“Senior Brother Gu, what are you doing?”
Mo Xiaonian had shed the disguise of Yi Xiangchen, revealing a charming and adorable appearance with an ethereal aura.
Her lively twin ponytails exuded a youthful innocence unique to young girls.
Her slender, delicate legs were wrapped in thin white silk stockings, faintly revealing a mix of pink and white skin, tempting one to take a closer look and admire.
A jade belt in shades of green and white was tied around her waist, exquisitely crafted, but what drew even more attention was the girl’s gracefully swaying, slender waist, reminiscent of a willow gently swaying in the spring breeze.
Above that… was a vast, flat plain.
Though it was unlikely to become a towering mountain range, from a certain perspective, it still held the potential to be a basin.
“Finishing the job. It’s always better to be cautious. I don’t want to be ambushed by enemies playing dead,” Gu Shenzhi said as he pierced the heart of each guard.
This ensured his safety while also putting an end to their suffering.
Yuexi, pretending to be deep in thought, was watching the black-clad youth nearby.
Gu Shenzhi had no particular fondness for cross-dressing and had already undone his disguise early on.
Gradually, her gaze grew entranced, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a hint of affection, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow, making her stunningly radiant.
At that moment, a forbidden thrill consumed Yuexi’s entire being.
She wasn’t sure if she liked Gu Shenzhi or if she simply wanted to surpass Su Linghuang in gaining a man’s affection… or perhaps both.
“Senior Sister Yuexi, are you okay? Our next target should be Wei Xingfeng. We shouldn’t delay, or things might go wrong. I hope you can make a decision soon,” Gu Shenzhi said respectfully as he approached her, standing so close that they could feel each other’s breath.
The girl in a black and yellow oriole dress snapped out of her reverie, her flushed cheeks burning hot.
Compared to the refined and elegant senior sister of the inner sect, she now resembled a mortal girl experiencing her first stirrings of love.
Yuexi hurriedly shook her head, trying to banish the strange thoughts from her mind.
Her delicate hand pressed against her heaving chest, fearful that the “beast” of Lingjian Sect might notice her current state.
If that damned Gu Shenzhi guessed what was on her mind, she’d be mocked for a lifetime.
She absolutely couldn’t let that happen.
“Let’s hurry to the underground chamber. We can’t let Wei Xingfeng escape. If we perform well on our first external mission, it’ll earn the sect’s attention, and we’ll get more cultivation resources in the future…”
Halfway through, Yuexi suddenly felt something was off.
Why did it sound like she was thinking of Gu Shenzhi’s benefit?
She quickly changed her tone.
“But don’t get the wrong idea. This isn’t about you. If I, as the senior sister of Qingying Peak, fail this mission, I’ll be ridiculed by the sect’s disciples. Besides, as Linghuang’s friend, it’s my duty to look after you, but it’s purely because of her. I don’t have any feelings for you!”
After her long-winded explanation, Yuexi’s heart finally calmed, and her rapid breathing gradually steadied, though her rosy cheeks still retained a lingering warmth.
“Oh,” Gu Shenzhi responded casually.
Normally, he could see through Yuexi’s little thoughts at a glance—after all, years as Bai Qi’s direct disciple weren’t for nothing.
But at that moment, his focus was entirely on the underground palace, leaving no room for distractions.
Just then, Wei Xingfeng’s aura vanished completely, cleaner than if he had died.
Meanwhile, the incomplete “artifact” trembled slightly, as if it had come to life.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out.
A blood-red pillar of light shot into the sky, and the underground palace, forged from dark iron, collapsed in an instant.
Endless streams of blood poured out like a tide, as if to engulf everything in the world.
The cold moonlight was stained with a blood-red hue, casting a crimson glow over everyone.
A blood moon hung high in the sky, and beneath it floated a strange shadow.
Giant black tentacles, blood-stained pale bones, and an indescribable, ever-shifting form—it didn’t resemble anything from this world.
The terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations indicated its cultivation was at least at the False Infant stage.
Gazing at the monstrous beast in the sky, fear spread like wildfire in the hearts of the three from Yueying Sect.
Even Gu Shenzhi couldn’t help but feel goosebumps.
The scene before them was simply too eerie.
“Senior Sister Yue, Junior Sister Mo, this thing’s cultivation is at least False Infant. Even if we escape now, it’ll surely catch us. Instead of all three of us dying here, it’s better to let more of us survive. You two go first. I’ll hold it off.”
