Chapter 236: Suppressing Gods and Restraining Souls
Li Qingqiu cast the divine art Immortal Severing Three Swords for the first time. This was Jiang Zhaoxia’s fortuitous encounter, belonging to sword-path divine arts, and was very suitable for him, so he had set aside part of his time to cultivate it.
Although his Immortal Severing Three Swords was, for the time being, inferior to Jiang Zhaoxia’s attainment, he made up for it with his vast Vital Energy.
Facing the encirclement of dozens of sword clones, the Silent Nether Ghost King was hacked until flesh flew everywhere, with more and more white bones exposed on his body.
Centered on the Silent Nether Ghost King, the ground in all directions was ravaged not only by sword energy, but also splattered with fresh blood.
Such a scene made the Northern Court Army watching from afar shudder with fear, while instinctive awe toward Li Qingqiu arose in their hearts.
Compared to the terrifying, ghost-like Silent Nether Ghost King, Li Qingqiu’s bearing was like that of an immortal. Moreover, the Northern Court Army knew what they had come for, so they could judge that the Silent Nether Ghost King was their target. Seeing the target being brutally slaughtered, they felt a wave of relief.
At the very least, they did not need to personally face such a horrifying ghost.
“Damn it……”
The Silent Nether Ghost King gnashed his teeth. His defensive speed grew slower and slower, and gradually, his body swayed violently, leaving him only able to endure head-on.
His physical body’s self-healing speed was astonishing. Even under Li Qingqiu’s storm-like onslaught, he had not fallen.
Li Qingqiu did not believe the Silent Nether Ghost King could keep enduring forever, so he maintained the divine art.
A figure rushed down swiftly from the mountain, steps flying—it was Fang Tianshu.
Fang Tianshu sprinted along the cliff’s edge. Looking down, he could barely make out the scene of Li Qingqiu fighting the Silent Nether Ghost King. Seeing those sword clones, shock filled his heart.
He was shocked by Li Qingqiu’s methods, once again having his horizons broadened.
At the same time, the unease in his heart only grew heavier.
Under such an offensive, that evil ghost was actually still persisting in battle.
Could it be that even this mysterious Immortal Cultivator was unable to deal with the evil ghost?
At the thought of Li Qingqiu being slain by the Silent Nether Ghost King, and he and his army having to face this evil ghost, a chill ran through him.
His pace grew faster and faster. He wanted to get down the mountain as quickly as possible.
As an Entry-Realm expert, his lightness skill attainment was naturally not low. He drew closer and closer to the foot of the mountain.
After a brief burst of rage, the Silent Nether Ghost King, restrained by the sword clones, returned to his usual three-faced appearance. Letting his body sway, he stared at Li Qingqiu and said with a mocking smile, “You’re not thinking of competing with me in endurance, are you? Such spells must consume an enormous amount of your Vital Energy. Or could it be that you’re just forcing yourself to stay calm?”
Li Qingqiu stared at him and said calmly, “I just want to see what other abilities you still have.”
On his shoulder, Jin Lang tilted his head, looking at the Silent Nether Ghost King, not knowing what he was thinking.
“What? Do you think you’ve got me completely under control?” The ferocious face in the middle of the Silent Nether Ghost King revealed a look of contempt.
Li Qingqiu held the Clear Sky Sword in his right hand and raised his left hand, pointing toward the nearby Xuanji Mountain.
In an instant, the mountain trembled, startling the Northern Court soldiers who were rushing down the mountain.
The tens of thousands of troops gathered on the wasteland began to stir. More and more people looked in the same direction, following their gaze—exactly where Li Qingqiu’s left hand was pointing.
They saw the mountain wall to Li Qingqiu’s left begin to crack. Immediately afterward, a boulder more than ten zhang tall broke free from the mountain and flew toward the Silent Nether Ghost King, followed by dense fragments of rock.
This scene not only frightened the Northern Court Army, but also made the Silent Nether Ghost King shudder.
He could not understand how Li Qingqiu had done this.
This was precisely Li Qingqiu’s divine art—Moving Mountains to Suppress Gods!
Li Qingqiu swept his left hand, and that enormous boulder, like a small mountain, hurtled forward and descended from the sky, smashing directly into the Silent Nether Ghost King. The surrounding sword clones dissipated along with it.
The earth trembled violently, startling many horses.
