First Battle Against an Upper Cultivator

The current Crimson Heart Cult is surnamed Gu, with the given name Cheng Sen. He comes from a small family in Fa Prefecture and was separated from his parents and relatives at a young age. Because of his outstanding talent in Single Spirit Root, he was fortunate enough to become a disciple of the Second Elder of the Crimson Heart Cult, the Pill Master.

His cultivation path was remarkably smooth. When Gu Chengsen was forty, he had already established the Ice Leaf Dao Foundation Crimson Heart Cult Sect. Afterward, following his master's orders, he severed all his close relatives to sever his emotions and desires, and diligently practiced the Crimson Heart Cult's sect- Cultivation Method, the Cosmos Rank, Lower Grade "Blood Realm Ashen Annihilation Scripture."

Two Jiazi later, he was bestowed with the Higher Vehicle spiritual object, the Three-Aperture Red Tassel Heart, and went into seclusion to seek the Golden Core.

Unfortunately, the timing was unfortunate. Just as a powerful enemy was invading and a large army was pressing on the border, Gu Chengsen was fortunate enough to be protected by the Dao Ancestor and made a breakthrough in battle, a common story in folk tales. He then attained the Lower-Grade Golden Core and was able to live to the age of ninety years.

After Core Formation, they immediately joined forces with the Exalted Cultivator Honggu, the leader of the Crimson Heart Cult, to annihilate the Yunwei Zheng Household family, causing the Zheng Household patriarch Zheng Taibai, to flee in panic. After that, they joined forces to fight Chu Yanran.

This should have been a closely contested battle, but Exalted Cultivator Honggu his injuries, and Gu Chengsen was merely a cultivator with a cultivation level that hadn't even solidified and transformed his core essence. Moreover, they had a rare magic Law Treasure, which made them Chu Yanran's main target.

In this battle, the Exalted Cultivator Honggu was unable to provide adequate support. Gu Chengsen had just reached Golden Core stage when he was severely injured by Chu Yanran's Higher Vehicle Law Treasure, the Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp. Only after the battle was over did he manage to recuperate in the forbidden area of Crimson Heart Cult.

But only a few days later, they sent people to their door again.

Anyone would be furious if this happened to them.

However, the anger on Gu Chengsen's face, who was opposed to Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing, gradually subsided, and he appeared neither sad nor happy, his true feelings unknown.

The scene fell into an eerie silence. Kang Dabao trembled slightly in his short halberd, and the False Core head on the tip of the halberd was instantly slashed to pieces and scattered on the ground.

Blood and flesh were scattered haphazardly on the ground, merging with the mangled bodies of the Foundation Establishment Qi Refinement who had just perished. It was impossible to tell which parts were noble and which were respectable.

While making these movements, he didn't dare to take his small eyes off Gu Chengsen. The golden light in his pupils became even brighter, and even Gu Chengsen Golden Core, seemed to be stung so much that he squinted slightly.

"This is Golden Core!" Sect Leader Kang Da's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was pounding.

It's important to know that the Golden Core stage is not as worthless as some people think; in remote regions like Cloud Horn Prefecture and Pu Prefecture, it often takes two or three hundred years for someone to emerge like this.

Those who Golden Core Elixir, if they are devoted to the Immortal Dynasty and willing to join it, may be granted titles of nobility and fiefdoms; if they wish to live a carefree life, they may also find a place to be granted land and title, and seclude themselves to become ancestors.

In the eyes of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, no matter how mediocre a Golden Core cultivator is or where he goes, he will always be treated as an honored guest and considered a person of importance.

To be honest, if it were up to Kang Dabao's true nature, he would not want to provoke Golden Core cultivator. Even though Gu Chengsen Core was not yet solidified and it was not impossible for him to fall in realm, even the weakest Golden Core was still Golden Core!

Kang Dabao glanced at the blood-stained Storage Bag at his waist, and muttered to himself, "Still too greedy."

But lamenting was useless at this point. As Golden Light shot out from Sect Leader Kang Da's eyes, he shouted, "Third, let's go!"

"Go?! Where do you think you're going?!" Gu Chengsen threw the shiny red-patterned copper lock forward, expecting Kang Dabao's pupil technique to Huiyi. To his surprise, while the Golden Light did indeed disappear, the red-patterned copper lock in his hand was also shaken and trembled as it fell back into his hand.

Gu Chengsen felt a tightness in his chest; the internal injuries were aggravated, and he almost coughed up blood.

