Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 236 The Sui Army's Buddha-like Spirit and Demon King's Might; The Azure Dragon Boosts the Morale of the Tang Warriors

As the sun rises, its rays bathe the earth.

Inside Dasanguan Pass, Wei Wentong waved his hand, and his personal guards immediately blew ox horns and beat chest drums. Soon the city gates were opened, the drawbridge was lowered, and 10,000 Sui soldiers left the city.

The remaining 20,000 Sui soldiers stayed behind to garrison the city within the pass.

Wei Wentong rode a magnificent chestnut mare and led 10,000 Sui soldiers in formation toward the Tang army camp.

This chestnut mare is a newly recruited demon king from the depths of the Qinling Mountains. She possesses the cultivation of the Five Qi Realm. Following the example of the Shang and Zhou dynasties' Investiture of the Gods, she has joined the Sui army, intending to seek immortality through human virtue and merit.

Great demons, demon kings, and even demon saints of the Three Realms cannot achieve immortality without being deified. This is because after the Heavenly Court took control of the Three Realms, it determined the lifespan of all living beings under heaven. According to their cultivation level, they would be subjected to tribulations. If they passed the tribulations, their lifespan would increase by a little; otherwise, they would die and their cultivation would be extinguished.

However, the tribulations are endless. Every time one breaks through a realm, a tribulation of lightning descends, and the power of the tribulation of lightning increases with the improvement of one's cultivation.

At first, it was alright, the power of the lightning tribulation was not too great and could be withstood, but the power of the lightning tribulation increased as time went on, and even with methods of avoidance and the protection of spiritual treasures, it was almost impossible to get through it.

Therefore, the monsters that originally hid deep in the mountains and forests took advantage of this change of dynasties in the human world to appear in the world and join the side that they believed had strong fortune and merit, so as to obtain a divine position and seek immortality.

No longer do you have to undergo tribulations every time you face a lifespan crisis.

The Little Mare Demon Queen is now in the late stage of the Five Qi Realm, and there is not much time left before she undergoes her tribulation. If she fails to pass this tribulation, she will likely exhaust her lifespan and die.

The little mare shuddered at the thought of the tribulation at the Fifth Qi Realm. Back when she was at the Dharma Realm Realm, she had barely managed to survive it, using every means at her disposal. This tribulation at the Fifth Qi Realm was several times more powerful than the one at the Dharma Realm Realm, and she had no confidence at all in surviving it.

Just as a new dynasty was changing in the human world, it had no choice but to descend the mountain and join the Sui army, which it believed was most likely to win, hoping to gain merit and virtue, and then be deified so that it would no longer have to undergo the tribulation of lightning.

The Heavenly Court has its own laws, so it can only bestow titles upon gods. Regardless of whether they are gods of incense offerings or gods of authority, they will no longer be subject to tribulations.

Of course, you must not do evil, lest you be plagued by bad karma.

The mare, relying on her magnificent steed in her natural form and her handsome appearance after transformation, served as the mount of Wei Wentong, the commander of the Sui army, day and night.

This way, one could gain merit without actually fighting, which made the other demon kings who came to join the army with it extremely envious.

Unfortunately, the other demon kings were either male or extremely ugly after transforming, and those who tried to imitate them all ended up looking like Dong Shi (a famous Chinese comedian known for her ugly appearance).

Wei Wentong patted the rump of the little mare he was sitting on, and the little mare, the Demon King, trotted towards the Tang army camp.

Without Wei Wentong needing to scold or whip her, the mare understood his intentions. Having acquired such a fine steed, Wei Wentong couldn't help but exclaim, "What a fine horse! What a wonderful ride!"

The little mare demon queen let out a soft neigh in response, her eyes revealing a hint of smugness as she glanced sideways at the other demon queens who had pledged allegiance to her.

These demon kings were even more envious.

They all cursed the slut in their hearts, thinking, "If you have this much energy, why don't you work yourself to death? This Wei Wentong is something else. He's never eaten fine food. This little mare may look beautiful in human form, but she's actually been a demon for a long time. She's been with countless stallions, donkeys, and mules in the mountains."

