The midday sun blazed like fire.
Gu Qingfeng rode a fine horse, meandering leisurely down a country path. From time to time, he would pull a small flask of wine from the storage pouch at his waist and take a couple of sips, his body swaying gently with the horse's gait. Glancing at Ouyang Ye beside him, he couldn't resist teasing her.
"I say, girl, you've been staring at me the whole way. What's the matter? Have you taken a fancy to me or set your heart on me?"
Under ordinary circumstances, given Ouyang Ye's temperament, she would likely have spat fiercely and cursed him for being shameless.
But this time she didn't. Instead, she asked very seriously, "Just who are you?"
She really wanted to know this answer, desperately so.
Because Ouyang Ye simply couldn't wrap her head around it, nor had she ever imagined that this fellow's mastery of musical theory could be so profound and unfathomable. It wasn't just that he was familiar with many melodies; he had actually managed to evoke the artistic conception of "Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea" through empty playing alone.
That was the Monarch's "Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea." Even a musical titan like Master Wenzhu couldn't play it. Even Su Hua, the musical prodigy she admired most, couldn't play it. Yet it had been performed by this very fellow before her eyes, this man who had failed Foundation Establishment.
Had she not seen it with her own eyes, Ouyang Ye would never have believed it.
Even now, it felt unreal, utterly inconceivable.
"Who am I?" Gu Qingfeng chuckled playfully and teased, "What if I said I was Gu Tianlang? Would you believe me?"
"Pah! You? Daring to claim you're my idol?" Ouyang Ye glared at him with deep disdain. "Just because your surname is Gu and you can evoke the artistic conception of 'Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea,' you think you can impersonate my idol... How shameless!"
Gu Qingfeng threw back his head and laughed heartily.
Seeing his expression, Ouyang Ye curled her lip and rolled her eyes again, her mind quietly turning over. Just who was this mysterious fellow? Judging by his looks, he couldn't be more than twenty-something. Even though he'd failed Foundation Establishment, one thing was undeniable: to attempt Foundation Establishment at that age, his innate talent and spiritual roots must have been exceptional.
He also knew so many melodies.
His musical mastery was absurdly high.
Could he be from one of those ancient musical families with centuries-old legacies? Only those ancient musical families with deep, centuries-old foundations in musical theory could nurture such an outstanding musical prodigy, right? Perhaps he failed Foundation Establishment, couldn't bear the blow, didn't want to face his family's cold stares, and so ran away alone?
Hmm.
That was probably it.
Having reasoned this out, the look in Ouyang Ye's eyes when she regarded Gu Qingfeng was no longer one of startled curiosity, but instead became tinged with greater sympathy and pity. She also felt deeply regretful.
With such high musical mastery, this fellow was a veritable prodigy. If he had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, he would surely have become a renowned musical master in the future. But alas, Foundation Establishment had failed. He could never cultivate again. Even if he could evoke the artistic conception of "Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea" through empty playing, that was his limit. Without cultivation, he had no spiritual power; without spiritual power, he couldn't perform spiritual arts. Many profound and marvelous melodies would be beyond his reach.
It was truly pitiful.
Thinking this, Ouyang Ye decided not to press him further, lest she reopen old wounds.
"Hey, you've been nagging me to take you to Yunxia Sect. What exactly do you want to do at my sect?"
"Didn't I tell you? To catch up with that old man Huode."
Gu Qingfeng wasn't lying. In his youth, he hadn't had many cultivation friends. The Yunxia Sect's Huode Zhenren was one of them—both a teacher and a friend. Although that old man was rather unscrupulous, indulging in all vices from drinking and whoring to gambling, deep down, Gu Qingfeng still respected him. Having been away for so many years, he genuinely wanted to see this mentor-friend of his.
There was another, more important reason: Yunxia Sect was thegateway sect (gateway sect) where he first stepped onto the path of cultivation. It held many memories from his youth. Now, after all these years, he simply had to go back and take a look.
"You really know Elder Huode?" Ouyang Ye was somewhat skeptical, but only somewhat. She knew Huode Zhenren loved wandering about everywhere, making friends from all walks of life—the respectable and the disreputable alike. Considering this fellow's remarkable musical mastery, she asked, "Did Elder Huode get to know you by listening to you play?"
"Not exactly... When I knew that old man, I was struggling just to eat and stay warm. Who had the mood to study something as lofty as musical theory?"
Gu Qingfeng casually pulled a spirit fruit from the storage pouch at his waist and began munching on it. The storage pouch was Ouyang Ye's. When leaving Yipin Manor, he had specifically asked for one and taken away many delicacies precisely for eating and drinking along the journey.
"You could say that old man Huode and I got to know each other through gambling." Remembering gambling, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Speaking of which, that old fellow still owes me quite a few gambling debts."
Hearing this, Ouyang Ye was almost convinced, because Elder Huode was famously fond of gambling. In this world, there was nothing—from ancient magical treasures down to a single spirit stone—that the old master didn't know how to bet on.
"By the way, how's that old man Huode's cultivation these days?"
"Cultivation? The old master is, of course, at the Golden Core stage."
"Still at Golden Core?"
