These three Gu Masters from the Five Poisons Cult were undeniably confident, believing they had us cornered.
But Aunt Yunxia let out a cold snort, "Demonic sorcerer, cease your arrogance!" With that, she charged forward, her long sword in hand.
Uncle-Master also gave a low growl, "Attack!" and followed suit.
Around us, large numbers of demonic cultivators were rapidly approaching. The zombie servants were already forming a noose around us. Now, we had no choice but to charge forward; there was no other path. Only by fighting, by killing, could we carve out a path to survival.
Seeing our advance, the three Gu Masters merely sneered. They clasped their hands together, chanted a few words, and then spoke in unison, "Corpse-eating worms!"
At their words, we saw countless tiny red worms, smaller than grains of rice, crawling out of the Gu Masters' nostrils. At first, we thought it was nosebleeds, but in reality, they were a swarm of flying Gu worms. After crawling out from the Gu Masters' necks, these worms buzzed and flew towards us.
I had never encountered Gu worms before and didn't know the potency of these "corpse-eating worms." However, just the name told me they were no good. We couldn't underestimate them, and certainly couldn't let them bite us.
"Everyone be careful!" Uncle-Master shouted. Aunt Yunxia swept her sword, her sword light and energy deflecting the worms. The three of us juniors huddled together, forming a small unit for mutual support.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz…" In a short while, a vast swarm of corpse-eating worms appeared around us, densely covering us. Seeing the dark mass of insects, I too wore a grim expression. I warned those around me, "Don't let these poisonous worms bite you."
"Understood," Xia Qiu Xi replied immediately.
Old Mo furrowed his brows, "So many worms, how do we deal with them?" Old Mo's concern was valid. Faced with the overwhelming swarm, Uncle-Master and Aunt Yunxia were faring better. Their profound cultivation allowed them to maintain a protective aura of vital energy, making it difficult for the worms to reach their flesh.
They were already engaging the three Gu Masters. However, for me and Men, it was different. A single lapse in attention, or a few missed worms, could result in a bite. Since we couldn't defend against them all, our only option was to kill them. I glanced at the fire talismans in my hand and then said, "Let's use the fire talismans to burn these worms to death!"
The moment I spoke, Xia Qiu Xi and Old Mo's faces lit up with joy. "That's right! We can use fire!"
"Good, then let these worms taste the power of the fire talismans." They both said this, each picking up a fire talisman. The worm swarm was already upon us. The three of us, gripping our talismans, formed sword fingers and tossed them forward, then retreated a couple of steps. The worm swarm flew right into the path of the talismans. With a press of our hands, we spoke in unison, "Hurry as the law commands, decree!"
The fire talismans flashed with white light, and with three bursts, three balls of flame erupted. The tiny corpse-eating worms were instantly engulfed in fire. Though vicious, they were enveloped by the talisman fire and instantly scorched and killed. The air began to fill with the stench of burning.
"Damn it!"
"They actually used fire against our worms!"
The three Gu Masters from the Five Poisons Cult were furious, completely unexpecting that we would discover the weakness of their Gu worms in the first engagement. But before they could react further, Uncle-Master and Aunt Yunxia had arrived.
"Demonic fiends!"
"Die!"
With two low roars, they struck with their swords. The three Gu Masters immediately retreated, simultaneously flinging out iron hooks. The sound of chains clanging echoed as the hooks flew directly towards Aunt Yunxia and Uncle-Master. They could only parry the attacks. Three hooks attacked from all directions, tearing through the air with a hum.
Our side, having used fire talismans to incinerate a large number of corpse-eating worms, saw Uncle-Master and Aunt Yunxia battling the Gu Masters. We also drew our weapons and charged forward to help. However, before we could get close, one Gu Master turned, raised his hand, and a dense swarm of white worms emerged from his sleeve.
"Poisonous worms…" I cried out, drawing my sword and using my sword energy to sweep these worms away. The poisonous worms fell to the ground, their bodies swelling. With a series of pops, they exploded, splattering a green liquid that was highly corrosive. Some of the liquid splattered onto my clothes, burning small holes through them.
"These worms are corrosive," I quickly warned. Old Mo and Xia Qiu Xi used the same method, employing their sword energy to evade the worms. Although a threat, they did not harm us. Seeing that we had evaded the poisonous worms, that demonic cultivator let out a cold snort and turned to attack us.
And so, Uncle-Master and Aunt Yunxia each faced one Gu Master. The three of us juniors dealt with another. For the moment, we could hold our ground. But the longer we fought, the more dangerous our situation became. The wraiths surrounding us were now only about ten meters away, lunging at us with mournful cries. The surrounding demonic cultivators were only about twenty meters away, closing in from both the ground and the rooftops. The zombies, and the skinless, four-legged monsters we had seen earlier, watched us with hungry eyes. We needed to buy more time…
"Let's all attack together, kill this Gu Master first," I shouted, charging at the Gu Master with my long sword.
That Gu Master, holding his hook, gave a sinister grin. "Such boasting! You think you can kill me!" With that, the Gu Master waved his sleeve again. Over a dozen purple-eyed, black moths with human-like facial patterns flew towards me with a rustling sound. With every flap of their wings, black scale dust fell.
I recognized these moths. It was the same kind of moth whose scale powder had bewildered my mind after attending Chu Yue's birthday party. I had been controlled and led to the rooftop, where I encountered Miao Nan Zi. Had Qing Dai not intervened to save me, I would have perished then. Seeing these moths, I quickly shouted, "These moths can confuse the mind! Don't look into their eyes! And don't let their scale powder touch you…"