"It seems the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell has merged into my body, huh! I canât fathom the level of this treasure; for it to assimilate into someoneâs body is truly extraordinary."
After a brief moment of delight, Gu Sheng started to feel a headache creep in.
The Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell were already known to too many people. Once the Red Cloud Secret Realm concluded, it would undoubtedly draw the attention and competition of various major factions.
At first, Gu Shengâs thoughts had been quite simple. He only intended to first seize the two treasures, leaving the subsequent matters for Lu Junyi and Wen Mingyan to handle. But now that the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell had fused into his body, the situation was beyond his control.
Although the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell was powerful, Gu Sheng currently didnât possess the strength to control it. In fact, he couldnât even summon it out right now.
Within the Red Cloud Secret Realm, it wasnât as big of an issueâeven figures as strong as Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao couldnât do much to him. However, once he left the secret realm, it wouldnât just be Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao showing interest, but the higher-ups of various sects, possibly even their Sect Masters!
At that point, if the entire Red Cloud Prefectureâs factions exerted pressure on the Holy Pill Sect, it would be a very troublesome scenario.
Based on Gu Shengâs understanding of Wen Mingyan, he wasnât concerned that his master would give him up due to external pressure. However, Gu Sheng was also acutely aware that such a stance would make the Holy Pill Sect the public enemy of the entire Red Cloud Prefecture, potentially drawing a united assault from these forces.
"Ah! Forget about it. Overthinking these matters will only make my head hurt. Rather than worrying for nothing, itâs better to take advantage of the current time to gather more Spirit Stones. Once outside, these could help speed up Masterâs cultivation. With Masterâs abilities, if he could ascend to the Ninth Layer of the Bone Refining Stage, these factions probably wouldnât dare act rashly."
With this thought, Gu Sheng packed his things and prepared to leave.
Come to think of it, since entering this place, apart from obtaining four Spiritual Bags, he hadnât even seen the shadow of any Spirit Stones yet.
Just as Gu Sheng was about to leave, his skin suddenly tightenedâhe sensed a killing intent locking onto him.
This intent was as sharp as a sword but carried a watery softness that slowed his movements.
"Sword Aura, is it?"
Gu Sheng turned around, looking at the cliff wall in the distance. "Since youâre already here, why donât you show yourself? Hiding like this, arenât you afraid of tarnishing your reputation, Lu Shu?"
Upon hearing Gu Shengâs words, Lu Shu stepped out from behind the cliff wall, her face showing a trace of doubt as she looked at Gu Sheng. "How did you sense me?"
Gu Sheng smiled faintly and said, "Weâre both Sword Cultivators. You harbor killing intent toward me, and no matter how well you hide it, your Sword Aura will give off subtle fluctuations. Naturally, I could detect it."
Gu Shengâs gaze skipped past Lu Shu to look behind her.
"Donât bother looking. Iâm alone. The other members of the Governor Mansion have been sent off to search for Spirit Stones."
Hearing this, a hint of joy flashed across Gu Shengâs face.
Although Lu Shu was the strongest in the Governor Mansion, Gu Sheng wasnât particularly afraid of her in a one-on-one confrontation.
What Gu Sheng truly feared was that the Governor Mansionâs people might set up an ambush to capture him.
Aside from Lu Shu, even the strength of Lu Yun and others in the Governor Mansion wasnât weak. Once these people joined forces, their combat power couldnât be underestimated.
As the saying goes, "Even two fists canât fend off four hands." If he had detected the presence of others from the Governor Mansion, Gu Sheng wouldâve fled without hesitation. But now that he was certain Lu Shu was indeed alone, he relaxed.
Noticing the change in Gu Shengâs demeanor, Lu Shuâs face showed a hint of displeasure. "Youâre not afraid of me?"
Gu Shengâs sword strike against Zhu Hong at the Demon Suppression Sectâs ruins had been impressive, but Lu Shu hadnât regarded him as a true opponent. After all, she had made her mark long ago, whereas Gu Sheng had only just stepped into the Golden Bone Realm.
Gu Sheng chuckled at these words. "Afraid? Of course Iâm afraid. Your fame precedes you. Before coming here, my Master repeatedly warned meâif I encountered you in the Red Cloud Secret Realm, I should flee immediately."
Despite his words, his relaxed demeanor and smile gave an entirely different impression in Lu Shuâs eyes.
"Hmph! In that case, hand over the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell and the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll. Considering the Holy Pill Sect and our Governor Mansionâs market and pill trade, Iâll spare your life!"
