Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 56: Blood-Sucking Divine Skill, Sword Immortal Saves the Day

Hearing Han Youniang's words,

Gu Guanqi immediately asked, "You Niang, where are the zombies?"

Han Youniang pointed to the east side of the villa and said, "Over there."

Gu Guanqi reached out and grabbed Han Youniang's shoulder, then with a light step, his figure shot out like an arrow.

At this moment, Cuiyun Manor was in complete chaos. Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and shouts and chaotic footsteps echoed from all directions.

Some were fleeing in panic, while others were carrying buckets and other tools to try to put out the fire, but the fire was too big and their efforts were futile.

The crowd fled in chaos amidst the flames.

Gu Guanqi used his lightness skill to its fullest extent, like a wisp of smoke sweeping across the rooftops and walls, just as he landed on the wall of a small courtyard.

Han Youniang hurriedly called out, "It's here, but the corpse energy has disappeared now, and I can't sense it. I don't know if it's because the surrounding fire is too big and it's affecting my senses."

"Was it first seen here?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Han Youniang nodded and said, "Yes."

Gu Guanqi frowned and glanced around the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large, and it was in complete chaos at the moment.

Several side rooms were already ablaze, with orange-red flames leaping out of the windows and licking at the eaves.

A group of martial artists dressed in gray outfits were evacuating from the house, some carrying weapons and others carrying bundles, their steps hurried.

Gu Guanqi recognized their attire; they were disciples of the Zhenshan Sect founded by Yuan Guangkai, the Great Vajra.

"It's Yuan Guangkai's place again."

Gu Guanqi frowned, immediately realizing that the coincidence was too much.

The last time I encountered zombies at Red Leaf Manor, I chased them to Yuan Guangkai's territory and they disappeared.

This time, they actually appeared on Yuan Guangkai's territory again.

At this time,

Amid the chaos in the courtyard, a burly young man was carrying an unconscious person out. The young man was tall and broad-shouldered, and the injured person on his back was wrapped in a blanket, with only half of his pale face showing. It was Yuan Guangkai.

Gu Guanqi's gaze fell on Yuan Guangkai, his pupils contracting slightly.

He possesses profound inner strength and hearing far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Even through the chaotic noise, he could still clearly hear the injured man's heartbeat. It was steady, strong, and even, unlike the heartbeat of someone who was seriously injured and unconscious.

Judging from the injuries Yuan Guangkai suffered during his previous fight in the arena, even with Su Qingxing's treatment, he couldn't have recovered so quickly.

"There was definitely a problem."

Gu Guanqi pushed off with his feet, his figure as fast as lightning, and instantly flew to the front of the young man.

The young man was startled to see a figure suddenly descend from the sky. Upon recognizing Gu Guanqi's Six Doors constable uniform, he quickly said, "Sir, the fire here is raging! Leave quickly..."

Gu Guanqi didn't waste any words.

He reached out with his right hand, his five fingers like iron pincers, and grabbed directly at the unconscious Yuan Guangkai.

The burly young man's expression changed drastically as he tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Gu Guanqi's hand had already grabbed the blanket, and he pulled it sharply.

The blanket tore, revealing Yuan Guangkai underneath.

Yuan Guangkai suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes and struck out with a palm, the wind from which was fierce, heading straight for Gu Guanqi's chest.

Gu Guanqi neither dodged nor evaded; his left hand reached out and precisely grabbed the wrist, while his right hand swiftly grabbed the man's face.

"Sizzle—"

A human skin mask was torn off.

Beneath the mask, a young face was revealed, pale and filled with terror.

"Peng Yu!" someone exclaimed.

"Senior Brother? What are you doing here?"

"Where is Master?"

"Senior Brother, why are you impersonating Master?"

Amidst a chorus of surprised and questioning voices, Gu Guanqi tightened his grip on Peng Yu's neck, and coldly asked, "Where did Yuan Guangkai go?"

The burly young man was about to make a move when Gu Guanqi waved his hand, sending the man flying backward and crashing into the wall. His fate was unknown.

Peng Yu's eyes were filled with despair, and he remained silent.

A cold glint flashed in Gu Guanqi's eyes as he prepared to use some methods.

at this time,

Han Youniang suddenly whispered, "Brother Gu, the zombies have appeared... in the back manor."

Gu Guanqi didn't ask any more questions. He grabbed Peng Yu by the neck with one hand and lifted Han Youniang by the shoulder with the other. With a push of his feet, he soared into the air and flew towards the back manor.

