Chapter 765: A Chou

Qin Mu called out several times, but Qin Fengqing never responded. The big-headed baby had actually fallen asleep at this critical moment, a thumb still tucked in his mouth.

Qin Mu pulled the thumb out of his mouth and wiped it on himself. Qin Fengqing had been sucking his finger.

Qin Mu had three heads and six arms. One head and two arms were controlled by Qin Fengqing, while the other two heads and four arms were under his own control. During battle, Qin Mu would also command all six arms.

Earlier, when Qin Fengqing was sleeping, he had pulled Qin Mu's hand over and put the thumb in his mouth.

With nothing in his mouth, Qin Fengqing's sleep wasn't very deep. He smacked his lips and mumbled a few words.

Qin Mu lifted Qin Fengqing's left hand and put the thumb back into his mouth. Only then did Qin Fengqing settle down.

"Is he the older brother or am I?"

Qin Mu shook his head and navigated through the darkness of the Slaughter Cauldron, searching for a way out. However, no matter how long he flew, he couldn't find its edge.

Although the Slaughter Cauldron didn't seem large, its internal space felt boundless, with no end in sight.

Qin Mu even attempted teleportation divine arts, but he still couldn't escape the massive cauldron.

After a long time, he finally gave up searching for the edge of the Slaughter Cauldron and began flying upward. The Slaughter Cauldron was forged by Earth Count, a being of immense divine power. While Qin Fengqing was very powerful, he was still incredibly far from Earth Count's level. Therefore, entering through the Chaotic Sky Net seemed to be the best way to escape.

As he approached the sky, even before reaching it, he saw countless starlight currents flowing within the firmament. The Star River shifted, surging towards him like a coiling dragon.

Qin Mu raised a hand to defend himself, his magic power forming a barrier. The Star River immediately crashed against it.

The stars within the Star River were not physical entities but strange imprints. They collided wildly, starting with only a dozen or so at a time, their power not particularly strong. But in an instant, countless stars surged like a mighty river. The barrier Qin Mu had formed constantly lit up with points of starlight, and in the next moment, it transformed into an incredibly bright wall of light!

Boom—

A violent tremor struck, and his magic power barrier collapsed with a roar. The Star River slammed into his body, sending him hurtling downwards from high above!

In a short time, countless stars struck his body, bringing intense pain. Qin Mu forcefully endured the impacts, letting out a roar. From his mouth came the vast, resonant demon language of Youdu: "Where my body is, there is Youdu!"

Below, demonic energy from the Slaughter Cauldron surged upward, forming a dark continent beneath his feet. Immediately, the Youdu demonic energy soared into the sky, rushing towards the Star River above!

Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted to find he could mobilize the power of the Slaughter Cauldron. The Star River charging at him was dispersed by the Youdu demonic energy. Standing on the Youdu Continent, his body rose higher and higher until he reached the heart of the Star River.

The Star River became more turbulent and violent. Suddenly, the starlight of countless stars hummed and connected, forming an incredibly dense, crisscrossing net of starlight. It descended from the sky, cutting through the Youdu demonic energy and enveloping him.

Qin Mu was startled. He channeled the Youdu demonic energy, and the raging energy transformed into a long blade in his hand. He slashed it upwards to meet the descending net of starlight!

A vast, cleaving slash, cutting both horizontally and vertically!

The blade light, with a vertical and horizontal sweep, tore open the net of starlight. Qin Mu took a deep breath, his body swelling dramatically, transforming into a giant ten thousand zhang tall. His four arms furiously blasted upwards, and in an instant, countless punches shattered the Star River!

Outside the cauldron, Yan Qianchong, High Heaven King, and other ancient beings were still in a standoff, none willing to give up this opportunity. Suddenly, the Slaughter Cauldron vibrated violently, its lid clanging loudly, and the massive cauldron swayed back and forth. It seemed as if a colossal entity was suppressed within, ready to burst out at any moment!

Everyone was startled. Lu Li quickly shouted, "All of you are esteemed seniors, but this is not the time for bickering! Let's refine the Youdu Divine Son to death first, and then we can make our plans!"

She, along with Xuan Ming, Ju Huang, and Han Lei, immediately stepped forward. Their four palms simultaneously pressed down on the four corners of the Chaotic Sky Net, activating its power.

"Good!"

Yan Qianchong stepped forward, luminous flames spinning like wheels behind him. His primordial spirit's magic power instantly shot out like a fiery beam, striking the Slaughter Cauldron. He roared, "First, let's refine the Youdu Divine Son to death!"

Seeing this, High Heaven King extended a finger and lightly traced his brow. His glabella split open, revealing an emerald green eye from which a beam of light shot out, also striking the Slaughter Cauldron. He chuckled, "Very well. The ownership of the Youdu Divine Son's body can certainly be discussed after he's been refined to death."

Other ancient beings extended their palms, some opened their mouths to spew magic power, while others manifested vast Heavenly Palaces behind them. Each employed their unique methods, pouring their magic power into the Slaughter Cauldron and the Chaotic Sky Net to activate the power of these two powerful artifacts!

"First, knock him down from the Chaotic Sky Net!"

