Chapter 46

It seemed that Long Yuyun's cultivation had once again improved, with a sharp light flickering deep in her brow, as if she were about to open her third eye. Her aura was faint and ethereal, her steps silent, and she exuded a more transcendent and otherworldly presence than before.

"Did you take the Maha Divine Pill? Have you broken through to the second transformation of the Dao realm?" Gu Chensha asked, "How did you find this place?"

"That's right. I used a secret ritual to worship the Dragon God and the Sea God, expelling the demonic nature of the Maha Divine Pill. After taking it, my cultivation greatly increased." Long Yuyun looked enviously at the Heavenly Dew. "If you had the Heavenly Dew beforehand, I could have used it to neutralize the tyrannical and evil energy in the pill, achieving perfect absorption without wasting most of its effects. I might even have a chance to break through to the third transformation, Copper Skin and Iron Bones."

The greatest effect of the Heavenly Dew was to cleanse impurities, neutralize all poisons, and eliminate demonic nature. Anyone who was poisoned or had suffered a mental breakdown would immediately see results upon taking it.

Her expression was one of deep regret.

"I didn't have the Heavenly Dew at that time." Gu Chensha always found Long Yuyun mysterious and was very cautious around her, not revealing everything. "But if you want it, we can make a deal."

"What do you want?" Long Yuyun asked.

"If you can gather experts to protect this town, I can give you a drop of Heavenly Dew." Gu Chensha thought for a moment.

"Let's skip that. I came here to tell you that many more barbarian experts have arrived in the three counties, preparing to take over Bannan Province. Your town will be destroyed in one or two days at most. It can't withstand the army and the experts. I advise you to leave immediately." Long Yuyun's voice was urgent. "Staying here is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

"What about the tens of thousands of civilians here? In recent days, many survivors from the surrounding villages have fled to this town, and the population has grown. They can't move."

"Keep the green hills, and you won't worry about firewood." Long Yuyun scolded. "Do you really think you're a savior? Right now, the Third Prince, Lou Baoyue, and even the Tenth Prince are all in Xian Capital, holding back their forces. They won't even aid Bannan Province, each having their own plans. Besides, this town is not advantageous for defense from a military perspective."

"I knew this town couldn't be defended, but I have no better plan. Some things must be done even if they seem impossible." Gu Chensha's expression was resolute, as if he had made up his mind.

"It seems you can't be an emperor; your vision is too small." Long Yuyun was helpless.

"I never wanted to be an emperor. I am currently honing my martial path, facing difficulties head-on, and going against the tide. If not, how could I break through to the Dao realm? Different goals require different methods." Gu Chensha was very calm.

"That's true. In martial arts, in such a difficult situation, the first thing is to maintain confidence and endure. After enduring, your realm will surely improve." Long Yuyun understood this point.

"Do you want to stay and assist me?"

"No, I have more important things to do. If I am in danger, the many soldiers and civilians on Dragon Sword Island will have no hope." Long Yuyun thought for a moment. "This way, if you give me ten drops of Heavenly Dew, I will exchange it for a treasure."

"What treasure?" Gu Chensha asked.

"Crack Sea Thunderbolt Seed." A deep blue sphere, the size of an egg, appeared in her palm. "This is something that can only be formed on the Sea God Temple tree after hundreds of years."

"What is its use? Can it enhance one's power?" Gu Chensha was quite puzzled. "It can't possibly make me reach the Dao realm, right?"

"No, this is not a drug, but an explosive." Long Yuyun's words made Gu Chensha step back a few steps. "The Crack Sea Thunderbolt Seed is used to take down the enemy with you. When the Sea God Temple is attacked by the enemy and cannot be saved, to prevent the enemy from desecrating the temple, this thing is activated, turning the entire temple and its surroundings into powder. Of course, you will also be within the explosion range, and it will certainly be fatal. This thing must be held in your hand, with blood dropped on it, and the Sea God incantation chanted silently to communicate with the soul, causing it to explode. In other words, once activated, it will certainly result in death. If I activate it now, the entire town will be gone, and even the houses will turn to ashes."

"Is it that powerful?" Gu Chensha couldn't believe that such a small thing could level the entire town.

"I can't demonstrate it for you, but if you are in the center of the explosion, within a hundred steps, unless you have achieved the Crystal Jade Body, you will certainly die." Long Yuyun handed it to Gu Chensha. "This is a tool for mutual destruction."

"This thing, once activated, will kill not only me but also everyone around me. The explosion range is too large, and it will inevitably sweep them in." Gu Chensha suddenly had an idea. "If I activate the explosion and instantly enter the altar space, won't I avoid being killed?"

Thinking about this, his heart raced, and he couldn't suppress his excitement. "If I go to Tao County now, get close to that barbarian divine envoy, and activate the explosion, then hide, can I destroy the entire temple and even that barbarian divine envoy who has reached the seventh transformation of the Dao realm?"

However, there were drawbacks. The barbarian divine envoy was too strong and could sense danger. If he took it out and activated it, it might be snatched away, and he would end up losing more than he gained.

"Having this thing is not a loss; I'll exchange it for ten drops of Heavenly Dew." Gu Chensha and Long Yuyun made the exchange.

With the Crack Sea Thunderbolt Seed, Gu Chensha felt he could explore the temple again. After all, he had gained a lot last time. If he could steal more barbarian wealth and resources, it would deal a heavy blow to the enemy's morale and increase his own reserves.

