41: Chapter 41 was terrifying; the Holy Land bowed down in submission.

The group continued to walk forward.

Passing through a grove of Spirit Bamboo, they arrived at a massive pavilion; the door bore the inscription 'Cultivation Hall'.

"This is the Gu Family's Cultivation Hall."

Gu Chen pushed open the heavy doors. "The Cultivation Techniques collected inside are not many, but the quality is decent."

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan walked inside, his feet once again nailed to the floor!

Rows upon rows of Jade Slips were neatly arranged on the shelves, with the name and grade of the Cultivation Technique labeled beneath each one.

《Mystical Heaven Tyrant Physique Formula》 Saint grade.

《Nine Revolutions Sacred Heart Formula》 Saint King grade.

《Firmament Myriad Phenomena Scripture》 Eternal Realm.

《Great Void Divine Canon》 Quasi-Imperial grade.

Quasi-Imperial grade?!

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan could not believe his eyes!

He had lived for thousands of years, and the best Cultivation Technique he had ever seen was merely Saint King grade, and even that was incomplete!

Quasi-Imperial grade Cultivation Techniques were only heard of in legends; they were techniques that only Quasi-Imperial powerhouses could create, and there were barely a few in the entire Eastern Region!

Wasn't it said that the Gu Family was a small Family?

This was clearly an Imperial Family!

"Are... are these all the Gu Family's?" one Elder asked, his voice drifting.

Gu Chen nodded. "Old Ancestor said these Cultivation Techniques are too low-grade, so we should just make do with them for now and replace them when we find better ones later."

Too low-grade? Just make do?!

Is that even human language?

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan took a deep breath, trying hard to make himself look less shocked.

But his hands were shaking, and his legs were shaking too!

Forcibly calming himself for a moment, he gave up; anyone who came here would be shaking!

After leaving the Cultivation Hall, the Pill Hall was right next door.

Pushing open the door, a rich medicinal fragrance rushed towards them. The shelves were filled with jade bottles, each labeled.

Imperial Rank Medicinal Pill, Saint Rank Medicinal Pill, Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Medicine...

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan was already numb!

His brain selectively blocked out this information, because if he kept looking, he was afraid his heart wouldn't be able to take it!

"Are these... also refined by the Old Ancestor?" Li Shuangxu asked.

Gu Chen smiled. "How would Old Ancestor know how to perform Alchemy? These were all obtained by Old Ancestor from a Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Bag."

"I don't know what this Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Bag is either."

Li Shuangxu did not delve deeper.

Where it came from didn't matter; what mattered was that the Gu Family had it!

After touring the Cultivation Hall and the Pill Hall, Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's mindset completely changed.

Before coming, he was the Sacred Master of the number one Holy Land in Qingyun Province, and he still had some reserve in his heart.

Now? He just wanted to kneel down and call them 'Daddy'!

And beg the Gu Family to take him in!

"Shuangxu." Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan grabbed Li Shuangxu.

His voice was extremely low. "You have a good relationship with Young Lord Gu Chen, please put in a good word for our Holy Land. Our Qingyun Holy Land must become a vassal!"

Li Shuangxu looked at his own Sacred Master's old face, his mouth twitching!

An old fox of thousands of years, changing his face faster than turning a page!

Before, he was still holding onto the airs of a Sacred Master, and now he wanted him to put in a good word!

"Sacred Master, didn't you just say to mind our status?"

"Mind what status? In front of the Gu Family, what status do I have?"

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan glared.

"Hurry up!"

Li Shuangxu was speechless, but still nodded.

Back Mountain.

Gu Xuan was lying on a recliner, with Clan Leader Gu Tianhua sitting beside him, the two of them leisurely drinking tea.

Gu Qingshan stood to the side, focused on pouring tea for Gu Xuan.

He had stayed by the Old Ancestor's side for a few days and had figured one thing out.

He didn't have Gu Chen's Hidden Dragon Sword Body, nor did he have the special Physiques of the two little girls; his talent was mediocre, and he couldn't compete on talent.

But by staying by the Old Ancestor's side, serving tea and water to become a familiar face, there would never be a shortage of Opportunities!

Facts proved he was right; just in these few days, the Old Ancestor casually gave him a few Medicinal Pills, saying they were tasty candies.

