When Gu Qingfeng on the trial platform spoke these words in an offhand tone, everyone present, including Elder Rende, could hardly believe their ears, suspecting they had misheard.
All who cultivate possess Immortal Arts—be it martial arts, spells, sword techniques, or formations—and they all know how difficult it is to cultivate any Immortal Art, even a foundational one.
Because regardless of the Immortal Art, be it martial arts or spells, one must first comprehend its Profound Mysteries, a process that requires a long time. No matter how high one's comprehension, it's impossible to grasp them in a short period. Each Immortal Art contains at least eighty-one Profound Mysteries. Each layer of mystery is like a mountain, and each layer contains a vast number of spiritual formulas, making comprehension not easy—in fact, extremely difficult.
This requires comprehension and talent.
Many in the arena, even those at the Purple Mansion or Golden Core True Being realm, have spent decades or even over a century trying to comprehend a single foundational Immortal Art without reaching Great Perfection.
And that's just one foundational Immortal Art.
Now, the ten randomly selected Immortal Arts included martial arts, spells, sword techniques, and formations.
Different fields are like different mountains.
Having good talent in martial arts doesn't mean you have good talent in spells.
And now, what was he saying? That ten foundational Immortal Arts required no comprehension at all?
That a single glance would yield Great Perfection?
These words were simply too arrogant, arrogant beyond measure.
No one dared to speak such brazen words. Not the chiefs of Yunxia Sect's Twelve Courtyards, not the direct disciples of the Nine Halls, not even those prodigies from great sects with ten-thousand-year legacies, hailed as dragons among men, would dare utter such boasts. Perhaps a once-in-ten-millennium cultivation genius could achieve it in three to five months, or even a dozen days.
But he dared to say a single glance would yield Great Perfection?
Such arrogant words probably couldn't even be spoken by a reincarnated great power!
Him?
On what grounds!
It must be known that this stage of the trial tested comprehension. Usually, only a few Profound Mysteries from one randomly selected technique were tested, at most not exceeding the fourth layer. After all, ten Immortal Arts were randomly selected, and there was only one hour. One only needed to explain the selected mysteries; there was no need to demonstrate them, nor could anyone demonstrate them within an hour.
The current highest record at Yunxia Sect was held by Mo Long, a direct disciple of the Nine Halls, who had once comprehended the first four Profound Mysteries of three of the Immortal Arts within an hour.
On the high platform, Elder Mude, Guang Yuan, and the others had been troubled over how to make Gu Qingfeng fail the assessment.
But they never expected this ignorant upstart to utter such wildly arrogant words.
"A glance to Great Perfection...
Hahaha!"
True Person Feixue suddenly laughed heartily, her laughter filled with disdain. She sneered, "You?"
"Me."
Within the trial arena, Gu Qingfeng stood in his white robes, hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, his eyes dark, his tone calm.
He stood there like a solitary sword looking down upon the heavens, or a lofty peak scorning all living beings.
"Good!"
True Person Feixue shouted her approval.
Mude and Guang Yuan had been troubled over how to make Gu Qingfeng fail the assessment. True Person Feixue, representing Elder Shuide's review, naturally felt the same. She also did not wish for Gu Qingfeng to pass, and was also troubled over how to stump him at this stage. She also hadn't expected Gu Qingfeng to utter such boasts.
She knew this was an opportunity!
A heaven-sent opportunity!
With a bang, she instantly stood up, leaning forward, both hands pressing on the table, eyes wide with apparent agitation. Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, she harshly demanded, "If you cannot do it, you fail the assessment. Do you dare?"
As soon as Feixue's words fell, Mude, stroking his beard, also shouted, "Ignorant brat! First you act wantonly, then show disrespect to us, and now you utter such supremely arrogant words. This old man asks you, if you cannot do it, you fail the assessment. Do you dare?"
Soon, Guang Yuan and the steward elders supporting Elders Jinde and Shuide also joined in with accusatory questions.
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
After Gu Qingfeng agreed, True Person Feixue immediately addressed Elder Rende. "Elder Rende, you heard him! If he cannot comprehend to Great Perfection, he fails the assessment!"
Then Elder Mude also stood up and spoke.
