"Overlord Body?"
Hugh No-Return and Senior Brother Lu exchanged glances and whispered, "Which god-race physique is that?"
The two of them were completely baffled. Having lived in the War-Ox Realm for so long and rarely gone outside, they knew almost nothing about the outside world.
In his youth, Hugh No-Return traveled with his parents, but after settling in the War-Ox Realm, he devoted himself to training and never left. Senior Brother Lu had lived here since childhood, so neither of them knew anything about the legend of the Overlord Body.
In fact, before Quinn Shepherd left the Great Ruins, almost no one had ever heard of the Overlord Body. Only in recent years had it started to become known, but few could even name the four core signs of the Overlord Body.
—After all, the Village Chief is an honest man and rarely took the initiative to spread the word about the Overlord Body.
Beside Quinn, the woman was still shaken, instinctively feeling her neck, unable to recover from what had just happened.
Quinn turned and smiled, "Elder Sister, just now your head and Primordial Spirit were severed by the God-Slaying Headsman's Blade on the Execution Platform. I used Netherworld arts and Creation Mystic Art to reattach them for you. Luckily I arrived in time—the Blade hadn't yet drained your blood and qi. Otherwise, I could have only saved your Primordial Spirit, and rescuing your flesh would have been tricky. I'd have needed to mix medicines and refine pills, but my Glutton Dragon Pouch is still with Fat Dragon, so that would have taken a lot more time."
Only then did the woman come to her senses and quickly thanked him, "I'm May Snow—thank you, Junior Brother, for saving me."
Quinn hurriedly replied, "Elder Sister, it was nothing, just a small favor. Hold still for a moment—there's still a blood mark on your neck. I'm quite skilled in rejuvenation arts; let me dissolve it for you. Don't move."
May Snow giggled, "You really do have a sweet mouth. If I wasn't already married with two kids, I'd have run off with you by now..."
"Elder Sister, please don't talk."
Quinn focused seriously, runes flickering from his fingertips as he carefully repaired the blood mark on her neck. He said softly, "It's hard to completely erase the scar with just spells—I’d need to make a medicinal ointment, but unfortunately my Glutton Dragon Pouch isn’t here…"
He was shirtless and standing very close to May Snow, making her feel a bit awkward. She thought to herself, "Maybe I got married too early—I should've been pickier…"
After treating her, Quinn breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "The blood mark on your neck is lighter now. Once we leave here, I'll make some more ointment—apply it regularly and there won’t be any scar. Also, I just reattached your head, so don’t use too much force. If you do, it might just fall off again."
May Snow was startled and quickly hugged her neck, not daring to move. She said with a wry smile, "I wasn't supposed to pass the Execution Platform, but you saved me, so I got through. There's no way I can get past Jade Capital next—my head might fall off at any moment. I’ll go with you, but I won’t enter Jade Capital."
Across from the Execution Platform, Senior Brother Lu steadied himself and stepped onto the platform.
Before he could even stand firm, two blood-red lights twisted up from the Execution Platform, wrapping around him. Senior Brother Lu quickly flicked his fingers, trying to drive the blood lights away.
He was imitating Quinn’s method—Quinn had first used the Ancestral Dragon Eight Tones to shake his blood and qi, forcing the blood lights spinning around his neck to back off, then used finger strength to drive them away.
But he still underestimated the power of the blood lights. As soon as his finger touched them, there was a hiss—and suddenly, part of his finger was gone!
Senior Brother Lu was shocked, and quickly rolled off the platform. But by then, the blood lights had already wrapped around his neck. As he rolled off, his head was already gone.
May Snow was about to say something, but Quinn had already disappeared. The next moment, Quinn rushed over the Execution Platform, forced back the blood lights, picked up Senior Brother Lu’s head, and reattached it with Netherworld magic, reassuring him, "Don’t worry, having your head off your body for a while isn’t a big deal—but don’t let it stay off too long, or you’ll die. I once heard the Lord of the Netherworld say that even after death, as long as your head is reattached within seven days, you can still return to life. You’re not truly dead yet—you can still come back… Don’t move, you’re also missing a finger…"
Hugh No-Return coughed and reminded, "Quinn, Senior Brother Lu is from the Twin-Face Leopard-Mark Clan—you reattached his head backwards. He has faces on both sides, but there’s a front and back. The finer leopard spots are the front, the coarser ones are the back."
Quinn looked closer, blushed a little, then used Primordial Qi to slice off Lu’s head again and reattach it facing the right way.
Senior Brother Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Quinn’s eyes shone with encouragement. “Senior Brother, want to try again? This time, roll off the other side of the Execution Platform—even if your head gets chopped off again, I can reattach it. That way you’ll pass the trial!”
Senior Brother Lu hurriedly shook his head, smiling wryly, “No need. I’ve tried once, but I’m not strong enough to cross the Execution Platform. I’ll just wait here for you all to come back. I still have a wife and kids at home…”
Even though he’d come with a do-or-die determination, getting his head chopped off again and again was hard to bear, even if it could be reattached.
Quinn didn’t push him and crossed the Execution Platform again.
Hugh No-Return lifted his feet and stepped onto the Execution Platform, with Senior Brother Lu and May Snow watching anxiously. Hugh was the last hope of the War-Ox Realm—if he couldn’t cross the Execution Platform, they’d all be doomed!
