An Old Acquaintance

Li Chengyi asked, "Where does Father plan to take me?"

"You'll know soon enough. Focus on Refinement your Dao Soul first."

Li Chengyi stopped asking questions and enveloped his Dao Soul with his Void Heaven Domain, pulling it into his Sea of Consciousness and slowly Refinement it.

Profound-Tier Lower-Grade Dao Soul is most suitable for someone in the Void Heaven Initial Stage.

All the feelings and insights gained were of great benefit.

Half a day later, Li Chengyi finally opened his eyes. At first, his eyes were calm and still, but after a moment, they regained their liveliness.

Gu Yuanqing asked, "How are you feeling?"

Li Chengyi said, "I have gained a lot, but the impact on my mind is still too great. My past memories are like being veiled by a thin gauze. I need to recall those memories to restore them to normal."

"Since you are aware of your own condition, it seems there is nothing seriously wrong. You can rest for another half day, and then we will leave this place."

Another half day passed, and the father and son floated away.

The two traveled upstream along the Boundless River.

During the journey, Li Chengyi noticed that some Cultivator were looking at him strangely, their gazes filled with reverence. He couldn't help but ask, "Father, do these people all know you?"

Gu Yuanqing chuckled, "Perhaps!"

Li Chengyi was completely unaware of what had happened with Ten Directions Misty Rain Tower, and Gu Yuanqing didn't deliberately bring it up either.

In no time, Gu Yuanqing and Li Chengyi entered the territory of the Illusionary Spirit Sect Residence.

He settled in the same Courtyard as before. More than twenty years have passed, and the Courtyard remains empty. Clearly, it was specially reserved for Gu Yuanqing by the Illusionary Spirit Sect.

"Father still has a Courtyard in the Illusionary Spirit Sect's territory?" Li Chengyi stared wide-eyed, quite surprised, as Gu Yuanqing controlled the Formation to reveal the path in and out.

Gu Yuanqing laughed and said, "It's just a Courtyard; it's nothing to cultivators."

Li Chengyi naturally didn't think so. This place was right next to the Market Ward the Illusionary Spirit Sect and close to the Boundless River. The Courtyard Courtyard spacious, occupying about a mile in size. The scenery was unique, with all kinds of Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs and rare herbs, and various Formation were set up. Even though he didn't know much about the Ancient Realm, the Boundless River, he knew that this place was very valuable.

Outside the Courtyard, there were stewards and servants. Seeing that Gu Yuanqing was controlling the Array Formation in the courtyard and opening the passage, they knew that he was the owner of the courtyard and bowed to him.

"Greetings, Master!" These stewards and servants were all natives of the Ancient Realm, and their cultivation levels were all below the Divine Platform.

"Get up, go about your business, don't worry about me." Gu Yuanqing dismissed the servants.

In fact, the value of this Courtyard also includes the servants of the Ancient Realm, who Deathlessness due to the Rules the Ancient Realm.

"Is this the place Father mentioned before?" Li Chengyi asked, looking around.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Yes and no. This place can indeed serve as your lodging by the Boundless River, but first, the host family must agree."

"The master? Father said it's the Illusionary Spirit Sect?" Li Chengyi immediately realized this, as this place was within the Residence of the Illusionary Spirit Sect.

Gu Yuanqing nodded slightly, then turned to look at him with a smile and said, "Since the Sect Master is here, why not come in and have a chat?"

Not long after Gu Yuanqing entered the Courtyard, he sensed a Divine Soul arriving outside the Courtyard gate.

It was Lu Zeyu, the Illusionary Spirit Sect Master.

Gu Yuanqing wasn't surprised. Lu Zeyu was already at the Heavenly Transformation Peak, and this was the Residence of the Illusionary Spirit Sect. He had come here without being able to conceal his aura, so it would be strange if the other party couldn't detect him.

"It really is Brother Gu! I was just guessing before and didn't dare to confirm it. Only after you entered this Courtyard did I dare to confirm it." Lu Zeyu entered gracefully, his words filled with a sense of admiration, and he changed his address from "Daoist Friend" to "brother Daoist".

Gu Yuanqing smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Sect Master."

Lu Zeyu returned the greeting, saying, "I wouldn't dare, Brother Gu, you're too kind. This must be your son?"

Gu Yuanqing turned his head and smiled, "Cheng Yi, you haven't met Senior Lu yet. He is the sect Sect Master of the Illusionary Spirit Sect. If people from your Great Qian Dynasty come to the Boundless River to seek fortuitous opportunity in the future, you will have to ask Sect Master Lu, this host, to take good care of you."

Li Chengyi was slightly surprised. The person before him was actually the Illusionary Spirit Sect Master, ranked second in the within the Exquisite World? His father was so familiar with him? However, he remained outwardly calm and bowed slightly. "Junior Li Chengyi greets Sect Master!"

Lu Zeyu gestured and said, "Nephew, please rise. Your father is Guest Elder of my Illusionary Spirit Sect. If you don't mind, you can address him as your senior uncle in private from now on."

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Lu," Li Chengyi said again.

