Long Jiaonan sneered. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang had just entered the Six Harmonies realm, while she and Red Serpent were both Seven Stars realm experts.
Reaching the Seven Stars realm meant one could serve as a general in the State of Yankang.
Before the Dragon Taming Sect's rebellion, she herself had served in the military while dressed in men's clothing!
With their current strength, Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang were no match for her and Red Serpent.
"Seeking death!"
Long Jiaonan flipped her palm, and her qi condensed into a massive serpent coiling behind her, its jaws gaping wide. The surrounding air howled as it surged toward the two women in the sky, ready to swallow them whole.
Though the Dragon Taming Sect was not known for its spell arts, their power should not be underestimated. After the national reform, the sect had absorbed the strengths of other schools, elevating their spell arts to an entirely new level.
This technique, the Flood Dragon's Heaven-Swallowing Strike, had already reached a high level of mastery.
However, Ling Yuxiu gripped the Nine Dragons Weapon with both hands and swung it downward. Lightning bolts converged in mid-air, crackling as they struck the weapon.
The Nine Dragons Weapon had now transformed into the Nine Dragons Hammer. Its massive head collided with the qi serpent's gaping maw, unleashing the might of thunder. Long Jiaonan's spell art instantly shattered, her qi collapsing and dissipating.
Long Jiaonan's heart jolted. From the other side, Si Yunxiang waved her hand, sending a thin thread stabbing toward her left eye. Long Jiaonan flicked her fingers repeatedly, but the thread was immune to force, continuing its flight toward her.
Si Yunxiang pressed her middle and index fingers together, pointing them at Long Jiaonan like a sword, her fingers moving rapidly. The tip of the Thousand Silk Spirit Weapon followed her movements, executing remarkably precise sword techniques.
"Holy Maiden Xiang's swordsmanship is not bad!"
Long Jiaonan's left sleeve billowed as her qi transformed into a great serpent coiled into a jade disc, disrupting the incoming silk threads. But just then, Long Jiaonan noticed that Si Yunxiang's right hand was in front while her left hand was behind, also forming sword seals and moving rapidly. Alarm shot through her, and she immediately leaped into the air.
The moment she rose, her purple dress fluttered, torn to shreds with holes everywhere, letting in the wind.
Above, Ling Yuxiu swung the great hammer down. Long Jiaonan raised her hand to block, and with a thunderous boom, the hammer erupted withbillowing firelight, its terrifying force sending Long Jiaonan flying!
The Nine Dragons Imperial Technique was inherently one of the finest cultivation methods under heaven, possessing extreme proficiency in spell arts and accumulating qi like a vast ocean. At the same realm level, the Nine Dragons Imperial Technique possessed the most abundant qi—though of course, not compared to Qin Mu's Tyrant Body Triple Pill Technique.
Moreover, Emperor Yanfeng, the founding emperor, was the most brilliant ruler since the establishment of the dynasty. He had long become a grandmaster, improving and refining the Nine Dragons Imperial Technique by incorporating variations from combat techniques and sword arts, making this method far more powerful than before.
Ling Yuxiu cultivated this very technique, following a path that merged combat and spell arts, wielding both simultaneously to amplify her offensive power. Though Long Jiaonan was at the Seven Stars realm, ambushed by two opponents and caught off guard, she was immediately blasted away.
As soon as Ling Yuxiu landed, she released the hammer. The Nine Dragons Hammer split apart, transforming into nine dragon-shaped weapons that snapped together. Countless dragon scales shifted, forming a mirror.
Ling Yuxiu stood behind the mirror, and with a hum, a beam of mirror light shot forth. Within the light, golden dragons seemed to dance, shining upon Long Jiaonan as she flew backward.
Si Yunxiang immediately glided along the ground, flying past the mirror. Her silk threads coiled around her as she cut toward Long Jiaonan, who had been struck by the mirror light.
"Little Red!" Long Jiaonan screamed sharply, raising her palm. The earth shook immediately, and hundreds of sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground, blocking Si Yunxiang's path and the mirror light.
Behind the two women, the massive Red Serpent suddenly unfurled its body. This giant serpent was as thick as a pillar that several people could barely embrace, its strength colossal, sweeping sideways with devastating force. If struck by such a behemoth, one would be severely injured even if not crushed to death!
