Translator: AnubisTL
"The total value of your outfit barely exceeds a hundred thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. You really aren't doing well," Sima Juncong remarked as he circled Chu Youhuan, scrutinizing her attire with a critical eye.
He wasn't particularly tall, standing only up to Chu Youhuan's earlobe. Sensing this disparity, he shot a glance at the cultivator holding up his carpet. The cultivator quickly understood and, exchanging a look with his counterpart, raised the carpet higher until Sima Juncong's eyes were level with Chu Youhuan's forehead, giving him a superior vantage point.
"Despite your royal lineage from the Chu Kingdom, you don't even possess a single Top-grade Spirit Artifact. Your poverty is truly eye-opening," Sima Juncong sneered, his gaze lingering on a silver broadsword hanging from a nearby vine.
Ignoring Chu Youhuan's silence, Sima Juncong strolled around the Spirit Purification and Qi Locking Formation with an air of arrogance. "This array formation is decent, clearly crafted with care, but it's only a Medium-grade Spirit Formation. It's passable, but if it were a Top-grade Spirit Formation, that would be something!"
As he continued his critique, Gu Feng rolled his eyes. The materials and craftsmanship required for a Medium-grade Spirit Formation cost no less than a hundred million Low-grade Spirit Stones. Upgrading it to a Top-grade Spirit Formation would multiply that cost several times over. The audacity to consider a Top-grade Spirit Formation merely adequate was staggering.
"Who is this guy? Does his family own a mine?" Gu Feng whispered into Chu Youhuan's ear.
Before Chu Youhuan could respond, Sima Juncong appeared before Gu Feng in an instant, grinning widely. "That's right, my family does own a mine!"
Gu Feng looked at Chu Youhuan in astonishment, who nodded in confirmation. "His maternal family possesses a Medium-grade Spirit Vein, the largest in the Chu Kingdom, yielding approximately five billion Mid-grade Spirit Stones annually."
Gu Feng was dumbfounded. Five billion Mid-grade Spirit Stones equated to five hundred billion Low-grade Spirit Stones. That amount could fund his cultivation from the initial stages of the Innate Realm to its peak fifty times over.
Sima Juncong reveled in Gu Feng's shock. "You country bumpkin, it's just five billion Mid-grade Spirit Stones. What's there to be amazed about? Judging by your attire, which can't be worth more than five thousand Spirit Stones, you can't possibly be the leader of this place—Gu Feng."
"Actually, I am Gu Feng," Gu Feng retorted, realizing Sima Juncong was deliberately belittling him.
"Oh, so you're Gu Feng!" Sima Juncong exclaimed dramatically. "What a poor wretch."
"Can money buy everything?" Gu Feng asked softly.
"Of course! With money, I can have anything I want," Sima Juncong declared, puffing out his chest.
"Then why don't you buy yourself some height? Talking to you while looking down is giving me a neck ache!"
The room erupted in silent laughter.
"You..." Sima Juncong's face turned red with anger as he berated the carpet-bearers. "Are you blind?"
The cultivators exchanged a resigned look and raised the carpet even higher until Sima Juncong's chin was level with the top of Gu Feng's head.
Seeing this, Gu Feng stepped on the vines beside him and once again overtook Sima Juncong.
Not willing to fall behind, Sima Juncong repeatedly signaled the cultivators carrying the carpet to increase their altitude.
The two went back and forth, eventually rising directly above the crowd.
"Fly for me!" With a loud shout from Sima Juncong, the two cultivators levitated in the air, completely surpassing Gu Feng.
"Senior Sister Chu, lift my legs so I can surpass him. The two beside him aren't as strong as you, so it should work!" Gu Feng also shouted, making a gesture as if he was about to jump onto Chu Youhuan's shoulders.
"Two idiots!" Chu Youhuan's eyelids twitched as she muttered under her breath.
Watching Sima Juncong being carried and levitated by two Innate Realm cultivators, everyone was utterly speechless.
Seeing that Gu Feng had no chance of overtaking him again, Sima Juncong grinned, feeling quite pleased with himself.
