Chapter 437: Slaying and the Horn-Cutting Secret Art

At the entrance of Qisha Palace, Jin Zhu, the Yizu who had held the palace for twenty-eight days, suddenly lifted his head; on his chest, the divine truths of Earth and Space shimmered with brilliant light.

In the direction Jin Zhu looked, Song Shoujie, the Marquis of Luoshui, stepped down from the stars.

Watching this living human slowly approach, Jin Zhu grinned broadly, "Someone finally came! But your luck's terrible—I've fully recovered from all my injuries."

Twenty-eight days had completely restored Jin Zhu's internal and external wounds, including his Nascent Soul injury.

But the star tower he had destroyed earlier had not yet recovered—it couldn't be restored so easily here.

"Your injuries fully healed? That's great fortune for me!"

As the Marquis of Luoshui, Song Shoujie, arrived slowly, a long spear materialized in his hand; he thrust it straight forward, and behind him, twin azure wings solidified. "Chen Guo, Marquis of Luoshui, Song Shoujie—request your instruction!"

Seeing this, Jin Zhu's smile vanished; he grew serious. "Jin Zhu Sacred Clan, Jin Zhu—proceed!"

With those words, starlight surged around him; behind him, the star tower emerged, shifting from void to solid, rumbling as it descended directly above the Qisha Palace gate.

Shhh!

With a piercing whistle, Song Shoujie's spear transformed into a green venomous dragon, striking Jin Zhu; in an instant, the sky filled with azure starlight.

Upon closer look, hundreds of green venomous dragons seemed to launch a continuous, furious assault on Jin Zhu within moments.

Jin Zhu stood firm, his golden horn flashing rapidly; each flash shattered a streak of green spearlight.

Occasionally, a spearlight neared—Jin Zhu slapped out a palm, and it exploded.

Facing the Marquis of Luoshui's full assault, Jin Zhu fought with effortless ease.

"Wind Shadow Spear!"

With a roar, Song Shoujie split into six Shenying, attacking Jin Zhu from all directions; each Shenying held a spear and struck again.

Far away, Xu Jin, approaching stealthily, sensed the Marquis's split-body qi and felt surprised.

Others' split-bodies were all solid, but the Marquis's split-body qi hovered between real and illusory, and his spearlight strikes were razor-sharp.

Effectively six against one!

Yet even so, Jin Zhu handled it with ease.

He stood rooted in place, his horn blasting nonstop, both palms slapping continuously.

He didn't even shift his ass—he blocked the Marquis's full assault without moving!

"No wonder he's Sacred Clan blood!"

After Shiji breaths, the Marquis of Luoshui panted as he stepped back, spear in hand, staring at Jin Zhu.

Jin Zhu glanced at him. "You're decent. If you'd grown to match my cultivation base, you might force me to fight seriously—but now, you're still far too weak!"

In the next instant, Jin Zhu's horn blasted forth a chilling white light; under full assault, he sent Song Shoujie reeling back in just three breaths.

"Try taking one of mine!"

Jin Zhu roared, leaping into the air; starlight from the sky poured into his golden horn.

A tiger's roar echoed; a spectral white tiger, brimming with malevolent aura, burst from Jin Zhu's forehead, like a tiger descending a mountain—it swallowed Song Shoujie whole.

In the next instant, green spearlight burst from the tiger's mouth, compressed to its limit, then exploded outward, shattering the tiger's jaws; Song Shoujie broke free.

The moment he escaped, Jin Zhu sneered and slammed down a chilling white palm imprint, crushing Song Shoujie into the ground.

The white tiger specter lunged instantly.

In an instant, the Marquis of Luoshui, Song Shoujie, shattered into starlight fragments!

The white tiger specter returned into Jin Zhu's body.

One breath later, Song Shoujie's form reappeared. "That was exhilarating!"

"Again!"

Jin Zhu scanned the surroundings warily, lazily saying, "If that's all you've got, I'm not impressed."

"Hahahaha! Try and see!"

