On the trial platform, Gu Qingfeng's sharp shout thundered forth, its sound like lightning, piercing the ears and making eardrums buzz. His words were simple and direct, pointing at Elder Mude with the clear intent of demanding his life!
Beside him, Elder Rende, despite having cultivated for over eight hundred years, found himself at a loss in the face of Gu Qingfeng's mysterious identity and ferocious strength. If Rende was like this, then Fei Kui, who had been standing near the trial platform all along, was already pale with fright, his heart pounding, legs trembling, and cold sweat pouring out uncontrollably.
On the high platform, Elder Mude, who had been trembling with rage and fury, now wore an ashen, deathly pallor on his old face, looking utterly wretched. He glared, pointing at Gu Qingfeng, opening his mouth but unable to utter a single word.
Was it from rage?
Or fear?
No one knew.
"Well?" Gu Qingfeng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes unmoving, hair unstirred, expression unchanged, eyes like a dead sea, looking at Mude as he said, "Giving up already?"
"If you can't perform it, you fail the trial. If you can perform it, you want my life?" Elder Mude took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the fury in his heart, but even after several deep breaths, this rage remained unquelled. Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, he gnashed his teeth and shouted, "Arrogant wretch! Your calculations are truly shrewd!"
"If I can't perform it, I'll give you my life as well." Elder Mude sneered contemptuously, "Your wretched little life is worthless in this old man's eyes!"
"Ha!" Gu Qingfeng let out a mirthless laugh. Looking at Mude, he flipped his hand, and a purple-gold fragment appeared in his palm. "My little life is worthless in your eyes, but is this crystal fragment worth something?"
The purple-gold fragment was crystal clear, with strands of purple-gold color seeming to flow within. Seeing this fragment, Elder Mude couldn't help but change expression, exclaiming, "A fragment of Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal!"
Hearing 'Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal', the entire arena erupted in commotion. Anyone who knew its worth understood the immense value of Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal. Without exaggeration, even this small fragment would fetch a sky-high price on the market, because the Zijin Spirit energy contained within originated from the sun's fire.
"Well? If I can't perform it, this Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragment will belong to you." Watching the thumb-sized purple-gold fragment in Gu Qingfeng's palm, the eyes of the Yunxia Sect's managing elders nearly popped out. Elder Mude was very clear about the value of Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragments, especially for a Golden Core like his that had been formed through pill consumption. If he refined the Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal and used the Zijin Spirit energy within to nourish his Golden Core, the spiritual power of his core would become purer and more powerful.
"Fine! This old man agrees!" Elder Mude ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal and agreed in one breath.
He simply didn't believe that Gu Qingfeng could comprehend ten basic Immortal Arts at a single glance, let alone perform them to Great Perfection with just one look!
"Good that you agree." Gu Qingfeng glanced at Fei Kui and said, "Fetch pen and paper, have him sign and seal it!"
Fei Kui was stunned, hesitated for a moment, then quickly brought pen and paper to the high platform.
"You!" Seeing that he had to sign and seal, Elder Mude couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt in his heart. Although he didn't believe Gu Qingfeng could perform them to Great Perfection, disbelief aside, Gu Qingfeng's indifferent expression, calm words, and confident tone made him somewhat uncertain.
"Someone, replace these ten techniques! This old man will personally select ten others!" To prevent Gu Qingfeng from having practiced these Immortal Arts before, Elder Mude decided to change them. Soon, he selected ten other Immortal Arts. When Fei Kui looked closely, he saw that these arts were all extremely obscure. Over Yunxia Sect's thousands of years of inheritance, few disciples had practiced them—firstly because they were difficult to cultivate, and most importantly, their power wasn't great. They were typical arts that were profound in mystery but weak in power.
"Hmph! This old man wants to see how you'll perform ten basic Immortal Arts to Great Perfection at a single glance!" After carefully selecting ten other obscure Immortal Arts, Elder Mude waved his hand grandly and signed and sealed the white paper.
"Good! Not bad." Gu Qingfeng looked at Elder Mude's signature and seal, nodded, then another Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragment appeared in his palm. Sweeping his gaze across the managing elders on the high platform, he asked, "Who else?"
