Chapter 956

After a brief retreat, Yin Wu Shuang still couldn't suppress his urge to spy on Li Ergouzi; gritting his teeth, he threw all his available troops into the assault.

Translation: After a temporary retreat, Yin Wu Shuang ultimately still couldn't suppress his gaze on Li Ergouzi, gritted his teeth, and threw all his military force into the siege in a desperate all-or-nothing move.

But we need to be concise, not add extra. Let's translate directly: "After the temporary retreat, Yin Wu Shuang still couldn't restrain his gaze on Li Ergouzi; gritting his teeth, he threw all his military force into the siege in a desperate all-or-nothing move."

Check: original: After a brief retreat, Yin Wu Shuang still couldn't suppress his urge to spy on Li Ergouzi; gritting his teeth, he threw all his available troops into the assault.

We can translate: "After the temporary retreat, Yin Wu Shuang still couldn't restrain his gaze on Li Ergouzi; gritting his teeth, he threw all his military force into the siege in a desperate all-or-nothing move."

That seems fine.

Several dozen thousand-zhang-tall demon puppets.

Translation: "Several dozen thousand-zhang-tall demon puppets."

But need to keep numbers: several dozen = several dozen (tens) of units; thousand-zhang high = thousand-zhang high. So "Several dozen thousand-zhang-tall demon puppets."

More than a hundred colossal thousand-zhang-long demon warships.

Translation: "Over a hundred thousand-zhang-long huge demon ships."

More than 1.5 million demon soldiers.

Translation: "Over 1.5 million demon troops."

Plus several million despised slave troops.

Translation: "Plus several million lowly slave troops."

Yin Wu Shuang threw caution to the wind, gritting his teeth and ordering an all-out assault; even formidable loose cultivators such as Madam Peony were compelled to join the siege.

Translation: "Yin Wu Shuang went all out, gritting his teeth and ordering an attack at any cost. Even powerful scattered demons like Mudan Niangniang were forced by him to join the siege."

The pressure on Li Ergouzi spiked instantly.

Translation: "The pressure on Li Ergouzi suddenly surged."

The defensive grand formation formed from the three platforms was shaken to the brink of collapse, especially due to the enigmatic secret arts of loose cultivators like Madam Peony, which posed a tremendous threat to the city.

Translation: "The great defensive formation formed from three battle platforms was shaken to the brink of collapse, especially since the mysterious divine abilities and secret arts of scattered demons such as Mudan Niangniang posed a huge threat to the city."

Meanwhile, Wu Tie silently observed the nearby Yin Wu Shuang and his followers.

Translation: "Meanwhile, Wu Tie quietly sized up Yin Wu Shuang and his entourage right nearby."

After several days of stalemate between Li Ergouzi and Yin Wu Shuang, Wu Tie figured out Yin Wu Shuang's motives.

Translation: "Li Ergouzi and Yin Wu Shuang had been entangled for several days, and Wu Tie understood Yin Wu Shuang's thoughts."

This fellow might be trying to keep all the gains for himself.

Translation: "This bastard might be trying to hog everything for himself."

For demons, that kind of thinking is completely natural.

Translation: "For demons, this kind of thinking is completely normal."

But Wu Tie didn't want Yin Wu Shuang to keep dragging things out; Yin Wu Shuang needed to call for reinforcements from the rear and gather more demon troops to attack, encircle, and strike the Wu kingdom.

Translation: "But Wu Tie didn't want Yin Wu Shuang to drag on like this; Yin Wu Shuang had to seek reinforcements from the rear, find more demon troops to attack, surround, and beat Wuguo."

Only then could Wu Tie devise a targeted countermeasure and plan his next steps.

Translation: "That way, Wu Tie could prescribe the right remedy and plan his countermeasures."

What's the point of you, Yin Wu Shuang, putting on a one-man show here?

Translation: "What sense does it make for you, Yin Wu Shuang, to perform a one-man show here alone?"

So Wu Tie left his underground hideout.

Translation: "So Wu Tie left his underground hiding place."

Given his current supernatural abilities, neither Yin Wu Shuang nor his close aides noticed Wu Tie's movements. Yin Wu Shuang was furious, lashing a nearby small sapling with a tiny horsewhip, his eyes blazing with resentful indignation.

Translation: "With his current divine abilities, none of Yin Wu Shuang's close aides discovered Wu Tie's movements. Yin Wu Shuang was furious, whipping a nearby small tree with a small horsewhip, his eyes full of resentful indignation."

"This guy is a real pain. Just how many valuables does he have on him?"

