Second update! I'm truly useless... Five hours to write one chapter—my back is aching! As the surrounding scenery instantly transformed into one of bleak desolation, He Zhiqiu's body began to inflate rapidly, like a balloon. His black hair danced wildly in the air, his pale face contorted with murderous intent, reflecting the boundless colors of autumn!
Jun Mo Xie immediately understood: He Zhiqiu’s ‘Boundless Autumn Sorrow’ wasn't merely an infectious emotional aura; upon activating this technique, he could drain the vitality from all green plant life and redirect it for his own use.
This meant he could replenish his physical strength and Xuan Power anywhere, anytime, placing him in a naturally unbeatable state! His opponents lacked this advantage; even if their initial strengths were equal, the relentless ebb and flow of power meant victory was a foregone conclusion—or rather, the longer the fight lasted, the greater He Zhiqiu’s advantage became!
Bai Qifeng’s white robes billowed as he roared, “Magnificent move! Superb art! What a ‘Boundless Autumn Sorrow’! Behold my ‘Sudden Emergence of the Pinnacle, Ten Thousand Phosphorescent Splendors’!”
His hands moved in a dizzying flurry, and in an instant, Bai Qifeng’s body vanished within a tempest, as if his physical form had completely disappeared. In its place, the ground suddenly became uneven, followed by the violent emergence of miniature, man-made mountains—each one sharp and sheer, resembling ragged cliffs. Simultaneously, countless boulders rumbled down from the sky!
“Boundless Autumn Scenery, infinite vistas—how can a mere scattering of rocks hope to conceal that? Overestimating your capabilities!”
He Zhiqiu let out a cold laugh. The autumn wind howled, and across the vast world, only desolation remained in sight!
Although Bai Qifeng had timely activated his unique Xuan Art, harnessing the distinct power of heaven and earth he had comprehended to cause monumental changes akin to the sea turning to mulberry fields, he was clearly at a disadvantage in this engagement!
He Zhiqiu, having unleashed ‘Boundless Autumn Scenery,’ held a distinct upper hand, leveraging the unique attributes of his innate technique to truly create ‘infinite vistas.’ The moment the two clashed, both figures vanished into this sudden, bizarre landscape. Yet, with boundless autumn colors filling the heavens and earth, Bai Qifeng’s ‘Ten Thousand Ravines and Phosphorescent Splendors’ had already withered, and he was now merely struggling to hold on.
This fact was clear not only to Bai Qifeng himself but also to the Saint Emperors observing from the sidelines.
There were five great Saint Emperors of the Illusionary Mansion present; any one of them could easily reverse Bai Qifeng’s losing situation, perhaps even securing victory in just a few moves. However, battles between these Saint Emperors involved their personal honor and reputation. Regardless of the reason, if anyone interfered, neither combatant would accept it! Especially the disadvantaged party—they would sooner fight to the death!
Currently, though Bai Qifeng was heavily suppressed, he was still far from true defeat. To turn the tide, the only person who could legitimately intervene was Cao Guofeng, who was engaged in his own separate duel. No one else could step in!
As expected, Cao Guofeng let out a long, sky-shaking roar!
The usually steady and reserved Cao Guofeng had not exerted his full strength in the preceding exchanges. Although the alliance between the Illusionary Mansion and the Three Great Sacred Lands had collapsed due to the day’s events, the relationship had not yet reached the point of outright hostility. Thus, Cao Guofeng could maintain a seemingly even match earlier. Otherwise, with his strength as a Third Level Saint Emperor, exerting his full power would undoubtedly grant him the upper hand against Hai Wuya, even if not an instant victory!
But at this moment, Bai Qifeng was completely suppressed by He Zhiqiu and could not recover. Moreover, He Zhiqiu hated Bai Qifeng to the bone and would never allow him to survive if given the chance!
It could be said that while Cao Guofeng and Hai Wuya were fighting leisurely, almost like sparring, Bai Qifeng and He Zhiqiu were engaged in a genuine, life-and-death struggle!
Life hung by a thread!
Forced by the situation, and fearing for Bai Qifeng’s safety, Cao Guofeng had no choice but to unleash his ultimate, hidden power! Only by swiftly defeating Hai Wuya could he rush over to rescue Bai Qifeng from his predicament!
The very instant Cao Guofeng erupted with his full might, the battle underwent a startling change—a fundamental transformation driven by his outburst!
This was no longer a clash of egos, but a true war for survival! A life-and-death battle between the Illusionary Mansion and the Sacred Lands!
“Brother Hai, forgive my offense!”
Cao Guofeng’s cry shook the heavens, and the winds and clouds instantly changed color. His body shifted from stillness to motion, and in that single moment, the entire space became densely packed with Cao Guofeng’s shadows! An unprecedented oppressive weight, like that of a mountain range, instantly made it difficult for Hai Wuya even to move!
However, at this very moment, Hai Wuya responded with a long roar, unleashing his strongest Xuan Power and breaking free from the restraint. Over on the other side, He Zhiqiu, who held the clear advantage, suddenly burst into hearty laughter. The two figures flashed rapidly and converged in an instant!
Hai Wuya let out a deeply sarcastic laugh: “Ethereal Illusionary Mansion, you truly intend to kill us both! Cao Guofeng, you have finally revealed the true stance of your Mansion. Old man and I shall not accompany you further! Keep those few weapons and trinkets for your enjoyment. Ha! Mountains tower, rivers flow—we shall meet again someday!”
With the laughter fading, two figures flickered away like illusions and vanished. Simultaneously, the long-abandoned lotus pond beside the battle arena suddenly erupted with a loud boom, flipping completely upside down! Centuries of accumulated sludge shot upward like an enormous, grotesque umbrella, covering an area a thousand zhang wide! Thick and dense, it descended like a storm cloud blotting out the sky.
Everyone within that radius instantly faced the danger of being submerged in filth!
Hai Wuya and He Zhiqiu let out synchronized cold laughs and then fell silent. Clearly, after launching this purely disgusting final strike as cover, they had used it to rapidly retreat from the area!
Both were ancient monsters who had lived for hundreds of years; they wouldn't rashly engage in a fight they couldn't win out of mere temperamental pique. This entire affair had been a probe—testing the Illusionary Mansion’s true attitude toward the Sacred Lands. If Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng had truly intended murder, it would have confirmed the Illusionary Mansion’s insidious ambitions! At that point, the two would have broken out at all costs!
In truth, these cunning veterans had already planned such a retreat when they chose this location for the battlefield! The older, the spicier the ginger!
Judging by such deep calculation, the Ethereal Illusionary Mansion, accustomed to seclusion from the mortal world, lagged far behind!
Furthermore, while the others intended to fight to the bitter end, the people of the Illusionary Mansion fundamentally had no intention of exterminating their foes! Even Bai Qifeng had only intended to teach He Zhiqiu a harsh lesson, not to kill him!
But their sudden departure, ending the battle, and the immediate report of the events left no room for misinterpretation between the Three Great Sacred Lands and the Ethereal Illusionary Mansion!
With the departure of those two, the Four Great Powers were utterly fractured!
Jun Mo Xie, caught in the crossfire and similarly affected by the sludge covering the area, was momentarily stunned by this sudden, earth-shattering turn of events, crying out inwardly, This is bad!
Cao Guofeng and the others possessed profound Xuan Power shielding them, and they had the leisure to use movement techniques to evade. They naturally had nothing to worry about regarding the sludge. But Jun Mo Xie was different; he was currently observing the fight while concealed in the Yin-Yang Escape, waiting for a moment when both sides were mutually exhausted to seize an advantage.
If he activated his Creation Primal Art for defense during this rain of sludge, no matter how careful he was, the resonance of energy would inevitably reveal his presence to Cao Guofeng and the others. This would risk his entire plan collapsing, and his personal safety would also be in jeopardy—facing the combined might of seven Saint Emperors! Even the current Fourteenth Master of the Nine Hells might not fare well...
Therefore, he could only choose to endure it!
Feeling the disgustingly foul mud splattering onto him, Jun Mo Xie almost retched. This sludge, accumulated over hundreds of years, especially from a former lotus pond... containing the decay of generations of organic matter... and the rotting corpses of various creatures... The stench was unimaginable!
Even for Jun Mo Xie, whose assassin’s life had exposed him to countless forms of defilement, this was almost unbearable!
Before the young master could fully emerge from his dream of exhilaration and complete control, he was subjected to this calamity... And yet, he dared not move, not even an inch, forced to let the stinking sludge coat his entire body... literally on the verge of tears!
My grand plan... Woe... dissolved into thin air...
Dreams are always beautiful, but when beautiful dreams vanish, reality strikes back, often cruelly and tragically!
