Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1311 - 679: Ingenuity (2)

"Hurry, move!"

Gu Sheng propelled Ling Xiao along a hidden mountain path, their flight urgent.

The spirit grass flanking their route swayed continuously in their wake, releasing a subtle, sweet aroma.

"Why the frantic rush?"

Ling Xiao gasped for air as he kept pace. "Those disciples aren't pursuing us anymore."

Gu Sheng pressed onward, his reply unhaltered. "It will be too late once they realize. Su Muxue’s standing within Qinghe Holy Land is far greater than you comprehend. Her slight today is enough to make the entire Holy Land my enemy."

"Is it truly that dire?"

Ling Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Were they just a few spoken words?"

Gu Sheng abruptly halted, pivoting to face Ling Xiao directly. "Three years ago, in the Northern Territory’s desolate expanse, I witnessed a core disciple suffer broken legs and consignment to a demon beast nest merely for gazing at Su Muxue a moment too long, courtesy of one of her admirers."

Ling Xiao inhaled sharply. "This..."

"Now is not the time for discourse."

Gu Sheng scanned their surroundings, his gaze landing on a vine-shrouded cave nearby. "There, quickly!"

They hastened their steps, soon reaching the cave’s concealed opening.

The entrance was effectively masked by thick vines, rendering it nearly invisible without a meticulous search.

Gu Sheng cautiously surveyed the area, ensuring they weren't being followed, before parting the vines and stepping into the cave.

The interior was not expansive, yet it offered adequate space for two to sit and cultivate.

A few fissures in the ceiling admitted shafts of dim daylight. A fine layer of dust coated the floor, indicating its long disuse.

"This place will suffice."

Gu Sheng procured several array flags from his storage ring and commenced the setup of an isolation array at the entrance.

His movements were precise and practiced, placing the flags at specific points on the ground, rapidly sketching out a complex array diagram.

Ling Xiao observed with palpable astonishment.

"Is that... a Xuan Rank isolation array? Since when did you master this?"

Gu Sheng remained focused, completing the final array patterns without verbal response.

Upon the placement of the last flag, the entire array hummed to life, an unseen barrier effectively sealing the cave’s mouth.

"Now we can cultivate without interruption."

Gu Sheng finally let out a sigh of relief, retrieving a translucent, infant-hand-shaped spirit grass from his robes.

Gu Sheng positioned the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword, suspending it three feet above his head.

The sword emanated a soft, silvery luminescence, which intertwined with the faint sunlight filtering from above.

Aware that Gu Sheng preferred not to elaborate further, Ling Xiao ceased his inquiries. He found a quiet corner, assumed a cross-legged position, and initiated his cultivation technique to draw in spiritual energy.

Gu Sheng formed sealing hand gestures, activating the Nine Dragon Heaven and Earth Technique within him.

As the technique circulated, nine ethereal, dragon-like shadows gradually materialized around him, slowly tracing circles in the air.

The Holy Infant Grass clutched in Gu Sheng’s left hand released its potent energy into his meridians.

Concurrently, the silver radiance from the Tai Chi Seven Star Sword acted as a catalyst, drawing the surrounding natural spiritual energy into a miniature vortex.

"The Dao of Yin, profoundly mysterious..."

Gu Sheng silently recited the incantation, channeling the Yin-attribute spiritual power along a designated path.

His aura progressively adopted an icy quality, and the ambient temperature within the cave demonstrably decreased.

Ling Xiao was jolted awake by the sudden frigidity. Opening his eyes to Gu Sheng’s transformed state, he could only manage a gasp of surprise.

Gu Sheng’s form was sheathed in a delicate layer of frost, yet the spectral dragon shadows intensified, each scale shimmering with an ethereal blue light.

"What kind of cultivation technique is he practicing?"

Ling Xiao, a mixture of shock and urgent determination filling him, gritted his teeth. He produced a prized elixir pill, consumed it, and likewise began to forcefully break through his own cultivation bottleneck.

Outside the cave, the anomaly in spiritual energy had alerted several cultivators in the vicinity.

"An unusual concentration of spiritual energy is present on the mid-slopes of Xuanming Divine Mountain. Let us proceed to investigate," a cultivator clad in blue robes declared.

Beside him, Wang Yuchen narrowed her eyes. "That direction... it could very well lead us to the individual we seek."

"Gu Sheng?" the third cultivator, Liang Yu, inquired.

Wang Yuchen nodded, turning to the leading figure. "Long, this task is entrusted to you this time."

Long Teng, a distinguished amongst Qinghe Holy Land’s Core Disciples, possessed a cultivation level at the half-step Taichu Realm, marking him as an unusual prodigy compared to his contemporaries.

