Just then, the Demon Beast suddenly opened its massive mouth and spewed a scorching flame. Gu Sheng's figure flickered; although he dodged the direct attack, the edge of his garment was still singed by the intense heat.

"That was close!" Gu Sheng muttered to himself with a sense of relief.

The Demon Beast seized the momentum and swung its gigantic claw toward Gu Sheng once again. This time, Gu Sheng chose not to evade. Instead, he activated the Ancient Sacred Body within him. His entire body gleamed with golden light, resembling a golden War God descended into the mortal world.

"Boom!" The golden fist collided fiercely with the Demon Beast's claw, producing a deafening roar. Gu Sheng's arm tingled slightly, but the Demon Beast was also shaken and retreated several steps.

The Demon Beast, being remarkably powerful, quickly regained its balance and launched another ferocious attack on Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng fought and retreated simultaneously, feeling a trace of anxiety in his heart. He knew this wasn't a solution and had to think of a way to break the deadlock.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he summoned the Grass Vine Demon Soul. Vibrant green vines burst out from the ground and swiftly wound themselves around the Demon Beast. The Demon Beast roared furiously, attempting to free itself from the vines' restraint, but they twined around it like serpents, holding it firmly in place.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Sheng deployed the "Boundless Sky Lotus Formation." Emerald-green lotus leaves rapidly sprouted and spread out, encircling the Demon Beast completely. These lotus leaves seemed alive, constantly shifting in shape and position, forming a complex maze.

The Demon Beast charged wildly within the lotus maze, yet it could not find an escape route. Its roars grew weaker and weaker, clearly drained of energy. Seeing this, Gu Sheng plunged his sword into the Demon Beast's heart, bringing an end to the thrilling fight.

Gasping for breath, he gazed at the fallen Demon Beast, feelings of relief and reflection surging through him. "It's finally over…"

At that moment, an unforeseen event occurred! The previously serene desert suddenly rippled with fierce energy waves, as though something was about to break through the surface.

Gu Sheng's face paled as he warily scanned the surroundings. In the center of the desert, a massive vortex slowly formed, appearing to swallow everything in sight.

"What the hell is that?" Gu Sheng thought to himself in shock, while simultaneously activating the Spiritual Power within him, preparing for combat.

From within the vortex came a thunderous roar, followed by the emergence of an enormous figure—a far more powerful Demon Beast!

The Demon Beast radiated a terrifying aura, its crimson eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Aaaargh~" It roared, charging toward Gu Sheng at a speed that took his breath away.

Cursing inwardly, Gu Sheng immediately activated the Carefree Ascension Step, transforming into a streaking shadow to dodge the lethal strike. At the same time, the Seven-colored Jade Maiden Sword in his hand emitted an intense glow, slashing toward the Demon Beast.

But this Demon Beast's prowess far surpassed the previous one. Gu Sheng's attacks felt like mere scratches, entirely ineffective. The Demon Beast roared repeatedly, lunging at Gu Sheng time and time again, forcing him into a constant retreat.

"This won't work!" Gu Sheng inwardly grimaced, his mind racing for a solution. He knew he had to devise a new strategy against such a powerful foe; otherwise, survival would be out of the question.

Determined, Gu Sheng's eyes glinted with resolve. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all the Spiritual Power within him, ready to unleash his ultimate attack.

"Gale Nine Swords—Ninth Sword!" Gu Sheng shouted, his body moving like the wind, weaving around the Demon Beast. Each flash of his sword precisely struck the Demon Beast's weak spots.

The Demon Beast howled in pain as wounds appeared all over its body, blood flowing ceaselessly. Yet it refused to fall, instead becoming even more frenzied in its onslaught against Gu Sheng.

Seeing this, Gu Sheng steeled himself and decided to use his final gambit—the Shadow Concealment Skill. His figure flickered, merging into the surrounding darkness and vanishing completely.

The Demon Beast frantically scanned around, unable to locate Gu Sheng. Suddenly, a beam of sword light emerged from the shadows, piercing straight into the Demon Beast's heart.

