Chapter 609: A Hot Potato (First Update of April, Please Give Me Your Guaranteed Monthly Votes!)
Zhe Huali’s eyes flickered as he examined the small box, trying to pry it open. However, the box was sealed seamlessly, with no gaps to exploit. Even when he struck it with his demon blade, he couldn’t leave a single mark.
Cold sweat broke out on Zhe Huali’s forehead. He tried various techniques to break the seal, even using the demonic arts taught to him by Fu Riluo, but he still couldn’t get the box to open.
He looked up and saw phoenix feathers drifting through the air like autumn leaves, but instead of withered yellow leaves, they were blood-red maple leaves.
In midair, Qin Mu was riding Qi Jiuying, plucking feathers and hammering away, leaving the nine-headed phoenix covered in blood.
Qi Jiuying was ferocious as well. Though his nine heads were wounded, he twisted his necks around, opened his nine phoenix beaks, and sprayed beams of profound light to slash at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu ignored the attacks and continued hammering him viciously. Meanwhile, the nine butcher knives on Qi Jiuying’s phoenix heads suddenly flew out, leaving only nine flying swords still embedded in the heads.
The other flying swords executed Sword Steps Over Mountains and Rivers, forming a landscape pattern in front of Qin Mu. The nine heads’ attacks slammed into it, but the landscape pattern remained unbroken.
Qin Mu’s hammering was incredibly fierce. The techniques he used against Qi Jiuying’s body weren’t purely physical; he employed the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand, the Five Thunder Sky-Supporting Bell, and other techniques. Occasionally, thousands of stars and constellations appeared behind him as he unleashed the Great Luo Heaven Star Palm Force.
Every technique had the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and they weren’t limited to divine techniques. Qin Mu also used eerie and sinister demonic arts from time to time. Though these weren’t as powerful as his divine techniques—likely because he hadn’t invested much effort into demonic arts—they were specifically aimed at Qi Jiuying’s body, corroding his flesh and eroding his primordial spirit, drastically reducing his physical resistance!
That was the most terrifying part.
Zhe Huali watched and couldn’t help but shiver. If Qin Mu used those techniques on him, he would be torn open, his primordial spirit shattered, and his body beaten to pulp after just a few hits!
“Qi Jiuying can take this much punishment and still not die—he’s definitely stronger than me. His body has a strange self-healing ability that lets him hold out longer. But even he won’t last much longer before Qin Mu beats him to death! If Qi Jiuying dies and I still can’t open the small box to get the God-Slaying Mysterious Blade, then Qin Mu’s next target will be…”
Zhe Huali took a deep breath, leaped into the air, and drew the demon blade from his back. He hurled it, and the blade shot across the sky, shaking once to reveal a huge, eerie eye behind it.
As this demon eye appeared, the blade’s light reflected into it, and suddenly countless sword lights filled the air, all surging toward Qin Mu and Qi Jiuying.
The long blade roared forward. Zhe Huali’s blade technique differed from the Butcher’s Heavenly Blade Nine Methods. The Heavenly Blade Nine Methods were upright and straightforward, relying on a grand, righteous momentum to turn a scholar’s open-hearted brilliance into blade light!
Zhe Huali’s technique, on the other hand, was mostly inherited from Divine Blade Luo Wushuang. Luo Wushuang’s blade art was precise and calculating, somewhat similar to the Dao Sect’s Dao Sword. However, the Dao Sword used mathematical calculations to deduce the Great Dao, while Luo Wushuang’s blade art used rules and standards to establish it.
That was the biggest difference between the two.
Zhe Huali raised his blade and laughed heartily: “Two senior brothers, let’s call it a day. I’ll mediate this dispute. We’re all on this alien star together; we should get along and figure out a way to leave. Why kill each other?”
Despite his words, his blade technique showed no intention of mediating. Most of its power was directed at Qin Mu, while the blade light aimed at Qi Jiuying was restrained.
After all, Qi Jiuying was heavily injured. Another strike might finish him off. Qin Mu, on the other hand, still seemed vigorous, so Zhe Huali needed to suppress his arrogance and make him back down.
