She wasn't afraid of Zhang Yang alone, merely at the mid-stage of the third layer. With her lifetime of accumulated experience coupled with her Gu insects, she was confident in capturing or even killing him.
But now there was a spirit beast of unknown strength added to the equation. Zhang Yang wasn't unarmed either; he produced a divine weapon whose power she couldn't fathom, which immediately gave her a bad feeling.
And then there was Long Feng.
This young master, late stage of the second layer of Internal Strength, was someone she hadn't taken seriously. There was a fundamental, qualitative gap between the third and second layers; she had no concern for Long Feng.
However, with a spirit beast present, and Zhang Yang possessing strength equal to her own, she could no longer afford to be dismissive.
It was like an adult who wasn't worried about a child, even if that child held a knife. But if another adult was engaging that adult, he couldn't possibly overlook the child with the knife.
A single slip, and that child could deliver a fatal blow.
Long Feng was that child who could strike her. The Snow Whip in his hand was no mere ornament, and now the old hag was vexed, regretting not eliminating Long Feng from the start, leaving this hazard behind.
Zhang Yang held the Dragon-Devouring Dagger, his eyes fixed coldly on the old hag.
This old hag was the strongest cultivator he had encountered thus far. Humans, unlike spirit beasts, required far more variables to consider in combat.
“Chirps!”
Lightning jumped first, flying toward the old hag like its namesake.
After consuming the Essence Blood Pill, Lightning’s strength had also increased significantly. It wasn't a brute force spirit beast, but its agility had grown considerably.
And its poison—even a master at the third layer of Internal Strength couldn't withstand it.
“Swish! Swish!”
The old hag hurriedly brandished her Ghost Head Staff, weaving an impenetrable net of defense around herself to block Lightning.
Lightning’s speed was simply too fast; even she had to be cautious.
“Chirps!”
Lightning darted about, still crying out, while Long Feng’s Snow Whip began to move, attacking the old hag from a distance.
Zhang Yang also stepped forward, taking his Dragon-Devouring Dagger to engage the old hag in close combat.
Lightning, Zhang Yang, and Long Feng—the two humans and one beast—had long since established a tacit understanding. The moment they joined forces, they exerted considerable pressure on the old hag, forcing her to use her full strength just to cope.
“Squeak squeak!”
Another small rat darted in from outside. This one looked very similar to the earlier Treasure-Seeking Rat, except its skin had turned black, making it appear unremarkable.
This was Shadowless. It had found a mud pit outside and rolled in it vigorously.
The mud on its fur had mostly fallen off, but its ears were stuffed with sludge—a method it devised to block the old hag's sonic attacks.
As for its entirely black fur, that was a change brought about by the environment, not the gray mud.
“Clang! Clang!”
Zhang Yang’s dagger struck the old hag’s Ghost Head Staff repeatedly. Initially, Zhang Yang worried the Dragon-Devouring Dagger might sustain damage, but after several impacts, his mind settled.
Even a replica, the Dragon-Devouring Dagger was far superior to ordinary divine weapons. The Ghost Head Staff was already showing cracks, yet his dagger remained completely unharmed.
With this discovery, Zhang Yang naturally lost all apprehension. Wielding the Dragon-Devouring Dagger, he continuously pressed the assault on the old hag.
The pressure on the old hag was indeed immense now; fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
Long Feng’s soft whip and Zhang Yang’s dagger were enough to sow panic.
But the greatest pressure came from the constantly darting Lightning. Its speed was blinding. Although she hadn't been bitten, she had been clawed several times.
Lightning’s claws weren't poisonous, but a few scratches still hurt intensely. The places where she’d been scratched were stinging and burning.
“Thwack!”
Long Feng’s Snow Whip finally found an opening and struck the old hag once. The barbs on the tip of the whip pierced her body, sending up a spray of crimson mist.
By this point, the old hag was streaked with blood, looking utterly disheveled.
Even the old hag hadn't anticipated such an outcome. She had expected two younglings she could easily manipulate, but now they had become terrifying reapers of souls.
Had she known these two young men possessed such strength, she never would have succumbed to greed in the first place, leading to this disaster.
The old hag truly regretted her initial arrogance.
However, if given a chance to restart, she likely would have done the same thing—human greed was inherent, and she couldn't resist the temptation that Zhang Yang and Long Feng represented.
“Bang!”
Exploiting the opening provided by Long Feng’s whip strike, Zhang Yang parried her Ghost Head Staff with the Dragon-Devouring Dagger, simultaneously slamming his left palm heavily onto her shoulder.
The old hag staggered back seven or eight steps, a bitter taste rising in her throat, and she immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
This wasn't over. Lightning followed Zhang Yang’s lead, perfectly executing the tactic of capitalizing on an opponent’s weakness. As the old hag struggled to regain her footing, Lightning leaped onto her body with lightning speed and sank its jaws in for a bite.
