"You truly are the lowest of scum!" Kao Zha Ji gritted his teeth.
Crimson Soul stared at him with amusement in his gaze.
"Scum? That is just an ordinary tactic."
He squinted his eyes.
"But I guess, someone like you who lived sheltered all your life cannot figure this out." After saying those words, Crimson Soul raised his hand.
[Grasp Heart]
Kao Zha Ji felt a chill in his back. Within a tenth of a second, he made a defensive Killer Move.
Still.
That gave Crimson Soul the opening he needed.
He stretched his middle and index fingers.
Shooting a powerful bloodstream from them.
Kao Zha Ji reacted.
Once more, a cloud appeared, ready to absorb the attack.
But unlike before.
The blood suddenly changed its trajectory.
It went upwards all of a sudden, and like a firework.
It exploded in all directions.
All of which conveniently evaded the protective cloud.
And as if controlled by telekinesis, all of them headed towards Kao Zha Ji.
But a cloud armor appeared surrounding his body, from every angle.
Yet, once more, the scattered blood drops stopped in their tracks.
Kao Zha Ji frowned.
His mind was busy on three fronts; not only was he focused on healing himself from poison, but he also had to divert his efforts to managing his aperture.
In the end, even though wasteful, he knew he had no choice but to simplify the board state.
He expanded his aura wildly, and tides of powerful boiling steam came out, evaporating those blood drops entirely.
But Crimson Soul remained there with squinted eyes.
"So, he indeed is really a Rank 7." He thought.
While most people can understand the obvious logic that higher-ranked Gu Masters possess superior strength, due to a larger amount of Dao Marks and essence.
Those are but the greatest aspects; in reality, every time one ascends a major realm, there are huge breakthroughs in all aspects.
The soul foundation increases, one's luck grows stronger, they grow more vigorous, their reflexes increase, and more.
Furthermore, even regarding Gu usage, there is a huge difference.
Using a Gu is like trying to lift a weight; the stronger the aperture, the more weight one can lift.
Of course, every Gu is 'incredibly' light.
Even ordinary Rank 6 Gu Masters can use hundreds of Gu at once, but hundreds does not equal limitless.
Rank 8 Gu Masters can use more thorough and comprehensive Killer Moves than Rank 7, simply because their own upper limits and amount of Gu they can use are greater.
Not only that, but their activation speed of Gu is also relatively greater, if one also adds other factors such as thinking speed, reflexes, soul foundation, as well as a higher-tolerance for the backlash of a failed Killer Moves, the difference becomes more blatant.
Crimson Soul smiled.
His strength may not be all that superior, but his speed was. Furthermore, his opponent was busy fighting too many fronts.
With this thought.
He let out a sharp scream.
Kao Zha Ji frowned; the attack targeted not only his senses but also his soul.
He needed to readjust and combine some of his Killer Moves in the spot.
While retaining his screaming, Crimson Soul summoned an even larger number of specters that rapidly overwhelmed his vision.
Of course, Kao Zha Ji was not a fool.
He retreated backwards, but the army of ghosts kept giving chase.
They all stretched their hands, trying to steal his Gu Worms.
All of those attempts failed, even so.
There were several fluctuations in his energy; the power of his Killer Moves decreased heavily as he needed to continuously suppress the outsider force.
Crimson Soul flickered.
He appeared a few meters behind him. Kao Zha Ji's pupils shrank; his body could not turn around in time, as it was flying too quickly.
Crimson Soul takes the chance.
He rips off one of his wings with his claws.
Kao Zha Ji screams in agony before Crimson Soul can do anything else.
An all-encompassing pressure appears surrounding him, but Crimson Soul is not affected.
Instead.
A white and red ghost with a furious face appears behind him again, and his body flickers.
Effortlessly evading the attack.
Crimson Soul smirked.
"Good! Good! The more times you use that Rank 8 Gu, the faster you will die of exhaustion."
At that idea.
He smirked.
He opened his mouth and jaw uncannily.
Which stretched endlessly, hanging like a pendulum, touching his stomach.
From his mouth, a divine, immense dragon of incredible might appeared.
The dragon was shot towards Kao Zha Ji.
"Go on! Use that Gu once more, I dare you." His eyes turned mocking as he said those words, in reality the attack itsel,f whilst expensive costed less than a fourth of a Rank 8 Immortal Essence Bead.
Needless to say, he wanted to push him over and over again to the edge, then before he had the chance.
He would use another move he had yet to reveal.
To steal his Rank 8.
By this point, all the thoughts of rescuing Bai Lin Hua were out of his mind; in his mind, all that lingered was that alluring Rank 8 Worm.
However.
His expression changed.
Contrary to his expectations.
He felt no intense Rank 8 Worm aura.
On the contrary, only a soft ordinary cloud appeared to protect Kao Zha Ji.
