Chapter 517: Awaken the Gu Slave?
Without a moment’s hesitation.
Jiang Xinghai took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
His body began to tremble. The Primordial Yin Power within him erupted like a firework, detonating throughout his body.
Every cell in his body was writhing in agony, yet at the same time, he felt a power unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Qiao Zhongkui’s expression suddenly turned ferocious.
He could clearly feel the power within Jiang Xinghai gathering, preparing to erupt!
He was suddenly overcome with the urge to retreat. Fear filled his eyes, making him look like a wild beast targeted by a hunter.
’This kid is too damn strange!’
Qiao Zhongkui grew agitated. If Jiang Xinghai hadn’t appeared, he would have only needed three more days to evolve the Imperial Butterfly he was nurturing with his life-blood to its ultimate stage!
But Jiang Xinghai’s arrival had interrupted his plans.
And now, he was left with only two choices.
Either he could abandon the evolution of his Imperial Butterfly and awaken the Gu Slave.
Or, he could continue to wait.
Wait three days, until his work was complete, and then he could kill Jiang Xinghai at his leisure.
He knew perfectly well that under normal circumstances, a Cultivator hoping to break through their shackles and advance their cultivation would need at least ten days to half a month, with no guarantee of success.
In fact, ten days to half a month was just the starting point!
Furthermore, after reaching the Celestial Destiny Realm, it wasn’t uncommon for a Cultivator to be stuck for thirty to fifty years—or even a lifetime—without making any further progress!
But what he didn’t know...
...was that Jiang Xinghai was no ordinary person.
Jiang Xinghai possessed the teachings of Kunlun. For civil arts, he had the Dragon Locking Secret Technique; for martial arts, the Eight-Nine Profound Skill. The Primordial Yin Power in his body converged into a powerful energy sphere, spinning rapidly in his Dantian.
His body was lifted by this force. His blood and Qi surged, and his bones crackled and popped.
An immense power erupted from within him.
Jiang Xinghai’s entire aura underwent a massive transformation. He now resembled a deity capable of purifying all things, his presence as magnificent as jade.
SHIING!
He opened his eyes, and two tangible beams of light shot out, locking onto Qiao Zhongkui thirty meters away.
’This is bad!’
Qiao Zhongkui felt a spiritual pressure so immense that his body trembled violently.
Jiang Xinghai smiled.
His body suddenly felt light, as if he could fly.
He had finally broken through to the late stage of the Celestial Destiny Realm.
Fighting across cultivation levels was not difficult for him.
As long as Qiao Zhongkui hadn’t awakened the Gu Slave, victory was his for the taking!
WHOOSH!
In the next instant, Jiang Xinghai shot toward Qiao Zhongkui like a rocket.
At that moment, he became a master of the storm, his unstoppable momentum carrying with it a vast and terrifying pressure.
"This... How is this possible!"
Qiao Zhongkui was struck with despair, staring dumbfounded at the approaching Jiang Xinghai.
’It’s simply heaven-defying!’
In less than a hundred breaths’ time, Jiang Xinghai had actually managed to advance his cultivation!
He knew that in his current state, he had no way of withstanding Jiang Xinghai’s attack.
The feeling of powerlessness plunged him into utter despair.
However, in the end, Qiao Zhongkui gave up on evolving his life-bound Poisonous Insect, the Imperial Butterfly. Just as Jiang Xinghai was about to reach him, a bloody light erupted from his body.
He was going to awaken the Gu Slave!
BZZZT!
Without hesitation, Qiao Zhongkui bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of essence blood.
At the same time, his hands formed a seal, and the cultivation power within him surged wildly.
"Blood Sacrifice Technique!"
Following his low shout, the essence blood formed a crimson rune in the air, which then instantly exploded, sending a powerful shockwave of energy rippling outward.
Only by driving his life-bound Poisonous Insect could he awaken the Gu Slave!
Amidst this terrifying energy fluctuation, Jiang Xinghai’s expression shifted slightly.
But his speed didn’t decrease in the slightest. On the contrary, he charged toward Qiao Zhongkui even faster.
Just as Jiang Xinghai was about to close in, an even more powerful aura erupted from Qiao Zhongkui.
Droplets of blood began to fly from his body, each one seeming to possess a life of its own as they danced and swirled around him.
A thumb-sized, milky-white Poisonous Insect crawled out of his mouth and hovered above his head, emitting wisps of white mist.
This Poisonous Insect was none other than the Imperial Butterfly, just one step away from evolving into its golden form!
’Such potent life force!’
Jiang Xinghai glanced at it and felt the urge to capture it for his own. His attack slowed fractionally.
However, Jiang Xinghai noticed that the life force on the Imperial Butterfly seemed to have been drawn directly from Qiao Zhongkui’s body, where it coalesced into a brilliant radiance.
It was an extraordinary sight. Anyone else would have been completely unable to comprehend what was happening.
But Jiang Xinghai saw it clearly: Qiao Zhongkui was awakening the Gu Slave.
This was an incredibly vicious technique—tantamount to suicide.
Logically speaking, even someone with the strongest constitution imaginable shouldn’t be able to withstand the agony of having their life force drained so horrifically.
But Jiang Xinghai noticed that Qiao Zhongkui didn’t seem to be in much pain. In fact, he looked quite serene.
BZZZT!
Another soft hum sounded.
Immediately after, a wisp of golden substance floated out of Qiao Zhongkui’s body and entered his life-bound Poisonous Insect, the Imperial Butterfly.
"Awaken the Gu Slave? In your dreams!" A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Xinghai’s eyes.