Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Vice Chairman Qian, hold on!”

The sudden voice startled everyone present, as they had never imagined someone would dare interrupt Vice Chairman Qian while he was treating a patient at such a critical moment.

This person was none other than the Vice Chairman of the Meridian Refining Master Association of the Tenglong Continent, with a status much higher than anyone else present, including those elders from the Tenglong Continent.

However, some perceptive individuals had already guessed the identity of the speaker the moment they heard the voice. If there were anyone present who would not fear the status of Vice Chairman Qian, it was likely only one person.

”It really is Yun Xiao!”

When everyone turned their gazes towards where the voice had come, they indeed saw a young man in coarse clothing with a wooden sword on his back, slowly getting up, his eyes fixed intently on something without blinking.

Due to this unexpected voice, Vice Chairman Qian’s arm also stiffened slightly, and he did not immediately crush the blood-colored bug but turned his head with a somewhat strange expression to look at Yun Xiao, who was walking towards him.

Including these two, nobody saw the fleeting surprise in the eyes of Yao Zhiyuan, the branch chairman of the Xuanyue Empire Meridian Refining Master Association.

”Could this youngster really have noticed something?”

Yao Zhiyuan stared at Yun Xiao’s back, mumbling to himself with a hint of schadenfreude. Indeed, the actions of Qian Sanyuan had shown that he had not identified the true cause of the man’s illness.

In fact, Yao Zhiyuan himself was about to speak out to intercede, but now, it seemed like he could now watch an intriguing drama unfold.

”Vice Chairman Qian, if you kill that blood-colored bug, this man might lose his life instantly!”

Yun Xiao didn’t care about the complicated thoughts of Yao Zhiyuan; he earnestly spoke as he walked towards the middle, yet his eyes never left the sight of the blood-colored bug.

”What?”

Hearing Yun Xiao’s words, even though Qian Sanyuan was somewhat skeptical, he retracted his right hand. Perhaps he knew more about Yun Xiao than the other spectators.

Although Qian Sanyuan knew about the troubles Yun Xiao had caused in the Lingtian Empire Meridian Refining Master Guild, these meridian refining masters from various empires coming to the Xuanyue Imperial City were utterly unaware.

This included Nie Qianqiu, the Crown Prince of the Lingtian Empire, who had already left when Yun Xiao had knocked down all the Qihuang Steles.

Thus, when the crowd heard Yun Xiao’s words, their expressions became extremely interesting, and even some older meridian refining masters showed disdain.

Even if Yun Xiao had won the champion of the Hidden Dragon Conference and had a strong sister at the Third Realm of the Heaven Rank, how powerful could his meridian refining skills be at such a young age?

Despite Yun Xiao wearing a badge of a Spirit-grade Advanced Pulse Refining Master, he was questioning someone who was none other than the esteemed Vice Chairman of the Meridian Refining Master Association of the Tenglong Continent, a genuine advanced peak Earth Rank Master.

From the moment Qian Sanyuan took action, the spectators held a mindset of learning by observation, and had never thought that the Vice Chairman could make a mistake.

Now Yun Xiao’s words clearly indicated that Vice Chairman Qian’s action to kill the blood-colored bug was incorrect, and according to Yun Xiao’s implication, Qian Sanyuan’s action was not just wrong but egregiously so, endangering the patient’s life.

Some even felt disappointed; could this youth, who won the Hidden Dragon Conference championship and had a sister at the Third Realm of the Heaven Rank, have become arrogant, thinking his skills in meridian refining surpassed those of the Vice Chairman of the Meridian Refining Master Association?

”Yun Xiao, are you saying that it isn’t this creature consuming this man’s life force that caused his condition?”

Qian Sanyuan didn’t harbor as many thoughts as the spectators. Despite knowing his control over Soul Power far surpassed Yun Xiao’s, his ability in healing might not surpass this young man’s, therefore he directly asked.

The fact that Vice Chairman Qian was not angered but appeared curious shocked the spectators, and at this moment, they were all somewhat eager to hear what Yun Xiao would say.

”Vice Chairman Qian, have you heard about a profession on this continent called ’Gu Master’?”

Yun Xiao turned his head to look at the still squirming blood-colored bug, a specific term flashing across his mind, and he asked that question.

”A Gu Master? Are you referring to those who mysteriously rear Gu bugs?”

It seemed that Qian Sanyuan indeed had heard about the Gu Master profession, as his expression slightly changed the next moment. Pointing to the patient, he said in a serious tone, ”Is this man a Gu Master?”

Qian Sanyuan, while in Tenglong Continent, had heard of the profession of Gu Masters through certain channels, this profession being quite odd and rarely visible in the eyes of cultivators.

It is said that Gu Masters are adept at breeding Gu insects, which bear many similarities to the Meridian Spirits refined by cultivators in the Spirit Vein Realm, yet differ slightly, making them even more mysterious and eerie.

