Eternal Sacred King Chapter 431 to 440
Chapter 431: Eternal Human Emperor
Uncle Liang said, “The ancient war lasted for a whole time and almost spanned across the entire ancient era. Among that, countless human cultivators risked their lives to save the commoners from the disaster, creating a tragic song among the glorious era of the human race.”
“The Primordial Nine Races were way too strong and had already reigned over Tianhuang Mainland ever since the primordial era where there were thousands of races! Under the lead of the Primordial Nine Races, the hundred races joined forces and pushed the humans back. Slowly, the territories occupied by the humans decreased and they were about to be engulfed by the hundred races that were led by the Primordial Nine Races at any moment...”
“The human race was on the brink of extinction!”
Although everyone already knew that the outcome of the ancient war was that the human race stood victorious, everyone could not help but get nervous at that point.
Uncle Liang took a deep breath of air and said deeply, “In that chaos, the Human Emperor appeared domineeringly and overturned the situation! He conquered the four regions and three seas almost singlehandedly, killing multiple emperors among the hundred races and severing the light of providence on the Primordial Nine Races! Sweeping across Tianhuang Mainland, everyone had to bow down everywhere he passed!”
“The Dragon Emperor of the dragon race and the Celestial Emperor of the celestial race? Against the Human Emperor, all of them had to die! Later on, descendants even referred to the birth of the Human Emperor as the subduing of all hundred races as his subjects!”
The cultivators opened their mouths in shock and it took a long time for them to calm their hearts.
“The result of the ancient war was that the hundred races lost massively and were almost extinct. Even the Primordial Nine Races were severely injured and had to each hide in a corner of Tianhuang Mainland, living ignoble existences and rarely showing their faces. The nine areas are known today as the nine forbidden grounds.”
Su Zimo shuddered when he heard that.
Previously, he heard Demoness Ji mention the nine forbidden grounds where any living being that entered was bound to die.
It was only until now that the doubts in Su Zimo’s hearts were resolved.
The origins of the nine forbidden grounds came from the Primordial Nine Races that once ruled over Tianhuang Mainland!
What Uncle Liang meant was that if the Human Emperor hadn’t appeared in the ancient era, the humans wouldn’t have been a match for the Primordial Nine Races.
Although the Human Emperor was already long gone, the Primordial Nine Races survived.
Suddenly, a thought struck Su Zimo.
If the Primordial Nine Races were to show themselves again and come out from the nine forbidden grounds one after another in this era, who could stop them now that the human race no longer had the Human Emperor?
It wasn’t a completely unfounded worry.
The reason why Su Zimo thought about that was because of the appearance of the Blood Crow Palace’s Lord.
Shaking his head, Su Zimo stopped letting his imagination run wild.
He merely heard Uncle Liang continuing, “From then on, the human race has prospered and the ancient era came to an end, bringing us to the current era. Right now, no one knows of the Human Emperor’s name. However, because he reigned through history and conquered all regions, the human race refer to him as the emperor and we descendants call him the Eternal Human Emperor!”
“Furthermore, it’s because of the Human Emperor’s appearance that the hundred races are destroyed and the Primordial Nine Races have to live an ignoble existence, bringing a close to an era. The ancient era was also known as the Human Emperor’s era.”
Eternal Human Emperor!
Uncle Liang continued, “Ever since the ancient era, time has passed and the world has changed. Generation after generation, emperors have appeared on Tianhuang Mainland, but none of them dare refer to themselves as the Human Emperor and neither did any of them have the qualifications to attach ‘Eternal’ to their titles!”
Su Zimo finally heaved out a sigh of relief when he heard that as a phrase filled his mind.
The title of the Human Emperor was totally deserved!
Tang Yu said, “The Human Emperor’s Palace was the bedroom of the Human Emperor and contains his inheritance. Ever since the Human Emperor left Tianhuang Mainland, the Human Emperor’s Palace has only appeared seven times and there were a total of seven people who had entered it, leaving their marks. Each of the cultivators that came forth from it underwent complete transformations!”
“Among those seven people, three of them became emperors. The other four cultivators became the strongest paragons of their respective generations. It was just a pity that they died midway and could not make it to the end.”
No one could ensure that the path of cultivation would be smooth.
Even the cultivators with the most heavenly-defying potentials would meet with countless calamities and no one could guarantee that they could make it through everything safely.
Tang Yu remarked, “From the point of view of the later generations, if the remaining four of the seven cultivators who entered the Human Emperor’s Palace hadn’t died, they would have definitely become emperors with their achievements as well!”
“What’s inside the Human Emperor’s Palace?”
Su Zimo could not help but ask.
Tang Yu chuckled bitterly and shook her head. “I’m afraid other than the seven cultivators who entered the Human Emperor’s Palace, no one else knows.”
Uncle Liang said deeply, “It’s said that each of the seven cultivators received different inheritances. For example, the three of them who became emperors were the Immortal, Buddha and Fiend Emperors respectively.”
Tang Yu looked at Su Zimo and suddenly asked, “Fellow Daoist Su, you’re interested in the Human Emperor’s Palace’s inheritance?”
Su Zimo remained silent and did not reply.
Tang Yu continued, “Only a single person is allowed into the Human Emperor’s Palace. If you wish to obtain its inheritance, you will naturally meet with the strongest cultivators in the ancient battlefield.”
“Furthermore, all of them are bound to be at eight meridian Foundation Establishment. Right now, you’re only...”
She did not continue.
In her opinion, Su Zimo was indeed truly strong and could in fact challenge eight meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
However, it was unrealistic to think that he could suppress multiple geniuses and enter the Human Emperor’s Palace.
After all, he was only at seven meridian Foundation Establishment no matter what.
The difference between seven and eight Foundation Establishment was way too great!
Furthermore, there were Sealers of super sects watching from the sidelines.
Not all Sealers could be baited to their deaths by Su Zimo.
He might be able to survive against the attacks of a Sealer. But, what if there were two... or three?
“Is Elixir Yang Sect intending to go?”
Suddenly, Su Zimo asked.
“We’re not,”
Tang Yu shook her head decisively. “I can almost predict that the area beneath the Human Emperor’s Palace will be filled with blood and corpses. There might even be many innocent sects that might get implicated just because they want to watch the show.”
“We’re in possession of many ancient manuals from Elixir Pool Sect and we can’t afford to lose them. I’ll not let Elixir Yang Sect take the risk.”
Nodding, Su Zimo replied, “This is an extremely rare occasion. I’ll head over to take a look but I won’t participate.”
At that moment, Su Zimo told a lie.
Tang Yu more or less understood Su Zimo’s personality and knew that he wouldn’t change his mind easily after deciding on something.
She no longer tried persuading him but merely reminded, “Make sure to stay away the moment you sense something amiss. Don’t get implicated.”
“Thank you,”
Su Zimo greeted with cupped fists.
“Actually, there’s something else about the Human Emperor’s Palace that draws in Foundation Establishment Cultivators.”
Suddenly, Uncle Liang spoke, “It’s said that after the eighth spirit meridian, one can actually unlock a ninth spirit meridian! Nine represents extremity and as such, the nine meridian Foundation Establishment cultivation realm is also referred to as the Extreme Foundation Establishment cultivation realm.”
The mention of that had Su Zimo’s heart skipping a beat.
He had a hunch about that.
When he was unlocking the seventh spirit meridian, he felt that it was not as difficult as what everyone had described.
Su Zimo deduced that it might be because of his spirit energy’s purity.
Up till this point of his cultivation, he had not consumed any elixirs with impurities.
“Legend has it that only the Human Emperor has managed to unlock that ethereal ninth spirit meridian!”
Uncle Liang continued, “Of course, that’s only a legend. After all, throughout history, apart from the Human Emperor, no one has managed to unlock the ninth spirit meridian. Even the seven cultivators who stepped foot into the Human Emperor’s Palace did not manage to do it as well.”
“That’s also why some people want to enter the Human Emperor’s Palace to seek out the secret of the Extreme Foundation Establishment.”
Chapter 432: Effortless Victory
The second day after the Human Emperor’s Palace descended, Su Zimo left Xuantian City.
He did not take Night Spirit with him. Instead, he chose to let it stay by Xiaoning’s side to ensure her safety.
Although Xiaoning had already obtained Elixir Pool Sect’s inheritance and was bound to be valued by Elixir Yang Sect, Su Zimo was still worried.
He would only feel more relieved after knowing that Night Spirit was with her.
Ever since they returned from Elixir Pool Sect, Xiaoning had been unusually happy.
That was because in the inheritance memories of Elixir Pool Sect, she found an elixir that could increase one’s lifespan – Longevity Elixir!
However, it was a Grade 3 elixir.
Xiaoning could not create it at all given her current level of elixir refinement.
Before leaving, she smiled and said to Su Zimo, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely refine a Longevity Elixir as soon as I can to help big brother extend his lifespan!”
The only reason why Xiaoning became an Elixir Refinement Master was so that she could help her eldest brother extend his lifespan.
Recalling Xiaoning’s smile, Su Zimo was in a great mood and could not help but grin as well.
He did not choose to travel with anyone else.
