Chapter 9

Zhu Hong flew southward for a whole night in one breath, only stopping when the sky turned light the next morning. Under his feet was still the vast sea, with a small island ahead. On the island stood a mountain peak, which, perhaps due to the constant pounding of the waves, resembled a single massive rock, with no vegetation or even a speck of soil on its surface.

After flying all night, he was utterly exhausted and his magical power was nearly depleted. He landed on the island to rest and consider where to hide next. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a figure standing atop the mountain peak, dressed in white, with a stern face. It was none other than his senior brother, Yue Qinbin. Zhu Hong was so startled that his scalp went numb, and he turned to flee westward on his sword.

As Yue Qing raised his hand on the mountain peak, the sea below roiled with wind and waves, forming two towering water mountains that converged in the middle. Zhu Hong, merging with his sword, tried to break through to the west, but the two water mountains squeezed together, quickly solidifying into an ice mountain.

Trapped in the ice, the cold seeped into his body, freezing his very bones. He spat out three mouthfuls of true qi, forcefully activating the San Yuan Sword, which emitted red, yellow, and blue light that suddenly surged. The ice mountain shattered into pieces, and the fragments scattered into the sky, turning back into water droplets. However, these droplets did not fall but instead coalesced into fist-sized water bombs, which collided and gathered toward Zhu Hong.

Seeing so many water bombs rushing toward him, Zhu Hong was almost frightened to death. If he were hit, he would be shattered to pieces, leaving no bone fragments. He hurriedly made the hand seals and recited the incantations, using the Taiyi Wuyan Luo he had stolen from his master.

A stream of colorful smoke rose from his body, forming a protective layer that enveloped him from head to toe.

Seeing the smoke rise around him, and the water bombs hitting it, causing only ripples without any effect, Zhu Hong felt a sense of relief. He felt that using this magical treasure today was particularly effortless and satisfying. Just as he was feeling pleased, he suddenly saw Yue Qing appear above him, holding a ball of colorful smoke in his palm, similar to his own Taiyi Wuyan Luo. He was both shocked and frightened, "Senior Brother Yue, have you also refined this supreme treasure outside of Master?"

Yue Qing smiled lightly, "You are at death's door and still don't realize it. You always thought the magical treasures were powerful and never put effort into cultivating the righteous Daoist arts. But know that magical treasures are ultimately external objects. Look at me; I can control your life and death without even drawing my flying sword!"

He pointed his finger, and the millions of water bombs converged and exploded simultaneously. The Taiyi Wuyan Luo protecting Zhu Hong burst like a bubble and dissipated. Zhu Hong hurriedly used his sword light to protect himself, but it was no match for the power of the water bombs. His body was shattered into pieces, and the San Yuan Sword lost its luster, falling to the ground.

Zhu Hong's spirit was also injured and fled outward, wrapped in a black jade gourd.

"Where are you going!" Yue Qing pointed his finger, and a mass of flames erupted in the air, forming a blazing wall that blocked Zhu Hong's path.

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother, spare my life!" Zhu Hong hugged the gourd and knelt in the fire, pleading loudly, "I have already been reduced to a mere spirit. Please, Senior Brother, don't finish me off. Let me find a new body to reincarnate..."

Yue Qing said resolutely, "Since the moment our master passed away, everyone from the Wutai and Huashan sects has wanted to tear you apart! Your death was already determined. All of this is the result of your own evil deeds. Now you come to me for help? What good will it do!"

Zhu Hong pleaded, "Senior Brother, I know I was wrong! Ever since I stole the Daoist books and magical treasures from Master and left the mountain, I knew I was wrong. But in a moment of weakness, I used my magical power to seal the recall, and from that moment on, there was no turning back."

"You're talking nonsense!" Yue Qing said angrily, "How magnanimous was our master? Especially to us disciples. Whenever we were wronged outside, he always stood up for us, no matter who was right or wrong. Even the two sword battles with the Emei sect were due to the long-standing grudges between us and the Emei and Qingcheng sects. What grudge did our master have with Qi Shuming? You often acted arrogantly, not respecting us senior brothers and sisters. You knew very well that even if you caused trouble, Master would still help you. If you had returned the Taiyi Wuyan Luo to Master before the sword battle at Huangshan, Master might not have met his end."

