After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 8

“Senior Brother!”

His body was suddenly embraced, and in the next moment, a continuous stream of spiritual power surged into his body.

Gu Congxing looked back and, as expected, saw Zhong Ming’s anxious and pained gaze.

“Junior Brother…”

“Senior Brother, don’t speak. Healing your injuries is the priority!”

Zhong Ming steadied Gu Congxing and channeled spiritual power through his meridians. He had previously studied the healing techniques of the Wood spiritual root, and today they finally proved useful.

At that moment, several streams of water soared into the air, transforming into sharp blades that struck at the Blood Demon’s vital points. The Blood Demon hastily retreated, failing to notice a sword light that had silently coalesced behind him, piercing directly into his abdomen when he least expected it!

“Argh!!”

Chong Yuan let out a cry of pain. His murder-filled gaze swept the area as he spat out another mouthful of blood.

“Dammit! I will definitely have your heads in the future!”

Having been wounded repeatedly, Chong Yuan spat out a harsh threat before quickly reciting an incantation. His body exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Lan Jue reacted immediately, throwing his longsword, but it merely passed through the mist and struck a tree.

“A Blood Demon… his escape method is certainly unique.”

Lan Jue’s expression remained unchanged. After a moment of thought, he summoned his sword back, his gaze shifting to his two Junior Brothers on the ground.

Gu Congxing met his gaze. Various voices churned in his heart, yet at this moment, they looked at each other in silence.

Senior Brother, Lan Jue.

It’s great. It’s a living Senior Brother, a vibrant Senior Brother.

He was not the pale, haggard sword cultivator from his final memories, but the upright, jade-like, and exceptionally elegant “Gentleman’s Sword,” Lan Jue.

The man still possessed that refined and extraordinary appearance, and he had not yet lost his gentle smile when looking at him.

Yes, just like right now.

“What’s wrong? Could it be that the Blood Demon struck you silly?”

Slender fingers reached over, gently caressing his cheek.

Feeling the warmth on his face, Gu Congxing suddenly snapped back to his senses.

“No! It’s nothing! I’m fine, Senior Brother.”

Gu Congxing hurriedly turned his head, moving away from Lan Jue’s fingertips, a faint flush rising on his ears.

But in the next instant, another hand covered his lips, rubbing them with force as if as a punishment.

“Junior Brother?!” Gu Congxing looked in surprise at Zhong Ming’s sudden action.

Zhong Ming’s expression remained unchanged, even maintaining a smile on his lips, yet his eyes were somewhat dark.

“Second Senior Brother has blood on his lips; I’ll wipe it away for you.”

Lan Jue stared at Zhong Ming’s actions, blinking in surprise. He observed Zhong Ming’s expression and then Gu Congxing’s face, revealing a meaningful smile.

“I truly didn’t expect that in less than half a year, the relationship between Second Junior Brother and Little Junior Brother would become so intimate.”

These words sounded very strange. Gu Congxing wanted to open his mouth to refute them, but his wrist was held by Zhong Ming.

Zhong Ming looked up at the right moment, wearing his usual shy smile: “Eldest Senior Brother, it has been a long time.”

Lan Jue smiled and nodded.

Supported by Zhong Ming, Gu Congxing stood up and asked, “I heard earlier that Senior Brother went to the border of East Lai Continent to resolve the matter of the Corpse Gu; did the trip go smoothly?”

“It did. Now that the Corpse Gu has been eliminated, I only need to report the details to Master and the Sect Leader.” Lan Jue no longer showed any of the stern killing intent from the battle; his aura was crisp and his voice soft.

In fact, before asking the question, Gu Congxing already had the answer in his heart.

After all, Eldest Senior Brother Lan Jue was the leading figure of the younger generation in the current cultivation world.

As a child in the mortal world, he was known as a child prodigy. Because of his excellent talent and perception, he was taken as the first disciple by Zhuoguang Sword Venerable. After joining the sect, his cultivation progress was rapid; he formed his Golden Core before reaching the age of twenty. Now, he was at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, surpassing his peers from other noble families and sects.

Unlike Gu Congxing and Zhong Ming, Lan Jue had been by Zhuoguang Sword Venerable’s side since before he was ten years old, so his period of instruction had been the longest, and he had truly inherited Master’s legacy.

Although he looked like a gentle and harmless refined gentleman, everyone knew his combat strength was extraordinary, and he had never lost a cross-realm battle—just as he had against the Nascent Soul stage demon cultivator moments ago.

