Free Web NovelChapter 20: Chapter 20: A Pyrrhic Victory
The purple lightning Sword Qi and the massive, white sword shadow dozens of yards long intertwined, erupting with a burst of immense energy!
BOOM! A massive explosion enveloped the entire arena.
If not for the Defense Array surrounding it, some of the Low Tier Cultivators near the stage would have undoubtedly been injured by the blast wave.
Even so, the crosswinds still whipped their hair about wildly!
A massive crater had formed in the center of the shattered arena, and the air was thick with dust and smoke!
Gu Yun was blasted to the edge of the arena by the shockwave. His light cyan robe was in tatters, revealing numerous wounds.
Blood streamed from his body, painting a miserable picture.
Miserable didn’t even begin to describe it!
Clearly, the power unleashed by the attack had far surpassed Gu Yun’s imagination, exceeding the limits of his own defenses.
Moreover, Gu Yun had never cultivated any Body Refinement arts, so his physical defense was inherently weak.
He simply couldn’t withstand an explosion that had far surpassed the power of the Spiritual Martial Ninth Layer Peak; its energy had faintly touched upon the True Martial Realm.
Shangguan Jian, on the other hand, was clearly no better off. His white Profound Robe was in shreds, and he couldn’t stop coughing up blood.
He struggled to hold a half-kneeling position at the edge of the shattered stage, his sword plunged into the ground for support.
This exchange had captured the attention of nearly everyone present.
"HISS!"
"Such power... It’s terrifying!"
"What kind of monsters are those two on the Group Seven stage? This power clearly exceeds the limits of the Spiritual Martial Realm!" a respected Elder from a small family, himself at the Spiritual Martial Seventh Layer, said, dumbfounded.
"Whether it was the Purple Lightning Sword Qi roaring like a Thunder Dragon or that massive white sword shadow, both clearly surpassed the limits of the Spiritual Martial Realm!" exclaimed a middle-aged man at the Spiritual Martial Ninth Layer Late Stage.
On the high platform, the expressions of the few seated in the Elders’ section flickered with surprise and awe.
"Tsk! To think they unleashed power at the True Martial Realm level! Incredible!"
"I never thought this year’s batch would have such talent. He’s cultivated the Celestial Thunder Technique to the 4th Layer Purple Lightning, mastered his Martial Techniques to Perfection, and even comprehended Sword Momentum."
"To think that Shangguan the Kid, with his Sword Spirit Bone, would actually lose to this boy. I wonder if that old fossil from the Shangguan Family will be shocked when he finds out?"
With their insight, they could clearly see that Shangguan Jian was at his limit, while Gu Yun still seemed to have some fight left in him.
"It’s a pity the Sword Spirit Bone in that Shangguan kid’s body hasn’t awakened yet. Otherwise..."
Wang Chongshan, Bai Wushuang, and the others were discussing.
Just then,
"This boy is mine! The Celestial Thunder Dao Peak will take him!"
The words came from a dignified, middle-aged man with a stern face and short, white hair. He was clad in dark-gold battle armor and exuded an immensely powerful aura.
This was the Peak Master of the Celestial Thunder Dao Peak—Sikong Zheng!
...
Smoke billowed across the shattered arena.
Gu Yun used the last of his strength to raise his right hand, extending his palm toward Shangguan Jian.
He let out a low shout, "Earth-Bursting Heaven-Shaking!"
Instantly, an invisible repulsive force surged toward Shangguan Jian!
Shangguan Jian was struck by a powerful, inexplicable repulsive force. In his current condition, he was utterly defenseless.
The sword he had plunged into the ground screeched, "KRENG, KRENG, KRENG!" before he was blasted away by the irresistible repulsive force.
His entire body was sent flying backward off the edge of the shattered stage.
Only Gu Yun was left standing on the shattered, smoke-filled stage.
Gu Yun smiled bitterly, a self-deprecating look on his face.
’I was wrong. I was really, truly wrong. So damn wrong it’s ridiculous.’
’I thought that with my Heaven Rewards Diligence cheat, my comprehension of Momentum—something usually only True Martial Powerhouses grasp—and my Perfect Martial Techniques...’
’...and my powerful Thunder Techniques, that I was something special. I’d grown arrogant without even realizing it.’
’I thought I was incredible, that I could look down on everyone!’
