113. Cratered Leverage
Poetry, couplets, and other literary devices filled the nuanced Gu World, expressing the Gu Master’s Attainment, relationship with other humans, the world, and its tribulations. It was a way to express emotions when ordinary sentences would fail them.
Lo Jik wasn’t immune to the culture around him, having expressed his eagerness to break free from his shackles by either wearing them as his decorations, signifying his broad mindset, or shattering them into ashes, wording the innate savagery and unwavering will of a man willing to do anything for his freedom of choice—consequences be damned.
Back then, the worry and the mental pressure from the thought of scheming against Shang Yan Fei and the distant Immortal Elders turned into Lo Jik’s nightmare, haunting him every time he slept. However, all these troubling thoughts and emotions swept away alongside the sense of stagnation within him during his battle with Ju Kai Bei, provoking his blood to boil and his soul to feel the purest joy and rush.
What I wear are my decorations.
The chains I shatter turn to dust.
The heart remains unchanged.
And this insignificant vagabond steps on the shackles unhindered.
That was the day Lo Jik expressed himself and his ambitions in their truest sense and naked form. At one point, his lovers—even Shen Cui—stopped being what others might consider shackles. Being his, how can anything be a shackle? The consequences of his decisions were always welcomed because he willingly made those decisions. Unlike others’ beliefs, Lo Jik knew he always had a choice. He also had a choice during Chen Jiu’s plot.
He could have rejected her proposal and found a way to confront Shang Yan Fei. After all, Death wasn’t an ultimatum to Lo Jik.
Similarly, others formed their ideologies, mastering the Gu and walking the Dao like none other—developing unique connections with the world and the life around them.
At later stages, be it their knack for acting pretentious or sincerely revealing their thoughts, many elders arrived in different locations with a few thought-provoking sentences or poems.
So, the three Elders’ reactions were justifiable. Having seen through the mortal world’s deception of righteousness and demonic—even partaking in it as the previous generation’s Tie Clan Leader—Tie Mu Bai was exhausted by the constant conflict once he reached Rank 5 Peak Stage Aperture. His mind, body, and soul longed to ascend to the Immortal Realm, shedding his mortal limitations! His shallow sigh identified his weariness, yet his arrival countered his so-called mental enlightenment. Why wouldn’t Tie Mu Bai seek to prosper peacefully instead of appearing with the Tie Clan’s reinforcement if the mortal competition left him distraught?
Tie Mu Bai was a generational expert—overlooking the mortal realm from its peak before turning his back on it and gazing at another splendid peak beyond his current realm—the Immortal Realm. An effortless wave of his palm could rend societies or raise them to their peak and most affluent period!
Even among other Rank 5 experts, due to attaining nurturing from the Tie Clan’s Immortal, Tie Mu Bai’s foundations were nothing to scoff at. He represented a unique class of wealth, status, reputation, and strength barely overshadowed by anyone from the current generation, including the prodigious Shang Yan Fei!
Perhaps only the Monster from the Wu Clan could match Tie Mu Bai in all those aspects. Yet, they had never sparred, leaving many things speculative.
This Peak Stage Rank 5 Gu Master was TIE MU BAI! His name alone would make other experienced Gu Masters like Yi Huo tremble with cold trepidation!
Yet, colder and wilder, birthed by the purest essence of Heaven and Earth—representing an Aptitude that stood at the peak of all realms and an attitude not too far from it—Bai Ning Bing saw through all pretenses at a mere glance. His words were shocking, insulting Tie Mu Bai’s late wife.
Then there was Tie Bai Qi.
Like Mu Bai’s refined appearance, Bai Qi wore his white hair slicked. His mustaches were thin and long, cascading down and unifying with the longer beard that thinned near the man’s chest. The strangest thing about Tie Bai Qi was his shining third eye. Unlike Lo Jik’s horizontal eye hidden behind a headband, Tie Bai Qi’s third eye was vertical and undoubtedly connected to his Enslavement Path foundation since he was once a renowned general under Tie Mu Bai, an expert in controlling apes.
