Chapter 31: Strange Thunder, the Secret Above the Clouds...
Yunyin can hide the cultivation level of practitioners so that others cannot easily see through it. Just like its name, if you insist on investigating it, the result you get will be as illusory as the clouds in the sky, making it difficult to understand.
However, such a technique is only effective for those whose cultivation is weaker than one's own, or within three minor realms of one's own, making it somewhat useless and not ranked highly among the several renowned techniques of Yunliang Qianchi. However, such limitations do not apply to those in the Xiaoyao Realm. The first level of the Xiaoyao Realm is a completely new realm, and the gap between the two is enormous.
The fact that Gu Shiyan could so easily see through his cultivation, yet he couldn't, spoke volumes. Either Gu Shiyan's cultivation level was the same as his, at the fifth level of the Free and Unrestrained Realm, or Gu Shiyan's was higher than his own. His own cultivation wasn't solid, and since it was acquired through transmission, it was inherently weaker than those of his peers.
If Gu Shiyan's cultivation level surpassed his, he would definitely not be Gu Shiyan's opponent. The stronger one is, the more afraid they are of death. Regardless of whether Gu Shiyan truly possessed such a level of cultivation or was just bluffing, even if the probability of the former was only one in ten million, he would not dare to gamble.
Let alone saving Gu Shiyan's life today, I'm afraid it won't be easy for him to escape from the other party safely.
With this thought, he glanced at Gu Shiyan's movements, hoping to seize the opportunity to escape. Immediately, he swung his hands wildly, leaving afterimages in the air as palm prints scattered in all directions. While Gu Shiyan was shielding the others from the attack, a wisp of white smoke erupted from his feet, and the next second, he appeared dozens of miles away.
This was a technique for escaping. Although it allowed him to escape successfully, it had taken a heavy toll on him, causing a trace of blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth. This technique had been passed down from the Northern Rong royal family when he succeeded the Holy Son. He had only used it once, when he was being chased after his cultivation had just broken through to the Seaside Realm.
He originally thought that he would never need to use this technique again after breaking through to the Xiaoyao Realm, but today's facts really exceeded his expectations.
He didn't even bother stopping to gather his inner strength or heal his wounds. He clutched his chest with one hand, forcing himself to endure the pain as he continued his flight. He decided to return to Beirong territory and find a secluded place to heal his wounds, then find another opportunity to return to the Beirong Worship Hall. This time, he had fled the battlefield alone, abandoning hundreds of thousands of Beirong cavalrymen. Upon his return, he would undoubtedly face widespread condemnation.
But as long as he recovers from his injuries, he will still be the national teacher who is second only to the emperor and above everyone else. Even if they are dissatisfied, they have to let the matter go lightly because he is the only one in the Free and Easy Realm in Beirong.
Because he was seriously injured and his internal strength had not yet fully recovered, his speed was not very fast, but with the help of the secret technique, he was now not far away from the Beirong territory.
Just when he relaxed his vigilance and was about to step into the territory of Beirong, a figure dropped from the sky and blocked his way. The man was dressed in a green robe. The blood-red moonlight shone on the boy's flawless white face, and it even gave the usually gentle boy a hint of murderous intent.
Zhu Zhe's face was filled with a variety of emotions, from confusion, contemplation, to panic. He had not expected Gu Shiyan to catch up with him so easily, especially after he had already used his secret technique.
An ordinary Xiaoyao Realm expert simply couldn't have such speed. Gu Shiyan's cultivation had already exceeded his expectations. At this point, he had no chance of escaping. His current body and remaining internal energy simply couldn't support him in performing another secret technique.
But he didn't know that Yun Liang Qianchi's Qinggong was also unparalleled in the world, not to mention that Gu Shiyan's internal energy was like a bottomless pit, inexhaustible. The white feather sword was light, like the feathers of a divine bird, and its speed when flying was also extremely fast, even surpassing Gu Shiyan's Pohong.
"I was at fault for what happened today, but if you continue to pester me, would both of us be hurt? Is that the outcome you want?" Zhu Zhe didn't want to completely offend Gu Shiyan at this point, so he took the initiative to speak, using courtesy before force. He first admitted defeat, then threatened.
But he didn't know that what Gu Shiyan hated most in his life was being threatened. As for why this happened, it all stemmed from the storybooks in Yunliang Qianchi Library. In these stories, the protagonists were often forced to part ways with their loved ones due to threats. At that time, Gu Shiyan made up his mind: if he found someone he loved, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, he would slay them with a single blow.
Besides, Gu Shiyan had no intention of letting him go. If he recovered from his injuries and made a comeback, it would be his turn to deal with the matter next time. He didn't have the patience for that.
"Then the Imperial Master may be overestimating himself. With your cultivation level, I'm afraid it's not enough to fight against me and suffer mutual destruction." Gu Shiyan's tone was calm. This was just the conclusion he came to after analyzing the strength of both sides. It also reflected his confidence in his own cultivation level.