That cloud acted like an elastic band, bending itself to contain the attack.
But as it hit its limit, it finally was unable to endure further.
And Kao Zha Ji was tossed away.
However, he was tossed towards where the others were hiding.
Where the formation was.
"Do you truly think I will let you escape?"
"King Crimson!" The ghost behind him appeared in full view once more.
But this time, it did not dissipate like before.
Its state turned corporeal, like a real living being.
And it carried divine might.
His body flickered with red lines.
And he appeared, just a few meters away from Kao Zha Ji.
The ghost raised his arm, like a bludgeon ready to smash his face.
But at that moment.
A wide smile appeared on Kao Zha Ji's face.
"NOW!" He shouted.
Once more, he activated the Rank 8 Worm.
Suppressing Crimson Soul, who merely snorted coldly.
"What are you looking so happy about? Do you think you will kill me with a mere Rank 8 Gu? Dream on!" He roared.
But Kao Zha Ji laughed heartily, his aura surged.
"If that's what you think is about to happen, be my guest!"
Atmospheric Pressure Rank 8 Worm collided with the might of King Crimson; both forces were about even.
But Crimson Soul used his free body stealthily, and he opened his arm to attack Kao Zha Ji.
A crimson orb was shot towards his stomach; Kao Zha Ji's body was tossed in the skies again.
However, just as Crimson Soul was about to pursue his expression suddenly changed.
"Why did the skies turn black all of a sudden?"
Suddenly.
He realized.
Another Rank 8 had been activated.
He turned his head and saw that his surroundings had turned black; there was only one exit.
That looked like the lid of a teapot.
But the lid was shut open.
"Hahahahahahahah!" Kao Zha Ji laughed heartily; he was touching his chest with his wounded arm.
"It may have almost killed me, but I am glad I took the risk."
Crimson Soul's expression turned overwhelmingly dark; he realized the truth.
Surrounding the Formation where Bai Lin Hua was, there was a concealed Rank 8 Worm.
It remained dormant and hidden, concealed from view.
While he was not entirely certain of its function, it seemed to be one of those sealing Gu that trapped those inside of it.
The Gu grew in size rapidly, but was nowhere near fast enough to truly trap him.
At least in most instances.
But Kao Zha Ji had been clever.
He had successfully used another Rank 8 Worm to distract him, using that temptation, he was able to distract his senses.
And once he was certain that Crimson Soul had taken the bait, he immediately retreated.
Forcing Crimson Soul to chase him, finally, at the final moment he used the Rank 8 Gu to force a confrontation, by that point, holding even the smallest bit of his force would have been suicidal.
Even if he had realized the trap at that moment, it was impossible to pull out and escape.
Not without being heavily wounded.
Crimson Soul snorted coldly.
Whilst Kao Zha Ji expression turned into one of utter relief and joy, he immediately unleashed an all-out killing strike while his guard was down.
But Kao Zha Ji smirked.
His aura surged, a dense smoke appeared, surrounding him.
His body grew taller, and his muscles grew thicker.
Not only that, but his aura became that of a Rank 8.
Crimson Soul's eyelids trembled; he retreated backwards as much as he could, until he reached the other side of the field.
The unknown Rank 8 Gu stopped his retreat.
But Kao Zha Ji laughed heartily.
"Are you surprised about my transformation? Well, you see, there is this Gu House in my Clan named 'Condensed Steamy Cloud.'
Whose main function is to elevate those inside into Rank 8."
He chuckled.
"Of course, there are costs and disadvantages to such a state. For starters, once I leave the area of the Gu House, my Cultivation automatically will regress back to Rank 7."
Crimson Soul narrowed his eyes.
"So that was it? That is your plan? You think now we are 'even.'
Don't make me laugh!"
He unleashed a blood wave towards him, but Kao Zha Ji snorted coldly.
"We are not even that much is obvious."
With one of his palms, he effortlessly deflected the strike.
"The effect of the Gu house has been altered, whilst I have no intention of disclosing its original purpose.
It has been repurposed into a battleground, where any Cloud Path Gu Master would have their strength amplified greatly.
Whereas, those who cultivate 'liquid' paths, such as Water, or Blood Path, will have their strengths diminished, every one of their moves will be partially absorbed by the Gu House itself."
Then.
He smirked.
"Furthermore. There is another aspect you have not taken into account."
From the sides, three figures appeared.
Kao Yu Hun, Kao Yun Yun, Kao Tuo Niao.
He smirked.
"Who said that this Gu House can only elevate a single Gu Master to Rank 8?"
Of course.
There was another factor he did not mention.
Kao Yu Hun Cultivated Lighting and Wind Path, Kao Yun Yun Cultivated Information and Wisdom Path, and Kao Tuo Niao Cultivated Law and Cloud Path.
