Chapter 116: Gu Sanqiu's Black Golden Core and Ghost-Faced Infants
"Xiao Fan, what did you notice?" Shen Mo immediately asked.
Xiao Fan didn't dare to hide anything and quickly responded, "Young Sect Master, I... I have a feeling that there's a fight happening at the end of the passage to our right."
Qin Feng frowned, tilted his head to listen, and then shook his head, "I don't hear anything."
Song Chaofeng and Elder Li also nodded in agreement, "We don't hear anything either."
Xiao Fan, feeling embarrassed, added, "I actually didn't hear anything either; it's just a feeling."
Qin Feng sneered, "A feeling? What good is a feeling? I feel like I could reach the Nascent Soul stage in five years too."
Shen Mo, however, raised an eyebrow, "Sometimes, a feeling can be very useful."
Xiao Fan was taken aback, "Young Sect Master, it's really just a feeling. It might be wrong."
Shen Mo shook his head, "Let's go to the right."
He took the lead and walked toward the passage on the right.
Song Chaofeng and the others scratched their heads but followed.
Xiao Fan hurriedly caught up as well.
Shen Mo glanced at Xiao Fan, who was trailing behind, with a slight smile.
Everyone else who had discovered Gu Sanqiu had ended up dead without exception.
But Xiao Fan, after discovering Gu Sanqiu, had somehow managed to avoid being detected.
Now, at this moment, if Xiao Fan suddenly had a feeling, there was a good chance that the fight ahead involved Gu Sanqiu.
As expected, when Shen Mo and the others arrived, they found Gu Sanqiu fiercely suppressing Murong Yue and Pang Longxiang.
Murong Yue was at the peak of the Core Formation stage, and Pang Longxiang had reached the perfected stage of Core Formation.
Yet, even the two of them together could barely defend themselves against Gu Sanqiu, struggling to hold their ground.
Shen Mo also noticed that Pang Longxiang's right hand and left cheek had shriveled, exposing the bones beneath.
It was clear that some of his blood and vitality had already been drained.
Murong Yue was relatively fortunate, with only some injuries on her body and no loss of blood or vitality.
When Murong Yue caught sight of Shen Mo from afar, she was shocked, "Shen'er, get out of here! We're no match for him!"
Gu Sanqiu also noticed Shen Mo and the others and let out a sinister laugh, "Oh, so many people at once? Perfect timing. I've recovered quite a bit now, and I can devour all of you in one go!"
With that, he stomped on the ground and released his golden core.
In the next moment, over thirty ghost-faced infants with grotesque expressions erupted from the black golden core, rushing toward the group.
Hee-hee, ha-ha!
The sharp laughter of the ghost-faced infants filled the air, causing intense pain in everyone's heads and making it difficult to focus.
Shen Mo quickly covered his ears, feeling as if long needles were being driven deep into his brain.
Ah-wooo!
Taking advantage of the group's distraction, the ghost-faced infants lunged forward, biting at their flesh.
Their mouths were filled with sharp, tiny teeth, and each bite tore away a large chunk of flesh.
Ordinary martial techniques had little effect on them, merely dispersing them momentarily before they reformed.
"Damn it! What are these things?" Song Chaofeng cursed as he endured the pain, unleashing a palm strike that sent ripples of water vapor outward, but it failed to repel the ghost-faced infants, prompting more cursing from him.
"It seems to be a secret technique produced by a special type of golden core," Qin Feng said as he swung his sword, emitting lightning from its tip.
The ghost-faced infant struck by the lightning screamed and exploded.
Although it reformed after a while, the process was noticeably slower.
Qin Feng immediately shouted, "Lightning attributes work against them!"
Boom!
Elder Li struck with a palm, unleashing flames that forced the ghost-faced infants back slightly.
"Fire attributes work too!" she quickly called out to Shen Mo.
Shen Mo nodded slightly upon hearing this.
While using the first form of the Nine Suns Divine Phoenix Art to launch fire palms at the ghost-faced infants, he subtly moved within the battlefield.
Each time he moved to a new position, he would naturally place a formation flag in the direction away from Gu Sanqiu's line of sight.
