The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu

Chapter 122: Shocking Change

Naturally, Pit No. 1 for Gu battles wouldn't be left empty. As soon as two participants exited, Long Wanli immediately shouted to the crowd below, "Long Ziyan, Long Long, step into Pit No. 1."

The moment his words fell, the crowd's spirits lifted once again. Long Ziyan was the top genius of the family and a strong contender to win this Gu battle tournament. Her high status, combined with her striking beauty, naturally drew everyone's attention to her upcoming battle.

As a result, all eyes turned back to Pit No. 1, eagerly anticipating the next Gu battle.

At this moment, Long Xuan also perked up, focusing his attention on Pit No. 1. He had long been curious about the types of Gu insects Long Ziyan possessed, and now he had the perfect chance to find out.

However, just as his interest was piqued, Long Long suddenly raised his hand and, in a rather spineless manner, declared, "I surrender!" Long Xuan was stunned on the spot.

So cowardly?

The rest of the crowd was equally caught off guard, feeling stifled and frustrated. They all looked at Long Long with disdain, silently cursing him for being such a coward.

Long Long noticed the contemptuous looks from the crowd but merely sneered inwardly. He wasn't stupid—why fight a battle that was destined to be lost? It was better to conserve his strength and focus all his efforts on the next fight.

If he were to fight the top genius and end up with severely injured Gu insects, losing the next match would be inevitable. That would be truly foolish.

With no more excitement to watch here, Long Xuan shifted his gaze to other battle pits. By now, the other pits had already begun their matches. Various types of Gu insects clashed with each other, creating chaos within the pits, and the battles were incredibly intense.

Gu Masters stood outside the pits, loudly directing their battles with intense emotions. This kind of game was indeed highly entertaining, and even Long Xuan found himself getting absorbed in the spectacle.

Each Gu Master's insect varied in strength and numbers, and it was common to see situations where fewer insects faced off against more but still miraculously secured victory.

Some participants were tactical geniuses. Although their Gu weren't particularly strong, they could cleverly combine the insects' abilities and use a bit of strategy to achieve unexpected victories against much stronger opponents. Even Long Xuan was thoroughly impressed by these battles.

No wonder so many people enjoyed watching others' Gu battles. The chaotic skirmishes of the Gu insects provided both visual thrills and a mental challenge in devising strategies. It was a game that tested wisdom, making it addictive for participants and spectators alike.

Moreover, this game offered many learning opportunities. Participants in the Gu battles could hone their practical combat experience, while spectators could learn strategies to apply to their own Gu insects systems.

Although Long Xuan prided himself on his intelligence and strategic acumen, he actually didn't like to overthink things. Using one's brain was too exhausting for him. He preferred to simply unleash a horde of peak-grade Gu insects and crush his opponents with overwhelming power, resolving the battle in a straightforward and brutal manner.

In the face of absolute strength, tactics and strategies were useless. He couldn't be bothered to rack his brain during a fight; nurturing his Gu insects to be the strongest was the true path to victory.

Next, his clones entered several more Gu pits, but relying on his massive swarm of bees, he overwhelmed his opponents with sheer numbers, securing victories in a devastating manner almost every time.

While it's true that Earth Masters could withstand the ice needles of Ice Bees, one mustn't forget that Long Xuan also possessed an Earth Master.

Moreover, his Earth Master was the very first Earth Master ever born—the ancestor of all Earth Masters of the Long clan, the largest and most powerful of its kind.

His Earth Master underwent a evolution by consuming high-grade Spirit Soil, making it the strongest among all Earth Masters in the Long clan.

If it came down to a one-on-one duel between Earth Masters, who could possibly compete with his?

There were indeed people who thought of using an Earth Master's defense to withstand the Ice Bees' attacks, but they were all beaten up by Long Xuan's ancestor Earth Master and quickly became docile.

Eventually, whenever anyone faced him, they would surrender immediately, having lost the courage to challenge the ancestor Earth Master.

Of course, sweeping the battlefield with just a swarm of bees and an Earth Master wasn't realistic either.

Many could counter his swarm and Earth Master, such as Long Ziyan and those geniuses who possessed peak-grade Gu insects.

But these individuals were few and far between. Whenever Long Xuan encountered a tough opponent, he would simply surrender.

He wasn't aiming for first place—just staying in the top 20 was enough for him. He didn't mind losing a few matches here and there.

As time passed, more and more matches in the Gu battle tournament concluded, and before he knew it, it was already midday.

For all this time, Long Xuan had been fixated on Long Ziyan, eager to see what kind of Gu insects she would use. However, to his surprise, the opportunity never came. Every Long clan Gu Master who faced her surrendered before the fight even began.

Long Ziyan had been standing there the entire time without moving. She hadn't fought a single battle but had already advanced to the first place effortlessly. This was absurd—was this senior sister really that terrifying? Long Xuan was stunned.

