Chapter 172 | The Galgame Martial Saint

The day after being conferred as the Holy Son, Gu Chengming began participating in the internal affairs of the Hunyuan Sect.

The Dao Plague waited for no one.

For two full days, he followed the records and directed the elders to add three temporary restrictions deep within the spirit veins.

The scene during the work was quite striking: the young Third Realm Holy Son stood steadily in the center of the array, holding blueprints and pointing out positions, while a group of Fourth and Fifth Realm sect veterans squatted in the mud, huffing and puffing as they carved array patterns.

Fortunately, no one complained.

Elders Feng and Zhao were like startled birds, only seeking to perform well. Elder Qian already admired him and didn't hesitate at all.

Seeing Feng and Zhao's cowering state, the other elders automatically filled in the "miserable end of offending the Holy Son" in their minds, naturally working hard without complaint.

Once the three defensive lines were completed, the leak of the Dao Plague was finally suppressed within a safe margin. However, this was merely a temporary fix; with the cross-reference array connected to the Yunyue Sect, patching only the Hunyuan Sect side was ultimately a treatment of symptoms rather than the root cause.

Going to the Yunyue Sect was inevitable, but before setting off, Gu Chengming encountered a trouble not written in the walkthrough.

He squatted in the ruins for a long time, pinching a strand of grayish-black aura from the bottom of the wreckage. It lay dormant deep within the spirit veins, not a derivative of the Dao Plague, but genuine malice from cultivators.

At first, Gu Chengming thought it was a coincidence, but the behavior of several inner sect disciples moving bricks nearby made him realize it wasn't that simple.

"Last month, when sparring with those sour scholars from Wenjian Valley, I was just about to win when the senior brother called it off!" a broad-shouldered disciple grumbled.

"Call it off my ass! Just break them and be done with it. Those sword cultivators with their thin arms and legs dare to come and pick a fight?" a companion with a fleshy face snorted coldly.

Another person chimed in, "Doesn't everyone outside mock us body cultivators for being crude? Then let's be crude and show them what's what."

As the three spoke, their anger flared, and their blood qi surged. The grayish-black malice actually seeped out of them, climbing along the spirit veins to the edges of the newly patched array patterns, forcing out two cracks.

Gu Chengming looked at the cracks, his brow furrowing slightly... several guesses formed in his heart.

It seemed the Dao Plague also fed on malice. Repairing the seals was just a temporary measure; they had to uproot the malice to truly solve the problem.

This conclusion wasn't hard to reach, but saying "lowering malice" was easy; doing it was a hundred times harder than repairing seals.

The Hunyuan Sect was founded on body tempering, and its disciples acted fiercely.

Unfortunately, the cultivation world had its own hierarchy of contempt: sword cultivators were aloof, talisman cultivators were elegant, and pill cultivators were noble, while only body cultivators were labeled as "crude martial artists." Sword cultivators who lost called body cultivators brutes; pill cultivators found them an eyesore during Dao discussions; even at grand assemblies, body cultivators were often seated near the bottom.

Over time, the Hunyuan Sect felt stifled and resentful, and malice grew. They had even forced out a twisted logic: if you think I'm crude, I'll be crude to the end.

They began to spar without restraint. Breaking a sword cultivator's wrist was to teach them a lesson; snapping someone's life-bound flying sword was just their lack of skill; tearing up the painstakingly refined talismans of a talisman cultivator was their fault for standing too close.

When criticized afterward, they used a unified excuse to brush it off: "This is just how we body cultivators are. If you're afraid of pain, don't come." The worse their reputation became, the more the outside world rejected them; the more they were rejected, the more ruthlessly the disciples struck—a complete dead end.

Sect Master Song Heng had pulled out countless hairs over this, trying confinement, withholding stipends, and punishing them with copying sect rules, but it was all in vain. The heavier the punishment, the more the disciples felt "our own people are bullying us," leading them to band together and become more protective, making the malice even stronger.

Song Heng had tried to solve this problem for many years without success, until Gu Chengming took over.

"We need a face-to-face talk."

Inside the Holy Son's residence, Gu Chengming sat behind his desk and spoke to Hua Daiyi, who had come to report the progress of the seal repairs.

