Chapter 609: Miao

Shen Shuibi’s skill level was very balanced; balanced didn’t mean poor, it just meant she was an all-rounder.

She had no shortcomings in Daoist water, fire, or lightning techniques; all three were very powerful.

The Shui Bi Jade in her hand contained mountains and rivers, and was known as 'the Qi of clouds, mist, and haze, as if imbued with a luminous Aura.' (See Chapter 249 for details).

When the jade hairpin was slashed, it immediately shattered in her hand, and the Qi of clouds, mist, and haze, along with the water of the four seasons, surged out, transforming into flowing heavenly rivers in the Void Realm.

This was a water technique, harnessing the advantage of the terrain.

She took out the 'Three Suns' from beneath the great cauldron and threw them into the Void Realm.

The Three Suns rapidly expanded; this was a fire technique, influencing the timing of the heavens.

Finally, with this one slash, Yin and Yang combined, and water and fire merged, giving rise to lightning.

This was a lightning technique, a self-generated lightning within her body, harmonizing with the timing of the heavens and the advantage of the terrain.

As the lightning technique manifested, coupled with Shen Shuibi’s Divine Ability, a 'Lightning Pool' was artificially carved out near the Golden Dais!

In the Void Realm, seemingly infinite light surged, carving out a massive chasm spanning hundreds of millions of miles, where Yin transformed into thunder and excited Yang became lightning; thunder Dragons and lightning Serpents within it seemed resplendent and magnificent.

Reversing the extreme Yang into profound Yin, rising from a small mound of earth, a thunderous collapse of clouds descends; Yin and Yang intermingle, all things merge and draw from the same source, vast and formless, vibrating through the Void Realm, illuminating rooms through windows, dripping like a boiling cauldron, sounding like a galloping steed!

Just then, the phantom of the Human Dao Golden Dais solidified, and within the area surrounded by the Lightning Pool, an army of about one hundred thousand appeared.

One hundred thousand seemed like a small number, but this was the elite of the Human Dao! All of them were of the same caliber as the Yin army that had previously caught Li Qi’s attention, and there were ten times as many.

Even the five-rank officers leading them numbered a full six.

Five five-rank deputy generals, each commanding two armies, divided into five directions, then all reported to another five-rank general.

If Li Qi were here, he would know this was a typical Tang Nation siege configuration: five armies from five directions with a central commander, six five-rank officers, consisting of the General of the Flying Cavalry as the commander, and five deputy generals for the five directions.

That Tang Nation five-rank General of the Flying Cavalry, leading the one hundred thousand troops, glanced at the Lightning Pool before him.

He couldn't see through it; the person who set up the Lightning Pool had a higher cultivation level than him.

The Lightning Pool possessed the ability to obscure, as the classics say: “Thunder then covers the ears, lightning then covers the eyes,” which means thunder can block perception, making people cover their eyes and ears.

“The enemy was prepared, waiting at their leisure, and set up the Lightning Pool in advance. I fear there are other preparations behind it. Although we have one hundred thousand troops, we must not be careless. General Bai, you will be the vanguard and probe the Lightning Pool.” The General of the Flying Cavalry, positioned at the center, ordered.

Then, from among the armies of the five directions, the general of the Western Army, a deputy general, stood up and assented, then waved a signal flag, and the commander’s banner was raised, and the military Aura erupted with a roar! Protecting all the soldiers.

From ordinary soldiers, low-ranking squad leaders, to mid-level longshi, lurshi, canjunshi, bingcao, and then to deputy generals, finally reaching the general of the Western Army.

As the military Aura transmitted, the white helmets, white armor, and white breastplates of the soldiers shone with a metallic luster! The white bows, white arrows, white sabers, and white shields they held burst forth with the Qi of the Five Metals.

This was the true Qi of the Five Metals, far more complete than the Jin Qi (Metal Energy) of the outside world, which lacked 'silver.' This great Dao of Metal was clearly complete, and its power was several times stronger!

It was said that the Great Power who had just opened the Lightning Pool told them, 'How dare you cross the Lightning Pool by half a step?'

What a joke.

“All troops, listen to my command, break through the Lightning Pool!” General Bai personally raised the commander’s banner!

The Jin Qi (Metal Energy) could guide lightning and possessed a murderous Aura, making it most adept at dealing with lightning techniques and clearing a path for their brethren.

Two tens of thousands of troops set out, stepping into the Lightning Pool.

Then, within the Lightning Pool, a thunderous roar erupted! Countless bolts of lightning attacked in succession!

“Form up! Lightning Repelling Technique!” The orderly officer waved the command flag.

All the soldiers moved in perfect unison, as if they were one person; almost instantly, everyone began to circulate their military Qi at a specific frequency, coordinating their cultivation method and Qi with others.

This was very difficult; moving in unison was one thing, like everyone marching in step.

But to have even the Qi within their bodies in unison required their heartbeats and breathing to be perfectly synchronized, and the operation of their Inner World to have no gaps whatsoever.

In the current vanguard battle zone managed by the Shaman Dao, not a single army, even in five-rank worlds, could achieve this level. It required complete trust in comrades and absolute selflessness.

