Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Fierce

Gu Sheng glanced around cautiously.

The crowd, which had been waiting silently, gradually began to shuffle out of the black market, saying nothing. These people were clearly more experienced than Gu Sheng and were already quite familiar with such situations.

Gu Sheng wasn’t the only smart one here.

He went with the flow, blending into the group of shadowy, black-clad figures, each maintaining a safe distance until they reached the entrance of the original alley.

The next moment.

As if by mutual agreement.

Swish, swish, swish!!

The patrons of the black market suddenly sprang into action and scattered like electricity in all directions.

Gu Sheng was a moment slower, but his reaction was equally swift.

The sky was just beginning to lighten. He could feel a few vague, chilly gazes lingering on him from time to time. Without betraying any emotion on his face, he mentally ran through the countless contingency plans he had already devised.

Locking onto the direction he had come from, Gu Sheng threaded himself among the tail of the fleeing black-clad figures, moving as swiftly as a hunting cheetah!

Although he wasn’t skilled in any light-body techniques, Gu Sheng’s power surged continuously, his leg muscles swelling and contracting as they unleashed tremendous force. His speed was astounding as he darted through alleys and narrow lanes.

The black-clad figures focusing their attention on Gu Sheng instantly changed their expressions.

This was clearly an organized group.

They had originally targeted Gu Sheng as prey for their hunt, but they hadn’t expected him to be so slippery.

A few shadowy figures charged in pursuit, but Gu Sheng had seized the initiative. They hadn’t set up an ambush in advance, and after chasing him for a short distance, they were forced to give up in frustration.

The leader of the black-clad group spat angrily and cursed:

”What a waste—this fat lamb got away. Just from what I saw, he spent nearly twenty taels of silver. Must be some rich family’s young master out for a stroll.”

Another companion shook their head in regret.

”Yeah, anyone still buying secret manuals in the black market these days is likely a novice. Who would’ve thought he’d be so vigilant? We missed a golden opportunity.”

”Looks like a rookie, but acts like a seasoned player. Truly baffling.”

The three black-clad individuals retreated reluctantly.

Gu Sheng sprinted through the alleys and narrow passageways. Gradually, those piercing gazes behind him faded away, and he knew he had likely managed to shake them off.

Still, Gu Sheng didn’t let his guard down.

His advanced mastery of archery gave him a perceptive ability far surpassing that of the average martial artist. At this moment, he could sense a faint presence trailing behind him, about one or two hundred meters away.

It followed steadily, cautiously, moving faster than him by a significant margin.

”This one knows light-body martial arts. For them to dare pursue me alone, they must be quite formidable.”

Gu Sheng’s heart sank slightly.

However, he wasn’t overly frightened. Whoever was stalking him likely wasn’t an expert in the Blood Refining Realm; otherwise, they would have made their move already. Remaining on high alert, he pretended to be unaware.

As long as he could pass through the stretch of road ahead, his pursuer wouldn’t dare act. Any confrontation would attract the patrolling guards.

Gu Sheng pushed off a low wall in an alley, borrowing momentum to leap into the air.

Suddenly.

The presence behind him surged forward abruptly, closing the distance to just several dozen meters.

Using his peripheral vision, Gu Sheng caught sight of the figure: a lean black-clad individual darting out from behind a building. Their eyes glinted coldly as they remained silent. With a flick of their arm, the sound of something slicing through the air pierced his ears!

Gu Sheng’s heart rang with alarm bells. Whatever this was, he wouldn’t dare confront it head-on.

Fortunately, his leap had been a feint—a trap laid to draw the snake out of its hole.

Hearing the commotion behind him, he dropped heavily to the ground like a thousand-pound stone, stomping hard. The muscles in his thighs stood out in stark detail, bearing tremendous strain.

The air above him whistled.

He turned to see two black willow-leaf darts embed themselves in the wall, faintly glinting with a chilling light—clearly coated in poison.

”No honor! Using poison, are you?!”

A cold light flickered in Gu Sheng’s eyes.

The person behind him clearly hadn’t expected Gu Sheng’s reaction to be so quick. Just as they prepared to throw another dart, they suddenly found themselves facing Gu Sheng’s icy gaze—and the sharp arrowhead gleaming with a chilling aura. Goosebumps instantly covered their body.

The newly acquired four-stone bow was already in Gu Sheng’s hand, though no one could tell exactly when he’d drawn it.

