Chapter 397: Chapter 222 Struggle_2 "Ha, a mere Silver Bone Realm dares to covet such treasures? Utterly courting death!" Before the dwarf could celebrate, a voice filled with chilling intent sounded from behind him. His body froze instantly, and just as he wanted to escape, he realized his legs wouldn’t obey him. When he looked down, he found his lower half had been cleanly severed. "I... I..." The dwarf’s consciousness swiftly blurred, and even in his dying moments, he was still fantasizing about the wonderful life he had hoped for. The person who killed him was a Gold Bone Realm cultivator with a feeble aura. This cultivator was far more cautious than the dwarf. After obtaining the golden scroll, he immediately hid it in his chest and tried to slip away unnoticed amidst the chaos. Unfortunately, there were simply too many eyes on the scroll, and his actions failed to deceive everyone. "The scroll is on him! Don’t let him get away!" A man not far away pointed at him and shouted loudly. Instantly, several others wielding swords and blades rushed forward to kill him. The man shouting wasn’t particularly powerful, merely another Silver Bone Realm cultivator trying to fish in troubled waters. Seeing someone grab the scroll annoyed him, which prompted his cry. He was, however, quite nimble; immediately after shouting, he sprinted towards the exit. He was self-aware, knowing that given his strength, he had only that fleeting chance to strike. With more and more Golden Bone Realm cultivators joining the fray, he had lost all opportunities. Staying here wouldn’t just mean missing out—it might even lead to his accidental death. Without hesitation, he activated his movement technique to escape. The person holding the scroll cursed the shouting man’s ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart, and similarly, he maxed out his speed while sprinting toward the exit. The shouting man, being weak and scroll-free, naturally attracted minimal attention, but the scroll-bearer was a different story. He immediately became the center of everyone’s murderous focus, as more than ten Golden Bone Realm cultivators charged at him. His aura was shallow—clearly boosted by some secret technique or pill—making him weaker than genuine Golden Bone Realm cultivators. Within a few breaths, he was hacked to death, leaving nothing of his corpse behind. The golden scroll changed hands yet again among several contenders. Seeing that the situation around the scroll was stable, Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao shifted their focus to the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell. Those from smaller forces were blinded by greed and driven by a gambler’s mindset. A burly man with a relatively deep aura at the Golden Bone Realm managed to grab hold of the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell but immediately tried to make his escape. Naturally, the ones pursuing him wouldn’t allow it; without a single word, they drew their weapons and unleashed fatal moves. "Phew! It seems there’s no major anomaly." Gu Sheng let out a long sigh of relief upon observing that the golden scroll and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell hadn’t triggered any further disturbances as they passed through various hands. Similarly feeling relieved was Kang Tai from the Thousand Poison Sect. These were individuals who had witnessed the awe-inspiring divine power of the two treasures as well as the formidable restrictions from the Demon Suppression Sect, which was precisely why they hadn’t rushed to act. Now, with confirmation that the two treasures wouldn’t unleash any other restrictions, the Governor Mansion, Haoyang Sect, and Mad Saber Sect immediately sprang into action. The three forces acted with a semblance of coordination, clearing out those from minor sects and factions without getting in each other’s way. After slaughtering these weaker opponents en masse, none of the three forces dared to approach the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll or the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell immediately. With the major forces joining hands, the small families and sects quickly retreated far away. Earlier, their frenzy stemmed from a thoughtless gamble, but upon seeing the prominent powers make serious moves, they no longer dared to gamble with their lives and withdrew hastily, fearful of collateral damage. "Gu Sheng, are you not going to make a stance?" At this moment, Mu Yuanyuan arrived with her faction behind Gu Sheng. Seeing the other three forces positioning themselves, she hurriedly urged Gu Sheng to act. Gu Sheng smiled faintly and stepped forward, aligning himself alongside Zhu Hong, Lu Shu, and Lin Tianhao: "For these two treasures, my Holy Pill Sect, together with the powerful families of Mu, Zhou, and Wu, also has intentions." Lin