Chapter 745: The Fiend's Layout (4)

Chapter 745: Chapter 223: The Fiend’s Layout (4)

Before Xiong Zerun could even take a few steps, a thin line of blood appeared on a Yue Sect member’s neck.

Fresh blood spurted from the line as the Blood Red Sword Qi pierced through his flesh and burst out the other side.

A wet, gurgling sound filled the air.

His head rolled to the ground, a look of shock frozen on its face.

The headless corpse collapsed, twitching once as it hit the ground.

Beside Xiong Zerun, an Elder whipped his head around.

“Chief—”

He only managed to get that one word out before a similar line of blood appeared on his own neck.

He had turned his head so quickly that it tumbled to the ground with the sheer momentum of the motion.

The headless corpse hit the ground. In less than the span of a breath, Xiong Zerun was the only one left alive.

He heard the sound of wind whistling past his ears.

Xiong Zerun instinctively looked toward the sound and saw a handsome, jade-like young man descending from the sky, followed by members of the Observatory and the Gu Village.

“You are…”

“Shen Bai!”

The moment Xiong Zerun recognized Shen Bai, he turned and fled toward the Great Yue Country without a shred of hesitation.

Countless Gu Insects erupted from his body, enveloping him completely and launching him into the air at extreme speed.

All Jianghu People who made their way in Lingyun Dao were clever. There wasn’t one who didn’t recognize Shen Bai.

The Calamity Source Mountain Range was close to Lingyun Dao, and since Xiong Zerun had ties to the Great Yue Country, he had naturally seen a portrait of Shen Bai.

In that instant, Xiong Zerun knew why this was happening.

‘Shen Bai found my hiding spot.’

‘That terrifying Blood Red Sword Qi slaughtered my men like pigs. They didn’t even have time to react before their heads were separated from their bodies.’

Xiong Zerun knew his own limits. He knew he was no match for Shen Bai; his only hope was to escape into the territory of the Great Yue Country.

‘As long as I can make it to Great Yue, Shen Bai won’t dare to touch me.’

Ding Quan moved to give chase, but Shen Bai placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

Shen Bai looked at Chief Wan. “Prove your loyalty.”

Just those three simple words were enough. Chief Wan understood immediately.

The Calamity Source Mountain Range had caused immense trouble for Lingyun Dao. It wouldn’t be easy for him to defect to the Great Zhou Country.

Without such a pledge, Lingyun Dao’s attitude toward the Gu Village would be very different.

And now, Xiong Zerun was that pledge.

“You destroyed my Ten Thousand Gu Insects! Now you’ll pay with your life!”

Chief Wan roared furiously.

Settling old scores and new, he unleashed a countless swarm of Gu Insects.

It wasn’t just Chief Wan; the Gu Village members behind him also launched their most powerful attacks.

The Ten Thousand Gu Insects was an incredibly precious ultimate treasure. To the Gu Village, it was a sacred item that could not be touched. Now, because of Xiong Zerun, it was gone.

Everyone attacked, their hatred fueling the terrifying power of their assault.

The swarm of Gu Insects blotted out the sun. A single glance was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

The fleeing Xiong Zerun heard the whistling wind behind him. He glanced back, and despair washed over his face.

‘It’s over!’

It was the only thought in his mind.

The thought had barely formed when he was swallowed by a terrifying ocean of Gu Insects.

Xiong Zerun’s blood-curdling screams echoed from within the black miasma of condensed Gu Insects.

After a few moments, the ocean of Gu Insects dispersed, revealing the figure within.

Xiong Zerun’s body was a mass of wounds; not a single inch of his skin was unscathed. He lay on the ground, screaming in agony.

Chief Wan recalled his Gu Insects and turned. “Lord Shen,” he said, “this man is a treacherous criminal and surely possesses a great deal of information. I’ve deliberately left him alive so the Observatory can question him. You may be able to extract some valuable clues.”

Shen Bai smiled. “How thoughtful of you.”

Chief Wan asked with trepidation, “Then, about settling in Lingyun Dao…”

With the Ten Thousand Gu Insects gone, he feared the Gu Village would fall into ruin, unable to recover without the protection of the Great Zhou Country.

Shen Bai nodded. “You have made your pledge. There will be no issue.”

Hearing this, Chief Wan finally relaxed.

Shen Bai looked at Ding Quan. “Take him back to the Observatory for a thorough interrogation. I want you to break him as quickly as possible and extract every piece of information he has.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Ding Quan acknowledged the order and had his Observatory subordinates take Xiong Zerun into custody.

Shen Bai surveyed the area. “Clean up the battlefield. We’re returning to the city.”

The matter was concluded. Although the Ten Thousand Gu Insects was lost, Shen Bai now knew that the old relics from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities had shifted their attention to Cangnan Dao. That intelligence alone was enough.

Now that his enemies had revealed themselves, given the enmity between him and the remnants of the Era of Ten Thousand Cities, there was no reason for him not to act.

After returning, all Shen Bai had to do was wait for the Forbidden Land to open.

Under Ding Quan’s command, the members of the Observatory began to clean up the battlefield.

Once the battlefield was cleared, Shen Bai led everyone back to the Observatory.

…

「Cangnan Dao.」

In a hidden location.

Three high-ranking members from the Wild Taoist Sect, the Wild Buddha Sect, and Xinhua Academy were seated across from one another.

Before them was a round table laden with fine food and wine, yet no one made a move to eat or drink.

The leader of the Wild Taoist Sect in Cangnan Dao was a man named Xu Sheng Taoist.

Xu Sheng Taoist glanced at the other two and spoke slowly. “We have obtained the Ten Thousand Gu Insects, but my agent in the Gu Village is dead. It was Shen Bai’s doing.”

The Three Great Demonic Forces originated from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities, serving as its public-facing Demonic Forces. As such, they were responsible for handling the matter of the Forbidden Land.

After Xu Sheng Taoist finished speaking, Monk Mingxin of the Wild Buddha Sect spoke.

“I told you not to cross paths with Shen Bai. Why did you have to provoke him? Wouldn’t it have been better to just enter the Forbidden Land quietly?”

Xu Sheng Taoist frowned. “You think I wanted to?”