29: Shi Wanshan's discovery

Gu Changge pointed to the misty valley ahead.

"Do you know why I've been delaying your Breakthrough?"

Xiao Ruobai shook his head, his eyes full of confusion.

"Your War God Body, though seemingly overbearing, actually has an unstable Foundation. You must understand the meaning of the word 'war'."

Gu Changge turned around, his gaze falling on him with a hint of solemnity.

"Though you have reached the Peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, your Cultivation time is still short. The battle Qi within your Physical Body is like unrefined raw iron; it appears hard, but in reality, it harbors hidden brittleness."

The young man's heart trembled—he had thought his Master was preventing his Breakthrough because his Qi and blood were insufficient, but he hadn't expected it to be for this reason.

"Then... what should I do?"

Gu Changge raised his hand and pointed towards the depths of the valley, where the powerful aura of Yao Beasts faintly emanated.

"Go in there and kill Yao Beasts, those at the Core Formation Realm and above. Don't come back until you've killed five hundred of them."

Xiao Ruobai's pupils constricted: "Five... five hundred?"

"Scared?" Gu Changge raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Xiao Ruobai clenched his fists tightly, battle intent igniting in his eyes.

"For this battle, I'll add a bit more difficulty. You are not allowed to use the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd; rely only on your Physical Body and a mortal weapon."

"This Disciple understands!"

He bowed deeply to Gu Changge.

"I will not return to see Master until I have killed five hundred!"

Gu Changge watched the young man's retreating figure as he rushed into the valley, his expression complex.

He waved his hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped the outer perimeter of the valley.

"Let the Ten Thousand Mountains teach you what a true War God is."

Deep within the valley, the roars of Yao Beasts and the crisp clang of weapons soon echoed.

Gu Changge stood in place for a moment, listening, confirming that Xiao Ruobai was already entangled with an Iron-Armored Bear at the Late Stage of the Core Formation Realm.

"Five hundred Core Formation Realm Yao Beasts are just the beginning."

He murmured to himself, a hint of imperceptible sharpness flashing in his eyes.

"The tempering of the War God Body has never been a gentle watering in a greenhouse."

He had barely taken two steps when the Little Black Bird flapped its wings and chased after him, circling above his head, still holding half an unfinished enlightenment tea leaf in its beak.

"Are you really letting him go alone?"

Gu Changge glanced at it, then flicked its head with his finger: "Don't worry, he won't die."

He had already laid out three contingencies—the invisible barrier not only isolated external interference but also automatically triggered protection when Xiao Ruobai encountered mortal danger.

The seemingly random distribution of Yao Beasts in the valley was actually arranged in order from weak to strong.

Even if there were Advanced Yao Beasts among them, the Restriction he left within Xiao Ruobai's Physical Body would protect him if he was outmatched and close to death.

The Little Black Bird tilted its head, then suddenly squawked twice towards the valley, its voice carrying a hint of schadenfreude.

Gu Changge ignored it and returned directly to Zizhu Peak.

Upon reaching the entrance of the bamboo house, he saw Li Xuanfeng sitting cross-legged on a bluestone, Spiritual Qi swirling around him like a vortex, his aura at the Middle Stage of the Purple Mansion Realm already stabilizing.

Shen Jinghong stood before an old bamboo stalk, a faint wisp of Sword Qi condensed on her fingertips, repeatedly cutting into the bamboo.

The Sword Qi seemed gentle, yet it could precisely avoid the bamboo joints, carving dense Sword marks on the smooth bamboo surface—she was clearly using sword practice to hone her state of mind and stabilize her recently Breakthrough Innate Sword Body.

At this moment, deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains, Xiao Ruobai was wielding an ordinary iron saber, locked in combat with the Iron-Armored Bear at the Late Stage of the Core Formation Realm.

The Iron-Armored Bear's paw slammed onto the ground, sending dirt flying and a foul wind rushing towards him.

Xiao Ruobai, relying on the agility of his Shadow Step, weaved through the gaps in the bear's claws, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

The Iron-Armored Bear's Physical Body was inherently powerful, and it was also a full major Realm higher than Xiao Ruobai.

Not being able to use the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd and relying solely on Physical Body strength to contend with such a Yao Beast was much harder than he had imagined.

"Roar!"

Enraged, the Iron-Armored Bear suddenly stood upright, its massive body descending like a small mountain.

Xiao Ruobai's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly stopped dodging, pouring all the battle Qi within him into his right arm.

