Chapter 868: Got You!

Zhang Bao was also a prominent figure who once stirred up changes in the world.

However, with the fall of the Yellow Turban Army, Zhang Bao withdrew from the historical stage and became an insignificant minor figure.

Moreover, he was like a tiny boat caught in the flood, constantly drifting with the current.

He originally planned to join forces with Liangshan's remnants to scheme against Tang Luo, then together scheme against the Great Ding for revenge, but it never came to pass.

Later he left, and afterward wanted to rely on Tang Luo, but lacked decisiveness, wasting time.

He wandered about aimlessly, ultimately achieving nothing, failing to avenge himself, and even losing his most basic foothold.

Moreover, Tang Luo and his group had no idea that someone named Zhang Bao even existed.

Once a prominent figure, he had become a truly insignificant shrimp.

The great river flows east, washing away all, the heroic figures of ages. Zhang Bao is precisely the one who was "washed away by the waves."

If things had gone normally, Zhang Bao would surely have died in the leading wave on the shore.

But now, naturally, it is not so.

Zhang Bao waved the banner in his hand, shouting the once inspiring slogan; on his weathered, defiant old face, there was no trace of the former sorrow and weariness.

On the contrary, what emerged was a vigor, belonging only to the fervent passion of one who once roamed the world (the Great Ding).

"The azure heavens have fallen; the yellow heavens shall rise!"

This is not a slogan trotted out to deceive others; the Zhang brothers have always believed they would establish a Yellow Heaven prosperity.

Now, Zhang Bao once again raises the banner, shouldering the dreams of the past, the unrealized dreams and ambitions of the Zhang brothers.

He is no longer that desperate, clinging-to-life avenger.

But rather, the Yellow Turban Army, the General of the Earth, Zhang Bao!

"The Yellow Turban Army?"

"Why does the Yellow Turban Army still exist?"

Tang Luo and the others expressed doubt; the Great Ding Three Kingdoms had already entered its later period, and the Yellow Turban Army was long just historical dust.

Where did this old fellow come from again?

Tang Luo and his group had never met Zhang Bao face to face, and they had never paid attention to the composition of the First City under Heaven's predecessor—the City of Chaos.

Naturally unaware of Zhang Bao's identity, Liangshan's Lin Chong and the others would not deliberately tell Tang Luo's group that the City of Chaos once had a Zhang Bao.

Previously, Lin Chong and Tang Luo's group were enemies, so they would not provide information to their foes.

Later, the Qi Warrior's revenge utterly failed, and Tang Luo did not deliver a killing blow.

Liangshan's remnants also gradually let go of everything, choosing to depart, separate, and live in seclusion.

To be frank, the Liangshan interior certainly was not truly united; for Lin Chong and his group, their feelings toward Song Jiang and his faction were also rather complex.

In fact, after Song Jiang seized power, they never had the idea of continuing to stay in the imperial court's core.

Giving up revenge is not hard to understand.

Even Zhang Bao gave up revenge—unlike Lin Chong and company, Zhang Bao's was a passive abandonment due to his enemies suddenly dying off.

Theoretically, such a person ought to retire into obscurity, yet Zhang Bao raised the banner, clearly intending to do something.

Tang Luo was also curious, so he watched Zhang Bao, waiting to see what he would do.

Zhang Bao did not disappoint.

He thrust the banner he was waving violently into the ground.

"Heroic souls return!"

With a roar, heaven and earth changed color, winds rose and clouds surged, and a huge vortex appeared in the sky.

Zhang Bao lifted his head to gaze at the vortex in the sky, a smile appeared on his face, his body slowly collapsed, and he completely lost consciousness.

"Is that, the Yellow Turban Army?" Ao Yulie watched the faint figures within the vortex.

"Of course not; the power of the Qi Harvester merely manifests in this way," Zhu Bajie said.

"All flashy, what use is it?" Ao Yulie said with some disdain.

The Qi Harvester's combat style is rather special.

If one is not strong enough, encountering such an enemy, one might not even know who the opponent is or where they are, dying with the questions "Who is targeting me?" and "Who killed me?"

It's like a novice playing a battle royale: "Who, who, who? Who is shooting me again?"

But when the Qi Harvester meets an opponent of Tang Luo's caliber, all those traceless, world‑spanning high‑level techniques become mere flashiness, truly useless.