That was because from the moment he decided to fight for the Human Emperor’s Palace’s inheritance, he had already made up his mind to change his appearance and hide everything about his background!
With the descent of the Human Emperor’s Palace, Su Zimo would have to face almost all the super sects of Tianhuang Mainland.
If a massive battle were to break out, it would be difficult to resolve the situation.
Furthermore, there was a burning desire within Su Zimo.
He wanted to fight to his heart’s content without having to conceal his demonic cultivation; to have a hearty battle with many paragons without having to hide anything!
Since there was a chance that he had to take on his demon form, Su Zimo had to change his appearance.
Even if all the super sects wanted to take revenge later on, they would not be able to seek him out.
To ensure that nothing went wrong, Su Zimo would not use any means that would expose his identity.
Speeding along the way, a series of crackling sounds came from within his body as his tendons and bones rang while his muscles expanded and his body turned taller.
Even his facial features were changing!
In the blink of an eye, the original Su Zimo disappeared entirely.
In his place was a two meter tall burly man. With rough facial features, thick eyebrows, large eyes and a wide nose and mouth, there was nothing delicate about his appearance anymore.
Su Zimo whipped out a spirit energy mirror and looked at his reflection, grinning in satisfaction.
His green robes were no longer matching with his burly appearance.
Rumbling through his storage bag, Su Zimo dug out a linen shirt and draped it casually over his body, exposing his chest. He looked carefree and unreserved.
A Nascent Soul could deploy his spirit consciousness and check on Su Zimo.
Other than that, no one could find any loopholes on Su Zimo’s appearance with their naked eyes!
This was the ancient battlefield and there were only Sealers at Golden Core realm at most. In other words, the probability of Su Zimo being exposed was almost zero!
Under the heavens, the Human Emperor’s Palace was still descending slowly, exuding boundless might.
The closer it was to the Human Emperor’s Palace, the more evident the feeling became.
Those that wanted to contend for the Human Emperor’s Palace’s inheritance would have to enter the area enveloped by it; this was also where the final fight would take place.
Su Zimo sprinted day and night without resting.
Three days later, his ears buzzed and caught wind of the sounds of fighting coming from the southwest. There were some angry shouts mixed with the sounds.
Fights were extremely common in the ancient battlefield.
People could get into fights even if they met by chance, let alone if they had disagreements.
Because it was way too common, Su Zimo did not intend to bother about it at all.
However, he did not advance far when his expression changed. Raising his brow, he came to a stop and listened intently with raised ears.
He seemed to hear a familiar voice in that fight.
After some hesitation, Su Zimo changed his direction and dashed towards the southwest.
...
Poof!
A large head was chopped off with blood flowing like a fountain.
Filled with spirit energy, a seven meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator was using a long saber and fighting against four other cultivators in an intense fight.
Several corpses laid on the ground with warm blood still flowing – it was clear that they hadn’t died long ago.
On the side of the battlefield, a beautiful young girl stood. She wore a pink dress and had a veil over her face, clapping as she smiled brightly. “You’re amazing, fellow Daoist! Another bad guy is dead!”
“Miss, don’t worry. I, Ding Hongxuan, will definitely protect you!”
The seven meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was fighting against four people turned and said to the girl in pink.
“Ding Hongxuan, have you gone crazy?!”
Opposite him, a man shouted, “The person behind you is a demoness! Don’t be bewitched by her and lose yourself!”
“Senior Brother Ding, why are we fighting among ourselves? It’s not too late if we capture this peerless beauty first before enjoying her later!” Another cultivator defended against Ding Hongxuan’s saber and remarked while panting.
“There’s no need to say more. He’s already bewitched by the demoness and has lost his mind completely. Don’t hesitate and just kill him!” An older cultivator among the four said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing that, the four of them were extremely decisive and used their killing moves one after another, killing Ding Hongxuan on the spot!
The older cultivator turned around and walked towards the girl in pink without concealing the lust in his eyes. “Demoness, don’t worry. I’ll definitely take good care of you once you’re in my hands! Hehe!”
The girl in pink did not retreat and stood there pitifully. Sweeping her gentle gaze across the four of them, she said tearfully, “But, there’s only one of me and there’s four of you guys...”
“Is that so?”
The older cultivator’s gaze turned cold as he remarked icily, “I’ll kill them then!”
Just as he was about to turn around, a long sword protruded from his chest and fresh blood dripped.
In an instant, blood faded from the older cultivator’s face and his eyes regained their clarity. However, it was all too late.
“Senior Brother Liu, you want to enjoy her all for yourself!”
Behind the older cultivator stood a young cultivator with his sword extended. His eyes were maniac as he shouted with a frenzied expression, “That woman’s mine! Don’t fight with me for her!”
“Crazy! All of you have gone crazy!”
Another cultivator declared coldly with widened eyes, “How dare you forget about our relationship as sect mates just for a woman! Since that’s the case, I’ll punish you on behalf of the sect!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Poof! Poof!
The remaining three cultivators fought amongst one another, completely losing themselves.
Before long, two of them were lying in a pool of blood. They only regained stupor right before dying, but it was all too late.
The last person remaining was distraught and committed suicide.
In the blink of an eye, the remaining four cultivators were all dead!
As for the girl in pink, she did not move at all and was watching coldly from the sidelines right from the beginning with a faint hint of mockery in her eyes.
That was a true effortless victory!
“Amitabha,”
Not far away, a Buddhist proclamation sounded.
“Female patron, you have a vicious heart and will descend into the 18 levels of Hell sooner or later to receive your karma. If you’re willing to repent and turn to Buddha, there might still be a sliver of hope for you!”
Chapter 433: Hanging on a Thread
When she heard that voice, the girl in pink frowned and turned towards it.
Not far away, a huge demon beast a few dozen feet tall strode over slowly. It had a tiger’s body, a human face, sharp claws and fangs as well as nine tails. Possessing a violent gaze, it exuded a feral aura!
“Hmm?”
The girl in pink’s expression changed slightly beneath her veil as she pursed her cherry lips and remarked, “Lu Wu!”
The Lu Wu was a pure-blooded ferocious beast that resembled a tiger in shape. With a violent nature and immense strength, it was extremely powerful.
Corpses soaked in blood dangled on the Lu Wu’s nine tails in a terrifying manner as the stench of blood filled the place.
Although some of them had died a long time ago and were dried up, they still exuded a pungent smell.
Those that were not dried up flowed with fresh blood that dripped on the ground.
There were around a thousand corpses on the nine tails – it was clear that they were from different factions judging from their varied attire.
The Lu Wu swayed its nine tails and the thousand corpses swayed in midair, giving off a nauseating stench of rotting corpses!
The girl in pink’s eyes were filled with a momentary flash of disgust.
Even though there were many pure-blooded ferocious beasts in the ancient battlefield, none of them could form Inner Cores and as such, they naturally could not speak in human tongue.
There was someone else who spoke earlier!
A bald figure that was barefooted sat on the Lu Wu’s head. Draped in golden monk robes, the person’s eyes were bright and his face shone brilliantly.
The thousand corpses behind him formed a sea of blood and corpses as the cultivator seemed like a mighty Vajra with divine strength, untainted in the midst of everything!
This was someone with the power to tame pure-blooded ferocious beasts!
“Oh, it’s a monk from Diamond Monastery.”
The girl in pink gazed at the sect badge on the monk’s waist and recognized his background. Blinking her beautiful eyes, she had already stealthily released her flirtatious bewitchment secret skill of Pure Maiden Sect.
The girl in pink was none other than Demoness Ji of Pure Maiden Sect.
Smiling brightly, she asked, “Hehe, how should I address you, reverend?”
“I’m Jue Chen,”
The Diamond Monastery monk was expressionless and unmoved – Demoness Ji’s bewitchment had no effect on him at all!
“Reverend Jue Chen.”
Pitifully, Demoness Ji asked, “As someone of the Buddhist monasteries, why do you not have any compassion at all? How could you spout such venomous words of cursing me to enter the 18 levels of Hell?”
Demoness Ji’s eyes had a trace of bewitchment that could stir one’s heart.
That was the result of pushing Pure Maiden Sect’s secret skill to its limits!
The Bewitching Eye!
Earlier on, Demoness Ji did not even use this secret skill to bewitch the few cultivators. The magic of her movements and smiles were enough to mesmerize everyone else.
“Hmm?”
The expression of Monk Jue Chen changed slightly as his thick brows were suddenly raised. Widening his eyes, his eyeballs bulged gently in a mighty and terrifying manner!
Two rays of golden light burst from Monk Jue Chen’s eyes and clashed with Demoness Ji’s Bewitching Eye!
In the cultivation world, there were extremely few secret skills that required cultivation of the eye. Of the secret skills, those that were extremely strong were even rarer.
The reason was simple – the eyes were simply way too fragile.
If one cultivated them wrongly, it would be easy for them to injure their own eyes.
The Enraged Diamond Gaze of the Buddhist monasteries and the Bewitching Eye of Pure Maiden Sect were considered top-tier eye secret skills.
Ordinary cultivators would lose their guts instantly upon meeting with the Enraged Diamond Gaze. In fact, some of them might even be scared out of their wits right away!