The little mare demon queen caught a glimpse of the other side out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but shiver.

The demon king who joined the Sui army this time was on the right side of the army formation, while on the left side were a group of guys who had died in previous battles but had been resurrected.

They are no longer human, ghost, or demon; they are monsters possessed by the divine will of a powerful being.

Each of them had a blank expression, a pale and ashen face, and only the whites of their eyes without pupils. They were dull and eerie, sending chills down one's spine.

His body emanated a deathly aura, mixed with Buddhist light; he was neither alive nor dead, truly a Buddha zombie.

"Stop, stand still—"

Ten thousand mortal Sui soldiers, along with more than ten demon kings and twenty Buddha zombies, led by Wei Wentong, stopped one mile in front of the Tang army camp.

"Beat the drums, challenge them to battle!"

At Wei Wentong's command, the messenger behind him waved a flag, and the drummers and strongmen in the formation immediately began to beat the cowhide war drums.

thump, thump, thump—

Inside the Tang army camp, Li Shimin was accompanied by Liu Qing's clone, Changsun Wuji, and behind him were the two generals, Mule Demon Mule Shixin, and Double Hammer Li Xuanba.

At this time, Li Shimin had already learned from the soldiers looking out from the hanging baskets that the Sui army had left Dasanguan and was coming to challenge them to battle.

Outside the camp, war drums thundered, but Li Shimin frowned and ignored them.

After a drumbeat, outside the camp, at Wei Wentong's signal, the Sui soldiers began to shout and curse: "Traitors, do you dare to come out and fight?"

"Li Shimin, you coward, you little brat!"

"Li Shimin, the traitor, is a shameless coward, as weak as a mouse. He doesn't dare to come out and fight. He might as well go home and suckle!"

Although Li Shimin found the Sui soldiers' shouts and curses unpleasant, he was not easily provoked or fooled.

He turned to look at Liu Qing's clone: ​​"Brother Liu, where is your real body right now? I saw you last night and you said you had some miscellaneous matters to attend to. Why haven't you returned yet?"

Liu Qing's clone smiled and said, "General, there is no need to worry. I am right here and I know the situation here. Just do as you please. I will deal with the monsters in the Sui army camp."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He immediately ordered: "Order the three armies to prepare for battle, form ranks, and march out of the camp to meet the enemy!"

Li Xuanba shook the golden hammer in his hand and shouted, "Second brother should have done this long ago! Today, let me kill to my heart's content!"

Mule Shixin also paused, brandishing his iron spear: "Haha, I'll go smash a few to death too, to vent the frustration I've been feeling these past few days."

Changsun Wuji, being a seasoned veteran, said upon hearing this, "Xuanba, Shixin, when you two lead your troops into battle later, you must not fight against the demon king and Buddha Jiang in the Sui army."

Since taking a concubine, the water demon Cao'er, Changsun Wuji has grown a beard and become more mature than before. He speaks and acts with great composure, and although Li Xuanba and Luo Shixin are impulsive, they listen to him.

Changsun Wuji then said to Luo Shixin's parents, Lu Shiheng and Sa Zilu, "You two must not leave the general's side later, and you must prioritize the general's safety in everything you do."

Donkey Shiheng cupped his hands in agreement, and the mare Sa Zilu also gave a soft neigh in response.

Subsequently, drums thundered in the Tang army camp, and 10,000 elite Tang soldiers lined up in battle formation.

Li Shimin rode on the back of Sa Zilu, with his bodyguard Lv Shiheng by his side, and behind him were Changsun Wuji, Liu Hongji, Yin Kaishan and other mortal warriors.

In front of him was another vanguard of a hundred men, led by Li Xuanba and Luo Shixin. The soldiers they led were all born with superhuman strength.

Meanwhile, Li Jing and Qiu Ran Ke, following the arrangements made by Li Shimin and Liu Qing's alter egos, went to Xia Ke Xing, Xiao Tuo Long, and Si Duan Xiao Ren to take command of 10,000 Jing River sailors, using them as a surprise force.