It would be better to just come out and fight head‑on.

That way, one would die with a bit more dignity.

From the vortex emerged millions of illusory figures, all resembling soldiers, some like the undead legions from Lord of the Rings, but overall they were a translucent apricot‑yellow, their aura soaring to the heavens.

The foremost illusory figure directly entered the body of the Xianyun Daoist, and the Daoist's appearance changed instantly.

His blue‑white Daoist robe turned apricot‑yellow, he wore a purple‑gold crown, his gray‑white long hair remained unbound, fluttering wildly in the wind, and the long whiskers around his mouth also danced wildly.

He gave the impression of not being a dispassionate, desire‑free Daoist.

Grand Virtuous Master, Heavenly General, Chief of the Yellow Turban Army, Zhang Jiao!

"The azure heavens have fallen; the yellow heavens shall rise!"

Zhang Jiao raised the long staff in his hand.

"The azure heavens have fallen; the yellow heavens shall rise!"

The heavens‑filling "Yellow Turban Heroic Souls" roared together, their might far surpassing the several hundred thousand troops that once besieged the First City under Heaven.

"Kill!"

Zhang Jiao wasted no words, pointing his long staff at Ao Yulie not far ahead.

Behind him, the Yellow Turban Army surged forward like a tide; they were not merely individual entities joining together, but pooled their strength into a single whole.

Ao Yulie, transformed into a True Dragon form, opened his mouth and exhaled a bolt of thunder.

Boom— on the Yellow Turban Army that came to kill, that bolt of lightning however was like passing through a truly non-existent illusion, directly penetrating the Yellow Turban Army.

Those Yellow Turban soldiers didn't even raise a ripple.

"What's going on?" Ao Yulie found it strange, and opened his mouth to unleash several more bolts of lightning.

Just like the first bolt, these lightning bolts also missed, and Ao Yulie stepped back a short distance.

Zhu Bajie formed a hand seal, unleashed a flame, and yin lightning followed closely.

His probing attack, like Ao Yulie's, also missed.

"What's going on?" Ao Yulie asked.

"I don't know. Could it be that they only have substance when attacking?" Zhu Bajie guessed.

Ao Yulie whooshed far back; they were merely making a probing attack, and the ensuing battle had little to do with them.

Sun Wukong also had no intention to act, and was yawning there.

He only has "the strength of one staff"; if he swings and misses, it's not that there will be serious consequences, but rather not hitting the enemy would make Sun Wukong unhappy, feeling embarrassed, losing face as a person and as a monkey.

Then he might as well not act at all.

"You may leave." Yang Jian indicated that Tang Luo could go.

Being able to blast away the troublemaker felt refreshing and invigorating.

This feeling cannot be compared to simply playing chess and killing Tang Luo utterly. Tang Luo fundamentally doesn't care about winning or losing; he's very casual.

Yang Jian felt no pleasure at all in winning against him.

On the contrary, he felt as if he were merely playing with Tang Luo, joking—was Yang Jian the sort of person who idly spends time sparring with others?

He is, however, very busy… Well, if Yang Jian isn't truly in closed-door cultivation, he indeed has nothing to do.

"Why not use the Eight Trigrams Furnace to ram?" Tang Luo said enthusiastically.

During this time, he successfully discovered another use for the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

"……" Yang Jian, who had some control authority over the Eight Trigrams Furnace, remained silent.

This is the Eight Trigrams Furnace! It's what the Supreme Old Lord uses to refine elixirs, and it's where Yang Jian heals his wounds.

Do you think it's a tank?! And you want to use it to ram people?!

"Isn't it interesting? The Eight Trigrams Furnace is so sturdy that it can totally be used as a weapon; merely using it as a furnace would be a waste." Tang Luo analyzed solemnly, "Think about it—did the Old Lord discover this phenomenon and feel that the Eight Trigrams Furnace is a pearl covered in dust?"

"That's why they threw you into the Eight Trigrams Furnace, hoping you could unleash its true power."

"Do you think I'm just a brute who only knows how to lift the furnace and smash people? Just like you." Yang Jian retorted angrily.

"You can't possibly know how to make elixirs?" Tang Luo pulled out a little notebook, ready to take notes.

Yang Jian stayed silent for two seconds: "No."

