Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 1407: Chapter 727: That’s Enough (Part 2)

The two of them walked side by side through the main hall of the Linlang Pavilion, with the attendants along the way pausing from their tasks and casting awed glances toward Gu Sheng.

As the youngest Grand Sacrificial Officer of Linlang Pavilion, Gu Sheng’s reputation had already spread across all of Great Wilderness City.

”Gu Sacrificial Officer.”

Xiao Cheng suddenly lowered his voice, slowing his steps somewhat.

”There is a matter I must remind you of. Recently, someone from the Great Wilderness Holy Academy has been investigating you in secret. Although you, as the Grand Sacrificial Officer, enjoy the Great Pavilion Master’s prestige holding sway, this is, after all, the home ground of the Great Wilderness Holy Academy...”

Gu Sheng’s lips curved into a faint smile.

”Thank you, Manager Xiao, for the reminder. I am aware of it.”

Xiao Cheng, seeing this, didn’t say much more, just nodded to himself quietly.

This young Grand Sacrificial Officer was indeed as unfathomable as the rumors suggested.

Passing through several secret doors, the two of them came to a spiral staircase leading downward.

Luminous pearls were embedded on both sides of the staircase, emitting a soft glow.

”This is the underground level of Linlang Pavilion.”

Xiao Cheng explained.

”It is usually where the Great Pavilion Master cultivates and the Second Pavilion Master practices alchemy, and is not open to the public. Without orders, I am also not allowed to enter without permission.”

Gu Sheng followed Xiao Cheng down the stairs, feeling the surrounding spiritual energy becoming increasingly dense.

At the end of the staircase was a large bronze door, intricately carved with runes, with hints of spiritual power flowing through.

”The Second Pavilion Master instructed people to build a special room here for you a few days ago.”

Xiao Cheng pointed to a passage on the right.

”Inside, there’s a Spirit Gathering Array and various items needed for martial arts cultivation. You may stay here as you wish.”

Gu Sheng’s eyes showed surprise, Tantai Xueli had thought things through so thoroughly for him.

He nodded in acknowledgment to Xiao Cheng.

”Manager Xiao is reliable in handling matters; I’ll remember this.”

Xiao Cheng showed a satisfied smile on his face and continued to lead the way. The two of them arrived in front of a stone door carved with flame patterns, and Xiao Cheng stopped.

”The Second Pavilion Master is waiting inside, and I will leave you here.”

Xiao Cheng cupped his hands and withdrew.

Gu Sheng pushed open the stone door.

A wave of heat mixed with the fragrance of medicine greeted him.

Gu Sheng glanced around, seeing ten pill furnaces of various designs placed within the spacious alchemy room.

Each emitted an extraordinary aura—there was the entirely crimson ”Heaven-Burning Furnace,” the jade-green ”Green Spirit Cauldron,” and the ink-black ”Profound Yin Furnace”—all of them were top-notch items dreamt of in the alchemy world.

However, in stark contrast to these invaluable pill furnaces was the chaotic sight within the room—clothes casually draped over the backs of chairs, various herbs scattered across the tables, and several ancient books even spread open on the floor.

”You’re here?”

A cool voice came from the depths of the alchemy room.

Following the sound, Gu Sheng saw Tantai Xueli standing with her back to him before a pill furnace, her slender fingers continuously changing handprints, controlling the flames within the furnace.

Today, she wore a plain long white dress, her black hair simply pinned up with a jade hairpin, revealing her long neck.

”Yes.”

Gu Sheng responded, yet his gaze was involuntarily drawn to a pair of white undergarments on the chair—a delicate snowflake pattern was embroidered on the thin fabric.

Tantai Xueli seemed to sense Gu Sheng’s gaze and turned around. When she followed his eyes and saw the undergarments, her originally fair cheeks instantly turned crimson.

”Wait, wait a moment!”

She flusteredly waved her hand, a wave of True Qi wrapped around the undergarments and other scattered clothes, and quickly stored them in her storage ring.

At the same time, she performed another handprint, and a breeze swept through the room, putting everything back in order.

In the blink of an eye, the previously disordered alchemy room became immaculate.

”I’m not usually like this...”

Tantai Xueli explained with a reddened face, her voice growing quieter.

”I’ve just been busy preparing the secret techniques recently, didn’t have time...”

Gu Sheng lightly coughed, interrupting her.

”Second Pavilion Master doesn’t need to explain; let’s pretend this didn’t happen.”

Upon hearing this, Tantai Xueli’s expression slightly improved, although the tips of her ears still bore a faint pink hue.

She resumed her usual cool demeanor.

