The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

Chapter 21 The Battle Begins

The setting sun, like blood, bathed the rolling mountains of southern Jiangxi in its light.

Blood Moon Valley, a name with a long history. Legend has it that on the night of the full moon, the miasma in the valley turns blood-red, enveloping the entire valley, hence the name. And now, even before nightfall, the valley entrance is already filled with a thick, pungent smell of blood, mixed with the stench of decay, rising straight to the sky, making one want to vomit.

The cliffs on both sides of the valley entrance were covered with black claw marks, the traces left by the rampaging spirits. Many dried corpses also hung on the cliff walls. Judging from their clothes, they were all villagers from the surrounding area. Their deaths were gruesome, and their eyes were wide open, as if they were still telling the story of the fear they had experienced in life.

At the mouth of the valley, two figures stood side by side, namely Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Yulei.

Zhang Zhiwei was still dressed in a blue robe, gently waving a folding fan, but his eyes, which usually carried a hint of lazy smile, were now as cold as ice. His gaze swept over the tragic scene at the valley entrance, his fingertips tightened slightly, and the four characters "Dao Fa Zi Ran" (The Way Follows Nature) on the fan surface faintly revealed a fierce aura.

Zhang Yulei was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, the tassel of his sword moving even without wind. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white, his eyes were bloodshot, and his inner energy surged relentlessly, almost solidifying. The horrific scene at the valley entrance reminded him of the people who had been brutally murdered by the Japanese inhumans, and of his second senior brother, Tian Jinzhong, whose limbs had been severed and whose Qi meridians had been destroyed. The killing intent in his heart was like a volcano about to erupt.

"Senior brother, the malevolent energy inside is so strong." Zhang Yulei's voice was hoarse, filled with barely suppressed anger. "This ghost mask must have used a lot of people's blood and essence to cultivate its evil arts."

Zhang Zhiwei nodded, his gaze lingering intently on the valley. The valley was shrouded in miasma, and countless dark figures could be vaguely seen moving within it—the shikigami (spirits) kept by Japanese supernatural beings. Besides these, dozens of powerful auras lurked within the valley, like venomous snakes waiting for their chance to strike.

"Hmm, there are at least thirty extraordinary individuals at the Qi Refining and Nascent Soul stage, and an extremely powerful aura, which should belong to that Ghost Face." Zhang Zhiwei's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "It seems he has concentrated all his power here."

"Perfect, saves us the trouble of searching everywhere." A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhang Yulei's lips, and the sword in his hand emitted a clear, resonant hum. "Today, let Blood Moon Valley become the burial ground for these Japanese beasts!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yulei shot towards the valley entrance like an arrow. He was incredibly fast, leaving a black afterimage behind him. Golden light flashed around him, and lightning arcs leaped, making him look like a war god returning from hell.

"Junior brother, be careful!" Zhang Zhiwei shouted in a low voice, and with a light step, he followed closely behind.

The commotion at the valley entrance quickly alerted the Japanese assailants inside the valley.

"Someone has broken into the valley!"

A sharp roar rang out, and then countless black shadows shot out from the valley, rushing towards Zhang Yulei. These black shadows were all shikigami created by Japanese supernatural beings using the blood essence of ordinary people. They had different forms, some with three heads and six arms, some with their bodies engulfed in black flames, and some spewing poisonous mist, all extremely ferocious.

"A trivial skill!"

Zhang Yulei roared, drawing his sword with a gleaming light like snow, and slashing down at the shikigami with the force of thunder.

"Thunder Sword Technique - Sky Piercing!"

With a single slash, a thick arc of golden lightning, like a giant dragon, shot out from the tip of the sword and slammed into the shikigami.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar and a blinding flash of lightning, the shikigami at the forefront were instantly pulverized by the lightning arc, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

The remaining shikigami were terrified, but were still driven by the Japanese aliens behind them, frantically rushing towards Zhang Yulei.

Zhang Yulei's eyes blazed with murderous intent as he wielded his sword like a windmill, the blade flashing and arcs of lightning crisscrossing. With each strike, a shikigami was slain, screams echoing throughout the air. Blood and bits of flesh splattered all over him, yet his aura only grew stronger.

"Baka! This kid's strong!"

"Quick! Stop him! We can't let him break in!"

Upon seeing this, the Japanese inhabitants in the valley roared in anger, unleashing their inner energy and blasting it towards Zhang Yulei. Streams of sinister energy, like venomous snakes, shot towards Zhang Yulei's vital points.

Zhang Yulei snorted coldly, and golden light surged around him, instantly forming a thick golden shield. The sinister Qi energy crashed into the shield, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, failing to even stir up a ripple.

"Golden Light Mantra - Guardian!"

Zhang Yulei let out a low shout, exerted force with his feet, and accelerated again, like a nimble cheetah, breaking through the shikigami's obstruction and rushing towards the Japanese alien in the valley.

"kill!"

Zhang Yulei roared, his sword sweeping horizontally. A sharp sword light, like a bolt of lightning, sliced ​​through the necks of the three Japanese monsters. Three heads flew into the air, blood gushing out and staining the ground red.

Just then, a chilling burst of Qi energy shot towards Zhang Yulei's back like a ghost. This Qi energy was extremely fast and silent, clearly a sneak attack.

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Yulei's mind. He wanted to dodge, but it was too late.

At the critical moment, a blue figure appeared behind him like a ghost.

"clang!"

With a crisp sound, Zhang Zhiwei gently deflected the chilling energy with his folding fan.

"Junior brother, focus on fighting the enemy, leave the rear to me." Zhang Zhiwei's voice was gentle, yet it carried a reassuring power.

