The Gu Master’s Challenge

“The match begins!”

Luo Tao drew his sword and charged at Jiang Yu. With a straightforward thrust, he channeled his entire body weight and momentum into the attack, a strike powerful enough to pierce a thick wooden stake.

“Not bad,” someone remarked. “This young man appears to have some training, a decent foundation.”

“Hey, look, why aren’t the other two moving?”

“Hmph, those two would just get beaten if they went up there, wouldn’t they?” another scoffed. “Forget Jiang Yu, even I could take them on!”

As the sword lunged forward, Jiang Yu smiled nonchalantly. With a flick of his wrist, his iron fan snapped open, effortlessly deflecting Luo Tao’s full-force strike.

It felt as though he had struck solid rock, sending a jarring tremor through his arm. Luo Tao, inwardly astonished, took a step back, yet his opponent merely watched him with a smile, offering no counterattack.

With just that single exchange, Luo Tao keenly sensed the disparity in their strength. Nevertheless, he continued to attack Jiang Yu, his sword a blur of diagonal cuts, upward slashes, and vertical chops.

Each powerful blow was met and parried by the iron fan. Jiang Yu’s footwork remained light and nimble, making his movements appear as effortless as a stroll through a garden, while Luo Tao’s steps grew erratic, his vital energy visibly unstable.

“There’s no hope. The outcome of this round is already quite clear.”

“Is Senior Brother Jiang going to win? Why does it look like that newcomer is constantly pressing him? And the other two haven’t even made a move yet.”

“Can’t you tell Jiang Yu is just toying with him? Those other two are probably even weaker.”

****

On the arena, Jiang Yu parried several of Luo Tao’s sword strikes before seizing an opportune moment. He suddenly lashed out with his foot, sending Luo Tao flying.

“Luo Tao, are you alright?” the stout young man and Lin Tian rushed to help him up.

“Why don’t the three of you come at me together?” Jiang Yu sneered, casting a disdainful glance their way. “This is getting boring.”

“You fear you won’t be able to stop this lord when I make my move!” the stout young man declared, pulling out a sack from which countless venomous insects swarmed forth.

“This, this is…!?”

“It’s a Gu Master!”

Everyone in the arena gasped in astonishment. The unassuming stout young man was, in fact, a terrifying Gu Master, a name that struck fear into hearts.

Several elders nodded in approval. Regardless of whether he could defeat Jiang Yu, he was now undeniably an inner disciple.

Gu Masters served a multitude of crucial roles, from scouting enemy positions and charting paths to unleashing powerful Gu insects whose combat prowess was not to be underestimated. However, their sole vulnerability lay in the Gu Master themselves.

Jiang Yu was well aware of this weakness. The instant the Gu insects were released, he hurled his iron fan like a flying disc!

The iron fan shot through the air with incredible speed. The elders gasped in alarm, realizing this strike was intended to be lethal! But it was too late for them to intervene.

“Clang!”

Lin Tian, with a swift upward slash of her sword, deflected the iron fan. Everyone present was stunned; his strength and speed were extraordinary, surpassing even some seasoned inner disciples.

“What the—! You said those two were useless? How are they both so fierce?!”

“Ah, this…”

Above them, a swarm of venomous insects filled the air, poised to attack Jiang Yu the moment the stout young man gave the command.

“Impressive. I, Jiang, concede.”

The arena erupted into a buzz of discussion. Jiang Yu had actually been forced to surrender! All eyes converged on the stout young man, marveling at the sheer dominance of his insect-controlling technique.

Subsequently, the test concluded, and all three were selected, becoming inner disciples. The sect master personally bestowed upon them a set of white robes and registered triple the usual merit points for them.

“Congratulations to the seven of you on becoming inner disciples. As per tradition, you are not required to undertake any missions during your first month. Thereafter, you must complete at least one external mission each month.”

“Additionally, you may visit the Hidden Scripture Pavilion for one hour daily, free of charge. And for those who weren’t selected, do not despair. As long as you accumulate enough merit points, there will still be opportunities to advance to the inner sect.”

