Chapter 477: Merging Realms
"Xing'an!"
Banggongcuo shuddered, forcing a faint smile onto his face. "Brother Xing'an, long time no see. We're old acquaintances, aren't we? Last time I saw you, you asked about Qin Mu's whereabouts, and I even drew you a map—quite vivid, wasn't it? Given our friendship, I'm sure you have no ill intentions, right?"
Xing'an sat on the chest, sneering coldly. "Qin Mu! Again, Qin Mu!"
His teeth ground together with a cracking sound, and his killing intent swept through the entire ruin, forcing the monstrous beasts to prostrate themselves on the ground, motionless.
Banggongcuo's heart twitched violently as he stammered, "Brother Xing'an, did you also suffer a loss at his hands?"
"Suffer a loss?"
Xing'an laughed heartily. "How could I possibly suffer a loss at his hands? He has too many elders at home—I miscalculated, which allowed him to rally others to surround me. I had no choice but to retreat and avoid his sharp edge."
Banggongcuo's eyes darted around. Clearly, Xing'an had suffered a loss. Chased all the way by Qin Mu's elders, he had been forced to flee to the Great Ruins, hiding near the Western Lands without daring to show his face.
He didn't know that Xing'an wasn't as pathetic as he imagined. On the contrary, Xing'an was incredibly formidable, severely wounding the Blind, Deaf, Mute, Lame, Granny Si, and Emperor Yanfeng—over a dozen sect master-level experts who couldn't withstand even a single move from him before collapsing. If not for Qin Mu poisoning him, they would have been completely annihilated!
Even while severely poisoned and wounded, Xing'an had managed to evade the Butcher's pursuit, fleeing all the way from Yan Kingdom to this place. His ferocity surpassed even that of the gods of the Upper Heavens!
"As for the current Great Venerable, I have no interest yet."
Xing'an glanced at him and shook his head. "I'll only take an interest in you once you've cultivated your physical body or primordial spirit to the level of a god. After all, we have history—you once offered me your two arms as tribute, so I won't go for the kill. What's wrong with your legs? This sword wound..."
He suddenly grabbed Banggongcuo and twisted lightly, snapping the deer leg he had just reattached.
Banggongcuo endured the pain, not daring to speak.
Xing'an examined it closely. "A scar left by that surname Qin's swordsmanship! So, you ran into Qin Mu, the Great Divine Doctor, and he cut off one of your legs."
Banggongcuo's forehead beaded with sweat the size of soybeans. His voice hoarse, he forced a smile. "I was being chased by Qin Mu and the Yan Kingdom National Teacher. Caught off guard, that surname Qin severed half my leg. Brother Xing'an, if you want revenge on that surname Qin, I have a good opportunity for you."
"Seeking revenge through you?"
Xing'an shook his head. "If I want to kill him, no one under heaven or earth can protect him! Where is he? I hear the Yan Kingdom National Teacher is also a master—I can take something from him too."
Banggongcuo smiled ingratiatingly. "I don't know where that surname Qin is now, but I know where he's going. He plans to head to Yin Mountain to find my master's primordial spirit. The Yan Kingdom National Teacher is inseparable from him, so he'll definitely go too."
Xing'an's interest was piqued. "Your master's primordial spirit? You once tried to kill me by worshipping me—that phantom of a god or demon—was that your master's primordial spirit?"
Banggongcuo's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "I had no choice. As they say, 'From a fight, friendship grows.' If I hadn't clashed with Brother Xing'an, how would I have had the chance to know you?"
Xing'an smiled faintly. "Your master's primordial spirit—I'd very much like to collect it."
Banggongcuo was planning to lure him to Yin Mountain, let him clash with the Yan Kingdom National Teacher, and enjoy watching both sides suffer. He laughed. "If Brother Xing'an fancies it, take it. But Brother, about my leg..."
With a bang, Xing'an leaped back into the chest, his voice echoing from inside. "That Great Divine Doctor Qin took many of my collections, leaving me with little. For now, make do with the deer leg. Once I kill Divine Doctor Qin and the National Teacher, I'll gift you a divine leg without issue."
Banggongcuo had no choice but to pick up the deer leg and reattach it, this time more carefully to avoid lingering issues. He thought to himself, "Xing'an is stingy—he might not be willing to give me a divine leg when the time comes. But when he and the National Teacher are both wounded, his collections will all be mine!"
Dragon Qilin carried Qin Mu back to the Great Ruins, speeding along like the wind toward Yin Mountain. After two days, they noticed the surrounding monstrous beasts gradually thinning out, replaced by many villages and passing monks.
Those monks, seeing him ride by on Dragon Qilin, stopped in their tracks and stared at him with strange eyes.
"Chief, why are they staring at us?" Dragon Qilin asked, puzzled.
Qin Mu's eyes swirled with formation patterns as he looked at the monks. What met his gaze were not monks at all, but ferocious, hideous great demons!
He looked at the villagers in the roadside settlements—thriving communities filled with groups of demons of all shapes and sizes.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out from afar, melodious and clear.
Qin Mu's heart stirred. "We're near Little Thunderclap Temple."
He dismounted from Dragon Qilin and continued on foot. The monks who had been staring at him turned away, no longer watching.
Dragon Qilin was puzzled. "Chief, why did they stop looking?"
Qin Mu lowered his voice. "All beings are equal."
Dragon Qilin was still confused. "I carry the Chief to earn my meals. If all beings are equal, who will refine elixirs to fill my stomach?"
Qin Mu chuckled. After a while, they passed by Little Thunderclap Temple. Qin Mu looked up and couldn't help but marvel.