"Squelch—" A soft, chilling sound followed as the sword light penetrated the Demon Beast's body. It let out a final anguished roar, collapsing heavily to the ground.

Gu Sheng emerged from the shadows, gazing at the fallen Demon Beast, and let out a long sigh of relief. He knew he had finally conquered this life-or-death trial.

Looking up at the sky, pride and ambition filled his heart. "Endless sands and boundless sea of spirits—Gu Sheng is here! I will find the sixth Water Spirit Pearl without fail!"

After resting briefly, Gu Sheng got back on his feet and ventured deeper into the Spirit Sand Sea.

Under the blazing sun, the golden desert sparkled like a vast golden ocean. Standing atop a high dune, Gu Sheng unleashed his Divine Thought like a tide, scouring the surroundings for disturbances. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a distant scene.

"Haha, this haul looks splendid. Seems we're about to strike it rich!" A bandit leader laughed greedily, sweeping his eyes over the plundered convoy's cargo.

The convoy's guards were nearly decimated, with only an elderly man and a young woman struggling to fend off the attackers. Though the young woman's cultivation was modest, her eyes gleamed with determination and defiance.

From afar, Gu Sheng looked at the woman, an inexplicable sense of familiarity stirring in his heart. He resolved to intervene—not just for justice, but for that unplaceable feeling within.

"You despicable bandits! How dare you rob in broad daylight!" Gu Sheng bellowed angrily, his figure streaking toward the bandits like lightning.

"Hmph! Who's this brat? Daring to meddle in our business!" The bandit leader sneered coldly.

Gu Sheng didn't reply, silently summoning his Spiritual Power. In an instant, the "Boundless Sky Lotus Formation" unfolded. Emerald-green lotus leaves sprouted from the desert sands, rapidly encircling the bandits. These leaves behaved as though alive, shifting shapes and positions to form a bewildering maze.

"What's going on? Why are these leaves moving?" A bandit yelled in alarm.

"Don't be afraid! This must be the kid's trick. Everyone, charge through with me!" The bandit leader shouted angrily, swinging his weapon to chop at the lotus leaves.

However, the leaves seemed to possess a mind of their own, deftly evading the attacks while vines extended to tightly bind the bandits one by one. To their horror, they found their Spiritual Powers useless before these leaves.

"Ah! Help me!" One bandit screamed in agony as vines constricted him tightly.

Soon, cries of fear erupted from the other bandits as well.

The vines transformed into razor-sharp blades, piercing through the bandits' bodies one after another.

Blood soaked the desert sands, the air thick with the stench of death.

The lotus leaves looked even greener, seemingly absorbing the Life Force of the fallen bandits.

Gu Sheng rescued the young woman and elder. When they witnessed this carnage, their eyes were filled with awe and gratitude.

The elder, severely wounded, leaned weakly against the young woman.

The woman gripped Gu Sheng's hand tightly, as though clinging to her last hope.

"Thank you, kind savior! My name is Yu Die, of the Yu Clan. If not for your help, we would have never escaped these bandits," Yu Die said, her voice full of gratitude.

Gu Sheng nodded slightly, saying little in response.

Turning his gaze to the bandits devoured by the lotus leaves, he felt a mix of emotions.

Though loathsome, their deaths left a faint trace of melancholy in his heart.

Still, he knew he had done the right thing.

These bandits had lost their humanity, spreading calamity across the desert.

"Miss Yu Die, what are your plans now?" Gu Sheng asked.

"We were originally headed to the Yu Clan's territory, but we never imagined encountering these bandits here." Yu Die sighed. "With the elder gravely wounded, we don't know what to do now."

Seeing the helplessness in Yu Die's eyes, Gu Sheng couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

He decided to assist this pitiful woman and ensure her safe passage to the Yu Clan's lands.

"Alright, I'll escort you to the Yu Clan's territory," Gu Sheng said.

Yu Die's eyes sparkled with joy upon hearing his words.

"Really? Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, gripping his hand with excitement.

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