554: Blood Shadow Gate Genius

Thousands of Blood Shadow Sect Disciples responded in unison, raising their blood-stained weapons. Their fierce gazes locked tightly onto Murong Gu. A dense crowd of figures surged forward like a tide, and the thick, malevolent aura intertwined, forming a dark red mist that enveloped Murong Gu. The air was filled with a bloodthirsty, murderous aura.

Just then, a figure leaped from the crowd of Blood Shadow Sect Disciples. The man was dressed in tight black clothing, with a handsome but sinister face. His figure was upright, and his body was surrounded by a faint blood-colored spiritual light, his aura steady and immense—he was clearly at the Nascent Soul Early Stage! He was only around thirty years old, his brows filled with arrogance and conceit. He swept a contemptuous glance over Murong Gu, as if looking at an ant waiting to be slaughtered.

"Elder, why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? Leave this brat to me!" The youth’s voice was loud and filled with arrogance. He turned and bowed to Blood Butcher, though his tone could not hide his conceit. "He is just a brat who luckily escaped from the gate of the blood realm; does he deserve to have thousands of fellow Disciples move against him?"

Blood Butcher looked up, and seeing who it was, the ferocity in his eyes softened slightly, and his tone became a bit milder: "Lingxiao, be careful. This brat has hidden his cultivation; I cannot discern his depth."

This youth was none other than the Blood Shadow Sect's top Genius Disciple of the last hundred years, Xue Lingxiao.

He was exceptionally gifted, his speed to Cultivate was Heaven-Defying, and at only thirty years old, he had achieved a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Early Stage, far surpassing his peers. He was deeply valued by the Blood Shadow Sect Leader and had mastered the Blood Shadow Sect's famous ultimate technique—the Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw. His strikes were ruthless, and he killed without blinking. Countless Righteous Path Cultivators had died under his claws; he was a notorious Evil Path Genius on the Eternal Continent.

Upon hearing this, Xue Lingxiao curled his lips into a disdainful sneer and turned to look at Murong Gu again, the contempt in his eyes growing even stronger: "Hidden cultivation? Just some petty tricks that can't be brought to the table. Don't worry, Elder. Today, I will make this brat die under my Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw, extract his Divine Soul, and properly interrogate him about the secrets of the gate of the blood realm!"

As his voice fell, Xue Lingxiao did not hesitate. The malevolent aura around him instantly surged, and the dark red spiritual light burned like fire. He formed his hands into claws, and pitch-black cold light flickered on his fingertips. The tips of his claws were shrouded in thick, soul-eroding black Qi, and a pungent, fishy odor permeated the air—that black Qi was refined from countless dead souls. Once contaminated, one would at least suffer damage to their Divine Soul, and at worst, their Divine Soul would be completely destroyed; it was extremely sinister.

"Brat, if you're sensible, surrender now, and perhaps I can give you a quick death!" Xue Lingxiao shouted sternly. His figure moved like a bolt of black lightning, carrying immense evil power, and he lunged fiercely towards Murong Gu. His speed was extreme, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

In the blink of an eye, he reached Murong Gu and swung his hands violently. Ten pitch-black claw shadows, carrying soul-eroding black Qi, lashed out like ten venomous snakes towards Murong Gu's vital points. It was his famous ultimate technique—the Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw!

Wherever the claw shadows passed, the air was torn apart, emitting sharp, piercing shrieks. The blood-colored rocks on the ground were gouged into deep trenches by the claw Qi, and even the surrounding space rippled slightly. It was clear that the power of this strike was enough to severely injure or even kill an ordinary Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator.

The Blood Shadow Sect Disciples stopped in their tracks, looking towards the field with triumphant gazes. In their view, with Xue Lingxiao making a move, Murong Gu was undoubtedly doomed—a thirty-year-old Nascent Soul Early Stage, combined with the incredibly sinister Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw; even a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator might not be a match for Xue Lingxiao, let alone this brat who looked only about twenty years old.

Murong Xue stood atop the mountain gate, watching this scene. Her heart instantly leaped into her throat, and she couldn't help but cry out: "A Gu, watch out!" Although she did not know Xue Lingxiao's specific cultivation level, she could feel that immense, malevolent aura, and her heart was filled with worry.

Facing Xue Lingxiao's fierce strike, the expression on Murong Gu's face remained calm, not even showing the slightest reaction, his eyes filled only with cold indifference. He watched the lunging Xue Lingxiao, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint sneer, as if looking at a clown.

