In an instant, many sacred places in Liyang City either withdrew or were destroyed, their bodies were shattered.
In an instant, the whole city became quiet, although there were still some cultivators who had not become immortals in charge, but the nature was completely different from that of a sacred being.
To give a simple example, yesterday Zhao Yanshou led people to attack the city. The cultivators in Liyang City summoned winds and rain to obstruct them. Because of the reason that the sacred beings "surrendered," no one stepped forward to break their spells.
The phrase "The defeated general is not the one who talks about courage" refers to this principle.
If you admit defeat and then cast a counterattack spell, it is either seen as a provocative act or represents inability to accept defeat.
It would be laughed at by other sacred beings if it got out.
Of course, everyone would have to abide by this rule.
The situation has now reversed.
Many sacred beings in Liyang City have suffered defeats.
If the Qidan army had any sacred beings or cultivators who used spells to aid the army in besieging the city.
The remaining cultivators in Liyang City are certainly not daring enough to use spells to counteract.
Because doing so would be considered a provocation.
At that time, the sacred beings would have no pressure on those who have not yet become immortals in the city.
Commander Zhang Yanzé's face turned livid.
He couldn't have imagined that after inviting Guan Yu to join their forces, the Qidan army had surged ahead like a knife through butter and quickly defeated the sacred beings such as the Star Quixu, Star Miao, and Jiuzi God.
Although the temporary battle between sacred beings has come to an end, the war is not yet over.
Taking a deep breath, Commander Zhang Yanzé ordered: "Listen to your command, all soldiers!"
"Aye!"
"The commander, please speak."
A group of soldiers hurriedly responded.
Commander Zhang Yanzé's face was dark as he said, "Prepare fire oil and sawdust. If the enemy attacks the city, burn them to the ground. We will hold our position within the city and wait for the emperor's relief forces to arrive."
He was able to serve as the general of the Right Divine and Martial Army, which naturally was not ordinary intelligence. He knew that the enemy's vanguard army was powerful, with many sacred beings and cultivators assisting them. If they opened the city for a decisive battle, the Jin army would certainly be defeated.
So the best thing to do now is to hold the city without coming out, waiting for the reinforcements from Emperor Zheng of Jin and the more powerful sacred beings in the main force.
The command has just been issued.
Suddenly.
A whooshing sound.
A fierce wind surged up.
The wind whipped towards the direction of Liyang City.
Commander Zhang Yanzé was shocked, "How can fire oil be used to burn the siege weapons when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction?"
The expression on the faces of the many soldiers standing nearby became incredibly gloomy.
Of course, they all knew that this was not divine intervention for the Qidan army, but rather that there were talented cultivators on the other side who were controlling the wind!
……
Exactly, at this moment, Zhu Li is controlling the wind to assist the Qidan army.
He held a sacred sword, burned yellow paper to pray to heaven, used his great magic power to blow up a terrifying and ferocious wind, all in order to help the Qidan army succeed.
At the very moment the fierce wind surged up, a battalion of Qidan vanguard cavalry tens of thousands strong, making a roar like mountains and seas in combat, began attacking Liyang.
For a moment, the entire wilderness was filled with the gleam of iron horses and golden spears, displaying their might.
Liyang City is in dire peril!
……
Of course, the human war has nothing to do with sacred beings like Chen Yun, Guan Yu, and Nezha.
Chen Yun avoided suspicion and did not let his disciples and disciples-in-training do anything, including controlling the wind, but instead entrusted it to Zhu Li.
The central command tent.
Zhao Yanshou and Zhao Yanzhao were commanding the army in the attack on the city.
Chen Yun stood up and bowed to Guan Yu, Nezha, Li Jing, and Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King, saying, "Today I have greatly benefited from your assistance in defeating the enemy. Please accept my gratitude."
Qi Shou, this "leader," followed behind with a look of helplessness and also bowed to express his gratitude.
The words spoken by Chen Yun were supposed to be those of Qi Shou.
It was just that Guan Yu, Nezha, Li Jing, and Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King were all summoned by Chen Yun, so Qi Shou naturally had no say in it and could only play a secondary role.
