"Probably fighting. Back then, a disciple bullied me, and I beat him up good... and then... well, I was expelled."
Gu Qingfeng remembered his youthful days in the Yunxia Sect very clearly, as they held many of his firsts: his first cultivation attempt, his first breath control, his first fight, his first Dao companion, his first dual cultivation... Even now, those memories remained deeply buried in the recesses of his mind.
Across from him, Ouyang Ye watched with a hint of suspicion, unable to immediately determine the truth of his words. She challenged, "Are you lying to me again? Didn't you claim to be born with divine strength? If you truly possessed innate divine strength, the training masters of our Yunxia Sect would have fought over taking you as a disciple. How could they possibly have made you do menial labor?"
"How to put it..." Gu Qingfeng plucked quite a few wild fruits from a roadside tree. Perhaps the earlier scuffle had tired him out, as he casually sat down on the ground and began eating the fruits one by one, responding, "My situation is a bit complicated. It's not something you'd understand."
"I wouldn't understand? Hmph! I'm an inner sect disciple of the Yunxia Sect. I've read widely since childhood and know far more than you." Ouyang Ye snorted coldly and asked, "Do you dare let me examine your condition?"
"Suit yourself."
It had been countless years since he'd tasted such bitter wild fruits. Eating several to quench his thirst felt surprisingly refreshing.
Ouyang Ye walked over, grasped Gu Qingfeng's wrist, and released a wisp of spiritual sense to carefully examine him. But this examination immediately caused her exquisite face to twist in shock and suspicion. She discovered that Gu Qingfeng had no spiritual root at all, and... he also lacked a dantian. His meridians were even more complex and chaotic.
No spiritual root! No dantian, and disordered meridians.
This... this only happened when Foundation Establishment failed!
As an inner sect disciple of the Yunxia Sect, Ouyang Ye knew very well that when one's cultivation reached the Innate realm, they would encounter the first major threshold on the path of cultivation: Foundation Establishment. Success meant one could continue cultivating. Conversely, failure meant the innate spiritual root would dissipate, the dantian would lose its vitality, gradually withering until it vanished, and the meridians would be damaged. That was the mild outcome. Those with bad luck might die on the spot if Foundation Establishment failed.
In this world, Foundation Establishment failure was a very common occurrence, with complex causes. Some failed because their foundation wasn't stable enough, some due to pill abuse, others from rushing for quick success—too many reasons could lead to failure.
Wait!
If this guy had failed Foundation Establishment, how could his physical body be so formidable?
Ouyang Ye continued examining the situation inside Gu Qingfeng's body. The more she looked, the more her scalp tingled. The various disordered meridians were like tangled old tree roots, a complete mess. However, what astonished her was that despite the chaotic state of these meridians, they were strangely exceptionally wide open. Moreover, all the meridians throughout his body were completely unobstructed. Even more terrifying, Gu Qingfeng's bones were extremely peculiar, and his skeletal structure was harder and thicker than an ordinary person's.
Could it be... Could it be a Mutated Constitution?
Yes!
It must be.
The so-called Mutated Constitution usually referred to a situation where, during Foundation Establishment, an unstable foundation led to failure. The powerful spiritual energy would instantly destroy the innate spiritual root, and the dantian would lose its vitality. However, the disordered meridians would be impacted by the spiritual energy, becoming exceptionally wide open, with all meridians throughout the body unobstructed. This, in turn, caused mutations in the bones, resulting in a physically formidable body with immense strength.
Although a Mutated Constitution granted a powerful body, immense strength, and unobstructed meridians, because the spiritual root had dissipated, one could no longer sense spiritual energy—like having no nose to breathe. The dantian withered and vanished, making it impossible to absorb spiritual energy, and thus cultivation became impossible. Therefore, a Mutated Constitution was also called a 'wasted foundation body.'
Those who developed a Mutated Constitution after Foundation Establishment failure were extremely rare, even more so than some legendary treasure bodies. Of course, rarity didn't mean nonexistence. The Yunxia Sect had one such case. And now, she had encountered another.
