Translator: AnubisTL
Looking at the wilted, malnourished Thunder Spirit Grass that seemed like it would keel over at the slightest breeze, Zhu Qingyan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. She was so furious that her entire body trembled, and her outstretched finger quivered slightly.
"Senior Zhu, I've been taking meticulous care of this Thunder Spirit Grass, watering it at least three times a day. Although it looks half-dead on the outside, its vitality is strong. It might just be because it hasn't seen the sun for a long time. I'll take it out to bask in the sunlight, and it should be fine!" Gu Feng, desperate to save himself, blurted out a rapid explanation, his lips practically smoking.
"You—"
Zhu Qingyan was so angry she couldn't even speak. Through her ethereal form, Gu Feng could see her flushed face and her chest heaving violently. He couldn't help but shudder, lowering his head even further. Clearly, Senior Zhu was at the peak of her rage.
"Is this the trash you spent 7 million Low-grade Spirit Stones on?"
"This isn't trash! For this Thunder Spirit Grass, I fought a bloody battle against a Postnatal Realm expert several minor realms above me, nearly losing my life..."
To be fair, Gu Feng wasn't lying. He had willingly followed Chu Youhuan into the Secret Realm, including the fierce battle with Qiu Tian inside, saving Chu Youhuan's life.
Ultimately, it was all for this Thunder Spirit Grass. Without Chu Youhuan, Gu Feng would never have been able to obtain it.
"Honestly, how much did you spend on this piece of garbage?" Zhu Qingyan, now laughing in her fury, bit her teeth and asked, barely restraining the urge to smash Gu Feng's head.
"Although it only cost 7,000 Spirit Stones, considering I nearly died, the total value far exceeds 70 million Spirit Stones!" Gu Feng desperately emphasized the hardships he endured in finding the Thunder Spirit Grass, hoping to quell Zhu Qingyan's anger.
"7,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones, converted to Mid-grade Spirit Stones, is only 70. Gu Feng, you're really generous, aren't you?
Then why didn't you refute me when I said 70 million earlier?"
"I didn't want to ruin your mood while you were on a roll!" Gu Feng replied in a low voice. "Who told you to be so impulsive and leave the Spirit Fire so suddenly? I was already planning to spend a fortune to find you a high-level Thunder attribute body."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?
If you hadn't been so secretive and misleading, would I have impulsively left the Spirit Fire?
How am I supposed to quickly recover my strength with this garbage Spirit Grass as my body?" Zhu Qingyan's eyes widened in rage as she roared.
"Senior Zhu! There are no garbage physiques, only garbage people. I believe that even a Spirit Grass can cut down stars...
Your idol, that great figure who rose from a hybrid ginseng to eventually become an emperor...
Even if the Thunder Spirit Grass is inferior, it's still better than hybrid ginseng. If he could rise to greatness, so can you. I firmly believe this, and I hope you can believe in yourself too.
You must have confidence and never give up!!" Gu Feng suddenly stood up, speaking with righteous fervor, throwing back the grand words she had once said.
"Confidence my foot!!! The probability of hybrid ginseng becoming an emperor is astronomically small, one in a billion, and there's only been one case in history!!!
If I use this lousy Spirit Grass as my body, how much more time will I need to cultivate back to my former strength?"
"This is the perfect opportunity for you to refine the shortcomings of each realm!" As he spoke, Gu Feng sneakily glanced at Zhu Qingyan, noticing her ethereal form swaying uncontrollably as she roared, spittle flying from her mouth.
"One begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. Where there's one, there will be two. You must be strong and learn to accept reality. Right now, the entire Sunset Glow Sect only has this Thunder Spirit Grass suitable for you!
I promise you, once you possess the Thunder Spirit Grass, I will spend a fortune on high-quality fertilizer, watering and fertilizing you every day to ensure you grow lush and green!
I'll even throw away this broken bowl and get you a Superior-grade Spiritual Weapon flowerpot, along with a protective cover to shield you from the elements, ensuring your healthy growth!"
Watching Gu Feng's spittle-flying, endless tirade and the half-dead, drooping Thunder Spirit Grass, Zhu Qingyan felt as if she had eaten something vile.
"I, Zhu Qingyan, a figure of great renown in history, have been reduced to possessing a Spirit Grass, barely clinging to life. How tragic, how lamentable—"
She muttered to herself for a while, then suddenly let out a maddened roar to the heavens: "You damned old fool, this is all your doing! If only..."
Zhu Qingyan's curses were vile, filled with all sorts of obscenities. Gu Feng could tell she was directing her rage at the Great Ming Divine Master, whom she had just been thanking and bowing to earlier.
