The current situation was actually not hard to understand.
Gu Chengming had no sword, and the rules of this place only allowed for sword moves. Since ordinary Dharma swords could not be summoned, he simply turned his gaze toward Senior Ano, who the system had identified as someone who could be "Swung."
However, Senior Ano's reaction was somewhat unexpected. After being summoned back into this domain, her first reaction was actually excitement.
It seemed she truly wanted to give True Monarch Jiahao a good thrashing.
True Monarch Jiahao clearly hadn't expected this development either, but as someone used to great storms, he quickly adapted. He smiled and said, "Young friend, this is a trial for sword moves. Even if you summon Fellow Daoist Ano, she won't be able to help you much."
True Monarch Jiahao likely assumed Gu Chengming wanted Ano to fight in his stead and had used some strange method to bring her here.
Ano seemed to think so as well.
"Enough talk, Jiahao! Take this!"
Ano immediately let go of Gu Chengming's hand and, without another word, threw a punch straight at True Monarch Jiahao's head.
The result was that True Monarch Jiahao easily caught the punch with one hand. Then, as if playing with a child, he casually tossed Ano aside.
"Fellow Daoist Ano, the rules of this place don't allow you to use your fists."
True Monarch Jiahao spoke with a smile. The tossed-aside Ano was quite indignant. With a cry, she pounced again, only to be toyed with once more and thrown directly back in front of Gu Chengming.
True Monarch Jiahao turned to Gu Chengming, his expression returning to the composure of one who controlled the entire situation. "Young friend, the rule here is to use your will to manifest a sword. There are no shortcuts."
"In this place, only sword moves, swords, and the sword-wielder themselves can exist." As True Monarch Jiahao spoke, he suddenly seemed to realize something, and his voice came to a halt.
That was right. In this place, only sword moves, swords, and the sword-wielder themselves could exist.
Then how was Ano able to exist here?
He had been led astray by the thought of "why Gu Chengming wanted to summon Ano," and only now did he realize that the method used to bring her in wasn't the point at all.
The point was, why could Ano continue to stay in this domain that only allowed the existence of swords?
In the next moment, as if in response to True Monarch Jiahao's thought, Gu Chengming turned to look at Ano and spoke in a low voice.
"Senior Ano, I have a plan that will allow you to help me defeat True Monarch Jiahao."
Hearing this, Ano was a bit confused at first, but then Gu Chengming began to transmit those concepts to her via divine sense. He spoke of how a body cultivator's body was the strongest weapon and so on, and since they couldn't use normal moves here and could only use swords...
In this predicament, wasn't Senior Ano's body the best sword?
Ano's eyes grew brighter as she listened. By the end, she was so completely swayed that she couldn't tell left from right, and she puffed out her chest.
"Little Gu, let's go!"
This energetic response almost swept away the frustration of being toyed with earlier.
True Monarch Jiahao was already a bit dazed because the scene he had envisioned was nothing like this.
Logically, the most conventional way to break this sword move trial would be for Gu Chengming to use his soul to condense a sword of will. Even if he took a wilder path, he would at most use the traits of some sword manual to cheat. But this fellow was something else; he neither condensed a sword nor cheated. Instead, he pulled along an ancient body cultivator True Monarch, looking as if he were about to use her as a weapon.
This line of thinking was simply too far-fetched.
Setting aside whether this method would work, just running the image through his mind made True Monarch Jiahao feel that the scene was truly a bit bizarre.
But in the next moment, a highly impactful scene appeared before True Monarch Jiahao's eyes.
Or should it be said it wasn't just an impactful scene? Because the shockwave was already hitting him in the face.
Gu Chengming reached out and firmly grabbed Ano's ankle.
Then, with a burst of strength, he swung the body of the number one body cultivator in the cultivation world.
【Swinging】
The moment those words flashed at the bottom of Gu Chengming's vision, Ano had already turned into a stream of light wrapped in dense blood qi, sweeping toward True Monarch Jiahao's head.
True Monarch Jiahao instinctively raised his sword to block. The Dharma sword and Ano's body collided with a resounding boom.
In the next instant, True Monarch Jiahao was sent flying backward by that unreasonably brute force, his feet plowing a long furrow in that pale gold space.
