Day and night tour

Chapter 445 Fragrant Soul and Fire Spirit
"I haven't even started the fight, so I can't just withdraw from the ring?"

At this moment, Wanzangshan no longer possessed the demeanor of a "Ba people" leader. His expression and speech were exactly like those of a deserter fleeing the battlefield.

Especially when he saw the grotesque sight of Zhao Jinjia's two halves of his body, and the scattered internal organs on the ground... his desire to "escape" became even more pronounced.

"Once you're on the stage, you have to finish the fight. That's the rule of the Sword Tomb Arena."

The young butcher refused to give an inch.

"I don't care about your rules or anything... I, Wanzangshan, don't give a damn about your nonsense."

Wanzangshan, determined to act arrogantly, turned and was about to leave.

The young butcher said, "Wan Zangshan, you cannot leave unless you fight in the arena, otherwise you will be a pig under my knife."

"If you've got the guts, come and kill me."

Wan Zangshan had gone to extremes in his bullying tactics. To him, this young butcher was indeed terrifying. The spirit of Wuwen Mountain, and the blade, had long been saturated with blood over thousands of years.

But no matter how terrifying he is, Wanzang Mountain still possesses the cultivation of nine incense sticks.

"Even if I don't suppress my cultivation level, I will still have the strength to fight."

Wan Zangshang thought to himself,
As for going down from the arena to face Zhou Xuan?

That young sorcerer used only sixteen moves to cut Zhao Jinjia, armor and all, in half. He figured his strength was at most equal to Zhao Jinjia's, and if he entered the arena, he would also be cut in half.

"No fighting, absolutely no fighting."

Wanzangshan immediately waved his hand, and the surrounding space began to distort.

Like the painter, he was a disciple of the sect who had grasped the "laws of space," and he could return to "Dongba County" in just a few steps.

Dongba County is the ancestral home of the Ba people and their main hall, home to many masters and the "Dongba Ancestral Soul" of the Ba people.

Once you return there, you need not fear anything, not even the spirits of Wuwen Mountain.

"I will be safe in just two steps."

He took one step, then another.

Two consecutive steps, under normal circumstances, would have already brought them back to the prefecture—disciples who have mastered the laws of space can shrink distances to an inch, allowing them to traverse even vast distances in an instant.
But today, after taking those two steps, Wanzangshan seemed to have stood still, his figure as if he hadn't moved at all.

Ma Tianying, who was standing nearby, was still urging, "Chief Wan, you should run! That young butcher is no good."

"Nonsense, do you think I don't know how to run? I'm not running now, am I?"

Wan Zangshan cursed inwardly.
Immediately afterwards, he turned his head sharply and saw that on the stone tablet in the center of the red clay mound, there were gossamer-like red lines.

And those red threads, like willow catkins, entwine around Wanzang Mountain.

"No wonder I couldn't use the laws of space; it turns out that butcher was behind it all."

The young butcher then asked, "Wan Cang Mountain, the arena, are you in or not?"

"I won't fight. I don't want to face Zhou Xuan."

Wan Zangshan spoke the truth directly, but there was nothing shameful about telling the truth.
Because those top experts in the clouds who had designs on the blue-red fish shared the same idea.

"If I were to rely on my superior cultivation level to face Zhou Xuan one-on-one, I might have some confidence. But to be at the same cultivation level as Zhou Xuan? Who would dare to fight him?"

The sight of Zhou Xuan's sixteen sword strikes, one after another, cleaving Zhao Jinjia in two, was too shocking to bear.

The dull clang of the blows and the crisp, clean sound of armor being pierced still lingered in their ears, constantly reminding them—don't mess with Zhou Xuan.

"I'll ask you one more time, are you going to hit or not?"

The young butcher's voice grew colder, and the red clay mound of knives transformed back into a surge of blood energy, seeping into the knife wound on the butcher's chest and filling it with his power.

"No, no, no matter what you say, I won't fight."

Wanzangshan's mind is made up.

"That would be a shame."

The red clay arena has vanished, and the young butcher has raised his pig-slaughtering knife, saying, "If you don't abide by the rules of the Knife Tomb, I have no choice but to kill you."

As he walked, he used the knife in his hand to viciously slash at his right forearm.

