Chapter 320: Nine Springs Underworld

Xu Qing saw Sheng Yunzi.Sheng Yunzi also saw Xu Qing.Almost the instant Xu Qing charged out, Sheng Yunzi’s body abruptly retreated with great speed, intent on escaping. His speed surpassed his previous best; as the power of a Golden Core burst forth, the Golden Crow in his right eye also materialized, roaring towards the sky.

This Golden Crow was bound by countless ethereal runes; one end merged into Sheng Yunzi’s right eye, while the other spread throughout the Golden Crow’s body. This method displayed incredibly profound techniques, allowing Sheng Yunzi to indirectly master the Imperial-level cultivation method, ‘Golden Crow Refines Ten Thousand Spirits.’ Under the Golden Crow’s current augmentation, his speed was extraordinary.

However, Xu Qing’s speed was even more astonishing; in an instant, he burst into the Minor Controller Sect, heading directly for Sheng Yunzi.

But just as the disciples of Seven Blood Eyes charged out and stormed into the Minor Controller Sect, the Fallen Moon Valley, where the sect was located, suddenly rumbled. Innumerable cracks burst open from the ground, and streaks of fire erupted from within. Furthermore, a massive hand stretched directly out from beneath the Minor Controller Sect’s land.

This hand was a hundred zhang long, composed entirely of rock, permeated with fire patterns, as if molten lava flowed as blood within its arm. A thunderous roar shook the heavens, the canyon collapsed, and countless shattered rocks shot outwards.

As the colossal hand extended and pressed onto the ground, amidst the tremors, a rock giant, radiating an astounding fiery glow, sprang up from underground. Its body, thousands of zhang tall, stood between heaven and earth. As it roared ferociously, an aura surpassing that of a Nascent Soul erupted from it, causing violent fluctuations in the surroundings.

It was also visible that a black coffin was conspicuously embedded within the giant’s chest. And atop the rock giant’s head were two figures. Both wore black robes and masks resembling fragmented divine faces, yet they were neither Nightdove nor Prince Ziqing. One stood, while the other crouched. Terrifying fluctuations emanated from both figures, and the gaze revealed through their divine masks held cold indifference.

“They actually found this place.”

“As the Elder said before leaving, one must not underestimate any faction.”

“From this perspective, the Eight Sect Alliance must have also assigned personnel to the other three strongholds.” Candlemire, being an organization, could not possibly consist solely of Prince Ziqing and Nightdove, but rather had multiple members. Among them, every core member was renowned, though the majority were peripheral members like Sheng Yunzi. Although they joined Candlemire, they were not qualified to enter the core or wear the masks. Only those who had undergone ‘bloody performances’ and possessed at least Nascent Soul cultivation were eligible.

At this moment, these two were clearly Candlemire’s core members in Yinghuang Province. The instant they appeared, Seventh Elder’s gaze focused on them. Seven Blood Eyes’ primary strategic objective in attacking the Minor Controller Sect and Candlemire was to draw out Candlemire’s core members.

Seeing them appear, Seventh Elder took a step forward, treading on thin air, and headed directly for the rock giant. The giant stared at Seventh Elder, its eyes revealing madness, and the two figures atop its head blurred, simultaneously striking in an instant.

But in the next instant, as both sides clashed and the heavens and earth reverberated with roars, the rock giant’s body violently shook, and its raised right hand directly disintegrated. As it staggered backward, the two black-robed figures who had attacked alongside it also looked even grimmer, retreating in unison, their eyes filled with solemnity. Seventh Elder, alone, forced all three of these Spirit Hoarders to retreat with a single strike.

At the same time, on the ground, as the land and canyon collapsed, the disciples of the Minor Controller Sect themselves scattered in all directions. Though their expressions were panicked, they faced little danger, as the Seven Blood Eyes disciples on the ground targeted the Candlemire peripheral members who exuded black aura. However, due to the recent events, the ground was in chaos, and all Candlemire peripheral members were fleeing at full speed.

Even as peripheral members, the Candlemire organization possessed unique and ruthless qualities; none of them were ordinary. With thousands of members scattering at this moment, Seven Blood Eyes found it difficult to eliminate them all immediately. However, with Seven Blood Eyes’ forbidden artifact sealing the area, Candlemire members, even if scattered, would ultimately be unable to escape this region.

