Chapter 764: The Child of Destiny's Trump Card (Two-in-One)
Mo Wuya struck with all his might, holding nothing back.
Han Sanqian, who had just been heavily injured, had not yet regained his composure when the violent attacks followed one after another.
"Damn it, three against one, you have no sense of martial honor."
The Taotie Array Pattern condensed on his chest, intending to swallow Mo Wuya's attack.
A bloody, gaping maw emerged, instantly engulfing the pillar of light.
However, this time, Mo Wuya was well-prepared; his Chaos Void Shatter was naturally incomparable to that casual punch from before.
The violent power collided everywhere, and in no time, the Taotie Array Pattern began to tear apart, eventually exploding completely and slamming directly into Han Sanqian's chest.
"Argh—!!"
Accompanied by a scream, Han Sanqian's chest burst open, mangled with flesh and blood, deep enough to see the bone.
"Sister Flame Princess, we..."
Seeing this, Moon Dance grew somewhat nervous.
If Han Sanqian, who was drawing the fire, died, then their act of slacking off would lose its meaning.
"Don't worry, this kid isn't that weak."
A slight smile curled at the corner of Flame Princess's lips.
Just now, she had received a familiar voice transmission.
The youth had already explained the details of Han Sanqian, Mo Wuya, and Perfected Man Jiugong to her in great detail; as the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.
She now had absolute confidence; moreover, even if a situation far exceeding expectations occurred, Gu Yun was there to back them up.
There was nothing to hesitate about; she only needed to carry out her plan.
No sooner had she spoken than another change occurred on the arena stage.
Although Han Sanqian's chest had burst and blood was spurting wildly, his expression was not one of excessive terror.
Intricate patterns emerged on his body, covering all his skin and drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to form a small vortex above his head.
"Emperor Grade—Hundun Array Rune."
Perfected Man Jiugong's voice was heavy as his gaze remained fixed on the phantom gradually taking shape behind Han Sanqian.
The ferocious beast One of the Four Fiends: shaped like a yellow sack, red as cinnabar fire, with six legs and four wings, murky and without a face.
It represented... the most primordial chaos and disorder.
"This guy... just how many Emperor Grade array runes has he engraved on his body?!"
Mo Wuya's face turned ashen; Chaos Void Shatter was his own attack, yet he could clearly sense that the chaos power invading Han Sanqian's body was actually beginning to disperse, eventually spreading throughout his entire frame.
Combined with the residual power of the Taotie Array Pattern, it was ultimately neutralized completely.
Assimilation and decomposition!
This kid before him was far more troublesome than he had imagined.
"It seems I must go all out!"
A flash of killing intent crossed Mo Wuya's eyes as he flipped his wrist abruptly; strands of gray mist intertwined, condensing the outline of a longsword in his palm.
The sword was ancient and simple, its entire body the color of chaos, with phantoms of stars flickering and time-space flowing appearing on the blade.
High-grade Emperor Weapon—Chaos Emperor Sword (Replica).
As the national treasure of the Chaos Imperial Dynasty, the true Chaos Emperor Sword naturally surpassed supreme emperor weapons, reaching the level of a quasi-immortal artifact.
Such a weapon was not something Mo Wuya could control at present.
However—even though this was only a replica, it was already not to be underestimated.
Perfected Man Jiugong was alarmed, secretly thinking himself lucky for not having acted rashly.
Otherwise, how could he have kept his life under the Chaos Emperor Sword?
As a terrifying aura descended upon the world, Mo Wuya gripped the hilt tightly, a cold sneer curling on his lips. "To be able to force me to use this item is already your blessing."
He raised the Chaos Emperor Sword, pointing the tip directly at Han Sanqian.
"The Hundun Array Rune is indeed powerful, capable of dispersing damage and breaking attacks down one by one."
"But if my attack can still slay you even when divided into ten million parts, what will you do then?"
No sooner had Mo Wuya spoken than the Chaos Emperor Sword in his hand slashed out with a boom.
