Chapter 33 Potential Of A Path

Elder Elder and Elder Hu both nodded smiling as they watched Xuanyuan interact with Yu Xiaolong, muttering about the Lightning Path, and the possibilities that Yu Xiaolong could take to further his own attainment.

Attainment was a concept primarily used by Rank 5 Gu Masters or higher. It was more than just a measurement of how an individual had grasp the profundities relating to a specific Path, but also generated a passive form of intuition relating to that specific Path.

It was possible for this intuition to develop further, but that was for those who had attained a Grandmaster level attainment or higher in a single Path.

Right now, Xuanyuan had yet to become a Master in the Shadow Path, but Elder Luo and Elder Hu were both sure that he was at least a Quasi-Master. As far as they were both aware, there wasn't a single other Quasi-Master Rank 2 Gu Master in the entire Sect.

Not only had Xuanyuan achieved this with no backing or formal teacher, but also within the span of a single year. It had only taken him twelve months to become a Quasi-Master in the Shadow Path.

'Not to mention the fact that he is still researching other Paths', Elder Luo thought.

When Elder Kong mentioned the Second Aperture Gu, Elder Luo's heart soared thinking of the possibilities. If Xuanyuan possessed such a thing, he wouldn't be limited to just the Shadow Path if he became a Gu Immortal.

Two apertures meant two Vital Gu. Two apertures meant two Blessed Lands. Two apertures allowed him to walk two Paths. It also meant that he would receive twice the returns on his Calamities and Tribulations, but also twice the danger.

'But Xuanyuan would be able to handle it', he thought.

Of this, Luo Yu was sure.

While Elder Luo was entranced with his thoughts, the Sect Leader just showed a small smile nodding as he watched Xuanyuan interact with Yu Xiaolong. He didn't particularly take Elder Kong seriously when he heard he wanted the boy to be this generations Abyssal Child, but after hearing several different Gu Immortals names being mentioned, he couldn't help but be intrigued by the boy.

He had seen him fight, albeit for a brief moment, with another Rank 2 Gu Master and despite the fact that he knew what Xuanyuan had done, he couldn't think of the name of the Gu he had used.

It's range was quite short, barely ten feet, but it was a radius around Xuanyuan, not just in a single direction. 

It was a powerful counter to close-quarters type Gu Masters. If they even tried to approach Xuanyuan, they would be cut by thin, yet extraordinarily sharp strings of shadow. The worst thing about them that they wouldn't be able to see it if they weren't focusing on Xuanyuan's shadow.

The Sect Leader didn't know that Xuanyuan was the one who completed the Gu recipe, but Elder Kong and Elder Guo both smiled, the latter stroking his beard as he tried to listen to Xuanyuan's conversation.

"Even if the boy knows nothing of the true potential of the Lightning Path, his knowledge of Gu is quite deep. I don't remember the last time someone mentioned the Thunder Taunt Gu to me...".

Elder Kong nodded, his thick white eyebrows rising a fraction of an inch.

"Xuanyuan has already begun striving towards the zenith of the Shadow Path, his intentions and desires pure and straightforward. However it is slightly concerning just how many paths he is exploring at once. Light, Dark, Moon, Wisdom, Poison, Space, Refinement... perhaps it is nothing, but even that is too many. We risk him diverging from his original Path if he tries to explore too many at once".

The Elder's mind flashed back to the Second Aperture Gu, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Even if they managed to obtain the Gu, there would be endless conflict as the other members of the Ten Great Sects tried to get their hands on it.

Even if they were all members of the Righteous Path, competition still existed between each and every one of them. If Xuanyuan's talents became widespread, and it was known that he possessed multiple apertures, perhaps he would become the target of more than just demonic Gu Masters...

'It would be better if we just leave those thoughts to rest', Elder Kong thought.

Seeing Xuanyuan apologize, and then guide Yu Xiaolong towards the right step in his Lightning Path made him and the other Elders smile. Xuanyuan was the future of the Ancient Soul Sect, of that much he was completely sure.

More of the fights continued until the beginning of the second round started. There were only a couple serious injuries, but the vast majority of them were healed by Elder Bing before anyone was crippled or worse.

Seeing Bing Ti from the first round of fights head up for his second match, Xuanyuan came to a realization.

'Ah. So they are testing us on our martial arts as well? Once all of the Rank 1 Gu Masters are out of primeval essence, they will be forced to physical fight each other to win. Eventually, even their stamina will run out, forcing them to drop out of the tournament'.

The tournament was less about determining who was the best in individual fights, and more about who could last the longest. Rank 2 Gu Masters had the greatest advantage from this perspective, considering even if they used Rank 1 Gu, they could use their Gu more than a Rank 1 Gu Master.

Xuanyuan had used Rank 1 Silhouette Strings Gu in order to beat Yu Xiaolong, so his primeval essence usage had barely scratched the surface.

Even then, he had a Rank 1 Cloud Essence Gu to convert primeval energy directly into primeval essence. It was invaluable in letting Xuanyuan fight for longer.

The otherworldly demon made note of the other Rank 2 Gu Masters in the tournament, particularly their Paths, as well as any Gu that they had shown.

Song Pei used the same strategy in his previous fight, this time, his opponent barely doing any damage to his Raging River Crocodile before the beast eventually caught up to him, forcing the referee to interfere. 

