Chapter 291: Inner Sect

Chapter 291: Inner Sect

December 15, 2024

"The Primordial Era!"

"The Ta Yi Divine Empire..."

Within the Gu Family Manor, Gu Yang also sent someone to inform Gu Qingfeng of this news, but in truth, the latter had already learned of it from the Secret Guards.

Chaos was rising across the land.

It was as if a grand era of contention was about to unfold.

However.

Gu Qingfeng's thoughts were elsewhere.

Before him.

Six disciples of the Gu Family Manor stood respectfully.

Six disciples, three from the Inner Hall and three from the Outer Hall.

"I heard that you have all reached the first stage in alchemy, armament, and formation techniques," Gu Qingfeng said, looking at them.

"Today, I'll give you an opportunity to demonstrate your skills. As long as you prove your abilities, you'll have a great opportunity!"

"We obey your command!"

Hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, the six disciples were filled with excitement.

Immediately.

Gu Qingfeng had everything prepared, and then he let the six disciples begin their demonstration.

As the six disciples started, Gu Qingfeng observed their movements, and his gaze fell on one of them.

This disciple was practicing formation techniques.

Formation techniques, in essence, were about communicating with the power of heaven and earth, evolving myriad mysteries, and thus, they could shift stars and change constellations. Therefore, formation techniques required a deeper understanding of the principles.

"Your proficiency in formation techniques isn't just that of a first-stage formation master; this disciple has already touched upon the threshold of a second-stage formation master!"

Gu Qingfeng nodded to himself, and the information about this disciple also appeared in his mind.

Gu Chang'an! An Inner Hall disciple.

Originally an orphan taken in by the Gu Family Manor, he was only in his thirties and already a middle-stage Master Realm cultivator, with quite remarkable talent.

Although not a top genius, his talent was still considered good among ordinary people.

Time passed.

One by one, the disciples passed the assessment.

Gu Qingfeng looked at the six disciples before him and nodded in satisfaction.

"You've all passed. Indeed, your talents in these three areas are not ordinary!"

At this point, Gu Qingfeng turned to one of them and suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

"Gu Chang'an!"

"Disciple is here!"

Gu Chang'an's body trembled, and he quickly stepped out of the line.

Gu Qingfeng looked at him intently: "Your talent in formation techniques is exceptional. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

"Disciple is willing—!"

Gu Chang'an was stunned for a moment, then his face filled with uncontrollable joy. His body trembled, and his speech became somewhat incoherent.

The other five disciples looked at Gu Chang'an with envy in their eyes.

The Manor Master's disciple!

It was common knowledge that over the years, Gu Qingfeng had never truly taken a disciple in the traditional sense; at most, he would occasionally provide some guidance to others.

Now, with Gu Chang'an becoming Gu Qingfeng's disciple, it was like ascending to the heavens in one step.

Moreover.

Gu Qingfeng was currently the number one expert in the Nine Provinces, and many cultivators in the Ancient Desolate Realm praised him as the strongest in the age of the End of the Dao.

There was an ancient sacred land that once said that when the grand era of contention arrives, this person will have the qualifications to vie for the position of Great Emperor.

Being a disciple of such a powerful figure meant limitless future achievements.

The other five disciples also turned their gazes back to Gu Qingfeng, a hint of hope in their hearts that they might become the next Gu Chang'an.

Noticing their gazes, Gu Qingfeng's expression remained calm.

"I'm not skilled in alchemy or armament. If you become my disciples, it would be a waste of your talents."

As soon as he said this.

The five disciples' expressions became somewhat dim.

"However—"

"I will take you to the Void Holy Land and have you become disciples of the Void Holy Land!"

"With your talents in alchemy and armament, you will achieve greater heights in the Void Holy Land."

"In the future, if you study and make progress in the Void Holy Land, you can choose to stay there or return to the Gu Family Manor!"

This had been Gu Qingfeng's plan all along.

Just as he said, he wasn't skilled in alchemy or armament, and rather than waste talent, it was better to send them to the Void Holy Land.

In fact.

In places like the Void Holy Land, many of the disciples in the Holy Land came from various smaller forces, and their relationships were intricate and complex.

The Void Sacred Land also didn't care about such things. All they wanted was to sift through the masses and ultimately retain a portion of disciples who truly possessed talent and were loyal to them.

Gu Qingfeng was doing something similar.

When they heard the name Void Sacred Land, the five of them felt a sense of disappointment fade from their faces.

