When it came to sects, Gu Qingfeng was truly an outsider.
Perhaps it was due to his inherently lazy nature, or maybe because he was just used to being alone.
Even back when he founded the Chixiao Sect, it was Old Master and Great Master who handled everything. Gu Qingfeng not only had no interest in sects, he even found them somewhat distasteful, considering them a messy pile of troublesome affairs.
However.
Having no interest in sects didn't mean he didn't understand them.
He also knew that for a sect to be passed down and to grow and prosper was extremely difficult. It not only required establishing a complete and strict set of rules and order, but also needed many experienced seniors to manage and teach—matters of daily life, cultivation, training, resources, and all aspects of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, even including morality and ethics.
For someone like Gu Qingfeng, who preferred lying down to sitting, sitting to standing, and wished he could spend all day drinking wine, listening to tunes, and basking in the sun—someone who couldn't even be bothered with his own pile of troubles—how could he possibly concern himself with these troublesome sect affairs?
Back then, when he personally buried the Chixiao Sect, a large part of the reason was that he didn't want to be troubled by sect matters. If he handed it over to others, he wouldn't be at ease either, so he simply decided to go all the way and bury it outright.
The Yunxia Sect was vast. Even though Huode moved quickly, it still took a considerable amount of time.
Along the way, Huode's nine personal disciples followed. Huode merely asked about the basic situation of the Yunxia Sect before sending them away.
Afterwards, Huode brought Gu Qingfeng to a secluded manor. After preparing fine wine and delicacies, he drank and chatted with Gu Qingfeng.
"Well, kid Gu? How about it? Is my Yunxia Sect decent? It's not the least bit inferior to your Chixiao Sect from back in the day, right?"
"It's indeed quite good."
Gu Qingfeng nodded. Following Huode along the way just now, he had to admit, this Yunxia Sect truly had the bearing of a major sect.
To be honest.
Gu Qingfeng wasn't someone who hadn't seen the world. He had seen sects with hundreds of millions of disciples. In the Great Desolate, the clan sects ruled by Great Immortal Realms were spread across the myriad heavens and worlds. Their disciples combined numbered not just hundreds of millions, but billions, tens of billions, even hundreds of billions. Some Great Immortal Realms even ruled over one or several worlds. If you counted all their various disciples, the numbers could be terrifying.
However.
Those sects were without exception passed down since ancient times. Some had been inherited for tens of thousands of years, a hundred thousand years, several hundred thousand years, even millions of years.
For Huode to have developed the Yunxia Sect to such a massive scale in a mere ten thousand years—this truly made Gu Qingfeng admire him.
While admiring him, Gu Qingfeng was also quite puzzled in his heart. He asked, "Did you build this huge Yunxia Sect all by yourself?"
"Nonsense, of course I built it myself. What, you don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just..." Gu Qingfeng tilted his head back and took a swig of wine. "When it comes to how a sect develops and grows, I might be an outsider. But when it comes to the difficulties a sect faces just to survive, I know a little something."
He paused, then continued, "Most sects in this world are backed by the various Great Immortal Realms of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. Their backgrounds are each more powerful than the last. Even if your skills have grown tremendously over the years, and you single-handedly wiped out all the large and small sects in the Great Northwest in one go, the other major sects wouldn't just stand by and watch your Yunxia Sect rise. Especially the Immortal Dynasty—they would never allow you to dominate the Great Northwest alone."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, looking at Huode with a teasing smile. "I believe you built the Yunxia Sect by yourself. However, I'm very curious: how exactly did you pull it off? To play the Yunxia Sect game this big, you need a certain background. In other words, without the backing of a Great Immortal Realm from the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, you simply couldn't have played the Yunxia Sect game this big."
"Tell me, which Great Immortal Realm of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain did you cozy up to? Or perhaps some great family? Or some big shot?"
"Hehe!"
Huode smiled mysteriously and shook his head. First, he stood up to pour Gu Qingfeng a cup of wine, then said, "Kid Gu, you guessed wrong this time. I'll tell you the truth: in building the Yunxia Sect this big, I didn't cozy up to any Great Immortal Realm, didn't cozy up to any great family, and didn't cozy up to any big shot."
"So you're saying you built the Yunxia Sect this big relying solely on your own abilities?"
Gu Qingfeng said, "If that's truly the case, then you're much more capable than I am. Back in the day, I had to kill until rivers of blood flowed and shoulder a load of sin just to barely establish the Chixiao Sect in this world. For you to play the Yunxia Sect game this big without lifting a finger—you're absolutely a damn talent."
"Now that's what I like to hear! Hahahaha!"
After his hearty laugh, Huode said, "But, having said that, if I had to rely solely on my own abilities, forget ten thousand years, even if I had a damn hundred thousand years, a million years, I still couldn't have played the Yunxia Sect game this big."
"Alright, stop beating around the bush. Tell me."
"Well...
Kid Gu, I can tell you, but you have to promise me first that you won't get angry."
"Why would I get angry?"
Gu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. "What, does this Yunxia Sect have something to do with me?"
"How should I put it... saying it has something to do with you isn't quite right, but saying it has nothing to do with you isn't entirely accurate either. It has a little something to do with you."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you notice anything special about the Yunxia Sect?"
"Something special?"
Gu Qingfeng really didn't think there was anything special. "Speak plainly. Don't talk in circles."
"How can your brain be so dull!"
Huode looked at him disdainfully, then pulled out a gourd. "Remember this gourd?"
Gu Qingfeng glanced at it. It was a seemingly ordinary golden gourd. On its body was inscribed a line of text: 'All things between heaven and earth are refined within the gourd; all spirits of the universe are transformed within the calabash. Punish evil and promote good to rectify the universe; act chivalrously and righteously to traverse heaven and earth... With this Universe Refining Gourd, I gift it to Elder Huode—Su Hua.'
"This is the gourd Su Hua gave you. What about it?"
"'What about it?' you say?"
Huode said, "Su Hua is now the Saintess Lady famous throughout the myriad heavens and worlds. I, Huode, have the Universe Refining Gourd personally bestowed by the Saintess Lady. When I take it out, who wouldn't give me some face? Whether it's Great Immortal Realms or great families, even people from the Immortal Dynasty, when they see the Universe Refining Gourd in my hand, it's like seeing an imperial edict. They're so scared they don't even dare breathe loudly."
Huode held the Universe Refining Gourd in one hand, then pulled out a clean white cloth with the other, carefully wiping it. "Don't underestimate this thing. This damn thing is more powerful than any magic treasure."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng began to understand. "So you, old man, have been throwing Su Hua's name around to swagger about here? I say, Huode, can't you have a bit more ambition? Flaunting a woman's banner—aren't you ashamed? I'm embarrassed for you."