Chapter 557: Heaven and Earth, Only I Am Supreme

Demonic Enchanting Sound! It causes targets with lower cultivation or intelligence to fall into confusion and lose their minds.

Although Daji's cultivation was only at the peak of the 4th rank, many of the skeletal warriors and the Guman Tong were actually more powerful than her. However, these creatures shared a common characteristic: very low intelligence.

Even though the Guman Tong possessed the ability to bewitch people, their own intelligence was not high.

Therefore, Daji's Demonic Enchanting Sound was precisely their bane.

Upon hearing the music, the skeletal warriors and Guman Tong on the field fell into chaos. Although they presumably had no facial expressions, everyone could acutely sense their torment.

Soon, they began to wildly attack their companions, turning the scene into pandemonium.

The strange serpents were even worse; they had long since entangled themselves, either biting each other with their fangs or strangling one another with their bodies, creating a scene like hell itself.

Pei Mianman was dumbfounded, instinctively leaning closer to Zu An, as if only his presence could offer her a modicum of reassurance.

At this moment, the young girl Jiang Jiang was also very surprised. Given her abilities, the Demonic Enchanting Sound naturally had no effect on her.

Seeing that she could no longer control her subordinates, Jiang Jiang, whose arm was tattooed with jade cong patterns, pressed her hand directly onto the head of the Guman Tong beside her. A burst of light enveloped the Guman Tong, which then visibly began to grow larger.

In almost an instant, it transformed from an infant-like figure into a giant nearly thirty meters tall, with Jiang Jiang standing on its head.

Zu An was speechless.

Pei Mianman was speechless.

At that moment, Jiang Jiang pointed towards the two, and the giant Guman Tong began to stride towards them.

Although it was walking, its immense size meant each step covered dozens of feet, making it faster than an average person running.

Boom, boom, boom!

Its heavy footsteps shook the entire underground palace, and all the skeletal warriors in its path were crushed to dust.

Seeing the colossal foot descending, Zu An and Pei Mianman clearly wouldn't attempt to block it. With unspoken coordination, they dodged in different directions.

Surprisingly, the giant Guman Tong was incredibly agile, and its two plump hands immediately slammed down towards them.

The two continued to dodge, and stone fragments flew everywhere from the impact.

At this point, Jiang Jiang manipulated the giant Guman Tong to move towards Daji. She clearly understood that once this woman was dealt with, her subordinates would naturally return to normal.

Daji gracefully dodged, her skirt fluttering as she moved with the lightness of a fairy.

Although she lacked a soul, her combat instincts remained, making dodging effortless.

Zu An, however, knew that this couldn't go on. The Guman Tong could fail countless times, but a single hit would likely be too much for them to bear.

So, he immediately summoned Da Feng and teleported to the top of the Guman Tong's head.

Jiang Jiang seemed to sense something and made the Guman Tong dodge to the side.

Zu An landed in empty space. In that critical moment, he plunged his Tai'a sword directly into the Guman Tong's shoulder.

The Guman Tong's body was originally as hard as refined iron, impervious to blades, but Zu An enveloped his longsword with Primordial Chaos Qi, allowing it to slice through as easily as cutting tofu.

The Guman Tong let out a painful shriek, then its enormous palm slammed onto its own shoulder.

Zu An felt a pang of frustration. His previous momentum had faded, and new strength had yet to build, so he intended to retreat to the ground and seek another opportunity.

However, after this incident, Jiang Jiang was on guard, and it might not be so easy to get above it next time.

Just then, Pei Mianman conjured her owl zun, which rapidly grew in size, spinning and whistling towards them. It perfectly blocked the Guman Tong's massive hand.

Zu An seized the opportunity to regulate his elemental energy. Pushing off the Guman Tong with his foot, he leaped directly onto its head.

Jiang Jiang was greatly alarmed by this sight. She extended her hand, and countless spirits from the surroundings swarmed towards him.

