Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 417 - 401: Visiting the Mao Family (3/3)

Chapter 417: Chapter 401: Visiting the Mao Family (3/3)

Heavenly Treasure Pavilion is the most low-key power on Xuanqian Continent; it seems their only thought is to make money, never having contended for dominance over the continent, but undeniably, they possess the strongest intelligence network, their information gathering deemed the most exquisite in the world.

All these messages were brought by Ruan Jiaying. Even in such times, the ears and eyes of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion were still sharply effective, relaying messages extremely quickly and precisely.

Zhou Heng couldn’t help but wonder. It was one thing for the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to know everything about the Heavenly Dragon Empire like the back of their hand, but how could they also have such a clear understanding of the Heavenly Demon Dynasty? Could it be that the continent’s largest commercial enterprise had also expanded to the territories of the Demons and Night Demons?

However, he dismissed this thought as soon as it emerged, for there were more pressing matters that concerned him.

The Mao Family!

The enmity between him and the Mao Family could not be resolved, Zhou Dinghai had nearly become a lost soul under the Mao Family’s slaughtering knife, taken to concoct some life-extension medicine; how could he possibly swallow this grievance?

It was just that he wasn’t strong enough before and didn’t have the power to topple the Mao Family. But now, having advanced to the Divine Infant Realm, he was absolutely invincible below the Divinity Transformation Realm!

Although the Mao Family didn’t take Li Wujie seriously back then, acting as if to declare they had the confidence to oppose a Heavenly Venerate of the Divinity Transformation Realm, that did not mean they would fear Zhou, a warrior of the Divine Infant Realm. But since they didn’t have a Heavenly Venerate of the Divinity Transformation Realm, their foundation wasn’t something that could be utilized lightly.

Being fearless before the Divinity Transformation Realm didn’t mean they could really oppose it, for example, for a Heavenly Venerate of the Divinity Transformation to annihilate the Mao Family would cost a great amount, so great that the Heavenly Venerate would be unable to bear it, and naturally, they wouldn’t initiate war lightly.

Zhou knew what the Mao Family was planning. They had obtained the true inheritance of the Ancient Ghost Corpse Sect, allowing them not only to use living souls to create life-extending pills but also to turn corpses into dead soldiers, waging war across the world!

If the Mao Family really managed to create an undead army of the Divinity Transformation level, they would indeed be able to carve out a place for themselves in this chaotic world!

He had already decided to head to the Mao Family after advancing to the Divine Infant Realm, so this news merely hastened his departure.

Beyond that, a more shocking piece of news emerged. A powerful force surged out from the seas, arrogantly declaring that they would flatten the lands and unite both the continent and the oceans under the rule of the "Sea Dragon King."

This force, known as the Sea Clan, included Fishmen, Lobster People, and Octopus People—all alien races living in the water, unified under the leadership of the Sea Dragon King. And this Sea Dragon King was the newly emerged third Heavenly Venerate of the Divinity Transformation Realm on Xuanqian Continent!

They were not merely boasting; a Big Shot from the Sea Clan stirred up a tsunami, leading countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals onto land and occupying numerous territories originally belonging to the human, Heavenly Demon, and Night Demon races.

As Immortal Fate is about to emerge once again, it seems that the whole world is entering its most chaotic state. One by one, the powers qualified to join this competition make their grand entrances, muddling the world into utter disarray!

In this most chaotic time, Zhou Heng and the Black Donkey left the Zhao Family and set off towards the Heavenly Dragon Empire.

He left most of his treasures behind, including the Ten Refinement Diagram. With Huo Tian spending most of his days in deep contemplation, someone must stay at home to keep things in order, lest he go out to destroy the Mao Family and find on his return that others have destroyed his own home!

With the Nine Mystic Trial Tower sufficient for protection, and the Hundred Ghosts Sword powerful enough to conquer all directions, he really couldn’t afford to maintain the Ten Refinement Diagram!

The Black Donkey naturally had nowhere else to go, and besides, only Zhou could tolerate its cheeky mouth, so it naturally chose to accompany him. Moreover, the Mao Family had been a superfamily with tens of thousands of years of heritage—how many treasures could be confiscated after they were destroyed?

This cheeky donkey wouldn’t make a losing deal!

Off they went, a man and a donkey on the road, with Heavenly Wind City as their destination—the place where the Mao Family resided.

Along the way, everywhere was barren, with rampant looting and plundering. The whole civilization had already collapsed with a bang. Most people killed and robbed just to survive, but there were others who naturally enjoyed slaughter, for whom this apocalyptic world was nothing short of a paradise.

Zhou had no time to concern himself with such trivial matters, his own heart growing colder amidst the slaughter.

About ten days later, they arrived at Heavenly Wind City.

It was a very ancient city in the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, having weathered countless years and several natural disasters. Its walls had been repaired so many times, but now, the city was half-destroyed, having sustained a catastrophic blow. A massive chasm bisected the entire city, and deep within, one could see the fiery red magma surging.

At this point, it was clear the city could no longer simply be patched up and restored.

As Zhou’s gaze swept over the place, he saw many people moving about. But in truth, it was already a city of the dead; what roamed its streets were but walking corpses.

It was said that even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrows, but the Mao Family clearly had no such concerns. Whether high-tier martial artists or ordinary civilians in Heavenly Wind City, all had become lifeless walking corpses, moving numbly on the streets.

