Chapter 170: Seizing the Mirror, He Yuanhun

From the moment he left the pass, the Mirror Immortal camp was no longer a threat.

Xia Hong had this confidence precisely because, after breaking through the Cold-Resisting level, his base strength had increased to an unimaginable degree.

Nine Mane Strength!

Nine hundred thousand jin of immense force—his skin and membrane fully reshaped. At the moment he exited the pass, sensing the terrifying power within his body, Xia Hong was stunned.

According to Gao Yu, who had come to the camp earlier—that is, He Yuanhun's account.

At the Digging Earth level, the limit was thirty thousand jin. Using beast blood to reshape the skin and membrane, an ordinary person could at most gain a twenty-thousand-jin strength increase; those with combat body potential would gain far more, but according to his description of upper, middle, and lower tiers, the maximum increases were seven, five, and three ten thousand jin respectively.

Once the skin and membrane were fully reshaped and the Leakless Body achieved, upon formally breaking through the Cold-Resisting level, strength could double again.

Even by this standard, the strongest upper-tier combat body could at most reach Two Mane Strength—that is, two hundred thousand jin.

Of course, Xia Hong would never fully believe Gao Yu's words.

He had already guessed that when He Yuanhun came to the camp to probe his strength, he deliberately told him that story, likely to lure him into overusing beast blood, hoping to disrupt his breakthrough—or kill him.

Unfortunately, He Yuanhun had not anticipated that Xia Hong could use system resources to offset the neural pain caused by skin and membrane reshaping.

Before the final batch of beast blood was collected, Xia Hong's skin and membrane progress had already reached seventy percent, with his base strength at roughly one hundred twenty thousand jin.

According to his estimate, fifty jin of progress equaled a 1, 50-jin strength increase; the remaining thirty points of progress should require only fifteen hundred jin of beast blood, yielding a strength increase of over thirty-seven thousand jin.

But the actual cultivation process differed completely from his prediction.

The higher the skin and membrane reshaping progress, the greater the amount of beast blood used per session, and the larger the strength increase. Fortunately, he had prepared nearly two thousand jin of beast blood and used system resources to offset neural strain, continuously overloading himself—otherwise, whether he could even complete the full reshaping was uncertain.

At the moment skin and membrane reshaping reached one hundred percent, he had sensed it—his base strength had surged to three hundred thousand jin.

According to He Yuanhun's account, once the skin and membrane were fully reshaped and the Leakless Body achieved, base strength could double again.

By that calculation, his strength was indeed six hundred thousand jin.

Nine Mane Strength—Xia Hong was already satisfied.

Gao Yu described upper-tier combat bodies as reaching only Two Mane Strength after breakthrough.

He was already three times that—what more could he want?

He never expected that when he truly achieved the Leakless Body and broke through to the Cold-Resisting level, his base strength did not double—it tripled!

It surged directly from three hundred thousand jin to nine hundred thousand jin.

Nine Mane Strength!

Limited by his knowledge, Xia Hong did not know whether his condition was unique in the Ice Abyss or if there was any special terminology for it.

But he could be certain: his potential far exceeded his imagination.

Compared to a normal Cold-Resisting cultivator with only One Mane Strength, his power could rightly be described as overwhelming.

Even normal Cold-Resisting cultivators, as long as they were not an order of magnitude stronger, Xia Hong could easily fight multiple opponents at once.

This was the true reason for Xia Hong's confidence.

………………

Puch!

The ceremonial knife plunged into He Yuanhun's left eye; the congealed fire oil on the blade instantly ignited. Xia Hong's gaze sharpened, his body lunged forward, and the force in his hands reached its peak.

Xiu…………

The one-and-a-half-meter blade sank nearly two-thirds into He Yuanhun's left eye.

Yet strangely, He Yuanhun's pupil seemed connected to some other dimension—Xia Hong's hilt pressed against his face, yet the tip never pierced through the back of his skull.

But fortunately, the other dimension reacted violently with the congealed fire oil.

He Yuanhun's eyes had already been oozing thick smoke, seemingly mirroring the two mirrors in the sky; after the ceremonial knife pierced in, the smoke intensified severalfold.

Simultaneously, He Yuanhun's screams grew even more intense.

"Aa…………Aa…………"

After his shriek, He Yuanhun rapidly retreated, trying to escape the ceremonial knife.

But Xia Hong would not let him succeed.

Xiu…………

Xia Hong abruptly yanked the ceremonial knife from his left eye and kicked his chest with both legs.

Bang…………

Xia Hong, unleashing his full Nine Mane Strength, crushed He Yuanhun through the bamboo floor, sending his body hurtling into the ground like a cannonball.

Before He Yuanhun could react, Xia Hong's withdrawn ceremonial knife shot toward his right eye like lightning.

