Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

”Good lad!”

Daoist Xiushan slapped the jade table and stood up, the table disintegrating into dust.

”Sneaking into Qinghe Sacred Land to cause trouble? That’s quite a feat!”

Hundreds of disciples had already gathered outside the pavilion, each wearing a look of disbelief.

They had just received a message—the missing Gu Sheng, gone for half a year, had caused such a commotion in the rival Sacred Land.

”Master!”

A girl in red rushed in.

”Spies from the Six Great Holy Lands are all inquiring about Senior Brother’s whereabouts!”

Daoist Xiushan squinted his eyes, and a golden light flew from his sleeve.

The light transformed mid-air into a star chart, with the star representing Qinghe Sacred Land shaking violently.

”Send the command down.”

The elder’s voice was full of long-lost bravado.

”All Tianlan disciples, fully support Gu Sheng’s return!”

”Hahaha—” Daoist Xiushan suddenly burst into even louder laughter than before, his voice echoing to the heavens, heard clearly by the disciples on the mountainside.

”Old Yong’an, oh old Yong’an!”

Daoist Xiushan laughed until tears streamed down.

”You painstakingly train the next generation for revenge, only to end up nurturing a Tianlan Sacred Land person! And half my apprentice at that!”

Turns out, although Gu Sheng hailed from Qinghe Sacred Land, he had formed a bond with Daoist Xiushan during a trial, receiving his guidance. Later, by chance, he forged an inseparable bond with Tianlan Sacred Land.

”Thrilling! Truly thrilling!”

Daoist Xiushan clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

”Qinghe Sacred Land must be furious now!”

After laughing, his face suddenly grew solemn.

”Not good! Gu Sheng has humiliated Qinghe Sacred Land so; they won’t let this go easily.”

With this thought, Daoist Xiushan immediately stood up.

”Prepare the flying boat, I must go to the Elder Hall!”

...

Tianlan Sacred Land, Water Spirit Pavilion on Holy Heaven Peak.

Gongsun Yue, dressed in white, pushed open the carved wooden door and walked out slowly. Her skin was like cream, her brows beautifully drawn, akin to an immortal emerging from a painting.

At this moment, she stared into the distance, her gaze penetrating the Cloud Sea, as if seeing Qinghe Sacred Land a thousand miles away.

”Brother Sheng...”

She softly murmured, her voice full of longing.

”Yue’er.”

A dignified and elegant lady walked to her side, gently patting her.

”Thinking of that boy again?”

”Mother...”

Gongsun Yue’s cheeks reddened slightly.

”I’m just worried about his safety. Qinghe Sacred Land won’t let him off easily.”

Tianlan Saint Mother smiled faintly.

”Don’t worry, that boy is tough. From being a waste to where he is now, he’s always survived narrowly each time.”

Talking about Gu Sheng’s growth, Tianlan Saint Mother showed admiration in her eyes.

”I’ve scoured the Tianlan Sacred Land records, and no one has ever grown as fast as him. Especially after returning from the Holy Road, he’s completely transformed.”

”Brother Sheng will certainly become even stronger.”

Gongsun Yue’s tone was firm.

”Naturally.”

Tianlan Saint Mother nodded.

”Not just us, the entire Tianlan Sacred Land holds high hopes for him. Even those who once didn’t like him have bowed their heads now.”

Gongsun Yue spoke softly.

”That’s because they understand it’s foolish to oppose Brother Sheng.”

”Indeed.”

Tianlan Saint Mother gazed into the distance.

”When a person becomes powerful enough, all hostility turns into awe. If Tianlan Sacred Land produces a force that suppresses a region, everyone benefits.”

...

While all the Sacred Lands were still immersed in the shock Gu Sheng had caused, an anomaly suddenly occurred.

Over White Tiger Sacred Land, the originally clear sky suddenly darkened.

Black clouds, thick as ink, rolled in, swiftly covering the entire Sacred Land.

”What’s happening?”

The disciple on duty looked up at the sky, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

The oppressive atmosphere spread, making it hard to breathe.

A loud crash echoed from the depths of the Holy Land, followed by a wave of chaos.

”Something’s gone terribly wrong! The Seventh Elder has gone mad and died from a body explosion!”

The news struck like thunder, leaving everyone dumbfounded. How could the Seventh Elder, a genuine elder-level powerhouse, suddenly die?

Before anyone could recover from the shock, disaster struck Cang Mang Sacred Land too—two powerhouses close to elder level died under mysterious circumstances.

Refining Dragon Sacred Land, Heavenly Immortal Sacred Land, Purple Mist Sacred Land, Qinghe Sacred Land... One by one, each Sacred Land was enveloped by dark clouds, and news of powerhouses dying continued to spread.