Laughing, the Marquis of Luoshui summoned a star tower behind him; his spear swung like a great blade, slashing down—a massive green wind blade roared toward Jin Zhu.

Jin Zhu assumed it was just an ordinary wind blade and struck casually to shatter it.

But the instant he shattered it, the massive blade exploded with an ear-splitting sonic boom.

A nauseating, soul-rending sonic wave blasted outward in all directions.

It made Xu Jin, hidden a thousand meters away, feel like vomiting blood.

Yet Song Shoujie's attacks never ceased—wave after wave of Wind Howl Breaks slammed into Jin Zhu.

Each Wind Howl Break, even if Jin Zhu ignored it, would explode into this terrifying sonic assault.

Under the terrifying starwave assault, Jin Zhu's ears and eyes spurted blood; his expression twisted in agony.

Behind him, Xu Jin was stunned.

If he'd gotten any closer, he'd have lost his stealth!

As the Wind Howl Breaks kept hammering, Jin Zhu's ears and eyes bled, his face contorted in pain, and the frequency of light emitted from his golden horn dropped sharply.

In that exact moment, the Marquis of Luoshui lunged forward; azure starlight rained down like a storm, weaving instantly into a vast net, his spear becoming a dragon.

Carrying this net of starforce, he slammed it toward Jin Zhu.

As it struck, Song Shoujie channeled every ounce of his starforce into the green spear; in that instant, it truly became a colossal green dragon, roaring toward Jin Zhu.

In agony, Jin Zhu unleashed his white tiger specter again; Song Shoujie let the tiger strike him—but the green dragon suddenly transformed, dissolving into countless starlight threads, shifting from attack to binding; in an instant, countless azure threads wrapped around Jin Zhu like silk ropes, binding him tightly.

"Now!"

Almost as Song Shoujie roared, a frigid starlight streaked from the sky, radiating terrifying energy, slamming into Jin Zhu.

Xu Jin's form appeared simultaneously.

Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl!

This was the modified Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl Xu Jin had obtained from Zhang Lin, further refined by his Can Dou Platform.

"Huh?"

Jin Zhu's face turned pale—he sensed the terrifying energy within the Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl.

A power capable of threatening his life!

Worse—he was bound by Song Shoujie's azure starforce and couldn't move a muscle; he had to take it head-on!

"Go!"

The instant the white tiger specter tore Song Shoujie apart, it lunged at Xu Jin; at the same moment, Jin Zhu hurled a massive shield above his head.

It wasn't just a shield—it was a scale several meters long, radiating a weight like a mountain.

This was Jin Zhu's ultimate survival treasure: the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield—used now out of desperation.

The terrifying frost starlight poured down, striking the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield; frost starlight and sharp golden starlight collided, unleashing a deafening explosion.

Rings of frost starlight shattered; the golden radiance of the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield rapidly dimmed.

Jin Zhu frantically poured his own starforce into the shield, desperately holding back the terrifying power within the Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl.

In the next instant, the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield trembled violently; a terrifying soulwave surged outward.

The soul attack sealed within the Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl—the power granted by Tianyang Zhenjun—exploded.

Though the shield blocked most of its power, Jin Zhu's soul still staggered for a fleeting moment.

A torrent of frost starforce poured down instantly, freezing Jin Zhu from the waist down in ice.

Boom!

Xu Jin, blocked by the white tiger specter, unleashed three consecutive Five-Element Divine Thunder strikes; before the specter reached him, he shattered it instantly.

The shattered white tiger specter let out a mournful cry, shrinking into a white light that retreated into Jin Zhu's golden horn.

Xu Jin's thunder wings flashed; he surged upward, appearing directly above Jin Zhu.

While the Ten-Thousand Refinements Frost Star Pearl still held Jin Zhu frozen in place, Xu Jin unleashed the Five-Element Divine Thunder—full force!

Jin Zhu had just regained consciousness when the Five-Element Divine Thunder crashed down upon his head.

Instantly, his fragile protective starlight shattered; the Five-Element thunderlight was about to strike his scalp when the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield blazed violently, erupting a colossal, deep white aura that shielded Jin Zhu. Two strikes of the Five-Element thunder shattered the white shield.

