Chapter 259: Don't Waste the Chance I'm Giving You
Gu Mo had to admit, that elder's imagination was impressive. Still, if one insisted on interpreting things that way, it wasn't entirely wrong either.
Since someone had already filled in the gaps of his story on their own, Gu Mo saw no reason to waste words. His true situation didn't need to be made public.
"That… Gu Mo, could you perhaps introduce us to that true disciple from Shennong Valley?" Learning that Gu Mo had come together with a Shennong Valley true disciple, some of Qinglu Sect's elders became excited. To travel alongside a true disciple meant Gu Mo had connections with them.
"No problem."
Gu Mo agreed with a smile.
Hearing that, Chu Feifei rolled her eyes at him. That so-called Shennong Valley true disciple was none other than Gu Mo himself. Of course, she didn't expose him.
Though the Qinglu Sect members present were trustworthy, too many people knowing a secret still risked exposure.
In fact, Gu Mo and Chu Feifei had considered concealing their identities before they arrived, but they'd given up on the plan. With Qinglu Sect's current situation, coming as strangers simply wouldn't work.
While the elders rejoiced at Gu Mo's promise, Zhuo Suzhu noticed Chu Feifei's look. Her heart stirred, and she said, "If Niya knew you'd come, she would be overjoyed. Let me take you to her now."
"Good!"
Gu Mo nodded. He did indeed need a private talk with Zhuo Suzhu—about joining forces against Fenghua Sect, and also to ask her about her difficulties in breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.
If Qinglu Sect was to reclaim their mountain gate, they first needed the strength to hold it. In plain terms, they needed a Nascent Soul cultivator of their own.
Otherwise, even if Gu Mo helped them retake it, without such a powerhouse, it would be hard to keep.
"I suspect Fenghua Sect must have obtained some kind of legacy from a ruin. Their strength has been rising rapidly," Zhuo Suzhu said as they walked toward Yuan Niya's hiding place.
Qinglu Sect had been keeping close watch on Fenghua Sect. Any changes there were immediately noticed.
"As I thought."
Gu Mo nodded. He too sensed something unusual about Fenghua Sect. What exactly had they discovered? If they'd gained some formidable treasure from that ruin, it could become a huge problem.
In that case, only by rallying more strong allies could they truly crush Fenghua Sect. And Zhuo Suzhu was clearly the firmest ally in that fight.
But without reaching Nascent Soul yet, she was still lacking. "Sect Master Zhuo, what difficulties do you face in breaking through to Nascent Soul?" Gu Mo asked.
"Don't worry. Soon."
Zhuo Suzhu was momentarily taken aback, then smiled faintly. She didn't go into detail—after all, in her eyes, Gu Mo's cultivation level was too low for such talk.
"Sect Master Zhuo, Gu Mo is that Shennong Valley true disciple. We came this time to help you resolve these problems," Chu Feifei spoke up.
"I know Gu Mo became a disciple of Shennong Valley, but breaking through to Nascent Soul… wait—you're saying he's a true disciple?" Zhuo Suzhu stopped mid-sentence, stunned, staring at Gu Mo in disbelief.
Though Shennong Valley wasn't part of the Qinghe cultivation world, its reputation as a top sect had long spread even there.
To be a disciple of such a sect meant being an extraordinary genius. To become a true disciple required talent beyond even that of the top prodigies.
It was no exaggeration: the identity, status, and even power of a top sect's true disciple could rival that of a Nascent Soul True Lord.
Which meant, at this moment, Gu Mo was equivalent to one. How could Zhuo Suzhu not be shocked, even disbelieving?
She knew when Gu Mo had joined Qinglu Sect—back then he had been just a mortal. And in only a few short years, he had become Shennong Valley's true disciple.
"That's right, Gu Mo is a true disciple of Shennong Valley—the strongest one," Chu Feifei confirmed. Normally she wouldn't have added "the strongest," but now that Gu Mo was already a Nascent Soul True Lord, she had no hesitation.
In her view, the only one in the Tianyuan cultivation world who could surpass Gu Mo was Lin Wu of the Grand Yan Sword Sect. Unfortunately, Lin Wu had been too monstrous—so monstrous that the demonic sects had sent out a Soul Transformation expert, leading to the fall of a supreme prodigy.
"Greetings, True Disciple!"
After Chu Feifei's confirmation, Zhuo Suzhu took a deep breath and bowed to Gu Mo.
