Chapter 49: Heretical Gu Insects, Utterly Powerless

“Stop him! I’ll go save him!”

Qin Honglian shouted loudly, forming hand seals. In an instant, numerous small blood-colored insects flew out from her red dress, attaching to Han Gang’s severed arm to stop the bleeding and restore his Origin Qi.

At the same time, Liu Lianxiang’s figure moved like a ghost, holding a Judges Pen as he continuously circled around Chen Yuan.

His speed was so fast that his figure was almost like an afterimage, making him impossible to grasp.

Meanwhile, Xin Ziyin leaped fiercely, the densely packed blades on his hands instantly tearing the ground apart, allowing him to directly burrow underground.

Chen Yuan sensed unusual movement coming from beneath the ground. He fiercely slashed his blade into the earth, a blood-colored blade radiance instantly tearing through the ground.

But behind him, Xin Ziyin suddenly leaped out, letting out a strange laugh: “I’m right here!”

In that instant, countless tiny blades on his armor suddenly shot out explosively, enveloping Chen Yuan.

At the same time, Liu Lianxiang also attacked Chen Yuan with his Judges Pen, each strike aimed at the vital Acupoints around his body.

Chen Yuan snorted coldly, unleashing Autumn Wind Slash. The sky filled with blade shadows like a raging storm, densely packed and crimson, easily tearing apart Xin Ziyin’s small blades.

Xin Ziyin immediately let out a strange cry and burrowed underground again.

Liu Lianxiang was also forced back, several blade marks appearing on his Judges Pen, making him grimace in pain.

This Judges Pen of his was a standard Mystic Weapon. As long as it struck a human body, True Qi could immediately travel unimpeded along the pen into the opponent’s body, tearing through Meridians and Acupoints.

But its material was at best a Low Grade Mystic Weapon. Clashing head-on with Chen Yuan’s Azure Dragon Blood Drink, it was simply no match.

Seeing Xin Ziyin burrow underground, Chen Yuan sneered coldly. Blood Fiend Force gathered around him, a killing calamity descended upon his body, transforming into a massive palm imprint that crashed down.

Blood Slaughter Calamity Hand!

The domineering power of a Heaven-Grade Martial Skill exceeded Xin Ziyin’s imagination.

Even though he had burrowed a full zhang underground, he still couldn’t withstand this extremely penetrating killing calamity force.

In an instant, a blood-colored palm imprint one zhang in size appeared on the ground, with large amounts of blood gushing out from within.

Xin Ziyin was directly crushed to death underground by Chen Yuan’s palm strike!

Qin Honglian had just finished treating Han Gang’s injuries and wanted to rescue him, but it was already too late.

Among their Yinshan Five Ghosts, the one with the strongest survival ability wasn’t actually Liu Lianxiang with his excellent lightness skill, but Xin Ziyin who was proficient in earth-diving secret techniques.

As long as he burrowed underground, even a Lunhai Realm Martial Artist couldn’t dig him out from three feet below.

Xin Ziyin’s earth-diving wasn’t just three feet—it was over a zhang deep.

But Chen Yuan used a single Blood Slaughter Calamity Hand to crush him to death underground. Just how terrifying was this strength?

Chen Yuan turned his head, giving Liu Lianxiang a sinister smile.

“You’re next. The way you look at me makes me feel disgusted.”

Liu Lianxiang let out a strange cry, his figure instantly transforming into a white shadow as he fled toward Qin Honglian’s direction.

“This guy is a monster! Tell Wei Guangming to pay more! No! Even with more money, we can’t risk our lives against him!”

Startling Swan Slash descended. The crimson blade radiance was like flowing light, the red blade shadow heading straight for Liu Lianxiang. One red, one white, closely pursuing.

Qin Honglian shouted loudly, countless crimson threads appearing in her hands, forming a large net-like barrier in front of Chen Yuan.

