Chapter 211 - 129: Senior Brother, You’re Hurting Me
It ripped through the sky, leaving a meteor-like trail in its wake. Then, with the ferocity of a lightning strike, it slammed into Wu Zhengyang’s chest in the blink of an eye!
"What!?"
Wu Zhengyang’s eyes flew wide with terror. Before he could even react,
the finger, crackling with terrifying lightning, slammed into his chest and caved it in.
Immediately, thunder and lightning engulfed his entire body.
The immense, terrifying force of the impact sent Wu Zhengyang flying backward like a cannonball. He crashed through dozens of the Sect’s towering ancient trees before finally landing on the stone pavement below, smashing a human-shaped crater into the ground where he came to a stop.
In that moment,
Billowing smoke and dust rose from the crater. The figure within had his robes torn to shreds, and a gash on his chest was so deep the bone was visible.
Arcs of thunder still flickered across his body, causing him to twitch and convulse. He was a wretched sight, his injuries grievous.
"And you call that strength?
You dare to make a fool of yourself in public!
Who gave you the courage to do that?!"
Gu Yun’s gaze was indifferent.
His voice was ice-cold.
’This was with me deliberately holding back. Otherwise, if I had used my full power, he wouldn’t have gotten off with just serious injuries.’
’True Martial Realm Seventh Layer?’
’Defeating veteran disciples?’
’They’re all just ants!’
Hearing this, Wu Zhengyang, lying gravely wounded in the crater,
"You... you’re humiliating me!"
felt a surge of blood rush to his head and blurted out the words.
COUGH! COUGH!
The outburst aggravated his grievous injuries.
He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and the searing pain wracking his body caused him to faint.
At this moment,
the disciples watching from a distance
couldn’t help but gasp.
Their mouths hung open, their eyes wide,
their faces filled with utter shock!
"O-one move!"
"That’s insane!"
"As expected of a prodigy on the Profound Celestial List."
"Even someone ranked at the very bottom is beyond what ordinary people can compare to."
"Senior Brother Gu is ranked ninety-eighth? I’m afraid that’s a gross underestimation!"
"If you ask me, he should be around rank sixty at least!"
A certain middle-aged disciple in a warrior’s tunic, sporting a thin mustache, declared with conviction.
"Rank sixty?
How is that possible?!
That’s a powerhouse ranked in the top sixty of the entire Inner Sect! You can’t get that high without the strength of the True Martial Realm Ninth Layer!"
A disciple nearby shook his head vehemently upon hearing this.
"I heard Senior Brother Gu comes from an ordinary family."
"He joined the Inner Sect less than ten years ago, and his strength is already at the level of the True Martial Ninth Layer."
"Such talent is simply too Heaven-Defying!"
The disciples discussed heatedly from a distance, all of them shocked by Gu Yun’s monstrous talent!
But Gu Yun had already left.
His figure had vanished,
as if he had never been there at all.
In mid-air,
Gu Yun rode his Escape Light, speeding through a vast sea of clouds. Below him stretched an endless, verdant sea of trees.
The rolling mountain ranges rippled like ocean waves, one range after another.
Soon,
Ahead, beyond the vast expanse of mountains and forests, stood an enormous peak that pierced the heavens. A pale blue light shimmered, mingling with the swirling mists, while arcs of thunder flickered across the massive mountain. This was the main peak of the Celestial Thunder Dao Peak.
WHOOSH!
Like a bolt of lightning, Gu Yun tore through the sky, crossing several dozen kilometers in an instant.
A moment later, he landed on the Dao Peak.
Gu Yun stood on a relatively flat patch of ground, gazing at the familiar buildings and pavilions ahead.
He began to walk, feeling refreshed and greeting his fellow disciples as he passed them.
As Gu Yun walked on,
he began to think.
’Besides returning to my immortal cave to consolidate my gains, how else can I improve my strength?’
"Senior Brother Gu, hello there!"
Suddenly, a crisp, clear voice sounded by his ear.
Ahead, a beautiful female cultivator with a graceful and poised demeanor waved at him. Dressed in a white robe, she stood elegantly, her face lovely, her eyes bright, and her teeth like pearls.
Her eyes were clear, and she exuded an aura of spirited energy.
"Oh, hello, Junior Sister."
Gu Yun belatedly realized that such a spirited junior sister was standing right in front of him.
"Hee hee, Senior Brother, do you still remember me?"
Shangguan Yinling asked with a smile.
"Hmm?"
Gu Yun looked at her with a hint of confusion.
’Do I know her?’
He took a closer look at the spirited, beautiful junior sister before him.
He racked his brain, thinking hard, but he really didn’t seem to recognize her...
But seeing how enthusiastic she was,
’Can I just say I don’t know you?’
