Ye Qiu and Master Longbrow jumped in fright, quickly retreating a few steps, both staring intently at the coffin.
Their eyes didn’t blink.
The bloody hand, though somewhat ghastly and terrifying, revealed, upon closer inspection, skin beneath the blood that was unusually translucent, like a woman’s hand.
But soon, long red corpse hair suddenly sprouted on the back of the hand.
“It’s transforming, it’s transforming!”
Master Longbrow shouted, hurling a flame talisman to burn the hand.
Most malevolent creatures feared fire.
However, the moment the flame talisman touched the hand, it turned to ash.
“This…”
Master Longbrow was stunned, and without hesitation, he wielded his Demon-Refining Sword, slashing at the hand.
“Clang!”
The sword struck not a hand but something as unyielding as extraterrestrial meteoric iron. A tremendous force rebounded, sending Master Longbrow flying.
“Bang!”
His back crashed against the cave wall, then he collapsed to the ground, feeling as if his body had fallen apart.
“Damn it, that hurt like hell.”
Master Longbrow yelled, “Little brat, I’m gravely injured, my organs are shattered. Quick, give me a leaf from the Golden Sacred Tree.”
Ye Qiu glanced back at Master Longbrow, seeing the old man’s face flushed with colour, not a trace of blood at his lips, clearly not seriously injured.
“At a time like this, you’re still trying to scam me? Have you no shame?” Ye Qiu snapped irritably.
“Little brat, do you know what I rely on to roam the world?” Master Longbrow pointed at his own face, saying, “I rely on being shameless.”
Utterly shameless!
Ye Qiu snorted coldly, eyes fixed on the hand, refraining from acting rashly.
“Buzz!”
At that moment, the corpse-suppressing talismans on the coffin lit up again, emitting a dense glow.
“Clang!”
A loud crash echoed.
The talismans instantly dimmed, their light vanishing completely, clearly unable to suppress whatever was inside.
“Crash!”
Suddenly, the coffin lid flew off, a thick stench of blood assaulted their senses, filling the entire cave.
Master Longbrow scrambled to his feet, peered into the coffin, and saw it filled with blood.
The blood churned incessantly, bubbling like boiling water, an utterly eerie scene.
The hand, now covered in red hair, fully emerged from the coffin, slowly floating into the air.
Master Longbrow’s pupils shrank. “It’s a severed arm!”
He had assumed a complete corpse lay within, never imagining it was just a severed arm.
The arm was over two metres long, covered in dense red hair, dripping with blood, both eerie and terrifying.
One could imagine its owner must have been a giant.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, the arm unleashed a terrifying murderous aura. Instantly, Master Longbrow spat blood, his body sent flying.
Ye Qiu, still standing in place, felt his head about to explode, the killing intent unimaginably strong.
This was just a severed arm!
In this critical moment, Ye Qiu summoned the Xuanyuan Sword, swiftly slashing at the arm.
“Clang!”
Ye Qiu held nothing back, wielding the Xuanyuan Sword and executing the Grass Script Sword Technique.
A shocking scene unfolded.
The Xuanyuan Sword struck the arm, but the arm was unscathed, instead sparking a shower of embers.
“So tough?”
Ye Qiu, stunned, continued his assault, unleashing all three forms of the Grass Script Sword Technique in one breath.
Sparks flew, the sound of clashing metal rang out, yet the arm remained unharmed.
“Little brat, let me help you.”
Master Longbrow, gripping his Demon-Refining Sword, swiftly stabbed at the arm.
“Crack!”
The arm trembled slightly, releasing boundless killing intent. Master Longbrow was sent flying, knocked unconscious on the spot.
Immediately after, the arm extended its palm, rapidly reaching for Ye Qiu’s head.
The murderous intent was overwhelming.
Ye Qiu was about to summon the Qiankun Cauldron when he suddenly found his entire body restrained, unable to move.
“Damn it, if I die at the hands of a severed arm, that’s just too unjust.”
Just as Ye Qiu thought this, the arm halted above his head.
Then, a domineering male voice echoed in his mind. “Who are you?”
“Why is the Xuanyuan Sword in your hands? Where is its spirit?”
“And where did you learn the Grass Script Sword Technique?”
Ye Qiu’s eyes darted. “Who’s speaking to me?”
“No need to look, it’s me speaking.”
The voice resounded in Ye Qiu’s mind again, and instinctively, he looked at the arm.
The arm twitched slightly, as if confirming, yes, it’s me.
Ye Qiu was shocked. How could a severed arm speak?
It defied all reason.
“Who are you?” Ye Qiu asked.
“A mere ant like you isn’t worthy of knowing my name. Tell me, why is the Xuanyuan Sword in your hands? Where is its spirit? Where did you get the Grass Script Sword Technique?”
Ye Qiu grew irritated, thinking, it’s just a severed arm, what’s with the arrogance?
“I understand.” The voice continued. “So, you’ve inherited half of humanity’s destiny. No wonder the Xuanyuan Sword acknowledges you as its master.”
“But without its spirit, the Xuanyuan Sword is just scrap metal.”
“Even with half of humanity’s destiny, you’re still an ant. How dare you disturb my slumber? You cannot be spared.”
As the voice fell, the arm, like a mountain, smashed towards Ye Qiu. Before it fully descended, his skin cracked, golden blood seeping out.
In that life-or-death moment, a Qiankun Cauldron appeared of its own accord, hovering above Ye Qiu’s head, casting down rays of light.
“Swish!”
The arm, as if encountering something terrifying, swiftly retreated into the coffin, crying out in fear, “How is the Qiankun Cauldron in your hands? Impossible! Impossible!”
Ye Qiu gained confidence, sneering, “I don’t just have one Qiankun Cauldron, I have several. Want to taste being suppressed by one?”
Boom!
Two more Qiankun Cauldrons flew out, hovering above the coffin, poised to suppress it.
“Stop! Stop!”
The voice cried, “I am immortal, the Qiankun Cauldron cannot kill me.”
“If the Qiankun Cauldron can’t kill you, why are you afraid?” Ye Qiu laughed.
After a pause, the voice spoke again. “If you agree to one condition, I will stay by your side and protect your path.”
Ye Qiu was stunned. He recalled Fairy Hundred Flowers mentioning that in the cultivation world, some geniuses had supreme experts guarding them before they fully matured, to prevent them from being killed prematurely.
The cultivation world was fraught with danger. Having a supreme expert guard him would be a boon.
But this was just a severed arm.
Ye Qiu hesitated, then asked, “What condition?”
“Help me find my scattered body and head.” The arm said, “Once my body is whole, I can slay saints!”
