Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1238 643: Time to Set Out

After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Gu Sheng was jolted awake by a sharp pain on his cheek. Upon opening his eyes, he observed Ling Xiao diligently wiping the blood from his face with his own blood-stained sleeve.

"Cough, cough... Damn it, you really pack a punch!"

Gu Sheng expelled a mouthful of crimson saliva, his left cheek throbbing with a burning sensation.

He shot a glare at Ling Xiao, who stood a few paces away, casually shaking his wrist with a roguish smirk gracing his features.

Ling Xiao arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're awake faster than I expected. Perhaps my strike wasn't quite powerful enough."

Just as Gu Sheng prepared to retaliate verbally, his pupils suddenly constricted.

His awareness finally registered the surrounding environment.

The once-familiar canyon had been transformed into a colossal crater, spanning a hundred feet in diameter. The sheer mountain walls on either side were now sliced clean, and the ground was strewn with smoldering debris. At the epicenter of this devastation rested the Ancient Reincarnation Bell, now marred by numerous cracks.

"Could this... have been caused by that Sword Qi?"

Gu Sheng's voice resonated with a tremor. He vividly recalled the incredibly potent sword light he had witnessed before losing consciousness, a power that undeniably surpassed the capabilities of the Nascent Soul Stage.

Ling Xiao casually kicked aside a piece of charred rock near his feet.

"What else could it be? Those old specters in the Sword Tomb can't find peace even in death." He abruptly closed the distance and lowered his voice conspiratorially.

"By the way, where did you acquire this dilapidated bell? It actually managed to withstand the Silent Extinction Sword Qi."

Gu Sheng felt a jolt of alarm. The Ancient Reincarnation Bell was his most guarded secret, a truth unknown even to the deepest echelons of his own sect.

He subtly shifted back half a step, maintaining a composed expression.

"A family heirloom. But you..."

His gaze traveled over Ling Xiao's remarkably intact robes.

"You endured the Sword Qi's aftershock without so much as a scratch?"

"Heh, I'm just naturally resilient."

Ling Xiao gave a knowing blink and abruptly gestured into the distance.

"Look over there! It's the bone of that ancient monk!"

Following Ling Xiao's indicated direction, Gu Sheng spotted a golden Buddha Bone, partially embedded in the earth, radiating a soft, ethereal golden light. The ground surrounding the bone exhibited a lotus-like pattern of cracks, suggesting an unseen force was protecting it.

As Gu Sheng drew nearer to examine it, a sudden shiver ran down his spine.

Upon the ring finger of the Buddha Bone's right hand rested a Qingyu ring, and Gu Sheng felt a strange resonance emanating from it, seemingly connected to something within his own chest.

He instinctively brought a hand to his chest – where the bronze key, bestowed upon him by his dying master, lay hidden.

"What are you gawking at?"

Ling Xiao's voice sounded from directly behind him.

"Hurry up, the main event is about to commence!"

A thunderous sword cry reverberated from afar, prompting both individuals to turn their heads in unison.

Deep within the desolate expanse of Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge, an intensely bright blue pillar of light pierced the very heavens and earth. Suspended within this radiant column was a sword of ancient and profound design. Its blade gleamed with an icy clarity, and within its depths, a faint, swirling galaxy could be discerned. The hilt was encircled by phantasms of the sun and moon, each subtle rotation sending ripples through the fabric of space itself.

"Sun and moon illuminate as one, Sword Qi ascends to the heavens..."

A rare look of solemnity crossed Ling Xiao's features.

"It truly is the legendary 'Taixu Divine Sword'."

Gu Sheng's heart pounded with a mixture of awe and trepidation. The profound sharpness emanating from the sword resonated deeply with the Mystic Sky Gang Qi that he cultivated. His True Yuan began to surge uncontrollably, and faint blue patterns, mirroring the sword's brilliant aura, materialized across his skin.

"Hm?"

Ling Xiao’s sharp eyes caught the unusual phenomenon.

"Intriguing, the Taixu Sword Qi seems to recognize you."

"What do you mean by that?"

Gu Sheng struggled to suppress the burgeoning turmoil within his body.

Without offering a verbal reply, Ling Xiao suddenly uttered an incantation. A stream of golden light emerged from his sleeve, unfurling into a shadowy map that hovered in the air.

"Blast it, at least thirty presences are inbound, with the closest less than a hundred miles away."

Gu Sheng's complexion turned ashen. In his current injured state, encountering any adversaries would be perilous.

"Scared?"

Ling Xiao retracted the map, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Relax, they're primarily after the Taixu Sword. However..."

He cast a meaningful glance at Gu Sheng.

"If by chance a remnant from the Mystic Sky Sect happens to cross paths with us..."

"Shut your trap!"

Gu Sheng seized Ling Xiao by his collar, his voice laced with fury.

"Mention the Mystic Sky Sect again, and I'll kill you right here and now!"

Ling Xiao calmly brushed Gu Sheng's hand aside.

"Conserve your energy. Right now, you couldn't even dispatch a chicken." With that dismissive remark, he tossed a small Jade Bottle towards Gu Sheng.

"A Three-Turns Replenishing Essence Pill. Consider it an investment."

Gu Sheng caught the Jade Bottle, his mind swirling with disbelief and suspicion. The Three-Turns Replenishing Essence Pill was a highly sought-after healing elixir, valuable even to cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage, and this individual had simply handed it over?

He cautiously brought the bottle to his nose, confirmed its lack of any discernible poison, and then proceeded to swallow a single pill. The moment the medicinal efficacy surged through him, Gu Sheng let out a low groan.

A torrent of Spiritual Power surged through his meridians, mending his injuries with astonishing speed.

Even more remarkable, the azure markings on his skin grew more defined, coalescing into an enigmatic, sword-shaped symbol.

Ling Xiao observed with folded arms, then spoke suddenly.

"You are cultivating the 'Mystic Sky Sword Body', aren't you?"

Gu Sheng's eyes snapped open.

"How did you—"

"Never mind how I know," Ling Xiao interrupted, gesturing towards the Taixu Divine Sword.

"That object is the Life Sword of the Mystic Sky Ancestor, dormant for three centuries and now appearing, resonating with you..."

"A mere coincidence? I think not."

Gu Sheng was profoundly shaken.

His master had indeed mentioned before his passing that the true inheritance of the Mystic Sky Sect lay within Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge... Could this sword truly be it?

"Boom!"

A distant explosion suddenly echoed.

Both turned their heads, observing several figures already engaged in combat near the radiant pillar where the Taixu Divine Sword lay. The lights from various Magical Treasures clashed, punctuated by the occasional cries of pain.

"It has begun."

Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed.

"The initial arrivals are all Nascent Soul stage old monsters. Soon, those at the Divinity Transformation Stage will also make their appearance."

Gu Sheng tightened his fists.

At his current cultivation level, plunging into such a conflict would be a death sentence.

However, the intensifying resonance with the Sword Intent within him made him hesitate to withdraw.

As if divining his thoughts, Ling Xiao abruptly made a decision.

"Let's go!"

-------------

"It appears the news spread more rapidly than anticipated."

Gu Sheng stood at the precipice of a cliff, his gaze sweeping across the myriad streaks of light continuously streaking across the distant sky.

These were cultivators who had hurried to the location upon hearing the news, some navigating on Flying Swords, others astride Exotic Beasts, and still others ripping through the Void to reach their destination.

Ling Xiao stood beside him.

"You've found yourself in quite the predicament this time, Gu Sheng."

Gu Sheng's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile.