Volume One: Sword of the Son of Heaven Chapter 86: Right Beneath Your Feet

The barbarian Gu Master was evidently unaware of the tree demon’s presence; he pursued Yun Que relentlessly, turning into the left fork and chasing him deep into the cavern. When Yun Que reached the area covered in vines, he finally stopped. There was no way out. The long-bearded Gu Master blocked his retreat, cackling maliciously.

“Little one, where did you get your corpse-eating bugs?”

“Someone gave them to me.”

“Who would be so kind as to gift you one of these exotic insects unique to our tribe?”

“Why, it was your tribe, of course. He’s in the imperial city—you should know him.”

“Oh? Is that so.” The Gu Master glanced at the vines carpeting the ground, unconcerned. “I don’t believe he would give you corpse-eating bugs, because you’re not worthy!”

“How do you know I’m not worthy?” Yun Que watched the Gu Master’s expression, then suddenly said, “Sword of the Boundless Sea!”

The Gu Master was taken aback. “What did you say?”

“Nothing. I said you’re about to die.”

Yun Que spoke casually, using this as a probe. The response revealed the Gu Master was not one of the Twelve Zodiac.

Sword of the Boundless Sea, severing eternity.

This was a code phrase used only by the Twelve Zodiac.

Though the Gu Master was ignorant of their secret sign, he knew the origin of the corpse-eating bugs.

That meant he likely recognized the barbarian masquerading as Lan Yu Sheng!

“Rest assured, little one, I won’t die before you do.” The Gu Master spread his arms, raising his scorpion tail, laughing wildly. “I am immortal! As long as the Scorpion King lives, so do I!”

Whoosh!

The venomous tail struck down suddenly.

Yun Que blocked with the Thousand-Leaf Sword. Though he deflected the deadly blow, the immense force sent him flying, over the carpet of vines and crashing into the stone wall, leaving a human-shaped crater.

“Fifth stage of Qi Refining—able to unleash four swords at once, corpse-eating bugs in hand, two magical treasures acquired. Heh, you’re hiding quite a few secrets.” The Gu Master advanced into the vine-filled cavern, grinning wickedly. “You don’t have to talk, but it doesn’t matter. Anything alive that falls into my hands will speak eventually, hahaha.”

He advanced, step by step, his smile twisted.

Yun Que appeared too weak to resist further.

“Want to know a secret? I’ll give you one now.” Yun Que suddenly raised his head, a strange smile on his face. “There’s a terrifying creature hidden in this mine—countless people devoured, unspeakably evil.”

“Oh? And where is it?” The Gu Master sneered, clearly disbelieving.

“Right beneath your feet!” Yun Que abruptly gripped his swords and stabbed with all his might into the ground.

The aura of the magical treasures exploded, shredding the vines.

In the next moment, a piercing squeal erupted—like rats having their tails severed!

A green cloud of dust billowed through the cave.

After unleashing his swords, Yun Que immediately withdrew the two treasures into his storage ring and quickly retreated into the pit he had smashed in the wall.

This shallow, human-shaped hollow was Yun Que’s pre-designed refuge.

He had deliberately taken the Gu Master’s blow not just to let the force send him flying over the vines, but also to create a foothold.

The long-bearded Gu Master couldn’t fathom Yun Que’s intentions for a moment.

But soon, a terrifying aura surged from beneath the earth. The Gu Master felt his hair stand on end, his skin prickling.

BOOM!!!

A massive bundle of arm-thick vines burst from the ground, swirling like a green tornado, instantly enveloping the Gu Master.

The slumbering tree demon beneath the earth had finally awakened!

“Seventh rank! Ahhh!”

The Gu Master screamed in agony.

The enraged tree demon vented its fury upon the Gu Master, countless vines tightening around him.

Immortal body? Undying form? Such boasts only mattered when facing weak opponents.

The Gu Master, equivalent to a fourth-ranked demon beast, was nothing but a snack before a seventh-ranked tree demon.

His transformed, enlarged form and powerful aura made him the perfect target; meanwhile, Yun Que, sheltered in the pit, remained safe and slipped away amidst the chaos.

With a series of smacks, black blood splattered everywhere!

The Gu Master’s enormous body was torn apart, and amid the gush of strange blood, a piece of iron fell out.

It landed right at Yun Que’s feet.

A square, about a foot wide, carved with a tiny scorpion—clearly an identification token.

Yun Que picked it up quickly, sparing no time to examine it, and hurried away.

The mine’s tunnels were narrow; sword flight was impossible, so he had to rely on his legs.

Fortunately, Yun Que’s physique was robust, forged through years of sword training—far superior to ordinary people.

