Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1249 - 648: Too Much Nonsense (Part 2)

"There are remnants of a Thunder Element Technique. It’s Shen Hua’s ’Thunder Shocking Palm.’"

Zhang Zuo, who had been silent, suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam sharpening his pupils. "It’s not just Shen Hua and Wei Feng; two other auras are present as well." His nostrils twitched slightly. "One is as cold as ice, the other as hot as fire." Zhang Zhishang’s eyes sparkled. "It’s Gu Sheng and that Ling Xiao!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Looks like those two fools, Shen Hua and Wei Feng, intend to monopolize the secret!" "Pursue!" Zhang Zuo commanded concisely, his figure already darting out. The Black Blade in his hand shimmered coldly under the moonlight, strands of black Qi winding around the blade. The three of them tacitly avoided notifying Gong Xuefeng and the others nearby, each employing their own movement techniques in pursuit.

...

Deep within the forest, Gu Sheng abruptly halted. "They’re here." Ling Xiao’s expression turned grave. "Three in the Heavenly Palace Realm, one of them in the Late Stage. We stand no chance." Gu Sheng’s lips curved into a peculiar smile. "Just as I hoped." "Are you mad?" Ling Xiao lowered his voice. "Zhang Zuo’s ’Black Evil Blade’ can even wound a Heavenly Palace Realm Peak expert!" Gu Sheng’s eyes blazed with excitement. "You leave first; I have a clever plan." Ling Xiao started to protest, but Gu Sheng raised his hand to stop him. "Trust me. You head east, I’ll go west. We’ll rendezvous at the usual spot in fifteen minutes." Seeing the resolute look on Gu Sheng’s face, Ling Xiao bit his lip. "Don’t you die." With that, he vanished into the forest to the east. Gu Sheng watched Ling Xiao depart, his eyes filling with an escalating battle intent. He deliberately lingered for a moment, ensuring the pursuers could sense his presence, before speeding towards the area dense with Yin Qi to the west.

"Over there!" Zhang Zuo shouted fiercely, his speed instantly increasing. "Boom!" Zhang Zuo’s black blade light descended, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek. Gu Sheng made no move to evade, instead striking out with his right fist! "Courting death!" Zhang Zuo sneered, already picturing the gruesome scene of Gu Sheng’s arm being severed. The next instant, his smile froze. Gu Sheng’s fist met the blade light, exploding with the sound of clashing metal! Ancient runes materialized on the fist, forcefully shattering the black blade light! "Impossible!" Zhang Zuo’s pupils contracted violently. This strike was capable of cleaving a mountain, yet it was blocked by the physical body of a mere Early Stage Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator? Before he could even react, Gu Sheng’s fist had already broken through the fragmented blade light, thundering heavily against his chest. "Pff—" Zhang Zuo spewed out a mouthful of blood, his body sent flying back over ten meters, crashing into several stone pillars before finally halting. He looked down at the fist imprint on his chest, his armor already dented, and three ribs broken. "Your physical body… it can’t be this strong!" Zhang Zuo wiped the blood from his mouth, his face etched with disbelief.

Gu Sheng flexed his slightly numb right fist and let out a cold laugh. "Senior Brother Zhang’s Black Evil Blade is nothing much." He then slipped into the complex terrain ahead, characterized by bizarre stones. These stones were oddly shaped, their surfaces bearing the marks of time’s erosion, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. Even more peculiar was the dense Yin Qi seeping from the cracks between the stones, rendering the entire area akin to a Ghost Realm. "Chase! We cannot let him escape!" Zhang Zuo roared, while secretly transmitting his voice to Yu Wenbai and Zhang Zhishang. "Be cautious; this kid is strange!" Yu Wenbai and Zhang Zhishang arrived just in time to witness Zhang Zuo being repelled, both faces etched with shock. "Senior Brother Zhang, are you well?" Zhang Zhishang tightly gripped his folding fan, his gaze vigilantly sweeping the surroundings. Zhang Zuo’s expression was as dark as the water. "Caught off guard. This kid’s physical body strength is comparable to the Peak of the Heavenly Palace Realm; we must handle him with care." "Peak physical body?" Yu Wenbai gasped in astonishment. "He’s clearly only at the Early Stage Heavenly Palace Realm!" "Divide and conquer." Zhang Zuo gritted his teeth and declared. "Junior Brother Yu will secure the perimeter, preventing any escape. Junior Brother Zhang will accompany me inside for the search!" Yu Wenbai nodded in agreement, the small bronze shield in his hand gleaming brightly as he positioned himself to guard the sole exit of the rocky area. Zhang Zuo and Zhang Zhishang simultaneously charged into the cluster of boulders.

Overwhelming Yin Qi immediately enveloped them, hampering the flow of their Spiritual Power.

"Curses, there's something peculiar about this area!" Zhang Zhishang exclaimed, his brow furrowed as he waved his folding fan, attempting to disperse the pervasive Yin Qi.

"My Divine Sense is being suppressed by a staggering seventy percent!"

Zhang Zuo remained silent, his gaze fixed upon the ground, where he discerned a sequence of faint footprints leading further into the area.

"This way!"

Following these subtle traces, the duo swiftly reached an expansive clearing.

