A New Battle Plan

The heavens and earth violently shook. The Great Venerable's full-power strike disintegrated into nothingness at this moment. Zhu Zhuangshi dusted off his wide sleeves, a smug look in his eyes. "Now Old Zhu should be able to give that big black dog a sound thrashing!" Not long ago, he had been bullied terribly by the big black dog. Now, he could finally hold his head high. The other three wore solemn expressions, the divine radiance in their eyes gradually dissipating. The shock in the hearts of the remaining Ancient Gods on the scene lingered for a long time without fading. The scene just now had been far too earth-shattering. That was a Great Venerable! The full-force blow of a Great Venerable had actually been neutralized with ease. Everyone present was struck silent with astonishment. Was this Mythological? Obviously, absolutely not! Although they had never witnessed a Mythological-grade God Visualization Art, its might could never be this absurd. That had been the genuine, full-strength strike of a Great Venerable. Even if four Venerables at Step One or Two of Sky Treading had awakened Divine Domain seeds, they shouldn't have been able to withstand it at all. The sight before their eyes defied their wildest imaginations. No wonder Origin Celestial Venerable had dared to come to Cai Country—it turned out he had calculated everything in advance, holding victory firmly in his grasp. Origin Celestial Venerable's image grew even more towering in their minds. Just then, a voice rang out, falling into the ears of the Ancient Gods present. "A qualified NPC can't just stand around being shocked all the time—that's an easy way to get left behind by the times. "Mastering a craft is very important. "Otherwise, while you're still young and not even thirty-five, you'll be weeded out by society and won't be able to find a job. "Chef? Musician? Professional mourner? "Which one do you want to choose? I'll teach you! "These three have exceptionally high employment rates, so you won't need to fear being obsolete." The Ancient Gods froze in bewilderment, the awe in their hearts vanishing in an instant. The elder twin sister looked at Qi Yuan with a helpless expression. "My Lord, we should hurry and flee. If that Great Venerable pursues us, a fight to the death will be inevitable!" The other Ancient Gods nodded hastily in agreement. The Great Venerable's full-power strike had been blocked, yes. However, if that Great Venerable led hundreds of evil gods in pursuit, they would still find themselves in a dire predicament. "We can leave, but what about Great Venerable Shenlei?" Qi Yuan pondered for a moment and decided there was no need to worry about him. As long as that old geezer didn't have some massive defect in his head, once he realized what happened in Cai Country's capital, he would probably head back on his own. "Let's go." Transforming into streaks of light, the group sped toward Qingshui Village. *** At this moment, several thousand li away, an old man wore a gold-threaded mask adorned with various bizarre patterns. Through the mask, a pair of icy eyes could be seen. "My blow... was blocked?" He was somewhat surprised—or rather, shocked. The opponents were mere Venerables, yet four of them working together had blocked a strike from him. How could he not be astonished? "Encampment Master, should we pursue them?" a Step Three Sky Treading New God asked, anxiety in his eyes. After all, they couldn't just watch those Ancient Gods escape. Although they had no idea how those Ancient Gods had managed to block a Great Venerable's blow, their military encampment possessed numerous True Gods. Led by the Encampment Master, they could easily wipe those Ancient Gods out. "No," the Encampment Master said, his tone resolute. This matter was rather suspicious. Every single one of the enemy True Gods possessed a Divine Domain seed—it was utterly absurd. True Gods like that would be considered supreme geniuses anywhere. Geniuses should be cultivated with utmost care; why would they suddenly appear in the occupied territory to be used as assassins? The strange circumstances might well be a conspiracy targeted at him. Hearing this, the deputy felt somewhat disappointed, seeing military merit slip through his fingers. If the Great Venerable took action, he was confident they could capture those twenty-odd Ancient Gods. Just then, the Encampment Master looked at the deputy and narrowed his eyes. "Take a few True Gods and capture them." "Huh?" The deputy froze in utter confusion. *Wait, are you serious?* *You're making me go?