Hidden moth

Chapter 285: The Four Seasons of the Mountain

There are many things that are not confidential, but are not recorded in books, so often only those who have experienced them personally know about them.

Gu Chun once told He Kao about his experiences back then. In a sense, he was equivalent to a wandering cultivator like Chang Anju, because his mentor, Huang Wanyu, a third-level sorcerer of Danding Sect, died when he was a teenager.

Gu Chun practiced alone without any guidance, and became the first college student in the history of that mountain village. During his college years, he broke through to the fourth-level gardener level, and then sensed the call from the mysterious cave.

He was 24 years old that year and took advantage of the summer vacation to rush to Fengwei Township. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be recorded in the family tree as a disciple of Danding Sect.

However, on the way, he met He Kuanzhong, the then leader of the Xinpan Sect. Elder He unexpectedly intercepted him and persuaded him to join the Xinpan Sect and become his disciple.

That was more than fifty years ago.

Therefore, Gu Chun worshipped two masters: Huang Wanyu, a sorcerer of the Danding Sect in his youth, and He Kuanzhong, the head of the Xinpan Sect in his youth. Under the guidance of Elder He, he resumed the practice of Xinpan, and later became a sixth-level earth master and the successor to the head of the sect.

Gu Chun's role in the Zongfa Hall is different from Jiang Daozhen's. He is responsible for monitoring the behavior of all disciples in the world and must have powerful cultivation and supernatural powers.

If he had even a hint of such concern, he would not have been able to achieve the vacuum state like Jiang Daozhen, let alone break through to the seventh level.

Jiang Daozhen was able to "let go" back then because he was actually seeking another kind of great achievement. The two people's situations were different, so it doesn't make sense to put them together.

Gu Chun was undoubtedly a genius, his talent might be even better than Jiang Daozhen's, but who among those who could break through to the sixth level wasn't a genius? As for the final level of cultivation, it wasn't solely determined by talent.

Gu Chun fully supports Jiang Daozhen's plan to cultivate "real moths", because what he actually took on was the division of labor of the hidden moths in the magic sect a thousand years ago. Of course, he hopes to restore the hidden moth lineage.

Perhaps only on that day will Elder Gu be able to break through the barrier, but He Kao is still very immature now.

Since he was unable to break through to the seventh level of cultivation, and Gu Chun needed powerful magical powers, he later continued to practice alchemy, including various applied techniques.

There was a rule of thumb shared by past masters that it was nearly impossible for a person to simultaneously cultivate two techniques to the sixth level of perfection. Therefore, as a sixth-level earth master, it was also nearly impossible for Gu Chun to simultaneously become a sixth-level alchemist.

Why do I say “almost”? Because it’s just a summary of experience. The reason why it can’t be done is probably because human resources are limited.

The various spells are like the paths to climb a mountain. Some are steep, like the Lingxi Technique and the Yinye Technique, while some are relatively flat, like the Guanshen Technique and the Ruwei Technique, but they can all lead to the top of the mountain.

But if you want to take another path halfway through, you will have to put in more than just double the energy. It's fine when you're at a lower level, but after breaking through to the sixth level of great success, the difficulty will increase dramatically.

According to the records of the sect, is there anyone who can practice all the techniques to perfection? Of course there are, and not just perfection, because in theory, as long as you reach the top of the mountain, it is equivalent to standing at the end of all roads.

Records that are too old might be unreliable, as they seem almost like myths. However, one person for whom there is a clear record is Tan Zu, the Immortal Tan, who lived thousands of years ago. It is said that Tan Jun eventually ascended to become an immortal.

The realm that Master Tan has reached should have allowed him to cultivate all eight arts to the extreme. Therefore, although he is the founder of the Danding Sect, he is also the founder of all eight sects.

The various traditions that had been severed or lost during the civil strife were likely passed down by Tan Zu. Lei Dunzi, the founder of the clan law hall and the reorganized sect, was a disciple of Tan Xianren.

However, the reintegrated sect lacked the inheritance of the Hidden Moth Technique. This could be due to the lack of a key artifact, or perhaps Lei Zu himself did not master this inheritance.

According to the records of the sect, Lei Zu did not cultivate to the ultimate realm and ascend to heaven, but instead passed away in meditation on earth. Since then, no one in the sect has ever cultivated magic to the ninth level. True or false legends are not counted, at least there is no clear record.

