Hearing the hoarse, low voice that sounded like it was echoing from the abyss, everyone's hearts turned to ice, and a bad premonition arose within them.
"Mr. Xiao, judging by their tone, it seems they knew we were coming. Is there an ambush inside?" Yan Lichu asked quickly.
"Since we're here, so what if there's an ambush!"
Xiao Yunlong let out a low, cold roar. Unlike the others who exchanged glances, his expression remained completely calm and undisturbed. He kicked open the dilapidated door and walked in.
The heavy rain was still pouring down, hitting the old, dilapidated Taoist temple and stirring up countless misty splashes. The temple swayed in the wind and rain, as if it might collapse at any moment.
As soon as Xiao Yunlong led his men into the front courtyard of the Taoist temple, disciples of the Gu Poison Sect, dressed in night-blooming clothes, rushed out from all directions.
Xiao Yunlong had originally intended to surround the Taoist temple and then launch a surprise attack, aiming to eliminate as many Gu Poison Sect disciples as possible in a very short time.
However, it was now clear that the surprise attack strategy was not feasible. Moreover, judging by the current situation, the number of remaining Gu Poison Sect remnants far exceeded Xiao Yunlong's expectations.
A rough estimate showed that there were forty to fifty remaining disciples of the Gu Poison Sect around them, which was almost the same number as the men Xiao Yunlong had brought. The two sides immediately entered a stalemate.
Of course, they were the visiting party, and the Gu Poison Sect was extremely skilled in using poisons. Therefore, both Lin Zhezong and Yan Lichu felt uneasy. Fortunately, the heavy rain made it more difficult to use poison and also concealed the fear on their faces.
Xiao Yunlong stood tall in the center of the courtyard, letting the heavy rain pour down on him. He hummed lightly, "I truly didn't expect the Gu Poison Sect to have so many remnants!"
Jun Bufan and Liang Bendao remained behind Xiao Yunlong, while Tang Shanbao, Buddha, and others were also on high alert. The Taoist temple in the rainy night was filled with a tense and murderous aura.
"Hahaha..."
With a hoarse cold laugh, an old man in a black robe with a sinister gaze walked out from the inner hall. He was followed by two protectors on either side, as well as four sect stewards.
"I also never imagined that the one who broke my Divine Ghoul Poison would be a smelly brat in his early twenties!"
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect roared in a low voice, his sinister gaze fixed on Xiao Yunlong as if he wanted to devour him alive.
Xiao Yunlong let out a faint hum, "I really can't figure out how you knew we were coming so early, after I extracted the location of your lair and set out immediately on a covert operation?"
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect snorted and sneered, "Think about how glorious my Gu Poison Sect once was. As the saying goes, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Although we have declined now, our foundation is not something others can imagine. Although we are living in seclusion here, we have many informants in Jiangdong!"
"So that's how it is. It seems your reach is quite long!" Xiao Yunlong said.
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect gritted his teeth and shouted, "Kid surnamed Xiao, since you broke my Divine Ghoul Poison, it shows you are no ordinary person and must have some skills. But do you think that with the few people you brought, you can be a match for my Gu Poison Sect?"
"I, the Sect Master, seeing your youth and talent, will make you an offer. As long as you kneel down and surrender to my Gu Poison Sect now, I will spare your life!"
Xiao Yunlong's gaze deepened, and he shouted, "You dare to be so boastful when death is imminent? It's truly laughable!"
"Good kid, since you refuse to surrender, then die! Kill them all! Today, not a single one of these scoundrels will be spared. Kill them all!"
Following the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect's order, the black-clad figures around them leaped forward and charged.
These Gu Poison Sect disciples wore black clothes, but their faces were as pale as paper, and their eyes were sinister. This was actually related to their long-term concealment in dark places. Furthermore, due to the peculiar nature of Gu poisons, they usually needed to be cultivated in places without sunlight, which caused these pale faces that resembled those of the dead.
"Maintain formation, don't panic, kill!" Xiao Yunlong shouted in a deep voice.
Lin Zhezong, Buddha, and the others were already in a panic, but when they saw Xiao Yunlong standing firm in place as if he were a mountain, their hearts calmed down considerably.
In the pouring rain, the two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle.
"Jun Bufan, Liang Bendao, you two pay attention to guarding the formation!"
After speaking, Xiao Yunlong tapped his feet and shot forward, charging towards the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect in front.
"Protectors on my left and right, attack with me to kill this brat first!"
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect let out a cold snort, clenched his fists, and rushed towards Xiao Yunlong. The two protectors behind him also shot out, attacking Xiao Yunlong from both sides.
