I Can Strengthen Infinitely

Chapter 410 - 269: The Iron Box’s Transformation (Bonus 1/8)

Hiss hiss hiss!

Suddenly, a swirl of black energy floated out from the giant beast’s body. Qin Yuesheng had thought it would disperse into the air, but unexpectedly, the black energy seemed to sense the smell of blood like a hungry wolf, drifting straight toward Qin Yuesheng.

Qin Yuesheng found this bizarre, and immediately tried to sweep it away with his Inner Strength, but it had no effect at all.

The black energy twisted and turned, and all of it burrowed directly into Qin Yuesheng’s Celestial Demon waist pouch.

"Hmm?" He hurried to open the pouch, and saw that all the black energy was being absorbed into an object inside.

The iron box—the very one he’d taken from the White Lotus Saint Envoy earlier.

Ever since Qin Yuesheng got this iron box, he’d examined it no less than a hundred times, but in the end hadn’t gained a single insight. Even trying to deconstruct it with his skills, he’d never managed to hit that vanishingly small success rate.

This iron box required the Unbinding Secret Skill to activate. Once activated, out came the violently sinister Ghost King. What power that entity wielded, Qin Yuesheng honestly still did not know.

After all the black energy seeped into the box, the entire iron box immediately emitted a faint glow, as if reacting to something.

But the light came and went just as quickly. After a while, the iron box returned to its usual state.

Qin Yuesheng still couldn’t figure it out, so he shifted his attention back to the Time Holy Wheel, and crushed one of the last three Yellow Pearls beneath his hand.

Above the East Sea.

Qin Yuesheng snapped back to himself, instantly unleashed "Within Reach, Worlds Apart", and raced toward the Twelve Linked Rings, sprinting over the ocean. While skimming the sea’s surface, seven white circles emerged behind Qin Yuesheng’s back, crazily absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi above the East Sea to replenish himself, supporting the cost of Within Reach, Worlds Apart.

...

Liu Ruoye gripped a thick rope, staring at Sanhuang, Du Xiaoqing, and the others. The moment she saw Sanhuang, the desire to get him out of here as quickly as possible was already stirring in her heart.

"That bastard—how dare he sneak away just as I was hunting down my enemy. This time I’ll peel your skin, soak you in the salt pool for three days, and finally rid my heart of its hatred." Liu Ruoye muttered internally.

She instantly flung the rope out, intending to drive back Du Xiaoqing and the others. But Du Xiaoqing simply used a pair of iron styluses to slice the rope, then, together with two others, charged forward with their weapons.

Liu Ruoye hadn’t really meant to kill, but seeing these people dare obstruct her from catching Sanhuang, she grew extremely agitated, and immediately struck out with the Centipede Thousand-Handed Claw, intent on killing Du Xiaoqing and the others right then and there.

But at that moment, a flash of icy light suddenly streaked across the sky, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of life-threatening danger flooding Liu Ruoye’s mind, scaring her into abandoning the attack and dodging aside.

Whoosh!

A flying knife was embedded where Liu Ruoye had just stood; the blade was buried, with only a red ribbon left trailing on the ground.

"That flying knife technique... could it be Wei Yunguan?" Liu Ruoye’s guard shot up as she anxiously scanned her surroundings, thinking to herself.

Wei Yunguan was a renowned master on the world’s rankings, specializing in flying knives, Flying Locust Stones, and needles—all kinds of hidden weapons. His techniques were strange and unpredictable, almost impossible to defend against.

But Liu Ruoye knew well that, though her own actions were extreme and she had many enemies, Wei Yunguan had absolutely no feud with her, not even for a coin. Why would he appear here?

In that instant, a figure descended from the sky, landing right before everyone: it was Qin Yuesheng, who’d raced here using Within Reach, Worlds Apart.

"Young Master Qin?"

"Master!"

Du Xiaoqing and Sanhuang rejoiced immediately. They’d seen Qin Yuesheng’s power many times; his presence was always as reassuring as a Sea-Calming Divine Needle, putting everyone’s hearts at ease.

"So she’s the one who destroyed the Twelve Linked Rings?" Qin Yuesheng wondered, sizing up Liu Ruoye.

"Young Master Qin, this is Sanhuang’s mother. But for some reason, as soon as she arrived, she verbally abused Sanhuang and started attacking us." Du Xiaoqing reported truthfully.

Gazing at the two remaining Yellow Pearls on the Time Holy Wheel, Qin Yuesheng couldn’t help feeling a pang—he then said to Liu Ruoye, "I was the one who saved Sanhuang, and I’ve accepted him as my disciple, teaching him sword technique. He’s perfectly fine here, so you don’t need to take him away."

Qin Yuesheng knew from Sanhuang’s own words how terribly this mother had treated him. He saw no reason for Sanhuang to go back with such a woman.

Actually, Liu Ruoye was already wary of Qin Yuesheng because of that flying knife. She dared not act rashly against someone so strong.

But Sanhuang seemed to be standing right on her rage trigger. Upon hearing Qin Yuesheng refuse to let her take Sanhuang, and even teaching him sword technique, she exploded. Without a word, she lunged—with both claws—straight at Qin Yuesheng.

Her Centipede Thousand-Handed Claw was formidable: dozens of claw shadows all conjured from Inner Strength. If even a master got caught by one, they’d be in dire trouble.

Qin Yuesheng immediately countered, using Thousand-Handed Buddha Transformation. The Thousand-Handed Buddha Dharma Aspect sent out palm strikes at lightning speed, colliding back and forth with the Centipede Thousand-Handed Claw, thunderous booms echoing.

