The savage cavalry brandished their sabers beneath the city walls, swaggering, while catapults hurled stones blazing with fierce fire, battering the capital's thick ramparts.
Feng Zikang remained indoors, not joining the fray. He sat quietly, using his senses to observe all movement within a hundred-mile radius.
The mortal struggle of siege and defense held no immediate concern for him.
The crucial matter was simply to find the mastermind behind this assault and eliminate him; facing the tens of thousands of iron cavalry then would be nothing to fear.
The problem was that his opponent had also cunningly concealed his presence.
As two figures at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, they were virtually invincible in this world utterly devoid of cultivation techniques. When they chose to act, they had no collateral worries, meaning that whoever remained hidden held the distinct advantage.
If the opponent had dared to challenge him openly, Feng Zikang would not have feared; there were countless methods to trap and destroy such an adversary. But now, with the enemy lurking unseen, and his own depth unknown, Feng Zikang dared not move rashly.
“This brat has quite the patience.”
Ghost King Tu chuckled, “But at this moment, those Jurchen troops have the clear upper hand. These Great Song soldiers look like a pack of crippled shrimp. If this continues, it will be disastrous.”
Under the subtle pressure of Feng Zikang’s presence, the Emperor had finally decided against fleeing the city, grit his teeth, and remained to defend the fortress.
Yet, judging by the current situation, from the Emperor down to the lowest soldier, not a single soul possessed any true courage. They were inferior even to the young militiamen who swore to defend their homes with their lives. If it weren't for the mobilized populace, the city walls would have already fallen.
Previously, Ghost King Tu, unable to bear it any longer, had proposed a stratagem to lure the snake out of its hole: she would engage the troops outside the city to force the hidden opponent to reveal himself. Feng Zikang, however, deemed the plan too perilous and did not adopt it.
Of course, he was not concerned about the lives of his subordinates, but Ghost King Tu seemed to have misunderstood his intent and offered him sincere thanks.
Feng Zikang’s reasoning was that since the opponent dared to take on a high-difficulty Core Condensation mission, he could not possibly be an ordinary person, and was likely already a master at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Ghost King Tu’s own cultivation level, once revealed, would expose their deception.
Having capable allies accompany him was Feng Zikang’s trump card. Revealing it too early, if the opponent was already prepared, would preclude a decisive, swift annihilation.
“As long as this city does not fall, neither of us will be pushed to the brink.”
Feng Zikang sneered.
This fortress was impregnable. Even if the army was weak, as long as they maintained a resolute defense, the reinforcement army would arrive in a few days, forcing the Jurchen cavalry to retreat.
After all, these northern barbarians lacked true staying power; they relied solely on initial momentum. If they could withstand this first wave, they would have nothing to fear. By then, the hidden cultivator would be compelled to act!
“That is true. The city is so sturdy; as long as the Emperor does not flee, there is no reason for it to be lost.”
The city was amply provisioned, enough food for a year. The walls were massive, and though the enemy possessed some siege equipment, it was largely helpless against such fortifications.
They only needed to hold!
Hold for a few dozen days!
Feng Zikang had calculated his strategy perfectly, but alas, some things never bend to human will.
On the seventh day of the Jurchen cavalry’s siege, anxiety gripped the entire court.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Jurchens have been besieging us fiercely these past few days, frequently using scaling ladders against the walls. The fighting on the West Wall has been particularly brutal; cracks have already appeared on the outer shell of the wall. I fear…”
“Ah?” The Emperor, just recovering from illness, was pale and easily startled.
“My respected ministers, what is to be done? These Jurchens are so ferocious. If they breach the city, then, then…”
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, rendering his speech halting.
“Do not fear, Your Majesty, sirs. Do we not have an Immortal residing in the palace? How could he allow the Jurchens to break our city? You all need not worry.” A general, showing slightly more spirit, spoke up in favor of fighting.
“Though that is what is said,” a solemn, white-haired official sighed, “the Great Immortal only sits idly in the palace these days. In this most perilous moment, we have not seen him make a move. Even if this Great Immortal is powerful, facing thousands upon thousands of troops, I fear he may be helpless.”
The old minister’s words resonated with the crowd. Feng Zikang’s display of power in the palace that day was indeed formidable, but it was not on an open battlefield against vast armies. He claimed to be an emissary from the heavens, yet his inactivity these past few days inevitably bred doubt.
The Emperor grew frantic. “If the generals cannot be relied upon, and even the Great Immortal proves unreliable, what are we to do? Perhaps we should retreat to the Southwest?”
“That is impossible!” If the Emperor had planned to tour the Southwest before the Jurchen cavalry arrived, it would have been fine. But now that the enemy was at the gates, attempting a tour would mean instant pursuit by the Jurchen cavalry. A field battle would be even more disadvantageous than defending the walls.
“We cannot fight, and we cannot run—what is left for us?” The Emperor sighed, his face etched with worry.
The old minister, however, appeared confident and spoke loudly, “Your Majesty, do not be alarmed. Your servant recommends someone: True Man Guo Daolin, the Abbot of the Sanqing Temple. This man possesses miraculous powers—he can summon wind and rain, conjure armies from scattered beans, and call down celestial armies. His might is boundless, and he is more than capable of repelling these Jurchens. I invited him from the Sanqing Temple a few days ago, explained the nation’s dire need, and only then did the True Man agree to lend his aid. I implore Your Majesty to summon him to the palace and task him with overseeing the defense of the capital.”
“Oh?” A look of joy flashed across the Emperor’s features. In pleasant surprise, he exclaimed, “This True Man Guo possesses such divine abilities? Then quickly summon him to the hall!”
The Emperor was already deeply devout. That was why, when Feng Zikang suddenly appeared, claiming to be an immortal descended, the Emperor believed him without question. However, this Immortal’s staunch refusal to act had terrified the Emperor. To have another Immortal step forward offering to serve the nation made him willing to overlook any suspicion.
The Abbot of Sanqing Temple, Guo Daolin, was in fact a brazen charlatan, full of hot air. Upon reaching the golden hall, he spun such a web of smooth talk that the Emperor was overjoyed, actually entrusting the entire defense of the capital to this Daoist priest.
The priest was daring enough to claim he would recruit seventy thousand celestial soldiers to descend and exterminate the Jurchen hordes in one swift stroke.
Although Feng Zikang remained in the secluded palace, refusing mortal contact, he instantly knew that Guo Daolin possessed not a shred of magical ability; he was purely there to freeload. Still, to attempt such deceit during a great calamity showed a certain measure of nerve.
“That Daoist is detestable. Should we kill him?” Xing Fei’er pursed her lips and sought instruction from Feng Zikang.
Feng Zikang shook his head. “No need. He is merely a mortal, irrelevant to us. As long as he doesn't cause extreme chaos, we won't intervene easily. As long as we remain still, that fellow will never discover us!”
Feng Zikang had no interest in these worldly squabbles.
The only necessary condition was that if no massive disorder erupted, the capital would remain safe. Under these circumstances, once the set time limit elapsed, the hidden cultivator would inevitably be forced to make a move.
Only then, when the opponent acted, would Feng Zikang possess at least an eighty or ninety percent chance of victory!
The Daoist priest initially acted conventionally, making no obvious blunders. After all, as the highest-ranking official in charge of city defense, he was merely a figurehead, letting his subordinates handle everything.
But a few days later, disaster struck unexpectedly!
“Hmm?” The first to sense the anomaly was Feng Zikang.
His Formless Heavenly Demon avatar permeated the area within a hundred miles, naturally allowing him to perceive the slightest changes within the city!
It turned out that the True Man Guo had opened the city gates at dusk, claiming it was to leave an escape route for the celestial soldiers, who would sweep out at midnight to slaughter the Jurchen barbarians.
“Absurd.”
Feng Zikang slammed the table. This Guo Daolin truly believed himself to be a Daoist master? He relied on mere mouth acrobatics to speak nonsense, yet somehow managed to fool even Feng Zikang into believing him.
Summoning wind and rain, or turning beans into soldiers—how could one cultivate such arts in a world without any foundation for Daoist inheritance?
This man was banking on a few mechanical illusions to secure immense wealth, planning to have a few thousand soldiers disguised as celestial troops for a surprise attack. Who knew that the Jurchen cavalry would show no fear, slaughter the Daoist, and storm through the open city gates!
Feng Zikang sighed, realizing that at this point, he had no choice but to intervene. With the city gates wide open, if neither side acted, the inevitable result would be the Jurchen cavalry burning, killing, and pillaging the capital. The dynamic of attack and defense had shifted, and now Feng Zikang was the one forced to act first.
“Ghost King Tu, Long Que, I’ll have to trouble both of you.”
At this juncture, he employed the very ‘lure the snake out’ strategy Ghost King Tu had proposed earlier, but with an added layer of caution: he sent Long Que along as well, making the true target even harder to discern!