As for the Bewitching Eye, it could affect a cultivator’s mind, causing him to lose himself and his rationality.
A person’s heart is connected to their eyes.
That was the reason why top-tier eye secret skills could affect a cultivator’s mind!
“Ha!”
Opening his mouth, Monk Jue Chen roared. His voice was like a bell, rumbling like thunder and filled with a righteous and holy aura.
“How dare you, demoness! Although you’re at death’s door, you’re so insolent to release such an evil skill to try and disrupt my mind? You deserve to die for your crimes!”
Demoness Ji’s heart palpitated as she grunted and her face turned paler.
Even though there were no swords and sabers involved in their exchange, it was even more dangerous than anything else!
While casting the Bewitching Eye, Demoness Ji was also attacking Monk Jue Chen’s mind verbally.
If Jue Chen’s mind stirred and revealed an opening, it would have been easy for Demoness Ji to control him!
However, it was a pity that Demoness Ji encountered a monk of Diamond Monastery.
The Buddhist monks lack desires in their heart, spending their days in Zen rituals and paying their respects to Buddha. Finding tranquility in their six senses, they were the most stable mentally.
Furthermore, Diamond Monastery possessed the eye secret skill, Enraged Diamond Gaze. In terms of power, it was the greatest nemesis of the Bewitching Eye.
Of all the Buddhist monasteries, Demoness Ji was truly unlucky to have encountered the successor of Diamond Monastery who was the most effective in countering her.
After a single exchange, Demoness Ji was disadvantaged.
“Damned monk!”
Realizing that her secret skill was useless and countered immediately, Demoness Ji could not help but feel enraged and hollered, “What are you shouting for! The reason why your name has a Chen in it is because your master wants you to get rid of your anger[1]! But now, you’ve already broken that vow of anger!”
“Demoness, today, I’m not only going to break my vow of anger, I’m even going to break my vow of killing!”
Monk Jue Chen’s expression was calm as he stood up slowly from the top of the Lu Wu’s head.
Gritting her teeth angrily, Demoness Ji remarked coldly, “Damned monk, you Buddhists are particular about karma. Where’s the logic in you attacking me for no reason?”
“Subduing evil and fiends, that’s the logic!”
“The reason why I attacked was clearly because those guys had lust and desire towards me!”
Demoness Ji clenched her teeth. “Damned monk, you’re not even asking me to find out the truth first!”
“Enough with your excuses, demoness. Die!”
Monk Jue Chen leaped down from the Lu Wu’s head and eight spirit meridians shone beneath his monk robes as spirit energy churned like a tsunami.
Boom!
Extending his palm, Monk Jue Chen’s body shimmered brightly as though he was covered in a layer of gold foil. It gave off a holy aura and was unavoidably blinding.
A gigantic palm descended from above, covering the entire skies as it engulfed Demoness Ji within.
Most of Demoness Ji’s techniques were focused on bewitchment – there was no way she was a match for Monk Jue Chen in terms of combat strength.
Seeing how domineering the palm’s aura was, Demoness Ji tapped her feet on the ground and retreated, wanting to escape from Monk Jue Chen’s attack range.
“Demoness, there’s nowhere for you to run!”
Instantly, Monk Jue Chen realized Demoness Ji’s intentions and shouted, taking eight consecutive steps to arrive instantly!
In the blink of an eye, the both of them were less than ten feet apart!
In the Buddhist monasteries, Diamond Monastery was the strongest in body tempering and melee combat.
At that distance, even the fiend heirs of Malevolent Earth Sect, Cloud Rain Sect and Illusion Fiend Cult would be doomed, let alone Demoness Ji of Pure Maiden Sect.
In the fiend sects, only the fiend heir of Overlord Palace could compete against Diamond Monastery in melee combat!
Monk Jue Chen unleashed killing moves one after another and after three moves, Demoness Ji had nowhere to run; the veil covering her face had long disappeared.
Her life was hanging on a thread!
“Die!”
Monk Jue Chen released yet another roar that shocked one’s mind as a golden luster shone on the gigantic fist as it closed it to Demoness Ji.
The golden light was blinding and the wind from the fist was like a sharp knife, causing Demoness Ji’s cheeks to ache.
Her heart sank.
To think that as the Pure Maiden of Pure Maiden Sect, I would end up dying here...
Before she could finish her thoughts, the situation on the battlefield changed!
[1] Literal meaning of the word
Chapter 434: Suppress!
A tall and mighty figure had unknowingly appeared behind Demoness Ji.
Reaching out, that person grabbed Demoness Ji’s arm and yanked her backwards before throwing his left fist out to meet the bedazzling golden fist of Monk Jue Chen in a heavy clash!
That punch was domineering and seemed as though it was going to carve a hole in the heavens to shoot down the sun!
There were not many people who could go head-on against the successor of Diamond Monastery barehanded in melee combat. Apart from the successor of the Immortal Sect, Glass Palace, the fiend heir of Overlord Palace had the capability as well.
Any other cultivator from other sects would have to avoid him!
From her side eye, Demoness Ji saw that the person did not have any sect badge on his waist. Furthermore, he was wearing a rough linen shirt and was clearly not a cultivator from Glass Palace or Overlord Palace.
If that was the case, that person was definitely bound to suffer immensely if he chose to take on Monk Jue Chen’s fist head-on!
“Don’t...”
Demoness Ji tried to warn him but it was too late.
She had a pained expression, as though she could already envision the tragic scene of the arm of the burly man snapped into a bloody mess.
“You’re asking for trouble.”
Monk Jue Chen revealed a mocking expression.
Bang!
Their fists collided with a dull thud of defeat!
The mocking expression on Monk Jue Chen’s face disappeared as quickly as it appeared as his eyes narrowed into a thin line!
Demoness Ji was dumbfounded in shock.
The golden light on Monk Jue Chen’s fist was dispersed by the burly man’s fist, scattering everywhere like sparks!
As the fists collided, a visible air fluctuation spread out along with a heatwave that possessed an astonishing aftershock!
The burly man did not even take a half-step back and his fist was completely undamaged!
On the contrary, Monk Jue Chen staggered three steps back and his expression gradually darkened.
The burly man pulled Demoness Ji by the arm and brought her behind him. With a calm expression and a sharp gaze, he glared at Monk Jue Chen.
The situation came to a momentary calm with the appearance of the burly man.
Both Monk Jue Chen and Demoness Ji were trying to size up the burly man, wanting to make out something from him.
He had rough facial features, thick eyebrows, large eyes and a wide nose and mouth. Bulky, he was two meters tall and his palms and arms were thick as were his fingers.
His gripped fists resembled a pair of hammers!
Demoness Ji’s brow raised slightly – she could not see anything familiar about the burly man.
She was certain that prior to this, she had never seen this man before, much less know him.
However, for some unknown reason, she felt that something was amiss.
She tilted her head, deep in thought.
After looking at the burly man from head to toe a couple of times without any conclusion, Monk Jue Chen could not help but ask with a deep voice, “Patron, what sect or faction are you from?”
“I’ve got no sect or faction,”
The burly man replied indifferently.
“Amitabha,”
Chanting a Buddhist proclamation, Monk Jue Chen’s gaze gradually turned cold as he said icily, “Since you’re an itinerant cultivator, I’d advise you not to get involved in this lest you attract trouble for yourself!”
“Oh?”
The burly man smiled and replied aggressively, “If I insist on interfering, what can you do?”
“You do know that the girl behind you is the Pure Maiden of the fiend sects. She is someone that kills without batting an eyelid and her hands are deeply soaked in blood!” Monk Jue Chen’s voice turned increasingly louder along with his divinity of Buddhism.
“You’ve got plenty of blood on your hands too, reverend.”
“I’m from the Buddhist monasteries but she’s from the fiend sects!”
“So?”
The two of them spoke in a tit-for-tat manner and instantly, the atmosphere on the battlefield turned tense, filled with killing intent.
However, at that moment, Demoness Ji felt an unprecedented calmness in her heart!
It was as though the mighty back view of the figure in front of her could defend her from any danger!
Even if... she was someone from the fiend sects.
“Well, well, well...”
Monk Jue Chen nodded repeatedly. When he opened his eyes, two golden beams of light shot out and his aura surged.
The secret skill of the Buddhist monasteries, Enraged Diamond Gaze!
Eye secret skills could not only affect the minds of cultivators, they were also released instantly, making it difficult for opponents to defend against.
“Watch out!”
Demoness Ji had already sensed that something was amiss the moment she saw Monk Jue Chen’s gaze shine.
However, just as her warning came forth, her voice was drowned by Monk Jue Chen’s sacred voice of the Buddhist monasteries!
“Since you choose to protect that girl, you’re choosing to be enemies with Diamond Monastery, the Buddhist monasteries and all the righteous immortal sects!”
Monk Jue Chen berated and every single word of his struck at one’s mind like a heavy bell.
That was a sound secret skill unique to the Buddhist monasteries, the Lion Roar.
These two skills were what Monk Jue Chen used earlier on to injure Demoness Ji instantly and seize the advantage.
