Chapter 659: Go to hell, Spider Demon

During this great calamity faced by Great Zhen, Daoist Qingsong's divination skills allowed him to see far more clearly than Bai Ruo, and only slightly less clearly than Ji Yuan, who already understood many things. Therefore, he was very aware of the crisis Great Zhen was facing. The younger disciples at Yunshan Temple were still lacking in skill, and figures like Duke Qin, who transcended the usual meaning of cultivators, found it inconvenient to act, as it would break a certain unspoken agreement.

Although Daoist Qingsong was the master of Yunshan Temple, after seeing imperial notices from various regions and discerning the gravity of the situation, he felt duty-bound to descend the mountain immediately and rush north. Soon after arriving in Qizhou, he, who had been resting deeply on the mountain, felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy during the night, indicating someone was casting a spell. He sensed the opponent's technique was somewhat crude, with obvious traces of effort. Daoist Qingsong believed he could handle it, so he rushed over quickly.

Daoist Qingsong was surprised to encounter such a group of martial artists; two of them were unfathomable, and one possessed some kind of potent artifact. After giving the martial artists some protective talismans, he did not linger, but immediately pursued the demon further ahead.

Humming a tune, the elemental forces of wind and earth moved with him. As far and fast as Daoist Qingsong's song traveled, the distant gales gradually subsided with its coming. He didn't use any sophisticated spell to dispel the opponent's strong winds; he merely appeased the restless spiritual energy.

Ahead, amidst the strong winds, two black-robed figures flew with their feet not touching the ground, escaping as swiftly as the wind. This wasn't a sophisticated levitation technique, but their speed was not slow. However, Daoist Qingsong's speed on the ground was even faster.

Daoist Qingsong flicked his whisk and made a mystic gesture towards the sky.

"Starlight Guidance."

On this night, the previously hazy sky, where thin clouds had not dispersed, now seemed to have stronger starlight amidst the haze. Lines of starlight visible to Daoist Qingsong traced a clear path. This path extended to the far reaches of his sight, and in Daoist Qingsong's perception, the direction indicated by the starlight, combined with his calculations and supernatural ability, was precisely the escape route of the remaining two demons.

'You villains, you won't escape! I, Daoist Qingsong, have descended the mountain not seeking fame or glory, but the destiny of Great Zhen must be protected!'

"Whoosh, whoosh."

With a flick of his whisk, Daoist Qingsong directly cast its white strands towards the ground ahead. His fingers constantly formed mystic gestures, and starlight continuously gathered upon him. The threads of his whisk gradually transformed into the color of starlight.

"After studying the *Mysterious Transformation Heavenly Tome* for all these years, I've only refined this whisk into a worthy treasure. Tonight, I will surely take the lives of these two villains!"

The two Zuyue Kingdom army sorcerers, far ahead in the wind, had not actually heard Daoist Qingsong's singing from behind. It wasn't until the starlight grew bright that they sensed something was amiss. One of them looked up through the wind and sand at the sky, his expression subtly changing.

"The starlight has changed. Could someone be casting a spell? Is it aimed at us?"

"I also have an ominous premonition. Anyone who can manipulate celestial phenomena must have significant cultivation. Flee quickly!"

Both made mystic gestures and cast spells together. The strong wind, which had some degree of concealment, instantly became even wilder. It swept up sand, stones, and grass, forming a pitch-black area several tens of miles in radius, and continued to expand outwards. The two cultivators hiding within it rushed directly towards a distant mountain hollow.

Although this mountain hollow didn't signify much, it offered some psychological comfort as the two sides of the hollow were the actual control zones of the Zuyue and Great Zhen armies, respectively. Moreover, dark clouds covered the sky on the other side of the hollow, dimming the moonlight and starlight. The moment they crossed the mountain ridge, although they remained highly alert to what was behind them, they felt a slight easing of tension.

"Bang!"

A cluster of rocks on one side of the mountain suddenly exploded, from which white threads shot forth. Illuminated by the starlight, they resembled gleaming silver threads imbued with starlight, sweeping directly towards the two figures in the dark wind.

"Not good!" "Quick, dodge!"

The two quickly dodged, one to the left and one to the right, simultaneously emitting several beams of red light from their bodies. But the whisk's threads were longer than they appeared; although seemingly still over a hundred feet away, the two suddenly felt their lower bodies rapidly entangled, starting from their feet. Looking down, they saw faintly visible threads beneath the starlight.

"The opponent must be a spider demon! Use fire!"

"Wind and Fire manifest, ho!"

Whoosh...

Both cast their spells very quickly. One threw out a talisman, instantly igniting a blazing inferno at the end of the threads. The other directly flung countless yellow powders from his sleeve, which exploded with loud "booming" sounds upon contact with the threads.

Having caught up to the front of the mountain, Daoist Qingsong, with the demons less than a hundred *zhang* away, his eyebrow twitched, and he immediately erupted into curses.

"Damn your spider demon idea! I am a Daoist priest! You have no favorable conditions from heavenly timing, earthly advantage, or human harmony. The Big Dipper seals your fate; you shall surely die tonight! Come down!"

