The events unfolded over what felt like an eternity, yet they occurred within just a few breaths' time. By the time Li Xuanming and the others had gathered their wits, all three Ironwire Mountain Gu Masters lay dead. Only Chen Zhaofeng remained.

Chu Xuan casually motioned with his hand, and the Evil Soul Chain, like a live python, shook off the blood and hovered beside him. He turned his gaze towards Chen Zhaofeng, whose initially confident expression had turned deathly pale.

Thud.

Chen Zhaofeng fell to his knees, crawling towards Chu Xuan through the muck and blood, sobbing uncontrollably. "Senior Brother Chu! It was them, they forced me! They put a Gu worm in my brain!" he pleaded. "We are senior and junior brothers! Master likes me very much! You must save me!"

His tone was earnest, tears and snot mingling with the blood streaming down his face. Even someone with a trace of compassion might hesitate at this display.

However, unbeknownst to Chen Zhaofeng, Liu Zhenxiong, Li Xuanming, and Zhou Yu, who were behind him, had noticed something.

Liu Zhenxiong's pupils suddenly narrowed. He spotted a subtle movement from Chen Zhaofeng—a talisman!

"Be careful! A talisman!" Liu Zhenxiong managed to shout a warning, but it was too late.

"Too late!" Chen Zhaofeng's pleading face instantly twisted into a snarl. "Die!"

He raised the talisman, hurling it towards Chu Xuan. However, he was shocked to find that he couldn't control his right hand. Looking down, he saw that his arm had been cleanly severed at the shoulder, a blood-like Gu worm voraciously devouring his flesh.

Naturally, the talisman couldn't be deployed.

"Aaah!"

Chen Zhaofeng screamed in agony, clutching his empty shoulder socket, and rolling on the ground.

Chu Xuan looked down at this junior brother from the Extreme Yin Cave, his expression indifferent.

In that instant, a thin wire had already silently burrowed into Chen Zhaofeng's body from the ground. Overwhelmed by his emotions, he hadn't noticed his right arm being devoured. Even if he hadn't tried to attack, Chu Xuan would have manipulated his right hand to do so.

"Senior Brother Chu... I have a top-grade magic tool... I'll give it to you... spare me..." Chen Zhaofeng continued to wail, pleading for his life.

But Chu Xuan had already slapped his palm on Chen Zhaofeng's crown, executing the Soul Search technique. This spell was stronger than the Soul Capturing Gaze; it could reveal everything about a person, down to the time they wet the bed.

Of course, compared to the dizziness caused by the Soul Capture Eye, the only slightly more severe side effect of the Soul Search technique was that it left the victim into an idiot.

Moments later, having obtained what he desired, Chu Xuan nonchalantly crushed Chen Zhaofeng's skull as one might a watermelon. He then stored the body in his Corpse Tower.

Whether used as nourishment, transformed into blood pearls, or fuel for the Corpse Refining Blood Fire, the corpse of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator was highly valuable.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Zhou Yu watched in stunned silence as Chu Xuan methodically executed these tasks. Wasn't Chen Zhaofeng their fellow sect member from the Extreme Yin Cave?

Soul searching, seizing treasures, and collecting the corpse—all done in one fluid sequence. To the uninitiated, it might have seemed like they were sworn enemies.

Chu Xuan then moved forward to dismantle the Wolf Soul Killing Array, effortlessly collecting its flags. Such arrays were more vulnerable from the outside, making them relatively easy to break. Once refurbished by an array master, this array could be useful for his future purposes.

"Senior brothers, you've suffered," Chu Xuan said, helping Li Xuanming and Liu Zhenxiong to their feet.

Liu Zhenxiong expressed his relief, "Junior brother, we came here to avenge you, never expecting you to still be alive, and your strength has increased so much."

"Master would be very pleased to know this," he added with satisfaction.

Li Xuanming, his expression complex, bowed to Chu Xuan, "Thank you, Junior Brother, for saving us. Including that time at Misty Manor, you've saved my life twice now."

He couldn't discern Chu Xuan's exact level but surmised it must be at least equal to his own, given the swift dispatch of the three Gu Masters from Ironwire Mountain.

Chu Xuan merely smiled, "As fellow sect members, it's only right to help when I can."

His motivation wasn't solely to save Li Xuanming but also to assist Liu Zhenxiong, who, unlike a ruthless demonic cultivator, seemed more like a cultivator of the righteous way.

Chu Xuan remembered how Liu Zhenxiong had covertly given him a Tiger Soul tailsman—a gesture he had not forgotten. His philosophy was simple: those who love me, I cherish; those who hate me, I destroy. Practicing the demonic way was all about indulging one's passions and following one's heart.

Suddenly, a trembling voice came from the ground, "I mean... the three of you... there's still one person lying here... could you lend a hand... save me, please?"

Zhou Yu was nearly crying. While his fellow sect members reminisced and shared deep connections, he was nearly being devoured by Ironwire Worms.

Chu Xuan glanced at Zhou Yu, his tone half-joking, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, your body is barely hanging on. Wouldn't it be a selfless act to nourish my corpse puppet?"

Zhou Yu shuddered at the suggestion, protesting quickly, "No, no, no, I think I can still be saved."

Chu Xuan chuckled and flicked his finger, sending Gangsi shooting towards Zhou Yu. It burrowed into his body and efficiently devoured the remaining Ironwire Worms, as well as cleaned up any residual blood and flesh debris, before returning to Chu Xuan.

Relieved, Zhou Yu hastily swallowed some healing pills. Liu Zhenxiong then spoke up, his voice grave, "We should leave this place. There could be other Gu Masters lurking."

Chu Xuan shook his head, "No, there are no more. I searched Chen Zhaofeng's soul; only these four Foundation Establishment Gu Masters were left on Ironwire Mountain. All the Qi Refining Gu Masters under them have been turned into breeding grounds for their Gu."

Zhou Yu whispered, "We should still leave... This place is too creepy, and both Senior Brother Li and Liu are injured."

Chu Xuan smiled, "Now that Chen Zhaofeng has become a chief disciple under the Hundred Insect Daoist, his safety is crucial to the Thousand Insects Sect's Gu Masters. Just sending out a distress signal would immediately bring Gu Masters here. I found a Thousand Insects Sect signal talisman in his storage bag during the soul search."

At this, Li Xuanming and Liu Zhenxiong's eyes lit up. It was a perfect opportunity to lie in wait.

Chu Xuan began setting up the killing array while continuing, "Senior brothers, heal yourselves now. There will be a good number of Gu Masters arriving soon, and I won't be able to cover everything."

"Understood," Li Xuanming and Liu Zhenxiong agreed. Luring and eliminating Gu Masters from the Thousand Insects Sect would be a significant achievement. They could exchange the merit for rare treasures within their sect, an opportunity too good to miss.

Zhou Yu was on the verge of tears. Despite their agreement to leave, they weren't moving. "You Extreme Yin Cave cultivators can still fight, but I'm done for! Can't you consider helping me out?"

Remembering Zhou Yu, Chu Xuan turned back and smiled, "If Fellow Daoist Zhou feels unable to assist, you could still offer yourself to nourish my corpse puppet. I would be most grateful..."

Zhou Yu, rallying his dignity, exclaimed, "Slaying the Thousand Insects Sect's demonic Gu Masters is our bounden duty! How can Fellow Daoist Chu suggest otherwise!"

Chu Xuan bowed his head, amused, "To see such resolve in Fellow Daoist Zhou truly comforts my heart."