Behind them, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.

The Yuan Sect disciples in the courtyard looked at each other in bewilderment. Some panicked, some gripped their weapons tightly, but no one dared to chase after them. They all ran out quickly, after all, the fire in the courtyard was terrifying.

……

In the back manor, in a grand hall.

The room was brightly lit, and a map of Yunzhou was laid out on a long table, with teacups arranged around it.

Yang Tong, the leader of the Yunzhou Martial Arts Alliance, sat in the main seat, his face slightly pale. He had been greatly exhausted in his previous battle with Master Fayuan and had not yet fully recovered. However, his gaze was steady as he spoke about the initial structural ideas for the Martial Arts Alliance.

Master Fayuan sat on the right, his left arm hanging at his side, wrapped in thick gauze, and his face was somewhat pale. He was not only seriously injured, but also extremely exhausted.

Master Fachen sat to his left, his imposing figure filling the chair completely. He seemed to be in good spirits, though he was taking a break to recharge while participating in the meeting.

Tang Yu sat on the left, his face not looking too good either. The wounds from the battle of Snake Mountain Town had not yet healed, and he had fought another battle today. He was now only barely holding on.

Su Qingxing was in good condition. Although she had also consumed a lot of energy, her Heavenly Doctor True Qi recovered quickly. However, she was not good at fighting. She had forced herself to fight for so long in order to wear down Master Fachen, and she was still somewhat mentally exhausted.

Among the masters present,

Only Lu Lin was at his peak. He held a teacup in his hand, occasionally taking a sip, and his gaze swept over everyone present from time to time.

Zhao Lingyuan sat beside Lu Lin, gently waving her folding fan, her posture relaxed, but her eyes took in the expressions of everyone present.

The other sect leaders and martial arts masters sat on both sides, some talking in hushed tones, others flipping through the draft of the charter in their hands.

The atmosphere in the hall was harmonious; although there were occasional disagreements during the discussion, it was still peaceful.

"The Martial Alliance is newly established, and everything is in need of improvement," Yang Tong's voice echoed in the hall. "The matter of the charter still needs to be discussed carefully by everyone, and there is no need to rush. Let's set out the general framework today, and leave the details to be perfected later."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Master Fayuan, holding a Buddhist salute with one hand, said, "What Alliance Leader Yang said is absolutely right. The responsibility of the Martial Alliance lies in maintaining order in the martial world, mediating disputes, and influencing the entire martial world. This should be carefully considered."

Tang Yu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and was about to speak when a sudden commotion erupted outside the hall, filled with exclamations and shouts, creating a chaotic scene.

Everyone inside the hall stopped talking and turned their gaze toward the hall entrance.

Just then, a young man rushed in from outside, shouting, "It's terrible! The front manor is on fire! The fire is huge and it's spreading this way!"

Everyone in the hall paled.

Yang Tong stood up abruptly and asked in a deep voice, "How is the fire? Is anyone injured?"

The disciple hurriedly said, "The fire is extremely large, with multiple areas ablaze simultaneously. It doesn't seem like an accident. The fire is spreading too quickly and too extensively. We can't even assess the casualties yet. Alliance Leader, let's evacuate immediately!"

Everyone immediately stood up and walked towards the entrance of the hall.

However, at that very moment,

"boom--"

With a loud bang, the roof of the main hall suddenly shattered.

Tiles flew everywhere, wood splinters scattered, and dust filled the air.

A gray figure descended from the sky like a meteorite, landing heavily in the hall, right in front of Lu Lin.

Lu Lin's pupils suddenly contracted.

Because this was not a human at all, but a zombie with bluish-gray skin, its fingernails as black as ink, at least three inches long, like sharp claws. Its face was expressionless, its eyes were cloudy and lifeless, yet faintly shimmered with blood mist.

Upon seeing the creature's face, Lu Lin exclaimed in shock, "A zombie!"

Before he finished speaking, his hand was already on the hilt of the knife at his waist. He drew the sword, and with a flash of light, he slashed down at the zombie.

The zombie neither dodged nor avoided the attack. Instead, it suddenly opened its mouth and spewed out a thick black mist that shot straight toward Lu Lin's face.

The mist had a pungent, fishy stench, carrying a strong smell of death.

At the same time, the zombie raised its right arm and struck out with its palm.

That palm strike looked ordinary, without any fancy variations, just a simple straight palm strike.

But the speed of that palm strike was unbelievably fast.

The palm strike tore through the air, leaving a visible white shockwave that carried an overwhelming force as it met Lu Lin's blade head-on.

