Chapter 66: Gu Qing Yi’s Grand Strike
Chen Yan’s heart sank the moment he saw the scene before him.
He recognized this place—Wild Lake, nestled within the embrace of Purple Gold Mountain. In the summer, locals often flocked here to cool off, despite the many warnings from the Imperial Authority. The lake’s currents were treacherous, swallowing the unwary year after year. Yet, reckless fools still sought its embrace.
The lake itself was no vast expanse, merely a few acres across. Yet, the land surrounding it lay open and exposed. If Chen Yan wished to bypass the water and re-enter the mountain forest, he would need to traverse several hundred meters of open ground.
He pushed his feet harder against the earth, sprinting along the lake’s edge. Behind him, a bestial roar shook the night. The creature had emerged from the shadows of the forest.
One glance told him the beast still lagged by about a hundred meters. He gritted his teeth, fixated on reaching the trees ahead—once within, he could employ his previous tactics and shake off his pursuer.
But then—
The lake erupted. With a thunderous splash, something burst from the water, hurtling through the air before landing squarely in the direction of the trees.
Chen Yan’s breath caught in his throat.
Standing before him was another monster.
Its visage bore a striking resemblance to the one behind him—seven or eight parts alike—but its sheer size dwarfed its kin. The first creature had been roughly man-sized. This one? It was an O’Neal, towering over him with an oppressive, unnatural bulk.
Damn it!
Darkness momentarily clouded his vision as he cursed his ill fate.
He had used a Misfortune-to-Fortune Talisman—shouldn’t that have brought him some luck?!
The towering monstrosity before him let loose a guttural roar, revealing a maw brimming with jagged, twisted fangs. One bite from such a maw promised nothing but agony and death.
Behind him, the first creature slowed, releasing a series of guttural growls. The larger one raised its hideous head, its contorted, nightmarish features peeking from beneath its wild tangle of hair.
Then—it howled at its smaller kin.
Chen Yan’s mind raced.
They were communicating.
Taking a slow breath, he lowered the unconscious girl he had been carrying to the ground.
[Apologies… I meant to save you, but now—]
His decision had been simple. Carrying her had not hindered his ability to use the Escape Formula or Lightness Talisman, so he had done so. But now?
Now, it would get him killed.
In moments, the two monsters would converge upon him. Whether he fought or fled, the girl was no longer his concern.
He swiftly cataloged the techniques at his disposal:
Six Yang Righteous Qi Talisman—proven effective, but he had exhausted them.
Fate Severing Technique—useless here.
Misfortune-to-Fortune Talisman—clearly ineffective.
Command of Evasion—useful for dodging or retreat.
Command of Stillness—somewhat helpful.
Command of Destruction—no use; these creatures relied on sheer physical might.
Beyond that—nothing of note.
A realization struck him. It was only in the fires of battle that one saw the cracks in their armor.
A month of cultivation had left him with an arsenal of spells. Yet, standing on the precipice of death, he saw the glaring flaw in his training—
He lacked a decisive killing technique.
But he was not one to crumble in adversity.
Chen Yan had always possessed a rare trait: the greater the crisis, the calmer his mind became. Where others faltered, he sharpened his focus. His fear, though real, did not cloud his judgment.
His trembling hands steadied. His thoughts cleared.
With his fingers, he grasped the talisman given to him by Gu Qing Yi. A whisper of Primordial Qi ran along his fingertips, igniting the paper in a golden blaze.
[Gu Xiao Niang… if you don’t show up soon, my bones will be left to bleach in this place!]
·
The towering beast barked a command. Its smaller kin obeyed, skulking to the side, its head lowered in submission.
Then, the monstrous brute extended its clawed hands and advanced upon Chen Yan.
His gaze sharpened. His breath steadied.
Command of Evasion!
His Primordial Qi flared to its peak as he lunged forward—straight at the beast.
A ten-meter dash!
The creature’s head snapped up, its eyes widening in surprise. With a roar, it spread its arms wide, talons bared.
