Translator: AnubisTL
After the crushing defeat in weapon crafting, Gu Feng finally calmed down and began focusing on improving his strength.
The Spirit Stones he had swindled from the Trial Tower, along with those he had obtained through various means during the major examination—totaling 250 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—were all poured into the Three-Mouth Incense Burner within his sea of consciousness, refining them into Divine Fluid!
After half a month of secluded cultivation, he had advanced his Spiritual Energy, physical body, and Soul to approximately the mid-stage of the eighth level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm, significantly boosting his overall strength.
According to Gu Feng's estimation, even though the gap between the Spirit Nurturing Realm and the Sea Condensation Realm was vast, he could now handle ordinary Sea Condensation Realm cultivators without much trouble.
The only thing that frustrated Gu Feng was that he still hadn't figured out his Nurtured Spirit.
It was a spherical mass of gas, so dark that it could swallow light itself. Logically, it should be incredibly powerful, but in reality, it was utterly useless when activated.
"This shouldn't be the case. If Senior Zhu were to awaken, she could probably provide the answer!" he thought.
As he pondered, he took the Thunder Spirit Grass hanging around his neck and held it in his palm, examining it closely.
After feeding it Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures worth roughly 100 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, the three originally green, narrow leaves now bore patterns resembling electric arcs.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the entire Thunder Spirit Grass exuded an extraordinary Dao essence, filled with a power capable of annihilating the heavens and the earth.
This feeling grew stronger, making Gu Feng wary. It seemed to be undergoing some astonishing transformation.
"I can't stop feeding it Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures. Once Senior Zhu revives, she'll take me to new heights!" Gu Feng said excitedly.
Above the Spirit Nurturing Realm was the Sea Condensation Realm, and above that was the Soul Core Realm... He had a feeling that when Zhu Qingyan reappeared in the world, she would likely surpass the Soul Core Realm.
By then, under her protection, Gu Feng would fear no one. At least within the Great Wei, Great Chu, and Great Li dynasties, there were no known existences that had surpassed the Soul Core Realm.
Even Chu Youhuan's father, who was at the peak of the Soul Core Realm, had hinted that he might never break through again in this lifetime.
"What about Hua Wenyue? I'll just capture her, strip her naked, and loudly declare that I was the lecher who stripped her and groped her all over during the examination. What can she do about it?
Not only can she do nothing, but even if her Flower Sect steps in, they'll have no choice but to bow before me!" Gu Feng boasted shamelessly.
Lost in his fantasies, he didn't notice the faint flicker of the Thunder Spirit Grass in his hand, accompanied by what seemed like a disdainful chuckle.
After reattaching the Thunder Spirit Grass to his chest, Gu Feng strode out of the cultivation chamber.
"Huh—Senior Sister Chu, you don't look so good!" he exclaimed, noticing Chu Youhuan's dark expression as she emerged from another cultivation chamber.
She seemed to ignore him, quickly walking away. From her retreating figure, her gait looked a bit off, as if she were in a hurry to use the restroom.
Bewildered, Gu Feng approached the door of the cultivation chamber and peeked inside through the crack. There, he saw Yan Yexue sitting cross-legged on the floor, her head lowered, her delicate brows furrowed.
"Senior Sister Yan?" Gu Feng called softly.
She glanced up briefly before lowering her head again.
The cultivation chamber bore signs of a battle, indicating that she and Chu Youhuan had been sparring earlier.
This made Gu Feng quite curious. Logically speaking, since Yan Yexue had stepped into the Spirit Nurturing Realm, her combat prowess could no longer match Chu Youhuan's. Engaging in a fight with her would likely just be asking for a beating.
"Did you lose?"
"I won!"
What?—
She won!
"Haha, since when did you learn to brag? If you won, why do you look like that?" Gu Feng chuckled softly and sat down beside Yan Yexue.
"It was a narrow victory. Next time, if she's prepared, I'll still lose!" Yan Yexue whispered.
This piqued Gu Feng's curiosity even more, and he was eager to know exactly what method Yan Yexue had used to win.
"This is the Diarrhea Pill. If a cultivator inhales it, it takes effect within ten breaths. Although its effect isn't as potent as the Diarrhea Pills you've refined, it can still significantly reduce a cultivator's focus."
"This is the Itch Pill. If it touches the skin, it causes unbearable itching..."
"This is the Daze Pill. It can make a cultivator's mind foggy, but its effect isn't that great!"
"..."
Yan Yexue listed the effects of each pill as if she were recounting treasures.
Hearing this, Gu Feng couldn't help but laugh.
He had only mentioned it casually before, never expecting Yan Yexue to actually follow through. And in such a short time, she had come up with over a dozen mischievous pills.
