Ignoring realms and ignoring distance, one could hear the most important inner voice deep within a specific person's heart.
To be honest, based purely on the description of this entry, it already had a bit of a conceptual god-tier flavor.
In the cultivation world, mind-reading arts were not non-existent, but they were often limited by the strength of the soul, physical distance, and the target's defenses.
If there were no limiting conditions, this might be the most useful support-type CG among all the ones Gu Chengming possessed.
Unfortunately, it had a fatal flaw: it was random.
Random meant uncontrollable, and it also meant that most of the information Gu Chengming received could be useless.
As if to confirm his suspicion, the first inner voice appeared the day after he obtained the CG.
【After a while, I'll team up with the brothers to kill a third realm Hao-snake, save enough money to quit the hunting team, and go marry Xiao Cui.】
The source was unclear, but he could faintly hear the voice and gender.
Truthfully, regarding information gathering, this entry was a bit too limited.
Filtering useful information from this single sentence was no less difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.
First, he had to know who the owner of the voice was; second, even if he knew who it was, this inner voice would likely be useless—
—unless that so-called "Xiao Cui" was actually an undercover agent for the Longevity Sect, or that Hao-snake monster had some world-shaking treasure hidden in its belly.
But obviously, the probability of that was extremely low.
Gu Chengming's gaze fell on that still-gray CG icon.
However, the current CG was in a "not yet fully unlocked" state, and the progress bar had only just begun.
This meant the ability was not set in stone; there was still massive room for optimization. And right now, the optimization directions before him were nothing more than two: one was to reduce randomness to make the target more precise, and the other was to increase clues for the inner voice so he could locate the target more easily. And the way to unlock the CG might be related to unmasking the owner of the voice?
Since it was an information-gathering type ability, establishing the source of information might be the key to increasing the CG's unlock progress.
Thinking of this, Gu Chengming no longer hesitated and began investigating people who fit the criteria.
For the current Myriad Wonders Gathering, which already covered several thousand rogue cultivators in Falling Snow Pass and had official backing, this was not a difficult task.
In just a short moment, several pieces of filtered intelligence surfaced in Gu Chengming's mind.
Though there were many rogue cultivators in the north, there were only a few teams with the courage to move against a third realm monster like a Hao-snake.
And among those teams, those with a member expressing a desire to retire recently and who had a childhood friend back home...
"Black Martial Hunting Team, Vice Captain Zhou Xing."
—Found him.
The moment he confirmed this information—
【CG: Mind is Myriad Things, current unlock progress: 10%】
Gu Chengming thought to himself that as expected, the unlock mechanism for this CG progressed through this process of hearing an inner voice to locating the actual person.
Now it was time to play a game of unmasking.
His heart felt a bit subtle.
...
Late at night the next day, the Zi Hour.
The wind and snow outside were still howling while Gu Chengming sat quietly in his study.
【The batch of goods is hidden in the ice cave under the cliff, so no one should find it. Just survive these few days, and once that killer Gu Chengming lets down his guard, we can move the stuff out.】
The voice this time was clearer than yesterday, and he could now completely distinguish the gender.
Gu Chengming's eyes lit up.
Good luck; could it be a big fish?
Ever since the Wanjin Pavilion fell, although its remaining forces in the north had been swept over once, like a hundred-legged insect that refuses to die even after death, there were always some fish that slipped through the net and hid in the dark.
Gu Chengming immediately summoned Nuo Tao, who was dozing in the side hall.
This high-achieving disciple of the Myriad Thief Sect rubbed her groggy eyes and floated in with a resentful face: "Little Brother Gu, what time is it?"
Gu Chengming ignored her complaints and directly spread out a map: "I'm counting on you, Miss Nuo. Check all the places near Falling Snow Pass that fit a cliff-like terrain and have recently had unknown spiritual energy fluctuations or signs of manual concealment. I don't feel comfortable leaving this matter to anyone else."
Although Nuo Tao complained, as soon as she heard "counting on you" and that phrase "don't feel comfortable leaving this matter to anyone else," she somehow felt a bit comforted and willingly started the hard labor.