Hua Daiyi's hand, holding a wine flask, hung in mid-air. "A face-to-face talk? With whom?"

Gu Chengming pushed a thick register forward, which listed in detail the bloody incidents caused by inner sect disciples in external sparring over the past three years.

Hua Daiyi leaned in to scan it and gasped. There were sixty-seven people on the list, even involving the direct disciples of several elders.

"Chengming, are you serious?"

Hua Daiyi lowered his voice, looking troubled. "These brats mostly stick together. If you call the leaders for a lecture, the people below definitely won't be convinced. If a group of them blocks the Holy Son's residence demanding an explanation, it won't look good for anyone."

Gu Chengming smiled upon hearing this. "Martial Uncle, there's no need to worry. I have my own ways."

Hua Daiyi was speechless. The deathly pale expression of Elder Feng and the way Elder Zhao had been as despondent as a wilted eggplant for several days irrepressibly surfaced in his mind. The aged wine in his hand suddenly lost its flavor.

"Just what kind of procedure is this 'face-to-face talk' of yours?" Gu Chengming smiled without saying a word, but Hua Daiyi felt a violent shiver.

...

The first contestant was Zhou Dazhuang, ranked seventh in the inner sect.

He lived up to his name—broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a Third Realm middle-stage cultivation. In last year's joint martial arts assembly, he had punched the Wenjian Valley's chief disciple off the stage, breaking three of his ribs and snapping his life-bound flying sword in two, even stepping on the man's head to humiliate him.

Afterward, facing the fury of Wenjian Valley, Zhou Dazhuang stood on the stage with his arms crossed and chuckled. "You sword cultivators are too weak. Is that my fault too?"

Once these words were spoken, they spread widely in the cultivation world, successfully dragging the Hunyuan Sect's reputation down even further.

Now, this notorious troublemaker within the sect was the first name on Gu Chengming's list.

At this moment, this Zhou the Bully marched into the main hall with his head held high, his face full of "let's see what the new Holy Son can do to me."

"Zhou Dazhuang." Gu Chengming tapped the register beside him.

"Present!" Zhou Dazhuang answered in a booming voice, standing straight. "What does the Holy Son want with me?"

"Sit."

Once Zhou Dazhuang sat down carelessly, Gu Chengming got straight to the point. "In last year's martial arts assembly, what was the name of that Wenjian Valley chief disciple?"

"Seemed to be surnamed Lin? What was it again? I don't remember." His tone was righteous. "Winning is winning. Why bother remembering a name? Besides, it was his own lack of skill—"

Before he could finish his sentence.

【CG/Weaving a Thousand Warm Hats Together with You】 activated.

In an instant, the scene before Zhou Dazhuang's eyes changed.

A dark secret room, a long wooden table. Two women sat behind the table. On the left, a green-robed girl was upright and proper, with a bamboo slip at her waist. On the right, a woman shook a wine flask, and in her hand was a copper-headed belt.

On the floor in front of the table, a stack of brand-new shame hats was neatly arranged.

"Zhou Dazhuang." The green-robed girl opened the bamboo slip, her voice like a morning bell. "Last autumn, you injured someone during a martial arts assembly, destroyed their life-bound flying sword, and maliciously stepped on their head to damage their dao heart. After the match, you showed no remorse..."

She picked up a hat and faced the prisoner. "Bullying the weak, behaving without virtue." On the hat were four large characters: 【Big Bully】.

"Wait! That was a fair spar—"

"Splat." The hat was precisely placed on his head.

The woman on the right flipped through a booklet she had gotten from somewhere, took a sip of wine, and sneered. "In the spring of the same year, while out for experience, you heavily injured a rogue cultivator due to a verbal dispute and robbed him of all his spirit stones..."

She picked up the second hat.

"Bullying the weak, plundering property." A golden light flashed—【Black Hand】.

"He's the one who started it!"

"Splat." A double whammy.

"Winter of the year before last." The green-robed girl flipped to the next page, her speaking speed steady, giving no room for argument. "You forcibly occupied a First Realm junior brother's cave dwelling for over two months, causing his cultivation to be hindered..."

