https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-232-The-Might-of-Heaven-and-Earth-/13026321/
Chapter 233: Not Born to be a Demon
Chapter 233: Not Born to be a Demon
Amidst the raging sandstorm, Chen Mu's thunder lance struck down Wu Li, forcing Jin Ye and Bo Kai to retreat. In quick succession, he crushed and killed Bo Kai, suppressing Kun Jie and Liao Chou, leaving the latter in awe.
Within a short time, four Sixth-Rank demons had fallen, one after another. Although they looked down on Kun Jie and the others, believing that their minds had dulled due to demonization, they couldn't deny the formidable strength of these demons, each capable of rivaling two or three Mystic Corpses.
Chen Mu, with his own power, had repelled three Mystic Corpses imbued with secret techniques. He consecutively defeated Kun Jie, Wu Li, and others, displaying a terrifying level of strength. He was far more powerful than any Five Organ Realm novice and would undoubtedly rank among the Wind and Cloud Rankings even if he were in the Six Viscera Realm.
A Wind and Cloud Rankings expert!
For figures of their caliber, Sixth-Rank demons were almost invincible, unshakeable in their eyes.
"It's hopeless, let's go!"
Liao Chou, shocked and horrified, finally realized the futility of their situation. The three of them quickly retreated, summoning their three Mystic Corpses to surround and attack Chen Mu, attempting to halt his advance.
But Chen Mu remained unmoved, his gaze cold.
"Isn't it too late to leave now?"
If the Tian Shi Men members had acted decisively from the start, abandoning Kun Jie and the others, and fled deep into the sandstorm, it would have been difficult for Chen Mu to pursue them. However, with the Tian Yao Men either dead or injured, trying to escape from under his nose now was undoubtedly underestimating him.
Ignoring the weakened Kun Jie, half-buried in the sand, Chen Mu drew his Flame Blade and slashed with it. The blade's radiance seemed to stir the brilliance of the sun and moon, merging with the essence of heaven and earth.
With just one strike.
Three Mystic Corpses were sent flying, their surrounding dark energy shattering and crumbling into pieces!
Chen Mu then threw the Flame Blade, which soared through the air, transforming into a beam of light as it flew along the sand dunes, covering dozens of feet, and aimed at one of the fleeing Tian Shi Men remnants.
"No!"
The man let out a hoarse roar, took out something from his body and crushed it, causing a thick cloud of gray mist to engulf half of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal on the Flame Blade. Despite this, he couldn't escape the blade's strike, and his entire body was pierced from behind, flying forward over ten feet without a sound.
Chen Mu didn't stop; after throwing the Flame Blade, he raised his hand towards the sky, and the broken Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance, which he had thrown earlier, fell from the sky and landed in his hand.
Bang! Bang!
As Chen Mu clenched his fist, purple thunder light burst from the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance, transforming into a dazzling beam of light that seemed to dim the heavens and earth. Faster than the Flame Blade, it flew towards the Tian Shi Men remnant, who had no time to react, piercing his entire body!
The Evil-Slaying True Lightning exploded on the man's body, emitting a sizzling sound like the annihilation of water and fire. In an instant, his malevolent energy was crushed into gray mist, and his entire body exploded into fragments!
"Damn it!"
Liao Chou watched in horror as his two disciples perished in an instant. Although his breath was weak, he forced himself to bite his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood that enveloped his body. He then dove into the sand dune, desperately trying to escape into the earth's meridians.
After throwing the Flame Blade and Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance, killing two of them, Chen Mu's steps didn't falter. He took two strides and caught up with Liao Chou, who had just entered the underground. Chen Mu then lifted his foot and stomped down.
Boom!!!
The entire sand dune, centered on where Chen Mu had stepped, transformed into a wave that rolled in all directions. The earth's meridians were instantly stirred by his power, changing from a calm flow to a chaotic and violent force.
Liao Chou, who had descended over ten feet underground, felt the vibrations and panicked. He continued to flee but was soon caught by the surging power of the earth's meridians, which enveloped him.
