Chapter 453: Chapter 158: Infinite Growth of the Ancestral Talisman, Li Yuan’s Dark Side

The previous Xu Sheng might not have been able to achieve this because he needed to fight against his own madness, but after Li Yuan took away his Ancestral Register Fragment, Xu Sheng regained his clarity. At this moment, "411~425" data floated by his side.

"Hurry up!! Let Xu Lan come!!"

"You can try; is your speed faster, or is my blade faster!!"

Xu Sheng roared in fury, his gaze sweeping around with the aura of standing in the rain with a broken iron piece back in the day...

"Retreat!"

"Everyone, retreat!!"

Perhaps fearing the destruction of the Visualization Image, the Lotus Sect’s exotic beasts all withdrew.

Immediately, a voice rang out from the direction of the exotic beasts.

"Instructor Xu, Xu Lan will come over in a moment. After she arrives, what do you plan to do?"

"Less nonsense, let her come first!"

Xu Sheng remained vigilant of his surroundings.

That voice stayed silent for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Time passed second by second...

The exotic beasts unexpectedly all scattered away.

In the darkness, only Xu Sheng remained, along with a man in a lotus robe with his arms crossed, hidden in his sleeves, standing opposite him.

About one and a half hours later, a figure in a cyan robe gracefully drifted from afar, like a cloud...

Xu Sheng’s gaze was drawn to that figure, gradually lighting up.

"Lanlan!"

The cyan figure settled, revealing a woman wrapped in a cyan cloak.

The woman removed her hood, revealing a pretty face. Her innocent eyes swept over the man on the cliff’s edge and then curved into a smile, "Xu Sheng, what are you doing?"

"Lanlan, they said you went on a mission. I didn’t believe it, so..." Xu Sheng’s voice was somewhat excited, "Seeing that you’re fine now, I can rest assured."

Xu Lan walked closer while saying, "How could anything happen to me?"

She got closer and closer, and when she reached Xu Sheng’s side, she raised her hand to grab the South Mountain Ghost Rain Visualization, saying, "Give me the image," as a cold light like a venomous snake shot out from her other sleeve, piercing Xu Sheng’s heart.

Xu Sheng’s expression didn’t change, no surprise, just gently looking at the woman who had stabbed a blade into his heart. Instead of retreating, he advanced, embracing her, saying, "You want to kill me; just say it. Why do it yourself?"

Bang!

In the next instant, he was blasted away by a tremendous force, falling into the abyss behind him.

With his arms spread open, a smile on his face, the scorching Shadow Blood burst outward from his heart...

Meanwhile, Xu Lan tossed the image back to the man in the lotus robe with his arms crossed and sleeves concealed, then chased after it with her blade, leaping off the cliff as well.

The Sixth Grade does not die easily, even when stabbed in the heart, as they can recover by redrawing the Ancestral Talisman.

Therefore, Xu Lan intended to thoroughly eliminate him.

Bang!

Xu Sheng hit the ground.

Xu Lan rushed down, striking again with her blade.

Xu Sheng indeed had used the Ancestral Talisman at some point; when this strike came down, he grabbed Xu Lan and asked, "Lanlan, there’s something off about you.

Do you remember our parents’ names?"

Xu Lan didn’t respond, only continuing her assault.

Xu Sheng laughed self-mockingly, "You really don’t remember. You’ve been tampered with! Damn, damn Lotus Sect!!"

Furious, he tightened his grip on the fine blade, his form ghostly and elusive, beginning to fight Xu Lan.

At the top of the cliff, the man in the lotus robe grabbed the Visualization Image, turning to leave.

As he departed, five figures, wrapped in cyan cloaks and exuding murderous intent, rushed over from the opposite side, brushing past him and then heading down the cliff in pursuit.

These were the Cyan Lotus Secret Soldiers, sending five was also a form of training.

In total, six Sixth Grade Cyan Lotus Secret Soldiers besieged one person, and Xu Sheng was almost instantly covered in wounds...

And in the next blink of an eye, he faced death.

But at that moment, a residual shadow approached from afar,

The shadow took just one step to reach him.

Before the form settled, in this extreme speed, a simple stroke of the blade was swung...

Yet with that one stroke, it was the perfect fusion of speed and power.

There were no fancy special effects, but it seemed like predestined death.

That one stroke cleaved through the bodies of the five Cyan Lotus Secret Soldiers.

Time seemed to press the slow-motion button, only maintaining the speed of that stroke...

The bodies split in half, movements frozen in mid-air...

Then they began to collapse and disintegrate, with no chance of recovery via the Ancestral Talisman.

