The villa district on Yanshan Road had already become a sea of fire and rubble.

Wild winds swept embers into the air, extinguished intermittently by the torrential rain, accompanied by the explosive splatter of Gu Worm fluid—like a dark and somber painting, a frenzy in full display.

A pale middle-aged man was impaled by countless sharp spikes rising abruptly from the ground. Blood gushed out like a fountain, spraying in all directions, leaving his body to rapidly decay into lifelessness.

Yet, from the cracks in the wall, another Gu Worm, the size of a palm, crawled out, licking at the blood and fluid spilling across the ground. Its body swelled grotesquely and quickly transformed into a colossal and horrifying beast.

With a squelching sound, the shell on the worm's back split open, revealing the upper half of a pale, naked man. His face twisted into an uncanny smile as he spoke, "Give it up, Zijin. I'm now a Sixth Rank Gu Master myself. I'm no longer the deadweight I used to be in our squad back in the day, always relying on you and Old Gu for protection."

Thunderous elemental turbulence in the heavens was his only reply.

Lu Zijin hovered amidst the torrential rain, yet not a single drop touched her. Her childishly innocent face remained expressionless, yet emanated a profound aura. "So you do remember, huh? I thought you, a traitorous snake with a heart of stone, had forgotten everything."

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You're alive? Truly unexpected. I thought you'd long perished in the dimensional crevices. When I first saw the Death Spirit Gu, I should have guessed."

The ground collapsed with a deafening roar as countless Gu Worms crawled up from the depths, teeming and swarming like a surging tide.

"How could I forget? Lu Zijin, Gu Ci'an, Meng Hebo—back then, weren't we the brightest team in the Peak City District? What a pity... Captain Zhou and Vice Captain Ye both died in Buzhou Mountain, and Old Gu's gone as well."

The Nightmare Master smiled faintly, his lips blood-red, his face sickly pale.

"Don't mention them."

Lu Zijin gazed down at him from above, enunciating coldly, "You're not worthy."

The Nightmare Master sighed. "It's been eight years. You still hate me, don't you? I've never quite understood. Even frogs at the bottom of a well dare to peek at the sky; how much more so humans? What have we Gu Masters done wrong? Why must I watch you and Old Gu ascend to Sixth Rank and approach the threshold of the Holy Land while I remain forever bound by baseless rules, stuck in Third Rank, unable to advance?"

He paused. "One of you became a branch director of the Peak City District, and the other joined the Night Watchers. Meanwhile, I was left trapped because of those absurd rules."

A powerful mental field enveloped the ruins as Lu Zijin said coldly, "Our advancement does not come at the expense of sacrificing innocent lives. The abilities of the Gu Master path are excessively dangerous. For people like you, once you develop a taste for blood sacrifice, you'll never stop."

The Nightmare Master retorted, "So what? This world is inherently survival of the fittest. Only the strong survive—either be the butcher or the lamb. Since ancient times, why do humans tirelessly pursue the power of Ancient Gods? How many have lost themselves on this path of evolution, becoming Fallen?"

"Why does the Qilin Immortal Palace even exist? Even an Emperor, after reaching the Demigod Domain, schemed for immortality, eternal life. Xu Fu, too, could not resist the allure of eternal life and bowed at the feet of the Supreme."

"The only reason you can stand on the moral high ground and look down on me is because your inheritance path isn't that of a Gu Master. If both of us were in the same position, you might be even more ruthless than I am."

He chuckled. "Speaking of which, did you know? Xu Fu started on the Heavenly Master Path at Third Rank, then switched to the Divine Path while pursuing the legacy of the Chu people. Chu culture worships the Fire God—though in reality, they venerate the Vermilion Bird and Qilin, the two Supremes, who exist as light and shadow, complementing one another."

"The Chu people's customs honor Feng Shangchi, venerate fire and the sun, and connect intimately with shamans and ghosts."

His eyes shimmered with an eerie depth as he murmured, "Within the legacy of the two Supremes, there lies the true Mystery of Immortality! And if I'm not mistaken, someone might have already succeeded over the past two millennia!"

Lu Zijin knew this man too well. At this point, he was spouting nonsense solely to distract her.

She replied coldly, "Stop wasting time. Since your main body isn't here, this fight is meaningless. I'll ask you only one thing: Do you have any connection to the Blood Moon Slaughter Incident?"

The Nightmare Master blinked and continued smiling. "Gu Ci'an's story makes things pretty interesting, doesn't it? But why should I tell you? Honestly, I thought you came here for something concerning your brother."

Killing intent surged in Lu Zijin's beautiful eyes as she said icily, "Back then, when you committed those atrocities for the secrets of the Immortal Palace, Zicheng naturally had every reason to settle scores with you. Now, while you drag me here, aren't I keeping you stuck too? If you plan to refine the Blood Demon Gu, today you're destined to fail."

