In the past, the great Shang dynasty ruled over the entire world and commanded the allegiance of many followers.
Alternatively, the various schools of thought, including the Daoist sect, were at one time subordinated to the Shang emperor’s command.
Even today, according to outside perspectives, King Jie of Shang was tyrannical and unjust, yet he still had a large number of talented individuals assisting him.
The School of Military Strategists and Legalists were his staunchest supporters! Without the aid of the Mohists and the Fan Sect, the twelve colossal bronze statues could never have been cast. Additionally, numerous masters of witchcraft and gu sorcery were also assembled.
Among them, the Master of the Gu God (Guzhenszi) was naturally the most powerful.
In the southern borderlands, his mastery of gu techniques was said to move heaven and earth, and even petty kings would show him respect and reverence.
After being presented to King Jie of Shang, he gained further favor and importance.
Legend has it that this individual was not only proficient in various deadly curses capable of silently killing people, but he also raised six primary Gu, each as formidable as a grandmaster of martial arts!
His core life-binding Gu had even reached the level of a Martial Sage!
A fourth-level Gu was no longer an ordinary insect but a divine creature—an ancient, rare species from the primordial wilderness!
At this moment, in Wu Ming’s eyes, although the opponent was hidden within a sea of insects, his inner aura of bright yellow could not be concealed.
“However… it seems this person arrived a bit late. Otherwise, if he had joined forces with the Three Killing Stars, he could have defended himself, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to defeat these three,” Wu Ming mused silently, feeling somewhat regretful. “If only my true self were here, with Thunder Dao combined with Samadhi Fire, this mere swarm of insects… hehe… hehe…”
Lightning and fire were particularly effective against evil entities!
Apart from Guzhenszi’s core life-bound gu, all others would simply serve as additional targets.
In fact, two of his primary Gu had already perished at Wu Ming’s hands!
It was precisely after that incident that Wu Ming sought out Luo Song to learn more about Guzhenszi’s background, understanding his vengeful and meticulous nature.
Considering his revered status as the ancestor of witchcraft in the southern borderlands, it would be truly unusual if he didn’t retaliate fiercely after Wu Ming destroyed two of his third-level Gu.
“Jiejie… you killed my two beloved apprentices; now you must pay with your flesh and blood!”
The dark swarm of insects dispersed. Standing in Wu Ming’s direction was an oddly dressed old man with painted facial markings, flanked by four peculiarly shaped Gu creatures, radiating a menacing presence.
“Guzhenszi…”
Wu Ming looked at him with pity: “I wonder if you’ve heard of the old saying—’The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?'”
“Hmm?”
Needless to say, the meaning was extremely clear, even making Guzhenszi’s back hairs stand on end.
“Focused solely on cultivation, oblivious to the heavenly mandate… dying without realizing it…”
Wu Ming sighed: “Don’t you agree, Master Yuqing?”
“Indeed!”
A voice as clear and jade-like immediately echoed around them, yet it seemed to carry an endless grievance, as if it could not be washed away even by the waters of all five lakes and four seas!
A brilliant light shone down, brimming with strong binding and restrictive power.
An Immortal’s Domain!!!
“A… you are Yuqing Daoist?!”
Guzhenszi’s expression shifted abruptly. The four Gu beside him let out simultaneous cries as he opened his mouth wide, spewing forth a golden Gu.
The Gu resembled a plump golden silkworm, with eyes like black beans, bright and sparkling, appearing rather cute and innocent. It even had a pair of translucent wings that fluttered as it flew into the air.
“The Golden Silkworm Gu?”
In contrast, Wu Ming’s eyes flickered with interest: “So it’s an ancient rare species—the Flying Golden Silkworm. It’s impressive that you managed to find one!”
“Indeed! It is the Flying Golden Silkworm. Restrain it now!”
Master Yuqing also seemed somewhat surprised, then the clear light intensified, pressing down forcefully.
One after another, the black gu insects dropped to the ground, their vitality extinguished, quickly piling up into a field of dead insects!
Within the Immortal’s Domain, the swarm tactic was nothing but a joke!
“Yuqing Daoist! We have no enmity between us. Why do you persist in hounding me?”
Guzhenszi shouted as the Flying Golden Silkworm transformed into a golden streak of light, hovering above his head, resisting the domain’s power slightly.
“No enmity? Hahahaha!!!”
Master Yuqing stepped forward, disheveled and bloodshot-eyed, completely devoid of any immortal-like grace. He sneered: “The Shang dynasty destroyed my path to cultivation and killed my brothers-in-arms. It’s a blood feud! You serve as their hound—what more do you want?”
He glanced at Wu Ming: “Master Zaixing, this man came for you. Allow me to lend a hand. Let’s kill him together, what do you think?”
“Agreed!”
With a free helper at hand, Wu Ming naturally had no objections, though inwardly he mused: “It seems the Shang dynasty must have wronged Yuqing badly for him to act so recklessly.”
Instantly, he drew out the Seven-Killing Gourd. Under the starlight, seven flying swords turned into streaks of radiance, binding the four primary Gu, each as formidable as a grand martial master.
“Old man, I admit defeat today. Let me go, and I’ll immediately return to the southern borderlands, vowing never to set foot in the Shang dynasty again!”
Guzhenszi’s eyes twitched wildly as the Flying Golden Silkworm buzzed continuously.