Under such coordinated conditions, the military Qi around them also began to change accordingly.

Lightning struck it.

Visibly, the lightning was dissipated, divided, and then guided into the Void Realm.

If Li Qi were here, he would probably widen his eyes and shout, “Faraday cage!”

The Formation before them was indeed a Faraday cage capable of dispatching and guiding all lightning! Through the perfectly uniform arrangement of Jin Qi (Metal Energy), all incoming lightning was channeled into the Void Realm!

However, even if Li Qi didn't come, Shen Shuibi recognized this thing; she didn't know what a Faraday cage was called, but she knew about Chiwen, Chiwei, and lightning rods.

Chiwen and Chiwei are decorative elements on buildings throughout the world, a type of 'flying eaves' that can ward off lightning and disaster.

Lightning rods are a type of lightning conductor, with the effect of suppressing Dragons and warding off lightning.

The Dao Sect even has a magnificent hall called the Lightning Fire Refining Hall, which is entirely constructed with this type of structure, and coupled with its extremely high essence, it can almost resist all lightning techniques.

Now, the Human Dao, using military Formations, simulated such methods to repel lightning, thus avoiding harm from the Lightning Pool.

If it were a natural Lightning Pool, they could naturally pass through it with ease.

But how could it be that simple?

Shen Shuibi naturally knew the power of this lightning-repelling technique. In fact, almost all types of spell techniques had corresponding countermeasures.

Lightning-repelling techniques, water-repelling techniques, fire-repelling techniques, and so on, were all common methods. Clearly, the Faraday cage before them was a type of lightning-repelling technique.

This was also a common situation in battles of Dao: one method would be countered by another, and then other counter-methods would be sought, forming a chain reaction.

It's just that, if a method is powerful, it's enough if it can't be used.

Shen Shuibi looked at Gou Lou and said, “Get ready, form up, and prepare for the impact.”

Gou Lou immediately flew out, bringing the other People of No Return to the battlefield, standing by in strict Formation.

At the same time, Shen Shuibi formed hand seals.

The Lightning Pool began to churn, but it wasn't lightning, but rather the sound of thunder.

Dong!

Dong dong!

With bursts of thunder, the Human Dao Western Army suddenly felt their blood boiling, their hearts began to accelerate uncontrollably, and their Inner World began to operate beyond their control.

A certain special resonance guided their individual Inner Worlds to align with the thunderous sound; their blood accelerated, their heartbeats became erratic, and cracks began to appear in the internal circulation of their individual Inner Worlds.

This series of effects caused cracks to appear in their military Aura, making it impossible to synchronize.

This wouldn’t cause the military Aura to dissipate, as the Human Dao’s military Aura was extremely resilient, but it could create fissures in the precise Lightning Repelling Technique.

Once there was even a tiny crack… the army immersed in the Lightning Pool would also directly face the lightning within it.

In just an instant, all Human Dao soldiers below the sixth rank were injured; the lightning caused their skin to crack and char. The mid-level officers quickly mobilized to resist.

If it lasted a few more seconds, deaths would likely occur.

But in that same instant, General Bai handed the commander’s banner to his deputy and stepped forward, using his five-rank power to forcefully endure the Lightning Pool!

Torrential lightning poured down on him; even a five-rank officer couldn't withstand such pressure, and his body was rapidly carbonizing!

The Human Dao General not far away saw this and immediately ordered: “The path ahead is open, the central army advances!”

Upon receiving this order, three armies, three five-rank officers, stepped into the Lightning Pool in the same direction!

Their speed was very fast; they could break out of the Lightning Pool area in at most one minute.

Shen Shuibi frowned slightly.

She realized that the first Tang army to step in had no expectation of breaking through; they merely wanted to force her to act. By forcibly breaking in with the Lightning Repelling Technique, Shen Shuibi had to give a corresponding response.

Once Shen Shuibi reacted, a flaw would appear. The power of the Lightning Pool was mobilized to disrupt the opponent's military Aura Formation. Seizing this opportunity, the other three armies almost instantly pierced through the Lightning Pool.

Shen Shuibi immediately allocated power to continue blocking the other three armies, trying her best to use the pre-arranged Lightning Pool to exhaust the Human Dao’s strength as much as possible.

She knew this was the opponent's strategy.

As expected, while Shen Shuibi was simultaneously manipulating four forces to block the four armies, the General again ordered: “Rear army, advance!”

With the command, the last rear army also charged in.

Shen Shuibi could only adjust her strength again.

The Lightning Pool and the five armies collided simultaneously. With five five-rank officers and one hundred thousand Human Dao troops, the power of the Lightning Pool was rapidly being diminished.

The five armies simultaneously enduring the Lightning Pool only resulted in minor casualties of a few hundred people.

And, this wasn't the end.

If that were truly the case, it would merely be a head-on collision, not a tactical maneuver at all.

As the five armies entered simultaneously, Shen Shuibi began to allocate power, preparing for a direct confrontation with the enemy. However, the military Qi of the five armies actually began to devour and transform each other.

