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

After Sister Ning Shuang discovered this hidden place, the news was immediately relayed back to the family. Father has ordered the secret realm to be temporarily sealed off, prohibiting unauthorized personnel from entering. Logically speaking, at this moment, apart from us and the second group of Tantai family members waiting outside, absolutely no other outsiders should be allowed to enter!

Yu Rou nodded slightly in agreement.

Gu Sheng's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Tantai Xueli's face, and he slowly shook his head.

“My senses are never wrong. Although the residual spiritual energy fluctuations have been deliberately concealed and are extremely subtle, their characteristics are completely different from the spiritual energy of this secret realm itself, and from the true energy of any of us. The person who came... is probably not a disciple of the Tantai family. The situation may be more complicated than we thought.”

Seeing Gu Sheng's unwavering confidence, everyone's hearts sank.

They knew Gu Sheng's abilities well, especially after the series of battles in Tianyuan Imperial City, and they trusted his judgment even more. If what he said was true, and unknown outsiders had entered this core palace first... then things were truly not simple.

Could this secret realm conceal a hidden passage that even the Tantai family has not yet discovered? Or is there a traitor within?

"Xue Li".

Gu Sheng looked at Tantai Xueli and made a suggestion.

"To be on the safe side, we need to investigate the situation ahead more carefully. If we use the technique of 'spiritual unity,' borrowing the subtle senses that your direct lineage of the Tantai family might have about the family's secret realm, combined with my spiritual strength and insight, we might be able to capture more clues."

"Spiritual unity?"

Upon hearing this, two captivating blushes instantly rose on Tantai Xueli's exquisite face.

She naturally knew what this "spiritual unity" meant. It was a deeper spiritual connection than ordinary telepathic communication, requiring both parties to open their minds, briefly merge their consciousness, and share their perceptions.

While at the Eastern Wilderness Imperial Sect ruins, she and Gu Sheng had developed an extremely intimate spiritual connection. Now, having to do it in front of Shen Qingtan, Gu Ningshuang, and others, even though she cared deeply for Gu Sheng, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

But she was, after all, a woman of principle, and knew that the situation was still unclear, so there was no room for hesitation.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her shyness, and nodded gently.

"it is good."

Gu Sheng no longer hesitated, stepped forward, and stood opposite Tantai Xueli.

The two closed their eyes at the same time, and an invisible spiritual force slowly emerged from between their brows, like two clear streams that quietly converged, intertwined, and merged in the void.

Tantai Xueli felt a vast, pure, yet profound spiritual power, imbued with a chilling, starry-sky aura, gently yet firmly guiding her spiritual energy, instantly breaking through some invisible barrier. The next moment, her "vision" underwent a dramatic transformation!
It was no longer a perception based solely on the naked eye and one's own mental power, but a strange state that was more three-dimensional and clearer, as if one could "see" the trajectory of energy flow and sense the most subtle residual energy! The surrounding flowers, plants, and trees transformed into energy bodies composed of light points of different colors in her "eyes";
The air flow revealed clear trajectory lines; while the tranquil palace complex ahead was faintly shrouded in a very light, almost imperceptible gray "mist" that did not belong to the secret realm itself—a remnant of a high-level spiritual barrier!

What shocked her even more was that deep within that "gray mist," she vaguely "captured" a wisp of extremely subtle and rapidly dissipating unfamiliar energy! This energy was cold and obscure, carrying an uncomfortable, corrosive feeling, and was definitely not something possessed by a disciple of the Tantai family!
Moreover, for some reason, this unfamiliar aura gave her a vague sense of familiarity? It was as if she had encountered or sensed a similar aura somewhere before, but for the moment, she couldn't remember the specific source.

"A discovery?"

Gu Sheng's voice rang out directly in their shared mental consciousness, calm yet powerful.

"Ok!"

Tantai Xueli concentrated her mind and clearly relayed the unfamiliar aura she sensed and the remnants of that mental barrier to Gu Sheng.

“There were indeed outsiders here, and they were quite capable, setting up a mental barrier to conceal their presence. This aura… I seem to have a vague recollection of it, but I can’t quite remember it.”

"enough."

Gu Sheng's voice carried a hint of coldness.

"Prepare for battle. The newcomers are likely hostile, and their strength is unknown."

The mental connection was severed, and both of them opened their eyes simultaneously. The blush on Tantai Xueli's face had not completely faded, but her eyes had regained their clarity and alertness.

Gu Sheng looked at everyone, his tone decisive.

