Gu Xuan returned to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with Ye Lingling. This time, he didn't rush off elsewhere, as the major affairs he had been juggling had finally reached a temporary conclusion.
Upon their return, since their engagement had been officially settled, there was no longer any need for the two of them to hide their relationship. When Yu Tianheng and the others witnessed their intimacy, their faces were a landscape of pure disbelief. Yu Tianheng, in particular, looked as though his heart had been put through a meat grinder. It was one thing for Dugu Yan to follow Gu Xuan, but now even Ye Lingling was with him?
Gu Xuan and Ye Lingling didn't leave them in suspense, directly pulling out their engagement scroll to "blind" their teammates' eyes. Stung by the sight, Yu Tianheng, Osler, and Yu Feng immediately challenged Gu Xuan. Unfortunately for them, Gu Xuan's control had reached a terrifying new height; he could now simultaneously command six dragon-swords, a feat of distraction control that placed him firmly in the realm of the Six Aperture Wishful Heart.
Of the eight strands of Seven Kill Sword Intent gifted to him by Chen Xin, Gu Xuan had already refined six. Once he mastered the final stage of distraction control, the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, he would be able to fully command all eight dragon-swords. Combined with the eventual absorption of the last two strands of intent, his strength—relying solely on this external soul bone—would surge once again.
Manipulating six swords with the Seven Kill Sword Arts, Gu Xuan sent the trio scrambling in a pathetic retreat. The beating served as a clear reminder of the gap between them and gave them a profound, if painful, realization of the art's twelve forms. From then on, no one dared to grumble. Though they were green with envy over Gu Xuan possessing both beauty and power, they were helpless to change it. They simply couldn't beat him.
In the months that followed, Gu Xuan spent every day sparring and cultivating with the Emperor Team. While he helped them sharpen their combat awareness and lethality, his own strength progressed at a blistering pace. Furthermore, when the team learned that Ye Lingling's soul power had already reached Rank 45, they looked as if they had seen a ghost. Aside from Gu Xuan, Lingling was the youngest among them, and a support master to boot, yet she had surpassed them all. This forced the boys to train with even more desperate fervor, determined to prove they weren't useless.
Time flowed like an arrow, and soon three months had passed. Gu Xuan's soul power reached the mid-stage of Rank 46. His distraction control hit the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart level, and he had completely digested Chen Xin's eight strands of sword intent. Even though his Sword Dragon Eight Wings was "only" an external soul bone, any sword-attribute soul master of the same level would feel an absolute, crushing pressure from it, as if facing a supreme Martial Soul. He could now suppress Soul Kings and grapple with Soul Emperors using nothing but his wings—no skills, no Martial Soul activation, just the raw power of the bone.
The rest of the team also saw growth, each gaining a rank. Yu Tianheng reached Rank 44, Shi Mo hit Rank 43, while Shi Mo, Osler, and Yu Feng all climbed to Rank 42. Ye Lingling, aided by the residual effects of the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, which accelerated her growth until Rank 70, reached Rank 46. Qin Ming's original plan to take them out for tempered experience was scrapped; training under Gu Xuan was far more effective than any program he could devise.
Notably, Qin Ming himself had reached Rank 66. Though he was still the team's leader, his role had diminished to a mere formality. Gu Xuan made all the decisions, leaving Qin Ming with so little to worry about that he began scouting the next generation of team members, knowing Gu Xuan's group would graduate after the upcoming tournament in a year and a half.
One day, while the team was training, Gu Xuan took Ye Lingling to the Heaven Dou Auction House. In this era, entertainment was scarce, but "treasure hunting" was a small hobby of his. Since he had more money than he knew how to spend, taking Lingling out for a splurge was a pleasant diversion. Occasionally, he really did find gems. Given that he never hid his identity, few dared to outbid the grandson of the Bone Douluo. Not even Prince Xue Xing would be that foolish.
To his surprise, however, he encountered a familiar face at the auction. Because of their extraordinary looks, Gu Xuan and Ye Lingling drew a crowd the moment they entered. Tang San, who happened to be there, recognized them instantly. Out of gratitude for Gu Xuan "saving" him in the past, Tang San approached and greeted them.
Gu Xuan acted with "perfect surprise." Through their conversation, he learned that Tang San had been in the capital for nearly a month. Shrek Academy, lacking the qualifications for the Elite Tournament, had merged with Blue Tyrant Academy. Now renamed Shrek Academy, they had finally secured their spot in the competition.
Destiny was indeed a strange thing. Since the Emperor Team hadn't gone to Suotuo City, Flender and the others never met Qin Ming. However, Flender had discovered that his old flame, Liu Erlong, was in the capital running an academy. Thus, they ended up here anyway. After more pleasantries, Gu Xuan "learned" that Tang San was here to auction weapons called "hidden weapons."
Gu Xuan performed a look of "total bewilderment," acting as if he had never heard of such things. Tang San took out a Silent Sleeve Dart and a Powder Shooting Shadow to demonstrate. Gu Xuan responded with "profound admiration," praising Tang San repeatedly before offering to buy a set for a hundred gold coins to give to Lingling for protection.
Tang San, in his "wisdom," refused the money and gifted a set to Gu Xuan instead. However, seeing Gu Xuan's immense wealth—a hundred gold coins was a fortune to the current, cash-strapped Tang San—and needing funds for better materials, Tang San decided to introduce more powerful designs. Sensing the "secrecy" of the matter, Gu Xuan gestured for a private room.
Inside the VIP booth, there were four people: Gu Xuan, Ye Lingling, Tang San, and a girl named Meng Yiran. Gu Xuan was secretly amused that the "pure and noble" Tang San had managed to get tangled up with Meng Yiran only four months after losing Xiao Wu, but he didn't pry. He had to keep up his interest in the weapons.
Tang San laid out his inventory: the Stomp-Trigger Crossbow, Boot-Tip Flying Daggers, the Tense Back Flower Adornment Crossbow, and the crown jewel—the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, capable of killing soul masters below Rank 40. Tang San claimed that if used by surprise, even a Soul Ancestor above Rank 40 would find it hard to survive.
To prove it, Tang San offered a demonstration, with Gu Xuan as the target. Holding his weapon, Tang San said seriously, "Brother Gu, be careful..."
Gu Xuan smiled. "Xiao San, give it your best shot. Even though you're already Rank 37, it won't be easy to hurt me with these."
Indeed, Tang San had reached Rank 37. Gu Xuan had to admit that the world's luck was persistent. He had expected Tang San to struggle after being stripped of so many opportunities, but Tang San and Meng Yiran had stumbled upon a small "treasure land" in the Star Duo Forest while hunting for their third rings. Tang San's third ring was still a 1,500-year Man-Faced Demon Spider, though Gu Xuan guessed he hadn't obtained the Eight Spider Lancers this time. Still, Tang San's luck was formidable; even without the Well, he found other "cheats."
Even Meng Yiran had reached Rank 35. This was the benefit of sticking close to the original protagonist. However, Gu Xuan wasn't worried. He was the one holding the true cards now. A protagonist is only a protagonist because they survive to the end; in this world of geniuses like Tang Hao, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue, Tang San was just another talented youth.
Facing the focused Tang San, Gu Xuan's smile didn't waver. He wanted to see if these "god-slaying" weapons lived up to the hype, even in their early stages. Tang San, eager to secure a high price for his crafts, concentrated his spirit. His dark eyes began to glow with a faint purple light.
"Purple Demon Eye!"
(End of Chapter)
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