Chapter 108: Half Divine Technique
"Little Earth Dragon Technique!"
As Ye Yuqi blocked Gu Mo's attack with his magic sword, Gu Mo's second strike arrived. The ground beneath Ye Yuqi suddenly surged, and an earth dragon shot out, directly knocking Ye Yuqi into the air.
"Thunder Spear!"
Flung into the air, Ye Yuqi quickly adjusted his posture, forming hand seals with both hands. Spiritual energy transformed into a thunder spear and hurled it toward Gu Mo. Throughout the process, Ye Yuqi's gaze never left Gu Mo.
All of this was aided by his nose-based divine sense, relying on scent to lock onto Gu Mo. For a typical Qi Refining cultivator, there would be no place to hide from Ye Yuqi's divine sense. It was no exaggeration to say that Ye Yuqi's nose-based divine sense was as powerful as actual divine sense.
This was the power of divine techniques, but unfortunately, Ye Yuqi's nose-based divine sense was incomplete, and he had not cultivated it fully. Facing Gu Mo, who possessed actual divine sense, it was still lacking in some areas.
These factors were enough to determine the outcome of the battle.
Gu Mo dodged Ye Yuqi's thunder spear attack, recalling the top-tier magic sword he had obtained from Yuan Niya. He infused it with the Xiaogeng Golden Sword Qi and then slashed at Ye Yuqi.
Sensing the danger behind him, Ye Yuqi also raised his sword to meet the strike.
"Clang!"
The swords collided, producing a sharp, ear-piercing metallic sound. Ye Yuqi's magic sword was violently knocked back by the overwhelming force, slamming into his chest and sending him flying, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Ah!"
At the sight, everyone in the audience gasped. Ye Yuqi, the third True Disciple, had been defeated just like that.
"The Xiaogeng Golden Sword Qi at the proficient level, spiritual power at the peak of Qi Refining, formidable physical strength, and divine sense—this is the true might behind that strike," Gao Yunrui observed, his gaze fixed on Gu Mo. With his insight, he could clearly see the power contained in Gu Mo's attack.
It was precisely because he understood that he was even more shocked. Gao Yunrui could not associate the current Gu Mo with a cultivator with inferior spiritual roots.
If it weren't for the previous tests confirming that Gu Mo had not cultivated demonic arts, such an outrageous display of power would have certainly led one to suspect that he had.
"This battle's winner, Gu Mo!" Gao Yunrui glanced at the heavily injured Ye Yuqi and declared the victor.
Gu Mo's victory in the challenge meant that he had been promoted from an Inner Sect disciple to a True Disciple. This was undoubtedly the fastest promotion in the history of Qinglu Sect—from an Inner Sect disciple to a True Disciple in less than half an hour.
Gu Mo's promotion meant Ye Yuqi would lose his True Disciple status. Of course, a year later, Ye Yuqi could challenge for his position again as an Inner Sect disciple, and if victorious, he could return to his former status.
The sect had established this rule to prevent disciples from becoming complacent after reaching the status of True Disciple, while also giving other Inner Sect disciples a chance.
Kicking Ye Yuqi off his True Disciple position gave Gu Mo a sense of relief, but it also exposed his power, which would prompt He Shaogang to send even stronger forces to deal with him.
However, this was not a major issue. Gu Mo had not revealed all of his power during the battle. Not to mention his flying sword as a magic weapon, Gu Mo had not used his greatest trump card, his plant-based abilities.
Gu Mo had not challenged Ye Yuqi out of mere impulse; he had a plan to seize the position and gain the benefits that came with being a True Disciple.
True Disciples enjoyed substantial discounts when exchanging sect treasures, and some items were even available for free. If it weren't for his imminent departure from the sect, Gu Mo could have used his status to apply for a second-grade spiritual field.
"Prepare yourself and report to the sect's resource point," Gao Yunrui handed Gu Mo the token representing his True Disciple status before turning to leave.
Gao Yunrui did not change his mind about Gu Mo becoming a True Disciple. There were too many secrets surrounding him, especially his ability to defeat Ye Yuqi, a True Disciple, despite his inferior spiritual roots. This made Gao Yunrui suspicious of the origin of Gu Mo's strength.
