"Killing Move, Wind Return!"

"Killing Move, Radiant Rain Slaughter!"

"Killing Move, Thunder Spear Breaks Formation!"

The three Rank 5 masters of the major factions did not hesitate. The moment they made their move, they unleashed formidable killing moves.

The sky changed colors, the heavens and earth surged, fierce winds howled, and an overwhelming pressure enveloped an area of a hundred miles. Even low-level Gu Masters found it difficult to breathe.

Unperturbed, Zhou Qitian's body emitted the radiance of several Gu worms, forming a killing move in the blink of an eye.

Endless flames surged out from the void behind him, forming a mysterious circular halo. The flames twined around his limbs, creating flame ribbons that seemed substantial. Flames blazed from his eyebrows, eyes, and hair, exuding boundless dignity as the firelight shot into the sky.

At this moment, Zhou Qitian resembled a deity of fire descending to the earth!

Boom!

The four formidable killing moves collided fiercely, and it seemed as if another sun had ignited in the sky, shining blindingly. Countless low-level Gu Masters who hadn't averted their gazes in time let out cries of agony.

Within the massive luminous sphere, tongues of fire suddenly burst forth, wildly extending. In an instant, half of the sky was illuminated by flames.

The high temperature warped the void, and the dazzling light was too intense to look directly at. One could only vaguely discern the figure of an immensely colossal flame giant tearing through the luminous sphere and leaping out.

"You're not Rank 5 Mid-Stage! You're Rank 5 Peak!"

"Zhou Qitian, you're quite cunning, managing to deceive everyone! Ah!"

"Batukha, what are you doing!"

With a deafening explosion, the massive luminous sphere in the sky burst open violently!

The immense energy fluctuations instantly swept through, breaking plants and trees, pressing everything against the ground. Countless mounts emitted mournful cries, compelled to kneel down, while lower-level Gu Masters had their faces turn crimson from the discomfort.

The four figures suddenly separated, with two heading toward the direction of the three factions and two toward the direction of the Zhou family.

Everyone quickly focused their gaze, only to see that Kou Chi and Fu Ying were heading toward the three factions, but Wenren Yue's figure was nowhere to be seen.

On the other hand, Zhou Qitian and... Batukha were heading toward the Zhou family!

Batukha still held a blood-drenched head in his hand, the eyes of the severed head wide open, frozen in a perpetual expression of fear and confusion.

It was unmistakably Wenren Yue's head!

"Master!"

The arrogantly aloof Rank 5 Mid-Stage Demonic Gu Master, Batukha, at this moment, knelt down on one knee in the utmost respect before Zhou Qitian, offering the severed head he held!

The expressions on Kou Chi and Fu Ying's faces became incredibly unsightly. At this moment, how could they not realize what had transpired?

They had fallen for it! From beginning to end, Zhou Qitian had played them like fools!

Perhaps Batukha and Zhou Qitian had once been bitter enemies, but it was clear that Batukha had long been subjugated by Zhou Qitian in secret!

The whole incident of Batukha ambushing Zhou Qitian and gravely injuring him had been nothing more than a performance for them to witness!

Zhou Qitian hadn't been injured at all, and his true strength wasn't just the Rank 5 Mid-Stage he had been showing, but Rank 5 Peak!

Zhou Qitian had meticulously orchestrated a sequence of events, each step interconnected, deceiving everyone for this moment!

As for why he possessed such power and didn't directly attack, wiping out each family one by one?

Well, of course it was due to the "rules of the righteous path"!

The major factions of the Northern Plains claimed to be righteous, so they couldn't recklessly kill each other like the Demonic Gu Masters of the demonic path. If they did, there would be no space for the survival of smaller clans.

The major factions adhered to the "rules of the righteous path," which minimized meaningless bloodshed. When they went to war with other clans, they would usually find a seemingly justified reason.

If they were to engage in a war without reason, plundering resources, it would arouse public anger and cause all the other factions to unite against the aggressor.

The three major factions had long prepared various excuses to be used once the Zhou family was eradicated, solidifying their alibis and silencing any potential doubts. The Zhou family wouldn't be able to refute them.

Now, the three major clans have taken the initiative to start the conflict, which ironically gives the Zhou family a reason to send out their forces. At this moment, even if the Zhou family were to annihilate the three major clans, it would be completely justified. The other clans in the Northern Plains wouldn't have a leg to stand on!

"Slave Gu?" Kou Chi asked with a bitter tone.

Zhou Qitian nodded, and a smile finally appeared on his pale face for the first time.

Facing the assault of the three Rank 5 Gu Masters, even though Zhou Qitian's cultivation level was higher than theirs, he couldn't avoid getting injured.

However, everything had been settled, and these injuries were insignificant.

Slave Gu, a type of enslavement Gu worm that could control Gu Masters for one's own use. To control a Rank 5 Gu Master, it was necessary to use a Rank 5 Slave Gu to succeed.

Rank 5 Slave Gu was extremely precious and exceedingly rare.

"To think you managed to obtain a Rank 5 Slave Gu. We... don't have any excuses for our loss," Kou Chi gritted his teeth and said, suddenly spewing out a mouthful of blood.

In the next moment, he transformed into a streak of light and crossed dozens of miles in an instant. Within a few breaths, his figure had completely disappeared!

Before the eyes of everyone, he had forcibly triggered a Gu worm formation and, in the blink of an eye, fled from the Kou clan's army!

As Kou Chi escaped more than a hundred miles away, Fu Ying had regained his senses from his shock. He was about to flee as well, but he met Zhou Qitian's icy gaze.

"Do you think you can escape?"

A cold and sinister voice sounded by his ear. Batukha, the master assassin, had appeared behind Fu Ying without him realizing it.

