Chapter 417: Bloody Smell Overwhelms the Four Seas

Xu Qing was not wrong; he was indeed skilled at group combat.

His third Heavenly Palace's poison, once unleashed, was incredibly destructive. Ever since Xu Qing obtained the Poison Prohibition Pill, he had never fully released its power.

Even now, he exercised restraint.

After all, if the poison from his third Heavenly Palace truly erupted without restraint, it would indiscriminately harm friend and foe alike. Apart from Xu Qing himself, both the Shadow and the Adamantine Sect Patriarch would likely collapse.

Despite his restraint, it was still enough to deeply shock the minds of the Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guards.

Almost instantly, three Five-Palace Black Guards cried out in terror. Their bodies were rapidly decaying, flesh falling from their faces, and blood dripping from their bodies. Some had eye sockets that could no longer hold their eyes, which had already fallen out.

Yet, paradoxically, they initially felt no pain.

This was the truly terrifying aspect of Xu Qing's poison: it could corrode everything silently, and by the time pain was felt, the poison had already seeped deep into the bones.

As the screams of intense fear echoed, Xu Qing moved like a gust of death, appearing before a Six-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard. His dagger flashed up in an instant, slicing across the guard's neck.

With a tearing sound, blood gushed out.

The head rolled to the ground, only to be kicked up by Xu Qing. It became a whistling blur, shooting towards another Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard, where it exploded violently, spraying poisonous blood.

The Saintly Ocean Clan cultivator's expression changed, and he recoiled, but he could not escape the fate of death.

Xu Qing's face was devoid of emotion. He took a step forward, unleashing the full power of his Seven-Palace physical body. This created a roaring storm that rolled in all directions, causing a sharp pain in his heart and making him feel as though countless sharp thorns were piercing his entire body.

However, Xu Qing had long grown accustomed to all of this and paid it no mind.

He yanked out his dagger, about to continue, but his expression flickered. He abruptly stepped sideways, dodging a whistling flying sword.

Turning his head, Xu Qing saw another Seven-Palace Black Guard behind him, unleashing an Emperor-level technique to form a massive black handprint, striking towards him.

But this time, Xu Qing didn't need to act. Two Six-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guards beside the attacker suddenly revealed eerie smiles, turned in unison, and charged straight at their Seven-Palace comrade, initiating self-destruction.

As they rushed forward, they also roared loudly.

Our master sends his regards!

This bizarre scene caused all the Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guards present to change their expressions dramatically.

The next instant, the two Six-Palace Black Guards exploded in a sky-shattering roar, disintegrating completely, and the resulting impact swept towards the Seven-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan member.

After the roar, the Seven-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan member spat out blood, his expression a mix of shock and fury. He violently raised his right hand and snatched the black iron skewer that had ambushed him.

However, he could not control the red lightning flickering on the skewer. It instantly shot towards and entered his head, causing the Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard's entire body to convulse.

At that very moment, Xu Qing's dagger arrived swiftly, plunging into the man's heart. He quickly pulled it out and struck again, delivering seven consecutive stabs, each piercing through, utterly brutal.

As screams erupted, Xu Qing noticed that his poison had spread extensively. Most of the surrounding Black Guards were decaying, filled with terror, and their cultivation levels were uncontrollably weakening.

Almost done, Xu Qing murmured inwardly. His shadow eye at his brow expanded directly into a black coffin. As the lid opened, Xu Qing's body surged out.

Of course, during this process, he did not forget to chant a pseudo-incantation to end his Shadow Fusion Secret.

The moment he appeared, Xu Qing unleashed his Ghostly Dao-Seizing Art. His right hand instantly became semi-transparent, and his body swayed as he fiercely stabbed into the chest of a Six-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard.

Despite the opponent's struggles and resistance, it was useless. Xu Qing reached deep into their Heavenly Palace, seized the Golden Core, and violently yanked it out.

The Golden Core was extracted alive, still connected by strands of blood.

Amidst the echoes of miserable pain, the Golden Crow behind Xu Qing materialized, its forty-two long feather-flames spreading in all directions, illuminating the pre-dawn darkness.

Intense light emanated from the Golden Crow's eyes. The moment Xu Qing extracted the Golden Core, it directly devoured the black hand formed by the Black Guard's Emperor-level technique.

All three sides inhaled simultaneously.

The next moment, this Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard's Emperor-level technique collapsed, his body withered, and his Heavenly Palace shattered.

Anyone witnessing this would be utterly horrified; Xu Qing's actions were truly savage.

However, Shanhezi and the other two were not far behind. Ye Ling transformed into a green-skinned cyclops covered in scales, a unique One-Eyed Heavenly Demon of the Grand Void Transformation Demon Sect, emanating dark soul light from its eye.

