Chapter 215 | The Galgame Martial Saint

“What should I do about the fact that Senior Ano likes being swung?”

Gu Chengming felt that if the recent events were written as a light novel, that would likely be the title.

But seriously, Senior Ano, isn't developing the technique of “being swung” a bit beneath the dignity of a True Monarch?

Senior Ano herself didn't seem to care at all. “Dignity of a True Monarch? What's that?”

Ano began to brag about her exploits from back when she dominated the cultivation world.

It could only be said that she was indeed a senior on par with True Monarch Jiahao; their reputations were surprisingly consistent.

Ano was extremely interested in the idea of using her physical body to smash people, and all of this was perhaps thanks to what Gu Chengming had said to her on the day they seized the Unfettered Heaven.

“Isn't Senior Ano's body the best weapon?”

Those words seemed to have enlightened Ano, striking her like a revelation. Since then, she had spent all day researching how to swing her body to cause the most damage.

To be honest, with the afterglow of Breaking Myriad Laws, Ano's body was indeed quite useful. When swung, it was impervious to all techniques. Gu Chengming tried the Super Invincible Whirlwind Rotation that Ano mentioned, and he had to admit that Ano's combat talent and battle intelligence were incredibly high.

Though the name was a bit abstract, the move was undeniably powerful. It took into account the traits of Breaking Myriad Laws, Ano's own characteristics, and even Gu Chengming's own physical strength after being tempered by Hundred Bones Resonating.

However, before the excitement could pass, a new problem stood in Ano's way.

At the moment, she was ultimately just a remnant soul. While she was impervious to all laws when swung, she couldn't actually harm physical entities.

Only now did Gu Chengming realize that back in the Unfettered Heaven secret realm, he wasn't a physical entity, and neither was True Monarch Jiahao. That was why that absurd group beating could even happen.

Now that Miss Ano realized this, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her entire being visibly withered away.

“Is our invincible Gu-No Battle Method going to sink into oblivion before it even makes its debut?!”

True Monarch Ano only now realized that she seemed to have lost her indestructible body. What saddened her most wasn't the loss of combat power, but that she could no longer form a duo with Gu Chengming and use her body to smash people.

A Seventh Realm True Monarch who had fought for a lifetime was now shedding tears over such a thing; it was truly enough to make one between laughter and tears.

Fortunately, Gu Chengming's cultivation in the art of coaxing children was profound.

Seeing Ano sink into a low point, he only needed a few moments to bring out the well-practiced rhetoric he had used for so long on Hundred Bones Resonating. With just a few words, he had her beaming with joy again.

Should it be said that the brain circuits of body cultivators were remarkably consistent? Even though he used the same methods, Ano was just as satisfied. Her depression came quickly and vanished even faster.

This scene, falling into the eyes of Hundred Bones Resonating, caused the “World's Number One Body Tempering Technique” to become quite jealous.

【Emperor Gu! This Emperor is the world's number one body tempering technique!】

Gu Chengming didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and could only perfunctorily coax it in his heart, “Yes, yes, yes, you are the world's number one.”

Such half-hearted comfort naturally couldn't satisfy Hundred Bones Resonating's competitive spirit. It wasn't until Gu Chengming personally entered the room of Hundred Bones Resonating of Love and was thoroughly squeezed twice that Hundred Bones Resonating finally declared with pride that Emperor Gu was indeed the best.

Gu Chengming deeply suspected that Hundred Bones Resonating was just feigning ignorance and deliberately using jealousy as an excuse to extort him.

...

As time passed, the good news was that almost all the matters requiring worry in the capital had vanished.

As his realm grew higher, the time when he didn't have to worry about anything actually became scarcer. Just as it was said in manga, with great power comes great responsibility; Gu Chengming's understanding of this sentence grew deeper by the day.

However, because it was so rare, this half-day of leisure stolen after a busy period was particularly healing.

At some point, Gu Chengming had gained a lot more sense of belonging to this world.

He felt a bit ashamed to admit that at the very beginning, he always carried the thought that “this is a game world.” Because of this, many of his choices and actions were like casually clicking options in a game, without any real emotional investment. But as he met more people and became concerned about more friends and techniques, this world had unknowingly become “vivid.”

Looking back at his original world, the people he could call friends were few and far between, and he didn't even know if his blood relatives were still alive.

If he had to talk about attachments, probably only the 2D characters in galgames remained.

Honestly, if there had truly been someone worth loving by his side, why would he have been so addicted to galgames to that extent?

But here, he had many people worth loving, people he was willing to save even if it meant risking his life.

Yu Wenqiu was currently curled up in his arms for a nap, her head nuzzling against his stomach as she mumbled incoherently.

“Xiao Gu's scent... hehe.”

Gu Chengming looked down at this smug sleeping face and gently stroked Senior Xiao Yu's head; the sensation was no different from petting a cat.

Being stroked like this, Yu Wenqiu nuzzled even more happily, simply burying her entire face in him. She naturally cherished this hard-won time alone.

Recalling when they first came to the capital, those were also plain and simple days, yet she was always clumsy and causing trouble for Xiao Gu. Looking back now, it was all unspeakable happiness.

How long had it been since she had enjoyed a day like this, nesting in Xiao Gu's arms for a nap?

Oh wait, she suddenly realized that at the very beginning, she was actually quite reserved and didn't even dare to have such intimate cuddles.

It seemed people really do beautify their own memories.

Calculating it this way, that time didn't seem to have passed very long ago—only a few years—yet it felt like half a lifetime had gone by.

Perhaps it was because time spent with Xiao Gu was always worth savoring. Senior Xiao Yu happily found a perfect explanation for herself and then buried her face even deeper with a clear conscience.

Such peaceful and smooth times were destined not to last every day.

Gu Chengming had always been good at finding things to do for himself, not to mention that there were indeed many things in this world that needed to be prevented before they happened.

Right now, his realm was too low. If he could successfully refine the Dao Throne and advance to True Monarch, the things he could do and change would undoubtedly be far greater.

He didn't want to leave even a single regret in his script, so he had to first grasp the power sufficient to change everything.

This was also the first time Gu Chengming truly, no matter what, wanted to become stronger from the bottom of his heart.

Unfortunately, the refinement of the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne could not be rushed; it certainly couldn't be fully secured in a short time.

Just as he was worrying about this, a turning point arrived unexpectedly.