The knife tip slashed deep into the meat, then with a counter-force, it flicked upwards, cutting off a large chunk of meat.

The butcher's knife caught his own flesh, and he casually tossed it into the ground.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they are top-level masters with eight or nine incense sticks of experience; deep down, they are still human, and they also have things that humans dislike, hate, and fear.

Ma Tianying, in particular, immediately covered his mouth and nose and cursed, "Damn Wuwen Mountain, it's even more evil than my Gu God Hall."

Soon,
The piece of meat that the butcher cut off had already been devoured clean by those "invisible creatures".

Meanwhile, eerie laughter echoed from the invisible air all around.
They laughed so loudly, it was like they were performing in a traditional opera.

"Is this Ta Niang's evil magic? Wuwen Mountain is a renowned and respected shrine in the Jing Kingdom, and its disciples are all divine beings. How could it resort to evil?"

Wanzangshan originated from the most wicked Taoist sect, the "Ba people," and possesses a keen intuition about all kinds of evil arts.

As soon as he finished speaking, he angered Asada Infant.

"Can't a shrine of gods use evil magic? We Gu gods are also gods, and the magic we use is very evil."

Am I a divine being, and do I endorse evil magic?

The butcher continued walking forward, and every ten feet he went, he would again cut off a piece of his own flesh with his knife and throw it on the ground.
The allure of blood and flesh drew in more and more "invisible creatures" that devoured the flesh, and the surrounding sounds were no longer "laughter," but rather a constant cacophony of ghostly wails and howls.
As the screams and shouts echoed, blood began to seep into the surrounding air.
Within a radius of fifty feet around the butcher, countless red threads were spread out.

Those red threads, like tentacles, stretched out in all directions, seemingly busy with something.

Li Changxun, however, was the first to see through the trick.

He was, after all, a god-level being in the heavens. In terms of skill and methods, he might not be able to defeat Lu Xingzhou, but in terms of knowledge, he was second to none.

"To spill blood and chop flesh, to offer to heaven and earth."

Li Changxun said to Yun Ziliang and Zhou Xuan, "Grandmaster, Master, this butcher uses his own flesh and blood to feed the fragrant souls and fire spirits of the heavens and earth around him... This entire technique is called 'Sacrifice of Body to Seize Fire'."

"Is this method evil?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"It looks very evil, but in reality, it is not evil at all. On the contrary, it is the orthodox sacrificial method of our Jing Kingdom."

Li Changxun preached.

Zhou Xuan squinted as he listened and said, "Such a bloody and outrageous style, and it's actually the authentic magic of our Jing Kingdom?"

He felt he needed to get to know Jingguo better.

Li Changxun then explained to Zhou Xuan: "The incense and deities of the Jing Kingdom have four attributes: blood, flesh, spirit, and Dao. Among them, apart from 'Dao,' they are all bloody and messy things."

“Master, where does the source of our Jing people’s incense power come from? It’s not far away, it’s in every breath we take.”

Li Changxun looked up at the sky, casually grabbed something, clenched his fist, bit his middle finger, and dripped blood onto his fist while muttering incantations.
Inside the fist, it seemed as if something alive was breathing, and the blood dripping between the fingers was absorbed and flowed directly to the palm.

After the blood was drained, Li Changxun opened his fist, and on his palm were several wriggling red worms of varying sizes.

“Master, do you see them? These ‘insects’ float in the air, formless and intangible. Only flesh and blood and divine words can make them appear.”

"Among these insects, there are different kinds. The slender ones are called 'Fire Spirits'; the fat and bloated ones are called 'Fragrant Souls.' Fire Spirits and Fragrant Souls are the deities of the world."

Li Changxun said, "Our perception is to control these fire spirits and incense souls. Each fire spirit and incense soul has very little energy, but the number of them is too great."

At this point, he looked around and said, "Not to mention anything else, just in this small patch of land around me, there are probably billions of 'insects' lurking there."
The higher the level of incense offerings, the more incense spirits and fire spirits one can control.

These words greatly benefited Zhou Xuan. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and unintentionally used the "Harmony with Heaven" technique of the magician. He actually felt the surrounding air, as if it had come alive.
Countless tiny insects crawled across his skin.
But the crawling of these "insects" did not give Zhou Xuan a feeling of disgust or irritation. On the contrary, it was as if he were in a wonderful forest, listening to the chirping of insects, smelling the fragrance of flowers, grass and soil, feeling relaxed and comfortable all over, and in harmony with nature.

