Translator: AnubisTL
Everyone exchanged glances, finally understanding why the Crown Prince had gone to such lengths to interfere in the affairs of the Sunset Glow Sect.
The Sunset Glow Sect indeed possessed a treasure, and it was located beneath the sect master's hall.
In the past, they would have coveted it, but now, they dared not entertain any such thoughts.
Thousands of meters below the ruins of the sect master's hall!
Gu Feng had exerted immense effort to reach the place where the 'Immortal Eye' was buried. The area was vast and empty.
The terrain here was mysterious, with faint wisps of Dao essence emerging from the depths, sometimes gray, sometimes multicolored, accompanied by a heart-palpitating sensation.
Zhu Qingyan had taught him the method to refine the Immortal Eye but had since fallen into a deep slumber, leaving Gu Feng to explore on his own.
The sacred aura grew closer, and Gu Feng held his breath, focusing intently, his steps slowing down.
Although Zhu Qingyan had said that this Immortal Eye was non-aggressive, after five thousand years, who knew what changes might have occurred? It was always better to be cautious.
After groping forward for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Gu Feng saw a structure resembling an altar. However, this altar was not built with stone or any tangible material but was constructed with layers of runes.
The altar shone brightly, emitting a strange radiance, indescribable in color, somewhat akin to sunlight.
At the center of the altar floated an eye, similar in size to a normal human eye but with a deep emerald hue.
Gu Feng stopped and sensed carefully, finding the Immortal Eye on the altar lifeless, with no trace of vitality.
The Immortal Eye was connected to eight spirit threads as thick as fingers. Upon closer inspection, Gu Feng noticed that these threads were slowly wriggling, seemingly channeling spiritual power to nourish the eye.
"The other end of these spirit threads must be the incomplete Dragon Vein that Senior Zhu mentioned!"
After repeatedly checking for any dangers, Gu Feng stepped forward to the altar.
With his fingers together, spirit radiance flashed!
Snap—
He severed the eight spirit threads connected to the Immortal Eye and caught it before it could fall to the ground.
Gu Feng bit his finger, squeezed out three drops of blood, smeared it over the Immortal Eye, then gritted his teeth and pressed it into his right eye.
The Immortal Eye entered his eye socket smoothly, and Gu Feng felt a surge of joy. He immediately sat cross-legged, circulating his spiritual power, compressing it toward his right eye, and began the refining process.
Hiss—
So painful!
The rejection reaction that Zhu Qingyan had warned about arrived as expected.
Gu Feng felt that the fusion between the Immortal Eye and his body was extremely rough. A piercing pain, like a thunderbolt, struck his soul and ravaged it mercilessly.
In just a few breaths, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking his clothes as if he had just been pulled out of a lake.
At this moment, his eyes looked bizarre. His right eye alternated between black and emerald green, with blood dripping continuously, while his left eye turned crimson, tears streaming uncontrollably.
"It hurts so much!!"
Gu Feng felt that if he held it in any longer, he would go mad, so he shouted out the useless three words.
The flickering of his right eye grew faster, blood forming lines, while tears splashed from his left eye.
"I can't pass out!"
Gu Feng gritted his teeth, almost roaring, and to keep himself from falling unconscious, he pinched his thigh hard, leaving it bruised and red in no time.
After persisting for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the flickering in his right eye gradually slowed down, and the tears in his left eye ceased. A peculiar sensation began to rise from the depths of his heart, as if his soul had been elevated, bringing an indescribable sense of relief.
Huff, huff, huff—
Another half an incense stick of time passed, and his right eye finally calmed completely. The searing pain that had pierced his heart dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented feeling.
Gu Feng took out a bronze mirror to examine the color of his pupils and, finding them unchanged from before, smiled with satisfaction.
He had finally succeeded!
After obtaining the Immortal Eye, he naturally comprehended its functions and uses.
Perhaps due to the severe damage it had sustained, the nourishment from the five-thousand-year Dragon Vein had not restored much of the Immortal Eye's power. Currently, he could only wield a slight ability to Pierce Illusion and one forbidden art of the Immortal Eye: Candle Sun.
Pierce Illusion, as the name suggests, allowed him to see through the surface of objects to perceive their true essence. It could also see through some disguises. Of course, as the Immortal Eye was further nourished and his own cultivation realm advanced, he would be able to see through spiritual veins and more.
The Immortal Eye Forbidden Art: Candle Sun, however, was truly formidable. As the name implied, it was a lethal offensive technique. According to the feedback from the Immortal Eye, when cultivated to its peak, it could annihilate stars with a single glance.
Such a level was beyond Gu Feng's wildest dreams. For now, he was more than satisfied with the ability to obliterate a Sea Condensation Cultivator with a single glance.
"Senior Zhu instructed me to destroy this place and release the incomplete Dragon Vein he had imprisoned. This would greatly enhance the Spiritual Power concentration of the Sunset Glow Sect!"
After fusing with the Immortal Eye, Gu Feng turned his gaze to the altar, pondering how to destroy it.
"Perhaps I should try the Immortal Eye Forbidden Art: Candle Sun!"