Her talent in karma-tracing was indeed undeniable.
About several hours later, a red circle was heavily drawn on the northwest corner of the map.
"Here."
Nuo Tao pointed to a place called Eagle Sorrow Ravine: "There's a small merchant caravan that used to be attached to the Wanjin Pavilion. They've been acting suspiciously these past few days, ostensibly going to gather herbs, but their route keeps circling around this Eagle Sorrow Ravine."
Gu Chengming was naturally very thankful and personally brought some pastries to reward Nuo Tao.
The latter huffed twice; though she wasn't particularly fond of pastries, she was very receptive to Gu Chengming's attentiveness.
The next morning, news of victory arrived.
That group of Wanjin Pavilion remnants was wiped out in one go, and a large amount of yet-to-be-transferred forbidden medicine was recovered from the ice cave.
The CG progress bar in Gu Chengming's sea of consciousness increased by another small section.
【CG Unlock Progress: 30%】
...
As the unlock progress increased, the effect of this CG also became better and better.
The inner voices Gu Chengming heard became clearer and clearer, even starting to come with some blurred environmental sounds, making him even more adept at locating them.
And the expansion of the Myriad Wonders Gathering went even more smoothly, not only covering Falling Snow Pass but even beginning to spread to the several surrounding garrison cities.
It was also at this time that new clues regarding the previous investigation of the Wanjin Pavilion appeared.
It was news about that old merchant route of the Wanjin Pavilion.
Since the fall of the Wanjin Pavilion, that smuggling route leading directly into the depths of the demon territory with staggering profits had become ownerless.
Originally, Vice Commander Liang Si and Gu Chengming had intended to block it for a while and wait for the situation to stabilize before the authorities took over.
But in this short one or two-month gap, that merchant route had actually been occupied by demons.
Northern Mansion, meeting hall.
Vice Commander Liang Si pointed at the red line winding deep into the snowy plains on the sand table, his brows locked in a tight frown.
"According to scout reports, the one currently entrenched on that line is the Green-Scaled Eagle King." Liang Si's voice was a bit low: "Ranked forty-sixth on the Demon Sovereign Ranking, a great demon of the middle stage of the fourth realm."
Gu Chengming sat below and chuckled lightly upon hearing this, but not much mirth could be heard in his tone.
"Then the world truly is small..."
The Green-Scaled Eagle King...
Wasn't this the very demon beast that had almost caused him and Elder Junior Sister Yu to crash when they first arrived in the north?
Later, it was caught in the battle between Director Zhou and those demon kings, escaping with heavy injuries.
Gu Chengming had been looking for a chance to get revenge.
Vice Commander Liang Si changed the subject, a hint of confusion appearing on his face: "But one thing is very strange."
"According to previous intelligence from the Imperial Observatory, although this Green-Scaled Eagle King narrowly escaped during that ambush at the Night Guard Division, it was also heavily wounded and dying, with its foundation damaged. Yet how long has it been?"
Although the bodies of demon beasts were powerful, they also recovered slowly, unless it had consumed some heavenly treasure, or...
Gu Chengming was thoughtful; although the Wanjin Pavilion was gone, the Longevity Sect was still there.
If it was really as he guessed...
His revenge plan might need to be put on his schedule.
...
Because the Imperial Observatory had observed the stars at night and calculated signs of a potential demon tide eruption in the north, the already chilling atmosphere of Falling Snow Pass became increasingly tense.
The glow of the arrays atop the city walls did not extinguish day or night, and wagon after wagon of city-defense materials were continuously transported into the pass.
In addition, the capital had sent "reinforcements" from the Imperial Observatory, braving the wind and snow to arrive in the north before the roads were blocked.
As a guest of the current Northern Mansion, a member of the Night Guard Division, and especially the founder of the "Myriad Wonders Gathering," Gu Chengming actually held a certain amount of authority in Falling Snow Pass.
Out of professional courtesy among colleagues, and also with a bit of curiosity toward that Imperial Observatory, Gu Chengming personally received these two reinforcements from the Tianting Sect in the side hall.
