Chapter 14: Leaving Gujian City

A majestic Sword Aura suddenly burst forth from the scabbard and swept across the entire dueling platform with the force of thunder.

Su Yanran’s Sword Aura was instantly snuffed out, and her face turned pale as she was blasted backward a hundred meters.

“Miss Su, I concede the point to you,” Wan Zhuohao said with a faint smile. His eyes were bright and immaculate, and there was not the slightest trace of a swordsman’s arrogance about him. Instead, he seemed more like a refined scholar, courteous and gentle.

Su Yanran put away “Spring Chant” and cupped her hands in salute. “Many thanks for your guidance, Senior Brother Zhuohao.”

With that, she turned and stepped down from the dueling platform. The moment she saw Chu Feng, her beautiful eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over.

As though remembering her defeat just now, a trace of shame appeared on Su Yanran’s face. “Young Master Chu, I... I embarrassed you.”

Before Chu Feng could speak, Gu Yueyue stepped forward.

“Yanran, Senior Brother Zhuohao is a prodigy ranked forty-fifth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. There is nothing shameful about losing to him.”

Gu Jianfeng nodded in agreement as well.

Wan Zhuohao was Gu Jianfeng’s personal disciple and also the number one genius among the younger generation of the Gujian Sect.

He was currently at the mid stage of the Second Rank and ranked forty-fifth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Su Yanran was two major realms below him. Losing to him had been entirely normal to begin with.

“There is no need to take it to heart. You only lost because of the gap in your realm.”

“Given time, you will catch up to him,” Chu Feng said with a calm smile.

If those words had come from anyone else, Su Yanran definitely would not have believed them.

But since Chu Feng was the one who said it, the fighting spirit in her heart immediately surged upward.

“Mm.” Su Yanran nodded.

At that moment, Wan Zhuohao walked over. When he heard Chu Feng’s words, his brows furrowed slightly.

Though his temperament was approachable and he did not care much for fame or rivalry, he still had his own pride.

This man before him had spoken so lightly, saying that Su Yanran would not take long to catch up to him. That naturally displeased Wan Zhuohao.

Wan Zhuohao first saluted his master, then looked at Chu Feng. “I am Wan Zhuohao. May I ask how I should address you, brother?”

“Chu Feng...” Chu Feng replied indifferently.

Chu?

Wan Zhuohao’s heart jolted, but he quickly calmed himself.

So what if Chu Feng belonged to the imperial family of the Great Xuan Dynasty? The Gujian Sect had never involved itself in struggles for imperial power, so offending him would not matter much.

“Brother Chu, care for a match?” Wan Zhuohao asked, looking straight at Chu Feng without the slightest attempt to beat around the bush.

Strange expressions immediately appeared on the faces of Gu Jianfeng and Su Yanran.

“You want to spar with me? Are you sure?” Chu Feng asked with a light chuckle.

“I am,” Wan Zhuohao said seriously.

Chu Feng looked at him for a moment, then raised a hand and pointed at Gu Yueyue. “You may spar with me if you like, but first, you have to beat her.”

The moment those words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent for several seconds.

“Me? Your Highness, are you mistaken? I cannot even beat Yanran. How could I possibly be Senior Brother Zhuohao’s opponent?” Gu Yueyue said in disbelief, her eyes wide as she pointed at herself.

Not only Gu Yueyue, even Gu Jianfeng was completely baffled and could not make sense of it.

“The sword art you cultivate should be the Falling Spring Sword Art, correct?” Chu Feng asked.

“That is right,” Gu Yueyue replied honestly.

Chu Feng lifted a finger and tapped Gu Yueyue lightly on her smooth white forehead. Then he gave her a confident smile. “Go on. You only get one strike.”

Gu Yueyue’s expression turned dazed, and she staggered toward the dueling platform.

Although Wan Zhuohao did not understand what Chu Feng was trying to do, he still followed Gu Yueyue onto the dueling platform.

“Your Highness, just now, that was...” Gu Jianfeng had already noticed that something was wrong with Gu Yueyue’s current state, and he asked worriedly.

“There is no need for concern. I just bestowed a fortuitous opportunity upon Gu Yueyue,” Chu Feng said leisurely.

Just now, Chu Feng had transmitted all of his comprehension of the Falling Spring Sword Art into Gu Yueyue’s mind.

At the same time, he had also given her a burst of power that could dominate the Second Rank.

With that power combined with the Falling Spring Sword Art, defeating Wan Zhuohao would be effortless.

“Yanran, let us set out,” Chu Feng said as he turned to Su Yanran.

Su Yanran asked in surprise, “Your Highness, are we not going to wait a little longer?”

“There is no need. The outcome of this match was decided long ago,” Chu Feng said with a confident smile.

“All right.” Su Yanran turned and went to prepare the carriage.

Then Chu Feng looked at Gu Jianfeng beside him and said calmly, “The Gujian Sect is the foremost sword sect of my Great Xuan Dynasty. From this day onward, do not let the prestige of that title fall into decline.”

