Twenty Immortal Arts, perfected at a single glance.
Gu Qingfeng had accomplished it, yet he did not immediately mention the signed agreements. Instead, he ordered Fei Kui to continue activating the trial formation.
The fifth trial, passed!
The sixth trial, passed!
The seventh trial, passed!
The eighth trial, passed!
The ninth and final trial assessed one's personal combat strength. But the moment the formation activated, Gu Qingfeng stomped his foot on the Trial Platform. A series of crisp cracking sounds erupted, and the trial formation instantly collapsed.
He then turned his gaze, as if searching for something. Before long, his eyes landed on several Nine Halls Direct Disciples. Raising his hand, he pointed, and a Blaze Thunder Art, containing the eighty-one layers of blaze-thunder profundity and perfected to the Great Perfection level, materialized out of thin air. Jiang Yuan, a Nine Halls Direct Disciple, saw his hair stand on end instantly, his skin split and flesh torn. Without even a grunt, he collapsed to the ground.
Gu Qingfeng pointed again. Another Blaze Thunder Art appeared, and Nine Halls Direct Disciple Fan Dongkun fell.
Immediately after, Nine Halls Direct Disciple Lü Cheng collapsed.
One by one, the Nine Halls Direct Disciples fell in an instant. Zhong Tianying was greatly alarmed and hurriedly circulated his spiritual power, summoning his dual-colored Great Nature Protection. Unfortunately, the moment he summoned it, a Blaze Thunder Art had already struck.
Everyone knew the Blaze Thunder Art was an extremely common basic spell; many disciples cultivated it. Zhong Tianying's dual-colored Great Nature Protection might block others' Blaze Thunder Arts, but it could not withstand Gu Qingfeng's.
When this Blaze Thunder Art, imbued with eighty-one layers of blaze-thunder profundity, descended, a *crack* sounded. Zhong Tianying's dual-colored Great Nature Protection shattered and vanished. His hair likewise stood on end, his skin split and flesh torn, and he collapsed to the ground.
On the Trial Platform, Gu Qingfeng was silent, as quiet as usual. In just a few breaths, he had passed the trial formation and, with a flick of his fingers, defeated four Nine Halls Direct Disciples.
He looked towards the high platform and asked flatly, "Has the assessment been passed?"
Perhaps the shock from Gu Qingfeng comprehending and unleashing twenty Immortal Arts with a single glance was too intense. The Steward Elders on the high platform still hadn't recovered. They remained frozen like statues, their expressions horrified, their eyes filled with utter disbelief, bewildered, unsure how to respond.
They didn't know, and neither did Ouyang Feiyue not far away.
Her mind was still blank.
Even taking a deep breath could not suppress the shock and terror in her heart.
Instant absorption.
Instant refinement.
Twenty Immortal Arts perfected to Great Perfection with one glance.
The usually awe-inspiring, arrogant Nine Halls Direct Disciples, hailed as geniuses among geniuses, possessing dual-colored Great Nature Protection, could not withstand a single move from him—and that move was merely the most common basic Immortal Art, the Blaze Thunder Art.
Even the trial formation had been stomped into collapse and disappearance by his foot. How could he not pass?
Previously, she had guessed Gu Qingfeng must be terrifying, even more terrifying than imagined.
But at this moment, she realized she was wrong. The terror of this man on the Trial Platform had far exceeded her comprehension. She simply did not know what kind of existence this man was.
Looking again at the Steward Elders on the high platform, how disdainful they had been earlier, especially Fei Xue. She had always disliked Gu Qingfeng. Before, it was because of Ouyang Ye; later, it was because Gu Qingfeng had made her lose face during the inner sect assessment and the competition for Chief.
Just before Gu Qingfeng had unleashed the twenty Immortal Arts to Great Perfection, her heavily made-up face still wore a look of contempt.
Now?
The contempt had vanished, leaving only shock and terror—the kind impossible to conceal!
"Zhong Tianying...
Hah."
Ouyang Feiyue glanced at Fei Xue and sneered, "Didn't you say Zhong Tianying was a dragon among men?
Didn't you say he couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Zhong Tianying?
Is that your 'dragon among men'?
He couldn't even withstand a single move from him before collapsing, hah...
Dragon among men?
Can't be mentioned in the same breath?
Hah..." Fei Xue's face turned ashen, and she glared angrily at Ouyang Feiyue.
"Weren't you calling him trash?"
Seeing Fei Xue's ugly expression, the smile on Ouyang Feiyue's lips grew even more triumphant. "Do you dare call him trash now?
Do you dare?
Do you dare?
Do you dare?"
Ouyang Feiyue repeated "Do you dare?" three times in a row!
True Being Feixue was furious but didn't know how to respond.
"What are you looking at, you bitch!
Just wait for your death!
Don't forget you all signed and stamped just now. If he unleashes ten Immortal Arts to Great Perfection, your lives belong to him!"
"He!
Wouldn't dare!" True Being Feixue gnashed her teeth.
Ouyang Feiyue sneered disdainfully. "I don't know what he meant by making you sign and stamp, but one thing is absolutely certain: if he wants your lives, none of you can escape!"
