Fairy, please don't do this!

Yu Fengzhi, lacking double pupils, failed to notice anything unusual in the valley. She merely spread her divine sense to scan her surroundings, remaining vigilant for any potential accidents.

And so it went, for a day and a night.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed sharply: "Someone's coming!"

"It's Ning Muchi, Wunian, Miaotan... and another fourth-grade Golden Core cultivator."

A chill flashed in Mu Yiren's eyes: "Emperor Yongxing wants to kill Gu Lang!"

Ning Muchi already had a grudge against Gu Jinzhao, but without Emperor Yongxing's authorization, he would never dare to act so recklessly.

After all, Gu Jinzhao had the Empress Dowager standing behind him.

Not only does she wield immense power, but she is also the Cangyue Martial Goddess who has reached the pinnacle of the first rank, enough to terrify any person with ill intentions.

Yu Fengzhi said sarcastically, "Brother ruined Emperor Yongxing and Chanjing's plans at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, so naturally they will try to get rid of him."

Mu Yiren frowned slightly, quickly assessing the difference in strength between the two sides: "Miaotan and Wunian are both at the fifth rank, Ning Muchi is at the sixth rank at perfection, plus a fourth rank Golden Core cultivator... even if we join forces, we are no match for them."

"We can only do as Gu Lang said and buy him some time..."

As the two women were talking, four streaks of light landed ten miles away from the valley, like four shooting stars falling to earth, stirring up a wave of air.

"I never expected that these fifty-odd corpse demons would actually catch a fish!"

Ning Muchi sneered, his gaze turning icy as he looked toward the valley.

Then, he put two fingers together and drew a line in the air in front of his eyes.

A wisp of pure, righteous energy overflowed from his fingertips, washing over his eyes like clear water, illuminating everything in front of him with crystal clarity.

Looking ahead at the valley, the scene that had previously seemed to consist only of rolling mist suddenly changed.

In mid-air, a crimson flag could be faintly seen fluttering in the wind, forming a crimson light curtain that enveloped the entire valley!

"It's just a small, spiritual-grade magic artifact."

Ning Muchi curled his lips in disdain, his right hand already resting on the hilt of his sword: "Everyone, follow me and attack..."

Before he finished speaking, the long sword at his waist was drawn with a clang, and the sound of the sword slicing through the air rose up.

The gleaming sword light, carrying a chilling aura of righteousness, tore through the sky and slashed fiercely at the crimson light curtain!

"Amitabha!"

With hands clasped together, he chanted the Buddha's name in a voice as loud as a bell.

A golden swastika symbol flew out from his palm, grew larger in the wind, and slammed into the light screen!

Although Miaotan did not speak, she flicked her finger, and thousands of golden lotus petals pierced the void, shooting towards the light screen in an overwhelming manner.

Zhao Wuji, the Zhao family's retainer, simply raised his hand and pressed it lightly against the light screen.

A giant cyan hand materialized in mid-air, carrying immense power capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, striking the light screen with overwhelming force despite being behind.

Rumble— Rumble—

With a combined attack from the four, all the vegetation within a radius of a hundred feet collapsed, and dust flew everywhere.

The crimson light curtain began to fluctuate violently, with ripples spreading across its surface.

Upon seeing this, Mu Yiren and Yu Fengzhi simultaneously channeled their spiritual power, forming hand seals to inject streams of spiritual energy into the [Sun-Shielding Flag], stabilizing the shaky light barrier once again.

Then, they all changed their hand seals!

In an instant, the scenery inside and outside the valley changed drastically once again!

Countless intricate array patterns suddenly appeared on the surface of the crimson light curtain, simultaneously evolving into a complex array that combined illusion and killing, enveloping the four people within it.

Zhao Wuji looked into the mist in the valley: "There is a fourth-grade Golden Core cultivator in the valley."

"Otherwise, this single spirit-grade magic artifact is not enough to stop our attack."

Ning Muchi looked slightly surprised: "Fourth rank?"

