Silver Corpses, Gu Insects, Meat Mountain

Meanwhile, a fierce battle raged inside the Boat Gang's central hall.

The Dragon-Scale Saber in Jin Mu's hand shifted constantly, its moves broad and sweeping, carrying no small measure of a master's bearing.

But the enemy before him radiated even greater ferocity!

Or rather, the corpse radiated even greater ferocity!

A corpse covered from head to toe in silver powder lashed out with its claws, possessing boundless strength. It did not fear Jin Mu's saber light in the slightest and had charged before him several times.

No matter how he hacked and slashed, the silver corpse remained standing, like something that simply could not be killed!

But that was not what gave Jin Mu a headache.

No matter how powerful the silver corpse was, it was still a corpse.

It could only hold them off for a while.

What Jin Mu truly guarded against was the man who had remained hidden in the shadows, dressed in Southern Border attire.

The man did not join the battle directly, yet Gu insects continuously flew out from his sleeves and collar.

These Gu insects had short wings. Every time they flapped, they pounced on the crowd and took several lives!

"Everyone, be careful! These are the Refining Corpse Sect's Blood Dissolving Gu—deadly poisonous, sealing the throat the moment they draw blood!"

Jin Mu shouted a warning. His saber flashed, and several blood-colored Gu insects were cut down to the ground.

According to their original plan, their team had taken the main road on the right and was responsible for the frontal assault.

Everything had gone smoothly in the first half.

Although they had encountered an ambush, they had swept through it like withered branches before a gale and charged straight into the central hall.

But the instant they entered the central hall—

A sudden change struck!

The ambushes they had faced earlier had merely been meant to wear down their strength. The true enemy had long been waiting inside the Boat Gang's central hall!

"Refining Corpse Sect! Instead of scraping out an existence in the Southern Border, you dared come to Linjiang and stir up chaos. You even secretly gave Jin Kui an evil art to help him break through. Aren't you afraid of being surrounded and exterminated?"

Jin Mu blasted the silver corpse away once more, his gaze fixed on the Refining Corpse Sect Expert hiding in the shadows.

That was right. The true enemies were this Refining Corpse Sect Expert and the two silver corpses that could not be killed!

Others might not understand the Refining Corpse Sect.

But as a Sky Patrol Guard, he knew a great deal about this Demonic Cult Branch hidden in the Southern Border.

The Refining Corpse Sect had originated from the Demonic Cult's Blood Refining Hall.

It had taken root in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains of the Southern Border.

Its power was secretive and formidable.

It was far beyond anything the Boat Gang could compare to.

Their Corpse Refining Method came from the Demonic Cult's [Living Person Scripture], an exceedingly cruel martial art.

Living people refined by the [Living Person Scripture] could retain the strength they possessed in life and become impervious to blades and spears.

They were divided into three ranks: Gold Corpses, Silver Corpses, and Bronze Corpses!

Combined with the Southern Border's unique Gu Worm Art, they could be wielded like one's own limbs, obeying only their master's commands.

Over the past dozen years, no one knew how many Martial World experts had been refined into living corpses by this cruel martial art, left to die with eyes unclosed and be used by others.

This filled Jin Mu with fury!

Yet the Refining Corpse Sect Expert merely gave a sinister chuckle, utterly unconcerned by Jin Mu's words.

The next moment, several more blood-colored Gu insects flew out beneath the silver corpses' cover, killing two Second-rate Rogue Cultivators!

Seeing this, Guard Ma at Jin Mu's side turned his internal force in his palm and struck directly toward the rear.

"You skulking rat, show yourself!"

Guard Ma's palm strike was incomparably fierce, but before he could rush out, the other silver corpse blocked his path.

Bang! His palm landed on the silver corpse, yet it did not suffer a scratch. The rebound even knocked off his bamboo hat.

Seeing Guard Ma's true face suddenly exposed, the Refining Corpse Sect Expert hidden in the shadows sneered.

"Heh heh, you hypocritical bald old monk. You say our Demonic Cult likes to hide its head and show its tail—what about you?"

With the bamboo hat gone,

Guard Ma was revealed to be a bald Old Monk.

There was no helping it. Though the Demonic Cult had fallen, it still had countless remnants. They themselves might not fear retaliation, but they had sects and disciples to consider.

Showing themselves in bamboo hats was an act born of helplessness.

"Amitabha. The benefactor speaks truly. This old monk has indeed become attached to appearances." Guard Ma pressed his palms together.

"Since you know you're attached to appearances, then get lost! Otherwise, once Jin Kui breaks through, you'll be the first one sent to see the Buddha!"

The Refining Corpse Sect Expert suddenly said coldly.

"Master, do not listen to his nonsense! Jin Kui is about to break through. We must stop him quickly, or once he does, none of us will leave alive!"

Jin Mu shouted a warning.

