"Father, what is this matter you want to discuss that requires us to talk about it here specifically?"
As the eldest son of the family, Gu Qian was the first to voice their confusion.
"There's no rush. We'll talk about it in a moment."
Elder Gu picked up the teacup on the table, blew away the curling wisps of white mist, took a small sip, and said, "Xiao Feng's cultivation has improved slightly lately. Youyou, step up and lend a hand, and give him a bit of guidance."
"Yes, Father."
Gu You stood up and replied respectfully.
*Just as I thought, Father already knows that Xiao Feng has advanced to the Fourth Grade,* Gu You thought to himself.
After both of them stepped onto the sparring platform, Gu You spoke up: "Xiao Feng, opportunities like this are rare today. Go ahead and use your full strength later; your Fifth Uncle will properly give you some pointers."
"Fifth Uncle, do I really have to use my full strength?" Gu Feng asked with a peculiar expression.
"Of course you must use your full strength! Why are you being so indecisive, boy? Today your Fifth Uncle is going to break that wishy-washy personality of yours!" Gu You frowned, looking thoroughly dissatisfied with Gu Feng's demeanor.
"Then Fifth Uncle, you'd better be careful."
With that, Gu Feng channeled his movement martial skill, the Mirage Step, surged forward, and delivered a punch with all his might.
*Boom*—a series of fierce friction sounds burst through the air.
Gu You was thinking to himself about how best to properly instruct Gu Feng a moment later.
He needed to point out his shortcomings in cultivation while also making him realize the flaws in his personality.
Judging by the cultivation talent he had displayed so far, he was very likely to become the pillar of the family in the future.
It was just that his personality was a bit too reclusive, and such a temperament was hardly suited for becoming the future head of the family.
Just as Gu You was deep in thought, *boom*—a loud sound like the air being torn apart rang out, urgent and fierce.
Gu You's expression changed abruptly. There was no time to think; years of combat instinct caused him to instantly raise both hands and strike toward the direction of the sound.
*Thud*—an even louder sound erupted from the center of the martial arts arena and rapidly spread outward.
*Stumble, stumble, stumble*—Gu You retreated five steps in a row before barely managing to stop, staring at Gu Feng in utter shock.
Only then did he figure out what had caused the previous loud explosion.
As for Gu Feng, the moment their fists collided, he was sent flying by the immense force.
After doing a somersault in the air, he landed and retreated another seven or eight steps before stopping.
The martial arts arena was dead silent; even the occasional bird chirping and insect buzzing had vanished without a trace.
Only the sound of breathing echoed now and then, as if to say there were still several living people here.
Gu Feng quietly rubbed his wrist and sighed inwardly, *Fifth Uncle truly lives up to his reputation as a Grade 6 martial artist who advanced years ago.*
*Though we are both in the Sixth-Rank realm, the gap in raw power is actually this huge. Taking my full-strength blow in haste, he still managed to take the upper hand.*
What Gu Feng didn't know was that Gu You was equally shaken to his core.
With a puzzled expression, he stared unblinkingly at Gu Feng, thinking, *If I hadn't succeeded in my seventh blood-fusing a few days ago and reached the Rank Six Peak Realm, I'm afraid I would have been forced onto the defensive by that blow just now.*
*"How could this kid possibly have such formidable strength?!"*
The two opponents were both astonished by each other's strength, and the four spectators on the sidelines were no better off.
Gu Qian, Gu Hou, and Gu Zuo, the three brothers, had risen to their feet at some point, staring at Gu Feng in sheer horror with slightly parted lips, utterly speechless.
Only Gu Feng's grandfather, Gu Cheng, looked calm and composed, seemingly unsurprised by the scene.
Yet judging by the tea spilled on the table beside the old man, he didn't seem quite as calm as he made himself out to be.