That day, Gu Chengming was sitting cross-legged under the old osmanthus tree in the courtyard as usual, polishing his Fourth Realm true essence. Yu Wenqiu was curled up in a nearby hammock reading a storybook. Everything was the same as usual until he accidentally brought the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne phantom suspended at his brow and the Fourth Realm sword intent within his body into his internal contemplation together.

When his thoughts reached this point, Gu Chengming's heart suddenly stirred.

He had been focused solely on “how to refine Unfettered Heaven” these days, flipping through all the ancient texts given by the Master and trying all the methods pointed out by True Monarch Liuyun Suyu, but he was always stuck at a hurdle.

This Dao Throne had recognized a master but hadn't been attained through the proper process, so ordinary refinement methods simply didn't work. But that moment of contemplation just now gave him a completely different realization.

Unfettered Heaven, Unfettered Heaven.

When True Monarch Jiahao sought an Inheritor for it back then, what he wanted was someone who could jump out of the mold and not be bound by rules.

The reason this Dao Throne had muddled its way into recognizing him was precisely because he had used a rebellious and unorthodox method in that absurd chaotic battle.

In that case, could the key to refining it not be “how to follow the rules to attain it,” but “how to righteously ignore the rules”?

Thinking of this, Gu Chengming simply put away the serious methods he had studied for days and switched to his most comfortable style. He no longer tried to meticulously connect his own foundation with the Dao Throne main branch. Instead, he did the opposite, using the Unfettered Freedom Art to attain the Dao Throne.

He had been focused on getting stronger lately and had polished his Fourth Realm true essence to perfection long ago. What he lacked was never foundation, but a well-timed “spirit” sufficient to knock down that hurdle.

And the “unfettered ease” contained within Unfettered Heaven was exactly that final ingredient he lacked.

“Suddenly, the unfettered spirit turns into a spring breeze, blowing away the old cages of the self.”

Fifth Realm, achieved!

The old osmanthus tree in the courtyard moved without wind, and golden petals fell in a rustle, covering Gu Chengming's head and body.

A grand Dao Throne phenomenon rose from his brow into the sky. A pale gold pillar of light shot up from the ground, illuminating half the sky.

Yu Wenqiu, who was reading a storybook in the hammock, suddenly jumped, and the book fell to the ground with a “thud.”

“Xiao... Xiao Gu broke through again?!”

She counted on her fingers. Since the last time Xiao Gu came back from a trip and broke through to the Fourth Realm, how many days had it actually been?

Ano cheered, “It's done, it's done! Xiao Gu, you've become a True Monarch... wait, that's not right, it seems a bit short?”

【Hundred Bones Resonating was also jubilant: Emperor Gu is mighty!】

Gu Chengming slowly opened his eyes. His Fifth Realm aura flowed smoothly, and the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne that had been suspended at his brow for days was finally attained by him... partially?

He looked down at his hands, then up at the old osmanthus tree whose petals had been shaken loose by the phenomenon, feeling an unspeakable sense of satisfaction.

The refinement problem that had troubled him for days was ultimately solved in such an unreasonable and muddled way.

It could be said to fit the temperament of the words “Unfettered Heaven” quite well.

Gu Chengming was just feeling sentimental when he caught a glimpse of his partner's eyes from the hammock—both depressed and happy for him.

He understood clearly and walked toward Yu Wenqiu with a smile. “Senior Xiao Yu.”

Yu Wenqiu looked up gloomily. “Xiao Gu, can't you wait for me just a little bit?”

Gu Chengming sat down on the edge of the hammock beside her and reached out to tidy her hair.

“What kind of talk is that, Elder?” He smiled. “From now on, the scenery on this path of the Dao, I shall look at it together with you.”

Yu Wenqiu froze for a moment. That full chest of frustration was instantly swept away by those words, and her ears turned red at a visible speed. She didn't even bother to pick up the storybook that had fallen on the ground.

...

On the other hand, as Gu Chengming felt the power within his body, he soon noticed something was off.

The Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne at his brow was not yet fully mastered; currently, he could only mobilize a portion of its authority.

This kind of situation was truly rare. After all, what people called a “Half-step Sixth Realm” usually referred to those who had already cultivated to the peak of the Fifth Realm with a perfect foundation, only needing the final step of refining a Dao Throne to step into the Sixth Realm.

But for Gu Chengming, it was the opposite. His realm was still at the Fifth Realm, yet he had already grasped a portion of the Dao Throne's authority in advance. It was as if he could already use the Dao Throne even though it was only half-refined.

Logically, these two things were absolutely not supposed to happen together.

But somehow, something went astray, and Gu Chengming ultimately became the first true “Half-step Sixth Realm” in the history of the cultivation world.

Gu Chengming stared at his neither-here-nor-there realm for a long while and finally had to accept the fact.

Whatever, were the rebellious things about him few? Adding one more wasn't that strange.

However, once the news of this Half-step Sixth Realm spread, it truly caused no small stir in the cultivation world.

Others were still gasping at Gu Chengming's feat of slaying a True Monarch at the Fourth Realm and manifesting a Dao Throne. In the blink of an eye, this junior of the Wenjian Sect had broken through again, and in such a bizarre way.

A cultivator who was nominally only in the Fifth Realm yet possessed the authority of a Dao Throne that should belong to the Sixth Realm—how were those old seniors who had struggled for untold years at the peak of the Fifth Realm, unable to refine a Dao Throne, supposed to feel?

All at once, the unheard-of term “Half-step Sixth Realm,” along with Gu Chengming's name, once again became the focus of private discussions among all parties.

But all these commotions had nothing to do with Gu Chengming for now.

After breaking through, his first thought was to return to the Wenjian Sect.

First, such a major event should be reported to his master and the Sect Leader in person. Second, his Half-step Sixth Realm came about in a peculiar way, and many points still needed to be discussed with several seniors in the sect.

As soon as Yu Wenqiu heard that Xiao Gu was going back to the sect, her heart immediately leaped with joy.

“Finally!”

These days in the capital, she had been suppressed by that True Monarch Liuyun Suyu until she couldn't even lift her head. The other's presence in front of Xiao Gu was something her own aura couldn't compete with at all, not to mention that epic-level defensive ghost wall. She had been holding in a stomach full of frustration with nowhere to vent.

Now that she finally looked forward to returning to her own territory, she thought it was finally her turn to have the home-turf advantage. Once they reached the Wenjian Sect, let's see how you, a True Monarch, can still compete with me for Xiao Gu!

