This was completely different from before. Previously, even without relying on intuition, Lin Qingyan could grasp Gu Chengyin’s general intentions through the electric aura emanating from him.
Time and again, she captured his movements with pinpoint accuracy.
But now, although she could still sense the electricity, the information it provided grew increasingly vague and sparse.
It was as if something was blocking or filtering it, or perhaps the electricity itself had undergone some change.
Was this normal?
No, it wasn’t.
She was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, and normally, someone at her level couldn’t sense a Foundation Establishment cultivator at all.
Yet, paradoxically, it was Gu Chengyin—the Foundation Establishment Grand Perfect stage cultivator—who was sensing her.
There was no way this was normal.
Lin Qingyan’s gaze returned to Gu Chengyin’s retreating figure, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.
Could this be related to the sudden sharpness of his perception?
The electric aura was providing less and less information, while his senses were growing ever more acute.
Could there be a connection between the two?
Had Gu Chengyin broken through in cultivation?
That couldn’t be. His realm was still stuck firmly at Foundation Establishment Grand Perfect—no change whatsoever.
After pondering deeply, Lin Qingyan’s suspicion settled on his Dao Heart.
To evade the perception of a mid-stage Golden Core like her, yet still keenly detect her gaze, there was only one possibility.
Gu Chengyin’s Dao Heart had advanced.
Only a Golden Core-level Dao Heart could accomplish all this.
Combined with Gu Chengyin’s prodigious, almost otherworldly intelligence, he would naturally exploit the power of his Dao Heart to its fullest.
“What a bad man,” she muttered with a slight smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Far from displeased, her eyes shone with even deeper infatuation.
The man she admired had to be a peerless hero, riding on auspicious clouds.
So the more impressive Gu Chengyin’s performance, the deeper Lin Qingyan’s love for him grew.
Still, no matter what, she couldn’t let Gu Chengyin discover that she hadn’t been hypnotized.
Even if he found out, there was no escaping his grasp, but he would surely distance himself from her.
It was the kind of situation where, even if she had Gu Chengyin’s body, she wouldn’t have Gu Chengyin’s heart.
And that was absolutely unacceptable to Lin Qingyan.
She wanted not just the Gu Chengyin she loved, but the Gu Chengyin who loved her back.
Moreover, Lin Qingyan realized she quite enjoyed this feeling of lurking in the shadows, secretly watching Gu Chengyin.
It was strange—she was a mighty Golden Core Immortal from the prestigious Heavenly Master Mansion’s Awakening of Insects division, unmatched in battle prowess.
Yet she found herself liking this sensation.
Though even she found it hard to believe.
But since no one knew, she would just have to indulge in her secret surveillance of Gu Chengyin.
One real, one illusory—each carrying their own thoughts—they finally arrived at the entrance of the Crown Prince’s main hall.
This time, Gu Chengyin didn’t pause at the threshold but strode directly inside.
Sunlight slanted through the tall window lattices, casting bright patches upon the polished golden brick floor.
Behind the long desk, Luo Zhao sat upright and composed, her head bowed as she reviewed some documents.
At her side, Shangguan Yunying stood quietly, holding a few memorials in her hands, exuding a diligent air in handling state affairs.
Gu Chengyin walked straight toward them.
In fact, Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying had long known Gu Chengyin had returned again.
Eyes were everywhere inside and outside the Crown Prince’s palace—Gu Chengyin had gone to the Myriad Phenomena Tower, then promptly returned to the main hall.
These reports had long been quietly relayed by the female attendants.
As long as they maintained a safe distance and took turns observing,
every move Gu Chengyin made would eventually unfold before Luo Zhao’s eyes.
So, although they appeared to be engaged in their own affairs, both were actually well prepared.
Luo Zhao had even hidden behind a puppet of consciousness early on.
After all, as long as Gu Chengyin didn’t realize her mind was awake, it was fine.
Gu Chengyin approached the long desk and stopped.
At this moment, there were no other female attendants in the hall—only the three of them.
Of course, there was also the unseen Lin Qingyan.
Following the formalities between sovereign and minister, Gu Chengyin slightly bowed and greeted, “Your Highness.”
Luo Zhao lifted her head and looked at Gu Chengyin.
She was still as stunning as ever—her brows and eyes like a delicate painting, skin as smooth as creamy jade, breathtakingly beautiful to the point one couldn’t look away.
But in those eyes, the usual sharpness and edge were gone, replaced only by emptiness and submission.
This was an expression that appeared only when she faced Gu Chengyin.
When the consciousness puppet looked at others, it behaved exactly like Luo Zhao normally did.
She gave a soft hum, a subtle acknowledgment.
Without special instructions and in the presence of others, the hypnotized would act naturally.
Luo Zhao was the Crown Princess, and Gu Chengyin the Junior Tutor, so there was no need for excessive warmth nor coldness.
A faint “hmm” was just right.
Gu Chengyin glanced at Luo Zhao, then shifted his gaze to Shangguan Yunying standing beside her.
“Yunying, do you know where Xiaoli is right now?”
Shangguan Yunying blinked, a puzzled look crossing her face.
“Xiaoli? Isn’t she at Wanxiang Tower reading?”
Shangguan Yunying truly didn’t know Gu Xiaoli’s whereabouts—she only knew that before coming to find Gu Chengyin,
Gu Xiaoli had been reading at Wanxiang Tower, but after that, no one knew.
Gu Chengyin continued, “But the Golden Imperial Guards at Wanxiang Tower said there’s no one inside.”
Hearing this, Luo Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed Gu Xiaoli had indeed slipped away before Gu Chengyin arrived.
Shangguan Yunying had successfully stalled Gu Chengyin, so her efforts were not in vain.
Though she had essentially sacrificed herself, at least she bought some time.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yunying hesitated.
“Really? But Xiaoli hasn’t come back yet, and I haven’t seen her.”
She glanced around the hall as if trying to confirm something.
Gu Chengyin was momentarily stunned. So, Shangguan Yunying really didn’t know where Gu Xiaoli had gone?
That complicated things.
A half-step Nascent Soul cat demon—if she wanted to hide, who could find her?
Probably not even Lin Qingyan.
Though he was a Golden Core expert, Gu Xiaoli was half a realm beyond.
There was a gap in their cultivation levels.
Gu Chengyin couldn’t help but recall the feeling of being watched just now.
If Gu Xiaoli hadn’t returned, then it was most likely her.
He just didn’t understand why she was playing hide-and-seek instead of showing herself openly.
After some thought, Gu Chengyin instructed,
“In that case, Yunying, if you see Xiaoli, tell her I have something to discuss with her.”
Shangguan Yunying nodded obediently and replied,
“Alright, if I see Xiaoli, I’ll be sure to tell her.”
His tone was sincere, his attitude earnest, as if determined to get the job done no matter what.
Gu Chengyin nodded, then shifted his gaze toward Luo Zhao.
The Crown Prince sat upright behind the long desk, his eyes vacant yet obedient.
That exquisitely beautiful face appeared even more radiant under the sunlight—ethereal, almost otherworldly.
Gu Chengyin glanced around the hall.
At this moment, there was no one else present besides the three of them.
Retracting his gaze, Gu Chengyin looked back at Luo Zhao and suddenly asked,
“Your Highness, do you know where Little Li is?”
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!
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
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.
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?!”
