The subordinate nodded slightly, indicating his certainty.
Greed for wealth stirred the heart.
Originally, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu, the two large rats, had intended to retreat after discovering that Wu Tao was not to be trifled with. However, upon hearing news of the Blood Marrow Spirit Jade ore vein, they were determined to eliminate Wu Tao and his group.
"A mere mid-stage Core Formation human cultivator, plus ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. If we kill you scurrying rats, no one will know, nor will it be traced."
Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu moved simultaneously, their black and white cudgels, celestial artifacts, whistling through the air as they struck towards Wu Tao.
The brothers, their minds connected and their strengths complementing each other, unleashed their combined might.
Two astonishing surges of spiritual energy merged, causing the space to ripple with a single movement, as if capable of shattering everything before them.
Wu Tao seemed oblivious to the immense threat before him, showing no intention of evasion.
"Third-grade divine ability—Star River Torrent!"
A magnificent river of stars, carrying countless celestial bodies, surged towards Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu.
Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu exchanged glances and acted in unison. Their black and white cudgels transformed into countless illusory strikes, forcefully deflecting the starlight back.
Seeing this, Wu Tao vanished from his original position, reappearing beside Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu in the next instant.
The Chu Xi sword was drawn, and Wu Tao's speed escalated with each subsequent strike, unleashing dozens of moves in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu interlaced their black and white cudgels, unhurriedly deflecting every sharp offensive.
The effectiveness of their coordinated attack, born from their telepathic connection, was astonishing.
Facing a formidable foe, Wu Tao dared not hold back, immediately employing "Second-grade divine ability—One Sword Splits Heaven and Earth."
After another exchange of glances, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu also unleashed two complementary third-grade divine abilities.
"Third-grade divine ability—Black Turbidity!" "Third-grade divine ability—White Purity!"
The black and white energies merged and collided with Wu Tao's thousand-zhang sword energy, resulting in an equally indecisive outcome.
Wu Tao's swordsmanship was deadly with every move, perfectly embodying the principle that offense is the best defense.
Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu's techniques were equally potent, their movements incredibly subtle and their variations breathtaking.
The three engaged in hundreds of exchanges, fighting on equal footing with no clear victor.
Despite their unappealing appearance, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu possessed exceptional intelligence. Their black and white cudgels danced with the fluidity of their own limbs, their changes in stance and reactions incredibly swift, leaving Wu Tao utterly exasperated.
After hundreds of exchanges, the battle remained a stalemate. Wu Tao was inwardly astonished at the profound mastery of the cudgel arts displayed by Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu, which seemed to surpass his own swordsmanship.
Combat between cultivators was vastly different from that of mortals.
Furthermore, this clash between two entirely different races was utterly devoid of mercy.
Blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes... various magical artifacts emitted chilling spiritual light.
Wu Tao's ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, unable to fend off the overwhelming numbers, had fallen into a disadvantage, with several already killed.
As the battle neared eight hundred exchanges, the situation remained a draw. Wu Tao, seeing this, paused his momentum and shifted his strategy from offense to defense.
He covertly channeled most of his spiritual energy into the Myriad Sword Immortal-Slaying Diagram, preparing to unleash a ultimate move.
Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu were not fools. Upon noticing Wu Tao's shift, their cudgel techniques also changed.
Slamming, striking, whipping, killing... all manner of lethal moves were employed.
While they were confident in their ability to withstand Wu Tao's hidden trump card with their own strength, it was always better to avoid taking direct hits.
Therefore, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu immediately launched a fierce assault, denying Wu Tao any opportunity to deploy his ultimate technique.
Observing this from the shadows, the Blood Clan beauty Xue Shuang Jiao, who had held high hopes for Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu to defeat Wu Tao and avenge her, sighed inwardly.
She saw the brothers making a similar mistake as she had and lamented their actions.
In her heart, she cursed, "These two idiots! Their efforts are utterly futile! Why aren't they unleashing their trump cards yet..."
"By the time this human brat releases his trump card, these two will have no chance. What utter fools..."
Despite her thoughts, Xue Shuang Jiao dared not reveal herself to warn Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu.
For if she were to show herself, she would immediately be attacked by Wu Tao and the Shu brothers simultaneously. No matter how she explained, it would be futile.
Even when two individuals are locked in combat, the sudden appearance of a stranger will often cause them to set aside their animosity and focus on eliminating the newcomer before resuming their original fight.
