Chapter 235 Dao Gu Insect Body

Before Xue Mushi could react to Yu Sui's words, as he dodged the redwood trees that had been cut down by the sword energy and leaped into the air, he was trapped inside by five bolts of lightning that had transformed into a lightning array.

A thunderous roar erupted!

Yu Sui was now more interested in Xue Mushi's true strength and what extraordinary abilities he was hiding.

With Yu Suineng in control, she did not step in to help Xue Mushi, who seemed to be in danger.

Thunderclap trapped Xue Mushi in the formation, the terrifying sound of the thunder echoing in his ears. The sharp sword wind chasing from behind made the hairs on his body stand on end, and his skin already felt a pain. At this critical moment of life and death, his nerves were taut.

As the thunderclap was about to hit his eyes, scenes from his time in Taiyuan flashed through Xue Mushi's mind.

If the pulse in the left hand continues to beat beyond a certain threshold, the person on the other end of the spell will feel an unusual heartbeat.

When Xue Mushi faced life-or-death crises several times in Taiyuan, Tu Miaoyi was able to sense it by feeling the pulse on his wrist.

Before coming to Taiyi, Tu Miaoyi grabbed his wrist, lowered her head and said, "Since you chose to stay so far away from me, then take good care of yourself. Taiyi is too far away. If something happens to you, I won't be able to get there in time."

When you're young, you don't know what it means to let go. You only selfishly and greedily crave everything and try your best to keep the things you like by your side.

Tu Miaoyi was like this, and so was Xue Mushi.

When Xue Mushi first entered Taiyi and encountered the Asura Hell, his only thought was that he couldn't die here. Even if his identity was exposed, he wouldn't allow himself to die so far away from Tu Miaoyi.

Five bolts of thunder, like chains, tried to bind Xue Mushi. One of the bolts struck his eyes with a sharp "ding," and a bright golden copper coin was reflected in the boy's dark pupils.

In an instant, countless crisp sounds rang out within the Thunder Punishment Formation, and countless golden copper coins enveloped Xue Mushi, forming a copper coin protective shield.

After being struck, the copper coin protective shield deflected the Judgment Technique Thunder Punishment and the pursuing sword energy amidst the fierce impact.

The third hexagram of the Seven Killings hexagram is Zhenxiao.

Zhuang Zhiquan and the others below were stunned: "What?"

What kind of move is this? I've never seen it before!

The sudden rebound of the Judgment Technique's lightning strike caught everyone off guard. No one expected that the five bolts of lightning would arrive in front of Zhuang Zhiquan and the others in the blink of an eye, exploding together with the rebounding sword energy.

Thunderclap, accompanied by sword energy, cleaved the strategist in two before he could react.

Because it was his own Judgment Technique, Zhuang Zhiquan reacted a little faster than the others, but he was still hit in the face by the rebounding sword energy, and a feeling of anger stuck in his chest.

The other two were not so lucky.

The thunderbolt reflected back by Zhenxiao instantly shattered their protective aura. The third of the Seven Killings Hexagrams of the Taoist forbidden technique, Zhenxiao, can reflect other people's low-level techniques, and the power of the reflected technique will actually be enhanced.

Thunder and sword energy pierced through the two, sending them flying and splattering blood on the spot.

This scene filled Zhuang Zhiquan with a mixture of fear and dread.

He vaguely remembered hearing about this move somewhere, but couldn't recall where.

The black robe concealed Xue Mushi's appearance, obscuring his Taoist attire. Otherwise, Zhuang Zhiquan could have deduced from these clues that the technique he was about to encounter was a forbidden Taoist art, the Seven Killings Divination.

Xue Mushi told Yu Sui many lies about his cultivation, but he did tell the truth when he said that he only practiced the art of killing.

Regardless of the specific hexagram, the Seven Killings hexagram represents a method that allows Xue Mushi to kill people of higher ranks; it is inherently a powerful, tyrannical, and terrifying force.

Back in the Asura Hell, their opponents were inanimate objects, puppet formations made of qi. Now, with the comparison of Zhuang Zhiquan and others, the power of the Seven Killings hexagram can be truly revealed.

As Xue Mushi's cultivation level improved, the power of the Nine Streams Technique became even stronger than before.

The copper coins scattered with a jingling sound, leaving only one copper coin floating beside Xue Mushi.

Xue Mushi landed steadily on the broken branch, and the girl's teasing voice rang in his ears: "You're really amazing, Xue the Divine Calculator."