If it were any other time, Gao Yunrui might have been able to overlook the mysteries surrounding his disciple. However, the pressure on him was immense. The fate of the entire Qinglu Sect rested on his shoulders, and he could not afford anything beyond his control.
After Gao Yunrui left, the other Gold Core Elders also departed, leaving only one to oversee the upcoming outer sect tournament.
"Now, let the second match begin..." He Shaogang observed Gu Mo's retreating figure while hosting the tournament, his mind rapidly adjusting his previous plans. The power Gu Mo had shown made He Shaogang realize that he needed to send stronger forces to deal with him.
Initially, He Shaogang thought that sending a Foundation Building cultivator would be sufficient, but now, he felt that wouldn't be enough.
"Master, please talk to the Sect Master and have Gu Mo stay. My cultivation depends entirely on him," Yuan Niya pleaded, holding onto Zhuo Suzhu's hand.
"Alright," Zhuo Suzhu sighed, seeing Yuan Niya's pitiful expression.
At the main peak, in the Sect Master's Hall:
"Senior Brother, are you truly going to let that young man leave?" Zhuo Suzhu found Gao Yunrui to discuss Gu Mo. Her concerns were not only due to her disciple's request but also because of the sect's welfare.
Having a True Disciple stationed at an outer sect resource point was not a wise decision, especially when the True Disciple had not yet matured. An accident there could result in a great loss.
"I can't see through this young man; this is the best option," Gao Yunrui shook his head.
"What's so hard to understand about this? I heard from Niya that he seems to have acquired a special method of body tempering, which allowed him to refine his divine sense during the Qi Refining stage. With this, it's not impossible for him to condense his spiritual energy into mist," Zhuo Suzhu explained, piecing together the information she had received from Yuan Niya.
"Ah, I see!"
Gao Yunrui finally understood, but there were still some doubts—such as the identity of the little girl who could accelerate Gu Mo's cultivation. If someone had such an ability, what kind of rare treasure or talent must they have?
However, Zhuo Suzhu had no doubt about the girl, given her high status as an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall.
Despite her explanation, Gao Yunrui's decision remained unchanged. The evidence against Gu Mo, presented by Ye Yuqi, was too compelling, and though it didn't conclusively prove Gu Mo was a demonic cultivator, it was enough to raise doubts.
Since he could not discern whether Gu Mo was a threat, the safest course was to have him leave for now.
"Ugh!"
Zhuo Suzhu sighed, knowing that as the Sect Master, Gao Yunrui's decisions could not be easily swayed, even by her.
At the spiritual field hut:
Watching Gu Mo pack his things, Yuan Niya felt a sense of frustration. She knew that even her Master couldn't convince the Sect Master to change his decision. No one in the entire Qinglu Sect could make Gao Yunrui change his mind now.
The team of three that had once worked so well together was about to break up. Without Gu Mo, Chu Feifei's special physique could no longer be triggered, and Yuan Niya would lose the benefit of the Perfect-level Cleansing Technique.
For Yuan Niya, this was a huge blow. Without Gu Mo's support, she wouldn't have reached her current level of cultivation.
"Gu Mo, why don't I and Feifei go with you?" After a moment of silence, Yuan Niya bit her lip and said, determined to stick by him.
"Stop joking!" Gu Mo rolled his eyes at Yuan Niya. He knew that leaving would undoubtedly lead to a confrontation with the killers He Shaogang sent, and he could handle it himself, but if he brought Yuan Niya and Chu Feifei along, they would just become liabilities.
"I'm not joking; I'm serious," Yuan Niya insisted, her face stubborn.
"I'll just be temporarily leaving. I'll come back once I'm settled at the resource point. You can find me later." Gu Mo, understanding Yuan Niya's nature, quickly reassured her.
"Alright then."
Yuan Niya reluctantly agreed, figuring she could sneak out with Feifei to find Gu Mo later. The distance to the resource point was a bit far, but as a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, she could manage the journey.
"Gu Mo, here's what you asked for."
Chu Feifei handed Gu Mo three formation plates she had specially crafted for him. These plates were for Illusion, Concealment, and Fortification formations. With them, Gu Mo could easily set up the corresponding formations.
"Thanks!"
