Chapter 307: Shamelessness

"You son of a bitch!" Qin Mu cursed.

He thrust his sword forward, and suddenly eight thousand swords moved in unison, like a surging tide of flying swords pressing down on Ban Gongcuo. "Qin Gongcuo, I swear we won't share the same sky!" he snarled.

"Qin Gongcuo? Why is he calling me Qin Gongcuo?"

Ban Gongcuo was taken aback. Without much thought, he immediately slapped his waist. He, too, had a taotie pouch there. As the pouch opened, a large banner sprang out. He snatched it, flipped it open, and shook it. From the long banner surface, countless locusts emerged, buzzing as they circled him once, then flew towards Qin Mu's sword rain.

In mid-air, those locusts suddenly changed direction, swarming onto Qin Mu's flying swords, gnawing with a "crunch, crunch," but they couldn't bite through.

Qin Mu had used almost all of the Heavenly Devil Cult's finest materials to forge the eight thousand swords. Although most of them were made of profound gold, each sword was crafted by Qin Mu, a master smith. During tempering, top-grade metals were added, making the materials even superior to those used for a first-rank official's sword like the Junior Protector Sword.

While Qin Mu's cultivation limited him from elevating the power of the eight thousand swords to the level of the Junior Protector Sword, in terms of hardness alone, each of these eight thousand swords was no less formidable than the Junior Protector Sword.

Qin Mu channeled his sword energy, striking at the locusts. A continuous clang rang out, sparks flying. Even his sword couldn't harm these flying locusts, startling him. "This fellow has many treasures!"

His own taotie pouch was stolen from the Loulan Golden Palace, whose treasures he had extensively plundered. However, Ban Gongcuo, as the Grand Venerable of the Loulan Golden Palace, held a status far above that of the Shaman Venerable, and had his own treasure trove that Qin Mu hadn't managed to raid.

Ban Gongcuo possessed a wide variety of spiritual weapons. These locusts were actually exotic treasures refined using the art of Gu from the Gu Hall, a branch of the Heavenly Devil Cult's *Great Cultivation of Heavenly Devils Scripture*.

In a previous life, he had joined the Heavenly Devil Cult and learned the *Great Cultivation of Heavenly Devils Scripture*. Although he hadn't obtained the unified cultivation method, he had mastered all the various techniques within it.

The Gu worms in his taotie pouch were also sect-level treasures, and they incorporated the soul cultivation methods from the Loulan Golden Palace. He had refined each Gu worm not only to attack the enemy's physical body but also their soul. The Golden Palace's *Shaman Venerable Loulan Scripture* contained methods for soul worm attacks, which drew inspiration from the Gu worm techniques of the *Great Cultivation of Heavenly Devils Scripture*.

His flying locusts were as hard as iron. He had refined them in his previous life to be able to shrink and grow at will. Ordinary spiritual weapons encountering these flying locusts would be completely devoured, leaving not a speck of residue.

Moreover, the flying locusts contained shamanic techniques for soul attack, skilled at polluting other people's spiritual weapons. Once a spiritual weapon was contaminated by shamanic power, its owner would lose control over it, leaving them at Ban Gongcuo's mercy.

Most importantly, while other sect-level treasures required significant cultivation to activate, activating the flying locusts consumed relatively little cultivation. That's why he immediately deployed this treasure the moment he engaged Qin Mu in battle.

He knew Qin Mu's cultivation was extraordinarily profound, perhaps even surpassing his own. Even though he had reincarnated and cultivated much faster than Qin Mu, he dared not be overconfident and believe he could overwhelm Qin Mu in terms of cultivation.

Qin Mu had a vast number of flying swords, and Ban Gongcuo also had a multitude of flying locusts. Both of them were surprisingly employing sword arts, colliding sword art with sword art. Qin Mu was performing the third chapter of Dao Sword, a Daoist sword art, and astonishingly, Ban Gongcuo was also employing the third chapter of Dao Sword.

Five-colored auspicious clouds covered the sky, and celestial melodies resonated!

The same stances, the same sword art—in the hands of Daoist disciples, they would embody ethereal immortal energy, detached from worldly concerns, without a trace of earthly dust.

