Eternal Sacred King Chapter 598 to 607
Chapter 598: Terrifying Combat Strength
“Heavenly Piercing Seven Swords!”
The man hollered and the sword qi within his body rumbled. His Golden Core circulated wildly as spirit energy howled.
Seven gigantic swords appeared hovering in the air behind him, so sharp that they threatened to rip the heavens into pieces!
Heavenly Piercing Seven Swords.
Rank 78 of the previous Phenomenon Ranking.
This sword cultivator had clearly gained the true legacy of Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect. Furthermore, he must have had an extremely deep level of comprehension to be able to cultivate this Golden Core phenomenon of the sect.
Golden Core phenomenons were the most terrifying attacks of Golden Cores.
The Golden Core phenomenons of sword cultivators were even more lethal!
The middle-aged monk had just advanced when the five Great Xia guards released a combo technique in unison with a tacit understanding.
Their five sabers seemed to fuse together into a sturdy and massive saber that descended from the skies with an apocalyptic aura!
Additionally, four swords that shimmered with a chilling light shot over from four different angles.
Before they arrived, the swords were already letting off an unsettling aura!
The most terrifying attack was the Golden Core phenomenon that was just released – Heavenly Piercing Seven Swords!
“Kill him! Kill him!”
Si Junyu howled with a maniacal look.
The middle-aged monk was expressionless against the incoming attacks. His eyes lit up as he opened his mouth, releasing a deafening sound of Sanskrit!
“Om!”
That syllable was extremely odd and was definitely not a normal word from Tianhuang Mainland.
It possessed a noble might when it was spoken by the middle-aged monk!
Even though there was no spirit energy fluctuation from the body of the middle-aged monk, the Sanskrit reverberated through the world continuously as though it could tunnel through any obstacles straight into one’s heart!
That Sanskrit was a burst that relied merely on the power of his organs, throat and tongue!
“Hmm?”
“Sound Secret Skill?”
The three Nascent Souls in midair were slightly surprised.
Sound secret skills were the rarest secret techniques in the cultivation world and were extremely difficult to cultivate – only certain super sects and top factions have them.
That Daming Mantra was a renowned secret skill of the Daming Monastery that had been lost for 10,000 years.
The lifespans of Nascent Souls were merely a few thousand years old – naturally, none of the three Nascent Souls knew of the origin of that secret skill.
On the battlefield, the 10 Golden Cores that were fighting were caught unprepared and shuddered.
The five sabers of the Great Xia guards and four swords of the sword cultivators paused briefly as well.
For ordinary cultivators, that delay might not have seemed like anything much.
However, in the eyes of the middle-aged monk, it was a massive opening!
A single delay meant that there was a break in their strength!
The middle-aged monk did not dodge or avoid. Instead, he took the first move and swung his arm like a thick iron whip against the five sabers.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
All the sabers shattered.
The five Great Xia guards were shocked.
Right as they were about to retreat, they discovered that the middle-aged monk did not continue to chase them – he had turned towards the four sword cultivators from Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect.
Before the five of them could react, another sound of Sanskrit boomed in their ears.
It was truly an explosion.
It was as though thunder had just sounded in their ears!
“Ma!”
All five of them widened their eyes which instantly turned bloodshot as they froze on the spot.
It was as though a gigantic hammer had thumped them at the back of the head, causing them to lose consciousness for a moment.
The four sword cultivators of Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect had initially recovered and were about to continue attacking when they heard the second Sanskrit word.
All four of them revealed pained expressions and winced badly. They could not even maintain their grip on the swords in their hands, let alone continue to attack.
The middle-aged monk charged into the four of them with a cold gaze. Instantly, he threw out four punches in succession and ruptured all of their heads!
In the end, the remaining sword cultivator could not manage to attack as well.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to, it was because he couldn’t!
The two Sanskrit words caused him to freeze up and the seven swords behind him swayed before they even materialized fully, showing signs of dispersing!
How could that person attack to deal with the middle-aged monk when he could not even defend?
Within a split second, four of his fellow sect mates were dead.
And at that very moment, the middle-aged monk had already arrived before him!
The next moment, his pupils constricted violently!
He could see the middle-aged monk opening his mouth once more!
“Ni!”
The third Sanskrit word had descended!
The first people affected were the five Great Xia guards that were rooted on the spot.
Grisly fresh blood was already streaming down their eyes, ears, mouth and nose due to the blow from the three consecutive Sanskrit sounds!
They were bleeding from all orifices!
It seemed like the five of them did not have any injuries on their bodies.
However, their brains were already smashed from the vibrations!
All five of them fell stiffly with dim gazes.
The middle-aged monk had not laid his hands on them up till the very end – they were shocked to death by the three Sanskrit sounds!
As for the remaining sword cultivator, his face was pale as a sheet and his eyes were filled with fear.
His Golden Core phenomenon was already trembling against the impact of the three Sanskrit sounds and could disperse at any moment.
He had cultivated for more than 200 years, been through endless battles and could also be considered as a genius of Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect.
However, he had never seen anyone fight in such a manner.
There was no spirit energy in the other person’s body.
Yet, his power of phenomenon was shaken just by the other person’s voice!
In other words, if not for the protection of his Golden Core phenomenon, he would have been seriously injured against the impact of the three Sanskrit sounds even if he wasn’t dead!
The next moment, the middle-aged monk closed in and opened his mouth once again!
“Pa!”
The fourth Sanskrit sound!
The instant the fourth Sanskrit sound descended, the middle-aged monk suddenly struck as well and punched the Golden Core phenomenon directly!
Snap!
All seven swords were completely snapped!
The remaining Golden Cores felt grimaced at the sight of that in shock.
None of them had ever witnessed such power before!
Golden Core phenomenons were the strongest methods available for Golden Cores.
Even top-tier spirit arts might not be able to go against them.
But now, everyone was witnessing someone go against a Golden Core phenomenon head-on with his body alone!
The scariest thing was that Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect’s Heavenly Piercing Seven Swords could not even withstand a single blow from the person’s Sanskrit sounds and punch!
Poof!
The Golden Core phenomenon shattered and the last sword cultivator shuddered, coughing up a huge mouthful of blood.
The middle-aged monk did not give him any chance at all and strode forward, tapping him on the throat gently with a finger.
Snap!
The person’s throat snapped and he died on the spot!
Si Junyu was completely scared out of his wits.
He had truly not expected that 10 Golden Cores – including an expert who cultivated a Golden Core phenomenon – could not stop the middle-aged monk for a single second!
The entire process sounded long upon narration but in fact, it only took three breaths.
Before Si Junyu could react, the middle-aged monk had already arrived before him!
At that moment, it was too late even if the two Nascent Souls, Gu Suqi and Tian Chen, wanted to step in and help.
“How dare you!”
Perfected Lord Tian Chen could not help but holler loudly when he saw that.
“Monk, if you dare to kill him, you will definitely die today!”
Gu Suqi said coldly.Chapter 599: What Is He Doing?
Instantly, Si Junyu was scared out of his wits!
“Ah!”
Si Junyu withdrew a cold, shimmering sword from his storage bag and his spirit energy surged wildly as he stabbed at the middle-aged monk’s head!
At the same time, Si Junyu crushed a protection talisman in his left hand.
Whoosh!
A golden burst of light glowed around Si Junyu and formed an impenetrable barrier.
The middle-aged monk did not dodge or avoid the incoming sword and flicked his finger casually.
His fingertip met the sword’s blade.
Clang!
Si Junyu’s sword was snapped by the middle-aged monk’s finger in a single strike!
With a ripped palm, Si Junyu could no longer hold on to his sword and let go.
Thereafter, his vision blurred and the middle-aged monk was already gone from his sights.
For everyone else, they saw the middle-aged monk take a step after snapping Si Junyu’s blade to wrap behind the latter.
The middle-aged monk’s movements were way too fluid.
It was like water – there was no delay between his movements ever since he first attacked.
The middle-aged monk’s entire body coiled around Si Junyu’s golden barrier like an anaconda and exerted strength massively!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A series of cracks appeared on the golden barrier.
After a brief pause, the golden barrier shattered entirely!
The middle-aged monk reached out and grabbed Si Junyu’s neck, exerting strength in his fingers.
Si Junyu merely felt his body and limbs go limp – he could not move at all and could only let the middle-aged monk lift him up!
“Everyone, stop!”
The middle-aged monk turned around and said coldly.
The two Great Xia guards and three Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect sword cultivators that were chasing after him stopped hurriedly with a deep look of fear in their eyes.
This middle-aged monk was way too brutal!
Ever since he started attacking, any Golden Core who stood in his path died – nobody was spared!
Rather than a benevolent monk, he was more like a demon with a murderous nature!
In the blink of an eye, Si Junyu wound up in the hands of the middle-aged monk and Gu Suqi and Perfected Lord Tian Chen could not help but stop their attacks on Perfected Lord Ming Ze.
With a relieved expression, Perfected Lord Ming Ze fell from midair in exhaustion.
