As the crowd’s eyes filled with suspicion, Gu Ruoyun slowly replied, “My powers aren’t all that great, I only had the good fortune to break through to the late-stage of the exceptional state a while ago.”
She was telling the truth!
In the Dark Earth Realm, where generations of powerful cultivators have lived, her powers could not be considered all that great. However, when those words entered the group’s ears, it had the opposite effect.
“Gasp!”
They reacted collectively and their eyes stared in shock at the delicate and well-defined face. It was as if they never thought that Gu Ruoyun, who had been considered to be a good-for-nothing, was already at the late-stage of the exceptional state!
Though late-stage exceptional state cultivators were only considered to be moderately powerful in the Dark Earth Realm, one should take Gu Ruoyun’s age into account as well! For her to break through to the late-stage of the exceptional state at this age meant that her talent was greater than Leng Shang’s!
“From what I can tell, you’re the greatest dark horse in this round’s competition.” Lu Yun gasped. “Who’s Leng Shang anyway in comparison to you? He might be at the late-stage of the exceptional state as well but he’s several years older than you. Besides, aside from your strong powers, you’re a Pill Master as well!”
This could be considered as flattery but Lu Yun had said it without any hint of flattery! Instead, there was a hint of lamentation.
Dong Fang stared at Gu Ruoyun with a complicated look on his face, “Earlier on, I had intended to give in to Duan Yi but when I was about to kneel, a mysterious force had stopped me. That power was so strong that I couldn’t fight back. Therefore, I had concluded that your powers are not what you’ve portrayed them to be.”
It was also because of this that Dong Fang has such a firm belief in the extent of Gu Ruoyun’s powers!
Gu Ruoyun did not say much as she listened to the words between the two. She gently stroked the little fellow in her arms with her finger and calmly curled the corners of her lips as she spoke, “Let’s go, we still have a few more days so we should take this advantage. I’d like to find out just how big this terrifying Evil Spirit Forest really is.”
Gu Ruoyun’s eyes flickered as she spoke and she turned to looks into the distance in the forest. A light flashed across her eyes.
From the first moment she had set foot into the Evil Spirit Forest, she had sensed a strange movement from the Nine Emperor! Perhaps something was calling out to it within the deep recesses of Evil Spirit Forest!
…
A faint but powerful aura flowed from the Evil Spirit Forest’s deep end and made the travelers pause in their footsteps.
Mu Ying furrowed his brows and said, “Lady Gu, we’re at the verge of the forest’s depth. Should we continue ahead? I don’t know if I’m sensing this wrong but I feel as if there’s some sort of powerful spiritual beast up ahead.”
Gu Ruoyun fell silent before she slowly nodded, “Since we’re here, I’d like to explore the depths of this forest. However, your senses are correct, a powerful existence is definitely hidden in the depths of the Evil Spirit Forest. All of you can wait for me here for now. Once I’m done with my business, I’ll come back here to meet you.”
Hearing this, Dong Fang bit his lips and replied with a determined look in his eyes, “Lady Gu, if you want to continue ahead, I, Dong Fang, will throw caution to the wind and stay with you to the end! Previously, if it had not been for you, I would have yielded to Duan Yi’s tyranny. I owe you one and I can’t just run away before the battle!”
Lu Yun looked at Dong Fang as her eyes filled with admiration.
Dong Fang’s words and actions towards Zuo Shangchen and the others back then may have caused her to have a bad impression of him but she never expected Dong Fang to be such a manly man! This caused her heart to skip a beat.