Deep within the Martial Arts Hall, Gu Mo sat cross-legged before the stone tablet, "looking" at Luo Heng.
"Use the Barren Demonic Eye, let me see," Gu Mo said, his voice hoarse but carrying an undisguised anticipation.
Luo Heng nodded and closed his eyes.
The next moment, a thin gray line quietly appeared between his brows, and then slowly cracked open.
The gray light condensed and transformed into a gray triangular eyeball between his eyebrows.
As soon as the gray eye appeared, the space around Luo Heng almost abruptly distorted, and an extremely terrifying wave of destruction spread wildly.
The bluestone slabs on the square cracked silently, and the air within a radius of several feet became viscous.
A not-so-thick gray beam of light shot out from Luo Heng's gray eyes.
The beam of light was silent, yet it carried a chilling aura of destruction.
Wherever it passed, the vital energy in the air was instantly drained, even the light was swallowed up, leaving behind a pitch-black trail.
Gu Mo raised his hand, and an invisible Spiritual Power barrier appeared in front of him.
The gray beam of light struck the barrier, but there was no earth-shattering explosion, only a very faint "hiss" sound.
The Spiritual Power barrier that was strong enough to withstand a full-force Life Xuan Stage expert was beginning to dissolve at a visible rate.
A strange light flashed in Gu Mo's eyes. He added a bit more force and finally managed to completely neutralize the beam of light.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
That smile contained relief, excitement, and an indescribable emotion.
"A genius that appears only once in ten thousand years..." he murmured, his voice hoarse but filled with heartfelt emotion.
Luo Heng withdrew his Barren Demonic Eye, the gray eye between his brows slowly closed, and the thin gray line disappeared. He smiled and said, "Uncle-Master, you flatter me."
Gu Mo shook his head, didn't say anything more, and just patted him on the shoulder.
"Let's go, many people are waiting to see you compete today."
In the center of the Desolate Hall Mountains, an exceptionally large peak pierces the clouds, surrounded by swirling mists that exude an otherworldly aura.
This mountain peak is the location of the main hall of the Desolate Hall, making it the head of all the palaces. In the past, the monthly competition was held here, but today, an even more important duel will take place here.
The Desolate Hall Chief Disciple Competition.
At the summit, a magnificent and ancient hall stands quietly amidst the clouds and mist, exuding a powerful aura. Its yellowish hue is a testament to the passage of time, radiating unparalleled stability.
In front of the main hall is an extremely vast bluestone plaza.
At this moment, the area surrounding the plaza was already packed with a sea of people. Tens of thousands of disciples sat quietly in meditation, without making a sound. The sheer volume of their silence caused even the Primal Energy of this place to fluctuate violently.
Slightly closer to the center of the plaza are the Official Disciple of the Desolate Hall.
Inside the plaza, on a series of slightly elevated platforms, hundreds of figures dressed in pale yellow robes sat cross-legged, their bodies radiating astonishing Primal Energy fluctuations.
Those were the Direct Disciple of the Desolate Hall Desolate Hall, its elites.
But unlike in the past, today's audience consists of far more than just those in the Desolate Hall.
On the east side of the square, the disciples of the Heavenly Hall occupied an entire area. The one in the lead was dressed in black, with a slender figure and cascading black hair. She was none other than Ying Xiaoxiao Heavenly Hall.
Her aura today was completely different from usual; a faint golden light flowed around her, a manifestation of her Nirvana Golden Body cultivation reaching its peak.
The Nine Yuan Nirvana Stage.
In just the last two or three days, she broke through.
Ying Xiaoxiao knew that part of the reason was because she was provoked by Luo Heng, her junior brother who transformed into a dragon in the Pill River, which made her feel pressured.
Ying Huanhuan sat beside her, her red dress standing out in the crowd. She rested her chin on her hands, her gaze sweeping across the room as she muttered, "Why hasn't that annoying guy arrived yet..."
"What's the rush?" Ying Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at her and laughed.
"I'm not in a hurry! I just want to see how he gets beaten up later," Ying Huanhuan stubbornly.
Ying Xiaoxiao didn't reply, but the corners of her mouth curved into a barely perceptible arc.
On the west side of the square, the disciples of the Earthly Hall stood in neat rows. Leading them was a young man in an earth-yellow robe. He had a handsome face, a calm demeanor, and a gentle smile on his lips.
Chief of the Earthly Hall, Qing Ye, Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage.
His gaze fell on the red figure on the Heavenly Hall stands, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.
Ying Huanhuan.
They grew up together, and his feelings for her were known throughout the entire Dao Sect.
But... she never seemed to care.
Qing Ye withdrew her gaze and looked at the scene. A complicated look flashed in her eyes. That new disciple named Luo Heng was undergoing tribulation in the Pill River and even made Ying Huanhuan call him senior brother in front of everyone.
He felt somewhat uncomfortable, but maintained a gentle demeanor.
On the other side, disciples of the Vast Hall also arrived. A burly man with strength reaching the Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage was at the forefront. Mu Li, the chief disciple of the Vast Hall, at the Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage.
He grinned and said to his junior brother beside him, "I heard that kid transformed into a Azure Dragon in the Pill River and his physical body directly reached the Life Xuan Stage. Just how strong must he be? I really want to test my strength against him."
Almost all of the Dao Sect's top leaders were present on the highest platform in the square.
Chen Zhen and Wu Dao sat at the front, and the Deputy Hall Master of the other three halls were also present. Several elders who usually stayed in seclusion also made an exception and appeared, all staring intently at the square.
Qi Lei, the Heavenly Hall Master, glanced at Chen Zhen and said sourly, " Chen Zhen, your Desolate Hall has really struck gold this time."
Chen Zhen stroked his beard, grinning from ear to ear, and said, "Oh, not at all, just good luck."
His smug look made Wei Sen, the Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Hall, want to punch him.
The Earthly Hall Master shook his head and said, "A quarter of an hour to reach the sixth level of the Desolate Art —that can't be explained by luck alone."
Vast Hall Master laughed heartily and said, "I want to see just how good this kid is at fighting!"
Several elders whispered among themselves. One elder, with white hair and beard, sighed, "Our Dao Sect sect has existed for thousands of years, and we've never seen such a prodigy. Zhou Tong a hundred years ago was already amazing enough, but compared to this kid..."
Another elder commented, "They're not even one level apart."
Everyone remained silent; no one objected.
Just then, a figure burst through the air.
He was still wearing Cloth Shoes and a white shirt, his face as warm as jade.
Ying Xuanzi landed in the center of the stands, stood with his hands behind his back, and glanced at the dark mass of people below, nodding slightly.
The Sect Master himself arrived.
The atmosphere in the square instantly became more solemn.
When Ying Huanhuan saw her father arrive, she secretly stuck out her tongue, while Ying Xiaoxiao nodded slightly as a greeting.
Ying Xuanzi's gaze fell on the center of the square, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
The position of Desolate Hall Chief has been vacant for a hundred years. The last person to hold this position was his disciple Zhou Tong, a genius who amazed the entire Dao Sect.
Now, finally, someone is qualified to inherit that position.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted.
All eyes turned towards the main hall.
Two figures emerged from the hall.
One was a hunched old man in a gray robe, walking slowly, with gray eyes.
Gu Mo.
The other was a young man dressed in blue, tall and slender, with a handsome face and a faint smile on his lips.
Luo Heng.
The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing.
Gu Mo, whose face was usually cold and indifferent to everyone, was actually smiling broadly as he spoke to Luo Heng, nodding occasionally.
In the stands, Chen Zhen was stunned.
Wu Dao was stunned.
Wei Sen was stunned.
The Deputy Hall Master the Earthly Hall, the Deputy Hall Master of the Vast Hall, and several elders were all stunned.
Is this Gu Mo?
Gu Mo, who hasn't laughed once in decades?
That Gu Mo, who only nodded slightly even when the Sect Master arrived?
Chen Zhen rubbed his eyes, wondering if his eyesight was failing him.
Wu Dao's lips twitched. He finally understood why Gu Mo had been so dismissive of him in the Martial Arts Hall a couple of days ago. It turned out his senior brother found him a nuisance.
Ying Xuanzi watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips.
This Luo Heng is indeed extraordinary; he even managed to subdue Gu Mo.