Warning! A hidden dragon has emerged!

Xie Bi'an shouldered the heavy sniper rifle, his figure rising and falling, and in an instant he arrived at the best shooting position, giving the order in a deep voice through the team's communication system.

"Target within a 1,000-meter radius, fire across the entire area upon my firing signal."

"receive!"

Everyone responded in hushed tones.

His demeanor was calm and composed, poised to unleash his power.

Their mission was to eradicate the Gu Poison Cult, so naturally they wouldn't let a single survivor escape.

Since firepower can cover the area, why resort to hand-to-hand combat?

Seeing this scene, Jiang Yao felt a mix of emotions and couldn't help but turn to look at Zhang Qingshun, her suspicions quietly easing.

Could it be... that I really misunderstood him?

Zhang Qingshun lowered his voice and chuckled softly:

"Mr. Qin himself said he has no intention of betraying us, so why are you so fixated on him? With a formidable enemy at hand, uniting against them is the only way forward."

Jiang Yao took a deep breath, suppressed all her doubts, completely put aside her selfish thoughts, and turned to give a solemn order to the Jincheng team members.

"Everyone prepare for battle! Show the spirit of our Jincheng team! Don't let the Southern Xinjiang team underestimate us!"

"Don't worry, team leader, we won't let anyone down!"

Gu Changming patted his chest and agreed, full of confidence.

Hidden Dragon members are all elite soldiers selected through layers of special forces training. Their martial arts skills may not be as good as those of top ancient martial arts practitioners, but their firearms combat, firepower suppression, and tactical coordination are absolutely top-notch.

The ability to hit a bullseye every time is ingrained in their very being.

On the main battlefield, artillery fire is poised to be unleashed.

The back mountain, however, was deathly silent.

Qin Quan and Lin Wanrou moved swiftly, like two ghosts, and in a few breaths they leaped over the cliff and silently arrived at the forbidden path in the back mountain of the Gu Poison Sect. They planned to follow this path straight to the core area and take down the enemy's command center.

But just as the two landed, a hoarse, aged shout suddenly came from the bushes.

"stop!"

Immediately afterwards, an elderly woman with a hunched back, leaning on a cane, slowly pushed aside the branches and leaves and emerged from among them.

His body was covered in poisonous aura, but his gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on the two of them.

"Which sect do you belong to? What brings you to this forbidden area so late at night?"

"Well……"

Qin Quan was slightly taken aback.

The other party mistook them for members of the Gu Poison Cult.

His thoughts raced, his brain worked at lightning speed, and an idea came to him instantly.

Since the other party has mistaken us for someone else, let's just go with the flow.

Disguised as an inside agent, he could evade layers of security while secretly gathering intelligence, saving himself countless troubles.

What delighted him even more was that this place was actually a forbidden area of ​​the Gu Poison Sect.

His master had warned him that any sect or religious group that had forbidden areas must have hidden treasures.

Such an opportunity, presented to us, should not be missed.

Seeing that the two remained silent and stood still, the old woman assumed that her imposing presence had intimidated the two juniors, and her tone became somewhat more amiable.

"What are you all standing there for? Can't you understand what I'm saying!"

She looked the two men up and down, noticing that they were dressed casually, young, and somewhat resembled newly accepted disciples of the Gu Poison Sect, which immediately put an end to her suspicions.

A moment later, a mischievous grin suddenly flashed across his wrinkled old face.

"I understand."

The old woman squinted, a mocking look on her face.

"In the dead of night, instead of using the main gate, you two sneaked along the back mountain path. Were you having a clandestine rendezvous, running off to the back mountain for a tryst?"

"hey-hey!"

Qin Quan didn't know what excuse to use, but he didn't expect the other party to be so accommodating, even coming up with an excuse for him.

He moved forward and skillfully wrapped his right arm around Lin Wanrou's slender waist.

Lin Wanrou immediately understood Qin Quan's intention. She lowered her eyes, and a perfectly appropriate blush appeared on her cheeks, perfectly confirming the old woman's guess.

"You have a discerning eye, senior."

Qin Quan continued, "We are newly initiated disciples, and we hope that you will be kind enough to keep our secret."

"Cough cough."