Fortunately, Ji Yaoxue rushed forward and supported him.
Instantly, the situation became special.
On the side of the Great Xia Dynasty, there were five Golden Cores and two Nascent Souls with frightening strength remaining.
On the side of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Ji Yaoxue’s spirit energy was already drained after releasing Emperor Defensive Qi and did not have much combat strength left.
As for Perfected Lord Ming Ze, he was filled with injuries all over and could not fight any longer.
On the surface, it seemed like the Great Zhou Dynasty was completely disadvantaged. However, the issue now was that Si Junyu had fallen in the hands of the middle-aged monk!
Suddenly, Perfected Lord Ming Ze and everyone else understood the middle-aged monk’s intentions.
In a head-on confrontation, he was definitely not a match for the two Nascent Soul sword cultivators.
The only way to break out of the situation and survive was to use all his might to capture Si Junyu alive, thereby gaining the upper hand!
“What an impressive monk!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze thought to himself.
The fact that this middle-aged monk was able to discover the method of breaking out of the situation within such a short period of time was proof of his understanding of the circumstances and the sharpness of his mind!
In reality, even at that moment, Perfected Lord Ming Ze had yet to realize the middle-aged monk’s true intentions.
By the time he realized, what he felt was not just shock... it was fear!
It was an act that required an extreme amount of guts!
Ji Yaoxue supported Perfected Lord Ming Ze and gazed at the middle-aged monk not far away with a slightly raised brow.
For some reason, she felt that there was something odd about this.
If that middle-aged monk was only at Golden Core realm and they did not know one another, why would he want to undertake such a huge risk just to save her?
Saving her was one thing, but the way he murdered them so decisively seemed like he was doing it out of rage.
She was the target of Si Junyu and the others. If so, where did the rage of the middle-aged monk stem from?
Could there be a deep feud between this man and the Great Xia Dynasty and he merely attacked after bumping into them by coincidence?
Ji Yaoxue could not figure it out.
Gu Suqi and Perfected Lord Tian Chen glared at the middle-aged monk coldly from midair, as though they wanted to make out something from the middle-aged monk’s face.
He was expressionless without any fear in his eyes.
Gu Suqi narrowed his eyes and said coolly, “The Buddhist sects believe that the Bodhisattva is compassionate for living beings. Monk, you are way too murderous for someone of the Buddhist sects!”
“The Buddhist sects also believe that the Vajra’s rage is required to subdue evil!”
The middle-aged monk’s gaze blazed and he was truly like a descended Vajra that was unavoidable!
“Humph!”
Perfected Lord Tian Chen scoffed with a chilling killing intent. “Monk, if you dare lay harm on him, I’ll tear you into pieces and burn your bones into ashes!”
The middle-aged monk was unmoved by the Nascent Soul’s threat and even exerted more strength in his fingers.
Si Junyu’s expression turned purplish but he could not say a single word at all.
Suddenly, Gu Suqi’s gaze flashed and he asked, “Nothing will come out of this stalemate anyways. How about we strike a deal?”
“Oh?” The middle-aged monk raised his brow slightly.
Gu Suqi said darkly, “If you let him off, we’ll leave right away!”
The middle-aged monk pondered for a moment before asking, “How do I know you won’t renege on your words.”
Perfected Lord Tian Chen and Gu Suqi exchanged glances and their eyes flashed with a sly intent as they gained a tacit understanding. “Both of us are Nascent Souls and we value our reputation. There’s no way we will go back on anything we say!”
When he heard that, Perfected Lord Ming Ze’s heart skipped a beat.
In the cruel cultivation world, nobody’s promise could be taken at face value unless they were from completely trusted people.
Furthermore, even if the two of them reneged on their words and killed them, word of this would never spread and there would naturally be no impact on their reputations as well.
Initially, Perfected Lord Ming Ze thought that the middle-aged monk would be able to see through the dangers given his intellect.
However, he did not expect the middle-aged monk to be moved.
“For real?”
The middle-aged monk raised his brow slightly before asking the two Nascent Souls once more.
“Our word is gold!”
Gu Suqi repressed the joy in his heart and replied with conviction without letting anything slip!
In his opinion, even though this middle-aged monk may be strong and sharp, he might have way too little experience in the cultivation world after chanting sutras in seclusion for the most part of his life.
As long as they saved Si Junyu, this middle-aged monk would definitely be dead!
“Don’t...”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was flustered. Right as he was about to speak, the middle-aged monk nodded. “Alright, I’ll trust you guys.”
With that said, he lifted Si Junyu and walked towards the two Nascent Souls.
Instantly, Perfected Lord Ming Ze was devastated.
He had already noticed that Gu Suqi and Perfected Lord Tian Chen could barely contain their delight and killing intents in the depths of their eyes.
Their gazes were burning, as though their bloodied mouths were already wide open, waiting for this gullible and ignorant monk to deliver himself to them.
Suddenly, a thought struck Ji Yaoxue and she whispered, “If he wants to release the hostage, why does he have to walk towards the two Nascent Souls?”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was stunned.
‘That’s right.’
‘He could just release the hostage instantly, why walk over towards the two Nascent Souls?’
“What is he trying to do?”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze’s eyes flashed with confusion.
“Could it be...”Chapter 600: Killing Nascent Souls!
The middle-aged monk lifted Si Junyu and advanced closer towards Gu Suqi and Perfected Lord Tian Chen.
In the blink of an eye, they were less than ten feet away.
Compared to the joyful gazes of Gu Suqi and Perfected Lord Tian Chen, the middle-aged monk seemed calm and his eyes were deep and emotionless.
When he arrived, the middle-aged monk tossed Si Junyu towards Perfected Lord Tian Chen in a seemingly casual manner.
Perfected Lord Tian Chen’s eyes lit up as he reached out to receive.
On the other side, Gu Suqi burst out in laughter.
“Haha...!”
All of a sudden!
Gu Suqi’s laughter came to a stop!
From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a figure dart over from behind Si Junyu to charge over! His eyes shone with a ferocious glint like an ancient demon that was about to devour humans!
Psst!
Gu Suqi gasped.
That middle-aged monk actually harbored killing intents towards a Nascent Soul!
How could he!
How could a Golden Core dare lay his hands on a Nascent Soul?!
“Die!”
The middle-aged monk roared with a thunder-like voice and let off an asphyxiating killing intent. He reached out with his muscular palm that blanketed the skies and stirred the clouds.
Gu Suqi merely felt his vision darken with a massive shadow above his head, as though dark clouds were covering him!
“You have a death wish!”
Gripping his sword in reverse, Gu Suqi slashed across fiercely!
The two of them were way too close.
Before the sword technique was fully released, Su Zimo had already gripped Gu Suqi first with his left hand!
At this point, it did not matter any longer how amazing the sword technique was.
At this distance, melee combat strength and the power of one’s body was what mattered!
Gu Suqi’s expression changed starkly and there was finally a hint of panic in his eyes.
His wrist was locked by the middle-aged monk and he could not break free at all.
At that moment, he had finally realized how frightening the physique of the middle-aged monk was.
The middle-aged monk’s melee combat strength was enough to threaten his life!
Gu Suqi was a Nascent Soul.
In a normal exchange, he could utilize Dharmic power with his spirit consciousness and would not allow the middle-aged monk a chance to get close.
Now that he was closed in by the middle-aged monk, it was akin to him being closed in by a pure-blooded ferocious beast – any single misstep would cause him to die on the spot!
Most cultivators were weak physically and could not compare to demons at all.
That was the reason why cultivators would always make use of means such as spirit arts, Dharmic arts and spirit weapons to keep their distance and not allow demon beasts to close it.
They would be in danger once they were closed in by the demon beasts!
Perfected Lord Tian Chen had just caught Si Junyu who was tossed over and could not help at all.
At that moment, Gu Suqi could only rely on himself!
The precision of the middle-aged monk’s attacks was way too perfect.
This was a situation that could not have happened if he was faster or slower by a single second.
Snap!
The middle-aged monk did not give Gu Suqi any time to react and snapped his wrist instantly!
“Ah!”
Gu Suqi howled in pain and was drenched in cold sweat.
Swoosh!
At the same time, the middle-aged monk’s heavenly encompassing palm descended with an intimidating aura.
Gu Suqi’s wrist was snapped and he was momentarily stunned. By the time he returned to his senses, the middle-aged monk’s palm was already descending from above his head.
In his hurry, he could only raise his arms to block.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
That short collision caused Gu Suqi’s arm to be snapped instantly against the pressure of the middle-aged monk’s palm!
The palm continued descending and landed fiercely on top of Gu Suqi’s head!
Bang!
Brain juice was splattered!
Gu Suqi’s eyes widened and his face was torn apart like a spiderweb.
His head was ruptured by a single slap from the middle-aged monk!
This Essence Spirit dispersed and he could not have been more dead!
A Nascent Soul was dead!
Even Gu Suqi who was right smack in the battle could not react to it, let alone everyone else who was watching in shock.