"He gave it up voluntarily!"

The woman on the right threw her head back and laughed. "A Third Realm senior brother 'borrows' a cave dwelling from a First Realm junior disciple, and you call that voluntary?" With a grand sweep of her brush, she picked up the third hat.

"Nest-Tyrant."

"Who's a Nest-Tyrant?!"

"Splat." The hats stacked into a pagoda. No matter how Zhou Dazhuang pulled at them, they wouldn't budge an inch.

"Who on earth are you people—"

The two Gu guards stood up abruptly, each brandishing a copper-headed belt that flickered with a dark light.

Zhou Dazhuang's pupils shrank as the copper-headed belts whistled through the air.

...

In the real world.

Zhou Dazhuang blinked in confusion.

Before him was still the smiling Gu Chengming. His mind was a mess. What did he just say? Lack of skill?

For some reason, as these words hovered at his lips, he felt they were incredibly scalding. His back was even more burning hot, as if he had just received dozens of solid lashes. Although there was no pain, the vivid memory of "being punished," accompanied by an overwhelming sense of shame, firmly submerged him.

The pale face of the man whose flying sword was snapped, the junior brother who lowered his head to walk around him... past events that he hadn't found improper before now felt like sitting on pins and needles, making it hard to even breathe.

"Zhou Dazhuang?" Gu Chengming's voice pulled him back to reality.

"...Present." His spine visibly slumped, and Zhou Dazhuang sat quite properly, his voice dropping several octaves.

"That Wenjian Valley chief disciple's name is Lin Yuanbai." Gu Chengming flipped a page of the register and said unhurriedly, "You may write a letter of apology, and I will deliver it on your behalf."

Half an hour ago, Zhou Dazhuang would have felt that apologizing was the most humiliating thing in the world. But now, he only remained silent for a moment before nodding solemnly.

"Okay."

He stood up, and as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

"Holy Son."

"Hmm?"

"Junior brother's cave dwelling... I'll vacate it and return it to him tomorrow."

Gu Chengming picked up his teacup. "Go ahead."

Zhou Dazhuang strode out of the threshold. The second contestant waiting outside saw him and approached to get some information. "Brother Dazhuang, what's the situation inside? What did the Holy Son say?"

Zhou Dazhuang was silent for a long time. "Go back and return all the spirit stones you snatched."

"Ah?"

Watching Zhou Dazhuang's departing back, the junior brother was left bewildered in the wind.

Second, third, fourth.

The names on the list were crossed off one by one.

Gu Chengming's efficiency in face-to-face talks was incredibly high—each person spent as little as a cup of tea's time and as long as half an incense stick's time. Their reactions upon coming out were strikingly consistent: eyes vacant, instinctively touching their backs, and remaining silent.

Their actions after leaving were also surprisingly uniform: returning occupied resources, taking the initiative to apologize, and even a few running to Hua Daiyi to apply to deliver compensatory gifts to external sects.

By the next afternoon, a legend began to spread within the inner sect of the Hunyuan Sect.

"Have you heard? Everyone called in for a talk by the Holy Son has completely changed their ways!"

"How did they change?"

"Hard to say. They just feel like they've gained total clarity and enlightenment. Old Zhao was shouting 'who's afraid of whom' before going in yesterday, but after coming out, he gave three bottles of healing pills to a rogue cultivator junior brother without a word."

"That's so spooky?"

"Even spookier, Old Zhao said he completely forgot what the Holy Son talked about! He just feels that what he did before was totally pointless."

"Don't ever try to hold out if you're called in later. They say the more you hold out, the more obvious the feeling of being beaten becomes after you come out!"

Although the rumors couldn't be verified, the deterrent was full. Disciples not on the list were afraid of being added to Gu Chengming's list and voluntarily started behaving themselves.

By the evening of the third day, the mental outlook of the entire sect could be described as having undergone a complete transformation.

In the past, on the Back Mountain Training Ground, people would always shout "not convinced, come again" after sparring. Now, they started bowing to each other. Previously, outer sect disciples would hug the wall to avoid inner sect senior brothers; now, inner sect senior brothers not only didn't look for trouble but even took the initiative to greet them.

