A gray swallow the size of a pigeon shot forward, carrying a crimson seed in its beak that flickered with a dangerous light. The swallow's speed was astonishingly fast, and after only two seconds, it smashed into a massive boulder. The swallow exploded with tremendous force, and stone fragments scattered everywhere!
The massive boulder was reduced to half its size, its height shrinking from three meters to less than one and a half meters, while shards of rock continued to fall intermittently.
Fang Tian was not satisfied. He injected primeval essence into Seed Swallow Gu, and another swallow shot forth, crashing into the boulder and causing yet another explosion. When the boulder was no longer intact and had been replaced entirely by scattered rubble, Fang Tian nodded in satisfaction.
"I've become better at using Seed Swallow Gu. Its offensive power is astonishing, almost comparable to rank three Gu worms even without pairing it with Wood Origin Gu. But aiming with it is extremely difficult, and its trajectory cannot be controlled once released, so I must observe my enemy's movements carefully in order to hit them."
Four days had passed since Fang Tian fled Mount Xiu Jian. He was now more than a hundred kilometers away from Mount Xiu Jian and finally felt safe, settling inside a rocky hollow to practice using his Gu worms once more. He was also using Horse Strength Gu and had finally begun to notice a difference in his strength. Although the change was slight, it was still gratifying to see tangible results.
Besides Seed Swallow Gu, he also used Jumping Grass Gu to train his dodging. He further tested investigative Gu worms such as Heat Serpent Gu, which granted him thermal vision. When Fang Tian first used it, the experience was extremely disorienting, but after one or two hours of practice, he gradually adapted to the new perspective.
It could be said that the easiest Gu worm to use was Heat Serpent Gu. It possessed a detection range of roughly two hundred feet, which was extremely wide. There was also the Scent-Tracking Butterfly Gu. This Gu was very useful, but it had a flaw: it was easily destroyed, since Fang Tian had to release it above his head in order to detect strange scents. Another flaw was that Fang Tian could not distinguish between different smells—every scent in this unfamiliar place felt strange to him.
Ice Blade Gu was also easy to use. One only needed to form a one-meter-long blade of ice along one's arm and swing it to cut down the enemy. The blade was extremely cold and extraordinarily sharp.
Fang Tian was deeply focused on his thoughts and failed to notice the movement nearby. To his right, more than a hundred meters away, four Gu Masters were slowly approaching him.
There was one woman and three young men. The woman was a rank three Gu Master, while the three youths were rank two Gu Masters at peak stage. One of the youths, who had a weak build and a slightly effeminate face, spoke in a low voice.
"Elder Mo Ling, should we attack this person? He looks like a demonic cultivator."
The other two Gu Masters nodded in agreement, and the woman spoke firmly. She had snow-white skin, and black eyeliner lined her eyelids, adding a mysterious beauty to her appearance. She was in her thirties and was one of the elders of Yin Clan, which was several hundred kilometers away from Mount Xiu Jian. Yin Clan had been the last clan the caravan stopped at before it disappeared within Mount Xiu Jian.
Naturally, Yin Clan had sent spies along with the caravan. Unlike Yan Zu Clan, Yin Clan had frequent interactions with the various forces of Southern Border and possessed considerable influence. Their clan leader was a rank five Gu Master! They had already set their sights on Yan Zu Clan. Thus, when contact with their spies was lost, they dispatched several teams, including Elder Mo Ling's group. Unfortunately for Fang Tian, he was the first person they encountered.
"Xiao Luo, be careful. Even though this Gu Master is only at the upper stage of rank two, demonic path Gu Masters always possess combat strength beyond their cultivation… but fortunately, he seems to be in a miserable state."
The effeminate Gu Master named Luo Xin nodded, then glanced at his companions with a soft expression. His face suddenly became alluring as he winked mischievously at them.
"Elder brothers, why don't we kill this demonic beast and then spend the night with me?"
The two Gu Masters shuddered in disgust, yet they still leaped swiftly in different directions to encircle Fang Tian, who was just awakening from his state of focus and inspiration. Fang Tian instinctively poured primeval essence into Heat Serpent Gu to deepen his understanding through actual usage. The vision in his eyes shifted from colorful nature to red shapes of varying sizes, while cold objects such as air and trees turned completely blue.
"This?!… These Gu Masters want to ambush me? Damn it, they're only thirty meters away! If I gave them more time, I'd already be dead. Fine, let's see—four Gu Masters, judging by their speed, they should be rank two… but why isn't that one farther away moving?… Oh no, it's a rank three Gu Master!"
Behind a cluster of bushes, the effeminate youth concealed himself and chuckled slyly while staring at Fang Tian with lust. He did not desire Fang Tian's body, but his blood.
"What a pity Elder Mo Ling isn't taking action. Otherwise, the battle would be over quickly. Still, this demonic Gu Master is young and seems to have good aptitude, but how many Gu worms can he possibly have?"
The soft-looking youth placed a finger playfully on his lips, but his expression soon turned pale. Through his Gu worm, he could see the demonic Gu Master. The problem was that the demonic Gu Master was looking straight back at him.
Fang Tian snorted as he stared at the effeminate youth hiding thirty meters away.
"This feminine perfume scent… do these disgusting creatures exist in this world too?!"
The thought was as amusing as it was revolting. Fang Tian snorted loudly, then looked toward the four directions where the Gu Masters were hidden, focusing especially on the last direction where the rank three Gu Master lay in wait.
"Will you come out yourselves, or should I come to you?"
