"Uncle Lang, could such a reckless killing really be the work of those dark organizations?"
Gu Wenyuan asked cautiously, sensing something ominous.
Hearing this, Gu Lang eyes narrowed, and a chill ran down his spine. The brutal method of murder…it did resemble the handiwork of those lawless factions.
If it really was one of those dark organizations, things would be far more complicated than he had anticipated.
Gu Yi, who had just resurfaced in their lives, might have already been marked by them. And if the Gu family chose to intervene now, they could end up dragging themselves into a catastrophe they'd never walk out of.
Offending the Alliance of the Twelve States might cripple the family power and strip them of their current status—but at least a spark of their bloodline would remain.
But if they messed with one of those groups…the Gu family might not even get a chance to scream before being wiped off the face of the earth.
Members of the dark organizations were notorious for their cruelty and bloodlust.
Falling into their hands was no different from total annihilation.
As for seeking aid from the Twelve States Alliance, the family would be wiped out before help arrived.
Plus, Gu Zhen had a special-type superpower, and rumors suggested the dark faction Nether Boat, one of the six major powers, was collecting special -type superpower users for experiments.
It was plausible.
With this in mind, Gu Lang quickly backtracked.
A terrible realization dawned on Gu Lang.
He spoke again, this time in a resolute tone: Tell Gu Feng and the others to stop tailing him. Strike Gu Yi name from the family records. From this moment on, the Gu family has nothing to do with him.
Though his curiosity burned for the truth, Gu Lang feared the consequences more.
Better to assume the worst and play it safe than to blindly walk into the jaws of death.
As for Gu Liqing…that useless fool loss was insignificant in comparison.
"I understand"
Gu Wenyuan didn't quite know why Gu Lang had suddenly changed his mind, but he didn't care. Gu Yi had always struck him as something unnatural—he was more than happy to stay away from that weirdo.
With new orders in hand, Gu Wenyuan quickly left.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhen—blissfully unaware that he had just been disowned—was deep in training, still pondering how to handle the Gu family situation.
Oddly enough, he noticed that for the past few days, Gu Feng and his cronies had stopped keeping tabs on him. That struck him as curious.
Could it be that the Gu family just gave up on him?
He couldn't make sense of it, but he didn't dwell too long either.
Instead, he returned his full focus to cultivation.
While developing his star skill, an idea had struck him: what if he used his legs to execute the Iron Fist skill?
It wasn't just a wild fantasy. Theoretically, the Iron Fist skill wasn't limited to the hands—any body part capable of concentrating star force, exploding with power, and being protected by that same energy could work.
The theory was sound—now to test it.
Previously, Gu Zhen physical limit had capped what he could do with Iron Fist.
But now, having just been "dealt with" by the Gu family and reaching the Intermediate First Stage of body cultivation, he was stronger than before.
Perfect time to experiment.
And so, in the days that followed, Gu Zhen poured his energy into training his "Iron Leg" and strengthening his star force control.
Before he knew it, it was time for the weekly academy competition again.
This time, Gu Zhen didn't skip it.
He showed up.
His appearance immediately stirred up a buzz among the class.
"Watch, Gu Yi gonna take first place again. He skipped the last one—must've gone off to learn some secret star skills."
"Pfft!!! He is just an F-rank special-type. Even if he did learn a skill, what difference would it make?"
"Yeah, he only won last time cause Zhou Xin and the others had just awakened and barely knew how to use their superpower."
"I heard Zhou Xin already reached Realm 1 Level 2 and even picked up a new star skill."
"Ugh, so that what talent looks like. Meanwhile, I'm still stuck at Realm 1, Level 1…"
"Tch, word is Gu Lingling already Level 3!"
"Damn! She's a genius and she got the Gu family full support. If I had even a shred of that talent, I would be set."
"Keep dreaming, buddy."
Gu Zhen listened quietly, mostly to gather information.
He had to admit, the difference in talent was staggering. While he clawed his way to level 2 through sheer grit, others were gliding ahead effortlessly.
The gap between the gifted and the average really was like gods and ants.
Soon, the first round of matches began.
Gu Zhen wasn't in the first batch, so he stayed on the sidelines and watched.
Director Office, Star Martial Academy
Li Qin leisurely sipped his tea.
As Director of Discipline, his workload was light, his salary generous, and his authority unmatched.
And it was all thanks to his strength—Third Stage Realm.
In a small place like Sunmoon City, the only person stronger was Liu Hui, a Fourth Stage powerhouse sent by the Liu Clan of Duskstate to oversee the city.
With that kind of backing, Li Qin walked through the academy like a tiger among sheep—even the Dean had to show him respect.
But just then, a cold female voice echoed in his mind.
"Li Qin"
Yes! he replied immediately, snapping to attention.
'The organization needs special-type star warriors for superpower research. If you have any, find a way to send them over.'
Li Qin hesitated. "There is one…but he is only F-rank."
The other end of the spirit link paused, as if weighing the value of an F-rank. Then the voice spoke again.
'Send the data. Ensure he meets the standard.'
'Understood,' Li Qin replied promptly.
special-types were rare enough. High-tier ones were almost nonexistent. It was no surprise the organization would accept whatever it could get.
After ending the link, Li Qin resumed sipping his tea and pulled up Gu Zhen profile.
"Gu Yi…..adopted orphan of the Gu family? His strength is too weak. Looks like I'll need to give him a little push to meet the standard.
Back on the training field, Gu Zhen had progressed to the third round—and this time, he came face to face with an old acquaintance.
Li Hao grinned wickedly.
This was his chance to redeem himself.
As the referee, Xie Yanwen, announced the start of the match, Li Hao dropped into a crouch, hands pressed to the ground.
Earth-elemental star skill: Tomb Hand
Same trick
Same skill
But this time, Li Hao had studied Gu Zhen moves.
He was confident.
Victory was in the bag.
Gu Zhen responded instantly, legs bursting with strength as he launched himself at Li Hao like an arrow.
But before he could reach him, a thick earth wall shot up to shield Li Hao.
At the same time, razor-sharp earth spears erupted from the ground, aiming straight at Gu Zhen path.
The students below shook their heads. At this rate, even if Gu Zhen reached the wall, the spears would injure him.
He was asking for trouble.
Gu Zhen drew back his left arm, fingers clenching into a fist, and smashed it into the wall. The immense force shattered the barrier, exposing Li Hao behind it.
Boom!
The wall shattered under the force of his punch, revealing a stunned Li Hao behind it.
But just before the blow could land, a thin film of water flickered into existence—Water Shield—absorbing the impact.
Match over!! Winner: Gu Yi