Puch…………

The ceremonial knife pierced his right eye precisely; torrents of thick smoke erupted instantly.

"Aa…………Aa………"

Unlike the previous piercing, shrill scream, after his second eye was pierced, He Yuanhun's cry turned instantly fearful and weak.

The black smoke pouring from both pupils gradually thinned.

Correspondingly, the two ancient mirrors in the sky ceased emitting smoke; their flames shrank steadily, as if about to extinguish.

Ding…………

A crisp sound of mirror striking mirror suddenly came from midair.

Xia Hong looked up, his expression shifting slightly.

As the fire vanished, the two mirrors seemed to lose their spirit, shrinking gradually until they became two palm-sized mirrors—one black, one white.

Then, the two mirrors slowly drifted downward.

"Chief Xia Hong, thank you!"

A gentle voice suddenly emerged from beneath the blade.

Hu…………

Following the voice came a black blade, moving at extreme speed.

Though Xia Hong's face flickered with surprise, his movements were swift—he withdrew the ceremonial knife, leapt back, then sprang upward toward the falling mirrors.

The moment he withdrew the ceremonial knife, he realized it had not pierced He Yuanhun's eye.

Xiu…………

Though Xia Hong moved at his utmost speed, the black blade still grazed the back of his neck.

In truth, had he not reacted quickly, the blade would have severed his throat.

A sharp pain shot through the back of his neck; sensing the blade's power—at least Eight Mane Strength—he felt a surge of gravity as the mirrors were now within reach.

Ding…………

Xia Hong caught the white mirror on the left; just as his right hand reached for the black mirror on the right, a black longsword flew from behind and struck the mirror away.

If he couldn't get it, he'd destroy it!

Xia Hong's eyes hardened, and he hurled the ceremonial knife straight forward.

Xiu…………

The one-and-seven-meter ceremonial knife was often used by Xia Hong as a spear.

His throwing technique was already flawless.

Combined with his terrifying strength, it sliced through the air as a swift blade of cold light, directly aimed at the black mirror. Jing…………

Unfortunately, just as the knife was about to shatter the mirror,

the same black longsword that had just knocked the mirror away reappeared.

In white robes, He Yuanhun tilted his sword to intercept it, absorbing most of the knife's force, then flicked it upward, sending it flying back along its original path.

Xiu…………

After redirecting the ceremonial knife, He Yuanhun took the black mirror in hand.

Xia Hong held the ceremonial knife in his right hand and the white mirror in his left.

Inside the bamboo pavilion, the two men—one with a sword, one with a knife—each gripping a mirror, stared across the space in silence.

After more than ten breaths, He Yuanhun sheathed his sword and smiled warmly, bowing slightly to Xia Hong:

"Chief Xia Hong, long time no see!"

Just as when he first visited Great Xia, He Yuanhun now showed none of the malevolence or eccentricity he displayed when controlled by the Mirror Immortal. His posture was humble and refined, his voice gentle, his aura calm and noble.

=9+ Shu _ Ba

Anyone unfamiliar with him would inevitably feel drawn to him.

Precisely such people are the most dangerous to watch out for!

If before, Xia Hong had still harbored a sliver of hope, believing everything was the Mirror Immortal's doing, then after He Yuanhun's sword strike just now, his thoughts had changed completely.

Though he had added "thank you" beforehand,

He Yuanhun's sword strike had clearly been meant to kill him.

That meant the man who had come to Great Xia the first time, deliberately revealing the combat body information to lure him into overusing beast blood, was He Yuanhun himself.

This also explained why, during that first visit, he had stood beside the furnace unharmed—the Mirror Immortal must have been hiding then.

The Mirror Immortal was dead, yet He Yuanhun remained unscathed—and even stronger than before. His concealment was terrifyingly deep.

Every act the Mirror Immortal had committed, whether he participated directly or not, he had deliberately allowed—his goal was to lure Xia Hong into destroying the Mirror Immortal, so he could seize the two mirrors.

Attempt to kill him, then seize the mirrors.

In other words, everything happening now was likely part of He Yuanhun's plan—his only miscalculation was that Xia Hong had been prepared.

Understanding all this, Xia Hong's heart grew colder. He did not respond to He Yuanhun's words, but held his long knife and ancient mirrors, continuing to stare at him, his killing intent fully exposed.

"Chief Xia Hong, it seems you misunderstand me!"

He Yuanhun clearly noticed Xia Hong's killing intent, his face showing regret as he bowed slightly, as if preparing to explain.

But Xia Hong gave him no such opportunity.

The ceremonial knife slashed through the air in a flash of cold light; Xia Hong surged forward in an instant, arriving before He Yuanhun.

Huh…

With the body of a Nine-Mane cultivator, every movement was thunderous—no need for the knife's icy glow; merely Xia Hong's blinding speed stirred the air inside the bamboo tower into a roaring whirlwind.

