Chapter 84 The poison enters the body

Shen Lian and Li Hu stood with their swords drawn, facing the "Water Demon Guard" whose combat power was as high as 59-70.

The Water Demon Guard was covered in bluish-black scales, and the next moment it pounced on Shen Lian and Li Hu.

A claw pierced straight for Li Hu's heart.

Upon seeing this, Li Hu quickly parried with his sword.

clang!

The Water Demon Guard slammed its claw into Li Hu's longsword, the powerful force forcing Li Hu back.

Li Hu staggered back dozens of steps before regaining his balance. His right hand, holding the knife, trembled uncontrollably, and the hilt of the knife was stained red with blood flowing from the split between his thumb and forefinger.

Shen Lian strode towards the 'Water Demon Guard', his figure approaching like a swimming fish. He wildly swung his long sword, unleashing the 'Wave Slash' technique, three consecutive strikes imbued with powerful sword energy, fiercely slashing at the 'Water Demon Guard'.

The 'Water Demon Guard' seemed to sense something, dodging Shen Lian's attack by sidestepping, and then raised its hand to strike Shen Lian's head.

Shen Lian took several steps to avoid the attack of the 'Water Demon Guard'.

clang!clang!clang!

The long sword slashed repeatedly at the "Water Demon Guard," making dozens of cuts, but only leaving a few shallow marks on the opponent's body.

"Such tough armor!" Shen Lian was secretly shocked. The opponent's scales were extremely hard, and even his attacks could not break through their defenses.

Li Hu gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Lian, his defense is too strong. If we continue fighting like this, it will be disadvantageous for us."

Shen Lian looked at the 'Water Demon Guards'. After being modified by the Demon Stone, these 'Water Demon Guards' had grown hard scales all over their bodies. Ordinary attacks could not break through their defenses, let alone kill them.

"Tiger, attack his joints!" Shen Lian shouted, brandishing his knife and charging towards the 'Water Demon Guard'.

Li Hu also rushed out, enduring the excruciating pain in his tiger's mouth, and with a twist of his long sword, he slashed at the 'Water Demon Guard's' knees and other vulnerable spots.

Shen Lian also unleashed a slash, aiming for the opponent's other knee.

Although the 'Water Demon Guardian' possessed immense strength and extremely strong defense, its movements were very stiff. When two blades of light attacked from the front, it had no time to defend itself.

The two long swords struck the "Water Demon Guardian" at the knee joint simultaneously.

Click!

Click!

Although the dark blue scales were very hard, the joints were exposed, and the two long swords cut through them, breaking through the opponent's defenses.

The 'Water Demon Guardian' let out an inhuman roar and immediately knelt down on both knees.

Shen Lian pushed his footwork to its limit, appearing behind the 'Water Demon Guard' and immediately unleashing the 'Mountain Splitting Style' to strike at the opponent.

This strike was imbued with immense power, its momentum like splitting mountains and cleaving peaks.

The long sword slashed down furiously, severing the head of the 'Water Demon Guard' directly. Its massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Li Hu was panting heavily, and his expression had relaxed considerably.

Shen Lian frowned and looked into the distance.

The battle between Jiang Han and Viper continues and has reached a fever pitch.

Jiang Han, as the Silver Seal Envoy of Qingzhou Prefecture, possesses the strength of the Ninth Heaven, and his combat power has reached an astonishing 122-155.

Viper looked coldly at Jiang Han and said, "Jiang Han, do you think that killing the Ink Scale Saint Envoy will stop my sect's great cause? What wishful thinking."

Jiang Han, holding a long sword, said, "The Witchcraft Cult should have been eradicated three hundred years ago. Now it has risen from the ashes and even wants to flood Qingzhou. Does it really think that Qingzhou is devoid of people?"

The viper snorted, "Three hundred years ago, the Demon Suppression Division wiped out my sect's thirty-six caves and seventy-two strongholds, and slaughtered my people. Let's start paying this blood debt from Qingzhou."

As he spoke, he slammed his snake-headed staff heavily onto the ground, and thick purple mist spewed from the skull at the top of the staff.

Jiang Han was prepared. He immediately brandished his longsword, and the sword energy rose like a whirlwind, scattering the poisonous mist in all directions.

The moment the poisonous fog touched the rock wall, pebbles fell in a flurry.

"retreat!"

Shen Lian and Li Hu retreated several steps.

