Chapter 742 - 402: Marching Toward Death
Chapter 742: Chapter 402: Marching Toward Death
"Yes!"
Liu Zhaonian and the others responded within their hearts.
Then they raised their heads to look again at Chu Qing. A wave of emotion surged in Liu Zhaonian’s heart, yet he dared not think too much, lest he lose his seniority in front of the younger generation.
He simply waved his arm:
"Follow me to charge and kill!!!"
Ouyang Tianxu, Ji Yexue, and others also spoke up.
At this point, the major powers truly entered the scene; those who had charged ahead without heeding orders were almost all scattered troops.
Chu Qing’s gaze swept over them, then with a quick step, his figure rose into the air, enveloped in a tempestuous momentum, and instantly broke into the Celestial Evil Cult’s formation.
Prince Xi fled while observing and, seeing Chu Qing’s arrival, hurriedly shouted:
"Stop him, stop him!!!"
The eight great battle generals under the General paid no heed to his words, but their disciples instantly leaped into action, with dozens of them striking in mid-air.
Their methods were bizarre and varied.
Under the General’s command, they all practiced the Slaughter Scripture, using it as a foundation to incorporate into any martial arts.
Immediately, some wielded spear techniques, some used sword techniques, others employed fist and palm techniques. From these martial arts, Chu Qing recognized the secret technique Anger Tide Technique from South Ridge’s Valley of Myriad Nights, though it hadn’t displayed its most brilliant move, Still Sea of Myriad Nights.
Yet even so, the power erupting from these dozens of techniques in that instant was far from ordinary.
But before Chu Qing, all this seemed futile.
Chu Qing clapped his hands together, igniting a spark between them. Instantly, the sky was filled with raging flames like blades, sweeping in all directions.
The fiery blade aura not only shattered their techniques but also sliced them in half in mid-air.
Fragments of corpses, wrapped in flames, fell from the sky.
All their wounds were charred black.
They failed to hinder Chu Qing even for a moment; his figure barely paused, flashing past the dismembered limbs, as he reached out directly for Prince Xi.
Terror was evident in Prince Xi’s eyes beneath his mask.
He hunched on the ground, seemingly resigned to his fate.
But just as Chu Qing was about to strike with his claw, his figure suddenly flickered without completing the grab.
Instead, he executed a Thousand-Pound Weight, crashing to the ground with a soft shout:
"Come out!!"
Swish, swish, swish!
Figures instantly burst from the underground, with no signs of life on their bodies, no heartbeat or pulse, carrying a faint stench of decay.
Prince Xi’s Silk Thread Puppetry indeed made use of corpses for his schemes.
He had feigned fear, intending to use these puppets grandly.
But he hadn’t expected Chu Qing to see through it instantly, prompting Prince Xi to rise quickly:
"How preposterous, why don’t you follow the script of the tales?"
Chu Qing was speechless:
"The prince’s play goes too far."
After all, being one of the Twelve Saint Kings, even if fearful, wouldn’t act in such a manner.
Prince Xi thought for a moment:
"Reasonable, seems I must improve next time.
"Considering your valuable advice, I grant you a death as a reward."
His voice fell, and the puppets raised their single palms, unleashing a vast black aura, rushing towards Chu Qing from all directions, covering the sky.
Chu Qing moved slightly underfoot, feeling as if he was standing in a quagmire, unable to act freely.
Apparently, this was also Prince Xi’s doing... though Chu Qing hadn’t encountered it much, he understood that in the realm of martial arts, power decides the victor.
The Tri-Yuan Cycle of the Jade Reflection Divine Strategy shattered the restrictive force instantly.
Just as he was about to step forward, the sounds of swooshing and cracking came, signaling that, silently, the black mist and threads released by the puppets had already entangled him.
With a shake of his single arm, the black aura shattered.
Yet, underfoot, he was once again caught in the mire.
Looking down, he saw the black aura spreading like a tide, climbing within it, binding his limbs, and in a blink reaching his waist.
In the next moment, the puppets had already lunged at him, with countless palm strikes hitting Chu Qing’s chest and abdomen.
This change, though lengthy in description, happened in a mere instant.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Qing was caught in this perilous situation, struck by several puppets.
Prince Xi’s eyes behind the mask were filled with mockery:
"Young Master, you’ve seen many of my puppets, but didn’t know, my Silk Thread Puppetry is more than just turning people into marionettes.
"Besides retaining their deep inner power from life, they allow me to wield their bodies.
"Their inner strength is my inner strength; their eyes, my eyes; their hands, my hands!
"How about this Black Water Infinite Play? Are you satisfied with it, Young Master?"
The puppet’s palm force sought to conquer and plunder within Chu Qing’s body, while the black water, dark as ink, still crawled towards him.
Chu Qing frowned slightly, yet he didn’t seem worried for himself.
He seemed puzzled over something... in the end, he sighed:
"Having such a renowned name in the Martial World, why act as someone else’s lackey?"
He finished speaking, then suddenly turned both hands, striking a reverse palm.
This palm was neither the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms nor the Cloud Dispelling Palm, but black aura flowed like water, spreading like threads.
It headed straight for Prince Xi.
Prince Xi was momentarily stunned, and with a flick of his fingers, the black aura dispersed in all directions before reaching his face.
Instantly the ground quaked violently, shattering under the force.
Though Prince Xi was not directly hit by the move, he coughed several times.
He casually tore a corner of his mask, revealing his mouth, his lips blue and purple, black blood at the corner of his mouth, which he wiped away.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Prince Xi.
This was a withered old man, dressed in a green robe, his eagle-like eyes clear without any dullness.
At this moment, his face was grave as he reached into his robe, taking out an elixir and feeding it to Prince Xi.
Only then did Prince Xi take a long breath, ready to speak, when a series of crashing sounds erupted!
The puppets surrounding Chu Qing were all smashed to pieces at this moment.
Their bodies shattered beyond any possibility of reanimation.
Stepping forth once more, the black water beneath him was utterly eradicated, leaving not a trace.
Looking at the old man, Chu Qing spoke slowly:
"There are many who use poison in the world, but few can do so as invisibly as you, sir.
"Recently, I encountered someone skilled in Bone Shrinking and Disguise Art. Do you, sir, know of such a person?"
"Of course, I know."
The withered old man spoke slowly:
"He was born with soft bones, most suitable for bone-shrinking arts.
"I tried 172 types of deadly poison on him, along with 311 antidotes, yet he miraculously survived.
"So I took him as a disciple, ranking second."
"I see."
Chu Qing nodded:
"The Ghost Emperor was plotted against by the Celestial Evil Cult, and now he’s missing.
"So you dare to reappear in the Martial World?"
"Exactly."
The old man nodded immediately:
"The Ghost Emperor met his fate, no one else can be blamed.
"I once said, as long as he lives, I shall never return to the Southern Domain.
"Now that he’s met such an end, why shouldn’t I return?
"Could he still come and kill me?"
"... What a pity."
Chu Qing sighed.
"Indeed, a pity."
The old man shook his head lightly:
"He’ll never get another chance."
"What I meant by pity... is you had the chance to live comfortably overseas, even with your evil deeds, you could have a peaceful end.
"Yet you insist on heading to your doom."