Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

Chapter 111 The Young Master Arrives

The Hailing Pavilion has three underground floors, which contain top-grade spirit fields.

There is no distinction between day and night here. Only the hundreds of "Moonlight Pearls" embedded in the dome emit a cold, eerie light, illuminating the entire stone chamber as if it were a frosty autumn night. The air is filled with a scent that is a mixture of the earthy smell and the unique fragrance of high-grade spiritual herbs. It is so quiet that the only sound can be the dripping of spiritual liquid.

Gu An, with his back hunched, held a specially made pair of jade scissors in his hand and was carefully trimming the withered leaves of a golden-veined dragon beard grass.

His movements were extremely slow, each snip seemingly calculated. His cloudy, yellowish eyes appeared to be fixed on the blades of grass, but in reality, he was constantly watching out of the corner of his eye for fluctuations in the protective barrier at the entrance to the stone chamber.

Ever since that day he swallowed the "Frosty Marrow Spirit Milk" and cultivated the "Dragon Scale Water Membrane," Gu An has practically lived in this stone chamber under the pretext of "taking care of him personally."

This was not only to evade the search and capture efforts across the streets, but also to utilize the abundant spiritual energy here to solidify one's cultivation level.

"call----"

Gu An straightened up and gently pounded his back, producing a crisp sound of bones grinding together.

Looking at the dozen or so dragon beard grass plants in front of him that had completely recovered and whose leaves were covered with golden threads, a barely perceptible sneer appeared on his lips.

The better these grasses grow, the more secure his position in the Sea Spirit Pavilion will be.

Fatty Liu has come to visit several times in the past few days, and each time he is all smiles. He even made an exception and gave him a token that allows him to freely enter and exit the underground library on the second basement floor.

Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.

However, Gu An's nerves, honed on the brink of life and death, never relaxed even for a moment.

Although the dragon energy within him was tightly locked by the "dragon scale water membrane," it would still emit a faint, restless energy that yearned to devour others when the night was deep and quiet.

The hunger was especially intense when faced with these dragon whisker grasses that contained a trace of dragon's aura.

"We have to endure it."

Gu An reminded himself of this.

Just as he was about to go to the stone trough in the corner to fetch some spiritual water.

Buzz!

The entire defensive array of the underground stone chamber trembled violently without warning.

Immediately afterwards, a piercing alarm pierced through the thick stone walls, echoing throughout the underground space. The originally soft light of the Moon Yin Pearl instantly turned into a blinding blood red, and a suffocating sense of oppression pressed down heavily from above.

"What's going on? An enemy attack?"

Gu An's pupils contracted sharply, and the jade scissors in his hand instantly slid into his sleeve, replaced by the broken sword that had been poised to strike.

But he quickly dismissed the guess.

Hailing Pavilion is one of the top three merchant guilds in Never-Sleeping City, with a Golden Core Ancestor standing behind it. Who would dare to act recklessly here?

Before he could figure it out, the protective barrier on the stone chamber door was suddenly forced open from the outside.

"Quickly! Kneel down!"

Liu Fu's chubby figure stumbled in. He was no longer the imposing figure he once was; he was covered in sweat, his face was deathly pale, and his fat body was trembling violently with fear.

"Manager, what is this—" Gu An asked, feigning panic.

"Stop asking! Shut up if you want to live!"

Liu Fu shoved Gu An to the ground, his voice low and trembling with a sob, "Young Master—"

"The young master has come in person!"

Little Lord?

Gu An's heart skipped a beat.

The young master of the city lord's mansion who cultivates the "Dragon Transformation Technique" and is currently searching the entire city for the "humanoid medicine"?

Why did he suddenly come here?

Did they discover something?

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Gu An felt like a field mouse locked on by a falcon, his blood freezing in his veins.

But he dared not move, much less run.

On these three underground levels, the only exit has been sealed off. If they were to suddenly break out now, facing the Sea Spirit Pavilion's numerous formations and that unfathomable young master, they would undoubtedly face certain death.