The suppressed Silent Nether Ghost King discovered in terror that he could no longer disperse his flesh and blood.
From the moment Li Qingqiu transformed into a divine dragon, he had been under constant suppression, able only to take blows passively.
“How is this possible…… How could he have mastered so many such spells……”
Crushed beneath the boulder, the Silent Nether Ghost King had already been pressed into pulp. His vision was pitch-black.
He had not felt such fear of darkness for a very long time.
No matter how hard he struggled, he could not push away the suppression upon him, nor could he transform into blood energy and disperse.
“His attire isn’t that of someone from the Northern Border. Could it be that he was drawn here by my split soul?”
The Silent Nether Ghost King thought in terror. Yesterday, he had sensed that he had lost contact with one split soul. He had not thought much of it. After all, Immortal Cultivators existed within the Nine Provinces—this he knew—and that split soul was not very strong, certainly no match for Immortal Cultivators.
He never imagined the other party would arrive so quickly.
His split soul had gone south, and it had taken a full month.
On the other side.
Fang Tianshu arrived at a cliff. From here, the wasteland was less than a hundred zhang away. Looking down at the enormous boulder standing there, his expression was one of shock.
Once again, he was stunned by Li Qingqiu’s methods.
What kind of spell was this?
Li Qingqiu ignored the gazes cast from afar. He walked to the enormous boulder and began to cast the Soul Restraining Curse.
The Silent Nether Ghost King was a ghost cultivator. All his spells belonged to the Ghostly Path, so as long as Li Qingqiu suppressed his soul, he would be unable to escape.
The so-called blood mist technique was, in truth, the Silent Nether Ghost King’s soul shifting position. Living people could not touch his soul body, so naturally they could not stop him.
Now that his soul could not move, his fleshly body could no longer disperse into blood mist to relocate.
It had to be said that, against the Silent Nether Ghost King, Li Qingqiu could only use Ghostly Path methods. If disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were to encounter him, it would likely be nine deaths out of ten, including Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning.
As Li Qingqiu began casting the Soul Restraining Curse, the Silent Nether Ghost King’s screams rang out from beneath the enormous boulder.
“Daoist friend! I was wrong! Please spare me!”
“Senior! You can’t treat me like this!”
“No—”
Fang Tianshu could hear the Silent Nether Ghost King’s voice. His expression became complicated. Seeing Li Qingqiu truly suppress the Silent Nether Ghost King, an indescribable feeling arose in his heart.
The Silent Nether Ghost King’s cultivation was indeed not low, but it was only at the initial level of the Spirit Perception Realm. Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu’s Vital Energy was a hundred times that of the third layer of the Spirit Perception Realm, and he also possessed the Human Ghost-God Fate Trait. Using the Soul Restraining Curse to suppress the Silent Nether Ghost King was as easy as turning one’s hand.
The Northern Court Army quieted down, not daring to disturb Li Qingqiu.
Sunlight poured down, stretching the shadow of the enormous boulder long.
Looking at this gigantic rock nailed into the ground, everyone felt as though they were beholding a divine miracle.
Fang Tianshu quickly went down the mountain and began to reorganize the army.
After hesitating for a moment, he mustered his courage and walked toward Li Qingqiu.
He did not disturb Li Qingqiu, but instead stopped ten zhang away and waited patiently.
Time passed swiftly.
After a full incense stick’s time, Li Qingqiu finally subdued the Silent Nether Ghost King into a Ghost Servant.
He had no intention of keeping the Silent Nether Ghost King. He merely wanted to find Li Sifeng and, incidentally, learn about the Silent Nether Ghost King’s origins. After that, he would let Lin Chuan and Nangong E devour the Silent Nether Ghost King.
Such a powerful Ghost King would certainly allow the two ghosts to save several years, or even over a decade, of bitter cultivation.
Li Qingqiu raised his hand and summoned forth the three-headed, six-armed Silent Nether Ghost King from within the rock—of course, what he drew out was the soul body.
He put this soul body into the Soul Refining Banner, then shifted his gaze toward Fang Tianshu.
Fang Tianshu only saw a black banner appear out of thin air in Li Qingqiu’s hand, then vanish just as quickly.
His intuition told him that this banner was extremely dangerous and very sinister.
Seeing Li Qingqiu’s gaze fall upon him, Fang Tianshu hurried forward, came before Li Qingqiu, and knelt halfway down on one knee, raising both hands and clasping his fists in salute.
