As time went by, even such a huge monster's attack power decreased significantly, and even its speed slowed down.
"Dad, do you recognize this monster? How did it suddenly appear here?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"I don't recognize it, and I don't know how it appeared. Could there be a secret realm here?" Qin Qiong frowned as he looked into the distance.
"Isn't the secret realm set up by humans? And with such a huge monster inside, who would dare to go in?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.
"Not all secret realms are man-made; the vast majority exist naturally, and the dangers within them vary. However, the secret realms that have been preserved are relatively less dangerous, supposedly because our ancestors sealed away those dangerous places." Qin Qiong shook his head slightly, speaking with a somewhat uncertain tone.
It was clear that Qin Qiong was unaware of these things, so Qin Mu didn't press the matter. Knowing more often only led to greater confusion and even danger. Qin Mu simply wanted to cultivate in peace. As the son of an official, his life was certainly secure; his only deficiency was strength. In this dangerous world, quiet cultivation and becoming a master were essential to transcend this danger and avoid having one's life and death controlled by others.
"If there really is such a secret realm here, and the monsters inside can escape, how can we possibly defend against so many of them!" Qin Mu exclaimed.
Ten thousand fearless soldiers, sacrificing their lives for the enemy, only managed to subdue one monster. How many real people would it take? The crucial question is, how many monsters are there? What if there are more? Where would they find so many secret techniques? They'd probably have to summon top experts to deal with it.
In fact, Qin Mu did not know that if there were truly 10,000 soldiers, with their blood and qi combined with Qin Qiong's, Qin Qiong alone could kill them all.
"That's alright. We can just have someone reseal it. If it can't be completely sealed, we can arrange for someone to guard it. Otherwise, why do you think so many families exist? They're clearly not on good terms with the court, yet the court still allows them to exist," Qin Qiong explained.
Qin Mu then realized that most families in this world actually exist with a mission.
The soldiers summoned at the front were few in number, but the monster was also badly wounded and moved slowly, as if it were making a final struggle. A long tail dragged behind it, blood flowing incessantly; it had been slashed countless times, with only a small part remaining hanging there, not completely severed.
"It's time to end this!" Qin Qiong brandished his long spear and walked forward. When he reached a short distance from the monster, he suddenly pushed off the ground and reappeared above the monster's head, holding his spear high and thrusting it into a wound.
He couldn't inflict much damage on the monster earlier because its defenses were too strong and its strength too great. Now, the monster has no way to dodge; its entire body is covered in wounds caused by weapons conjured from spiritual energy, which naturally penetrate directly into its body.
The monster's situation was tragic. Even ten thousand ordinary soldiers, without a great general, couldn't seriously injure it, as its defenses were extremely difficult to breach. However, these were manifestations of spiritual energy combined with most of Qin Qiong's bloodlust. Their relentless attacks on the same spot gradually turned a small wound into a large one. That massive tail was nibbled away bit by bit, like chopping down a tree, almost severing it completely and depriving the monster of its most powerful attack weapon.
The monster's head was completely pierced by Qin Qiong's spear, finally suffering a fatal blow. It lay on the ground, no longer moving, letting out a dying cry. Its large eyes were still open, gazing at the world with lingering affection. Perhaps this was the first time in its life that it had quietly looked at the sky.
Handing the manual to Qin Mu, Qin Qiong exclaimed, "This is the first time I've ever seen such a huge monster. Luckily, we have the manual, otherwise we would have had to flee in such a sorry state today."
"Father, you can keep this secret manual. I don't need it anyway," Qin Mu said, shaking his head without taking it.
If he were to actually use the secret manual, even if he exhausted all his mental energy and used up all his spiritual energy, it wouldn't be much different from a secret scroll. Qin Qiong is different; he knows military strategy! Using Wei Liaozi would be most suitable for him.
"Aren't you going to learn?" Qin Qiong asked curiously.
"I won't learn it for now. I'll ask you for it later, Father," Qin Mu said, shaking his head. Right now, practicing the Seven Yin Talisman Techniques and the Righteous Qi takes up most of his time; where would he find the time to learn Wei Liaozi's military strategies? Besides, he also needs to find time to practice music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He doesn't need to be an expert in all of them, but he should at least be presentable enough to impress others.
The key lies in the eight arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Cultivating these arts not only increases one's spiritual level but also cultivates one's character, so they complement each other. As for military strategy, it's not very useful if one doesn't lead or manage troops. Therefore, he doesn't want to touch it in the short term.
Knowing that his son possessed the treasure manual and secret scrolls, which were sufficient for his needs, Qin Qiong put the manual away. He had just used it and found it quite effective. Although its power was diminished due to the lack of spiritual energy and the inability to project his mental power, it was still a formidable weapon.