Only Quinn, an outsider, had managed to cross the Execution Platform—if the War-Ox Realm’s martialists couldn’t do it, their reputation would be ruined!
Quinn also looked toward the platform. Hugh No-Return walked forward, step by step, neither fast nor slow, but dozens of afterimages suddenly appeared around him, attacking in all directions!
It was as if he suddenly had dozens of clones—his attacks were as fierce as thunder, driving the blood lights back so they couldn’t get close!
Those afterimages weren’t actual clones, but the result of his incredible speed—he seemed to appear everywhere at once.
What impressed Quinn most was that Hugh No-Return still looked like he was simply strolling along—this was the scary part of his martial path.
"Martial Soul enlightenment is the martial path—Hugh No-Return should be close to entering the Dao through martial arts, right?"
Quinn was a bit puzzled. At South Heaven Gate, Hugh No-Return wasn’t this strong and hadn’t achieved martial enlightenment. But now, he seemed to be on the verge of it.
"Brother Hugh really is a genius."
Quinn couldn’t help but praise him inwardly, "I relied on the Overlord Body’s comprehension to create my own path in my weakest years, but he’s using his true talent to reach martial enlightenment! This is real learning—truly admirable."
He didn’t know that Hugh No-Return’s breakthrough on the Execution Platform was actually thanks to him.
The two weren’t enemies, but Hugh No-Return couldn’t help feeling a bit competitive.
Quinn didn’t just give him pressure—he also gave him motivation, and even inspiration, forcing him to break through.
It was like when Quinn met Ling Mingshou by chance on the Jin River years ago. They shared tea on a boat, and Quinn felt the pressure of a ‘false Overlord Body’, which he turned into motivation and entered a state of enlightenment, creating the Primordial Spirit Guidance together with Ling Mingshou.
Hugh No-Return’s state was similar.
Quinn watched Hugh No-Return’s every move on the Execution Platform with nervous attention. This moment was extremely critical—if Hugh’s enlightenment was interrupted, it would be almost impossible to enter that state again. Filling in the missing parts of one’s enlightenment is the hardest thing, and Quinn knew this well.
He’d had his own enlightenment interrupted before—escaping from the hands of Xun Riyue, fleeing the demon territory toward River Lee, he’d entered enlightenment on the road, only to have it shattered by a demon master’s attack.
Enlightenment is something you can encounter but not seek—even gods and demons with endless lifespans may only enter enlightenment a handful of times in their lives.
Even the most gifted might not experience it more than ten times.
"I’ve only had three or four Overlord Body enlightenments myself."
Quinn watched Hugh No-Return’s figure closely—he was absolutely a martial arts genius, but the Execution Platform wasn’t very big, and he’d soon walk off it!
Once he left the Execution Platform, the external pressure of the blood lights would vanish, and Hugh No-Return might wake from his enlightenment.
Back when Quinn’s own enlightenment was interrupted, it was because the pressure suddenly increased.
Sudden changes in pressure—whether up or down—can break enlightenment.
Finally, Hugh No-Return stepped down from the Execution Platform. Quinn’s battle intent soared, and he suddenly attacked Hugh!
May Snow cried out in shock and tried to block Quinn, but in the next moment Quinn sprouted three heads and six arms, sending her flying with three punches and two kicks!
May Snow crashed into Jade Capital’s city wall, quickly hugged her head so it wouldn’t fall off, and wondered, "Why did Quinn attack Senior Brother Hugh?"
Quinn moved at lightning speed, leaving afterimages behind. His Stealing-Heavens Leg Art was pushed to the limit, his six arms flew, and his attacks came so fast they were almost impossible to follow.
He wanted to use pressure to keep Hugh No-Return in his state of enlightenment, to help him achieve martial enlightenment!
Hugh No-Return kept walking forward, his attacks getting faster and faster, blocking all of Quinn’s blows. The number of afterimages he left behind kept increasing, and the power of his physical body and divine arts kept growing.
Quinn had originally been controlling the strength of his moves, but soon felt Hugh’s counterattacks growing stronger and stronger. Quinn’s eyes lit up, and his attacks became fiercer, continuing to pressure Hugh and force out more of his potential!
Hugh No-Return’s afterimages had already multiplied into the hundreds, and the number kept growing. Yet he still maintained his unhurried walk.
The two of them fought their way into Jade Capital, into the city above the heavens.
May Snow clutched her neck with one hand, attacked Quinn with the other, but was again sent flying with a huge crash—her heart aggrieved: "You still call me Elder Sister, but you hit so hard…"
The two fought their way into the first temple of Jade Capital. The temple’s guardian was a farmwife from the village. Though a woman, she had the bearing of a great general. Seeing them fight their way in, she was about to intervene, but suddenly realized Quinn’s intention, suppressed her qi and cultivation, and let them pass without interfering.
"If Hugh No-Return enters the Dao through martial arts, he might be the first person to fly into the Heaven Palace at the Life-and-Death Realm."
The farmwife crossed her arms, her eyes shining like stars, watching them smash the rear gate of the great temple. She said softly, "No. He’ll be the second, because…"
She walked out of the shattered rear gate and looked up at the high Lingxiao Palace. "He doesn’t have a Divine Bridge. Martial arts has an insurmountable mountain—and he is that mountain. He’s the true pioneer of the martial path!"