Although there is sect protection now, Gu Sheng still feels a profound lack of security and harbors an almost maddening desire for strength.
After finishing his analysis, Gu Sheng immediately took a Bone Protecting Pill and began cultivating.
Due to the weather, the clothes he washed last night hadnât dried. Because of this, Gu Sheng didnât go to the Merit Hall to exchange, instead continuing his cultivation in his wooden hut.
After all, not wearing the sect uniform within the sect would result in the deduction of sect contribution points. Gu Sheng wasnât in a rush; he still had some dry rations in the hut to last him a few days.
Immersed in cultivation, Gu Sheng lost track of time, unconcerned about day or night. It wasnât until three days later, when Lin Miaomiao came looking for him, that he finally broke off his fervent cultivation.
"Junior Brother Gu, how could you come back without informing me first! Iâve been worried sick about you these past few days!"
Upon seeing Gu Sheng, Lin Miaomiao glared at him fiercely and pouted in complaint.
Gu Sheng flashed a bitter smile. "Senior Sister Lin, it wasnât intentional. I was injured this time, so Iâve been recovering ever since I got back."
"What? Youâre hurt? Let me take a look!"
Hearing he was injured, Lin Miaomiao let out an exclamation and rushed to examine Gu Shengâs wounds.
Although Gu Sheng repeatedly declined, he ultimately couldnât resist her persistence and had to remove his clothes to reveal the injury.
Martial Artists generally have strong recovery abilities. Combined with the effects of medicinal powder, the wound on Gu Shengâs back had healed considerably over the last three days. However, the deeper gash hadnât fully regenerated, leaving behind a shocking sight.
"I told you, itâs nothing serious!"
Lin Miaomiao retorted angrily, "You call this nothing? The woundâs so deep you can see your bones! Be honestâwhat exactly were you up to in the Red Cloud Mountain Range to get hurt this badly?"
Having lived through two lifetimes, Gu Sheng immediately noticed the unusual tone in Lin Miaomiaoâs voice.
Gu Sheng rubbed his nose and stole glances at Lin Miaomiao.
Lin Miaomiao was only a few years older than him, currently in the prime of her youth. Though her appearance wasnât strictly stunning, it was highly pleasing to the eye. Her figure, curvaceous in all the right places, left little to be desired.
"Could it be my decades-long streak of bad luck with romance is finally ending?"
After spending some time together, Gu Sheng had developed a good impression of Lin Miaomiao. He didnât intend to hide the events of the Red Cloud Mountain Range from her, so he roughly recounted the situation.
Even though it was a simplified version of events, Lin Miaomiao still felt a chill of fear for Gu Sheng. With wide eyes filled with shock, she stared at him and said, "You... you really killed Wu Xinyu?"
Gu Sheng pulled out Wu Xinyuâs Identity Token and handed it to her. "Here, see for yourself. Is this fake?"
After confirming the token was indeed Wu Xinyuâs, Lin Miaomiaoâs expression suddenly turned grave. "This is bad. His father definitely wonât let this go."
Seeing Lin Miaomiaoâs serious eyes and worried face, Gu Sheng couldnât help but laugh. "Whatâs so bad about it? Wu Xinyu wasnât killed by meâhe was killed by that flock of giant birds. I was just the one who collected the spoils afterward. His father canât come after me over this, can he?"
"No need to worry too much. If trouble comes, weâll deal with it when it does. I was planning to head to the Merit Hall to exchange contribution pointsâletâs go together."
This matter was no trivial issue, and Lin Miaomiao felt it was necessary to report to the sectâs upper ranks promptly.
After changing into clean clothes, the two of them headed together to the Merit Hall on War God Peak.
Qin Xue spotted Gu Sheng and Lin Miaomiao approaching, and a hint of a smile appeared on her face. "Are you two here to pick up a task?"
Gu Sheng shook his head and placed a bundle containing thirty-two Thousand Poison Sect Identity Tokens onto the counter. "Mr. Qin, Iâm here to exchange sect contribution points."
Qin Xue was startled when she saw the bundle. "Donât tell me all these are Thousand Poison Sect Identity Tokens!"
Gu Sheng shrugged. "Exactly. Could you please calculate them for me?"
Upon opening the bundle and confirming it contained exclusively Thousand Poison Sect tokens, Qin Xue let out a sharp gasp. "I didnât expect you to be such a killer! You managed to take down so many people in such a short timeâwell done!"
Aside from labeling Gu Sheng as a ruthless fighter, Qin Xue didnât show much surprise.
