C10 Cleanse Spirit Array

"It's all over, just as I feared—completely unreliable! What am I supposed to do if something happens to me while I'm left here alone?"

Gu Xiaoxing was starting to panic, but thankfully, he was skilled in the art of concealment. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, leaving no clue as to which shadowy nook or cranny he might have slipped into.

After what seemed like an eternity, in a hollow filled with black leaves, where the surroundings were silent and unremarkable, Gu Xiaoxing was hidden beneath a thick layer of foliage. He left only a minuscule gap, no larger than a pinhole, through which he peered out, his discomfort palpable as he gripped his axe, the distant rumbling growing louder and more frequent.

"Why hasn't he returned? Could something have actually happened?"

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a muffled groan echoed from ahead. Something had been hurled through the air and crashed to the ground with a thud. Upon closer inspection, it was a person.

The individual was so battered and bloodied that his features were indiscernible; one could barely make out that he was a man, lying still on the ground, his breathing faint, as if his last breath would slip away at any moment.

The impact of the man's fall stirred a few leaves in the distance, yet Gu Xiaoxing, nestled beneath the foliage, remained motionless, his hands tightening around the axe.

"We have been commanded to execute the traitor. Do you dare to interfere?"

A voice, booming with rage, carried from afar. Then, another figure dashed through the air, landing abruptly beside the grievously injured man. It was Du Siyu, who had been gone for far too long. Blood stained the corner of her mouth, her complexion was ashen, and she wielded a sword in one hand, her gaze icy. Suddenly, she produced a red cord, twirling it between her fingers while her lips moved rapidly, whispering an incantation.

As Du Siyu's chant continued, the red cord in her fingers began to soften and dissolve, forming a globule of liquid that resembled blood, hovering between her fingers. The liquid squirmed, seemingly on the verge of transforming into a small, blood-red bell.

"This is bad! She's about to trigger the Golden Bell Drawing! Hurry! Activate the Cleanse Spirit Array!"

The angry voice resounded once more, and in an instant, a burst of purple light soared into the heavens, unfolding into a luminous barrier that enveloped an area ten kilometers wide.

Gu Xiaoxing felt a brief tremor from the Devouring Spirit Insect at his brow before it fell eerily silent. The link between them had snapped abruptly, and despite his efforts, he found himself unable to summon even a trace of spiritual energy. His spirits plummeted.

Meanwhile, Du Siyu watched as the blood, on the verge of transforming into a tiny bell, reverted back into a red string, which she twirled calmly between her fingers. No further changes occurred. Her face contorted with displeasure, her eyes darkening ominously. Clearly, their adversaries had come well-prepared, wielding a formation capable of suppressing their powers. With no chance of aid from her sect, she was left to fend for herself.

Suddenly, several figures emerged from the shadowy woods. Gu Xiaoxing's gaze shot towards them, and his eyes widened in disbelief...

Five men clad in black stepped out, their expressions icy, their eyes glinting with predatory malice. They were undoubtedly dangerous foes, and their glares turned particularly malevolent when they settled on Du Siyu.

It was she who had appeared out of nowhere to rescue the turncoat!

What shocked Gu Xiaoxing was that each of the five men bore a Devouring Spirit Insect on their foreheads, just like him.

Even the indistinct figure lying motionless on the ground bore the mark of the insect on his brow, albeit faintly visible.

What was happening here?

An internal struggle?

Du Siyu provided the answer without delay.

Having stowed the red string, she fixed them with an icy glare and demanded, "You are not of the Devouring Spirit Sect, so how can you practice the spirit control spell? Who exactly are you?"

The group's leader, a towering, muscular middle-aged man wielding a hammer larger than his own head, replied with a steely tone, "Enough talk. Under the Cleanse Spirit Array, you can't access any of your powers. Today, there's no escaping your fate. Attack!"

With a commanding gesture, the other four charged, swords and saber drawn.

"Hmph! Aren't you in the same predicament? As for a contest of physical strength, I'm not the least bit intimidated by you."

