At this life-or-death moment, how could Gu Yuanqing still worry about whether Qin Baijun had someone backing him? Almost the instant he realized what was happening, he struck.
All his cultivation and insights distilled into one utterly instinctive strike in the face of mortal danger. He raised two fingers, stepped through the positions of the Big Dipper, and used his fingers as a sword, launching Sword Pointing at Tian Shu straight at his opponent.
Qin Baijun's pupils contracted slightly. He, too, practiced the sword, and coming from a prestigious sect, he recognized this as the embryonic form of Sword Intent. Yet he could see every move Gu Yuanqing made. Compared with his own Seventh True Martial Realm cultivation, Gu Yuanqing was simply far too weak.
"Being the first to die beneath my Profound Martial Phenomenon is a blessing you earned through eight lifetimes!" A flicker of jealousy crossed Qin Baijun's eyes. With a cold snort, he formed a Sword Art hand sign, preparing to activate his cultivation technique and kill Gu Yuanqing with a single strike, thereby putting his Heart Demon to rest.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically. The Profound Martial Phenomenon formed outside his body through communion with heaven and earth vanished like smoke. Boundless pressure sealed off his mind's perception of the outside world.
Upon entering the True Martial Realm, one's Profound Martial Secret Treasure opened and one's consciousness transformed, allowing the mind to sense heaven and earth.
Although one could not directly absorb Heaven and Earth Vital Energy for personal use, one could gather qi of heavenly gang and earthly sha to nourish the True Martial Secret Realm. When the world within the Secret Treasury entered into communion with heaven's energy, a Profound Martial Wonderland could manifest outside the body.
Cultivators borrowed the power of heaven and earth through their Profound Martial Phenomenon. This was the hallmark of True Martial Realm cultivators transcending the mundane.
But at this moment, all of it vanished from Qin Baijun, as though a barrier had severed his connection with the outside world.
No, he sensed something else as well. Dimly, he felt this stretch of heaven and earth bearing limitless malice toward him! It was as though he had become the target of a thousand accusing fingers, spurned by heaven and earth themselves.
A five-inch blade of light shot from Gu Yuanqing's sword fingers. As Sword Intent fused with vital energy, the blade grew tenfold.
In the blink of an eye, the strike reached Qin Baijun. Gu Yuanqing had already calculated all manner of follow-up variations in his mind, never expecting Qin Baijun to simply stand there like a fool. Only when the Sword Qi fell upon him did he seem to jolt awake, dodging and retreating in panic. In his fluster, Qin Baijun even tried to execute a sword move to force Gu Yuanqing back.
But Qin Baijun's movements were now frantic and slow. In Gu Yuanqing's eyes, every move was riddled with openings. He merely shifted his footwork and executed Stars Shift. Sword Qi slipped through an opening and slashed down.
Hiss! Sword Qi shredded Qin Baijun's upper arm, severing it at the shoulder. Blood sprayed out.
"Grandfather, save me!" Qin Baijun screamed in terror, his courage shattered.
Not far away, the white-haired elder, who had been casually exchanging blows with the Imperial Guard Army, turned his head in shock and fury.
He forced Chen Chuanshan and the others back with a Void Great Hand Seal, then crossed a hundred yards in just a few strides. Pressing down from midair, he summoned an enormous palm above Gu Yuanqing's head.
Watching the Void Great Hand Seal earlier and experiencing it firsthand were two entirely different things!
Its mighty aura was suffocating. Gu Yuanqing felt as though the entire space had frozen solid. His body could not move, every hair stood on end, and the shadow of death enveloped his heart.
Am I going to die?
Gu Yuanqing could not accept it. With a system at his disposal and a dazzling future ahead, he refused to accept being inexplicably killed!
With a furious roar, he drove the vital energy within his body into a frenzy. His one hundred and eight acupoints shone, and winds and clouds churned within his Profound Martial Secret Treasure. Under the force of his powerful will, its transformation accelerated as well.
It was as though Gu Yuanqing had broken through his shackles. Regaining the ability to move, he slashed the sword light in his hand upward.
At that very instant, the Void Great Hand Seal overhead vanished like smoke. Farther away, Elder Qin of the Lingxu Sect plunged headfirst from the air, crashing into a tree before tumbling to the ground in a sorry state.
He scrambled to his feet, his face filled with horror. Looking around, he called loudly, "Which esteemed Grandmaster is here?"
Chen Chuanshan and the others, who had been pursuing him in this direction, landed and scanned their surroundings. They wondered whether one of the Imperial Court's Grandmaster Attendants had arrived.
