Translator: AnubisTL
A part of the Swamp Pass was dedicated to cultivating cultivators. As their income increased month by month, the cultivation resources they obtained also improved gradually.
Almost every day, news of someone breaking through could be heard.
To better meet the needs of cultivators for mutual sparring, several cultivation chambers were built last month.
Among them, one chamber was of extremely high grade, capable of withstanding the attacks of cultivators in the Spirit Nurturing Realm. This was the chamber that Gu Feng and Chu Youhuan entered.
However, what they didn't know was that during the construction of this chamber, a Projection Array was added to the ceiling to allow outsiders to observe and gain inspiration from the battles of Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators.
The news of the bet between Gu Feng and Chu Youhuan spread throughout the Swamp Pass. Cultivators who were not on duty rushed over.
Above the cultivation chamber, there was a large screen-like image that clearly displayed the situation inside, even the sound of their conversation was audible.
In the image, the two stood facing each other, silently adjusting their states.
"Senior Sister Chu, if you lose this time, you won't cry again, will you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd immediately erupted in noise. Chu Youhuan, as the deputy commander of the Swamp Pass, was known for her beauty and strength, exuding an image of confidence, resilience, and boldness.
When ordinary cultivators made mistakes in their work, she would mercilessly scold them, and even when dealing with Elder-level seniors, she would not hesitate to confront them.
The scenes of Gu Feng and Sima Juncong being chased and scolded by her were common.
Would such a woman cry? It was simply unimaginable. The scene immediately buzzed with discussions, and the flames of gossip burned fiercely.
"Don't listen to Gu Feng's nonsense, this is pre-battle psychological tactics."
"Our Sect Leader is very strong, how could she cry? Gu Feng is shamelessly spouting nonsense to increase his chances of winning."
"Do you really think Gu Feng has ever defeated our Sect Leader?"
"..."
The gossip among the crowd became more and more outrageous, with some even speculating wildly about what had happened between the two, greatly affecting Chu Youhuan's reputation. The female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect came out to refute the rumors.
However, before they could finish their refutations, Chu Youhuan's voice rang out.
"Hahaha, this is tactical crying, you don't understand a thing!"
A slap, a hard slap.
Chu Youhuan's response made the female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect want to vomit blood. They never expected that their Sect Leader had actually been made to cry?
"Wow—"
The atmosphere at the scene became even more heated, with discussions reaching the sky. Even the white-haired Elders were stroking their beards, chuckling.
"Tactical crying? Your face is really thick. I wonder who it was that clung to my leg, crying and begging me not to leave, saying they would do anything as long as I stayed... It hasn't been that long, how forgetful you are!" Gu Feng crossed his arms, his smile full of meaning.
If it were in public, Gu Feng would never say such things, but in the cultivation chamber, it was just the two of them, a private place, so it didn't matter.
"I now seriously suspect that there's something wrong with your body, otherwise how could you remain unmoved?" Facing Gu Feng's twisted provocation, Chu Youhuan did not back down, her gaze burning as she stared at Gu Feng's lower body, her flawless face showing a look of doubt.
As a female cultivator from the Jade Maiden Sect had mentioned a few months ago, she had no psychological defenses against Gu Feng, which made her speak extremely boldly. Had she known that everything was being observed by outsiders, she would never have responded in such a manner.
"My nickname is 'Thirteen Times in One Night.' Whoever tries it will praise its effectiveness, guaranteed to make you howl!"
"Howl? I'll make you howl in a moment!" Chu Youhuan said disdainfully.
"With what?" Gu Feng licked his lips, his gaze shamelessly sweeping over Chu Youhuan's curvaceous figure before finally settling on her upper body.
"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen something so big before?"
"..."
Their explicit and bold exchange left everyone present dumbfounded. Their eyes widened, mouths slightly agape, all wearing expressions of disbelief.
Is this a serious competition? It feels like the tone is off, more flirtatious than a lovers' quarrel.
If there had been a bed in the cultivation chamber, everyone would have seriously suspected that the two might do something earth-shattering next.
"Damn it, the Sect Leader probably doesn't know there's a Projection Array in the cultivation chamber."
"The Sect Leader has been cultivating recently; how could she know? Gu Feng has been idling around all day, either fishing for Black crocodiles or drinking and sleeping. Forget about the Projection Array in the cultivation chamber; he probably doesn't even know how many cultivation chambers there are in the Swamp Pass."
"This is so embarrassing. Sect Leader, didn't you really want to beat up Gu Feng? Please stop chatting."
"Social death; the Sect Leader's image is collapsing this time."
"..."
The female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect were frantic but helpless, unable to notify Chu Youhuan.
The Elders exchanged glances, never expecting that after entering the cultivation chamber, Gu Feng and Chu Youhuan wouldn't fight but instead engage in a war of words.
An ordinary war of words would have been fine, but the two of them were using such colorful language that even these old-timers couldn't bear to watch.
"Should we turn off the Projection Array? This could turn into a huge joke," one Elder whispered.
"It's not that serious. Neither of them is a frivolous person; they're probably just messing with each other's emotions."
"It's understandable for Gu Feng to mess with emotions, but Chu Youhuan has the upper hand in strength. Is it necessary for her to do this? I feel like something might go wrong."
"Haha, you don't know. The Projection Array was just completed, and the switch is unreliable. There's no way to turn it off right now!"
