Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Remaining Fragments

Before Gu Liuyun even had time to rejoice, a formidable aura surged like a tidal wave, enclosing him from all directions.

A premonition of danger pierced through his entire body like an electric current. "You want to seize my possessions? In your wildest dreams!" Gu Liuyun let out a cold snort, his eyes as sharp as blades. He gripped the fragment tightly in his hand, as if holding the entire world within his grasp.

As his voice faded, a dozen figures clad in black emerged from the shadows, each exuding a chilling and murderous aura.

They surrounded Gu Liuyun completely. Their leader, a burly man with a ferocious grin on his face, sneered, "Kid, if you know what's good for you, hand over the fragment, and you might spare yourself some physical agony!"

"Just based on you bunch of pathetic weaklings?" Gu Liuyun scoffed with utter disdain, spiritual energy surging within him, ready for battle at a moment's notice.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" With a furious roar, the burly man initiated the attack, followed closely by the rest of the assassins as various magical instruments and talismans rained down upon Gu Liuyun.

Caught in the center of the encirclement, Gu Liuyun remained completely unfazed.

Moving with ghost-like agility, he dodged nimbly while the fragment in his hand flashed with brilliance, forming a protective barrier that deflected all incoming attacks effortlessly.

"Trifling tricks!" He sneered, striking back with a single palm hit. The violent surge of spiritual energy blew one of the assassins away.

"Manman, Jiaojiao, be careful!" While fighting, Gu Liuyun did not forget to remind the two women.

Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao had also fallen into a fierce battle. Although their cultivation levels were formidable, facing the siege of numerous assassins gradually began to wear them down.

Ye Manman cast a seductive glance and gave a sharp cry, her long whip dancing like a spiritual snake to drive back the approaching attackers.

Chen Jiaojiao, blessed with a fiery temper, threw punches with a howling wind, each strike carrying tremendous might.

The battle grew increasingly intense, and a dangerous atmosphere permeated the air.

Fighting multiple opponents at once, Gu Liuyun remained at ease, but given the overwhelming number of foes and the prolonged clash, he could not help but feel a slight strain.

At that very moment, the burly man suddenly pulled out a black magical artifact that radiated a bizarre aura.

"Kid, prepare to meet your maker!" He grinned hideously, aiming the artifact straight at Gu Liuyun.

"You think you can use this junk to deal with me? You underestimate me far too much!" The spiritual energy within Gu Liuyun's Dantian recovered at an astonishing speed. His fatigue vanished instantly, replaced by infinite strength.

Before the villainous burly man could react, Gu Liuyun's figure had already vanished from where he stood.

"Where is he?" The leader looked around in doubt and alarm, only to find that Gu Liuyun had materialized right behind him.

"Are you looking for me?" Gu Liuyun's voice rang in his ear like a demonic whisper from the abyss.

The burly man was instantly chilled to the bone. Before he could react, a sharp pain struck his back, and his entire body was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string.

"Boss!" The other assassins cried out in alarm upon seeing this.

"A pack of trash, yet you dare to act presumptuous before me!" Gu Liuyun's eyes were icy, gazing down upon the remaining assassins as if they were mere ants.

Moving like lightning, every single one of his strikes was ruthlessly precise, hitting the vital points of the enemy.

The villains were beaten without the slightest power to fight back, and screams echoed continuously.

Acting like a god of war, Gu Liuyun wove through the crowd of black-clad men, and with every move he made, another enemy fell.

Standing on the sidelines, Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao watched in absolute astonishment. Ye Manman parted her red lips and murmured softly, "Liuyun... he is so strong..." Chen Jiaojiao wore a look of wild excitement, waving her small fists and shouting, "Go for it, Liuyun! Beat these bastards to death!" Their absolute trust in Gu Liuyun filled them with certainty that he would triumph over these villains.

This trust transformed into a potent surge of energy, infusing Gu Liuyun's body and making him even more invincible.

Watching his subordinates fall one by one, the burly man turned ashen-faced. Gritting his teeth, he stared at Gu Liuyun and snarled, "Kid, you are strong, but do you really think this is enough to win?" He pulled a black bead from his robe, which radiated a bizarre and eerie aura.

"Hmph, cheap tricks." Gu Liuyun smiled contemptuously. "Whatever other moves you have, bring them on!"

The burly man said nothing more; he simply crushed the black bead in his hand.

The instant the black bead shattered, a thick, billowing black mist instantly spread, filling the air with a rotting stench that induced nausea.

As if endowed with life, the black mist rapidly coiled around Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao, binding them tightly in place.

"Hahaha! Kid, let's see you act arrogant now!" Regaining his complacency, the burly man pointed at Gu Liuyun and laughed wildly, "If you want them to live, obediently hand over the fragment!"

Gu Liuyun's expression darkened instantly, resembling a gloomy storm cloud obscuring a clear sky.

He could sense that the dark mist contained malevolent energy, slowly eroding the bodies of Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao.

A surge of fury erupted from the depths of his chest like a volcanic eruption, threatening to consume him entirely.

His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles popped loudly.

"You are courting death!" Gu Liuyun's voice sounded as though it were squeezed from the deepest recesses of his throat, brimming with boundless murderous intent.

The spiritual energy inside him surged wildly like roaring dragons, ready to tear everything before him into pieces at any moment.

However, he had to rescue Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao first; otherwise, everything else would be meaningless.

Just as the burly man assumed victory was within his grasp, Gu Liuyun suddenly cracked a smile, a trace of evil charm hidden within it. "Tsk, trying to play dirty tricks with me? You are still too green!"

Instead of handing over the fragment as demanded, he gripped it firmly in his palm, and his body vanished like an arrow released from a taut bow string.

Before the burly man could even register what happened, a blur flashed before his eyes, and Gu Liuyun was already standing right in front of the black mist.

"Space-time distortion!" Gu Liuyun whispered a low command, his palm glowing with an uncanny light.

An invisible force instantly tore through the constraints of the black mist. Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao felt the heavy pressure lift from their bodies as they regained their freedom instantly.

"What?!" The burly man's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He never imagined that Gu Liuyun possessed such a trick.

His face was painted with shock and reluctance.

Gu Liuyun did not give him any time to catch his breath. The moment he rescued the two women, he struck backward with a single palm. The violent spiritual energy sent the burly man hurtling backward to crash heavily against the wall.

Terrified out of their wits by the spectacle, the remaining assassins scattered in all directions to flee.

"Trying to run? Not that easy!" Gu Liuyun sneered, his figure darting like a ghost as he caught up in the blink of an eye. Following a few miserable shrieks, all the assassins lay flat on the ground, completely incapacitated.

He scooped up the scattered fragments of the black bead from the floor. Although those items carried evil properties, they still contained a trace of unique energy that could slightly replenish the spiritual power he had consumed.

"Hoo—" Gu Liuyun exhaled a breath of stale air slowly. As his internal spiritual energy circulated, he realized his cultivation had made further progress.

He now felt like a fully charged battery, ready to unleash even more formidable power at any second.

He glanced at Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao. Although lingering traces of shock remained on their faces, far more dominant were their worship and adoration for him.

"It's over now. With me here, no one will ever hurt you again." Gu Liuyun offered a gentle smile. The formidable aura around him vanished instantly, transforming him back into the tender and considerate boy-next-door.

Just as Gu Liuyun was about to speak further, he suddenly sensed a strange surge of energy moving within him, as if guiding him forward...

Narrowing his eyes, he thought to himself, "This energy... Could it be..."