Mortals could not face true gods directly!
The gap between different heights in martial arts was like the chasm between heaven and abyss, even more exaggerated than the difference between mortals and true gods.
Duke Niu of Zhenbei was one of the foremost figures alive. He did not even need to display open hostility; merely the Killing Intent that rebounded instinctively had left an eternal brand upon Zhou You's heart, suppressing the prospects of his cultivation.
Were it anyone else facing such a catastrophe, as though heaven and earth were collapsing, with the mental shadow of a top Heavenly Sect branded into their soul, their path ahead would surely have been severed.
Given that Zhou You bore the Grandmaster's Mark, he still had hope of breaking through to Grandmaster. But advancing any further would be nearly impossible.
Thus, before leaving, Duke Niu had felt a slight regret. He had concluded that, with Zhou You's talent, he would at most stop at the Human Grandmaster realm in this life.
But...
No one could have imagined that Zhou You still had the System Panel as an aid, turning this so-called mental shock into something tangible—a hurdle on his cultivation path. If he could not overcome it, it would remain a shadow; if he did, it would become merely another checkpoint on the road to leveling up.
"See one's true mind and nature; attain Buddhahood where one stands!"
That scene surfaced in Zhou You's mind. The pressure and inspiration Duke Niu had brought him were both unprecedented.
It was just like when he had still been a minor martial master, yet had been able to meet Grandmaster Manor Lord; the road ahead had suddenly opened up before him.
Seen this way, Duke Niu was not a calamity at all, but one of his