Under normal circumstances, ordinary cultivators would suffer blinding pain in their eyes and buzzing in their ears against these two instantaneous techniques. In a moment of panic, they would definitely reveal openings.
However, the burly man’s expression was unchanged and a demonic glint shone in his eyes.
The two incoming streaks of gold light disappeared in midair.
Taking a deep breath of air, the burly man’s chest puffed up and his body swelled a little as if he was a balloon.
The next moment, he opened his mouth and interrupted Monk Jue Chen with an immensely powerful shout, “Fight!”
Boom!
The moment he said that, the heavens shook!
An explosion like thunder crushed over heavily, as if a massive army was trampling through everything.
Before Monk Jue Chen could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the burly man and the air in his chest was blocked. It was extremely unbearable as his face turned pale, impacting his aura.
The two of them were extremely close and with a single huge stride, the burly man arrived before Monk Jue Chen almost in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
He stomped his feet heavily on the ground and the earth and mountains shook. In fact, two gigantic ravines appeared in the ground behind him as the mud was overturned!
Demoness Ji was shocked and her alluring lips spread open slightly as she watched everything in disbelief.
Just who was this person?
Even pure-blooded ferocious beasts wouldn’t cause such an impact if they crossed rampantly!
The pure-blooded ferocious beast, Lu Wu, who was standing behind Monk Jue Chen was initially watching coldly from the sidelines. However, it was shocked when it sensed the aura of the burly man and its fur stood on end, causing its entire body to expand greatly!
This was the natural reaction of a demon beast when it sensed extreme danger.
At that moment, in terms of aura, the burly man had already crushed Monk Jue Chen completely!
Swoosh!
The burly man reached out with his palm and descended from above, slapping towards Monk Jue Chen with an aura that threatened to engulf the vast lands.
His fingers spread open and his massive palm seemed like it was about to consume the heavens and suppress the eight desolates!
Now that he lost the initiative, Monk Jue Chen was shocked. He did not have time to dig out his Buddhist spirit weapons from his storage bag and could only prop up his arms in defense against the colossal force.
Bang!
The burly man’s palm crushed heavily against Monk Jue Chen’s arms.
Instantly, Monk Jue Chen seemed like he had turned shorter as his feet sank deep into the ground beyond his knees!
At that moment, Demoness Ji felt like she was witnessing a great demon god that stood tall in the sky, looking down at the vast world as he crushed an ant with his gigantic palm!
At this moment, the successor of Diamond Monastery had lost all his aura and was akin to an ant squashed in the mud!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Both sides were still in a deadlock.
However, the sound of bones shifting could be heard from within Monk Jue Chen’s body, as if his bones were about to fall apart, grinding endlessly in a jarring manner.
Chapter 435: Get the Hell Back!
Monk Jue Chen was like a wooden block that was being hammered into the mud by the colossal palm of the burly man. Without any way of escaping, his bones creaked wildly.
Melee combat fights were the most dangerous and victory was often determined within a few exchanges of moves.
By underestimating his enemy, Monk Jue Chen’s Enraged Diamond Gaze and Lion Roar, two of the Buddhist secret skills, were countered consecutively and in a moment of daze, the burly man seized the initiative.
His single mistake had led him to this state.
Right now, Monk Jue Chen was motionlessly pushed against the ground by the palm!
Even if Monk Jue Chen had a thousand more techniques, he couldn’t use any of them at this moment nor could he summon the Buddhist spirit weapons in his possession.
This was a fight based completely on strength!
As long as Monk Jue Chen was distracted and lost focus of his strength, he would be crushed into sludge by the burly man’s palm without even a corpse left!
Even Demoness Ji was dumbfounded.
What was the background of this man?
To think that he could pin the successor of Diamond Monastery motionlessly on the spot!
Suddenly, the burly man nodded with a flicker of admiration in his eyes. “The fact that you’re able to withstand this is quite something. Indeed, Diamond Monastery is impressive.”
Demoness Ji was now tongue-tied.
What was he doing?
Wasn’t his tone way too arrogant?
In Tianhuang Mainland, which cultivator had the rights to speak to the successor of Diamond Monastery in that manner?
The strangest thing was that the burly man seemed to have meant what he said from the bottom of his heart.
Of course, what was even more shocking was that Monk Jue Chen was totally focused and tense in this intense standoff of strength – he did not even dare to relax or breathe heavily.
However, the burly man could still speak!
In other words, he still had additional strength to spare!
The burly man was none other than Su Zimo who had changed his appearance!
It was only natural that he had the rights to speak of such words since even Pei Chunyu of Glass Palace was defeated by him.
Su Zimo had attained lesser mastery of the Orifice Clearing section with his seven orifices cleared and he had extremely strong eyesight and hearing.
Monk Jue Chen’s Enraged Diamond Gaze and Lion Roar could not affect his mind at all!
A look of embarrassment flashed past Monk Jue Chen’s eyes.
He had never endured such humiliation and suppression as the successor of Diamond Monastery!
Su Zimo’s condescending attitude had ignited Monk Jue Chen’s anger completely.
“Do you really think that you can win me just like this?!”
Grinding his teeth noisily, Monk Jue Chen’s eyes gradually shone with a golden flicker as he said slowly, “Develop a mind that abides nowhere!”
Clang!
The moment he said that, a loud bang sounded from Monk Jue Chen’s chest, possessing a resolute metallic intent!
It was as if an indestructible power that could penetrate rocks was about to pierce through and gush out from Monk Jue Chen’s chest.
Su Zimo could clearly sense that the metallic sound earlier on was Monk Jue Chen’s heartbeat!
After it sounded, Monk Jue Chen’s bloodline churned and the strength in his arms increased significantly, steadying his wavering body instantly.
“Hmm?”
Nodding, Su Zimo said as his eyes lit up, “Interesting.”
Demoness Ji hurriedly remarked, “Watch out! That’s the profoundness in Diamond Monastery’s secret manual, Diamond Sutra! By developing a mind that abides in nowhere, one is able to cultivate a diamond heart!”
Clang!
A heartbeat sounded once more, cutting through Demoness Ji’s voice.
This time round, the metallic sound was even clearer and more ear-piercing, as if it could destroy everything and penetrate all beings!
The blood in Monk Jue Chen’s body circulated slowly, giving off the sound of flowing lead mercury.
Mercury blood amalgam!
That was almost the limit of the power of bloodline.
The only thing above that was the legendary tsunami blood.
Monk Jue Chen’s arm strength increased significantly and he propped up Su Zimo’s palm. As his aura climbed, his eyes shone with frenzy.
Demoness Ji continued, “Each time the diamond heart thumps, it would swap blood with the marrow and refine his tendons and bones! At the limit of its cultivation, one’s body becomes indestructible and can even fight against pure-blooded ferocious beasts!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As though he was trying to prove how scary the diamond heart was, the heartbeat coming from Monk Jue Chen pounded even faster as his blood raced within his body.
Swoosh!
The sound of lead mercury was endless.
“Patron, you are too naive to think that you can kill me with a single palm strike!”
Slowly, Monk Jue Chen spoke with a metallic voice that was forceful and resolute. His body was covered with a layer of shiny golden luster.
The power of bloodline that was triggered by the diamond heart had already cruised through his limbs to every single part of his body!
“Fu...”
Su Zimo smiled gently.
Dong!
Suddenly, an explosion roared without warning, as though a godly being was beating the heavenly drums fervently, giving off shuddering, forceful thuds.
That sound was so close that it suppressed the sound of Monk Jue Chen’s heartbeats!
Psst!
Monk Jue Chen’s expression changed starkly.
Since he was opposite Su Zimo, he could naturally tell that the sound was coming from the other party’s chest!
Suddenly, he felt a sense of uneasiness.
There was no time for Monk Jue Chen to think as he propped his arms up forcefully. Churning his power of bloodline to its limits, he exerted strength in both legs and tried leaping up to break free from Su Zimo’s suppression.
Angrily, Monk Jue Chen roared, “Break!”
Bang! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, a thunderous bang sounded from within Su Zimo’s body. It was forceful and massive, similar to how waves crashed onto shores.
Standing in front of Su Zimo, Monk Jue Chen felt like he was hallucinating.
It felt as though he was a small boat in a raging sea that could capsize at any moment, washing him away without a corpse left!
That wasn’t the force of a human!
That was the might of the universe!
“Tsunami blood!”
Demoness Ji’s ears twitched when she heard that sound as she exclaimed in shock.
Throughout history, it was known that the limit of bloodline cultivation was at tsunami blood level.
There were extremely few cultivators who had managed to accomplish it.
She had come across one of them before.
Back then, underground, with the existence of the ancient spirit lock formation, that person singlehandedly defeated five fiend heirs in a domineering and decisive manner!
Although many years had passed, the scene remained in the depths of her memories as though it had happened yesterday.
No matter how she tried, Demoness Ji could not compare the burly man before her with the green-robed cultivator from her recollections who had delicate facial features.
“Get the hell back!”
Su Zimo’s expression was calm and as was his tone. However, his blood surged like a tsunami in a terrifying manner.
His muscular palm was filled with blood and green veins popped out as it expanded significantly once more, blocking Monk Jue Chen’s line of sight and any path of escape before crushing down savagely on him!