Taking the plates, Gu Mo tucked them into his sleeve and waved goodbye to the two girls as he left the hut.
"By the way, be careful of He Shaogang," Gu Mo said, sending a sound transmission to the two girls after he had left.
"Ah!" The two girls were momentarily puzzled, not understanding why Gu Mo was warning them about He Shaogang. Hadn't he already been concerned about Steward Qian last time, and now it seemed He Shaogang was involved too?
"Just stay alert," Gu Mo replied, not elaborating further. He didn't have solid evidence, and he didn't want Yuan Niya to confront He Shaogang directly—it would be too dangerous.
"Okay!"
Although they didn't fully understand, Yuan Niya and Chu Feifei still took the words to heart.
"Then I'll be off."
Gu Mo waved his hand, summoned his magic sword, and transformed it into a streak of sword light that disappeared into the distance.
After leaving the Qinglu Sect's main gate, Gu Mo didn't immediately head to the resource point he was to guard. Instead, he went to the nearby market, intending to stay there for a while.
Gu Mo knew very well that on his way to the resource point, he would likely encounter an ambush, so he needed to prepare.
At the same time, he needed to sort out the things he had brought from the sect.
After becoming an official inner disciple, Gu Mo naturally went to claim the benefits of his new status. After some careful selection, he exchanged his inner disciple benefits and the sect contributions he had accumulated over the years for a body cultivation technique and a half-complete divine ability.
The body cultivation technique was quite ordinary, called the Spirit Forging Method. To avoid wasting his physical potential, Gu Mo felt it was necessary to cultivate a body refinement technique. Since his cultivation didn't take much time, he could use the remaining time to refine his body.
The reason he chose the Spirit Forging Method was simple: it used spiritual energy to temper the body, unlike other body refinement techniques that required expensive spiritual materials to refine the physical form.
Of course, the effectiveness of tempering with spiritual energy wasn't something to expect to be overwhelmingly strong. A basic example would be that the spiritual energy of a Qi Refining cultivator, no matter how much it is used for tempering, would never refine a body as strong as that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The purpose of the Spirit Forging Method was only to temper the body to the same level as the cultivator's cultivation, not like those powerful body refinement methods that, with the help of various spiritual materials and elixirs, could exceed the cultivator's cultivation with physical strength.
However, for Gu Mo, this Spirit Forging Method was the most suitable body cultivation technique for him. This was because he could use the Solar Essence to obtain spiritual energy beyond his own cultivation level.
For example, Gu Mo was currently at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but he had mastered the mist-like spiritual energy that could only be controlled by a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. This meant that Gu Mo could use the Spirit Forging Method to temper his body to the level of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
With a base physique at the level of Qi Refining Great Perfection, combined with a foundation many times stronger than others at the same level, Gu Mo's physical strength could rival that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Qi Refining stage.
At that point, if Gu Mo refined a full dose of second-tier Solar Essence, he could acquire the liquid spiritual energy that only Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed. By using this liquid spiritual energy to temper himself, his physical body would not only rival that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator but would truly match the body strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In other words, the seemingly ordinary Spirit Forging Method was, in Gu Mo's eyes, the most top-tier body cultivation technique, especially since it didn't require any spiritual materials or precious medicines.
But if we are talking about the true gain from this time, it would be the half-complete divine ability. To acquire it, Gu Mo had given up on the various resources from his inner disciple benefits and used the sect contributions he had accumulated over the years to exchange for this half-complete divine ability.
It was only half-complete because the divine ability wasn't fully developed, but even so, this half-complete divine ability held great significance for Gu Mo.
This was a cloning-type divine ability, which was extremely important to Gu Mo.
Gu Mo's combat strength was divided into two states: one was the wandering state, where his combat power was made up of his cultivation level, physical strength, spiritual soul, magic treasures, and techniques.
The other state was the homebody state, where his combat power was made up of various plants. Clearly, Gu Mo's combat strength was at its peak in the second homebody state.
It was like now—Gu Mo's strength was between the Foundation Establishment and the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. He could crush any Qi Refining cultivator, but he couldn't defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
However, if Gu Mo set up a plant-based defense line, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be easily defeated.
(Show your support and read more chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/psychopet. Thank you for your support!)