Although Gu Chun was incredibly talented, he had only cultivated the Heart Plate Technique to the peak of the sixth level, and the Alchemy Cauldron Technique to the peak of the fifth level. In a sense, he was also a fifth-level herbalist, but he was far more powerful than Geng Yanxin!
Among the disciples of his generation, Gu Chun was known as the best in fighting, while Mei Guyu was the next generation disciple.

Geng Yanxin could only manage to control the formation's core, but he couldn't yet manifest the world in a single thought. Gu Chun had entered the Immortal Pot Cave Heaven last night, his aura blending with the mountains and rivers, yet Geng Yanxin hadn't noticed.

Despite this, Geng Yanxin theoretically couldn't be attacked by surprise as long as he controlled the core of the formation. He could react instantly to any unusual movement, let alone someone sneaking up on him.

But the timing chosen by Gu Chun was too cunning. Ever since the master and disciple of Danqiu entered the cave, Geng Yanxin's attention was all on them.

When Guo Qianhuai and especially Jiang Daozhen appeared, Geng Yanxin was also frightened and was so nervous that he broke out in cold sweats.

Master Danqiu and his disciple suddenly attacked, and Geng Yanxin had to prepare to cast a spell to cooperate. How could he pay attention to anything else at that time? Master Danqiu's attack actually became a signal to Gu Chun, who suddenly launched a sneak attack and succeeded.

The person Danqiu and his disciples were facing was Gu Chun, who had taken over the formation. Gu Chun used the Eight Wind Staff to fight from a distance, which was actually quite shameless because Gu Chun could hit his opponent, but his opponent couldn't reach him.

This is also the reason why the first choice of Master Danqiu and his disciples was to continue to attack the Ancestral Hall.

Master Danqiu couldn't believe it but had to face the reality. If the other party was really Elder Gu, he would probably be trapped in a jar today, and it would be almost impossible to succeed as planned.

But he still has a backup plan, at least he can ensure that he can escape safely, otherwise how could he dare to come today?
The fighting continued, and Danqiu Master shouted loudly: "Don't be so complacent, stop and have a good talk, otherwise do you still want to kill Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu?"

This was a very strange sentence. From what he said, Xiaomeng's target today was not only Xianhu Dongtian, but also Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu who were far away in Qiyuan.

At this time, Jiang Daozhen spoke up: "Oh, why is Li Xiuyuan also your target?"

Danqiu Master: "Given Mei Guyu's current condition, it's easy to capture her. Our primary target is Li Xiuyuan, who is secretly protecting her in Qiyuan. After all, a sixth-level illusionist is too threatening.

Stop now and have a good talk. Let’s see what you can offer in exchange for the lives of these two elders. Otherwise, it will be too late…”

Lord Danqiu dropped a bombshell piece of information, claiming that he had control over the life and death of Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu, and he also specifically emphasized that the primary target was Li Xiuyuan. The reason was that he was too threatening?
What threat could Li Xiuyuan pose? In a life-or-death duel, he wouldn't be as useful as Guo Qianhuai, but in other situations, he could cause far more trouble.

No matter who does anything sneaky, the most feared thing is to encounter a magician.

The Xiao Alliance plotted against the Shu Sect, using various means such as spreading rumors, brainwashing, bribery, winning over, and instigating rebellion. Many of these things could not be discovered, but if they were targeted by an illusionist, they would often be easily exposed.

For example, someone thought he was contacting his superior, but he didn't know that the other party was actually Li Xiuyuan, because he was under the magic spell of an illusionist... How could he hide?

Although this method used by the illusionist has many limitations when dealing with high-level warlocks, it is still difficult to defend against. Low-level warlocks are even more difficult to resist and often fall into the trap without realizing it.

According to Xiaomeng's assessment, the person who poses the greatest threat to the Shumen is Jiang Daozhen, who has broken through to the seventh-level great mathematician, and the second-ranked one is Li Xiuyuan, who is even more threatening in some aspects.

Jiang Daozhen is too cunning. After his whereabouts were exposed, he returned to Jinghua Cave Heaven. There is no opportunity to deal with him. So capturing Li Xiuyuan is a major breakthrough.

