Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1308 - 678: What’s Going On?

"A mere rogue cultivator, and you dare scheme against a disciple of my Qinglan Sect? You’re courting death!"

Facing the ferocious assault, Gu Sheng simply offered a faint smile.

"Middle stage of the Earth Palace Realm? Your cultivation is one level higher than Pan Zhuang, yet your aura falls far short."

Tang Zhiyuan seethed with anger upon hearing this.

"Arrogant!"

His claw transformed into a palm, and inexplicably, a longsword shimmering with cold light appeared in his grasp. The blade sliced through the air, letting out a sharp whistle.

"Nine Sword First Style—Mountain Breaker!"

The Sword Qi surged like a rainbow, descending upon Gu Sheng with the might to cleave mountains and shatter peaks.

With this strike, Tang Zhiyuan poured all his strength, resolved to bisect this presumptuous rogue cultivator!

Confronted by the terrifying sword aura, Gu Sheng merely shook his head and slowly lifted his right hand.

"Too slow."

"Clang!"

A metallic collision echoed through the cavern.

Ke Yucheng’s eyes widened in astonishment at the spectacle unfolding before him—Gu Sheng had caught Tang Zhiyuan’s descending longsword with his bare hand!

"Impossible!"

Tang Zhiyuan cried out in shock, desperately channeling his Spiritual Power, only to find the longsword completely immobile.

Gu Sheng’s lips curved into a cold smirk.

"A fine sword, but sadly wielded by a weakling."

As his words landed, the longsword emitted a pained shriek, and web-like cracks spiderwebbed across its blade.

Tang Zhiyuan felt a dreadful force surge from the blade, traveling up his meridians and into his very core.

"Pfft—"

Tang Zhiyuan coughed out a mouthful of blood, his vomit laced with fragments of internal organs.

His body was flung backward, crashing violently against the cave wall before slumping to the ground.

"What happened?"

Tang Zhiyuan stared in horror at his left arm and promptly let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Blood erupted like a geyser from the severed limb, splattering onto the damp cave floor with a sizzling sound.

"Ah—my hand! My hand!"

Tang Zhiyuan’s shrieks reverberated within the cave, his face contorting from shock to sheer terror, then finally descending into hysterical madness.

He stumbled backward, his trembling right hand reaching for the Azure Dragon Token secured at his waist.

"I will... I will summon the elders... to kill you all..."

A glint of cold light flashed in Gu Sheng’s eyes. In his hand, the longsword struck with viper-like speed, so swift that its afterimage was imperceptible.

"Noisy."

The sword’s swift arc was followed by a thin crimson line appearing across Tang Zhiyuan’s throat.

His voice abruptly ceased, disbelief frozen in his wide, glazing eyes.

In the ensuing second, his head detached from his neck, and the headless corpse plummeted with a thud. Blood quickly began to pool beneath it.

Ke Yucheng stood frozen, as if struck by a lightning bolt.

He mechanically turned his gaze to see his senior brother’s head rolling towards his feet, the face still locked in a deathly grimace.

"Cousin-brother?"

Ke Yucheng’s voice was faint, like a mosquito’s buzz, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Slowly, he raised his eyes to Gu Sheng, who stood holding the sword, his throat constricted.

"Who... who truly are you?"

Gu Sheng flicked the blood droplets from his sword, his expression as cool and impassive as ever.

"It is not worth asking too many questions of the dying."

Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, Ke Yucheng’s pupils contracted sharply.

"Wait... this swordsmanship... this power..."

He staggered back two steps, his voice laced with palpable fear.

"You are Gu Sheng! The one wanted by the Seven Great Sacred Lands..."

Before his sentence could conclude, Gu Sheng’s gaze turned glacial, and the surrounding atmosphere seemed to plummet by ten degrees.

Ke Yucheng felt an icy chill race from his feet to the crown of his head, the specter of death engulfing him.

"You know too much."

The sword flashed once more, and Ke Yucheng’s expression froze eternally in a moment of stark terror.

His body slowly slumped, falling beside Tang Zhiyuan’s corpse. Both pairs of lifeless eyes stared blankly at the cavern ceiling.

Ling Xiao emerged from the shadows, cast a glance at the bodies littering the floor, and spoke softly.

"Senior Brother, are things settled?"

Gu Sheng nodded, sheathing his sword.

"Standard procedure."

Ling Xiao nodded in understanding.

Pale purple Spiritual Power, as fine as threads, enveloped each corpse.

The bodies visibly withered, eventually reducing to heaps of ash-white powder.

"Gather,"

Ling Xiao intoned lightly. A simple Void Ring materialized in his palm.

He tossed the ring into the air, and the ashes were seemingly drawn towards it, pulled into its depths.

"Ke Yucheng's collection is quite substantial."

Ling Xiao examined the interior of the ring, a slight smile gracing his lips.

"It appears the Qinglan Sect is rather generous to its Core Disciples."

Gu Sheng offered no response, instead proceeding deeper into the cave. He meticulously gathered the remnants left by Pan Zhuang and the others, one by one.

Eventually, his gaze fell upon the Azure Dragon Token that Tang Zhiyuan had dropped. He lifted it, feeling its weight in his hand.

"Let's depart. Dawn is fast approaching."

Ling Xiao gave a nod, his hands moving to form intricate seals. A spectral blue flame then materialized in his palm.

With a gentle exhale, the flames unfurled like living entities, spreading across various sections of the cave.

The blood-stained rocks and the lingering evidence of the fierce battle silently dissolved into ash beneath the ethereal flames.

The two figures emerged from the cave one after another, leaving a raging blue inferno in their wake. The night wind, carrying the distinct, chilling essence of Xuanming Divine Mountain from a distance, swept past them.

"The oppressive force is beginning to wane," Gu Sheng observed, casting a glance towards the sky, which was progressively brightening.

"We must make haste," Ling Xiao urged.

Their movements became blurs of lightning, a swift descent along the arduous mountain path.

Ling Xiao, periodically glancing back, initiated hand seals to cast spells, meticulously erasing any sign of their passage and any imprinted footprints. As they maneuvered across a narrow gorge, Gu Sheng abruptly halted his advance.

"What troubles you?" Ling Xiao inquired, his senses on high alert as he warily surveyed their immediate surroundings.

Gu Sheng retrieved the Azure Dragon Token from his chest pocket, a slight frown etching itself onto his brow.

"This token bears a tracking inscription," he revealed.

A surge of dark energy flowed from his palm, completely enveloping the Azure Dragon Token.

Moments later, the dark energy dispersed, revealing a delicate hairline fracture marring the token's surface.

"It's contained for now, but this suppression won't last indefinitely."