202: Chapter 202: A Muddy, Deadly Battle

Gu Shen scanned his surroundings.

A hundred paces ahead lay an extremely wide natural swamp.

The surface of the swamp was covered in patches of colorful, rotting aquatic plants, while gray-green geothermal cold miasma bubbled up from the bottom from time to time.

"Crab, what is the environment like beneath that swamp?"

"My Lord, the swamp is about three zhang deep. The bottom is silted with a large amount of high-density anaerobic bacteria and heavy metal deposits. The local temperature is extremely low, and it is an absolutely anaerobic environment. Any Qi signature will be completely shielded by the mud layer."

Gu Shen did not hesitate any longer.

He quickly walked to the edge of the swamp. He did not dive in immediately, but instead reached back and took out the corpse of a Beast Taming Sect Disciple he had previously captured from his Storage Ring.

He slashed the corpse's arm with his blade, smearing the residual blood recklessly over the surrounding rocks and bushes to create the illusion of someone who was severely injured, exhausted, and fleeing in a panic. Afterward, he tossed the corpse into a shallow pit at the edge of the swamp, letting the muddy water half-bury it.

After doing all this, Gu Shen suppressed the Qi and blood in his body and sank straight down to the deepest part of the swamp.

The black mud submerged his head.

Cold, suffocating, and foul-smelling.

Gu Shen switched to an extremely slow breathing pattern, and his heartbeat was forcibly slowed to once every half cup of tea. The computing power of the AI Crystal took over all sensory warnings, completely turning him into a part of this dead, silent swamp.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Several figures dressed in starry Daoist robes broke through the miasma and landed steadily on the edge of the swamp.

The leader had a sinister expression and held a compass engraved with blood-red runes. The compass needle spun wildly before finally pointing firmly at the blood-stained bushes at the edge of the swamp.

High above, several Red-Eyed Blood Bats circled and flew about, emitting urgent shrieks.

"The blood and Qi traces end here. That thief was hit by Senior Brother Qin's zither music; he is at the end of his rope and definitely cannot have gone far."

The sinister Cultivator's gaze was sharp as he swept over the corpse half-buried in the muddy water, then let out a cold snort, "How dare he kill a Junior Brother of our Sect. Search! He must be hiding here using the swamp to mask his Qi signature. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must drag him out!"

The few Cultivators to his left and right received the order, each holding their Magical Artifacts, and approached the swamp step by step.

A burly Cultivator on the left summoned a mountain-splitting giant axe. As his magical power surged, the giant axe transformed into a phantom the size of a door panel, unleashing a violent slash toward the surface of the swamp.

"Boom!"

Mud mixed with rotting aquatic plants shot into the sky, kicking up a sky full of foul-smelling mud rain.

The Cultivator on the right pinched a Spell formula, condensing a ball of blazing fire in his palm, and threw it above the swamp, attempting to use the high temperature to evaporate the miasma and force out the person hiding within.

Gu Shen, hiding at the bottom of the swamp, sensed the surging spiritual power coming from above.

The dark force from the giant axe's slash penetrated the mud layer and slammed heavily against his chest. His already damaged internal organs twisted in pain, but he gritted his teeth firmly, his body not moving a single inch.

The enemy is in the light while I am in the dark; the opportunity for a counterattack lies entirely in the moment they let their guard down.

That burly man slashed dozens of times, churning up more than half of the swamp, yet no figure surfaced.

"Senior Brother, apart from some dead branches and rotten leaves, there is no sign of any living person in this mud pit. Could that guy have already used an escape technique to flee?" The burly man put away the giant axe, his breath slightly ragged.

The sinister Cultivator frowned, holding the compass as he walked forward.

He stood at the edge of the swamp, leaning over to stare at the churning black mud, his Divine Sense probing downward like an awl.

This is it.

"Kill!"

Gu Shen roared in his heart.

At the bottom of the swamp, the Cold Jade Bone within Gu Shen's body erupted with long-dormant, immense power.

"Rumble!"

The surface of the mud suddenly exploded.

Gu Shen's figure was like a streak of black lightning, shrouded in a sky full of foul-smelling mud, charging straight at that sinister Cultivator.