"Let's take a gamble!"

Gu An gritted his teeth and buried his head deep in the ground.

He had pushed the "Azure Sea Dragon Wood Technique" within his body to its limit, and the transparent "Dragon Scale Water Film" adhered tightly to the surface of his skin, completely sealing off all aura, spiritual energy fluctuations, and even the breathing of his pores.

At the same time, he secretly activated the putrefactive fluid on his face and the corpse oil on his body.

A strong, pungent stench instantly emanated from him, masking the surrounding medicinal fragrance.

Just as Gu An finished his disguise...

Da, da, da.

A series of unhurried footsteps came from the passageway outside the stone chamber.

The sound wasn't loud, but every step it took felt like it was treading on one's heart.

An immense, despair-inducing spiritual pressure surged into the stone chamber like a tidal wave as the footsteps drew near.

Late foundation building!

Moreover, he was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with extremely pure spiritual power and an air of superior authority!

Gu An felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his back, making it difficult to even breathe. Liu Fu next to him was lying on the ground, trembling like a leaf.

"This is... the Golden-Veined Dragon's Beard Grass?"

A slightly magnetic voice, yet with a hint of feminine coldness, rang out above them.

Gu An dared not look up, but could only catch a glimpse of a pair of purple-gold boots embroidered with golden dragon patterns, which stopped at the edge of the spirit field.

"Yes—yes—"

Liu Fu answered in a trembling voice, not daring to raise his head, "Reporting to the young master, this—this is the eighteen Golden-Veined Dragon Beard Grasses prepared for you. After—after careful care, they have all recovered their vitality, and their medicinal properties—their medicinal properties are even better than before."

"Oh?"

The owner of the purple-gold boots seemed somewhat surprised.

He slowly walked into the spirit field.

As he approached, the dragon energy within Gu An suddenly surged violently, as if it had encountered a kindred spirit, or perhaps a natural enemy.

Gu An pressed his hand firmly against his dantian, his fingernails digging deep into his palm, using the pain to stay awake while desperately reinforcing the "Dragon Scale Water Membrane" seal.

"good."

The young master's voice held a hint of satisfaction, "Truly top-notch. It seems that although you, Fatty, are a bit greedy, you're quite capable in getting things done."

"Thank you—thank you for the compliment, young master!" Liu Fu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, his sweat soaking the ground.

"but----"

The young master suddenly changed the subject.

The pair of purple-gold boots turned around and walked step by step toward the corner where Gu An was.

"Why is there a strange smell in this room?"

Gu An's body stiffened instantly.

He could feel two tangible gazes scraping across his back like knives.

It was scrutiny, suspicion, and even more so, the instinctive sense of a high-level predator towards its prey.

"Reporting to Young Master..."

Liu Fu was terrified and hurriedly explained, "This—this is a servant I hired."

He—he's a poison cultivator; his practice ruined his body, and he has a…a strange odor. I'll make him get lost! I'll make him get lost!

"Wait a minute."

The young master interrupted Liu Fu in a calm tone.

The pair of purple-gold boots stopped in front of Gu An, less than three inches from his nose.

Gu An could even smell the faint ambergris scent emanating from the other person, which carried a hint of blood.

"Raise your head."

The young master's voice was beyond question.

Gu An took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the murderous intent and fear in his heart. He slowly raised his head, revealing a face that was half festering and oozing yellow fluid, and the other half covered with a deathly bluish-gray aura.

In those dead fish-like eyes, a hint of humility, fear, and blankness was revealed just right.

"Hiss!"

Even the well-traveled young master couldn't help but frown the moment he saw that face, a hint of undisguised disgust flashing in his eyes.

too ugly.

That's disgusting.

This is practically a walking corpse.

"Are you the servant who saved the dragon's beard grass?" The young master covered his mouth and nose with a clean white handkerchief and asked from above.

