The Cost Was Not Small

"That was an unexpected gain."

Gu Sheng chuckled softly, then his expression turned serious as he looked toward the depths of the valley.

"It's time to handle the real business."

He walked to the entrance of the valley, removed the Heavenly Demon Vine from his arm, and gently placed it on the ground.

"Guard this place. Kill anyone who approaches without mercy."

The Heavenly Demon Vine had no intelligence, but it could understand its master's orders through spiritual fluctuations.

It quickly rooted itself in the earth. Countless vines spread outward like a tide, covering the entire valley entrance in the blink of an eye and forming an impenetrable barrier of death.

The instant Gu Sheng stepped into the valley, dense spiritual energy surged toward him like a tide, causing every pore on his body to relax.

He felt a cool current flow through his nostrils and straight into his dantian, more invigorating than absorbing a mid-grade Spirit Stone.

"What dense spiritual energy!"

A sharp glint flashed in Gu Sheng's eyes.

"No wonder that woman wanted to claim this place for herself. Cultivating here for one day is worth several months of bitter training outside."

He looked around. The valley was lush with vegetation, and every leaf shimmered with Spirit Light.

In the distance, waterfalls and springs flowed, with specks of Spirit Light drifting through the mist.

But what drew his attention most was the faint, intermittent fluctuation deep within the valley.

"It's there!"

With a thought from Gu Sheng, his spiritual power spread outward like a tide.

Ever since cultivating the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art, his spiritual power had far surpassed that of martial artists at the same level, allowing him to sense subtle fluctuations that ordinary people could not detect.

Following the probe of his spiritual power, he quickly