Zhenzhu’s eyes widened. The Tang Region was clever, choosing a living creature as the formation’s core. With a mobile core, it was much harder to locate. The moment the creature moved, it would complicate things for someone like Monk Xin Gong, who was calculating the formation’s core. Unfortunately for her, she had stumbled upon such a core. How could she possibly destroy two key points of the formation simultaneously? At that moment, the source of the previous roar appeared. Nian was a fearsome demon with a body and head resembling a lion. Its head was shaggy with a sharp horn protruding from the middle, its eyes were dark and formidable, its teeth were razor-sharp, and its claws resembled those of an eagle. Its tail was long and emerald green, and it was three times the size of a full-grown warhorse. At this moment, its eyes were fixed on Zhenzhu with malevolence, poised to attack, as if to remind her that she was trespassing in its territory. Zhenzhu noticed a small formation symbol etched onto its horn. The core of the formation! "Baihu, what should we do? Can we fight it?" Zhenzhu asked Baihu telepathically. "Under normal circumstances, I could handle it without much difficulty. However, now that it has a formation etched on it, its power has increased," Baihu said with a tense voice. It had just emerged from Yong Saiweihao’s soul, and now heaven was sending another test its way. "What can we do then?" Baihu was silent for a moment before speaking. "It’s afraid of fire." "That might buy us some time. Send the guards to fetch Brother Hao and Monk Xin Gong here immediately." In this misfortune, there was a glimmer of luck—they didn’t need to search for the formation’s core anymore. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken. Zhenzhu whispered to the nearest guard, instructing him to send for Yong Saiweihao and Monk Xin Gong urgently before she and all the guards ended up as a meal, lying in Nian’s stomach. Zhenzhu reached into her dimensional bracelet, which contained several barrels of crude oil. She had intended to send them back to her parents, but now she saw that they would have to be used. Zhenzhu took out a barrel and hurled it with all her strength at the evil creature threatening her. Nian didn’t hesitate to strike it with its sharp horn, causing some oil to splash onto its body and some to spill on the ground. Without delay, Zhenzhu threw barrels of oil to the guards, instructing them to spread it around Nian. She then struck a fire making tool, creating a spark. As soon as the spark hit the crude oil, it ignited immediately. Nian, now covered in oil, was engulfed in flames. It roared loudly, trying to shake off the flames from its body and fur. Unfortunately for Nian, the fire still burned. Fire was Nian’s weakness. When subjected to heat or flame attacks, its spirit energy would diminish significantly. It was unfortunate that Fenghuang wasn’t here; with its fire as a weapon, handling this creature would have been much easier. Nevertheless, Nian was still a legendary beast. How could it be defeated by ordinary flames ? Though it was faltering, the fire couldn’t take its life. With its survival instincts, it tried to flee, but unfortunately, the guards had spread crude oil around the area, preventing it from escaping through the raging flames. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝔫𝔢𝔱 “We don’t have much crude oil left. It can only confine it for a short while longer,” Zhenzhu shouted to the guards, instructing them to prepare for Nian’s wrath. At this moment, it was extremely agitated. As soon as the fire died down, it would surely lunge at them in a fit of rage. For now, all the guards could do was find more fuel to throw into the fire to keep it burning as long as possible. Zhenzhu regretted not bringing more crude oil. Had she known she’d encounter Nian, she would have brought an entire well’s worth. “Baihu, if Brother Hao and Monk Xin Gong don’t arrive in time, what can we do?” “We need to try to destroy its horn. That single sharp horn on its head is a very formidable weapon. Not only is it extremely sharp and strong, but it’s also poisonous. If you’re not careful and get stabbed by it, you won’t die from the wound but from the poison. But while it’s a powerful weapon and strength of the beast, it’s also its weakness. If we can destroy its horn, it will be easy to kill it. However, we must destroy its horn while simultaneously removing the formation at the mound. Therefore, either you or I must confront it directly,” Baihu explained in detail regarding weaknesses and things to do for Zhenzhu to be informed. “Then you remove the formation at the mound. Your element will aid you. As for Nian, I’ll try to distract and delay it for as long as possible. If Brother Hao doesn’t arrive in time, I’ll handle it myself.” “Can you do it?” Baihu was concerned about Zhenzhu. The young woman had no combat experience whatsoever, neither with people nor with animals, making it difficult for her to fight Nian. “Have you forgotten that I’ve trained in the Ten Thousand Silks Concealing the Sun technique? This skill greatly increases my speed. If I can’t fight, I’ll run away as fast as I can.” Time passed, and for over an hour, Nian, trapped within the flames, grew increasingly irritable. The fire was gradually dying down, but there was no sign of Yong Saiweihao. “Baihu, we can’t wait any longer!” “Then let’s do it. A’Zhu, take care of yourself. I won’t be able to come to your aid.” Baihu leapt towards the mound where the formation was positioned, while