The soft sand, under the impact of the earth's meridians, suddenly became as tough as steel. With a squeeze and a push, Liao Chou's weakened body was crushed into a ball, forcing out a burst of black blood.
On the ground.
After eliminating the three Tian Shi Men members, Chen Mu turned his gaze and saw Jin Ye hugging Wu Li's body, which had been pierced by the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance. Jin Ye roared in pain, then opened his mouth wide and bit down on Wu Li's chest, tearing his body in half and swallowing a dark red heart.
A surge of demonic power and blood energy erupted from Jin Ye's body. His eyes filled with bloodshot veins, eventually turning his entire eyes crimson.
"Sky Demon Transmutation!"
Accompanied by a nearly insane roar, Jin Ye's demonic power swelled. His body's scales were about to burst, and his flesh seemed to tear under the pressure. For a moment, his demonic power overwhelmed Kun Jie's!
The overwhelming demonic power and aura seemed to rival Chen Mu, who wielded the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal.
"You... die..."
Unclear sounds emerged from Jin Ye's throat, and his body seemed on the verge of tearing apart. The terrifying power filled his eyes with malice and murderous intent, and he leaped up, punching towards Chen Mu.
Kun Jie, struggling to crawl out of the sand dune nearby, watched this scene with shock.
"The Sky Demon Transmutation Grand Art, Jin Ye has actually cultivated it... No, there's a flaw. He's using Wu Li's demon heart to force the transmutation, so he probably won't live long after using it. But with this demonic power..."
He stared intently at Jin Ye rushing towards Chen Mu.
Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged from start to finish, and as the Qian Kun Ba Xiang flowed and flourished, he seemed to regain his vitality. Even the slight paleness in his face before had returned to normal. Facing Jin Ye's furious charge, he still struck with a fist imprint.
"Even a grain of sand can shine brightly."
Jin Ye's terrifying demon energy was so dense it almost materialized, its magnitude comparable to that of a top-ranked Gale Wind expert. It even seemed to surpass the power of the heavens and earth that Chen Mu had harnessed at this moment. However, when the two forces collided, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Chen Mu, harnessing the power of wind, thunder, water, and fire, unleashed a strike with the Tian Di Lun Yin, which was like a withering force, shattering Jin Ye's surging demon energy. Chen Mu's attack pushed through, ultimately imprinting itself on Jin Ye's chest and abdomen, creating a bloody hole that pierced through him!
Jin Ye's blood-red eyes widened in disbelief.
"This... is... impossible..."
Although his demon energy was strong at this moment, no less than the power of the heavens and earth that Chen Mu had harnessed, the collision resulted in an effect that was even weaker than Kun Jia's. Chen Mu's single strike had left him with a gaping wound.
The bloody hole that pierced his chest and abdomen solidified for a brief moment, and then his body could no longer withstand the rampaging demon energy. From head to toe, his body shattered into pieces, turning into a bloody mess that scattered across the sand dunes.
Chen Mu's gaze remained indifferent as he stepped over Jin Ye's shattered body and approached Kun Jia, who was still gasping for breath.
Demon energy and the power of the heavens and earth—unless one reached an absolute level of dominance, their quantity alone could not determine victory. Even thirty portions of mottled demon energy were no match for the power of a single, concentrated point of demon energy.
Chen Mu had understood this principle long ago, but now he experienced it even more vividly and clearly.
Having cultivated the Tian Di Lun Yin to the fourth layer, Chen Mu's control and refinement of the power of the heavens and earth were nearly unparalleled among his peers. Although Jin Ye's demon energy had expanded, his unrefined and uncontrollable energy was rendered useless before Chen Mu.
"Cough, cough..."
Kun Jia stood unsteadily on the sand dune, his breath already weakening. He looked at Chen Mu with a wry smile and said, "The Qian Kun Yi Jing is indeed powerful. No wonder it's the pinnacle of human martial arts. You, a mere Liu He, can defeat so many Xuan Shi and powerful demons. That Left Qian Qiu is no match for you..."
Blood trickled from beneath the dense black scales covering his cheeks. He wiped his bloody face and stared at Chen Mu as he approached, not attempting to escape, only fixating on him with a sinister smile.