“Go ahead and do as you must. No matter what happens, I will handle the consequences for you.”

With that, Chu Feng turned and left without another word.

Gu Jianfeng stared at Chu Feng’s departing figure with excitement. Chu Feng’s words echoed in his mind for a long time.

Ever since sixty years ago, after the string of incidents involving He Yan, the development of the Gujian Sect had begun to tilt toward sword forging.

Over the years, Gu Jianfeng had also wanted to lead the Gujian Sect out of this predicament.

But He Yan, together with the four hundred thousand innocent commoners who had died beneath his Demonic Sword, had left the Gujian Sect burdened with karmic debt at every moment.

On the outside, other forces had been watching and suppressing them in secret.

As a result, the once-powerful Gujian Sect had gradually declined to the point that it no longer had even a single Grandmaster Realm expert.

Now that He Yan was dead, and with Chu Feng’s words just now, Gu Jianfeng had finally seen a glimmer of hope for the rise of the Gujian Sect once again.

He would seize this opportunity no matter what and lead the Gujian Sect back to the glory of its former peak!

...

On the dueling platform, Wan Zhuohao looked at Gu Yueyue opposite him, his brows tightly knit. “Junior Sister, draw your sword.”

At his words, Gu Yueyue seemed to awaken from a great dream, and clarity returned to her expression.

A bright light flashed in Gu Yueyue’s eyes, and her rosy lips parted slightly. “Senior Brother, be careful.”

Wan Zhuohao nodded carelessly, not taking her warning to heart at all.

A Fifth Rank martial artist simply was not worthy of making him serious.

Gu Yueyue paid no attention to Wan Zhuohao’s attitude. In her mind, every move of the Falling Spring Sword Art had now fully fused into one coherent whole, etched into the deepest part of her consciousness, never to be forgotten again.

Gu Yueyue drew the sword at her waist.

In that instant, a surge of power erupted from within her body.

When still, she was as quiet as a maiden. When she moved, she was as swift as a startled hare.

Gu Yueyue’s lovely figure vanished from where she stood and transformed into dozens of afterimages around Wan Zhuohao.

Each afterimage executed a different variation of the Falling Spring Sword Art. Though each sword move differed, none of them could be underestimated. Sword Aura swept across the stage like autumn leaves caught in a gale, carving countless sword marks across the surface of the dueling platform.

At the center of the assault, Wan Zhuohao’s expression changed drastically, and his whole body tensed at once.

He no longer dared hold back. He immediately drew his treasured sword and met the attack with the strongest strike he possessed.

But his sword vanished into the sea of Sword Aura almost instantly, without stirring the slightest ripple.

Just as Wan Zhuohao was about to die on the spot, Gu Jianfeng appeared at his side and casually swept his sleeve. Only then did the Sword Aura filling the sky subside.

The arm with which Wan Zhuohao held his sword was trembling without end. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and he was still trapped in the shadow of Gu Yueyue’s strike.

Once Gu Yueyue returned to normal, she looked at the dueling platform, which she herself had ravaged into ruins, and secretly stuck out her tongue.

“Senior Brother Zhuohao, are you all right?” Gu Yueyue walked over and asked with concern.

Hearing that, Wan Zhuohao looked up. A forced smile appeared on his pale face, and he shook his head.

“Yueyue, go into seclusion immediately. You are not to come out before reaching the Fourth Rank,” Gu Jianfeng said sternly.

Gu Yueyue pouted, but she did not dare disobey Gu Jianfeng. She turned and went off to enter seclusion.

Only after a long while did Wan Zhuohao finally come back to his senses. He looked at Gu Jianfeng and was about to ask something.

“I know what you want to ask.”

“I will tell you the truth. Even I cannot see through that man’s strength.”

“There is always someone stronger, and always a mountain beyond the mountain. Do not keep your eyes fixed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.”

“Keep working hard. The road ahead of you is still long.”

Gu Jianfeng patted Wan Zhuohao on the shoulder and spoke meaningfully.

After saying that, Gu Jianfeng turned and left.

Wan Zhuohao stood there for a long time in thought before finally leaving the dueling platform as well.

...

As the slanting sun dipped westward, crimson evening clouds spilled across the walls of Gujian City.

To the south of the city, that Millennium Crimson Flood Dragon Vine seemed to come alive. Like a crimson dragon clad in blood-red scales, it lay coiled upon the city wall in fierce repose, exuding overwhelming dominance and delivering a powerful visual impact.

At that moment, a carriage slowly rolled out of Gujian City. After pausing briefly at the city gate, it began moving again.

“Young Master Chu, where shall we go next?”

“We will follow the road toward the Capital. Wherever there is beautiful scenery, we will stop there.”

“All right.”

The corners of Su Yanran’s lips curved upward, and a breathtaking smile bloomed across her exquisite face, enough to astonish the world.

Following the direction of the setting sun, the carriage gradually disappeared from sight.