Gu Fei and Xun Er were both talented young members of the Gu Clan, admired by many of the clan's youth. They were almost the ideal figures that young people aspired to be like.
Many girls who had affection for Gu Fei were disheartened when they heard he was leaving. They longed to accompany him, hoping to win his affection and, perhaps, make him fall in love with them.
For a time, many young women in the Gu realm began to shift their focus. No longer solely dedicated to cultivation, they wanted to venture into the outside world in hopes of catching Gu Fei's eye.
However, when the elders of the Gu Clan, such as Gu Yuan and Gu Lie, heard about this, their expressions grew serious. They had, of course, been the first to notice Gu Fei and Xun Er's departure. With their immense power, no event in the Gu realm could escape their attention.
Gu Fei was allowed to leave because he possessed the strength to protect himself. But with him gone, there was no one else in the clan who could match his prowess. The elders feared for the safety of these young people if they ventured out, so they decided against allowing them to leave. After all, the Gu realm was rich in energy, and there was little need to seek opportunities outside.
In a gathering of clan leaders and senior officials, with Gu Yuan presiding, the consensus was clear: the younger generation should not be allowed to leave the Gu realm. Accordingly, the elders intervened whenever anyone tried to depart, and Gu Yuan issued a formal order barring the clan's youth from leaving without permission.
Thus, peace returned to the Gu realm, though it was unclear how long this peace would last.
Meanwhile, Gu Fei was traveling through space wormholes, heading towards the Eastern Region from the Northwestern Continent. The journey was long, spanning several months, as he had to jump through many wormholes. The path was far from easy, with many twists and turns.
Gu Fei, though strong, preferred not to flaunt his power. Since childhood, Gu Lie had taught him to conceal his strength so that others could not easily gauge it. Gu Lie himself followed this principle, appearing to be an ordinary man without any visible fighting spirit. But anyone foolish enough to challenge him would regret it for the rest of their lives.
Gu Lie had always believed that no matter how powerful one was, there were always stronger individuals. Even though he stood at the pinnacle of the Gu realm, he knew better than to assume he was invincible. Sometimes, appearing weak could be a valuable survival tactic.
Gu Lie's wisdom came from experience. In his youth, he had been arrogant and never restrained his fighting spirit. He assumed that no one could surpass him in strength. But one day, his mortal enemy sought the help of an ancestor, a man who appeared young and weak. Gu Lie, underestimating him, tried to suppress him with his aura, only to be defeated in a single move. Though Gu Lie survived, he learned the value of humility and restraint, passing this lesson on to Gu Fei.
Gu Fei was a quick learner. He understood that concealing his strength was a form of strategy, and since mastering this technique, he had never fully unleashed his fighting spirit again. Even the elders, Gu Yuan and Gu Lie, were sometimes deceived into thinking that Gu Fei's progress had stalled.
But those who admired Gu Fei could sense that something had changed. His aura, once as overwhelming as a prison, had now become as calm as a tranquil sea. Yet beneath the surface, there lurked a power far more terrifying. Those who had once been able to measure his strength could no longer do so, and this only increased their admiration for him.
Gu Fei, in turn, smiled inwardly, enjoying the subtle emotional energy generated by their admiration.
However, his decision to hide his power and keep his fighting spirit in check did not go unnoticed. Several figures in the space wormhole had their eyes on him. Though Gu Fei's clothing appeared plain, those with a discerning eye could see that the fabric was rare and valuable. His cloud boots, for example, were made from the skin of cloud beasts, creatures nearly extinct and known for their formidable strength. To these onlookers, Gu Fei seemed like a rich, inexperienced youth—a perfect target for robbery.
The space wormholes were home to many dangerous individuals, criminals who hid there to evade pursuit. These predators cared little for their victims' backgrounds. All that mattered was that their targets were valuable and appeared vulnerable. Gu Fei, seemingly an easy target, found himself facing constant threats.
For days, he was beset by attempts to steal his belongings. Hands reached out from the darkness, and swords appeared out of nowhere. These attackers were ruthless, intent on killing him and fleeing with his treasures.
But Gu Fei wasn't as weak as they assumed. He dealt with each attack mercilessly, beating his assailants one by one, sometimes two at a time. They came with confidence but fled in fear, shocked by the immense strength hidden within this seemingly ordinary young man.
After that, no one dared to bother him again. Finally, Gu Fei could focus on his journey to his first destination: the Black Horn Region.
Gu Fei sought strange flames for his martial arts, and his target was Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame. After two and a half months of travel, he arrived at the Black Horn Region, one of the most infamous and dangerous places on the Northwestern Continent.
The Black Horn Region was known for its lawlessness. The terrain made it a refuge for powerful fugitives, and the only rule that prevailed was the law of the jungle. In this place, the weak had no right to exist.
In the Black Horn Region, anything was possible. Even crimes as brutal as public assault could happen without consequence, so long as the perpetrator chose their target wisely. Women in this region were often more dangerous than men, for the simple reason that they had survived here.
The region was also a hub of information, where intelligence flowed freely in and out, making it a valuable resource for those who knew how to navigate its treacherous landscape.