The gaunt-faced cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect also swiftly raised his hands, though his left hand moved with a slight lag, likely due to the injury on his shoulder.
With a flash of green light from his hands, a green shield, more than half a man's height, appeared before him. The shield was carved with a tiger's head, its fangs bared. The moment the green shield appeared, the tiger head, without any pause, opened its mouth and spat out a thick beam of green light.
In the next moment, the green light and the diagonally smashing emerald water pillar collided with a boom.
Seeing this, Tang Minglong couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
'The Spirit Power this person is erupting with now is truly that of the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Perhaps he really isn't hiding his cultivation.'
'However, does this Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator really think the cultivation methods of his opponents are so low-level? With such a cultivation level, he actually dares to face me head-on. If he suffers a great loss later, he can't blame me.'
Tang Minglong was not, in fact, from the small sect he claimed to be. He came from a well-known second-rate sect in the region governed by the Ten-Pace Courtyard. Second-rate sects often possessed powerful cultivation methods and immortal arts. Moreover, Tang Minglong was the most elite core disciple of this second-rate sect; the techniques he cultivated were all top-tier secret arts of the sect.
Sure enough, after the emerald water pillar smashed onto the green light pillar with the force of a thousand jun, the green light pillar only held for less than two breaths before it collapsed into a shower of green light spots with a loud bang.
The power of Tang Minglong's emerald water pillar, however, did not diminish. In the next moment, it heavily smashed onto the green shield behind it.
The moment they made contact, a brilliant green-and-verdant glow erupted from the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, a manifestation of his wood-attribute Spirit Power being pushed to its absolute limit. He gripped the handle behind the shield tightly, even turning sideways and using his uninjured right shoulder to brace against it.
But with another heavy "bang," the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator's Spirit Power finally proved inferior. He was sent sliding backward at high speed, blood already trickling from his mouth and nose, while emerald water splashed violently off the shield.
Tang Minglong's face showed disdain. With just one strike, his opponent was so easily overwhelmed, yet he still dared to step forward and issue a challenge.
The cultivators behind him had varied expressions: some were stunned, some were suspicious, but most were snickering. They had seen the Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator's indifferent expression and thought he had some incredible killing move, but it turned out to be just posturing, all for show.
In contrast, Gong Yuantai's side remained stern-faced, showing little emotion. No one stepped forward to catch the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator who was still sliding backward.
After being pushed back nearly twenty zhang, the force of the emerald water pillar was finally exhausted. The Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator finally stopped, his heavy breathing clearly audible. By now, he was soaked in sweat. Blood and sweat mixed on his face, forming winding rivulets like water worms that crawled down, giving him a somewhat ferocious look. Just taking that one blow had almost completely depleted his Spirit Power.
"Junior Brother, you are not my match. I think it's best to let Senior Brother Gong come up. Otherwise... I might not be able to hold back on the next strike."
Tang Minglong's voice came faintly, filled with a sense of triumph. He was already walking forward slowly, his steps exuding a sense of pressing advantage.
However, in the minds of Tang Minglong and the cultivators behind him, they did not think this way. Instead, they were already feeling that the opponent was a bit strange. Knowing he was no match, yet still daring to face Tang Minglong head-on—wasn't this courting death? But they didn't know why he had done so.
In the distance, Li Yan sighed inwardly. "To make an enemy of a Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, you must first figure out which peak they are from."
Sure enough, after the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator slightly calmed the churning Spirit Power in his body, he suddenly revealed a smile with bloodstained teeth, which looked somewhat chilling.
"Fellow Daoist Tang, it's best not to move. Otherwise, with my Spirit Power so depleted, if I were to lose control, you would lose your life here."
As soon as he said this, everyone except Li Yan and Gong Yuantai's group—all the conscripted cultivators from the Ten-Pace Courtyard and the Jingtu Sect—was stunned. Tang Minglong, in particular, was frozen for a moment.
He swept his Divine Sense around but found no attack coming. He couldn't help but fly into a rage, sneering repeatedly.
"Playing tricks! Do Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators have to be so shameless even when admitting defeat? You are forcing my hand!"
Just then, someone from behind suddenly shouted.
"Fellow Daoist Tang, you... you must not move!"
This was followed by a series of gasps.
"What is this..."
"It's poisonous Gu-insects! He's a disciple of Spirit Insect Peak! Those are Gu-insects!"
"..."
Tang Minglong's sneer froze on his face. He really didn't dare to move. In his line of sight, large patches of green light spots had appeared, floating around his body.
Tang Minglong instantly understood his opponent's intention, and his heart turned cold with a wave of terror. It was less that these Gu-insects had surrounded him, and more that he had actively walked into their trap.
It turned out that all of the opponent's seemingly foolish attacks were to lay down a Gu-insect formation. What the fanged tiger head on the shield had spat out was not a green pillar of Spirit Power, but clearly tens of thousands of green Gu-insects. These Gu-insects had incredibly tough bodies. Although many were killed by Tang Minglong's heavy blow, they had also taken the opportunity to set a trap.
