Translator: AnubisTL
The Outer Sect Hall of Elders!
"Elder Liu! Elder Shen! Elder Zhao! And Elder Wu is here too!" Upon arriving at Elder Liu's residence, Gu Feng saw four elders gathered around a tea table, sipping tea. Gu Feng immediately approached and respectfully bowed.
"I heard you made quite a profit today, didn't you?" Elder Liu glanced at him, gently pushing a cup of tea toward Gu Feng, signaling him to sit.
"Haha, just a small business, a small business!" Gu Feng scratched his head sheepishly, modestly replying.
"You brat, you've emptied both mine and Elder Zhao's wallets, and you still call it a small business?" Elder Shen shook his head in disbelief, smiling bitterly.
Hearing this, Gu Feng immediately became wary, covering the storage rings on his fingers with his hands, as if someone was about to rob him.
This scene was witnessed by the four elders present, all of whom couldn't help but roll their eyes.
"You brat, you're really good at making money, but you're also incredibly stingy. Last time, Elder Shang went through great lengths to bring you back from Falling Moon City, and you didn't even treat him to a meal." As he spoke, Elder Wu tapped Gu Feng's head.
"Don't worry, you earned those Spirit Stones through your own skills. We're not bandits; who would rob you?" At this point, Elder Zhao also spoke up. He paused, then shifted the topic to the Modified Bone Cleansing Pill.
"The Modified Bone Cleansing Pill is indeed effective, but—"
What comes before the "but" is unimportant; what matters is what comes after. Gu Feng only needed to hear the beginning to understand everything, and he had long been mentally prepared for this.
"Honorable Elders, with my current abilities, I can only refine the Modified Bone Cleansing Pill to this level. The side effects are indeed significant, and if word gets out, it could damage the reputation of the Sunset Glow Sect...
If the side effects cannot be removed, I agree to ban this pill." Gu Feng spoke with utmost seriousness, his words exuding a commanding presence that impressed the four elders.
To let go of a highly profitable product so decisively, without any hesitation, and always prioritizing the greater good—this young man's maturity far exceeded his peers.
"Ahem, it seems now that improving the Modified Bone Cleansing Pill is nearly impossible, at least I don't have the ability to do so," Elder Shen admitted frankly, acknowledging that he could neither refine nor improve the pill.
"We've just discussed it, and the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall will try to develop a pill with a similar price and effect to replace your Modified Bone Cleansing Pill!
You should stop refining it. Once you've sold off your current stock, the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall will issue a formal ban!" Elder Zhao spoke somewhat apologetically. Objectively speaking, this approach was a bit shameless, but for the sake of the Sunset Glow Sect's reputation, it had to be done.
"Understood!" Gu Feng nodded with a smile. "Once the ban is issued, it will surely dampen the disciples' enthusiasm for pill research and harm the Alchemy Hall's authority. But since I'm the only one in the entire Outer Sect who can refine the Modified Bone Cleansing Pill, as long as I stop refining it, whether it's banned or not makes no difference!"
Gu Feng's words once again earned the admiration of the four elders present, their eyes filled with unconcealed praise, like a father-in-law growing fonder of his son-in-law.
"Good!" Elder Liu laughed heartily, then looked directly at Gu Feng and asked, "Are you interested in learning alchemy?"
Hmm—
Hearing this, Gu Feng nodded without hesitation. "But I don't have any talent in this area. Back when I wanted to refine the Bone Cleansing Pill, I studied for a month but couldn't figure it out. That's why I resorted to shortcuts and created the Modified Bone Cleansing Pill!"
"Haha, many disciples who've been in the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall for years still can't refine the Bone Cleansing Pill. You tried to tackle something so difficult right from the start, so of course you struggled.
The fact that you managed to create a Modified Bone Cleansing Pill that no one else can replicate is proof enough that you have a unique talent for alchemy," Elder Zhao stroked his beard, smiling warmly.
These words filled Gu Feng with boundless confidence.
Top-tier alchemists never lack Spirit Stones. As long as he could master advanced alchemy techniques, he would have an abundance of Spirit Stones in the future, and he would never have to worry about lacking resources for cultivation again.
"Thank you, Elder Shen, Elder Zhao!"
After chatting for a while longer, they all went their separate ways.
The next day, Gu Feng arrived at the Alchemy Hall to begin his alchemy journey.
However, just half a month later, he left the Alchemy Hall with his head hanging low, his figure desolate.
The reason? Gu Feng couldn't master a single legitimate pill. Instead, he always resorted to shortcuts, mutilating existing pill formulas to create counterfeit and substandard pills.
At first, Elder Shen and Elder Zhao encouraged Gu Feng's unconventional ideas.
But as time went on, the two elders couldn't take it anymore. After Gu Feng ruined several test mice, they could no longer tolerate him and added him to the Alchemy Hall's permanent ban list.
Thus, Gu Feng became the first Outer Sect disciple in the history of the Sunset Glow Sect to be banned from the Alchemy Hall.
As Elder Shen put it, "Gu Feng, you'd better not learn alchemy, or one day, you might end up harming yourself with your own pills."
"What kind of people are they? They said they'd teach me alchemy, but just because I destroyed a few pill furnaces and ruined some mice, they banned me!
They don't allow any room for mistakes—how am I supposed to learn alchemy?!"
Gu Feng grumbled indignantly, seeking comfort at Elder Liu's residence, only to be met with uproarious laughter.
"You brat, I can see it now—you're a real troublemaker!"
"You've been in the Qi Refining Realm for so long; it's not suitable for you to stay here any longer. Go to Carp Mountain!" Gu Feng's strength was exceptional, and he had long been unrivaled here. Plus, he was always causing trouble, so Elder Liu, somewhat afraid of him, decided to send him off to Carp Mountain.
There, he would be surrounded by people stronger than him, so even if he wanted to cause trouble, he wouldn't have the ability.
"Alright, I'll go to Carp Mountain in three days!" Gu Feng didn't dwell on it. The reason he chose three days later was to use the Spirit Stones he had recently earned to simultaneously boost his cultivation and physical body to the brink of the peak of the Qi Refining Realm. That way, even in Carp Mountain, he wouldn't have to worry about being bullied.
"Let me tell you something!" Gu Feng didn't refuse, which pleased Elder Liu. The elder then shifted the topic, his expression turning serious. "You rarely leave the Outer Sect, and you have a large amount of Spirit Stones. The whereabouts of these Spirit Stones will attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.
You need to consider things thoroughly. Don't think everyone in the world is a fool. Caution is the key to longevity!"
Elder Liu's meaningful words made Gu Feng's heart skip a beat.
He understood what Elder Liu was getting at. Simply put, having so many Spirit Stones and improving his strength so quickly, with no corresponding spending records in the Outer Sect and rarely leaving the Outer Sect, would easily lead people to speculate that he possessed some kind of treasure.
"Thank you, Elder Liu. I'll be more careful in the future!" Gu Feng stood up and bowed solemnly.
"During this time, you've probably earned around a hundred million. I've created a spending record for you at the Trading Hall. Take a look and keep it in mind." As he spoke, Elder Liu took out a small notebook, densely filled with records of various rare treasures that accelerate cultivation, totaling nearly a hundred million.
On his way back, Gu Feng furrowed his brows in thought. Suddenly, he remembered the fall of the Gu family and the corpse warriors, Gu Tianba and others, with their ghastly wounds.
"They endured brutal torture before their deaths, likely in an attempt to uncover the secrets I possess!"
There was no doubt that the perpetrators were either Qiu Tian or someone from the Qiu family. But their torture of Gu Tianba and others must have been for a purpose. The only possibility was that they had detected a secret within me and wanted to uncover it.
Recently, the Outer Sect had been peaceful, and Qiu Tian hadn't sent anyone to trouble him, which seemed rather unreasonable.
This also indirectly proved that they were already keeping an eye on him. Since the Outer Sect prohibited Inner Sect disciples from taking action, they simply stayed put to avoid alerting him.
"First, I'll cultivate, then head to Carp Mountain for a while. I'll find a suitable bodyguard, go out to search for a thunder-attribute body, and break through to the Postnatal Realm in one go. With Senior Zhu by my side, the Qiu family's antics won't be a concern!"
Returning to his small courtyard, Gu Feng tidied up a bit, then closed the courtyard and began his cultivation.
(End of the Chapter)
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