The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

The stench of blood had not yet dissipated in Majia Town when bursts of gunfire and cries of agony rang out from the mountains to the west.

Zhang Yulei wiped the blood from his sword, looked up at the sound, and a flash of crimson crossed his eyes. He had just killed three Japanese spies at the village entrance and rescued the bound villagers, thinking he could finally rest for a while, but he hadn't expected the Japanese pirates' henchmen to be so numerous.

"Senior brother, something's happened over there." Zhang Yulei said in a deep voice. The bloodstains on his black outfit were still wet, and the fabric made a soft rustling sound as he moved.

Zhang Zhiwei's folding fan was already closed, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white. He had maintained a calm and composed demeanor just moments before, but when the wailing pierced through the leaves and clearly reached his ears, his eyes, which usually held a hint of languid smile, instantly turned frosty. He looked up in the direction from which the gunshot had come, his thin lips parted slightly, and his voice was as cold as ice: "Go."

The two figures shot off like arrows, hurtling into the depths of the forest. The withered branches and leaves beneath their feet were whipped around by the strong wind, and along the way, there were scattered bullet casings and the corpses of villagers. Some of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, while others had bluish-purple faces, clearly victims of the evil magic of the Japanese sorcerers.

The deeper you go, the stronger the stench of blood becomes, and the more agonizing the cries grow.

After rounding a bend in the mountain, the scene before him caused Zhang Yulei's pupils to contract sharply, and a surge of anger rushed uncontrollably to his head.

In a wide valley, dozens of Japanese soldiers in yellow uniforms were holding guns, cornering over a hundred villagers. Their guns were pointed at the unarmed elderly, women, and children. Behind the Japanese soldiers stood seven strange Japanese figures in kimonos, holding samurai swords engraved with eerie runes, their faces bearing cruel smiles.

Even more chilling was the sight of a massive iron cauldron set up in the clearing in the center of the valley. Inside, a dark red liquid churned, emitting a nauseating stench. Several Japanese monsters were dragging villagers to the cauldron, slashing their necks and pouring their blood into it. Above the cauldron, hovered a gigantic spider shikigami, at least three zhang in length. The spider was entirely black, its eight legs covered in barbs, greedily sucking up the rising blood from the cauldron.

"Hahaha! The essence of these Chinese is indeed the best nourishment!" The leading Japanese freak laughed wildly, swinging his katana as another villager felled to the ground, blood splattering onto his kimono. "Once this Yamata no Spider shikigami fully matures, not only Jiangxi, but the entire Central Plains will be our Great Japanese Empire's possession!"

"brute!"

Zhang Yulei's eyes were bloodshot, his sword hummed, and he was about to rush forward and fight to the death.

But just then, a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

Zhang Yulei turned around and saw that Zhang Zhiwei's face was frighteningly calm, but deep in his eyes, thunder was brewing. He loosened his grip on the folding fan, slowly raised his right hand, and a wisp of golden energy quietly flowed between his fingertips.

"Junior Brother," Zhang Zhiwei's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority, "these scum are not worthy of your attention."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Zhiwei moved.

He didn't use the Shrinking Earth Technique; he simply took a step, and the air around him trembled violently. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and a powerful wave of golden energy surged from his body, instantly enveloping the entire valley.

"What is that?"

"Golden light?"

The Japanese soldiers and the Japanese strangers were stunned; they had never seen such a rich and pure golden light.

The next second, something even more horrifying happened.

Under Zhang Zhiwei's control, the golden light that filled the sky condensed into a golden whip that was a hundred feet long! The whip was covered with fine Dao patterns, and the tip of the whip was flashing with dazzling light, as if it could tear the heavens and the earth apart.

"Golden Light Mantra...transformation?" Zhang Yulei's pupils shrank suddenly, and his heart pounded wildly.

He had cultivated the Golden Light Mantra for many years and could transform golden light into shields and blades, but he couldn't even imagine Zhang Zhiwei condensing golden light into such a concrete and lethal whip. This was no simple technique, but the ultimate understanding of the Golden Light Mantra—the strength of a grandmaster!

"Baka! What kind of sorcery is this?!" The leader of the Japanese freaks' expressions changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, "Fire! Fire now!"

The Japanese soldiers seemed to wake from a dream, and they all raised their guns, aimed at Zhang Zhiwei, and pulled the triggers.

The dense bullets whistled towards Zhang Zhiwei, but the moment they touched the golden whip, they were shattered by an invisible force, without even causing a ripple.

Zhang Zhiwei remained expressionless, and then flicked his wrist slightly.

The hundred-foot-long whip, as if alive, lashed out at the Japanese soldiers with a whooshing sound.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound, like a thunderclap.

The dozen or so Japanese soldiers at the forefront were whipped into a bloody mist, leaving no trace of their bodies.

The remaining Japanese soldiers were terrified and turned to run away, but the golden whip seemed to have eyes, nimbly weaving through the air, and screams rose and fell wherever it passed.

In a short while, dozens of Japanese soldiers were all killed, and not one of them was able to escape from the valley.

"This...how is this possible?!"

The Japanese monsters trembled with fear as they stared at the golden whip that resembled the Grim Reaper, their eyes filled with terror.

The leader of the Japanese superhumans, barely suppressing his fear, shouted fiercely, "Attack together! Summon your shikigami! Kill him!"

