Supreme Master - Chapter 20: Startled Huo De

Translator – Misty

Chapter 20: Startled Huo De

Could Elder Huo De really have a way to help Gu Qingfeng, this guy, start cultivating again? Impossible, right?

This Anomalous Body is called a Failed Foundation Establishment Body because the failure of foundation building leads to the collapse of both the Spiritual Roots and the dantian, making cultivation impossible. Even if one forcibly converts pills into spiritual power within the body, it’s just that and nothing more. Without the dantian, this spiritual power is like a homeless entity, chaotically moving through the meridians. If not careful, it could even lead to a violent death.

Oh my God! How could I be so foolish to believe in Elder Huo De?

Looking at the long-gone Elder Huo De and Gu Qingfeng, Ouyang Ye grew more and more regretful. Suddenly, she realized another suspicious issue.

She clearly remembered Gu Qingfeng saying he knew Elder Huo De and had a good relationship with him, claiming they met through gambling. But… but just now… Elder Huo De didn’t recognize him at all!

Damn it! This dead liar actually deceived me again!

“Gu Qingfeng, you dead liar! Hmph! I was worried about you just now, but it turns out you deceived me again…”

“I was even planning to ask the elder to spare you, but now! Hmph! Just you wait! Wait to be used by the elder for formation testing, then you’ll be unable to even cry, let’s see if you dare to deceive me in the future!”

“Dead liar!”

…

The Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect is vast, boasting Three Mountains, Six Halls, Nine Peaks, and Twelve Courtyards. Elder Huo De, leading Gu Qingfeng, stepped onto one of the mountains and entered a cave dwelling.

The interior of the cave was spacious, resembling a large hall surrounded by many stone chambers. Such structures are usually called refining caves, not for closed-door cultivation, but for alchemy, formations, and crafting of magical artifacts.

Gu Qingfeng looked around and, as expected, saw that the small cave was almost filled with arrays, many of them incomplete and unstable. It was obvious that this was Elder Huo De’s place for formation refinement.

Huo De casually formed a spiritual hand seal, and immediately a lotus-like formation appeared in the center of the hall. Observing Gu Qingfeng, the elder said cheerfully, “Stop looking around, boy, and step in here. Let me use this formation to check your condition.”

“Haven’t you checked me outside already?”

“Your internal condition is complex. With my divine sense, I can only get a rough idea. If I use this Nine Luminance Cloud Blossom Formation, it will be different. I can see your internal condition clearly.”

There were plenty of delicacies in the cave, including wine and meat. Gu Qingfeng walked over, poured himself a cup of fine wine, and sat on a chair, taking a sip. Looking at the formation on the ground, he laughed, “Tell me again, what is this formation?”

“The Nine Luminance Cloud Blossom Formation!” Elder Huo De said seriously. “What’s the matter, you don’t trust me, boy?”

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Gu Qingfeng couldn’t help but burst into laughter. His laughter caused Huo De to frown and feel somewhat uneasy. He asked, “Boy, what are you laughing at?”

“Huo De, Huo De… Long time no see. You’ve really honed your skill of fooling people to perfection! You’ve even reached the level of confidently lying with your eyes open? Claiming a Nine Links Bagua Formation is the Nine Luminance Cloud Blossom Formation?”

Hearing this, Huo De was taken aback, his expression filled with astonishment. He hadn’t expected that this young man in front of him understood formations and could even recognize that it was a Nine Linked Bagua Formation.

Wait a minute! What did he say? Long time no see?

Hmm? Thinking this, Huo De’s eyes narrowed, and his expression turned extremely serious, his eyes filled with doubt. He asked, “Boy, who are you?”

“Guess…”

Gu Qingfeng was in no hurry, sitting on the chair, leisurely sipping his wine.

Guess? Huo De took another look and seriously recalled, but he was certain he didn’t know this young man.

Seeing the elder’s puzzled expression, Gu Qingfeng couldn’t help but want to tease him. He said, “If I remember correctly, you’ve been cultivating for almost seven hundred years, right? It seems you were an orphan, wandering around Qingyang Region since you were young. Later, you met your master and joined the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect. With good talent and smart mind, you quickly made a name for yourself in the sect. However, you’ve always been wild since childhood, fond of stealing chickens, touching dogs, digging holes, setting traps, and especially keen on excavating cave dwellings…”

Gu Qingfeng, leisurely sipping his wine, spoke, and Elder Huo De, sitting opposite him, grew increasingly shocked and wide-eyed as he listened. He couldn’t believe that this young man knew so much about him, detailing everything from his childhood to adulthood, not only knowing that he was an orphan but also how he entered the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect. Gu Qingfeng revealed many of Huo De’s secrets, even including some scandalous affairs the elder had with women.

