Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 1765: Chapter 895: Empty Promises (Part 2)

"If the Holy Academy would turn against me, or the Linyin Pavilion led by the Tantai Family, over a few remnants left by a venerable who vanished centuries ago with unknown fate... then the breadth of the Great Wilderness Holy Academy seems rather small."

"Besides, now I am at least the Third Pavilion Master of Linyin Pavilion, am I not?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Qingcheng sighed softly, her ethereal voice tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"According to the rules of the Holy Academy, since Venerable Azure Dragon was once a member, anything he left behind rightfully belongs to the Holy Academy. However, Miss has instructed me that before I escort you to the Central Province, my position is merely as your Protector, unrelated to the Holy Academy. I will not interfere in this matter, nor will I report it to the Academy."

Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit surprised by Fan Mingli’s arrangement. He then laughed and said,

"Miss Fan is indeed understanding of the bigger picture. Since that’s the case, if there’s anything in this secret vault that catches your eye, feel free to speak up.

As long as it’s not something indispensable to me, I’ll prioritize giving it to you."

Fan Qingcheng’s ethereal eyes brightened slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through them. She looked at Gu Sheng and spoke with a bit of curiosity in her tone.

"Is Young Master Gu trying to win me over? Or are you trying to steal the Dean of the Great Wilderness Holy Academy’s thunder?"

Gu Sheng laughed heartily, waving his hand.

"Miss Fan overthinks it. I was just speaking off the cuff, feeling grateful for your protection along the way. If you find it inappropriate, just pretend you didn’t hear it."

He shifted his tone and continued,

"But the offer still stands. If there’s something here truly useful to you, I can sell it to you first, and the price is negotiable. Consider it a thank you for protecting me on this journey to the Central Province."

Fan Qingcheng couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless at these words.

This fellow talks a good game of empty promises, making it look like she’s already indebted to him before seeing any real benefits.

She gently shook her head, her expression returning to the previous calm and distant demeanor.

"Young Master Gu’s ’kindness’, Qingcheng understands. However, my life is given by Miss, and in this life, I will only follow her. Though Linyin Pavilion is good, and the Tantai Family is strong, they are not my destination."

Gu Sheng put away the teasing look on his face and nodded solemnly.

"Loyalty admirable, I understand."

He said no more, turning and stepping first into the dark and deep entrance of the secret vault.

Fan Qingcheng hesitated for a moment but eventually took a light step and followed inside.

Upon entering the secret vault, it seemed as though the outside light was completely cut off, yet inside it was not entirely dark. The walls were inlaid with some strange crystal stones emitting a soft white light, illuminating the internal space. Gu Sheng’s powerful spiritual power quickly spread out like mercury, instantly mapping out the entire structure of the secret vault clearly.

The internal space of the vault was not particularly large, roughly a hundred feet square and over a dozen feet high, without any room divisions, just an extremely square and open area. Rows of thick iron racks, made of some unknown metal and glimmering with a cold sheen, were neatly arranged, like silent soldiers.

On each row of iron racks, there were densely packed treasure boxes and jade caskets of varying sizes and materials, with some even directly placing weapons, armor, or scrolls, in significant numbers.

The whole space was permeated with an ancient, long-sealed aura mingled with the strange medicinal scent and energy fluctuations of various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Gu Sheng swiftly retracted his spiritual power, focusing his gaze on the nearest iron rack by the entrance.

He casually picked up an ancient-looking wooden treasure box, lightly flicking the box lid open with his fingertip.

Suddenly, a rich, uncontainable life essence mixed with a faint, refreshing aroma spread instantly from the box, filling the air around the two of them.

Inside the treasure box, cushioned by soft Spirit Silk, lay quietly a fist-sized Spirit Fruit, wholly glowing with a warm, milky white color, with natural Cloud Patterns on its surface. The flesh was plump, as if containing a life-like radiance flowing within.

"Heavenly Treasure Fruit?"

Gu Sheng’s eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation.

"Judging by its color and contained Life Essence Qi, its quality is extremely high, far surpassing the ordinary ones circulating in the market, likely approaching five thousand years. Venerable Azure Dragon left this, probably intending to cultivate descendants to reinforce their foundations when breaking through the King Realm barrier."

