Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1275 - 661: Are You Sure This Will Work? (Part 2)

A mocking glint flickered in the eyes of the Tianlan Grand Elder.

The Eighth Elder’s face contorted with fury upon hearing this, a crimson hue flushing his forehead as blue veins bulged. "You are seeking your own demise!"

With a swift descent, the Peach Wood Sword sliced through the air, tearing the very fabric of the Void for a distance of ten thousand zhang wherever its blade passed.

Ferocious, chaotic currents surged forth from the tear, transforming into a legion of black dragons that let out terrifying roars as they lunged towards the Tianlan Grand Elder.

The faces of the surrounding Cultivators from various sects, who had been observing from afar, paled considerably, and they quickly activated their defensive artifacts.

"That is the 'Void Attraction' technique from the Qinghe Sacred Land!"

"The sheer power of this strike could rend mountains and rivers asunder!"

Yet, faced with this world-ending assault, the Tianlan Grand Elder offered only a condescending chuckle.

With a casual flick of his withered, finger-thin hand, an emerald-green vine emerged, sprouting directly from his fingertip.

A starlike luminescence coursed along the vine's surface, and within its depths, one could faintly discern the rise and fall of countless nebulae.

"The Star Spirit Vine! That is the sect-guarding Supreme Treasure of the Tianlan Sacred Land!"

A particularly knowledgeable Cultivator exclaimed in utter astonishment.

The vine rapidly expanded, growing against the wind until it reached a length of a thousand zhang in mere moments.

From the vine’s tip, two streams of light, one black and one white, erupted, intertwining and revolving like a celestial yin-yang symbol.

As these lights swept forward, the turbulent Void currents dissolved instantly, vanishing as readily as snow under a scorching sun.

"The Life and Death Secret?!"

The Eighth Elder’s pupils constricted violently, and the Peach Wood Sword trembled uncontrollably in his grasp, as if it had encountered its ultimate bane.

Summoning his resolve, he bit down on the tip of his tongue, spitting a torrent of his vital Essence Blood onto the sword. "Shatter for me!"

Upon absorbing the Essence Blood, every rune etched onto the Peach Wood Sword ignited with a dazzling light, unleashing a golden sword aura that pierced the heavens and shot skyward.

Within this incandescent aura, a faint, ethereal silhouette materialized, emanating an oppressive aura that sent shivers down the spines of all who felt it.

From a considerable distance, the Fifth Elder of Qinghe, who had been keenly observing the clash, transmitted his voice with palpable excitement.

"Eighth Brother, this is your moment! That silhouette is the manifestation of the Divine Artifact—strike now—"

A chilling light flashed in the Tianlan Grand Elder’s eyes.

"A trivial trick."

The Star Spirit Vine surged forward with increased velocity, its black and white tendrils weaving into a colossal net that blotted out the sky as it descended.

The instant the golden sword aura met the immense net, a profound silence fell upon the world, immediately followed by an explosion of blinding light.

*Crack—*

A sharp, shattering sound echoed through the heavens as the runes on the Peach Wood Sword flickered and died one by one, followed by the appearance of distinct cracks across its blade.

The Eighth Elder’s hand, gripping the sword, burst open at the tiger’s mouth, blood trickling down his wrist.

"Impossible..."

*Bang!*

The Peach Wood Sword disintegrated completely, its fragments, still carrying the lingering aura of the Divine Artifact, scattering in all directions.

Without the slightest deceleration, the Star Spirit Vine lashed out, striking the Eighth Elder directly in the chest.

*Pfft—*

The Eighth Elder expelled a mouthful of blood, mingled with shredded remnants of his internal organs. A deep, bone-searing wound now stretched from his left shoulder clear across to his right abdomen.

He plummeted to the ground with a heavy thud.

As the swirling dust settled, a colossal crater was revealed to the assembled onlookers.

At the bottom of this pit lay the Eighth Elder, his body completely ensanguined, with only the subtle rise and fall of his chest indicating any sign of lingering life.

"He actually survived?"

The Tianlan Grand Elder’s eyebrows lifted slightly as he regarded the now dulled Star Spirit Vine in his hand.

"I underestimated that broken piece of wood."

The Fifth Elder’s face was ghastly pale, his lips trembling, yet no sound emerged from them.

The Tianlan Grand Elder’s gaze swept across the area; Cultivators averted their eyes, heads bowed low, unable to meet his clouded stare.

His form then dissolved into a blur, transforming into a streak of shadow as he shot towards the distant mountain range.

The Great Elder of the Tianlan Sacred Land stood positioned before the entrance of a cave.

All the elders, usually so haughty and self-important, lowered their heads, too intimidated to meet his gaze directly.

As the Great Elder turned, preparing to enter the cave, the sky ripped open with a sudden, inky-black fissure.

From this tear, a thunderous tiger’s roar erupted, and a colossal tiger, its entire form a vibrant cyan hue, emerged, its passage shattering the Void.

Perched upon the tiger’s back was a gaunt, elderly man—none other than the Great Elder of the Qinghe Sacred Land himself.