“Unfortunately, your reputation as Guzhenszi is poor. You especially enjoy bullying the weak. I cannot allow you to escape! Master Zaixing, remember this person harbors grudges and will retaliate. If he escapes and cannot harm you, he will surely target your disciples!”
Master Yuqing waved his hand, and behind him, a spiritual land emerged, exerting the immense power of an Immortal’s Domain. However, Wu Ming’s sharp eyes noticed that this spiritual land appeared even more illusory and damaged compared to the last time he saw it.
“Ahh… I’ll die with you!”
Guzhenszi screamed desperately.
The Flying Golden Silkworm moved at incredible speed, exuding deadly poison. Contact with it meant certain death! Even a martial sage could lose half their life if accidentally poisoned.
Alas, when faced with the formless and intangible Immortal’s Domain, it was utterly overwhelmed.
Seeing Yuqing’s determination to kill him, Guzhenszi immediately pulled out a small banner from his robe, bit his tongue, and smeared blood onto it.
“Zizi!”
The Flying Golden Silkworm transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the banner. The small banner immediately roared, flying into the air and emitting endless black qi, manifesting countless poisonous gu, with the Flying Golden Silkworm leading them all.
“The Six-Gu Divine Banner?”
Master Yuqing was initially taken aback, then scoffed, “So you sacrificed six disciples to forge six primary Gu, all for the sake of creating this Wumen artifact? Unfortunately, you were missing two Gu from the very beginning, so it could never be fully completed!”
With a wave of his hand, dark clouds gathered in the sky.
“Yuqing, as per divine command! Thunder, strike!”
Crack!
A bolt of azure lightning tore through the clouds, descending with a will of destruction.
As an Immortal, could Yuqing possibly lack the ability to summon lightning? Thunder techniques, although precious, were merely resources at his disposal.
If his spiritual land were fully matured, he could even generate thunder from the spiritual realm itself—truly a creation of boundless power!
Bang!
The lightning struck the small black banner directly!
The Golden Silkworm cried out, clearly severely wounded, while Guzhenszi spat out a mouthful of purplish-black essence blood.
Yuqing was indeed an Immortal, and with Wu Ming’s support, whose magical powers were no less formidable, Guzhenszi was doomed to defeat, even facing certain death!
“Restrain and refine it!”
After the thunderbolt, Yuqing flicked his sleeve, and the clear light of his spiritual land formed a scroll-like expanse across the sky. With a sudden contraction, it engulfed the Golden Silkworm and the Six-Gu Banner, igniting Samadhi Fire to burn them!
“Tsk tsk! Yuqing is really giving it his all! Did the Shang dynasty dig up his ancestors’ graves?”
Compared to Yuqing, Wu Ming, as the central figure, remained calm and composed. He activated the White Tiger Metal Qi and the Yuan Magnetic Starlight from the Seven-Killing Gourd, trapping the four Gu within a formation and gradually wearing them down.
“Ahh!”
Who knows how much time had passed before Guzhenzi suddenly let out a scream. The four trapped Gu insects instantly lost their vitality, and the seven flying swords seized the opportunity to slash them into pulp.
Wu Ming casually picked up the gourd and noticed Yuqing standing with his hands clasped behind his back, a small banner floating in front of him. The countless souls of the Gu insects on it had completely disappeared.
Guzhenszi’s body was unscathed, but his face showed immense pain. He collapsed heavily to the ground.
Bumps rose and quickly disappeared across his body. His form shrank rapidly, and countless tiny insects crawled from his corpse and quickly disappeared into the forest.
Such a scene made even a woman like Ruan Zhiyu’s scalp tingle with horror.
“Guzhenszi had actually bound a fragment of his soul to the Golden Silkworm. If the Golden Silkworm perished, his own body could not escape destruction…”
Yuqing stroked his beard: “As for this small banner, its material is actually quite decent. I’ll take it with gratitude…”
This Six-Gu Divine Banner was the pinnacle of Guzhenszi’s lifelong efforts. He had devoted half his lifetime to seeking the perfect materials, so its quality was naturally extraordinary. Moreover, he had annually infused it with the essence of hundreds of herbs and the souls of countless Gu, ultimately even sacrificing the Golden Silkworm to it.
To put it bluntly, all of Guzhenszi’s life essence and treasures were contained within this banner and the Golden Silkworm.
“Of course!”
Since the other party had contributed the majority of the effort, Wu Ming had little reason to argue. He bowed respectfully: “Greetings, Master Yuqing. May I ask what brings you here to seek me out?”
“Master Zaixing, do you know that the Shang dynasty’s pursuers are not only this group, but also include experts from the Legalist school and the imperial palace. If not for my covert interference, they would have overwhelmed you together.”
“I see. Then I must thank you for your assistance!”
Wu Ming pondered briefly and knew the old Daoist’s words were true, his vigilance rising sharply in his heart.
“A small misunderstanding before, but now with a great enemy at hand, my coming here is meant to unite our efforts!”
Yuqing spoke candidly: “The Shang dynasty has already forged the twelve bronze warriors and is about to eternally dominate all realms. I humbly request, for the sake of all living beings, that you put aside past grievances and lend me your strength!”
“Indeed…” Listening nearby, Li Zizai and Ruan Zhiyu both felt their hearts sink, helpless and resigned, knowing such high-level negotiations left them no room even to interject.
“How may I assist?”
Wu Ming asked, glancing at the three lying on the ground.
“Your insight is impeccable. Please, let us move elsewhere for further discussion!”
Master Yuqing nodded.
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