Panic spread like a plague. With even elder-level powerhouses dying in succession, everyone felt deeply uneasy.

”What... what kind of power is this?”

”Why does it feel like the Heavenly Dao?”

”Could it be the Heavenly Dao is retaliating against us?”

What was even more eerie was that among the Seven Great Sacred Lands, only Tianlan Sacred Land remained unscathed, with clear skies.

”This is too strange...”

”Could it be related to Tianlan Sacred Land?”

The leaders of the Six Great Holy Lands employed every resource to investigate the matter.

They were reluctant to believe it was caused by Tianlan Sacred Land—if so, then the method capable of making elder-level powerhouses perish consecutively was undoubtedly defying nature.

As the investigation deepened, the dark clouds over the Six Great Holy Lands grew thicker, like a massive demon realm mountain pressing down from above.

”Boom, boom, boom——”

Thunder roared incessantly, and the aura of the Heavenly Dao contained terrifying force, unsettling even the Saint Masters.

”To be touched by it... brings about catastrophic disaster...”

The Qinghe Saint Master’s face was grave.

”Could this be... the Heavenly Dao Curse?”

...

The Tianlan Saint Master was on his way back to the Sacred Land, and upon hearing of the changes in the Six Great Holy Lands, his brows furrowed.

”The Heavenly Dao Curse...”

He murmured to himself, suddenly recalling something, his expression shifted dramatically.

”Could it be... Gu Sheng?”

He immediately accelerated, transforming into a streak of light flying toward Tianlan Sacred Land.

If it truly involved Gu Sheng, then this catastrophe engulfing the Six Great Holy Lands might just be beginning...

The dark clouds churned like ink, pressing down on the sky of the Six Great Holy Lands, as if an invisible giant hand was trying to crush the entire Cultivation World.

Tianlan Saint Master Gongsun Wuji stood atop the Holy Hall, his purple-gold robe fluttering wildly, his gaze piercing through the clouds for miles, toward those Holy Lands shrouded in darkness.

”Could it be...”

His slender fingers trembled slightly, knuckles whitening.

”Has the Heavenly Dao Curse arrived?”

Behind him, the Great Elder stood with a bowed posture, voice hoarse.

”Saint Master, we just received word that another elder from Xuanming Sacred Land died while in seclusion, his death identical to the others—bleeding from seven orifices, divine soul obliterated.”

Gongsun Wuji closed his eyes, memories of that rainy night three years ago flooding his mind.

Back then, Gu Sheng knelt at the center of the Holy Hall, covered in blood but eyes blazing, hoarsely warning of the existence of the Heavenly Dao Curse.

”Absurd!”

Back then, he shattered the jade table with a single palm.

”Mere Earth Palace Stage, yet you dare to speak of the Heavenly Dao? From today, I strip you of the Saint Heir title!”

Memories surged forward.

He recalled the moment when the Holy Daughters of the Seven Great Sacred Lands collectively annulled marriage, Gu Sheng’s calm and frightening eyes.

He remembered his daughter Gongsun Yue crying quietly behind the curtain; he also remembered expelling Gu Sheng from the Sacred Land, when a fleeting blood-red lightning flashed across the sky.

”Report——”

A disciple rushed in frantically.

”Urgent news from Heavenly Immortal Sacred Land, their entire Third Peak has collapsed, burying three elders!”

Gongsun Wuji’s eyes snapped open, gold hue exploding from his pupils.

He suddenly recalled a decision from half a year ago—permitting his daughter to sign the Heavenly Dao Marriage Certificate with Gu Sheng.

At that time, the Seven Great Sacred Lands mocked Tianlan Sacred Land for its folly, yet now...

”Saint Master, since the young lady signed the marriage certificate with Gu Sheng, our Tianlan Sacred Land indeed hasn’t experienced any disturbances.”

The Great Elder said softly.

”Even the Holy Mother’s chronic illness...”

”Enough!”

Gongsun Wuji shouted sharply, unable to conceal the tremor in his voice.

He looked toward the white jade small building behind the Holy Hall—Gongsun Yue’s boudoir.

Since forming the marriage alliance with Gu Sheng, his daughter had secluded herself daily, yet never showed signs of Heart Demon illness again.

Rumble——

Distant thunder boomed like the mockery of the Heavenly Dao.

Gongsun Wuji suddenly felt a chill, and the aura contained within the dark clouds unmistakably targeted the Six Great Holy Lands.

Yet Tianlan Sacred Land remained mysteriously tranquil.