CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 246: BLOODTHIRSTY MAD KNIFE

"Senior, you wouldn’t have seen through all of my secrets, would you?"

"You little rascal, who’s looking at you..."

The woman’s face remained composed, but faint traces of a girlish demeanor were subtly apparent.

"How should I address you, Senior?"

Gu Sheng thought, she wouldn’t even let me know her name, right?

"You can just call me Su Ling!"

The woman didn’t seem inclined to say much more. She took out an ancient zither, saying, "Since this is our first meeting, Su Ling will gift the young master a melody as a token of introduction."

As she spoke, the zither began to resonate.

"Zheng, zheng, zheng..."

Celestial sounds drifted through the air, and Gu Sheng felt himself entering a dreamlike realm, surreal and spellbinding.

This was not merely a melody; it seemed an entire world had unfolded before him.

Within this world, mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, and forests—it had everything.

A flock of birds chirped incessantly, converging around a divine bird, gracefully dancing around it. It felt like a royal ball, and even the flowers, grass, and trees swayed in rhythm...

"Senior, your skill is truly a masterpiece crafted by gods!"

These words hardly sufficed to describe the astonishing impact of the zither’s melody. Gu Sheng felt compelled to say something.

"Masterpiece crafted by gods is too grand; it’s merely a way of the zither!" The woman put away the ancient zither. "I hope the young master gains some insight."

She stepped onto a teleportation array; the rays of the array lit up, and she left behind only a few words.

"Until we meet again!"

Gu Sheng instinctively replied, "Senior, until we meet again!"

Leaving Enlightenment Valley, Gu Sheng told Lin Tianhao about the woman he had encountered.

"That was Su Ling, the Holy Maiden of the Flame Cult!"

Lin Tianhao hadn’t expected Gu Sheng to have been assigned to the core area of Enlightenment Valley.

In his impression, only geniuses at the Marrow Refining Realm were eligible to enter the core regions of Enlightenment Valley.

"Flame Cult?"

Damn it, Gu Sheng had no affinity for this Flame Cult and felt nothing but disdain.

Such an unorthodox sect actually had a transcendent woman like her as their Holy Maiden.

"What’s the role of the Holy Maiden in the Flame Cult?"

During his time in Canghe County, Gu Sheng had encountered Flame Cult’s activities. However, this sect was overly mysterious, operating through one-way interactions, leaving its internal organization and personnel unknown.

"The Holy Maiden is one of the female leaders of the Flame Cult... I am not entirely sure myself!"

Lin Tianhao shared some secrets of the Flame Cult with Gu Sheng.

The two left Enlightenment Valley, agreeing to venture to Demon God Valley for trials.

There resided a super beast of the Golden Bone Realm pinnacle—the Thunder Xiezhi King.

The Thunder Xiezhi King was the sovereign among Xiezhis. These mystical beasts were covered in jet-black fur, their smaller forms about the size of a lamb, resembling a Qilin.

Its bright, spirited eyes gleamed, and a single horn adorned its head. A King-level Xiezhi could unleash lightning and perform psychic attacks, a terror-inducing entity for any ordinary Martial Artist.

Gu Sheng wielded the Water Cold Sword and Thirsty Blood Battle Axe, his eyes radiating determination and composure as he stealthily approached the rumbling sounds of the forest.

His imposing figure carried an aura of dominance; at the Sixth Layer of Golden Bone Realm, he exuded the momentum of a giant.

His cultivation technique, Gale Nine Swords, rendered him swift as wind during battles, moving in patterns impossible to grasp.

Lin Haotian, equally at the Seventh Layer of Golden Bone Realm, stood beside him.

He wielded the Haoyang Sword, its blade radiating a scorching brilliance.

Haoyang Swordsmanship focused on offense, where each swing of the blade tore through the air with immense power.

The legendary foe, Thunder Xiezhi King, surrounded itself in high-voltage lightning. Each strike burned the trees to ash, making it an insurmountable challenge for early Golden Bone Realm Martial Artists.

Its gaze flickered with cunning light, seemingly mocking the two young Martial Artists standing before it.

"Gu Sheng, be wary of its lightning attacks!" Lin Haotian cautioned.

Gu Sheng nodded, his figure flickering before vanishing into the shadows.

It was his Invisibility Technique, Shadow Concealment Skill, allowing him to move like a phantom, difficult to trace during combat.

"Roar~"

The Thunder Xiezhi King let loose a deafening roar, as the lightning around its body grew even more ferocious.

It first targeted Lin Haotian, unleashing torrents of high-voltage lightning like a storm.

Unfazed, Lin Haotian met the attack head-on with the Haoyang Sword, executing Haoyang Swordsmanship.

Sword Qi clashed with lightning mid-air, producing thunderous booms that reverberated across the forest.

However, the Thunder Xiezhi King’s power was overwhelming, accompanied by psychic attacks. Lin Haotian gradually felt himself losing strength.

At that moment, Gu Sheng emerged from the shadows, wielding the Water Cold Sword and Thirsty Blood Battle Axe, unleashing Gale Nine Swords.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Gu Sheng struck with nine consecutive sword slashes.

His swordsmanship moved like swift wind, dazzling to behold.

The Thunder Xiezhi King, caught off guard, snarled in pain and turned towards Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng had been prepared.

Under the threat of high-voltage lightning, he activated the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell and Demon Suppression Golden Scroll within him, constructing an impenetrable defense.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Despite the Thunder Xiezhi King’s formidable attacks, Gu Sheng remained unharmed, shielded by the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell’s defense.

However, the Spiritual Energy within him and the Spirit Stones he carried had depleted significantly, as the defense consumed tremendous resources.

The Thunder Xiezhi King grew increasingly enraged. No longer relying solely on physical attacks, it shifted to psychic assaults.

Its eyes emitted a sinister glow, attempting to overwhelm the minds of Gu Sheng and Lin Haotian.

Gu Sheng had long activated the Great Prajna Sutra; his spirit was as clear as a mirror, entirely unaffected by the psychic onslaught of the Thunder Xiezhi King.

As long as the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell was functional, the Great Prajna Sutra exhibited remarkable power—truly wondrous.

Lin Haotian, witnessing this, channeled all his energy into Haoyang Swordsmanship, striving to disrupt the Thunder Xiezhi King’s psychic control.

The two mighty forces collided mid-air, creating a blinding brilliance.

The psychic assault of the Thunder Xiezhi King was broken, and its furious roar echoed throughout the forest.