Chapter 439: Chapter 243 Zhao Honglie Scouts for a New Puppet_2 Ever since acquiring Spirit Stones, Wen Mingyan’s cultivation grew even more rigorous, practicing Qi Cultivation in secluded meditation every day. "Swish!" A dazzling white light appeared on War God Peak, and the strong aura dispersed the clouds and mist surrounding the summit. Everyone in the Holy Pill Sect turned their gazes toward Cloud Saint Peak. "Someone has broken through!" "It must be Master Wen. He’s dedicated himself for so many years, and has finally achieved success!" Everyone knew that in the sect, Wen Mingyan cultivated the hardest, earning the resounding nickname of ’Sword Fanatic.’ "Master Wen was stuck at the Eighth Layer of the Marrow Refining Realm for a long time. Now, he’s finally broken through!" "It seems Spirit Stones are truly invaluable!" Everyone was aware that Gu Sheng had brought back plenty of Spirit Stones—over a thousand—from the Red Cloud secret domain. These were the key to breakthroughs for experts. Lin Miaomiao’s mind conjured up the image of Gu Sheng, her eyes gleaming with newfound respect. "Has Mingyan broken through?" Lu Junyi glanced toward Cloud Saint Peak, released a wisp of Divine Thought, confirmed it was Qin Xue, and retracted his Divine Thought. He went back to tinkering with his medicinal pills. Wen Mingyan, without the intention of wielding his sword, walked to his wife’s cultivation area. "Congratulations, dear wife, on your successful breakthrough!" He extended his Divine Thought into Qin Xue and saw a white Spirit Wheel. "You’re about to break through too. Focus on raising your Martial Arts cultivation now!" Qin Xue practiced single Martial Arts cultivation, while Wen Mingyan practiced dual Sword Martial cultivation, making his progress slightly slower. "It all goes back to the days we lacked Spirit Stones," Wen Mingyan remarked with a playful smile, holding Qin Xue’s hand. "You mean that, had we had Spirit Stones back then, you wouldn’t have comprehended Sword Intent..." "Exactly. If I had ample Spirit Stones, I wouldn’t have devoted myself entirely to practicing the sword." A blessing in disguise, it seemed. Now, Wen Mingyan too was on the verge of breaking through. After advancing to the Ninth Layer of the Marrow Refining Realm, combined with the Sword Intent he had comprehended, ordinary Ninth Layer cultivators were no match for him. A month passed, and Gu Sheng’s cultivation advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Bone Realm. He opened his Martial Arts panel for review. Realm: Mid-stage Golden Bone Realm Martial Arts: Chopping Wood (First-level Rip), Archery (First-level Penetration), Mixed Element Body Refining Skill (Second-level 50%, One-time Blood Surge), Shapeshifting Technique (Second-level Strong Body), Snake Breath Skill (First-level Snake Breath), Furious Blood Three Forms (Perfect 80%), Helian Weapon Casting Skill (Small Success 80%), Blood Activation Skill (Small Success 90%), Shadow Concealment Skill (Small Success 30%), Sword Aura (Entry-level 90%), Gale Nine Swords (Entry-level 90%) ... Looking at the densely packed Martial Arts panel, Gu Sheng felt very satisfied. He stepped out of the Holy Pill Sect to host a celebratory feast. Holy Pill City, Fragrant Pavilion. "Junior Brother, your progress is unbelievably fast!" Lin Miaomiao’s eyes sparkled at Gu Sheng. When she first met him, she had been filled with suspicion, doubting his abilities. Now, her gaze carried immense admiration, the transformation being a complete turnaround. "Not too bad!" Having endured the chaos of a demon-infested world, Gu Sheng had grown accustomed to keeping a low profile. He turned toward Lin Miaomiao, saying, "Your progress is impressive too. You’re already at the Eighth Layer of the Silver Bone Realm." "Compared to you, that can hardly be considered progress!" Lin Miaomiao’s face flushed lightly, feeling a bit shy, and said, "Thanks to the Bone Cleansing Flower we obtained last time!" The Bone Cleansing Flower cleansed her tendons and refined her bones, greatly accelerating her cultivation speed. She had broken through two minor realms in the past month. "Enough about cultivation, talk about the happenings in the Red Cloud secret domain." Mo Buwen, who hadn’t participated in the Demon Suppression Sect trials, was deeply curious about the events within. Though he had heard numerous rumors from various channels, how could those compare to hearing it from Gu Sheng himself? "Dyson, you explain it to satisfy his curiosity!" Gu Sheng picked up a deer leg and began eating on his own. After spending so much time in secluded cultivation, he hadn’t had a proper meal in ages. In a private room of Fragrant Pavilion, Zhao Honglie sipped his liquor, released his Divine Thought, and carefully examined Gu Sheng and the others, his mind working at lightning speed. He didn’t want to take action in Fragrant Pavilion—for it was, after all, Holy Pill Sect territory. He needed to lure the fish into desolate mountains and woods, where it would be easier