Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1227 - 637: Who Are You, Really? (Part 2)

The Tianlan Saint Mother clenched her jaw, her voice tight with indignation. "Are we truly going to permit the traitor to escape justice?"

"Naturally, we will not," the Tianlan Saint Master responded, a frigid glint appearing in his eyes. "Once this chaos subsides, retribution will be exacted. However, for the present moment, our priority must be locating Gu Sheng."

Mentioning Gu Sheng, the Tianlan Saint Mother’s expression softened noticeably. "That child now..."

"I have already dispatched the Great Elder to discreetly safeguard him, but…" The Tianlan Saint Master’s brow furrowed deeply. "I have just received word that even the Great Elder has lost Gu Sheng’s trail."

A streak of light sliced through the air, coalescing into a Jade Scroll that settled into the Tianlan Saint Master’s palm. As his Divine Sense swept over it, his countenance shifted drastically. "This is dire!"

"What has occurred?" the Tianlan Saint Mother inquired urgently.

"The Supreme Immortal Sect has issued a Killing Order, placing a bounty upon Gu Sheng’s life!" the Tianlan Saint Master declared in a grave tone. "The rewards dangled include Upper Realm Magical Treasures, Immortal King-level Techniques, and a Nine-Revolution Golden Pill…"

"What?!" The Tianlan Saint Mother gasped, utterly shocked. "Such a monumental decree…"

News of the bounty rapidly disseminated throughout the Xinghong Spirit Domain. The Six Great Holy Lands were galvanized into action, and even venerable figures who seldom emerged from seclusion were stirred by the announcement.

"Have you heard? The bounty from the Supreme Immortal Sect…"

"Gu Sheng’s head is now worth more than a Holy Medicine!"

"Hehe, the Tianlan Sacred Land will be unable to shield him this time…"

Such conversations echoed widely across the entirety of the Cultivation World. An uncountable number of cultivators commenced an fervent search for Gu Sheng’s location.

From the highest vantage point within the Holy Land, the Tianlan Saint Master surveyed the distant landscape. In the preceding days, their search parties had scoured thousands of miles in the direction Gu Sheng had departed, yet not a single clue had been unearthed.

"Saint Master." An elder approached with haste. "We have just received intelligence that the Xuanming Holy Land has dispatched three elders from the Heavenly Palace Realm to hunt Gu Sheng!"

"The Red Flame Holy Land has also initiated their mobilization…"

"Even the Qinghong Holy Land has activated their sect-guarding Magical Treasure, the ’Heaven-Peeping Mirror’…"

"And several Loose Cultivators have banded together to form an alliance…"

The relentless tide of grim tidings caused the Tianlan Saint Master’s expression to grow progressively more somber. He retrieved a Communication Jade Talisman, attempting once more to contact the Great Elder, but his efforts were met with the same silence as before, as if a stone had plunged into the unfathomable depths of the sea.

"Gu Sheng… where in the world could you be?"

.........

"This is utterly impossible!" The Great Elder’s face contorted with disbelief, the compass clutched in his hand spinning erratically. "Gu Sheng’s aura has completely vanished from this location."

The Tianlan Saint Master stood amidst a cluster of ancient, towering trees. This forest, superficially ordinary, exuded an unsettling aura that prickled his senses. It was within these very woods that Gu Sheng had inexplicably disappeared, leaving even the Great Elder, who was secretly watching over him, without a trace.

"He either stumbled into some form of ancient Array…" The Tianlan Saint Master extended a hand, feeling the residual fluctuations of Spiritual Power lingering in the air. "…Or he was spirited away by a Preeminent Power." The Great Elder voiced his deep concern. "Saint Master, with the Six Great Holy Lands now actively pursuing Gu Sheng, if he is discovered…"

"You shall remain here and persist with the search," the Tianlan Saint Master commanded, cutting him off. "I must return to the Holy Land to maintain order. The Xinghong Spirit Domain is in a state of profound unrest, and the Supreme Immortal Sect’s Killing Order has ignited the ambitions of numerous factions." The Great Elder nodded with a solemn mien. "I will exert my utmost effort." With a final glance at the eerie forest, the Tianlan Saint Master transformed into a beam of light and vanished towards the horizon.

Accompanied by the gentle murmur of flowing water, Gu Sheng slowly opened his eyes. He found himself seated in a cross-legged posture upon a simple wooden boat, which was gently being carried downstream by the current of a deep pool nestled beneath the Qing Shan waterfall.

"Where is this place?"

"I was just in the forest…"

At that precise moment, the surrounding scenery warped and transformed. Towering peaks now encircled him, forming an imposing coliseum of stone. Perched atop each peak was an ancient stone pavilion, within which resided a solitary figure.

On the first peak, an elder, his visage marred by an aura of malignant Qi, idly toyed with a blood-red Jade Pendant using his skeletal fingers. The second peak was occupied by a swordsman clad in verdant robes, resting with his longsword cradled in his arms, his eyes closed in deep meditation. The third peak held a swirling vortex of spectral blue soul fire, flickering ethereally. Upon the fourth peak sat a hulking, one-armed man, his muscular physique reminiscent of a coiled dragon. The final peak was claimed by a lifeless infant, swathed in tattered swaddling clothes, its skin tinged a morbid blue-purple, utterly devoid of vitality.

