328: Chapter 328 This journey is fraught with wind and snow, bring this with you.

Gu Changsheng greedily inhaled and exhaled the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins.

The broken clan-protecting grand Formation beneath Blackstone City had now completely become his private Spirit Gathering Formation.

The sun rose and the moon set.

Wind and snow howled outside this dilapidated courtyard for an entire year.

Atop the bluestone.

Gu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes.

The verdant green of his left eye and the pitch black of his right eye reached a perfect balance at this moment.

Deep within his Dantian.

That wither-flourish dao seed, interwoven with green and black, was covered in complex Dao patterns on its surface.

The Qi of life and death circulated endlessly.

A strand of condensed dark gold light, radiating an aura of absolute immortality, was rigidly branded into the very core of the dao seed.

The primordial wood golden nature.

Completely refined.

This strand of heaven and earth Origin, enough to stir up a bloodbath in the entire Cultivation World, had now obediently become a part of his dao foundation.

The foundation of the Five Methods of the Purple Mansion's Perfection was pushed to the extreme Peak at this moment.

Gu Changsheng clenched one hand into a fist.

Terrifying Wither-Bloom Magic Power compressed violently in his palm, causing even the surrounding Void Realm to faintly distort.

Only one final step remained.

Seeking Gold.

As long as he found the right opportunity and the right time and place, he could trigger the golden essence at any time to ascend to the fruit position.

On the index finger of his left hand.

That emerald ring flickered with a pleasing seven-colored shimmer.

The nine-aperture spirit-communication grass had worked hard as a blood pack over the past year.

The minute hidden injuries in Gu Changsheng's Meridians had long since been completely smoothed over.

His combat power was restored to ten-tenths.

It was even more terrifying than when he was in Yunmeng Marsh.

On his shoulder.

Coal Ball lazily rolled over.

The size of this Heaven-Swallowing Hou had changed only slightly, but the explosive power contained beneath its fur was enough to easily tear apart an ordinary Purple Mansion.

He gave a flick of his hand.

The dusty Daoist robe smoothed against his body, and the world-destroying pressure around him instantly retracted, leaving no trace.

He once again transformed into that destitute Mortal doctor.

Outside the courtyard gate.

The bone-chilling cold wind, mixed with ice shards, pounded frantically against the earthen walls.

The long queues of people seeking medical help from the past were sparse today.

The few Mortal patients present were all huddled in terror under the eaves, their bodies shaking violently.

Gu Changsheng walked slowly to the front hall.

He sat casually on that broken wooden chair.

A man whose lips were purple from the cold struggled to approach.

“Divine Doctor Gu...”

The man lowered his voice, his tone filled with extreme despair.

“The city gates are completely sealed off.”

“The main street to the west is covered in blood; the Mu Family’s Immortal Masters have gone into a killing frenzy.”

Gu Changsheng reached out a hand, placing his fingertips on the man's wrist pulse.

A weak suction force suddenly erupted.

The cold poison accumulated in the man's body was roughly extracted.

“What happened outside?”

Gu Changsheng tossed out a few words plainly.

The man kowtowed in immense gratitude, then looked around in a panic.

“The Tuoba Tribe is attacking!”

“I heard the Mu Family’s extreme cold spirit mine to the west was occupied, and many Immortal Masters died.”

“Now they're pressing everyone into service all over the city. We pariahs could be dragged off to fill the array eye at any time.”

Gu Changsheng withdrew his fingers.

The green Qi within his left eye circulated rapidly.

Although the news from these Mortals was limited, it directly reflected the collapse of the situation.

In mid-air.

Several blinding crimson streaks of light arrogantly tore through the wind and snow, heading straight for the west of the city.

Violent fire-attribute true essence rampaged above Blackstone City.

The atmosphere was somber and murderous.

Gu Changsheng stood with one hand behind his back, his knuckles lightly tapping the back of the chair.

The Mu Family’s sinking ship was finally about to go under completely.

Internal strife and external threats had erupted simultaneously; even this outermost Mortal city could no longer maintain its surface tranquility.

But what did that have to do with him?

...

Night fell heavily over Blackstone City.

The wind and snow were even more violent than during the day.

Inside the dilapidated courtyard, no lamps were lit.

Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the bluestone, greedily inhaling and exhaling the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins.

Bang.

A violent crashing sound exploded outside the courtyard.

The wooden door, which was already precarious, was slammed open.

Wood splinters flew everywhere.

A disheveled figure stumbled into the courtyard.

Mu Qingxue.

The sleek, fiery-red soft armor she wore was now in tatters.

Large patches of glaring dark red blood had stained the armor completely black-red.

The shaft of her black iron spear was covered in hideous cracks.

She struggled to prop herself up with the spear, her legs shaking violently.

Gu Changsheng didn't even lift an eyelid.

His plain voice rang out through the wind and snow.

“Miss Mu.”

“Kicking down doors in the middle of the night isn't a very good habit.”

Mu Qingxue trembled all over.

She forced herself to look up, her gaze piercing the darkness to fixate on the destitute doctor in green robes in the hall.

Extreme exhaustion and despair completely broke through at this moment.

Over the past year, she had frequently patrolled this western corner of the city.

She had personally watched this Mortal doctor save the lives of hundreds and thousands of poor people for a low price.

Their relationship had gradually improved, and she would come here to chat with him whenever she was free.

Gu Changsheng also discovered that this girl had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she would occasionally provide him with medicine.

