Early the next morning.
Clouds and mist lingered in the mountains like wisps of gauze, shrouding the entire Qingjian Sect in a hazy blur.
Distant peaks were hidden in the mist, faintly discernible like a light stroke of ink in a watercolor painting.
Nearby pines and cypresses were a deep emerald green, their branches and leaves hung with dewdrops that glistened in the morning light.
Gu Chengyin led Lin Qingyan along the mountain path.
Unrushed.
Leisurely and carefree.
Holding Lin Qingyan with his right hand, his cyan robe was slightly dampened by the morning mist, yet it did not diminish his composure in the slightest.
Lin Qingyan walked by his side, still maintaining her aloof appearance.
But if one looked closely, they could find that her gaze constantly fell upon the hand Gu Chengyin used to hold hers, never leaving it for a moment.
The two simply walked shoulder to shoulder like this, not speaking, just walking quietly.
The morning mist flowed around them like an invisible river.
Gu Chengyin felt the fresh mountain air, his mood quite good.
The Qingjian Sect had already been taken.
This was the most important objective of his sect inspection tour.
Originally, Gu Chengyin had not planned to become the Sect Master of the Qingjian Sect so quickly.
After all, Jiang Qingshan was in the Golden Core realm and was also Shangguan Yunying's maternal grandfather.
If he seized power immediately after reaching a cooperation agreement, it would be too disrespectful to this nominal grandfather.
Therefore, Gu Chengyin's original plan was to wait until he broke through to the Golden Core realm.
After all, the system was currently bound to his personal official rank and influence.
Binding a sect would require him to reach the Golden Core realm before he could operate it.
But plans could not keep up with changes.
After experiencing the token inheritance yesterday, Jiang Qingshan suddenly realized something.
The secrets surrounding Gu Chengyin were even more unfathomable than he had imagined.
Jiang Qingshan even suspected that Gu Chengyin's so-called making the rumors come true was actually just an excuse.
He might truly be the heir of the Qingyun Immortal Clan.
And he might truly possess the inheritance of the immortal clan.
He just needed the Qingjian Sect to make a fuss about it.
So after figuring this out, Jiang Qingshan made a prompt decision.
He yielded the position of Sect Master to Gu Chengyin.
At the same time, this decision was equivalent to tying the Shangguan Manor and the entire Jiang family to Gu Chengyin's ship.
But Jiang Qingshan did not regret it. Opportunities were like this; if you grasped them, it was the merit of supporting a dragon.
If you failed to grasp them, then they were truly gone.
Adding flowers to brocade could never compare to providing charcoal in the snow.
What is more, Gu Chengyin was only the Sect Master in name.
He would eventually return to the Divine Capital.
The actual power of the Qingjian Sect still rested in Jiang Qingshan's hands.
Furthermore, Gu Chengyin's title and influence were far more intimidating than Jiang Qingshan's.
One only needed to flip through his historical battle records to scare off a bunch of people with ulterior motives.
What was even more terrifying was that Gu Chengyin's strength was still continuously growing.
So even if he was not at the Qingjian Sect, the sect would not fall into chaos.
It killed two birds with one stone.
Everyone was happy.
As for the Celestial Master Mansion, that was a completely unexpected gain.
But the follow-up would have to wait until he returned to the Divine Capital; for now, he would stay at the Qingjian Sect.
He would wait for Emperor Luo to send a decree, and then he could set off to return to the Divine Capital.
The two continued walking shoulder to shoulder, passing through a pine forest and stepping onto a stone-paved path.
The morning mist gradually thinned, and sunlight spilled through the clouds, spreading a faint golden layer over the ground.
Gu Chengyin looked up, his footsteps pausing slightly.
Not far ahead, three figures appeared.
Standing right in the middle of the path, they looked as if they had been waiting for a long time.
Gu Chengyin narrowed his eyes.
The morning light shone from the side, clearly outlining the silhouettes of the three.
Two of them he did not recognize.
One was dressed as a scholar, young and handsome, holding a folding fan with a smile on his face.
One was dressed as a martial artist, middle-aged and burly, with a long sword hanging from his waist and a cold expression.
But he recognized the third person.
Wang Gangfeng, the Censor of the Chief Surveillance Bureau.
Gu Chengyin remembered that upon arriving at the foot of Qingjian Mountain, the Chief Surveillance Bureau had separated from the inspection team and detoured to Qingjian City.
Wang Gangfeng had said at the time that after finishing the censor handover in Qingjian City, he would go up the mountain.