The Dragon Taming Sect's true killing move was not their cultivation base or divine abilities, but the "dragons" they raised!
The serpents they kept were exotic breeds containing flood dragon bloodline. Even if their own cultivation was not high, as long as the serpent's strength was sufficient, it could kill any opponent.
Long Jiaonan's Red Serpent was an exotic among exotics, a crossbreed with the dragon king's heavenly-realm flood dragon. Its bloodline was extremely pure, allowing a single serpent to sweep through the Seven Stars realm.
Long Jiaonan had become a renowned expert precisely because of this great serpent.
The Red Serpent's terrifying might erupted, rolling toward them, about to crush the two women when suddenly an incredibly intense pillar of light shot from behind it.
The Red Serpent froze, watching as its body was sliced in half by the light beam. The other half of its massive serpentine body rolled away, flattening vast stretches of forest!
At the edge of the pool behind the great serpent, Qin Mu stood there, lifting an enormous eyeball. A beam of light shot from within it—it was this very beam that had severed the serpent's body.
Red Serpent shrieked in agony, its mouth vomiting a thick cloud of poisonous mist. Half its body actually sprang upward, lunging to bite at Qin Mu!
This poisonous mist was extremely lethal, and Qin Mu did not want it touching him. With a step, he activated the Heaven-Stealing Divine Legs, evading Red Serpent's strike.
His speed was incredible. Before Red Serpent could react, he was already airborne. Looking down from above, Qin Mu saw that the Yellow Essence city on the island had been completely destroyed, and the forests where the Yellow Essences lived had been flattened.
Clearly, after discovering this place, Long Jiaonan had shown no mercy, slaughtering and capturing the Yellow Essences, razing their dwelling to the ground!
She must have learned of Qin Mu and the others' whereabouts from these Yellow Essences, which was why she had been waiting here. After all, the Yellow Essences were quite disloyal and easily betrayed others.
Qin Mu's expression darkened. Though the Yellow Essences were disloyal, they had still helped them. Anyone who helped was a benefactor.
Suddenly, Red Serpent's enormous head shot into the air, its jaws opening wide. The snake's mouth split to both sides almost into a straight line, lunging upward to bite him.
"Die."
Qin Mu aimed the jade eye, and with a hum, a beam of light shot vertically downward from Red Serpent's mouth. Everything in its path dissolved into nothingness.
Hum!
The intense light struck the ground, instantly melting the earth and revealing a pit. Boiling magma within began to evaporate, turning into airflow that shot from the pit. Upon cooling, it solidified into small rock beads that fell like a miniature rain of stones.
Red Serpent's springing power was astonishing. Its massive serpentine body engulfed both Qin Mu and the jade eye. Unfortunately, its flesh had been pierced, creating a channel—and its head had been pierced along with it.
Qin Mu landed, and behind him, Red Serpent fell like a giant torn sack, still emanating the aroma of cooked meat.
"Little Red!"
From the distance came Long Jiaonan's shrill scream. The three women had alreadyreached the sea's surface, engaging in fierce combat above the water. Controlling water in the sea became exceedingly simple. Long Jiaonan's qi merged with the seawater, transforming into flood dragons that struck in all directions with terrifying power.
Unfortunately, Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang's spirit weapons were too excellent, their power too great. Ling Yuxiu faced Long Jiaonan's attacks head-on, the Nine Dragons Weapon splitting into nine dragon-shaped blades that attacked from all directions across the sea surface, breaking her spells. They could also instantly transform into a defensive state, becoming the Nine Dragons Shield to block Long Jiaonan's strikes.
Si Yunxiang's cultivation technique was the most bizarre, as unpredictable as her Thousand Silk Spirit Weapon. She would vanish into the water one moment and appear above Long Jiaonan's head the next, making her impossible to guard against.
Though the Thousand Silk Spirit Weapon was slender, it was lethal. The greatest danger to Long Jiaonan actually came from this weapon.
With Red Serpent dead, Long Jiaonan's mind fell into chaos. Si Yunxiang spotted the opening, and the Thousand Silk Spirit Weapon pierced through Long Jiaonan's back, entering her heart. The weapon hummed as it transformed into a thin blade, piercing through Long Jiaonan's heart, the tip emerging from her chest.
