Refining the Mountains and Rivers

In the turbulent deep sea undercurrents, a massive grinding pan suddenly appeared. It was over a thousand feet in diameter and the five colors of black, blue, red, white, and yellow revolved within it. The edges were a murky and hazy blue.

The moment the grinding pan arrived, a boundless force swept out, suppressing the wild undercurrents and returning the surrounding area to peace and quiet.

Qin Yu stuffily coughed and his face paled. Blue veins bulged out across his palm, but his finger remained steady and stable, not shaking in the least.

When he fused with the jade pendant’s embryo egg, although his cultivation hadn’t increased, he wasn’t without gains. For instance, the Five Element Mountain cultivation method that he practiced. With a thought, he perceived it as if he had spent thousands of years deeply immersed in studying it, all of it ingrained within his heart.

After becoming enlightened in the five elements, he could comprehend the ultimate supernatural art, the Five Element Cycle. This manifested as the giant grinding pan that appeared beneath the sea and suppressed the raging undercurrents.

This supernatural art focused on suppression and imprisonment. Using the five elements as the base, it covered the world and all myriad things within it. As long as something belonged to the five elements, it would be impossible for it to break free.

Of course, such an overbearing and strong supernatural art wasn’t without its limits. Although it could be used to suppress all things in the world, it still used Qin Yu’s boundary as its foundation.

If it weren’t for the powerful support that Qin Yu gained through fusing with the embryo egg, with his cultivation it would have been impossible for him to suppress the strength that the Sea God was controlling. Even now he barely managed to achieve this, but the strength draining away from him was like a burst dam. It was impossible for him to last much longer.

“Brother White, that area, attack!”

White Ape clenched his jaws. He had been demeaning the Sea God just moments ago and in the blink of an eye he had nearly been ruined. Although Qin Yu was calling him Brother White just now, it was mostly because of the forced situation.

If he truly wanted to approach Qin Yu and borrow his glory to rise back up, he at least had to display his own value.

“Brother Qin, rest assured that I won’t give it a chance to act recklessly again!” White Ape clenched his teeth. He lifted his hands and grasped forward.

Bang –

Space shattered and a black stone stick howled out. With a loud ‘pa’ it landed in his palm. Then, as if it had been awakened, its surface started to shine with light.

Dark lines like flowing magma appeared on the surface of the black stone stick. Then, the lines spread to White Ape’s palm, causing him to howl in pain.

The dark red lines rapidly grew. In a breath of time, they crawled over the entire surface of White Ape’s body. As they did, his aura experienced a great change. He started to pant for breath as his eyes turned blood red. A destructive intent flooded out from his body, as if he had become a demon!

The power that came from the black stone stick seemed to gather all the negative emotions of the world. It possessed the desire to destroy all things. But this power actually didn’t dare to approach Qin Yu. It seemed that the fluctuations Qin Yu was emanating right now were holy and sacrosanct, unable to be profaned by anything.

Hou –

The demonic White Ape roared into the skies. A last bit of brightness was maintained in his crimson eyes. He lifted his hands and then brought the black stone stick down, smashing at the place Qin Yu pointed to.

The sea waters in front of him instantly seethed and then split in half. Red and black flames leapt out as an inferno combusted deep below the sea, turning everything it touched into ashes.

The Sea God howled in pain. A massive wound was cut open in its colossal body. Dark flames swirled across its flesh and blood, wreaking havoc.

These flames not only burned its physical body but also acted on its soul, accelerating the Sea God’s approaching death.

The surging undercurrents faded away. Qin Yu released the Five Element Cycle and the giant grinding pan vanished. He staggered and gasped for breath in great heaving gulps.

But as his eyes fell on White Ape’s body, he couldn’t help but frown. The power of the black stone stick might not approach him, but White Ape himself wouldn’t be so polite.

Qin Yu could ‘see’ that black and red energy was constantly invading White Ape’s body. It was condensing within his chest, fusing with White Ape’s heart.

When his heart was completely corroded, White Ape would lose all rational reasoning. He would become nothing but a monster controlled by that black stone stick, only knowing destruction and slaughter.

With White Ape’s strength, he should have been able to withstand the corrosion of the stone stick for some time. But, his heart had already been partially corroded away before.

Now the power of the stone stick was invading him once again, and the red and black power already entrenched in his body had burst out and combined together. White Ape’s heart was rapidly transforming into a dark red and black color. His expression became increasingly pained and the last traces of brightness in his eyes were rapidly fading away.

In truth, the root reason why White Ape ended up in this current distressing situation was all because of this black stone stick.

In the past there was a great battle where White Ape emerged as the final victor. In a situation where he was heavily injured, he suffered an invasion from the stone stick’s power and he had almost become a puppet when his mind had nearly been seized.

