Su Meng stared blankly at the twenty-five plumes of vapor erupting from the pool. The words "eighteen Qi vortices" echoed in his mind, but he refused to believe Gu Chen was the one responsible. No, it can't be. Su Hao is too honest to lie…
"If it's not Su Hao, then who could it be?" Su Ying asked, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"Impossible!" Su Meng shook his head firmly. "In three days, Xiao Ye couldn't have formed more than one or two vortices."
Su Ying frowned, her delicate face set with stubbornness. "But I know it's him."
Su Meng sighed, realizing his daughter had fallen for Xiao Ye. What a pity. If Xiao Ye had learned the Absorption Technique earlier, his progress might have rivaled Gu Chen's. But now, after such a rushed battle, he'd fall far behind.
Inside the Vein-Purifying Pool
Xiao Ye's twenty-five Qi vortices churned the water like a cosmic whirlpool, devouring every shred of energy. His true Qi, refined by the pool's power, surged with unprecedented clarity.
Posterior Heaven Realm, sixth stage… He grinned. The Tianluo Skill's twelve meridians were pushing his cultivation to new heights.
"Gu Chen's nowhere to be seen," Xiao Ye muttered. Spotting the prodigy fleeing, he surged forward, his vortices creating a wake that erased all nearby energy.
"Damn it! How did he catch up?!" Gu Chen screamed, his face paling as he swam frantically.
Xiao Ye trailed him lazily, his voice dripping with mockery. "You chose to follow me. Now you can't escape."
The Torture of a Prodigy
Gu Chen's desperation turned to rage. He'd dragged his younger brother, Gu Yang, into this mess, and now Xiao Ye was erasing their gains. Unbearable!
"Brother!" Gu Yang whined, his four vortices sputtering as Xiao Ye's shadow loomed.
"Shut up, you fool!" Gu Chen slapped him, sending Gu Yang tumbling. The pool's energy surged around Xiao Ye, who laughed coldly. "Run all you want. You're trapped."
Above the pool, onlookers gasped. "Twenty-five vortices?! Who is that?!"
"Gu Chen's the only one with that many!" someone shouted, but doubts lingered.
The Aftermath
When Xiao Ye finally surfaced, the crowd fell silent. Twenty-five plumes of vapor confirmed his dominance.
"Impossible! He must've hidden his progress!" Gu Chuchen roared, his face twisted with fury.
Meanwhile, Su Meng stared at his daughter, who was openly gazing at Xiao Ye with wide eyes. She's smitten.
The Final Blow
Gu Chen, exhausted and humiliated, spat blood onto the water. His brother's four vortices flickered weakly as Xiao Ye's shadow closed in.
"Brother… help…" Gu Yang whimpered.
"Stay out of my way!" Gu Chen snapped, but it was too late. Xiao Ye's vortices devoured the last traces of energy, leaving Gu Chen's cultivation frozen.
As the crowd erupted in awe, Xiao Ye swam leisurely to the edge, his smile sharp as a blade. This was just the beginning.