Elder Huo De was dumbfounded, staring at Gu Qingfeng in horror, barely able to articulate, “How… how do you know all this… you!”

In shock, Elder Huo De was confused. He had never told these secrets to anyone except to one person – Gu Tianlang, the King of Crimson Heavens. He vividly remembered that he and Gu Tianlang once went to excavate a mysterious ancient cave dwelling and got trapped there for a long time. To pass the time, they talked about many things.

But how could this young man know what he had told Gu Tianlang? Wait a minute.

Elder Huo De remembered that outside on the lawn, this young man had introduced himself as Gu Qingfeng. Could it be…

“Are you a descendant of Gu Tianlang?”

“What? A descendant?” Gu Qingfeng shook his head and laughed, “Me? Have descendants?”

Elder Huo De thought hard but indeed hadn’t heard of Gu Tianlang having any descendants.

Hmm? What did this young man just call himself? He questioned whether he was a descendant of Gu Tianlang, and his response was about not having descendants. As if connecting something shocking, Elder Huo De involuntarily swallowed and stared at Gu Qingfeng, taking a deep breath before asking.

“You… you’re not saying you’re Gu Tianlang, are you?”

“So what if I am?” Gu Qingfeng held his wine cup to his lips, smiling at him, “Don’t believe it?”

Elder Huo De shook his head subconsciously, finding it hard to believe, and asked in a deep voice, “Why should I believe you are Gu Tianlang?”

“Why? Ha, Huo De, remember when we first met, it was over dice, right? You lost and instead of paying up, you tricked me into testing a formation for you…”

Gu Qingfeng recounted the events from their past in the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect, but Elder Huo De remained skeptical.

“Gu Tianlang’s stories have been spreading for three hundred years. Any kid on the street knows them.”

“Fine, then do you remember when we once stole a magical artifact from the Wuyou Palace, and ended up being chased naked for hundreds of miles, and that other time…”

Gu Tianlang recounted more of their past escapades, leaving Elder Huo De completely baffled.

In his mind, Gu Tianlang’s exploits were well-known, but the secret deeds they did together, nobody else could possibly know.

Could this young man really be Gu Tianlang?

Impossible, right?

But if he’s not, how could he know so much?

Elder Huo De grew more confused but still couldn’t believe this young man was Gu Tianlang.

Three hundred years ago, he had witnessed Gu Tianlang being judged by the Immortal Dao. At that time, eighty-one judgments of the Immortal Dao descended, and then… Gu Tianlang disappeared…

Some said that Gu Tianlang was completely annihilated by the Immortal Dao judgment.

Others said Gu Tianlang, always mysterious and powerful, couldn’t possibly have been annihilated but had just temporarily disappeared…

As for whether Gu Tianlang was dead or had just disappeared temporarily… no one knew.

Nor did Elder Huo De know, even though he was present at the time. The situation was too chaotic, he couldn’t see anything, and didn’t dare to probe with his divine sense. However, he believed that Gu Tianlang probably hadn’t died.

Yes.

Probably.

He wasn’t sure.

Elder Huo De also vividly remembered that after Gu Tianlang disappeared following the Immortal Dao judgment, he had heard Gu Tianlang’s farewell words in his ears, only a few words: “Old friend, I’m leaving.”

Just these six words, Elder Huo De had pondered for three hundred years, still unclear what Gu Tianlang’s final farewell meant. Was it death? Or had he really left?

Thinking of this, Elder Huo De asked again, “If you really are Gu Tianlang, you should remember the words you said to me three hundred years ago after being judged by the Immortal Dao. Answer correctly, and I’ll believe you!”

“Let me think…” Gu Tianlang closed his eyes, tapped his forehead, and murmured, “At the time of the Immortal Dao judgment, due to the urgency and weakness, I didn’t say much, just told you I was leaving, right?”

As these words fell, thump! Elder Huo De sat down on the ground, stunned as if struck by lightning, his face filled with shock. He looked more frightened than if he had seen a deity, his eyes wide with disbelief. He tried to speak but couldn’t, his voice alternately hoarse or shrill. After several deep breaths, he still couldn’t suppress his shock, his arm pointing at Gu Qingfeng trembling uncontrollably.

“Come on, Huo De, don’t be so dramatic. I’m not some evil demon, I’m not going to eat you or anything…”

(End of Chapter)