Gou's Liver Experience in the World of Demons and Demons

"Name your price."

"The Thousand Souls Palace?"

Gu Yuan's smile froze instantly, replaced by obvious fear and embarrassment. He subconsciously lowered his voice.

"Brother, you...you're not kidding, are you? That place is deep in the ruins, near the 'Valley of Burial Souls'!"

Not only are numerous demonic beasts at the sect level lurking along the road, but the Thousand Souls Palace itself is also said to be extremely sinister, a place where once you enter, you never leave! Even ordinary sect-level experts in a team wouldn't dare to venture into that area lightly!

His reaction was intense, his voice trembled, clearly showing his extreme fear of the Thousand Souls Palace.

Gu Sheng didn't speak, but simply flipped his hand, revealing a stone brimming with spiritual energy and gleaming with luster—it was a top-grade spirit stone!
The value of a high-grade spirit stone far surpasses that of a low-grade spirit jade; its pure spiritual energy is of great use to martial artists at the sect level and even higher.

The moment this spirit stone appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of many martial artists around, with gazes of either greed or surprise directed at it.

"The Thousand Souls Palace! I know the way! I'll take you there!"

"Dude! Pick me! I've been hiding deep inside for years, and I'm at the third level of the Sect Realm. I guarantee I'm more reliable than that kid!"

"Big brother! I only want half price! And I know all the ways to avoid monsters!"

Immediately, several burly martial artists, clearly seasoned guides or explorers in the area, surrounded the stone, eagerly offering their opinions and staring intently at the high-grade spirit stone.

Faced with enormous profits, the dangers of the Thousand Souls Palace seemed to be temporarily forgotten.

Upon seeing this, Gu Yuan's expression changed instantly. Forgetting his fear, he hurriedly stepped forward to block Gu Sheng and shouted sternly at the martial artists.

"What are you doing! Don't you know the rules of the camp! This guy approached me first! This business is mine! Are you trying to steal it?"

The martial artists clearly recognized Gu Yuan as well. Although their cultivation was higher than his, they seemed to be wary of certain unwritten rules of the place. Upon hearing this, they paused and showed a disgruntled expression, but their eyes remained greedily fixed on the spirit stones in Gu Sheng's hand.

Gu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned to Gu Sheng, speaking rapidly.

"Big brother! I'll take the job at the Thousand Souls Hall! As for the payment... you can decide on the amount!"

He gritted his teeth.

"However, brother, let me be clear from the start: that path is indeed extremely dangerous, teeming with demonic beasts, and you might even encounter powerful creatures at the mid or late stages of the Grandmaster Realm! Once you enter the deeper areas, you must follow my instructions and avoid them as much as possible. You absolutely cannot force your way through, otherwise..."

"Don't worry about the monsters, I'll take care of it."

Gu Sheng interrupted him, his tone still calm, yet carrying a powerful confidence that was inexplicably convincing.

"You only need to lead the way and get to the Thousand Souls Palace as quickly as possible."

Gu Yuan was taken aback by these words. Solve it? Are monsters at the Sect Realm so easy to deal with?
Looking at Gu Sheng's calm and composed face, he couldn't figure out the other party's background at all. But thinking of that high-grade spirit stone and the other party's unfathomable aura, he swallowed back his doubts.

"Since you're so confident, I won't say anything more."

Gu Yuan.

"However, it is now late. The ruins are several times more dangerous at night than during the day. Many powerful monsters and strange beings will become active. There may even be some undying remnants of ancient battlefields wandering around, without any reason, chasing and killing any living thing they see."

We'd be better off setting off early tomorrow morning; it will be much safer that way.

Gu Sheng looked up at the setting sun, which was gradually sinking in the west. Indeed, a stronger, colder aura and faint roars of beasts were beginning to permeate the depths of the ruins. He nodded.

"can."

He tossed the high-grade spirit stone in his hand to Gu Yuan.

"Plan tomorrow's itinerary, and the rest can be considered a deposit."

Gu Yuan hurriedly caught the spirit stone that radiated pure spiritual energy. Feeling the powerful energy contained within it, his heart pounded and his face turned red with excitement.

He carefully put the spirit stone away and patted his chest.

"Don't worry, brother! Leave it to me! I'll take care of everything perfectly!"

"Now, take me to see the market here."

Gu Sheng gave the instructions.

"Alright! This way, please, brother!"

Gu Yuan was full of energy at this moment and quickly led the way.