"Bury them on the spot!" Qin Qiong waved his hand, looking at the eight dead soldiers. After years of fighting, he had become accustomed to the deaths and injuries of his soldiers. Although he was still saddened, it didn't affect him much. After all, they were already dead, and further grief would be futile. It was better to properly comfort their families.
"Yes, sir!" the captain said, bowing.
Although the battle was brief, several soldiers had already died, and many others were also badly injured and exhausted. After all, they were just ordinary soldiers; using the Blood Fiend Qi had fundamentally damaged them, and without a period of rest, they would be completely powerless.
The captain, along with some of the better soldiers, carried his men to the edge of the woods and began digging a pit to bury them.
"Mu'er, put the monster away! We need to get back to Chang'an as soon as possible," Qin Qiong instructed.
"Aren't we going to leave this place alone?"
"I will have someone stay behind to guard it. To solve the problem, the imperial court will have to send someone."
"Okay!" Qin Mu agreed and stepped forward to collect the monster, which had already closed its eyes. It was just a pity that the monster seemed to have lost almost all of its blood.
"I wonder if it has any beast cores," Qin Mu thought to himself. Such a huge monster, whether it's its flesh or bones, must be a treasure.
"Hehe! Little brat, hand over the monster's corpse, and I'll spare your life!" A nasty laugh rang out, and three figures rushed in from the other side of the woods.
Three figures stopped not far away. The leader was an old woman with a missing front tooth, leaning on a cane. She looked very ugly. Behind her were two burly men with upright hair.
"Porcupine General! You must be the priest! How dare you appear before me, Qin Qiong?" Qin Qiong glanced at them and said coldly. These three had threatened Qin Mu the moment they arrived; in his mind, they were already dead.
"Hehe! Good insight! Duke Qin Qiong of Yi, Qin Shubao! What a prestigious name. Normally, I would naturally avoid you, but now that you have just fought a monster, how much strength do you have left?" The old woman chuckled strangely, her toothless mouth making her look like a witch.
"You can give it a try!" Qin Qiong said proudly.
Qin Mu, ever observant, handed over another long spear, and the other soldiers perked up and gathered around.
Seeing Qin Mu conjure up a long halberd out of thin air, and considering the enormous monster he had just retrieved, it was obvious that he possessed a treasure—a treasure with an extremely large spatial dimension. The old witch looked at Qin Mu with undisguised greed in her eyes.
"You all retreat!" Qin Qiong raised his hand to stop the soldiers from closing in.
"Hehe! Uncle Qin, you don't need to pretend to be calm. I already knew that you had health problems and your strength was starting to decline. Just obediently let your son hand over the treasure, and I'll let you and your son go." The old witch let out a nasty laugh and stared at Qin Qiong.
"Mu'er, step back!" Qin Qiong's face turned extremely ugly as he gripped his long spear and said in a deep voice once again.
Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he obediently retreated. Led by the captain, the soldiers quickly surrounded Qin Mu, weapons in hand, guarding the front.
The old witch, thinking Qin Qiong was trying to fight back, gave a cold laugh, slammed her cane on the ground, and said, "You really won't give up until you've reached the Yellow River!" Then, pointing her cane at Qin Qiong, she ordered, "Kill him!"
At her command, two honey badger men, each carrying a knife, charged menacingly toward Qin Qiong.
The beastman's silver general was roughly equivalent in strength to a human's entry-level general, except that beastmen were naturally stronger, giving them a slight edge. Against a renowned general like Qin Qiong, they were no match. But who were the porcupines? They were relatives of the honey badger, so how could they be afraid? Therefore, the two charged forward without hesitation.
Although the old witch was very confident, Qin Qiong had exhausted much of his strength after the great battle. However, out of caution, she waved her cane, and two streams of black energy landed on the two porcupine generals.
"Roar!" The two running silver generals suddenly roared, their bodies swelled up, and their blood and qi surged into the sky, making them stronger and faster.
This is the nature of the beastmen. The strength of a beastman with a priest is completely incomparable to that of a beastman without one. However, Qin Qiong wasn't worried. Although he had indeed expended a great deal of his vital energy and killing intent earlier, after observing the battle for so long, he had already recovered considerably. Moreover, his body had now returned to its peak, and had even increased in strength, contrary to what the old witch had said about a decline in power.
Of course! Using the secret manual just now did consume a lot of energy, and it won't be easy to completely defeat two silver generals with priest buffs in the short term. When he threatened Qin Mu earlier, he secretly decided that none of these three guys would escape.
Qin Qiong simply enveloped his long spear with bloodthirsty energy and engaged in battle with the two silver-clad generals. The three of them clashed with each other, their weapons flashing and their fighting fierce.
Seeing that Qin Qiong, despite not having much blood and qi, was handling two opponents with ease, the old witch secretly admired herself and did not act rashly, but waited until Qin Qiong was fighting the monster.
