Book 1: Chapter 26: Killing Pang Tianlong

When Pang Tianlong thrust his sword forward, red Veritable Energy covered the sword as it rushed towards Gu Hai’s head with killing intent.

“Song Qingshu, why are you blocking me?” Chen Tianshan glared.

“There’s no rush. Division Master did not ask you for help, so why are you rushing?” Song Qingshu sneered.

Chen Tianshan glared at Song Qingshu. On the other side, Gao Xianzhi felt very anxious as well. However, he was too far away.

“Infusing Veritable Energy into items, the Innate Realm’s second layer?” the mustached man said with narrowed eyes.

The many surrounding cultivators stared at Gu Hai, but no one tried to help or stop this.

The sword moved very quickly, arriving before Gu Hai in the blink of an eye.

“Be careful!” the snake lady exclaimed.

Now, Gu Hai narrowed his eyes, a cold, sharp look in them as he watched the sword.

Boom!

Gu Hai stomped, and a resounding bang rang out, startling everyone.

Boom!

Another loud sound rang out. Gu Hai had struck Pang Tianlong’s abdomen with his fist.

Gu Hai moved swiftly with great force. After his punch landed, Pang Tianlong’s figure flew back like a fired cannonball.

“Ah!”

Boom!

Another loud sound rang out as Pang Tianlong crashed into a stone wall, causing a large amount of shattered stone to crumble and fall off.

“What? Impossible!” Song Qingshu exclaimed.

“Division Master?” Gao Xianzhi opened his eyes wide as well.

Everyone knew that Gu Hai was a First Layer Innate Realm cultivator. However, Pang Tianlong could not last even one move against him. He was simply too fast. Before Pang Tianlong could react, his fist had landed on Pang Tianlong’s abdomen and sent Pang Tianlong flying.

How much force did that take? How fast was Gu Hai for him to do that?

“How can it be? He is only a First Layer Innate Realm cultivator. How can he be so fast and possess such force?” Chen Tianshan’s eyes remained wide open.

“Junior Brother!” the group of First Song Sect disciples immediately cried out.

“No! No! That’s impossible! You…you just advanced to the Innate Realm. How could you be a match for me?” Pang Tianlong lay weakly in the rubble, staring at Gu Hai with horror. 

That punch was too strong, so strong that Pang Tianlong felt like his internal organs tore. He had instantly lost all his strength.

The First Song Sect disciples wanted to charge over. However, Gu Hai turned his head and coldly eyed them. “The First Song Sect wants to interfere? You want to become enemies with my Elite Hall?”

When Gu Hai glared, the First Song Sect disciples’ expressions suddenly changed as they stopped.

“That’s impossible. Gu Hai’s earlier strike reached the Third Layer Innate Realm’s level of force. No, it’s just at least that; it might be stronger. However, didn’t he just advance to the first layer?” Song Qingshu glared.

“Physical cultivation? Is it because Gu Hai cultivated physically and tempered his body; hence, his physical strength as an Innate Realm cultivator became incredibly strong?” Chen Tianshan speculated, his expression flickering.

In the crowd, the mustached man stared with slightly narrowed eyes at where Gu Hai had stomped. Gu Hai had crushed several rocks there.

“First Layer Innate Realm? What a strong physical body. How did he cultivate during the Acquired Realm?” the mustached man muttered as he studied Gu Hai, showing a faintly sinister look.

Gu Hai picked up Pang Tianlong’s sword. Then, he slowly walked over to Pang Tianlong while showing a cold expression.

Pang Tianlong gaped at Gu Hai in horror. He initially thought that Gu Hai would be very weak since Gu Hai had advanced to the Innate Realm only recently. Who could have thought that Gu Hai would be this strong? To think that Pang Tianlong could not retaliate at all.

“Senior Brothers! Save me! Senior Brothers! Senior Brothers!” Pang Tianlong shouted in horror as he watched Gu Hai approach.

