Book 2: Chapter 74: Unexpected Sneak Attack

Book 2: Chapter 74: Unexpected Sneak Attack

“Leave openly? Hahahaha!” Ding Rui sneered as she looked at Gu Hai.

“Gu Hai, you must be dreaming. With just you?” Ding Dong shouted coldly.

Gu Hai stepped forward and looked at the surrounding cultivators. When he saw the Life Slaughterer Go Master and the black-clad woman that the Life Slaughterer Go Master held, he did not say a word to them.

“Ding Dong, you are willing to become enemies with Elite Hall and the hall master’s maternal grandfather. However, have you thought about whether all the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples think the same?” Gu Hai said coldly.

The Dragon Pinning Sect disciples immediately started whispering to each other.

“Gu Hai, you tempted Ding Dong to your side earlier. Now, you are trying to pull over the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples? Is that all you are capable of?” Ding Rui sneered.

The surrounding Dragon Pinning Sect disciples remained silent; no one said anything.

“I am not pulling the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples to my side. Instead, now that this moment has arrived, I need to clarify who my enemies are and who I can spare!” Gu Hai retorted coldly.

“Huh?” The surrounding cultivators felt stunned.

What does Gu Hai mean? Who he can spare? Do you think that you are the one in control now?

However, Ding Dong showed panic on his face. Even at this moment, Gu Hai still shows no fear. Could Long Wanqing’s maternal grandfather really be here?

“Spare? You are thinking of sparing people? You must be frightened silly, right?” Ding Rui looked at Gu Hai in surprise.

Long Wanqing also looked at Gu Hai in confusion.

“Dragon Pinning Sect disciples? Fire Division disciples? Also, the various cultivators around. This is a grudge between Ding Rui and me. If you are not willing to get involved, please move to the two sides lest you get caught in the crossfire. I guarantee everyone that no matter the result, you will be fine!” Gu Hai said.

The surrounding cultivators appeared confused.

The one thousand-odd cultivators that Gu Hai brought in looked at him with strange expressions. They remained silent for a while before slowly retreating to the two sides.

Indeed, they received Gu Hai’s favor by entering the Dragon Pinning Sect with him. However, that favor was not worth fighting to the death for Gu Hai. Right now, this was an internal conflict of Elite Hall. Naturally, everyone did not want to get involved, so they moved to the sides.

The Life Slaughterer Go Master and his disciples also moved to a side.

Ding Rui and Ding Dong looked at Gu Hai, feeling confused. The Dragon Pinning Sect disciples and Elite Hall’s Fire Division disciples did not move.

“What? You really have reinforcements?” Ding Rui asked coldly.

Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai with worry in her eyes.

“Hall Master, please move over the three tables there!” Gu Hai requested seriously.

“Huh?” The surrounding crowd looked at him blankly. Move the tables?

Although Long Wanqing had her cultivation sealed, she still possessed some strength. The three tables were not heavy for her, and she moved them over quickly.

Gu Hai stacked the three tables.

Then, he climbed to the topmost table before everyone’s puzzled gaze.

“Has Gu Hai gone mad? What is he doing?”

“Even at this moment, he is still climbing tables?”

“Where does his confidence come from?”

The surrounding cultivators appeared confused.

As Gu Hai stood on top of the tables, he looked coldly at Ding Rui and Ding Dong, who were across from him.

Ding Dong had been feeling nervous all this while. Although he went back to Ding Rui’s side, he still felt flustered. Did I choose the wrong side?

The Dragon Pinning Sect disciples followed Ding Dong in the end, showing complicated expressions.

Ding Rui kept her guard up against Gu Hai. Although she felt that Gu Hai’s cultivation was low, the Great Feng Mafia Family and First Song Sect had fallen at his hands, after all. She had to take precautions against him. There could be a deeper meaning to every action he took.

However, when Ding Rui saw Gu Hai climb onto the three tables, she found this action completely unfathomable. What is he doing?

“Gu Hai, even at this moment, what is the point of putting on a pretense. Immediately surrender yourself. Otherwise…” Ding Dong said while glaring.

“Sect Master Ding, did you know, back then, the Great Feng Mafia Family’s Li Wei spoke with the same tone. The First Song Sect’s Song Pingsheng also spoke with the same tone. Finally, the Clear River Sect’s Li Qinghe also spoke with the same tone. Do you know what happened to them in the end?” Gu Hai said coldly.

“Huh?” Ding Dong’s expression changed. “You also destroyed the Clear River Sect?”

“I personally chopped off the Clear River Sect Master’s head!” Gu Hai said in a cold voice.

“That’s impossible! How could you be Li Qinghe’s match?!” Ding Dong shouted coldly.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai suddenly took out a head with the flip of his hand.

The surrounding cultivators’ expressions immediately changed. No one expected Gu Hai to brandish a head.

“That is…that is Li Qinghe?” someone exclaimed. 

“Why are there so many snakes on Li Qinghe’s head?!” another person cried out in alarm.

