"Divine Constable died in battle — this is the glorious end befitting the men of the Tie family. Miss Ruonan, please restrain your grief." A young Gu Master standing behind her spoke in consolation.
On the snowy ground, Tie Ruonan knelt with her sobs growing weaker, shoulders trembling, hands clenched tight as the white snow melted to water in her palms.
The young Gu Master frowned deeply and continued, "Over these past days, we've searched the entire battlefield. We found traces of human activity — a small number of survivors escaped from this place. In the Divine Constable's last letter, he mentioned the Blood Sea Inheritance. I'm very worried that among those survivors, there might be that Demonic Path Gu Master who inherited the Blood Sea Inheritance."
At these words, Tie Ruonan's crying stopped abruptly.
She rose from the icy snow. A cold wind blew across her haggard face, yet a look of steely resolve appeared upon it. "The enmity of a murdered father cannot coexist under the same sky! Whether this Demonic Path Gu Master is still alive or not, we should follow the trail and track them down. How did my father die? Whose hand killed him? I will get to the bottom of this!"
The young woman's voice was hoarse, but as she spoke, her gaze blazed with intensity and her tone was utterly resolute.
The young Gu Master sighed softly. "We will certainly carry out the investigation and pursuit. Our people of the Tie Family Stronghold cannot die without answers. However, Miss Ruonan, you need not come with us. Before we departed, the Patriarch instructed us to make absolutely sure we bring you back to the Stronghold safely."
Tie Ruonan's eyes widened instantly. "What? Don't even think about sending me away!"
The young Gu Master smiled faintly and looked up at the sky.
In the azure expanse, a few white clouds drifted lazily.
Tie Ruonan was about to argue further when suddenly her pupils contracted sharply. "You—"
Before she could finish, her eyes closed and she collapsed limply onto the snow, falling into a deep sleep.
"Gui Yi," the young Gu Master called out.
"Here."
"Your team is ordered to escort Miss Ruonan back."
"Yes..." Gui Yi hesitated for a moment. "And what about you, Young Master?"
"Me? I'll naturally follow the Yellow Dragon River and continue the pursuit." The young Gu Master smiled with pride.
……
The waters of the Yellow Dragon River surged and roared as a sharp wind lashed their faces. A pack of several hundred Six-legged Crocodiles clambered onto the shallows one after another, launching an assault on Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing.
"Damn it..." Bai Ningbing gritted her teeth, feeling a heavy wave of psychological pressure.
In the past, she wouldn't have given this crocodile pack a second thought. A single Ice Blade Storm would have dealt with them. But now, all she had were the Tianpeng Gu and the Serrated Gold Centipede, and she no longer possessed the Northern Darkness Ice Soul physique.
Her blue eyes swept quickly across their surroundings, and Bai Ningbing cursed angrily, "This is all because of the wonderful spot you picked! Cliffs on three sides — how are we supposed to climb out in a hurry?"
"What are you panicking for? This is only a Hundred Beast horde, not a Thousand Beast horde. If it were a Thousand Beast horde, we'd be dead for certain. But with a Hundred Beast horde, there's still a slim chance — we can fight our way through." Fang Yuan swiftly packed away the clothes, iron frame, and iron pot, then retreated behind Bai Ningbing.
Fang Yuan's look of calm confidence settled Bai Ningbing's nerves ever so slightly.
"What are you staring at? Get up there and fight!" Fang Yuan shot her a glance and urged her on. "Otherwise, what did I lend you Gu for? Don't forget — the Sun Gu is in my hands."
"You bastard!" Bai Ningbing's eyes went wide with fury. She cursed bitterly, though it was unclear whether she was cursing the Six-legged Crocodiles, Fang Yuan, or both.
But regardless, she gripped the Serrated Gold Centipede and charged forward.
Bzzzzzz!
The silver-edged serrations spun wildly, and the ferocious aura of the Third Transformation Gu radiated outward, immediately stalling the crocodile pack's charge.
"What an ugly bunch of vermin!" Bai Ningbing sneered and surged forward, bringing the weapon down in a savage cleave.
A Six-legged Crocodile caught the blow on its back and let out a miserable shriek. Sparks flew as it was sawed clean in half.
Blood splattered across Bai Ningbing's face and clothes. The acrid scent of blood stimulated her, and a fierce battle intent began to surface on her features.
Swish swish swish...
The Serrated Gold Centipede swept and slashed in every direction, whirling like a tempest. Over twenty Six-legged Crocodiles fell one after another.
The situation looked excellent, but Fang Yuan's expression grew grave. He shouted, "Avoid their back armor — attack their bellies!"
"Ha ha ha! Now this is what I call a dominant Gu — way more thrilling than the Ice Blade Gu! I love it!" Bai Ningbing paid him no heed and laughed wildly.
Though she had taken the form of a woman and possessed a stunning, ethereal beauty like a frost fairy, once she entered combat, all her former bravado surfaced — a surge of masculine ferocity that bordered on madness.
But gradually, the frequency of her attacks began to slow, and their effectiveness grew weaker and weaker.
"What's going on? Earlier, a single strike could saw a Six-legged Crocodile clean in half, but now, three consecutive hits can barely grievously wound one?"
Bai Ningbing held the Serrated Gold Centipede up for a closer look. The silver-edged serrations were jagged and uneven, their sharpness greatly diminished.
Born clever, she immediately recalled Fang Yuan's earlier warning and couldn't help clicking her tongue with a "Tch."
A Six-legged Crocodile charged up to her in enormous strides, then suddenly leaped into the air.
Its massive jaws gaped wide, the shadow engulfing Bai Ningbing.
"You're asking for it!" Bai Ningbing ducked low, raised the Serrated Gold Centipede high, and sliced it across the crocodile's belly in one smooth motion.
Sssk.
With a soft sound, the Six-legged Crocodile's belly was effortlessly torn open, leaving a horrific wound.
Still airborne, the unfortunate crocodile spewed torrents of blood from the gash, its internal organs spilling out into the open.
With a heavy thud, it finally crashed onto the sandy shore, instantly staining the surrounding sand crimson. Its body convulsed violently twice before going completely still.