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

"Ha... he's a real tough nut to crack."

Gu Sheng responded calmly.

"I only have a little knowledge of interpersonal skills."

Tantai Mingjing stared at Gu Sheng, her gentle eyes now like two bottomless pools of ice, churning with emotions that ultimately turned into a soft, enigmatic sigh.

He paused for a moment, seemingly reassessing the young man before him and the complicated entanglement between him and his daughter.

"Hmph," Tantai Mingjing finally snorted coldly, breaking the silence, and spoke in a complicated tone.

"Upon closer reflection, although you... although you did violate Xuefei's innocence, without your help, the innate shackles that had troubled her for so many years could not have been broken so early, and she could not have awakened part of her bloodline potential ahead of schedule. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined... Let's consider this matter even!"

Before he could finish speaking, and without waiting for Gu Sheng's response, he flicked his finger. A hazy stream of light, seemingly between reality and illusion, carrying an indescribable pure spiritual fluctuation, slowly flew towards Gu Sheng.

"This object is called 'Source of the Void Spirit.' It is a rare object that can be formed under specific conditions when the purest primordial soul power of a great demon at the Saint Realm level intertwines with the rules of heaven and earth."

Tantai Mingjing spoke in a flat tone, as if she were talking about a trivial trinket.

"If used properly, it may help you advance further in your spiritual cultivation and complete the legendary... third condensation."

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng was deeply shocked! The third condensation of spiritual power? Even in his previous life, this was a realm almost legendary, far more difficult than the second condensation. If successful, the benefits would be immeasurable.

He instinctively reached out to take it.

However, the hazy ball of light formed from the "source of the ethereal spirit" passed directly through his outstretched palm as if it were invisible and intangible, as if it were just a shadow without any substance.

A hint of surprise flashed in Gu Sheng's eyes, followed by understanding. This object existed between reality and illusion, not as pure matter, and could not be touched by ordinary means.

With a slight thought, the immense spiritual power in his sea of ​​consciousness, which had been refined twice and was almost materialized, surged out instantly, transforming into countless transparent threads, thinner than a hair yet incredibly condensed, precisely wrapping around that ethereal source.

The moment the strands of spiritual energy came into contact with the ball of light, Gu Sheng clearly felt a powerful force of "etherealization" resistance, as if it wanted to assimilate and eliminate his spiritual energy as well.

But his mental strength was so refined, and his will was as firm as a rock. The threads suddenly tightened, like a fishing net scooping up the moon in the water, forcefully pulling the ball of light, which was between reality and illusion, slowly toward himself.

This time, the source of the ethereal spirit did not penetrate; instead, it was imprisoned and absorbed by him with pure spiritual power, hovering above his palm and emitting a gentle light that soothed the soul.

Tantai Mingjing took in the whole scene, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of approval flashing in his eyes. This young man's level of mental power refinement and control was indeed far superior to his peers; even many old monsters who specialized in mental power might not be able to capture the source of the ethereal spirit so easily.

But his face remained indifferent, as if that hint of approval had never appeared.

"Senior, this item is far too precious, this junior..."

Gu Sheng held the ethereal source, feeling the vast and pure soul power contained within it. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke as if to decline.

He didn't want to incur such a huge favor for no reason, especially since the other party was Tantai Xuefei's father, making the relationship somewhat delicate.

"Um?!"

Tantai Mingjing's face darkened, and he let out a dissatisfied snort. The space around him rippled again, and several small black void cracks appeared and disappeared around him like venomous snakes, exuding a terrifying aura of destruction.

“Just take it! Stop with the nonsense! Do you think what I, Tantai Mingjing, am giving you isn’t good enough, or do you think my daughter… isn’t worth the price?”

Feeling the oppressive pressure and undisguised threat, Gu Sheng's lips twitched slightly, knowing that he had no choice but to accept the "betrothal gifts" today.

He quickly changed his tune, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Senior, please calm down. That was not my intention at all. Since that's the case... I'll accept it without hesitation."

Seeing that Gu Sheng had given in, the void cracks around Tantai Mingjing silently closed and disappeared.

He nodded in satisfaction, but what he said almost made Gu Sheng throw away the Void Spirit Source he had just acquired.

"It's fine to accept it."

Tantai Mingjing slowly and deliberately adjusted the cuffs of her moon-white robe, her tone carrying an unquestionable air.

