Chapter 17 Some things are missing

Gu Heng's head buzzed.

Seen through?

Seen through what?

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the Old Ancestor with a blank expression, and blinked.

"Old Ancestor... seen through what?"

Seeing this, Old Ancestor Qingxuan...

sneered, "Hmph, still acting? I must say, your disguise technique is indeed brilliant. Your cultivation is hidden so flawlessly that even my Divine Sense cannot detect the slightest flaw. You look like a real Qi Refining Stage tras—cough, ordinary person."

"But!"

"Of all the things you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have exposed your depth in the Dao of Chess!"

Gu Heng: "?"

"That kind of infallible strategy, and that innate contempt you showed when facing the Five Saints of Zhongzhou..."

"All of this has betrayed you!"

"You are not some ordinary Utility Disciple at all!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan slapped his thigh and pointed at Gu Heng, saying decisively,

"You must be a direct descendant sent out for experience by one of those ancient Hidden Families in the Upper Realm! Am I right!?"

"..."

Gu Heng was stunned.

Ah?

Me?

Ancient Hidden Family? Direct descendant?

This old man's train of thought... isn't it a bit too much of a leap?

Seeing Gu Heng speechless with shock, Old Ancestor Qingxuan became even more convinced of his deduction.

"I hit the mark, didn't I?"

The Old Ancestor stroked his beard. "In this world, besides those ancient Hidden Families with tens of thousands of years of Legacy and unfathomable depth, who else could cultivate a Prodigy like you, so young yet with such a transcendent state of mind?"

"Only those ancient families possess supreme secret treasures capable of completely masking one's cultivation aura!"

"Furthermore, the reason you sneaked into my Qingyun Sect as a handyman must be to temper your heart in the Mortal World, experience the myriad aspects of life, and incidentally... seek the Opportunity of the heaven-reaching tower, right?"

Ye Wentian listened from the side, completely dazed.

He looked at Gu Heng, and a look of sudden realization gradually appeared in his eyes.

"So that's how it is..."

Ye Wentian murmured to himself, "No wonder! No wonder when this kid first joined the Sect, I felt his temperament was extraordinary. Although his Spiritual Root was mixed, he possessed an indescribable Dao charm. So it's a young master from a Hidden Family coming to experience life!"

"This explains everything! Why he showed no fear before the Old Ancestor, why he dared to volunteer to enter the heaven-reaching tower, why he was so dismissive of the Five Saints of Zhongzhou..."

"Because in his Family, who knows how many Tribulation Transcendence Stage powerhouses there are! The mere Five Saints of Zhongzhou are nothing in his eyes!"

The more Ye Wentian thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and the way he looked at Gu Heng changed instantly.

Gu Heng looked at these two—one old, one young—who were overthinking everything, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Wait...

Your logical loop is too perfect; I don't even know how to refute it!

"Um... Old Ancestor, Sect Master, actually I..."

"Ah!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan waved his hand. "Little friend, say no more! I understand. Since it's for experience, it must naturally be kept secret. Rest assured, this matter is known only to the heavens, the earth, you, me, and Wentian."

"I guarantee I will never expose your identity! In fact, I can even mobilize the entire Sect's power to cooperate with your acting!"

"You want to be a handyman? No problem! I'll give the order right now—from now on, you'll be responsible for sweeping the floors of the Scripture Pavilion! You want to play the pig to eat the tiger? Also no problem! If anyone dares to provoke you, I will personally slap them back for you!"

"..."

Gu Heng weighed his options for a moment, took a deep breath, and cupped his fists toward Old Ancestor Qingxuan.

"The Old Ancestor has a Wisdom Eye like a torch. This Junior... is impressed. In that case, I will speak plainly."

"In these next two days, I need to leave the Sect to handle some... private matters."

"Leave the Sect?" Old Ancestor Qingxuan was taken aback. "The heaven-reaching tower is about to open. For you to leave now, little friend, could there be some urgent matter?"

"It's not exactly urgent." Gu Heng looked at the dark night sky. "I just wanted to ask the Old Ancestor where in this East Province region, or neighboring areas, there is a top-tier Demon Domain? Preferably somewhere... densely populated with powerful Yao Beasts."

"A Demon Domain?" Old Ancestor Qingxuan's brows furrowed. "Little friend, what do you want with a Demon Domain?"

"No matter, the Old Ancestor only needs to tell me the location."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan pondered for a moment and pointed north.

"If we're talking about top-tier power, then it's naturally 'North Province'. It's a bitter cold land, and most of its territory is occupied by the Yao Race, especially the legendary 'Far North Ice Field'."

Speaking of which...

A hint of trepidation flashed in Old Ancestor Qingxuan's eyes. "The environment there is harsh, with astral winds like knives. Ordinary Cultivators who enter will be frozen into ice sculptures within half a day. Even more terrifyingly, it is the headquarters of the Yao Race!"

