Had Granny Si or the village chief been present, they surely would have erupted in fury, lambasting him for his reckless abandon, for trifling with his own life.
After all, the divine sound accompanying the breaking of the Spirit Embryo wall differed from the divine sound emanating from the young women within the ruins. To wield a demonic sound against the divine sound of the wall, based on countering the young women's divine sound, was like prescribing the wrong remedy. More critically, should the divine sound and demonic sound intertwine in unforeseen ways, the consequence might not be a mere loss of life; his very soul could be scattered and dissipated!
However, Qin Mu, lacking guidance and oblivious to the inherent perils, immediately set about experimenting with the demonic sound once he had grasped its essence.
Focusing his vital energy between his brows, that ethereal divine sound, seemingly hailing from beyond the nine heavens, once again resonated as if by appointment. His vital energy recoiled from the divine sound instinctively. Qin Mu silently chanted the demonic sound, and the two opposing forces immediately entangled, clashing in fierce contention.
Seizing the opportunity, Qin Mu urged his vital energy to assault the Spirit Embryo wall. Yet, the divine sound repeatedly breached his demonic counter, forcing his vital energy to retreat.
He faltered once more, but without a hint of discouragement. He persistently propelled his vital energy forward. After several hundred failed attempts, his vital energy finally struck the Spirit Embryo wall.
But the Spirit Embryo wall remained unyielding, unbroken.
"I am hindered by the divine sound, unable to concentrate all my vital energy for a decisive impact. Thus, I cannot breach the wall."
Qin Mu swiftly analyzed his shortcomings and immediately launched into the next assault. After enduring further failures, his vital energy finally struck the Spirit Embryo wall for the second time.
This attempt also failed to shatter the wall.
Before long, he attempted a third time, then a fourth, a fifth...
Having learned the art of refining medicine from the Apothecary, he had already cultivated an admirable patience. The craft of medicine refining demands patience, intellect, keen sight, and refined technique. Among these, patience reigns supreme; without it, a truly good medicine can never be concocted.
After an untold number of failures, a faint cracking sound suddenly echoed within Qin Mu's brow.
This subtle crack was like the most exquisite immortal melody. Even with Qin Mu's unwavering resolve, he could not suppress the surge of excitement within his heart.
A new fissure, resembling a bolt of lightning, had appeared on the Spirit Embryo wall.
The Spirit Embryo wall was an intangible barrier, invisible to the eye, perceptible only through feeling. When this crack manifested, Qin Mu felt a light erupt from the center of his brows, like a lightning-shaped symbol.
This sensation was truly wondrous.
When one closes their eyes, all is darkness, devoid of any light. One cannot perceive the center of their brows, nor the Spirit Embryo divine treasure, nor the Spirit Embryo wall.
However, when the Spirit Embryo wall is impacted by vital energy and a crack forms, one can then discern lightning-shaped light bursting forth from the darkness. It is at this moment that the Spirit Embryo wall becomes visible.
Qin Mu not only beheld the Spirit Embryo wall but, through the lightning-shaped fissure upon it, also caught a glimpse of the Spirit Embryo divine treasure.
Within the Spirit Embryo divine treasure, a misty, golden, brilliant light diffused, and an abundance of dense vital energy surged from the lightning-shaped crack, continuously merging with his own vital energy.
The vital energy within the divine treasure was purer, more potent, yet it shared the same attribute-less quality as the vital energy he had cultivated himself.
Qin Mu held a deep conviction that the vital energy he cultivated was the unique vital energy of the Overlord Body, the Overlord Body vital energy, and thus he was unconcerned by this observation.
Within the Spirit Embryo divine treasure lay not only vital energy but also even more marvelous secrets. However, he had merely breached a lightning-shaped fissure, not completely shattered the wall, rendering him unable to discern what else lay within.
That lightning-shaped crack was slowly mending. Qin Mu's heart sank slightly, realizing that the Spirit Embryo wall was not as simple as he had imagined. The Spirit Embryo wall, though formless, was like a viscous substance; even a broken opening could heal.
Only by shattering the Spirit Embryo wall entirely in one go could the Spirit Embryo divine treasure be truly opened!
"My vital energy cultivation is still insufficient, but creating a crack allows my vital energy to improve rapidly! It won't be long before my vital energy can break the Spirit Embryo wall!"
Qin Mu’s spirits soared. Suddenly, he heard the crow of a rooster, and his heart stirred. He quickly opened his eyes.
