At that, Kuafu leaped out of the pit and fixed his gaze on Qin Mu.
"Good! That was satisfying!"
"Daoist Qin Mu, you win!"
Kuafu exclaimed, conceding defeat of his own accord.
He knew full well that if they had fought to the death, he would likely have already perished.
Qin Mu was far stronger than he had imagined.
Moreover, in their battle just now, Qin Mu had merely revealed his true form. He had not used any spiritual treasures, divine abilities, or the like.
The Witch Clan loved battle and revered strength above all.
Seeing how powerful Qin Mu was, Kuafu accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
The many beings watching were all astounded.
Who could have imagined that Qin Mu could defeat the Great Witch renowned for his physical strength in a head-on fight?
"He won?"
"Daoist Qin Mu actually defeated the Great Witch Kuafu?"
"That's far too incredible!"
"What sort of Primordial Spiritual Object is his true form?"
"Truly terrifying!"
"..."
Qin Mu paid no mind to everyone's gasps of amazement. He smiled at Kuafu, then headed back to Duobao and Yu Ding.
At that moment, both Duobao and Yu Ding were utterly dumbfounded, their faces full of disbelief.
"Daoist Qin Mu, you... you're so strong it's almost absurd!"
Yu Ding exclaimed, looking at Qin Mu with astonishment.
Qin Mu smiled faintly without answering him, instead turning to Duobao.
"Daoist Duobao."
"I'm entering Buzhou Mountain this time, and I'll likely be gone for a long time."
"If you can't wait, you can make a trip to Kunlun Mountain."
Qin Mu paused briefly, then added meaningfully:
"There may be a great opportunity there that belongs to you."
Then, without waiting for Duobao to react, Qin Mu turned and walked into Buzhou Mountain.
Kuafu made no attempt to stop him.
After all, the Witch Clan's rules were clear: anyone who could defeat him was free to enter and leave Buzhou Mountain.
Watching Qin Mu's retreating figure, Duobao murmured in puzzlement:
"Kunlun Mountain?"
"A great opportunity?"
Although he was puzzled, after spending so much time with Qin Mu, Duobao knew he never spoke without reason.
If Qin Mu had told him to go to Kunlun Mountain, there had to be a reason.
After a moment's thought, determination flashed in Duobao's eyes. He decided to go to Kunlun Mountain and investigate.
Seeing that Duobao was about to leave, Yu Ding hurriedly called out to stop him.
"Wait, Daoist Duobao!"
"Hm?"
Duobao looked back at Yu Ding, his face full of confusion.
"What is it, Daoist Yu Ding?"
Yu Ding didn't answer right away, looking thoughtful.
When Qin Mu had mentioned Kunlun Mountain just now, Yu Ding had felt a faint tug deep within him, as if something were waiting for him there.
"Could there be a great opportunity waiting for me at Kunlun Mountain, too?"
The thought suddenly crossed Yu Ding's mind.
If he could become a disciple of the Three Pure Ones, it would truly be an immense blessing.
At that thought, Yu Ding came back to his senses and smiled at Duobao.
"Daoist Duobao, I'm no match for the Great Witch Kuafu. There's no point in staying here."
"Why don't I go to Kunlun Mountain with you?"
Hearing this, Duobao paused briefly, then nodded without giving it much thought.
"Good!"
Then Duobao and Yu Ding set off together without lingering.
After the two left, many of the other beings present chose to depart as well.
Having witnessed the Great Witch Kuafu's strength, they knew their own limits.
With their strength alone, they simply couldn't defeat Kuafu.
Kuafu didn't mind.
His only duty was to guard the entrance. Anyone who could defeat him, as Qin Mu had, would naturally be allowed through.
Just then, a figure arrived at the entrance to Buzhou Mountain.
He was enormous, carrying a giant axe on one shoulder and a shield in his other hand.
His aura was formidable. Each step he took seemed to shake the very earth.
He was another Great Witch of the Witch Clan—Xing Tian!
Xing Tian soon reached Kuafu and stared at him intently.
"Kuafu, I heard you were defeated?"
"Where is that person?"
At this, Kuafu gave a rueful smile and glanced toward Buzhou Mountain.
"He's already gone inside."
"Oh?"
Xing Tian exclaimed, disappointment flashing in his eyes.
When he'd heard from his clan members that the Great Witch Kuafu had been defeated, he'd hurried over at once.
He wanted to see for himself what kind of person could defeat Kuafu.
After all, in Kuafu's tribe, he was the only one stronger than Kuafu.
"Interesting."
"I'd like to meet whoever managed to defeat Kuafu."
Xing Tian narrowed his eyes, anticipation in his gaze.
Kuafu smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Boom!
Meanwhile, Qin Mu had entered the depths of Buzhou Mountain.
The moment he stepped inside, an overwhelmingly terrifying pressure descended upon him.
"What... what terrifying energy!"
Qin Mu marveled inwardly. Despite his Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation, the pressure left him so oppressed he could barely breathe.
"Phew!"
After a brief pause, Qin Mu took a deep breath.
"As expected of a mountain formed from the spine of Great God Pangu."
"Just being here subjects me to such immense pressure!"
"This place would be perfect for tempering my body!"
After thinking it over, determination flashed in Qin Mu's eyes. He decided to use the pressure within Buzhou Mountain to temper his body.
He tensed his muscles and dispersed all his magic power.
Then, relying solely on his physical strength, he began climbing Buzhou Mountain.
What shocked Qin Mu most was that without his magic power to support him,
he could barely move forward. It felt as though he were carrying a massive mountain on his back.
"Grit..."
"Keep going!"
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, his expression resolute.
Before he knew it, a thousand years had passed.
Throughout those thousand years, Qin Mu had climbed Buzhou Mountain using only his physical body.
At first, he could take only one step a day.
Every step he took increased the pressure on his body.
Later, as Qin Mu gradually adapted to the pressure, he managed ten steps in a day.
In addition, Qin Mu discovered something else.
As he tempered his body this way, it was undergoing a transformation. Every inch of his flesh seemed to contain terrifying strength.
The Nine Revolutions Profound Skill the Three Pure Ones had taught him had also reached the third revolution.
At the same time, what delighted Qin Mu even more was that
his true form, the Innate Green Lotus Sword Grass, was growing denser under the tempering pressure.
Its thirty-six Sword Leaves had grown even sharper, and more Chaos Qi Flow blossomed from the green lotus at its center.
Meanwhile,
at Kunlun Mountain,
three vast auras surged into the sky, churning the clouds across the heavens.
In the next moment, three figures emerged from seclusion.
Taishang stood with the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda above his head, his gaze as deep as an abyss. Yuanshi held the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, Daoist patterns flowing around him. Tongtian bore the Qingping Sword on his back, its Sword Qi stretching ten thousand miles.
After emerging from seclusion, the three exchanged glances. Each could see that the others had made progress during their cultivation.
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