led his troops in a fierce attack amidst the chaos. The rear of the Xiqi army was scattered by the iron cavalry and routed.

Huang Feihu gave Ji Shuang no chance to breathe, and with a flick of his spear, he thrust it straight at Ji Shuang's throat.

Ji Shuang dodged to the side with all his might, but the tip of the spear grazed his neck, leaving a bloody mark. He staggered back, his eyes still filled with shock.

"Huang Feihu, do you dare to kill me? I am the son of Ji Chang, the former Marquis of Xibo, a nobleman. What right do you have to kill me?"

"Hahaha! You yourself said that you are the son of the former Marquis of Xibo. Where is the Marquis of Xibo now? Ji Shuang, your fate in Xiqi is over! Prepare to die!" After saying that, Huang Feihu shouted and urged the divine ox. His spear shot out like lightning. This time, Ji Shuang had no power to dodge. The spear tip pierced through his chest, and blood gushed out.

Ji Shuang died with her eyes wide open in resentment, unable to close them in peace.

Huang Feihu ignored him, raised his spear high, lifted Ji Shuang's corpse, and displayed it in front of the Xiqi army, shouting: "Xiqi traitors, your commander is dead, those who surrender will be spared!"

When the Xiqi army saw that Ji Shuang had been beheaded, their morale completely collapsed, and the soldiers threw down their armor and fled in all directions.

Jiang Ziya wanted to stabilize morale, but no one among the soldiers listened to him anymore. Helpless, Jiang Ziya could only lead his personal guards to retreat, taking the remnants of his army back to Sishui Pass.

Huang Feihu led the Shang army in pursuit, killing countless enemies, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield and blood staining the air. The Shang army's morale soared, and their advance pointed directly at Sishui Pass.

However, Huang Feihu did not immediately attack Sishui Pass. Instead, he sent Zhang Guifang with 5 troops to attack Qinglong Pass from both sides.

Then he ordered the remaining troops to rest nearby. The battle between the immortals was not over yet, and it would not be too late to attack Sishui Pass after everything had settled down.

Two days later, the battle between the cultivators came to an end.

In this battle, Wuyun Xian of the Jie Sect was slightly inferior to Maitreya and suffered minor injuries. Among the Ten Heavenly Kings, Bai Li, Sun Liang, and Wang Bian perished.

Bai Li and Sun Liang narrowly escaped death twice, but ultimately could not escape the fate of being listed.

The remaining three Heavenly Lords were also seriously injured, and Luo Xuan and Lü Yue's clones were also killed.

Despite paying such a high price, they successfully killed Huanglong Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals.

Now, seven of the Twelve Golden Immortals have left, leaving only Guangchengzi, Taiyi, Wenshu, Cihang, and Qinglianzi.

With the fall of Huanglong Zhenren, the remaining three Heavenly Lords were also freed from their tribulations, and the three were taken away directly by Tongtian Jiaozhu.

Aside from the three fallen Ten Heavenly Kings, the Golden Hoop Immortal was the most severely injured, but his achievements were extremely formidable. He faced the Black Bear Spirit of the Primordial Demon Clan. During the battle, the Golden Hoop Immortal risked serious injury to place his golden hoop on the Black Bear Spirit's head. With the golden hoop binding him, the Black Bear Spirit was actually subdued by the Golden Hoop Immortal.

At this point, the Golden Hoop Immortal could be considered to have a quasi-saint level guardian deity protecting the mountain.

Although the Golden Hoop Immortal subdued the Black Bear Spirit, he did not escape his tribulation. The Tongtian Sect Leader did not take him back, but only bestowed two drops of the Three Lights Divine Water upon Ma Sui to heal his injuries.

As for the last remaining battlefield between Zhao Gongming and Kunpeng, Zhao Gongming was no match for Kunpeng, but with the addition of Jinling Shengmu, Kunpeng was forced to retreat steadily and could only barely hold off the two by relying on his own extreme speed.

Unfortunately, even if Kunpeng could hold off the two, it would be meaningless. The disciples of the Western Sect and the Chan Sect were being defeated one after another, and the Shang Dynasty had already won this war.

"It's a pity we couldn't kill Ksitigarbha, Mahasthamaprapta, or one of the Golden Lotus Seeds," said the Holy Mother of Wudang with some regret.

"Junior sister, don't worry about it. These three have life-saving methods left behind by two Western sages. They're not so easy to kill," Daoist Duobao said with a smile.

"Indeed, among the disciples of the sages present, I'm afraid only True Man Huanglong doesn't have any life-saving methods given to him by the sages."

"So he was killed." The Golden Spirit Mother, who had just returned from the battle, said expressionlessly.