As the blade light surged toward him, Qin Mu immediately reached out and grabbed the landscape pattern formed by Sword Steps Over Mountains and Rivers. The thousands of mountains and rivers shrank into his hand, condensing into a sword pellet.
Qin Mu swung his sword, and a beam of light as thick as a bucket shot out from the pellet, meeting the demon blade. The impact shook his body, sending him flying backward, away from Qi Jiuying’s back.
He had been using powerful techniques nonstop, draining his vital energy, and couldn’t face Zhe Huali head-on.
Zhe Huali, failing to kill Qin Mu with one strike, sighed inwardly and withdrew his countless sword lights.
In the air, tens of thousands of blade lights merged back into a single demon blade, which whistled back and slid into the scabbard on his back.
After all, Zhe Huali had been defeated by Qi Jiuying earlier and was covered in wounds. Though he had more vital energy and cultivation left than Qin Mu, he wasn’t sure he could take Qin Mu down if it came to a real fight.
Moreover, if he killed Qin Mu, he’d have to face Qi Jiuying alone, and Qi Jiuying’s strength surpassed his—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been defeated.
Zhe Huali sheathed his blade and smiled: “Two senior brothers, on this alien star, we’re bound to run into each other often. Why not each take a step back and open up the world?”
Qi Jiuying landed in his true form, swaying and groaning in pain before slowly transforming back into human shape. Nine swords were still stuck in his nine heads. When the heads merged into one, the nine swords didn’t merge, nearly tearing his wounds open again.
Qi Jiuying quickly pulled out the swords, his back bloody and his bones broken. He didn’t know how many ribs were shattered, forcing him to hunch over.
He had once been a handsome young man, but after Qin Mu’s beating, he looked even worse than when Qin Mu and Zhe Huali had ganged up on him. Handsome was no longer an option.
Fortunately, his self-healing ability was astonishing. As long as he wasn’t dead, it wasn’t a big deal.
Qin Mu walked over, and the three of them stood in a triangle.
Qin Mu looked at his nine flying swords and said amiably, “Brother Qi, your skills are formidable. If you hadn’t insisted on using that mirror to freeze me, you might not have lost. In a life-or-death fight, it would’ve been fifty-fifty. Brother Qi, can I have those nine flying swords back?”
Qi Jiuying snorted coldly, gripping the nine swords tightly: “Fifty-fifty? You underestimate the divine arts of the Heavenly Court. Brother Qin, will you return the mirror?”
“No.”
Qin Mu waved his hand: “Keep those nine swords for now. I’ll take them back after I kill you. Brother Li, can you return that small box to me? I got it with my life. You two blocked the door with your techniques, and I almost died if I hadn’t been clever.”
Zhe Huali gave a dry laugh and said seriously, “Brother Qin, you’ll have to kill me first to take it back.”
“How could I be so rude?” Qin Mu said with a beaming smile.
Qi Jiuying was also staring at the small box in Zhe Huali’s hand. Zhe Huali’s eyes flickered as he tested the waters: “Brother Qi, your status is noble, and your teacher holds a high position in the Heavenly Court. You must know how to open this box. Could you tell me?”
Qi Jiuying coughed violently, spitting out chunks of broken bone. His hunched body straightened a little, and the sword scar Qin Mu had left on his forehead slowly shrank, making Zhe Huali and Qin Mu’s hearts tighten.
Qi Jiuying’s recovery speed was terrifying. He was practically an indestructible body, healing so quickly even with such severe injuries.
The reason he was spitting out broken bones was likely because new ribs were growing in his chest.
Qin Mu was envious. This kind of indestructible body was incredibly useful, though he didn’t know if it came from Qi Jiuying’s Emperor-level cultivation technique or the nine-phoenix race’s innate talent.
After coughing, Qi Jiuying felt a bit better and panted, “Give me the box. I’ll open it for you.” Clearly, even though he could rapidly heal wounds and regenerate bones, it put a heavy strain on his body, which was why he looked so exhausted.
Zhe Huali shook his head: “If the box falls into your hands and you open it to reveal the God-Slaying Mysterious Blade, Brother Qin and I will lose our heads immediately.”