*This brat, didn't he tell me he had only undergone blood-fusing twice?*
*The power he just unleashed is something only a Sixth-Rank Late-Stage martial artist who has undergone blood-fusing five times could pull off, isn't it?*
*Moreover, this kid's movement speed far exceeds that of a normal Grade 6 Martial Artist. I'm afraid he has practiced a mid-grade movement martial skill to an extremely profound level!*
*At the very least, he has reached the initial success stage, and great success is even highly possible!*
Although martial skills were graded, under the premise of equal cultivation, it did not necessarily mean that a martial artist practicing a higher-grade skill would always be stronger than one practicing a lower-grade skill.
Ultimately, victory or defeat depended on the gap in skill grades and proficiency.
Martial skills were roughly divided into five levels based on mastery: initial glimpse (beginner), thorough understanding (proficient), entering the chamber (initial success), reaching the pinnacle (great success), and returning to simplicity (consummation).
Normally, for a martial artist to cultivate a martial skill of the same grade to great success took at least a decade or two.
Yet Gu Feng had apparently mentioned in the secret room earlier that he had only practiced for a year? This was the very reason Elder Gu was so deeply shocked.
"You dare to let your mind wander and lose focus in the middle of a battle? Do you think you've lived too long?"
"Have all the things I've taught you over the years gone to the dogs?"
After a long silence in the arena, the old man was the first to snap out of his astonishment. With his thick eyebrows raised and his face flushed red, he roared loudly at Gu You.
Hearing his father's angry shout up on the platform, Gu You had no choice but to temporarily suppress the shock and confusion in his heart, and said to Gu Feng: "Though I don't know why you've suddenly become so powerful, if this is the extent of your strength, I'm afraid you won't escape a thorough lesson today."
"Fifth Uncle, if you want to teach me a lesson today, I'm afraid it won't be so easy!" Gu Feng did not back down in the least, meeting him blow for blow.
With that, Gu Feng channeled his Qi and Blood Power to drive his movement martial skill and rushed forward.
*Boom*—
Another overwhelmingly fierce and powerful punch was thrown.
Seeing Gu Feng resort to the same trick, Gu You let out a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
*Today I'll make you understand one principle: the same trick won't work a second time.*
Following that, Gu You struck out with a punch as well. Unlike last time, he was fully prepared this time.
Just as their fists were about to collide, in the flash of a spark, Gu Feng abruptly shifted his fist into a palm. The moment it came into contact with Gu You's fist, Gu Feng's arm suddenly went limp, resembling a soft yet resilient vine. Then, his entire arm moved slowly and gracefully along the trajectory of Tai Chi, drawing Gu You's arm and force into a circle in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the formidable power in Gu You's fist was neutralized.
Immediately afterward, Gu Feng delivered a lightning-fast palm strike onto Gu You's fist.
*Thud...*
In the end, both of them retreated a few steps, evenly matched.
"How is this possible? Such brilliant deflection technique." Gu You looked at Gu Feng, who had also retreated a few steps, a look of disbelief on his face.
This time, he hadn't held back or underestimated his opponent at all.
"What kind of trick is this? Why have none of us ever seen it in the family martial arts?"
Eldest Uncle Gu Qian muttered to himself as he watched the two figures confronting each other in the arena.
Gu Feng paid no mind to their astonishment. No sooner had his retreating steps steadied than he prepared to charge forward again.
"Alright, today's sparring ends here. You don't need to fight anymore."
At this crucial moment, seeing that his sons had all witnessed Gu Feng's true strength, the old man spoke up to put a stop to it.
The real purpose of this sparring session had already been achieved, and continuing to fight held little meaning.
Hearing the old man's words, Gu Feng retracted the kick he had already launched into the air, bowed to his Fifth Uncle, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Fifth Uncle. Your nephew has benefited immensely."
"Spare me the flattery, you brat! Right now, I just want to know what's going on with your cultivation!" Gu You waved his hand, glaring irritably at Gu Feng, then turned his head to look at the old man sitting high above.
He finally figured it out: he had most likely been hoodwinked by this nephew and his father.
He had thought Gu Feng had only recently advanced to the Fourth Grade and had intended to give him some proper guidance, only to get his face thoroughly slapped instead.