“Ugh!”
Grunting dully, Monk Jue Chen made use of the burst power from his diamond heart and leaped up. Before he could break free from Su Zimo’s palm, he was pushed down once more.
The gold light on Monk Jue Chen’s arms dimmed.
Poof!
His flesh exploded into a blood mist.
Monk Jue Chen’s entire body shuddered, bending his spine while his knees were almost on the ground!
He felt as if there was a towering mountain above him, as if the heavens had collapsed and wanted to destroy him!
Chapter 436: Retreating in Defeat
If this carried on, Monk Jue Chen would be dead within three breaths!
“Roar!”
Suddenly, a ferocious beast roared deafeningly.
A dark shadow darted over and covered the skies, carrying forth a tragic aura that was suffocating.
The Lu Wu that was dozens of feet tall lunged over with a stench of blood. Its eyes were vicious as it bared its sharp fangs and claws with a menacing expression.
Su Zimo furrowed his brows slightly.
Pure-blooded ferocious beasts were extremely strong and even perfect spirit weapons were not superior against their fangs and claws.
In fact, there were even some special weapons that were crafted from the bones, fangs and claws of pure-blooded ferocious beasts.
“Good move!”
Su Zimo’s expression was unchanged as he continued suppressing Monk Jue Chen with one hand. His other hand turned into a fist and his large tendons pulsated with his bloodline.
Expanding swiftly, his fist was akin to a purplish-green seal with a torrential blood qi!
He stood on the spot like a towering ancient god as he smashed that purplish-green seal of a fist heavily towards the Lu Wu’s head!
The aura of that punch was terrifying and in an instant, even the air ruptured with a deafening bang.
As a pure-blooded ferocious beast, the Lu Wu naturally knew how powerful that punch was.
Although its bones were tough, it did not dare to fight head-on against Su Zimo’s fist as it hurriedly received the blow with its claws.
Bang!
There was a deafening sound.
The Lu Wu shuddered and fell from midair.
Su Zimo stood where he was without budging at all as his tendons and bones sounded loudly. His eyes were bright, filled with a torrential combat intent.
Demoness Ji felt her heart skip a beat.
This was a truly ruthless man!
Humans were born with weak bodies without sharp fangs or claws. The fact that someone was able to cultivate to a point where he could contend against pure-blooded ferocious beasts was simply too rare!
What was even scarier was that the burly man was actually fighting against two beings at the same time.
Suppressing Monk Jue Chen with one hand, he fought against the pure-blooded ferocious beast with the other. Despite that, the shocking thing was that his combat strength was not diminished and he was not disadvantaged even though his strength was divided.
When did such a ferocious person appear on Tianhuang Mainland?
Which sect did this cultivator belong to?
The thing that confused Demoness Ji the most was that she could not detect traces of secret skills or techniques from any sect from this burly man.
“Roar!”
Although the Lu Wu fell from midair, it was not injured and leaped up once more with a jerk.
It shook its nine tails and the thousand corpses that were skewered on them exploded!
Blood spewed everywhere, forming a mountain of corpses and blood.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The Lu Wu tread on that mountain of corpses and blood and charged over with its nine tails swaying like whips. The wind howled as it engulfed Su Zimo.
The reason why pure-blooded ferocious beasts were so strong was not purely because of the purity of their bloodline and their terrifying strength.
It was because they possessed killing moves that other demon beasts did not have!
Take the Hook Snake back in the Fog Valley for example, its tail had a gigantic hook that was laced with poison!
That hook was indestructible and sharp – even Night Spirit would not be able to defend against it with its body!
It was the same for the Lu Wu before them.
Swaying behind, its nine tails formed a sealed space and they could attack from various directions. It was like dealing with nine steel whips that were extremely difficult and troublesome to defend against.
Piak!
Reaching out, Su Zimo scooped in midair and grabbed one of the Lu Wu’s thick tails.
However, he could not defend against the other eight tails.
Even with his physique, his organs would suffer from the impact of eight tails smashing on his body!
Left with no other choice, Su Zimo released his palm that was holding Monk Jue Chen down.
Instantly, Monk Jue Chen seized the moment of opportunity and his diamond heart pounded, surging his body with his diamond bloodline. Leaping from the ground, he ran off into the distance without turning back at all.
He wouldn’t have been able to hold on if it lasted for two more breaths!
Drenched from head to toe in cold sweat, he felt as though he had just passed through Hell’s gates.
Boom!
Su Zimo stomped on the ground and he retreated rapidly. He gripped a tail with both hands and exerted strength in his arms just as he was retreating!
The tremendous force was transferred to the Lu Wu through its tail.
It shuddered immensely and its body nearly broke apart. Instantly, the other eight tails lost their strength and directions.
Su Zimo took a deep breath of air and yanked that thick tail, lifting the massive body of the Lu Wu into the air before swinging it to slam onto the ground!
It was a deafening crush.
Dust clouds rose everywhere.
Even Demoness Ji was dumbfounded.
Everything happening before her had completely exceeded her expectations.
How terrifyingly strong must one be to be able to do this?
A short moment later, the dust dissipated and there was a huge crater on the ground with cracks all around it. Lying in the middle, the Lu Wu’s eyes were dim and it groaned weakly.
Demoness Ji’s throat moved as she subconsciously gulped.
The Lu Wu’s bones were most likely crushed with that!
In that short period of time, Monk Jue Chen had already escaped to the horizon in the distance.
Gazing back, his face had a faint golden shade and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
This time round, he had suffered a huge setback.
Su Zimo’s first attack wasn’t that bad – after all, Monk Jue Chen managed to defend against it.
However, with the second attack, Su Zimo’s aura rose! Coupled with the fact that he was pinned on the ground, Monk Jue Chen’s body could not take it at all and the flesh on his arms were ripped while his organs had shifted positions!
It was truly an aggrieving battle for Monk Jue Chen.
While Su Zimo’s strength was shocking, he felt that if it came to a life and death battle, he might not necessarily lose to the former.
As soon as they clashed, he was pinned to the spot by Su Zimo and he couldn’t use any of his skills at all.
He could not even manage to bring out his Buddhist spirit weapons which were the bare basics.
If he had two of his Buddhist spirit weapons in his storage bag, the Diamond Staff and Golden Bells, his fighting strength would have been doubled at least and he would have definitely killed the burly man here!
Although those were his thoughts, Monk Jue Chen no longer dared to fight Su Zimo given his current condition.
“Burly Patron, I underestimated you today. If I meet you again, I’ll definitely take you down!” Monk Jue Chen’s voice sounded from the distance, filled with endless indignance.
“Haha!”
Su Zimo threw his head back and laughed, declaring loudly, “Monk, if we meet again and you dare go against me, you won’t be able to run again!”
Monk Jue Chen thought that he did not display his true strength.
However, little did he know that it was the same for Su Zimo!
If Su Zimo took on his demon form and burst forth with his blood qi, he would have taken Monk Jue Chen’s life with the first palm strike!
In his opinion, even though Monk Jue Chen was a Buddhist, this was no kind soul.
There were a thousand corpses on the nine tails of the Lu Wu behind him. In other words, it meant that there were even more cultivators who had died in his hands in the ancient battlefield!
That was the reason why Su Zimo made the remark about how the reverend had plenty of blood on his hands too.
Furthermore, there was no way that Su Zimo could sit by idly and watch Monk Jue Chen attempt to kill Demoness Ji without understanding the situation at all.
Watching by the sidelines the entire time, Demoness Ji even forgot to step out and assist the burly man.
On the one hand, it was because the burly man’s methods had stunned her.
On the other hand, there was a doubt she had in her mind.
With a cool gaze, she looked at Su Zimo intently, as though she was trying to decipher something.
Chapter 437: Doubt
Since he wanted to change his appearance and hide his identity, there was no way Su Zimo could acknowledge Demoness Ji.
He turned to leave after forcing Monk Jue Chen back.
All of a sudden!
A fragrance wafted over.
A beautiful figure stood in front of him and blocked his path. Closing in, a smiling face looked at Su Zimo with deep interest without blinking.
Under Demoness Ji’s stare, although Su Zimo looked calm on the surface, he felt a little weak internally.
He was worried that he might have revealed any mistakes, exposing his disguise to Demoness Ji.
Each time he was faced with this quirky demoness, Su Zimo always had headaches.
Frowning slightly, he was about to avoid Demoness Ji and walk to the side when a thought struck him. ‘If I leave just like this, she’ll definitely suspect me and might even deduce my identity.’
At that thought, he turned to Demoness Ji and glared at her expressionlessly, asking coldly, “What’s the matter?”
“Who are you?”
“Mad Blade.”
Su Zimo had already thought up of a name for himself.
“Do we know one another?” She asked again.
“No.”
“Since we don’t, why did you save me?”
“Save you?”
Momentarily stunned, a mocking look flickered through Su Zimo’s eyes as he sneered, “You’re overthinking it, miss. I merely wanted to fight that monk. Saving you was just a matter of convenience.”
“You’re lying!”
Suddenly, Demoness Ji’s eyes shone brightly as she declared.
Su Zimo raised his brow.
