Victory or Defeat

Drops of blood fell to the ground. Under the sunlight, the crimson blood was painfully glaring.

"I actually lost..."

Gu Ming clutched the wound on his chest and tried to move forward step by step. However, by the time he took his third step, he could no longer hold on and dropped to his knees. Then he spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Gu Ming!"

Pill King Gu He could not help crying out in alarm when he saw this. This was his own nephew. No matter how noble his status or how broad his knowledge, he could not remain calm.

"Pill King Senior, I won this match. According to our previous agreement, you should tell me that information."

Yun Shenwei slowly caught his breath and looked toward Pill King Gu He in the distance.

"Bastard! I am the Pill King. Do you think I would go back on my word?"

Pill King Gu He could not help feeling anger rise within him. In front of so many people, he had actually been questioned by a young Misty Cloud Sect disciple. Where was he supposed to put his dignity? "It is best if you remember, Senior."

Yun Shenwei rubbed his arm. He had also suffered considerable exhaustion during the battle. If he had not taken a desperate gamble at the very heart of that clash, he truly would not have been able to win.

Time rewound to a little over ten seconds earlier.

"Emperor Wind Piercing Thrust!"

Yun Shenwei unleashed his strongest attack. At that moment, he realized that his opponent clearly intended to fight him to the bitter end. After considering the situation from every angle, he ultimately chose to go all out and break through his opponent's attack head-on in the most decisive manner.

Under normal circumstances, if two people used Earth Rank Dou Skills of the same rank, the first thing to compare would be the grades of their Dou Skills.

The Emperor Wind Piercing Thrust Yun Shenwei had exchanged for in the All Heavens Mall was an Earth Rank Advanced Dou Skill.

He did not know what grade Dou Skill his opponent was using, but he knew perfectly well that no matter how high its grade was, it could not surpass the Dou Skills from the All Heavens Mall.

Second, when the two sides clashed, their cultivation realms also had to be compared.

Gu Ming was a Four-Star Dou Shi. His strength was indeed not to be underestimated among the younger generation.

Moreover, this fellow had an exceptionally sturdy body. Clearly, he had not merely raised his cultivation realm, but had also spent more effort improving the skills he had mastered. Most frighteningly, he was Pill King Gu He's nephew and possessed a certain talent in alchemy as well. He could be called a genius cultivating in three areas at once, which might also explain why his realm was not particularly high.

However, everyone knew that it did not matter if an alchemist's realm was low in the beginning.

As long as an alchemist continued improving their alchemy skills, their future breakthroughs in realm would naturally rise with the tide.

On the other hand, if Gu Ming only worked on his realm and neglected his alchemy training, his future achievements would certainly be limited.

Therefore, Pill King Gu He attached great importance to this nephew of his. It would be best if the boy could inherit his legacy. Everyone knew that no matter how good a disciple was, they could never be closer than one's own family.

That was also why, after discovering that Yun Shenwei possessed Heavenly Flames, Pill King Gu He had thought of having his nephew compete.

The most important thing was that he could rest assured.

Unfortunately, Pill King Gu He had been far too careless. He had calculated every possibility and believed that his nephew would surely win, yet he had never imagined that his nephew's opponent was no ordinary person. What was more, Yun Shenwei possessed an incredibly powerful system and had even unlocked the outrageously overpowered All Heavens Mall with its help.

Pill King Gu He could never have imagined that his opponent would possess such formidable abilities!

As the saying went, the devil may rise a foot, but the righteous path would rise ten. Before a true powerhouse, what did alchemy amount to? "Shenwei Senior Brother, I was so worried about you!"

When Nalan Yanran saw that the match was over, she immediately ran over and threw her arms around the man she loved, her eyes full of concern. While watching below the stage, she had barely managed to stop herself from rushing up.

Nalan Yanran also knew very well that this match was extremely important to Yun Shenwei, the man she loved.

"Alright, alright, don't worry. It was just a casual match, nothing worth mentioning. Winning today was only to be expected. If I lost here, on our home ground, what right would I have to be the Senior Brother of Misty Cloud Sect's younger generation? And how could I possibly be worthy of you?"

Yun Shenwei smiled at the girl beside him and affectionately rubbed her cheek.

"Kid, here are the clues you wanted. Take them. But let me make this clear first: just because I have told you this information does not mean I cannot go after it myself. And you are not the only one who knows about it. I came to the Misty Cloud Sect for this very matter. Otherwise, do you think this Pill King has nothing better to do?"

Pill King Gu He was indeed a man of his word. With a flick of his hand, he tossed a scroll toward Yun Shenwei.

"He is right. This Sect Master also knows about this matter."

At this moment, Yun Yun gracefully stepped forward and flew to Yun Shenwei's side.

"Gu He, I can agree to the matter you mentioned, but let me make this clear first. This time, I intend to bring this little fellow along as well."

Yun Yun's uncharacteristically abrupt statement truly startled Pill King Gu He. After all, he had experienced much in life. He thought quickly before giving his answer.

"Bringing this little fellow along is fine. Perhaps with him joining us, I will have an easier time succeeding? Hahaha..."

Pill King Gu He burst into laughter after hearing this, then turned and placed a medicinal pill into his nephew's mouth.

"Uncle... I lost. I'm sorry."

After Gu Ming swallowed the pill, he quickly circulated his Dou Qi. His body soon improved, and the wound on his chest stopped bleeding. Before long, he opened his eyes and apologized deeply.

"It is nothing. This match was merely meant to broaden your horizons. Now you have seen that someone among the younger generation is stronger than you. You should understand that there are always greater people beyond people and higher heavens beyond heavens. Now that you have realized your shortcomings, you should work even harder in the future. Only then will you be my good nephew."

Pill King Gu He still possessed some bearing of a true master. He waved his hand grandly, his expression calm.

There were many people present, and upon seeing Pill King Gu He's demeanor, everyone could not help praising him.

"Senior Gu He is truly remarkable. With such breadth of heart, how could his family ever fail to prosper?"

"Yes, yes. Your nephew is remarkable as well. At such a young age, he has already demonstrated such outstanding accomplishments in both alchemy and cultivation. His future achievements are boundless."

"Specialization in a field ensures better results. The Misty Cloud Sect is, after all, a place of cultivation. It would be hard to justify it if its disciples lacked cultivation realms."

At once, the elders from these clans rose and clasped their fists, showering him with flattery.