Chapter 555: Parting the Clouds to See the Sun
Tens of thousands of skeletons and zombies crowded around Qin Mu, surging like a tide toward the east, drowning everything in their path.
The Land of Ill Omen was indeed filled with all sorts of bizarre entities, mostly strange lifeforms formed from the resentful thoughts or remnant souls of gods, demons, and fallen cultivators. These beings were mixed with the divine abilities left behind by the gods and demons' final, desperate strikes, making them exceptionally powerful and their forms bizarre and terrifying.
Because that war had been so brutal, the gods, demons, and cultivators who died there erupted with all kinds of negative emotions, their divine and demonic blood mingling together. This created the strange place known as the Land of Ill Omen, and the beings within it were twisted in mind.
Along the way, Qin Mu saw all sorts of strange ill-omened things: a mountain of flesh formed from the mixed blood and flesh of gods and demons, a centipede of white bones with hundreds of heads, hand bones running around everywhere, and a monster with a dragon's head, a horse's body, a long tail, and bones covering its entire form.
However, no matter how powerful these ill-omened beings were, they could only wait for death in the face of the army of the Seven Kills Star Lord, Yu Liao. They were easily crushed by the cheerful army of skeletons and zombies.
The vastness of the Land of Ill Omen was hard to imagine. Even though Qin Mu and the others were not slow, it took them over two days to reach the edge of the Land of Ill Omen.
"Young friend Qin, ahead lies the exit from the Land of Ill Omen. We can only see you this far."
Yu Liao stopped, clasped his fist in salute, and said, "We part ways here."
Qin Mu returned the salute. "We part ways here. After I leave, I will certainly go to Fengdu and ask the King of Hell if there is a way to resolve the matter of a resting place for you all. Wait for my news." With that, he turned and left.
Yu Liao watched him go, then suddenly called out, "Young friend Qin, your surname is also Qin. What is your relationship with the Kaihuang?"
Qin Mu turned back and waved his hand. "The Kaihuang is my ancestor!"
"No wonder, no wonder…"
Yu Liao was momentarily stunned. He watched Qin Mu walk out of the Land of Ill Omen, then suddenly grew excited, shouting and yelling, "My boys, let's go! Let's conquer a great territory in the Land of Ill Omen, rule over this ill-omened land, and wait for the Kaihuang's arrival!"
Countless skeletons and zombies followed him, roaring off into the depths of the demon-qi-shrouded Land of Ill Omen.
Qin Mu walked out of the Land of Ill Omen and looked back. Waves of terrifying tremors erupted from within the Land of Ill Omen. It should be the Seven Kills Star Lord, Yu Liao, attacking other ill-omened territories.
"Though dead, they still fight fiercely; white bones repay the lord's grace. Truly a valiant warrior!"
He walked eastward through the gloom. The Land of Ill Omen might become Yu Liao's domain, a territory within the demon race's lands, perhaps becoming a thorn stuck deep in the demons' heart.
"Oh? I still remember those Youdu words!"
Qin Mu blinked. The Youdu words in his mind had still not disappeared. Could it be that the strangeness of the Land of Ill Omen was still with him?
Not only that, but he could also see the gateway to another Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure, still standing opposite his original Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure.
"So I've mastered the Youdu language just like that. This is a bit strange…"
He once again manifested his Suppressing Star Lord form, and the Gate of Bearing Heaven reappeared. The ancient scroll appeared again. He opened the scroll but did not chant aloud. Instead, he silently recited it page by page, memorizing the Youdu words within.
Half an hour later, he had completely memorized the Youdu words in the scroll. Only then did he dismiss his Suppressing Star Lord form, and the Gate of Bearing Heaven behind him also vanished.
"I've only seen the Gate of Bearing Heaven on the suspected Overlord Body stone statue at the bottom of Nether Valley, but that suspected Overlord Body stone statue wasn't holding a scroll. Of all the deities and cultivators I've seen, it seems only I, when manifesting the Suppressing Star Lord form, have an extra ancient scroll in my hand."
Qin Mu pondered deeply. After a moment, he figured it out. "The Overlord Body stone statue at the bottom of Nether Valley was actually like Xu Shenghua—a false Overlord Body. Only a true Overlord Body would have such an ancient scroll appear in their hand! I'll ask the Village Chief when I get back. He knows more than I do!"
Having figured out this key point, he finally felt relieved and put the matter aside. Youdu words once again came from his mouth. He chanted the contents of the scroll as he ran eastward.
Streams of demonic qi surged towards him, drilling into his brow, causing his demonic cultivation to rise even higher.
This time, there was no strange phenomenon of the dead coming back to life. The resurrection of the dead should have been the effect of that ancient scroll. Qin Mu was relieved. As long as he didn't take out that scroll, the Youdu words within it were just a wonderful cultivation method. He didn't need to worry about disturbing Youdu and being hunted by the underworld messengers.
He ran at full speed, and wherever he passed, demonic qi was drawn to him, pulled straight like smoke from a beacon fire. He didn't look like a cultivator but more like a great demon lord roaring as he ran.
Suddenly, he stopped chanting the Youdu demonic words. Instead, profound and obscure divine words came from his mouth. Demonic essence surged against the gateway to the demonic Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure. Immediately, demonic words sounded in his mind, seeming to come from the Nine Springs deep within the darkness, eerie and unpredictable, interfering with his demonic essence and preventing him from breaking through this gateway.
The divine words from his mouth also contained a strange power, resisting the sudden demonic words.
Back when Qin Mu had first opened his Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure, divine words had seemed to come from the Nine Heavens, interfering with his Embryonic Spirit breaking through the wall. He had used demonic words and Buddhist words to forcefully break through the wall, allowing him to cultivate his Embryonic Spirit.