As far as he knew, among the three Gu Jinzhao, Mu Yiren had the highest cultivation level, but she was only comparable to Chanzi and Fonu, and was only at the fifth rank.

Although Gu Jinzhao possessed formidable combat prowess, he was ultimately only a sixth-rank cultivator.

Ning Muchi narrowed his eyes slightly: "There's something wrong with Jiang Tinglan!"

He had always wondered why Gu Jinzhao would bring Jiang Tinglan, who only had a seventh-grade cultivation level, into such a dangerous place.

It turns out the other party was hiding their strength; they weren't a seventh-grade cultivator, but rather a fourth-grade Golden Core cultivator. No wonder they were so fearless.

"Use the magical artifacts!"

Ning Muchi no longer hesitated and directly presented an ancient inkstone.

He stirred with his righteous spirit, and the thick ink in the inkstone instantly boiled, transforming into a hundred-foot-long flying crane that flapped its wings and soared into the sky, carrying the power of wind and thunder as it rushed towards the light screen.

This is the semi-sacred-grade magic artifact, the Crane-Singing Inkstone, bestowed upon him by the sect leader of the Haoran Sect, who was also his master. Its power is extraordinary.

Wu Nian and Miao Tan exchanged a glance, and both made hand seals to summon their magical artifacts.

The former produced a Zen staff in his hand, and with a light tap on the ground, golden ripples spread outwards from him, instantly breaking the illusion array.

Miao Tan held the [Jade Purification Bottle] in her hand, pinched the willow branch inside, and unleashed a burst of killing power that shattered the killing formation.

The Zhao family worshipped Zhao Wuji and also offered up a mountain seal.

The seal swelled in the wind, solidifying into a majestic mountain that suddenly pressed down with immense force, as if to flatten the entire valley.

Faced with the four people's magical weapon attacks, Mu Yiren gently raised her hand, and an ancient scroll of illustrations was drawn from her sleeve and slowly unfolded.

The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth intertwined and formed a five-element killing formation, blocking all four people's attacks.

The Five Elements Diagram is also a sacred magical artifact. It was bestowed upon her by the Dao Venerable when she became a Dao Child, and she has always carried it with her, rarely using it.

Compared to her, Yu Fengzhi was more decisive.

With only a long sword, its light as sharp as a bolt of lightning, he stopped all four men's attacks without missing a single one.

Where the sword's edge passed, the Buddha's seal shattered, lotus leaves scattered, crane wings broke, and mountains collapsed.

It can be said that one sword can break through all laws!

Just as an earth-shattering battle erupted outside the valley, a shadow silently left the valley and headed deep into the Corpse Demon Cave, without attracting anyone's attention.

Gu Jinzhao had already refined the demonic energy from more than fifty corpse demons, and his cultivation level had surged dramatically.

His martial arts realm broke through from the late stage of the seventh rank to the early stage of the sixth rank. His muscles and bones resonated, and he had formed a complete martial spirit.

In terms of divine cultivation, he progressed from the mid-stage of the sixth rank to the perfect sixth rank, just one step away from entering the fifth rank and becoming a Yang God.

With his current strength, if he were to join the battlefield and cooperate with Mu Yiren and Yu Fengzhi, he could turn the tide of the battle.

But why wasn't that done?

Ning Muchi led his men to surround and kill him. At the core of the [Eight Directions Profound Array], only a Zhao family elder with a cultivation level of only fifth rank remained, making it the moment when the defense was most vulnerable.

If not now, when?

Moreover, after he refined those fifty-odd strands of demonic energy, the second-grade earth demon that was suppressed here must have already noticed the abnormality and would inevitably make a move against him.

The longer it drags on, the greater the variables become; a swift resolution is necessary.

……

The deepest part of the Corpse Demon Cave is far beyond the mountains and valleys visible on the surface.

This is a huge underground space that has been carved out by humans. The rock walls are inlaid with countless fluorescent stones that emit a faint glow, illuminating a huge altar in the center.