And then!

His cultivation soared directly from the King Realm to the Sovereign Realm!

Delicious and not cloying, cultivation doubled!

"Qingshan, the tea is weak." Gu Xuan spoke.

"Coming, coming." Gu Qingshan hurriedly changed the tea leaves, his movements very nimble.

Footsteps approached.

Gu Chen led the group from Qingyun Holy Land up to the Back Mountain.

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan saw the white-robed figure on the recliner from afar and paused his steps.

An invisible sense of oppression rushed towards them; it wasn't pressure, but an instinctive reaction from the depths of his Soul!

Just like a rabbit seeing a ferocious tiger!

An ant looking up at the firmament!

A thought flashed through his mind: if he harbored even the slightest wicked intention, he would be reduced to ashes in the next second!

There was no need to verify; he was one hundred percent certain!

The Gu Family was indeed terrifying to this extent!

"Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan of Qingyun Holy Land, pays respects to the Gu Family Ancestor." Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan cupped his hands and bowed, his voice respectful to the extreme!

The Elders behind him all saluted together; some had weak legs and knelt down directly!

It wasn't intentional; they truly couldn't stand!

Li Shuangxu followed suit in saluting, but he wasn't as nervous as the others.

He had met Gu Chen and Clan Leader Gu Tianhua, and knew the people of the Gu Family weren't that scary.

Gu Xuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan.

"Just broke through to the Saint King level, you should contemplate it well."

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's heart jolted; he had indeed just broken through under the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and he could tell?

"Old Ancestor has the Wisdom Eye; thanks to the Gu Family's blessing, I ate a Ginseng Fruit and luckily broke through."

Gu Xuan nodded, said nothing more, and looked at Li Shuangxu, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"You are the friend that Nickname mentioned?"

Li Shuangxu respectfully said, "Junior Li Shuangxu, pays respects to the Old Ancestor."

Gu Xuan smiled. "Not bad, more steady than Nickname."

Gu Chen rolled his eyes on the side.

What do you mean more steady than me?

Are you already taking sides against me?

Gu Xuan ignored him, his gaze landing on Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan, and he picked up his teacup to take another sip.

"I know the purpose of your visit."

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's heart tightened, and just as he was about to speak, Gu Xuan waved his hand.

"Go bring that Old Sacred Master of yours over here as well; I see that his life is nearing its end, but here with me, he can still be saved."

As these words fell, the Back Mountain suddenly quieted for a moment.

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's pupils constricted sharply, and his entire body froze in place as if struck by lightning!

The Elders behind him changed color drastically; some directly gasped in cold air!

The Old Sacred Master.

The Old Sacred Master of Qingyun Holy Land had been in secluded meditation for a thousand years without coming out; no more than five people in the outside world knew about this!

How did the Gu Family Ancestor know?

And could tell at a glance that the Old Sacred Master's life was nearing its end?

"Old Ancestor, you..." Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's voice trembled!

Gu Xuan glanced at him. "Saint King, third heavenly layer, afflicted with soul-devouring powder, it flares up every hundred years."

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan's legs completely gave out!

He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with sobs. "Old Ancestor has divine eyes! The Old Sacred Master is indeed afflicted with soul-devouring powder; he has endured it for eight hundred years. The last time it flared up, he almost didn't make it. We have looked everywhere in the entire Eastern Region, and no one can cure it!"

"I beg the Old Ancestor to save him!"

The Elders behind him all knelt down together, the sound of kowtowing ringing out in unison.

Gu Xuan put down his teacup, his tone flat. "soul-devouring powder is not a difficult poison to cure; once you bring him here, I will just solve it in passing."

In passing!

Solve it!

Just like that!

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan trembled all over, not from fear, but from excitement!

Eight hundred years of suffering, the hope of the entire Holy Land, was all in this one sentence from the Gu Family Ancestor!

"Thank you, Old Ancestor! Thank you, Old Ancestor!" Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan kowtowed heavily three times, his forehead hitting the bluestone ground so hard that blood came out!

"From this day forth, Qingyun Holy Land is willing to be a vassal of the Gu Family for generations to come, never to betray!"

Gu Xuan glanced at him, didn't answer, and just nodded.