Gu Shenzhi activated his exquisite agility, his figure flickering like a phantom as he weaved through the branches and trunks.
Yet, he did not rush to attack, merely sparring with the two assassins who had appeared, seemingly waiting for something.
The Yuan Ying cultivator with pitch-black hands attacked several times, but the earth-shattering sound waves failed to disturb even a single strand of Gu Shenzhi’s hair.
Seeing this, another assassin stationed a hundred zhang away prepared to summon more beasts to trap the youth in white.
With three fifth-rank beasts at his command—the strength-based Purple-Armed Demon Ape and Black-Backed King Kong Bear, and the soul-devouring Dream-Weaving Spider—he refused to believe that this barely adult boy could slay all four beasts.
Just as he secretly reveled in his confidence, Gu Shenzhi, who had circled silently to his back, suddenly plunged [Luo] straight into his spine. The Plum Blossom Sword Spirit instantly absorbed all his spiritual energy, beginning to transform every organ in his body into harmless plum blossoms.
Severe pain spread throughout the assassin’s body, yet he could not utter a sound. At that moment, brilliant plum blossoms burst forth from his throat. Blood flowed from his seven orifices as plum flowers bloomed from his ears, nose, mouth, and eyes.
Within moments, the life force of the spiritual cultivator was completely drained by the plum blossoms permeating inside and outside his body.
With the Beast Tamer dead, the beasts once marked by his slave seal scattered, disappearing into the distant desolate mountains.
Whether it was the close-combat-focused Dao cultivators at the Gathering Spirit stage or the robust Yuan Ying body cultivators, both were formidable in melee.
Gu Shenzhi struggled to fight the two head-on, and with the Beast Tamer secretly controlling the beasts to harass him, he would undoubtedly fall into a grueling battle.
Therefore, his objective from the start was clear: eliminate the Beast Tamer first to clear the threat. His earlier avoidance of battle was precisely to distract the distant Beast Tamer, lulling him into a false sense of security, and then, when his guard was down, the white-clad youth would kill him with a single decisive strike.
Facing a spiritual Dao cultivator wielding blades from five steps away, Gu Shenzhi followed his principle of making use of “useless” things. He kicked the corpse of the fallen Beast Tamer, sending the body flying toward the assassin.
The assassin danced his twin blades with murderous intent, cold light crying out like ghosts and gods, swiftly chopping the flying corpse into thousands of pieces, showing no regard for camaraderie.
But when he regained his senses, the white-clad youth had already vanished.
Countless battles had made him familiar with the scent of death. A strange breeze suddenly stirred his awareness. Though he swung his blades in defense and successfully blocked [Luo Mei], his left arm was still wounded by the lightning-fast spiritual sword [Flowing Rainbow].
“Truly an assassin from [Dark Blade]. Had it been an ordinary cultivator on the receiving end, that sword would have finished him off,” Gu Shenzhi praised without reservation.
Hearing this, the Dao cultivator smirked, “Hundreds have died beneath my blades, but no one has lasted this long. Your head will be one of my most treasured trophies.”
“Then come at me!”
No sooner had he spoken than Gu Shenzhi struck again, black and white sword shadows intertwining as his sword aura surged like roaring waves, one crest higher than the last, piling upon itself repeatedly.
The blade expert finally faltered, forced back dozens of steps before barely regaining his footing.
At that moment, a deafening sound wave echoed from beyond the forest’s edge. Gu Shenzhi’s eyes slightly opened, noticing that the unsealed Huang’er was now engaged in combat with a Yuan Ying cultivator over there.
“I could have stayed longer with you, but now I have urgent matters.”
Jian Yi Can Jue, Ren Huang, Yao Wang Po.
The youth in white hovered in the sky, the aura from his twin swords increasing a hundredfold.
A magnificent golden apparition floated behind him, radiating a divine pressure so overwhelming it was hard to look upon directly.
Then the black and white swords struck down together. In an instant, the sword intent pierced the Dipper Constellation, cleaving the clouds as two blinding beams descended. The earth quaked and thunder roared.
Staring at the overwhelming sword aura surging across the battlefield, the Dao cultivator sneered coldly, never lifting his blades again. He muttered, “What kind of monster…” and then his flesh and blood disintegrated piece by piece, completely obliterated in the vast sword light.
When Gu Shenzhi hurried over, the Yuan Ying body cultivator was already pinned beneath the fully charged Red Lotus Saintess, a sword thrust through his neck. He hadn’t even managed a final scream.
His earlier worries were utterly unnecessary.
Seeing the white-clad youth nearby missing limbs yet still standing, Su Linghuang snorted softly, sending a faint murmur: “Just someone of this level? Why did it take so long?”
“Red Lotus Saintess is peerless in talent and unmatched under heaven. How dare I compare to you?” Gu Shenzhi replied softly. Though his flattery was false, the care within his words was genuine.
Su Linghuang had prepared her biting remarks but was left speechless by his words. She could only coquettishly chide, “Smooth talker. You clearly outmatched me last night.”
“Just luck. Besides, I used the Divine Phoenix Spirit Blood of the Red Lotus Saintess. Borrowing external power doesn’t count.”
Though both understood their respective strengths after last night’s battle, occasionally teasing and flirting was quite pleasant.
Su Linghuang raised her elegant brow and asked, “I rescued you from the hands of scoundrels. A life debt greater than the sky. How do you intend to repay me?”
“Your Grace, the Red Lotus Saintess, your kindness is immeasurable. I have no way to repay except by pledging myself to you.”
“You’re already mine. Change your way of repayment.”
Hearing this, Su Linghuang lifted her delicate head, deliberately avoiding Gu Shenzhi’s gaze. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks, and her two dimples were breathtaking—truly a rare beauty in this world.
“Hmm, if that’s so, then I can only…”
“Only what?”
“Return a fountain of gratitude.”
Though the Red Lotus Saintess didn’t fully understand, she nodded silently, pretending comprehension, almost making Gu Shenzhi burst out laughing.
She nimbly jumped down from the corpse of the Yuan Ying cultivator and tried to theatrically thrust a sword at the handsome youth before her, but after a few steps, her head grew dizzy, almost causing her to collapse.
Fortunately, Gu Shenzhi’s reflexes were sharp. He caught Su Linghuang’s slender waist just in time, pulling her into his embrace. The fragrance of roses lingered in the air, intoxicating and stirring his heart.
“Huang’er, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I just tripped over a stone. I’m perfectly well!”
Su Linghuang stubbornly pushed away from the youth, determined to prove herself. Yet as soon as she took a step, her delicate jade foot hadn’t even touched the ground before she staggered again.
Luckily, Gu Shenzhi was prepared, catching her wrist before she fell and pulling the stunning beauty back into his arms.
This time, he dared not release Huang’er so easily. He pressed along her meridians, injecting spiritual energy, carefully examining her condition.
He soon realized that the Red Lotus Saintess’ pulse was thin and weak, and her blood and essence deficient—a typical sign of internal weakness.
After a moment of silence, Gu Shenzhi said tenderly, “Using the Divine Phoenix Blood twice in a row has severely harmed your body. Be careful next time.”
At that moment, Su Linghuang’s head rested against his chest, and she let out a soft sigh in agreement. Their intimate posture made it obvious to anyone that they were lovers lost in the depths of passion.
Including Nangong Yu.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the pitiful Nangong Saintess witnessed this hellish scene. One person’s joy is often another’s pain.
Her trembling voice whispered, “Looks like I came at the wrong time.”
PS: The grand chapter on the Mo Mansion is basically finished. Next, I’ll start writing some daily life romance scenes, spreading some sweetness.