76: A great harvest!

He bent down and picked up the two Storage Pouches, but instead of immediately probing them with his Divine Sense, he took out a Cleansing Talisman and used it.

Having done all this, he did not linger. His figure blurred, transforming into a vague green shadow, and he sped toward the depths of the valley.

The smell of blood here was too strong; it was bound to attract Yao Beasts or other Cultivators. Along the way, he pushed his Breath Concealing Method to the extreme, merging his presence almost completely with the surrounding mountains and forests.

After running for a full half-hour and confirming there were no signs of pursuit behind him, he finally stopped in front of a highly concealed cliff face halfway up the mountain.

The spot was covered by thick vines; unless one deliberately pushed them aside, it would be impossible to discover the narrow cave entrance behind them, which was just wide enough for one person.

This was the most ideal temporary hiding spot he had found during his journey of exploration.

He slipped into the cave. Inside was a natural grotto, roughly ten feet in diameter, dry and well-ventilated.

Gu Changsheng did not immediately relax. He first took several Formation Plates from his Storage Pouch and set up a simple Illusory Formation and a Warning Formation at the entrance.

With this double layer of security, he could finally feel a little at ease. Only after completing all this did he sit down cross-legged and take out the two captured Storage Pouches.

He still wasn't in a hurry to open them.

He first mobilized the vital Spiritual Qi from the Withered Wood Meets Spring Scripture, transforming it into countless fine threads, which meticulously wrapped around the two Storage Pouches, probing every inch.

He needed to confirm that no Tracking Marks or malicious Curse Restrictions had been left on them.

This process took him another short half-hour. Only when he confirmed that both Storage Pouches were utterly "clean" did he finally let out a breath of relief.

Absolute certainty must precede acquisition. This was a creed etched into his very bones.

He picked up the Storage Pouch belonging to the Demonic Path Cultivator and cautiously extended his Divine Sense into it.

As his Divine Sense swept through, Gu Changsheng couldn't help but curl his lip. The space wasn't large, only three to five cubic meters, and it was haphazardly filled with a pile of junk.

There were two hundred and thirteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones, several bottles of Medicinal Pills with turbid medicinal Qi that were clearly inferior goods, and three or four low-Rank Magical Artifacts stained with dark blood, some of which even had chips in them.

Besides these, there were a few Jade Slips containing Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques that emitted a chilling aura.

A pauper.

Gu Changsheng delivered his mental assessment.

However, adhering to the principle of never wasting anything, he transferred the Spirit Stones and the still-usable Magical Artifacts into his own Storage Pouch.

As for the Medicinal Pills and the Demonic Technique Jade Slips, he had no interest in giving them a second glance.

He directly activated a wisp of Qingyuan Sword Qi and completely shredded these items, which could potentially bring endless future trouble, into fine dust in the corner of the grotto.

After dealing with the first one, his attention shifted to the second Storage Pouch.

The Storage Pouch belonging to the direct descendant of a Shuyu Sect Foundation Establishment Peak Lord.

Just holding it, he could feel the extraordinary quality of the pouch's material; it was smooth to the touch, with Spiritual Qi subtly flowing through it.

Gu Changsheng took a deep breath and sent his Divine Sense inside. The next moment, his breathing hitched slightly.

Good heavens!

In stark contrast to the barrenness of the previous Storage Pouch, the space inside this one measured over a dozen cubic meters.

The most noticeable sight was the small mountain of Spirit Stones piled up in the corner. The pale blue halos converged, almost blinding the eye.

A rough sweep of his Divine Sense showed the number of Low-Grade Spirit Stones definitely exceeded one thousand, interspersed with dozens of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, whose Spiritual Qi was even purer!

Next to the pile of Spirit Stones, various jade boxes and porcelain bottles were neatly arranged.

There were "Scarlet Flame Fruits" radiating astonishing fire Spiritual Qi, "Soul Nourishing Wood" sealed in jade boxes that could nourish Divine Sense, and several bottles of Medicinal Pills for healing and restoring Spiritual Qi that had a rich medicinal fragrance and excellent quality, a grade higher than the qinglu pills he had given Pei Xiuyuan and Chu Jing.

Truly worthy of being a Peak Lord's direct descendant; this wealth was far greater than that of many Inner Sect Disciples.

