Chapter 0: 49. Innocent and Blameless
“Clap, clap…”
At this moment, Qin Gou couldn’t help but applaud subconsciously, his teeth clenched as he said, “As expected of a cultivator who has stepped onto the path of slaughter. You must be deliberately forcing me to stop holding back! Right?”
“What?!”
Gu Xi Human Emperor’s heart trembled, his pale face filled with shock. He truly couldn’t comprehend how Qin Gou’s series of fatal moves, from beginning to end, could possibly be construed as “holding back”!
Immediately after, another person suddenly appeared beside Qin Gou.
He was a man dressed in white, with eyes that were slightly vacant. His appearance was exactly the same as Qin Gou’s.
As the battle between Divine Feather and Desolate Pupils proceeded without the slightest interruption, the Celestial Master’s Soul smoothly took over the Kunpeng Fan. Instantly, an alluring, jade-green light bloomed in Qin Gou’s pupils.
“I seem to have grown stronger again? Hmm… no, it should be that Qin Gou has grown stronger, which is why Xie Yu could become even more powerful together!”
Xie Yu, with her hands behind her back, displayed a dazzling and beautiful smile.
Her voice, like a celestial melody, soft and pleasant to the ear, and her graceful figure that overlooked all creations and reached the heavens, commanded the attention of everyone present.
Another Dharma Image?
The aura emanating from Xie Yu, so distinct from that of a true living being, left no room for doubt about her identity.
For a moment, even those cultivators desperately trying to escape the area for their own safety found themselves stopping in their tracks, frozen in place, utterly unable to believe what they were witnessing.
Even the legendary Treasure Body would be incapable of such a feat. Possessing multiple Dharma Images did not mean one could simultaneously summon and control two distinct Dharma Images to fight for them, as he was doing!
At this moment, no one was considering Qin Gou’s titles like ‘Celestial Master’ or ‘Demon Master’. Only one question remained in everyone’s minds.
Was this still a human?
While Gu Xi Human Emperor was terrified, he also subconsciously muttered to himself, “Those who have not yet achieved their Profound Realm, upon seeing this, will surely die… That unparalleled Demon Saint ranking truly wasn’t spout baseless nonsense.”
“Are you still not done?” Qin Gou was incandescent with rage, feeling completely misunderstood. With a single thought, several long phoenix tails behind Xie Yu bloomed with dark light, resembling several pitch-black miniature suns, instilling profound fear.
“Wait a moment!”
Gu Xi Human Emperor’s eyes trembled. He desperately tried to steady his mind, took a deep breath, and said, “Fighting here greatly restricts my movements. Senior, would you be willing to find another place to fight with me?”
“Sure.” Qin Gou chuckled indifferently. When cultivators engage in battle, a fearless spirit is paramount. Gu Xi Human Emperor’s aura was now clearly waning. To anyone with discerning eyes, he was already utterly defeated.
“Please!”
Gu Xi Human Emperor roared and rapidly fled in a certain direction.
However, not long after, he discovered that the surrounding scenery no longer changed as he moved. Everything seemed to be frozen in time.
When he suddenly looked down, he saw that he was floating on a fair and jade-like large hand without realizing when it happened.
He hadn’t even left the grasp of this Five-Finger Mountain… Above him were Xie Yu’s bright, jade-green eyes, which always maintained a strong curiosity towards all things.
He was trapped within Xie Yu’s “Summon All Phenomena.”
Of course, Qin Gou had originally intended to name this move “Come back quickly, I’ll give you a big slap,” but it was met with a strong protest from Xie Yu’s treasured disciple. Finally, after settling on a name that was as intimidating as “One thought to the horizon,” this spirited young girl agreed with her hands, feet, and wings, completely satisfied.
“Where are you going?”
Qin Gou lightly placed a palm on Gu Xi Human Emperor’s shoulder, but was met with a fierce counterattack, a fatal strike aimed at Qin Gou’s Dantian.
“Thwack!”
Within Xie Yu’s palm, he naturally couldn’t succeed. He was even struck on the back by the Celestial Master’s Soul.
