Chapter 686: One Bow Brings Death

Eight thousand swords flew in, clanging as they converged to form a massive shield in front of Qin Mu. The shield had a perfectly curved shape, designed to block the most powerful shockwaves with minimal pressure.

Qin Mu turned sideways, knelt on one knee, and braced one arm behind the shield, adopting the most powerful defensive stance to absorb the impact.

Behind him, his spirit infused countless threads of vital energy into the shield, reinforcing its structure.

The flying swords on the shield were interlocked in a chain-like structure, enabling them to withstand the strongest impacts.

Additionally, various defensive runes, specifically Black Tortoise runes, appeared on the shield. These featured intertwined tortoise and snake designs, with the shield's surface displaying a tortoise shell pattern and its edges adorned with coiling snake patterns.

A hum— The shockwave from the Heaven's Lament Bell struck. There was no loud ringing, only intense spatial vibration. Qin Mu felt no terrifying impact, but his spirit behind him was struck as if by a heavy blow, trembling violently before vanishing without a trace.

"This Heaven's Lament Bell is a divine ability that targets spirits or souls!" Qin Mu's heart seized with alarm. His spirit rapidly returned, for the speed of a spirit's return was the fastest in the world; even if blasted thousands of miles away, it could return in an instant. The problem now was whether his spirit could withstand the Heaven's Lament Bell's attack.

He knew little about the divine abilities of the Underworld. He had only seen Underworld divine abilities demonstrated by Lou Qianzhong, who had managed to use just one move before Qin Mu killed him, so he had no opportunity to witness more Underworld techniques and divine abilities.

As soon as his spirit flew back, a second shockwave from the Heaven's Lament Bell immediately followed, sending his spirit even further with a hum.

However, Qin Mu's physical body still felt very little impact.

"This Heaven's Lament Bell is very powerful, but it only affects spirits or souls! In that case..."

Qin Mu's mind controlled his physical body. Suddenly, the massive shield disintegrated. The moment it broke apart, Qin Mu transformed into a three-headed, six-armed form. His six arms reached out, and the eight thousand swords coalesced into six divine blades. He leaped forward, charging towards the Heaven's Lament Bell!

He was like a fierce tiger unleashed upon a flock of sheep. His six divine blades flashed up and down, sending heads and severed limbs flying everywhere as he cut down enemies like grass, fully displaying the Butcher's Nine Heavenly Blade Techniques.

The Nine Heavenly Blade Techniques, ranging from "Night Battle, City-Connecting Wind and Rain" and "Sun Over Eastern Sea, Thousand Crashing Waves" to "Long Blade Hanging Moon Soul" and "Swift Steed Frightening Star Essence," were each exquisitely profound, yet also magnificent and grand.

The blade lights were like wind and rain, sea and waves, truly embodying "Long Blade Hanging Moon" and "Swift Steed Frightening Star"!

Coupled with the supreme creation divine ability from the Crimson Light Era, "Three Heads, Six Arms," his three heads observed all directions, and his six arms attacked without blind spots. He was like three Qin Mus working together, slaughtering the flock!

Suddenly, the blade lights ceased. Qin Mu raised his six arms high, and the six blades collided, coalescing into a single long blade. All six arms then collectively brought it down in a cleave!

*Whoosh*— The blade light was dazzling, cleaving open the grand hall's entrance with a single strike. The doors split apart and flew wide, revealing the hall's interior!

All around him—in front, behind, left, and right—bodies successively fell, collapsing into pools of blood, with no one left standing.

His spirit flew back with a whoosh, still settling behind him.

Qin Mu gently rubbed his six hands together, and the long blade transformed into a sword pellet, hovering before his brow. He paused, then his vital energy coiled up the small box, placing it in his hand. Only then did he walk into the grand hall.

*Clang.* The Heaven's Lament Bell behind him fell to the ground, rolling down the steps with a series of clanging sounds.