At this moment, his expression suddenly became much more serious. Without stopping, he flicked his finger and drew spiritual light onto the red-patterned bronze lock. As the pure-colored spiritual light gradually enveloped the lock, this top-grade Spirit Artifact, which had been nurtured by Gu Chengsen for over a hundred years, calmed down and regained a layer of dazzling mysterious light.

"This fellow is indeed quite skilled. I have never seen such a pupil technique in my nearly three decades of cultivation!" Gu Chengsen was surprised and muttered to himself. Suddenly, the profound incantation in his hand changed, and the crimson copper lock leaped into the air, swelled to the size of a millstone, and slammed down.

Sect Leader Kang Da showed no sign of panic, only urging the Immortal Game Disc to block. However, this rare and top-grade defensive magical Spirit Artifact only withstood Gu Chengsen's charged attack before cracking and developing cracks on its surface.

Kang Dabao could see several fragments of the Immortal Game Disc falling to the ground, causing him to frown and think to himself, "I can't defeat it, and I can't even block it. The power of the Golden Core is indeed not to be underestimated."

"Now, the only option is to hope that Madam Qi will decide the outcome soon, or that this Daozi's injuries have not fully healed and he is unwilling to fight this worthless fellow."

Sect Leader Kang Da quickly calmed down, only to find that Double Brightness Jiang Third beside him had not retreated. Although he was annoyed by his junior brother's stubbornness, he was helpless. With a halberd and a sword, he unleashed a fierce light and slashed down at the Crimson Copper Lock that Gu Chengsen was rushing towards again.

Even though Jiang Qing's Swordsmanship was superb, he was still slightly lacking when facing an opponent of the Golden Core level head-on. The Sword-Ray that came out first was crushed to pieces by the Crimson Copper Lock, and its power was only slightly stopped when it collided with the halberd light.

"This fierce-looking man is a bit troublesome. I've heard that the Two Instruments Sect has had two senior Pill Master, Yue Lin and Yuan Buwen, who are quite skilled in combat and have attracted many Golden Core cultivators to humbly acknowledge them as equals. This man may be comparable to them. He truly deserves to be the son-in-law of a prominent family and is worthy of such respect."

This young man has probably cultivated Sword Essence, but he is only a mid-stage True Cultivator and can only be a common False Core. If that's all, then... Gu Chengsen, having estimated the approximate strength of the two people opposite him, felt relieved. The solemn expression on his face gradually softened, and he even dared to divert his attention to probe his surroundings with his Divine Sense.

A few breaths later, most of the followers fled like headless flies. Many of them, despite their considerable cultivation and skills, generously exposed their backs to the daring cultivators pursuing them, allowing them to easily reap the rewards of their battles—a truly lamentable situation.

Gu Chengsen's expression suddenly turned ugly. Normally, a cultivator who could abandon his closest relatives to pursue the Dao should not have any emotional fluctuations over the deaths of these low-level disciples.

However, his change of State of Mind was not due to heartache over the death of his disciples. After all, even after learning that his master had been killed by Kang and Jiang in a joint attack, this Daoist had not shown a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

Gu Chengsen knew very well that the Crimson Heart Cult was different from those sanctimonious sects that claimed to be righteous. There was fierce competition among its members, and people often lost their lives.

Because of this, even though he had cultivated in this sect for nearly three decades, he still could not say that he had any feelings for the Crimson Heart Cult. However, this did not mean that he could sit idly by and watch his disciples all perish.

Regardless of his attitude towards the Crimson Heart Cult, if the latter remains stable, Gu Chengsen, this newly promoted upper cultivator, can safely obtain an extra annual salary that Rogue Cultivator of the same level could only earn through hard work; he can purchase inexpensive spiritual items from the sect's treasury at a much lower cost; and he can have several thousand fairly elite disciples at his beck and call.

Given this situation, how could Gu Chengsen bear to part with his important identity and his disciples? To put it simply, these cultivators from the Double Brightness Alliance weren't harming Gu Chengsen 'Gu Chengsen fellow disciples; they were ruining his crops!

Given this, why would Gu Chengsen be willing to continue dealing with Sect Leader Kang Da? He even diverted half of the spiritual power that was suppressing his injuries, placing it on the Crimson Copper Lock and then letting it fall onto the two people in front of him.

Now, Sect Leader Kang Da urged Immortal Game Disc to step forward and block again. Gu Chengsen could already see that the former's top-grade defensive Spirit Artifact was cracking, and it would probably collapse soon.

Before Gu Chengsen could even feel a sense of triumph, he felt another gust of wind sweep across his cheek.

