Meat Shield Duan De

"Hey, no, what the hell is this?" Duan De was completely bewildered. He had only just escaped that Female Demon, and before long, he had run into someone who seemed even more monstrous.

He knew that stone head lying on the meteorite. That was a Saint Spirit, and one of its eyes contained a piece of jade-like Immortal Tear Green Gold.

Being able to tie with a Saint Spirit at the same realm was already monstrous enough, yet that man had slain the Saint Spirit, crushed its head beneath his foot, and there was even a Saint King corpse beside him.

In the starry sky, atop a gray meteorite, Xu Changqing stood naked, holding a blood-dripping Bone Saber. Beneath his right foot, a stone head bled profusely.

He crouched slightly and thrust a finger into the eye glowing green, then dug out the Immortal Tear Green Gold from within the eyeball.

Xu Changqing had naturally noticed Duan De as well, but he did not pay him much attention.

Duan De's eyes glowed green as he watched, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth, but he did not dare step forward.

He could only watch enviously from afar.

Soon, he noticed a faint blood-colored radiance rising from the Saint Spirit's corpse. It eventually formed a crimson divine halo behind Xu Changqing's head.

That was the Saint Spirit's Curse.

"Saint Spirits are born of heaven and earth and possess Great Fortune. They cannot be killed. Once one is killed, one will be rejected by heaven and earth and even suffer a Curse. That Curse cannot be concealed. Every Saint Spirit takes an incomparably long time to gestate, so after he killed one, those Curses will follow him until another Saint Spirit kills him."

Duan De thought this white-haired man was truly fierce. He even dared kill a Saint Spirit, and in the starry sky at that.

If Xu Changqing knew what Duan De was thinking, he would surely laugh at him. Saint Spirits could not be killed?

To him, however many Saint Spirits came, that was how many he would kill.

He was not afraid in the slightest.

After tidying up, Xu Changqing glanced at the fat Daoist and did not pay him much attention before leaving directly.

"Fellow Daoist, wait, wait! I have something to ask you." Seeing Xu Changqing about to leave, Duan De hurriedly ran forward, wanting to ask where this place was.

After all, he had no idea where he was.

Xu Changqing stopped and turned around. He discovered that despite the vast distance between them, the fat man had arrived before him in only a few flashes. He was incredibly fast—perhaps even Xu Changqing could not catch up to him.

That was a little absurd. Was he really slower than a fat man?

"I am Duan De. May I ask, Fellow Daoist, where exactly is this place?" Duan De wore a gentle smile. His face was rosy and plump, and he looked only a little over twenty.

He wore a Daoist robe stretched tight over his belly, with a Wine Pot hanging at his waist.

Xu Changqing was briefly stunned. Narrowing his eyes, he examined Duan De and confirmed that this was one of the three scoundrels from his memories. It seemed he had only just awakened.

He recalled the information about Duan De in his mind. There had been one description in his Fourth Life: Duan De had appeared during the era of the Ruthless Great Emperor, though it had not been entirely certain.

However, it had been clearly stated that two hundred thousand years ago, he had indeed been in his Fourth Life.

"This is the Emperor's Road, the Human Race's Imperial Pass, close to the Fiftieth Pass," Xu Changqing said blandly. He looked Duan De over and found him somewhat disheveled. His rosy complexion was slightly pale, and he bore several injuries.

Moreover, Duan De's wounds emitted a familiar Aura.

"The Emperor's Road has opened again. No wonder..." Duan De suddenly understood. No wonder he had encountered two monstrously powerful Heavenly Prides in the starry sky. The Emperor's Road had opened, meaning an emperor would emerge in this generation.

But there was no need to think about it. The imperial throne would surely belong to Duan De again.

"Fellow Daoist, since we are already close to the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, shall we travel together?" Duan De suggested.

If he teamed up with this white-haired man, then should anything happen, the white-haired man could block it while he slipped away. Perfect.

Xu Changqing pondered briefly. His gaze swept over Duan De's palm, where he found no Reincarnation Seal. That should have been because Duan De's cultivation had not reached the required level yet.

Still, he wanted to study the mysteries of the Reincarnation Seals. Perhaps they would help his Reincarnation Saber Technique.

That woman might already possess a Secret Technique capable of resisting his saber technique. Even if she could not fully resist it, she would not be trapped within it and influenced by those visions any longer. She would be able to break free quickly.

"Fine."