Thunderous echoes resounded behind him.

The screams grew weaker, fading until only the rustling of twisting vines remained.

The once-confident barbarian powerhouse was now utterly dead.

Yun Que regretted only that he hadn’t managed to extract any useful information from the Gu Master.

The mastermind behind the barbarians assigned from the imperial city remained a mystery.

Outside the mine.

In a tent near the cave, a tall man wearing iron gauntlets awoke from a nap.

He wore ordinary clothes, his features severe and cold, expressionless—like a machine forged in blood and steel.

His eyes snapped open, instantly fixing on the mine’s entrance.

Moments later,

Sand trickled down from above the entrance, the ground began to tremble.

It seemed a collapse was occurring deep within the mine.

The iron-gauntleted man rose slowly from his seat, his gaze growing more frigid as he stared at the mine.

Footsteps approached.

Soon, Mu Qingyao and her companions burst out of the cave.

They had hoped to exit through the emergency passage, but the mountain’s collapse had sealed it, forcing them onto the main road.

This meant facing the Mist Pavilion’s people directly.

Upon emerging, Zhou Yuanliang immediately recognized the man before them—the Mist Pavilion’s top enforcer, Iron Fist!

Glancing at Mu Qingyao, who was carrying Mu Wan, Iron Fist fixed his gaze on Zhou Yuanliang and spoke in a voice like shards of ice grinding together:

“This is an imperial confiscated zone. Young master Zhou, you have some nerve.”

Zhou Yuanliang was very wary of this man. He forced a smile. “Is that so? What a coincidence—I was out for a stroll and didn’t notice. Innocent mistakes, you know.”

“Took a stroll?” Iron Fist shifted his gaze to Mu Qingyao, his tone glacial. “You not only trespassed on forbidden ground, but also injured innocents without cause. Men, seize them! Take them back to the capital and punish them according to the law.”

The surrounding soldiers responded in unison and prepared to detain them.

“Wait!” Zhou Yuanliang cried out hurriedly. “This is the Mu family mine. The young lady is simply touring her own property. How does that offend your Mist Pavilion?”

“Someone from the Mu family?” Iron Fist clenched his fingers, producing a chilling creak, and said coldly, “The Mu family colluded with barbarians—sent to the dungeon. And yet, there are still those who slipped through the net.”

“She’s no fugitive—she’s the first Sword Child of the Southern Academy, entitled to special privileges. Disciples of the Sword Palace aren’t subject to imprisonment,” Zhou Yuanliang explained quickly.

“In my eyes, there are no special privileges.” Iron Fist strode toward Mu Qingyao.

Such was the Mist Pavilion’s tyranny—

Kill first, explain later!

Mu Qingyao readied herself for battle. The other side clearly wouldn’t listen to reason; there was no choice but to fight.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from the cave.

A barbarian warrior emerged, charging out!

Zhou Yuanliang and Mu Qingyao quickly moved aside from the entrance. The barbarian, blinded by the sudden brightness, didn’t notice them flanking the doorway and rushed straight at Iron Fist.

Iron Fist stood calmly where he was.

As the barbarian warrior charged, Iron Fist swung his fist.

BANG!!!

His punch struck the barbarian’s abdomen squarely.

With a dull thud, a huge bulge appeared on the barbarian’s back; as he collapsed, blood sprayed everywhere, and his body was torn apart—obliterated.

Killed with a single blow!

No remains left!

Zhou Yuanliang and the others’ pupils contracted in shock.

“Foundation Establishment realm!” Mu Qingyao detected the surge of energy, her heart sinking.

With her spiritual energy nearly depleted and no Flower Spirit Sword at hand, she stood no chance against a Foundation Establishment opponent.

Even with Zhou Yuanliang, Luo Xiaoyu, and Yi Hongwen, the outcome would be the same.

After dispatching the barbarian warrior, Iron Fist flicked the blood off his gauntlets and continued toward the group.

A fierce battle was imminent.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the cave; Yun Que’s figure darted out.

Upon exiting, Yun Que shouted, “What are you waiting for? Run, unless you want to feed the monster!”

He grabbed Mu Qingyao, mounted his sword and soared away, taking Mu Wan along.

Zhou Yuanliang wasted no time, taking Luo Xiaoyu and ascending on his sword, while Yi Hongwen summoned his flying sword with all his strength, wobbling after them.

Iron Fist snorted, preparing to intercept.

Suddenly, his ears twitched, as if he heard something, and his stern expression changed.

He abandoned his attempt to block them, waved his hand, and led the soldiers away from the mine in haste.