Inside Yuan Qi's belly, the big bell activated the half-broken Purple Nether Saber. Saber light gleamed like flowing water, shining upon the runes of the Eight-Word Great Curse branded across the sky within Yuan Qi's abdomen, causing those runes to snap one after another.
Years ago, this broken half of the Purple Nether Saber had been sheared apart by the Zhuxian Sword. Xu Ying had sealed it and shoved it into Yuan Qi's belly.
Later, when Yuan Qi accompanied Jin Buyi to the Demon Ancestral Court, they had never dared to bring this item out for fear of being detected by the Imperial Monarch. It wasn't until they heard the news that Zhu Chanchan had been invited by the Little Celestial Venerable to forge heaven-mending divine artifacts in the Ziwei Secret Realm.
Yuan Qi and the big bell had thus gone to Hunyuan Palace to find Zhu Chanchan and fence the stolen goods.
It was also the first time Zhu Chanchan had ever seen such a formidable magic treasure. For a time, her brows knit in worry, not knowing how to break the Imperial Monarch's brand.
Superior magic treasures were like humans: they could gather Qi, refine elixir, cultivate a Primordial Spirit, brand Dao-image runes, and even cultivate a bodhimanda. The Imperial Monarch's Purple Nether Saber was the finest of the fine. From tiny Dao-image runes to an expansive bodhimanda, the Imperial Monarch's brands within the saber possessed profound, intricate mechanisms.
Moreover, destroying the Imperial Monarch's divine sense brand while preserving the Dao images, runes, and bodhimanda brands was a matter of immense complexity.
With Zhu Chanchan's cultivation and knowledge, she was incapable of destroying the divine sense brand without also damaging the Dao images and runes.
Just as they were at their wits' end, another pair of acquaintances from the Yuanshou world arrived at Hunyuan Palace: Foolish Ah Fu and Feng Xian'er.
Foolish Ah Fu had been lacking an opportunity to prove himself before the Little Celestial Venerable. Having obtained this chance, he naturally wanted to put on a show. After examining the Purple Nether Saber, he told them that given their strength, they had no way of erasing the Imperial Monarch's brand; even the Little Celestial Venerable could not accomplish it.
"The way to break the Imperial Monarch's brand isn't by destroying, but by adding. I call it Augmentation and Reduction."
Foolish Ah Fu had said, "The Imperial Monarch's brand is utterly consummate, completely flawless. Even if there are flaws, they aren't something we could ever perceive. His brand is simply too perfect for us. Since we cannot shatter perfection, we introduce some imperfections into it, thereby ruining its state of perfection. Like stamping personal seals across a masterwork painting, tossing a handful of rat droppings into mutton soup, or placing a few loafers into a tightly coordinated yamen. This is the Augmentation and Reduction Method: it appears to augment its strength, but in truth disrupts its perfection, causing it to weaken."
Because he successfully broke the Imperial Monarch's brand, Foolish Ah Fu gained the Little Celestial Venerable's regard and was treated as a mastermind.
He used the same method to counter the Imperial Monarch's Eight-Word Great Curse. Since Xu Ying was not present at the time, Ah Fu had branded the countermeasure into the Imperial Monarch's Purple Nether Saber instead.
Ah Fu told Yuan Qi and the others that if they encountered Xu Ying, they only had to activate the saber and slash Xu Ying once; triggering the brand within the saber would dissolve the Imperial Monarch's curse.
At the time, Yuan Qi and the big bell both agreed that needing to slash Xu Ying to break the Imperial Monarch's Eight-Word Great Curse was most likely Foolish Ah Fu's revenge for when Xu Ying had pierced his brain with a finger all those years ago. Nevertheless, it really could unravel the Imperial Monarch's blood curse.
Therefore, this slash still had to be delivered.
Curses were similar to brands: they operated through visualization and thought. Introduce static or discordant thoughts into the visualization, and it would become riddled with flaws. However, the other sixteen-word seal was far more troublesome to crack, as each word contained an entire Immortal Dao.
Foolish Ah Fu's Augmentation and Reduction Method could not break such seals for the time being.
"The key question is, who gets to slash Ah Ying?" the big bell asked suddenly, eyeing the Purple Nether Saber.
