Whoever I Kill Today, It's All the Same

Within his Dantian, the fragment trembled slightly, pointing in a certain direction.

Yu Tunzhou looked up, and the light shone over the courtyard wall of the mansion, falling towards the end of the jade steps.

There, in the deepest part where dark clouds and thunder intertwine, a majestic silhouette can be vaguely seen standing on the horizon—the highest point of the entire palace.

The fragments are echoing that direction.

Is this the fragment of the Investiture of the Gods of the Gods that An Ruyu sought?

"What exactly is this thing used for?" Yu Tunzhou didn't miss the opportunity and continued to press for answers.

"The Investiture of the Gods is a powerful artifact of the Heavenly Court, governing the positions of gods and establishing the order of Yin and Yang. It was almost one of the most powerful artifacts in the past."

"In the past, when the Heavenly Court was shattered, the Investiture of the Gods was also broken and scattered. Although the Investiture of the Gods of the Gods in the hands of the Human Emperor is a replica, it is said to be based on the core of the old list. Not to mention collecting the whole thing, even just possessing a part of it would allow one to regain control of a portion of the power of heaven and earth and mobilize the power of a region."

"Mobilize the power of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers?" Yu Tunzhou's pupils constricted slightly.

"Good."

An Ruyu's tone turned solemn, "Those who possess fragments of the Investiture of the Gods the Gods can act on behalf of Heaven within a certain scope," using the power of Heaven and Earth to suppress their enemies. Years ago, Lu Huaiqing possessed a relatively complete fragment of the Investiture of the Gods, External Scenery Realm, and was able to contend with Dharma Aspect expert with it—almost equivalent to half a peerless divine weapon!"

"Does Master Lu also possess fragments of the Investiture of the Gods?" Yu Tunzhou murmured.

An Ruyu kept a close eye on Yu Tunzhou's expression, thus confirming that Yu Tunzhou was truly unaware of the situation.

It seems that Lu Huaiqing did not hand over the fragments of the Investiture of the Gods to Yu Tunzhou.

It's not surprising, though. Yu Tunzhou's level of skill is too low. Once others discover this, he will be accused of being innocent but guilty of possessing a treasure.

Presumably, the remains are still in the Northern Dark Continent.

Yu Tunzhou, no longer paying attention to the Investiture of the Gods, asked, "Do you know where that Daoist School is? And how can we stop the overseas remnants from opening it?"

"The gate is presumably located at the highest point, which is the hunting grounds and was set up by the Human Emperor. There is no need for it to be hidden."

An Ruyu said softly, "As for how to stop it, naturally it's to kill all these remnants of the clan."

"Theoretically speaking, this Daoist School shouldn't be able to be opened by us juniors, but since they dared to come here, they must have come prepared. Therefore, guarding the gate and killing them all is the best option."

"They got in before us!" Yu Tunzhou said in a deep voice.

"Young Hero Yu, have you forgotten? This is the Human Emperor's palace. For a group of overseas remnants, reaching the highest point won't be so easy," An Ruyu chuckled softly. "That Human Emperor isn't exactly friendly even to certain alien races that have submitted to or become close to Human Race."

The Yu Tunzhou— it was obvious.

The Human Emperor was originally a proponent of Human Race supremacy.

No problem.

Come to think of it, he remembered a saying that the Human Emperor was seeking a way for all races to coexist, which seemed to contradict this idea?

After receiving some information from An Ruyu, Yu Tunzhou said, "Everyone, we need to speed up. The overseas remnants are already one step ahead of us; we absolutely cannot let them take the lead."

The Luo Household followed the lead of Yu Tunzhou, while the Yun Household hesitated, as the strange events they had witnessed earlier made them extra cautious.

But in the end, Yun Shouhe agreed.

The two families quickened their pace, climbing the jade steps.

The palace was much larger than they had imagined. On both sides of the long white jade steps, palaces and halls stood side by side. Because the fragments in the Dantian did not react, Yu Tunzhou naturally did not stop.

As they passed a certain point, Yu Tunzhou paused, his brow furrowing slightly.

A faint smell of blood wafted from a mansion on the right, its vermilion gate half-closed.

"Big brother?" Luo Nanwen noticed his unusual behavior and asked in a low voice.

"There's a smell of blood." Yu Tunzhou's gaze fell on the mansion. "You wait here, I'll check the situation."

According to An Ruyu, this place is the Human Emperor's hunting and resting palace, and normally it would not have too many dangerous restrictions.

Upon hearing this, Yun Shouhe's expression tightened, and he raised his hand to signal the Yun Household members to be on guard. The atmosphere in the group suddenly became heavy, and many people subconsciously gripped their weapons.