That time could only be considered luck.
Now, he was using the same method. His mastery of divine words was far greater than back then. Using divine words to resist the demonic words from the Nine Springs came naturally to him, allowing his demonic essence to flow unimpeded and smash against the Embryonic Spirit wall!
Boom!
A thunderous roar echoed from within his body. The other Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure was forcefully opened by him in one go. His demonic cultivation instantly skyrocketed, drawing in more and more demonic qi, while the demonic words from the Nine Springs abruptly ceased.
"There is no demonic Embryonic Spirit in this Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure!"
Qin Mu was surprised. This demonic Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure of his was completely empty, with only a single spirit platform. On the spirit platform were imprinted various strange demonic runes.
"Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art!"
Qin Mu activated the Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art. The demonic essence within him surged, flowing like a swarm of bees into the demonic Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure. At that moment, a flash of light occurred. His Embryonic Spirit suddenly appeared in this divine treasure, seated on the spirit platform, breathing and circulating, swallowing and expelling demonic essence.
The demonic essence exhaled by the Embryonic Spirit interwove in the air, forming a demonic sun and a demonic moon.
"The Village Chief is truly remarkable! The Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art he taught me can even cultivate the demonic path!"
Qin Mu was moved, filled with admiration for the Village Chief. He silently praised, "When will I ever have his level of insight and experience?"
The Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art and the Youdu demonic words from his mouth operated in parallel without conflict. The Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art drove the demonic essence, the Embryonic Spirit breathed and circulated, and the Youdu demonic words drew demonic qi into his body. His demonic cultivation grew increasingly profound and continuously rose. Not long after, the demonic sun and demonic moon in the Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure were basically formed, corresponding distantly to the great sun and bright moon in his other Embryonic Spirit Divine Treasure, like a reflection of that divine treasure.
When Qin Mu felt his cultivation was complete, he directly charged into the Five Elements Divine Treasure. With a thunderous boom, he broke open the demonic Five Elements Divine Treasure. Five demonic Five Elements stars hung in the air, flickering with eerie demonic light.
His Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art became even more complex to operate. The demonic essence connected to the Five Elements, circulating in a strange pattern, and his demonic cultivation grew even deeper.
"At this rate of cultivation, it probably won't take many days for my demonic cultivation to catch up to my divine cultivation."
There were still many experts from the demon race searching for him in the demon territory, forming groups and hunting everywhere. Many demon experts saw Qin Mu from afar but paid him no attention, never imagining that this guy, who looked even more like a demon lord than they did, was the Qin Mu they were desperately searching for.
Qin Mu traveled unimpeded, continuously moving eastward. After walking for six or seven days, a point of light suddenly appeared in the sky.
He looked up and saw the point of light growing larger and brighter. A round sun appeared in the sky, bringing some light to the demon territory.
Qin Mu's heart blossomed with joy. He let out a long sigh of relief. "This sun is round, not flat! The National Teacher is truly remarkable!"
He looked at the direction of the sunrise, measured the shadow on the ground, ran another twenty li forward, calculated the angle of the shadow, and made some deductions. He thought to himself, "I am still over ten thousand li from the place where the sun rises. Fu Riluo is indeed incredibly powerful to have kidnapped me this far!"
The round sun in the sky gave him a feeling of parting the clouds to see the sun, and his mood brightened considerably.
Suddenly, a divine city appeared ahead. Around the divine city, many demon race members were coming and going.
Teams of demon race soldiers were searching everywhere, even stopping passing demons for questioning. Qin Mu frowned slightly and decided to bypass this divine city.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves came. A team of demon soldiers galloped towards him. Seeing him from afar, they shouted, "Stop!"
Qin Mu stopped. The leading rider said, "It's not that person. Let's go!" With that, he led the other demon cultivators away with a whoosh.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a familiar voice came, "Hey, kid, I need a retainer. Come over here and be my retainer!"
Qin Mu was startled. He followed the sound and saw a youth carrying a demonic blade standing not far away, beckoning to him. It was Zhe Huali.
Qin Mu walked over. The eye on the hilt of the demonic blade behind Zhe Huali suddenly opened, spun, and flushed red. The demonic eye stared at him excitedly. After a moment, the demonic blade's eye closed.
Zhe Huali walked forward and said, "Follow me."
Qin Mu followed him. Zhe Huali led him eastward, taking him past this divine city. Along the way, many demon experts stopped them for questioning, wave after wave, but upon seeing Zhe Huali, they did not search them.
When they reached a hundred li east of the city, Zhe Huali stopped and said calmly, "You continue east."
Qin Mu did as he was told and walked forward. Then he felt a pair of eyes land on him, like two blades stabbing into his body!
Qin Mu's muscles stiffened, then bounced twice, shattering the blade intent.
The blade intent in the gaze was shattered, even producing a crisp clinking sound.
Zhe Huali's voice came from behind him. "It really is you."
Qin Mu dispersed the demonic qi around him, turned around, and smiled. "Zhe Huali, your blade technique has improved greatly."
Zhe Huali's eyes were like blades, forcing Qin Mu to shatter the blade intent in his gaze. It was clear that after the battle at Li City, his blade technique had advanced significantly!
"Brother Qin, escaping from Meng City to here and living through the Land of Ill Omen is truly astonishing. Since parting at Li City, I have carefully studied that sword technique of yours, the Calamity-Opening Sword Technique. It is indeed very strong, but I have also gained some insights."
Zhe Huali said calmly, "I won't let you die at the hands of others. The only one who can kill you is me! All the disciples of the demon gods in the entire Taihuang Heaven are looking for you. Don't die on the road."
"Thank you." Qin Mu bowed.
Zhe Huali did not acknowledge his courtesy and vanished in a flash.