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

Moreover, once you step onto this arena, there is no such thing as 'admitting defeat.' The battle will not stop unless one side is completely incapacitated or dies on the spot.

He looked at Gu Sheng and said solemnly.

"Since the Holy Lord of Myriad Manifestations has personally intervened in tomorrow's battle, he will likely demand that the second rule be followed. You can still back out now. Once you're on the arena, even I will find it inconvenient to openly interfere."

Gu Sheng listened attentively and nodded to indicate that he understood.

His expression remained calm, as if the strict rules that Tantai Mingjing had mentioned did not bring him much pressure.

"Thank you for informing me, Uncle Mingjing. I will remember it."

Gu Sheng cupped his hands in greeting.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now. I hope you will send someone to inform me before the auction begins tonight."

……

Meanwhile, far away in the forbidden area of ​​the Wanxiang Holy Land, in the core area of ​​Wanxiang Imperial City.

In a cave shrouded in misty spiritual energy and ancient runes, the Holy Lord of Myriad Manifestations slowly opened his eyes, a flash of murderous intent appearing in them.

Before him stood a young man dressed in the robes of a core disciple of the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land. The man's face was not particularly handsome, but his brows and eyes carried an inescapable arrogance and sinister aura, and his aura was refined, clearly indicating that he had already reached the Venerable Realm.

"Holy Lord".

The young man bowed in greeting.

The voice of the Holy Lord of All Things was cold and devoid of any emotion.

"The challenge has been sent to Tianyuan Imperial City. Shi Wufeng, arrange for someone to take stock of all the things Lu Chensong lost and deliver them to Gu Sheng before tonight."

The young man named Shi Wufeng is none other than the Myriad Manifestations Saint Son who will face off against Gu Sheng tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, but he still responded respectfully.

"Yes, the disciple obeys."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously.

“Holy Master, there is something I don’t understand… Gu Sheng is just a junior from the Eastern Wilderness, a mere cultivator at the Sect Realm. Even if he has some talent, why would it require Your Majesty to personally intervene and even… promise so many resources? Isn’t that… making a mountain out of a molehill?”

The Holy Lord of Myriad Manifestations glanced at Shi Wufeng with a deep gaze, but did not get angry. He simply said calmly.

"I have my reasons for doing this. You just need to remember, in tomorrow's battle, you can only win, you cannot lose! Not only must you win, but you must win cleanly and decisively, and ideally... leave him in the arena forever!"
Only in this way can we salvage the face lost by my Myriad Phenomena Holy Land yesterday, and let some people know that my Myriad Phenomena Holy Land is not one that can be easily provoked!

Shi Wufeng sensed the chilling killing intent in the Holy Lord's words, and his heart tightened. He quickly lowered his head.

"Disciple understands! I will certainly not fail the Holy Lord's trust!"

Before dawn had completely pierced the night, deep within the Sacred Land of Myriad Phenomena, in a main hall shrouded in a faint aura of decay, the flickering lights illuminated the face of the Sacred Lord of Myriad Phenomena, a face that should have been majestic but now revealed a hint of weariness and anxiety, half-lit and half-shadowed.

A spiritual message rune hovered in front of him, about to dissipate. The residual fluctuations in the rune's light carried the unique, desolate aura of the Eastern Wilderness.

"The legacy of the Fate Master..."

The Holy Lord of All Things chewed on those four words in a low voice, his thin fingers unconsciously tapping the cold armrests of the jade throne, while a burning, almost obsessive flame ignited in his eyes.

"Ancient deities, who control destiny and glimpse the secrets of heaven, are elusive and their lineage has been severed for countless epochs... If they are truly related to this child, it would be a divinely granted opportunity for our Myriad Manifestations Holy Land to rebuild its glory and even glimpse the supreme Dao!"

He suddenly looked up, his gaze like lightning, piercing through the palace gate and landing on the figure standing outside the door, as straight as a javelin, yet with his head slightly bowed.

"Without a sharp edge".

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

The palace doors slid open silently, and Shi Wufeng strode in, kneeling on one knee.

"Holy Lord".

His head was bowed, his expression respectful, but a closer look revealed a hint of unease deep in his eyes. Yesterday's failure to capture Gu Sheng, coupled with the loss of troops and the escape of their target into the Wanbao Hall of Tianyuan Imperial City, made him largely to blame.

The Holy Lord of All Things did not immediately rebuke, but spoke slowly.

"My old friend from the Eastern Wilderness just sent me definite news. Yesterday, outside the Great Wilderness City, that group of evil cultivators from beyond the realm used a blood sacrifice method to summon a nearly complete projection of an ancient true demon. Its power was overwhelming, enough to instantly flatten a thousand miles of mountains and rivers."

Shi Wufeng's body trembled almost imperceptibly. An ancient true demon? That was a terrifying existence from legends; even if it was just a projection, it was far beyond what an ordinary Saint Realm expert could withstand.

The Holy Lord of All Things continued.

