He had first been provoked into anger by Jun Moxie, and then into murderous intent, but due to Jun Moxie's heaven-defying talent and astonishing identity, he couldn't act, forcing him to retract his killing aura. This coming and going, however, was equivalent to a fierce internal battle. While it wouldn't immediately injure him, it severely depleted his spirit and drained his vital energy.

And Jun Moxie relentlessly pressed forward. Gu Feiyu possessed consummate profound skill and power dozens of times greater than the 'Mo Junye' before him, yet he dared not strike!

This constraint was profoundly suffocating. He clearly felt he could crush him with a single finger, but the thought of the severe consequences kept him from acting, no matter what...

And so, Gu Yunyang's killing aura surged out again, only to be forcibly retracted again...

He was driven back seventeen times by Jun Moxie—seventeen steps! His killing aura had effectively cycled through his own body seventeen times, or perhaps, his body had served as the battlefield for seventeen internal clashes!

Especially so, given that he was in a state of near-uncontrollable rage...

Being invaded by another's killing aura, one could at least resist; there was the consciousness to actively repel it and the body’s external defenses.

But when one's own killing aura turned back upon itself, there was absolutely no defense...

Under such circumstances, how could he not be injured? How could he not suffer?

How resilient could a person's meridians truly be? Not everyone possessed the monstrous resilience of Young Master Jun!

Even Gu Feiyu, with his exquisite cultivation at the third rank of Divine Profundity, could barely withstand it. However, if he had begun circulating his energy to recover after the seventeenth step, while he would surely fall seriously ill upon returning and his profound cultivation would regress significantly, his life would not have been in immediate danger.

Yet, at the moment of his seventeenth retreat, when his spirit finally broke, Jun Moxie's momentary step back created a brief vacuum.

This is a natural human reaction: a character who was aggressive, like a wolf hungry for prey, suddenly transforming into a vulnerable lamb at the mercy of others... Such an extreme, sharp contrast could stun even the most resilient of nerves for a moment.

Although this moment of stupor might last less than a tenth of a blink, it was enough for Jun Moxie to seize the opportunity in an instant and immediately unleash his mental manipulation!

Taking advantage of that minuscule gap in Gu Feiyu's consciousness, he swiftly controlled his spiritual sense. But at this precise moment, the killing aura was about to erupt, and his profound energy was fully mobilized, poised to deliver a fatal blow! It was surging wildly within his meridians!

This resulted in both the killing aura and his intrinsic profound energy losing control simultaneously, completely stripping away the protection of the meridians. Like a destructive torrent, it ravaged his internal channels, shredding Gu Feiyu’s own meridians, leaving them fragmented and splintered...

Had it been only a backlash from the profound energy alone, it wouldn't have reached this extent; nor would the solitary regression of the killing aura have caused such a dire outcome! But precisely because two completely different auras clashed and scattered, especially after the killing aura and profound energy had violently churned back and forth seventeen times, it unexpectedly caused Gu Feiyu's current bizarre injury!

Extremely strange! Truly unprecedentedly strange!

Such an injury had never before appeared in this world... For, among all the masters who had cultivated beyond the Divine Profundity realm throughout history, which one had suffered the indignity that Gu Feiyu endured today?

Gu Feiyu's "achievement" today was actually quite commendable, for he had created a historical first! He became the originator and witness of a peculiar type of injury! This reputation might not be glamorous, but it was enough to carve a colorful stroke into the historical records of profound energy ailments! It counted as leaving his name in the annals of history, immortalized forever!

Even Gu Yunyang, a Third Level Saint Emperor, could not discern the reason behind his grandson's condition!

In fact, never mind him; even Jun Moxie, the other instigator who created this "precedent," might not have anticipated that the final outcome would be like this!

Jun Moxie: Alas, how could this be? Though I successfully designed the opening and plotted the entire sequence, I never envisioned the final result. What a pity!

Gu Yunyang poured his pure profound energy into his grandson for a time, only to find that his internal body remained a knotted mess. Even saving his life would likely require painstaking effort, necessitating a complete combing of his internal meridians coupled with potent spiritual medicine. The injury was simply too severe, and too bizarre!

But this was clearly not the ideal location for healing.

Moreover, even if he could eventually recover, Gu Feiyu's lifelong potential was now capped; he would never advance further! He might even regress significantly, as his meridians, having been forcibly realigned by external force, were now essentially set! There was no remaining capacity for further expansion! His heir, on whom such high hopes were pinned, was utterly ruined!

Old Master Gu slowly stood up, cradling his grandson with one arm, his face a mask of cold seriousness. "What exactly transpired today?"

As he spoke these words, he looked at no one in particular. Yet, everyone felt that the question was directed at them!

He spoke each word deliberately, and with each utterance, the aura emanating from Gu Yunyang surged like a monstrous tide, vast and permeating the very air!