Senior Xiao Yu was just smugly planning how to show off after returning to the sect when she heard True Monarch Liuyun Suyu beside her speak slowly.

“Since young friend is returning to the sect, I shall go with you.”

The smile on Yu Wenqiu's face froze on the spot.

Gu Chengming was also slightly startled. He originally thought that since the True Monarch usually lived in seclusion, she would definitely not be interested in such trivial matters as returning to a sect to visit relatives. He hadn't expected her to proactively suggest going along.

“Senior is also going to the Wenjian Sect?”

“Yes.” True Monarch Liuyun Suyu's expression was calm, her reason perfectly grand. “Young friend's Half-step Sixth Realm came about in a peculiar way. If there are any difficulties in refining the Dao Throne on the way, I can also consult with you nearby.”

These words were watertight. Gu Chengming naturally couldn't find any reason to refuse, so he immediately nodded and agreed.

Only Yu Wenqiu, listening to this “consult nearby” excuse, felt that her newly sprouted home-turf advantage had been quietly suppressed by the other party before it could even get warm.

She was so aggrieved, yet the gap in their realms made her dare to be angry but not speak out. She could only give True Monarch Liuyun Suyu a long, gloomy look, then look at Gu Chengming with a pitiful expression, and finally swallow her pride.

“Fine, even going home, she has to follow. This True Monarch senior is truly persistent.”

Senior Xiao Yu grumbled indignantly in her heart, but on the surface, she still had to maintain her dignity as an elder. It was truly hard to hold back.

After a brief farewell to the capital, the three of them set out on the journey back to the sect.

Naturally, Senior Ano also had a part in this journey.

Ever since this number one ancient body cultivator could manifest a physical form to walk around outside, she had been curious about everything in the world. She would stop to look at anything she saw along the way, asking about this and that.

Gu Chengming was patient at first, answering one by one, but later he really couldn't handle it and had to let her look around on the flying sword.

Halfway through, Ano suddenly pointed at the mountains and rivers receding rapidly below and said with some sentiment, “This flying on a sword is much more convenient than in my time. Back then, when I went on a long trip, I had to measure it out step by step with my two legs.”

Gu Chengming thought to himself, Senior, didn't you claim that ‘strength makes everything fly’? Logically, one punch from you could flatten a mountain, so why would you need to walk with your two legs?

On the other hand, True Monarch Liuyun Suyu's gaze grew a bit more subtle upon hearing this.

Although she and Ano weren't considered of the same generation, she was still a figure who had come out of those ancient times. Those “long-gone” old matters mentioned by the other party actually carried a few hints of familiar melancholy for her.

Ano, however, was completely unaware, continuing with her signature Ano-speak: “But it doesn't matter anymore. Roads are for walking. If you've walked them, you've walked them. If you haven't, you haven't.”

After a silent journey, the outline of the Wenjian Sect's mountain gate finally appeared at the end of their vision.

Only this time, Gu Chengming's sword intent as he returned on his sword was wrapped in a grand aura of the Half-step Sixth Realm. He didn't restrain it at all, and it startled the entire mountain gate from afar.

The news spread through the entire sect even faster than the last time. By the time Gu Chengming landed his sword, several seniors in charge from the Sect Leader's peak had already come out together to welcome him.

As soon as Ren Wencai saw his disciple, that usually stern face couldn't hide his pride. But before this pride could fully bloom, he was startled into a standstill by the aura on Gu Chengming's body.

“You... this...” Ren Wencai's voice was a bit shaky. “You broke through again?”

Shen Qianqiu's expression also changed slightly. He had lived for so many years and considered his experience not shallow, but the aura of Gu Chengming's realm was truly something he couldn't quite pin down.

If you said it was the Fifth Realm, the Dao Throne aura clearly already had the shadow of the Sixth Realm. If you said it was the Sixth Realm, the foundation of the realm was solidly at the Fifth Realm.

This was truly the first time he had encountered such a neither-here-nor-there realm.

Gu Chengming gave a bitter smile, about to explain the origin of his Half-step Sixth Realm, but before he could speak, he noticed the gazes of Shen Qianqiu and the others shifted collectively past his shoulder, landing on the True Monarch in the moon-white robes behind him.

The faces of several seniors simultaneously showed a bit of astonishment.

Xiao Gu went out on a trip and brought back a True Monarch?

Several seniors in charge of the Wenjian Sect looked at each other. No one had expected this junior to quietly bring back a True Monarch with an unfathomable aura to the sect.

For a moment, even the huge event of Gu Chengming's breakthrough was temporarily pushed aside, as everyone's attention was drawn to the True Monarch of unknown origin.

But before everyone could recover from this shock, Gu Chengming himself froze. In the group that had come out to welcome him, he saw a “senior” he had never seen before.

It was a white-haired sword cultivator who looked quite cold, wearing a plain white sword robe, appearing to be an androgynous male cultivator.

While Gu Chengming was wondering, he heard Ren Wencai give a light cough and step forward to introduce her. “Chengming, this is the Supreme Elder of our Wenjian Sect's Daoning Gate, Mo Wu...”

Gu Chengming couldn't help but be stunned.

He was naturally aware of the Wenjian Sect's previous situation. It was said that Shen Qianqiu had only been pushed into the position of Sect Leader temporarily because a large number of the Wenjian Sect's original elders and True Monarchs had gone off to do something major, leaving the entire sect in the hands of those who stayed behind.

Hearing his master's introduction, could this Supreme Elder before him be one of the “Wenjian Sect True Monarchs” who had left the sect back then to deal with that Great Calamity?

A subtle feeling arose in Gu Chengming's heart.

This Senior Mo Wu was quite different from her cold exterior. She was quite amiable in her dealings. As soon as she spoke, it was a neutral voice that could be either male or female. “You must be Chengming?”

She had already heard of Gu Chengming's various deeds before returning to the sect. She had quite a bit of goodwill toward this Wenjian Sect disciple who had risen so rapidly and brilliantly in just a few short years.

Gu Chengming was still wondering why this Supreme Elder of the Daoning Gate was a male cultivator. Just as he was about to bow formally, he heard Ren Wencai's urgent sound transmission arrive.

【This is a female cultivator. Remember not to offend Senior.】

Gu Chengming understood immediately and quickly swallowed the address that had almost slipped out, bowing respectfully to Senior Mo Wu.