"This gift is considered the betrothal gift between you and my Tantai family... Now that you have accepted the betrothal gift from my Tantai family, if you dare not marry into my Tantai family in the future, or dare to treat my daughter in the slightest..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Gu Sheng. Although there was no murderous intent in his eyes, it sent a chill down Gu Sheng's spine.

“I then had my Tantai family’s Enforcement Hall personally come forward to ‘invite’ you back so we can have a proper talk.”

Gu Sheng.

"..."

He looked down at the ethereal source that he had carefully wrapped around with his spiritual energy threads, and found that the originally cool and comfortable ball of light had become incredibly hot to the touch.

Accepting it would be tantamount to acquiescing to this forced "marriage"; refusing it would likely cause the seemingly refined but actually eccentric father-in-law to immediately turn hostile.

This is a real hot potato!
Speechless for a moment, Gu Sheng decided to temporarily skip this troublesome topic.

He raised his head, turned his gaze to Yun Gucheng, who, despite being seriously injured, had been trying his best to stay conscious and pay attention to the situation, and said to Tantai Mingjing.

"Senior, what do you intend to do with this person?"

Tantai Mingjing glanced at Yun Gucheng following his gaze, her tone returning to its previous calm as she asked in return.

"Oh? You seem to have only known him for a short time, yet you want to plead for him? What do you think I should do with this audacious thief who dares to trespass on my Wanbao Hall?"

Gu Sheng shook his head, his expression calm.

"I have only just met him, so I have no right to plead for him or presume to take his place."

How to handle it is up to the seniors to decide according to the rules.

However, I have already promised him that I would do my best to save his sister, Yunmeng. I humbly request that you grant my request and allow me to fulfill my promise.

His words were neither humble nor arrogant. They both indicated that he had no close relationship with Yun Gucheng, thus avoiding getting into trouble, and reiterated his promise to treat Yun Meng, hoping that the other party would do him a favor.

Upon hearing this, Tantai Mingjing's gaze lingered on Gu Sheng's face for a moment, as if trying to discern the sincerity in his words.

Then, he glanced at Yun Gucheng, who was slumped on the ground, his breath weak but his eyes determined, and Yun Meng, who was sleeping in the array plate held in Gu Sheng's hand. After a moment's thought, he slowly spoke.

"That's enough. Although Yun Gucheng stole the token, his motive was to save his sister, which is understandable. Moreover, the token has been recovered, and no irreparable damage has been caused. Considering young friend Gu... and the girl's condition, the death penalty can be waived."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone carrying the decisiveness of someone in a superior position. "However, he cannot escape punishment."

He damaged my Wanbaodian building, destroyed the sales area, disturbed guests, and caused losses and a negative impact. He must find a way to repair and make amends for these damages himself. Furthermore, he is sentenced to serve Wanbaodian for ten years as compensation for his transgressions! After ten years, if his performance is satisfactory, he will be released.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Yun Gucheng.

"Yun Gucheng, do you have any objections to this verdict?"

Yun Gucheng struggled, supporting himself with his hands to straighten his upper body with difficulty. Although blood was still oozing from the corner of his mouth and his face was as pale as paper, he still responded respectfully.

"This junior... has no objection! Thank you, Senior Mingjing, for sparing my life! Thank you... Brother Gu!"

His last look at Gu Sheng was filled with gratitude.

Ten years of service, in exchange for his sister's life and his own, is already an immense act of forgiveness.

"Since there are no objections, then proceed immediately."

Tantai Mingjing said no more, and casually waved her hand at Yun Gucheng.

The jade thumb ring on his thumb suddenly flashed with a barely perceptible glint of light.

The next instant, a strange sight occurred—Yun Gucheng's figure vanished from the spot as if erased by an invisible eraser, without any spatial fluctuations or light and shadow effects! It was as if he had never existed in this courtyard.

Gu Sheng had been watching closely, and upon seeing this, his pupils suddenly contracted! This wasn't a Saint Realm expert tearing through the void with their own power to teleport! He hadn't felt any spatial vibrations or pulls at all! Yun Gucheng's disappearance seemed more like... a direct erasure and reappearance at the level of rules?
His gaze instantly locked onto the jade thumb ring on Tantai Mingjing's thumb, his eyes flashing with intense surprise and curiosity.

"Senior, this thumb ring of yours..."

Gu Sheng couldn't help but ask, his tone revealing undisguised interest.

Tantai Mingjing seemed unsurprised that Gu Shengneng had keenly noticed the key point. He raised his hand, casually stroked the seemingly simple and unadorned thumb ring, and said lightly.

"It's just a little trinket, which I made myself."

"Refine it yourself?"