After Liu Qing's first avatar entered Jinghe, he selected the elite soldiers from the original Dawanhu naval forces and also stationed them in Jinghe. He also recruited a group from the surrendered local forces of Jinghe, recently training 10,000 sailors, who were going into battle for the first time today. In addition, as Li Shimin's central army moved out, the numerous avatars of river gods and ghostly beasts led by the first avatar, who had been placed in the north last night, also appeared at this time. The power of incense transformed into thick black clouds, obscuring the sunlight above, and pressed down on the Sui army.

Wei Wentong rode on the back of a mare, who was entirely chestnut red and called herself "Red Lady." Seeing that Wei Wentong was intimidated by the three armies of men, demons, and gods surging out of the Tang army camp, she couldn't help but speak up to comfort and explain.

"General, you have no fear of the enemy's mortal army, and as for the other naval and divine armies, there is even less to worry about."

"According to my investigation, the highest cultivation level among the river demon soldiers in the Tang army is only at the Refinement of Emptiness and Integration of Dao. Although there are many of them, even I can suppress them with a single hand."

"The army of the gods is led by a mere Dharma Realm cultivator, and the rest are mostly minor deities at the Divine Power Realm. Their Yin soldiers and soul beasts, though seemingly numerous, are insignificant."

“These river gods of the Tang army can be handed over to the local land and mountain gods in our camp to deal with.”

"Don't be fooled by the Tang army's imposing presence and the sheer number of the combined human, demon, and divine forces. They're nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs. Any one of our demon kings could easily suppress them!"

After the little mare demon queen, Red Lady, gave her an analysis, Wei Wentong felt much more at ease: "Red Lady, you have quite the tongue. It's no wonder this general dotes on you so much."

The Demon Queen, Hong Niangzi, hissed softly, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

Wei Wentong was about to give the order when suddenly a deafening dragon roar resounded from above the Tang army camp.

Looking quickly in the direction of the sound, they saw that, at some point, a hundred-foot-long azure dragon was coiling and winding above the Tang army camp.

The azure dragon soared through the clouds, whipped its tail to create wind, and roared with thunderous cries, instantly stirring up wind and clouds, creating a magnificent spectacle.

With a flash of divine power, the Azure Dragon transformed into human form, dressed in azure robes, with its hands behind its back, standing in the air.

"Brother Liu has arrived!"

"Haha, the Lord of the Manor has arrived! We've got this today!"

"Greetings, Grand Master of Waterways, River God, Great Dragon God Who Controls Clouds and Rain!"

In the Tang army, tens of thousands of river demon soldiers shouted in unison, their spirits soaring. The mortal Tang soldiers also wore joyful expressions, and their morale soared instantly.

These ordinary soldiers were recruited by Li Shimin from the surrounding areas of Chang'an. Liu Qing's human form resembled the divine statues manifested in the temples of various river gods, so they recognized him as Liu Qing at first glance.

Wei Wentong frowned again.

Holy crap, a Azure Dragon! What a terrifying and mysterious creature! Among my generals are only mountain spirits, tigers, leopards, and zombies that are neither alive nor dead. None of them can compare to the might of the Azure Dragon.

How should one deal with a dragon exhibiting such a powerful aura?

The Demon Queen, Hong Niangzi, chuckled: "General, you are truly a mortal with limited vision, frightened by the appearance of this dragon."

"Through my senses, I can tell that this dragon is merely at the late stage of the Dharma Realm."

"There are countless soldiers in our army who can suppress it!"

Wei Wentong slapped the horse's rump with annoyance: "You little hussy, I have never cultivated, how can I discern the cultivation level of a dragon?"

"Which of my men is willing to go into battle and slay that dragon in the Tang army camp?"

"Whoever slays this dragon will be awarded a minor merit!"

