Translator: AnubisTL
"Wow, Gu Feng, you've got so many treasures again?"
"Such a large piece of Violet Lightning Stone?"
"What's this? It's so dazzling. Could it be Golden Light Soil?"
"Even Wind Chasing Secret Sulfur, such a rare artifact crafting material, you've managed to get it!"
"..."
Chu Youhuan's eyes sparkled, and drool almost dripped from the corner of her mouth as she pounced forward. Gu Feng shuddered and immediately stored all the materials on the ground into his storage ring.
"You're about to break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, yet you act like a bandit. Where's the demeanor of a master?" Gu Feng pressed a hand against Chu Youhuan's forehead, utterly speechless.
"Are you planning to craft a Mystic Artifact?" Chu Youhuan leaned forward, her fair, lotus-like arms flailing about.
"You have so many crafting materials. You can't possibly use them all. Share some with me. I want to craft a Mystic Artifact too."
"You've gained so much because of my efforts outside. It's not fair to keep it all to yourself!"
"What's unfair about it? I earned this through my hard work," Gu Feng retorted with a playful smirk.
"I challenge you to a duel!" Seeing that Gu Feng was unmoved, Chu Youhuan's expression changed, and she shouted fiercely.
"No way. I don't want to fight someone with no martial ethics!" Gu Feng said disdainfully.
"How do I lack martial ethics?"
"Last time, you clearly said you'd suppress your strength to the fifth level of the Innate Realm. But when you couldn't win, you resorted to cheating and slapped me several times. You almost knocked my teeth out, and it hurt for days." Just thinking about it made Gu Feng's teeth ache.
"You were the one who acted shamelessly first!" Chu Youhuan's face turned red, but then she smiled brightly. "This time, I promise I won't cheat!"
"Only a fool would believe you!" Gu Feng made it clear he didn't trust her.
"You know the function of this Mystic Artifact, right? Once the realm is set, even the top experts can't avoid being beaten by you!" Chu Youhuan took out the realm-suppressing Mystic Artifact and waved it in front of Gu Feng.
"How do we compete?" Gu Feng's interest was piqued, and he asked tentatively.
"If I win, you give me half of the crafting materials you got today. If I lose, I'll give you all the crafting materials I've prepared!"
As she spoke, Chu Youhuan opened her storage ring, and a dazzling light burst forth from within.
Gu Feng's mouth slightly opened as he looked at her with interest. This woman was no simple character. Unbeknownst to him, she had managed to gather so many Mystic Grade crafting materials.
After silently communicating with Zhu Qingyan, Gu Feng's eyes grew brighter. With Chu Youhuan's crafting materials, even if he couldn't craft a mid-grade Mystic Artifact, he wouldn't be far off.
"The materials are decent, but what realm will you suppress yourself to?" Gu Feng asked cautiously.
"The seventh level of the Innate Realm!"
"Goodbye!"
"Don't go! It has to be the seventh level of the Innate Realm, or you'll trick me!" Chu Youhuan blocked Gu Feng, preventing him from leaving. "If I lose, I'll add an extra 50 million low-grade Spirit Stones on top of what I've already offered. This is my entire fortune from the dividends of the Swamp Pass over the past few months."
"This is quite a gamble. Why don't you just use these Spirit Stones to buy crafting materials instead of trying to take mine?" Gu Feng said, exasperated.
"Some materials aren't something you can just buy with money; they require effort to find, and I don't have the time for that!" Chu Youhuan said with a serious expression, though in her heart, she was thinking: Buying artifact crafting materials costs money, but stealing them is so much more satisfying.
"How about it?"
"I'm not confident. The pressure of the seventh level of the Innate Realm is a bit too much for me!"
"Just give it a try. If you lose, you'll only lose half of the materials, and you can still craft a Mystic Artifact... You need to have confidence and challenge yourself..." Chu Youhuan kept tempting him.
Gu Feng was somewhat tempted. "Then I'll give it a try? Go easy on me!"
"Don't worry, there's no deep-seated grudge between us. Why would I go all out?" Chu Youhuan patted her chest in assurance.
"Alright, let's do it!"
"Great!"
Chu Youhuan's spirits were high, and she was laughing inwardly. You little rascal, just wait and see how I deal with you.
Ever since the last time Gu Feng had humiliated her by getting the upper hand, Chu Youhuan had been holding a grudge, determined to reclaim her dignity.
Recently, whenever she had free time, she had been studying Gu Feng's attack patterns and had even trained in two Martial Skills specifically designed to counter him.
This time, she was absolutely confident of winning.
Thinking of this, Chu Youhuan couldn't hold back anymore, her lips curling into a smile, almost laughing out loud.
She adjusted the Mystic Artifact that suppressed her cultivation level and stood opposite Gu Feng.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Take this!" Chu Youhuan struck first, her body radiating dazzling Spiritual Radiance, the aura of the seventh level of the Innate Realm fully displayed. The entire training room was filled with a violent atmosphere.