Be it Ji Yaoxue or Si Junyu’s faction, neither side expected such a change in the battlefield where a Nascent Soul was dead in less than a second!
The most frightening thing was that the massacre was not over!
“Demon monk, how dare you!”
Perfected Lord Tian Chen had just placed Si Junyu down when he caught sight of that. Instantly, he was triggered and enraged!
“Why wouldn’t I dare to?!”
The middle-aged monk did not pause in his movements at all after killing Gu Suqi. With a single stride, he had already arrived before Perfected Lord Tian Chen, yelling, “You’re the one that’s going to die!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze shuddered at that statement
In other words, what the middle-aged monk meant was that he had already planned on killing the two Nascent Souls right from the beginning!
The reason why the monk held Si Junyu hostage was not because he needed a chip in negotiation.
He had already planned for this moment when he captured Si Junyu alive!
Right from the beginning, he had not intended to let the two Nascent Souls off at all!
This man truly had tremendous guts!
On the battlefield.
Perfected Lord Tian Chen twisted his sword and aimed it at the middle-aged monk’s heart, thrusting fiercely as he barked, “You don’t know your limits!”
The sword beam was cold and sharp, as if it could destroy everything!
That was a Dharmic weapon of Nascent Souls.
Although the middle-aged monk had a strong body and could repel a superior-grade spirit weapon with his finger, he could not defend against the edge of a Dharmic weapon.
Against the sharpness of the sword cultivator, he could only retreat.
However, if he retreated and increased the distance between him and the Nascent Soul, there was no way he would be able to kill the latter.
“Om!”
A look of conviction flashed through the middle-aged monk’s eyes as he said with Sanskrit.
The voids trembled.
Instantly, Perfected Lord Tian Chen’s sword paused for a brief moment.
However, it was a moment so brief and undetectable that it seemed as though there was no impact at all.
The middle-aged monk did not decrease his speed and merely slanted sideways while continuing to lunge towards Perfected Lord Tian Chen.
“Pfft!”
Although the sword that was initially aimed for the middle-aged monk’s heart shifted slightly, it still pierced right into his chest!
Flashes of blood appeared.
The middle-aged monk was indifferent and allowed the sword to pass through him as he continued charging with a ferocious glint!
Perfected Lord Ming Ze and everyone else could clearly see a bloodied sword burst forth from the back of the middle-aged monk.
That sword did not manage to puncture the middle-aged monk’s heart.
However, the sharpness of the sword was less than an inch away from the heart!
As long as Perfected Lord Tian Chen twisted his sword, he would be able to slice the middle-aged monk’s heart with his blade’s sharpness!
Right then, the middle-aged monk arrived before Perfected Lord Tian Chen with the sword piercing through him and swung his arm right away!
Although that arm looked like it was flexible and limp on the surface, like the trunk of an ancient divine elephant, it let out a crisp sound in midair and slapped Perfected Lord Tian Chen’s head with a violent might!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Perfected Lord Tian Chen’s head spun a few circles around his neck before coming to a stop with bulged eyes – he had stopped breathing a long time ago.
Victory was decided.
Death was decided.
Perfected Lord Tian Chen’s neck had snapped long ago against that power.
His brains had already been shaken into sludge and his Essence Spirit was destroyed.
Up till his death, he gripped his sword’s handle tightly.
However, he was still that bit slower and did not manage to cut the middle-aged monk’s heart.
That was melee combat!
A single lag, even if it was only for a brief instant, would mean life and death!
That was the moment where life and death was decided!
Perfected Lord Ming Ze could not imagine how the middle-aged monk who was right smack in the battle felt earlier on.
He had already broken out in cold sweat just be watching from the sidelines!
That was truly gambling with one’s life!
As long as Perfected Lord Tian Chen was a step faster, the one laying dead on the ground would have been the middle-aged monk.
However, at that thought, that choice and decisiveness was probably the only thing that could have killed Perfected Lord Tian Chen!
What a scary monk. Just who in the world is he?
More than shock, what Perfected Lord Ming Ze felt when he looked at the middle-aged monk’s back view was fear!Chapter 601: Meeting
The middle-aged monk was not an outsider – he was Su Zimo after changing his appearance.
At that moment, he could not appear with his true self.
If anyone knew that he was not dead and had even stepped in to save the Empress of Great Zhou, the Great Zhou Dynasty would definitely be in peril!
The old temple at the bottom of Dragon Burial Valley would not be hidden for much longer either.
Furthermore, in the depths of Su Zimo’s heart, he did not dare to face Ji Yaoxue.
That feeling had turned increasingly so after five years.
It was an indescribable feeling that was conflicted.
In the past five years, Su Zimo was isolated from the outside world in the old temple at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley. Away from secular affairs, there was no killing or fighting as he spent his days chanting sutras and paying respects to Buddha with a peaceful heart.
However, he felt nervous the moment he heard Ji Yaoxue in danger.
His peace for the past five years was broken instantly and he found himself surging with an uncontrollable killing intent!
Therefore, right from the moment he appeared, he had no intention of letting anyone off alive and had a decisive killing intent – even Perfected Lord Ming Ze felt fear because of him!
The entire process of him killing two great Nascent Souls took less than three breaths.
Although it seemed like it was momentary and simple, he was the only one who knew best about the dangers involved.
He was truly fighting with his life!
A single mistake would cause him to die on the spot.
In terms of actual strength, Su Zimo was definitely not a match for the Nascent Souls.
The only thing he had stronger than Gu Suqi and Tian Chen was his body!
Die Yue once said that demonic cultivators have the easiest time killing opponents above their levels.
As long as he could engage in melee combat, he had a shot at victory!
The reason why he agreed to let Si Junyu off was so that he could numb Gu Suqi and Tian Chen, lowering their guards.
The reason why the two Nascent Souls were unguarded wasn’t because they lacked experience – they truly hadn’t expected that a Golden Core would attempt to kill Nascent Souls!
That was equivalent to a mortal plotting to kill an immortal!
Su Zimo gripped the sword’s handle and pulled the blade out slowly from his chest.
The sharp blade ground against his bones and flesh with a jarring noise.
Su Zimo was expressionless.
A stream of blood spewed out!
As though he had no sense of pain, Su Zimo did not even bother to look as he flung his arm behind him!
Poof!
A sword cultivator of Heavenly Piercing Sword Sect was stabbed through the heart and died on the spot.
The remaining four people finally broke out of their stupor and were scared out of their wits. They exclaimed and scurried into the distance without turning back.
Clutching his chest with his left hand, Su Zimo had a cold gaze and stomped on his feet. The ground quaked and he bolted forward like an arrow.
It was too fast!
Bang!
A Great Xia guard had barely run a few steps before Su Zimo caught up to him. He was slapped to death with a single palm strike without any way of retaliating.
The remaining three Golden Cores did not manage to escape far either before they were murdered by Su Zimo one after another!
Si Junyu stood on the spot motionlessly.
He could tell clearly that given his strength, he wouldn’t be able to escape from the middle-aged monk’s pursuit even if he wanted to!
Before long, after the other four were killed, the middle-aged monk returned and walked straight towards Si Junyu.
Si Junyu’s face was pale as a sheet but he pretended to be calm and said with cupped fists, “Great monk, I’m the prince of the Great Xia Dynasty. As long as you let me off, I’ll be immensely grateful and I’m willing to agree to any terms of exchange.”
“Once I ascend the throne, I can even help you with the power of my entire dynasty!”
Su Zimo walked before Si Junyu and reached out with an indifferent expression, grabbing the latter towards him by the throat!
“Ee... Ee...!”
Si Junyu rolled his eyes as his feet left the ground and kicked furiously. He could not speak at all and could only let out odd sounds.
Su Zimo leaned in and whispered into Si Junyu’s ears, “The power of your entire dynasty means nothing to a fraction of her. Since you dared to lay your hands on her, I’m going to kill you!”
“Y-You...!”
Si Junyu’s face was turning purplish and he seemed like he wanted to ask something.
Su Zimo continued, “I’ll also let you die with a complete understanding of things today. I’m Su Zimo and your brother, Jun Hao, was killed by me!”
Si Junyu’s eyes widened with disbelief.
Su Zimo... that was a name that nobody had mentioned for five years.
He was still alive!
“You can join your brother in Hell.”
Su Zimo said calmly before exerting strength in his fingers, breaking Si Junyu’s throat with a snap.
Si Junyu died on the spot.
In less than 15 minutes, two Nascent Souls, 20 Golden Cores and a prince of Great Xia were all killed at this place – none of them were spared!
Ji Yaoxue had a pensive expression with raised brows as she looked at Su Zimo with a somewhat strange gaze.
Perfected Lord Ming Ze took a deep breath of air before heading forward to greet Su Zimo with a deep bow. “I am Perfected Lord Ming Ze of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Many thanks for your help earlier on, great monk.”
As a Nascent Soul, it was truly rare for him to extend such politeness to a Golden Core.
