Fei Kui and Feixue had been disciples of the same cohort. In their youth, Fei Kui had suffered no small amount of humiliation at Feixue's hands. Now, having lived for three or four decades, although his cultivation and status still fell far short of Feixue's, with Old Man Huode backing him, he wasn't particularly afraid.
Seeing the two glaring daggers at each other, Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind and strode directly into the main hall.
"Gu Qingfeng, are you truly determined to compete for the position of Chief Disciple of the Twelve Courts?"
Elder Ren De asked the question. Seeing Gu Qingfeng shrug with an expression of utter indifference, he continued, "This old man knows your physical body is quite formidable and your Immortal Arts are impressive. However, competing for the position of Chief Disciple of the Twelve Courts is not that simple."
"Not that simple?" Gu Qingfeng's brow furrowed slightly. "Didn't they say you just need to defeat one of the current Chief Disciples?"
"That's what they say, and that is indeed the fact."
Elder Ren De said solemnly, "However, each of the Twelve Court Chiefs possesses profound cultivation, exquisite Immortal Arts, and strength far beyond your imagination. This old man advises you to think thrice before acting..."
"I've already thought it over. Just put my name down."
Elder Ren De was about to offer more advice but was cut off by Gu Qingfeng: "Alright, alright. If I didn't have the diamond drill, I wouldn't take on this porcelain job."
"This..." Elder Ren De seemed hesitant. At that moment, True Person Feixue sneered, "Elder Ren De, since he is so overestimating his own abilities, why bother persuading him? If you don't let him hit a wall, he'll never know how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is."
"Sigh..." Elder Ren De let out a sigh, shook his head in disappointment, and stopped trying to dissuade him. After registering Gu Qingfeng's name, he handed over a bamboo tube. "To compete for the position of Chief Disciple of the Twelve Courts, you need to draw a lot to decide your opponent."
Gu Qingfeng casually drew one stick. On it was written: Chief of Yulan Courtyard.
"Chief of Yulan Courtyard? Isn't that Huang Yao?"
Ouyang Ye hurried over, her face full of concern. "Hey, Gu Qingfeng, are you really going to compete for the Chief Disciple position? The Chief of Yulan Courtyard is Huang Yao! He's at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer! And his martial arts attainments are extremely high—he's cultivated four martial arts to the peak of the Six-Nine realm. He's incredibly strong!"
"Huang Yao?" Gu Qingfeng found the name somewhat familiar. Thinking it over, he couldn't help but chuckle. "What a coincidence."
"Coincidence? What coincidence? Did you even hear what I said? That guy fights ruthlessly!"
"Just a little brat," Gu Qingfeng laughed. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "I heard that if you become the Chief of the Chief Disciples, you can directly enter the Nine Halls?"
"This... that is indeed the case."
Though unsure why Gu Qingfeng was asking, Elder Ren De answered truthfully, "After becoming the Chief of the Chief Disciples, as long as you pass the trial array, you can enter the Nine Halls."
A Nine Halls Direct Disciple held the highest status among Yunxia Sect disciples, and the requirements were extremely strict. Only by becoming the Chief of the Chief Disciples did one qualify. And that was merely qualification—it didn't guarantee you would become a Nine Halls Direct Disciple. You still had to pass the trial array, which was notoriously terrifying. Even Mu Zibai, the previous Chief of the Chief Disciples who had forged a Colorful Foundation, had failed to pass it.
Gu Qingfeng nodded and asked again, "How do you become the Chief of the Chief Disciples?"
"Young man, you're not even a Chief Disciple yet. Don't think about being the Chief of Chiefs."
Elder Ren De sighed once more, his tone implying that this young man before him was far too arrogant and ignorant of his own limits. He hadn't even become a Chief yet and was already thinking about being the Chief of Chiefs.
What was this if not arrogance?
What was this if not overestimating his abilities?
Fei Kui stepped forward to explain, "It's like this: after becoming one of the Twelve Court Chiefs, there's a ranking competition among the chiefs. The one who takes first place becomes the Chief of the Chief Disciples."
