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

however--

"Puff puff puff puff puff...!!!"

The first wave of dozens of flying swords crashed heavily into the thick barrier of true energy!

Completely crushing everything in its path!

Faced with the flying sword containing Gu Sheng's pure internal energy, the wonders of the Thousand Illusions Dao, and the divine flame of the Nanming Fire Origin, Shi Wufeng's hastily erected true energy defense was as thin as paper, instantly pierced, torn apart, and burned to ashes!
"Snap—!"

A clear cracking sound rang out, and Shi Wufeng's outermost layer of true qi barrier shattered completely!

The moment the barrier of true energy shattered, the last trace of color drained from Shi Wufeng's face. Never before had the shadow of death been so clear and intense. The countless crimson-gold divine flame swords swarming down like the eyes of death itself, locked onto him. What was the dignity of a holy son? What was victory or defeat? All of that was crushed at this moment by the most primal instinct for survival!

"Do not--!"

He let out a nearly distorted roar, without the slightest hesitation, and disregarding all moves and postures, he suddenly turned around, completely exposing his back to the deadly sword net. He poured the remaining true energy in his body into the meridians of his legs, and transformed into a hasty and disheveled white streak of light, frantically fleeing towards the other end of the arena, far away from Gu Sheng!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sound of air being torn apart was sharp and piercing, the sound of a qi-infused flying sword tearing through the air. It followed closely behind, like a leech, carrying the heat of burning everything and the sharpness of piercing through all things, relentlessly pursuing! The long trails of flames wove together in the air into a magnificent yet deadly net of fire, making Shi Wufeng's fleeing white light appear incredibly small and laughable.

"They...they ran away already?!"

"A dignified Holy Son of the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land, a master at the second level of the Venerable Realm, was chased and forced to flee in terror by a mere seventh-level Sect Master?!"

"They don't even have the courage to turn back and fight to the death? They've truly... disgraced the Holy Land!"

"Where has the power of that Saint Realm strike gone? It seems they've exhausted all their trump cards and are terrified!"

On both sides of the canyon, countless martial artists watching the battle erupted in uproar! A tidal wave of disdain, mockery, and disbelief exploded forth. A life-or-death arena, especially one initiated by the stronger side, demands a fight to the death. Even if defeated, one must have the courage to fight to the death to earn a shred of respect from the opponent and preserve the last vestige of dignity for their own faction.

For someone like Shi Wufeng to flee before the outcome of the battle is decided, completely exposing his back to his opponent, is a major taboo for martial artists. It also tramples on the lofty prestige of the Myriad Elephants Holy Land to nothing! Many rogue cultivators and martial artists from small forces who originally held the Holy Land in awe now couldn't help but show contempt in their eyes.

On the high platform, Tantai Xuefei flashed and quietly arrived beside her sister, Tantai Xueli. Her heroic eyebrows were furrowed, and she secretly transmitted her voice, which carried a hint of doubt.

"Sister, don't you think... Shi Wufeng's behavior today is a bit abnormal? Even if Brother Gu Sheng is strong, with his Venerable Realm cultivation and the temperament of a Holy Son, how could he... be so cowardly and embarrassed before the battle even begins?"

Tantai Xueli stared intently at the arena with her beautiful eyes. Upon hearing this, her hidden spiritual power surged slightly, completely isolating the two sisters from the surrounding sounds.

She pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded and replied telepathically.

“There is indeed something wrong with him. Although I haven’t had much contact with Shi Wufeng, I have heard of him before, and even saw him sparring with others a few years ago. Although his talent is not top-notch and his temperament is somewhat sinister and extreme, he is by no means a coward who is afraid of death and has no bloodlust. The most important thing for the Holy Land to cultivate its Holy Son is willpower and fighting spirit.”

"Look at him today. From the very beginning, when he was injured by Gu Sheng's anticipated movement technique, he seemed somewhat... disoriented and slow to react. After that Saint-level strike missed, he completely lost his momentum and actually chose the most foolish thing to do: flee."

A glint flashed in Tantai Xuefei's eyes, and she whispered.

“Indeed! I remember a few years ago I accompanied my father to meet with the younger generation of various holy lands. At that time, Shi Wufeng had just taken over as the Holy Son and was quite arrogant.”

But when he fights, his moves are ruthless, displaying a ferocious spirit that disregards the consequences—a stark contrast to his timid and easily frightened demeanor today! Could it be… that he has some hidden injury that hasn't healed? Or perhaps his training has gone wrong?”

Tantai Xueli shook her head slightly, but her gaze became even sharper as she looked at Gu Sheng's tall and calm figure on the arena. A thought became clearer in her mind.