* *** A wide thoroughfare stretched onward, where divine creatures flew past from time to time. Inside a roadside tavern, a wooden sign had been hung up today: "Drink today: drink three, get three free." A rather burly figure paused before the tavern. Looking up at the sign, he took a deep whiff. Instantly, a rich, refreshing aroma drifted over. *Before carrying out a great deed, one should drink heartily!* the burly figure thought. "Shopkeeper, bring three jars of good wine!" "Coming right up!" The burly figure sat down, purple lightning seeming to flicker in his eyes. *It seems heaven's mandate is watching over me. If I hadn't gotten lost, I might have run straight into that Great Venerable.* The burly figure was none other than Great Venerable Shenlei. Ever since departing Qingshui Village, he had been cautious every step of the way, concealing his identity and information as he traveled toward Cai Country, all to catch Zhang Feng off guard. Along the road, he had encountered an Ancient God from the Ancient God Alliance and asked for information. Who knew that Ancient God would point him down the wrong road, wasting a lot of his time? Yet this mistake had also allowed him to avoid the clash between Great Venerables. Not long ago, as he headed toward Cai Country, he had seen the battle between Great Venerables in the sky from afar. In the past, he naturally wouldn't have cared about such things. Now, however, he was severely wounded, and he needed to hide his identity so as not to be detected by another Great Venerable. Getting lost had delayed him just enough to miss that battle between Great Venerables. This gave him the feeling that heaven's mandate was on his side. *I wonder which two Great Venerables were fighting,* Great Venerable Shenlei pondered. After giving it a brief thought, he didn't dwell on it. As long as it didn't delay his great undertaking, it didn't matter. When the wine was served at the table, Great Venerable Shenlei unsealed a jar and poured himself a brimming bowl. As he drank, he felt exceptionally refreshed. Yet as the alcohol washed over his sorrowful belly, a bit more melancholy welled up in his heart. *According to the timeline, that kid should have just left the Ancestral Land not long ago. That fellow Lishan should have stopped him, right?* Great Venerable Shenlei sighed, his mind drifting. This time, when he came to assassinate Zhang Feng, he had handed his storage bag over to Xiaoxue and was penniless. He had even discarded his transmission jade slip for fear that an old friend's dissuasion would make him shrink back. As for paying for this wine? Pay his ass! He was going to die anyway after assassinating Zhang Feng—what was wrong with having a free meal and drink for once? Before long, he drained all three jars of wine. "Shopkeeper, isn't it drink three, get three free?" "Coming right up!" Shortly after, the shopkeeper carried over three more jars. The elderly shopkeeper was beaming with joy, looking as if some auspicious event had descended upon him. "Shopkeeper, do you have happy news around the corner?" Great Venerable Shenlei couldn't help but ask. Great Venerable Shenlei was eager to say that once he finished assassinating Zhang Feng, it would be a double celebration. Most citizens of the Mortal Heart Realm despised evil gods. Toward traitors like Zhang Feng, public condemnation behind their backs was all the more fierce. "A tremendous happy event," the shopkeeper said, glancing at Great Venerable Shenlei. "You don't worship the New Gods, do you?" "Worship them? How could this old man ever worship those motherfucking New Gods?" Great Venerable Shenlei replied boisterously. Hearing this, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. Since this man called the New Gods motherfuckers, he certainly wasn't in their camp. "The skies over Cai Country... have changed." "Huh?" The hand with which Great Venerable Shenlei held his bowl froze in midair. "Zhang Feng is dead." "What?" Great Venerable Shenlei jerked in shock. He had come all this way prepared to assassinate Zhang Feng, only to be told that Zhang Feng was dead? Seeing the astonished look on Great Venerable Shenlei's face, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Not long ago, a voice echoed through the sky: 'Execute Zhang Feng; those who stand in the way shall die!' Then, a bunch of Ancient Gods charged into Cai Country and killed Zhang Feng! After killing him, they fled. Then the master of the evil god military encampment struck out with full force, but his strike was blocked by those Ancient Gods! Now those Ancient Gods