“No worries,”
Su Zimo waved it off and said indifferently, “This treacherous place is filled with dangers and the Dragon Burial Valley is an unlucky place. You guys should not come here anymore in the future.”
“Alright, thank you for the advice, great monk,” Perfected Lord Ming Ze nodded.
Right then, Ji Yaoxue walked over as well, glaring at Su Zimo. “May I know your name and sect or faction, great monk?”
It was a somewhat illogical question.
Her attitude and tone was more like someone that was interrogating another person.
Perfected Lord Ming Ze glanced at Ji Yaoxue and frowned slightly.
He could sense that there was something mysterious about the middle-aged monk’s background and the way he conducted himself. Up till now, the latter had not mentioned why he helped them or why he killed everyone from the Great Xia Dynasty.
However, Ji Yaoxue was behaving even more strangely.
Su Zimo lowered his head and pulled down the prayer beads on his left hand that only had four Buddha Beads before saying calmly, “I’m Ming Xin and I don’t belong to any sect or faction.”
“Ming Xin,”
Ji Yaoxue murmured softly before looking deeply at Su Zimo. “Perfected Lord Ming Ze and I are injured and we can’t fight anymore. Since you said that this place is treacherous, can you escort us out?”
It was an even ruder request.
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was about to speak when the middle-aged monk nodded after a moment of silence. “Alright.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was stunned.
However, he saw Ji Yaoxue smile brightly. “Thank you, great monk!”
For the past five years, Perfected Lord Ming Ze had been by Ji Yaoxue’s side, ensuring her safety.
Ever since the death of the strongest monster incarnate in history five years ago, he had not seen such a smile appear on Ji Yaoxue’s face.
It was dazzling, like the rainbow after a downpour.
It was as though every single bit of sadness that this woman kept in her heart for the past five years had vanished at this moment.
As Su Zimo looked at Ji Yaoxue’s smile, a phrase appeared in his mind.
A smile that resembles a flower’s blossom.
However, there was no flower in this world that could compare to the smile of the woman before him.
Avoiding his gaze, Su Zimo counted his prayer beads at an even faster speed. He lowered his head and took the front, saying softly, “Let’s go.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze and confused and followed instinctively.
Ji Yaoxue pursed her lips with a slight hint of dejection in her eyes.
However, she smiled again soon after.
No matter what, today was a day worth being happy about.Chapter 602: Great Monk, Do You Recognize Me?
Three odd-looking people appeared in the Great Qian Ruins.
The leader was a middle-aged monk with prayer beads in his hands. He had a calm expression and without any cultivation, was no different from a mortal.
Behind him was a man and woman, both who were severely injured.
There was a high chance that these three would meet with an attack in the Great Qian Ruins!
It was way too common for people to kill others and steal their treasures in this place.
However, along the way, many cultivators who caught sight of them stayed far away and did not dare to provoke them.
That was because everyone could clearly see that there were initially countless otherworldly soldiers in the palace. However, all of the otherworldly soldiers gave way to these three people wherever they passed!
The three of them walked through the palace without any otherworldly soldiers obstructing their way!
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was secretly impressed.
He was definitely not the reason for the otherworldly soldiers’ wariness.
When he arrived, even though he was a Nascent Soul, those otherworldly soldiers charged at them fearlessly.
To think that all of them would choose to stay away from the middle-aged monk!
There seemed to be a fog shrouding the middle-aged monk such that nobody could make out his secrets.
The strangest thing was this man’s identity.
He could not be considered as a cultivator since there was no spirit energy fluctuation from within his body.
He could not be considered as a mortal as well since he could kill Nascent Souls.
This man was well-versed in a sound secret skill.
Anyone that inherited a sound secret skill would be from a super sect or top faction.
However, none of the six Buddhist monasteries were located in the North Region.
So, where did this man come from?
Along the way, Perfected Lord Ming Ze was filled with questions that he could not understand.
Ji Yaoxue tagged along at the back, watching the back view of the middle-aged monk with a conflicted expression. There were countless times when she wanted to speak but chose not to eventually.
Just like that, the three of them passed through the palace and the ruins in silence.
After sending Ji Yaoxue and Perfected Lord Ming Ze outside the ruins, Su Zimo stopped in his tracks and turned around, saying softly with a lowered head, “Patrons, do take your leave as soon as possible. I’ll be bidding farewell here.”
Ji Yaoxue bit her red lip gently in silence.
“Thank you for your lifesaving grace, great monk. I’ll definitely remember today’s gratitude to you,” Perfected Lord Ming Ze greeted with cupped fists.
Su Zimo nodded and returned with a single-handed bow before turning to leave.
Up till the end, he did not dare to meet with Ji Yaoxue’s eyes.
He did not dare to look at her directly.
After hesitating for a long time, Ji Yaoxue chose to speak eventually, “Reverend, d-do you have anything you wish to say?”
“This is a dangerous place. Please don’t come here again from now on, patron.”
Su Zimo’s back was facing Ji Yaoxue and he did not turn back as he continued forward while saying calmly.
“When will I be able to meet you again, reverend?”
Ji Yaoxue asked once more.
Su Zimo paused in his tracks and only replied after pondering for a long time, “We will naturally meet again if there’s affinity.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze frowned tightly and looked back and forth at the middle-aged monk and Ji Yaoxue in confusion.
Ji Yaoxue only let out a deep breath of air after the middle-aged monk’s figure disappeared fully at the edge of the ruins. “Uncle Ming, let’s go.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze could not help but ask, “Do you know him, empress?”
“Ming Xin?”
Ji Yaoxue smiled and shook her head. “I don’t.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was even more puzzled.
Because this was not part of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s territory and the both of them were injured, they did not dare to linger and left in the air riding on their flying swords.
...
Su Zimo felt conflicted on his return.
Eventually, he did not choose to acknowledge his relationship with Ji Yaoxue.
He did not know what he should say.
He did not know how to face Ji Yaoxue.
He could not deny that she was extremely important to him. However, he was going to leave the North Region and even Tianhuang Mainland at the end of the day.
As for Ji Yaoxue, she was the Empress of Great Zhou and carried the hopes of the dynasty’s flourish.
The both of them were on different paths.
Right then, Su Zimo paused in his tracks and frowned.
He was distracted in deep thoughts the entire time and had not noticed that someone was following him!
Of course, it seemed like that the person did not harbor any evil intentions towards him.
Otherwise, he would have been able to sense it with his spirit perception even if he was distracted!
“Who are you? Come on out.”
Su Zimo glanced sideways and commented indifferently.
“Great monk, do you recognize me?”
A tender voice sounded, somewhat coquettish and spiteful.
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat.
Instantly, he recited the Sanskrit of the Daming Mantra mentally to calm himself down.
It was Demoness Ji!
Her bewitchment powers had turned even more frightening after five years.
If not for the fact that Su Zimo had chanted sutras and comprehended Buddhism for the past five years, he would have definitely exposed himself with just that single remark!
It seemed like Demoness Ji had also benefited immensely from the Human Emperor’s Palace and had advanced her powers significantly.
Su Zimo turned around and looked at Demoness Ji who was not far away.
After five years, Demoness Ji seemed to have gotten skinnier. However, there was no way to hide that peerless face that could bewitch the masses and that body that could charm the entire world.
Her beautiful brows curved slightly in a pitiable manner.
Her eyes shimmered like the surface of water.
The young woman bit her alluring cherry lips in a grumbling manner.
Su Zimo glanced at her expressionlessly before turning back and shaking his head. “I don’t.”
“Great monk, you may not recognize me, but I recognize you.”
A fragrance wafted over as Ji Yaoxue shifted towards Su Zimo with light steps – it seemed like she was about to cast herself into his embrace by the looks of it.
Su Zimo was secretly troubled.
The person he was most frightened of in this lifetime was this demoness before him.
In a flash, Su Zimo dodged to the side.
“Female patron, please respect yourself,” Su Zimo clasped his palms together and said deeply.
“Sure,”
Demoness Ji harrumphed and grumbled coyly, “Great monk, now you’re asking me to respect myself. Back in that stone coffin, you took quite a bit of advantage of me!”
Su Zimo’s mouth twitched.
In the past, the two of them were squeezed into a stone coffin and had to escape for their lives from the bottom of the river.
The stone coffin was extremely cramped and it was unavoidable for them to have physical contact.
By mentioning this, it was clear that Demoness Ji had recognized him.
Demoness Ji pursued the topic relentlessly. “Great, now you’re going to avoid taking responsibility for it after shaving your head and holding a set of prayer beads?”
Initially, Su Zimo was still contemplating whether or not he should admit to it.
After all, there was nothing she could do even if he refused to admit it.
However, Demoness Ji’s words turned increasingly nasty, as though there was truly something between them. Su Zimo could not take it anymore and coughed gently to interrupt. “Demoness Ji, what do you want?”
“Humph!”
She raised her head and pouted her lips, asking, “Great monk, didn’t you say that you don’t know me?”
After a moment of silence, Su Zimo said, “Thank you for the help rescuing the citizens of the Yan Country along with Pure Maiden Sect five years ago.”