Gu Sheng shook his head and said, "Now, thatâs asking a bit much. How could I be so willing to give up treasures of this kind? I, Gu Sheng, am not some cowardly soul. If you want the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell and the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, come and take them by force!"
Fighting intent surged in Gu Shengâs eyes. He was eager to see whether, with his current strength, he could match Lu Shu head-on.
Lu Shu, seeing Gu Sheng draw his sword willingly, blushed with indignation.
"Hah! In that case, donât blame me for being merciless!"
Despite being a woman, Lu Shuâs temperament was extremely fiery. As soon as she finished speaking, she drew her longsword.
Sword Aura erupted as her longsword radiated a deep blue light, its overwhelming power spreading outward.
"Wave-breaking!"
Gu Shengâs casual attitude made Lu Shu feel belittled. Her pride, honed over many years, was deeply offended, so she opened with her signature Martial Arts move.
Feeling the power behind this strike, Gu Sheng not only remained calm but even shook his head slightly, saying with a touch of helplessness, "Youâre indeed strong. If you werenât a Sword Cultivator, youâd pose a much greater threat to me. Unfortunately, duels between Sword Cultivators arenât just about powerâtheyâre about mastery over the sword itself! In this respect, youâre already destined to lose to me."
Gu Shengâs Water Cold Sword danced as he executed the three consecutive strikes of the Furious Blood Stance, unleashing blade qi that broke Wave-breakingâs Sword Qi instantly. Even Lu Shuâs Sword Aura trembled violently, showing signs of collapse.
Lu Shuâs complexion shifted dramatically. "Impossible! Youâve only been cultivating for such a short time. How can your Sword Aura be this powerful?"
Gu Sheng laughed heartily. "This isnât ordinary Sword Auraâitâs Sword Gang, a refined version of Sword Intent!"
As Gu Sheng stated, duels between Sword Cultivators werenât solely about cultivation strength but also about oneâs understanding of the essence of the sword. Unless there was a vast gap in Martial Arts levels, someone like Lu Shu, who was suppressed within swordsmanship, couldnât threaten Gu Sheng.
While the Furious Blood Stance itself wasnât inherently strongâtrash compared to Wave-breaking, a Top-grade Yellow Level techniqueâunder the enhancement of Sword Gang, Lu Shuâs once-unstoppable Wave-breaking was mercilessly shattered.
With Wave-breaking broken, Lu Shuâs Sword Aura was also disrupted, crumbling bit by bit.
"No! Iâll kill you!"
Seeing her painstakingly cultivated Sword Aura beginning to shatter, Lu Shu fell into a frenzy. Her longsword swung wildly as an intricate array of Sword Qi swirled around her, restoring her previously crumbling Sword Aura to newfound strength.
Observing the changes in Lu Shuâs Sword Aura and the phenomena around her, Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A Mystical-level swordsmanship technique?"
Lu Shu poured all her strength into her longsword and slashed ferociously at Gu Sheng.
"Thousand Swords Become One!"
The technique Lu Shu used was a Mid-grade Mystical-level swordsmanship move: Thousand Swords Become One!
This technique was among the highest-ranking swordsmanship techniques in the Red Cloud Prefecture.
Countless sword shadows converged into one longsword that shot toward Gu Sheng.
The might of Thousand Swords Become One was overwhelming, even suppressing the Sword Gang around Gu Shengâs body, forcing it to retreat temporarily. The Sword Qi produced by his Furious Blood Stance was directly crushed.
"What a ferocious swordsmanship technique!"
Gu Shengâs eyes gleamed as a trace of greed flashed within them. His hands didnât idle, and his longsword danced, stirring up a storm.
This was none other than Gu Shengâs most powerful Martial Arts: the Gale Nine Swords!
Although Gu Shengâs mastery of Gale Nine Swords had yet to reach Small Success, his progress in recent practice had been significant. While its power wasnât yet comparable to Wen Mingyanâs terrifying mastery, it was still incredibly formidable.
As the storm of Gale Nine Swords erupted, the pressure from Lu Shuâs Thousand Swords Become One dissipated instantly, allowing Gu Shengâs Sword Gang to regain dominance.
"Break!"
Gu Shengâs eyes turned sharp as a deadly aura erupted from within him.
The Governor Mansionâs relationship with the Holy Pill Sect was lukewarm at best. Since Lu Shu harbored killing intent against him, Gu Sheng naturally had no intention of sparing her. He poured his strength into executing the Gale Nine Swords to its utmost potential, seeking to slay Lu Shu in one decisive strike!