Translation: "\"This bastard is too troublesome. Just how many good things does he have on him? \""

As Wu Tie crept up near Yin Wu Shuang, a demon unit had already scaled the wall of the 108th Slay-Ghost City.

Translation: "Just as Wu Tie sneaked near Yin Wu Shuang, a unit of demon troops had already scaled the wall of the First 108 Killing Ghost City."

A ragtag troop under Li Ergouzi was quickly cut down and scattered, with many soldiers missing limbs lying in heaps on the wall.

Translation: "A ragtag bunch under Li Ergouzi's command was quickly cut to pieces, many soldiers losing arms and legs, lying in a large patch on the wall."

Just as the demon soldiers were preparing to finish off these defenders and reap their lives,

Translation: "Just as the demon soldiers were preparing to finish off these defenders and harvest their lives,"

Li Ergouzi produced a huge glazed treasure bottle, tipped it, and saw a vast expanse of crystal‑clear, viscous, sweet‑smelling water, exuding a faint sandalwood aroma and a ** scent, pouring out and soaking all the defenders regardless of injury.

Translation: "Li Ergouzi pulled out a huge glazed treasure bottle, casually tipped it, and saw a vast expanse of exceptionally clear, viscous, sweet water emitting a faint sandalwood scent and ** smell gush out, soaking all the wounded defenders of varying condition."

In an instant, tens of thousands of lightly and severely wounded soldiers sprang to their feet.

Translation: "In the snap of a finger, tens of thousands of lightly and heavily wounded soldiers sprang up."

Each one sprang back to life, limbs regenerated, essence and spirit fully replenished, and even their cultivation rose a notch.

Translation: "They were all lively and jumping, their arms and legs fully regrown, their essence and spirit completely replenished, and even their cultivation rose a notch."

What's more shocking, several thousand soldiers who were slain on the spot by demon warriors had their bodies healed, their vital flames rekindled, their lost essence and blood fully restored, and they leapt up just as vigorously.

Translation: "What's more shocking is that several thousand soldiers killed on the spot by demon warriors also had their limbs healed, their vital flames blazing again, their lost essence and blood fully replenished, and they sprang up just as vigorous."

The cultivation of these slain defenders increased even more rapidly than that of their merely wounded comrades.

Translation: "These slain defenders' cultivation increased even more rapidly than that of their merely wounded comrades."

Quite a few officers at the Life-Pool realm, after dying once, saw their cultivation jump straight to the Womb-Treasury realm.

Translation: "Many Life Pool Realm officers, after dying once, saw their cultivation jump straight to the Womb Storage Realm."

Moreover, any soldier who soaked in this pure water, whether killed or wounded, glowed with a faint golden light—a sign of minor attainment in a certain Buddhist body-cultivation technique.

Translation: "What's even more terrifying is that any soldier soaked in this water, whether killed or injured, glowed with a faint golden light—a sign of minor accomplishment in some Buddhist body-cultivation method."

The demon troops were horrified to discover that these enemies, who had just been as weak as lambs, now sprang up vigorously.

Translation: "The demon soldiers horrifiedly discovered that these enemies who had just leapt up, though previously as weak as lambs, were no longer easy prey."

But after being soaked in the pure water, their bodies became as tough as tempered steel, making their weapons unable to pierce the enemies' skin or inflict effective harm.

Translation: "But once soaked in this water, their bodies became as tough as tempered steel, and their weapons could hardly pierce the enemies' skin or inflict effective harm."

The demon soldiers all wielded grotesque‑shaped sabers; when these fearfully curved blades struck the defenders' faintly golden skin, they produced only a continual 'ding‑ding' sound, with hardly anyone being cut.

Translation: "The demon soldiers all used sinister-looking curved blades; when these dramatically curved blades struck the defenders' pale gold skin, they produced constant 'ding-ding' sounds, with hardly anyone being cut by the blades."

"My money, my money..." Li Ergouzi, while supporting the treasure bottle as he poured the pure water, wept bitterly: "Corrupt Great Red Lotus Temple, corrupt dead bald donkeys... What a worthless merit‑pool water, just this bottle... I'll have to embezzle for ten years..."

Translation: "\"My money, my money... \" Li Ergouzi, while supporting the bottle to pour the pure water, tears streaming down his face, wailed: \"The corrupt Red Lotus Temple, the corrupt dead bald donkeys... What a load of crap this Merit Pool water is—just this bottle... I'll have to embezzle for ten years... \""

Indeed, the pure water poured from this treasure bottle comes from the Merit Pool of the Red Lotus Temple.

Translation: "Exactly, the pure water poured from this bottle comes from the Merit Pool of the Red Lotus Temple."

