The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 216 Breaking Through the Mountain and Exorcising the Demon
The probing conversation with Emperor Zhaode from afar was merely a digression to pass the time.

This did not affect the normal progress of Wang Wen's various plans to enter the city.

The seventh day of the second lunar month, two days before the Awakening of Insects.

Wang Wen gathered eight hundred elite demon soldiers from the two water palaces, appointed Bai Zimo as the commander-in-chief and Ao Qing as the deputy commander-in-chief, and set out to Toad Ridge in the Chaohu Lake area to subdue the evil demon Granny Willow Tree who was causing chaos among humans.

Eight hundred demon soldiers, riding a fierce demonic wind, clattered and pounded as they traversed mountains and valleys. Their arrogant and domineering manner resembled that of an old demon on patrol, frightening the mountain spirits and wild monsters along the way. They all cowered in fear, like ostriches burying their heads in the sand, desperately suppressing their aura and trembling deep within their caves, lest they invite disaster upon themselves...

When Bai Zimo, who was leading the way, came to report that they had arrived at Toad Ridge, Wang Wen, who was riding the Ink Qilin and standing in the middle of the eight hundred demon soldiers, opened his Dharma Eye and took a closer look. He saw that on the mountain ridge in front of him, which stood alone at the top of this mountain range and was shaped like a toad gazing at the moon, the intense demonic energy mixed with dark red baleful energy rose up like thick smoke as high as seven or eight stories high. Under the midday sun, there was no sign of it melting or dissipating.

'Overbearing arrogance? You're asking for death!'

Wang Wen was secretly furious. His Demon-Slaying General's Mansion had repeatedly issued orders strictly prohibiting mountain spirits and monsters from harming the people within its territory. This big willow tree not only dared to disobey his Demon-Slaying General's Mansion's orders, but also dared to openly plant a flag with evil energy.

Are they afraid that the mountain spirits and monsters passing by might not know that the demons on this mountain eat people?

What does it want to do?
Are you going to stick a club into Master Wang's eyeballs?

"General Bai, you will take command of the central army!"

Wang Wen immediately ordered: "General Ao, lead three hundred elite soldiers to challenge them!"

The two demons responded in unison, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Finally, the two demons exchanged a resentful glance and went their separate ways.

Bai Zimo ordered his crab generals to beat the drums. Amidst the majestic drumbeats, Ao Qing, clad in azure dragon-scale armor and wielding a heavy, dark steel spear, led three hundred elite demon soldiers into battle.

Before Ao Qing could even react, a phantom of a willow tree, as tall as a dozen stories, shot up into the sky above Toad Ridge. It violently shook its sky-covering branches and unleashed a furious roar from a primordial spirit whose gender was indistinguishable: "Little snake from Chaohu Lake, don't push your luck!"

Bai Zimo stepped forward from the main force, raising his eyebrows in triumph and laughing loudly, "You're not human, so what if I bully you?"

Having his thunder stolen by the one who had challenged him earlier, Ao Qing roared angrily and charged towards the willow tree in a streak of azure light, brandishing his spear: "You brainless idiot, open your dog eyes and see clearly, your grandpa is Ao Qing, the master of the Hongze Lake Water Palace!"

With a nimble movement, it charged forward with its spear, sweeping out a crescent-shaped burst of cyan energy that shattered the seventeen-story-tall phantom of the willow tree with a loud bang.

Just then, a dozen or so willow branches, like iron chains, suddenly shot out from the forest below, and with a loud, whip-like explosion, swept towards Ao Qing in mid-air.

Ao Qing brandished his spear, charging left and right through the dense willow branches, but his single spear was no match for more than a dozen hands, and he was quickly entangled by the branches.

In an instant, countless blue-faced, fanged, and disheveled demons and monsters roared and rushed out of the mountains and forests, brandishing rusty swords, spears, and halberds, and surrounded Ao Qing in a flash.

However, Ao Qing had charged too fiercely and displayed great power. His demon soldiers, as was their habit, stopped their battle tactics and raised their weapons from a distance, turning into atmosphere-building groups to provide emotional value to their king. As a result, they were caught off guard by the demons of Toad Ridge.

"Tsk..."

Bai Zimo, who was in charge of the central army, was not flustered when he saw this scene. Instead, he seized the opportunity to give Ao Qing a good talking-to: "General, this guy's spear skills are not up to par!"

Ao Qing used a spear, of course, because Wang Wen used a spear.

Not only Ao Qing, but also Bai Zimo, and Ao Lian, who recently arrived at the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, all used spears...

Bai Ziming's attempt to sow discord between Ao Qing and Bai Ziming can be translated as: "General, this fellow's feelings for you are not sincere!"

It's unclear whether Ao Qing over there overheard Bai Zimo's attempt to poison its eyes, or simply felt too embarrassed to be bound by a willow tree in front of everyone.

