Of course, this tracking technique had its limitations.
It could only provide a direction, distance, and signs of life. It could not be as comprehensive as the whereabouts reports compiled by the Office of Internal Affairs.
That was precisely why Lin Qingyan found those reports so fascinating. She had even required the Office of Internal Affairs to send her a copy whenever one was submitted to Luo Zhao.
But now, when Lin Qingyan tried to sense the mark on Gu Chengyin, she discovered a problem.
The mark was still there.
It had not been damaged or erased. It remained perfectly intact on Gu Chengyin.
That meant Gu Chengyin was safe and unharmed. His vital signs were stable and normal; his heartbeat, breathing, and spiritual energy circulation were all within normal ranges.
The problem was that the mark, which should have been clear and stable, had now become exceptionally faint.
It was as if something had wrapped around it layer after layer. Before its presence could travel very far, some invisible barrier absorbed it, leaving behind only the faintest residual fluctuations.
Lin Qingyan could barely sense a vague direction, but no matter what she did, she could not pinpoint his exact location.
It felt like listening to someone speak through a thick wall.
She could hear a voice and confirm that the person was still speaking, but she could not make out what they were saying, nor determine where exactly behind the wall they were standing.
It had been blocked by a spiritual-energy barrier.
Lin Qingyan slowly opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing through her clear gaze.
There were only a handful of people in the entire Daluo cultivation world who could block her senses in her current state.
Although she was not at the highest cultivation realm, as the Golden Core Invincible, she possessed overwhelming practical combat strength and an extraordinary variety of techniques.
Even a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core realm would not dare claim they could conceal themselves completely from her perception.
And the only person capable of setting up a spiritual-energy barrier of this level in the Divine Capital—and blocking her senses so thoroughly—was one person.
Gu Xiaoli.
The image of the cat-eared little girl surfaced in Lin Qingyan’s mind.
That Dead Cat.
She had actually taken advantage of Lin Qingyan’s absence to sneak off and feast!
No. It was not sneaking off to feast.
Based on what Lin Qingyan knew of Gu Chengyin, even if he wanted to eat Gu Xiaoli, he would not do it secretly like this.
He would display her openly on the table and eat her in broad daylight.
Besides, he had even used a spiritual-energy barrier.
So the problem did not lie with Gu Chengyin. It lay with Gu Xiaoli.
Lin Qingyan immediately came to the conclusion that Gu Xiaoli had wanted to be eaten, but Gu Chengyin had refused. Gu Xiaoli had then used the suppression of her higher cultivation realm.
Afraid that Lin Qingyan would discover them, she had even deployed a spiritual-energy barrier so she could make the deed a fait accompli.
That Dead Cat was trying to force herself on him!
Lin Qingyan cursed Gu Xiaoli at least three times in her heart.
She could accept Gu Chengyin eating Gu Xiaoli.
But she absolutely could not accept Gu Xiaoli eating Gu Chengyin.
Especially not by using her superior cultivation realm to force him.
Lin Qingyan would not allow anyone to force her man into doing anything.
No wonder she had felt vaguely uneasy ever since morning.
That ominous premonition had been bothering her on and off, leaving her restless even when she closed her eyes to recover.
At the time, Lin Qingyan had assumed it was related to the sect representatives. Now, she finally understood.
Gu Xiaoli usually acted harmless and sweet, trailing behind Gu Chengyin with a soft, syrupy voice and calling him “Big Brother,” always looking as though Xiaoli was the most obedient girl in the world.
But look at her now.
Taking advantage of Lin Qingyan and Luo Zhao being busy with official matters at the Celestial Master’s Estate, she had turned around and made her move against Gu Chengyin.
Not only had she made her move, she had also activated a spiritual-energy barrier to block Lin Qingyan’s senses.
This was clearly premeditated. It had absolutely not been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Lin Qingyan took a deep breath and forced every trace of emotion showing on the surface back down.
Being angry was one thing, but fortunately, Gu Chengyin had not actually come to any harm.
The clarity of the mark she sensed proved that he was safe and sound.
That meant Gu Xiaoli merely wanted him, and no real danger would arise.
But that did not mean everything was fine.
Once Lin Qingyan found Gu Xiaoli, that Dead Cat would be in trouble.
Lin Qingyan opened her eyes and turned toward Luo Zhao, who wore an anxious expression. She spoke succinctly:
“Chengcheng is fine.”
She first gave Luo Zhao a reassurance, then explained what she intended to do.
“Zhao'er, I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back soon.”
Before Luo Zhao could respond, Lin Qingyan vanished on the spot.
Only a faint cyan afterimage remained where she had been standing.
The afterimage lingered in the air for less than half a breath before dissipating completely, without leaving behind even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Luo Zhao stared at the spot where Lin Qingyan had disappeared, froze for a moment, and then let out a long sigh of relief.
Since Lin Qingyan had said Gu Chengyin was fine, then he was certainly fine.
On this matter, Luo Zhao had absolute trust in Lin Qingyan.
Her aunt never lied or brushed people off when it came to something like this.
If she said everything was fine, then everything really was fine. If she said she would be back soon, then she would definitely return soon.
Besides, with Lin Qingyan’s strength, she could deal with any situation.
Even if she ran into trouble, she would simply crush it through overwhelming power.
Once her worries had been set aside, Luo Zhao’s mind became exceptionally clear.
After a brief moment of thought, she immediately guessed what had happened.
Gu Xiaoli must have done something to Gu Chengyin. Otherwise, her aunt would not have been so angry.
Although Lin Qingyan had deliberately suppressed her emotions just now and revealed very little on her face, how could Luo Zhao, the person closest to her, fail to notice?
The tiny flames burning in Lin Qingyan’s eyes before she left, the downward curve of her lips, and the slight fluttering of her nostrils—Luo Zhao was far too familiar with them.
They were the standard signs that her aunt was suppressing her anger.
After all, even when Luo Zhao had been on Lin Qingyan the previous night, Lin Qingyan had not been this angry.
She had been angry then as well, but more than anything, she had seemed helpless, with traces of indulgence and fondness hidden beneath it.
This time was different.
The fury in her aunt’s eyes had been genuine.
That meant that, in Lin Qingyan’s eyes, Gu Xiaoli’s actions were extremely serious—serious enough to touch a line that absolutely could not be crossed.
Luo Zhao could not help but grow curious.
So what exactly had Gu Xiaoli done to Gu Chengyin?
Although Lin Qingyan had said that Gu Chengyin was fine, Cui Zilu still felt deeply unsettled.
After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously spoke:
“Your Highness?”
Luo Zhao came back to herself and glanced at Cui Zilu’s worried little face before smiling faintly.
Her emotions had already settled, and the bearing of the Crown Princess had returned to her. In a calm and composed tone, she reassured her:
“Don’t worry, Zilu. Since my aunt said Gu Chengyin is fine, then he’s definitely fine.”
“Make the arrangements. Have the sect representatives I haven’t met with wait for now.”
“Tell them I’m a little tired and need to rest. We’ll deal with everything else after my aunt returns.”
Only after hearing Luo Zhao say this did Cui Zilu finally let go of the worry hanging over her heart.
That was true. With Lord Jingzhe personally going out to deal with it, what could possibly happen to Brother Chengyin?
It wasn’t as though she had caught them in bed.
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!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