When Danqiu Lord said this, he also reviewed the situation in his mind. Before he entered the Immortal Pot Cave Heaven today, he made one last contact and confirmed with his subordinates.

Elder Zong is at the township government, Elder Kang and Elder Ye were led to the other side of the ocean, Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu are in Pugang Town on the northern outskirts of Qiyuan, and Qi Nansheng is in seclusion in Taihua Mountain, refining elixirs.

The only surprise today was the variable Gu Chun. This wasn't inaccurate intelligence, but rather incomplete information. The last time they confirmed Gu Chun was at Everest Base Camp was before dusk yesterday.

Although no one had seen Gu Chun since dusk yesterday, Lord Danqiu judged that it was impossible for him to rush back to Fengwei Township... But the old man actually came back. He must have received some news and was driving the flying artifact to rush back for his life.

As expected of Elder Gu, he possessed profound cultivation and enduring magical powers. However, his energy consumption must have been considerable. How long could he sustain an all-out battle under these circumstances? Gu Chun's all-out efforts might have been due to Jiang Daozhen's calculations. In the eyes of Master Danqiu, the Xiao Alliance possessed a wealth of high-end combat power, lacking only someone like Jiang Daozhen.

Let alone a seventh-level mathematician, Xiaomeng doesn't even have a sixth-level mathematician.

As for Jiang Daozhen and Guo Qianhuai, it can't be said that they were overlooked, because one of them hid in Jinghua Cave Heaven, and the other had been practicing in Guanshu Cave Heaven for many years. Their whereabouts were unknown, but they both ended up appearing here...

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Danqiu Master heard a voice: "Oh my, your target is actually me. How do you want to control my life and death?"

As the words were spoken, a man walked out. It was Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan seemed to appear out of thin air. The archway and stone bridge behind him seemed like a background painting, and he lifted up the background to reveal himself to everyone.

This wasn't the ability of the hidden moth to travel through space, but rather an illusion created by a sixth-level illusionist. The most brilliant illusion was one that blended seamlessly with the real scene, leaving no visible flaws, yet concealed within it.

If Geng Yanxin controlled the core of the formation, he would have been able to see through it, but at the moment, it was Gu Chun who was in control. Li Xiuyuan only quietly found the way to Master Danqiu after the battle began, then set up the illusion formation and waited quietly.

If Master Danqiu and his disciples gave up rushing into the Ancestral Hall and instead broke out towards the entrance of the cave, they would have happened to run into the illusion array and received a severe blow... Li Xiuyuan was undoubtedly also very good at sneak attacks.

The magician mainly plays a supporting role in a battle, but can also deal damage at the same time.

Hearing that Lord Danqiu had actually started negotiations and used his and Mei Guyu's safety as a threat, Li Xiuyuan finally stepped forward and dealt Lord Danqiu a heavy blow.

This blow didn't hurt anyone, but it was quite heartbreaking. Master Danqiu and his disciple finally broke down a little. The young man exclaimed, "Li Xiuyuan, you are not..."

But Master Danqiu didn't say anything more and immediately shouted, "Get up!"

He threw the Yin-Yang Wind and Fire Fan in his hand to his disciple, and a golden light flew out from his arms.

Guo Qianhuai's face changed color and he said, "Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace!" Although his tone was full of shock, it was also filled with ecstasy.

The golden light was so powerful that it instantly shattered the Eight Wind Staff and sent it careening towards the Patriarch's Hall. The Danqiu Master then merged into the golden light, followed closely by his disciples holding two fans.

Lord Danqiu finally revealed another trump card and sacrificed the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, the sacred artifact of the Danding Sect from a thousand years ago. His idea of breaking the deadlock was still to seize the core of the formation, and the first thing he had to do was to force Gu Chun to retreat.

Gu Chun's Eight Wind Staff was shattered into the clouds and no one knew where it fell, but the gate of the Ancestral Hall was instantly covered by thick fog.

The golden light crashed into the mist, and the mist immediately gathered and turned into a huge cloud, enveloping both the master and the disciple. It was the divine artifact, a cloud, that Gu Chun had sacrificed.

The massive cloud trembled in mid-air, rumbling faintly like thunder and radiating golden light like a serpent of lightning. The Danqiu Master shouted again, "That's not how you use a cloud!"