As soon as Bai Zimo finished speaking, a dragon's roar that pierced the clouds and split rocks came from Ao Qing's side. A dense blue light flashed, and Ao Qing, who was bound by willow branches, transformed into his true form. He was a blue dragon with a body length of more than five zhang, a waist thicker than a water bucket, a single horn on his head, three claws on his belly, and a strong fishy smell emanating from his body!

That fishy smell wasn't the nauseating stench of rotten seafood, but rather the sweet and pungent aroma of fresh, cooked seafood. It wasn't unpleasant at all; in fact, it had a mouthwatering quality that made your mouth water.

Upon regaining his true form, Ao Qing suddenly twisted his body, snapping half of the willow tree that bound him. Then, with a lightning-fast dragon tail swing, he easily tore the group of Toad Ridge mountain spirits and monsters that were swaggering around him to pieces.

The severed corpses of the mountain spirits and monsters that fell from the sky were all as smooth as mirrors, and many of the limbs and fragments only started bleeding after they hit the ground!

This is the true power of the Lord of Hongze Lake!
A detailed account of the various talented and extraordinary people Wang Wen had met.

If we consider the old zombie Zhi Baiqing and the peerless swordsman Zhang Yong as undisputed T0, then...

These two have never fought, and Wang Wen doesn't know who is stronger.

But it seems that it would be difficult for Zhang Yong to kill Zhi Baiqing, and it would also be difficult for Zhi Baiqing to kill Zhang Yong.

Below T0, Wang Wen, Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain, Hunkun Zhenren of Maoshan, and Jinping Zhenren of Gezao Mountain, who do not use cheats, can be ranked in T1.

At their level, there are differences in skill level, but there is no absolute distinction between strong and weak. To determine a winner, it depends on the environment, preparation, and who goes first.

If Wang Wen goes first, he can sweep T1 and be invincible.

However, if Zhang Tianshi, Hunkun Zhenren, and Jinping Zhenren were given enough time to prepare, Wang Wen would probably not even be able to get close to them without using any special abilities.

Below T1, the two demon kings, Ao Qing and Bai Zimo, who have already mastered their innate divine abilities, Wu Dingbang, the city god of Yangzhou, and the other innate martial artists and Xuanmen masters that Wang Wen has met can all be listed in the T2 tier.

However, Ao Qing should be among the top-ranked T2 members, while Bai Zimo is among the bottom-ranked members. This is determined by the two demons' local strength, and it will be difficult to narrow the gap in a short period of time.

Below T2 are the acquired martial artists of various sects, the geomancers of the Xuanmen, the great demons at the transformation level, the fierce ghosts that have condensed ghost domains, and the prominent figures of unorthodox sects like Granny Magu. All of these people can be included in T3.

Although they are only T3, these people are all mini-bosses in the context of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. They are extraordinary beings that ordinary people can only look up to, and powerful beings that make human wave tactics almost ineffective.

Below T3, all are considered weaklings.

Even the weakest T3 can single-handedly slaughter a large group of weaker T3 units like killing chickens.

As for the large willow tree in front of us, it appears to be a T2-level demon king. Weaker than Ao Qing, but stronger than Bai Zimo.

……

Ao Qing, revealing his true form, swayed his long body back and forth in mid-air several times before shaking off a shower of blood.

Then, Ao Qing, his eyes bloodshot with rage, roared and led his three hundred demon soldiers toward the lair of the great willow tree in the mountains below.

Seeing this, Bai Zimo feared that Ao Qing would take all the credit for the trip and lose points in Wang Wen's eyes. He immediately transformed into his white form and led three hundred demon soldiers out of the battle, rushing into the mountains and forests to join forces with Ao Qing to besiege the demons and monsters in the willow tree's lair.

Bai Zimo's true form was far smaller than Ao Qing's. It had a pair of bright red, transparent eyes like rubies, and snow-white scales that reflected silver light in the sunlight, giving it a delicate appearance. However, Wang Wen looked it over several times but couldn't find any trace of its dragon transformation.

Two large snakes, one green and one white, rushed into the forest, constantly moving and changing positions, strangling and killing the demons and monsters that rushed out, and crushing a large number of trees.

The large willow tree also grew its branches longer and thicker, waving them like hundreds of iron whips as it frantically attacked the two large snakes...

The two giant snakes protected their lesser demons and advanced steadily, but they still could not stop the overwhelming willow branches. Countless monsters from the two great water palaces were whipped into puffs of blood mist by the iron whip-like willow branches.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all sorts of broken corpses covered the hillside. Every crooked and fallen tree was hung with bloody internal organs. In a very short time, the blood soaked into every inch of soil, making it shockingly black!

The battle was incredibly fierce!

Just as the two giant snakes had carefully cleared away the surrounding demons and monsters, as well as the dense forest shrubs and other obstacles, and were gradually revealing the enormous willow tree that had become a forest by itself, thick, ferocious brown roots suddenly emerged from the blood-soaked soil around the willow tree, instantly stringing countless demon soldiers together into blood gourds!

