37: Chapter 37 Cannon Fodder

Inside the A-17 Stone Cave.

The layer of green, vine-like Wood Armor Technique on Gu Shen's body slowly faded into his skin. He opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

Three days.

He had not stepped outside once. He had finally mastered the Wood Armor Technique to the point of instantaneous casting. As long as the mana in his Dantian was not exhausted, with a single thought, this layer of wood armor, comparable to a Low Grade Magical Artifact, could instantly protect all his vital points.

A hungry growl came from his stomach. Cultivating defensive Spells was extremely taxing on the body's blood and Qi.

Gu Shen's Divine Sense probed into his storage ring, and he took out a jar of iron-sealed meat paste. He used his gold-severing saber to pry open the iron lid and swallowed the meat paste in large mouthfuls.

A salty, fishy taste entered his stomach, and his blood and Qi gradually replenished.

"My cultivation is stable, and my means are prepared. It is time to go to the black market and exchange the remaining spiritual items for Spirit Stones."

Gu Shen stood up and straightened his black Loose Cultivator attire. The scarred, sallow face conjured by Thousand Faces suppressed his cultivation to Qi Refining Stage 4 without a single flaw.

Just as he reached out to undo the Restriction on the stone door.

Boom—!!!

A deafening sound, like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting, exploded in the sky above Wild Dog Ridge.

The entire mountain shook violently, and gravel from the ceiling of the stone cave fell in a rustle. The warning stones Gu Shen had placed behind the door were instantly blown away by the violent airwave, smashing against the stone wall and turning into powder.

"What is happening?!"

Gu Shen's heart tightened. This was definitely not the commotion caused by ordinary Loose Cultivators fighting.

Before he could react, a suffocating, terrifying Spiritual Pressure, like a tangible giant wave, descended from the sky, pressing down heavily on the entirety of Wild Dog Ridge.

Foundation Establishment Stage experts! And more than one!

"The Law Enforcement Hall of the Danding Sect is conducting business! All Loose Cultivators of Wild Dog Ridge, listen up: within one breath, get out of your Immortal Caves. Anyone who dares to hide and not flee will be killed without mercy!"

A roar like rolling thunder echoed for a radius of ten miles.

Gu Shen's pupils constricted.

Danding Sect!

Why would they suddenly launch a major offensive against Wild Dog Ridge? This lawless place, where no one cares, was a place that even the Outer Sect Disciples of the five major Sects usually disdained to set foot in.

There was no time to think; that terrifying Foundation Establishment Stage Divine Sense, like a comb, swept over the stone caves on the cliff wall again and again.

The weak Restrictions that came with the Old Ghost Inn were like a layer of window paper before such Divine Sense, shattering instantly.

"I cannot hide. Under the lock of a Foundation Establishment Stage Divine Sense, once I use the Great Furnace to escape into the ruins, the spatial fluctuations will definitely not escape their notice."

Gu Shen remained extremely calm.

He snatched away the Thick Earth Array Formation Plate, pushed open the stone door, hunched his back, and put on the appearance of a terrified low-level Loose Cultivator, scrambling out of the cliffside walkway.

The scene outside made all the Loose Cultivators gasp.

Under the gloomy sky, three massive spirit boats, dozens of zhang long and engraved with golden Formation patterns all over, hovered above Wild Dog Ridge.

On the spirit boats, densely packed Inner Sect Disciples wearing Danding Sect robes stood with swords and blades drawn, filled with Killing Intent.

At the bow of the foremost spirit boat, two figures stood in mid-air. Spiritual light flickered around them, like gods.

Those were the Foundation Establishment Stage Elders of the Danding Sect!

The Loose Cultivators of Wild Dog Ridge, like ants whose nest had been poked, swarmed out from every corner in a panic, forcibly driven to the central clearing by beams of Spell light shot down from the spirit boats.

A few bandit Cultivators, relying on their Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivation and attempting to activate evasion techniques to flee into the poison miasma abyss, had just flown a hundred zhang.

"Stubborn and unyielding." A Foundation Establishment Elder in mid-air snorted coldly and flicked his finger.

Swish! A red Sword Qi, over ten zhang long, tore through the air. Those few fierce bandits at Late-Stage Qi Refining didn't even have time to scream before they were slashed into exploding mists of blood in mid-air, leaving no bones behind.

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

Thousands of unruly Loose Cultivators were now like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, shivering.

The innkeeper of the Old Ghost Inn was also driven to the clearing; his Qi Refining Level 7 cultivation was nothing in the face of such a Formation, and he was so scared that his dry tobacco pipe fell into the muddy water.

