Gu Chengyin had no idea when Shangguan Yunying would break through to the Golden Core realm.
But he knew one thing for sure—he himself absolutely had to reach the Golden Core realm.
Otherwise, life would become unbearable.
Just imagine the scene: Shangguan Yunying breaking through to Golden Core before him.
Then having two Golden Core fairies serving him alone.
That was a blessing no man could endure.
Forget enduring it, just thinking about that scenario sent chills down Gu Chengyin's spine.
Two Golden Core fairies.
Two!
A mere Foundation Establishment peak cultivator like him, standing before two Golden Core fairies—
That wasn't a blessing. It was a slab of meat on a chopping block, a rabbit in a pack of wolves, a cucumber at someone's mercy.
Gu Chengyin let out a silent sigh.
But all that aside, although Shangguan Yunying was determined and on the verge of reaching Foundation Establishment peak, breaking through to the Golden Core realm wasn't something that could be done overnight.
The Golden Core realm was called "Golden Core" for a reason.
It required condensing true qi into a solid, tangible pill of spiritual energy within the dantian.
This step didn't depend on the quantity of true qi—it relied on one's comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth.
Shangguan Yunying's talent was indeed exceptional, and her cultivation had skyrocketed since she began practicing the Azure Cloud Art.
But the gap between Foundation Establishment peak and the Golden Core realm wasn't a wall—it was an ocean.
Some people swam across it in three to five years, while others spent their entire lives unable to see the other shore.
So no matter how talented Shangguan Yunying was, she couldn't compare to Gu Chengyin, who had his system.
Time-wise, he would definitely break through to Golden Core faster.
Gu Chengyin lightly patted Shangguan Yunying's back twice, his voice low and warm:
"Yunying, I believe in you."
Those words weren't an empty consolation.
Gu Chengyin truly believed Shangguan Yunying could break through to the Golden Core realm.
She had the talent. She had the mindset.
It was only a matter of time.
Shangguan Yunying lifted her head from his chest. Her eyes were still red, but the grievance and resentment in them had mostly faded.
In their place was a soft, needy dependence, as if she'd been soothed.
Her fingers were still pressed against his chest, curling slightly, as if reluctant to let go of the warmth and texture of his robe.
"About you and Lord Jingzhe..."
Shangguan Yunying took a deep breath, as if making a significant decision, and whispered:
"Her Highness and Xiaoli both know now."
Gu Chengyin blinked.
He had just woken up.
It had taken him no more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea to walk from the side hall to the main hall.
In that span of time, he'd done nothing but walk a few steps, without even meeting anyone.
How did everyone already know?
Was news spreading a little too fast?
And...
Gu Chengyin frowned. How interconnected were these three in terms of information sharing between them?
He thought about the relationship between Luo Zhao, Shangguan Yunying, and Gu Xiaoli.
They usually seemed to mind their own business—one serving by Luo Zhao's side, the other running around everywhere.
But there was an unspoken understanding and connection between them, like three trees planted together. Above ground, they grew separately, but underground, their roots were tangled into one mass.
Shangguan Yunying seemed to sense what Gu Chengyin was thinking and explained softly:
"Xiaoli saw you and Lord Jingzhe in the side hall this morning."
"Even though you set up a spiritual force field, it didn't really work on Xiaoli."
Gu Chengyin: "..."
So it was Gu Xiaoli.
A half-step Nascent Soul cat demon. While Lin Qingyan's spiritual force field could block ninety-nine percent of cultivators, Gu Xiaoli was the remaining one percent.
To her, a spiritual force field was probably like a gauze curtain—it could hide things from ordinary cultivators' eyes, but not from hers.
Gu Chengyin shook his head helplessly, the corner of his mouth twitching:
"Fine."
Just two words, but his tone carried a wealth of meaning.
Shangguan Yunying watched Gu Chengyin's resigned expression and couldn't help but curl her lips.
Seeing this man flustered was always entertaining.
"Are you here to see Her Highness?"
The question was casual, as if confirming something trivial.
But Gu Chengyin caught the subtext behind it.
There was no safe way to answer that directly.
A direct answer would be suicide.
Gu Chengyin's hand slid down from Shangguan Yunying's back, settling on her waist, and tightened slightly.
He pulled her closer, turning their proximity into an embrace.
"No."
Gu Chengyin's voice dropped, low enough to sound like a secret meant only for her ears:
"I came specifically to find you."
Shangguan Yunying's eyes lit up instantly.
That brightness wasn't ordinary joy—it was the radiance of light finally reaching someone trapped in a deep well for too long.
Like a lamp being lit at the bottom of a well, its glow shooting up from the mouth, dazzlingly bright.
Her pupils dilated slightly, her lips parted, and her breathing quickened.
Then the light went out.
Like someone splashing a basin of cold water onto the lamp—a hiss, and gone.
Not even a wisp of smoke remained, just a dim, ashen gloom.
Shangguan Yunying's eyelashes drooped, her gaze falling on Gu Chengyin's robe. She bit her lip gently, as if hesitating.
"You should..."
Her voice was as faint as a guilty cat's mew:
"Still hypnotize Her Highness."
Gu Chengyin blinked.
He didn't quite follow Shangguan Yunying's train of thought.
Last night in the bedchamber, Lin Qingyan, Gu Xiaoli, and Shangguan Yunying had already discussed and agreed.
So why was Shangguan Yunying now changing her mind, wanting him to hypnotize Luo Zhao?
"Even though Lord Jingzhe always bullies the weak,"
Shangguan Yunying's voice was muffled, laced with gritted teeth:
"I know she adores you."
"She adores you so much she's given herself to you, so Lord Jingzhe would never harm you."
Shangguan Yunying paused, as if organizing her thoughts.
"But Her Highness is different."
Gu Chengyin didn't interrupt, simply waiting for her to continue.
"When Her Highness found out about you and Lord Jingzhe, she seized that opportunity to recruit Xiaoli and me into an alliance."
Shangguan Yunying looked up, meeting Gu Chengyin's eyes:
"She said it was to stop Lord Jingzhe, but I feel... Her Highness still wants to deal with you."
"She's just using this chance to make Lord Jingzhe an excuse for Xiaoli and me to stand on her side."
Gu Chengyin's expression didn't change, but his thoughts were racing.
Luo Zhao had recruited Shangguan Yunying and Gu Xiaoli.
Formed an alliance.
The nominal target was Lin Qingyan.
But in reality, it was aimed at him.
This unexpected news caught Gu Chengyin off guard.
Not that he was surprised Luo Zhao wanted to deal with him.
After all, Gu Chengyin had come to understand Luo Zhao quite well by now.
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!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
