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

Just as Gu Sheng's mind was racing, the heavy stone doors of the main hall finally opened completely.

A stronger current of air, mixed with ancient dust, the smell of blood, and some strange energy fluctuations, rushed towards us.

"Master, the door is open!"

Gu Yuanyuan's voice was filled with excitement and nervousness.

Gu Sheng composed himself and temporarily suppressed his speculations about Venerable Styx's conspiracy.

The most urgent task is to explore the Thousand Souls Palace, find the trapped Holy Academy disciples, and at the same time stop the Boundless Sect's possible sacrifice plan!

"Walk."

Gu Sheng took the lead and stepped into the deep, gaping palace gate.

Gu Yuanyuan followed closely behind.

The interior of the main hall is extremely spacious, over a hundred feet high, and supported by countless huge black stone pillars.

The stone pillars are carved with various grotesque and ferocious-looking ghosts and gods in relief, which are lifelike and exude a chilling pressure.

The ground was covered with thick black stone slabs, which were covered with dried, blackened bloodstains and deep marks left by the battle.

The air was thick with the stench of decay and death, and the faint sound of wind could be heard echoing in the empty hall.

“Master, I remember there is a treasure vault on the second floor of this main hall!”

Gu Yuanyuan cautiously observed her surroundings while whispering to Gu Sheng.

"Back then, when I was sucked into this place and was seriously injured and unconscious, it seems that I was taken to the vicinity of the treasure vault by that nine-colored demonic beast. Later, I was lucky enough to wake up and found some scattered spirit stones on the outskirts of the treasure vault, which allowed me to replenish my spiritual power and escape."

However, there were strong restrictions deep within the treasure vault, making it impossible for the disciple to approach at the time.

"treasure house?"

Gu Sheng's gaze shifted slightly.

"lead the way."

"Yes!"

With her hazy memories, Gu Yuanyuan led Gu Sheng through the empty main hall and along a dusty, cobweb-covered side corridor to the depths of the hall.

Here, a huge, spiraling stone staircase leads to the second floor.

The two stepped onto the stone steps, their footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silence.

At the end of the stone steps was a relatively small, tightly closed stone door.

The stone gate was also covered with restrictive array patterns, but they were obviously much weaker than those on the main gate of the hall.

Gu Yuanyuan stepped forward and tried to push the stone door, but it didn't budge.

She looked at Gu Sheng somewhat awkwardly.

"Master, this restriction... I can't break it."

Gu Sheng stepped forward and placed his palm on the stone door. A slight release of true essence from his palm caused a pure power to permeate the array patterns on the stone door.

Those seemingly complex array patterns quickly disintegrated and collapsed under Gu Sheng's power.

"Okay."

Gu Sheng withdrew his hand.

Gu Yuanyuan quickly pushed hard, and the stone door made a heavy grinding sound as it slowly opened inward.

A rich, earthy scent mixed with a faint spiritual aura wafted over. Behind the door was a huge stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, spirit stones were piled up! In the dim light, these spirit stones emitted a faint, multicolored glow, dazzling and eye-catching!
The number is so large that it is probably no less than several hundred thousand!
Most of them were low-grade spirit stones, but there were also quite a few mid-grade spirit stones mixed in, and even a few high-grade spirit stones that exuded pure spiritual energy!
"right here!"

Gu Yuanyuan's eyes lit up as she pointed to the pile of spirit stones.

"Master, look! This is where I found some scattered spirit stones back then!"

Gu Sheng's gaze swept over the pile of spirit stones, but his brows furrowed slightly.

He stepped forward and casually picked up a mid-grade water-attribute spirit stone that emitted a pale blue light.

The spirit stone feels warm and smooth to the touch, and is full of spiritual energy.

However, Gu Sheng keenly sensed that within this pure water-attribute spiritual energy, there was actually a very faint, yet extremely cold and deathly black impurity mixed in!
These impurities, like maggots clinging to the bone, lurk inside the spirit stone. If it weren't for his powerful soul and keen senses, he would hardly have been able to detect them!

He picked up another fire-attribute spirit stone and found similar cold, deathly impurities within the pure fire spiritual power!
"Master, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Gu Sheng's expression was off, Gu Yuanyuan asked him in confusion.

Gu Sheng handed her the spirit stone in his hand.

"Sensitize carefully, is there anything unusual about the spiritual energy?"

Gu Yuanyuan took the spirit stone, closed her eyes, and concentrated on sensing it carefully. After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes, a look of surprise and doubt on her face.

"This...this spiritual energy...seems...not quite pure? It seems...mixed with a very faint, very cold...aura of death?"

"good."

Gu Sheng's voice was slightly deep.

