Chapter 501: Beating Up the Ancestral Masters
The successive Human Sovereigns all nodded in agreement, sharing the same sentiment.
Although every Human Sovereign was considered a brat who deserved a beating in their master's eyes, they had never seen one as deserving of a beating as this.
Every Human Sovereign was the absolute pinnacle of their era, not merely earning respect from other sects due to their status, but because their strength was truly formidable, sweeping through their age with few equals!
Any Human Sovereign who hadn't fought the gods of heaven during their lifetime would be too ashamed to meet their ancestors after death. How many such figures existed in a single era?
Yet faced with such domineering and overbearing experts, Qin Mu actually claimed he was afraid of injuring them, even saying their techniques and divine abilities were outdated and obsolete. How could they tolerate that?
The Third Ancestor stretched his body and said calmly, "Every Human Sovereign has been arrogant, each one brimming with pride after death, wanting to fight this one and that one. But you're the first to call us outdated! Qin Human Sovereign, quite impressive."
The Fourth Ancestor said flatly, "It's common for disciples to defeat their masters. For instance, I once beat up the old man. But to beat up all the old men at once, Qin Human Sovereign has quite the bold claim. I'd like to see if you have the skill!"
The Third Ancestor shot him a glare.
The Second Ancestor, with a dignified expression, said, "Qin Human Sovereign is still a living person, so how to spar with us is a problem. However, the First Ancestor left behind a treasure here called the 'Between Life and Death.' This treasure can place us in a state between life and death, making it perfect for combat."
The successive Human Sovereigns frowned. "The First Ancestor isn't here. Who can activate the Between Life and Death?"
The Second Ancestor smiled. "As the First Ancestor's disciple, since he's absent, I am the master of the Five Yang Divine Hall. Naturally, I can activate the Between Life and Death. Everyone, be patient. I know this place better than my own home. Wait a moment, I'll go fetch it."
The crowd was curious. They had heard of the Between Life and Death but never seen it. It was said that the First Ancestor, missing his deceased wife, had forged this treasure to open a passage to the Netherworld and reunite with her.
However, such a treasure had little practical use and minimal power, so very few people ever crafted one. Yet as a means for the living and the dead to fight, it was perfect.
Before long, the Second Ancestor returned. Seeing his empty hands, the crowd was puzzled. "Second Ancestor, where is the Between Life and Death?"
"This is the Between Life and Death!"
The Second Ancestor shook his sleeve, and suddenly a long river flew out from it. The river soared out of the Five Yang Divine Hall, growing wider and broader, stretching for hundreds of miles as it floated above Fengdu City.
The crowd quickly stepped out of the hall to look. A long river hung in the sky, with a flying bridge spanning it. A painted pleasure boat was moored by the riverbank beneath the bridge.
Everyone cheered in admiration. "The First Ancestor expended immense divine power to forge this treasure just to reunite with his wife! Let's go, let's go, onto the bridge!"
Qin Mu followed them onto the long bridge. The moment he stood on it, something miraculous happened—he saw his own flesh and blood regenerate!
In Fengdu, the realm of the dead where the dead come back to life and the living turn to bones, this river and bridge actually restored his physical body. Truly bizarre!
And the successive Human Sovereigns standing on the bridge also retained their flesh and blood, remaining whole. This was clearly another effect of the Between Life and Death.
"When I piloted the Moon Boat and became the Moon Guardian, I withstood the suppression of the dead realm and kept my flesh and blood. It seems the First Ancestor Human Sovereign's strength must far surpass the Moon Guardian's!"
Qin Mu marveled. The First Ancestor's power was unfathomably deep, truly a genius of the Kaihuang Era!
"However, the Between Life and Death isn't useless—it's actually a great weapon!"
His eyes sparkled, and his heart pounded. He immediately thought of the treasure's greatest use: allowing Fengdu to interfere with the mortal world, to influence reality!
The Between Life and Death let the underworld intervene in the mortal realm, allowing the gods and demons of Fengdu to descend upon the mortal world in living form. Though limited to the river's surface, this was no small feat!