Among the three major clans, Wenren Yue and Kou Chi were both veteran Rank 5 Gu Masters, both at the Mid-Stage of Rank 5 cultivation.

Fu Ying, on the other hand, was a recently promoted Rank 5, with the weakest foundation and the lowest strength.

So, when Batukha made his move, he intended to take advantage of the trio's lack of defense and eliminate Wenren Yue first, as he was the strongest.

And now, with both of them attempting to flee, Zhou Qitian didn't want to prolong the battle. He aimed for a swift and decisive victory, so he could only leave behind Fu Ying, the weakest of the three.

Soon enough, under the combined assault of the two Rank 5 Gu Masters, Fu Ying fell.

After that, a fierce and intense battle ensued.

As the situation turned due to the deaths of two clan leaders and one fleeing, the tide completely reversed. The previously mighty three major clans were now utterly demoralized by the enthusiastic battle spirit of the Zhou family's forces. They fell into disarray with the slightest intention of mounting a counterattack, as Zhou Qitian or Batukha would swiftly strike them down.

After a few such instances, the three-clan coalition completely lost its power to resist. They suffered a crushing defeat and began fleeing in chaos, with many casualties from mutual attacks and trampling. Numerous warriors perished or were captured.

Following this, Zhou Qitian rushed to support the besieged Zhou Mang, but it was too late. Despite the decisive victory over the enemy, Zhou Mang had already fallen in battle.

Gathering the remnants of his forces, Zhou Qitian wasted no time and merged with the main force that had been left behind (he had already used messenger Gu to instruct them to mobilize). They marched directly towards the three major clans.

The first to be attacked was the Wenren clan, caught off guard due to the lack of frontline information. They suffered a sudden assault, were thoroughly defeated, and their clan stronghold was captured and absorbed by the Zhou family.

When they attacked the Fu clan, news had reached them, and they were better prepared. Although they were eventually conquered and absorbed, their losses were considerable.

Finally, during the assault on the Kou clan, it was discovered that they had abandoned their clan stronghold. Led by Kou Chi, the remaining members of the clan had fled, leaving only an empty shell for the Zhou family.

With this, the three major clans were subdued, and the Zhou family absorbed a massive amount of resources, resulting in an unprecedented surge in their strength.

However, amidst the victory, Zhou Mang, a Rank 4 clan elder, fell in battle, and four Rank 3 clan elders also perished, along with countless lower-ranked Gu Masters.

Previously, among the three major clans, Zhou Mang's faction had been the most dominant due to his power. With his demise, the balance shifted, and different factions within the Zhou family began to counterbalance each other.

After this battle, both internal and external threats were quelled, and Clan Leader Zhou Qitian's influence within the clan reached its pinnacle. As news of the battle's outcome gradually spread, his reputation echoed throughout the Northern Plains, making him a renowned figure.

Of course, all of this had little to do with Zhou Ming anymore, as he was already far away from the clan, embarking on his third adventure in another storyline world...

...

[Announce the next mission information.]

[In the year 2046 AD, a zombie virus erupted on Blue Star (Earth).]

[The virus first broke out in the city of Kenjite in the Kengite Province of the Gill Nation, and within just two months, it spread globally, wiping out ninety percent of the world's population, nearly extinguishing human civilization.]

[The survivors did not sit idly by. They found ways to utilize all available resources to survive and gradually established human settlements to resist the zombies. They also conducted research on the zombie virus, aiming to completely eradicate the zombies.]

[Meanwhile, the zombie virus continued to evolve, giving rise to even more powerful mutated forms within the vast hordes of zombies, posing greater challenges to human survival.]

[The struggle between humans and zombies escalated, and humans became increasingly familiar with zombie mutations, categorizing zombies based on the degree of mutation.]

[Common Zombies (Regular Zombies): Non-mutated zombies, which can be countered by ordinary humans.]

[Primary Mutants (Low-Level Mutants): Partial limb mutations, increased agility, and enhanced strength. Well-trained soldiers and armed civilians can confront them.]

[Advanced Mutants (High-Level Mutants): Deep mutations resulting in superior strength, higher speed, and unique abilities in their mutated areas. There's a wide power gap between different advanced mutants, and their strength is evaluated based on the extent of their mutations.]

[Superior Mutants: Possess strength to tear through tanks, speed comparable to sports cars, body durability to withstand bullets, and strong self-healing abilities. Requires a fully armed special operations team to counter.]

[Ultimate Mutants: Suspected to possess intelligence and superpowers surpassing biological structures... Details unknown, evaluation not possible.]

[Mission Mode: Team Collaboration.]

[Mission 1: Proceed to Dick State and locate Dr. Max. Successful completion rewards 1000 points, unlocks Mission 2. Failure deducts 3000 points, unlocks Branch Mission 1.]

[Mission 2: Safeguard Dr. Max's journey to Sandal City. Successful completion rewards 3000 points, unlocks Mission 3. Failure deducts 5000 points, unlocks Branch Mission 2.]

[Mission 3: Protect Sandal City until completion of the Kenny Elixir production. Successful completion rewards 5000 points, returning to the main god space. Failure deducts 8000 points, unlocks Branch Mission 3.]

[Kill 1000 Common Zombies: Gain 1 reward point; Kill 1 Primary Mutant: Gain 1 reward point; Kill 1 Advanced Mutant: Gain 100 reward points; Kill 1 Superior Mutant: Gain 1000 reward points; Kill 1 Ultimate Mutant: Gain 10000 reward points, with a special bonus once.]

[Note: This is the final beginner mission. The difficulty of the next storyline world mission will greatly increase. Seize the opportunity to earn more reward points and improve yourself!]