But under Chen Yuan’s Startling Swan Slash, these threads woven from Gu insect blood silk—extremely tough and comparable to a Mystic Weapon—shattered inch by inch under his blade.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced Han Gang swung his greatsword, True Qi surging explosively around him. With one sword strike, he managed to block Chen Yuan’s blade.

The greatsword had no edge. Han Gang didn’t need any sword techniques; as long as he swung this greatsword, that was his strongest state.

“Liu Lianxiang! What’s the use of running? If we die, you won’t escape either!”

Qin Honglian snorted coldly, a flood of Gu insects flying out from her red dress, swarming toward Chen Yuan.

Liu Lianxiang seemed very afraid of Qin Honglian. Hearing this, he gritted his teeth and attacked Chen Yuan from the left while Han Gang attacked from the right.

“Tan Province Miaojiang Gu techniques? Interesting.”

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Almost ninety percent of these special Gu technique secret methods were concentrated in the Tan Province Miaojiang region.

Tan Province was very far from northern states like Youning, and most Gu Masters were unwilling to leave Miaojiang. It was rare to see a Miaojiang Gu Master in the north.

The swarming Gu insects could spray venom, some had hard shells, sharp and pointed, flying toward Chen Yuan like hidden weapons.

Densely packed, there were probably dozens of types.

“Judging by your appearance, you should be a proper Miaojiang Gu Master with a legitimate Legacy. But didn’t your Master teach you that greed leads to indigestion?

A true Miaojiang Gu Master can dominate the Jianghu by raising just one Lifebound Gu. What’s the use of raising this pile of trash?”

A violent, crimson Evil Qi suddenly erupted from Chen Yuan’s body, instantly extending three feet outward.

A Foundation Establishment Realm Martial Artist could release True Qi externally, but to conserve strength, most True Qi remained on the body’s surface or was concentrated on weapons.

If an ordinary Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Martial Artist used Chen Yuan’s method of external release, it would consume nearly half of their Internal Energy in one go.

Most importantly, what Chen Yuan released wasn’t just True Qi, but also that extremely violent and terrifying Blood Fiend Qi!

The Blood Fiend Qi around him evolved from the killing intent origin within the Divine Artifact seven killing stele.

How could these low-level Gu insects withstand such power?

Stimulated by this violent Blood Fiend Qi, the sky full of Gu insects died instantly, falling to the ground like snow with a clattering sound.

Qin Honglian immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her face pale as paper.

These Gu insects were all connected to her heart’s blood. Losing a few was fine, but so many dying simultaneously was enough to severely injure her.

Just as Chen Yuan said, if she had only nurtured one Lifebound Gu, she could have at least held out for a while, not ending up so miserable.

Chen Yuan swung his Azure Dragon Blood Drink left and right. The sky filled with crimson blade shadows was incredibly beautiful, yet hidden killing intent lurked everywhere.

Han Gang and Liu Lianxiang attacked from left and right, but were forced by Chen Yuan to stay at a distance.

Liu Lianxiang excelled in lightness skill, his speed extraordinarily fast.

Previously, when fighting others, he relied entirely on speed to win, his Judges Pen swift as wind piercing the opponent’s vital Acupoints.

But he was fast, yet Chen Yuan’s blade was even faster.

Among all Earth-Grade blade techniques, Autumn Water Swift Hong Blade was one of the rare fast-blade secret arts.

By the end, Liu Lianxiang didn’t even dare to strike, fearing that the moment his Judges Pen pointed out, his arm would be severed by Chen Yuan’s blade.

Han Gang, however, was incredibly fierce. With only one arm left, he could still single-handedly swing his greatsword, madly smashing toward Chen Yuan.

But after Chen Yuan activated his Blood Fiend Qi, his strength became overwhelmingly domineering, directly numbing Han Gang’s arm with each strike.

At that moment, Liu Lianxiang’s expression suddenly changed, shouting loudly: “Han Gang! Be careful with your sword!”

