Supreme Master - Chapter 16: The Past

Translator – Misty

Chapter 16: The Past

On this day at noon, the sun was blazing hot.

Gu Qingfeng was leisurely riding a fine horse on a rural path, occasionally taking a small bottle of wine from his storage bag to drink a few sips. His body swayed with the horse’s gait. Glancing at Ouyang Ye beside him, he couldn’t help but tease her.

“I say, girl, you’ve been staring at me the whole way. What is it, have you taken a liking to me?”

Normally, Ouyang Ye, with her temperament, would spit in disdain and then curse him shamelessly.

But this time, she didn’t. Instead, she asked seriously, “Who exactly are you?”

This was a question she desperately wanted to know.

She couldn’t understand why this man, Gu Qingfeng, had such profound musical talent. Not only did he know many tunes, but he could also convey the essence of the King of Crimson Heavens “Serenade of the Azure Sea.”

Even the master musician Wen Zhu and the prodigious talent Su Xiao couldn’t play it, but this man, who failed in his foundation building, did.

If Ouyang Ye hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.

“Who am I…” Gu Qingfeng chuckled playfully, teasingly saying, “If I say I am Gu Tianlang, would you believe me?”

“Pah! You? Dare to claim you’re my idol?” Ouyang Ye scornfully retorted, “Thinking just because your surname is Gu and you can play ‘Serenade of the Azure Sea,’ you can impersonate my idol… Shameless!”

Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily.

Seeing his reaction, Ouyang Ye pouted and rolled her eyes, wondering to herself.

This mysterious man, who could he be?

Looking at him, he seemed no more than twenty-something. Despite failing in foundation establishment, it was undeniable that to attempt it at such a young age, he must possess exceptional talent and spiritual roots.

He knew so many tunes.

And his musical talent was incredibly high.

Could he be from an ancient musical family with hundreds of years of heritage?
Only those families with deep musical roots could nurture such a prodigious talent, right?

Maybe he ran away because he couldn’t bear the blow of failing foundation establishment and didn’t want to face his family’s cold looks?

After coming to this conclusion, Ouyang Ye’s gaze towards Gu Qingfeng changed from curious to sympathetic and regretful.

Such a musically gifted individual, if he had succeeded in foundation establishment, would undoubtedly become a famous musician. It’s a pity he failed and could no longer cultivate. Even if he could play the essence of “Serenade of the Azure Sea,” he was limited to that, without spiritual power, unable to perform spiritual techniques, many mystical tunes remained unplayable.

Feeling pity for him, Ouyang Ye decided not to pry further, to avoid uncovering old wounds.

“Hey, you’ve been clamoring to go to the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect. What do you really want there?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m going to catch up with Elder Huo De.”

Gu Qingfeng wasn’t lying. He didn’t have many friends when he was young, and Daoist Master Huo De of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect was both a mentor and a friend. Despite the latter’s lecherous and indulgent lifestyle, Gu Qingfeng respected him deep down. After so many years, he indeed wanted to see this mentor and friend again.

Another important reason was that the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect was where he started his cultivation journey, holding many of his youthful memories. After so many years, it was time to revisit.

“You really know Elder Huo De?”

Ouyang Ye was skeptical, but then remembering that Daoist Master Huo De often wandered around and made friends from all walks of life, she asked, “Did Elder Huo De know you through your music?”

“No… When I met that old man, I was struggling even for basic necessities, let alone studying such a sophisticated thing as music.”

Gu Qingfeng casually took a spiritual fruit from his storage bag, which belonged to Ouyang Ye, filled with delicious food for the journey.

“I guess I met Elder Huo De through gambling.” Recalling gambling, Gu Qingfeng chuckled, “Come to think of it, that old man still owes me a lot of gambling debts.”

Hearing this, Ouyang Ye almost believed him, as Elder Huo De was famously fond of gambling. In this world, there was nothing he wouldn’t bet on, from ancient treasures to a single spirit stone.

“By the way, how is Elder Huo De’s cultivation now?”

“Cultivation? The old man is, of course, at the Golden Core stage.”

“Still at the Golden Core?”

