CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 242: HEROES COMPETE FOR HEGEMONY_2

At this moment, martial artists from all directions had arrived.

The Haoyang Sect, Holy Pill Sect, Thousand Poison Sect, Giant Sword Sect, Mad Blood Sect, the Qian family, the Zhou family, the Wu family, the Mu family... it could truly be described as a gathering of heroes.

"What, does the Holy Pill Sect want to hog both mystical-level treasures for themselves?"

The elder from the Mad Blood Sect was the first to speak up, his wild golden hair fluttering despite the absence of wind, resembling a golden lion.

"Everyone, allow us to return to the Sect before discussing the matter of these two treasures."

Lu Junyi, as Gu Sheng’s master, was the first to propose.

"If we let you return, wouldn’t our efforts be in vain?"

The head of the Qian family fanned the flames, his face full of mischief, as if he feared an absence of chaos in the world.

"This is no place for small sects and minor factions like yours to act so impudently!"

An elder from the Holy Pill Sect retorted sarcastically.

It was then that the Sect Master of the Haoyang Sect stepped forward.

"Regarding this matter, let’s heed the suggestion of the Holy Pill Sect. Since all of you are guests, why not discuss this further at the Holy Pill Sect?"

He had already been informed by Lin Tianhao about the series of events. Although he too coveted the treasures, he had broader schemes in mind.

"Of course you would say that. Lin Tianhao and Gu Sheng must have already decided how to split the loot, haven’t they?"

A harsh voice emerged from the crowd.

Everyone turned toward the source, discovering that it was Elder Xing Feng from the Thousand Poison Sect. This man, with his graying hair and sharp features, looked so ambiguous from afar that it was hard to determine his gender.

Chapter 243: Who Dares to Step Forward?

"Exactly! This Red Cloud Prefecture isn’t a place where only your two factions get to call the shots!"

The Governor of the Governor Mansion, Jiang Bai, who had turned back instead of leaving, seemed to have found a new way to seize the treasures.

"Indeed, if anyone has the final say, it should be us at the Governor Mansion!"

Lu Yun, who had just arrived, immediately added fuel to the fire, and those accompanying him chimed in agreement.

"Any treasures above the mystical level found at the ruins of the Demon Suppression Sect have always been uniformly distributed by the upper echelons. Does the Holy Pill Sect intend to monopolize them?"

The Second Elder of the Thousand Poison Sect, Wu Gui, approached slowly on a flying horse. He deliberately released his cultivation, and the overwhelming aura made it almost impossible for many to stay standing.

Voices rose one after another, descending into chaos.

"Listen to me, everyone," Lu Junyi’s name still carried some weight in the Red Cloud Prefecture, and with the addition of spiritual energy amplifying his voice, it was penetrating and echoed across the heavens:

"The disciples of the various factions have just emerged, and the detailed circumstances of the events remain unclear. Our Holy Pill Sect needs to return to the Sect to sort everything out. Anyone willing to return with us is welcome!"

He paused for a moment and then raised his voice: "However, if anyone dares to stop us from leaving, we shall use our array to welcome you!"

Lu Junyi’s words were forthright and domineering.

However, there were many who refused to comply, clamoring loudly.

"The Holy Pill Sect wants to hog everything!"

"Don’t let them succeed!"

"Once they’re back at the Sect and activate their defenses, won’t they get to make all the decisions then?"

Seeing the crowd refusing to back down, Lu Junyi produced a white jade token in his hand. A flow of milky white light shone, and a series of arrays lit up in the sky, radiating light everywhere.

The tremendous pressure made it hard for anyone to breathe, and martial artists with lower cultivation levels began bleeding from their mouths and noses.

"This is the Holy Pill Sect’s protective ban. Anyone daring to test it, step forward!"

Lu Junyi signaled for all Holy Pill Sect disciples to retreat.

"Don’t let him intimidate you!"

Jiang Bai slashed out a stream of sword light, aiming for Gu Sheng.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Beams of light descended from the sky, attacking Jiang Bai. Despite his unfathomable cultivation, he struggled to evade, darting and leaping to the outskirts to escape.

The crowd, spooked by the display, withdrew to a safe distance, ensuring they were out of the array’s range before halting.

Only the Haoyang Sect’s Sect Master walked openly, following the Holy Pill Sect group as they moved away.

Seeing the Haoyang Sect’s master unharmed, Wu Gui followed a few steps forward and realized the array did not target him, so many martial artists decided to follow as well.

Gu Sheng hadn’t expected his Sect to possess such a devastating trump card.

Besides mastering pill refinement, the Holy Pill Sect had also developed expertise in artifact crafting and arrays.

Over the years, Lu Junyi and others had extended their arrays over a radius of two to three miles.

Returning to the Holy Pill Sect, Lu Junyi summoned all disciples to prepare for defensive measures.

He and Wen Mingyan personally inspected the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, praising it profusely.

"Bring out the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell! Let’s take a look!"