Fang Kai, the grandson of Fang Long actually was a Poison Path Gu Master which greatly surprised Xuanyuan. He used a combination of Poison Needle Gu and Venomous Claw Gu to overwhelm and defeat his opponent.

Tai Yang was a Fire Path Gu Master like Jia Yufei and used a combination of martial arts, and his Vital Gu, a Rank 1 Fire Cloak Gu to overwhelm his opponent with sheer heat and his physical size. Tai Yang was very much like his father, Elder Tai, a tall, yet also round looking young man.

He lacked the facial hair and wrinkles, but otherwise, appeared a copy of his father.

His twin sister, Tai Yin on the other hand, appeared soft, gentle, and, if Xuanyuan was being perfectly honest, the most developed figure of any girl his age. He noticed more than a few eyes, including Yu Xiaolong's, linger on her figure as she left the stage.

The girl was surprisingly, a Sword Path Gu Master. She didn't follow after her father and walk the Water Path, showing a skill and comprehension of the Sword Path far beyond that of Bing Ti.

Her Vital Gu was a Rank 1 Sword Shadow Gu, which was, from Xuanyuan's understanding of the Sword Path, a Gu with one of the strongest offensive capabilities at any Rank. No matter if it was Rank 2, or even Rank 3, Tai Yin's Sword Shadow Gu would exceed any single Gu in terms of piercing power.

She alone made Xuanyuan the most wary in the entire tournament.

'Peak Rank 2 Gu Master cultivation, and a Rank 1 Sword Shadow Gu. In addition, she might possess other Rank 2 Gu given to her by Elder Tai. If that is the case, then she is the most dangerous Gu Master out of the entire batch of new disciples'.

Xuanyuan was interested in the Sword Shadow Gu, primarily because he thought it was also a Shadow Path Gu. He had seen a Shadowless Sword Gu with his own eyes, but never a Sword Shadow Gu, or a Shadow Sword Gu.

There were minute differences between all three, but that wasn't what Xuanyuan was interested in.

'Does Sword Shadow Gu contain both Shadow Path and Sword Path profundities? Without a doubt it is a Sword Path Gu, but why shadow? Is it because it is so fast that you can only see its shadow? Or is there something else about it that gives it its name?'.

Xuanyuan kind of wanted a Sword Shadow Gu of his own, after he had seen Tai Yin use it.

Like how Xuanyuan had did earlier, she merely flicked her fingers softly, producing an incredibly fast black beam of sword qi. The black beam of sword qi didn't possess any shadow that Xuanyuan could see, and instead pierced straight through her opponent, eventually dissipating into wisps, causing Xuanyuan to raise an eyebrow.

Her second fight was against a Rank 1 Earth Path Gu Master, who conjured an earthen shield on his arm. He started charging towards Tai Yin, but similarly, felt his shield punctured, and his stomach cut open from the sword shadow.

Xuanyuan narrowed his eyes at that particular fight, knowing that Tai Yin another Gu in order to enhance the offensive power of her Sword Shadow Gu. 

'A combination like that... should be able to threaten Dense Shadow Blade Gu without the use of Bright Red Light Gu. It's speed is immense for Rank 1, and the cutting power is beyond that of any other Gu I have seen'.

The otherworldly demon had a few tricks up his sleeve, but just moved his gaze away from Tai Yin, instead focusing on Yu Xiaolong's second bout. The young man had asked Xuanyuan more than a dozen questions about the Lightning Path, to the point where even Xuanyuan had to shake his head, shrugging his shoulders.

Most of the others his age had never thought about compatibility between Gu, instead trying to obtain as many as possible in a short amount of time. The Lightning Path was considered by everyone in the batch of new disciples to be a purely offensive Path, which Xuanyuan scoffed at.

'Purely offensive...'. Xuanyuan rolled his eyes at the thought.

It was true that it possessed extraordinary offensive capabilities, but Gu Masters his own only saw the surface potential of their Path, not the hidden depths that lay beneath. The Lightning Path, on the surface didn't possess any similarities with the Soul Path, yet the Thunder Ghost True Monarch created an Immortal Killer Move using the Thunder Path and the Soul Path to mimic the Information and Wisdom Paths.

It created a trident which could be thrown at a target. If the trident was deflected or diverted from the target, the user could swallow the returned trident and gain information regarding the opponents defenses and Gu.

It could even be used to deduce the essence of an opponents Immortal Killer Move.

Those descendants of Elders had the advantage in that their parents or grandparents could pass down some of their attainments in a Path, increasing the speed at which they comprehended a Path.

Obviously there was a limit to how much they could understand, otherwise, Clans would've taken over the Gu World a long time ago. At the very least, they could help them get to a Quasi-Master level attainment, before they needed to bridge the gap with experience and their own understandings.

Xuanyuan had the advantage in terms of his past life knowledge, and a superior comprehension. In addition to Shadows As Thought Gu which drastically sped up his thinking processes, there was no way any Gu Master his age possessed even a similar attainment without some sort of inheritance.

The sixteen year old just sat there quietly, analyzing the battles of his fellow Gu Masters, before his name was shortly called.

"Platform 1: Xuanyuan vs Luo Le!".