Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 1451: Chapter 748: Time to Surface (Part 2)

"We’ve dived down another hundred zhang..."

The Innate Spirit Embryo suddenly tensed up.

"Gu Sheng, my Spiritual Sense is sensing at least a thousand vines around us! This number is insane!"

Gu Sheng’s expression didn’t change.

"It’s fine. As long as we don’t leak any aura, they won’t attack."

"What if they do?"

The Innate Spirit Embryo pressed on relentlessly.

"If your spiritual power barrier fluctuates even a little, or if that Heavenly Demon Vine’s main body has intelligence, these vines can twist you into paste in an instant!"

Gu Sheng stopped moving and spoke solemnly.

"The cultivation path is a struggle against the heavens for one’s life. Faced with a chance like this, how could I give it up out of fear of risk?"

Gu Sheng held his breath, his entire body wrapped in a faint blue spiritual power barrier that kept the blistering magma outside.

Through the surging crimson magma, his gaze clearly locked onto those writhing Heavenly Demon Vines.

"Each vine’s attack power is no weaker than the full-strength strike of a Peak Earth Martial Realm Martial Artist..."

Gu Sheng silently muttered in his heart.

"If over a thousand vines strike together, even a Sect Realm expert would have to back off."

The flow of the magma stirred up a string of bubbles that brushed past his cheek.

Gu Sheng could feel the ferocious, vicious aura radiating from those vines. They seemed filled with hostility toward any form of life, ready to tear any intruder to shreds at any moment.

"But I know your weakness."

The corner of Gu Sheng’s mouth lifted slightly as he continued diving toward the lakebed.

His spiritual power barrier perfectly isolated his own aura, preventing the keen-sensed Heavenly Demon Vines from detecting his presence.

Above the lake, on the shore of the Molten Rock Lake.

Zhang Tianxing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his crimson robe snapping in the heat waves.

He squinted at the gradually calming surface of the magma lake, then turned to Xu Hansong beside him.

"That brat is either dead already or fleeing in serious injury."

Xu Hansong let out a cold laugh, gently shaking the folding fan in his hand.

"Just a mere Earth Martial Realm junior, and he dares play tricks in front of us. Pass down the order—search every inch of the entire Spirit Flame Mountain Secret Realm!"

The dozens of Heavenly Martial Realm experts behind them immediately dispersed, sweeping through every corner of the Secret Realm.

The Spirit Flame Mountain Secret Realm wasn’t large to begin with. In just half a day, these experts had already completed a carpet search.

"Reporting to you two adults, Gu Sheng’s whereabouts have not been found!"

A Heavenly Martial Realm Martial Artist knelt on one knee to report.

Zhang Tianxing and Xu Hansong exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned their gazes to the still-rolling Molten Rock Lake.

"Could it be..."

Xu Hansong’s brows furrowed tightly.

"That brat is still in the lake?"

A vicious glint flashed in Zhang Tianxing’s eyes.

"Someone go find a few Body Cultivation experts and get ready to dive into the lake to investigate!"

Meanwhile, Gu Sheng had already reached the deepest part of the Molten Rock Lake.

The temperature here was terrifyingly high, to the point that even his spiritual power barrier began to faintly tremble.

But what surprised him was that there were no countless vines here, only a dozen or so massive, gnarled roots, each ten zhang thick, coiled quietly like slumbering giant dragons.

"So this is the root of the Heavenly Demon Vine?"

The Innate Spirit Embryo’s voice sounded in Gu Sheng’s mind, carrying childlike curiosity.

Gu Sheng answered inwardly.

"No, this is only the part it uses to absorb Life Force, not its true core."

"Then how are we going to subdue it?"

The Spirit Embryo continued asking, a nervous note in its voice.

A sharp light flashed in Gu Sheng’s eyes.

"I need your help. Control your Incarnation, simulate the Divine Phoenix aura, then get as far away from here as possible."

"Divine Phoenix aura? That’s the aura of an Ancient Divine Beast!"

The Spirit Embryo exclaimed.

"But... I can indeed try to simulate it."

"Good."

Gu Sheng nodded.

"Remember, once it starts, immediately swim upward, and don’t look back."

The Spirit Embryo fell silent for a moment, then said solemnly,

"I understand."

A hundred zhang away, a blurry figure suddenly appeared.

It was a Spirit Embryo Incarnation that resembled Gu Sheng by about seventy percent, and its entire body began to emit an ancient and noble aura—the pressure of the Ancient Divine Phoenix!

In that instant, the entire Molten Rock Lake boiled!

Countless vines rushed toward the Spirit Embryo Incarnation at a shocking speed, twisting to kill it.

Weird runes glowed on those vines, and every strike was powerful enough to tear mountains apart.