She had been following Qin Qiong, coveting the inheritance Qin Mu possessed. She had originally planned to wait until Qin Mu was alone before making her move, but the appearance of the monster presented a golden opportunity. Moreover, she believed there was a secret realm here, and wanted to kill Qin Qiong and the others to silence them and prevent the news from leaking, since this was human territory. If word got out, they would be out of the picture.
This was a golden opportunity they couldn't let slip, so they appeared immediately upon seeing that the monster was truly dead. After all, Qin Qiong had just experienced a great battle. As a priestess, she knew very well that for someone like Qin Qiong, whose body had suffered damage and whose strength had declined, recovery after a major battle was even more difficult. This was the reason she was so confident.
As for Qin Mu and the ordinary soldiers, she didn't care at all. However, it seemed that even though Qin Qiong's strength had declined, his experience was still rich, and the two silver-ranked generals were helpless against him. If this continued, they might be the ones to fail when their vital energy and fighting spirit were exhausted.
Seeing the three of them fighting for over a hundred rounds without a clear winner, and Qin Qiong still steadily parrying, the old witch rolled her eyes, raised her cane, and unleashed a black aura at Qin Mu. She wanted to disrupt Qin Qiong's mind and distract him.
"Kill!" Upon seeing the black smoke, the captain, who was on guard, roared angrily, gathered the blood and killing intent of his soldiers, swung his sword, and charged forward.
With a loud "bang," the black mist and crimson blade light dissipated into the air. However, the soldiers were not in good shape. That last bit of blood and murderous aura was their last remnant, and for a moment, everyone was pale and swaying precariously.
"I see no ancients before me, nor any successors after me! Contemplating the vastness of heaven and earth, I am overwhelmed with sorrow and tears stream down my face!" Qin Mu picked up his brush, his righteous spirit stirring within him, and wrote the Song of Ascending the Youzhou Terrace in mid-air. Then, his righteous spirit flashed, and the Golden Terrace appeared, protecting everyone behind it.
A three-meter-high platform suddenly rose from nowhere, improving Qin Mu's visibility. The fluttering banners startled the old witch. She had heard the news from the Khitan and followed them here. She only knew that Qin Mu was Qin Qiong's son, but she didn't expect him to be a Confucian scholar, especially since this was the power of divinely bestowed poetry.
Fortunately, she was only slightly surprised and then didn't take it to heart. Qin Mu was no match for her in strength, so she could deal with Qin Qiong first and then deal with him. Her only regret was that she hadn't distracted Qin Qiong.
Qin Qiong knew his son's strength; a mere spiritual energy attack wouldn't harm him. Qin Qiong wasn't distracted, but she was, which gave Qin Qiong the opportunity. He hadn't killed her earlier because he feared the old witch would save the two silver generals.
Qin Qiong was extremely experienced in combat. He had been waiting for the old witch's movements. Taking advantage of the old witch's shifting gaze, he suddenly unleashed his blood and qi, and in a flash, he threw his long halberd again.
The Qin family's ultimate technique, "Killer Move!", though lacking their most favored mace, still wielded a long spear. He had used it against the monster earlier, though then he hadn't gone all out. This time, however, he was determined to kill, thus this spear strike was imbued with most of his vital energy and killing intent.
When the old witch turned around, the two silver generals had already had their throats pierced by long spears, and like kebabs, their weapons fell to the ground. They clutched their throats, wanting to pull out their weapons, but didn't know what to do.
The old witch was dumbfounded, but Qin Qiong was not. Without pausing, he leaped up and flashed twice, arriving in front of her. His fist, glowing with a rich, blood-red light, struck out.
Having been a priestess for so long, the old witch never imagined that someone would get close to her. In her haste, she only released a wisp of black energy to attack Qin Qiong, trying to force him back.
However, this black aura had no effect on Qin Qiong at all. He shattered it with a single punch and continued forward without pausing.
The old witch instinctively held her cane horizontally in front of her.
With a snap, the cane broke, and Qin Qiong's fist continued its relentless assault on the old witch's chest.
The old witch's frail body fell two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) like a sack, her chest caved in, and blood kept gushing out from under her animal skin clothes.
Qin Qiong hated her for daring to threaten his son, and this attack was delivered with all his might. Seeing the old witch lying on the ground, her old arms and legs trembling, he knew she was beyond saving, and only then did he withdraw his murderous gaze. He then swayed, almost falling. However, remembering that not only his men were present, but also his son, the rather prideful Qin Qiong managed to steady himself.
"Tsk tsk! That's too cruel!" Qin Mu exclaimed with a smile after seeing Qin Qiong win.
The scene just now wasn't exactly pleasant; a burly man rushed up to a frail old woman, bent over, and threw a punch at her. Of course! That was just a casual remark; actually, he was very happy that Qin Qiong had won.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com