Yuan Qi grinned. "Such a good deed as slashing Ah Ying—we cut him, and he even has to thank us for it."
At that point, he fell silent. The big bell also stayed silent for a moment. Then, suddenly scrambling over each other, both shouted:
"Let me slash him! Let me slash him!"
The big bell hoisted the Purple Nether Saber and said, "Seventh Master, let me slash Ah Ying. You have no sense of restraint—what if you hack him to death? I won't kill him; I'll only hack him half to death."
Yuan Qi sealed off the space within his body, surging with divine sense to contest control of the Purple Nether Saber, and chuckled. "Lord Bell, don't tell me you've wanted to slash Ah Ying for a long time already? You're using public duty to settle a personal score! But I'm different. I have only love for Ah Ying, no hate. Give me the saber! Give me the saber!"
The big bell pleaded, "Give your big brother the saber. Brother is getting old and has never had a chance to hold his head high. Qi, your brother has never begged you for anything in his life, but this time I'm begging you—yield this chance to your brother..."
"No way!" Yuan Qi replied categorically.
"Won't yield, huh? If you don't, believe it or not, this Lord will use this saber to slice a massive gash in your gut and spill your intestines all over the place!"
"Bell-boy, this Lord's belly long ago cultivated an internal heaven and earth! Before you can even cut open a gash, I'll smelt you into bronze dross and shit you out my backside!"
Xu Ying turned his head and asked in confusion, "Seventh Master, Lord Bell, what are you two whispering about back there? Hurry up and follow!"
Yuan Qi and the big bell had been on the verge of an all-out brawl, but hearing his call brought them to their senses. They negotiated: "How about this: half a slash each. You deliver one slash to trigger Desolation, Grief, Savagery, and Sorrow. Then pass the saber to me, and I'll deliver a slash to trigger Violence, Cruelty, Perversity, and Folly."
The big bell agreed, saying, "However, there is one thing: we must not let him know that slashing him will help break the Eight-Word Great Curse. The Eight-Word Great Curse is already taking effect. Inside Ah Ying right now, there might be more than one Ah Ying. The curse may have melded with his personality, manifesting as eight Ah Yings lurking within him! If he knows that cutting him can break the curse, the other eight Ah Yings will definitely resist with all their might—maybe even find ways to finish us off!"
Yuan Qi's eyes lit up, and he said in excitement, "If we take them out one per slash, doesn't that mean we get to slash Ah Ying eight times?"
The big bell froze for a second, then rejoiced, "That's an even better idea! One slash per rune of the curse! You slash four times, I slash four times—we both get our fill of fun!"
"We cut him eight times, and he'll still have to thank us!"
Having concluded their discussion, the big bell finally set down the Purple Nether Saber, and Yuan Qi opened his mouth to let it out.
Transforming into a fair, plump youth, Yuan Qi scurried forward and smiled. "Ah Ying, after arriving at the Demon Ancestral Court, I received guidance from a Demon Sovereign and cultivated the Heavenly Demon World-Shaking Art. We've been separated for a long time. In the past, you were always the one guiding my cultivation. Why don't we spar a bit this time, and you can see if I've made any mistakes?"
Xu Ying suspected nothing and smiled. "Go ahead and display it."
Yuan Qi let out a long cry. Behind him rose a colossal Primordial Spirit—serpent head, dragon horns, entwined in the twin Qi of Yin and Yang, roughly the same size as his true form!
As Yuan Qi channeled the Heavenly Demon World-Shaking Art, Xu Ying felt a demonic wind buffet his face. Although Yuan Qi stood before him looking petite, that Primordial Spirit was boundlessly vast, blotting out the sky and sun.
"Take my move—Heavenly Demon Soul-Shocking Slash!"
With an unbroken roar, Yuan Qi slashed down. The saber light condensed, cleaving open the sky.
"Seventh Master's Heavenly Demon World-Shaking Art is truly extraordinary!"
Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted. Yuan Qi's cultivation and strength had advanced by leaps and bounds; his prowess had already reached the level of a Heavenly Immortal. The Heavenly Demon World-Shaking Art was truly remarkable!
