Might of a Finger

"Father!"

"Clan Leader, be careful!"

Hearing the cries from afar, Gu Yuan instantly came to his senses. Sensing that finger seal still undiminished after breaking the Ancient Emperor Seal, his scalp went numb.

"Emperor Seal Technique: Five Seals Unite!"

His hand seals shifted again, and the energy between heaven and earth instantly erupted. The clear sky darkened in an instant as wind and thunder surged together, lightning flashed, and thunder roared. A palm strike gathering Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy condensed in Gu Yuan's palm before shooting toward that seemingly weightless finger.

With a toss of Gu Yuan's hand, the palm seal expanded dozens of times in an instant, as though inflated by air, and flew toward the finger seal at the speed of light amid repeated sounds of space shattering.

"Pfft..."

The imagined explosion did not occur. The finger seal abruptly paused the instant it touched the palm seal, its advance coming to a halt as well.

Seeing this, Gu Yuan's heart leaped with joy, but his smile froze on his face in the next instant.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out. The Five Emperors Unite Palm Technique was instantly broken, and even the surrounding space was forcibly shattered. Fortunately, Yun Xi's seemingly weightless finger finally dissipated into the heavens and earth together with the Emperor Seal Technique.

Watching his powerful strike be crushed with such ease, Gu Yuan was utterly dumbfounded.

He had a feeling that if this finger had landed directly on him, even as a Nine Star Dou Sheng, he would not have escaped serious injury or death.

"Hah..." Gu Yuan let out a long sigh, then waved his arm. The sky returned to its former clarity once more.

After landing, Gu Yuan's gaze toward Yun Xi was completely different from before. A casual attack from him had actually required a peak Nine Star Dou Sheng to exert his full strength just to break it. What kind of power was that?!

Xun'er and Ling Ying in the distance were equally shocked. Having witnessed the scene with their own eyes and seen Yun Xi force Gu Yuan to go all out with a single move, the two reacted very differently.

"Yun Xi, Yun Xi, you're amazing! Even Father nearly couldn't block one of your attacks!" Xun'er was overjoyed. Long ago, Yun Xi had said he could fight several experts as strong as Gu Yuan at once. Xun'er had thought he was bragging, but it turned out he truly possessed such strength!

Ling Ying, however, looked at him differently. When they had first met, Ling Ying had seen that Yun Xi was a Soul Body and assumed he was not particularly strong. He had even wanted to spar with him. But now, there was something more in his eyes when he looked at Yun Xi—fear.

Seeing this scene, Yun Xi's long-buried pride was stirred once more. "What a pity. Without a physical body, my strength is far inferior to what it once was. When I use martial techniques, even the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy rejects me. Sigh, how helpless..."

Hearing Yun Xi's soft sigh, even greater shock appeared on Gu Yuan's already stunned face.

He was rejected by heaven and earth, yet he was still this powerful without a physical body. If he regained a body and earned the recognition of heaven and earth, just how powerful would he become?!

At that thought, Gu Yuan was horrified beyond measure and did not even dare to think further.

"Ahem, Guardian Spirit, your strength is truly terrifying. I apologize for my previous disrespect." With that, Gu Yuan bent at the waist and cupped his hands.

"Haha, Clan Leader Gu is too polite. With Xun'er under my protection, you can rest assured," Yun Xi said with a slight smile.

"Ling Ying! You are not to reveal a single word about Guardian Spirit to the outside world! Do you hear me?!" Gu Yuan suddenly turned and shouted at Ling Ying.

"Yes! I shall obey the Clan Leader's order..." Ling Ying said, bending and cupping his hands.

At present, only the few of them knew of Yun Xi's existence. Oh, no, there was also a Dark Gold Bear.

Gu Yuan clearly could not reveal him to the public. First, he was Xun'er's Guardian Spirit. Second, such a terrifying trump card had to remain hidden for emergencies.

After all, ever since the Soul Clan had sent Hun Jiu to the Gu Clan, only for him to be driven away, there had not been the slightest movement from them. They were so quiet that it was as if they did not exist.

Gu Yuan did not dare lower his guard in the slightest against this powerful rival, another ancient clan. Yun Xi's appearance was equivalent to a decisive trump card.

Hearing Gu Yuan's words, Yun Xi merely chuckled. Clearly, he was quite satisfied with Gu Yuan's cautious nature.

"If there is nothing else, I'll be leaving first. Leave Xun'er's daily cultivation to me. There is no need for you to worry."

The moment he finished speaking, Yun Xi vanished before everyone's eyes.

"Hahaha, heaven truly favors me." Seeing Yun Xi leave, Gu Yuan laughed heartily, then looked at Xun'er. "Girl, Guardian Spirit is truly extraordinary. He has likely already touched the realm of 'Emperor.'"

"I'm not sure either..." Hearing Gu Yuan's words, Xun'er scratched her head. "Yun Xi once said he could fight several people as strong as Father by himself..."

Hearing Xun'er's words, Gu Yuan nodded. After all, Yun Xi's casual move just now had forced him to go all out. He did not think Yun Xi had been boasting.

"Now that Guardian Spirit is here to guide you, I can finally rest easy." Gu Yuan stroked his chin with a smile.

With a wave of his arm, an ancient token appeared out of thin air in Gu Yuan's palm.

"Xun'er, as one of the top twenty in this Clan Competition, you are qualified to participate in the Seven Clans Gathering." Gu Yuan put away the token in his hand and said to Xun'er, "However, I do not wish for you to take part."

"Why?" Xun'er held out both hands, preparing to receive the token from Gu Yuan, but he suddenly put it away.

"Because of your age and potential."

"My age? Potential?" Xun'er was stunned.

"Mm." Ignoring the surprise on Xun'er's face, Gu Yuan pondered for a moment before continuing, "You are only eight years old, yet you are already a Seven-Star Dou Zhe. You have a God Grade Bloodline, the Golden Emperor Burning Flame, and that unfathomable Guardian Spirit..."

"Why did you stop?" Xun'er looked at Gu Yuan, who had suddenly fallen silent, her large eyes filled with confusion.

"Miss, the gathering is held within a Different Dimension. Since this Different Dimension was only recently opened, those inside can only use their own strength. Overly powerful weapons, scrolls, and the like cannot be used," Ling Ying, who had been standing quietly nearby, explained.

Within that small Different Dimension, the unstable spatial structure imposed many restrictions. Overly powerful weapons and scrolls could not be used. If they were used by force, the space would shatter, and everyone would fall into the Space-Time Turbulence beyond the Dou Qi Continent's plane. With their strength, once they fell in, they would have no chance of returning alive.

In other words, Xun'er could only use her own strength as a Seven-Star Dou Zhe inside. She could not summon Yun Xi to help her.

Aside from the Yan Clan and Thunder Clan, the Gu Clan and the other clans appeared harmonious on the surface, but none of them truly cared for one another. It was inevitable that unforeseen changes might occur.

To ensure Xun'er's safety, Gu Yuan did not want her to attend this gathering.