****

With the third round of tests concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed. Luo Tao and the stout young man were in high spirits; they had become inner disciples right after induction and had a whole month free of missions, allowing them to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

“Stout young man, the food in this cafeteria is truly mediocre. Let’s go down the mountain for a drink!”

“Excellent idea! We passed all the selections and became inner disciples—it’s definitely cause for celebration. Brother Luo Tian, would you like to join us?”

“I don’t drink. You two go ahead.”

****

Lin Tian, a former workaholic, never idled even during his free time. He intended to find a secluded spot to practice the cultivation technique he had learned yesterday.

As he walked down a remote path, three female disciples stealthily followed him.

“Junior Sister, please wait.”

“Hm?” Lin Tian turned around to see Jiang Yu, one of the inner disciples he had sparred with earlier. How did he know he was a woman?

“You must have mistaken me for someone else. I am a man.”

Jiang Yu smiled faintly. “No mistake. It is indeed you, Junior Sister.”

Since his identity was known, there was no need to maintain the disguise. He had only made a simple alteration to his appearance, so being recognized was not particularly surprising.

Restoring his clear, melodious voice, he asked, “Do you need something from me?”

Hearing Lin Tian’s pleasant voice, Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up. “Junior Sister’s skills are surely remarkable. If not for that Gu Master, I would have definitely liked to exchange a few more moves with you.”

“So you’ve come to fight?” Lin Tian frowned.

“No, no, we are all inner disciples now. I’ve accepted a mission but am short on manpower. I was wondering if Junior Sister would be interested in joining me? We can split the merit points afterward.”

“What kind of mission?”

****

“Damn it, how did he get mixed up with Jiang Yu? She has no understanding of proper decorum!”

Hiding in the bushes, the three female disciples watched Jiang Yu and Lin Tian converse, their teeth grinding in suppressed anger.

“It’s fine, Big Sister. We’ll teach her a lesson once Jiang Yu leaves.”

****

“Hey, you three, is there something you need here?” Jiang Yu glared at the bushes, clearly displeased at being overheard.

The three women emerged from the bushes, their faces flushed with awkwardness, and offered a forced smile.

“Senior Brother Jiang Yu, we were just passing by… If you needed help, you only had to tell us. Why bother with a newcomer?”

“You? You’d only be courting death. If you have nothing else, leave quickly!”

“Yes, yes, we’ll be going now…”

After the trio departed, Jiang Yu’s smile returned as he addressed Lin Tian. “So, what do you say? Besides the merit points from the sect, everything the mountain bandits possess will be ours.”

“Alright. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.” Lin Tian stepped onto the path, preparing to walk away.

“Hey, hey, hey, Junior Sister, why the rush? Whatever it is, Senior Brother can help you.”

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s truly unnecessary…”

“Don’t be so cold, Junior Sister. Senior Brother truly can do anything…”

****

After being coldly dismissed by Jiang Yu, the three female disciples simmered with indignation.

“Damn it! How dare Jiang Yu speak to me like that!” Wu Ya furiously kicked a stone on the ground.

“Don’t be angry, Big Sister Wu Ya. We’ll find an opportunity to teach her a lesson later.”

“Ow!” The kicked stone unfortunately struck Zhang Yu.

“Who the hell is so thoughtless?! Throwing stones around! Good thing it hit me; it would’ve been bad if it hit the flowers and grass…”

A lump had formed on his head, and he immediately began to loudly complain.

The three female disciples saw that the man was wearing a grey robe, one of the new disciples who had been easily knocked down earlier. “Who are you cursing? It just so happens that I’m in a bad mood, so get over here!”

Zhang Yu froze. Judging by their stance, he was likely in for a beating.

“Uh, greetings, three Senior Sisters… I was just cursing myself.”

****

Meanwhile, Lin Tian arrived at a secluded, open area, a place where no one would idly wander. That Jiang Yu had persistently pestered him, and it had taken considerable effort to finally send him away.

‘Hmm… I’ll try the Cloud-Treading Steps first…’

He attempted to run swiftly on his tiptoes, but at first, he moved no faster than with ordinary steps. It was also more strenuous than normal running, and his feet began to ache.