"Yes—yes, you're a scoundrel—"

Gu An's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing together, "This humble one—knows—knows a little bit of—unorthodox methods—"

The young master remained silent.

His narrow, almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharp as he stared intently into Gu An's eyes.

He's looking for it.

Find that aura that belongs to the "Dragon Singer".

Although the face and the stench made him nauseous, he felt a strange sensation within the "Dragon Transformation Technique" within him.

It was as if—beneath this pile of rotten flesh, there was something that made his blood surge.

What do you have on you?

The young master suddenly reached out his hand, his long, fair hand with neatly trimmed nails slowly reaching towards the top of Gu An's head.

Within his palm, a wisp of purplish-gold spiritual light flickered uncertainly.

Soul search!

He actually wants to search the soul directly!

Gu An's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

He never expected that this young master would be so domineering, resorting to soul-searching, a method that destroys a person's foundation, against a lowly servant just because of a sliver of suspicion!

Once his soul is searched, all the secrets within him will be exposed.

"Let's give it our all!"

Gu An's hand, hidden in his sleeve, suddenly gripped the black deacon's token. The spiritual power of the Azure Dragon Wood within his body surged wildly, ready to detonate all the restrictions in the basement the moment the other's hand fell, even if it meant mutual destruction.

The hand was getting closer and closer.

Three inches.

Two inches.

One inch.

Just as Gu An was about to launch a sudden attack, at the critical moment...

Boom!

A deep, muffled sound, as if from the depths of hell, suddenly rang out beneath everyone's feet without warning.

The sound wasn't loud; it even sounded somewhat distant.

However, it possessed a strange penetrating power, completely ignoring the multiple formations of the Sea Spirit Pavilion and the protective spiritual light of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the wolf slammed hard into the hearts of everyone.

"Um?"

The young master's hand suddenly stopped in mid-air.

His expression suddenly changed, and two terrifying beams of light instantly flashed in his previously nonchalant peach blossom eyes.

"This is----"

Before he could react...

Boom!

A second muffled thud followed.

This time, it was clearer and heavier than before.

It's like—a gigantic, unimaginably large giant is slowly awakening deep underground; that's the sound of its heartbeat!

With that heartbeat.

The spiritual energy within the stone chamber suddenly became extremely chaotic.

The once vibrant golden dragon whisker grass seemed to sense some extremely terrifying existence, and they all trembled in unison.

Then, something horrifying happened.

The tips of the dozen or so dragon beard grass leaves began to turn black and wither at a visible speed. Their leaves, which had originally stretched upwards, now seemed to submit, desperately bending down and pressing against the ground, as if kneeling in worship to something deep underground!

"What's going on?!"

The young master abruptly withdrew his hand, no longer caring about Gu An, this lowly servant.

He moved swiftly and appeared instantly at the edge of the spirit field, his face turning extremely grim as he looked at the withering dragon whisker grass.

This is the key to his transformation into a dragon!

"An earthquake? No—this...aura—"

The young master knelt on the ground, pressing one hand against the crimson spiritual soil, his divine sense surging into the depths of the earth like a tide.

However, the next moment.

His body trembled violently, and he withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

On that originally handsome and otherworldly face, a deep sense of apprehension, even fear, suddenly appeared.

"What is that thing—"

The young master muttered to himself, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

In that instant, his divine sense seemed to have touched an endless abyss. Within that abyss, there was an ancient, weathered, and endlessly violent aura; a mere sweep of it nearly shattered his divine sense!

That was definitely not an ordinary ley line fluctuation!

Beneath this bustling city that never sleeps, such a terrifying monster is being suppressed?!

"Young...Young Master?"

Liu Fu, who was standing nearby, had already collapsed to the ground in terror. Looking at the withered medicinal herbs, he was on the verge of tears, "This—this herb—"

"Shut up!"

The young master suddenly stood up, his face terribly gloomy.

He took a deep look at the ground beneath his feet, and then at the withered but still rooted dragon beard grass.

"Take these herbs and come with me right now!"