Gu Sheng moved like a ferocious beast, drawing the bow and nocking an arrow in one fluid motion. The entire sequence was executed seamlessly, as natural as flowing water, in the blink of an eye. Given his current mastery of archery, achieving this was mere child’s play.

In the faint light of dawn, the lean martial artist’s agile movements appeared slow and sluggish in his eyes.

Whoosh!!

The arrow tore through the air, piercing the wind like a lightning bolt cleaving the clouds.

Fear gripped the lean martial artist’s heart. The spinning arrow flashed like cold electricity in the dim sky, growing larger and larger in his vision.

The iron-hardened skin covering his body rippled with strain as he pushed his light-body technique to its limits. His feet stepped in intricate, calculated patterns, but the arrow’s speed and destructive power exceeded all expectations.

Thud!

With a muffled sound of flesh being punctured, the arrow tore through the iron-hard skin and bored into the martial artist’s left shoulder, snapping in half and lodging deep within.

The combination of first-level penetration and the four-stone bow was too much—even for an Iron Skin martial artist!

Sweat poured down the lean martial artist’s face as he let out a suppressed groan of pain.

In that fleeting, perilous moment, he had barely managed to shift to avoid a mortal strike to his heart.

Panic spread through his mind. He realized he had seriously underestimated his opponent and knew he had stumbled upon someone truly formidable. Desperation filled him as he prepared to retreat.

But suddenly, his expression shifted.

A slight sluggishness crept into his bloodstream. Though faint at first, he knew it wouldn’t take long before it fully took effect, slowing him down considerably.

”Damn it! Poison?!”

The lean martial artist’s voice broke into a sharp, abrasive yell for the first time.

A faint smile flickered across Gu Sheng’s face and then vanished. The black-blood poison he had purchased last time hadn’t been entirely used up. Before entering the black market this time, Gu Sheng had prepared thoroughly. He never cared about the means he employed—only the result.

The lean martial artist made an immediate decision. With a sharp pivot, he gave up on fleeing and surged directly toward Gu Sheng!

Gu Sheng admired the bold decisiveness of this move.

If this person had chosen to escape, Gu Sheng could have fired two more arrows, and with the black-blood poison taking full effect, there would’ve been no chance of them slipping through his fingers.

But this opponent wasn’t a fool. Realizing that dealing with Gu Sheng was their only path to survival, they closed the distance immediately, denying him the chance to release a second arrow.

However.

The outcome wouldn’t change.

With their left shoulder pierced through, their combat abilities were drastically diminished. Even as an Iron Skin martial artist, they wouldn’t be a match for Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng discarded his longbow as power surged through his entire body. His fists hardened, exuding a rich, dark cyan hue, and he stepped forward to meet his opponent.

This was the first time Gu Sheng had gone all out since achieving mastery of the Iron Stone Fist technique.

His fists, reinforced by power, felt as solid as forged iron.

Gu Sheng’s eyes sharpened with focus. With a single punch, he struck like a crashing boulder, aiming for the lean martial artist’s chest. The oppressive force of his power radiated outward, creating immense pressure in the air.

The opponent’s expression changed drastically.

Even at his peak, he would’ve had to fully commit to withstand such a punch. In his current, injured state, his body’s strength couldn’t be marshaled efficiently, leaving him to rely solely on the toughness of his iron skin.

Bam!

The heavy punch collided with his raised left arm, intended as a block. But at the same time, Gu Sheng’s right fist struck hard against the broken arrow lodged in the man’s shoulder, driving it deeper. A splash of dark blood followed as the martial artist cried out in agony.

Gu Sheng pressed his advantage.

With two quick, successive punches, he forced his opponent into a defensive stance, barely parrying each strike.

But on the third punch.

Gu Sheng’s arm lashed out like an iron whip, smashing against the side of the martial artist’s head. His face immediately swelled, blood vessels bursting with vivid red as one eyeball bulged grotesquely—a soft target even iron skin couldn’t fully protect.

The opponent staggered, disoriented. His vision blurred, the world around him swam in a haze of blood and dizziness.

Gu Sheng remained cold and stoic.

Drawing the short blade at his waist, veins bulged along the back of his hand and arm as power flooded his muscles.

Thud!

The blade plunged straight into the man’s heart, blood gushing outward. The martial artist struggled weakly, attempting to raise his hand, but Gu Sheng pressed him firmly against the wall with brute force.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Gu Sheng stabbed a dozen more times in succession, aiming for the heart until the body went completely limp. Only then did he shove the corpse forcefully away.