All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 239 There are no eternal enemies

On the grassy area outside the forest at the summit of Black Wind Mountain, stands a brand-new wooden house.

At that moment, the door of the wooden house was pushed open, and Zhou Qing, dressed in a blue robe, walked out.

Buzz!

Zhou Qing stood on the grass outside the wooden house, his clothes fluttering even without wind.

His blood and qi were boiling intensely, and thick blood and qi gushed out from his skin and pores, eventually turning into blood-red smoke that rose into the sky and gathered above his head, forming a blood-red mist that looked like a real smoke signal from afar.

The surface of the Qi Blood Wolf Smoke was covered with a semi-transparent dark purple aura, with black smoke rising from it, making it look extremely eerie.

As Zhou Qing's true essence, blood, and strength circulated, the deep purple aura could be condensed and dissipated at will.

On the grass that came into contact with the air shield, the once vibrant weeds were now rapidly turning black, withering, and turning into dust at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"The Poison Dragon True Qi has been fully formed!"

Zhou Qing couldn't help but show a look of joy.

Previously, spurred on by Lan Canghai, his cultivation level successfully broke through to the sixth level of blood exchange.

After returning to Black Wind Mountain, he used the flesh of the Tiger Demon Tai Sui to prepare a medicinal bath, which not only stabilized his realm but also further improved his Poison Dragon Golden Body.

[Skill: Golden Body of the Poison Dragon - Middle Roll]

[Progress: Mastery (628/120000)]

【Effects: Poison Dragon Blood Sac, Poison Dragon True Qi】

With his Poison Dragon Golden Body technique now at an advanced level, Zhou Qing can unleash the Poison Dragon True Qi at will, a significant improvement in his strength.

If he were to face Feng Xingyun, who had undergone eight blood transfusions, now, he probably wouldn't need to use Gu Dao or Divine Dao methods; he could kill him with just the Poison Dragon True Qi.

The gap between the four realms of blood exchange widens as you progress.

The Qi and Blood Smoke Realm and the Qi and Blood Dragon Realm are a watershed moment in the Blood Exchange Realm's combat power. After seven blood exchanges, the Qi and Blood become highly condensed, able to detach from the body and achieve complete materialization, directly causing damage to the enemy.

Between seven blood exchanges and six blood exchanges, the strength difference is at least twice. In the same realm, eight blood exchanges, although it is only an improvement in level, can increase blood and qi by at least 40% to 50%, which will greatly improve combat power.

"Raising Gu worms is still a more obvious way to improve combat power. Once a powerful combat-type Gu worm is cultivated, combat power will increase dramatically immediately."

Although his martial arts cultivation has increased dramatically, it's not something that excites him much right now.

His ability to possess combat power comparable to that of the Blood and Qi Wolf Smoke Realm is already extremely exaggerated. If he could kill eight or nine Blood Exchangers, it would be considered heaven-defying by other martial artists.

However, the advancement of martial arts still follows a fundamental principle. It is almost impossible to cross two realms and fight against a martial artist in the Qi and Blood Furnace Realm with only the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke Realm.

The advancement of martial arts is a step-by-step process, emphasizing stability, and all strength originates from within oneself.

"In short, my physical strength has improved a lot, and I can withstand the power of heaven and earth for a longer period of time."

Zhou Qing dispersed the protective energy on his body and withdrew his qi and blood.

At this moment, Zhou Qing took out a large, crimson centipede about a foot long from his Yuanqiao, which turned out to be Chi Yan.

Crimson Flame lay motionless in his palm, with only a barely perceptible red glow emanating from within its body.

The terrifying heat that was originally released at any time and place has now disappeared without a trace. When Zhou Qing held it in his hand, he could even feel a faint coolness.

This, of course, does not mean that Chi Yan is dead.

During the battle with Lan Canghai, Chi Yan's defenses were breached, and he suffered minor injuries.

