To be honest, Gu Chengming was quite bothered by the fact that people were peeking at his residence from time to time.
He could sense them, but since they only took a quick look and left, he had no real reason to force them away.
As time passed, he simply ignored it. It didn't affect his sword practice, after all.
He was actually much more concerned about something else.
After successfully using the 《Yin Yang Creation Strategy》 to create a Sword Domain prototype, Gu Chengming was eager to test its effects within the Hundred Bones Resonating of Love.
His previous attempts had proven that conventional damage could not even touch the opponent's defensive floor. Even his 'Emperor Bai, assist me' move, stacked with all sorts of monkey show buffs, had only managed to force the phantom back a single step.
But a Sword Domain was different. It was a completely new independent multiplier zone, separate from spiritual energy, techniques, and vitality. If he could execute that monkey show combo while his Sword Domain was active, the theoretical damage increase would be an exponential leap.
The problem was that the only Sword Domain he could barely manifest right now was a Hehuan Sect Sword Domain. It used the 《Yin Yang Creation Strategy》 as its core and integrated the Entanglement trait of the 《Huiyuan Sword Manual》.
Well, using this to fight a boss made him feel like he was playing an adult game.
Gu Chengming told himself that a sword cultivator should not be bound by convention, then closed his eyes and activated 【Hundred Bones Resonating of Love】.
The moment the scene shifted, the familiar iron gray sky and dark red wasteland came into view.
Gales howled, and dust filled the air.
In the center of the training ground, that valiant figure in martial attire remained in her usual stance.
The Hundred Bones Resonating Phantom didn't even lift her eyelids when she saw Gu Chengming appear. She even gave an extremely perfunctory yawn.
Both sides were already intimately familiar with this routine.
But this time, Gu Chengming did not rush to pull out his collection of bottles and jars to stack buffs. Instead, he stood his ground and slowly expanded his Sword Domain.
As the soft pink light covered the dark red rocks, the originally piercing wind suddenly slowed down. The air grew viscous as the pink Sword Domain prototype slowly unfolded across the training ground.
The reaction of the Hundred Bones Resonating Phantom made Gu Chengming's spirit rise. Her originally lazy posture underwent a visible change.
Her open arms stiffened slightly, and her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Her body experienced a momentary pause, as if something were pressing down on her shoulders, forcing her to mobilize a trace of power to resist.
As the Sword Domain expanded, the Entanglement trait of the 《Huiyuan Sword Manual》 transformed into countless invisible threads of spiritual energy. They wrapped densely around the phantom. Previously, when he used the sword array and the Entanglement sword intent, the suppression effect had been negligible, and the phantom could ignore it almost entirely.
But a Sword Domain was different. This was elevating a technique trait to the level of a 'field,' a literal rewriting of the rules of the space.
The phantom's movements slowed visibly. She finally turned her gaze toward Gu Chengming, and for the first time, a flash of curiosity crossed her eyes.
Gu Chengming did not give her any more time to observe.
With a flick of his hand, the Soul Condensing Incense was lit.
Pale purple smoke entered his nasal cavity, causing his Sea of Consciousness to vibrate violently. His mental power was forcibly gathered to its critical point.
The Jiao Reverse Scale Pill went down his throat. A crimson, malevolent force rampaged through his meridians, causing his vitality to climb to a dangerous peak.
The Tenfold Sword Array expanded to half completion, its sharp resonance augmenting his right fist. He crushed the Bone Corroding Heart Rotting Pot, letting the poisonous miasma invade his meridians. The Golden Body Sacred Embryo Pill and Dragon Saliva Treasure Soup barely protected his heart. Finally, he threw the Eternal Karma Fire Stone into the sword array. Pitch black flames spread along the patterns, and the power of a wicked curse poured into his fist.
Gu Chengming performed this entire fluid sequence of monkey show maneuvers with extreme proficiency. And above all this, that pink Sword Domain continued to shroud the entire training ground.