"Sect Master Zhuo, there's no need."
Now it was Gu Mo's turn to glare at Chu Feifei. Why had she saddled him with such a title? He wanted to stay low-key. Chu Feifei only curved her lips in a small smile at his look.
She was already keeping it low-key—after all, she hadn't revealed he was a Nascent Soul True Lord.
"Qinglu Sect once showed me kindness. This time, I've come to settle that debt by helping you reclaim your gate. But without a Nascent Soul cultivator, even if you take it back, you won't hold it," Gu Mo said.
"I've prepared for my breakthrough, but…" Zhuo Suzhu began explaining her worries. Now that she knew Gu Mo was a Shennong Valley true disciple, there was no need to hold back. He truly had the power to help.
"That's simple. When the time comes, just cooperate with me. We might even use it to catch Fenghua Sect off guard." A plan was already forming in Gu Mo's mind.
"Good!"
Zhuo Suzhu nodded firmly. At this point, her only choice was to trust Gu Mo completely. Alone, she could perhaps raise Qinglu Sect back to its feet, but reclaiming the gate was impossible.
"We're here!"
As they talked, the three of them reached a hidden mountain estate—the refuge of Qinglu Sect's gifted disciples. Should Qiuyue Sect's station fall to Fenghua Sect, this place would serve as their seed for survival.
"Already lying down again? Get up and keep fighting! When the enemy comes, they won't give you time to lie around!"
Upon entering, Gu Mo heard a familiar voice. Following the sound to the training ground, he saw a fiery-red, graceful figure standing in the middle, surrounded by disciples sprawled across the ground.
"Niya!"
Zhuo Suzhu coughed lightly in embarrassment. "This girl is usually quite ladylike." She felt the need to explain to Gu Mo and Chu Feifei.
In her mind, Yuan Niya's bond with them was her greatest fortune.
"This is the Niya I remember," Gu Mo said with a smile at the familiar sight.
"Master, you're here!"
Hearing Zhuo Suzhu's call, Yuan Niya quickly ran over. But halfway there, her steps suddenly froze.
Clearly, she had spotted Gu Mo and Chu Feifei. At once, excitement and joy lit up Yuan Niya's face. In the next moment, she turned into a streak of fiery light and shot straight toward Gu Mo.
Yet just as that flame-colored light was about to throw itself into Gu Mo's arms, Yuan Niya suddenly came to her senses. Her figure swerved sharply in midair, and she rushed toward Chu Feifei instead.
"Uh…"
Gu Mo already had his hands outstretched, but ended up holding nothing but air.
"Gu Mo, Feifei, why are you here?" Yuan Niya hugged Chu Feifei and spun her around several times before finally speaking in a tone full of excitement.
"Come on, let's talk inside."
Without waiting for Gu Mo to reply, Yuan Niya grabbed Gu Mo with one hand and Chu Feifei with the other, pulling the two of them toward her room. After being apart so long, Yuan Niya had far too much she wanted to say.
Watching the three of them leave, Zhuo Suzhu's face also carried a smile. What that girl had seized wasn't just two friends, but also two enviable opportunities.
Inside the room, Gu Mo, Chu Feifei, and Yuan Niya talked for a long time. Eventually, surrounded by Chu Feifei's fragrant aura, their conversation finally came to an end.
After years apart, the three once again gathered to cultivate together.
However, Chu Feifei's fragrance that enhanced comprehension no longer had much effect on Gu Mo, who was already at the Nascent Soul stage. Still, it was stronger than his own comprehension alone.
For Yuan Niya, who was also at the Core Formation stage, Chu Feifei's aura was extraordinary. Yuan Niya had now reached the Core Formation realm, though her progress was a little slower than the prodigies on the Tianyuan Immortal World's rankings.
That was due to Qinglu Sect holding her back—its current foundation simply couldn't provide Yuan Niya with sufficient cultivation resources.
Even so, Yuan Niya's combat power was in no way weaker than those ranked prodigies. And with Gu Mo and Chu Feifei's help, she would soon be able to make up for her resource shortage. At that time, both her foundation and her strength would take another leap forward.
"If only we could always cultivate together like this," Yuan Niya whispered as she slowly opened her eyes. Watching Gu Mo already leaving, her voice carried a trace of sorrow. Just this brief session of cultivation had equaled months of her own bitter training.