When the Faceless Buddha was severely wounded by the Drunken Buddha Daoist and his golden body shattered, he used the merit‑pool water to quickly reforge his golden body, and its cultivation surpassed his former level by a great margin.

Translation: "Originally, after the Faceless Buddha was severely wounded by the Drunken Buddha Daoist and his golden body shattered, he used the Merit Pool water to quickly reforge his golden body, and its cultivation rose even higher than before."

Merit‑pool water is a supreme Buddhist treasure, possessing the divine power to raise the dead and restore flesh to white bones.

Translation: "Merit Pool water, this is the supreme treasure of the Buddhist Sect, possessing the miraculous power to raise the dead and restore flesh to white bones."

Even a being of the Faceless Buddha's caliber can easily reforge his golden body with it; for the majority of defenders who are at the Heavy-Story or Life-Pool realms, the effect of this pure water is enormous.

Translation: "Even a Faceless Buddha of such cultivation could easily have his golden body reforged; for the defending soldiers mostly at the Chonglou Realm and Life Pool Realm, the effect of this water is tremendous."

A single drop of this pure water is enough to greatly advance their cultivation and forge them a formidable Buddhist golden body.

Translation: "A single drop of this water is enough to greatly advance their cultivation and forge them into a formidable Buddhist golden body."

Li Ergouzi's treasure bottle held about half a pool of merit‑pool water; on the city wall, hundreds of thousands of defenders, wounded or not, were all washed with the pure water.

Translation: "Li Ergouzi's bottle held about half a pool of Merit Pool water; on the wall, hundreds of thousands of defending soldiers, wounded or not, were all washed with it."

Hundreds of thousands of defenders saw their cultivation and physical strength surge, and even their souls were cleansed, transforming them from spiritless wrecks into fervent, wrathful Buddhist guardians as fierce as blazing vajras.

Translation: "Hundreds of thousands of defending soldiers saw their cultivation and physical strength soar, their souls cleansed, transforming from worthless slackers into fervent, warlike Buddhist guardian vajras."

Hundreds of thousands of defenders, whose power had skyrocketed, launched a furious slaughter that wiped out the demon troops that had stormed the walls.

Translation: "Hundreds of thousands of these dramatically strengthened defenders went on a slaughter spree, completely wiping out the batch of demon soldiers that had charged the wall."

Tens of thousands of demon soldiers had their armor stripped and their weapons seized by the defenders.

Translation: "Tens of thousands of demon soldiers had their armor stripped and their weapons seized by the defending soldiers."

Their cultivation having risen sharply, tens of thousands of soldiers then donned fine demon armor and weapons, instantly making the defenders' strength on the wall not to be underestimated.

Translation: "Their cultivation having risen sharply, tens of thousands of soldiers swapped in fine demon armor and weapons, making the defending force on the wall suddenly not to be underestimated."

Yin Wu Shuang trembled with rage throughout his body.

Translation: "Yin Wu Shuang trembled with rage all over."

Li Ergouzi's wealth is truly...

Translation: "Li Ergouzi's wealth is……"

This isn't warfare; it's literally using money to smash people.

Translation: "This isn't warfare; it's really just using money to smash people."

Next, Li Ergouzi did something that left Yin Wu Shuang stunned—he ordered a group of formation masters to pile up more than ten platforms behind the city wall, laying out numerous transformation formations.

Translation: "Next, Li Ergouzi did something that left Yin Wu Shuang stunned—he ordered a group of formation masters to pile up several platforms behind the wall, laying out numerous transformation formations on them."

Mountains of healing pills were continuously fed into the transformation formations, their fragrant essence turning into visible spiritual clouds that drifted and swirled above the wall.

Translation: "Mountains of healing pills were continuously fed into the transformation formations, their fragrant essence turning into visible spiritual clouds that drifted and swirled above the wall."

All the defenders remained calm within the spiritual clouds condensed from the pills' essence, allowing the demon troops' frenzied assaults outside to occasionally strike them, breaking bones and tendons, yet after a few breaths within the clouds they would swiftly rise again, fully restored to combat readiness.

Translation: "All defending soldiers remained calm within the spiritual clouds condensed from the pills' essence, allowing the demon soldiers' great formation outside to frenziedly attack; though occasional blows broke bones and tendons, within a few breaths under the clouds' nourishment they would quickly rise again, their combat power fully restored."

This... is literally burning money to wage war!

Translation: "This... is directly burning money to wage war!"

"Enough, enough, a spendthrift is a spendthrift... I, Lord Dog, have had enough!" Li Ergouzi avoided the increasingly fierce battlements and retreated into the gate tower where a squad of thieves' assassins had emerged.

