Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1237 642: Cut the Crap_2
Previously on Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World...
"There is definitely something amiss..."
Suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves broke the silence from the grass behind him.
Gu Sheng's body stiffened involuntarily, his knuckles cracking as he balled his fists—someone was indeed shadowing him!
The moment he spun around, a diminutive figure darted out from the overgrown weeds with astonishing swiftness.
Without a second thought, Gu Sheng unleashed a punch imbued with his Spiritual Power!
"Oww!"
With a pained yelp, the figure was sent hurtling through the air by the impact, tumbling several times before finally coming to a halt.
It was only then that Gu Sheng got a clear look—it was a monk clad in tattered robes, bearing two newly formed, rapidly swelling lumps on his otherwise bald head.
"You... you are..."
Gu Sheng paused, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. The monk looked somewhat familiar.
The monk scrambled to his feet, clutching his head, his face flushed with indignation.
"Gu Sheng! Are your eyes installed backwards? I came all this way to help you, and you greet me with two massive lumps?"
His memory suddenly clicked into place—this was the eccentric monk, Ling Xiao, whom he'd encountered once before at the Ancient Zen Temple!
Rumor had it he was some kind of "reincarnated Buddha Son," possessing innate Buddhist wisdom from birth.
"Ling Xiao? What are you doing here..."
Midway through Gu Sheng's question, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently!
"Rumble—"
The earth ripped open as if torn by an unseen colossal hand, splitting into innumerable bottomless chasms.
Dark, inky Yin Qi surged forth from these fissures, rapidly engulfing the entire sky.
The previously dim sunlight was completely extinguished, plunging the world into utter darkness.
"This is bad!"
Ling Xiao's expression shifted dramatically.
"It's a Yin Qi tide! The Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge's once-in-a-century Yin Qi eruption!"
Gu Sheng felt every hair on his body stand on end.
The seemingly placid gray mist now churned ominously, exuding a chilling, bone-penetrating aura that swept towards them.
He instinctively raised his arm to shield himself. A tendril of Yin Qi grazed his forearm, instantly stripping flesh from bone; before a single drop of blood could emerge, it froze into tiny ice shards.
"This Yin Qi..."
Gu Sheng gasped sharply from the searing pain.
"It's even more formidable than the rumors suggest!"
Ling Xiao hastily began chanting a Buddhist mantra.
A faint golden luminescence emanated from his body, coalescing into a thin protective barrier that enveloped the two of them.
The invading Yin Qi struck the light shield, producing corrosive sizzling sounds.
"Don't just stand there gawking!"
Drops of perspiration dotted Ling Xiao's forehead.
"This young master's 'Bodhi Golden Body' won't hold for much longer!"
Snapping back to reality, Gu Sheng quickly summoned forth his [Ancient Reincarnation Bell].
The ancient bronze bell materialized above his head, casting down strands of cyan light that intertwined with the Buddha Light, momentarily repelling the encroaching Yin Qi.
"That dilapidated bell of yours isn't going to last,"
Ling Xiao sneered.
"The Yin Qi from Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge originates from the resentment of ancient divine spirits. It specifically targets and restrains Magic Artifacts."
As if to corroborate his assertion, the Reincarnation Bell's light screen visibly flickered and dimmed, and minute cracks even began to spiderweb across its surface.
This bell, acquired from an ancient ruin, had been his lifesaver on numerous occasions. Yet, now, it couldn't even hold out for a short while!
"Watch this!"
Ling Xiao pressed his palms together.
"Om mani padme hum!"
The Buddha Light suddenly intensified, pushing the oppressive Yin Qi back by several feet.
However, Gu Sheng keenly observed Ling Xiao's legs trembling slightly; the exertion was clearly immense.
"Aren't you supposed to be the reincarnation of a Buddha Son?"
Gu Sheng couldn't help but inquire.
"Is that all you've got?"
"Nonsense!"
Ling Xiao nearly leaped in anger.
"Anyone else would have been reduced to a pile of bones by now! The Yin Qi in this cursed place is more than ten times stronger than the last time!"
Fine beads of sweat trickled down Ling Xiao's temples, and the Golden Alms Bowl he held vibrated intensely.
"Not good, this Evil Qi is more potent than last time!"
"Last time?"
Gu Sheng's ears perked up at the crucial word, but he had no opportunity to probe further.
The black Qi lashed out towards them. He swiftly circulated his "Mystic Sky Gang Qi," his skin taking on a bronze hue.
With a sharp 'crack,' the protective Gang Qi actually fractured.
Gu Sheng felt a surge of warmth in his throat as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Just as the black Qi was about to engulf them both, Ling Xiao suddenly bit his own tongue, spraying a mouthful of his vital Essence Blood onto the Golden Alms Bowl.
"Daluo Buddha Light, ascend!"