What the hell is this?!
His sword strike had clearly parried her body, but the authority of Breaking Myriad Laws was just that ridiculous. As long as the strength was great enough, all Dao Throne rules could be shattered. Combined with the fact that Ano's body was an indestructible body cultivator's physique, now that she was being swung by Gu Chengming like a sword, that dense blood qi plus the boost from Breaking Myriad Laws meant that when she struck, it was like a dump truck hitting tofu.
The subtlety of sword moves, the harmony of sword intent, and the profundity of the Dao Throne all lost their effectiveness before such pure power.
True Monarch Jiahao had just stabilized himself when Gu Chengming caught up.
He held Ano's ankle and swept horizontally. Ano traced an arc in mid-air, not forgetting to shout excitedly, "What are you dodging for! Stand still and let me hit you!"
True Monarch Jiahao gritted his teeth and swung his sword to parry. This time he had learned his lesson and no longer tried to take it head-on, instead attempting to use his sword intent to deflect the brute force.
But the force was so great it gave him no room to deflect. Ano's body slammed into the sword blade, and the golden Dharma sword let out a groan of being overtaxed. True Monarch Jiahao felt a sharp pain in his palm, and his entire arm went numb from the shock.
Gu Chengming gave him no chance to catch his breath.
Shifting his footing, he moved like a ghost to True Monarch Jiahao's side and rear, and the Ano in his hands slashed upward once more.
This strike was fast and fierce. True Monarch Jiahao couldn't dodge in time and was struck squarely on the shoulder, sent tumbling through the air several times before barely steadying himself.
He stood there in a sorry state, a rare look of being between laughter and tears surfacing on his face.
He was the great True Monarch Jiahao, who had dominated an era and whose proven Dao Thrones spanned several main branches. He had fought countless battles in his life, but when had he ever dreamed that one day he would be chased across the sky by someone swinging the body of an ancient True Monarch?
Worse yet, sword moves were useless before Ano's indestructible body, and the Dao Throne rules were perfectly countered by Breaking Myriad Laws' logic of "might makes right." Despite his world-shaking abilities, he was currently like a schoolteacher being chased by a brat with a wooden stick, left with no choice but to retreat step by step.
Gu Chengming's offensive grew more and more urgent. He held Ano's ankle, turning and leaping through that pale gold space, move after move. Each strike was a simple and crude horizontal sweep or downward smash. There was no flair, but this plain "Swinging" managed to drive the versatile and legendary True Monarch Jiahao into a frantic state.
True Monarch Jiahao finally couldn't help it. "Fellow Daoist Ano, you are a Seventh Realm True Monarch after all. Don't you feel that being used as a sword is..."
Before he could finish, the "sword" in Gu Chengming's hands smashed down again.
True Monarch Jiahao hurriedly shut up and barely dodged with a clumsy sidestep.
His words were cut short by the attack, and True Monarch Jiahao finally understood that hoping this "sword" would go on strike by itself was pure wishful thinking.
Ano didn't feel insulted at all; instead, she became even more spirited as she was swung. Her joyful appearance made it look as if she had found some incredible fun.
He ultimately saved his breath and focused all his attention on how to survive this absurd beating.
By the end of the fight, True Monarch Jiahao was gasping for air. Gu Chengming spotted an opening, leaped high into the air, and smashed Ano's body down heavily from mid-air.
This strike condensed all the authority of Breaking Myriad Laws, carrying a dense blood qi that seemed ready to smash through this Dao Throne space, falling straight toward True Monarch Jiahao's head.
True Monarch Jiahao looked up at the golden stream of light falling with overwhelming momentum and knew that he could not block this no matter what.
He let out a long sigh, simply retracted his sword, and let the blow fall.
...
After a thunderous boom, the pale gold space shook violently, and countless light threads of the past and future scattered and collapsed.
True Monarch Jiahao knelt on one knee. His Dharma sword had long since left his hand and disappeared, and the golden glow around him had mostly dimmed. His expression was full of unspeakable frustration.
Gu Chengming landed steadily before him, still holding an excited girl.
Ano was being held upside down, her eyes full of lingering excitement as she bared her teeth at True Monarch Jiahao. "How about that! You give up now?!"