But compared to the rapid progress in cultivation, Yuan Niya wished even more that the three of them could always stay together and train like this.
"There will be many more chances in the future."
Chu Feifei gently comforted her. Gu Mo had already left for Cloudsky Immortal City, preparing to carry out his plan against Fenghua Sect.
As for Chu Feifei, she remained to help Yuan Niya improve her cultivation. Years ago, both of them had once received Yuan Niya's help—now it was their turn to help her.
"Mm!"
Yuan Niya nodded, then closed her eyes again. She already knew that Gu Mo had become a true disciple of Shennong Valley, and Chu Feifei was the personal disciple of a Nascent Soul True Lord. She didn't want to be left too far behind, so she wanted to seize every moment for cultivation.
Cloudsky Immortal City.
As the day of Gu Mo's Condensing Nascent Pill refinement drew closer, more and more people gathered. Everyone eagerly awaited this alchemy session, because if successful, the pill would be auctioned in Cloudsky Immortal City.
For those at Core Formation Great Perfection, a Condensing Nascent Pill represented the key to ascending to a higher realm. Likewise, for many sects, obtaining the pill meant their sect might rise to become a Nascent Soul sect.
Even sects that already had Nascent Soul cultivators longed for it—adding another True Lord would only make their foundations stronger.
But unlike everyone else's anticipation and desire, Fenghua Sect's people were far from pleased. Everyone else could compete for the pill—only Fenghua Sect had been excluded.
Gu Mo's reason was simple: since Fenghua Sect had offended him before, he refused to let a pill refined by him fall into their hands.
All sides welcomed Gu Mo's stance. After all, Fenghua Sect already had three Nascent Soul True Lords. If they were allowed to obtain the Condensing Nascent Pill, their strength would become overwhelming.
So even if Gu Mo hadn't spoken, the other sects would have united to block Fenghua Sect anyway. But to ensure certainty—and more importantly, to provoke them—Gu Mo bluntly cut off Fenghua Sect's hopes.
"I wonder if Fenghua Sect's people will try to sabotage things." As he prepared the ingredients, Gu Mo mused to himself.
If Fenghua Sect did interfere and ruined what should have been a successful Condensing Nascent Pill, those Core Formation Great Perfection cultivators would loathe them bitterly. And Gu Mo could then use that as a reason to deepen his karmic entanglement with Fenghua Sect. By then, if he struck against them, he would have ample justification.
The only concern was if Fenghua Sect managed to hold back. If they did nothing, then the effect of this alchemy session would be greatly diminished. To give Fenghua Sect the chance to act, Gu Mo sought out Cloudsky City Lord Yun Chen and chose a site near the city—a fire vein—for the pill refinement.
Compared to Cloudsky Immortal City's tight defenses, the fire vein's protection was far weaker. If Fenghua Sect still managed to resist interfering under such conditions, Gu Mo figured he'd just crown them with the title of "Ninja Turtles."
"True Disciple Gu, isn't this a bit too risky?" When Yun Chen heard of the plan to refine pills at the fire vein, he hesitated. The outcome of this refinement was of great importance to Cloudsky Immortal City.
"It's perfectly secure. The earth fire there is exactly what I need." Gu Mo nodded.
"…Very well. Then I'll see to the arrangements right away."
Although uneasy, since Gu Mo had insisted, Yun Chen could only try his best to comply.
"So the Shennong Valley true disciple intends to refine pills near Cloudsky Immortal City at that fire vein. Should we make a move?" With the news of the pill refinement spreading, the three Nascent Soul True Lords of Fenghua Sect began to stir.
Originally, Fenghua Sect had no plans to act. Cloudsky Immortal City was not easy to intrude upon, and there was no need for them to take such risks. Time was on their side anyway—the longer they waited, the stronger Fenghua Sect would become.
But now the opportunity was too good. Missing it would be a pity.
"If the Condensing Nascent Pill succeeds, it will also weaken our Immortal City's position. We'll strike—but not openly. Just target that fire vein," He Zhangcheng said after a moment's deliberation.
When refining pills—especially something like the Condensing Nascent Pill—even the slightest disturbance could ruin everything. Thus, they could covertly sabotage the fire vein to disrupt the process.
And since tampering with a fire vein was subtle, even if others suspected, no one would have evidence. Without proof, to accuse Fenghua Sect was as good as seeking death under their blades.
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