"I haven't treated you poorly, you traitorous disciple. Do you really feel no sense of loyalty at all?"
The Gray Bone Daoist didn't want to die. He had painstakingly joined the Great Liang Demon Cavern, the number one power in the demonic path, and had become an esteemed Protector. As long as he stayed alive, he could offer up these rebellious disciples under him, gaining access to countless cultivation techniques and treasures.
It was even possible for him to become a Radiant Realm cultivator in the future!
How could he possibly be willing to die now?
"Master, this world is a purgatory. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy peace in the Western Paradise? Why struggle?" Xu Gu's words weren't even finished before the nine bulls and two tigers charged forward, stirring up a foul wind. These weren't ordinary bulls and tigers; they were demonic beasts tainted by vicious energy, with extraordinary power.
If the attack from the nine bulls and two tigers succeeded, the already severely wounded Gray Bone Daoist would be completely doomed.
"Damn it!" The Gray Bone Daoist's pupils contracted, panic washing over his face. He plunged his hands into his own heart and pulled out a blood talisman.
As soon as the blood talisman appeared, a bone-chilling cold spread in all directions.
The talisman quivered, and a blood-red light shot toward the heavens. It was as if a peerless ghost had appeared, launching a formless attack directly at Xu Gu's face.
Xu Gu stood there, his clothes fluttering even though there was no wind. He didn't move an inch.
Seeing this, the Gray Bone Daoist spat out a mouthful of black blood and laughed wildly, "The older, the wiser! Who told you that I only had one trick up my sleeve?"
However, a trace of resentment appeared on his face, his expression dark and filled with rage. He wished he could devour Xu Gu alive.
This talisman had been a reward from one of the elders in the Great Liang Demon Cavern when he had first joined.
It could only be used once.
After using it, it would disappear forever.
Looking at Xu Gu, who seemed frozen in place as if he had been terrified into stillness, the Gray Bone Daoist bellowed, "You traitorous disciple, I'll skin you alive and pull out your tendons!"
"Boom!"
The blood talisman transformed into a blood-red light, charging at Xu Gu like a primordial beast.
Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could use a second-tier talisman to break mountains and shatter rocks. Hitting a Qi Condensation cultivator at the seventh level—or even someone at the third level of Foundation Establishment—could still mean losing half their life.
But...
Xu Gu remained standing calmly.
The blood talisman gently floated down and eventually landed in Xu Gu's hand without causing any harm.
"What?!" The Gray Bone Daoist's heart nearly stopped, and his blood seemed to freeze. He looked at the scene before him in utter disbelief.
He then glanced at his own hands in shock and pain.
His aged hand rapidly dissolved into a puddle of foul blood, and the corruption spread across his entire body.
"This... poison! You poisoned me? How is that possible? When did you poison me?" The Gray Bone Daoist's eyes bulged in anger and disbelief, his voice hoarse and hysterical.
He was poisoned.
But he couldn't figure out when it had happened!
He had been incredibly cautious around these disciples, never giving them a chance to poison him.
Xu Gu glanced at the still-warm bodies of his two senior sisters on the ground.
"Oh!" The Gray Bone Daoist suddenly realized, and all emotion drained from his face, leaving only shock and resignation.
"Master, rest in peace. With such an excellent disciple like me, even in hell, you should smile as you pass on," Xu Gu said sincerely as he finally plunged his ring-handled blade into the Gray Bone Daoist's body.
Xu Gu understood well—demonic cultivators always had countless contingency plans for survival.
So, to ensure his master's smooth departure, Xu Gu had made ample preparations.
He had poisoned the bodies of his senior sisters thoroughly. The poison was colorless, odorless, and capable of consuming magic power and dissolving flesh. It had cost him several second-grade spirit stones.
"Smile in hell, your ass! You son of a... I have an early class!" The Gray Bone Daoist, who had already accepted his fate moments ago, broke down again at Xu Gu's words. With his final breath, he cursed hysterically.
His curses didn't last long, though, as he soon dissolved into a pool of blood.
Xu Gu stood there for a long while, his emotions stirred, unable to suppress his feelings.
Although to most people, this was just a typical "disciple kills the master" scenario.
For Xu Gu, however, it symbolized a small yet significant step forward on the brilliant path of demonic cultivation!
"I've finally graduated!"
Xu Gu's eyes burned with passion, pure and unwavering, even tinged with a sense of faith.
He had truly graduated.
This also marked his official initiation as a full-fledged demonic cultivator.
A wider sky was beckoning him.
…
"Boom!"
In the Great Liang Demon Cavern, several disciples tasked with watching the soul lamps had their expressions change slightly.
"The Gray Bone Daoist is dead?"
"Could it be that the righteous sects have come?"
"Should we escape immediately?"
Panic spread quickly among the youths gathered there, each of them visibly frightened.
Although the righteous sects had been relentless in their campaigns to eradicate the demonic path, causing a high mortality rate among demonic cultivators, the death of a Protector normally wasn't considered a big deal.
But the Gray Bone Daoist had been stationed at Little Liang Mountain, which was right at the front entrance of the Great Liang Demon Cavern.
If the righteous sects had truly attacked, wouldn't they all be next in line for slaughter?
"We should surrender!"
"I've always said there's no future in being a demonic cultivator."
"It'd be better to become eunuchs in the Great Shang Dynasty."
As word spread, a wave of surrender swept through the cavern, and the rumors grew more and more exaggerated.
"What? The righteous sects have attacked?!"
"Impossible! The ten great immortal sects have mobilized, bringing one hundred thousand cultivators in an unstoppable force!"
"My heavens! The righteous path has sent ten immortals and a million cultivators!"
Countless demonic cultivators, driven by fear, began crying out and prostrating themselves before the entrance of the cavern, begging the Demon Lord, who was in seclusion, to surrender to the righteous sects.
Some had even prepared written declarations of surrender.
"Has the demonic path truly run its course?"
The head disciple of the cavern let out a long sigh, his face full of sorrow. Though he had always wanted to see the demonic path flourish, he now realized he was powerless. With the situation as it was, surrender was the only way to secure a slim chance of survival for the lower-ranked disciples.
"Fine, if you're all so determined, for the sake of the demonic path, I am willing to sign this surrender declaration on behalf of our Lord," the head disciple, Han Changsheng, declared in despair, his face ashen as he walked toward the group of demonic cultivators. He seemed burdened with the weight of the world, finally announcing their surrender.
"Senior Brother, you are wise!" All the demonic cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a faint sound echoed from afar.
A figure descended from the sky, riding on a cloud of demonic energy and trailing a thick black smoke.
"Swish!"
The demonic cultivators below instantly fell to their knees, trembling and wailing pitifully.
"Immortal, we only turned to the demonic path because we had no choice. Please spare our worthless lives…"
"We have families to take care of."
"If you let me live, I'll do anything—even be your slave!"
Their cries for mercy echoed through the cavern.
"Huh?"
The figure in the sky looked down, confused and hesitant. "I'm not an immortal. I'm just a messenger. One of Gray Bone Daoist's disciples killed him."
"Huh?"
Every demonic cultivator froze.
In an instant, those who had been groveling on the ground, their faces pitiful and covered in tears, immediately leapt to their feet, standing tall and casually glancing around as if nothing had happened.
It was as though none of it had occurred at all.