The surrounding White Apes were the mutated beasts, each capable of challenging Myriad Beast Kings. Unlike Wu Shen Tong’s mutated Kunlun Bull Beast Group, which numbered in tens, the nearly two hundred Mutated Beasts possessed several Gu Worms! They would not be effortless to deal with unless Lo Jik revealed his ability to locate the Gu on their bodies, exposing one of his most treasured trump cards.
Like Tie Mu Bai, Bai Qi adopted a more peaceful ideology after experiencing a life of hardship, arrogantly claiming his desire for all lives to live peacefully.
Yet, what did his apes eat?
Their shit?
No!
Everything in life needed sustenance. The very act of existence demanded conflict! Wouldn’t Heaven create all living beings self-sustainable if peace was a mandatory value for survival?
How could anything exist with peace alone?
Unlike Mu Bai, who was flexible enough to see through the world’s fog with a lens of moral clarity, Bai Qi uttered pure shit and got rightfully branded as a Monkey Rutting Idiot, for he had to be one to spout this nonsense or an absolute hypocrite!
Finally, there was Tie Mo Xie, the one Lo Jik focused on most. It wasn’t because she was a female, but she held a Gu capable of interfering with Lo Jik’s and Bai Ning Bing’s connection with their Gu!
Like Bai Qi, Mo Xie shared a deep connection with Mu Bai and was a Refinement Path expert of her time. However, her reputation never reached the point of fervor as it did with Feng Tian Yu. Her arrival in San Cha signified the Tie Clan’s confidence in her survival.
What did that mean?
It meant Tie Mo Xie had enough trump cards as a Refinement Path Gu Master to survive against other Gu Masters. So, Lo Jik’s desire for her Gu Set was probably the greatest compared to others.
As a Refinement Path master, she began to loathe how others used their Gu as tools to commit evil. Yet, was her clan bereft of sins?
Even the current Tie Ruo Nan could answer that—
Of course, the Tie Clan was the most just and righteous clan within the Southern Border!
Lo Jik directly confronted that fickle ideology. After all, people like Tie Mo Xie in his previous worlds were those super-rich individuals who began preaching about recycling and whatnot after committing every atrocity under the sky.
Who cared how a Gu Master used their Gu?
Human is the spirit of all living beings, and the Gu is the essence of Heaven and Earth; A Gu Master uses, nurtures, and refines the Gu.
Who uttered that phrase?
Who encouraged others to study and master the way of the Gu?
Who spoke for the Gu Masters to treat the Gu Worms as living beings yet tools—to be used as wished, nurtured as desired, and fused into different Gu as needed?!
The first Venerable to ever exist!
The first person to reach the height of the fabled Immortal Realm!
Primordial Origin Immortal Venerable!
When did it become this bitch’s place to oppose someone who understood the Dao like none other?!
So, a bubble of silence was the most appropriate reaction to the demonic duo’s bold counters, which tore apart any sense of elegance and mysterious enlightenment toward the world these Elder Experts pretended to display.
“Y-You boastful demonic bastard!” Tie No Ting sputtered, shocked to his core!
Lo Jik merely smirked. Thick killing intent, like none before, oozed from the depths of his once gentle and sincere brown orbs. His body ballooned, followed by faint-white ancient scars turning into unintelligible totems on his thickened skin. His brown orbs morphed into deviously green-glinted hues, his nose turned sharper, his jaws grew prominent, and his nest of brown hairs elongated to his neck, darkening during the process. The headband around his head tore apart, but he didn’t care.
The Rank 5 Heaven and Earth Before My Eyes did not require Lo Jik to reveal it from his forehead during his transformation despite using it.
Though matching his freak, Bai Ning Bing couldn’t maintain his transformation or display the same level of resistance against a Rank 5 Gu Master. The duo knew it would be tough if they did not wish to rely on their escape path to survive the predicament.
Nineteen Tie Clan Gu Masters, alongside the three Rank 5 wizened elders and the hundreds of apes encircled them. Many possessed their trump cards, too. The best way to tackle everything was by running away.
But…
Where?
Lo Jik still needed the Three Kings’ Inheritance.
