An alliance

"Shadow," carrying the three leaders, used a shadow leap to return to Granny Tiangu's side. Instead of hiding in the shadows as usual, he said, his face pale:

"Grandma, we lost."

His tone conveyed resentment and bewilderment.

Even now, he still cannot accept the fact of defeat.

With their combined strength, they could easily kill any third-rank cultivator from any system. Even if a martial artist was tough and resilient, it would only take them a little longer.

Even a second-rank warrior could not escape defeat when the seven tribal leaders joined forces.

But the truth is, they were easily defeated by a young, third-rank martial artist—indeed, easily defeated, because the young man did not suffer any serious injuries.

The injuries they inflicted on the young man would heal in no time for a superhuman warrior.

How to deal with it?

As Shadow spoke, he glanced at the dragon image not far away.

Long Tu, mindful of his friendship with the other party, stood by and did nothing. The only way to quell Xu Qi'an's anger and persuade him to abandon his ruthless pursuit was through the Li Gu tribe.

Granny Tian Gu did not answer him. She walked to Ba Ji's side, took out several bamboo tubes from his cloth bag, uncorked the bamboo tubes, and put the purple poison pills inside into Ba Ji's mouth.

Ba Ji greedily swallowed the poison pills, and gradually, his face turned a deep purple, making him look like a purple sweet potato.

Then, a miraculous scene unfolded: the purple flesh on his arm and thigh, which Xu Qi'an had torn off, began to wriggle and grow. Before long, his hands and feet were completely restored.

But Baji's skin remained a deep purple.

A poison master who has cultivated a poisonous body possesses an indestructible body similar to a martial artist, but their essence is different.

Repairing a damaged body requires a large amount of toxins. Afterward, the toxicity of the toxins will become singular, depending on the type of toxin used for repair.

For a poison master, this is equivalent to a significant drop in strength, requiring a long period of time to recover by consuming other poisons.

"Draw the poison out of Luan Yu's body."

Granny Tian Gu said.

Ba Ji nodded, even more so than if he wanted to; he desperately needed to replenish his toxins.

Approaching the alluring and beautiful Luan Yu, Ba Ji took a deep breath. Instantly, wisps of bluish-black poisonous smoke billowed from Luan Yu's mouth and nose, which Ba Ji absorbed.

Ba Ji's eyes lit up, and he said in astonishment:

"Such pure corpse poison, purer than all the corpse poisons from the Corpse Gu Clan combined."

Luan Yu awoke with a soft moan, her face pale. She had more than ten fractures in her ribs, arms, and sternum. Although she was a Transcendent Realm expert and her life force had undergone a transformation, she certainly couldn't recover as quickly as the Power Gu and the Martial Artist.

Her first reaction was to endure the pain and look at the young man in the distance, her eyes filled with both apprehension and fear.

Granny Tian Gu continued:

"Luan Yu, remove the love potion from Chun Yan's body."

Luan Yu nodded, withdrew her gaze, pursed her lips, endured the pain, and got up to go to the Heart Gu Master, whose cheeks were flushed and who was occasionally murmuring.

"So you're no more noble than other women when you're in heat," Luan Yu muttered, spitting softly. She placed her palm against Chun Yan's chest, and after a few seconds, the infatuated Gu Master slowly calmed down and opened her eyes.

She immediately frowned, feeling the pain of her broken bone.

However, an extraordinary being is still an extraordinary being; even if they don't excel in physical strength, this injury isn't a big problem.

Chunyan's reaction was exactly the same as Luanyu's. She straightened her back abruptly, scanned her surroundings, and then her gaze fell on the Vajra God Body in the distance.

"Who exactly is he? And why is he so proficient in so many Gu techniques?"

Chunyan bit her lip, her gaze blank.

She voiced the doubts of the leaders: this battle had been extremely frustrating, and their methods, which they were so proud of, were ineffective against this young man.

Because he is also a poison master, heart master, dark master, strength master, and love master, the only ones he seems to not have mastered are the Heavenly Gu and Corpse Gu.

In the history of the Gu clan, no one has ever been able to contain so many Gu worms. Two Gu are already the limit; anyone who tries to master three or even four Gu techniques will inevitably suffer physical collapse.

At this moment, they saw Xu Qi'an squat down next to the third-grade walking corpse and summon a small dark golden tower.

At the top of the tower, a phantom image of a deity materializes, with a rounded figure, kind eyes and a benevolent expression, holding a jade bottle in its hand.

