Ah!
Much like the first time he probed Chu Ling, it felt as though a heavy hammer struck directly at his soul.
A pain that penetrated the very essence of his being radiated outward.
Gu Yuan's vision blurred, and he nearly lost his footing. He quickly steadied himself and took several deep breaths on the spot before he could fully recover.
The etiquette lady leading the way noticed his distress and turned to ask what was wrong.
Gu Yuan quickly assured her he was fine, attributing it to exhaustion from the competition. He politely declined the lady's offer of assistance and left the arena alone, returning to his dormitory.
Excitedly, Gu Yuan immersed his consciousness to examine the information obtained from the Dao 운 Fortune Scroll.
Meanwhile, in Tian Yuan City.
"Hahahaha! Truly fucking awesome, Gu Yuan is awesome, hahaha!" A burst of laughter erupted from an office, belonging to Gu Yuan's principal, Wang Qifeng.
"Wang Qifeng, how many times have I told you not to laugh so loudly? This is my office, not yours, understand?" Another roar drowned out Wang Qifeng's laughter.
"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it. It won't happen again." Wang Qifeng chuckled good-naturedly.
Lu Feng didn't press him further. He looked at the spirited young man, Gu Yuan, on the podium.
He felt a deep sense of gratification. Upon returning, he would certainly apply for more rewards to honor Gu Yuan, who brought an unprecedented second-place finish to a small city like Tian Yuan. As Wang Qifeng put it, Gu Yuan was truly awesome.
In the villa district of Tian Yuan City.
"Yay yay yay! Gu Yuan is second place, so amazing! He truly is the person I like, so incredibly powerful." Chu Ling, overjoyed, jumped and bounced on her bed. If the bed beneath her weren't made of high-grade materials, she would have collapsed it with a single leap.
In the Patrol Division, a young woman with a heroic and spirited demeanor watched Gu Yuan on the awards podium, her red lips curving slightly into an alluring smile.
Such news spread throughout the streets and alleys of Tian Yuan City. Every native of Tian Yuan City was overjoyed, as their small city could also produce a prodigy. This sense of honor stemmed from genuine happiness.
In Zhong Zhou City, the candidate dormitory area.
After a long while, a earth-shattering "Holy crap!" echoed from the bedroom.
Fortunately, there weren't many people left in the dormitory building, so there was no fear of disturbing others.
The lines of text before Gu Yuan's eyes left him stunned.
[Name]: [Yang Tiankui]
[Destiny God]: [Kui Yuan]
[Destiny]: [Kui Star Enters Destiny]
[Realm]: [Body Forging Ninth Level (Extreme)]
[Fate Numbers]: [Kui Xing Ti Dou (Red)], [Reliving a Life (Red)], [Great Being Reincarnation (Red)], [Innately Wise (Red)], [Martial Dao Prodigy (Purple)], [Spirit Exorcist (Purple)], [Tiger Wolf Strength (Green)], [Fist Technique Mastery (Green)], [Cautious (White)], [Brave (White)]
What the—
Gu Yuan looked out through the peephole and saw Monk Miao Zhen and Xiao Yixian waiting at the door.
He opened the door. Monk Miao Zhen, who had been about to knock again, silently retracted his hand. He clasped his palms together and softly recited a Buddhist chant.
"Amitabha, donor Gu, do you intend to visit the Treasury?" Monk Miao Zhen asked with a benevolent smile.
Gu Yuan nodded. "What's going on, Master Miao Zhen?"
"It's like this, Xiao Shi and I wish to invite you to the Treasury to select items together," Monk Miao Zhen stated their purpose honestly.
Gu Yuan glanced at Monk Miao Zhen, then at Xiao Yixian. Xiao Yixian's exceptionally handsome face broke into a smile as he nodded.
Gu Yuan understood. They were establishing good karma, in other words, making a friend. After all, Gu Yuan's strength was evident; who else but Yang Tiankui could suppress him?
"Alright, I was just about to head to the Treasury. Let's go together." Gu Yuan nodded. He knew that these two monks had good character; otherwise, they wouldn't have become the true disciples of their respective lineages.
He was also happy to make friends. After all, having more friends meant more opportunities; it was always better to have friends than to be without them.
The three of them left the dormitory together and boarded a vehicle specially prepared for them by the authorities.
The vehicle smoothly drove onto the main road, heading towards the official location in Zhong Zhou Prefecture.
Along the way, Monk Miao Zhen initiated a conversation, "Which martial arts university does donor Gu plan to attend?"
Gu Yuan pondered for a moment. To be honest, he hadn't decided yet and could only speak truthfully, "I haven't decided which martial arts university to attend yet. I'll go wherever they offer the best terms."
"Is that so? Then donor Gu could consider the First Martial Arts University. Xiao Shi and I have already decided to attend the First Martial Arts University," Monk Miao Zhen said with a smile.
Gu Yuan looked at them in surprise. Was this their personal decision, or was it the intention of their respective sects?
He also understood his current value; he was a lone wolf with such remarkable talent, so many forces would surely seek him out. The most stable options would be to join the official or military factions, which were the most powerful forces in Tian Xia Country.
The term "official" here referred to non-military forces.
Gu Yuan was deep in thought, while Monk Miao Zhen did not rush him, lowering his head to turn his prayer beads.
A moment later, Gu Yuan turned and said to Miao Zhen, "If the three martial arts universities offer the same terms, I will prioritize the First Martial Arts University."
Upon hearing this, Monk Miao Zhen and Xiao Yixian exchanged glances, their faces filled with smiles.
Ten minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of an extremely majestic building. This building was almost at the very center of Zhong Zhou City.
This was the Zhong Zhou Prefecture Martial Arts Bureau!