Upon hearing this title, Xue Mushi couldn't help but recall his days in the Dragon Slaying Cave. Heaven knows how much pressure he was under when he pretended to be a "divine strategist" in front of Mei Liangyu and the others.

Just thinking about it makes me feel guilty and gives me a headache.

Before Xue Mushi could reply, Yu Sui turned her gaze to Zhuang Zhiquan: "There's one more."

Xue Mushi also looked at Zhuang Zhiquan.

In Zhuang Zhiquan's eyes, the dark figure slowly looked towards him. Although he couldn't see the face in the darkness, it was the unknown that filled him with fearful imagination.

His attitude was finally less arrogant than before. Cold sweat dripped down his face, and he swallowed hard, saying, "I wonder what kind of person you are..."

Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow flashed in the distance and vanished from his sight in an instant.

Zhuang Zhiquan's heart trembled, and he hurriedly rekindled his protective aura. A flash of black light appeared in his frightened eyes, like fine black spider silk, which shot out from the hole of the copper coin.

The Seven Killings hexagram is a strangulation hexagram.

In the blink of an eye, dense black lines filled Zhuang Zhiquan's entire field of vision.

He tried to dodge, but out of the corner of his eye, he realized that everything in front of him and behind him was now covered by black copper wires.

Those copper wires, both visible and invisible, sealed off the five elements within the trigram array, instantly strangling Zhuang Zhiquan, whose soul had been injured by the rebound from the Zhenxiao, into the array.

When Zhuang Zhiquan noticed the black lines, the words "Seven Killings Hexagram" had just come to mind. Before he could even think about it and confirm it, the copper wire had already pierced through his flesh, cutting him into a bloody mess, yet the copper wire itself was completely untouched by blood.

Xue Mushi is skilled in killing with a single blow, and he will not hesitate when he needs to take serious action.

However, whether or not to take serious action requires him to spend time weighing and confirming the matter.

Xue Mushi raised his hand to collect the copper coins and turned to look into the depths of the East Wind Sea.

The commotion here will surely attract the attention of Liu Yi, the farmer, and Chen Yongfu, the strategist, who are guarding the giant ship.

“Someone’s coming,” Yu Sui said. “It’s Liu Yi from the Tenth Farmhouse.”

Xue Mushi vanished into the night, hiding in the shadows, his gaze fixed on the red scorpion lurking on the grass and leaves on the ground.

A beast that transmits sound in the farmhouse.

Yu Sui followed Xue Mushi's gaze and noticed: "My senior brother has already arrived. Even if Liu Yi and Chen Yongfu notify the thirteen realms over there now, it will be useless. They won't come over."

"One is at the tenth realm, the other at the eighth realm. Are you confident?" Xue Mushi asked again.

"I only know some low-level auxiliary techniques, as you should have noticed," Yu Sui flattered. "For something as simple as killing, we still need to rely on you, Xue Shensuan."

Xue Mushi held the copper coin in his hand, frowned, and said, "Let's discuss something."

Wei Ren often said that Xue Mushi was dull, but Yu Sui thought that Xue Mushi, who seemed dull, was just not using his brain and was not serious.

This makes Xue Mushi very deceptive.

Tonight's events made Xue Mushi somewhat realize that Yu Sui wanted to test him.

Xue Mushi lowered his voice and said, "Although we share a common secret and goal, you are even less likely than me to trust others easily, and you always harbor suspicion towards everyone."

Yu Sui listened patiently to Xue Mushi's words.

"Even though we shared a common secret and goal, we weren't truly honest with each other."

“Miaoyi is right. We can’t blindly trust someone just because they are a destroyer of the world, tell them everything, or entrust them with our lives. But after spending time together with you... I’m willing to believe you.”

The boy's voice changed from its previous calm and slow tone to a firm and steady one.

Xue Mushi still remembered what Yu Sui said when she triggered the Fire Spirit Orb last time. On the night when the Six Kingdoms' Faith Incense was lit on the Xuan Gu Continent, she triggered the Fire Spirit Orb twice and said, "I will save you."

Perhaps it was from that moment that Xue Mushi became willing to believe Yu Sui.

Xue Mushi knew that Yu Sui wouldn't dare to trust others. To deal with someone as cautious and suspicious as Yu Sui, he had to take the initiative himself.

If Yu Sui were to approach her, she would most likely be harboring ill intentions, not genuine feelings.

Ever since learning that Yu Sui was also chosen by the strange fire to destroy the world, a thought would occasionally flash through Xue Mushi's mind when he was with her:

Nangong Sui is too cautious. Even if he meets someone he likes and can share the secret of the different flames, he will be afraid and let go or choose to give up.