Translation: "\"Enough, enough, a spendthrift is a spendthrift... I, Dog Grandpa, have had enough! \" Li Ergouzi avoided the increasingly fierce battlements and ducked into the gate tower where a Thief Clan assassin squad had emerged."

He stood on the eaves of the third floor of the gate tower, waving his arms and legs as he shouted toward the outside.

Translation: "He stood on the eaves of the third floor of the gate tower, waving his arms and legs as he shouted outward."

"Lord Dog is rich, Lord Dog is a tycoon, Lord Dog will smash you to death with money... Are you scared or not?"

Translation: "\"Dog Grandpa is rich, Dog Grandpa is a local tycoon, Dog Grandpa uses money to smash you to death... Are you scared or not? \""

With a wave of his right hand, a vast sheet of high‑grade spirit crystals flashed with dazzling light, pouring down like a rainstorm onto the wall. Li Ergouzi screamed hysterically: "Brothers, hold firm, hold firm, kill those bastards outside, Lord Dog will give you money, rewards, give… give… give‑girls!"

Translation: "He waved his right hand, a large expanse of high-grade spirit crystals flashing with dazzling light, pouring down like a rainstorm onto the wall. Li Ergouzi hysterically howled: \"Brothers, hold firm, hold firm, kill those turtle bastards outside, Dog Grandpa will give you money, rewards, give... give... give fucking mothers! \""

"Follow Lord Dog and you'll eat well, drink spicy, have a wife and kids with a warm heated bed—whatever you want, you'll get!"

Translation: "\"Follow me, Dog Grandpa, and you'll eat well, drink spicy, have a wife and kids with a warm kang bed—whatever you want, you'll get! \""

Yin Wu Shuang heard Li Ergouzi's shouting and coldly smirked: "A wife and kids with a warm heated bed? That's a fine idea… but, having been targeted by my Supreme Demon State, you are destined to be slaves, oxen and horses."

Translation: "Yin Wu Shuang, hearing Li Ergouzi's shouting, couldn't help but coldly smile: \"A wife and kids with a warm kang bed? That's a good idea... but, having been targeted by my Supreme Demon Kingdom, you're destined to be slaves toiling like oxen and horses. \""

Gritting his teeth, after a moment's thought, Yin Wu Shuang said in a low voice: "Go, take this general's token, and tell the two generals I'm on good terms with—Yin Wu Zhi and Yin Wu Yong—that I will grant each of you brothers a fortune."

Translation: "Gritting his teeth, after a moment's thought, Yin Wu Shuang said in a low voice: \"Go, take this general's token, and tell the two generals on good terms with me, Yin Wuzhi and Yin Wuyong, that I will give these two brothers a fortune. \""

"Have them hand over to me all their troops, all loose cultivators, and every militia force big or small, mobilizing them secretly." Yin Wu Shuang gritted his teeth: "If even the three of us as partners can't take this city, then it's truly… uncanny."

Translation: "\"Have them give me... all their military power, all scattered demons, all mobilized forces big and small, to be secretly mobilized. \" Yin Wu Shuang gritted his teeth: \"Our trio of partners still can't take this city—that would be damned. \""

Wu Tie curled his lip.

Translation: "Wu Tie smirked."

Three partners? Or is he just trying to hog everything for himself?

Translation: "Three partners? Or is he just trying to hog everything?"

However, it went from one person eating alone to a small group eating alone.

This is not good.

Roughly estimating, the demon army under Yin Wushuang alone numbers about a hundred thousand. The Yin Wuzhi and Yin Wuyong he invited are roughly on par with him.

Together, the three could command five million demon troops?

Heh.

Wu Tie's appetite is huge; is such a small enemy worthy of the big show he had Li Er Gouzi stir up?

Seeing one of Yin Wushuang's trusted officers take his token, leading a dozen or so personal guards soaring into the air and flying toward the rear giant teleportation array, Wu Tie's body flickered and he appeared instantly before that officer.

"May the Buddha be merciful, benefactor; you who have intruded into the Buddha's mercifully protected land shall receive salvation."

Wu Tie also didn't know what a true monk should say in this situation.

However, this didn't stop him from making up a few plausible-sounding nonsense on the spot.

He blocked the demon officer ordered to leave, smiling as he pressed his palms together in a salute, then his hands suddenly turned golden, palms flashing with golden flames, striking the officer's chest like lightning.

With a tremendous boom, the demon officer's black armor shattered in one blow, his body like an egg crushed under Mount Tai, exploding completely in midair.