The distance was too close, and the change happened in the blink of an eye.

The sinister Cultivator was terrified and instinctively wanted to retreat while simultaneously activating the protective spiritual light on his body.

However, Gu Shen had not used any Spells at all.

He knew well that his true essence circulation was sluggish and not suitable for a prolonged battle; only the purest physical crushing power could settle the matter in one strike.

His left hand's five fingers were like hooks, darting out like lightning.

He did not use the Soul-Pulling Threads, relying entirely on the indestructible finger strength of the Cold Jade Bone.

"Snap!"

Gu Shen's five fingers crushed the sinister Cultivator's not-yet-fully-extended protective spiritual light without any resistance, locking tightly onto his throat.

The immense impact force carried both of them flying backward, slamming heavily into the rock wall behind them.

The rock shattered.

Gu Shen exerted force with his five fingers.

The crisp sound of breaking bones rang out. The sinister Cultivator's windpipe and cervical vertebrae were crushed, his eyes bulged, his head hung limply to one side, and he died on the spot.

"Senior Brother!"

The burly Cultivator and the other few companions were horrified, exclaiming in shock.

They had never expected that a severely injured Loose Cultivator could erupt with such terrifying close-quarters combat power in such a desperate situation.

"Form up!"

The burly Cultivator roared wildly, raising the giant axe high again, intending to slash at Gu Shen.

Gu Shen turned around, his gaze cold and piercing.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the God-Slaying Sword condensed.

A pale golden stream of light shot out from between his brows, ignoring physical defenses and plunging straight into the Sea of Consciousness of the Cultivators present.

"Urgh!"

The burly Cultivator let out a miserable howl, blood flowing from his seven orifices, and his arms holding the giant axe froze in mid-air.

Gu Shen stepped on his thunder shadow boots, his figure flickering as he closed in on his side.

His right palm edge was like a blade, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, and it precisely chopped onto the back of his neck.

His neck bone snapped, and the burly Cultivator's massive body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

In just three breaths.

Two Peak Qi Refining 9th Layer elites of the Beast Taming Sect were dead.

The remaining few Cultivators were terrified, completely devoid of Battle Intent. They each turned around in a panic, scrambling to pull out distress Talismans from their robes, intending to crush them.

Gu Shen snorted coldly.

He raised his left hand slightly, and three extremely thin, transparent threads shot out from his finger bones.

The Soul-Pulling Threads were like spirit snakes emerging from their lair, instantly wrapping around the wrists of the three Cultivators.

He pulled with force.

Blood sprayed. The hands of the three Cultivators holding the Talismans were severed at the wrist.

Gu Shen stepped forward, kicked one of them to the ground, and brought the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade down—scabbard and all—smashing heavily against the back of his head.

That Cultivator let out a muffled grunt and died on the spot.

Taking advantage of the other two being stunned, Gu Shen jerked his fingers, and the sharp edge of the Soul-Pulling Threads flashed past.

Plop.

Two heads, filled with terror, flew into the air. Before blood could even spray from their severed necks, they were completely frozen by the extreme Yin cold energy on the Soul-Pulling Threads.

The battle ended, leaving only the sound of dripping muddy water in the surroundings.

Gu Shen retracted his magical power and leaned against the rock wall, panting heavily. The continuous forced outbursts had worsened his injuries, and his lapel was already soaked with the black blood he had coughed up.

He forced himself to walk over and tore off the Storage Pouches from the few men. He reached out and forcibly wiped away their imprints.

A rough count revealed over seven hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, several bottles of various high-grade Medicinal Pills, a few standard Sect Magical Artifacts, as well as over a dozen Jade Slips and some Formation tools.

The assets of Disciples from large Sects were indeed wealthy.

Gu Shen put all the spoils into his Storage Ring, then with a thought, flicked his hand to release a ball of the Heaven and Earth Furnace's rule-based fire, reducing the corpses to ashes.

"The smell of blood is too strong here; the blood bats will arrive in a moment. I must find a safe place as soon as possible to activate the Great Furnace and cross realms."