As an ancient sacred land in the Eastern Region, the reputation of the Void Sacred Land was something they had naturally heard of.

Additionally, the fact that a direct descendant of the Gu family had joined the Void Sacred Land and was one of the Nine Sons of the Void was also well-known within the Gu Family Manor.

Therefore, after Gu Qingfeng finished speaking, the five of them exchanged glances and respectfully said, "Disciples will obey the Manor Lord's instructions!"

---

The next day, Gu Qingfeng led the five away from the Gu Family Manor.

He didn't use a teleportation formation or any other supreme treasures. Instead, he directly gathered a cloud with his divine consciousness and brought the five with him towards the Void Sacred Land.

High above in the clouds, they looked down upon the vast land.

The five of them were still young, and the scene before them left them in awe. They looked at Gu Qingfeng with even greater reverence.

Traveling through the clouds, such a divine ability was simply unimaginable.

Even cultivators at the Divine Transformation Realm could fly through the air, but they couldn't compare to what they were witnessing.

"The Void Sacred Land has abundant resources. By joining the Void Sacred Land, you all will have the opportunity to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm or even higher realms of the Dao Palace Realm!"

"With such abilities, once your cultivation reaches a sufficient level, you will be able to display them as well."

Gu Qingfeng smiled slightly and explained to the group.

Hearing Gu Qingfeng speak, the oppressive atmosphere that had been present on the cloud dissipated.

The five of them, who had previously been in awe of Gu Qingfeng's might, now dared to breathe. They finally started talking among themselves, and some even plucked up the courage to ask Gu Qingfeng some questions.

Gu Qingfeng answered each of their questions without hesitation.

Soon, Gu Qingfeng led the group to the Void Sacred Land.

By the time they arrived, Fu He had already sent people to wait for them.

"Greetings, Elder Gu. The Peak Master has instructed me to await your arrival here!" Fu He said with a smile.

Gu Qingfeng glanced at him and chuckled, "When did you become so polite, Elder Fu?"

"It was my fault for being immature and offending you in the past. I dare not accept the title of 'Fellow Daoist'!" Fu He quickly waved his hands.

The reason he dared to address Gu Qingfeng as a fellow daoist was because, at that time, Gu Qingfeng was merely the head of the Gu Family.

But now, times have changed.

The status and position of the person before him were no longer something he could casually address as an equal.

Moreover, his father had been on equal terms with this person. If he also addressed him as an equal, wouldn't it disrupt the hierarchy?

Seeing the reverence in Fu He's eyes, Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly and didn't say more.

Indeed, as the rumors suggested, there were only three realms of cultivation: the Ant Realm, the Fellow Daoist Realm, and the Senior Realm. Everything else was nonsense.

Led by Fu He, Gu Qingfeng, and the others entered the Void Sacred Land.

As soon as they arrived, the disciples from the Gu Family Manor were amazed by the pavilions and halls they saw, as well as the occasional cultivators who exuded powerful auras, all of which testified to their exceptional strength.

Although the Gu Family Manor had a renowned reputation, it was still just a small area compared to the Void Sacred Land.

Upon entering the Ninth Peak, Gu Qingfeng met with Fu Shenjun again.

"Elder Gu has arrived!"

"Greetings, Peak Master Fu!"

Gu Qingfeng returned the salute.

Fu Shenjun looked at the group and appraised them briefly before nodding, "These are the geniuses you brought, Elder Gu? It's impressive that they've reached the Master Realm at such a young age."

"They have talent in alchemy and armament refinement, but the Gu Family Manor lacks cultivators in these fields. To avoid wasting their potential, I've brought them here to see if they can join the Void Sacred Land."

Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly.

Fu Shenjun nodded, "This is a simple matter. Since they have talent, they will be accepted as inner sect disciples of the Ninth Peak."

"As the Peak Master commands!"

"Arrange their affairs."

"Yes!"

Fu He respectfully accepted the task and then led the five of them away.

It wasn't until they followed Fu He and left that the five of them realized what was happening.

No one could have predicted this.

It was so easy for them to join the Void Sacred Land.

After all, the Void Sacred Land, as an ancient sacred ground, was a place countless cultivators yearned to enter, yet they managed to become inner disciples right from the start, all because they were from Gu Family Manor.

It was no secret.

To become an inner disciple of the Void Sacred Land, one would typically need to be at the Great Master Realm.

But these matters only required a moment's thought to understand.

Obviously.

The fact that they were directly accepted as inner disciples of the Void Sacred Land was not due to their exceptional talent but because of their connection to Gu Family Manor.