Out of caution, Yu Tunzhou approached the gate but did not enter. Instead, he used his Primordial Spirit to investigate and found several corpses lying haphazardly about twenty meters behind the gate.

Yu Tunzhou's face darkened.

It could no longer be called a corpse, but rather several mangled, bloody remains, contorted in shape, as if dismembered by some extremely cruel means.

Most shockingly, the skin of these corpses had vanished, revealing dark red muscle fibers and stark white bones beneath.

The chest and abdomen were neatly cut open, and the internal organs were empty, leaving only an empty cavity.

The blood had just congealed, proving that he hadn't been dead for long.

Yu Tunzhou truthfully recounted what his Primordial Spirit had discovered, without embellishment, simply stating the facts.

However, sometimes, the simpler the description, the more chilling it can be.

"Skin peeled off—and internal organs gone too?" Luo Nanwen's face turned deathly pale, and he instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife. "This—"

"What kind of tactic is this?"

"Could it be an evil god from the Nine Netherworlds?" Yun Shouhe said in a deep voice, "The elders of various families have previously suspected that this grotto-heaven might be related to the Nine Netherworlds and the Yellow Springs!"

Yu Tunzhou then looked at An Ruyu.

An Ruyu lived up to expectations. "After the High Antiquity, Human Dao reigned supreme, especially in the Central Plains, the center of the world. Foreign races, unless recognized by that Human Emperor, were not even qualified to set foot on this land. With the disappearance of the Human Emperor, this suppression gradually diminished, but it still exists."

"Later, the alien races invented many methods, the most cruel of which was the Skin-Flaying Technique of the Demon Race, peeling off the skin of Human Race and wearing it on their own bodies to deceive the heavens with human vitality. If I'm not mistaken, these people encountered a powerful Demon Race among the alien races."

Upon hearing An Ruyu's description, Yu Tunzhou felt a chill run down his spine.

In places unseen by them, ethnic conflicts never cease, and the brutality of these struggles is chilling to behold.

Seeing that everyone was already associating this with ghosts and gods, Yu Tunzhou had no choice but to reveal An Ruyu's explanation: this woman was currently concealing her identity and did not want to attract attention.

Upon hearing the origin of the Skin-Flaying Evil Technique, the crowd's expressions turned grim, their initial fear transforming into anger.

"Such evil magic exists?" Yun Shouhe's face turned ashen. "These beasts—"

In their view, Human Dao still reigns supreme in the world today, and these overseas descendants deserve to be torn to pieces for their actions!

"This evil art is almost flawless, without any loopholes, and even has secret techniques to mimic sounds," Yu Tunzhou said in a deep voice. 66

Therefore, everyone must be careful later.

"Brother Nanwu, where did you learn of this secret technique?"

"I've been to the battlefield of the Northern Dark Continent," Yu Tunzhou casually explained, and Luo Nanwu had indeed been to the Northern Dark Continent battlefield to hone his boxing skills.

Yun Zhonghe's eyes immediately showed admiration.

Yu Tunzhou said in a deep voice, "The overseas remnants have come prepared. We cannot let them succeed. Everyone, let's advance at full speed."

Everyone bowed deeply.

The initial fear and worry were replaced by anger.

The group moved forward at full speed, and with the Form Refinement Greater Accomplishment strength of their legs, they finally reached the summit after a quarter of an hour.

The majestic palace stood there, with dark clouds seemingly overhead. The flickering lightning within them made everyone instinctively hold their breath, sensing the destructive aura emanating from it.

"Enter the hall." Yu Tunzhou looked into the hall and could already sense that people were fighting inside.

The group followed him into the hall, where they saw a magnificent main hall that stretched for hundreds of feet, resembling a martial arts arena, where several groups of people were engaged in a fierce battle.

The leader of one of the groups was Xie Lintian, dressed in Wuchen white robes, his sword tip emitting a blue Sword-Ray, his swordsmanship light and graceful.

His opponent was a burly man with thick eyebrows, dressed in black. Each of his strikes was swift and fierce. His moves were not particularly refined, but rather crude and unadorned. However, they were decisive and efficient, and if a strike missed, all was well; if it did, it would result in serious injury.

Even Xie Lintian dared not take the blow head-on, his body fluttering and turning like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

"Chu Mu of the Gold-Wielding Guard," Yun Shouhe said in a low voice, "This man was twentieth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking and Tiger Ranking two years ago, and now, two years later, his strength has improved considerably, actually managing to push Xie Lintian to this extent."