A terrifying Buddhist power, like molten golden liquid, searing with heat and blinding light, invaded the fragments of the demon officer's shattered body; thus the blood mist and flesh remnants filling the sky all turned into a brilliant, blinding gold.

There was not a trace of bloody smell, nor any hint of gruesome flesh.

Rich and pure Buddhist virtue filled the void; Wu Tie's whole body glittered with golden Buddhist light, behind his head a wheel of merit golden light about a zhang in diameter slowly turned, golden light and purple aura illuminating heaven and earth.

Pitifully, the merit golden light behind Wu Tie's head, like a large golden disc, now exceeds a hundred thousand zhang in diameter.

He had to expend all his strength to draw the vast merit golden light into his body and restrain it, yet no matter how he restrained it, a roughly zhang‑sized near‑substantial merit golden wheel always hung behind his head.

This feeling was as if heaven and earth would not allow him to keep a low profile or restrain himself.

Yin Wushuang and his retinue of trusted officers stared in horror at Wu Tie; seeing the zhang‑diameter merit golden light behind him, their faces turned ashen, each as if they had seen a ghost.

Thereafter, Yin Wushuang and the few strongest trusted officers had their eyeballs nearly pop out of their sockets, each gazing at Wu Tie with utter greed.

Such immense merit power is a tremendous restraint and harm to all demonic beings, an absolute nemesis.

But conversely, if the demons could kill a being possessing such merit, then using demonic secret arts to corrupt, degenerate, absorb, and fuse it, their cultivation could leap forward, even enabling them to master several legendary supreme demonic divine abilities.

Worldly affairs are naturally like this—yin and yang opposing and transforming.

Yin Wushuang and several trusted officers swiftly released their soul‑thought power, circling Wu Tie once.

Several people simultaneously let out a shrill howl, staggering back dozens of steps; their sinister, vicious soul‑thought power was like the tentacles of a hellish demon, inherently opposed to the merit golden light behind Wu Tie.

The vast merit golden light easily dissolved their released soul‑thought power; this feeling was no different than Yin Wushuang and the others having their souls heavily struck.

But those of Yin Wushuang's group who suffered this heavy injury became excited, their eyes turning blood‑red.

Although the merit golden light behind Wu Tie is vast and terrifying, its outward aura is only half‑step venerable.

Just like Yin Wushuang's, half‑step venerable!

As long as one is half‑step venerable, no matter how vast one's boundless merit, they can still be killed!

"Kill him, I, the commander, only want his skeleton; his flesh, organs, and everything else are yours." Yin Wushuang screamed hysterically, at this moment even forgetting the army under his command besieging the city, and forgetting Li Er Gouzi, whom he hated so much he wished to slice him to pieces quickly.

If they could seize Wu Tie's skeleton, a skeleton soaked in boundless merit would certainly allow him to cultivate a vicious and immensely powerful demonic divine ability—the Nightmare Yaksha!

Seemingly alive, seemingly dead; neither alive nor dead; both alive and dead; life and death unfathomable.

At once neither proper nor improper, possessing both propriety and impropriety; propriety and impropriety intermingle, ever‑changing.

Nightmare Yaksha possesses overwhelming restraint against both orthodox and heterodox paths; it can shatter demons, slay immortals, topple gods, and defile Buddhas.

This is a forbidden demonic divine ability; throughout the Supreme Demon Kingdom, it is heard that only one powerful prince, millions of years ago, successfully forged a single Nightmare Yaksha, relying on which that prince's authority in the Supreme Demon Kingdom is nearly on par with today's Demon Emperor.

If Yin Wushuang could forge a Nightmare Yaksha, then……

"Kill!" Yin Wushuang, blinded by greed and heedless of right or wrong, led his subordinates in a charge at Wu Tie.

"May the Buddha be merciful!" Wu Tie smiled, pressing his palms together, gazing at Yin Wushuang and company.

In the next instant, Wu Tie produced the Mountain‑Suppressing Bronze Bell hanging on the bell tower outside the gate of the Red Lotus Temple, which had been there for tens of millions of years, and then struck it with a palm.

With a bell chime, boundless Buddhist light and auspicious aura shot up into the sky, the misty Buddhist light illuminating a radius of a million li of void.

Outside the 108th City of Killing Ghosts, over a million demon troops collapsed, each scorched black as if burned by fire.

Yin Wushuang and his trusted officers, nearest the blast, were each engulfed in black smoke, their flesh burned to ash, leaving only black skeletons that turned into gusts of icy black wind, fleeing in disarray toward the teleportation array.

"Li Er Gouzi, lead the army and pursue them to kill."

Wu Tie's order was transmitted.

"Pursue them, slaughter them all the way; when you reach their territory, act on my orders."