Lu Zeyu laughed loudly, "Haha, very well. Since you call me Martial Uncle, this gift can't be lacking. Otherwise, outsiders will think that my Illusionary Spirit Sect is too stingy. Here, take this Storage Bag."

Li Chengyi glanced at Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing smiled faintly and said, "Take it."

"I dare not refuse such a gift from an elder; I, a junior, will respectfully accept it." Li Chengyi accepted it with both hands.

Upon holding it, he knew the mark on the Storage Bag had been completely washed away, allowing him to Refinement and control it immediately. Inside, there were quite a few things: a set of Fishing Gear that was clearly of high quality, a Soul-Sealing Seal, several Void Stone, and a Token.

Lu Zeyu smiled and said, "These are just small things. They are not particularly valuable, but they should still be useful. Although this Token is not as valuable as the Guest Elder Token, the holder of this token is a distinguished guest of our Illusionary Spirit Sect. No matter where he/she goes, all the Cultivator in the Sect will treat him/her with courtesy."

"It's too valuable," Li Chengyi said.

"It's just a little more convenient sometimes, nothing to brag about," Lu Zeyu said with a smile.

Gu Yuanqing naturally understood the meaning behind Lu Zeyu's actions and smiled, "Cheng Yi, you should thank Uncle Lu."

Li Chengyi quickly bowed and thanked him.

Lu Zeyu laughed heartily. In fact, these things would be extremely precious to an ordinary Cultivator in the Exquisite World. Countless people would fight tooth and nail to get their hands on this Token.

But he also knew that this meant nothing to Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing was a master of Yin-Yang Great Cultivator, and Li Chengyi was his only son. They had no shortage of Law Treasure, Spirit Stone stones, or money. Giving him a Token was just a normal exchange.

With just this little bit of knowledge, one can befriend Yin-Yang Great Cultivator; that would be a highly profitable venture.

Of course, this is also a great thing for Li Chengyi. The Great Qian Dynasty has gained the friendship of the Illusionary Spirit Sect before it has even left the Qian Yuan Realm. This will be of great benefit to the future development of the Qian Yuan Realm. In particular, with this Token, safety can be basically guaranteed on the Boundless River.

"Sect Master, please come inside!" Gu Yuanqing extended his hand in invitation, and he could clearly feel that Lu Zeyu was being more polite to him than before.

"Brother Gu, please!"

The two entered the Courtyard and took their seats as host and guest. Li Chengyi took the teapot from the servant and, as the junior, personally brewed tea for them.

Lu Zeyu did not act entirely as the Sect Master or an elder, and was quite polite.

After Li Chengyi also sat down below.

Lu Zeyu then looked at Gu Yuanqing with a complicated expression and said, "Brother Gu, you've fooled so many Sect in the Exquisite World!"

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Sect Master, why do you say that? I have never lied to the Illusionary Spirit Sect, nor have I told any lies to within the Exquisite World."

Lu Zeyu shook his head and smiled, "What I'm saying isn't that Brother Gu is lying, but rather that many people believe Brother Gu comes from the Primordial God Realm, yet no one expected that such a Great Cultivator would come from a Floating World."

Gu Yuanqing asked in surprise, "The Primordial Realm? How could anyone think I come from the Primordial Realm?"

Lu Zeyu said, "It's not just my Illusionary Spirit Sect; the Sanyang Sect probably thinks so too. Actually, this isn't surprising. Although the Exquisite World has 108 realms, only Upper Thirty-Six Realms of them can produce Celestial Person Beings. Even if the other Boundary Domain produce Heavenly Change Cultivator, they will find it difficult to survive the tribulations. Reaching the Three Tribulations of Heavenly Change Level is almost exclusively found in Boundary Domain ranked above the top 20, and almost every one of them is renowned throughout the world. As for Yin-Yang Great Cultivator, only Boundary Domain ranked in the top ten within the within the Exquisite World have the potential. Brother Gu's sudden appearance in the Ancient Realm, with such cultivation, makes it hard to imagine where he comes from other than the Primordial Realm."

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "One's background and origins are not important."

Lu Zeyu nodded and said, "That's true. No matter what, strength is the foundation. As long as Brother Gu is in the Qian Yuan Realm, it will not be weaker than any of the top ten realms in the Exquisite World."

"Sect Master, you flatter me." Gu Yuanqing smiled but didn't say anything more.

"Brother Gu is being modest," Lu Zeyu replied.

Li Chengyi listened quietly below, his eyes slightly brightening as he thought to himself, "Father has indeed long been Yin-Yang Great Cultivator."

He was also unclear about Gu Yuanqing's Body Cultivation level, after all, the difference between his cultivation level and Gu Yuanqing's was too great, and even if something was placed in front of him, he would find it difficult to understand.

Although he had some suspicions before, he was never sure. Even when asked, Gu Yuanqing would just laugh and scold him: Why ask so much? You should be thinking about improving your cultivation.

Lu Zeyu chatted with Gu Yuanqing for a while longer, and finally politely invited Gu Yuanqing to visit the Phantom Spirit World in the future, to which Gu Yuanqing reciprocated.