"As far as I know, in the outskirts of the Far North Ice Field, there are countless Soul Transformation Stage great Yao. Further in, Void Refining and Body Integration Stage Yao Sovereigns hold sway, dominating their own domains."

"And in the deepest parts of the ice field... there are even five Mahayana Stage Yao Kings and two Tribulation Transcendence Stage Yao Emperors in slumber! It is a true forbidden zone—no living person should enter, for it is certain death!"

Ye Wentian took a deep breath and quickly tried to dissuade him. "Indeed, the Far North Ice Field is too dangerous. Why take such a risk? If you want to gain experience, there are many third and fourth-rank Yao Beasts in the back mountains of our Qingyun Sect, enough for practice."

As Gu Heng listened to their descriptions, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Void Refining? Body Integration?

Even Mahayana and Tribulation Transcendence? That's perfect!

"Thank you for the information, Old Ancestor." Gu Heng stood up. "Then I shall take a trip to this Far North Ice Field."

"What!?"

Ye Wentian was stunned. "You're really going? That's a place with Tribulation Transcendence Yao Emperors! What if..."

"Sect Master Ye, there's no need to panic." Gu Heng shook his head. "I just... lost some things over there and want to get them back."

"Lost things?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan and Ye Wentian were both taken aback and asked in unison, "What things?"

Gu Heng looked at them and sighed inwardly.

What did he lose?

Cultivation, of course!

Void Refining, Body Integration, Mahayana, Tribulation Transcendence... aren't these sequential Realms exactly what he needs?

But could he tell the honest truth?

Obviously not.

So...

Gu Heng smiled slightly, his gaze becoming deep as if he were reminiscing about the past.

"It's nothing much."

He said nonchalantly, "Mostly, I've just been feeling a bit stifled lately and want to go out to relax my mood a bit, and incidentally... see the snow."

"..."

The hall fell into a dead silence once again.

Relax his mood?

See the snow?

Ye Wentian's mouth twitched.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan had a sudden realization and slapped his thigh.

"Wonderful!"

"Little friend truly has such refined taste! As they say, 'remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before you.' To perceive heaven, earth, and nature within a life-and-death predicament—that is the highest Realm of cultivation!"

He looked at Ye Wentian and scolded him with disappointment, "Wentian, look at you! You make a fuss over every little thing. Vision! Your vision is too small! Young Master Gu has a background that reaches the heavens; how could he not have life-saving trump cards?"

"To Young Master Gu, the mere Far North Ice Field is nothing more than a summer resort, isn't it?"

Ye Wentian was dazed by the scolding and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, the Old Ancestor is right! It was this Junior's narrow-mindedness!"

"Since little friend has made up his mind, I won't stand in your way."

As Old Ancestor Qingxuan spoke, a green jade pendant appeared in his hand.

"This is the 'azure dragon heart-protecting jade'."

A flash of pain at parting with the treasure crossed Old Ancestor Qingxuan's eyes as he handed the pendant to Gu Heng. "This was obtained by me in an ancient ruin; it's a top-grade defensive Spirit Treasure. When worn, it can withstand a full-strength strike from a Tribulation Transcendence Stage powerhouse."

"While you surely have better treasures, little friend, this is after all the bitter cold land of the far north. An extra layer of protection is always good. Consider it... a small token of my regard, something to pass the time on your journey."

Beside them, Ye Wentian's eyes were about to pop out.

The azure dragon heart-protecting jade!

That was the Old Ancestor's lifeblood!

When the Sect faced a great disaster years ago, the Old Ancestor hadn't even been willing to use it. He usually kept it hidden away, not even letting anyone catch a glimpse. And today, he just... gave it away?

"Old Ancestor, this..."

Gu Heng looked at the jade pendant, feeling slightly moved.

This old man might be prone to overthinking, but he was certainly generous.

"Take it! Don't be polite with me!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan insisted on stuffing the jade pendant into Gu Heng's hand, looking righteous. "What is this small meeting gift? Just come to the back mountain to play chess with me more often in the future!"

Gu Heng put away the jade pendant and cupped his fists to Old Ancestor Qingxuan. "In that case, this Junior will accept it with gratitude."

"There is no time to lose; I shall depart now." Gu Heng turned around. "Two days from now, when the heaven-reaching tower opens, I shall certainly return."

Having said that...

under the gaze of the two, he vanished into the night.

Watching the direction Gu Heng had left, Ye Wentian was unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Not until the night wind blew past did he shudder and turn to look at the Old Ancestor beside him.

"Old Ancestor..."

Ye Wentian swallowed hard. "That kid... is he really from the Upper Realm? Is he truly a descendant of those legendary Hidden Families?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan glanced sideways at Ye Wentian and reached out to rap him on the forehead.

*Thump!*

"Ouch!" Ye Wentian clutched his forehead, looking aggrieved.

"You pig-brain!" Old Ancestor Qingxuan scolded with disappointment. "Whether it's true or not, does it matter?"