"However, just as the true demon was about to wreak havoc, a sudden change occurred. In the void, the phantom of the River of Time was torn apart out of thin air, and a blurry figure with an indescribably ancient aura descended. With just a glance, it suppressed the true demon and completely erased it."

"Hiss—" Shi Wufeng couldn't help but gasp. Tearing apart the river of time? An instant gaze obliterating a true demon projection? What an incredible divine power this was!
"According to my old friend's use of a secret treasure to trace the remnants, the aura of that figure is extremely similar to that of the ancient Fate Master described in fragments of ancient texts!"

The voice of the Holy Lord of All Things suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"At that time, the only special person present was that kid named Gu Sheng! He was the target of the evil cultivators, and the place where the Fate God manifested was also where he was!"

Shi Wufeng suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock and realization.

"Holy Lord, are you saying... Gu Sheng obtained the inheritance of the Fate-Bearing Emperor? Or, is he himself the key to the reappearance of the Fate-Bearing Emperor's inheritance in the world?"

"Even if they are not direct inheritors, they must have a very deep connection!"

The Holy Lord of All Things stood up decisively, his declining holy aura inadvertently revealing itself, causing the space inside the hall to slightly distort.

"Our Myriad Manifestations Holy Land has been dormant for far too long! So long that the world thinks we have fallen to second-rate status! My power has also stagnated due to old injuries and the connection between the Holy Land's fortune and my past... This inheritance of destiny is the key to reversing everything! It must be in our hands!"

He stared intently at Shi Wufeng.

"Gu Sheng is currently hiding in the Wanbao Palace, with that woman Tantai Mingjing in charge. It would be unwise to launch a direct attack, and she won't let us in to search for people. But the Wanbao Palace is not a permanent place; they will eventually have to come out."

"This Holy Lord has already spared no expense, sacrificing his own essence and using a secret technique to obscure the heavenly secrets, making it difficult for Tantai Mingjing to accurately predict the calamity targeting Gu Sheng from the outside world in a short time. You, tomorrow go to the only road outside Tianyuan Imperial City and wait for him!" Shi Wufeng's heart tightened.

"What the Holy Lord means is..."

"Kill him."

The Holy Lord of All Things spoke in a cold, emotionless tone, as if he were talking about crushing an ant.

"But the soul must be retrieved intact. The secret of the God of Fate may very well be hidden deep within the soul, or the soul itself may possess something special."

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and a beam of dark light shot towards Shi Wufeng.

Shi Wufeng quickly took it with both hands. It was cold and heavy to the touch. It was a bone banner about the size of a palm, neither gold nor jade. The banner surface was a strange grayish-white color, as if it were pieced together from countless tiny bones. It was engraved with dense, dizzying black runes, emanating a cold, soul-devouring aura.

"This is the secondary banner of the 'Soul-Devouring Bone Banner.' Although it is only a replica of a sacred artifact, it is more than enough to capture the remnant soul of a junior who is not even at the Sect Realm. You only need to shake this banner the moment he dies to absorb his soul. The main banner is in my hand, so I can sense it."

The Holy Lord of All Things gave the order.

"Remember, you must do it cleanly and efficiently. Once you have the soul, flee immediately. Do not get entangled with the people of Wanbao Palace, especially Tantai Mingjing. If she senses something and comes after you personally, you will surely die."

Shi Wufeng gripped the cold Soul-Devouring Bone Banner's secondary banner tightly, sensing the eerie power contained within it. With a determined heart, he lowered his head deeply once more.

"Disciple obeys! Yesterday's failure was due to my carelessness and underestimation. Please punish me, Holy Master! This time, I will do my utmost, at any cost, to bring back Gu Sheng's soul to atone for my past sins and help the Holy Master and the Holy Land seize this heaven-defying opportunity!"

His words were full of regret and flattery, and his posture was extremely humble. Seeing this, the Holy Lord of All Things' expression softened slightly, and he waved his hand.

"Enough. Yesterday's events were partly due to the interference of that mysterious expert, and it wasn't entirely your fault. But tomorrow's events are a matter of success only, failure is not an option. If you succeed, you will be the most meritorious contributor to the revival of the Holy Land, and I, the Holy Lord, will not hesitate to reward you. I might even grant you the subsequent chapters of the 'True Understanding of Myriad Phenomena' in advance so you can comprehend them."

A look of surprise and greed suddenly flashed in Shi Wufeng's eyes.

The "True Understanding of All Things" is one of the highest secret texts of the Holy Land, and it is extremely tempting to him.

He immediately kowtowed.

"Thank you for your grace, Holy Lord! Your disciple swears to complete this mission, even at the cost of your life!"

"Go ahead and prepare well."

The Holy Lord of All Things turned around and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the palace, as if he could already see the glorious future of the Holy Land rising in his hands.

Shi Wufeng bowed and stepped back, tightly gripping the Soul-Devouring Bone Banner. His eyes became cold and resolute, yet also held a hint of fervor.

Gu Sheng... this time, let's see where you can run to!
Under the same sky, in a luxurious guest room beneath the top floor of the Wanbao Hall in Tianyuan Imperial City.