After biting, Lightning immediately retreated, hopping onto Zhang Yang’s shoulder.
The moment Lightning pounced, the old hag felt a sense of doom, but Lightning’s speed was too swift; she couldn't stop it in time.
Where Lightning had bitten, a tingling, numbing sensation immediately spread. The old hag instantly realized she had been poisoned.
She staggered back several more steps, retreating directly to the high platform. In haste, she pulled out various bottles and jars, pouring pills into her mouth—these were her self-made detoxification pills.
After consecutively taking several types of antidote pills, her complexion changed again, turning extremely grim.
Even after taking the medicine, the itching and numbness hadn't subsided; in fact, it had worsened. This confirmed to her that her detoxification pills were useless against Lightning’s venom.
She examined Lightning closely for a few moments, and a bitter look washed over her face.
She looked up at Zhang Yang, her eyes filled with infinite resentment, and whispered hoarsely, “Fox-Tailed Sable?”
At last, she recognized Lightning’s identity: the Fox-Tailed Sable, one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, and a very potent adult one at that. Having been poisoned by a Fox-Tailed Sable, she understood her fate.
“Since you recognize Lightning as a Fox-Tailed Sable, you should know you cannot cure its poison. Tell me the method for removing the Gu, and I will spare your life!”
Zhang Yang nodded slowly, ceasing his attack.
The old hag was absolutely no match for their combined force. Together, they might even overwhelm a late-stage third-layer master, let alone the mid-stage third-layer old hag.
“Zhang Yang!”
Long Feng frowned slightly and called out softly.
This old hag was clearly narrow-minded and vindictive; letting her go would only create future trouble.
Long Feng didn't believe she would behave herself and cease being their enemy.
“It’s fine, I have it under control!” Zhang Yang lightly shook his head at him.
He knew the old hag would never give up, which was why he only promised to spare her life, not guarantee anything else.
Zhang Yang could easily cripple her Internal Strength, turning her into an ordinary person, and then use various charges to have her thrown into prison. Without support and internal power, she couldn't stir up any trouble in prison, and Zhang Yang would have fulfilled his promise by giving her a chance to live.
Seeing the calm look in Zhang Yang’s eyes, Long Feng nodded silently.
He didn't know Zhang Yang’s exact plan, but he trusted Zhang Yang wouldn't leave loose ends.
Long Feng was just one person; the old hag wouldn't dare target the Long Family or the Xuanyuan Clan. Zhang Yang was different; he still had many friends in the mundane world. If Zhang Yang wasn't worried, Long Feng wouldn't be either.
“Heh heh!”
The old hag suddenly let out a sinister laugh, fresh blood clinging to her lips, making her look incredibly ferocious.
Several disciples stood nearby, but none dared to act. If their master was defeated, they were certainly no match. They could only wait now; their master’s failure meant they had also failed, and they awaited Zhang Yang’s judgment upon them.
“Is that friend of yours very important to you?”
The old hag grinned, her eyes burning with even deeper venom.
A familiar sense of unease stirred in Zhang Yang’s heart; the old hag’s demeanor was strange.
Zhang Yang frowned and said softly, “That is none of your concern. If you want to live, tell me the method for removing the Gu immediately!”
“Live? Do you think this old body is a three-year-old child? You can’t let me go, can you?”
Saying this, the old hag burst into wild laughter, questioning him frantically. Having been poisoned by Lightning, she knew only one outcome awaited her. Her internal energy was deep, allowing her to resist the poison for a little longer, but at most, another hour.
She had basically given up on survival. Being despicable and treacherous, she projected those traits onto others. She couldn't believe Zhang Yang would truly let her go.
With no hope left, only revenge remained in her heart.
“But I can tell you the method for removing the Gu. The body-scraping Gu worm is easy to deal with. Place the flower of the Dragon-Guiding Grass on your person, and then use ordinary Gu luring techniques to draw the worm out. Every one of my disciples knows the Gu luring method!”
The old hag spoke slowly, and Zhang Yang’s brow furrowed slightly.
Dragon-Guiding Grass—a term he, belonging to the lineage of the Medical Saint, had never even heard of.
However, when Qu Meilan and the other disciples heard the name 'Dragon-Guiding Grass,' their faces changed dramatically, all looking fearful.
“Where is the Dragon-Guiding Grass?”
Zhang Yang couldn't be certain if she was telling the truth, but he couldn't discard the lead. He asked again.
“The Dragon-Guiding Grass is on the nearby Dragon-Guiding Mountain. I don't have any here. If you want it, go pick it yourselves, ha ha!”
As she spoke, the old hag suddenly thrust out her hand, and dozens of Gu insects, varied in appearance, flew rapidly toward Zhang Yang and the others. This time, she released at least several dozen.
That wasn't all; she continued to move her body, sending out several dozen more Gu insects. Simultaneously, she channeled all her internal energy and rushed toward Zhang Yang and the others from behind the swarm of insects.