Within the area.
Hei Feng Twin Fiends, Fenglie Weirdo, and the others seemed unable to believe what they were seeing, continuously probing with their Divine Sense. After a good long while, they finally confirmed that this white-robed youth truly possessed only pure Golden Core cultivation.
With such cultivation, how on earth had he concealed himself from their Divine Sense?
What puzzled them even more was that this mountain forest was located in the deepest part of the swamp, filled with all sorts of evil auras, including many highly toxic ones. An ordinary person would be fatally poisoned by just a slight exposure. Even cultivators of their level had been constantly circulating their Spiritual Power to envelop their bodies, fearing contamination by these evil, poisonous auras.
Yet this young man had just walked over so casually, with neither the glow of Spiritual Power nor its fluctuations around him.
In other words, he wasn't using any Spiritual Power to protect his body at all, simply allowing the evil auras to permeate him. Whether out of ignorance or fearlessness, he didn't seem to care in the slightest.
This scene truly shocked Hei Feng Twin Fiends and the others, who had cultivated for thousands of years.
None of them knew Gu Qingfeng's identity.
But.
There was one person who did: the woman holding the Black Cat.
She had seen Gu Qingfeng before in the Black Crow Secret Realm and knew his existence was profoundly mysterious and bizarre.
Not only did she recognize Gu Qingfeng, but the Little Turtle trapped within the Formation also recognized him.
When the little creature saw Gu Qingfeng approaching, it was first stunned, then began wailing and shouting.
"Wahhh!
Gu! You bastard!
You really came!
It's really you!
Why did you take so long!
Don't you know your little master was almost dead!"
The Little Turtle was extremely agitated and excited. Its head and limbs, which had been retracted into its shell, now stretched out. It stood up, planted its hands on its hips, and pointed triumphantly at Hei Feng Twin Fiends and the others, cursing loudly, "You bunch of brats thought you were so tough, didn't you?
Well, my boss is here now!
Go on, keep acting tough!"
"Scared now?
Afraid?
Do you even know who my boss is?
Listen up, all of you! My boss is none other than Young Lord Chiyan, Gu Qingfeng! The one who three years ago beheaded heaven's proud sons, slew Immortal Officials, annihilated alliances, scared off reincarnated great experts, swept across the four great domains, and stood peerless under heaven!"
"That's right!
The successor of the legendary overlord of the Ancient Era, Lord Chixiao! So, what now!
Scared, aren't you!"
Upon hearing the name Young Lord Chiyan, Gu Qingfeng, the expressions of Hei Feng Twin Fiends, Granny Qinghua, and the others also shifted. As denizens of the Great Northwest Frontier, they had naturally heard of Young Lord Chiyan's reputation. Not only had they heard, but even Fenglie Weirdo, who had just emerged from seclusion, had caught wind of it, even knowing he was the Dao-companion of Han Dong, the heir apparent of Yaoyue Palace.
"You bunch of brats!
Wanted to refine me, didn't you?
Wanted to drink my blood?
Come on then!
Come on!"
The Little Turtle, hands on hips, face flushed red, belly thrust forward, taunted, "Seeing my boss here, are you all scared now?
Lost your nerve?"
Scared? Lost their nerve? Not exactly.
But wary? That was true.
The mere name Young Lord Chiyan was enough to make everyone present wary. Especially given the rumors: Young Lord Chiyan possessed an indestructible boulder-like body and an unstoppable boulder-like power, capable of annihilating Dao Venerables with a flick of his finger, and even Immortal Officials couldn't withstand a single slap from him.
Under such circumstances, who wouldn't be wary?
Moreover, a person with Golden Core cultivation, without any Spiritual Power protecting his body, allowing all manner of evil spiritual auras to permeate him yet remaining completely unaffected, standing here as if nothing was wrong—this in itself was a deeply unsettling thought.
Gu Qingfeng, however, didn't speak. After walking over, he found a rock, sat down on it, and leisurely began drinking his Little Tipple.
"Boss! Elder Gu! Ancestor! Don't just sit there!
Hurry up and get your little brother out of here!"
"Who's your boss, who's your elder, who's your ancestor..." Gu Qingfeng said with a smile, "This master doesn't know you."
As he spoke, he lifted the wine pot and took a sip directly from the spout, chuckling, "Everyone, don't just stand there. If you're going to act, then act. I have no relationship with this little creature. I'm just here today to watch the show."
"What!"
The previously excited Little Turtle couldn't believe its ears upon hearing this. Pointing a claw at Gu Qingfeng, it asked in astonishment, "What did you just say?
You... don't know me?
And have no relationship with me?
You're here to watch the show?"
"That's right. Exactly so."
Receiving Gu Qingfeng's affirmative reply, perhaps the gap between reality and expectation was too vast, leaving the Little Turtle utterly unable to accept it. It plopped down on the ground, eyes wide, pointing at Gu Qingfeng. After a moment, it suddenly jumped up again, shouting, "Gu! You... you bastard! You damned scoundrel! I'm going to swallow you alive!"
The Little Turtle was seething with hatred! Trembling with rage, hopping mad, even its little head flushed red with anger. It waved its claws, scratching furiously, but to no avail—it couldn't break free from the Formation.
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered with it. He glanced at the woman veiled in black and smiled, "Well, well, big sister, we meet again. Quite a coincidence."
He then looked at the Black Cat in her arms and continued, "Your cat is nice..."
Meow!
The Black Cat nestled in the woman's arms seemed to startle at something, letting out a very faint cry before burying its head deep into the woman's embrace!
"They say these creatures are highly spiritual. Seems it's true!"
Meow!
The Black Cat cried out again, its voice filled with fear. This time, its entire body couldn't stop trembling. The black-robed woman appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, tumultuous waves were crashing. She secretly drew a sharp breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in her heart, and carefully put the Black Cat away, saying in a low voice, "You're not dead?"
"What kind of talk is that? Why would I die when I'm perfectly fine."
The black-robed woman didn't inquire further. Not that she didn't want to, but she didn't dare, nor did she know what to ask.
Ever since encountering Gu Qingfeng in the Black Crow Secret Realm years ago, she had been secretly observing his every move. Three years ago, she had personally witnessed this person turn to ashes beneath the Tai Xuan Monument—body dead, soul extinguished. She didn't know, nor could she imagine, how a person who had died so completely could come back to life.
"Are you truly Young Lord Chiyan?"
An Ran, who had remained silent until now, also voiced the doubt in her heart.
Not just her; when Hei Feng Twin Fiends, Granny Qinghua, and Profound Heart Dao Venerable beside her had previously heard the news of Gu Qingfeng's death and resurrection, they had always believed it to be false. They couldn't believe that someone who had turned to ashes could die and come back to life.
Yes.
They didn't believe it.
But now, seeing Gu Qingfeng sitting here so casually, allowing all manner of evil auras to permeate him yet remaining completely unaffected, they couldn't help but doubt.
"What of it?"
Gu Qingfeng looked at them, squinting his eyes at An Ran with a smile, "Sister, what's on your mind?"