When she heard that, Demoness Ji’s eyes welled up with a layer of mist as she said, “Su Zimo, you’re truly cruel. Why don’t you show yourself when you’re clearly alive!”
“My Golden Core has already been crippled and I’ve offended the entire North Region with everyone taking me as a demon. Nothing good will come out of anyone that associates themselves with me”
Su Zimo shook his head and replied, “Furthermore, I’m being hunted. Although the North Region is huge, there’s nowhere that can accommodate me.”
Chapter 603: Junior Brother, You’re Poisoned!
When Demoness Ji saw the dejected look on Su Zimo’s face, she was suddenly reminded of his situation and could not bear to blame him.
His kin and friends were all in the North Region.
If he had any other choice, he wouldn’t have chosen to reside in seclusion.
Furthermore, his Golden Core was crippled.
His past was resplendent — Extreme Foundation Establishment, second after the Human Emperor; suppressed the paragons of the immortal, Buddhist and fiend sects beneath the Human Emperor’s Palace; overwhelming everyone from the North Region; incinerating Nascent Souls and... lauded as the number one monster incarnate in history!
But now, he had fallen from grace and was left with nothing.
In fact, he did not even have a place that could accommodate him!
Who could endure and accept such a blow?
Initially, Demoness Ji was filled with grievance. However, after hearing Su Zimo’s statement, she felt her heart wrench.
She said softly, “Zimo, you can come over to Pure Maiden Sect. We will protect you.”
“Protect a demon?”
Su Zimo laughed in a self-deprecating manner.
Demoness Ji opened her mouth and seemed like she wanted to reply but eventually, nothing came forth.
While she could ignore everything, she could not guarantee that it would be the same for her sect.
Although Pure Maiden Sect was a fiend sect, they were humans.
Humans had a longstanding feud with demons and there was no way for one party to accommodate the other unless there was a blood oath signed.
Demoness Ji said, “Zimo, you can explain that you are not a demon. The Human Emperor’s Palace will definitely not let any demons within!”
Su Zimo laughed coldly, shaking his head.
Given his personality and pride, there was no way he would explain something like that personally.
In other words, even if he was willing to explain, who would believe him?
The most basic reasoning was that no demon would be able to enter the Human Emperor’s Palace – who wouldn’t be able to understand that?
However, some people merely chose to ignore the fact.
The truth was no longer of importance.
What was important was that the entire North Region wanted Su Zimo dead. It did not matter even if he explained, they could term him as a demon or fiend as long as they wanted to!
“What plans do you have from now on? Are you going to just hide forever?” Demoness Ji asked.
“I’m waiting for an opportunity!”
Su Zimo replied gradually, “When I reappear, it will also be the time for me to leave the North Region!”
“Leave the North Region?” Demoness Ji frowned slightly.
The North Region was way too huge with dangers lurking everywhere!
Even if Su Zimo was in perfect condition, it was unrealistic for him to get through the North Region unharmed, let alone now that his Golden Core was crippled.
Demoness Ji’s heart skipped a beat as she blurted at the thought of a possibility, “The ancient battlefield!”
“That’s right.”
Su Zimo nodded.
The intermediate ancient battlefield would open up 15 years later.
As long as he could enter the intermediate ancient battlefield, just like Xiaoning, Leng Rou and the others, he would be able to head to the other regions or even the Middle Continent of Tianhuang Mainland through the teleportation points.
This time round, Su Zimo intended to take his elder brother, Su Hong, with him.
Previously, Ji Yaoxue mentioned that Su Hong’s health was turning worse.
The blow to Su Hong after receiving news of Su Zimo’s death and the plight of the citizens of the Yan Country was unimaginable.
Furthermore, he was already injured after the failed assassination attempt on the King of Yan, Zhao Qian. As such, Su Zimo did not know how long more his brother could hold out for.
After all, Su Hong was not a cultivator and had a limited lifespan.
In another 15 years, Su Hong would be in his sixties and would only have around forty years worth of lifespan at the most.
Su Zimo wanted to bring Su Hong along with him to look for Xiaoning in the Middle Continent.
Su Hong’s final moments must be spent with the two of them.
Furthermore, ever since Xiaoning left Ping Yang Town and joined Ji Yaoxue in Azure Frost Sect, she had not met with Su Hong again.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed.
The reason why Xiaoning started her path of cultivation and focused wholeheartedly on elixir refinement, even joining Elixir Yang Sect, was because she wanted to extend Su Hong’s lifespan!
It would be best if Xiaoning had a way of extending Su Hong’s lifespan by the time they met.
“Have you really made up your mind to leave?”
Demoness Ji could not conceal her disappointment and murmured softly with a dim gaze, “What about me- I mean my sister...”
Su Zimo was silent.
“She knows you so well. If even I can recognize you, she must have recognized you long ago.”
Demoness Ji sighed gently. “It’s just that she understands you and knows that you’ve got your difficulties. That’s the reason why she did not force or expose you.”
“It’s good that she recognized me. At least she knows that I’m alive and doesn’t have to worry,” Su Zimo replied.
After a moment of silence, he continued, “After you return, pay more attention to those around her. Now that she’s the empress, her movements should be kept secret. I suspect that the ambush she met here meant that there’s someone that doesn’t want her to return alive!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to help my sister.”
Silence ensued between the both of them.
Demoness Ji did not say anything and merely looked at Su Zimo quietly.
A long time later, he said softly, “Go on back.”
“Take... care then.”
Demoness Ji was dejected and her eyes were swollen and red.
A moment later, she sniffed and forced a smile before faking a smile. “Let’s have a final hug as a farewell.”
Su Zimo hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Heading forward, he hugged Demoness Ji in a gentlemanly manner.
A crafty look flashed through Demoness Ji’s eyes as she tilted her head and pecked Su Zimo on the cheek with her red lips gently.
He was stunned.
Her hair brushed by his face and he was overwhelmed by a fragrance – she had already turned and fled.
“Hehehe!”
She laughed and her eyes turned into a pair of crescent moons. She was elated without any bit of dejection at all.
“Damned demoness!”
Su Zimo grit his teeth.
“You’re so stupid!”
Demoness Ji made a funny face at Su Zimo with disdain in her eyes, pouting her lips. “If you want to leave, go ahead! I can’t care less!”
“You took advantage of me in that stone coffin, there’s no way I’m going to let you off! Hmph! I merely just collected a little bit of interest!” Demoness Ji waved her fist.
Su Zimo did not say anything and turned to leave.
With his back facing Demoness Ji, he did not see the sadness and reluctance in the depths of her eyes.
Even after he vanished at the edge of the ruins, a girl in pink stood alone gazing in his direction for the longest time.
Su Zimo returned to the old temple and pushed the doors through.
The little monk, Ming Zhen, was reciting sutras in the courtyard. When he saw Su Zimo, he exclaimed softly with surprise.
“Junior Brother, you’re injured?”
Ming Zhen asked.
“I’m fine.”
In this short period of time, the wound on his chest that was pierced by the sword had already recovered.
With a grim expression, Ming Zhen advanced and glared at Su Zimo’s cheek, even sniffing it. “This is bad! You’ve got two red marks on your cheeks that have a fragrance! Junior Brother, you’re poisoned!”
That was the imprint of Demoness Ji’s lips that Su Zimo forgot to wipe. At the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley, Ming Zhen had not even seen a woman before, let alone know what it was.
Su Zimo’s expression darkened as he pushed Ming Zhen’s bald head away, saying in a huff, “Bullsh*t!”
He wiped away the imprint on his cheek as he dashed into the Sutra Chamber.
Ming Zhen looked at his master who had just appeared from the doors in confusion and asked with an earnest expression, “Master, why is junior brother angry?”
“Erm... ”
The old monk replied, “He might... be poisoned.”
“See, I was right! He didn’t believe me!” Ming Zhen pouted his lips.Chapter 604: Teach You
Nighttime.
Su Zimo tidied his attire and left the Sutra Chamber for the backyard.
On this day every month, he would head over to where the red-headed ghost was for a bowl of mysterious spirit water.
The old temple looked extremely creepy under the shroud of the night skies.
The red-headed ghost sat on the ground and leaned against a tombstone with a bowl of spirit water before him – he had been waiting for a long time.
Su Zimo was already used to everything and drank the spirit water right away when he arrived before the red-headed ghost.
Suddenly, the red-headed ghost said, “You’ve got a bow with you, right?”
“Take it out and place it there.”
The red-headed ghost pointed to a tombstone not far away.
Although Su Zimo did not understand why, he still obeyed and took out his Moon Concealment Bow, placing it on the tombstone.
The full moon had just risen and the cold moonlight spilled down, forming a column of light that focused on the Moon Concealment Bow on the tombstone.
The bow shone with an intense spirit light!
Even without the infusion of spirit energy, the spirit patterns on the bow also had a bedazzling luster!