The iron saber in his hand hummed, faintly glowing with a pale golden luster.

"Fight!"

He let out a low roar and slashed towards the bear's claw.

The moment the blade clashed with the bear's paw, an ear-splitting clang of metal echoed.

Xiao Ruobai felt a surge of numbness in his arm, but he used the recoil to leap up, and the iron saber smoothly sliced across the Iron-Armored Bear's neck—its weakest point of defense.

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed out, and the Iron-Armored Bear let out a tragic wail, its massive body crashing to the ground.

Xiao Ruobai leaned on his saber, panting, and then grinned as he looked at the Yao Beast's corpse at his feet.

In that instant, he clearly felt that the battle Qi within his Physical Body seemed to have become even more refined.

"The first one."

He wiped the blood from his face, his gaze growing even more resolute, and turned to walk deeper into the valley.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the miasma, illuminating the young man's tall figure and the path of tempering paved with Yao Beast bones beneath his feet.

Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong were immersed in Cultivation.

Unbeknownst to them, it was already evening.

The halo of light deep within the bamboo forest gradually faded, and Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong simultaneously ceased their Cultivation, the Spiritual Qi swirling around them receding like a tide.

The sky was already dotted with stars, and the evening breeze carried the scent of bamboo. The two exchanged glances, both seeing reluctance in each other's eyes.

The Spiritual Qi on Zizhu Peak was as rich as thick honey; even an extra quarter of an hour spent there was Cultivation.

"Martial Uncle Gu."

Li Xuanfeng was the first to rise, cupping his hands towards Gu Changge.

"Today, I was so focused on consolidating my Cultivation that I forgot to exchange pointers with Junior Brother Xiao Ruobai. It was truly rude."

He secretly observed Gu Changge's expression, and seeing no anger, he pressed his luck further.

"As an apology, how about Junior Sister and I come again tomorrow? We can bring some newly picked spirit fruits from the main Peak to supplement Junior Brother Xiao Ruobai."

Shen Jinghong also nodded, a rare hint of earnestness on her usually cold face.

"It was this Disciple's oversight. I will definitely come earlier tomorrow to spar with Junior Brother Xiao Ruobai on footwork."

Gu Changge's hand, holding the teacup, paused, and a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes.

These two youngsters, carved from the same mold as Xuan Yangzi, were full of excuses.

"Scram. Come back in half a month. Next time, come after dawn; don't disturb my sleep."

"Yes! Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle!"

The two seemed to have received a great pardon, their bows filled with eagerness, and their steps as they turned were light as if treading on wind.

Just as they stepped out of Zizhu Peak's barrier, Li Xuanfeng suddenly placed a hand on Shen Jinghong's shoulder, and both stopped simultaneously.

The next second, Li Xuanfeng's formidable aura at the Middle Stage of the Purple Mansion Realm "whooshed" back into his Physical Body.

The spiritual light on his fingertips instantly extinguished, firmly suppressing his cultivation back to the Middle Stage of the Core Formation Realm. Even the sway of his robes deliberately slowed, like a deflated balloon.

Shen Jinghong was even more extreme; the brilliant Sword Qi around her instantly retracted into her Meridians, and the spiritual power at the Peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm receded like a tide, returning her to the youthful appearance of the ninth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

Only the clear radiance of her Sword Body Awakening, reflected in her starlit eyes, could not be hidden, like she held a tiny star within.

"Walk faster."

Li Xuanfeng pulled her, rushing towards Qingyun Peak, his voice suppressed to a mosquito's hum.

"Don't let people from other Peaks see us, or they'll all start flocking to Zizhu Peak."

The two hunched their necks and scurried along the wall, looking exactly like two weasels who had stolen a chicken.

At the entrance of the bamboo house, Gu Changge couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, almost spilling his tea.

"These two youngsters have learned Xuan Yangzi's Evil Path tricks completely."

He was about to turn around when the corner of his eye caught sight of a dog hole on the west side of the Peak. A gray-robed old man was squatting at the entrance—it was Shi Wanshan, the Qingyue Peak Master.

Shi Wanshan squinted, his fingers vigorously pulling at the vines, watching Li Xuanfeng and Shen Jinghong's furtive figures, then glancing towards Zizhu Peak, his cloudy eyes suddenly shining like searchlights.

He stroked his chin and mumbled.

"Something's not right... These two kids were at the Late Stage of Core Formation and Body Tempering Ninth Level just a few days ago. How did their auras become so much stronger after just one day?"