The golden ripples dissipated, and the sky returned to silence.
The rule anchored at the cost of an ancient Dao Throne and fueled by the lifelong ambition of a True Monarch was now etched into the deepest layer of this world.
—"World Peace."
Gu Chengming slowly opened his eyes.
In his vision, the once solemn and majestic Heavenly Rites Altar was now nothing but a field of ruins, and on the semi-transparent system panel before him, several lines of text were slowly appearing.
【Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art—Bond CG: World Peace】
【Gentleman is Not a Tool: Your bond with the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art has reached perfection. From now on, the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art will no longer be limited to its single use of "rectifying the heart," but can leave its mark on all the techniques you practice.】
【Peace Legacy: Your resistance to "tampering," "distortion," and "subversion" laws will be greatly increased.】
Gu Chengming read through these two effects carefully, his heart filled with understanding.
Under the effect of this CG, the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art would no longer be just a standalone technique, but could permeate his entire cultivation system like a "base color."
As for "Peace Legacy," it was even more direct. This was the final bit of grace left behind by that True Monarch's ambition across the ages before it dissipated. To put it simply, it was a passive shield specifically designed to counter the Longevity Sect's wicked methods of altering history and polluting Dao Thrones.
Huff, it really feels good to be a Gal Master again after such a long time.
Gu Chengming nodded with satisfaction and began to admire the CG.
In the image, the brilliant golden light filling the sky acted like the dawn, dispelling the eternal long night.
The girl who had always been meticulous, constantly speaking of rules and propriety, was now standing quietly in the center of the light. She had completely abandoned her usual facade of mature dignity and seriousness, her clear and beautiful face covered in tears that wouldn't stop falling like broken strings of pearls.
While she used her wide sleeves to clumsily and haphazardly wipe the corners of her eyes, she couldn't stop the corners of her lips from curving upward, blooming into an unreserved and extremely bright smile.
【Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art looks at you with a smile and speaks quite sincerely: Chengming, you truly are... a first-class gentleman of the world!】
At that moment, the dialogue boxes of the other techniques in his Sea of Consciousness also popped up one after another.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual looks at that CG of the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art and can't help but feel a bit sour】
【It thinks to itself that it feels like there's another one, but then it reconsiders. Given Zhou Li's previous personality, she shouldn't be as much of a threat as the Qingxin Art, right?】
【Maybe it can even form an alliance with her to completely defend its position as the main wife, hehe, ehehe】
【Qingxin Art seems to see through what the Huiyuan Sword Manual is thinking and lets out a light chuckle while covering its mouth】
Gu Chengming found this scene quite amusing.
Only then did he discover something that had been overlooked during the fierce battle.
—At the same moment the favorability of the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art reached one hundred, the "Daoist Connection" CG column for the Red Dust Phantom Step also completely lit up.
That CG progress bar, which had only shown half since it was unlocked, was finally filled to the last slot, turning into a complete golden bar.
Along with the full unlocking of the Daoist Connection CG, the favorability of the Red Dust Phantom Step also rose accordingly, climbing from its previous value and finally settling steadily at eighty.
【Red Dust Phantom Step favorability: 80/Like】
【Agility +2】
Gu Chengming looked at the word "Like," his mood feeling quite subtle.
The Red Dust Phantom Step had always been low-profile to the point of being nearly invisible. On normal days, it didn't compete or show off, either quietly retracting its aura in a corner to repeatedly check for eavesdropping, or using a professional-grade caution to screen for hidden dangers in the surroundings.
Now, even after its CG was unlocked, it hadn't come out to show off its presence. He felt like it was going to end up like that one forgotten background character at this rate.
As if sensing Gu Chengming's attention, a dialogue box popped up.
【Red Dust Phantom Step says with a smile: Fellow Daoist Gu, congratulations on resolving the great enemy】
【Saying this, it seemed to feel it wasn't enough and added: But there are still many dangers on the path of cultivation, and the journey ahead may be even more arduous. I hope you will take this incident as a lesson so you can be more proficient when encountering such dangers in the future】
【Halfway through, the Red Dust Phantom Step paused, hesitating for a moment before deciding to say it: But it doesn't matter even if Fellow Daoist Gu is careless. It will always be by your side to help you avoid danger】
【I hope that in the future, we can truly seek the Great Dao together】
—Well, there were still some changes.