The power of that single strike caused the heavens and earth to change color.
The gray sword light was like the first ray of light at the creation of the world, carrying a world-shaking momentum that sought to destroy everything as it headed straight for Han Sanqian.
Wherever the sword light passed, the void shattered, and the sound of breaking air froze mid-air, as if time itself had stopped under this strike.
Han Sanqian's pupils constricted.
This strike... was too strong!
Even though he had two top-tier defensive Emperor Grade array runes—the Taotie Array Pattern and the Hundun Array Rune—engraved on his body, he still had no confidence in taking this move head-on.
However... his methods were definitely not as simple as what he had shown.
At the moment of life and death, his reaction was also swift to the extreme.
"Xuanwu Array Rune!"
"Activate!!"
The youth shouted, and a phantom of an intertwined tortoise and snake appeared on his chest, instantly expanding into a massive shield.
Boom—!!!
The sword light struck the Xuanwu phantom, erupting with a deafening roar.
The Xuanwu phantom trembled violently, and countless fine cracks instantly appeared on the tortoise shell.
"Block it for me!!"
Han Sanqian gritted his teeth and roared, pushing the spiritual energy in his body to its limit.
However, the power of the Chaos Emperor Sword was too terrifying.
An Emperor Rune was, after all, just an Emperor Rune; even if the controller gave their all, there was still an upper limit.
Under the continuous crushing force of the sword light, although the Xuanwu phantom blocked most of the power, about forty percent of the sword intent still penetrated through, slashing fiercely into Han Sanqian!
Pfft—
The little Taotie had only just recovered some of its strength, but as soon as it poked its head out, it was sliced into two by the sword light.
Blood light exploded.
Another sword scar deep enough to see the bone was added to Han Sanqian's chest, and he was sent flying, slamming heavily onto the edge of the arena!
"What genius of the Dao of Arrays? In the face of the Chaos Emperor Sword, you are nothing but a clay chicken or a pottery dog, unable to withstand a single blow!"
"Jiugong, wouldn't you... agree?"
Turning sideways to look at his subordinate, Mo Wuya revealed a smug smile.
Jiugong's expression remained normal, merely looking in the direction where Han Sanqian had fallen.
Mo Wuya felt it was boring and shifted his gaze to Flame Princess and Moon Dance.
"The annoying fly has been dealt with; now it's your turn."
"Little girl, when you struck the cultivators of my Chaos Imperial Dynasty so heavily just now, did you think about what the consequences would be?"
Locking onto Moon Dance's direction, Mo Wuya approached step by step, Chaos Emperor Sword in hand. His aura surged, making him look like a demon god emerging from chaos.
"I just killed someone, that's all. Is there a need to be so petty?"
Moon Dance was still in a hard fight, but her tongue was not soft at all.
"Good! Very good!"
"Facing death and yet not begging for mercy, even daring to talk back to me—very well, I admire your courage!"
"In that case, I shall reward you with... the taste of a fate worse than death!"
Mo Wuya laughed out of extreme anger; he raised the Chaos Emperor Sword, intending to do the same thing again.
The terrifying sword intent condensed once more, the gray sword light flickering.
The Imperial Dynasty cultivator entangled with Moon Dance keenly sensed the approaching danger and hurriedly threw an attack before flashing away to dodge.
Moon Dance's body was locked on, and the surrounding space was also sealed, trapping her in an inescapable death trap.
"I know your movements are very swift, but under my Chaos Slash, even space itself is sealed. You... have nowhere to hide."
Mo Wuya chuckled. "First you, then that woman. Don't worry, I am a kind person; I will send you all to... reunite, one by one!"
Just as he finished speaking, the sword qi in his hand was about to strike out.
Right then, Perfected Man Jiugong's shout came from behind: "Your Highness, watch out!!"
Mo Wuya frowned and looked toward the sound, his pupils shrinking.
