Clap.
As the giant palms slammed together, a thunderous boom erupted. A massive gust of air was squeezed out from between the fingers, as majestic and overwhelming as a waterfall cascading from the heavens.
The air currents ravaged the surroundings, tossing soldiers about like leaves in a storm. They were blown every which way, stumbling and falling.
For a time, the sounds of wailing, agonizing screams, and the snapping of bones rose and fell in a chaotic symphony.
The scene before them was akin to a living purgatory. Heads, torsos, hands, and feet—all manner of severed limbs fell from the sky like broken machine parts.
The formation that had previously surrounded Gu Ming so neatly was shattered, leaving a massive, gaping hole in its wake.
“Nether Demonic Claw… the s-second layer, Demonic Energy Manifestation?!!”
Witnessing this, those soldiers who had escaped the initial blast were struck with terror.
The Nether Demonic Claw was an exceptionally difficult upper-tier Demonic Technique to cultivate. The technique consisted of three layers.
The first layer was the Airborne Throat Lock, which allowed the user to unexpectedly drag a distant enemy toward them, seizing their throat and snapping their neck.
The second layer was Demonic EnergyManifestation. This stage allowed the user to condense demonic energy into two physical giant palms to wreak havoc upon groups of enemies.
The third layer was the Demonic Avatar. The demonic energy would condense into the upper torso of a Nether Demon, providing both a protective barrier and a powerful area-of-effect attack. It was truly a technique where offense and defense were one.
Within the Demon Cult, those who could master the first layer numbered in the tens of thousands, and they were the absolute elite of the elite. Those who mastered the second layer numbered only in the hundreds, most of whom were Commanders or higher. As for those who had mastered the third layer, they could be counted on one hand.
“W-who are you exactly?”
Among the soldiers, a leader couldn’t help but shout the question. They had completely lost their previous arrogance.
Gu Ming ignored them, his gaze fixed on the gap in the distance.
Looking through that opening, he could see the struggle between Mu Qianqian and Mu Ningxue. In the clash between the two women, Mu Qianqian finally gained the upper hand.
Every time Mu Qianqian swung the Magic Sword, she seemed to slice through space itself, creating a vacuum that violently sucked in any surrounding objects.
To avoid being pulled in, Mu Ningxue was forced to retreat repeatedly, staying just outside the range of that suction.
As Mu Ningxue retreated, Mu Qianqian immediately pressed the advantage, following up with a relentless barrage of slashes. Mu Ningxue could only dodge or block in a state of disarray.
Gu Ming saw the crux of the battle with a single glance.
Mu Ningxue had not recovered much Spiritual Energy and could not use the Goddess Cultivation Technique, putting her at a natural disadvantage. However, the fact that she could hold out against Mu Qianqian for so long with so little Spiritual Energy showed that her foundation was remarkably solid.
She truly lived up to her status as the person chosen to be the Divine Maiden of the Divine Maiden Palace.
However, if this continued, Mu Ningxue would inevitably face defeat.
If Gu Ming went to help her now, he would only draw the soldiers over to her. The situation would become even more complicated.
Therefore, the only thing he could do was stir up the chaos further and draw everyone’s attention to himself.
Gu Ming cast a cold glance at the battered soldiers around him, the killing intent in his eyes deepening.
‘This is the perfect chance to clear out the Sect Leader’s spies!’
Demonic Energy erupted from Gu Ming’s body once again. He raised his hand, and a soldier was instantly sucked toward him.
Crack.
A crisp sound echoed as the soldier’s eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness instantly.
Next, the pair of dark purple demonic claws condensed once more. With a sweeping motion to both sides, more than half of the soldiers were flattened instantly.
From then on, the wailing, screaming, and the sound of breaking bones never stopped.
Under Gu Ming’s frenzied slaughter, the number of soldiers plummeted with lightning speed.
In just fifteen minutes, fewer than 100 soldiers remained on the field, and all of them were covered in wounds, unable to resist Gu Ming.
There was no longer any will to fight left in their eyes.
Just then—
Boom!
The explosive roar of space being cleaved rang out, followed by an invisible force that tried to pull Gu Ming in. However, before the suction force could fully form, Gu Ming had already retreated, avoiding it just in time.
As he backed away, a graceful figure appeared before him.
It was Mu Qianqian.
Ultimately, she couldn’t bear to see her soldiers completely wiped out and had abandoned her priority of capturing the Divine Maiden.
Mu Qianqian furrowed her brow and slashed down at Gu Ming. This was followed by a flurry of combo attacks that forced him back repeatedly.
Furthermore, every move she made was different. Sometimes it was a standard swing, other times it was a special strike that cut through space. Combined with her extremely persistent close-quarters combat, Gu Ming found it difficult to handle her for a moment.
Boom!
Finally, a heavy blow sent Gu Ming crashing into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
“Lord Mu!”
“Excellent, it’s Lord Mu!”
“Lord Mu, hurry and execute that traitor!”
The moment Mu Qianqian appeared, she completely suppressed Gu Ming. This sight immediately revitalized the previously sagging morale.
Many soldiers began to cheer, even urging Mu Qianqian to kill Gu Ming on the spot.
Mu Qianqian stared intensely at the rising dust, her brow slightly furrowed. That heavy blow just now hadn’t felt as solid as she expected. An uneasy feeling began to stir in her heart.
She then looked toward a certain direction, only to find that there wasn’t a single shadow left there.
The Divine Maiden of the Divine Maiden Palace had escaped.
Mu Qianqian bit her lower lip, feeling extremely frustrated. In the end, she couldn’t be in two places at once.
The army of nearly 10,000 soldiers she had brought with her had been reduced to a few hundred in a heartbeat. They were almost wiped out entirely.
If the entire force had been annihilated, how could she explain herself to the Heavenly King?
Mu Qianqian ignored the shouting soldiers and said in a heavy voice, “You lot, hurry and call the Lord Heavenly King over. Tell him that the Jade-Faced Young Master has appeared and the Divine Maiden of the Divine Maiden Palace has escaped.”
“Yes, yes—”
The soldiers were stunned for a second after hearing Mu Qianqian’s orders. Then, a few of the quicker-witted ones responded and flew off toward the Heavenly King’s Palace.
Inside the dust cloud, Gu Ming also heard Mu Qianqian’s words and realized things were turning bad. If they realized he wasn’t currently in the Heavenly King’s Palace, all his previous preparations would go to waste.
‘I have to get back quickly.’
Gu Ming looked at his left shoulder. His clothes were torn, and a blade wound had sliced through his skin. Red blood flowed from the wound.
Drip… drip…
Drop after drop fell onto the ground.
Gu Ming gave a bitter smile. ‘Qianqian has really become strong. I really can’t hold back like I used to.’
‘But this is for the best… it should shut those people up.’
A cold glint flashed through Gu Ming’s eyes. He kicked off the ground, his body shooting out from the dust.
Looking at Mu Qianqian, the corners of Gu Ming’s mouth curled into a slight smirk as he spoke. “As expected of the Fifth Heavenly King’s right hand. Truly impressive.”
“However, it’s time for me to go.”
Gu Ming pulled three small swords from his robes and flung them toward Mu Qianqian.
“You want to leave? No way!”
Mu Qianqian scoffed. She immediately swung her Magic Sword to knock the three small swords away. However, it was as if the small swords had a mind of their own; even after being struck, they circled back and began to swarm Mu Qianqian…
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