”Since you’re here, let’s begin. I will first set up the array to protect spiritual power.”

She walked to the center of the alchemy room, retrieved eight small flags from her storage ring, and planted them on the ground according to the Eight Diagrams positions.

As she muttered incantations, the eight small flags gradually lit up, forming an array with a diameter of about thirty feet.

”This is the ’Eight Desolates God Protection Array,’ it can shield our spiritual power from external interference.”

Tantai Xueling explained, signaling Gu Sheng to stand in the center of the array.

Gu Sheng followed the instruction and walked into the array, feeling a warm power envelop his entire body.

Tantai Xueling stepped inside as well, standing opposite him.

”Before we begin, there’s something I must tell you.”

Tantai Xueling’s expression became unusually serious.

”The Tantai Family’s secret technique is called the ’Spirit Rhinoceros Divine Communication Technique,’ and it requires spiritual unity before casting. Moreover...”

She paused for a moment.

”This is a secret technique that can only be cast on one person in a lifetime. Once I achieve spiritual unity with you, I won’t be able to cast it on anyone else in the future.”

Gu Sheng gazed into Tantai Xueling’s clear and cold eyes, his brow slightly furrowed.

”Are you sure you want to use the Spiritual Unity Technique? As far as I know, once you perform this, you can no longer marry as a woman of the Tantai Family.”

The flickering candlelight in the alchemy room illuminated Tantai Xueling’s delicate profile in varying light and shadow.

She remained silent for a moment, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at her waist.

”If we don’t get the Xuan Cha Golden Pill within three days, my sister will die.”

Her voice was very light, yet it crashed onto Gu Sheng’s heart like a heavy hammer.

Gu Sheng’s pupils suddenly contracted.

”In just three short months, Bingtang’s illness has deteriorated to this extent?”

”The Cold Marrow Poison has already invaded her heart vessels.”

Tantai Xueling lifted her eyelids, showing pain in her eyes.

”If there was any other way, I would never resort to this secret technique.”

The rich aroma of spirit grass in the alchemy room flooded Gu Sheng’s nostrils.

He glanced around, seeing ten bronze pill furnaces standing silently, the ancient runes on their surfaces glimmering under the candlelight.

”Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s begin.”

Gu Sheng said solemnly, sitting cross-legged on the mat in the center.

Tantai Xueling nodded slightly, sitting down across from him.

She was wearing a moon-white long dress today, with a unique ice-blue silk belt of the Tantai Family at her waist, which was now taut with tension.

”Relax your mind.”

She softly reminded, forming a complex handprint with her hands.

In an instant, a nearly tangible spiritual power surged from her body, circulating between the two of them.

Gu Sheng felt a slight tremor in his Sea of Consciousness, then a gentle yet surging spiritual power slowly seeped in.

The sensation was extremely wondrous—like cool stream water flowing into a warm lake, neither repellent nor merging, but interwoven with a mystical rhythm.

Gu Sheng could clearly perceive every spiritual fluctuation of Tantai Xueling, even catching the deep concern she held for her sister.

”Don’t resist.”

Tantai Xueling’s voice echoed directly in Gu Sheng’s Sea of Consciousness, carrying an imperceptible tremor.

Gu Sheng relaxed his mind, letting the external spiritual power diffuse within his Sea of Consciousness.

A wondrous transformation occurred—his Sea of Consciousness, like a parched riverbed welcoming the spring flood, expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Originally, his spiritual power could cover only hundred zhang, but now it broke through to a thousand zhang and kept extending.

”This is...”

Gu Sheng looked inwardly at his Sea of Consciousness, shocked to find that both Seas of Consciousness were undergoing a rebirth-like transformation.

The total volume of spiritual power had increased dozens of times, each thread as refined as substance.

Tantai Xueling’s voice rang out again, this time with a noticeable weariness.

”Spiritual unity can only be maintained for three hours; any longer and it will damage the source.”

Gu Sheng felt the surging spiritual power within him, a slight smile on his lips.

”It’s enough.”

He opened his eyes, and the world appeared completely different to him.

The flow of spiritual energy in the air was now clearly visible, and every vein of spirit grass in the alchemy room was vividly apparent.

With a thought, his abundant spiritual power swept out, causing the prepared spirit grass to float into the air, arranging itself in precise sequence.

”Rise!”

Gu Sheng exhaled lightly, and the central pill furnace roared to life with a crimson pill fire.

With the enhancement of spiritual unity, he could precisely control every degree of the fire, bringing the furnace temperature to the optimal state in the blink of an eye.

Tantai Xueling, through the spiritual link, felt Gu Sheng’s technique, and the surprise transmitted over.