Gu Sheng did not continue to attack, but stood in place, looking at them coldly.

"You're no match for me. Go back and tell Jiang Yifei and Jiang Caixuan that I, Gu Sheng, will be back! Tell them to wash their necks and wait for me!" With that, he turned and left, leaving a group of the Jiang family's knights looking at each other in dismay.

They knew they had encountered a formidable opponent today, and that this person had even threatened to come back and cause trouble for the Jiang family. This left them feeling incredibly anxious and uneasy.

Meanwhile, Gu Sheng had already disappeared into the vast crowd, continuing his path of escape.

"Whoosh—" The sound of a breaking wind echoed as Gu Sheng's figure slipped through the forest like a ghost. The Jiang family knights pursued closely but could never quite grasp the hem of his garment.

A hint of determination flashed in Gu Sheng's eyes. He knew he couldn't keep running like this. Just then, a bustling city came into view, and his heart stirred. He decided to blend into the crowd to shake off his pursuers.

Upon entering the city, the clamor and prosperity instantly enveloped Gu Sheng. His tattered clothes were in stark contrast to the city's opulence, drawing side glances from passersby. Just then, a familiar voice reached his ear: "Gu Sheng, is that you?"

Gu Sheng turned to see none other than Lin Qingyu. Her eyes flashed with surprise but quickly returned to calm. Her companions, a few young men and women, looked disdainful, and one even spoke rudely: "Where did this beggar come from? Don't block the way!"

"He's my neighbor," Lin Qingyu said, her voice carrying a touch of barely noticeable complexity.

"Oh? Your neighbor?" A man raised his eyebrows and scrutinized Gu Sheng, "He looks so shabby, and you still acknowledge him as your neighbor?"

Gu Sheng showed no expression, as if he hadn't heard these words. He knew that his current self was indeed destitute, but he would never bow his head because of it.

"Enough, stop talking," Lin Qingyu interrupted, "Gu Sheng, you... how did you end up like this?"

"It's nothing, just ran into some trouble." Gu Sheng replied blandly, not wanting to explain his situation further.

"Oh dear, he looks so pitiful. Let's give him some money to buy a decent set of clothes," another man suggested, pulling out a handful of copper coins and tossing them on the ground.

Gu Sheng looked at the coins on the ground, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and turned to leave.

"Stop! Who said you could leave?" The man who had spoken rudely earlier suddenly blocked Gu Sheng's path.

"Our sister Qingyu talked to you, and you're leaving just like that? Are you looking down on our Ziyang Grotto Heaven?"

Gu Sheng frowned. He didn't want to have a conflict with these people, but they clearly weren't going to let him go.

Just then, a powerful aura suddenly burst forth from Gu Sheng, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

"The Wheel Sea secret realm opening the Sea of Suffering!" someone exclaimed.

They saw the life wheel below Gu Sheng's navel begin to slowly rotate, with phantoms of mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, birds, and beasts appearing within, golden waves surging incessantly with overwhelming majesty.

His body seemed to be shrouded in golden light, exuding an aura of the Ancient Sacred Body.

The crowd watched this scene in shock, not expecting this seemingly destitute young man to possess such powerful cultivation.

Gu Sheng ignored their astonishment and turned to stride away.

He knew he couldn't stay here long, or it would only invite more trouble.

"Senior brother, he..." Lin Qingyu wanted to say something but was interrupted by a man next to her.

"Let him go! Not just anyone can provoke our Ziyang Grotto Heaven!" the man snorted coldly.

Even though they were shocked by Gu Sheng's cultivation and phenomena, they still maintained an appearance of arrogance and disdain.

Gu Sheng's figure gradually disappeared into the crowd, and his appearance caused quite a stir in Ziyang Grotto Heaven.

Lin Qingyu watched Gu Sheng's departing figure, a trace of complex emotions flashing in her eyes.

She knew that this former neighbor was no longer an unremarkable youth.

His appearance might bring a storm to this world.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the Jiang family's knights were searching everywhere for Gu Sheng's trail.

Unbeknownst to them, their target had quietly left the city, fleeing to a farther place.

After several days of racing, Gu Sheng approached a barrier—he had arrived at Ziyang Grotto Heaven.

Gu Sheng stood before the mountain gate of Ziyang Grotto Heaven, filled with emotion. It was not only because he had finally found a refuge from the Jiang family's pursuit, but also because he was about to step into a new, unknown world of cultivation.

"Boom—" The stone tablet in front of the mountain gate seemed to sense Gu Sheng's arrival, emitting a low rumble, purple aura swirling around it, dreamlike and ethereal.

Gu Sheng's gaze was drawn to a few youngsters kneeling before the mountain gate. Their eyes were filled with desire and reluctance, as if silently narrating the hardships of their cultivation journey.

"Please, give us another chance!"

"We've worked so hard for so long, we're really unwilling to give up like this!"

The youngsters' pleas echoed continuously, but the cultivator in charge of the assessment remained expressionless, as if accustomed to such scenes.

Gu Sheng was moved in his heart. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and sincerely said, "Seniors, the path of cultivation is inherently difficult. Why not give them a chance to prove their worth?"

The assessing cultivator frowned, about to get angry, but was moved by the sincerity in Gu Sheng's eyes. He pondered for a moment and finally nodded: "Alright, since you say so, they will be given another chance."

The youngsters cheered, and Gu Sheng seized the opportunity to mingle with those who passed the assessment, stepping into Ziyang Grotto Heaven.

The Spiritual Energy here was so dense it was suffocating. Every breath seemed to inhale the essence of the entire world. Purple aura lingered among the mountains as if the light of the scorching sun streaked across the sky, dyeing the whole world in a layer of mysterious purple.

Gu Sheng walked within the Grotto Heaven, feeling the mystery and extraordinariness of this place. He came to a tranquil bamboo forest, where the aura felt particularly comfortable to him.

"This is it," Gu Sheng thought to himself, sitting cross-legged, and began attempting to refine the mysterious "Source."

This "Source" contained vast life essence, akin to a miniature universe of life. Gu Sheng meticulously melted it, wary of inadvertently triggering any unforeseen consequences.

Days passed, and Gu Sheng felt his cultivation steadily improving. On the sixth night, a sudden change erupted!

"Boom—" The Golden Sea of Suffering suddenly stirred, emitting a terrifying sound. Alarmed, Gu Sheng hurriedly suppressed its agitation.

But it was too late. A middle-aged man appeared out of thin air before Gu Sheng. Sharp sense, unfathomable strength, he was the second strongest in Ziyang Grotto Heaven!

"Boy, what were you refining just now?" the middle-aged man asked coldly.

Gu Sheng's heart tightened, but he knew he couldn't show any flaws. He took a deep breath and calmly replied, "This junior was just cultivating and did not refine anything."

A trace of doubt flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes, but he did not pursue further. After a moment of silence, he abruptly said, "If you have a 'Source,' I'm willing to exchange it for endless wealth."

Gu Sheng's heart stirred, but he firmly shook his head: "This junior does not have a 'Source' and cannot exchange it."

The middle-aged man gave Gu Sheng a deep look and turned away. Gu Sheng let out a sigh of relief, knowing he had temporarily escaped disaster.

The next morning, several young cultivators barged into the bamboo forest. They looked at Gu Sheng with surprise and curiosity in their eyes.

"How come you're here?"

"Do you have a 'Source'?"

The young cultivators bombarded him with questions as if trying to see through him. Gu Sheng maintained a smile, answering their questions one by one, but never revealed anything about the "Source."

An hour later, Lin Qingyu also arrived at the bamboo forest. She looked at Gu Sheng, her eyes flickering with a complex light.

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