Gu Qingfeng loved fine wine, but he had no taste for tea.
He'd disliked it since childhood. No matter how exquisite the tea, in his eyes, it could never compare to the hearty satisfaction of a bowl of aged liquor.
It couldn't be helped; he was just that kind of hopelessly vulgar person.
"However, Fellow Daoist Gu, did you truly not sense anything at all from that cup of tea just now?"
The Old Daoist's words seemed to carry a hidden meaning. Gu Qingfeng glanced at the teacup, recalling the flavor. Upon entering his mouth, the bitterness had roasted his lips and teeth like hot coals, the sensation growing stronger and stronger in waves, like the surging tides of the sea.
This tea taste gave Gu Qingfeng a very familiar feeling. Thinking sharply, he seemed to realize something, his heart stirring as he said, "This is Xuan Ku Tea."
The Old Daoist stroked the white beard on his chin and smiled. "Indeed."
"So Da Fuzi really is here."
Gu Qingfeng finally remembered. Da Fuzi loved this kind of bitter tea most of all, precisely this Xuan Ku Tea.
"There is no Da Fuzi in Changsheng Temple. Only Xuan Ku once resided here for a time."
Gu Qingfeng knew that Xuan Ku was Da Fuzi, and Da Fuzi was Xuan Ku. However, hearing the Old Daoist use the word 'once', Gu Qingfeng quickly asked, "Da Fuzi is no longer here now?"
The Old Daoist nodded.
"When did he leave?"
"Not long ago."
"What truly unfortunate timing."
Gu Qingfeng felt rather frustrated and directly pulled out a jug of wine from his storage ring to drink.
Before coming, he had very much wanted to know why Da Fuzi was waiting for him here, if there was some major matter. Most importantly, he himself had many doubts he wished to consult Da Fuzi about. He never imagined Da Fuzi would have already left just like that.
"Xuan Ku had been waiting for Fellow Daoist Gu within the temple these years. About a year ago, he said he had urgent matters and needed to leave for a time."
"Did Da Fuzi say what the matter was?"
The Old Daoist shook his head, indicating he didn't know, then said, "However, before Xuan Ku left, he instructed this humble Daoist, saying Fellow Daoist Gu would come here looking for him. He specifically asked this humble Daoist to wait here."
Da Fuzi's existence was unfathomable, even to gods and ghosts; his unorthodox arts were peerless under heaven. That he could deduce Gu Qingfeng would come looking for him didn't surprise Gu Qingfeng in the least. He asked, "Did Da Fuzi leave any message?"
"Xuan Ku left no words behind before his departure. He only asked this humble Daoist to give this item to Fellow Daoist Gu."
As he spoke, the Old Daoist flipped his palm, revealing a string of prayer beads in his hand.
It was a string that looked somewhat old and worn, with a full eighty-one beads. Each bead was a deep, uniform red-black, with complex patterns carved onto every black bead. Gu Qingfeng took the prayer beads and examined them carefully, but he couldn't discern any special properties.
Having cultivated for five hundred years, having ascended to the peerless Immortal Devil King's throne, and having also ascended to the Nine Nethers Emperor's seal, he had seen countless magical treasures. But this string of prayer beads—he looked it over left and right, truly unable to see anything extraordinary about it. When he asked the Old Daoist, the Old Daoist also shook his head, saying he didn't know, only that he was delivering them on Da Fuzi's behalf.
The sun set in the west, dusk approaching.
Gu Qingfeng did not leave. Instead, he stayed overnight at Changsheng Temple. That night, he did nothing else, constantly fiddling with the prayer beads. Yet, even after a whole night of handling them, he still couldn't perceive any mystery within, nor understand what meaning Da Fuzi intended by leaving him this string of prayer beads.
He simply couldn't figure it out.
Gu Qingfeng considered that there was no need to remain at Changsheng Temple any longer. At dawn the next day, he departed.
If it were an ordinary person, Gu Qingfeng might have been able to release his divine sense to search the world for them. But this person was Da Fuzi, an existence even gods and ghosts found hard to fathom. Gu Qingfeng admitted to himself he lacked the ability to find him. Moreover, it was even unknown whether Da Fuzi was still in this world.
Since Da Fuzi had left, Gu Qingfeng could only let it be.