On the other side, although Mo Wu also heard Ren Wencai's secretive sound transmission, her expression didn't show anything unusual.

She had always been quite indifferent to others privately discussing her attire. What she practiced was a Yin Yang Sword, and the Sword Dao required the harmony of Yin and Yang to reach great completion. Because of this, she had adopted this neutral style of dress.

Over time, even her voice and aura had taken on a quality that made it hard to distinguish male from female.

Her return to the sect this time was actually for an important matter; she needed to inform those who had stayed behind at the Wenjian Sect of the latest situation regarding the Great Calamity.

Shen Qianqiu already knew some of the inside story.

Back then, that group of elders, True Monarchs, and even the Sect Leader at the time had all headed to the so-called “Place of Calamity” to deal with the Great Calamity.

This Place of Calamity, to put it bluntly, was a place where all people who might “suffer the calamity” were gathered together. The location itself was nothing special. If there was anything different, it was that this “Great Calamity” had a “single-instance limit” to its disasters.

If the True Monarchs were to face the calamity separately, the portion of the disaster one person would have to bear alone would likely be heavy enough to make a True Monarch fall on the spot. But if a large number of True Monarchs were gathered in one place, the calamity would treat everyone as a “whole” when it descended. While the disaster would naturally become more terrifying, that terror ultimately had a limit.

In other words, the Place of Calamity was where True Monarchs gathered to jointly resist the Great Calamity.

And according to Mo Wu, this Great Calamity was completely different from any previous one. This time, the calamity had the potential to pull the entire cultivation world into it. So this Place of Calamity, besides being a battlefield for True Monarchs to jointly resist the calamity, was also meant to isolate that overwhelming disaster so it wouldn't affect mortals and low-realm cultivators.

The reason she hurried back to the Wenjian Sect at this critical moment was largely because something had “happened” at the Place of Calamity, and this matter might affect the current cultivation world.

She had come back to ensure that the Wenjian Sect's inheritance remained secure and wouldn't be cut off because of this change.

“So in the coming period,” Mo Wu said, “there will be Sixth Realm cultivators returning to their respective sects one after another.”

The information Mo Wu just provided was immense, and Gu Chengming's heart sank as he listened.

It seemed the “Great Calamity” mentioned by True Monarch Liuyun Suyu had already approached to this extent.

At this thought, he instinctively glanced at True Monarch Liuyun Suyu beside him, only to find her also looking over. Their gazes met, and both read a bit of gravity in each other's eyes.

Standing to the side, Mo Wu saw this scene, and the subtle thought that had already been in her mind now surged up uncontrollably.

This matter actually started back at the Place of Calamity.

Even back at the Place of Calamity, Mo Wu had known that the Wenjian Sect had produced a peerless prodigy. This news had come from the mouths of several True Monarchs who had attained their Dao Thrones on the Karma Tree and were skilled in deduction; it couldn't be faked.

At the time, this matter had truly made the group of True Monarchs at the Place of Calamity green with envy.

Several thousand years ago, the Wenjian Sect had produced that Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch who had dominated an era and blocked the path to the Seventh Realm for most of the cultivation world. Several thousand years later, another genius whose talent was not at all inferior to the Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch had actually emerged from this sect.

The True Monarchs had frequently discussed it with envy in private, saying that the Wenjian Sect's luck was truly boundless.

Mo Wu still remembered that her own Sect Leader and that Supreme Elder of the Guizang Gate had smiled so wide their mouths almost reached their ears upon hearing this. Every few days, they would pull along several True Monarchs skilled in deduction to huddle under that Karma Tree and calculate all sorts of situations regarding Gu Chengming.

And that was Gu Chengming's “peach blossom branches,” which seemed to be growing a bit too lushly.

According to the deductions of those True Monarchs, this Gu Chengming actually had tangled “bonds” with many characters and many forces that were hard to cut or untangle.

For instance, the Tianting Sect and the Hehuan Sect seemed to be tied to Gu Chengming by a faint “red thread.” The depth of that karmic entanglement made even the True Monarchs doing the deductions click their tongues repeatedly.

When Mo Wu heard these deduction results back then, she almost thought Gu Chengming was secretly practicing that Passionate Sword Art of their Guizang Gate, which was the most effective at attracting bees and butterflies.

Because of this deduction of excessive “peach blossom branches,” several True Monarchs at the Place of Calamity had used it as an excuse to rush to build a relationship with the Wenjian Sect. Their words, in and out, were all about wanting to pre-order such a promising “son-in-law” as Gu Chengming for their own juniors.

Such words were naturally mostly jokes among True Monarchs, but jokes aside, they also served as a side-confirmation of many things.

Although Mo Wu had kept this in mind at the time, she hadn't fully believed it, thinking the deduction of “peach blossom branches” might have been exaggerated and shouldn't be that ridiculous.

As a result, upon returning to the sect today, she finally saw this legendary “prodigy” in person.

Good heavens, this prodigy not only didn't disappoint her, but he also gave her a “surprise” right from the start.

He actually brought back a True Monarch senior with a deep Dao Throne to the sect. Looking at the gazes exchanged between the two, it was clearly not an ordinary senior-junior relationship.

Mo Wu's gaze swept back and forth between Gu Chengming and True Monarch Liuyun Suyu. Recalling that deduction of “excessive peach blossom branches” from the Place of Calamity, her impression was confirmed—it seemed the deductions of those True Monarchs truly hadn't been exaggerated much.

Gu Chengming was unaware that this Senior Mo Wu secretly held a bit of “prejudice” against him.

His return to the Wenjian Sect this time was, on one hand, to make it easier to refine the Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne, and on the other hand, to further investigate the old matters of the Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch.

After all, he currently held the Knight Sword forged by the other party and had previously received the inheritance of the Burial Sword Tomb. He was truly curious about this eccentric senior who had dominated an era and blocked the path to the Seventh Realm for most of the cultivation world.

Such secrets might be hard to find elsewhere, but the Scripture Repository of the Wenjian Sect might contain some clues. Moreover, some minor anecdotes were often passed down among sect disciples, with added spice and detail.

On the other hand, Senior Mo Wu, after hearing of Gu Chengming's interest, was also quite interested and led him to search through the depths of the Scripture Repository.

As the Supreme Elder of the Daoning Gate, those restricted pavilion texts that ordinary disciples couldn't even find were just a wave of her hand away.

