Chapter Twenty: Advancement Through the Ranks

  Liu Suiyun smelled the faint fragrance, allowing Gu Yinghua to lightly touch his forehead, and in that instant of contact, he felt Gu Yinghua's slender fingers were even more fragrant than he had imagined. The sensation on his forehead made him feel a little excited, but soon his forehead became icy cold. Liu Suiyun felt a chill spread throughout his entire body.

  He did not resist the infiltration of this coolness, on the contrary, this coolness made many of his blocked meridians smooth, and his whole body relaxed, his spiritual power flowing freely inside him. He couldn't help but sit down immediately, operating the Extreme Yuan Huang Lei Forging Divine Record, digesting the benefits transmitted by Gu Yinghua's finger.

  Soon his whole body became cool and refreshing, he didn't know where Gu Yinghua's finger came from, or if it was the legendary "top-notch skill" like "Ganlu Temple", but there was one thing he was very clear about, that is, in this finger, he gained a lot of benefits.

  He remained seated, with Huo Qian Shu holding the Flowing Star Hammer in his hand, carefully replacing Liu Su Yun's protective charm. After Liu Su Yun had circulated her spiritual energy nine times, the benefits transmitted by Gu Ying Hua finally came to an end. He opened his eyes and said joyfully: "Thank you, Miss Gu! I've now reached the second layer of Qi Refining!"

  No, Gu Yinghua's incredible one move actually allowed Liu Suoyun to break through the second layer of Lianqi. If we take into account the factor of Tianlei Starfall Sword, then he is no longer at the level of having Lianqi fourth layer strength, but rather has mid-term Lianqi strength.

  No, the fourth layer of Qi Refining and the fifth layer of Qi Refining, although they seem to be only one layer apart, are actually a crucial threshold on the path of Cultivation. Once you enter the fifth layer of Qi Refining, you have entered the intermediate stage of Qi Refining. Compared to the initial stage of Qi Refining, where you can only cast some minor spells that are considered "small tricks", once you enter the intermediate stage, the power of your spells increases exponentially, and there are even some extremely powerful techniques that can help you gain the upper hand in a real battle.

  Liu Su Yun's previous peak strength at the fourth layer of Qi Refining was only a hair's breadth away from the fifth layer, but Liu Su Yun knew clearly that with Gu Ying Hua's assistance, he had increased his combat power by at least thirty percent. With mid-stage Qi Refining abilities, many powerful Dao techniques that couldn't be unleashed before now had the opportunity to be displayed on the battlefield.

  This is truly amazing, just one finger, and it actually allowed him to break through the fifth layer of Qi Refining. You know, with just this thin line of difference, if he were to cultivate the Extreme Yuan Huang Lei Forging Divine Record, even if he could absorb a lot of Qi, blood, and soul, and advance quickly, normally it would take at least ten days' worth of work, not to mention that he didn't just break through the tenth layer of Qi Refining. According to Liu Su Yun's judgment after circulating his spiritual power, he is already close to achieving great success in the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

  "With this bit of strength, plus the Tianlei Star Sword, you barely qualify as my servant!"

  Gu Yinghua was still blunt, but Liu Suoyun had a smile on his face. What's more delightful than increasing one's strength by at least three layers? Moreover, Gu Yinghua's astonishing move didn't cost Liu Suoyun half a bit of effort, and Gu Yinghua had already started to steer the conversation back: "After arriving in Yuanzhou, let's try some sweet bean milk! Only the servants that this young lady favors have the qualification to be treated to a bowl of sweet bean milk by this young lady!"

  The term "xia ren" is spoken by Gu Yinghua with a sweet and soft tone, without any derogatory meaning, but instead conveys endless care, closeness and enthusiasm, as if calling out to one's closest person.

  Eating at someone else's house is soft, and Liu Suizhen's stance also becomes less firm: "Everything is easy to say, everything is easy to say! When we arrive in Yuanzhou, everything will be easy to say. Miss Gu, what kind of magic trick is this?"