Appearing here now, it seemed the matters in Qingjian City had been completed.
Gu Chengyin did not stop his steps and continued walking forward.
Lin Qingyan had originally wanted to let go, but Gu Chengyin did not release his grip.
After an internal psychological struggle, Lin Qingyan ultimately let him continue holding her hand.
Only when her gaze swept over the three people ahead, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of displeasure crossing them.
Seeing Gu Chengyin and Lin Qingyan approach, the three waiting people bowed simultaneously.
"Lord Jingzhe, Junior Preceptor Gu."
Their movements were uniform, their postures respectful.
Gu Chengyin nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Wang Gangfeng.
"Lord Wang, who might these two be?"
A hint of a smile appeared on Wang Gangfeng's face.
He turned sideways and introduced the young man dressed as a scholar:
"Junior Preceptor Gu, this is the Alliance Leader of the Haoqi Alliance, Yang Yifei."
Then he turned to the middle-aged man dressed as a martial artist:
"And this is the Valley Master of the Evil Men Valley, Lu Weilou."
Haoqi Alliance.
Evil Men Valley.
Gu Chengyin's expression remained unchanged as his gaze swept over the two.
Of course, he knew about these two being guests at the Qingjian Sect.
But he had not seen a trace of them these past few days and thought they had already left.
He had not expected them to be waiting for him here.
After Wang Gangfeng finished his introduction, Yang Yifei took a step forward and offered a deep bow to Gu Chengyin.
His voice was clear and bright, carrying a trace of sincere admiration: "Junior Preceptor Gu is indeed Junior Preceptor Gu."
"Your methods of turning clouds with one turn of the hand and rain with another over these past few days have truly left me amazed and completely convinced."
Turning clouds with one turn of the hand.
Rain with another.
These words were already very clear.
Everything Gu Chengyin had done in the Qingjian Sect over the past few days.
They knew it all and had seen it all.
Gu Chengyin's face was indifferent, without the slightest change in expression.
He did not reveal the slightest bit of pride because of the praise, but said flatly:
"What does Alliance Leader Yang mean by this?"
Yang Yifei was taken aback.
"I bear the imperial decree of the royal court to come and inspect the Qingjian Sect."
"My procedures are compliant, my behavior is proper, and I have never engaged in any inappropriate actions."
"Where do these so-called methods come from?"
Gu Chengyin narrowed his eyes slightly, unceremoniously releasing his oppressive aura:
"Alliance Leader Yang, you can eat carelessly, but you cannot speak carelessly."
As his words fell, the air froze.
The smile on Yang Yifei's face stiffened.
He looked at Gu Chengyin and realized he had made a mistake.
A very big mistake.
He had treated Gu Chengyin like an ordinary high-ranking court official.
He thought a few words of praise could draw them closer.
He thought a few words of flattery could win his favor.
But he forgot who Gu Chengyin was.
He was someone whom Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion protected without leaving his side.
Would such a person care about a few words of praise?
Would he care about a few words of flattery?
A layer of fine cold sweat broke out on Yang Yifei's forehead.
He looked at Lu Weilou and found that Lu Weilou also had a solemn expression.
The two exchanged a glance and both saw the meaning in each other's eyes.
Yang Yifei took a deep breath, immediately cupped his hands, and his attitude became even more respectful:
"Junior Preceptor Gu's reprimand is correct. I have overstepped my bounds, and I hereby apologize to Junior Preceptor Gu."
After saying that, he bowed deeply to Gu Chengyin.
Ninety degrees.
Gu Chengyin did not speak, just quietly observed Yang Yifei.
The morning mist flowed between them like an invisible barrier.
After a while, Gu Chengyin withdrew his gaze.
He looked at the pavilion nearby, said nothing, and led Lin Qingyan toward it.
Lin Qingyan followed obediently by his side, not sparing a single glance at those three from start to finish.
Her eyes held only Gu Chengyin.
The two stepped into the pavilion and took a seat on the stone benches.
Only then did Gu Chengyin speak, his voice as indifferent as ever,
"Alliance Head Yang is too polite."
"If you have a matter to discuss, just speak your mind."
Yang Yifei straightened his posture, casting a highly complex gaze toward the pavilion.
Gu Chengyin showed no intention of inviting them inside.
He simply sat there, with Lin Qingyan standing right beside him.
This invincible Golden Core cultivator, the Heavenly Master Mansion's Jingzhe, was currently acting like nothing more than an obedient and submissive little kitten.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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.
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!
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?!”