Fu Shenjun was considering the reputation of Gu Family Manor, or more accurately, he was giving face to Gu Qingfeng, the Manor Lord of Gu Family Manor.

...

On the other side.

In the Grand Hall of the Ninth Peak.

Fu Shenjun's smile faded, and his expression turned solemn.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, you must have heard about the chaos caused by the Malevolent Spirits in the Ancient Desolate Realm, right?"

"I've heard a little. It's said that this chaos involves an ancient power called the Ta Yi Divine Empire!"

Gu Qingfeng nodded, not denying this information, as the secrets uncovered by the Secret Guards were surely known to the Void Sacred Land.

Fu Shenjun spoke, "The origins of the Ta Yi Divine Empire are extremely ancient. Some of our Void Sacred Land's powerful cultivators once entered their secret realm and obtained numerous secrets."

"This power can be traced back to the Primordial Era. They emerged from the Nine Provinces as an unparalleled force."

"In the past, the Ta Yi Divine Empire had a Great Emperor, and powerful cultivators gathered like clouds. But for reasons unknown, one night, the entire Ta Yi Divine Empire vanished, as if they had disappeared into thin air."

"Some powerful cultivators suspected that the Ta Yi Divine Empire might have ascended as a whole, entering the rumored Immortal World. But no one can confirm this."

"However, during the Primordial Era, when Malevolent Spirits wreaked havoc, the Ta Yi Divine Empire suppressed them on all fronts. This shows that the Malevolent Spirits also have an extremely ancient origin, and some powerful cultivators even speculate that the Malevolent Spirits might have connections to the Upper Realm!"

"But these matters are already impossible to investigate. This time, the Malevolent Spirits have emerged, causing chaos throughout the world, and the matters they are involved in are numerous. Now, the Void Sacred Land hopes to form an alliance with the Divine Might Empire to resist the Malevolent Spirits!"

Up until now.

Fu Shenjun finally revealed his true intentions.

The Malevolent Spirits' chaos!

This put immense pressure on the entire Void Sacred Land.

Despite the Void Sacred Land's tens of thousands of years of heritage and the fact that they had produced a Great Sage Realm cultivator, only by truly understanding the existence of the Malevolent Spirits could one grasp the terror of these bizarre beings.

If it were just a few Malevolent Spirits causing trouble, there would be no need for concern.

But the problem is.

This time, in the five major regions of the Ancient Desolate Realm, Malevolent Spirits are wreaking havoc everywhere, and some cultivators have even discovered the ancient stelae used by the Ta Yi Divine Empire to suppress the Malevolent Spirits.

In the eyes of the Void Sacred Land, the Ta Yi Divine Empire had suppressed Malevolent Spirits across the world during the Primordial Era. Now, the emergence of the Malevolent Spirits seems to involve their seals, making one suspect that there might be an issue with the Ta Yi Divine Empire's seals.

If this guess is correct, then this will undoubtedly be a catastrophe that sweeps across the entire Ancient Desolate Realm.

Gu Qingfeng pondered for a moment before finally nodding, "The Void Sacred Land and the Divine Might Empire have always had a close relationship. As for an alliance, I, Gu Qingfeng, will not oppose it."

However, I, Gu Qingfeng, am not the ruler of the Divine Might Empire. For some matters, Peak Lord Fu still needs to contact the Divine Might Empire."

"I, Fu, understand this!"

Fu Shenjun's face broke into a smile, and in his eyes, the matter was settled.

After all, the Divine Might Empire was nominally led by that Gu Huang, but everyone knew that the true pillar of stability for the Divine Might Empire was the Gu Family Manor Lord standing before them.

As long as Gu Qingfeng agreed, the problem wouldn't be too big. On the contrary, if he disagreed, the Divine Might Empire might not be able to form an alliance with the Void Sacred Land.

The reason for seeking an alliance with the Divine Might Empire was also because the Void Sacred Land valued Gu Qingfeng's strength and the might of the Divine Might Empire.

This power was established only a few decades ago and quickly rose from a dynasty to an empire. Now, they have even sent troops into the Eastern Region, seeking to challenge the Return Origin Dynasty.

It's clear to any discerning eye that the Divine Might Empire's rapid rise is supported by Gu Qingfeng. There's no telling how powerful they will become in the future, even the Void Sacred Land can't predict it.

Yan Lingyun entrusted this task to the Ninth Peak, and now that Fu Shenjun has received Gu Qingfeng's positive response, he naturally feels relieved.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end