Dugu Ming's betrayal

The twelve disciples, all at the Body Tempering Realm, subtly formed an encirclement. Although their words sounded nice, it was clearly an attempt to extort them. They were simply reaping the benefits of the more than forty Demon Wolves they had painstakingly killed.

A murderous intent filled his heart, but Zhuge Xiang did not act rashly. Judging from the situation, his side only had six Body Tempering Realm cultivators and two Qi Cultivation Realm disciples, putting them at a disadvantage. Even if they could win in a direct confrontation, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. Rather than that, it would be better to endure for a while and assassinate them later, which was much better than a direct confrontation.

Zhuge Xiang gave Niu Geng a subtle wink, then nodded. "Alright, since you senior brothers have said so, then these Demon Wolves are yours. Let's go."

No one objected to Zhuge Xiang's decision, whether it was the arrogant and unruly Zhang Kuang Hao or Dugu Ming, who was at the Fourth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm. They looked at the Body Tempering Realm disciples around them with vigilance and slowly retreated.

"Wait..." However, the leading disciple spoke again, stopping Zhuge Xiang and the others, saying, "This Endless Mountain Range is teeming with Monster Beasts. I don't think you junior brothers and sisters are capable of keeping your belongings safe. It's best to entrust them to us for safekeeping. Don't worry, I will definitely return them to you after we return to the Sect."

"Don't push your luck!" Zhuge Xiang shouted angrily, his face suddenly turning red.

Zhang Kuang's eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint appeared deep in the eyes of Lu Yuling and the others.

Zhuge Xiang's decision, though frustrating, only resulted in the loss of a few dozen Demon Wolves, which wasn't a significant loss in itself. However, the other party was clearly determined to plunder everyone's belongings, which was impossible. Such a greedy fellow would obviously not be satisfied even if you gave him everything.

"We had good intentions, junior brother, please don't judge us by our own petty standards," the leading disciple said threateningly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. As he spoke, the eleven disciples around him stepped forward in unison, their auras of the Body Tempering Realm emanating from them.

"Attack!" The killing intent emanating from his body suddenly erupted, surging forth like a tidal wave. As Zhuge Xiang unleashed his killing intent, Zhang Kuang beside him let out a strange howl, his killing intent no weaker than Zhuge Xiang's.

Both were battle maniacs, the kind of people who spent their time fighting in the Endless Mountain Range, slaying countless Monster Beasts. The surging killing intent they unleashed was Human Heart.

The earth churned, and dozens of brightly colored Venomous Snakes suddenly burst forth, baring their fangs at the twelve disciples. This was Niu Geng controlling the Venomous Snakes he carried with him after receiving a signal from Zhuge Xiang, allowing them to ambush from the soil. At the same time, Niu Geng's hands trembled, and his Toxins- covered palms shot out one Hidden Weapons after another, coordinating with the Venomous Snakes to deliver a poisonous attack.

Corrosive Leg Armor reduces the defense of targets within a 10-meter radius by 10%, Boots of Speed increase the speed of friendly targets within a 50-meter radius by 20%. The combined effects of these two pieces of equipment on Zhuge Xiang significantly boosted the speed of others.

With her feet moving in Mystical Steps, Hua Nongying's body flickered slightly and then disappeared, like a phantom in the netherworld, appearing and disappearing. This was the Netherworld Step, an advanced Skill of the Ghostly Shadow Step.

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the Ghostly Shadow Step was not Secret Manual that Hua Nongying chose from the Martial Arts Pavilion. Rather, it was something she comprehended on her own after she had mastered the Perfection Level Netherworld Step to a high level. Hua Nongying's talent for cultivation was indeed somewhat inferior to Lu Yuling's, but her ability to comprehend martial arts was unmatched.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuling took action, swiping her Storage Ring to retrieve a massive Mechanical Puppet. The Bear-shaped Mechanical Puppet stood upright, standing three meters tall, its Formation flashing, and ten complete Spirit Stones were clearly embedded in it. With a series of Soaring Wave Steps- footed steps, she charged forward in coordination with the Mechanical Puppet.

The Zhang Kuang Spear, brimming with killing intent, exuded an astonishing aura. His cultivation at the Body Tempering Realm Third Layer made it even more difficult for others to directly confront his attacks. Zi Xiang, also at the Body Tempering Realm, was enhanced by Half-Body Magic Artifacts, making her equally strong in both speed and attack power. Moreover, Zi Xiang's application of poison was not to be underestimated.

Of course, Zhuge Xiang was the fastest to act. His opponents were at least twelve experts at the Body Tempering Realm. When he shouted to Sword of Attack and Kill was planted in the ground, he took out his Hundred Refinements Bow, and fired his Piercing Arrow. At close range, the high-speed arrows were so powerful that even if Hua Nongying was locked on, she would not be able to dodge them, except for Lu Yuling's Mind's Eye.