Others were greatly shocked upon seeing this, thinking to themselves, Are these still the athletes I know?

Gu Chengming again went down to investigate the seals, and the grayish-black malice clinging to the edges of the array patterns had mostly dissipated. The three newly added restrictions no longer cracked under pressure, and the spiritual light flowed steadily. The temporary measures and the root-cause work had finally connected.

Main Peak, Star-Gazing Tower.

Sect Master Song Heng looked down at the scenes across the sect and was silent for a long time.

Hua Daiyi approached with his wine flask. "Sect Master, what's wrong?"

Song Heng spoke slowly, "Old Hua, don't you think... the disciples' eyes have become much clearer?"

Hua Daiyi took a gulp of wine, reflected on it carefully, and expressed deep agreement. "Now that you mention it, it's true."

"Yes." Song Heng stood with his hands behind his back, his tone complex. "The Holy Son indeed has brilliant methods." He thought of the identical expressions of Elders Feng and Zhao after being questioned.

Gu Chengming clearly held some kind of means to change people's hearts. As for what exactly was discussed in those talks... he didn't intend to ask, nor did he dare to.

News leaked quickly.

"The new Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect is well-versed in the style of body cultivators. He acts with grand vision yet pays attention to detail, and he is quite skilled at manipulating and advising people's hearts. He can be called a great talent." Gu Chengming's prestige within the sect skyrocketed instantly.

【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 held its head high in the Sea of Consciousness: Hmph! What do those mediocre outsiders know? They only see the superficial merit of teaching, but how could they see through Emperor Gu's imperial strategy of planning from a distance! When the world is unified and all sects come to pay homage in the future, today's events will be a heavy stroke in the history books!】

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 chimed in leisurely: If you ask me, compared to relying solely on talking sense, the education of the copper-headed belt is clearly more lasting. Think about it—which of those who were whipped dared to relapse?】

【The 《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 deeply agreed: In the use of rites, harmony is precious. But in the execution of rites, punishment is the supplement. The words of the sages truly do not deceive me.】

Gu Chengming put down his teacup, his eyes filled with a smile.

...

With the Dao Plague seal temporarily stable and the sect's atmosphere initially settled, Gu Chengming also turned his attention to the true goal of this trip.

From Shen Yuanbai's records, it was already confirmed that the complete repair of the cross-reference array required both sects to cast spells simultaneously.

No matter how precise the temporary restrictions laid by the Hunyuan Sect were, in the end, they were just like smearing cement on a dam about to burst—treating the symptoms but not the root.

The key to the root cause was not on this end of the Cuiping Mountains, but in the hands of the Yunyue Sect on the other side of the mountains.

Moreover, True Monarch Liuyun Suyu's entrustment from ten thousand years ago still weighed on his heart. The malice intentionally planted in the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art and the mastermind behind the scenes who secretly altered the technique—all these clues pointed toward the Yunyue Sect.

Gu Chengming's original plan was quite complete: enter the sect low-key using his official identity with a Night Guard Division investigation warrant, first establish a foothold as a diplomatic envoy, then conduct a secret investigation to find out the internal situation before calmly closing the net.

Unfortunately, the enthusiastic masses of the Hunyuan Sect did not agree.

After the news spread that the Holy Son was going to the Yunyue Sect for business, the reaction of the entire Hunyuan Sect was practically fanatical.

Sect Master Song Heng personally oversaw the travel arrangements, stating that the Hunyuan Sect could send a diplomatic mission to accompany and protect him. Several senior elders took the initiative to write letters of greeting to ensure Gu Chengming wouldn't be troubled upon entering the sect. Even Elder Zhao, who had just had a face-to-face talk, came to pat his chest, saying that as long as the Holy Son commanded, Rock Peak would be at his beck and call.

Gu Chengming was quite moved by this kindness, but he also politely declined the overly grand arrangements, only asking them to help write a letter to the Yunyue Sect. He wanted to say that the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect wished to visit as a diplomatic envoy to discuss cooperation on the maintenance of the two sects' seals, using polite wording to leave a dignified way out for both sides.