The three top powerhouses of the Gu Poison Sect joined forces to deal with Xiao Yunlong. As they unleashed their internal energy to its fullest, the wind howled, and even the raindrops could not get close to them, all being repelled by their powerful internal force.
A white energy shield formed around the three of them, directly isolating and repelling the rain.
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect moved with lightning speed, his speed being incredibly fast, like a ghost in the dark night. He instantly reached Xiao Yunlong and threw a punch.
Xiao Yunlong's eyes widened in surprise, and he instinctively met the punch with his own.
As their fists collided, a loud explosion erupted in the midst of the torrential rain, like a clap of thunder.
Xiao Yunlong staggered but remained rooted to the spot. On the other hand, the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect was repelled three steps back.
"Good kid, you really have some skill. No wonder you could break my Divine Ghoul Poison. With such power at such a young age, I must kill you today!"
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect gritted his teeth, snorted coldly, and leaped up again, rushing forward rapidly.
At the same time, the two protectors on the left and right attacked. The one on the left struck out with both palms, attacking in layers like clouds parting.
The one on the right swept out with a whip kick, carrying the momentum of the rain like a surging tide.
Facing the two offensives, Xiao Yunlong frowned, clearly realizing that the enemy's strength far exceeded his expectations.
However, Xiao Yunlong's combat experience was incredibly rich. Even when facing the combined fierce attacks of the two protectors of the Gu Poison Sect, he remained calm and dealt with each move.
In the blink of an eye, the two sides had exchanged over a hundred blows!
"I didn't expect this brat to be so troublesome!" The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect gritted his teeth and rushed out again, his fists like mountains and seas.
With the addition of the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect and the pincer attack from the two protectors, Xiao Yunlong, who had been holding his own, quickly began to show signs of struggling. However, he still resisted with all his might. Unfortunately, the three masters of the Gu Poison Sect were too powerful. Before long, he was at a disadvantage, completely suppressed and forced to retreat step by step.
"Good kid, no matter how strong your talent is, you are still too young, and your foundation is too weak. Facing the combined efforts of our three masters, you are still too inexperienced!"
"Two of you, put in a bit more effort! This brat is about to collapse. We must kill him today no matter what!"
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect shouted excitedly, but his movements did not slow down at all. Instead, he became more vigorous as he fought, his internal energy surging wildly, and his fists incredibly domineering.
The other two protectors also increased their attack intensity, making Xiao Yunlong's situation even more precarious.
Seeing this, Jun Bufan said, "Liang Bendao, Brother's situation is not good. We must find a way quickly!"
Although he said this, Jun Bufan, Liang Bendao, and even the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance, Lin Zhezong, were also in a bad situation. Facing the attacks of the four stewards of the Gu Poison Sect, they could only parry.
As for Tang Shanbao, Buddha, and the forces brought by Yan Lichu, they were also entangled by the disciples of the Gu Poison Sect. Overall, the Gu Poison Sect clearly held the upper hand.
Liang Bendao said in a deep voice, "Jun Bufan, you keep those two stewards of the Gu Poison Sect occupied. I'll go help Brother!"
"Alright, hurry up!" Jun Bufan nodded and immediately unleashed the remaining internal energy within him, using the Eight Trigram Swimming Dragon Palm technique to firmly restrain the two stewards of the Gu Poison Sect.
Liang Bendao was able to break free and rapidly moved towards Xiao Yunlong, shouting, "Brother, I'm here to help you!"
"Good, my internal energy is almost depleted. If this continues, we might all die here today. You temporarily restrain that right protector, and then I'll have a chance to defeat and heavily injure the other two, thereby breaking through this predicament!" Xiao Yunlong said in a deep voice as he dodged and weaved.
Liang Bendao glanced at the right protector and then moved directly towards him.
Just as Xiao Yunlong had said, in the current situation, as long as he could temporarily restrain this protector, giving his elder brother time to defeat and heavily injure the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect, they could successfully break the deadlock.
"A newly initiated minor grandmaster dares to come forward and seek death!"
The right protector of the Gu Poison Sect roared coldly, his whip kick sweeping out like lightning.
In just one exchange, Liang Bendao was sent flying.
After all, Liang Bendao had only recently broken through to the Huajing Grandmaster realm. How could he be a match for a super expert like the protector of the Gu Poison Sect? Let alone restraining him, he couldn't even withstand a single face-to-face encounter.
"Die!" The right protector of the Gu Poison Sect struck out with his palm, directly sending the opponent flying.
Liang Bendao spat blood, severely injured, and his body flew backward towards Xiao Yunlong like a kite with a broken string.
Xiao Yunlong saw this and exclaimed in shock, "Liang Bendao, are you alright..."
As he spoke, he reached out to catch Liang Bendao. After all, if Liang Bendao were to fly backward and smash into the wall, he might lose the remaining half of his life.