Ah—
People really shouldn't act on impulse. One moment they're weeping with gratitude, the next they're cursing. What kind of behavior is this? Even after living for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, they still lack maturity!
After venting her fury, Zhu Qingyan calmed down. She took the broken bowl from Gu Feng's hands, her arms trembling as if she wanted to hurl the wretched grass away. She let out a mournful cry to the heavens:
"Why is my fate so bitter!
Such is the time, such is the fate—"
The reality before her was bloody and bone-chilling, but she had no choice but to accept it.
"Gu Feng, from now on, you must help me find Thunder attribute treasures diligently. Only then can I grow quickly. Don't slack off, or I'll take you down with me!"
After shouting at Gu Feng, Zhu Qingyan's emotions finally stabilized.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Gu Feng nodded his head like a garlic bulb, but in his heart, he added silently: I don't even have enough Spirit Stones for myself, how can I afford to buy her treasures? Unless she points out the location, I'll go find them myself. Given how pitiful she is, I'll split the gains with her—60% for her, 94% for me.
Boom—
The previously clear sky was suddenly covered in dark clouds, a swirling mass of blackness rapidly gathering above the outer sect of the Sunset Glow Sect.
Thunder roared, silver arcs of lightning flashed, and an immense aura, not of this world, poured down.
"What's going on?"
"This aura feels familiar... is this Gu Feng's Thunder Tribulation?"
"Is he breaking through to the Postnatal Realm? In just a year, he's leaped two major realms. He's defying the heavens!"
"Too fast! I heard he gained many treasures during this trip, but he also suffered severe injuries. Attempting to undergo a Thunder Tribulation in this state is practically suicide!"
"If he succeeds, he'll undoubtedly become the top outer sect disciple, surpassing even A Fei!"
"..."
All the outer sect disciples, including those from Carp Mountain and the Hall of Elders in the distance, felt the aura of the Thunder Tribulation at the same time.
Elder Liu frowned deeply, filled with worry. He had already learned about Gu Feng's whereabouts over the past month from Chu Youhuan and knew his true strength.
But attempting to undergo a tribulation while severely injured was unwise. This Thunder Tribulation would likely involve a soul-related trial, and the chance of failure was high.
"Is Gu Feng trying to get himself killed?" Elder Shen, the chief of the outer sect's Alchemy Hall, muttered with a furrowed brow, his eyes filled with concern. Beside him, Yan Xixi clasped her hands together, praying to the heavens.
"He's too impulsive, overconfident," Elder Wu from the outer sect's Cultivation Method Hall shook his head incessantly.
"Is this kid out of his mind?" Chu Youhuan, who had been venting to her disciples at the Jade Maiden Sect, leaped into the air, gazing at Gu Feng's figure from afar.
She knew better than anyone how severe Gu Feng's injuries were. On the way back, he couldn't even walk on his own. He had spent tens of thousands of Spirit Stones to hire a few Jade Maiden Sect disciples to carry him back to the Sunset Glow Sect.
She couldn't understand why Gu Feng would choose to undergo a tribulation in this state. He was already invincible in the outer sect, with Elder Liu protecting him. Even Qiu Potian, the leader of the Qiu family's three heroes, couldn't do anything to him, even knowing that Gu Feng had killed Qiu Tian.
"He's too impatient!"
At that moment, a voice exploded in her ears. Chu Youhuan turned her head, her face instantly turning pale.
The newcomer stood tall and straight, with a handsome face and eyes that shone like stars. Dressed in white, he exuded an unparalleled aura.
With his hands behind his back, he scanned the surroundings. The inner sect disciples who had been drawn by Gu Feng's Thunder Tribulation all lowered their heads, for he bore a resounding name—Shu Yuheng, the undisputed number one on the Inner Sanctum Heaven Ranking!
"Why are you here?" Chu Youhuan narrowed her eyes and asked.
"I heard you've been getting close to an outer sect disciple, and one with the Myriad Tribulations Physique, a trash physique at that. I was curious, and since I had some free time, I came to take a look," Shu Yuheng said calmly, his eyes flickering slightly when he mentioned Gu Feng.
Seeing Chu Youhuan's expression darken further, Shu Yuheng added, "I'm not spying on you, nor did I ask anyone about you. Half a month ago, I received a 'Soul Message' from Chu Yanfeng."
"We're just ordinary friends. Don't listen to the nonsense of a dead person!" Chu Youhuan said coldly.
"Hmm," Shu Yuheng nodded with a smile, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at Gu Feng's figure in the distance, a sinister glint flashing within.
Chu Youhuan usually wouldn't explain herself to him, but this time was different. Moreover, she had even passed that cultivation method to Gu Feng.
"Look, Qu Yanran is here again. Didn't they say she's been in seclusion recently?"
(End of the Chapter)