His battle itch stirred, but he suddenly felt the violent and savage malice within him flare up in response to the strike, filling him with an urge to murder Yuan Qi. Shocked, he hastily reined in his emotions, thinking, *This is my brother...*
Suddenly, a shimmering ripple of purple Qi mingled within the blade light—it turned out Yuan Qi had activated the half-broken Purple Nether Saber, hiding it within the saber's radiance and Qi!
How horrifying was the might of the Purple Nether Saber? Even before it drew near, the heaven and earth surrounding Xu Ying began crumbling under the blade light!
Xu Ying's sleeves fluttered and his wild hair whipped about. Unable to suppress his violent, savage malice any longer, his footing shifted as the Ten Earths Cloud Platform surged forward. Turning his hand to cover the sky, he smashed down a palm seal!
*Rumble!*
The skies full of saber Qi shattered. Yuan Qi's Primordial Spirit and physical body tumbled backward through the air, bones popping and cracking all over. The Purple Nether Saber spun in midair and fell with a metallic clang.
"Ninefold Dragon Heavens."
Xu Ying took a step forward, spreading his fingers. Dragon roars echoed from within his body, and the Ancestral Court's sky violently convulsed. Countless divine dragons coiled across the vault—of every posture and variety: Heavenly Dragons, divine dragons, golden dragons, silver dragons, Baxia, Chilong, Qiulong, and more—forming the first layer of the Dragon Realm firmament.
Then the second layer of the Dragon Realm emerged, the first pressing down upon the second, growing immensely heavy. Below them, a third layer appeared, compounding upon the first and second, rumbling downward!
In the blink of an eye, the ninefold dragon heavens stacked together, turning into a supreme seal technique. Countless divine dragons intertwined, forming an incomparably colossal palm seal!
The countless divine dragons were the creases of the palm, the fingerprints upon the fingers!
And down below lay Yuan Qi and his Primordial Spirit!
*My life is forfeit.*
Just as the thought crossed Yuan Qi's mind, the palm force of the Ninefold Dragon Heavens abruptly froze overhead. Violent air currents crushed down from above, slamming into the ground with the deafening surge of stormy waves.
Before Yuan Qi could steady his shaken wits, the Ninefold Dragon Heavens suddenly dispersed.
The big bell was also scared out of its wits, thinking Xu Ying truly intended to slap Yuan Qi to death.
There stood Xu Ying holding the chamber pot in one hand, wearing a dazed expression. Suddenly, he let out a loud cry, spun around, and ran.
Baffled, the big bell hurriedly flew before Yuan Qi. Yuan Qi cried, "Don't touch... don't touch me yet! Broken—my bones are broken!"
He activated his six secret cave-heavens, healed his injuries, and only then stood up. "Lord Bell, I've already challenged Ah Ying. Now it's your turn. Didn't you create that Bell Heaven Numinous Treasure Mysterious Origin Skill or whatever? You go slash him!"
The big bell said haltingly, "Seventh Master, Ah Ying and I are like brothers. How could I slash my own flesh and blood? Do not speak such words again."
Yuan Qi glared at it.
The big bell quickly added, "Ah Ying ran off just now, looking like he took a fright. Let's follow and take a look!"
Yuan Qi put away the half Purple Nether Saber. The two followed the direction in which Xu Ying had fled. After a moment, Xu Ying's voice drifted over.
"We can't do this, we can't do this!"
"Seventh Master is my brother!"
"Braised is out of the question! He must be steamed."
Yuan Qi and the big bell approached cautiously. The voice came from behind a towering stone statue. Rounding the statue, they saw Xu Ying curled up in the gap between the statue's toes, acting sneaky and muttering to himself.
However, the voices from just now had come from above his head.
Yuan Qi and the big bell looked up to see Xu Ying's vital essence forming a wisp of azure smoke that drifted upward. About ten feet in the air, it formed heads the size of water vats—six in total, all bearing Xu Ying's face.
The six heads floated about like tethered balloons, chattering in discord:
"Seventh Master came at us with a blade. His affection for us has definitely faded!"
"I like snake soup."
"Make him wail in agony for seven times seven—forty-nine days!"