He saw Han Sanqian, who he thought had been defeated long ago, suddenly flash and appear before him. He was covered in blood, and the bone-deep sword scar on his chest was shocking to behold, with blood staining half his robes red.
But a strange smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Do you think you've already won?"
"How... how is this possible? How can you not be dead yet?!"
Mo Wuya struggled to swing his arm, wanting to forcibly redirect the attack.
But the Chaos Emperor Weapon (Replica) was a high-grade Emperor Weapon; with his current cultivation, it was impossible to control it perfectly.
This process took time, which already exposed him to danger.
"Dead?"
"You're right, I indeed already died."
Han Sanqian said indifferently, as if death were just a trivial matter.
"But unfortunately, I don't just have the four array runes of Taotie, One of the Four Fiends, Xuanwu, and Qiongqi on my body."
"There is also..."
As he spoke, a wisp of flame ignited on the shocking wound on his chest.
A golden-red flame, blazing yet warm, holy yet domineering.
Wherever the flame passed, flesh began to regenerate, the wound began to heal, and the new skin was as smooth as before.
Mo Wuya's pupils constricted.
"Is this... the Phoenix Formation Pattern?!"
The power of an array rune represented a portion of the power of the inscribed object; with his experience, he could naturally guess where this miraculous power came from.
"One person can actually accommodate five Emperor Grade array runes at the same time!"
Perfected Man Jiugong looked at this scene with even more disbelief, his breathing becoming incredibly rapid, as if he were seeing some rare treasure.
"I said, if you want to touch these two ladies, you have to get past me first!"
Han Sanqian winked at Moon Dance, striking what he thought was a cool pose.
Then the flames on his chest instantly surged up, and the Qiongqi phantom was revived at full strength. Its ferocious claws tore through the void, heading straight for Mo Wuya's throat!
The Taotie phantom followed close behind, its bloody maw opening wide to swallow everything!
Mo Wuya's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly tried to turn back to defend, but it was already too late.
"Your Highness!"
Perfected Man Jiugong cried out and hurriedly waved his folding fan. Array runes wound up like chains, blocking the two ferocious beast phantoms.
The effect was minimal, but it bought Mo Wuya precious time.
The speed of the Qiongqi and Taotie was delayed enough that Mo Wuya eventually managed to barely dodge the attack. The claws grazed his neck, leaving an inch-deep wound. For an ordinary person, this would have been a fatal injury, but for Mo Wuya, it was still somewhat acceptable.
But in the next second, endless pain radiated from the wound. Mo Wuya screamed, and he could no longer even hold the Chaos Emperor Sword steadily; it fell to the ground with a clang.
The attack he had just fully charged now completely dissipated into nothingness.
"Your Highness!!"
Perfected Man Jiugong rushed forward to support him, using space shifting to leave Han Sanqian's side. Then, without caring at all for the remaining Chaos Imperial Dynasty cultivators, he charged straight toward the edge of the arena.
"Wanting to leave?!"
Han Sanqian wanted to pursue, but his path was blocked by a Chaos Imperial Dynasty cultivator. He was thin with an ordinary face, and his aura was hidden extremely well.
This was the person who had ambushed Han Sanqian earlier, causing him heavy injuries.
He stood there now, with no particularly strong spiritual energy fluctuations around him, yet he was like an insurmountable barrier.
"You want to stop me?"
Han Sanqian sneered, the ferocious beast phantoms around him roaring with overwhelming momentum.
"Even Mo Wuya is no match for me. Aren't you afraid of death?"
The cultivator looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
Then he said indifferently, "I am! But this is my duty!"
"After I die, the Imperial Dynasty will treat my family well. They will no longer be Shadow Guards who need to walk in the darkness; they will be able to walk openly under the bright sun."
"Thus, it can be considered a worthy death!"
As he finished speaking, his aura erupted violently.
Without any hesitation, he directly burned his life essence.
"Madman!!"
