Translator: AnubisTL
Under the moonlight, a figure clad in red lay half-reclined on the eaves of a pavilion, her cascading hair flowing like a waterfall. Occasionally, she would pick up a bottle of Spirit Wine beside her and take a swig.
Not long after, a figure in green landed beside her and quietly sat down, picking up the Spirit Wine next to her and gulping down several large mouthfuls.
The woman glanced at him slightly but didn't say much.
The two of them continued like this, taking turns drinking from the same bottle of Spirit Wine.
"What's your current cultivation level?" Chu Youhuan asked softly once the Spirit Wine was completely gone.
"I'm either very close or still far from opening the Sea Condensation," Gu Feng replied with a light laugh, gazing at the full moon in the sky.
"I still remember the first time I met you, you were just a weakling in the Body Tempering Realm," Chu Youhuan said with a hint of nostalgia. "Do you have any wine on you?"
Gu Feng took out another bottle of Spirit Wine, took a sip, and then handed it to Chu Youhuan. This action clearly annoyed her, as she shot him a sidelong glance, but she didn't say anything.
"Haha, it's true that I was in the Body Tempering Realm, but I wouldn't call myself a weakling," Gu Feng chuckled, gesturing for her to pass the wine back to him.
"In just over three years, you've advanced rapidly, going from the Body Tempering Realm straight into the Spirit Nurturing Realm. Now, you're just one step away from opening the Sea Condensation. Are you sure you didn't use some Secret Technique to hide your cultivation back then?" Chu Youhuan tilted her head, looking at Gu Feng with a hint of dissatisfaction on her flawless face.
"If Senior Sister Chu says I did, then I must have," Gu Feng replied earnestly, meeting her gaze directly.
"Hehe, do you think I'm jealous of you?"
"Yes."
"Take this!"
As soon as she said those words, Chu Youhuan leaped high into the air, but that was the end of it. Gu Feng pinned her face down on his knee.
"Do you admit defeat?"
"No—"
Slap slap slap—
"You jerk!"
Gu Feng didn't use much force, but Chu Youhuan's cheeks flushed red, and she clenched her teeth tightly.
"Ah—! Are you a dog or something?"
Gu Feng shuddered and quickly released Chu Youhuan. On his thigh, there was a clear and neat bite mark, and blood began to seep out, soon staining his pants. He hurriedly activated his Cultivation Method to try and heal the wound.
"Leave that scar there..." Chu Youhuan's tone left no room for argument, causing Gu Feng to pause for a moment. "Alright."
Chu Youhuan nodded in satisfaction and took out an ancient metal piece from her Storage Ring, larger than any she had shown before, and casually tossed it to Gu Feng.
"This is the complete follow-up technique of the Jade Void Illusion Scripture, enough to take you to the peak of the Soul Core Realm. It's not as good as Founder Qingyan's Cultivation Method, but in the Great Chu Dynasty, it's still one of the top-tier techniques," Chu Youhuan said in a low voice.
"Mm," Gu Feng nodded slightly. Zhu Qingyan had once told him that Chu Youhuan's Cultivation Method had a grand and ancient origin, and that it had produced an emperor in the distant past.
Unfortunately, their lineage hadn't inherited the true teachings, not even a trace of the supreme Cultivation Method. Perhaps somewhere in the Central Plains, the complete inheritance could be found.
"Senior Sister Chu."
"Hm?"
"Thank you. If it weren't for you back then, I probably wouldn't have survived the Thunder Tribulation, and..."
"Why bring that up now?" Chu Youhuan interrupted before Gu Feng could finish.
"The Jade Void Illusion Scripture requires a baptism to complete its transformation. Your current strength isn't outstanding, and it's my fault for holding you back..."
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan was slightly taken aback. "Did he tell you that?"
"Prefect Chu didn't explicitly say it, but I guessed it!" Gu Feng shook the wine pot in his hand, flung it far away, and then took out another one from his Storage Ring.
"Blame me for hiding it from you, I—" Chu Youhuan started to speak but was silenced by the wine pot.
"I know, over the past year, all the royal bloodlines returning from outside, except for you, have undergone the baptism;
I know, back when I first went out for training from the Sunset Glow Sect, you beat up Qiu Tian;
I know, when I had a feud with Shu Yuheng, and the Outer Sect split from the Inner Sect, you left the Inner Sect and personally led a team to the northern border, mainly to intimidate Shu Yuheng;
I know, Shu Wentao hasn't come to seek revenge for his son's death, and it's because you shielded me;
I know..."
"I, Gu Feng, with the Myriad Tribulations Physique, don't know if I can survive the next Thunder Tribulation, or if I'll perish in some remote corner...
I also like to trick people, and I might offend some big shots at any moment, perhaps..."
"If you can tolerate all this, wait for me to return from my training in the East Sea, and I'll accompany you to complete the baptism!" At the end, Gu Feng's gaze softened, filled with sincerity.
Chu Youhuan covered her mouth, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her throat seemingly blocked, unable to speak for a long time.
She simply extended one hand, placing it in Gu Feng's palm, allowing him to hold it firmly.
Under the moonlight, on the eaves, two figures leaned against each other, time seemingly frozen, forming an eternal picture!
"Don't get into trouble, come back early, don't make me wait too long!"
"Don't worry, even the Thunder Tribulation can't take me down, what accident could possibly harm me?"
...