The old woman rubbed her dry fingers together, her eyes turning shrewd and greedy.

"Keep it a secret, but there has to be some kind of gesture, right?"

As she spoke, she abruptly changed the subject and threw out a bait.

"If you can satisfy me, I will make an exception and accept you as my disciples. The rules for new disciples are complicated and fraught with danger. By becoming my disciples, I can ensure that you avoid trouble and establish yourselves safely."

Qin Quan feigned curiosity, but his eyes were full of calculation.

"Senior, is this true? Are there any other benefits after becoming an apprentice?"

He deliberately feigned ignorance, actually hoping to extract more secret information about the Gu Poison Cult.

The old woman had her own plans.

With the Hidden Dragon Army pressing in, the Gu Poison Cult is doomed tonight.

She had long harbored the intention to withdraw from the sect and was unwilling to be buried with its corrupt members.

Seeing that Qin Quan and Lin Wanrou were exceptionally talented and had outstanding temperaments, he wanted to take the opportunity to take them as his disciples.

Firstly, it allows them to pass on their skills and knowledge; secondly, it ensures that someone will care for them in their old age and take care of their funeral arrangements.

She no longer concealed her true feelings and spoke frankly:

"Tonight, the Hidden Dragon Army is at the city gates, and the Gu Poison Sect is doomed. If you become my disciples, you will not only learn orthodox Gu techniques, but after the storm passes, I guarantee you will thrive in the mortal world."

"Are these all the benefits?"

Qin Quan raised an eyebrow and pressed for an answer.

"Young man, do not be greedy."

The old woman's face darkened slightly.

Qin Quan immediately chuckled and retorted, each word hitting the nail on the head.

"Senior, you are wise. You yourself said that the Gu Poison Sect is about to be destroyed and there is no profit to be made. Who would be willing to provide for you in your old age and see you off in your final days?"

"We haven't joined the cult yet, so if things go wrong, we can still escape and save our lives. But if we really join the Gu Poison Cult and are subsequently purged by the Hidden Dragon, even if we don't die, we'll still face imprisonment. We're clear about this."

His words were clear and logical, leaving the old woman speechless in an instant.

She lowered her head, frowned, and began to think seriously, completely losing her composure under Qin Quan's influence.

Lin Wanrou, standing beside him, suppressed a laugh, her eyes filled with infatuation as she quietly watched Qin Quan calmly maneuver and subtly manipulate people's hearts.

After a moment of contemplation, the old woman finally relaxed and revealed a bombshell secret.

"To be honest, the sect leader ordered me to guard this place, just to invite the Gu King to emerge and fight against the Hidden Dragon Army."

"If you can make the Gu King recognize you as his master, I will not only impart all my secret Gu techniques to you, but I will also honor you two as my masters and serve you for life!"

boom!

Qin Quan was overjoyed, but his brilliance was hidden beneath the surface.

He was just casually testing the waters, but unexpectedly, he actually revealed his most treasured possession.

"Is the Gu King very strong?"

Qin Quan suppressed his excitement and calmly pressed on with the question.

"Come with me."

The old woman said no more, turned around and led the way, leaning on her cane.

Qin Quan and Lin Wanrou followed closely behind.

The three of them walked through layers of dense bushes and soon arrived at the entrance of a cave.

If you could look down from above, you could see the whole picture of this place.

The entire mountain resembles a sleeping ancient giant, with ancient banyan trees with intertwined roots that look like the giant's drooping hair.

Legend has it that this mountain was formed from the upper body of Chi You, the war god.

The cave before them was divided into two gates, one for life and one for death. The old woman led the two into the gate of life, where life was ever-flowing.

There was no danger inside the gate of life, and the journey was unimpeded.

Upon reaching the bottom of the cave, one is greeted by a dense array of ancient banyan roots hanging down, intertwined in layers.

On each root, there lurks worms of varying sizes and shapes, some lying still, others slowly wriggling, eerie and unpredictable.

"This place is the habitat of the Gu King, and also a forbidden area for disciples of the sect to select their natal Gu."

The old woman stopped and turned around, saying with a serious expression:

"Whoever can make the Gu King recognize him as their master can learn the Gu Scripture of our sect. Everything you just said is true."