The red-headed ghost said, “This is a quasi-connate spirit weapon and its sixth spirit pattern had already taken shape. As long as it continues to receive the essence of the moon here, it can definitely grow to become a connate spirit weapon!”
Su Zimo nodded.
“You’ve also got a blood-red saber with you, right? Take it out also.”
“Blood Quencher?”
Su Zimo froze for a moment.
Blood Quencher was a perfect-grade spirit weapon he crafted personally and wasn’t a quasi-connate spirit weapon. Could it be...
Although he was confused, Su Zimo handed Blood Quencher over still.
The red-headed ghost received Blood Quencher and touched across its blade gently before nodding. “This saber was refined decently. When it was formed, it was synthesized with a frightening bloodline that gave it its bloodthirsty nature!”
Back when he refined Blood Quencher, Su Zimo nearly failed and only managed to forge it completely after using his bloodline to temper the flames.
Although the red-headed ghost did not witness it personally, the fact that his guess was not far off the mark was proof that his insights were sharp.
The red-headed ghost rose and arrived at an empty space nearby. Exerting strength in his arm, he stabbed Blood Quencher into the ground, leaving only its handle exposed.
“Red-headed ghost, what are you doing?” Su Zimo asked curiously.
“The people buried here were experts 10,000 years ago and the bloodline that runs underground is incomparably strong, indestructible and possesses a tremendous amount of might! There’s a chance that this saber can grow into a connate spirit weapon if it’s soaked here!”
Su Zimo’s eyes lit up.
With that, he would have two more connate spirit weapons with him, the Moon Concealment Bow and Blood Quencher, apart from the Coiling Dragon Seal and Black Gold Arrows!
Unfortunately, the Mystic Gold Silk Armor was smashed right after it was repaired.
“There are way too many experts buried in this cemetery! Dead patriarchs, the blood of emperors... this is an extremely unlucky place! There’s nothing to lose if nothing happens to the saber. However, if it can absorb their blood and grow into a connate spirit weapon, it will definitely be incomparably ferocious!”
The red-headed ghost glared at Blood Quencher coolly and snickered. “Trouble will befall any weakling that lays their hands on this weapon. You should be careful too!”
In that period of time, the tremendous amount of energy in the spirit water had already spread through Su Zimo’s body.
He assumed a lotus position and began cultivating with the sutras of the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness revolving through his mind.
As he breathed, a thick demonic qi spewed out from his mouth.
There was no tear on his blood-red Inner Core and it had recovered to how it was before!
The Inner Core revolved slowly with a ferocious demonic qi, creating ancient demons around him one after another.
Centered among them, Su Zimo’s eyes were tightly shut and his body was faintly visible. With a frightening aura, he was akin to the king of demons that looked down at everyone from above!
He had relied on that mysterious spirit water for the past five years to help his Inner Core recover.
Not only that, his body had turned even more frightening!
Even though it was just a bowl of spirit water, the amount of energy it contained was enough to last Su Zimo for an entire month!
If he continued cultivating this way, he would definitely attain greater mastery of his Inner Core in the next 15 years and even have a chance of cultivating to the perfected realm!
What’s in that spirit water for it to possess such power?
In the five years, Su Zimo had read many ancient manuals in the Sutra Chamber but he could not find anything that fit the description.
This was a question that he had asked the red-headed ghost more than once during this period of time.
However, each time, the red-headed ghost would look at him oddly with a beguiling smirk without elaborating further.
Thereafter, Su Zimo no longer questioned.
The night was dark and the round moon hung high above.
As the red-headed ghost looked at Su Zimo, a deep hint of envy flashed through the depths of his eyes.
This cultivation technique is truly terrifying!
The red-headed ghost lamented internally.
It was an undeniable fact that humans were born innately weak.
However, that demonic cultivation technique could allow a mortal to cultivate his body to such a frightening degree!
He could see every single muscle on Su Zimo’s body twitch imperceptibly with every single breath he exhaled. His tendons quivered, his bones shook, his blood marrow gushed and his orifices shone with a divine light that was brighter than stars!
With every single breath, he was refining his blood, flesh, tendons, bones, skin, organs and orifices!
The red-headed ghost turned his gaze towards Su Zimo’s exposed skin.
As Su Zimo’s cultivation deepened, the surface of his skin turned coarser.
Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the surface of his skin was intertwined with intersecting rhombus scars over and over again!
However, the scars were so subtle that even Su Zimo did not notice them.
When he saw those scars, the red-headed ghost was delighted and could barely conceal his joy.
Before long, the night passed.
The moment a sliver of daybreak broke out from the horizon, Su Zimo took a deep breath of air and absorbed the demonic qi in his surroundings back into his body.
Everything vanished completely in the blink of an eye.
Su Zimo opened his eyes with a demonic glint flashing through.
The red-headed ghost asked in a seemingly pleased manner, “You’ve once consumed something from the dragon race, right?”
Su Zimo was shocked.
The first thing that came to mind was that massive dragon egg.
Su Zimo said darkly, “Yes... back in the Human Emperor’s Palace, I’ve consumed a Blood Flesh Elixir made from the dragon race in order to cultivate a technique left behind by the Human Emperor.”
“Just an elixir?” The red-headed ghost raised his brow.
After thinking through and deciding that there was nothing to hide, Su Zimo continued, “Before that, I consumed half a dragon egg in a primordial ruin.”
A spark flickered through the red-headed ghost’s eyes briefly.
“Heh, you’ve got quite a bit of guts.”
The red-headed ghost said with a fake smile and teasing tone.
Sensing something amiss, Su Zimo frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much, I was just asking casually.”
The red-headed ghost waved it off with an indifferent expression.
When Su Zimo could not make out anything from the red-headed ghost’s expression, he patted himself and got ready to leave.
“Hold on, hold on!”
Right then, the red-headed ghost gestured for Su Zimo to sit down and said with a bright grin, “Today, I’m going to teach you something.”
Chapter 605: Legend of the Moon and Sun
Although the red-headed ghost was very knowledgeable, he had not taken the initiative to impart anything to Su Zimo during their five years of interaction.
His sudden mention had Su Zimo intrigued.
Right from the beginning, the red-headed ghost had not mentioned anything about his background. As such, Su Zimo was curious to see what the red-headed ghost could do.
Su Zimo coughed gently. “Let me say first that I’m not going to learn any puny tricks that you ghosts use.”
At the mention of ghost, the red-headed ghost’s mouth cramped up and he seemed like he was about to get angry. However, on second thought, he chuckled gloatingly.
At that moment, the sun had just risen.
A sliver of light spilled onto the cemetery and purged away the darkness and spookiness.
The red-headed ghost squinted at the rising sun from the corner of his eyes and a mysterious white glow flashed in his right eye.
As time passed by, that light intensified and sunlight gushed into it endlessly, turning his right eye completely white with a bright glow!
It was as though the red-headed ghost’s right eye had achieved harmony with the blazing sun and fused together with it!
Su Zimo glanced casually and was blinded with two streams of tears rolling down his face instantly.
Alarmed, he closed his eyes immediately and did not dare to look anymore.
How scary!
His eyes were extremely strong after he cultivated the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness and cleared both orifices.
Back in the ancient battlefield, even when the paragon of Diamond Monastery released his sect’s secret skill, Enraged Diamond Gaze, Su Zimo was not affected mentally.
But now, his eyes were already dealt with such a blow from a side glance!
If he had looked on directly, his eyes would have most likely gone blind!
The most frightening thing was that even with his eyes closed, Su Zimo could still sense the power that was given off by the red-headed ghost’s right eye!
It was extremely tough and radiant.
His right eye seemed to have turned into a blazing sun!
Beside the red-headed ghost, Su Zimo felt like he could melt and dissipate at any moment!
How could this be?
A question popped into his mind.
An intense scorching Yang energy as such was the most effective at countering ghosts and they would want nothing more than to avoid it – how could the red-headed ghost possess such a method?
Could it be that he was not a ghost?
Suddenly, Su Zimo felt a sharp pain in his right eye!
It was as though something was going to fall from his socket.
He could not stop it even with his eyes closed!
“Ah!”
Su Zimo yelped in pain as his right eye swelled uncontrollably as though it was about to explode!
His body shuddered and finally, he opened his eyes, unable to hold on any longer.
His right eye had turned a sinister shade of white as well.
It was completely white!
It was as though something was floating within and was fused with his right eye.
The glow in the red-headed ghost’s right eye dissipated as he glared at Su Zimo’s right eye intently while nodding. “Indeed!”
The red-headed ghost curled his finger.
A jade-white cobblestone that sparkled and glowed fell out from Su Zimo’s right eye and hovered in midair.
The swelling sensation vanished completely.
As though a weight was lifted off his shoulders, Su Zimo fell to the ground and sat limply while panting heavily.
“This stone...”
Frowning, Su Zimo recalled something.
Back in the cold cesspool of Cang Lang Mountain Range, he encountered Dao Lord Extreme Fire with his dying breath.
At that time, this stone was placed right beside Dao Lord Extreme Fire.
