Chapter 488: Soul Refiner
Mu Qing and Jiang Nanqiu hung suspended in mid-air, locked in their struggle.
A grotesque grin spread across Jiang Nanqiu’s face, which was enveloped in black energy, as the black gemstone on his chest blazed with brilliant light.
Fueled by the gemstone, his power surged relentlessly.
His fist gradually advanced, giving Jiang Nanqiu the upper hand in the raw contest of strength.
Faced with Jiang Nanqiu’s relentless pressure, Mu Qing’s composure began to waver.
The scarlet light in her eyes swirled, and a faint phantom of a ferocious beast materialized above her head, roaring at the twisted creature shrouded in darkness.
As the beast manifested, Mu Qing’s emotions spiraled out of control.
“Roar!”
With a guttural growl, a crimson streak flashed through the jade-colored flowing light around Mu Qing’s body, and her power erupted exponentially.
Before Jiang Nanqiu’s disbelieving eyes, Mu Qing’s fist suddenly surged forward.
Boom!
A scarlet light blazed like a dazzling sun, radiating in all directions.
The terrifying force surged forward, slamming into Jiang Nanqiu’s body. His pitch-black form instantly shattered under the overwhelming power, dissolving into a crimson blood mist that filled the sky.
The destructive energy continued its relentless advance, pulverizing skyscrapers into dust and carving a deep trench thousands of meters long.
The aftershock of this single strike shook the Earth for an extended period before finally subsiding.
“What kind of monster is she?!”
As Feng Qi marveled at Mu Qing’s terrifying combat prowess, the black shadow hovering beside him couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment.
“Don’t even think about running. I’m watching you!”
“I don’t have time for you. Their battle isn’t over yet!” the black shadow retorted.
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately turned his gaze back to Mu Qing.
Jiang Nanqiu had been reduced to a swirling blood mist, with only five gems floating in the air.
Suddenly, the green gem began to glow.
Drawn by a mysterious force, the scattered blood and flesh instantly coalesced, reforming into a single mass.
Jiang Nanqiu’s figure reappeared.
Seeing this, Feng Qi became even more certain that Jiang Nanqiu possessed a miracle item.
To be reduced to blood mist and then resurrect on the spot was beyond the capabilities of a normal person, and far surpassed the limits of modern cultivation studies.
“Again!”
Jiang Nanqiu, his flesh and blood coalescing anew, vanished from his position and lunged at Mu Qing with a fist.
Facing the ferocious assault, Mu Qing remained unmoved.
Having completely lost control, she instantly tracked Jiang Nanqiu’s movements. Her fist, radiating scarlet light, suddenly struck sideways.
Boom!
Terrifying force erupted in the direction Mu Qing’s fist had struck.
Once again, Jiang Nanqiu’s body shattered, scattering into a crimson mist across the sky.
Yet in less than a second, his form reassembled, the blue gem on his chest glowing faintly.
The blackness on his skin receded, replaced by a shimmering blue fluid that enveloped his body.
His figure vanished instantly, moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
Before Mu Qing could react, Jiang Nanqiu’s fist struck her left cheek.
Caught off guard, Mu Qing was driven into the ground by the blow.
As she leaped back to the surface, Jiang Nanqiu reappeared on her right side, delivering another punch to her face.
The moment Mu Qing was sent flying sideways, Jiang Nanqiu vanished again.
Faced with Jiang Nanqiu’s seemingly impossible speed, Mu Qing was battered back and forth, unable to track his movements.
Feng Qi watched with a furrowed brow.
Jiang Nanqiu’s performance revealed that, beyond the Heaven-Reaching Road, powerful individuals were lurking within human society.
Jiang Nanqiu was one of them.
Yet Feng Qi remained confident in Mu Qing.
Despite appearing passive under Jiang Nanqiu’s relentless assault, Mu Qing remained unscathed.
This alone proved that Jiang Nanqiu couldn’t truly harm her.
The battle continued.
The red gem on Jiang Nanqiu’s chest glowed, and his body instantly became coated in crimson, transforming him into a grotesque monster with eight arms.
With eight arms crossed before his chest, Jiang Nanqiu’s body split in two, then four, and in the blink of an eye, seven identical copies of himself materialized.
Surrounding Mu Qing, the eight figures simultaneously extended their hands forward.
Instantly, a phantom crimson furnace appeared out of thin air, enveloping Mu Qing.
The eight twisted crimson figures each occupied a cardinal direction, channeling power into the illusory furnace. Terrifying crimson energy surged within, attempting to refine Mu Qing’s flesh and blood.
Faced with this refining force, Mu Qing abruptly threw a punch.
Crack!
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, a deafening shattering sound reverberated through the air.
A fissure appeared on the crimson phantom furnace, and the eight figures surrounding it flickered erratically.
At that moment, the final golden gem on Jiang Nanqiu’s body lit up.
The flickering crimson figures instantly stabilized, returning to normal, and even the crack on the furnace vanished without a trace.
After a brief adjustment, the eight crimson figures resumed channeling energy into the furnace.
Witnessing this, Feng Qi felt a surge of concern for Mu Qing.
With this thought, he turned to the black shadow hovering beside him.
“Who do you think will win?”
“It’s unclear, but I’m certain that what’s embedded in Jiang Nanqiu’s body is a miracle item.”
“The blue gem grants speed, the black one strength, the green one the ability to instantly regenerate, and the red one innate talent for art magic. As for the final gold gem… it likely provides instant energy replenishment. Just now, Jiang Nanqiu was clearly struggling to sustain the blood-colored cauldron’s refining process, but after the gold gem lit up, his internal energy instantly surged back to peak levels.”
As the black shadow answered, countless symbols flickered in its pupils, as if analyzing the battle.
“Are these five separate miracle items, or one complete miracle item?” Feng Qi pressed.
“It’s likely a single item, but even fragmented components can be used independently. After all, many miracle items exist in incomplete states. The fact that Jiang Nanqiu managed to assemble a complete miracle item explains why he became the Historical God of War.” A greedy expression flashed across the black shadow’s face as it spoke.
“How does it compare to the Black Reaper in your possession?”
“Of course, it’s…?” The black shadow trailed off abruptly.
Turning to Feng Qi, who stood beside it, ears perked and face full of anticipation, the shadow’s fleeting anger vanished as it shifted its gaze back to Mu Qing and Jiang Nanqiu.
Feng Qi’s expression turned regretful at failing to glean any information, and he too turned his attention to the battlefield.
The crimson, illusory furnace trapping Mu Qing was steadily deepening in color.
Whenever Jiang Nanqiu’s energy reserves dwindled, the golden gem on his chest would glow, instantly replenishing his power and allowing him to maintain the energy flow into the furnace.
In a battle of this magnitude, Feng Qi found it nearly impossible to intervene.
Meanwhile, as the crimson energy refined her, the indistinct beast hovering above Mu Qing’s head gradually became clearer.
A terrifying power was awakening within Mu Qing’s body. The scarlet energy surging from her shook the crimson furnace violently, threatening to shatter it at any moment.
The two forces now hung in a precarious stalemate…
(End of the Chapter)