Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1481 - 763: What Merit, What Ability_2

He had just paid two Low-grade Spirit Stones for an upper room, with the unique chilly touch of the Spirit Stones lingering on his fingertips.

As he reached the corner of the second floor, a needle-like spiritual power suddenly attacked from the room on the right, precisely locking onto him.

"Hmm?"

Gu Sheng furrowed his eyebrows, and the spiritual power within his Sea of Consciousness erupted like raging waves, shattering the probing force into fragments.

"Crack..."

The sound of invisible glass shattering seemed to echo in the air.

The next moment, the door of the guest room swung open abruptly, and a man wearing a bronze mask poked his head out, his sinister gaze piercing through the eye holes of the mask straight at Gu Sheng.

The man’s figure was tall and slender, his dark robe fluttering without wind, exuding the oppressive aura of the Fourth Level of the Heavenly Martial Realm.

"What is your intention, sir?"

Gu Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable coldness.

The masked man let out a cold snort.

"Even a mere Third Level of the Heavenly Martial Realm dares to question me?"

He deliberately released a stronger pressure, causing the candle flames in the corridor to flicker.

Gu Sheng’s eyes held a hint of displeasure.

"Spying on others is hardly polite behavior."

"Being inspected by me is your privilege."

The masked man’s tone was arrogant, his right hand already resting on a snake-shaped short sword at his waist.

Just as the atmosphere was tenser than ever, a clear voice like a bell came from inside the room.

"Tong Jiu, do not stir up trouble."

This voice was like a spring flowing through a mountain stream, and Gu Sheng immediately recognized... it was the Beast Taming Girl who rode the giant Demon Beast at the city gate!

Upon hearing this, the masked man, though reluctant, snorted coldly before retreating into his room, slamming the door shut.

The sound of the wooden door hitting the frame echoed in the corridor, prompting the Shopkeeper downstairs to look up.

With a thoughtful glance at the tightly closed room door, Gu Sheng turned to head toward his room.

Peering out the window, he indeed saw the inn’s rear courtyard where a giant six-legged Qilin-like Demon Beast was leisurely chewing on fodder, its scale armor glimmering with purple-gold sheen in the sunset.

"Purple Mist Divine Sect?"

Gu Sheng muttered to himself, lightly tapping the window frame with his fingertips.

He had once read in ancient texts that among the Southern Border Seventy-two Divine Sects, only the Purple Mist Divine Sect excelled at taming the Exotic Beast known as the "Purple Gold Beast."

Driven by curiosity, Gu Sheng sat cross-legged on the bed, sending out a thread of spiritual power thin as flowing silk that silently pierced through the wooden partition, probing the adjacent room.

"... those old geezers from the Purple Mist Divine Sect, utterly despicable!"

The voice of the masked man sounded indignantly.

"Traveling such long distances, only to be treated so dismissively?"

"Tong Jiu, watch your words."

The girl’s voice remained clear, but now carried a touch of authority.

"Master sent me here to repay an old debt. If they are ungrateful, there’s no need for us to force the issue."

After the rustling sounds of clothes, the girl continued.

"However, the Purple Mist Cave Heaven is about to open, and the Divine Pool inside is crucial for me. They say that this year three slots will be auctioned..."

Purple Mist Cave Heaven? Gu Sheng’s spirit was invigorated.

In Heaven, he had heard that the Southern Border Seventy-two Divine Sects control Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, each a Holy Land for cultivation.

Among them, the Divine Pool within the Purple Mist Cave Heaven is reputed to possess the miraculous effects of Bone Marrow Cleansing.

"Auction?"

The masked man’s tone was discontented.

"With the young lady’s status, even competing with those mortals?"

"Rules are rules."

The girl’s voice was calm.

"Tomorrow, we’ll pay a visit to the Purple Mist Residence. It’s too early to discuss further now."

With a muffled thud, it seemed the masked man had slammed the table.

"I will prepare at once!"

The footsteps moved towards the door.

Gu Sheng was about to withdraw his spiritual power when he suddenly heard the girl chuckle lightly.

"Have you not found it impolite, sir, listening for so long?"

The voice resonated directly in his Sea of Consciousness, almost startling him to leap off the bed.

"Why not come over for a chat?"

This time, the invitation came genuinely from the adjacent room.

Gu Sheng stood outside the door, his fingertips condensing an almost imperceptible thread of spiritual power.

The thread slithered like a snake into the room’s crevices, silently circling thrice within before stealthily returning.

