At the foot of Liuren Mountain, a procession of luxurious and imposing spirit-beast grand carriages created a lively scene.
These contraptions had never been, since ancient times, simply grand carriages. More often than not, they represented a symbol of status and identity, while also serving a deterrent function.
When major sects and great clans came and went, their carriages were either drawn by tigers and wolves or by white cranes. The more powerful the spirit beast, the more extraordinary, in a sense, the status of the person seated within.
For instance, when the people from the Fire Cloud Branch arrived, they rode in a carriage drawn by Fire Cloud Auspicious Elephants—spirit beasts not found in ordinary places. So, spotting a carriage pulled by Fire Cloud Auspicious Elephants inevitably meant it belonged to the Fire Cloud Branch.
When the four-horse carriage Gu Qingfeng rode in drove to the foot of Liuren Mountain, it stood out starkly against the luxurious carriages of the surrounding major sects.
"Young Master, we've arrived at Liuren Mountain."
Fei Kui pulled aside the curtain and announced.
Gu Qingfeng stepped out, glanced at the sun hanging in the sky, stretched lazily, and looked at Liuren Mountain before him. It was filled with memories, and his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to his youth several hundred years ago.
Back then, having heard that Old Master Shi Tong was hailed as the number one formation master in the Liuli Great Region, Gu Qingfeng, to hone his own formation skills, had deliberately provoked him, setting traps and pitfalls. He had caused trouble for a full half year before finally being caught by the old master.
Far from reprimanding him, the old master had instead kept him on the mountain and taught him meticulously.
In his youth, after being expelled from the Yunxia Sect, he had been alone. Whether it was martial arts, spells, or formations, he had comprehended everything by himself, taking many detours along the way. Lacking a foundation, there were many things he couldn't understand or fathom.
Although he had only studied under the old master for half a year back then, it had laid a solid foundation for him. Without that, his formation skills wouldn't have advanced by leaps and bounds in the following years, nor would he have escaped danger time and again during various sieges.
For this, Gu Qingfeng was deeply grateful in his heart, and he had always remembered this debt of kindness.
Otherwise, given his temperament, why would he have joined something like the Four Regions Alliance, let alone attend this so-called Four Regions banquet?
"Let's go, have a look inside."
Gu Qingfeng jumped down from the four-horse carriage and was about to head towards Liuren Mountain when he suddenly sensed something amiss. Just a moment ago, an anomaly had occurred in his Dantian within the Violet Mansion. Though it vanished in an instant, he had still detected it. He immediately focused his consciousness inward to investigate.
Within the Violet Mansion, it was like a world of violet-tinged flames burning wildly.
Vast, violent, and turbid spiritual power boiled like rolling magma.
The Great Nature Color Spirit Seed continued its endless cycle of transformation and evolution.
The lone star that had mysteriously appeared within the Violet Mansion along with the Great Dao magma remained quietly imprinted there, motionless and devoid of life.
Gu Qingfeng knew, and was absolutely certain, that the recent anomaly had been caused by this lone star. For that instant, this dim, solitary star had shown signs of life, but the vitality had quickly faded again.
Gu Qingfeng conducted a detailed inspection but found nothing.
What exactly this thing was, he didn't know.
Why it had shown life just now also puzzled him somewhat.
"Young Master? Are you alright?"
Fei Kui noticed Gu Qingfeng's complexion looked a bit off and asked with concern.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head, indicating he was fine.
At the foot of Liuren Mountain.
Old Master Shi Tong had accompanied the Fire Cloud and Wind Cloud Branches up the mountain and hadn't yet returned. His eldest disciple, Fei He, was entertaining the guests, while Renshen, Renwu, Renxu, and others were chatting.
Suddenly.
Renxu spotted Gu Qingfeng walking towards them. Perhaps not quite believing his eyes, he looked again carefully. Upon confirming it was indeed that nouveau riche who had injured him in front of the Liuren Mansion, Renxu's expression changed drastically, turning cold and fierce. "That nouveau riche surnamed Gu actually dared to come!"
Hmm?
Surnamed Gu?
Nouveau riche?
Renshen, Renwu, and the others had never seen Gu Qingfeng before. Hearing Renxu's words, they couldn't help but feel curious and looked over. Gazing at the white-robed man strolling leisurely towards them, Renshen asked doubtfully, "Is that Gu Qingfeng?"
"I thought he'd be something special, but it seems he's nothing much," Renwu said with great disdain. "No bearing, no presence, no innate talent, no Color Spirit either. With mere Violet Mansion cultivation, how could someone like this command such influence in the Yanyang Great Region? It's truly hard for me to believe. Looks like he really is just a nouveau riche who stumbled upon some incredible luck."
In this world, if one wasn't a reincarnated soul or a body-snatcher reborn, possessed neither innate talent nor a Color Spirit, had low cultivation, yet wielded bizarrely formidable strength, then there was only one possibility—exactly as Renwu said: stumbling upon incredible luck, having obtained some miraculous encounter.
"You, surnamed Gu!" Renxu charged over and sneered, "Do you remember this Young Lord?"
"Of course," Gu Qingfeng replied with a smile. "You're Old Master Shi Tong's grand-disciple, right? We met last time. How could I forget?"
"Good that you remember! This Young Lord thought you wouldn't dare to show up!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Looking at the extremely hostile Renxu before him, Gu Qingfeng found it both amusing and exasperating, yet he also understood. He wouldn't bother comparing himself to him. He had been young once too, and in his youth, he had been more arrogant and overbearing than anyone.
"What a big mouth you have," Renshen walked over, his gaze fixed on Gu Qingfeng as he said with a faint smile, "First, you attacked our Liuren Mountain disciple in front of the Liuren Mansion. Today, you swagger in to attend the banquet. Your courage is quite impressive."
"Can't be helped. I've always been recklessly bold. Besides, last time was just a misunderstanding, wasn't it all explained clearly?"
"You say it's a misunderstanding, so it's a misunderstanding? Who do you think you are?" Renxu glared, his arrogance palpable. "Haven't you asked around? In these Four Regions, who dares to touch a single hair on this Young Lord's head?"
Gu Qingfeng asked with a smile, "So, what do you intend to do?"
"Kneel before me!" Renxu pointed at the ground beneath his feet, his tone wildly arrogant. "Otherwise, today you won't be leaving here alive."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled softly and shook his head slightly. "Where is Old Master Shi Tong?"
"Old Master is someone you can see just because you want to?" Renxu barked again. "I said kneel! Are you deaf?"
"Renxu, enough insolence!"
Fei He, Old Master Shi Tong's eldest disciple, and Steward Yang walked over. Fei He rebuked Renxu sharply, then immediately offered apologies to Gu Qingfeng. Worried that Renxu and the others would cause more trouble for Gu Qingfeng, he quickly instructed Steward Yang to escort Gu Qingfeng up the mountain.
"Eldest Martial Uncle, you know perfectly well how this nouveau riche surnamed Gu injured me in front of the Liuren Mansion last time! Why are you stopping me?"
"You're being utterly foolish. It's fortunate the old master isn't here, or you'd be in for it," Fei He scolded. "The year's end is approaching, the centennial deadline is almost upon us. The Nine-Hua Alliance is so powerful. Our Four Regions Alliance is in dire need of capable people. How can we risk the greater goal for a minor grievance?"
"That fellow surnamed Gu is nothing but a nouveau riche. People like him are a dime a dozen. What use is he to us?"