Golden fragments of light drifted from the bottle's mouth, like spring rain, sprinkling onto the zombies.

The zombie's mangled head was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then, the third-rank walking corpse stood up, respectfully saluted Xu Qi'an, and loudly proclaimed:

"Greetings Sir Xu!"

Xu Qi'an nodded in satisfaction after having enjoyed being in charge for a while.

There are two types of zombies: one is a pure puppet, which only possesses the corresponding physical strength.

Another type is those who have just died in battle and are turned into zombies, in which case they can retain some of their skills and Law Technique from their previous life.

He smashed the zombie's head with a single punch. If it were the second type of zombie, the remnant soul inside would dissipate, losing some of its skills and Law Technique from its previous life.

However, this third-grade walking corpse was the type whose soul had completely dissipated, and it did not retain any of its abilities from when it was alive.

Therefore, when the Pharmacist repaired the walking corpse, there was almost no loss.

Luan Yu, Chun Yan, Long Tu, and the others stared blankly at this scene, their hearts filled with turbulent emotions.

"He even knows the Corpse Gu technique."

Chunyan murmured.

The two thin snakes on her earlobes hissed angrily, stretching their bodies as if trying to break away from their owner and go to deal with that hateful enemy.

Cold sweat broke out on the backs of the leaders. They felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and inevitably felt frustrated and desperate.

"Apart from the God of Gu, no one can control so many Gu techniques."

Ba Ji, his body turning purple, spoke in a low voice.

Gu Shen Luan Yu and the others exchanged bewildered glances, a strange sense of dread creeping over them.

At this moment, Luan Yu saw the "mysterious" young man slowly turn his head, grin ferociously at her, and walk over.

"Hiss"

The two small snakes on Chunyan's earlobes immediately lost their ferocity and curled up tremblingly.

"Dragon Map!"

Luan Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Are you going to stand by and do nothing?"

The two leaders, "Shadow" and Baji, who were in relatively good condition, stood in front of them as if facing a formidable enemy.

Long Tu paused for a moment, then walked over to several of his clansmen.

"Tuituitui"

Xu Lingyin on his shoulder, spat forcefully at Ba Ji and the others.

Granny Tian Gu, leaning on her cane, walked around the crowd from the side to meet Xu Qi'an.

"Mother-in-law?"

Shadow's expression changed.

Like the Heart Gu, the Heavenly Gu is not known for its combat prowess; its abilities are more focused on other areas.

Granny Tian Gu would probably be killed instantly by such a scoundrel, with no chance of saving her.

"It's alright!"

Granny Tian Gu smiled and walked straight towards Xu Qi'an. What happened next made Luan Yu and the others wonder if they had seen or heard correctly.

"Mother-in-law, did I do a good job?"

Xu Qi'an bowed and asked with a smile.

"They were relatively measured in their actions."

Granny Tian Gu nodded and said, "Go and talk to them. You know what to do, right?"

Xu Qi'an nodded, brushed past Granny Tian Gu, and came before the leaders. He first nodded to Long Tu in greeting, then glanced at the leaders whose faces were filled with confusion and apprehension, and smiled:

"If I were to kill you all now, do you think Long Tu alone could stop me?"

Long Tu, who came from the Li Gu tribe, raised an eyebrow, his face showing both Qi Ingestion and eagerness to try.

Luan Yu, Chun Yan, Ba Ji, and Ying Zi remained silent.

What's the point of saying all this now? Of course they're still not Qi Ingestion, but they're in a bad situation and can't join forces with Longtu to kill them. Being stubborn now won't do them any good. A wise person knows when to yield, so they all remain silent.

"Don't be Qi Ingestion. I haven't even unleashed my 'intention' yet, nor have I used my Law Treasure and peerless divine weapons. Even if the seven leaders of your Gu clan join forces, what can they do to me?"

Xu Qi'an stretched out his palm, cradled the pagoda in his hand, and smiled:

"You may not have seen the pagoda of the Buddhist School Bodhisattva Faji, but you should have heard of it."

Chunyan and the others' expressions changed, and their Qi Ingestion vanished.

"So, you all owe me a life."

Xu Qi'an said, "I am not the kind of person who repays evil with kindness. If you want to kill me, don't blame me for killing you in return. I spared your lives; it's a favor I must repay."

Who exactly are you?

"What do you want?"