Just as Si Yunxiang succeeded, Ling Yuxiu reached out and summoned the nine dragons to unite. One hammer blow struck Long Jiaonan's body!
Crackling sounds erupted from within Long Jiaonan as countless bones shattered. Broken bone fragments pierced through skin, bone ends protruding outward, dripping with blood in a horrifying sight.
Si Yunxiang withdrew the Thousand Silk Spirit Weapon. Long Jiaonan's body swayed and began to sink into the sea.
Ling Yuxiu hurriedly said, "Our spirit weapons are still on her!"
Si Yunxiang quickly grabbed Long Jiaonan's corpse, nearly letting it slip into the sea. She complained, "I had already succeeded. Why did you have to strike her with that hammer? Look now—her bones are all shattered, making her impossible to hold."
The two women dragged Long Jiaonan's corpse back to the island and began searching her treasures. They only found the Glutton's Pouch. Opening it, they saw their spirit weapons and other treasures inside.
Si Yunxiang emptied the contents of the Glutton's Pouch. Besides their own items, there were countless Yellow Essence corpses, piled into a small hill.
Nearly ten thousand Yellow Essence corpses stacked together were only about ten feet high. But since these Yellow Essences were humanoid, ten thousand bodies piled together were still incredibly shocking, carrying ainexplicable sense of sorrow.
"Cult Master, I finally understand—this is not about the strong preying on the weak..."
Si Yunxiang's peripheral vision caught Qin Mu approaching. The Holy Maiden's eyes revealed a barely perceptible sadness as she whispered, "This is absolutely not about the strong preying on the weak, but... but about dominating others' lives to vent one's own desires. When she killed these Yellow Essences, she must have felt like a god or demon..."
Qin Mu walked to her side. "She does not understand the principle of following nature. These Yellow Essences are actually a type of spiritual medicine. Though they are dead, their roots still remain. If planted beside that spirit spring, they might revive. Let's plant them."
The two girls nodded. Planting nearly ten thousand Yellow Essences was quite laborious, but fortunately they were all divine ability practitioners. After several hours of work until nightfall, they finally finished planting all the Yellow Essences.
Si Yunxiang went to gather firewood, while Ling Yuxiu went to the spirit spring to fetch water to water the Yellow Essences.
Qin Mu tidied up the Glutton's Pouch, placing the two jade eyes inside. He then set over three thousand jade pearls on the island's beach. The pearls emitted various enchanting colors of light.
Si Yunxiang gathered firewood and came to the beach to light a campfire. She then removed her outer garment, wearing only her undergarments as she jumped into the sea.
Her undergarments consisted of a dress with straps over the shoulders, resembling a dudou but slightly larger. It was woven from pure white silk, without any embroidery.
Below, she wore white undergarment pants, the legs very short—only three inches—with thin straps tied around her snow-white thighs.
After a while, Si Yunxiang emerged from the sea carrying a fish ten feet long, tossed it beside Qin Mu. She then circulated her qi to evaporate the moisture from her undergarments before dressing again.
Only then did she notice that Qin Mu had, at some point, dragged Long Jiaonan's corpse over and placed it by the campfire. He had also dragged over the two halves of Red Serpent's body. Puzzled, she asked, "Cult Master, what are you doing?"
Qin Mu replied, "Guarding the corpse, waiting for her to wake up."
Si Yunxiang burst out laughing. "Wait another two days and she'll start to stink! I pierced her heart, and Princess Xiu shattered all her bones. How could she possibly live?"
Ling Yuxiu walked over, saw Long Jiaonan's corpse, and frowned. She asked cautiously, "Cowherd, does the Great Ruins have some strange custom?"
Qin Mu kicked Long Jiaonan's corpse and sneered, "Sister Long, stop pretending. I've seen you shed your skin!"
The two girls laughed. "Just bury her quickly."
Qin Mu sneered coldly. "Before burying her, I must first chop off her head! This knife of mine—it thirsts for blood!" With that, he drew the Butcher's Knife, his expression menacing.
Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang both jumped. Ling Yuxiu whispered, "Holy Maiden Xiang, does the Great Ruins have a custom of chopping corpses' heads off?"
"I don't know either. Perhaps the Great Ruins really does have this strange quirk..."
Si Yunxiang had just spoken when suddenly, the sound of splitting skin echoed from the top of Long Jiaonan's head.