Seven strange Japanese figures simultaneously raised their samurai swords and chanted eerie incantations. As they chanted, a chilling wind swept through the valley, and cracks appeared in the ground. From these cracks emerged several shikigami of various shapes and sizes: a three-headed, six-armed demon, a vicious dog engulfed in black flames, and a giant python spewing poisonous mist.

These shikigami were all fed with the blood essence of living people, making them extremely ferocious. As soon as they appeared, they pounced on Zhang Zhiwei, creating a stench and a terrifying aura.

Zhang Yulei gripped his sword, about to step forward to help, when he saw a cold smile curl up at the corner of Zhang Zhiwei's mouth.

He made a hand seal with his left hand and then suddenly swung his right hand.

"Thunder Magic!"

A soft shout echoed through the valley.

In an instant, dark clouds filled the sky, and lightning flashed and thunder roared. A thick bolt of golden lightning, like a giant dragon, swooped down from the clouds and struck the shikigami fiercely.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens, and lightning flashed.

Those ferocious shikigami were like paper before this lightning bolt, instantly pulverized without even a trace of ash.

This is not over yet.

Zhang Zhiwei changed his hand gestures again with his left hand, muttering incantations.

The clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, and the lightning became more and more frequent. Golden bolts of lightning fell like a curtain of rain, striking the Japanese foreigners.

"No--!"

The leading Japanese superhuman let out a desperate roar, trying to use his evil magic to resist, but the lightning was too fast and too powerful, and he simply couldn't withstand it.

A bolt of lightning struck his body, his kimono instantly burst into flames, and his body collapsed like charred charcoal, letting out a piercing scream.

The other Japanese oddballs were not spared either, all struck by lightning and turned into piles of charred remains.

The whole process took only a few breaths.

Dozens of Japanese soldiers, seven Japanese freaks, and several ferocious shikigami were all killed.

In the valley, only the iron pot still churning with dark red liquid remained, along with corpses and scorch marks scattered all over the ground.

Zhang Zhiwei slowly lowered his hand. The dark clouds and lightning in the sky gradually dissipated, and sunlight shone through the clouds onto him. He was still dressed in a blue robe, his clothes fluttering, as if the earth-shattering blow just now was nothing more than a casual gesture.

But Zhang Yulei's heart was pounding wildly.

He stared in awe at Zhang Zhiwei's retreating figure, the image of their sparring match at Longhu Mountain flashing through his mind six months ago.

At that time, he thought he could withstand thirty moves from Zhang Zhiwei because he was strong enough. But now he realized that it wasn't because he was strong, but because Zhang Zhiwei was letting him win!

The Golden Light Spell and Thunder Technique that Zhang Zhiwei just unleashed had reached a level of unparalleled mastery. The golden light could take on any form at will; the thunder technique drew upon the power of heaven and earth, its might boundless. With such strength, let alone thirty moves, even a single move might be too much for me to withstand!

Zhang Yulei's heart was filled with admiration and shame. He admired his senior brother's strength, and he was ashamed of his previous arrogance.

"Senior brother..." Zhang Yulei's voice was a little hoarse.

Zhang Zhiwei turned around, the frost on his face gradually fading, replaced by his usual calm and collected demeanor. He looked at Zhang Yulei and smiled, "What's wrong? Scared?"

Zhang Yulei nodded, then shook his head, and said in a deep voice, "Disciple understands. When we sparred on the mountain before, Senior Brother was always letting me win."

Zhang Zhiwei closed his folding fan and patted his shoulder: "Your talent is not bad, but you are too impatient and too aggressive. I've been lenient with you so that you can gradually understand on your own. Today, I'm showing you my strength to tell you that true power is not about killing, but about the ultimate understanding of the techniques and the adherence to one's true nature."

He paused, his gaze falling on the rescued villagers, his voice softening: "Look, these are the people we need to protect. Only by protecting them, by staying true to yourself, will your power not become a weapon that harms others and yourself."

Looking at the villagers kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and thanking them, and seeing the gratitude and awe in their eyes, Zhang Yulei felt a sudden sense of relief.

He had always believed that power was everything, and that killing was the only way to solve problems. But seeing Zhang Zhiwei's actions today, he realized that true strength lies in having compassion for all living beings and in using power to protect the weak.

"Disciple understands." Zhang Yulei bowed respectfully, the fierceness in his eyes gradually dissipating, replaced by a firm belief.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded with satisfaction, his gaze lingering on the distant horizon beyond the valley, his brow furrowing slightly: "There are probably more Japanese monsters in Jiangxi than just these. We need to speed things up and wipe out all these beasts as soon as possible, restoring peace to the people."

"Yes!" Zhang Yulei nodded emphatically, gripping his sword tightly.

The two turned and walked out of the valley.

The sunlight shone on them, casting long, long shadows.

Zhang Yulei followed behind Zhang Zhiwei, looking at his senior brother's tall and straight back, and secretly made a vow in his heart.

One day, I will definitely reach the same level as my senior brother, or even surpass him!

With the sword in my hand and with all my cultivation, I will protect the common people in this chaotic world and safeguard this beautiful land!

Shortly after they left, a dark figure quietly emerged from the depths of the valley.

The shadowy figure surveyed the charred remains and corpses scattered on the ground, a sinister glint in his eyes. He pulled a communicator from his pocket and whispered, "Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Yulei of Longhu Mountain are far stronger than anticipated. Requesting backup! Requesting backup!"

After saying that, the dark figure turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the mountains and forests.