Luan Yu and Chun Yan spoke at the same time, their eyes still filled with apprehension. However, they sensed that Xu Qi'an had ulterior motives and, seeing that there was room for bargaining, they lost the courage to fight and risk their lives.

Shadow and Baji remained silent, but it was clear they shared the same confusion.

"You all know my identity, otherwise you wouldn't have surrounded and attacked me. Are you asking about Gu techniques?"

Xu Qi'an spoke, he glanced at Granny Tian Gu, and seeing that she did not object, he continued:

"My Gu techniques originate from the Seven Deadly Gu."

The four of them, including Chunyan, looked at each other blankly, clearly having never heard of the Seven Deadly Gu.

Long Tu and the six elders of the Li Gu tribe were equally confused.

"Let me speak for you."

Granny Tian Gu slowly said:

"The Seven Deadly Gu is the old man's life's work. It brings together the seven Gu techniques of the Gu clan, with the Heavenly Gu as its foundation, and incorporates the other six Gu techniques. It has been refined over decades, starting from a single larva."

"The Seven Deadly Gu was a contingency plan prepared by the old man to seal the Gu God. Whoever obtains the Seven Deadly Gu must bear this karmic burden and help the Gu Clan seal the Gu God. I cannot disclose the details."

Revealing divine secrets will incur divine retribution; both Warlock and celestial gu must abide by the rules.

The crowd remained silent for a long time, trying to process Granny Tian Gu's words.

The method of refining the Seven Deadly Gu is considered a violation of the rules by the Gu clan.

It would definitely disrupt the current structure of the Gu Clan, but the sealing of the Gu God was something the leaders could reluctantly accept.

"Don't worry, the Seven Deadly Gu is unique; there won't be another one like it. Moreover, this Gu is not something an ordinary person can tolerate. In the entire Nine Provinces, I'm afraid only he can handle it," Granny Tian Gu reassured her.

So the so-called destined person is just a pretext. She gave the Seven Deadly Gu to Lina, but it was actually a gift for me. Xu Qi'an suspected that Granny Tian Gu had glimpsed some things in the future.

Or perhaps, the old man of the Heavenly Gu glimpsed certain things in the future, which is why he made such a plan.

Unfortunately, he knew his questions would not be answered; the secrets of heaven could not be revealed.

"Therefore, back then, while the Heavenly Gu Elder was plotting with the Grand Master of the Imperial Censor's disciple to seize the nation's destiny, he secretly implanted the Seven Deadly Gu into his body and nurtured it. In the future, if the Grand Master of the Imperial Censor fails, we will still have people to help seal the Gu God."

"Illusion Master Chunyan said thoughtfully."

Her words made everyone present realize the truth.

"No wonder he became the number one warrior of the Great Feng, no wonder he possesses such high combat strength, and his seven Gu techniques are close to the extraordinary. It turns out he has been practicing the Secret Method of my Gu clan since childhood."

Long Tu nodded. This differed from his previous guess, but it was more acceptable and reasonable.

At such a young age, he possessed seven kinds of Gu techniques, and was close to being extraordinary. No matter how Divine Ability Wei Yuan was, it was still unacceptable to people.

However, it would be reasonable for someone to be "trained" by the Heavenly Gu Elder and begin practicing Gu techniques from a young age.

Granny Tian Gu shook her head. "I had Lina take the Seven Deadly Gu to the capital."

The scene suddenly fell silent.

Several leaders couldn't help but look at Lina, their expressions ranging from stiff to blank to shocked.

Lina nodded. "Yes, my mother-in-law asked me to take her to the capital to find her destined one."

This year's events are difficult for Chunyan and other leaders to accept.

They began to wonder who the true heir of the Gu clan was.

Longtu stared silently at his daughter, asking each word carefully:

Why didn't you tell us?

Lina replied matter-of-factly, "I forgot."

Seeing that Long Tu had snatched the wooden stick from the little girl's hand, Granny Tian Gu quickly continued:

"As for sealing the Gu God, that's one possibility, and the promise from the Supervisor's eldest disciple is another. We can choose to cooperate with the Supervisor's eldest disciple, or we can choose Xu Qi'an."

If the leader of the Gu clan had to choose between the two possibilities, he would definitely choose to cooperate with Xu Pingfeng.

It can both seal the Gu God and avenge a wrong.

In fact, that's exactly what they chose.

Shadow smiled bitterly, "Grandma, you knew all along, so why didn't you tell us or stop us before?"