Yet even among these walking corpses, the scenario of the survival of the fittest continued relentlessly. When a relatively strong walking corpse consumed a weaker one, there was a subtle change in its aura.

It became stronger!

Though slight, the change was real and tangible.

Zhou had initially wondered why these walking corpses didn’t consume each other before, but upon witnessing the increase in strength after a corpse devoured its own kind, he realized the Mao Family was using this method to cultivate stronger walking corpses.

Through continuous consumption and strengthening, eventually, one would break through its limits to become a Corpse Venerate of the Divinity Transformation level, or even go a step further and become a Corpse Immortal!

The Mao Family sure has big ambitions!

"Donkey, that Poisonous Vast Heavenly Venerate also commanded a walking corpse. Do you think it’s from the same lineage as the Mao Family?" Zhou Heng asked.

The Black Donkey pondered for a moment and said, "The path of life and death is the most studied, after all, becoming immortal is too difficult. So, if the research on the path of death is somewhat similar across different worlds, it’s not surprising!"

Zhou Heng nodded in agreement. At least the walking corpse in the Poisonous Vast Sea had some awareness, unlike these, which retained only the pure instinct to devour or kill. Cangao Mingfeng had once been involved in the struggle for the Hundred Ghosts Sword, but he was just too foolish!

"Then let’s go make a big scene!" he said with a smile.

"Cut it out, how could a donkey as kind as I am do such a rude thing? You go ahead, I’ll keep watch for you!" The Black Donkey typically shirks work; it’s all about reaping the benefits without putting in the effort if it can help it.

"Cheap donkey, you’ll never change!"

"I’m happy as I am, you wanna bite me?"

Zhou Heng burst into laughter, flew out, and activated the Purple Flame Heavenly Dragon. In a rage, it rolled furiously, turning all the walking corpses it passed into ashes. They had no standing to oppose him.

Of course, he was in the Divine Infant Realm. His spiritual power was a thousand times that of an ordinary Divine Infant Realm practitioner. With just a thought, he could cause a Spirit Sea Realm martial artist to explode and die, let alone these weak walking corpses.

When people die, their crimes vanish. Whether a good person who did good deeds or a villain who committed many evils, once dead, they’re just a stinking bag of flesh, returning to dust and earth.

"Who’s there, causing trouble!" a stern shout rang out, and several figures rushed over from the city.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his thirties, followed by three decaying walking corpses that matched his pace. The aura emanating from them was even stronger than that of the middle-aged man.

However, they were merely in the Mountains and Rivers Realm, not even worthy of Zhou Heng’s full attention.

"Zhou, leave this one to me!" The Black Donkey, always keen to bully the weak, immediately ran out. With a flick of its hoof, the man fell into its clutches.

The middle-aged man stared at the Black Donkey with his eyes so wide they seemed ready to pop out and his mouth open enough to swallow his own hand.

No wonder, since the Black Donkey’s attire was indeed bizarre!

Since wearing a flowered dress in the Wind Howl Forest, the Black Donkey seemed to have fallen in love with dressing up. Now sporting a flowered dress, a breeze revealed its "perky rear," a tail swaying back and forth.

This kind of grotesque appearance could twist someone’s face, even more than the donkey being able to talk, causing the middle-aged man’s facial muscles to twitch uncontrollably, as he looked ready to vomit.

"How about it, isn’t Donkey Master dashing?" The Black Donkey sashayed its hips, the skirt fluttering, with its large rear end teasingly revealed yet covered.

Zhou Heng’s face darkened as he said, "Donkey, stop grossing people out!"

The middle-aged man was nodding furiously in his heart, fearing that he would be grossed to death by this black donkey! Once captured, he knew he was no match for this odd donkey and immediately emitted a low howl with a mouthful of breath.

This could command the walking corpses to attack a specified target.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the three walking corpses immediately sprang into action. After turning into these monsters, only the instincts for slaughter and devouring remained. They had been suppressing their urge to pounce on Zhou Heng and the Black Donkey due to the middle-aged man’s restraint, but now that he had released the suppression, the monsters launched their attack straight away.

"Yi fei fei!" The Black Donkey barked three times, its intent manifesting in its attack, turning the three walking corpses into pieces, returning them to the world.

"Who, who are you guys!" The middle-aged man had gone from extreme strangeness to extreme fear. Intent-driven attacks were something that only a Big Shot with a domain could perform!

The Black Donkey didn’t radiate the glow of deities, meaning it must be at the Nascent Soul Realm, or maybe even an old ancestor in the Divine Infant Realm!

This was an existence he could only look up to, how could he not be afraid? But a powerful Nascent Soul Realm figure acting so crazily without a hint of the demeanor of an expert, and even wearing a flowered dress, was just too ridiculous!

"Pah, only I get to ask questions!" The Black Donkey knocked the middle-aged man on the head with a hoof.

"What, what does the senior wish to know?" The middle-aged man hurriedly asked, having no ground to negotiate.

"Idiot, I said only I can ask questions! Are you challenging me?" The Black Donkey flew into a rage.

The middle-aged man spasmed in frustration, unjustly accused!

"I’ll ask you—" The Black Donkey paused, lifted its hoof to scratch its head, "Pah, how would I know what to ask! Zhou, you ask!"

The middle-aged man nearly cursed out loud. Was there ever such an exasperating creature? (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)