Chapter 732 - 390 Rootless Dark River

"It’s all your fault! All your fault!"

During the fall, the girl in purple shouted at Gu Sheng.

"Fault? What are you blaming me for? I didn’t want to fall down either!"

Gu Sheng retorted.

"How is it not your fault? Hurry up, release my restraints!"

The girl in purple scolded loudly.

"No! You’re still my hostage!"

Gu Sheng replied, and with a splash, both of them plunged into the underground dark river.

Gu Sheng secretly thanked his luck. Fortunately, it was a dark river. If it were something else, things would be far worse.

In an instant, icy cold water enveloped them. Gu Sheng tightly gripped the girl’s hand to prevent her from being lost in the current.

The current of the dark river was rapid, tossing them around mercilessly.

Using his cultivation, Gu Sheng struggled to stabilize himself and tried to find an exit.

The girl in purple flailed in the water, visibly flustered and overwhelmed.

She glanced at Gu Sheng, and a flicker of complexity crossed her eyes. In that moment, her attitude towards him seemed to undergo a subtle change.

Inside the underground dark river, it was pitch black.

Thankfully, Gu Sheng’s Divine Sense was powerful; the golden mark resembling a small lake between his brows acted like a Heavenly Eye, allowing him to see everything in his surroundings.

Even if he couldn’t see, it wasn’t a problem—his strong Divine Sense enabled him to perceive shifts in his environment.

The voice of the girl in purple sounded faint amidst the rushing water, but its accusatory tone remained strikingly apparent.

"You’re a fool! Fleeing into a place like this—at this rate, we’re going to become wandering spirits in this dark river!"

"Tch!"

Gu Sheng let out a cold laugh, but his face betrayed no hint of regret.

"Even if death awaits, I absolutely refuse to fall into the hands of the Ji family. Besides, I didn’t jump in here on purpose—I slipped and fell accidentally."

Gu Sheng spoke with some exasperation.

Upon hearing this, the girl’s eyes grew even more complicated.

She had seemingly never encountered someone so obstinate, holding onto their resolve even when facing a life-or-death situation.

After drifting for some time in the dark river, Gu Sheng turned his gaze toward the girl in purple and asked in a low voice, "Who are you exactly? And why are you connected to the Ji family?"

The girl in purple remained silent in the darkness for a moment. Finally, with a hint of helplessness and bitterness in her voice, she slowly replied, "I am the Ji family’s young lady. Ji Haoyue is my seventh brother."

"What? Did you just say—your seventh brother?"

Gu Sheng was utterly shocked upon hearing this.

Of all things, he never imagined he would encounter the Ji family’s young lady in such circumstances.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but he quickly forced them down.

No matter how stunning the Ji family young lady might be, now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

"Miss Ji, shall we consider setting aside our grievances for the time being and work together to find an exit?"

Gu Sheng proposed, his tone carrying a hint of sincerity.

The girl in purple hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Fine, let’s do as you say. For now, we’ll focus on finding a way out. The rest of our vendettas—let’s deal with those after we escape."

And so, the two of them continued forward in the dark river.

Combining Gu Sheng’s Divine Sense with the instincts of the girl in purple, the pair gradually navigated through the pitch-black, turbulent waters.

Who knows how long they had been drifting through the dark river.

Since the girl in purple’s movements were restrained, Gu Sheng was forced to bring her along as they advanced.

But this endless dark river stretched on without end—who knew when they might find an exit?

After stabilizing his position, Gu Sheng wiped the water off his face.

"You—hand over all the treasures you’re carrying."

Gu Sheng spoke coldly.

"What? Are you trying to rob me?"

The girl in purple looked alarmed, though her tone carried a playful edge.

After all, having spent some time in each other’s company, saying such things now felt somewhat peculiar.

A faint sneer curled at the edge of Gu Sheng’s lips, his gaze now tinged with malevolence.

"Exactly. I’m robbing you."

Gu Sheng’s voice turned icy. "If you don’t hand over your treasures, I’ll kill you right here and now!"

In a place as desolate as this underground river, one could perish either by drowning or—if one were lucky—by Gu Sheng’s hand. Either way, no one would come looking for their corpses.

Considering the bleak outcomes, a hint of fear flickered across the eyes of the girl in purple.

However, she quickly steadied herself.

She understood that dealing with someone like Gu Sheng required strength—showing weakness would only give him leverage over her.

"Hah..."

Taking a deep breath, she replied calmly, "The techniques I cultivate are unique to the Ji family. If I die, my death will imprint a mark on your body—an imprint the Ji family can track. No matter where you flee, they will find you."

"Hmm?"

Gu Sheng’s face shifted, surprised to learn of such methods possessed by the Ji family.

Originally, he had hoped to use threats to procure some treasures to increase his odds of survival.

But now, it seemed his plan might not work after all.

"You’re serious?"

Gu Sheng asked, still skeptical.

"Absolutely. You can test it if you want."

The girl in purple replied in a solemn tone.

After a moment of silence, Gu Sheng finally said, "Fine. I’ll spare your life for now. But let me warn you—don’t try any tricks with me."

"You’ve already restrained me. How could I possibly pull any tricks? Besides, are you really still a man? Afraid of a barely-of-age girl like me?"

The girl in purple shot Gu Sheng a sidelong glance.

"Fine, I’ll give you that."

Gu Sheng wasn’t interested in arguing further and decided to let it go.

This brief exchange, however, added a touch of amusement to their otherwise dire situation. Without it, they might have succumbed to sheer boredom.

The two of them continued to drift down the dark river as time ticked by, moment by moment.

It was unclear how long they had been drifting—until suddenly, they felt the surrounding water pressure intensify dramatically.