It was also impossible to kill all three Rank 5 Gu Masters, even if Lo Jik exposed his Rank 5 strength.
So, the answer was to damage the group enough that it deters them but not too much so that it weakens them to mediocrity.
As the duo’s words lingered, Tie Bai Qi’s and Mo Xie’s expressions darkened. Their lips pursed, and their wrinkles trembled as they stared at the audacious pair of juniors with unchecked killing intent. However, Tie Mu Bai remained indifferent to their words after a moment.
‘Be careful. Tie Mu Bai has deep foundations alongside two well-known Metal Path Gu—Rank 5 Turn Gold for offensive and Liquid Metal for defensive means. However, he must have another trump card.’
Chen Jiu quietly informed Lo Jik what she knew about the trio.
“Go ahead,” Tie Mu Bai suddenly opened his mouth, smiling at Tie Ba Xiu. “We didn’t plan to reveal ourselves at the moment but chose to reduce the loss of innocent lives from the clan. Capture these two demonic Gu Masters. We can’t possibly lower ourselves to capture these two juniors, which would shame the Tie Clan’s glory.”
“Hmm,” Tie Bai Qi stroked his beard. “My apes will maintain a tight perimeter, interrupting their retreat. Elder Brother Mu Bai said it right. You young ones must learn to resolve your issues.” The Apes suddenly beat their chests and spread apart, forming a secured circle perimeter.
“Hehe,” Tie Mo Xie snickered, staring at Lo Jik’s Steed Gu. “Fairness aside, these two beasts will cause unnecessary losses. Hmph, I’ll do you all a favor and interfere with Little Giant King’s control over these two Gu Worms.”
Another pulse of formless energy seeped from her hunch-backed body, instantly diluting Lo Jik’s control over the duo Steet Gu as he retrieved them into his aperture with a thought.
“Thank you, Elders,” Tie Ba Xiu cupped his fists before straightening his back and staring at the encircled duo.
“Do you see this, Lo Jik?!” Tie No Ting shouted. “You have nowhere to run. Stop with this pathetic resistance and surrender! Demon Suppression Tower does not kill criminals but reforms them. You still have a chance, demon!”
Lo Jik chuckled, refusing to waste more breaths in trash-talking to flounder the group since the Rank 5 Elders’ support stabilized their motivation. Instead, Lo Jik used the Rank 4 Golden Bell Shield Gu as a thin layer of golden light materialized around his body, protecting him from malicious elements. He instantly focused on Tie Ba Xiu and shot at him with a bow in his hand! Tiger roars and Dragon cries resounded in Lo Jik’s step, indicating his use of Rank 4 Dragon Travel Tiger Steps Gu.
Meanwhile, Bai Ning Bing wasn’t to be outdone. His finances had opened up after refining the Rank 5 Zombie Gu, allowing him to eventually hand over the Rank 3 Control Ice and Wind Stream Gu before replacing the duo with the Rank 4 Shape Blizzard Gu as he modified his Killer Move. Using One Gu Worm instead of the previous two left room for Bai Ning Bing’s mental faculties.
Not only that, the Frost Devil had also used the Rank 4 Blue Jade Bones to refine his skeletal structure. Despite the options, locating the necessary Gu to refine Bai Ning Bing’s nervous and circulatory systems was more challenging.
*Shiing*
Like Ruo Nan, Bai Ning Bing slapped his palms together to form two icy daggers from the Rank 3 Ice Edge Gu. His figure blurred as he used the Rank 3 Ice Skates to enhance his speed further than usual on the snowy ground, shooting towards the nearest Rank 3 Gu Master.
“No, you don’t!”
Tie Ruo Nan recovered. She suddenly aimed at Bai Ning Bing and tossed her massive Broadsword as it rotated midair while flying at the latter with extreme speed.
It was the Rank 3 Control Sword Gu!
“Hmph!” Bai Ning Bing sneered coldly, exhaling a stream of dense vapors from his nostrils as it mobilized into a moving bubble around him. It was the Rank 4 Water Shield Gu, boasting the same ability to deflect attacks using its spiral momentum and the inability to use it if Bai Ning Bing didn’t have the proper space to use it as its Rank 2 counterpart.