With a sigh, countless Gu Worms began writhing fervently.

"Zijin, we haven't seen each other in eight years, yet you suddenly don't understand me anymore?"

The Nightmare Master smirked darkly. "I always keep a backup plan."

Lu Zijin narrowed her striking eyes.

"You thought I was merely advancing, didn't you? Wrong."

The Nightmare Master sneered. "I'm seeking a substitute for Ancient God's Blood to mass-produce my own Divine Servants."

Thunder boomed as elemental turbulence erupted in violence.

Murderous intent roared in Lu Zijin's eyes.

"It's already too late."

The Nightmare Master's smile remained fixed. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."

·

·

The torrential rain poured as the coastal tides surged violently, rocking a yacht in the waters.

Rain battered the yacht's deck relentlessly as Zhang Miao eyed the golden card before him and the youth sitting opposite him. He smiled and said, "Gu Ting, good. So you're sure you're a free man? You're aware of the Dark World's rules, aren't you? If you're secretly boxing for another boss, I won't be able to sign you."

Bodyguards stood behind him, heavily armed and ready for action.

"Yes, a free man."

Gu Jianlin smiled mildly. "Because I lack the resources to advance, I'm seeking Boss Zhang's sponsorship."

Zhang Miao's eyes lit up as he laughed heartily, "Great! Excellent! I'll have my people draft a contract right away. From today onward, you're under my wing. Money, resources, women—whatever you want! As long as you win boxing matches for me and earn a spot in the Immortal Palace, you can have it all!"

Gu Jianlin nodded and said, "Thank you, Boss Zhang."

At that moment, Zhang Miao glanced back at a secretary and discreetly mouthed instructions, "Go, draft the contract. And get me a Mo Ni Tequila, heavily spiked with the deadliest poison available. I need to keep this guy under control. Got it?"

The secretary nodded understandingly and left.

Gu Jianlin feigned ignorance, fiddling with the golden card in his hand.

Meanwhile, he silently counted the seconds in his mind.

Suddenly, bright headlights cut through the storm, and a Land Rover roared into the harbor.

Heavily armed mercenaries swarmed out, quickly locking down the port.

The rear door of the Land Rover slammed open, and a middle-aged man in a white suit stepped out, clutching a briefcase. His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, his demeanor tense and wary.

A well-dressed woman followed him, opening an elegant umbrella.

Her disdainful gaze swept over the surroundings, as though the chaotic and grimy environment was utterly beneath her.

The driver lowered his head as he exited the car.

Yan Hao got out from the passenger seat and trailed closely behind.

"I'm Yan Wu, buying a boat off Mr. Liu."

A sharp voice cut through the storm, "Who's handling the handover?"

On the deck, Zhang Miao smiled faintly under his umbrella. "Business calls. My young friend, excuse me for a moment."

With that, he led his bodyguards off the yacht, smiling as he said, "Mr. Yan! You've kept me waiting! The boat is ready. As long as you clear the payment, you can set sail immediately!"

Gu Jianlin rose and silently followed behind, remaining mute.

Yan Wu and Mrs. Yan visibly relaxed. It seemed this West Port Forbidden Zone was still reliable—at least the boat was ready. With the payment made, they could depart immediately.

But at that instant, Yan Hao stepped forward and called out, "Brother."

Yan Wu frowned and turned around. "What is it?"

At that very moment, Yan Hao's face twisted into an insane grin. His right hand clenched a poisoned dagger and plunged toward Yan Wu's spleen.

With a wet squelch, blood spurted out.

True to his status as a Fifth Rank World King, Yan Wu reacted in the nick of time, swiftly twisting his body to evade half a step. The poisoned dagger missed its mark, driving into his kidney instead!

Boom!

In an instant, Yan Wu countered with a blow, his Qi Force exploding violently.

Yan Hao's skull shattered under the impact.

A Second Rank against a Fifth Rank could only seize one fleeting opportunity; otherwise, the reprisal was instant death!

Mrs. Yan let out a piercing scream.

A syringe containing an unknown substance was suddenly lodged in her neck.

The driver, who was none other than the Scholar in disguise, raised his head and bolted.

Yan Wu and Mrs. Yan were filled with shock and fury as they realized two Lao Liu had been lurking right by their side!

Suddenly, a white Lamborghini roared through the storm and slammed into Yan Wu's chest!

"Ambush! Quick—"

Zhang Miao bellowed, noticing the attack.

A sudden squelch sounded.

The sharp tip of a black umbrella pierced his chest.

Gu Jianlin covered his mouth gently and whispered, "Shh."

[P.S.: This book is first published on the Qidian Reading App. The next chapter will be updated at 11:30.]