Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 554 - 537: Palmprint

"Shall we move forward or take a break?"

Everyone looked at Zhou Leng.

"Proceed slowly; staying anywhere isn’t safe."

"Alright."

The group packed up the campsite, and Zhou Leng set out with everyone.

Zhou Leng quietly sensed his condition.

The injuries on his body had mostly healed, though the new flesh was somewhat weaker.

His Martial Arts Will had suffered a fierce attack, almost triggering the power of the Black Gold Silkworm Fruit.

It felt like teeth gnawing all day on dried meat, sore and tingling.

In the coming days, the Martial Arts Will would weaken, but in the long run, it would strengthen slightly from this challenge.

After half a day’s journey, someone shouted in alarm.

The group followed the sound and saw three pitch-black giant hands appear in the sky, each as large as a house, spanning over ten meters in diameter.

The black hands descended silently and swiftly, capturing three people from the group.

Those three didn’t even make a sound; their eyes rolled back, and black smoke billowed from their seven orifices, merging into the black hands.

The black hands lifted and rose into the sky, disappearing from sight.

A Demon Spirit Master said, "It’s the punishment of the Chaotic Trial! There’s been record of it before. According to our deductions, those who don’t cultivate or kill enough on the battlefield are slain by the Divine Spirit."

Someone recalled, "Previously, those three were sneaky and rarely took action, always hiding."

"I remember too; someone accused them, they smiled apologetically, but never changed."

"They got what they deserved..."

The group, seasoned by hardships, found the deaths of the three just a minor incident, but they were deeply shaken and began to volunteer for battles.

As they advanced, whenever encountering small enemy groups, Zhou Leng led the charge in hunting them down.

Zhou Leng deliberately refrained from attacking, letting them kill more to avoid obliteration by the Divine Spirit’s power.

On the road from the Ancient Beast Stone Wall to the Perfect Garden.

A desiccated human corpse was nailed to a T-shaped frame.

On the body of the deceased, a number was marked with dried blood.

12.

"12 already..."

Zhang Xiaoxiao, clad in a black cloak, murmured, gnashing her teeth.

She had been trailing Zhao He’s group, finding a corpse crucified at intervals along the way.

These people were either from the Huang Meng Sect, the Hell Knight Order, or various martial artists once allied with them.

"Zhao He, you deserve to die..."

In Zhang Xiaoxiao’s eyes, a fierce phantom of an Ancient Beast emerged.

She knew this was bait left by Zhao He.

But seeing the mangled bodies and twisted faces of her comrades, she couldn’t convince herself to leave.

"I’m sorry, Uncle Tong..."

In her mind, Zhang Xiaoxiao pictured Tong Tianxia and softly apologized.

To avenge her grandmother, she had sacrificed demons, leaving herself with less than five years of life.

Tong Tianxia had searched for many solutions, even journeying to the Tree-man Tribe to seek the Heart of Life, but all proved futile.

He could only allow Zhang Xiaoxiao to take her chances on the Great Battlefield, hoping to find life-extending medicinal fruits or cultivation techniques.

But seeing her comrades crucified one by one, Zhang Xiaoxiao’s gaze filled with murderous intent.

"I must kill you all, kill you all..."

In Zhao He’s camp.

A shadow slipped into Zhao He’s tent.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, the tent blasted apart.

Rao Mingxian awoke startled, got up, and stepped outside the tent, following the noise.

He saw two figures locked in combat at the site of Zhao He’s tent.

Behind Zhao He, two Headless Gods appeared, massive giant torsos suspending in the air behind him.

Behind Zhang Xiaoxiao, a green Beastman arm appeared, as if carved from jade.

The very Headless God Zhao Tong sought at People’s Square back then was this one.

The Headless God floated behind the two, continuously emitting blood-colored beams that flowed into their bodies.

Their movement speed hadn’t reached supersonic yet, but each strike sliced through the air, fists and palms and legs creating white shockwaves, gleaming under the dark clouds.

"Zhao He, you deserve death, you deserve death..."

Zhang Xiaoxiao, unaware of what she experienced on the Second Layer of the Ancient Beast Stone Wall, now exhibited black and gold tiger stripes all over her body, standing three meters tall, her muscles like stone.

Zhang Xiaoxiao’s expression was mad, while Zhao He wore a slight smile.

"The great trend is with me, like a mighty current of history, the Huang Meng Sect’s attempt to stand in my way is seeking their own doom."

"Your Zhao Family, all of you deserve to die..."

"Overestimating oneself, everyone, attack!" Zhao He, at ease, held a slight upper hand but took no risks at all.

Nearby, Demons, Demon Worship Sect members, and human martial artists converged to attack Zhang Xiaoxiao.

Zhao He retreated to a safe distance, hands behind his back, commenting like an observer, directing others in battle.

"Thinking you’ve sacrificed to the Demon God and learned some petty skills, can overthrow my three-generation Martial Clan? Ridiculous."

"You all have no idea of the foundation of the Zhao Family."

"Your companions, each more daring than the last, had their bones crushed by my hand, and yet they refused to beg for mercy or bow their heads. Such people, I’ve only seen among my grandfather’s subordinates in the past."

"But they all ended up killed by me, one by one. The bodies hanging on the T-shaped frame were all personally slain by me."

"Since childhood, I’ve enjoyed practicing my killing moves on real people—the feeling of crushing joints, the warmth of touching brain matter, the sound of blood gurgling from throats... truly exquisite."