“A spirit-assimilated human? To think that Fu Xue also spirit-assimilated Li Qinghe?!” Ding Rui said in shock.

“Sect Master Ding, do you still not believe me?” Gu Hai asked with a smile.

Ding Dong’s eyelids twitched wildly.

“You don’t believe me? You can ask Li Qinghe. He can tell you how arrogantly he acted towards me and how I chopped off his head!” Gu Hai said with a sinister expression.

“Ask?” Everyone revealed a confused expression.

You already chopped off his head. How do we question him?

Even Long Wanqing goggled at Gu Hai. Has Gu Hai gone mad?

“Li Qinghe, you tell them!” Gu Hai shouted.

Buzz!

Everyone saw the snakes on Li Qinghe’s head twitch.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Driven by Gu Hai’s Veritable Essence, the snakes started moving while hissing. Li Qinghe’s face also twitched.

“He came to life? How is that possible?”

“That snake-covered head…that snake-covered head looks very ferocious!” 

“Li Qinghe is still alive after having his head chopped off?”

The countless cultivators in the surroundings felt horrified at this sudden scene. Some of the cultivators unconsciously stepped back. This was too strange.

Ding Dong and the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples felt goosebumps. They stared at Li Qinghe’s snake-covered head without blinking.

Ding Rui and her subordinates also showed expressions of shock and uncertainty.

“Li Qinghe cannot possibly survive until now after having his head chopped off!” Ding Rui said, showing a cold expression.

“Look carefully. Isn’t he still alive?!” Gu Hai shouted.

“Humph! You are just trying to mislead us with lies!” Ding Rui snorted coldly, appearing like she was going to make a move.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Li Qinghe opened his eyes.

“He opened his eyes?!”

“So many beams of red light! Why can Li Qinghe’s eyes give off red light?!”

“Li Qinghe is still alive?!”

The surrounding cultivators burst out in exclamations.

The snake-covered head suddenly released countless beams of red light in the direction of Ding Rui, Ding Dong, and their subordinates. The other cultivators had already moved to the two sides, as arranged by Gu Hai, so they escaped this attack.

Gu Hai’s platform made of three stacked tables gave him the best view. It allowed the thousands of people across from him to see Li Qinghe’s eyes clearly; if he were too low, the view of the people behind would be blocked by those in front.

He had spoken all that nonsense just to attract everyone’s gaze.

Countless beams of red light shot out.

Buzz!

Thousands of cultivators instantly fell for this move, just like how the three thousand evil men had been enveloped by the red light previously.

“Oh no! There’s a problem with the red light!” Ding Rui shouted, her expression changing.

Ding Rui and Ding Dong were watching the most closely. Who could have expected that Li Qinghe’s eyes would open? Furthermore, a red light curse came out. The two fell for the move in an instant.

“Argh!” The Dragon Pinning Sect disciples let out miserable screams.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The many Dragon Pinning Sect disciples stiffened, and their bodies turned gray as they immediately petrified.

“No! No!” Ding Dong screamed in horror. He wanted to struggle, but he was not strong enough. He soon petrified as well.

The Fire Division disciples also petrified.

After only a short burst of red light, Gu Hai put the snake-covered head away.

Bang!

Gu Hal jumped off the high platform.

Long Wanqing goggled as she looked at the petrifying cultivators on the other side.

Leisure Valley immediately fell silent. As the spectators looked around, they saw that nearly everyone had turned into stone, and inhaled sharply.

“This…what’s going on?” Long Wanqing exclaimed in shock. 

As there were thousands of people, some had managed to avoid the red light, then looked at the people around them.

“What’s going on? Senior Brother! Junior Brother! Why have you all turned into stone?!”

“Stone?! No! No! Why did you turn into stone?!”

The people who managed to dodge the red light gaped at their surroundings in horror. Previously, they held an overwhelming numerical advantage, having thousands of people. Now, most of them had turned to stone in the blink of an eye. Stone statues? How could it be like this? Shock filled their entire bodies.

The cultivators that Gu Hai sent to the two sides kept retreating in fright. They all turned to stone? How could this be? Everyone looked at Gu Hai in horror.

Gu Hai jumped to Long Wanqing’s side. Then, he looked at Ding Rui and Ding Dong coldly. These two were the greatest threat.

Ding Dong had already turned into stone, but Ding Rui had not yet. Only half of her body had petrified. She seemed to be resisting the curse with all her might.

“Gu Hai! You tricked me! Argh!” Ding Rui roared, feeling depressed.

“Oh no! Ding Rui’s petrification is reverting!” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.

“Hall Master, stay here and don’t move. I’ll go kill Ding Rui!” Gu Hai glared as he prepared to attack.

“Kill me? Humph!” Ding Rui shouted.

Buzz!

Ding Rui extended her hand and took out a zither from the compressed space in her authority token.

“Be careful! Don’t go over!” Long Wanqing’s expression suddenly changed.

There was only one string on this zither. Furthermore, that string had been drawn and held in place by a slender needle.