After an unknown period, when the young master next opened his eyes, he found the area completely deserted. Hai Wuya and He Zhiqiu were naturally gone without a trace, and Cao Guofeng and his group had vanished as well!
This was logical. Cao Guofeng and the seven Saint Emperors were all accustomed to comfort and luxury. With He and Hai already departed, why would they linger to smell the rot? It was also fortunate for Jun Mo Xie that the sludge had destroyed the concealment of his Yin-Yang Escape. Had they stayed a moment longer, the revealed Jun Mo Xie would have faced true catastrophe!
In the silent depths of the night, only the young master remained, squatting in a tree, covered head to toe in filth, resembling nothing so much as a mud monkey...
“How could it turn out like this? Such rotten luck! Not only did I miss the chance to beat a dog already fallen in the water, but I’ve turned into a mud monkey myself! How could my perfect plan devolve into this mess?”
The young master sighed heavenward, realizing that beyond successfully sowing discord, this entire endeavor seemed destined to yield no other rewards.
Utterly depressed, he climbed down from the tree and used his cultivation to shake off the sludge. However, the terrible odor lingered persistently. Jun Mo Xie cursed under his breath while flying swiftly, searching for a river where he could thoroughly clean himself!
It was simply too nauseating!
Even the filth excreted from his body during his meridians-cleansing sessions in a previous life probably couldn't match this stench!
The young master of this current life had always enjoyed smooth sailing; this miserable experience seemed to be a first!
He traveled forty or fifty li before finally spotting the glittering reflection of water ahead—a clear, small river rushing forward cheerfully. The water wasn't deep, barely reaching above the knee. Calling it a river might be generous; a stream was more fitting. Without hesitation, the young master executed a perfect dive, plunging into the water with a plop.
With a boom, he immediately carved a pit three to five zhang deep into the riverbed. The flow was instantly diverted, and all the clear river water poured into this newly formed basin.
Jun Mo Xie quickly stripped himself bare and buried his head in the water, washing frantically. But even when he resurfaced, he could still sense that unbearable stench assaulting his nostrils...
After repeatedly washing several times, he finally felt somewhat clean, and the odor seemed significantly fresher. Jun Mo Xie lay naked in the giant bathing pool he had just created, taking a few breaths, a sense of bittersweet absurdity rising within him.
His clothes were utterly ruined, beyond salvaging—the smell was truly...
A thought crossed Jun Mo Xie's mind, and he retrieved an alternate set of garments from the Hongjun Pagoda. Seeing the clothes reminded him: Damn it! How could I be so dense? I still haven't distributed those few treasures left behind by the First Master of the Nine Hells—the Warm Jade Heart Silks!
Since his return, events had been so relentless that he had completely forgotten this major task. If he had distributed those protective robes sooner, perhaps the Snake King wouldn't have... Alas! I must be losing my mind...
However, he mused, if he had given out those precious robes back then, would the Snake King have received one? Thinking this, Jun Mo Xie felt a surge of genuine self-reproach...
After a period of self-reprimand, Jun Mo Xie walked onto the bank, bathing naked in the moonlight. He slowly began putting on his clothes, contemplating his next move.
He was only halfway dressed when he suddenly heard a faint voice: “You... are Jun Mo Xie?”
The voice carried a distinctly feminine inflection, though it sounded exceptionally indifferent, making it impossible to gauge the speaker’s age.
“Who?”
Startled by the sudden address, Jun Mo Xie remained still, showing no outward reaction. He continued dressing at his original pace, asking without looking up.
This was his ingrained response. As the King of Assassins, the most vital quality was remaining unflustered in the face of adversity! Nothing should disturb one's core composure. The more unexpected the situation, the less one should panic, or else... the consequences could only worsen!
From a large tree nearby, a soft hum was heard.
Jun Mo Xie looked up and saw a delicate female figure hovering in mid-air atop the treetop. Her figure was slender and graceful, and the hilt of a sword peeked out over her chiseled shoulder.
She stood lightly on the very topmost leaf of the tree, her body gently swaying! She resembled an immortal maiden from the Jade Pool, descending on the wind but reluctant to tread upon the mortal dust and taint herself with the mundane atmosphere, choosing instead to rest upon the treetop...
A single, thin leaf was somehow bearing the entire weight of her body, and she appeared perfectly relaxed. Just this display of transcendent, almost saintly lightness of foot was enough to inspire awe!