These two were both dressed in cloud-patterned brocade robes with extraordinary temperaments, and they were precisely the leaders of the Tianting Sect for this descent—
—Zhou Hui, ranked eighth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and Xu Huayi, who sat high at second.
Gu Chengming had seen the dossiers on these two before this, and he couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
This Tianting Sect was indeed a behemoth on par with the Wenjian Sect; this generation of disciples was truly full of talent.
That Zhou Hui, though only having a cultivation of the late stage of the second realm, was proficient in arrays and talismans.
He once gained great fame during a campaign in the Southern Border by setting up a Nine-Turn Thunder-Fire Array with his own power, forcibly trapping and killing a demon beast that even ordinary third realm cultivators would find hard to penetrate. That battle made him renowned as an array master of the younger generation.
And that cold-faced young girl, Xu Huayi, who had been sitting quietly to the side, was even more remarkable.
Second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking; this gold content even outweighed the current Gu Chengming's by a notch.
Rumor had it that she entered the dao through painting, and the judge's pen in her hand could depict all things in the mountains and rivers.
Her most prominent achievement was using a piece titled "Ten Thousand Mile River-Locking Painting" at the coast of the East Sea to trap two Jiao-demons at the peak of the third realm within a painted realm, eventually refining them into ink.
As they say, the enemy of an enemy is a friend; although this was the first meeting, could she be considered half a friend of his?
Gu Chengming muttered to himself.
And looking at their battle records, they were all geniuses who killed across realms as easily as eating and drinking.
Because of Song Qing, his impression of the Tianting Sect was roughly that they were wealthy but rather cowardly.
But looking at it now, the phrase "arts connecting to the divine" was not empty words.
There was an unwritten rule in the Great Qian officialdom: sword cultivator sects like the Wenjian Sect mostly dealt with the Night Guard Division responsible for slaughter when they descended, while sects like the Tianting Sect, proficient in deduction, arrays, and geomancy, were mostly bound to the Imperial Observatory.
An outlier like Song Qing, who ran to the Night Guard Division to idle his days away, was purely an anomaly.
Inside the side hall, tea fragrance curled; Vice Commander Liang Si had already gone to the front hall to handle official business with the accompanying officials from the Imperial Observatory.
Zhou Hui put down his teacup, his gaze scanning Gu Chengming.
His attitude was quite polite, even carrying a few hints of sincere respect:
"Fellow Daoist Gu's great name has been ringing in our ears all along the way: slaying Jiao-demons in the East Sea, destroying the Wanjin Pavilion in Falling Snow Pass, and cutting down the fourth realm with a sword... Such elegance truly makes the likes of us feel ashamed."
Xu Huayi also nodded slightly from the side.
Though she didn't say much, her eyes held none of the arrogance typical of disciples from major sects, instead showing a few hints of recognition.
It could be seen that these two had come with sincere intentions to resist the impending demon tide and didn't have the impetuousness of those who came to pad their resumes.
After some pleasantries, they spoke of serious business.
Zhou Hui said solemnly: "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Gu, the two of us have come this time not only to assist in defending the city but also under orders from the Imperial Observatory to set up a 'Heavenly Hearing and Earthly Sight' sub-array within Falling Snow Pass."
At this point he paused, giving a somewhat emotional, bitter smile:
"It's just that when we entered the pass earlier, we saw that the rogue cultivators were in perfect order, and the speed of information transmission was astonishing. After a bit of inquiring, we learned that Fellow Daoist Gu had actually created something called the 'Myriad Wonders Gathering'."
Saying this, Zhou Hui looked at Gu Chengming with eyes full of amazement:
"Constructing such a massive intelligence network through a method of soul interconnection, and ignoring the obstruction of distance—such a technique has never even been seen in my Tianting Sect's Scripture Repository. Fellow Daoist Gu is truly a god-like man."
Gu Chengming thought to himself that you're the god-like one, but he didn't show it on his face, saying with a smile:
"It is merely the way of my master's sect, created for everyone's convenience in exchanging what they have for what they need."