The Spirit Embryo Incarnation relied on its astonishing speed, weaving nimbly through the gaps between the vines, rapidly swimming upward.

The dozen-some gigantic roots at the bottom of the lake also began to writhe, slowly stretching out.

Gu Sheng seized this opportunity and continued diving downward.

His feet finally touched the hard ground at the bottom of the lake.

"Now!"

Gu Sheng shouted low in his heart.

As the massive roots shifted, the central area where they had originally coiled gradually revealed itself.

There, a snow‑white lump lay, its entire body emitting a lustrous glow, gently rising and falling in the magma as if it were breathing with life.

"This is the core of the Heavenly Demon Vine!"

A flash of wild joy appeared in Gu Sheng’s eyes.

"Normally it’s heavily protected, there’s no way to get close. Only when it goes all out attacking will the core be briefly exposed!"

The snow‑white lump released a faint Life Force fluctuation; it looked unbelievably soft, slightly deforming with the flow of magma.

Transparent ripples surfaced between Gu Sheng’s brows.

His spiritual power began to split: one portion continued maintaining the protective barrier, isolating his own aura; the other gathered at his brow, transforming into countless profound Array Patterns.

"Dual Consciousness Sea Secret Technique, open!"

With Gu Sheng’s low shout, those Array Patterns wove together, gradually forming an ancient sigil full of vicissitudes.

Obscure, unfathomable lines flowed across the sigil, radiating an aura that could suppress all things.

"Go!"

The sigil at Gu Sheng’s brow, guided by his spiritual power, slowly surged toward that snow‑white lump.

At the instant the sigil condensed at Gu Sheng’s fingertip sank into the snow‑white lump, the entire bottom of the Molten Rock Lake felt as if stirred by an invisible giant hand.

The ten‑zhang‑thick roots of the Heavenly Demon Vine twisted madly, crimson blood‑veins like spider webs emerging on their surface, emitting a tooth‑aching creaking sound.

"It’s over, it’s over, this thing’s gonna go berserk!"

The Innate Spirit Embryo screamed inside Gu Sheng’s Sea of Consciousness, its tiny face deathly pale.

"Run! If we don’t run now, we’re both dying here!"

Gu Sheng, however, didn’t move an inch. Golden light flowed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth even curled up.

"What are you panicking for? It’s already done."

Before his words fell, those frenzied writhing roots suddenly froze, actually avoiding the direction where Gu Sheng was.

The blood‑veins on the surface of the roots gradually faded, replaced by a layer of faint golden halo.

"This... this is..."

The Innate Spirit Embryo’s eyes widened.

"Shh."

Gu Sheng raised a finger.

The snow‑white lump suddenly exploded, and a three‑foot‑long streak of golden light shot out like a spirit snake leaving its hole, heading straight for Gu Sheng’s face.

Gu Sheng neither dodged nor retreated, shouting in a low voice.

"Receive!"

The golden light coiled around his left arm and actually turned into a gold‑and‑crimson vine. Its surface was smooth as Ruyu, without the slightest hint of ferocity.

The vine affectionately rubbed against Gu Sheng’s cheek.

"The Heavenly Demon Vine’s main body?"

The Innate Spirit Embryo floated out, curiously poking the vine.

"What about those rampaging branches?"

Gu Sheng gently stroked the vine and said calmly,

"What’s in the Molten Rock Lake are just branches; this is the true body. Without it, those branches will wither very soon."

"What a pity about those branches..."

The Innate Spirit Embryo smacked its lips.

"If only we could take them all..."

"Greedy."

Gu Sheng chuckled.

"With this main body, as long as there’s enough Life Force, it can grow new branches anytime."

A look of delight flashed in his eyes.

"Didn’t expect the remnant Life Force of the Ancient Divine Phoenix to nurture such a Spiritual Object."

The vine seemed to understand his words and writhed about happily.

Gu Sheng didn’t delay any longer and looked up toward the dark‑red magma above.

"Time to go up."

He kicked with both legs, his figure shooting upward like an arrow.

The gold‑and‑crimson vine automatically wrapped around his waist, forming a protective layer. Wherever he passed, the magma automatically parted, as if in fear of something.

At the Molten Rock Lake shore, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

"Trash! Nothing but trash!"

Xu Hansong kicked over the Martial Artist in front of him, his face terrifyingly dark.

"It’s been three days, and you can’t even find a single Shadow!"

Zhang Tianxing stood with his hands behind his back, coldly sweeping his gaze over the brought‑in Xie Qingxuan and Xie He.

"Last chance. Tell us Gu Sheng’s whereabouts, and you’ll be spared death."

Xie Qingxuan had blood at the corner of her mouth, but she stubbornly held her head high.