"By the way, I have a set of things, but I don't know how to use them." Gu Chensha walked into the house, pretending to fetch something, but he actually took out the eighteen spirit flags from the altar space for Long Yuyun to see. He was not very familiar with formations and treasures, but Long Yuyun, who had seen much, would certainly know how to use them.

"These are! Spirit Gathering Artifacts." Long Yuyun's eyes widened. "The Heavenly Dragon Spirit Gathering Flags of Prince Gu? How did you get them?"

"Prince Gu? You know that prince of the Great Wei Dynasty? Have you had contact with him, and has he tried to recruit you?" Gu Chensha immediately picked up on the secret from Long Yuyun's words.

"Of course. I met with his envoy a few days ago. Not only that, but I was also ennobled as a baron. I also learned a lot from other people recruited from overseas. The Great Wei Dynasty has invested a lot this time." Long Yuyun was not secretive. "In times of chaos, if you can rely on a powerful force, you can preserve yourself and escape the disaster."

"The Great Wei Dynasty is recklessly ennobling people, depleting the nation's fortune." Gu Chensha sneered. "Titles are precious and should not be given lightly. Once given lightly, the nation's prestige will be greatly damaged, and the country will no longer be a country. I see that the Great Wei Dynasty's ennobling is just a name, making you do their dirty work, and then eliminating you after the task is done."

"I know, so I don't trust them." Long Yuyun's eyes were cunning. "But Prince Gu is powerful, having already achieved the fourth transformation of the Dao realm, Swallowing Gold and Transforming Stone. He is currently trying to break through to the fifth transformation, Gathering Spirit in a Hundred Apertures. This transformation requires a huge amount of spirit energy, both inside and outside. So he brought eighteen Heavenly Dragon Spirit Gathering Flags from the Great Wei Dynasty. These flags are made from the fine silk of the silkworm dragon, soaked in ten thousand kinds of spirit medicines, and inscribed with countless runes. They are refined in a furnace for a hundred years, and at least three generations of alchemists are required to succeed. Only a behemoth like the Great Wei Dynasty can have such artifacts. If placed on the ground, they can absorb spirit energy and transform it into spirit liquid in the center. The eighteen flags are equivalent to eighteen experts at the first transformation of the Dao realm absorbing spirit energy day and night. Although the spirit liquid is far inferior to the Heavenly Dew, it is more than enough for cultivating ordinary people. If I help you build an auxiliary formation in your residence, it would be equivalent to thirty-six experts at the first transformation of the Dao realm absorbing spirit energy."

"Auxiliary formation..." Gu Chensha thought of the spirit gathering formation in the temple.

He knew that a spirit gathering formation could not transform spirit energy into spirit liquid. At most, it could create a large garden where people could cultivate with a clear mind, a refreshed body, and a harmonious aura. Once they left the garden, they would return to the turbid world.

Spirit liquid, on the other hand, could be taken at any time to cleanse the body and meridians, enhance physical strength, and refine blood and flesh.

In the residences of many nobles in the capital, there were spirit gathering formations built at great expense, but none could transform spirit energy into liquid.

The key was that experts at the Dao realm absorbed spirit energy into themselves and would not expel it as spirit liquid. So even if you had experts at the Dao realm, they would at most be bodyguards and could not help you improve your cultivation.

"The Heavenly Dragon Spirit Gathering Flags have such effects? I'm glad I didn't destroy them." Gu Chensha was delighted. "This is truly a priceless treasure."

"Of course, it is a priceless treasure. If a noble family has such flags, they can cultivate many experts in a few decades. Even pigs, if they take the spirit liquid every day, can become martial arts masters within ten years. This thing is equivalent to the imperial command flag of the Great Wei Dynasty. Whenever an imperial envoy has a major task, rewards a minister, or executes a minister, they must hold this flag and return it after the task is completed." Long Yuyun was also drooling over the eighteen Heavenly Dragon Spirit Gathering Flags, but she knew that Gu Chensha was currently building his own force, and this thing was just right for him.

"I see." Gu Chensha nodded and handed the eighteen flags to Long Yuyun. "Since that's the case, take these flags to my residence and give them to Xiaoyizi. I'll also give you five drops of Heavenly Dew for him to take. I hope that when I return, his martial arts will have greatly improved, and he will have reached the master level."

"With the spirit liquid, I can train a master, let alone the Heavenly Dew." Long Yuyun almost snatched the flags, then suddenly changed her gaze. "Aren't you afraid I'll run away with them?"

"No problem. Do you know how I killed the Yin-Yang Scholar? His cultivation was the same as yours, and this thing was in Prince Gu's hands. What kind of martial arts did he have? Yet I stole it from him." Gu Chensha waved his hand.

"What kind of fortune have you had recently?" Long Yuyun was puzzled. "Not long ago, you needed my help to deal with the Black Bat, and we barely killed it. How could you have improved so much in just over ten days?"

After mastering the Sun and Moon Kill, and with the雏形 of the Demon-Slaying Blade in his possession, along with the changes in the Altar Space, Gu Chensha was virtually unmatched as a thief or an assassin. He wasn't afraid that Long Yuyun would take the treasure and run. He also wanted to test the level of cooperation between them.