Translator: AnubisTL
Glug—glug—
The sound of swallowing saliva echoed through the crowd. Their Adam's apples bobbed frantically, and their eyes widened to the size of copper bells.
Prefect Chu blinked, his expression indescribably strange. He looked as if he wanted to roar, yet someone had choked him, leaving his mouth agape. His finger, still pointing at Gu Feng, trembled uncontrollably.
He tilted his head, glancing at Ouyang Qi and the others beside him. Seeing the same shock in their eyes, he opened his mouth, but not a single word escaped.
Zong Shixuan and the others stood frozen, their mouths slightly ajar, like wooden statues. Their eyes flickered like neon lights, and crystal droplets dripped from their lips.
Yan Yexue's lips parted slightly in disbelief. Ever since she learned of Long Xun'er's relationship with Gu Feng, she had anticipated his strength. But she could never have imagined he was this strong. It was no longer accurate to describe him as merely powerful; terrifying would be more fitting.
Hua Wenyue's cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling with adoration. This is my man, she thought. He's truly incomprehensibly strong. He's so incredibly handsome.
The women beside her stared in stunned silence, gazing at Gu Feng on the Arena as if he were a deity. Their faces flushed with reverence, and a sense of awe welled up from the depths of their hearts, uncontrollably spreading throughout their bodies.
Wu Qi and Gu Feng's other friends tilted their heads, their minds flooded with countless words of praise and amazement. Yet their mouths remained like goldfish drowning in water, unable to form a single complete syllable.
The wind died down, the rain ceased, and the crowd's breathing stilled. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
After a long pause, scattered murmurs finally broke the silence, quickly erupting into a deafening roar that shook the heavens.
The roar swept through the Arena like a tidal wave, sending sand and stones flying and making the ground tremble.
"Too... too exaggerated! One palm strike to instantly kill two Ninth Layer of the Sea-Condensing Realm experts? Is he an incarnation of a god?"
"Un... unbelievable! Super experts of the Ninth Layer of the Sea-Condensing Realm, killed by a single palm strike from Gu Feng!"
"This isn't a dream. Even in myths, such feats are rarely seen."
"Is this still a Sea Condensation Realm cultivator? How can there be such a vast difference within the same realm? It feels like the Sea Condensation Realm cultivators of Great Wei are fake."
"Too strong! Too overbearing! Too terrifying! Too—"
"..."
From the direction of the Great Chu Dynasty, millions of cultivators roared with unrestrained passion, venting their emotions.
They were all driven mad, waving their fists as if they had just taken a dozen concubines and fathered a dozen sons at once.
The scene was so shocking that several breaths passed before many cultivators could even accept what they had just witnessed.
Their doubts were met with merciless slaps from their companions: "Kid, are you still dreaming? Do you even have eyes?"
The entire Great Wei Dynasty had descended into madness, while the Great Chu Dynasty fell into a chilling silence.
If Long Xun'er's earlier display had left them feeling heavy-hearted but still capable of calmly strategizing, Gu Feng's current performance had instilled such terror that they no longer even considered victory.
To instantly obliterate two peak-level Ninth Layer of the Sea Condensation Realm Heaven's Chosen—what kind of power was that? Even ordinary Soul Core Realm cultivators at the second level might struggle to achieve such a feat.
His combat prowess rivaled that of a Soul Core Realm cultivator at the third level!
Unbeatable! Unthinkable to oppose!
Such figures could only be defeated with the intervention of older-generation cultivators.
Each of them roared inwardly: "Didn't they say Great Chu had no peerless heroes? Where did this celestial being come from?!"
Gu Feng's kill was effortless, leaving no visible damage on the fallen cultivators' corpses.
Yet the shock it delivered far surpassed Long Xun'er's previous dismemberment.
The remaining Ninth Layer of the Sea Condensation Realm Heaven's Chosen from Great Wei, who had yet to enter the fray, turned ashen-faced, their pupils flickering with terror.
Gu Feng's single strike had extinguished their flickering flames of hope, transforming the vast territory west of the border into a solemn library.
And Gu Feng, the architect of this devastation, stood as if nothing had happened, as if he had just slain two insignificant Sea Condensation Realm trash instead of two Ninth Layer Heaven's Chosen.
