The discussions grew louder and louder, and Gu Sheng could feel countless gazes piercing towards him like sharp arrows.

There was astonishment, fear, and more of a kind of indescribable frenzy. Especially those Loose Cultivators, their eyes were filled with a peculiar gleam.

"Oh my god, it really is him!"

A ragged Loose Cultivator excitedly grabbed his companion’s sleeve.

"I heard he fought solo against the elders of the Six Great Holy Lands on the Holy Road and retreated unscathed!"

"Indeed!"

The companion was equally excited.

"My cousin saw it with his own eyes, said he severed the Mountain Protection Array of Qinghe Holy Land with a single sword!"

Gu Sheng listened to these exaggerated rumors, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

Rumors always get more outrageous the more they’re spread, but it was good this way, at least it could deter some petty crooks.

His gaze swept over the crowd, landing on the disciples of Lishan Ancestor, who initially wanted to sneak away quietly.

Those people now seemed to be under a Body Fixing Technique, frozen in place, not daring to move, their eyes full of terror.

"Heh..."

Gu Sheng chuckled lightly, his voice not loud, yet it made the surroundings fall silent instantly.

At this moment, Ling Xiao quietly approached and spoke in a low voice.

"Gu, the situation is a bit unfavorable. Liang Yu and Wang Yuchen, those traitors, are also here, right behind Long Teng."

Gu Sheng’s eyes narrowed as he followed Ling Xiao’s line of sight.

Sure enough, not far behind Long Teng, two familiar figures were sneakily hiding.

Although they used cloaks to cover most of their faces, that figure and aura, Gu Sheng would never mistake them.

"Liang Yu..."

Gu Sheng’s eyes flashed with cold light. Three years ago in Netherworld Valley, he saved Liang Yu from a besieging fierce beast, but unexpectedly this guy turned around and conspired with Qinghe Holy Land to hunt him down.

This ’kindness,’ he had always remembered.

Long Teng seemed to have noticed the change in Gu Sheng’s gaze, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

"What? Excited to see old friends?"

Gu Sheng retracted his gaze and said coldly.

"Indeed, excited enough to want to crush their bones with my own hands."

"Hahaha!"

Long Teng laughed heartily.

"Interesting! But before that, you have to get through me first."

As Long Teng spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and waved it, a wave of invisible force spreading outward.

Gu Sheng keenly detected it was a probing secret technique, immediately snorting coldly, as the spiritual power within him erupted.

"Boom!"

The powerful momentum of the Heavenly Palace Realm late stage erupted like a volcano, sweeping around with Gu Sheng at its center.

The ground cracked, the air distorted, and cultivators closer by were directly blown away.

The Lishan Ancestor was the first to bear the brunt, crushed to his knees by this momentum, his face full of terror.

"Heaven... Heavenly Palace Realm late stage?!"

The Lishan Ancestor’s voice trembled.

"How is this possible! How old is he?"

Not only him, everyone present was shocked by the strength Gu Sheng displayed.

Those cultivators who initially had doubts now had none at all—besides the legendary Gu Sheng, who else could reach such a realm at this age?

Liang Yu and Wang Yuchen’s faces turned pale, their legs shaking uncontrollably.

Although they knew Gu Sheng was strong, they didn’t expect after three years the opponent had grown to such a level.

"Useless!"

Long Teng glared at the two.

"Just some Heavenly Palace Realm late stage and you’re already so frightened?"

Wang Yuchen swallowed hard and said cautiously.

"Young Master Long, this person is no ordinary figure, three years ago he could fight across levels, now..."

"Shut up!"

Long Teng shouted sharply.

"Dare to boost others’ morale again and I’ll kill you first!"

Liang Yu quickly flattered.

"Young Master Long is right, this kid just got lucky. Compared to a genius like you from the Upper Realm, what does he count as!"

Long Teng nodded with satisfaction and turned to Gu Sheng.

"Heard that? In their eyes, you are nothing."

Gu Sheng sneered.

"Oh really? Then why are your two dogs about to piss themselves?"

"You!"

Liang Yu’s face turned red, but he didn’t dare to step forward.

Long Teng squinted his eyes.

"Sharp tongue. But it’s okay, soon you’ll know the gap between the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm."

As he spoke, he suddenly ordered Liang Yu and Wang Yuchen.

"You two, deal with his companion. I’ll personally take care of this Gu Sheng."

Gu Sheng’s eyes grew colder at those words.

