Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The reason that extremely powerful magic tools were given the crown title of ‘divine’ was because they possessed strength capable of contending with divine beings.

The source of Spectral Disaster’s strength lay in these 12 metal puppets. Their strength was bound by contracts and only the family bloodline that inherited this divine tool was able to obtain their true approval.

Undying’s voice was filled with dignity. “Now, it’s time for you to accept reality…you, who I once cared for the most!”

The cold and gloomy man turned and left without saying a word. His projection shattered and vanished from the world inside Spectral Disaster.

Undying’s eyes revealed a complex color for a brief moment before he immediately composed himself. “There is no point in avoiding me. Sooner or later the grievances between you and me will be settled.”

Then, he turned and rubbed his chin. He glanced at Qin Yu and smiled, “Do my handsome looks and elegant demeanor open your eyes?”

Qin Yu gave a thumbs up. “You are indeed much more handsome than I imagined…Undying, congratulations!”

Undying bowed. “I thank master for everything you did for me today.” He pursed his lips together and looked at the 12 metal puppets. “Retrieving the divine tool that my family lost only makes up for a little bit of the mistake I made in the past. I really was a fool back then!”

Qin Yu was silent for a moment. “What’s passed has passed. Look towards the future.”

Undying let out a deep breath. “That’s right. I have retrieved my memories but that doesn’t mean I should dwell within them. I can’t undo the mistakes from the past, but I had to do something about them.”

He shook his head and no longer spoke about this. He glanced at the Immortal Sect and Demonic Path cultivators, his expression faint, “Master, how do you want to deal with these people?”

The Grand Marshal and Fallen Wing both stiffened, their complexions extremely ugly. But, they couldn’t make any sounds. With their status, when did they ever imagine that they would become pieces of meat on the block, their lives held in the hands of others?

The Ancient Dao’s ‘burial accompaniment’ impact had caused the Immortal and Demonic cultivators to suffer severe casualties. Now, added together, only a total of 13 people had survived.

All of them had weak and wounded auras. Looking at the 12 horrifying metal puppets, none of them doubted that they would die with a single nod from Qin Yu.

And the reality was that not too long ago, the Immortal and Demonic sides had plotted to borrow the hand of the specters to kill Qin Yu. Since had managed to quietly withdraw from the battlefield, he must have sensed this.

To repay evil with good, to return harm with kindness…perhaps this sort of thing really did exist, but it would never occur between powerhouses. If someone had such a benevolent nature they never would have been able to stand out amongst all those living and have their current achievements.

Fallen Wing roared, “If I perish, the Demonic Path will know immediately! They will never give up on this!” Threats like this were preliminary and basic, but in the current situation it was the only possible path to survival he had left.

Undying’s eyes flashed with a cold light. A metal puppet suddenly lifted a hand and a wild strength instantly erupted.

Bang –

Fallen Wing was sent flying away. As he tumbled about, the darkness around him shattered and scattered. His arms broke and blood spurted from his nose and mouth.

The remaining Demonic Path cultivators to his side fled in a panic. Shan Wugu was about to move, when a calm voice echoed in his ear, “Catch him!”

In the blink of an eye, Shan Wugu’s thoughts raced and turned. He roared out, erupting with billowing slaughter energy that turned into a net which wrapped behind Fallen Wing.

Unsurprisingly, the net of slaughter energy slowed down the impact for only a moment before it trembled and collapsed. Shan Wugu went tumbling backwards along with Fallen Wing.

Undying coldly sneered. “I didn’t think there would be someone unafraid of death. Then, let me help you along.”

The metal puppet lifted its hand once more, its shadow covering Shan Wugu. Shan Wugu’s face was deathly pale and he clenched his teeth.

“Stop.” Qin Yu suddenly said.

The metal puppet stood still, unmoving. Undying tilted his head, a puzzled look in his eyes.

Qin Yu shook his head, indicating that he wasn’t going to give an explanation right now. He looked at the Immortal Sect side and asked, “Your teacher is Shen Yuanyin?”

Lan Ruo was pale white. Even though there had been female cultivators of Nineheaven Mirrormoon Palace who had preserved her life at the expense of their own, she had still suffered severe injuries.

She was startled for a moment by this question. Then she nodded, “That’s right.”

Qin Yu’s eyes wavered a little. He lightly said, “When you return, tell your honorable master that an old friend will soon be coming to visit. I hope she will abide by the promise she made in the past.”

Lan Ruo was stunned. This meant that he was going to let them go?

The Grand Marshal quickly said, “Fellow daoist, Lan Ruo will definitely deliver your words.” Now wasn’t the time to hesitate. No matter what the reason was, they were lucky to be able to leave alive.