Though he felt regret, there was nothing to be done.
Glancing at the not-so-distant Shangqing Sect, Gu Qingfeng thought he might as well go visit his master.
His master, Zhenjue, was someone he had always wanted to see, yet also someone he dared not face.
Yes.
He dared not.
In the past, facing the great sects of the world, he had not feared.
In the past, facing the judgment of the Immortal Dynasty, he had not feared.
In the past, facing the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, he had not feared.
In the past, facing the encirclement of the Three Thousand Great Daos, he still had not feared.
But now, facing his master Zhenjue, he was timid.
He even lacked the courage to stand before his master.
If not for this, having already been in the Weiyang Great Domain for so many years, he wouldn't have delayed going to Shangqing Sect for so long.
Because he felt too guilty, too self-reproachful, and felt he had let his master down too much.
Even so.
He still prepared to make a trip to Shangqing Sect.
What must be faced would eventually have to be faced.
He had never evaded in the past.
He would not evade now.
He would never evade in the future.
...
Shangqing Sect, hailed as the number one sect under heaven, occupied eighty-one mountain ranges and three hundred and sixty-five peaks. It was said to possess nearly ten thousand various spirit altars, spirit springs, and spirit veins, dominating nearly half of the Weiyang Great Domain. And this was only the main sect of Shangqing Sect. The countless subordinate sects and schools under its banner were spread throughout the entire Divine Land.
Some said that in the Divine Land, if a stone fell from the sky and hit ten Earth Immortals, eight of them would be disciples of Shangqing Sect.
This might sound exaggerated, but such was the fact.
A single word from Shangqing Sect could make the entire Divine Land, even the whole world, tremble three times.
There were still a few days left until the Sunset Day. In other words, Female Sect Leader Ye Tianlan would emerge from seclusion in a few days.
For Shangqing Sect, this was a major event, the greatest event since the beginning of the Present Era.
The sect masters and elders of all subordinate sects under Shangqing Sect had come one after another to prepare for the welcoming ceremony for Female Sect Leader Ye Tianlan.
Disciples of Shangqing Sect's inner and outer sects who were out training had begun to return; those in seclusion had begun to emerge. For a time, the Weiyang Great Domain was extremely lively.
Fei Kui drove the twin-headed lion-tiger carriage all the way towards Shangqing Sect. Unfortunately, before they could even reach the foot of Shangqing Sect's mountains, they could go no further.
Because there were simply too many people.
Looking around, all kinds of immortal birds and spirit beasts filled the sky, luxurious carriages were everywhere. Earth Immortals were as common as dogs, True Immortals could be seen at every turn—it was truly a dazzling spectacle. This scene was like a grand gathering of immortals from the Nine Heavens, leaving Fei Kui dumbfounded and awestruck. In all his life, he had never seen so many immortals.
"Young Master, there are really too many people."
Gu Qingfeng lifted the carriage curtain, looking at the bustling scene at the foot of Shangqing Sect's mountains. He, too, was quite startled, exclaiming, "The Present Era has only been open for a hundred years. If another hundred years pass, damn it, even the dogs in this world will probably become immortal hounds."
Jumping down from the carriage, Gu Qingfeng stretched lazily, looking up at Shangqing Sect, pondering whether he should think of a way to sneak in quietly and unnoticed.
Shangqing Sect was a place where dragons and tigers hid. To be honest, Gu Qingfeng didn't know exactly how many experts were concealed within Shangqing Sect. After all, the Present Era wasn't the Ancient Era. Who the hell knew how many great powers had reincarnated, or how many were lying low within Shangqing Sect, using such an excellent geomantic treasure land to cultivate in seclusion.
That wasn't the main concern.
What truly worried Gu Qingfeng a bit was that woman, Ye Tianlan.
If possible, he really didn't want to see that woman again. Although he was confident he could sneak in quietly and unnoticed, one could never be too careful. If by some chance that woman Ye Tianlan detected him, who knew what kind of trouble would stir up then.
Just as he was fretting, a figure suddenly flashed into appearance.
Clad in white robes, with three thousand strands of long hair—a beauty capable of toppling cities, kingdoms, and the world.
A peerlessly beautiful woman, ethereal as mist, dreamlike as illusion.