But the ice freezing Jin Zhu's lower body began melting furiously.

Seeing Xu Jin relentlessly attacking him, Jin Zhu sneered, "Is this your plan? Seems lacking!"

"Is it?"

Xu Jin's gaze flickered slightly—the moment had come.

In the next instant, another Five-Element Divine Thunder struck down.

But this time, the Five-Element Divine Thunder blazed with extraordinary brilliance.

Not only blindingly bright, it swelled instantly to the thickness of a water barrel.

Xu Jin poured every last one of the two hundred and twenty-seven Nine Heavens Thunder Rhythms he had gathered over the past two months into it, unleashing them all at once upon Jin Zhu.

Now that the Marquis of Luoshui had withdrawn, Xu Jin had only one chance to kill Jin Zhu.

He must succeed—no failure allowed.

Whether wasteful or not, Xu Jin channeled every single Nine Heavens Thunder Rhythm.

All-in strike!

In an instant, Jin Zhu's face turned ashen!

He recognized the extraordinary power of this strike!

But it was too late.

Thunder was too fast!

At the last possible moment, Jin Zhu raised the Sacred Ancestor Golden Scale Shield, just freed from the ice, above his head; simultaneously, the star tower stationed at Qisha Palace, the stars in the sky, instantly shot forth countless starlights, pouring into Jin Zhu's body.

In that instant, Jin Zhu pushed his power to its absolute limit!

Boom!

The Five Elemental Divine Thunder, infused with two hundred and twenty-seven layers of Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythm, instantly poured down!

The Sacred Ancestor's Golden Scale Shield, which Ju Xuan regarded as his life-saving treasure, was reduced to ash in an instant beneath this terrifying Five Elemental Divine Thunder.

Ju Xuan's eyes flew wide open!

That was an eight-star spiritual treasure bestowed by the Sacred Ancestor for preserving one's life!

At the same time, his protective starlight aura swelled to its absolute limit.

But in an instant, the protective starlight he had fully activated melted away like snow poured over hot soup, instantly pierced through by a massive hole—Ju Xuan suddenly realized something.

At the last possible moment, Ju Xuan's golden horn on his forehead snapped off and shot upward, instantly transforming into a small yet undeniably real White Tiger.

The instant the tiger roared, it seized two Divine Dao True Intentions and vanished from the spot!

"Hm?"

The aura of the Seven Kill Escape Dragon Stake!

At the same instant, Lei Guang's full force of thunder completely engulfed Ju Xuan's body, frozen solid within the ice.

As his body shattered, it dissolved into starlight and vanished.

The Star Tower stationed at the entrance of the Seven Kill Palace also collapsed into starlight and disappeared.

Yet the White Tiger formed from Ju Xuan's severed golden horn vanished from sight using the Seven Kill Escape Dragon Stake.

This outcome was completely beyond Xu Jin's expectations.

He had slain Ju Xuan, an eighth-rank Jinchu barbarian—but this bastard had used a self-sacrificing horn-severing technique to carry away the two Divine Dao True Intentions.

Success, yet the goal had not been fully achieved!

Xu Jin's gaze swept across all directions.

He found no trace of the White Tiger bearing the two Divine Dao True Intentions.

Ju Xuan's Seven Kill Escape Dragon Stake had reached the third level—it must be set somewhere between a thousand meters and a hundred li away.

It couldn't be found within a short time!

Then where should he go?

In an instant, Xu Jin's mind raced.

Should he charge into the Seven Kill Palace?

Or should he search for the White Tiger formed from Ju Xuan's horn and seize the two Divine Dao True Intentions?

And there was another more critical question: if Ju Xuan used his resurrection opportunity to return, could Xu Jin kill him again?

This was the fundamental basis for his decision.

In an instant, Xu Jin made his judgment.

If Ju Xuan returned again, with Xu Jin's current reserves, his chance of successfully killing him would not exceed twenty percent.