"So you're a wasted foundation body... Oh, no! A Mutated Constitution. I..." After confirming Gu Qingfeng's condition, the anger in Ouyang Ye's eyes diminished, replaced by a touch of pity. Although she herself hadn't undergone Foundation Establishment yet, over the years she had seen many who had failed. She understood very clearly what failure meant. Even if a mutation occurred during Foundation Establishment, resulting in a Mutated Constitution with immense strength, cultivation would forever be impossible.
"Mutated Constitution?"
Gu Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated. He truly hadn't expected this little girl, after examining him for so long, to conclude he had some nonsense 'Mutated Constitution.'
No spiritual root?
Gu Qingfeng indeed had no spiritual root, because sensing spiritual energy didn't require one for him. With a single breath and circulation, forget spiritual roots—even immortal roots, let alone immortals, would have to step aside.
No dantian?
Gu Qingfeng's dantian had indeed long withered, devoid of any vitality, but that didn't mean he lacked one. On the contrary, every acupoint in his body, even his pores, served as his dantian.
Disordered meridians, extraordinary bone structure?
This wasn't caused by Foundation Establishment failure. It was his supreme physique, forged through enduring the Immortal-Demon Judgment and painstakingly tempered by the Nine Nethers Primordial Fire.
However, considering his Great Dao foundation was destroyed, his Immortal-Demon throne seized, and he was struck back to his original form by the Heavenly Dao, his current mortal body's condition indeed resembled a Mutated Constitution resulting from Foundation Establishment failure.
Since this girl insisted on viewing him as having a Mutated Constitution, he couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Hey, you look very weak. Take this Vitality Pill first."
Ouyang Ye pulled out a white jade bottle from the storage pouch at her waist, poured out a Vitality Pill, and handed it over. Gu Qingfeng thanked her and quickly swallowed it. In his current weakened state, he desperately needed to replenish his vitality. This Vitality Pill had arrived just in time.
"Your experience must have been very..." Foundation Establishment failure was almost equivalent to becoming a cripple. For a sect, such a person held no further training value and would typically be expelled. Some who failed Foundation Establishment were even heartlessly cast out by their own families.
Looking at Gu Qingfeng before her—disheveled, utterly wretched, filthy all over, his clothes torn—Ouyang Ye imagined he must have suffered the full cruelty of the world after his failure. Especially watching him eat the roadside wild fruits with such relish made her heart ache even more. She had tried those wild fruits before; they were so bitter they were nearly impossible to swallow. Yet he was eating so many of them. He must be starving.
The little girl had a kind heart. As she watched, her eyes began to moisten. She discreetly wiped away a tear and said softly, "Don't eat these wild fruits anymore. My aunt's manor is just ahead. Let me take you there to fill your stomach first."
"Oh? That would be wonderful."
Having lived for several centuries, Gu Qingfeng had seen all living things between heaven and earth. His vision was naturally sharp. How could he not see that the little girl pitied him? He had been considering finding a place to bathe and change clothes first. Since she had taken pity on him, it saved him the trouble of going elsewhere.
Truly, this little girl was kind-hearted. After learning Gu Qingfeng was a 'wasted foundation body,' not only did her attitude soften considerably, her voice also became gentler. She even proactively took out spirit fruits from her storage pouch. She had wanted to ask about his experiences but thought better of it. Asking about his misfortunes would be like rubbing salt in the wound. So, Ouyang Ye simply asked for his name.
Gu Qingfeng, for his part, was quite content with this arrangement. Walking and chatting with Ouyang Ye, they soon arrived at the foot of a mountain.
The mountain range ahead wasn't very large, but it was exquisitely crafted. One could faintly make out the beautiful scenery on the slopes. At the mountain's base stood a huge stone tablet engraved with four large characters: 'First-Rank Manor.'
"This is your aunt's manor? Quite impressive."
Gu Qingfeng carefully observed and found the entire mountain enveloped in various formations: some gathered spiritual energy, some blocked sound, others provided shade and coolness. Simply maintaining the normal operation of these formations daily would consume a significant amount of spirit stones.
Many carriages were parked at the mountain's base, with numerous people coming and going. Groups of two or three walked together, chatting and laughing, making the scene quite lively.