However, when performed by these two, neither the sword energy nor the flying locusts possessed any immortal quality. Qin Mu's sword light was overbearing, eight thousand swords forming five-colored auspicious clouds. The three elements and five qi were overwhelmingly aggressive. When the flying swords collided, there was no semblance of celestial aura. The celestial rhythm transformed into the thunder of war drums, the clash of weapons, and a murderous aura that surged to the heavens!

Meanwhile, Ban Gongcuo used shamanic power to activate the third chapter of Dao Sword. The flying locusts formed clouds, colorful yet imbued with a rolling demonic nature, appearing like various poisonous substances permeating the air. Coupled with the bizarre nature of shamanic spells and poisons, and the strange chirping of the locusts, the celestial melodies were utterly desecrated.

Boom!

The power of Dao Sword's third chapter erupted. Swords and flying locusts collided, and the force of their techniques exploded. Both figures were severely shaken, stumbling backward, hitting the walls of the bridge hard, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.

"Qin Gongcuo, your death is at hand!"

Qin Mu shook himself free from the wall, raising his hands high and bringing them together above his head. His little fingers and ring fingers interlocked, while his middle and index fingers stretched straight, and his thumbs were folded inward, forming a sword incantation.

The Worry-Free Sword immediately flew to him, its tip pointing upward. Swish, swish, swish, the eight thousand swords whistled through the air, forming one gigantic sword. With the Worry-Free Sword at its core, the eight thousand swords rotated continuously, simultaneously executing the Drilling Sword and Chopping Sword stances.

Qin Mu chopped downwards with both hands, a loud crash —

A huge sword roared as it cleaved towards Ban Gongcuo!

"Sect Master Qin, manipulating so many swords, perhaps your cultivation isn't quite sufficient?"

Ban Gongcuo held the Myriad Locust Banner, swaying it left and right. Countless flying locusts flew back, the ones behind crawling onto the backs of the ones in front, forming a large shield. Swords and flying locusts collided, sword techniques changing. Countless swords rotated and twirled, transforming into the Circling Sword stance. The flying locusts were refined to be as hard as steel; the swords couldn't drill through, but the Circling Sword stance penetrated the gaps, aiming to strike Ban Gongcuo behind the shield.

"Qin Gongcuo, your magic power isn't enough either, is it?" Qin Mu snarled.

Ban Gongcuo was puzzled. "Why does this kid keep calling me Qin Gongcuo? My surname isn't Qin. Strange..."

He didn't know that the owner of this ship was named Qin, from Qin clan of carefree village, and the gigantic being with eyes two hundred and sixty-four zhang apart, waiting there, was expecting someone from carefree village!

Qin Mu had painstakingly tricked that terrifying entity, pretending to be an explorer who had stumbled into this place. He was about to leave this trap, but Ban Gongcuo called him "Sect Master Qin," clearly pushing him into a fire pit!

So Qin Mu simply decided that if there was trouble, they'd face it together. If there was a sh*t-pot, they'd both wear it on their heads. He intentionally called Ban Gongcuo "Qin Gongcuo," essentially thinking, "If I'm going to die, we all die together."

However, Qin Mu wasn't wrong either. Ban Gongcuo's magic power was indeed a bit stretched. Although his Myriad Locust Banner didn't demand high cultivation, a sect-level treasure was still a sect-level treasure. Activating it consumed less cultivation, but he was still in the Six Harmonies realm, and activating a divine bridge realm treasure was strenuous.

His clash with Qin Mu's third chapter of Dao Sword earlier had already consumed most of his vital qi; otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to using the Myriad Locust Banner as a large shield to block Qin Mu's sword moves.

Qin Mu's expenditure was also astonishing, otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to using only basic sword moves like the Drilling Sword, Chopping Sword, and Circling Sword, but would have fiercely countered with a powerful move like Dao Sword.

Both struggled to control their spiritual weapons, but the power of each other's spiritual weapons was incredibly astonishing, surpassing the scope of the Six Harmonies realm. A slight misstep in failing to block the opponent's spiritual weapon would result in a gruesome death. Thus, both were caught in a dilemma, forced to fight with all their might, expelling vital qi to confront each other.

"Qin Gongcuo, would you mind letting me pass?" Qin Mu gritted his teeth. His vital qi cultivation struggled to control so many treasured swords, and thousands of them clattered to the ground, sticking into the floor and walls of the bridge.