Gu Changsheng sighed internally, but his hands were quick, rapidly sorting these Heaven And Earth Treasures and stowing them away.

Just as he was finishing the inventory, two smooth, white Jade Slips caught his attention. He extended his Divine Sense into the first Jade Slip.

A line of archaic seal script appeared in his mind: Thousand Layered Waves Technique.

This was actually a unique Auxiliary Spell! Gu Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, and he continued reading.

This Spell was extremely special. It had no direct offensive power itself, but it could layer the power of subsequent Spells cast, stacking them like surging ocean waves, with each wave higher than the last.

Its essence lay in the fact that every time a Spell was cast with the "Layered Wave" enhancement (such as the Sword Qi from the Azure Origin Sword Art), an invisible and formless "Wave Force" mark would be left behind on the target, separate from the Spell's main body.

When the second or third Spell of the same type hit the same target, the power of the subsequent Spells would resonate and stack with the residual "Wave Force," multiplying the damage.

Theoretically, at its peak, it could instantly detonate the combined power of nine attacks in the final strike!

This technique was particularly suitable for use with single-target offensive Spells that had a high frequency of attack, strong penetrative power, or condensed energy; the power increase was terrifying.

Good! What a treasure!

Gu Changsheng suppressed the excitement in his heart.

He currently relied mainly on the Azure Origin Sword Art when facing enemies, and this Spell could push the lethality of his Sword Art to an unimaginable height.

Imagine the earth-shattering scene if the power of nine strands of Qingyuan Sword Qi were stacked onto the final sword strike!

With this Thousand Layered Waves Technique, his core offensive methods achieved a qualitative leap.

He forcibly shifted his attention and sent his Divine Sense into the second Jade Slip.

Floating Light Fleeting Shadow Step.

A Movement Technique.

Gu Changsheng's spirits lifted.

This was precisely what he lacked most right now.

His Azure Origin Sword Art was tremendously powerful, but he lacked a sufficiently strong Movement Technique to complement it, resulting in poor mobility.

If he encountered an extremely fast enemy, he could easily be suppressed.

When cultivated to its profound depths, the Floating Light Fleeting Shadow Step allowed one's figure to become elusive and unpredictable, moving like floating light and resting like a fleeting shadow. It was a top-tier marvelous technique, whether for pursuit, close combat, emergency evasion, or fleeing thousands of miles.

Fleeing!

These two words instantly struck a chord with Gu Changsheng.

For him, the means of slaying enemies could be refined, but the ability to save his life must be strong!

This Movement Technique was simply a timely help!

Clenching the two Jade Slips tightly in his hand, the sense of security in Gu Changsheng's heart swelled to an unprecedented degree.

He glanced outside the cave; the sky was gradually darkening.

Go back?

The thought flashed in his mind for only an instant before he completely extinguished it.

What a joke!

Intelligence Report One clearly stated that Demonic Path Cultivators would launch a general assault on Wuyin City at the zi hour two days later, and the Risk Level was "Extremely High"!

Going back now would be deliberately throwing himself into the line of fire, wouldn't it?

Those two fools, Pei Xiuyuan and Chu Jing, were willing to use all the Cultivators in Wuyin City as a wager for their own merits and status.

Why should he go back and die alongside them?

Following the current, following the current~ Gu Changsheng repeated these words, the curve of his lips growing more mocking.

This "current" was not the "current" of dying alongside those desperate people, but the "current" that allowed him to use this Opportunity to perfectly escape and watch the situation unfold.

Once that city was reduced to ruins, he could leisurely return to "clean up the mess." Who would question him then?

He had even prepared his excuse: he would say that while searching for the dragon blood vine deep in the mountains, he accidentally got lost and was trapped inside an Ancient Restriction, only escaping by the skin of his teeth. Perfect.

He made up his mind: he absolutely would not return until the battle in Wuyin City had completely settled.

This period of time was perfect for converting the newly acquired Opportunity into tangible combat power.

Without hesitation, he placed the Jade Slip containing the Floating Light Fleeting Shadow Step directly against his brow.

His Divine Sense slowly sank into it.

Countless complex Spiritual Qi circulation routes and profound Movement Technique Diagrams instantly flooded into his mind like a breaking dam.