According to Dao Lord Extreme Fire, this white stone was retrieved from a ruin but it could not be stored in a storage bag and he did not know what purpose it served either.
When Su Zimo picked it up, the stone vanished bizarrely!
Immediately after, he felt a sharp pain in his mind and almost fainted. Thereafter, a secret skill appeared in his mind – the Illumination Sword Formation.
At that time, he had a hunch.
It seemed like that stone had burrowed into his body!
To think that it would fall out from his right eye now!
The red-headed ghost held the white stone with his fingertips and rubbed it gently with a forlorn look, as though he had picked up a treasure.
“What’s that?”
Su Zimo could not help but ask.
“Legend has it that in the depths of the universe’s void currents, before life was born, everything was chaos. As time passed by, Yin and Yang were created from the chaos.”
“At their extremities, the powers of Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin gathered endlessly, forming two terrifying existences known as the Extreme Yang Illumination and Extreme Yin Nether Glow!”
The red-headed ghost’s voice sounded, as though he had passed through time and was describing obscure secrets.
“The powers of the Illumination and Nether Glow were so frightening that they shrouded the universe and extended through the trichiliocosm. The sun and moon of Tianhuang Mainland are created from a trickle of power from the Illumination and Nether Glow.”
“A trickle of power?”
Su Zimo was shocked.
Be it the sun or the moon, the power they contained was something that Su Zimo would never be able to reach given his current cultivation realm.
The only way he could cultivate with the essence of the sun and moon was after he cultivated an Essence Spirit and turned into a fiend demon.
The power of the sun and moon was extremely massive and endless.
But now, the red-headed ghost was actually saying that the sun and moon above them was merely created by a trickle of power from two frightening entities!
The red-headed ghost laughed. “The universe void currents are so great that you can’t possibly imagine them. There are a trillion other entities like Tianhuang Mainland. In other words, there’s also a trillion more of the sun and moon that you’re seeing right now!”
Su Zimo was dumbfounded.
Everything that the red-headed ghost said had completely unearthed all his knowledge.
After pondering, the red-headed ghost continued, “Of course, those are only mystical legends that no one can verify. Or rather, those that can verify them are not in Tianhuang Mainland and have already ascended to the upper world.”
After pausing for a moment, the red-headed ghost looked at Su Zimo deeply. “That red-robed woman definitely knows about these things.”
Su Zimo remained silent.
After looking at Su Zimo for a long time, the red-headed ghost closed in. His eyes blazed with the flames of gossip as he asked curiously, “Little monk, what’s your relationship with the woman? Why did she help you so much?”
After holding it in for five years, the red-headed ghost finally popped the question.
Su Zimo was stunned.
Master and disciple?
On the surface, the both of them were like master and disciple. However, Su Zimo had never been taken in as her disciple officially.
In the depths of his heart, he did not want to acknowledge them as master and disciple either.
Friends?
They couldn’t be considered as that.
Benefactor?
Sort of.
That question stumped Su Zimo for a moment.
“Hurry and tell me! You’re killing me!”
The red-headed ghost scratched his ears and cheeks impatiently.
After pondering for a long time, Su Zimo said slowly, “She... will be my Dao companion.”
The red-headed ghost shuddered with an agape mouth and his eyes widened massively.
Swoosh!
The jade-white stone in his hands dropped on the ground at the same time as his jaws.
A moment later, he gulped and the way he looked at Su Zimo gradually changed as he praised, “Little monk, you’ve really got guts...”
Chapter 606: Illumination Eye
Su Zimo pointed at the jade-white stone on the ground and asked, “What does that stone has to do with the Illumination and Nether Glow that you mentioned?”
After pondering for a moment, Su Zimo said again, “I once obtained a secret skill from that stone, the Illumination Sword Formation.”
“There’s no mistake,”
The red-headed ghost nodded. “This should be the legendary Illumination Stone.”
“Illumination Stone?” Su Zimo frowned.
The red-headed ghost replied, “There’s different sayings as to where the Illumination Stone came from and how it was formed. Some people theorize that it was formed from the Extreme Yang energy of a world while others think that it’s a speck of dust from Illumination.”
“However, it’s undeniable that the Illumination Stone is related to the Illumination Stone. The Illumination Sword Formation that you comprehended should be a secret skill that someone comprehended using the Illumination Stone.”
Su Zimo went deep into thought.
Indeed, when he released the Illumination Sword Formation, it was like a blazing sun and the sword qis resembled the rays of the sun as well.
The red-headed ghost continued, “The secret skill that I’m about to impart you is related to the Illumination Stone as well. In the past, the person who created this secret skill also comprehended it through the Illumination Stone... this visual technique!”
Visual technique!
Su Zimo’s eyes lit up.
Visual techniques were also secret techniques used to cultivate one’s eyes.
It did not matter if they were immortals, Buddhas or fiends nor did it matter if they were humans or demons... Dharmic formulations to cultivate one’s eyes were the rarest types of legacies!
That was because for every race, their eyes were the weakest parts of their bodies!
For tempering of flesh and blood or refinement of tendons and bones, if any issues cropped up during cultivation, be it whether they were severely injured or their bones and tendons were snapped, everything could be recuperated to a complete recovery as long as it was adjusted in time.
However, a mistake in the cultivation of one’s eyes would lead to a huge problem – blindness!
The eyes were simply way too fragile.
For mortals, a single breeze was enough to cause them to close their eyes instinctively.
Their eyes would feel discomfort even with a grain of sand inside, let alone endure cultivation.
The reason why visual techniques were so rare and precious were because few people would dare to risk their eyes to try and create a secret skill.
If any mishaps happened, they would go blind before their secret skills were even created.
Although the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness was powerful, there was no legacy of a Dharmic formulation for eye cultivation.
The visual techniques spread in the cultivation world had varying strengths and their directions were different as well.
The more famous ones were those such as the Bewitching Eye, Enraged Diamond Gaze and Flaming Golden Eyes.
Cultivators versed in visual techniques were definitely stronger than anyone else of the same cultivation realm in terms of combat strength!
That was because visual techniques were instantaneous and were the most difficult to defend against.
Although it was a good thing to be able to cultivate a visual technique, there was no joy in Su Zimo’s eyes.
“Red-headed ghost, my Golden Core is already crippled and I can’t store any spirit energy in my body. How do I cultivate a visual technique?” Su Zimo asked with a frown.
The red-headed ghost waved it off casually. “It’s fine, you don’t need spirit energy to cultivate this visual technique.”
There was no need for spirit energy?
Su Zimo froze for a moment.
At Nascent Soul realm, cultivators cultivated their Essence Spirits and could make use of Dharmic powers to cultivate.
However, before that, they had to make use of spirit energy for any spirit art and secret skill – that was where their foundation was.
How could there be a secret skill that did not require spirit energy to cultivate?
Unless... it wasn’t a secret skill for humans.
For his demonic cultivation, Su Zimo did not require spirit energy as a foundation.
Frowning, he asked, “What is required to cultivate if not spirit energy?”
No matter the type of cultivation, energy would not appear out of thin air.
Demonic cultivation required the consumption of flesh.
Immortality cultivation required the absorption of spirit qi into one’s body.
The visual technique would definitely have to make use of something to refine both eyes.
The red-headed ghost stared at the rising, heating sun not far away and said coolly, “Using that!”
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat and a look of shock spread across his face.
Cultivate his eyes by using the blazing sun?
Ordinary cultivators are not able to stare at the blazing sun for prolonged periods of time.
Although Su Zimo could glare at the sun after clearing his seven orifices, it would still be akin to setting himself on fire if he wanted to make use of the energy of the blazing sun to cultivate his eyes!
“Initially, I did not intend on imparting this visual technique to you because the cultivation process is indeed extremely dangerous. A single mistake would cause one of your eyes to go blind!”
The red-headed ghost picked up the Illumination Stone and handed it back to Su Zimo. “However, I discovered this within you.”
“You have the Illumination Stone with you. As such, the success rate of cultivating this visual technique will be extremely high and your efforts will be halved!”
When he heard that, Su Zimo gradually came to a realization.
The visual technique was comprehended by an expert of the past using the Illumination Stone.
Now that the Illumination Stone was in his possession, it would be much easier to cultivate the visual technique with a significant decrease in risk.
Su Zimo received the Illumination Stone.
Similar to before, the white cobblestone vanished in his hands once more.
Immediately after, he felt a sharp pain in his mind and his right eye turned milky white and sinister. A moment later, it returned to normal.
“The blazing sun above us was formed from a trickle of energy from Illumination. By making use of the blazing sun, you can nurture Extreme Yang energy in your eyes!”
The red-headed ghost said darkly, “Once released, that energy will be able to incinerate all living beings and destroy everything!”
In truth, Su Zimo could already imagine the might of the visual technique without the red-headed ghost’s elaboration.
Normally, demons would have to advance to the Nascent Soul realm and cultivate their Essence Spirits before they could absorb the essence of the sun and moon for cultivation purposes.
But now, he had only just formed his Inner Core.