However, given the Gu worm's powerful vitality, this injury is nothing, especially since Crimson Flame's rank is as high as the second-tier top-grade, which is incomparable to ordinary Gu worms.

The reason why Chi Yan fell into a deep sleep and underwent this strange change was because Zhou Qing made it devour Lan Canghai's corpse.

Although Lan Canghai died, he was a top expert who had undergone twelve blood exchanges and was one foot in the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top stage. His blood and qi were extremely pure and refined.

Most importantly, he had attempted to break through the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top using three fragments of the Degenerate God Seed during his lifetime. Although he failed and lost the power of the fragments, he still had three of them.

Shortly after devouring Lan Canghai's corpse, Chi Yan's injuries healed rapidly, and within just a few days, all of its severed legs grew back.

During Zhou Qing's cultivation, Chi Yan gradually fell into a deep sleep.

"I wonder if this time we can get Crimson Flame to break through its limits."

Zhou Qing held the Crimson Flame in his palm for a moment, then put it back into his Yuanqiao.

Crimson Flame has reached its limit and can no longer evolve, but it has refined five of the seven fragments of the degenerated divine seed, which might create a miracle.

Otherwise, Zhou Qing would have to try to combine the two.

"The Heavenly Fire Centipede evolved from the Yin power that reached its limit, and the Yin power gave rise to Yang. The current Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede may have reached the limit of Yang power and is undergoing a second transformation."

Zhou Qing pondered to himself.

This type of Gu worm is extremely rare. If it weren't for the fragments of the degenerated divine seed, he wouldn't have been able to cultivate the Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede.

"The Ice Fiend Gu and the Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede, one yin and one yang, perhaps..."

The idea, once it appeared in Zhou Qing's mind, grew wildly like weeds.

However, he doesn't yet have the courage and determination to try combining them.

The Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede and the Ice Fiend Gu were the two strongest Gu worms in his possession.

The Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede is now in a deep sleep, which has significantly reduced its combat power.

If the two Gu worms malfunction, his Gu Dao combat power will instantly be reduced by more than half.

"Let's wait a bit longer. Let's cultivate the Ice Fiend Gu to the second-tier top grade first, and then we can make a more detailed plan."

Before Zhou Qing could fully digest the results of this battle, he decided to play it safe.

He continued to stay on the mountain, cultivating and nurturing Gu worms while also beginning to refine the second-tier 'Marrow Cleansing Pill'.

More than a month has passed since Lan Canghai died.

The Witch God Cult began to drastically shrink its sphere of influence, and many of its strongholds were withdrawn.

Within a very short time, the followers of the Witch God Cult disappeared from all the major cities.

This matter could be kept secret from others, but not from the powerful forces in Nanli County.

Just as Zhou Qing was making the most of the battle, a major event occurred in Nanli County.

Miaoyin, who would bring Zhou Qing a change of clothes every now and then, came up the mountain this day and brought Zhou Qing some not-so-good news.

"The commander of the Divine Might Battalion has arrived in Black Mountain Town?! And he brought over a hundred soldiers with him?"

Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

The current commander of the Divine Might Battalion is no longer Han Wending, but Sima Changhe, who was parachuted in from Shuntian Prefecture. His martial arts cultivation has undergone eleven blood transfusions.

For Zhou Qing now, only those who have undergone twelve blood exchange peaks and touched the threshold of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top can make him feel wary.

Eleven blood transfusions might at most make him take it seriously.

Even though the Heavenly Fire Lava Centipede is temporarily unable to fight, with the help of the other Gu worms and the Divine Power Golden Body, he is not afraid of Sima Changhe in a one-on-one fight.

The only problem is that Sima Changhe was sent by the prefect.

Whether Shuntian Prefecture has a Grandmaster at the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top is still unknown, but it should have a peak-level expert who has undergone twelve blood exchanges.

The prefect of Shuntian Prefecture comes from the main branch of the Sima clan. With the support of the imperial court, they can call upon the Central Plains for help when problems arise. Grandmasters may not appear easily, but peak-level experts who have undergone twelve blood transfusions are certainly among them.