A casual stroke, a divine stroke...

And the endpoint of that one stroke stopped beside Xu Lan’s head.

Although Xu Lan had been modified by the killing intent as a Cyan Lotus Secret Soldier, she still felt an ant-like terror when facing that stroke.

"Not bad, not an ordinary Secret Soldier, there is even a personality remaining..."

"Interesting..."

In a faint voice, that stroke slightly rotated, and the blade "bang" hit beside Xu Lan.

Xu Lan fell, unconscious.

Xu Sheng looked up in surprise at the newcomer, but couldn’t see clearly.

In the next moment.

The blade flipped and struck Xu Sheng’s forehead with a "bang," causing him to pass out as well.

...

Unknown how long had passed.

The morning sun rose, casting its light on the tranquil Long Sleep River, creating a wave of golden scales.

A lone boat slowly drifted away on the river, heading north.

Due to Gu Xuejian’s relentless battle, Jiangbei had now become the defense line for the Divine Wood Hall. As long as the boat reached the northern side, it would be within the Divine Wood Hall’s territory.

Xu Sheng rubbed his head, slowly waking up. Upon looking beside him, he saw a stranger woman with handcuffs and shackles, along with two letters and a mirror...

He desperately tried to recall.

Everything from last night was still vivid in his mind, yet his wounds had already healed.

He grabbed the mirror, taking a glance, finding a stranger’s face reflected back at him.

He picked up the letters, reading them one by one.

One of the letters explained his current situation.

The reason he appeared this way was due to being covered in Yin Makeup, which needed to be washed away with Shadow Blood before docking, revealing his true appearance.

The unfamiliar woman beside him was Xu Lan, who had been transformed by the Cyan Lotus Sect into a Secret Soldier. However, this soldier was quite unique, possessing a personality, not just a mere killing machine.

The letter further suggested they seek Gu Xuejian, the Lady Hall Master of the Divine Wood Hall, to explain all the experiences with the Lotus Sect and see if Xu Lan could be saved.

As for how to meet Gu Xuejian and gain her trust, simply say the six words "Rock Dweller, Blood Brocade Pouch."

The signature read: Uncle’s friend, destroy after reading.

Seeing the words "Uncle," Xu Sheng’s body trembled, and he silently put away the letter, crushing it into powder within his hand.

The other letter was intended for Gu Xuejian, sealed with wax.

Xu Sheng hesitated for a long time but ultimately did not open it.

The boat swayed gently, drifting northward with the wind, the shoreline drawing near...

...

...

As the lone boat reached Jiangbei, another figure cloaked in black flew over the Long Sleep River, heading south.

The figure continued south, eventually arriving at a Lotus Sect camp.

Upon landing, dust and stones within a hundred-zhang domain floated around the figure...

This scene shattered the resolve of all the Lotus Sect disciples.

The domain was a specialization of the Fourth Grade.

A hundred-zhang domain was beyond anything they had seen, not even their own "Sect Leader Guang" could compare.

What terrifying entity was this?

"I wish to see Peng Mingyi."

A deliberately hoarse voice emerged.

No one dared to act disrespectfully.

After a long time...

Still more time passed...

A Fifth Grade Elder of the Lotus Sect flew over, respectfully addressing the cloaked figure: "Please follow me."

The cloaked figure responded in a muffled tone.

The Lotus Sect’s Fifth Grade Elder took flight with the cloaked figure following.

They moved one after the other further south.

The next day...

In a hidden mountain pavilion, a stunningly beautiful, silver-haired youth gazed at the sea of clouds between the mountains.

Two figures descended into the pavilion.

The Fifth Grade Elder respectfully bowed and departed, leaving only the cloaked figure and the silver-haired youth in the pavilion.

"Peng Mingyi."

The cloaked person’s voice lost its hoarseness, now exuding an authoritative presence and magnetic masculine charisma.

The silver-haired youth slowly turned his head, asking, "What do you want with me?"

"The battle plan of the Divine Wood Hall, defensive layout, all cards on the table."

"What do you want?"

"I’ve thought it over, we share the same goal, so... I might even join you.

But, you must help me fully absorb him and assist me in breaking through to the Third Grade."

"The Third Grade... is not simple... In this world, I’ve never encountered the Third Grade, there may be traps within. Can you truly achieve it by absorbing him?"

"I can’t wait any longer, my time is running out, I can’t linger here much longer, he occupies this body increasingly... more than me, but I still have the upper hand.

He can’t know what I do, yet I can know what he does."

"Understood."

The silver-haired youth smiled, "Welcome, Hall Master Qing, you’ll come to love the new world as the lotus blooms."