In the end, Xu Changqing allowed Duan De to travel with him to the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass. By his estimate, the closer they got, the more dangers they would encounter. Having a meat shield then would not be bad.

Elsewhere, after the Woman in White recovered from her injuries, she set out as well. Her destination was also the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass.

Naturally, she did not forget to absorb Duan De's essence blood and Great Dao source, though she found it very strange.

Duan De's essence blood carried an incomparably ancient Aura, and that source was extraordinarily peculiar—far more powerful than those of special physiques.

Moreover, within those one or two pieces of flesh were ancient formation patterns.

After absorbing Duan De's flesh and Great Dao source, an inexplicable gleam appeared in her eyes. If she absorbed all of Duan De, her cultivation and path might rise tremendously.

Unfortunately, Duan De possessed unimaginable methods. There was something inside his source.

Just one trace of Aura had severely injured her, despite her being at the peak of the Saint realm. That Aura was like that of a Great Emperor.

That shattered the Woman in White's plans, leaving her feeling somewhat regretful.

Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, a year had gone by. Though they were close to the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, the distance was still immense, and that was not even counting the countless battles, large and small.

The starry sky glittered. Colorful rivers of stars formed paths cutting through the darkness, and at the end of one such path stood an incomparably majestic giant city. Ancient and vast Aura emanated from within it.

This was a colossal city built in the starry sky, surrounded by countless star domains and specks of starlight. The star rivers seemed to become strings of colored lanterns hanging from its enormous gates.

Meteorites fell, yet every one of them veered past the giant city, as though they feared something.

The city walls were black, marked by saber and sword scars. All kinds of ancient Sword Intent and Saber Intent lingered in the air. Star rivers flowed across the heavens, while dozens of suns revolved in turn.

The city was simply too large. Even a single brick was several hundred meters tall and wide, entirely black and filled with an oppressive presence.

Even from far away, one could sense an air of solemnity and suffocation.

"We've finally arrived." Duan De let out a long breath and smiled in relief at the city ahead.

Only heaven knew what he had endured this past year.

This white-haired man seemed abandoned by the heavens. Wherever he went, misfortune followed, and enemies were everywhere.

The red divine halo behind his head was also conspicuous, leading many Saints to pursue him.

Through Soul-Seeking, Duan De learned that this white-haired man came from the Burial Emperor Star. He was an exceptionally cruel Heavenly Demon who had slaughtered who knew how many living beings. He was infamous on the Emperor's Road and despised by all.

Duan De himself did not know the white-haired man's name, because he rarely spoke. But when Xu Changqing searched the souls of those who had besieged him, they called the white-haired man the Heartless Heavenly Demon.

It meant he had no humanity, was addicted to killing, and often took pleasure in slaughter. In the great domain known as the Eternal Star Domain, where two Great Emperors had once emerged and which had once been a supreme age, Wuqing had obtained Emperor Daoyan's possessions.

Yet he had used Emperor Daoyan's possessions to sink the Eternal Star Domain, killing hundreds of millions of living beings. Major clans had been wiped out, and the Younger Generation had nearly been severed.

And amid the many battles in the starry sky, all sorts of demonic methods had been used. With things like the Soul-Seeking Banner, he had slaughtered the hundreds of millions of living beings of the Human Race's Thirty-Seventh Pass and refined them into a single pill.

After learning this, Duan De had spent the entire time in terror. Although this man looked handsome and cold, he did not possess the same demonic nature as the Woman in White.

The Woman in White was stranger, while the white-haired man was simply devoid of humanity and immensely powerful.

Boom!

Suddenly, a streak of dark crimson light appeared in the starry sky. Within the cold, dark universe, a dark crimson beam shot directly out from beside the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass.

It aimed straight for Xu Changqing's brow. The dark crimson ray emitted an extremely powerful Aura, faintly surpassing that of a Saint King. It had definitely not been unleashed by a Saint.

Xu Changqing's expression changed drastically. Goosebumps covered his body as a faint sense of death enveloped his heart, making every hair stand on end.

He felt a stabbing pain between his brows. This was an attack aimed at his Nascent Soul, and he could not take it head-on. He would not die if he did, but the Sacred Artifact protecting his Nascent Soul would be destroyed.

Without hesitation, he used his movement technique and Divine Movement Technique. In just an instant, he appeared beside Duan De two meters away.

He pulled the distracted Duan De in front of himself.

Before Duan De could react, the red light struck directly between his brows.

"Aaaah!!!"