Inside the grand hall, a demon god sat upright, clad in a black cloak. It had two crimson, curved long horns on its head, but its eyes were distinct black and white, resembling human eyes.

The demon god was holding a book and reading. Qin Mu approached, carrying the small box, which clicked open a slit.

The demon god put down its book, looked at him, and chuckled. "No outsider has entered the Heavenly Yin Realm for a very long time. The last person to enter this place was twenty thousand years ago, when Emperor Kai, ignorant of his own limits, dared to send gods and demons to spy here. Now that you've come, has some other arrogant fool from the outside, who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, decided to stir up trouble again?"

Qin Mu, holding the box, bowed and said, "I am Qin Fengqing, the 107th descendant of Emperor Kai. Greetings to the senior from the Underworld."

"So, you're a descendant of Emperor Kai. Still so young."

The demon god chuckled, "Is Emperor Kai dead? If he's not dead, he would have told you never to reveal your true name to others, especially to those from the Underworld. Although you, little brat, have some skill, you're still too young. Do you know who I am?"

It stood up, its physique burly and tall, even far surpassing Qin Mu's thirty-foot tall spirit.

"The Wei surname is a major clan in the Underworld, giving birth to many gods and demons. And I am of the Wei surname."

Its voice was exceptionally resonant. "My daoist name is Wei Wuqu. Of course, that name is also false, but many still call me Venerable King Wuqu."

Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly. He said, "I once met two gods and demons with the surname Wei. One was named Wei Wushen, and the other Wei Qingpei. I wonder if they are related to you, senior?"

"Wei Qingpei is a disciple of His Majesty, a preeminent genius of my Wei clan."

Venerable King Wuqu, the demon god, chuckled. "As for Wei Wushen, he is my disciple, dispatched by the Heavenly Court to the Underworld to train under me. The fact that you met them and survived suggests you have some capabilities. However, since you've met Wei Wushen, you should know that he was my student, and therefore how dangerous it is to reveal your true name to me."

Qin Mu's face turned ashen. He tightened his grip on the small box.

Wuqu chuckled. "It's no use. While the God-Slaying Profound Blade is formidable, I am far from its match. However, your God-Slaying Profound Blade cannot strike me even a jot. In fact, when you were dealing with my demon gods from the Underworld just now, I already saw the flaw in your God-Slaying Profound Blade. You killed many of my demon gods with it, yet you never used this blade against those with divine abilities whose bodies were concealed within the Underworld. When you encountered such ability users, you always used flying swords to kill them. What does that mean?"

He couldn't help but laugh heartily. "The God-Slaying Profound Blade cannot enter the Underworld!"

Qin Mu's face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.

Venerable King Wuqu was very pleased and said leisurely, "Just now, I watched you slaughter my subordinates. Why didn't I appear? Now I can tell you: I feared the God-Slaying Profound Blade. The head of an Emperor Throne expert, with eyes like blades—this head has drunk the blood and slain countless gods. If I couldn't discern its full power, I wouldn't act. But now, I have seen through the God-Slaying Profound Blade. You cannot harm me in the slightest."

Qin Mu, crestfallen, murmured, "You actually watched your subordinates being killed by me and held back from acting. You're too ruthless..."

Wuqu, with hands clasped behind his back, chuckled. "You're too young, little brat. Whether they live or die, what does it matter to me? They can be reborn in the Underworld anyway after death. It's just that those unlucky souls killed by the God-Slaying Profound Blade will have their spirits and souls devoured by it, dying completely. But what does that matter to me? Since you know my disciple Wei Wushen, would you like to witness a more powerful ultimate technique than his?"

Qin Mu's face was frighteningly pale. He hastily said, "Senior, wait! Senior, aren't you curious about my purpose for coming to the Heavenly Yin Realm?"

Wuqu tilted its head, its two long horns giving it the appearance of a goat. It chuckled, "Very well. I'm on duty here, and it's rare to encounter an outsider. I'll give you some time. Tell me your purpose."

