Li Hanyi stood in the distance. With Righteous Qi protecting his body and so much distance between them, he was essentially unaffected.
"What a formidable method, controlling the life and death of a veteran Great Cultivator from afar," he murmured.
Meanwhile, Qing Sanxiao climbed out of the Blood Sea and back onto the boat, drenched from head to toe. Grimacing, he settled himself, formed a series of magic formulas, and retrieved the Vajra Ring. Only after regulating his breathing for a while did he let out a long breath and rasp, "Fifth-tier Heart-Tearing... heart-tearing what?"
Tuoba Ye, who had been regulating his breathing with his eyes closed, glanced at him. Feeling that his own plight was not quite so miserable, he felt a little better and said in a low voice, "The fifth-tier Heart-Rending Gut-Breaking Gu, of course. I heard my ancestor mention it. The Gu Tribe of the Southern Borderlands has three great forbidden gu, and this Heart-Rending Gut-Breaking Gu is one of them."
"They say that once it reaches the fifth tier, it can implant gu from afar, claim lives a thousand miles away, and track its prey across ten thousand miles, rending hearts and breaking guts. So long as you've seen it once and picked up its aura, it can leave you dead without even knowing how you died."
He paused, then added, "You all saw that barrier just now. True Lord Haoran had to strike several times at full strength to break it, and that was only the High Priest exerting her power from afar. If she came in person, heh..."
It would have been better had he said nothing. His words cast a heavier pall over the boat.
An uneasy look seemed to settle over everyone's faces.
Qing Sanxiao's expression was the ugliest of all.