Chapter 639: Shocked

"Friend, you must have misunderstood!"

At this moment, Gu Song was trembling in fear.

He explained while wearing a pleading expression toward He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng merely shook his head coolly: "Gu Song, you're insulting me."

"Impossible!" Gu Song quickly raised his hand: "Dragon Hibernation, I truly have no intention to insult you!"

"How could I possibly insult you? If you don't believe me, I swear by the Dao of Heaven!"

He Pingsheng smiled coldly: "You're insulting my intelligence!"

As the word "shang" left his lips, He Pingsheng moved!

He waved his hand, and a black spear erupted violently, hurtling toward Gu Song!

Gu Song hastily summoned a defensive magic treasure.

But the spear spun midair, then pierced straight through the old man behind He Pingsheng with a wet thud.

Gu Song was startled, but upon seeing the spear kill the old man, he exhaled in relief.

After all, it wasn't him this time.

Yet the moment Gu Song relaxed, a sudden chill struck his back.

Thud…

Without warning, a cluster of black ice arrows had pierced through his body.

Then, he and the other old man both collapsed to the ground.

This strike did not kill Gu Song, for the ice arrows had not shattered his dantian or meridians.

To Gu Song, it was merely a superficial wound!

Yet He Pingsheng had infused this strike with the technique 【Ten Thousand Corrosions Binding Art】, and its poison had already entered Gu Song's body.

Within a few breaths, Gu Song lost consciousness.

Thud…

Thud…

Thud…

He Pingsheng showed no hesitation—he raised his blade and cut down all three.

Thus, all five who had come to ambush He Pingsheng were dead.

Hiss hiss hiss…

Several fire crows flew out, landing on the corpses of the five. Half an incense stick later, their bodies turned to ash.

These men were all at the Soul Transformation realm, not yet reaching Void Refinement, so they could not possess body doubles.

Dead meant truly dead.

As for their souls, He Pingsheng did not collect them—he let them freely enter reincarnation.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

Several rings flew toward him and landed in his palm.

He Pingsheng put away the rings, then transformed into a streak of light heading toward Zhu Que Imperial City.

…

Meanwhile!

In the trading hall of Gu Song Mountain.

Everyone fell silent.

Because the agreed-upon hour had passed, yet the host had not appeared.

Not only had the host not shown himself, but five others were also missing.

Some were confused, frowning deeply.

Others knew exactly what had happened, waiting for the outcome.

Wait.

Time passed slowly—another hour slipped away.

Gu Song still had not returned.

"Enough!" Someone stood up: "Let's not wait for Brother Gu Song—we'll trade among ourselves!"

"Fellow cultivators, bring out your finest items!"

"This old man has a material passed down from ancient times…"

The trade at Gu Song Mountain continued.

In a flash, two more hours passed.

The sky grew darker; night descended.

Lady Longyue involuntarily drew a deep breath—no one here understood Gu Song's plan better than she did.

She knew Gu Song had gone to hunt down the cultivator named Long Zhe.

Yet strangely, none of the five had returned.

How could this be?

Could it be that all five had been killed by that man instead?

The thought sent a shiver down Lady Longyue's spine.

At that moment, a Jin Dan cultivator in white robes entered the hall.

He was a disciple of Gu Song Mountain—he bowed to all: "Elders, if your trades are complete, please be on your way!"

Gu Song's figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Some, unable to wait any longer, left immediately.

In moments, nine-tenths of the crowd had departed.

But Lady Longyue did not leave—after everyone else had gone, she approached the Jin Dan disciple and asked: "Is your master's life tablet still intact?"

Not only Lady Longyue, but several other observant figures—including Mo Sang—turned their gazes and spiritual senses toward him.

The Jin Dan disciple had intended to conceal the truth, but faced with the stern stares of so many Soul Transformation elders, he dared not lie—he put on a sorrowful expression and wept: "In answer to your inquiry, Elder… my master… my master… waaah… his life tablet has shattered!"

"What?" Lady Longyue asked: "When did this happen?"

The Jin Dan replied: "It shattered at noon!"

Hisssss…

Many present drew sharp breaths at this.

Meaning, shortly after Long Zhe departed at noon, Gu Song's life tablet shattered—he was dead?

Then…

That means Long Zhe killed Gu Song?

This doubt filled nearly everyone's mind.

Some turned to Mo Sang for confirmation.

Mo Sang shook his head: "Not necessarily… perhaps they found a heavenly artifact, and infighting broke out among the five."

It wasn't that Mo Sang refused to believe—he simply could not imagine how He Pingsheng, alone, could defeat five Soul Transformation peak cultivators.

"Let's go…" Lady Longyue drew a deep breath: "Go see for ourselves!"

A bad premonition gripped her; her face was as dark as water.

For Gu Song carried an item of critical importance—if it was lost, her entire plan would collapse.

Whoosh…

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

Six or seven streaks of light shot from Gu Song Mountain toward the imperial city.

Half an incense stick later, they landed at the site where He Pingsheng had fought the five.

Their spiritual senses surged outward.

"This is…" Mo Sang felt a chill in his heart.

Though the bodies had turned to ash, the lingering spiritual traces of the dead still clung to the air.

These five dead men were close friends of Lady Longyue—she recognized each of their traces.

All of them were here.

None had escaped.

"Hisssss…" Lady Longyue drew another sharp breath: Good heavens—they were all killed!

All dead!

Five men, slain by one man?

This fellow… this Long Zhe—what kind of prodigy is he?

"Brother Mo Sang!" Lady Longyue bowed to him: "You must know this Long Zhe well, correct?"

She fixed her gaze on Mo Sang.

Mo Sang shook his head: "To be honest, Immortal, I don't know him well. If I told you I met him for the first time today, would you believe me?"

Lady Longyue said: "Then your Jiaoyi Society must know him well!"

Mo Sang replied: "Perhaps. He was introduced by the Third Elder—I suspect the Third Elder knows him better."

"Good!" Lady Longyue bowed again: "Please take me back to your Jiaoyi Society—I demand to meet Long Zhe…"

Long Yue has no choice!

Because an important item was placed on Gu Song, and this item is of great significance to Long Yue.

Now that Gu Song is dead, she can only go to He Pingsheng to retrieve it.