Then, Ding Rui removed that needle.

Dang!

The zither string instantly sprung back to its original place, and a note rang out.

At the sound of this zither note, boundless sword qi erupted.

Boom!

Sword qi shot out in all directions like a storm.

Crack!

The surrounding stone statues exploded and crumbled.

“Argh!”

“Argh!”

“Argh!”

“Argh!”

The surrounding cultivators moved back hastily. The surging sword qi surrounded Ding Rui, who held the zither, forming an expanding ball. They destroyed everything in their path, shredding the stones, trees, and stone statues.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Gu Hai took out a saber and swung it.

The sword qi instantly shredded the saber.

Gu Hai’s expression changed as he quickly leaped backward while carrying Long Wanqing.

“Argh! Division Master!”

Ding Rui’s subordinates who had not petrified screamed miserably as they tried to get out of the way.

Most of the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples had turned into stone statues; they instantly shattered. The few that managed to escape looked at this scene in horror.

“Master!”

“Sect Master!”

“No!”

The crowd screamed in terror, but it was already too late. The sword qi instantly demolished all the stone statues, including Ding Dong; the sword qi sword was simply too mighty.

In the blink of an eye, only one hundred-odd remained of the thousands of people who showed a ferocious air earlier.

For the sake of her safety, Ding Rui disregarded whether these stone statues could recover or not.

“A note is sealed in that zither. That note contains countless sword qi and can be used to protect one’s self temporarily. No one can get close. However, it was not Ding Rui who sealed that note; she is not that capable!” Long Wanqing said as her expression changed.

Gu Hai took out a bow and fired an arrow infused with Veritable Energy at Ding Rui.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Countless sword qi instantly shredded the arrow.

“It’s useless. The sword qi force field formed by the resonating zither note is too strong!” Long Wanqing said as her expression changed.

“Those still alive, take down Gu Hai! I’ll shake off the curse soon. Don’t let them run!” Ding Rui shouted.

The dozens of Dragon Pinning Sect disciples did not move. The dozens of Fire Division disciples looked apprehensive as they stepped forward.

“Mister Gu, we will help you!” A cultivator suddenly leaped out.

After all, Gu Hai had told those who did not want to get involved to move to the side. Since the crowd had hidden at the sides, they had avoided turning into stone statues. Otherwise, they would have died already. This was not just a simple favor but a life-saving grace.

Boom!

Three hundred cultivators immediately jumped out and blocked the Fire Division disciples.

“Many thanks, everyone. There’s no need. They won’t dare!” Gu Hai said coldly.

Indeed, the Fire Division disciples showed worry on their faces. After all, they still remembered the example of the First Song Sect. Furthermore, there was Li Qinghe’s head, which was even more shocking and terrifying. The Fire Division disciples only dared to surround Gu Hai from afar.

“Gu Hai?” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai anxiously.

Gu Hai looked at the nearby Life Slaughterer Go Master. However, the Life Slaughterer Go Master appeared unconcerned.

“Humph!” Gu Hai let out a cold snort.

Then, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Long Wanqing’s waist.

“What are you doing?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.

“Hold tight!” Gu Hai said seriously.

As Gu Hai spoke, he bent his knees slightly, then sprang up.

Boom!

A loud sound rang out as countless cracks appeared in the ground. Gu Hai shot up like a fired cannonball, streaking towards the floating island in the sky, his strong impetus instantly propelling him into the sky.

“Ah!” Long Wanqing clung to Gu Hai in terror.

As Ding Rui held her zither, her expression changed wildly.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Ding Rui’s petrification slowed down significantly as her expression grew increasingly colder. “Gu Hai, you cannot run!”

The surrounding cultivators looked up at Gu Hai. The dozens of Ding Rui’s subordinates fought a mental battle for a while, then eventually decided against pursuing him.

Stone shards covered the ground. Even if these people could recover, they would be dead for sure.

Everyone looked at Ding Rui with a complicated expression.

Thud!

Gu Hai landed on the barrier of the floating island in the sky.

“What’s inside? The dragon vein?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed as she looked under her feet.

She stood on a transparent barrier with clouds and fog in the surroundings, as well as six hundred cloud Go puzzles and a huge Go board at the edge of the barrier.

Gu Hai quickly stepped forward and scrutinized the Go board.

Clack!

Without hesitation, Gu Hai picked up a black Go stone and placed it on the Go board.

Boom!

Suddenly, the clouds and fog around the floating island churned quickly.

“What is Gu Hai doing up there?”

“He seems to be playing Go?”

“Playing Go?”

The cultivators below felt like vomiting blood. Gu Hai actually still had the leisure to play Go?

“Oh no! Ding Rui is about to undo her petrification. Only a little bit is left at her feet!” someone exclaimed.

Clack!

Gu Hai played another Go stone.

Boom!

Suddenly, ten Go puzzles exploded and scattered.

“Huh?” Ding Rui’s face sank.

Gu Hai is solving the Go puzzle?