"This..." Elder Rende's face was grave. As a Golden Core True Being who had cultivated for over eight hundred years, he naturally understood how arrogant Gu Qingfeng's earlier statement was. In his opinion, it was simply impossible. Although Huode had said Gu Qingfeng was extraordinary, he still believed it impossible. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Gu Qingfeng and asked, "Gu... Gu Qingfeng, are you... certain?"
"Certain."
"These are ten different Immortal Arts. Are you certain you have comprehended them all thoroughly?"
"Certain."
Elder Rende took a deep breath, staring at Gu Qingfeng. He truly didn't know how to phrase the next question.
"However..." Gu Qingfeng suddenly changed tack, uttering only two words, which immediately drew shouts from Feixue, Mude, Guang Yuan, and the others on the high platform.
"However what!
Do you wish to go back on your word?"
"Arrogant fool! Weren't you capable?
What!
Afraid now?"
Clearly, Mude and the others knew this was their only chance to make Gu Qingfeng fail the assessment. They would not miss it for anything. Even if Gu Qingfeng tried to renege, they would seize on this point and press it to the end.
In response, Gu Qingfeng on the trial platform merely let out a derisive laugh. This laugh was filled with sarcasm, mockery, contempt, and even more disdain.
"Ignorant brat! Since you dared to say a single glance can lead to thorough comprehension and Great Perfection, you must achieve it! Otherwise, we will deem your assessment a failure!"
"Gu! What are you laughing at!"
True Person Feixue's originally rather pretty face now appeared exceptionally sinister. Staring fixedly at Gu Qingfeng, she sneered through gritted teeth, "Everyone present heard what you just said. Do you still wish to go back on your word?"
"I laugh...
I laugh at how utterly despicable you people are!"
Gu Qingfeng's dark eyes suddenly snapped open. The stillness within them abruptly transformed into raging waves. His expression turned wildly arrogant, his tone filled with domineering force as he thundered, "What kind of trash are you lot, one after another? No cultivation to speak of, no breadth of vision, no experience to speak of, not even the basic self-awareness you should have! A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well, black sheep ruining the flock!"
Before anyone could respond, Gu Qingfeng swept his gaze across them and roared, "Listen well!
What I meant by 'a glance to Great Perfection' was not comprehending to Great Perfection, but executing to Great Perfection!"
A commotion erupted!
These words were like a sudden thunderclap on flat ground, stunning everyone present into stunned silence.
What did he say?
Not comprehending to Great Perfection?
But executing to Great Perfection?
Comprehending and executing were two entirely different concepts.
Comprehending something thoroughly didn't mean you could execute it.
Different Immortal Arts contained different Profound Mysteries, and thus their cultivation methods naturally differed. This included how spiritual power transformed, how meridians circulated, how the dantian functioned, how various spiritual formulas were executed, and so much more. These were not things one could learn just by having high comprehension. They required day after day, year after year of diligent, bitter practice to succeed. There were no shortcuts.
No one could comprehend a single Immortal Art to Great Perfection with just a glance, not even a foundational one.
Even less could anyone execute a single Immortal Art to Great Perfection with just a glance.
No one could do it...
No one could...
This was no longer a matter of arrogance. Such words couldn't even be described as 'arrogant beyond bounds,' because it was simply impossible!
This impossibility...
Was like...
Like an ant saying it could poke a hole in the heavens.
Could an ant do that?
The answer was definite.
No!
The people in the arena stood dumbfounded, while Mude, Guang Yuan, Feixue, and those on the high platform supporting Elders Jinde and Shuide grew exceptionally agitated.
"Arrogant fool...
Arrogant fool!!"
True Person Mude, whether from extreme anger or something else, flushed red, his breathing heavy. Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, he stammered, "You... if you cannot execute them today... this old man... this old man will certainly... certainly not let you off!"
Gu Qingfeng asked lightly, "And if I can execute them?"
"You cannot possibly execute them!"
"You are you, I am I!
Your inability does not mean I cannot!"
Gu Qingfeng roared, "Speak! What if I can execute them!"
"You... if you can truly execute these ten Immortal Arts, this old man... this old man will... will kowtow and apologize to you!"
"Kowtow and apologize?"
Gu Qingfeng snorted disdainfully and harshly retorted, "I am not your birth father, nor your ancestor! You have no need to kowtow and apologize to me!"
"You..." Mude was furious beyond measure, trembling with rage. "You... what do you propose then?"
"If I can execute them, I want your life!"