Wouldn't That Make Him Even Fiercer?

Young Master Ningqing looked toward the green-robed, yellow-robed, and white-robed figures of Xu Ying standing beside him, thinking silently to himself, 'Could it be that those three Xu Yings gathered the characters for Desolation, Death, and Grief? If so, the ones left on Xu Ying's own body must be Malevolence, Violence, and Tyranny...' Wouldn't that make him even fiercer? Desolation meant ruin and senseless muddleheadedness. Death meant untimely demise and dying young. Grief meant sorrow, anguish, and misery. Malevolence meant rapacious ferocity. Violence meant wicked brutality. Tyranny meant vicious cruelty and cunning. The former three characters concentrated negative states into one place; under their heavy sway, one was prone to weeping uncontrollably and sinking into dazed bewilderment, making it terribly easy to be beaten to death. The latter three characters, however, were insidious, vicious, ferocious, and merciless. Once he made a move, he would show no quarter. 'He really will beat me to death!' Young Master Ningqing's heart trembled with terror, yet his expression remained composed as he said, "Allow me to activate the Returning Dao Jade Platter to recover a bit before we resume our duel." Xu Ying agreed. Channeling the Returning Dao Jade Platter to heal himself, Young Master Ningqing stealthily appraised Xu Ying's three Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits. The white-robed Xu Ying sighed incessantly; the yellow-robed Xu Ying sat upon the ground looking like a sickly child; and the green-robed Xu Ying looked just like the Primordial Monarch's half-witted second son! He had seen that foolish son of the Primordial Monarch before, and the green-robed Xu Ying's current state was identical to his. Blue veins throbbed furiously across Young Master Ningqing's forehead. 'The three curse characters remaining inside Xu Ying's body truly are Malevolence, Violence, and Tyranny!' "Are you done yet?" Xu Ying snapped, an untamed savagery flaring across his scowling face. Young Master Ningqing replied offhandedly, "Almost, almost." His eyes darted about as he scanned their surroundings, searching for an opening. Noticing this, Xu Ying grew suspicious, a vicious gleam surfacing in his eyes. Suddenly, a thought struck Young Master Ningqing: 'I cultivate the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture, and my cultivation and abilities are above his, not below. Why should I fear him?' His aura erupted without warning. Twisting his waist, he spun around, thrusting his palms forward in sequence as his Dao methods surged. A Great Cavern opened toward the heavens behind him, as if a great circle had sliced open boundless void to unveil another world! This was the Great Cavern Creation Returning to Origin Scripture. What looked like the other shore world inside the cavern was, in truth, an imperishable bodhimanda imprinted upon the void by a Supreme's heavenly Dao methods! As Young Master Ningqing circulated his art, he received the blessing of that Supreme's Dao methods and unleashed a strike of Yin-Yang Creation—one palm for yin, one palm for yang. Yang was primal qi, while yin forged myriad things. It carried the wonder of creating all things and the power to seize heaven and earth's divine workmanship! Such a divine power was truly marvelous beyond measure, and launching it as a sneak attack made him certain of victory! Earlier, Xu Ying had repeatedly ambushed him to batter him into a wretched state. Now that he was launching a sneak attack of his own, he was bound to turn the tables! Yet an instant before Young Master Ningqing could turn and strike, Xu Ying's Twelve-Storyed Mansions, Third Heavenly Pass, and Five Sacred Immortal Mountains crashed down all at once. Xu Ying barked excitedly, "Trying to ambush me? I'll ambush you first!" Young Master Ningqing's magic power was instantly suppressed, and his heart sank. Though Yin-Yang Creation was exquisite, even the deftest housewife could not cook without rice; lacking sufficient magic power, the strike could not unleash its true might. Across from him, Xu Ying's physical body expanded and shrank in an instant—surging to ten thousand zhang at its peak and shrinking to normal size at its least, repeating the cycle six times. This was precisely the sixth revolution of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art. With each revolution, his physical body grew stronger. By the sixth, while it could not match an Immortal King, it was not far off! Xu Ying had only completed five of the Domain of Six Immortals: divine consciousness, soul, vital qi, yin-yang, and heart power, lacking only the physical body