Right from the start, she unleashed her full power.
A silver light flashed in her hand, and a ten-meter-long blade aura split the air, descending towards Gu Feng.
"Damn, she's going all out!"
"Hahaha, if I can't beat you up this time, I won't call myself Chu Youhuan!"
"Taking your crafting materials isn't the main point; the main point is that I want to get revenge and give you a good beating!"
Watching Gu Feng constantly dodge, Chu Youhuan said arrogantly!
Boom—
Bang—
Clang—
Spiritual Power surged through the training room, and the sound of intense collisions echoed from time to time.
"Hehe, Gu Feng, I didn't expect you to hide your strength so well, but you're still far from matching me!"
"Senior Sister Chu, you're really arrogant!"
"Without strength, it's called arrogance; with strength, it's confidence! Within a hundred moves, I'll knock you down."
"Haha!"
...
Saying the toughest words, taking the hardest hits!
The more arrogant Chu Youhuan was before the battle, the more humiliated she was after it.
Her once radiant, starry eyes were now dull and lifeless, devoid of any light. Her flawless face was as pale as if it had been painted with white paint, looking terrifyingly pale.
Chu Youhuan slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling of the training room, feeling a sense of absurdity and unreality.
She lost—
She lost again—
Facing Gu Feng at the seventh level of the Innate Realm, she had only held a slight advantage at the beginning, but after that, it was a complete rout, with no ability to fight back.
How is this possible?
These five glaring words crashed through her mind, making her head buzz.
Her gaze was vacant as she watched Gu Feng take away her crafting materials and fifty million Low-grade Spirit Stones. Suddenly, as if jolted awake from a deathly illness, she threw herself to the ground, clutching Gu Feng's leg, tears welling up in her eyes, looking pitiful and helpless.
With a pitiful tone, she pleaded, "Don't take it all, leave me something."
"A bet is a bet," Gu Feng said coldly.
"You're already so wealthy, my little fortune is nothing to you, really, you can't take it all!"
"Haven't you heard the richer one is, the more ruthless they become? You were the one who initiated this bet, and I even advised against it, but you wouldn't listen." Gu Feng gently pushed her arm aside and mercilessly took the Spirit Stones and Artifact Crafting Materials.
"Give me another chance, I'll unleash the full power of the eighth level of the Innate Realm!" Chu Youhuan was filled with regret, wishing she hadn't been so overconfident, losing everything.
If time could be reversed, she would still choose to bet with Gu Feng, but she would definitely suppress her cultivation to the eighth level of the Innate Realm.
"Wait until you've saved up fifty million Low-grade Spirit Stones next time. You're now a shareholder of the Swamp Pass, money is just a matter of time, don't act like a sore loser!" Gu Feng comforted her softly.
"If you leave me some Spirit Stones, I'll agree to anything!" Seeing that begging was useless, Chu Youhuan's expression changed, becoming pitiful and charming.
"Really?" Gu Feng licked his dry lips, his eyes burning with desire.
"Really!"
Hehe, I, Chu Youhuan, still have some charm, Gu Feng is about to take the bait.
"Alright, I'll leave you one million Low-grade Spirit Stones, but you have to give me all your Storage Rings!"
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan's face stiffened, and after a moment, she shouted angrily, "You scoundrel... robber... rogue..."
Gu Feng chuckled, whistling as he left with fifty million Spirit Stones and a pile of Artifact Crafting Materials.
...
The days that followed were uneventful, until one day in November, a beam of light shone from the direction of the cultivation chamber, dispelling the mist of the Swamp Zone and shooting into the sky.
Following that, a dark blue bird shadow soared above the swamp, its deep and mysterious aura somewhat startling, carrying a hint of mystical Dao essence.
With each flap of its wings, bursts of light erupted, stirring the surrounding air, causing large patches of mist to sway.
"This... someone has successfully nurtured a spirit, breaking into the Spirit Nurturing Realm!"
The Spirit Nurturing Realm, as the name suggests, requires nurturing a spirit within the body. This spirit is not a real life form, but a phantom.
The Innate Realm allows cultivators to shed their mortal bodies and transform into Innate Bodies; the Spirit Nurturing Realm is the true watershed for cultivators.
Various physiques also manifest at this realm, accompanied by celestial phenomena.
The strength of these phenomena represents the power of the nurtured spirit, which ultimately depends on the strength of the physique, closely related to future achievements!
The phenomenon at this moment, with its mysterious aura, is undoubtedly an extraordinary physique.
"Judging from the aura, it's Chu Youhuan!"
"The fifth-ranked genius on the Inner Sanctum Heaven Ranking of the Sunset Glow Sect, truly remarkable!"
"This divine bird, if nurtured, could almost surpass the ancestors of the Chu Kingdom."
"The Azure Coral Crimson Extinction Finch, said to be a descendant of the ancient Vermilion Bird, Chu Youhuan is defying the heavens!"
"In the turbulent situation of the Chu Kingdom, the emergence of such a figure might signify the rise of the Chu Kingdom!"