Yu Tunzhou's gaze followed the swords and sabers, and he admired them in his heart. These two were indeed masters, with exquisite swordsmanship and saber skills.

Chu Mu's attack appeared rough and simple, but it was the ultimate principle of simplicity. Every strike he made targeted the weak points in Xie Lintian's sword technique, yet Xie Lintian easily neutralized them all.

When Xie Lintian occasionally struck Chu Mu's longsword with his sword, it would cause Chu Mu's longsword to suddenly sink, and his sword would use the force to suddenly point at Chu Mu's throat. Chu Mu narrowly dodged each time.

Yu Tunzhou understood that there was still a gap in strength between the two, with Xie Lintian's swordsmanship being a notch above Chu Mu's.

After Yu Tunzhou and his group stepped into the palace gate, the parties involved in the fight noticed that there was a tendency for them to temporarily stop fighting.

"Luo Nanwu?" Xie Lintian spoke first, his voice icy. "The Luo Household also wants a share of the pie? I advise you to leave now. There are many palaces in this cave, enough for your Luo Household to explore. If you don't heed my advice, don't blame me for being merciless with my sword."

Chu Mu frowned, looking at "Luo Nanwu" with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Before entering, the commander instructed him to pay attention to Luo Household Luo Nanwu's actions and to provide assistance if necessary.

Hearing Xie Lintian's words, Chu Mu spoke up, "Xie Lintian, this place isn't your Xie Household's private territory. Friends of the Luo Household, if you don't mind, you can come with us, and the spoils will be divided fairly afterwards!"

Xie Lintian said calmly, "Chu Mu, you should be aware of the difference in our strength. Don't force me to kill you."

"Try it," Chu Mu sneered, showing no sign of weakness.

Behind Yu Tunzhou, Luo Nanwen was quite indignant, feeling that Xie Lintian was truly looking down on people!

Ever since his elder brother defeated Tuoba Yu with a single punch, in his eyes, his elder brother was definitely capable of Xie Lintian!

Yu Tunzhou's gaze slowly swept across the entire venue, landing on each and every one of them.

He walked slowly into the hall, and a subtle, unassuming Primordial Spirit power quietly spread from his body, sweeping over the few Aristocratic Clan scions closest to him like a spring breeze.

The martial artist, sensing something amiss, changed his expression, took several steps back, and angrily shouted, "Luo Nanwu, what do you mean?!"

Yu Tunzhou ignored them and slowly walked towards the group, saying, "When we came up here just now, we saw several mangled corpses deep inside a mansion. Their internal organs were missing, and even their skin had been peeled off. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Demon Race's Skin-Flaying Evil Technique."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned.

Chu Mu frowned, his face grim, and said, "Are you talking about the Demon Race's ' Flay Skin and Replace the Face '? Are you sure?"

The next moment, his gaze swept across the entire area like that of a hawk, his eyes filled with vigilance and chilling killing intent.

Having Gold-Wielding Guard, he had dealt with similar incidents before and knew what such evil magic represented.

Xie Lintian frowned and asked, "What is that?"

"When Demon Race infiltrate the Central Plains, they are suppressed by Human Dao. By using this technique to skin others and wear their skin, they can conceal their human nature and suffer less suppression," Chu Mu explained simply.

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled and looked around warily.

Does this mean that one of them was "switched"?

Yu Tunzhou slowly walked towards the group, his abundant Primordial Spirit power sweeping over them like flowing water. He said, "Everyone, please recall who left the group to explore the mansion along the way. Now, stay away from them and keep your distance."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

But before they could react further, Yu Tunzhou took a sudden step forward, and a thunderous sound seemed to explode in the hall.

The next moment, he appeared in front of a man and threw a simple punch that was as heavy as a mountain.

The latter's expression changed drastically, a mixture of panic and bewilderment in his eyes: "You—"

The next moment, he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the wall of the hall, spitting out a mouthful of blood, which also contained fragments of shattered internal organs.

He lay on the ground, taking a long time to recover, before roaring angrily, "I am a disciple of the Qingluo Zhang Household, Luo Nanwu, are you a mad dog?!"

The people in the hall paled, but due to Yu Tunzhou and Chu Mu's earlier words, they did not intervene immediately, wanting to assess the situation first.

Suddenly, a woman stepped forward from the crowd, exclaiming in shock and anger, "Luo Nanwu, are you deliberately making excuses to deal with us? Zhang Yunwen didn't leave us just now!"

Yu Tunzhou looked over, then nodded and said, "The second one."

The second one? Does it mean this woman is the second Demon Race who has taken human skin?

