Tower of Stolen Gold.
The thousands of members of the Jinwu Li Clan had surrounded the nine-headed Fire-Cloud Crimson Flame Tiger carriage in three tight layers, leaving no gaps.
Huadiexianzi, Mu Lingyao, and the others stood beside the carriage. Surprisingly, the mysterious Great Old Master was still leisurely sitting in his chair, legs crossed, smoking a spiritual cigarette and sipping fine wine, as if he didn't take the Jinwu Li Clan members seriously at all.
This scene fell into the eyes of the crowd, and everyone secretly marveled, yet also found it incomprehensible. They didn't know whether this Great Old Master was feigning calmness, deliberately creating mystery, or if he truly had something to rely on, fearless and unafraid.
If he truly had something to rely on, what could it be?
Who knew?
No one knew.
They couldn't imagine either—what could a person who had lost all cultivation and had no background possibly rely on?
Of course.
That said, after all, this Great Old Master had, with a casual remark on Floating Sky Island, caused Li Zhengshi's Immortal Spirit to disperse, and with a single mighty shout, scared three Taibai Golden Immortals to death. Just moments ago, he had miraculously ascended to the Eighty-First Layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold.
Such a mysterious and bizarre existence was enough to make anyone wary. If not for this, the Jinwu Li Clan probably wouldn't have waited until now to make a move, and they certainly wouldn't have brought thousands of experts at once, with even Li Xiao—a Five Luminance Great Perfection Zhenxing Golden Immortal—personally taking action.
"Was it you who attacked our Li Clan's treasures on Floating Sky Island, destroyed my grandson's Immortal Spirit, and killed our Li Clan's Golden Immortals?"
Li Xiao stood opposite, his eyes fixed intently on Gu Qingfeng as he demanded sharply.
"That's right."
Gu Qingfeng nodded in response. "It was this master who did it."
Perhaps not expecting Gu Qingfeng to admit so readily, Li Xiao's brow furrowed slightly. He stared at Gu Qingfeng as if trying to see through him, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't discern anything. It was just as the rumors said—his body held no cultivation at all. Apart from the basic human breath from his mouth, there wasn't even a trace of Immortal aura, let alone spiritual aura. He was practically no different from a Mortal World mortal.
However.
Li Xiao understood clearly that a Mortal World mortal couldn't possibly scare three Taibai Golden Immortals to death with a single shout, nor could he ascend to the top of the Tower of Stolen Gold. As for this person's identity, he truly couldn't explain it for the moment.
Originally, according to his plan, he would come here, say nothing, capture the other party first, and then decide later. But when truly facing Gu Qingfeng, he hesitated. Especially watching Gu Qingfeng sitting so leisurely in his chair at this moment, it made him feel very uncertain inside.
To speak of Li Xiao, he had cultivated for tens of thousands of years. Not only was he knowledgeable and experienced, but his vision was also exceptionally sharp. If the other party was feigning calmness or deliberately creating mystery, he could definitely tell. Even if the disguise was perfect, he had confidence he would see through it.
Since arriving at the Tower of Stolen Gold, he had been secretly observing. The more he observed, the more he felt that the effortless ease revealed in this person's every gesture didn't seem feigned. It was as if it was innate, naturally flowing.
If he wasn't creating mystery, then what gave him the courage to be so fearless?
Li Xiao had been pondering this question.
"So, do you want to seek revenge on this master, or what?"
Gu Qingfeng held a cup of fine wine, changed his posture, leaned sideways, and lazily glanced at Li Xiao and the others, saying with utter boredom, "If you want revenge, then don't just stand there. Come at me together."
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caused an uproar in the area.
No one had expected that now, with Li Xiao—a Five Luminance Great Perfection expert of the Jinwu Li Clan—leading thousands of people here with murderous intent, this Great Old Master who had lost all cultivation not only showed no fear but remained leisurely seated here. Not only that, he even said something about letting the Jinwu Li Clan come at him together.