"Elders…"

Gu Sheng tried to call out, but no sound came out. Time passed by, marked only by the rising and setting of the sun, though the exact duration remained unknown. Suddenly, the old man exuding Evil Qi stood up, uttered a strange laugh, and plunged off the cliff, vanishing from sight. Following suit, the swordsman clad in green robes transformed into a streak of sword light that cleaved through the heavens. The spectral blue soul fire flickered a few times before drifting away. 'Prove the Dao with strength,' was the sole declaration left by the one-armed man before he shattered a mountain peak with a punch and disappeared into thin air. Only the deceased infant remained, its pupil-less eyes abruptly opening to let out a chilling wail. Terrifying visions assailed Gu Sheng’s mind: the infant was brutally tormented by countless monsters, purple lightning rained down from the sky, and an immense wave of resentment surged towards the heavens! 'Ah!' Gu Sheng jolted awake, finding himself still aboard the wooden boat, the five peaks and the enigmatic figure having all dissolved. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead; those visions had been far too real, particularly the infant's resentment, which felt as though it had seared itself into the very core of his divine soul. 'What on earth is this...' Gu Sheng shook his head, stepping onto the boat to ascend into the sky. 'I should reach the shore first.' Just as Gu Sheng prepared to descend, a rustling sound emanated from the bushes lining the shore. 'Who’s there?' Gu Sheng’s eyes narrowed, and he lashed out with a punch. 'Ouch!' 'Which scoundrel ambushed Buddha!' 'Buddha is merciful! Who is the scoundrel!?' A furious roar echoed through the dense forest, sending a flock of birds scattering into the air. Ling Xiao, holding his pants with one hand and cradling the fresh bump on his shiny bald head with the other, had been squatting in the bushes attending to nature's call. He never anticipated heavenly justice to descend so suddenly, resulting in a solid, heavy punch landing squarely on his gleaming forehead. 'S-sorry...' Gu Sheng’s head peeked out from behind a tree, his face etched with embarrassment. 'I mistook you for some ferocious beast...' Ling Xiao swiftly turned his head. Upon seeing Gu Sheng’s face, his anger transformed into unbridled joy. 'It’s you!' Forgetting to tie his pants and nearly tripping, Ling Xiao sprang from the bushes in a single, swift movement. He rushed towards Gu Sheng, his eyes gleaming as he appraised him; the sheer eagerness in his gaze made Gu Sheng deeply uneasy. 'Master...' Gu Sheng took a half-step back, cautiously adopting a defensive posture. His earlier punch had been delivered with full force, capable of subduing any cultivator below the Earth Palace Realm. Yet, this monk had merely sustained a bump, with no blood drawn. The robustness of his physical body was undeniable. But Ling Xiao paid it no mind, seizing Gu Sheng’s wrist. 'Enough nonsense, come with me!' Gu Sheng’s expression shifted as he secretly attempted to exert force and break free, only to find the monk's grip completely unyielding. He was, after all, at the mid-Earth Palace Realm cultivation, yet before this monk, he felt as helpless as a child? 'Who exactly are you, and where is this place?' Gu Sheng inquired in a deep voice, simultaneously surveying his surroundings discreetly. Towering ancient trees obscured the sky, and the air thrummed with unfamiliar spiritual energy fluctuations, clearly indicating this was no region within any cultivation world he recognized. Ling Xiao strode onward rapidly, not looking back as he replied, 'This humble monk’s Dharma name is Ling Xiao; as for where this is...' He abruptly halted, his face contorting. 'Wait a moment, let me handle nature's first call...' Gu Sheng watched, dumbfounded, as the monk retreated back into the roadside bushes, soon followed by sounds of tremendous exertion. After a short while, Ling Xiao emerged, refreshed and patting his belly. 'Finally relieved; I nearly perished from eating wild fruits in this accursed place.' Gu Sheng’s mouth twitched; this monk displayed none of the decorum expected of a monastic. However, given the current circumstances, he had no choice but to endure and inquire, 'Where are you taking me?' 'Taking you home!' Ling Xiao flashed a grin. 'Didn't you wish to escape this cursed land?' Gu Sheng was taken aback. Indeed, while exploring an ancient ruin, he had been abruptly transported to this strange world and had been stranded for three days. How did this monk know? Before he could ponder further, Ling Xiao had already pulled him out of the woods, revealing a vast chasm before them. A profound abyss stretched out ahead, seemingly without end. The bottom of the pitch-black cliff appeared to lead directly to the Nine Nether, faint, horrifying screams faintly audible. Gu Sheng instinctively took two steps back. 'Why have you brought me here?' 'Don't be afraid; jump in, and you'll return home,' Ling Xiao stated, his expression suddenly turning grave.

"However, a little cooperation from your end is necessary. You need to expel a single drop of blood imbued with the Immortal Seed's aura for me."

Gu Sheng's pupils contracted sharply.

The Immortal Seed was his most guarded secret, a truth not even revealed to the Elders of his Sect. How could this monk possibly be aware of it?

"Just who exactly are you?"

Gu Sheng's voice turned icy, his true yuan commencing a rapid circulation within his body.

Yet, Ling Xiao paid no heed, dismissively waving his hand.