True Monarch Jiahao knelt on the ground, looking at the man and the "sword." After a long silence, he finally said helplessly, "Fine, young friend. You win."
True Monarch Jiahao never imagined that after a life of dominance, he would meet defeat in such a bizarre way at the very end.
But in his heart, a genuine sense of appreciation for Gu Chengming also arose.
Without a doubt, Gu Chengming's unconventional methods were perfectly in line with his own philosophy.
In his life, he had championed being unfettered and had always acted in an unconventional manner. Yet at the very end, he wasn't even as "unfettered" as a junior. This left him feeling somewhat melancholy, yet also somewhat relieved.
Truly, the new generation surpasses the old.
"This Unfettered Heaven falling into your hands is the best outcome."
True Monarch Jiahao slowly stood up, his composure somewhat restored. "When I sought an Inheritor for it back then, what I wanted was someone who would not be bound by rules. Since you could think of such a rebellious method as swinging Fellow Daoist Ano to hit me, I can rest easy leaving this Dao Throne to you."
As he spoke, he made a gesture of solemnly entrusting the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne, raising his hand to beckon the Dao Throne phantom floating deep in the space.
To True Monarch Jiahao's surprise, even as he activated the Dao Throne, Unfettered Heaven remained motionless.
The Dao Throne phantom hung quietly in place. No matter how True Monarch Jiahao tried to guide it, it showed no intention of moving toward him, as if it hadn't heard his call at all.
The space fell into an eerie silence.
Ano was set down by Gu Chengming and leaned over to look at the motionless Dao Throne. She pointed at True Monarch Jiahao and mocked, "Jiahao, it seems this Dao Throne doesn't recognize you!"
Now it was True Monarch Jiahao's turn to be embarrassed. He gave a dry cough. "This is a Dao Throne I proved with my own hands. How could it not recognize me?"
Despite his words, he tried to activate it twice more, but Unfettered Heaven remained as still as a mountain, giving him no face at all.
Ano snickered with schadenfreude from the side. "Maybe your obsession is too weak, and the Dao Throne looks down on you."
After struggling for a good while, True Monarch Jiahao finally figured something out.
This obsession of his was, after all, just a strand of remnant will left in the Dao Throne back then. It wasn't truly himself.
With the Dao Throne returning to heaven imminent, the connection between this obsession and his main body had already grown thin.
In other words, although he was the "former master" of Unfettered Heaven, he no longer had the authority to truly mobilize it.
Worse yet, during that trial just now, this Dao Throne seemed to have already recognized Gu Chengming as its new owner, even though Gu Chengming hadn't gone through a single step of the proper "attainment" process from beginning to end.
He had neither branded the Dao Throne with his soul nor followed the usual method of connecting his foundation to the Dao Throne main branch.
This Unfettered Heaven had simply, after an absurd chaotic battle, muddled its way into recognizing a master and muddled its way into Gu Chengming's hands.
True Monarch Jiahao had lived through an era and seen all sorts of strange sights of True Monarchs attaining their Daos, but he had never seen such a bizarre situation.
A Dao Throne that had never been properly attained had latched onto a person in such an improper way.
"Never mind."
True Monarch Jiahao eventually shook his head, his expression full of wry amusement. "It seems this Dao Throne is quite destined for you, young friend. Since it has recognized you, then keep it. As for how to properly attain it, you can figure that out slowly in the future."
As his voice fell, his obsession began to slowly become transparent.
"It is time for this obsession of mine to scatter."
True Monarch Jiahao looked at Gu Chengming. "Young friend, we shall meet again."
Just as Gu Chengming was about to ask more, the golden figure completely dissipated in the space, leaving only the slowly drifting light threads and the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne that hung quietly, having recognized a master but not yet been attained.
Ano poked the Dao Throne and turned to look at Gu Chengming. "Little Gu, what do we do next?"
Gu Chengming looked at the Dao Throne that had latched onto him for unknown reasons, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He didn't know what to do next either.
Immediately, the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne turned into a stream of pale gold light and vanished into Gu Chengming's brow. The space abruptly collapsed, and a burst of blinding light surged over everything.
...
On the plain.
After the light faded, Gu Chengming found himself standing back on the plain.
However, as he looked around, there was no one in sight.