Lu Li cried, "Let the Slaughter Cauldron refine him to death!"

Qin Mu had already fought his way into the zenith Star River, standing on the Youdu Continent, unleashing powerful attacks. He was on the verge of escaping when suddenly, the Star River spun wildly, its power greatly increasing.

At the same time, four heads of Earth Count appeared around the Star River. They opened their gaping maws, and the four Earth Count heads chomped down on his Youdu Continent with crunching sounds.

Above, the Star River transformed into an inescapable net, its starlight like chains. The net of starlight sliced downwards, its power more than ten times greater than before!

"Don't fight it head-on!"

The Youdu Continent was suppressed by the four Earth Count heads. Qin Mu was about to use a teleportation array to evade, when suddenly he felt an endless stream of power surge into him from the Slaughter Cauldron, instantly filling his entire body. He was both startled and delighted: "Originally, I couldn't mobilize much power from the Slaughter Cauldron, but how can I suddenly command so much?"

Qin Mu was unaware that High Heaven King, Yan Qianchong, and the others were activating the Slaughter Cauldron, just as they were unaware that their actions were merely enabling Qin Mu to mobilize more Youdu power.

Qin Mu's aura surged dramatically. With a fierce roar, he tore open the chains of starlight and broke through the net of starlight, charging upward. Yet, the Star River whistled and coiled, pressing down on him.

Qin Mu punched and kicked, causing the Star River to shake violently. The four Earth Count heads around him could no longer suppress the Youdu Continent, which carried Qin Mu higher and higher.

Outside the cauldron, Lu Li and the others felt their arms grow numb from the tremors, filled with both shock and fear.

Qin Mu inside the cauldron was incredibly domineering. Even the Slaughter Cauldron and the Chaotic Sky Net couldn't suppress him. If this continued, he would likely shake the Chaotic Sky Net off, escape, and wreak havoc everywhere!

"Isn't the Slaughter Cauldron supposed to be Youdu's foremost killing artifact? How can it not refine him to death?"

The group fell into a panic, frantically channeling magic power to activate the Slaughter Cauldron and the Chaotic Sky Net. Lu Li quickly shouted, "First, fully unleash the power of the Chaotic Sky Net and strike him down to the bottom of the cauldron!"

Immediately, more than ten ancient beings stopped activating the Slaughter Cauldron and poured their magic power into the Chaotic Sky Net instead. The Chaotic Sky Net's power instantly surged. A thunderous roar came from inside the cauldron, and everyone suddenly felt a lessening of pressure. However, they remained uneasy, unsure of the situation within the cauldron.

"The Youdu Divine Son wasn't killed by the Chaotic Sky Net, was he?" Yan Qianchong murmured.

Inside the cauldron, Qin Mu stood on the Youdu Continent. Starlight shot out from the coiling Star River in the sky, and nets of starlight descended one after another, continuously slicing downwards. The fluctuating light forced him to attack frantically just to block the cutting of the inescapable net.

The power of the Chaotic Sky Net was unleashed to its limit by Lu Li and the others. The Star River surged, suddenly transforming into a colossal palm print that slammed down with a roar. Qin Mu raised his four arms high, forcibly catching the massive starlight hand, his body steadily sinking under its pressure.

At this moment, the third eye on each of the four Earth Count heads opened. Four beams of light simultaneously sliced down, instantly cutting the Earth Count Continent beneath Qin Mu's feet into shattered, scattered pieces.

The starlight hand pressed Qin Mu down with a fierce blow. Qin Mu was pinned beneath the hand, the rushing wind roaring in his ears. The demonic energy around him, compressed by the immense pressure, formed thick walls, even a compact continent, trapping him in the center.

The power of the starlight hand erupted, its force reaching directly to the bottom of the Slaughter Cauldron. The massive cauldron vibrated violently. Qin Mu's bones shattered, tendons snapped, neck twisted, four arms broke, and legs contorted. He lay on the ground in a grotesque posture, while Qin Fengqing was still sound asleep, sucking his finger.

Earlier, Qin Mu had actively resisted the power of the starlight hand, using all his might to protect Qin Fengqing, which was why the baby wasn't injured. However, Qin Mu himself suffered severe injuries.

The starlight hand dispersed, and the starlight flowed upward like a whirlwind, quickly vanishing.

For the first time, Qin Mu had been beaten so terribly. He lay there motionless, his internal magic power completely chaotic and his primordial spirit severely wounded. At this moment, the power of the Slaughter Cauldron suddenly surged explosively. Rolling Youdu demonic energy poured in, quickly filling his entire body.

Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted: "Who is healing me? Is it Earth Count? He doesn't seem like such a benevolent person..."

His magic power immediately replenished, and he quickly activated the Creation Technique to heal his injuries.

However, the power of the Slaughter Cauldron grew stronger and stronger, and the surging magic power became more abundant. Qin Mu's injuries quickly healed, yet the Slaughter Cauldron's power continued to increase wildly!

"Something's not quite right..."

Qin Mu's body swelled and bulged, stretched by the surging demonic energy, and his physique grew larger and larger. He couldn't help but panic, hastily calling out, "Brother, brother, wake up! Have you finished digesting? I'm about to burst..."

He felt dizzy and his vision blurred from being overfilled. Suddenly, he heard an aged, hoarse voice chuckle, "Ah Chou, stop messing around. Your wife is heavily pregnant; how can you let her do household chores? Hurry up and help her!"

Qin Mu's vision gradually cleared. The surroundings were picturesque, with clear mountains, lush waters, birds singing, and flowers fragrant. A white-haired old woman sat by the house door, leaning on a cane, smiling as she watched him.

Qin Mu was stunned, but he heard his own voice become deep and rough, rumbling, "Mother, your son understands. I'll go help now."

Qin Mu paused, then noticed he was manipulating an iron plow.

He saw his own incredibly rough hands put down the plow. He stood up; his body was very tall, about twelve feet tall.

Confused, Qin Mu looked down at his shadow on the ground and felt a sudden jolt in his mind.

On the ground was a shadow with ox horns and an ox tail behind its backside!

"No, this isn't me..."

He felt unable to control his body as it walked towards the house. Upon entering the modest estate, he saw a gentle and virtuous woman, heavily pregnant, struggling to wash clothes.

He hurried forward, trying his best to speak in a gentle voice, "My dear wife, be careful not to strain yourself; let me do it!"

The woman tried to straighten her back. He quickly helped her up, then sat down himself to rub the clothes.

At this moment, Qin Mu saw his own face reflected in the water.

He had tiger eyes, tiger stripes on his face, and a pair of winding ox horns on his head.

Although his eyes resembled a tiger's, they were filled with gentleness.

"Earth Count..."

Qin Mu's mind went blank. After a moment, he regained his senses: "Is this the memory of the Slaughter Cauldron? That means I'm currently trapped within Earth Count's Slaughter Cauldron's memory. This Slaughter Cauldron has gained sentience..."

Earth Count had reincarnated in ancient times. The Soul Suppressing Left Envoy had mentioned this, saying that Earth Count was disliked for his ugliness and and was often targeted. Later, ancient gods and demigods conspired against him, killing his wife and daughter, which caused Earth Count's demonic nature to spiral out of control, leading him to slay countless terrifying beings.

"The Slaughter Cauldron's memory is likely about this very event."

Qin Mu felt as if he had become Earth Count, reliving that memory.

Earth Count was very gentle. Though a rough man, he was exceptionally kind to his wife, a virtuous woman who respected her elders. The old woman was Earth Count's mother. She had been pregnant for several years, unable to give birth. When Earth Count was born that year, crows filled the sky outside the window. Upon seeing the child, they found it was a monster with a tiger's face and ox horns.

Everyone around them said he was a demon king reincarnated and wanted him dead. However, the old woman kept Earth Count, giving him the nickname Ah Chou, and painstakingly raised him to adulthood.

After growing up, Earth Count displayed extraordinary courage and developed remarkable divine abilities. Yet, he was a homebody, reluctant to leave his elderly mother.

Despite his ugliness, someone still fell in love with him: his wife.

"Even if he's ugly, someone will want him." The old woman was very happy and doted on her daughter-in-law.

However, his wife didn't like to call him Ah Chou; she preferred to call him Brother Niu.

The family lived in harmony. Soon, his wife gave birth to a boy and a girl. Earth Count wept tears of joy, happily holding his two children, and taught them cultivation. Their days were carefree.

The Earth Count in this memory, though ugly, seemed more human than the selfless ancient god of Youdu.

He was very famous but lived a peaceful life, never making enemies outside. However, famines often struck the surrounding areas. Earth Count generously distributed aid, helping local families, and gradually people grew more fond of him.

"People from the neighboring village say demigods have been sighted recently."

His wife, coaxing their child, told him, "They've eaten many people and are asking about you."

Earth Count grunted in acknowledgment, and when he looked up, he saw the demigod his wife had mentioned.

"Ah Chou, Ah Niu."

The demigod's body was as vast as a hill, making their small estate appear incredibly tiny. The demigod held several people in his hand, grinned as he looked at Earth Count, then brought the people to his mouth and chewed forcefully, laughing loudly. "Who would have thought that the Lord of Youdu would reincarnate and even marry a human woman? Earth Count, since you've reincarnated, hand over Youdu then! You won't be needing it anyway!"

Earth Count didn't reply, looking behind the demigod instead. One by one, incredibly powerful demigods emerged there.

The surrounding villages and settlements had already been flattened by these demigods.

"Ah Chou."

His elderly mother shakily walked out of the room and asked, "What's happening?"

"Nothing."

Qin Mu heard his own voice, deep and rumbling, say, "Mother, please go back inside. Gentlemen, you wish to become the Lord of Youdu? Youdu is currently vacant; you may become its masters, so why bother me?"

"As long as you're not dead, we wouldn't dare!" The demigods burst into laughter.

"Brother Niu..." His wife's voice came from behind him.

Qin Mu turned around and saw a demigod, transformed into a feathered serpent, coiling around his wife and seizing their two children.

Qin Mu's heart trembled, and he could barely bear to look anymore.