Chapter 91: Top Genius
Chapter 91: Top Genius
"Godly Martial Army!"
Gu Qingfeng looked at the token left behind by Zuo Li. His expression remained unchanged as he reached out with his right hand and effortlessly snatched the token into his grasp.
The token clearly bore the inscription of the Godly Martial Army.
Then, without hesitation, Gu Qingfeng clenched his fingers, and the token, made of fine steel, crumbled into a fine powder that sifted through his palm.
At that moment, Gu Yang emerged from the back of the hall.
Seeing the token reduced to powder, he looked puzzled and asked, "Father, why did you refuse to join the Godly Martial Army?"
When Zuo Li arrived, Gu Yang had been discussing other matters with Gu Qingfeng. He had retreated to an inner chamber to avoid the visitor.
However, as a martial artist, his senses were sharp. It was easy for him to overhear the conversation in the hall.
Gu Qingfeng's blood stirred, and he blew away the last remnants of powder from his palm. He then asked calmly, "What do you think of the Godly Martial Army?"
"The Godly Martial Army is indeed a formidable force. In just a few short years, they have annexed three prefectures, command an army of a million, and are backed by the Eternal Sun Sword Sect, an ancient and powerful sect."
Gu Yang answered without hesitation, reciting the well-known strengths of the Godly Martial Army. After all, such information was readily available with a little inquiry.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly. "It's true that Pei Jing is a powerful figure, but compared to the True Dragon of the Tai Xuan Dynasty, which has reigned for three thousand years, Pei Jing is still too weak. The empire is divided into nine provinces and thirty-six prefectures, and Pei Jing only controls three of them, which are among the weakest."
"Today, heroes rise from all corners of the empire. Each faction is backed by major forces, vying to carve up the True Dragon and establish their dominance."
"Pei Jing might have a chance to rise to the top, but the odds are not in his favor."
Pausing for a moment, Gu Qingfeng continued, "In these turbulent times, rashly aligning with one side is not a wise move. If our Gu Family Manor were weak and unable to stand on its own in the tide of change, it would be one thing. But our manor is not weak. We have the resources to make our own choices in this chaos."
"So why rush to declare our stance?"
"Furthermore, we are in the Guangyang Prefecture of Tai Shan, which is still under the control of the imperial court. If we were to ally with the Godly Martial Army, and that information were to leak, the consequences could be severe."
A weakened camel is still larger than a horse.
Gu Qingfeng was not naive enough to believe that the Tai Xuan Dynasty had become so weak that it could be manipulated at will. After all, the dynasty had stood for three thousand years, and its foundation was far deeper than that of any ordinary power.
The current rise of heroes and the continuous natural disasters had not yet brought the empire to its end. For the Gu Family Manor to secretly align with the Godly Martial Army while being in the Guangyang Prefecture would be foolish and unnecessary.
This was why Gu Qingfeng had rejected Zuo Li's overtures.
It wasn't that the Godly Martial Army hadn't offered enough incentives. It was that, given the current situation, the Gu Family Manor had no need to take such a risk.
Steady and sure progress was the true path for the Gu Family Manor.
Becoming a Near-Supreme was not Gu Qingfeng's goal. Even reaching the ranks of Supreme or Great Supreme was not what he truly desired.
Breaking the limits of martial arts and achieving a higher realm—that was Gu Qingfeng's true ambition.
"Father's words are wise. I see now that I was shortsighted!"
Gu Yang's expression cleared, realizing the deeper implications he had not considered.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "You are still young. You will understand these things in due time. For now, the reputation of our Gu Family Manor is spreading. As long as Guangyang Prefecture doesn’t fall, the White Stone Dao will be safe for the time being.
"In the coming days, focus on improving your strength."
"The child understands..."
---
After Zuo Li left,
it didn’t take long before other forces began to pay a visit.
Among them was an old acquaintance from the Evil Suppression Bureau, Jiang Qin. Unlike the arrogance he displayed the last time, this time Jiang Qin was much more humble, treating Gu Qingfeng as an equal.
His purpose remained the same: to recruit Gu Qingfeng into the Evil Suppression Bureau.
However,
the conditions Jiang Qin offered this time were far more generous.
At the very least,
they were no worse than what Pei Jing had proposed.
Following that, several other sects and noble families, including the Zhuo Family, also sought to recruit Gu Qingfeng. He politely declined each of them.
In response,
they all left with smiles, showing no signs of hostility.
This scenario only reinforced Gu Qingfeng’s understanding of the importance of strength.
"In a chaotic world, only those with the hardest fists truly matter. No matter how displeased the other party may be, they must endure it!"
Gu Qingfeng mused to himself.
Being a Near-Master was already a significant achievement, but achieving Master status would be even more remarkable.
At the same time,
Gu Qingfeng learned something important through indirect means.
Not all Viscera Cultivators necessarily had to become Near-Masters.
Many Viscera Cultivators could only be considered Lesser Masters, and then they would break through the Viscera barrier to become Masters.
However,
above the Master level, there were True Intent Masters.
Only after achieving True Intent Master status did one have the qualifications to pursue the rank of Grand Master.
To become a True Intent Master, one must comprehend the corresponding level of True Intent.
A Near-Master,
was essentially a seed of a True Intent Master.
Once a Near-Master broke through to Master, they could directly overpower ordinary Masters, becoming the pinnacle of the Master rank.
Only then,
did Gu Qingfeng truly understand why these forces were so eager to recruit him.
A Lesser Master with formidable combat strength might not receive such treatment, but a potential True Intent Master was a different story.
In the world of martial arts,
Grand Masters were exceedingly rare.
True Intent Masters were nearly the strongest in the world of martial arts.
---
On this day,
Gu Qingfeng consumed the Great Sun Yang Qi, causing his blood and qi to boil with a surge of pure yang energy.
"The Fifth Level of the Qingyang Art is now complete!"
Gu Qingfeng’s expression remained calm.
Small advancements no longer stirred his emotions.
At that moment, Gu Peng approached.
"Reporting to the Manor Lord."
"What is it?"
Gu Qingfeng’s face was devoid of emotion, unperturbed by external events.
Gu Peng bowed and said, "Manor Lord, one of the named disciples from the outer hall has successfully crossed the threshold of martial arts!"
Upon hearing this, a sharp gleam appeared in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes.
If he remembered correctly, even the earliest batch of named disciples had only been there for a month.
To achieve such a feat in just one month...
If this was true, it meant that a top-tier genius had emerged among the named disciples.
Therefore,
Gu Qingfeng immediately said,
"Bring this person to see me!"
(End of Chapter)
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