"Chen brother, how can you say that?"
"Master Chen, don't be polite."
Nezha, Li Jing, and Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King all expressed their gratitude in turn.
Guan Yu laughed and waved his hand, saying, "You and I have become good friends at first sight, and we are like close friends across generations. Why do we need such formalities in our words?"
Chen Yun knew that Guan Yu was broad-minded, so he didn't continue with the formalities. "Well, then, I won't be polite either. Today, you four have accomplished great feats. For tonight's banquet to celebrate this achievement, I hope you can attend and grace the banquet."
Guan Yu, being a straightforward person, immediately agreed: "Sure."
Nezha, Li Jing, and Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King were naturally soldiers attached to the army and would not refuse the invitation to the banquet.
Only Qi Shou looked a bit embarrassed.
He previously contended with Chen Yun for power and influence.
Chen Yun showed no intention of contesting.
He directly relinquished the position of "master."
As a result, Qi Shou is the nominal "leader" now.
However, it is still Chen Yun who is truly exercising the powers of the "master."
This makes Qi Shou feel like he is a "scapegoat."
Chen Yun was unaware of what Qi Shou was thinking.
After thanking the four who had exerted themselves, he asked proactively, "Since the Jiazi God can be enshrined after death and recover even if his body is destroyed, won't it be a problem that you have shattered the bodies of the nine celestial officials of Mu and Kui into dust?"
The participating sacred beings in the god battle are basically there for their merits and achievements.
Only a few are really there for the sake of personal relationships or by invitation to assist.
Therefore, everyone is very careful in their actions and won't really intend to kill.
Destroying the bodies of Zhao Da and Kang Zhi, two Jiazi Gods, could be considered as nothing more than destroying their bodies, not taking their lives.
Because Jiazi Gods are enshrined as gods after death, their existence is already within the pantheon.
As long as their divine essence is not destroyed, they can still recover to their original state.
Regarding whether the eighteen celestial officials of the Kui and Mu constellations will be enshrined as gods after death, Chen Yun is actually not quite sure, which is why he opened his mouth to ask.
Nezha, without any concern, said, "As for the Kui and Mu constellations, except for the two main deities, the other sixteen celestial officials will be enshrined as gods after death, so you don't have to worry about them being destroyed and perishing. As for Kui Mulang and Mao Ri Xingguan, although they are not enshrined as gods after death, at their level of cultivation, their bodies are actually not important. It's the spirit that matters. I and Master Niu only destroyed their bodies; we didn't harm their spirits. So everything is fine."
Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King added, "Not everyone can cultivate internal energy like Chen Yun, pursuing perfect harmony between body and spirit. Not every immortal cultivates to the level of possessing three flowers in the top of their heads and five energies in their bodies. Many more pursue cultivation of the spirit and eventually abandon the physical body, including Kui Mulang and Mao Ri Xingguan. The true name of Kui Mulang is Hei Shi Sheng, and that of Mao Ri Xingguan is Zhang Nǔ Xiǎo. They obtained enlightenment through cultivating their spirits rather than through physical bodies. That's why they wanted to gather a new body so easily today. Master Niu and Third Prince destroyed their physical bodies, but they didn't immediately reconstruct them because they were willing to accept defeat."
Chen Yun probably understood the meaning.
Kui Mulang and Mao Ri Xingguan realized that there was no point in fighting further.
If they continued to fight, they might still be defeated by Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King and Nezha.
Since they only destroyed their bodies, it was equivalent to letting them go.
If you continue to be stubborn and obstinate, how could others show leniency anymore?
Therefore, the fact that Kui Mulang and Mao Ri Xingguan did not immediately reconstruct their bodies meant they had surrendered.
Chen Yun quietly noted this point.
Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King added, "I am not a god and have not been specifically cultivating my spirit. Therefore, my head was cut off yesterday and needed to be reshaped with great magic power, otherwise I would have truly died. It can't be helped; they are true sacred beings while I am just an evil monster. I don't have any status."