"These spirit stones have been placed in this Thousand Souls Palace, which is filled with deathly resentment, for many years. Especially in the depths of this treasure vault, which is close to the core area of ​​the Thousand Souls Sacrifice Array, they have long been tainted by the Yin and deathly aura that permeates this place!"

Its internal spiritual energy appears abundant, but in reality, it has been mixed with extremely insidious and deadly impurities!

He looked sharply at Gu Yuanyuan.

"Back then, you absorbed these contaminated spirit stones?"

Gu Yuanyuan's face paled, and she nodded.

"Yes... I was critically injured and on the verge of death at the time, and it was only thanks to these spirit stones that I was able to replenish my spiritual energy..."

"Immediately discard all the spirit stones you took from this treasure vault!"

Gu Sheng's tone was resolute and left no room for doubt.

"Master?"

Gu Yuanyuan was somewhat puzzled and also felt a little sorry for him.

Those spirit stones were life-saving items for her, and also important resources for her previous cultivation.

"madness!"

Gu Sheng's voice was stern.

"You think these spirit stones are a good thing, helping you heal and cultivate? The Yin Sha death energy impurities have already been absorbed into your body along with the spiritual energy, merging into your blood, true essence, and even your soul! Like a slow-acting poison, they lurk and lurk!"

It might not be noticeable in the short term, and due to its cold and yin nature, it can even temporarily suppress the backlash of death energy when you cultivate that incomplete technique, creating a false 'synergy'!

He stared into Gu Yuanyuan's eyes and said, word by word.

"But if this continues, these impurities will constantly erode your foundation, pollute your true essence, and paralyze your soul! Making your cultivation path narrower and narrower, and the bottlenecks increasingly difficult to break through!"

Even more terrifying is that once you attempt to reach a higher realm, or encounter a powerful enemy and suffer severe injuries, these latent Yin and Deathly Auras will erupt! At best, your true essence will go berserk, and your meridians will be severed! At worst, your soul will be corrupted, turning you into a mad demon who only knows how to kill! The incomplete cultivation technique you practiced before was already unstable and riddled with hidden dangers; absorbing these corrupted spirit stones is like adding insult to injury! If it weren't for your special bloodline, you would probably have already suffered a qi deviation and perished!

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuanyuan's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down her back!

She finally understood why she always felt powerless at crucial moments in her cultivation, and why the backlash from that cultivation technique was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress!

The root of the problem actually lay in these very stones that he had been clinging to as his lifeline!
Without hesitation, she immediately took out all the remaining spirit stones she had taken from the treasure vault from her bosom and storage bag, and threw them far away!

"Thank you for reminding me, Master! This disciple... this disciple almost ruined my future!"

Gu Yuanyuan was still shaken, her voice trembling with lingering fear.

Gu Sheng nodded slightly, his tone softening somewhat.

"On the path of martial arts, the foundation is of utmost importance. To be greedy for temporary gains and absorb impure energy may seem like a shortcut, but in reality, it will ruin one's future. These contaminated spirit stones are like poison coated in honey, causing immense harm."

In your future cultivation, remember to proceed steadily and surely, absorbing pure spiritual energy, and never repeat this mistake.

"Your disciple will remember your teachings, Master! I will never forget them!"

Gu Yuanyuan bowed deeply.

Gu Sheng said no more, his gaze once again falling on the mountain of spirit stones, his eyes filled with coldness.

These spirit stones, though numerous, have become a source of poison and are of no use to us.

He was preparing to destroy it completely to prevent it from harming others.

Just then, Gu Yuanyuan's act of discarding the spirit stone inadvertently touched an inconspicuous, dusty stone lamp base in the corner of the stone chamber.

Click!

A very faint click of a mechanism was heard!
Gu Sheng watched Gu Yuanyuan discard the contaminated spirit stones and nodded slightly.

He raised his hand, palm facing upward, and a wisp of pure and crystal-clear spiritual energy slowly emerged.

This spiritual energy exudes a warm glow, pure and flawless, containing no impurities, and brimming with vitality.

"See clearly."

Gu Sheng said to Gu Yuanyuan.

"This is the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

Immediately, with a slight thought, he forcibly peeled away the extremely subtle, almost imperceptible black impurities from the wisp of pure spiritual energy in his palm!
This impurity was twisted and distorted, exuding a cold and lifeless aura, completely out of place with the pure spiritual energy around it.

"This is the Yin Sha death energy impurity that is hidden in your body and absorbed by you."

Gu Sheng's voice was calm yet carried an undeniable power.

"It is like a maggot clinging to your bones, lurking deep within your qi, blood, essence, and meridians."

"You lie low in peacetime, but once you break through a bottleneck, suffer a serious injury, or reach a crucial point in your cultivation, a backlash will erupt. At best, you'll be severely injured; at worst, your foundation will be completely destroyed, rendering you a cripple, or even... your soul will be corrupted, turning you into a mad demon who only knows how to kill!"

