No one noticed the disturbance. And even if they had, they wouldn’t have cared. The reappearance of a god—such a miracle had not occurred in thousands of years. Even the oldest immortals barely knew anything about the ancient war between gods and demons. That final battle between the gods and demons was like a massive chasm, severing two eras with no connection between them. Now that a god had reappeared, who would still care about old grudges among immortals?
Yuan Zhong glared coldly at the two War Ghosts not far ahead, sneering, “A god has appeared, and your War Ghost Clan once served the gods. How dare you act here?”
The two War Ghosts didn’t respond. Instead, they suddenly knelt down, bowing three times toward the sky and the god’s massive phantom image. Then, they drew the short blades from their waists and attacked again.
Yuan Zhong was enraged. He slowly raised his left hand, red light flickering around it. The dark red markings on his arm and fingertips suddenly brightened, starting to flow as if they were alive. This move was too destructive. With so many immortals and demons around, harming anyone else would only bring trouble.
As one War Ghost charged toward him, Yuan Zhong transformed into a beam of golden light, intending to escape the throng of immortals and demons. But unexpectedly, his left hand was suddenly grabbed—by none other than the War Ghost who had recklessly seized his hand!
Yuan Zhong immediately attempted to break free, but to his shock, as soon as the War Ghost grabbed his left hand, the red light was extinguished. In his panic, Yuan Zhong didn’t have time to inspect closely and flashed several dozen feet away as a golden light. Only then did he realize that his left hand had been encased in a layer of black-gray crystal, which was slowly creeping up his arm.
This startled him beyond measure. His left hand had always been invincible, but because of its vicious power, he kept it covered in a black silk glove. The glove was made of dragon skin, a material outside of the five elements, interwoven with silk from a dragon silkworm, and perfectly capable of containing the hand’s destructive force. But now, this black-gray crystal that was devouring his left hand was something entirely unknown. Not only could he not summon his strength, but his entire left arm was going numb, gradually losing feeling.
The War Ghost who had trapped Yuan Zhong’s left hand was already beginning to freeze over. He sneered coldly, watching the Grand Monk struggle to remove the crystal from his hand, but Yuan Zhong couldn’t move it an inch.
“Filthy animal!” the War Ghost hissed, laughing mockingly, “You’re nothing but an ant, stealing the god’s power!”
Before he could finish speaking, the ice swiftly spread over his arms, enveloping his entire body in an instant.
Yuan Zhong had never encountered anything like this before. With his left hand sealed and one of the War Ghosts already dead, he had no desire to continue fighting. Just as he prepared to flee in a flash of golden light, the second War Ghost lunged toward him like a specter, his short blade aimed directly at Yuan Zhong’s left hand—their target was his left hand?! Yuan Zhong was shocked, confused, and horrified all at once. But at that moment, he had no time to evade. He saw the blade coming down, about to sever his left hand, when suddenly, something was thrown from above, shielding his arm. The War Ghost’s blade struck it with a dull thud, as if it had sunk into wood.
Before the War Ghost could react, Yuan Zhong flashed backward several steps in golden light. To his surprise, he saw that what had saved him was a piece of golden nanmu wood. That girl saved me?! He stood there, dumbfounded, as he watched Tan Yin leap down from the back of her mechanical bird and place herself in front of him.
Tan Yin glanced down at the black-gray crystal encasing his left hand and frowned slightly.
“…Hey, are you out of your mind?” Yuan Zhong grabbed her sleeve, “Get out of here! Don’t stand around being a nuisance!”
She must be blind! Couldn’t she tell that the opponent was a War Ghost? Whether she was a little girl or some mysterious spirit, a single strike from the War Ghost could crush her.
Tan Yin shook her head and was about to speak when the War Ghost attacked once again. This fierce tribe, known for their combat skills, never retreated during battle, no matter who their opponent was or how many there were.
A flash of blade, another thud. Yuan Zhong stood dumbfounded as Tan Yin, wielding a wooden stick—made of who knew what rare material—blocked the War Ghost’s second strike, his short blade unable to break it.
Yuan Zhong saw her serious expression, as if she were truly preparing to fight on the battlefield. For some reason, the sight made him want to laugh. The panic he had felt moments ago about the strange crystal sealing his left hand seemed to fade. He asked in a low voice, “Hey, are you trying to protect me?”
Tan Yin pulled out a piece of wood, as tall as a person, from her Qiankun bag (a magical bag that can hold many items) and slammed it in front of them. Her eyes sparkled with clear light, and with a sweep of her palm over the wood, it was instantly cut by a flowing light. In the blink of an eye, she had carved out a wooden automaton. She placed the stick into its hands, and it clumsily began to move its arms and legs, wobbling as it advanced toward the War Ghost.
“Yes, I’m protecting you,” she said calmly.
She wasn’t foolish. Tianguang Kaihe, Han Nu’s godhood appearing, the sudden conflict between the War Ghosts and the Fox Clan—focused on sealing the left hand—could only mean one thing: Han Nu couldn’t wait any longer.
Something must have happened to Tai He, or else Han Nu wouldn’t act this way.
Her heart burned with anxiety, but she couldn’t leave now. She couldn’t let Tai He’s hand fall into enemy hands.
The automaton, hastily carved from the wood, moved clumsily and clearly didn’t know how to fight. Yet, it was oddly agile, its hands and feet flailing awkwardly but somehow managing to block every fierce attack from the War Ghost. No matter how aggressively the War Ghost struck, he couldn’t break through its defense.
“Let’s go.” Tan Yin supported Yuan Zhong by the arm, guiding him back onto the back of the Lark of Bliss.
Suddenly, the divine phantom in the sky moved. Her crimson lips parted slightly, and all the immortals and demons present heard her softly utter two words: “Wu Shuang” (无双, meaning “Unparalleled or Unmatched”).
Tan Yin’s entire body shook—Han Nu was calling her! Calling her by name!
She was Wushuang, bestowed the title of Wu Shuang Shen Nu (Goddess Unmatched) for her unmatched craftsmanship, with her godhood granted by the gods themselves.
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