"They may not be here to cause trouble."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then descended the mountain with Miao Yin and returned to Black Mountain Town. There, they saw a squad of soldiers in black armor stationed outside the town. Each soldier was fully armored, with face shields covering their faces, revealing only their eyes and hands.

The tall horse beside him was also clad in armor and looked extremely fierce.

The townspeople would detour whenever they saw it from afar, and even martial artists dared not approach.

Zhou Qing glanced at these people and found that they were all martial artists who had refined their tendons and muscles, obviously elites selected from the Divine Might Camp.

He hurried back to Shiqiao Lane and found four soldiers in black armor standing on the steps in front of Baiyun Martial Arts School. In addition, there were some apprentices standing at the entrance.

"It's my sixth senior brother!"

"Sixth Senior Brother is here!"

The apprentices all beamed with joy when they saw Zhou Qing.

"What are you all doing standing here?!" Zhou Qing was taken aback.

"These people blocked the gate as soon as they arrived!"

"They won't let us in!"

Seeing that Zhou Qing, a Grand Martial Master at the Blood Exchange Realm, was backing them up, the apprentices immediately felt emboldened and began to express their dissatisfaction.

"what happened?"

Zhou Qing walked up the steps and came to the four people.

One of them was about to speak when another soldier spoke first. He stepped forward and respectfully explained to Zhou Qing:

"Greetings, former adjutant! The captain and Wei Wushi were talking in the front hall. The martial artists in the front yard were too noisy, so we restricted the number of people entering the martial arts hall."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow: "This is not the Divine Might Camp, get out of my way."

"Yes!" Upon seeing this, the black-armored soldier bowed and waved to the other three, who immediately followed him down the steps.

Zhou Qing stepped into the front yard, and the apprentices who had been stopped at the door followed him inside. Before entering, they gave the black-armored soldiers a provocative look.

However, the four people did not react at all, as if they had not seen it.

Zhou Qing walked through the front yard, across the corridor, and into the front hall.

Outside the front hall stood four black-armored soldiers, all of whom were quite strong, each a martial artist at the Bone Refining Realm.

"I have met Master Zhou."

When Zhou Qing arrived, the four of them bowed respectfully.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and looked into the hall. He saw a middle-aged man in a black python robe sitting in the main seat, with Wei Sheng smiling and keeping him company.

"Ah Qing, you're here." Wei Sheng's smile relaxed when he saw Zhou Qing appear.

As Zhou Qing entered the front hall, he sized up the middle-aged man, while the man was also sizing him up.

"Greetings, Commandant Sima."

Zhou Qing approached Sima Changhe and bowed to him.

"You're Zhou Qing?" Sima Changhe's expression changed, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"Indeed, you are exceptionally talented! Even among the younger generation of my Sima family, there are few with your level of cultivation."

Last time you rushed to the Divine Might Camp, but I was preoccupied with many matters and unable to see you. Otherwise, I would have insisted that Wen Ding keep you in the camp to serve the court!

"Lord Sima, you flatter me. In front of the Sima family, how could I dare to call myself a genius?" Zhou Qing said politely.

"Alas! Why be so modest! If you were from my Sima clan, you would probably already be a renowned young prodigy in the Central Plains. Of course, it's not too late now. I remember you joined the Demon Suppression Division before, and later the Divine Might Camp, which means you have a connection with the imperial court."

Sima Changhe seemed to greatly admire Zhou Qing and wanted to win him over to serve the court.

"I am naturally lazy and undisciplined, and I am not used to being bound by rules. Now, as a martial arts instructor in the martial arts school, I am content to devote myself to training every day. I apologize for failing to live up to Commander Sima's good intentions."

Zhou Qing declined, saying that regardless of whether Sima Changhe's intentions were sincere, he was unwilling to join the imperial court.

"In that case, I won't force you to do anything against your will." Upon hearing this, Sima Changhe's smile gradually faded.