Mu Qingxue dragged her spear, struggling to move to the hall.

She collapsed heavily onto the broken wooden chair opposite Gu Changsheng.

The chair made a dangerous creaking sound.

She roughly tore off her helmet and threw it on the ground.

Her long hair fell messily over her shoulders, mixed with ice shards and black blood.

“Doctor Gu.”

Her voice was hoarse, reeking of blood.

“The Mu Family is finished.”

Gu Changsheng did not respond.

He quietly acted as a qualified listener.

Mu Qingxue’s fingers gripped the armor on her thighs tightly, her nails nearly snapping.

“That old beast, the Grand Elder!”

Violent rage churned frantically in her chest.

“He colluded with the Tuoba Tribe and maliciously opened the defense Formation of the western mine!”

“To cover the clan's retreat, my father was heavily wounded by the Tuoba Family’s Purple Mansion Enshrined Expert; his Dantian is almost shattered.”

“The western mine is lost.”

“That was the Mu Family’s last top-grade Spiritual Vein.”

She gasped for breath, her chest heaving violently as she poured out all the grievances of this period.

Gradually, warm tears mixed with blood slid down her cheeks.

“Without a top-grade Spiritual Vein, the clan-protecting grand Formation beneath the city can only last three days at most.”

“In three days, the Tuoba Family’s iron cavalry will completely flatten Blackstone City.”

“Everyone will die.”

Mu Qingxue closed her eyes in despair.

As a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, she was less than a tiny insect in the face of such an overturning tide.

Gu Changsheng’s knuckles stopped tapping.

The Death Qi in his right eye churned subtly.

The Grand Elder's betrayal.

The Clan Chief's heavy injury.

The top-grade Spiritual Vein changing hands.

This script was old-fashioned, but effective.

The Mu Family's high-level members were now either dead or crippled; only an empty shell remained.

If it were before, he would have certainly intervened forcefully, and Blackstone City along with the underground Formation would have naturally fallen into his hands.

But now, without the Taiyin Jade Pendant and having reached a critical step, he still needed to act with caution.

Gu Changsheng reached under the table and pulled out a crude ceramic pot.

He poured a cup of cheap, coarse tea.

The tea was turbid, with a few withered yellow herbal leaves floating in it.

He casually pushed the teacup in front of Mu Qingxue.

“Have something hot.”

Four plain words.

No comfort, no panic.

Calm to a hair-raising degree.

Mu Qingxue opened her eyes in astonishment.

She stared fixedly at Gu Changsheng’s indifferent face.

Was this Mortal scared witless?

The Mu Family was about to be exterminated, and he actually still had the mind to pour tea?

But the faint steam rising from that simple cup of coarse tea strangely smoothed the frenzy in her heart.

Mu Qingxue irritably grabbed the teacup.

She tilted her head back and roughly downed the tea in one gulp.

The moment the tea slid down her throat.

Gu Changsheng’s fingertips covertly flicked out a strand of pure green-black magic power.

Divine Ability, Withered Meets Spring.

This overbearing life force rampantly bored into Mu Qingxue’s Meridians.

Violent.

The violent medicinal power exploded within her body.

Mu Qingxue’s eyes suddenly widened.

She clutched her chest in disbelief.

Under the wash of this terrifying life force, the severe hidden injuries in her Meridians instantly dissolved.

Her depleted fire-attribute true essence surged frantically.

In just half a breath.

Not only were her injuries healed, but even her cultivation Bottleneck, which had been stagnant for several years, abruptly loosened a fraction.

“This tea...”

Mu Qingxue stared in shock at the crude ceramic cup in her hand.

This was no coarse tea.

This effect was a hundred times more terrifying than the precious top-grade healing pill in the Mu Family's treasury!

She turned her head sharply, staring fixedly at Gu Changsheng.

Gu Changsheng stood with one hand behind his back.

He met her gaze plainly.

“Just ordinary soul-soothing grass.”

“Miss Mu has been fighting for days, and your mind is agitated. Drinking some hot tea will naturally make you feel more comfortable.”

A perfect excuse.

Mu Qingxue panted heavily.

An illusion?

This could absolutely not be just an illusion.

But the Mortal before her indeed had no spiritual energy fluctuations at all.

Perhaps she had really triggered her inner potential while on the brink of death?

She shook her head forcefully, driving these absurd thoughts from her mind.

Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Mu Qingxue stood up abruptly.

Abundant true essence circulated rapidly within her body.

She snatched up the black iron spear from the ground.

The sharp tip of the spear scraped across the bluestone floor, sparking blindingly.

“Doctor Gu.”

She looked at Gu Changsheng seriously.

“This city cannot be held.”

“Your medical skills are excellent. While the city gates aren't completely sealed yet, hurry and escape through the crawlspace to the west.”

“The further you go, the better.”

Mu Qingxue turned away resolutely.

She strode toward the courtyard gate.

Her silhouette was tragic and heroic.

She was going back to the main city.

To gather the remaining Mu Family death warriors.

To carry out a crazy, near-suicidal mission to retake the mine.

Even if she were smashed to pieces, she would ruthlessly bite a piece of meat off the Tuoba Tribe.

The wind and snow poured violently into the courtyard.

Mu Qingxue’s footsteps were firm.

Just as she was about to step out of the courtyard gate.

Gu Changsheng’s plain voice pierced through the howling wind and snow, reaching her clearly from behind.

“Miss Mu.”

“The wind and snow are heavy on this journey, take this.”