"when--"

A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out, sparks flying everywhere.

Lu Lin's longsword, forged from cold iron, bent the instant it touched that palm.

The blade curved into an astonishing arc from the middle, the back of the blade almost touching the hilt. The force of that palm strike traveled through the blade and slammed solidly into Lu Lin's chest.

"boom--"

A muffled thud.

Lu Lin felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if he had been struck by an invisible giant hammer. His sternum shattered at that moment, making a crisp cracking sound.

A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat and spurted out of his mouth.

His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

"boom--"

His back slammed into a pillar behind him, and the thick wooden pillar snapped in two with a crash, collapsing and scattering tiles everywhere.

Then he crashed to the ground, his face ashen, his lips purple, his chest caved in, black blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his breath faint.

"You beast, stop your violence!"

Master Fachen shouted and rushed out quickly.

He was burly and strong, yet quick on his feet. In a few strides, he reached the zombie's side, his right palm brimming with powerful force as he struck towards the zombie's temple. The wind howled, and the sound of the palm cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.

Tang Yu followed closely behind.

With a flick of his right hand, the Broken Void Shuttle slid out of his sleeve, its silvery-white body spinning at his fingertips. A sharp burst of energy shot out from the tip of the shuttle, heading straight for the zombie's back.

Other sect leaders and martial arts masters also took action.

Swords flashed, palm strikes whistled, and kicks lashed out at the zombie from all directions.

The zombie didn't even glance at the people behind it.

It took a step forward, its figure moving as fast as a ghost, rushing straight towards Yang Tong.

Yang Tong suddenly drew his sword, the blade unsheathed, carrying his remaining true energy, and slashed fiercely at the zombie's neck.

"when--"

The blade struck the zombie's neck, producing a loud clang like metal clashing.

The zombie tilted its neck slightly, its head turned to one side, and it actually trapped the large knife between its neck and shoulder.

Yang Tong's pupils contracted sharply, and he wanted to draw his knife.

However, at that very moment, his expression changed.

Because his skills had not yet recovered and the incident happened so suddenly that he did not have time to gather his strength, the blade did not even tremble when he drew it with force.

He immediately abandoned his knife and retreated.

But in that instant, the zombie stretched out its hands, its ten fingers like hooks, moving with lightning speed.

"puff--"

Ten jet-black fingernails pierced Yang Tong's chest simultaneously.

Blood splattered.

Yang Tong's body stiffened abruptly. He looked down at the ten fingers piercing his chest, his eyes filled with pain.

The zombie's hand didn't retract; instead, it twisted it sharply.

"Crack—"

The crisp sound of breaking ribs could be clearly heard in the hall.

Yang Tong spat out a mouthful of blood and was thrown away by the zombie, crashing heavily into the wall behind him. The wall cracked, bricks shattered, and dust flew everywhere.

He fell to the ground, blood gushing from ten holes in his chest, and died instantly.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

From the moment the zombie broke through the roof to Lu Lin's serious injury and Yang Tong's collapse, only two or three breaths had passed.

"evil creature!"

Master Fachen had caught up and, with a roar, struck the zombie on the back of the head with a palm.

He used all his strength in this palm strike, the wind from it was fierce, and his true energy surged.

However, the zombie reacted unexpectedly, leaning forward slightly to avoid the palm strike.

Its cloudy eyes stared at Master Fachen, then it suddenly swung its right arm out, smashing a palm into Master Fachen's chest.

Master Fachen crossed his palms in front of his chest, unleashing a Buddhist defensive technique that instantly created a wall of energy in front of him.

However, he currently possesses less than 30% of his full power.

The resulting wall of air was no more than half a foot thick.

In an instant, the zombie's palm struck.

"boom--"

Master Fachen felt an overwhelming force surge towards him, and the qi barrier instantly dissipated. Master Fachen trembled as the zombie transformed its palm into a blade, piercing his chest and severing his heart meridian.

And then,

Tang Yu was urging the Broken Void Shuttle to shoot.

The zombie swung its palm forcefully, and the force of the blow instantly slashed its hand, causing a wound to appear and black blood to splatter.

It ignored them, suddenly opened its mouth, and let out a low growl.

The sound was terrifying, causing everyone in the hall to feel a sharp pain in their eardrums, making the roof tiles rattle, and the teacups on the table clink and clang.

Wherever the sound waves passed, the candlelight flickered violently, almost going out.

Tang Yu was already feeling listless, and the impact of this sound wave made his mind instantly go blank.