Zhenzhu attacked Nian’s horn. At the same time, when Nian’s horn was struck, He Ming, He Yu, and the little turtle Yongxian immediately sensed that Yong Saiweihao must have found the formation’s core. This was the signal that they needed to destroy the formation at their location right away. However, they didn’t realize that it wasn’t Yong Saiweihao who had found the core, but Zhenzhu and Baihu. Now, they had to face battles on two fronts. The flames died down, leaving only hot embers behind. Zhenzhu used her spirit energy like ropes to propel herself out of Nian’s attack range. As Zhenzhu leaped away, Nian, charging at her, collided full force with a giant tree. Its horn embedded into the wood, and the massive tree, requiring twenty people to encircle it, slowly toppled. Zhenzhu’s eyes widened. How powerful! If that tree had been her flesh, she didn’t need to imagine her condition. Just one hit could turn her into ground meat. Missing its attack only made Nian angrier. All Zhenzhu could do was evade. Direct confrontation would turn her into minced meat. At that moment, Baihu was beginning to destroy the gold element formation point, making it unable to help Zhenzhu. As Baihu gradually took control over the gold element, Nian grew more frenzied because the destruction of the formation also affected it. Nian immediately turned its attention to Baihu. However, Zhenzhu wouldn’t let it ruin her plan. Just a little longer and Baihu would succeed. "You stupid Nian! Over here, I’m here!" Zhenzhu shouted to divert its attention, but Nian ignored her and charged at Baihu. "Everyone! Don’t let it reach Baihu!" Zhenzhu shouted to the guards. If it got to Baihu, the formation destruction would fail, and all their efforts would be in vain. At that moment, Zhenzhu wasn’t thinking about anything else. She just hoped to stop Nian’s attack. The young woman leaped to block its path, gathering all her spirit energy, squeezing out every drop, and unleashed an attack. As her power clashed with Nian’s body, it rebounded. She felt like a mountain had crushed her chest, making it hard to breathe. She couldn’t tell if Nian was knocked back by her power or if it had reached Baihu, as her vision blurred. Her body felt like an empty glass, with no spirit energy left, her chest burning from the pressure. She tasted blood in her mouth, yet her mind went blank for a moment. Suddenly, it felt as if a mysterious power enveloped her. A dazzling golden light reflected into her eyes, forcing her to raise her hand to shield them. Nian’s roar this time was one of anguish and pain. It continued to roar until Zhenzhu struggled to sit up and see what was happening. Had a great warrior come to help her? Something fell to the ground in front of her. The horn! Nian’s horn! The young woman was shocked. This was the horn that she had used every drop of her power but couldn’t even scratch. Now, it was cut off and lying before her, fresh blood still on its base. She realized something large had fallen to the ground. There was no need to guess; it must be Nian. Who could have defeated Nian, the legendary demon beast, in such a short time? A considerable time passed before everything calmed down. Zhenzhu slowly lifted her head, hoping the person was a friend, not a foe. Someone this powerful, if an enemy, would mean she might as well bid farewell and go to the Yellow Springs in the underworld. However, what appeared before her was a little boy about three years old. He wore fine silk clothes that shimmered with a golden glow. The fabric alone made Zhenzhu’s eyes widen with admiration. What kind of fabric was this? Such a beautiful cloth! The boy’s chubby face looked as if it had two steamed buns attached to his cheeks, and an ancient golden symbol adorned his forehead. The little boy stood with his arms crossed, looking at her with an exasperated expression, much like a father watching his incapable daughter. "Little boy, who are you?" Zhenzhu asked, panting heavily. "Little boy? I’m older than you by tens of thousands of years," the boy said, crossing his arms, his cheeks puffing up. Zhenzhu felt an urge to pinch his cheeks out of sheer endearment. "Tens of thousands of years?" "Yes, much older than you. Don’t you dare call me a little boy, or this father will curse you." "Cursed?" Zhenzhu raised her eyebrow, growing more confused. "Sigh, dealing with fools is tiring. Anyway, don’t you dare die, or this father will curse your soul! Such a waste of time." The boy shook his head slowly before his body transformed into a golden light and disappeared into Zhenzhu’s forehead, leaving her utterly panicked. "What!" Why did he vanish like that?! Zhenzhu quickly examined herself. Why would he enter her body? Upon inspecting her mind, she found... a golden fish scale! That boy was the golden fish scale! She hadn’t noticed earlier that the golden fish scale in her mind had disappeared. Now, it was clear that the boy was the golden fish scale. This was the item she had brought from her previous life, the only thing that had accompanied her through two lifetimes. Was it not a mere fish scale as she had thought? It was this little boy who had brought her across worlds to this place! But what exactly was he? Zhenzhu called out the golden fish scale from her mind again. As it lay quietly in her hand, it still appeared to be the same familiar golden fish scale. There was no trace of the chubby-cheeked boy. Huh? Was she imagining things? However, when she glanced at Nian’s horn and its corpse not far away, she realized the events