Hua Daiyi patted his chest and took it all on himself. "Rest assured, leave it to this old man! Although I'm not good with the brush, there are plenty of writers in the sect. I guarantee it will be handled perfectly."

Gu Chengming was relieved.

He really shouldn't have been relieved.

The morning of the departure.

Gu Chengming was making final preparations in the side courtyard when Hua Daiyi walked in with a smile, followed by five energetic Hunyuan Sect disciples.

All five wore brand-new tight-fitting outfits, their steps uniform and their gazes sharp. Their entire bodies exuded a special clarity and determination after being physically baptized by the copper-headed belt.

"Xiao Gu, the diplomatic mission is ready." Hua Daiyi was full of pride. "They are all top-tier seeds carefully selected from the sect, personally taught by you. Their character is absolutely solid."

Gu Chengming nodded slightly.

The selection of people was fine; their mental outlook was completely refreshed, looking like different people compared to the group of malice-filled brutes from half a month ago.

"And the letter?"

"Already sent!" Hua Daiyi waved his hand, his tone heroic. "Yesterday evening, I sent someone by fast horse to the Yunyue Sect. Calculating the journey, it should have arrived this morning."

Gu Chengming was about to say thanks when he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

"I only told Martial Uncle Hua the wording requirements yesterday evening. When did you write it?"

Hua Daiyi was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand. "Hey, it wasn't this old man who wrote it. I left it to the people below. They're efficient; they got it done in half an hour."

Gu Chengming's brow began to furrow slowly.

"Exactly who did you leave it to?"

Hua Daiyi scratched the back of his head and recalled for a few moments.

"A few disciples from Rock Peak, the group you had face-to-face talks with. I told them the Holy Son was going to handle some business and to write a letter to say hello. They took it without a second word."

Gu Chengming's brow furrowed even tighter.

The group he had talks with had indeed undergone a transformation after being baptized by the Hat Trial Court—from irritable to steady, from overbearing to restrained.

But there was a side effect that even he hadn't expected. After being sorted out from the inside out by the two Gu guards, their reverence for the Holy Son had climbed to an incredibly absurd height.

In their eyes, Gu Chengming was an iron-fisted tyrant who used strength to break skill and cut through Gordian knots.

Look at him as the Holy Son, reorganizing the entire sect in three days; look at him handling the Dao Plague, leading the charge into the old pavilion; look at him suppressing the opposing elders, silencing them with a single look.

Adding in the many rumors of Gu Chengming "liking to use strength to break skill," they had developed some misunderstandings about his personality.

—Isn't this the exact image our Hunyuan Sect admires most?

Holy Son Gu is definitely a peak athlete!

So when Hua Daiyi gave them the task of helping the Holy Son write a letter, they didn't even think twice, automatically adopting the style of Holy Son Gu as they understood it—straightforward, letting the fists do the talking.

Half an hour later, Gu Chengming stood in the side courtyard, holding a copy of the draft recovered from the Rock Peak disciples.

The letter unfolded, and the entire text used the most formal "war challenge" format of a body-tempering sect.

He lowered his head to read silently, his expression shifting from calm to subtle.

The beginning of the letter was still somewhat normal: "Holy Son Gu Chengming of the Hunyuan Sect respectfully addresses the fellow Daoists of the Yunyue Sect."

The second line began to showcase the prestige of a peak athlete.

"...Years ago, your sect's top disciple Li Mozi visited the Wenjian Sect for a spar. At that time, my cultivation was still shallow, and I couldn't enjoy myself fully. Now, by heavenly mandate, I have been conferred as the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect, and my martial path has progressed. I hereby send this letter, wishing to continue our past connection with your sect's disciples, to compete on the stage, to meet with swords, and to discuss the Dao with fists..."

Gu Chengming's mouth twitched. He continued reading.

"...The entire Hunyuan Sect awaits your sect's reply. If your sect agrees, the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect will personally lead a diplomatic mission to visit; if your sect declines, it matters not—on another day, the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect will visit on his own."

Gu Chengming closed the letter. "Martial Uncle Hua..."

