Gu Qing's Terrifying Strength, Exposed!

In Heaven Dou City, sunlight filtered through the lush leaves, casting dappled golden spots onto the wide, smooth bluestone streets.

Gu Qing sat alone in a quiet courtyard, holding a cup of clear tea that was still emitting wisps of hot steam.

A burst of brisk footsteps came from outside the courtyard, instantly shattering the rare tranquility.

Dugu Yan, dressed in a clean and sharp purple-black combat suit, walked quickly through the gate with her long, straight legs.

After the detoxifying treatment at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the skin on Dugu Yan's body had become increasingly fair and translucent, and her originally sickly purple-gray hair had fully recovered its healthy luster.

"Gu Qing, are you free today?"

Dugu Yan stopped in front of the stone table, rested her arms naturally on the surface, and leaned in to ask in a lowered voice.

Gu Qing gently blew on the tea leaves floating at the rim of the cup and took a slow, measured sip of the fine Yuqian Longjing tea.

"I don't have anything urgent these past few days. Why, has something happened with your grandfather again?"

Hearing this easygoing reply, Dugu Yan waved her hands repeatedly, rushing to explain the situation clearly.

"My grandfather is doing just fine. It's actually a small matter on my end that I wanted to ask for your help with."

Dugu Yan pulled out a stone stool to the side and sat down, her eyes filled with a hint of anticipation.

"Our Heaven Dou Royal Academy team has been undergoing closed-door intensive training recently, and we've encountered some tactical bottlenecks."

"I thought that since your strength is so great and your knowledge so vast, could you trouble yourself to visit our academy and provide some simple guidance for the team?"

After saying this, Dugu Yan actually felt a bit uncertain, fearing that such a time-consuming, trivial matter might annoy Gu Qing.

Setting down the teacup, Gu Qing's gaze lingered for a moment on Dugu Yan's pretty, expectant face.

"I happen to be idle, and going out for a walk sounds fine. Lead the way."

Gu Qing stood up and casually straightened his slightly wrinkled cuffs, showing no air of superiority whatsoever.

Seeing Gu Qing agree so readily, Dugu Yan was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up to lead the way.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was built against the mountains and by the water; in the beautiful campus, gorgeously dressed noble students could be seen everywhere.

Gu Qing and Dugu Yan walked side by side along the wide, tree-lined avenue, and the familiar way they conversed soon caught the attention of the surrounding students.

As a famous and influential figure in the academy, Dugu Yan rarely walked this closely with any other male besides the few acquaintances in her team.

Seeing the usually cold and arrogant Dugu Yan chatting and laughing with an unfamiliar young man, the surrounding students immediately stopped in their tracks.

Whispered discussions began to spread rapidly through the crowd, and various speculative messages spread through the academy as if they had grown wings.

"Isn't that Senior Dugu? Who is that man next to her? He's quite handsome."

"I've never seen him before. Could he be a young master who just transferred from some major clan?"

Listening to the undisguised gossip around them, two faint blushes couldn't help but fly onto Dugu Yan's cheeks, yet she did not deliberately distance herself from Gu Qing.

Just as the two were about to reach the Mimicry Training Ground exclusive to the academy team, a soft, melodious female voice suddenly came from the side.

"Yanzi, you're late today."

Ye Lingling, dressed in an elegant light-colored long dress and wearing a thin black veil over her face, walked gracefully from behind a cluster of blooming bushes.

As soon as she appeared, Ye Lingling's gaze bypassed Dugu Yan and landed directly on Gu Qing.

A flash of surprise crossed those beautiful eyes exposed outside the veil, and Ye Lingling quickly walked to Dugu Yan's side, reaching out to hook her arm through her good friend's.

"You, Dugu Yan, you actually kept such a big thing from me."

Ye Lingling leaned into Dugu Yan's ear and started complaining in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Confess honestly, where did you abduct such a handsome guy, and how dare you bring him to the academy so blatantly to show him off?"

Faced with Ye Lingling's rapid-fire questioning, Dugu Yan hurriedly covered her good friend's mouth in a panic.

"Lingling, don't talk nonsense. This is Gu Qing, the savior of my grandfather and me. I specifically invited him here today to provide guidance for our team."