"Emperor Bai, assist me!"
The void tore open, and a sonic boom like thunder erupted. The terrifying power gathered in his fist, carrying the suppression of the Sword Domain, the strangulation of the sword array, and the augmentation of various potent medicines, struck toward the phantom's chest with the world burning might of eternal fire.
This time, the phantom did not casually raise her hand as she usually did. The slowing effect of the Entanglement Sword Domain dragged her reaction speed down by a crucial half a beat.
The fist landed.
Boom!!!
A dull impact echoed across the training ground.
The phantom's body shook violently. She slid back a full three steps before stabilizing herself.
Last time, with all his buffs, she had only moved one step. This time, she had moved three.
By now, Gu Chengming could barely stand. His legs were weak, and his vision was blurred.
Just as he was about to collapse, the phantom stepped forward. She didn't deliver a casual follow up punch to blast him out of the simulation as she usually did. Instead, she reached out and naturally supported his shoulder.
The phantom leaned down slightly, bringing her face close to his. Her valiant features, identical to the personified image of 《Hundred Bones Resonating》, were inches away. Then, she spoke in a clear, bright voice.
"As expected, in all the heavens, only you are worthy of walking by my side."
"Emperor Gu—would you be willing to be my imperial consort and rule these heavens with me?"
Gu Chengming: "..."
【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 was absolutely furious: Emperor Gu is mine—!!!】
【You fake! How dare you covet Emperor Gu! I am the only true Emperor! Emperor Gu can only rule the heavens with me! There is no room for you!】
Gu Chengming thought to himself that the focus of their anger was completely misplaced.
The phantom seemed to completely ignore the roar of the original Hundred Bones Resonating. She looked in its direction with a condescending gaze, her eyes even carrying a hint of pity. Her meaning was clear: You are too weak; he deserves someone stronger.
【Hundred Bones Resonating was thoroughly enraged by that look, yet it couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.】
【If it couldn't even overcome its own limit, how could it claim to protect Emperor Gu?】
The phantom withdrew her gaze and looked back at Gu Chengming. She reached out and playfully tilted his chin up, just as she had before. Her valiant eyes were filled with absolute determination.
Gu Chengming looked at the phantom so close to him, and only one thought remained in his mind.
Things had gotten out of hand. Time to leave.
Using his will, he cut the connection to the Laboratory of Love. The dark red training ground and iron gray sky collapsed in a blinding white light, dissipating into countless fragments.
In reality, Gu Chengming snapped his eyes open. He gasped for air, his back soaked in cold sweat. The dull pain in his right arm persisted, but fortunately, there was no serious damage.
【The voice of Hundred Bones Resonating was much lower than usual: Emperor Gu, can we still win against her?】
Finding it a bit funny, Gu Chengming held up three fingers. "Last time it was one step, this time it was three. Next time, it might be five or ten. Once I get the Blood Burning Breakthrough Pearl from the Sect Grand Competition, we'll try again."
He looked at the panel in the void that only he could see. "Sooner or later, I'll beat her into the ground."
【Hundred Bones Resonating suddenly stood tall, its previous dejection vanishing instantly: Well said! A mere fake will be trampled underfoot sooner or later!】
【And! That fake talking about being an imperial consort is simply outrageous! Emperor Gu's consort can only be... no, Emperor Gu doesn't need to be anyone's consort! Emperor Gu is an Emperor himself!】
Gu Chengming noticed that Hundred Bones Resonating had changed its sentence halfway through, but he didn't feel like digging into it. He simply gave a helpless smile.
Although this attempt had ended in failure again, Gu Chengming was quite happy. This trial had confirmed his suspicions.
First, the suppression effect of the Sword Domain far exceeded his expectations. Even a pink domain in its prototype state had caused the phantom to experience visible hesitation and delay.
This proved that a Sword Domain was indeed an additional multiplier separate from all other means, possessing a pure multiplicative relationship with his monkey show buff system.