Ghost King Tu responded with fervor. She shot out, arriving instantly at the city gate, unleashing the River Styx to sweep up the relentless tide of Jurchen cavalry pouring into the city!
At the same moment, Long Que arrived. Wielding his claws, radiating golden light, slaughtering the fierce Jurchen cavalry was as simple as chopping vegetables!
“The Immortal has come to save us!”
“The Immortal has made his move!”
The citizens within the city erupted in cheers. The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing the news. He turned to his ministers, “The venerable Immortal has finally acted! It seems Heaven has not abandoned our Great Song!”
He shot a sharp glare at the old minister who had recommended the deceitful Daoist. “The Immortal is truly different! Unlike that Daoist Guo, who possessed no Daoist power yet dared to impersonate an Immortal, nearly causing a disaster! Guards, seize him—”
Just as he was about to deliver further reprimands, a massive, earth-shattering boom echoed from outside. Heaven and earth seemed to split apart!
The impact was extraordinary; even structures within the palace collapsed, and the Dragon Throne overturned. The Emperor scrambled out, his crown askew and deeply distressed. “W-What happened?”
Above the clouds, a figure clad in black could be seen laughing heartily.
At the city gate gaped a massive pit, a scene of bloody carnage. Ghost King Tu and Long Que had vanished, along with an untold number of Jurchen cavalry and Song soldiers and civilians drawn into the vortex.
The black-clad figure’s face was grim, yet he laughed loudly, “So what if your cultivation is higher than mine? You still fell for my trap! Under this Boundless Heavenly Thunder Collapse, I’d like to see if you can still keep your life! I never expected this Divine Merit Mission for Core Condensation to be so simple.”
This man was Feng Zikang’s opponent, the rival in this current Core Condensation advancement mission.
He had remained hidden precisely to draw out Feng Zikang and utilize this Boundless Heavenly Thunder Collapse technique. This technique destroyed thirteen Profound Grade treasures simultaneously, creating an explosion akin to heavenly lightning. It could injure even someone in the Core Condensation stage, let alone a mere Foundation Establishment peak master.
Seeing Ghost King Tu and Long Que’s avatars consumed and obliterated, he believed he had succeeded and laughed without restraint.
“That is not necessarily true.”
Behind him came Feng Zikang’s calm voice.
The black-clad figure spun around sharply, his smile instantly vanishing, his face turning cold.
“The main target is here.” Shock mingled with disbelief in his heart.
“You… you… you are the one…”
Feng Zikang smiled faintly. “I am Feng Zikang of the Small Bamboo Grove, Military School of Longhu Mountain. I am undertaking my Core Condensation advancement mission here today and unexpectedly encountered this Daoist fellow. It is fate. May I ask your esteemed name?”
Having revealed himself, Feng Zikang felt he had little to worry about. The opponent’s cultivation was clearly below his own. However, that sneak attack just now was indeed potent; had he been caught in it, he too might have suffered some injury.
Now, Ghost King Tu had been blasted to pieces, and Long Que possessed the ability to resurrect with a few points, meaning his physical form could slowly be reformed—a small sacrifice that served its purpose.
The black-clad figure calmed himself and chuckled, “So it is Daoist Feng. I am Jin Heshian, a disciple of the Boundless Cave of Qingjing Mountain. I have not heard of your lineage, Daoist Feng, so you must hail from a different Profound Realm. I will not mince words. This Core Condensation mission is of vital importance to me. Might I ask Daoist Feng to yield?”
His tone suggested he was haggling over a commodity, which was highly displeasing.
Was the Core Condensation mission not equally vital to everyone? Yet, he demanded yieldance with such an entitled, abrasive manner.
Feng Zikang sneered. “My apologies, Daoist Jin. This Core Condensation mission is equally crucial to me. If Daoist Jin wishes to pass, let us rely on our own means!”
This was the only acceptable reply. Jin Heshian snorted and said nothing more, flicking his finger, summoning a bolt of heavenly lightning!
His cultivation of lightning techniques was flawless; with a mere thought, he could summon the thunder.
Of course, the lightning he summoned could not compare to the might of the heavenly tribulation lightning. Feng Zikang smiled, waving a beam of sword light to deflect the bolt, his heart swelling with pride.
When he first took over this body, he had witnessed General Lu use his Scarlet Blood Saber to forcefully chop away heavenly lightning. The current sensation felt similar. Although the magnitude was vastly different, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
Seeing his lightning bolt easily broken by Feng Zikang, Jin Heshian’s face turned pale.