  It was unprecedented for someone to break through the first layer of Lianqi in an instant, and according to Liu Suizhen's memory, it was unheard of. As for Gu Yinghua's background, Liu Suizhen still didn't understand it until now, only knowing that she had a master with a very great origin, named "Wugou Shenni" according to Pang Tianming's words.

  Liu Suiyun had never heard of this "Wuguo Shenni" before, and didn't know which immortal sect's high-ranking member she was. But just from Gu Yinghua's incredibly mysterious single finger, he knew that Gu Yinghua's origins were astonishingly impressive.

  But Gu Yinghua didn't explicitly state the origin of this finger, she simply raised her head and said: "This young lady has casually bestowed a finger upon you, a lowly servant. Once we arrive at Yuanzhou, as long as you have a sincere heart for the Supreme Tao, this young lady will naturally bestow even more benefits upon you."

  She suddenly went limp and fell towards Liu Suizhen, shouting: "Servant, serve your master well!"

  Liu Suiyun only then discovered that Gu Yinghua not only had sweat beads on her forehead, but even the fragrant and smooth nape of her neck was adorned with sparkling sweat drops. Her chest heaved with faint gasps, her entire body becoming weak, and even the light fragrance she emitted became thick and intense. It seemed that using that incredible one-finger technique had also consumed a great deal of her energy.

  Liu Suizhuan was deeply moved in his heart and immediately supported Gu Yinghua: "Please don't worry, Miss. I, Liu Suizhuan, have no other skills, just this loyalty and integrity!"

  "This young lady has taken a liking to you, this underling, and that's the point!" Gu Yinghua, with Liu Suizhen's support, revealed a bit of her thoughts: "That's why I agreed to give you many benefits."

  Gu Yinghua's hands were even more tender and smooth than imagined, if it was usual, Liu Suizhen would have been drunk already, but Liu Suizhen was respectfully supporting Gu Yinghua, he even took a glance at Gu Yinghua's body, Miss Gu was indeed a beauty among beauties, just a bit too plump.

  Gu Yinghua's finger movement consumed a great deal of energy, but the arrogance in her words did not diminish in the slightest: "Although Miss is currently unable to mobilize even half a point of spiritual power, the immortal family's kung fu that she knows is as vast as the sea and as numerous as grains of sand. Unlike you, this lowly servant, who only has the choice of Extreme Yuan Huang Lei's Forging Divine Record. Once we arrive in Yuanzhou, as long as you have a heart that yearns for the Supreme Great Way, it won't be a problem for you to switch to whatever kung fu you want."

  Liu Suiyun, however, held onto Gu Yinghua and said, "I think salted bean milk is still better to drink."

  "You..."

  Gu Yinghua immediately grasped Liu Suoyun's hand tightly, wanting to say something, but Liu Suoyun's expression became tense: "The hound of the Pang family has arrived! We're in trouble!"

  "What's going on?"

  The one who said this was Huo Qianshu, who had been watching the excitement from the side. He asked solemnly: "Has the pursuing army of the Pang family arrived?"

  These two days of getting along, Liu Su Yun already knew that this big man holding the Flowing Star Hammer was not as rough as he seemed on the surface. He had a more delicate heart than his daughter's family, and not only could he cook well, but he could also sew and mend clothes.

  Liu Suiyun's completely incompatible with his robust and vigorous appearance, and the image of him carefully sewing and mending clothes with an embroidery needle, but this is an undeniable fact. Without Huo Qianshu in the team, the entire team would lack a lot of color.

  To put it simply, whether it's Gu Yinghua or Liu Suizhen, both of whom are top-notch martial artists, they're both utterly hopeless in the kitchen. The food they cook is barely edible, whereas Huo Qianshu can whip up a delicious meal with just a few ingredients.

  But more importantly, Huo Qianshu's meticulous mind, after adapting to the dangers of Luoxing Mountain, coordinated with Liu Suizhen seamlessly. Liu Suizhen pointed to the sky: "The hawks and dogs of the Pang family have arrived!"