In reality, only a few seconds had passed, but in Zhou Xuan's perception, several years had gone by.
His reputation as a master of acrobatics is beginning to spread.

Zhou Xuan opened his eyes and said to Li Changxun, "Thank you for your guidance, Mountain Ancestor. My understanding of the incense and divine way has deepened."

Li Changxun, feigning smugness, said, "This practice of incense and deities, though seemingly full of mysteries, is in reality nothing more than 'knowing'."
If you don't know it, gold and silver are worthless; if you do know it, it's just that—nothing special, easy to understand.

Lu Xingzhou, who was standing to the side, had grasped the method and had begun breathing exercises. This was also thanks to Zhou Xuan.

If Li Changxun hadn't been extremely fond of Zhou Xuan and considered him a close friend, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to guide him.

In the Shintoism of the Kingdom of Jing, divine insight is quite valuable; even a few words from it cannot be exchanged for the most precious treasures in the human world.

With an expression of pride that his disciple had become successful, Yun Ziliang gently patted Li Changxun's shoulder and said, "Changxun, this is the most useful thing you've done since you escaped from that abyss. Your unworthy disciple does have some skills after all. Your master is pleased."

"Grandmaster, let's keep a low profile."

“That won’t do. You’ve finally made a difference, so you have to be high-profile.” Yun Ziliang pointed at the butcher who was closing in on Wanzang Mountain and asked, “That butcher, what was he trying to gain by offering his own flesh and blood and performing the self-sacrifice for the fire? You saw it clearly, so tell me?”

Li Changxun crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Grandmaster, this is the essence of 'shedding blood and chopping flesh to feast heaven and earth.'"

Humans, through their sensory abilities, manipulate the vast quantities of fire spirits and fragrant souls in the universe, gaining boundless power.
However, similarly, people can also use "fire-stealing sacrifices" to make a pact with those fire spirits and incense souls, preventing them from being controlled by outsiders.

"That Wanzang Mountain is an evil sect, and it needs to rely on fire spirits and incense souls to enhance its magic."
The butcher, however, made a pact with the fire spirits and fragrant souls within a fifty-foot radius, freeing them from the control of Wan Cang Shan.

Even with a thousand supernatural powers and ten thousand kinds of Taoist techniques, he couldn't use a single one of them.

At this point, Li Changxun sneered, "What's left of the Taoist sects without supernatural powers and magic?"

"Just wait to be beheaded."

Zhou Xuan said with some longing.

No wonder Wuwen Mountain is the strongest fighting force in the Jing Kingdom—he originally thought that this force consisted of swordsmen who fought head-on, but he never expected that this force was a group of "silent sorcerers".

As the butcher drew ever closer, Wan Zangshan appeared increasingly flustered.

He used his long fingernails to scratch his brow, dipped them in the blood, and drew a talisman in the air.

Although the butcher used the "Fire-Seizing Sacrifice" to make a pact with the fire spirits and incense souls of the surrounding world with his own flesh and blood, preventing them from empowering the magic of Wanzang Mountain, the number of souls and spirits in the world was too vast, and there were always a very small number of souls and spirits that Wanzang Mountain managed to control.

therefore,

He can still draw his blood talisman.

The blood between his brows, drawn by his fingertips, wrote a line of hasty characters in the air: "The gates of the underworld open, and countless spirits possess my body."

"Ba Ren" is a Taoist sect that specializes in dealing with "the dead" and "spirits." Their main method of combat is to summon the dead to possess their bodies and absorb a lot of "resentment" and "evil energy" to cause physical mutations.

The blood talismans were already made; each blood-written character emitted an eerie glow, just like any other talisman drawn in ordinary times.

Wanzangshan's confidence has returned somewhat.

"Perhaps the butcher's fire-stealing ritual wasn't used very skillfully; there's still enough incense around for me to use."

Thinking of this, Wan Zangshan pushed the blood talisman hard, trying to open the "Gate of the Underworld". However, as soon as his hand touched the blood talisman, he heard a "sizzle".