The formation flags of the Five Ghosts Seize Life Formation were only five in number—not many.
And with most of Gu Sanqiu's attention focused on fighting Murong Yue and Pang Longxiang, he didn't notice Shen Mo's actions.
Thus, placing the formation flags wasn't difficult.
Additionally, Shen Mo lit the Soul-Calming Incense, placing one on his left and one on his right, in unnoticed corners.
While doing these two tasks, he also kept an eye on the battlefield, observing the situation.
The ghost-faced infants had a very peculiar way of attacking.
Unless one possesses lightning or fire attribute attacks, these ghost-faced infants are virtually invincible.
Everyone else was struggling under the relentless assault of the ghost-faced infants.
Even Murong Yue, at the peak of the Core Formation stage, was no exception.
Pang Longxiang, who had reached the perfected stage of Core Formation, was in particularly bad shape, his body drenched in blood, teetering on the edge of collapse.
However, there was one person who was completely unharmed at this moment.
It was Xiao Fan.
Despite only being at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, he was incredibly fortunate—these ghost-faced infants seemed to ignore his presence, almost as if he didn't exist, avoiding him entirely.
At this point, Gu Sanqiu also began to notice something was amiss.
Shen Mo's fire attribute martial skill was extremely powerful.
Each strike would cause at least one ghost-faced infant to disintegrate into ghostly energy, forcing it to return to the golden core for recovery.
Gu Sanqiu had invested a great deal of effort in cultivating these ghost-faced infants.
If this continued, all his ghost-faced infants would be stuck in recovery and unable to be used.
Gu Sanqiu pointed at Shen Mo and ordered, "That kid's fire attribute martial skill is too strong. Kill him first."
As soon as he finished speaking, a portion of the ghost-faced infants attacking the others—seven in total—immediately broke off and charged straight at Shen Mo.
"Shen'er!" Murong Yue cried out in alarm at the sight.
Shen Mo's expression remained unchanged—this was exactly as he had expected.
If Gu Sanqiu didn't react after losing so many ghost-faced infants, he would have been far too foolish.
Without hesitation, Shen Mo activated the Red Lotus Flame.
Buzz!
The red flames surged, transforming into a wave of scorching heat that blasted toward the seven ghost-faced infants.
The intense heat instantly raised the temperature of the air to a terrifying level.
The seven ghost-faced infants shrieked in agony as they were engulfed by the flames, disintegrating after just six breaths.
Seven wisps of faint ghostly energy fled back to the black golden core, where they slowly began to reform into infant shapes.
But the process was agonizingly slow.
It was clear that it would take at least a hundred breaths before they could fully reform.
This scene instantly bolstered the morale of the group.
The eternal flame was highly effective against the ghost-faced infants!
Gu Sanqiu, however, turned his gaze toward Shen Mo, frowning slightly before breaking into a sinister laugh, "Oh? The Red Lotus Flame? Interesting. I didn't expect someone in Xuanjing Prefecture to be able to tame such a wild and explosive eternal flame!"
"Then I'll kill you first!"
He pointed at Shen Mo, and more than half of the ghost-faced infants immediately abandoned their targets, rushing toward Shen Mo!
Shen Mo's heart trembled.
Without hesitation, he unleashed the second form of the Nine Suns Divine Phoenix Art, pouring all his energy into the Red Lotus Flame.
His dantian's ocean of energy evaporated in an instant.
At that moment, the Red Lotus Flame reached its peak intensity.
Boom boom boom!
A massive red flame phoenix materialized out of thin air.
The phoenix let out a long, resonant cry, shaking the skies!
The sound swept across the battlefield, causing the ghost-faced infants to instinctively show fear, their expressions twisting in terror.
"Damn it, what kind of martial skill is this?!"
"Don't retreat! None of you retreat! Charge forward!"
"He's just a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator—no matter how strong he is, he can't compare to me!"
Even Gu Sanqiu was visibly shocked.
But he immediately channeled all his spiritual power into the black golden core.
With the infusion of overwhelming spiritual power, the golden core spun even more fiercely.
A dense, black mist erupted from it.
