As time passed, more and more disciples were eliminated from the four arenas. The most outstanding among them were Gu Yi of the Jia Arena, Gu Xiaobin of the Yi Arena, Gu Ran of the Bing Arena, and Gu Feng of the Ding Arena.
The paths of these four to advancement were completely unstoppable. They could only be described as utterly crushing!
Regardless of which of the four they encountered, the other disciples could not stop them from becoming the champion of their respective arenas, whether they surrendered or fought with all their strength.
Soon, the final four were decided.
Next came the semifinals, with Gu Yi facing Gu Xiaobin and Gu Ran facing Gu Feng.
A blue-robed man suddenly arrived behind gu chengqian and the others, his expression grave and his steps hurried. He reported, “clan patriarch, something has happened!”
Gu Chengqian was reminiscing with Gu Chengjiao. He turned his head and asked, “What is it?”
The man said in a low voice, “Young Master Manting has gone missing!”
The teacup in Gu Chengqian’s hand fell to the ground with a crack and shattered. Shocked and enraged, he said, “What did you say? Gu Manting has gone missing?”
The man said solemnly, “It is not just Young Master Manting. Many other children from the main clan have also disappeared.”
Gu Chengqian’s expression relaxed considerably. He reproached him, “How could so many children simply get lost? They must have gone somewhere together to play. Take some people and search properly. Is this really such a big matter that you had to come report it to me?”
The man did not dare say anything more. He acknowledged the order and turned to leave.
Gu Chengqian looked at Gu Chengjiao and said, “third younger brother, the family’s cloth business is currently short of someone in charge. What do you think—would you mind taking on the trouble?”
Gu Chengjiao said indifferently, “I have no talent for business. Clan patriarch, please find someone more capable.”
“Good, good!” Gu Chengqian chuckled, not daring to say anything more. Yet for some reason, a trace of ominous foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.
At the arenas, Gu Yi and Gu Xiaobin faced off in one match, while Gu Ran and Gu Feng faced off in another. The battles began simultaneously.
This drew all the clan members over to watch.
Gu Xiaobin looked at Gu Yi and said in a low voice, “Gu Yi, judging by age, I am your elder brother. They say you are very powerful now, capable of Contending With a True Essence Realm cultivation level while at the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement. But I do not believe it.”
“The body refinement realm merely tempers the physical body and strengthens the physique. It is fundamentally different from the True Essence Realm. Once one breaks through into the True Essence Realm, one can accumulate a qi vortex within the dantian qi sea, which has numerous applications. Merely attaching primordial qi to one’s fists, feet, and weapons is already something a body refinement realm martial artist cannot contend with!”
Gu Xiaobin shook the Azure Sword in his hand. In an instant, the sword’s body was covered by a faint layer of white light!
This was the most striking change after a martial artist’s cultivation level entered the True Essence Realm!
It was a qualitative sublimation from the external strength of the physical body directly to the primordial qi within the body!
Gu Yi remained expressionless and said calmly, “You seem to have forgotten that two years ago, my cultivation level was already at the second stage of true essence realm!”
At the clan tournament two years ago, Gu Yi had reached the second stage of true essence realm at the age of seventeen, making him a genius of his generation!
He smiled faintly and continued, “So you can spare me the lecture.”
Gu Xiaobin was momentarily speechless. He simply raised his sword and thrust it toward Gu Yi. “Then you should understand even better that the gap between major realms cannot be made up by any other factors! You are no match for me!”
The sword light radiated white light. Though faint, it was still genuine external release of primordial qi, causing the surrounding disciples to shudder!
Everyone said that Gu Yi had Slaughtered the second grand-uncle, who was at the true essence, third layer, but no one had witnessed it personally. He was only at the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement—could he truly contend with a true essence realm martial artist?
Gu Liang, whose body Gu Yi had crippled, revealed a resentful look amid the crowd and said hatefully, “Gu Yi, you are finished!”
Everyone watched nervously, wanting to see whether Gu Yi could withstand Gu Xiaobin’s fully charged strike!
The Azure Sword wrapped in white light arrived before Gu Yi, aimed straight at a vital point!