It seemed this northern region was remote and information transmission was lagged; the capital still didn't know that the Myriad Wonders Gathering had already become a significant force, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of sending people to set up an array.
Zhou Hui pondered for a moment, appearing to weigh his words, then spoke:
"Fellow Daoist Gu, this Myriad Wonders Gathering is indeed miraculous. It is precisely because it is too important—now having become the ears and eyes of Falling Snow Pass and even half of the north—that I have an impolite request."
Gu Chengming's brow quirked slightly: "Please speak, Fellow Daoist Zhou."
"Could the control of this Myriad Wonders Gathering be temporarily transferred, or rather, merged into the system of the Imperial Observatory?"
Zhou Hui did not beat around the bush but instead analyzed with a serious expression: "Fellow Daoist Gu, do not misunderstand; I am not coveting this merit. It is simply that this matter is of great importance."
"After all, Fellow Daoist Gu is but one person and still has to kill enemies on the front line. If Fellow Daoist Gu were to unfortunately fall into danger, or even be targeted and captured by a demon race powerhouse, wouldn't this Myriad Wonders Gathering, which holds the intelligence of the entire north, directly open its doors to the demon race?"
"Such a hidden danger must be guarded against."
These words were spoken with logic and reason, making it impossible to find any fault.
But hearing them, Gu Chengming understood quite clearly in his heart.
Setting aside the fact that this Myriad Wonders Gathering was an effect of his CG and could not be detached or transferred at all.
Even if it could be handed over, he had no intention of doing so.
First, because he had planned for the Myriad Wonders Gathering for a long time, and second, because the All Wonders Same Source Method would certainly be disappointed after handing it over.
As a galgame master, how could he let his female lead be sad!
And even if such a situation truly occurred, he could completely shut down the Myriad Wonders Gathering.
Zhou Hui seemed to see through Gu Chengming's thoughts and hurriedly added: "Fellow Daoist Gu, rest assured, the Imperial Observatory will certainly record this officially; the merit of its creation will still belong entirely to you. We would never dare to embezzle even a fraction of it."
Gu Chengming smiled and did not take the bait, instead asking in return: "Then in Fellow Daoist Zhou's opinion, to whom should this Myriad Wonders Gathering be handed over for management to be considered safe?"
Zhou Hui thought for a moment before saying: "Before the elders of the Imperial Observatory arrive, it shall be temporarily managed by Senior Sister Xu and me together; the two of us will ensure it is maintained and protected properly."
Upon hearing this, Gu Chengming couldn't help but laugh: "If I recall correctly, you two are also at the second realm, right? Since I will be in danger, does the danger disappear if it is managed by you two?"
Zhou Hui froze, then said confidently: "Though the two of us are also in the second realm, we carry profound protective treasures bestowed by our sect and do not personally venture into danger, so naturally..."
Halfway through his words, he suddenly got stuck.
He abruptly remembered that the Fellow Daoist Gu before him was not some rootless rogue cultivator.
This was a disciple of the Wenjian Sect, carrying a sword talisman personally bestowed by Luo Jinyao, ranked seventh on the Heaven Ranking. Just a few days ago, he had used that thing to split a fourth realm great cultivator in half.
In terms of protective artifacts, in terms of the strength of his backing, and in terms of actual combat records, the person before him seemed not to lack in any regard.
The so-called "safety hazard" appeared somewhat unsustainable at this moment.
Actually, Zhou Hui was also suffering in his heart.
They had come in a rush with a mission, wanting to show their skills by setting up a great array, only to arrive and find that Gu Chengming had already finished the job, and had done it even better than them. How were they supposed to report back?
If they just slunk back like onlookers, where would the face of the Tianting Sect and the Imperial Observatory go?
Proposing to take over the Myriad Wonders Gathering was on one hand indeed for safety considerations, but on the other, it was to forcibly participate in this system—at least having a title of "joint management" would save face.
The atmosphere in the side hall was momentarily a bit awkward.
Gu Chengming saw through it but didn't point it out, not wanting to waste time on these pointless verbal disputes. Since reasoning wouldn't work, he would use the most direct way for a cultivator to solve it.
