“Let me handle this!”
A middle-aged man parted the crowd and strode toward Gu Yi.
“Seventh uncle!”
Gu Yi looked at the newcomer, his gaze turning cold.
This was Gu Yi’s biological seventh uncle, Gu Chengyun. His aptitude was mediocre, and his cultivation level was only at the body refinement tenth stage.
Even so, the body refinement tenth stage was more than enough to deal with Gu Yi, at least in their eyes!
Gu Chengyun strode forward, murder in his eyes and a ferocious expression on his face. “You reckless bastard! You actually beat my Hao’er so badly last night. Watch me break both your legs!”
Gu Chengyun was none other than the father of Gu Hao, who had smashed the plaque of the Cloud Seven Pavilion Courtyard and harassed An’an last night!
Gu Yi laughed fearlessly. “What a father, seeking revenge for his son. Do you know why Gu Hao was beaten by me?”
Gu Chengyun laughed angrily. “Wasn’t it merely youthful impulsiveness? He just wanted to take liberties with your personal maidservant, An’an. She’s only a lowly slave. Was she worth beating my son half to death over?”
An’an stood trembling to one side, her eyes blurred with tears. She felt that she had brought trouble upon the young master and hated herself to death!
Gu Yi replied with firm conviction, “Of course she was. Just for harassing An’an, he deserved to die!”
“Moreover, Gu Hao conspired with Gu Feng and the others to murder me. He deserved to die even more! I spared his life, yet you came seeking revenge without knowing gratitude? Very well, very well…”
Gu Yi looked at the group in the courtyard and suddenly shouted, “Is Gu Hao here?”
Gu Chengyun raised his brows and said coldly, “My son is right outside the gate. I want him to watch you die with his own eyes!”
Outside the gate, Gu Hao was carried in on a stretcher by two servants, his entire body wrapped in bandages.
A thick, venomous hatred appeared in his gaze as he looked at Gu Yi. “Gu Yi, you offended General Liu and brought disaster upon the Gu Family. You deserve ten thousand deaths! Father, I want to watch you kill him!”
“It’s even better that you’re here.” Gu Yi lightly nodded at Gu Hao, his expression cold and indifferent.
He ignored Gu Chengyun as he charged toward him while unleashing a martial technique. Pointing at Gu Hao from afar, Gu Yi formed a strange hand seal and softly uttered four words:
“Life, Vitality, and All Ends in Ruin!”
In an instant, a black line as thick as a finger suddenly appeared in Gu Yi’s hand. The moment it emerged, it passed over the crowd, split into seven strands, entered Gu Hao’s seven orifices, and surged straight into his body!
Anyone who had exchanged blows with Gu Yi could be directly subjected to this cultivation method, Extinction of Vitality, as long as the injuries Gu Yi had inflicted upon them had not fully healed!
No one with a lower cultivation level than Gu Yi could escape!
This was precisely what had caused so many people to fear the Eastern Emperor Demon Venerable most in the past!
“Aah!!”
Gu Hao shrieked as if he were being burned by raging flames, or as though he had been submerged in water and could not breathe. His limbs thrashed wildly on the stretcher as he struggled violently!
In the blink of an eye, his body stiffened and he died completely. His face had become gaunt and bluish-black, while his eyes stared wide open, lifeless and horrifying!
A gray aura imperceptible to everyone was drawn from Gu Hao’s dead body by the black aura, then absorbed into Gu Yi’s body.
Only then did he reveal a trace of a cold smile and look toward Gu Chengyun.
Everything had happened far too quickly. From the moment Gu Yi attacked to Gu Hao’s death, no more than two breaths had passed!
Gu Chengyun had not even reached Gu Yi yet, and Gu Yi had already killed his son!
“Seventh uncle, are you satisfied?” Gu Yi asked in a flat tone.
Gu Chengyun clenched his teeth, his eyes bulging with rage, and charged at Gu Yi with a roar like that of a beast!
“Go to hell!”
