Chapter 641 — One Punch Smashes Through the Imperial Hall

Chi Xi said, "Jingping today could be destroyed by a puff of breath, shattered by a single blow; ruin awaits it in the years to come. Its cultivation arts and divine abilities advance with astonishing speed, yet too little time has passed and too few are strong. It survives only on the lingering shade of the Kaihuang era. But that era only lingered after death without falling; in the end it died, and it cannot shelter Jingping for many more years. Therefore Jingping is certain to be destroyed in the future. There is no need to look further. Let us go."

Ban Gongcuo was doubtful, unable to tell from what his teacher had deduced this. Chi Xi had already walked far off, and he hurried after him.

Shen Mu, eager to reach the Hall of Human Emperors, happened to miss them.

As he traveled he drove the Profound Body Three Cores Art. Within him the divine-dao treasury and the demonic-dao treasury churned without cease, and his vital essence surged ever more violently. Back in Taiming Heaven he had already begun merging the Six Realms Treasury and the Seven Stars Treasury of his demonic-dao treasury into one, and now he had reached the crucial stage.

His vital essence cultivation grew ever deeper and mightier, and the wall between the two great treasuries gradually blurred. Yet he had never devoted much care to the demonic dao, and just now he still lacked the final degree of mastery.

Two days later, Shen Mu arrived at the gate leading into the Hall of Human Emperors. The light of the Human Emperor Seal shone upon the gate; it opened, and he stepped through.

Before his eyes lay endless mist, and graves within the mist—vast and boundless, graves covering the ground in every direction.

Shen Mu seemed wholly unaware of it, and walked on toward the Hall of Human Emperors.

Ahead were the traces of battle.

Emperor Qikang's primordial spirit was stuck fast in a great pit, like a black radish planted in the earth, with only its head showing.

"Emperor Shen, go no farther!"

Emperor Qikang's primordial spirit, trapped and unable to move, cried out, "I couldn't beat him—he knocked me flat, and he knocked the other Human Emperors flat too!"

Shen Mu turned a deaf ear and kept walking.

The primordial spirit of Emperor Qikang, a man five chi tall, lay sprawled on the ground, eyes vacant, twitching from time to time.

Emperor Qikang laboriously shifted his big fat head—his neck was thicker than his head—and gasped, "Don't go. He's too fierce..."

Shen Mu stepped forward, divine and demonic qi swirling around him, took the two Taotie pouches from his waist, and tossed them to the ground. Not far off, Emperor Lanpo's primordial spirit hung upon a grave's headstone. With an effort he raised his head and said thickly, "You cannot beat him. His strength is too terrible..."

Shen Mu took out the sword core and threw it to the ground.

Emperor Tuoyu clutched at his leg and looked up. "Don't go. All of us Human Emperors attacked together and still could not defeat him... The realm he used was only the Spirit Bridge realm, and he used only his primordial spirit, and still he struck us all down..."

Shen Mu walked on. Emperor Tuoyu's primordial spirit was dragged a few steps before he was forced to let go.

Along the road ahead, the primordial spirits of the Human Emperors of past ages lay strewn every which way, unable to struggle to their feet.

Shen Mu's expression was blank as he came to the thatched hut of the Human Emperors of past ages. Looking ahead, he saw the First Ancestor Human Emperor standing quietly outside the hall doors, waiting for him to arrive.

Shen Mu roused his vital essence, and a roaring din filled his ears. Amid the mighty thunder, the Six Realms Treasury and the Seven Stars Treasury of his demonic dao finally merged, crashing into one!

The First Ancestor Human Emperor said calmly, "You came to me only after a year. You have disappointed me. Strike, then—show me what progress you have made this year. I did not destroy their bones, because I wished to wait for your coming; after I defeat you, I will destroy these good-for-nothings..."

BOOM—

Shen Mu's vital essence abruptly turned blazing beyond measure, violent beyond measure. His feet suddenly drove against the ground, and his form all but vanished in an instant, reappearing in an instant before the First Ancestor Human Emperor.

Before the First Ancestor could finish speaking, before astonishment could even surface on his face, Shen Mu's fist had already struck him heavily in the face.

Behind Shen Mu, a volcano erupted, fire blazing to the heavens—the divine ability he employed was none other than Emperor Qikang's supreme art.

His magic power erupted in an instant like an explosion. The First Ancestor Human Emperor's figure was hurled backward, slamming into the wall of the Hall of Human Emperors with a thunderous boom. Shen Mu charged out, his hands layered one over the other—the stacked palms of the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand!

At the same time his palms flew through the air like a golden vajra of ten thousand arms—Old Man Huo's Thunderclap Eight Secrets!

Two kinds of seal method were unleashed at once. Countless stacked palms blasted out together; the entire Hall of Human Emperors trembled violently, and suddenly the rear wall came crashing down. The First Ancestor Human Emperor was sent flying backward!

Shen Mu lowered his head and shot forward in a wild sprint. His raging vital essence became a silver river hung inverted from the nine heavens, sending the First Ancestor Human Emperor's body tumbling over and over.

"Progress? See for yourself!"

Behind Shen Mu the Great Luo Heaven Stars emerged, becoming the Great Luo Heaven Star Force Field. As he blasted out a seal, the stars behind him blazed one by one; countless starlights linked together into a palm force of tremendous power that crushed the air for more than ten li and slammed into the First Ancestor Human Emperor.

"Watch me use their techniques—and see whether I can beat you to death!"