Simultaneously, at three other locations in Yinghuang Province—the Xuan’you Sect, the Heterodoxy Hunter Gate, and the Lingyun Sword Sect—attacks were also erupting. The strongholds they targeted also contained Candlemire core members. Intense battles raged at all four locations, but this was all a bait. It remained to be seen if Nightdove and his master would appear, and where! This was not a conspiracy; it was an open stratagem!

The net of heaven and earth had been cast. At this moment, all human factions across Yinghuang Province were watching these four points. The Grand Controller Immortal Gate was also cooperating, and even the Departed Path Sect was participating, following the Sword-Wielding Court’s arrangements. Everyone was waiting. At the same time, they were wary that Candlemire might feign an attack elsewhere while actually appearing at the mountain gates of various sects.

And Xu Qing’s slaughter began at this very moment. His eyes blazed with intense killing intent, and his attacks were incredibly swift. Dressed in a purple rune-embroidered robe, with the Purple Sky Limitless Crown upon his head, his two Life Palaces materialized above him as a canopy-like shadow. As multicolored light spread and black flames erupted, his Golden Core cultivation shook all directions. Behind him, a Golden Crow roared, manifesting an endless sea of fire that enveloped everything. Simultaneously, Xu Qing’s attacks were utterly brutal.

He instantly appeared before a Candlemire Golden Core cultivator of the First Palace, ignoring the opponent’s counterattack. As the opponent’s expression turned to horror, Xu Qing’s right hand became ethereal, unleashing the ‘Sinister Phantom Plunder,’ and directly plunged it into the person’s spiritual sea—their Celestial Palace, seizing the Golden Core. Amidst the person’s shriek, he forcefully pulled it out. The Golden Core left the body, was crushed by Xu Qing, and after integrating it into himself, he violently recoiled, directly colliding with a four-flame prodigy of an alien race. This prodigy might have been quite famous within his own clan, but under Xu Qing’s impact, he was utterly vulnerable and crumbled instantly.

With a loud bang, his body immediately became a bloody mess, collapsing beyond recognition. Xu Qing didn’t even spare a glance, allowing the Golden Crow to devour it. He violently surged forward, his right hand raised, soul fire enveloping it to form a seven-headed blade. He rapidly approached another burly Golden Core cultivator of the First Palace. The instant he drew near, as the burly man’s expression changed and he hastily retreated, and as a Golden Core cultivator of the Second Palace rapidly approached from a distance, Xu Qing’s speed explosively erupted. The burst of speed surpassed his previous best; in a blink, he caught up to the burly man, and without the slightest pause, slashed the seven-headed blade viciously across his neck.

A familiar sound resonated, and the head flew off!

The next instant, the elderly Golden Core cultivator of the Second Palace closed in, launching an all-out strike. But Xu Qing looked up, a murderous glint in his eyes, as the protective aura of the Purple Sky Limitless Crown spread out, directly blocking the attack. Simultaneously, he raised his right hand and unleashed a punch—that shook all directions! The Golden Core cultivator of the Second Palace spewed blood. His cultivation was comparable to Xu Qing’s, but his physical body was inferior. Furthermore, as the Golden Crow’s ferocious roar surged into him, his expression drastically changed, and he hastily retreated, but it was too late.

Xu Qing grinned ferociously and seized the Golden Core cultivator of the Second Palace. In this critical moment, the cultivator also had a life-preserving item, forming a protective barrier. Xu Qing paid it no mind and slammed his head fiercely into it. Once, twice, thrice! Simultaneously, his poison rapidly spread, and the small black bugs, carrying the power of the poison pill, surged around the elder, instantly corroding his barrier. It finally collapsed with a crash, and Xu Qing’s head directly struck the elder’s face.

Flesh and blood flew, and piercing screams echoed across the battlefield as Xu Qing’s right hand delved into the elder’s spiritual sea Celestial Palace, retrieved his Golden Core, and then, with the opponent horribly screaming and rapidly decaying, severed his neck, separating head from body.

It wasn’t over. Xu Qing’s speed increased further, and he surged forward through the battlefield. Wherever he went, any Candlemire member he encountered, regardless of cultivation level, as long as they hadn’t surpassed the Third Palace, became his prey. His path was one of slaughter, drenched in blood. The seven-headed blade in his hand had severed dozens of necks. Heads rolled across the ground behind him, and headless corpses presented a shocking sight.