When the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne had activated earlier, it had pulled in everyone on the plain, but for some reason, the people who were transported away were nowhere to be found now. True Monarch Liuyun Suyu, Zhou Qingmu, the Master, the Director, and even those True Monarchs hidden in the shadows coveting the Dao Throne had all disappeared without a trace.
By the time Gu Chengming made his way back to the capital, the news of this event had already exploded among the various True Monarchs.
On the day the Dao Throne settled, four Sixth Realm True Monarchs had collectively guarded a junior who was nominally only in the Fourth Realm. That scene was already terrifying enough.
But what was more terrifying came afterward.
The moment the Dao Throne settled, Unfettered Heaven had flown straight toward Gu Chengming, pulling everyone present into it and then confusingly scattering them to various corners around the capital.
Those True Monarchs hidden in the shadows coveting the Dao Throne had been left frustrated by this nonsensical teleportation. By the time they regained their senses, the aura of the Dao Throne had already vanished without a trace.
They had originally planned to wait for the four guardian True Monarchs to show a weakness before seizing the chance to snatch it. In the end, they didn't even get a chance to act before the Dao Throne recognized a master and entered the game.
A group of True Monarchs looked at each other, unable to figure out what had happened for a long time, eventually dispersing with their own hidden thoughts.
True Monarch Liuyun Suyu was the first of the guardian True Monarchs to break free and return.
She had been scattered to the western outskirts of the capital by that phenomenon and had to spend a lot of effort to find her bearings and return.
The way the Dao Throne had flown straight toward Gu Chengming was simply too abnormal; she truly couldn't tell if it was a blessing or a curse.
When she finally found Gu Chengming at the Night Guard Division and saw him rubbing his brow with a subtle expression, True Monarch Liuyun Suyu's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be a failure?
She had lived for ten thousand years and knew how dangerous attaining a Dao Throne was. Calling it a narrow escape was an understatement.
Gu Chengming's current weary appearance, in her eyes, looked exactly like someone who had failed to succeed.
Thinking of this, Miss Wangshu only felt a bit of heartache.
She stepped forward quickly, choosing her words to offer some comfort. "Young friend, victory and defeat are common in battle. Even if you failed to attain it this time..."
Mid-sentence, her gaze landed on Gu Chengming's brow, and her voice came to an abrupt halt.
There, a pale gold Dao Throne phantom was clearly suspended.
True Monarch Liuyun Suyu: "?"
She had lived for ten thousand years, seen True Monarchs attain their Daos, seen Dao Thrones return to heaven, and seen the schemes and plots of various True Monarchs fighting over Dao Thrones, but she had never seen anything like this.
A Dao Throne that had clearly not yet been attained was just hanging there grandly in the brow of a Fourth Realm junior. It had no master's brand, no foundation for attaining the Dao; it was like a tenant who had moved in and refused to leave.
"Young friend, you..." True Monarch Liuyun Suyu deliberated for a long time, unable to find a suitable word to describe this bizarre sight. "This Dao Throne, you attained it?"
Gu Chengming gave a bitter smile. "Senior, it's a long story."
He told the story from beginning to end, and True Monarch Liuyun Suyu's expression became subtle as she listened.
A Dao Throne that hadn't been attained falling into someone's hands in this form was truly a situation even a True Monarch had never seen.
In the end, this matter was settled in an unresolved state.
The Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne had latched onto Gu Chengming in a way no one had ever seen, and exactly how to properly attain it became a difficult problem.
The Master, the Director, and True Monarch Liuyun Suyu—several seniors who had lived for untold years—gathered together to discuss for a long time but couldn't figure out the reason.
But besides this problem of attainment, Gu Chengming soon discovered a new issue.
And that was the change in Senior Ano.
"This time, try swinging me like this. I call this move the Super Invincible Whirlwind Rotation. It's absolutely invincible!"
【Ano Invincible Art Favorability +10】
【Current Favorability: 20/Stranger】
Gu Chengming: "..."
He looked at that line of favorability at the bottom of his vision, then looked at the ancient True Monarch in front of him who was posed and waiting with an expectant face to be swung, and fell into silence.
For some reason, Senior Ano seemed to have developed a taste for the feeling of being swung.
Rate on N.U.
