Chapter 58: The Sinful Embryo River

Upon reaching the riverbank, an elderly woman emerged from a black-roofed boat. Her voice, as melodious as the one from the face in the sky, rang out.

Such a youthful voice from such an aged face—it’s as incongruous as a discordant note in a symphony.

“You won’t cross this Exterminating River without my black-roofed boat,” the woman declared.

“Madam Kong, how dare you poach my passengers?” the face in the sky roared, its tone shrill with anger.

Moments later, wave after wave of black tide surged forth from the distance—these were vicious ghosts exuding dark energy. Unlike the grotesques one might expect, these were not ugly at all; rather, each spirit possessed a bewitchingly beautiful face and a figure with alluring curves.

Yet, when such lovely faces smiled, their mouths would wrench open unnaturally wide, as if they could swallow a person whole in a single gulp.

Countless spirits, connected by their shared aura of dark energy, moved with terrifying speed through the black mist.

Qin Shu, of course, wouldn’t trust Madam Kong so easily. Wielding the Profound Origin Banner, he attempted to stir the waters of the Exterminating River.

The river instantly responded, its surface roiling at the command of the Profound Origin Banner.

Noticing this, Madam Kong’s expression shifted abruptly. “What have you done?” she demanded harshly. In an instant, the top of her scalp split open, revealing a skinless, bloodied body that writhed from within.

Qin Shu had a feeling that these vicious ghosts feared the water of the Niptide River. With a decisive wave of his hand, the Profound Origin Banner unfurled, and streams of Niptide River water rose into the air, transforming into a water dragon that surged towards the approaching Kong Chanpo.

“No!” Kong Chanpo never anticipated that Qin Shu could control the waters of the Niptide River so effectively. As the deluge struck her head-on, her belly swiftly expanded.

“I’ll devour you!” she snarled.

Before her words could fully form, a ghost child tumbled from beneath her, landing on the ground and wailing loudly. This was only the beginning. With each birth, Kong Chanpo’s body inflated anew, while one ghost infant after another materialized. Her aura rapidly waned, until, by the time she reached Qin Shu, it matched that of the newly born ghosts—barely third rank.

The Profound Origin Flag in Qin Shu’s left hand flared to life, unleashing fire dragons that incinerated Kong Chanpo and her host of ghost children in an instant.

Perfunctory glances at the bamboo boats… he didn’t dare touch them.

Under the protection of the Profound Origin Flag, Qin Shu took flight, soaring across the ten-kilometer expanse of the Niptide River.

By then, the army of vicious ghosts had surged to the riverbank, but as they stared at Qin Shu on the opposite shore, all they could do was gaze helplessly.

Qin Shu, however, gazed upon the river, his mind churning with thoughts. The waters of the Nü Tai River, he knew, were the bane of the ferocious ghosts on the opposite bank. What if these waters could also subdue other monsters in this world? If so, he might have a chance to manipulate the situation.

Would it work or not? He wouldn’t know unless he tried, right? In any case, he could now teleport back to the God Soul Continent at will. Even if he failed here, he could always retreat.

That beautiful yet menacing ghost he’d encountered earlier was undoubtedly a fourth rank, albeit somewhat weak for its class. Still, a fourth rank was a fourth rank, ensuring him at least a measure of safety.

Kong Shipu had been even more formidable—her attack alone suggested a fifth rank. What a pity that the river’s waters had so thoroughly nullified her power.

One by one, fierce ghosts stood at the river’s edge, their screams piercing the air. The waves of sound crashed against the water, yet they could do naught but fall back, defeated by the ten-kilometer-wide river. The Nü Tai River stood as an insurmountable barrier, its waters impervious to the sonic assaults born from the depths of their souls.

Qin Shu turned and departed, his eyes peeled for any trace of other Abyssal monsters. In the distance, a mountain range stretched out. Its peaks were steep and treacherous, yet it paled in comparison to the mighty Cu Yue Mountain Range.

It was akin to the difference between rolling hills and Mount Tai.

The mountainside was barren of trees, nothing but stone stretching as far as the eye could see. The rock surfaces were damp, oozing droplets of murky, colorful fluids.

Huge venomous insects clung to the rocks, their mandibles writhing as they slurped up the tainted liquid.

Sensing a foreign presence, the creatures scattered in an instant, rushing towards Qin Shu. As they moved, trails of toxic mist rose in their wake.

