Chương 74: Sun Tiexin in Peril - County Commandant Wang Rebels

The Jade Body charged headlong, her speed and momentum fierce as a savage dragon shaking the heavens. All of Yandang Mountain could feel that wild, unbridled presence—overbearing beyond compare.

"You press me too far!" The Blood-Refining Divine Venerable gave a sudden roar. The blood-colored altar once again erupted with light. Runes flickered upon the altar; eerie radiance surfaced and sank by turns, bloody and mysterious. Where the wind passed, faint wails drifted through the air, as though countless wronged souls were trapped within, unable to gain release. It made the hair rise upon one's skin, and none dared linger. The power of the blood sea surged anew.

The Blood-Refining Divine Venerable stood proudly above the blood sea, baleful qi billowing around him. He trod the blood-waves beneath his feet and worked both hands in transformation, condensing a vast blood-colored palm seal. With the force of rushing thunder, it struck again and again toward the Jade Body, until heaven and earth seemed to lose their color. By brute force, he suppressed the Jade Body! ……

"This power… is it incense-fire?" Su Zhe hid in the shadows. Dimly, he could make out that between the blood-colored altar and the Blood-Refining Divine Venerable, there seemed to be some peculiar connection. Strand after strand of colorless yet pure power flowed continuously from the altar, gathering toward the Blood-Refining Divine Venerable.

"Wild gods are precisely those so-called 'deities' once enfeoffed by Da Qian."

"The Martial Dao has nine ranks. Above the ninth rank stands the Grandmaster. At the seventh rank of the Martial Dao, one forms the Martial Dao Yang Spirit; a Grandmaster may even send the Yang Spirit out of the body and roam the Great Void."

"Thus, should a Grandmaster expert perish, if the Yang Spirit remains undestroyed, it may transform into a heroic soul. This is the origin of wild gods. This old lady is but seventh rank in the Martial Dao. Though I am strong to an unreasonable degree, if I truly faced a wild god—one at pseudo-Grandmaster level—naturally I would not be its match."

"But to slay a god is not impossible. First, sever its household and cut off the wild god's incense-fire. Unable to withstand the erosion of years, the wild god will in the end thirst to death and starve to death. Second, with an invincible Yang Spirit, grind the wild god's divine soul away by force."

"This Blood-Refining Divine Venerable was born from a declining wild god, then fused with Zhou Juantie. He was deficient from the start, and afterward Zhou Minggang suppressed him for a thousand years. His thousand years of incense-fire has not yet been absorbed. This old lady is confident—today, I shall slay a god!" Su Zhe closed his eyes. Within his mind at once appeared the image of the Jade Body waving her little pink fists, her face full of excitement.

Even that small face of hers was flushed red, like a ripe apple. Recalling these words from the Jade Body, Su Zhe seemed to understand.

"The Blood-Refining Divine Venerable was suppressed for a thousand years, yet the believers beneath him never died out."

"Therefore, within this altar lies a thousand years of incense-fire. Bad… this is bad…"

"To fight him here—how can this cheap shifu of mine possibly outlast the other side's thousand-year foundation?" Su Zhe's face darkened. A thigh thicker even than Old Sun's had arrived. In the end, this cheap shifu was even more reckless than Old Sun, so iron-headed that she had plunged straight into danger. Su Zhe felt helpless, yet there seemed to be no way for him to assist the Jade Body. A battle of this level was beyond his reach.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"

"Mm?" Su Zhe's brows drew tight. All at once, he felt as though his head were about to split. It was the Immortal Cauldron of Creation. At this moment, the Immortal Cauldron of Creation trembled without cease. It was actually sending Su Zhe a message— Hunger. Extreme hunger.

"You want to eat incense-fire?" Su Zhe was slightly startled. The Immortal Cauldron of Creation actually wanted him to draw close to the blood-colored altar! A flash of insight crossed Su Zhe's mind. Back then, when the Treasury Officer had used the God-Inviting Method, the Immortal Cauldron of Creation had likewise begun to operate on its own. At that time, the Immortal Cauldron of Creation's intent had not been so intense, but it had been exceedingly similar to now. Incense-fire…

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. It wanted to eat incense-fire…

"Stop making noise! Can't you see immortals are fighting?"