Beneath the moonlight, North Spring Mountain lay silent. Apart from a few startled birds, there was no response.
Not far away, the old man watching outside through his room's window also wore a grave expression. A Grandmaster? There's a Grandmaster hidden on North Spring Mountain? Then hasn't everything I've done been under someone's eyes? No wonder I occasionally felt a sense of warning these past few days.
Qin Baijun had already scrambled more than ten yards away. He sealed the blood vessels in his arm and looked around in terror.
Gu Yuanqing actually has a Grandmaster protecting him? No, why would a Grandmaster protect a mere son of a concubine? Is it because North Spring Mountain is forbidden ground?
A Grandmaster has arrived? Gu Yuanqing flipped onto the rooftop. Secretly rejoicing at having survived, he then sank his awareness slightly and entered the Mountain Observation state.
But apart from the Imperial Guard heading toward the summit, he found no one else.
Could a Grandmaster's methods be beyond even my Mountain Observation's "sight"? Or can a Grandmaster influence North Spring Mountain from far beyond its borders? Gu Yuanqing felt somewhat puzzled.
Elder Qin remained alarmed and uncertain. Cupping his fist, he called out, "Since you do not wish to show yourself, esteemed master, I shall trouble you no further!"
In a few strides, he swept over to Qin Baijun. Seeing the wretched state of his grandson with one arm severed, he cast a dark look at Gu Yuanqing on the rooftop.
"Jun'er, I'm taking you away!"
"Grandfather, my right arm!" Qin Baijun's face was deathly pale.
Elder Qin flashed over to the severed arm. Seeing that Sword Qi had mangled the cut so badly that reattachment was impossible, he shot Gu Yuanqing another murderous look. He picked up the arm, returned to Qin Baijun, tucked him beneath one arm, and swiftly departed using his movement technique.
At this moment, he, too, was unable to manifest his phenomenon outside his body. His consciousness was confined within him, unable to connect with heaven and earth. This meant the Grandmaster was still present, and he dared not act recklessly.
Watching the grandfather and grandson leave, Gu Yuanqing let out a long breath. He lowered his guard and cupped his fist toward his surroundings in a courteous salute.
"Gu Yuanqing thanks you for your assistance, Senior!"
Imperial Guard Commander Chen Chuanshan also cupped his fist toward their surroundings. "Thank you, Senior."
Their voices carried across North Spring Mountain, but there was no reply.
A short while later, Chen Xuanshan and the others arrived before the small courtyard where Gu Yuanqing lived.
Gu Yuanqing cupped his fist again in thanks.
But neither Chen Xuanshan nor the soldiers spoke to him. They merely surveyed the scene and swept their gazes over Gu Yuanqing. With a slight nod, he led his men away.
Gu Yuanqing shook his head helplessly.
Peace returned to North Spring Mountain. The old man watching from afar lay down again as well. Tonight, he dared not return to the cliff to dig his hole.
Looking at his wrecked courtyard, Gu Yuanqing gave a bitter smile.
"Fortunately, there are plenty of rooms and few people here. At least I don't have to worry about somewhere to stay."
Not expecting anyone to help clean up, he retrieved his bedding from the collapsed house, found the various books and notes buried beneath the rubble, and placed them in a side room. He washed the dust from his body with clean water from the stone vat outside the courtyard, then finally sat down to rest.
What an eventful night. That man said he had a grudge against me and mentioned his junior sister. Could he mean the daughter of the Imperial Family I had intimate relations with?
That was the only explanation Gu Yuanqing could think of. Although he came from the Prince's Manor, he had never done anything like abducting common women. Apart from that incident, his life thus far had been entirely blameless.
Among the Imperial Family, Eldest Princess Li Miaoxuan cultivates in the Lingxu Sect. Could it be her?
The thought flashed through Gu Yuanqing's mind, only to be rejected. Li Miaoxuan was an extraordinary genius who had reached True Martial at ten. By now, her cultivation was probably already at Profound Martial High Rank. How could Gu Yuanxuan possibly have abducted her?
Then he thought of the Grandmaster who had appeared tonight. What a pity he had not had the chance to meet them!
But after only a moment, he set the matter aside. Perhaps to others, Grandmasters stood far above them, like divine dragons whose heads and tails were rarely glimpsed. For him, however, that realm was within reach in the days to come.
The contract is signed, so rest assured and keep reading, everyone. If you're in a good mood, feel free to send some monthly tickets, recommendation votes, or the like~
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