Chapter 128: Fierce Battle

"There is no need for advice; I am going to kill you."

Whether this statement is laughable or not depends entirely on who is listening. If the Master of the Great Rain Palace were to say it, surely no one would dare to laugh; but when Gu Yi says it, it is a different matter.

However, it was impossible to tell if Qingfeng found it funny, for he was always smiling.

The old woman inside the palanquin coughed and spoke, "Qingfeng, if you have done something wrong, then apologize to this young man. If he wishes to strike or berate you, you shall not strike back nor return his insults."

Qingfeng was quite obedient. "I shall follow the Peak Master's command."

He turned around, holding his fan in his left hand, and then crossed his hands. "Young Master Gu, it was indeed my fault back at the Guqing River. I offer my apologies. Come to think of it, the original plan was merely to take one person away. I did not anticipate that you would follow and nearly fall victim to that old thief Mo Chi's poisonous hands. It is fortunate that the gods protected you, and you preserved your life."

"Even so, it is a fact that you suffered many hardships and have now found yourself trapped in the Great Rain Palace. If Young Master Gu feels any resentment, it is only right that you vent it. I shall accept it."

Gu Yi was no child. "That day in the forest, had I not intervened, you surely would have killed the three men from the Xu Kingdom’s Donghu Academy. You appear harmonious and friendly, wearing a smile, yet you are ruthless and devoid of any bottom line. A person like you is far more dangerous than an average brute. Very well, you are following your Peak Master’s orders—no striking back, no returning insults, is that it?"

"That is only natural."

*Hum!*

Gu Yi clenched his palm, and his spiritual energy manifested.

"Young Master Gu!" the voice from the palanquin carried a hint of authority. "Do not think that just because you know 'that person,' you can act recklessly. I am showing respect to the Great Rain Palace, not to you. However, if you continue to be so obstinate, do you truly believe the Two Peaks fear the Great Rain Palace? That we would not dare to kill someone here?"

Inside the main hall of the Great Rain Palace, Shu Yu had returned and stood beside Gu Baici. Upon hearing this, Gu Baici’s fingers moved slightly. "An ignorant old woman, knowing nothing of the vastness of the world. Letting Gu Yi attack is actually a good thing; he has a grudge against Qingfeng, and he is not one of our Great Rain Palace people."

"I just do not know if Gu Yi is a match for him. Qingfeng is quite highly regarded among the Two Peaks."

Hearing this, Shu Yu replied, "I had not yet informed the Palace Master, but when I first met Gu Yi, he was only at the Heart-Establishing stage."

Gu Baici’s footsteps faltered. "What do you mean by that?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. Gu Yi sat in meditation for only a moment before gaining enlightenment, moving from Heart-Establishing to Spirit-Guarding, and then directly into the Return-to-Simplicity stage."

"Oh? This little fellow is extraordinary in every way; he truly has some capability."

"Indeed. I was quite astonished at the time, which is why I never judge him by ordinary standards. After returning, I searched through the palace's old secret records, but unfortunately, I could find no one else who had achieved such a feat."

Gu Baici moved with elegant, graceful steps. "The Great Rain Palace has no such person, so naturally, you would not find it. However, this is not a unique case across the millennia. I once heard that in the Primal World, there were immortals who achieved enlightenment in half a day. Sometimes it is not entirely about talent; it also depends on destiny. 'Eighteen' from those years—he entered the Return-to-Simplicity stage in a single night."

Eight years cut off from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and then, amidst the white snow, he reached the Return-to-Simplicity stage in one night.

The years of that era were truly magnificent and unrestrained.

...

Gu Yi was not actually considering the threats of the old woman in the palanquin; he was thinking about the miraculous methods Qingfeng had displayed during their previous encounters.

One of them was "feigned death."

Since he began his training, he knew the techniques of the Two Peaks were peculiar, but he had truly never heard of such a thing.

That day, both Shu Yu's flying sword and his own straight sword had passed through Qingfeng's body, yet neither had taken his life. It was truly baffling.

Qingfeng, having listened to his Peak Master, knew what to do. He stepped aside, bowed, and asked for permission to leave. "Peak Master, this was my failure, and I have caused trouble. This matter should be resolved by me. I will stay here and settle the score with this Young Master Gu; you may proceed ahead."

"The Two Peaks birthed twelve children, descending into the mortal world as immortals. Remember, you are of the Two Peaks. When the Two Peaks reveal themselves, one should let the world know what the true Two Peaks are."

*Whoosh!*

Gu Yi did not even have time to see the trajectory of the palanquin’s movement before they had shifted from before his eyes to behind him.

The ghostly, miraculous nature of the Two Peaks' techniques was indeed a wonder of the world.