"Hahaha, no wonder Senior Sister Chu's face was so dark earlier. So you were using her to test your pills!" Gu Feng finally understood why Chu Youhuan's walking posture had been so strange—she was in a hurry to deal with diarrhea!
"Isn't it despicable?" Yan Yexue asked expressionlessly.
Gu Feng looked her up and down. She was stunningly beautiful and rarely showed much emotion under normal circumstances.
She gave off an air of pride and aloofness, but not excessively so—more like a blend of the two.
Overall, she seemed calm and composed. If one had to describe her, it would lean towards serene.
Anyone who saw her couldn't help but praise her upright demeanor.
But this very image, once combined with a devious streak, became especially deadly. Her lethality was even more terrifying than that of a ferocious-looking cultivator.
"Excellent. Keep up this serene appearance. When it comes to tricking people, it's absolutely perfect!" Gu Feng gave a thumbs-up and smiled.
"Alright, I'll go do some more research."
Yan Yexue was a woman of action. She stood up and left the training room.
Gu Feng stroked his chin. A perfectly good alchemist—could she really be gradually turning to the dark side? What a shame!
The turn of events had caught him off guard. Yan Yexue seemed to have unlocked some hidden potential, and the speed at which she was becoming devious was astonishing.
Almost every few days, she would come up with a new mischievous pill, and various Poison Pills kept emerging. Some of them even gave Gu Feng the chills.
What made Gu Feng both amused and exasperated was that Yan Yexue had completely changed her usual style, swapping her white robes for black ones.
"Senior Sister Yan, even if you've become the 'Deadly Poison Lady,' you don't have to go all black, do you?"
One day, Gu Feng couldn't hold back anymore and started teasing her.
"Don't you think it's more charming this way?" Yan Yexue smiled faintly, seemingly quite fond of her new look.
"Charming, yes, but it still feels a bit odd. How did you manage to get so many Poison Pill Formulas?"
Gu Feng wasn't a fool. Even Poison Pills couldn't be created out of thin air in such a short time. Yan Yexue must have had some other opportunity.
To this question, she simply replied with a faint smile, her eyes carrying a hint of mystery: "That's a secret!"
...
Everyone was diligently cultivating. After sending the second batch of elderly cultivators into the Cultivation Tower, Gu Feng found himself bored and thought it necessary to head to the square to listen to some lectures on martial arts.
Although Zhu Qingyan often spoke on such topics, her level was too high. She would casually talk about destroying the heavens and the earth, obliterating small worlds, and the explosion of laws. To Gu Feng, it sounded like an incomprehensible scripture, far too distant.
As a person, one must be pragmatic.
On this day, he arrived at the square. Before coming, he had specifically inquired about the recent status of Elder Zheng and Elder Hua, only to learn that they had taken leave to rest and recuperate.
Gu Feng thought, the damage wasn't that severe, so why take leave? It must be an excuse to rest.
Gu Feng deliberately avoided those two squares and found one that seemed spacious, sitting down cross-legged.
As soon as he sat down, everyone cast bewildered glances at him, as if he shouldn't be sitting there.
"Come on, I was just expelled by the two Elders, not by the Grand Harmony Academy!" Gu Feng muttered to himself, ignoring the stares.
Not long after, he finally understood why the previous students had looked at him so strangely. It turned out the spot he had chosen was Hua Wenyue's exclusive seat.
"Move!" Hua Wenyue said with an air of arrogance, her voice sharp.
Gu Feng glanced at her. This woman was excessively proud, a pride that was palpable even at first glance, even without knowing her background.
"Why should I?" Gu Feng retorted, his voice low.
"Because I am Hua Wenyue!"
"Pfft—what a lunatic!" Gu Feng scoffed, not bothering to engage further.
Hua Wenyue's gaze burned as she stared at him, then she sat down beside Gu Feng. This disappointed Monk Wu De, who had been hoping for some intense sparks between the two. What a pity!
The afternoon passed quickly. This lecture had been immensely beneficial to Gu Feng, as many previously vague concepts became systematized.
"Tomorrow, we'll discuss the distinctions between the physical body and the soul in terms of their tiers," Elder Chi, the lecturer, announced before gracefully departing.
Before Gu Feng could stand up, he felt a sharp gust of wind beside him. Looking up, he saw that Hua Wenyue had already vanished from her spot.
"Did she eat gunpowder? In such a hurry to use the restroom?" Gu Feng muttered. Just as he was about to get up, Monk Wu De approached.
"Brother Gu, I must apologize for what happened earlier," Monk Wu De said with a kind expression, as if nothing had happened, striking up a conversation.
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost!" Gu Feng replied dismissively.
"Brother Gu, I was born in a distant land where martial arts flourished, and sects were abundant. Any sect elder there could sweep through the Great Chu Dynasty..."
