Squeak, squeak—
The giant Gu spider, suspended from the ceiling, expressed its excitement by clenching its mandibles. Below, on the summit of a small mountain made of bones, Jiang Mojiao’s face was contorted with rage as he clawed at his chest and cheeks.
With flesh clinging to his fingernails, Jiang Mojiao could feel through the hidden Gu outside the cave dwelling that the demonic cultivator disciples he had summoned with the Demon Summoning Token were falling one by one under the spiritual spears of the Snow-clothed Guard.
“Trash! A bunch of trash! Trash, trash, trash…”
Jiang Mojiao muttered, turning to glare at the Gu spider above and yelling, “And you! Hurry up and give birth! Not enough, not enough, not enough! The Gu spiders aren’t enough!”
Hissing—
The next moment, a furious roar echoed from the depths of the cave dwelling, startling Jiang Mojiao into a rigid stance.
“…Liang Xiaoliu!”
A dense bloody spiritual energy, like smoke, rapidly surged forth. Jiang Mojiao turned to see Gu Mingxin, holding her blood-colored spiritual sword, running towards the cave entrance. With each step she took, a small, innocent Gu worm burst into a spray of blood.
As Gu Mingxin reached him, Jiang Mojiao’s eyes widened, and he cursed, “Trash! You bunch of trash! Why aren’t you hurrying…”
Before he could finish, Gu Mingxin’s bloodshot crimson eyes suddenly locked onto him. The blood-colored spiritual sword in her right hand seemed to drip with blood, enveloped in a halo.
“Eek!”
Startled by her gaze, Jiang Mojiao quickly retreated a few steps.
“Heh…”
Gu Mingxin let out a disdainful sneer and ignored him, hurrying out of the cave dwelling. In the next moment, Wu Tianci also rushed out.
Seeing Jiang Mojiao, Wu Tianci wore a playful smirk but said nothing, following Gu Mingxin.
Lu Meimei, the last to emerge, was dressing as she ran. Upon seeing Jiang Mojiao, she couldn’t help but shudder in disgust, rubbing her shoulders. “Ew~~ Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Then, she quickened her pace and darted past.
Jiang Mojiao stared blankly at Lu Meimei’s expression, frozen in place.
Men were like preserved meat to a starving dog for the female cultivators of the Hehuan Sect. He, of all people, was actually being looked down upon by a female cultivator of the Hehuan Sect? By *one* Hehuan Sect female cultivator!
“You, you, you, you! What do you mean by this? You bunch of trash! What do you mean?! What do you mean? What do you mean, ahhhh…”
…
The enraged shouts pursued him from behind, but Gu Mingxin paid no attention. Her mind was filled with only one thought.
—Her deeply “loved” Liang Xiaoliu!
Thump, thump, thump—
With rapid and forceful footsteps, Gu Mingxin rushed out of the stone cave where the cave dwelling was located. She was met by the wind and snow on the mountain peak and the intermittent spiritual lights clashing in gold and red across the sky curtain in the distance.
Gu Mingxin’s eyes widened as she scanned the area, gripping her spiritual sword tightly and roaring, “Liang Xiaoliu! Liang Xiaoliu, Liang Xiaoliu! Where are you?!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a thick arm suddenly landed on her shoulder. Without a moment’s hesitation, Gu Mingxin twisted her body and swung out with her sword.
“Hiss—”
Wu Tianci, who had followed her, sucked in a sharp breath in shock. Fortunately, Gu Mingxin had pulled her strike back just in time, the blade stopping at the side of his neck.
Wu Tianci looked at Gu Mingxin’s bloodshot eyes and then at the bell in her hand, calmly trying to soothe her, “Senior Sister Gu, please calm down. You are still injured and should rest. Besides, Liang Xiaoliu may not have even come…”
Perhaps due to the frigid air of the Northern Region, Gu Mingxin calmed down slightly, shaking her head. “No, he came. I can feel it.”
“Feel?” Wu Tianci frowned slightly. “Could it be that Senior Sister Gu had a nightmare? Did you dream of…”
Gu Mingxin looked at Wu Tianci’s face, took a deep breath, and interrupted him sternly, “No! He is definitely nearby. Believe me, he is!”
“…”
At this moment, Lu Meimei also came out. Seeing the snowstorm raging outside, she immediately shrunk her neck. “Oh my~ it’s so cold~~ Junior Brother Wu, Sister Gu… what’s going on with you two?”
“Senior Sister Gu says Liang Xiaoliu is here…”
“Oh~ Where is he…?”
“…”
Wu Tianci rubbed his nose bridge, pondered for a moment, and scanned the surroundings. “Senior Sister Gu, you said Liang Xiaoliu is cunning and treacherous. If he’s here, he’s likely hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. Calling his name won’t get him to respond, so we need to force him out.”
Gu Mingxin’s eyes narrowed, and she immediately turned to look at the demonic cultivator disciples and Snow-clothed Guards battling in the valley ahead. She summoned her flying sword and leaped into the air.
“Senior Sister Gu?!”