"Someone has entered the palace ahead of us and set up a detection barrier, which I have already detected. The identity of the person is unknown, and it is unclear whether they are friend or foe, but they are most likely hostile. Everyone be careful and be prepared to react at any time."

He glanced at Gu Ningshuang and said in a deep voice.

"Ning Shuang, stay close to me. If anything changes, don't be reckless."

He knew that Gu Ningshuang had a cold and strong personality, but at this moment the enemy situation was unclear, and safety was the top priority.

Gu Ningshuang glanced at Gu Sheng with her cool eyes, gave a soft "hmm", and silently walked to a position slightly behind Gu Sheng.

Shen Qingtan and Yu Rou immediately became more vigilant, their weapons quietly in hand.

Gu Sheng said no more. He took a deep breath, and his mental power, which had been tempered three times and was already extremely powerful, surged out like an invisible tide. He no longer concealed it and instantly covered an area of ​​nearly 10,000 feet in front of him!
This spiritual force was condensed and domineering, with the unique penetrating power of the Dao of Fate. It forcefully swept through the remaining gray spiritual force barrier, completely dispersing and annihilating it!
"go!"

Gu Sheng gave a low shout and swiftly rushed towards the main hall at the highest point of the hill. The others followed closely behind, quickly passing through the silent sea of ​​flowers and stone paths, and arrived before the majestic main hall.

The main hall is several dozen feet high, with its doors tightly closed. It is made of a mixture of some kind of heavy, dark gold metal and ancient wood, and its surface is carved with intricate cloud patterns and some unrecognizable ancient animal shapes, exuding an aura of vicissitudes and weight.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Sheng stretched out his hands and pressed them against the cold palace door. His powerful true energy, accumulated at the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm, erupted and surged into his arms!

"Boom—!"

The heavy creaking of machinery echoed from inside the palace doors, as if a colossal beast that had slumbered for millennia had been awakened.

Two massive palace doors slowly opened inward with a screeching sound, revealing a deep and dimly lit interior space behind them.

Meanwhile, deep within the main hall.

The three figures, who were carefully searching and rummaging through various places, suddenly stopped all their movements at almost the same time!
One of the men, extremely thin, seemingly just skin and bones, dressed in a large black robe, slowly raised his head. In the shadows beneath his hood, two points of eerie green light flickered faintly.

His voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"The 'Divine Barrier' set up on the outer perimeter has been triggered... It didn't dissipate naturally, but was forcibly broken. People have arrived... Five people. One of them possesses extremely strong spiritual power."

Not far from him, a woman with a voluptuous figure, wearing tight leather armor that accentuated her breathtaking curves, and a face that was both alluring and sinister, straightened up from beside a collapsed bookshelf. She stuck out her bright red tongue and lightly licked the corner of her mouth, her voice possessing a captivating and magnetic charm.

"Oh? You were able to discover and break through the special mental barrier of the 'Divine Profound Holy Land' so quickly? That's a bit unexpected... It seems that not all those who came were little mice."

Upon hearing this, the gaunt man in black turned the eerie light beneath his hood toward the woman, his voice still icy.

"Mei Qi, stay away from me. The smell of you people from the Heavenly Charm Holy Land... it's making my bones ache."

The alluring woman known as "Charming Seven" let out a string of silvery laughter. Instead of moving away, she deliberately swayed her waist and took a small step closer to the man in black, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh dear, Brother Bone Demon, you're still so easily teased. I'm not going to eat you, and with your physique... I'm afraid I'll hurt my teeth."

The gaunt man named Gu Chi seemed quite wary of her. He snorted coldly and said nothing more, but subtly took two small steps back.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

The third figure spoke. This person had been standing in front of a broken statue at the deepest part of the hall, with his back to the crowd. He was tall and straight, dressed in a simple gray outfit, and his voice was calm and indifferent, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"What is the strength of the newcomer? Could they interfere with the mission?"

Bone Demon composed himself and said in a deep voice.

"Senior Brother Huiying, judging from the strength and speed at which the barrier was broken, the strength of the master of that spiritual power among the five opponents is probably not to be underestimated. He is at least one of the best in the Venerable Realm, or... his spiritual power cultivation has reached an extremely high level."

The other four possessed mixed auras; the strongest was only at the peak of the Human King realm, and some had not even reached the King realm. They were not worth worrying about.

He paused for a moment, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"But... what I can't understand even more is that this newly discovered entrance to the secret realm has clearly been secretly taken over by our three holy lands, and we jointly control the spatial coordinates and entry incantation at the entrance. Where did these people come from?"