A spiritual atmosphere permeated the room, like a light mist slowly flowing through it.

Gu Yuanyuan and Qi Diaoyao sat cross-legged in the center of the spirit-gathering array, their eyes slightly closed, their acupoints glowing faintly as they absorbed the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Gu Yuanyuan's cultivation was still shallow, only hovering around the Yellow Martial Realm, but her aura was calm, as if she had entered a wonderful state of enlightenment. Occasionally, her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she had gained something.

Meanwhile, Qi Diao Yaoyao's aura was much more powerful and sharp. Her cultivation at the peak of the Heavenly Martial Realm was on full display. Her spiritual power surged within her body, with faint thunderous sounds. She seemed to be only one step away from the threshold of establishing a sect.

What's even more striking is that there's a subtle yet chilling aura emanating from her, as if she were carrying an unsheathed, peerless, deadly blade—something no ordinary Heavenly Martial Realm cultivator could possess.

Su Youwei sat on a futon a little further away, not engaging in deep cultivation, but quietly releasing a wisp of her spiritual sense, like the gentlest breeze, brushing against the two women who were cultivating.

On the surface, she was also closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, but in reality, she was calmly analyzing the situation.

"Qi Diao Yaoyao... Peak of the Heavenly Martial Realm, her foundation is terrifyingly solid, and the level of spiritual power condensation is almost comparable to that of someone who has just entered the Sect Realm. That hidden fierce aura... is it some kind of special physique? Or has she cultivated an extremely domineering offensive secret technique?"

Su Youwei pondered to herself.

"This woman's combat strength far surpasses that of others of the same level, and she could even threaten ordinary early-stage Grandmasters. Her presence by Gu Yuanyuan's side is clearly motivated by a strong sense of protection."

Her intuition swept over Gu Yuanyuan again.

"Huangwu realm, low cultivation level. But judging from her breathing rhythm and the occasional charm she reveals, her comprehension seems to be quite high... Just now, Qi Diao Yaoyao's spiritual power circulation was occasionally sluggish, but it was Gu Yuanyuan who whispered a few words of advice, which made her suddenly understand?"
"That's interesting. However, apart from that, no unusually strong bloodline fluctuations, hidden inherited auras, or special soul traits were detected."

After observing for a long time, Su Youwei felt somewhat relieved.

"It seems my identity has not been exposed."

She came to a conclusion.

"If Wanbaodian truly suspected that I came for 'that thing,' or had extreme suspicions about me, they would never have only sent two little girls whose cultivation was not even as good as mine to guard me. At the very least, it should have been the divine sense of a Saint Realm expert constantly surrounding me, or Tantai Mingjing personally 'accompanying' me."

This arrangement seems more like a routine one for guests. Qi Diao Yaoyao's main task is to protect the quick-witted Gu Yuanyuan, and keep an eye on me as well.

With this in mind, Su Youwei completely relaxed and truly entered a state of cultivation, silently absorbing the rich spiritual energy within the Wanbao Hall together with Gu Yuanyuan and Qi Diao Yaoyao. Only the even breathing sounds and the subtle murmur of flowing spiritual energy remained in the room.

The atmosphere in the other room, separated by only one wall, was completely different.

There is no spiritual energy here; instead, there is an invisible mental pressure permeating the air.

Gu Sheng sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, and his body was even trembling slightly involuntarily.

A monstrous wave was surging within his sea of ​​consciousness!
Strands of pure, yet utterly devoid of independent consciousness, silvery-white spiritual energy were being continuously drawn from a hazy light source suspended in front of him, flowing along countless thin, resilient threads of spiritual energy, like rivers flowing into the sea, and frantically merging into his sea of ​​consciousness.

This light source is the spiritual essence left behind by the fallen Holy Realm Void Spirit Demon, a gift from Tantai Mingjing—the Source of Void Spirit. The spiritual power contained within is as vast as the sea, and because it is "sourceless," it can be absorbed relatively safely by others.

However, this "relative safety" also means slowness and caution for the vast majority of people. To act like Gu Sheng, recklessly pulling things along like a floodgate being opened, is simply courting death.

With such a massive infusion of sourceless spiritual power, his sea of ​​consciousness was expanding and growing at an unprecedented speed! Originally, after accidentally merging his spirit with Tantai Xueli, the upper limit of his sea of ​​consciousness had been raised to an astonishing level, comparable to the realm of an eighth-grade spirit talisman master who specializes in spiritual power.

At this moment, under the onslaught of this source of spiritual energy, the boundary barrier of the sea of ​​consciousness groaned under the unbearable pressure, crashing towards the vastness of a ninth-grade spirit talisman master!

Ninth Rank! That's the crucial threshold where spiritual power undergoes a qualitative change, enough to interfere with reality and create laws with a single thought!

However, Gu Sheng dared not allow his sea of ​​consciousness to expand naturally. Such a massive influx in such a short time, if left to expand unchecked, would only result in one thing—like an overinflated balloon. (End of Chapter)