Translator: Anubis Translations
"Try to go out as little as possible during this period!"
Elder Liu did not reprimand Gu Feng for his conflict with Qiu Ze earlier in the day, instead starting with this advice.
"Do you mean going out of the Outer Sect, or just leaving my courtyard?" Gu Feng asked with a smile, handing over a storage pouch respectfully.
"Do you think this elder lacks your few spirit stones? You're still underestimating the Outer Sect. Do you think you're already invincible here?" Elder Liu scolded with a laugh.
"Isn't that the case?"
"You're only invincible among the Body Tempering Realm disciples in the Outer Sect. The truly powerful ones are cultivating at Carp Mountain. Among them, the strongest have already reached the Postnatal Realm." As he spoke, Elder Liu pointed out the window toward a distant, towering peak that pierced through the clouds, faintly revealing intricate runes.
"The entire Carp Mountain is inscribed with over 108,000 runes, forming a super spirit-gathering array. It concentrates the spiritual energy of the Outer Sect to aid Outer Sect disciples in breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm..." Elder Liu's words gave Gu Feng a comprehensive understanding of the Outer Sect.
Transitioning from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect was like sifting sand through a torrential wave—the competition was terrifying. The top ten in the annual competition automatically entered the Inner Sect, while the top hundred had the chance to challenge Inner Sect disciples, though few succeeded. This meant that among the tens of thousands of Outer Sect disciples, only a dozen or so entered the Inner Sect each year, making the competition thousands of times fiercer than the college entrance exams of his past life—truly a one-in-ten-thousand selection.
The Body Tempering Realm was the foundation of cultivation, widely recognized as the most crucial stage before the Innate Realm. It was like the foundation of a great path—the firmer it was, the more beneficial it would be for future cultivation. Many Outer Sect cultivators could break through to the Qi Refining Realm at any time, yet they chose to suppress their progress, striving to enhance their physical strength to maximize the expansion of their Dantian at the moment of breakthrough.
"Elder Liu, is it true that the stronger one's body, the larger the Dantian they can open when breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, and the stronger they'll be among their peers?" Gu Feng asked excitedly. His physical strength was already extraordinary, yet he still hadn't broken through to the Qi Refining Realm. It was clear that when he did, his power would be terrifying.
At the same time, he understood the purpose of Elder Liu's conversation—to remind him to stay low-key and not assume he was invincible, as there were still Qi Refining Realm cultivators above him.
"Qiu Ze will likely come after you. Be mentally prepared. He won't go too far within the Outer Sect, but outside of it, I can't intervene."
"Understood. I'm a lone wolf—I'm not afraid of their underhanded tricks. As for the Outer Sect, I'll fight them as soon as they show up!" Gu Feng's tone was bold, his eyes sharp.
"Haha, quite the bold words. Let me test your current strength." Elder Liu stroked his beard, laughing, and decided to test the power of the Myriad Tribulations Physique.
"Alright!" Gu Feng nodded and stood up, eager to know the extent of his physical strength.
"I'll suppress my realm to the Qi Refining Realm for a more accurate assessment." Elder Liu stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of tranquility, waiting for Gu Feng's strike.
"Boom—"
Gu Feng took a deep breath, channeling all his strength into his right arm, twisting his waist, and unleashing his full power into a heavy blow on Elder Liu's chest, eliciting a muffled grunt.
Elder Liu remained unmoved, though a flicker of pain crossed his brow.
"Elder Liu, how does this punch fare against a Qi Refining Realm cultivator?" Gu Feng asked eagerly.
"Passable, but you're still underestimating the Qi Refining Realm cultivators of the Sunset Glow Sect," Elder Liu replied with a deep voice.
"Understood. It seems I still need to keep cultivating!" Gu Feng nodded in agreement.
Elder Liu slowly turned around, his back to Gu Feng, his face instantly turning red as he grimaced, waving Gu Feng off.
"Go back now. Tomorrow, find some time to visit the Outer Sect's Cultivation Method Hall and pick a martial skill. Your combat awareness is good, but your force application is flawed. Fighting Qi Refining Realm cultivators isn't just about brute strength."
After Gu Feng left, Elder Liu suddenly turned around, squatting and rubbing his chest.
"That kid hasn't even reached the limit of the Body Tempering Realm, yet his strength already exceeds 100,000 pounds. The Myriad Tribulations Physique is truly terrifying. He almost killed me..."
...
The next morning, Gu Feng left his courtyard and arrived at the Cultivation Method Hall.
"Hey, what a coincidence! Are you here to choose martial skills too?"
Seeing Gu Feng approach with a smile, Wu Qi and the others instantly darkened their expressions.
"By the way, who paid for dinner last night? Was it Chu Youhuan? I knew she must have money. Don't look so glum—having Chu Youhuan treat us to dinner is something to brag about. If it weren't for me, would you have had this opportunity?"
Gu Feng enthusiastically put his arms around Chao Yuan and the others, but their sullen expressions made his own face darken.
"Do you think I'm being unfair?"
"No—"
"Then why the long faces?"
"The Cultivation Method Hall only allows an hour inside. We're just thinking about how to choose."
"Oh," Gu Feng nodded in satisfaction. "I was worried you misunderstood. Yesterday, I only said we'd eat together—I didn't say who'd pay."
At this, Wu Qi and the others stared at Gu Feng in shock, their lips twitching.
Eating together implies paying, doesn't it? Even if you didn't pay, you couldn't have taken over a thousand servings of takeout—that's just too much.
Of course, they could only think these words in their hearts, not daring to voice them.
Sigh—given how he fought for us yesterday, let's just let it go. After all, the real fool was Chu Youhuan, and in the end, we still got a free meal.
The group entered the Cultivation Method Hall.
Each Outer Sect disciple had one opportunity to exchange spirit stones for a martial skill. After that, they would need to use Outer Sect points to acquire more. Thus, Wu Qi and the others treasured this chance.
No matter where you go, social dynamics exist, and the Outer Sect was no exception. Wu Qi and the others approached the on-duty elder, silently pulling out a storage pouch containing some spirit stones.
Gu Feng's eyes lit up, and he darted forward, snatching their storage pouch at lightning speed.
"Esteemed elder, this is a small token of appreciation from me and my brothers. Please accept it!"
Wu Qi and the others' faces darkened again. This guy was too much—he wouldn't even spare a few spirit stones for such an important martial skill selection, and worse, he shamelessly presented their spirit stones as his own contribution. At least he started with 'me and my brothers,' so he didn't take it all for himself.
The elder was equally stunned—he had never seen such a brazen disciple. But as an elder, he couldn't be bothered to argue with a mere Outer Sect disciple.
"Tell me your strengths, and I'll give you some guidance," the on-duty elder said, accepting the storage pouch with a smile.
"I'm good with leg techniques—I'd like a related martial skill."
"I use the sword—something sword-related would be best."
"The spear is the king of weapons—majestic and powerful..."
One by one, they excitedly stated their preferences. When it was Gu Feng's turn, he chuckled and scratched his head sheepishly.
"Do you have anything cheap—preferably free, but still powerful?"
"No—" The elder's smile froze, his tone turning stern.
You get what you pay for—there's no such thing as a powerful yet free martial skill. If you find one, let me know!
"Such a simple request, and you can't fulfill it? This Cultivation Method Hall isn't much," Gu Feng muttered as he walked into the hall.
The elder's face turned ashen. He wanted to drag Gu Feng over and see what was going on in his head.
"This is interesting—the personality of this Myriad Tribulations Physique is quite different from what's recorded in history!"
(End of the Chapter)
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