Its upper body became even more grotesque, growing four masses of flesh that formed four massive fingers, with ferocious faces appearing on their tips, devouring and tearing at the enemy. Even if they were destroyed, they would regenerate in the next instant.

Shanhezi, meanwhile, was enveloped in a bloody mist, severely wounded. He primarily absorbed damage for his companions. However, his cultivation method and bloodline were clearly unique; the heavier his injuries, the more powerful he became.

Ignoring his injuries, he was now completely deranged and utterly berserk, with only killing in his eyes, nothing else.

The Dwarf King Chen was also fighting desperately, enveloped in lightning. A canopy above his head formed a thunderous Lamp of Fate, and his speed was astonishing.

His body was even rapidly changing, gradually growing taller and transforming from a dwarf into the appearance of a young man.

However, his entire body was covered in black totems, as if they were seals. These seals were now progressively unlocking, creating even more terrifying aura fluctuations.

Each time a totem seal was unlocked, an additional figure of an alien race appeared beside him.

Light Clan, Stone Demon Clan, Buffa Clan... dozens of them.

Furthermore, Yan Miao's clone assisted, helping them in their life-and-death struggle against the two Eight-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guards.

They also brought out fragments of magical artifacts. Although they were still no match for the two Eight-Palace Black Guards, the three of them fought desperately, sustaining heavy injuries without regard for the cost, ultimately managing to tie down the two Saintly Ocean Clan members.

Kong Xianglong's situation was even more striking. A golden dragon roared behind him, and he himself resembled a god descended from heaven. A blood-red cloak appeared around him, enveloping the area, as he engaged the three Half-Nascent Soul cultivators in an earth-shattering battle.

Despite being only at the Golden Core stage, he not only showed no weakness under the siege of the three Half-Nascent Soul Soul cultivators but instead gave off an incredibly dominant aura.

This is the Sword-Holding Palace's monstrous squad of this generation!

Someone among the Black Guards cried out in alarm, immense fear rising within them. They began to scatter, attempting to flee the area.

But before they could escape far, one by one, they spat out black blood, their bodies rapidly decaying and dissolving into bloody fluid.

Xu Qing's attacks continued. The Golden Crow emitted joyous chirps, constantly devouring. Xu Qing's Ghostly Hand also continued to delve into one Heavenly Palace after another.

However, it was unfortunate that the speed of his direct attacks could not match the speed of his own poison.

By the time he had slain nineteen Black Guards, only seven remained in the area.

Three were fighting Kong Xianglong, and two were fighting Shanhezi and his companions.

And two more... their bodies were now largely decayed. They walked step by step towards Xu Qing, then dropped to their knees with a thud. Their eyes held despair and terror, yet their mouths uttered fervent words.

Master, please accept this gift from us Black Guards to you, the great Sword Holder!

As they spoke, they voluntarily opened their Heavenly Palaces, took out their Golden Cores, and offered them with both hands.

Xu Qing waved his Ghostly Hand, absorbing the cores. After this, the two Black Guards, in boundless terror, each raised their hands and, with eerie precision, pressed down on their own heads and twisted with force.

A snapping sound echoed as their heads spun around completely, directly twisted off, and they died.

Even in death, the eerie smiles on their lips remained.

Killing people was not inherently terrifying; everyone present had engaged in countless killings. However, dying from decaying despair or being compelled by terror to commit suicide was far more horrific and bizarre than mere slaughter.

Therefore, this scene instantly shocked the minds of all survivors, both allies and enemies, and they looked towards Xu Qing.

At this moment, Xu Qing stood on black, bloody mud. There were few corpses around; most had dissolved into blood.

Behind him, the Golden Crow shone, emitting a clear cry. Its phoenix feathers, trailing flames, drifted around, creating a magnificent sight. A breeze stirred Xu Qing's hair, revealing his calm eyes, devoid of any ripples.

Stepping through the bloody mud, Xu Qing walked towards the two Eight-Palace Black Guards who were being held back by Shanhezi and his companions.

He moved faster and faster. His third Heavenly Palace vibrated rapidly, emitting a powerful suction that swiftly drew all the dispersed poison prohibitions in the area towards him.

Visibly, the area around him turned black, covered by countless dark mists filled with innumerable tiny black insects.

As Shanhezi and his companions' expressions changed, and the two Eight-Palace Black Guards recoiled in horror, Xu Qing suddenly arrived, engulfed in a terrifying black mist.

His figure was also enveloped in the black mist. In an instant, he approached and segmented the battlefield, enveloping one of the Eight-Palace Black Guards, dragging him into the black mist along with himself.