The broadsword created from Ruo Nan’s Rank 4 Gu flew away, instantly returning to Ruo Nan’s grip instead as she pointed at Bai Ning Bing and used several long-ranged attacks to consume the latter’s Primeval Essence. The encircling Rank 3 Gu Masters no longer joined the fight directly and adopted the same strategy of exhausting the duo to death as they attacked using fireballs, snowballs, lightning strikes, metal pins, vine whips, poisonous vines, sword qi, and more!
Lo Jik was the same as his Golden Bell Shield Gu flickered continuously under the barrage of attacks.
Yet, the two Elders focused more on Lo Jik after he revealed his Upper Stage cultivation and the Rank 5 Blood River Python that almost killed everyone!
Tie Ba Xiu was a renowned Strength Path Gu Master, boasting the Rank 4 Tyrant Strength Gu and the Rank 5 Earth Overlord Gu.
The Rank 5 Earth Overlord Gu allowed a Gu Master to grow stronger at a steady pace as long as they remained on the ground. Using the Rank 4 Tyrant Strength alongside allowed Tie Ba Xiu to instead accumulate said strength at heightened speed and massive proportions, becoming stronger and stronger as long as he remained on the ground!
Yet, it was a pale imitation of what could be achieved using the Borrow Strength and Earth Strength Gu. Using those two Gu Worms allowed Lo Jik to possess the Earth’s strength ANYWHERE—even in midair!
<<<>>>
*Swish*
Lo Jik avoided a disastrous punch and a jet of blue flames from the two elders before suddenly aiming at the nearest Rank 3 Gu Master with his bow.
“You fool!” Tie No Ting laughed. He had been waiting for Lo Jik to show such weakness. He made a vertical slicing motion with his hand, creating a broad pillar of golden fire in midair that instantly struck Lo Jik like lightning!
*Swish*
Lo Jik revoked the Defensive Gu, exposing his body to the elements!
Tie No Ting’s and Ba Xiu’s pupils shrunk as the flaming pillar instantly swallowed Lo Jik.
‘He couldn’t possibly be THAT mad—’ Tie Ba Xiu’s heart sank as he understood Lo Jik’s ploy.
*Roar*
*Roar*
*Roar*
*Roar*
Four bestial roars echoed as Tie No Ting shrieked, suddenly feeling a massive formless wave of strength impact him. Meanwhile, the flames disappeared as if dispersed using a pressurized air bubble.
Standing tall, with golden light flickering around his body once again, not to mention projecting slight burns on his body, the Little Giant King projected four mutated beasts!
Lightning Dragon Elephant.
Sky Griffin.
Infernal Ape.
Three-Headed Underground Snake.
‘As suspected, the injuries on his body are too light to project several Beast Strength Phantoms,’ Tie Ba Xiu felt slightly bitter. ‘This means that Gu Yue Lo Jik possesses Rank 5 Bitter Strength Gu. Only at Rank 5 does the Bitter Strength Gu increase the projected strength despite light injuries.’
“Hahaha!” Lo Jik laughed callously, tossing the wizened elders an arrogant glare. “Your Clan’s Tie No Ting is spectacularly foolish! Now watch me butcher your juniors with the strength he offered!”
Lo Jik was a blur, with his speed boosted due to the resonating Dragon Travel Tiger Steps Gu and the Lightning Dragon Elephant Gu. He instantly appeared near a panicking Tie Clan junior, his fist coiled back as Tie No Ting’s eyes turned bloodshot!
“Don’t you dare!”
He screamed, bathing in bloody flames as he shot forward alongside the quiet Tie Ba Xiu.
“I shouldn’t dare?”
Lo Jik snickered. “Old bitch! Try diluting my connection now!”
Tie Mo Xie’s expression turned strict when Lo Jik suddenly shrugged.
Formless Strength Qi emerged from his body, mixing with the four Beast Strength Phantoms!