Gu Yi did not intend to stop them; it was fine if they left. They likely wouldn't go to Gu Baici to demand an explanation, as Gu Yi was not a member of the Great Rain Palace. If such a person wanted to cause trouble, the Two Peaks should settle it themselves; to speak up about it would be truly humiliating.

And if they were accidentally killed...

They probably hadn't considered that.

"Is it really good for you to let them go just like that?"

Qingfeng did not get angry at such words. "The apologies I just offered you? I will make you spit them all back out!"

*Zip!*

Just like the last time, this guy was ruthless and spoke little; he attacked as soon as he spoke.

The so-called "smiling while still, like a spring breeze brushing the face; ruthless when moving, like a thunderous strike."

*Bang!*

Gu Yi stood his ground, his right fist erupting with spiritual energy to counter him. The stone slabs they stepped upon cracked completely, with gravel jumping irregularly.

Qingfeng felt a trace of doubt in his heart: It has only been a few days; how did he reach the Return-to-Simplicity stage?

He was not a reckless man who underestimated his opponent, so he immediately began to respond seriously.

"Are you not going to draw your sword?"

Gu Yi said, "I already know that drawing my sword is useless against you. I am familiar with the techniques of the Two Peaks; having seen you use them before, I understand them."

He threw a left punch. Qingfeng leaned back and took the opportunity to kick with the side of his foot. Gu Yi followed his movement, pushed down with his fist, and slammed it directly into the ground.

But Qingfeng’s movements were ghostly; he escaped with a *whoosh* before hitting the ground. At the same time, he thought to himself: This person knows that man's name; perhaps he really does understand his techniques. If so, I must be careful.

Gu Yi was also turning his brain. Every person and every technique has weaknesses. Although weapons could not hurt him, Qingfeng was not truly immortal; he must have his vital point.

"I, however, did not know that you also benefited from the Two Peaks."

Gu Yi pressed his five fingers to the ground, and spiritual energy seeped from beneath the earth, surging and bubbling.

Qingfeng’s smiling, curved eyes paused. He had wanted to probe him, but he hadn't expected Gu Yi to really be of the Two Peaks.

"Heyu came from the Highland Tree Sea, yet he did not obey the Peak Master's orders, so we killed him anyway. You also use techniques from the Two Peaks; the reason for killing you is already sufficient."

When two people are in the same realm, the pressure caused by the difference in cultivation levels becomes ineffective. What is compared is combat ability.

Combat ability is determined by many factors. The most important is the amount of spiritual energy; if one has too little, they will quickly fall into a disadvantage in an intense battle. In addition, there are many other elements, such as techniques, intelligence, reaction time, combat experience, and even courage, terrain, environment, whether one is countered, and the level of understanding of the opponent.

Or perhaps it is just luck—like falling to the ground; if you land on your face while your opponent lands on the back of their head, a simple fall might just kill them.

In short, the battle between Gu Yi and Qingfeng was destined to be an evenly matched, all-around contest.

Gu Yi’s advantage of being able to mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth against ordinary people was not obvious here, because Qingfeng was also a person of the Two Peaks.

Currently, Gu Yi’s battle plan was to figure out what could actually hurt Qingfeng, given that swords could not.

"Young Master Gu’s mind is truly sharp when he fights," the Long-Legged Cat observed the duel from the high slope and couldn't help but praise. "That Qingfeng can also mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Gu Yi probably knows this. When he placed his palms on the ground just now, it looked like he was drawing energy out, but in reality, he was silently channeling his own spiritual energy into the ground."

The Long-Legged Cat had fought Gu Yi many times and knew that Gu Yi’s technique was the 'Glittering Thousand Needle Art.' This technique was quite profound, and when facing enemies, it was particularly troublesome. First, these tiny needles were very easy to hide and could appear from anywhere, ghostly and unpredictable. Second, the attack range was extremely large.

Gu Yi stood up. The spiritual energy rising from the earth was seen as his means of attack at this moment, while Qingfeng flew into the air. He seemed to use his fan as a weapon, and on the fan’s surface, some strange symbols were faintly glowing.

Those were spirit talismans.

Gu Yi knew that the Two Peaks had many magical things, not just the four classic spirit talismans, but also other things people had never seen.

Before anything was figured out, a feint was the best approach.

Gu Yi controlled the gathered spiritual energy with one hand, then *whoosh, whoosh, whoosh*, sent it all toward the sky.

Qingfeng pointed his fan downward and pressed his fingers lightly. With a humming sound, a brilliant beam of light erupted from top to bottom.

"Does he need to block it?" Gu Yi thought.

Let's test it.

The person standing on the ground soared into the air, drew his sword, and lunged. Just like before, the sword passed through Qingfeng's body without leaving a single wound.

"You say you understand my techniques, but in reality, you don't understand them at all, do you?"

Gu Yi turned and sheathed his sword, watching as Qingfeng’s fan also began to disrupt the spiritual energy gathered in the world. He could not let him launch such a powerful attack.

