Chapter 1313 - 680: Mission Board (Part 2)

Two hours later, Gu Sheng finally opened his eyes. Although his face was still pale, it had regained some color.

He let out a long breath, expelling a mouthful of clotted blood.

"How are you doing?"

Ling Xiao immediately leaned over.

"I won’t die."

Gu Sheng managed to pull out a smile, but his eyes were heavy.

"We can’t stay here. We need to leave immediately."

Ling Xiao nodded.

"I think so too. But Long Teng has surely set up lookouts outside. How do we leave?"

Gu Sheng stood up and stretched his stiff limbs.

"We’ll figure it out step by step. It’s better than sitting here waiting to die."

The two packed simple belongings, and Ling Xiao struggled for a long time to finally extract the Golden Alms Bowl embedded in the stone wall.

Cracks had already appeared on the surface of the Golden Alms Bowl, greatly diminishing its Spiritual Energy.

Ling Xiao wiped it carefully and stored it away with care.

As they walked out of the cave, the scene in front of them made both freeze — the cave entrance was shrouded in a dreamlike Spiritual Mist, in which a slender figure was faintly visible.

Long Teng and his companions were nowhere to be seen.

"Who is it?"

Ling Xiao instinctively stood in front of Gu Sheng, his hand already prepared to cast a spell.

The Spiritual Mist slowly dispersed, revealing a woman in a moon-white dress.

She faced away from them, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, surrounded by a faint halo of Spiritual Power, as though she were one with the world.

Gu Sheng’s pupils contracted suddenly, his body tensed unconsciously.

Even just the silhouette was enough for him to recognize her — Su Muxue, one of Qinghe Holy Land’s most unwanted encounters.

"Su... Senior Sister."

Gu Sheng’s voice was dry and unlike himself.

The woman slowly turned, revealing a breathtaking countenance.

Her brows were like distant mountains, eyes like stars, skin like congealed fat, lips like red dots. But what was most captivating was her ethereal aura, as if untouched by the mortal world.

"Junior Brother Gu, it’s been a while."

Su Muxue’s voice was cold and clear like a spring, devoid of emotion.

Gu Sheng suppressed the waves in his heart and got straight to the point.

"What brings you here, Senior Sister Su?"

Ling Xiao noticed something amiss in the atmosphere and quickly stepped forward to bow respectfully.

"Senior Sister Su’s arrival is an honor. May I know what guidance you bring? If there’s anything needed, I am willing to serve."

Su Muxue’s gaze lingered on Ling Xiao for a moment before returning to Gu Sheng’s face.

"You want to leave Qinghe Holy Land?"

Gu Sheng’s heart trembled — how did she know? Yet he showed no trace of it.

"Why does Senior Sister say so?"

"Dragon Palace has just issued an outside training mission."

Su Muxue spoke as if uncaring about Gu Sheng’s demeanor.

"By taking on the mission, you can leave openly."

After finishing her sentence, she turned to leave, her moon-white skirt tracing an elegant arc, leaving only a hint of freshness.

Gu Sheng suddenly stepped forward two steps.

"Wait!"

Su Muxue paused her steps but did not turn back.

"You’ve recognized me long ago, didn’t you?"

Gu Sheng’s voice trembled slightly.

"Why didn’t you expose me?"

At that moment, the Spiritual Mist suddenly surged, seemingly influenced by some emotion.

Su Muxue finally turned around, her eyes carrying an indecipherable radiance.

"So what if I did?"

Her answer was chillingly simple.

Gu Sheng’s chest heaved, a question blurting out.

"Why?"

"Unsure, unwilling."

Su Muxue’s answer remained concise, but Gu Sheng keenly noticed her slender fingers slightly curling.

Just as Su Muxue was about to leave again, an image suddenly flashed in Gu Sheng’s mind — his vague rescuer during the Holy Road trial.

"The one on the Holy Road was you!"

Gu Sheng practically shouted.

"That Sword Qi was yours!"

Su Muxue’s body visibly stiffened, and in the next moment, her Spiritual Power surged, her delicate hand tearing open the Void, her figure instantly disappearing.

The abrupt departure was a stark contrast to her previous composure.

Ling Xiao stared dumbfounded at this scene, finally coming to his senses after a long while.

"Are you crazy? Why did you suddenly chase after them shouting about the Holy Road Sword Qi?"

Gu Sheng stood there, a bitter smile on his lips.