Qin Mu suggested, “How about this, Brother Li? Let’s kill Brother Qi first, then study how to open the box together. Two heads are better than one. With our combined wisdom, we can definitely open it!”
Zhe Huali smiled faintly: “If I trusted you, it wouldn’t be two heads being better—it would be me being an idiot.”
The three were deadlocked.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from behind them: “You’re all arguing, but have you asked the real owner? That box should be returned to its rightful owner.”
The three’s faces changed drastically. They turned to look and saw the emaciated Chi Xi walking toward them on legs like dry firewood, already close!
The executioner from the Chiming Era had three heads like shriveled black eggplants, with deep eye sockets and eyes like dried dates.
The necks under his three heads were limp, barely supporting his skulls.
He looked like a shrimp with three heads, leaning on a crutch with his three left arms, struggling to move forward.
Qin Mu and Qi Jiuying had been fighting fiercely, making a huge commotion, so it wasn’t hard for Chi Xi to find them. But seeing him hobbling along with a crutch, it must have been a tough journey, especially since Qin Mu had fled far before encountering Qi Jiuying.
Chi Xi must have been incredibly powerful, able to use some of his magical power despite his difficulty walking.
Qin Mu’s forehead bulged with veins as he thought of something else and muttered, “It’s raining?”
“That’s right, it’s raining.”
Chi Xi looked like he was about to die at any moment and said weakly, “Not long after you left, it started raining again. Thank heavens, I finally got to drink some non-poisonous water.”
Qin Mu blinked, standing still. Qi Jiuying and Zhe Huali had already started backing away slowly, then suddenly turned and ran!
Thump, thump.
They hit an invisible wall and were bounced back.
Chi Xi said calmly, “No one in this world has ever escaped from me… Well, you’re the first. You escaped, so you should be proud.”
He was referring to Qin Mu, who showed a simple, honest smile.
Suddenly, Zhe Huali tossed the small box to Qin Mu and shouted, “Brother Qin, your treasure is yours! The green mountains remain, and the waters flow forever. Senior, farewell!” He turned and ran, only to hit the invisible wall again.
Zhe Huali had no choice but to turn back and stand still.
On the other side, Qin Mu’s simple smile froze. He caught the box and immediately threw it to Qi Jiuying, laughing: “Brother Qi, you can open it, so it’s yours!”
“A mere dried corpse from the Chiming Era dares to oppose the Heavenly Court? Let me kill him!”
Qi Jiuying smiled faintly, his ten fingers flying as runes flowed from his fingertips, trying to unlock the box.
After a moment, his face turned ashen. He couldn’t open it at all!
The Heavenly Court’s box containing the God-Slaying Mysterious Blade had a seal, and he knew the rune sequence to unlock it. But the rune array needed to open this Chiming Era box was completely different!
Qi Jiuying’s eye muscles twitched as he looked desperately at Qin Mu. Qin Mu looked up at the sky, tapping his toes on the ground, pretending to admire the clouds.
Qi Jiuying turned his gaze to Zhe Huali, who was earnestly picking at his fingernails, then put his thumb in his mouth and bit it.
Qi Jiuying trembled as he looked at the three-headed, six-armed “dried corpse” approaching him. Suddenly, inspiration struck. He fell to his knees, holding up the small box: “Senior, spare my life!”
Chi Xi sneered, hobbling over with his crutch: “This box was sealed with Chiming Era runes. Trying to unlock it with your so-called Heavenly Court runes is like playing the lute to a cow. Are you three done fighting over it? It was quite lively. Keep going.”
Qin Mu blinked and looked at Zhe Huali.
Zhe Huali looked back at him, thinking: “He must be thinking the same as me—whether to kneel and beg for mercy. Should I kneel or not?”
He was torn with indecision.
Qin Mu thought: “Zhe Huali is indeed my formidable rival, thinking the same as me. Chi Xi will kill all three of us no matter what, using our blood to nourish his body. He must be as principled as I am.”
“No one else wants this box?”
Chi Xi sneered as he hobbled forward toward Qi Jiuying: “If no one wants it, then I’ll…”
Suddenly, a voice rang out: “I want it!”
A hand reached out and gently took the small box from Qi Jiuying’s grasp.