In an instant, all the ghost-faced infants grew larger!
Their eyes shone with a more intense ferocity, and their facial features became even more twisted.
The next moment, the red flame phoenix collided with more than twenty ghost-faced infants.
Boom!
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Chapter 117: The Clash of Core Formations—Who's Really Smashing Eggs Against Rocks?
Flames surged violently, and the ghostly wails echoed!
At first, the flames barely held the upper hand.
However, Gu Sanqiu was, after all, a peak-stage Core Formation cultivator, vastly more powerful than Shen Mo.
As the eerie ghostly aura surged out from the black Core Formation in greater amounts, the ghost-faced infants became more solid.
Their tiny, sharp teeth, resentful gazes, and twisted features appeared disturbingly real.
Just one glance could haunt someone with nightmares for days!
A horde of ghost-faced infants swarmed forward, gnawing at the wings of the Fire Phoenix.
The Fire Phoenix let out a mournful cry as its flames gradually dimmed, eventually dissipating into nothingness.
Shen Mo also suffered a backlash, groaning as he staggered back over ten steps before barely managing to stop.
Gu Sanqiu cackled wildly, "Kill him!"
Over twenty ghost-faced infants charged forward!
But, for some reason, Gu Sanqiu suddenly felt drowsy.
It wasn't just him—everyone else started to experience varying degrees of sleepiness.
They were all very tired.
They just wanted to lie down and sleep.
Even their thoughts seemed to drift into slumber.
A question that would usually be answered in an instant now took several seconds of hard thinking.
Gu Sanqiu shook his head, struggling to keep his increasingly sluggish mind functioning.
"This seems like... the scent of Soul Calming Incense?"
He was both shocked and enraged.
Soul Calming Incense was a treasure he had prepared long ago to pacify the Blood-Swallowing Nascent Soul.
According to the Swallowing Blood Creation Technique, the Blood-Swallowing Nascent Soul was inherently unstable; the more blood it devoured, the more it would resist its master.
Every so often, it needed a soul-calming treasure to be soothed.
Soul Calming Incense was one such treasure mentioned in the Swallowing Blood Creation Technique.
"Damn it! Wasn't the third stone chamber of the Heavenly Hall protected by an array? Where did this brat get the Soul Calming Incense?!" Gu Sanqiu cursed inwardly as he glared at Shen Mo.
Then his eyes widened in disbelief.
Because he saw Shen Mo pulling out a small brass bell from his storage ring!
The surface of the brass bell was engraved with strange and profound patterns, some of which depicted skulls and corpses, giving off an eerie vibe.
This small brass bell was known as the Soul Fixing Bell.
Gu Sanqiu had spent a fortune and leveraged all his connections to obtain this Earth-grade spiritual artifact.
Its purpose, similar to the Soul Calming Incense, was to soothe the Blood-Swallowing Nascent Soul.
"How did he…?!" Gu Sanqiu was utterly furious.
Shen Mo took a deep breath, infused his remaining spiritual power into the bell, and struck it hard.
Ding!
A gentle chime resonated.
It sounded like a mother's lullaby.
Or perhaps like the soft rain of a spring night, silently nurturing everything as it fell with the wind.
Anyone who heard it would feel their heart calm, lose the will to fight, and stand quietly in place.
The combined power of the Soul Fixing Bell and the Soul Calming Incense was unleashed.
All the ghost-faced infants became serene in an instant.
Their twisted, ferocious expressions gradually softened.
It was as if they had returned to the womb, back to that warm embrace.
Gu Sanqiu's eyes nearly burst with rage.
This was his ultimate killing move, and it had just been neutralized by this young brat!
"You… deserve… to die!"
Gu Sanqiu forced his mind to work at full capacity.
He commanded the black Core Formation in midair to smash toward Shen Mo!
The Core Formation attack.
This was the strongest combat technique of a Core Formation stage cultivator.
Shen Mo wiped his hand across the air, and a jade tablet suddenly appeared in his palm.
He mustered the last remnants of his spiritual power and infused it into the tablet.
Buzz!
An invisible wave rippled outward.
It was like a signal.
Something was quickly awakened.