Gu Shen blended into the middle of the crowd, keeping his head low and tightly restraining his own aura.

"The war on the front lines is tight; the little demonic brats of the Blood Fiend Sect have set up an extremely vicious Blood Sacrifice Array in the White Bone Forest thirty miles ahead."

Another Foundation Establishment Elder in mid-air looked down at them, his voice cold. "The Sect has issued an order to conscript you Loose Cultivators to resist the Demonic Path together. From this moment on, you are assigned to the Vanguard Camp. After breaking the array, rewards will be distributed based on merit."

Vanguard Camp?

Gu Shen sneered repeatedly in his heart. It sounded high-sounding, but in reality, it was just using the lives of Loose Cultivators to clear the mines and exhaust the power of that Blood Sacrifice Array!

Cannon fodder again!

This was the sorrow of the bottom layer of the Great Yu Cultivation World. Without the protection of a Sect, in the eyes of these high and mighty experts, they were not even considered human, just a batch of expendable materials that could be consumed at any time.

"Everyone, line up according to cultivation. Mid to Late-Stage Qi Refining stand on the left, Early Stage stand on the right!"

Hundreds of Danding Sect Law Enforcement Hall Disciples leaped down from the spirit boats, holding Magical Artifacts, and began to violently drive and form them into groups.

Gu Shen clenched his fists tightly. He was currently disguised as Qi Refining Stage 4 and was roughly shoved into the line on the left. The person next to him happened to be a burly man with a full beard—the very guy who had tried to rob the severely injured Cultivator in the tavern that night.

This man had Level 5 Qi Refining cultivation, but at this moment, his face was the color of earth, and his legs were trembling.

"It's over... White Bone Forest... That's the lair where the Blood Fiend Sect refines blood corpses. Making us go break the array—it's ten deaths and no life..." the bearded man muttered to himself.

Gu Shen said nothing, watching coldly from the sidelines.

Escape was impossible. They were tightly surrounded by hundreds of Law Enforcement Hall Disciples, and above their heads, two Foundation Establishment Stage Elders were locking onto them with their Divine Sense.

"Board the spirit boats!"

They didn't give anyone a chance to catch their breath or resist. Huge chains hung down from the spirit boats. The Loose Cultivators were driven like livestock to climb up and were stuffed into the crowded and dim bottom cabins.

Gu Shen found a corner closest to the cabin door and crouched down.

Boom. The cabin door closed, and the spirit boats shook slightly, turning into three streaks of light, heading straight for the White Bone Forest thirty miles away.

The bottom cabin was filled with the scent of despair.

Gu Shen closed his eyes, not listening to the wailing and cursing of the surrounding Loose Cultivators.

His Sea of Consciousness operated at high speed, taking stock of all his trump cards. The vigorous mana of Qi Refinement Level 6. The dual defense of Wood Armor Technique and black turtle shield. The sneak attacks of the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade and Soul-Shocking Spike.

Most importantly. That Blood Burning Evasion technique, as well as the seven balls of red blood essence glue and three blood crystal pills in his storage ring.

"Foundation Establishment Elders cannot keep their eyes on us cannon fodder forever. Once we reach the White Bone Forest, as the two Sects clash and the Formations roar, the scene will surely be extremely chaotic."

Gu Shen opened his eyes in the darkness; there was not a trace of panic in his deep pupils, only the coldness and cruelty of a beast.

"As soon as the Divine Sense lock is disrupted, that will be the moment I cut off my tail to escape."

He would absolutely not risk his life for the Danding Sect, nor would he fight to the death with the Blood Fiend Sect.

Half an hour later. The spirit boats suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air. A pungent smell of blood crept in through the cracks of the bottom cabin.

"We have arrived. Everyone, get down! Charge into the White Bone Forest!"

The cabin doors burst open. Outside was an eerie forest completely shrouded in dark red blood mist. The trees all resembled ghastly white bones, and sinister winds howled.

Hundreds of Law Enforcement Hall Disciples waved long whips and Magical Artifacts, kicking the Loose Cultivators directly down from the air, dozens of zhang high, just like driving pigs.

"Ah—!" Screams tore through the sky.

Gu Shen did not resist and leaped out of the cabin door along with the stream of people.

In the strong wind of his descent, his left hand tightly gripped the black turtle shield from his storage ring, and his right hand clutched a ball of red blood essence glue.

Below, in the churning blood-colored mist, countless scarlet eyes were greedily watching these blood-food falling from the sky. The slaughter erupted instantly.