He simply stood there, eyes half-closed, his gaze fixed on Long Xun'er, whom he held in his hand.
He was observing her, assessing her current condition.
"Do you believe I'll even give you a chance to avenge your clan?" Gu Feng pulled Long Xun'er close, his mouth near her ear, and whispered softly.
The short sentence struck her heart like a thunderbolt, causing the blood-red glow in her eyes to slowly recede, restoring some of her former brilliance.
"Don't test my patience."
Another sentence later, Long Xun'er trembled, her thin lips quivering. "Please forgive me. I was temporarily possessed... I must avenge my people."
"Very well. Don't let it happen again!" Gu Feng smiled in satisfaction, lifting Long Xun'er and carrying her to the edge of the Arena.
"Take care of her."
Whoosh!
Hua Wenyue caught Long Xun'er as Gu Feng tossed her over. After examining her condition, she retrieved a pill and fed it to her.
Shi San, who had been standing nearby, saw that his sister was unharmed and even showed signs of an imminent breakthrough. The weight lifted from his chest, and he cast a grateful glance at Gu Feng.
At this moment, the crowd finally understood that Long Xun'er wasn't backed by some senior expert, but by Gu Feng himself. Like Shi San, she had been sent by Gu Feng to assist Great Chu in the Two Nations' Prodigy Battle.
"Academy Master, your future son-in-law is quite remarkable."
"Indeed. A young prodigy with immense strength. He may have a few too many women around him, but that's perfectly normal."
"Don't scowl at him anymore. It won't be good for Niece Youhuan's future."
"..."
Several Vice Prefecture Lords from the Grand Harmony Academy quietly urged Prefect Chu.
Prefect Chu's expression shifted rapidly. After a long moment, he finally spoke: "Do you think we should prepare a more lavish dowry for Youhuan? That Gu Feng is a bit of a money-grubber. He might not be happy with anything less."
"Absolutely, absolutely," the Vice Prefecture Lords and several Elders chimed in.
"But I'm broke too. You'll all have to be generous when the time comes," Prefect Chu frowned, already preparing to borrow money for the dowry.
"Definitely, definitely!" Ouyang Qi and the others nodded vigorously. This matter concerned the Grand Harmony Academy's reputation; the dowry had to be substantial.
Gu Feng had been about to step down from the Arena when he suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Prefect Chu, how many matches are left in the Heavenly Pride Battle? The other side seems quite strong. I might as well finish them all at once."
At these words, Zong Shixuan and the others flushed with embarrassment. As the main participants of this Heavenly Pride Battle, they had spent the entire time as spectators, which was rather mortifying.
Prefect Chu snapped back to attention and gave Gu Feng a smile. Then he turned to Ouyang Qi, who glanced at an Elder beside him. The Elder hurried over to the edge of the Arena.
"There... there are still eighteen matches left."
Gu Feng nodded and turned to the Great Wei contingent. "I imagine you've lost your fighting spirit, but the rules of the Heavenly Pride Battle were set by both nations. Whether you want to send someone to their death or not, you still have to step up.
How about you just throw some sacrificial lambs onto the Arena?"
The leading figures among Great Wei's Heaven's Chosen exchanged a cold, indifferent glance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Eighteen Heaven's Chosen with no background and relatively poor talent were selected and tossed onto the arena.
Without even a glance, the Great Wei officials swiftly departed.
The abandoned eighteen Heaven's Chosen on the arena cursed towards Great Wei.
Gu Feng showed no mercy. With a swift slash of his blade, eighteen corpses lay side by side on the cold arena.
Thud! He leaped off the arena!
Grinning widely, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth, he shouted, "What are you waiting for? Cheer!
We won!!!"
Roar!
The cheers shook the heavens. This was Great Chu's victory, and countless Great Wei cultivators left with ashen faces.
Gu Feng had returned. This legendary student from the Sunset Glow Sect of Cloud Prefecture and the Grand Harmony Academy's most celebrated figure in the past decade had returned from the East Sea after five years, reappearing before the world.
News of his return quickly spread throughout the Great Chu Dynasty.
(End of the Chapter)
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