have run off—probably toward the north." The shopkeeper pointed in a direction. "Those Ancient Gods came from over there, and after killing him, they headed right back that way." Great Venerable Shenlei was utterly dumbfounded. Who had stolen his job? There was actually such a ferocious figure in the occupied territory? "Such a righteous god... this old man is impressed." Great Venerable Shenlei was in a daze. The person he had intended to kill had already been killed by someone else; he felt completely lost. "With Zhang Feng dead, people like us can finally vent our pent-up fury!" Joy was written all over the shopkeeper's face. Evidently, the vast majority of Cai Country's citizens viewed Zhang Feng as a disgrace. In the occupied territory, such gratifying events were exceedingly rare. These ordinary commoners lived as if treading on thin ice. Who knew when a Child Banquet or some other banquet would be held? In any case, in the eyes of the evil gods, they were all like penned-in livestock, delicious and mouthwatering. "That righteous god is a true champion! Traveling ten thousand li to slay a god, then drifting away without a care for life or death!" the shopkeeper praised, filled with emotion. Hearing this, Great Venerable Shenlei wore a blank look. Such words of high praise should have been directed at *him*! And yet, even the task of killing a traitor had been snatched away! Great Venerable Shenlei felt deep regret, suddenly devoid of a goal. Could it be... he should go try his luck at the evil god military encampment? Great Venerable Shenlei lamented the actions of the Ancient God who had killed Zhang Feng—so devoid of martial virtue! He was clearly the one who had planned to kill Zhang Feng first! "That righteous god is also quite an amusing character. After killing Zhang Feng, he roared to the citizens of the entire city that he would invite them to a feast next time! Haha... feasting at Zhang Feng's funeral, I wonder if this old man will ever get the chance in this life." The shopkeeper chuckled. Beside him, Great Venerable Shenlei froze completely. "What?! Feast?!" The word "feast" was something very distant in Great Venerable Shenlei's memories. Or rather, he had probably heard it only a handful of times in his entire life. Yet since arriving at Qingshui Village, the word he heard most frequently was "feast." Hearing it again now, his heart trembled. Could it be... the Ancient God who had slain Zhang Feng was Qi Yuan?! How could that be possible?! Isn't that kid only in the Purple Mansion realm? Isn't he still in the Ancestral Land? Even if he broke through to True God in the Ancestral Land, he couldn't swagger in, kill Zhang Feng, and block a strike from a Great Venerable! No matter how one looked at it, this was utterly absurd. Yet this style of doing things was undeniably similar to that kid's. Suddenly, Great Venerable Shenlei recalled something. The direction the shopkeeper had pointed earlier... seemed to be toward Lin Country, didn't it? At this thought, his heart shook. *It couldn't really be that kid, could it?* His thoughts in turmoil, he desperately wanted to take out his transmission jade slip to ask about the situation. Then he remembered he had nothing on him. Remembering another method, he hastily entered the Land of Visualization and asked in the group: "Great Venerable Lishan, are you there? I have a question for you!" "Oh? Great Venerable Shenlei, you've shown up!" "Great Venerable Shenlei, was that Ancient God who visualized eight Mythological arts yesterday your disciple?" "Great Venerable Shenlei, where are you right now? This old man found the Heavenly Thunder Wood you needed last time." The moment he spoke, Great Venerable Shenlei was stunned. Why was everyone in the group suddenly greeting him? Eight Mythological arts? What did that mean? Who visualized eight Mythological arts? His disciple? He was completely baffled. Could it be... A terrifying thought sprang up in his mind. Just then, Great Venerable Lishan finally appeared: "Great Venerable Shenlei, you're still around? Wonderful! Hurry... go back." In the group, Great Venerable Lishan didn't go into detail. The matters concerning Great Venerable Shenlei and Qingshui Village still had to be concealed; the evil gods could not be allowed to find out. After all, those eight Mythological inheritors had not yet matured. If exposed, the evil god army might nip them in the bud. Hearing Great Venerable Lishan's words, Great Venerable Shenlei had a hundred thousand questions in his head. He wanted to ask more, but remembering there were other Ancient Gods present, he suppressed his curiosity. Exiting the group chat, Great Venerable Shenlei knitted his brows, still pondering. "Eight Mythological arts... is it him?" If it was... it was simply too preposterous. *Is that kid really a genius?