Changsheng: My experience in patrolling the liver

Chapter 646 Old Friends on the Other Side (Part 2)

The so-called martial arts competition before the emperor was originally intended to allow Song Changming to make an appearance once every ten years, to demonstrate the emperor's authority and to warn the entire nation.

As for everything else, it's secondary.

In addition, this martial arts competition before the emperor was divided into groups according to age, with 100 years old as the dividing line. Only martial artists of the same age group and era would compete against each other.

In this way, Song Changming could meet both young prodigies under a hundred years old and martial arts masters from various regions.

After enjoying the drinks, the group moved outside the hall.

This martial arts competition took place high in the sky, somewhat similar to the cloud battles that were held in Yunzhou back then.

The idea of ​​holding a martial arts competition before the emperor was actually proposed by Prince Yun.

Even when Prince Yun proposed making the martial arts tournament more grand and solemn, Song Changming felt overwhelmed by the complicated procedures and ceremonies, which made Prince Yun abandon the idea.

The event was changed to a more relaxed banquet format, while the martial arts competition was basically the same as the Cloud Fighting event.

Soon, high in the sky, a series of competitions and contests began.

Compared to the duels between those relatively familiar veteran masters, Song Changming actually prefers to see some up-and-coming talents who can impress him.

They represent the bright future of humanity, and they possess limitless potential.

Who knows, perhaps one of them will emerge as another pillar of the human race, comparable to him and the Yuan Emperor of yesteryear, propelling the human race of the Nine Provinces to new heights.

Song Changming was pleased to see such top talents emerge, as it gave him a sense that he was not alone in his pursuit of knowledge.

As the saying goes, "the higher you climb, the colder it gets." If you're invincible for too long, you'll start to feel that everything in the world is just so-so and life is meaningless.

This was inevitable, since he couldn't even find anyone to sit down and discuss the Dao with now.

Song Changming noticed Song Yiyan.

If I remember correctly, Song Ping'an's youngest daughter is now seventy years old.

Unexpectedly, she was able to barge in front of him and display her martial arts skills today.

Before I knew it, I realized how fast time flies.

In fact, at this age, he is not particularly outstanding even among the youngest centenarians; in fact, he is the youngest martial artist to participate in the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament.

But this also makes Song Yiyan seem extraordinary. She has such strength at such a young age, which has drawn praise from many powerful figures watching the match.

"In the game between Yunzhou and Miaozhou, Song Yiyan of Yunzhou wins against Gongsun Xiaorou of Miaozhou!"

Upon seeing this, Song Changming smiled slightly.

"It seems this girl has put in a lot of hard work while I was away."

"Sister Yiyan is truly amazing; I am no match for you, sister." Gongsun Xiaorou sheathed her sword, and true to her name, she spoke in a gentle tone, seemingly accepting her defeat wholeheartedly.

Gongsun was a member of the Changsheng clan in Miaozhou. She had fought her way up from Miaozhou, so her skills were naturally exceptional.

Moreover, she was more than twenty years older than Song Yiyan, yet she still couldn't compare to her, which is enough to prove Song Yiyan's strength.

"Sister is amazing too, I was just lucky." Seeing how gentle the other person was, Song Yiyan politely returned the greeting.

Then her eyes shone brightly as she looked at Song Changming, who stood before the palace, dressed in a nine-dragon imperial robe, exuding an imposing and majestic aura.

Seeing Song Changming's smiling face and approving expression, she smiled broadly as well.

One of her main purposes in participating in the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament was to prove her martial arts achievements to Song Changming.

Now, my wish has come true.

After seeing Song Yiyan, Song Changming noticed another person.

"Who is this?"

Following Song Changming's gaze, Yun Wang looked over.

"This person's surname is Gu, and his given name is Qingfeng. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere and became a dark horse in this martial arts competition."

He appears to be the descendant of a fallen noble family, whose home is not here. Furthermore, he is a successor of ancient martial arts, wielding the Fish-Dragon Sword Technique, which is quite outstanding among his peers,” said the Cloud King.

It's clear that he has a deep impression of Gu Qingfeng.

After all, this person once defeated a group of local young prodigies one by one in the capital of Yunzhou with just his sword.

This also includes the younger generation of his Hua clan.

As a result, among the two centenarian groups in Yunzhou, none of the well-known prodigies from the Wangquan and aristocratic families were able to stand out; they were all blocked by Gu Qingfeng and Song Yiyan.

"The Fish-Dragon Sword Technique, it's already showing signs of mastery, and he's only around eighty years old. His swordsmanship aptitude is quite good, quite good," Song Changming nodded.