Qin Mu feigned seriousness and said, "I came to find the Heavenly Yin Empress!"

"The Heavenly Yin Empress?"

Wuqu seemed to have heard the funniest thing and laughed heartily. "The Heavenly Yin Empress was eaten countless millennia ago. Only her skin remains. You've come to find her? What can you do by finding her? Hold her skin in a memorial ceremony?"

Qin Mu's face clouded over, and he murmured, "The Heavenly Yin Empress is dead? How can this be? How could... No! Impossible! The Heavenly Yin Empress is a born deity; who could kill her? You must be lying to me! I don't believe it!"

Wuqu laughed aloud. "The Heavenly Yin Empress's human skin is suppressed in the sea. Shall I summon it for you to see?"

"I don't believe it, you must be lying to me..." Qin Mu's eyes were glazed over as he murmured, "You're lying to me... I was ordered to come here to form an alliance with the Heavenly Yin Empress. Her Highness is a born deity, the ruler of the Heavenly Yin Realm, incredibly powerful. She cannot be dead, cannot..."

Wuqu walked past him and said leisurely, "Killing the spirit, not just the body—I love watching an arrogant little brat like you completely break down. I'll let you die understanding. Come along, I'll summon the Heavenly Yin Empress for you to see."

Qin Mu dejectedly followed him, stumbling and almost tripping over the bodies on the ground, barely managing to keep pace.

Venerable King Wuqu arrived at the seashore. The grey-black sea suddenly surged with waves, grey waves crashing against the sky. The ocean's commotion grew increasingly violent, and after a moment, an incredibly majestic and tall goddess slowly rose from the sea.

The goddess's physical body was vast. She appeared to wear no clothes, but was clad in rays of light as her inner garment and rainbows as her outer robes. Divine light, like colorful ribbons, floated behind her.

Qin Mu looked up, as if suddenly grasping a shred of hope. He cried out, "Your Highness, you're still alive! Your Highness, I was ordered to come and form an alliance with you. Your Highness, quickly kill this traitor!"

Wuqu laughed heartily, quite pleased. "Can't you tell? The Heavenly Yin Empress doesn't look like an empty skin, but she truly is. Her body is filled with black sand and shattered souls. She is no longer herself; her physical body was eaten until only the skin remained, and her spirit no longer exists. She's already a mere husk of a ghost."

He turned around, revealing a strange smile. "Now you can die."

Qin Mu struggled desperately. The small box clicked open, and two beams of bloody light shot towards Wuqu!

Wuqu laughed. Its form vanished into darkness, as if transforming into a figure composed of black sand. The two red beams of light cut through where it had been, yet it remained completely unharmed.

"As I expected, the Underworld's divine abilities can indeed counter the God-Slaying Profound Blade," Wuqu chuckled.

The two bloody lights of the God-Slaying Profound Blade circled around it, interweaving like lightning and moving at incredible speeds, yet they could never strike its true form.

"I've had my fun. Now, I'll send you on your way!"

Wuqu, while still in the Underworld, bowed to Qin Mu and chuckled, "Even across a world, I can bow you to death! Qin Fengqing, receive my bow!"

As its bow descended, Qin Mu's mind roared, and the world spun. He felt his soul vibrate, and the next moment, he appeared before a massive demon god.

That demon god had two horns on its head and feet like goat hooves. Its entire body was engulfed in blazing demonic flames. It was Wuqu's spirit, and it reached out to grab him.

Before Wuqu's grasp could land, its gaze suddenly became vacant, foolishly looking behind Qin Mu.

In the darkness behind Qin Mu, three eyes suddenly opened, flickering with strange, butterfly-wing-shaped light. Then, the face of a chubby baby gradually emerged from the darkness.

"This is..."

It looked somewhat bewildered: "Two Qin Fengqings?"

The panic on Qin Mu's face had long vanished, replaced by calm certainty. "Venerable King Wuqu, come meet my brother."