Chapter 118: We Shall Protect Sect Master Pang After Such Severe Injuries
At that moment, Gu Sanqiu noticed Shen Mo suddenly raising his hand and making a gesture.
In the next instant, dozens of crimson fragments of the shattered core hovered in the air, converging towards the black golden core like a meteor shower.
In the blink of an eye, the black golden core was surrounded by the dozens of crimson fragments.
A surge of intense heat radiated outward.
At the same time, Gu Sanqiu seemed to be burning, and he immediately let out a crazed scream!
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! What the hell is that?! Why is the golden core, clearly shattered, still obeying your command?!"
Gu Sanqiu's voice was filled with both rage and shock.
There was also fear of the unexpected turn of events.
Shen Mo did not respond.
The Inferno Prison Golden Core was inherently a unique and special core.
It transcended all other golden cores.
Gu Sanqiu had never seen it before, so naturally, he couldn't comprehend it.
And Shen Mo had no intention of revealing his trump card.
"It's time for you to go."
Shen Mo's expression remained calm as he reached out his right hand and clenched it forcefully.
Boom!
The forty-five fragments of the shattered core suddenly tightened.
A golden core is intimately connected with the cultivator.
At this moment, Gu Sanqiu spewed blood wildly.
His eyes bulged out like those of a goldfish.
And at this very moment, the five malicious spirits continued to attack him madly.
Shen Mo's action was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Gu Sanqiu stared at the pitch-black dome above, using the last bit of his strength to let out a tragic wail, "Why... why, after ten years of meticulous planning, did I fail at the last step?!"
Splurt!
Blood spurted out wildly, gradually covering the ground.
Crack!
The black golden core, surrounded and crushed by the forty-five crimson fragments, shattered like glass at that very moment.
All the ghost-faced infants let out miserable cries.
Their bodies gradually dimmed until they completely dissipated.
The five flags of the Five Ghosts Life-Stealing Formation soon lost their energy and shattered.
The five malicious spirits, which were housed within the formation flags, were also obliterated as the flags broke.
Shen Mo made a gesture, and the forty-five fragments of the shattered core reformed, merging into the Inferno Prison Golden Core, which then returned to his dantian.
At this moment, Murong Yue, Pang Longxiang, Song Chaofeng, and the others gradually awakened from their dazed and rigid state of mind.
"What just happened?"
"Gu Sanqiu is dead?"
"I think I smelled a strange fragrance, and then everything became hazy; I don't remember what happened next."
Everyone looked at Shen Mo with puzzled expressions.
Although they didn't know what had happened, they all saw that Shen Mo seemed to have used something to deal with Gu Sanqiu.
Shen Mo then recounted the events in detail.
However, he concealed his final trump card, the Inferno Prison Golden Core.
He only mentioned that the Five Ghosts Life-Stealing Formation played the most significant role.
"So that's it. Gu Sanqiu actually hid such a sinister formation, likely intending to use it himself after nurturing a Nascent Soul," Murong Yue exclaimed in surprise.
"Young Sect Master, I didn't expect you to see through Gu Sanqiu's weakness so quickly. His golden core was unstable and was easily affected by treasures like the Soul-Calming Bell and Soul-Pacifying Incense," Song Chaofeng said with admiration.
Shen Mo smiled faintly, "I was just taking a wild guess, but it worked."
"Talk all you want, but don't block my way," Pang Longxiang said warily, eyeing the group.
During their conversation, Murong Yue and the others had discreetly shifted their positions, surrounding Pang Longxiang from all sides.
It was clear they didn't intend to let Pang Longxiang leave.
However, Pang Longxiang had sustained severe injuries during the fight against Gu Sanqiu, leaving him battered and bruised.
Even if he wanted to run, he wouldn't get far.
Murong Yue smiled faintly, "Gu Sanqiu is dead, but the Alchemy King's Cave is still full of dangers. Sect Master Pang has suffered such severe injuries; it would be best if we protect him for the time being."
