Upon entering the cave mouth between the gorges, Gu Yuan's vision blurred. The original canyon landscape transformed into a plain approximately a hundred li in circumference. At the center of the plain stood a cluster of ruined buildings, while the edges of this world were shrouded in white mist.
The three exchanged glances. Aside from the ruined buildings, the rest was open plain with no place to hide. It seemed the members of the Demon God Cult were concealed within that cluster of structures.
Since they had already been discovered, they would proceed openly.
Lightning crackled around Gu Yuan's body. With a powerful stomp, he surged forward, scattering earth. The ground instantly cratered beneath him, and his figure vanished from his original spot, transforming into a blue streak of lightning that shot directly towards the buildings.
Qin Erlang followed close behind. After being suppressed for so long outside, he finally no longer needed to conceal himself cautiously. His two-meter-tall frame stretched out, and a Fangtian Huaji, taller than himself, appeared in his hand. He lowered his body slightly, dark true qi swirling around him. With a mighty leap, the ground shattered beneath him, and he kept pace with Gu Yuan's rapid advance.
Wugui took out his white folding fan. However, he glanced at his attire and let out a wry smile. With a flick of his wrist, the fan transformed into a green one. Seeing the color matched, he smiled in satisfaction and vanished from his spot after a few swift movements, reappearing a hundred meters away.
Gu Yuan tilted his head slightly, seeing the other two keeping up, and then resolutely charged forward.
The qi and blood within his body, which had been simmering for a long time, began to boil. Since the last upgrade of his destiny, he hadn't exerted his full power.
The lightning around his body extinguished, replaced by blood flames burning from the continuous surge of his potent qi and blood.
Through the absorption of metal and the tempering of his physique with true qi during this period, his body was now countless times stronger than when he participated in the competition.
His earth-shattering physique unleashed its power. He was like a rampaging primordial dragon, crashing directly into the ruins of the buildings. His acute senses had already detected the distinct aura of human puppets.
*Bang!*
His formidable body smashed through the wall of a dilapidated building. His hands, like enraged dragons tearing their prey, grabbed the heads of two patrolling human puppets.
With a forceful collision of his hands, brains splattered and skulls shattered. The two corpses, like tattered sacks, were casually tossed aside by Gu Yuan. The splashing blood was incinerated by the surging blood flames before it could touch his body.
"Let's clear out the cannon fodder first!" Gu Yuan turned and said to the two approaching figures, then, his blood-flame-wreathed form carrying a powerful aura, he charged towards the next target.
Qin Erlang nodded. Dark true qi erupted from his body, and he charged in another direction. A sweeping strike of his Fangtian Huaji severed a human puppet at the waist.
"Alas, such brutes! Not a shred of elegance," Wugui scoffed. His folding fan flashed, transforming into a sword that glinted with cold light. His movements were as leisurely as a stroll in the garden. His figure flickered, and with a slight slash of his sword, a human puppet's head was severed. He waved his sleeve and appeared beside the next human puppet.
The three, each using their own methods, quickly eliminated all the human puppets patrolling the ruins.
Finally, the trio converged at the center of the building complex.
"Eighteen killed," Gu Yuan stated, the lingering malevolent energy still clinging to him.
"Fifteen!" Qin Erlang declared, unwilling to be outdone.
"Good heavens, you two killed so many, and I only got ten!" Wugui exclaimed in surprise. He had thought he was fast enough, but he hadn't expected these two perverts to be even quicker.
"Excluding the two at the entrance, there are five remaining. They should be near the Demon God Cult members," Gu Yuan calculated the remaining human puppets and then turned his gaze towards the highest point of the building complex. It was a three-story structure, the most well-preserved place in this small secret realm.
From Gu Yuan's perception, that location was filled with an evil, bloody aura, yet it also exuded a seductive allure, drawing one in unconsciously.
"Let's go, he's waiting for us," Gu Yuan led the charge towards the tallest building.
Qin Erlang and Wugui followed closely, their true qi vibrating around them, subtly hinting at immense power.
Beneath that building, a cavernous dwelling had been carved out. In the center of the dwelling, on an altar constructed from human corpses, stood a figure in white robes. Before him lay several human heads, neatly arranged to form a miniature ossuary.
He chanted incomprehensible incantations, his expression fervent and deranged. Five human puppets knelt on the ground below the altar.
Gradually, as the incantations continued, wisps of strange, blood-red mist began to emanate from the corpse altar and the ossuary. Then, a rift seemed to tear open in the void, drawing this blood-red mist into itself.
The white-robed figure ceased his chanting, his gaze fixed on the rift in the void with fanatical intensity.
The previously silent cave began to emit a smacking sound, as if the blood-red mist was being savored. The void rift suddenly widened, expelling a dark red orb.
The white-robed figure immediately prostrated himself before the void rift with fervent devotion until it closed. Then, he plunged his hands into the dark red fleshy orb. Tendrils of flesh began to slowly crawl up his arms.
The white-robed figure felt the surging power within the orb, his expression gradually turning manic. He sensed the aura of his human puppets continuously disappearing, and a glint of ultimate killing intent flashed in his scarlet eyes.
Gu Yuan, wreathed in lightning, smashed through the main door of the building. Seeing the emptiness within, his brow furrowed. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept across the various rooms.
"Where are they?" Wugui's voice came from behind. Qin Erlang and Wugui had also arrived.
Gu Yuan shook his head, his footsteps light. The floorboards creaked with age and disrepair.
*Creak, creak.*
His nostrils twitched. Gu Yuan's brow shot up. Liquid metal coalesced in his hand, forming a long spear. He walked to a specific spot and thrust the spear forward, piercing directly through the floor.
With a heave of his arm, a section of the floor was lifted, revealing a subterranean passage.
Qin Erlang and Wugui noticed Gu Yuan's discovery and walked over to his side. They saw the passage he had found, emanating an evil aura.
It seemed this was the place where the Demon God Cult member was performing his sacrifice. Sensing the aura, a powerful life form was growing within, constantly strengthening.
The three exchanged glances. Gu Yuan nodded. The other two retreated slightly, and Gu Yuan also stepped back a few paces. The spear in his hand morphed, transforming into a thin tube that was inserted deep into the opening of the passage.
Lightning surged from his hand, and the vortex within his body spun, unleashing even more potent true qi.
A bolt of lightning snaked its way through the transformed conduit. In a short while, it entered the passage. Seeing this, Gu Yuan instantly amplified the output of his lightning. A thunderous roar echoed, and the electric current doubled in an instant. Screams immediately erupted from within the passage.
Gu Yuan's conduit transformed back into his palm. A highly compressed ball of lightning appeared in his hand. He tossed it gently, and it traced an elegant arc through the air, landing inside the passage.
Seeing this, the three instantly retreated. A deafening explosion followed.
The building was blown into fragments by the immense lightning that erupted.
"Ah! You deserve to die!"
A voice filled with ruthless rage rang out, accompanied by an outburst of boundless dark red blood qi.