In the chaotic frontier of the Great Northwest where dragons and snakes intermingle, Wuse Mountain was absolutely a special existence.
This held true both in Ancient Times and the Present Era.
Wuse Mountain had always adhered to its own style, upholding the principle of championing justice and righteousness, never changing.
In Ancient Times, the Great Northwest was a gathering place for demons, ghosts, and monsters, with countless evil cultivators, tyrants, and desperadoes. Yet Wuse Mountain remained like a lotus flower unstained by the mud, never influenced. Not only that, it had even helped persuade many evil cultivators to reform and return to the right path.
Such was Ancient Times.
In the Present Era, with all things reviving, to compete for and monopolize cultivation resources, major sects either recruited families and guilds or raised armies and bought horses. Even those reclusive cave abodes entered the world one after another, establishing sects and widely accepting disciples.
Only Wuse Mountain did not.
Although Wuse Mountain also accepted disciples, the conditions were extremely stringent. Unlike other sects and cave abodes that looked at aptitude, fortune, or even family background when accepting disciples, Wuse Mountain only looked at character.
As long as one's character passed muster, even if their aptitude was poor and their comprehension lacking, they could enter Wuse Mountain to cultivate.
Conversely, if one's character did not pass, even if they possessed heaven-defying talent and peerless comprehension, Wuse Mountain would still not accept them.
Because of this reason, Wuse Mountain's disciples had always been few. Having been passed down for thousands of years, whether it even had a hundred disciples to this day remained an unknown number.
Do not think that Wuse Mountain had few people, but each and every one was renowned far and wide.
'All on Wuse Mountain are gentlemen.'
This saying was not just empty words.
From the Wuse Patriarch, to the Nine Solitary Elders who became famous throughout the Great Northwest in Ancient Times, to the current pillars of strength, the Eighteen Swords, all could be called heroes among men. Even the youngest generation of Wuse Mountain disciples, the Twenty-Four Young Masters, were gradually making their reputations known throughout the Great Northwest.
Wuse Mountain was located in the Wuse territory of the Star-Moon Domain.
This territory had mountains and water, and the scenery was especially beautiful. Benefiting from the Five Essences Spirit Vein beneath Wuse Mountain, the entire territory appeared magnificent and splendid.
In particular, the Wuse Gardens were a beautiful scenic line throughout the entire Great Northwest.
Entering the Wuse territory,
Gu Qingfeng immediately saw in the distance those mountain ranges shimmering with myriad colors. Below the mountains was a vast and magnificent sea of Wuse Flowers. Looking out, it truly refreshed the heart and delighted the spirit.
"If I remember correctly, the Wuse Flowers beneath Wuse Mountain only bloom once a year, each time for only five days. One color per day, five colors over five days. On the sixth day, they wither."
Gu Qingfeng, riding an old horse, took a sip of peach blossom wine from his wine gourd and couldn't help but laugh. "It seems these Wuse Flowers will start blooming in a few days. My luck really isn't bad, actually catching up with the annual Wuse Flower bloom."
Gu Qingfeng clearly remembered that in Ancient Times, every year when the Wuse Flowers bloomed, the area beneath Wuse Mountain would be packed with people.
Not to admire the flowers,
but for the Wuse Flower petals.
The Wuse Flower was a spirit flower, containing the unique Five Essences spiritual energy of Wuse Mountain, making it most suitable for refining pills.
Each time the Wuse Flowers bloomed, it lasted only five days. After the flowers fell on the fifth day, the disciples of Wuse Mountain would collect the petals and then scatter them. At that time, anyone could pick them up.
This was also what Gu Qingfeng most admired.
At the same time, it was his most painful memory from his youth.
He vaguely remembered that every year when the Wuse Flowers were about to bloom, it could be called a grand event in the Great Northwest. People from all directions would come like going to a market to pick them up. Many people would wait here a full month in advance, before the flowers even bloomed.
One must know that Ancient Times was an era of scarce resources. Even a single spirit stone could make people fight until their heads bled. The value of a single Wuse Flower petal was not something a single spirit stone could compare to. If one could snatch one and sell it, an ordinary person could live without worrying about food and drink for a lifetime. Even for a cultivator, relying on a single Wuse Flower petal could sustain them for three to five years.
Back then, Gu Qingfeng had also picked up petals beneath Wuse Mountain, and not just once. To be precise, he came to snatch them almost every year.
He was an orphan, having wandered since childhood. Forget cultivation, even basic food and clothing were a problem.
Every year when the Wuse Flowers were about to bloom, he would follow the large caravan setting out from the Flaming Sun Domain. The journey from the Flaming Sun Domain to the Star-Moon Domain was very far. Even flying by sword would take a day. Traveling on foot, it was impossible to get here without one or two months. On the road, he had to be constantly on edge, afraid of being eaten by demons and monsters, or captured by some evil cultivator to be refined.
Even so, Gu Qingfeng would still follow the caravan every year. Unfortunately, he was really too young back then. Although he came to snatch every year, each time he returned empty-handed. Even when he was lucky enough to snatch one once, it was taken by someone else.
Fortunately,
he encountered a kind-hearted woman.
She was a female disciple of Wuse Mountain.
Named Liu Qingyan.
She was not only the goddess of his childhood, but also the goddess in the hearts of many people at that time.
Because back then, the person responsible for scattering the Wuse Flower petals was none other than Liu Qingyan.
For this, many people called her the Wuse Fairy.
Gu Qingfeng remembered very clearly. That year he was twelve years old, already his fifth time coming to snatch Wuse Flower petals. It was also this time that he finally snatched one. But just as he got it, before it could even warm in his hand, damn it, someone else snatched it away. At that time, Gu Qingfeng was so angry. Young as he was, regardless of that person's cultivation level, he directly bit that person's ear with his teeth, finally biting the ear clean off.
If Liu Qingyan hadn't intervened in time, his little life would likely have ended right there.
Back then, Liu Qingyan not only helped him retrieve the petal, but worried he might face retaliation, she also took him to stay at Wuse Mountain for a few days.
Although Gu Qingfeng was young back then, he was an old hand who had wandered for many years. Knowing this opportunity was hard to come by, he wanted to join Wuse Mountain. Playing pitiful, acting innocent, he finally moved Liu Qingyan's heart and gained her sympathy.
Thinking he could finally join Wuse Mountain, who knew he still failed in the end.
Because he didn't pass the assessment.
The elders of Wuse Mountain unanimously believed his character was improper, his nature unruly, his heart harbored resentment, and he was difficult to teach.
Thus, after staying at Wuse Mountain for over half a month, Gu Qingfeng was still forced to leave.
The only fortunate thing was that when he left, Liu Qingyan personally flew him away by sword. And when parting, she specifically gave him many Wuse Flower petals, as well as some introductory cultivation books. However, back then Gu Qingfeng didn't recognize a single big character. Those so-called introductory books were later lost by him.
Relying on the money exchanged for the Wuse Flower petals, Gu Qingfeng learned to read, bribed a disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect, and entered to become a menial laborer. After being expelled from the Cloud Mist Sect for beating up a direct disciple, relying on a Flaming Sun Heart, Gu Qingfeng fought and killed, hid and fled all the way from the Four Directions Domain to the Star-Moon Domain. He originally wanted to see the goddess who had once saved his life.
Unfortunately, back then Liu Qingyan was out training. Until Gu Qingfeng left the Great Northwest, he never saw the goddess of his youth.
Thinking of it now, there was still some regret, more or less.