The surface of the altar was covered with countless intricate blood-red runes, which slowly writhed as if they were alive.

In the center of the altar, an old man dressed in purple robes and with a gaunt face sat cross-legged.

He was none other than Zhao Qingcang, the patriarch of the Zhao family!

Zhao Qingcang held his hands in front of his chest, and a rolling ball of blood-red light floated in his palms. Blood-red light threads continuously emerged from the great formation beneath him and quickly merged into it, making it more solid and dazzling.

Each crimson ray of light is a essence of life and cultivation energy contained within it!

These essence blood were collected from all parts of the Corpse Demon Cave Heaven through the grand array he set up.

"Quickly...kill more people..."

Looking at the ever-expanding crimson sphere of light, Zhao Qingcang's face revealed an almost manic, burning fervor.

Once this crimson orb has completely solidified, he can use it as the main ingredient, along with many rare and precious herbs he has already prepared, to refine a Saint-grade Blood Essence Pill.

At that time, as long as one swallows this pill, one can enter the second-grade Dao-seeking realm.

Just then, a hoarse voice rang out: "Something has changed within the secret realm."

"Someone is hunting down my corpse demon and extracting and refining all the demonic energy from my body."

"To date, hundreds of corpse demons have died at his hands."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingcang frowned immediately: "Who has such ability to refine even your demonic energy?"

The death of the Corpse Demon is bad news for both sides.

He needs to use the Corpse Demon to kill people and obtain more essence blood to refine the Blood Essence Pill.

The Earth Demon, on the other hand, would use demonic energy to refine the souls of these dead people into demonic spirits, thereby breaking through the seal and regaining their freedom.

Both sides got what they wanted, but now someone has interfered.

The Earth Demon replied, "It was a young man wearing a light purple tiger-patterned robe."

Zhao Qingcang instantly guessed who it was, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent: "It's Gu Jinzhao!"

The dark purple tiger-patterned robe was the official robe of the commander of the military supervisor's office.

Those with light purple markings are deputy commanders.

Without a doubt, this person was Gu Jinzhao, who had always opposed the Zhao family and repeatedly ruined his plans.

"Hand this child over to me!"

Zhao Qingcang stood up, took a step, and instantly disappeared from the spot.

If it weren't for Gu Jinzhao, the sacred-grade [Blood Essence Pill] would have been refined long ago. Why would he risk cooperating with the Earth Demon and do something like seeking help from a tiger?

But now, the other party is so reckless as to dare to enter the Corpse Demon Cave to hunt down the Corpse Demon.

Let him perish here, becoming a wisp of blood essence within this great formation...

Chapter 282, A Close Call: Two Beautiful Women Arrive Together (3K)

Deep within the Corpse Demon's Cave!

Zhao Xu, the enshrined monk of the Zhao family, was sitting cross-legged beside the center of the formation, practicing breathing exercises alone.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept by.

He opened his eyes, his divine sense already covering every inch of the surrounding space as finely as a spider web.

Having cultivated to such a level, his spiritual senses are extremely sharp, and he has an almost instinctive perception of any subtle abnormality.

Just now, he noticed that the entrance to this place distorted for a moment.

However, he still managed to catch it in an instant.

"Has someone infiltrated this place?"

A strong sense of unease suddenly rose in Zhao Xu's heart.

However, the moment this thought arose, something unexpected happened!

The shadow beneath his feet suddenly twitched!

The next instant, a crimson blade shot out from the depths of the shadows without warning!

This sword strike was incredibly fast.

It seemed to blend into the shadows, and from where his shadow was, it pierced his chest from behind!

"Pfft!"

Before Zhao Xu could even circulate his spiritual power, his body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes widened abruptly.

He lowered his head, looking at the sword tip protruding from his chest: "Shadow... Gu?"

The ability to hide in shadows is a supernatural power possessed only by the Shadow Gu, one of the six Gu of the Gu Clan, throughout the world.