immortal domain. Circulating the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art now was his way of using his supreme physical form to round out the six immortal domains! Sensing Xu Ying's combat power surge yet again in the span of a breath, Young Master Ningqing was gripped by sheer dread. He hastily poured everything into driving the Returning Dao Jade Platter to shield himself. Fist met palm. Ningqing spat blood and went hurtling backward, feeling as though he were coughing up his very heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Fortunately, the Returning Dao Jade Platter was a Supreme treasure. Once summoned, Qi of Creation surged forth endlessly; no matter how grave his injuries, they would heal in an instant. Ningqing had only just acquired this treasure and had yet to unlock its other functions, but this effect alone was enough to make him virtually invincible. Xu Ying tried using the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains and his other treasures to suppress the jade platter, but the platter rebounded them. He had no choice but to draw them behind his back to hang as realm markers. Closing the distance in a flash, Xu Ying engaged Young Master Ningqing in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Having lost the initiative, Young Master Ningqing was battered within moments until his bones fractured and his tendons tore, fresh wounds opening continuously across his body. The more injured he became, the less of a match he was for Xu Ying. Crack! Xu Ying closed in and snapped his neck. Young Master Ningqing's head spun around and around until it tore free from his shoulders, soaring into the air. Immediately, a stream of Qi of Creation washed over him, and a brand-new head sprouted from his body. 'Then what about me?' his severed head thought. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the flying head disintegrated into ash. Ningqing's consciousness returned to his newly grown head, thoroughly shaken. Seeing Xu Ying lunging again, he frantically raised his arms to block, only to hear a sickening squelch as Xu Ying tore clean through his torso, ripped out his heart, and burst it in his fist with a loud pop. Ningqing felt his vitality plummet, but in the next breath, a new heart had already formed. The Returning Dao Jade Platter was miraculous beyond belief. Even when Xu Ying smashed his physical body, demolished his Realm of Xiyi, shattered his cultivation realms, and even decapitated his Primordial Spirit with Zhuxian sword qi, the platter restored everything! This was true invincibility! Since he could not be killed no matter the assault, it was virtually equivalent to never losing. Yet Ningqing could not turn the tables. Under constant agony and relentless injuries, he could never unleash his full power, posing no real threat to Xu Ying. Unable to reverse the fight, he could only endure a one-sided beating. Worse still, even though the Returning Dao Jade Platter could restore his flesh, Primordial Spirit, and even reforge his realms, every snap of his neck, every shattered bone, and every blast through his Primordial Spirit inflicted genuine, excruciating pain. In just a brief span, he was slain more than a dozen times by Xu Ying. Overwhelmed by unbearable terror, he let out a frantic shriek and fled in panic. Xu Ying chased him down relentlessly. Ningqing died another dozen times along the way, put down by Xu Ying before he could even muster a counterattack. With every death he dealt, the violent, malevolent aura clinging to Xu Ying thickened, the excitement on his face grew wilder, and his combat strength rose higher. Young Master Ningqing's dread deepened with every step. Unable to shake Xu Ying off, he suddenly caught sight of several formidable corpse monarchs up ahead, surrounding and intercepting Buddhist Child Jijue. His eyes lit up instantly: 'Better a fellow Daoist die than poor old me!' He bolted forward, brushing past Buddhist Child Jijue. Seeing Xu Ying charging over, Jijue was overjoyed and shouted in haste, "Benefactor A-Ying, lend a hand!" Though Jijue's Measureless Golden Body was exceptionally tough, corpse monarchs were corpse immortals cultivated from the remains of Immortal Monarchs, capable of punching through Immortal King treasures. Jijue was not yet a Buddha; though he could endure their blows, even a Measureless Golden Body would shatter if battered continuously. Under the onslaught of these corpse monarchs, he was barely clinging on. Xu Ying was his only lifeline. Xu Ying threw his head back in roaring laughter and hollered, "Little monk, where is your stick blow? Where is your universal illumination? Go on, deliver them