Chapter 103: The Demon Ba Awakens, Can You Really Blame Me for That?

The scene unfolding before their eyes was truly too inconceivable.

Only those who have truly cultivated can clearly understand just how arduous every step taken to obtain such power, which transcends that of mortals, truly is.

This is not merely a matter of talent; it also requires sufficiently high comprehension and unremitting effort.

Even for the disciples of the Pei Family, it is not as if everyone can learn this Esoteric Art.

And yet, now.

A stranger, someone never seen before, only had to look twice to find the method of progression within the patterns of the Pei Family's Esoteric Art, and even mastered it at a single glance.

This kind of thing, this kind of thing is too hard for people to accept.

Gu Jiangming observed the faint healing power on his hand in detail, feeling somewhat disappointed.

He had thought of everything, but he never imagined that the Pei Family's ancestral Unique Learning would actually be an auxiliary type of Esoteric Art.

The Shushan Sword Control Technique was useless, the Heavenly Gang Five Thunders amplified by the Taiyi Stone had no place to be used, and even the phantom dragon form inherent to the "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth" was not needed.

Gu Jiangming raised his hand, and that wisp of abundant, pale green, agate-like luster fell upon Pei Shihao's severed arm.

Yet, against such a version of himself, the other party was already at his wit's end.

They left behind the Pei Family, an Esoteric clan that looked like it could never pose a threat, but the funny thing is, it is precisely this seemingly harmless Pei Family that is now stepping on the heads of the Northern Wei Imperial Family.

The silent reaction was their greatest respect at this moment, not shock.

Inside Qingmu Hall, these many disciples of the Pei Family looked at one another; they now dared not speak directly to this mysterious man before them, whose strength and even comprehension far exceeded the Pei Family's understanding.

For now, he can only be described as a low-spec version of a 【Shushan Dao Venerable】.

"Logically speaking, a clan ruling Guanzhong shouldn't be this weak," Gu Jiangming leaned down slightly and said, "What is the effect of your family's Esoteric Art at the highest realm of Withered Wood Returns to Spring?"

And the next second, Pei Shihao's voice let out a tremor unexpectedly.

And not the kind of demon or evil spirit with ordinary cultivation, either.

"You are too weak," Gu Jiangming lowered his hand.

How could this possibly be a human!?

Seeing him not speak, Gu Jiangming frowned slightly and continued his experiment to test the Spirit Qi amplification effect brought by the 【Taiyi Stone】.

This actually aligned with the suspicious nature of the Northern Wei Imperial Family.

The sheer magnitude of the spiritual power within the other party could not possibly belong to a normal human; in his heart, he had already concluded that the other party was a demon or evil spirit.

A true monster must reveal its Demon Form to show its most authentic strength, but this mysterious man before him did not even need to reveal a Demon Form, and could easily handle him just in his current state.

His tone was calm, though it actually carried a hint of being disappointed that they failed to meet his expectations.

Pei Shihao struggled with all his might.

"W-w-w-what?" Pei Shihao suddenly felt a massive amount of Spirit Qi surging from his severed limb; this wondrous Spirit Qi seemed to be reweaving his flesh, and waves of sour, itchy sensations came one after another from the disconnected stump.

Pei Shihao clutched the stump of his other severed arm with one hand, his face filled with fear that could not be suppressed.

The scene just now, where he had unleashed Rejuvenating Withered Wood against Gu Jiangming, had caused his own arm to explode completely; facing such a monster, Pei Shihao was unwilling to make contact again from the bottom of his heart.

Without any extra effort, merely relying on the powerful physical constitution provided by "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth," he easily crushed this Hall Master of Qingmu Hall who hailed from the Pei Family.

Inside Qingmu Hall, the pervasive silence turned into an uproar.

The highest realm of the Esoteric Art 【Withered Wood Returns to Spring】 was just easily performed by an outsider?

This was simply a scene that existed only in the Pei Family's ideal state, or one that could only appear in the ancient records of the family.

But now, such a legendary scene was presented before his very eyes.

Faced with the changes happening now, Pei Shihao was directly shocked into speechlessness, not knowing how to evaluate it.

He was no longer doubting how strong the other party's comprehension was, but rather wondering if this man who had appeared before him was an ancestor of their Pei Family.

"What is your surname?" Pei Shihao asked this question as if possessed.

"My surname is Gu," Gu Jiangming smiled, and the next second, the Taicang Sword had already pierced into Pei Shihao's abdomen.

"I never kill the innocent indiscriminately, but you happen to be deeply sinful."

"This sword is fast enough; it won't make you suffer like before."

Gu Jiangming turned his head, the starlight of the Cave Heaven Eye lit up on his brow, and the Shushan Physiognomy Technique instantly gained insight into everyone on the scene.

"Rest assured, I will not wrongly kill a good person."

"But I will not let a wicked person go either."

"I come from Shushan."

"A mortal who only believes in the Dao he walks himself."

【Gu Jiangming destroyed Qingmu Hall, which operated under the name of the Pei Clan Red Workshop.】

【Due to this destruction, Gu Jiangming's influence in Guanzhong has increased; the very few Pei disciples who managed to survive are spreading knowledge about him.】

【Gu Jiangming's regional influence has increased.】

【In the rumors of the Pei Clan, a freak has appeared who only needs one look to master another family's Unique Learning.】

【He claims to come from Shushan.】

【The fame of Shushan has gradually begun to spread in Guanzhong.】

【Pei Shixin, the Northern Wei Crown Prince Tutor, is closely monitoring this matter; he believes this suddenly appearing person is an expert from another clan, deliberately acting against his Pei Clan.】

???