With his current spiritual strength, he could confirm Gu Qingfeng's true age with a single scan of his senses.

As for the Fish-Dragon Sword Technique used by the other party, he had heard of it before, and there were even many records and descriptions of this ancient martial arts sword technique in some ancient books.

Even in ancient times, the Fish-Dragon Sword was one of the most amazing sword techniques among humans, and its reputation was comparable to that of the Taijia Blade of yesteryear.

Even more remarkably, it is said that this sword once slew a wicked dragon. Of course, the truth of this is unknown, but it does not diminish the fame of this ancient sword technique.

"The emergence of a successor to the Fish-Dragon Sword is undoubtedly a good thing for the human race. As for his origins, they are no longer so important. Having the identity of a pure-blooded human is enough," said King Yun.

Once they reach their level of status, they unconsciously begin to view things from the perspective of the entire human race.

As long as this person grows up normally, the human race will have another top-tier powerhouse to guard the future.

The more powerful the human race becomes, the less likely other races will be to emerge.

Even if Emperor Song Changming were to suddenly disappear one day, it would not affect the human race's continued rule over the Nine Provinces.

The main reason why the ancient Yuan Kingdom fell apart back then, besides Emperor Yuan, was that a large number of human powerhouses followed Emperor Yuan deep into the fog and never returned.

With the rise and fall of powerful figures, and a lack of successors, humanity lost its former dominance.

Therefore, having a sufficient number of top-tier experts stationed there is of great importance to the human race.

“That’s good.” Song Changming nodded as well. In his opinion, it was a good thing that these ancient martial arts techniques were not lost.

During the martial arts competition, all the victors would glance at Song Changming, the Martial Emperor, with great excitement, hoping to see approval on his face.

Gu Qingfeng was no exception.

Upon seeing Song Changming's warm smile, Gu Qingfeng clenched his fists involuntarily, knowing that he had gained the recognition he desired.

Then, Gu Qingfeng saw Song Changming wave to him.

After several rounds of martial arts competitions before the emperor, this was the first time Song Changming had beckoned to the candidates.

Seeing this, Gu Qingfeng's heart stirred, and he immediately landed. "Closer," Song Changming said with a faint smile, noticing that Gu Qingfeng was still somewhat reserved.

His aura as a Martial Emperor was even more dazzling for younger martial artists. Even Gu Qingfeng, who had remained calm and composed throughout the duel, unconsciously restrained his sharpness.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Gu Qingfeng approached as instructed.

"Your Fish-Dragon Sword is not far from the Great Perfection Realm. It is truly remarkable to have achieved such a level of swordsmanship at this age. Looking across the world, there are probably very few people of your age who can match your level of swordsmanship." Song Changming praised directly.

He was never stingy with praise; if it could inspire these outstanding younger generations, he wouldn't mind giving them a few more compliments.

Gu Qingfeng responded modestly, but his face betrayed his delight.

“From now on, you just need to continue your cultivation step by step. I don’t need to give you much guidance in swordsmanship and cultivation. If you have any other rewards you want, feel free to speak up,” Song Changming said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng seemed to have made up his mind and immediately bowed deeply to Song Changming.

"I have long admired Your Majesty. I heard about Your Majesty's many glorious deeds since I was a child, and I admire you greatly. I hope that one day I can catch up with Your Majesty's martial arts."

"I have come in a hurry, Your Majesty. I beg you to grant me the opportunity to stay by your side."

"Well done, lad. You've got some nerve, daring to make such a request in this kind of situation." Rock King raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and said in a slightly unfriendly tone.

Is this request excessive? If it were made to an ordinary martial arts master, it would be somewhat abrupt, but not excessive.

However, Gu Qingfeng made such a request to Emperor Song Changming in front of everyone, during a martial arts competition, which was somewhat offensive.

After all, Song Changming has never taken on any disciples or students in all these years, and Gu Qingfeng is trying to set a precedent.

Given Song Changming's status as Emperor Wu, Gu Qingfeng's request might even be suspected of being an attempt to rise to power overnight.

If that's the case, then Gu Qingfeng's admiration for Song Changming is not pure sincerity, but rather mixed with scheming and greed.

That's why the way the princes surrounding Song Changming, and even some of the older generation of dignitaries, looked at Gu Qingfeng changed.

What a joke! So many of them fought and fought to send their people to Emperor Wu's side, but in the end, they all failed to get theirs.

How could they possibly let Gu Qingfeng, a kid of unknown origin, be the first to receive this benefit?