"If this Su goes over there, I fear not even my bones will be left!" Su Zhe cursed under his breath and steadied his mind, unmoved in the least by the Immortal Cauldron of Creation. A golden finger was meant to serve this Su. But if it wished this Su to court death on its behalf—many thanks, farewell! …… Above the dome of heaven, immortals waged war. Upon the ground, the Eight Immortals crossed the sea, each displaying his own divine powers. The followers of the Blood-Refining Cult charged from every direction.

The experts of Lu County brought forth their many methods. Zhang Yunshun, leader of the Cao Gang (Canal Transport Gang), attacked with matchless ruthlessness. His fish spear stirred and became dozens of sharp gleams, taking the lives of several dozen evil cultists in a single strike. County Magistrate Zhao and County Deputy Gongsun, refined and scholarly men both, each held a gentleman's sword.

Sword qi crisscrossed, rolling up the Dragon Wall; in an instant, it cleared several meters before them, severed limbs flying wildly.

"It is Senior Ghost-Faced Child Matriarch!"

"Hahaha… Villa Master Jade Body! The Ghost-Faced Child Matriarch has come!"

"Everyone, hold firm! The Child Matriarch's battle prowess is without equal. Their god is certain to fall!" Sun Tiexin laughed aloud. His heavy hammer grew fiercer still; to be grazed was death, to be struck was injury. Around him lay nothing but shattered corpses, and still more shattered corpses. The ghost-masked man upon the altar wore a mask, so his expression could not be seen. Yet he knew as well. That Ghost-Faced Child Matriarch was terrifying!

"With the altar's incense-fire assisting the Divine Venerable, he can indeed hold back the Ghost-Faced Child Matriarch."

"But if this drags on, who can say whether Zhujian Shanzhuang (Sword-Casting Mountain Villa) has some further move?"

"A swift battle, a swift decision!" The ghost-masked man made his resolve.

"Swish!" The next instant. The ghost-masked man vanished from where he stood. In a single breath! He crossed fifty zhang and appeared before the martial artists of Lu County. In the ghost-masked man's hand there was now a black sickle. The sickle moved like black thunder. Joined with his terrifying movement art, it burst forth with extreme speed, until even the air gave out a mournful "wuwu" cry.

"Puchi!"

"Puchi!" Three third-rank martial artists of Lu County had not yet reacted when their heads flew high into the air.

"Stop!" County Magistrate Zhao and County Deputy Gongsun saw it, and their eyes nearly split with rage. These three experts belonged precisely to the government's forces. The two men attacked the ghost-masked man from front and rear, forming a pincer strike.

"Clang!" The ghost-masked man struck. Upon his forearm appeared the cold phantom of a mantis beast-force.

"Crack!" Sickle and twin swords! The twin swords shattered! County Magistrate Zhao and County Deputy Gongsun fell to the ground coughing blood, gravely wounded and near death.

"Fourth rank! Fourth-Rank Meridian Opening Realm!" Zhang Yunshun, leader of the Cao Gang, and Sun Tiexin of Jiangxin Hall (Hall of Craftsman's Heart) cried out in alarm. They stared at the ghost-masked man in disbelief. The ghost-masked man's inner force flowed freely through his body; he was clearly a mighty one who had opened his martial meridians.

"Die!" The ghost-masked man struck again.

"Boom!" The entire ground shattered and caved in. Dust surged up on every side like mad dragons, and countless falling stones poured down. Where those fierce blade rays passed— Countless third-rank experts of Lu County coughed blood. Even Guo Ju and Xiao Xunhuan were wounded. Only Zhang Yunshun and Sun Tiexin, joining forces, could barely hold on.

"Let me see… how long you can last!" The ghost-masked man struck once more. Mantis Arm, Mantis Form!

"Old Iron Ox, hold on!" Zhang Yunshun shouted. The web between his thumb and forefinger burst open, and blood flowed in streams.

"Shut your mouth! This old man's inner force is purer than yours by no small measure. Put in some strength, you rotten fish whelp!" Sun Tiexin's eyes were blood-red. Two milky-white streams of breath poured continuously from his nostrils. His skin also began to turn ashen, covered by a layer of inner force. This was the martial killing move of the Savage Ox Hammer—Body Transforms Into Savage Ox. The giant hammer forcefully withstood the dark sickle!