"Why are you spouting such nonsense?" Gu Feng glanced at him and stood up to leave.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I'm saying all this to express that even with my experience, I've never met someone like you!" Monk Wu De said in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"What do you mean?" Gu Feng's eyes flickered.
"Don't play dumb with me, Brother Gu. We both know each other well," Monk Wu De smiled.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Gu Feng replied, visibly impatient.
"The exam zone robbery, you know it, I know it, heaven and earth know it. Benefactor Gu, you've really put me in a tough spot!" Monk Wu De wore a bitter smile, a hint of admiration flickering between his brows.
"Wasn't it you who robbed the exam zone?" Gu Feng turned his gaze, his face filled with surprise.
"I've already made a Heavenly Dao Oath in front of Benefactor Hua! She won't trouble this humble monk anymore. She'll likely come after you next.
I advise Benefactor Gu to admit your mistake sooner rather than later. Compensate where you need to, apologize where you must. It's not that big of a deal." Monk Wu De looked at Gu Feng with a half-smile.
"Nonsense!" Gu Feng stood up and left without looking back.
Watching Gu Feng's retreating figure, Monk Wu De pulled out an Image Stone from his robe, slightly regretful. "Ah—even this couldn't trick him. What a cautious fellow!"
Gu Feng furrowed his brows. He truly hadn't expected Monk Wu De to be so ruthless as to make a Heavenly Dao Oath.
A Heavenly Dao Oath indeed has a binding effect, but most people wouldn't casually swear one. Forcing a cultivator to make such an oath is an act of extreme provocation and humiliation.
"No, I need to take the initiative. I can't keep defending passively!"
As Gu Feng pondered, he suddenly recalled what Sima Juncong had vented to him a few days ago, and the corner of his mouth curled slightly. "Dugu Ao, huh? He's a suitable candidate. If handled well, I can pin the blame entirely on him!"
The next day, in the same square, at the same spot, Hua Wenyue still sat beside him, her posture proud, silent as ever.
"Hey—" Gu Feng called softly, unsurprised by her lack of response.
"Are you still suspecting me?" Hua Wenyue didn't even glance at him.
"I'm just puzzled. Why do you suspect me and not others?" Gu Feng spoke as if to himself.
"Originally, I didn't want to get involved, but this has caused me so much trouble. That bald donkey keeps harassing me, and it's driving me mad!"
After saying this, Gu Feng fell silent.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Hua Wenyue finally spoke. "Do you have a way to find that person?"
"I can't guarantee it, but the chances of success are higher than any method you've tried so far!" Gu Feng said solemnly.
At this, Hua Wenyue finally turned her head, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Tell me!"
"I think, in the past month or so, you've investigated over fifteen thousand new students in the Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One, and even preliminarily looked into the forty thousand who failed. Yet, you've found nothing. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"What are you trying to say?" Hua Wenyue asked, somewhat confused.
"If the direction is wrong, all efforts are wasted!" Gu Feng smiled mysteriously, not waiting for Hua Wenyue to speak before continuing. "I think the thief is most likely among this batch of candidates. You couldn't find them because you excluded them from the start.
Why couldn't this person be a cultivator from one of the five major sects?"
"Don't be too quick to exclude. As the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp. This person might be someone you're very familiar with!"
These words struck Hua Wenyue like a morning bell, lighting up her eyes.
"Can you help me draw them out?"
"I'll try. Fifty million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Don't try to bargain with me. I, Gu Feng, do honest business. If I fail, I'll refund the full amount!" Gu Feng looked at Hua Wenyue sincerely, a faint smile on his face.
Today's lesson had already concluded amidst the exchange between the two, and Monk Wu De had somehow arrived here as well.
Hearing Gu Feng's words, his expression turned strange, and he hurriedly spoke up, "Lady Hua, he's trying to deceive you out of your Spirit Stones. Don't fall for it! Make him swear a Heavenly Dao Oath!"
Gu Feng couldn't even be bothered to glance at the bald monk, keeping his gaze fixed on Hua Wenyue.
The latter furrowed her delicate brows, pondering for a moment as if weighing her options.
This only made Monk Wu De more anxious, "Lady Hua..."
"Do I need you to tell me how to do things?" Hua Wenyue said coldly. To be fair, making Gu Feng swear a Heavenly Dao Oath would indeed be the simplest solution.
If it were anyone else, she might have done just that. But who was Gu Feng? He had even killed Shu Yuheng and didn't spare the Crown Prince any face, which spoke volumes about his pride. Such a humiliating demand would surely be rejected.
This was the arrogance of a Heaven's Chosen, and it had nothing to do with whether he was guilty or not!
She had also heard of Gu Feng's cunning, which gave her a glimmer of hope.
"Alright, what do you propose?"
"Hehe, a martial arts contest to win a bride—lure the snake out of its hole!"
(End of the Chapter)
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