What happened?
No one knew.
No one saw what happened clearly, not even Fenglie Weirdo himself. Just moments ago, having lost his senses, he had intended to fight to the death against this young man who had humiliated him, even if it meant exhausting his Nascent Soul completely and sacrificing centuries of cultivation.
But just as he was about to make his move, he felt a turbid flash of light, like an electric current coursing through his entire body.
And then...
There was no 'and then'...
By the time he regained his senses, he was already slumped on the ground. What terrified him even more was discovering that he couldn't even move.
"You...
Yes!
Yes...
What did you do...
to me...
Why...
Why can't I move..." His words trailed off.
Within the scene, Granny Qinghua, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends, and Profound Heart Dao Venerable were all, without exception, greatly alarmed. Upon hearing that Fenglie Weirdo couldn't even move, they instinctively retreated. Even Immortal Official An Ran and the veiled woman, their expressions shifting uncertainly, also stepped back.
Facing the mysterious and eerie Gu Qingfeng here, a sense of fear welled up in their hearts.
"Ah!
! Gu, you bastard!
Go die!"
Suddenly!
The Little Turtle, which had been stubbornly biting Gu Qingfeng's finger, let out a furious roar. The watery-black radiance shimmering around its body inexplicably turned a bloody crimson.
Gu Qingfeng immediately felt a piercing pain shoot from his finger throughout his entire body. In an instant, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"You little brat!
You really were holding back!"
Gu Qingfeng pinched the Little Turtle's neck, exerting force, and sneered, "But did you really think I'd be so easy to swallow?"
"Gu, you bastard!
I'm going to tear you apart!"
The bloody crimson radiance around the Little Turtle gradually spread from Gu Qingfeng's finger, enveloping his entire body.
Suddenly, a roar as if from the primordial chaos echoed in Gu Qingfeng's mind, shaking his spirit and causing him mental distress. Gu Qingfeng grunted, taking two steps back, his expression immediately turning serious. That roar just now had been truly terrifying.
In the distance.
The Hei Feng Twin Fiends and the others, who had been lurking nearby waiting for an opportunity, didn't know what had happened, but they could see that Gu Qingfeng had suffered a heavy blow. His previous nonchalance was gone, his ease vanished. His face had turned slightly pale, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. And as the bloody crimson radiance grew denser, his complexion grew even paler. Even the arm holding the Little Turtle's head trembled slightly.
This was a perfect opportunity to strike!
The Hei Feng Twin Fiends immediately sent a secret message to Granny Qinghua, who nodded in agreement, having the same thought. She then sent a message to An Ran and the veiled woman. However, this time, the two still did not respond, only staring intently at Gu Qingfeng.
"If Immortal Official An Ran and that mysterious woman don't act, relying solely on the three of us might be..." Granny Qinghua hesitated.
Although the Hei Feng Twin Fiends also knew this was somewhat rash and risky, they knew even better that if they missed this golden opportunity, they might never get another chance to obtain this rare Mystic Turtle Beast.
They were evil cultivators.
Their Nascent Souls were also somewhat turbid.
They dared not undergo transformation.
But if they obtained this Mystic Turtle Beast, the situation would be completely different.
They yearned to grow stronger, to drink the Mystic Turtle Beast's blood and possess the indestructible Bedrock Physique and the unstoppable Absolute Force.
At the same time, they also knew.
If they acted and failed to kill him with one strike, death might await them.
What to do?
Should they risk it?
Should they gamble?
The hearts of the Hei Feng Twin Fiends churned with intense struggle.
However, at that moment, a violet-tinged flame seemed to ignite around Gu Qingfeng, instantly burning away the bloody crimson radiance enveloping him.
Whoosh!
The same violet-tinged flame ignited in Gu Qingfeng's palm, burning the Little Turtle.
"You little brat!
If I don't teach you a lesson, you really won't know your place!"
The violet-tinged flame burned the Little Turtle, also dispersing and destroying the bloody crimson radiance around it.
The little creature cried out in pain!
"Ah!
! What kind of fire is this!
It hurts!
It hurts so much..." The Little Turtle writhed in agony in Gu Qingfeng's palm.
Indeed!
What kind of fire was this!
No one knew.
"I was wrong!
Wrong...
I don't dare anymore!
I really don't dare anymore!
!!"
"Lord Gu, Ancestor Gu, please be magnanimous and spare me!
I don't dare anymore!"
Finally!
The Little Turtle was afraid, utterly terrified. It finally realized that if it kept resisting like this, it might be finished.
"I...
I shouldn't have run around...
Shouldn't have...
Shouldn't have ignored your warning, sir...
I...
I know I was wrong!
I won't dare anymore, I won't run around anymore!"
"Ah!
— I can't take it!"
"I'm dying...
I'm going to be burned to death..." Gu Qingfeng looked at the Little Turtle writhing in pain in his palm and said, "I gave you face, but you didn't want it. Since that's the case, go inside and suffer. I've been wanting to taste what roasted turtle tastes like!"
With that, he directly tossed the Little Turtle into his storage bag, letting it endure the burning of the Nine Nethers Flame.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. His slightly pale cheeks gradually regained color. Opening his eyes, he glanced at his finger, bitten by the Little Turtle, which was now bleeding.
Shaking his head, he picked up his wine gourd, washed the injured finger, and said softly, "Well now, you all still haven't given up? Still thinking about snatching my pet?"
Granny Qinghua knew the opportunity had passed and naturally dared not act. At the same time, she felt fortunate she hadn't been blinded by greed earlier. If she had listened to the Hei Feng Twin Fiends and acted, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She said solemnly, "Young Lord Chiyan, this old woman did not attempt to seize it."
"Not acting doesn't mean you weren't thinking about it."
Gu Qingfeng took a piece of cloth from his storage bag and wrapped his injured finger. Looking at Granny Qinghua, he smiled and said, "Am I right?"
"Young Lord Chiyan, earlier this old woman did not know that Mystic Turtle Beast was your pet. I thought it was ownerless, hence my attempt to seize it. After learning it belonged to you, Young Lord, I gave up."
"Is that so?"
Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly. "Then what was the meaning of your secret message to those two just now?"
"What!"
Granny Qinghua hadn't expected her secret message to be discovered. In her mind, this was simply impossible.
"If I heard correctly, you urged them to kill me and share my pet?"
"You..." Granny Qinghua immediately panicked, her Nascent Soul power erupting within her. At the same time, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends nearby, sensing trouble and fearing they'd be implicated, immediately fled, vanishing in a flash.
"Running where? Get back here!
!"