Just in the nick of time,
a flash of inspiration struck Gu Yun. He slapped his forehead.
"Oh! So it’s you, Junior Sister!"
he said, his voice feigning slight surprise, trying his best to look friendly.
"Yes, Senior Brother,"
"We both entered the Inner Sect eight years ago!"
Shangguan Yinling said, her bright eyes filled with excitement.
’Is that so?’
Gu Yun muttered to himself.
’It seems when I first entered the Inner Sect and joined the Celestial Thunder Dao Peak,’
’there really was someone who looked like her. But I didn’t know her.’
As Gu Yun was thinking this,
"I never thought that in less than ten years since joining the Inner Sect,"
"you’d be strong enough to rank on the Profound Celestial List."
"You’ve far surpassed everyone else from our year!"
"Even Ye Bufan, Shi Ritian, and Situ Qingtian, who all possess Heaven and Earth Spirit Bodies, are nowhere near your level!"
Shangguan Yinling said, her eyes filled with envy and admiration.
She had always thought her own Cultivation speed was fast since joining the Inner Sect.
In less than ten years, her Cultivation had reached the True Martial Third Layer Late Stage.
But with her level of strength, she couldn’t even hope to see his shadow.
To her, he was undoubtedly a true prodigy, a monstrous talent.
"Heh, it’s nothing special."
Gu Yun just smiled faintly.
’The world only knows that in thirty years, my strength has come to rival the True Martial Ninth Layer,’
’but they don’t know that I have spent almost my entire journey focused on Cultivation, without a moment’s rest.’
’When others were basking in their achievements, I was completing missions, exploring Secret Realms, seeking opportunities, and raising my strength.’
’When others broke through to the True Martial Realm, accomplished something in their Cultivation, and returned to the Sect to show off, I was still engaged in my daily training,’
’Of course, my ability to break through so smoothly, as if there were no bottlenecks, is all thanks to my Heaven Rewards Diligence Skill Level panel.’
’After all, it’s the "golden finger" that Blue Star grants to everyone who leaves it.’
’Anyone who transmigrates frequently knows that Blue Star’s golden fingers never disappoint.’
’Of course, it’s also thanks to my own efforts.’
’If I didn’t cultivate diligently, this golden finger would be useless.’
’But if I train hard, burn the midnight oil, and persevere with ever-increasing effort, then I can just... soar!!’
"Senior Brother Gu,"
"I’ve been struggling with a Martial Technique recently. I can’t seem to make any progress,"
"Could you perhaps give me some pointers?"
Shangguan Yinling asked, her clear eyes filled with hope.
In her eyes, he was a monstrous prodigy with superb comprehension. A chance encounter like today
might be the key to breaking through with the Thunder Dao Technique she’d been stuck on for days.
"Of course, no problem."
Gu Yun replied in a calm voice.
Given his profound understanding from cultivating numerous Techniques and Martial Arts, not to mention his countless battle experiences,
guiding Shangguan Yinling, who was five full Realms beneath him, was no problem at all.
Soon,
the two of them found a secluded spot in a mountain forest.
A light breeze suddenly rustled through the trees.
Gu Yun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind. He looked at Shangguan Yinling with his deep, calm eyes and said, "Junior Sister, perform the Technique for me once."
Shangguan Yinling nodded. Her aura flared, and the air around her rippled like the surface of water.
A flash of lightning flickered in her determined eyes.
"Star Thunder Finger!"
In an instant, a beam of starlight crackling with lightning shot out from Shangguan Yinling’s finger.
The roaring bolt of thunder ripped through the sky, shining as dazzlingly as a star as it pierced through space with a resounding boom of energy.
Then, with unstoppable momentum, it slammed into a towering ancient tree hundreds of meters away—a tree so thick it would take dozens of people to encircle it!
BANG!
With a tremendous crash,
the brilliant Star Thunder Finger instantly shattered the massive tree.
It continued on, tearing through the air and blasting into a stone peak, instantly carving a huge hole through it.
Rubble scattered everywhere, and dust filled the air!
Gu Yun’s deep eyes narrowed. He could see that the strength of this Martial Technique should lie in concentration and penetration.
’Although Shangguan Yinling’s execution is powerful, it deviates from the technique’s true essence.’
At this thought,
Gu Yun’s figure flickered, and he instantly appeared beside Shangguan Yinling.
He took her arm in his hand.
"Junior Sister, you should focus the power at your fingertip. Penetration is the priority, offense is paramount!"
Gu Yun said in a serious tone,
completely oblivious to Shangguan Yinling’s strange reaction.
Shangguan Yinling’s face flushed slightly as she let out a muffled grunt.
"Senior Brother~"
"You’re hurting me!"