An Ran furrowed her brows, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Gu Qingfeng as if trying to see through him. Yet, no matter how she looked, she could discern nothing—he was too ordinary, no different from the average disciples of the minor sects in the Great Northwest, the kind who would vanish into a crowd without drawing any notice.
“So you’re the kid who formed a Dao-companion bond with our Yaoyue Palace’s Heir Apparent Disciple? What was the name again? Young Lord Chiyan, Gu Qingfeng?”
Fenglie Weirdo rubbed his chin as he circled Gu Qingfeng, also wearing an expression of trying to see through him. Unfortunately, like An Ran, he couldn’t find anything special no matter how he looked.
Yet, this kid was sitting right here, completely unaffected by any of the evil, toxic auras.
He was truly unaffected.
Everyone present saw it clearly: all manner of evil, toxic auras were invading his body through his pores, yet this Young Lord Chiyan showed no change in expression, his heart didn’t race, he didn’t even furrow his brows. Still sitting cross-legged on the rock, leisurely drinking his Little Tipple, he really did seem like someone who had just come to watch the spectacle.
This was something Fenglie Weirdo couldn’t do, Granny Qinghua couldn’t do, not even An Ran—an Immortal Official protected by the Radiant Sacred Breath—nor the reincarnated powerhouse holding the Black Cat could do it.
Gu Qingfeng looked at Fenglie Weirdo, a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth as he nodded in acknowledgment.
“Then do you know who I am?”
“Aren’t you just Fenglie Weirdo of Yaoyue Palace?”
“Kid, you’re pretty arrogant!”
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. “Just average, a little arrogant, that’s all.”
“Oh ho! Little guy, you sure aren’t humble!”
“Habit.”
“Heh!” Fenglie Weirdo stared at Gu Qingfeng. “I heard you also claim to be the successor of that kid Gu Tianlang?”
“What about it? Not allowed?”
“I’ve seen plenty of frauds impersonating that kid Gu Tianlang’s successor in the Divine Land!” Fenglie Weirdo glared menacingly. “You’re just another imposter, aren’t you?”
“Heh…” Gu Qingfeng chuckled lightly. “Whether I’m an imposter or not, let’s set that aside for now. Let’s talk about you first.”
“Talk about me? What about me?” Fenglie Weirdo sneered. “Don’t even mention if you’re an imposter; even if you really were Gu Tianlang’s successor, so what? Back when Gu Tianlang condensed his peerless Heaven-Slaying Nascent Soul, it was I who helped him.”
“That’s right, there is such a thing. However…” Gu Qingfeng’s tone shifted as he pulled out a Red-Leaf Monster Fruit and began eating it, speaking casually. “From what I know, back when my master first entered Yaoyue Palace, you gave him quite a hard time too. You even imprisoned him and tormented him with various arrays for a good while.”
Fenglie Weirdo’s heart immediately skipped a beat, horrified. “How do you know about that?”
Although he kept calling him “that kid Gu Tianlang,” it didn’t mean he didn’t hold Gu Tianlang in awe. On the contrary, deep down, he revered him greatly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept his mouth shut about tormenting Gu Tianlang back then—he was afraid, afraid of the Crimson-Letter Manor seeking retribution.
What puzzled Fenglie Weirdo was that he had never told anyone about tormenting Gu Tianlang back then; neither official histories nor unofficial records had any mention of it. How did this kid know?
Could he really be Gu Tianlang’s successor?
Just as he was pondering this, Gu Qingfeng’s voice drifted over slowly. “My master asked me to pass on a message to you. He said you did help him back then, and he is grateful. However, my master has always been someone who distinguishes clearly between gratitude and grudges. He said he’s always remembered how you tormented him back then.”
“You think I was raised on threats? So what if he remembers? That kid Gu Tianlang has been dead for how many years? What can he possibly do to me now?”
“My master may be dead, but I’m still alive.” Gu Qingfeng said with a smile. “My master said that if I ever met you, I should teach you a lesson on his behalf.”
Hearing this, Fenglie Weirdo glared furiously and roared, “You dare!”
Gu Qingfeng looked at him, smiling without a word.
But this smile made Fenglie Weirdo’s heart grow uneasy, even fearful.
Especially under Gu Qingfeng’s gaze, Fenglie Weirdo felt as if all his secrets were laid bare, as if even his soul was being seen through.
How could this be?
This was the first time Fenglie Weirdo had encountered such a strange situation; it felt utterly bizarre. He instinctively took a step back, mustering his courage to shout, “Try laying a finger on me!”
“What’s the hurry? We’ll talk about it later.” Gu Qingfeng shifted his posture, still sitting cross-legged. “Weren’t you all planning to snatch the Little Fellow? Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and make your move.”
Make a move?
Who would dare?
The mysterious reincarnated woman holding the Black Cat already made them hesitant to act rashly.
Now, out of nowhere, this even more mysterious and bizarre Young Lord Chiyan had appeared. How could they dare to make a move?
Everyone present here was an old-timer who had cultivated for thousands of years. They knew all too well that in the business of snatching treasures, the one who made the first move was often the most taboo. Usually, the first one to grab the treasure died the fastest. Unless one possessed absolutely overwhelming strength, no one dared act recklessly.
In a situation like this, timing was everything.
Only by seizing the right moment could one laugh last.
Blindly striking out would leave one dead without knowing how it happened. Moreover, that Little Turtle had an indestructible shell and a vicious bite. On the chase here, several Nascent Soul Dao Venerables had already been maimed by its bites. Given that, who would dare act rashly?
If they dared to make a move, they wouldn’t have waited until now.
Inside the array, the Little Turtle was still hopping mad, cursing Gu Qingfeng until its eyes turned blood-red.
“Gu, you heartless bastard! Ingrate! Scoundrel! You’re nothing but a scoundrel! A despicable and sinister scoundrel!!”
“I swear I’ll devour you alive! Gnaw your bones, drink your blood!”
Watching the Little Turtle trapped in the array, Gu Qingfeng chuckled happily. He said to the crowd, “Let me tell you all a secret. Do you know why I dare to sit here so fearlessly? And why I’m unaffected by the evil, toxic auras?”
Fenglie Weirdo, Granny Qinghua, An Ran, and the others all stared at Gu Qingfeng. Clearly, they were all extremely curious about this.
“You all must have heard of my prowess, right? My body is as solid as a rock, and my strength is boundless. I’m not boasting to you old folks, but with one slap, I could make you question your entire life!”
Regarding Young Lord Chiyan’s rock-solid body and indestructible absolute strength, everyone present had naturally heard of it.
But they had only heard rumors.
They didn’t believe it.
Even now, seeing Gu Qingfeng unaffected by any evil aura, they remained half-convinced, half-doubting.
“Do you know why I’m so powerful? It’s precisely because I drank the Little Fellow’s blood!” Gu Qingfeng said with a playful smile. “Did you think the Little Fellow was just a Mystic Beast? No! Let me tell you, the Little Fellow is a genuine Divine Beast! As long as you drink its blood, you can become as invincibly powerful as I am!”