Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1318 - 683: Asking for Trouble

The agonizing memory of his organs being crushed from a previous attempt to breach the barrier was still vivid in his mind. The world existing beyond the barrier was no place for ordinary cultivators to venture. Without a second thought, Gu Sheng pushed forward. The world instantly began to spin as a pressure five times greater than normal descended like a massive mountain, causing Gu Sheng’s very bones to groan in protest. His face paled, and veins visibly bulged across his forehead. "Hmph!" Gu Sheng suppressed a groan and staggered back three steps to regain his footing. The magma flowing beneath his feet was as thick as glue, demanding immense spiritual power to simply shift his position by an inch. Outside the barrier, Ling Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible? He wasn't expelled?" Within the barrier, several pairs of fierce gazes simultaneously locked onto the unexpected intruder. Gu Sheng felt their scrutiny and hostility, akin to a pack of wild beasts assessing prey that had dared to enter their domain. "Interesting," a raspy voice declared from his right. Gu Sheng turned to find a bald man seated cross-legged upon an jutting black rock. The man’s eyes were piercingly sharp like a falcon’s, and his exposed chest was a tapestry of brutal scars. "Buzz—" An overbearing spiritual sense, without any pretense of subtlety, swept across Gu Sheng’s entire person, probing the depth of his cultivation like a blade scraping against bone. Gu Sheng’s brow furrowed; such a brazen probe within the Cultivation World was a clear act of provocation. "Mid-stage Earth Palace, and you dare to tread in the depths of Heaven-Burning Valley?" The bald man withdrew his spiritual sense, a look of disdain on his face. "Boy, are you tired of living, or are you simply lacking common sense?" Gu Sheng’s heart stirred. He had initially concealed a portion of his actual cultivation, revealing only a mid-stage Earth Palace presence. However, it now appeared this ruse would only invite further suspicion. "Senior is jesting." Gu Sheng offered a slight cupping of his hands, circulating his internal spiritual power to subtly unveil more of his true cultivation. "I merely prefer to maintain a low profile." Surprise flickered in the bald man’s eyes. "Great Perfection Earth Palace?" He scrutinized Gu Sheng from head to toe. "Even so, at your age, enduring five-fold pressure is quite remarkable. To which sect do you belong?" Noticing several spiritual senses still covertly observing him, Gu Sheng quickly formulated a plan. "My master is Daoist Yong’an." "A disciple of Elder Yong’an?" The bald man's demeanor shifted noticeably, his tone becoming considerably more amiable. "So, you are Yong’an’s disciple, no wonder..." Before he could complete his sentence, a booming voice cut through the air. "Hong Yun, since when did you become a street guard? Must you interrogate every junior about their background?" Gu Sheng followed the sound and saw a burly man with a prominent, grim scar across his face, grinning widely and revealing a set of yellowed teeth. Visible waves of heat shimmered around the man, a testament to his profound cultivation. "Mi Yingzong!" The bald man, Hong Yun, scowled. "You have no right to interfere in my business!" "Hahaha!" Mi Yingzong let out a hearty laugh, turning his attention towards Gu Sheng. "Kid, pay no mind to this bald monk’s nonsense. While Elder Yong’an’s name carries weight here..." He casually patted the blood-stained long saber at his hip. "Strength is the ultimate principle." Gu Sheng calmly assessed the dynamic between the two. The palpable tension crackling between them was sufficient to ignite the very air, hinting at a deep-seated animosity. Hong Yun let out a cold sneer. "Mi Yingzong, cease your attempts at stirring up trouble." He then turned his gaze back to Gu Sheng, a warning evident in his tone. "Kid, out of respect for Yong’an, I’ll offer you a piece of advice: this is not a place for you. Depart while you still have the chance." Gu Sheng perceived the conflicting undercurrents of goodwill and threat within the warning. He offered a slight bow. "Thank you for your concern, Senior. However, I still wish to spend some time acclimating to this environment." "Such foolish ignorance!" Hong Yun’s eyes flashed with a cold glint. "Do you imagine a single protective dharma treasure will shield you indefinitely here? Once its spiritual power is depleted, you’ll be crushed into paste!" Outside the barrier, Ling Xiao listened with a rapidly beating heart. "Hong Yun, you're interfering far too much!" Mi Yingzong suddenly stood, his aura surging outwards. "He can remain as long as he wishes; if he dies, that is entirely his concern!" Hong Yun’s forehead veins throbbed noticeably. "Mi Yingzong! Are you intentionally trying to provoke me?" "And what if I am?" Mi Yingzong grinned maliciously, his hand tightening around his saber’s hilt. "Shall we settle our old and new grievances together?" The ambient temperature spiked dramatically, and the magma below began to churn with violent intensity. Other cultivators present hastily retreated, wary of being caught in the crossfire of their brewing conflict.

At the boundary's edge, Gu Sheng perceived Hong Yun's outburst of fury, noting the sudden shift in his temper, much like an erupting volcano.

"Presumptuous!"

Hong Yun's eyes blazed, crimson veins surfacing on his bronze-like skin.

"I offered you good counsel, and you completely disregarded it!"

As Gu Sheng prepared to speak, derisive laughter echoed through the vicinity.

"Hong Yun, will your fiery temper ever cease its bluster?"

A lanky cultivator taunted, "Are you attempting to leverage the reputation of Qinghe Holy Land's five prodigies for body refinement against everyone present?"

"Precisely," another cultivator agreed.

"Doesn't everyone here know that Brother Hong Yun's Molten Rock Dominator technique has reached Great Success, flourishing within Heaven-Burning Valley?"

Hong Yun's countenance darkened further, his knuckles audibly cracking.

"Hahahaha!"

The scarred man, Mi Yingzong, erupted into laughter.

"What 'five potentials'? In my eyes, Hong Yun will forever trail behind!"

"Mi Yingzong!"

Hong Yun bellowed, his voice causing molten rock to spray outward.

"You seek death!"

Before his words fully dissipated, Hong Yun lunged, his right fist searing with crimson light as it hurtled towards Mi Yingzong's face.

Mi Yingzong remained stationary, neither yielding nor evading, a wild grin plastered on his face as he returned the blow.