His expression was solemn as he responded with a curt, "Hmm."

"Let’s move, and let’s be swift."

Long Teng advanced, his gait appearing unhurried, yet each step covered considerable distance, quickly leaving the other two behind.

Wang Yuchen and Liang Yu hastened their pace, the trio making a swift dash towards the source of the spiritual energy disturbance.

Within the cave, Gu Sheng was immersed in a pivotal moment of his cultivation. The essence of the Holy Infant Grass had been entirely assimilated, reinforcing his grasp on the First Level of the Nine Dragon Heaven and Earth Technique to an unprecedented degree. He sensed that a breakthrough was within his immediate reach.

"Just a little longer..." Gu Sheng whispered to himself, intensifying his efforts to absorb spiritual power. The ambient spiritual energy outside the cave was violently pulled inwards, flowing like rivers joining the sea and even manifesting as a miniature spiritual energy tempest encircling the cavern.

Ling Xiao, jolted awake by the commotion once more, observed Gu Sheng's condition with a mix of yearning and apprehension. The disparity between them was visibly growing with each passing moment.

"I can't afford to be left behind too much..." Ling Xiao gritted his teeth, initiating a fervent absorption of spiritual energy himself. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his meridians throbbed from the immense influx of spiritual power, yet he dared not falter.

At the very peak of their concentrated efforts, Gu Sheng's eyes snapped open. Nine Dragon Shadows unleashed a silent roar before merging back into his physical form.

"Someone is approaching," Gu Sheng announced, his voice deep and laced with a chilling edge.

"Found them!" Liang Yu's eyes sparked with eagerness, the spiritual energy coalescing at his fingertips quivering slightly as he pointed towards the vine-shrouded cave entrance nearby. His own cultivation base had been too weak to discern the faint traces amidst the gusting mountain winds, but with Long Teng's assistance, these remnants were now strikingly clear.

Wang Yuchen narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing the unassuming cave. He cast his mind back to the performance Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao had staged a few days prior—a charade of feigned ignorance and a conscious effort to maintain distance. Now, it seemed, that pathetic act was nothing short of ridiculous.

"Birds of a feather flock together, after all," Wang Yuchen sneered, malice glinting in his eyes.

Long Teng positioned himself at the vanguard. Having already devised a plan, he lifted his palm without hesitation, conjuring a mass of dark crimson spiritual energy that he hurled towards the barely perceptible, transparent barrier guarding the cave's entrance.

"Boom!" A muffled explosion resonated through the valley. The force of the impact compelled Long Teng to stumble back several paces, twin gouges etched into the earth where his feet had landed.

Almost simultaneously, a choked groan emanated from the depths of the cave. Gu Sheng sat cross-legged on a stone platform, enveloped by a churning vortex of pale cyan spiritual energy. Though Long Teng's assault had not directly wounded him, the reverberations from the disturbed defensive array had struck his chest, causing his body to convulse. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, which he forcefully swallowed back down.

"Damn it..." Gu Sheng cursed internally. He was precisely at a critical juncture for his breakthrough, spiritual energy coursing wildly through his meridians; any misstep could lead to disastrous consequences.

Ling Xiao, who had been meditating on the opposite side of the cave, instantly opened his eyes upon hearing the disruptive sound. Noticing Gu Sheng's pallor, he surged towards the cave entrance without uttering a word.

"Who is out there?" Ling Xiao questioned, his pace undiminished. His priority was to repel these intruders and grant Gu Sheng precious time.

Outside the cave, Wang Yuchen's brow furrowed as he addressed Long Teng. "Long, what are you doing?"

Long Teng massaged his numb arm, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "I simply took a liking to this cave. How could I have known someone was cultivating within?" He then turned to Wang Yuchen, his eyes alight with cunning. "Doesn't the rule of Xuanming Divine Mountain permit the strong to claim an occupied cultivation spot?"

Wang Yuchen paused, then a slow understanding dawned upon him. This maneuver served a dual purpose: it could be used offensively or defensively, thereby circumventing the Qinghe Holy Land's strictures against private duels between disciples while simultaneously disrupting Gu Sheng's cultivation in a legitimate manner. He couldn't help but admire Long Teng's strategic brilliance.

"Ingenious, Long. Truly," Wang Yuchen declared with a smirk, offering a respectful bow.

Long Teng offered no further reply, his right fist clenching tightly. The muscles in his arm bulged like hardened steel. This time, he unleashed his full power. The spiritual energy gathered on his fist was almost visible, accompanied by a howling gale as it crashed against the already weakened barrier of the array.