"However... I've heard that since the founding emperor of Da Xuan, no one has successfully cultivated the Qian Kun Yi Jing to the third level within a thousand years. Even breaking through to Zong Shi is rare. Many talented individuals have fallen on this path. You dare to choose this path; your courage and understanding are commendable..."
"Those who have fallen on this path did so due to insufficient lifespan. With your talent and courage, if you join our Tian Shi Men, the elders will willingly recreate your demon body. Then, with your demon form, you can command the heavens and earth. You could surpass even the founding emperor of Da Xuan and enjoy a long life..."
Chen Mu's right hand formed a blade, piercing Kun Jia's chest.
"I don't need that."
He looked at Kun Jia with indifference.
Kun Jia glanced down at the bloody hole in his chest and felt his life force rapidly dissipating. He laughed maniacally, "You, at the Liu He, still have a chance. But once you reach the Liu Fu Jing, that chance will be gone. You won't be able to recreate your demon body. Even if you cultivate to Wu Sheng, your lifespan will only extend by a few centuries. Our Tian Shi Men is the future... I'll be waiting for you in the Netherworld..."
A bloodline appeared on Kun Jia's forehead, and his words abruptly stopped.
"Nonsense."
Chen Mu's gaze remained indifferent as he lowered his hand.
Lifespan?
For Chen Mu, becoming a half-human, half-demon like the Tian Shi Men was absolutely out of the question.
Born as a human, he stood tall and proud. How could he ever stoop to becoming a demon?
During the sand disaster, they had wreaked havoc on the border defense, disregarding the suffering of the people. They had consumed human flesh and created demon corpses, abandoning all morality. Chen Mu, in this life, was determined to eradicate these evil paths.
Kun Jia's words, though seemingly a suggestion, were a final act of malice before his death, an attempt to shake Chen Mu's martial arts will.
But Chen Mu's martial arts will was unwavering. With his exceptional talent and understanding, he needed only to cultivate step by step. In the future, he would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of martial arts, becoming invincible. Why would he need a demon body or extended lifespan to assist him in comprehending the Qian Kun Yi Jing?
After a brief glance at Kun Jia's corpse, Chen Mu raised his hand and waved it a few times, dividing the body into four parts. He then inspected it and soon found a palm-sized booklet.
A quick flip through confirmed it was the correct version!
Opening it, he saw various medicinal formulas, many using the blood and flesh of different demons as ingredients. These formulas transformed humans into half-demons, with enticing words like 'enhance vitality' and 'extend lifespan' written above.
However, Chen Mu merely skimmed through the page and, with a rub of his hands, turned the booklet into powder.
Turning away, Chen Mu walked indifferently towards the bodies of Wu Li and the others.
Finally, he reached the corpse of the Tian Shi Men remnant and picked up the Liu Huo Dao. As he examined it, he noticed signs of corrosion on the blade, its edge now pale.
Action: "Even the finest artifacts struggle to remain intact in battles of this caliber."
Chen Mu sighed.
The Flame Blade had become incredibly resilient, enduring the strain of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal without issue. However, under the unknown means of the Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants, it suffered some erosion. Although still usable, its quality had undoubtedly diminished.
At the Wind and Rain Rankings and Grandmaster levels, one either possessed Spirit Armaments or fought bare-handed. Artifacts rarely provided significant amplification at this stage, rendering their effectiveness negligible for this tier.
On the contrary, the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance excelled.
Chen Mu could effortlessly unleash power akin to the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal with the Thunder Lance, despite his own Primordial Energy being somewhat insufficient. Once he stepped into the Six Viscera Realm and significantly enhanced his Primordial Energy, the Thunder Lance reached its limit, exhibiting power comparable to the Wind and Rain Rankings tier.
While the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal and the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance couldn't be combined, the former served as Chen Mu's close-range attack, while the latter was his long-range prowess. In today's battle, without the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance, he wouldn't have easily struck down the Heavenly Demon Li Li, who hovered twenty feet above."