Dugu Yan hurriedly gave a brief introduction of Gu Qing's identity, fearing that Ye Lingling's unbridled jokes would displease him.

Hearing the words "savior," a hint of curiosity and inquiry appeared in Ye Lingling's eyes as she looked at Gu Qing.

Before Ye Lingling could continue to press, a voice filled with intense anger suddenly exploded from the gate of the training ground.

"Yanzi, who is he?"

Yu Tianheng strode out from the gate, his handsome face covered in gloom.

As a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng had always regarded Dugu Yan as his destined woman, even though she usually maintained an indifferent attitude toward him.

Hearing the rumors flying around the training ground just now, the vinegar jar in Yu Tianheng's heart had already tipped over.

Now, seeing Dugu Yan standing side by side with a strange man, Yu Tianheng felt an inexplicable fire rushing straight to his head.

Walking straight up to the three of them, Yu Tianheng locked his aggressive gaze onto Gu Qing's calm and composed face.

"This is a restricted area of Heaven Dou Royal Academy; no unauthorized personnel are allowed inside. Yanzi, have you forgotten the academy's rules?"

Yu Tianheng deliberately raised his voice, attempting to use this condescending attitude to overwhelm his unknown competitor with sheer presence.

Seeing this, Dugu Yan's brows immediately furrowed tightly, and she stepped forward to block Gu Qing.

"Yu Tianheng, stop acting crazy here. Gu Qing is a guest I specifically invited; it is not your place to point fingers."

She retorted without a shred of politeness, and Dugu Yan's protective stance only added fuel to the fire, igniting the fuse of Yu Tianheng's sanity.

Clenching his fists tightly, his knuckles popped with a crisp, explosive sound as blue electric arcs began to flicker across the surface of his skin.

"Your guest? In my eyes, he is nothing more than a fraud who doesn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth."

Yu Tianheng pointed his right finger at Gu Qing's nose, his tone filled with extreme disdain and provocation.

"Kid, if you're a man, don't hide behind a woman. I, Yu Tianheng, am challenging you to a duel today."

Hearing such arrogant words, Dugu Yan felt her heart skip a beat, and a layer of cold sweat even seeped onto her forehead.

While others might not know Gu Qing's background, Dugu Yan had personally witnessed the unfathomable methods this man possessed at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Dugu Yan hurriedly turned around and grabbed Yu Tianheng's arm, which was still suspended in mid-air, attempting to prevent this tragedy that had no suspense.

"Yu Tianheng, stop making a scene. Take back what you just said immediately; you must not provoke Gu Qing."

Her voice trembled with anxiety as she earnestly tried to dissuade the captain, who had been blinded by jealousy.

"Gu Qing's strength is simply not something you can contend with. If you really make a move, you will definitely be the one to suffer in the end."

This heartfelt advice, however, fell upon Yu Tianheng's ears like a sharp blade piercing the deepest part of his pride.

Instead of calming down, Yu Tianheng felt deeply humiliated in front of everyone.

The woman he loved was belittling him without mercy in front of the crowd just to elevate another stranger; how could the proud and arrogant Yu Tianheng swallow this insult?

Yu Tianheng violently shook off Dugu Yan's hand, the fury in his eyes threatening to erupt.

"I, Yu Tianheng, am the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. How could I possibly be no match for this pretty boy?"

Turning his head to glare at Gu Qing, Yu Tianheng gritted his teeth and spat out a harsh threat.

"I am going to duel him today, no matter what. No one is going to stop me; I want to see exactly how much he's worth."

Watching Yu Tianheng's stubbornness—the kind that wouldn't shed tears until seeing the coffin—Dugu Yan felt despair and could only cast a pleading gaze toward Gu Qing behind her.

Gu Qing maintained his calm, unruffled demeanor, as if everything happening before him were merely a boring farce.

Sighing, Gu Qing clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked out from behind Dugu Yan.

"Since you want to be beaten so badly, I suppose I will reluctantly accept your challenge."

His tone was flat, without a single ripple, as if he were agreeing to a trivial matter.

This dismissive attitude once again deeply stung Yu Tianheng's sensitive and fragile pride.

The surrounding students who were watching the spectacle immediately retreated in tacit understanding, clearing a large space on the wide open ground for the duel.

Yu Tianheng took a long, deep breath, and the bones throughout his body began to emit a series of crisp, crackling sounds.