  Huojiantree raised his head to take a look, and indeed, a hawk was already circling in the sky, looking down at this team in the mountains. It was flying very high, and from Huojiantree's point of view, it looked only slightly larger than a grain of rice.

  The hunting eagle saw Huo Qianshu look up, its body had already made a turn in the high air, flying rapidly towards the distance, without making any sound. However, Huo Qianshu knew that the terrifying aspect of the eagles raised by the Pang family lay precisely in this point - silent and soundless, traversing ten thousand miles.

  "Is there any way? Can't it be shot down?"

  He knew that Liu Suizhen was the old man of the Gu family, and the Gu family had been fighting against the Pang family for fifteen years. Perhaps there was a way to deal with these hawks. Liu Suizhen shook his head: "There's almost no way, we fought against the Pang family for fifteen months, no matter what means they used, we could always find a way to counterattack, but the hawk dogs of the Pang family are our most troublesome enemies, when the evil hawk comes, the evil dog will also arrive!"

  The truth is more troublesome than what Liu Suoyun said. In the fierce battle between the Pang and Gu families, although the Pang family had cultivators who could build foundations and warriors who could isolate mountains, the Gu family was not afraid at all. Only these insignificant eagle dogs were the most troublesome and headache-inducing things for Liu Suoyun to deal with. Every time Liu Suoyun encountered the Pang family's eagle dogs, he couldn't help but think: "It would be great if we had these eagle dogs too!"

  It's one thing to have an idea, but reality is another matter. Liu Suizhuan told Gu Yinghua and Huo Qianshu: "The pursuing troops of the Pang family are probably only half a day's journey away from us, and with the help of eagles and dogs, they will come directly and kill us on the spot!"

  "What else can be done?" Huo Qianshu asked immediately.

  Liu followed Yun's grasp of Gu Yinghua's hand: "Kill out, even if every drop of blood is shed, we must kill out!"

  Meanwhile, forty-seven-year-old Ma Qianjun was excitedly shouting on a mountain head twenty miles away: "Found the trail of Gu Yinghua and Liu Suizhen, let's catch up with them immediately!"

  Beside him was Pang Jiao Long, a fellow martial artist of the same Yuan Dragon Realm: "Look where they're running to, those three thieves are dead for sure!"

  This joint army of the Pang family and the Tianyi gang is just one of the three teams sent out by the Pangtianshan faction to hunt down, in addition to Ma Qianjun and Pang Jiaolong, two powerful men from the Yuanlong border, there are also two families with more than 200 good hands, which can be taken out at ordinary times to dominate the entire Yunzhong County.

  Pang Jiaolong said excitedly: "That's right, these three dog men and women are dead for sure. Let alone our many martial artists and cultivators, even if our boss takes action, they can't resist it!"

  He was talking about the master of the Pang family, Pang Tian Shan: "Our family head is an old and qualified foundation-building cultivator. In those years when we fought against the Gu family, they sent two powerful experts, Xing Ruyue and Yan Ruojing, to assassinate our eldest brother. Xing Ruyue was a master of the isolated mountain boundary, while Yan Ruojing had dual cultivation in martial arts and had almost reached the state of enlightenment. However, as soon as they fought, our eldest brother defeated them with ease. Xing Ruyue died on the spot, and Yan Ruojing was severely injured and barely escaped. From then on, his life or death remained unknown!"

  Ma Qianjun nodded repeatedly as soon as Pang Jiaolong started bragging about the military achievements of the Pang family. Anyway, Pang Tianshan was indeed a veteran foundation-building cultivator. Pang Jiaolong continued to boost Ma Qianjun's morale: "Moreover, our boss is best friends with Yunpeng Shangren. You know that Yunpeng Shangren is a Golden Elixir cultivator who has cultivated the Extreme Yuan Huang Lei Forging Divine Record to an unfathomable depth. I don't know how many foundation-building cultivators he has killed. This time, you are indeed lucky to have climbed up high. As long as our boss writes a letter, your family will naturally have a thread of fate..."

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