Meridian Spirits can only attack and harm within a certain range, whereas it is rumored that the Gu insects raised by Gu Masters can kill someone thousands of miles away without a trace, and after the assassination, they can return to the Gu Master’s location exactly as they departed, truly miraculous indeed.

”Yun Xiao, do you mean to say that this person was bewitched by a Gu Master? If so, why...”

Thinking this possibility, a trace of confusion appeared on Qian Sanyuan’s face. In his opinion, the blood-colored insect he had forced out was the very Gu used by the Gu Master, responsible for devouring the blood energy of the patient before him.

If that were the case, why wouldn’t extracting and destroying the Gu be the appropriate remedy? Why did Yun Xiao stop him at this critical moment?

”Vice Chairman Qian, you are mistaken!”

Yun Xiao slightly shook his head, then added, ”If I’m not mistaken, this person was not bewitched, but rather... he himself is a Gu Master, and this blood-colored insect should be his Lifebound Blood Gu!”

The voice that spoke with certainty resonated through the entire first floor of the Meridian Refining Master Guild, making it so everyone could hear it clearly. The hall grew even quieter.

Apart from numerous leaders of Tenglong Continent, and some long-established royal families, many had not heard of the profession of Gu Masters, as it was too mysterious and eerie, seldom appearing before cultivators.

Regarding the so-called Gu insects, the onlookers were even less likely to have seen them, because those who had seen them probably wouldn’t live to tell the tale. Thinking about a potential, some of the closer Meridian Refining Masters couldn’t help but step back, fearing being affected by the blood-colored Gu.

”Lifebound Gu?”

Hearing this, Qian Sanyuan frowned, thinking of a possibility, his expression changed dramatically, as he suddenly understood why Yun Xiao had stopped him earlier.

Being bewitched and a Gu Master’s own bred Gu were two entirely different matters. If this indeed was the Gu Master’s Lifebound Gu and Qian Sanyuan had killed it, then as Yun Xiao said, he would have instantly endangered the man’s life.

Thinking of how his wise life almost went away, Qian Yuansan’s gaze involuntarily wandered to a certain place, where an elder looking somewhat embarrassed was present—not the President Yao Zhiyuan of the Xuanyue Empire branch of the Meridian Refining Master Guild then who?

”This old geezer!”

Seeing the expression of Yao Zhiyuan, how could Qian Sanyuan not realize he had been set up? The old man surely knew that the patient was a Gu Master and that there was a Lifebound Blood Gu inside him but had not clarified beforehand, causing him to face such embarrassment.

”As far as I know, many Gu Masters breed their own Lifebound Blood Gu using their blood energy to achieve complete integration with their Lifebound Gu!”

Yun Xiao did not pay attention to Qian Sanyuan’s displeased face, instead closely examining the middle-aged man before him, but in the next moment, his brow furrowed again, having discovered something.

”It seems now, this guy’s Gu feeding technique was probably not inherited from his master; instead, he must have groped on his own or coincidentally found a method of cultivating as a Gu Master, but due to lack of guidance, he suffered backlash from the Lifebound Blood Gu, leading to his current condition!”

Yun Xiao analyzed meticulously, speaking logically and clearly, so much so that even the bystanders no longer doubted, and didn’t you see even Vice President Qian nodding repeatedly?

A young man from Hidden Dragon Continent, whose insight turned out to be more profound than that of the Vice President of the Meridian Refining Master Association of Tenglong Continent, at this moment, people suddenly realized that the Yun Xiao they knew seemed to become unfamiliar again.

This youngster always brought surprises; in addition to his strong Meridian Qi combat ability, his Meridian Refining Technique was also extraordinary. What on earth could this guy not do?

”President Yao Zhiyuan, I wonder if there’s anything wrong with what I said?”

Just as everyone was struck by realization, Yun Xiao suddenly turned around and loudly asked, addressing a certain location, and without looking, the people knew his words were directed at Yao Zhiyuan, the President of the Xuanyue Empire’s branch of the Meridian Refining Master Guild.

”You are right, this man indeed is a Gu Master, and that blood-colored insect is indeed the Lifebound Blood Gu he bred with his own blood. However...”

As he spoke, Yao Zhiyuan’s face turned peculiar as he redirected the conversation, staring at Yun Xiao and said: ”Since Young Master Yun Xiao has such unique insight, I wonder if he could possibly heal this person?”

Yao Zhiyuan completely ignored Vice President Qian’s murderous gaze. He had always disliked Yun Xiao; although the latter had recognized the Lifebound Blood Gu right away, when it came to the solution for resolving it, Yao doubted such capability.

Hearing Yao Zhiyuan’s words, even Qian Sanyuan momentarily suppressed his anger, his gaze turning to Yun Xiao, wanting to see how this miraculous young man would respond?

After all, the patient suffered from a deficiency of blood energy, which was ironically consumed by his own Lifebound Blood Gu; interconnected inseparably, they formed an extremely paradoxical dilemma.