Lu Zeyu laughed and said, "I've heard that the Qian Yuan Realm Boundary Domain is expanding. Perhaps I really will go to the Qian Yuan Realm Borderlands to witness the changes in the Great Dao."

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "If the Sect Master comes, the Great Qian Dynasty will not charge a single penny."

"Brother Dao, don't go back on your word!" Lu Zeyu laughed.

Lu Zeyu took his leave.

A moment later, Yi Yunbo and Qiu Ziqing arrived one after the other outside the Courtyard.

After many years, it was a reunion of old friends, and we exchanged pleasantries once again.

Gu Yuanqing then introduced Li Chengyi to the two of them.

Yi Yunbo patted his chest and said, "In the future, Cultivator from the Great Qian Dynasty come to the Boundless River, they can come to me with any problems."

Li Chengyi thanked him repeatedly, knowing that all of this stemmed from his father's cultivation and status.

Although Yi Yunbo was Celestial Person, he did not dare to presume upon it. He stood up and politely returned the greeting. He was also very self-aware. Although he addressed Gu Yuanqing as Daoist Friend, it was only a friendship formed at the beginning of their acquaintance.

Even the Sect Master the Yin-Yang Great Cultivator treats him as an honored guest or an elder, and the direct descendants of the Yin-Yang Great Cultivator are no less important than him, a True Disciple of the Illusionary Spirit Sect.

Qiu Ziqing asked Gu Yuanqing if he wanted to use the Primordial Fishing Platform.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. If you need it again in the future, come and find Brother Qiu."

At night, servants prepared a banquet, and people drank under the moon, discussing the changes in the Exquisite World. They also talked about Zheng Kun, a Void Heaven Cultivator who had fished with Gu Yuanqing. Ten years ago, he exchanged for a Top-Grade Profound Tier Dao Soul. After Refinement, he never entered the realm again, and it was unknown whether he had broken through to the Heavenly Human Realm.

Li Chengyi humbly sought advice, as this was a rare opportunity. Even though Qiu Ziqing and Yi Yunbo were not Realm Master and had never controlled a realm, as True Disciple and Elder of top Sect, they naturally had many unique insights and a deep understanding of the Exquisite World that Ordinary Person could hardly match.

Even Gu Yuanqing wasn't very familiar with these trivial matters, and Li Chengyi gained a lot from the conversation.

He knew that Gu Yuanqing had specifically introduced him to Yi Yunbo and others, which was also to lay the groundwork for the future development of the Great Qian Dynasty in the Exquisite World Ancient Realm. As for the future, his father probably wouldn't care much about these small matters anymore, and he would have to rely on himself for everything.

The next morning, Gu Yuanqing left with Li Chengyi. Coincidentally, as soon as they entered the Teleportation Array, Gu Yuanqing saw Xue Pingyan of the Purple Extreme Pavilion.

When Xue Pingyan saw Gu Yuanqing and Li Chengyi, her expression suddenly stiffened, and she didn't even hear what her companion was saying.

Li Chengyi had intended to greet him, but upon seeing the change in his expression, his gaze instantly sharpened.

After the Teleportation Array was activated, Xue Pingyan hurriedly entered Formation. When Gu Yuanqing and Li Chengyi also arrived in Dongyuan City through the Teleportation Array, Xue Pingyan glanced back, her face pale, and quickly fled.

Li Chengyi asked, "Father, you mentioned in a casual conversation that when I Heart-Questioning enlightenment, someone from the Ten Directions Misty Rain Tower came to me. Was the informant Xue Pingyan from the Purple Extreme Pavilion?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled calmly, "Perhaps. These are things I don't know, and they're not important."

"That seems to be the case, otherwise they wouldn't be acting so guilty." Li Chengyi looked at Xue Pingyan's back, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

The Qian Yuan Realm and the Purple Extreme Pavilion were among the Boundary Domain to cooperate, and the Qian Yuan Realm was the only external Teleportation Array portal. However, it was unexpected that the first to stab them was someone from the Purple Extreme Pavilion.

Although in the end neither he nor his father were seriously injured, what was done was done, and the outcome did not change that.

Gu Yuanqing saw through Li Chengyi's thoughts, smiled, and said nothing. This was good; revenge for wrongs and gratitude for kindness—that's how a true man should act.

"Let's go! You can settle some things later!" With that, Gu Yuanqing took Li Chengyi and flew directly towards their Residence at Nine Bends Mountain.

Having flown a short distance, Gu Yuanqing spotted another person hidden in the Cloud Layer. He shook his head and smiled, then suddenly increased the speed of his escape.

Just as the Saber Demon Lü Chen, hidden in the Cloud Layer, was about to make his move, he suddenly lost his chance. He glanced at the departing light and pursed his lips, but then frowned. "Something's strange. That person seemed familiar, like I know him. Could he be an enemy?"

At that moment, several people from the Sanyang Sect arrived at the Boundless River via Teleportation Array from Dongyuan City. The leader of them was Liu Ruiyuan, an acquaintance of Gu Yuanqing!