Inner Force Manual

"Heh! They think we're easy prey, treating us like a dish on the table!"

Gu Sheng shook his head with a smile. He looked sunny and cheerful, but in Er Gouzi and Lang Ge's eyes, it was like a devil's sinister grin, frightening them into shrinking back.

Now that they knew the smiling man before them was the executioner who had poisoned them earlier, how could they not fear this smiling tiger? Killing while smiling was far more terrifying than killing with a blank expression.

"Spare us, Grandpa! Spare us! We were forced into this! Please spare our worthless lives—just let us go like a fart!"

The triangular-eyed man, Er Gouzi, repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy. Lang Ge wore the same cowardly, life-loving expression.

"Shut up!"

Gu Sheng coldly barked at Er Gouzi, then slowly crouched down and patted Lang Ge's pale cheek with the icy flat of the Jade Chill Blade. "Your boss sent you to kill me, and now you want me to let you go... Don't you think you should leave something behind first?"

"Sir, just say the word... Say it... Whatever you need, as long as I have it... I'll definitely give it to you!"

Lang Ge's face was full of ingratiating smiles, but in the brief moment he lowered his head, a deeply hidden trace of hatred flashed through his eyes.

He had already secretly decided that if he made it back alive, he would have Qin San avenge him, wipe out that damned Teng Village, and never let off the people before him—especially these two little brats.

Outside Lang Ge's line of sight, Gu Sheng's gaze was icy. How could he fail to guess what this one-armed man was thinking? But he simply did not care...

"You definitely have it!"

Gu Sheng's tiger-like eyes fixed tightly on Lang Ge as he carefully observed every change in his expression. "Hand over every Inner Force manual you know." Gu Sheng kept his guard up. Lang Ge's saber technique had not been weak just now, making him feel that this man might not be so simple.

When Teng Qingshan, Teng Yongfan, and the others heard this, their expressions changed. Excitement surfaced in Teng Yongfan and the others' eyes. Teng Qingshan, however, felt that this was somewhat... inappropriate.

"Well..."

Lang Ge hesitated. "The manuals I know were given to me by Lord Li. If they were leaked, I'm afraid..." Though he did not say it outright, Teng Yongfan and the others understood. Once Lord Li learned that such a precious resource as an Inner Force manual had been leaked, it would surely become a fight to the death.

"You really only have that one?"

As Gu Sheng spoke, he noticed Lang Ge's right cheek twitch slightly. He seemed to be hiding something. Gu Sheng suddenly shouted, "Talk! The other technique, that book..."

Gu Sheng's gaze remained fixed on Lang Ge. He had already confirmed that this fellow was concealing something. When he saw Lang Ge's peripheral vision dart unnaturally toward the blade, he understood and uttered two words that nearly scared Lang Ge out of his wits.

"Blade manual!"

"I'll talk..."

Gu Sheng was not the only one staring at Lang Ge. Teng Qingshan had also been watching him with the fierce gaze of a lone wolf. Under the crushing pressure of those two stares, Lang Ge finally broke down completely.

"I'll talk, I'll talk, but you have to spare me! Let me go!"

As though smashing a broken jar beyond repair, Lang Ge bluntly stated his condition.

"Fine!"

Gu Sheng nodded. Fearing that Lang Ge would not trust him, he pointed at Teng Qingshan, Teng Yongfan, and the others. "Not just me—every one of us can swear that if the blade manual is genuine, I'll let you go immediately."

"Yes, yes, swear! Swear first! Don't think a single one of you can be left out!"

As if he had seized a lifeline, Lang Ge pointed at Teng Yongfan, Gu Sheng, and the others as he shouted urgently.

"I, Teng Qinghu, swear here that as long as... the blade manual is genuine, I will let him leave today! If I violate this oath, then I..."

Gu Sheng was extremely decisive. He gave Teng Qingshan, Teng Yongfan, and the others—who were still somewhat hesitant—a meaningful look, prompting them all to make venomous oaths one by one.

"Good!"

Joy at surviving the disaster appeared on Lang Ge's face, and his entire body relaxed considerably. In this other world, similar to ancient Blue Star, oaths were highly binding, and few people dared violate them.

"This blade manual is called the Meteor Blade. Though it only has one level, its power is extremely great once mastered..."

Lang Ge began recounting the key points of the Meteor Blade. He did not dare tamper with it. After their exchange just now, he had already discovered that both Gu Sheng and Teng Qingshan were martial artists who had cultivated Inner Force.

He was not particularly learned, and randomly altering it would easily create flaws. As long as those two martial artists circulated their Inner Force a little, they would be able to tell whether the manual was genuine. Then he might instead lose his life.

Gu Sheng's entire body suddenly stiffened, and the expression on his face became rather comical, because this technique had truly exceeded his expectations.

Ding!

A notification sounded.

Obtained martial art "Meteor Blade," first level (incomplete). Only one-third of the first level is present. It can only be cultivated to the Second-rate Peak. After learning it, personal Conquest Progress increases by 0.01%.

Meteor Blade

Type: Internal and external cultivation combined (internal cultivation method paired with blade techniques)

Quality: A-rank technique (five stars, incomplete)

Notice: Skill has not been authenticated. It can only be used in this world and cannot be brought back to the Lord God Space.

Authentication required: 300 points, one Black Iron Medal

Ding-ling!

The notification sounded again. "System notification: Database entry for 'Meteor Blade' (incomplete) successfully recorded."

"This technique... I remember it. It is... from the Gui Yuan Sect..."

Memories of The Nine Cauldrons surged through Gu Sheng's mind. At last, he dug up the record of this technique from some forgotten corner. This "Meteor Blade" was one of the Gui Yuan Sect's two great Heaven-grade Secret Manuals. Cang Feng and Elder Ni, two of the Gui Yuan Sect's few blade experts, had both cultivated this technique and broken through to the Innate Realm.

Heaven-grade Secret Manuals were all created by Void Realm experts. Their concepts were extraordinary, and those who cultivated them successfully had the potential to break through to the Innate Realm.

Gu Sheng could not figure out why this technique had fallen into the hands of a minor figure like Lang Ge, nor why the Gui Yuan Sect seemed unaware of it. But he did not dwell on it. After all, the technique Lang Ge possessed was incredibly incomplete, so the Gui Yuan Sect probably did not care much about it.

"Sir! Can I go now?"

As he spoke, Lang Ge carefully pulled a wrinkled, yellowed booklet from a hidden layer in his clothes. It should have been the original copy he had obtained back then.

"Go."

Gu Sheng took the booklet and flipped through it, casually waving him away.

"Thank you, sir, thank you, thank you..."

Lang Ge bowed and scraped as he covered his right arm, rose to his feet, and staggered toward the rear of the official road.

"Lang Ge, take your brother with you... Lang Ge, Lang, Lang, Lang Ge!"

The triangular-eyed Er Gouzi called out, hoping Lang Ge would turn back and look at him. But having finally escaped death, how could Lang Ge risk himself for him? He walked away without looking back. Yet after taking only a few steps, he collapsed weakly to the ground amid Er Gouzi's cries.

"I said I'd let you leave, but I never said I'd give you the antidote!"

Gu Sheng closed the booklet and handed it to Teng Yongfan. Then he pulled the Jade Chill Blade from the ground and swung it toward Er Gouzi.

"You—"

Er Gouzi had just turned around to accuse Gu Sheng of breaking his promise when a jade-colored flash swept past. His eyes widened, and he crumpled limply to the ground.