When he turned around, a woman draped in a layer of white veil had already approached Gu Sheng.
Gu Sheng hastily took a few steps back, his face showing an embarrassed expression. He hurriedly cupped his fists and said, "Ladies, I sincerely apologize. I had no intention of offending you and merely wandered into this place by mistake."
The woman, though wrapped in white veil which hid her figure, carried an undiminished fury on her face.
She looked coldly at Gu Sheng, her voice infused with unquestionable authority: "Who are you? Why have you come here?"
"Hahaha..."
Just as Gu Sheng was about to explain, a burst of wild laughter came from the distance.
Wu Dewangâs figure slowly emerged. He looked at Gu Sheng with eyes full of mockery and said, "Gu Sheng, you sure are brave! Barging into a womanâs bathing area like thisâit seems nothing can hold you back."
Gu Shengâs heart sank; he finally understood the truth of the situation.
As it turned out, this unscrupulous Taoist had long since set up this trap to intentionally lead him here, plunging him into such a humiliating predicament.
"Wu Dewang, whatâs the meaning of this?"
Gu Sheng suppressed the anger blazing in his heart and coldly asked.
Wu Dewang chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Itâs nothing. I just wanted to teach you a lesson. Isnât it true youâve been craving a way to enhance your cultivation? Well, this place happens to be an ideal trial ground. Although, judging by the current scene, you might be better suited to some self-reflection here."
"What? Taoist? You want me to reflect here?"
Gu Sheng looked utterly bewildered.
Soon after, the young woman wearing the white veil stepped forward, her radiant smile falling gently on Gu Sheng.
Gu Sheng then noticed that among her beautiful hair, there was a single strand of white.
The single strand of white within her black hair carried a spiritual charm, captivating whoever gazed upon it.
The woman with the single strand of white hair walked closer to Gu Sheng, her eyes carrying a glimmer of admiration.
Soon, her voice, soft and magnetic, as if able to pierce through hearts, spoke: "Young Master Gu, you need not panic. What Taoist Wu said is no lie. You do indeed possess an extraordinary treasure bodyâit is exceedingly rare in the cultivation world."
Gu Shengâs heart trembled, having never imagined that he held such a special attribute.
He continued to scrutinize the white-haired woman, hoping to glean answers from her expression.
Wu Dewang observed this and smirked slightly. Turning to the white-haired woman, he said, "Since you hold Young Master Gu in such regard, hand over that Demon Emperor Essence Blood you promised me earlier."
The white-haired woman nodded lightly, "Rest assured, Taoist. I would never go back on my word."
Gu Shengâs heart tightened, realizing now that the situation he found himself in was far more intricate than he could have anticipated.
So it turned out these women were all demons, not humans or cultivators as he had initially assumed.
"You shameless Taoist! You heartless bastardâyou actually handed me over to them!"
Gu Sheng shouted furiously.
"Hmph!"
Wu Dewang snorted coldly with a face full of disdain. He said, "Brother Gu, Iâm heartless? Between us, whoâs truly heartless here?"
With that, Wu Dewang sauntered over toward Gu Shengâs side.
"A few years ago in the Demon Emperorâs burial ground, you nearly got me killed. And now you dare to accuse me of lacking a conscience? Why donât you take a closer look into your own heart? Isnât it pitch-black through and through!"
"My heart is pitch-black? Would I have done what I did if you hadnât stolen my three Spiritual Divine Artifacts first?"
Gu Sheng shot back.
A shadow of darkness flickered across Wu Dewangâs face.
Originally, he hadnât intended to mention the matters surrounding Spiritual Divine Artifacts. Thus, he abruptly changed the subject.
"Gu Sheng, stop deflecting. Where is that copper Spiritual Artifact now? You had better confess honestly, or..."
Wu Dewangâs mouth twisted into an icy grin as he spoke.
Gu Sheng paused in surprise, not expecting Wu Dewang to suddenly bring up the copper Spiritual Artifact.
His heart clenched tightly, but outwardly he feigned innocence, spreading his arms wide and saying, "Taoist Wu, what are you talking about? If I truly possessed the copper Spiritual Artifact, wouldnât you have been able to sense it by now?"
A sharp glimmer flashed through Wu Dewangâs eyes. He immediately closed the distance between them, his tone growing ever more frigid.