With every strike, the recoil made Sun Tiexin cough blood again and again.

"Thanks to that brat Su Zhe. Otherwise… this old man would be dying here!" Sun Tiexin bit down and crushed a drop of precious blood hidden in his mouth. His originally declining aura recovered once more and surged upward.

"Mm?"

"You… are strange!" The ghost-masked man's puzzled voice rang out. However. He did not take it to heart. For before the fourth-rank realm, whether Three Giants or Lu County experts, all were ants. So what if he had some treasure to recover with? It would merely take a little more time. ……

"Ai, in the end I still have to wipe your backside for you, Old Sun!" Su Zhe shook his head. His figure moved like a dragon, crossing several dozen zhang in an instant. That speed was in no way inferior to the ghost-masked man's. He became a streak of flowing light and rushed toward the battlefield. Though Su Zhe cherished his life, he also valued loyalty and affection. Sun Tiexin and Jiangxin Hall had treated him as one of their own.

On ordinary days, though Su Zhe concealed his edge and devoted himself to martial practice, in the present situation, if he still did not act, he feared his Martial Dao heart would be stained with dust. In the future, every moment of every day, he would live in pain.

"Is this also an expert of Lu County?"

"Kill! Kill him!" Fanatical evil cultists immediately discovered Su Zhe and hurled themselves toward him without fear of death.

"Why must you force this Su?"

"This Su… loves peace."

"Rumble!" The heavy hammer fell. It tore through the air like thunder bursting. Within several dozen meters, waves of qi rolled wildly; flesh and blood flew in all directions, and not a single whole piece of meat could be found. The Smelting-Casting Hammer had advanced to the fourth rank. Judged by weight alone, it had already reached one thousand jin. Only a fierce man like Su Zhe, possessing over one hundred thousand jin of strength, could wield and display it! ……

"Sun Tiexin, do you still remember how you humiliated me that day?"

"Lord Zhao, Lord Gongsun, forgive me!" Wang Hai held a plain saber. Suddenly he drew the blade, cutting down two Cao Gang martial artists beside him with a single stroke. Then he leapt up and cried in a clear voice:"The Blood-Refining Divine Sect—may the Divine Venerable be undying!"

"This Wang is unwilling to keep company with the powers of Lu County. I beseech Lord Ghost-Mask to permit me to abandon darkness and turn toward the light, and join the Blood-Refining Divine Sect!" While attacking the defensive circle of Sun Tiexin and Zhang Yunshun, the ghost-masked man laughed.

"He who understands the times is a true hero. County Commandant Wang indeed has a heroic bearing!"

"I, on behalf of the Divine Venerable, appoint County Commandant Wang as Blood Saber Protector!" Wang Hai was delighted upon hearing this, and laughed loudly.

"Many thanks, Lord Ghost-Mask!" Then, with one step, he left the battle circle of the Lu County martial artists. The evil cultists all moved aside. They allowed Wang Hai to sit cross-legged nearby and regulate his breathing, recovering his inner force.

"Wang Hai! You!" The county magistrate and county deputy were already gravely injured. Seeing Wang Hai act thus, they were so furious they coughed without cease. Though Sun Tiexin and the others were also enraged to the extreme, they were presently dealing with the ghost-masked man and had not even the strength to speak. Even though they longed to pull out Wang Hai's tendons and flay his skin, at present they had no such chance!

"Boom!"

"Bang!"

"Pupu!"

"Ahhh!" …… Screams rang out without pause. At the same time, countless corpses of the Blood-Refining Cult flew everywhere. A figure was racing at utmost speed toward Sun Tiexin's direction.

"County Commandant Wang, long time no see!" A gentle voice sounded. County Commandant Wang abruptly turned his head and saw Su Zhe, calm and mild of expression.

"You… you are…" County Commandant Wang lost his wits for a moment. He had yet to realize who this familiar young man before him was. The next instant. Hammer-wind howled! A great hammer! Again, the great hammer! That great hammer grew larger and larger within County Commandant Wang's pupils…