Chapter 1453 - 749: Finally Out (Part 2)
Chapter 1453: Chapter 749: Finally Out (Part 2)
However, just as they rushed a few steps forward, the ground suddenly exploded, and dozens of equally sturdy Heavenly Demon Vines burst forth, entwining the crowd.
"Ah!"
An old man dressed in purple robes at the early stage of the Heavenly Martial Realm screamed, his right arm ensnared by the vines and instantly crushed into pulp. More terrifying was that before the severed arm touched the ground, it was drawn in by the thorns on the vine and devoured in the blink of an eye.
The bloody scent intensified the Heavenly Demon Vine, making it even more berserk.
Vines intertwined into a Heaven and Earth Net, trapping everyone within. The sound of thorns scraping against the Protective Gang Qi was chilling.
Gu Sheng strolled leisurely to Xie Qingxuan, bit his finger, and dropped a bead of blood into her mouth.
"My blood can temporarily infuse you with my aura, otherwise the Heavenly Demon Vine will attack indiscriminately."
Xie Qingxuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her eyes, just in time to see a vine pierce through the chest of a Martial Artist, blood gushing out before being absorbed entirely by the vine in a horrific scene.
Her face turned pale.
"This... this is..."
"Don’t be afraid, they won’t harm you now."
Gu Sheng turned to look at the battlefield, his gaze indifferent as if gazing at a group of ants.
At the center of the battlefield, Zhang Tianxing was already covered in blood.
He roared as he tore open his shirt, revealing a chest covered with bizarre runes.
"Blood Evil Body Refining Technique!"
The runes glowed with a bloody light, and his muscles instantly bulged, tearing several vines apart by hand.
However, the broken vines took root as soon as they hit the ground, quickly growing new branches. More vines from all directions entwined, wrapping him in a cocoon shape. A particularly sharp vine suddenly pierced into his abdomen, madly siphoning his Essence Blood.
"Gu Sheng! Even if I become a ghost..."
Before the threat was fully uttered, another vine pierced from his mouth, through his back. Zhang Tianxing’s eyes widened, his body convulsed violently before falling silent.
Seeing the dire situation, Xu Hansong pulled out a silver talisman, ready to crush it.
Gu Sheng snorted coldly, his left arm flashing gold. A vine, much thinner than the others yet with a metallic sheen, shot out, piercing Xu Hansong’s wrist before the talisman was activated.
"No!"
Xu Hansong’s face turned ashen as he watched the vine spiral up his arm.
He struggled desperately, only to see the vine suddenly split open into countless small mouths, releasing a faint red mist.
As the mist touched his skin, Xu Hansong’s struggles immediately weakened.
His eyes gradually lost focus, and his skin shriveled visibly. Just within a few breaths, this peak Heavenly Martial Realm powerhouse turned into a dry corpse.
The slaughter lasted for a quarter of an hour.
When the last Earth Martial Realm Martial Artist had their head twisted off by the vine, the Molten Rock Lake finally returned to silence.
The ground was covered in bone fragments and tattered cloth, not a drop of blood remaining.
The Heavenly Demon Vine writhed with satisfaction, the golden red patterns having doubled in thickness from before.
Gu Sheng raised his left arm slightly, causing all the vines to retreat, ultimately shrinking back beneath his skin, leaving only faint golden red patterns.
Xie Qingxuan resisted the urge to vomit, her voice trembling.
"You...you killed them all? The two sects will not let this go..."
Gu Sheng took out a water bag to wash his hands.
"In the world of martial artists, it’s survival of the fittest.
If they dare to act in the Secret Realm, they must be prepared to be killed."
He turned to look at Xie Qingxuan.
"The name of Linyin Pavilion is enough to make these two sects wary."
With that, he took out a whole body crimson spirit grass, its leaves like flames.
"Spirit Flame Immortal Grass, harvested from the bottom of the Molten Rock Lake. Our transaction is complete."
Xie Qingxuan received the Immortal Grass, feeling the heat at her fingertips, confirming it as genuine.
She looked at Gu Sheng with a complex expression.
"Thank you not just for saving me, but..."
"We each took what we needed." Gu Sheng interrupted her.
"After leaving the Secret Realm, return directly to the Xie Family. If the two sects harass you, shift the blame to me."
Xie Qingxuan tightly gripped the Immortal Grass, and suddenly knelt on one knee.
"Gu Sheng, I owe you my life.
Should you ever have need, the Xie Family will assist with all our might."
Gu Sheng nodded slightly, turning to walk towards the Molten Rock Lake.
With his back to Xie Qingxuan, he raised his left arm, carefully observing the golden red patterns flowing beneath his skin.