Zu An snorted coldly, channeling Primordial Chaos Qi. The longsword in his hand shone with a brilliant white light, and upon contact, the spirits melted away like snow meeting fire.

Jiang Jiang raised her hand, and her jade cong pulsed with light, while countless blue light arrows appeared around her.

With a flick of her finger, countless arrows shot towards Zu An's location.

The Eastern Yi people were indeed masters of the bow, living up to their reputation.

Jiang Jiang, however, felt no joy, because although the arrows struck their target, the figure shattered into light and shadow, clearly just an illusion.

As she was about to unleash another ability, her body suddenly froze. A longsword was already pressed against her neck.

It turned out that Zu An had just used the "Sunflower Phantom" movement technique, instantly appearing behind her.

Jiang Jiang spoke with difficulty, "Why did you spare me?"

Even though the sword only grazed her, the terrifying white light emanating from it caused a searing pain, already inflicting irreversible damage. If that sword had fully pierced her, she would likely have died on the spot.

Zu An glanced at her and couldn't help but sigh. "You are already a pitiful soul; how could I add to your misery? My companion and I are not merchants; we merely participated in their trial, which is why we carry their aura."

He could indeed have killed her to end everything, but considering that this young girl had been captured by the Shang Dynasty, brutally sacrificed as a human offering, her head even boiled in a pot, and then spent countless desolate years alone in this sunless secret realm, her suffering truly was extreme.

Hearing his words, Jiang Jiang's expression shifted, the bloodlust in her eyes gradually receded, and the previous madness vanished. She whispered, "I'm sorry, I couldn't control my emotions just now."

"A deep-seated hatred is normal," Zu An said, retracting his sword. The blood feud between the Shang and Eastern Yi people was indeed difficult to resolve.

Seeing him release the sword so easily, a strange look appeared on Jiang Jiang's face. "Aren't you afraid I'll attack you again?"

Zu An shook his head. "I know you're not a malevolent spirit driven by killing intent."

In truth, he wasn't foolish; he simply wasn't afraid of her turning hostile because he was confident that the Primordial Chaos Qi could suppress her, though he couldn't say that aloud.

Jiang Jiang fell silent, then after a long moment, she said, "Thank you!"

She gently patted the Guman Tong beneath her feet, and its massive form rapidly shrank, soon returning to its normal size. Then, she casually waved her hand, and the strange serpents retreated, the skeletal warriors all lay back down in the burial pit, and the Guman Tong chuckled as they moved away.

Zu An watched in amazement, wondering how she controlled them.

Jiang Jiang turned to Zu An. "Big Brother, I wish to liberate my clansmen's souls. Could you take me there?"

Zu An nodded; this was indeed something he had promised her earlier.

Pei Mianman opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. In truth, she had a host of questions for Zu An, such as the identity of the unbelievably beautiful woman in white beside him...

However, she also sympathized with Jiang Jiang's plight and decided to resolve her matter first.

The group arrived before the high platform. Looking at the steps, Jiang Jiang sighed softly. Countless vengeful spirits seemed to sense something, rushing out to surround her, murmuring. Their previous ferocious expressions transformed into ones of grievance and excitement.

Jiang Jiang comforted them, then extended her hand, and the jade cong slowly floated into the air. She began to chant, commencing the liberation of her clansmen's souls.

Gentle rays of light emanated from the jade cong. The vengeful spirits bathed in its glow, their expressions turning serene. One by one, they closed their eyes and transformed into countless specks of light scattered across the sky.

They had been confined there for tens of thousands of years and were finally set free today.

After completing the liberation, Jiang Jiang turned and bowed to Zu An. "Thank you, Big Brother and Big Sister. Without your help, I could never have accomplished this."

Just as Zu An was about to speak, his expression subtly changed. "Your body..."

It turned out that her body was also flickering, as if it could dissipate into the wind at any moment.

Jiang Jiang smiled faintly. "The reason I remained in this underground palace was to bring liberation to my clansmen. Now that my wish is fulfilled, it is natural for me to liberate myself as well. After living for so long, I am tired."

