But no matter what those nameless elders thought.
It was not within Gu Chengyin's consideration.
Just like an elephant would never care about what an ant thinks.
In the face of absolute power, everything is but a futile struggle.
Therefore, what Gu Chengyin was considering right now was another matter.
Educating Lin Qingyan.
Undeniably, Lin Qingyan was very clear-headed and rational.
She knew what she wanted, knew what she was doing, and knew what should and shouldn't be done.
Most of the time, she was that cold and aloof Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion.
But only when it came to the matter of her inner demon.
She always caught Gu Chengyin off guard.
Impossible to guard against.
No matter where or when, she might suddenly strike.
Just like not long ago.
Jiang Qingshan and Jiang Jianli were waiting outside the hall, and they could never have imagined.
What this cold and ethereal Fairy Jingzhe was doing inside the hall.
Thinking back on it now, Gu Chengyin still found it somewhat unbelievable.
How did he manage to keep a straight face?
How did he manage to speak to Jiang Qingshan with a steady voice?
How did he manage to remain calm and unhurried under the assault of those electric currents?
He didn't know.
Gu Chengyin only knew that his composure had truly been tempered by Lin Qingyan.
And the reason Lin Qingyan was so fearless was because she was Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion.
No one dared to use their divine sense to probe her.
Otherwise, it would be an offense, and the consequence would be a fight to the death.
So Jiang Qingshan and Jiang Jianli really just waited outside and did nothing else.
Even if they wanted to use their divine sense to investigate a little, it was only a thought; they would absolutely never dare to actually do it.
This was Lin Qingyan's confidence.
And her fearlessness.
Thinking of these things, Gu Chengyin felt somewhat complicated.
Well, although it was just as Lin Qingyan said—she was very happy, so she wanted to make him happy too.
But those are two separate matters.
What if Lin Qingyan became even bolder because of this, and next time did it in front of Luo Zhao?
So this trend absolutely could not be encouraged.
She must be severely educated!
Gu Chengyin stepped into the hall and followed the stairs to the second floor.
Moonlight spilled in through the carved window frames, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
By the window, Lin Qingyan sat upright and proper.
She sat there formally, her back to the top of the stairs, her posture straight and dignified.
Her cold profile looked exceptionally tranquil in the moonlight, like a fairy stepping out of a painting.
But Gu Chengyin saw at a glance that the roots of her ears were flushed red.
Paired with that cold and ethereal face, the contrast was simply immense.
Gu Chengyin walked over and sat down beside her.
Lin Qingyan did not turn her head.
She remained sitting formally, her gaze falling on the moonlight outside the window, as if she didn't know he had arrived.
But her slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed her.
Gu Chengyin fell silent for a moment, then spoke:
"Auntie, can we discuss something?"
Lin Qingyan did not turn her head, pretending to be calm as she said, "Speak."
Her voice was still cold, but her tone carried a hint of a guilty conscience.
Gu Chengyin thought for a moment, weighing his words.
"Next time, could you please get my permission before letting your inner demon out?"
He said it very tactfully, and his tone was very gentle.
The meaning was actually very clear: no more surprise attacks.
Unexpectedly, Lin Qingyan's answer came very quickly.
"Alright."
It was so straightforward that Gu Chengyin couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
Gu Chengyin quickly said, "Then it's a deal!"
Lin Qingyan gave a soft "Mm."
She still didn't turn around, still sitting formally.
But the redness at the roots of her ears became even more obvious.
A heavy stone in Gu Chengyin's heart finally fell to the ground.
As long as Lin Qingyan didn't launch surprise attacks, at least he could be mentally prepared.
Glancing at the sky outside the window, the moonlight was already slanting westward.
Gu Chengyin stood up and said casually, "It's getting late, Auntie, you should rest early..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt his hem tighten.
A hand grabbed hold of him.
Gu Chengyin looked down.
Lin Qingyan still hadn't turned her head, but her hand was tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.
The action carried a bit of reluctance, a bit of attachment, and a bit of...
Hesitation to speak.
Gu Chengyin asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Lin Qingyan was silent for a moment, then whispered, "The... inner demon."
Gu Chengyin blanked slightly.
Inner demon?
Wasn't it already weakened?
Gu Chengyin couldn't help but ask, "Was it not enough?"
Lin Qingyan looked out the window, the redness at the roots of her ears beginning to spread.
"I am going to break through."
Gu Chengyin looked at Lin Qingyan pulling his clothes, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind.
Could it be that Lin Qingyan wanted to...?
As if sensing what Gu Chengyin was thinking, Lin Qingyan jerked her head up.
Her normally cold face was completely flushed right now, and she hurriedly denied in a panic:
"No... not that! Don't let your imagination run wild!"
Seeing Lin Qingyan's flushed face and anxious explanation, Gu Chengyin couldn't help but smile.
He sat back down and reached out to pull Lin Qingyan into his arms.
Lin Qingyan did not resist, allowing him to hold her.
Gu Chengyin teased her on purpose, "Wasn't it just a hug? What were you thinking of, Auntie?"
At this, Lin Qingyan completely couldn't handle it anymore.
Her face turned so red it looked like it was bleeding, only lacking steam rising from her head.
Then, like an ostrich, she buried her face into Gu Chengyin's chest.
She said with a muffled voice, "You're bullying me!"
Her voice was shy and annoyed, yet carried a hint of acting spoiled.
Gu Chengyin smiled with a look of doting affection, "But I didn't say anything."
After a good while passed like this, Gu Chengyin spoke again.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore, Auntie. What do I need to do?"
Hearing him get to the main topic, Lin Qingyan finally lifted her head from his chest.
Although her face still retained the blush from just now, her aura had recovered a bit of its coldness.
But it was exactly this that made her look even more alluring and mouth-watering.
Lin Qingyan's hands were still tightly gripping Gu Chengyin's lapels as she whispered:
"Actually, the inner demon is mostly dealt with, but aren't you able to command her?"
Gu Chengyin nodded.
Lin Qingyan continued, "So when I break through, I want you to watch over me by my side."
Gu Chengyin understood Lin Qingyan's meaning.
A realm breakthrough was a major event for any cultivator.
With the slightest carelessness, one could suffer qi deviation at best, or experience a drop in cultivation realm or even death and the dissipation of their Dao at worst.
And Lin Qingyan's situation was more complicated than an ordinary cultivator's.
She had accumulated foundations over many years, so the momentum of her breakthrough would inevitably be fierce.
She also had an inner demon that had entangled her for years, which would level up alongside her during the breakthrough.
With these two things stacked together, the slightest misstep would cause a huge problem.
Therefore, she needed Gu Chengyin by her side.
Both to protect her as a Dharma Protector and to take precautions.
To guard against the inner demon causing chaos during the breakthrough.
To be prepared so that if a problem arose, he could intervene in time.
As the master who could command the inner demon, Gu Chengyin was the greatest guarantee during her breakthrough.
Thus, Gu Chengyin did not hesitate at all and immediately agreed.
"Alright."
Just as Gu Chengyin was about to stand up, Lin Qingyan's voice rang out again:
"Chengcheng."
"Hmm?"
"You just said that letting the inner demon out requires your permission."
"Yes, what about it?"
"Then... what if I am the one who wants it?"
"Would you despise me?"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