“Hidden injuries are possible, but more likely… his ‘spirit’ is malfunctioning. Notice how Shi Wufeng’s dodges, responses, and even escape routes appear somewhat stiff and rigid, lacking the agile intuition and decisive adaptability that a martial artist possesses in battle.”

It's more like... like being suppressed and interfered with by some invisible force, disrupting the judgment of one's consciousness.

"Mental suppression?!"

Tantai Xuefei instantly understood, her pupils contracting slightly.

"Sister, are you saying... that before or during the battle, Brother Gu Sheng was secretly suppressing Shi Wufeng's consciousness with his mental power? Is that why he performed so poorly, possessing the power and techniques of a Venerable Realm expert but unable to perform at his proper level, and even... unable to muster the courage to fight to the death?"

"Very likely."

Tantai Xueli's tone was certain.

"Brother Gu Sheng's spiritual power cultivation is unfathomable, far surpassing others of the same level. If he really has been distracted by using invisible spiritual power to suppress Shi Wufeng's sea of ​​consciousness, interfering with his judgment and weakening his fighting spirit... then Shi Wufeng's current behavior makes perfect sense."

This wasn't because he was cowardly, but because his fighting spirit and intuition had been shrouded in shadow from the very beginning; he probably couldn't even unleash six or seven tenths of his full strength.

The sisters' deductions were very close to the truth. However, they were unaware that the suppression of mental power was far more thorough and effortless than they had imagined.

On the arena, Gu Sheng watched the white streak of light flee in panic, his eyes showing little pride, but rather a faint hint of... boredom.

Tantai Xuefei's suspicions were entirely correct. After agreeing to the duel last night, Gu Sheng had already considered several ways to deal with Shi Wufeng.

The most direct method is to utilize the primal power of the Nine Dragons Qiankun Cauldron, combined with one's own formidable physical strength and martial arts skills, to unleash power beyond limits at the moment of battle, attempting to instantly kill it. This method is simple and brutal, but the risk lies in potentially revealing a portion of the Nine Dragons Qiankun Cauldron's power too early, attracting more covetous eyes.

Ultimately, he chose the second option—to use Shi Wufeng as an excellent "touchstone" to verify the specific effects of his newly acquired "predictive" ability after Si Mingdao's transformation the previous night, and to further hone his own surging combat power. To this end, before stepping onto the stage, he had already quietly spread his materialized spiritual power like the finest spider web. The moment Shi Wufeng's mind was stirred by anger and killing intent, he silently invaded the outer edge of Shi Wufeng's sea of ​​consciousness. It was not a forceful attack, but rather like a heavy dark cloud, continuously exerting a force of "suppression" and "interference".

As Gu Sheng originally expected, Shi Wufeng, as the Holy Son of the Holy Land and a Venerable Realm cultivator, should have corresponding protection and resilience even if his mental strength was not strong. Gu Sheng needed to carefully control his suppression and maintain a delicate balance, so as to affect his judgment without making him immediately notice the abnormality and fight back with all his might.

This in itself is a highly challenging form of training and practical exercise.

However, to Gu Shengdu's slight surprise, Shi Wufeng's sea of ​​consciousness defense was much weaker than he had expected! His materialized spiritual power encountered almost no decent resistance and easily penetrated, gaining a dominant position in his sea of ​​consciousness and forming a continuous suppression.

This suppression does not directly control his thoughts, but rather it is like veiling his thinking with a thin layer of dullness and fear, amplifying his negative emotions, and interfering with his accurate judgment and instinctive reactions in the battle situation.

As a result, Shi Wufeng was already at a disadvantage from the moment he stepped onto the stage.

He felt as if he were in a nightmare. His opponent was always one step ahead of him, and his moves always seemed to be seen through. A strange heaviness and unease lingered in his heart, making it difficult for him to concentrate, to exert his full strength, and even more difficult to muster the courage to fight to the death.

When Gu Sheng's first sword strike accurately pierced him, proving the power of Si Ming's prediction, the outcome of this battle was already predetermined in Gu Sheng's mind.

Shi Wufeng was merely an obstacle he used to familiarize himself with the new power and, incidentally, eliminate.

"The God of Destiny... can foresee the future and anticipate opportunities... His ability to enhance combat effectiveness is truly remarkable."

Gu Sheng sighed inwardly, feeling the surging power within him and his crystal-clear grasp of the battle situation, as if he could read the lines on his palm. He had only been in Zhongzhou for a few days, and while his cultivation level hadn't seen a significant breakthrough, his combat power had undergone a complete transformation due to Si Mingdao's metamorphosis!

He was confident that even without the power of the Nine Dragons Universe Cauldron, he could fight against ordinary Venerable Realm cultivators who had just entered the Venerable Realm or were at the third or fourth level, and even win the battle, relying solely on his martial arts skills, Dao body, and this powerful predictive ability!
Returning to reality, Gu Sheng saw that Shi Wufeng had escaped to the edge of the arena and was about to touch the barrier set up by the three Saint Realm experts. A cold glint flashed in Gu Sheng's eyes, and he no longer held back.

He gently pressed down with his loosely clenched right hand.

"Om-!"

The countless crimson-gold divine flame flying swords that were chasing each other all emitted an even higher and sharper buzzing sound. The swords trembled, and their speed increased dramatically in an instant! As if they had broken free from some invisible restraint, they transformed into streaks of true death lightning!
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft—!"

The dull thud of sharp blades piercing flesh and bone suddenly echoed rapidly across the arena like popping beans, sending chills down everyone's spines!

"what--!!!"

Shi Wufeng's extremely shrill scream instantly pierced the sky.

His fleeing white streak suddenly halted, then swayed violently in the air like a kite with a broken string, almost falling to the ground.

In that instant, more than ten terrifying bloody holes burst open on his back, shoulders, waist, and thighs! Each bloody hole was translucent and bright, with charred edges, the result of being instantly burned and sealed by the high-temperature divine flames, but his internal organs, meridians, and bones had been torn to shreds by the violent sword energy!
Hot blood gushed out from all over his body like a fountain, completely staining his originally snow-white holy robes into a dazzling scarlet!

The intense pain and the rapid loss of life finally shattered Shi Wufeng's last bit of hope and stubbornness.

He could no longer maintain his escape light, and his body staggered as he fell from the low sky, crashing heavily onto the bluestone ground of the arena. He rolled several times, leaving a long trail of blood.

"I...I surrender! I surrender!! Gu Sheng! No, Young Master Gu! Senior Gu! Spare me! Spare my life!!!"

He struggled, using his last bit of strength to lift his head and look at Gu Sheng, who stood indifferently not far away. Tears and snot streamed down his face, mixed with blood, making him look incredibly dirty and wretched.

He could no longer care about the dignity of a holy son or the face of a holy land. His knees buckled, and he actually knelt down in Gu Sheng's direction, banging his head on the ground with loud thuds, begging for mercy in a hoarse voice.

"I surrender! I was blind! I was arrogant! I'm willing to pay any price! Spirit stones, treasures, cultivation techniques... whatever the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land has, I'll find a way to give you! I only beg you to spare my life! I swear, I will stay far away from Central Continent and never appear before you again! Please! Spare me!!!"

The desperate pleas for mercy, though cleared by the barriers surrounding the arena, reached the ears of every spectator on either side of the canyon.

A moment of silence fell over the entire arena. Disdain, contempt, pity, and a complex mix of emotions filled the air as countless gazes fell upon the white-clad figure kneeling and kowtowing, his body soaked in blood. Once, he was the high and mighty Son of the Holy Land, looking down upon all living beings; but now…

He, however, resembled a stray dog, wagging his tail and begging for mercy from an opponent he regarded as an ant. The stark contrast evoked sighs from many, and left the people of the Holy Land of All Things ashen-faced with shame and indignation.

"Useless trash! A disgrace!"

High in the sky, the Holy Lord of Myriad Manifestations could no longer contain himself and erupted in fury! A violent and vast Holy Realm Dao Aura, like a long-suppressed volcano, burst forth from his body, and a jade-green light shot into the sky, stirring up the wind and clouds, and causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth above the entire valley to become disordered!

His eyes blazed with fury as he stared intently at Shi Wufeng, who was kneeling on the stage begging for mercy, wishing he could personally smash him into a pulp! What fueled his killing intent even more was Gu Sheng, the one who had brought such a humiliating disgrace to the Myriad Elephants Holy Land!

Just as the Holy Body of Myriad Manifestations was surging with holy power, almost ready to attack recklessly, even if only to severely injure and capture Gu Sheng in a fit of rage—

"Wanxiang, what do you want to do?"

A clear, cold female voice rang out, and Tantai Mingjing's figure had already silently appeared between him and the arena.

She didn't exude any particularly imposing aura, but her deep, beautiful eyes flashed with a chilling light, and the space around her rippled slightly, as if it could transform into the strongest barrier or the sharpest blade at any moment.

Almost simultaneously, the imposing middle-aged man from the Heavenly Origin Holy Land—the Saint King of Zhenyue—also stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell, carrying an unquestionable majesty that resounded throughout the four directions.

"Lord of Myriad Manifestations, please show some respect! The rules of the life-or-death arena are as firm as mountains! Once opened, it's a fight to the death! This is an ironclad rule that all the holy lands of Central Continent tacitly abide by! Does your Myriad Manifestations Holy Land intend to openly break the rules and interfere in the arena battle in front of all the heroes of the world, thus earning a reputation for being a sore loser?" (End of this chapter)