Chapter Sixty-Five: Testing the Waters

“Changqing, my dear nephew, this is Uncle Cang. Come quickly to the top of the county governor’s tower.”

Just as Gu Xiaopang, elated from perfecting his new move, was heading out to greet his friends at the door, the voice of Cang Aotian suddenly echoed in his mind, transmitted through divine sense. Startled, Gu Xiaopang instinctively glanced toward the distant, tower-shaped pavilion.

“You all go about your business. I have something to attend to.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than Gu Xiaopang casually summoned two dragons of spiritual energy, one green, one red. Accompanied by thunderous dragon roars, they surged toward the tower, and—what only those at the Golden Core stage and above could achieve—Gu Xiaopang soared through the air, each footfall stepping upon the dragons as they alternated beneath him, his stride as if walking upon air itself.

“How magnificent!”
“So impressive!”
“I want to soar on dragons, too!”

His friends in the courtyard watched with envy, while countless cultivators and mortals within a thousand meters, drawn by the clamor of the dragons, looked on in astonishment.

“That rascal!”
“Couldn’t he arrive quietly, like a normal person, from the base of the tower?” Governor Song Wuji of Nanyan County cursed with a laugh, while Cang Aotian merely pressed a hand to his forehead in resignation.

Just as Gu Xiaopang, ascending as though climbing a heavenly stair, was about to reach the tower’s summit, a ripple shuddered through the void. From the emptiness, a shadowy elder abruptly appeared and launched an attack!

“Damn you!”

Cursing loudly, Gu Xiaopang hastily unleashed several more fire dragons, crashing them straight at his assailant. In the instant the shadowy elder was hindered, Gu Xiaopang—rhino horn in both hands—leapt atop a dragon and struck directly for the old man's chest. At the same time, several fire dragons coiled around him, exploding upon contact with the elder, while his spinning Meteorite Five-Spirit Bracelet struck with full force.

After a relentless series of exchanges, Gu Xiaopang was suddenly hit squarely in the chest by a hand—swift as lightning, appearing out of thin air. He was sent flying several meters through the sky but was caught just in time by the green dragon shifting course beneath him. Had he fallen dozens of meters to the ground, he might not have been gravely injured, but the pain would have been unbearable.

After taking several forced blows and sending Gu Xiaopang flying, the shadowy elder flashed with the ripples of the void and retreated, returning to his hidden state atop the tower.

“How did it go?”
“I used fifty percent of my strength.”
“Excellent! With half your strength, killing a late-stage Golden Core cultivator would be easy. Yet this boy, in mid-air where he’s not even skilled, managed to counterattack first—after taking your full-force strike, he merely rubbed his chest and looks as lively as ever...”
“Splendid! Truly impressive!”

“Old man, come out and fight me again!”
“The night that old scoundrel Xuanyuan ransomed his men, you were the one sneaking about in the shadows, weren’t you?”

“Changqing! Mind your manners!”

“It’s alright! Who among us hasn’t been young and reckless?”
“Wuying, it seems your mastery of spatial arts is still lacking, to have been discovered by such a little thing. Ha ha ha!”
“I am ashamed.”
“Don’t blame yourself. Even among Nascent Soul cultivators, few could detect you when you conceal yourself. This boy... well, he’s an exception.”
“Yes.”

“Greetings, Lord Governor!”
“Uncle Cang!”

Gu Xiaopang, having reached the top of the tower, bowed with fists clasped in salute, his eyes darting around until they quickly locked onto a spot in the void.