The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. The Protector, clad in black, dodged in a panic—though he managed to evade in time, he was still struck by the palm wind and sent flying several meters, coughing up black blood uncontrollably as he stared at his opponent in utter disbelief.
"You... you're not poisoned?" the Protector asked in shock. If the opponent truly wasn't poisoned, then tonight had been a setup all along—he'd already seen through the plot and was just waiting for them to walk right into a trap.
He then glared at Lucas Young and said, "Didn't you say he was poisoned? You dare lie to me—what use do I have for you anymore?" As he spoke, a dark-green box appeared in his hand. Seeing the box, Lucas's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Lucas Young hurriedly begged, "Protector, please! Protector, spare my life! I really did poison him, but his cultivation is so strong—maybe he forced the toxin out himself!"
"Still making excuses? Once struck by the Lord's poison, only the Lord himself can remove it—no one else in the world can. You've lost your value. Die!" With that, he opened the box.
At that moment, Lucas Young lunged at the green box like a starving wolf—his Ninth-Layer Divine Martial strength made him terrifyingly fast. But as he pounced, the Protector had already opened the box, revealing a completely white insect inside.
The Protector grabbed the insect directly, and Lucas Young's body instantly went limp—he collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in agony.
Master Shaw, the Crescent Moon Sect master, witnessed everything. So this was why Lucas Young had betrayed the sect—the black-clothed man had poisoned him with gu. Gu poison was truly terrifying, and seeing the white insect in his hand, Master Shaw understood it all: Lucas had been struck by the Heaven-Silkworm Gu, one of the top three most fearsome gu poisons.
In a flash, Master Shaw moved to snatch the green box. Though Lucas Young had committed such a monstrous betrayal, it was only because he'd been coerced; those struck by gu poison were rarely in control of themselves. As his master, Shaw bore some responsibility.
Even if Lucas Young had to die, it should be by his master's hand—not at the hands of outsiders. But the Protector was no weakling either; when Master Shaw moved, he quickly dodged aside in a blur.
At the same time, he shouted, "If you want your useless disciple to die right before your eyes, then go ahead and try me! If word gets out that you couldn't even save your beloved disciple, your Crescent Moon Sect's reputation will be utterly ruined. You decide which matters more!"
These words instantly made Master Shaw lower his raised hand, his gaze falling on Lucas Young, who was writhing on the ground in agony. Pain stabbed at his heart—if he hadn't sent Lucas down the mountain to handle affairs, the enemy would never have found an opening, and none of this would have happened.
The memories flooded back—Lucas's loyal actions in the sect, his many merits. Master Shaw truly couldn't bring himself to kill him, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face.
"Consider this our defeat for today. If you want your beloved disciple to live, you'd better stay put. If you make any rash moves, my hand might just slip and kill this Heaven Silkworm—and who knows what happens then?" the Protector threatened.
"Don't push me! A traitor like him deserves death—I want to see if you actually have the guts to do it!" Master Shaw retorted, his voice so harsh and furious it seemed to ignite the air.
"Try me!" The Protector squeezed the Heaven Silkworm hard, and Lucas Young immediately howled in agony, rolling and convulsing on the ground.
Seeing Lucas in such pain, Master Shaw could only grit his teeth and endure. Right now, his only hope was that Evan Chu could snatch the Heaven Silkworm away from the Protector. It was a slim chance, but it was all he had left.
Hidden beneath the earth, Evan Chu heard everything above with perfect clarity. He knew Master Shaw was completely constrained—if he didn't step in, the dark organization really might escape.
What disappointed him was that none of these people were Demon Generals. The black-clothed Protector was only First-Layer Saint Martial. For now, all he could do was subdue him and maybe extract some information about the dark organization.
With that thought, Evan Chu slowly crept closer to the Protector. His plan was set: when he appeared, the enemy would be caught completely off guard and distracted for just a split second. In that instant, he would use the Frostbane Sword to sever the man's arm—only then would the Heaven Silkworm survive.
It sounded easy, but actually pulling it off was incredibly difficult. The timing had to be perfect—not a fraction off. Otherwise, the enemy might go down fighting, and the price would be unbearable.
Seeing Master Shaw hesitate, the Protector grew bolder and sneered, "Looks like you're a smart one. We'll let Crescent Moon Sect off for now. The old business isn't finished yet—someone will come deal with you personally!"
His tone made it clear he wanted to retreat, but Evan Chu would never let him get away. In a flash, Evan burst out from the earth, appearing directly before the Protector, the Frostbane Sword slashing down like a thunderbolt.
The sudden turn of events stunned the Protector. He never imagined someone could leap out from underground, let alone attack with a sword right away. Even his quick reflexes weren't enough—Evan Chu's blade severed his arm and sent it crashing to the ground.
The severed arm still clutched the white Heaven Silkworm. Evan Chu snatched it up and, with a blink, teleported to Master Shaw's side, handing over the arm without hesitation.
The Protector's face twisted in agony, the pain of losing his arm nearly unbearable. From the stump gushed black blood, shocking both Evan Chu and Master Shaw.
"Who are you?" the Protector spat coldly, clearly furious that Evan Chu had ruined his escape.
"Who am I? You're not qualified to ask. Even your so-called Lord wouldn't dare speak to me like that. Since you came here tonight, none of you are leaving alive!" Evan Chu declared.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Frostbane Sword swept out, sword aura slicing toward the nearest masked men. This move, learned in the secret martial hall, was perfect for live training on these enemies.
Evan Chu sprang into action, and Master Shaw followed suit. Of all things, he hated being threatened the most—he charged straight at the Protector, now missing an arm...