Gal Martial Saint Chapter 47

[It wanted to return to the moment of Gu Chengming's death, even if it meant shattering its Dao Foundation, it would bring you back to life!]

[With Hundred Bones Ming's great shout, it burned a hundred thousand years of cultivation, transforming into that supreme sword strike, cleaving toward a certain node in the void!]

With a crack, the Illusion Realm shattered!

Outside.

For everyone else, only a few dozen breaths had passed.

The square remained in an eerie silence, thousands of disciples still adrift in the Illusion Realm.

Occasionally, someone let out a murmur like a sleep-talker, or their facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, adding a subtle tension to the dead stillness.

On the viewing platform, several elders had their gazes fixed on Gu Chengming, waiting for the result.

Zhao Wuji held a single hand seal, his expression initially quite relaxed.

But then, in that very instant.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flew wide open, his normally steady aura momentarily disrupted.

He hadn't suffered any backlash—after all, this was merely an Illusion Technique, not a clash of Divine Souls.

Yet he felt a towering, earth-shattering killing intent surging from the Spirit Guiding Art.

That killing intent was laced with sorrow, madness, and the solitary arrogance that viewed all of heaven and earth as mere straw dogs!

"?"

Now it was Zhao Wuji's turn to have a question mark pop up over his head.

Seriously, Gu Chengming, what the hell did you experience in that Illusion Realm?

PS: Today's update totals eight thousand words, four chapters done. I wanted to write two more, but my schedule's a bit off, so I'll fix that first.

Tomorrow I'll write ten thousand words again, at least ten thousand posted.

The bounty is still ongoing, please throw me some monthly tickets, meow.

Chapter 54: Chapter Fifty-One—What Did He Actually Do? (Three-in-One)

[Hundred Bones Ming woke up, saw you standing there alive and well, and was overjoyed.]

[It only then realized that all of this had been nothing but a great dream.]

[Hundred Bones Ming felt some regret but also some relief—regret that it hadn't truly become that invincible existence in the world, relief that it no longer had to be alone.]

[If the peak of this immortal path were filled with regret, then what meaning would it have?!]

Gu Chengming: "..."

[Hundred Bones Ming Favorability +10]

[Hundred Bones Ming Current Favorability: 75/Like]

Seeing this prompt, Gu Chengming found it hard to keep a straight face.

So that whole Illusion Realm was a Favorability dungeon?

[Having just gone through the Illusion Realm, Hundred Bones Ming was now overwhelmed with mixed emotions, happy to have you back after losing you.]

[But...]

[It thought to itself, why did this Gu Chengming look so dazed and stupid?]

[Could it be that he was dazzled by its performance in the Illusion Realm?]

[Hundred Bones Ming secretly preened, thinking that this move must have maxed out Gu Chengming's Favorability.]

"?"

I think the one who's dazed and stupid is someone else entirely.

After that mental jab, Gu Chengming pulled his focus back from the system interface to reality.

He looked around, finally settling his gaze on Zhao Wuji not far ahead.

After all, they were still in the middle of the Disciple Assessment, with so many elders and fellow disciples watching. He wasn't sure if Elder Zhao had noticed anything unusual.

If the other party found out he hadn't entered the Illusion Realm at all, that would be awkward...

Unable to gauge the situation for now, Gu Chengming decided to test the waters.

He cupped his hands in salute, his tone respectful but neither humble nor arrogant:

"Disciple, have I passed?"

Hearing this, Zhao Wuji's expression froze for a moment.

Passed?

Normally, the Spirit Guiding Art's Illusion Realm took at least several hundred breaths to dissipate on its own. If one's Dao Heart wasn't firm enough and they got caught up in Inner Demons, it could easily take half an hour or more.

But this Gu Chengming... had broken free on his own in just a few dozen breaths.

From this alone, his Dao Heart was indeed far beyond the ordinary.

But Zhao Wuji wasn't particularly bothered by the "slap in the face" at the moment—his mind was occupied by something else entirely.

That killing intent transmitted from the other end of the Spirit Guiding Art—what exactly was it?

Zhao Wuji was certain he hadn't misread it.

The Illusion Realm constructed by the Spirit Guiding Art, its content and intensity, were closely tied to the depths of the subject's heart.

In other words, that killing intent hadn't come out of nowhere.

It originated from some obsession buried deep within this young man named Gu Chengming.

He subconsciously sized up the seemingly ordinary youth before him.

First Realm Level Five, cultivation low, expression calm, neither humble nor arrogant.

How could someone like this harbor such shocking, world-defying killing intent?

Countless thoughts raced through Zhao Wuji's mind.

Was he carrying some blood-soaked vendetta? Had he been enduring all along, waiting for the day he could personally slay his enemy?

Or was there another hidden reason? Perhaps an enemy so terrifyingly powerful that he had no choice but to hide his edge and lie low in this tiny Huiyuan Gate?

Either way, it sent a chill down Zhao Wuji's spine.