Looking at the "heavy feelings" speech the Red Dust Phantom Step had unintentionally made, Gu Chengming finally experienced its version of "Like."
How should he put it...
He felt like the Red Dust Phantom Step was the type that hid its true self the deepest.
【Qingxin Art saw this and couldn't help but smile as it egged on the Huiyuan Sword Manual: These are the kinds of lines Little Huiyuan should be writing in her notebook. Learn more from this】
【Huiyuan Sword Manual is dazed: Is... is that so?】
Feeling a bit helpless at the Qingxin Art's occasional bouts of mischief, Gu Chengming was about to say a few words when another dialogue box popped up.
【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 reminds you: Emperor Gu, remember to search the bodies for loot...】
—Oh right, the essential post-battle phase.
Gu Chengming nodded, but in the next moment—
【Hundred Bones Resonating seemed to notice something as its speech suddenly halted, before it erupted in fury: What's going on? Where's my loot?!】
Reminded by the Hundred Bones Resonating, Gu Chengming finally noticed that no storage pouch had been left where the Fifth Realm great cultivator, the Master of the Longevity Path-Choking Chessboard, had been punched to death. Even that Dao Throne Wonder was gone.
He didn't blow the storage pouch apart along with him, did he?
Gu Chengming's mood was subtle.
【Hundred Bones Resonating also seemed to realize this, its anger suddenly subsiding as it felt a bit guilty】
【It... it shouldn't be, right? It was careful not to blow the storage pouch apart...】
...
Ruins were everywhere on the altar.
Gu Chengming closed the system panel and refocused his attention on reality.
The first person he saw was Zhou Qingmu.
The Director of the Daqian Night Guard Division was kneeling on one knee at the edge of the broken altar, using the Night Severance horizontal blade as a crutch to support her body.
The traces of erosion from the Miasma Tide while she was receiving the Dao Throne inheritance had not yet completely faded. There were still a few faint black patterns on her right arm, but her aura had stabilized. Clearly, she had escaped danger the moment Gu Chengming severed the Dao Throne connection.
However, the look she was giving Gu Chengming right now was truly subtle.
The current situation was roughly like this: you had prepared a heroic final speech for your death, but halfway through, your Third Realm subordinate suddenly dropped from the sky, pulled you back from the brink of death, and casually flipped the entire table of ruins in front of you upside down.
If you were to say you were grateful, you certainly were.
But if you were to say you were confused, you truly were.
She couldn't understand how she could have been in the stage of merging with the Dao Throne, with the power of the inheritance binding to her dao foundation in an irreversible way—in such a state, even a fellow Fifth Realm great cultivator could never have stripped the Dao Throne from her body.
But Gu Chengming had done it.
A Third Realm cultivator had used a method she couldn't understand at all to forcibly sever the inheritance link between an ancient Dao Throne and a Fifth Realm great cultivator.
What kind of technique was this?
It wasn't that Zhou Qingmu didn't have guesses.
The most reasonable explanation was that "Red Dust Technique," but where exactly was the upper limit of the Red Dust Technique? How could a technique from the Hehuan Sect interfere with an inheritance at the Dao Throne level?
These questions churned in her heart for a moment before she finally handled them in her very personal style.
—Never mind, if I can't figure it out, I won't think about it.
In any case, the result was good. No one died, the Miasma Tide was cleared, and the Longevity Sect's conspiracy was shattered.
As for the details that were so outrageous they made one wonder if their hundreds of years of cultivation had been for nothing—that could wait for later.
Zhou Qingmu stood up using her blade, stretched her somewhat stiff shoulders, and walked toward Gu Chengming.
In the distance, Shen Qianqiu also sheathed his sword.
The Master of the Thousand-Face World-Reflecting Mirror, who had been firmly suppressed by him, had decisively chosen to flee the moment he felt the Dao Throne shatter and the Miasma Tide dissipate. The cloaked figure was swift and efficient, running faster than a rabbit without leaving a single parting word.
Shen Qianqiu did not pursue. Given his current state, he might not be able to keep the opponent even if he caught up. Besides, more important matters were here at the altar.
He flew his sword down to the ruins of the altar, meeting up with Ren Wencai and Xu Huayi, who had hurried over upon hearing the news.
The dust in all directions had not yet settled, but the sky of Tianque had regained its clarity.
That "World Peace" rule, forever etched into heaven and earth, was spreading through the entire secret realm in an extremely gentle manner. Wherever it passed, the remaining Miasma Tide vanished into nothingness, and the distorted spatial structures began to repair themselves.
Watching this, Ren Wencai then looked at his disciple, who was covered in blood and dressed in rags but standing straight. His lips moved; he wanted to say something.
Something like "you did well, kid" or "as expected of my disciple," but when the words reached his mouth, the old man instead blurted out:
"How are your injuries? You brat, really... how could you dare to do something so dangerous?!"
Feeling the concern and anxiety in his master's words, Gu Chengming felt a warmth in his heart. He raised his hand to show he was fine, but ended up losing his footing and staggering. Fortunately, he was caught by the quick-acting Zhou Qingmu.
Xu Huayi stood to the side. She actually hadn't fully processed what had just happened, and only silently put away her judge's pen, adding another thick entry to the "Gu Chengming Outrageous Deeds Record."
This record had grown so thick by now that it was almost thicker than her sect's inheritance classics.
However, everyone's attention soon converged on a single point.
—The Dao Throne was gone.
It had been directly shattered by Gu Chengming and turned into a rule. This was an unheard-of operation in the history of Tianque, or even the entire cultivation world.
A Dao Throne was a brand of the Heavenly Dao, the condensation of an ancient powerhouse's lifelong legacy, and an opportunity that countless cultivators spent hundreds of years desperately seeking. To waste a treasure like this...
Shen Qianqiu stood by the ruins, silent for a long time.
As a Fifth Realm great cultivator, he understood the value of a Dao Throne all too well. If Gu Chengming had chosen to claim this Dao Throne for himself, even if it was mixed with a large amount of pollution, with the methods he had shown before, he might have been able to slowly purify it in the future.
Once successful, that would be a direct path to the Fifth Realm or even higher. But he had chosen the most "unprofitable" path, releasing all the power of the Dao Throne along with the True Monarch's ambition to anchor it as a rule of heaven and earth.
Any person present would find it difficult to say they could have done the same without any selfishness.
Shen Qianqiu suddenly felt a bit relieved that it was Gu Chengming who had obtained the Dao Throne, and also glad that the Wenjian Sect had produced such a disciple. Looking at the battered but high-spirited Gu Chengming, a sentence suddenly popped into his mind.
—This is how we sword cultivators should be.
...
The group took a short break to rest.
After Zhou Qingmu handled her remaining injuries, she walked over to Gu Chengming.
"Sit."
She casually cleared a flat spot on the pile of rubble, sat down cross-legged without ceremony, and patted the spot next to her.
Gu Chengming sat down as instructed.
Zhou Qingmu's expression was calm. With her carefree nature, she could never bring herself to say sentimental words like "you saved my life." she just remained silent for a few breaths before speaking in an almost conversational tone.
"About earlier, thank you."
Gu Chengming didn't act coy either and nodded: "It was my duty."
Zhou Qingmu glanced at him and suddenly let out a light laugh: "Your duty? A Third Realm vice commander calling the life and death of his Fifth Realm superior his 'duty'?"
Gu Chengming: "...Director, your subordinate was just being polite."
"Fine, then." Zhou Qingmu gave a spirited smile.
After a brief silence, she took the initiative to bring up another matter.
"That Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art you practice, you should already know its origin."
Gu Chengming nodded. In the karma resonance earlier, he had clearly "seen" everything.
"The Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art is derived from the 'Heavenly Rectifying Art' of the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying True Monarch." Zhou Qingmu spoke in a very flat tone, as if stating a fact that had long been settled.
"The technique I have practiced since childhood is built upon the foundation of the True Monarch's legacy, which was then improved and specialized by generations of predecessors in my sect. In a sense, there is a direct lineage of inheritance between that True Monarch and me."
"As for the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art in your hands..."