Most disciples participating in the two-sect Killing Order were Outer Sect disciples. Meanwhile, Inner Sect disciples were primarily focused on preparing for the opening of the Red Cloud Secret Realm in six months, with little interest in such minor skirmishes.
Within the Outer Sect, a Copper Bone Realm disciple was considered quite capable, and many were still in the Blood Refining Realm.
Gu Shengâs notoriety for refining Bone Cleansing Pills on Spirit Pill Peak wasnât a secret either. The aura he exuded now clearly indicated he was in the Silver Bone Realm.
In Qin Xueâs eyes, Gu Shengâs current strength made it plausible that he could kill ordinary Outer Sect disciples of the Thousand Poison Sect. It wasnât a shocking feat.
"Alright! Let me count these for you. At this rate, you wonât take long to accumulate the contribution points needed to ascend to an Inner Sect Disciple! With your strength, catching the opening of the Red Cloud Secret Realm could be a major opportunity for you."
As she spoke, Qin Xue began tallying the tokens. At first, the first few Copper Bone Realm tokens didnât seem noteworthy, as she attributed them to Gu Shengâs hunting of several Thousand Poison Sect squads where Copper Bone disciples served as the squad leaders. But after recording seven or eight Copper Bone Realm tokens without encountering a single Blood Refining Realm one, Qin Xue suddenly felt something amiss and frantically rummaged through the bundle.
When she discovered that the majority of the tokens were of Copper Bone Realm, and even four belonged to Silver Bone Realm disciples, she couldnât help but draw a sharp breath!
Gu Sheng had only recently advanced to the Silver Bone Realm!
The strength differences between the three Refining realms existed but werenât drastically overwhelming. Under normal circumstances, even the most skilled Silver Bone Realm disciple wouldnât be able to contend with thirty to forty Copper Bone Realm disciples!
As the saying goes, human capabilities are limited. Unless oneâs cultivation level vastly surpasses their opponentâs, being able to fight against ten would already be an extraordinary feat!
Yet Gu Sheng had collected a whopping thirty-two tokens, including four Silver Bone Realm ones. This proved that Gu Shengâs strength far exceeded that of his peers!
In fact, Qin Xue began to suspect that Gu Sheng might already be capable of dueling experts of the Golden Bone Realm!
She picked up the four Silver Bone Realm tokens to examine them and found the Inner Sect insignias on them. Her expression instantly grew even more serious.
Suddenly, her attention zoomed in as her pupils dilated upon spotting one particular token!
The token she was holding belonged to Wu Xinyu.
"Did you kill Wu Xinyu?" Qin Xue asked in a stunned and grim voice, lowering her tone.
Gu Sheng nodded in acknowledgment.
Qin Xue promptly grabbed the bundle, took Gu Sheng by the arm, and dashed out of the Merit Hall. "Follow me to see the Great Elder immediately!"
Despite Wu Guiâs loss of face last time, it would be foolish to underestimate him. The only reason he didnât retaliate was because the one who intervened was Holy Pill Sectâs War God, Wen Mingyan. Had it been any other elder, the outcome would have been entirely different.
Furthermore, Wu Gui was a prominent figure in Thousand Poison Sect. If he found out Gu Sheng killed his son, there was no telling what reckless actions he might take.
Although Gu Sheng was currently just an Outer Sect disciple, Qin Xue understood his importance in Lu Junyiâs eyes. This affair had already surpassed her authority; only Lu Junyi could handle it.
Watching the two leave, Lin Miaomiao sighed deeply. Though she wanted to go with them, her status made it impossible to enter Cloud Saint Peak.
"No! I must keep up with Junior Brother Gu!"
Resolving herself, Lin Miaomiao turned toward a nearby pavilion.
In the courtyard of the pavilion, a middle-aged man was leisurely sipping tea.
When he noticed Lin Miaomiao, he greeted her with a detached tone. "Well, if it isnât Miaomiao. What brings you here?"
Lin Miaomiao presented a porcelain bottle to the man, speaking softly, "Manager Xu, please assist me with my Inner Sect promotion."
The manâs name was Xu Le, an administrator responsible for overseeing disciple promotion assessments within War God Peakâs Inner Sect.
Xu Le was aware that Lin Miaomiaoâs talent and strength had long qualified her for Inner Sect status, but her promotion had been delayed due to slots being filled by those with connections.
Xu Le took the bottle and smiled. "The Inner Sect slots are nearly full for this year, and many of the candidates have ties with other managers. Itâs not an easy situation to navigate."
Without hesitation, Lin Miaomiao peeled off the cloth seal on the bottle, instantly releasing a rich medicinal fragrance.
"Hmm? A Bone Cleansing Pill?" The scent revitalized Xu Le, who immediately sat upright.