Among the strange beasts that had entered the ruins for sanctuary were several bald-necked roosters, unusually majestic and tall, exceeding the height of a man. Their feathers were magnificent, but their necks were bare. The crow he had just heard came from one of these roosters.
"The sky is about to brighten."
Qin Mu's heart stirred. The eastern sky was already tinged with a hazy light, indicating the imminent sunrise. He now lacked the time to completely breach the Spirit Embryo wall.
Fortunately, he had already grasped the method for breaking the wall. As long as he could escape the clutches of Senior Brother Qu and Senior Sister Qing, he would have ample time to achieve the breakthrough.
Though he had not completely shattered the wall, merely opening a crack had significantly enhanced his cultivation. He possessed enough confidence to elude the two of them!
"The sky is about to brighten," Senior Brother Qu remarked meaningfully.
Senior Sister Qing said coldly, "The three junior brothers perished in the cause of eliminating demons. If this little demon cub escapes, would that not betray their spirits in the heavens?"
Qin Mu paid them no heed, rising to his feet and stretching his limbs.
In the square, the young women continued their struggle against the darkness, locked in a fierce, back-and-forth stalemate. Darkness and light clashed violently.
Not long after, another rooster crow echoed. The darkness grew anxious, its sound becoming extraordinarily loud and heavy. The young women's divine sound, in turn, grew passionate and clear. Divine light and darkness confronted each other fiercely, edge against sharp edge, a truly astonishing spectacle.
Suddenly, the third rooster crow sounded. A sliver of sunlight pierced the eastern gloom, falling upon the highest nearby mountain peak.
As this sliver of sunlight shone forth, the inky black darkness immediately receded like a tide, rapidly retreating into the distance. The darkness vanished as swiftly as it had arrived, moving ever faster, finally disappearing on the horizon.
And as the morning sunlight descended, illuminating the valley, it had not yet cast its rays into the ruins within the valley when the suspended bright pearl was seen slowly descending. The colorful glow filling the square surged into the pearl.
The glow faded, and the young women in the square once again became a pile of motionless skeletons, as if the previous night's valiant battle against the darkness had been but a brilliant dream.
Qin Mu had long heard the villagers speak of the peculiarities of the Great Ruins; the events occurring here were bizarre and unbelievable. However, hearing was one thing; personally experiencing these strange phenomena was far more shocking.
Each nightfall brought the invasion of darkness, the faces within the darkness, the mysterious demonic sound, the skeletal figures of young women in these ruins transforming into vibrant beings each night, and the confrontation between light and darkness—all were inexplicable wonders.
These secrets awaited discovery.
Qin Mu's figure concealed itself within the moving herd of beasts, quietly making his way outwards. The beast herd evidently adhered to an unwritten rule: no conflict within the ruins. However, once outside the ruins, the herd could potentially become extremely dangerous.
On the other side, Senior Brother Qu exchanged a meaningful glance with Senior Sister Qing. The two also blended into the beast herd, steadily closing in on Qin Mu.
The beast herd continued its orderly outward movement. Suddenly, a sword light arrived silently, directed at Qin Mu's back. Qin Mu sidestepped to evade, and the treasured sword nearly pierced a strange beast.
The strange beast roared in agitation.
"Junior sister, restrain your sword! Injuring the strange beasts will enrage the herd, and we will all perish here!"
Senior Brother Qu's voice reached him. Senior Sister Qing hurriedly retracted her treasured sword, flipped and leaped onto the back of a strange beast, then leaped onto another, rapidly approaching Qin Mu. Qin Mu watched with great envy. Condensing qi into threads, manipulating a treasured sword to slay enemies dozens of *zhang* away—this skill, though not as astonishing as the Butcher's divine powers, was still profoundly impressive.
Senior Sister Qing's footwork was light and agile, her skirt hem swirling like a pink lotus flower. Beneath the lotus, her tiptoes, sharp as knives, kicked towards Qin Mu!
Her leg technique was fierce; each kick was as if carrying the sharp spikes of a colossal hammer, causing the air to buzz with its force.
This leg technique could effortlessly shatter a large stone, piercing through copper walls and iron ramparts!
Qin Mu's eyes lit up as he met Senior Sister Qing's whirlwind of leg techniques!
The Cripple had once told him that the Steal Heaven Leg technique he had taught him never feared any other leg technique!