With this thought, Gu Feng began to activate his right eye!
Hum—
A strange ripple emanated from his right eye. The originally pitch-black pupil transformed into a deep, emerald green, exuding an eerie aura.
This sensation was even detected by Liu Wuxiang and others in the Outer Sect of the Sunset Glow Sect. Their eyes burned with intensity as they stared in the direction of the Inner Sect's main hall.
Suddenly, a flash of emerald green light appeared above the ruins of the main hall, followed by roaring flames.
Just as everyone was stunned, a figure burst out from the ruins. His body was also engulfed in emerald green flames as he shouted and plunged into a small lake within the Inner Sect.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere.
"It's over! These flames can't be extinguished!"
Gu Feng rolled around in the lake, howling in pain. In his desperation, he activated the Immortal Eye again, finally causing the flames to dissipate.
He lay on the surface of the lake, utterly frustrated, his lips twitching uncontrollably. Merely slightly activating the Immortal Eye Forbidden Art: Candle Sun had cost him ten years of his lifespan.
What an exaggerated number! After all, Gu Feng was only in his early twenties.
If he had known this would happen, he would have just used his fists to destroy the altar.
Curiosity kills!
"This technique must not be used recklessly. Unless my life is in absolute peril, I will never use it again!"
It was truly terrifying, leaving Gu Feng with lingering fear.
However, its power was undeniably immense, capable of annihilating any cultivator within the Spirit Nurturing Realm. As a trump card, it was undoubtedly a formidable life-saving tool.
"Sect Master—"
"Sect Master, what happened to you?"
Not long after, Liu Wuxiang and other Elders of the Sunset Glow Sect rushed to the lakeside, looking at Gu Feng in the water with concern.
"Haha, it's nothing!" Gu Feng smiled slightly, leaped out of the lake, and landed on the shore. Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, he added an explanation.
"Just now, Founder Qingyan instructed me to go beneath the Sect Master's Hall to unlock the incomplete Dragon Vein she had sealed... From now on, the concentration of Spiritual Energy in this place will be ten times greater than before!"
Hearing this, all the Elders showed expressions of joy.
"From now on, the Sunset Glow Sect will no longer distinguish between Inner and Outer Sects. We will simply rank disciples based on their strength. Outer Sect Disciples will also be allowed to cultivate in the Inner Sect!"
"In the future, we will raise the standards for accepting disciples. The Sunset Glow Sect's previous Cultivation Methods were only suitable for female disciples. Founder Qingyan mentioned that this was an oversight back then, so she gave me several Cultivation Methods suitable for male disciples..."
"..."
Gu Feng, surrounded by the Elders, made his way toward the Outer Sect, where representatives from various major families were still present.
As they approached the Outer Sect, Gu Feng specifically brought up the events of the day and emphasized that they should look forward and not dwell on past grievances.
These words needed to be made clear to prevent some Supreme Elders from worrying and potentially causing trouble in the future.
"Sect Master Gu is young and capable, and with Founder Qingyan personally imparting her skills, his future is boundless!"
"Sect Master Gu is only in his early twenties, right? If I recall correctly, he is the youngest Sect Master in the history of Cloud Prefecture!"
"With Sect Master Gu unifying the Inner and Outer Sects, the Sunset Glow Sect will remain the top sect in Cloud Prefecture for the next few hundred years."
"..."
Upon returning to the Outer Sect, the influential figures who had previously addressed Gu Feng by his name or called him "young Gu" now regarded him as an equal and warmly addressed him as Sect Master Gu.
This had nothing to do with age. Anyone who ascended to the position of Sect Master of the Sunset Glow Sect deserved their respect and acknowledgment.
"Elder Liu, how are the casualties from this incident?" Gu Feng asked Liu Wuxiang as he surveyed the chaotic state of the Outer Sect.
"Among the assisting forces, several Elder-level cultivators were injured. Our Sunset Glow Sect suffered the most casualties, with the majority being Inner and Outer Sect disciples who were in the spectator area..." Liu Wuxiang did not act superior due to his seniority but instead respectfully bowed to Gu Feng, which made Gu Feng feel somewhat embarrassed. However, he accepted it graciously, as he was now the Sect Master. Even if he didn't care much for formalities, he couldn't let the Sunset Glow Sect lose face.
"In that case, we will take responsibility for treating the injured cultivators from the various forces and provide them with resources as a token of gratitude. As for the injured disciples within our sect, in addition to the resources needed for their recovery, we will double their cultivation resources for the next year!"
Gu Feng spoke in a solemn tone.
Both the Elders of the Sunset Glow Sect and the leaders of the various forces nodded in agreement.
Although Gu Feng was usually unreliable, he was quite steady when it came to major matters. He had managed Swamp Fortress efficiently, and they believed he could do the same for the Sunset Glow Sect.
"Everyone, the Sunset Glow Sect has undergone sudden changes, and I have just ascended to the position of Sect Master. My experience and qualifications are still limited. I, Gu Feng, in the name of the Sunset Glow Sect, assure you all that the Sunset Glow Sect will never be the first to use force against any sect in Cloud Prefecture!