This was not due to any particular reason, but rather due to the nature of humanity.
As if Xue Shuang Jiao's prediction were coming true, as Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu pressed their attack, Wu Tao responded by brandishing his Chu Xi sword, forming an impenetrable defense.
A cold smile flickered across the lips of Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu. The next moment, they raised their palms and produced two more gourd-like magical artifacts.
A powerful azure wind was immediately summoned, descending from the sky.
The azure wind howled, instantly engulfing the battlefield.
Wu Tao could barely maintain his stance, but his human subordinates, the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators still fighting fiercely below, were caught completely off guard.
Torn apart by the azure wind, they staggered and fell, quickly perishing within the gale.
Naturally, the dozens of rat warriors were not spared; only a handful survived.
Seeing this, Wu Tao's pupils constricted, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "You are truly heartless, sparing no one, not even your own companions..."
Shu Da Fu retorted with a cold laugh, "Do these weaklings deserve to be called our kin? They are merely cannon fodder for our mining operations."
Just as he was gloating, Shu Er Fu suddenly let out a cry of alarm, "Be careful, elder brother! This human brat is about to unleash his trump card!"
Shu Da Fu hastily looked up and saw Wu Tao standing directly opposite them, holding the Myriad Sword Immortal-Slaying Diagram.
Wu Tao faced them, holding the diagram high. Sword energy swirled around it, clearly indicating it had been charged for a long time, ready to unleash a world-shattering blow.
"Not good, brother! This move gives me a very uneasy feeling. We must face it with our full strength."
Shu Er Fu's eyes narrowed, a chilling glint appearing within them. He simultaneously swung his white cudgel, shielding himself, and produced a defensive magical artifact to protect himself.
Shu Er Fu's reaction was swift, and Shu Da Fu was not far behind.
Just as Shu Er Fu finished speaking, Shu Da Fu patted his storage bag and unleashed countless defensive talismans. Dense spiritual shields completely enveloped his body.
At the same time, Shu Da Fu's white cudgel instantly split, then split again, and again, transforming into countless illusory strikes that covered the area in front of them.
The reaction speed of Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu was commendable, but it couldn't match Wu Tao's prior preparation, making his speed far superior.
In a flash, Wu Tao unleashed his earth-shattering strike.
Unlike before, this time more, stronger, and sharper immortal swords were released.
Innumerable immortal swords pierced through space, instantly arriving at the location of Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu.
Immediately after, an immensely sharp aura descended upon the two brothers.
Countless immortal swords, like a meteor shower, descended rapidly upon Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu.
Moments later, as the immortal swords dissipated and the dust settled, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu gradually reappeared before Wu Tao.
At this moment, having forcibly endured Wu Tao's devastating attack, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu not only had their previous techniques turned to dust, but their black and white cudgel artifacts were also broken into several pieces.
With their life-bound artifacts destroyed, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu naturally suffered greatly. Their faces were extremely pale, their injuries severe, and their bodies were nearly bisected by the immortal swords.
Shu Da Fu's right leg was severed by an immortal sword, and Shu Er Fu lost an eye.
However, despair did not cloud the faces of Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu. Gritting their teeth, they unleashed the trump card they had been saving.
"Hah!"
With a simultaneous roar from Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu, a mysterious black and white talisman suddenly emerged from their chests.
Within this black and white talisman was sealed a trace of a demon god from the ancient era.
A three-thousand-zhang, sky-obscuring, imposing phantom of a demon god condensed, and a powerful force erupted.
A single horn, rat teeth, dragon claws, serpent body, and pig belly—it was a terrifying demon god.
Accompanying the awakening of the demon god's phantom were ancient, cryptic, and overbearing chants that seemed to echo from the depths of the void.
"Zhu Luo!" "Zhu Luo!" "Zhu Luo!"
These were the remnants of the name of this ancient demon god that lingered in the heavens and earth.
"I thought you had some means, but it's just a demon god's phantom, all show and no substance..."
Wu Tao shook his head. With his spiritual power at its peak, he merged with the Chu Xi sword and ascended into the sky.
The Myriad Sword Immortal-Slaying Diagram spanned the heavens, its sword light flickering for miles, lending its support and gathering power.
The sword's hum intensified, and the Chu Xi sword rapidly expanded from small to large within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, laying across the expanse of heaven and earth.