Han Gang instinctively looked at the greatsword in his hand. Unbeknownst to him, Chen Yuan had already hacked a huge notch into it.

During their earlier clash, Chen Yuan not only fought two against one, forcing them back, but also struck the same spot with every blade.

His greatsword was too thick and wide. For Chen Yuan to quickly cut it in two was unlikely.

But now the notch covered more than half the greatsword’s area—it was almost done.

The muscles on Han Gang’s single arm bulged as he tried to retract the greatsword, but it was already too late.

The greatsword’s usage relied on swinging—using inertia to smash and lift. Although the power was greater, it couldn’t be retracted.

The power within Chen Yuan’s Acupoints gathered and erupted, Treading Waves Slash surging with blade momentum like raging waves.

With a loud explosive sound, the greatsword in Han Gang’s hand was directly cut in two by Chen Yuan’s blade!

But Han Gang didn’t retreat; instead, he advanced, a raging crimson True Qi instantly igniting around him.

Qin Honglian’s expression changed, shouting loudly: “Stop! Using Blood Explosion True Release will kill you!”

“If we don’t kill him, we’ll all die!”

Han Gang’s face turned purple-red, his Qi and blood boiling intensely as they burned, transforming into a sky full of blood light crushing toward Chen Yuan!

This was power gained purely at the cost of burning Qi and blood.

An ordinary Martial Artist doing this might only gain a several-fold increase.

But Han Gang was exceptionally gifted, naturally possessing Divine Power, with astonishingly dense Qi and blood.

Now, using this Blood Explosion True Release to burn his Qi and blood, the resulting power increase was twenty to thirty times, even comparable to the explosive force of a Lunhai Realm Martial Artist.

In an instant, Chen Yuan was blasted away by this power, part of the Blood Fiend Qi around him scattered.

Qin Honglian didn’t want to waste the opportunity Han Gang sacrificed himself for. Gritting her teeth, she thrust both hands forward. Over a dozen crimson threads connected to bee stingers shot toward Chen Yuan.

Seeing an opportunity, Liu Lianxiang also acted decisively. Internal Energy erupted around him, a black radiance shining on his Judges Pen as he stabbed toward Chen Yuan’s back with chilling killing intent.

King Yama Stab!

Chen Yuan, blasted away by Han Gang’s strike, was mid-air. But pure Blood Fiend Force gathered on his Azure Dragon Blood Drink. He forcefully twisted his body using the momentum, turning to slash toward Liu Lianxiang.

Liu Lianxiang didn’t expect Chen Yuan could still unleash such power. But now he had no retreat, only to attack against attack!

With a metallic explosive sound, the Judges Pen in Liu Lianxiang’s hand was directly shattered by Chen Yuan’s blade, even his right hand severed.

Liu Lianxiang grunted, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. Seizing the moment Chen Yuan’s blade force was exhausted, his figure transformed into a white light crashing into Chen Yuan’s front.

His left hand formed a sword finger, black True Qi gathering. Using his finger as a pen, he still executed King Yama Stab, aiming for Chen Yuan’s Dantian!

But the next moment, Chen Yuan directly used Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand. His left hand moved like a spirit snake coiling silk, deflecting the force of King Yama Stab.

Shattering Jade Energy suddenly erupted, instantly accompanied by the sound of bone cracking!

Liu Lianxiang screamed in agony, turning to flee.

But as the force in Chen Yuan’s hand erupted, his entire left arm was torn off by Chen Yuan!

With both arms crippled and Qi and blood collapsing, Liu Lianxiang completely lost his combat ability.

Chen Yuan directly grabbed his neck, lifting him in front of himself, then forcefully twisted his body toward Qin Honglian’s direction.

Qin Honglian’s bee stingers had already arrived, impossible to retract.

She watched helplessly as her bee stingers pierced into Liu Lianxiang’s body. Gu poison suddenly erupted. Liu Lianxiang’s face instantly turned pitch-black, accompanied by gushing black blood, dying instantly!