Violent blue lightning gathered frantically along Yu Tianheng's right arm, a thick dragon arm bursting through his sleeve and radiating a destructive thunderous aura.

"Kid, if you lose today, stay far away from Yanzi from now on."

Lifting his chin with extreme confidence, Yu Tianheng released the pressure of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul without reservation.

Gu Qing paid no mind to this vapid pre-battle trash talk and simply raised his right hand slowly.

A cluster of emerald light, brimming with infinite vitality, bloomed quietly in his palm, instantly rendering the surrounding air vibrant with life.

Crystal-clear Life-Type Blue Silver Grass, covered in golden patterns, spread rapidly from Gu Qing's fingertips like spirit snakes emerging from the earth.

Seeing that the martial soul Gu Qing summoned was the Blue Silver Grass, widely recognized on the continent as the most useless, the surrounding students burst into whispers.

Yu Tianheng even sneered on the spot, feeling that his previous caution had been nothing but a massive joke.

"A mere blade of grass dares to show off in front of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? Get down!"

With a loud shout, Yu Tianheng kicked off the ground, his entire body rushing toward Gu Qing like a blue meteor.

The dragon claw, imbued with terrifying lightning power, carved a blinding blue arc through the air, smashing directly toward Gu Qing's chest.

Facing this thunderous strike of such immense momentum, Gu Qing stood his ground without moving a single step.

With a casual wave of his right hand, Gu Qing instantly transformed the Life-Type Blue Silver Grass hovering in mid-air into a sky full of green afterimages.

The thick vines of the Blue Silver Grass ignored the violent lightning power, striking Yu Tianheng's dragon arm like indestructible steel whips.

Accompanied by a dull thud of impact, Yu Tianheng's charging body froze instantly in mid-air.

That prideful power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, in front of these seemingly delicate blades of grass, could not stir up the slightest ripple, as if it had vanished into the sea.

Before Yu Tianheng could recover from this massive contrast, a dozen strands of Blue Silver Grass had already wrapped around his limbs with extreme precision.

Gu Qing clenched his fingers, controlling the vines wrapped around Yu Tianheng to exert force instantly, swinging him high into the air.

Following this, the Blue Silver Grass traced a large semicircle in the sky, slamming Yu Tianheng hard against the solid bluestone floor.

"Bang!"

The dull thud of the impact made the hearts of everyone present twitch violently.

Yu Tianheng felt his internal organs churning; the prideful protective lightning around his body had been forcibly dispersed by the life force attached to the Blue Silver Grass.

However, this was merely the beginning; Gu Qing had no intention of letting this guy who had repeatedly provoked him off so easily.

The emerald vines descended like a rainstorm, each strike precisely avoiding vital points while forcing Yu Tianheng to experience extreme agony.

The pride of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the greatest genius and the hope of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, was currently being beaten like a helpless punching bag, sent sprawling across the floor with his teeth scattered.

The entire duel, from start to finish, had not even lasted half an incense stick's time.

As Gu Qing swung his right hand one last time, Yu Tianheng was tossed like a tattered sack, slamming heavily into the open ground a dozen meters away, stripped of the strength to even crawl back up.

A deathly silence fell over the arena; every student stood with their mouths agape.

Even Ye Lingling, standing to the side, was so shocked she covered her mouth with her hands, utterly unable to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.

A common blade of Blue Silver Grass had, in a display of absolute crushing dominance, given a savage beating to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, a spirit known as the number one beast martial soul under the heavens.

These arrogant prodigies, who usually looked down on everyone else, finally witnessed the truly terrifying, absolute strength of Gu Qing.

Dismissing the Blue Silver Grass from his hand, Gu Qing casually brushed some non-existent dust from his sleeve, as if he had just finished a simple warm-up exercise.

Dugu Yan looked at the bruised and battered Yu Tianheng lying on the ground; though she felt a pang of pity, she was mostly overcome by a lingering sense of dread.

If Gu Qing had truly harbored any killing intent just now, Yu Tianheng would likely be a corpse by this point.

Ignoring the wailing Yu Tianheng on the ground, Gu Qing turned and walked toward the team members who remained in a state of complete stupor.

"Since I agreed to provide guidance, I cannot let this trip go to waste."