Chapter 106: The Leader
Several hours later.
The head of the Asura Mansion, Xiu Binggan, after receiving a transmission from an ancient elder at the Great Achievement stage, seemed to have exhausted his roars and finally quieted down.
As for the matter of Xiu Zhenghu being slain, it was ultimately left unresolved.
No matter how furious Xiu Binggan felt inside, as the head of the Asura Mansion, he soon returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor.
He also understood deeply that if he truly angered that mysterious expert who had severed his disciple’s soul or forcibly taken over his disciple’s soul body, even the mighty Asura Mansion would be nothing more than a morsel to them.
...
At the detached courtyard of the Ethereal Sect, Gu Xiaopang sat cross-legged in his room, sweat beading on his forehead.
There was no other reason—he had simply eaten too much.
At this moment, his soul power had transformed into a small pond over twenty meters in diameter, and yet less than half of that soul energy had been consumed.
Soul-formed Gu Xiaopang stared at the massive soul energy in front of him within his soul sea, a mix of love and hatred welling up.
“No, I have to think of a way,” he muttered.
“Otherwise, how long will I have to keep eating like this?”
“Besides, I really can’t eat anymore,” he added, patting his belly symbolically.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck. Soul-formed Gu Xiaopang sat cross-legged within his soul sea and immediately summoned a nearby vortex of spiritual energy, pulling it toward the huge mass of soul energy.
“That’s it! Crush it!”
Eyes sharp and focused, Gu Xiaopang watched the spiritual energy vortex engulf the large soul energy mass. The not-so-large soul sea was stirred into towering waves several meters high.
The large soul energy mass was like a weathered stone in an endless desert, its surface made rough and pitted by the rapidly spinning vortex.
It was also like a giant iceberg in water, whose melting speed was accelerated countless times by the vortex.
As the spiritual energy vortex swept swiftly, a torrential rain of soul energy suddenly poured over Gu Xiaopang’s soul sea.
Like precious spring rain, the soul-rain soaked the soul-formed Gu Xiaopang, making countless pores on his body open instinctively, allowing him to breathe freely.
Twenty-five meters, twenty-six meters...
Forty-one meters, forty-two meters...
Until his soul power had transformed into a small lake fifty-six meters across, the soul rain finally ceased.
So clever, so accomplished, Gu Xiaopang was elated for only a brief moment before a problem arose—he realized that the spiritual energy vortex he summoned could not be moved out.
After trying for a long time, Gu Xiaopang gave up.
In his own words, he would wait for Old Man Qin to wake and help him look at it.
He comforted himself repeatedly, grateful that no other adverse side effects had occurred.
Only he felt that the once calm soul sea was far better.
Unlike now, where vortices spun endlessly at high speed above the soul sea, stirring up giant waves as if a violent storm would continue without end.
...
Typically, a Golden Core cultivator at full completion has a soul sea about two meters in diameter; even Nascent Soul cultivators rarely reach fifty meters.
But now, Gu Xiaopang had surpassed these limits, pushing the power of his soul sea in one breath to the initial stage of the Transformation God realm.
In other words, from now on, if any Nascent Soul or even early Transformation God cultivators tried to suppress Gu Xiaopang with their high-level pressure, it would be absolutely impossible.
Gu Xiaopang could even impersonate a Transformation God beginner, using his formidable soul power to emit a simulated strong pressure to intimidate other cultivators below the Transformation God level.
Overjoyed, Gu Xiaopang grinned widely, laughing for no less than half an hour.
He delightedly declared to himself, “This is absolutely a great asset. Hmm, I can use it as a surprise trump card for a comeback.”
...
Over the following days, Gu Xiaopang either roamed aimlessly around with Bai Ling’er, buying this and that in bits and pieces;
Or he devoted himself to continuously cultivating the Ten Thousand Dragons Technique, Medicine King Divine Refining, and the Fierce Heaven Technique. With the greatly expanded soul sea, his cultivation progressed with twice the efficiency for half the effort.
Meanwhile, Bai Ling’er, who was already at the foundation-building stage's full completion, successfully broke through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm during this period.
She crossed three tiers: false pill, initial Golden Core, and mid Golden Core.
This was undoubtedly good news.
But according to Bai Ling’er herself, since Gu Xiaopang was her chosen destined one, her breakthrough was entirely drawn along by the momentum of Gu Xiaopang’s comprehensive advancement.
Gu Xiaopang merely smiled faintly without giving much comment.
...
Soon after Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling’er arrived, half a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
The grand competition among disciples of the hundred sects was to be officially held in one day.
A thousand kilometers in front of the Asura Mansion, a vast area covering over ten thousand meters was cleared.
There, under the watchful eyes of all, the Asura Mansion’s head, Xiu Binggan, suddenly flung a fist-sized piece of yellowish metal toward the site, made of some unknown material.
The metal piece grew rapidly in the wind, cracking and creaking as it expanded into a small city-like structure, crashing down onto the cleared grand arena.
