Chapter 87: Battle of the Golden Core
The sky was filled with suicidal blood mosquito attacks, causing the two Golden Core cultivators immense distress: a leader of a demonic sect and a branch leader of the Demon Extermination Bureau. Neither had ever encountered such a bizarre Blood Path Demon Technique that could mimic the characteristics of the Cloud Sea Mosquito Beast.
Even with their Golden Core cultivation, facing such a vast number of blood beasts attacking relentlessly, they felt their scalps tingle. After dispersing hundreds of blood mosquitoes, the mosquito beasts kept coming in endless waves, prompting the two to decide they could not continue holding out like this.
At first, seeing that Lin Jing only had Qi Cultivation, the two didn't hesitate before launching their attack.
But who could have expected that this Qi Cultivation couldn't be measured by common sense? Hidden within was a powerful Gu worm and a Foundation Establishment pet beast capable of space manipulation!
Realizing that it was difficult to deal with Lin Jing, the two began to reconsider their plans.
"Fellow Daoist, we have no grudge or hatred, and exterminating you benefits us nothing. If we decide to risk shattering our Golden Cores and falling to the Foundation Establishment Stage to employ our Divine Techniques, you will certainly perish here!"
The two Golden Core Cultivators stood amidst the mosquito swarm, their gazes fierce, the power of the Golden Cores within them seething, causing their auras to greatly increase.
"If your goal is these twins, we will give them to you. But if you insist on pushing further, none of us will have it easy."
Lin Jing stood protectively before the twin bodies, watching the Golden Cores surrounded by the blood mosquito army controlled by the Pine Leaf Mouse above the sky, and didn't believe they were simply bluffing.
He had already experienced the power of the Red Armor Demon Exterminator's Golden Core Divine Technique. Even if he combined his strength with the Ice Soul Gu, he couldn't withstand it; if hit, he would surely be severely injured.
When a Golden Core Cultivator uses a Divine Technique, the Golden Core inevitably suffers wear, and repairing it is extremely difficult, potentially requiring decades of seclusion without top-grade healing Spiritual Medicine.
And that is just ordinary wear on the Golden Core.
If one is determined to shatter their Golden Core to use a Divine Technique, then it truly becomes a fight to the death. After shattering, the Golden Core Cultivator falls to the Foundation Establishment Stage, with little hope of returning to the Golden Core without a miraculous opportunity.
The two used the threat of shattering their Golden Cores by exhibiting their most powerful Golden Core Divine Technique to intimidate Lin Jing, with the clear intent to make Lin Jing stop pushing so relentlessly, avoiding a mutually destructive outcome.
"A full-force Golden Core Divine Technique, huh..." At this moment, facing the threats from the two Golden Core Cultivators, Lin Jing's lips curled slightly.
This ultimate technique, the trump card of Golden Core cultivators, affects the Golden Core regardless of which of them uses it before reaching the Nascent Soul Stage; only at the Nascent Soul Stage can they withstand the backlash of the Golden Core Divine Technique. Therefore, typically among Golden Core contenders, without a significant power disparity, it rarely escalates into combat involving Divine Techniques.
Now, two Golden Core cultivators were pushed by a Qi Cultivation cultivator into making threats of Divine Technique use – a rare sight.
Next, Lin Jing informed the two with his actions that he was not intimidated by such threats.
Not only did the Pine Leaf Mouse continue controlling the blood mosquito army in relentless assault, but Lin Jing himself raised his right hand, flinging out webs, shooting at the two.
"Be cautious, those threads contain terrifying Gu poison. This poison nearly controlled even me; after using my Golden Core Divine Technique, I could only barely suppress it. Do not, under any circumstances, get hit," the Yin Corpse Sect Leader quickly warned, primarily to prevent the Red Armor Demon Exterminator from becoming Lin Jing's puppet and turning against him.
