Chapter 1579 - 812: Power That Crushes All
"See that? The progress of events often goes against our wishes. We have no intention of being their enemy, nor do we wish to explain. But how to end it is within our control."
Before the words were finished, the ground beneath Gu Sheng’s feet emitted a low rumble again!
Rumble!
Countless thick, sinister, black vines covered in barbs broke through the hard ground and grew madly!
They did not attack the crowd but extended rapidly in all directions!
In the blink of an eye, the dense Heavenly Demon Vines covered an area of several dozen miles!
The vines intertwined and wound together, forming a black forest that blocked out the sky!
Every vine exuded a heart-palpitating aura of ferocity and bloodlust, with barbs glinting with cold light!
A terrifying pressure descended, instantly enveloping all the survivors!
The martial artists who had been approaching and shouting suddenly fell silent, like ducks with their necks suddenly grasped!
Everyone was so terrified by this horrifying scene that their souls seemed to fly away, their faces turned ashen, legs became weak, and even breathing became difficult!
"Within ten breaths," Gu Sheng’s voice, as cold as eternal ice, clearly reached the ears of every survivor.
"Leave this place. Otherwise, die."
His gaze casually swept to the front of the crowd, focusing on a Head Hunting Gang Sect Realm martial artist who had been the most rampant in his shouting.
Locked by Gu Sheng’s gaze, the man felt a chill rush from his soles to his head, a shadow of death instantly enveloped him!
Terrified, he wanted to retreat, but his body felt bound by invisible shackles, unable to move!
The next second, a thick vine shot towards him like lightning, instantly wrapping around his body! The barbs pierced fiercely!
"No—!"
The shrill scream lasted only half a sound before cutting off abruptly!
Under the horrified gaze of everyone, the Sect Realm martial artist’s body deflated at a visible speed, as if a balloon had been punctured!
His full muscles shrank, skin lost its luster and became withered, the bright eyes quickly dimmed and clouded...
In just the blink of an eye, a living Sect Realm martial artist turned into a mummy no different from the three Gang Leaders, discarded casually to the ground by the vine!
Deathly silence!
Absolute deathly silence!
Everyone was completely shocked by this terrifying scene!
The anger and resentment that had just risen vanished instantly in the face of absolute power and the threat of death!
Only a deep-seated fear remained!
"Nine, eight, seven..."
Gu Sheng’s cold voice began to count down.
Like a death knell!
"Run—!"
Someone let out a high-pitched scream, and the survivors scattered like a disturbed hive of hornets, completely collapsing!
No longer caring about any hatred, gang, or companions, they were left with only one thought in their minds.
Escape! Escape this demon! Escape this hell!
Hundreds of martial artists fled desperately in the direction away from the ruins!
They shoved and trampled each other, cursing their parents for not giving them two more legs, the scene a chaotic mess.
In just a few breaths, the once crowded ruins were left with only Gu Sheng, Gu Yuan, and those few lonely corpses.
Gu Sheng watched the panicked fleeing backs, his eyes indifferent.
He was not a bloodthirsty person. These survivors were weak in strength, with mixed Qi-Blood and life force far less pure and vigorous than that of the three Gang Leaders.
The Heavenly Demon Vine would gain little by devouring them and could potentially incur unnecessary karmic consequences, making it not worth the while. Intimidation and expulsion were the simplest choices.
"Remember," Gu Sheng’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of those Martial Artists fleeing desperately.
"The one who killed your Gang Leader and took your camp was Xiao Beixuan of Great Wilderness City! If you dare, come seek vengeance!"
Gu Yuan heard these words, and her eyes showed understanding. Is the Master deflecting the trouble? Great Wilderness City Xiao Beixuan... She silently remembered this name.
Gu Sheng no longer paid attention to those Martial Artists who escaped far away. He withdrew his gaze, and with a thought, the terrifying Heavenly Demon Vine spanning tens of miles retreated, reentered the earth, and vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared.
"Let’s go."
Gu Sheng said to Gu Yuan, his gaze directed toward the deeper, darker, and more dangerous part of the ruins.
"To Thousand Souls Hall."
Suppressing the waves in her heart, Gu Yuan nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Master!"
