The two continued walking along the mountain path.
Gu Linv walked ahead, but his mind was on something else.
That Spiritual Contract should be a rare treasure.
If he could get his hands on it, selling it or trading it for something useful wouldn’t be bad.
But he had just said in front of Zhao Qian, “This Venerable has no interest in the Spiritual Contract.”
Going back to snatch it now would be a loss of face.
Forget it.
Gu Linv shook off the thought and continued forward.
The mountain path gradually became rougher, and Ban Guan’er’s brow furrowed tighter.
Her Spiritual Sense remained on constant alert; not a single stir within several miles could escape her perception.
Just now, she had sensed a violent fluctuation of Spiritual Power from behind.
Someone was fighting, and it was no small affair.
Ban Guan’er stopped and looked back toward the forested mountains.
“Senior.”
Her voice was grave.
“Behind us… it seems a fight has broken out.”
Gu Linv’s heart tightened slightly, but his expression didn’t change.
‘Was it those three?’
“No need to bother.”
With that, he continued walking.
Ban Guan’er hesitated for a moment, then followed.
Those three were suspicious, but they weren’t bad people.
If they really had run into trouble…
But if Senior said not to bother, then she wouldn’t bother.
Senior had his reasons.
The two walked a bit farther.
The Spiritual Power fluctuations behind them grew more intense; the battle had clearly reached its climax, and it seemed to be moving in their direction.
Ban Guan’er’s steps slowed.
Her Spiritual Sense unconsciously probed in that direction, trying to glean more information.
“Senior!”
Ban Guan’er suddenly shouted.
“Someone’s coming this way! Fast!”
Gu Linv stopped.
His heart gave a sudden lurch.
“How many?”
“One… no, three more!”
Gu Linv’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Halt.”
Ban Guan’er immediately stood still, her hand already on her sword hilt.
A moment later, a figure stumbled out of the forest.
The person was covered in blood, clothes ragged.
He staggered a few steps before finally collapsing, falling to the ground with a thud.
Gu Linv looked closely and recognized the face.
Zhao Qian.
The Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator who had spoken with him in the Forest Stone Pavilion not long ago.
Now, Zhao Qian had none of his former composure.
His entire body was covered in wounds, blood soaking his robes, his face deathly pale.
Then he saw Gu Linv, and a complex emotion surged in his eyes.
“F-Fellow Daoist…”
His voice was hoarse.
Every word seemed to exhaust his last strength.
“P-Pursuers…”
“S-Save me…”
Before Gu Linv could react, Zhao Qian spoke again.
“That group… is from the Blood Lotus Sect… Th-They’re coming…”
After saying this, Zhao Qian collapsed as if completely drained, lying on the ground and gasping for air.
Gu Linv stood still, his mind racing.
‘People from the Blood Lotus Sect?’
At that moment, several auras were rapidly approaching from deep in the forest.
One of them was deep and heavy, carrying a suffocating sense of pressure.
‘It’s a Golden Core!’
Gu Linv’s heart sank.
The System Panel popped up, its scarlet text stabbing into his eyes painfully.
[Target: Yin Wuji]
[Cultivation: Golden Core Initial Stage]
[Spirit Root: Superior-Grade Gold Spirit Root]
[Other Targets:]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Peak ×3]
Yin Wuji.
From the name, they were clearly family.
He was stunned.
‘It couldn’t be that the family’s elder has come in person, could it?’
Beside him, Ban Guan’er’s face had turned white.
Her Spiritual Sense was keener than Gu Linv’s, and she clearly perceived the terror of those four auras.
She instinctively looked at Gu Linv, her eyes full of fear.
“Senior…”
Gu Linv didn’t speak.
His mind was racing, considering every possible countermeasure.
‘Fight? Not likely. He had managed to kill a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator with one punch before, but that opponent was caught off guard. And this time, there was also a Golden Core cultivator. Between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment, there was an insurmountable gap. Even if the Indestructible Body could withstand a Golden Core’s attack, he had no means to retaliate. Fleeing was even worse. I can’t fly at all.’
Just then, the System Panel popped up with a new notification.
[Detected multiple potential Fantasy Sources in the vicinity]
Gu Linv stared at that notification, his eyes lighting up.
‘That’s right! It wasn’t only Ban Guan’er who could provide Cultivation Conversion. If he could fool this Golden Core cultivator, he might just reach another level.’
In the past two years, what storms hadn’t he weathered?
A Golden Core cultivator was someone who had truly seen the world.
Fooling one was as hard as reaching the heavens.
Hard didn’t mean impossible.
It was just that Golden Core cultivators weren’t so easily deceived.
Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t see through him because the realm gap wasn’t large enough.
But…
A faint glint flickered in Gu Linv’s eyes.
He, Gu Linv, was best at dancing on the edge of a blade.
‘What does a Golden Core matter?’
In the forest, four figures descended from the sky.
The leader was a man in a dark crimson embroidered robe.
His face resembled Yin Wuque’s by five or six parts, but was more sinister and deeper.
His gaze swept over the three people ahead, and a cold smirk curved on his lips.
“Run. Why aren’t you running?”
Yin Wuji’s voice carried a mocking tone, like a cat toying with a mouse.
Zhao Qian lay on the ground, trembling all over.
Then his gaze passed over Zhao Qian and landed on Gu Linv, sizing him up.
“You have a helper?”
Yin Wuji looked at Gu Linv, his tone playful.
“Too bad, just a Foundation Establishment Peak.”
“Without a Golden Core, what can you do?”
As his words fell, the three Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators behind him simultaneously released their Spiritual Pressure, crushing down on the group.
But Gu Linv didn’t even blink.
His gaze, from start to finish, was fixed on Yin Wuji.
Calm, indifferent, and with a trace of disdain.
Yin Wuji’s brow furrowed.
What was with this person?
A Foundation Establishment Peak, facing the pressure of a Golden Core True Person, should at least show fear if not beg for mercy.
But this person’s face showed no expression at all.
As if…
He, a Golden Core True Person, was nothing more than a clown in front of this person.
A chill rose in Yin Wuji’s heart.
“What is your name?”
Yin Wuji asked.
Gu Linv did not answer.
He simply looked at Yin Wuji in silence.
“This Seat is asking you a question.”
On the mountain path, the wind sobbed.
Gu Linv still did not answer.
Ban Guan’er stood behind Gu Linv, watching that motionless back.
For some reason, the fear in her heart gradually dissipated.
Zhao Qian lay on the ground, lifting his head with difficulty to look at Gu Linv.
He couldn’t understand this person.
What background did this person have?
Clearly just a Foundation Establishment Peak, yet facing a Golden Core True Person, he was calmer than any cultivator Zhao Qian had ever seen.
[Ding! Detected new target “Zhao Qian” Shock Fantasy Value toward Host: 40/100]
Gu Linv saw the notification on the panel and felt a slight stir in his heart.
Zhao Qian had already started mentally supplementing.
He needed a breakthrough—one that would make Yin Wuji start mentally supplementing as well.
Yin Wuji didn’t know what Gu Linv was relying on, and thought it was better to avoid trouble than invite it, so he said in a deep voice:
“No matter who you are, leave now. This Seat will spare your life.”
Gu Linv looked at him, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint arc.
“No matter who you are, leave now.”
“This Seat will spare your life.”
“Spare This Venerable’s life?”
He shook his head gently, as if he had heard a joke.