Han Sanqian was in disbelief; he didn't understand why someone would be willing to die for a despicable, shameless, and vainglorious person like Mo Wuya.
But now... he could only send the person before him to the afterlife!
The battle did not last long; the cultivator was not even an Ancient Freak, just a contemporary genius.
The battle against Han Sanqian was almost entirely one-sided.
"Your Highness..."
"Take care..."
His gaze fixed on the direction where the two had left, the man's body was torn to pieces by the Qiongqi.
Han Sanqian's face became even paler.
Although he won this battle, he was indeed severely injured.
The wound on his chest, though suppressed by the Phoenix Formation Pattern, still throbbed with pain.
In the distance, Perfected Man Jiugong had already disappeared past the horizon with Mo Wuya.
They were now completely impossible to catch.
"Damn it!"
Han Sanqian cursed under his breath, forced to withdraw his gaze and turn toward the center of the arena.
There, Flame Princess and Moon Dance had also finally finished off the enemies before them and were walking toward him with graceful steps.
Both women's expressions carried a hint of concern.
"Young Master Han, are you alright?"
Moon Dance blinked her lively eyes, her tone filled with worry.
"If it weren't for your help just now, we two sisters would have been in real danger!"
She spoke while clutching her chest, looking as if she were still filled with lingering fear.
"Thank you for your help, Young Master Han."
Flame Princess also offered her thanks from the side.
"I am fine; these are just minor injuries, not worth mentioning."
Han Sanqian waved his hand; with beauties by his side, he naturally had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.
Even though his chest still hurt quite a bit, he felt delighted in his heart.
Just a few fatal wounds to win a smile from a beauty—it was well worth it.
"Since I have promised to protect the safety of the two ladies, I would never go back on my word!"
He forced himself to stand straight, a smile he thought was dashing tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Scars are a man's medals of honor!
Wait, why does it feel like a hand is touching my medal?
As expected, his heroic performance had gained the beauties' recognition; now both the elder and younger beauty must be feeling incredibly distressed for him.
Thinking this, Han Sanqian let out a faint smile. "Ladies, do not worry, I am truly fine."
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, a cold voice rang out, and Han Sanqian felt a tearing pain in his chest.
He looked down; a small hand, a wound—it was indeed those two things.
But... why did you reach through?
At the end of his tether, he didn't even have the strength to activate the Hundun Array Rune before Moon Dance reached into his chest. A blood-red heart was being grasped by that petite palm.
It was still thumping, beating incessantly.
//765//
Chapter 765: Two Women Backstab, Child of Destiny's Trump Card, Gu Yun's Teachings (Two-in-One)
"You... you..."
Han Sanqian's pupils shook, and his whole body froze in place as if struck by lightning.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but could only make a hoarse rasping sound.
Blood gurgled from the corner of his mouth, staining his chin, staining his robes, and dripping onto the arena.
Moon Dance tilted her head and looked at him.
On that charming and cute face, a sweet smile still hung.
But those lively eyes were now flickering with a cunning light.
"Young Master Han, thank you for helping us deal with the people from the Chaos Imperial Dynasty~"
She said sweetly, her voice as pleasant as a silver bell.
"You really are amazing, fighting so many people alone and beating them to a pulp."
"If it weren't for you, we two sisters really wouldn't know what to do."
"It's just that there's really no other way—"
As she spoke, she gently twisted the heart in her hand.
"There are only two supreme emperor weapons here in total. Sister Flame Princess and I happen to have one each, so there's really no share for you."
"So, we can only wrong you a bit—"
"And let you die!"
As her voice fell, she suddenly clenched her hand!
Puchi—
The heart exploded!
Blood splattered everywhere!
"Ah—!!!"
Han Sanqian let out a shrill scream, his whole body losing all strength as his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.
He knelt in a pool of blood, in front of his own shattered heart.
Those eyes, filled with endless unwillingness, anger, and despair, finally went completely dark.
Seeing that Han Sanqian had completely lost all vital signs, Moon Dance withdrew her still-white little hand, which didn't even have a trace of blood on it.