"No restrictions, no ambush."

Gu Sheng frowned slightly.

"This girl is either extremely naive or utterly confident."

A refreshing scent like melting snow upon a mountain hit him the instant he pushed the door open.

Miao Muqing sat poised on the low couch by the window, with moonlight filtering through the window lattice casting dappled shadows upon her.

She looks merely seventeen or eighteen years old, yet she has a pair of eyes that seem to see through the world.

"Mr. Gu has finally decided to come in."

Miao Muqing’s lips curled slightly, her voice distinctly different from when she spoke in the courtyard earlier, carrying a peculiar rhythm.

"I thought I would have to wait until dawn."

Gu Sheng did not respond, his gaze swiftly sweeping across the room.

On a simple wooden table was a green porcelain oil lamp, the wick burning with a faint crackling sound.

In the corner stood a half-human-tall rattan chest, its lid engraved with complex Southern Border totems.

"Sit."

Miao Muqing pointed to the cushion opposite.

"I’ve invited you here just to discuss one matter."

Gu Sheng did not move.

"Miss Miao might as well speak directly."

"You are cautious."

Miao Muqing chuckled lightly and suddenly raised her hand to make an unusual gesture in front of her.

A pale purple light screen instantly enveloped the entire room.

"Now we can speak freely; this is a soundproofing barrier."

Gu Sheng’s pupils contracted slightly.

The effortless execution of this Barrier Technique requires at least a Golden Core Stage cultivator.

He secretly circulated the True Yuan within his body, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

"Don’t be nervous."

Miao Muqing seemed to see through his vigilance.

"I have no interest in your background, whether you hail from some family in the Central Province or are a wanted criminal hunted by the Three Great Divine Sects; it has nothing to do with me."

Gu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat.

How does this girl know about his intentionally concealed Central Province accent? And how did she guess he was evading capture?

"My name is Miao Muqing, from the southernmost end of the ’Thousand Souls Valley’ in the Southern Border."

She continued speaking to herself.

"I came to Purple Mist City this time to utilize the Purple Mist Cave Heaven."

"Utilize the Cave Heaven?"

Gu Sheng finally spoke, his voice deep.

"The Cave Heaven Blessed Land is the foundation of the sect; how can it be simply borrowed?"

Miao Muqing did not immediately respond but took a Green Jade Hairpin from her sleeve, gently pinning it to her hair.

The purple gemstone embedded in the hairpin glimmered with an unusual sheen under the light.

"My sister Miao Ren and I are dual souls sharing one body."

She suddenly said, her tone as calm as discussing the weather.

"We’ve shared this body for eighteen years. Usually, Ren’er is awake while I slumber. This time, because the Purple Mist Divine Sect rejected my master’s offer of friendship, I had to awaken and handle the matter."

Gu Sheng’s breath caught.

Dual souls in one body? Does such a legendary constitution truly exist? He subconsciously released his Divine Sense to explore and indeed sensed two distinct soul waves within Miao Muqing.

One was lively like a spring breeze, the other as serene as a deep pool.

"So..."

Gu Sheng carefully chose his words.

"The one speaking to me now is the elder sister Miao Muqing, and the one during the daytime..."

"Is Ren’er."

Miao Muqing nodded.

"Her personality is simple and not suited to handle these matters."

Gu Sheng was silent for a moment before suddenly asking.

"Why tell me this?"

"Because cooperation is needed."

Miao Muqing fixed her gaze on his eyes.

"The people of the Purple Mist Divine Sect are at odds with me; relying on just Ren’er and my power, it’s difficult to accomplish the task my master commanded."

Gu Sheng’s lips curled into a cold smile.

"Miss Miao overestimates me. I am merely a Loose Cultivator passing through here, with no great virtue or ability..."

"You managed to hide in Purple Mist City for half a month without being discovered, avoided the ears of the Three Great Divine Sects, and even bought ’Bone-Eroding Fragrance’ at the black market in the city’s south."

Miao Muqing interrupted him, her eyes sharp.

"Those are the exact skills I need."

Gu Sheng’s spine chilled.

She even knows about his purchase of forbidden drugs! Just how extensive is this girl’s intelligence network?

"Impressive."

He slowly exhaled.

"Miss Miao, having investigated so thoroughly, surely knows I’m not inclined to linger here."

Miao Muqing suddenly stood up, her figure appearing especially slender under the moonlight.