At that instant—
Chen Yan was upon it. Mid-leap, he bellowed:
“Command of Stillness!”
The beast froze.
Its claws, poised for the kill, remained motionless in the air.
Chen Yan landed beside it, gasping for breath. Without hesitation, he activated the Escape Formula again, dashing toward the forest beyond the monster.
He had done it!
A triumphant grin flickered across his face.
The trees were within reach. Just a few more steps—
A sharp gust of wind.
His instincts screamed. He dove to the side, rolling across the dirt just as a massive stone smashed into the ground where he had been running.
Heart pounding, he looked up.
The smaller creature stood near the lake, hefting yet another stone in its gnarled fingers.
[What the hell?! Since when did they use ranged attacks?!]
He scrambled to his feet, but before he could react—
The massive beast shook violently. The Command of Stillness had worn off.
With an earth-shaking roar, it leaped, its fists raised high—
Chen Yan cursed.
And then—a golden streak of light descended from the heavens.
Like a meteor crashing through the night, it struck the beast in mid-air. The force sent it careening sideways, where it crashed into the lake, vanishing beneath the waves with a mighty splash.
Chen Yan’s eyes widened.
Standing beside him now—her robes fluttering in the night wind, eyes gleaming with an amused glint—was Gu Qing Yi.
She glanced down at him.
“Not bad,” she remarked. “Think you can stand?”
“…” Chen Yan spat out a mouthful of dirt as he pushed himself up. “Tell me you weren’t just watching and waiting for me to nearly die.”
Gu Qing Yi’s lips curled into a smirk. “You guessed right. How else were you supposed to gain experience?”
Chen Yan rolled his eyes.
“Gu Xiao Niang, don’t push me into cursing you! To rebuke one’s mother goes against the Dao of filial piety!”
Chen Yan could already sense the silent mockery in Gu Qing Yi’s gaze. She merely let out a faint, chilly laugh before stepping toward the lake.
The small fiend bared its fangs and roared, yet it trembled, its body suffused with fear.
Gu Qing Yi’s petite frame advanced slowly, but with every step she took forward, the fiend retreated.
After several steps, the creature suddenly let out a shrill cry and turned to flee.
Gu Qing Yi’s eyelids drooped slightly. She stopped, lifting her right hand—forming a fist—then slowly extended just a single finger.
Her voice, crisp and cold, carried only one word:
“Wu…”
The moment the syllable left her lips, a tremendous surge of yuan qi erupted!
Her voice, steady and unwavering, continued:
“… Xiang…”
“… Po…”
“… Jie…”
The fiend had almost reached the treeline. Just a single step more, and it would vanish into the dark embrace of the forest.
Gu Qing Yi’s last syllable rang out like a blade descending from the heavens:
“… Zhan!”
Chen Yan watched in astonishment as the fleeing fiend’s body convulsed.
No golden light, no dazzling spectacle—just silence. And yet, the fiend’s body twisted violently before breaking apart into countless fragments, dissolving into the swirling black mist that engulfed its remains. Within moments, all that remained was a cloud of dissipating ash.
Chen Yan’s eyes glowed with awe.
[Holy crap. That move…]
[That was way too cool!]
—
“What was that move just now? Wu Xiang Po… something?”
Gu Qing Yi, arms folded behind her, gazed at him impassively. “Wu Xiang Po Jie Zhan.”
She paused before explaining, “It locks onto an enemy’s qi, then calls upon one’s cultivation to channel the yuan qi of heaven and earth to execute the strike.”
Chen Yan’s heart pounded with excitement.
Gu Qing Yi continued at a leisurely pace, “This technique can be used on a single target or against multiple foes.”
[Multiple foes?]
An image formed in Chen Yan’s mind—a vast battlefield, armies stretching endlessly to the horizon. Above them, Gu Qing Yi stood atop the city walls, extending a single finger, her expression as calm as the wind.
With one execution of Wu Xiang Po Jie Zhan… thousands of soldiers turned to dust.
“Is this your ultimate move?” he asked.
“Mm, something like that.” She nodded.