The Heavenly Demon Vine pulsed with satisfaction, and he could feel its power surging as a result of the devouring.
"To absorb twelve Heavenly Martial Realm individuals and still handle it with ease..."
Thought appeared in Gu Sheng’s eyes.
"The Divine Phoenix Essence Blood is truly extraordinary. At this rate, with a few more devourings, it might even pose a threat to Sect Realm powerhouses."
Suddenly remembering something, he turned to speak to Xie Qingxuan, who was still kneeling.
"Right, about today’s matter..."
"I didn’t see anything."
Xie Qingxuan immediately understood.
"The deaths of the two sect members due to the secret realm’s disturbance have nothing to do with me."
Gu Sheng nodded with satisfaction and redirected his attention back to his left arm.
The growth of the Heavenly Demon Vine requires the blood of the strong, which is distinctly different from Evil Cultivators slaughtering the weak. But if left to continue devouring...
He squinted, and the golden-red patterns reflected an eerie glow in his pupils.
Power and danger have always been two sides of the same coin. Gu Sheng sat cross-legged in a hidden cave within the Spirit Flame Mountain Secret Realm, surrounded by a faint spiritual energy.
Suddenly, the innate spirit embryo within his body vibrated violently, and a strong sense of crisis surged through his heart like a tide.
"Not good!"
Gu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, a golden light in his pupils.
Xie Qingxuan, organizing a basket of herbs beside him, was startled by his movement.
"Gu, what’s wrong?"
Gu Sheng’s expression was grave, his gaze sweeping like lightning toward the entrance of the cave.
"A strong adversary is approaching from outside, at least of the Sect Realm cultivation."
The herb in Xie Qingxuan’s hand fell to the ground, her face instantly turning pale.
"A Sect Realm adversary? Could it be..."
"People from the Sun and Moon Sect and the Divine Blood Sect have come."
Gu Sheng stood up, his aura restrained yet giving off a mountainous oppression.
"They must be here because of Xu Hansong and Zhang Tianxing."
Xie Qingxuan bit her lip.
"Gu, what do we do? A Sect Realm adversary..."
Gu Sheng raised his hand to interrupt her, resolve in his eyes.
"With my current strength, dealing with a Heavenly Martial Realm is possible, but facing a Sect Realm adversary..."
He paused, the corner of his mouth curving into a confident smile.
"But I have a trump card for survival."
He turned to grasp Xie Qingxuan’s shoulder, his voice low and firm.
"Qingxuan, no matter what happens later, when I tell you to leave, you must escape with all your might, understand?"
Tears welled up in Xie Qingxuan’s eyes, but she stubbornly shook her head.
"No, I can’t leave you..."
"Listen to me!"
Gu Sheng’s tone grew heavier.
"If you stay, you will only distract me. I have a way to get away, but the premise is your safety."
Looking into Gu Sheng’s determined eyes, Xie Qingxuan finally nodded with tears in her eyes.
"I...I’ll listen to you."
Gu Sheng smiled with satisfaction and then took out an ancient bronze key from his bosom.
"There’s no time left, let’s go."
He led Xie Qingxuan to a stone wall deep within the cave and inserted the key into an almost invisible groove.
The stone wall immediately rippled with light, gradually forming a transmission light gate.
"Hold on to me."
Gu Sheng said softly, and the two stepped into the light gate together.
The scene before them changed instantly, the blinding sunlight making Gu Sheng squint.
They were already standing outside the bronze gate of the Spirit Flame Mountain Secret Realm, surrounded by familiar desolate mountainscapes.
However, before they could adapt to their surroundings, several powerful divine senses locked onto them like sharp swords.
"Finally came out."
A cold voice came from the air.
Gu Sheng looked up to see five figures standing in the sky, led by the Sect Master of the Sun and Moon Sect... clad in a white robe, with a dignified face and eyes like lightning.
Beside him, an elder in a blood-red robe stood with his hands behind his back, the Sect Master of the Divine Blood Sect.
"Why have two Sect Masters graced us with their presence?"
Gu Sheng calmly shielded Xie Qingxuan behind him, his voice as calm as if greeting old friends.
The Sect Master of the Sun and Moon Sect snorted coldly, murder in his eyes.
"Young one, where is my disciple Xu Hansong?"
Gu Sheng raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Young Master Xu? I’m just a loose cultivator and have no interaction with your esteemed disciple. What does the Sect Master mean by this?"
"Insolent!"
The Sect Master of the Sun and Moon Sect shouted angrily, and the pressure of the Sect Realm descended like a mountain.