Without waiting for Pang Longxiang to protest, she continued, "Elder Song, Elder Li, you two will personally protect Sect Master Pang!"
"Understood!"
Immediately, two figures appeared on either side of Pang Longxiang, providing him with meticulous protection.
Pang Longxiang, enraged, burst into laughter, "Good! Very good!"
"Murong Yue, don't forget who I answer to above. If you dare to lay a hand on me, you know the consequences!"
After saying this, he fell silent.
The commotion here also attracted other cultivators.
Soon, disciples from the Stormy Rain Sect, Spirit Beast Sect, Flying Frost Sect, and some lost disciples from the Qingxuan Sect arrived.
Seeing this shocking scene, they were all deeply shaken.
A cultivator from the Flying Frost Sect shouted sternly, "Murong Yue, what are you doing? Release Sect Master Pang immediately!"
Murong Yue's expression remained unchanged, "Sect Master Liu, it's time to fulfill our agreement."
The Stormy Rain Sect's Sect Master, Liu Menghu, laughed heartily, "Naturally."
With a booming voice, he ordered, "Attack!"
The disciples of the Stormy Rain Sect immediately launched a surprise attack on the cultivators from the Flying Frost Sect and Spirit Beast Sect from behind.
The Qingxuan Sect's cultivators attacked from the front.
In an instant, the Qingxuan Sect and Stormy Rain Sect formed a pincer movement.
The battle broke out immediately.
The cultivators of the Flying Frost Sect and Spirit Beast Sect were both shocked and furious, resisting with all their might.
However, they were outnumbered, weaker in strength, and lacked a strong leader, so they quickly began to lose ground.
Some, recognizing the situation, surrendered on the spot.
Soon, the cultivators of these two sects were all crouching on the ground, their limbs bound by special ropes.
These ropes, called Spirit-Binding Cords, were merely yellow-grade treasures, not difficult to craft.
Every sect could make them.
Their purpose was simple: to restrain spiritual power.
But the Spirit-Binding Cords were not particularly durable and could easily be damaged in battle, so they were mostly used to bind defeated cultivators, preventing them from using their spiritual power.
With the battle over, the cultivators from the Qingxuan Sect and Stormy Rain Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sect Master Liu," Murong Yue cupped her hands towards Liu Menghu, Sect Master of the Stormy Rain Sect.
He returned the gesture and then hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened here?"
His mind was full of questions, eager for answers.
Murong Yue looked towards Shen Mo, who nodded slightly before she began to speak.
After listening, the cultivators remained silent for a long time, unable to calm down.
They hadn't expected that the third Alchemy King's Cave would be a trap.
The Alchemy King Gu Sanqiu, who was rumored to have died ten years ago, was actually still alive.
Moreover, he had practiced demonic arts, attempting to nurture a Nascent Soul by absorbing the blood and energy of Core Formation cultivators, in hopes of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.
"I heard that Gu Sanqiu was once a kind and helpful person. I never thought he would fall so far after practicing demonic arts," Liu Menghu sighed softly.
Murong Yue nodded slightly, "Demonic arts are called demonic arts precisely because they gradually erode one's sanity, turning a person into something less than human."
"Everyone, clean up the battlefield. As per our previous agreement, the treasures belong to whoever finds them first," Murong Yue said casually, "As for these people, Elders Song and Li will guard them."
Sect Master Liu of the Stormy Rain Sect also nodded.
The group dispersed, each searching for their own opportunities.
Shen Mo blinked and then headed in a particular direction.
During his intense battle with Gu Sanqiu, he had noticed an opportunity on Gu Sanqiu's body.
[Upcoming Opportunity: After defeating all the Core Formation cultivators, enter the deepest part of the Alchemy King's Cave, take the Thousand-Handed Lotus, an extremely rare earth-grade treasure that has been nurtured for years, and retrieve three Taiyi Soul-Nourishing Pills, one Great Enlightenment Pill, before leaving the Alchemy King's Cave.]
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