Afterwards, he had been chased down by his enemies and made a narrow escape, barely surviving. He fled all the way here, eking out a feeble existence with the support of the jade pendant embryo egg’s strength.

He knew that if he used the stone stick again he wouldn’t be able to contend with its corrosive strength. But, White Ape still chose to use it at this moment, because this was his best chance.

If White Ape didn’t hesitate to abandon himself and use the black stone stick to kill the Sea God, would Qin Yu just stare on and do nothing as his consciousness was annihilated? Rather than begging for Qin Yu for help, it was better to place him in a situation where he had no choice but to help.

Of course, this was all a gamble. He was gambling that Qin Yu could save him…if he lost this gamble, then he was truly done for.

But he still did it.

The brand mark had been obtained by Qin Yu and the sky reaching jade pendant no longer existed. In other words, if he couldn’t resolve the hidden dangers within him, he would die sooner or later.

Then, he might as well bet it all here!

Qin Yu’s thoughts raced. A dark golden light flashed in the depths of his eyes. He stared at the lines that crossed the surface of the black stone stick and after a brief trance, he found himself in a purgatory of magma.

Black flames raged around him. A black fog tumbled within them. Red eyes appeared inside the fog. They were filled with cruelty and madness as they stared at Qin Yu.

“I don’t want to provoke you, so mind your own business!”

A roaring sound echoed out from all around the tumbling magma purgatory.

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows before he composed himself. “Since I appeared here I have already decided to interfere. What are you going to do about it?”

Bang –

Magma tumbled all around and the black flames wildly grew. The black fog angrily roared, “Don’t think that I won’t dare do anything to you just because you obtained the brand mark! With your strength, you are as weak as an ant to me!”

Qin Yu lightly said, “If you want to kill me, go ahead and try. I also want to see whether you have the guts to do it.”

The black fog roared, “I cannot kill you but I can imprison your consciousness here so that you stay forever, never able to leave!”

Qin Yu was expressionless. “Then you really are courting death.” He swept his eyes around, dark golden light surging in his pupils. “Although I haven’t yet found the weakness of your life gate, as long as I have enough time it wouldn’t be difficult to do this.

“Since you know of the existence of the brand mark, you should also be aware that I am not just trying to frighten you…if you keep me here, is it because you are tired of living?”

The black fog fell silent. The red eyes shined with a vicious light. It was clear that Qin Yu’s words had struck its sore point. The black fog could kill Qin Yu, but once it did that then it also wouldn’t be able to escape.

In that situation, vanishing into smoke and forever fading away might be the best possible result.

It naturally wouldn’t choose such a fate.

It didn’t dare to kill and it didn’t dare to imprison. Qin Yu was clearly intending to meddle and yet it was at a loss for what to do.

Before long, the black fog gratingly said, “Just what do you want?”

Qin Yu said, “Simple. I can ignore your fusion with White Ape. You can seize his body, but you must allow him to retain his consciousness.”

“That’s impossible!” The black fog roared.

Qin Yu looked at it, dark golden light shining in his eyes. “Believe me, you will agree.”

The black fog agreed.

It couldn’t determine whether Qin Yu was speaking the truth. Rather than both perishing together, it was better to coexist.

White Ape’s eyes turned to brightness. He could feel the clear changes occurring within his body. After feeling a great happiness, he turned and said, “Brother Qin, thank you!”

His gamble had been correct.

The consciousness hidden within the black stone stick had just communicated with him. After escaping his difficult predicament, White Ape felt as if the entire world had opened up to him.

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed. “Brother White, there is no need to thank me. You and I are companions who’ve fought shoulder to shoulder today, so it’s natural for me to help you.”

White Ape nodded affectionately. He laughed and said, “Brother Qin, do not worry. Watch me blow this Sea God up!” He raised the stone stick and his aura began to increase at a terrifying speed.

Rumble rumble –

Dark red flames surged out. It twisted and spun around, turning into a massive vortex.

Hou –

A demonic ape phantom appeared in the skies. Its body was a hundred thousand feet tall and seemed to support the heavens themselves. Its blood red eyes locked onto the Sea God. Then, it raised its arms and brought a stone stick pounding down.

Bang –

With a heaven-shaking explosion, the Sea God’s colossal figure was sent flying away. Crimson flames instantly wrapped around it, wildly burning it away.

“I am not willing! I am not willing!”

The Sea God roared again and again, its pupils growing larger. But even at this moment, its resentful eyes were glued onto Qin Yu.

Pa –

Like an air bubble, the Sea God’s body burst apart. The burning dark flames lost their target.

After a brief delay, they extinguished.

The Sea God that received the guidance of the world’s will and was bred from the endless sea, vanished just like that, leaving no trace in existence.