"Corpse player, let me tell you one thing, even if you've temporarily suppressed the Gu poison now, it's only temporary. Apart from me, no one can resolve this poison. Soon, it will continue to spread within you until it freezes your soul to death. Do you still want me to leave now?" Lin Jing flicked his fingers, manipulating the white threads, pursuing the two Golden Core cultivators.
The Yin Corpse Sect Cultivator swept his corpse banner, turning the intercepting blood mosquitoes into decayed blood falling, his gaze growing cooler. Before Lin Jing spoke, he hadn't paid it much attention, but once Lin Jing mentioned it, he couldn't help but panic.
Because the Gu worm was indeed peculiar, capable of seizing the dominance over his corpse puppet and even infecting him through his spiritual link with the puppet. It seemed that its lineage was extremely terrifying; Gu poison was already difficult to neutralize, and facing this bizarre Gu worm, he had little confidence in finding a remedy afterwards.
"Since you insist on seeking death, don't blame me."
The Yin Corpse Sect Leader halted in flight, looking at the white threads rushing toward his head, and astonishingly grabbed them without dodging. Meanwhile, the corpse spots on him became more numerous.
Golden Core Divine Technique, Heavenly Corpse Transformation.
It could temporarily transform his physique into a special corpse puppet constitution, vastly enhancing his physical form, capable of suppressing various negative energies. Earlier, he relied on the Heavenly Corpse Transformation to suppress the Ice Soul Gu's poison, avoiding immediate control.
Now, compared to the earlier normal use of Heavenly Corpse Transformation, he was consuming a far greater amount of Golden Core power. As cracks spread across the Golden Core, his entire body underwent a more horrifying corpse transformation, and soon he no longer had a human appearance.
He grabbed the webs; since he was already poisoned, he no longer considered the toxicity of the Gu worm. His only thought now was to capture Lin Jing alive to find a cure.
Yet, in the next moment, as the cold wind blew and a spatial ripple accompanied it, Lin Jing, along with the Pine Leaf Mouse and the two twins, vanished from the spot.
The Yin Corpse Sect Leader was stunned, scanning with his divine sense, but within his range, he couldn't detect any sign of Lin Jing or the twins. The scene was left with the swarm of blood mosquitoes unceasingly attacking them on instinct, no longer under the control of the Pine Leaf Mouse.
Meanwhile, somewhere high in the sky, Lin Jing, veiled by an Illusion Technique, observed below.
"You kid, fleeing quite swiftly," Shen Song remarked, watching the scattering red leaves, instantly discerning Lin Jing's strategy. Despite the power of Golden Core Divine Techniques, they meant nothing if they couldn't hit their target.
The two Golden Core cultivators, though verbally threatening, likely wouldn't resort to fully utilizing their Golden Core Divine Techniques unless driven to desperation.
After all, Lin Jing possesses spatial manipulation, successfully evading a Divine Technique once. Without a guaranteed hit, employing the technique might prove futile.
However, through the Gu poison, Lin Jing flipped the threat onto the Yin Corpse Sect Cultivator; without capturing Lin Jing alive, the Gu toxin remained incurable. In such a scenario, using a Golden Core Divine Technique to capture Lin Jing became imperative for him.
The Golden Core Divine Technique of the Yin Corpse Sect Cultivator suddenly elevated his power by two levels. If Lin Jing continued a direct confrontation, he would undoubtedly suffer. Yet, in Shen Song's eyes, Lin Jing was invincible from the beginning. He could teleport away instantly and possessed an Illusion Technique that could bewilder even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, leading the Yin Corpse Sect Cultivator, transformed by his technique, to lose his target entirely!
His technique was deceived.
"Deceiving his Golden Core Divine Technique alone is enough," Lin Jing looked below. Lured by Lin Jing's trail, the Yin Corpse Sect Leader, in rage, obliterated countless blood mosquitoes with his mere presence. His gaze landed on the Red Armor Demon Exterminator, and as his Five Elements Corpse Puppets encircled the Exterminator, his corpse claws pierced the latter's chest directly.