Through this search, they truly found something.

It was an ancient book titled 《Record of Famous Swords of the Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying》. The pages were yellowed and the corners heavily worn; it looked quite old.

Gu Chengming read it by the faint light in the pavilion. Gradually, he gained a deeper understanding of the swords forged by the Life-Defying Calamity-Slaying True Monarch during his life.

This True Monarch had loved swords as much as his life, and each sword he forged was famous. The Knight Sword was just one of the more well-known ones.

As he flipped through, Gu Chengming's gaze suddenly paused at one spot.

He secretly compared the few lines of record on the page with the various characteristics of the broken small sword in his hand, connecting all the previous clues. A thought suddenly popped into his mind—could this Burial Sword Tomb be the sword forged by that True Monarch named “Juejin”?

Once this thought appeared, it could no longer be suppressed. The more he examined the description in the ancient book, the more he felt the two fit perfectly. In the end, he was about seventy to eighty percent certain.

However, unlike that Knight Sword which seemed like a living thing, Gu Chengming soon noticed another key point from between the lines.

This Burial Sword Tomb seemed to be a complete “dead object.”

The Knight Sword had a sword spirit, a personality, and could even come up with an absurd “regional discrimination” judgment. It was a living thing with its own ideas.

But this Burial Sword Tomb was not like that. Every mention of it in the records carried a sense of silent death, without a hint of spirituality. It was purely an object forged and waiting to be driven by someone.

At this thought, Gu Chengming's heart suddenly stirred.

A problem he wanted to solve but hadn't been able to figure out a way for finally had a bit of a clue at this moment.

And that was Senior Ano's physical body.

...

That night, Gu Chengming returned to his own courtyard and called out the bored Senior Ano from his Sea of Consciousness.

After Ano manifested her physical form, she yawned as usual, rubbing her eyes with a sleepy face, looking as if she had just been yanked out of some sweet dream.

“Xiao Gu, what did you call me for?” she asked in a muffled voice.

Gu Chengming deliberated for a moment, then told her about what he had found in the Scripture Repository during the day, along with his own immature idea.

“Senior,” his tone was quite gentle. “I want to reconstruct a physical body for you.”

He had been keeping in mind Ano's predicament of being a remnant soul unable to harm enemies. Now that he had an object like the Burial Sword Tomb that lacked a spirit, he was wondering if he could refine and reforge this object to become Senior Ano's new vessel.

This way, not only would Senior Ano regain a physical body capable of harming enemies, but his “Gu-No Invincible Battle Method” would finally have a use.

Ano didn't quite react at first, freezing for a moment. Once she finally understood the meaning of those words, her sleepy eyes “snapped” open, and her sleepiness vanished instantly.

“Reconstruct a physical body? I can smash people like before again?!”

Without waiting for Gu Chengming to nod, she lunged forward in one step, wrapping her two arms tightly around him, nuzzling her head in his chest, incoherent with joy.

“Waaa, Xiao Gu, you're simply the best in the world!”

【Ano Invincible Art Favorability +20】

【Current Favorability: 40/Friendly】

Gu Chengming: “...”

Senior, for such a major event as reconstructing a physical body, is what you truly care about whether you can smash people?

However, he didn't have the heart to say those words out loud. He could only let this senior, whose favorability was soaring, nuzzle him even more vigorously.

...

However, that being said, the massive project of reconstructing a physical body for a Seventh Realm senior clearly wasn't a simple matter that could be done just by talking.

Although the Wenjian Sect was a famous sword cultivation sect with disciples skilled in swordsmanship, when it came to the art of artifact forging, it truly couldn't produce any true masters.

For work that required completely reforging an object and injecting a spirit into it, there was absolutely no one in the sect who could take it on.

Gu Chengming thought about it over and over and finally reported this problem to his Sect Leader.

Shen Qianqiu listened and stroked his beard in contemplation for a long while.

Clearly, he agreed with this matter from the bottom of his heart.

Ano was a genuine Seventh Realm senior, and more importantly, she was a Seventh Realm senior who had truly survived a Great Calamity.

Although she was only a remnant soul now, if they could gain the full assistance of a Seventh Realm senior through this matter of reconstructing a physical body, the Wenjian Sect would undoubtedly have a few more chips in its hand for the upcoming imminent Great Calamity.

“This should indeed be done.” He spoke slowly after contemplating. “It's just that there are no suitable forging masters in the sect. As for the vessel...”

After a moment's thought, he had an idea and immediately recommended a long-term partner of the Wenjian Sect—a sect whose forging attainments were peerless in the region.

The Tianting Sect.

...

A few days later, Zong Baixing led a group of Tianting Sect elders to the Wenjian Sect in a grand manner.

As soon as this Tianting Sect forging master saw Gu Chengming, he stepped forward with a smile to exchange pleasantries. “It's been a long time, young friend.”

Gu Chengming naturally remembered this Master Zong. The last time they dealt with each other was when the other forged that Fifth Realm artifact called “Unborn Lotus” for him.

He quickly cupped his hands and returned the greeting, politely catching up on old times.

However, among this group of Tianting Sect people who had come along, there was actually an old acquaintance Gu Chengming absolutely hadn't expected.

And that was Xu Huayi.

Speaking of why this Miss Xu, who had always been unskilled in forging, would be mixed into this forging team, there was a bit of a twist.

Xu Huayi was originally working as hard labor in the Imperial Observatory.

However, just like Gu Chengming's recent period of leisure, the Imperial Observatory had also recently become unusually quiet.

Xu Huayi took advantage of this gap to boldly ask for a few days off, wanting to rest properly. Unexpectedly, that usually heartless Director had actually granted it for once.

Having obtained this rare vacation, Xu Huayi had originally planned to find Daoist Friend Gu every day to advance their relationship. Who knew that after rushing excitedly to the entrance of the Night Guard Division, she was told that Gu Chengming had already returned to the Wenjian Sect.

Having missed him, Xu Huayi could only settle for the next best thing and thought about using this vacation to return to her own sect for a look.

As a result, upon returning to the sect, she learned from her master about the request sent from the Wenjian Sect.

So this Miss Xu, without another word, found an excuse and thick-headedly followed this forging team.

Gu Chengming naturally spotted that familiar figure in the crowd at a glance.

Seeing him look over, Xu Huayi winked at him mischievously and then quickly made a gesture for silence, indicating that he shouldn't say anything.

