"You little punk... Could you really be... Gu Tianlang?"
"Who else would I be?"
Perhaps the matter was simply too bizarre. Old Monster Tang had long since risen to his feet, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Gu Qingfeng, filled with both suspicion and utter disbelief. As if recalling something, he immediately demanded, "That year, after you beat the four great families and six great sects to a pulp, you were hunted down by experts from the Immortal Dynasty. Who was it that saved you, brat?"
"It was you, old man. Who else could it have been?"
"You!"
Back then, after Gu Qingfeng had swept through the four great families and six great sects, he was already severely injured and utterly exhausted. Then, hunted by the Immortal Dynasty's experts, he nearly lost his life. It was indeed Old Monster Tang who secretly intervened and rescued him.
Old Monster Tang still seemed uncertain. He pressed on, "Later, when you left the Kingdom of Yanluo, what did you say to this old man?"
"What did I say?"
Gu Qingfeng thought carefully before replying, "I don't think I said anything. Back then, you old coot wanted me to stay in Yanluo, so you took advantage of my guard being down and sealed me away. Luckily, I managed to break that seal. Knowing how formidable you were, how would I dare say anything to you? I could only leave without a word."
That was indeed the truth.
Back then, Old Monster Tang knew Tang Hengshu had developed feelings for Gu Tianlang. For that reason, he served him fine wine and delicacies every day, hoping Gu Tianlang would stay and become Tang Hengshu's Dao companion. However, he was refused. In a fit of anger, Old Monster Tang sealed Gu Qingfeng away. To his surprise, the brat eventually broke the seal and escaped. Just as Gu Qingfeng said, he had left without a word, saying nothing at all.
Old Monster Tang then asked a few more questions, and Gu Qingfeng answered each one fluently.
The more he asked, the more complex Old Monster Tang's expression became.
The more he asked, the more certain he became that the person before him was none other than that bastard brat Gu Tianlang!
"You son of a... You little... Damn it!"
Pointing at Gu Qingfeng as if seeing a ghost, Old Monster Tang was both shocked and horrified, his voice even turning shrill. "You damned bastard, you really are that kid Gu Tianlang!"
"Nonsense. If I'm not Gu Tianlang, who in this world could be?"
Old Monster Tang was incredibly agitated. So was Xuanze. Though his expression was also filled with disbelief, a significant wave of turmoil churned deep within his heart.
"Well, well! You little bastard finally decided to come back!"
After confirming this fellow was indeed Gu Tianlang, Old Monster Tang was first overcome with immense excitement, which was immediately replaced by towering fury. Glaring, he barked, "That old account between us hasn't been settled yet!"
As he spoke, Old Monster Tang raised his hand to grab Gu Qingfeng's shoulder. His speed was swift, arriving in an instant. But fast as he was, Gu Qingfeng was faster. Sitting casually on the stone stool with one leg crossed over the other, one hand holding a wine cup, his other hand had already clamped down on Old Monster Tang's outstretched wrist. He smiled faintly and said, "I say, Old Monster Tang, after so many years apart, you don't even offer me a welcoming drink. Instead, you attack the moment we meet. Is this your way of treating a guest?"
"Oh ho! You brat! How dare you! You dare to fight back against this old man!"
Old Monster Tang hadn't used any real power in that initial move. Finding his wrist caught, he tried to pull back and strike again. Yet, no matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn't break free from the grip of Gu Qingfeng's two fingers.
"You bastard! You've grown some skill!"
Old Monster Tang roared angrily, putting all his strength into it. Yet, he still couldn't break free.
This scene not only shocked Old Monster Tang but also left Xuanze utterly astonished. He knew very well that although Old Monster Tang wasn't using any spiritual power or mystical arts, the raw physical strength of his body could smash an Immortal to pulp with a single slap. Yet now, even after exerting his full strength, he couldn't break free, not even managing to budge the grip a single bit.
Gu Qingfeng simply sat there leisurely, his arm raised, a few fingers of his left hand lightly holding Old Monster Tang's wrist. He chuckled, "Old Monster Tang, there's an old saying, I wonder if you've heard it: 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the young for their poverty.' Just because I couldn't beat you back then doesn't mean I can't beat you now."
With that, Gu Qingfeng flicked his wrist. Old Monster Tang grunted heavily, stumbling backward four or five steps before steadying himself.
"You're getting on in years now, those old arms and legs aren't what they used to be," Gu Qingfeng said with a light smile. "I won't be accused of bullying the old and weak. Today, I'll sit right here. If you can budge me even a hair's breadth—even just a single strand of hair—I'll count it as your victory, Old Monster Tang."
"You good-for-nothing brat! Haven't seen you for a few hundred years, and you're still this arrogant! And your tone is even more outrageous than before! What did you say? Sitting there, fighting this old man with one hand? Moving a single hair counts as my win? Damn it! Do you think this old man is some useless layabout?!"
Old Monster Tang rolled up his sleeves. A flash of radiant light instantly swept over his body. Though it vanished as quickly as it appeared, it was blindingly brilliant. It wasn't ordinary Primordial Spirit Dharmic Manifestation power, nor was it Fortune power. It was Immortal Energy, and an incredibly profound and thick Immortal Energy at that.
As Old Monster Tang raised his hand, Immortal Energy erupted from his palm, transforming into a Water Mirror. Within the mirror, countless profound mysteries swirled like gathering storm clouds, flashing with lightning and thunder, as if he held a miniature heaven and earth in his palm.
Old Monster Tang flashed forward again instantly, his hand reaching out to grab. Gu Qingfeng didn't even spare him a glance. Holding his wine cup, taking a sip, he slowly raised his hand and blocked Old Monster Tang's move. "Such petty Immortal arts, don't bother displaying them before me."
As his words fell, without any visible action from Gu Qingfeng, a series of crisp cracking sounds rang out. The Immortal art Water Mirror in Old Monster Tang's palm shattered into pieces before completely dispersing and vanishing.
"How did you, you brat..." Old Monster Tang, refusing to believe this was happening, continued to unleash Immortal arts, each one more powerful and frenzied than the last.
Yet.
It was utterly useless.
No matter how profound or powerful the Immortal art he unleashed, Gu Qingfeng dispersed and nullified them all with a casual wave of his hand.
One move, two moves, ten moves, fifteen moves...
In the end, even after Old Monster Tang brought out his trump cards and ultimate techniques, he still failed to budge Gu Qingfeng a single bit.
Throughout this entire exchange, Gu Qingfeng remained seated, unmoving. For every move Old Monster Tang unleashed, he waved a hand to extinguish it.
It was effortless, leisurely, as if he were swatting away mosquitoes—truly not expending the slightest effort.
This scene left Xuanze, who was watching from the side, utterly dumbfounded. He knew Old Monster Tang's strength very well. What he couldn't understand was how Gu Qingfeng, who clearly appeared to have no cultivation, no Fortune, and looked utterly frail, could possess such an impossibly powerful physical body. Old Monster Tang had used every trick up his sleeve and truly failed to move even a single strand of Gu Qingfeng's hair.
Back in the day, Gu Qingfeng's body was shrouded in mysterious Fortune, making him impossible to see through. Now, with Gu Qingfeng possessing no Fortune at all, he was even more inscrutable.
Over on this side.
Half an hour passed. After unleashing over thirty Immortal arts and divine abilities, Old Monster Tang finally stopped.
At this moment, he stood there dumbfounded, panting heavily, his face alternating between livid and pale. He stared wide-eyed, unable to believe this was real.
He was convinced.
Utterly and completely convinced.