Previously, he had the aid of Marquis Luo Shui and the enhanced Ten-Thousand Refinement Cold Star Pearl.

In another battle, he would lose all these advantages—and even the Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythm was exhausted!

Then, after using his resurrection opportunity, would Ju Xuan return?

One hundred percent!

His golden horn remained here—he would definitely return!

His purpose in leaving the golden horn behind before being slain was to survive and reclaim it!

In an instant, Xu Jin made his decision.

This was already Ju Xuan's third resurrection opportunity used.

Once all three resurrection opportunities were spent, to leave the Seven Kill Secret Realm, one must either die or complete the trial!

Then, Xu Jin would still have a chance to reclaim these two priceless Divine Dao True Intentions.

Moreover, time favored Xu Jin!

The longer the delay, the more Nine Heaven Thunder Rhythm, Earth Heart Earth Rhythm, and Heaven-Earth Fire Rhythm he would accumulate, eventually becoming devastating weapons!

In the flash of an eye, the moment Xu Jin understood all this, a speck of starlight appeared—it was Ju Xuan, the eighth-rank Jinchu barbarian, returning via his resurrection opportunity!

At the very instant the starlight materialized, Xu Jin flared his Thunder Wings, instantly transforming into a streak of lightning that shot into the Seven Kill Palace entrance ten meters away and vanished within.

At the same moment, the starlight solidified into Ju Xuan's form.

But now, blood poured uncontrollably from the wound where his horn had been severed, and his aura continued to dwindle.

Ju Xuan glared bitterly at Xu Jin, who had just dashed into the Seven Kill Palace, then shot toward the distance. With a single gesture, a White Tiger figure surged forward and transformed back into his golden horn, settling once more upon his forehead.

The golden horn restored, the bleeding stopped instantly.

The two Divine Dao True Intentions also reappeared before Ju Xuan.

But Ju Xuan's aura had clearly plummeted by a great deal!

This horn-severing technique was the exclusive secret art of the Jinchu Sacred Clan, used only in life-or-death moments.

Each use damaged one's fundamental essence.

At this moment, Ju Xuan's cultivation base had dropped sharply.

He had previously been near the mid-stage of eighth rank.

Now his aura had plummeted to barely beyond the initial stage of eighth rank.

To restore this lost cultivation, he would need at least two years of arduous practice!

Yet, compared to regaining the two Divine Dao True Intentions, this was a great fortune amid misfortune!

But because he was a barbarian, he could not refine or store these Divine Dao True Intentions within his Numinous Space—he must pass the remaining trials to survive and carry them back.

If he brought them back, it would be a supreme achievement!

At that time, the Sacred Ancestor might bestow lavish rewards directly.

All his losses would be compensated—and his strength would surpass even his former peak!

The Jinchu Sacred Ancestor never stinted on rewards for young clan members who achieved great deeds and contributed to the clan.

But Ju Xuan also considered one thing: this human prodigy named Qi Tian Sheng had bizarre and unpredictable methods!

If he encountered him again inside, could he survive?

After a few breaths of thought, Ju Xuan regained his confidence.

In their previous battle, if he hadn't been trapped first by the great Chen Luo Shui Marquis, he wouldn't have been further crippled by that terrifying ice-starlight and frozen in place—and he certainly wouldn't have been struck by Qi Tian Sheng's devastating lightning.

He would never have lost!

Moreover, from his experience, the lightning that killed him was surely a one-time explosive technique granted by his sect—not Qi Tian Sheng's own power.

Otherwise, he would have died long ago!

Inside, as long as he remained cautious, he could handle Qi Tian Sheng!

And if he seized the right opportunity, carefully planned, he might even kill Qi Tian Sheng and avenge himself!

Killing a top-tier human prodigy of this age would be a great achievement in itself.

At that time, he would return with full rewards.

But before entering, he needed to first recover his injuries.

He still had one and a half days left.

Whatever he could recover was better than nothing!

After a few breaths, Ju Xuan sat cross-legged again before the entrance of the Seven Kill Palace, swallowed several heavenly treasures, and began healing his wounds.

(End of Chapter)