Zhou Qingmu looked at Gu Chengming and said after some consideration: "From the perspective of lineage, if you were to force it, you could barely be considered half a legitimate successor?"
Gu Chengming's mood was subtle, but he didn't delve further into this topic. Instead, he steered the conversation toward a direction he cared more about.
"Director, that Master of the Longevity Path-Choking Chessboard from earlier... he didn't leave anything behind when he died."
"The Dao Throne Wonder dissipated; that's understandable, as he sacrificed it to trigger the pollution. But his own remains, storage pouch, and dharma treasures are all gone, as if they vanished into thin air."
Most importantly, Gu Chengming's multiplier for "Emperor Bai, help me" hadn't even increased after killing him.
Normally, a Fifth Realm cultivator should at least increase the multiplier by about one, but there had been absolutely no movement.
Gu Chengming carefully chose his words, omitting certain details that were difficult to explain.
"And according to his Fifth Realm cultivation and the heavy slaughter karma on him, his fall should have at least left some kind of 'feedback' within the laws of Tianque. But in reality, there was nothing, as if this person never existed in this world from the beginning."
After those words fell, Zhou Qingmu was silent for a long time before saying: "Perhaps because he is not someone who exists in the current world."
These words surprised Gu Chengming. Not someone who exists in the current world?
A living Fifth Realm great cultivator, wielding a Dao Throne Wonder, who had fought them with real weapons and even sacrificed his Dao Throne to trigger a thousand-year conspiracy—how could such a person not exist in the current world?
"Do you know what position the Fifth Realm holds within the Longevity Sect?" Zhou Qingmu asked in return.
Gu Chengming thought for a moment: "Near Heaven?"
Fifth Realm cultivators were very scarce to begin with. Looking at the entire Daqian, the Fifth Realm great cultivators in the major sects combined were only a few.
The Longevity Sect had eight "Near Heaven" elders, almost every one of whom was at the Fifth Realm. This was the greatest foundation that allowed the Longevity Sect to stand as equals against the righteous path of Daqian.
"But that person was not any of the Longevity Sect's eight Near Heavens." Zhou Qingmu's words gave Gu Chengming a bit more clarity. He asked: "Then..."
"He was a Longevity Sect elder who should have died thousands of years ago, known as 'Long-Life Chess.'" As she spoke, Zhou Qingmu took out a yellowed classic from her storage pouch and handed it to Gu Chengming.
"This is an ancient record I obtained along with the Dao Throne in the Zhou Shrine. Part of it involves the internal structure of the Longevity Sect from thousands of years ago."
Gu Chengming took the classic and opened it to look closely.
Thousands of years ago, before the catastrophe later known as the "Great Calamity" arrived, the landscape of the cultivation world was completely different from today. Although Sixth Realm cultivators were still rare, they were far from as scarce as they were now. At that time, the Longevity Sect was in its prime, its reputation illustrious and not at all weaker than any of the major righteous sects.
The "Near Heaven" of the Longevity Sect back then also represented the highest rank within the sect, but unlike today, the Near Heaven elders of that time were almost all cultivators who occupied a Dao Throne, each being a "half-step celestial" in the true sense.
On one page of the classic, an old story about a Near Heaven was recorded.
It spoke of a Longevity Sect Near Heaven elder named "Red Dust Immortal."
The true name of the Red Dust Immortal was unknown; it was only known that he had grown up in an extremely prosperous family. However, the word "prosperous" in the context of the cultivation world was far from the worldly accumulation of gold and silver—it was a behemoth that possessed several spirit veins, with every child of the family being a cultivator.
The Red Dust Immortal had extraordinary talent, and the family poured almost all their resources into him. He did not disappoint those expectations, advancing triumphantly and finally stepping into the Fifth Realm before the age of a hundred, becoming the youngest Near Heaven elder in the history of the Longevity Sect.
Throughout this legendary cultivation career, there was always one person by his side. That person was not some genius or hidden expert, but just an ordinary servant in the Red Dust Immortal's household.
Similarly, no one knew his name, only that he was called Long-Life Chess.
From the time the Red Dust Immortal was still in his swaddling clothes, Long-Life Chess had been his personal attendant.