"Great, our Sunset Glow Sect has finally welcomed a once-in-a-generation genius!"
"..."
This is truly astonishing. Chu Youhuan's breakthrough today, nurturing an ancient and powerful spirit, has undoubtedly elevated her talent far beyond her Innate Realm days.
If he does not fall in the future, Gu Feng has the potential to surpass all the predecessors of the Chu royal family.
The palm-sized Azure Coral Crimson Extinction Finch soared a few circles above the swamp, let out a sharp cry, and then returned to Chu Youhuan's sea of consciousness, falling silent once more.
"Sect Master, the creature you've nurtured is incredibly powerful!"
"Just having been born, it already makes my heart tremble."
"..."
The female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect also came forward to congratulate her, their faces filled with joy, blooming like flowers.
"Congratulations, you've finally succeeded in nurturing your spirit before me!"
Yan Yexue walked over to Chu Youhuan with a gentle smile.
"You cultivate both alchemy and martial arts, which divides your focus. Within three months, you will surely succeed in spirit nurturing as well!"
Chu Youhuan, having successfully nurtured her spirit, exuded a more profound and stable aura. Already breathtakingly beautiful, she now shone even brighter than a pearl.
She was a Goddess, standing quietly before the crowd, making most men feel inferior and not daring to harbor any improper thoughts.
Chu Youhuan walked with an ethereal grace above the swamp, her gaze flickering to a certain spot. With a slight smile, the heavens and earth seemed to pale, and the mist over the swamp was blown away.
"Sect Master, where are you going?"
Normally, a cultivator who has just succeeded in spirit nurturing would enter a period of seclusion to stabilize the creature in their sea of consciousness.
However, Chu Youhuan did not do so. Instead, she walked with light and rhythmic steps towards a pavilion not far from the cultivation chamber.
Above the pavilion stood a tall figure, standing there calmly on the surface but panicking inside.
"Senior Zhu, this woman is eager to seek revenge. With my newly advanced eighth level of the Innate Realm, can I fight her?"
"This junior's talent is top-tier even in the Central Plains. The gap between the Spirit Nurturing Realm and the Innate Realm is more than ten times that between the Innate Realm and the Postnatal Realm.
You could defeat a first level Innate Realm cultivator with your eighth level Postnatal Realm, but you might not be able to defeat a first level Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivator with your eighth level Innate Realm.
However, she is not yet a complete first level Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivator, and you have just entered the eighth level of the Innate Realm. You two should be evenly matched, depending on your performance in the moment!" Zhu Qingyan said with a light laugh.
"Gu Feng, how about a guidance battle? Let you experience the power of the Spirit Nurturing Realm in advance, so you won't be caught off guard later!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, their mouths agape in disbelief.
Chu Youhuan, who had just succeeded in spirit nurturing, did not enter seclusion to stabilize her spirit but instead wanted to personally guide Gu Feng's cultivation?
"What a remarkable Chu Youhuan, Gu Feng is fortunate to have such a confidante in his life!"
"Just after succeeding in spirit nurturing, she is eager to help Gu Feng. If I were a few decades younger, I would be green with envy."
"I heard that Shu Yuheng has also succeeded in spirit nurturing. What kind of creature he has nurtured remains a mystery. Gu Feng getting a taste of the Spirit Nurturing Realm's power in advance, Chu Youhuan is truly thoughtful!"
"..."
Listening to the praises from the elders, Gu Feng's mouth twitched.
This woman might have such intentions, but her main goal is to settle the score from their previous encounters.
"What, afraid I'll hurt you?"
Seeing the sly glint in Chu Youhuan's eyes, Gu Feng was certain that this was exactly what she was thinking.
"Fighting against the Spirit Nurturing Realm, a first in my life, how could I refuse!" Just the Spirit Nurturing Realm, what is there to fear? Gu Feng's heroic spirit surged.
"Let's make it interesting with a wager, otherwise it's no fun!" Chu Youhuan said with a tense face, her heart racing.
"Senior Sister Chu, please go ahead!" Gu Feng remained calm and gestured for her to continue.
"If it ends within a hundred moves, you give up one percent of your shares; if it goes beyond a hundred moves, everything I own, including myself, will belong to you!"
As she spoke, Chu Youhuan exuded boundless confidence. She didn't even bother to mention the outcome of the bet, directly setting the limit at a hundred moves.
"Wow—"
Such a huge wager! Everyone's eyes turned to Gu Feng at the top of the pavilion.
"Are you really going to bet this big?"
"One percent of your shares is just a drop in the bucket for you."
"That makes sense," Gu Feng nodded slightly. "Alright then, let's do it!"
"You two should enter the training room to fight, to avoid harming the innocent. It will also be a good test of the newly built training room's strength!" an Elder from the Spirit Nurturing Realm declared.
Gu Feng and Chu Youhuan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with rising combat spirit. One after the other, their figures rushed into the training room.
(End of the Chapter)
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