Gu Chengming understood and quietly withdrew his gaze, only letting his lips curve up slightly as a silent greeting to her.

This back-and-forth exchange of small gestures was just a normal greeting in the eyes of others, but that bit of unspoken understanding was only known to the two of them.

Compared to the subtle and hidden exchange of glances between Gu Chengming and Xu Huayi, the bargaining between Zong Baixing and Shen Qianqiu over there was much more intense.

Refining a mountain—the difficulty of this was not at all less than forging a True Monarch artifact, and the heavenly treasures and earthly riches required were exaggerated to an astounding degree.

The Tianting Sect rarely encountered such a big business deal, so they naturally wanted to collect more.

“Old Zong, how can you have the face to say that? We've been old friends for how many years.”

Ren Wencai was clearly more shameless on such occasions, attempting to bring up their friendship to emotionally blackmail the other into lowering the price.

Zong Baixing didn't fall for it; he knew exactly what kind of person Ren Wencai was.

He let out a cold snort. “Ren Wencai, don't give me that. If you can afford it, we do it. If you can't, my Tianting Sect doesn't do business with poor ghosts.”

Ren Wencai was a bit taken aback. “Isn't it because I see you're charging too much... with the price you quoted, which sect in the world could afford it?”

Zong Baixing seemed to have expected him to say that.

In fact, the price he just quoted was intentionally inflated by a large margin.

As for the reason—

He seemingly unintentionally glanced at his silly disciple Xu Huayi, who was still exchanging glances with Gu Chengming over there, his little abacus clicking away in his mind.

It was naturally for the sake of his troublesome disciple.

By quoting a high price, there would be room for bargaining later. More importantly, this back-and-forth friction would provide a justifiable excuse for Gu Chengming and Xu Huayi to have more contact.

Zong Baixing felt that this move of retreating to advance was truly worrying over his disciple's lifelong happiness.

Who would have thought that while he was so painstakingly paving the way for his silly disciple, that girl didn't appreciate it at all and immediately turned against him.

Xu Huayi reached out and pulled her master's sleeve, clearly afraid that his price was too high and would ruin the deal, causing her to lose her excuse to see Gu Chengming openly.

“Master,” she whispered. “The price we're asking is indeed a bit on the high side. How about this? We'll leave the matter of materials to the brothers at the Wenjian Sect to arrange. We'll only be responsible for the forging, and we can save on that portion of the cost. What do you think?”

Both Ren Wencai and Shen Qianqiu were stunned by those words. Then they looked at Xu Huayi, then at Gu Chengming, seemingly instantly picking up on a bit of a different flavor, and immediately cooperated with each other to join in.

“That's right, Old Zong, look at that. Your disciple is much more sensible than you!”

“Miss Xu's words make sense. After all, young people's minds are more active.”

The two of them went back and forth, leaving Zong Baixing stuck in the middle. In the end, he could only glare fiercely at his unpromising, silly disciple and reluctantly agreed.

Being glared at by her master, Xu Huayi shrank back slightly and quietly moved half a step closer to Gu Chengming.

...

Afterward, it was the interaction between Xu Huayi and Gu Chengming.

This was Xu Huayi's first time stepping into the Wenjian Sect. Once that tense negotiation was settled, she found an opening and quite naturally approached Gu Chengming.

That night, she somehow found out where Gu Chengming's residence in the sect was and came knocking on the door.

After being invited in, she looked around the small courtyard with great interest, saying with sentiment, “So this is where Daoist Friend Gu lives in the sect. It looks quite charming.”

Gu Chengming laughed and invited her into the hall. The two caught up under the night sky, and he couldn't help but warm a pot of wine.

After a few rounds of wine, Xu Huayi changed the subject and spoke of the jade pendant Gu Chengming had given her before. She said that since she got that jade pendant, she had worn it close to her every day and never let it leave her body.

Speaking excitedly, a bit of the wine's effect quietly climbed onto her cheeks.

Xu Huayi's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were misted over. She pulled out the jade pendant she had been keeping close to her from her robes and didn't even shy away, kissing it right there.

That naive and charming look made Gu Chengming's heart stir a bit.

...

During the days Xu Huayi spent at the Wenjian Sect, she didn't just focus on being affectionate with Gu Chengming.

Although she wasn't good at forging, she was from the Tianting Sect after all. Having been exposed to it so much, she was more than capable of helping out and handing over materials.

Moreover, with her present, even that eccentric Zong Baixing restrained his behavior a bit, making the forging process much smoother.

The Tianting Sect was indeed a great forging sect. Before long, following Gu Chengming's ideas, they had properly forged the reconstructed Burial Sword Tomb.

Actually, the main body of this Burial Sword Tomb was Gu Chengming's broken small sword.

If one had to describe it, the relationship between the two was more like a “projection.”

That seemingly unremarkable broken small sword was the foundation, while the Burial Sword Tomb was another form it manifested externally.

The method used by the forging masters of the Tianting Sect was to find an extremely rare heavenly treasure. While preserving the original “projection” characteristics of this sword, they also added another brand-new characteristic of being all-encompassing and capable of transforming into myriad things.

In other words, they had completely reforged that broken small sword and fully fused that “Burial Sword Tomb” into it. The sword body was reshaped with another type of active material. The spiritual light flowing on the sword alone was already many times purer than before.

And such a sword that had undergone a complete transformation and possessed the quality of being all-encompassing undoubtedly became Senior Ano's most ideal “vessel.”

When Gu Chengming carefully guided that remnant soul into the sword and activated its all-encompassing trait to reconstruct flesh and blood for her, the aura of the senior in his Sea of Consciousness solidified at a visible speed.

After the brilliance faded, Ano opened her eyes.

She looked down at her pair of hands that finally had flesh and blood again, feeling that long-lost blood qi flowing endlessly through her limbs and bones, and a smile couldn't help but appear on her face.

...

Afterward, it was a bit of intimacy between Gu Chengming and Ano.

This ancient senior who had regained her physical body, taking advantage of the fact that she now had real flesh and blood, was like a sloth that refused to come down from a person. She clung to Gu Chengming's arm all day, nuzzling him.

“Xiao Gu, Xiao Gu, I like you!”

Ano looked up with that round face that still had some baby fat, her eyes curved into crescents, nuzzling even more vigorously.