Gradually, Xu Qing’s body exuded overwhelming blood qi and astonishing malevolence. With a single collision, he directly smashed a Three-Flame Foundation Establishment cultivator into a mist of blood. From within the blood mist, Xu Qing burst forth like an Asura, his steps never faltering, charging once more towards the Candlemire peripheral members blocking his path.

As for the Candlemire Golden Cores with more than three Celestial Palaces, Xu Qing would avoid them, as the Seven Blood Eyes protectors naturally intervened. For a time, the entire battlefield became an endless bloodbath, and the land fell into chaos.

However, in Xu Qing’s eyes, his objective remained clear; it had been Sheng Yunzi from beginning to end. All his previous attacks were merely incidental; at this moment, he traversed the battlefield, rapidly closing in on Sheng Yunzi, his locked target. His killing intent grew heavier and heavier. Sheng Yunzi’s expression changed, and he continued to retreat.

Seeing Xu Qing drawing ever closer, a hint of madness appeared in Sheng Yunzi’s eyes. The Golden Crow behind him roared towards the sky, while the Golden Crow behind Xu Qing, with an even grander and larger form, also erupted in the sky. While overlooking the land, it also swooped down, directly suppressing him.

In an instant, Xu Qing completely traversed the battlefield, arriving within two hundred zhang of Sheng Yunzi. A distance of two hundred zhang was negligible for a Golden Core cultivator, traversable in the blink of an eye. At this moment, his body transformed into an invisible afterimage, vanishing instantly and appearing before Sheng Yunzi in a single breath. This speed generated a sharp tearing sound through the air, piercing the ears and inducing a sense of heart-pounding dread.

Sheng Yunzi’s expression shifted, becoming ferocious. He knew he couldn’t dodge. At this moment, his Celestial Palace erupted behind him, the Golden Crow behind him roared, and he formed a hand seal, unleashing an all-out strike towards Xu Qing. Countless sword lights burst forth from his body, forming a sea of swords that rushed directly towards Xu Qing.

Xu Qing ignored them, delivering a single punch that tore through the boundless sea of swords, shattering countless flying swords. This punch was devastating, directly slamming into Sheng Yunzi’s chest. An instant protective barrier materialized around Sheng Yunzi’s body, blocking Xu Qing’s punch.

Killing intent erupted in Xu Qing’s eyes. He thought of Sixth Elder’s death, and the scenes from that rainy night. Although the person before him was not Prince Ziqing, the murderous intent in Xu Qing’s heart was too strong; he needed to vent, he needed to explode.

So Xu Qing, with bloodshot eyes, delivered punch after punch: a second punch, a third, a fourth, a fifth—each punch was an all-out explosion, a full amplification of his physical body and cultivation, further amplified by the rapidly spreading and corroding small black bugs. Resounding booms echoed heavenward as Sheng Yunzi’s body continuously recoiled. Even with his protective barrier, every blow from Xu Qing caused the barrier to distort and generate resonant force, leaving him in severe discomfort. Blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth, one mouthful after another.

Xu Qing’s attacks were like a furious storm, without the slightest pause. With a wave of his hand, the Heavenly Blade materialized and slashed down fiercely. There was also the ‘Roaring Sea Nine Undulations,’ conjuring waves of seawater all around, one after another, utterly ferocious.

Amidst the roars, a look of horror appeared on Sheng Yunzi’s face. Finally, as blood vessels pulsed in Xu Qing’s eyes and his last punch was unleashed, Sheng Yunzi’s protective barrier, under the corrosion of the small black bugs, finally began to collapse—showing signs of failure. Xu Qing’s punch landed abruptly. The barrier violently shook, shattering into pieces with cracking sounds, directly blown apart by Xu Qing. With overwhelming force, the punch slammed directly into Sheng Yunzi’s chest. This was the final punch from the Nine Springs. The next instant, Sheng Yunzi’s entire body convulsed violently, spraying blood and emitting a shrill shriek, as a series of booming sounds echoed from his body.

His one hundred and twenty-first Dharma Aperture directly collapsed! His eighth ethereal Celestial Palace instantly shattered!!

The might of a single punch shook all directions.