Less than fifty paces from the scene of Xiao Wuchen's massacre, behind the broken dragon pillar, stood Chi Kui. Its deformed back was hunched and its six eyes darted around like broken neon lights.
It was a 'defective product' of the Asura race. In order to survive on the fringes of the cultivation world, it had patched itself up like a puppet from a post-apocalyptic landscape: rough black threads stretched haphazardly across its chest; half of its head was made of cold cast iron; and its remaining three hands each had a specific function.
At that moment, its first hand gripped a stone brick tightly, its second hand clutched a bottle of foul-smelling magic potion and its third hand, pieced together from scrap metal, trembled as it held a small, palm-sized white flag.
'It's over... it's over... this isn't human! This is clearly an 'error code' overflowing from the Heavenly Dao!' Chi Kui mumbled through its throat. The previous sword strike, the Crescent Moon Soul Hook, had not only severed the immortal envoy's throat, but also sent an unprecedented chill through Chi Kui's consciousness. From its perspective, Xiao Wuchen wasn't flesh and blood, but a walking, humanoid black hole. The cybernetic runes flowing across his body emanated an extreme, pure and deadly demonic aura — a merciless mockery of all 'laws'.
'Run! Run now! Another second and half my head will be burned to ashes!' Chi Kui's mind screamed frantically, its iron-clad body emitting a sharp, metallic scraping sound in fear.
However, when it saw the shattered remains of the immortal cultivators, this fear was instantly suppressed by another instinct.
Several immortal crystals, emitting a faint spiritual light, lay quietly in the pool of blood. To Chi Kui, a lowly wretch at the bottom of the cultivation world, these were not just spirit stones; they were the key to living for hundreds more years.
Chi Kui began its visually stunning performance.
It waved a small white flag mechanically in a symbolic gesture of surrender, shuffling sideways like a startled crab. Whenever Xiao Wuchen's demonic sword, 'Rootless', emitted a slight hum, half of Chi Kui's head would abruptly retract into its collar. Its three hands would simultaneously cross to protect its vitals and its entire body would tremble like a leaky engine.
When Xiao Wuchen looked up at the distant clouds, its third mechanical hand snapped out to three metres in an instant, grabbing for the immortal crystal like a venomous snake's tongue.
'Just a little bit more... hehe... if I could touch this, I'd have lubricant for the rest of my life...'
Just as its fingertips were about to touch the crystal, an icy killing intent locked onto its heart.
The system issued a red warning, but Xiao Wuchen did not turn around. The 'Heavenly Remnant Mark' on his right arm throbbed wildly and a scarlet notification popped up on the system interface:
'System log: Hostile target/unknown creature detected approaching; fear value continuously absorbing." Current attribute: Void Resistance MAX.'
'You want these?' Xiao Wuchen's hoarse voice boomed through the ruins.
The Crimson Beast was so frightened that it released all three hands simultaneously, dropping the immortal crystal it had just obtained into the pool of blood with a 'plop'. It immediately prostrated itself on all three hands—no, on all three feet.
'Grandpa! Dear Grandfather! I was just passing by to clean up your battlefield!" it cried, skillfully pulling a tattered rag from behind its back and frantically wiping the bloodstains at Xiao Wuchen's feet.
The closer it got to Xiao Wuchen, the more its life force diminished, yet the pure demonic energy filled its parched demonic core with a long-lost sense of fulfilment. This 'slow-motion suicide' sensation made it both want to escape and be reluctant to let go of the mechanical hand clinging to Xiao Wuchen's boot.
Xiao Wuchen looked down at the little demon, which had sewn itself into an odd shape. In that instant, he saw a glimmer of humble, vibrant life in its six eyes, filled with the 'desire to survive'.
'Help me collect these remnant souls,' said Xiao Wuchen, tossing Zhang Hu's waist token to it. 'If you can't, I'll burn you.'
Chi Kui hesitated for a moment, then used all three hands to pound its chest loudly. 'No problem! Whether they're the underpants of a celestial sect or the remnant soul of a hero, I guarantee I'll pry them clean!"