"Gu Sheng, donât play dumb. The energy fluctuations from the copper Spiritual ArtifactâI saw them firsthand. If you donât hand it over, donât blame me for being merciless."
With that, Wu Dewang raised his hand, an expression of cold malice, as though ready to punish Gu Sheng severely.
Seeing Wu Dewangâs determined stance, Gu Sheng realized he could no longer conceal the truth. Pretending to be unconcerned, he shrugged lightly and said, "Since Taoist insists, please go ahead."
With that, Gu Sheng spread open his arms, signaling Wu Dewang that he was free to search him.
"Hmph!"
Wu Dewang snorted coldly.
During this brief interaction, Wu Dewang detected no trace of the copper Spiritual Artifactâs energy fluctuations. However, he was unwilling to let Gu Sheng off as easily as that.
He carefully scanned Gu Shengâs body, but indeed found nothing amiss, leading him at last to withdraw his gaze.
"Gu Sheng, youâd better speak the truth. We can still be friends. But if you dare lie to me..."
Wu Dewang was cut off before finishing his words, as Gu Sheng interrupted: "Taoist Wu, I truly donât have that copper Spiritual Artifact. In fact, it was stolen by some crazy old man. Heâs incredibly powerfulâI couldnât catch him."
Wu Dewang froze, clearly surprised by this revelation: "Crazy old man? Are you just making things up?"
"Heh..."
Gu Sheng let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head he said, "Why would I bother cooking up a tale? This crazy old man is astoundingly strong, far beyond my abilities. After the copper Spiritual Artifact was snatched, I didnât even catch a glimpse of his shadow."
"What? You didnât even see his shadow!"
Wu Dewang appeared astonished.
He fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the truth of Gu Shengâs claim.
After a while, he spoke slowly: "If thatâs indeed the case, then so be it. But mark my wordsâshould I discover youâre lying, youâll only have yourself to blame for what happens next."
"Alright, Iâll take full responsibility!"
Gu Sheng nodded firmly.
Seeing Gu Shengâs unwavering demeanor, Wu Dewang suddenly seemed to recall something.
His body trembled violently, even his breathing unconsciously grew heavy.
The white-haired woman standing nearby noticed this and frowned slightly, confused.
"Taoist?"
She called out, yet Wu Dewang gave no response, as if Gu Shengâs words had profoundly shaken him.
"Taoist?"
She called again.
"Oh... Oh!"
It was only then that Wu Dewang came back to his senses.
"Taoist, who might you have suddenly thought of to elicit such surprise?"
The white-haired woman asked with a slight furrow of her brows, looking puzzled.
"Someone who shouldnât exist in this world! Have the Demon Clan completely forgotten?"
Wu Dewangâs brows knitted tightly, his pupils betraying shock.
"Are you talking about what happened a year ago?"
The white-haired woman asked.
Wu Dewang nodded. "Indeed. Himâthe terrifying crazy old man."
"Heh..."
The white-haired woman chuckled lightly. "Iâve heard he only appeared once in Yan, and whether itâs true or false remains uncertain. Thereâs no need to worry so much."
"Your cultivation levels are still lowâlike newborn calves that know no fear. If you truly understood his power, youâd never speak like that."
Wu Dewang shook his head, his tone carrying a partial warning.
The white-haired woman froze, momentarily startled.
In her heart, Wu Dewang, a fairly advanced Taoist, had always commanded respect.
Yet after hearing this, a faint shock crept into her mind.
"If that crazy old man truly exists, wouldnât that mean heâs lived for more than a thousand years? And with that longevity, wouldnât he essentially have become an immortal?"
The white-haired woman exclaimed in surprise.
Her companions behind her also began whispering quietly among themselves.
"Whether or not heâs an immortal, I cannot say. What I want to know right now isâare you ready to hand me the Demon Emperor Essence Blood you promised?"
Wu Dewang seemed slightly anxious.
The white-haired woman nodded slightly, hiding a faint smile in her voice: "Taoist, please be patient."
With a gentle wave of her hand, a maidservant behind her quickly stepped forward, holding an exquisite piece of amber.
This amber was entirely transparent, emitting a faint golden glow that seemed to house an enigmatic power.
At the core of the amber, a drop of fresh, red blood floated tranquilly.
The air around the amber seemed to tremble slightly, revealing the extraordinary nature of the blood.