Times Have Changed (Seeking Follow-up Reads, Seeking Votes)

The Ice Sword Technique was merely a feint. With Illusionary Steps carrying him in a swift charge, Wang Yu had already arrived before the cultivator controlling the bowl-shaped magical artifact. With a sweep of his sleeve, he sent a large splash of emerald-green venom flying.

It was venom he had extracted from the corpses of the Rotting Poison Bee Swarm. There was not much of it, but it was enough for two or three battles.

The sudden venom immediately corroded the alms bowl.

The magical artifact failed.

His left fist, wrapped in a miniature ice storm, struck out like lightning. The cultivator reacted quickly, opening his mouth to spit out a Gu worm resembling a white silkworm grub.

In the blink of an eye, it burst apart and formed a Silk Cocoon Shield around Wang Yu's left fist. Yet beneath strength nearly at the Second Tier, it did not slow him in the slightest.

Boom—

The Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator, struck with full force, exploded like tofu. His organs shattered, his bones splintered, and he burst into a cloud of blood mixed with chunks of flesh.

Wang Yu had gone straight for the kill.

"You're a disciple of Savage Ghost Peak?!!"

The other man's heart trembled in fear. Man Gui disciples possessed formidable bodies and were nearly invincible against opponents of the same realm within thirty feet. But for someone at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer to kill a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator with one punch was simply too outrageous.

It was like facing a Body Refinement Cultivator at the First Tier Peak Stage.

"Golden Snake Gu, strangle him."

When enemies met on a narrow road, the brave prevailed. Though his companion had died, he did not give up. Instead, he continued driving his Natal Gu Worm, intending to seize the advantage while Wang Yu's old strength had faded and his new strength had yet to arise.

Yet he never expected the countless Ice Swords that had been knocked away and broken to reform into six heavy Ice Walls, closing in around him.

The extended phantom of the Golden Snake rapidly withdrew to defend him. With a sweep of its tail, it shoved two Ice Walls apart slightly. Just as he tried to flee through the opening—

An iron chain shot out from underground, as nimble as a snake, and wrapped around his legs.

Under the power of the magical artifact, his entire body was flipped upside down and hurled directly into the encirclement of Ice Walls. The situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

The Poison Gu Peak disciple swiftly took out a Bronze Bell, intending to protect himself. Yet one branch split off from the iron chain and wrapped around the Bronze Bell he had activated as well. This time, the Ice Walls completely sealed shut.

The Ice Coffin Spell took shape. Wang Yu changed his hand seal.

"Kill!"

Countless icy spikes grew and pierced through him. In the blink of an eye, he became a bloody gourd. His life force rapidly faded away. The Golden Snake Gu resting on his brow gave an unwilling hiss before falling, freezing into a block of ice and losing all life.

He had won, yet Wang Yu's expression did not improve. Killing two ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators changed nothing. The truly difficult foe had always been Liu Jin Xian's entire group, not any individual among them.

He put away the corpses and took their Storage Bags.

The spiritual power fluctuations erupting here immediately drew Liu Jin Xian's attention. Three cultivators' auras were locked in chaotic battle here; these were clearly not the fluctuations one would expect from attacking the Bone Lion and bee swarm.

Thus, she rode a giant Mosquito Beast with beating wings and flew over.

The instant she saw Wang Yu, her brows drew together tightly.

"Was it you who killed my Poison Gu Peak disciples?!!"

Wang Yu raised his head. His flesh had been altered by the [Corpse Demon Secret Art], leaving his eyeballs pitch-black and his pupils a sinister green. He was overflowing with wickedness at a glance—clearly no good man.

"Yes.

"They insisted on seizing the territory Wang had claimed. They were seeking death themselves. So what if I killed them?"

"Good. Very good. In this situation, you still dared to make a move with merely Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation. Do you think you can defeat me?"

"Not at all."

The fact that she had not attacked at the first time proved there was still room to maneuver. Wang Yu's eyes shifted as he said:

"Wang has long admired Senior Sister Liu's brilliance and talent, and had always wished to pledge himself to you. Yet my realm was too low; if I rashly joined you, I would likely receive no regard. Those two merely ran into the blade's edge."