"You wretched old fool, how dare you!"

With a drastic shift in his expression, the Grand Elder of Tianlan transformed into a streak of light, hurtling towards the cave.

A cold laugh escaped the Great Elder of Qinghe as he lifted his right foot. It instantly swelled to a thousand times its normal size, descending like an inescapable mountain.

"Boom—"

The entire colossal mountain imploded amidst a deafening, earth-shattering roar. Dust billowed skyward, and debris rained down.

A fearsome shockwave propagated in all directions for a hundred li, splitting the very ground into gaping chasms.

"You court death!!!"

From the heart of the dust cloud, the Tianlan Grand Elder’s voice erupted in hysterical fury.

A shadowy figure, disheveled and blazing with boundless rage, burst forth from the wreckage.

The Qinghe Great Elder gazed down from his vantage point, his voice like ice.

"Since we cannot capture him alive, we shall end him here. Old fool, if you know what's best, get out of the way. Otherwise, you'll be buried with him today!"

The Tianlan Grand Elder paid no heed, forming hand seals as mystical black and white qi swirled around him.

This was the profound manifestation of cultivating the Life and Death Dao to its absolute peak.

The qi of life, pure white as snow; the qi of death, dark as ink—two diametrically opposed forces, seamlessly integrated within his being.

"Gu Sheng… Gu Sheng…"

The Great Elder of Tianlan murmured, his Divine Sense extending into every crevice of the ruins.

As long as a solitary spark of vitality remained, his mastery of the Life and Death Dao could pull Gu Sheng back from the brink of oblivion.

Witnessing this, the Fifth Elder of Qinghe hastened forward. "Great Elder, that old Tianlan scoundrel has lost his mind. We..."

"Silence!" the Qinghe Great Elder commanded icily. "Take the wounded and retreat for now. Leave this place to me."

The Great Elder of the Qinghe Holy Land ascended into the firmament, his gaze fixed upon his adversary below.

"Do you truly believe I will permit you to abduct that junior and the Divine Sword?"

Ensconced by swirling black and white qi, the embodiment of the Life and Death Dao circulating within him, the Great Elder of the Tianlan Sacred Land met the gaze of his Qinghe counterpart.

His voice was chilling to the bone. "Old Qinghe ghost, you’d best hope Gu Sheng is still breathing. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise, what?"

The Qinghe Holy Land Great Elder waved a dismissive hand.

"Our Qinghe Saint Master observes from the border, as does your Tianlan Saint Master. Should we engage in all-out war, it would only lead to mutual destruction, allowing other Holy Lands to reap the spoils."

The Tianlan Sacred Land Great Elder remained unmoved by the veiled threat.

"Strange…"

"Where has Gu Sheng’s aura vanished to?"

Noticing this, the Qinghe Holy Land Great Elder also unleashed his Divine Sense to probe the area.

A moment later, his countenance turned grim.

"Fifth Elder!" he bellowed. "Are you absolutely certain that brat entered the cave?"

The Fifth Elder hurried forward, beads of cold sweat dotting his brow.

"Absolutely! This subordinate witnessed it with my own eyes, and the aura of an Ancient Divine Sword was indeed present within the cave!"

"Nonsense!"

The Qinghe Holy Land Great Elder cursed with unconcealed rage.

"There's not even a damned specter left here now!"

The Tianlan Sacred Land Great Elder swiftly formed seals with both hands, causing black and white qi to coalesce into an intricate, arcane rune hovering in his palms.

"Life and Death Seal, activate!"

The rune detonated, dispersing into countless minuscule motes of light that diffused throughout the devastated landscape.

Each particle of light carried the profound secrets of the Life and Death Dao, imbued with the ability to detect the faintest trace of existence.

Despite the prolonged dispersal of the light, no sign of life registered.

"Impossible…"

The Tianlan Sacred Land Great Elder muttered, disbelief etched on his face.

"Even if he perished, there should at least be a corpse…"

In the distance, cultivators from other Holy Lands exchanged uncertain glances.

The Third Elder of the Heavenly Immortal Sacred Land narrowed his eyes.

"Something feels amiss. Could that youth truly have made his escape?"

"Escaped?"

An elder beside him scoffed.

"Under the very noses of the two Great Elders from top Holy Lands? Not unless he possesses a Saint Master-grade Spatial Treasure!"

"Then what is transpiring at this moment?"

"Hush… observe that direction!"

The Qinghe Holy Land Great Elder suddenly raised his hand, sending a beam of emerald light streaking towards a specific point amidst the ruins.

The ground ruptured, revealing a chasm of unfathomable depth.

"Search meticulously! Dig three feet into the earth if necessary, but find that brat!"

With a flick of his sleeve, the Tianlan Sacred Land Great Elder unleashed a torrent of black and white threads that burrowed into the earth.

Each thread was an extension of his Divine Sense, probing the very veins of the land.

Experts from both Holy Lands mobilized, commencing a thorough and systematic ransacking of the entire forest.