Gu Xuanzhen

Gu Xuanzhen

Sixteen hours later in the Mirror World.

Gu Shaoshang opened his eyes. His cousin was still studying the secret manual intently. He sighed inwardly. Sixteen hours, seventeen deviations in his inner strength circulation! His qi and blood refluxed into his stomach and intestines thirty-six times! If this were reality, grass would already be growing on his grave!

But he finally got the hang of it! Gu Shaoshang was overjoyed. As long as I practice it once in the real world, I can master this Primordial Python Star Devourer Record!

Gu Shaoze put down the manual. "This secret art is far too difficult!"

Gu Ji rubbed his bald head and burst out laughing. "Haha! You brats know how formidable it is now, don't you? When I first obtained this manual and took one look at it, my heart went cold! Damn it, it was too hard! Later, I presented the manual to Lord Chen Heihu. If not for his guidance, I wouldn't have been able to master it either!"

Gu Ji laughingly scolded them as he took the manual and carefully explained it to the two of them. Gu Shaoze hurriedly listened, while Gu Shaoshang also stepped closer and strained his ears.

For the next three days, Gu Ji explained the manual to them for an hour every day. The two progressed rapidly. Gu Shaoshang had already gotten started on the first day! Naturally, he did not dare reveal such terrifying speed, so he outwardly remained slightly slower than his cousin Gu Shaoze.

"Hey!"

Gu Shaoshang slowly drew back his fist, steam rising from his entire body like a furnace!

"Ah!"

Gu Shaoshang groaned in pain, but rather than being alarmed, he was delighted! He felt the skin all over his body grow scorching hot and tighten continuously. He could not help crying out.

Gu Shaoshang's face twisted in pain as the skin across his body visibly turned bright red! It contracted, then rebounded! Cracks split open all over him as though a snake were shedding its skin! His face cracked like a dried riverbed, an indescribably eerie and terrifying sight!

As Gu Shaoshang struggled, the old skin fell away, revealing fair, delicate skin beneath! His slightly dark skin had become smooth and reddish, like that of a newborn infant!

"Tough Skin Like A Drum!" Though Gu Shaoshang had expected it, he was still overjoyed! The first stage of Foundation Establishment, Integrated Strength, was the foundation of martial arts. It focused on tempering the flesh of the entire body until it became firm and full, with swift reactions, gathering the strength of the whole body into a single point. Yet there was nothing particularly mystical about it. The second stage, Tough Skin Like A Drum, and its snake-shedding-like transformation were on an entirely different level of shock!

Gu Shaoshang casually took off his clothes and stood in the snow, braving the biting cold wind. His skin had clearly become smooth and delicate, while his slightly dark complexion had turned fair.

"My strength has increased tremendously! Though I haven't tested it, it must exceed a thousand jin! And my skin membrane is tightly wrapped around me—the cold wind can't even carry away my body heat!"

Gu Shaoshang wiped his body clean with snow and put his clothes back on.

"Three more days until the Annual Sacrifice. This is my eleventh year in this world! At last, I've gained the preliminary power to change my fate! I've embarked upon the path to becoming strong that I've always dreamed of!" Gu Shaoshang laughed heartily, unable to contain his joy and excitement!

In Great Yan, the common people worshipped neither Gods nor Buddhas, only their ancestors! The Annual Sacrifice was the yearly ancestral worship ceremony and the most important festival in this world! In past years, whenever this day arrived at Gu Family Village, members of the Gu family who were away from home would often return to participate in the Annual Sacrifice!

Large red lanterns had already been hung at the entrance of Gu Family Village.

In the distance, a convoy slowly approached Gu Family Village along the main road. At the front rode four burly middle-aged knights clad in red fish-scale armor, long sabers at their waists. They rode two Flood Dragon Horses, each eight chi tall at the shoulder and weighing over fifteen hundred jin! It was said that Flood Dragon Horses were fine steeds born from Flood Dragons and horses, capable of traveling five thousand li in a day! Each meal required ten jin of premium feed mixed from eggs and soybeans. They truly were aristocrats among horses! Ordinary families could not afford to buy them, much less raise them!

Behind the knights was a convoy of dozens. Six Flood Dragon Horses slowly pulled three carriages.

"More than thirty years..." Inside one carriage, an old man looked at Gu Family Village through the window and let out a faint sigh. He wore a tall crown and a gray robe. His once-black hair now held streaks of silver, yet his face was as smooth as an infant's. A long beard hung down to his chest.

