"It's you!"
Gu Tiangang's eyes narrowed.
The newcomer was none other than Zuo Ling, who had a bounty on his head from Gu Huang Cave.
What shocked Gu Tiangang was that Zuo Ling, despite being hunted by Gu Huang Cave, dared to show up directly.
Observing the immense aura around Zuo Ling, especially the hint of imperial sword intent, Gu Tiangang immediately realized that Zuo Ling was harnessing the power of a quasi-emperor's treasure.
"You dare to show yourself, saving me the trouble!"
As soon as Gu Tiangang finished speaking, the Dragon Slayer Spear pierced through the air, aimed straight at Zuo Ling. Zuo Ling's expression turned serious, and the Immortal Emperor Sword at his abdomen hummed, releasing waves of thick sword energy.
"Boom!"
The imperial sword energy tore through the sky. The power of the quasi-emperor's treasure was unfathomable. Zuo Ling had spent years refining this treasure, barely able to harness a sliver of its power.
Yet, even a sliver was enough for Zuo Ling to contend with a saint.
In the void.
The two engaged in a fierce battle.
Gu Tiangang stepped through the air, his qi and blood surging like a torrent. His ancient body, like a blazing furnace, materialized in the blood energy. With each strike of the Dragon Slayer Spear, quasi-emperor blood spilled, each blow containing the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, causing the world to lose its color.
In comparison, Zuo Ling could wield the power of the quasi-emperor's treasure, but he was still at the peak of the sixth rank True Lord realm and had not yet stepped into the seventh rank Saint realm.
Despite having the Immortal Emperor Sword, Zuo Ling could contend with ordinary saints but could not withstand someone like Gu Tiangang, a saint with a divine body.
As expected.
The fierce battle lasted only a short while before the imperial sword energy collapsed, and Zuo Ling fell from the sky.
"A mere True Lord dares to be insolent before a saint? The quasi-emperor's inheritance is wasted in your hands. Such a fortune should belong to me!"
Gu Tiangang sneered, his gaze towards Zuo Ling full of disdain.
Now that he had attained sainthood, acquiring the quasi-emperor's inheritance would significantly boost his strength. Especially the quasi-emperor's treasure in Zuo Ling's possession, which was a rare opportunity.
Gu Tiangang had coveted it for a long time. That's why, after becoming a saint, he first tracked down Zuo Ling.
Now that Zuo Ling had come to him, it saved him a lot of trouble.
"Cough, cough!"
Zuo Ling clutched his chest, his qi and blood churning uncontrollably, and his dantian throbbing with unbearable pain, as if it could rupture at any moment.
Although he had initially refined the quasi-emperor's treasure, and his dantian, carrying the Immortal Emperor Sword daily, had become much tougher due to the sword energy's tempering.
Repeatedly using the quasi-emperor's treasure power was still too much for his dantian. If he continued, his dantian would surely rupture.
"Indeed... earning ten billion offerings isn't easy!"
Zuo Ling smiled bitterly.
This incursion into Gu Huang was both for revenge and because of the Heavenly Court's mission with a reward of ten billion offerings.
Even though Zuo Ling had sacrificed two top-tier eighth-rank techniques and accumulated many offerings, ten billion offerings were too tempting to ignore.
Of course.
Zuo Ling's main goal was to eliminate Gu Tiangang.
After all, they had long-standing enmity, and Zuo Ling had heard of Gu Huang Cave's recent search for him.
Since Gu Huang Cave wanted to deal with him, why not strike first?
Unfortunately—
Gu Tiangang's strength after becoming a saint far exceeded Zuo Ling's expectations, especially with a top-grade saint treasure, his power had increased more than a notch compared to simulated battles.
At this moment.
Gu Tiangang easily defeated Zuo Ling, his momentum peaked, and his saintly pressure was like a mountain, oppressing Zuo Ling, Zhang Ming, and the others.
"If I survive this battle, I'll drink heartily!"
Gu Fang's heroic spirit soared, his battle intent burning fiercely. The once dormant power of his Overlord Immortal Body reawakened, and a mysterious force subtly merged into his body.
Instantly.
Gu Fang's strength surged, not only returning to its peak but also breaking through the mid-sixth-rank bottleneck to the late-sixth-rank realm.
This sudden surge in power prompted Gu Fang to swing his long knife without hesitation, shattering the space with a slash, the terrifying aura sweeping in all directions.
"A breakthrough in the heat of battle?"
Gu Tiangang frowned slightly. He wasn't afraid of Gu Fang's advancement. Whether mid or late sixth-rank True Lord, it made no difference to him.
What truly caught Gu Tiangang's attention was the mysterious force suddenly manifesting in Gu Fang.
It didn't seem like a mere battle breakthrough; rather, a peculiar power emerged, mysterious and profound.
Though pondering, Gu Tiangang's movements were unhesitating. The Dragon Slayer swept out, the top-grade saint treasure's power like a collapsing sky, crushing down and instantly shattering the knife's aura.
"Boom!"
Gu Fang felt unprecedented pressure from the void. His tiger's mouth cracked, his qi and blood churned violently, and his meridians seemed to shatter inch by inch.
But in an instant.
That mysterious force reappeared.
At this moment.
Gu Fang seemed to see familiar faces from the past. As the force merged into him, the pain in his meridians vanished, the churning qi and blood calmed, and his cultivation soared from late sixth-rank to the peak of the sixth rank.
...
In Qingyang Realm.
Inside the Heavenly Spirit Hall.
The usually tranquil hall was now glowing with radiance, and all the spirit tablets were trembling violently, beams of light emanating from them.
Radiance soared into the sky.
The phenomenon shook the entire eastern region.
Lu Qingyang, overseeing the Ten Thousand Heavens Court, immediately cast his gaze towards the Heavenly Spirit Hall. Inside, a figure in green gradually took shape.
In Lu Qingyang's eyes, the trembling spirit tablets represented the awakening of dormant spirits, each silently calling out.
"War!"
"War! War!"
The materialized battle intent merged with the radiance, crossing realms, and directly infused into Gu Fang.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Lu Qingyang's face: "So Gu Fang triggered the resonance of the spirits in the Heavenly Spirit Hall. No wonder his strength soared."
"Typically, triggering the resonance of one or two spirits is rare. For Gu Fang to resonate with all the spirits at once is extraordinary."
Millions of spirits in the Heavenly Spirit Hall, though not all powerful, collectively induced a qualitative change. Triggering the resonance of the entire hall's spirits at once could elevate Gu Fang's strength to a terrifying level for a short time.