The sword light was dazzling, but Gu Chengsen did not dodge it. He used the Blood Realm Ashen Annihilation Scripture break the law with the law.

When this Cultivation Method is practiced to a high level, one must swallow molten iron made from a hundred kinds of spiritual metals, in order to forge the internal organs into an indestructible state and soak the blood throughout the body in a way that resembles molten gold.

When Gu Chengsen reached such a level, when he exhaled the wind, golden energy would be generated, capable of destroying all things.

Gu Chengsen swallowed hard and exhaled a stream of brilliant golden energy. Jiang Qing's sword light was no match for it and vanished into vapor.

The powerful strike, which spun and vanished in an instant, caused Jiang Qing's expression to turn solemn.

However, the Sect Leader Kang Da did not find anything amiss. If this Daoist was truly only capable of fighting his own brothers to a standstill, wouldn't he be too worthless?!

Gu Chengsen showed no mercy. Having gained the upper hand, he was unwilling to give Kang and Jiang Qing had obtained to lose its brilliance and its sharpness.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, is only slightly hindered by the Immortal Game Disc. This top-grade defensive Spirit Artifact, which he carefully selected, is extremely resilient. Even after being bombarded by Golden Core cultivator more than ten times, it can still barely survive.

Seeing the terrible state of the artifact, Kang Dabao knew that regardless of whether he won or lost against this Spirit Artifact of the Crimson Heart Cult, it would be difficult to repair it afterward, which was a pity.

Given the vast difference in cultivation levels between the two sides, it would be quite remarkable if word got out that Sect Leader Kang Da and Third Master Jiang were able to maintain their defensive posture under such intense pressure.

However, Kang Dabao, who was usually low-key, was quite ambitious at this moment. He could see that Gu Chengsen's injuries had not fully recovered. In addition to blocking the Crimson Copper Lock and Golden Qi, he dared to step forward and close in, either wielding a halberd to fight or directly using the Eight Wastelands Suppress the Mountain Suppression Set on this newly promoted cultivator.

The disciple of the Crimson Heart Cult could see that this man's skills, whether in halberd techniques or body refinement, had far surpassed the realm of Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Although he was not afraid, it would be an exaggeration to say that dealing with him while suffering from illness would be effortless.

Even though Jiang Qing knew he was no match, he still dared to roam outside with his now dimmed flying sword, occasionally unleashing a sharp sword light that was extremely difficult to deal with.

Gu Chengsen came from a heretical sect. Despite his poor background, he was able to achieve the Golden Core before his fellow disciples from prominent families. His combat experience must be incredibly rich.

He knew that at this time, he should look for a breakthrough by exploiting Jiang Qing's weakness. Although the latter's pace was still considered mysterious among those of the same level, it was still traceable in the eyes of Gu Chengsen, a Golden Core cultivator.

After silently calculating in his mind for a while, Gu Chengsen immediately figured out Jiang Qing's escape route. He then decisively urged the Crimson Copper Lock and Golden Qi to block the Sect Leader Kang Da, and took out several Spirit Artifacts and talismans to use one by one, finally completely locking down all of Jiang Qing's escape routes.

Just when everyone thought they could easily get rid of this fly, Kang Dabao abandoned the Immortal Game Disc, blocked the Crimson Copper Lock, and then withstood a blow of golden energy. Afterwards, he rushed to Jiang Qing's side, coughing up blood.

At the last possible moment, this man wielded his Slaughter and Extermination and smashed several Spirit Artifacts and talismans, finally creating an opening for the two brothers in Gu Chengsen's heavily fortified formation, allowing them to escape alive.

Gu Chengsen felt no frustration. Compared to eliminating Jiang Qing, this handsome fly, it was certainly more worthwhile for him to hurt Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, after he put away the Crimson Copper Lock and absorbed the Golden Qi to nourish it, he was surprised to find that the two people who he thought would immediately flee did not make any move. Instead, they each swallowed a few pills and then landed more carefully at a distance to observe their movements.

"What a killer!" Gu Chengsen's face darkened as he thought it would be another easy chase. He could feel that the red-patterned copper lock in his hand was getting hot.

He probed with his Divine Sense again and found that there were no disciples or followers still resisting the enemy. This made him feel anxious. Ignoring his injuries, he began to activate the copper lock and golden energy in order to quickly kill the two troublesome people and save the day.