Xiao Douya, standing a short distance away, trembled violently, her lips bloodless and white. Her usually bright, lively eyes had become vacant in that instant. Miao Miaomiao’s pale yellow dress fluttered without wind, agitated by the overwhelming pressure, yet her eyes remained calm, like a still, deep well.

A shadow flickered, and Cao Guofeng immediately shielded Jun Moxie, blocking the encroaching aura. He spoke coldly, "Gu Yunyang, what? Are you truly intending to disgrace your seniority today by torturing and extracting confessions from a junior?"

"Torturing a confession might not be the case, but regarding today's events, this old man feels it is necessary to uncover the absolute truth!"

Gu Yunyang gave a cold laugh. "And the crux of the matter lies with these three people before us. I trust Elder Cao won't deny that?"

Though the Gu family boasted many descendants, only a handful in Gu Feiyu's generation were truly capable on the main stage; among those few, Gu Yunyang’s aptitude for profound skill, while perhaps not number one, ranked securely second!

To reach the third rank of Divine Profundity by his early twenties, while undeniably aided by the countless spiritual elixirs provided by his family, would have been impossible without considerable innate talent. One must remember that the entire Gu family comprised at least one or two thousand people! They were counted among the prominent great families in the Illusionary Domain.

And one of the most promising young talents in this great family was now crippled here! The fury in Gu Yunyang’s heart was immense!

"Gu Yunyang, you are also a senior figure. In our past dealings, we were cordial; but I never imagined you were this kind of person!"

Cao Guofeng sighed with genuine disappointment. "It is one thing if you disregard the oaths between us, but to use them as leverage to boast excessively in front of your descendants—if it were merely a bit of boasting to gain favor among your juniors, I could understand... But you actually allowed them to spread rumors rampantly outside without lifting a finger to stop it!..."

Cao Guofeng looked at him, profound disappointment etched in his eyes: "...That, I could let slide. At our level, all superficial fame is fleeting smoke. I could let you monopolize the glory, so what? But now, for the sake of your grandson, you completely disregard the future of the Illusionary Domain! You forcibly exerted your aura, strongly coercing the possessor of an Ethereal Body and the granddaughter of the Illusionary Domain Master... Gu Yunyang, are you willing to sacrifice the entire Gu family for this useless grandson?"

By the time he finished the last sentence, Cao Guofeng’s hair bristled, and two sharp beams of light shot from his eyes, fixing fiercely upon Gu Yunyang's face.

Gu Yunyang's expression shifted slightly, softening somewhat. "Saint Emperor Cao speaks too strongly. I only wish to ascertain the truth. Are you suggesting I am plotting rebellion? If Miss Miao wished to speak, fine; if not, that's also fine. With so many witnesses here today, surely the truth will come out?"

Cao Guofeng snorted coldly. "What a pretty speech."

The tension mounted as the two confronted each other. Miao Miaomiao sighed softly, preparing to speak. She hoped to de-escalate the situation; if she offered a clear explanation, all three parties could find a way to save face.

But Jun Moxie saw this situation as an opportunity he was delighted to see unfold. How could he let her defuse the tension? He stepped forward quickly and said, "Since Elder Gu wishes to know the truth, I, too, am greatly perplexed. Why don't I explain the sequence of events to Elder Gu? The two young ladies can simply listen here; if anything I say deviates from the facts, they are welcome to point it out immediately."

Gu Yunyang's eyes flickered. "Good, you speak!"

The Old Master Gu had already concluded that Miao Miaomiao was behind everything, so he naturally preferred not to hear Miss Miao's version of events. Seeing Young Master Jun volunteer, he was even more inclined to hear Jun Moxie explain the process!

This lad seems honest and simple, Gu Yunyang thought. He probably won't lie...

"The situation unfolded like this. I had recently recovered from a serious illness and was strolling aimlessly. I happened to arrive here, and this young lady graciously invited me, saying her mistress wished to meet me..."

Jun Moxie glanced faintly at Xiao Douya and slowly began his narrative.

At the very beginning of the story, Cao Guofeng and Gu Yunyang understood the apparent trajectory: the root of today's conflict seemed obvious—Miao Miaomiao must have invited Mo Junye first, and then Gu Feiyu, who was accompanying her, became jealous. Furthermore, upon arriving at the Illusionary Domain, Mo Junye's superhuman talent and Ethereal Body instantly placed him at the top of all the domain's younger generation, despite having cultivation below the Silver Profundity realm!

Gu Feiyu was surely resentful. With all these factors combined, he naturally sought an excuse to humiliate this Ethereal Body possessor!

"...At that time, I was extremely frightened."

Young Master Jun winced, glancing fearfully at Gu Yunyang. "I have little experience with the world, having never seen much since I was young. I certainly dared not argue with Young Master Gu, so I tried to slip away. Then Young Master Gu... [said] that there are too many powerful entities in the Illusionary Domain that even Saint Emperor Cao dares not provoke, telling me not to act so arrogantly..."