This is a flying artifact copied from the secret vault of the Huiming Shi family. It was originally named a cloud, but Gu Chun likes to call it a cloud.

Because when he was floating in the sky, he didn't like to let a cloud spread out under his feet to show off, but instead made them gather into one and hide inside it.

Strictly speaking, a cloud is not a magical weapon used in battles.

Gu Chun replied: "As long as it works!"

At this moment, a golden light suddenly exploded, and a cloud was broken apart, turning into mist again. Gu Chun did not cast another spell to recapture it, but let it float above the Ancestral Hall.

Looking at the front yard of the Ancestral Hall, several parts of the wall had collapsed, and half of the roof of the central hall farther away had also collapsed. It was obvious that the aftermath of the spell was so strong that even Gu Chun could not protect these buildings.

However, Master Danqiu and his disciples still couldn't break into the Ancestral Hall. After the smoke and clouds dispersed, they were still blocked in front of the Ancestral Hall. The disciple waved his two fans, while Master Danqiu raised one hand to the sky, and a purple-gold alchemy furnace slowly rotated in the air.

The previous attack had taken its toll on them. The disciple's mouth was bloody, and the Danqiu Master's face had turned pale. The battle hadn't ceased yet. As the alchemy furnace spun, wind and fire swirled in front of the Ancestral Hall, their might threatening to burn the entire world to ashes.

Since he had sacrificed the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, he also activated the magical Eight Gates Wind and Fire Formation that came with the artifact, and his disciples were responsible for fanning the flames, which could somewhat enhance the power of the Eight Gates Wind and Fire Formation.

A screen appeared on each of their sides. It was the Four Seasons Flower Screen that Guo Qianhuai had just offered, and now it was being set up by four masters working together.

There was a spring screen standing in front of the ancestral hall, and Gu Chun was controlling the main formation from a distance.

Xia Ping stood on the left, with Guo Qianhuai in charge.

On the right stood Dongping, with Jiang Daozhen in charge.

At the back stood Qiu Ping, with Li Xiuyuan in charge.

This way of fighting can maximize the advantages of cultivation. They only need to trap Master Danqiu and his disciples in the formation.

No matter how magical the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace is, or how powerful the Eight Gates Wind and Fire Formation is, as long as Master Danqiu and his disciples cannot break the formation by force, they will eventually die.

Danqiu Master shouted angrily, "Li Xiuyuan, you deceived everyone and hid here secretly, which is really a good plan... But since you are here, do you not care about Mei Guyu's life?"

Li Xiuyuan replied, "Your Excellency, please do not worry about that."

Guo Qianhuai also said, "The Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace is not meant to be used like this!" This was his response to what Master Danqiu had just said to Gu Chun.

The Zongfa Hall obviously knew that even a lion would use all its strength to fight a rabbit, so they dispatched four elder-level masters, Guo Qianhuai, Jiang Daozhen, Gu Chun, and Li Xiuyuan, to deal with the Danqiu master and his disciples.

Because no one knew how many members of the Xiao League would infiltrate, or what kind of experts they would be, they had to be prepared for any eventuality. More importantly, Gu Chun had to seize the core of the Cave Heaven Formation at the most opportune moment.

For an operation like this, Xiaomeng could not send too many people to sneak into Xianhu Cave Heaven. In the end, only two people came, a sixth-level alchemist and a fifth-level peak herbalist.

Not only did they carry the Yin-Yang Wind and Fire Fan, they also carried the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace. This was a trouble but also a big surprise.

Although their strength was enough to crush their opponent, the four masters still chose to play it safe. They used a group of four-season flowers to set up a magic circle and trapped their opponents in the formation. It was clear that they were not in a hurry and wanted to fight a war of attrition.

The battle in the cave was earth-shattering, but Xianhu Village not far outside the cave was still peaceful and tranquil, as if nothing had happened.

The people in the cave are also unable to contact the outside world. Master Danqiu just mentioned the safety of Mei Guyu, but someone must open the door and come out to get news about Mei Guyu.

Sneaking into the cave was originally just a secret and clever move. Xiaomeng sent Danqiu's master and apprentice because of their skills in alchemy. But if they want to capture Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu, the force that Xiaomeng needs to arrange must be strong enough.

So what is happening to Mei Guyu now?

**
(End of this chapter)