The sudden change shocked the spectators as Tie No Ting and Tie Ba Xiu attacked even more fervently, unable to catch the eel-like evasive Lo Jik. Meanwhile, the Beast Phantoms suddenly moved from behind Lo Jik!
Their bodies turned corporeal, widening as if they regained their lives and might!
Four Mutated Beasts instantly shot at the unlucky Rank 3 Gu Master. The change was swift and brutal as the Rank 3 Gu Master didn’t last a fraction of a second before turning into a minced meat paste!
The Elephant trampled on its body, and the three-headed snake hissed and suddenly pounced at Tie Ba Xiu. Despite its beauty, the Sky Griffin chirped with bloodshot eyes and charged at another Rank 3 Gu Master, and the Infernal Ape, with its head on fire, crazily attacked Tie No Ting.
“No!”
Tie Mo Xie’s body shook as she almost charged into the battle when Tie Mu Bai stepped up—
*Whoosh*
All the phantoms suddenly retreated into Lo Jik’s body again as an intense blood light moved out, rampaging in the battlefield as the tyrannical Rank 5 Blood River Python, who instantly smacked the prepared Tie No Ting and Ba Xiu away before entering Lo Jik’s body!
Everyone’s expression darkened as Lo Jik stood in a ravaged clearing.
He was tall and proud, glancing at the stiff Mu Bai.
‘So, he was definitely going to aim for the Beast Phantoms.’
The bait worked, and now Lo Jik knew Tie Mu Bai had some way to deal with his Strength Phantoms should he try using the Strength Qi Gu against the former. It was probably the Turn Gold Gu, Lo Jik speculated—or something entirely new. Of course, that forced Lo Jik to reveal the Strength Path Gu—but it was worth it. Mutated beasts couldn’t break a Rank 5 Gu Master’s defense even if he tried catching them by surprise. Meanwhile, Mu Bai’s action revealed his intentions instead.
Now, Lo Jik would remain cautious of Tie Mu Bai, not using the Strength Qi Gu for the Beast Phantoms but instead using it for his killer move.
As for the heavy consumption of Peak Stage Rank 4 essence?
Hehe…
Lo Jik’s grin turned wicked as he looked around.
“What? Is the Tie Clan only so mighty?”
Everyone’s heart shuddered.
Strength Qi!
Gu Yue Lo Jik was a walking Strength Path treasure trove!
However, nobody would dare take him lightly if he survived this encounter!
<<<>>>
Being an enslavement path Gu Master, Tie Bai Qi was used to learning his opponent’s patterns before using his beast group to surround and kill the enemy. Learning the enemy was always a humbling experience since it allowed him to determine their weak points and reorganize his strengths and weaknesses.
So, Tie Bai Qi observed Lo Jik and Bai Ning Bing battle against Tie Ba Xiu, Tie No Ting, and Tie Ruo Nan.
Lo Jik’s side of the battlefield was intense. Ground quaked, and the surrounding trees trembled as Lo Jik’s fists—emboldened by four Mutated Beast Spirits—matched Tie Ba Xiu and Tie No Ting. The superb Rank 4 Golden Bell Shield Gu stood firm under the relentless assaults from the Rank 3 Gu Masters. Tie Bai Qi predicted the Defensive Gu would weaken after a while if it was not nurtured enough. Fire and fists rained upon each other, with Lo Jik still proclaiming an upper hand! However, it was temporary. Tie Ba Xiu was getting increasingly more robust. He devoured strength from the Earth beneath his feet! Eventually, Tie Ba Xiu would surpass Gu Yue Lo Jik.
Both Lo Jik and Ba Xiu were on an equal footing regarding Body Refinement. So, Lo Jik’s deviousness and impeccable use of the Gu Worms in his arsenal and the terrain allowed him to possess the upper hand.
The treasured Gu Worms Lo Jik revealed had moved someone like Tie Bai Qi’s heart. As an Enslavement Path expert, Tie Bai Qi knew his most disastrous disadvantage was tackling the Beheading The Leader Tactic! His enslaved Beast Group would be useless if the enemy could kill him.