In other words, it meant that his Inner Core realm would already be tapping into a higher level of energy!
“When cultivated to its peak, this visual technique is... hehe!”
The red-headed ghost chuckled oddly. “One of your eyes will turn into a sun!”
Psst!
Su Zimo gasped.
There was a blazing sun hidden in his socket.
The moment his eye was opened, a blazing sun would appear!
Once released, that might be a power that even emperors wouldn’t be able to withstand?
Immediately after, Su Zimo remembered the doubt he had initially.
Since it did not require spirit qi and made use of the sun to cultivate, rather than a human cultivation technique, it seemed more like a Dharmic formulation of the fiend demons.
Suddenly, Su Zimo asked, “Red-headed ghost, this visual technique is not a secret skill of humans, right?”
“What do you care for? Are you going to cultivate it even if it’s a secret skill of the demons?”
The red-headed ghost rolled his eyes and scoffed coldly. “Hmph, you’re about to cultivate into a true fiend demon yourself anyway, so what are you bothered about?”
Su Zimo replied indifferently, “Although I conduct demonic cultivation, I’m not a demon.”
“Hehe!”
The red-headed ghost sneered, “Your human Golden Core is already crippled and you’ve only got a demon’s Inner Core left in your body. Who would believe you if you said that you were a human?”
Su Zimo remained silent.
A moment later, he asked in a seemingly casual manner, “What’s the name of this visual technique?”
Raising his brow, the red-headed ghost looked at Su Zimo in deep thought. As though he read the latter’s intentions, he chuckled. “Let’s call it Illumination Eye!”
Wily fox!
Su Zimo cursed internally.
He had already sensed vaguely that the red-headed ghost had a strange identity. In reality, he was also trying to deduce something by asking about the name of the visual technique.
To think that the red-headed ghost did not let anything slip.
Illumination Eye was clearly a name he had just made up.Chapter 607: Old Friend’s Descendant
After the red-headed ghost imparted the sutra of the visual technique secret skill to Su Zimo, he instructed, “Although you have the Illumination Stone, you have to be careful when you cultivate!”
“The best timings to cultivate are at dawn and dusk. If you cultivate in the afternoon where the power of the sun is at its peak, your eyes won’t be able to take it and it will hinder your progress.”
Su Zimo remembered everything to heart.
This was something that he had to be careful or about or it would be too late for regrets if he went blind.
A while later, after Su Zimo ensured that he left nothing out, he got up and headed to the front yard.
The little fox stood nearby with a dazed gaze and snoozing.
“Go on.”
Su Zimo fondled the little fox’s forehead and smiled.
The little fox was a demon and on this day of each month, she would come to the backyard for a bowl of spirit water from the red-headed ghost as well.
Initially, she was extremely reluctant and was always scared out of her wits, shivering all over.
Su Zimo had to carry her over personally before she gradually adapted.
After five years, there was something that felt strange to Su Zimo – even though the little fox had already formed her core, she was unable to take on a human form or speak.
Su Zimo merely thought that it was a unique trait of the fox race and did not think too much about it.
When she saw Su Zimo return to the front yard, the little fox ran over to the red-headed ghost and propped up her tiny paws. She kowtowed earnestly to the red-headed ghost and actually spoke in human tongue, “Greetings, senior.”
The little fox’s voice was extremely gentle and charming – any male living being that heard it would definitely be filled with wild thoughts and their hearts would pound.
However, the red-headed ghost was very calm and nodded.
“Why don’t you want to take on your human form?”
The red-headed ghost asked with a fake smile.
The little fox lowered her head and blushed.
When the red-headed ghost saw that, he could not help but burst into laughter and teased, “You’re afraid that you’re going to turn lustful huh?”
The little fox turned even more embarrassed and shook her head repeatedly like a tiny drum.
After laughing for a little, the red-headed ghost retracted his smile. “You’re thinking that the only way to stay by his side is if you continue taking on this form?”
The little fox lowered her head without replying – it was a silent acknowledgment.
Of course, that was only part of the reason.
The other part was that the little fox was clear that if she took on her human form, she would most likely not be as intimate with Su Zimo.
Humans were particular about chastity and there would always be a barrier between them.
Right now, she could burrow into his embrace and do whatever she wanted, be it snooze or be bashful with him.
The red-headed ghost pouted his lips and grumbled, “Even after that lad joined the Buddhist sect and shaved to become a monk, he’s still enjoying such a flourishing love life. I didn’t even get to enjoy such treatment in the past.”
...
After returning to the courtyard, Su Zimo sat down and gazed at the gradually rising sun far away.
At that moment, the sun had just risen and wasn’t too blinding – he had to make use of this time to cultivate.
He took a deep breath of air and recited the sutra of Illumination Eye in his mind while gazing at the sun with his right eye.
As time passed by, it seemed like a trickle of light was entering his right eye.
His right eye gradually turned while.
The white pupil looked sinister and emitted a faint glow as it absorbed the sunlight continuously to refine.
The temperature of his right eye was steadily climbing!
Although it was a little painful, it was still endurable.
Su Zimo could clearly feel his right eye fusing into one with the Illumination Stone. As sunlight entered the Illumination Stone, the extremely tough energy softened significantly.
The damage to his right eye was also reduced to a minimum!
From this day forth, apart from his Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness cultivation at night, Su Zimo would also cultivate this visual technique every dawn and dusk.
There was still no activity in his dantian.
However, Su Zimo did not give up and spent most of his daytime in the Sutra Chamber, browsing through the ancient books left behind by the two great ancient Buddhist monasteries.
There were way too many ancient and precious books in the Sutra Chamber!
How frightening was the foundation of two super sects?
There were not only secret skills, but also weapon, elixir, talisman and formation techniques as well as many other things that were long lost.
For example, in an ancient formation secret technique, there was something known as the Spirit Lock Ancient Formation.
It was said that when set up, even the Essence Spirits of Nascent Souls would be restricted and they wouldn’t be able to use their Dharmic powers!
There were many other secret skills similar to it.
However, Su Zimo was unable to comprehend them because his cultivation realm was not high enough.
Days passed by one after another.
In the blink of an eye, another five years passed.
Su Zimo had already spent 10 years at the bottom of Dragon Burial Valley.
Evening.
He sat on the ground and gazed at the direction of the sunset with the Mingwang Prayer Beads in his hands. An evening glow shrouded his body and his aura was dignified, like a magnificent Buddha.
His right eye shone with a brilliance that could not be ignored!
After 10 years, Su Zimo’s dantian was still empty like a black hole without a trickle of spirit qi.
However, there was no sign of disappointment on his eyes and face.
After chanting sutras and paying respect to Buddha for 10 years, Su Zimo gained a tranquil aura. He was neither happy nor sad; unaffected by affection and humiliation and was almost in a Zen state.
This was a sign of someone that was deep in the wisdom of Buddhism!
The Saraca Flower was akin to a wisdom root.
Su Zimo’s attainment in Buddhism deepened by the day.
Backyard of the old temple.
The old monk sat on a stone step and faced the red-headed ghost in the cemetery.
“Old monk, there’s still no activity in that lad’s dantian. I think that there’s probability no more hope for him to restart with his immortality cultivation,” The red-headed ghost said.
“How difficult is it for someone to rebuild their foundation after it’s destroyed with their dantian crushed? Throughout history, there had been countless paragons and monster incarnates but none of them succeeded.”
The old monk sighed gently. “However, the lad’s comprehension of Buddhism is deepening. If he’s able to restart his cultivation, he will be able to attain the true legacy of the Buddhist sects.”
“What nonsense legacy!”
The red-headed ghost pouted his lips in disdain. “Without spirit energy, he won’t be able to release the methods of the Buddhist sects even if he knows them. What’s the use!”
“If it was up to me, I’d ask him to forget all about recovering his Golden Core and focus wholeheartedly on his demonic cultivation! Can’t you see that even without his Golden Core, his actual strength now is only stronger than he was 10 years ago?!”
The old monk shook his head. “If he gives up on recovering his Golden Core and continues on his demonic cultivation, the moment he advances to Nascent Soul realm would be the moment he turns into a fiend demon completely!”
“Isn’t that good?” The red-headed ghost mumbled.
Right then, a spirit light descended outside the old temple.
The old monk slanted his head and beckoned, causing a spirit crane to land on his palm.
Frowning, he opened the spirit crane and took a look. With a conflicted expression, he sighed gently. “The descendant of our old friend is here.”
“I hate the aura on this spirit crane!”
The red-headed ghost squinted at the spirit crane and barked coldly, “Is it him? His descendant?”
The old monk nodded.
The red-headed ghost bolted upright and the chains on his body rattled. Instantly, he turned murderous!
The old monk looked at the red-headed ghost. “Calm down. No matter what, Daming and Fahua Monasteries are indebted to him.”
“Furthermore, it’s just a junior that has arrived. What are you getting worked up for?”
Upon hearing that, the red-headed ghost calmed down temporarily and sat down once more with a terrible expression.
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