This place, which was once a dignified establishment guarded by Xiao Wuchen, has now become the world's ugliest slaughterhouse. The main hall is brightly lit and filled with rich incense, but this cannot mask the stench of blood seeping from the cracks in the floor tiles.
The former powerful officials who once espoused benevolence and morality in the Great Qian court now sit humbly on either side of the hall, dressed in shimmering brocade robes imbued with spiritual energy. Before each of them lies a horrifying 'offering' — a wine cup crafted from the skull of the first general to die on the battlefield.
'Come, let's drink to the mercy of the celestial realm!' A fat, burly former minister raised a pale skull cup, his face trembling with laughter. 'If it weren't for the gracious mercy of the celestial envoys, how could we mortals enjoy this life-extending "celestial energy"?'
This so-called 'celestial energy' was nothing more than waste extracted from mortal souls by the celestial realm through 'heavenly spiritual roots', and these former officials were frantically fawning over the empty throne for these meagre scraps.
Without any warning, the heavy vermilion doors of the main hall seemed to shatter into dust from an invisible, high-frequency vibration.
Xiao Wuchen stepped into the hall through the ruins. With each step he took, the surrounding space created a 'frame skipping' effect, like that of a cheap CRT monitor. The black and red iron chains wrapped around his right arm dragged on the ground, producing a grating sound.
[System warning: large-scale causal relics (subordinate bones) detected.]
[Netherflame activity: boiling state! Attacks deal 50% truth damage.]
[The crimson light in Xiao Wuchen's retinas almost overflowed his eyes. The cybernetic runes on his body turned deep purple due to extreme rage.
'
'Yo! Where did this defective product come from?' A drunken military officer staggered to his feet, still clutching a chopstick fashioned from a general's broken bone. 'You dare barge into the palace with a piece of iron in your hand? The celestial envoys haven't even taken their seats yet, and you think you're worthy?'
Before he had finished speaking, Xiao Wuchen didn't even turn his head; the 'Rootless' demonic sword in his right hand had only trembled slightly.
[Arc Moon Slash – First Form: Crescent Moon Soul Hook]
A black and red sword aura silently swept past, and the military officer's movements instantly froze. His head, like a rotten persimmon, was engulfed in the Nether Flame and turned to nothingness in mid-air, never reaching the ground.
Chi Kui's 'Cleansing Moment.' "Murder! No... it's killing insects!'
Chi Kui screamed as he crawled out from behind Xiao Wuchen. His three hands trembled with fear, but his six eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the gold and silver vessels and fragments of immortal crystals scattered on the ground.
'Master, kill them all! These scum who desecrate the spirits of heroes — I guarantee I'll plunder their entire fortunes!' Chi Kui's mechanical hand deftly pulled a Qiankun bag from the robes of the dead military officer. As he stuffed things into the bag, he spat at the still-unresponsive officials. "Pah! Drinking from the bones of an old hero, you dare call yourselves human?'
Chi Kui held a strange reverence for Xiao Wuchen, this 'rootless man'. To him, the power that could pierce the 'laws of heaven' as though they were waste paper was the ultimate art form.
Xiao Wuchen slowly walked to the centre of the hall and looked at the white jade statue floating above the main seat — the vessel of the will of the 'Immaculate Immortal Venerable'.
Xiao... Xiao Wuchen! You're the traitor who should have died at the border! Quick! Summon the Celestial Messenger! This wretch has embraced the demonic path!"
The former officials recognised this face at last, and fear spread like a plague.
Xiao Wuchen gave a cruel smile as he slammed his demonic sword, 'Rootless', into the floor tiles.
"Arc Moon Slash – Fifth Form: Eclipse Moon Severing Cause!"
A dark red shockwave exploded from him, instantly causing all the defensive barriers in the hall to collapse upon contact with this power. Even more terrifyingly, the 'celestial artefacts' that had previously granted the powerful officials longevity lost their lustre instantly under this sword strike, turning into a pile of rotten metal.
'The debt collection begins with you.'
Xiao Wuchen's voice echoed in the deathly silent hall.