Gu Yuanyuan stared at the black impurity struggling and writhing in the pure spiritual energy, her face turning deathly pale, her back instantly soaked in cold sweat!
She finally understood the deadly hidden danger within her body!
If her master hadn't reminded her, she probably wouldn't have known how she died!

"Master! This disciple...this disciple knows he was wrong!"

Gu Yuanyuan's voice trembled with lingering fear.

"I will always remember Master's teachings and never seek shortcuts; I will always proceed steadily and surely!"

"After returning to the Great Wilderness City, your master will change your cultivation method and start over."

Gu Sheng withdrew his spiritual energy, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Thoroughly cleanse your foundation and eliminate hidden dangers. Otherwise, you will hardly achieve anything in this life."

"Yes! Your disciple obeys! Thank you, Master, for your great kindness in saving me!"

Gu Yuanyuan felt both grateful and apprehensive, and quickly bowed in greeting.

"Let's go and explore the depths of the treasure vault."

Gu Sheng said no more and walked into the depths of the stone chamber.

Gu Yuanyuan quickly followed.

The interior of the stone chamber was very large. In addition to the mountains of contaminated spirit stones, there were several tightly closed stone doors in the depths. The doors were also covered with mysterious restriction array patterns, and their aura was several times stronger than that of the outer doors.

Gu Yuanyuan pointed to one of the doors.

“Master, I found the spirit stone near this door back then. But the restrictions inside were too strong, and I couldn’t get close at all.”

Gu Sheng stepped forward, placed his palm on the stone door, and circulated his true energy, attempting to probe the structure of the restriction.

The restrictions were exceptionally complex, layer upon layer, containing powerful spatial sealing and energy rebound capabilities, far surpassing those of the outer sect.

Just then, Yue Shenggong's phantom reappeared in his sea of ​​consciousness. He looked at the restrictions on the stone gate and let out a soft sigh.

"It's no use. The inner layer of restrictions in this treasure vault was personally laid down by my wife using spatial laws combined with bloodline secrets. Even if I were at my peak, it would be difficult for someone without the corresponding token to forcibly open it without alerting the entire Cardinal Council."

He paused, looked at Gu Yuanyuan, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"The reason this girl was able to enter the first treasure vault back then must be because the power of that restriction had dissipated due to the passage of time or damage to the core of the cardinal, and in addition, she was able to enter the outer area by chance because she possessed that fragment containing the bloodline mark of Zhuojin."

However, the inner core vault cannot be opened without the complete key token.

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng frowned slightly. It seemed that the depths of this treasure vault were temporarily inaccessible.

Just then, Gu Sheng's powerful divine sense keenly detected that outside the main hall, two auras were rapidly approaching the direction of the Thousand Souls Hall!
One of them exuded a sharp and domineering aura, carrying an undisguised pressure from the peak of the Sect Realm!
The other aura was extremely weak, as if it had been forcibly suppressed and sealed by some force, like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment!
What alarmed Gu Sheng even more was that the powerful aura seemed to have already sensed their presence!

"somebody is coming!"

Gu Sheng's eyes narrowed, and he said to Gu Yuanyuan.

"Conceal your presence and follow me!"

He didn't linger any longer, and quickly led Gu Yuanyuan out of the stone chamber, returning to the empty and desolate main hall of the Thousand Souls Palace.

The two concealed their presence, blending into the shadows, and stealthily made their way towards the entrance of the main hall.

Outside the Thousand Souls Palace, on that sticky black swamp.

A young man dressed in a blue brocade robe, with a cold face and sharp eyes like an eagle, was escorting a girl toward the gate of the Thousand Souls Palace, which resembled the maw of a giant beast.

The girl was wearing a white dress that was already tattered and covered with mud and dark brown bloodstains.

Her hands were firmly handcuffed by a heavy black metal shackle, which was covered with sealing runes and emitted a dim light, suppressing the faint fluctuations of true energy within her body.

She staggered, her face as pale as paper, her lips cracked, her eyes empty and numb, as if she had lost all life, as the man in blue pushed her forward.

When she raised her head and saw the Thousand Souls Palace in front of her, which exuded endless pressure and an aura of death, a faint but extremely tenacious light suddenly appeared in the depths of her empty eyes!

Within that light lay fear and despair, but deeper still, lay the yearning to survive!
But soon, this light was obscured by a deeper numbness and despair, and returned to deathly silence.

The man in the blue shirt seemed oblivious to the subtle change in the girl's eyes; he simply shoved her roughly, his voice icy.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle! Once we get there, your mission is complete!"

The girl staggered a few steps, nearly falling, and only managed to steady herself by being pulled back by the shackles. (End of Chapter)