His son’s bizarre death right before his eyes sent Gu Chengyun into a frenzy. He unleashed both fists together, his attack surging with overwhelming force, wishing he could blast Gu Yi into pieces!
But he was merely at the body refinement tenth stage. Even Qin Xiangyuan had only been able to retreat in defeat before Gu Yi, let alone him.
Gu Yi shifted his footing and threw a punch, breaking through Gu Chengyun’s attack and smashing into his chest. With a crisp crack, several of Gu Chengyun’s ribs were broken outright!
Gu Yi kicked him, sending the blood-spitting Gu Chengyun flying far away until he crashed down before gu chengqian and the others.
With an indifferent expression, he said, “In consideration of your status as an elder, I’ll spare your life.”
Everyone was stunned!
They knew Gu Yi’s strength and cultivation level like the backs of their hands.
If they had not witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that Gu Yi could take Gu Hao’s life with a wave of his hand and nearly kill Gu Chengyun with a single move!
Gu Feng, in particular, was instantly drenched in cold sweat!
Especially since he had been the closest to Gu Hao when he died!
That black aura capable of taking a person’s life had nearly frightened the soul out of him!
“You vile beast! How dare you kill your own brother and injure an elder! The laws of our ancestors are greater than heaven. A beast like you, beneath even animals, deserves to be executed by all!”
An old man with grizzled hair and beard suddenly stepped forward, drew his saber, and charged at Gu Yi!
“Second grand-uncle?”
Gu Yi looked at him, his expression turning cold. “Four months ago, you falsely accused my father of embezzling the family’s property and caused him to be imprisoned in the dungeon. I haven’t even settled accounts with you, yet you’ve jumped out on your own!”
This second grand-uncle was named Gu Qilun. He was responsible for overseeing the financial ledgers of the family’s various shops.
Four months ago, he threatened Gu Yi’s future, coercing and enticing Gu Chengjiao into making false accounts so that he could profit from them.
To protect Gu Yi, Gu Chengjiao made the false accounts. Gu Qilun not only embezzled the clan’s property, but also turned around and framed him, using the false accounts as evidence to report the matter to the family and pin the blame on Gu Chengjiao, causing Gu Chengjiao to suffer imprisonment!
Gu Qilun’s cultivation level was at the true essence, third layer. In addition, after painstakingly studying saber techniques for most of his life, he had already gained a slight grasp of their fundamentals.
As soon as he attacked, he used his signature martial technique, 《Seven Blazing Mountain Sabers》. Blinding saber lights flashed one after another as he repeatedly slashed them toward Gu Yi!
“The Seven Blazing Mountain Sabers is a lower-grade profound rank cultivation method. Second grand-uncle has already cultivated it to minor accomplishment. With his true essence, third layer cultivation level and such a formidable martial technique, he will certainly be able to slaughter Gu Yi!”
Seeing second grand-uncle make his move, Gu Feng felt completely reassured.
Strictly speaking, he was also at the true essence, third layer.
However, if they truly fought after assuming their stances, Gu Feng would still be more likely to lose.
After all, Gu Qilun’s age was a factor. When two people had comparable cultivation levels, the grade of their cultivated martial techniques and their mastery of those techniques were both decisive factors in victory or defeat!
Gu Feng was not the only one who thought this way. Gu chengqian and the others felt the same.
They had clearly seen that Gu Yi’s cultivation level had already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement. Although it was inconceivable, it was ultimately within reason, and it was not surprising that he could defeat Gu Chengyun.
But if he wanted to contend with Gu Qilun, that would probably be nothing more than wishful thinking!
The layers of saber light numbered seven in total, instantly surrounding and enveloping Gu Yi!
The moment Gu Qilun began, he used his ultimate killing move: the Seven Blazing Mountain Sabers’ Sevenfold Slash!
Each of the seven layers of saber light was stronger than the last. The saber light was razor-sharp, each layer vying to draw blood!
Gu Qilun moved with his saber, his killing intent overflowing.
Gu Yi calmly watched the seven layers of saber light and curled his lips in disdain. “Are you putting on an acrobatic show?”