Before Gu Sanqiu could react, five ferocious ghosts appeared from five directions simultaneously.
Each of them had a ghastly, menacing appearance, with blue faces and sharp fangs.
At that moment, all five malevolent spirits fixed their ten ghostly eyes on Shen Mo, as if awaiting his command.
"Attack his true body!"
Shen Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, pointing straight at Gu Sanqiu.
Roar!
The five ghosts let out a satisfying howl, charging directly at Gu Sanqiu!
Their sharp claws, razor-like teeth, and the eerie ghostly aura immediately enveloped Gu Sanqiu's vital points.
Gu Sanqiu's pupils shrank rapidly as he forced out a few words, "The Five Ghosts Life Seizing Array! Why is it in... your hands?!"
The flags for the Five Ghosts Life Seizing Array were something he had exchanged for with three Taiyi Soul Nourishing Pills from a Nascent Soul stage rogue cultivator.
He knew the array flags were damaged, but he still decided to make the trade due to the array's incredible power.
These array flags were crafted by a Divine Transformation stage cultivator, who had sealed five murderous ghosts within them.
Even in their damaged state, they could unleash power comparable to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
Moreover, after training in the Swallowing Blood Creation Technique, Gu Sanqiu had gained enough insight to understand how to repair the array flags.
He had been waiting to step into the Nascent Soul stage before starting the repair process.
Once repaired, even a perfected Nascent Soul stage cultivator would find him difficult to deal with and would likely avoid him!
He had hidden the array flags in a secret compartment, where no one should have been able to find them.
Yet now, this array had somehow fallen into his opponent's hands?!
Gu Sanqiu was utterly perplexed.
Too strange!
Too unbelievable!
"Damn it! I'm your master! Don't attack me!"
Gu Sanqiu screamed in agony.
These five ghosts were far more powerful than the ghost-faced infants.
With one bite, large chunks of his flesh vanished.
The body he had formed after absorbing five or six Core Formation stage cultivators was torn apart by these five ghosts in less than ten seconds!
"Damn it, I'll drag you all down with me!"
Gu Sanqiu cursed venomously.
In the air, the black Golden Core began to swell ominously.
The ghost-faced infants, who had been immobilized, slowly awakened, their eyes once again filled with resentment.
The power of the Soul Fixing Bell and the Soul Calming Incense was waning.
The peaceful expressions on the faces of the surrounding cultivators, including Murong Yue and Pang Longxiang, began to change as they seemed to be on the verge of waking up.
Facing the black Golden Core, Shen Mo did not dodge or evade but instead opened his mouth.
Buzz!
A crimson Inferno Core shot out from his mouth.
Although Shen Mo was only at the early stage of Core Formation, while Gu Sanqiu was at the peak stage, their Golden Cores were nearly the same size!
Gu Sanqiu was momentarily stunned, then burst into mad laughter, "So you also have a special Golden Core, no wonder you're so strong."
"But you actually think you can pit your Golden Core against mine? You're dreaming!"
Shen Mo controlled the Inferno Core with his mind, sending it hurtling forward.
His expression remained as calm as still water, "The one dreaming is you."
In the next moment, the Inferno Core collided with the black Golden Core!
A piercing explosion reverberated through the air!
Everyone's ears began to bleed.
Boom!
The explosion followed immediately.
All the ghost-faced infants let out a mournful wail.
Those closest to the blast were instantly reduced to faint wisps of ghostly aura, barely visible.
Even those farthest away became extremely dim.
In the blink of an eye, the smoke cleared.
The black Golden Core had shrunk by an entire size.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo's Inferno Core had shattered into dozens of pieces.
At this moment, Gu Sanqiu, who was being torn apart by the five ghosts, was covered in blood.
But seeing this, he still laughed maniacally.
"See that?! That's what it means to smash an egg against a rock! This is smashing eggs against rocks!"
Shen Mo's expression remained unchanged, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Oh? Do you really think this is over?"
Gu Sanqiu was taken aback.
He, too, sensed something amiss.
This person's Golden Core had clearly shattered into dozens of pieces, so why hadn't his aura weakened at all?
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