Among the four, only Kao Tuo Niao and he benefited from the secondary effect of this Gu House; the others were largely unaffected.
At most, their fluidity and strength were amplified by 30%.
Regardless.
To go from facing a Peak Rank 7 Cultivator to four Rank 8 Gu Masters was such a great shock that Crimson Soul was completely stunned.
His lips trembled.
He turned his body and attacked with all his might the walls stopping his escape.
But while the whole area trembled, it remained firm.
"Do you truly think our Clan's Rank 8 Kettle Gu is so easy to shatter?"
Crimson Soul turned his eyes to meet his gaze.
Pure rage and hatred appeared, whilst his mouth trembled.
Similarly, King Crimson clenched his fists tightly.
"You think I am scared of you? By bringing me here, the only thing you've done is to give me two Rank 8 Gu's on a silver platter!"
"Is that so? Then why don't we make it three instead!"
As he said those words, in his right arm the Rank 8 Gu 'Atmospheric Pressure' appeared, and in his left arm the Rank 8 Gu 'Rolling Clouds' took shape.
[Rolling Pressure]
A myriad of cylindrical clouds appeared in the darkened skies.
Those clouds were pushed like a tide aiming towards Crimson Soul.
Crimson Soul tried to resist, to teleport away.
However.
The atmospheric Pressure Gu became even more powerful here; his body was pressed against the walls, unable to move.
If he dared to carelessly complete that teleporting motion, his body would be destroyed in the meantime.
Still, even though he could not activate it at once, steadily he completed the steps.
But while he was halfway through.
Some pink clouds that looked like the human brain appeared in front of his vision.
[Clouded Mind] Countless Clouded Thoughts Gu appeared, which were further amplified by Kao Yun Yun's unique Killer Move.
[Blue Signal] Countless of blue bones appeared around the zone, producing an anti-teleporting measure.
Whereas Kao Yu Hun unleashed thunderous winds towards him.
Crimson Soul roared unwillingly.
His power surged as he repelled all the attacks headed towards him.
All but the largest.
The rolling clouds looked massive, and their speed and weight were further amplified by Atmospheric Pressure Gu, which ,by now, had stopped affecting his body.
Needless to say, that slight silver lining was absolutely nothing in comparison to the ominous Fate ahead of him.
He raised his arms, unleashed the strength of all his body, and he was barely able to contend.
Of course, his strength turned pointless.
Kao Zha Ji's veins were palpitating, his Immortal Essence was rapidly being replenished, and still, the might of his Killer Move was undeniable.
Even an elite Rank 8 who had undergone a Myriad Tribulation would find it difficult to survive such an overwhelming Killer Move, let alone a newly ascended Rank 8.
Soon.
His whole body got devoured by the clouds, his tendons and flesh were ripped apart, and he screamed ghoulishly.
His eyes were bloodshot red.
He refused to die.
In the end, he opened his mouth.
A crimson orb slowly took shape in his mouth.
Kao Zha Ji snorted coldly.
"A desperate ditch effort? But what is the use of it now!"
He pressed even harder, but Crimson Soul stared at him hatefully.
"If I die, you will go down with me!" He roared.
His voice was heard by everyone.
Suddenly, Kao Zha Ji's expression changed.
Crimson Soul's body slowly morphed; the skin on his face and teeth were slowly pulled towards the Crimson orb, enlarging it further and further still.
Soon, his mangled flesh, tendon and even bones were absorbed.
In a matter of seconds, almost the body of Crimson Soul had been thoroughly destroyed, leaving only an empty husk and an untangled mess of crumbling skin and blood. The only thing that remained intact was his jaw, which even now carried the crimson orb.
[Crimson Soul Cannon!] An unbelievably powerful cannon was shot.
It was so powerful and dense that it pierced through the rolling clouds and headed towards Kao Zha Ji.
Who barely had the time to evade.
Upon dodging, he immediately turned his body, prepared for an explosion or for the attack to move at an unexpected angle.
After facing Crimson Soul, he had already become wary of such tactics.
But to his surprise, the soul cannon kept moving in a straight pattern…
Suddenly.
His eyes widened.
"Wait a second. I recall that move; his Blood Phantoms showcased a similar method. Could it be?"
He gritted his teeth.
"This was not a suicidal move; he's trying to flee!" He conjured the power of the clouds and wind, as well as Atmospheric Pressure, which were reinforced by anti-soul and anti-phantom measures, but their strength was insufficient.
Whereas the Kettle Rank 8 Gu proved pointless.
While it was exceptional, even able to stop the advancement of gases or intangible objects, a mere kettle had never been designed to trap Soul Path objects.
Of course, that was not much of a flaw, after all, why does it matter if Souls can go through? At most, Crimson Soul could escape with his soul, but he would leave his Gu, aperture, and corpse intact.
