Book Two — Slaying a Trail of Demons
Chapter 61 – Mu Kui
The magnificent and beautiful mountain range was like layer upon layer of unbroken waves.
Numerous large mountains that were nearly 33km tall wound up high into the clouds. The mountains stood high and low with various bizarre shapes, as if numerous enormous beasts of ancient times were silently settled there.
At the moment it was dusk and the afterglow of the setting sun poured down like a b.l.o.o.d.y glow that tainted clouds and mist. The vast and towering mountains bathed under the light of the setting sun and drew a grand and magnificent scene.
“What happened?”
“Where is this?”
A youth was muttering to himself on a precipitous cliff that was over 30 kilometers high. His face was thin and handsome with a crude and resolute expression between his brows, and he carried along a disposition that was tough like iron. Shockingly, it was Chen Xi.
Clouds that fluttered in the wind like cotton drifted atop the cliff. Mountain wind whistled by as he stood within the sea of clouds, his clothes flapped as the wind blew upon them, seeming as if they would fly away with the wind in the next moment.
However, at this time, Chen Xi instead had a frown on his face, and his eyes were filled with an expression of deep thought. “I undoubtedly remember that at the instant the immortal estate collapsed, I was still fleeing madly and aimlessly, and I nearly thoughts I’d die within the immortal estate. How did I appear here in the blink of an eye?”
“You don’t have to ponder any longer, there was an almighty expert that tore through s.p.a.ce and saved all of you.” Ji Yu silently appeared to stand within the sea of clouds at the edge of the cliff, and his expression had a trace of bewilderment as well.
Tore through s.p.a.ce? Almighty expert?
Chen Xi gasped, he was truly unable to imagine an expert of exactly what cultivation would possess the terrifying ability to tear through s.p.a.ce.
He noticed something after a short while, Ji Yu had said ‘all of you,’ Thus, it went without speaking that Chai Letian and Su Jiao’s group were saved as well.
“But why did that expert lend a hand?” Chen Xi asked.
Ji Yu shook his head and sighed. “I can’t wrap my head around it either. Perhaps he just happened to pa.s.s by and saw all of you at death"s door, so he lent a hand to help acc.u.mulate some virtue for himself.”
Acc.u.mulate virtue? Isn’t this a tad too coincidental?
Chen Xi was unable to contemplate the reason so he didn’t continue pondering about it, and he murmured with a sigh. “I got away by luck, yet I’m within these layers upon layers of enormous mountains. The mountain range goes on one after the other, and there actually seems to be no end. I wonder which direction will allow me to return to Pine Mist City?”
“If it’s as I’ve predicted, then this place ought to be the interior of the 5,000 km Southern Barbaric Mountain Range. Look over there. Demonic qi that’s condensed and doesn’t dissipate has shot up into the heavens. Obviously, there’s a greater demon with a monstrous imposing aura residing there.” Ji Yu stretched out his finger to point towards a towering mountain in the distance that rose into the sky.
Chen Xi was shocked inwardly and he raised his eyes to gaze over at the direction Ji Yu pointed at. As expected, billowing black mist coiled atop the peak of the mountain in the distance, and the black mist was like a smoke signal that that was condensed and didn’t dissipate as it rose into the sky.
Although a demon beast was capable of taking human form when it stepped into the Congenital Realm, it was unable to get rid of the demonic qi on it. Moreover, the deeper its cultivation, the dense the demonic qi was.
The condensed demonic qi that soared into the sky from that far away mountain proved without a doubt that an extremely formidable greater demon resided there. As for its strength, even Ji Yu was unable to precisely determine it, let alone Chen Xi.
“Hmm?” As if he had noticed something, Ji Yu knit his brows together. After remaining silent for a short moment, his brows eased up and his expression returned to normal, then he said, “Looks like you’ve indeed run into a perilous place where demon beasts wreak havoc.” As he spoke, his body shook slightly before vanis.h.i.+ng.
“It’s… actually… a human!”
Before Chen Xi could even wrap his head around what Ji Yu meant, a rough voice suddenly echoed out in the distance. The speech of the voice was choppy as if the owner had only just learned how to speak.
