Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 168: Chapter 113: Helian Tie Lan! Intercepting halfway!_2

Wang Chong’s eyes revealed a venomous resentment.

He was far from genuinely reverent of Zhao Honglie, despite appearances. Consider this: being captured, locked in a dark chamber, tortured endlessly without seeing the light of day, and later released only to be poisoned—how could he possibly submit sincerely?

For now, it was merely because he couldn’t afford to provoke Zhao Honglie.

If someday Wang Chong rose to power, he would undoubtedly exact ruthless revenge.

Wang Chong sat in a tea house in the distance, his gaze fixed on the corner.

There.

A mark he had left—a peculiar flame-shaped insignia. Though drawn in a few simple strokes, it was strikingly conspicuous. This was one of the low-level means used by Holy Sect followers to contact one another. As for the more advanced methods, Wang Chong had no knowledge of them, since he was only ever a peripheral member of the sect.

If any nearby Holy Sect followers spotted the mark, they would naturally respond.

In truth, Wang Chong wasn’t entirely confident he could reach anyone from the Holy Sect.

But he had no choice but to gamble—otherwise, he would have long since perished in that eternal dark prison.

Who knows how much time had passed.

The sky gradually darkened.

Suddenly, Wang Chong’s heart trembled. As he habitually scanned the area again, he noticed that the flame-shaped mark had undergone changes at some point—changes he hadn’t detected. His heart surged with excitement as he casually rose and silently committed the conveyed message to memory.

”Tonight at midnight?”

Wang Chong touched the hem of his garment and walked away slowly.

Contacting the Holy Sect was only the first step; the real challenge lay in the negotiations that followed. If the Holy Sect was unwilling to absorb the Black Sand Gang, the contact would have been in vain.

Wang Chong understood.

In the past two years, the Holy Sect had operated from the shadows and was unlikely to surface so easily. Even if they agreed to absorb the Black Sand Gang, they probably wouldn’t dispatch powerful experts. The arrival of one or two Bone Refining Realm members would already be considered favorable.

As for the Marrow Refining Realm, that was simply impossible.

Such figures were recognized as masters across an entire province, fundamentally different from those in the Bone Refining Realm. They required the ’Guiding Method,’ a secret technique entirely absent from Canghe County.

Still, having hope was better than none; the rest would depend on Zhao Honglie’s sincerity.

At the very least, Wang Chong’s mission was complete!

Wang Chong felt a rush of joy as he lowered his head and exited the city, heading toward the gang headquarters to deliver the news to Zhao Honglie as soon as possible.

What he didn’t know was that a pair of eyes was silently watching him from behind.

Though Wang Chong’s appearance had undergone considerable changes and he had donned some minor disguises, Gu Sheng had quickly recognized him.

More than two years had passed.

Gu Sheng vividly remembered the deadly skirmish at Bull Mountain. The Gu family steward, Gu Renxu, who had once cared for him deeply, perished in that encounter. Gu Xiaojiang narrowly escaped death, and Gu Dajiang had one of his arms destroyed.

The mountain bandits were nearly annihilated, but their leader, Wang Chong, had escaped and vanished without a trace.

Today, Gu Sheng had originally come for his routine purchase of Strengthening Blood Powder, obtaining a new identity on the spot from a blade trader, when he unexpectedly stumbled upon this discovery.

Gu Sheng’s gaze flickered with a murderous glint.

”He’s still in Canghe County? Truly, fate works in strange ways.”

In the past, Gu Sheng lacked the strength to act and naturally refrained from thinking too much. But now, running into him was an opportunity he simply couldn’t let slip away.

”This man’s movements were suspicious just now. If he bears any lingering resentment against Gu’s Manor, he’s a potential threat. Having encountered him today, I might as well eliminate him.”

Gu Sheng had been observing this man from the shadows for some time. He seemed to be waiting for something and only started leaving when night fell. Although Gu Sheng couldn’t ascertain his objectives, he had no intention of letting him go.

With his current strength, dealing with Wang Chong was a simple task.

The Snake Breath Skill began to circulate silently.

Gu Sheng’s leg muscles suddenly tightened like coiled thunder as he shot forward, tailing Wang Chong from afar.

...

Wang Chong moved swiftly along the waterway, occasionally cutting through hills and forests. When he passed the familiar Bull Mountain, hatred flashed across his eyes.

This was the site of his defeat by the martial artists of Gu’s Manor, the incident leading to his miserable plight today.

Turning to Zhao Honglie for refuge, Wang Chong hadn’t been without intent to use the Black Sand Gang’s strength for revenge.

”Once the Holy Sect agrees to assist, I’ll have Zhao Honglie provide me with a group of fighters. Then, I’ll find an opportunity to annihilate Gu’s Manor!”

Wang Chong snorted coldly.

His steps carried him forward with relentless momentum, his speed astonishing.

But just then, a bolt shot forth like a streak of black lightning, piercing the air with thunderous momentum. In an instant, Wang Chong’s eyes widened; from the sound of its flight alone, he knew it was impossible to catch.

Thankfully.

Thanks to Zhao Honglie’s arrangements, Wang Chong’s injuries had not only fully healed but he had even progressed further, successfully reaching the Blood Refining Realm at Small Success.

Now empowered by Qi Blood Power, a thin veil of blood covered his body, his senses sharply attuned.

With a sudden twist of his body, Wang Chong executed an ”iron bridge” maneuver, narrowly dodging the bolt as it scraped past his waist and embedded itself in a distant tree. The sheer force penetrated halfway through the thick trunk, leaving Wang Chong’s forehead soaked in cold sweat.

This shot carried immense power. If not for its overly noisy trajectory, Wang Chong wouldn’t have detected it in time, with dire consequences.

”Who’s there?! Attacking from the shadows!”

Wang Chong shouted in fury, eyes blazing as he stared in the direction the bolt had come. There, he saw a small, gray-cloaked figure rapidly advancing. The person’s face was unremarkable, unfamiliar.

Gu Sheng lowered his bow, a pang of disappointment flashing through his heart.

As his growth in strength accelerated, his archery skills increasingly lagged behind his pace. While his shots were still effective against Refining Skin Realm martial artists, often killing them in one strike, he could no longer easily deal with Blood Refining Realm opponents unless severely weakened like Lu Yue.