However, the First Song Sect disciples just looked at one another with unsightly expressions. They did not dare to step forward.

“Division Master Gu, Pang Tianlong has greatly offended you. I implore Division Master Gu to forgive him!” a First Song Sect disciple said anxiously.

“You are not qualified to speak with me. He wanted to kill me earlier. Why did I not hear you say anything about that?” Gu Hai countered coldly without even turning his head.

“But…!”

“This is a personal grudge between him and me. If you want to help him, this becomes a grudge between Elite Hall and the First Song Sect. Scram aside!” Gu Hai said coldly.

“You!” the group of First Song Sect disciples exclaimed in shock and anger.

However, it was as Gu Hai said. No one could do anything.

“Martial Uncle! Save me! Martial Uncle!” Pang Tianlong sought help from Song Qingshu in horror.

Song Qingshu’s expression changed slightly as he said, “Division Master, all this is because of this snake lady. Why do all this for a snake lady—”

“Song Qingshu!”

Gu Hai’s cold shout interrupted Song Qingshu. Then, he turned his head to eye Song Qingshu icily.

Song Qingshu’s expression turned somewhat unsightly. Nevertheless, he continued speaking, “Division Master, Pang Tianlong only acted in a moment of folly!”

Gu Hai said coldly, “Song Qingshu, earlier you said you have no authority over him. What’s going on? While you have no authority over him, do you have authority over me?”

“Huh?” Song Qingshu’s expression froze.

“You said that you couldn’t decide for him. What’s the matter now? You now can decide for me?” Gu Hai demanded coldly.

Song Qingshu showed an unsightly expression as he protested, “This subordinate does not dare!”

“It’s good that you do not dare. Wait at the side and stop speaking nonsense!” Gu Hai ordered coldly.

After speaking, Gu Hai ignored the ashen Song Qingshu, turning back to face Pang Tianlong.

Pang Tianlong looked at Gu Hai in horror. Unexpectedly, Gu Hai only needed to say a few words to prevent his senior brothers and martial uncle from saving him.

Now, Pang Tianlong discovered how terrifying Gu Hai was.

“Please don’t kill me. Division Master Gu, I offended you earlier. It is all my fault! I erred. I beg you, please don’t kill me!” Pang Tianlong cried out in horror.

Gu Hai pointed the sword at Pang Tianlong and said coldly, “Sometimes, I, Gu Hai, will be softhearted. Just like when I saw you humiliating the snake lady and wanting to kill her. I found that unbearable to watch, so I saved her to the best of my abilities. My humanity has not disappeared, and I will treasure that. However, I am more frequently rational. I cannot possibly leave the people who deserve death alive. I will not be softhearted in these cases, either!”

Phish!

Gu Hai instantly thrust the sword towards Pang Tianlong’s head.

“No!” Pang Tianlong yelled in horror.

The First Song Sect disciples felt alarmed. However, no one dared to step forward and help. Everyone only revealed shock and fear as they looked at Gu Hai when blood and brain matter spurted out.

Previously, even after the war between the two nations, Song Qingshu had looked down on Gu Hai in an aloof manner. Although Gu Hai became the division master, Song Qingshu had not seen him as a threat. Now, he felt shocked and terrified.

Several days ago, Song Qingshu promised his sect master to kill Gu Hai. Now, he suddenly wavered. As he looked at Gu Hai’s back, it seemed vast and tall, so tall that he felt that he could not match it.

How can this be? It must be an illusion! Song Qingshu roared in his heart as he tightly clenched his fist.

After Gu Hai killed Pang Tianlong, he turned around and walked to the snake lady, then slowly picked her up. He swept his gaze over the surrounding cultivators, causing many of them to step back involuntarily.

“Ha!” Gu Hai revealed a cold smile as he slowly walked towards the crowd.

The crowd parted, allowing Gu Hai to leave.