Zhang Yulei felt a warmth in his heart, turned to look at Zhang Zhiwei, and nodded: "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

After saying that, he turned around again and charged towards the Japanese monsters. With Zhang Zhiwei protecting him from behind, he no longer had any worries. His killing intent exploded completely, and the sword in his hand was like the scythe of death, constantly reaping the lives of the Japanese monsters.

Zhang Zhiwei stood behind Zhang Yulei, his folding fan swaying gently, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. Any Japanese supernatural beings or shikigami attempting to ambush Zhang Yulei were effortlessly neutralized by him. His movements were elegant and composed, seemingly casual yet incredibly precise; each wave of his fan deflected a fatal attack.

The battle at the valley entrance intensified.

Zhang Yulei, like a tiger among sheep, rampaged through the Japanese supernatural beings. His sword flashed, lightning arced, and wherever he went, corpses littered the ground and rivers of blood flowed. His black outfit was already stained dark red with blood, and his face was splattered with blood, which only made him look more ferocious, like a demon god returned from hell.

Zhang Zhiwei, as if strolling leisurely, followed behind Zhang Yulei, defusing each of the sneak attacks. His blue robe remained spotless, forming a stark contrast to the bloody scene around him.

The number of Japanese supernatural beings in the valley is dwindling. Those originally ferocious shikigami have also been almost entirely slaughtered, leaving only some severed limbs scattered on the ground.

Just then, a furious roar echoed from within the valley, as loud as a thunderclap:

"Enough! You two little beasts, stop your arrogance!"

As soon as the words were spoken, an extremely powerful aura of malevolence erupted from the valley, sweeping towards the two like a tsunami. This aura contained the resentment and suffering of countless people, making it terrifying.

Immediately afterwards, a black figure slowly walked out of the valley.

This man was dressed in a black samurai outfit, his face obscured by a hideous demon mask. He was tall and imposing, shrouded in a thick layer of black mist, his hands clasped behind his back. The aura emanating from him was several times stronger than all the other Japanese supernatural beings combined!

It is none other than the leader of the strange people of Japan, Lord Oni-Ma!

The Ghost-Faced Lord's gaze, like that of a venomous snake, fell upon Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Yulei. His voice was hoarse, like the hooting of an owl: "Disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Very well! You've killed so many of my men. Today, I will make you pay for their deaths!"

Zhang Yulei stopped in his tracks, sword in hand, pointing it at the Ghost-Faced Lord, his eyes blazing with murderous intent: "Ghost-Faced Lord? Is it you who used the lifeblood of the common people to cultivate evil arts? Is it you who harmed my fellow countrymen? Today, I will surely cut off your head to avenge the dead!"

The masked man sneered, his voice filled with disdain: "Revenge? You? A mere brat, daring to spout nonsense in front of me? Today, I'll show you what true power is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Ghost-Faced Lord suddenly raised his hand, and a dense black aura surged from his palm, transforming into a giant ghost claw that, with a force that could tear the heavens and earth apart, grabbed towards Zhang Yulei.

This ghostly claw was ten zhang in size, pitch black, with a cold light gleaming at its tip, containing extremely terrifying power. Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek.

Zhang Yulei's pupils suddenly contracted. He could feel that the power of this ghostly claw far exceeded his imagination. He dared not be careless. Golden light surged around him, lightning arcs leaped, and he raised his sword high above his head, gathering all his Qi to prepare to meet the attack head-on.

"Junior brother, step back!"

Just then, Zhang Zhiwei's voice rang out. He flashed forward, blocking Zhang Yulei's path, and slowly unfolded the folding fan in his hand, revealing the four characters "Dao Fa Zi Ran" (The Way Follows Nature) on the fan surface, which shone brightly.

"Leave this old devil to me." Zhang Zhiwei's voice was calm, yet it carried an air of domineering confidence.

Looking at Zhang Zhiwei's upright figure, Zhang Yulei felt a surge of admiration. He knew that his senior brother was about to take action personally. He nodded, took a few steps back, held his sword, and warily watched the Ghost-Faced Lord, wary of any tricks or schemes he might employ.

The Ghost-Faced Lord looked at Zhang Zhiwei, who was standing in front of Zhang Yulei, and a hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes. He could sense that the aura of the man in blue robes was extremely powerful, much stronger than that of the boy in black robes!

"You're Zhang Zhiwei?" The masked man's voice was hoarse, tinged with a hint of apprehension. "The number one young talent of Longhu Mountain?"

Zhang Zhiwei smiled slightly and gently waved his folding fan: "Indeed. These mere Japanese devils dare to stir up trouble on my Central Plains. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and slay this monster!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of powerful energy erupted from Zhang Zhiwei's body, sweeping towards the Ghost-Faced Lord like a tsunami. The two powerful auras collided at the valley entrance, producing a deafening roar that caused the surrounding rocks to tremble slightly.

Outside Blood Moon Valley, malevolent energy soared into the sky, with golden light and black mist intertwining to form a clear boundary.

A life-or-death battle is about to erupt!

The Japanese inhabitants inside the valley were already paralyzed with fear, trembling on the ground. They stared at the two figures at the valley entrance, their eyes filled with terror. They knew that the battle to come was beyond their control.

Zhang Yulei gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the arena. He knew that his senior brother's battle with Lord Ghost Face would be a fierce one. He had to remain vigilant at all times, and if his senior brother needed support, he would rush to his aid without hesitation.

As the sun gradually set, night quietly descended.

The miasma in Blood Moon Valley began to thicken, gradually turning blood-red and enveloping the entire valley.

Moonlight filtered through the miasma and fell upon the valley entrance, adding an eerie atmosphere to the great battle.

Zhang Zhiwei and the Ghost Face Master's gazes collided in mid-air, sparks flying.

A great war is about to break out!