The next moment, a pig-like scream echoed through the starry sky. That terrifying red light targeted the Nascent Soul, intending to kill Xu Changqing in a single blow.

Boom!

After striking Duan De, merely the aftershock from the dark crimson ray made Xu Changqing's head feel as though it would split apart. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes flew wide open, and then the energy shockwave blasted him away.

Damn it, that was not a Saint King's attack at all. It was a Great Sage's.

The aftershock alone made Xu Changqing feel the Aura of Death. He had no idea who had launched the attack. Was it a Forbidden Item, or had a real Great Sage come to surround and kill him?

"Damn it!"

The next instant, Duan De erupted in fury. He was enraged that someone had ambushed him, and even more enraged that Xu Changqing had used him as a shield. Fortunately, his Nascent Soul was formidable, or he truly would have died.

Damn it, that had clearly been a Great Sage's strike from a Forbidden Item.

It had also been a one-hit kill attack, vicious beyond compare. Less than two seconds had passed from the appearance of the red beam until now.

"If I'd known he was a Heavenly Demon, I wouldn't have stood so close to him! My Great Sage Nascent Soul-protecting artifact!"

Duan De wanted to cry but had no tears. Though he was unharmed, a black shield within his sea of consciousness had already shattered into pieces.

Seeing Xu Changqing fly away and crash directly into a star, Duan De revealed a faintly satisfied smile. But his gaze turned solemn as he stared into the depths of the starry sky, where a figure slowly emerged.

"Hm? You were unharmed by a Great Sage's strike?" The figure spoke in an aged voice, sounding deeply puzzled.

Even Duan De was confused. He knew his Nascent Soul was powerful, but there had to be a limit. It should not have been able to withstand a Great Sage's Nascent Soul attack.

Xu Changqing was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, as he crawled out of a meteorite crater. He had still underestimated a Great Sage's attack. Even the aftershock had nearly shattered his Nascent Soul.

Yet Duan De was completely fine.

Duan De was also known as Cao Yusheng, a peerless Heavenly Pride from the Chaotic Ancient Era and once a close friend of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor. After dying in the Dark Turmoil and becoming part of the Burial Ground, his Physical Body had been cleansed by the essence blood of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor, who had already reached the limit of the Immortal King realm.

He was also one of the ultimate practitioners of the Primordial Spirit Dao cultivation system during the Chaotic Ancient Era.

He had reincarnated endlessly, and his Physical Body remained that same Physical Body. Those Dao fruits had transformed into Reincarnation Seals. Every Reincarnation Seal held all that he had been in each life, containing a tiny figure. The achievements of every life rivaled those of an Extreme Daoist or Great Emperor.

Now, though Duan De was unharmed by the Great Sage's attack, he still ached over his Nascent Soul treasure. His Nascent Soul had been protected by a Great Sage Forbidden Item and was unharmed.

He himself did not know his true identity, nor did he know how powerful he was.

When Duan De saw the hidden figure emerge, he became furious. He had always been the one ambushing others, yet now someone had ambushed him.

If he had not been thinking about the white-haired man's information, he would not have been distracted.

Duan De's fat face turned bright red, like a powder keg on the verge of exploding.

He directly pulled a golden iron hammer from his Sea of Bitterness. The massive hammer was covered in cracks, yet it emitted an extremely terrifying Aura. Its pressure alone made the starry sky tremble.

He raised the hammer violently. The golden hammer suddenly expanded, covered in cracks, but densely packed Great Dao Laws filled every fissure.

"A Great Sage Forbidden Item." The figure sounded surprised, but he still walked forward directly, utterly unafraid.

Soon, his entire form emerged. He was a tall old man who looked kind and benevolent.

However, Xu Changqing noticed that the old man's right hand and left leg were made of stone, and his right index finger was a piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold.

This was a terrifyingly powerful Saint Spirit!

"Hehe, little fatty, you're no ordinary person. Perhaps if I kill you and use your blood to water the Great Emperor, he may emerge ahead of time."

"And you, Wuqing. Your reputation has soared recently. You slaughtered two Saints of my Saint Spirit Race. Your blood and Nascent Soul should both be devoured."

The powerful Saint Spirit examined Xu Changqing and Duan De, a satisfied smile on his face.

A terrifying Saint Spirit had appeared in their forbidden zone. It had gestated for millions of years and was about to emerge.