Li Jing, Nezha, and Guan Yu glanced at Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King, not replying to his words.
Chen Yun didn't know how to respond either.
However, he knew that Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King was speaking the truth.
Evil spirits have no status in the eyes of sacred beings.
In a real fight, sacred beings might hold back, but that's not necessarily the case with evil spirits.
Simply put, everyone has personal interests.
Many sacred beings are related to each other.
You really did kill someone today.
What if someone from your family or friends comes to bother you in the future?
Moreover, sacred beings work within one or more "systems," where they see each other frequently and may have "business dealings" with each other. They are all familiar with each other and generally won't go to the extreme of killing someone.
Chen Yun understands these principles well.
However, for some reason, when he thought of this, he felt a sense of melancholy.
……
At night, within the tent.
A late dinner has just ended.
Chen Yun walked Guan Yu to the camp tent and watched him leave.
Nezha, Li Jing, Jiuzhuo Bull Demon King, Mrs. Hei, and Hu San Taoye, among others who attended the banquet, also took their leave.
Chen Yun was thinking about the events of that day.
Although his side had repelled the Kui, Mu constellations, and Jiazi Gods.
Moreover, Zhu Li Honghe had also used great magic to control the wind and assist in the attack, making it extremely difficult for the Liyang city to defend itself with fire and siege weapons. However, the Qidan army still failed to breach the city walls.
The main reason was that Liyang city was difficult to attack but easy to defend, and the soldiers in the city were all aware of its importance, so they fought to the death to protect it.
This forced the Qidan army to temporarily surround the city, hoping to cut off supplies within the city and see if they could seize it through this means.
"It seems like Liyang city is difficult to conquer."
Chen Yun pondered in the dark, "As deities and cultivators, we can't really help with attacking the city. How can we make Zhao Yanshou, Zhao Yanzhao, and the other soldiers succeed in capturing the city?"
While he was thinking, a sudden voice from Qi Shou echoed in his ear, "Master Chen."
Chen Yun turned his head to look.
He saw Qi Shou standing alone by the side.
It was completely different from the days when he was inseparable from the heavenly maiden.
He involuntarily stopped and asked, "Mr. Qi Shou, the banquet has ended. Why don't you return?"
Qi Shou looked at him with complex eyes, and then his gaze became very firm, as if he had made a decision.
He took a deep breath and said, "Yesterday's and today's attacks on the city have made me realize something. I don't have the ability to command, so... Master Chen, from now on, you should command the group."
Qi Shou really understood now. It's better to give the position of "master" to Chen Yun and form a good relationship at least.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yun responded with a dry laugh, "What are you talking about? Mr. Qi Shou, I think you do a fantastic job of leading the group. I'm used to being a free spirit and wandering around. It would really take some getting used to for me to deal with that many official matters every day. Please don't refuse. The responsibility of leading the entire group is one that we all jointly elected you for. Please carry out your duties diligently, and if there's anything, I will also give my full support."
Qi Shou: "…"
He could tell that Chen Yun really didn't want to be the "master."
However, combining his actions over the past two days, it's clear that if anything were to happen, the command would still be in Chen Yun's hands.
The reason why the nominal "master" position is still given to Qi Shou is because Chen Yun is treating him like a "cow or horse" to handle daily official matters.
However, it was precisely because of this struggle for power and status as a "cow or horse" handling daily official matters that Qi Shou obtained it. Now that Chen Yun is unwilling to relinquish his "status," Qi Shou has no choice but to continue fulfilling this role.
Qi Shou felt a mix of both sorrow and anger at the moment, and there was a hint of regret in his heart.
If he had known that he would become the "cow or horse," he would have never fought for power with Chen Yun in the first place.
Unfortunately, it's too late now. He is willing to fulfill this role as a "cow or horse," but unwillingly so!
……
Farewell to the group.
Again, he arranged a tent for Guan Ping to stay in with Zhang Qian and Lin Chen.
At the end, Chen Yun looked at the time and realized it was almost time, so he took a bath, changed his clothes, and lit jiuzhenxiang in his tent.