"I will torture you, bit by bit, until you’ve tasted all of my life’s techniques. Then I’ll strip you bare, twist you like a lamb, and hang you in the People’s Square."

"Yes, right where the third child, Zhao Tong, died."

"You will be the number one corpse to attract Tong Tianxia, maybe even the only one."

Zhao He burst into laughter.

Zhang Xiaoxiao descended into madness. Only then did she realize that the Zhao Family’s target was never these people, but Tong Tianxia.

"You all must die, must die!"

Two meaty wings exploded from behind Zhang Xiaoxiao, rising into four bloodied long wings as her limbs slowly beastified like a frenzied fierce beast.

Roaring, fighting.

One martial artist or demon after another was torn apart by her, but gradually, her power waned.

The weapons or fists of the attackers landed on her, one move after another.

The wounds on her body quickly spread and widened.

Zhao He smiled, standing outside the skirmish, talking about Tong Tianxia and the Zhao Family.

"He even claimed to be my grandfather’s disciple, ridiculous..."

"Their Huang Meng Sect has, openly or in secret, killed so many of our Zhao Family..."

"My father’s great work is complete. Our Zhao Family has essentially gained a new Martial Saint. There’s nothing left to worry about..."

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoxiao’s four wings burst apart, transforming into a streak of blood-red light, fleeing into the distance.

"Chase her. Alive, you must see her, dead, you must see her corpse. Whoever brings her back will receive a White Lake Lotus Fruit and 2 billion."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes glimmered as they rushed forward, including Rao Mingxian.

Rao Mingxian tracked in Zhang Xiaoxiao’s direction, slowly distancing himself from the others.

After half a day of chasing, still no sign of her.

Rao Mingxian sighed, realizing he had little chance with the White Lake Lotus Fruit and the 2 billion.

He hesitated for a while, deciding to search for another hour, and return if he found nothing.

Entering the mountain, he searched carefully.

Suddenly, he saw traces of blood under a tree up ahead.

Rao Mingxian widened his eyes, slowed his pace, and followed the blood trail.

Soon, he stood behind a tree, looking at a cave entrance.

On the wall of the cave entrance was a bloody handprint, small and shallow, as if left by a child’s hand.

Rao Mingxian stared at the small handprint, inexplicably dazed for a long time.

He slowly walked over and stood outside the cave entrance, saying, "Zhang Xiaoxiao, I know you’re in there."

"Rao Mingxian, you’re quite pleased, aren’t you? Cough, cough..." came Zhang Xiaoxiao’s violent coughing from inside.

"I thought I’d be pleased, but seeing your handprint, for some reason, I’m not," Rao Mingxian said expressionlessly, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.

"You’re still Brother Zhou Leng’s friend, right?"

Rao Mingxian didn’t respond.

Zhang Xiaoxiao said, "You can offer my corpse to Zhao He, but first, you must do something for me. Otherwise, I’ll use my Demon Spirit Artifact to ignite myself, and you’ll get nothing."

"What is it?"

"Take my Headless God to Brother Zhou Leng."

A magic spirit bag was thrown out of the cave.

Unlike ordinary magic spirit bags, this one was covered in exceedingly complex demon patterns, with certain spatial sealing functions, unlike ordinary bags, capable of storing the Headless God.

Rao Mingxian didn’t pick it up, merely glanced at it and said, "Why give it to him?"

"If not to him, leave it for Zhao He? Would you deliver it to someone else?"

Rao Mingxian remained silent for a long time, then asked, "Why do you trust me? Didn’t you kill my family, and want to kill me too?"

"Initially, I did want to kill you and all of the Rao Family. Until I joined the Huang Meng Sect, met many people, heard many stories, and read many files, only to find out that you and I aren’t that different."

"Nonsense," Rao Mingxian clenched his fist.

Zhang Xiaoxiao lightly chuckled and said, "I’ve investigated thoroughly. Your whole family is just a vassal of the Rao Family, like cats and dogs or whatever. The Rao Family is only a vassal of the Zhao Family, also like cats and dogs or whatever. The ones who really harmed our classmates and my grandmother were not your grandfather, but your grandfather’s master’s master, the Zhao Family."

"So young and yet such nonsense," Rao Mingxian said.

Zhang Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "You know it well in your heart. You always knew your whole family were just the Zhao Family’s dogs, no different from us. But the Zhao Family is too powerful, you’re scared of them, yet you want to be another Zhao Family, blinding you to them, and you don’t dare look, so you only blame me. Blame me for cursing you, for fighting you, for hating you. Until your death, you dare not blame the Zhao Family."

Rao Mingxian opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

The shadow of a small figure approached the cave entrance, a bloodstained small hand supporting the wall.

Zhang Xiaoxiao had reverted to her little girl’s form, with a small body, small appearance, and a small face.

Her face was as pale as salt, ringed with dirty blood, with a strangely alluring charm.

She looked at Rao Mingxian, smiling.

Rao Mingxian felt uneasy looking at her smile.

"I stopped hating you a long time ago, I only hate the Zhao Family," Zhang Xiaoxiao’s voice was light and soft, like confiding in a friend.

Rao Mingxian stared at Zhang Xiaoxiao and said, "I will kill you and deliver you to Zhao He to draw out Tong Tianxia. Do you hate me for that?"

"If Zhao He didn’t order and force you, would you kill me and hang me in the People’s Square?"

Rao Mingxian stayed silent.