Wu Tianci didn’t understand what she meant and prepared to follow, but as he lifted off, he saw a spiritual light, like a white dragon, suddenly smash against the rock face in the distance.
Boom—
That was the momentum of a spiritual spear, and the wielder of such power was likely the commander of the Snow-clothed Guard who had come to eliminate the demons. Wu Tianci thought for a moment and, seeing Gu Mingxin flying too fast, decided not to chase her.
Capture the leader first, then deal with the rest. He stomped on the ground and leaped into the air, using his physical cultivator’s spirit to create sonic booms in mid-air. His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, heading toward the direction of the spear’s momentum.
“Ah? Junior Brother Wu~~”
Lu Meimei, who was still standing there, watched the two fly off in different directions and was completely bewildered. She didn’t know who to follow.
“I… Who should I follow?”
Caw—
A hawk’s cry echoed through the mountain forest. Lu Meimei’s eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing it. She turned and saw a ball of malevolent fire charging directly towards her face. Lu Meimei quickly formed a sword finger and conjured a spiritual shield to block the fire.
However, these balls of malevolent fire came one after another. She squinted and looked up, seeing that they were coming from a red bird. Enraged, veins popped on her forehead. “Are you done yet, you stinky bird!!”
Pink, enchanting spiritual energy immediately leaked from her body, transforming into skulls that flew towards the Fire Phoenix circling in the sky.
However, the Fire Phoenix merely retracted its wings and, with a slight flutter, dodged the incoming skulls. Then, it let out a shriek. In Lu Meimei’s eyes below, the Fire Phoenix seemed to be mocking her: *Heh~ Missed~~*
The veins on Lu Meimei’s forehead seemed about to burst with blood. “There’s no bird in this world that I, this young lady, cannot tame!!!” With that, her figure transformed into a streak of light and she soared from the ground, rapidly flying towards the Fire Phoenix. The Fire Phoenix gave her a dismissive glance, spread its wings again, and flapped towards its owner.
“Stinky bird!!!”
Caw—
…
—
Swish—
With a sound of flesh being pierced, a young Snow-clothed Guard, holding a spiritual spear, impaled a demonic cultivator disciple standing on a flying sword through the chest, stopping him. She then forcefully swung her spear, throwing the demonic cultivator disciple from mid-air. She let out a long sigh and looked at her Senior Sister, seeing that her Senior Sister had also finished her opponents. She relaxed immediately. “Senior Sister, it’s done.”
The Snow-clothed Guard Senior Sister flew over on her sword and hovered beside her. She flicked the blood from her spear tip to the ground, reminding her, “Don’t relax, it’s not over yet. The Commander ordered us to deal with the surrounding Foundation Establishment Stage demonic cultivators… This is just a few people… Let’s go help the others…”
Before she could finish, the Snow-clothed Guard Senior Sister saw a red light rapidly approaching from below. She immediately grabbed her Junior Sister by the collar and pulled her behind her, while simultaneously raising her spear.
Clang—
With a burst of sparks, a blood-colored spiritual sword landed directly on her spear shaft. The sword wielder was a cultivator with black hair and crimson eyes. Her crimson eyes were like a blood-colored full moon, and the corners of her lips curved into a crescent moon. Gu Mingxin’s spiritual sword pressed against the spear shaft, and she leaned forward, her face almost touching the Snow-clothed Guard Senior Sister’s. “You were called by Liang Xiaoliu, weren’t you?! Where is he?! Where?!”
“…Core Formation Stage demonic cultivator?!”
Sensing the disparity in cultivation, the Snow-clothed Guard Senior Sister’s eyes widened. She used all her strength to push Gu Mingxin back with the spear butt, then grabbed her Junior Sister by the back of her collar and turned to flee into the sky.
Watching the two flee rapidly, Gu Mingxin did not pursue. She hovered in mid-air, indifferently watching the two figures with their backs to her, and softly commanded, “Xue E…”
Rumble—
The sound of the earth shifting echoed through the entire valley. The demonic cultivators and Snow-clothed Guards locked in combat elsewhere at that moment all stopped fighting. Everyone was unaware of what had happened, but they all felt an ominous, bloody aura. In the next moment, a giant black python broke through the soil, as if the mountain itself had reared up. The massive black shadow was clearly visible from tens of miles away, stirring the snow moon in the sky, whipping up gusts of fierce wind, and emitting roars that sounded more like dragons than snakes.
“Roar—”
Flying into the sky, the Snow-clothed Guard Senior Sister, carrying her Junior Sister to escape rapidly, heard the commotion behind her. She turned and her pupils contracted into pinpricks. As the black python’s massive maw lunged towards them, they were helpless.
However, at that very moment—
“Xiao Tian!!!”
A shout came from the snow forest below them. A golden dragon suddenly appeared beside them, its jaws clamping down above the black python’s vulnerable spot. The moment Gu Mingxin saw the golden dragon appear, she felt waves of killing intent coming from behind her. She immediately twisted her body and swung her spiritual sword.