"Resolved?"
Flame Princess looked at her and asked indifferently.
"Mm-hmm."
Moon Dance said with a giggle, "His body was actually already at its limit. If I had known, I wouldn't have wasted those expressions and just acted directly."
"Success follows preparation; failure follows lack thereof."
Flame Princess said in a deep voice, her gaze falling on Han Sanqian's corpse.
"Before obtaining a definite result, every matter should be handled with the worst-case scenario in mind."
She raised her hand, and a ball of crimson flame condensed in her palm.
With a flick of her finger, the flame flew toward Han Sanqian's corpse.
Immediately, a raging fire rose up, enveloping Han Sanqian's entire body!
The fire was fierce, and the heat wave was pressing.
In the blink of an eye, Han Sanqian's corpse turned to ash.
"Only then can it be considered foolproof."
"Gu Yun once said that when dealing with this kind of powerful enemy that suddenly pops up, one cannot harbor any fluke mentality."
"I know."
Moon Dance smiled and said, "Sister Flame Princess, aren't you usually very indignant? Why do you remember Brother Yun's words so clearly?"
"If they are words of reason, why not remember them?"
"What does it have to do with whether it's him or not?"
Hearing this, Flame Princess's expression froze slightly, but she still let out a cold snort and said stubbornly.
"Oh~~~ So that's how it is~"
Moon Dance blinked, her smile becoming even more cunning.
"Sister Flame Princess, why is your face red?"
"Non-nonsense! Who's blushing!"
"You girl, if you aren't beaten for three days, you'll try to tear off the roof tiles!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Sister Flame Princess, don't. We should hurry and get those supreme emperor weapons so nothing goes wrong."
Moon Dance dodged with a giggle, her figure flashing, and soon arrived at the center of the arena.
Flame Princess also shook her head helplessly and quickly approached.
There, two supreme emperor weapons were floating in the air, emitting a brilliant light.
The clear wind celestial bell was crisp and melodious.
The departing fire tassel had flames surging.
The ancient voice sounded again, announcing the victory of the two women.
This also allowed the two of them to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Finally, it's over."
"Sister Flame Princess, this departing fire tassel is for you. I'll keep that clear wind celestial bell for now, and when I see Sister Yun next time, I'll hand it to her personally."
Moon Dance reached out to take the departing fire tassel and handed it to Flame Princess.
With the protection of Gu Yun's Myriad Transformation Power, the power naturally released by this masterless emperor weapon could not harm her.
Flame Princess took the tassel, her eyes also full of love for it: "Okay, Xiao Wu. If there is a supreme emperor weapon suitable for you later, I will also do my best to get it for you."
"Hee hee, it's okay. As long as Sister Flame Princess becomes powerful, even if Xiao Wu can't beat others, I can stay peacefully by your and Brother Yun's side as a little rice worm."
Moon Dance smiled and reached out to touch that emperor weapon—
But at that moment, boom—
A streak of fiery red light flashed, instantly passing by the two women.
"Not good!!"
Flame Princess turned pale with fright. This was the first time since things began that something beyond her expectations had occurred.
Being inside the secret realm, she naturally took the ancient voice as the authority; how could there be a problem with something the other party had already concluded?
But as it happened, the Child of Destiny was exactly such an extraordinary creature.
Without Gu Yun's help, the two women facing a Child of Destiny for the first time were clearly still not fully prepared.
The flame swept past, and the clear wind celestial bell was carried away by that golden-red light, instantly disappearing into the end of the void.
Only Han Sanqian's venomous roar remained echoing between heaven and earth—
"You two sluts, I remember you!"
"Today's enmity will surely be repaid a hundredfold in the future!"
The voice grew distant and finally dissipated into the vast void.
Moon Dance froze in place, her outstretched hand still stiff in mid-air, her lively eyes wide open.
"Is... is this reasonable?"