But Zhu Zhe clearly disagreed. The panic on his face had been replaced by anger. The younger generation before him had repeatedly looked down upon him. And since he saw no way out, he might as well give it his all and drag the other party down with him. He was already nearing death, but Gu Shiyan was so young and so talented. If anything really happened, the Martial Master would surely be furious. It was a shame he wouldn't be able to witness such a scene, but having such a talented person buried with him meant nothing to him.
During this time, a formation pattern illuminated beneath his feet. Thunderclouds appeared around the pattern, connected in the center by the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. At the very center, right beneath Zhuzhe's feet, the ancient seal character for "thunder" appeared. The moment the pattern appeared, the sky and earth dimmed, and the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance.
By the time Gu Shiyan realized what was happening, he was already trapped in the formation, unable to escape. He'd let his guard down earlier, seeing Zhu Zhe's serious injuries, and assumed he was powerless to resist. He'd unexpectedly been tricked. He'd previously seen a description of this formation in the Yunliang Qianchi library. It was called the Nine Heavens Thunderbolt Soul Devouring Formation. The person setting up the formation sacrificed their body and soul, drawing the gods from the nine heavens to inflict thunderous punishment on those caught within.
He had never imagined Zhu Zhe would be so reckless; he had underestimated him. Regardless of whether he could survive the formation, Zhu Zhe's body would be scattered due to the sacrifice, and even reincarnation would be impossible. Although he didn't believe in immortals or gods, as the Northern Rong Imperial Master and responsible for the sacrifice, Zhu Zhe should have believed in it. He had never expected him to set up another formation to attack him.
The thunder grew closer, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, indicating the formation was nearing completion. The next moment, the patterns that had been on the ground soared into the air, forming pillars of light that trapped the two men. Zhu Zhe's figure gradually dissipated, leaving only a single sentence: "Young man, I await you on the road to the underworld."
The renowned Northern Rong Imperial Master, with his last breath, laughed heartily, his body transforming into a streak of white light, soaring into the sky. High in the sky, the white light split in two, one heading into the dark clouds, the other seemingly towards the Northern Rong capital. Gu Shiyan recalled a rumor that, regardless of where the Northern Rong Imperial Masters lived or died, their Free and Easy Realm cultivation would be stored in the Purple Lotus Ferry Sacred Book in the Worship Hall, passed down to their successors.
This suggests the rumor is true, explaining why the number of Free and Unrestrained Realm experts in the Northern Rong has never been cut off. It's impossible that all Imperial Masters passed their skills on to the next generation during their lifetime over the past few hundred years. There would always be a few who died tragically.
The dark clouds that converged above Gu Shiyan's head, after receiving the white light transformed by Zhu Zhe, descended from the center with a massive beam of light, accompanied by the sound of thunder and rain, its imposing power intimidating anyone. But Gu Shiyan didn't retreat. He tightly grasped the White Feather Sword, his internal energy surging throughout his body. By this point, he had already entered a state of unity between man and sword.
The dark clouds surrounding the pillar of light began to dissipate, revealing a sudden burst of light. A veil of sky flashed through the pillar of light. This veil was likely the legendary celestial realm, a dazzling galaxy piercing through it. Celestial music played, and graceful fairies danced to the music, their sleeves made of clouds fluttering in the air.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. The once peaceful heavens were suddenly covered in dark clouds and flashes of lightning. A goddess, holding a purple lightning bolt in her hand, stood high in the sky, looking down at Gu Shiyan below. Her gaze was arrogant, and she didn't take him seriously. But the moment she took in Gu Shiyan's appearance, a trace of horror suddenly flashed across her previously calm face.
A male god emerged from the dark clouds nearby. He spoke to the goddess in a questioning tone, "Why aren't you taking action yet? You're just a mere mortal. Get this over with quickly. We still need to go back to the mortal world to bring peace and prosperity."
The Rain God said nothing, merely pointing a trembling finger at Gu Shiyan below. The male god looked in the direction of her finger, a look of horror crossing his face. Seeing this, the goddess quickly seized the opportunity to transfer the purple lightning in her hand to the other's.
The male god was frightened by her action and wanted to return the thunder in his hand, but the goddess would never give him such an opportunity.
Gu Shiyan, who was below, naturally couldn't see what was happening above the clouds, and was still wondering why the thunder hadn't fallen yet.
After discussion, the two decided to send down thunder, but they added some little thoughts to this thunder.
A moment later, the goddess gently tossed the purple lightning in her hand, and the original beam of light was replaced by a deep purple lightning bolt, instantly dyeing the entire world purple. The commotion could be seen even from Frost Iron City, hundreds of miles away. Soldiers from both sides, who were still fighting, froze in their tracks, exclaiming in wonder. Generals led by Jing Ziping realized that the noise was caused by the battle between two Free and Easy Realm experts, and they worried for Gu Shiyan's safety.
At this moment, Gu Shiyan saw that the thunder that had been brewing for a long time finally fell, so he stood up to meet it, but this thunder was far from as simple as he thought.
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