Gao Xianzhi and Chen Tianshan immediately followed behind. Song Qingshu showed an unsightly expression as he looked at Pang Tianlong’s corpse. Then, he left while biting his lips.

Gu Hai carried the snake lady in his arms. Although wounds covered her, she did not seem to be in pain. As she looked at Gu Hai’s face, her eyes welled with tears. She rested her head against Gu Hai’s chest, feeling the chest that brought her warmth amid despair.

Gu Hai’s group of four people and one snake slowly walked into the forest. None of the surrounding cultivators stopped them. As they watched the four leave with the snake lady, they showed complicated expressions in their eyes.

“Alright. It’s just a useless snake servant. Let’s go. We’ll go deeper.”

“We have already delayed for so long. Let’s continue heading in, then!”

The hundreds of cultivators quickly scattered to explore this independent world.

The First Song Sect disciples collected Pang Tianlong’s corpse, showing unsightly expressions. After their leader thought for a while, they decided to tail Gu Hai.

Soon the place emptied out, leaving only a group of gray-clad men. There were about thirty of them, and the leader was that mustached man.

“Division Master, was that the new Water Division Master?” that mustached man’s subordinate asked with an unsightly expression.

The mustached man said with narrowed eyes, “It looks like the hall master did install him as the Water Division Master.”

“Division Master, what should we do now?” a subordinate asked, feeling curious.

“There’s no need to worry. Someone will deal with it for us.” The mustached man showed a cold smile.

——

In a small tent by a creek:

Before Gu Hai left Nine-Five Island, he had stored large amounts of things within the compressed space in the authority token. Now, he took out some herbs to apply them on the snake lady.

“Many thanks, benefactor!” the snake lady said gratefully with tears in her eyes.

“Recuperate first. I’m rarely softhearted,” Gu Hai sighed.

“Yes!” At this moment, the snake lady felt very fatigued. She immediately fell asleep after closing her eyes.

Then, Gu Hai left the tent. At this moment, only Gao Xianzhi waited outside the tent.

“Division Master, Chen Tianshan and Song Qingshu left to scout the terrain. They will be back in the evening,” Gao Xianzhi reported respectfully.

Gu Hai nodded.

“Division Master, something seems off with Song Qingshu. It was one thing to refuse to help, but he even tried to make things worse for Division Master. I’m afraid…” Gao Xianzhi said, feeling worried.

“I know. However, he is a Water Division disciple, after all. I have to give him a few chances. If he remains stubborn, then he can’t blame me for being merciless,” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.

“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi nodded.

——

At a valley not far away from Gu Hai:

Song Qingshu and the earlier mustached man stood next to each other.

“Earth Division Master, that is what happened. This humble one did not expect Earth Division Master to be in the crowd earlier,” Song Qingshu said respectfully to that mustached man.

The mustached man looked at Song Qingshu and said, “The First Song Sect Master told you to kill Gu Hai?”

“Yes. However, I feel worried for some reason…” Song Qingshu said, feeling somewhat put on the spot.

“It looks like he told you already. In that case, you go gather the First Song Sect disciples and prepare to surround and kill Gu Hai,” the mustached man instructed indifferently.

“Huh?”

“Didn’t your sect master tell you? The Water Division Master position might be yours,” the mustached man said indifferently.

“What? Mine? The Water Division Master? How can it be?”

“I believe he already told you about the alliance. The First Song Sect will fully cooperate in exchange for the Water Division Master position. Now that you are in Elite Hall, that position naturally goes to you. You should know about the benefits you will receive after you head to Elite Hall’s headquarters and register your name in the records, right?” The mustached man showed a somber smile as he looked at Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu’s eyelids twitched wildly.

“Think about it for yourself. In any case, I will not suffer any losses. I will not say anything more. Remember, I never came to look for you.” The mustached man smiled coldly as he stared at Song Qingshu.

After speaking, the mustached man stepped into the forest and vanished.

However, Song Qingshu remained where he was, appearing uncertain.

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