She fears that the other person will worry, that they won't be able to handle it, that they will be betrayed, and that they will be hurt.

Although everyone is afraid of these things, Xue Mushi has already gotten through that period, so when he looks at Yu Suishi, he feels like he is looking at his former self.

After hearing Xue Mushi's words, Yu Sui felt that it was within his expectations.

He is certainly not stupid.

Xue Mushi honestly said, "I can tell you about the changes that the strange fire has brought me, and I hope that will put your mind at ease. If we continue to scheme against each other, I will be a little scared."

Yu Sui: "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Xue Mushi nodded: "That's true to some extent."

Yu Sui honestly replied, "I have already shown you mercy."

"So I'm willing to believe you, and I hope you can believe me too," Xue Mushi said.

Yu Sui readily agreed, "Okay, I believe you."

Xue Mushi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, at least at the moment he received Yu Sui's verbal response, Xue Mushi believed that she was sincere.

“If Liu Yi weren’t at the tenth level of the Farmer’s Clan, I would advise you to leave immediately.” Xue Mushi’s gaze shifted from the red scorpion to the direction Liu Yi had come from, and he stretched out his hand.

The red scorpion, wagging its tail, disappeared from the leaf, and a moment later, it crawled out along the boy's sleeve and came to his fingertip.

Yu Sui asked, "Is it because you're from a farming family that you're so confident?"

Xue Mushi nodded: "That's right."

It is indeed an ability related to farming.

Yu Sui rolled her eyes; she could already see Mei Liangyu and Qin Chongxue drawing their swords against each other on the beast-bone ship.

"I later looked up the Taoist forbidden technique Seven Killings Divination. This forbidden technique cultivates evil energy and has a strong malevolent aura. I couldn't see any trace of it on you, but the reason it's forbidden is because its cultivation method is evil and bloody."

Yu Sui said, "Once you start practicing the Seven Killings Divination, you can't stop killing. It is indeed a lowly art used only for killing, because the evil energy enters the body, and you need to kill people every day to neutralize the evil energy of the Seven Killings Divination during practice. I heard that people like you who can't detect even a trace of evil energy have killed many more people than you have."

Looking at Xue Mushi, Yu Sui also found it hard to imagine the scene of the boy killing people every day while practicing the Seven Killings Divination.

"I'm very curious," Yu Sui asked directly, "How many people have you killed using the Seven Killings Divination technique?"

"I can't remember," Xue Mushi shook his head. "There are many."

Yu Sui narrowed her eyes slightly.

Xue Mushi asked, "Do you know about insect transformation?"

"What is that?" Yu Sui had never heard of it before.

There are too many skills and techniques in farming families for her to learn them all.

Those profound and obscure techniques would not be recorded in books.

"We all know that the insects and gu of farmers can sense the five elements of heaven and earth. Farmers can use the Nine Schools of Arts to tame them, achieve the effect of beast control, and even coexist with them, sharing the power of the insects and gu."

Xue Mushi stared at the red scorpion on his fingertip and said softly, "The insects and gu that can sense the five elements of heaven and earth are spiritual beings, and they can also refine 'qi'."

"The five elements exist in heaven and earth, while the 'qi' that Taoism emphasizes is the qi of the internal body."

Xue Mushi turned back to look at the dark mountain path, knowing that Yu Sui was right behind him.

"The Nine Schools of Thought believe that the five elements are the foundation of a person, but Taoism believes that internal energy comes first. When a person is born, he first has internal energy, and only then can he refine and absorb the five elements of energy between heaven and earth."

“You can understand it as internal energy shaping the physical body and external energy manifesting the form.” Xue Mushi’s voice was soft and slow. “And humans are the spirit of heaven and earth, the best form of all things, so insects and gu that can cultivate qi will instinctively pursue a goal.”

Transformed into a human.

“There is a type of person called the Dao Gu Insect Body,” Xue Mushi sighed. “This type of person can give the Gu insects a new form, making them also spirits of heaven and earth.”

From some unknown day, Xue Mushi discovered that the insects and beasts that he had previously ignored and rarely saw suddenly became clear.

It seems that he doesn't need to pay special attention to them to know their appearance, sounds, and abilities.

And these insects and beasts were also sending him the same signal:

Insectification.

The scorpion's shadow reflected on the tree suddenly changed, elongating its body and growing human-like hands and feet.

[Author's Note]

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!