"How does the ranking work?"
"The twelve chiefs draw lots for matches. It's an elimination tournament system."
"That troublesome?" Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin. "What if I directly defeat the previous Chief of Chiefs? Wouldn't that work?"
"That... wouldn't be according to the rules."
Listening to their discussion, Ouyang Ye was initially confused, but as she listened, she began to guess something, though she couldn't quite believe it. "Gu Qingfeng... what do you mean? You couldn't possibly... you couldn't possibly be thinking of competing for the position of Chief of the Chief Disciples too, could you?"
"That's the idea."
"You... you're insane!" Ouyang Ye stared wide-eyed. "You haven't even become a Chief Disciple yet, and you're already thinking about being the Chief of Chiefs?"
"Underestimating me, aren't you?" Gu Qingfeng took out another Crimson-Leaf Monster Fruit and took a bite, chuckling. "It's just the Twelve Court Chiefs. A bunch of little brats. I could knock them all down in the snap of a finger... Huh? Hahaha!"
With that, Gu Qingfeng left, roaring with laughter.
Watching Gu Qingfeng's retreating back, every Elder present shook their heads and sighed, privately thinking this young man was far too arrogant and ignorant of the heavens and earth.
*Just* the Twelve Court Chiefs?
A bunch of little brats?
Knock them down in the snap of a finger?
How utterly arrogant must a person be to dare say such things!
The Twelve Court Chiefs were geniuses meticulously selected from among Yunxia Sect's over ten thousand disciples. The top-ranked Mu Zibai was at Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer, having cultivated six sword techniques to the perfect Seven-Nine realm, and he had forged a Colorful Foundation. His strength was unmatched. The other chiefs, while lacking Colorful Foundations, all had spiritual roots of at least three colors. The weakest among them was at Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, and each possessed remarkable attainments in various Immortal Arts.
Such outstanding Twelve Court Chiefs were mere 'little brats' in his eyes?
Knock them down in the snap of a finger?
The Elders present had seen arrogant disciples before, but one as wildly arrogant and ignorant of his own limits as the one before them was a first. Moreover, this fellow was a mutated body that had failed Foundation Establishment.
So what if his physical body was a bit strong?
So what if he had cultivated the Flame Thunder Technique to Great Perfection?
What did it amount to?
In the end, he was just a cripple. No matter how high his comprehension, his cultivation in this lifetime was destined to stop right here.
The Elders shook their heads and sighed, not even bothering to reprimand him, mock him, or spare him another glance, finding this young man utterly unreasonable.
Ouyang Ye wanted to chase after him but was stopped by True Person Feixue.
"Disciple, why are you still paying attention to someone like him?" True Person Feixue said coldly and arrogantly. "A waste who lacks self-awareness, a waste arrogant enough to be ignorant of the heavens and earth, a waste who lives in fantasies and does nothing but boast—why pay him any mind? You're wasting your own time, do you know that?"
"This... Little Miss Ouyang, your master's words may be harsh, but they are not without reason."
Elder Ren De also stepped forward to advise, "Originally, this old man didn't want to meddle in your private affairs, but... this young man might have some problems with his mind. Perhaps he couldn't accept the fact of his Foundation Establishment failure, and his nerves were affected. Otherwise, how could he spout such nonsense?"
Lacked self-awareness?
Ignorant of the heavens and earth?
Only knew how to boast?
Lived in fantasies?
Nerves affected?
To be honest, Ouyang Ye had already thought this way back at the First-Class Villa. However, the events at the Crimson-Leaf Valley, Old Man Huode's attitude towards Gu Qingfeng, and all those inexplicable things he said had left Ouyang Ye puzzled.
She didn't believe Gu Qingfeng lacked self-awareness, nor did she believe this guy was arrogantly ignorant and only knew how to boast. But as for why this guy was so arrogant and what he relied on, Ouyang Ye didn't know. This was a question she had been unable to figure out since the first time she met Gu Qingfeng, and she still couldn't figure it out now.