Wherever the poisonous fog passed, the corpses of the three "Water Demon Guards" quickly decomposed, turning into thick liquid that flowed on the ground, emitting a foul stench.

The viper's figure appeared and disappeared in the poisonous mist: "Jiang Han, do you know why this Broken Dragon Cliff cave was chosen as a stronghold? Three hundred years ago, this place was the secret cave where my sect refined the 'Ten Thousand Gu Bone-Corroding Powder'! The poison that seeps into these rock walls has long since penetrated the marrow of the stone, and can affect the blood circulation of martial artists."

Jiang Han's expression was solemn, the blade held horizontally in front of his chest: "So that's how it is. No wonder you were waiting for me here."

"The poisonous gas in this cave has been accumulating for three hundred years. Although it is not even a fraction of what it was at its peak, it is more than enough to deal with a Ninth Heaven cultivator like you!" the viper laughed.

Immediately, the viper began chanting incantations, and the skull eyes atop the snake-head staff suddenly glowed with an eerie green light.

Rubbing sounds came from the four walls of the cave, and countless poisonous insects emerged from the cracks in the rocks—scorpions, centipedes, poisonous spiders… swarming towards Jiang Han like a tidal wave.

Jiang Han snorted coldly, his figure spun rapidly, and his sword energy transformed into a silver whirlwind, turning all the poisonous insects in his path into dust.

However, the number of poisonous insects was simply too great. As soon as a clearing was made, layers upon layers of them surged up from behind. To make matters worse, the corpses of the poisonous insects, shattered by the sword energy, exploded with venom, mixing into the air to form a pale green poisonous miasma.

Shen Lian was shocked.

Jiang Han is currently trapped in the poisonous insect array. Every strike he makes consumes his health and mana, and a prolonged battle would be extremely disadvantageous for him.

"Tiger, are you still able to do it?" Shen Lian turned his head to look at Li Hu.

Li Hu nodded slightly, his bleeding right hand gripping the long knife tightly.

Shen Lian looked ahead and said, "The viper uses poisonous insects to weaken Jiang Yinzhang. Every time the poisonous insects surge out, the skull on the viper's snake-head staff flashes green. I speculate that the staff is the key to controlling the poisonous insects."

"You want to take the staff?" Li Hu whispered.

Shen Lian shook his head and said, "With our strength, it's impossible to take the staff from Viper, but we can disrupt him. As long as we break Viper's attack rhythm, Jiang Yinzhang can kill him."

"Great!" Li Hu's eyes lit up.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.

Shen Lian was the first to leap up, his long sword trembling, and all the power of the "Tiger Subduing Stance" was poured into his arms, making his muscles bulge like iron.

Li Hu followed closely behind, knife in hand.

"cut!"

Two loud shouts rang out almost simultaneously.

Shen Lian slashed at the base of the stalactites at the top of the cave, and Li Hu slashed back with the same move, the powerful force instantly piercing through it.

Click!

A stalactite three zhang long crashed down, slamming down hard on the viper that was chanting incantations.

The viper immediately frowned, and with a slight tilt of his snake-headed staff, the green light flashing on the staff abruptly went out.

"A great opportunity!"

In that instant, a cold light flashed in Jiang Han's eyes. He lunged forward like a dot, his long sword slicing through the poisonous miasma, a wisp of true energy condensing at the tip of the blade.

Jiang Han is at the peak of the Ninth Heaven, only one step away from the True Qi Realm.

At this moment, he exerted all his strength and actually unleashed a wisp of true energy.

Wherever the long sword passed, poisonous insects burst open.

"Aaaaah, you lackey of the Demon Suppression Division, I'll kill you!" The viper's eyes were bloodshot as he blocked with his snake-headed staff.

clang!

The sound of metal clanging echoed throughout the cave.

Jiang Han's strike was powerful and heavy, forcing the viper to retreat several steps, the rocks beneath his feet cracking inch by inch, and blood spilling from his mouth.

"Cough cough, as expected of the Silver Badge Envoy of Qingzhou, your strength is indeed formidable." Viper wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth: "But do you think that's all I've got?"

He slammed the snake-headed staff into the ground, and the dark red gem in the snake's mouth on the staff suddenly shone with an eerie light.

A large amount of poisonous fog suddenly gushed out from the crevices in the rocks inside the cave.

"This is bad, the poison gas is penetrating faster." Jiang Han's face darkened. He immediately took out a porcelain bottle and poured out three emerald green pills. "Hold them in your mouth; they can temporarily resist the poison gas."