The place Chen Xi stood at was the side of the precipitous cliff at the top of the mountain surrounded by mist and clouds that coiled around it, and behind him was instead a rocky area that was b.u.mpy.
At this moment, a black clothed young man with a hideous appearance and a strong stature stood there in the rocky area, and his pair of s.h.i.+ny jade eyes emitted an undisguised expression of atrociousness and ruthlessness.
“Congenital Realm greater demon?”
Chen Xi had once killed numerous Congenital Realm greater demons within the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range and had stopped being ignorant since a long time ago. Thus, he discerned the ident.i.ty of the black clothed young man with almost a single glance.
“Oh, it’s a human as expected. I, Mu Kui have cultivated for almost 1,000 years, yet it’s the first time I’ve encountered a human. I heard the texture of human flesh is nice and tender. I wonder if it’s true?” The black clothed young man who called himself Mu Kui muttered to himself, and the more he spoke, the more excited he became. He even occasional extended out his scarlet red tongue to lick his mouth, revealing a mouthful of densely cold and sharp teeth.
“Want to eat me? A demon beast is a demon beast after all. Even if it has taken human form, it’s still difficult to change the bloodthirsty desires imprinted within its bones.” Chen Xi shook his head. The tip of his feet instantly stepped on the ground, utilizing the Heavenly Dragon’s Eight Steps, his body was like a cheetah that dove out towards Mu Kui in a brazen attack.
Mu Kui never imagined that Chen Xi would attack at will, and he’d only just slightly panicked when Chen Xi had already closed the distance between the two of them.
Bang!
An extremely simple explosive fist struck out to instantly blast Mu Kui flying. However, before his body could even hit the floor, Chen Xi had once again stomped on the ground to follow up before bending his elbow upwards and swinging his arm down, and his fist was like a drill as it hammered downwards.
BANG!
Mu Kui was directly smashed into the hard rocky ground, his body sunk deep into the ground, and streams of darkish red blood even flowed out of the corners of his mouth.
Whoos.h.!.+
Chen Xi raised his fist once more.
“Stop, stop! I admit defeat! I beg you, Senior, spare my life! Spare me!” Mu Kui screamed in fear, yet an expression of rage and ruthlessness slipped past deep within his eyes.
Want to deceive me?
Chen Xi sneered incessantly in his heart. He completely disregarded Mu Kui imploring for mercy as he continuously smashed his fist downwards another few tens of times. Every single punch was a full force strike, smas.h.i.+ng onto Mu Kui to the point his flesh broke apart and numerous bones of his had already broken.
For a time, the entire peak of the mountain was filled with the shrill wailing of Mu Kui begging for mercy, and his voice was incomparably miserable to the point it would cause one’s countenance to change.
Not long after, Chen Xi gazed at Mu Kui who was on the verge of death, and asked coldly, “Now, do you still want to eat me?”
Actually, he didn’t have a heart of stone, nor did his feelings towards demon beasts come to the extent that he would spare none on sight. But, this Mu Kui was extremely cunning. When he admitted defeat the first time, it was obviously an act to deceive Chen Xi. If Chen Xi didn’t beat him to the point that fear was born within his heart, there was no telling what would happen.
The world of demon beasts was actually even more barbaric than the world of humans, and the law of survival where the strong were respected had always been carried out from within their bones. The person with the biggest fist was the one who was boss, and they completely didn’t care about reason.
“I don’t dare, I don’t dare. This lowly one has eyes but didn’t recognize Mt.Tai. I hope Senior can pardon my offense.” Mu Kui’s tone revealed reverence and terror. His face was completely red and swollen from being hit by Chen Xi, and his originally hideous appearance had become an even more agonizing sight.
“Alright, I’ll ask you some things. If you’re able to answer it to my satisfaction, then I’ll let you go. Right, get up first.” Chen Xi had his hands behind his back as he spoke.
Mu Kui did his best to struggle off the ground and stand up, then he held back the intense pain in his entire body as he nodded repeatedly. “Of course, of course. This lowly one guarantees to speak without reserve, and will surely make Senior satisfied.”
“Where is this?”