But even as he attacked, hundreds of flying swords continued to soar, unleashing various sword techniques with fierce momentum.

Ban Gongcuo also couldn't control so many flying locusts. Thousands of them landed, unable to fly back up as he lacked the vital qi to command them, so he could only control a few hundred to clash head-on with Qin Mu.

"As long as Sect Master Qin removes his helmet, I'll let you live!" Ban Gongcuo sneered.

The number of spiritual weapons they could control dwindled. Suddenly, Qin Mu unleashed the Tathagata Great Wisdom Sutra, transforming into a giant Buddha for close-quarters combat with Ban Gongcuo. A massive handprint descended, and behind him emerged eight heavens of divine Buddhas, their chanting resounding loudly.

The first stance of Thunder Sound Eight Forms: "Alone, Crossing the Eastern Sea, Embracing Spring Thunder!"

"Adamant Invincibility!"

Ban Gongcuo sneered, also unleashing the Tathagata Great Wisdom Sutra, activating the Adamant Invincibility technique within it. His body turned golden, like a Dharma protector arhat, and he clashed fiercely with Qin Mu.

He had learned the cultivation methods and divine arts of the Tathagata Great Wisdom Sutra, while Qin Mu had only learned the cultivation method. He surely thought Qin Mu would be inferior in divine arts. Unexpectedly, although Qin Mu was indeed using the Tathagata Great Wisdom Sutra, his leg technique suddenly changed. The leg technique was unpredictable and ever-changing, his figure like a ghost, spinning wildly around Ban Gongcuo!

Ban Gongcuo was caught off guard, struck in the groin by Qin Mu's raised knee. He immediately gasped in pain, tears streaming down his face.

*Clap, clap, clap*, Qin Mu landed countless kicks on his face, sending him stumbling backward, his body pressed against the wall. Just as he seemed about to die, Ban Gongcuo's body suddenly transformed into a shadow, clinging to the wall and moving away. He was using the Demonic Shadow Illusory Demon Art from the *Great Cultivation of Heavenly Devils Scripture*, evading Qin Mu's Heaven-Stealing Divine Leg.

Qin Mu cheered as he ran towards the cabin door. At the same time, he used qi to control his swords; with a thought, hundreds of swords simultaneously darted towards the shadow on the wall. He had just reached the cabin door, about to open it and rush out, when his feet suddenly became rooted. It was Ban Gongcuo, who had blocked Qin Mu's flying swords with his locusts, then his demonic shadow, clinging to the ground, extended two shadowy black hands to grab Qin Mu's ankles.

"Sect Master Qin, please leave the helmet!"

Ban Gongcuo pulled hard, and Qin Mu's figure immediately transformed into a black shadow, also sticking to the ground. Both of them activated the Demonic Shadow Illusory Demon Art, becoming two shadows, flashing back and forth on the walls and ground, aiming for a deadly strike at each other.

The bridge wall vibrated violently. Ban Gongcuo was blasted out of the wall, transforming from a shadow back into his physical form. He immediately activated the flying locusts to bite at Qin Mu's demonic shadow on the wall.

Qin Mu moved swiftly along the wall, then suddenly dropped from the cabin ceiling. His feet were still shadowy, but his body had returned to normal. He unleashed a palm strike, knocking Ban Gongcuo head over heels.

Ban Gongcuo leaped up, but instead of attacking, he stared blankly behind Qin Mu, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Qin Mu was about to attack him when he suddenly felt something was wrong. His body stiffened, feeling two terrifying gazes fall upon him.

Involuntarily, he dispersed his Demonic Shadow Illusory Demon Art, landing on the ground. He struggled to turn his head and look.

In the darkness outside the bridge, two gigantic eyes appeared, one on the left side of the bridge, one on the right, separated by two hundred and sixty-four zhang.

These two eyes had vertical pupils, sinister and eerie, their gaze fixed on the two of them.

Ban Gongcuo trembled, his legs shaking slightly. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Sect Master Qin, I understand now why you wanted to leave this place..."

"You motherf***ing Qin Gongcuo!"

Qin Mu gritted his teeth. "If it weren't for you, I'd have been long gone!"

Below those two pupils, an unpleasant voice emanated, like fingernails scraping across steel: "Who among you is named Qin?"

"Him!" Qin Mu and Ban Gongcuo simultaneously raised their hands, pointing at each other.