She was a little surprised. Although she knew that the opponent's five armies emulated the Five Elements, this efficiency was truly a bit high.

However, mere transformation… was meaningless.

The truly impressive point was that their transformation was fluctuating.

Their military Qi was sometimes strong, sometimes weak; sometimes powerful, sometimes diminished. Yet, Shen Shuibi could not become strong and weak with them; Shen Shuibi could only be stronger than them.

When the opponent grew stronger, Shen Shuibi could only follow by increasing her energy.

When the opponent weakened, Shen Shuibi could only continue to strengthen, because if the opponent suddenly grew stronger, exceeding Shen Shuibi’s output, the Lightning Pool would immediately be breached.

Although weakened military Qi would cause casualties among the Human Dao army, it forced Shen Shuibi to constantly maintain a high level of energy output!

Through this fluctuating modulation, the opponent, without changing their total output, could, at the cost of human lives—with thousands of soldiers charred by the Lightning Pool—force Shen Shuibi to continuously increase her power input.

Even for Shen Shuibi, this was immense pressure; maintaining the Lightning Pool while simultaneously confronting one hundred thousand troops and five five-rank officers was not easy.

This exchange continued for about two minutes. The Human Dao’s casualties had already reached about two thousand, but their total output remained unchanged, meaning their five-rank officers were still in optimal condition.

Shen Shuibi, however, had already used ninety percent of her cultivation to resist.

Ninety-five percent…

Shen Shuibi estimated her cultivation; she had only half a percent of reserve cultivation left.

Just then, the opponent's General, the Human Dao five-rank General of the Flying Cavalry, who had remained motionless, finally moved.

Within these two minutes, the upper limit of the Lightning Pool’s power had been ascertained, and Shen Shuibi’s position had been completely exposed!

The General charged, stepping through the Lightning Pool in one stride!

He used the military Formation to pin down Shen Shuibi, and while Shen Shuibi’s power was concentrated on the Lightning Pool, he extended a horse-slaying saber, intending to directly behead Shen Shuibi!

However, at this moment—

Shen Shuibi’s pupils turned from black to red, and a fierce Aura suddenly surged from her body!

The state she once used to beat a Dragon, the fierce Qi of 'Mao Sacrifice'!

The original meaning of the character “Mao Sacrifice” is “to cleave apart,” extended to mean “to kill.” It is also the fourth of the Twelve Earthly Branches and the “rabbit” in the Chinese zodiac.

Back then, Shen Shuibi used this fierce Qi to forcefully explode a five-rank Dragon, grabbing its Dragon sinews and dragging it all the way to the Underworld to find Li Qi.

Some 'Mao Sacrifice' in blood rituals involves cleaving the offerings in half and hanging them, one half on each side, which is also the origin of the character shape for 'Mao Sacrifice'.

“Oh?” The Human Dao General of the Flying Cavalry noticed Shen Shuibi’s reaction and instantly understood.

It seemed the opponent had deliberately set a trap for his surprise attack, and she acted very convincingly, truly investing ninety-five percent of her cultivation into the Lightning Pool, creating a sense of weakness and helplessness.

But it didn't matter. Since she dared to lay this bait, she had to be prepared for a big fish to bite. Forget the bait, he, this big fish, would drag the fisherman into the water too!

Instead of retracting his horse-slaying saber, he increased its force, pressing down on Shen Shuibi’s neck with an Aura that seemed to tear apart all things!

She clapped her hands together, and the Lightning Pool immediately dissipated.

Gou Lou’s tentacles suddenly extended. He had been waiting by the Lightning Pool for a long time. As soon as the Lightning Pool was withdrawn, he directly charged into the enemy camp with his five-rank Martial Artist cultivation!

One man guarding the pass, ten thousand cannot break through!

Cha Xike, on the other hand, transformed into his strongest Qilin form. His outer armor transformed into a Qilin’s auspicious Qi, providing a buff to the entire People of No Return army Formation.

The People of No Return clashed head-on with the Human Dao iron army!

It was like grinding gears colliding, or like countless ceramic jars filled with blood being violently thrown and smashing into each other in the Void Realm.

With a clang, blood splattered and spell techniques flashed in the Void Realm.

The battlefield was silent because everyone was too busy to make noise. There was no medium in the Void Realm, so if no sound was produced, nothing could be heard.

Thus, one could see a silent pantomime unfolding across a battlefield spanning thousands of miles, with one hundred thousand Human Dao troops and tens of times their number of People of No Return.

Though silent, it was still shocking.

On the other side, Shen Shuibi, no longer needing to maintain the Lightning Pool and having activated her fierce mode, endured a blow from the horse-slaying saber with blood-red eyes.

There was no avoiding it. A Human Dao General of the Flying Cavalry, holding both a five-rank official position and a five-rank cultivation, possessing a legitimate Legacy, and launching a surprise attack—this strike was certainly going to be taken. If not for this strike, the opponent would not have taken the bait.

Shen Shuibi was directly cut in half.

Just like the character 'Mao Sacrifice'.