Having lost the Immortal Game Disc, a top-grade Spirit Artifact nurtured for many years, Sect Leader Kang Da was indeed struggling to cope with the full-force attack of the Red Heart Sect's Crimson Heart Cult disciple. Fortunately, with Jiang Qing by his side and a mostly damaged talisman treasure found in the Storage Bag of the newly acquired Yellow Forest Mountain Lord, he was able to barely withstand the most intense offensive.

They fought for about an hour, and Gu Chengsen gained the upper hand, but he couldn't win. Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing were covered in blood and looked disheveled. Despite their obvious defeat, they didn't show any weakness.

Gu Chengsen's expression grew increasingly grim. After all, in the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, it was probably difficult to count many cultivators as disheveled as himself.

He pulled out a dark bone arrow from his hand, pondered for a long time, but then put it back. Just then, a group of soldiers with brightly colored armor slowly advanced from a distance.

Unlike the Crimson Heart Cult who had long been beaten to the point of losing their backbone, these monks were full of energy and calm and composed.

Following the golden gong banner, they advanced and retreated in an orderly manner. Each small formation was neatly arranged, and streams of spiritual energy were evenly distributed over each cultivator along with the banners and flags, greatly boosting their courage. Even though they knew that their master was leading them to fight a superior cultivator, they still showed no fear.

If we were to truly discuss it, Bian Hu still seemed somewhat out of place and hadn't quite integrated into the group, appeared slightly uneasy. But at this moment, he couldn't afford to let his fear of battle get the better of him.

Sect Leader Kang Da hadn't expected Yuan Jin to have the audacity to bring the Azure Jue Guard to their aid. After all, these four hundred men represented almost the entire elite force of the Chongming Sect. If they were all lost here, wouldn't his fellow disciples be devastated?

A familiar breeze suddenly rose in the arena, washing away the surrounding stench of Blood Qi.

The six-petaled azure lotus platform rose again in the arena. Yuan Jin personally beat the war drum, and disciples at various points held array flags. The lotus petals immediately unfurled, swirling and spinning intermittently, separating Gu Chengsen's Spirit Artifact from Kang and Jiang.

Bian Hu was on high alert, not daring to relax even slightly. Gu Chengsen needed to find out the details of this army's formation before making a decision, so he unleashed his full power and smashed the copper lock hard against the lotus leaf. He also sparing no effort in releasing the golden energy in his abdomen.

Just then, the Azure Jue Six-Leaf Battle Lotus Formation, presided over by Yuan Jin, also faced immense pressure and had to immediately change its formation. The sharp azure lotus leaves closed up, protecting all the disciples in the formation within the lotus core.

The sound of flags shattering echoed throughout the formation, and it was common for the flag bearers at key points to vomit blood and die. However, they managed to withstand Gu Chengsen's all-out attack.

"Yu Ling!" Yuan Jin narrowed his eyes and shouted sharply.

The disciples in the Double Brightness raised their heads and shouted, and then landed on the six star positions one after another. Spiritual mist appeared in the core of the formation and slowly seeped into the internal and external wounds of each disciple.

"Cough!" Gu Chengsen coughed up golden energy mixed with foul blood from his abdomen. The lotus Azure Jue Six-Leaf Battle Lotus Formation trembled violently, and even he, an outsider, could hear the painful cry from within.

"This small family manages to train their disciples quite skillfully, which is commendable." Gu Chengsen narrowed his eyes. At this stage of the battle, he needed to carefully weigh the options.

Whether to break through this army formation at all costs and drag my crippled body to help the sect leader and fight against an even more terrifying Golden Core cultivator, or to abandon this mountain gate where I have cultivated for nearly three hundred years and temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack, is a difficult choice.

Yuan Jin didn't know what he was thinking, but he didn't want to keep taking the beating in silence, so he shouted again, "Expand the troops!"

Double Brightness, the lotus leaves that had been tightly closed within the Chongming Formation unfurled, and sharp rays of light intermittently shot out from them. This caused Gu Chengsen to pause, turn around, and leap out, temporarily avoiding the sharp edge of the military formation.

Bian Hu's blade energy came again along with the Golden Light of Sect Leader Kang Da and the Sword-Ray of Jiang Qing Gu Chengsen gritted his teeth and blocked them one by one. However, his internal organs, which had been trained to be indestructible, were in excruciating pain again. This made him stop hesitating and, disregarding his pride, turn around and leave.

(Thanks to reader 20210301106576334466 for the 2,000 coins, and to Wuhuang Leige for the 1,500 coins)

(Tomorrow, Lao Bai will need to ask for leave from the factory to go back to his hometown, so there's a high probability he'll have to take leave. Even if he doesn't, the update will be very late, so please bear with me.)