Gu Qingfeng was surprised. He remembered that when he was still in short pants, Elder Huo De was already a famous Golden Core expert in the Qingyang realm. Calculating the time, he had cultivated in this world for two hundred years, then ascended to the heavenly realm for another two hundred years, and slept through a hundred years after the Great Calamity. Five hundred years had passed, yet Elder Huo De’s cultivation was still at the Golden Core stage?

“What do you mean ‘still’ at the Golden Core?”

Ouyang Ye was somewhat displeased, saying, “Do you think cultivation is easy? There are four major stages and twelve realms in cultivation. Each stage and realm requires thorough cultivation before breakthrough. Like the first stage, Foundation Building, if the foundation is not solid, a hasty breakthrough will only…”

She didn’t finish her sentence but added quietly, “The Golden Core realm is the critical point of the second stage, it requires thorough cultivation. Elder Huo De has only been at the Golden Core stage for five hundred years. Many seniors have stayed in the Golden Core realm for a thousand years and still dare not break through. What’s so strange about that?”

In this world, there are four major stages and twelve realms of cultivation:

Early Cultivator Stage: Acquired, Innate, Foundation Establishment
Daoist Master Stage: True Body, Purple Palace, Golden Core
Dao Venerable Stage: Nascent Soul, Dao-Heart, Law Manifestation
Earth Immortal Stage: Great Achievement, Return to Origin, Transcending Tribulation

Indeed, as Ouyang Ye said, each stage of breakthrough requires caution. Otherwise, it would be a wasted effort, especially at the last realm of each stage. A failure means the end of the cultivation path.

Many people, even after successfully building their foundation, don’t dare to enter the next stage too soon, as establishing the True Body rashly would only hinder their future path.

Similarly, after forming a Golden Core, few would step into the next stage to condense the Nascent Soul too soon, as an improperly formed Nascent Soul would lead to destruction during tribulation.

Of course, each person has their own approach. Gu Qingfeng, in his youth, was always on the edge, seizing every opportunity to break through. Looking back, it was a miracle that he managed to cultivate and eventually succeed in tribulation.

“I remember your Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect has five elders: Huo De (lit. Fire), Tu De (lit. Earth), Shui De (lit. Water), Jin De (lit. Metal), Mu De (lit. Wood). How are they now?”

Gu Qingfeng vaguely remembered that the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect was the largest cultivation sect in the Qingyang realm, with its five De Elders being renowned experts.

He had a good relationship with Elder Huo De, but that didn’t mean he got along with the other four. In fact, when he was young, he even regarded the other four elders as enemies.

“All of the five De Elders are doing well…”

“Really?” Gu Qingfeng smiled and asked, “Is Elder Mu De still as pedantic as before? Only caring about talent and spiritual roots, ignoring disciples with poor aptitude?”

Ouyang Ye was surprised, asking, “How do you know?”

“How do I know? Heh…”

Gu Qingfeng just smiled, not saying much. He held a grudge against Elder Mu De, who had refused him entry into the sect because of his poor aptitude, despite passing the assessment.

“What about Elder Jin De? That old man is very cunning and only looks out for his own interests…”

Among the five De Elders of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect, aside from Elder Mu De, Elder Jin De was another who left a deep impression on Gu Qingfeng. Once, Gu Qingfeng, while doing menial tasks in the sect, had beaten up a disciple of Elder Jin De and nearly lost his life to the elder. If it weren’t for Elder Huo De’s intervention, he might have died at Elder Jin De’s hands.

“You… how do you know so much about our Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect?”

Ouyang Ye couldn’t understand why he knew so much about the characteristics of the sect elders.

Gu Qingfeng smiled and did not answer, but asked, “Elder Jin De had a disciple, what was his name? He was very arrogant because of his talent when he was young… What was it?”

“Are you talking about Grand Enforcer Guang Yuan?”

“Right! Guang Yuan! That’s him!”

Gu Qingfeng slapped his head, smiling, “Is that guy still alive?”

“Hey, Gu Qingfeng, although I don’t like some of Grand Enforcer Guang Yuan’s actions, he is a Grand Enforcer of our Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect. Could you not speak ill of our elders in front of me?”

Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily, finishing the wine in his flask, “As long as they’re alive, that’s good… I’m really looking forward to meeting those guys.”

(End of Chapter)