Earth and rock splashed, smoke and dust billowed up.
Bai Ning Bing was hurled to the ground by the explosion, but she flipped back up like a koi carp and stood again.
Protected by her Celestial Canopy Gu, she was unharmed, but the Gu inside her aperture was shaken, and the white light phantom armor on her body dimmed by three-tenths.
"What the hell is that?" Bai Ning Bing cursed, narrowing her eyes to look.
In the place of the explosion, a small deep pit had formed, two to three meters in diameter.
Inside the cave, the demonic female Gu Master laughed triumphantly. "Haha! Good! If that didn't blow you to bits, little girl, do you have the guts to charge again?"
"Hmph." Bai Ning Bing snorted coldly. Although she was furious, she wasn't the reckless type.
The explosion just now was blocked by the Celestial Canopy Gu. But if she took a few more hits, the Gu would likely be destroyed.
"What was that technique? An explosive attack that springs from the ground? If I stay off the ground, could I avoid that kind of attack?" Bai Ning Bing pondered. She wasn't stupid. Although she was naive and simple in other ways, she was exceptionally sharp and intelligent when it came to battle.
"I don't have a flight Gu. Jumping forward always involves touching the ground. No, I don't have to assault directly. Her words just now were clearly trying to goad me into charging in, heh."
Thinking up to here, Bai Ning Bing let out a cold laugh. "Do you think you're safe just because you're hiding in the cave entrance? I just need to guard the entrance and I'm not worried about you coming out."
"Hahaha, go ahead and guard. I've prepared a lot of food. The wind and rain outside are harsh. Let's see who lasts longer!" the demonic female Gu Master retorted immediately.
Bai Ning Bing laughed coldly and said nothing. The longer the delay, the more favorable it was for her. Because the demonic female Gu Master was poisoned by the Green Python Toxin, and the longer the time, the weaker she became.
But just then, Fang Yuan cupped his hands towards the demonic female Gu Master. "Meeting by chance in the wild, we were simply passing through. Ah, making things difficult for you is just making things difficult for us. I hope we never meet again. I'll take my leave!"
Saying this, he turned and walked away.
"What are you leaving for? She's just a Rank 3 Gu Master. Once I figure out that explosive technique, we're sure to win!" Bai Ning Bing raised an eyebrow.
Fang Yuan snorted coldly. "You're also Rank 3, and I'm only Rank 1. We need to get going. Don't ask for trouble. Better safe than sorry."
Bai Ning Bing was stunned for a moment, then realized Fang Yuan was putting on a show. Although she didn't know what Fang Yuan was planning, based on her understanding of him, she chose to cooperate with Fang Yuan, deliberately speaking in an angry tone. "You're always such a coward. Ah, forget it. I'll spare your life."
She deeply glanced at the demonic female Gu Master, not hiding her murderous intent. Then, she followed Fang Yuan into the forest and out of the demonic female Gu Master's sight.
After putting enough distance between them, Bai Ning Bing broke the silence first. "That explosive technique of hers isn't a real threat. She didn't use it once during our fight. Only when she retreated into the cave and I stepped on that spot did it explode. I guess it's a Gu she pre-buried, but it can't move. We can lure a herd of wild beasts and use them to charge the cave, testing her methods."
This speech fully revealed Bai Ning Bing's battle genius.
But Fang Yuan just smiled and asked back, "And then what?"
Bai Ning Bing was taken aback.
Fang Yuan squinted his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. "So what if we follow what you said, lure a pack of wild beasts and test her abilities? When she's pushed into a corner, knowing she has no chance of survival, she will definitely fight to the death and try to drag someone down with her. Even if we manage to stay alive, we'll still take some losses."
"Moreover, even if we manage to defeat her in the end, she will definitely adopt the mindset of 'if I can't have it, nobody can' and destroy all her Gu. A Gu Master needs only a single thought to destroy their own Gu. We don't have any countermeasures against that. If we kill her and can't get her Gu, what benefit is there?"
Bai Ning Bing's brow furrowed slightly.
Earlier, they were on guard against this demonic Gu Master out of fear of an ambush, for self-protection. But after the two of them discovered her true situation, their intentions naturally changed— Kill this weakened demonic Gu Master, take her Gu, and strengthen themselves!
Wild Gu were of many types, but those with suitable ranks that were easy to raise were too scarce. The Gu on a Gu Master's body must have been carefully chosen by their owner, taking every aspect into consideration. If they could obtain them, it was much more reliable than capturing wild Gu.
But very few people could take all their enemy's Gu after killing them.
Apart from the losses in battle, a Gu Master could destroy their own Gu with a simple thought. As long as the loser had enough reaction time, they wouldn't leave their Gu for the enemy who killed them.
It wasn't hard to kill this demonic Gu Master. But obtaining her Gu as completely as possible was not easy.
"Don't you have a Plunder Gu on you?" Bai Ning Bing suddenly said.
"A single Plunder Gu is too limited in its effect. It works fine against beasts, but against Gu Masters, it requires strict conditions to succeed." Fang Yuan shook his head.
Bai Ning Bing suddenly thought of something and worriedly asked, "By leaving like this, if we mess it up and let her easily escape, what do we do?"
Fang Yuan laughed loudly and said with a confident tone, "There's no way she'll flee in the short term."
Righteous Gu Masters, whether from family inheritances or sect traditions, all went through a certain degree of training and were of higher quality.
Demonic Gu Masters, on the other hand, were often a mixed bag.
Some were apostates and fugitives from the righteous path, having received training and possessing a solid foundation in Gu Masters. Others were farmers or hunters who had accidentally opened their apertures and obtained some inheritances, practically amateurs.
"This demonic female Gu Master has a vulgar accent, poor battle technique, and lacks survival experience. Every time she camps, she leaves obvious traces. Even when wounded, she doesn't bother to cover up important clues like bloodstains. I judge from her rough, strong build and large hands and feet that she was probably a peasant woman originally. She just got lucky with a small inheritance."