Looking at the white-robed old man holding a horsetail whisk before him, Gu Qingfeng found him more and more amusing the longer he looked. Although it had been nearly five hundred years since he last saw True Being Mude, he recognized him at first glance. This old man was undoubtedly the same True Being Mude who had turned him away all those years ago.
After five hundred years, the old man's appearance seemed much more aged. The goatee on his chin was sparser, his eyes more turbid, and his vital energy and spirit all showed signs of weariness. The only thing unchanged was that five hundred years ago, this old man had also worn a white robe and carried a horsetail whisk. Who would have thought that even today, five centuries later, he would still be dressed exactly the same.
This truly was an old man stubborn to the extreme, traditional to the core, who never knew how to adapt!
Opposite him, Elder Mude was scrutinizing him with great seriousness and earnestness—or rather, a seriousness tinged with an irrepressible excitement. Especially when he saw the Flaming Sun Firebird circling Gu Qingfeng, joyfully fluttering and chirping excitedly, those turbid eyes of his flashed with strange, agitated colors.
"Young man, who are you?"
"Me?"
Gu Qingfeng looked at him with a smile, a trace of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth. "My surname is Gu, given name Qingfeng, Dao title Chiyan."
"Gu Qingfeng?"
Perhaps somewhat averse to the surname 'Gu', Elder Mude was taken aback for a moment before murmuring the name. He seemed to have no impression of it. "You are not a disciple of our Yunxia Sect. Are you a laborer?"
At this moment, Ouyang Ye hurriedly stepped forward, bowing her head as she said, "Reporting to the Elder, he... he is my friend. I... I brought him in... I beg the Elder's punishment."
Ouyang Ye was so frightened she was nearly in tears. She was now filled with regret. Originally, given her status, bringing an outsider in for a visit wasn't a big deal. But she had never expected the Flaming Sun Firebird to fly straight toward Gu Qingfeng, causing such a huge commotion that it attracted so many senior members of the sect, even drawing out the strictest, most severe elder like Mude.
What should she do now... Ouyang Ye felt utterly helpless.
However, Elder Mude did not punish Ouyang Ye. He simply kept staring at Gu Qingfeng and asked, "Young man, do you possess any magical treasure containing fire spirit energy on your person?"
"No."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Elder Mude grew even more excited and pressed further, "Young man, are you perhaps a Fire Spirit Treasure Body?"
Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Then do you possess a Fire Spiritual Root?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head again.
Elder Mude seemed somewhat unconvinced and said solemnly, "Might this old man be permitted to examine you briefly?"
"Of course!"
The corner of Gu Qingfeng's mouth held a smile whose meaning no one could discern. He allowed Elder Mude to grasp his wrist and carefully probe him. After five hundred years, he truly wanted to see if this old man's discernment had improved, and to find out if he was still as stubborn as he had been back then.
"Elder Mude, what is the result? Is this young man a Fire Spirit Body?"
The other elders and stewards of Yunxia Sect nearby were all very concerned about this question. They all knew that the Flaming Sun Firebird was extremely sensitive to fire spirit energy. Ten years ago, they had used the firebird to discover a disciple possessing a Four-Colored Fire Spiritual Root. That disciple was now among the top talents of the inner sect.
Back when they discovered that disciple with the Four-Colored Fire Spiritual Root ten years ago, the Flaming Sun Firebird had merely perched on the disciple's shoulder. Yet just now, the firebird had been joyfully fluttering and chirping excitedly. If this young man didn't possess some powerful fire spirit treasure on him, then he must have a rare Fire Spiritual Root. Could it be Five-Colored? Six-Colored? He might even be a Fire Spirit Treasure Body!
If Yunxia Sect could recruit a disciple with a Fire Spirit Treasure Body, the future...
Thinking of this, the surrounding senior members of Yunxia Sect grew very excited. However, what puzzled them was why Elder Mude's expression seemed off—as if he was surprised? Or perhaps deeply disappointed?
"Elder Mude, is this young man not a Fire Spirit Treasure Body?"
Elder Mude shook his head.
"Then how many colors is his Spiritual Root?"
Elder Mude shook his head again.
This left the Yunxia Sect seniors utterly confused. Even if he wasn't a Fire Spirit Treasure Body, a Fire Spiritual Root would still be acceptable. What did Elder Mude's repeated head-shaking mean?
"He..." Elder Mude stared at Gu Qingfeng with a complex gaze and said, "He is neither a Fire Spirit Treasure Body, nor does he possess a Fire Spiritual Root... He... he failed his Foundation Establishment... His Spiritual Root has long since dissipated, his dantian shows no vitality, and the meridians within his body are in extreme disarray... He is... he is a Foundation Establishment Failure!"
What!
A Foundation Establishment Failure?