“Reporting to Senior. This place is within the 10,000 enormous mountains of the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range. This mountain is called Moon’s Embrace Mountain, and it’s the place I cultivate.” Mu Kui really did speak without reserve, and he replied in an extremely straightforward manner.
“Oh, do you know how to leave this place?” Chen Xi expression remained unfazed as he continued to ask, causing one to be unable to perceive his true thoughts within his heart.
When this appearance entered the eyes of Mu Kui, Chen Xi seemed to become unfathomable, and he was even more certain inwardly that Chen Xi was a human expert that had entered this place by mistake.
However, Chen Xi’s second question still caused Mu Kui to be unable to avoid being stunned, and he said in shock. “Doesn’t Senior know how he came here?”
“Mmm.” The displeasure within Chen Xi’s voice caused Mu Kui to shudder in fear, but he still had a face full of difficulty as he answered. “Senior, this lowly one has been cultivating here since childhood. This lowly one has not left 500km from Moon’s Embrace Mountain in these 1,000 years at all. Even this lowly one is unable to answer this question.”
“Alright, you may leave.” Chen Xi pondered for a short moment before waving his hand in dismissal.
Mu Kui couldn’t help but be stunned. He let me go so easily? Mu Kui was in slight disbelief and for a time, he didn’t know what to do.
It was at this moment that a deep and powerful voice was like a struck drum as it resounded out from the foot of the mountain. “Mu Kui, you kid! I’ll surely kill you today! Hurry up and get your a.s.s down here for your grandfather!”
The sound was so loud that bangs echoed out explosively all over the entire Moon’s Embrace Mountain.
“I’m doomed, this fellow, Li Hu, is here again…” Mu Kui’s expression abruptly became incomparably miserable, and he seemed as if he’d been scared out of his wits.
Chen Xi couldn’t help but say curiously, “Is this fellow extremely formidable?”
Mu Kui powerlessly said with a bitter smile on his face, “He’s on par with me. But how could I be a match for him in my current condition? Oh, earlier, if Senior didn’t…”
“Are you blaming me for injuring you?” Chen Xi coldly interrupted.
Mu Kui was shocked with terror, only now did he realize that the person beside him was an even more ruthless person than Li Hu, and he instantly explained in a hurry. “Senior, calm down. This lowly one absolutely didn’t mean that. I absolutely didn’t!”
“Why does that Li Hu want to kill you?” Chen Xi was only frightening him, and when Chen Xi saw that he was so docile, Chen Xi couldn’t bear to make him suffer any longer.
“What else, but to seize my cultivation abode.”
Mu Kui gritted his teeth and said, “Senior, to be honest, there’s a section of a top-grade spirit vein within my abode. I don’t know where that Li Hu acquired this information, so, he wants to seize my abode and cause me to have no place to dwell in anymore.”
“Why are you telling me all this? Could it be that you’re not afraid that it will be seized by me?” Chen Xi glanced at Mu Kui with a gaze that contained a profound meaning.
Mu Kui knew as well that he was unable to conceal his petty shrewdness from Chen Xi, so he answered frankly. “As long as Senior is able to kill Li Hu for me, then there’s no harm if this cultivation abode is gifted to Senior.”
“Then what about you?” Chen Xi compelled Mu Kui to answer completely, step by step.
Mu Kui fell on his knees with a bang and ceaselessly kowtowed as he said loudly, “I’m willing to follow Senior, stand before Senior in protection, and become a spirit beast under Senior’s command. I’ll serve Senior for my entire life.”
Chen Xi was instead stunned, as he’d never imagined that Mu Kui would perform such a sacrifice.
A demon beast acknowledging a master was no different from establis.h.i.+ng a vow of the heart under the Heaven Dao. The demon beast could only follow behind its master for its entire lifetime, and its life or death was controlled by the hands of its master. Unless it was under special circ.u.mstances, there wasn’t a single demon beast that would willingly do this.
“Mu Kui, you kid! You can’t hide! Hurry up and come out to receive death!”
The powerful and deep voice once again echoed out with a bang, and nearby the mountainside of Moon’s Embrace Mountain, a fiery red figure was violently das.h.i.+ng towards the peak of the mountain.