“How arrogant!” The young girl sprang to her feet and snapped angrily, “great-grandpa, I’m going to tear off his hypocritical mask and show you that he’s nothing but a big liar who makes up whatever he pleases.”
The old man looked at Gu Yi and smiled. “She’s childish by nature and has been clamoring to compete with you. You don’t mind, do you?”
Gu Yi shook his head. “I don’t mind. How shall we compete?”
The young girl said, “We’ll compete in knowledge of the martial arts. If you win, I’ll admit that you’re impressive. If you lose, then you’re just a big swindler who seeks fame through deception.”
Gu Yi nodded. “Very well.”
The young girl leaped down from the stone and said, “We’ll each ask the other three questions, and decide the winner based on how many are answered correctly.”
Gu Yi nodded. “Good. You ask first.”
“First question: What is the difference between the True Essence Realm and the violet palace realm?”
The young girl said, “You’re merely a body refinement realm martial artist, yet you dare speak recklessly about realms above the divine bridge realm. If you can’t even explain the difference between the True Essence Realm and the violet palace realm, that will be enough to prove you’re a big liar.”
Gu Yi shook his head indifferently and said, “In the True Essence Realm, a martial artist stores spiritual energy in the qi sea, transforms it into a qi vortex, and turns it into their own primordial qi. In the violet palace realm, primordial qi builds a palace, much like a stone chamber. The difference between the two realms lies in the earth-shaking transformation in the quality of the primordial qi within the body. One is a qi vortex, while the other is a stone chamber. Even with the same quantity, their degree of solidity is worlds apart.”
The young girl raised an eyebrow, secretly regretting her carelessness. She had made the question too easy. In a solemn voice, she continued, “Second question: Why can the Stone Embryo nurtured in the Embryonic Treasury Realm only be singular?”
Gu Yi smiled and said lightly, “Who said there can only be one?”
The young girl burst out laughing. “You really are a half-baked fraud! Everyone knows that the Embryonic Treasury Realm can nurture only one Stone Embryo. It would be one thing if you couldn’t explain why, but you’re actually saying that there can’t be only one?”
Gu Yi said speechlessly, “The Embryonic Treasury Realm is when the Violet Palace nurtures a Stone Embryo. The key lies in the Violet Palace’s capacity and sturdiness. As long as the Violet Palace is large and solid enough, nurturing two, three, or even ten stone embryos is no problem. You don’t even know this?”
The old man turned his gaze toward him, his face filled with astonishment. “The Violet Palace is divided into the first through tenth layers. Only at the peak of the tenth layer can one nurture a Stone Embryo. This is an unshakable principle, and everyone’s Violet Palace is more or less the same size. How can the Violet Palace be made larger and sturdier?”
Gu Yi said, “It’s very simple. At the peak of the tenth layer of the Violet Palace Realm, shatter the Stone Embryo you have nurtured. The Violet Palace will naturally expand again. Once it expands to a certain extent, it will nurture another Stone Embryo. Shatter it again, and repeat the process.”
“However, once one reaches the Embryonic Treasury Realm, every Stone Embryo must mature and fully develop. If there are too many stone embryos, they will instead restrict the speed of cultivation. Moreover, having more stone embryos provides no substantial benefit to one’s cultivation level in the later realms. Thus, over time, martial artists choose to cultivate with a single Stone Embryo.”
The old man, Liu Fang, and the young girl were rendered speechless with shock.
What kind of logic was this? A Stone Embryo could be shattered?
The old man pondered carefully, then gradually revealed a trace of astonishment. Looking at the young girl, he said, “Xiaoxi, you’re currently at the peak of the tenth layer of the violet palace realm. Why don’t you try shattering the Stone Embryo?”
The young girl cried out in alarm, “I won’t! What if I shatter it and end up stuck in the violet palace realm for the rest of my life? Great-grandpa, you’re trying to harm me!”