Harrumphing coldly, Demoness Ji continued, “When you first appeared, you saved me immediately and protected me behind you. It was an extremely natural reaction without hesitation. Do you still dare to claim that you don’t know me?”
“You were blocking my line of sight and affected my performance. It’s only natural that I had to drag you to the side,” Su Zimo sneered in reply.
“Alright.”
Demoness Ji nodded and took a step forward aggressively. “By standing in front of me, you revealed your back entirely to me. I’m someone from the fiend sects and yet you were totally unguarded and trusting towards me. Despite that, you claim that you don’t know me?”
It was undeniable that Demoness Ji was truly too smart.
Su Zimo thought that he had not made any mistakes after changing his appearance – to think that he had revealed such a flaw.
Just as Demoness Ji had said, how could one of two people who had just met trust the other party so easily as to reveal their backs exposed entirely?
After a moment of silence, Su Zimo replied indifferently, “Even if I expose my back to you, do you think that you can injure me?”
Although it was a brazen statement, in reality, it avoided Demoness Ji’s question.
She declared again, “Also, now that I’m not wearing my veil, there’s no way anyone who’s seeing my face for the first time can be as calm as you! You must have seen me before!”
Demoness Ji was truly qualified to say something like that.
The Pure Maiden of the fiend sects was different from the fiend heirs.
There was a fiend heir that corresponded to each cultivation realm within the fiend sects.
For example, Xue Yang of Malevolent Earth Sect was the number one amongst all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sect and hence, he was the Foundation Establishment fiend heir.
There was another fiend heir at Golden Core realm.
Upon entering the Golden Core realm, Xue Yang would lose his title as the fiend heir and if he wanted to become one, he would have to challenge the Golden Core fiend heir.
The Golden Core fiend heir cannot deny the challenge as well.
The fight to be a fiend heir of the fiend sects was extremely cruel and every single fiend heir was exceptional. They stood above countless corpses of their fellow sect mates and their hands were tainted with the same blood.
Such competition was encouraged among the fiend sects.
However, it was different for the Pure Maiden.
From the Qi Condensation realm all the way to the Golden Core realm or even higher, there was only a single disciple of Pure Maiden Sect that could obtain the true inheritance of the sect.
Unless the current generation’s Pure Maiden dies or loses her qualifications, Pure Maiden Sect would not select a new successor.
Pure Maiden Sect had extremely high expectations for their Pure Maidens and it was not an exaggeration to say that the candidate is one in a billion.
Every generation’s Pure Maiden was born with a natural charm that could topple worlds with every wink, smile and action of theirs. Once they were truly grown up, they would definitely be peerless demonesses who could bewitch the masses.
In the battle earlier, Demoness Ji was totally countered because she was dealing with the successor of Diamond Monastery.
If it was the successor of any other sect, they would have to consider if they could handle the bewitchment of the Pure Maiden of the fiend sects.
Countless years ago, there was a generation’s Pure Maiden who even managed to bewitch a legacy disciple of that generation’s Diamond Monastery. The latter was totally subdued and joined the fiend sects, shocking the entire cultivation world!
That generation, Diamond Monastery turned into a laughing stock of the cultivation world.
That was the reason why Diamond Monastery and Pure Maiden Sect had a longstanding feud that spanned beyond their different Daos.
Ever since Su Zimo appeared, he was too composed despite seeing Demoness Ji’s face – there was no ripple in his eyes.
It was only natural that Demoness Ji became suspicious.
Turning around, Su Zimo’s gaze shifted slowly on Demoness Ji.
Finally, his bold gaze landed on Demoness Ji’s flawless and almost breathtaking face, grinning. “Woman, you’re quite interesting. Are you hinting to me that you want to be my Dao companion?”
Demoness Ji furrowed her brows slightly.
She was extremely familiar with the look that the burly man was giving off.
It was a kind of gaze that made her disgusted.
Although Pure Maiden Sect and Cloud Rain Sect seemed similar, they were vastly different.
Cloud Rain Sect cultivated the Dao of indulgence. Although every generation’s Pure Maiden cultivated the Dao of bewitchment, they had to maintain their chastity for the sake of their Dao!
If a Pure Maiden became someone’s Dao companion, it would be equivalent to them crippling their entire lives’ cultivation.
They would also be stripped of the title of Pure Maiden and expelled from the sect!
If a Pure Maiden lost her cultivation and the backing of the fiend sects while retaining her flawlessly charming looks, their fates were clearly imaginable – they would most likely become the slaves of other cultivators and live a life worse than death.
Although countless cultivators had fallen to Demoness Ji’s charms up till this point of her cultivation, she had never had any physical contact with any man.
Apart from a single person.
A green-robed figure flashed through Demoness Ji’s mind and she bit her lips.
That day, the two of them were stuck in a stone coffin that was extremely cramped. Coupled with the fact that they were being washed away by the river undercurrent, that man had taken quite a bit of advantage of her in the darkness.
Initially, Demoness Ji thought that the burly man before her was that man.
But now, given the burly man’s crude actions and language, she shook her head and lamented internally, “Have I really thought too much?”
Chapter 438: Sword Cultivator
Su Zimo finally heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Demoness Ji avoid him. Internally, he felt a tinge of guilt.
He had no other choice in order to hide his identity.
“Why? You’re unwilling?”
Su Zimo’s expression darkened.
Since he was acting, he had to go all the way.
Demoness Ji was stunned for a moment when she saw that the burly man was displeased. Instantly, she smiled with a charm that struck at one’s soul and replied tenderly, “Please don’t be angry, benefactor. There’s been a misunderstanding and I mistook you for an old friend of mine.”
“Let me express my apologies,”
With that, she bowed over with an apologetic look.
Su Zimo harrumphed and did not say anything more.
With a flicker in her eyes, Demoness Ji asked again, “Are you not going to ask me who my old friend is, benefactor?”
“Not interested.”
Su Zimo waved it off and walked into the distance at an extremely fast speed while saying from far away, “I’m only interested in the Human Emperor’s Palace!”
“I want to head to the Human Emperor’s Palace too! Shall we go together?”
Demoness Ji yelled from behind.
There was naturally no way Su Zimo would reply as he went silent, pretending to have heard nothing.
They had only met and he was nearly exposed by Demoness Ji. If they were to travel together, she might truly see through his disguise!
“Su Zimo!”
Suddenly, a shout sounded from behind without any warning at all.
Instinctively, Su Zimo wanted to stop in his tracks and turn back.
That was the most natural reaction for anybody.
However, in a flash, he realized what was going on and continued moving ahead, disappearing from Demoness Ji’s line of sight in the blink of an eye.
When she saw that, Demoness Ji frowned slightly and murmured in deep thought, “Seems like it’s not him.”
Su Zimo only slowed down after he was far away and heaved a sigh of relief.
That was close!
Demoness Ji was the one who shouted earlier on!
If Su Zimo reacted slower against her sudden shout, he would have definitely revealed a flaw and would be exposed to Demoness Ji.
“That lass truly is...”
Muttering softly, Su Zimo shook his head and flew towards the Human Emperor’s Palace that was at the center of the ancient battlefield.
...
10 days later.
The Human Emperor’s Palace descended slowly. As it got closer to the ground, the aura that it exuded also turned increasingly terrifying.
500 kilometers around the range of the ancient palace, all the ancient living beings and remnant beasts have shifted away, not daring to linger near it.
Although countless years have passed, the remnant might of the Human Emperor was massive and could still suppress the eight desolates while instilling fear in the demons!
“So, that’s the Human Emperor’s Palace. It’s truly impressive.”
“The pressure is way too immense. Even though I’m at seven meridian Foundation Establishment, I don’t even dare to head forth. It’s hard to imagine the type of pressure that one has to endure if they start fighting within the perimeter of the Human Emperor’s Palace’s shrouded area.”
“Hurry, look! Is that a divine dragon that’s etched on that stone pillar? It looks so realistic that it seems like it’s alive!”
The appearance of the Human Emperor’s Palace attracted cultivators from all over the ancient battlefield.
One layer after another, everyone in that dense crowd looked up at the ancient palace that was in the middle of an electric ocean and a vortex of dark clouds with shocked expressions.
Not everyone was as logical as Tang Yu to be able to repress their curiosity to avoid being implicated in the bloodshed.
“I’ll give you guys three breaths worth of time to leave. Anyone who is still here after that will die!”
Right then, an icy voice sounded from outside the perimeter, carrying a sharp edge that could slice through everything!
Everyone turned over.
Behind them, a long-robed cultivator strode over with a sheathed long sword hanging casually from his waist. Twirling his long, slender fingers casually, he had a cold expression.
“How do we leave this place within three breaths?”
Many cultivators frowned.
“One,”
Expressionlessly, the long-robed cultivator lowered his head and declared.
“Who is that? He sure is arrogant!”
Someone could not help but sneer.
“Two.”
The long-robed cultivator remarked once more.
A sharp-eyed cultivator caught sight of the sect badge hanging from the person’s waist and yelled with a shocked expression, “Sword Sect! He’s probably the successor of Sword Sect, Hang Qiuyu!”
A massive commotion broke out from the crowd the moment they heard the words ‘successor of Sword Sect’.