"I understand Fellow Daoist Zhou's concerns. It is simply a worry that I lack sufficient strength and cannot protect this key."
Gu Chengming stood up, his gaze calmly looking at these two geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and made a "please" gesture:
"In that case, why don't we go to the training ground for a spar?"
"If you two can best the sword in my hand, the safety issue of this Myriad Wonders Gathering will naturally have a better solution. At that time, we will have our answer. What do you say?"
Since things had been said to this point, it was naturally difficult to decline.
Zhou Hui took a deep breath, and a bit of battle intent ignited in his eyes as he stood and cupped his hands:
"Since Fellow Daoist Gu has extended a generous invitation, then I shall take the liberty."
...
The training ground of Falling Snow Pass was not paved with white jade and blue bricks like the capital.
To adapt to the harsh cold of the north, it was paved with the hardest black basalt.
The years of wind and snow erosion and the hacking of weapons left the ground with a cold, iron-colored sheen. The wind and snow were isolated outside the field by the power of the array.
Zhou Hui stood in the center of the field, his Tianting Sect dharma robe embroidered with cloud patterns moving without any wind.
In his view, although Gu Chengming was strong, it was mostly due to the slaughtering advantage of being a sword cultivator and that sword talisman of Luo Jinyao. When it really came down to complexity of methods and depth of foundation, the Tianting Sect's way of arrays and talismans might not lose.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, please."
Zhou Hui formed a seal with one hand, three crimson talismans held between his fingers. He started with the Tianting Sect's signature move—
—the Nine-Turn Thunder-Fire Talisman.
Gu Chengming's expression was calm, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of Quexie at his waist.
The moment the words fell, Zhou Hui moved.
He did not rush to attack but instead stepped in a ritualistic pattern, his body retreating thirty feet, while simultaneously throwing out the talismans.
Crimson firelight exploded in mid-air, transforming into three ferocious fire snakes. Enveloped in crackling thunder, they sealed off all of Gu Chengming's retreat paths to the left, right, and above.
At the same time, he waved his sleeve, and over a dozen palm-sized array flags took root in the ground. A layer of pale golden light curtain instantly rose, protecting him within.
Both offense and defense were prepared, perfectly seamless.
Facing this oncoming thunder and fire, Gu Chengming advanced instead of retreating.
"Zheng—"
A clear sword chime echoed throughout the field.
Quexie was unsheathed, followed by Tinglan, Zhanjiao, and five other flying swords rising into the air together.
As the sword light flowed, it actually transformed into an airtight sword net around Gu Chengming's body.
Next was Flowing Cloud Following Moon; his body followed the swords. Gu Chengming's form became elusive, like a strand of flowing cloud weaving through the gaps in the thunder and fire.
The moment those three grand fire snakes were about to touch him, they were lightly brushed aside and sliced into pieces by the sword qi surrounding him, dissipating into a sky full of sparks.
—What a fast sword!
Zhou Hui's pupils shrank, his hand seal changing as the array flags glowed brightly.
Activate the array, Dragon Trap!
The spiritual veins beneath the ground were drawn out, and countless earthen-yellow walls rose without warning, attempting to lock Gu Chengming's feet.
The next moment, the six dharma swords hovering in the air suddenly scattered, respectively occupying the six positions of up, down, east, south, west, and north, enveloping Zhou Hui along with his array within.
【Bond/Dharma Sword (6/6): Six-Harmony Sword Array】
"Fall!"
As Gu Chengming pressed his sword finger down, the six dharma swords fell simultaneously.
Zhou Hui felt the flow of spiritual energy around him instantly become incredibly sluggish. His originally smooth-running array light curtain actually emitted an overburdened creak under the pressure of this sword momentum, its light flickering.
"This is... a sword array?!" Zhou Hui was greatly shocked.
For a second realm sword cultivator to be able to control multiple swords was already difficult; those who could form an array were even rarer.
And a sword array like the one before him, which created its own world and was endlessly regenerating, was something he had only seen on the elders within his sect.
Not daring to hold back any longer, Zhou Hui bit his tongue.