【Ano Invincible Art Favorability +20】

【Current Favorability: 60/Like】

【New Usage Method: Throwing.】

Looking at that newly appeared “Throwing” option, Gu Chengming's expression couldn't help but become a bit subtle.

Good heavens, before I used Senior as a sword, and now that she has a physical body, she can even play the role of a hidden weapon?

He silently tossed this rebellious thought out of his mind, deciding not to delve into what kind of state this system would develop Senior Ano into for now.

However, while it was a good thing that Ano had regained her physical body, it also brought along a new trouble.

And that was what Senior Ano's current status should be.

She couldn't always stay in Gu Chengming's brow under the title of an “artifact spirit,” yet for a genuine Seventh Realm senior, arranging a common guest position for her seemed too disrespectful.

Shen Qianqiu stood to the side, opening his mouth several times but always swallowing his words. That hesitant look clearly meant he had something in mind but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Gu Chengming was so perceptive that he immediately saw through his Sect Leader's plan.

A Seventh Realm senior who had survived the Great Calamity—if she could stay in the Wenjian Sect, she would undoubtedly be a stabilizing force for the upcoming imminent Great Calamity.

It was only natural for his Sect Leader to want to recruit her, but he was hesitant to speak up because of Ano's special origin as a “remnant soul in a vessel” and her relationship with Gu Chengming.

At this thought, Gu Chengming simply made it clear for his Sect Leader. He turned to look at Ano and boldly extended an invitation.

“Senior Ano,” he smiled. “How about coming to our Wenjian Sect to take up a position as a Guest Elder?”

Ano was happily nuzzling him and didn't even blink when she heard this.

“I'll do whatever Xiao Gu says!”

Hearing this agreement, the stone in Shen Qianqiu's heart finally fell, and a smile broke out on his face.

In this way, the arrangement for Senior Ano was settled properly.

Actually, there was another even more pleasing piece of good news.

Under the miraculous forging techniques of the Tianting Sect, that Burial Sword Tomb—no, it should be called the “Juejin Sword” now—had actually gained an unprecedented divine ability.

That ability was called “Transforming Freedom.”

Even better, ever since Senior Ano had fused into this sword as an “artifact spirit,” this Juejin Sword could also be stored in Gu Chengming's brow and hidden in his Sea of Consciousness, just like Senior Ano, according to his will.

In this way, when he walked around outside in the future, he would no longer have to carry this sword in his hand at all times, drawing the attention of others.

For Gu Chengming, this was naturally a huge piece of good news.

Now that the sword was forged and Senior Ano's physical body was reconstructed, this task that had cost the masters of the Tianting Sect quite a bit of effort was completely finished.

And with the task finished, it was time to say goodbye to Daoist Friend Xu.

...

The day the Tianting Sect group set off was a rare clear day.

Zong Baixing led a group of elders and was making final farewells with Shen Qianqiu and Ren Wencai at the mountain gate. There was naturally a lot of polite talk about “looking after each other in the future” and “coming to visit next time.”

Ren Wencai's face was full of smiles. That shameless look he had when bargaining earlier had long been completely tucked away; he was like a changed person.

Only Xu Huayi was slow to follow her master's footsteps.

She lagged behind the group, her eyes searching the crowd before finally landing on Gu Chengming, and then she quietly moved toward him.

“Daoist Friend Gu,” she said as she approached. “Before leaving, Xu would like to ask Daoist Friend Gu to appreciate one more humble work. I wonder if I may?”

Gu Chengming was slightly startled. He naturally remembered Miss Xu's superb painting skills; the paintings she gave him were always quite novel.

At this thought, he nodded with a smile. “I would naturally be honored to see Daoist Friend Xu's painting.”

Having obtained this consent, Xu Huayi took out a weasel-hair brush from her sleeve. She didn't even dip it in ink, but just waved it lightly in the air. Wherever the brush tip passed, the surrounding scenery rippled like water.

Gu Chengming only felt a blur before his eyes.

When the scenery solidified again, he and Xu Huayi were in a world where petals were falling.

Countless petals fell from the void, covering the ground in crimson. Below was a sea of flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see, and above was a clear blue sky. Even the breeze brushing against his face carried a faint floral scent.

This world in the painting was quiet and romantic, beautiful beyond the mortal realm.

Gu Chengming was just looking at this world painted by Xu Huayi when the girl slowly walked up to him.

She looked up, and those eyes that always held a bit of mischief were now filled with an unspeakable emotion.

Xu Huayi didn't speak, but just pulled out the jade pendant Gu Chengming had given her from her robes. Then, right in front of him, she brought that jade pendant to her lips and kissed it.

Gu Chengming had already seen this move once before in his courtyard.

Logically, this world in the painting was created by Xu Huayi. Her kissing the jade pendant in the painting should be separated from him, the observer, by a layer. At most, he should just be seeing a scene.

But at the very moment the jade pendant touched the girl's lips, Gu Chengming clearly felt a weak but real, warm and soft sensation on his cheek.

Actually, since unlocking the CG for “Love: Pure Heart Art,” he had been able to remain conscious at all times.

Because of this, the scene he just saw was definitely not as simple as Xu Huayi kissing the jade pendant.

It was clearly this bold Miss Xu using the kiss on the jade pendant as cover to quietly stand on her tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek.

In the next instant, that world of falling petals receded like a tide, and the two were back standing before the mountain gate of the Wenjian Sect.

Xu Huayi put away the jade pendant that “she had just kissed” and carefully tucked it close to her body again. A blush had quietly climbed onto her pretty face.

She lowered her eyelashes for a long while before looking up at Gu Chengming.

“Daoist Friend Gu...”

She paused, her eyes shimmering. “Now that Huayi is going back, I don't know when I'll find another excuse to see Daoist Friend Gu again.” She spoke softly, her pace slower than usual as if choosing her words carefully. “I've remembered all the care Daoist Friend Gu has shown me these days.”

“Once this Great Calamity passes.”

She gathered her courage and met Gu Chengming's gaze. “Huayi wants to paint many, many more paintings for Daoist Friend Gu. Paint the way Daoist Friend Gu looks while riding a sword, paint the way Daoist Friend Gu looks while slaying demons, and paint all the scenery in this world that Daoist Friend Gu wants to see.”

“So, Daoist Friend Gu must remain safe.”

These words weren't spoken very directly, but the affection hidden between the lines was something even a fool could hear clearly.

Listening to this, Gu Chengming also felt a bit more tenderness in his heart.