Zu An fell silent. Her life had been truly tragic, and having lived alone in the underground palace for such an immense period made any words of comfort meaningless.

Jiang Jiang extended her hand, and the jade cong flew before Zu An. "This is our Eastern Yi's sacred artifact. Big Brother has helped us so much, so I'll give this to you, rather than letting it lie dormant here forever. You can control it like this..."

After saying this, she completely transformed into countless specks of light and dissipated into the air.

Pei Mianman's eyes reddened. "Poor Jiang Jiang."

Zu An embraced her tightly, equally overcome with emotion, unable to speak for a moment.

They stood there for a very long time...

A gentle breeze swept by, and Pei Mianman suddenly caught a faint fragrance. She looked back and saw the beautiful woman in white standing quietly beside them, like Zu An's attendant. She finally couldn't suppress her curiosity: "A'Zu, who is she?"

"She's my summoned creature..." Zu An found a way she could understand and roughly explained it to her.

Pei Mianman was incredibly surprised. "How miraculous!"

She had initially thought the woman was a confidante Zu An had found somewhere, but hearing she was merely a summoned creature, her slightly tense mood instantly relaxed.

She then hurried to Daji's side to examine her, even poking her with a finger. "Oh, she's just like a real person!"

The two women stood side by side, truly like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, each possessing unique charm and beauty. Zu An was mesmerized.

However, he was even more surprised by something else: why Pei Mianman could touch Daji freely without consequence, while he himself had nearly been slapped when he got close to her.

"She was a real person," Zu An explained, recounting how Daji had lost her soul due to various circumstances.

Pei Mianman couldn't help but sigh. "There are so many pitiful people in the world. A woman of such heavenly beauty, who knows what she went through to become someone else's puppet."

Zu An immediately frowned. "What do you mean, 'someone else's'?"

Pei Mianman snorted, her face slightly flushed, and said, "She's already pitiful enough. You're not allowed to do anything bad to her."

Zu An was confused.

"Am I that kind of person?"

"Don't you know what kind of person you are?"

"Uh, don't worry. Although I'm her master, I can only use her for combat; I can't get close to her..."

He then demonstrated, making Pei Mianman laugh so hard she shook. "You scoundrel, you clearly had ill intentions and already tried it!"

"I just accidentally touched her," Zu An said, feeling guilty. "Stop laughing, or I'll get angry!"

Seeing his gloomy expression, Pei Mianman suppressed her laughter. "Alright, I'm not laughing anymore. Does she have a name?"

"Daji."

"Daji?"

Seeing Pei Mianman's surprised expression, Zu An said with a wry smile, "She's the Daji you're thinking of. After her world was annihilated, she probably drifted in the river of time until I summoned her."

Having spent so much time in the previous trial, Pei Mianman had heard Zu An mention Daji many times and naturally knew her historical story. She couldn't help but exclaim, "She truly is a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, no wonder she was called a thousand-year-old fox spirit!"

Suddenly, her face flushed, and she instinctively pinched Zu An. "I finally understand why you were so excited that night during the trial when you found out I was 'Daji'!"

Zu An was speechless.

To avoid her interrogation, Zu An summoned Daji back while changing the subject. "Uh, shouldn't we leave the secret realm now?"

Pei Mianman was startled. "Where did she go?"

Zu An said, "She should have returned to a special space..."

He didn't know how to describe it. In short, she could be summoned at any time. Furthermore, if Daji sustained a certain degree of injury, she would be forcibly returned to that space, where her body would slowly repair and recover. However, this process was very long and primarily depended on her master providing medicinal treatment.

Pei Mianman finally understood. She then took out her owl zun and began communicating with the secret realm through it, preparing to leave.

Meanwhile, Zu An touched the jade cong on his wrist, which had transformed into a pattern. He recalled Jiang Jiang's words before she departed. Legend had it that this item could communicate with spirits and deities and was primarily used for sacrifices. Of course, its more practical use was to control many unintelligent creatures, even undead beings, just as Jiang Jiang had controlled the creatures in the underground palace to attack them.

