Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World Chapter 1726 - 876: Five Poison Divine Sect

His laughter subsided as he looked at Gu Sheng, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

"Rest assured, since I have recognized you, this old man will not do anything to you. After all, my precious granddaughter is still waiting for you to take her to the Central Province to find a trace of vitality."

"Senior naturally won’t do anything to me."

Gu Sheng, however, was ungrateful and directly revealed.

"It’s not entirely because of recognition, but because senior doesn’t dare to, and cannot. In the Central Province, the only places that can resolve the hidden danger of the Holy Gu Spirit Body are the Heaven-Burning Holy Land and the Evil Flame Holy Land, which focus on Fire Element cultivation methods.

Sending Miss Yaoyao to the Heaven-Burning Holy Land might still leave room for negotiation, but if sent to the erratic and eccentric Evil Flame Holy Land... with Miss Yaoyao’s physique, it is hard to predict whether it would be a blessing or a curse. Senior can’t afford to gamble on that, so at this moment, I am actually the safest choice."

Qidiao Wu’s smile instantly froze, and he completely collected his mind, his gaze towards Gu Sheng now not only admiring but with a touch of apprehension. This young man’s meticulous mind and precise grasp on the human heart are simply frightening! He pondered for a moment and tentatively asked.

"Then what about the near-ancient early Gu technique inheritance you mentioned before?"

"We can definitely discuss it."

Gu Sheng nodded.

"Consider it a part of the sincerity of the collaboration."

With that, he did not wait for Qidiao Wu to respond, directly separating a strand of pure spiritual power, wrapping it with a fragment of memory he had screened, containing the basics and some core mysteries of the Gu technique, and sent it straight towards Qidiao Wu’s brow.

Qidiao Wu hesitated slightly but still let down a part of his sea of consciousness defense, accepting this spiritual power.

In an instant, a piece of ancient, obscure, yet complete systematic information pointing directly to the great path of Gu technique slowly unfolded in his mind like a scroll.

The concepts, techniques, and understanding of the source of Gu worms in it were far deeper and more exquisite than his Five Poison Divine Sect’s inheritance! Especially when he "saw" the true name imprint branded at the inheritance’s source—

"Lan Liyue?!"

Qidiao Wu was as if struck by lightning, his whole being jolted fiercely, bolting upright, pupils contracting sharply to pin-sized, his face full of unbelievable shock, staring dead at Gu Sheng, his voice slightly altered due to extreme astonishment.

"You... how do you know the true name of His Majesty the Poison Emperor?! This... this is impossible! The name of the Poison Emperor, even on the oldest stele of our sect, is only partially recorded, long since wiped out from history, where did you learn it from?!"

Looking at the out-of-control Qidiao Wu, Gu Sheng also felt a slight ripple in his heart, as a piece of past life memory surfaced in his mind.

It was in a perilous ancient secret realm where he, trapped due to exploring a relic, encountered Lan Liyue, who was also trapped and severely injured.

At that time, although Lan Liyue was already a master of Gu technique, she was confused about the way forward due to incomplete inheritance. In the desperate situation, the two of them supported each other, and with insights and understanding of Martial Arts far ahead of the era, Gu Sheng enlightened her, helping her to combine Gu technique and Alchemy Dao, paving a new path of her own.

He learned the essence of Gu technique from her, while she regarded him as both teacher and friend. To some extent, Lan Liyue can be considered half-disciple to him.

’Holy Gu Spirit Body... how difficult it is to advance.’ Gu Sheng sighed softly in his heart, with a hint of regret, ’Back then, my Origin Pill Fire was unformed, unable to help her progress perfectly, forced to take a huge risk, throwing her into the Pill Furnace, summoning the Earth Core Fire, supplemented by countless spiritual medicines, to perform the heaven-defying method of altering fate...

Alas, it ultimately failed, she could not survive the ordeal of being burned by a myriad of fires and source reshaping...’

It was precisely because of this experience that since Qidiao Wu mentioned the Holy Gu Spirit Body, Gu Sheng never planned to send Qidiao Yaoyao to the Heaven-Burning Holy Land. Suppressing with ordinary Fire Element Martial Artists is just treating the symptoms but not the root cause; only fundamentally resolving the Spiritual Body’s hidden danger is the right path.

He looked at the shock-stricken Qidiao Wu and slowly spoke.

"How I learned of it, senior need not delve into. You just need to know that this inheritance is genuine. Taking it back to the Southern Border can also be considered... returning property to its rightful owner, fulfilling a fate."

He paused for a moment and put forth the final condition.

"With this complete inheritance, I exchange for your Five Poison Divine Sect’s allegiance to me for ten years! Within these ten years, obey my commands, and assist me with matters in the Southern Border.

After ten years, your stay is up to you; I absolutely will not hinder.

Additionally, within these ten years, I will personally take action to resolve the hidden danger of Qidiao Yaoyao’s Holy Gu Spirit Body, without borrowing any strength from the Holy Lands. Once her hidden danger is eliminated and her cultivation reaches Great Success, she can return to inherit your position, mastering the Five Poison Divine Sect."

Qidiao Wu was still immersed in the shock brought by the true name of the Poison Emperor, and hearing these terms, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Gu Sheng’s eyes were as sharp as a torch, as if they could penetrate into one’s heart; he looked at Qidiao Wu, his tone calm yet carrying a sense of perceiving all.

"Senior, if my guess is correct... your urgency to arrange a path for Miss Yaoyao, even going so far as to lower your stance to negotiate with me, a ’junior’, aside from the affection for your granddaughter, the more important reason is... you yourself, have also reached the end of your timeline, haven’t you?"

"What?!"

As these words fell, Qidiao Wu’s expression drastically changed, as if struck by a thunderbolt, his whole being froze in place!

...

Qidiao Wu was rendered speechless by Gu Sheng’s words revealing the heavenly secret, silent for a good dozen breaths of time.

The shock on his face lingered, and his accustomed to seemingly murky but actually extremely sharp eyes were now fixed intensely on Gu Sheng, as if wanting to see through him from the inside out.