Everything inside the mist was invisible to outsiders, and their senses could not penetrate it. Only roars and rumbling sounds could be heard from within, with astonishing fluctuations.

As a result, Shanhezi and his companions' opponents were no longer two Eight-Palace cultivators but only one, and the situation instantly reversed.

An incense stick's time later, as Kong Xianglong fought ferociously, tearing a Half-Nascent Soul cultivator directly into pieces, Shanhezi and his two companions also completed their kill.

As prodigies, though not quite on Kong Xianglong's level, they possessed peak Seven-Palace combat strength.

Working together, unleashing all their trump cards, and risking severe self-injury, they finally slew the Eight-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard.

With this person's death, a shrill sound also emanated from the black mist where Xu Qing was. Then, footsteps were heard, and Xu Qing's figure emerged step by step from within.

His eyes held a peculiar glint, as if he was deep in thought.

At this moment, he was covered in injuries.

The area around his heart on his chest was a bloody mess, there was a hole in his abdomen, one leg was twisted, and a large chunk of flesh was missing from his neck, as if bitten off.

Blood stained the corner of his mouth, and the arm holding the dagger hung unnaturally.

As he walked, he spat out blood and simultaneously threw the crushed eyeball he held in his hand onto the ground.

Behind him, the poisonous mist now swirled, surged towards him instantly, and completely entered his body.

As the poisonous mist visibly dispersed, it finally revealed the battleground behind Xu Qing, where a figure now stood.

It was precisely the Eight-Palace Saintly Ocean Clan Black Guard whom Xu Qing had pulled into the mist.

His body was mostly decayed, his belly ripped open, all his Golden Cores extracted, and his Heavenly Palace collapsed.

His sole remaining eye retained the disbelief he felt just before death.

Shanhezi and the others all looked at Xu Qing, their eyes shining brightly.

Xu Qing looked back at them, spat out another mouthful of blood, and spoke softly.

Apologies for the wait. Killing him was a bit difficult.

As Xu Qing's words spread, the corpse of the Eight-Palace Black Guard behind him collapsed to the ground.

With Xu Qing's current combat strength, it was naturally difficult for him to kill an Eight-Palace Black Guard.

In a life-and-death battle, all means must be employed. The flesh missing from his neck was brutally torn off by his desperate opponent.

However, the gains from this battle were also immense.

Furthermore, Xu Qing once again sensed the aura of the Red Moon on his opponent's body, which was the source of the peculiar glint in his eyes when he emerged.

This was not the time to ponder such matters. Almost the instant Xu Qing stepped out, a shrill sound came from the sky.

The second Half-Nascent Soul cultivator had his neck brutally twisted off by Kong Xianglong.

The last Half-Nascent Soul cultivator's eyes were filled with extreme terror.

His terror was not just for Kong Xianglong, but also for the ferocity of the Sword Holders below. Without any hesitation, he unleashed his full speed and desperately fled.

Kong Xianglong sneered and flashed out in pursuit. Xu Qing calmly raised a hand and punched his own twisted leg. With a crack, he straightened the bone and then chased after them as well.

This scene further solidified the respect in Shanhezi and his companions' eyes. They were all severely injured, but none of them paid attention to it now. They charged out simultaneously, their killing intent even stronger than before.

Since they were returning the Black Guards' "gift," it was only proper to eliminate all of them.

The area was already not far from the border. So, very soon, just as the Half-Nascent Soul cultivator caught sight of the border, he was caught by Xu Qing and his group.

The five of them attacked simultaneously, with Kong Xianglong suppressing him, so there was no suspense...

Amidst a sky-shattering roar, the Half-Nascent Soul cultivator's body disintegrated directly, tearing into pieces and turning into a bloody rain that splattered onto the border.

The moment he died, a furious aura emanated from the Saintly Ocean Clan territory beyond the border. A figure rapidly approached, and enraged roars echoed.

Sword Holders!

Seeing this, Kong Xianglong suddenly roared.

Who are you calling?

This is the territory of Fenghai County, human race! Any foreign Nascent Soul from the Saintly Ocean region who dares to take half a step in will be immediately slain by Fenghai County's forbidden magical artifacts!

Damn you, come on then!

Having said that, Kong Xianglong turned and ran. As for Shanhezi and the other two, they had already run dozens of yards during his speech.

And Xu Qing was a few steps faster than them, already a hundred yards away...

Everyone ran at top speed.

Beyond the border, the arriving figure abruptly halted, revealing a middle-aged Saintly Ocean Clan cultivator clad in a Black Guard robe.

His expression was extremely grim. He gritted his teeth and stared chillingly at the retreating figures of Kong Xianglong, Xu Qing, and the others, his eyes filled with intense killing intent.

But in the end, he still did not dare to step across the border ahead!