Didn’t Wu Shen Tong also die due to the same tactic?
If anything, Wu Shen Tong’s death by getting impaled by his Kunlun Bull was even more pitiful!
Yet, a Gu Set like Lo Jik’s could remove such weaknesses within Tie Bai Qi… only if combining the Strength and Enslavement Path was so effortless.
Everyone desired to dual cultivate, but stringent conditions deterred many from doing so. Only someone with Shang Bu Li’s circumstances could adopt and practice such means in a controlled environment.
The fusion of Enslavement and Strength Path was even more perilous. An expert like Tie Bai Qi often pondered upon this topic. Yet, attaining a reliable answer was very challenging. Both paths stood opposite of each other. Strength Path signified possessing the power of several beings in one! Meanwhile, the Enslavement Path signified using the power of many as one!
If one fused these two paths…
Tie Bai Qi controlled his fantasies and observed the battle.
It wasn’t like he could keep Lo Jik’s Gu Set. They were tasked by the Clan’s Supreme Elder to absorb the Three King’s Inheritance and confirm the rumors about it increasing their Attainment. Such benefits even seduced those hidden Immortals out from their Blessed Lands! Unlike Tie Ba Xiu, the wizened elders had no qualms about the demonic duo and revealed themselves to protect their kin.
After observing Lo Jik’s side, Tie Bai Qi glanced at Bai Ning Bing’s region.
Unlike the forceful, bulldozing Little Giant King, Bai Ning Bing used his advantage to curb others. He was swift and conniving, his blades aiming to maximize every weak spot offered by the enemy.
The snowy surroundings became his paradise as the white-haired devil countered Tie Ruo Nan for several moves, constantly distracting and angering her by aiming for the Rank 3 Clansmen using the Rank 4 Frost Arrow Gu. Ordinarily, that should exert more mental energy from Bai Ning Bing’s side and thin his concentration. However, the lad was born a combat freak, showing no expected weakness and forcing Tie Ruo Nan into the passive!
Tie Bai Qi soon exhaled, praising, “These two are terrifying.”
“Hmm,” Tie Mu Bai stood placidly. “The rise of such talent in our clan would have been the most beneficial. Little Giant King appears to be a Strength Path Gu Master, but he began avoiding Tie Ba Xiu the second the effects of the Earth Overlord Gu exceeded the four Beast Phantoms. To think both would display such a connection with their Gu Worms… While Tie Ba Xiu can eventually wear down Gu Yue Lo Jik and capture his soul, we must treat Bai Ning Bing with similar sternness since the latter killed our Elders.”
Benefits and reputation—the two aspects that Righteous Forces needed to maintain!
“Hmph!” Tie Mo Xie snorted. “These two arrogant juniors bit more than they could chew. But what about that Long Qing Tian… I wanted his Jade Sky Gu to refine the Jade Hands Gu.”
“Long Qing Tian’s disappearance alongside other forces sharing similar disasters is another concern,” Tie Mu Bai acknowledged the issue with a smile. “We’ll have to spend some time investigating the culprit. It might just be the Divine Thief running rampant…”
Divine Thief’s topic darkened the remaining duo’s expression as they recalled how an outsider dealt with the issue.
The trio observed the battle, watching the combined might of the Tie Clan. Eventually, Gu Yue Lo Jik and Bai Ning Bing were forced back until Lo Jik suddenly started laughing.
“Good! You all aren’t worthless!” His reckless declaration infuriated the emboldened survivors since they were confident in their Elders and had maintained steady pressure on the duo using several long-ranged means. Even Tie Ruo Nan eventually matched her tempo with these attacks, suppressing Bai Ning Bing and not letting him form his famous Killer Move.
“Boastful demon!”
“You killed our brothers! Your end is destined!”
“Righteousness always prevails over the disgusting demonic intentions. Hmph!”
Several Rank 3 Gu Masters chided as Tie Ba Xiu, Tie No Ting, and Tie Ruo Nan converged with solemn expressions. They experienced the duo’s might firsthand. The strongest of the trio, Tie Ba Xiu, was more sophisticated and intelligent to use this moment of respite to heal his injuries and heighten his strength even more!