The blood talisman was like a piece of butter exposed to high temperatures; after emitting a burst of bloody smoke, it immediately dissipated and melted away.

If even a talisman can't be moved, how can the gates of the underworld be opened?

"The Fire-Seizing Ritual is actually the real deal. Even with you around, I can't use my sect's techniques?"

Wanzangshan's facial features contorted as if he had witnessed an immense terror.
The onlookers finally understood the young butcher's earlier words: "Whoever takes Pisces, I will kill."

This isn't just empty boasting; that butcher really could do it.

"Butcher, I want to fight! I'm willing to go up on stage and fight Zhou Xuan."

Going on stage to fight Zhou Xuan and having a life-or-death duel with the butcher are two cups of poisoned wine, and Wan Zangshan must choose one to drink.

But the butcher, who had already reached Wanzangshan, said nothing and brought down his knife.

"puff!"

Wanzangshan was stabbed in the face, and blood was gushing out.

"I want to challenge them."

"puff!"

Another slash.

The butcher did not use any knife skills or movement techniques; his knife work contained no inherent power, and his steps were clumsy and awkward.
All his actions were no different from those of thugs who pick fights on the street and wield knives; he had no skill and relied solely on his ferocity.

"puff!"

With another swift stroke, Wan Zangshan was struck in the neck, blood spurting up a meter high, and his body was cut down.

The butcher, like a ruthless killing machine, crouched down and unleashed another unremarkable slash.
His chest, abdomen, and ribs were repeatedly stabbed. Wan Zangshan had no strength to fight back, and the unskilled sword techniques ripped open one bloody gash after another on his body.

The life force of Wanzang Mountain was rapidly fading away. He looked at the increasingly dim light of the sky and felt very unwilling.

In the world of martial arts, it's always a business where "your head is on the line," and life and death are commonplace.
Dying violently in the street is the fate of the vast majority of disciples in the sect; there is no way to avoid it.

Wan Zangshan had previously considered that he might die from profound magic or extraordinary supernatural powers.
But he never imagined that he would be hacked to death, one cut at a time, just like those poor people who had offended gangs.

For a master who has burned nine incense sticks, this is an extremely humiliating way to die.

"I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled at all..."

Wan Zangshan's body was a bloody mess, the daylight had completely dimmed, and his eyes closed weakly...

The butcher also stood up, his face splattered with blood, making him look ferocious, but his eyes no longer held any murderous intent.

He glanced at the crowd in the clouds and said calmly, "Currently, Zhou Xuan is the victor of the Blade Tomb Arena. If anyone else challenges Zhou Xuan to compete for the Twin Fish, I will reopen the arena. All are welcome to challenge me."

The crowd glanced at Zhao Jinjia, who had been cleaved in two, with their left eye, and at Wan Zangshan, who had been hacked into a bloody mess, with their right eye, and couldn't help but shudder.

“We have a lineage and the unique skills passed down from generation to generation, so why must we fight over the Pisces?”

"I have daily practice, delicious food and drinks, and if I'm in a bad mood, I can go to a nightclub to meet singers. Life is so wonderful, why would I be so upset?"

"Life is already pretty good, why should we face these two beasts wielding knives and ruin ourselves like this?"

Facing the two butcher knives, the crowd suddenly realized that life could be so wonderful.

"I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not fighting anymore. I'll go back to where I came from, Pisces, I don't want it anymore."

This idea, like a plague, spread among the crowd, and those who had been vying for Pisces began to withdraw in waves.

No one dared to fight Zhou Xuan anymore.

No one dared to challenge the butcher's authority anymore.

The butcher stood there for half an hour, and only the Earth Child remained in the clouds.

The butcher glared at him coldly and demanded, "Earth Boy, you don't want to leave? Do you want to challenge Zhou Xuan?"

"Don't gossip! I'm as close as brothers with the Master," Di Tong hurriedly retorted.

When it comes to challenges like this, there can be no misunderstandings, otherwise, he will surely die.

Zhou Xuan smiled knowingly after hearing Di Tong's words and said, "Master Di, you're a fat man weighing over 500 jin. I can't fit into your pants."