The zombies seized the opportunity to rush forward.

Its speed was unbelievable; it arrived in front of Tang Yu in an instant, its ten fingers poking at Tang Yu.

Tang Yu tried to open the Thousand Chance Umbrella to block it, but it was too late. He could only use the umbrella in its closed state to block it, but it was stabbed by the zombie. The Thousand Chance Umbrella dented instantly, and the force hit Tang Yu's chest. Tang Yu was sent flying backward, spitting out blood.

In the instant Tang Yu was sent flying backwards,

The zombie seized Tang Yu's hand and snatched the Broken Void Shuttle. It then threw it, sending the shuttle flying through the wall and disappearing into the unknown.

Tang Yu fell to the ground and could not get up again.

The zombie instantly unleashed a palm strike, a palm print aimed directly at Tang Yu.

Just then, Su Qingxing rushed over, grabbed Tang Yu, and pulled her back to avoid the palm strike.

At the same time, several martial arts masters rushed over to fight the zombie.

At this time,

Lu Lin coughed up blood in the corner and shouted to Zhao Lingyuan beside him, "Young Master, hurry... tell them to retreat... This zombie came with a premeditated plan. It first seriously injured me, then killed Yang Tong, and then seized the Void Shuttle. It was all planned."

Aside from us, no one else should be able to harm it. Plus, the fire in the front yard has created chaos, preventing outsiders from hearing what's happening inside. Its goal is probably to suck the blood of all the experts present!

Zhao Lingyuan looked over,

Indeed, as Lu Lin said, the attacks from those martial arts masters were like raindrops hitting an iron plate, but they did not cause any damage to the zombie.

Swords and blades struck it, dulling their edges; palm strikes landed on it, numbing the user's arm; kicks felt like hitting an iron pillar.

With a casual wave of its hand, the zombie knocked a person to the ground; with a casual slap, it seriously injured another.

Within moments, several people lay on the floor in the hall, some unconscious, some seriously injured and vomiting blood, some with broken arms and legs, their cries of agony rising and falling.

Immediately,

Zhao Lingyuan then channeled her inner energy and shouted, "Everyone, retreat quickly! Run as many as you can! Go out and call for reinforcements! Sword Immortal Gu Guanqi is outside!"

Subsequently,

Zhao Lingyuan was the first to run outside.

The group of martial arts masters, already stunned by the zombies, all started running towards the door upon hearing Zhao Lingyuan's words.

Chaos reigned in the main hall.

The leaders of various sects and renowned figures in the martial arts world rushed towards the palace gate.

The zombie didn't chase after the fleeing people.

It stood still, its murky eyes filled with an eerie blood mist. It watched the crowd desperately rushing towards the door, its mouth snarling, revealing two sharp fangs.

"roar……"

Then, it suddenly opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar.

The sound seemed to come from the deepest hell, like ten thousand ghosts unleashed from their cages, making one's soul tremble.

The sound waves echoed through the hall, extinguishing the candles, spreading cracks in the walls, and causing roof tiles to fall in a rustling sound.

At the same time, a terrifying aura of death erupted from its body.

The corpse aura was thick and inky, tinged with red, and carried a foul stench, spreading in all directions as if it were tangible. Wherever the corpse aura passed, the air seemed to freeze, and the temperature in the hall plummeted, becoming bone-chillingly cold.

that moment,

Zhao Lingyuan and many other martial arts masters who had just run to the door felt a tremendous suction force.

The suction force was like an invisible giant hand, reaching out from the zombie and spreading out in all directions, enveloping everyone in the hall.

Everyone's steps froze abruptly.

Their bodies seemed to be bound by invisible ropes, their forward momentum abruptly halted, and they began to uncontrollably retreat, sliding towards the zombie.

Even more terrifying, fine beads of blood began to seep from their skin.

The blood droplets seeped from the pores, accumulating more and more, forming thin streams of blood that flowed down the skin, then turned into wisps of blood mist, drawn by the suction force and drifting towards the zombie.

"Blood...blood is flowing out!"

"What kind of tactic is this?"

"Drinking blood from a distance, this is a divine skill of blood-drinking!!"

"How can zombies know martial arts?"

"..."

To everyone's horror, their skin was visibly drying out, clinging tightly to their bones, with bulging veins and droplets of blood constantly seeping from their pores, turning into a blood mist in the air and being swallowed by the suction force.

