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

"Since it's useless, let's keep it as bait for now. There's no need to waste any more effort."

"Yes."

The subordinate bowed and withdrew.

In the courtyard, the slender figure quickly darted to the stone pillar.

She stretched out her slender hand, her fingertips swirling with a strange and restrained energy fluctuation, and gently stroked the black iron chains binding Gu Lie.

An astonishing scene unfolded! The iron chain, engraved with sturdy runes and powerful enough to bind even a Grandmaster level expert, softened and turned red-hot as if it were a thin rope being scorched by invisible flames, and then snapped and fell off with a few soft "snap" sounds!
Without the support of the chains, Gu Lie, still weak, suddenly fell forward.

The woman was prepared; she stretched out her arm, and a gentle force steadily supported Gu Lie's sliding body, preventing him from falling to the ground.

Immediately afterward, the woman's figure began to undergo a bizarre transformation! Her body swelled slightly as if inflating, suddenly growing more than half a foot taller, with subtle clicking sounds from her bones. At the same time, her face and figure shifted and reshaped like ripples on water, rapidly transforming into an exact replica of Gu Lie's appearance and physique! Even the details of the dirt on her skin, the scars, the graying temples, the faint smell of blood emanating from her, and the congealed bloodstains on her clothes were all perfectly replicated, lifelike!
“His injuries are not serious, but they are mostly external wounds and overexertion; his foundation is not damaged. Take him back to the secret passage of Linlang Pavilion. The Second Miss has her own arrangements and will ensure that he can rest and recover properly.”

The woman who had transformed into Gu Lie spoke, her voice becoming hoarse and low, just like Gu Lie's, making it extremely difficult for anyone who wasn't very familiar with her to tell the difference.

Another figure quickly stepped forward and took the truly unconscious Gu Lie from her hands.

"Be careful. Xiao Beixuan's strength is unpredictable. Do not act rashly."

The person in charge whispered instructions.

"Understood, let's go quickly."

The fake Gu Lie nodded, then picked up the broken iron chains that had lost much of their spiritual power from the ground. His movements were slightly difficult, but extremely precise, as he re-"threaded" the chains through the holes that had formed on his collarbone.

Then, leaning against the stone pillar, he lowered his head and assumed the same weak posture as when Gu Lie was imprisoned, even mimicking the slight rise and fall of his breath perfectly.

Without further hesitation, the person who was there to meet him embraced the real Gu Lie. His figure, like a ghost, blended into the night, and in a few flashes, he completely disappeared into the shadows of the mansion, leaving no trace.

Almost the instant the contact disappeared.

Da da da……

The sound of steady footsteps approached from afar, and Xiao Beixuan's figure strolled out from the depths of the mansion.

He seemed to be acting on a whim, or perhaps it was his inherently suspicious nature, but he wanted to personally check the condition of the "bait".

His gaze casually swept across the courtyard, and a powerful yet subtle spiritual force, like mercury spilling onto the ground, instantly covered every corner of the courtyard, carefully sensing the fluctuations of all the array nodes, as well as the aura and state of "Gu Lie" on the stone pillar.

After a moment, his slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and his face returned to its previous calm and indifference.

All the restrictions were intact, without any signs of being touched, and the weak yet familiar aura on the stone pillar was also normal.

He walked to the stone pillar, looked at the unconscious and barely breathing "Gu Lie" with his head drooping, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. He did not notice anything amiss.

He spoke softly to the empty courtyard, as if talking to himself, or as if asking a question of some hidden being.

"Just now...did anyone trigger the restriction?"

As he finished speaking, a faint ripple spread out from the shadows in the corner of the courtyard, and a blurry figure, seemingly made of mist, quietly emerged. The voice was ethereal and indistinct, and it was impossible to tell whether the person was male or female.

“Reporting to Master, since you left, I have been monitoring this place. All restrictions have been functioning normally and have not been triggered by any external force. The ‘Phantom Maze’ that I set up has also been maintained normally, and no abnormalities have been observed.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Beixuan shook his head self-deprecatingly and chuckled softly.

"It seems I was overthinking things and prepared many 'surprises' for nothing."

Is Gu Sheng truly a cold-blooded and heartless person, completely indifferent to the life or death of his own father? Does he really have no intention of coming to his rescue at all?

He strolled towards the center of the courtyard, and as he passed Gu Lie, who was bound by iron chains and stood with his head bowed in silence, he let out a mocking sneer.

"Master Gu, it seems your good son doesn't have any feelings for you. It's a pity he won't have the chance to see the 'generous gift' I carefully prepared for him."

On the stone pillar.

Gu Lie let out a low, hateful laugh, without looking up or responding verbally.