The Golden Alms Bowl instantaneously erupted in a brilliant golden luminescence, constructing a hemispherical shield of light that enclosed them both. The black Qi collided with the shield of light, emitting hissing noises, and was surprisingly purified into tendrils of verdant smoke. "Cough, cough..." Ling Xiao's visage was ashen, yet he compelled himself to offer a smile. "Well? Doesn't this 'Golden Alms Bowl of Calamity Crossing' of this young master possess considerable might?" Gu Sheng gazed upon the flowing Sanskrit characters inscribed on the Golden Alms Bowl, a sense of astonishment stirring within his heart. This was unmistakably a Supreme Treasure from the Buddhist sect, a Magic Artifact of at least Bodhisattva Level. "It's truly formidable. But perhaps we ought to consider a strategic retreat first?" "Retreat?" Ling Xiao swiped at the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, a peculiar glint appearing in his eyes. "Attempting to depart now would be akin to inviting death. Follow me!" With those words, he proceeded to drag Gu Sheng deeper into the treacherous expanse of Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge. An alarm blared within Gu Sheng's mind, but the Buddha Light emanating from the Golden Alms Bowl covered only a restricted area, leaving him with no alternative but to stay close behind Ling Xiao's footsteps. They navigated their way between contorted, lifeless trees. Peculiarly, Ling Xiao appeared intimately familiar with the treacherous path; after several sharp turns, he adeptly circumvented every fissure in the ground that belched forth black miasma. Gu Sheng's astonishment grew with each observation. Suddenly, he seized Ling Xiao's wrist. "Just who in the blazes are you?" "Ow ow ow, that stings!" Ling Xiao cried out in an exaggerated display of pain. "Hero Gu, now is hardly the opportune moment for internal squabbles!" Gu Sheng tightened his grasp, bronze-hued Gang Qi permeating his arm. "These fissures in the ground shift without any discernible pattern, yet you traverse this perilous terrain as if you were returning home." A fleeting flash of golden light flickered within Ling Xiao's eyes before vanishing. He abruptly lowered his voice. "Three years ago, the Mystic Sky Sect extermination incident—just before your master Qingmingzi breathed his last..." "Silence!" Gu Sheng's Gang Qi instantly became erratic and disordered. He had never divulged this information to anyone; how could this smirking buffoon before him possibly possess such knowledge? Seizing the opportunity, Ling Xiao broke free and gestured towards a faint blue luminescence visible ahead. "Do you perceive that? That is Zen Master Jingye's 'Bodhi Barrier.' If we continue to dawdle, we shall both leave our bones to bleach here!" Following his gaze, Gu Sheng observed that at the entrance of the canyon within the cliff face, a hundred meters distant, a rippling layer of water-like blue light was indeed present. Even more astonishingly, the rampaging black miasma in the vicinity spontaneously veered away whenever it approached this blue light. "You had best not be harboring any treacherous intentions." Gu Sheng gritted his teeth and followed, though secretly he channeled his True Yuan into the Ancient Bronze Bell concealed within his sleeve. The moment they plunged into the barrier, the Buddha Light from the Golden Alms Bowl dissipated with a soft, ephemeral 'pop'. Ling Xiao promptly collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. "Blast it... nearly... did your granddaddy in..." Gu Sheng cautiously surveyed their immediate surroundings. Within the confines of the canyon, verdant grass carpeted the terrain, and even a few Bodhi trees adorned with white blossoms could be seen, presenting a stark contrast to the infernal scene outside. The menacing black miasmas writhed and raged beyond the barrier, yet they failed to penetrate even half a step. "This barrier..." "Was established by Zen Master Jingye prior to his final meditation." Ling Xiao procured a wine gourd and indulged in several deep draughts. "The venerable monk sacrificed his Golden Body to contain Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge for three centuries. Alas, the seal has begun to weaken of late." Something abruptly occurred to Gu Sheng; he whirled around. "How do you possess knowledge of my master? And this bell—" He summoned forth the Ancient Bronze Bell, the four characters "Ancient Reincarnation" etched upon its surface glowing with an ethereal light. Ling Xiao waved a hand dismissively, his eyes unfocused from the effects of the drink. "Relax, my master and your master were... *hic*... old flames." "Nonsense!" Gu Sheng became so incensed that his Gang Qi erupted outwards. "My master dedicated his entire life to pure asceticism!" "Old acquaintances! I meant old acquaintances!" Ling Xiao hastily amended his statement, then his expression shifted abruptly. "Shit!" The entirety of the canyon began to convulse violently, and a deafening, world-shattering roar emanated from the distant depths. Gu Sheng directed his gaze towards the source of the sound and witnessed a cerulean pillar of light ascend into the heavens from deep within Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge, obliterating all black miasma in its wake. Even more terrifyingly, innumerable streaks of Sword Qi erupted from within that pillar of light, each one possessing the formidable power to cleave the very heavens and earth."Is that... the direction of the Sword Tomb?"
A tremor ran through Ling Xiao's voice.
"We're finished! Those crazy Sword Cultivators have resurrected from their corpses!"
A thick, barrel-sized strand of Sword Qi descended directly toward the canyon.
Every single hair on Gu Sheng's body stood on end. Even before the Sword Qi made contact, his skin was already burning with pain.
"Bell, come forth!"
Ling Xiao suddenly bellowed, striking the Ancient Reincarnation Bell with his palm just as Gu Sheng was about to act.
Unbelievably, the ancient bell, which typically required Gu Sheng's unique mental cultivation method to activate, expanded and engulfed the two of them.
"You—"
"Silence! Pour all your True Yuan into this!"
Ling Xiao formed a sealing mudra with both hands, and a faint silhouette of a Vajra manifested behind him.
Without any time to process, Gu Sheng channeled his cultivation into the Ancient Bell.
"Dong——!"
The moment the Sword Qi collided with the Ancient Bell, Gu Sheng felt as if colossal bells and drums had violently detonated beside his ears.
The ancient inscriptions etched onto the bell's surface fractured bit by bit, and the terrifying counterforce caused his internal organs to shift violently.
The very last sight he registered was Ling Xiao's countenance, contorted in ferocity, blood gushing from his seven facial orifices, yet he still maintained the Dharma seal.
Just before unconsciousness claimed him, Gu Sheng thought he heard Ling Xiao curse.
"You damn, dog-like Sword Cultivators... just you wait! Your granddaddy will pry open your coffins..."