“Many thanks to the Immortal Master for saving us and eliminating the evil ghost for the Northern Border. Otherwise, we might have died here today, and countless commoners would have perished under his ghostly claws!”
Fang Tianshu spoke in a deep voice, his heart uneasy.
Li Qingqiu looked at him expressionlessly and asked, “How much do you know about this ghost?”
“Nothing at all. This evil ghost appeared several months ago and slaughtered many tribes. We came here under orders,” Fang Tianshu answered truthfully.
Li Qingqiu turned around, preparing to head back up the mountain.
Fang Tianshu hurriedly asked, “May I ask the Immortal Master’s honored name? You are our savior, and today you could be said to have saved the Northern Border. I will surely report this to His Majesty, so that the people of the Northern Border all know of your great kindness!”
Li Qingqiu stopped, slightly turning his head. With the corner of his eye, he glanced at him and said, “Li Qingqiu.”
He turned back and continued walking toward Xuanji Mountain.
Fang Tianshu’s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly asked, “Could it be Clear Sky Sect Master Li Qingqiu?”
Li Qingqiu did not answer again. He leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of sword light, soaring upward and flying to the mountain peak at extreme speed, disappearing from Fang Tianshu’s sight.
Such a figure left Fang Tianshu utterly captivated, his eyes filled with reverence.
“So the Clear Sky Sect Master is this formidable. No wonder, with just a few dozen disciples, he drove the Xuanji Sect back step by step……”
Fang Tianshu thought silently. He did not feel fear because of this, for he could not forget the spells Li Qingqiu had just displayed.
An uncontrollable impulse arose in his heart.
He also wanted to cultivate immortality!
Perhaps the Northern Court should change its view of the Nine Provinces.
……
Night fell. Upon the wasteland, Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged before a campfire, holding the Soul Refining Banner in his hand as he probed into the Silent Nether Ghost King’s memories.
Jin Lang practiced blade techniques nearby. Lin Chuan and Nangong E floated around, guarding Li Qingqiu. The Prison Qilin lay beside Li Qingqiu, sleeping as it recuperated.
The Silent Nether Ghost King’s memories were incomparably vast—larger even than Ancestor Su Xing’s memories, nearly rivaling those of an Ancient God.
The Silent Nether Ghost King truly had been human.
An Immortal Cultivation sect had once arisen in the Northern Border, and the Silent Nether Ghost King had been one of its members. The sect did not have many people, only a dozen or so.
The Silent Nether Ghost King’s master had stumbled upon an Immortal Cultivation opportunity by chance, and thus led his disciples onto the path of cultivation.
After they truly became Immortal Cultivators, they began traveling through the Northern Border, clearing out evil entities for various tribes, while acting as knight-errants and spreading the fame of immortals. Along the way, they encountered many troubles, including martial arts experts, but relying on their cultivation and spells, they defeated all who came against them. Their reputation grew louder and louder, even attracting the attention of the Northern Court Heavenly Son.
The Northern Court Heavenly Son sent people to invite them to the royal capital. For the sake of bringing fame to their sect, they chose to attend the banquet.
Within the royal capital, everyone knew that the Heavenly Son was going to host Immortal Cultivators at a feast. This filled them with excitement, believing that their great enterprise was about to be accomplished.
However, at the palace banquet, the Northern Court Heavenly Son actually poisoned them and laid an ambush with many martial-path experts.
His master exhausted all his strength to lead them in breaking out of the encirclement, but the poison was far too insidious. They were unable to expel it. In the end, only the Silent Nether Ghost King and his junior sister survived. Afterward, the Northern Court Heavenly Son slandered them as demons in disguise and ordered them hunted down.
At that time, the Silent Nether Ghost King and his junior sister were only at the second layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. Merely encountering a group of Entry-Realm experts was enough to leave them struggling to cope.
During repeated pursuits, the Silent Nether Ghost King’s junior sister was killed, leaving him to flee northward in hatred.
Later, he entered a mountainous region filled with ghostly energy. This place was a forbidden zone of the Northern Border, and it was precisely because of its fearsome reputation that the Northern Court experts finally abandoned the pursuit.
Late update—updating, updating. In the new year, I will definitely adjust my state properly!
Maintain three updates daily, striving for four!