"The camp's market is just ahead. This is the time when many teams return from exploration, and the trading is most lively. You can often find some good items here."

The two walked through the noisy camp and came to a more open area.

The place was bustling with people, filled with shouts and the sounds of bargaining. Many martial artists spread out animal hides or coarse cloths on the ground, displaying various items they had obtained from the ruins.

Broken weapons, unknown ores, herbs radiating strange energy, fragments of ancient scrolls, and even the hides, claws, and inner cores of demonic beasts.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells: sweat, blood, herbs, and rust, creating a rugged atmosphere unique to the adventurers' camp.

Most of the martial artists looked tired but excited, loudly boasting about their gains or carefully searching for the resources they needed.

"Brother, what type of items would you like to see? Pills, weapons, materials, or maps and information?"

Gu Yuan introduced them to them with great enthusiasm.

"These stalls often have good ores, over there they sell a lot of herbs, and there are also some that specialize in processing materials from monsters. But you have to judge for yourself whether they are real or fake, good or bad. It's a mixed bag here, and it's common to get fooled."

Gu Sheng's gaze slowly swept over each stall, his divine sense meticulously perceiving the energy fluctuations emitted by those items.

Most of the items were unremarkable, either lacking in spiritual energy or consisting of common low-level materials.

Suddenly, his gaze lingered on a stall in a corner.

The stall owner was a one-eyed old man with a cold aura. On his stall were several rusty and broken weapons, a few dull pieces of ore, and an inconspicuous black compass-like object covered in dirt.

Gu Sheng's attention was focused on the black compass.

From inside the compass, he sensed extremely faint, yet exceptionally ancient and profound spatial fluctuations.

This fluctuation was extremely subtle; if his divine sense hadn't been strong enough, he would have been almost unable to detect it.

He walked over without making a sound.

As Gu Yuan led the way, he lowered his voice and introduced the situation to Gu Sheng.

"Brother, look over here. Those stalls are surrounded by a lot of people, mostly members of the 'Headhunter Gang.' They specialize in hunting powerful monsters in the ruins. The materials they use are generally of good quality, but the price is also high, and they're not easy to mess with."

Over there in the corner, there were many tattered array flags and ancient runes; that was the territory of the 'Array-Breaking Gang.' They were skilled at breaking simple restrictions in ruins and occasionally managed to find some good items, but it was difficult to distinguish the genuine from the fake; one had to have a keen eye.

He pointed to another area.

"Those scattered vendors are mostly lone travelers or temporary teams. They sell a variety of things, so you might find a bargain, but you're also most likely to run into scammers. In short, you have to keep your eyes open in this market."

Gu Sheng nodded slightly, but his gaze did not linger on the noisy stalls. His divine sense swept over the items, most of which had thin or mixed spiritual energy and were nothing special.

The two walked through the crowded main road, and as they went deeper into the market, the crowds thinned out and the environment became a bit quieter.

Finally, they stopped in front of a three-story wooden attic.

The pavilion stood out in the simple camp. Although the materials were still rough, it was built quite neatly. A plaque hung above the door with the three ancient characters "Linlang Pavilion" written on it.

In one corner of the plaque, there is an inconspicuous emblem—a vine encircling the stars.

Upon seeing the emblem, Gu Sheng's gaze paused slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.

He was familiar with this mark.

"Brother, this is the best and biggest shop in our camp, 'Linlang Pavilion'."

Gu Yuan explained, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

"It is said that this is a branch of the top martial arts market in Great Wilderness City. It has a very deep background and sells a lot of good stuff, including pills, weapons, armor, and even some high-level cultivation techniques and martial arts skills. Of course, the prices are also extremely expensive. However, it has an excellent reputation and there are absolutely no fakes."

A branch of the Linlang Pavilion in the Great Wilderness City? Gu Sheng's eyes showed understanding; no wonder the emblems were the same.

Without further hesitation, he stepped inside.

The attic was much more spacious than the outside, with various goods neatly arranged on the shelves, gleaming with a faint glow, their quality clearly far superior to that of the goods sold at street stalls.

There weren't many customers in the shop at the moment; only a few martial artists were quietly inquiring about prices.

Behind the counter, a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a brocade robe was leaning lazily against a grand chair, his eyes half-closed, as if taking a nap.

He is the manager of this place, Manager Xia.