Clang—clang, clang, clang…
Under the snowy night, cold light danced wildly. Sword light scattered around Gu Mingxin and Feng Yudie, transforming into silver snakes writhing in mid-air. Gu Mingxin’s eyes showed a hint of surprise at Feng Yudie’s appearance. “Finally out!!!”
“Tch…”
Clang, clang, clang…
…
—
At the same time, in the snow forest below, Xiao Yunluo and Pei Lianxue both frowned as they watched the two figures battling in the sky.
“Why is it her again? Last time at the Imperial Sect…”
“…”
Pei Lianxue had not anticipated Gu Mingxin’s appearance. Her original plan was for herself, Liang Xiaoliu, and Xiao Yunluo to follow the hidden Gu on the road and find the Gu cultivator’s cave dwelling to take its head. But now… She bit her lip slightly, clenched her spiritual sword, and said, “Yunluo, let’s go! We’re almost there!!”
“Ah… aren’t we going to help Liang Xiaoliu…”
Xiao Yunluo seemed to want to help Feng Yudie deal with Gu Mingxin, but Pei Lianxue shook her head slightly in negation. “Liang Xiaoliu said to leave her to deal with it alone.”
“…”
“She escaped from my Senior Brother last time, and we absolutely can’t deal with her in a short time. If we end up attracting that Nascent Soul demonic cultivator, it will be bad. Let’s go deal with that Nascent Soul Gu cultivator first, and then we can help Liang Xiaoliu. Let’s go!!”
Xiao Yunluo heard the urgency in Pei Lianxue’s voice and said nothing more. She glanced at the scattered sword light above and, together with Pei Lianxue, continued to track the Gu insects in the forest. Following the sounds of collision between the black python and the golden dragon behind them, the two traveled about two miles up the mountain and arrived before a foul-smelling cave dwelling.
Pei Lianxue squinted at the entrance of the cave and flicked her spiritual sword to the side. “This is it… Yunluo, start the fire.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunluo, standing behind her, took a deep breath, held her sword finger to her lips, and said, “Fire Command!” With a breath, a torrent of fire surged deep into the cave. The snow-covered walls of the cave instantly melted into lava. The sizzling sound of roasting meat emanated from inside the cave, followed by a scream.
“Ahhhhh—”
Pei Lianxue squinted, gripping her spiritual sword tightly as she waited at the entrance. As if sensing something, she immediately raised her spiritual sword and swung several sword lights forward.
Clang—
A centipede, its entire body burning, broke through the lava that sealed the cave entrance and crashed into Pei Lianxue’s spiritual sword, sending her flying back ten zhang. Xiao Yunluo blinked in surprise and quickly formed a sword finger, using a lightning spell to help Pei Lianxue break free. Then, she turned to look at the cave.
“Trash! You bunch of trash!! You actually need this Seat to act!! Trash, ahhhh!”
A monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a spider stepped out of the lava at the entrance, its footsteps thudding. Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened in terror upon seeing it, her stomach instinctively churning. She quickly summoned her flying sword, leaped into the air, and formed a sword finger to cast a spell at the enemy.
Boom—
Lightning struck the sky, crashing down above Jiang Mojiao’s spider Gu, splattering purple pus. However, the next moment, dense Gu insects, like mosquitoes, swarmed out of the cave dwelling towards Xiao Yunluo in the sky.
“Hiss— Disgusting!! Ahhhhh— Stay away!!”
…
—
Boom—
Waves of lightning and fire crashed upon the snow mountain peak. In a quiet rock cave about five li away, Li Longling sat cross-legged in front of a bonfire. She exhaled slowly, pushed herself up on her knees, took two talismans from her storage bag, and hid them in her sleeve. She slowly raised her arm.
Caw—
With a cry of a hawk, the Fire Phoenix quickly darted in from the cave entrance and landed on the leather bracer on her right wrist. “Good boy~ Good boy~” Li Longling stroked the Fire Phoenix’s head, took out a piece of jerky, and fed it. Then, as if preparing herself mentally, she took a deep breath and faced the cave entrance. She had watched Lu Meimei chase the Fire Phoenix here and naturally assumed Lu Meimei would head directly into this rock cave. However, after waiting for a while, Lu Meimei’s figure was nowhere to be seen. Li Longling fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smelled a strange fragrance and nudged her nose.
“Mmm…”
The next moment, a clear male voice came from outside the cave.
“Longling.”
Li Longling, using the Fire Phoenix’s eyes to see, saw a man wearing a bamboo hat enter the cave. He pulled down the scarf covering his face, revealing a handsome face with deep purple eyes. She raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression showing a hint of confusion. “Anping? Why are you back?”
“The plan has changed. I came to…”
“But I’ve already lured Lu Meimei over…”
“Oh? Is she behind me?”
Li Longling moved the Fire Phoenix to her shoulder and walked step by step towards the man in front of her, slowly opening her arms. “Anping~~ Hug~~”
“Mmm…”
Ye Anping was stunned for a moment and slowly opened his arms to embrace her. However, what he embraced were two talismans. Just as Li Longling was about to throw herself into his arms, she directly stuck the two talismans hidden in her sleeve onto his cheeks.
“?”
…
