Zhou Hong arrived at a restaurant in Tai Gu City, intending to find a cultivator at the late stage of the Heartbeat realm to test the power of his Gravity Array.
Soon, Zhou Hong locked onto a target: a man in red clothing, drinking in the restaurant with one foot resting on his stool, a very impolite posture.
"Slap!" Zhou Hong walked up and slapped the back of the man's head.
"Who are you?" The man spun around, roaring angrily at Zhou Hong, "I'll kill you."
Zhou Hong immediately activated the Gravity Array.
The next second, the man froze in mid-air, unable to move. Sudang Novel Network.
"What's going on? Why can't I move?" the man stammered.
Zhou Hong was also stunned. He had originally thought it would be good if he could defeat someone at a higher level, the late stage of the Heartbeat realm. But the result was beyond his wildest imagination. A late-stage Heartbeat realm cultivator was completely immobilized under his Gravity Array, as if pressed by a massive stone.
"Damn it," Zhou Hong inwardly gasped. His Gravity Array's power was too immense; it could directly immobilize someone a whole realm higher than him.
However, it was also possible that this guy was just too weak, lacking talent.
Of course, even a talented late-stage Heartbeat realm cultivator likely couldn't withstand such strong gravity.
"Fellow Daoist, please don't put your feet on the stool while eating. It's very impolite," Zhou Hong said to the man in red, no longer overthinking it.
"Yes, yes, Senior's reprimand is correct. This junior will never dare to do it again," the man, still frozen in mid-air, nodded hastily, looking at Zhou Hong with a face full of fear.
"Then I'll let you off today."
"Thank you, Senior. I will never put my feet on the stool again."
"Teachable," Zhou Hong chuckled and immediately deactivated the Gravity Array.
Once free, the man slumped to the ground, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.
Zhou Hong scanned the restaurant again and spotted a middle-aged man eating in a corner, smacking his lips loudly.
This middle-aged man's strength was about one realm higher than Zhou Hong's, roughly at the early stage of the Spiritual Nexus realm.
Zhou Hong walked up to him.
"Hey, Uncle, don't smack your lips when you eat," Zhou Hong said, feigning an arrogant, meddlesome attitude.
"You're seeking death," the middle-aged man roared, throwing his chopsticks at Zhou Hong. The chopsticks flew like bullets.
Zhou Hong instantly activated the Gravity Array. The chopsticks stopped less than a millimeter from his face. Zhou Hong, seeing them suspended before him, broke out in a cold sweat.
He had been careless. Fortunately, his Gravity Array was fast, completing in a fraction of a millisecond. Otherwise, his head would have been pierced by the chopsticks.
The middle-aged man, seeing his chopsticks hover in front of Zhou Hong, looked a bit surprised.
"So you have some skill. No wonder you dare to meddle. But I'd like to know just how capable you are," the middle-aged man said, attempting to stand up from his stool.
However, as soon as he straightened his waist, he felt a powerful gravitational force pushing him down.
"Huh?" The middle-aged man frowned deeply, looking at Zhou Hong in shock.
"What's going on? Why is there such a strong, invisible force pushing me down?" the middle-aged man demanded, looking at Zhou Hong.
"You don't need to ask so much. I just need to know one thing: can I defeat you now that I am in the middle stage of the Heartbeat realm?"
"Middle stage of the Heartbeat realm? You're only in the middle stage of the Heartbeat realm?"
"Yes."
"How is that possible? I am at the early stage of the Spiritual Nexus realm, a full realm stronger than you. How can you make it difficult for me to even stand?"
"Heh, then that's it," Zhou Hong had roughly tested it out. With his Gravity Array, he could at least defeat someone two realms stronger than him, including across different major realms.
"My apologies for the offense. Zhou Hong retracted the Gravity Array, then turned to leave.
"You're a student of Tai Gu Academy, aren't you?" Zhou Hong had only taken a few steps when the middle-aged man called out.
"That's right," Zhou Hong nodded.
"My heavens, since when did Tai Gu Academy have such a strong student? Crossing a whole realm! May I ask your name?" the middle-aged man hurried after Zhou Hong.
"Is it necessary to tell you so clearly?" Zhou Hong replied, sounding slightly impatient.
"To be frank, I am also from Tai Gu Academy."
"Oh, you're also from Tai Gu Academy?" Zhou Hong was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to find someone from Tai Gu Academy just by randomly testing someone in a restaurant.
"Are you a student at Tai Gu Academy?" Zhou Hong asked somewhat hesitantly. If he were a student, he looked a bit old.
"No, I am staff at Tai Gu Academy."
"Oh, oh." Zhou Hong felt speechless for a moment.
"Student, I admire you greatly. You are my idol," the middle-aged man said to Zhou Hong with immense admiration.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Zhou Hong stopped wasting time with him and quickly returned to Tai Gu Academy.
It was still mid-afternoon. Zhou Hong didn't choose to go back to the dormitory. All the students in Class 30 were likely attending class at the main camp. So, Zhou Hong went directly to Class 30's main camp.
As expected, when he arrived, Lu Qianqian was guiding the students of Class 30 in their cultivation.
"Zhou Hong is back!" a student shouted upon seeing him.
Everyone immediately stopped their cultivation. They all knew Zhou Hong had taken a month's leave to go out and train alone.
Lu Qianqian also turned to look at Zhou Hong and asked with a serious expression, "Zhou Hong, you took such a long leave to go out and cultivate alone. Did you gain anything?"
"Of course," Zhou Hong nodded.
"That's good. Then hurry and rejoin the group."
Zhou Hong quickly went to an empty spot and sat down on the ground.
However, shortly after Zhou Hong sat down, a large group of students bustled past on the small path next to the main camp, as if something major had happened ahead.
Class 30's main camp was located next to that path, and the commotion was disturbing their lesson. Lu Qianqian had no choice but to stop teaching.
"Hey, students, what are you all making such a racket for?" Lu Qianqian quickly asked a passing student.
"Instructor Lu, sorry to disturb your class. We're heading to Fire Lotus Lake up ahead."
"What are you going there for?"
"We heard that the Fire Lotuses at Fire Lotus Lake are about to bloom."
"Ah, really?" Lu Qianqian exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.
"Of course, it's true. All the students are rushing there now, hoping to grab some."