...Could this Spirit Guiding Art make this disciple named Gu Chengming hold a grudge against him?

"Ahem..."

Zhao Wuji cleared his throat softly, deliberately slowing his voice as he spoke:

"Naturally, you've passed."

He paused, forcing what he thought was a kind and amiable smile, his tone even carrying a hint of praise:

"To completely break free from the illusions under Old Man's Spirit Guiding Art and return to your true self within mere tens of breaths... Gu Chengming, the firmness of your Dao Heart is truly something Old Man has never seen in his life."

Gu Chengming blinked in surprise, cupped his hands in thanks, then stepped back to his original spot.

The surrounding disciples were still immersed in the Illusion Realm, unable to wake for some time.

He was the only one standing clear-headed in the arena, making him stand out starkly.

The elders on the distant High Platform naturally noticed this as well, and the atmosphere shifted subtly.

But Ren Wencai was deeply calculating, showing nothing on his face.

He even put on an air of relief, letting out a long sigh and forcing a laugh:

"Haha, it seems my disciple has a fairly steadfast Dao Heart after all. Old Man was worried earlier that he was too young and lacked steady character, but it turns out Old Man was overthinking it."

The words were humble, but the other elders now understood exactly what had just happened.

Watching Ren Wencai's smug, petty expression, each of them silently cursed: This old fox, what an act!

This was already a crushing performance in the Dao Heart assessment—wasn't Ren Wencai going to be insufferably proud for at least half a month?

The elders cursed inwardly but maintained their composure outwardly.

"Senior Brother Ren is too modest."

A round-faced elder cupped his hands, his tone sour, "To teach such a disciple shows Senior Brother Ren's excellent guidance."

"Indeed, indeed."

Another elder chimed in:

"This Gu Chengming may be average in cultivation, but his Dao Heart is truly remarkable. If properly nurtured, he might amount to something in the future."

The words "average in cultivation" were emphasized heavily, clearly a reminder to Ren Wencai: Don't get too cocky—your disciple's talent isn't all that.

Ren Wencai chuckled lightly, not responding.

His gaze quietly swept toward Zhao Wuji, hoping to catch a hint of defeat on his old rival's face.

But he was disappointed.

Zhao Wuji's expression wasn't the expected anger or flushed embarrassment—it was oddly strange instead.

Ren Wencai felt a flicker of confusion.

What's wrong with Old Zhao? Surely he's not this upset over that little trick of mine?

What he didn't know was that Zhao Wuji was locked in a fierce internal struggle.

He wanted to mention the anomaly he'd just sensed, but the words died in his throat.

How could he say it? That when he used the Spirit Guiding Art, he was startled by the killing intent coming from the other side?

And if others thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill, or deliberately smearing Ren Wencai's disciple, wouldn't he end up caught in the middle?

Forget it. Less trouble is better.

He'd look into Gu Chengming's background later.

Zhao Wuji ultimately chose silence. He cupped his hands and offered congratulations:

"I still congratulate Elder Ren. It seems Huiyuan Gate will soon add another outstanding talent to its ranks."

Ren Wencai raised an eyebrow slightly.

Something was off—extremely, even nine-tenths off.

He quietly tucked this strangeness away in his mind, deciding to ponder it more carefully later.

Meanwhile, the other elders were also calculating in their heads.

Although the results of the Dao Heart assessment had yet to be officially announced, the fact that Gu Chengming was the first to break free from the Illusion Realm made it all but certain he would take first place.

But...

The elders exchanged glances, understanding each other without words.

A firm Dao Heart did not necessarily mean high talent.

From the First Realm Level Five aura fluctuations emanating from this disciple named Gu Chengming, it was clear his cultivation aptitude was, to put it mildly, lackluster.

Only at First Realm Level Five now—for a disciple who had just entered a year ago, that might be acceptable, but Gu Chengming had been here for several years.

Every elder present was sharp as a tack; they could see at a glance that while his Spiritual Power was pure, its flow was sluggish and obstructed. This was clearly a limitation of his talent, forcing him to expend ten or a hundred times the effort of ordinary people for every step forward.

For someone like this, no matter how firm their Dao Heart, their future achievements would be limited... and to put it bluntly, if he were truly a disciple with both a firm Dao Heart and exceptional talent, would that old fox Ren Wencai have held back until now to start grooming him?

He would have long since cherished him like a precious treasure.

The fact that he was only now beginning to pay attention meant that aside from his Dao Heart, this kid really had nothing worth showing off.

With that thought, the elders felt slightly more at ease.

Time passed slowly.

About half an hour later, the other disciples on the Sword Seeking Platform began to open their eyes one after another.

Some had pale faces, clearly having suffered a significant psychological shock in the Illusion Realm; others looked dazed, as if not yet fully awake from the vivid dream; a few had red-rimmed eyes, uncertain what moving scene they had witnessed in the illusion.

As for Gu Chengming, he was staring at Lao Bai's Favorability, lost in thought.