"Me!" One voice, but two people—one was Guang Yuan, the other Feixue. Both also understood the value of Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal. Earlier, Elder Mude had beaten them to it, and now that Gu Qingfeng produced another, they no longer hesitated. They didn't believe Gu Qingfeng could perform ten basic Immortal Arts to Great Perfection at a glance either, especially since Elder Mude had selected ten extremely obscure arts.
"True Person Feixue, sorry, but I spoke first!"
"Clearly, I spoke first!"
While Guang Yuan and Feixue were arguing, Gu Qingfeng laughed again, "No rush, there's enough for everyone. They're just Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragments; I've got plenty here."
As his words fell, with a swish! Gu Qingfeng casually waved his hand, and dozens of Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragments floated around him.
This scene stunned everyone present. No one knew where he had gotten so many Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystals.
"Who else..." At Gu Qingfeng's question, the managing elders on the high platform flushed with excitement, stepping forward one after another.
How could they miss such a great opportunity?
This was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime chance—the sky-high-priced Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragments.
As for performing ten Immortal Arts to Great Perfection at a glance?
They didn't believe it either.
Although this Gu Qingfeng seemed mysterious and bizarre, unfathomably deep.
But so what?
Taking a step back, even if he really did perform ten Immortal Arts to Great Perfection, what then?
Could he actually dare to kill someone?
Elder Mude was, after all, a Golden Core True Person. Even if he had the guts, he'd need the strength to do it.
Taking another step back, even if he really had the capability, what then?
With so many experts in Yunxia Sect, would they allow him to kill Elder Mude?
Taking yet another step back, with so many people signing and sealing, each backed by a major clan or sect, would they fear him?
Many people thought this way. Not only did Yunxia Sect's managing elders step forward to sign and seal, but many guest elders also stepped forward, even some disciples.
Of course, ordinary disciples didn't dare come up. Those who did were the chiefs of the twelve courtyards led by Mu Zibai, and the personal disciples of the nine halls led by Zhong Tianying. Besides them, Tan Siru, Yun Hong, Ye Hui, Li Can, Li Sen—those who had previous conflicts with Gu Qingfeng—almost all came forward.
Gu Qingfeng accepted all comers, just watching quietly as these people sealed their pledges.
The situation had completely spiraled out of control. Elder Rende's attempts to intervene were useless; he couldn't suppress it at all. It was total chaos.
Fei Kui, meanwhile, collected these people's signed pledges while sweating cold sweat, his hands trembling.
To be honest, Fei Kui also didn't believe that one could perform ten Immortal Arts to Great Perfection at a single glance. But Elder Huode's words from yesterday made him afraid to speculate casually.
He didn't know who Gu Qingfeng was.
He didn't know what kind of person Gu Qingfeng was.
He didn't even know what Gu Qingfeng was trying to do, or why he was making these people sign and seal pledges.
Each paper stated that if Gu Qingfeng couldn't perform ten Immortal Arts to Great Perfection, he would hand over a Zijin Heavenly Shining Crystal fragment. If he could perform them, he would claim their lives!
Finally, everyone had finished signing and sealing—over a hundred people. Fei Kui held a thick stack of signed and sealed papers, looking at the greedy faces on the high platform. He could naturally guess what little schemes these people who had signed and sealed were harboring. He asked in a low voice,
"Y-Young Master, should we find an arbitrator? If you do achieve Great Perfection, and they try to renege..."
"Find what arbitrator?" Gu Qingfeng took out a wine gourd, took a swig, and said indifferently, "I am the arbitrator."
"B-But... there are over a hundred of them... Each backed by either a clan or a sect..."
"It's just over a hundred people." Gu Qingfeng took several more sips of wine, then tossed the gourd back into his storage bag. He glanced at the over hundred signed pledges, then handed them back to Fei Kui, saying, "Clans or sects, I'll slaughter them like pigs and dogs!"
Slaughter like pigs and dogs?
Was the young master planning to kill them?
Fei Kui swallowed hard, his throat choked as he asked, "Young Master, the old master said... said to ask you to consider his face..."
"These signed pledges are the face I'm giving the old master. Whether to kill or not isn't up to me, but up to these fools who don't know life from death. I've already given them face. Whether they know how to accept it graciously later is their business."