In this Golden Age, all kinds of special physiques had gathered. If they killed all these special physiques and allowed the Great Emperor to absorb their blood and Physical Bodies, perhaps he would attain the Dao the moment he emerged.

At that time, their Heavenly Severance Forbidden Zone would gain a true Holy Spirit Great Emperor!

Xu Changqing remembered that in the original work, the Ruthless Great Emperor had leveled a cosmic forbidden zone with a single sword strike, and it had been filled with Saint Spirits.

Perhaps it was where this old man came from.

At the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, many powerful figures sensed the disturbance in the starry sky. The expressions of the various Divine Body Heavenly Prides darkened.

A Great Sage from the Saint Spirit Race had actually appeared openly, intending to hunt them down.

Boom!

The next moment, the Saint Spirit Great Sage attacked with a smile. Duan De took a deep breath, roared, and swung his enormous golden hammer fiercely at the Saint Spirit Great Sage.

Xu Changqing no longer hesitated. He directly took out the Demonic Great Sage's Demonic Banner. His expression was incomparably calm, but madness filled his eyes as he waved the banner through the starry sky and activated the Great Sage banner with all his strength.

"Woooooo~"

The next moment, dense wailing filled the starry sky, like the cries of vicious ghosts. A sea-like mass of strange black shadows emerged, making Duan De's scalp go numb.

He had encountered countless vicious ghosts and specters while robbing tombs, but this was the first time he had seen so many.

Boom!

Seeing Xu Changqing take out a Great Sage Weapon as well, Duan De's blood boiled. Today, they would use Great Sage Weapons to contend against a Great Sage—and perhaps even kill this Great Sage.

At that moment, Duan De seemed imposing and valiant.

The enormous golden hammer smashed down. The aftershock alone made the starry sky tremble. Ghosts wailed and gods howled, heaven and earth seemed to split apart, and the pressure of a Great Sage surged without end.

Duan De's entire body cracked open, bloodstains appearing across his Physical Body. He went completely mad, wildly swinging the enormous golden hammer.

Clang!

Yet when the golden hammer came crashing down, the Saint Spirit Great Sage merely sneered. He raised his right hand and caught the strike directly. With a hard squeeze, Duan De's Great Sage Forbidden Item shattered.

Boom!

Terrifying energy shockwaves burst forth, blasting both men away.

The instant Xu Changqing was sent flying, he wrapped himself in the Demonic Banner. The terrifying aftershock ruptured his internal organs, blood spraying from his mouth as he drifted away with the shockwave.

"Go on, hit him!" Seeing Xu Changqing stabilize himself, Duan De saw his expressionless face and deep eyes and mistakenly thought Xu Changqing was preparing to fight.

But unexpectedly, Xu Changqing borrowed the aftershock of the Great Sage clash and made a graceful turn.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he ran.

Duan De was instantly dumbfounded when he saw this.

Damn it, he... he just ran???

He had taken out the Demonic Banner so aggressively that Duan De thought they were about to have a huge fight, but he had run off and left him alone!!

Was he insane? Who would have a Saint fight a Great Sage? Even with a Great Sage Weapon, the other side could crush it with one casual squeeze. What was the point of fighting?

Duan De: ...

With no other choice, since Xu Changqing had run, Duan De could not possibly rely on artifacts to fight a Great Sage alone, could he?

Run.

Duan De also brought out every method he had and fled at full speed. Yet unexpectedly, the Saint Spirit Great Sage did not pursue Xu Changqing and instead chased Duan De directly.

"Go chase him! Why are you chasing me? I didn't kill anyone from your Saint Spirit Race!" Duan De admitted that he was panicking now.

What the hell was this? He fought wherever he went, and now he was being hunted by a terrifying powerhouse.

"Your Physical Body and Nascent Soul are extraordinary, little fatty. Wuqing is merely a Mortal Body." The Saint Spirit Great Sage sneered. With a single step, he caught up to the fleeing Duan De.

Duan De's scalp tingled. In one motion, he pulled out every Sacred Artifact from his Sea of Bitterness, along with numerous Saint King weapons he had obtained from tomb raiding, and even Great Sage Forbidden Items. He activated them all and threw them behind him.

But it was still useless. The power of a Great Sage was unimaginable, especially a Great Sage of the Saint Spirit Race.

As he ran, Duan De veered away from the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, seemingly heading back the way he had come.

Soon, he saw a white figure two star domains away. Duan De's eyes lit up, and he ran straight toward it.

P.S. The exam is tomorrow.