The Divine Artifact Shatters, Punishment of Tongue Extraction

"Little Lin is right. Everyone knows the current state of the martial arts division in the Western Nation."

"Their entire department is under the complete control of the Grim Reaper Organization, and given the arrogant nature of the Grim Reaper's leader, they would never agree to let us go there under the pretense of 'protecting' them."

"Then what do we do? The Night King has already issued a hunting notice—he will definitely appear in the Western Nation in three days!"

"Then it's settled! Since we already know the Night King's location, we should gather all our strongest fighters and launch a full-scale assault to eliminate him!"

"Don’t be reckless! Where would we even get the high-tier combatants? Do you want to exhaust our last reserves in the Western Nation?"

As the argument grew more heated—

"Enough arguing!"

"I have a solution!"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone turned their attention to the speaker.

There, leaning back in his seat, was a man dressed in a black suit, spinning a pen in his hand. After a brief silence, he looked at Bai Jun and said, "Bai Jun, the Night King will undoubtedly head to the Western Nation in three days to confront the Grim Reaper Organization."

"But given the Grim Reaper leader’s temperament, they would never allow us to stay within their ranks under the guise of 'protection.'"

"On top of that, our martial forces are depleted. Without calling upon the ancient martial world, we likely won’t stand a chance against the Night King."

"So... in my opinion, we should simply observe and wait."

Everyone: !!!

One person swallowed hard and asked, "Wang Zhen, what exactly do you mean by that?"

Wang Zhen explained, "What I mean is... we first dispatch our department members to the Western Nation."

"If the Night King truly attacks the Grim Reaper Organization, our team will remain on standby outside."

"If the Grim Reaper Organization can overpower the Night King’s forces, then all the better."

"If the Night King’s forces only barely gain the upper hand, our team will step in to assist and eliminate them together."

"But if the Grim Reaper Organization is completely outmatched, our team will retreat immediately."

"In short... we’ll decide whether to intervene based on the actual situation."

The moment he finished, a thick-browed man slammed the table in protest. "Wang Zhen, are you joking? What kind of impression will this give others about us?"

Wang Zhen smirked coldly. "Hmph, the martial world has always been about self-interest at the expense of others."

"Don’t forget why we’re in the Special Division."

"Our job is to make the most effective decisions against the Night King with the forces we have—that’s the reason we’re here!"

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Bai Jun nodded at the analysis and addressed the group. "Wang Zhen’s proposal does take into account the current dire state of our martial division."

"The Grim Reaper Organization has always been domineering and ruthless, provoking countless factions in both the ancient martial world and the secular world."

"Honestly, if this incident didn’t involve the Night King, we probably wouldn’t even bother intervening."

"So... I’d like to amend Wang Zhen’s suggestion slightly."

At this point, Bai Jun looked around and spoke deliberately. "For this operation, I plan to propose to our superiors that we dispatch 30 personnel—this team must include fighters from both our department and the ancient martial world."

"At the same time, I’ll notify the Western Nation’s division to warn the Grim Reaper Organization about the Night King’s impending attack in three days."

"Even though we’ve had many conflicts with them in the past... the Night King is an enemy of all humanity."

"Right now, we must stand united against a common foe!"

"I’ll also report this proposal to the other departments."

"If approved, we’ll immediately assemble the team."

"However... if we do end up engaging in combat, everyone must be prepared for the possibility of losing all our high-tier fighters."

"But I want to make one thing clear—if there’s even the slightest chance of defeating the Night King, then the sacrifice will be worth it. I will personally participate in this operation."

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"Understood. I agree."

"I agree."

"Approved."

......

......

The next day.

Early morning.

Gu Family Courtyard.

A surge of malevolent energy gathered in the air, but soon, it gradually receded, ultimately condensing into a black longsword in Gu Yan’s palm.

"Finally succeeded."

Gu Yan opened his eyes, gripping the black sword tightly. A satisfied smile curled at the corners of his lips.

The blade shimmered with an eerie black glow, resembling the depths of a starless night.

Its design was flawless—sleek, with a perfectly curved edge and a razor-sharp tip.

Running along the center of the blade was a slender, crimson streak, pulsing faintly like a vein of blood.

Intricate runes were etched into the sword’s spine, each symbol faintly flickering with an aura of destruction.

Gu Yan held the sword horizontally before him, his gaze filled with approval.

"From now on, your name shall be... [Illusory End]."

This sword was forged from the pure power of love, claw cells, the illusory abilities of Mirror Flower Water Moon, the souls of tens of thousands of illusion-specialized demonic creatures, and a trace of the Power of Night—making it the most suitable weapon for Gu Yan in the current world, second only to daggers!

It is the ultimate weapon designed to trigger and amplify Gu Yan's [Illusion] abilities!

Meanwhile, the system chimed in:

[Congratulations, Host, on successfully naming the weapon!]

[Phantom Demise only needs to be glanced at to unleash its power!]