*Swish, swish, swish.*

Using his own spiritual energy as a guide, Gu Yi quickly wrote a spirit talisman in the air. The talisman darted into the high sky, circled above Qingfeng’s head, and suddenly rained down light!

*Hum!*

Qingfeng frowned. "You actually know such high-level Sealing Spirit Talismans?"

It was indeed troublesome; the spiritual energy he had gathered was gradually being sealed, and he himself quickly pulled away from that area, launching a rapid close-quarters attack on Gu Yi.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!!*

Direct hand-to-hand combat is always the most passionate. Pure fist-and-leg techniques were nothing Gu Yi feared; he fought Xiao Yiyi every day, and now he fought the Long-Legged Cat and Yan Lang every day.

Yan Lang, on the high slope, looked at Gu Yi imitating his style, moving while sticking to the enemy's body, and his heart was filled with astonishment. "When did he learn that?"

But the Long-Legged Cat was calm. "You saw it that day; even the Eighteenth Floor Master admires Gu Yi’s talent. It’s normal for him to learn things quickly!"

As they spoke, a loud noise came from the sky.

*Boom!!*

It was Gu Yi slamming a fist into Qingfeng’s abdomen. He wanted to know, would Qingfeng still feel nothing?

It seemed not; he heard Qingfeng let out an "Oof!" of pain, and then his body retreated rapidly.

Gu Yi, who was bent over in the air, straightened his body. Perhaps he already knew. "Although I don't know the name of your technique, it seems to be a method of virtualizing the body and merging with heaven and earth."

"Your body is like a fluid of spiritual energy; swords pass through without hindrance, but a fist filled with spiritual energy seems to hurt after all. That is why you don't dodge the sword, but you do dodge the spiritual energy attacks."

Qingfeng coughed twice. For some reason, Gu Yi’s punches seemed much heavier; they hurt.

I must keep my distance from him, Qingfeng thought.

But Gu Yi was not stupid. Knowing that he could gain an advantage in close-quarters fist fighting, he rushed forward naturally.

Qingfeng was helpless. He retreated two steps, placed the fan before him, and pushed with his palm, as if activating the spirit talismans on it.

Gu Yi had been rushing forward quickly, but he didn't expect that three whips formed of spiritual energy would suddenly emerge from the fan, forcing him to change direction immediately. However, Qingfeng waved the fan, directing the whips to entangle with Gu Yi.

He was quite clever.

Because Qingfeng knew that he would not gain an advantage by letting Gu Yi get close, he used this method to fight him from a distance.

Gu Yi also tried to bypass the three whips to get close, but it was not easy. Qingfeng was proficient in this, and for a while, he was trapped in a bitter struggle.

The Long-Legged Cat, watching the battle, was very interested. He said, "Just now Gu Yi had the upper hand, but now his opponent has entangled him. If this continues, he will waste his stamina and spiritual energy in vain and be dragged down until he is exhausted to death. Good! Good!"

Yan Lang was full of confusion. "This is good? Gu Yi is the one being beaten."

"It hasn't hit him yet, has it? I say it's good because if he runs out of strength and can't win soon, it will be my turn to go on stage!"

"Your head is full of strange ideas."

Gu Yi was indeed not very afraid of losing his life in this battle, as there were two experts waiting anxiously in the back to step in.

But if he couldn't beat Qingfeng, it would make him feel very depressed and lose face.

He had talked a big game beforehand, only to lose—that would be truly laughable.

Gu Yi stopped trying to get close and instead retreated to shake off the whips. But as soon as he flew away, three *zip, zip, zip* sounds came from behind. They pursued quickly and stuck to him very closely.

What a shameless fighting style!

As a result, the advantage he had gained by inflicting those few injuries on Qingfeng was now returned to his opponent at the cost of consuming more spiritual energy.

Of course, in the heat of battle, there was no time to consider this; he had to find a way.

Gu Yi landed on the ground, not flying, to save a bit of spiritual energy. Behind him, the whips were still chasing him, *bang, bang, bang*, lashing out. Most of them left a crack when they hit the ground; if they hit a person, it would most likely cause severe injury.

Gu Yi looked up while running to confirm Qingfeng’s position. He seemed to only need to control the fan, as the spirit talismans within it hid the spiritual energy whips.

This cannot go on.

*Sssss...* Gu Yi slid a heavy mark on the ground, dodging before the whips could land, repeating this over and over. Finally, he realized where the breaking point of this attack was.

It was the line of sight—the eyes.

Qingfeng had to see his position, otherwise, the three whips would not know where to go.

"Young Master Gu seems to be in a bitter struggle."

"Wait a moment, what’s the rush!" Yan Lang grabbed his long leg. "Gu Yi has rich combat experience; he has a way."

"What kind of 'way' could he have? Let go of me! I can handle that kid in one move! Let go!"