to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!" Jijue realized something was terribly wrong and urgently called out, "Benefactor A-Ying, you are under the curse's influence! Save me first, and I can help you resist it!" "I am doing just fine! Why are you treating me so kindly? Are you scheming to suppress me?" Malice surged into Xu Ying's heart. He actually joined forces with the corpse monarchs, lunging toward Jijue! Jijue was already on the brink; with Xu Ying added to the fray, his golden body dimmed, blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, and his defense threatened to shatter at any second. He groaned in despair, believing his life had reached its end, when one of the corpse monarchs inadvertently clipped Xu Ying with the wind of a palm strike. Xu Ying ignited like a powder keg, whirling around to attack that corpse monarch with feral ferocity! Jijue's eyes lit up, and he turned to flee without hesitation. Glancing back, he saw the other corpse monarchs rushing after him, while the one dueling Xu Ying had already been grievously wounded by Xu Ying's suicidal assault within a handful of breaths, roaring desperately to summon its companions. The other corpse monarchs immediately abandoned Jijue and swung back toward Xu Ying. Yet before they could reach his side, Xu Ying had already slaughtered the corpse monarch and ground its bones to dust! Watching this unfold, Jijue felt an inexplicable shock wash through him. Xu Ying broke through their encirclement with dozens of wounds over his body. Fighting as he retreated, he traded blows that shattered mountains and tore open the earth before abruptly flickering and vanishing into the void. The corpse monarchs roared furiously, blasting their divine powers into the void. A burst of light erupted a thousand li away, showering the sky in blood—evidently from Xu Ying's injuries. The corpse monarchs dashed toward that location at varying speeds. The one trailing behind suddenly sensed something amiss and spun around to strike backward. A supreme killing intent erupted, piercing clean through its Immortal Monarch hand and blasting through its skull, the terrifying malice utterly annihilating its undying obsession in a single breath! Having landed the blow, Xu Ying vanished back into hiding. The remaining three corpse monarchs rushed over, only to find their companion's lifeless remains. "Heeheehee..." Xu Ying's sneaky, sinister laughter drifted around them. For a moment, the three corpse monarchs could not tell where the laughter came from; they could only lash out wildly into the surrounding void, tearing the sky to ribbons! Yet Xu Ying was never forced out of hiding. Steadying his breath, Jijue watched from afar, thinking anxiously, 'Benefactor A-Ying has fallen entirely under the curse's control. What can we do?' Hiding himself, he racked his brains for a solution. Across Yingzhou, terrifying divine powers continued to detonate, their shockwaves kicking up furious tempests. The skies were even stained with multi-hued corruption wrought by immortal Dao methods, radiating an eerie presence. Those were the traces left by Xu Ying as he assassinated the three corpse monarchs. Young Master Ningqing had also gone into hiding, frantically pondering how to deal with Xu Ying, when a sudden inspiration struck him: 'Driven by Violence, Tyranny, and Malevolence, Xu Ying is brutal and cunning, without a single flaw. But if the negative curses of Desolation, Death, and Grief are added back onto him, he will no longer be invincible!' The moment the idea came to him, he acted, putting away the Returning Dao Jade Platter and stepping out of hiding. Creeping out from his shelter, he summoned the jade platter above his head, proceeding with utmost caution so that its jade glow did not spread outward, keeping it confined to his own body. Curiously enough, Yingzhou had grown eerily quiet. The sky remained stained in vibrant hues from the immortal Dao corruption, and faint, decadent Dao voices resonated, impossible to decipher. Where there had previously been the din of Xu Ying battling the three corpse monarchs, now only those bizarre Dao voices lingered. Nerves frayed, Young Master Ningqing steadied his breathing, skulking stealthily toward Xujiaping. 'Influenced by the characters for Desolation, Grief, and Death, Xu Ying's Three Purities Primordial Spirits will surely head to that town,' he reasoned inwardly. 