"Four Images Defense Array, rotate!" A thick phantom of a green dragon coiled up, attempting to resist the omnipresent sword qi.
However, since Gu Chengming had already unleashed the sword array, he didn't plan on giving the opponent any breathing room.
With a slight thought, the Red Dust Technique quietly operated in his sea of consciousness.
Gu Chengming lightly waved his sword finger, and the imagery within the Six-Harmony Sword Array suddenly shifted.
【Sword Intent: Entanglement】
The green dragon phantom was still roaring in resistance, but under the erosion of this sword intent as thick as glue, it actually seemed to fall into a quagmire. Its movements became slower and slower, and even the spiritual energy circulation within Zhou Hui was affected, becoming sluggish.
"Damn it! What kind of ghostly sword intent is this!"
Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Hui's forehead. He felt as if he were entangled by countless invisible spider threads; every time he tried to mobilize spiritual energy, it took three times the effort of usual.
At this moment, if he didn't use a real trump card, he feared he would lose before he could even touch the corner of the opponent's clothes.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, take this move!"
Zhou Hui roared, and his entire spiritual energy frantically poured into the talisman.
A golden heavenly dragon phantom several yards long formed within the burning talisman paper; this one strike was enough to threaten a third realm cultivator.
Just as that golden dragon was about to swallow Gu Chengming, his figure suddenly became ethereal for a moment.
【Red Dust Phantom Step】
There was no violent fluctuation of spiritual energy, only an extremely unique aura of the red dust, as if it contained all the states of sentient beings, spreading out.
In Zhou Hui's vision, that "Gu Chengming" still stood in place, then raised his sword to meet the golden dragon, and subsequently shattered without a sound.
"A fake?!"
Zhou Hui suddenly turned around, a strong sense of crisis making his scalp feel like it was about to explode.
At some point, the real Gu Chengming had passed through the layers of the array, passed through the aftermath of that still-raging golden dragon, and was standing less than three feet behind him.
All the flying swords had returned to their sheaths.
Gu Chengming did not use a sword.
He merely lowered his waist slightly and pulled back his right arm. At that moment, the ethereal and otherworldly sword cultivator temperament on him vanished completely, replaced by an emperor's pressure so domineering it seemed as if it would shatter the heavens with a single punch.
【Emperor Bai, assist me!】
Zhou Hui wanted to turn around, wanted to sacrifice a defensive treasure, even wanted to crush a transmission talisman.
But under the locking of that terrifying punch intent, he found himself unable to move.
He could only watch helplessly as that fist continuously grew larger in his vision.
Before the fist wind even arrived, the protective spiritual light on his face, which he was so proud of, shattered layer by layer like paper. The fierce wind pressed his facial skin out of shape and stopped his breathing.
"I'm going to die..."
The moment this thought flashed through Zhou Hui's mind, that punch had arrived.
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening explosion rang out on the training ground, as if a dry thunderclap had struck out of nowhere.
A terrifying shockwave centered on the two of them, frantically spreading outward in a ring, instantly evaporating the snow on the ground into white mist.
Zhou Hui tightly closed his eyes, his entire body trembling violently, waiting for the bone-shattering pain to arrive. One breath.
Two breaths.
The expected pain did not appear; he only heard the loud crash of something collapsing beside his ear and felt those bursts of chilling fist wind scraping his cheeks painfully.
He opened his eyes tremblingly.
He saw that Gu Chengming's fist was stopped exactly half an inch from his right ear.
There was no spiritual energy luster on the surface of the fist, only the veins particularly obvious from the exertion and the faint rising heat.
Gu Chengming's expression was calm as he slowly withdrew his fist, then lightly patted a bit of dust off the other's shoulder.
"..."
Zhou Hui stiffly turned his head, looking back along the trajectory of that punch just now.
"Hiss—"
He saw that behind him, the training ground surface paved with black basalt, claimed to be indestructible, now featured a gully dozens of yards long and bottomless.
The rocks on both sides of the gully were entirely pulverized, showing a scorched black state from high-temperature friction.
And at the end of that gully, on the thick protective array light curtain of the training ground, it was now covered in spiderweb-like cracks, teetering on the edge of collapse.