"What's with everyone's expressions? I'm going for training, not to die!"
The next day, Gu Feng gathered over two thousand Sunset Glow Sect disciples and announced his plan to train in the East Sea.
Wu Qi and others frowned, unable to understand why Gu Feng, with so many options, chose the highly dangerous East Sea for training.
"Sect Master, the second phase of the Swamp Fortress construction is complete, and the new year's dividends are about to start. You don't lack Spirit Stones, why go to the East Sea?"
"Indeed, at the Sunset Glow Sect, Vice Sect Master Liu has managed the sect well, and cooperation with the Myriad Harmony Guild and other forces has increased. We are more than self-sufficient, no need for you to worry."
"You've found us the photography business, and it's incredibly popular. Many female cultivators are queuing up, and it's more than enough to sustain our cultivation!"
"..."
Gu Feng looked at the crowd below, smiled slightly, somewhat moved, but only said lightly, "I have a reason I must go to the East Sea!"
This time, he wasn't boasting. Earning Spirit Stones in the East Sea was secondary; the main reason was that Prefect Chu had mentioned a region in the East Sea rich in Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures.
Recently, under the pretext of Weapon Crafting, he secretly bought some Thunder Attribute Natural Treasures, hoping to awaken Zhu Qingyan.
Unexpectedly, the aura of the Thunder Spirit Grass in his chest grew increasingly terrifying, but Zhu Qingyan showed no signs of awakening.
The East Sea became a place he had to go.
Seeing Gu Feng's determination, everyone stopped trying to persuade him.
"Boss, I heard you're going to the East Sea! Help me kill Dugu Ao on the way!"
Sima Juncong arrived, his voice preceding him.
Gu Feng responded with a glare, to which the latter chuckled, indicating it was just a joke.
"Boss, the East Sea Trial has a high disappearance rate. I know I can't stop you, but could you at least make a will? If you fall, let me inherit all your shares in the Swamp Fortress!" Sima Juncong rubbed his hands together and licked his lips.
"Get lost—"
"Don't be like that. After all, you're not married and have no family. According to the laws of the Great Chu Dynasty, once you fall, your personal property will go to the state treasury!"
"Now that you mention it, it does make sense. How about this? I'll adopt you as my godson, so you can inherit my property without a will!" Gu Feng said with a half-smile.
"I don't mind, but I'm afraid my parents wouldn't agree," Sima Juncong said casually, then his expression turned serious. "Boss, don't get into trouble.
Even if you do, take Dugu Ao with you."
...
That night!
"Knock, knock, knock—"
A figure clad in black appeared at Gu Feng's door.
"Senior Sister Yan? Please come in!"
"Forget it, I won't come in. Here, take these things. They're just some random stuff I tinkered with. The porcelain bottles have instructions on them!" Yan Yexue shook her head lightly and handed over a Storage Ring.
Gu Feng took the Storage Ring and opened it to find it filled with countless white porcelain bottles. Each bottle had a label with neat, clear handwriting. Perhaps fearing the ink would be washed away by seawater, she had used a special, never-fading ink.
Looking at the thousands of bottles, Gu Feng's expression turned complicated.
"Be careful when using them. Don't get yourself into trouble!" Perhaps noticing the complexity on Gu Feng's face, Yan Yexue simply said this before turning to leave.
"Senior Sister Yan?!!" Gu Feng called out, watching her graceful figure.
"Don't ask me how I made these pills. It's a secret!" Yan Yexue said without turning back.
Just as she was about to turn the corner, she stopped and looked back.
"Maybe I'll tell you the secret when you return."
Gu Feng opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing as he watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
"Sigh—"
...
"Knock, knock, knock—"
"Took you so long to open the door. Are you hiding a woman inside?" Yan Xixi glared with her lively eyes, her head peeking through Gu Feng's arm as she scanned the room.
"If I were hiding anyone, it would be you!" Gu Feng rolled his eyes.
"Here, take these. They're all pills I made—some heal wounds, some restore stamina, some detoxify, some recover spiritual energy... There are too many, I can't remember them all. Just read the labels when you use them!" Yan Xixi said cheerfully, her eyes curving into crescents.
Gu Feng opened it and was stunned again. The quantity was on par with Yan Yexue's. Truly sisters. He wondered what effect it would have if he took the elder sister's pills and then the younger sister's.
"So many?"
"The sea is vast. If you ever get lost and can't find food, you can survive on these pills!" Yan Xixi teased.
"Thank you!"
"I worked so hard to make these pills, and you just say 'thank you'?" Yan Xixi tilted her head, blinking.
"Uh—" Gu Feng was momentarily speechless, pursing his lips as he tried to think of something to say.
But Yan Xixi, like a hopping rabbit, disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Sigh—"
...
A sleepless night passed, and dawn arrived!
"Everyone, go back. We're all going out for training during this period. Who would make such a grand farewell? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
Gu Feng was somewhat speechless, not knowing what had gotten into these guys, insisting on seeing him off.
Boarding the Spirit Boat, he waved to the crowd below, "Go back!"
"Your entourage is really grand!" Hua Wenyue glanced at Gu Feng, who was still waving to the Sunset Glow Sect members, and said disdainfully, "If you're afraid of danger, don't go!"
"Haha, my future lies in the vast sea of stars. How can I not go!!" Gu Feng laughed boldly.
Departure!!!
(End of the Chapter)
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