Wang Fu and the elder stared at Gu Chen in shock, disbelief written all over their faces.
The night before, at the Treasure Gathering Studio, they had witnessed Gu Chen punish Xu Zhongwen and his gang. But he had used only external martial arts then; compared with the might he displayed today, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth. Hua Yumo had therefore looked down on Gu Chen, never considering him a true master of internal martial arts. Yet the Gu Chen before them was so young, and his strength so terrifying, that it left them dumbfounded.
"Do you admit defeat?"
Gu Chen's voice rang out calmly, carrying a trace of unquestionable authority.
Only then did the elder recover from his shock, his gaze falling on the glaring scorch mark on Hua Yumo's chest. It struck his heart like a heavy hammer. They understood that, had Gu Chen not shown mercy, that single finger strike would have been fatal. Hua Yumo would probably have perished by now, her life snuffed out like a flower's fragrance.
"Mr. Gu, please show mercy!" The elder stepped forward in awe, a tremor in his voice.
In that finger strike just now, Gu Chen had employed a divine art the elder could not fathom at all. He knew full well that even he probably could not have withstood its power. Gu Chen's true strength far surpassed what he had shown the night before; that had been only the tip of the iceberg, a single hair from nine oxen compared to his profound cultivation!
Hua Yumo was overwhelmed with shame. She struggled, her face turning red, then pale, wishing she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. She had mocked Gu Chen many times, yet had never imagined he would defeat her so easily with a single finger. Had he not shown mercy, she would have died on the spot. How could she still be standing here?
Touching the small hole in her chest, Hua Yumo finally understood that Gu Chen's strength far exceeded her imagination. She no longer dared look down on the young man, and an unprecedented sense of awe rose in her heart.
"I, Hua Yumo, admit defeat!" she said quietly, her voice tinged with unwillingness, but more with resignation and submission. Free-spirited by nature, how could she refuse to concede now? Gu Chen's strength had utterly won her over.
Gu Chen smiled faintly and stood with his hands behind his back, the spiritual power in his body slowly returning to his dantian. His gaze swept over the elder and Hua Yumo, and he asked with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Now, do you believe me?"
"Yes!"
"Mr. Gu, your attainments have reached the pinnacle. How could this old man not believe you?"
The elder spoke with heartfelt respect and conviction, changing the way he referred to himself from "this old man" to the more humble "this old one." He bowed again. "I entrust my injuries to you, Mr. Gu!"
If any of Zhou City's other high-ranking figures had been there, they would surely have been shocked by the sight! The elder was a towering figure whose stomp could shake all of Huaxia, yet he was paying such profound respect to a young man! But at this moment, the elder felt only awe and gratitude, nothing else.
"Do you have a study?" Gu Chen asked calmly, a questioning look in his eyes.
"Yes!" The elder nodded hurriedly and led him into the study. Wang Fu stood guard outside, and neither of them had any further objections.
Inside the study, Gu Chen glanced at the carpet and said, "Sit cross-legged!"
The elder immediately sat cross-legged as instructed, and Gu Chen's proud voice reached him. "The supreme yang cultivation technique you practice is incomparably fierce. You may have been able to control it easily when you were young, but as you age, without a proper method of circulating it, it will inevitably cause a blockage of your qi and blood. Trouble will surely arise within three years. Fortunately, you met me today. I have a way to help you resolve this danger!"
Immediately afterward, a broad palm pressed against his abdomen. The elder felt a fiery heat inside him, and his breathing grew heavy. He knew Gu Chen was stimulating the supreme yang qi within him.
In an instant, he felt a burning pain, as though the heat would devour him whole. But then a cool force circulated through all his meridians, and the heat vanished completely, replaced by a comfort he had never felt before.
When the elder opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that his meridians had actually widened, and his cultivation had advanced another step! He could hardly believe his eyes; the change had come too suddenly, and it was too astonishing.
"This..." The elder froze. He looked at Gu Chen and asked in a trembling voice, "Mr. Gu... is this real?"
"Your meridians were blocked, and your supreme yang qi could not flow smoothly, causing your cultivation to stagnate. I've taken care of that minor problem for you. Your cultivation advancing again is hardly worth mentioning." Gu Chen smiled faintly, his tone full of confidence.
The elder was overjoyed, grateful tears glistening in his eyes. "Mr. Gu, I shall never forget your great kindness for as long as I live!"
Gu Chen frowned slightly, as though he had discovered something amiss. "However, when I entered your meridians, I found that the supreme yang cultivation technique you practice is incomplete."
"What?" The elder was startled. This technique was a treasured possession of Huaxia's Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and could be cultivated all the way to the Grandmaster Realm! Yet Gu Chen said it was incomplete? His heart was full of doubt.
But an even greater shock was still to come. Gu Chen said calmly, "Although I've already cleared your meridians, fate brought us together. Your technique is incomplete; if you let me see the sole surviving copy, I can help you complete it!"
The elder was even more astonished. This young man could not only discern the flaws in his cultivation technique, but also help him complete it? It was simply unbelievable!
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled awkwardly. "I copied this technique. If you're willing to help, Mr. Gu, I can write it down again for you to examine."
After experiencing Gu Chen's methods, the elder regarded him as deeply unfathomable. This young man was impossible to fathom, and he no longer dared harbor even the slightest thought of looking down on him.
"All right, I'll wait to hear from you." Gu Chen smiled, his tone calm and confident. To him, it was merely something he could do in passing, a simple lift of his hand.
The elder, however, grew embarrassed and said hesitantly, "Mr. Gu, you've helped me resolve the problem with my meridians and improved my cultivation. If you need anything in the future, please just say the word."
Gu Chen had intended to say it was a small matter, but on second thought, he suddenly asked, "Are you very rich?"
"Money?" The elder was taken aback, then looked at Gu Chen. "You need money?"
"That's right. My purse is rather empty at the moment, and I need some money to get through this difficult time." Gu Chen spoke frankly, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Hahahaha!" The elder burst out laughing. "Mr. Gu, your request is far too simple!"
With that, he called toward the door, "Wang Fu!"
Hearing him, Wang Fu entered the study and asked respectfully, "Master, what are your orders?"
"How many properties do I own in Zhou City?" the elder asked.
"Sixteen in total, including this estate," Wang Fu replied.
"Transfer all of them except this estate to Mr. Gu's name," the elder said without hesitation. Then he took a card from his pocket and handed it to Gu Chen. "There are forty million on this. Please accept it."
Gu Chen bent at the waist and bowed to the elder, smiling faintly. "Thank you for your generosity, sir."
The elder waved a hand. "You're too polite, Mr. Gu. This is what you deserve. You not only saved my life, but also helped me improve my cultivation."