“Didn’t you say we were leaving together? Why did you suddenly run so fast? Were you planning to use some secret treasure to escape after creating some distance between us?” Qin Gou chuckled. “If that’s the case, then I finally understand why only you have managed to reach your current status on the path of slaughter… and why Xinting dreams of revenge but has been unable to achieve it until today.”
Seeing this, Gu Xi Human Emperor’s expression turned as dark as water. Although he had heard rumors, such as “escaping is meaningless in front of the Demon Master,” he only truly understood how troublesome this person was when he faced it himself today.
“No! What did you do to me with that last strike?” Suddenly, Gu Xi Human Emperor sensed a slight abnormality in his Dao Body and his eyes filled with murderous intent.
“Don’t be so startled. I just remembered my promise with Xinting to leave you for her to avenge herself with her own hands, so I was thinking of letting you go free,” Qin Gou said with a slight smile. “Does this count as a surprise?”
As soon as he finished speaking, from the swift strike by the Celestial Master’s Soul earlier, two bright silver light spots quietly appeared in Gu Xi Human Emperor’s heart and Dantian, respectively.
After some time, or when Gu Xi Human Emperor was on his deathbed, these spots would instantly transform into holy feathers, delivering a fatal blow and earning merit points.
This was the second reason why the Master of Arc-Moon Mountain was feared by countless ancient overlords in the Cultivation World…
Why did enemies like Mo Qingyang, knowing full well that Qin Gou could launch attacks from extreme distances, still try to stay away and evade him, putting themselves in a very passive position?
It was because they deeply understood that the real tolling of the death knell would sound only after being touched directly by Qin Gou, when he reached their Dao Body.
A feather of death appearing where it could be seen was far better than it appearing directly within their Dao Body!
“You intentionally left a mark so that Zhao Xinting could track me?” Gu Xi Human Emperor’s eyes glinted with coldness.
“I know what you’re thinking… you might make me deeply regret today’s actions in the future?” Qin Gou said with a knowing smile. “But believe me, you will see my figure again before you die.”
“Demon Master, you…”
“Rinse your mouth and think before you speak!”
“Pfft!”
Gu Xi Human Emperor’s eyes were filled with dread, and he discovered with immense shock that simply by Qin Gou’s command, he had inexplicably spat out a mouthful of vital blood, as if he were completely under Qin Gou’s control.
Immediately, Qin Gou meticulously made a “scram this way” gesture, his smile peaceful. “Time is limited. Stay for ten more seconds, and your dog’s life will be in jeopardy!”
A moment later.
In the Purple Extreme Demonic Sect, Zhao Xinting looked at the patch of pure white holy feathers that had appeared out of thin air with surprise. “This is ‘One thought to the horizon’! It’s Master…”
Following that, the holy feathers wrote down Gu Xi Human Emperor’s whereabouts in great detail on the ground not far from Zhao Xinting. This was far more efficient than any Spirit Power Transmission.
…
“Are you alright?”
Qin Gou, having personally freed Director Zhou of the Han Xing Dynasty from his confinement, asked with a gentle smile.
“My Lord…” A “Demon Saint” was at the tip of his tongue, but Director Zhou quickly swallowed it back. Recalling everything he had just witnessed, he dared not address him so casually anymore.
“Don’t worry. That scoundrel has already fled in disarray, and you, Old Zhou, are naturally innocent!”
Director Zhou said excitedly, “You saw through it? I have always performed my duties with impartiality at the Selection Ceremony. How could I be like Gu Xi Human Emperor said, with even the slightest possibility of betraying my Han Xing Dynasty?”
“It’s not a matter of whether I saw through it or not, but on the point of whether you are a traitor, I am absolutely clearer than anyone else…” Qin Gou said earnestly. “If necessary, I can even personally prove it for you! This isn’t just about helping you alone. After all, you will also risk your life to prove that the Mystic Maiden Palace has no collusive intentions, right?”
“You truly are… A Generation’s Celestial Master, with Sharp Eyes!”
For a moment, the sudden concern caused waves of grief and indignation to erupt. Director Zhou nodded continuously, tears streaming down his face, but he also finally recognized some things. The world indeed had more good people like Celestial Master.
