Jiun Shanzhu saw that Ziying did not cast a glance at him, accompanying the broken-armed five-elemental root disciple, speaking as if they were old friends, her solemn and stern face showing a hint of sadness.
Ever since he and Zicai Shanzhu had fought for her, she had either been indifferent and polite or evasive and distant whenever she saw him.
Since she disdained him, why should he seek his own humiliation?
He gave a self-mocking smile and turned to leave the viewing platform.
The remaining disciples followed, only Danya remained on the platform, like a crane in the wind, her posture elegant and graceful.
Seeing the people from Wumei Mountain descend from the training grounds with great joy, following Daoist Zhiyang, and then speed towards Liu Jiang Fusheng, it was unclear whether it was intentional or unintentional, but Gu Junshi, a mere mortal, was left alone on the viewing platform tens of feet above the ground.
The viewing platform, extending from the cliff face, was angular and multifaceted. Without stairs or steps, it jutted out alone, unsupported by the cliff and ungrounded. If she were not brought by a flying cultivator, she could not get down.
Tsk, seeing her alone like this, it seemed rather pitiful.
A trace of pity rose in his usually hard heart, and the corners of his beautiful mouth curved slightly. A blue light flickered, and he landed in front of her.
He sighed softly, "You see, these people were standing with you one moment, but the next they abandoned you. Only I am always paying attention to you."
Gu Junshi thought to herself that his motives were no different from those people he mentioned.
She said indifferently, "No hurry."
There were many people with ulterior motives in the training grounds, and she did not want to join the fray. Staying here, high in the mountains with clear winds, was free and leisurely.
Danya stared at her profile, her lines flowing like mountain ridges, her leisurely posture, bathed in the gentle breeze, giving her a somewhat ethereal quality, as if she were about to ascend to immortality.
Frankly speaking, her appearance tempered her cool and deep temperament. She was not overly soft or gentle, more like ice or stone, not a woman who used beauty to seduce.
He didn't know when his judgment had gone awry, but he felt a sense of pity when he looked at her.
Though he appeared refined and reserved, his heart followed his desires. With bold courage, he stepped forward and hooked his arm around her waist, not too tight, not too loose, "Do you want me to take you down?"
He thought that she had never smiled at him before, and his face felt unbalanced from constantly seeking her favor. He leaned closer to her beautiful ear and said, "If you say a soft word, I will take you down."
At this moment, everyone's attention was on the training grounds, and no one would specifically look this way. He wanted to get close to her, to touch her.
—Right under Liu Jiang Fusheng's nose.
At the thought, darkness welled up in his heart, and his eyes blazed with a feverish, sacrilegious tremble.
Last night, Liu Jiang Fusheng had stayed with her and had not returned all night.
Heh.
He was truly triumphant.
—
Liu Jiang Fusheng saw Daoist Zhiyang leading a group of taller disciples to the training grounds. When Daoist Zhiyang smiled, his eyes crinkled, looking slightly vulgar. He was clearly nine-tenths satisfied with Liu Jiang Fusheng's first match performance.
The only tenth of dissatisfaction was his lack of combat experience. He needed more practice and experience through sparring, otherwise, that saber strike would not have injured him so easily.
The personal disciples of Wumei Mountain were also impressed with their junior brother. Not only was his talent astonishing, but his profound understanding of the sword path was also enviable.
That original sword array, the Heavenly Rain of Stars, was simply breathtaking!
Liu Jiang Fusheng saw a crowd of people eagerly surrounding him. Some inner disciples who wanted to learn from him and get closer also lingered. Fang Rui, with a gentle and considerate expression, took out wound medicine and approached him, but Gu Junshi was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing his cool gaze seemingly searching for someone, Chang E exclaimed with annoyance, "Oh no, we forgot our junior sister-in-law on the viewing platform."
Previously, everyone's minds were focused on the joy of their junior brother's victory, and they momentarily forgot that Gu Yi among them was just a mortal.
Now, she was still left on the viewing platform.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's expression visibly chilled as he saw them forget his A Yi on the viewing platform.
His gaze swept over everyone present, including Daoist Zhiyang, whose expression was awkward and evasive. The crowd instinctively made way for him.
He knew that his master had always been dissatisfied with Gu Yi's mortal status, but he hadn't expected that none of these people would consider him and offer him any care.
"Master, the sect leader has instructed this disciple to accompany his wife. This disciple will return with his wife tonight and will not be returning to Wumei Mountain."
He bowed to Daoist Zhiyang and then rose, moving past the crowd.
As he raised his head, he inadvertently saw Danya and Gu Junshi standing extremely close.
Crack—
The ground tiles of the training ground, which had remained intact under the impact of the Ghost Infant Giant Spirit Fist, now shattered under Liu Jiang Fusheng's feet as if they were decaying things.
The next second, a flash of light appeared, and Liu Jiang Fusheng was gone.
All that remained were the shattered spirit-transforming stone tiles.
Daoist Zhiyang's face turned from green to white, his mouth unsure whether to turn up or down. "He... his anger has finally shown this old daoist his true hidden strength."
The other disciples also stared in stunned silence, as if they had witnessed something terrifying.
These spirit-transforming stone tiles, as their name suggested, could dissipate all spiritual energy impacts. Since the training grounds were the place for the disciples of the Dayan Sect to practice and spar, if ordinary hard stones were used, they would not be able to withstand the destructive power of the cultivators' techniques.
The fact that it could not withstand it now only proved that the spiritual energy had broken through its limit of endurance, thus causing such destructive damage.
Fang Rui parted her pale lips slightly, her eyes glistening with tears. She tightly clenched the spiritual medicine in her hand and turned away angrily.
Ziying caught a glimpse of her trembling and distressed back out of the corner of her eye, then turned her gaze back to the viewing platform. Her expression was unchanged, and she even displayed the usual smile.
The Ghost Infant, with his acute hearing, naturally heard the "wailing" sound of the training ground's ground cracking and being crushed. His heart trembled, and he suddenly believed what that person had said—he had only used half his strength, and the Ghost Infant should know that he had already used twelve parts of his power.
Ultimately... he had underestimated the strength of a heavenly spiritual root. He had been too proud after one successful strike, making himself appear so unsightly.
But he—he would never stop here!
—
A sharp, cold white light descended from the sky, carrying a whistling wind like a clear cry piercing the heavens.
A cold wind suddenly rose, chilling the face.
Violently repelled by a powerful spiritual energy impact, Danya was shaken. The residual energy condensed into frost, and the platform floor and rock walls, resembling an opening petal, were covered with a layer of ice inches thick, like a lifelike carved ice crystal lotus petal.
The blue and white sleeves in the wind swayed unsteadily, like a lone sail floating among drifting clouds, even more ethereal.
A hand, more translucent and perfect than ice and frost, with slender fingers spread open, exuded a chilling aura. With extreme possessiveness, it covered Gu Junshi's wrist, and in an instant, they had moved tens of meters.
In just one encounter.
The distance between her and Danya was completely cut off.
Leaving no room for maneuver, decisive and powerful.
Danya's spiritual energy surged in his chest, and his face froze. After a moment of slight astonishment, he turned his head and looked forward expressionlessly.
In front of him, within a short distance, a pair of jade-like figures stood in ethereal harmony.
As if no one else were present.