As his voice faded.
A pin-drop silence filled the hall.
Everyone was somewhat stunned by this last sentence.
A place of romance?
That Gu Chengyin fell in love with Luo Zhao at first sight was no longer doubted by anyone, especially after his extravagant praises just now.
After all, as previously thought, you could say Her Highness the Eldest Princess lacked tact, but you could never say she was ugly.
With Luo Zhao's appearance and bearing, it was entirely possible for her to captivate the heir of a hidden immortal clan at first sight.
Though shocking, it wasn't completely unbelievable.
But was this the right way to use that phrase?
Pledging love implies mutual affection. Could it be...
Thinking of this, countless people discreetly glanced at Luo Zhao, whose expression had already turned extremely ugly.
Could it be that this peerlessly magnificent princess had actually pledged her love to her Junior Preceptor!?
"Junior Preceptor Gu."
Finally, a voice broke the silence.
The one who spoke was none other than the Minister of Personnel, Xiao Jie.
Xiao Jie's eyes stared fixedly at Gu Chengyin as he slowly said,
"You claim to be the sole heir of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan. Do you have any proof?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "sole".
Hearing this, Gu Chengyin sighed softly.
The sigh carried a hint of worldly vicissitudes, as if bearing the weight of the clan's ten-thousand-year decline.
"Proof?"
Gu Chengyin shook his head. "The Azure Cloud Immortal Clan has been hidden from the world for tens of thousands of years and has long since vanished into the river of time."
"Entering the secular world this time, aside from my bloodline, half a fragmented manual, and this..."
He raised his hand and took out an object from his robes.
It was a token made of neither gold nor jade, entirely azure-green, with cloud-like patterns flowing across its surface.
The front of the token was engraved with an archaic "Cloud" character, while the back bore a fragmented map of mountains and rivers.
It was exactly the token he had temporarily created last night after leaving the martial arena, combining the power of the Azure Cloud Art with the records from the "Brief Examination of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan's Relics".
The moment the token appeared, the profound aura in the hall grew a bit denser.
"This is the Azure Cloud Token," Gu Chengyin's voice was calm. "The proof of identity for the direct lineage of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan."
"It's just a pity that in today's world, the number of people who recognize it can probably be counted on one hand."
Right at this moment, Xiao Maoqing stepped forward, pointing at Gu Chengyin and sternly saying:
"Gu Chengyin, stop speaking such nonsense!"
"You say you are the sole heir of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan, but do you know the immortal clan's cultivation methods?!"
This question was extremely tricky.
Since he claimed to be the heir of an immortal clan, wouldn't it be a massive joke if he didn't even know his own clan's cultivation methods?
But if he said he did, the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan had been hidden for tens of thousands of years and had long become a legend. How could Gu Chengyin prove that what he executed was a genuine immortal clan method?
It was a dilemma.
Everyone's gaze once again focused on Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin, however, merely smiled faintly.
"I do not."
He said frankly, his voice ringing clearly throughout the great hall. "The core cultivation method of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan has long been lost."
"Even though I am the sole heir, I was unable to inherit it."
Wild joy flashed in Xiao Maoqing's eyes. This Gu Chengyin was indeed bluffing!
But before the smile on his lips could fully form, he heard Gu Chengyin continue:
"What I cultivate now is a fragmented inheritance passed down from a branch lineage of the immortal clan in the past."
He paused, his gaze suddenly turning to Shangguan Yunying, a meaningful curve forming at the corner of his mouth:
"Which is what all of you are familiar with: the Azure Sword Art."
As soon as these words came out, the entire hall was in an uproar.
The Azure Sword Art!
The defining cultivation method of the Azure Sword Sect!
Now, with a light and breezy sentence, Gu Chengyin had linked himself to the Azure Sword Sect.
What was even more subtle was...
Shangguan Yunying, the Chief Female Official of the Internal Affairs Department and a Foundation Establishment realm expert, was precisely the biological granddaughter of the current Sect Master of the Azure Sword Sect!
