Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

”Elder Yong’an, return quickly! The Heavenly Fire Red Lotus Pearl at Golden Crow Mountain has been stolen, and suspicion points to your disciple Gu Sheng! The Second Elder orders you to return within half a day, or be deemed as a traitor!”

”What?!”

Daoist Yong’an was struck as if by lightning, and the longsword in his hand let out a mournful buzz.

”Gu Sheng... how dare you...”

Uncontrolled explosive Sword Qi annihilated a thousand-meter radius of forest into flat ground.

Daoist Yong’an’s face turned like iron, and he transformed into a sword rainbow, rushing straight toward Qinghe Holy Land.

Meanwhile, in another direction.

Luomu Taoist was traveling through the clouds with his disciple Hong Yun.

Suddenly, the Sound Transmission Talisman in his sleeve vibrated. After hearing its contents, this elder with a sinister complexion displayed a bizarre smile.

”Master?”

Hong Yun asked in confusion.

”Have you found that traitor Gu Sheng?”

Luomu Taoist put away the Sound Transmission Talisman and laughed darkly.

”It’s far more interesting than that. Come, let’s return to the Holy Land; I’ll take you to see a good show.”

...

Qinghe Holy Land, Golden Crow Peak.

Luomu Taoist stood in the center of the Grand Hall, his azure Daoist robe fluttering without wind.

He glanced at the twelve Dragon Jade Pillars inside the hall, each inscribed with the achievements of the Holy Masters of Qinghe Holy Land, but now they seemed to be silently mocking their incompetence.

”Everyone.”

Luomu Taoist’s voice rang like clashing metals.

”That thief managed to steal the Heavenly Fire Red Lotus Pearl right under our noses, it’s not a coincidence.”

The Second Elder Xuanmingzi sat on a sandalwood chair, rhythmically tapping the armrest with his fingers.

Behind him stood eight law enforcement elders, each with the unique Mystic Ice Token of Qinghe Holy Land at their waists.

”Brother Luomu.”

Xuanmingzi squinted.

”Are you certain that brat is Gu Sheng from Tianlan Sacred Land?”

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall.

Daoist Yong’an stormed into the grand hall, his Daoist robe trailing with the unique crimson ashes of Golden Crow Mountain.

”Luomu!”

Daoist Yong’an’s beard and hair bristled.

”What rumors are you spreading again?”

Luomu Taoist sneered coldly, and a blue light shot out from his sleeve.

In the air, the light expanded, revealing an image of Gu Sheng cultivating deep within Golden Crow Mountain—a youth holding a sword single-handedly, the sword’s edge directing even the lava to split.

”Brother Yong’an, take a good look.”

Luomu Taoist’s fingertip pointed to Gu Sheng’s sword in the image.

”This Sword Qi fluctuation is identical to that of the Supreme Treasure Sword unearthed at Ten Thousand Ghost Ridge.”

Xuanmingzi abruptly stood up, his chair scraping sharply against the floor.

”Yong’an! Why did you obstruct Luomu’s pursuit that day?”

Daoist Yong’an’s face drastically changed.

Of course, he remembered the young man named ”Qing Feng” — an ordinary-looking person with exceptionally bright eyes. At that time, the boy claimed to be a loose cultivator and wished to use Golden Crow Mountain’s Earth Fire to refine a magic artifact...

”Impossible!”

Daoist Yong’an suddenly shouted.

”His bone age is but twenty, how could he be in the Heavenly Palace Realm? Unless...”

The grand hall suddenly became eerily silent. Everyone remembered the rumor from three years ago — Tianlan Sacred Land’s peerless genius Gu Sheng could kill Heavenly Palace Cultivators while still at the Earth Palace Stage.

It was then that Su Yongchang stumbled in.

The blood on his forehead had yet to dry, clearly having just been punished.

”Master!”

Su Yongchang fell at Daoist Yong’an’s feet.

”Disciple deserves ten thousand deaths! That day at the Earth Spirit Palace’s testing...”

Xuanmingzi’s eyes flickered with cold light.

He raised his hand casting a spell, immediately conjuring an image recorded by the Holy Land Array — three months ago, Su Yongchang indeed led a gray-clothed youth past the Earth Spirit Palace testing area.

”Good! Very good!”

Xuanmingzi laughed in anger.

”One neglects duty, the other harbors an enemy. You master and disciple are truly pillars of Qinghe Holy Land!”

Daoist Yong’an suddenly began coughing violently, dark red blood seeping from between his fingers.

He recalled Gu Sheng — no, the kid self-claimed to be Qing Feng, even served him tea respectfully.

Daoist Yong’an muttered to himself.

”All along aiming for the Heavenly Fire Red Lotus Pearl...”

Luomu Taoist seized the chance to step forward.

”Does everyone remember, three years ago when the old Daoist Xiushan from Tianlan Sacred Land severed elder Yong’an’s arm, Gu Sheng stood nearby sneering?”

This sentence stabbed into Daoist Yong’an’s heart like a knife.

He trembled all over, recalling Daoist Xiushan’s abhorrent old face, along with the silent youth standing behind him.

”Pfft—”

A mouthful of vital blood sprayed three meters afar.

When Daoist Yong’an collapsed, a crimson crystal stone fell from his sleeve — the companion ore of the Heavenly Fire Red Lotus Pearl, still marked by Gu Sheng’s Spiritual Power residue.

”Take him away!”

Xuanmingzi’s furious voice shook the dust from the grand hall’s dome.

”Wait until the Holy Master emerges from seclusion to deal with it!”

...

At the same moment, within the clouds three hundred miles outside Qinghe Holy Land’s gate.

Gu Sheng stepped on a pitch-black longsword, supporting a fist-sized crimson Treasure Bead with his left hand.

The flames swirling inside the bead cast eerie shadows on his ordinary face.

”Thirty thousand points?”

Gu Sheng looked at the Killing Order he’d just stolen from Qinghe Holy Land, a dangerous curve tugging at his lips.

”It’s worth more than I expected.”

He suddenly cast a spell, erasing the disguise from his face, revealing his original handsome features.

At the center of his brow, a golden pattern flickered—a mark of Great Perfection in the Heavenly Palace Realm.

From the forest below came the sudden sound of air splitting.

Gu Sheng turned without a glance, backward sliced with a sword, severing five Qinghe Holy Land deacons in half with a sword aura hundreds of meters long.

”Tell Xuanmingzi.”

Gu Sheng’s voice, mixed with Sword Qi, spread across the land.

”Gu Sheng of Tianlan Sacred Land will return some day to claim his head.”

...

Tianlan Sacred Land, top floor of Book Collection Pavilion.

The Jade Scroll in Daoist Xiushan’s hand suddenly shattered into powder.

The old man was first stunned, then burst into earth-shattering laughter, the Spiritual Power embedded in the laughter making the entire Book Collection Pavilion hum.