Daoist Qingsong yanked his whisk forcefully, and the two black-robed figures in the sky instantly felt a strong pulling force. The previous flames had no effect whatsoever on the starlight-infused threads. Looking back as they rapidly fell, they saw a Daoist priest, holding a whisk, rapidly approaching.

In the Great Zhen Northern Expedition Army's main camp, Du Changsheng's tent was next to Yin Chong's, while Old Marshal Mei She's tent was on the other side. This arrangement was to facilitate Du Changsheng's protection of these two most crucial generals in the Great Zhen Northern Expedition Army. And with the arrival of the Great Zhen Imperial Preceptor, some talented individuals who had previously pledged allegiance also sought to curry favor with Du Changsheng. Although the situation was unfavorable for Great Zhen, their interactions were still harmonious, and they managed to endure the current circumstances.

At this moment, Du Changsheng stood before his tent, looking up at the western night sky. Having served in the Bureau of Celestial Affairs for many years, he had learned some stargazing skills thanks to his cultivator's advantages, and with the benefit of his spiritual eye, he clearly sensed that something was amiss with the distant starry sky.

"Imperial Preceptor, have you discovered something?"

Du Changsheng turned to look at Yin Chong, who had emerged from his tent and approached him just moments before.

"Indeed. The starlight in that part of the night sky is exceptionally bright, definitely not a natural phenomenon. Someone must have cast a spell, causing the celestial phenomena to change."

Yin Chong frowned and asked in a low voice.

"Are they very powerful?"

Du Changsheng nodded slightly.

"Without even mentioning how powerful they are, at the very least, ordinary individuals don't possess such abilities!"

At least Du Changsheng himself knew he didn't possess that ability. It wasn't necessarily that his cultivation couldn't achieve it, but rather that anyone who *could* achieve it certainly had cultivation no less than his own.

The sky gradually brightened. Every night in the combat zone was difficult for the Northern Expedition Army soldiers, and Yin Chong was no exception. As soon as dawn broke, he donned his armor, carrying his twin halberds and sword, and personally led men to inspect various parts of the camp. At every vital point, he would have the responsible soldiers report on the previous day's situation.

Amidst the salutes, greetings, and respectful gazes of the surrounding soldiers, Yin Chong arrived at the tent responsible for recording patrol reports. Seeing Yin Chong approach, the scribe immediately came out to greet him. Without any complex formalities, he simply bowed slightly and spoke directly.

"General Yin, two patrol teams that were supposed to return this morning are missing. If they don't return by noon, we estimate a loss of a hundred soldiers."

Yin Chong remained calm and composed, asking indifferently.

"Northern scout patrols? Which two teams?"

Military generals were well aware of the daily patrol and defense situations, and Yin Chong, in particular, knew the status of every patrol team and who was leading them.

The scribe sighed and answered truthfully.

"Not from the north side, but from the south, behind our army. They are the teams led by Commanders Yao and Zhao."

Yin Chong's left hand, gripping his sword hilt, tightened. He remained silent for a few breaths, and only after a long pause did he sigh.

"What a pity!"

The scribe knew whom General Yin was referring to. Just a few days ago, General Yin had mentioned that Commander Yao possessed the talent of a general and was planning to observe him further before recommending him for promotion.

"General, there's no need to be overly concerned. Perhaps they were just delayed..."

Yin Chong glanced at the scribe and forced a slight smile.

"Perhaps."

He looked up towards the distant camp gate. In the morning light, dust kicked up by horse hooves drifted, suggesting a patrol team might actually be returning. He quickly walked towards the camp gate, but what became clearer in his sight was a group of roaming martial artists, approaching on horseback. Seeing this, Yin Chong immediately felt a slight disappointment, but his face remained impassive as he turned to inspect other areas.

Half an hour later, Wang Ke, along with Zuo Wuji and other martial artists, entered the Northern Expedition Army camp after a thorough interrogation. Seeing the strict organization within, the solemn military bearing, and a pervasive sense of severity, they immediately had a better impression of the army.

After they handed over the heads of the two demons, and a military Celestial Master confirmed them to be enemy sorcerers, the soldiers' respect for these martial artists surged. Their attitude towards them became very friendly, allowing Wang Ke to take Zuo Wuji and stroll around the camp within certain limits.

"Second Master, the Northern Expedition Army looks so formidable!"

"Of course. Only such military bearing is worthy of our Great Zhen Royal Army!"

As someone from the official bureaucracy, Wang Ke felt even greater pride seeing such military discipline. From a distance, he saw a person with an otherworldly demeanor walk past, accompanied by several disciples on either side, and immediately understood.

"Wuji, that must be our Great Zhen Imperial Preceptor."

Zuo Wuji looked up and saw the Imperial Preceptor suddenly turn and look at him. In that moment of slight surprise, he watched the Imperial Preceptor suddenly walk closer. However, Du Changsheng did not stop beside Wang Ke and Zuo Wuji. After merely nodding towards them, he hurried towards the camp gate.

Far outside the camp gate, a Daoist priest with a sword on his back was slowly approaching, holding a whisk in one hand and two severed heads in the other.