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was taken aback. He pondered: back when he was still wearing open-crotch pants, this old man was already a renowned Golden Core expert in the Qingyang region. Doing the math carefully, he had cultivated for two hundred years in this world, then ascended to the celestial realm and cultivated for another two hundred years, and after the Great Cataclysm of the Heavens, he had slept for a hundred years. That made five hundred years in total. How could this old man's cultivation still be at Golden Core?
"What do you mean, 'still at Golden Core'?" Ouyang Ye was a bit displeased upon hearing this. "Do you think cultivation is easy? TheFour Major Stages and Twelve Realms (Four Major Stages, Twelve Realms)—each stage, each realm must be thoroughly comprehended before one can break through. Take the first stage, Foundation Establishment. If the foundation isn't solid and one breaks through blindly, it will only..." She trailed off, then said softly, "The Golden Core realm is also the critical point of the second stage. Naturally, one must cultivate it thoroughly. Elder Huode has only been at Golden Core for five hundred years. Many seniors have lingered at the Golden Core realm for a millennium, not daring to break through. What's so strange about that?"
In this world, cultivation consisted of the Four Major Stages and Twelve Realms.
The Mortal Cultivator Stage: Postnatal, Innate, Foundation Establishment.
The Zhenren Stage: True Body, Purple Palace, Golden Core.
The Daozun Stage: Primordial Spirit, Dao-heart, Dharma Form.
The Earth Immortal Stage: Great Completion, Return to Origin, Transcending Tribulation.
Indeed, as Ouyang Ye said, breaking through each realm required caution; otherwise, all previous efforts would be wasted. This was especially true for the final realm of each stage. Once failure occurred, it meant the end of the cultivation path.
Many people, even after successfully establishing their foundation, dared not enter the next stage in a short time, because hastily establishing a True Body, if done improperly, would only cripple their future cultivation path.
Similarly, after forming a Golden Core, few would venture into the next stage to condense a Primordial Spirit in a short time, because if the Primordial Spirit wasn't properly formed, facing the heavenly tribulation in the future would lead to soul annihilation.
Of course, everyone had different perspectives. Like when Gu Qingfeng cultivated in his youth, he was practically living with his head on the line every day. He wouldn't overthink things; he'd break through whenever he had the chance. Looking back now, it was a miracle he managed to survive all the way through his cultivation journey and ultimately succeed in transcending the tribulation.
"I remember your Yunxia Sect had five Elders: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, right? How are they doing now?"
Gu Qingfeng vaguely recalled that back in the day, Yunxia Sect was the largest cultivation sect in the Qingyang region, and its Five Virtues Elders—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—were mighty experts who commanded great respect.
His relationship with the old man Huode was good, but that didn't mean his relations with the other four were. Not only were they not good, but in his youth, Gu Qingfeng had even regarded the other four Elders as enemies for a time.
"The Five Virtues Elders are all doing well..."
"Is that so?" Gu Qingfeng smiled and asked, "Is that Elder Mude still as pedantic as ever? Does he still see only innate talent and spiritual roots, ignoring disciples with poor aptitude and weak spiritual roots?"
Ouyang Ye was surprised. "How do you know that?"
"How do I know? Heh..." Gu Qingfeng chuckled but didn't elaborate. Truth be told, he bore a deep grudge against that Elder Mude. Back when he first sought entry into the sect, he had clearly passed the assessment, but simply because his aptitude was lacking and his spiritual roots were weak, the old man Mude had shut the door on him, even saying something like, 'Without proper aptitude and spiritual roots, cultivation holds no hope whatsoever.'
"What about Elder Jinde? That old man's schemes run deep, and he sees only profit... He'd stop at nothing for his own gain."
Among Yunxia Sect's Five Virtues Elders, aside from Elder Mude, Elder Jinde also left an indelible mark on his memory. Back when Gu Qingfeng worked as a laborer at Yunxia Sect, he had beaten up a disciple of old man Jinde and nearly lost his life at the old man's hands. If Huode hadn't stepped in later, Gu Qingfeng reckoned he would have met his end at the hands of that old man Jinde back then.
"You... How do you know so much about our Yunxia Sect?" Ouyang Ye couldn't fathom why this fellow knew the dispositions of her sect's Elders so clearly.
Gu Qingfeng smiled without answering and asked instead, "Elder Jinde had a disciple, what was his name? In his youth, he relied on having a bit of talent and was quite arrogant... What was his name again?" He thought for a moment but couldn't quite recall the name of the fellow he'd beaten up back then.
"Are you talking about Steward Guangyuan?"
"Yes! Guangyuan! That's him!" Gu Qingfeng slapped his forehead and asked with a laugh, "Is that scoundrel still alive?"
"Hey, Gu Qingfeng, even though some of Steward Guangyuan's actions disgust me, after all, he is a senior steward of our Yunxia Sect. Could you please not speak ill of our sect's seniors in front of me?"
"Hahaha!" Gu Qingfeng threw his head back and drained the fine wine from his flask, then burst into laughter. "Since they're all still alive, that's good... I'm really looking forward to meeting that bunch of fellows again."