"Shu Yuheng mentioned that you had a conflict with him at the Sunset Glow Sect?"
"Did Shu Yuheng send you here?" Gu Feng's heart stirred as he asked.
"What kind of person is he to command me!" Sima Juncong angrily retorted.
"He's my subordinate. Since he sent me a message, as his boss, I had to come and see for myself."
"Who exactly is he?" Hearing that the other party was Shu Yuheng's boss, Gu Feng couldn't help but ask Chu Youhuan again.
"The only son of the Northern Frontier Marshal. Ten years ago, like us, he was expelled from the capital. He didn't join any sect but went straight into the military!" Chu Youhuan whispered.
"He's probably here to cause trouble for me, and he might target you!"
Gu Feng looked puzzled: "If he's here to cause trouble for you, why would he target me?"
"Because... because he can't beat me!" Chu Youhuan glanced deeply at Gu Feng before turning her head away.
"Gu Feng, I heard you're quite arrogant, daring to challenge my subordinate Shu Yuheng?"
It's starting!
Originally, Gu Feng didn't believe it, but hearing Sima Juncong's question, he immediately understood that Chu Youhuan was right—this guy was indeed here to cause trouble for him.
"Just average," Gu Feng shrugged in response.
"You really are arrogant. Today, I came here to gauge your strength and see if you're worthy of challenging him!"
"Usually, it's the subordinates who gauge the strength of their boss's opponents. Why is it the other way around with you?"
Gu Feng chuckled, leaving Sima Juncong momentarily speechless.
He just wanted to find an excuse to teach Gu Feng a lesson, but instead, he found himself being verbally cornered.
"You insulted me, belittled my height. I challenge you to a duel!"
"No way. You brought so many Innate Realm cultivators with you. Do you think I'm stupid? If you lose, they might gang up on me, and I'd be at a disadvantage," Gu Feng shook his head like a rattle drum.
"Hahaha, if I, Sima Juncong, wanted to bully you with numbers, I would have done so from the start. Don't worry, no matter the outcome, no one will intervene," Sima Juncong laughed heartily, feeling somewhat dismissive of Gu Feng. This guy must be scared, looking for excuses to avoid the fight.
"Still not fighting. You're so much stronger than me. Fighting you would just be asking for a beating!" Gu Feng glanced at Sima Juncong and continued shaking his head.
"Do you have any backbone? Is it my fault that I'm stronger? To be honest, this is the result of me barely cultivating. If I trained hard, you'd be utterly hopeless!" Sima Juncong boasted with pride.
"How about this? I'll let you have a few moves first. In a battle between experts, a few moves can sometimes decide the outcome. Maybe if you unleash your full power from the start, you could instantly defeat me?" Seeing that Gu Feng remained unmoved, Sima Juncong lowered his demands further, trying to entice him.
"I won't use any Spirit Artifacts; I'll fight you bare-handed. If I lose, consider it a lesson for you. But if I win, I'll give you a Top-grade Spirit Artifact."
"A Top-grade Spirit Artifact? That's a great treasure. But you said 'if,' which means my chances of winning are slim. Forget it!" Gu Feng's eyes lit up briefly but quickly dimmed again.
His stubborn attitude left Sima Juncong both frustrated and annoyed.
"I said 'if,' but if you think about it carefully, your chances of winning are actually quite high..."
Listening to their back-and-forth, Chu Youhuan, who was well aware of Gu Feng's combat prowess, twitched her lips. This kid was clearly trying to trick someone again.
After some more banter, they finally agreed: Sima Juncong would suppress his cultivation to the fifth level of the Postnatal Realm, wouldn't use any Spirit Artifacts, and would let Gu Feng make the first ten moves. If Gu Feng won, he would take three Top-grade Spirit Artifacts.
"Hahaha, this kid finally took the bait. Watch me beat him until even his parents won't recognize him!" Sima Juncong laughed inwardly, though his face showed a bitter expression as he muttered, "So many restrictions. I feel like I'm going to lose."
"Gu Feng, take it easy. He's the son of the Northern Frontier Marshal. Try not to win outright; a draw will be enough to send him on his way!" Chu Youhuan whispered in Gu Feng's ear.