Under the deliberate control of the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, the pillar of green Gu-insects formed by the fanged tiger's mouth had, upon contact with Tang Minglong's emerald water pillar, eighty percent of them flown off to the sides on their own. To outsiders, it looked just like a shower of Spirit Power scattered by Tang Minglong's emerald water pillar. Only the Gu-insects at the very center were killed or stunned by Tang Minglong's blow, falling to the ground.
The exchange of offense and defense between the two had lasted only a few breaths. The starlight of the dissipated Spirit Power, whether on the ground or floating in the air, usually takes a very short process to disappear. So how could Tang Minglong have used his Divine Sense to check them one by one? Of course, he couldn't discover the abnormality of the green Spirit Power pillar.
In his pursuit, Tang Minglong had charged headfirst into the center of the exploding Spirit Power, a normal occurrence in battles with other cultivators. Apart from a few cultivators present, no one had noticed that the sky full of floating, scattered Spirit Power was actually starlight formed by countless poisonous Gu-insects, until the Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator secretly activated them with a spell.
When these points of light swarmed towards Tang Minglong, the crowd behind him was the first to see it, and many immediately cried out in alarm. In the next moment, these Gu-insects had surrounded Tang Minglong, blocking him completely. Now, if Tang Minglong made the slightest move, his body would be instantly covered in Gu-insects.
This scene made the scalps of the newly conscripted cultivators tingle. To imagine being burrowed into by these dense green insects was a fate absolutely worse than death.
"I... I... I surrender! Fellow Daoist has... excellent methods!"
Tang Minglong didn't dare to move an inch. After swallowing hard, he spoke with a terrified expression. He watched the specks of green light flitting before his eyes, almost feeling the pairs of excited eyes within them. He knew that with just a slight incantation from his opponent, these green lights would swarm him like a cloud of poisonous bees, enveloping him completely.
At the same time, a sense of indignation rose in his heart. He still had many powerful immortal arts he hadn't even used. If they had fought head-on, the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator would have been no match for him. But now, his life was in the other's hands. Although he guessed the opponent wouldn't dare to kill him, facing such a terrifying number of unknown Gu-insects, all flying before his eyes, poised to burrow into his body at any moment, the hair on Tang Minglong's body stood on end. How could he dare to be stubborn?
Seeing that his opponent had already surrendered, the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator finally revealed a smile.
Only then did he slap his waist, grasp a porcelain bottle in his hand, uncork it with his thumb, and immediately pour several pills into his mouth. With his other hand, he waved the shield. Instantly, a chilling "swoosh, swoosh, swoosh" sound filled the air. Tens of thousands of green Gu-insects transformed into streaks of starlight and flew directly into the mouth of the fanged tiger head on the shield's face. In just a few breaths, they had all disappeared.
During this process, the newly conscripted cultivators remained silent. Even Bu Luo's face showed a grave expression. They had not only seen the terror of the opponent's Gu-insects, but also the brilliance of his refining method. The gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator was filled with wood-attribute Spirit Power, and even his Gu-insects were of the wood attribute, achieving a near-perfect fusion. Even if they knew the situation, if the opponent were to change his attack method, who could guarantee that these Gu-insects weren't hidden within the projected Spirit Power? Having to constantly guard against these poisonous Gu-insects would be an extreme headache in a fight.
And seeing that the opponent didn't care at all about the large number of Gu-insects that had died on the ground, they could also guess that he must have a way to reproduce them in large numbers in a short time, so there was no need to worry about the green Gu-insects being easily depleted.
Seeing the rain of Gu-insects that had streaked through the air disappear in an instant, Tang Minglong finally let out a long sigh of relief. After another glance at the cultivator opposite him, he turned and walked back without a word.
The two groups in the center of the field fell into a temporary silence.
A moment later, a clear voice rang out again. "The Malevolent Spirit Sect is truly the most supreme ancient sect on this continent. I would like to ask for your guidance. Please enlighten me!"
As the voice fell, a woman stepped out from Bu Luo's group. She was tall, with skin as white as snow and black hair coiled atop her head. Her full chest was accentuated by a tight-fitting, light blue palace dress that hugged her perfect figure. She held a watery longsword and slowly walked out from the crowd. Then, with a flick of her right wrist, she pointed the sword downwards, holding the hilt, and placed her left hand on the back of her right, cupping her fist towards the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator.
"Yingshui Sect, Wang Ning!"
She was also one of the leaders among the newly conscripted cultivators, her cultivation having reached the Pseudo-Core Realm. But facing a cultivator a realm weaker than her, she showed no embarrassment on her watery, jade-like face.
"Cough, cough, cough... Lady Wang overestimates me. As I said before, I am merely a last-rate existence in the sect. What happened just now was a fluke. Lady Wang's cultivation is exquisite; I admit I am no match."
The gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator coughed, waving his hands repeatedly. At the same time, a green light flashed in his hand, and he put away his shield. After saying this, he turned and walked back, without any hesitation at all.
He was quite the pragmatist. Knowing his trump card had been played, he could no longer hope for a risky victory. However, in his heart, he wasn't really afraid of Wang Ning. After surviving continuous battles with demonic cultivators, which one of them was easy to deal with? He was certainly not as weak as he claimed to be.