...

Meanwhile...

Qingyun Sect, Cliff of Reflection.

Cold winds howled, and the night was deep.

By now, Wang Teng had long since lost his former high spirits.

"Calculating the time... the assassins from the Blood Fiend Sect should have succeeded by now, right?"

"That was one Soul Transformation and two Nascent Souls. Dealing with a mere Qi Refining Stage trash like you should have been as easy as pie."

He sneered in his heart as a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the cave.

Wang Teng spun around. Seeing the visitor, he was overjoyed.

"Clan Elder! You've finally come!"

Wang Teng asked urgently, "How is it? That Gu Heng... is he dead?"

The visitor sighed and slowly shook his head.

"Teng'er, calm down."

"He... he's not dead?"

Wang Teng's eyes widened. "How could he not be dead? That was the Blood Fiend Sect! Did they fail? Or... did that kid Gu Heng stay hidden on Handyman Peak and never leave?"

"Neither."

The Clan Elder's face was grim. "Not only did Gu Heng go out, but... all three assassins from the Blood Fiend Sect have fallen."

"What!?"

Wang Teng froze. "Fallen? All three... dead? Who killed them? Was there a Sect Elder secretly protecting that trash?"

"There was no aura of any other powerhouses at the scene."

The Clan Elder said solemnly, "According to news from the Blood Fiend Sect, their Life Tablets shattered in an instant. In other words... they were killed instantly."

"Killed instantly..."

Wang Teng murmured, feeling a chill all over his body.

"And, what's worse..."

The Clan Elder looked at Wang Teng and said through gritted teeth, "Tonight the Sect held a victory banquet. That Gu Heng not only attended safe and sound, but... he stole the show!"

"Old Ancestor Qingxuan holds him in high regard! Gu Heng's current status in the Qingyun Sect is probably even higher than that of a True Disciple!"

*Pfft—*

Wang Teng felt a surge of blood in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"On what basis!?"

He roared, "A Qi Refining Stage handyman, a trash who only knows how to sweep floors—what right does he have? Has the Old Ancestor gone senile? Is the Sect Master blind?"

"I don't accept this! I refuse to accept this!!!"

His roars echoed through the Cliff of Reflection, startling several jackdaws.

"Furthermore..."

Wang Teng panted, "How did he escape from the Blood Fiend Sect assassins? Even with a protective treasure, it's impossible to instantly kill a Soul Transformation Stage! Could it be... he's hiding his cultivation?"

"I also find this matter strange."

The Clan Elder frowned. "That kid is indeed strange. However, Teng'er, you don't need to worry too much."

"After learning that the Blood Fiend Sect failed, news has come from the Family. Since assassination didn't work, then we shall... crush him fair and square!"

"The clan has already made arrangements."

"Arrangements?" A spark of life returned to Wang Teng's eyes. "What arrangements?"

The Clan Elder gave a mysterious smile.

"Not long ago, there was an anomaly in the heaven-reaching tower. Our Ancestor of the Wang Family, one of the Five Saints of Zhongzhou, has come out of seclusion!"

"The old gentleman personally gave the order to arrange for the clan's chosen son to enter the tower and compete for that supreme Opportunity!"

Hearing the words 'Wang Family of Zhongzhou', Wang Teng trembled.

Their branch of the Wang Family might be a powerhouse in the East Province, but in reality, they were just a small branch of that behemoth in Zhongzhou.

"The clan's chosen son..."

Wang Teng murmured to himself, then suddenly looked up. "Could it be... Big Brother!?"

He had an older brother named Wang Aotian.

He was the eldest son of the main lineage of the Wang Family of Zhongzhou, a peerless Prodigy born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

When he was young, Wang Teng had followed his father to the main house in Zhongzhou for a birthday celebration and had met this older brother a few times, even playing together.

Back then, his big brother had looked after him quite well.

However, after his big brother had an Awakening and his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, he was cultivated as a core seed of the Family. The gap between them grew larger and larger, and they hadn't seen each other since.

"That's right, it's Young Master Aotian."

The Clan Elder nodded. "Young Master Aotian is coming this time, first for the heaven-reaching tower Opportunity, and second... to support our branch!"

"Fantastic!"

Wang Teng was so excited his eyes welled up with tears. "With Big Brother here, that Gu Heng is nothing! Big Brother can crush him with a single finger!"

He asked impatiently, "Clan Elder, what is Big Brother's... current cultivation level?"

In his view, his big brother was only a few years older than him; reaching the Nascent Soul Stage would already make him a shocking Genius.

After all, the Sect Master of the Qingyun Sect, Ye Wentian, was only at the Void Refining Stage.

Hearing this, the Clan Elder gave a contemptuous smile and slowly uttered two words.

"Void Refining."

"Oh, Void Refining."

Wang Teng responded subconsciously, then his eyes widened as he realized,

"Ah? Pent... Void Refining!?"