Then, he took out the Pure Yang Fire Dragon pill and swallowed it in one go.
At this time, the medicinal power had not yet risen, and he silently thought to himself, "Since I created the fifth stage of 'Mr. Chen's Inner Alchemy Formula', I have been refining it using Pure Yang Fire Dragon pills for more than ten days. The divine light given by my ancestors in the ancestral well has not reacted at all, and I'm not sure how long it will take me to ignite it."
Or perhaps, I have overlooked something and that's why I can't ignite the divine light to refine the Yang spirit?
As the medicinal power slowly rose, Chen Yun took the opportunity to think.
The time was too short for him to untangle his thoughts, and the medicinal power had become fierce.
Chen Yun quickly pushed all his distracting thoughts aside.
He began to guide the medicinal power of the Pure Yang Fire Dragon pill to refine his shape and spirit, removing all impurities.
Time passed minute by minute.
The medicinal power of the Pure Yang Fire Dragon pill continued to be refined.
During this time, Chen Yun felt that both his body and spirit were gradually approaching true purity.
Before long, an hour had passed.
The medicinal power of the Pure Yang Fire Dragon pill had ended.
Chen Yun took the opportunity to check his condition while resting.
He observed that his spirit was becoming increasingly crimson and his body was brimming with sufficient yang energy.
Based on the current progress, it seems he has completed about a quarter of the preliminary work to truly refine the Yang spirit.
"If this goes on, in a little over a month, I should be able to truly advance to the stage of refining the Yang spirit."
Chen Yun felt very satisfied and slowly opened his eyes to look outside the tent.
The night sky tonight was particularly magnificent.
The sky was filled with countless stars.
Like a sea of twinkling diamonds.
"Although it's not a good time, the scenery is still beautiful."
Chen Yun couldn't help but exclaim, "But why has the divine light given to me by my ancestors remained completely silent?"
He wasn't sure if it was because his cultivation level hadn't reached the level to activate the divine light, or if he had truly overlooked something.
"Recall what my ancestors said to me that day."
Chen Yun carefully recalled what he remembered, hoping to find out the reason why the divine light could not be activated.
He remembered that when he went to see the Queen Mother of the West, the first half of their conversation was mainly about Gouteng's matters.
These matters shouldn't be of much importance, as they have nothing to do with cultivation.
Instead, in the second half of their conversation, Queen Mother of the West informed him how to refine his spirit.
Chen Yun recited the words the Queen Mother of the West had told him word for word, "To refine the spirit is to merge it with essence and qi. When essence, qi, and spirit are unified, the Yang spirit is born. The essence of refining the body lies in refining the spirit; when the spirit is concentrated, qi gathers, and when qi gathers, the elixir is formed. The method to refine the Yang spirit is not much different; if you can understand this principle, the Yang spirit will naturally emerge."
After reciting, he looked puzzled, "These words don't seem to have anything to do with why I can't activate the divine light. Could it be that my cultivation level is not high enough?"
As he was thinking, a "theory" that his teacher had told him about refining the Yang spirit suddenly flashed through his mind.
At that time, Lu Dongbin asked whether the yin spirit could be refined into a yang spirit, and after obtaining Zhongli Quan's affirmative answer, he asked, "How do we break down the yin spirit?"
Zhongli Quan replied, "If you forget your body, empty your mind, and there is nothing born in the void, then you can exchange your ordinary flesh and blood for spiritual flesh and blood, and transform an ordinary person into a true being."
Here, the "true being" refers to the Yang spirit.
As he recalled this sentence, Chen Yun's thoughts were like a dam breaking loose, and immediately another classic quote about cultivation came to mind.
This quote comes from "Zhouyi Sanchezongci": "Only emptiness can make things spiritual. If something is real, it must deteriorate. If it does not deteriorate, it must be empty."
The general meaning of this quote is: Substantial matter will inevitably deteriorate, but only what is void, not belonging to matter, can remain undamaged.
As he reached this realization, Chen Yun suddenly understood, "I understand why I can't activate the divine light!"