Furthermore, even if he did that, with his powerful Killer Moves, he could easily stop a mere soul from escaping.
But who would ever guess that Crimson Soul had a move that defied common sense, able to turn his soul into a blood-core.
Able to absorb his aperture and body alike.
Turning them completely intangible!
He had such an outrageous move to devour his own body and aperture and put it inside his own soul?
Kao Zha Ji's expression turned hideous.
They had made such thorough preparations, used so many resources, that the Heaven and Earth Ceremony had to be canceled, all for this great plan.
And yet they had nothing to show for it.
Worse off.
They had made such a powerful enemy.
He sighed.
"At least, he won't be able to bother us for a while." While he did not know how the move of Crimson Soul worked, he did not believe it was cheap to defy logic.
At the very least, the energy required to bring forth his aperture and body to normal would be great beyond measure, and it was bound to leave aftereffects.
Still, the huge losses and pain they inflicted upon the great lord were such that their enemy had turned irreconcilable.
Analyzing his position, he ended up thinking.
"After I recover myself from that 'Living Meat' Killer Move of his, I will need to go into seclusion and break through Rank 8." He resolutely thought.
….
….
….
Observing from a distance.
There was a lonely figure, playing a game of Go amidst the skies.
Her figure concealed itself amidst the myriad of clouds.
The figure was none other than Star Constellation, who was humming.
"Everything has proceeded as I have foreseen." She muttered, moving another piece.
As for what was her plan?
Well.
It started a long time ago.
With Kao Dao Ji.
She narrowed her eyes while thinking of this figure.
The Fate and luck of that individual were great beyond measure.
Whilst they were not as exaggerated as those of Venerables or Dao Guardians, there was one thing he had that could not be allowed.
His hatred towards humanity.
Such an individual was not only talented, but his hatred was too, beyond measure, and his means and fortune would produce a lot of losses to humanity.
Especially his descendants, who would inherit his will and nature.
Regardless, such a being could not be allowed to be.
And she did not.
By moving some pieces, she guaranteed that he would not survive his Tribulation.
Of course, affecting the strength of the Tribulation brought such a great aftereffect; the Heavens are balanced, they cannot overly benefit or harm an individual.
Thus, even in the darkest nights, there lies hope.
And so.
After 'passing' his Tribulation, the Heavens awarded his aperture with a certain breed of fairyflies, which ended up producing the fabled Clouded Thoughts Gu.
However, therein comes her next move.
She moved another Go piece.
Bai Lin Hua.
With the Gu she had given him, Bai Lin Hua stood no chance.
In the end, the piece got eaten.
While that seemed incredibly fortunate at first, was it truly so?
Obviously not.
The Kao Clan had, without realizing, attracted the gaze of Crimson Soul.
Another piece moved.
Le Tu, the Fated Venerable.
She manipulated the casualty to ensure the two would meet.
Why?
Because she knew, unless they faced an otherworldly demon, a Fated Venerable could not lose.
The outcome was predictable, his victory evident.
However.
Whilst his victory brought glory and fame to Clouded Thoughts Gu, this too became such a weakness, especially because by then, Kao Yun Yun was occupied in ensuring Bai Lin Hua would not try anything fishy.
In the end.
More and more eyes turned their gaze towards the Kao Clan.
Finally, things reached such a conjecture.
A confrontation between Crimson Soul and the Kao Clan turned into a certainty.
And, even though they won.
Their victory was nothing but a thorough defeat.
After all, Kao Zha Ji was forced to waste a Heaven and Earth Ceremony where he would have gained plenty of Dao Marks; if that were not enough, he also lost plenty of Rank 8 Essence. Furthermore, he was now also forced to ascend faster than he hoped.
Whereas Crimson Soul, another enemy of humanity, had also been pushed into a corner, his condition was critical.
And this was but the beginning.
Countless of schemes were already brewing in her mind as she moved the pieces on the board.
Amidst the myriad of things that happened, only one perplexed her.
Kao Dao Ji Land's spirit was never supposed to create the Killer Move Cytocloud.
In her mind, what would have happened is that Bai Lin Hua would force him into a corner, and he, without any other option, would choose to die with her.
Receiving ten damage to deal one, of course, he would still seek hope and use Sunny Thoughts Gu to see if he could save himself.
In the end, both would fall into a coma, but due to Kao Dao Ji Land Spirit's Condition, the usage of Sunny Thoughts Gu, plus the aid of Kao Yu Hun and Kao Yun Yun, he would soon recover.
Still. While the details differed, the outcome did not.
She had adjusted her schemes and prepared accordingly, adjusting her plans on the fly.
In the end, even if some details slipped by. She would ensure to head Fate in her desired direction.
And ensure that no enemy of humanity thrives.