Rematch (2)

Ever since the beginning of the battle, Bai Ning Bing had been using Rank 1 and Rank 2 Gu, so he didn't notice in the beginning but now after he spent a significant chunk of his primeval essence for the Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu, he noticed that his primeval essence was not regenerating at the rate it used to earlier. It had significantly slowed down!

Gu Guangzhi let out a sly smile but he didn't reply. This was Gu Guangzhi's trump card against Bai Ning Bing. Since the beginning, Gu Guangzhi had used six Zombie Gu along with Earth concealment Gu to induce shallow zombification on Bai Ning Bing. The biggest advantage of becoming a zombie was that the gu master would become immune to life threatening attacks but the price to pay for it was that primeval essence wouldn't be produced in the aperture! Usually when Zombie Gu was used on someone, they would feel the effects immediately but this was not a direct use of the Zombie Gu.

Gu Guangzhi had set up a formation by slowly sending the six Zombie Gu and several blood path materials from Flowerbud Gu out of his aperture and into the battlefield using his Bamboo swamp Gu and used Earth concealment Gu to hide their presence. This Rank 3 formation created by Gu Guangzhi was called Zombification swamp. It would slowly zombify anyone as long as they were present in the formation. By the use of Bamboo swamp Gu, Gu Guangzhi could manipulate the formation such that he was not affected by it.

Initially, Gu Guangzhi thought that this formation was a good way to fight multiple gu masters but he soon gave up on that thought. There were two challenges to this formation. Usually when a Zombie Gu was used, the transformation happens so quickly that gu masters don't notice that the first thing to be affected is one's aperture. Moments later, the gu master's body is affected. There were several ways to counter Zombie Gu so the key to this formation lied in hiding the fact that the opponent was being zombified. With Gu Guangzhi's control of the formation, he could put the opponent in a state that his aperture was becoming zombified and reverting to normal repeatedly. This would effectively stop the regeneration of primeval essence without the gu master realizing that he was being zombified.

However, if this formation was used on a group of gu masters, there would be a problem. The speed of zombification differed from person to person. So when one gu master's aperture was being zombified, another gu master's body would start becoming a zombie. This would reveal the trick of the formation to everyone present. So Gu Guangzhi decided to use it only when he was facing Bai Ning Bing alone.

Another challenge was that like any formation, the gu insects were placed in the outside world so they were susceptible to attacks. Gu Guangzhi used Earth concealment Gu to conceal the Zombie gu underneath the battlefield. He was even using Turn Rock Gu at times, to defend the Zombie Gu from getting damaged by the aftershocks of their attacks.

Even though Rank 3 Gu like Bamboo swamp Gu, Turn Rock Gu were used at times, the core of the formation was still Rank 1 Zombie Gu supported by dozens of blood path materials. Thus, the formation took a look time before it affected Bai Ning Bing, who was a Rank 3 gu master. Bai Ning Bing had just observed the reduced rate of regeneration in his aperture and spoke loudly, "Gu Guangzhi, don't think that you can survive just because my primeval essence isn't being regenerated. With your D-grade regeneration rate, I can kill you easily before my primeval essence runs out."

Even though he said so, he was not confident. He had heard rumors of Gu Guangzhi having vast reserves of primeval essence from his last battle with Bai Xu Lan and Bai Xu Delan. Bai Ning Bing thought that he probably had some kind of primeval essence storing gu insect.

"Oh really! Think again! Why do you think I will battle you alone?", saying so Gu Guangzhi summoned his water wolf. "I have said this before and I am saying it now. I don't have any reason to fight you anymore and I don't want to start a war between our clans. I benefited a lot from our last battle. So just leave and we'll forget this battle ever happened."

The water wolf's aura radiated a battle strength comparable to Rank 3 peak stage gu masters. Unlike gu masters, it could use primeval energy from the surroundings. Thus it had an endless supply of primeval essence. If it were a wild beast, it's intelligence would be low but it was controlled by Gu Guangzhi who had already proven himself by fighting toe to toe with Bai Ning Bing. Bai Ning Bing thought that fighting both Gu Guangzhi and the water wolf without regeneration of primeval essence was tough even for him. He thought for a while and slowly withdrew from the battlefield.

Gu Guangzhi was surprised at Bai Ning Bing's actions. Bai Ning Bing was a battle maniac and could probably kill Gu Guangzhi even with such a low amount of primeval essence being generated in his aperture. Moreover, his pride was hurt. Gu Guangzhi thought that there was no way Bai Ning Bing would back down from the fight. But Bai Ning Bing left the battlefield.

As Bai Ning Bing left the battlefield, his aperture slowly returned to normal and his primeval essence started being regenerated at a rapid rate again. Bai Ning Bing smiled to himself at the discovery and thought, 'You are an interesting one Gu Guangzhi. You always bring out different kinds of gu insects. I have also heard that you refine your own gu insects as well. I wonder if what happened was the effect of a new gu that you refined?'

To Bai Ning Bing, whose incredible rate of regeneration had always been a problem, this method of limiting the rate of regeneration was a blessing instead of a curse. He was always in a constant danger of self detonating due to the burden on his aperture. Bai Ning Bing even borrowed a Stone Aperture Gu from the clan to protect himself, in case the burden became too much on his aperture. Now, when he saw the reduced rate of regeneration in his aperture, he had a small hope that this unknown gu insect could be his hope for survival. If he could use this gu insect to reduce his rate of regeneration, he might even be able to cultivate like a normal gu master.

Bai Ning Bing could've attempted to kill Gu Guangzhi in order to obtain this new gu insect but he restrained himself. If Gu Guangzhi destroyed all his gu insects at the moment of his death, then wouldn't the opportunity to obtain that mysterious gu be lost? So Bai Ning Bing left with intention of finding other ways to obtain this gu insect.

Gu Guangzhi, on the other hand, retrieved his Zombie Gu and blood path materials and returned to Xiong village. Gu Guangzhi decided to go to Wang Mei in secret a few days later, so that he wouldn't be ambushed again. But little did he know that this small delay would cost Wang Mei her life.