After Shen Lian and Li Hu took the pills, they did as instructed. A cool sensation spread from the back of their tongues, and their minds immediately became clearer.

Inside the Broken Dragon Cliff Cave, the poisonous miasma grew increasingly dense.

After Jiang Han took the antidote pill, his blood and qi recovered slightly, but his complexion was still pale. The pill could only suppress the toxicity for half a quarter of an hour, so he had to finish the job quickly.

The viper sneered, "You little brats from the Demon Suppression Division, this Poison Cave has been poisoned for three hundred years by my sect's ancestors with 'Ten Thousand Gu Bone-Corroding Powder,' every inch of its walls seeps with resentment and poison. You've come here today to seek your own deaths!"

He stomped his foot suddenly, and several cracks appeared in the ground. Black mist poured out from the cracks, condensing into dozens of slender, venomous snakes that hissed and flicked their tongues.

"Be careful, this is the 'Thousand Serpent Gu Formation'!" Jiang Han shouted in a low voice.

Shen Lian and Li Hu dared not be careless, and the three of them huddled together.

The venomous snake lunged at Jiang Han and his two companions.

Jiang Han's blade flashed like snow, and with a sweeping move called "Sunset Over the Long River," the blade energy annihilated seven or eight poisonous snakes. However, after being killed, the snakes transformed into even smaller flying insects that pounced on the three of them.

Shen Lian swung his sword, but the long blade failed to kill him.

Jiang Han said in a low voice, "These are Gu worms. Ordinary methods are completely ineffective against them. Only fire attacks can work."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian immediately took out a talisman, which was the "Yang Fire Talisman" given to him by Xu Laosuo. This talisman was drawn with "Blazing Sun Sand" powder and was specially designed to counter evil spirits, making it the nemesis of those Gu worms.

He threw out the 'Yang Fire Talisman' directly, and a ball of red and white flames exploded, transforming into a ring of fire that spread outwards.

The poisonous insects were burned the moment they touched the flame.

The viper's expression changed slightly as he said, "'Blazing Sun Sand'? You actually have something like that? That really surprises me."

Without saying a word, Jiang Han rushed straight at the viper, unleashing his full power from the ninth level of the Heavenly Realm, his sword strike as powerful as the Yangtze River.

The viper quickly swung its snake-headed staff to block, and the staff and blade clashed, producing a metallic clang. The powerful impact of the collision caused stalactites to fall from the cave ceiling.

Jiang Han's swordsmanship was powerful and sweeping, each strike imbued with immense power and energy, forcing the viper to retreat repeatedly.

"You think you can defeat me like this, Jiang Han?" A fierce glint flashed in the viper's eyes. He pulled out a black pottery jar and smashed it on the ground.

A large number of black beetles instantly poured out of the jar, each about the size of a fingernail, and they didn't look particularly special.

Jiang Han frowned and warned, "This is the 'Bone-Eating Gu Worm.' Once this worm enters the body, even a god can't save you!"

The black beetles surged toward Jiang Han and his companions like a tidal wave.

Jiang Han unleashed a series of slashes, each strike capable of annihilating dozens of Gu worms.

Seeing the 'Bone-Eating Gu Worms' surging in, Shen Lian took out his last five 'Yang Fire Talismans' and threw them all out.

Flames surrounded Shen Lian and the other two, and with the flames blocked by the 'Yang Fire Talisman', the 'Bone-Eating Gu Insects' dared not approach.

Shen Lian said, "The 'Yang Fire Talisman' won't last long. We must finish this quickly and deal with the viper first."

Jiang Han unleashed his full power and shouted, "You guys cover me, I'll deal with the viper."

Shen Lian and Li Hu nodded, and the two rushed out with their knives in hand.

Jiang Han moved swiftly, charging straight at the viper. He unleashed a powerful strike, "Fishing Alone on the Cold River," releasing immense force from his longsword.

clang!

Viper swung his snake-head staff to block Jiang Han's attack, but the powerful force of the attack forced him back.

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and cracks appeared on the viper's snake-head staff.

Jiang Han's blade continued its momentum, drawing a silver arc in the air before slashing fiercely down towards the viper's face.

Instead of retreating, the viper advanced, thrusting its snake-head staff forward, instantly spitting out venom.

Jiang Han dodged to the side, and his long sword slashed towards the viper's wrist.

The viper spun its snake-head staff, and several black lines suddenly shot out from the crack in its body. They were actually two Gu worms as thin as hair, moving extremely fast and heading straight for Jiang Han's eyes.