If Gu Feng were to injure Sima Juncong, the wrath of Grand Marshal Sima would be something they couldn't bear.
"I understand!" Gu Feng nodded with a smile.
Sima Juncong stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a master. "Make your move. I said I'd let you have ten moves, so take them!"
"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
"Hah—"
Gu Feng let out a roar, and a surge of violent Spiritual Power rushed toward Sima Juncong.
"Bang—"
"Thud—"
Muscle collided with muscle as Sima Juncong accurately blocked every one of Gu Feng's punches.
"Too weak, you're not up to it!"
"Eight moves... nine moves—"
"Damn it, you're sneaking in attacks!"
On the tenth move, Gu Feng used a previous attack pattern, landing a punch directly on Sima Juncong's face. Two streams of blood immediately flowed from his nose.
Gu Feng was testing the other's limits, but to his surprise, Sima Juncong only showed anger, not killing intent.
"Haaah, 'Ten moves are over, now it's my turn to counterattack!'"
The two exchanged blows, evenly matched, and soon over two hundred moves had passed.
"Stop! You cheated! You used power beyond the fifth level of the Postnatal Realm!" Gu Feng withdrew his attack and shouted.
"I didn't! Everyone saw it; I only used the power of the fifth level of the Postnatal Realm!"
Sima Juncong felt wronged and jumped up in protest.
"Is that so? Let me see!"
"Go ahead and look!"
Gu Feng walked over to Sima Juncong, circled him once, and then, catching him off guard, grabbed him from behind and shoved him into a swamp!
A bewildered Sima Juncong became even more confused. By the time he realized what had happened, his body was already submerged in the swamp, with only his legs flailing above the surface.
"Young... Young Master!!!"
The Innate Realm cultivator Sima Juncong had brought with him shouted in panic.
"I concede on behalf of the Young Master!"
"Fine!"
Gu Feng laughed heartily as he pulled Sima Juncong out of the swamp. The latter was covered from head to toe in mud, emitting a foul stench.
"You cheated!" he roared at Gu Feng.
"A win is a win! If you don't want to admit it, I can't force you!"
"You—" Sima Juncong wanted to explode in anger but managed to control his emotions. "Give him three top-grade Spirit Artifacts."
"Dare to go another round?"
"You're no match for me, why wouldn't I dare!" Gu Feng declared arrogantly.
"Big talk!"
The two clashed once more. Sima Juncong was extra cautious this time, but after nearly an hour of fighting, his growing frustration led to a careless mistake, and Gu Feng seized the opportunity to shove him back into the swamp.
"Give him three top-grade Spirit Artifacts, and let's go again!"
"Hold on, young master. Gu Feng is likely playing the fool here. There's no need for you to suppress your cultivation to the fifth level of the Postnatal Realm! It's not your fault that your cultivation is higher. At the same age, who told him to be so weak?"
An Innate Realm cultivator saw through the situation. The first time could be dismissed as Gu Feng's trickery, but the second time was pure skill.
Even so, they still believed that with the young master's strength, as long as he fought normally, Gu Feng would surely be no match for him!
"Dare you?"
"Hmph, come on. I think the gap between us is huge!" Gu Feng taunted.
"Arrogant! You're only slightly stronger than me when I suppress my cultivation. Watch me crush you!"
Third round!
The two engaged in combat once more. For the first two hundred moves, they were evenly matched. In the next two hundred, Sima Juncong gained the upper hand. But in the final two hundred, just as Gu Feng was about to lose, he suddenly awakened a primal force within him, drastically increasing his attack power and turning the tide.
"You've lost!" Gu Feng panted, wiping the mud from his face as he spoke in a low voice.
"How is this possible? I'm invincible among my peers in the military, yet I can't even defeat a mere Gu Feng?"
Sima Juncong slumped to the ground, muttering to himself, while the group of Innate Realm guards around him exchanged uneasy glances.
The young master's invincibility was only because of his status. Stripped of that, it had nothing to do with true invincibility.
