Hu Fangyuan picked up the dagger beside him, its edge gleaming bright as snow.
Without another word, he slashed hard across his left wrist.
"Shhk-"
The wound was neither shallow nor deep. Blood instantly welled out, a glaring red.
Hu Fangyuan frowned slightly, but continued bringing his wrist up to the three Gu worms.
The scent of blood spread.
Almost instantly.
The Silver Tendon Gu moved first.
It arched its body, then sprang forward.
With a whoosh, it plunged into the wound.
It felt like a silver needle piercing him, with a touch of tingling numbness.
The Iron Skin Gu followed.
The flat Gu worm flipped over, aiming the sucker beneath its abdomen at the wound.
With a smack, it latched onto the edge.
Then its sucker tightened, and its entire body slowly burrowed inside. It seemed to squeeze itself in, bringing a raw, scraping pain.
Last came the Brute Flesh Gu.
The lump of flesh wriggled up to the wound. Its fleshy buds opened and closed slightly as it burrowed through the cut. Soft and warm with the heat of blood, it slipped into his bloodstream.
The three Gu worms entered his body one after another.
Hu Fangyuan shuddered violently.
"Urgh..."
He grunted and clenched his teeth.
His jawline instantly tightened into a cold, hard arc, his jaw muscles bulging like two solid lumps of iron.
Cold sweat rolled from his temples along his brow bones, stinging painfully as it slid past the corners of his eyes. His eyelids did not even flutter. He let the salty sweat seep into his eyes and trickle down his cheeks, gathering into a drop at his chin before falling heavily onto his robe, where it spread into a small, dark patch.
Pain exploded from the wound on his wrist.
At first, it