The elder, not only an expert in pill refinement but also a master of artifact crafting, was deeply intrigued by the engravings of the mystical-level treasure.

"Great Elder, the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell has already fused into my body, and I currently cannot control it!"

Gu Sheng spoke truthfully, feeling no need to deceive the two elders.

Lu Junyi channeled his spiritual energy, sending a surge directly through Gu Sheng’s brow, attempting to investigate it further.

"Bang!"

A massive force rebounded, shocking him back, and a sharp pain shot through his palm.

"The restriction bit back!"

Lu Junyi looked at Wen Mingyan. "You try!"

Seeing that spiritual energy was ineffective, Wen Mingyan instead formed a strand of Sword Intent between two fingers and directed it into Gu Sheng’s brow.

"Hiss!"

A sharp stab of pain struck him, and his vision went black. He nearly fainted.

"No good!"

Wen Mingyan shook his head as the other elders looked on in shock.

"The Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and Vajra Demon Suppression Bell have already been refined by Gu Sheng. How do we explain this to the other factions?"

Qin Xue was more worried about this prospect, unlike the two seemingly indifferent elders.

"Had this been before we returned to the Holy Pill Sect, I might have been unsure. But now, the answer is simple: we take it all!"

Wen Mingyan’s lips curled into a sly smile. "This so-called unified allocation by the upper echelons really just comes down to who has the greater strength."

When weaker factions acquire a mystical-level treasure, they naturally submit to the arrangements of stronger forces.

But now, was the Holy Pill Sect considered a weak faction?

Of course not, at least not in Wen Mingyan’s eyes.

"Exactly. If someone comes, we’ll repel them. If water comes, we’ll block it. This is also a good opportunity to test the power of our array."

Lu Junyi was quite pleased, as though he could already foresee the bright future of the Holy Pill Sect’s rise to prominence.

"As long as you remain within the Sect, you’ll be perfectly safe. Venture outside, and there are no guarantees!"

Wen Mingyan patted Gu Sheng on the shoulder. "For now, you should refrain from leaving the Sect!"

Gu Sheng nodded. His Shapeshifting had already reached perfection, and combined with the perfected Snake Breath Skill, even a martial artist at the Marrow Refining Realm might not recognize him.

However, for the time being, he needed to thoroughly study the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell and Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, so he truly had no time for excursions.

After making the necessary arrangements, Lu Junyi began meeting with Lin Zhenghao, the Sect Master of the Haoyang Sect.

The Sect Master of the Holy Pill Sect, Zhao Wuji, was currently in secluded cultivation, and no one knew when he would emerge.

As such, all major and minor matters were handled by Great Elder Lu Junyi.

Lin Haotian, the top disciple of the Haoyang Sect, wielded significant influence, which prompted Sect Master Lin Zhenghao to personally step in.

"Since the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell and Demon Suppression Golden Scroll have already been refined by Gu Sheng, we won’t fight over them..."

Lin Zhenghao expressed his request and ultimately obtained the sword intent insights—yes, the very insights Wen Mingyan himself had comprehended.

In addition to this, the Haoyang Sect would collaborate with the Holy Pill Sect, with benefits that included a plethora of pills and arrays crafted by the latter.

The Haoyang Sect focused primarily on martial arts cultivation, whereas the Holy Pill Sect excelled in pill refinement, artifact crafting, and arrays.

Both sects had their strengths, and a partnership proved mutually beneficial, fostering growth for both sides.

What was most significant, however, was that the Holy Pill Sect now had Gu Sheng. Based on Lin Tianhao’s descriptions, this young man’s potential was limitless.

What appeared to be the Holy Pill Sect taking full advantage was, in truth, a strong alliance between powerful entities.

After consuming a few Bu Yuan Pills, Gu Sheng’s injuries had nearly healed.

He began examining himself internally, scrutinizing the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell.

Before long, he located the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell buried deep within his brow.

Compared to the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, he seemed more intrigued by the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell.

In his impression, the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll was merely an enhanced version of the Gravity Field and lacked novelty.

The Vajra Demon Suppression Bell, however, was different. This object concealed a world of its own and contained the Great Prajna Sutra and Diamond Palm of an ancient monk spanning millennia.

Both of these cultivation techniques sounded extraordinarily mysterious.

In later generations, anything associated with Buddhist cultivation was always shrouded in mystique, and its heritage spanned countless years.

Focusing his thoughts, Gu Sheng attempted to channel his spiritual energy to activate the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell.

After several attempts, the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell remained immobile, prompting him to shift his focus to the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll.

Although he was only in the Golden Bone Realm, the presence of the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell had allowed him to manipulate traces of spiritual energy.

It was peculiar, as drawing spiritual energy into one’s body was typically a capability achieved only after entering the Marrow Refining Realm. However, even while still in the Golden Bone Realm, Gu Sheng was able to manipulate it.

Though the spiritual energy he could invoke was minuscule, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

He tried using this trace amount of spiritual energy to activate the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, only to fail again.