Even Bai Zimo couldn't avoid it, and a tree root bit a hole the size of a washbasin right below his seven-inch mark!

"hiss!"

Bai Zimo winced in pain, spitting out his black forked tongue and letting out a sharp screech. Then, he leaped into the air above the big willow tree. His head, as big as a bucket, suddenly opened, revealing a huge, black mouth the size of a carriage. His throat spewed out thick, viscous black water like a waterfall, just like a fountain.

The black liquid was like concentrated sulfuric acid. As soon as it fell onto the lush green canopy of the big willow tree, the canopy made a hissing sound and a lot of black smoke rose up.

In the blink of an eye, the lush green canopy, which resembled a canopy, was corroded by Bai Zimo's black water, leaving large black scars that made it look like a tree contaminated by oil.

Wang Wen knew that this was Bai Zimo's innate divine ability: Xuanming Heavy Water!

The big willow tree, in pain, let out a deafening shriek, its massive body swaying violently, seemingly about to curl up into the mountainside.

Upon seeing this, Ao Qing, who was hiding from the black water in the mountains, immediately leaped up and down, using his two front paws to grip the two thick roots of the big willow tree despite the corrosive effect of the black water. He raised his head and let out a powerful roar that sounded like a lion's roar or a howl.

"Crack!"

A dazzling bolt of lightning, as thick as a water vat, struck down precisely into the crown of the large willow tree, instantly igniting a large burst of flames.

The giant willow tree let out another heart-wrenching scream of its primordial spirit, forcefully breaking the two roots that Ao Qing had held back. Its massive body suddenly plummeted halfway into the mountainside, leaving only its crown on the ground.

Seeing this, Wang Wen, who had been watching the battle from mid-air for a long time, knew it was his turn to show off!

He made a sword-finger gesture with his right hand, quickly chanted a few words, then pointed at Shanggang who had descended to the mortal realm and shouted angrily, "Hmph!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the sinking of the big willow tree stopped immediately. It felt as if the ground, which had been so comfortable just a moment ago, had suddenly become as hard as steel!
The dense canopy parted violently, and an old, resentful face emerged from the thick trunk, staring at Wang Wen who stood in mid-air, and shrieked, "Who are you? Grandma has no grudge against you, why do you want to harm me!"

"They don't even know who I am..."

Wang Wen sneered, "Who gave you the courage to plant a flag on my turf? Tear it down!"

Upon receiving the order, Ao Qing and Bai Zimo rushed forward, breaking off the dense canopy and thick roots of the large willow tree with a series of sharp cracks, much like a demolition crew entering the site.

The big willow tree kept howling and struggling desperately, waving its branches wildly, but it could neither break free from the earth-turning steel technique imposed by Wang Wen's Huangshan divine power, nor could it stop the two giant snakes that seemed to be destroying the house...

Before long, the two large snakes tore the dense canopy and roots of the big willow tree to pieces, and the willow tree's wailing grew weaker and weaker, and it looked like it was only on its last breath.

Seeing this, Wang Wen reached out and shot out a stream of true energy, striking the bronze gong not far away.

"clang……"

The two large snakes, which were happily destroying the house, stopped talking upon hearing the sound and looked up at Wang Wen in mid-air.

Wang Wen unleashed another burst of true energy and struck the gong.

Although the two giant snakes were unwilling, they still obeyed orders to gather their remaining demon soldiers and retreat to their main camp.

Ao Qing returned to mid-air, transforming into a handsome middle-aged man clad in blue armor. He crossed his arms unwillingly and said, "General, this demon is on its last breath. Why not take advantage of the situation and wipe it out completely?"

Bai Zimo, who had also transformed into human form, glanced at it, stepped forward respectfully, clasped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the general, this humble general Bai Zimo has returned to report!"

Ao Qing: 'Are you kidding me?!'

Wang Wen pretended not to see the two snakes' open and covert struggle, and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, you fought very bravely in this battle, you both deserve credit and rewards. As for the rest, let the Demon Suppression Guards of the General's Mansion handle the aftermath. They need such an opponent to practice on!"

He paused, then looked at Ao Qing, who was still unwilling to give up: "Speaking of which, although you fought very bravely in this battle, it also exposed a lot of problems. For example, Ao Qing... were these demon soldiers under your command here to watch you perform? You, as the general, charged into battle against the enemy, and they were just standing behind cheering. Is that appropriate?"

Ao Qing's unwilling expression froze, and he dared not utter a sound.

Wang Wen said in a deep voice without expression, "This is the first time I've discovered this problem, so I won't punish you. Go back and rectify it yourselves. If it happens again... If you like charging into battle alone so much, then come to the General's Mansion and become a fighting general. I'll replace you with a demon to become the master of the Hongze Lake Water Palace!"

The two snakes fell silent, like cicadas in winter, and responded in unison.

(End of this chapter)