Following Ouyang Ye into the manor, Gu Qingfeng found the spiritual energy inside relatively rich. He guessed a decent spiritual vein likely lay beneath the mountain. Looking around, the manor's scenery was quite beautiful: birds singing, flowers fragrant, ancient-style pavilions, towers, and cool gazebos. And there were indeed many people inside.
"Why so many people..."
"Of course! Today, the manor is hosting a Musical Arts gathering. My aunt invited many renowned musicians. Even Master Wenzhu, the most famous musician in our Qingyang region, is here!"
"Musicians... So it's about playing music."
The Immortal Dao had Ten Great Arts. Martial skills, spells, formations, talismans, etc., all belonged to the Immortal Arts. Musical Arts was one of them.
Compared to other Immortal Arts, Musical Arts was difficult to enter and even harder to master. It demanded high talent and comprehension, making it a relatively aloof and refined art. Moreover, a beautiful melody could cleanse the soul, bring joy, and make one forget worries. Skilled musicians could also use their music to subdue demons and monsters.
Therefore, since ancient times, Musical Arts had been highly revered. It appealed to both young and old and was extremelyspectacular to behold. If a famous piece could be played to convey itsartistic conception, it could absolutely immerse the listener, making them feel as if they had traveled back through the ages alongside the melody, leaving a lastingaftertaste.
"And today, Master Wenzhu will perform the famous piece 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain.' Just thinking about it excites me."
Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain?
Hearing the name of this piece, Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned. It felt very familiar, as among the pieces he had composed in his youth was one called 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain.' He asked, "Which 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain'?"
"Of course, the Monarch's 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain'! Under the heavens, from ancient times to the present, besides the Monarch, who else could create such a soul-stirring, magnificent masterpiece like 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain'?"
Whenever the Crimson Sky Monarch was mentioned, Ouyang Ye's pretty face would always reveal deep admiration and affection. She said dreamily, "Throughout his legendary life, the Monarch left behind countless famous pieces. However, his mastery of Musical Arts had long transcended the ordinary, reaching a realm incomprehensible to common people. Although he left innumerable famous pieces, many are so profoundly mysterious that even today, few can play them in their entirety."
Pausing briefly, Ouyang Ye continued, "Even though 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain' was composed during the Monarch's youth and doesn't demand an extremely high level of musical mastery, not everyone can convey itsartistic conception. I've heard many, many people play 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain,' including quite a few renowned musicians. But in our Qingyang region, only Master Wenzhu can perfectly perform the essence andartistic conception of that piece..."
"Is that so?" Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, nodded, and smiled. "Then I must listen carefully."
"Listen well. When the melody begins, calm your heart and listen attentively. It will be as if you are there, transported back to the ancient era, witnessing with your own eyes the Monarch's majestic scene of subduing countless heroes on Daqing Mountain with a single rendition of 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain.'"
Ouyang Ye glanced at him and said very seriously, "Although your Foundation Establishment failed, being able to hear Master Wenzhu perform 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain' today will still be worthwhile."
"It's just someone playing a tune. Is it really that exaggerated?" Gu Qingfeng felt speechless. "What? Does listening to some master play a tune cure my Foundation Establishment failure?"
"You... you're truly ignorant! Hmph! Master Wenzhu is playing 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain'! 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain' was composed by the Monarch when he returned injured. You need to know that the Monarch's Golden Core had shattered back then—his situation was far more tragic than yours! Yet he still stood back up, returned to Daqing Mountain, and slaughtered until seven sects there were utterly annihilated!
I'm telling you to listen carefully so you can truly appreciate the Monarch'sgrace and prowess. I hope you won't lose heart because of your Foundation Establishment failure..."
"Hahahaha! Having lived this long, I've truly never heard anyone else play 'Wind Rises Over Daqing Mountain'..." Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily. Back when he wasdeeply engrossed in Musical Arts, he had indeed composed many pieces. On a whim, he would occasionally play a few tunes himself. But as he said, he had never actually heard anyone else play his own compositions.