"Is Senior Sister angry because she failed to kill Kunpeng?" Wudang Holy Mother asked tentatively.

"Hmph! This Kunpeng is incredibly slippery, relying on its extreme speed. Junior Brother Zhao and I have tried every method, but we just can't catch up with it."

"Junior sister, don't be angry. This Kunpeng is not only difficult for you and Junior Brother Gongming to handle, but even Master might not be able to defeat it in the Chaos."

"Alas!" The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit sighed deeply.

"By the way, where is Senior Brother Zhao? Why hasn't he returned yet?" asked the Holy Mother Wudang.

“Junior Brother Zhao hasn’t given up yet! He is a Qingfeng in human form, using the White Lotus Escape Technique, and can barely keep up with Kunpeng.”

Duobao didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. He knew that although Zhao Gongming was no match for Kunpeng, Kunpeng wouldn't be able to defeat Zhao Gongming in a short time either.

Another day and night passed, and Zhao Gongming finally returned, looking helpless, clearly having been toyed with by Kunpeng for quite a while.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you're finally back! Huang Feihu is preparing to attack Sishui Pass," said the Holy Mother of Wudang with a smile.

"Attack Sishui Pass? Abandon Qinglong Pass?"

“Qinglong Pass has been captured. Zhang Guifang led 5 men and the soldiers who were left there before to attack from both sides and captured Qinglong Pass. Now there are no more concerns about the rear,” Jin Ling explained.

"I see. How many Xiqi troops are stationed at Sishui Pass?"

"Originally there were 5 men, and with the remnants who fled with Jiang Ziya this time, there are probably 7 to 8 men! Huang Feihu doesn't plan to wait for the army at Qinglong Pass. He told the soldiers at Qinglong Pass to rest and recuperate, and to attack Sishui Pass as soon as the army at Jiameng Pass arrives."

"There are 10 troops at Jiameng Pass, plus 15 troops under Huang Feihu's command, totaling 25 men. With a force difference of more than four times, taking Sishui Pass should be more than enough."

Indeed, the army at Jiameng Pass, led by Lu Xiong and Wu Wenhua, quickly joined forces with Huang Feihu. After a day of rest, the army set off to attack Sishui Pass.

Huang Feihu adopted the least costly method of siege, besieging the city for ten days. The Xiqi rebels at Sishui Pass had no rice or food and had no choice but to surrender.

Jiang Ziya, on the other hand, had already fled and returned to Xiqi.

Thus, the million-strong army of Xiqi was completely annihilated.

The Shang dynasty reclaimed all the lost territory.

On the Xiqi side, Ji Fa collapsed to the ground, his face ashen, upon learning of the annihilation of his million-strong army.

After a long silence, Ji Fa asked, trembling, "Prime Minister, how could this be? Doesn't our Xiqi have a million-strong army? Isn't it blessed by Heaven? Why, why did we lose?"

Jiang Ziya was speechless for a moment; he didn't know how to answer Ji Fa.

The Western Zhou side had the Chan Sect, the Western Sect, the Primordial Demon Clan, and the mortal guests who listened to the Dao at Zixiao Palace back then. So many powerful figures still lost. Jiang Ziya was also completely puzzled.

What puzzled Jiang Ziya even more was that his master, the Sage Yuqing, had clearly told him that destiny lay in Xiqi, and after the phoenix sang in Qishan, everything was already predetermined.

Jiang Ziya was doing his best to assist Xiqi as his master had instructed, so why did the army suffer a defeat?

"Prime Minister, is there still hope for Xiqi?" Ji Fa asked, trembling.

"Yes, definitely! My master once said that the Mandate of Heaven is in Xiqi, and the sage is absolutely right." Jiang Ziya's words seemed to be both self-comforting and comforting Ji Fa.

Upon hearing the words "sage," Ji Fa's expression gradually hardened. If the sage had said so, then Xiqi must have the mandate of heaven. The reason they had failed to conquer the Shang Dynasty was simply that the time was not yet ripe!

"Yes, the time is not right! Prime Minister, train another large army for me. I believe that this world will belong to Xiqi sooner or later."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

However, before Xiqi could regroup, the Shang Dynasty launched an attack. After Huang Feihu reported the news of the complete annihilation of the Xiqi army to Emperor Xin, Emperor Xin did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered an attack on Xiqi, to strike at the heart of the enemy and capture the bandit leader Ji Fa. For this purpose, he also sent the four generals of the Mo family and 20 troops to assist in the attack.

A month later, the Shang army had arrived outside Qishan, and the balance of power shifted from offense to defense.

(End of this chapter)