As Gu Qingfeng and Huode continued their casual conversation, preparing to leave this desolate secret realm, they suddenly noticed beams of light flashing across the sky from time to time. These streaks of radiance, like shooting stars, tore through the night sky as they sped along. Both of them knew these were Immortal lights released by Immortals—each beam represented a single Immortal.
“There are actually people in this godforsaken place?”
Gu Qingfeng looked up and saw quite a few Immortal lights in the sky—at least several hundred.
Huode also peered into the distance. He noticed these Immortals flying back and forth in the sky, as if searching for something. “Probably looking for some kind of Heavenly Treasures, I reckon?”
“This shithole doesn’t even have spiritual energy, let alone turbid energy. It’d be a miracle if it nurtured any Heavenly Treasures.”
“Who knows? Want to go take a look?”
“Look at what? There’s nothing worth seeing.”
“Aren’t you the kid who loves watching the commotion whenever you’ve got nothing better to do?”
“Watching the excitement for fun when I’m idle is fine, but right now, this master just wants to find a place to drink some wine and get some sleep.”
“Alright then, let’s go. Once we leave this place and reach the Great Desolate, this old man will treat you to the finest food and drink, give you a proper reward!”
“Now that sounds good.”
Gu Qingfeng leaped into the air, and in an instant, he appeared mid-sky. Huode didn’t possess Gu Qingfeng’s ability to vanish with a single thought; he could only honestly summon his flying sword and ride it using Dao techniques.
Standing in mid-air, Gu Qingfeng glanced at Huode and said impatiently, “Can’t you hurry up? Why are you dawdling like an old woman?”
“Nonsense! You think this old man doesn’t want to hurry? This is already my fastest speed! I’m practically using every ounce of strength I’ve got!”
After quite a while, Huode finally caught up. Seeing Gu Qingfeng about to move again, he quickly grabbed him. “Wait!”
“What now?”
“This old man has been wanting to ask you something. What’s the secret behind your damned bizarre movement technique? Whenever you move through the void or leap, it’s always so damned weird. The slightest distraction and you vanish without a trace. Not only can this old man’s eyes not keep up, even my divine sense can’t follow. Teach me, kid.”
“Want to learn?”
“Of course I want to learn!”
“You can’t learn it.”
“What do you mean I can’t learn it? You haven’t even taught me yet, how do you know I can’t learn it? I’m telling you, kid Gu, aren’t you looking down on people a bit too much?”
“I’m not looking down on you.”
“You are looking down on this old man!”
“Fine, you’re right. This master is indeed looking down on you.”
“You!”
Huode was so angry he could feel it in his bones. Glaring at Gu Qingfeng, his teeth practically itching with fury, he said, “You little brat, your words are too hurtful! No! This old man can’t swallow this insult. Let’s make a bet!”
“What kind of bet?”
“Aren’t you looking down on this old man? Don’t you think I can’t learn it? What if I do learn it?”
“Huode, it’s not that I don’t want to teach you, and I’m really not looking down on you. You genuinely can’t learn it.”
“Indeed, you’re not looking down on this old man—you damned well can’t be bothered to look up to me! This is a blatant insult to this old man’s incompetence! Today, you must teach me. If I truly can’t learn it, then I’ll admit I’m incompetent! But if I do learn it, you have to give this old man an explanation.”
“...” Gu Qingfeng smiled, speechless and helpless. “Fine, then listen carefully. This technique of mine is self-created. It’s called Walking on Empty Space. ‘Walking’ as in trampling, ‘Empty’ as in space, ‘Space’ as in traversing. Understand?”
“Understand what? You damned well haven’t said anything! You only said it’s called Walking on Empty Space. Tell me the cultivation method!”
“I’ve already said it. ‘Walking’ as in trampling, ‘Empty’ as in space, ‘Space’ as in traversing. Don’t tell me you still don’t understand?”
“What do you mean?”
Huode thought for a moment. “Don’t tell me you’re saying this is… trampling space and traversing between Heaven and Earth?”
“Exactly. That’s what it means. Can you trample space?”
“I...” Huode was left speechless, staring at Gu Qingfeng in utter astonishment. “This old man hasn’t even figured out the two words ‘space,’ how am I supposed to trample it?”
Huode knew that within the Great Desolate, whether it was blessed lands, cave heavens, or profound secret realms, they were all types of Space. Beyond that, minor worlds, medium worlds, major worlds, various realms, and various domains—all belonged to Space.
Yes.
He knew.
But regarding the word ‘Space,’ that was all he knew. Beyond that, he knew nothing else.
“That’s why I said you can’t learn it.”
“I... you! This damned...” Huode stammered ‘you’ and ‘I’ for a long time without reaching any conclusion, his old face flushed red with extreme embarrassment. Still unwilling to accept it, he asked, “All kinds of Space have barriers. Since you’ve comprehended this so-called Walking on Empty Space, does that mean those so-called spatial barriers are like mere decorations to you? As long as you’re willing, you can enter any spatial world you want?”
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. “Otherwise, why would it be called trampling space and traversing Heaven and Earth?”
“You... you damned... you damned really are...” Huode struggled for a long time before shaking his head and saying sourly, “Forget it. This old man won’t learn it, alright? Damn it! Comparing people really is infuriating! This old man admits defeat, truly admits defeat. Ancestor Gu, I yield. I’m incompetent!”
Once again, Huode’s self-esteem had been ruthlessly shattered by Gu Qingfeng.
He couldn’t remember how many times this had happened.
In his memory, ever since Gu Qingfeng was cultivating at the Cloud Mist Sect back then, Huode’s self-esteem had begun to be utterly crushed by Gu Qingfeng’s terrifying array of fortunes. Later, as the shocks kept coming, Huode gradually grew numb. He no longer had any self-esteem left in front of Gu Qingfeng. Because of this, Huode had suffered a significant blow back then, even experiencing mental issues for a period.
Not only did he feel cultivation was meaningless, even living felt pointless.
He had painstakingly cultivated for several hundred years, yet it couldn’t match someone cultivating for a few years. He had meticulously nurtured a magic treasure for centuries, yet it couldn’t withstand a single stroke of fortune from someone else. He had endured Austere Cultivation for hundreds of years to master Immortal arts, yet they couldn’t compare to the casual might of another’s voice.
Under such circumstances, what was the point of cultivating?
Even if he became an Immortal, wouldn’t he just be slapped to death by someone else?
Fortunately, Huode eventually figured it out, reasoning that he shouldn’t treat Gu Qingfeng as a normal person. Only then did the severely stricken Huode gradually stand up again.
Everything had been fine since.
Except later, after Gu Qingfeng rebuilt his fleshly body and he dreamed of his past life, embarking on the cultivation path of a traditional Daoist, where all kinds of ancient divine abilities came at a wave of his hand. Roaming the modern era for nearly ten thousand years, although he couldn’t be said to command the wind and rain, he certainly left a trail of sparks and lightning, truly awe-inspiring.