At its heart stood an unassuming, ancient bronze bell, its surface marred by numerous cracks and etched with indecipherable ancient runes.

"The Ancient Reincarnation Bell?"

Zhang Zhishang gasped in disbelief.

"The fabled Supreme Treasure said to bridge the divide between Yin and Yang! How could it possibly be here?"

A flash of avarice crossed Zhang Zuo’s eyes, quickly replaced by a heightened sense of caution.

"Be wary, our quarry might still be lurking nearby!"

With their backs pressed together, both men scanned their surroundings with sharp vigilance.

The density of the Yin Qi was immense; even Zhang Zuo’s Divine Sense could only probe a mere ten-yard radius.

Meanwhile, concealed within the shadowed recesses of the rocky terrain behind the bell, Gu Sheng had already channeled immense power into his right fist.

His veins bulged, and a subtle golden luminescence pulsed beneath his skin, signaling the imminent release of his Heaven-breaking Fist technique.

"Three… two… one…"

Gu Sheng meticulously counted in his mind, murder flashing in his eyes.

"Boom!"

Gu Sheng burst forth from his hiding place, his right fist hurtling directly towards the vital point of Zhang Zuo’s back! The sheer force of the punch tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle!

"Watch out!"

Zhang Zhishang was the first to react, his folding fan snapping open to instantly conjure a defensive wall of wind.

However, it was still a fraction too late.

Gu Sheng’s fist shattered the wind barrier, its power diminished by only thirty percent, yet it still delivered a devastating blow to Zhang Zuo’s right shoulder!

"Crack!" A sharp, sickening sound of fracturing bone echoed through the clearing.

"Ah!" Zhang Zuo shrieked in agony, his body sent flying sideways to violently impact a uniquely shaped, fish-like rock.

The rock disintegrated upon impact, a grim testament to the terrifying might of Gu Sheng’s strike!

"Gu Sheng! I swear I will grind your bones to dust!!"

Zhang Zuo, his body bleeding profusely and his right arm hanging uselessly, his left shoulder visibly caved in from Gu Sheng’s impact, roared with pure, unadulterated hatred.

With a sudden stomp, he used the remnants of the fish-shaped rock as leverage to propel himself upward. The malevolent Qi radiating from his Black Evil Blade surged uncontrollably, transforming into an inky-black Blade Aura that sliced ferociously towards Gu Sheng’s head!

Simultaneously, Yu Wenbai bellowed in fury, his azure longsword erupting in a brilliant flash of sword light, effectively sealing off all possible escape routes for Gu Sheng!

"You court death!"

Gu Sheng scoffed coldly, and from his palm, he produced an ancient, unadorned bronze bell—the very Ancient Reincarnation Bell!

"Dong—"

A resonant chime reverberated from the bell, unleashing invisible sonic waves that swept outwards. Yu Wenbai’s sword aura instantly disintegrated, and his entire form was violently flung backward dozens of yards, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth.

In that critical moment of disorientation, Gu Sheng seized the opportunity, charging directly at the vulnerable Zhang Zuo!

Just as Zhang Zuo prepared to bring his blade down, an immense, terrifying pressure emanated from the rocks behind him.

An unseen force bore down relentlessly!

Caught completely off guard, Zhang Zuo coughed up a mouthful of blood, his bones audibly cracking, his aura rapidly weakening!

"What is happening?!"

Utterly bewildered, he found himself incapable of comprehending the situation.

"Die!"

Gu Sheng capitalized on the opening, his form seemingly tearing through the void to materialize instantly before Zhang Zuo. His right fist blazed with radiant light as he unleashed the full, unbridled power of the Heaven-breaking Fist!

"No—"

Zhang Zuo's pupils constricted violently as he managed only a final, desperate cry—and in the next instant—

"Bang!"

His head exploded in a gruesome spray of blood and brain matter, his headless torso crashing heavily to the ground!

A cultivator of the Late Stage Heavenly Palace Realm—Zhang Zuo—was dead!

Gu Sheng flicked the blood from his fist, his cold gaze now fixed upon Yu Wenbai.

At this instant, Yu Wenbai was still reeling from the shock of Zhang Zuo’s demise, only snapping back to reality as Gu Sheng advanced.

"You… you killed Brother Zhang?!"

Yu Wenbai’s voice quivered with disbelief.

"Now, you are next."

Gu Sheng’s voice was chillingly calm as he lunged forward aggressively!

Yu Wenbai’s strength was comparable to Wei Feng's; in a one-on-one confrontation, he might have stood a chance to evade or counter.

However, with his mind in turmoil and Zhang Zuo no longer by his side, he stood no chance against Gu Sheng’s relentless assault!

"Green Gang Protection!"

Yu Wenbai gritted his teeth and summoned forth his small bronze shield, desperately attempting to erect a defense.

"Break!"

Gu Sheng unleashed another punch, and the small bronze shield instantly fractured. Yu Wenbai was sent flying backward, spitting up blood once more!

"No! You cannot kill me! I am a Core Disciple of the Luotian Sect; if you dare to kill me, your sect will hunt you relentlessly!"

Yu Wenbai cried out in sheer panic.

"Such a chatterbox," the voice drawled chillingly.