“Eldest Senior Brother is going to report to Master? Could it be that Master has finished his secluded meditation?” Zhong Ming asked.

Gu Congxing’s heartbeat suddenly became erratic.

Lan Jue patted Zhong Ming’s head, seemingly quite pleased.

“That’s right. Master sent me a message saying he will emerge from seclusion in a few days. Little Junior Brother has reached the Foundation Establishment stage in such a short time; Master will surely be very happy to see it.”

“Let us start our journey back to the sect.”

Since returning to the sect, Gu Congxing had released the demon beast cub, raising it in the back mountain of his private courtyard.

After multiple treatments from his Junior Brother, the Chi was now sleek and vigorous with a steady gait, clearly fully recovered.

Looking at its soft silver fur, Gu Congxing could never resist reaching out to pet it. However, the recovered Chi would always growl and bare its teeth, unwilling to be close to humans.

“Hey, this demon beast was saved by Senior Brother spending a million spirit stones; why are you still fierce toward him?”

Zhong Ming crouched in front of the Chi. Unlike his soft voice, his eyes were filled with cold loathing.

But when he turned to Gu Congxing, he changed his expression like a theatrical mask, putting on a pitiful look.

“Senior Brother, the number of times you’ve accompanied me in sword practice has decreased significantly these past few days.”

“Oh… now that you mention it, I have indeed been negligent,” Gu Congxing said with downcast eyes. “From tomorrow onward, we will practice together just as before.”

Gu Congxing knew his Junior Brother disliked the demon beast cub, but his recent distraction couldn’t be entirely blamed on the Chi.

He had been thinking of Master lately.

At the thought of Master emerging from seclusion, Gu Congxing would even uncontrollably tremble all over.

In his previous life, he hadn’t even been able to see Master’s remains. Later, after embarking on the path of no return and dying under siege, he hadn’t been able to see the scene of Master’s resurrection with his own eyes.

Now, facing a living Master, he actually felt a sense of “homesick trepidation.”

He wanted to get close, yet wanted to flee.

“Senior Brother, are you thinking about forming a contract with this demon beast?”

Seeing Gu Congxing lost in thought again, Zhong Ming asked softly.

Even the Chi, which was curled in a ball feigning sleep, quietly opened one eye, its red beast pupil looking at Gu Congxing.

No, I will not form a contract with it.”

“Why?!”

Zhong Ming was incredibly surprised, and even the Chi “shushed” as it stood up, pacing two steps forward.

Gu Congxing calmly met the Chi’s gaze, his voice slow: “I have heard that if an ancient demon beast’s cultivation is profound, it can hide its own spiritual contract, or even completely erase the traces of the contract to avoid dragging down its master during a crisis. It’s just that usually, the master’s cultivation far exceeds the demon beast’s, so such cases rarely occur.”

However, a Companion Beast is a contract formed between a mature demon beast and a newborn infant; naturally, its cultivation is greater than its master’s.

“But even if the outside world cannot detect traces of the contract, this spiritual bond originating from the blood will not disappear, will it?”

“! Roar”

Upon hearing this, the Chi discarded its lazy and casual manner. Its eyes widened in anger, it let out a long howl, and demonic power surged around its body—

“No need to worry; I will release you back to your master’s side.”

An indifferent sentence interrupted the Chi’s spellcasting, leaving it stunned in place.

“Senior Brother? You?!”

Zhong Ming couldn’t suppress his shock and doubt: “You spent a million spirit stones and nearly lost your life fighting the Blood Demon, just to give it back its freedom?”

This was truly somewhat absurd.

“Since it has a place where it belongs, why force it to stay here?”

Hearing this counter-question, Zhong Ming fell into a moment of silence.

“…Senior Brother, did you know from the very beginning that it had a master?” Zhong Ming looked at Gu Congxing, his tone somewhat urgent for some reason. “Could it be that you are doing this for its master?”

Gu Congxing was momentarily speechless.

One had to say that sometimes his Junior Brother’s intuition was exceptionally sharp.

At this moment, he should have denied it immediately; after all, according to the timeline of this life, he and Si Junjian did not yet know each other. But perhaps because he had told too many lies in his previous life, or perhaps because the expression of the Junior Brother before him was too earnest, Gu Congxing remained silent for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

“Who is it?”

