Chapter 17

When the last ray of sunlight disappeared below the horizon, Gu Fei finally came to his senses from his sorrow. He poured the fine wine he had brought over his master Wan Xiancheng's grave and then turned to leave the cemetery.

At this moment, a faint white mist rose up in the cemetery, making Gu Fei feel a chill. He instinctively tightened his clothes.

The dead are gone; what use is there in further sorrow? The moment Gu Fei stepped out of the cemetery, his gaze became abnormally resolute. He turned and walked away on the gravel path without looking back.

When Gu Fei's somewhat lonely figure disappeared down the path, the wooden door of a thatched hut beside the cemetery entrance creaked open, and an old man walked out.

This old man was very old, his teeth seemingly all gone, with a few sparse, slightly yellowish white hairs on his head. His face was covered in wrinkles like the bark of an old tree, making it almost impossible to discern his features.

The old man walked into the cemetery with a shuffling gait. His eyes were cloudy, and there was no sign of strength in his body, but his back was straight. He was an ordinary old man, one who was on the verge of death.

The old man picked a bunch of white flowers around the cemetery and then walked past each grave, placing a bouquet of flowers at each one.

Regardless of the size of the grave or the status of the person buried there, whether they were once prominent or unknown, the old man placed a bouquet of flowers at each grave without missing any.

When the old man had only one bouquet of flowers left, he stood in front of a new grave. He had not lingered at any of the other graves, but he stopped at this last new grave.

A small, low grave, a pile of yellow earth, and a simple stone tablet in front of it, on which were clearly written five characters: "Wan Xiancheng's Grave." There was no signature, just five characters.

The old man's cloudy gaze lingered on the tombstone for a long time. Finally, he seemed to sigh deeply and, with trembling hands, placed the last bouquet of white flowers in the soil in front of the tombstone.

The old man turned and walked out of the cemetery with a shuffling gait, entering the small thatched hut beside the cemetery entrance. The wooden door creaked shut behind him.

At this moment, the mist in the cemetery seemed to grow thicker, and the graves appeared and disappeared in the fog, seeming real yet illusory.

On the path at the back of the mountain, someone stopped Gu Fei. This person was a young man, dressed in a white, wide-sleeved robe.

When Gu Fei saw this young man, his eyes narrowed. He knew this young man and was well aware of his cultivation.

This was a young man who was hard to forget after just one glance. His black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, his face was sharp, his long eyebrows reached his temples, and his eyes were as bright as stars. He was one of the few young experts among the younger generation of the Tai Xuan Sect—Dong Fangchen.

"I heard you defeated Wang Yuanzhi, but I didn't quite believe it. Now it seems to be true," Dong Fangchen said calmly, a smile on his lips.

However, Gu Fei felt a powerful pressure from Dong Fangchen. This young expert was not simple, just as the rumors suggested, he was one of the best among the younger generation of the sect.

"What, are you going to stand up for the Wang family?" Gu Fei stared directly at Dong Fangchen, his gaze sharp like a blade. He was not afraid of the pressure from the other side. What could a rare young expert in the sect do to him?

Dong Fangchen smiled, his handsome face looking very radiant. A formidable aura immediately swept out from him, like a surging tide, causing the grass and trees on both sides of the path to sway without any wind.

"Your master just passed away, I don't want to fight with you, but you must hand over the talisman from Wang Yuanzhi to me," Dong Fangchen said calmly, his demeanor relaxed but his aura intimidating.

Although he did not attack, his actions were as good as an attack. Perhaps he wanted to give Gu Fei a warning and force him to submit.

"Hmph! If the Wang family wants the talisman back, let them come and get it themselves!" Gu Fei's eyes gleamed, his muscles tensing under his clothes. He was like a hunting leopard, ready to pounce at any moment.

Dong Fangchen stroked his chin with interest, his eyes flickering, a smile playing on his lips. After a moment, he said, "Good, very good, you have spirit!" With that, Dong Fangchen turned and left.

Gu Fei was surprised to see Dong Fangchen leave so easily. He knew that Dong Fangchen was also from a cultivation family and seemed to have some connection with Wang Yuanzhi. Why did he let him off so easily?

But one thing Gu Fei was certain of: by refusing to hand over the talisman he had taken from Wang Yuanzhi, he had already offended Dong Fangchen.

"In a year, it will be the time of the Ten-Year Grand Examination. Don't disappoint me then," Dong Fangchen's voice came from ahead, as if speaking directly into Gu Fei's ear.

"Sound transmission technique?" Gu Fei was taken aback and felt a chill. He immediately understood Dong Fangchen's intention: he wanted to defeat him in front of all the disciples.

The Ten-Year Grand Examination of the Tai Xuan Sect was also the time when the sect opened its doors to accept new disciples. Those who placed in the top ten would receive rewards from the sect, including the spirit pills that help disciples form their Dao Dan.

"Condensing Essence Pill? I don't cultivate Dao techniques, and I don't follow the Daoist path of the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Elixir. This thing is useless to me, but... if you, Dong Fangchen, want to humiliate me in front of all the disciples during the Grand Examination, you're dreaming." Gu Fei's eyes flashed with determination as he watched Dong Fangchen disappear.

Gu Fei knew very well that with the help of the Yin-Yang Jade Pendant, his cultivation speed was ten times faster. While others cultivated for a year, he was equivalent to cultivating for ten years.

Thus, within a year, his cultivation would definitely advance from the Sixth Heaven of Enlightenment to the Seventh Heaven. A martial artist at the Seventh Heaven of Enlightenment had a clear advantage over a Daoist at the same level.

Martial artists have strong bodies, which Daoists lack. The martial techniques of martial artists can rival and even surpass Dao techniques. Martial techniques, after all, are honed through countless battles, making them far more lethal than Dao techniques.

Dong Fangchen's cultivation seemed to be at the Seventh Heaven of Enlightenment as well.

Thinking of this, a cold smile appeared on Gu Fei's lips, and he strode forward. He had buried his grief deep in his heart and was determined to turn his grief into strength. He would cultivate the ancient technique his master had taught him to its utmost, making all those who underestimated this technique feel ashamed of their ignorance.

Soon, Gu Fei's figure disappeared at the end of the gravel path.

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