"Tch." Tang Luo tossed aside the little notebook, "That's it then—since you can't make elixirs, and the Old Lord has handed you the usage rights to the Eight Trigrams Furnace, that means you're supposed to develop new uses for it."

"I only have the grand formation's usage rights to make leaving easier!" Yang Jian said.

If Yang Jian lacked partial authority over the Eight Trigrams Furnace's grand formation, after his injuries healed he would have to force open the furnace just like Tang Luo used to.

With Yang Jian's recovered and further enhanced strength, it's naturally not impossible.

But doing so would certainly cause unnecessary harm.

The grand formation's usage rights are just a key, facilitating entry and exit of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Actually, the Eight Trigrams Furnace's door has always been open; it's never been closed.

Yang Jian would surely not be fooled by Tang Luo into thinking there's some new use for the Eight Trigrams Furnace; it's just an elixir furnace, not a weapon.

"Forget it, not important—let's start ramming now." Tang Luo said.

While the two were speaking, the Yellow Turban Army's torrent had already slammed into the Eight Trigrams Furnace, which hadn't retreated an inch.

The immense force struck like a wave, while the Eight Trigrams Furnace was a reef in the surf; the natural result of their collision was shattered spray.

But the Yellow Turban Army was indeed like spray, re-forming after shattering, unaffected.

Instead, they gradually formed a killing grand formation, strangling the Eight Trigrams Furnace at its center.

Thousands upon thousands of sharp weapons surrounded the Eight Trigrams Furnace, tracing endless illusions.

Any one of them could easily tear apart the sturdiest walls of the present age.

Every breath, the Eight Trigrams Furnace endured thousands upon thousands of attacks, every inch of its body under continuous assault.

Yet the Eight Trigrams Furnace bore not a single mark; even though each part endured countless attacks, there was still no effect whatsoever.

That the enemy's furious bombardment couldn't move it is one thing; just taking the blows is another.

Yang Jian sighed helplessly, took control of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and set it moving—no special light effects, just charging straight ahead to strike Zhang Jiao not far away.

The Yellow Turban soldiers blocking its path were all smashed to pieces, though this time they found it hard to re-form.

The Yellow Turban Army indeed only has substance when attacking; most of their attacks also only take effect at the instant the opponent strikes.

Seeing the furnace charge over, Zhang Jiao's face was expressionless as he raised the long staff in his hand.

Some Yellow Turban soldiers formed a human wall before him, shields in front, spears protruding from the gaps; from afar it looked like a large shield whose face was studded with nails.

The Eight Trigrams Furnace slammed into the human wall of Yellow Turban soldiers, shattering it in an instant.

Zhang Jiao had no time to react before being struck by the Eight Trigrams Furnace, which was taller than a person, and was shattered to pieces.

Unlike the illusory Yellow Turban soldiers, Zhang Jiao was possessing the body of the Daoist Xianyun; this blow naturally left him bloody.

However, the death of Daoist Xianyun does not mean Zhang Jiao's disappearance.

His specter detached from the corpse of Daoist Xianyun, expanded, and a huge face appeared, roaring and lunging at the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

This face, compared to Zhang Jiao's original appearance, has changed; it feels more like a conglomeration of many faces, with faint signs of transformation visible.

This is a good sign, proving that the true manifestation of the fortune‑harvester is not far off.

Zhang Jiao's blurred visage engulfed the Eight Trigrams Furnace; the next breath, the furnace flipped open Zhang Jiao's heavenly spirit cover and shot out.

Their numbers showed no decrease—or rather, having been fully replenished, a million Yellow Turban soldiers surged forward again in a killing formation, rushing toward the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

"Its power and consciousness are gathering; it will reach the critical point any moment." Inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Yang Jian said.

"Um, can you create a wound?" Tang Luo asked of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

At the critical moment, don't let anyone escape, otherwise this period's... wait would be wasted.

"How is that possible? But there is another way." Yang Jian thought for a moment.

The Eight Trigrams Furnace, which always only charged straight ahead, suddenly stopped, spun around, like a true mysterious attack magic treasure; a thread of fire light surged out from inside the furnace, instantly clearing the surroundings.

The Million Yellow Turban Army was instantly burned down by more than half.

Yang Jian drew out the Six Ding Divine Fire of the Eight Trigrams Furnace!

Even just the slightest trace of it still has power that makes one's heart tremble with fear.