Chen Mu took a few steps and approached another Heavenly Corpse Sect remnant's corpse. He waved his hand, and the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance returned to his grasp, its surface devoid of blood, emitting a faint glow and purple lightning arcs."
"Spirit Armaments are hard to come by. It's a matter of chance, and I practice the Heaven-Earth Concept, which harmonizes with the Heaven-Earth Blade. Looking across the entire world, there are only a few such weapons, and it'll likely be a long time before I find a suitable one."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly, gazing at the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance in his hand.
"Hmm, make do with what we have."
After putting away the Evil-Slaying Thunder Lance, he retrieved the last corpse from a depth of ten feet within the sand vein. He inspected it, just like the others, and finally gathered all the items together.
There were several items.
First was a gray bead, within which a dense Corpse Demon Qi swirled, similar to the 'Corpse Poison Jade' he had seen many times, but of much higher quality. If he absorbed this Corpse Demon Qi without precaution, it would definitely damage his Five Organs and pose a certain threat even to his Six Viscera Realm.
Next was an 'Earth Demon Pillar,' one of the Earth Demon materials. It couldn't be used to forge weapons but was still valuable, worth at least a couple of Earth Essence Orbs.
Then, there was a Corpse Refinement Method, which Chen Mu glanced at briefly before crushing it into powder. He had no interest in Corpse Refinement, and looking at it only increased his understanding of such things. After all, the Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants were far more formidable than those in Yu County.
Speaking of which, he had heard long ago about the Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants and the Heavenly Demon Sect joining forces to assassinate Zuo Qianqiu, but they failed. Zuo Qianqiu killed several Mysterious Corpses and Demons, and the rest escaped with their lives.
"Wuhu Soil Core... Hmm, it's not a small amount."
Chen Mu finally looked at the yellow-brown stone standing there, identical to the Wuhu Soil Core he had seen at Yun Lu Pass. The Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants and the Heavenly Demon Sect members had used this Wuhu Soil Core along with the Earth Demon Pillar to set up a simple array that concealed their Qi and gathered Earth Demon Qi.
However, to seal the Heaven-Earth Concept, they had deployed the Earth Demon Array, which was laughably simple. Chen Mu easily seized control of the array and effortlessly eliminated five Mysterious Corpses.
If this array had been more complete, Kun Jia and the others might not have had a chance to resist before being killed by their own array.
This Wuhu Soil Core, judging by its size, was likely worth one to two Earth Essence Orbs.
Although the Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants and the Heavenly Demon Sect members didn't bring any other valuable items, Chen Mu was still satisfied with these two items. Consequently, he crushed all their corpses into powder and buried them in the rolling sands, preventing their bodies from being exposed in the desert.
"The Heavenly Corpse Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect's collaboration will likely bring disaster to the Cold Northern Path's eleven states."
Chen Mu put away the items one by one, his expression turning contemplative.
The most troublesome aspect of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Heavenly Corpse Sect was their overall strength, which remained unclear. Although the Heavenly Sword Sect had been investigating and hunting the Heavenly Corpse Sect since the Yu County Purple Mist Mountains battle, after Zuo Qianqiu's assassination attempt, they had also been killing members of the Heavenly Demon Sect. However, the situation in the Cold Northern Path's eleven states was ultimately dire.
In the past, when the world was peaceful, the major sects would have united with the Northern Defense Command to search and eliminate them in the Cold Northern Path. The Heavenly Corpse Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect's forces couldn't have remained hidden; they would have either been annihilated or forced to flee to the border defenses.
But now, the major sects harbored ulterior motives, and the Northern Defense Command eyed the Cold Northern Path's eleven states greedily. While there was tacit understanding among them regarding the Heavenly Corpse Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect, there were also sects like the Mysterious Machine Pavilion, which used the Heavenly Corpse Sect's remnants for their designs.
"Forget it, I'll just do what's within my duties."
In the end, Chen Mu shook his head. He would report the matters of the Heavenly Corpse Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect to the Seven Mysteries Sect, leaving other concerns aside for now. Truly, it wasn't his turn yet, as he was still just a 'Newcomer' on the New Talent List.
(End of Chapter)
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