Elder Mude's words truly shocked everyone present. In their minds, since the Flaming Sun Firebird had been so excited, even if he wasn't a Fire Spirit Treasure Body, he should at least have a Colored Fire Spiritual Root, right? How could it turn out, after all this, to be a Foundation Establishment Failure?
While a Foundation Establishment Failure possessed a powerful physique and immense strength, without a Spiritual Root or a functional dantian... he could never cultivate again!
"Elder Mude, if he is a Foundation Establishment Failure, why was the Flaming Sun Firebird so excited?"
"Perhaps he once possessed a Fire Spiritual Root. Although his Foundation Establishment failed, some residual traces of fire spirit energy might still linger within his body. Since it could excite the Flaming Sun Firebird to such an extent, his former Fire Spiritual Root must have been quite remarkable, likely above the Five-Colored level... Ah... What a pity! Such a tremendous pity! A truly great pity!"
From the initial surprise and excitement to the current disappointment and regret, this emotional shift felt to Elder Mude like plummeting from the highest heavens into an abyss, something rather difficult to accept.
Watching Elder Mude's deeply regretful expression, Gu Qingfeng felt an urge to laugh inwardly. With a chuckle, he said, "What's there to pity? It's just a failed Foundation Establishment. It doesn't mean one can never cultivate again."
"Young man, this old man sympathizes with your failed Foundation Establishment. However, I must tell you that failing Foundation Establishment means the complete end of your cultivation path. There is no possibility of cultivating in the future."
"In this world, nothing is ever absolute. The Dao follows nature, and success depends on human effort."
"Ah... Young man... So young!"
Elder Mude stroked his sparse goatee, shaking his head and sighing repeatedly.
Seeing him like this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't hold back any longer and burst into hearty laughter.
This scene before him was so similar to when he first entered Yunxia Sect all those years ago.
Back then, he had passed the entrance examination with excellent results, but because his aptitude was poor and his Spiritual Root too weak, he had been turned away by this very Elder Mude.
Back then, Elder Mude had said his aptitude was lacking, his Spiritual Root too weak, and that he would never achieve Foundation Establishment in his lifetime.
Who would have thought that five hundred years later, after Gu Qingfeng had been stripped of everything by the Heavenly Dao and returned to his original state, standing once more before Yunxia Sect, this Elder Mude would again judge, based on aptitude and Spiritual Root, that he could never cultivate in the future.
It seemed this old man hadn't changed one bit in five hundred years. He was still just as stubborn, still placing such importance on aptitude and Spiritual Root.
Perhaps because Gu Qingfeng's laughter was too unrestrained, the expressions of the surrounding Yunxia Sect members immediately turned displeased. Ouyang Ye, in particular, now wished she could strangle Gu Qingfeng. This fellow was too audacious! How could he laugh so boldly in front of Elder Mude? Did he have a death wish? Elder Mude was notoriously stubborn, severe, and merciless!
"Young man, what are you laughing at?"
The expression on Elder Mude's aged face gradually shifted from regret to stern coldness, his voice also filling with ruthlessness.
"I'm laughing... laughing at how stubborn and rigid you are, how much importance you place on aptitude and Spiritual Root. Little do you know that in the pursuit of the Dao through cultivation, aptitude and Spiritual Root are not important at all. A resilient heart is sufficient. An old man like you, always fixated on aptitude and Spiritual Root, has no idea how many youths seeking immortality and the Dao you have harmed. You are truly leading disciples astray."
These were words Gu Qingfeng had wanted to say to True Being Mude five hundred years ago, but he had never had the chance. Now that he spoke them, he felt quite satisfied, as if fulfilling a regret from his youth.
However, when these words reached Ouyang Ye's ears, the young girl was so terrified her scalp went numb, her pretty face instantly turning deathly pale.
Throughout the entire Yunxia Sect with its over ten thousand disciples, no one dared show disrespect to Elder Mude.
Yet this fellow not only showed no respect, but even... even had the audacity to publicly lecture Elder Mude like this! Saying aptitude and Spiritual Root weren't important, saying Elder Mude would harm others, saying... Elder Mude was leading disciples astray.
Heavens!
Ouyang Ye was scared out of her wits, her mind blank. She stood there frozen, utterly at a loss.
Opposite them, True Being Mude was trembling with rage. The surrounding Yunxia Sect seniors all voiced angry rebukes, and some even stepped forward, ready to teach this reckless young man Gu Qingfeng a lesson.
At that moment, a burst of hearty laughter suddenly rang out from mid-air.
The laughter was incredibly vigorous, deafening to the ears.
"Aptitude and Spiritual Root aren't important, a resilient heart is sufficient! Good! Well said! Excellently put, brilliantly spoken! This old man agrees a hundred percent! Today, I've finally met someone who understands!"
"Leading disciples astray! Hahaha! Well said... Hasn't Second Blindie been leading disciples astray all these years? Hahaha!"
(Monday ranking push, seeking collections, votes, tips, recommendations... seeking warmth...)