Chapter 19: Rewards
Chapter 19: Rewards
"Head of the Family!"
In the inner courtyard of the Gu Family, Meng Peng’s demeanor was one of utmost respect. His eyes were filled with awe and reverence as he gazed at Gu Qingfeng, a sentiment that spoke volumes about the power he now recognized in the man.
He had witnessed the battle outside White Stone City with his own eyes. Qin Wei, the Great Elder of the Qin Family, and Si Yuanhao, the head of the Ironbone Gang’s Divine Skill Hall—both renowned figures in White Stone Dao—had been slain on the spot by Gu Qingfeng.
With his own strength, Gu Qingfeng had eliminated six Blood Cultivation realm warriors, all of whom were at least in the middle stage of Blood Cultivation.
Such power was unparalleled in the entire White Stone Dao.
For a long time, Meng Peng had believed that Gu Qingfeng was just an average Blood Cultivation realm warrior. His goal in joining the Gu Family had been to see if he could learn their mid-tier martial arts, nothing more.
But now, Meng Peng had put aside all his petty thoughts and ulterior motives. They had vanished without a trace.
In his view, with Gu Qingfeng’s terrifying strength, the Gu Family’s rise to dominance in White Stone Dao was not just a possibility, but a near certainty.
In these turbulent times, the imperial court’s control over local forces was weak. Powerful martial artists and the families and sects they founded could operate without the need for imperial oversight.
With the Gu Family still in its early stages, if Meng Peng were to remain loyal and serve Gu Qingfeng wholeheartedly, he would undoubtedly reap great rewards when the Gu Family rose to power.
On the other hand, if he betrayed the Gu Family, Meng Peng knew there would be no place for him in the entire White Stone Dao, especially after seeing Gu Qingfeng effortlessly execute six Blood Cultivation realm warriors without a second thought.
"How is the situation?"
Gu Qingfeng asked calmly, noting the reverence in Meng Peng’s eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve.
The Gu Family lacked capable individuals in White Stone Dao, and Meng Peng had proven himself over the years. That was why Gu Qingfeng had brought him along to seize the Sunblaze Divine Palm. His goal was to demonstrate sufficient strength to instill respect and loyalty in Meng Peng.
Loyalty often required a show of power to maintain.
Meng Peng replied respectfully, "The Qin Family and the Ironbone Gang are furious and are conducting a thorough search for the mysterious powerful warrior. However, no one yet knows that the mysterious warrior is our Family Head.
Additionally, the ambush on Yun Tianxing by the two major forces has been exposed. The Tianyun Sect will not let this matter rest easily!"
Gu Qingfeng nodded in agreement. The Tianyun Sect was a major force in White Stone Dao, and although it was not as powerful as the Qin Family and the Ironbone Gang, it was still formidable.
If the identities of the attackers had not been exposed, the Tianyun Sect might have turned a blind eye to the matter. But now that the Qin Family and the Ironbone Gang’s involvement was known, the Tianyun Sect would not back down.
This meant that White Stone Dao was destined to become even more chaotic. To Gu Qingfeng, this was only beneficial for the Gu Family. The more chaotic White Stone Dao became, the more room there would be for the Gu Family to grow and expand.
Furthermore, through this battle, Gu Qingfeng had gained a comprehensive understanding of his own strength. Despite being only in the middle stage of Blood Cultivation, he could match the power of peak Blood Cultivation realm warriors when he went all out.
In the entire White Stone Dao, there were only a handful of such peak Blood Cultivation realm warriors.
The only drawback was that the Gu Family’s foundation was still too shallow. Among the many members of the Gu Family, only Gu Qingfeng had reached the Blood Cultivation realm.
Even if his strength rivaled the peak of the Blood Refinement stage, what difference would it make? He couldn't suppress the entire White Stone Path.
After all,
A powerful dragon doesn't suppress the local snake.
The Gu family is seen as outsiders in the White Stone Path's domain.
If they had kept a low profile in the past, it might have been fine. But if they revealed that they had a peak Blood Refinement stage powerhouse, they would inevitably draw the attention and enmity of other factions.
Even if Gu Qingfeng was extremely confident in his own strength, he had no guarantee of standing against the entire White Stone Path.
Unless,
He could break through the limits of the Blood Refinement stage and advance to a higher realm.
But achieving such a breakthrough was no easy feat.
It took Gu Qingfeng nearly ten years to advance from the initial stage of Skin Refinement to the intermediate stage of Blood Refinement.
Advancing from the intermediate stage of Blood Refinement to the next level would undoubtedly take even longer.
A Blood Refinement warrior has a lifespan of about a hundred years.
Gu Qingfeng had already used up about a third of that time.
His current goal was simple: to break through to the next level before he turned fifty.
If he could do that,
His lifespan would be extended.
Then,
Gu Qingfeng looked at Meng Peng and said in a serious tone, "You did well in this matter. I know why you joined the Gu family.
As long as you serve the Gu family faithfully, I will give you the opportunity to break through the Blood Refinement stage!"
With that,
Gu Qingfeng took out a secret manual from his robes and handed it to Meng Peng.
"This is the first half of the Gu Family Fist. If you can master it to perfection, I will teach you the second half, and then you will have the chance to break through.
However, the Gu Family Fist is of great importance. You must not pass it on to anyone without permission, or you will face dire consequences!"
"I will serve the family head with my life!"
Meng Peng held the Gu Family Fist with both hands, his face filled with excitement.
Even though this was only the first half of the Gu Family Fist and did not involve Blood Refinement, Meng Peng saw it as a great opportunity.
Among the Skin Refinement martial arts,
An ordinary low-grade martial art was far inferior to a half-complete middle-grade martial art.
Meng Peng, though a Skin Refinement master, had only practiced ordinary martial arts, which were far less refined than the Gu Family Fist.
"Alright, you may leave now."
"I take my leave, family head!"
Meng Peng left.
Gu Qingfeng watched him go, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Then,
He took out a gold-embossed silk box from his robes and opened it. Inside was a thin secret manual with a few large characters on the cover.
Blazing Sun Divine Palm!
Gu Qingfeng was also excited to receive a top-tier middle-grade martial art. He immediately opened the Blazing Sun Divine Palm and began to study it carefully.
As he delved deeper into the Blazing Sun Divine Palm, Gu Qingfeng realized how profound this martial art was, far surpassing the Gu Family Fist and the Iron Body Technique.
After half an hour,
Gu Qingfeng put down the Blazing Sun Divine Palm, his eyes filled with admiration.
"The Blazing Sun Divine Palm truly lives up to its reputation as a top-tier middle-grade martial art. Its depth is unmatched, even by the Gu Family Fist and the Iron Body Technique after breaking through their limits."
Most martial arts are divided into four stages: Novice, Lesser Mastery, Greater Mastery, and Perfection.
But the Blazing Sun Divine Palm is different.
The Blazing Sun Divine Palm is divided into nine levels, each further divided into Novice, Lesser Mastery, Greater Mastery, and Perfection.
The first four levels correspond to the initial, intermediate, advanced, and perfected stages of Skin Refinement. The next four levels correspond to the four stages of Blood Refinement. The ninth level, however, already touches upon the realm of Bone Refinement.
(End of Chapter)
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