Chương 76: Treading Upon a Mountain of Corpses, the Courteous God of Slaughter

"I had long since marked thee as strange!"

"No matter. Whether thou art Gang Leader Yang or the ghost-masked man of an evil sect—""Before this Su, all beings are equal!" Su Zhe wielded hammer and blade in peerless accord. A sickle and a hammer; all that lacked was a red banner. This was the cry of worker and peasant alike. Hope abode within Su Zhe's heart, for he knew that a single spark might set the plains ablaze. Imperialists were all paper tigers! From Wang Shan's memories, Su Zhe had learned the truth.

The one who had struck a bargain with Wang Shan, lured him into seeking merit with reckless haste, driven him deep into Yandang Mountain, and at last trapped the martial artists of Lu County in the mire—was precisely the ghost-masked man. And though the ghost-masked man had concealed his Beast Aspects with exceeding care, Su Zhe had still seen through them. The Serpent Form, eerie and treacherous! The Praying Mantis Arm Form! And both had been cultivated to profound attainment, even forming neijin.

As for a Praying Mantis Arm Form so deep, Su Zhe truly knew not who else might possess it. But as for the Serpent Form cultivated to such a lofty realm— apart from himself, Su Zhe had seen it only upon Yang Dingtian. White hair. A venomous serpent. Hidden in shadow. Lying dormant all his life. Seldom striking. Yet once he struck, he struck true. And when he struck true, death was certain! ……

"Roar!" Su Zhe stepped forth. Dragon roared, tiger howled. Beneath the Great Accomplishment Flood Dragon Method, Su Zhe's neijin surged and whirled, faintly taking the shape of a flood dragon soaring into the air. His hammer technique was not clumsy; rather, under the realm of lifting the heavy as though it were light, its speed was swift to a hair-raising degree.

"Su Zhe, thou hast hidden thyself deep indeed!" Half of Yang Dingtian's face was savage and ghastly, venomous and cruel. He drove his Fourth Grade realm to its utmost. His martial meridians flowed unhindered; qi pierced the rainbow.

"Bang!" Yang Dingtian dodged one hammer-blow, and his Dark Sickle braced against Su Zhe's Dark Sickle. The Spirit Serpent Soft Sword seemed to thrust straight ahead, yet bent abruptly; its sword-radiance swept toward Su Zhe's face.

"Block? Canst thou block it?" Su Zhe sneered. One arm moved.

"Roar!" The Baleful Tiger roared, baleful aura soaring to the heavens. Beside Yang Dingtian's ear, a tiger's roar suddenly exploded. A force deep and mighty shattered one of Yang Dingtian's ears outright; blood poured like a spring.

"Boom!" Naturally, Su Zhe would give Yang Dingtian no chance. The Flood Dragon Method followed him like a shadow, treading upon waves as it arrived.

"Barbarian Ox Butts Horns!" Boom! The heavy hammer descended. At the perilous instant, Yang Dingtian avoided with his body, yet his left arm was reduced to powder, and the Spirit Serpent Soft Sword slipped free. Its treasure-light scattered. His whole person was like straw lifted by a gale, hurled several dozen zhang away.

"Barbarian Ox Collapses The Earth!" Su Zhe brought down his hammer once more. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The earth turned to waves, sweeping forth. Yang Dingtian was flung high into the air. Su Zhe pursued, driving his neijin. Upon his skin appeared a sight most strange. There was the toughness of Barbarian Ox Hide, the majesty of Baleful Tiger Hide, and the sheen of Spirit Serpent Skin. His body became three spirits! The three spirits became one!

The heavy hammer was like the wind! And the wind blew upon a man's soul!

"Bang, bang, bang!" Yang Dingtian had nowhere to flee, and took three heavy blows in succession. The blood-robe of Xuelian Sect (Blood Refining Sect) became tattered cloth, scattering in all directions. Beneath it appeared an inner armor. Yet Su Zhe's strength was truly too terrifying. It was just like Su Zhe's battle against the Sixth Grade Li Shanyun. Even with inner armor protecting the body, it still could not withstand that all-pervading White Deer Sword Qi!

"Bang!" The inner armor caved in. Yang Dingtian's chest collapsed, his bones turned to paste, and from all about his body rang a crackling chorus of fractures. Upon the ground, Yang Dingtian fell, his eyes wide, filled with disbelief.

"Su… Su Zhe… thou…"

"Hast hidden… so deep…" Yang Dingtian spat a mouthful of black blood. His neck tilted aside. His breath was already severed. Su Zhe stood where he was, one sickle and one hammer in hand. Upon that calm, handsome face, blood was everywhere. He was just like… that youth by the Su River who, to save his uncle, had slain the zhupolong.

"Lord Ghost-Mask is dead!"

"A Fourth Grade expert—how can he be dead?"

"Kill! Kill him! Avenge Lord Ghost-Mask!" Su Zhe had slain Yang Dingtian. The countless evil cultists round about at once abandoned their assault upon the powerhouses of Lu County. Like a swarm of locusts, they began rushing to kill Su Zhe.

"Bang, bang, bang!" The great hammer swept across! Several Xuelian Sect martial artists were ground into dust.

"This Su only wishes to save men and search corpses!"

"Force not this Su to open the gates of slaughter!" Su Zhe lifted his head. His icy eyes were without mercy, without feeling. Yet that band of fanatical cultists seemed as though they had gone mad. They longed to dig flesh from Su Zhe's body, to offer it in sacrifice to the Blood-Refining Divine Venerable. Kill! Su Zhe was a tiger among sheep. Dark Sickle, heavy hammer! With each swing, countless corpses were lifted in its wake. More than ten foes slain! Fifty foes slain! …… Su Zhe's neijin gradually ran dry.

His head swam; his sight blurred. His hand swept toward his mouth. A drop of precious blood was crushed between his teeth! Again! One hundred foes slain! Three hundred foes slain! Five hundred foes slain! …… With Su Zhe at the center, the corpses beneath his feet gradually piled into a mountain. Like the legendary Hegemon-King of Chu, Su Zhe stood upon the corpse-mountain, slaying without end, slaying without bound, slaying without measure.

Precious blood seemed worth no coin at all as he swallowed it into his belly. By his strength alone, he drew in numberless martial artists of the entire Xuelian Sect.

"Tieniu, this disciple of thine… his killing intent is heavy indeed!"

"Is he thus on ordinary days as well?" The corner of Zhang Yunshun's mouth twitched. Enduring his grievous wounds, he propped himself up with his fish spear and spoke to Sun Tiexin. His killing intent was heavy? Sun Tiexin was somewhat dazed. He looked at Guo Ju and Xiao Xunhuan. The two of them, too, were stunned like wooden chickens. This… Was this still the courteous Su Zhe of ordinary days? The youngest disciple of Craftsmanship Hall, who would bow upon seeing anyone, a smile ever upon his face?

That country lad who, when he first entered the sect, gave dried fish from his hometown to all whom he met? It seemed like a dream. A great dream of Spring and Autumn. One dream, a thousand years. Beneath courteous refinement lay a keen ambition; when thunderous wrath arose, heaven and earth were shaken. His countenance seemed elegant, his manners wholly proper; in truth his might startled ghosts and gods.

"Brat, to kill men with such practiced ease—how could this be the work of a single day?" Inwardly, Sun Tiexin gnashed his teeth, wishing he could break Su Zhe's legs on the spot. He had thought the boy being born with the Barbarian Ox Beast Aspect already counted as rare. He had not expected his talent in the craft dao to be astonishing. He had thought that astonishing talent in the craft dao would be the end of it—yet the boy soared to the heavens in one leap, earning even Li Shanyun's endless praise.

He had thought receiving the favor of Sword-forging Mountain Villa would be enough! Yet then came precious blood, Fire-Urging Metal-Severing… And now, still further, one man held the pass, and ten thousand could not force it! Sun Tiexin felt a deep and utter powerlessness. This disciple—he could not see through him! Sun Tiexin's face trembled from shame, then he gave a cold snort.

"One who practices martial arts must first nourish three parts evil qi in the heart, then foster seven parts heroic qi within the breast."

"This disciple of mine… not bad, eh?" Once these words came forth, Zhang Yunshun, the county magistrate, the county deputy, and the rest all fell silent, each casting envious looks his way. Not bad? This was simply a monster born in response to destiny, one who had drawn into himself a thousand years of Lu County's fortune! Su Zhe killed until there were corpse-mountains and seas of blood. Yet the followers of Xuelian Sect feared not death, surging forward one wave after another.

Upon the mountain summit, billowing black smoke surged toward the heavens. Li Shanyun led more than a hundred black riders, their horses trampling through Yandang Mountain. Wherever they passed, wind sighed and cranes cried; dead and wounded were numberless. Even the fearless evil cultists fell like wheat, patch after patch.

"Black Riders, heed my command! Exterminate every evil cultist upon Yandang Mountain! Those who surrender shall be seized; those who defy shall be slain!" With one sword, Li Shanyun forced back several dozen evil cultists. She landed beside Su Zhe. At this moment, there were already no evil cultists remaining near Su Zhe. Li Shanyun covered her nose, her face full of disgust as she said to Su Zhe,"Aiya, what good is all this fighting and killing? Look at thee… covered all over in blood… vile to death…"

"If thou art so slovenly, when I study thy fleshly body in the future, shall I not feel sick at heart?" Su Zhe sat down upon the ground with a thud, panting in great draughts. The Black Riders, outer-gate powerhouses of Sword-forging Mountain Villa, possessed strength surpassing the Third Grade realm. The defeat of Xuelian Sect upon Yandang Mountain was already settled.

"Say… can Shifu Yushen win?" Su Zhe raised his head, looking toward the immortal battle in the firmament. Yushen's state seemed far from good. Li Shanyun stood beside him, knitting her brows and narrowing her eyes.

"Hard to say… hard to say…"

"Shishu is Seventh Grade; that he can battle a wild god to such a degree already shows heaven-startling bearing."

"But that blood-colored altar has accumulated a thousand years of incense-fire, and moreover possesses the strange power to transform martial artists' souls into incense-fire…"

"So many martial artists have died. The Blood-Refining Divine Venerable… I fear he has only grown stronger!" With Su Zhe's realm, he could no longer see through an immortal battle. Where his eyes fell, only myriad strange phenomena unfolded. The Barbarian Dragon and the sea of blood slaughtered one another in turn. Su Zhe rose, strode forth with great steps, and walked toward the blood-colored altar.

"Su Zhe, thou…" Li Shanyun did not understand, and wished to call him back.

"When this Su took a shifu, he had no discipleship gift."

"Then let aiding Shifu in slaying a god serve as this Su's congratulatory offering!" Su Zhe did not look back. Alone, he stood before the blood-colored altar. The blood-colored altar was about ten zhang tall. Su Zhe stood one meter and eight tenths in height. Yet in the eyes of all present, Su Zhe seemed surpassingly towering. By contrast, that blood-colored altar seemed almost small. Man and divine altar— there was, unexpectedly, the momentum of rival courts standing equal.