But after releasing the Six Ding Divine Fire, the Eight Trigrams Furnace shuddered unstably and fell downward.

It was as if all the accumulated power had been exhausted, turning it into a piece of junk.

"Alright, you go up quickly!" Yang Jian said to Tang Luo.

Pretending to be weak to deceive the enemy—whether it's him, Tang Luo, or Sun Wukong—they are actually all very skilled at it.

All three of them have a strong interest in fighting, or rather in becoming stronger through combat.

They are not the type who seclude themselves to become stronger.

Often they need to deliberately show weakness; this is a basic tactic, not at all sinister.

But this time, Tang Luo felt that the exceedingly proficient Yang Jian merely wanted him to leave the Eight Trigrams Furnace quickly.

Not holding a grudge, Tang Luo jumped out of the falling Eight Trigrams Furnace and even kicked it, fully expressing the meaning: "This broken furnace is already useless!"

The moment Tang Luo appeared, the Million Yellow Turban Army, which had originally disappeared by more than half, reappeared.

Next, the momentum of heaven and earth covered Tang Luo.

This time it wasn't mere bad luck, but a genuine rejection by heaven and earth; the power of the Blood-Colored Qi Luck Blade erupted completely at this moment.

Seal Tang Luo and completely grind him to nothing!

Before Tang Luo, the Million Yellow Turban Army and Zhang Jiao gathered, and the power hidden in the corners of this world came forth, instantly assembling.

A young man wearing a purple gold crown, embodying the creation of heaven and earth, gifted and elegant, appeared, clad in wide robes and broad sleeves, connecting heaven and earth, as if the entire firmament were made into his clothing.

Gathering myriad qi luck, the Sovereign of Qi Luck!

He is not a Qi Luck Harvester, but the Lord of Qi Luck, the Sovereign!

The Sovereign of Qi Luck's right hand, fingers together like a sword, pointed at Tang Luo; all the preparations were for this moment's killing technique!

The Qi Luck Torrent Power coalesced into a finger-sword, aiming to utterly annihilate the enemy before him.

Just having appeared, he faced Tang Luo, who had long been prepared for the Stone Breaking Heaven Shocking Killing Technique, and Tang Luo smiled slightly; this move... had some semblance, not in vain the wait.

Raise hand, Glazed Nirvana Great Hand Seal!

A phantom of a palm appeared behind Tang Luo, flashed past, and his palm collided with the fingertip of the Sovereign of Qi Luck.

The faint confident smile on the Sovereign of Qi Luck's face suddenly vanished.

The momentum of heaven and earth was torn apart by a palm; the Qi Luck Torrent Sword, a killing blow that should have pierced through with a point, instead was like an egg striking a rock.

Starting from the fingertip, violent power surged forth.

In an instant, the Sovereign of Qi Luck's body was destroyed more than half!

"Ah!"

A shrill angry roar—this is his true form, not some incarnation that can be casually discarded.

Astonishment, pain, fury!

The Sovereign of Qi Luck did not counterattack; instead, following the violent force of this palm, in an instant he ran to the edge of this world, about to escape.

The suddenly erupted speed even made Ao Yulie feel ashamed; indeed there are people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens—on this road of fleeing, he still has a long way to go.

But the Sovereign of Qi Luck, about to leave, instead slammed headfirst into the Head Wall Iron Wall.

He "raised his head to look," and at some point this world had already been covered by a palm, as if a small planet were turning in its palm.

Palm Buddha Kingdom!

Without any hesitation, the Sovereign of Qi Luck manifested myriad forms, merging into this world and vanishing without trace.

"Heh." Tang Luo gave a light laugh; at the moment he struck earlier, the Life and Death Buddha Kingdom had already locked onto the Sovereign of Qi Luck.

But he is truly a myriad manifestations, each a real him, so he cannot be pursued.

Therefore we need the Life and Death Buddha Kingdom plus mockery.

"Come out and face me straight up; whoever chickens out is a dog."

Tang Luo's extended right hand was not retracted; as he spoke, countless manifestations appeared, re-condensing into the Sovereign of Qi Luck.

With a hint of his own astonishment, a struggling angry emotion, he "voluntarily" sent his head into Tang Luo's palm.

"Got you."

The palm closed, gripping the Sovereign of Qi Luck's head; Tang Luo said with a smile.