For a moment, countless gazes swept back and forth between Shangguan Yunying and Gu Chengyin.
There was sudden realization, speculation, and profound meaning.
Shangguan Yunying's face was slightly flushed at this moment, but she held her head high and puffed out her chest, meeting those gazes without avoiding them.
She even took half a step forward, the true qi of the Azure Sword Art faintly circulating around her body.
It produced a subtle resonance with the profound aura on Gu Chengyin's body, which was the natural induction between cultivation methods of the same origin.
This silent verification was more convincing than a thousand words.
The nature of a lone heir and an heir with a massive faction standing behind them were worlds apart.
If Gu Chengyin was truly the sole bloodline, then even if his status was noble, he was nothing more than rootless duckweed. Killing him would just be killing him, without causing any future troubles.
But if the Azure Sword Sect was standing behind him...
Then before making a move on Gu Chengyin, one would have to weigh the consequences.
Xiao Maoqing opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
Gu Chengyin was the heir of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan?
This matter was full of loopholes; no matter how one looked at it, it seemed like a temporarily fabricated lie.
But as it happened...
The history of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan couldn't be faked.
The aura and coercion emitted couldn't be faked.
The resonance with the Azure Sword Art couldn't be faked.
Not to mention there was the endorsement of Shangguan Yunying, an heir of the Azure Sword Sect.
It was like an antique placed right in front of you. Logically speaking, it should be fake.
Because everyone knew that the real one was kept in a museum.
But they brought out an appraisal certificate from an authoritative institution and a well-documented record of its provenance.
Even the one in the museum lacked a lid, whereas this one had it.
At this point, no matter how doubtful one felt inside, they had to admit it.
It was real.
The hall fell into an eerie silence.
Upon the dragon throne, Emperor Luo finally spoke again.
"Gu Chengyin."
Just calling out a name made the atmosphere in the entire hall tense up once more.
Gu Chengyin bowed. "I am here."
"You say you are the sole bloodline of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan," Emperor Luo's gaze fell on the Azure Cloud Token as he spoke slowly.
"You also say that you fell in love with Zhao'er at first sight and are willing to swear loyalty to her."
"Then do you know that during the peak of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan, there was an ancestral precept?"
Gu Chengyin's heart skipped a beat, and the contents of the "Brief Examination of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan's Relics" instantly flashed through his mind.
At the same time, he said respectfully, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
Emperor Luo gave him a deep look and slowly uttered a few words:
"Immortals and mortals are distinct; do not involve yourself in the mundane world."
"The clan's destiny lies with heaven; do not bind it to any mortal dynasty."
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's hearts.
Immortals and mortals are distinct; do not involve yourself in the mundane world.
This meant that the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan was aloof from the world and did not participate in mortal affairs.
The clan's destiny lies with heaven; do not bind it to any mortal dynasty.
This meant that the immortal clan's destiny was self-contained and would absolutely never be bound to any human dynasty.
If Gu Chengyin was truly of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan's bloodline, then by violating the ancestral precept to enter the world as an official, and even publicly declaring his loyalty to Luo Zhao, wouldn't he be...
Betraying the ancestral precept?!
All eyes once again focused on Gu Chengyin.
This time, even Shangguan Yunying's palms were sweating cold sweat.
Gu Chengyin remained silent for a moment.
Then, he suddenly smiled.
His smile contained helplessness, determination, and a calmness akin to that of a martyr.
He raised his head and looked at Luo Zhao by the jade steps, his gaze gentle yet firm, his voice carrying clearly to every corner of the grand hall:
"The ancestral precepts are as heavy as mountains; I dare not forget them."
"But..."
Gu Chengyin spoke word by word, resonant and powerful:
"If it is for Her Highness's sake, I..."
"Am willing to betray the immortal clan and fall into the mortal realm forever."
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