“I will.”

Meeting Xu Huayi's gaze, he answered seriously. “I will definitely remain safe. Once the Great Calamity passes, I'll be waiting for Daoist Friend Xu's paintings.” He paused, then added another sentence.

“At that time, I'll go to the Tianting Sect to ask for them in person.”

Hearing this, most of Xu Huayi's sorrow from the parting was instantly swept away.

“Then it's a promise.” She nodded and smiled freely. “Daoist Friend Gu must not break his word!”

“Of course.”

Zong Baixing's farewell over there was nearing its end. Seeing his silly disciple still lagging behind and reluctant to leave Gu Chengming, he couldn't help but huff and puff, calling out to urge her.

Urged by her master, Xu Huayi took two reluctant steps back. Only after she had retreated far did she turn around with a look of lingering attachment and catch up with the Tianting Sect team.

Gu Chengming stood before the mountain gate, watching that figure grow distant until it completely vanished into the sky before he withdrew his gaze.

...

On the other side, Mo Wu, who had seen this scene from beginning to end, only felt unspeakably complex.

Well, this prodigy of her sect seemed a bit too much like... a storybook protagonist.

This was no longer just a matter of leaving affection everywhere. Mo Wu looked at the look of deep-rooted love on that Tianting Sect girl's face as she left, then thought back to that True Monarch Liuyun Suyu whom Gu Chengming had brought back to the sect, and that deduction of “excessive peach blossom branches” from the Place of Calamity. An absurd thought suddenly rose in her mind.

Mo Wu even suspected that this young friend Gu had collected every type of storybook heroine without missing a single one.

That secluded, cold, and aloof True Monarch senior was one type; this naive, lively girl from a forging sect with a talent for painting was another. Plus that sect elder who was said to be his partner, and those Tianting Sect and Hehuan Sect girls mentioned in the deduction... Mo Wu felt more and more that the jokes about “snatching a son-in-law” among the True Monarchs at the Place of Calamity truly hadn't been exaggerated much.

Whatever, this junior's private affairs were ultimately not for her, a senior, to interfere with.

However, there was one serious matter that she had returned to the sect for so long yet hadn't found a suitable excuse to tell him.

At this thought, Mo Wu paced forward, her expression gradually becoming more serious.

“Young friend,” she called out. “You previously asked me to tell you what exactly happened at the Place of Calamity, right?”

Gu Chengming's heart tightened, and he quickly pulled back from the melancholy of the parting, nodding solemnly.

He had been concerned about this for a long time. Although Mo Wu had previously mentioned that “something happened” at the Place of Calamity, she had never elaborated. Now that this senior was proactively bringing it up, he naturally had to listen clearly.

Mo Wu found a quiet place to sit down with Gu Chengming, and then she slowly revealed the secret she had been holding in her heart.

The Place of Calamity was originally meant for a Great Calamity specifically targeting all the True Monarchs who had grouped together. All the True Monarchs gathered in one place to jointly find ways to resist this overwhelming disaster.

Logically, resisting the calamity together like this should have been much “easier” than the True Monarchs being targeted individually.

“But just as we were enduring the previous Great Calamity,” Mo Wu's voice carried a hint of gloom, “some True Monarchs chose to ‘betray.’”

Gu Chengming's heart sank heavily. “Betray?”

“Yes.” Mo Wu nodded slowly. “They turned against us at the critical moment, causing us to lose a large number of True Monarchs during the last Great Calamity. Countless Dao Thrones were also forced to return to heaven because of it.”

“And those True Monarchs who turned against us voluntarily became cleaners helping the Heavenly Dao to ‘purge’ cultivators. Through this dirty work, they traded for a chance to linger on in their last gasps.”

“You might not believe it, but in every Great Calamity, such cultivators emerge. And these traitors who are willing to be cleaners actually end up having a portion of them survive until the next Great Calamity descends through such means.”

“Then...” Gu Chengming spoke with a grave expression, “what exactly is the calamity that Senior previously said the Wenjian Sect must carefully deal with?”

“The Great Calamity at the Place of Calamity was ultimately not fully resisted.” Mo Wu let out a long sigh. “Then the large portion of the calamity that wasn't resisted would leak out from the Place of Calamity. Even if the Sect Leader and the others tried their best to block those leaking disasters, they ultimately couldn't block them all.”

“And once the disasters from the Place of Calamity leak into Jiuzhou...” Her voice suddenly sank. “For ordinary cultivators, that would be an irresistible catastrophe.”

Mo Wu looked at Gu Chengming. “The reason I rushed back to the sect was to do my best to prevent the Wenjian Sect from being pulled into such a catastrophe as well.”

Well.

Another impactful fact.

Gu Chengming smiled bitterly in his heart; he should have expected it.

As long as he had just rested for a period, there would always be something new and more troublesome waiting for him.

Sure enough, there was no such thing as a good deed that would let him stay idle to the end in this world.

But fortunately, before this, he had already grasped a portion of the authority of that Unfettered Heaven Dao Throne.

Only at this moment did Gu Chengming calm his mind again and carefully sense the Dao Throne whose partial authority he had mastered.

Unfettered Heaven.

One of the authorities of this Dao Throne was called “Freedom of Body.”

One who possesses Freedom of Body is not within karma, not within time, and not within space.

In other words, almost any authority in the systems of karma, time, or space could not affect Gu Chengming in the slightest, nor could they bind or restrain him.

This was the source of True Monarch Jiahao's confidence to so blatantly use his real name as his Dao title—since he wasn't within karma, even if others knew his real name, how much could they do to him through the karma in that name?

This was also the reason why Ano had repeatedly said that True Monarch Jiahao's Unfettered Heaven was quite troublesome and he was best at running away.

No matter what kind of inescapable net you laid out, he could jump out of the shackles of karma, time, and space with one “Freedom of Body,” coming and going as he pleased, with no one able to stop him.

In the response to the upcoming leaking disasters, with this authority of Freedom of Body, he believed he could at least play some role. At the very least, no karma, time, or space-based methods could easily trap him anymore.

Besides, Senior Mo Wu just said that the leaking disasters shouldn't come that quickly; there should still be a buffer period in between.

This undoubtedly left him with enough time to calmly deal with the upcoming changes.

Gu Chengming quickly calculated all sorts of future arrangements in his mind, thinking about how to set things up to minimize the Wenjian Sect's losses.