* If it was him, then things made sense. Qi Yuan simply didn't want to see him perish, so he had come directly to slaughter Zhang Feng. "How can he be even more reckless than me?!" Great Venerable Shenlei slapped his thigh. "This exposes everything!" He was overcome with anxiety. Qi Yuan was far too brash—just after visualizing eight Mythological arts, he launched a heavy strike? This matter had certainly caught the evil gods' attention. They were finished. *** In Feiwu City, several streaks of light landed on the ground. Qi Yuan looked at the city's commoners who were still feasting, then said to the Ancient Gods beside him, "You've worked for so long—must be tired. Quick, go grab some food at the feast and replenish your strength." The other Ancient Gods looked at each other in dismay. "My Lord, shouldn't we discuss how to deal with the evil gods?" the younger twin sister asked straightforwardly. They had rushed ten thousand li across the land, killed Zhang Feng, and fled immediately. Cool as it was, it had definitely caught the eye of the evil god military encampment. The many evil gods in the encampment would surely deploy reinforcements to surround and slaughter them. After all, setting aside the Mythological matter, just over twenty Venerables with awakened Divine Domain seeds were enough to demand the evil gods' serious attention. "You make a good point!" Qi Yuan nodded seriously. This made the Ancient Gods present breathe a sigh of relief; Qi Yuan wasn't completely unreliable after all. "Right now, Qingshui Village's strength has increased by at least ten times. We can no longer sit and wait for death. We should take the initiative to attack and sustain the war through war!" Qi Yuan said, his brain churning as he pondered. "It seems it's time to put my brilliant brain to work again and formulate a brand-new battle plan!" The moment Qi Yuan spoke these words, the Ancient Gods were once again left thoroughly confounded. Shouldn't they be thinking about how to handle the evil gods' impending assault—whether to run, hide, or wage guerrilla warfare? How had it turned into... taking the initiative to attack? Was he afraid they wouldn't die fast enough?! "My Lord... isn't this a bit hasty?" the elder twin sister couldn't help but say. Her thoughts mirrored those of the other Ancient Gods: right now, they should avoid battle if at all possible. Their gains from the Ancestral Land were already more than enough. They needed to quickly consume resources to elevate the strength of their subordinates. In particular, the eight True Gods who had obtained Mythological-grade God Visualization Arts needed resources poured into them rapidly to push them to Great Venerables. Only then would Qingshui Village's strength truly advance. "It's not hasty at all." Qi Yuan shook his head. "I've had many enemies who dallied and dragged their feet whenever they did anything, dragging a minor matter out for decades. In the end, all those enemies were wiped out by me!" Take the Black Mountain Sect, for example. Qi Yuan had suspected that the Black Mountain Sect wanted to invade Blue Star and dig up his ancestral graves. In the end, the Black Mountain Sect dragged their feet and never dispatched troops. Qi Yuan, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at night, so he formulated a plan on the spot, boarded a spirit boat overnight, and wiped out the Black Mountain Sect. The Palace of Light was the same way. They constantly targeted Qi Yuan, demanding Great Shang hand over Qi Yuan and Kang Fulu. The useless fools had even set a deadline. If Qi Yuan had been in the Palace of Light's shoes, why bother setting a deadline? He would have wiped Qi Yuan out immediately. That way, Qi Yuan wouldn't be given any time to develop. Transposing it to Blue Star's history: if Qi Yuan had been a general of the Yuan dynasty, he would have directly led a hundred thousand troops to smash Zhu Yuanzhang's begging bowl. "The more time passes, the more variables arise. Therefore... we must strike with lightning speed and execute the surrounding evil gods!" Qi Yuan spoke earnestly, sounding thoroughly logical. The surrounding Ancient Gods were all dumbfounded. "I have a new plan called 'Three Days... Slay a Hundred Gods'!" Seeing that everyone seemed to be swayed by him, Qi Yuan hastened to strike while the iron was hot.