"On what basis could he evade the detection of that ancient voice?"
Flame Princess's face was terrifyingly dark: "I didn't expect him to have another chance at nirvana. But this time, he could actually evade the detection of the Secret Realm Will. It seems his hidden methods are not simple."
"No, we can't just let him leave like this!"
Fire leaped in Moon Dance's eyes: "That was a gift I prepared to give to Sister Yun!!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her aura surged as she prepared to chase in the direction Han Sanqian had disappeared.
Flame Princess was also exceptionally angry. No one would feel good about the meat at their mouth flying away like that.
But... the Heavenly Tier Arena was dissipating, so where could they go to find him?
"What, encountered a problem?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
The two women turned around at the same time.
They saw a figure in black robes standing with his hands behind his back, not far behind them.
His black hair was like a waterfall, his eyes like stars, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Beside him stood a white-haired Yu Jie with a sharp aura, who also gave a slight smile upon seeing the two women.
"Flame Princess, Xiao Wu, long time no see."
"Sister Xue!"
Moon Dance's eyes lit up, and she lunged over, grabbing Snow Thousand Years's arm.
"Sister Xue, did you get the emperor weapon?"
Attracted by the snowy-white divine sword, Moon Dance asked curiously.
"Yes, the frost snow divine sword has already recognized me as its master."
Snow Thousand Years nodded.
"So beautiful..."
Moon Dance's eyes were full of envy as she couldn't help but praise.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed slightly, and then she leaned in to sniff.
Flustered by the girl's sudden action, Snow Thousand Years asked nervously, "What's wrong, Xiao Wu? Is there something wrong with me?"
Moon Dance glanced at Snow Thousand Years, a mischievous smile of "you know, I know, everyone knows" appearing on her face.
Then she leaned into her ear and whispered softly, "Sister Xue—"
"Why do you have Brother Yun's scent on you?"
The deliberately prolonged tone, combined with the bolt-from-the-blue words, instantly made Snow Thousand Years freeze.
"I, I... this..."
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain something, but found her tongue tied in knots, unable to say a complete sentence.
That face, usually as cold as frost, was now so red it almost dripped blood.
Hearing this, Flame Princess's gaze also fell on Snow Thousand Years.
With a curl of her lip, she snorted coldly, "It seems a certain someone hasn't spent little effort on you during this time."
As she spoke, she even gave Gu Yun a sidelong glance, the meaning in her eyes self-evident.
Snow Thousand Years was so ashamed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into: "Don't, don't say it, we..."
"Oh, Sister Xue, what's the big deal?"
Moon Dance giggled and leaned over, hugging her arm: "From the moment you entered the Great Luo Dao Pagoda, we knew this day would surely come. That it was delayed until now is actually beyond our expectations."
"Leaving such a great beauty uneaten for so long, I thought your nature had changed."
"I didn't expect you to pick such a good time."
"We were fighting for our lives out front, while you two were just off having your romantic fun."
Flame Princess raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and snorted.
"What, jealous?"
Gu Yun stepped forward, pulled Flame Princess into his arms, and without a word, kissed those hot red lips.
Flame Princess was greatly embarrassed and even threw out harsh words: "You, you, you, what are you doing? I, I have an emperor weapon with me now, I'm not what I used to be. You'd better be careful!!"
"Is that so?"
Gu Yun pressed down on the departing fire tassel and picked Flame Princess up: "Then why don't you try to resist? I might get even more excited that way."
"Let go! Let go!"
Flame Princess struggled, only to find that she was still powerless before Gu Yun.
Her hard-earned self-confidence vanished again, and she could only whisper in Gu Yun's ear: "I, I was wrong, you, you put me down."
"What? I didn't hear you clearly."
Flame Princess slapped Gu Yun's chest hard and let out a light tsk.
Gu Yun smiled and then put her down: "Alright, I was just playing with you."
"This time, you've worked hard."
Stroking the Queen's head, Gu Yun's tone was extremely gentle.
