Translator: Anubis Translations
Upon returning to the Gu family residence, Gu Feng immediately headed to the old courtyard in the back mountain, using fatigue as an excuse.
After ensuring no one was following him, he quickly entered the room and tightly shut the door.
"Don't let me down!"
Coming back to the Gu family was indeed risky, but it was still within manageable limits. With Elder Liu's intimidation, the Gu family wouldn't dare to openly harm him, at least not within the family residence.
At worst, he would lose the 400,000 spirit stones he carried. But if successful, he could bring the Gu family to its knees, making it impossible for them to recover for the next decade.
Looking at the mountain-like pile of spirit stones in his storage pouch, Gu Feng felt a surge of excitement. Such a breathtaking scene was something he had only witnessed as a child when his father took him into the Gu family's spirit stone treasury.
"The previous owner wasn't so bad after all, knowing I needed spirit stones and sending them over in a hurry," Gu Feng chuckled. He then grabbed handfuls of spirit stones and poured them into the three incense burners located in his mind.
As he continued to pour in the spirit stones, a milky white liquid began to form at the bottom of the leftmost burner.
Soon, a pea-sized drop of milky white liquid had fully condensed and lay quietly there!
Last time, a single drop of this liquid had allowed him to make significant progress in the Body Tempering Realm.
With an excited heart and trembling hands, Gu Feng willed the drop of milky white liquid into his body.
Boom—
The milky white liquid surged through his body like a meteor explosion, the roaring sound echoing in his ears, making his eardrums tingle.
Every single pore on his body opened up, and streams of black filth continuously oozed out.
In no time, a thick layer of foul substance had formed on his body, the stench filling the room and making him nauseous.
The Body Tempering Realm is divided into nine levels: tempering the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, meridians, blood, marrow, organs, and viscera.
Level by level, from the inside out, one refines their body until they open their dantian and enter the next realm—Qi Refinement.
According to the standards of the cultivation world, Gu Feng's physical strength should have already surpassed the first level of the Body Tempering Realm.
Perhaps, as Elder Liu had said, his physique was the king of trash. Even after consuming over a dozen drops of the milky white liquid, he remained stuck at the first level of the Body Tempering Realm, only feeling his physical strength continuously increasing.
After consuming a full hundred drops of the milky white liquid, Gu Feng grew frustrated. Seeing the spirit stones dwindling, he decisively stopped his cultivation.
"What the hell is going on? A hundred drops of divine liquid, and I still can't break through the first level of the Body Tempering Realm?"
This was hard for him to accept. He had thought that with his cheat ability, he could effortlessly soar to greatness. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
What happened to the underdog's rise? What happened to the chosen one's script?
Come out!
In his anger, he punched a nearby stone statue.
Boom—
The loud explosion startled him. Dust filled the room as the stone statue cracked and then collapsed.
Such terrifying power! With a single punch, he had shattered a stone statue. Pure physical strength, likely exceeding several thousand pounds, at least comparable to a fifth-level Body Tempering cultivator.
Gu Feng pinched his face and continued to throw punches. The air around him whistled like waves crashing against rocks, one wave after another. He felt an inexhaustible energy within him.
After completing a set of basic punches, Gu Feng looked at his hands in disbelief. Now, he was thoroughly convinced that he had truly become stronger—and terrifyingly so.
Even though his realm was still at the first level of the Body Tempering Realm, he was confident he could face any fifth-level Body Tempering cultivator without fear.
"Am I perhaps the legendary ten-thousand-level Body Tempering physique? Perfect for pretending to be weak and then dominating?"
Gu Feng stroked his chin, muttering to himself.
Whatever, gaining strength is what matters. If I'm stuck at the Body Tempering Realm, so be it. I can still be invincible, smashing through all realms. The only downside is not being able to fly—that's really annoying.
Gu Feng was naturally carefree yet meticulous. For things he didn't understand, he didn't dwell on them too much. Elder Liu had already figured out his physique; he would find out more once he reached the Sunset Glow Sect.
His gaze fell on the storage pouch, and he couldn't help but twitch his mouth. The consumption was enormous. The initial 400,000 spirit stones had dwindled to a mere ten thousand.
The road ahead is long; earning money can't stop!
With a chuckle, Gu Feng left the room and walked into the courtyard. He approached a rockery and, with a violent punch, shattered it into pieces.
He spread his arms and lifted a boulder as tall as a person, tossing it into the storage pouch. He did this over a dozen times, stopping only when the volume seemed comparable to the 400,000 spirit stones.
Then, he neatly spread the remaining ten thousand spirit stones over the rocks until the stones were completely hidden.
After finishing these tasks, he took a bath and slept soundly.
...
The next day, in the Gu family's meeting hall, all the high-ranking members and talented disciples had gathered.
"How should we deal with Gu Feng?" Family Head Gu Tianba narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice.
"He's now an outer disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect. He can't die in our family."
One of the elders spoke, his meaning clear. Gu Feng had to die, but due to Elder Liu's influence, he couldn't die within the Gu family.
This sentiment was echoed by everyone present.
"If he hadn't latched onto Elder Liu, or if he didn't have so many spirit stones, we might have just expelled him, not gone so far as to take his life.
Unfortunately, he abandoned his best chance to escape yesterday.
If he's seeking death, we'll reluctantly oblige.
Once he leaves Cloud Dwelling City, I'll lead a few men to make him disappear, clean and neat."
Gu Xing, sitting in the seat that should have belonged to Gu Feng as the young master, spoke with a sinister expression.
He was Gu Tianba's only son, at the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm. Without a doubt, he would be admitted to the Sunset Glow Sect as an outer disciple.
"Good. Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength. Facing Gu Feng, who's only at the first level of the Body Tempering Realm, you're not being careless and plan to bring others along. I'm deeply pleased.
Only by being cautious can one live longer."
Gu Tianba nodded in satisfaction, praising his son without hesitation. The others also nodded in agreement.
Gu Xing's strength was unmatched among his peers in the Gu family. With him at the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm, killing Gu Feng at the first level would be without any suspense.
In such an overwhelmingly advantageous situation, he still acted with caution. Truly, he was the future of the family.
About an incense stick's time later, Gu Feng yawned and arrived, fashionably late.
"You're all here so early. Could you be discussing how to harm me?
Just kidding, don't mind me."
Ignoring everyone's gazes, Gu Feng walked straight to the young master's seat, looked down at Gu Xing, and forced a few dry laughs before wisely stepping aside.
"Coward! I thought with Elder Liu as your backer, you'd challenge me," Gu Xing sneered.
"How could I dare? Brother Xing, you'll always be my brother!" Gu Feng lowered his head and forced a smile.
"Since Gu Feng is here, let's begin!"
Gu Tianba waved his hand, signaling someone to start the ceremony.
The Gu family might not be much, but they couldn't skip the formalities.
After a series of procedures, Gu Xing officially replaced Gu Feng as the nominal young master of the Gu family.
"Without the burden of responsibility, I feel so light. The past few years, the weight on my shoulders was too much to bear...
Uncles and elders, Gu Feng will now take his leave." With that, Gu Feng turned to leave.
"Everyone has their own path. If you wish to leave, Gu Feng, we won't stop you!
However, leave your belongings behind!"
Hmm?
Gu Feng turned back in confusion. "What belongings?"
"Don't play dumb. I've inherited your position as the young master, so it's only natural that I inherit your possessions!
Hand over your storage pouch!"
Gu Xing stood up, blocking Gu Feng's path, a mocking smile on his face.
(End of the Chapter)
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