"This time, I'll go all out, using every means at my disposal for a real fight!" Sima Juncong suddenly stood up, shouting at Gu Feng.
"No more. Three strikes and you're out. You've lost three times in a row, which proves the gap between us is significant. If we keep going, people will say I'm bullying a child!" Gu Feng said indifferently, turning to leave. "Besides, you don't have any more top-grade Spirit Artifacts in your Storage Ring. What if you lose again?"
"Stop! If you win this time, I'll give you this carriage!" Sima Juncong, furious, pointed at his 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' and shouted at Gu Feng.
"Gu Feng, don't escalate this. Even if you win this carriage, you won't be able to use it. The entire northern region knows it's Sima Juncong's ride!" Seeing the glint in Gu Feng's eyes, Chu Youhuan quickly intervened.
Winning a few top-grade Spirit Artifacts was harmless, but if he won this carriage, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause!
"Gu Feng, do you dare!"
"I don't dare. This carriage is too iconic. If I win it, your father will surely come after me!" As he spoke, Gu Feng stuck out his pinky and dug at his ear.
"You... don't worry, I guarantee no one will come after you!"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!"
"Then bring it on!" Gu Feng assumed a fighting stance.
"Please wait, young master. Let's strategize first!" Several Innate Realm cultivators exchanged glances and pulled Sima Juncong back.
This time, Sima Juncong didn't refuse. In truth, he was somewhat uncertain about facing Gu Feng and didn't have full confidence in victory.
Sima Juncong was surrounded by a group of Innate Realm cultivators, receiving last-minute guidance.
"Gu Feng's physical body is extremely strong. Try to keep your distance from him!"
"His Martial Skills are lacking, and he has almost no long-range attacks. This is something you can exploit."
"Seize the initiative early on, and stay steady. The longer the fight goes, the more cautious you need to be. This guy is good at turning the tables!"
"Young master, you lost the first three rounds mainly because of carelessness, which left openings for him to exploit."
"..."
Sima Juncong's face brimmed with confidence. After the analysis from his companions, he realized that Gu Feng only had a few tricks up his sleeve. As long as he didn't make any mistakes, victory was assured.
"Are you ready? I've been waiting so long the flowers have wilted!"
"Hahaha, Gu Feng, it's been a while since I last fought, so I wasn't in my best form during the first three rounds.
This time, you won't be able to beat me!" At this moment, after taking a pill, Sima Juncong's body was brimming with Spiritual Power, and his aura was overwhelming. The gloom of his three consecutive losses was swept away. He pointed his spear at Gu Feng, his crimson cape fluttering in the wind.
Like a general heading into battle, his short stature now seemed imposing.
"Young master's Martial Skills are well-honed, and his foundation is solid. He just lacks a bit of combat experience!"
"His momentum has already built up. He might even perform beyond expectations."
"The young master now is not the same as before. He's about to unleash his full potential."
"This time, victory is certain!"
Looking at Sima Juncong's back, the group of Innate Realm guards couldn't help but nod in approval.
Sima Juncong swung his spear, and a radiant light burst forth. He stood tall and majestic, like a pillar connecting heaven and earth.
With a single thrust, he unleashed a thunderous force, churning up a large swath of the swamp and sending it crashing toward Gu Feng.
The overwhelming attack even dispersed much of the surrounding mist.
"Nascent Spear Intent! The young master's talent is extraordinary!"
"Like father, like son. The general's legacy is in good hands!"
"It's over. One spear strike will decide the outcome!"
"Young master has won!"
"..."
Sima Juncong, at the seventh level of the Postnatal Realm, had unleashed Nascent Spear Intent, making his combat power comparable to any eighth-level Postnatal Realm cultivator. How could Gu Feng possibly withstand such an attack?
However, in the next moment, everyone on the scene was left dumbfounded.
Sima Juncong, who had charged forward with such ferocity, was sent flying back at an even greater speed, crashing heavily into the swamp.
Gu Feng leaped high into the air, grabbed him by the collar, and with a single stride, landed on the 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage.' He said calmly, "You've lost. This carriage is mine now."
"What! The young master lost?"
(End of the Chapter)
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