Chapter 825: Jiangxin Moon, Rusted Iron Flag

"Qin Overlord Body, what a boast!"

Autumn Ming Prince smiled slightly, unperturbed, and said leisurely, "Why do you rough-and-tumble people always act arrogantly, holding your talent in high regard and despising the children of imperial families? My birth is superior to yours; I was born into an imperial family. My knowledge is richer, and my experience is broader. Any Divine Throne technique, like the Soaring Heavens Divine Throne Technique, is easily within my grasp, and I have the most brilliant teachers guiding me. What do you have?"

The Village Chief, Crimsonbright God-Son, Founding Ancestor Human Emperor, and others felt a chill in their hearts. Being born into an imperial family indeed offered extraordinary advantages—a single point that Qin Mu could not match! Although Qin Mu had received guidance from the elders of Disabled Elderly Village in his youth, making him far better than most, he was incomparable to Autumn Ming Prince. Autumn Ming Prince was like a golden phoenix born in a golden nest, whereas Qin Mu was merely a common dragon from a humble straw shed!

The Village Chief glanced at Qin Mu beside him, seeing that the young man remained nonchalant. He thought to himself, "It's all the Pig Butcher's fault! He taught him never to show fear before anyone. And blame the Dead Blind Man, who taught him to urinate on divine statues to break the gods in his heart, making this boy fearless of anything..."

Qin Mu laughed, "Although I wasn't born into an imperial family, I've also been taught by nine towering figures. The foremost among them, from Disabled Elderly Village, is this old man beside me. He is our village chief; he taught me swordsmanship and how to conduct myself."

The Village Chief was deeply moved, his old face flushing. He thought, "Ahem, I did indeed teach him how to conduct himself, which is why he's so humble and polite, always modest and forbearing—quite like myself."

Autumn Ming Prince burst into laughter, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The moon looked somewhat wrinkled. He sighed, "Teach you how to conduct yourself? What good is that? The imperial family is the most ruthless. Among the many princes in the Heavenly Court, to stand out, one must undergo a bloody elimination. Which one of us who emerges victorious hasn't been tempered by life-and-death struggles? When I was twelve, I was sent to the Infernal Demon Graveyard to fight infernal demons. Of the fifty people who went in with me, I was the only one who came out alive! What did you experience when you were twelve?"

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, appearing somewhat reluctant to speak.

The Village Chief reminded him, "Mu'er, have you forgotten? At that time, Granny Si bought a chicken-dragon, and you fought with it every day, getting beaten all over the place."

Qin Mu's face turned dark as iron.

Autumn Ming Prince laughed heartily again, shaking his head. "I was born better than you, learned more than you, saw more than you, and I even work harder than you. For you to think you can bury me is truly a joke."

Qin Mu said earnestly, "But killing you, for me, really isn't troublesome. Prince, you're not even as formidable as that chicken-dragon I encountered last time. To kill that chicken-dragon, I needed to team up with Senior Brother Zhe Huali. To kill you, for me, only requires one move."

Zhe Huali struggled to suppress his laughter, while the demonic saber on his back seemed to smile with narrowed eyes, though it unfortunately couldn't make a sound.

Autumn Ming Prince glanced at him, a faint smile on his lips. "Zhe Huali, you were once a talent of the Spiritual Grace Army. I never thought that after descending to the lower realm, you too would become a frog in a well. Qin Overlord Body, the reason I'm telling you all this isn't self-praise; it's simply the truth." He looked at Qin Mu and smiled. "For you to be called an Overlord Body by the common folk of the lower realm is truly laughable. It just goes to show how short-sighted these lowly races of the lower realm are. If you are an Overlord Body, then what constitution do I, of royal birth, possess? Do you know why I was ordered to descend and kill you first?"

Qin Mu shook his head. "I do not."

"I descended to eliminate the Three Heroes of the Eternal Peace Reform. You are the first target precisely because you bear the title of 'Overlord Body'." Autumn Ming Prince calmly admired the night scenery of the Surging River, speaking with an air of indifference. "By killing you, one of the Three Heroes of the Eternal Peace Reform will be gone. Only then will these common people understand heavenly might, truly know fear, prostrate themselves in submission, accept the current state of affairs, and abandon any excessive thoughts or ideas of troublesome reforms. Therefore, you are the first to be eliminated."

Qin Mu curiously asked, "Then, Prince, who is the second person you intend to eliminate?"

"Grand Tutor Jiang Baigui of Eternal Peace." Autumn Ming Prince said gravely, "Jiang Baigui is revered as a sage who appears once every five hundred years. Killing him will also be highly impactful. It will show these ignorant commoners of the lower realm that their so-called sages are utterly insignificant to the Heavenly Court, easily crushed with a flick of the hand. The last person I will kill is Emperor Yanfeng himself. He will die on his knees, and he will kneel to his death in front of these commoners of the lower realm." His expression turned cold. "A mere bumpkin emperor of a tiny, insignificant country, ignorant of heavenly grace and unaware of the vastness of the heavens and earth, daring to covet the divine artifacts of the state—he naturally deserves to kneel and die after all his hopes have been shattered!"

"Well said!" The two Heavenly Court guests behind him clapped their hands in praise. "It should be so! Only then can heavenly might be truly displayed!"

"The Prince is wise and formidable; having him personally handle the minor affairs of Eternal Peace Kingdom is truly a waste of talent!"

Autumn Ming Prince, his face full of smiles, looked at Qin Mu. "Qin Overlord Body, do you dare to accept the challenge?"

Just as Qin Mu was about to agree, the Village Chief anxiously interjected, "Mu'er, there's no need to accept. We have strength in numbers now, with Crimsonbright God-Son and Founding Ancestor present; we've got him cornered! Why risk your life fighting him to the death?"

Autumn Ming Prince calmly stated, "The two individuals behind me are Yujing Realm masters from the Heavenly Court, responsible for my safety and assisting me in quelling the Eternal Peace rebellion. And Luo Wushuang of the Spiritual Grace Army is also a subordinate of the Heavenly Court; you should be aware of Luo Wushuang's strength without me needing to elaborate. You only have two Yujing cultivators, whereas I have one more."

The Village Chief frowned deeply.

Founding Ancestor also frowned slightly, looking at Luo Wushuang.

Luo Wushuang remained silent, looking suspiciously at Zhe Huali.

Zhe Huali pretended not to notice, his gaze fixed on Qin Mu.

Qin Mu laughed, "Village Chief, don't worry. He's just a mere prince from the Heavenly Court; it's not like I haven't killed one before? I'll be back shortly."

The Village Chief whispered, "Proceed with caution. First, test his abilities; don't open with a killing blow. Once you discern his true power, then make your move gradually."

Qin Mu nodded, then raised a hand and said, "Prince Autumn Ming, please."

Autumn Ming Prince's aura suddenly surged. His aura erupted, his vital energy resembling an iron-blooded battle flag erected in the air, fluttering in the river wind! Zhe Huali was startled. On the ghost ship, Autumn Ming Prince had used three different Divine Throne techniques to defeat him, but he had not used this iron-blooded battle flag technique! At that time, Qin Mu had killed Autumn Ming Prince in a few moves precisely because Autumn Ming Prince had exposed his techniques and divine abilities while fighting Zhe Huali. Now, Autumn Ming Prince was clearly not using those three Divine Throne techniques, which made Zhe Huali worry for Qin Mu.

Founding Ancestor Human Emperor was shocked and whispered, "That's the Divine Throne technique of the Heavenly Court's Western Heavens Golden Emperor: the Azure Blood Rust Flag Scripture!"

The Village Chief quickly asked, "Is it powerful?"

Founding Ancestor Human Emperor's eye twitched, his voice somewhat hoarse. "The Martial Combat Celestial Master was defeated by this technique, vanquished by the Western Heavens Golden Emperor."

The Village Chief's heart suddenly sank. He mentally communicated to Founding Ancestor, "If Mu'er is defeated, you block those two Heavenly Court masters, and I'll rescue Mu'er!"

Founding Ancestor Human Emperor nodded gently.

No sooner had the two finished their discussion than Autumn Ming Prince made his move. Blood stained the sky, moonlight filled the river, and the moonlight illuminated the rusted flag. The moment Autumn Ming Prince attacked, the Surging River almost ceased flowing; the surging river water rose into the sky, standing like a towering cliff. Autumn Ming Prince struck forward, the rusted flag sweeping across the sky, obscuring everyone's vision. From within this great flag, countless rusted flying swords shot out, converging into a torrent that engulfed Qin Mu!

Just then, a sword light shot out, piercing through countless rusted swords, and in the next instant, it reached Autumn Ming Prince's forehead. Autumn Ming Prince tilted his head, and the sword light grazed his cheek. At that very moment, he saw light flickering behind him; Qin Mu's figure had appeared behind him, reaching out to grab the sword light. Autumn Ming Prince was alarmed. The great flag in the air descended, coiling around him and streaking away through the air. The instant the great flag covered him, Qin Mu thrust his sword forward, piercing into the great flag. That sword light transformed into countless flying swords, which were also enveloped by the great flag.

The rolled-up flag vibrated wildly, covering a hundred miles in an instant, settling on the river surface a hundred miles away. Its speed was so astonishing it was difficult for the naked eye to follow. Qin Mu's teleportation divine ability was already incredibly fast, yet Autumn Ming Prince's Azure Blood Rust Flag technique was barely slower than it, prompting the onlookers on the river to cheer, "As expected of a Divine Throne technique!"

The moment the rusted flag landed, it unfurled with a whoosh. Countless flying swords, like minuscule silver fish, flew out from the rusted flag, whistling towards Qin Mu. Qin Mu raised his hand, and a continuous series of clinking sounds rang out. The small flying swords collided and merged, forming a precious sword that he held in his hand. Qin Mu rubbed the sword between his palms, shaping it into a sword pellet. He then put it into his Taotie Pouch, and from the pouch, he took out an incense stick. He lightly blew on it, and the incense stick lit up, emitting a wisp of fragrant smoke as it flew towards the great flag.

Meanwhile, on the river surface a hundred miles away, blood and shattered bone constantly streamed down from the rusted flag, staining a section of the river red. The incense stick flew over and embedded itself in a torn hole on the rusted flag.

"Prince Autumn Ming, do you now know what an Overlord Body is?" Qin Mu's voice drifted over: "First, accept this incense stick. Next year, on this very day, I will offer sacrifices at your grave."

The great flag slowly sank into the river, swept away by the current, its whereabouts unknown. The river surface became completely calm. No one spoke; the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.

"Just one move..." Zhe Huali sighed. He had known this outcome all along and was, ironically, the calmest person there. He thought, "Only one move. On the ship, he even used four or five moves..."

Luo Wushuang looked at him and whispered, "Zhe Huali, you knew this all along. Why didn't you say anything?"

Zhe Huali did not reply.

"You killed the Prince..." Suddenly, the two Heavenly Court guests stammered, "You killed Prince Autumn Ming!"

Qin Mu said politely, "Seniors, if I didn't kill him, should I just offer my neck to be slaughtered? You two needn't search for him in Youdu or Mingdu; you won't find him. My attacks always eradicate the roots, and Prince Autumn Ming's soul has already scattered."

The two divine beings from the Heavenly Court suddenly let out simultaneous roars, their divine might exploding as they lunged at Qin Mu. Founding Ancestor Human Emperor and Crimsonbright God-Son simultaneously erupted, blocking the two, one on each side. Luo Wushuang's eyes flickered, and a faint click came from the saber sheath on his back; his divine saber was about to be drawn. Just then, Qin Mu abruptly unfastened the willow leaf from his brow and roared, "Brother, murder!"

An incredibly terrifying aura erupted from within him, greatly startling Luo Wushuang. His divine saber clicked back into its sheath with a snap, and the small boat beneath his feet abruptly changed course, speeding away across the river.

Zhe Huali suddenly leaped off the boat. Luo Wushuang, no longer concerned with escaping, immediately stopped the small boat and shouted, "Zhe Huali, get back on!"

"Master Luo!" Zhe Huali knelt on the river, bowing. "After today, Master Luo will no longer have me as a disciple. I humbly thank you here for your tutelage! Should we meet again in the future, it's possible we may have to cross divine sabers."

Luo Wushuang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly drew his divine saber, cut off his sleeve, and threw it into the river. The small boat then sped away.