Fang Yuan's words — "I forfeit" — still echoed in everyone's ears.
In an instant, nearly every Second Transformation Gu Master below the stone tower turned their astonished gaze upon Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan ignored them all, standing in place with his arms folded, his expression utterly calm.
"Forfeit? He actually just forfeited — did I hear that right?"
"That's Fang Yuan? He doesn't even have the guts to throw a single punch, haha."
"I have to admit Xiong Li's aura is genuinely overwhelming. But even if you're going to lose, you should at least go through the motions. Just forfeiting outright — that's not only cowardice on your own part, it shames the entire clan."
……Gradually, whispered murmurs spread like ripples on a still lake.
After the initial shock faded, the looks the surrounding Gu Masters directed at Fang Yuan turned to contempt, disdain, and schadenfreude.
Quite a few of the Guye Clan's Gu Masters shifted uncomfortably on their feet. The gazes coming from the Bear Family and the Bai Family Gu Masters felt like invisible needles, pricking at their pride.
Fang Yuan was a member of the Guye Clan. By forfeiting outright, he dragged their faces down with his.
"How can you just forfeit? Fang Yuan, you're a son of the Guye family — step out there and fight Xiong Li with courage!"
"Besides, even if you lost, it wouldn't be the end of the world."
"Having no courage to even make a move — now that's what's truly disgraceful!"
Some of the Guye Clan's Gu Masters began shouting, egging Fang Yuan on to go out and fight.
Fang Yuan's face didn't change a muscle. Listening to them was like listening to a pack of dogs barking.
So-called reputation, face, and honor — nothing but painted cakes on paper, manacles that those in power fastened around the necks of their subordinates.
These Gu Masters were nothing more than dogs with ropes around their own necks.
Xiong Li stared fixedly at Fang Yuan, then suddenly broke into a grin: "What a disappointment. So this is the bravery the Guye family is known for?"
That remark made the Guye Clan Gu Masters' faces darken considerably.
From the Bear Family Stronghold came waves of raucous laughter. Even the Bai Family Stronghold's Gu Masters looked upon the Guye Clan with mocking eyes.
The people around Fang Yuan shufflingly moved away, all of them distancing themselves from him with expressions that said they were ashamed to be seen in his company.
Soon, no one stood within five paces of Fang Yuan.
He remained where he was, going his own way — utterly out of place, yet perfectly serene.
Others placed great value on the reputation of bravery, but Fang Yuan scoffed at such things. This, naturally, only intensified the crowd's disgust toward him.
Because Fang Yuan's contempt for reputation was a denial of the collective's values. To deny those values was to deny every person who had lived by them.
No one willingly accepted that their life had been lived wrong. And so, subconsciously, they began to resist Fang Yuan, to reject him.
Those with weak minds would be defeated by such rejection and change themselves to fit the mold.
But Fang Yuan needed precisely this kind of rejection. His secrets were growing more numerous by the day, and he needed solitude. Besides, these people held no value as connections. In his memories, while the three great strongholds of Qing Mao Mountain had survived the Wolf Tide with great difficulty, they were all wiped out two years later in a catastrophic incident. From then on, Qing Mao Mountain became a frozen wasteland of death.
All Fang Yuan needed to do was use this time to grow as strong as possible, leave the clan in time, and avoid the doom that awaited him.
Watching the situation deteriorate so badly, Qing Shu — the foremost Second Transformation cultivator in Guye Stockade — had no choice but to step forward.
"Xiong Li, why don't we have a friendly exchange?"
"Heh heh, how do you want to do it?" Though Xiong Li was smiling, a weighty expression crept onto his face.
Gu Yue Qing Shu didn't look at Xiong Li. Instead, he slightly raised one palm, secretly circulating his True Essence, his gaze lowered as he watched the green vines slowly growing from the center of his hand.
He spoke slowly: "Let's test your strength. If you can break free from the binding of my vines, I'll concede. How about that?"
"Heh heh, fine proposal. Let's do it." Xiong Li split his grin wide, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes.
He thought to himself: I already possess one Bear's Strength, and with the Bear Fierce Gu's explosive power, the two stack into Two Bears' Strength. Green vines are tough, sure, but with Two Bears' Strength, I can absolutely tear free. Xiong Jiang already defeated Bai Bingyi — if I beat Qing Shu too, it'll be a massive boost to our face!
Qing Shu offered a gentle smile, said nothing more, and simply extended both palms, flat and open. Two green vines sprouted from his palms and grew longer and longer, like two agile green serpents. They climbed onto Xiong Li's body and wound themselves around him.
Xiong Li's arms hung at his sides as the vines coiled around them. In the blink of an eye, they had wrapped around him more than a dozen times, tightly binding both his arms to his torso and waist.
The other Gu Masters watched the duel without blinking.
"Please." Qing Shu said to Xiong Li.
Xiong Li's eyes bulged wide. He clenched his fists with explosive force and began to exert his strength.
Muscle after muscle bulged across his body, rising like massive boulders stacked upon one another.
One Bear's Strength!
Snap. Snap. Snap.
One by one, the green vines began to break apart under his tremendous power.
"Hahaha, Brother Qing Shu — looks like I've won this little exchange!" Xiong Li roared, unleashing his power while still having enough breath left to talk.