CHAPTER 443: CHAPTER 245 HOLY MAIDEN_2

Although Lin Tianhao reacted quickly, his sleeve was still torn by Gu Sheng’s sword tip.

"Hah, hah, hah!"

Lin Tianhao adjusted his tactics, countering Gu Sheng with increasingly ferocious attacks. His Haoyang Swordsmanship spread like a wildfire, forcing Gu Sheng to confront him with full strength.

Just as Lin Tianhao was about to gain the upper hand, Gu Sheng suddenly unleashed Gale Sword Aura, skillfully blending reality with illusion, dissolving Lin Tianhao’s onslaught into nothingness.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Exploiting Lin Tianhao’s momentary lapse, Gu Sheng launched a series of rapid strikes, utilizing the speed advantage of his Gale Sword Technique.

Under relentless pressure, Lin Tianhao lost his footing, and a single strike from Gu Sheng forced him to retreat.

Just when everyone thought Gu Sheng was on the verge of victory, he unexpectedly sheathed his sword and stood still, declaring the match a draw.

"Brother Gu truly lives up to his reputation!"

"No wonder he’s the first disciple of the Holy Pill Sect!"

"A worthy student of Master Wen!"

"Why didn’t they display their cultivation? Both of them are Golden Bone Realm experts—if they unleashed their vital energy and spiritual power, the duel would’ve been even more spectacular!"

"This was just a friendly spar between swordsmen—not a life-or-death confrontation!"

"True, observing their techniques and speed alone reveals who has the edge; there’s no need to showcase their full power."

After the duel ended, disciples of the Holy Pill Sect engaged in lively discussions, marveling at Gu Sheng’s skill.

Meanwhile, disciples of the Haoyang Sect stared at Gu Sheng on the stage in disbelief, their hearts filled with confusion and bitterness.

Only Gu Sheng knew he hadn’t used his full strength.

"Sparring between allies prioritizes harmony above all!"

The reason Gu Sheng held back was that he didn’t want Lin Tianhao to get injured during the duel.

After all, both of them were the pride of their respective sects. Their victory or loss carried implications for their sect’s honor.

It would be unwise to embarrass either of them.

When friends visit, there are naturally fine wines and delicacies to share.

Gu Sheng invited Lin Miaomiao, Huang Miaoyin, Dyson, and others to drink and celebrate with Lin Tianhao and his sister.

At first, the siblings were slightly reserved, but after a few drinks, they began to relax.

"I heard you encountered the black-clad Demon Body cultivators again!" Lin Tianhao brought up the recent rumors.

"How did you know?"

Back then, the elders had explicitly instructed secrecy, yet the matter had still spread.

"The higher-ups of the Haoyang Sect are all aware; the leaders of other major powers must know as well!"

This was insider information, but Lin Tianhao didn’t know how the news had leaked.

Gu Sheng thought to himself that the informant was likely one of the elders or someone within their group.

While Dyson was busy eating, he suddenly froze, shocked that Lin Tianhao would ruin the mood with such talk.

That night, when the black-clad individuals approached him, Dyson had no choice but to spill everything without withholding a single word.

Faced with overwhelming strength, what else could he say? Dyson kept reassuring himself.

"When you’re under someone’s roof, you have no choice but to bow!"

Lin Miaomiao also paled in shock, saying, "It seems that anyone present that day could be the informant!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present, causing Dyson to shudder again.

Thinking to himself: If this investigation continues, sooner or later, it’ll point to me.

I need to figure out a way to stop this!

Night descended.

Gu Sheng activated his Great Moon Pupil Skill and resumed observing the people coming and going.

He discovered that Dyson had been visiting Manager Shi’s residence frequently in recent times.

From what he knew, Dyson was an Inner Sect Disciple with no familial ties to Shi Jianyi.

For individuals without family connections to have such frequent interactions, there could only be one reason: profit.

"Could it be a resource exchange?"

Inner Sect disciples weren’t entirely self-sufficient either; building relationships with managers could help secure extra resources during distributions.

That much was understandable.

But this guy was visiting a bit too often, wasn’t he?

Setting aside his suspicions, Gu Sheng opened his Martial Arts panel.

Name: Gu Sheng.

Realm: Golden Bone Realm, Fifth-level

Martial Arts: Chopping Wood (First-level Rip), Archery (First-level Penetration), Mixed Element Body Refining Skill (First-level 50%, once activated Blood Burst), Shapeshifting (First-level Strong Body), Snake Breath Skill (First-level Snake Breath), Fury Blood Triple Strike (Perfect 44%), Helian Weapon Casting Skill (Small Success 75%), Blood Activation Skill (Small Success 85%), Shadow Concealment Skill (Small Success 2%), Sword Aura (Entry-level 30%), Gale Nine Swords (Entry-level 30%), Great Prajna Sutra (Entry-level 3%)

Through diligent training during this period and the duel with Lin Tianhao, Gale Nine Swords and Sword Aura had both improved to 30%; a delightful progression.