Imagine the tens of thousands of gods and demons in Fengdu descending upon the mortal world—who could stand against them?
"If used well, the Between Life and Death is a weapon of immense power!"
Standing at the bridgehead, Qin Mu saw the river flowing toward the Netherworld, with the faint outline of that dark realm at the other end. This river was clearly no ordinary one.
In Fengdu City, countless gods and demons looked up. The great river floated in the sky, gently undulating, incredibly magnificent.
"It's those Human Sovereigns again!"
A god lowered his head and said to those around him, "Ever since these fellows arrived in Fengdu, their numbers have grown, and they've become more arrogant and domineering. They're the tyrants of Fengdu, rivaled only by those demons of the Demon Sect. No need to watch. Let them show off."
"The First Ancestor used this painted boat to sail to the Netherworld, summoning the master's soul, and they met on the bridge."
On the bridge of the Between Life and Death, the Second Ancestor's expression darkened. "Later, the Netherworld discovered their meetings. The master's soul was seized by underworld officials and taken to the Netherworld for judgment. The First Ancestor didn't know this at first. He waited for her on the bridge for decades but never saw her again. I stood by the riverbank, watching him slowly age day by day... Enough of this!"
He perked up, looking at Qin Mu with a hearty laugh. "Here we have a 'Unrivaled Physique' who says we're outdated. Time to teach this youngster the immensity of heaven and earth!"
Qin Mu was surprised. "Ancestral Masters, you all know I'm an Unrivaled Physique?"
The successive Human Sovereigns all flashed eerie smiles and said in unison, "How could we not? That kid Su told us everything!"
Qin Mu looked at their strange smiles, puzzled. "Do people become this odd after death?"
Qi Kang Human Sovereign grinned excitedly. "Su said he found an Unrivaled Physique as a disciple, claiming he was unmatched in the world. We all said that after you died, you'd beat him to death and make him die a second time."
Qin Mu was baffled. "Why would I beat the Village Chief to death?"
The other Human Sovereigns coughed loudly, afraid Qi Kang would slip up. Qi Kang caught on, stretched lazily, and laughed, "Qin Unrivaled Physique, you said we're old, useless, outdated, obsolete, and can't fight anymore. Now it's time for us to get justice!"
Qin Mu quickly said, "Ancestral Master, I only said your techniques and divine abilities were outdated. I didn't say anything else..."
"Enough!"
Qi Kang Human Sovereign roared, leaped off the bridge, and landed on the river's surface. Looking up, he laughed, "Less talk, come down and settle this!"
His aura exploded. With seven booming sounds, seven divine treasuries opened. His primordial spirit was incredibly powerful, standing on the Divine Bridge. Stars gathered in a swirling galaxy around him. Beneath the bridge lay the dark Netherworld, with sun and moon in the sky, five elements and five luminaries merging into seven stars, each with a god standing atop!
Below the seven stars was the continent formed by the Spiritual Platform, with the six directions established!
Qi Kang Human Sovereign's presence was overbearing. He raised his hand to seal his Divine Bridge treasury, causing it to vanish. Then he sealed the Life and Death treasury, making the Netherworld disappear. Finally, he sealed the Heaven and Man treasury, causing his primordial spirit to fade.
His aura weakened, but his arrogance remained unrestrained. Standing on the river, a vision of erupting black volcanoes formed behind him!
Qi Kang Human Sovereign extended his right hand, clenched his fist, and crooked his index finger at Qin Mu. "Qin Unrivaled Physique, come here!"
Qin Mu's heart pounded. He felt a thrill of excitement he could barely suppress. Hesitating, he asked, "Second Ancestor, Third Ancestor, in our Human Sovereign lineage, is there any punishment like the 'three knives and six holes' for beating up ancestral masters?"
The successive Human Sovereigns laughed together. "We're not some demon sect like the Demon Sect. Why would we have such punishments? Go ahead!"
Relieved, Qin Mu stepped onto the river's surface and said solemnly, "Ancestral Master, if I offend..."