Du Siyu flicked her long sword with a cold snort, stepping forward to meet her adversaries head-on, fearlessly. Yet, inside, she was a bundle of nerves. Though neither party could draw upon their cultivation at the moment, relying solely on their physical prowess, she faced four opponents at the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer, whose strength was nearly on par with hers. Not to mention the presence of another at the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer, whose bodily strength surely surpassed her own.

There was no time for further thought as they swiftly engaged in combat. Deprived of their cultivation, they were nonetheless seasoned cultivators, with power in their bodies beyond the ordinary, capable of breaking wood and splitting stone with a mere strike. The clash of swords and sabers sent sparks flying and the resounding impact was enough to make one's ears ring painfully.

But Du Siyu was outnumbered, one against four, and her mind raced with plans to escape and seek help from her sect. As the battle wore on, she struggled to parry the onslaught. When she managed to deflect a sword with a sweep of her arm, a piercing cold sensation warned her of danger from behind. A large blade descended in a vicious arc; evasion was impossible. With a grimace of determination, she twisted her body, taking the blow on her shoulder.

Puff! The blade tore through, leaving a deep laceration on Du Siyu's shoulder, from which blood gushed. Ignoring the searing pain, she lashed out with a kick, sending the blade-wielder flying into a tree, blood spurting from his mouth.

Gu Xiaoxing trembled at the sight, having never witnessed such a brutal scene.

"Who's there!?" bellowed the only middle-aged man who had yet to join the fray. His expression was grim as he hurled his massive iron hammer with force.

Chills raced down Gu Xiaoxing's spine. The incoming hammer seemed like a harbinger of death, amplifying his terror to its peak. Yet it was this fear that spurred his survival instincts, propelling him to leap away with the urgency of a coiled spring.

A thunderous crash followed, and where he had been crouching moments before, now lay a crater.

Gu Xiaoxing tumbled to the edge of a large pit, his heart racing with the aftershock of his near miss. Had his reflexes been any slower, he might have been flattened into a meat pancake.

Du Siyu's heart sank as she saw Gu Xiaoxing emerge unexpectedly. Escaping alone was difficult enough, but with Gu Xiaoxing in tow, it seemed impossible. Guilt washed over her; she had left the sect with bold promises to keep him safe, never anticipating a predicament like this.

"Humph! There are still remnants," the middle-aged man declared with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The girl is mine. You, go finish off that boy. We've risked much infiltrating the Devouring Spirit Sect's domain—no survivors must remain."

"Understood!"

The group obeyed without hesitation, abandoning their assault on Du Siyu to charge at Gu Xiaoxing. The man with the knife rose from the ground, shooting Du Siyu a venomous glare and wiping the blood from his lips. His eyes bore a ruthless gleam as he fixed his gaze on Gu Xiaoxing, lunging forward like a ravenous wolf.

At that moment, Gu Xiaoxing was paralyzed with fear, bewildered by the hostility from strangers he'd never met. Why did they resort to violence at first sight? Couldn't they simply sit and talk things through? Why was it necessary to fight to the death?

But this was the reality of the Cultivation World—a place far more brutal than he could have ever imagined.

"Run...!"

Before Gu Xiaoxing could even process the danger, Du Siyu sprang into action. As she shouted, she dashed forward, determined to intercept the four assailants.

Suddenly, a terrifying premonition struck her. Du Siyu had no time for second thoughts; she could only lift her sword to defend herself. A thunderous impact resonated as a fist collided with her blade, sending her flying like a ragdoll struck by a landslide. She crashed through several thick, black trees in succession.

The middle-aged man casually flexed his fist, addressing Du Siyu with a cool detachment. "You thoughtlessly activated the Cleanse Spirit Array. Did you really think I'd come unprepared?"

Du Siyu fought to rise, her mouth spilling a constant stream of blood. Her gaze towards the middle-aged man darkened to its utmost.

"A body cultivator!"

The middle-aged man's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He had assumed that his punch, powered by the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer, would have been fatal, yet he hadn't expected his opponent to stand so swiftly!

With a grave expression, Du Siyu couldn't suppress another bloody cough. Gu Xiaoxing had vanished without a trace, leaving only four silhouettes disappearing into the distance. Facing the middle-aged man's menacing laugh, she exhaled a weary sigh. For now, she had no choice but to survive this ordeal.

She braced herself for a battle to the end...