The words of the Ancestor left the faces of the Long Clan’s Gu Cultivators filled with shock.
A Gu recipe requiring tens of millions of materials was simply terrifying. Could such an exaggerated Gu recipe really exist? It was hard to imagine the strength of a Gu that required such an amount of materials. Everyone was stunned.
Long Yuanshan sighed, “We must prepare for the worst. Regardless of whether Shi Haojun has refined the Forbidden Gu, we must treat him as if he has and make comprehensive preparations in advance.”
“From the current situation, it is evident that Shi Haojun harbors ill intentions toward Blackstone City. However, his conspiracy was exposed early, and since no one in the city has been affected by his Gu, can we defeat him?”
Long Yuanshan looked seriously at the Ancestor, speaking in a grave tone.
Long Yuan smiled bitterly, “When have those who refine the Forbidden Gu ever faced anything other than a group of opponents of the same rank? And what happens? They still end up wiping out entire cities, even when outnumbered.”
[Note: Demon Sky Sect will be changed to Demon Heaven Sect]
“Have you forgotten the story I just told you? At its peak, the Demon Heaven Sect was able to fight the entire world alone. If sheer numbers were effective, the whole world would have long since eradicated the Demon Heaven Sect.”
“The sheer number of materials required for a Gu of this level far exceeds your imagination. It’s a level of power that defies reason. This isn’t something that can simply be overcome by having more people. Once the Mutation Domain opens, how many people can actually do anything?”
“We’ve already missed the best opportunity to deal with Shi Haojun.”
“If my guess is correct, when he first came to Blackstone City to auction off the Living Wood, the Plague Demon Gu hadn’t yet completed its third evolution. He desperately needed a large amount of fresh blood.”
“At that time, although he was strong, he did not yet have the exaggerated power to take on an entire city alone.”
“That’s why he needed to lure the Black Moon City Gu Kings away in order to massacre the city in their absence.”
“Because of our selfishness, he succeeded in slaughtering the city, gaining a large amount of fresh blood, allowing the Plague Demon Gu to successfully evolve into a Mutant Gu.”
“Now, he no longer fears a large number of Gu Kings and dares to target Blackstone City.”
“Don’t harbor any false hopes. If he wasn’t confident in his strength, he wouldn’t dare to attack Blackstone City. Since he’s made his move, it’s certain that he has the confidence to destroy the city. No one wages a war they aren’t sure they can win.”
“There’s undoubtedly a tough battle ahead. Whether Blackstone City can survive this calamity is uncertain, but even if we do, the losses will be severe.”
Long Yuan sighed deeply, then suddenly looked at Long Wanli and said, “Blackstone City is about to change. You must quickly inform the City Lord of this matter and warn everyone in the city not to drink the water from the Black River.”
“It’s late at night, so not many people should be using water. If we act quickly, not many will die. We’ll need their strength to deal with Shi Haojun. Don’t even think about letting them lose too much of their power.”
“And also, immediately prepare water supplies. We can source it directly from the Long Clan in the far west. As much as we can get, bring it. The city will soon face a water crisis.”
Long Wanli nodded and quickly ordered people to make the necessary arrangements.
...
...
The night was dark and silent.
In a courtyard, a beautiful woman stood at the door, gazing out as if waiting for her husband to return.
When a handsome figure entered through the courtyard gate, her face immediately lit up with joy. She eagerly ran towards him, but her steps were weak and unsteady, nearly causing her to fall. The figure rushed forward to support her, his expression filled with concern.
“You’re already in this state, yet you still push yourself. Don’t go to that place anymore. You’re not a savior; you can’t save everyone.”
Shi Haojun rolled up her sleeve, revealing her arm covered in countless needle marks. His face instantly showed anger, and a flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
Shi Rui quickly pulled down her sleeve.
"Haojun..."
Shi Rui watched his back with concern, taking a few steps forward before stopping.
Shi Haojun paused, turned his head to look at her, and smiled. "Wait for me to come back..."
With that, Shi Haojun steeled his heart and left.
...
Two months later.
"Shi Rui, I’m back! Hahaha... We’ll never worry about resources for the rest of our lives. Hahaha... Look at all the treasures I’ve brought back for you..."
As Shi Haojun re-entered the courtyard, his laughter suddenly stopped. The smile on his face froze.
The beautiful and virtuous woman was no longer waiting for him, eagerly anticipating his return as she usually did.
Instead, the courtyard was draped in white silk, and in the center of the house stood a prominent coffin with a large “奠” character on it.[1]
His vision went black, and he almost fainted.
"Where is Shi Rui? Where is she?"
He didn’t dare to think about what his heart was suggesting. Clinging to one last sliver of hope, he grabbed someone nearby and demanded an answer.
"Brother!"
The man pointed to a large box on the table. Shi Haojun turned his head toward the box, his hand trembling as he slowly lifted the lid.
When his gaze fell upon what was inside, his eyes instantly filled with rage...
...
"No!!"
Shi Haojun suddenly sat up in bed, gasping for breath. His face was twisted in anger, and his eyes were bloodshot, radiating a terrifying killing intent.
After a long while, he finally calmed down. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was composed. He slowly climbed out of bed, opened the door, and walked outside.
However, instead of the fresh air he expected, the smell of blood filled his nostrils. The air was thick with the stench of death.
He stepped into the street, where corpses lay strewn about. The entire street was littered with bodies—too many to count. Blood had already formed rivers, staining the earth red.
The street was covered with corpses, their faces contorted in terror, as if they had died in extreme agony.
Shi Haojun walked, stepping over the countless bodies, slowly making his way toward the city gate.
Above the gate, the words “Black Moon City” were carved in large characters, standing out starkly.
At this moment, those words were drenched in blood, making them appear even more terrifying.
...
1. In this context, "奠" is often used in the phrase "奠棺" (diàn guān), which means "to lay in the coffin" or "to place in the coffin". It can also be used in other funeral-related phrases, such as "奠仪" (diàn yí), meaning "funeral rites" or "burial ceremony".