He Yuanhun's expression shifted slightly—he clearly hadn't expected Xia Hong to attack so directly—and raised his ink-black longsword before him.

Bang…

The clash of blade and sword unleashed an invisible shockwave that shattered the already crumbling bamboo tower.

The four walls of the tower collapsed in a thunderous crash.

He Yuanhun's body flew out through the western wall.

Xia Hong followed him out, barely an inch away.

One retreated, one pursued—both moved at their absolute limits.

Facing Xia Hong's extended blade, He Yuanhun swung his longsword in front of him, nearly forming a curtain of black steel. Though he blocked every strike, Xia Hong's strength forced him backward step by step, his face growing ever more grim.

"Leader Xia Hong, please let me explain—the Mirror Immortal affair has hidden truths. I, He, never intended to harm you. I did indeed allow the Mirror Immortal to act, but only for the sake of the ten thousand souls in the Mirror Immortal camp, and for humanity's greater good. If you hand me the other half of the mirror, I swear I will give you a reasonable explanation!"

"Why not surrender now and return with me to the Great Xia camp? Then I'll hear your explanation at length."

Even as their blades clashed rapidly, He Yuanhun kept trying to speak—but Xia Hong ignored him entirely. No matter how much he pleaded, Xia Hong's ceremonial knife swung faster and faster, each strike aimed straight for his vital points.

Swoosh…

At the same time, an iron arrow shot in from the flank.

He Yuanhun swatted it down, turned his head—and saw Xia Chuan and over a hundred others approaching, every one of them drawing bows and nocking arrows. His expression darkened.

The moment the Mirror Immortal was slain, all those under his control had collapsed. Xia Chuan, Luo Feng, and the others were naturally freed.

Without Xia Hong needing to speak, the crowd rushed forward, saw him fighting He Yuanhun, and immediately raised their bows to assist.

Over a hundred men, coordinated with Xia Hong, swiftly surrounded He Yuanhun.

"He Yuanhun, surrender! You're trapped!"

Hearing Xia Hong's address to He Yuanhun, Xia Chuan, Luo Feng, and the others were confused—but Yuwen the Guardian's expression hardened. He stared at He Yuanhun for a long moment, as if understanding something, his face slowly turning to fury.

Xia Hong clenched the mirror in his left hand, then looked at He Yuanhun, glancing at the other mirror in his grip—his expression flickered.

He Yuanhun had burned down the entire Mirror Immortal camp at great cost, scheming and exhausting himself—all for these two mirrors.

It wasn't hard to guess: these mirrors must conceal immense benefits.

He Yuanhun wanted them.

So did he.

Surrounded, He Yuanhun showed little fear—only stared intently at the half-mirror in Xia Hong's hand, as if pondering deeply.

Soon, as if coming to a decision, He Yuanhun smiled at Xia Hong—and suddenly slammed his own black mirror against his right eye.

The mirror shrank automatically upon contact, then dissolved into a spirit-light that sank directly into his eye.

"Leader Xia Hong, that mirror in your hands is useless. Give it to me—I swear, I'll repay you with something far greater in the future. What do you say?"

In answer, Xia Hong attacked faster and stronger, while Xia Chuan, Luo Feng, Yuwen the Guardian, and the others launched hundreds of iron arrows racing toward him.

Facing the arrowstorm and Xia Hong's advance, He Yuanhun finally realized he could not sway him. A look of resignation crossed his face—then his right eye erupted with a chilling black radiance.

Huh…

The black light from his eye spread rapidly, reflecting a lush, verdant, vibrant world.

Simultaneously, the space beside his eye twisted—the air ceased flowing, and the iron arrows hurtling toward him froze mid-air, utterly still.

This eerie sight froze everyone—including Xia Hong—every one of them rooted to the spot.

Only Yuwen the Guardian, Hong Guang, and the other forty-one Digging Realm cultivators from the Mirror Immortal camp recognized it immediately: that was the illusory world the Mirror Immortal had used to manipulate others into suicide.

"Leader Xia Hong, this mirror is called the Yin-Yang Mirror. The one in your hand is the Yang side; mine is the Yin side. Since you won't give it to me, I'll leave it with you for now. One day, you'll willingly hand it over to me."

As the space twisted further, He Yuanhun's body slowly drew inward, pulled into the black light emanating from his eye.

At the same time, the bodies of those who had just killed themselves in the Mirror Immortal camp were also sucked away by the black light.

After ten breaths, the entire Mirror Immortal camp stood empty.

Only Xia Hong and his group remained, along with He Yuanhun's final, confident voice echoing through the air.

One day, I'll willingly give him the mirror?

Xia Hong looked down at the white mirror in his hand, his brow furrowed.

(End of Chapter)