"Him?" Fei Xue glanced at Elder Mude and Elder Guangyuan beside her. Over a hundred people had signed and stamped just now, including Golden Core True Beings. She refused to believe Gu Qingfeng would dare act.
On the Trial Platform, Gu Qingfeng asked again, "I ask once more, has the assessment been passed?"
No one responded. They were either Jin De's or Shui De's people and would never let Gu Qingfeng pass the assessment to become a Nine Halls Direct Disciple. Yet they could find no reason to refuse, so they remained silent.
"I object!"
Seeing no one respond, Fei Xue stepped forward, intending to take the lead. She stared at Gu Qingfeng and declared, "Esteemed elders, Gu Qingfeng's existence is far too bizarre. An ordinary person could never perfect twenty Immortal Arts to Great Perfection with a single glance. He must be a Monster-Demon!"
"That's right!
An aberrant constitution resulting from ordinary Foundation Establishment failure could never be this powerful!"
"Aberrant constitutions lack spiritual roots and cannot absorb spiritual energy. Yet the spiritual power within him is so vast. He must be a Monster-Demon!"
With Fei Xue stepping forward, others also came forth one after another, each adding their voice. Quickly, they pinned the identity of a Monster-Demon on Gu Qingfeng. Moreover, many who stepped forward were those who had signed and stamped earlier. They neither wished for Gu Qingfeng to pass the assessment nor would they possibly hand over their own lives. Most importantly, Gu Qingfeng possessed so many priceless Purple-Gold Heavenly Illumination Crystals—that was the key!
More and more people stepped forward to denounce Gu Qingfeng as a Monster-Demon: Mude, Guangyuan, many Steward Elders, members of the Li Clan, the Twelve Courtyards Chiefs led by Mu Zibai, Tan Siru, Yun Hong, Ye Hui...
On the Trial Platform, Gu Qingfeng stood tall, his expression still calm. Facing the crowd's denunciations, he didn't seem angered, nor could any emotional hue be discerned. His pair of deep, dark eyes simply watched them quietly as he stated flatly, "Before coming, Huode repeatedly urged me to follow the rules and procedures. I did as he asked."
"I've given Huode face."
"I've given Yunxia Sect face!"
"For Huode's sake, for Yunxia Sect's sake, I've already given you face. Today, you yourselves don't know how to contain yourselves. Don't blame me for being impolite!"
"How laughable!"
If she had held some reservations earlier, now that so many people had stepped forward to denounce Gu Qingfeng, True Being Feixue no longer had any scruples. Her confidence swelled. She stood up, glared at Gu Qingfeng, and sneered disdainfully, "What can your impoliteness do?
Do you think we fear a Monster-Demon like you?"
"I recall you asked before what impoliteness would entail."
Gu Qingfeng looked at True Being Feixue, just looked, his tone still flat.
"So what if I asked?" True Being Feixue held her head high, *smack*! She pressed both hands on the table, leaning her body forward, and sneered, "What can you do to me?"
"Good, I'll tell you now!"
"Hmph!
Just you try..." Before she could finish her words, Gu Qingfeng on the Trial Platform, who had been silent, suddenly roared fiercely, "Get over here!"
*Whoosh!*
He raised his arm, his five fingers dancing wildly. A series of crisp cracking sounds erupted as various spirit hand-seals condensed and manifested, instantly forming an azure vortex. The vortex spun wildly, causing a fierce gale to howl across the field—it was precisely the Azure Nether Wind Cave Vortex.
On the high platform, True Being Feixue didn't know what was happening when *whoosh*—she was sucked over. She didn't even have time to react. When she regained her senses, she was already standing opposite Gu Qingfeng, scared out of her wits.
"Face given, but you refuse to take it!"
Gu Qingfeng pushed a palm forward, striking Feixue's abdomen.
*Pfft!*
Feixue's robes shattered, and blood spurted from her seven orifices on the spot!
"Today, I'll show you what impoliteness entails!"
Gu Qingfeng grabbed her by the throat and smashed her violently onto the ground. He yanked her up!
Smashed her again!
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Feixue's head split open, blood flowing!
Yanked up again!
Smashed again!
The Trial Platform's stones flew everywhere from the impact.
No one had expected Gu Qingfeng to suddenly attack!
Even more, no one had thought he truly had the guts!
Similarly, no one had imagined that True Being Feixue, a powerful Violet Palace True Being, would be beaten to a bloody pulp by him before even one exchange!
"You Monster-Demon, cease harming others! Stop! Stop!!"
Elder Mude roared furiously from the high platform.
Guangyuan was also badly frightened, shouting, "He's a Monster-Demon! Everyone, attack together and kill him!"
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Everyone circulated their spiritual power and summoned flying swords. The leaders were precisely the five Li Clan members who most wanted Gu Qingfeng dead.
"Kneel and await death!"
Gu Qingfeng yanked Feixue up by the neck, then pressed down violently. *Crack!*
Feixue knelt on the ground, both knees shattered.
Watching as twenty or thirty people charged at him, Gu Qingfeng *whooshed* into the air, leaping upward. The moment his feet left the Trial Platform, the massive platform exploded with a thunderous roar, collapsing into a pile of ruins.