Right then, Hang Qiuyu’s voice sounded once more.
“Three.”
Unknowingly, his slender fingers were already on the hilt of the sword on his waist. Gazing coldly at the crowd in front of him, he said, “You’ve already missed your final opportunity.”
Buzz!
A peerless white flash shone.
Nobody could describe the speed and power of that slash.
The Startling Sword was bound to startle upon making its appearance!
In that instant, all the cultivators facing Hang Qiuyu were blinded by that bedazzling sword beam and could not open their eyes.
The next moment, they felt their throats turn cold as a warm, sticky liquid started spewing outside with a nauseating stench!
It was fresh blood.
Dozens of cultivators that stood in front of Hang Qiuyu fell at the same time. Collapsing to the ground, their throats were slit by the sword and they died, unable to rest in peace.
Almost everyone who came to the vicinity of the Human Emperor’s Palace were at seven meridian Foundation Establishment and were rather capable.
However, those dozens of cultivators died on the spot without even having the chance to take out their spirit weapons.
That was how terrifying the might of his single slash was!
The cultivators behind him were horrified as they took out protection talismans from their storage bags and crushed them instantly. Right after, they summoned their flying swords and defensive spirit weapons such as shields and heart protecting mirrors before calming down.
Swash!
By the time they were prepared and looked ahead, Hang Qiuyu had already vanished.
A gentle breeze blew across.
Hang Qiuyu had already charged into the crowd with his Startling Sword!
A sword beam rose followed by a bloody flash.
Some of the cultivators were cut in half with fresh blood spewing and countless nauseating internal organs flowing out.
Protection talismans were nothing but paper against Hang Qiuyu’s sword.
Clang!
A cultivator defended the Startling Sword with his shield and a crisp sound echoed upon the collision.
The joy in his eyes appeared for a brief moment before freezing on his face. With a dimmed gaze, his head tilted to the side as his life was cut away from him!
A white scar appeared on that person’s shield and it broke into two by the time it fell to the ground.
A superior-grade defensive spirit weapon could not even withstand a single slash from the Startling Sword!
Many cultivators were terrified and fled into the distance, not daring to linger.
That was the terror of a sword cultivator!
Although the sword reigned supreme in Tianhuang Mainland, not all cultivators who could use flying swords were considered as sword cultivators.
For true sword cultivators, their swords never left their hands and vice versa.
Unlike flying swords, sword cultivators used long swords with hilts.
Sword cultivators were particular about the sword techniques, force, intent and focused on cultivating the Dao of the sword so as to become one with the sword, to become one with the world and in fact, to become one together with the sword and world together!
In the cultivation world, it was difficult to declare that a particular lineage of cultivator, be it immortal, fiend or Buddhist, was the strongest – the end results would only be determined in a fight.
However, there was a universally recognized fact in the cultivation world.
The killing power of a sword cultivator was the strongest!
Furthermore, among the immortal, fiend and Buddhist sects, the sword cultivators of Sword Sect, one of the nine immortal sects, were the most famous.
The founder of Sword Sect was the number one Sword Emperor of the ancient era.
Chapter 439: Gathering of the Elites
Wielding his sword, Hang Qiuyu charged into the crowd. Everywhere he passed through, Hell broke loose as fresh blood spilled along with broken limbs in a tragic scene.
The battlefield was in chaos.
Shrieks, screams, yells and the sound of killing were mixed together.
Ta! Ta! Ta!
From the south, a series of heavy footsteps arrived.
Each time it sounded, the ground would tremble a little, as if a massive being with terrifying might was sprinting over!
Many cultivators looked towards the voice.
A buzz cut cultivator headed over in huge strides. With a bare upper body, his exposed muscles shone with a bronze luster and his muscles bulged out one by one, giving off an explosive feeling of power!
The person carried a gigantic iron spear on his shoulder that was pitch-black and heavy. Exuding a violent aura from head to toe, his eyes burned as he laughed with a domineering aura. “A bunch of reckless idiots. How dare you guys try to taint the Human Emperor’s Palace!”
“Hurry, run! It’s someone from the fiend sects!”
“That’s the fiend heir of Overlord Palace, Pang Yue! Run!”
Pang Yue slapped the spear on his shoulder and it bounced into the air as he shouted, “It’s too late to run now!”
Swoosh!
The iron spear tore through the air, turning into a dark ray of light as the wind howled.
Following the spear, Pang Yue charged into the crowd.
The cultivators that stood at the front were torn into pieces by the black spear. With a flick, the spear shattered all spirit weapons that collided with it.
“Kill!”
Pang Yue roared as he gripped the black spear singlehandedly. He swept in reverse and sliced dozens of cultivators in the crowd into pieces with the strength of a massive army!
Overlord Palace was the strongest body tempering sect among the fiend sects.
Even in Tianhuang Mainland, they could be ranked as one of the top threes, alongside Glass Palace and Diamond Monastery.
As the fiend heir of Overlord Palace, it was easy to imagine how strong Pang Yue was in melee combat.
This was a killing feast!
Eight spirit meridians shone on Pang Yue’s body and spirit energy surged while his bloodline roared. Everywhere his spear passed, people were bound to die as no one could withstand its sharpness.
On the other side, a purple aura arrived.
It produced an unrestrained pressure as though an emperor has arrived.
“Hurry, run! It’s Ao Yuxiao of Purple Firmament Sect!”
The crowd in the east was also in a mess as cultivators scattered in all directions.
A purple-robed cultivator stood in midair with a solemn expression. His entire body was shrouded by a billion streams of purple qi that shone with a brilliant myriad of colors – he possessed a dignified aura that looked down on the masses.
“Go!”
Waving his sleeves, Ao Yuxiao chided softly.
The billion streams of purple qi that were initially surrounding him formed purple swords in midair that shone brightly as they tore the crowd into pieces like a group of purple clouds.
The purple clouds swept across the skies and many cultivators fell from midair to their deaths.
It was as Tang Yu had predicted – an unprecedented massacre was bound to happen in the ancient battlefield with the appearance of the Human Emperor’s Palace.
The vicinity around the Human Emperor’s Palace turned into a slaughterhouse.
It wasn’t just Sword Sect and Purple Firmament Sect. Successors of the other nine immortal sects appeared one after another and joined the battlefield.
There was an icy cold fairy with white robes fluttering, a cultivator with lightning gaze and sped like the wind, a Dao cultivator with a Dao crown on his head and a horsetail whisk...
From the fiend sects, apart from Pang Yue of Overlord Palace, Shangguan Yu of Cloud Rain Sect and the fiend heir of Illusion Fiend Cult appeared as well.
The fiend heir of Zenith Sect, Bai Yu, charged into the battlefield with his Zenith Saber and killed ecstatically.
Previously, Bai Yu escaped from the Saber Mountain Spirit Sea using Blood Escape after losing to Su Zimo.
Now that he reappeared, he had already unlocked his eighth spirit meridian!
To be fair, if he hadn’t unlocked the eighth meridian, he would have met his demise like all the cultivators here if he had come forth to take a look, let alone covet for the Human Emperor’s Palace.
All the successors of the immortal and fiend sects had a tacit understanding and avoided one another temporarily while killing the other cultivators.
Under such circumstances, the only ones who had a chance of escaping were those at eight meridian Foundation Establishment!
A burly man in linen clothes with thick brows and a rough face stood at the boundaries of the chaotic battlefield, watching everything coldly.
Su Zimo had already arrived!
Ding... Ding!
Suddenly, a long and distant bell sounded from the west, seemingly able to cleanse one’s soul and was extremely sacred.
As the bell rang, a bald cultivator strode over. He was barefooted and dressed in monk robes. Wielding a golden bell, his eyes shone with a tinge of golden glow... it was the successor of Diamond Monastery, Monk Jue Chen!
“Amitabha,”
Monk Jue Chen held one palm vertically and let out a Buddhist proclamation with conviction.
After ten days, Monk Jue Chen’s expression was normal and his aura was stable – it was clear that his injuries had already healed.
Su Zimo nodded silently.
As one of the six Buddhist monasteries, Diamond Monastery was truly capable.
Previously, Monk Jue Chen’s was heavily suppressed by Su Zimo and his flesh had exploded while his organs were dislocated.
In ten days, he had already recovered to his original state. That was proof that the monk’s physique was truly extraordinary.
Ding!
Expressionlessly, Monk Jue Chen flicked his wrist gently and the bell sounded once more.
A group of cultivators that were fleeing in midair on their flying swords shuddered. Their faces turned pale as they swayed unsteadily.
Ding!
The bell sounded once more.
Thud! Thud!
One after another, the cultivators fell from midair. By the time they reached the ground, their gazes were dim and blood flowed from all seven orifices – they were already dead!
Three more monks and a nun strode slowly forward behind Monk Jue Chen.
Although the three monks and the nun were all Buddhists as well, their attires were different as were the sect badges on their waists.
Among the six Buddhist monasteries, five successors had appeared!
It was a gathering of the elites!
In this battle, some cultivators from other sects or itinerant cultivators who thought that they were strong finally understood the terror of the immortal, fiend and Buddhist sects.