“What a grand gesture!”
“If I’m not mistaken, this platform is a spiritual artifact?”
“Yes, it’s definitely a spiritual artifact.”
“I heard long ago that each top sect deploys one or two spiritual artifacts as their main defense. So it’s true.”
“So all the contestants will be competing inside this spiritual artifact city?”
“Seems so.”
“What about those of us who aren’t competing, only watching?”
“With such a huge city, do you really think there won’t be space left for spectators?”
...
Gu Xiaopang witnessed the entire descent of the spiritual artifact city clearly.
Looking at the massive city in the distance, he subconsciously touched the hidden protective arm guard on his left arm.
He silently compared which of the two had greater power.
In truth, Gu Xiaopang knew well that he could not yet unleash the full might of his spiritual artifact, not even thirty percent of its power.
When he reached the Tribulation Crossing stage, or at least the Transformation God realm, the power he could command with his artifact would not be inferior to that of the distant city artifact.
...
That night, in every sect’s detached courtyard where contestants were lodged, pre-competition mobilizations were held.
The Ethereal Sect was no exception.
In the Ethereal Sect’s courtyard hall, besides over a dozen senior members seated, all other disciples stood neatly in two rows at the center.
Gu Xiaopang was naturally among them.
Only Bai Ling’er clung tightly to Gu Xiaopang’s side, seeming to have become, for the moment, like a disciple of the Ethereal Sect.
All the other disciples, especially the male ones, though not seeing Bai Ling’er for the first time, were still captivated by her breathtaking beauty.
Even the few female disciples who usually prided themselves on their own fairy-like looks now looked away in embarrassment.
“Ahem!”
The sect leader, Nangong Kang, glanced at the indifferent Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling’er, then at the distracted contestants, and coughed awkwardly, as if his face had lost all color, snapping everyone’s attention back.
Other senior members, including the three Grand Elders, seemed to be suppressing laughter, while Elder Mu maintained a blank expression but inwardly sneered.
...
“I believe everyone has heard of Gu Xiaopang’s combat strength, so he will lead our Ethereal Sect’s team.”
“Of course, if anyone believes they can defeat Gu Xiaopang, they may challenge him now.”
After explaining various details, Nangong Kang handed the leadership responsibility to Gu Xiaopang.
Though he joked about allowing others to challenge Gu Xiaopang, to the surprise of all senior members, someone actually stepped forward recklessly.
“Sect Leader, disciple Zhao Xianyun, peak early Golden Core stage, wishes to challenge junior brother Gu.”
“Approved.”
Nangong Kang hesitated a moment, then consented to the challenge.
As the top disciple at the inner sect competition, Zhao Xianyun was about to break into the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, naturally proud of himself.
“Junior brother Gu, your response?”
“If senior brother wishes to test my skills, how can I refuse?”
“No need for much trouble; let’s just spar simply here in this hall.”
Gu Xiaopang’s casual tone showed no nervousness, which somewhat displeased Zhao Xianyun, though he did not show it.
Other contestants voluntarily moved to the edges, leaving a modestly sized space for the two.
All disciples, already aware of Gu Xiaopang’s formidable strength, widened their eyes, eager to witness the battle between the former inner and outer sect’s number one disciples.
“Junior brother Gu, please begin. I’ll give you three moves.”
“Three moves?”
Not only Gu Xiaopang was stunned, but the senior members were also dumbfounded—was Zhao Xianyun overconfident or just reckless?
“Very well, then, I’ll take offense.”
With that, an invisible spiritual energy needle swiftly stabbed lightly at Zhao Xianyun’s head.
Everyone saw Gu Xiaopang casually stroll up to Zhao Xianyun and lightly slash behind his neck.
Zhao Xianyun, at the peak early Golden Core stage, collapsed instantly, fainting.
“Ah?”
“What happened?”
“Why did senior brother Zhao—?”
...
The disciples, eagerly anticipating an epic battle, were instead presented with this bizarre, inexplicable scene.
All were utterly shocked, mouths agape, whispering and debating.
The senior members shared a knowing glance and sighed inwardly, as expected.
Because Gu Xiaopang’s control over his strike’s force was exquisitely precise, Zhao Xianyun soon regained consciousness, though his eyes remained filled with confusion.
“Ahem.”
“Gu Xiaopang wins!”
“Any more challengers? If not, Gu Xiaopang will be the team leader!”
The sect leader asked formally again, but no one dared challenge further.
After all, if the strongest disciple, Zhao Xianyun, was defeated so inexplicably, no one else dared to show themselves.
“Thank you, junior brother Gu! No, senior brother Gu!”
“You’re too polite.”
“We’re family; no need for such formalities.”
Though he did not know how Gu Xiaopang had done it, the needle-like pain in his mind convinced Zhao Xianyun that if Gu Xiaopang wished to kill him, he wouldn’t even have to lift a finger.
...