Tianhao and Lu Shu weren’t surprised by this; they didn’t respond. Zhu Hong, however, furrowed his brows and sneered disdainfully: "Holy Pill Sect? Should I get you a mirror to take a look at yourself? Do you really think with those three families backing you up, you’re suddenly something worth paying attention to?" While speaking, Zhu Hong turned to Yun Tianyi with a face full of ridicule: "Yun Tianyi, have you wasted your years? How could you let this greenhorn take your position as leader?" Yun Tianyi, however, wasn’t offended—he smiled calmly: "Gu Sheng is a direct disciple of Peak Master Wen from War God Peak. His talent is exceptional, and he’s naturally the right person to lead." Zhu Hong, seeing this, didn’t speak further. He unsheathed his long blade, raising it to point at Gu Sheng as he roared: "There’s no place here for Holy Pill Sect to meddle! If you don’t want to die, then get lost, or don’t blame me for showing no mercy!" At this moment, Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao watched Gu Sheng with playful expressions, evidently curious to see if he had the strength to stand on equal ground. Gu Sheng gripped the Water Cold Sword and suddenly drew it, lightly sweeping it toward Zhu Hong. Immediately, a Sword Qi burst forth. The instant the Sword Qi appeared, Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao’s expressions shifted. Their gazes toward Gu Sheng turned serious. "To have refined his sword aura to such an extent in such a short time... Peak Master Wen’s disciple is certainly someone extraordinary!" Lin Tianhao sighed inwardly. Lu Shu, also a sword cultivator, had an extraordinary sensitivity to Sword Dao. She prided herself on her exceptional talent in the art of the sword—one she believed rivaled, if not surpassed, Wen Mingyan’s brilliance of old. Her pride, however, shattered at that moment. She noticed her own sword aura, cultivated for years, trembling faintly. Her sword aura was afraid. This realization left Lu Shu shaken to the core. She bit her lip lightly and locked her unwavering focus on Gu Sheng. This particular sword strike by Gu Sheng was delivered with deliberate restraint, intentionally holding back some of the Sword Qi aura. Zhu Hong, being boisterous and dismissive, didn’t take Gu Sheng seriously at all. To him, this strike seemed like nothing but ordinary Sword Qi. "Hmph! Bold of you to strike first! Today, I’ll show you the gap between us!" Zhu Hong surged with power and struck fiercely with his blade. The blade wind howled, and a potent Sword Qi burst forth. "Hmph! Overestimating yourself!" Zhu Hong stood with his blade withdrawn, smirking as he awaited Gu Sheng’s humiliation. However, in the next moment, he was frozen in shock. His Sword Qi shattered ruthlessly upon contact with Gu Sheng’s sword aura, and the aura did not stop—it hurtled toward him with unrelenting force. Only then did Zhu Hong realize the extraordinary nature of Gu Sheng’s sword aura. Upon deeper contemplation, the truth hit him. "Sword aura!" Zhu Hong frantically swung his blade multiple times, unleashing more ferocious Sword Qi to neutralize Gu Sheng’s sword aura. Though neither used their full power in the exchange, their states and expressions made the outcome crystal clear. Returning the Water Cold Sword to its sheath, Gu Sheng smiled and asked: "Brother Zhu, do I now have the qualifications to compete alongside you?" Zhu Hong, humiliated, flushed red and was left speechless. After a pause, Zhu Hong, still angry but unwilling to accept defeat, stepped forward. He turned to Lu Shu and Lin Tianhao and said: "Both of you know these treasures are extraordinary and won’t back down. Let’s lay down the rules—what method shall we use to decide? Chaos battle or something else?" Lu Shu had already agreed to give the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll to the Thousand Poison Sect, so these two treasures had to be secured in full. Lu Shu stepped forward, her hand resting on the longsword at her waist. Instantly, an overwhelming sword aura radiated from her, striking fear into everyone present. "Treasures should belong to those with strength. If none of us want to give up, then let’s settle the matter through combat!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 Lin Tianhao, unwilling to be outdone, released a powerful aura from his body, his face retaining its refined smile. "I’m fine with that." Zhu Hong sneered: "Alright! Since that’s the case, let’s settle this with our strength!" As soon as his words fell, he charged forward, targeting not the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell but the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll instead. Gu Sheng turned to Yun Tianyi, saying: "Everyone, take care to protect yourselves!" After that, he activated the Shadow Concealment Skill, vanishing from sight.