"Ah—let it be. Let's hope they behave and don't do anything outrageous."
"Even if they do something outrageous, they should find a private place."
"..."
Unaware of everything happening outside, the two continued their verbal sparring.
"I've decided, if I win this time, I'll reward myself properly. You have no idea how much I regretted it last time!"
"Hmph, as I said before, if you win, everything is yours. I just hope you have the ability!"
The two were at odds, their smiles fading simultaneously. Brilliant Spiritual Radiance erupted from their pores, flowing like water, causing the cultivation chamber to creak and groan.
Gu Feng's eyes were sharp, with a faint glint of light, as his Spiritual Power surged uncontrollably, rushing through his meridians. He silently took out a pair of pitch-black, gleaming gloves and wrapped them around his hands. The crowd was astonished to see that the gloves were densely covered with Daoist inscriptions, numbering at least a thousand. This was a low-grade Mystic Artifact.
On the other side, Chu Youhuan appeared much more relaxed and confident compared to Gu Feng, yet she still drew her silver battle blade—a top-grade Spirit Artifact!
The onlookers silently wiped their sweat. Despite the two of them exchanging verbal jabs for so long, they had ultimately restrained themselves from doing anything that would shock the world.
The battle was about to erupt!
The two figures moved at an extreme speed, colliding fiercely.
"You shameless scoundrel!"
The overflowing Spiritual Radiance was dazzling, causing a momentary daze among the spectators. All they heard was Chu Youhuan's sharp cry, and when they looked up at the projection, their expressions turned extremely peculiar.
It was now clear that this was not a serious duel!
In the projection, Gu Feng swung his fist at Chu Youhuan. The moment they made contact, Gu Feng twisted his body in an unnatural way, like a slippery eel, bypassing Chu Youhuan's front and appearing behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly, then sank his energy into his dantian and fell to the ground, rolling rapidly.
For an ordinary person, such a move would leave them with no means of attack. However, Gu Feng had cultivated the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual, and every part of his body could become a weapon.
As he rolled at high speed, he occasionally blew on Chu Youhuan's neck, bit her earlobe, switching from left to right. If he couldn't reach either, he would bite her hair.
This was truly shocking. No one had ever seen such a rogue fighting technique. Even in the entire history of the Great Chu Dynasty, this was an exceptionally explosive display.
"Is this really a duel, or is it flirting?"
"This... this move is really something. Next time, I'll find a female cultivator to spar with!"
"Isn't this just being a hooligan? I never thought Leader Gu was like this. Go, Leader Gu, we support you!"
"Hahaha, this is eye-opening. Leader Gu is truly extraordinary. His understanding of Martial Skills is divine. With such simple moves, he effectively suppressed Senior Sister Chu, who is in the Spirit Nurturing Realm!"
"Senior Sister Chu? Please call her the Marshal's wife, or just sister-in-law."
"If this keeps up, it'll be hard for them not to become Dao companions!"
"..."
The crowd beneath the projection went wild, shouting, laughing, and cheering for Gu Feng.
"You bunch of immature brats, what are you thinking? This is a martial arts match. Observe Gu Feng's attack techniques carefully..."
"Do you really think Chu Youhuan can't break free from Gu Feng's embrace? If you can learn this move, your close combat skills will improve significantly."
"Quiet! Watch carefully and ponder deeply. This is a rare learning opportunity!"
"..."
The Elders couldn't hold back any longer and began to scold loudly. Within Gu Feng's rogue attack techniques lay subtle methods of deflecting and borrowing force. While they seemed simple, mastering them was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Chu Youhuan was both furious and embarrassed. Even though she had simulated Gu Feng's moves beforehand, when it came to the actual confrontation, she still couldn't avoid falling for his tricks.
The high-speed rolling made her dizzy, and the occasional warm breath by her ear made her heart flutter. The hands holding her would sometimes poke and grope, always managing to perfectly disrupt the flow of her Spiritual Power just as she was about to erupt.
"Are you a dog or something?" Chu Youhuan was furious, flames practically shooting from her eyes.
"If you've got the guts, bite back!" Gu Feng chuckled and bit her earlobe again.
"You... Fine! It's not like you're the only one who can bite. Let's see who's afraid of whom!" With that, Chu Youhuan let out a light shout, twisted her neck sharply, and lunged to bite Gu Feng.
The prolonged high-speed rolling had taken a toll on Gu Feng as well. His vision blurred for a moment, and when he saw a mouth coming at him, he instinctively met it head-on.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant. Their eyes met, lips and teeth touched, and the rolling slowed down.
Chu Youhuan's face flushed crimson, and Gu Feng felt his cheeks burn.
"Slap—"
The next moment, a crisp slap rang out. Gu Feng's body was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall of the training room. He staggered to his feet, grimacing, with five distinct finger marks on his right cheek.
"Haha, my bad, my bad!"
"No more fooling around, fight seriously!"
"Got it, no problem!"
Outside, chaos had erupted. People were dancing wildly, howling and whistling, the noise dispersing much of the mist above the Swamp Zone.
Amid the fervent atmosphere, a lonely figure pushed through the crowd and slowly walked away.
"Xi Xi, where are you going?" Yan Yexue called out softly.
"I... I'm going to refine pills," Yan Xixi's voice was unusually low, her disappointment palpable.
(End of the Chapter)
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