Outer Academy, northeastern corner, Bamboo Garden.
It was nearing late afternoon. The slanting sunlight stretched the bamboo grove's shadows long and thin.
The courtyard gate stood open. Gu Long stood before it, dressed in a simple azure robe, his posture straight and tall.
His aura was completely restrained, making him seem like an ordinary person who had never cultivated. Yet deep within those tranquil eyes seemed to lie an entire starry sky.
Xun Er stood half a step behind him, clad in an elegant long dress. Her features were breathtaking, her bearing ethereal.
She had likewise concealed the aura of a Five Star Dou Spirit, standing quietly like a figure in a painting.
The two stood side by side without speaking, yet an indescribable harmony and presence naturally surrounded them.
When Su Qian appeared at the end of the Bamboo Path, a faint smile appeared on Gu Long's face. Rather than waiting where he was, he took several steps forward to greet him.
That subtle gesture caused Su Qian's gaze to flicker.
"Great Elder Su Qian, your presence honors us. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar."
Gu Long clasped his hands in greeting, his tone calm. He was neither humble nor arrogant, carrying himself entirely as an equal.
Su Qian stopped and carefully assessed the young man before him.
At such close range, his earlier judgment was confirmed even further.
This boy was unfathomable! He possessed at least the strength of a Dou Ancestor!
With the Soul Power of a Two Star Dou Ancestor, he could not see through the other party at all. All he could sense was an abyss-like stillness.
Moreover, the faint aura about Gu Long—an air as though he had merged with heaven and earth—made Su Qian's heart turn solemn.
It seemed this