If they had known that Xu Qi'an was proficient in Gu techniques, unafraid of love Gu, poison Gu, and mind Gu, and knew their methods inside and out, they would never have come to their deaths.

Granny Tian Gu shook her head:

"You're only blaming me for not telling you beforehand because you've been beaten so many times. If I had told you beforehand, you would have come up with a different plan, like using this child as a hostage."

"Wouldn't it be better to have a fight? Let's vent all your anger and resentment so we can sit down and talk."

Everyone was speechless.

This is called "force first, then courtesy"—first break your spirit, then offer benefits and discuss cooperation. Having laid the groundwork enough, Xu Qi'an continued:

"I'm sparing your lives in the hope that you'll reconsider cooperating with the Great Feng."

"Impossible!"

"My people won't agree, and neither will I."

The one who said "impossible" was Ba Ji, and the other was Luan Yu.

Apart from the Corpse Gu tribe, the Poison Gu tribe and the Love Gu tribe also deeply resented the Great Feng.

"Listen to my terms first."

Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "First of all, I will not help your Gu clan seal the Gu God. Although I don't know how to seal Him, you should trust the Heavenly Gu Elder."

Luan Yu said calmly, "This is the consequence you should bear for harboring the Seven Deadly Gu."

Xu Qi'an glanced at her sideways. "The fact that you're still alive is my bargaining chip."

Luan Yu remained silent.

Ba Ji said calmly, "We can refuse to ally with Yunzhou and not attack Great Feng; this is the limit of what we can do."

Xu Qi'an ignored him and looked at the dragon diagram:

"I can promise on behalf of the Great Feng that after quelling the rebellion and restoring agriculture, we will provide the Ligu tribe with enough food to fill their stomachs every year for the next ten years."

Long Tu and the six elders' eyes lit up, their faces filled with excitement.

He then looked at Ba Ji: "Give the Poison Gu Department a certain number of top-grade poisonous herbs and fruits every year. We can discuss the exact amount later."

Ba Ji opened his mouth, wanting to refuse, but his mouth wouldn't allow it.

Then, he turned to look at Luan Yu, paused for a moment, and asked:

What do you want?

Among the seven tribes of the Gu Clan, the Love Gu Tribe, the Poison Gu Tribe, and the Corpse Gu Tribe harbor the deepest hatred for the Great Feng.

He "cured" the walking corpse beside him as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Corpse Gu Clan. He didn't expect the Corpse Gu Clan to completely forgive and forget; he just wanted them not to form an alliance with Yunzhou.

However, Xu Qi'an couldn't offer any bargaining chips from the Love Poison Department at the moment.

Luan Yu sneered, "Stay in the Southern Frontier for three years to accompany me. Since you know love potion techniques, you should understand what I mean."

Xu Qi'an subconsciously turned his head and looked around. Seeing that the timid Mu Nanzhi was still cowering in the distance and hadn't come over, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, after scrutinizing Luan Yu's curvaceous body for a moment, he nodded.

"Three years won't do, three months at most."

Luan Yu was stunned. She hadn't expected that the number one warrior of the Great Feng Dynasty would agree to such a request, and so readily at that.

For a moment, I didn't know whether to refuse or agree.

If she agreed, her clansmen would definitely object and cause trouble. But when Luan Yu glanced at Xu Qi'an's strong physique, her mouth seemed to be gagged, and she couldn't bring herself to say no.

Xu Qi'an then looked at Chun Yan and Yingzi, and said:

"I will have the Great Feng send an envoy here as soon as possible to discuss an alliance with the Gu Clan. You can name your demands."

His promises above were merely an appetizer; he certainly wouldn't treat getting the Gu Clan to send troops to aid Feng so lightly.

Just like when the demons sent an envoy to the capital for help, the alliance they signed stipulated that the demons would pay a considerable amount of livestock, wool, and other supplies.

If Great Feng wants to gain the Gu Clan's assistance, he must pay them a corresponding reward.

Shadow frowned and said:

"You Shi will not agree; he harbors a deep hatred for the Great Feng."

"If you all agree, what can the Corpse Gu Clan do even if they disagree?" Xu Qi'an laughed.

"I don't need him to send troops; I have my own ways to make him choose neutrality."

As soon as he finished speaking, a giant bird flapped its wings from the horizon and circled above the mountain valley.

This is a bird-corpse puppet; the You Shi has arrived.