He knew his cultivation was inferior to Feng Zikang’s, but he hadn't anticipated the gulf in power would be this vast. Only now did he regret choosing a ‘Divine’ level advancement mission.
When Feng Zikang was enveloped by ten thousand beams of sword light, Jin Heshian realized the true difficulty of a Divine mission!
“Pfft.”
Jin Heshian shot backward, bloody light erupting from his body. Under the barrage of Feng Zikang’s myriad swords, although he managed to narrowly escape, he was covered in grievous wounds.
“Daoist Jin,” Feng Zikang asked coolly, “at this juncture, you should concede and withdraw. If this continues, it will be embarrassing for you, and even if you die here, you have no chance of winning.”
“No!”
Jin Heshian staggered to his feet, his face contorted in rage, blood flowing from all seven orifices!
“Don’t think just because your cultivation is higher that you’ve secured victory!”
His will was unbroken, and his ferocity evident.
Feng Zikang sneered, realizing his psychological tactic had failed. This man was clearly from another Profound Realm; killing him carried no repercussions, and no one would seek revenge.
His earlier invitation for Jin Heshian to yield was actually intended to stimulate the fear within him. If Jin Heshian had genuinely intended to flee, he would certainly not have been able to dodge Feng Zikang’s next strike!
However, whether due to astuteness or sheer stubbornness, this fellow maintained such a resolute mind even under these circumstances.
“Truly, in ten paces of marsh, there must be fragrant herbs. The cultivation methods and divine powers from that other Profound Realm must include profound techniques for strengthening the will.”
With his current cultivation of the Formless Heavenly Demon Heart Sutra, he could always provoke a tremor in the spirit of an opponent of the same rank. This fellow, also at the peak of Foundation Establishment, remained completely unaffected, suggesting his cultivated heart method must be quite extraordinary.
“Then I have no choice!” Feng Zikang sneered, waving his hand. Chong He’er shot out, binding Jin Heshian tightly with several strands of the River Styx!
Ghost King Tu had been destroyed, though as a spectral being, she could slowly reform her body. But Rong Li’er was a daughter of humankind, and her anger fueled her actions; she showed no mercy.
Jin Heshian could not comprehend why his opponent suddenly had so many allies. He was already in disarray from Feng Zikang’s relentless sword light, and now he was utterly cornered!
This great battle shook the earth, collapsing city walls, but Feng Zikang could not concern himself with that now. Once Jin Heshian was eliminated, and the remaining Jurchen cavalry dealt with, they would depart. The city walls were ultimately useless to them.
The world turned upside down in their fight, but the battle underground ceased.
The Jurchen cavalry stopped their charge, all dismounted, kneeling in prayer to bless their tribal guardian deity.
Jin Heshian had indeed practiced trickery among the Jurchen tribes after arriving in the mortal realm, gaining this reputation as a guardian deity. His cultivation method was exceedingly strange; the concentrated faith of these tens of thousands of kneeling Jurchen soldiers poured into him, enhancing his strength and recovery speed slightly.
“Not good, not good!”
Seeing Jin Heshian on the verge of regaining the upper hand in the sky, the Song soldiers and civilians grew anxious. They knew the decisive factor for victory today lay in the outcome of the gods’ battle above.
Now that the barbarians were praying, and Jin Heshian’s power was increasing, worry gripped them. They began to imitate the Jurchens, kneeling and prostrating themselves.
Instantly, others followed suit, and even His Majesty the Emperor rolled onto the dusty ground, kowtowing without end, showing extreme piety.
Feng Zikang, having not cultivated such bizarre arts, found the populace’s behavior ludicrous.
Rong Li’er was never Jin Heshian’s match to begin with; her temporary advantage came solely from the surprise application of the Heavenly River restraint. It was natural for the situation to reach a stalemate now. Feng Zikang, at this moment, remained stationary because he was brewing his strongest strike.
At this critical juncture, he needed one final, uncompromising sword strike to end it!
Jin Heshian felt his momentum constantly climbing; knowing he was outmatched, he struggled desperately, driving his technique to absorb the Jurchens’ faith power. A few strong Jurchen warriors who had already sustained injuries faltered when their faith power was suddenly drawn away, causing them to collapse!
Feng Zikang gave a cold laugh. “What use is this death-bed struggle?”
“Watch my sword!”
The sword light resembled a flowing ribbon, filling heaven and earth, threatening to cleave the firmament itself!