Facing the Enemy Again

[Ding, successfully intercepted a blue serendipity.]

[Reward: 20 Destiny Points.]

[Remaining Destiny Points: 100.]

...

Gu Yang returned to the ancient corridor from before.

At this moment, it resembled the intestinal tract of a giant python that had just finished feeding.

The air was filled with a nauseating stench—the smell of corpses forcefully torn apart and internal organs spilled all over the ground, mixed with the residual ozone smell of yin lightning, stimulating every nerve.

Gu Yang silently walked out from the shadows.

The white bone floor tiles beneath his feet had long been soaked in blood, making a sticky squelching sound when stepped on.

The three peak Rank Two Iron Corpses, whose sharp edges even he had to avoid previously, had now turned into scattered parts all over the ground.

A giant horse-chopping saber was broken in two, embedded in the wall.

The Iron Corpses' heads, as hard as magical artifacts, had been forcibly smashed to pieces, spraying black corpse fluid everywhere.

"Tsk."

Gu Yang did not feel any regret over the destruction of the Iron Corpses.

"As expected of a Golden Core Perfected One. Even in this forbidden land that suppresses divine sense, dismantling these iron lumps is a piece of cake for him."

Amidst this mess, seven or eight corpses of Blood River Sect disciples lay scattered.

Some were chopped in half at the waist by the saber, their intestines spilling three meters away; others were smashed into a bloody pulp by the Iron Corpses' immense strength, painting the ground red and white.

"A heavy price to pay."

Gu Yang stepped over a corpse, his fingertips lightly flicking away a speck of bone ash that had stained the hem of his clothes.

These elites of the Blood River Sect were originally the capital Mo Bufan intended to use to fight for the Empress's serendipity, but now they had become mere consumables used to wear down the Iron Corpses' durability.

No matter how one calculated it, Gu Yang had profited from this deal.

...

Ahead, a faint, eerie light leaked from the end of the corridor.

That was the unique vitality fluctuation of the Nine-Leaf Sun-Returning Grass, shining as brightly as a lighthouse in the dark night within this dead, silent tomb.

Gu Yang concealed his aura and, like a gecko crawling on the ceiling, silently crept over.

His field of vision suddenly opened up.

This was a naturally formed karst cave. Countless stalactites hung upside down from the ceiling, looking like rows of sharp fangs.

On a black stone in the center of the cave grew a spirit herb that was entirely jade-green, its leaves looking as if they were carved from emerald.

Its nine leaves swayed gently, emitting a visible green halo.

Within the range of the halo, even the surrounding dead moss regained its vitality.

And below that black stone stood a group of wretched-looking people.

The originally mighty team of over a dozen people was now reduced to a mere six.

The leading Daoist Xueku had long lost his previous immortal bearing.

His originally spotless Daoist robe was now torn and tattered, and his left sleeve was empty, clearly having suffered a huge loss in the chaotic battle just now.

At this moment, he was holding a broken compass, exploring the surroundings with a gloomy face, taking every step carefully like a frightened bird.

Mo Bufan, who was protected in the middle by the crowd, looked even more miserable.

His newly grown demonic arm was covered with bone-deep saber scars, and dark red demonic blood dripped from his fingertips.

But that wasn't the main point.

The main point was his face.

That originally handsome and wicked face was now distorted like an evil spirit due to extreme anger and frustration.

"Is this the Nine-Leaf Sun-Returning Grass?"

Mo Bufan stared fixedly at the spirit herb. The greed in his eyes was almost pouring out in physical form, but he did not rush forward immediately.

He was scared.

The yin lightning that struck without warning and the Iron Corpses that suddenly charged out had already shattered half of his arrogance.

"Young Master, be careful of traps."

Daoist Xueku spoke with a hoarse voice. The fly whisk in his hand had been replaced by a black black-iron shield, tightly guarding his front. "The person scheming in the dark probably hasn't gone far."

"So what if he hasn't gone far?!"

Mo Bufan growled lowly, his voice seemingly squeezed through his teeth. "I will tear his corpse into ten thousand pieces! I will extract his soul and light the sky lantern with it!!"

Although he shouted fiercely, his body honestly shrank back a little.

Gu Yang hid in the dark, watching this scene with a flash of mockery in his eyes.

He glanced at the cave's terrain.

The necessary path leading to the Nine-Leaf Sun-Returning Grass seemed flat and safe, but it actually hid lethal danger.

According to the intelligence, another fatal mechanism set by the Empress back then was buried there—the Bone-Eroding Soul-Melting Light.

But this group's luck was surprisingly "good."

During their panicked flight just now, they had accidentally walked right past the edge of the mechanism. At this moment, they were standing behind the mechanism, less than ten zhang away from the spirit herb.

They only needed to walk a few more steps forward to pluck the spirit herb.

"What a pity."

Gu Yang shook his head.

"You walked too fast. You need to step back a little."

His figure flashed. He didn't rush directly toward the group, but instead used the intelligence route he had long memorized by heart to slip into a narrow crevice on the side.

...

"No problem. The surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations are normal, and there are no traces of formations."

Daoist Xueku investigated repeatedly for three times and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned his head and nodded to Mo Bufan: "Young Master, it seems we have shaken off that person in the dark. This spirit herb..."

"I'll go get it!"

A bright light flared in Mo Bufan's eyes.

As long as he ate this Nine-Leaf Sun-Returning Grass, he was confident he could preserve his life during the upcoming corpse-refining process, and even take the opportunity to break through!

At that time, whatever bullshit Scarface, whatever Righteous Path Alliance, all of them would die!

He greedily reached out his hand, walking step by step toward the spirit herb emitting a mesmerizing halo.

Closer.

Even closer.

Five zhang.

Three zhang.

Just at the moment when Mo Bufan's fingers were about to touch the spirit herb's halo.

"Cough."

A light cough abruptly echoed in this dead silent cave.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer smashing fiercely into everyone's hearts.

"Who is it?!"

Mo Bufan retracted his hand as if he had been electrocuted, his whole body shooting backward, instantly retreating into the crowd.

The crowd looked up in horror.

They saw a figure slowly walking out from the shadows behind the Nine-Leaf Sun-Returning Grass.

A gray robe.

A bamboo hat.

And that face which was etched into Mo Bufan's bones and heart, the one he dreamed of tearing to shreds—Scarface.

Gu Yang stood casually beside the black stone, playing with a black stone in his hand. His gaze was lazy, as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

"Everyone, walking in such a hurry, are you rushing to reincarnate?"

Dead silence.

Absolute dead silence.

There was only the tick-tock sound of water dripping from the top of the cave.

"It's you..."

"Scar! Face!"

These words were squeezed through his teeth, carrying a hatred that wanted to chew through bones.

He wanted to charge forward.

His reason told him to tear the man in front of him to pieces, to return all the humiliation he had suffered in the Biluo Secret Realm.

"Young Master! Hold on!"

A withered palm firmly pressed down on Mo Bufan's shoulder.

Daoist Xueku's face was solemn, and his deep-set old eyes flickered with a suspicious, dark light.