'If I eliminate his Three Purities Primordial Spirits, those three curses will fall back onto Xu Ying's own body!' Suddenly, his face drained of color, and he nearly cried out. Hanging in midair was a severed head—the head of an Immortal Monarch! One of the three corpse monarchs had been slain by Xu Ying, its head suspended in the sky like the trophy of a hunt, a display of might, or some sinister sacrificial rite. His heart pounding violently, Ningqing pressed forward. Reaching the precipice of an immortal mountain, he found another corpse monarch pinned dead against the cliff face. Ningqing swallowed hard, moistening his parched throat, and continued toward the immortal mountain where Xujiaping lay. Without warning, a torrential wave of divine consciousness rolled over everything, piercing deep through space-time and detonating in his mind as Xu Ying's voice: "No need to hide! Ningqing, Jijue, there is no hiding from me! Do you think you can shut out my Dao voice just by concealing yourselves?" Young Master Ningqing's expression changed dramatically. Hidden within Xu Ying's words was a Dao voice bearing his comprehension of the immortal Dao and the Great Daos of the ancient era, far surpassing Ningqing's own grasp. The mere sound of it began to warp Ningqing's own Great Dao! Xu Ying's Dao attainment was simply too vast—comparable to that of an Immortal Monarch. Rather than matching magic power, he was crushing him directly through the weight of his Dao! The decadent Dao voices continued to pour in: the Taiqing Dao of Lihen Heaven, the Yuqing Dao of Kunlun Realm, the Yujing Dao of Mount Xuandu, the Nether Dao of the Nether Sea, the Xuanhuang Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm—myriad ancient Dao arts distinct from the immortal Dao battered directly into his mind! Young Master Ningqing's magic power fell into turmoil, and his Dao arts grew chaotic. Feeling a sudden warmth at his nostrils, he reached up to wipe it, only to find blood gushing forth. The blood fell onto his hand, twisting and growing like a plant until it sprouted into a vine of blood. "I won't listen! Let's see what you can do then!" Gritting his teeth fiercely, Young Master Ningqing jabbed upward, puncturing his own eardrums and deafening his Primordial Spirit's ears as well, before marching onward toward Xujiaping. Along the path, he crossed paths with Buddhist Child Jijue, who had likewise punctured his own eardrums to block out Xu Ying's Dao voice. The two deaf figures nodded silently to each other and walked shoulder to shoulder, resolutely heading toward Xujiaping. Just then, the sky suddenly shone with pervasive Dao light as Xu Ying projected his Dao methods into luminous radiance. At the sight of that light, their expressions changed once again. The two deaf men exchanged a glance and made up their minds. Reaching up, they gouged out their own eyeballs, pressing forward into total darkness. Leaning on one another and relying on memory alone, they took flight and landed upon the immortal mountain where Xujiaping was situated. Holding bamboo canes, tapping the ground before them, and clasping each other by the elbow, they supported one another until they reached Xujiaping. They could already sense the aura of Xu Ying's three Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits. Smiles surfaced on both their faces; they had finally found them. As long as they eradicated those three primordial spirits and broke Xu Ying's ruthless invincibility, they still had a chance at survival. Suddenly, they sensed an additional presence standing directly in front of them. An aura of absolute malevolence and ferocity. Though blind, they could feel an archdemon standing before them, towering above mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It was the projection of Xu Ying's inner mind! "Where do the two of you think you're going?" Xu Ying's sinister voice drifted from directly ahead. A surge of panic flared in the hearts of Jijue and Ningqing, yet right on its heels came total, utter stillness. In that moment, the two moved as though sharing a single mind. "Signless and Wishless!" Jijue unleashed the Dao voice of Buddhist law, jolting Xu Ying's brutal heart to throw his senses into disarray. At the same instant, Young Master Ningqing lunged forward with a howl, locking Xu Ying in a death grip! Xu Ying brought a palm crashing down onto Ningqing's skull, shattering half of it and driving the remaining half down through his snapped neck and into his chest cavity! Jijue charged in, lunging for Xu Ying's neck. Xu Ying visualized Zhuxian sword qi and severed his arm, yet Jijue's other hand had already seized the prayer beads resting against Xu Ying's neck. "Om—" Radiant Buddhist light blazed into brilliance as the one hundred and eight prayer beads began spinning incessantly. Just as Xu Ying was about to finish both of them off, the feral malice in his eyes gradually ebbed away, and clarity returned to his mind.