This punch had punched through the ground and almost punched through the array.
If this punch had been off by just an inch...
Zhou Hui touched his still-burning ear, only feeling that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
If it had hit his body, forget a protective treasure, even if his entire self were refined into a treasure, he would probably have been turned into a pile of mush.
Isn't the Wenjian Sect for practicing the sword?! Is this truly a punch that a second realm cultivator can deliver?
"Fellow Daoist Zhou?" Gu Chengming's voice pulled him back from his fear.
Zhou Hui swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He gave a bitter smile and bowed deeply to Gu Chengming.
"I have lost. Senior Brother... Gu is formidable; I am far behind."
This call of 'Senior Brother' was sincere.
In the cultivation world, the accomplished one is the master. Although everyone was in the second realm, the strength Gu Chengming had just displayed had completely exceeded his understanding.
【Hundred Bones Resonating laughed loudly: I think this prodigy is only so-so.】
【And that number two whatever, Emperor Gu, beat her up!】
【Hundred Bones Resonating favorability +5】
"I accept your concession."
Gu Chengming felt it was funny in his heart, but he didn't show too much pride on his face.
He pulled a few top-quality Qi-returning pills from his storage pouch and threw them into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them.
As the medicinal power dissolved, the parched meridians in his body were nourished again, and the paleness in Gu Chengming's face regained a bit of color.
He turned around, his gaze passing over the still-dazed Zhou Hui and landing on the girl who had been quietly watching the battle from the sidelines.
—Xu Huayi.
Ranked second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the pillar of this generation of the Tianting Sect.
The battle intent in Gu Chengming's heart had not subsided with the punch just now; instead, it became increasingly eager because of the strength of his opponent.
He really wanted to know, with his means that combined multiple supreme arts, what kind of chance of winning he would have before this true prodigy.
"Fellow Daoist Xu." Gu Chengming cupped his fists, battle intent burning in his eyes: "Fellow Daoist Zhou has lost, but since Fellow Daoist Xu has come, I wonder if you could grant me some guidance?"
"And let me witness the elegance of the second rank on the Hidden Dragon Ranking."
The wind and snow seemed to pause for a moment at this time.
Hearing this, Zhou Hui subconsciously wanted to speak up to dissuade him.
But seeing Gu Chengming's serious gaze, he swallowed his words back down.
Xu Huayi, in her plain white long dress, looked particularly striking beside this black training ground.
Hearing Gu Chengming's challenge, she did not immediately agree, nor did she show any sign of being offended.
After a moment, she lightly shook her head: "There is no need for a match."
Xu Huayi's voice was very light yet very clear: "With the strength Fellow Daoist Gu has displayed, I admit that without complete preparation, it would be difficult to break the situation within a hundred moves."
She looked at that shocking gully and smiled lightly: "Since Fellow Daoist Gu has already proven his qualification and strength, this pointless struggle is unnecessary."
Gu Chengming was stunned for a moment.
He had originally thought that since the other party represented the Imperial Observatory, they would surely find a way to get involved in the Myriad Wonders Gathering matter, and he had already prepared to fight these two siblings in a gauntlet.
As it turned out, the other party seemed quite reasonable?
Gu Chengming looked at his fist, then at Xu Huayi's figure, and a trace of regret finally rose in his heart after all.
Failing to cross hands with the second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking and see what kind of elegance that legendary "Ten Thousand Mile River-Locking Painting" truly had was really a regretful matter.
【Red Dust Phantom Step also felt a bit of regret: If we couldn't win, we could have used sufficiently underhanded moves.】
Dammit, why are you feeling regretful about such a strange thing?
...
After the commotion at the training ground dissipated, Gu Chengming saw off the two Tianting Sect disciples.
On the other side, Vice Commander Liang Si had also just finished seeing off those Imperial Observatory officials with complex expressions.
Once the idle people had left and the hall doors were tightly closed, only the slight crackling sound of the burning floor heater remained.
"Sit."