Everyone was momentarily filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Xie Lintian frowned and said coldly, "Luo Nanwu, do you not need evidence to injure someone?"

"I am the evidence," Yu Tunzhou said calmly, his gaze returning to the man lying on the ground coughing up blood. He smiled and said, "Like to act? Then keep acting."

The Yu Tunzhou, gathering its strength, as if about to deliver another punch.

Xie Lintian's expression was indifferent, his long sword pointing diagonally, about to strike, but he suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on "Luo Nanwu".

Yu Tunzhou delivered his second punch, a simple and direct strike aimed at the man lying on the ground.

The moment the fist is thrown, all sounds seem to fall silent, followed by a thunderous roar and a surge of Fist Intent like a tidal wave!

The punch was aimed directly at the man's head, clearly intended to kill him on the spot!

The next moment, the man's face suddenly darkened, and to everyone's surprise, he flipped over and got up, avoiding the attack. He even had the strength to fight back, showing no signs of the serious injury and blood loss he had just suffered.

"Kid, you asked for this!"

The man's tone was chilling. He not only dodged Yu Tunzhou's punch, but his punch even drew an arc, and his entire arm swelled to twice its size at that moment. A terrifying burst of Gang Qi surged out, pointing directly at Yu Tunzhou's temple!

Yu Tunzhou remained calm, exhaled, and threw another punch, meeting his opponent's attack squarely.

The cold, sinister smile on the man's face vanished instantly, replaced by a kaleidoscope of expressions that were impossible to discern—surprise, fear, or worry.

His arms were making cracking sounds and were twisted beyond recognition.

Yu Tunzhou didn't stop. He threw another punch, which landed on the man's nose. Instead of bouncing off, the punch pressed down on the man's face, slamming him into the wall behind him.

Immediately afterward, Yu Tunzhou's punches grew faster and heavier with each blow. Under the slightly dazed gazes of the crowd, the human skin on the man's body was revealed, exposing another face behind him that was already a bloody mess and unrecognizable.

"Bang"

With a single punch, the man's head exploded on the spot, blood and brain matter gushing out and half-splattering on the wall.

The scene was horrifying, and many people broke out in a cold sweat from the bloody and violent imagery.

Yu Tunzhou's voice finally rang out in the hall.

"I, Luo, have been fortunate enough to stumble upon this Pure Land, Primordial Spirit has greatly improved. In this hall, there are only a handful of people whose auras I can sense as profound and troublesome. How can you, a bunch of nameless fellows whose names I don't even know, stand shoulder to shoulder with them?"

"If you like acting, then act until you die."

Remembering the wreckage he had seen on the road, Yu Tunzhou showed no mercy.

Those Non-Self kind will surely have different hearts; this is no empty saying.

The next moment, a blade of light slashed down, aimed directly at the head of the woman who had spoken earlier!

Yu Tunzhou then set his sights on the third person in the crowd, his momentum rising once more. In the blink of an eye, he surged forward like a raging sea, arriving in front of another woman and delivering a powerful punch to her chest with the force of wind and thunder!

Even though the latter was on guard, he was still taken aback; the opponent's Fist Intent was far too "heavy"!

She took light steps and retreated, but Yu Tunzhou caught up with her in strides. As soon as he got going, his momentum was like the raging torrents of the Coming Dragon River, which stretched for thousands of miles and swept across the land. Every move he made was extremely fierce.

The woman's face showed shock and anger, and her aura suddenly became lofty and elusive. The surrounding Gang Qi surged, majestic and noble, and the power of the law was overwhelming, suppressing the small world around her.

She gritted her teeth and roared, "If it weren't for the suppression of this world, do you think you could kill Brother Luo? Die!"

A palm descended from the sky, its surface dark and devoid of light. Countless vortexes appeared out of thin air, resembling chaos, generating immense suction. Not only Yu Tunzhou, but several other martial artists nearby were also drawn in by this suction, completely unable to control themselves!

The next moment, a pale golden fist imprint appeared on the fist's edge. Yu Tunzhou's momentum was still at its peak. This punch, carrying the magnificent power of a thousand troops charging into battle and the power to pacify the north and stabilize the borders, directly slammed into the dark vortex!

This punch, using killing to stop killing, using war to stop fighting, a single punch to secure victory!

Where the fist imprint landed, the vortex that seemed capable of devouring everything was instantly shattered into pieces!

Xie Lintian, who had been holding his sword at a distance without drawing it, suddenly changed his expression. It was actually the Luo Household's [One Fist to Secure the Frontier]!?

He's not even a beginner yet, but he's already mastered this External Scenery move to this level. Luo Nanwu is really hiding his true abilities!