Zhong Ming stepped in front of Gu Congxing, looking directly into his Senior Brother’s eyes from a very close distance, unwilling to miss any change in expression on his face.

But Gu Congxing still wore an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, merely saying softly:

“Just an old acquaintance.”

He rubbed Zhong Ming’s head, and the youth immediately restrained his aura, huddling close to him.

“This demon beast shall be considered my repayment to him. From now on, there will be no more involvement between him and me.”

That was right. In this life, there would be no more interaction between him and Si Junjian.

The entanglements of the previous life were too many. There had also been times of tenderness, but in the end, there was never a moment of mutual understanding, and it had resulted in them turning their swords against each other.

Who was right and who was wrong? Who could say for sure?

Gu Congxing thought that after his death, that “Evil-Slaying Sword” should return to his originally glorious life. Perhaps he would be praised by the world for exposing the fact that he, the demon, practiced forbidden arts; perhaps he would attain the Dao and ascend by personally severing his earthly ties…

In this life, it would be better not to start those ill-fated relationships.

Zhong Ming seemed to want to ask more, but he opened his mouth and eventually held back.

So be it; since Senior Brother was unwilling to speak, he didn’t need to ask.

Moreover, the one staying by Senior Brother’s side now was himself, not that old acquaintance who made him sad…

“So both Junior Brothers are here.”

A gentle voice came from behind, and both Gu Congxing and Zhong Ming turned around.

Lan Jue came to their side: “Master is about to emerge from seclusion. Let us go to the front of his grotto.”

He left only that one sentence before walking away. Zhong Ming’s expression brightened, and he immediately followed.

Gu Congxing took a deep breath and followed their pace.

Outside the grotto where Venerable Zhuoguang was in seclusion.

A great master of the Soul Emergence stage was about to emerge. The heavens and earth were in chaos, with lightning and thunder.

The three disciples under Zhuoguang’s lineage stood outside the grotto, all unstained by the elements, gazing earnestly at the grotto’s main gate.

A hundred meters behind them were many disciples from the main peak, Wendo Peak. They usually received instruction in sword techniques from the various elders on the main peak; although their relationship with Sword Venerable Shen Mu was not close, they had heard his name for a long time and couldn’t help but feel admiration.

“Boom”

A white light suddenly exploded, splitting the boulders of the grotto gate. Immediately, surging spiritual power was released, and everywhere it reached was frozen inch by inch, condensing into a world of ice and snow.

The disciples who had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage found their breath turning to ice and frost forming on their hair, yet they did not move an inch, only hoping to catch a glimpse of the Zhuoguang Sword Venerable’s elegance.

“Master!” Lan Jue called out loudly, taking a step forward.

Gu Congxing’s heart pounded as he stared fixedly at the figure slowly walking out.

With silver hair cascading like a waterfall and skin like ice and jade, the man holding a longsword indifferently raised his eyes. His ice-blue pupils reflected the figures of the three disciples.

The azure sky was clear, and the bright moon hung in the air. He stood alone under the moonlight, surrounded by unsullied ice and snow. He was truly ethereal and boundless, holy and mysterious, as if surrounded by a spiritual aura.

The disciples couldn’t help but hold their breath, feeling as if this part of the world was no longer in the mortal realm.

However, just as everyone was lost in thought, three sword lights carrying ten thousand tons of chill abruptly attacked Lan Jue and the other two!

Lan Jue had already reacted when the sword lights first coalesced. He immediately raised his sword in resistance, shattering the sword intent that was like ten-thousand-year-old ice!

Gu Congxing also suddenly snapped back to his senses, summoning the Whale-Slayer Sword to meet the sword intent. He parried the sword intent behind him; wherever the flying sword light reached, a mountain peak crashed and split apart.

Zhong Ming originally intended to resist with his sword, but upon feeling the piercing cold, he turned and retreated, his steps like rippling waves as he brushed past the sword light.

The disciples behind him had never expected that Zhong Ming would actually not resist head-on but instead dodge it. Facing the incoming sword intent, they hastily formed a sword formation to meet the challenge, barely managing to neutralize it with the strength of several people.

As expected of the Sword Venerable; his first action upon emerging was actually to launch an attack on his personal disciples!

The scene when Shen Mu first emerged was still like an enchanting dream, but everyone’s state of mind had changed drastically, looking at that silver figure with both fear and admiration.

“Passable.”

The person opened his lips slightly and gave a small nod.