After showering her with flattering words and explaining his reasons, he turned the spearhead of his words toward Gu Zheng Shun, preparing to open fire.

"Is Senior Sister Liu not curious why Gu Zheng Shun has been hiding in turtle retreat beneath the thirtieth level without resisting at all?"

Liu Jin Xian cocked a brow.

"Oh?

"You mean he has some other plan? He is not cowed by my pressure?"

"Precisely."

Wang Yu nodded in confirmation, then guided Liu Jin Xian to think for herself with his words. "Does Senior Sister truly think the granddisciple of a Core Formation Elder is so simple? Beneath this Profound Bone Mountain, there must be benefits far greater than the Profound Essence Flower for him to give up like this.

"Otherwise, what was the point of him exhausting all his strength to obtain this Mountain Lord Token? To become a pig to be slaughtered?!!"

That made more sense logically and fit the atmosphere of demonic cultivators scheming against one another. It was indeed highly possible.

Only...

Liu Jin Xian suddenly laughed.

"So what? You killed disciples of my Poison Gu Peak. That is contempt for my authority. You are seeking death!"

With a cold snort, Liu Jin Xian rode the Mosquito Beast in attack.

Wang Yu swiftly retreated, his heart turning cold. This Liu Jin Xian was even more overbearing than he had expected.

Of course, they were outside the sect.

If she had nearly three hundred cultivators under her command, she could naturally do whatever she pleased. Gu Zheng Shun's strength was right there for all to see, and even if Liu Jin Xian attacked him head-on, she would not pay much of a price.

Naturally, she cared more about her own prestige.

It seemed he would still have to fight her. Only by letting her taste both softness and hardness could he have the capital to stand opposed to her.

Having identified the problem, Wang Yu quickly said:

"If Senior Sister wishes to fight, Wang will accompany you.

"If I lose, I will give you these two levels. But there are still five years ahead. Senior Sister should remain vigilant at all times, lest calamity from Wilderness Demon Beasts befall you."

"You dare threaten me?"

Before she could react, Wang Yu formed hand seals first.

Whoosh, whoosh—

He still opened with the Ice Sword Technique. The Mid-Grade Spell Technique at the perfected level immediately made Liu Jin Xian see the issue. Their origins were different, and so were their horizons. She said in surprise:

"A perfected Mid-Grade Spell Technique? Your comprehension is not bad. What a pity your realm is lacking."

With that, she opened her mouth and exhaled a stream of pale pink smoke.

A sweet, cloying scent rushed at him. Wang Yu immediately held his breath, but threads of Poisonous Smoke still coiled around him, and countless illusions appeared before his eyes.

The Mosquito Beast also beat its wings and charged over. Its long, narrow proboscis sprayed out countless Blood Needles, which collided with the Ice Swords and vanished together in midair.

This was a Gu Beast—using Gu worms to control the body of a Demon Beast, nesting within it or using the effects of Gu worms to create a symbiotic mutation, producing all manner of peculiar Gu Beasts.

Its status was roughly equivalent to cultivators who practiced the path of beast taming.

Most importantly, this Mosquito Beast was also at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. The Ice Sword Technique had achieved nothing. Relying on his Divine Sense, Wang Yu suddenly threw a punch and met the Gu Beast in a Head-on Collision.

The instant the two collided, the giant insect shot into the sky like a kite with its string cut.

Second Tier Divine Strength Corpse Arm—terrifying indeed!

The chitinous shell over its body had almost completely shattered. Seeing that it was about to die, Liu Jin Xian hurriedly shouted:

"Stop!"

Wang Yu truly did not pursue. He watched as Liu Jin Xian spat out a mouthful of blood-colored mist. The instant it touched the Gu Beast, the wounds across its body swiftly healed.

A moment later.

It shed a layer of damaged shell coated in mucus and returned to normal.

Only then did Liu Jin Xian let out a breath of relief, looking warily at Wang Yu's clearly abnormal left arm.