Zhu Hong, ashamed, slapped himself repeatedly, crying out, "Master, I have wronged you! Master, I am a beast, I have caused your death!"

Thinking of Master, Yue Qing's eyes also moistened. The kind and gentle image of Taiyi Hunyuan Zushi, his nurturing and teachings, flashed through his mind. "Zhu Hong, Zhu Hong, now that Master is gone, who are you trying to impress with this act?"

Zhu Hong continued to weep and beg, "Senior Brother, I am truly repentant. I am willing to return Master's Daoist books and magical treasures to you, and then take these three swords to Maoshan to guard Master's tomb..."

Yue Qing did not want to hear this and laughed coldly, "What you do now is of no use. Unless you can bring Master back to life, neither I nor any of the senior brothers and sisters of the Wutai sect will forgive you!"

Zhu Hong begged repeatedly, even offering to give up his search for a new body and remain as a spirit to guard Master's tomb, hoping Yue Qing would spare his life. But Yue Qing refused.

Zhu Hong, enraged, cursed, "Yue, you are too much! I have been preparing for this for years, and I have refined several powerful magical treasures. I only refrained from using them out of respect for our past as fellow disciples. Now that you are forcing me, don't blame me for not showing mercy!"

Yue Qing sneered, "Oh? You have powerful treasures? Why didn't you show them earlier? Let me see them!" He activated the formation, and the surroundings changed rapidly, with wind and clouds rising, and the landscape shifting between the sea, desert, fertile fields, giant trees, strange rocks, and rivers, creating a dizzying scene. He said calmly, "If you really have them, show them now. If not, prepare to die..."

"Yue, you bastard! This is all your fault! Today, I will risk everything to fight you to the death!" Zhu Hong opened the black jade gourd and poured his entire essence into it.

Seeing the gourd, Yue Qing's face changed. "You actually refined the Six-Six True Essence Gourd, which even Master never did!" He quickly adjusted the formation and activated the five elements to seal it.

Zhu Hong laughed maniacally, "If I didn't have something up my sleeve, wouldn't I have wasted Master's teachings? Wouldn't I have been looked down upon by you, who have lived like dogs for so many years? This gourd is for you!"

As he spoke, a fierce wind rose in the air, and black clouds billowed, revealing many evil spirits.

Yue Qing knew the power of the Six-Six True Essence Gourd. Although Zhu Hong had not fully refined it, the power it contained was formidable, and he had no means to counter it. He took a deep breath, prepared to fight, and first sprayed a mouthful of true qi onto the Taiyi Wuyan Luo, using the Wutai sect's secret method to transform it into a protective layer. Then, he used the formation to quickly approach Zhu Hong.

Zhu Hong thought that once he released this treasure, his opponent would not be able to resist. He had already realized that after flying all night, he had not left the Four Gates Mountain area. The mountain peak where Yue Qing stood was the southern cliff of the Four Gates Mountain. With Yue Qing's superior Daoist arts and the formation, he was at a disadvantage and could only be at his mercy. He planned to use the twelve evil spirits in the Six-Six True Essence Gourd to break the Eight Gates Inverted Golden Lock Formation. If he could find a gap, he would immediately break out, find a suitable body, and return to take revenge.

However, he underestimated Yue Qing's three hundred years of profound cultivation. The Taiyi Wuyan Luo had already been taken from him by Yue Qing using the sect's treasure retrieval method, and now, even without refinement, it could be used freely, unlike when he used it.

The Six-Six True Essence Gourd continuously spewed out black-red viscous evil qi, and the twelve evil spirits roared and howled, ready to devour. As a spirit, Zhu Hong was the first target. One of the evil spirits opened its mouth, which was as large as a room, creating an immense suction to swallow him.

Zhu Hong was terrified, "Senior Brother, spare my life! Senior Brother, spare my life!"

Yue Qing controlled the formation to unleash a barrage of fire and thunder, shattering the evil spirits' heads. Then, he used his sword light to capture Zhu Hong's spirit.