"His Majesty."

Many people wanted to offer their opinions and even wanted to severely reprimand Gu Qingfeng.

In fact, most of the people who were selected to advance to the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament had been instructed by their elders on what could and could not be said in front of the Emperor.

It's highly unlikely that someone would act impulsively and say anything highly taboo in this situation.

After all, a few careless words could potentially affect the rise and fall and safety of one's family.

After all, who can guarantee that what these people are saying isn't instigated by their families, with ulterior motives?
Song Changming raised his hand, silencing the people around him.

He observed that Gu Qingfeng remained calm and did not panic despite the pressure from the kings. After a moment's thought, he asked.

"You said you've known about me since you were a child. The surname Gu is very rare in Kyushu. You were unwilling to talk about your background before, but now can you tell me about it?"

Gu Qingfeng nodded and said, "I come from the other side of the river, the same place as Your Majesty."

"Oh!" Song Changming's eyes flashed, and a thought struck him. He immediately had some idea of ​​the background of the young man in front of him.

"Your surname is Gu? Let me ask you, do you know Gu Wenhui?"

"He was my great-grandfather," Gu Qingfeng said frankly, raising his head.

"Great-grandfather?" Song Changming murmured to himself.

Thus, his background became clear.

The other side that Gu Qingfeng mentioned was naturally the other side of the abyss, which was where Song Changming started, the Great Lai Kingdom.

The Gu Wenhui that Song Changming asked about was the founding emperor who overthrew the Da Han Dynasty and established the Da Lai Kingdom.

Back then, this person had known Song Changming since he was a nobody, but they had developed a certain friendship. Song Changming also witnessed the other person's ascension to the throne.

Two hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Song Changming never expected that the other party's descendants would find him again one day.

Gu Qingfeng was right when he said that he and Song Changming were from the same place.

The stories Gu Qingfeng had heard about Song Changming since childhood were all about what Song Changming did in Da Han and later in Da Lai.

"Since you are a descendant of Gu Wenhui, then you are a member of the royal family of Dalai. Why are you here instead of staying in your palace?" Song Changming continued to ask.

"Qingfeng has been obsessed with martial arts since childhood and has little interest in matters of emperors. Fortunately, he has some talent in martial arts and has reached the top of the Great Lai Martial World. Later, with the help of Senior Nan Wuji of Jianya, he came to the Nine Provinces on the other side of the abyss."

By chance, he was chosen by his master and learned the Fish-Dragon Sword.

Gu Qingfeng recounted his martial arts path in detail.

The more Song Changming listened, the more he felt that this kid was another one who had been given the script of a protagonist.

The first eighty years of his life were truly wonderful and colorful.

Opportunity, luck, talent, background, and image are all top-notch factors.

To have grown up from the top of the social ladder and finally stand before him at the age of eighty is already a huge success.

Since Wu Shenpo stepped into the fourth divine rank, Song Changming's perception has become so sharp that he can even clearly detect whether the other party is lying or their emotional fluctuations.

He knew that Gu Qingfeng was not lying at all, and he even knew that although the boy's feelings for him seemed reserved, they were quite passionate.

His admiration was far greater than that of most people present.

According to Gu Qingfeng, the reason he resolutely abandoned the imperial family and embarked on the path of martial arts was all because of Song Changming.

The events of that year were compiled into a book, and Song Changming recorded them extensively in the historical records of Da Lai, whether among the common people, the martial arts community, or even in the imperial palace.

Gu Qingfeng followed the path taken by Song Changming and became the number one martial artist in the Great Lai Martial World.

Then, in order to reach the Innate Realm, I came to Kyushu, and today I have finally fulfilled my wish to see the 'living' Song Changming, which can be considered as a success in my idol-chasing journey.

On the other side, Song Yiyan noticed that the atmosphere in front of the hall was not quite right, and couldn't help but worry about Gu Qingfeng, so she quickly flew down to get closer.

"Your Majesty, he was just excited and acted impulsively. If he said something wrong, please forgive him," Song Yiyan pleaded for Gu Qingfeng.

However, she also knew that this was not the Song family mansion, so she could not try to curry favor with Song Changming or ask for his help. Her words of pleading were still considered tactful.

After spending more than a year together, she actually got to know Gu Qingfeng quite a bit.

Knowing that Gu Qingfeng was a rather pure person, with no interest in power or money, and only devoted to martial arts.

That is why his admiration for Song Changming, the strongest human in history, was also extremely pure, without any scheming or cunning.

(End of this chapter)