The two were far apart in age and vastly different in status—one was a legitimate son of a great family born with spirit jade in his mouth, while the other was an old family servant who had signed a death contract. When the Red Dust Immortal practiced his cultivation, the old servant would follow behind him to serve tea and water.
When the Red Dust Immortal first began his cultivation, the old servant was still struggling at the threshold of the first realm. When the Red Dust Immortal reached the Third Realm, the old servant had barely stepped into the first realm.
Afterward, the Red Dust Immortal's cultivation soared, and the old servant always followed by his side. When the Red Dust Immortal became a Near Heaven elder and became famous throughout the world, the old servant was already a Fourth Realm cultivator.
Someone once asked the old servant: "You are already a Fourth Realm cultivator, why do you still consider yourself a servant? With your cultivation, where could you not find an elder's position?" The old servant just smiled and said: "Others can't do this job."
Even when the old servant reached the Fifth Realm, he still considered himself the "old servant of the Red Dust Immortal." The classic's record of this was only a short sentence—"Long-Life Chess, a Fifth Realm cultivator and servant of the Red Dust Immortal, never changed his resolve throughout his life."
After that came the Great Calamity.
The details of the Great Calamity were vague in the classic, only mentioning a certain existence at that time—
—"Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch."
The final records regarding Long-Life Chess were only a few lines. During the Great Calamity, the Longevity Sect suffered heavy losses, the Red Dust Immortal's whereabouts became unknown, and Long-Life Chess encountered the Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch while trying to find his master.
The result was without suspense. The world-renowned Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch of that time didn't even need to draw his sword before this old servant's life and dao were extinguished.
The classic ended there.
Gu Chengming closed the classic and was silent for a moment: "So, he actually died thousands of years ago?"
"Yes."
Zhou Qingmu's tone held a hint of solemnity: "A person who has been dead for thousands of years could appear in Tianque with the full strength of a Fifth Realm great cultivator, wielding a Dao Throne Wonder, and even manage to vanish 'without leaving a single trace' after sacrificing himself... This is also why I said things are very troublesome."
Because she also didn't know how the Longevity Sect managed to do this.
Was it some kind of forbidden resurrection art? Or did the Longevity Sect master some method to "extract" the dead from history?
Or... was this related to their core ability to alter history and pollute Dao Thrones?
If it was the last possibility, it meant the Longevity Sect's methods were far more unfathomable than anyone imagined. They could not only alter the "records" of history but might even have the ability to pull "figures" from history back into the current world.
The two fell into another silence.
Well, although there were still doubts that hadn't been cleared up, there was no doubt that the Longevity Sect's chess game in Tianque had been smashed to pieces by Gu Chengming's punch.
Although the inheritance of the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying True Monarch's Dao Throne had dissipated, the "World Peace" rule it left behind would be forever etched between heaven and earth. This rule not only purified all the remaining Miasma Tide within Tianque but also fundamentally blocked any possibility of the Longevity Sect using a Dao Throne for pollution in the future.
In any case, this matter could be considered successfully resolved.
"From now on, you'd better be extra careful."
Zhou Qingmu stood up, brushed the dust off her robes, and her tone suddenly became a bit more serious: "The Longevity Sect cannot possibly be unaware of what you did in Tianque. Next, what targets you will likely no longer be those lackeys from before, but true Near Heavens."
Gu Chengming gave an affirmative response, thinking to himself that he had actually already killed one-third of the true Near Heavens.
But it was naturally good to be careful, and the Longevity Sect...
How did the Longevity Sect seem to get more troublesome the more he advanced? When he was in the second realm, he always felt the Longevity Sect was just some random group on the side of the road.
With these thoughts in his heart, Gu Chengming still responded solemnly: "Your subordinate understands."
Hearing Gu Chengming's proper answer, Zhou Qingmu suddenly paused for a moment.
She slightly turned her head, pretending to admire the scenery of the Tianque ruins, one hand seemingly unintentionally stroking the hilt of her blade, her tone becoming somewhat casual.
"Of course, it's easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. The best way is to find someone with enough ability to protect you."
She turned her head, her clear eyes staring straight at Gu Chengming as she pretended to say casually:
"How about you move into my mansion once we return to the capital?"
"?"
A question mark appeared over Gu Chengming's head.
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