Chapter 482 - 461: You Gu Visits the Mountain

Chapter 482: Chapter 461: You Gu Visits the Mountain

Guixi Sect, Luohai Peak.

At the foot of the mountain, the aged figure tightened the long robe around his body.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." He raised a hand to his mouth, letting out a fit of coughs.

’This body... it’s truly in ruins.’

The old man gave a helpless smile. When he lowered his hand, a smear of dark red was stark against his palm.

He casually wiped it on the hem of his robe. His face, covered in age spots, showed not a hint of panic.

This was none other than You Gu, who had returned from the dead by possessing a body.

Or rather, he was Master Youquan, who had parasitized his disciple’s body for over a hundred years, only to outlive him and seize this ruined vessel after the appearance of Lin Qingfeng’s sword strike.

’My dear disciple, I never thought you’d fall here. Did you really think becoming a Nascent Soul Ancestor meant you could rest easy?’

You Gu reached out and patted his own somewhat stiff thigh.

He reminisced as he took slow steps, inching his way up the mountain path.

That day.

There had been no warning.

It had ignored the distance of space.

In a single instant, from ten thousand miles away, those golden pupils had obliterated his disciple Youquan’s soul, grinding it to dust.

That power had not only crushed Youquan, but it had also shattered the Dao Foundation in his body, leaving it in ruins.

But it was also that sword strike that allowed him to see a faint glimmer... of hope for his own survival.

’A sect that possesses such heaven-defying power... Its foundation must be so profound that it’s beyond the comprehension of anyone in this land of Yunzhou.’

He lifted his head, gazing at the Guixi Sect’s main gate hidden deep within the clouds and mist.

At this moment, his cultivation had plummeted from the heavens to Early-stage Foundation Establishment. His Dao Foundation was shattered and falling apart, leaving him exceptionally fragile. He couldn’t even cast a normal Foundation Establishment Magic.

Without some heaven-defying opportunity to reshape his destiny, he had at most three to five years left to live.

Logically, he should have found a mundane town, hidden his identity, and lived out the rest of his miserable life in this muddled world.

But Heaven never seals all exits. Or perhaps, fate was just toying with him. This sect with its astonishing foundation was right before his eyes. Instead of waiting for death, why not risk it all? Why not fight for that one fleeting chance of survival with this ruined body, finding life in a dead end?

"Is... this fate?"

You Gu’s lips twitched into a self-deprecating smile.

The great Ancestor of the Ghost Valley, traveling thousands of miles to the territory of his disciple’s killer to wag his tail and beg for pity... If word of this got out, those other old monsters would laugh their heads off. Even after he died, they’d probably use it as a story to mock him for a hundred years.

’Hatred?’

’To a withered old man like me, clinging to life on the edge of death, such an illusory thing is the cheapest of burdens.’

’The Great Dao is ruthless; only the living can prove it.’

’As long as I can survive, forget joining the enemy’s sect—if I had to call that Lin Qingfeng ’Ancestor,’ I would do so with pleasure.’

’Living is everything. In death, all is lost.’

’Only by living is there infinite possibility.’

The wind suddenly ceased.

The mist before him seemed to part, revealing the true face of the Guixi Sect’s gate.

The casual air You Gu had held a moment ago froze the instant he saw the scene before him.

"This..."

He subconsciously rubbed his blurry old eyes, almost suspecting he had stumbled into some ancient, forgotten grotto-heaven.

Before him, verdant peaks clustered together, with clouds and mist flowing between them.

Long flights of bluestone stairs were spotless, surrounded by rare and exotic flowers and grasses vying for attention.

Gazing into the distance, waterfalls cascaded like silk ribbons, and pavilions and terraces peeked through the clouds. Shrouded by the night, it looked like an immortal realm on earth.

This was the Guixi Sect, upgraded to a level-two sect!

Due to the expansion of the blessed land’s effect, Lin Qingfeng had specifically decorated the main gate and Luohai Peak, so newcomers wouldn’t see the originally barren landscape.

And this effect... even the most prominent sects of the righteous path would find it difficult to match such a vast and majestic atmosphere!

’It seems my trip here might have been the right choice after all.’

You Gu mused to himself. Given his current awkward status, if he were to join a major demonic sect, he would just be blood food delivered to their doorstep. If he went to a major righteous sect, they would inevitably settle old scores with him later. Forget finding a way to save his life; he’d be lucky not to have his body and soul utterly destroyed.

’But...’ Gazing at the majestic, immortal atmosphere before him, a deep confusion flickered in the old man’s murky eyes.

Along the way, he had seen several people who seemed to be "Guixi Sect disciples." They acted furtively, spoke evasively, and behaved exactly like low-class practitioners of unorthodox paths, using scams and trickery to lure people here.

If not for the undeniable memory of Lin Qingfeng’s breathtaking sword strike and Youquan’s experience, he would have almost mistaken this place for some third-rate scammer’s den.

’With such immense wealth, why act so petty?’

You Gu couldn’t make sense of it, his brow furrowed in thought.

’They clearly have mountains of gold and silver, a blessed land of immortals. They just need to hang their shingle openly, and cultivators from all over the world would swarm here like a river of carp.’

’Why bother being so secretive, like rats that can’t see the light of day? Why even resort to such low-life tactics to trick people into coming up the mountain?’

’This is the very definition of wearing brocade at night—hiding one’s splendor.’

’The way this Guixi Sect operates is truly bizarre and unfathomable.’

However, You Gu quickly cut off these distracting thoughts.

