Gu Yuan listened to the old village chief’s words and couldn't help but ponder, thinking that this White Lotus Sect seemed rather formidable.
He then spoke, "Village Chief, thank you for your guidance. I shall take my leave now."
The village chief nodded, his face etched with worry. "Youngster, no matter what, life is paramount. Be careful in all things. This old bone of mine cannot help you!"
Gu Yuan waved his hand, indicating it was alright, and turned to leave.
The village chief watched Gu Yuan's upright figure and sighed, hoping this young man would survive safely.
Since those who were married off were killed, it proved someone was manipulating things from the shadows. Gu Yuan found a secluded spot and quietly waited for the prey to arrive.
Whoosh~
A gust of eerie wind blew, and a dense mist silently enveloped the entire village. Gu Yuan, who was meditating on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. The blood energy within him began to circulate slowly. Something malevolent was approaching.
The compressed blood energy within his body roared, stimulated by the external miasma to circulate autonomously.
Gu Yuan moved to the main road in the village, gazing at the thick fog that was closing in on him from all directions.
A sanguine glow appeared in his eyes. The suppressed blood energy erupted instantly, manifesting as crimson blood energy radiating from his body. Within a radius of five zhang, the dense fog could not advance further.
This was Gu Yuan’s nascent blood energy domain, through which all malevolent energies were unable to penetrate.
"You Zhenmo Division never know when to quit. Is it really necessary to protect such a small village? Are these powerless mortals worth your efforts?"
A chilling voice echoed from all directions around Gu Yuan. He frowned, listening intently.
The enemy is in the dark, and I am in the light. Caution is paramount.
"What are you doing here? If you disrupt my mission, you will die!"
Roar!
A furious roar shook the mist, dispersing it. A colossal figure appeared directly in front of Gu Yuan. With heavy thuds, the enormous figure instantly broke through the fog and smashed towards Gu Yuan with ferocity!
Gu Yuan’s brow furrowed. The scorching blood energy within him erupted, forming a golden shield on his body's surface.
Illuminated by the blood energy, Gu Yuan clearly saw the true form of the shadowy figure.
It was over a zhang tall, its muscles gaunt but possessing a strange, pale complexion.
Its fangs protruded from its mouth, and its pitch-black pupils were devoid of any emotion.
It was a White Zombie!
However, as someone who had traversed countless worlds, Gu Yuan felt no fear. After all, he was a cultivator of the Dharma Aspect Realm!
He raised his fist, enveloped in crimson-gold blood energy, and put his waist into the movement, colliding directly with the White Zombie's pale claws.
The air between them instantly exploded, sending white shockwaves billowing outwards. The dense fog was churned, revealing a figure in a black robe hidden within.
"So, it truly is a White Lotus heretic," Gu Yuan’s lips curved into a slight smile. Knowing the enemy's origin was enough.
Clang!
Gu Yuan drew the long saber from his waist, instantly engulfing it in crimson-gold blood energy, and slashed fiercely at the claw lunging towards him.
The crimson-gold blood energy was compressed onto the blade, its temperature soaring instantly. It sliced into the White Zombie's arm as easily as a hot knife through butter, severing it.
Roar!
The White Zombie let out a pained howl. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Yuan pressed his advantage!
He wielded his long saber with such speed that it formed an impenetrable defense, unleashing waves of crimson-gold blade light that enveloped the White Zombie entirely.
Whoosh~
Gu Yuan sheathed his saber. The White Zombie, standing where it was, erupted with dozens of crimson-gold slashes across its body.
Bang!
The White Zombie exploded into pieces of shredded flesh. The bones left behind were consumed by the blood energy flames, burning into a pile of white ash.
Gu Yuan stood tall, holding his long saber and looking at the black-robed figure with a stern expression. "Unleash any other tricks you have. You won't have another chance later."
"Argh! You must die! You actually killed my little White! I will refine you into a zombie!!!"
The black-robed figure roared, as if Gu Yuan had just destroyed something of utmost importance to him.
Gu Yuan was speechless. Calling a White Zombie "Little White" was indeed something. Truly, as expected of the White Lotus Sect, no one was normal!
Shaking his head, the blood energy within him surged, covering his long saber with crimson-gold energy. A peculiar gleam flickered in his eyes!
Mind Blade - Raikiri.
All the crimson-gold blood energy erupted. The circulation speed of Gu Yuan's blood energy instantly reached its limit. His body surface turned red, and wisps of white steam continuously emerged from it.
Bang!
A large pit instantly appeared on the smooth ground, and Gu Yuan's figure vanished from his original spot, transforming into a crimson-gold streak of light that shot rapidly towards the black-robed figure.
The black-robed figure grunted, and pitch-black, inky miasma, containing a multitude of malevolent thoughts, appeared on his body's surface. It was clear this figure cultivated the path of sealing sinister entities within his body.
However, Gu Yuan, operating at full power, paid no heed to such things. His physical body could not withstand the outburst of extremely yang blood energy for long; he had to end this quickly.
He directly employed his ultimate trump card, the Mind Blade.
The black and red figures collided instantly, then passed through each other.
The black-robed figure's robes were torn, revealing a face that had not seen sunlight for a long time, pale and devoid of color!
"What kind of blade is that? So fast!" the black-robed figure managed to rasp, a strained smile on his lips. Then, his head snapped off with a thud, and blood spurted from his neck.
Gu Yuan sheathed his saber and looked at the deceased White Lotus Sect member. He flicked his finger, and a golden flame landed on the black-robed figure's corpse.
Flames engulfed it, and it eventually turned into a pile of ashes.
Gu Yuan expanded his blood energy sensing range, beginning to search the village outskirts. As he expected, he found statues of Wusheng Laomu in the southeast, northwest, and south of the village.
Without hesitation, he split them in half with his saber!
Finally, the dense fog slowly dissipated, and the pale moonlight once again shone upon the village.
Gu Yuan felt a bit puzzled. He hadn't sensed anything particularly strange about this mission. Perhaps the intelligence was flawed.
Gu Yuan went to the village chief's home and explained the situation, stating that the White Lotus heretic had been slain and there was no longer a need to worship Wusheng Laomu!
Amidst the village chief's grateful words, Gu Yuan departed. He found his horse tethered in the woods, mounted it, and headed towards the Zhenmo Division headquarters!
Some time later, Gu Yuan returned to the Zhenmo Division, submitted the results of his mission, and received commendations. With his mission rewards, he returned to his own home to continue cultivating.
For the next few years, Gu Yuan lived this unchanging life.
His cultivation reached the peak of the Blood Intent Realm. As his cultivation grew higher, his progress accelerated dramatically, shocking Guan Ye and Cui Hua. They remarked that Gu Yuan would soon catch up to them.
Gu Yuan spent his time continuously slaying malevolent creatures and demons, his blood energy erupting like a small sun.
The power of the Extreme Yang Art grew stronger. Gu Yuan suspected this was another opportunity prepared for him by the Martial Ancestor.
He now only wished to rapidly increase his cultivation, become the strongest in this world, and then return to reality!