Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1256 - 652: Blood River’s Recognition of Its Master

"Ling Xiao was correct, the Blood River is indeed real!"

Gu Sheng’s spirits surged, and the spiritual power within him, which was almost completely depleted, was forced to rally slightly.

Suddenly, a whistling sound sliced through the air from his left.

Gu Sheng reacted instinctively, sidestepping as a brilliant blue sword light grazed his cheek, subsequently detonating a section of ancient forest far behind him.

"Wang Xiu Jie!"

Gu Sheng’s pupils snapped wide as he identified the wielder of that sword light.

A man with a malevolent countenance advanced through the air, a palpable killing intent almost solidifying in his gaze.

"Gu Sheng, did you ever foresee this day when you slew my elder brother?"

Gu Sheng offered no explanation, nor did he possess the strength to do so.

The confrontation back then had been a straightforward case of the Wang family’s disciples preying on the weak, and he had merely enacted self-defense.

To speak now would be pointless, so instead, he plunged directly into a miasma-filled swamp.

Moving deep within the swamp, each step Gu Sheng took felt perilous, as if balancing on a knife’s edge.

The water and mud here possessed a potent corrosive quality, and his boots were already in shreds, his feet bleeding and severely wounded.

He dared not falter; to stop would mean certain death.

"Almost... almost there..."

Gu Sheng’s gaze lifted towards the ominous blood-colored mountain, which now appeared within closer reach.

Abruptly, every hair on his body stood on end, prompting him to lunge forward.

The mud behind him erupted as a shadowy form shot upwards from the ground – it was a colossal serpent, entirely black and as thick as a barrel.

"A Fifth Rank Demon Beast!"

A demon beast of this caliber was comparable to a human cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage; under normal circumstances, he might have stood a chance, but now...

The massive serpent unhinged its maw, unleashing a wave of putrid air.

Gu Sheng channeled his remaining spiritual power, a golden light concentrating at his fingertips, and shot directly towards the serpent’s left eye.

"Hiss—" The serpent convulsed in agony, violently thrashing its body and sending torrents of mud flying in all directions.

Gu Sheng seized the fleeting chance to roll away, but the strenuous exertion exacerbated his internal injuries, triggering a violent coughing fit that brought up blood.

"I cannot fall here..."

Gu Sheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and prepared to press onward when a horrifying shriek from above pierced his ears.

Looking up instinctively, he witnessed a mass of dark clouds twisting unnaturally, rapidly coalescing into a fearsome black flood dragon that descended with lethal force upon a one-armed man.

"Watch out, second brother!"

The man in gray robes cried out, but it was already tragically too late.

The black flood dragon impaled the one-armed man through the chest; without the slightest opportunity to defend himself, his body detonated into a spray of blood mid-air.

"What manner of monstrous entity is this?!"

The expressions of the remaining two men contorted in shock as they hastily began to retreat.

However, the black flood dragon did not pursue; it merely circled the area where the one-armed man had perished, emitting an unnerving, eerie cry.

Gu Sheng, though momentarily stunned by the spectacle, quickly recognized it as a golden opportunity presented by fate.

Suppressing his pain, he intensified his efforts, quickening his pace towards the crimson mountain.

"Damn it all!"

The gray-robed figure watched, aghast, as his comrade’s existence was annihilated mid-flight, dissolving into a bloody mist before a single sound could escape his lips.

Every strand of his hair stood erect, cold sweat cascading from his scalp to his toes.

"What is happening?"

The red-haired man’s voice trembled, and the long blade in his grip quivered slightly.

"Fifth Brother was at the zenith of the Heavenly Palace Realm, how could he possibly..."

Gu Sheng’s heart hammered against his ribs due to this abrupt turn of events.

He acted with swift decisiveness, capitalizing on the momentary disarray among his two pursuers to furiously circulate his spiritual power, propelling himself forward several dozen feet.

"Do not let him escape!"

The gray-robed man was the first to regain his senses, bellowing furiously.

Yet, Gu Sheng had already ripped through the void, vanishing from their sight.

Without allowing himself a single moment’s pause, he traversed the void three consecutive times, each spatial jump precisely evading areas too hazardous to be detected by consciousness.

"This brat... his luck is truly astonishing."

The red-haired man ground his teeth but refrained from reckless pursuit.

"Fifth Brother’s demise was too peculiar; there is something deeply unsettling about this location."

The gray-robed man’s countenance grew as somber as a still pool as he slowly raised his right hand, a cerulean rune materializing within his palm.

"Let me ascertain..."

The rune drifted towards the turbulent expanse of dark clouds, only to dissipate silently midway.

The gray-robed man’s pupils contracted sharply.

"It’s an array! An ancient, formidable array!"

"What?"

The red-haired man inhaled sharply.

"Even your ‘Qingming Talisman’ cannot unravel it?"

"It is far more terrifying than we initially conceived."

Beads of cold sweat formed on the gray-robed man’s brow.

"Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge's perils were underestimated by us."

However, the man in gray quickly oriented himself, pointing towards the distance.

"That brat is getting away!"

The red-haired man followed his pointed finger, observing Gu Sheng’s receding form, which had shrunk to a mere black speck, hurtling deeper into Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge.

Astonishingly, Gu Sheng blazed through the terrain without triggering any of its dangers.

"Something is not right..."

The red-haired man narrowed his eyes.

"This kid seems to possess immense fortune, allowing him to thrive in such a ghastly domain."

After a brief silence, the gray-robed man gradually inclined his head.

"A prodigy blessed with such defiant luck is the most challenging to eliminate; any misstep on our part could result in severe repercussions."

"Then what should we do? The bounty from the Supreme Immortal Sect..."

"We press on with the pursuit!"

A fierce glint entered the gray-robed man's eyes.

"But we must proceed with extreme caution."

The pair ceased their headlong chase, unleashing their formidable spiritual senses to meticulously probe every corner of their surroundings.

They navigated cautiously, deliberately bypassing areas that remained opaque to their consciousness.

Just then, the sharp sound of air being cleaved echoed from the distant heavens.

Dozens of figures materialized from various directions, their powerful auras a varied spectacle, though the weakest among them had already reached the Heavenly Palace Realm.

"Blast it all, the information has been revealed!"

The red-haired man’s countenance darkened considerably.

The gray-robed man's gaze sharpened, and he abruptly indicated a particular cluster of individuals.

"Observe closely... those are individuals from the Qinghe Holy Land!"

The red-haired man followed his gaze, discerning cultivators clad in azure robes descending through the air, each adorned with an embroidered pattern of a winding river across their chests.

Despite the apex cultivator within this contingent only reaching the peak of the Heavenly Palace Realm, the expressions of both the gray-robed and red-haired men became noticeably more solemn.

"This is troublesome..." the red-haired man murmured.