Heavens!
The Jinwu Li Clan had brought thousands of people!
What gave this Great Old Master the right to be so arrogant, so recklessly audacious?
"Mother of mercy!"
Mu Lingyao held her breath and sent a secret voice transmission. "Sister Huadie, do you think the Great Old Master is deliberately creating mystery, or is he really that powerful—powerful enough to disregard the Jinwu Li Clan's thousands of people?"
Huadiexianzi shook her head because she didn't know either.
"What's the matter?"
Gu Qingfeng took a bitter bodhi fruit from the plate, peeled it, threw the flesh into his mouth, then spat out the pit. Lowering his head, he said, "Too scared?"
Truth be told.
The Jinwu Li Clan people really were scared.
At the very least.
Li Xiao was truly intimidated. Some of the Jinwu Li Clan's younger generation, led by Li Yuanyang—the foremost of the Li Clan's Seven Young Lords—wanted to make a move but were stopped by Li Xiao.
"Do you need this master to give you some time to think it over?
Or perhaps, call all your family members—grandpas, grandmas, this ancestor, that ancestor—everyone over. Let's settle this matter completely today, so I don't have to kill you today and then have your ancestors come looking for me tomorrow. Going back and forth like that is too troublesome. Instead of that, we might as well resolve it all at once. That would be good for both you and me. Don't you think that makes sense?"
"You are far too arrogant, sir!"
Li Xiao shouted sternly. "And you show far too little regard for our Jinwu Li Clan!"
"That's right. This master has been this wild since childhood, and after all these years, I'm used to being wild."
Gu Qingfeng said with a smile. "And you're correct. This master truly doesn't take your Jinwu Li Clan seriously."
The Jinwu Li Clan members were all furious beyond measure, especially the younger generation led by Li Yuanyang. Each of them wanted to charge over and tear Gu Qingfeng to pieces. However, without Li Xiao's order, none dared to make a move.
"Senior Li!"
Suddenly, someone stepped forward and said, "This person is merely creating mystery! Senior, don't be deceived by him!"
The speaker was none other than Xuan Yun. He stared coldly at Gu Qingfeng and said disdainfully, "He was originally just a cultivator from the Mortal World. He failed his tribulation, lost all his cultivation, and fell into the Drifting Sand Small Secret Realm. He was just lucky that people from the Small Luo Secret Realm saved him. If not for that, he would have died miserably in the Drifting Sand Small Secret Realm. Even if he really was some Great Old Master before, he was just a Mortal World Great Old Master—utterly not worth fearing. The tricks he played on Floating Sky Island were nothing more than lowly, unorthodox methods that can't be brought to proper occasions!"
Seeing Xuan Yun step forward to fan the flames, Mu Lingyao angrily retorted, "Xuan Yun! What business is this of yours? Who asked for your opinion!"
"This Young Lord is merely stating a fact."
"You ungrateful wretch! Don't forget, if not for the Great Old Master's magnanimity, you'd still have to kowtow a million times to him!"
"Hahaha!"
Xuan Yun laughed disdainfully. "Hah! Miss Mu, I'm afraid you've misunderstood something. Regarding the previous bet, it wasn't his magnanimity—it was that this Young Lord offered to kowtow, and he didn't dare accept it!"
Although Mu Lingyao was extremely unwilling, she had to admit this was the truth. Furious, she gritted her teeth and spat out each word, "Don't get cocky, you petty opportunist!"
"Miss Mu, if you don't believe it, this Young Lord can show you again!"
Previously, with elders from the Lotus Secret Realm backing him, Xuan Yun had already been fearless. Now, with thousands of Jinwu Li Clan members watching intently, he regarded Gu Qingfeng even less. Seizing this opportunity, he seemed intent on making the Tower of Stolen Gold his own stage. He directly leaped into the air, looking down at Gu Qingfeng from above, and shouted condescendingly, "This Young Lord asks you once more: If I kowtow to you, would you dare accept it?"