Domain Expansion

"From the time I crossed over until now..."

Gu Chengyin murmured to himself, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. "I spent seven days in Luoshui Commandery, and another five days in the Divine Capital."

"Adding it all up, it took nearly half a month, but I have finally reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm!"

Gu Chengyin shook his head and sighed, "Only I know the ups and downs, the hardships, and the pain of this journey."

Fortunately, the rich experience from his previous life allowed him to handle things with ease. The main reason he kept his identity a secret was the fear of being punished by the Heavenly Dao.

"Now that I have the Azure Sword Incantation, once I master the Azure Sword Art..." A sharp glint flashed across Gu Chengyin's eyes.

"Next time I encounter an assassination attempt, I won't have to rely on basic attacks anymore."

Sitting upright on his bed, Gu Chengyin extended a finger and aimed it at the celadon teacup on the table.

He circulated the Azure Sword Incantation. A wisp of true qi seeped from his fingertip—formless and intangible, yet it precisely enveloped the teacup.

Then, a wondrous scene occurred.

The teacup floated up out of thin air, flew slowly toward Gu Chengyin, and landed steadily in his hand.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hitch.

Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow. Toying with the teacup in his hand, he began to ponder.

This method of controlling objects was actually not considered profound.

As long as one could release true qi externally, it was theoretically achievable.

The problem lay in the consumption of true qi. Manipulating objects required a continuous output of true qi; the heavier the object and the farther the distance, the greater the consumption.

Even if ordinary cultivators could release their true qi externally, they could only barely make a needle or a leaf float for a brief moment.

To manipulate a teacup so effortlessly and casually, one would need at least the true qi reserves and control of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

But for Gu Chengyin, it was a piece of cake.

"After all, the one thing I don't lack is true qi." Gu Chengyin set the teacup down.

Unlike the true qi of ordinary cultivators, his true qi was converted from influence. Although cultivation could also increase it, the greater significance lay in refining its quality.

And as long as people were covered by Gu Chengyin's influence and power, it was almost equivalent to them providing an endless stream of true qi at every moment.

It was just like...

"Domain Expansion." Gu Chengyin muttered softly to himself. "Within the Divine Capital, I am invincible."

This thought made his heartbeat quicken slightly.

But he immediately calmed down.

Not to mention the guards in the imperial palace, Emperor Luo himself was unfathomable.

Moreover, the major aristocratic families and sects all had hidden trump cards.

Let alone the Golden Core Realm experts he had never even seen.

But looking at it from another angle, if he could expand his influence from the Divine Capital to the entire Great Luo Empire or even other countries...

A brilliant light flashed wildly in Gu Chengyin's eyes.

To achieve that level, there was undoubtedly only one path.

Gu Chengyin smiled faintly and suppressed this thought.

A meal must be eaten one bite at a time.

A road must be walked one step at a time.

The most important thing right now was to bring down the Xiao clan and resolve the immediate crisis.

Then, step into the Foundation Establishment Realm, hypnotize Luo Zhao once again, and keep her firmly under his control.

The rest of his time flew by in cultivation. The Department of Official Personnel Evaluation did not come to interrogate him, and Shangguan Yunying did not visit him again.

Turning a deaf ear to the outside world, Gu Chengyin focused solely on practicing the Azure Sword Incantation.

......

It wasn't until the day before the morning court assembly that Shangguan Yunying appeared again, tightly gripping an official document in her hand.

"Gu Chengyin! The Grand Secretariat has submitted a memorial, and His Majesty has approved it. Tomorrow at the morning assembly, you are permitted to enter the hall and plead your innocence!"

Gu Chengyin slowly opened his eyes, a wisp of sharp light retracting into his pupils. He had just finished a full cycle of energy circulation.

He looked calmly at Shangguan Yunying and the official document in her hand.

Shangguan Yunying immediately took two steps forward, unfolded the document, and spoke quickly, "Look, Her Highness and three Grand Secretaries jointly submitted a memorial, requesting His Majesty to allow you to defend yourself at tomorrow's morning assembly."

"His Majesty has already given his vermilion approval, and he added an order saying that as long as you are under the supervision of the Internal Affairs Department, you can leave the Department of Official Personnel Evaluation!"

Gu Chengyin took the document, his gaze sweeping over the handwriting and seals on it.

Luo Zhao, Cui Shifan, Hu Juzheng, Yuan Zhengqing—the joint signature of these names carried a tremendous amount of weight.

As for Emperor Luo's approval, it seemed to grant an opportunity for defense, but it actually carried profound implications.

"Why do I feel like His Majesty is using me even more handily than Luo Zhao does?"

Gu Chengyin inwardly shook his head, suppressing the thought.

Circumstances were stronger than men. He couldn't flip Emperor Luo's table just yet, but he had noted down this grudge.

Gu Chengyin stood up, stretched his limbs, and looked around the wing room, sighing with emotion:

"It's rare to have two days of peace and quiet to focus on cultivation. I'm actually a little reluctant to leave."

"That won't do!" Hearing this, Shangguan Yunying immediately furrowed her delicate brows, her tone carrying a bit of urgency.

"Her Highness and I both need you very much! You have no idea how busy we've been these past two days. Her Highness even said it would be great if you were here."

"Oh?"

Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow and looked at Shangguan Yunying. "Did she really say that?"

This was somewhat beyond his expectations. With Luo Zhao's arrogant temperament, even if she thought so in her heart, it was impossible for her to say it out loud.

Shangguan Yunying nodded, then remembering something, she added, "Her Highness was talking to herself, and I accidentally overheard it."

"You absolutely must not mention it in front of Her Highness! She definitely won't admit it."

Gu Chengyin nodded in understanding. If that was the case, then it made sense.

This was Luo Zhao's true character. Pride was carved into her bones. Even if she appreciated someone's abilities, she would never be willing to lower her posture even slightly.

Put simply, she was a classic tsundere.

The two walked out of the wing room shoulder to shoulder. The guards outside had been completely withdrawn, leaving the corridor empty and silent.

They went downstairs and crossed the courtyard of the Ministry of Personnel's office. When they stepped over the high threshold, the long-lost sunlight instantly bathed his entire body.

Gu Chengyin narrowed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath of the free air, and sighed, "The sunlight outside is still the best."

In his heart, he silently added: Emperor Luo, you old schemer. If you mess with me like this again, I'll go mess with your daughter.

Shangguan Yunying signaled for the carriage to approach. She personally lifted the carriage curtain, stepped aside, and made an inviting gesture to Gu Chengyin. "Let's go, my great Junior Preceptor Gu. Her Highness is still waiting for you."

Gu Chengyin couldn't help but laugh and calmly boarded the carriage.

The carriage started smoothly, driving through the streets and heading straight for the Crown Prince's Palace.

Stepping into the Crown Prince's Palace once again and walking through the familiar corridors and halls, Gu Chengyin could clearly feel that the atmosphere was different.

It had lost a bit of its solemnity and eeriness, and gained a bit of busyness and sharp vigor.

In the Wenli Hall, Gu Chengyin saw Luo Zhao.

She wasn't wearing court attire or a palace dress today, but rather dark everyday clothes with tight cuffs, and was currently reviewing a mountain of documents.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, her gaze falling on Gu Chengyin.

At this moment, Luo Zhao appeared calm and capable. The majesty and sense of control belonging to a superior had reconverged between her brows, even adding a bit more of the steady magnanimity that came after weathering a storm than before.

When she saw Gu Chengyin, a strange light flashed rapidly through her eyes, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief, but her face remained completely impassive.