Gu Yi smiled. “It’s fine. Go ahead and shatter it. If the truth differs from what I said, you may kill me at any time.”
The young girl looked over coldly. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Fine!”
The young girl gritted her teeth, inspected her own condition inwardly, circulated her primordial qi, and immediately blasted toward the Stone Embryo that had just been nurtured within her Violet Palace!
Boom!
A tremendous sound erupted from within her body. The Stone Embryo shattered with a thunderous crash, transforming into a vast amount of primordial qi that once again filled the Violet Palace. Bolstered by this primordial qi, the Violet Palace actually grew considerably larger!
Moreover, the young girl detected no discomfort whatsoever. She could even vaguely sense that the Violet Palace had begun nurturing a second Stone Embryo.
She opened her eyes and stared at Gu Yi in astonishment!
The old man asked, “How is it?”
Although the young girl was unwilling to admit it, she still gritted her teeth and said, “He’s right.”
The three looked at Gu Yi differently once again. The old man exclaimed in amazement, “Young brother, just who are you?”
Liu Fang was likewise full of wonder. “Grandmaster Gu truly is extraordinary. No wonder his teacher holds you in such high regard!”
Gu Yi smiled faintly. This basic martial arts knowledge was known by the vast majority of people throughout the Myriad Heavens and Ten Thousand Realms. There was nothing worth being proud of.
The young girl gritted her teeth and asked again, “Third question: Why can the great sage at the peak of the Manifestation Sage Realm not break through the barrier of the divine bridge realm?”
Gu Yi said, “Such matters vary from person to person, so I can’t give you an exact answer. However, I do know several possible reasons. The first is the lack of a foundation for the Divine Bridge. The second is the absence of the Dragon-Slaying Sword. The third is that the Divine Bridge has been destroyed. Judging from this, I suspect it’s because the people on this continent have been restrained by a god.”
“Restrained by a god?” The three were startled and horrified, yet confused.
Gu Yi said, “It means that everyone’s Divine Bridge has been destroyed by a god. With the bridge gone, it’s naturally impossible to see or touch it.”
The imperial preceptor’s fishing rod had caught a fish. The fish tugged at the line, but he remained completely unaware, and even the fishing rod was dragged into the water. He murmured to himself, “The bridge is gone…”
Gu Yi looked at the young girl. “I’ve answered all three of my questions. Shouldn’t it be my turn to ask you now?”
The young girl came back to her senses, gritted her teeth, and said, “Fine. Ask.”
Gu Yi said lightly, “Your great-grandpa is about to die. Only a Life-Extending Pill can save his life. So I’ll ask you: How is a Life-Extending Pill refined?”
“I…” The young girl stared wide-eyed and said angrily, “If I knew how to refine a Life-Extending Pill, why would I have had General Liu post notices throughout the city looking for you?”
Gu Yi asked with a smile, “Then you admit defeat?”
The young girl snorted coldly. “If you can refine a Life-Extending Pill, then I’ll admit defeat!”
Gu Yi laughed despite himself. “Little girl, you certainly have quite a few schemes. Don’t worry. I came here this time precisely to refine a Life-Extending Pill for you. However, you need to agree to one thing.”
The three looked at him simultaneously, never expecting that he would change his mind and say he could refine pills after previously saying he would not.
Liu Fang said solemnly, “Grandmaster Gu, as long as you’re willing to refine the pill, anything can be discussed.”
Gu Yi nodded slightly. “I’m looking for an alchemy master. This person is evil-hearted and caused the deaths of my clansmen.”
Liu Fang asked, “What is this person’s name? Tell me, and I’ll go find him immediately!”
Gu Yi slowly shook his head. “I know nothing about this person, except that I estimate he should be in Dinggong City. There’s no need for you to go through the trouble of helping me search. You only need to cooperate with me in putting on a show when the time comes.”
Liu Fang straightened his body and said solemnly, “We will certainly cooperate with Grandmaster Gu to the fullest.”