"Lord Jiang, be careful!" Shen Lian shouted urgently, stepping forward with his sword. He swept his long sword horizontally, directly severing the three black-lined Gu worms.

The remaining two insects were already half a foot away from Jiang Han. Jiang Han swept his long sword horizontally, and the insects instantly froze into ice shards.

The viper's pupils constricted sharply, and he exclaimed in horror, "This is true qi? You've already touched the threshold of the true qi realm?!"

"Now you know, it's too late!" Jiang Han's tone was icy, and he raised his sword again, this time faster, the sword light almost forming a continuous line.

The viper retreated repeatedly, waving its snake-head staff to block, each collision causing the cracks in the staff to spread further.

As Jiang Han unleashed a powerful strike, the snake-headed staff in the viper's hand snapped in two, and the longsword, unstoppable, cleaved into the viper's body.

The blade flashed like snow, slicing through the viper's left shoulder and severing the entire arm at the root. The viper screamed and staggered back, but instead of blood gushing from the wound, black pus oozed out, densely packed with tiny insect eggs.

"You actually turned yourself into a Gu person?!" Jiang Han frowned.

This is precisely the evil art of the "Witchcraft Cult," which involves feeding Gu worms to one's own body, causing every part of the body to be covered with Gu worms, thus turning one into a living Gu person.

The viper sneered, "What is a mere body compared to the great cause of the Holy Cult? Jiang Han, I am now immortal; you cannot kill me."

He flicked his right hand, and dozens of Gu worms flew out, rushing towards Jiang Han.

Jiang Han watched the approaching Gu worms and dared not be careless in the slightest. He gripped his long sword tightly and slashed forward.

The sharp blade energy swept across, slicing down all the Gu worms.

"That's all there is to it!"

Jiang Han stood with his knife in hand, looking at the viper with disdain.

"You really think that's all?" the viper sneered.

The next moment, the Gu worm that Jiang Han had killed and dropped to the ground suddenly flew up, touched Jiang Han's skin, and disappeared.

"not good!"

Shen Lian and Li Hu's expressions changed drastically upon seeing this scene.

"Don't come any closer!"

Just as the two were about to step forward, Jiang Han stopped them with a gesture.

Jiang Han's forehead veins bulged, and his powerful blood and qi surged wildly, trying to force out the foreign object that had invaded his body.

He could clearly feel those tiny Gu worms rushing rapidly along his meridians and blood vessels toward his heart. Wherever they passed, they brought waves of chilling, bone-chilling pain, and a violent, chaotic will began to assault his mind.

"Haha...cough..." The viper's face revealed a maniacal laugh. "So what if you're a Silver Badge Envoy? Once you're afflicted with my 'Heart-Eating Gu,' even a master who has just entered the True Qi Realm will have their blood and qi reversed, and their heart meridian completely destroyed! This is a generous gift that my sect has prepared for you court lackeys. Today, let's collect some interest!"

Jiang Han grunted and knelt on one knee, using his long sword to support his body. He could feel something moving towards his heart.

It was clearly the Gu worm.

Shen Lian frowned, looking somewhat worried.

If Jiang Han were at his peak, he might have been able to force it out with his powerful cultivation, which was close to the True Qi Realm, but the fierce battle with the viper just now had greatly depleted his strength.

Jiang Han's current predicament is undoubtedly very troublesome.

"We must subdue the viper immediately; he must have a solution. Or we can just kill him, and the Gu worms might lose control!" Li Hu said, clenching his fist.

"It's not that simple," Shen Lian shook his head and said. "He has turned himself into a Gu person, and his life is probably tied to the Gu worms. Killing him might cause the Gu worms to go completely berserk in Lord Jiang's body, which would be a loss rather than a gain."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu's expression darkened.

At that moment, some sounds came from deep within the cave.

Someone's coming!

Seeing this, a resolute glint flashed in the viper's eyes, and black Gu worms surged wildly from his body. His aura began to surge at an abnormal rate.

"He's trying to self-destruct, we can't let him succeed!" Shen Lian shouted, pushing his 'Tiger-Taming Stance' footwork to its limit as he charged straight at the viper.

Li Hu followed closely behind and charged at Viper.

The viper burst into maniacal laughter, slamming his right hand down on his head: "You will all be buried with me! Long live the Holy Church!"

Just as his hand was about to strike, a clear, cold female voice rang out from the cave entrance: "Freeze!"