Second, the armor breaking effect of the Entanglement trait in the Sword Domain state was extremely significant.
Previously, hitting her felt like hitting a membrane, but this time, his fist had truly struck her physical body. This meant the continuous effect of the Sword Domain could gradually dismantle the phantom's protective qi. Although the degree of dismantling was currently limited, as long as the domain lasted long enough and the concentration of the technique trait was high enough, he could theoretically strip away that defense entirely.
It had to be said, Emperor Bai's physical strength was truly exaggerated.
If not for the fact that using 'Emperor Bai, assist me' prevented him from suffering recoil, Gu Chengming suspected that the shockwave from that punch would have shattered his own body.
"So Emperor Bai's limit is even more exaggerated than a Dao Throne Wonder..."
Gu Chengming muttered to himself.
【Hundred Bones Resonating puffed out its chest: Of course! How can this Emperor be compared to mundane things like a Dao Throne?】
Fine, as long as you're happy.
...
Days passed quietly in a cycle of cultivation and sparring.
Ever since Su Qingmeng had grasped the prototype of her own Sword Domain during their duel, the frequency of her visits to Gu Chengming had not decreased. Instead, it had become more regular.
Every morning, when Gu Chengming opened his courtyard gate, nine times out of ten, he would see a figure in pure white standing there perfectly upright.
She would be holding her sword, her expression calm and her eyes bright.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, good morning. Shall we practice?"
This sentence had become Su Qingmeng's fixed opening every day. Gu Chengming sometimes felt like he should put up a sign at his gate that said 'Business Hours: Nine to Five.'
However, despite his grumbling, Gu Chengming didn't actually mind these sessions.
He had to admit that on some levels, Su Qingmeng's understanding of the sword was indeed deeper than his own. His advantage lay in raw stats and his understanding of individual techniques, but in terms of pure insight into swordplay itself, Su Qingmeng was the true genius.
Therefore, these sparring sessions were equally rewarding for Gu Chengming.
Fighting a pure sword genius like Su Qingmeng forced him to return to the most basic sword techniques. Through their exchanges, his own swordplay was being polished unconsciously.
Gu Chengming's favorability toward Su Qingmeng increased!
Of course, if he had to pick one thing that gave him a headache, it was the way Su Qingmeng acted outside of their sparring... she had become something of a natural follower.
However, the changes in Su Qingmeng did not seem so lighthearted in the eyes of the Daoning Gate.
Daoning Gate, Main Hall.
Elder Jingxuan sat on a prayer mat. On the table before her sat a cup of spiritual tea that had long since gone cold. Opposite her sat two other senior female elders of the Daoning Gate, both looking utterly helpless.
"Senior Sister Jingxuan, you have to do something about this." The first to speak was a lean female elder, who was currently rubbing her aching temples. "The female disciples in the sect are becoming more and more outrageous."
"How outrageous?" Elder Jingxuan asked, knowing the answer full well.
The lean elder sighed. "Starting from last month, every evening, disciples have been running to the back mountain of the Huiyuan Gate. At first, it was just three or five people sneaking a peek. I thought it was just the curiosity of youth, so I turned a blind eye."
"And now?"
"Now it has turned into thirty or fifty." Elder Jingxuan's eyelid twitched.
"Those girls even organized a duty roster for themselves. Who goes on which day, which path to take, and which slope offers the clearest view—everything is perfectly planned. The spiritual herbs on that back slope have been plucked nearly bald. I doubt they can even come up with new excuses anymore." Another slightly older elder finally couldn't help but interject.
"Several disciples who used to be extremely diligent have seen their performance slip. They are distracted during meditation and constantly lose focus during sword practice."
"Enough, say no more."
Elder Jingxuan took a deep breath and looked out the hall doors toward the snow covered peaks. Forget the disciples; her own sect's Dao Child was a bigger headache now.
To say Su Qingmeng was siding with an outsider was an understatement.