Gu Sheng's curiosity grew even stronger.

"Just now, Yun Gucheng was directly sent to the Wanbao Hall of Tianyuan Imperial City by the power of this ring?"

Tantai Mingjing neither admitted nor denied it; her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, which was taken as tacit agreement.

With this tacit approval, fragments of memories from his past life instantly flooded Gu Sheng's mind.

He recalled that in the near-ancient era, there was indeed a master craftsman of extraordinary talent who devoted himself to studying the laws of space in his later years. He attempted to break with convention and create a portable spatial teleportation weapon that could achieve ultra-long distances and even ignore some restrictions, rather than relying on fixed teleportation arrays or the cultivator's own control over spatial power.

That master's theories were extremely advanced, but it is said that he never truly succeeded before his death, leaving behind only some incomplete manuscripts and conjectures, which later generations regarded as fantasy. Could it be... that Tantai Mingjing actually turned that master's theories into reality?
A hint of reminiscence and emotion flashed in his eyes, and he unconsciously murmured to himself.

"According to scattered records in ancient books, in the late ancient times, there was a master craftsman of extraordinary talent whose greatest wish in his later years was to try to forge a portable, teleportable spatial weapon... Unfortunately, it is said that he did not complete the task before his death..."

He spoke softly, but Tantai Mingjing, with his profound cultivation, heard it clearly.

Tantai Mingjing, who had always appeared calm and even somewhat carefree, paused almost imperceptibly the moment she heard Gu Sheng's words, and her gentle pupils suddenly contracted!

Upon hearing Gu Sheng's whisper, Tantai Mingjing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and all her previous emotions were instantly replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and inquiry.

He stepped forward, staring intently at Gu Sheng, his voice carrying a barely perceptible urgency.

"You...you've heard of the 'God Forgers'? What else do you know?"

Gu Sheng snapped out of his reverie and, seeing Tantai Mingjing's reaction, understood the situation somewhat.

He said frankly.

"I dare not conceal the truth from you, senior. I once obtained some weapon-forging inheritance related to the 'Divine Forger' in an ancient ruin."

"Just as I expected! Just as I thought!"

Tantai Mingjing's face instantly lit up with barely suppressed excitement, even carrying a hint of pilgrimage-like devotion.

"The Divine Forging Envoy... is my spiritual master in the path of weapon crafting! The path of weapon crafting that I pursue is to explore and move forward step by step along the few words and scattered conjectures left by him back then!"

His late-life conception of a teleportation weapon is the very direction I've dedicated my life to researching!

His gaze towards Gu Sheng instantly became incredibly complex, filled with envy,感慨, and an indescribable yearning. "Young friend Gu... no, Gu Sheng, in the inheritance you received, is there...?"

Do you have any further writings or manuscripts by him regarding the laws of space or portable teleportation weapons?

Gu Sheng nodded and said calmly.

"If I'm not mistaken, that ruin should be the residence of the senior Divine Forger in his later years."

Aside from me, no one else should have entered it. This junior did indeed obtain a copy of his forging manual, titled "The Hundred Refinements of Divine Forging," which encompasses a wide range of topics, including numerous records of his ideas and practices regarding spatial teleportation.

"The Divine Forging Hundred Refinements Manual! Residence!"

Tantai Mingjing's breathing became rapid. He grabbed Gu Sheng's arm with such force that Gu Sheng frowned slightly. This semi-saint powerhouse was somewhat out of control at this moment.

"Gu Sheng! No, young friend Gu! May I...may I have a look? No, even just a copy will do! Whatever the conditions, as long as I, Tantai Mingjing, can do it, just say the word!"

Looking at the semi-saint powerhouse in front of him, who had been imposing and even had a "forced marriage" attitude, but was now as eager as a child wanting to get his favorite toy, Gu Sheng found it a little funny, but he also understood the other party's persistence in pursuing the Great Dao.

He never intended to keep anything to himself, especially since the other party was Tantai Xuefei's father. He could give her this favor out of both courtesy and reason.

"You flatter me, senior."

Gu Sheng gently pulled his hand away and said calmly.

"The book is in my residence. Tomorrow morning, I will have Xuefei... Miss, deliver the rubbing of the jade slip of 'The Hundred Refinements of Divine Forging' to you, senior."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Tantai Mingjing exclaimed "Good!" three times, his excitement overflowing. Looking at Gu Sheng, he found him increasingly pleasing to the eye; the awkwardness he had felt earlier because of his daughter seemed to have lessened considerably. (End of Chapter)