"Hmm?" Hua Daiyi was leisurely drinking wine nearby, clearly not realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Martial Uncle, see for yourself."

The wine bowl in Hua Daiyi's hand wobbled as a bad premonition surfaced in his heart. He took the draft and scanned it quickly, his expression gradually becoming awkward.

Seeing this expression, Gu Chengming was also somewhat helpless.

What's done was done.

But thinking it over carefully, although the war challenge was completely outside his expectations, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

The original plan was to sneak into the Yunyue Sect for a secret investigation, but the mastermind behind the alteration of the sword art had been operating in the shadows for many years and had a deep foundation.

If you sneak in, they will also be watching you secretly. While you investigate them, they are also guarding against you. Shadow against shadow, they are on their home turf while you are away—you're naturally at a disadvantage.

But what if it was the other way around? Make a grand entrance to challenge them, stir up the water, and let the entire Yunyue Sect know that Gu Chengming has arrived.

At that time, everyone's attention would be focused on him. The sparring on the stage, the maneuvering between sects, and the influence of his Holy Son status—these superficial commotions would act like a giant curtain, covering what he truly wanted to do.

And what about that mastermind hiding in the shadows?

A Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect arriving high-profile at the Yunyue Sect with a war challenge—if this person really was related to the alteration of the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art, they wouldn't be able to sit still.

—Since being low-key wasn't an option, he would be high-profile to the end.

【The 《All Wonders Same Source Method》 quietly listened to the entire process and finally spoke: I've already started making arrangements!】

Its tone was excited, carrying a hint of pride that it was finally its turn to take the stage. 【The internal information network of the Yunyue Sect needs to be built from scratch. While Emperor Gu attracts fire in the open, I will weave a net in the dark; we will surely gain something!】

...

South of the Cuiping Mountains, the Yunyue Sect.

In stark contrast to the rough and vigorous Hunyuan Sect, the mountain gate of the Yunyue Sect was just like its name—chilly and remote, with moonlight as its bone and flowing clouds as its garment.

The main peak was named "Suyue Peak," perpetually shrouded in thin mist, looking from a distance like an inverted long sword piercing the sky. Below the mountainside, silver-leafed phoenix trees were widely planted. In autumn, the mountain turned silver-white, with fallen leaves dancing in the wind, accompanied by the clear sword hums that never ceased throughout the year, truly a scene of an immortal family.

The atmosphere in the Suyue Peak's council hall was heavy.

Yunyue Sect Master Qin Ruoxu sat at the head, with a letter spread out on the sandalwood desk before him.

More than ten elders sat on both sides; some frowned in silence, some sneered repeatedly, and some had faces as solemn as water.

"You've all seen it." Qin Ruoxu's voice was neither hurried nor slow. "Tell me your thoughts."

The first to break the silence was a middle-aged sword cultivator in a moon-white robe, the Sword Hall Chief of the Yunyue Sect, Lu Heshu.

"Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect, Gu Chengming." When he spoke the name, his tone was quite dissatisfied. "The Wenjian Sect outer sect disciple who crippled Li Mozi three years ago has now transformed into the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect."

"First place in the sect grand competition, listed on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, a commander of the Night Guard Division..."

He sneered as he spoke, "With the title of the newly promoted Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect on top of that, he wants to use our Yunyue Sect to collect a fifth calling card."

These words clearly treated Gu Chengming's goal as coming to the Yunyue Sect to step on them and use their name to gain fame.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

A young elder at the end of the seating couldn't help but speak up, "When Li Mozi went to the Wenjian Sect for a spar back then, he was heavily injured by this person and hasn't recovered to this day. It's one thing that we didn't go looking for trouble, but now this person not only doesn't restrain himself but instead actively delivers a challenge to our door. This is clearly looking down on our Yunyue Sect."

"In my opinion, we must accept the challenge and win it back fairly on our own turf to dampen his arrogance."

Once these words were spoken, many in the hall nodded slightly, clearly sharing the sentiment.

Yet some furrowed their brows tightly.

"This child is no longer the outer sect disciple of three years ago."