However, at this moment, a sudden change occurred!
Liang Bendao, who had been spitting blood and retreating, as Xiao Yunlong reached out to catch him, unexpectedly struck Xiao Yunlong with his palm without any warning.
This palm strike unleashed Liang Bendao's full strength, and it was a surprise attack, so it landed squarely on Xiao Yunlong's chest.
With a loud bang!
Xiao Yunlong let out a pained cry, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying backward rapidly.
With another bang, he heavily collided with the wall behind him. After smashing a large hole in the wall, Xiao Yunlong finally stabilized himself.
However, his injuries appeared to be very severe. Blood continuously flowed from the corners of his mouth, his face was extremely pale, and his breath was extremely weak.
Xiao Yunlong coughed up blood continuously, gripping a nearby wooden pillar with one hand to prevent his staggering body from falling.
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present.
"Mr. Xiao..."
"Yunzi..."
Buddha, Tang Shanbao, and others exclaimed in shock and alarm.
"Liang Bendao, you scumbag, what are you doing..."
Jun Bufan roared through gritted teeth, unleashed his full power to break free from the two stewards of the Gu Poison Sect, and rushed towards Xiao Yunlong, quickly supporting him.
Liang Bendao stood in place, his lips curled high, making his entire face look ferocious. He snorted, "What am I doing? Can't you see by now that I'm going to kill this dog, Xiao Yunlong!"
Jun Bufan's face was filled with disbelief, and he roared through gritted teeth, "Liang Bendao, you scoundrel, you actually... you actually betrayed Mr. Xiao! Mr. Xiao treated you well, not only agreeing to promote you but also helping you cultivate. Otherwise..."
"Shut up!" Liang Bendao roared, his entire body becoming hysterical with anger. Even though the heavy rain was pouring down on him, it could not wash away the surging anger within him.
"You say this dog surnamed Xiao treated me well? That's a joke! Have you forgotten how my father and I knelt at the gates of the Liu family to apologize and beg for mercy that day? It was raining heavily that night, just like tonight. I knelt at the gate like a dog that night. I, Liang Bendao, am such a proud and arrogant person. That night, all my pride and self-esteem were knelt away. From then on, I vowed that I must kill this dog surnamed Xiao, and I must wash away the shame of that night with his blood!"
As he spoke, Liang Bendao snorted heavily twice and added, "Moreover, besides this, there is another reason why this surnamed Xiao must die!"
Xiao Yunlong endured the turbulent energy within his body and gritted his teeth, "Liang Bendao, you know my identity. With your insignificant status, you probably don't have the guts to attack me. So, there must be someone behind you, right?"
"Of course, otherwise, even if I had a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare to attack a big shot like you!"
Liang Bendao said this, his lips curled up in a proud and mocking manner, and he shouted, "Everyone, after planning and strategizing for so long, the time is ripe. It's time to come out and reel in the net!"
As his voice fell, accompanied by the sound of whistling through the air, six figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the city wall of the dilapidated Taoist temple.
The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect's expression involuntarily tightened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "They are... they are all quasi-Martial Kings who have half a foot into the Three Flowers Gathering summit? Six quasi-Martial Kings! This is truly a grand gesture!"
"What is this gesture worth? It might be acceptable in Jiangdong, but it's not even presentable in other major regions. However, with me included, it's almost there!"
Before his voice had even faded, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared at the highest point of the Taoist temple. There was no fluctuation of internal energy, not even a sound of breaking the air. He simply appeared there silently.
"Is this... a true Martial King?" The Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect and the two protectors on the left and right were shocked.
The black figure let out a cold laugh, "You remnants of the Gu Poison Sect still have some discernment. However, today, our target is that brat surnamed Xiao. As long as you step aside now, this King will spare your lives. Otherwise, all will be killed without mercy!"
Facing the powerful aura of this mysterious black-clothed figure, the Sect Master of the Gu Poison Sect hesitated for almost no reason, directly dispelled his aura, and retreated from the courtyard. The two protectors, the four stewards, and the remaining Gu Poison Sect disciples also followed suit and walked out of the courtyard.
The mysterious black-clothed figure looking down from above turned his gaze to Xiao Yunlong and said faintly, "Your Highness the Northern King, to kill you, we have expended a great deal of effort. We even did not hesitate to use the Gu Poison Sect and Liang Bendao to set up a trap within a trap, thus luring you into it. In this way, you do not die in vain!"
Xiao Yunlong let out a wry smile, shook his head, and sighed, "This trap within a trap is indeed formidable. To kill me, you have truly gone to great lengths. However, are you so sure that I am not also setting a trap? Or rather, using your plan against you to lure the snake out of its hole?"