The young master's voice was urgent and stern, all traces of his previous composure gone. "We can't stay here! What's underground—it's about to stir up trouble!"

After saying that, he didn't bother to pay attention to Gu An, this "suspicious" servant. With a wave of his sleeve, he created a gust of wind that swept up all the dragon beard grass, soil and roots, and put them into his storage bag.

Then, his figure transformed into a streak of purple-gold light, rushing out of the stone chamber without looking back.

His panicked appearance made it seem as if some ferocious beast was chasing him from behind.

"Quick! Let's go!"

Although Liu Fu didn't know what had happened, seeing that his young master had run away, he didn't dare to stay any longer. He scrambled to his feet and rushed out after him.

In the blink of an eye.

In the vast underground stone chamber, only Gu An remained.

And the faint, lingering "thump, thump" sound that still echoed in the air.

Gu An remained kneeling until he was certain that the spiritual pressure from the Foundation Establishment stage cultivator had completely disappeared before he slowly raised his head.

By this time, his back was already soaked with cold sweat, and he looked as if he had been pulled out of the water.

For a brief moment, he really thought he was going to die.

If it weren't for this sudden underground disturbance, the young master's secret would have been completely exposed if his hand had landed just half an inch further.

"That was close!"

Gu An collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his heart still pounding.

But his relief didn't last long.

His gaze slowly shifted to the ground beneath his feet.

The "heartbeat" that had just saved his life was fear and the unknown to that young master.

But for Gu An, who possesses the talent of [Spiritual Plant Affinity] and harbors a trace of true dragon essence within him—

That was a calling.

A summons that was a hundred times stronger and clearer than the previous resonance from the jade pendant!

The instant those two heartbeats rang out, the dragon energy within Gu An's body ceased all its agitation. It became exceptionally quiet, even—devout.

It's like a homeless child hearing its mother's call.

"Thump."

The third heartbeat was heard.

This time, Gu An heard it clearly.

The sound did not come from anywhere else, but directly below the Sea Spirit Pavilion, from the depths of the foundation of the Tower of Babel!

Gu An reached out and gently pressed his hand on the cold ground.

[Plant Affinity] Talent in full operation.

Through the thick layers of rock and the intricate array, his perception, like a thin root, extended into the depths of darkness.

Then, he "saw" it.

In that endless darkness, in that abyss bound by countless thick chains.

There is a tree.

A dead tree, entirely black, leafless, with countless roots that dance like tentacles.

The so-called "heartbeat" was actually the sound of the roots of this dead tree striking the rock wall as they twitched!

What terrified Gu An even more was...

On the trunk of that dead tree, there was a huge human face.

The face had its eyes tightly closed and its expression was one of pain, as if it were enduring endless torment.

And the outline of that face—

Gu An's pupils suddenly dilated to their maximum size.

That face bore a striking resemblance to the portrait of Qi Yunmeng, the founding ancestor of the Qingmu Sect, which he had seen in the ancestral hall!

"Ancestor?!"

Gu An's hand trembled violently, and he pulled it back as if he had been electrocuted.

An unprecedented chill instantly froze his soul.

Beneath the surface of this city that never sleeps, there is actually a demonic tree with the face of an ancestor being suppressed?!

What exactly is going on?

The Nine Dragon Cauldron, the broken jade pendant, the true dragon's essence, and this demonic tree underground—

At this moment, all the clues seemed to string together into a blood-stained thread, pointing to a shocking conspiracy that could overturn the entire cultivation world.

"This is the real hell."

Gu An looked at the weed that had withered and died in the corner due to the underground fluctuations, and an indescribable fear rose in his heart.

He originally thought he had escaped the Green Wood Sect and that huge vortex.

Little did he know that he had simply jumped from one whirlpool into another, deeper, darker, and more desperate abyss.

"We must leave—we must get out of here—"

Gu An struggled to his feet and staggered toward the door.

But in this city that never sleeps, is there really any way to escape?