Just then, a fourth figure appeared in the crowd, also using an External Scenery technique. He launched a surprise attack at the most opportune moment. The laws seemed to freeze everything in front of him, making Yu Tunzhou feel like a mosquito trapped in amber. His body gradually stiffened, and even his thoughts became sluggish.

Xie Lintian's eyes flickered, but in the end he did not offer any assistance.

On the other side, although Chu Mu had suppressed the second woman, he was powerless to help her.

"Upbraid!"

A Thunderclap roar exploded in fury!

Outside the palace, a similar thunderous sound seemed to echo, as if responding from afar!

This Thunderclap wasn't meant to attack an enemy; rather, it forcefully shattered the Divergent Method within itself, instantly restoring clarity.

Immediately afterwards, the area around the Yu Tunzhou's body was Taiji Domain!

The attacker, with a single finger thrust into the center, found himself trapped in a quagmire. In the end, despite his best efforts, he only managed to strike Yu Tunzhou in the back of the chest.

Yu Tunzhou withstood the attack from the External Scenery, which was now only at one-tenth of its power. Zi Guang continued to stare at the beautiful face of the woman in front of him, his killing intent undiminished.

How could a woman like that, whose skin was ripped off and used as a mask, possibly survive?!

The woman's expression changed drastically. She hadn't expected that Yu Tunzhou possessed more than one External Scenery move. Only when the fist was right in front of her did she wake up as if from a dream and try to dodge it by moving around.

She could dodge one punch, but she couldn't dodge the second. With nowhere to hide, she had no choice but to cross her arms and brace herself, using all her strength to block Yu Tunzhou's punch.

She never imagined that the person in front of her, who was merely Form Refinement, could possess such a heavy, mountain-like Fist Intent, so heavy that it was despair-inducing!

As he turned, the woman's protective Gang Qi was shattered, and Yu Tunzhou's fist slammed into her chest. With a cracking sound, the woman's chest caved in, and she was on the verge of death.

She coughed up blood, her gaze towards Yu Tunzhou filled with venom. "Just you wait, those high-ranking officials will never—let you go! I'll be down there—waiting for you!"

Yu Tunzhou suddenly kicked the woman's head, shattering it, and said calmly, "Speak to me with a different face."

Meanwhile, Chu Mu also unleashed an External Scenery technique, slashing the second woman with his sword.

The fourth figure was a man. After realizing something was wrong, he turned and ran, but instead of fleeing outside the hall, he went straight into the depths of the hall.

Xie Lintian frowned, his sword flashed, and he blocked the man's path. With a single strike, he unleashed the full power of the laws of magic, severely injuring him. He coldly shouted, "Speak! What exactly do you want to do here?"

The fourth man had a strange expression on his face and chuckled in a low voice, "You don't know? You humans don't know? This place is one of the tombs of the ancient human emperors, and hidden deep within it is naturally the central hub of this grotto-heaven, containing countless treasures!"

The next moment, his eyes turned pitch black, and his body suddenly expanded and exploded, turning into a rain of blood that splattered everywhere. Xie Lintian easily dodged it and was not touched.

The unfortunate martial artists nearby who were infected felt as if they had been exposed to sulfuric acid; their bodies were instantly corroded by the blood droplets, causing them to scream and wail in agony.

Xie Lintian's gaze was icy. It was actually this suicidal Flesh and Blood Divine Ability. It seemed that the opponent was nothing more than a pawn in the remnant clan's plan.

Portal----

He looked up into the depths of the palace, where the light gradually grew hotter. This grotto was actually one of the tombs of the Human Emperor?!

No wonder the remnants of the ancient tribes were willing to pay any price to enter this place!

This person was probably not lying. As far as he knew, the tomb of the Human Emperor found in Northern Chen had a similar layout, with the central area as the core, containing a large number of "burial objects".

Xie Lintian turned around and said, "Xie Household disciples, follow me deeper!"

However, Yu Tunzhou's figure blocked the way between the group and the path leading deeper into the area.

"This gate must not be opened." Yu Tunzhou's tone left no room for argument. "It may imprison powerful figures from High Antiquity race. If it is opened, the consequences will be unpredictable."

Regardless of whether An Ruyu lied to him or not, not opening the door was the best solution.

Xie Lintian's expression was icy cold as he said, "Get out of my way! Or do you think that just because you've mastered the External Scenery techniques, you can challenge me?"

Yu Tunzhou suddenly laughed and said, "Killing anyone is the same today. Whoever wants to open the door, I will kill them. You, Xie Lintian, are no exception."

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