He already had the upper hand but didn’t know how many Mutated Beast Phantoms Lo Jik had already refined, which he could release with his Bitter Strength Gu. The craziest thing was… Lo Jik didn’t need it! Using the Self Strength Gu, he could reveal his entire might without getting injured!
“Sigh,” Lo Jik looked at Tie Mu Bai before focusing on Tie Ruo Nan. Worry instantly gripped her heart as she wondered if Lo Jik was about to sow seeds of discontent within the higher-ups by revealing her Demonic Intentions of avenging her father. Yet, that would be a short-sighted move.
“I have been going easy on your forces because of the favor I owe to your father, Tie Ruo Nan. He was the crucial factor that caused the deaths of those two demons behind Qing Mao’s disaster.”
“Yet, your clan has always acted in the opposite manner of the Righteous Divine Investigator. Where Tie Xue Leng showed me compassion, your Clan sent Tie No Ting after us and branded us Demonic. Hah!”
A bow appeared in Lo Jik’s hand as he continued. “I have chosen to prevent mindless slaughter until now. I chose to preserve the lives of those Rank 3 weaklings behind you.”
“No more.”
Lo Jik declared with a wave of his palm. His electrifying gaze moved and pinned Tie Mu Bai. “I’m offering your clan the last chance. Everyone here is intelligent enough to realize that the Tie Clan only houses a bunch of filthy swine lusting after every Blood Path Inheritance, and now my Strength Path Inheritance—”
“Slanderous Junior—” Tie No Ting shrieked when Lo Jik sneered.
“I’m talking to Tie Mu Bai, Swine. Shut your hole and learn to respect your elders.”
Tie No Ting grew pale with sheer rage as he gritted his teeth.
“Tie Mu Bai! I demand a proper duel with Tie Ba Xiu. We both are Strength Path Gu Masters with the same rank!” The cheek on Lo Jik to utter such filthy lies!
“I’ll willingly hand my Strength Path Inheritance and all its recipes should I lose. Heh, you must have Gu Worms to capture my soul, right? I won’t resist, for I would have lost. However, I demand Tie Ba Xiu’s Earth Overlord Gu if I win. My revenge is incomplete, and I won’t let the Tie Clan be my obstacle!”
Tie Bai Qi and Tie Mo Xie glanced at Mu Bai as the Old Man stood with his hands behind his back.
Tie No Ting didn’t speak after the recent verbal lashing. Tie Ruo Nan sported a complicated expression when she realized something.
Earth Overlord Gu represented another avenue of growth for Lo Jik if he did not possess the Borrow Strength and Sky Strength Gu. Lo Jik focused on getting revenge. Meanwhile, she had become an obstacle to the shared objective!
It was Tie Ba Xiu who calmly retorted, “You do not have the leverage to negotiate the terms, Little Giant King.”
“I knew you would say that,” Lo Jik’s grin widened. “Let me show you a decent leverage.”
Lo Jik’s body suddenly deflated as he stopped using the Rank 4 Little Giant King Gu. He looked around before pointing at a beautiful yet exhausted girl from the bunch of Rank 3 Gu Masters encircling his residence.
“Tie Mu Bai, Tie Bai Qi, Tie Mo Xie, Tie Ba Xiu, Tie No Ting, and Tie Ruo Nan! Listen carefully!”
Lo Jik pointed at the female Gu Master, who instantly felt nervous after attracting his attention.
“I will use my Phantom Longbow Gu to attack that woman. I will not repeat myself, understood? I will conjure the arrow of a Sky Griffin from my Bow Gu and kill that woman in one attack. Did you want leverage? I can slaughter all these weaklings without breaking a sweat! That’s my leverage! Give it your all! Try protecting her life with every Defensive Gu worm in your apertures!”
Bai Ning Bing remained quiet and already maintained a partial stage of forming his killer move, ready to strike if Lo Jik’s ploy failed—whatever it might be.
‘What is he planning?’ Tie Ruo Nan was momentarily flustered, an emotion that Tie No Ting and others shared.