She had practically treated the small courtyard in the Huiyuan Gate back mountain as her own home. She went every morning and returned every evening, rain or shine, more punctual than morning lessons. She always returned with new injuries, but she also returned smiling like an idiot every single time.
Where did this idiot come from? Was this still their cold and aloof Dao Child of the Daoning Gate?
Elder Jingxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But thinking carefully, she really couldn't blame Gu Chengming.
Had Gu Chengming done anything outrageous? No. He was just practicing his own sword in his own courtyard, without even stepping past his gate.
It was the Daoning Gate disciples who were climbing mountains to peek at him, and it was the Daoning Gate Dao Child who was going there punctually every day to get beaten. How could anyone argue with that?
"Forget it."
Elder Jingxuan finally made a decision. "As for Su Qingmeng, I will talk to her and see if her dao heart has been affected. If her sword heart is still intact, then her sparring with Gu Chengming is ultimately beneficial to her cultivation. We don't need to interfere excessively."
"As for those female disciples, tell them that starting tomorrow, they will be the ones assigned to the evening mountain patrols. Since they love the back mountain so much, they can handle the patrols and herb gathering together. It will save them from making up those clumsy excuses and embarrassing themselves everywhere."
The two female elders looked at each other and could only manage a bitter smile as they complied.
...
When news reached the ears of Sect Master Shen Qianqiu, the head of the Wenjian Sect was currently tasting tea in his study.
"Elder Jingxuan of the Daoning Gate sent a message saying she wants to discuss the issue of the female disciples with the Sect Master." The messenger disciple spoke very tactfully, but Shen Qianqiu was an old hand. He could guess what was happening as soon as he heard it.
He held his tea cup and fell into a brief silence.
He had actually heard rumors about the Daoning Gate disciples flocking to the back mountain of the Huiyuan Gate long ago.
As the Sect Master, he was aware of every little thing that happened in the sect.
But Gu Chengming was just practicing his own sword in his own courtyard. What wrong had he done?
The Daoning Gate disciples hadn't violated any sect rules either. They were just walking in the back mountain to pick herbs and happened to pass by the Huiyuan Gate territory to watch a fellow disciple practice. What wrong had they done?
Shen Qianqiu set down his tea cup and waved his hand at the disciple.
"Reply to Elder Jingxuan. Say that I am aware of the matter and will handle it appropriately." He would stick to his favorite strategy of muddying the waters.
...
As the person at the center of it all, Gu Chengming remained oblivious.
After all, there was a more important silly child who needed his attention.
Ever since the last defeat, Emperor Bai had begun researching 'Bai-style' speeches.
Things like, "You fake! Next time I will definitely make you kneel and beg for mercy!" or "No, I must become stronger than her! Only then can I protect Emperor Gu from being coveted by people like that!" or even "When the sun rises, forget about yesterday."
Gu Chengming didn't bother to correct whether the word 'protect' was appropriate. He just gave a perfunctory "Mhm, mhm" to offer some comfort.
The techniques nearby had varied reactions.
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual was resting its chin on its hands, happily reminiscing about its recent intimate moments with Chengming, not listening to a word Hundred Bones Resonating said.】
【The Qingxin Art said with a giggle: It seems the conquest difficulty for Hundred Bones Resonating is much higher than imagined.】
【The Yin Yang Creation Strategy looked satisfied: Regardless, that Sword Domain was manifested using my traits. The reason the phantom was suppressed was ultimately thanks to me.】
【Hundred Bones Resonating became even more furious upon hearing this.】
The autumn wind blew across the back mountain of the Huiyuan Gate, scattering a withered leaf from a plum branch.
On the distant slope, several white figures were squatting behind the bushes, heads huddled together, eyes unblinking as they stared at the green robed figure meditating in the small courtyard below.
"Senior Brother is so handsome today."
"Senior Brother is handsome every day."
"Shh—keep it down."
Autumn deepened, and the day of the Sect Grand Competition drew closer.
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