Chapter 4697: Duan Liufeng’s Past
“Chu Feng, you might be lacking in understanding of Duan Liufeng. He’s indeed incredibly talented back then, but he’s not the same man he used to be. Three thousand years have already passed, and his era is pretty much over. There are plenty of people like him in the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect who have shown their edge, only to swiftly spiral into decline. None of these people have managed to rise back up once more afterward.
“If you’re hoping that he could regain his strength and return to his peak, that’s being far too optimistic. There’s no chance of that happening at all. So, I advise you to wake up your idea and make the wiser decision here,” Tu Yuanyuan’ elder told Chu Feng.
“Thank you for your goodwill, but my mind is made up,” Chu Feng replied.
“Since that’s the case, I shan’t force you either.”
Tu Yuanyuan’s master seemed to be a little angry that Chu Feng’s refusal that she got up right away and left.
“Chu Feng, we’ll see one another again!”
As for Tu Yuanyuan, she blinked her eyes at Chu Feng before quickly following her master.
“Young friend Chu Feng, Duan Liufeng is just an outer elder right now. Going by the rules of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect, even if you take Duan Liufeng as your master, given his identity, he can only bring you into the North Tortoise Hall.
“It hasn’t been long since you joined our Hidden Dragon Martial Sect, so you might not know the situation here clearly. The four halls here do have a hierarchy…”
As soon as Tu Yuanyuan and her master left, Ouyang Che immediately stepped forward and tried persuading Chu Feng once more, not willing to give up on the gem before him.
“I know that the North Tortoise Hall ranks at the bottom of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect at the moment, but it’s not a problem for me,” Chu Feng replied with an unwavering attitude.
He didn’t even wait for Elder Ouyang Che to finish his words before expressing his stance.
Nevertheless, the other elders, including those from the West Tiger Hall and South Vermilion Hall, were still unwilling to give up. They tried their best to convince him into choosing them, hoping that they would luck out.
Unfortunately, Chu Feng refused to budge in his stance.
Seeing that it was hopeless, those elders left the area too.
“Chu Feng, are you certain that you wish to join our North Tortoise Hall?”
As soon as those elders left, Elder Dao Qinian of the North Tortoise Hall walked over and asked.
Chu Feng had already turned down the invitations from three of the halls. At this rate, unless he changed his mind, otherwise the only place he could go to was the North Tortoise Hall.
“Elder Dao, I have already made up my mind,” Chu Feng replied.
“Very well! I like disciples who are decisive like you!”
Dao Qinian could hardly conceal his joy.
Even though Chu Feng didn’t choose him as his master, it was still a huge blessing that someone as talented as him was coming under the North Tortoise Hall. What the North Tortoise Hall lacked right now wasn’t disciples but talented ones like Chu Feng.
“Chu Feng, the one who has brought you in is Elder Duan Liufeng, so naturally, he’ll be rewarded by the sect for his efforts. Given your aptitude test, he’d receive a lowest bestowment, but considering your current cultivation level, it’s possible for him to receive a high bestowment.
“It’s just that the bestowment will be useful to you too. You have the choice to decide whether you wish to keep it for yourself to give it to him. That being said, I reckon that you would willingly give it to him, am I right?” Dao Qinian asked.
“You understand me well, Elder Dao,” Chu Feng replied.
“Hahaha! Someone who has the courage to turn down the invitation from the East Dragon Hall naturally wouldn’t covet this bit of resources. Since that’s the case, you’ll follow me back to the North Tortoise Hall for now. I’ll have the reward sent to Elder Duan together with your intention of acknowledging him as your master. However, I should remind you in advance that things might not necessarily work out.
“There are actually many disciples who have heard of Elder Duan’s affairs and wish to acknowledge him as their master, only to be rejected. Becoming his disciple is actually no easy feat. After all… he used to be quite a distinguished figure in the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. Unlike the rest of us, he’s a prideful person. Even if he rejects you, I hope that you can understand where he’s coming from.”
After saying his piece, Dao Qinian led the disciples toward North Tortoise Hall. The other disciples had to fly behind him, but Chu Feng received an invitation from Dao Qinian to ride on his spirit crane mount, to which, Chu Feng accepted.
“Elder Dao, based on the earlier remarks I heard from the other elders, it seems like Elder Duan has a story behind him. May I know if it’s convenient for you to tell me about it?” Chu Feng asked.
“You… don’t know about Elder Duan’s affairs?”
Dao Qinian looked at Chu Feng in bewilderment.
“Yes, I’m afraid that I don’t know about it,” Chu Feng replied honestly.
“That’s weird. If you don’t know him, why do you want to acknowledge him as your master? As a new disciple, shouldn’t you choose someone who can stand up for you in the sect?” Dao Qinian was confused.
It was understandable if Chu Feng knew about Duan Liufeng’s past and wanted to gamble on him, but the thing was that Chu Feng didn’t even know about Duan Liufeng’s past at all. This made Dao Qinian intrigued as to what Chu Feng was up to.
“Earlier, I was placed in the middle of the square like a commercial good to be chosen by the elders of the four halls. If I don’t reveal a bit of my strength, no one would spare a second glance at me. Even Hua Xu would think that I’m someone whom he can oppress.
“While the revelation of my strength did change the elders’ mind, that was not what I’m intending for. If any of the elders had been willing to stand up for me while I was still weak, even if he’s an elder from the North Tortoise Hall, I would willingly take him as my master,” Chu Feng explained.
“I understand. You value character much more than strength, that’s why you wish to find a master whose character is worthy of your respect. But Chu Feng, you should know that the world of cultivation values strength. Words have to be backed up with strength. I hope that you can see where the other elders are coming from when they failed to stand up for you,” Dao Qinian said.
“Elder Dao, I have no intention of blaming those elders for not standing up for me. It only means that they aren’t suited for me. I’m not that noble of a person as to believe that character is superior to strength. The world of cultivation is filled with danger, and there are people whom I wish to protect as well. For that, I would need strength.
“But fate sometimes come in an indescribable way. I know that Elder Duan isn’t strong, but for some reason, I felt that I should acknowledge him as my master,” Chu Feng replied.
“Elder Duan is a person who has lived a tough life,” Dao Qinian remarked with a deep sigh.
Then, he began to share Duan Liufeng’s story with Chu Feng.
Duan Liufeng had joined the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect three thousand years ago. Blessed with superior talents, it didn’t take him long to rise above the disciples of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect to become the chief disciple. Back then, there was no one who shone brighter than him.
With the strength he had shown, he could have easily become a candidate-in-training as the successor of the sect master position, and the sect master of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect did show interest in taking him in as a closed-door disciple.
So, the sect master prepared a trial for him to test him one last time.
Unfortunately, Duan Liufeng failed the trial and ended up sustaining severe injuries. If not for the sect master stepping in to save him, he could have very well lost his life. However, even though he was saved, his cultivation ended up regressing, and the traumas he sustained made it hard for him to recover.
Despite so, Duan Liufeng was unwilling to change. He ended up offending quite a few people in the East Dragon Hall, which resulted in him being evicted out to the outer hall.
Later on, as he grew up, he obtained the position of an outer elder. Unfortunately, those in the outer hall were doomed to remain as the lowest dregs of the sect.