"Grandfather! Is this where you lived when you were little?" A pair of jade-white hands held the old man's arm.

The young girl wore a snowy-white fox-fur cape over silver-white padded clothing, with silver-white boots on her feet. Her black hair was arranged in a princess-style bun, adorned with a jeweled hairpin from which tassels dangled and swayed whenever she spoke. Her face was fair and clean, her skin soft and fine. Her long brows were picturesque, her eyes glittering like stars. Beneath her small nose was a tiny mouth with thin lips, its corners curving faintly upward. With her head tilted, she was impossibly mischievous and adorable.

The old man looked at the girl affectionately, his slender, fair hand stroking her head. "Lianxing, my parents died when I was young. Thankfully, the elders of the village raised me. In the blink of an eye, I have been away from the village for more than thirty years. I wonder whether the elders from back then are still alive."

"Hehe, Grandfather is nervous about returning home," Gu Lianxing said with a giggle.

The old man was briefly speechless, then shook his head and laughed. "Gu Xuanzhen, Gu Xuanzhen, you truly are still an ordinary man. Your state of mind still needs work!"

As the grandfather and granddaughter spoke, the convoy had already reached Gu Family Village.

"Elder Gu, we're here."

The carriage stopped. The old man led the exquisite, princess-like girl out of it. Two rows of lanterns hung high from the wooden gates. Before the entrance, Gu Yu, Gu Ji, and the others who had received word and come to wait in advance felt anxious and uneasy.

"May I ask where these honored guests have come from, and what brings you to Gu Family Village?" Once the old man had stepped down from the carriage, Gu Yu took several steps forward and spoke respectfully.

"Whose child are you? Is Gu Xuanwu still alive?" the old man asked.

Gu Yu lowered his head and looked at his feet. "In reply, honored guest, Gu Xuanwu is my father! My father is in good health."

"You're little Yu? You don't recognize Uncle Zhen anymore?" The old man laughed loudly, as if his gloomy mood of many days had finally brightened.

"You are... Uncle Zhen?" Gu Yu was overjoyed. He took several steps forward and dropped to his knees. "Gu Yu greets Uncle Zhen!"

The old man helped Gu Yu up. "Come, take me to see your father."

As they spoke, the group entered through the gates.

"What a beautiful girl!"

"She looks just like a princess! Her clothes are so pretty!"

"Is that the legendary Flood Dragon Horse? It looks so mighty!"

The young and old of the entire village curiously gathered around the convoy. Some bold children even tried to tease the Flood Dragon Horses, only to be frightened into scrambling away by a snort.

"Haha!"

"Foolish brat!"

"Don't move carelessly! I heard Flood Dragon Horses can carry ten thousand jin, and one stomp can crush tigers and leopards to death!"

Gu Shaoshang strode through the gates with several hundred jin of firewood on his shoulder.

"Why is it so lively? Everyone in the village came out?" Gu Shaoshang wondered. "Make way! Make way!"

Gu Shaoshang was small, yet the bundle of firewood weighing several hundred jin was twice as tall as he was. From afar, it looked as though a walking pile of firewood were moving along!

"Grandfather, look at him!" The girl laughed like silver bells, tugging at the old man's sleeve. "He's so tiny, yet he's carrying so much firewood! He's amazing!" The old man turned to look.

"That is Gu Jiu's boy. He reached the peak of Integrated Strength at only ten years old! Every morning, he goes into the mountains to chop firewood and exchanges it with the villagers for meat and mountain goods," Gu Ji explained as he walked beside them.

"He's a good child!" The old man nodded. With his eyesight, he could naturally tell that this youngster had already broken through the second stage. But to the old man, the mere second stage of Foundation Establishment was not worth mentioning! He had seen far too many talented youths; Gu Shaoshang naturally amounted to nothing.

"Without a special physique, the Establish Fate Realm will be his limit! He cannot become strong!"

The old man's expression remained indifferent as he swept his gaze over the youngster. Golden light surged in the depths of his eyes, and in an instant, he saw through Gu Shaoshang's entire body.

Gu Shaoshang, carrying firewood through the crowd, also saw the old man and his group among the people.

"Ten Flood Dragon Horses! They really are rich!"

"That little girl is quite pretty!"

"Those four wearing Red Phosphor Armor are all experts! They feel really strong!"

Gu Shaoshang muttered inwardly, but his feet did not stop as he headed toward his own courtyard. Amid the crowd, his expression remained unchanged, as calm and composed as if he were walking through the wilderness.

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