"Let’s go, to the Dragon Palace."

"What’s going on with you?"

Ling Xiao grabbed Gu Sheng.

"Who is Su Muxue? What’s the situation with the Holy Road?"

Gu Sheng shook his head, clearly not intending to explain.

"It’s getting late, if we delay any longer, we really won’t make it."

Ling Xiao was so angry that his teeth itched, but seeing Gu Sheng like this, he knew he couldn’t get any answers, so he grudgingly followed.

"You’ll end up suffering from internal injuries sooner or later!"

The two quickly left Xuanming Divine Mountain under cover of the increasingly dense night. On the way, they encountered several patrol disciples, all of whom they cleverly avoided.

Although Gu Sheng’s internal injuries had not healed, his movements were not significantly hindered, only his complexion remained poor.

"The Dragon Palace is in the northwest corner of Qinghe Holy Land."

Ling Xiao whispered.

"I found out that new missions are posted there every morning. We have to get there first thing tomorrow."

Gu Sheng nodded, then suddenly stopped, looking warily at the shrubs ahead.

"Someone’s there."

Ling Xiao immediately became alert, his hand already on his storage bag. But it was just a wild rabbit that darted out of the bushes and quickly disappeared into the night.

"There are so many people heading to the Dragon Palace."

Ling Xiao observed the endless stream of figures on the mountain path, unable to help but exclaim.

These disciples’ attire varied; some soared through the air on magic artifacts, others rode exotic beasts, and many more, like them, traveled on foot.

Gu Sheng absentmindedly responded.

"The Dragon Palace is the only way to earn points."

His breath was unstable as he spoke, his spiritual power still slowly repairing the damaged meridians inside him.

"Cultivation Techniques, Elixir Pills, Magical Treasures, all need points for exchange, don’t they?"

Ling Xiao noticed the cold sweat beads on Gu Sheng’s forehead, understanding that he was still pushing through his internal injuries.

These injuries, caused by a backlash of cultivation, were the most troublesome; they were invisible but felt like thousands of ants gnawing on his meridians.

"Want to rest for a bit?"

Ling Xiao asked in a low voice.

Gu Sheng shook his head, vigilance in his eyes.

"Long Teng’s people might already be on their way, there’s no time."

The two accelerated their pace, climbing up the winding mountain path.

Changhe Mountain was like a sleeping ancient giant, its massif towering, exuding a sense of desolation amidst the swirling clouds.

As the altitude increased, the spiritual energy in the air became denser, with each breath felt as traces of spiritual power seeped into the body.

"Look!"

Ling Xiao suddenly pointed upwards in surprise.

Gu Sheng looked up, seeing a grand palace looming amidst the mountain mist.

Even from such a distance, the imposing aura was palpable.

The most striking was the grand palace door, over a hundred feet high, made entirely of Xuan Iron, its dragon carvings vividly lifelike, as if ready to leap out at any moment.

"That’s the Dragon Palace..."

Gu Sheng muttered to himself, a complicated expression in his eyes.

They walked for about another hour, finally reaching the summit.

Up close, the Dragon Palace was even more awe-inspiring.

The dragon scales on the palace door were distinct, and its dragon eyes were embedded with some kind of gemstone, glinting coldly in the sunlight.

"I heard this door was forged by the Qinghe Ancestor himself back in the day."

Ling Xiao explained in a soft voice.

"The dragon carvings contain the True Dragon Will, capable of discerning good from evil."

Gu Sheng didn’t comment, only tightened his clothes and stepped forward first.

As he passed through the palace doors, he felt a strange wave sweeping over him, like being scrutinized by some presence.

The interior space of the palace was far more expansive than it appeared outside, as if stepping into another world.

Dozens of coiled dragon stone pillars supported the dome, each one requiring ten people to encircle it.

The most captivating was the massive stone tablet in the center, several hundred meters tall, looking like jade, with a surface covered in dense script.

"Is that the mission board?"

Ling Xiao’s eyes widened.

Gu Sheng nodded, his gaze drawn to a line of golden text at the top of the stone tablet—his name was prominently displayed!

"Gu Sheng, bounty of ten thousand points, dead or alive."

Ling Xiao read aloud, then gasped.

"Ten thousand points! That’s enough to exchange for an Earth Rank cultivation technique!"

Several disciples nearby turned to look, curious.

Gu Sheng immediately pulled Ling Xiao to the edge of the crowd, lowering his voice.