Gu Yuan Arrives!

The sun set, and the stars began to brighten.

High in the vast sky, about fifty miles west of Wutan City.

Ning Chen carried those gorgeous, crimson wings of flame Dou Qi on his back. Under the reflection of the blood-red sunset, he looked like a burning meteor, streaking across the sky and leaving behind a brilliant, swift arc of red light.

Ya Fei is truly something... Just a moment ago, even I almost lost my composure...

Recalling that fragrant and ambiguous scene in the private room on the top floor of the Mittel Auction House, Ning Chen chuckled and shook his head slightly.

His tone carried a hint of emotion and a touch of relief, but very little regret.

He knew clearly that if he had shown even a sliver of interest at the time, or even if he had simply not actively refused and gone with the flow.

He would likely be deep in the most luxurious den of pleasure in Wutan City right now, drowning in that heart-stirring, graceful body and intoxicating charm.

But he had more important things to do.

Besides... there seemed to be an unexpected, yet logical, "little trouble" that needed handling right now.

Ning Chen's thoughts stirred, and the azure system panel quietly unfolded before his eyes.

His gaze landed directly on the [Surprise Value] column.

He noticed that half a day ago, a notification had appeared in the list that had caught his attention at the time.

[Surprise Value from Gu Yuan +100...]

"Gu Yuan..." Ning Chen's eyes narrowed as he whispered the name.

A late-stage nine-star Dou Sheng, patriarch of the Gu Clan, and father of Xiao Xun'er—one of the few people on this continent who truly stood at the pinnacle!

It seems that little girl, Xiao Xun'er, finally reported my actions in Wutan City back to the Gu Clan, especially those 'extraordinary' remarks and displays... This initial hundred points of surprise from Gu Yuan was likely just his preliminary reaction upon receiving the news.

Ning Chen's thoughts raced as he quickly drew his conclusion.

He wasn't surprised by this; or rather, since he dared to tease Xiao Xun'er, he had already prepared himself to face the Gu Clan, and even Gu Yuan himself!

Collecting his thoughts, Ning Chen looked ahead. A continuous mountain range came into view—the Magic Beast Mountain Range, which played a significant role in the original story.

However, just as Ning Chen prepared to accelerate into the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

[Ding!]

Without warning, a brand-new notification popped up on the system panel.

Its content made Ning Chen's pupils shrink, his heart skipped a beat for a split second, and then it began to pound violently as if struck by a heavy hammer!

[Surprise Value from Gu Yuan +1000!]

A full one thousand surprise points!

If it were just a thousand points, it wouldn't matter; he could easily earn that from Xiao Yan or Xiao Xun'er. But the problem was, this surprise came from Gu Yuan!

It was from that peak expert who had lived for thousands of years, had seen all the changes and strange occurrences on the continent, had reached the late-stage nine-star Dou Sheng realm, and whose state of mind had long been as still as an ancient well.

—Gu Yuan!

What kind of event could cause such an existence, who already knew of his existence and had already contributed a hundred points of surprise, to experience such a violent and massive emotional fluctuation just half a day later?

So much so that the system judged his "Surprise Value" to have surged by a thousand?!

This was absolutely not normal!

Ning Chen abruptly manipulated his Dou Qi wings, forcing himself to stop his forward momentum and hover in the dim, twilight air.

He maintained a calm exterior, even deliberately making his expression appear more detached and ethereal, as if he were merely admiring the beautiful scenery of the mountains under the setting sun.

But his brain was already working at high speed.

Faced with this deviation from the original plot, if he didn't handle it carefully, the trouble would be immense.

Ning Chen's thoughts flashed through countless possibilities like lightning, discarding them one by one.

Suddenly, an extremely bold, even somewhat terrifying thought struck his mind like a bolt of cold electricity in the dark!

What could cause an expert of Gu Yuan's level to have such violent emotional fluctuations in a short time was usually not "hearing" some shocking news.

After all, he was an old monster who had lived for thousands of years; what hadn't he heard?

It was "witnessing with his own eyes" something that exceeded his understanding, perhaps even touching the boundaries of his cognition!

And the prerequisite for "witnessing with his own eyes" was... the observer must be on the scene!

He was nearby...

Ning Chen felt a chill run down his spine, but it was immediately replaced by an even stronger sense of excitement and desire for a challenge.

The gaze of a nine-star Dou Sheng, is it?

Right on time!

This heaven-sent "Surprise Value" and the opportunity to test the true upper limit of the "Wu Wu Kai" system seemed to have arrived at his doorstep all at once!

Calming his excitement, he moved his Dou Qi wings, and Ning Chen quickly dove toward the forest below, landing steadily on the ground.

The forest was silent. Looking around, there was no one else but him.

Ning Chen let out a long, slow breath, then leisurely placed his hands behind his back. He tilted his head slightly to look at the sky above the treetops where the twilight was gathering, a faint, intrigued smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"My friend, the mountains are desolate and the twilight is closing in. Since you have already arrived, why not reveal yourself and enjoy this sunset together?"

He paused, the playful glint in his eyes quietly fading, his voice dropping a few octaves.

"Or is it that... the dignified patriarch of the Gu Clan, the renowned Gu Yuan who shakes the Central Plains, has now learned from the rats of the Soul Clan, preferring to skulk in the shadows and spy on others?"

Ning Chen was gambling, betting that Gu Yuan was hiding nearby.

If he won the bet, he could not only flush Gu Yuan out but also elevate his own status.

Otherwise, no matter how well he acted, no powerhouse would simply ignore someone secretly monitoring them.

Especially when the other party was a nine-star Dou Sheng.

If he lost? It would be nothing more than shouting harsh words at thin air, a bit awkward perhaps, but since no one was around, his embarrassing moment wouldn't be leaked.

However, the moment his voice fell, Ning Chen saw a new message appear in the system.

[Surprise points from Gu Yuan +100,000!]

One hundred thousand surprise points!

Ning Chen's heart skipped a beat! As expected! Gu Yuan was hiding nearby!

Heh, this old fellow... he's quite "generous." Over a hundred thousand surprise points in total; that's enough for me to splurge for quite a while...

Ning Chen felt a secret thrill, but his face remained calm. He didn't speak further, simply keeping his hands behind his back and tilting his head slightly.

His gaze seemed unfocused as it landed on a spot in the void, as if he could truly pierce through space and see the hidden observer.

He was waiting, waiting for the other party to lose their composure.

After a long while, the space not far in front of Ning Chen rippled gently like water.

There was no earth-shattering explosion of power, no dazzling display of light.

A figure dressed in a simple linen robe emerged, fading from translucent to solid as if stepping out of an ink wash painting.

The man appeared to be middle-aged, with refined features and gentle, calm eyes that seemed devoid of any worldly strife. A faint, refreshing smile played on his lips.

He stood there as if he had merged with the surrounding mountains and forests, harmonious and natural. Had one not seen him with their own eyes, they would have barely sensed his presence.

"Your perception is keen, and your insight is sharp. It was Gu who was reckless."

"I did not intend to spy, but because of what my daughter mentioned in her letter, I was curious and came to see for myself. If I have been abrupt, I hope you will forgive me."