"Amitabha. Guard Jin, rest assured. Since this old monk joined the Sky Patrol Guard, he never expected to receive the Buddha's forgiveness. If this old monk falls in this battle, please send my remains back to Jinguang Temple. My senior brothers will make their own decision."

The Old Monk disguised as Guard Ma seemed to have resolved to die. The next instant, he erupted.

A surge of Buddhist internal force swirled in the Old Monk's palm, its golden radiance dazzling. Accompanied by that cry of "Amitabha," he struck fiercely at the Refining Corpse Sect Expert.

No longer needing to conceal himself, the Old Monk's strength rose by far more than a level. He erupted with his full power!

Every punch was swift as lightning, forcing his opponent to receive them, leaving him no room to retreat.

Jiang Yourong of the Changfeng Escort Agency, Situ Ying, the former Sect Master of the Tiger Blade Sect, and the Jade Fan Hall Master immediately entangled the two silver corpses, preventing them from returning to support him!

At this moment, no one held anything back.

They all unleashed their signature killing moves!

Jade fans danced across the hall like flying daggers, each strike leaving wounds on the silver corpses.

As for Jiang Yourong and Situ Ying, saber and sword crossed together, nearly chopping the silver corpse's limbs apart.

The situation in the hall had taken a turn for the better in an instant!

Yet just as everyone believed they could take down the Refining Corpse Sect Expert and the two silver corpses in one stroke—

A thunderous boom rang out.

It suddenly erupted from the rear of the central hall!

Immediately afterward, strange tremors spread through the entire hall, as though some colossal creature were walking. Every step shook the ground.

"Not good! Everyone, retreat!!"

Jin Mu seemed to realize something and suddenly shouted, but his warning came a step too late.

An unstoppable gale of Gang Qi

erupted violently from the rear of the central hall.

The next moment, shattered bricks and splintered wood shot toward the crowd like sharp blades!

The Old Monk bore the brunt of it. In pursuit of the Refining Corpse Sect Expert, he had been closest.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!!

A string of sounds rang out as flesh was pierced.

Before that gale of Gang Qi, the Old Monk's internal force was like paper paste. His body was instantly punched through with several bloody holes!

At last, with a thud, he was blasted more than two zhang away, and in the blink of an eye, he stopped breathing.

Jiang Yourong, Situ Ying, the Jade Fan Hall Master, and Jin Mu were also sent flying by the Gang Qi, crashing heavily to the ground and coughing up blood.

"Master!"

The instant Jin Mu fell, he saw the Old Monk bleeding without end, and grief surged into his heart.

In just one exchange, this master who had slain demons and eradicated evil for the people had died...

Jin Mu was given no time to grieve.

A body like a small mountain appeared before them amid the tremors. It was none other than Jin Kui, the Boat Gang's Gang Leader, after his breakthrough!

Jin Kui now resembled a mountain of flesh.

The fat all over his body let out heart-chilling whimpers with every step, exactly like the two Secret Envoys Zhang Chu had killed before!

A narrow slit opened across Jin Kui's fleshy face as he swept a cold gaze over the people sprawled on the ground.

"Sky Patrol Guards, Tiger Blade Sect, Changfeng Escort Agency, and Jade Fan Hall—just you lot think you can kill me!?"

Jin Mu stared at the mountain of flesh before him.

His eyes were filled with shock.

"Dark Strength Realm! You actually relied on the Demonic Cult's evil art to break through to the Dark Strength Realm. No wonder the Master died so miserably!"

Though shaken by the other man's strength, Jin Mu still forced himself to his feet and raised his saber at Jin Kui.

"Evil heretic, so what if you have broken through? One day, you will surely be hunted down by the entire Righteous Path of the Martial World!"

"Let me ask you: where have the two hundred young men, along with the Sky Patrol Guard Secret Agents, gone?"

Jin Kui looked disdainfully at the crippled figures before him and sneered. "Them? Naturally, they have already become the rations for my breakthrough, merging into one with me!"

"You... you actually ate them!?"

Jiang Yourong had already been stunned by Jin Kui's strength, her face pale. Upon hearing this, she went utterly bloodless. This demon had actually eaten people!

Jin Kui sneered. "Not just them—soon, all of you will become my Blood Food as well! Since my breakthrough, ordinary young men have become useless. You are just in time for me to use your flesh and blood to consolidate the divine art I have newly cultivated!"

As he spoke, Jin Kui strode forward. Every step brought immense pressure as he charged toward the crowd.

They were already at the end of their strength.

And now they faced a Lesser Grandmaster of the Dark Strength Realm.

Even fleeing was a wild hope.

Just as everyone's hearts turned to ashes and they prepared to meet death, a curious voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Corpses, bugs, and a fat man?"

"And that same wicked martial art again."

"You Demonic Cult people really play with some wild tricks!"