He tossed aside the withered branch he had been using as a cane and straightened his clothes.

He did his best to suppress the aura of decay about him, straightening his long-hunched back.

’A sect this wealthy... it’s possible they might have...’

’Since I’m here to beg for my life, I’d better look the part.’

"From this day forward, I am a seeker of the Dao who admires this immortal sect, one who would have no regrets even if I were to die nine times for it."

You Gu forced a smile onto his deeply wrinkled face and stepped onto the long staircase.

One step, two steps.

The surroundings were silent, save for the low chirping of winter insects.

The deeper he went, the tighter the string of tension in You Gu’s heart became.

With heavy steps, he finally arrived before the deep, imposing gate.

He took a deep breath, calming the beating of his long-since-youthful heart, and stepped across the invisible threshold.

VMMMM—!

Light and shadow swirled around him.

The moment he stepped inside, a wave of Spiritual Qi washed over him, making him freeze. But before he could even begin to savor the wonder of this immortal blessed land...

"AHHHH—!!!"

A blood-curdling scream tore through the tranquility of the immortal land, coming from the mountainside not far away.

The sound was saturated with a pain that couldn’t be faked. It was a genuine, bone-deep wail of agony.

You Gu froze.

’That sound...’

’It sounds like someone is being flayed alive and having their tendons ripped out!’

His eyelids twitched violently.

’Could it be that this Guixi Sect, a seemingly glorious and righteous immortal sect on the surface, is actually a demonic den that devours people whole?’

’It’s possible. After all, in his disciple’s residual memories, he’d seen a woman in red who looked like an Evil Cultivator incarnate. But their appearance was just a bit different; they had actually saved that city. Still, whether they’re Evil Cultivators or righteous ones, this shouldn’t be happening. Who makes such a scene right at their front gate? Aren’t they afraid of scaring off newcomers?’

’Or... is this some kind of special... welcoming ceremony?’

Just as a thousand thoughts raced through his mind and he was about to observe a little longer...

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Four whooshing sounds suddenly cut through the air.

Immediately after, four old men holding wooden clubs darted out from the nearby woods, taking positions on four corners and surrounding him.

You Gu: "!!!"

You Gu’s heart leaped in shock.

’The auras of these four...’

’Strange!’

’Too strange!’

’They’re identical. Not only do the four of them look exactly the same, but their auras are also indistinguishable. Even the power contained within their bodies made an old Nascent Soul monster like him feel a tremor of fear.’

’High-level puppets?’

’Or some kind of special corpse refinement?’

Before he could get a closer look, the four identical old men spoke in unison.

"New disciples entering the sect, please proceed to the area ahead, cover your head, and squat. Wait for a sect guide to come and receive you."

As they spoke, four wooden clubs pointed in perfect unison toward an empty clearing to the side.

You Gu followed the direction the clubs were pointing.

Over there, three or four unlucky souls were already squatting.

Some wore daoist robes, others wore short jackets. One by one, they squatted with their hands over their heads, facing the corner, their posture impeccably standard.

You Gu: "..."

’This is the hospitality of a sect that possesses heaven-defying power? This is the entrance etiquette of an immortal blessed land?’

’Cover your head and squat? Are you sure you’re not the authorities arresting fugitives?’

’This... The Guixi Sect’s hospitality is truly one of a kind. It seems to have a system... but it’s definitely a bit sinister.’

Although shock and anger roiled in You Gu’s heart, not a trace of it showed on his face.

At this moment, he was just a Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, his lifespan nearly at its end.

You Gu hunched his back, piling an expression of terror and humility onto his face. He cupped his hands in a salute to the expressionless "elders." "Exalted Immortals, this old one has long admired your esteemed sect’s reputation and has traveled thousands of miles to seek the Dao. This... this squatting ritual, isn’t it a bit... This old bag of bones fears he can’t withstand such treatment..."

"New disciples entering the sect, please proceed to the area ahead, cover your head, and squat!"

The four old men completely ignored his pleas, simply repeating the same sentence.

At the same time, the tips of the four wooden clubs pointed at him began to faintly glow with a spiritual light.

The hair on You Gu’s body stood on end instantly.

’These four are definitely not bluffing.’

’The killing intent they revealed in that instant was sharp and deadly. If I dare say another word, those clubs will surely fall.’

’In my current ruined state, to resist would be certain death.’

’A gentleman conceals his weapon and waits for the right moment to act; an old demon hibernates in the wild, enduring humiliation to survive.’

’When you’ve lived for a long time, something like ’face’ becomes the most worthless of all worldly possessions.’

The look of alarm on You Gu’s face melted into submission.

"I’ll squat! This old one will squat right now! May the Exalted Immortals calm their anger!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he shuffled over to the corner, found an empty spot, and, copying the others, squatted down with his hands over his head.

’The Guixi Sect’s methods are so perverse and strange; there must be a deeper meaning. This might not be simple humiliation, but a trial meant to ’grind one’s temperament.’’

’The Great Dao is formless and doesn’t sweat the small stuff. If I can’t even endure this small bit of humiliation, how can I even talk about seeking that sliver of a chance at life?’

...

Meanwhile, atop Luohai Peak, in the Sect Leader’s grand hall.

Lin Qingfeng was sitting cross-legged on a large Grandmaster’s Chair, a cup of Spirit Tea in hand, playing a thrilling in-game mini-game. He was just reaching a critical moment.

Suddenly, a notification filled his vision!

And this notification made Lin Qingfeng’s expression instantly turn rather interesting.