As expected, a brilliant-looking phantom blue arrow.
Lo Jik stared at the woman, smiling.
“Remember, O’ Nameless Heroine of the Tie Clan. You sacrificed your life for the glorious purpose of your Clan’s Elder probing me—Gu Yue Lo Jik.”
“Stop!”
Tie No Ting snorted and instantly attacked when he realized something—
Lo Jik’s arrow didn’t aim at the woman.
Instead, Lo Jik’s arms were tilted down as if he were aiming at the ground.
*Whoosh*
A pair of spectacular sky-blue wings emerged from Lo Jik’s back as he was already a few meters with a single flap—the Rank 4 Griffin Wings Gu!
The arrow, still in the same position, was now directly aimed at the woman!
Yet Lo Jik was one of the most toxic schemers. He deceived others by presenting a weak exterior.
How could Lo Jik challenge Rank 5 Gu Masters without using his superiority?
Rank 4 Phantom Longbow Gu.
Sky Griffin Beast Phantom—to form the Beast Phantom Arrow.
Rank 4 Strength Qi Gu—to multiply the attack’s intensity by four times!
Finally, Lo Jik depleted his Rank 5 Peak Stage Essence as he used a Rank 5 Gu to top it all off!
Rank 5 Multiply Gu—to multiply the resultant attack power by five times more!
Rank 5 Killer Move: The Last Arrow.
Lo Jik gently let go of the arrow as it shot past with speed beyond the Rank 4 Elders’ comprehension. Already prepared after such a boastful challenge, the Rank 5 Elders made their moves.
A Golden Dragon roared and moved at a similar pace. Since Lo Jik multiplied the attacking power using the Rank 5 Multiply Gu and not its speed, the Golden Dragon instantly intercepted the attack—
*Pew*
The arrow shot past the Dragon Gu, instantly causing the impact to punch a massive hole in its head and kill it!
*Aooooo*
A fur-clad shield was already behind the Golden Dragon Gu—Tie Bai Qi’s Ape Shield Gu. It caught the arrow, hoping the Dragon’s sacrifice to dampen its power—
*Pew*
*Crack*
The shield cracked and broke apart as Tie Bai Qi’s eyes darkened. Such rare Defensive Gu provided an adequate lifeline for an Enslavement Path Gu Masters like him!
Even Mo Xie’s expression shifted to shock as her glass-like shuttle shattered upon impact, leaving the arrow to pierce the woman’s head as the impact shattered her skull and flung the gore into the surroundings.
*Boom*
The arrow struck the ground, instantly punching it with a massive wind impact that cratered beyond the spectator’s wildest imagination, eating more than 100 meters of the radius in the distance as their surroundings shook crazily—the effects of the Sky Griffin Arrow!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The arrow was set loose before it instantly pierced through all the obstacles!
The nearby Tie Clansmen flew back due to the impact, coughing mouthfuls of blood as their hearts clenched with fright!
They did not even see what happened!
Everyone was silent as Lo Jik flapped his wings and maintained his altitude.
“There!” Lo Jik laughed, pointing at the crater quenched with meager blood and gore of the unfortunate corpse.
“That Nameless Tie Heroine was my leverage. Tie Ba Xiu! Did you like it?”
Tie Ba Xiu looked ashen from terror, rage, and sadness!
Just…
What the heck just happened?!
***
Alternate Title: The Prestige of Rank 5; The Duality of Experts: Open And Honorable Like Tie Mu Bai And Devious Ones Like Lo Jik; Tie Mu Bai, Bai Qi, And Mo Xie; Countered Ideals; Primordial Rolling In His Grave Hearing All The Smart Asses Running Their Mouths; The Monster Beyond Mu Bai; Always Baiting; A Mind That Doesn’t Stop Scheming; The Strength Qi’s Effect; The Killer Move From a Bow Master; When The Master Attacks; Going All Out?; A Skilled Foe; Bai Qi’s Assessment; Another Ploy; The Ready Bai Ning Bing; The Nameless Heroine Indeed; Attacking; Unstoppable; The Last Arrow
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