Liang Si pointed to the seat below and personally poured a cup of hot tea for Gu Chengming: "Those people from the Imperial Observatory focus on following the heavens and responding to men. Although Zhou Hui and Xu Huayi are geniuses, they are young and easy to talk to after all. Those few accompanying officials are the difficult characters."
Liang Si took a document that had just been drafted from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Gu Chengming:
"This is the result negotiated just now. The control of the Myriad Wonders Gathering remains in your hands, but in exchange, the 'Heavenly Hearing and Earthly Sight Great Array' set up by the Tianting Sect needs to borrow the Myriad Wonders Gathering to calibrate the positions of demon qi."
Gu Chengming picked up the document, scanned it, and nodded: "The Myriad Wonders Gathering was originally for exchanging what one has for what one needs; this is naturally no problem."
"Besides that, regarding that Green-Scaled Eagle King, I also leaked a bit of information to them. The Imperial Observatory takes this very seriously, and that Miss Xu Huayi also seems to have the intention to investigate it." Liang Si spoke after a moment of thought: "People from the Tianting Sect have many life-saving means; it's fine to let her go scout the way."
"It's just that I always feel this demon tide is coming strangely, and that eagle king is even stranger. Gu Chengming, you must also be extra careful during this time. The Myriad Wonders Gathering is now the target of all; if the demon race knows this thing was created by you, I fear there will be assassinations targeted at you."
Gu Chengming nodded, thoughtful.
If that Fellow Daoist Xu was also interested, perhaps they could cooperate?
...
By the time he finished handling that pile of complicated official business and returned to his small courtyard in the Northern Mansion, the sky was already near dusk.
The floor heater inside the room was burning warmly, dispersing the cold from his body.
Yu Wenqiu seemed particularly sensitive to the cold today, her whole self shrinking into the depths of the fox fur on the soft couch.
Seeing Gu Chengming return, she didn't get up or ask about matters outside. She only very naturally moved inward a bit, freeing up half the space, and pointed to a cup of tea that had long since cooled on the table and a plate of nuts in their shells.
Today, she had cast aside her usual elder's posture and lost her previous loud and boisterous energy. Instead, she exuded a soft and dependent air, like a cat that had just woken up.
As for Nuo Tao in the side hall, it was a different scene.
That high-achieving disciple of the Myriad Thief Sect, who was unfortunately caught as a laborer, was currently slumped over the table with no sense of decorum.
At some point, several ink stains had gotten on her face, making her look like a little calico cat that had just crawled out of a coal pile. Although she still held a pen in her hand, her head was nodding up and down, clearly exhausted to the limit.
As if sensing Gu Chengming's arrival, she sat up straight in a panic, hurriedly organizing the scattered ledgers before her, trying to put on a diligent appearance of "I'm working hard, I'm not slacking off."
Gu Chengming found her look quite funny and placed another steamer of still-steaming dim sum on her desk as a meager comfort for this laborer.
Watching the girl's eyes light up the moment she saw food, Gu Chengming took the opportunity to offer her some more encouragement.
Truth be told, the work the girl was doing wasn't strictly necessary; it was just that she would get "itchy hands" whenever she was idle. Rather than letting her out to cause trouble, it was better to find some things for her to do.
With occasional words of encouragement and small rewards, the girl was actually quite enjoying herself.
...
After finishing the day's business, the night had gradually deepened.
The Zi Hour.
Gu Chengming, who had already covered himself with the quilt and was prepared to sleep, suddenly sprang upright from the couch like a reanimating corpse.
The reason was none other than the "inner voice" that arrived punctually at the Zi Hour entering his ears.
It was a blurred, indistinguishable woman's voice.
【This Gu Chengming is really a..., today I saw him and found his hands are so good-looking, his face is so good-looking, good-looking good-looking good-looking, I really want to... him.】
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: ?】
【Huiyuan Sword Art: ?】
Ignoring the reactions of his cultivation techniques, Gu Chengming broke out in a cold sweat. His mind flashed through the people he had seen today like a revolving lantern.
Yu Wenqiu, Nuo Tao, and... Xu Huayi?
—Damn it, is there a Werewolf game segment too?
Rate on N.U.