At this point, Qin Shu had only reached the outskirts of the mountain, not yet having entered its interior.

The first to charge was a venomous creature resembling a centipede, but with massive pincers. Unmindful of the distance, it opened its enormous maw and hurled a geyser of multicolored toxic mist at Qin Shu.

Retreat!

The noxious fumes were highly potent; Qin Shu didn’t hesitate to withdraw.

As he got a clear look at his attacker, he inwardly sighed in relief. At least it has a corporeal form.

With a flash of jade-green light, there came a short “clang” as the Qingping Sword Pill pierced through the armor, making a dozen rapid holes through the creature’s head.

Sword qi swirled within its body, reducing the scorpion-centipede’s flesh to a pulp, though its outer carapace remained largely intact.

In truth, protected as he was by the five directional flags, Qin Shu wasn’t afraid of the venom. It was the sheer revulsion that bothered him.

The scorpion-centipede was just the beginning. Before long, an increasing number of venomous creatures were surging out from the craggy mountain, each bearing some characteristic of a scorpion’s anatomy.

Some had pincers, others possessed tails, and there were even some that boasted both.

Creatures like the three-tailed iron mantis, the scorpion-tailed toxic king bee, and the four-legged scorpion-clawed spider emerged.

True scorpions were plentiful as well, forming a minor swarm as a pall of toxic mist wafted ever closer.

“Go!”

Qin Shu waved the Cyan Lotus Flag, unleashing gusts of wind that dispersed the toxic haze while simultaneously slicing through the weaker insects with razor-sharp tornadoes.

In a single wave, the insect horde was reduced by ninety-nine percent, leaving only the elite ranks.

Yet they stood little chance against the Qingping Sword Pill, which pierced through their defenses, reducing them to empty husks that dissolved on the spot.

Qin Shu couldn’t help but notice the vast disparity in combat strength between the banks of the Filthy Embryo River.

The Apricot Yellow Flag materialized in his hand, replacing the Cyan Lotus Flag. With another wave, massive boulders rose from the ground, transforming into meteorites that crashed into the mountainside. His strategy: draw the snake out of its den.

The treacherous terrain convinced Qin Shu that venturing inside would be unwise.

These rumbling assaults naturally caught the attention of the powerful Abyssal monsters within. The mountain began to quake as a colossal scorpion emerged, its body indistinguishable from the distant mountain peak itself.

It rose upright, revealing a humanoid upper body atop a scorpion’s lower half. Eight scythe-like claws extended from its back, and two slender antennae adorned its head. It let out a piercing cry to the heavens, its aura radiating immense power.

“Fifth-rank, just like that old boatwoman,” Qin Shu muttered.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and headed back towards the Filthy Embryo River.

The Giant Centipede monster leaped from a distant mountaintop, its screeching mandibles bared. Countless sprinting scorpion legs, swift as a gale, propelled it after Qin Shu.

This mountain stood mere seventy kilometers from the Sterility River. At Qin Shu’s pace, it was a matter of moments to reach the riverbank.

He and the Giant Centipede marvel arrived simultaneously, one after the other.

Swinging the Profound Origin Banner, Qin Shu stirred the river waters into a frenzy, transforming them into a hundred-meter-long water dragon that roared towards the giant scorpion.

Seeing the water dragon born of the Sterility River, the Giant Centipede slammed on its metaphysical brakes. As a male, it dared not risk contact with this cursed water.

Its three pairs of screeching mandibles furrowed deep trenches in the earth as it screeched to a halt, then turned to flee at full speed.

It worked!

Qin Shu’s heart swelled with triumph. His plan was on the verge of success. Unconcerned about the Giant Centipede’s escape, he turned his attention to the opposite bank of the river.

A black-roofed boat was making its way towards him. Inside its cabin, several fourth-order vicious ghosts strained to row the boat across.

Qin Shu chuckled to himself, then waved his hand to stir the river waters into turmoil. The black-roofed boat pitched violently, throwing its passengers out of balance.

The vicious ghosts tumbled from the boat like ordinary humans unable to steady themselves. They splashed into the river, creating a din of screams.

One by one, the drowned vicious ghosts transformed into tiny, writhing imps—only to dissolve after a few desperate flails in the water.

As their souls scattered, the disintegrated remnants of the vicious ghosts sank to the riverbed, never to return.