Gu Yi stood where he was and merely extended two fingers. With an accurate and swift pinch, he firmly caught the surging sword!
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. Gu Xiaobin’s expression changed drastically as he pulled at the sword, only to discover that he could not move it at all!
Gu Yi smiled faintly and released the sword with his fingers, allowing Gu Xiaobin to pull it back. “Again.”
Gu Xiaobin gritted his teeth and shouted, “Drizzling Rain Chain Sword!”
The sword immediately emerged like a dragon, stabbing toward Gu Yi as densely as countless raindrops!
Gu Yi struck again, steadily catching the opponent’s sword. Only then did he ask, “Who told you that the gap between major realms cannot be made up?”
Gu Xiaobin once again failed to pull out his sword. His face turned crimson with shame and fury!
Crack!
Gu Yi snapped the opponent’s sword in two and casually flung half of the blade away. It shot into the bluestone paving slabs, sinking half a foot into the ground!
“You have lost.”
Gu Xiaobin looked at the half of the blade stuck in the ground. His eyelids twitched violently. After a moment, he gave a bitter smile, cupped his fists, and said, “I admit my defeat wholeheartedly.”
At the same time, in another arena, Gu Feng severed Gu Ran’s arm with a single sword stroke and stomped him firmly beneath his foot!
“Gu Yi wins!”
“Gu Feng wins!”
The judges on both sides announced the results almost simultaneously.
Gu Yi and Gu Feng looked at each other at the same time, killing intent spreading through both their eyes.
It was as though this were a fated showdown. The decisive match: Gu Yi versus Gu Feng!
Everyone in the family knew the ins and outs of the grievances between the two.
They were the same age and had always been compared with each other since childhood, but from beginning to end, Gu Yi had always held the upper hand.
Until two years ago, when Gu Yi’s cultivation level reached the second stage of true essence realm and he seemed highly likely to seize the champion title of the clan tournament, Gu Feng ambushed him and injured his qi sea. From then on, his fortunes plummeted, and he became a cripple.
No one had expected Gu Yi to have obtained some great fortune either. He suddenly seemed to become a different person, leaping directly from the first layer of body tempering to the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement. His methods were also terrifying: not only could he slaughter across major realms, he had even befriended General Liu and the imperial preceptor!
His status had instantly become that of a heavyweight figure throughout the entire family. Even clan patriarch Gu Chengqian had to accommodate his feelings and did not dare offend him.
As for Gu Feng, although Gu Yi had once Crushed him, he was now genuinely at the true essence, third layer, making him the foremost among the younger disciples of the entire Gu Clan!
When the two arrived at the arena and stood facing each other, they immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“The showdown between these two has finally arrived!”
An excited young man clenched both fists and said, “I knew the final battle would definitely be between the two of them!”
He was not the only one. Most of the others thought the same!
After all, in their eyes, this was a fated showdown!
Gu Yi smiled faintly and spoke first. “When I Slaughtered Gu Qilun yesterday, you were standing right beside him. What, do you really have the courage to fight me? Are you not afraid that I will kill you?”
“Afraid?”
Gu Feng took a pills from his chest and swallowed it directly. With a vicious grin, he said, “I am afraid you will not even have the chance to kneel and beg for mercy later!”
Although Gu Yi only glanced briefly, he clearly saw the color and appearance of the pills Gu Feng had swallowed. His brows immediately furrowed deeply. “Essence-Enhancing Pill?”
A series of crackling sounds gradually began to come from Gu Feng’s body. His face twisted, and his veins bulged, as though he were enduring some indescribable pain. He chuckled and said, “That’s right, Gu Yi. You are quite knowledgeable. It is indeed an Essence-Enhancing Pill!”
As the crackling sounds from his body grew louder, Gu Feng’s physique actually began to expand!
The power of his cultivation level began to rise at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Fourth layer of the true essence realm
……
Seventh layer of the true essence realm
……
Until finally,
Tenth level of the true essence realm!
“It is true that you defeated the second grand-uncle, but can you defeat… me at the tenth level of the true essence realm?”
Gu Feng, whose body had grown considerably more imposing, threw back his head and laughed wildly, looking utterly crazed!