Xiao Beixuan didn't take his reaction seriously, regarding it as the lament of a defeated dog, and didn't have any suspicions.

He walked straight past "Gu Lie" and strolled deeper into the courtyard, pondering how to force Gu Sheng to show himself.

He didn't notice that the moment he turned his back, a sharp, tangible killing intent flashed in the lowered eyes of "Gu Lie" on the stone pillar, but was immediately suppressed and deeply hidden.

Gu Lie silently warned himself.

"Calm down! We must proceed according to Young Master's plan! We cannot afford to lose sight of the bigger picture! This Xiao Beixuan... doesn't seem to be as infallible and powerful as the rumors suggest. Just now, when his back was to me, if I had launched a sudden attack, I would have been at least 70% confident that I could have severely injured or even killed him in one blow! But... Young Master's plan is far-reaching and must have been carefully considered. I cannot act rashly! We will decide everything after Young Master returns!"

……

Southern Xinjiang, on the way to Jinchi Ridge.

The procession from Xiaguang City was still struggling forward. It was late afternoon, and the blazing sun hung high in the sky like a giant furnace, its intense rays pouring down without any obstruction, baking the ground until it was scorching hot.

The air was distorted and steaming due to the high temperature, and distant scenery appeared to sway in the water. The trees lining the road had mostly withered and yellow leaves, drooping listlessly.

Only a few cicadas hid in the thin shade of the trees, chirping weakly, which only added to the heat.

The newly appointed city lord, Shen Wuguang, had long lost the high spirits he had when he set out. His brows were furrowed, and he kept wiping the sweat rolling down his forehead with a silk handkerchief. His tone was clearly impatient as he asked Situ Qingfeng beside him again.

"Young Master Situ, how much longer do we have to walk? This godforsaken place is unbearably hot!"

Although Situ Qingfeng also felt the heat, he maintained his composure, gently waving his folding fan and pointing to the faint outline of the mountain range ahead, which resembled a giant bird spreading its wings, as he explained.

"Lord Shen, please calm down. We have already passed through most of the no-fly zone. The mountain range ahead is Golden Wing Ridge."

"Once we get past that mountain pass, we should be able to escape this damn no-fly zone," Shen Wuguang complained.

"If I had known this would happen, I should have prepared some foot carriages! This place is too strange; not only is flying prohibited, but the climate is also so harsh!"

He complained as he wiped his sweat, struggling to keep up with the group.

About half an hour later, when the group finally passed through the narrow mountain pass, Shen Wuguang felt a lightness all over his body. The invisible force that had been suppressing his ability to fly suddenly disappeared without a trace! He breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he had been granted a pardon.

"Finally it's out!"

Shen Wuguang stretched his slightly sore and numb legs and couldn't help but offer his suggestion.

“Young Master Situ, now that we can fly, why don’t we bypass that difficult mountain path ahead and fly directly there? It will save us some energy and time.”

Situ Qingfeng shook his head and explained.

"Lord Shen, if we detour from here to the entrance of the Golden Wing Ridge Secret Realm, even if we fly through the air, the time required will be about the same as if we walked through the forest ahead."

Moreover, there might be other shortcuts in the forest, which is why we hadn't prepared a flying boat before.

Shen Wuguang was somewhat displeased upon hearing this, but he had no choice but to give up.

However, at that moment, a whooshing sound suddenly came from the horizon ahead!
A magnificent flying boat, its entire body shimmering with crimson light, was seen slowing down from another direction and slowly coming to a stop in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, several figures enveloped in blazing light leaped off the flying boat and sped towards the direction of the Xia Guang City team like shooting stars!

The light dissipated, revealing the figures of several martial artists.

They were all dressed in fiery red outfits, with patterns of burning divine fire embroidered on their robes. Their aura was scorching and flamboyant, and they were warriors from the Heavenly Fire Divine Sect, one of the seventy-two divine sects of the Southern Frontier!
Upon seeing this, Shen Wuguang quickly straightened his robes, put on a warm smile, and strode forward to greet him, bowing respectfully.

"Friends of the Heavenly Fire Cult, it is a pleasure to meet you! I am Shen Wuguang, the newly appointed city lord of Xiaguang City."

This is Young Master Situ Qingfeng, the main initiator of this exploration of the secret realm.

Upon hearing this, the martial artists of the Heavenly Fire God Sect returned the greeting with clasped hands. The elder in the lead, whose hair and beard were all dark red and whose aura was scorching hot, looked at Situ Qingfeng and spoke in a relatively polite tone.

"So it's Young Master Situ. I've long admired your name. Thank you for your generosity in sharing information about the secret realm, allowing us to also have the opportunity to come and seek our fortune."