At that moment, Old Gao approached from a distance, casting a puzzled look at the weapon Gu Yan had conjured. After a brief glance, he reported, "Young Master, the Young Madam has arrived."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Gu Yan retracted Phantom Demise, a faint smirk curling his lips. "Qingqiu is here?"

Sigh... It had been a while since he last saw his wife.

But then again, she must have been busy lately, having just assumed the position of the Sword Holding Department's Minister.

Entering the living room, Gu Yan immediately spotted Leng Qingqiu sitting composedly on the sofa.

She came alone?

Ah, Ling'er must have already left for school.

At that thought, a gentle smile spread across his face.

Striding over, he couldn't resist teasing her. "Well, well, if it isn't the Minister of the Sword Holding Department! To what do I owe the honor of your esteemed presence in my humble abode?"

With that, Gu Yan plopped down beside Leng Qingqiu, draping an arm over her shoulders with a grin. "What’s the matter? Did I commit some crime that warrants the Minister herself coming to arrest me?"

Old Gao tactfully excused himself, retreating to the car outside the Gu residence to wait.

Listening to her husband’s utterly carefree remarks, Leng Qingqiu couldn’t help but feel that all her earlier worries for him had been completely unnecessary.

She exhaled softly, allowing Gu Yan to keep his arm around her. After a brief pause, she spoke.

"The Martial Division is preparing to dispatch a team of over thirty operatives to the Western Nation to covertly monitor the movements of the Grim Reaper Organization."

"Their goal... is to lay siege to the Night Organization."

"Due to my special status, I won’t be going."

Leng Qingqiu wasn’t sure what had come over her—why was she sharing such classified intel with the man who had once taken her dagger?

But then again... he was her beloved.

Truly, as the saying goes—this is retribution.

Gu Yan listened, fully aware that Leng Qingqiu was feeding him information.

Though, ironically, this operation was his own doing—a ploy to gather the remaining elite forces from various factions for another coordinated strike.

Outwardly, however, he simply chuckled and shook his head. "Why tell me this? I’m not going."

You better not go.

Leng Qingqiu internally rolled her eyes. Now that she had delivered the intel, her job here was done.

She pushed Gu Yan’s wandering hands away and stood up calmly. "I’ve told you what I came for. I still have a meeting this afternoon at the department regarding ‘Recruiting Mentalists,’ so I’ll take my leave."

"If anything comes up, just call me."

The longer she stayed, the more she risked arousing Gu Yan’s suspicions.

If he realized she already knew his true identity... it would shatter the fragile peace between them.

Besides, Gu Yan probably had his own organization’s affairs to attend to. It was best for her to leave now.

Yet, just as the thought crossed her mind—

"Oh? Leaving so soon?"

Gu Yan’s magnetic voice whispered into her ear, followed by—

!!!

Leng Qingqiu felt a large hand seize her wrist, yanking her backward until she tumbled into Gu Yan’s lap.

Or rather—she was pulled sideways onto his thighs, his arms encircling her waist from behind.

A tingling sensation instantly surged through her body.

The long-dormant euphoria of heightened perception flooded her mind.

"!!"

"What are you doing?! It’s broad daylight!"

Leng Qingqiu’s composure shattered, her face flushing crimson as she struggled to break free.

What’s happening...?

Had her sensitivity skyrocketed just from being close to Gu Yan after so long?

Internally mortified, she cursed herself.

The truth was, she harbored a secret—one known only to her past self, the Night King, and never revealed to anyone, not even Gu Yan.

The fastest way for her to grow stronger... was through intimacy with him.

This cultivation method had been passed down since her days as the Night King.

Unaware that he had become Leng Qingqiu’s personal "perception battery," Gu Yan buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent with a satisfied hum.

"That’s exactly why it’s perfect now—because it’s daytime!"

"Wasn’t there a phrase for this... something about ‘daylight’ and ‘declaring’...?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Leng Qingqiu’s face burned as if dripping blood.

"You! How can you say such... such..."

"Such what?"

"...Shameless things!"

"Oh? Then... esteemed Minister, since I've said such things, what punishment do you think I deserve?"

Leng Qingqiu, hearing him address her as "Minister," immediately bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly: "Pervert... lecher... degenerate scum. The fact that someone like you exists among martial artists is a disgrace to the world!"

It was unclear whether she was cursing the martial artist version of Gu Yan, the Night King version of Gu Yan, or simply Gu Yan himself.

In any case, Gu Yan found it quite enjoyable.

Of course, seeing this scene, he also realized that Leng Qingqiu was genuinely angry.

Pushing the joke further would be impolite.

So, he decided not to tease her anymore.

Just as Gu Yan was about to let go of her, Leng Qingqiu, after finishing her tirade, slowly turned around, grabbed his collar, and whispered breathlessly with a shy expression: "You've committed a crime. As the head of the Sword Holding Department, I have the authority to punish you with tongue extraction..."

Gu Yan froze. "Tongue extraction? Qingqiu, what are you—... Mmm?!!"

Suddenly, his pupils contracted.

His voice was abruptly cut off.

The living room was filled with a long-lost, amorous atmosphere.

[Pure Love Points increased...]

[Perception increased...]