The big bell quietly backed away. Once at a distance, it cleared its throat and called, "Ah Ying, are you here?"
Hiding in place, Yuan Qi saw Xu Ying shudder. Suddenly, the six large heads formed from the six wisps of azure smoke zoomed back into Xu Ying's body with sharp whooshes.
Xu Ying slowly rose to his feet. With his back turned to Yuan Qi, he said, "Lord Bell, I'm here."
Yuan Qi couldn't help shivering. As if sensing it, streaks of azure Qi flew out from the back of Xu Ying's skull, transforming into six faces whose gazes swept around as they stretched their necks and flew in this direction.
Yuan Qi quickly hid behind the stone statue, only to see the six faces—Desolation, Grief, Sorrow, Savagery, Violence, and Cruelty—craning their necks to flank around from all sides toward the rear of the statue.
Failing to find Yuan Qi, Desolation, Grief, Sorrow, Savagery, Violence, and Cruelty retracted one by one. By this time, Yuan Qi was hiding atop the stone statue's head, trembling violently.
Realizing things had gone south, he had immediately employed the innate talent of the serpent clan, slithering noiselessly up to the top of the statue's head to take cover.
The big bell flew over and reached Xu Ying. Xu Ying asked, "Where is Seventh Master? Is his injury serious?"
The big bell's voice sounded: "His feelings were hurt just now. He said you wounded him too severely, so he's hiding away sniffling."
Xu Ying said, "Once I set down the chamber pot, I will go apologize to him."
One human and one bell drifted farther away.
Only then did Yuan Qi dare slide down from the stone statue, his heart pounding wildly. *Six words—only six words left! But these six words have already seeped deep into his marrow and vital essence, even beginning to manifest themselves using Ah Ying's essence!*
His expression darkened and lightened unpredictably. *Ah Ying's ailment can't be delayed any longer. Even if he's my brother, we have to give him a slash!*
Chatting and laughing with the big bell, Xu Ying carried the chamber pot to the front of the thatched cottage. He saw Jin Buyi and the other three Imperial Sons bowing respectfully in worship to the Ancestral God.
His gaze swept across the three Imperial Sons, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. But suddenly recalling how the Ancestral God had blasted him away with a punch that night, he suppressed his killing intent, thinking, *I must give the Ancestral God some face. I can't just slaughter them outright.*
As he walked between the three Imperial Sons, the chamber pot inadvertently brushed against Jin Daoli, Jin Yiqi, and Jin Lan. The three were startled and incensed, but in front of the Ancestral God, they dared not lash out.
Xu Ying walked into the room, placed the chamber pot in position, and peered outside to see the three wiping away the filth.
*At least one of them won't be able to hold back. If one snaps, two will snap.*
Xu Ying walked out and called, "Lord Jin, the Ancestral God's Primordial Spirit isn't something you can see just by staring wide-eyed. Come with me to comprehend the Heavenly Dao; I'll teach you how to observe the Ancestral God later."
Jin Buyi hurriedly got up and matched his stride.
"With a mind like a wild ape, leaping up and down without stillness, how could one ever behold the Ancestral God's true visage?" Demon Sovereign Han said, shaking his head.
Jin Daoli, Jin Yiqi, and Jin Lan exchanged glances. None of them stood; they continued observing the Ancestral God, hoping to comprehend the marvels of the Primordial Spirit from him.
Demon Sovereign Jinghong frowned, looking at Jin Buyi's retreating figure with a trace of unease in his heart.
*By a stroke of fortune, I was revived from the Sun Golden Casket, but I have no physical body, only a Primordial Spirit. My strength is inferior to the other three Demon Sovereigns,* he thought silently. *In assisting the Imperial Son, my own strength is already lacking. If the Imperial Son doesn't diligently observe the Ancestral God to comprehend the marvels of the Primordial Spirit, I fear all hope for the throne of Demon Emperor will be lost!*
Jin Buyi and Xu Ying arrived before the stone statue of Heaven, only to hear Xu Ying whisper, "Lord Jin, Lord Bell, Seventh Master has changed. He actually wanted to kill us. We must strike first and take Seventh Master out."
Chapter 459