Chapter 348: Chapter 347: Seeking Revenge at Wuya Ridge
Everyone across the country had a pleasant New Year’s holiday.
No one paid any mind to the bizarre sandstorm from the northern neighbor. Instead, everyone used enough gunpowder for a medium-scale war to set off firecrackers, and even that wasn’t enough to scratch the itch.
Gu Zhao went with his parents back to Shu Province to celebrate the New Year with his maternal grandparents. Afterward, he returned to Yandu, where he accompanied Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi to watch the national flag-raising ceremony and stroll through Wangfujing.
...
Cuiluo Mountain, Daluo Palace.
After Gu Zhao brought Taoist Qingyuan across to the Otherworld for his shift, he immediately sensed a fluctuation of Magical Power nearby.
"What’s going on?" Gu Zhao asked, turning his head.
"Huang Yuan and He Feng are sparring," Taoist Yan Song said with a smile, preparing to head back and rest. "Just three days after you left, He Feng also had a Realm Breakthrough."
Earth Badger of Di He Feng. A year ago, he had escaped from an Ink Flood Dragon in Guangling County with several young children and was invited by Taoist Yan Song to join Daluo Palace. Now, he too had achieved a breakthrough.
With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Gu Zhao "saw" the scene of their fight.
They were in the mountains behind Cuiluo Mountain. Huang Yuan held a pair of daggers, while He Feng wielded a steel saber. Both were melee weapons forged from modern specialty steel, far surpassing the weapons of this world in both sharpness and resilience.
This world’s advantage lay in its abundant Spiritual Qi and various materials that contained it, which could be used to forge powerful Magical Treasures. However, when it came to simple melee weapons, unless they were made from special Spiritual Materials, those forged from modern steel were actually superior.
Take Huang Yuan and He Feng, for example. They didn’t particularly like using Magical Treasures, preferring instead to channel their Magical Power for close-quarters combat.
Huang Yuan’s Body Technique was agile and graceful, while He Feng’s Saber Technique was all-encompassing and powerful. The two were locked in a fierce battle in the rear mountains, as many Daluo Palace disciples and Guardian Star Officials watched from the sidelines, their faces lit up with excitement.
TING! TING! TING!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The daggers and the long saber clashed, and even with the protection of Magical Power, the blows sent sparks flying and rang out loudly.
But the material was worthy of its name as top-tier modern specialty steel. Even under such ferocious attacks, the blades didn’t have the slightest nick, a testament to their resilience.
Sensing the arrival of Gu Zhao’s Divine Sense, Huang Yuan and He Feng stopped fighting in a tacit understanding.
"Sect Leader!" The two turned to see Gu Zhao take a single step from within Daluo Palace, and as if using Shrinking Inches, he suddenly appeared before them.
"Greetings, Sect Leader!" everyone around them chorused, bowing in unison.
Gu Zhao nodded and looked at He Feng. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Sect Leader and Elders!" He Feng grinned broadly. He felt a sense of Heart and Mind Penetration, as if his entire being had been elevated.
"That’s because you had the potential to begin with," Gu Zhao said with a laugh.
Taoist Skills weren’t a panacea. Not just anyone could walk the direct path to the Celestial Immortal Dao. Even with guidance and explanations, someone with insufficient aptitude wouldn’t even be able to comprehend the teachings, let alone practice Cultivation.
There were plenty of disciples in Daluo Palace who couldn’t cultivate True Qi. Even for those who could, their cultivation speed was often painfully slow. By the end of their lives, they would only have accumulated two or three hundred years of Dao Practice, with no hope of achieving longevity.
He Feng, however, had sufficient innate talent and a deep foundation. That was why he was able to tap into his potential and draw upon his past experience after switching his practice to Daoist Techniques, allowing him to achieve a Realm Breakthrough and extend his lifespan.
After the crowd dispersed, just as Gu Zhao was about to send Taoist Yan Song back to the modern world, He Feng approached him alone.
"Sect Leader, I’d like to take a trip down the mountain."
The atmosphere in Daluo Palace was friendly, and everyone knew what Gu Zhao was like, so He Feng had no reservations. He stated his purpose directly, "I want to find an old rival of mine and get my revenge."