"Just fight!"
Qi Kang Human Sovereign roared, stepped forward, and threw a punch. The volcanic vision behind him erupted violently. The peaks exploded, flames surged, and the black volcanoes instantly turned into magma shooting into the sky. Fire and black smoke filled the heavens, and the river water began to boil!
His fist's momentum and intent shook the water around him and Qin Mu into the air. The violent tremors turned the river into droplets, strung like threads, gently vibrating as they flowed upward.
Qi Kang Human Sovereign charged through the flying water, his fist growing larger and more domineering, his momentum increasingly fierce!
In Qin Mu's pupils, layers of formation patterns spun. A galaxy coiled around a sun in his eyes. He could clearly see Qi Kang Human Sovereign's face colliding with each droplet, each one bursting and splashing against his skin.
The Blind Man's Nine Heavens Eye-Opening Technique!
Boom—
A violent tremor echoed across the river. Qin Mu's fist collided with Qi Kang Human Sovereign's. Their robes snapped backward. The magma and flames shooting straight up behind Qi Kang Human Sovereign suddenly snapped, blown sideways by the gale, stretching taut!
Qi Kang Human Sovereign's face changed drastically. His chest felt unbearably tight. "Such monstrous elemental energy cultivation..."
The droplets flying into the air suddenly froze. Qin Mu's fist turned into a palm, his elemental energy erupting wildly!
"Eight Thousand Swords!"
The water droplets in the air were instantly stretched into thin swords—eight thousand thin swords. Stab, lift, cloud, chop, cleave, point, collapse, hang, stroke, wipe, sweep, block, intercept, twirl, circle, swim, drill—seventeen sword variations, unpredictable, all attacking Qi Kang Human Sovereign simultaneously.
Qi Kang Human Sovereign's face changed. He leaped back, his body undulating like a wild goose skimming the river's surface. He tapped the water three times, rising and falling in a bizarre movement, dodging the eight thousand swords' endless changes and attacks!
Qin Mu stepped forward, his speed incredible. He raised both hands, and with a swoosh, countless droplets gathered in his palms, forming a long sword. He brought it down vertically.
Swoosh!
Countless sword lights burst from this single strike, the sword momentum as fast as a storm, engulfing Qi Kang Human Sovereign.
Qi Kang Human Sovereign roared, leaping into the air. His hand swept, creating a flurry of palm shadows to meet the attack. Suddenly, countless tearing sounds rang out. The eight thousand sword lights from Qin Mu's strike spun and sliced through his palms, turning both hands into sieves.
"Ha!"
Qin Mu stomped heavily on the river's surface. A column of water rose like an angry dragon. Qin Mu grabbed it, using the water dragon as a spear. He followed the spear, and with a series of whooshing sounds, countless spear shadows struck Qi Kang Human Sovereign mid-air.
Qi Kang Human Sovereign was impaled on the spear, then swung by Qin Mu and slammed hard onto the river's surface. The water exploded.
The water dragon spear in Qin Mu's hand disintegrated. He raised both hands to the sky. Lightning and thunder gathered above, forming a thunder dragon that shook its head and tail, crashing down toward where Qi Kang Human Sovereign had fallen!
"Great Luo Heavenly Star Palm Force!"
Qin Mu struck with a palm imprint. Behind him, the Great Luo Heavenly Stars spread out, forming a terrifying Great Luo divine ability force field. Three hundred and sixty divine phantoms appeared within the force field, all striking with their palms.
This attack made no sound.
But the next moment, the great river violently trembled, twisting in the air. That was the force field distortion caused by the eruption of over three hundred and sixty different palm forces.
Qin Mu withdrew his hand. After a moment, Qi Kang Human Sovereign floated stiffly up from the riverbed, drifting downstream past the Bridge of Life and Death.
On the bridge, the successive Human Sovereigns leaned over to look, exchanging glances. After a moment, the Fourth Ancestor whispered, "Could it be that little Su was lying to us about the Unrivaled Physique? Does such a thing actually exist in this world?"