The two silhouettes soared into the sky once more, turning into streams of light, and sped towards the depths of Wuya Ancient City buried with countless ages and secrets.
Behind them, only the ruins of the small town, burned by flames, soaked in blood, and thoroughly turned into a dead land, remained under the dim moonlight, silently recounting the just occurred tragedy and terror.
Gu Sheng did not hold back intentionally; those Martial Artists who lagged at the end of the team, slowed by fear or injuries, were mercilessly entangled by the reaching Heavenly Demon Vine the moment the ten countdown breaths ended!
Piercing screams rose briefly, then turned into a horrifying sucking sound. In merely an instant, they followed in the footsteps of the three main Gang Leaders, becoming twisted and emaciated corpses casually discarded on the muddy trails trampled by the escaping ones.
This bloody intimidation utterly shattered the last hope of the survivors.
The speed of their escape instantly surged to the extreme, cries and curses replaced by breathless fear, as hundreds of silhouettes vanished like startled herds into the deepest darkness before dawn.
Thinking for a moment, Gu Sheng rapidly contracted the black vines that spread across tens of miles, emitting vicious aura, finally transforming into several black shadows that coiled back onto his left arm, disappearing under the sleeve, leaving only the faint blood scent and silence lingering in the air.
He withdrew his gaze, landing it upon Gu Yuan beside him.
The girl’s complexion remained slightly pale, her gaze complex as she looked towards the direction where the corpses and fleeing ones vanished, her lips lightly pressed together.
Although she had resolved to tread the path of the strong, witnessing such cold-blooded slaughter firsthand, especially seeing Martial Artists with little strength who could have escaped also mercilessly killed, inevitably stirred waves in her heart.
"Think it’s cruel?"
Gu Sheng’s calm voice broke the silence.
Gu Yuan’s body shook slightly, she lifted her head to look at Gu Sheng, hesitated for a moment, and quietly said.
"Disciple... dares not to presume upon Master’s actions. It’s just... those people, perhaps did not deserve to die..."
"Deserved to die?"
Gu Sheng’s lips curled into a faint arc, carrying a cold sneer.
"In this Martial Arts World, weakness is the original sin. Harboring resentment, assembling to entrap, they have already sowed the seeds of their demise. If not for their being too weak to even waste the Essence Blood by letting the Heavenly Demon Vine absorb them, not a single one would be living here now."
His gaze was as sharp as a blade, directly meeting Gu Yuan’s eyes.
"Remember, the path of Martial Arts is riddled with thorns, a sea of blood and mountains of corpses. Compassion and hesitation will only become your urging death charm. To stand your ground, to control your destiny, you can only rely on your own struggle, possessing the power to crush everything!
Others’ views, societal rules, all are illusions before absolute power."
These words struck hard at Gu Yuan’s heart.
She thought of the devastation of the small town devoured by residual souls, the greedy expressions of the three main Gang Leaders coveting the Treasure Cauldron, and the fierce eyes of those Martial Artists during the encirclement...
Indeed, if it weren’t for Master’s overwhelming power, it might be the two of them lying on the ground now.
Her eyes lost the last traces of confusion and unwillingness, replaced by an unprecedented firmness.
She suddenly knelt down, her forehead heavily striking the cold hard stone ground stained with blood!
"Disciple will remember Master’s teachings! Never dare to forget!"
Gu Yuan’s voice was clear and determined, carrying the resolve of burning bridges.
"Disciple Gu Yuanyuan, today here, sincerely asks Master to accept me as a disciple, to impart the Dao to me! Disciple willingly follows Master, cutting through thorns and brambles, willing to die ten thousand times without hesitation! I beg Master to fulfill!"
Finally, she no longer used the alias "Gu Yuan," but revealed her real name—Gu Yuanyuan.
This signifies a complete farewell, bidding goodbye to her past identity as a cautious, cross-dressing struggling Martial Artist at the bottom, resolving to embrace the path of strength Master opens, filled with unknowns and dangers, yet also containing infinite possibilities!
The first rays of dawn’s light struggled to penetrate the pervasive smoke over the ruins, falling upon the kneeling figure of Gu Yuanyuan, bestowing upon her a faint golden hue.