were real. Zhenzhu flipped the golden fish scale for any abnormalities, but it remained the same stupid fish scale that had been with her all along. As Zhenzhu was lost in confusion, Baihu approached her. "Baihu, did you succeed?" Zhenzhu asked. "How could I not succeed?" Baihu lifted its head slightly, proud. But seeing Nian’s body lying nearby, it was taken aback. Had A’Zhu really managed to defeat Nian? Destroying the formation required high concentration and a steadfast mind, so it hadn’t paid attention to the external happenings, focusing solely on the task. It was surprised that A’Zhu was this talented. "Did you kill it?" Baihu asked, still suspicious. "How could it be me?" Zhenzhu then recounted the entire story to Baihu in detail. "Ah, I was wondering. I felt a divine power for a moment. I thought I was imagining things or influenced by the formation. But there really was another semi-divine creature," Baihu said, astonished. “Semi-divine creature?” “What kind of semi-divine creature?” “The Golden Dragon. It’s said to be a divine creature like us, but it vanished long ago. No one has seen it since, not even I, though I’ve been around for a very long time.” According to ancient beliefs, it was the most powerful dragon, the guardian of the heavens, maintaining the balance of all things. However, it had been away for so long that people forgot about it, never mentioned it. As new deities rose to prominence, legendary creatures like the Golden Dragon faded into the annals of time. Unexpectedly, it had divided its soul across many realms. “Why would it spread its soul across so many realms?” If what Baihu said was true, there could be many more pieces of the golden fish scale scattered across countless small worlds. “It might be because, over time, the world has seen an increase in the seven emotions and six desires among both humans and deities, which polluted the once pure energy of heaven and earth, the balance between things was affected. To maintain balance, it had to divide its soul to many places.” “Then why did it end up with me?” And why did it send her across the realms to this place? “To exist in the human world, it had to bond with a human, just like me. But destiny and fate are unpredictable. Perhaps you and it were bonded in a previous life. I can’t say for sure.” “Will it emerge again?” “Will it stay with me forever?” Semi-divine creatures live far longer than humans. Even if Zhenzhu dies a hundred times, the semi-divine creatures would remain as if only a few days had passed. With such longevity, they often grow weary and divide their souls across different worlds to alleviate their boredom. “Do you know anything?” “Ugh.” What a semi-divine creature that knows nothing! Unable to get any more answers from Baihu, she tried to get up to check if the formation still existed after Nian’s horn and body were destroyed. But as she moved, she realized her body was injured, although she felt much better than before, possibly due to the golden fish scale in her body aiding her recovery. “Lady He,” a guard approached her. She recognized him as the one sent to fetch Yong Saiweihao. “Let’s return to the camp,” he said, avoiding her gaze, looking down on the ground. “Hmm? Return to the camp already?” “Yes,” the guard confirmed. “Why the rush?” She hadn’t even had the chance to thoroughly inspect the formation yet. Even though the Soul Severing Formation was deactivated, she needed to ensure there weren’t other overlapping formations. “Staying here too long could be dangerous. This is a key location of the formation. Once the formation is destroyed, Tang’s forces will likely rush here,” the guard said. Zhenzhu realized he had a point. Once the formation was destroyed, it was best to leave as quickly as possible. "Oh, then let’s go. Don’t forget to send someone to inform Brother Hao that I returned first." With the formation removed, Brother Hao and the other generals should be able to handle the remaining issues themselves. Having made her decision, Zhenzhu descended the mountain and headed back to the military camp immediately. Not long after she arrived, He Ming and He Yu also returned. "Big Brother, Yu’er, is everything settled?" "Everything is fine.” "All good, Big sister.” Seeing that the removal of the formations in each location had gone smoothly, she felt some relief. Now, all that remained was the actual military combat. Everything that needed to be done had been done. Now, it would depend on the strength and capability of Yan’s soldiers to protect the region. Meanwhile, on the battlefield of power struggling, the soldiers of both regions were engaged in full combat, led by General Zhao. The battlefield was filled with the stench of blood, but it seemed that the Tang soldiers were suffering greater losses. The Tang Region had been highly confident in their formation. They believed that once the formation was complete, it would decimate more than half of Yan’s forces and easily kill the General of the Region. A plan that had been in the making for over twenty years had crumbled without them realizing it. With the core of the formation destroyed, not even an ant in the formation died. Prince Yunyang was furious and ordered an immediate attack on Yan’s soldiers using his whole army. However, Wenlang, who had been prepared, did not hesitate. He stood atop a high cliff, looking down at the battlefield below with a gentle smile. Thousands of archers stood behind him, ready to draw their bows at Taizi’s command. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en