From now on, we are all allies. Let us work together to earn resources from outside and strive to elevate the overall strength of our families, forces, and sects by one level each year!!"
Gu Feng's actions were twofold: first, to express gratitude for their assistance today, even though Zhu Qingyan ultimately resolved the issue, he still felt deeply thankful.
Second, to dispel any doubts among the various forces and prevent them from causing any unnecessary trouble.
Sure enough, after Gu Feng spoke these words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and unanimously agreed that it was only natural to help each other!
During this time, Gu Feng asked Chu Youhuan about the whereabouts of the Third Prince. Chu Youhuan informed him that the Third Prince felt he hadn't been of much help and, feeling embarrassed, had left early.
As for this Third Prince, who was in poor health and held no real power, Gu Feng thought there might be an opportunity to befriend him in the future.
That day, Gu Feng hosted a banquet to entertain the leaders of various factions.
The next day—
He convened a high-level internal meeting of the Sunset Glow Sect.
Originally, Gu Feng had planned to withdraw a sum of Spirit Stones from the Inner Sect's Treasure Vault to enhance his cultivation.
However, after learning about the current state of the Inner Sect, he immediately lost interest and only took a small amount of Spirit Stones, placing them into the Three-Mouth Incense Burner, preparing to use them at a critical moment to break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm and annihilate his enemies with the Thunder Tribulation.
During the meeting, Gu Feng mainly discussed the merger of the Inner and Outer Sects. This was a good thing, and of course, no one opposed it.
Finally, he appointed Liu Wuxiang as the Vice Sect Master, who would exercise the authority of the Sect Master in Gu Feng's absence.
"Gu Feng, this is a Storage Ring left for you by Qu Yanran."
After the meeting, Liu Wuxiang found Gu Feng and handed him a Storage Ring, along with the treasures gifted by the Supreme Elders.
Upon learning that Qu Yanran had left the Sunset Glow Sect, Gu Feng was slightly taken aback.
As for this woman, Gu Feng felt some disdain toward her. He always thought she looked down on everyone, acting as if she were above it all. Beyond that, there wasn't much else, as they had only met a handful of times and were hardly familiar with each other.
"Just a passerby. We probably won't meet again."
After the Dragon Vein beneath the earth was released, the overall Spiritual Power level of the Sunset Glow Sect increased by about tenfold. The disciples were filled with enthusiasm for cultivation, cheering excitedly because Gu Feng had promised them that the distribution of cultivation resources in the future would be twice as much as before.
The new Sect Master's Hall was also completed, and the merger of the Inner and Outer Sects was being meticulously carried out.
Gu Feng sat on the roof of the Sect Master's Hall, drinking Spirit Wine and gazing at the stars, when Chu Youhuan flew over.
"My great Sect Master, why didn't you have some female disciple keep you company? Drinking alone here?"
"Ah—it's tough. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. How am I supposed to feed so many mouths!"
Gu Feng shook his head with a bitter smile. What worried him most, of course, was how to earn Spirit Stones. For the next year, the Swamp Fortress wouldn't be distributing any profits, and he was back to his hard-pressed days.
After breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, he would face the need for 100 billion Low-grade Spirit Stones.
This was an astronomical figure. The entire first phase of the Swamp Fortress project had only consumed a little over 120 billion.
"Care for a drink?"
"Sure!"
Just as the two were drinking and chatting, in a strange space outside this world—
A group of cultivators, each with a Spirit Snake mark on their foreheads, knelt on the ground in fear.
Each of them was millions of times stronger than so-called Sea Condensation Cultivators.
At a certain moment, the space trembled slightly, and a towering figure appeared in the void, causing the surrounding laws to crackle under its pressure.
He sat cross-legged, his back to the crowd, and his ancient voice echoed.
"Just a moment ago, I sensed the right eye that woman dug out from me five thousand years ago!"
"Grand Elder, wasn't that woman already killed by you?" one of the kneeling cultivators asked respectfully.
"Reaching this level, it's not strange to have a trace of divine soul preserved!"
"Find the person who refined my right eye and take it back!"
"Grand Elder, please project this person!"
The Grand Elder, with his back to the crowd, calculated with his fingers and frowned.
"I can't project him. Just follow this direction to find him!"
After the Grand Elder pointed out a direction, a middle-aged cultivator stepped out of the strange world.
The Sacred Clan, unseen in the Central Plains for five thousand years, once again walked the earth!
The entire Central Plains was in an uproar. The appearance of the Sacred Clan indicated that the Central Plains would undergo a great transformation—either a great demon causing chaos in the world or a ruler unifying the land would emerge.
"Since the fall of the Great Ming Dynasty, the world has been in chaos for five thousand years. Will it now welcome a new ruler?"
"Before the ancestor perished, he deduced that this time, the ninth World Cauldron would appear in the world!"
"He who obtains the cauldron will rule the world. Who will be the one to claim it?"
"The clouds are in turmoil, the wind is rising. Let us wait and see!"
"..."
As for Gu Feng, he didn't care at all about the distant Central Plains.
Returning to his previous life, he was once again focused on finding ways to make money!
(End of the Chapter)
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