Chen Yan frowned. “With your cultivation level, you didn’t need to use an ultimate move on such a weak creature, did you?”
Gu Qing Yi squinted at him. “I did it on purpose—for you to see. Lately, your attitude toward me has become increasingly disrespectful. It was necessary to remind you of the difference in our strength.”
Chen Yan tugged at the corner of his mouth but let it go. Instead, he asked, “And what about the one in the lake? Is it still alive?”
Gu Qing Yi let out a soft snort and tilted her head toward the water.
Chen Yan followed her gaze. The surface of the lake had only now begun to calm, and a massive, grotesque body slowly floated upward, riddled with gaping wounds from which wisps of black mist seeped.
“That one is still breathing. I’ll leave it for you to kill,” Gu Qing Yi said, watching him intently.
Chen Yan raised an eyebrow.
[Me?]
He wasn’t afraid. But…
He lacked a proper method for slaying creatures like these.
Gu Qing Yi circled behind him, placing a small, cool hand on his right shoulder.
“I will now pass on to you a simple offensive technique—one that also utilizes yuan qi. Pay close attention.”
As her words fell, Chen Yan felt a surge of yuan qi flow into his body.
The energy was warm and abundant, circulating from his right shoulder, traveling along a precise path, and finally gathering at his fingertips.
“This technique is called Sword Finger—condensing yuan qi at a single point to pierce your opponent. The power of the strike depends entirely on your mastery of yuan qi.”
With that, she withdrew her hand, stepping back to observe.
Chen Yan closed his eyes briefly, replaying the yuan qi flow in his mind.
Then, he raised his right hand, extending both his index and middle fingers, forming a sword seal, and pointed toward the lake.
A few seconds later—
A silent burst of yuan qi shot forward!
The energy spearheaded through the floating behemoth, piercing it clean through!
The beast shuddered violently before its form collapsed, unraveling into an expanding cloud of dark mist. As it dispersed into the lake, its entire body melted away, vanishing into nothingness.
Gu Qing Yi remained behind him, her expression shifting slightly.
[He…]
[He learned it in an instant?!]
[Just as expected… he truly is his father’s son.]
—
Chen Yan turned back, beaming. “How was that? Did I do it right?”
Gu Qing Yi’s face stiffened slightly. She averted her gaze, muttering, “It was… adequate.”
Chen Yan, oblivious to her change in demeanor, pondered aloud, “Before we arrived, you mentioned that these fiends emit yin sha qi when slain. That could aid my cultivation, right?”
“Mm.”
Gu Qing Yi composed herself, casting aside her stray thoughts. Reaching into the folds of her robes, she retrieved an object from around her neck.
Chen Yan’s eyes widened—it was a small jade gourd, no larger than a thumb.
This was something she had carried on her person all this time, yet this was his first time seeing it.
Gu Qing Yi held the gourd high, and instantly, the lingering black mist in the air was drawn inside, vanishing into the artifact.
She glanced at Chen Yan, her gaze holding an unfamiliar emotion. “When we return, I’ll teach you how to refine yin sha qi to temper your yuan shen.”
After ensuring the unconscious girl nearby was still deep in slumber, she leaned down and blew a gentle breath across the girl’s face.
“Huh? What did you just—”
“A minor soul-bewitching spell. I did it to keep her from causing trouble for you. She will wake on her own in a few minutes. Now, let’s head home.”
Before Chen Yan could react, something cold and smooth was pressed into his palm.
His face paled. “Wait a sec—”
A violent gust of wind roared through the night, carrying his anguished cry as Gu Qing Yi took off at breakneck speed, dragging him along.
—
The lake fell silent, the surrounding forest still as if holding its breath.
A slow, measured footstep pressed against the grass.
An old man stood there, clad in a plain training robe, unbothered by the chill of the night.
He gazed into the distance, then turned his eyes toward the lake.
With a sigh, he muttered, “Young people… always so impatient. It always falls to us elders to clean up after them.”
Then, he let out a low chuckle, extending a single finger toward the water.
“Come out. I know you’re still hiding.”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation