Heretical Paths

"So fast."

Gu Jinlai wasn't surprised.

The words Zhao Fan had spoken to him not long ago should have been Lingxiao City's final ultimatum.

If he had chosen to turn a blind eye, Fang Que and the three great families might have still tried to drive him away slowly, like boiling a frog in warm water. But now…

"Gather the men. Have them protect themselves, and then form a circle outside. Try to prevent anyone from escaping," Gu Jinlai said.

"Form a circle?" Gu Chaoyang blinked in surprise.

"Is there a problem?"

"Ancestor, Fang Que and the Meteor Guard are coming with great force. There are no less than ten Core Condensation experts, along with dozens of Gang Condensation and Qi Refining masters from the Wang family. Their strength is several times ours…" Gu Chaoyang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Perhaps we should avoid their sharp edge for now and retreat from Lingxiao?"

"Retreat?" Gu Jinlai thought about his experiences over the past six months.

Excluding the time "Gu Jinlai" retreated from the Purgatory Sect to Changjun City, he himself had retreated from Changjun City to Starlight City, and then from Starlight City to Lingxiao City.

And now…

He had to retreat again?

"I'm too lazy to retreat anymore." Gu Jinlai twisted his neck, producing a faint cracking sound.

He tilted his head to look at Gu Chaoyang. "I retreated because I wanted to be a good person, to foster harmony and prosperity. But if they take my concessions for granted and push me further, then… do I, Gu Jinlai, have no pride?"

"According to our information, Fang Que should have been planning this a month ago… otherwise, it would be impossible to mobilize over a dozen Core Condensation experts, dozens of Qi Refining and Gang Condensation masters so quickly… this lineup… they could probably even surround and kill a Spirit Refining Titan… Ancestor, a moment of pride and honor…"

Gu Chaoyang was about to persuade him further.

But before he could finish, Gu Jinlai's gaze fell upon him. "I understand this better than you. How much is pride worth?"

He slowly stood up and picked up the somewhat rough greatsword, which was merely a blank slab.

"When I was being chased by disciples of the Orthodox Dao Sect a few months ago, I considered this question. I, Gu Jinlai, am a Spirit Refining Titan, being chased by a group of Qi Refining cultivators. Did I have no pride? But looking back now… my pride was lost bit by bit like this."

He looked at the sword in his hand and flicked it with his finger.

"Dong!"

It wasn't a clear sword hum, but rather a dull thud.

"Dignity is only found on the edge of a sword. Everything within range is truth!"

Holding the sword like this, he walked step by step, his momentum as heavy as a thousand pounds, towards the outer courtyard of the Meteor Guard's mansion.

"When I draw my sword, I am the truth!"

In the courtyard, the Meteor Guard members seemed to have already received the news. They had disappeared without a sound when returning to Lingxiao City.

As Gu Jinlai stepped out of the courtyard, the main gate of the Meteor Guard mansion was suddenly kicked open.

Immediately after, a massive contingent, led by Commander Fang Que, the Wang family's Core Condensation expert Wang Bo, and Wang Dang, consisting of a total of eleven Core Condensation experts, twenty-six Gang Condensation experts, and thirty-two Qi Refining experts, strode in from outside.

Fang Que strode forward, and upon entering, he shouted sternly, "Gu Jinlai, we have ample evidence to prove that you coerced a confession and murdered your colleague Wang Dongyu under baseless charges. This crime…"

But before he could finish, a terrifying and ferocious aura rolled in.

Accompanying it was a piercing whistling sound and a low roar that tore through the air.

"Die!"

The greatsword, not yet fully formed but still weighing two to three thousand pounds, resembled a door panel and was brought down directly towards Fang Que.

"Old Demon Gu! You…"

This sudden lightning-fast strike caused Fang Que's expression to change drastically.

Having cultivated to the Mastery Realm, he had achieved the utmost in controlling his power. Even under this near-ambush, he immediately executed his movement technique, like a swimming dragon, escaping from the hurricane-like shadow of the attack.

"You dare resist? You have quite the nerve! Attack! Kill without mercy!" Wang Bo, the patriarch of the Wang family, roared.

"Form the formation! The Big Dipper Dragon Marvel Formation!"

"Killing people without a word, truly worthy of being a heretical demon from the Purgatory Demonic Sect. Against such heretical demons, there's no need for courtesy. Let's go all out together!"