Gu Zhao turned to him. "You’ve found your rival?"
He Feng couldn’t help but smile. "I’ve always known where he is."
Gu Zhao understood. "You have to take revenge with your own hands, is that it?"
He Feng’s bond with those young children in Guangling County had formed back when he was gravely injured. He had reverted to his true form and hidden in Guangling County, where the children had saved him.
When He Feng first joined Daluo Palace, Taoist Yan Song had asked how he had been injured and by whom, but He Feng had been evasive, so no one pressed the matter further.
’So He Feng is a man of principle,’ Gu Zhao thought. ’He takes his own revenge.’
"Are you sure you can beat this rival now?" Gu Zhao asked.
He Feng was by no means weak. Back then, he already had over four hundred years of Dao Practice. Excluding Sect Leaders and reclusive masters, he was considered top-tier among ordinary Cultivators with less than five hundred years of Dao Practice.
The person who had beaten him so badly that he reverted to his true form, gravely injured and near death, forcing him to hide in Guangling County, was clearly no ordinary figure.
"Back then, he hadn’t yet broken through, but he was only a step away from five hundred years of Dao Practice," He Feng said. "He might still be stuck there, or he could have had a Realm Breakthrough since."
"But regardless of whether he’s had a breakthrough, he’s no match for me now," He Feng said in a low voice.
’I practice Taoist Skills. My combat prowess is a cut above that of other experts at my level. How could I possibly lose to my old rival?’
"Alright, go ahead." Gu Zhao didn’t object. He only asked, "How evil is this rival of yours?"
"He’s a lone wolf in Wuya Ridge who preys on travelers when he’s bored," He Feng replied.
Gu Zhao understood. He said to He Feng, "Take two Elders with you for support."
’Every little bit counts, and it would be a waste to pass up on some readily available Evil Qi,’ Gu Zhao thought. "Taoist Qingwei and Taoist Yuan He are currently active in Bai Shi Prefecture. Meet up with them when you arrive and take them with you."
"Yes, sir!" He Feng did not object.
Huang Yuan, who was just behind He Feng, overheard their conversation and felt a bit restless himself. "Wuya Ridge is deep in the mountains and ancient forests. That old wolf might have friends. I’ll go along too."
Huang Yuan looked at He Feng. "I’ll just provide backup. I won’t interfere with your revenge."
He Feng and Huang Yuan were on great terms, so he readily agreed. "Alright!"
A moment later, the two of them transformed into streaks of yellow and black light, shooting straight to the south and disappearing over the distant horizon.
After watching them leave, Gu Zhao sent Taoist Yan Song back to Yangcheng. He was then met by the Silk Embroideress and Bai Ke, who had heard of his return and come to find him. Together, they all returned to Zhuo Qingyan’s courtyard.
...
Early the next morning, as Gu Zhao was in the middle of his Cultivation, the voice of Taoist Qingwei suddenly echoed in his Sea of Consciousness. "Sect Leader! That old wolf has a powerful friend with him! We’re no match for that expert!"
"Senior Brother Yan Ling will be here soon, but we’re worried he won’t be able to handle that person either!" Taoist Yuan He transmitted at the same time.
"Hm?" Gu Zhao opened his eyes.
’On this mission, aside from Huang Yuan and He Feng, Taoist Qingwei and Taoist Yuan He had also gone,’ Gu Zhao mused. ’Although those two haven’t had a Realm Breakthrough, their combat prowess is not the least bit inferior.’
’With the four of them working together, they should be safe from anyone without at least a thousand years of Dao Practice. That’s why I wasn’t worried.’
’I didn’t expect them to run into such a person so soon.’
"Hold on! I’m on my way!"
With a single movement, Gu Zhao was out of the courtyard, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the southern sky.
The distance from Changping Prefecture to Wuya Ridge was considerable, but fortunately, Gu Zhao’s Cultivation was now high enough. He made no effort to conceal his presence, flying through the sky while continuously using Shrinking Inches. He quickly crossed Bai Shi Prefecture and arrived at Wuya Ridge.
From a distance, he saw Taoist Yan Ling with the Seven-Colored Jade Ruyi hovering above his head, locked in a fierce battle with a Banner that continuously shot out beams of red light.
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