As chaos descended upon the human world, all sorts of demons and monsters emerged, and celestial deities descended to earth, joining the Sui Dynasty and various rebel armies, emulating the Shang and Zhou dynasties' system of bestowing titles upon gods.

Gradually, various rebel kings, as well as Emperor Yang Guang of Sui, all formulated reward and punishment measures specifically to deal with monsters and grass-root gods.

Each of these is a major achievement in the battle plan, which, after the battle, can result in being granted the title of a seventh-rank deity.

One meritorious deed in the battle plan will be rewarded with the title of Eighth Rank God after the battle.

In addition, a minor merit recorded before the battle will be awarded the title of Ninth-Rank Divine Official after the battle.

The titles and edicts here are all bestowed upon the gods of incense offerings; the gods of authority have no power over them.

The bestowal of titles upon the gods of incense offerings is nothing more than the consumption of their own fortune and faith. Compared to these demons and grass-root gods, the consumption of a little fortune is worthwhile.

However, the monsters or grass-root gods who joined various anti-king and anti-Sui forces, as well as those who protected the Sui Dynasty in suppressing rebellions, would only reluctantly accept the title of low-ranking subordinate god if they died in battle and only their demon souls remained. Most of them harbored ambitions and wanted to accumulate military merits to be granted the title of high-ranking righteous god.

When Sui general Wei Wentong offered a reward, it instantly made the great demons in the army envious. Although it was only a small merit, the other party was just a small dragon in the Dharma Realm.

The mere minor dragon in the Dharma Realm can be suppressed with a flick of the wrist. This minor skill is like something I picked up for free. I don't care about it, but it can be accumulated. Ten minor skills can be accumulated into a medium skill, and ten medium skills can be accumulated into a major skill. Although the merit is small, it cannot be wasted.

In an instant, several demon kings stepped out of the formation, ready to be ordered to suppress Liu Qing.

If it weren't for Wei Wentong's promise that riding her for a hundred days would earn her a small merit, the Demon Queen Hong Niangzi would have been willing to accept the order and go.

Well, riding for a hundred days will earn you one minor merit. If you convert that to days and nights, you'll get one minor merit in fifty days. Forget it, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'll just comfortably be ridden and win.

Among the demon kings, Wei Wentong remembered that when they first joined the cause, they each introduced their origins and backgrounds. Among them, there was a kestrel, a egret, and two golden eagles.

Those who dared to come out and compete for the mission were all flying demon kings.

Seeing that Liu Qing could fly through the clouds and soar through the sky, those who were walking and jumping on the road naturally wouldn't bother to come and compete for military orders.

Wei Wentong's gaze swept over the four bird demon kings. He did not choose the fastest flying falcon, nor did he select the golden eagle couple. Instead, he chose the egret demon king.

There was no other reason than that the Red Falcon Demon King was male, and the Golden Eagle couple could not tolerate a third party. Only this White Egret Demon King was a lone female. Although she was not as beautiful as the little mare Red Lady, she was still quite pretty.

Tired of the rich, meaty dishes at Hong Niangzi's restaurant, Wei Wentong wanted to switch to radishes and greens.

The White Egret Demon King smiled alluringly, then took a long stride, unfurled several feet of wings, and flew towards Liu Qing.

"You little demon, your great-aunt Bai Susu is here! Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to beg for mercy? What are you waiting for?"

"A mere demon at the Dharma Realm level is utterly courting death, daring to display its divine power before the battle!"

The White Egret Demon King's eyes held an indescribable contempt. He flapped his wings, releasing his demonic energy, and charged forward with overwhelming force.

Liu Qing frowned.

Damn it, why do all these monsters who came out of the deep mountains and forests look so arrogant?

The Tang soldiers have just shouted out your name, "Great Dragon God Who Controls Clouds and Rain," revealing your origins and background. Have you, female bird, never heard of your majesty's power?

How dare a mere demon king at the early stage of the Five Qi Realm come alone?
Even the City God of Xianyang, Yang Yong, wasn't as arrogant as you, and the Great King of Inspiration wasn't as fearless as you!
(End of this chapter)