He reached out a hand, pulled Jin Yun out, and threw him back into the dojo.

Then he took a step forward.

Gu Shen also returned to the dojo.

"Cough cough cough..."

Jin Yun was covered in dust, looking extremely embarrassed, and his eyes gazed at Gu Shen with fear.

"Take it easy."

Gu Shen said helplessly, "I’ll use ’Chi Huo’ to heal your injuries."

Because he withdrew his force, it was just some external injuries.

The fire of vitality would only take a few minutes to heal them completely.

However, Gu Shen knew that this powerful slap would leave Jin Yun with an unforgettable impression for life.

...

...

Before long.

The battle images from the Second Judgment Dojo spread out.

The incident of Gu Shen giving Jin Yun a solid slap was known throughout Changye.

Within the Judgement Institute, the rumor about the new Grand Judge favoring "Jin Yun" was undoubtedly unfounded, wasn’t this slap harder than the one received by Zhou E back then?

"Grand Judge, so your visit to the dojo was actually to teach me a lesson..."

A moment later, under the healing of the fire of vitality.

Jin Yun was almost completely recovered.

His expression was quite gloomy at the moment.

He was no fool.

After that powerful slap, he suddenly understood many things.

"What are you talking about, am I such a person?"

Gu Shen sat cross-legged right in front of Jin Yun, directly denying, "This is called guidance. I am pleased with your cultivation realm, and after this fight, you’re not far from breaking through to being Titled in the future. Remember, when merging [Wind Dancer] and [Blade Split], don’t focus too much on destructive power. The essence of Extraordinary Cultivation is the leap in the level of life. Find a way to blend elements of different spirit realms together; that’s the true path to advancement."

Jin Yun listened in a daze.

Indeed.

He felt the slap was worthwhile; dueling with Gu Shen was much more beneficial than with other Transcendents!

Throughout the headquarters of the Judgement Institute, the only one qualified to battle him was Zhou E!

But both their statuses were sensitive.

In these years, due to the "Grand Judge" position competition, Jin Yun couldn’t directly challenge Zhou E, as they were at a fifty-fifty stalemate, a little stronger or weaker on either side. If he rashly initiated a "challenge" and didn’t win, the so-called Grand Judge title would naturally slip away.

With such a cautious mindset, Jin Yun was stuck at the point of being Titled for years.

Now.

After letting go and making a move, he indeed reaped a lot.

"Of course, what I came here to say to you is not just about your Extraordinary Cultivation."

Gu Shen paused, then continued, "I hope that in the future, there will be no more ’open and secret struggles’ in the Judgement Institute. The first and second positions are just worldly evaluations of you. In my heart, there is another scale. I hope you understand that as long as I am still the ’Grand Judge,’ the weight of this scale will always mean more than the worldly views outside."

Hearing this, Jin Yun’s pupils slightly contracted.

He certainly understood what Gu Shen meant.

Gu Shen suppressed the current era; no one could compete with him.

As long as he was around, no one could touch the position of "Grand Judge"—

But eventually, he would relinquish this position.

The struggle is meaningless.

Because the future "Grand Judge" would be personally appointed by Gu Shen.

"In regards to choosing the successor for the ’Grand Judge,’ I will maintain absolute neutrality and objectivity, showing no favoritism towards anyone. If, one day in the future, there’s a junior who surpasses you... then he could potentially become my ’successor’."

Gu Shen said calmly, "Just like the fourth in line, Zhong Fan, I have high hopes for him."

Jin Yun fell silent.

Zhong Fan was indeed an intimidating young talent.

Although ranked fourth.

After the "Wutuo" betrayal incident, the Third Judgement position within the Judgement Institute was vacant... This time, during the rotation, Zhong Fan has a high chance of moving up to third.

"If you and Zhou E continue to fight, it will only benefit others."

Gu Shen said softly, "Aside from Zhong Fan, there’s also Xie Zheng; everyone in the Judgement Institute is advancing."

Jin Yun opened his mouth, wanting to say something but hesitated.

He suddenly realized he had indeed done something foolish. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"From today on, visit the First Judgment Dojo more often. Spar more with Zhou E. The rarest thing in this world is ’to meet one’s match’."

Gu Shen said with some emotion, "Do you know how fortunate it is to have a ’friend’ of equal strength to spar with?"

"I... understand."

Jin Yun said hoarsely, lowering his head.

Gu Shen responded placidly.

When Jin Yun looked up again, Gu Shen had already disappeared, whereabouts unknown.

"Guidance..."

Leaning against the pillar of the ring, his expression was both reminiscent and self-mocking as he smiled.

The Second Judge softly repeated what Gu Shen had just said, rubbing his aching head, saying with a bitter smile, "Why do I feel it was more like a reprimand?"

...

...

After leaving the Second Judgment Dojo, perhaps because he had stretched his muscles and bones, Gu Shen felt more comfortable than ever.

The situations of these two Judges were different and needed different approaches.

Zhou E’s momentum was sluggish and hard to revive. In such a time, hitting him might truly leave him in a slump.

So Gu Shen attentively comforted him with encouraging words.

As for the overly complacent Jin Yun, he needed a good "knock" to the head.

Knock, knock, knock first, then hit.