Just as the shadows of the Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw were about to touch Murong Gu's clothes, Murong Gu slowly raised his right hand, his fingertips moved slightly, and a wisp of dark red Sword Qi condensed.

"Whoosh—!"

Murong Gu flicked his finger lightly, and that weak Sword Qi shot out like a meteor, with extreme speed, instantly colliding with the ten claw shadows Xue Lingxiao had unleashed.

"Crack—!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and a shocking scene unfolded: Xue Lingxiao's pride and joy, the Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw, which was enough to severely injure a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, shattered instantly in front of Murong Gu's seemingly weak Sword Qi, like fragile glass, without even a trace of resistance. After piercing through the claw shadows, the Sword Qi did not lose its momentum and continued to shoot towards Xue Lingxiao's chest.

The conceit and arrogance on Xue Lingxiao's face instantly froze, replaced by extreme shock and astonishment. He widened his eyes, his mouth agape, as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with disbelief: "No—! This is impossible! How could my Blood Shadow Soul-Eroding Claw be broken by a mere wisp of your weak Sword Qi?!"

He had no time to react, nor time to dodge, and could only watch helplessly as that Sword Qi pierced through his chest.

A heart-wrenching pain instantly swept through his entire body. The Nascent Soul power within him dissipated like a tide, blood gushed continuously from the wound in his chest, and his Divine Soul was also severely damaged by the fierce killing intent within the Sword Qi, becoming precarious.

Only then did Xue Lingxiao completely understand that he was no match for Murong Gu at all. His so-called name as a Genius, his so-called Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivation, were nothing but a joke in front of Murong Gu. An extreme fear welled up in his heart, and his survival instinct instantly took over; where was there any trace of his former arrogance and conceit?

"I... I was wrong, Senior, spare my life!" Xue Lingxiao trembled all over, his voice hoarse and broken, his face full of fear and pleading. Ignoring the sharp pain in his chest, he turned to flee towards the crowd of Blood Shadow Sect Disciples, wanting only to save his life. "I will never dare again, I beg Senior to have mercy and spare me!"

Watching Xue Lingxiao's pathetic fleeing figure, a trace of cold killing intent flashed in Murong Gu's eyes. The corners of his mouth curled into a mocking sneer, and his tone was bone-chillingly cold: "Die."

As the word fell, the Sword Qi that had pierced through Xue Lingxiao's chest instantly erupted with dazzling light, transforming into two small wisps of Sword Qi. As if they had a life of their own, they automatically tracked Xue Lingxiao's figure and shot towards his back.

"Whoosh, whoosh—!"

The two wisps of Sword Qi accurately pierced through Xue Lingxiao's back. Xue Lingxiao let out a shrill, miserable scream, his body stiffened abruptly, and he could no longer take another step forward. His Nascent Soul completely dissipated, his Divine Soul was thoroughly torn apart by the Sword Qi, and his body slowly collapsed, hitting the cold rocks heavily. Blood stained the ground beneath him, and he instantly lost his breath—a thirty-year-old Nascent Soul Early Stage Genius, the pride of the Blood Shadow Sect for nearly a hundred years, had actually been easily killed in seconds by a single Sword Qi from Murong Gu!

The entire scene was dead silent.

Whether it was the Blood Shadow Sect Disciples or the Falling Snow Pavilion Disciples, all of them froze in place, their faces filled with shock and astonishment, not daring to even breathe loudly. The scene just now was too shocking, too subversive to their understanding—a Nascent Soul Early Stage Genius, actually killed in seconds by a seemingly weak Sword Qi; what kind of terrifying cultivation must that be?!

The Blood Shadow Sect Disciples stopped in their tracks, the ferocity and greed on their faces instantly replaced by extreme fear. They trembled all over, their weapons dropping to the ground with a "clatter," and they no longer had the fearless demeanor from before.

They looked at Murong Gu's figure, their eyes filled with awe and fear, as if looking at an Asura from Hell, not even having the strength to raise their heads.

Murong Xue stood atop the mountain gate, watching this scene. The worry on her face was instantly replaced by shock, her eyes filled with disbelief. She muttered to herself: "A Gu... his cultivation has actually reached such a level..." She had never thought that the Slave of the Murong Family had now grown to such a terrifying Realm, able to easily kill a Nascent Soul Early Stage Genius in seconds.