He intended to act and kill the gu snake, but he knew in his heart that he was just an ordinary person, frail and sickly, powerless to do anything.

At this very moment, he felt all the more how weak and helpless he was.

If the Lu Ya inheritance hadn’t lacked cultivation methods, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

“Go!”

In the courtyard, Ethan Woods reached into his robe and flung out several talisman papers.

Those talismans looked quite ordinary, pale yellow in color, with cinnabar as ink, forming red patterns.

Yet after Ethan Woods threw them, they actually made a sound as they cut through the air, incomparably sharp.

Henry Sutton could see clearly that Ethan Woods’s technique was somewhat like a flicking motion, but seemed even more skillful and sharp—probably a kind of hidden weapon technique.

Seeing this, the man in the black robe suddenly retreated, seemingly a bit apprehensive.

To ordinary people, it was just a few talisman papers flying over; even if Ethan Woods’s technique was impressive, it couldn’t hurt anyone.

But to cultivators, it was a different story.

Henry Sutton had received the Daoist Lord’s inheritance, so he could be considered half a cultivator and could see the clues.

These talismans contained the mysteries of the temple; if an ordinary person was struck by them, nothing would happen, but if a cultivator with true qi or magical power inside was hit, the talisman would ignite, as if struck by lightning.

If the man in black hadn’t retreated, the talisman would have stuck to him and ignited his true qi, bursting forth with thunder and fire, like a bolt of lightning.

“The old man does have some skill, hiding so many spirit talismans.”

The man in black snorted and lunged forward, saying, “With your old bones, how much can you really do?”

Ethan Woods raised his broom and met him head-on, swinging it with surprising vigor for his age.

Watching Ethan Woods wield the broom, his movements were extraordinary, completely different from his usual appearance.

In an instant, the two became locked in combat.

The man in black used a dagger.

Ethan Woods used a broom.

The dagger was sharp and would injure on contact.

But the broom had already been sprinkled with temple incense ash, which, to a practitioner of gu, was as deadly as a weapon.

For a while, neither could gain the upper hand.

But Henry Sutton understood that Ethan Woods was, after all, elderly, and this stalemate could not last long.

Sure enough, after just two exchanges, the man in black was struck on the sleeve by the broom, his black sleeve torn into countless strips, and the skin beneath was covered in wounds.

But his dagger also left a light cut on Ethan Woods’s chest.

“Old man, hand over the person and I’ll spare your miserable life.”

The man in black suddenly spoke, seeming to take a step back.

Ethan Woods’s face was expressionless, giving nothing away.

But Henry Sutton’s heart suddenly tightened—if Ethan Woods agreed, wouldn’t that be a disaster?

However, before anyone could react to the man in black’s words, a sudden sound rang out.

A streak of black light shot up, heading straight for the back of Ethan Woods’s neck.

It wasn’t just black light.

It was a long, jet-black snake!

A gu snake!

Chapter Six: Sudden Upheaval!

The gu snake shot out like a beam of light, as fast as lightning.

Even in Henry Sutton’s eyes, it was just a flash.

“Despicable!”

Henry Sutton showed a look of shock.

In that instant, it was as if everything fell silent.

The scene passed in a flash.

Then, in Henry Sutton’s eyes, he saw Ethan Woods’s hand already protecting the back of his neck.

And that gu snake was coiled around his arm.

The gu snake was as thick as Ethan Woods’s arm, pitch black all over, its scales gleaming with a cold, menacing light that inspired fear at a glance.

Henry Sutton couldn’t help but hold his breath, his heart heavy.

Ethan Woods had his back to them; Henry Sutton couldn’t see his face or know his expression, but in such a situation, he imagined Ethan Woods couldn’t possibly be smiling.

“Old man, did you really think I was afraid of you?”

The man in black actually paused his attack, stepped back two paces, and said coldly, “The snake gu was bestowed by my master, its poison is deadly. One bite and you’re doomed… Even with the temple’s incense power protecting you, you won’t last long.”

He flicked his sleeve, and from beneath his hood, his eyes seemed to flash with light as he said, “Today I’ll show you Central Plains cultivators the might of my Northern Domain’s gu magic.”

“This is bad,” Henry Sutton thought anxiously.

“Despicable…” Ethan Woods gritted his teeth and staggered back more than ten steps, falling into the main hall.

“Ethan Woods.” Henry Sutton hurried forward, trying to help Ethan Woods up.

“Get the poison!” Ethan Woods suddenly shouted, his voice full and strong, and with a backhand motion, pinned the gu snake to the ground.

……

The situation suddenly reversed.

Ethan Woods, who had seemed weak and powerless as the gu snake coiled around him, suddenly became incredibly fierce, overpowering the gu snake.

The man in black in the courtyard was suddenly stunned.

Henry Sutton was momentarily dazed.

In an instant, they both understood what was going on.

Damn, a true master hides his strength… Henry Sutton didn’t have time to marvel at Ethan Woods’s superb acting, and quickly fetched the prepared black dog’s blood and brought it over.

He saw Ethan Woods, using all his strength, press the gu snake into a basin of black dog’s blood with great effort.

The gu snake, which had been so powerful, instantly lost all its strength upon touching the black dog’s blood, becoming as limp as a soft rope.