"However, I have heard some rumors about you that are not good for you. It is said that you have barbarian blood, and the chief of the Ice Spirit Clan even went to the Southern Frontier to bring you back. I wonder if this is true."

Sima Changhe then changed the subject.

"That is indeed the case, but there are other hidden reasons behind it," Zhou Qing said thoughtfully.

"The Ice Spirit Clan chief did find me and said that my ancestors had Ice Spirit Clan blood. He wanted to take me back to my ancestral home, but I refused. So the Ice Spirit Clan chief abandoned me in Wuxi, trying to force me to submit."

"I've finally managed to return to the Southern Frontier, and I have no intention of having anything to do with the Five Streams Barbarians again."

Zhou Qing started making things up, since the other party couldn't verify it with Wan Qizongyuan anyway.

Ultimately, it depends on whether the other party is willing to delve deeper, thereby escalating the conflict.

Today, Zhou Qing has the willingness to reason and the confidence to overturn the table.

"I see, then things will be much easier from here on out." Sima Changhe nodded.

"It is said that the leader of the Witch God Sect was killed by the old sect leader of the Five Poisons Sect and the patriarch of the Su family. Now the prefectural city is going to take action against the Five Streams Barbarians, so I was ordered to clear the obstacles in advance to prevent the Witch God Sect from colluding with the Five Streams Barbarians."

Therefore, starting today, the Divine Might Camp will conduct a large-scale sweep in the areas of Black Wind Mountain, Yellow Dragon Mountain, and Nine-Linked Mountain, striving to eradicate the remnants of the Witch God Cult as soon as possible.

I've come today because I want to learn something from you, the survivor."

"The leader of the Witch God Cult is dead?!" Zhou Qing looked shocked; he didn't believe Sima Changhe's words.

"You didn't know about this?" Sima Changhe frowned slightly.

"On that day, three top experts fought fiercely. The old sect leader told me to leave first, so how could I dare to stay?" Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly.

"Is the leader of the Witch God Cult really dead? What about the old sect leader?" Wei Sheng asked with concern.

"According to reliable intelligence, all three perished together," Sima Changhe said in a deep voice.

"Old Sect Master!" Wei Sheng was stunned, his face filled with grief.

"Master Wei, please accept my condolences." Sima Changhe said, "It was all the fault of the Witch God Cult. I came here hoping that you local martial artists could cooperate with the Divine Might Battalion's actions. Anyone who kills a member of the Witch God Cult will be rewarded by the imperial court."

"This matter still needs to be discussed with the local martial arts masters," Zhou Qing added when he saw Wei Sheng was overwhelmed with grief.

It seems that Sima Changhe is still unsure whether Lan Canghai is really dead, but he wants to seize the territory previously occupied by the Witch God Sect and is preparing to use these local martial artists as cannon fodder to fight against the Witch God Sect. He is really playing a clever game.

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king. I believe these martial arts masters will understand the situation." Sima Changhe spoke in an official tone, with a hint of threat.

"I'll leave the matter of persuading the local martial arts masters to Baiyun Martial Arts School. I have other important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

After saying this, Sima Changhe got up and left.

"Take care, Commander Sima!" Zhou Qing said with a smile, but his smile vanished the moment Sima Changhe left.

They were instructed to persuade the local martial arts masters that if these people suffered losses in the battle against the Witch God Cult, or if the imperial court failed to fulfill its promises afterward, these people would blame the Baiyun Martial Arts School first.

Even if they are powerful enough to dominate a region, they cannot afford to offend everyone.

Sima Changhe really had a brilliant plan.

"Aqing, what should we do now?" Wei Sheng asked gravely, not wanting to offend either side.

"Don't worry, Master, I will handle this matter." Zhou Qing nodded, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

How can I allow others to sleep soundly under my bed?

That night, Zhou Qing left Heishan Town and headed straight for the headquarters of the Witch God Cult.

(End of this chapter)