Didn't the 【Mie Changsheng】 information Jiu Jiu saw earlier say that Gu Jiangming was sneaking into 【Qingmu Hall】 to explore the Red Workshop?

How did the stealth suddenly fail, and he just wiped out Qingmu Hall entirely?

Although Jiu Jiu had guessed before that Qingmu Hall had connections with the Northern Wei court, being a killer at Qingmu Hall was, after all, her main source of income.

Therefore, Jiu Jiu had never thought of actively looking for trouble with Qingmu Hall.

And when Jiu Jiu carried out missions for Qingmu Hall, she often personally selected her own targets.

Most people who can live a good life in this world actually have dirty backgrounds.

Shushan Physiognomy Technique, one look and it is known.

Now it's a fine mess, Gu Jiangming has directly gone and made Jiu Jiu's job disappear.

But what made Jiu Jiu even more astonished was why Gu Jiangming's strength improvement speed could be so fast.

She secretly took a look at Gu Jiangming's itinerary.

A piece of information appeared.

【Long Xi took advantage of the gap while Jiu Jiu was away to prepare to provide some help to Gu Jiangming in his cultivation; under her guidance, Gu Jiangming obtained "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth" and "Taicang Sword".】

【Gu Jiangming benefited greatly from this, and his relationship with Long Xi became even closer because of it.】

【And for some reason, Gu Jiangming's speed in cultivating "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth" was extremely rapid; in just one night's time, he broke through the first level of "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth", allowing him to obtain a powerful physical body like an ordinary Great Demon.】

【The first level of "Dragon Aspect Heart Birth" provided Gu Jiangming with 2 points of Will, 2 points of Physical Hardness, and 2 points of Aura Oppression.】

I only left for just a moment.

This stupid dragon has already started stealing a man?

What kind of speed is this?

Does she have no shame left?!

"Master, what has happened to you?" Murong Lan asked cautiously, watching Jiu Jiu's ever-changing expression.

Jiu Jiu managed to squeeze out a smile, her expression stiff.

【Mie Changsheng】 helped her track the movements of that stupid dragon, but she simply cannot go back right now.

She has truly shouldered too much for this Shushan, for this home.

"I am just thinking about some personal matters," Jiu Jiu tried her best to make her tone relaxed, "You do not need to ask more."

Murong Lan was very curious in her heart, but she dared not ask more at this time; after all, the origin of the woman before her was the wife of that mysterious man.

Come to think of it, it is quite impressive.

One room, two peerless beauties rarely seen in the world; looking at this situation, both are his wives, yet with Murong Lan's current ability, she cannot distinguish their level of strength at all.

Although it is said to be the inheritance of Imperial Brother's "Heavenly Emperor Solitude", which forcibly raised Murong Lan to her current strength, she is only one step away from the Master level that the great families speak of.

But at least, with the cultivation base raised up, even that old thief from the Pei Family who was hunting her down at the time, Murong Lan could feel some ripples in his realm.

Yet in that room, there was not a single person Murong Lan could grasp; the feeling they gave her was extremely unfathomable.

But before Jiu Jiu could further ponder what Gu Jiangming was going to do.

New information appeared again.

【A large amount of Spirit Qi fluctuations appeared on Gu Jiangming, inadvertently loosening the slumber of the Drought Demon.】

【She has awakened.】

【The awakening of the Drought Demon will briefly affect the local climate of the entire Guanzhong, and Guanzhong will be forced into a state of drought, thereby further triggering the drought situation in the three commanderies of Guanzhong.】

Regarding Gu Jiangming destroying Qingmu Hall earlier, Jiu Jiu only sighed, but it was actually nothing major.

She could handle it.

But who could have expected that in the blink of an eye, Gu Jiangming would give you such a huge problem.

You are truly something!

And now, regarding this awakened Drought Demon, Jiu Jiu does not even know if she is friend or foe, but in her memories, the Drought Demon—let alone existing ten thousand years ago—existed even ten thousand years before that; the Drought Demon is her synonym, and not even a type of monster.

Especially since the Drought Demon is famous for having a foul temper.

Jiu Jiu has never seen the Drought Demon with her own eyes, but the notoriety of the Drought Demon—let alone Jiu Jiu, even a mortal on the road has likely heard her legends.

This thing is not something where if you follow her wishes, she will let you go; the life, death, and suffering of mortals have nothing to do with her, and she releases her divinity whenever she wants to.

She is far more sinister than most gods who consider themselves righteous.

Even for the current Jiu Jiu, with her Demon Power, encountering this is an existence that would shatter at a single touch.

Unless she can maintain her divine form for a long time, perhaps there might be room to confront and maneuver.

What on earth is Gu Jiangming doing?

Let alone Jiu Jiu, who cannot figure it out now.

Wang Qinghe cannot figure it out either.

The news of the Drought Demon's awakening is a full-screen message in 【Mie Changsheng】, extremely conspicuous, and once she appears in the world, these well-informed and widely knowledgeable family cultivators are also able to receive the news at the first moment.

At this moment, Gu Jiangming is very innocent.

He just secretly used the Spirit Qi stored inside the 【Taiyi Stone】 to release a strange Technique Formula of the Pei Family, and studied what kind of effect Withered Wood Returns to Spring could have at its maximum efficacy.

As a result, the Drought Demon just woke up.

Can this be blamed on me?

(End of this chapter)