The moment Gu Sheng stepped into the shop, the seemingly asleep shopkeeper Xia, without even blinking, unleashed an invisible yet powerful spiritual force that swept over him, precisely passing over Gu Sheng.

This spiritual force carries a sense of probing, but it doesn't appear domineering; rather, it's more like a routine warning.

Gu Sheng remained calm, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

Gu Yuan, standing behind him, shivered and instinctively shrank back, leaning closer to Gu Sheng and whispering.

"Brother, this Manager Xia's strength is unfathomable. I heard he's already a late-stage expert in the Grandmaster realm. The leaders of the Headhunter Gang and the Formation Breaker Gang in this market don't dare to speak loudly in front of him."

Gu Sheng walked straight to the counter, looked calmly at Manager Xia who was still pretending to be asleep, and broke the silence in the store with his voice, which was flat but clear.

"When did the branches of the Great Wilderness Linglang Pavilion become so chaotic and disorganized, with even the manager being so negligent?"

Upon hearing this, the few customers and staff in the shop all looked over in surprise.

Gu Yuan was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he almost reached out to grab Gu Sheng's sleeve.

Manager Xia, who had been pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide, his eyes flashing with a sharp light!
The languid look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a terrifying sharpness.

"presumptuous!"

With a low shout, Manager Xia vanished from the armchair and reappeared outside the counter, standing in front of Gu Sheng.

A powerful and unparalleled aura of true energy suddenly erupted, pressing down fiercely on Gu Sheng!
The terrifying aura of a late-stage Grandmaster was released without reservation, instantly freezing the air in the store. The goods on the shelves hummed, and the customers were forced to retreat repeatedly by this aura, their faces turning pale and almost unable to breathe.

Standing to the side and behind Gu Sheng, Gu Yuan was the first to be hit. He felt an irresistible force crashing into him, as if he would be crushed into mincemeat in the next second, and his eyes were filled with despair!
At this critical moment, Gu Sheng casually reached back and precisely grabbed Gu Yuan's arm.

A gentle yet incredibly resilient force instantly enveloped Gu Yuan. The overwhelming pressure of the Grandmaster realm was naturally diverted upon encountering this force, failing to harm Gu Yuan in the slightest.

Gu Yuan felt a warm current flow into his body, and the suffocating pressure disappeared instantly. He gasped for breath, looking at Gu Sheng's tall and straight back with disbelief and lingering fear in his eyes.

Shopkeeper Xia's pupils also contracted slightly.

The fact that the other party so easily neutralized his pressure and protected an insignificant Earth Martial Realm kid shows that their effortless strength is extraordinary!

He was about to speak again when his gaze suddenly froze on Gu Sheng's fingers—or more accurately, on a token that Gu Sheng had taken out and was holding between his fingers at some point.

The token was made of neither gold nor wood, and had a warm, smooth feel to the touch. The front was engraved with a vine emblem encircling the stars, while the back had a powerful and ancient character "阁" (ge).

The token's surface shimmered with iridescent light, faintly emanating a unique array fluctuation that only the core high-ranking members of the Linlang Pavilion could recognize.

"This...this is..."

The fierce look on Manager Xia's face vanished instantly. He stared wide-eyed at the token, his voice trembling and sharp.

"The Pavilion Master's Order?!"

Gu Sheng looked at him calmly without saying a word.

Manager Xia's expression changed rapidly, from shock and disbelief to fear and excitement after the final confirmation.

The next second, under the horrified gazes of everyone in the store, Manager Xia, who was usually aloof and even respected by the leaders of various gangs, suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud!
"Your subordinate, Xia Wuyou, was unaware of the arrival of the Grand Envoy! I have been greatly offended and deserve to die! I beg the Grand Envoy's forgiveness!"

He not only knelt down, but also started wailing with a sob in his voice, and while speaking, he even reached out to hug Gu Sheng's leg.

"Your Excellency! You've finally arrived! I beg you to have mercy and say a few good words for me to the young lady, so that I may be transferred back to Great Wilderness City!"

"I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place anymore! Staring at this junk and these barbarians every day, I'm going crazy, sob sob sob..."

This sudden turn of events left the entire Linglang Pavilion in a deathly silence.

The waiters were dumbfounded, and the guests were speechless, completely bewildered.

Gu Yuan's mouth dropped open, his jaw almost falling to the ground, his mind completely blank.

Just as Xia Wuyou's hand was about to touch him, Gu Sheng took a small step back to avoid being pulled, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Get up and talk."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power. (End of Chapter)