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The Thousand-Faced Fox has a weakness...

This was information I obtained only after earning her trust back in the day.

The Thousand-Faced Fox can indeed directly read the memories of any creature of her level and manipulate memories to create cognitive illusions, even turning the target into her pawn. However, there is a contradiction here: it must appear as real as possible.

Memory manipulation might sound impressive, but the more powerful someone is, the harder they are to manipulate.

To control someone with ironclad will, immense heartforce must be spent on modifying memories to align logically and suit the target’s personality. Only then would there be a slim chance.

This leads to a timing issue—if she has ample time and lingers around you without your knowledge, she can gradually manipulate your memories. No matter who you are, eventually, she could discover your weaknesses.

But if it’s a face-to-face encounter where victory must be decided instantly, then frankly, the Thousand-Faced Fox’s ability often isn’t as formidable.

Take, for example, this old Buddha beside me.

How many years has he lived? How many times the memories of an ordinary person?

Sorting through such a vast collection of memories would undoubtedly take some time, wouldn’t it? Even if Ali’s speed in processing memories is fast enough, controlling an ancient being like the Buddha in such a short time is nearly impossible.

So, over the years, the Thousand-Faced Fox has remained insignificant, her advancement slow. When facing those ancient demons who have lived for millennia, she can’t defeat them swiftly. A single misstep, and her fragile body can be instantly annihilated!

"Is that so?" The Buddha squinted slightly. He had honestly never considered this before. After all, long-ancient beings like them had always suppressed the Thousand-Faced Fox with their lives, fearing her rise. They had never seen her in a transcendent state and thus couldn’t judge how she would truly fare against ancient-level demons.

To think there’s such a loophole.

But then again, the stronger a being, the longer their lifespan. The longer their lifespan, the larger their memory data. Their will is also more resolute. Fully manipulating such a creature—how could it be done in an instant?

"Interesting. No wonder you’re someone admired by the Buddha Lord..." The Buddha looked at the King of Qin, a hint of compassion mixed into his sorrow: "In the Blissful Kingdom, you shall certainly find your place."

"Hah... That’s not something I’d deign to accept.

" The King of Qin snorted coldly, then turned his gaze toward the Buddhist temple that was now surrounded.

"Strike now. Regardless of whether Ali is within the army, so long as chaos breaks out, she would need to risk infiltrating the troops to manipulate us.

And as long as she enters the army, her flaws will become increasingly evident. "

"Makes sense!" The Buddha nodded.

That demon fox, once inside the army, would be surrounded by chaotic warfare.

Weapons don’t discriminate, and if she transformed into an ordinary soldier, she’d be conspicuously obvious.

Everyone else would be fighting to the death, while she’d instinctively avoid direct combat—her hesitation would stick out among the others.

What’s more, she might unintentionally cause the soldiers to shield her. If that happened, the difference would be even more glaring. Once her position is pinpointed... everything becomes much easier.

Understanding this, the Buddha revealed a smile for the first time. Yet, the habitual sorrow on his face seemed to linger so long that his smile felt more like a grimace, unsettling to behold. Even the King of Qin found it inauspicious and looked away.

The Buddha, undeterred, closed his eyes and sent a message: "Ananda... Take action!"

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"General, the monsters in the temple have come out voluntarily."

"Hmm..." Tian Liang had noticed it as well.

From within the shimmering golden Buddhist temple emerged nearly a thousand Golden Arhats.

These Arhats were towering and powerful, bearing a striking resemblance to humans, their entire bodies coated in what seemed like bronze lacquer, making them appear like living statues.

They were unnaturally large, almost four meters tall, similar in size to the giants of the Southern Barbarians, but their faces were unmistakably of Central Plains origin.

It was said that most Arhats of the Buddha Kingdom were once human. The ironic part was, after becoming Arhats, these humans behaved like demons, viewing their former kin as mere flesh and food. If these beings had retained even a sliver of kinship... how could the Human Race live in such misery?

"Form the array!!" Tian Liang roared fiercely.

The restless army, long prepared, drew their weapons en masse. Quickly aligning into formation, their surging bloodlust towered high, completely suppressing the terrifying aura of the thousand emerging Arhats.

The thousand Buddhas’ faces grew grave, even tinged with a trace of anger.

Since when could these insignificant ants bare their fangs at them?

And yet, crucially, it now seemed they had the ability to do so...

"Brothers!" Tian Liang mounted his warhorse and rode to the forefront.

"From the moment you consumed the elixirs, you knew this would be a mission of no return. But it is also our battle for liberation! After this fight, we of the West Sea Army will no longer be bound by the noble families’ yokes, no longer endure their indignities.

If for this goal, we shed all our blood—so be it!

Here and now, I wish you all freedom and brighter paths ahead. "

"But all of this depends on Jiangnan surviving. These wretched things must be exterminated for Jiangnan to find peace. Brothers, what is to be done?"

"Kill!!!"

Unanimously, a battle cry erupted. Even the newly arrived Four Holy Army was lit ablaze by the fervor, and amidst soaring bloodlust, they launched their charge.

The decisiveness of their charge caught the Arhats off-guard. Before their deployment, the Buddha inside the temple had assured them this was merely a probing move—the humans wouldn’t dare launch an all-out attack.

But what was this?

In their current weakened state, things were precarious.

This accursed Jiangnan... the Buddha Light’s effects were far inferior to what they were outside.

Many of the seeds planted in past lives now hesitated, refusing to accept their harvest. In particular, those with great potential seemed especially resistant.

Take the Array Masters from the academy, for example. One named Shen Yuan—someone the Great Buddha had spoken of as a must-convert—had adamantly remained elusive.

The past few days had seen few arrivals at Lyuzhou due to the Buddha Light, and those who did were of poor quality. Without ample new seeds sprouting, their recovery would be impossible anytime soon.

This human army before them—taking them head-on even in their prime would require some sacrifice. But in their current state...

"How can this be?"

Inside the temple, the Buddha was stunned.

He had dared let the Arhats disrupt the balance only under guidance from a superior—that the Thousand-Faced Fox was hiding in the human army.

Their charge couldn’t be too fanatical, as it might risk the fragile Thousand-Faced Fox perishing amidst the chaos.

Would the humans truly make her take such a risk?

Could it be that the Thousand-Faced Fox wasn’t in the army?

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"Oh?"

Two spectators outside the battlefield were equally startled. The King of Qin obviously hadn’t anticipated this scenario either.

The contest between him and the Thousand-Faced Fox always depended on who found the other first. Common sense dictated that, at this moment, with the army launching such a fierce charge, the Thousand-Faced Fox must be within.

Otherwise, if this battle were lost and the West Sea Army decimated, she’d lose all opportunity to approach him. Lyuzhou would fall entirely to them.

Could she be outside instead?

Impossible...

If she were outside, how would she intervene in this war?

"Benefactor, it seems... you’ve miscalculated." The sorrow-faced Buddha smiled faintly.

"No!" A cold glint flashed in the King of Qin’s eyes as he stared fixedly at the charging army. "Ali is inside."

"Oh?" The Buddha chuckled again. "If she’s inside, who could it be? In this chaotic melee, this humble monk sees no one receiving special protection."

"Of course there is..." The King of Qin sneered, his gaze locked onto a specific point in the charging army. "Found her!!"