’I thought I was invincible within the Spiritual Martial Realm, that I had no equal!’
’And then reality came along and slapped me right in the face. Not just once, either. It pinned me to the ground and slapped me again and again!’
’This fight left me seriously injured; I almost screwed it all up. And my opponent was just one of the top twenty in the Outer Sect. What about the top ten? The top five? What kind of monsters must they be?’
’And so what if I really were invincible in the Spiritual Martial Realm?’
’Is that really so impressive?’
’A single sneeze from one of those people on the high platform could probably kill me!’
’My innate talent is only slightly above average. I don’t have any special boons like a Spirit Body or a Dao Body. I don’t have some wise old master guiding my every step.’
’All I have is this "Heaven Rewards Diligence" skill panel, which only lets me grow stronger through my own hard work, one step at a time.’
’If I don’t put in the work, this panel is useless.’
’My opponent was a swordsman, focused on pure offense with weak defense. And as for me, I haven’t even practiced any Body Refining Techniques. At best, cultivating Thunder Techniques has made my constitution slightly stronger than an ordinary person’s. This win was pure luck!’
’I don’t have some incredible background, either. The Gu Family is just a clan with a single True Martial Powerhouse presiding over it. That might seem impressive in some remote corner of the world...’
’...but in a behemoth like the Profound Celestial Sect, any one of the stronger three thousand Inner Sect Disciples could probably wipe out the entire Gu Family, again and again.’
’Sigh... Gu Yun, Gu Yun. Your horizons are still too narrow.’
’You still don’t know your own place.’
’Don’t overestimate your strength, but don’t underestimate it either.’
’This battle was a real wake-up call!’
...
The Deacon Referee saw Shangguan Jian fly off the stage and shouted, "Number 20, Gu Yun, wins!"
Hearing the Deacon Referee’s announcement, Gu Yun turned and left the stage.
Gu Yun had no intention of watching the fourth and final match of the day. Instead, he returned to his quarters at the Seventh Institute.
He sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion, swallowed a Healing Elixir, and began to heal. This battle had been truly painful.
...
Gu Yun finally looked at the panel he hadn’t spared a glance for during the entire battle. Lines of text were scrolling across it.
[You fought skillfully using Sword Momentum. Your comprehension of Sword Momentum has deepened. Sword Momentum Skill Level +2%]
[You used Sword Momentum multiple times throughout the battle. Your comprehension of Sword Momentum has deepened. +3%]
[You used Earth-Bursting Heaven-Shaking in combat for the first time, truly applying it in a fight. Your comprehension of Earth-Bursting Heaven-Shaking has deepened. Skill Level +2%]
[...]
Name: Gu Yun
Realm: Spiritual Martial Ninth Layer Peak
Cultivation Technique: Celestial Thunder Technique (4th Layer 10%), Trait: Purple Lightning
Martial Techniques: Wind and Thunder Saber Technique (Perfection), Mountain-Breaking Fist (Perfection), Wandering Dragon Step (Perfection)
Techniques: Earth-Bursting Heaven-Shaking (Minor Success 12%), Breath Concealment Technique (Minor Success 50%), Celestial Thunder Technique (Great Success 2%)
Sword Momentum: Minor Success Blade Momentum (61%)
On the fifth day, Gu Yun’s group, Group Seven, which now had eight members, advanced to the semifinals to compete in cross-group matches.
The competition would resume in three days.
They were only given a short, three-day period to recover, so it was crucial to make use of every available moment.
「One day later.」
The Gu Family came to visit Gu Yun.
"Gu Yun, I never imagined you would become this powerful. You’ve grown into the strongest member of the Gu Family, second only to the Patriarch," an elderly man in white robes lamented, his weathered face filled with emotion as he gazed at Gu Yun’s youthful features.
He was an Elder of the Gu Family named Gu De. He had come to observe the Profound Celestial Sect’s Outer Sect Competition and to check in on the junior members of the Gu Family.
But Gu Yun’s performance had been by far the most stunning. His strength had long surpassed Gu De’s own, and watching Gu Yun’s match had left the Elder utterly shocked.
His power was likely second only to the Patriarch’s!
Therefore, he had immediately rushed to inform the family, and upon hearing the news, they had sent several items for Gu Yun.
"Gu Yun, the family sent these for you: Recovery Pills, a suit of Purple Feather Armor, and several hundred Spirit Stones."