A dazzling arrow flashed, and before the two sides even made contact, the Piercing Arrow, which ignored all defenses, instantly pierced the chest of one of the disciples. Staring in astonishment at his chest, disbelief filled the disciple's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected that he would be shot dead so quickly after his sudden attack, before he could even prepare himself.

With a swift move, Zhuge Xiang instantly killed one person, greatly boosting the morale of Zhang Kuang and the others. Putting away the Hundred Refinements Bow, a crimson Qi Energy appeared around Zhuge Xiang. He immediately activated the Bloodthirsty Technique and the Qi Energy Bodyguard Skill. The Qi Energy Bodyguard, already at the Mastery Level, allowed Zhuge Xiang's defense to exceed 500 points. Combined with the Bloodthirsty Technique at the Mastery Level, which increased all attributes by 75%, Zhuge Xiang's defense approached the 1000 mark. Such defense was believed to be comparable to that of disciples at the seventh or eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

What is a genius? A genius is someone who surpasses others at the same stage. Whether it's Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling, or Zhang Kuang, they are all geniuses.

With his Zhang Kuang, chilling killing intent, and innate combat instincts, Zhang Kuang, at the Body Tempering Realm Third Layer, was believed to be no less powerful than opponents at the Fourth Layer or even Fifth Layer level of the Body Tempering Realm.

What about Lu Yuling? Her Mind's Eye allows her to see through her opponent's attacks and dodges, her Clear Wave Palm can entangle the opponent, and most importantly, she has a powerful Mechanical Puppet. If Zhuge Xiang is not mistaken, it should be Incomplete Product from the Ice Maiden's Abode that she brought back and perfected herself. Although it is inlaid with only the most ordinary Spirit Stones, its attack power is still very terrifying, not inferior to disciples at the fourth or fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

Zhuge Xiang's powerful Skills and the enhancement of his magical Magic Artifacts surpassed Zhang Kuang's. With over a thousand points of defense and Five-Star Sword of Attack and Kill, despite being outnumbered, the power unleashed by Zhuge Xiang and his team was no less than that of their opponents once they unleashed their attacks.

The battle had barely begun when one of their own was instantly killed. The aura unleashed by Zhuge Xiang and his group startled the enemy. The burly disciple in the lead shouted urgently, "Dugu Ming! What are you waiting for?!"

The other party's words caused Zhang Kuang and the others to change their expressions. At the same time, Dugu Ming moved and rushed directly towards Niu Geng. His long sword gleamed with a cold light. Like Zhuge Xiang, he also wanted to finish the battle quickly and deal with one of them first. Moreover, although Niu Geng's cultivation was the weakest, his poison made him no less threatening than a Body Tempering Realm Cultivator.

"Explosive Steps!" Zhuge Xiang's expression remained calm, as if he had been prepared for this sudden betrayal. Just as Dugu Ming rushed in front of Niu Geng, Zhuge Xiang took an Explosive Steps, blocking Niu Geng's path. The Sword of Attack and Kill in his hand slashed directly towards Dugu Ming's neck. The Five-Star weapon was incredibly powerful.

"You're courting death!" Seeing Zhuge Xiang's sword slashing towards him, Dugu Ming's kind eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light. Body Tempering Realm First Layer cultivator trying to out-attack him, Fourth Layer Body Tempering Realm? What else could it be but courting death?

However, just as his longsword clashed with Zhuge Xiang's sword, Dugu Ming suddenly felt his hand go empty. Although the sword and saber were colliding, it was as if he had struck thin air.

"Damn it!" Dugu Ming's expression changed drastically. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he twisted his waist forcefully, but it was too late. Zhuge Xiang's Sword of Attack and Kill struck him hard in the lower back, leaving a huge wound and splattering blood.

Suppressing the excruciating pain, Dugu Ming pulled back, creating a relatively safe distance. His face was filled with horror as he stared at Zhuge Xiang, exclaiming incredulously, "Ghostly Flash Steps!?"

"That's right," Zhuge Xiang said coldly, looking at Dugu Ming. Then he ignored him and turned to rush towards the other disciples. Although Lu Yuling and the others were strong, they were still in great danger when facing twelve Body Tempering Realm Disciples at the same time. Especially with Dugu Ming gone, the gap in numbers between the two sides widened even further.

With his severe injuries, Dugu Ming's combat power has decreased by at least 40%. Moreover, with Zi Xiang and Niu Geng by his side, wouldn't Zhuge Xiang's Sword of Attack and Kill be poisoned? After half a year of training at the foot of the mountain, Zhuge Xiang killed many Two-Star Poison Beasts. He has collected all of these poisons and had Niu Geng help him refine them into a more potent Mixed Poisons.

"Poison?" The huge wound on his lower back, coupled with a strong numbing sensation rapidly spreading throughout his body, made Dugu Ming's face change in horror. He realized he had been poisoned. From his body's reaction, he knew the poison in his body was extremely dangerous!

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