Situ Qingfeng gently waved his folding fan, smiled, and returned the greeting with elegant manners.

"Elder, you flatter me. The secret realm is unclaimed; everyone who finds it has a share. Only by working together can we discover its true treasures."

At this moment, another elder of the Heavenly Fire Cult glanced at the group from Xiaguang City and asked with a hint of doubt.

"Young Master Situ, City Lord Shen, we've heard that the little princess of the Five Poisons Sect is also interested in this secret realm. Why haven't we seen her?"

Situ Qingfeng reacted quickly, a perfectly timed helpless smile appearing on his face as he explained.

"Elder, you may not know this, but according to Senior Yuexia, the little princess of the Five Poisons Sect has indeed arrived. However... she seems to have used some kind of secret technique to conceal her presence and aura, hiding herself among the group."

It's said she has some old grudges with Gu Sheng, a wanted criminal from the Eastern Wilderness. Her purpose in coming here is twofold: firstly, to explore the secret realm, and secondly, to avoid Gu Sheng's retaliation if he learns of her presence. Therefore, she's concealing her whereabouts as a precaution.

Upon hearing this, the elder of the Fire God Cult nodded in understanding.

"I see. The Five Poisons Sect's poison techniques are unpredictable, and their methods of concealment are unparalleled in the Southern Border. If she is focused on hiding, it is indeed difficult to detect her."

Everyone's attention seemed to be drawn to the topic of the Five Poisons Princess.

However, at this moment, another elder of the Heavenly Fire Cult, who had been silently observing, suddenly fixed his gaze, like that of a hawk, on the "Yun Qing" at the end of the group, who had been keeping his head down and had a calm and taciturn demeanor!
He frowned slightly, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in his eyes, and whispered to his companion beside him.

"Strange... that person... their aura is a bit off. Even though their true qi level is only at the Heavenly Martial Realm, why do they feel so... obscure and difficult to understand? It's as if they're shrouded in mist, not like a living person, but more like... some kind of special energy aggregate?"

Although his voice was low, everyone present was a person of considerable cultivation, so they could hear him clearly.

Situ Qingfeng's heart tightened suddenly, realizing something was wrong! Although this spiritual embryo incarnation was extremely similar in its aura, it was ultimately not a real flesh and blood body. Under the careful perception of a true expert, it was still possible for it to reveal its flaws!

He reacted quickly, and before anyone else could investigate, he laughed and stepped forward, seemingly casually blocking the view between the elder and "Yun Qing," explaining in a tone that was both proud and mysterious.

"Elder, you have excellent eyesight! To be honest, this Mr. Yun Qing is no ordinary advisor. He is a protector specially arranged for me by my father when he learned that I was going to explore the secret realm! The cultivation method he practices is quite special. He is a rare Golden Body Realm body cultivator, who is best at concealing his aura and has an incomparably strong physical body. The dangers of this exploration of the secret realm are unknown, so his caution and restraint are only his duty. I hope you will not take offense."

"A body cultivator at the Golden Body Realm?"

Upon hearing this, the elder of the Fire God Sect's eyes immediately lost most of their surprise and doubt, replaced by a sense of understanding and awe. Body cultivators were rare to begin with, and those who could cultivate their physical bodies to the Golden Body Realm were even rarer, so some of the strangeness was understandable.

He nodded.

"I see. I was being presumptuous."

With such a powerful protector, Young Master Situ's journey is undoubtedly safe.

A potential crisis was skillfully resolved by Situ Qingfeng. Gu Sheng's "Yun Qing" avatar remained calm and taciturn, as if everything outside was irrelevant to him.

However, just as the elder of the Heavenly Fire Cult looked away and everyone's attention shifted,

Deep within the crowd of the Xiaguang City team, a girl who had been huddled in a corner, with an ordinary appearance, even somewhat disheveled and with empty eyes like a puppet, suddenly froze when her empty gaze swept over the "Yun Qing" avatar!
Immediately afterward, her empty gaze, as if infused with a soul, suddenly sharpened like a knife within seconds, locking onto the avatar of "Yun Qing"! A chilling, bone-chilling killing intent, yet filled with endless resentment, surged wildly deep within her eyes!

"It's him! There's no mistake!"

The girl was screaming wildly in her heart.

"Although his appearance and aura were disguised, the faint aura on his body that resonated with my natal Gu worm... was the mark left by the Five Immortals Soul-Chasing Gu! This cursed aura originating from bloodline and soul cannot be faked by anyone else!"

The horrific scene of the branch headquarters being massacred, with countless disciples lying in pools of blood, flashed through her mind instantly. (End of Chapter)