Mei Qi also dropped her joking expression, and a serious look appeared on her charming face.

“It is indeed strange. In Tongtian Imperial City, the three holy lands of Tianmei, Shenxuan, and Anying have joined forces to control this ‘Kongxuan Secret Realm’. It has been completely sealed off, and even the Tantai family, who originally controlled this place, has been temporarily kept in the dark. This hidden place is a secret realm within a secret realm, with an extremely secret entrance. Logically speaking, no outsider should know about it or be able to enter it except for us.”

She looked at Bone Demon and Shadow Killer.

"These uninvited guests... their origins are a mystery. Should we... find out their background before taking action? To avoid accidentally killing someone we shouldn't, or... letting some important 'clues' slip through our fingers?"

Shadow Assassin, who had been facing away from them, finally turned around slowly.

It was an exceptionally ordinary face, devoid of any distinguishing features, the kind of face that would be easily forgotten in a crowd. Only its eyes were like two bottomless ancient wells, cold and lifeless, without any ripples.

He glanced indifferently in the direction of the palace gate, his voice remaining calm and unwavering.

"Mission instructions: Simply locate the 'target.' Anyone unrelated, kill them. Ignore how they entered. Complete instructions and evacuate."

Bone Demon frowned and said.

“What Senior Brother Shadow Assassin said is indeed reasonable. But this matter concerns the ownership of the secret realm and its subsequent arrangements. If outsiders can freely enter and leave this place, then what is the point of our three holy lands going to great lengths to seal it off?”
If this place truly becomes an important training ground for the young disciples of the three holy lands as planned, how can we allow outsiders to know the path, enter and exit at will, and cause trouble?

A cold glint flashed in Mei Qi's eyes, and her voice took on a chilling tone.

“Brother Guchi is right. How can one allow others to snore beside one's bed? No matter who they are or how they got in, since they've already broken into this place, then... we can only ask them to shut up forever. It's also a good opportunity to test the mettle of that person with strong mental power and see if it's worth... ‘collecting’.”

Shadow Assassin remained silent for a moment, and ultimately did not object, which was tantamount to acknowledging their opinions.

Just as the three exchanged a brief conversation, and murderous intent began to rise—

"Squeak... Boom!"

The sound of the palace doors being pushed open completely, accompanied by a series of soft footsteps, came from the entrance of the main hall.

Gu Sheng and his group of five stepped into the empty and dimly lit ancient main hall.

Qin Yurou subconsciously looked around, and after seeing the scene inside the hall, she couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh," her expression becoming somewhat strange.

The interior of the spacious hall was even more empty than expected. The prayer cushions, incense tables, and even some decorative ritual sculptures that should have been there seemed to have decayed or disappeared. However, the floor, walls, and even some remaining bases clearly showed signs of ransacking, moving, and even violent destruction!

Fresh dust and rubble were piled up in some corners, and several hidden compartments in the walls had been forcibly pried open, only to find them empty. The entire hall looked as if it had just been ransacked by a group of extremely rough "visitors," appearing chaotic and disorderly, like... a field ravaged by locusts.

Qin Yurou frowned as she looked at the chaotic scene inside the hall, which resembled a scene ravaged by a storm.

She opened her left palm, which she had been holding loosely, and saw a tiny mouse, no bigger than her palm, pure white and with smooth, soft fur, curled up in her palm, emitting even, soft snores, fast asleep.

"Treasure-hunting rat..."

Qin Yurou spoke softly, her voice tinged with a hint of confusion.

"This hall looks ancient and is relatively well-preserved. Logically, it should contain some ancient treasures or fragments of artifacts that contain spiritual energy. But 'Little White'... it doesn't react at all."

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng's gaze fell on the white mouse, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He naturally recognized the "treasure-hunting rat," an extremely rare spirit beast that possesses an extraordinary sensitivity to spiritual objects, rare minerals, and even special energy fluctuations. Its bloodline talent is "treasure hunting."

Even if the treasure is hidden behind complex restrictions or concealed by special materials, treasure-hunting rats can usually detect a clue through instinct, thus exhibiting reactions such as excitement and restlessness. The fact that they are fast asleep in what appears to be a treasure trove is highly unusual.

"I remember."

Qin Yurou added, her beautiful eyes filled with reminiscence.

"Last time we stumbled upon this place, although it was just a fleeting glimpse, and we were attacked by demonic plants, Little White was very excited at the time, constantly wriggling in my arms, trying to burrow deeper into the main hall. (End of this chapter)"