Gu Family Backyard.
Meng Peng entered from outside, bowed respectfully, and reported, "Head of the family, about an hour ago, the Grand Elder of the Tianyun Sect, Yun Changkong, arrived in Baishi City and personally went to question the Qin family."
Hearing the news, Gu Qingfeng looked slightly surprised. "Yun Changkong... wasn't he in seclusion?"
Yun Changkong, the Grand Elder of the Tianyun Sect, was known as a master in the late stages of blood refining. He was the backbone of the Tianyun Sect and had been in seclusion for years, attempting to perfect his blood refining. This information wasn't a secret, so Gu Qingfeng was quite familiar with Yun Changkong's reputation, even if he had never met him in person.
"Has he broken through?" Gu Qingfeng mused aloud.
Meng Peng nodded gravely. "It's true, sir. Yun Changkong has successfully reached the peak of blood refining. His arrival stirred up the Qin family so much that it even alarmed their ancestor. My men couldn't gather the full details of the meeting, but soon after Yun Changkong entered the Qin family estate, a fierce battle erupted, and he left in anger. It seems the discussion didn't end on good terms."
Gu Qingfeng nodded thoughtfully. There was little need for speculation; Yun Changkong's purpose for visiting the Qin family was undoubtedly related to the Fiery Sun Palm. The Qin family's ambush on the Tianyun Sect outside Baishi City might have gone unchallenged before, but now that Yun Changkong had broken through, things were different.
Both Yun Changkong and the Qin family ancestor had perfected blood refining, setting the stage for a conflict to determine who held greater power. Yun Changkong's fiery departure made it clear the Qin family had not provided the answer he sought. It was likely that this disagreement would lead to lasting enmity between them.
Gu Qingfeng asked, "After leaving the Qin family, did Yun Changkong return directly to the Tianyun Sect?"
"No," Meng Peng replied. "After leaving the Qin family, Yun Changkong went straight to the Tiegu Gang. There, however, he was treated with great courtesy, and they invited him in without incident."
"Interesting..." Gu Qingfeng murmured with a faint smile. He instructed Meng Peng, "Continue observing the Tiegu Gang and the Qin family, but leave the rest. Whatever chaos Baishidao falls into is their concern. The Gu family will not be affected as long as I'm here."
"With your unmatched strength, the Gu family has nothing to fear," Meng Peng said with genuine admiration. He was well aware of Gu Qingfeng's incredible power and accomplishments. In his eyes, Gu Qingfeng was one of the top three most powerful figures in Baishidao, possibly even on par with the Qin family ancestor or the Tiegu Gang leader. With Gu Qingfeng at the helm, the Gu family had no reason to fear, even if Baishidao descended into total chaos.
——
After Meng Peng left, Gu Qingfeng resumed his practice of the Fiery Sun Palm. For him, personal advancement was more important than any external matters.
The next day, Meng Peng returned with more information: Yun Changkong's meeting with the Tiegu Gang had gone smoothly, and Gang Leader Luo Yu had personally seen him off as he left Baishi City.
This did not surprise Gu Qingfeng. The moment the Tiegu Gang showed courtesy to Yun Changkong, he had already deduced their intentions. The balance of power in Baishidao had long been maintained by the two blood refining masters—one in the Qin family and the other in the Tiegu Gang. Their presence ensured relative stability, even though true peace was never possible.
However, with the emergence of a third master at the pinnacle of blood refining, this delicate balance was bound to shift, potentially plunging Baishidao into chaos.
Still, Gu Qingfeng paid little attention to these developments. He had Meng Peng monitor the situation only to stay informed, not because he intended to get involved. As far as he was concerned, the politics and power struggles of Baishidao were irrelevant as long as they didn't affect him directly.
——
A month later, Gu Qingfeng successfully mastered the first level of the Fiery Sun Palm. The difficulty of this mid-grade martial skill had been far greater than he initially imagined. Despite his Blood Refining Realm cultivation, it had taken him an entire month to master just the first level.
"If it had been my former self, I probably wouldn't have been able to master even the first level in less than ten or twenty years!" Gu Qingfeng shook his head in mild disbelief. His martial talent had always been average, and the more advanced the martial art, the harder it was for him to learn.
Furthermore, the Fiery Sun Palm required specific medicinal baths to aid in its cultivation, each costing a hundred taels of silver. Fortunately, Gu Qingfeng was now from a wealthy family and could afford the expense. For an ordinary person, obtaining the Fiery Sun Palm might have been futile without the resources necessary to train in it.
However, after mastering the first level, Gu Qingfeng noticed subtle changes in his energy and blood—it felt as though a faint, almost imperceptible burning aura had infused them. The effects of even just the initial stage of the Fiery Sun Palm were comparable to achieving minor or major success in lower-grade martial arts.
With the tangible benefits of the Fiery Sun Palm becoming clear, Gu Qingfeng dedicated himself even more to its cultivation.
——
Three months later, he had perfected the first level and moved on to the second.
During this time, Baishidao had undergone significant changes. The Tiegu Gang had struck first, shattering the fragile peace by launching an assault on the Qin family. Over the months, dozens of clashes had occurred between the two factions, resulting in significant losses for both sides. As these two powerhouses tore at one another, other factions that had once aligned with them were dragged into the conflict as well, throwing Baishidao into complete turmoil.
The Gu family, however, remained one of the few forces unaffected by this chaos, protected by its blood refining warriors and Gu Qingfeng's leadership.
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