Blood seeped from all the exposed skin on the face, hands, and neck. The blood droplets gathered into thin streams, which then turned into a blood mist. The blood mist was drawn by the suction force, like red ribbons, drifting towards the zombie.

The zombie opened its mouth, and it inhaled all the blood mist.

The blood mist in its eyes thickened, and the bluish-gray on its skin began to turn into a strange dark red, as if some kind of transformation was taking place.

The crowd's eyes were filled with terror.

They struggled desperately, but like ants trapped in a swamp, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank. The suction grew stronger and stronger, their bodies became increasingly out of control, and their blood drained faster and faster.

Some people had already collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to even struggle, and could only watch helplessly as their blood was slowly drawn from their bodies, turning into a blood mist to be devoured by the zombies.

The screams and cries of alarm in the hall gradually subsided as everyone desperately circulated their internal energy to resist the vampire's blood-sucking technique.

but,

Everyone realized the same fact.

Today, I'm afraid I'll die here.

Everyone's bodies began to move closer to the zombie, and more and more blood was being sucked from their skin, turning everyone's faces deathly pale.

At this critical moment—

A sword light descended from the sky.

The sword light was pure and otherworldly, without a trace of worldly dust, like a beam of moonlight flying from the heavens, or a Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven.

Accompanied by that beautiful sword light

Another figure landed.

Moonlight poured down from the broken roof, falling on the figure and bathing him in a silvery glow; it was Gu Guanqi.

He descended from the sky, his robes fluttering in the night wind, his long hair flowing, holding the Autumn Water Sword, its blade gleaming with a lustrous sheen. He seemed to blend into the moonlight, like an immortal descending to earth.

A celestial being descends from the heavens.

The sword light fell.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the invisible suction force was like cloth being torn by a sharp blade, emitting a low hum, before splitting open and dissipating to both sides.

The force that had been binding everyone vanished at that moment.

Those who were being pulled by the suction suddenly felt their bodies loosen. Some staggered forward a few steps, some collapsed to the ground with their legs giving way, and some leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

The dispersal of the blood mist also stopped at this moment. The blood droplets that seeped from everyone's bodies no longer turned into blood mist and drifted towards the zombies, but instead slid slowly down their skin, dripping onto the ground and spreading a small patch of crimson.

The sword light had not yet faded.

The dense array of sword lights suddenly converged, transforming into the final, most dazzling sword light, drawing an arc in the air, its tip piercing straight towards the zombie's chest.

A strange light flashed in the zombie's murky eyes.

The corpse energy on its body suddenly surged, like a black wave surging out of its body, quickly condensing in front of it, and in the blink of an eye forming a solid wall of energy.

The air wall was entirely black, with dark red patterns flowing across its surface, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Gu Guanqi's sword pierced the air wall.

"laugh--"

With a muffled thud, the sword tip pierced the wall of qi. Black corpse qi surged at the sword tip, but it could not stop the fierce sword momentum.

The Autumn Water Sword pierced through the wall of energy bit by bit, the shimmering white light on the sword colliding violently with the black corpse energy, emitting a hissing sound.

The air barrier is broken.

Gu Guanqi's sword strike continued forward, aiming straight for the zombie's chest.

The sword tip pierced the zombie's skin.

"when--"

A crisp, metallic clang rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

The tip of the Autumn Water Sword pressed against the zombie's chest, piercing through it instantly, leaving a drop of black blood on the tip.

The zombie seemed completely unconcerned about the sword strike, and suddenly raised its left arm, slapping out with its palm.

That palm strike, like Gu Guanqi's sword strike, was incredibly fast, carrying an overwhelming wave of corpse energy. The palm wind howled, heading straight for Gu Guanqi's face.

Gu Guanqi suddenly drew his sword.

At the same time, with a tap of the foot, the figure floated backward.

The Autumn Water Sword was pulled from the zombie's chest, drawing a wisp of black blood as it traced an arc in mid-air.

When he landed, he had already retreated to the entrance of the palace.

The zombie stood still, not giving chase.

It glanced down at the wound on its chest, where dark blood was flowing slightly, but it began to scab over in the blink of an eye.

Inside the hall, all the martial arts masters who had narrowly escaped death collapsed to the ground, none of them able to stand up.

The hall was in complete disarray.

Tables and chairs were overturned, teacups were shattered, and bloodstains on the ground were mixed with dust, filling the air with a strong stench of blood.

Gu Guanqi stood at the palace entrance, sword in hand, moonlight streaming in from behind. He stared at the zombie inside and said coldly, "Yuan Guangkai, you've been exposed!"