Before Fang Tian could finish his sentence, a swarm of forty insects, each the size of a cat, burst forth. These insects had massive mandibles dripping with a suspicious liquid, red-and-black striped bodies, and small wings protruding from their sides. They were unmistakably Gu worms.
The swarm charged toward Fang Tian. He reacted instantly and activated Jade Bark Gu. The insects slammed into his skin, which had become several times harder than jade, resembling the bark of ancient trees but with a jade-green sheen.
Not a single insect died. They latched onto every part of his body like rabid dogs, trying to penetrate his defense. Fang Tian laughed and activated Wood Origin Gu, linking its effect with his defense and doubling his defensive power.
This was the true usage of Wood Origin Gu—amplifying the effects of Wood Path Gu worms, causing them to exhibit power beyond their inherent limits. Combined with the Samsara Forest Extreme Physique, it was like turning a small knife into a cleaver meant for slaughtering oxen.
Fang Tian smiled wickedly, then poured primeval essence into Ice Blade Gu and began cutting down the insects. His one-and-a-half-meter-long blade slashed fiercely at one of the insects, yet the insect twisted midair and flew away, shocking Fang Tian.
"This is troublesome. It seems the enemy has a Gu Master of the Enslavement Path, but he's using Gu worms instead of beast groups. Is he that rich?"
"Piercing Current Gu!"
A narrow jet of water, powerful enough to pierce through stone, shot toward two of the insects. The water stream pierced through the first insect's midsection, then bored through the second from the middle of its head straight to its rear.
Fang Tian laughed even harder, which made the hidden Gu Masters and the effeminate youth grow uneasy. The other two Gu Masters decided to emerge and attack.
"He's only at the upper stage! No matter how flashy his attacks are, how much primeval essence can he possibly have? This must be just an act!"
The two Gu Masters burst out from hiding and, using movement Gu, instantly appeared in front of and behind Fang Tian.
"Oh? So you're here. There's still one more hiding nearby—likely an Enslavement Path Gu Master…"
With a beautiful yet dangerous smile, Fang Tian stared at the Gu Master who had just appeared before him. The air trembled behind Fang Tian as he sensed the source of the sound and swiftly turned around, slashing with his ice blade and cutting into a mass of thick, solid fur.
His blade only left a shallow wound on the creature that attacked from behind. A lion the size of a small hill rolled through the trees, crushing many of them under its weight. Blood trickled slightly from the superficial wound on its chest.
"Such sharp senses. Even though you're only at the upper stage, you can fight three of us evenly. Impressive."
A childish, sweet voice sounded from behind the bushes as the swarm of insects surged toward Fang Tian once more.
Fang Tian frowned and became locked in a three-versus-one battle. A swallow the size of a duck shot forth and exploded in the midst of the swarm, instantly killing half of the insects. At that moment, the lion's claw struck Fang Tian's shoulder, smashing him into the ground by a full foot as his shoulder shattered. The three fought fiercely, devastating the surrounding area for several minutes.
The result was as follows:
Fang Tian's right shoulder hung limp, completely shattered. Meanwhile, the lion's body was riddled with severe wounds—some shallow, some deep—and scorch marks covered its body from the explosions, its fur thoroughly pierced.
The swarm had been completely annihilated, and another Gu Master had been severely injured by Seed Swallow Gu. Fang Tian panted heavily; this battle had been extremely intense for him. Although he had managed to suppress three Gu Masters who were higher in rank within a minor realm, the fight had been far from easy.
Every time he tried to attack one Gu Master, the insects delayed him while the Gu Master retreated. Whenever he attempted to attack the giant lion, he was assaulted by another Gu Master while being harried from the side. Fang Tian breathed heavily as he looked at the giant lion, which shrank into a muscular young man with golden hair and bulging tendons.
Fang Tian quickly healed himself. The pain in his shattered shoulder eased considerably, though it still hurt. With a grim expression, he pointed toward a spot where a young Gu Master was bound within a forest of vines.
Ignoring the injured Gu Masters lying on the ground, Fang Tian walked toward the vine forest. The vines parted, revealing a weak-built youth with a pale yet healthy face, tight leather clothes clinging to his frail body, and loose, soft crimson hair that fell to his shoulders. Fang Tian laughed coldly and approached him.
The youth's body trembled weakly as he screamed.
"Don't come closer, you monster! Elder Mo Ling, where are you?! Kill him quickly!"
Fang Tian sneered at the boy's cowardice and punched his head violently, then turned to look to his left. To his left sat a rank three Gu Master, the aura of the upper stage radiating from her as she leaned against a tree trunk, gazing coldly at Fang Tian.
"I advise you not to go too far. Although these youths were extremely arrogant and did wrong by you, you've already taught them a sufficient lesson… unless you want to die."
The exhausted Fang Tian waved his hand and spoke arrogantly.
"Elder, I'm not going too far. I'm merely taking compensation by seizing this sissy's Gu worms. As for your threat, it means little to me… and frankly, I've even done you a favor by disciplining these ducklings."
Fang Tian stepped back to the youth's corpse and searched his body and aperture, looting several Gu worms from him. He obtained a total of seven Gu worms, all specializing in the Enslavement Path.
Fang Tian raised his head and looked at the elder, who was emitting a threatening aura, with a gentle smile.
"Don't you dare!"
The elder sprang up, trying to stop him, but Fang Tian summoned Ice Blade Gu and cleaved straight down the center of the effeminate youth's face, turning it into a bloody ruin!