Although they were also at eight meridian Foundation Establishment, they were no match for the successors of those sects!
The number of cultivators around the Human Emperor’s Palace decreased but the number of corpses increased as blood flowed like a river.
Finally, someone caught sight of Su Zimo who was standing at the boundaries.
It was Bai Yu, the fiend heir of Zenith Sect!
Naturally, he did not know that this was Su Zimo who had changed his appearance. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have advanced alone without any reservations.
Bai Yu’s expression was cold as he held the bloody Zenith Saber in his hands. He glared at Su Zimo without any shred of emotion.
Although Su Zimo was expressionless, a flicker of mockery flashed through his eyes.
“Die!”
Bai Yu swung his Zenith Saber and created a bloodied arc in midair before it descended upon Su Zimo’s head.
Su Zimo’s eyes shone brightly. Just as he was about to take action, a tender shout sounded from behind him.
“Stop!”
A fragrance wafted over.
A pink ribbon tore through the air. Although it looked weak, it managed to fend off Bai Yu’s attack!
Right after, as if it was alive, the pink ribbon coiled itself along the body of the saber.
Frowning, Bai Yu retracted his Zenith Saber hurriedly.
“Demoness Ji, what are you doing?”
He glared at the girl in pink that darted out from behind the burly man, asking in an unfriendly manner.
“Hehe.”
By now, Demoness Ji had already covered herself with her veil again. Smiling gently, she glanced at Su Zimo and said, “This is a friend I invited. He’s on the side of the fiend sects.”
Chapter 440: Commencement of the Battle
When he heard that, Su Zimo frowned.
Just as he was about to retort, Demoness Ji tiptoed beside his ear and whispered, “The Human Emperor’s Palace has just descended and everyone’s aiming for the throne. The successors of the immortal, fiend and Buddhist sects will tacitly eliminate the other cultivators first.”
“If you’re alone, you’ll definitely be targeted. How about following the fiend sects first? It’ll only benefit you.”
In reality, Su Zimo had two reasons for coming here. On the one hand, it was for the Human Emperor’s Palace. On the other hand, he wanted to test out the elites and paragons of the super sects!
He had no fear of being targeted at all!
However, Demoness Ji was leaning towards his ear flirtatiously. Her tender voice and scent of a maiden stirred Su Zimo’s heart and he did not reject her, as if possessed.
Right after, Su Zimo snapped out of his daze in a shock and lamented internally, “Impressive!”
Demoness Ji’s charm was everywhere and it was impossible to guard against her.
As the Pure Maiden of the fiend sects, there was no need for her to cast a bewitchment technique specifically.
Her presence alone was a form of bewitchment.
The higher the cultivation realm of the Pure Maiden, the more terrifying their power of bewitchment would be. In the end, a single smile, wink and emotion would be enough to intoxicate anyone to a point of no return.
In the cultivation world, there were some charming techniques that relied on wearing half-covered clothes, using flirtatious gazes, language and daring actions to seduce men.
However, compared to the Pure Maiden Sutra, those charming techniques were wildly inferior.
By the end of everyday, the Pure Maiden of the fiend sects was a peerless beauty that could overthrow the entire world. Pure, clean, awe-inspiring and inviolable, a single subtle flirtatious look from her eyes would be enough for an ancient mighty figure to submit to her whims.
“Humph!”
Sizing Su Zimo from head to toe, Bai Yu sneered, “It’s just a lover that you’ve found. What rights does he have to be compared to us fiend heirs?”
“Hehe.”
Demoness Ji chuckled. “How arrogant. I wonder who were the ones who were beaten to a pulp by a friend that I randomly found back then in that underground area.”
Upon hearing that, Bai Yu’s expression darkened and a few other fiend heirs looked terrible as well.
That was a humiliation for them that no one was willing to speak of.
Pang Yue swung his black iron spear and turned around after killing the last few cultivators, striding over in huge steps.
The tip of the spear fell naturally to the ground and sparks flew everywhere as it trawled the ground.
“Where’s that scholar?”
Arriving in front of Demoness Ji, he asked loudly with a fiery battle intent in his eyes.
The scholar that Pang Yue was referring to was naturally Su Zimo.
Pouting her lips, Demoness Ji rolled her eyes. “How should I know?”
Suddenly, Bai Yu said, “He came to the ancient battlefield too. I’ve seen him.”
“Oh?”
When the few fiend heirs heard that, their expressions changed and killing intent flashed through their eyes.
Pausing for a moment, Bai Yu shook his head again. “However, I don’t think he’s here. I didn’t spot any signs of him.”
Bai Yu was thoroughly humiliated after retreating with a loss after the battle at Saber Mountain Spirit Sea and there was naturally no way he would take the initiative to mention that.
The Illusion Fiend Cult heir harrumphed coldly. “That scholar has got some brains.”
“If he dares show himself, I’ll definitely create a bloody hole in his body using my iron spear!”
Pang Yue’s expression was haughty as he slammed the iron spear in his hand onto the ground heavily. Instantly, a series of cracks appeared and his murderous aura was daunting.
Su Zimo’s expression was calm and there were no ripples in his eyes.
Shifting his gaze, Pang Yue sized up Su Zimo and nodded while smiling. “Not bad, you’ve got some guts. I’ll forcibly acknowledge you of being qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with us fiend heirs.”
Shangguan Yu of Cloud Rain Sect remarked casually, “Since Xue Yang of Malevolent Earth Sect isn’t here yet, we’ll let this person replace him for now as a helper.”
Waving his folding fan lightly, Shangguan Yu looked cool and suave. Despite the fact that he had just killed more than a hundred cultivators, his clothes and hair were still neat.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
Pang Yue looked at Su Zimo with a slightly raised head.
“Mad Blade,” Su Zimo replied.
“Mad Blade, haha!”
Pang Yue laughed. “You’re quite arrogant. I wonder how your saber techniques are like!”
Bai Yu remarked coldly, “In the cultivation world, most people with such loud titles are only so-so in terms of capabilities.”
“You can try me.”
Su Zimo said indifferently.
“Mmm? Do you have a death wish?”
Bai Yu’s expression changed as killing intent rose in his heart.
“You’re wild. Interesting.”
Sweeping his iron spear, Pang Yue blocked Bai Yu and shook his head with a stern expression. “Don’t fight first. Something isn’t right.”
Everyone followed Pang Yue’s gaze.
The battlefield was mostly cleaned up and the only people left under the cover of the Human Emperor’s Palace were the successors of the immortal, fiend and Buddhist sects.
Among them, successors from seven of the nine immortal sects were present, including Hang Qiuyu of Sword Sect and Ao Yuxiao of Purple Firmament Sect.
Of the six Buddhist monasteries, five successors were present. Apart from Monk Jue Chen of Diamond Monastery, there were monks from Hollow Monastery Monastery, Formless Monastery, Wisdom Monastery and a nun from Clear Heart Nunnery.
Of the seven fiend sects, Xue Yang of Malevolent Earth Sect was already dead and there was no signs of the Thousand-faced Assassin from Hidden Death Sect.
Apart from Su Zimo, the other four fiend heirs and the demoness were present.
These nearly twenty cultivators could be considered as the top paragons of the Foundation Establishment realm in the entire Tianhuang Mainland.
Apart from Su Zimo, the rest of the cultivators were at eight meridian Foundation Establishment!
The reason why something felt amiss was because the seven paragons of the immortal sects led by Hang Qiuyu of Sword Sect and Ao Yuxiao of Purple Firmament Sect as well as the four monks and one nun seemed to be joining forces as they surrounded the fiend heirs!
“Hang Qiuyu, Ao Yuxiao, Jue Chen. What’s the meaning of this?” Narrowing his gaze, Pang Yue asked slowly.
“Nothing much,”
Hang Qiuyu’s lips curled up and he swayed his slender fingers. “After destroying the fiend sects, we’ll naturally choose someone from the immortal and Buddhist sects to take on the Human Emperor’s Palace’s inheritance.”
The fiend heirs frowned.
Including Su Zimo, there were only six of them.
However, there were a total of twelve people when the paragons of the immortal and Buddhist sects were added together!
In other words, each of them had to face at least two paragons!
Pang Yue of Overlord Palace was publicly acknowledged as the strongest among the fiend heirs.
However, he would not dare to claim victory against Hang Qiuyu, Ao Yuxiao and Jue Chen, let alone if he had to deal with two people at one go.
Demoness Ji raised her voice. “The situation is clear right now with three distinct lineages and a total of 18 cultivators. We can just fight in pairs to decide the final victor to obtain the Human Emperor’s Palace’s inheritance. That will be considered as fairness.”
Monk Jue Chen’s gaze swept past Su Zimo and paused for a brief moment before landing on Demoness Ji’s face as he sneered, “The situation will be even clearer after destroying the fiend sects.”
“Fair?”
Ao Yuxiao shook his head. “There’s no fairness to speak of in front of the Human Emperor’s Palace. Furthermore, fiends are evil beings that should be punished!”
“Su Zimo, if you see that the situation is not right, don’t be stubborn and leave this place quickly!”
Suddenly, Demoness Ji extended her finger and poked Su Zimo’s waist, whispering to him.
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