Shadow Concealment Skill had also advanced by 1%, now allowing him to completely vanish within the air when facing other Golden Bone Realm experts.

A return gesture was warranted.

Lin Tianhao, having received a warm welcome at the Holy Pill Sect, extended an invitation for Gu Sheng and his group to visit the Haoyang Sect for sparring and camaraderie.

He also invited Gu Sheng to Enlightenment Valley for cultivation, saying that training there could double the effectiveness of comprehending martial arts.

Gu Sheng would not miss such an excellent opportunity.

The next day, Gu Sheng set off alone for Enlightenment Valley, where Lin Tianhao was already waiting.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to bring Lin Miaomiao and others, but their cultivation levels were simply insufficient.

In Lin Tianhao’s words:

"Not qualified yet!"

After a round of tests, the two were led to different cultivation arenas.

Gu Sheng was taken to a spot by a waterfall.

The spiritual energy here was dense, as if someone had been refining Spirit Stones nearby; the misty white haze was spiritual power rising and diffusing into the air.

The cultivation speed in this place wasn’t just double; it was practically tenfold.

Even more astonishing, beneath the Enlightenment Tree lay a woman dressed in white, sleeping peacefully on a rope.

She resembled Xiao Longnu from past martial arts tales.

It was unclear whether she was sleeping or meditating.

Regardless, Gu Sheng dared not disturb her.

Cautiously, he sat down and crossed his legs.

Clearing his mind of distractions, he entered a dynamic state of enlightenment.

With closed eyes, he didn’t miss a single movement around him—every rustle of wind and sway of grass was within his perception.

It felt as though every pore on his body had turned into an eye.

After stepping into the Stone Skin Realm, a martial artist’s pores gradually opened, with higher cultivation realms allowing even more to open.

Later stages would enable complete control over the opening and closing of pores.

The sensitivity of the skin’s perception also increased drastically.

In essence, the Great Moon Pupil Skill operated on similar principles but was far more potent, relying on the spiritual awareness of the pupils.

He sensed the currents of wind generated by the waterfall, tracing their origins, paths, and dispersions—all effortlessly clear to his mind.

It was as though he had entered a five-dimensional space with an omniscient grasp of the four-dimensional one.

At this moment, he was comprehending the flow and essence of spiritual energy.

Attempting to guide it into his body wasn’t for refining Qi but to deepen his perception.

"With Qi observing the world, the world is but a tiny sphere, resting in the palm of your hand..."

A warm stream surged into his consciousness, evoking a subtle but wondrous sensation—it felt incredible yet serene.

"Whoosh!"

As spiritual energy entered his body, it enveloped him in radiant white spiritual energy, making him seem luminescent as though he were glowing.

His golden bones absorbed the white spiritual energy, shining even more brilliantly, ready at any moment to radiate dazzling light and transform his entire being into a gold-armored Arhat.

After cultivating for a full day and night, his Martial Arts panel flashed to life.

Name: Gu Sheng.

Realm: Golden Bone Realm, Sixth Realm

Martial Arts: Chopping Wood (First-level Rip), Archery (First-level Penetration), Mixed Element Body Refining Skill (First-level 50%, once activated Blood Burst), Shapeshifting (First-level Strong Body), Snake Breath Skill (Second-level Snake Breath 0%), Fury Blood Triple Strike (Perfect 44%), Helian Weapon Casting Skill (Small Success 75%), Blood Activation Skill (Small Success 85%), Shadow Concealment Skill (Small Success 10%), Sword Aura (Entry-level 80%), Gale Nine Swords (Entry-level 80%), Great Prajna Sutra (Entry-level 5%)

Gu Sheng was astonished to find that the Great Prajna Sutra had improved to 5%, while Gale Nine Swords and Sword Aura had skyrocketed to 80%, and Shadow Concealment Skill had advanced to 10%.

His cultivation realm had directly ascended to the Sixth Realm.

"I didn’t plan to cultivate the Great Prajna Sutra—how did it improve so much?"

Great Prajna implied profound wisdom; once comprehended, everything fell into place automatically.

Gale Nine Swords and Sword Aura were closely intertwined, and their simultaneous progression was understandable—though reaching 80% so swiftly was truly shocking.

The advancement in Shadow Concealment Skill could be attributed to refining sensitivity to energy flows.

The leap in Snake Breath Skill to Second-level, however, was puzzling.

"You’ve come out of your secluded cultivation!"

Just as Gu Sheng was pondering the anomalies in his progress, a silver bell-like voice rang out—it was the white-robed woman who had been sleeping on the rope.

"Senior, may I ask who you are?"

Gu Sheng instinctively sought to know her identity.

"There’s no need to know now; you’ll understand if fate permits!"

The woman stood up and replied calmly.

"You’ve achieved extraordinary breakthroughs at such a young age, reaching the Sixth Realm of Golden Bone, while possessing a myriad of mystical treasures and techniques. Truly remarkable!"

Gu Sheng felt chills run down his spine—it seemed as though this woman had seen through him completely.