"Ling Xiao, catch Liang Yu, I want to deal with this ungrateful animal personally."

Ling Xiao had long been unable to contain himself, sneering coldly.

"Rest assured, I’ll definitely capture him alive. I heard there’s a Bronze Cauldron on the Lishan Sect’s sacrificial altar, perfect for throwing him in and cooking!"

Liang Yu was so terrified on hearing this, his soul seemed to flee.

As Ling Xiao’s fist wind swept past his ear, his right shoulder suddenly exploded into a burst of blood.

It wasn’t even directly hit—just the pressure of the fist’s aftermath tore his proud Vajra Body like paper.

"Run! Why aren’t you running anymore?"

Ling Xiao’s mocking laughter echoed from all directions as Liang Yu fearfully realized his legs were shaking uncontrollably.

Thirty meters away, the white-robed youth was just standing casually, yet a visible swirl of spiritual power was circling around him, grinding the leaves within a hundred meters into fine powder.

Wang Yuchen’s miserable cry suddenly came from the side.

Liang Yu caught a glimpse with his peripheral vision that his usually bold companion was crashing into the bushes like a tattered bag, the Heart Protecting Shield on his chest shattered into three pieces—this made his stomach cramp violently.

That was the Mystic Turtle Spirit Armor capable of withstanding a peak Heavenly Palace Realm blow!

"Senior Brother Ling, hold on!"

Liang Yu suddenly screamed, but his hands stealthily reached for the Poison Dragon Needle at his waist.

"The misunderstanding with Qinghe Holy Land..."

Before finishing the sentence, his internal organs suddenly churned wildly.

Ling Xiao’s figure blurred into a shadow in his vision, he heard the crisp sound of his ribs breaking, then he was sent flying like riding on clouds.

At the moment his back crashed into an ancient pine, he saw in the blood mist he spat out, fragments of his internal organs mixed.

"You dare mention Qinghe Holy Land?"

Ling Xiao’s voice exploded next to his ear.

Liang Yu was horrified to find the other had somehow already attached behind him, that slender hand like Ruyu was pressing on his Heavenly Spirit.

"Last winter solstice, when you used Heart Rot Poison to attack my junior brother in Ten Thousand Bone Cave..."

A terrifying Spiritual Pressure suddenly descended from above. Liang Yu’s groin heated, but he heard Ling Xiao groan as he withdrew three steps.

He rolled and turned around, seeing Young Master Long’s Demon Refining Spear pinned in the ground between them, the purple-black Evil Qi corroding the granite into web-like cracks.

"Friend Ling Xiao, such fiery rage."

Long Teng’s voice came from mid-air, each word carrying a metallic resonance.

Liang Yu looked up joyfully, but found his senior brother wasn’t even looking at him, all his attention locked on Gu Sheng.

But those who want to mess with my people..."

The words abruptly stopped. Liang Yu suddenly noticed the surroundings were eerily silent, not even insects chirping.

He followed Long Teng’s line of sight and finally paid attention to the ever-standing faraway Gu Sheng—that young man in green robe now had a Tai Chi Pattern floating beneath his feet, black and white streams circling up along his pants.

"If you want to fight, fight."

The moment Gu Sheng raised his hand in a false grip, the Spiritual Energy in the entire valley came to a halt.

"What’s the use of talking?"

An purple rift suddenly split above Long Teng’s head.

Liang Yu was trembling with excitement, that was the sign of his senior brother’s Lifebound Spiritual Artifact about to emerge.

Three years ago, he personally saw the Demon Refining Spear absorb all of Black Water City into dry corpses, but the next second his smile froze.

An unusually shaped longsword suddenly appeared in Gu Sheng’s hand, as the seven stars on the blade lit up in turn, causing his eyes to sting till blood and tears flowed.

"Tai Chi Seven Star Sword?!"

Long Teng’s shout carried an undisguised greed.

"So it’s indeed in your hand!"

At the moment the Purple Gold Long Spear and the black and white sword light collided, Liang Yu felt as if someone poured boiling oil into his ears.

He held his bleeding ears and rolled on the ground but saw Wang Yuchen even worse off.

The unlucky fellow’s right arm was twisting into a pretzel under some invisible force, with gleaming white bone spurs tearing through his sleeve and exposed to the air.

"Save... Save me..."

Liang Yu crawled towards Long Teng but realized his senior brother was too preoccupied to help him.