Chapter 33: Corpse-Transforming Poison, Life-Seizing Gu

"You killed him!"

"You actually killed him just like that!"

In the pool, Ma Buti, who had been charging toward Lu Sheng, suddenly leaped up in shock when he saw Lu Sheng slay Wan Gu Xiao, and darted back onto the shore.

"Kid, to kill a member of the Yuan Gu Sect of the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect so casually—are you truly ignorant, or do you want to drag me down with you?"

"Have you never heard of the Corpse-Melting Poison from the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect, or the Life-Seizing Gu of the Yuan Gu Sect?"

Ma Buti sneered coldly as he spoke, holding his breath and projecting his profound energy to shield his body. He made no move to attack Lu Sheng; he simply stood at the edge of the pool, as if waiting for Lu Sheng to die.

"Corpse-Melting Poison? Life-Seizing Gu?"

Though these terms lingered in his memories, Lu Sheng had little understanding of them. Still, judging by Ma Buti’s reaction, these were evidently measures that disciples of the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect and Yuan Gu Sect employed upon death, and they were notoriously difficult to deal with.

He had no time for further thought, for he now witnessed Wan Gu Xiao’s corpse rapidly dissolving in the water, releasing a thick, foul-smelling vapor.

At the same time, Lu Sheng’s hand suddenly bore a cluster of profound markings resembling insect eggs, greedily absorbing his vital energy.

Yet, Lu Sheng’s vital energy was entirely under his own command; he would never allow it to be drawn away. Thus, the markings remained in their egg-like form, only slightly strengthening as Wan Gu Xiao’s body continued to dissolve.

"The Corpse-Melting Poison must be the toxic liquid and gas produced as Wan Gu Xiao’s corpse dissolves."

"The Life-Seizing Gu is likely this cluster of insect-egg-like markings—what secrets does it hold?"

"It truly isn’t easy to kill disciples of the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect and Yuan Gu Sect!"

Lu Sheng mused inwardly, but paid no heed to the poison’s potency. He reached out to pluck a spatial pouch from Wan Gu Xiao’s dissolving corpse and swam toward the bottom of the pool.

"Hiss, this Corpse-Melting Poison is truly formidable!"

Seeing his skin silently dissolve, exposing red flesh on his fingertips, Lu Sheng marveled at its toxicity. He spent six points of merit to purge the poison from his body.

"After my strength increased, it seems that cleansing negative states requires more merit."

"But I only touched a small amount of Corpse-Melting Poison—I shouldn’t have needed six points."

"Perhaps it’s due to the horse dung scent and soul-chasing incense applied earlier—"

"Or maybe other toxins have contaminated me!"

He had no time to delve deeper; he simply spent merit to eliminate all toxins from his body.

Once purified, his triply-amplified recovery ability quickly restored the skin on his fingers before his eyes.

---

"Now, only the Life-Seizing Gu remains!"

"I don’t know what it does, but it will require some attention!"

Sensing the Life-Seizing Gu markings growing stronger and seemingly intent on devouring his flesh, Lu Sheng commanded the Ruyi to begin recording, then swam downward to avoid both the Corpse-Melting Poison and any possible attack from Ma Buti.

Then, he altered his vital energy characteristics, shifting them to match those of Ma Buti—a trait he could easily discern after mastering the Three Treasures Ruyi Art—and released a trace of it.

Immediately, the dissipating Life-Seizing Gu markings sensed this energy and quickly absorbed it.

Though the sensation of flesh being devoured vanished, after wriggling for a while, the markings seemed to hatch, transforming into the shape of a Gu insect—

This was the Life-Seizing Gu in its complete form!

"Is it for tracking, or for cursing?"

Lu Sheng did not know the use of this Gu insect, but its appearance instantly set his nerves on edge, warning him—

He was in grave danger!

Without hesitation, Lu Sheng swiftly changed his vital energy traits and used merit to expel the Gu insect from his body.

He watched as the Gu insect, once expelled, rapidly faded from physical to ethereal and vanished before his eyes—

On the shore, Ma Buti staggered and then plunged headlong into the water.

Without a single struggle, his body quickly dissolved under the Corpse-Melting Poison left by Wan Gu Xiao—

He was, without question, dead beyond hope.

---

Witnessing this bizarre scene, even Lu Sheng could not help but feel a surge of lingering fear:

"If I hadn’t altered my vital energy traits just now—"

"I might be the one dead at this moment!"

"The Life-Seizing Gu truly lives up to its name—"

"It really can claim lives!"

A Grand Martial Master perished so easily, leaving Lu Sheng in disbelief, yet he had no choice but to accept the reality:

"I, Wan Gu Xiao, Ma Buting, Ma Buti—the four of us in the Serpent’s Lair!"

"In terms of cultivation and strength, Ma Buti was arguably the strongest—"

"And yet, he died the most easily!"

Ma Buting died in the jaws of a fourth-tier flood dragon, Wan Gu Xiao was slain when Lu Sheng seized his vital point. Both required considerable effort on Lu Sheng’s part.

Yet Ma Buti, though the most powerful, was dispatched effortlessly by Lu Sheng’s manipulation of his vital energy traits, triggering the Life-Seizing Gu.

"Fortunately, Ma Buti is dead!"

"Otherwise, he would have been a headache for me!"

Lu Sheng had been troubled by Ma Buti’s formidable martial prowess.

Just earlier, after exchanging a few moves with Ma Buti, he realized that even with triple amplification, he could hardly overcome his opponent by sheer force.

While purging toxins with merit, Lu Sheng had already neutralized the scent of horse dung from his body—

He could escape, and Ma Buti would no longer be able to track him!

But so long as Ma Buti lived, his greed for the flying dragon horse puppet and dragon corpse would drive him to hunt Lu Sheng relentlessly.

If he could not find Lu Sheng, he would surely share the secrets of the Serpent’s Lair with others.

"The Ma family possesses Grandmasters. If Ma Buti escaped, he would likely tell his clan about my acquisition of the flying dragon horse puppet and the dragon corpse."

"That would put me in even greater danger!"

Lu Sheng did not yet fully grasp the abilities of Grandmasters, but he knew a fundamental law of the martial world—

Only Grandmasters can contend with Grandmasters!

Those below Grandmaster level have never triumphed over one!

Even escaping a Grandmaster’s pursuit is exceedingly rare!

"If Ma Buti had escaped, to avoid Grandmaster pursuit, I would have no choice but to return to my ancestral clan and seek the protection of the Lu family of Great Jing—"

"But that clearly does not suit my intentions."

Returning to his ancestral roots might be the wish of Lu Hai and others, but it was not what Lu Sheng desired at this moment.

The Lu family of Great Jing possessed the complete ‘Primordial Sutra’ and other Grandmaster legacies, but for Lu Sheng, who had the Ruyi and could inherit the powers of the great supernatural arts, such protection was not urgent.

What he needed most now was to acquire strength to safeguard his own secrets!

---

"Fortunately, Ma Buti is dead—"

"Dead by the Life-Seizing Gu!"

"No one else knows the secret of this Serpent’s Lair!"

The surrounding creatures had already been eradicated by Lu Sheng with the Heavenly Destruction Array. Even those capable of spiritual communication could not learn what had transpired here from the memories of other beings.

Unless someone could turn back time, the events within this Serpent’s Lair would remain forever unknown!

"Still, I must add a layer of insurance—clean up all traces!"

With this thought, Lu Sheng collected the remnants of Wan Gu Xiao and Ma Buti, used merit to clear toxins, and swam upward toward the surface of the pool.