Little Thunderclap Temple was built by Little Tathagata, originally a demon monk from Great Thunderclap Temple. A disciple of the then Tathagata, he had reached extremely high cultivation and possessed vast divine powers. Disgruntled at not becoming the Tathagata of Great Thunderclap Temple, he stormed out and founded Little Thunderclap Temple in the Great Ruins.
This temple's opulence rivaled, and even surpassed, Great Thunderclap Temple. Towering peaks and steep cliffs stood tall, each peak adorned with statues covered in gold leaf. Temples and monasteries of all sizes thrived with incense, and great demons transformed into devout men and women came to worship the Buddha.
The incense smoke even turned into mountain mist, swirling and forming fragrant clouds.
It was Qin Mu's first time here. Knowing he had once toppled Little Tathagata's statue, he planned to take a detour. Just then, a familiar voice rang out in surprise. "Chief Qin, why are you here?"
Qin Mu followed the sound and was equally startled. He laughed. "Brother Xu, what a coincidence to find you here!"
Xu Shenghua and Jing Yan, each carrying a bundle, were following a large, fat monk. Qin Mu's heart tightened—the monk was none other than Little Tathagata of Little Thunderclap Temple!
He had once seen Little Tathagata in a village in the Great Ruins, challenging Ling Jing Daoist and fighting fiercely in the dark, with Qin Mu watching nearby!
Little Tathagata, with his plump face and imposing presence, treated Xu Shenghua with great courtesy, inviting the two into the mountain. The fat monk looked at Qin Mu, and Qin Mu felt a blinding flash—it was Little Tathagata's gaze.
"So it's Chief Qin."
Little Tathagata's voice boomed like thunder as he invited, "A visitor from afar is a guest. Though Chief and I have had our differences, since you've come from afar, I cannot fail to offer hospitality. Chief, please come up the mountain for a chat."
Qin Mu hesitated. "Brother, you're too kind. I have urgent business—I need to go to Yin Mountain..."
Jing Yan laughed. "Young Master Qin is going to Yin Mountain? We just returned from there. What a coincidence—you and the Great Monk met at Yin Mountain and gained much."
Qin Mu was surprised and looked at Xu Shenghua. Xu Shenghua nodded. "Yanzi and I were traveling around when we reached Yin Mountain. We saw the Great Monk trying to subdue and refine a demon god's primordial spirit, locked in a stalemate. We lent a hand and managed to collect that demon god's primordial spirit. Chief Qin, what are you going to Yin Mountain for?"
Qin Mu's mind shook violently. He exclaimed, "You collected a demon god's primordial spirit at Yin Mountain? Did that primordial spirit call itself Wei Wu God?"
Little Tathagata was surprised. "Chief Qin, your divine foresight has reached such a level? I encountered that demon at Yin Mountain, trapped but wrapped in countless vengeful souls. Knowing it was my merit, I was moved to save it. However, though suppressed, the demon was immensely powerful and nearly turned the tables on me several times. Luckily, Brother Xu passed by and used Upper Heavens techniques to help me."
Qin Mu was stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Then I don't need to go to Yin Mountain after all. To be honest, I was also heading there to subdue that demon god's primordial spirit. Since the Tathagata invites me, I'll gladly visit. Sorry for the intrusion!"
Little Tathagata looked at him. "People call me Little Tathagata. Why does Chief Qin omit the 'Little'?"
Qin Mu smiled. "Tathagata is a realm. When the realm is reached, size doesn't matter."
The Great Monk praised him. "Chief Qin has a Buddha's heart. If you were to convert to Buddhism, you would surely become a Tathagata in the future. Please."
Qin Mu followed them up the mountain, glanced at Xu Shenghua and Jing Yan, and laughed. "You two are free and happy, traveling and enjoying the scenery. Unlike me, destined for hard work, running around endlessly. By the way, have you two cultivated the Primordial Spirit Guide?"
Jing Yan's face flushed slightly as she nodded quietly.
Qin Mu laughed heartily.
Xu Shenghua said leisurely, "The Primordial Spirit Guide was created by the Chief, right? It has indeed greatly improved my cultivation. From it, I developed a complete technique for the Six Harmonies realm and went further, merging the Seven Stars and Six Harmonies divine repositories into one."
Qin Mu's heart shook violently. He looked at Xu Shenghua, then exhaled a long breath and praised, "Truly a fake overlord body, only a little behind me."
Xu Shenghua smiled faintly. "The fusion of the Seven Stars and Six Harmonies divine repositories, becoming one, brings a transformation in the great Dao of heaven and earth—no less than the Primordial Spirit Guide, right? Chief, your overlord body might actually be female."
Qin Mu smiled gently and said leisurely, "Though I haven't merged the two divine repositories, I've recently created the Eighteen Styles of the Sword."
Xu Shenghua's pupils contracted sharply.
Little Tathagata turned back to look at the two, his mind shaken. "Not long ago, I sensed two disturbances in the great Dao of heaven and earth. Could they be related to you two benefactors?"
At Yin Mountain.
A beam of sword light flew in. Banggongcuo cried out in pain, clutching his left leg as he rolled on the ground, sweat pouring like rain from his forehead.
"This is the price of deceiving me."
Xing'an said calmly. "Your master's primordial spirit is not here. Great Venerable, you'll have to make do with two deer legs from now on."
Banggongcuo gritted his teeth against the pain and hissed, "My master's primordial spirit was taken by someone else! But it's still there—if I activate the Unstoppable Art, I can sense its location!"
—ACE gloves, Luo Yi, happy birthday~
On Zhai Zhu's WeChat account, the strength rankings of the elders of the Crippled Village are being officially tallied. Can you guess who's the weakest? I bet most of you will get it wrong. Follow the public account "Zhai Zhu" and check the history to see the rankings! Today's ranking is the eighth on the Crippled Village power list!