He didn’t put away this Heavenly Treasure Fruit, but instead, with a wave of his wide sleeve, an invisible suction pulled about a third of the treasure boxes and jade caskets from several of the front rows of iron racks, regardless of their contents, into his storage ring.

He planned to save these resources for his father Gu Lie and elder brother Gu Feng, enough to support them to go far on their cultivation paths.

At this moment, Fan Qingcheng had also entered inside. Her gaze swept over the items left by Gu Sheng, as well as those on the more exterior racks, her expression calm, without much fluctuation. To a Venerable of her level, these outer Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, though valuable, did not catch her eye.

Looking at the Heavenly Treasure Fruit in Gu Sheng’s hand, she said flatly,

"Although the Heavenly Treasure Fruit can consolidate foundations and enhance Life Origin, its effects are greatly reduced for cultivators at and above the King Realm. Venerable Azure Dragon left these indeed for the sake of future generations."

They continued deeper into the secret vault. The further they went, the more intense and pure the spiritual energy fluctuations from the items on the racks became. Gu Sheng stopped before a rack, picking up a dark cyan jade scroll, and with a slight perception, his spiritual power seeped into it.

"’Nine Techniques of Azure Dragon’, top-grade Heaven Rank Martial Technique... Not bad, fierce and domineering, containing a hint of Azure Dragon’s combat intent, just right for my elder brother’s Sword Dao."

He nodded satisfactorily, putting away the jade scroll.

Afterward, he collected a significant portion of the treasures on several of the middle rows of racks, mostly consisting of rare minerals, high-level Spirit Grass, and some Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques ranging from top-grade Earth Rank to low-grade Heaven Rank.

Fan Qingcheng followed quietly, watching Gu Sheng gather treasures as if strolling in his own back garden, estimating the value of these resources in her mind, and softly said,

"The value of the items in the outer and middle areas, if converted to Spirit Stones, likely approaches hundreds of millions. However, the real highlight should be further inside."

Gu Sheng neither confirmed nor denied, continuing to walk until he reached the third-to-last row of treasure racks.

This row’s iron rack seemed more special, exuding a faint purple-gold glow. The treasure boxes on it were obviously more exquisite, and the runes sealing them more complex and profound.

He casually picked up a jade box, made entirely of Warm Jade and carved with coiling dragon patterns. As his fingers touched the mechanism on the box lid, the jade box made a "click" sound and opened automatically.

Instantly, a radiant glow, as if given life, soared from within the jade box, carrying a cleansing and soul-soothing, strange medicinal fragrance, about to escape to the top of the secret vault!

"Trying to escape?"

Gu Sheng seemed to have anticipated this, snorting coldly, his vast spiritual power instantly formed an invisible net that captured the gleaming intent to flee, slowly pulling it back in front of him.

Inside the radiance, was wrapped a pill the size of a dragon’s eye, perfectly round, with a translucent, glass-like clarity. Three distinctly visible cloud-like Elixir Patterns moved slowly on the pill’s surface like living things, emitting energy fluctuations and Daoist Rhythms that made one’s heart race.

"A Third Grade Divine Pill?!"

Even with Fan Qingcheng’s demeanor, she couldn’t help but exclaim, her ethereal eyes filled with shock.

She was not only startled by the grade of this Elixir Pill but also by the spiritual power Gu Sheng had exhibited earlier.

"Your spiritual power... though not reaching the level of a Ninth-grade Spirit Spell Master, has been refined? To so effortlessly retrieve a Third Grade Divine Pill with its own spiritual nature trying to escape!"

Gu Sheng did not answer regarding the spiritual power; his gaze fell on the pill bound in his palm by spiritual power, still slightly trembling, brimming with energy, carefully discerning the Elixir Pattern and properties, slowly speaking,

"It’s not an Elixir Pill for attacking or enhancing cultivation.

This is... a Third-Grade Heart-Clearing Divine Pill.

Its main effects are cleansing impurities of the Divine Soul, solidifying the Dao Heart, and gaining self-awareness. For cultivators stuck at the Eighth Transformation peak, intending to break through to the Nine-Turn Venerable Realm, this pill greatly increases the chances of success and is invaluable."