"Master, please refrain from your sharp tongue and don't emulate that butcher's gossip. I, Di Tong, congratulate you—in today's battle, you have earned your true reputation. From this day forward, below the nine incense sticks of Jing Kingdom, you are truly the number one!"

"Many masters from various sects have testified to this."

"It's just an empty title. I will never reach the Nine Incense Sticks level. If I don't reach nine, I can't beat those who have reached the Nine Incense Sticks level, not even you."

"Nonsense, I wouldn't dare to argue with you."

Di Tong spat, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's getting late. After watching the excitement, I should return to Jingchuan Prefecture. Master, let's drink another day."

After he finished speaking, he threw out a paper banner. The paper banner was like an umbrella, and the small umbrella emitted a bright red light. The earth child entered the red light, and his figure suddenly disappeared.

After seeing off the last fish-stealer, the young butcher carried Wan Zangshan's corpse, walked to Zhou Xuan, and threw the body on the ground.

"Wan Zangshan died because of the arena incident, so his body should belong to the victor of the arena."

"Thank you for the gift, butcher."

Zhou Xuan then looked at the incense-burning Taoist priest and asked, "Old incense burner, according to the rules of the Jing Kingdom, the corpses of the nine incense sticks cannot be disposed of privately and must be taken away by you. Do you also want to take these two corpses with you?"

"In a life-or-death duel, the corpses that are lost are not my responsibility; you can keep them yourself."

"It's rare to see you being so generous."

Zhou Xuan smiled.

The butcher then bowed to Zhou Xuan and said, "Master, I have accomplished the task of guarding the fish for you. You have also demonstrated the Sixteen Forms of the sword technique. Every strike was powerful and fierce, like fire. You are a genius of Wuwen Mountain."
"I will come to accept you as my disciple after you have lit another stick of incense."

Zhou Xuan cupped his hands in greeting and said, "The Butcher's 'Fire-Stealing Sacrifice' technique is incredibly wondrous; one day, I will definitely learn this skill."

“A mere trick, not worth mentioning, cannot compare to the great principles of humanity.”

"What is the Great Way of Humanity?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"A single blade can slay all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens."

"That sword, is it the complete sixteen-move style?"

Zhou Xuan was not a true disciple of "Wuwen Mountain" after all; his sixteen stances were derived from tattoos.

But it is precisely these sixteen postures of illusory enlightenment that can cut through people and armor; they are the great path of killing.

"The Sixteen Forms are not the highest sword techniques of Wuwen Mountain."

The butcher said, "There was a prophecy on Mount Wuwen that there is a seventeenth power in the Kingdom of Jing, but I don't know what this power is like..."

As he said this, he looked at Zhou Xuan and said, "Perhaps the answer to the Seventeen Forms lies within you."

After saying that, the butcher strode away, returning to his original appearance—greasy and filthy.

Zhou Xuan shouted, "Where are you going?"

"Of course, I'd go and woo that peerless beauty—Madam Jiang."

Well, besides being dirty and greasy, butchers are also a bit sleazy.

After the butcher had gone far away, the Taoist priest stroked his beard and said to Zhou Xuan, "Young Master Zhou, what do you think of my method? In order to help you obtain the Pisces, I specially set up this 'same realm duel' scenario."

"Aren't you afraid I can't beat those Nine-Chocolate Immortals who have suppressed their cultivation levels?"

"If that's the case, then you don't deserve to be called Zhou Xuan, and I'm really going to get angry."

After finishing his explanation, the Taoist priest laughed again, pointed to the blue and red mist, and said, "Go, the blue and red fish are about to be born. Guide the two fish."

However, that day, the crippled monk and the leader of the Longevity Sect carried with them a message from the heavens: within seven days, you must produce compelling evidence that you can refine an unparalleled elixir before the blue and red fish can truly belong to you.

Otherwise, the Heavenly Vault will take advantage of the fact that the Azure-Red Fish hasn't fully merged with you, steal the fish, and kill you, and I won't be able to stop it."

Zhou Xuan said confidently, "It's not difficult to find evidence of alchemy, but given the current situation, I have some questions and would like to ask you for your guidance."

What kind of question?

"That's what the incense-burning Taoist priest said."

"It's about the 'Day and Night Wanderers,' and also about 'Above the Celestial Dome.'"

Zhou Xuan said slowly...

(End of this chapter)