Qin Yu nodded. He coldly glanced at the Dark Night Demon Region cultivators and said, “The lot of you can also leave.”

Fallen Wing’s tense body relaxed a little. He looked at Shan Wugu and said, “Help me up.”

Shan Wugu was silent. He supported Fallen Wing’s arm and the two of them shakily stood up.

Beside them, the other Dark Night Demon Region cultivators weren’t yet able to rejoice before they suddenly stiffened.

Undying curled his lips. “How meaningless.”

But he didn’t refuse. He waved his hand and the 12 golden puppets rumbled as they sank back into the earth.

Qin Yu lightly said, “Undying, send them away.”

Just as his voice fell, excited cries came from the far off distance. Billowing voices broke into the skies as a formidable aura swept out like a tide, capable of grinding down everything!

Rumble rumble –

Between the heavens and earth, endless spectral strength gathered. From afar it first seemed like a faint black line. Quickly, it grew larger and larger until it occupied the entire horizon like a true heaven-shaking wave!

Walking at the head of the wave was a middle-aged man. His stance was regal and spirited and his steps were filled with supreme arrogance. He looked down from up high as if he were a god looking down at the world from a divine palace, staring at all the ants below him.

In particular, when he looked at Qin Yu, his eyes brightened and he revealed a cold and callous look. “You, we meet again!” His deep voice seemed to rumble through the world like thunder!

This aura…

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes. “Heavenseek Old Demon?”

The middle-aged man laughed. “Ignorant junior, Heavenseek was only a wisp of my soul. But, you almost ruined my chances of reviving. This crime cannot be forgiven!” His laughter came to a stop and his eyes filled with coldness. “Tell me junior, how do you want to die?”

After awakening his main body and feeling the formidable power surging in it, his confidence had reached the peak. With his current strength, as long as he escaped this prison then it wouldn’t be difficult to dominate this world!

Immortal Sect? Demonic Path? So what! He also had the qualifications to establish a legacy that would last for 10,000 generations!

Qin Yu remained silent.

Heavenseek Old Demon frowned and his face darkened. He sensed that something wasn’t right with the atmosphere. The Immortal and Demonic cultivators all had strange expressions as they looked at him. Heavenseek Old Demon lifted his hand and pressed forwards. Spectral aura wildly gathered, turning into a white bone spear that howled towards Qin Yu’s head.

If he wanted to kill someone, he would kill someone. Who cared what sort of strange schemes that person was plotting. The disparity of absolute strength was enough to render all tricks useless.

Qin Yu didn’t even bat at eyelash. As he looked at the bone spear coming at him, he didn’t react in the least. When the bone spear arrived ten feet away from him, it dissolved into spectral aura on its own initiative and split into two, shooting past him on both sides. It simply didn’t dare to offend him in the least.

Heavenseek Old Demon’s eyes widened and disbelief flooded his face. “How is this possible!?” In that brief moment before, he had lost control of the bone spear. Or to be more exact, the bone spear had ‘rebelled’ and deliberately severed its connection to him.

This was simply unimaginable!

Undying coldly sneered. “I was originally curious why you didn’t appear when there was such a great commotion before, but now it seems that you wanted to give me an even greater surprise. It seems that I really must thank you.”

Heavenseek Old Demon trembled and endless fear surged out from the depths of his heart. He felt as if he were facing a king that controlled his life and death.

“You…who are you?” This feeling was too terrifying, so terrifying that it drowned out his every thought. He couldn’t help but roar in fear.

Every expression disappeared from Undying’s face. He coldly said, “You will soon find out who I am.” He lifted a hand and grasped forward. Heavenseek Old Demon directly exploded into a mass of tumbling black gas.

“Ahh! Who are you!? Who are you!?” Heavenseek Old Demon’s panic-stricken screams came from the black gas.

Undying simply didn’t bother to respond. He reached out and tore hard with his hands. With a pitiful scream, the black gas was divided into two. Half of it rapidly shrank and collapsed in on itself, condensing into a black bead.

The remaining half fled, reforming into Heavenseek Old Demon’s figure. His face was deathly pale and filled with fear.

Whoosh –

He turned and fled without hesitation.

Undying lightly said, “If I don’t let you go, there is nowhere you can run to.”

Shua –

Space reversed. The fleeing Heavenseek Old Demon came to a pause. His eyes went as wide as full moons and he started to shiver.

“You…you are…this world’s master…” He roared in pain, “That’s impossible, this is clearly an ownerless item!”

Undying’s lips curled up. “You know very much. I've taken a sudden interest in you.”

