"Renxu, how many times have I told you, don't judge people by appearances alone! Whether he's a nouveau riche or not, I don't know. I only know that Old Sen from Chixu Manor and the Ancestor of the Bingxuan Sect knelt and kowtowed to him, respectfully addressing him as 'Young Master'."
Fei Kui looked at the disciples of Liuren Mountain, speaking with righteous conviction. "Think about who Old Sen and the Bingxuan Ancestor are. One is a Chixiao follower who once campaigned north and south with the Chixiao Monarch, and the other is an old monster who has cultivated for thousands of years. If that Gu Qingfeng were truly just a simple upstart, would those two kneel to him?"
"Great Uncle-Master."
Renshen stepped forward. "But I observed him. Apart from the aura of the Purple Mansion, he has no other spiritual aura. He is neither a reincarnated soul nor a body-snatcher reborn."
"That point also puzzles me, but..." Fei Kui sighed. "But... the Old Master once spoke with him and held him in very high regard. He said his state of mind was remarkable, transcendent and refined. His words and actions may seem frivolous, but they are more like free-spiritedness. His eyes hold no desire, no seeking, and no fear. The Old Master said he is definitely no ordinary person."
"Him? Hah! A nouveau riche is just a nouveau riche!" Renxu was utterly disdainful and inwardly very unconvinced. "The Old Master must have misjudged him!"
"The Old Master has cultivated for a lifetime, seen countless people, and absorbed more spiritual energy than you have ever laid eyes on. When has the Old Master ever misjudged anyone?"
...
On Liuren Mountain.
The pavilions, gazebos, and small waterside pavilions were antique and full of charm. The mountain was also adorned with various profound formations. There was the stunningly beautiful Starlight Illusion Array, and also the peerless Biyu Hantian Array that resembled a silver river. Among them were formations laid down by the Chixiao Monarch himself back in the day.
It was still early before the banquet began. Many guests, in twos and threes, were strolling and admiring the sights on Liuren Mountain. After all, formations personally arranged by the Chixiao Monarch were not something one could see just anywhere.
At that moment, quite a few people had gathered near one particular gazebo.
The gazebo itself was ordinary. What was extraordinary was the formation enveloping it. When the formation operated, it radiated a sapphire-blue brilliance, light falling like a meteor shower, exceptionally gorgeous and colorful.
This was precisely the Starlight Illusion Array personally arranged by the Chixiao Monarch all those years ago.
"The Chixiao Monarch truly lives up to his name! I heard the Old Master was only around twenty when he arranged this Starlight Illusion Array, having studied formations for barely two years. Yet he could create such a dazzling illusion formation. Truly worthy of reverence!"
"Nonsense! The Old Monarch's innate talent might not have been high, but his comprehension was absolutely peerless in the world. Otherwise, how could he have mastered all ten arts of the Immortal Dao?"
"That's true. I heard the Old Monarch surpassed Old Master Shi Tong in formation attainments in just half a year."
"And more than that. After being expelled from the Yunxia Sect back then, the Old Monarch was all alone. His martial arts, spells, and formations were all self-taught, a complete hodgepodge, picking up bits here and there without any systematic approach. Although his foundation wasn't solid, his comprehension was incredibly high. I heard back then, relying on his self-taught formations—digging pits, setting traps, laying snares—he managed to hold his own against Old Master Shi Tong on Liuren Mountain for nearly half a year. Old Master Shi Tong suffered several major setbacks."
"Incredible! You have to admire that! Maybe someday I'll try the self-taught path too."
"Forget it. There's only one Chixiao Monarch under heaven, and there will only ever be one. His existence is truly unprecedented, with no one to follow, and utterly unique. Throughout ancient and modern times, only the Chixiao Monarch came from a self-taught background. Relying on sheer passion and fighting alone, he battled from the Chiyang Great Region all the way to the Great Northwest, and from the Great Northwest, he fought across the world, slaying demons and evil spirits, toppling immortal dynasties, until he laughed proudly over the entire realm..."
Gu Qingfeng stood among the crowd, listening to these young people discussing the Chixiao Monarch, finding it somewhat amusing. Especially hearing them call him 'self-taught' made him feel both amused and exasperated.
However, what they said wasn't wrong. He truly was self-taught. Having never systematically studied cultivation since childhood, whether in cultivation or fighting, he had always been without any set pattern.
He shook his head, not dwelling on it further. Looking at the Starlight Illusion Array he had arranged back then filled him with endless sighs and reflections.
He vaguely remembered being very proud when he first created this formation, thinking it was perfect. Now, looking at it carefully, good heavens, the formation's eyes, talismans, and symbols were all quite childish, and full of flaws everywhere. It was almost too painful to look at.
However, that wasn't the reason for his sigh.
To be precise, this Starlight Illusion Array was a purely ornamental formation, with no offensive power whatsoever. Gu Qingfeng pondered. Back then, he was so competitive, his mind full of how to use formations to fight. Why would he have been so achingly bored as to arrange such a purely ornamental formation?
He thought and thought but couldn't recall. Perhaps he really was just achingly bored back then.
Just as he was sighing with emotion, suddenly, an anomaly occurred in his Purple Mansion again, and it was even more intense than before. It even affected his spiritual power, causing it to surge wildly and chaotically through his meridians.
"Young Master."
Noticing Gu Qingfeng's complexion looked somewhat unnatural, Fei Kui quickly inquired about the reason.
"I need to rest for a moment."
Gu Qingfeng looked around, then walked to a nearby gazebo and sat down. Once again, he focused his consciousness into his Purple Mansion, carefully probing.
At this moment, his Purple Mansion was in complete chaos.
Vast and savage spiritual power surged like a tsunami, rampaging wildly through all the meridians in his body.
The previously lifeless, gray Lonely Star had, for some reason, suddenly shown signs of vitality. Although very faint, vitality had indeed appeared.
It was precisely this vitality that triggered the anomaly in his spiritual power. And as the vitality grew stronger, the spiritual power within his body became more frenzied.
Many guests had come to Liuren Mountain for the banquet. People came and went, and most didn't know Gu Qingfeng, so naturally, no one paid him any mind.
Those who were sightseeing continued sightseeing; those who were chatting continued chatting.
On a mountain path, the Nine Spirits of the Wind-Cloud Branch—Lan Feier, Kang Zhengqi, and others—were strolling together with the Nine Young Masters of the Fire Cloud Branch—Zhuo Feng, Jingtao, and the rest.
Zhuo Feng was an admirer of Lan Feier. Along the way, he explained the mysteries of the formations to her, showcasing his own formation attainments. He was a clever man. Knowing that neither his Great Nature Colored Spirit nor his cultivation level could match Lan Feier's, he could only focus on excelling in the immortal arts. Unfortunately for him, his forte happened to be formations.
He was putting in great effort to display his knowledge here, but Lan Feier's reaction was lukewarm—just nods or the occasional 'oh'—seeming not very interested.
Indeed.
Although many days had passed since the events in the Black-Raven Secret Realm, Lan Feier still couldn't forget that day. She very much wanted to forget, but the more she tried, the more she couldn't. The events of that day kept replaying in her mind, as if she could see that man in white just by closing her eyes. She even dreamed of that fellow.