Gu Shenzhi spoke solemnly, with an air of facing death unflinchingly.
The [Falling Plum] sword at his waist let out a continuous hum—not a warning, but the excitement of facing a formidable foe.
It had been a long time since it had unleashed its full power.
“No! How can we let you stay behind to die? If anyone should stay, it should be me, your senior sister.”
“Junior Sister Mo, you should go first. As the direct descendant of the Tiannan Mo family, your noble status shouldn’t be wasted dying here with us.”
“I…”
Mo Xiaonian’s lips parted, about to refuse, when memories of the past flashed through her mind—scornful laughs and mocking voices echoing in her ears.
She wasn’t willing to die here, nor could she.
She had to prove herself to the Mo family and avenge her senior brother and sister!
The girl in green clenched her teeth and said with difficulty, “Alright, please take care, Senior Brother.”
With that, she swiftly flew off on her sword, no longer hesitating or conflicted, gradually disappearing into the night sky.
Suddenly, hundreds of blood-forged blades rained down on the two like a storm, so numerous and relentless that there seemed no gap to dodge.
It was as if all they could do was close their eyes and await death.
At that moment, the “artifact” fully awakened!
Yuexi was about to make a desperate stand when the black-clad youth struck her with a hand chop.
Her vision darkened, and she collapsed unconscious.
“Senior Sister Yuexi, rest for now.”
After dealing with the distraction, Gu Shenzhi calmly extended two fingers of his right hand and waved them lightly.
A white light shot into the sky, and an overwhelming sword intent instantly took form.
With a crack, the barrage of blood blades shattered completely.
In the next moment, the hundreds of eyes on the black tentacles turned to Gu Shenzhi in unison.
The evil artifact spoke in a human voice, “The aura of [Sword]? It’s been three hundred years since I last saw it.”
“Listen well, boy. I am [Grudge]. When you meet the remnant soul of Sword One in the afterlife, don’t forget to mention my name.”
“A True Immortal’s legacy?” Gu Shenzhi asked skeptically.
“Indeed. I am a True Immortal, returned to the mortal world through this vessel. If not for your arrival, Wei Xingfeng might not have willingly offered his life.”
Gu Shenzhi’s killing intent deepened.
Immortals could be good or evil, and judging by this one’s appearance, it was clearly no saint.
“Does the esteemed [Grudge] Immortal have any rewards for us?”
“Of course,” the evil artifact said with a sinister grin.
“I grant you an intact corpse!”
As soon as it spoke, Gu Shenzhi leaped into the air, his movements ghostly and unpredictable, charging straight toward the “artifact” suspended high in the sky.
The “artifact” sensed him and slowly extended its two-zhang-tall body.
Dozens of black tentacles shot out, sharp as spears, aiming to pierce the intruder.
Sword shadows flickered, and [Falling Plum] was unsheathed in an instant.
A spark of purple-red light erupted, followed by a hundred crisscrossing sword qi that tore through the artifact’s tentacles like a hot knife through butter.
Blood sprayed everywhere, falling as a rain of blood.
“Aaah!”
The artifact let out a pained wail.
As its tentacles parted, a strange red pearl glimmered at its core.
With a faint flash, the severed tentacles instantly regenerated.
The black tentacles rewrapped the red pearl, and the artifact bent its blood-stained skeletal frame, producing cracking sounds.
Spiral-shaped, razor-sharp bones shot toward Gu Shenzhi like crossbow bolts.
With his double pupils slightly widened, the erratic paths of the bone arrows became clear. Gu Shenzhi tilted his body slightly, effortlessly dodging every attack.
“Esteemed [Grudge] Immortal, bear witness to the power of [Sword].”
Gu Shenzhi declared proudly, raising his sword-holding right hand and flipping it, aiming [Falling Plum]’s blade at the “artifact.”
“Sword One’s Fragmented Chapter, Human Emperor: Radiant Deception Breaker!”
A golden silhouette appeared behind the black-clad youth, its aura so overwhelming it was impossible to look at directly.
As the sword descended, the fleshy tentacles disintegrated inch by inch, the bones turned to dust, and the crisscrossing sword qi pierced through the artifact’s entire body, cleaving even the strange red pearl in two.
The thoroughly destroyed “artifact” exploded, turning into a shower of crimson blood.
One sword, one kill—no need for words.
P.S.: Got a bit carried away with the writing, and it’s a tad chuunibyou, but I think it’s still acceptable.