Heavenseek Old Demon’s complexion paled, “Don’t kill me!” If he had the courage to face death, he wouldn’t take the initiative to enter Spectral Disaster even knowing that there was something wrong inside while leaving a piece of his soul outside to wait for an opportunity.

Undying’s smile turned blinding. “You have merged into one whole with the divine tool, so how can I bear to kill you? In the future we will have the chance to get to know each other better.”

Bang –

The ground blew open. Decayed arms reached up, all of the exuding a gut-wrenching stench. They grabbed onto the struggling Heavenseek Old Demon and pulled him underground.

Undying turned and coldly said, “Alright, this play has finally come to an end. It’s time for you all to leave.”

Bang –

Space suddenly collapsed. Then, like a giant mouth, it swallowed up the Immortal and Demonic cultivators before restoring itself to how it was.

The world fell quiet once more. All that was left was Undying and Qin Yu.

Qin Yu suddenly said, “If you’re tired then you don’t need to keep up the act.”

Undying fell on his butt and started to breathe in great heaving gasps. Sweat immediately soaked his robes. He looked up and raised a thumb, “Master has great eyesight!”

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed. “It’s not good eyesight, but that I understand your personality. If you had sufficient strength you would never have allowed that person to leave so easily.”

Undying smiled. “It was only a projection that was almost destroyed by that ancient. Even if it was destroyed, that person wouldn’t have been harmed.” A strange light flashed in the depths of his eyes. Was this really all there was to it? Perhaps he was only using this as an excuse to comfort himself.

He shook his head and laughed at himself.

Qin Yu sat down. “It’s only now that I can finally rest assured that you won’t suddenly attack me and turn my head into your stool.”

Undying grinned, “No worries, no worries, don’t look at how I’m streaming with sweat right now. In truth I don’t have a genuine body. I’m just drawing support from Spectral Disaster’s strength to maintain a form here.” He took a deep breath and earnestly said, “So master, you must be extra careful to survive right now and to not die. Think twice before you do anything. I don’t want to be dragged down with you.”

Qin Yu smiled. “You should know that once I return to the Land of Divinity and Demons I will become the next Holy Monarch of the Demonic Path. If I’m a little cautious, no one can touch me. But as for you…you are the one that needs to be careful. Think three times before you do anything and don’t be impulsive.”

Undying revealed a surprised look. “Has master guessed correctly?”

Qin Yu said, “Since you have become the master of Spectral Disaster, the world I am in will absolutely not allow you to stay here any longer.”

If it weren’t for that, how could he have easily let off the cultivators from the Immortal Sect and Dark Night Demon Region?

With Undying controlling Spectra Disaster, Qin Yu right now was at his most formidable state. But what a pity, Undying was doomed to stay in Spectral Disaster and Qin Yu wouldn’t be able to draw upon his support in the future.

Undying nodded, “Although that’s not entirely correct, it’s about right. I will need to leave, master.”

Qin Yu patted Undying’s shoulder. “Do well out there. If I leave this world one day, I’ll come and find you.”

Undying laughed. “Don’t worry. When that day comes, I will be sure to give master a great surprise!” He held up a black bead in his hand. “I have sealed away a part of Spectral Disaster’s aura here. If you are in a time of crisis, crush this bead to summon a phantom of it. With the level of this world’s strength, it should be able to protect master well.”

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. “Thank you!”

Undying slapped his butt and stood up. “Let me say it again. Master, your safety is closely linked to my own wellbeing. You must take care of yourself.” After a moment he said in a deep voice, “The bloodline of the ancients is favored by the heavens and earth but it is also because of this reason that they experience so much tribulation. If possible, you shouldn’t expose your identity as an ancient in front of anyone. If you have no other choice…anyone that finds out must die, otherwise there will be no end to your troubles in the future!”

Qin Yu suddenly recalled what he had seen when he experienced the world through the eyes of the giant: the massive divine palace that shared glory with the great sun and the pained giant statues that appeared when the fog was blown away.

Originally he had no idea what this meant. But when the giant died and became a stone statue, that was sufficient explanation.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Yu said, “I will remember this!”

He turned and looked towards the giant that had become a stone statue. “Senior, I have no idea why I would have the status of an ancient. But since I have obtained your inheritance, I will not bring disgrace to the name of the ancients…to support the heavens and earth from birth and not fall over after death…I cannot guarantee that I can achieve this, but I will try my best.”

He cupped his hands together and bowed deeply. Qin Yu stood up and calmly said, “Undying, send me out of here…moreover, remember to keep that fellow here.”

Undying smiled. “Master, I look forward to seeing you again.”

Hum –

A ripple appeared, like the surface of a lake with a calm breeze blowing over it. Qin Yu’s form was submerged within and then he vanished.