Chapter 60 Unexpected Move

The golden barrier of light slowly dissipated, revealing an ancient plaza behind it. In the center of the plaza stood a peculiarly shaped magical artifact, forged entirely from an unknown metal and emanating a faint cyan glow. The surface of the artifact was inscribed with complex runes that swam like tadpoles, giving off a mysterious and unfathomable aura.

Gu Liuyun and the others arrived at the edge of the plaza, gazing at the artifact with their own hidden thoughts. Outwardly, Gu Liuyun remained calm and composed, but inside, his mind was racing, calculating how to muddle through this test. He had a vague feeling that this artifact was extraordinary and seemed capable of detecting the secrets hidden within him.

Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao closely followed behind Gu Liuyun, alertly sizing up their surroundings. They also felt a trace of unease toward the artifact, having a nagging sensation that something bad was about to happen. Bai Bai, on the other hand, wore a look of gloating schadenfreude. She hoped that Gu Liuyun would slip up in front of the artifact so that she could seize the opportunity to humiliate him thoroughly.

The atmosphere in the plaza grew increasingly tense, resembling a taut string that could snap at any moment.

An elderly man with the hair of a crane and the complexion of a child slowly walked up to the magical artifact. His gaze swept over the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "Everyone, this is the artifact used to inspect the fragments. Please step forward in turn and place your hand upon it."

Gu Liuyun felt a chill in his heart, knowing he could no longer avoid it. Just as he was debating whether to take advantage of the chaos and flee, the old man suddenly called out, "Young Master Gu, please go first."

Gu Liuyun inwardly cursed the old fox, but kept his expression neutral as he walked up to the artifact. He took a deep breath and placed his hand upon it.

The old man's gaze was piercing, fixed unblinkingly on Gu Liuyun as if trying to see right through him. The people around them also held their breath, watching Gu Liuyun's every move. The oppressive atmosphere reached its peak; Gu Liuyun could even hear the sound of his own heartbeat. He had prepared everything for an escape, waiting only for the artifact to show any abnormality so he could immediately grease his heels and make a run for it!

Staring at the artifact, the old man suddenly spoke, "Hmm... Interesting..."

The moment the old man's voice fell, the artifact showed no abnormality whatsoever. The cyan glow remained, as calm as stagnant water. This abnormal phenomenon left everyone present staring at one another in blank dismay, and a bizarre silence permeated the air.

The gloating expression on Bai Bai's face instantly froze, replaced by incredulous shock, as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly. Gu Liuyun himself was also stunned. He had clearly sensed that the aura emitted by the artifact was extremely unusual and seemed capable of seeing through all his disguises. He had prepared everything for a getaway, and yet... that was it?

Just that?

Could it really be because of that fragment?

He cautiously attempted to lift his hand from the artifact. The very instant his fingertips left the surface, the cyan-glowing artifact seemed to lose all its energy, instantly turning dim and lusterless. The swimming runes stopped moving entirely, and it was reduced to a completely useless piece of scrap iron.

"This... how is this possible?" The old man's eyes, previously as sharp as a falcon's, were now filled with shock, and his wrinkled face was written all over with confusion. He muttered to himself, as if doubting whether his old eyes were failing him.

Taking advantage of the fact that the crowd had not yet recovered from their shock, Gu Liuyun quickly withdrew his hand and stowed the fragment away into his Sumeru ring, his heart racing faster from the tension. This fragment truly had something strange about it!

However, before Gu Liuyun could rejoice for long, a sudden change occurred!

The old man suddenly raised his hand, his previously kind expression instantly turning sinister. A blast of fierce wind carrying a sharp, biting aura headed straight for Gu Liuyun! The speed was like lightning, leaving no time for any reaction.

"Old man, playing a sneak attack?" Gu Liuyun was startled, and a strong sense of crisis instantly enveloped his entire body. Without time for deep thought, his body reacted instinctively, and he sidestepped to dodge the old man's strike. The violent wind whistled past his ear, leaving behind a stinging sensation.

"Bang!"

Having missed his first strike, the old man slammed his foot fiercely against the ground, his figure erupting forward once more as he lunged at Gu Liuyun like a cheetah. This time, he was no longer testing the waters; he directly unleashed a lethal move, every strike fatal, intent on sending Gu Liuyun to his death.

Feeling the murderous intent emanating from the old man, Gu Liuyun's nerves tightened instantly. As he dodged the old man's attacks, he racked his brain for a countermeasure. The opponent's strength was clearly above his own; meeting force with force was definitely not a wise choice, so he had to rely on wits.

The scene instantly grew tense. The sounds of fists and feet colliding and the whistling of fierce winds rang in everyone's ears, creating a suffocating feeling. Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao cried out in alarm from the sidelines, while Bai Bai wore a sinister gaze, staring fixedly at Gu Liuyun in the center of the plaza, desperately hoping to see him beaten into a pathetic stray dog by the old man.

Gu Liuyun was hanging by a thread amidst the old man's storm-like attacks. His dodging figure was like a withered leaf fluttering in the wind, liable to be crushed at any second.

Just as he was about to be driven into a desperate corner, a meaningful smile suddenly curled the corner of his mouth.

"Old man, you..." Gu Liuyun suddenly stopped his dodging movements, standing firmly in place as he stared straight at the old man, as if he had something to say.

Seeing this, a cold smile appeared at the edge of the old man's mouth. Without stopping his movements, his offensive grew even fiercer, eager to crush Gu Liuyun in one stroke.

However, at the very moment he was about to succeed, Gu Liuyun made a move that caught everyone completely off guard. He...

Gu Liuyun hooked the corner of his mouth into an enchanting smile and abruptly... threw his arms around the old man!

This sudden action stunned everyone present. The old man was even more caught off guard; his attack came to an abrupt halt, and he stood there in utter bewilderment as he was tightly embraced by Gu Liuyun.

"Old man, you didn't expect this, did you!" Gu Liuyun leaned close to the old man's ear, speaking in a bantering tone, "Did you think I was a soft persimmon that you could knead at will? You miscalculated!"

Gu Liuyun exerted sudden force with his hands, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy instantly poured into the old man's body. This spiritual energy was incomparably domineering, instantly shattering the old man's meridians and rendering him completely immobile.

"You... what did you do?" The old man's expression changed drastically. He felt as though his body was about to be torn apart, and the excruciating pain forced a miserable scream from his throat.

Gu Liuyun ignored the old man's wailing. Continuing his actions, he poured a steady stream of spiritual energy into the old man's body. As the spiritual energy continuously surged in, the old man's body began to tremble violently, and his complexion grew paler and paler.

"Ah..." The old man let out a shrill scream. His body could no longer withstand this powerful spiritual energy and he crashed heavily to the ground.

Gu Liuyun dusted off his hands and stood up with a relaxed expression, as if what had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter. He looked around his surroundings.

Everyone was shocked by Gu Liuyun's formidable strength. They had not expected that this seemingly delicate man possessed such terrifying power.

The eyes of Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao were filled with adoration; their heartbeats quickened, their cheeks flushed, and they wished they could immediately throw themselves into Gu Liuyun's arms. Seeing Gu Liuyun's heroic performance, Lin Qingshuang felt her affection for him grow by another fraction. She walked to Gu Liuyun's side and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Gu Liuyun smiled slightly, shook his head, and said, "I'm fine, just a minor scuffle."

An ambiguous atmosphere drifted imperceptibly between the two, and the air was filled with a trace of sweetness.

Just when Gu Liuyun thought the matter was over, he suddenly sensed that the gazes the surrounding people cast upon him had grown complicated—gazes filled with...

"Young Master Gu," a cold voice came from the crowd, "Your strength is indeed formidable, but... do you really think you can escape our control just like this?"