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.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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."