Unlike Daji's Demonic Enchanting Sound, which mainly caused targets to fall into confusion, the jade cong could completely control certain creatures for one's own use. Moreover, the targets for both abilities were somewhat different.

Zu An mused that the jade cong's function was very similar to certain talent skills of a druid in a game from his past life, capable of controlling many animals to obey commands.

Compared to its use in combat, he found it more valuable for reconnaissance. He could easily imagine how terrifying it would be if the most ordinary small animals around an enemy were his eyes and ears.

"Hmm, what if these small animals accidentally saw some women bathing..."

"Ahem, I'm a proper person, how could I possibly use it like that?!"

As his thoughts raced, Pei Mianman had already taken his hand. "Ready!"

At that moment, a teleportation portal suddenly appeared before them. Pei Mianman firmly led him through.

After a moment of disorientation, their eyes met a bright scene. The surroundings were no longer the gloomy underground palace but a place of gentle breezes, birdsong, and fragrant flowers.

Gazing at the sun overhead and feeling the familiar elemental energy in the air, they exchanged smiles. "We're finally back."

Pei Mianman suddenly grew anxious. "A'Zu, the Emperor is still looking for you. Should we take this opportunity to hide? They'll just think you perished in the secret realm, and you'll be safe after the Emperor dies."

Zu An shook his head. "Although everyone says the Emperor doesn't have many years left, he is still the strongest person in the world. He could live another ten or even dozens of years. Can I hide for that long?"

"Besides, it's already common knowledge that I possess the *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra*. It's better with the Emperor suppressing things; if he dies, I'll be in even more danger. It's better to use this trip to the capital to resolve everything once and for all."

Pei Mianman pouted. "You're saying all these grand words, but in reality, you just can't bear to leave Chu Yan."

At her words, an awkwardness settled between them. In the secret realm, they could cast aside all inhibitions and act as husband and wife, but in the real world, they had many reservations.

Zu An gently took her hand. "Manman, I'm also doing this for you. Everyone saw us enter the secret realm together. If I were to disappear, wouldn't that mean you couldn't show your face to others either? You're not alone like me; you have your family and relatives."

Pei Mianman thought of her mother, her eyes reddened, and she directly threw herself into his arms. "A'Zu, you're so good."

As they embraced tenderly, a familiar cold sneer echoed from not far away. "What a pair of lovesick fools. But you've ruined my grand plan. How will you compensate me?"

Zu An and Pei Mianman were startled. With their cultivation levels, they hadn't sensed anyone nearby. They turned around, and their hearts immediately sank.

A woman in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe was coldly smirking at them. Who else could it be but Daoist Mosquito?

They recalled how many masters had been miserably defeated by Daoist Mosquito, and now only the two of them remained. Moreover, Daoist Mosquito's injuries had fully healed, and her oppressive aura was even stronger than before, sending shivers down their spines.

What was strange, however, was that Daoist Mosquito had always exuded a gloomy and fierce aura, but now there was a circulating Buddhist light around her, adding a touch of solemn sanctity.

"Why are you here?" Zu An asked in a low voice.

Daoist Mosquito snorted. "You just came out of the secret realm, so naturally, I did too. Hmph, it's a pity I didn't run into you two in there; otherwise, I would have killed you on the spot and wouldn't have had my grand plan ruined."

Seeing that she didn't even care about the *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra*, Zu An couldn't help but wonder, "What grand plan of yours did we ruin?"

Daoist Mosquito gnashed her teeth, the sanctity on her face instantly replaced by malevolence. "I was in the middle of devouring the Western Buddhist Sect's spiritual treasure, the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit. Once I had consumed it entirely, I would have been supreme throughout heaven and earth, with neither the Great Zhou Emperor nor any Demon King being my match. But unfortunately, I had only just consumed three petals of the lotus platform when you dragged me out of the secret realm!"

"What?" Zu An was instantly dumbfounded.