to strike. Once the group dispersed, Zhao Honglie found Shi Jianyi. "Help me lure Gu Sheng out." "Master, how should I..." Shi Jianyi hesitated, not daring to speak further, fearing a slip would lead to his doom. "Don’t worry about it, just bring that Dyson fellow to me!" Zhao Honglie seemed to already have a solid plan. Such a task was not difficult for Shi Jianyi. As a steward of the Holy Pill Sect, he had authority to mobilize disciples, especially the servant disciples, for errands. He assigned Dyson, along with some servant disciples, to go to Holy Pill City to help transport supplies. Naturally, Dyson found himself in a warehouse, unexpectedly crossing paths with Zhao Honglie. "You..." Seeing Zhao Honglie’s true form, Dyson’s face paled instantly, and he tried to flee, but Zhao Honglie grabbed him in one swift motion. "Eat this!" Zhao Honglie stuffed a red pill into Dyson’s mouth, ensuring he swallowed it, before satisfiedly saying: "This is called the Soul Control Pill. Without my antidote, you’ll die of poisoning within a week." "What... what do you want?" Dyson was still shaken. "Lure Gu Sheng to the Red Cloud Mountain Range; that’s your task." After issuing the order, Zhao Honglie turned and left. He considered it merely giving instructions to a subordinate, confident that they wouldn’t disobey. Years of acting as a boss had made him adept at commanding others everywhere. Dyson felt nauseous from the strange pill, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t vomit it out. The substance had already dissolved. He thought of Gu Sheng—so monstrous in his abilities. If things involved him, would directly telling him work? But thinking more deeply, Gu Sheng wasn’t a match for that man either. Dyson hesitated. He vividly remembered witnessing the black-clad fighter’s strength in the Red Cloud secret domain. Even Lin Tianhao and Gu Sheng teaming up hadn’t been able to defeat the black-clad figure. That power was terrifying. Reflecting on it was chilling. Ultimately, Dyson decided to lure Gu Sheng to the Red Cloud Mountain Range. "Life and death are fated. This time, it’s up to you to carve your destiny!" Dyson thought to himself, and sought out Lin Miaomiao, mentioning how Red Cloud Peak in the mountain range had seen the appearance of Blood-Beast creatures in the Golden Bone Realm recently. He hoped Lin Miaomiao could persuade Gu Sheng to lead them there on a hunt. Lin Miaomiao, already eager to spend more time with Gu Sheng, found Dyson’s suggestion perfectly aligned. When she proposed it to Gu Sheng, he didn’t reject it. The Golden Bone Realm, even if it was a Blood Beast, presented an excellent opportunity for martial training—besides, the creature would be full of valuable resources. Its fur could be used as artifact crafting material, its blood for refining medicinal pills, and its heart and Demon Core were top-tier treasures—benefiting martial artists greatly. The battle with Blood Beasts itself would provide precious practical experience. Gu Xiajiang joined the Red Cloud Guard specifically to gain combat experience. While Gu Sheng hadn’t joined, fighting Blood Beasts would still allow him to amass experience. Gu Sheng, Dyson, Lin Miaomiao, Huang Miaoyin, and Mo Jianwen formed a small team, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the Red Cloud Mountain Range. Passing through a forest of Iron Thunder Wood, they heard peculiar bird cries. "A patch this vast... there could be three-patterned Iron Thunder Wood here!" Lin Miaomiao and the others carefully examined each tree, studying its markings. Three-patterned Iron Thunder Wood was premium artifact crafting material. The last batch Huang Chengyun had ordered had been stolen; finding replacements now would be useful compensation. "Caw, caw, caw..." The strange bird calls grew closer, increasingly shrill and piercing. "Not good, it’s coming!" A giant bird, its whole body glowing faintly, yellow with streaks of azure like a radiant kingfisher, sped toward them. It rapidly grew larger to the naked eye, diving for Gu Sheng and the others. "Watch out, it’s a Golden Bone Realm Lightning Bird!" Huang Miaoyin’s grandfather, Huang Chengyun, was the Peak Master of Spirit Pill Peak, and had told her about this bird since childhood. This bird could absorb lightning, transforming it into an attack weapon. A Golden Bone Realm Lightning Bird was especially terrifying. It could convert its spiritual energy into lightning for ranged attacks. On a nearby cliff, Zhao Honglie sneered. "No need for me to lift a finger..." Gu Sheng pulled out his Zhuge Repeating Crossbow and shot three arrows into the sky. Three bolts whistled as they tore through the air. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The radiant bird fluttered briefly, altering its flight path. "It really has gained intelligence!" Gu Sheng fired another arrow, then unleashed a flurry of shots in quick succession. Finally, one bolt struck the Lightning Bird’s wing. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮 "Zzzzz BOOM!"