But in terms of quality, top-tier martial arts were leagues beyond mere Divine Skills. Barely a hundred exchanged strikes, and Liu Ruoye took a direct hit to the chest, instantly defeated.

Seeing Liu Ruoye’s techniques, Du Xiaoqing understood at once that Sanhuang’s mother must be the notorious Poisonous-Tongued Lady, Liu Ruoye—he couldn’t help being deeply shocked inside.

Qin Yuesheng was now at the Seventh Layer of the Internal Power Realm, his Inner Strength ever deeper. Liu Ruoye, taking that palm strike, felt her blood and Qi surge violently, her organs shifting—she spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.

"You’re from Damo Temple?! Did Ci Yun, that faithless man, send you to help that bastard?! How did he know that bastard was here! Bastard’s not allowed to learn sword! Without my permission, he’s never allowed to learn sword!"

Liu Ruoye suddenly became manic, coughing up several more mouthfuls of blood.

Qin Yuesheng thought her words made no sense—apparently, she’d mistaken him for a Buddhist monk upon seeing the Thousand-Handed Buddha Transformation.

But who was Ci Yun, and how was he related to Sanhuang? Why couldn’t Sanhuang learn sword technique? There seemed to be buried secrets here.

But now was not the time for Qin Yuesheng to ponder. Liu Ruoye grew ever wilder, knowing her martial arts weren’t a match for Qin Yuesheng, and suddenly started cackling with twisted laughter.

"Ci Yun, you faithless bastard! All those years you neglected me for that slut, and even became a monk so I’d spare her—that slut! But you never saw it coming,

even after you became a monk, I killed her! But you two damned dog pairs, I truly never expected she’d already borne your child!

I will take your child, torment and abuse him every day, make him suffer all his life—to atone for you both! Ci Yun, you owe me this! You owe me!

I was the one betrothed to you since childhood! But you left me for that tramp who showed up out of nowhere! What does she count for!

She used a sword, you use a sword, and your child will never, ever learn sword! Not ever! Because I forbid it!"

BANG!!!

Liu Ruoye’s whole body suddenly swelled, and in an instant, she began a transformation no human should ever undergo.

Gray scales erupted all over her face.

A pair of babyish little hands tore out from under her chin, slid up her face, and covered her eyes.

"Ghost Race?!" Qin Yuesheng couldn’t help blurting out in shock.

At this moment, the aura pouring from Liu Ruoye’s body was uncannily like those Ghost Race beings Qin Yuesheng had fought in Cyan Yang City long ago.

"Ugh!"

Liu Ruoye opened her mouth and vomited forcefully. It was as if some invisible force was yanking her mouth wide apart—her lips tearing all the way up to her earlobes, distending her mouth several times over—a ghastly smile.

A woman’s head, as big as two fists, suddenly poked out from deep inside Liu Ruoye’s throat. It looked disturbingly as if another human head had grown out of her face.

Sanhuang, Du Xiaoqing, and the rest had never seen anything like this—the sight left them frozen in fear, not daring even to blink.

Swish!

The woman’s-head mouth snapped, instantly launching a jet of ghostly green venomous spike at Qin Yuesheng. He was confident in his hard Yin Fiend Double-Bladed Fork, and drew it to block head-on.

But just in a blink, the poison spike exploded, scattering like a rain of deadly pear blossoms across the whole area.

Swish swish swish!

Qin Yuesheng reacted instantly, spinning and wielding the Yin Fiend Double-Bladed Fork like a windmill in front of him, smashing all the venomous spikes away with ferocious speed.

In an instant, Liu Ruoye closed in, swiping a claw directly at Qin Yuesheng’s chest.

Qin Yuesheng was unflustered, wrapping his fist in Profound Celestial True Flame, and punched straight into Liu Ruoye’s claw.

But to his surprise, Liu Ruoye’s woman’s head vomited again—this time not a venomous spike, but a transparent eyeball.

The eye struck Qin Yuesheng’s shoulder, and suddenly black, viscous mud spread across his body, enveloping him with dizzying speed.

In Du Xiaoqing and the others’ sight, within three breaths Qin Yuesheng transformed into a massive, lower-body-less black beast.

"Kill yourself." the woman’s head said gleefully.

The beast instantly gripped its own throat, squeezing until bones creaked—trying to strangle itself.

But just then, the beast abruptly began dissolving, transforming into black energy that rushed into the iron box Qin Yuesheng carried.

"How is this possible?!" the woman’s head shrieked.

Her answer was a gleaming iron fork.

Slash!!!

The Double-Bladed Fork was razor-sharp, and in a flash, pierced straight through Liu Ruoye’s skull. With a swift twist, Qin Yuesheng yanked out both her soul and the fork together.

Deprived of her soul, Liu Ruoye collapsed to the ground. Before Qin Yuesheng could step forward to try breaking her down, her body abruptly disintegrated, all of it surging as black energy into the iron box.

Hummm!

The iron box burst with the most intense transformation Qin Yuesheng had ever seen: deep purple-yellow patterns lit up across its surface. The goblin figures engraved on the box all looked vivid and lifelike, writhing in motion. The box shook violently in Qin Yuesheng’s hands.

At the same time, the super assistant device buzzed with activity.

[Yes/No—Fuse "Ancient Demon Divinity’s Fragmented Soul" with "Yin Fiend Double-Bladed Fork"?]