"Kill! Exterminate the demons and eradicate evil! Act on behalf of Heaven!"

The Core Condensation and Gang Condensation experts behind him echoed his words, quickly forming a formation and encircling him.

The Qi Refining cultivators positioned themselves around the perimeter, ready to prevent Gu Jinlai from escaping.

Clearly, they had made all the preparations and were determined to kill him here.

"Hahaha, well said, 'Slay demons and eliminate devils'!"

Gu Jinlai let out a great laugh, and the heavy sword in his hand swept out fiercely, stirring up a sharp gale.

At the same time, his body began to swell and grow. In just one breath, his height increased from one meter eighty-six to two meters sixty-six.

His tall stature, robust build, and bulging muscles gave the Meteor Guard and the Wang family members a suffocating sense of powerful beauty.

Great Sun True Demon Body!

"What... what is this?"

"As far as I know, Gu Laomo integrated demonic beast blood and embarked on the path of a Demonic Body Cultivator. This is most likely his demonic form!"

"Demons and demonic beasts, they are indeed birds of a feather! We didn't wrong him. Gu Laomo is a humanoid demonic beast! Today, I, Wang Zhongye, will..."

"Boom!"

The ground shook violently.

The ground centered on Gu Jinlai visibly cracked, forming spiderweb-like fissures.

Amidst the flying debris, Gu Jinlai, who had unleashed the Great Sun True Demon Body, charged into the crowd like a true demon god, his berserk power surging within his body.

The heavy sword, weighing two to three thousand jin, was like nothing in his hands at this moment. As he swung it, it broke the sound barrier.

At the tip of the sword, white waves exploded, accompanied by muffled thunder.

The closest Core Condensation cultivator hadn't even had time to unleash his Gang Qi before he was swept away and turned to dust by the sword's edge.

With an attack range of three meters, including his arm length, Gu Jinlai swept his great sword, as if breaking through a thousand armies. Three Core Condensation cultivators, who had coordinated their movements flawlessly, immediately formed a formation to intercept him.

Gang Qi erupted.

The strength of the three seemed to stack together, forming a giant phantom of Sword Gang, visible to the naked eye.

However, under the impact of Gu Jinlai's great sword, this Sword Gang shattered like glass hit by a bullet, exploding into countless streams of energy that shot out in all directions.

The three Core Condensation cultivators who had resisted together were directly sent spitting blood by the shockwaves of the scattered Gang Qi.

After shattering the combined attack of the three Core Condensation cultivators, Gu Jinlai's momentum surged. He brought his great sword down, and the Core Condensation cultivator whose Blood Essence was in disarray didn't even get a chance to gasp before he was killed with a single sword strike.

Then, he turned the edge of his sword and swung it horizontally at another Core Condensation cultivator.

"Stop!"

Wang Bo roared.

Gang Qi erupted, and a battle saber slashed fiercely at Gu Jinlai, as if tearing through the void.

The Blade Gang was chillingly sharp!

Even the onlookers could clearly feel its sharpness.

"This is Blade Severing Flow! This is the killing move Blade Severing Flow from the Sky Water Saber Art! One saber to sever the river! One saber to cut off the flow! Even a Spirit Refining True Master would not dare to face it head-on!"

"The Wang family head has actually cultivated this saber technique to such a degree!"

"Excellent!"

Amidst the crowd, cries of uncontrollable surprise and joy erupted simultaneously!

However, before this saber strike could land on Gu Jinlai's body...

Gang Qi erupted!

Gu Jinlai's palm, as large as a washbasin, was wrapped in dense Gang Qi and Blood Essence, and he fiercely grabbed the Blade Gang that Wang Bo had unleashed.

"Bang!"

The Gang Qi shattered.

Wang Bo's saber was directly caught in Gu Jinlai's hand.

This saber strike, which was said to be something even a Spirit Refining True Master would not dare to face head-on, was crushed by Gu Jinlai.

"How is this possible..."

Wang Bo's eyes widened, his mind shaken.

But Gu Jinlai's movements did not pause in the slightest.

He stomped his foot, and his power surged.

The muscles all over Gu Jinlai's body moved in unison, the power erupting from every cell converging madly, like a mighty river, injecting into his thigh as he leaned forward. He aimed at Wang Bo, who was holding the saber, and kicked out fiercely.

"Not good!"

Wang Bo, who had finally reacted, immediately abandoned his saber and retreated rapidly!

But how could his retreat speed compare to Gu Jinlai's kick.

"Boom!"

The moment this kick landed on Wang Bo's body, waves of energy exploded!

It was as if muffled thunder sounded in the void.

Wang Bo's protective true qi instantly collapsed, and the berserk force, which could crush everything, surged into his body!

His Treasure Armor, purchased for hundreds of thousands of gold, proved utterly useless.

It was as if a solid armor-piercing projectile had struck his body head-on.

His chest caved in, ribs shattered, piercing his internal organs. The terrifying force coursed through his body, shredding his clothes behind him into tatters and sending him flying like a rag doll.

"I..."

Wang Bo's eyes widened in terror, blood constantly spilling from his mouth. Before he could even hit the ground, the light in his eyes had already faded.

The dignified head of the Wang family died without even a last word.

"Patriarch!"

"Second Uncle!"

"No!"

From within the crowd, a series of shrill, terrified cries erupted.

But these people's emotions did not affect Gu Jinlai's killing efficiency in the slightest.

"Die!"

Gu Jinlai let out another low growl.

His greatsword acted as a shield, sweeping across all directions.

While parrying the precious sabers and sharp swords, his figure suddenly surged forward.

Charge!

Unrestricted Movement!

In an instant, he appeared before another Core Condensation expert. Under the expert's terrified gaze, he brought his left hand down to crush his head.

"Bang!"

The Core Condensation expert's skull shattered completely, his entire head being forcefully smashed into his chest cavity by the violent force.

"You think you can kill me?"

He growled, seeing two Core Condensation experts gathering Gang Condensation experts to form an array. He unleashed his footwork, striding forward at full speed!

The straightforward, explosive style of Unrestricted Movement, combined with his tall physique, allowed him to break through the limitations of his current cultivation in terms of speed.

As he pounced and attacked, before the formation of the two Core Condensation and six Gang Condensation experts could take shape, he had already descended from the sky.

One Gang Condensation expert was directly crushed to death by the force of his descent.

Sweeping his greatsword, he parried three attacks simultaneously, while the violent force sent another Core Condensation expert flying.

Another Core Condensation expert leaped, rapidly retreating.

Just as he narrowly escaped the range of the greatsword, which was sweeping like a hurricane, Gu Jinlai's left hand darted out like lightning, grabbing his thigh, and then...

He unleashed immense strength!

He slammed the expert violently onto the ground!

"Bang!"

The floor cracked!

Stone fragments splattered!

Blood scattered!

The Core Condensation expert was smashed into an unrecognizable state on the spot, like a bloody pancake!

Such a brutal and terrifying scene deeply stimulated everyone's nerves.

Especially since Gu Jinlai, from the moment he charged into the formation until now, had killed four Core Condensation experts and three Gang Condensation experts in less than ten breaths!

This terrifying killing efficiency, this demonic ferocity, shocked everyone present.

"Come! Kill me!"

Gu Jinlai roared, throwing aside a corpse. He stomped his foot, cracking the stone slabs.

Unrestricted Movement was activated again, and he became like a walking cannonball, blasting through the air. Wherever he impacted, he stirred up hurricanes and bloody rain.

"Demonic Beast! Demonic Beast! This is Great Demonic Beast level power! This is absolutely Great Demonic Beast level power!"

"Great Demonic Beast! Old Mo, he, he is truly a Great Demonic Beast!"

"The combat power of a Great Demonic Beast is equivalent to two or three Spirit Refining Titans! We can surround and kill one Spirit Refining True Person, but how can we resist a Great Demonic Beast equivalent to two or three Spirit Refining Titans!?"

The terrifying scene was like a nightmare, engulfing everyone's hearts.

Especially those in the Qi Refining realm, their faces were filled with terror, and their bodies involuntarily retreated.

Their retreat further opened up the space for Gu Jinlai's unrestricted charge.

Crush and rout!

In an instant, Gu Jinlai, with his own strength, had forced a powerful lineup of eleven Core Condensation experts, twenty-six Gang Condensation experts, and thirty-two Qi Refining experts into a complete rout!