It was true that Gu Qingfeng was fond of wine.
Rather than an addiction, it was more of a habit.
Throughout his five hundred years of cultivation, there wasn't a single day he went without drinking. Battling and killing his way along the path, only fine wine had been his constant companion. It had long since become a deeply ingrained habit.
As the saying goes: the path of defying heaven is a road of no return; drinking fine wine to intoxicate one's loneliness.
There is a saying: loneliness and fine wine, carefree to dispel sorrow. Gu Qingfeng had no sorrows to dispel, yet he still enjoyed drinking. Besides habit, it was mostly just... habit.
Huode shook his head, saying nothing more. The Yunxia Sect had already become a pile of ruins. He wondered if the fine wine hidden in the cellar had been damaged and was just about to go check when he noticed many people rushing towards the Yunxia Sect.
Huode immediately sensed trouble.
He knew that after the news of Gu Qingfeng's failed Golden Core formation had spread, many people, including the Ten Little Hidden Dragons and the young masters of the Thirty-Six Huage, had been searching everywhere for Gu Qingfeng.
Previously, the Spirit Seclusion Garden had formations set up by Gu Qingfeng, making it impossible for others to detect anything. Now that the formations had collapsed, if the Ten Little Hidden Dragons and the others discovered Gu Qingfeng was hiding here, it would inevitably cause a huge commotion.
Thinking of this, Huode immediately asked, "Kid Gu, shouldn't you find a place to hide for now?"
"Can't move for the moment."
Gu Qingfeng was currently using all his strength to suppress the Mysterious Heart, the Great Nature Seed, and that Lonely Star Tear. He dared not relax in the slightest. Having finally managed to suppress them, he didn't want to give up halfway. Who knew if these three entities would become even more violent if he slacked off.
"You've destroyed the Yunxia Sect, your location is exposed. When those little brats show up later, I'm afraid..."
"Exposed is exposed. What's there to fear?"
"What if those little brats attack you? You know my level of strength isn't even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth..."
"I just can't move for now, that's all. Don't worry. Forget those little brats, even if the heavens themselves descended to pass judgment right now, I could sit here motionless, letting it judge me. It could judge me for ten thousand years and still not manage to kill me."
Gu Qingfeng sat amidst the ruins. Although his face still looked somewhat pale, his expression was remarkably relaxed, his tone especially casual. "Stop worrying about nothing in the future. Haven't I told you? As long as I don't want to die, no one between heaven and earth can kill me..."
"Tsk tsk, what a boast...
It's deafening!"
Huode sneered sarcastically, then paid him no further mind and headed for the cellar.
The sudden collapse of the Yunxia Sect had attracted the attention of many. When they rushed over and discovered Gu Qingfeng, they were all quite shocked.
Because just days ago, the Ten Little Hidden Dragons and the young masters of the Thirty-Six Huage had turned the Four Great Regions upside down searching for Gu Qingfeng without success. Many had assumed that after his failed Golden Core formation, Gu Qingfeng had fled the Four Great Regions overnight, secretly hiding away to heal in seclusion. Seeing him now at the Yunxia Sect naturally felt unbelievable. Once they recovered from their shock, many immediately threw out Message Talismans.
Clearly, they were spreading the news of Gu Qingfeng's location at the first opportunity.
Message Talismans were essential spiritual treasures for contemporary cultivators. One only needed to fuse their intent into them, and the talisman would transform into a flying pigeon to deliver the message.
Besides that, some also threw out Command Tokens.
These were even more direct. Usually, they were only used during major events, such as when a spiritual treasure emerged and required significant backup. Once a Command Token was activated, everyone within the sect would rush to the location.
Sure enough, after these people sent out their Message Talismans and Command Tokens, it didn't take long before members of various major sects began arriving from all directions.
"To think Gu Qingfeng is still alive after failing his Golden Core formation. And he's bold enough to have been hiding right here in the Yunxia Sect all along, without us noticing."
"He probably won't live much longer. I heard that after forming his Golden Core, he personally ignited it. The core scattered, his Purple Mansion withered, his foundation rotted. It won't be long before he breathes his last. Even if he lives, his lifespan is limited, unlikely to exceed a hundred years."
"Won't live much longer?
Hmph!
When the Ten Little Hidden Dragons get here later, they'll definitely spare no effort to erase him."
More and more people gathered, staring at Gu Qingfeng and discussing animatedly. They all released their spiritual sense to probe him, discovering he had no spiritual aura whatsoever. Knowing his time was short, some gloated, some were delighted to see it, while others felt a sense of pity.
Soon, the appearance of one person caused an uproar in the area.
It was a man, one who appeared handsome, tall, and graceful—none other than the Heir Apparent of the Yuqing Sect, the number one sect in the Four Great Regions, and one of the Ten Little Hidden Dragons: Huo Dong.
When Huo Dong arrived and saw Gu Qingfeng sitting cross-legged in the ruins, his expression changed dramatically, his eyes flashing with a complex gleam.
Shock, hatred, pleasant surprise, but mostly killing intent!
He was shocked because he never expected Gu Qingfeng to be hiding at the Yunxia Sect.
He felt hatred because that day at the Taixuan Platform, Gu Qingfeng had turned him, a Little Hidden Dragon who should have been the center of attention, into a laughingstock.
He felt pleasant surprise because he discovered Gu Qingfeng had no spiritual aura, his complexion looked terrible, and his aura was weak.
At the Taixuan Platform, having lost all face before so many, Huo Dong had been disheartened, thinking he could never hold his head high again in this lifetime. But he never imagined Gu Qingfeng would fail his Golden Core formation. In his mind, this was surely a chance bestowed upon him by the heavens, an opportunity to reclaim the face he lost at the Taixuan Platform. As long as he could reclaim that dignity, he would still be the Heir Apparent of Yuqing Sect, still that awe-inspiring Little Hidden Dragon.
When Huo Dong saw Gu Qingfeng, he didn't immediately attack. Instead, he stood mid-air, hands clasped behind his back, looking down from his superior position.
He was thinking about how best to recover the dignity he lost that day at the Taixuan Platform.
Attack directly?
No!
That wouldn't do.
Everyone knew Gu Qingfeng had failed his Golden Core formation and was severely injured. If he attacked directly, even if he succeeded in erasing him, he would be labeled as someone who took advantage of another's misfortune, engaging in despicable, underhanded behavior. That wouldn't help him regain face; on the contrary, it would further tarnish his reputation.
Of course.
That wasn't his biggest concern.
The real reason he didn't dare to act immediately was: just how severe were Gu Qingfeng's injuries?
Huo Dong had a deep personal understanding of just how formidable Gu Qingfeng's True Body was.
Although he thought that with a scattered Golden Core, even if his True Body was strong, it would definitely suffer greatly, becoming extremely weak, perhaps even unable to move.
If it were anyone else, Huo Dong wouldn't have such worries. But this person was Gu Qingfeng—mysterious and bizarre—who had left a deep shadow in his mind from the Taixuan Platform incident. This forced him to be cautious.
Therefore, he kept releasing his spiritual sense to probe.
After repeatedly confirming that Gu Qingfeng had no spiritual aura, it meant his cultivation was completely lost.
He was also very certain that Gu Qingfeng's current aura was weak, at least it appeared so.
But as for the true extent of the injuries to Gu Qingfeng's True Body, he simply didn't know.