The speaker was a white-haired old man, the Vice Sect Master of the Yunyue Sect, Liu Yezhou. His voice was low and raspy, but his words held weight.

"You all must have heard of his fierce record in the sect grand competition, and his behavior during the competition has been described as legendary. Now that he comes with the title of the Hunyuan Sect's Holy Son, if any accident happens during the spar and he is truly injured—"

Liu Yezhou paused, his gaze scanning the room. "Those brutes from the Hunyuan Sect will definitely not let it go."

"If we don't fight, the sect loses face; if we do and something happens, we'll lose even more."

The young elder was still somewhat unconvinced. "Does Vice Sect Master Liu mean we should just swallow our pride? Let him swagger outside the Yunyue Sect's gates?"

Liu Yezhou didn't respond, only slowly picking up his teacup and brushing aside the floating leaves.

The debate in the council hall gradually heated up.

The hawks and the doves each held their ground, arguing over a few topics: whether to fight, whom to send, what to do if they lost, and how to handle the aftermath if they won.

Qin Ruoxu never expressed his stance.

His gaze remained on the war challenge on the desk, but he wasn't looking at the heroic and unbridled words of provocation. Instead, he repeatedly mulled over the four words: "Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect."

The Hunyuan Sect had suddenly appointed a Holy Son.

No one had been able to pass the Chenyuan Trial since the sect's founding, yet now a Third Realm sword cultivator transferred from another sect had cleared it...

And the Hunyuan Sect's Chenyuan Trial was not entirely unrelated to the Yunyue Sect.

That massive cross-reference array at the bottom of the Cuiping Mountains had one end connected to the Hunyuan Sect's old pavilion and the other end leading to the Yunyue Sect's—he collected his thoughts and stopped thinking further.

"Everyone." Qin Ruoxu finally spoke. With just those few words, the debate in the hall ceased.

"Accept the challenge," he set the tone.

"Externally, we will set up a stage in the name of 'disciple exchange and mutual benefit.' The rules must be simplified, with points awarded for contact only. The scope of the sparring is strictly limited to below the Fourth Realm, and the use of the sect's secret trump cards is strictly prohibited."

He raised his eyes, his gaze calmly scanning the people in the hall. "Give both sides enough face and leave the Yunyue Sect enough of a way out."

Lu Heshu nodded slightly. Although the young elder felt the limited rules were too restrictive, since the sect master had made the final decision, it wasn't appropriate to argue further.

Liu Yezhou put down his teacup, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, only adding a flat supplement: "As for the choice of disciples to respond to the challenge, I ask the sect master to consider carefully."

"Naturally," Qin Ruoxu answered decisively.

...

A few days later, at the Hunyuan Sect, the diplomatic mission's flying boat had already taken flight.

Gu Chengming stood at the very front of the deck with his hands behind his back, facing the biting gale at high altitude and looking toward the looming Cuiping Mountains at the end of his vision.

【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 was frantically looping an unknown and severely out-of-tune stirring battle song in the Sea of Consciousness, seemingly impatient to see Emperor Gu show off his divine might and punch through Suyue Peak.】

【The 《Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art》 suddenly poured a bucket of cold water: Those sword cultivators from the Yunyue Sect are already known for being vindictive. With you making such a grand entrance, be careful not to fail in an unexpected place.】

The corners of Gu Chengming's mouth twitched slightly, and he responded with a thought.

Whether the boat capsizes depends on the helmsman's skill. If the water isn't thoroughly stirred up, how will the turtles hiding at the bottom of the deep pool surface?

"Holy Son!" A loud shout came from a Rock Peak disciple behind him, his voice so booming it seemed it would shatter the surrounding clouds. "We are about to cross the Cuiping Mountains! Do you want us brothers to shout a few times to let those sword-playing folks of the Yunyue Sect hear the prestige of our Hunyuan Sect?!"

Gu Chengming was helpless and decisively raised his right hand, stopping the group of athletes from their potentially imminent collective excitement.

"Be quiet. Maintain formation and pay attention to your demeanor."

He straightened his black collar, his gaze piercing through the rolling sea of clouds, pointing straight at that southern Suyue Peak that looked like an inverted long sword.