In reality, most of Long Ziyan's opponents, like Long Long, didn't dare to let their Gu insects get injured. The Gu battle tournament was a round-robin competition, where the more matches one won, the higher their ranking. Hence, participants had to fight countless matches in a day.

If their Gu insects were severely injured, they would lose subsequent matches due to a lack of fighting strength. The cost was simply too high, and no one could afford it.

So, not only when facing the top genius Long Ziyan, but whenever they faced any unbeatable opponent, most people would choose to surrender outright.

This made the Gu battle tournament progress rapidly, and soon it was time for the midday break.

At this moment, Long Xuan was finally matched with a new opponent—a participant named Long Chen.

However, when Long Xuan saw this opponent, he was suddenly taken aback, genuinely startled.

This was because the progress bar for this person didn't appear above his head but was displayed in the center of his forehead. Long Xuan had never seen such a thing before, and for some reason, a chilling sensation crept over him.

There had to be a reason for this strange occurrence—it couldn't be random.

When he noticed that this person's progress was displayed to four decimal places, he was first stunned and then felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

This wasn't the progress of a Gu Master in the Marrow Cleansing stage—it resembled more of a insect's progress. Could it be that this person's brain had already been devoured by a insect?

So, the progress displayed belonged to the insect, not the person. This person was already dead, and it was the insect controlling this corpse. This person was neither dead nor alive, which is why the progress bar appeared in the center of his forehead rather than above his head.

Long Xuan's eyes widened in shock as this thought horrified him, sending chills down his spine.

What was this? Could it be that this was an infiltrator planted by an external clan within the Long clan? But this method of infiltration was far too terrifying!

He quickly examined this person's face and eyes, noticing that the man wore a faint smile and had bright, spirited eyes.

From his appearance, he seemed like a living person, and his eyes didn't resemble those of a corpse. But this person was indeed dead. If it weren't for Long Xuan's unique abilities, he would never have imagined that this was actually a corpse.

This insect was incredibly adept at disguising itself. Not only had it acquired the person's memories, but it had also likely inherited all of his abilities. No one could detect its deception. If not for Long Xuan's special ability, he might have been fooled as well.

Long Xuan felt a deep apprehension toward this insect. Who sent this insect? What were their intentions in infiltrating the Long family? And what purpose did they have in participating in this Gu Battle Tournament?

It was certainly unlikely to be anything good. Long Xuan's eyes darted around. Any trouble in the Long family would only bring him harm, not benefit. This was something he couldn't just stand by and ignore.

However, he couldn't think of a way to expose this person without revealing his own secrets.

As he furrowed his brow in contemplation, the battle between his clone and the other person had already ended. It was this Long Chen who conceded, leaving Long Xuan's clone unable to gauge his true strength. It seemed that this person was also participating in the Gu Battle Tournament just to secure a spot in the top twenty, much like Long Xuan, who wasn't concerned about rankings.

As he watched the man's departing figure, Long Xuan deliberated before heading toward the one who had been shouting the loudest—Long Lie.

At this moment, Long Lie was showing off his peak-grade Gu insect, the (Fiery)Lie Gu. A crowd of onlookers surrounded him, all showing expressions of envy. Long Lie's laughter was unceasing, and his heart was filled with immense satisfaction.

Long Xuan walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a meaningful look before heading toward a secluded corner.

Long Lie was momentarily stunned, unsure why Long Xuan had called him over, but he still followed.

Once they were away from the crowd, Long Xuan looked at him and got straight to the point: "I discovered a spy from another clan who has infiltrated our clan. I overheard that he intends to harm our clan's Sacred Tree, but I couldn't catch the details, and I have no evidence of his collusion with the enemy."

"Without evidence, can the clan forcibly investigate someone just based on a report?"

Even though he didn't know what this insect was up to, since it risked exposure by participating in the Gu Battle Tournament without being fixated on rankings, its objective was most likely related to the Sacred Tree. Long Xuan didn't believe that the lie he had concocted would wrongfully accuse him.

Hearing this, Long Lie instantly showed a serious expression, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"No evidence? Without evidence, doing anything would be against the rules. Besides, for a clever spy, it's very difficult to find anything incriminating."

"Don’t end up failing to bring him down, and instead, get yourself accused of making a false report. That would only drag you down," Long Lie said sternly.

"Of course, I understand that. That's why I came to you. My point is, I won't take the risk, but you should report him. Even if it turns out to be a false report, the clan won't do anything to a Spiritual Sea stage Gu Master like you," Long Xuan said.

Long Lie slowly turned his head toward him, eyes wide with bewilderment. Well, well, so this is the reason he called me over. He knew there was nothing good about being summoned so mysteriously.

He's cunning, hiding away while pushing me to the forefront. How is he so devious, with a mind full of schemes?

"Don't say I'm setting you up. If you really succeed in reporting him, you'll have done a great service and could receive a huge contribution. This might not be a bad thing for you—it could even be a good thing," Long Xuan coaxed.

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