"Don't, don't give me that. I, I'm not some little girl."
Her mouth said no, but her heart said yes.
"Sister Flame Princess, your face is also red~"
"Nonsense!"
Gu Yun looked at them, the smile in his eyes deepening a bit.
"Alright, let's talk business."
He withdrew his hand, his expression returning to calm.
"What happened just now?"
"Brother Yun, you have to stand up for us~~"
Moon Dance immediately went into spoiled mode, telling what had happened with a bit of embellishment.
In her description, Han Sanqian was simply a despicable, shameless, filthy, and low-down super villain.
Gu Yun looked at her with interest. As the saying goes, one takes on the color of one's company; after staying with him for a long time, this cute girl also had the potential for being black-bellied.
In this way, her deceptiveness was quite high.
"In the end, I even used flames to burn him to ash, but I didn't expect it still wasn't thorough enough, and he actually managed to seize an opportunity."
"It was my carelessness."
Flame Princess lowered her head, her tone somewhat self-reproachful: "If I had been a bit more cautious and set up a defensive barrier, this wouldn't have happened."
"Don't worry, it's not your fault."
Gu Yun's voice was calm.
"But..."
"You have to know, that Han Sanqian is no ordinary person."
Moon Dance frowned, clearly not agreeing with Gu Yun's evaluation: "Is he very special? He looks quite ordinary. Maybe he just has some talent in formations. I saw that he has a lot of strange patterns on his body, but nothing else."
"Formations, that is his greatest foundation."
"He seems ordinary, but in reality... he carries an immortal's inheritance."
"An immortal?!!"
Both women's eyes widened, and Flame Princess suddenly realized: "No wonder, no wonder he could evade the detection of the Secret Realm Will."
"If it's an immortal's method, then everything makes sense."
"So, you've done very well to reach this step."
Gu Yun did not hold back his praise. Flame Princess had forced out one of Han Sanqian's trump cards and weakened the opponent's destiny value by 1,000 points. In his absence, this was already a good result. It showed that the two women now had a certain degree of suppressive power against Children of Destiny with less than 30,000 destiny value.
From now on, his progress in collecting destiny value wouldn't have to be a solo effort.
"So what do we do now? Are we just going to let him run away like this?"
"Run?"
"Where can he run to?"
"From the moment he appeared before my eyes, he could never run away!"
Gu Yun took out the great dao heavenly evolution diagram and directly locked onto Han Sanqian's position.
...
At the same time.
Deep in the void, within a shattered star field.
A golden-red light fell from the sky, smashing heavily onto a meteorite.
Boom!!
The meteorite exploded, and broken stones flew everywhere.
The light dissipated, revealing Han Sanqian's wretched figure.
He was covered in blood, and although the bloody hole in his chest was temporarily sealed by the Phoenix Formation Pattern, it was still shocking to behold.
His face was as pale as paper, and his aura was withered to the extreme.
He lay on a large meteorite fragment, gasping for air.
"Damn it... those two bitches..."
He gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice, his eyes full of venom.
"How dare they ambush me... When my injuries are healed, I will definitely make you pay the most painful price! I'll let you experience what it means to suffer a pain worse than death!!"
It took a long time for his breath to calm down, and only then did he look at the clear wind celestial bell in his arms.
At this moment, the light green bell lay quietly in his arms, emitting a soft light.
A smile curled at the corner of Han Sanqian's mouth.
"But fortunately, I got this emperor weapon."
"Once I refine it, my strength will surely increase greatly."
"When that time comes, I'll go settle the score with those two sluts!"
He was very clear about the strength of the two women. They had merely taken advantage of an ambush; otherwise, they were nothing to fear.
The urgent matter was to quickly find a safe place to heal.
He stood up without hesitation, and just then—
Two streaks of light fell from the sky, landing not far from him.
//766//
Chapter 766: Xu Lingwei and Jiang Nian (Two-in-One)
"Who is it?!"
Han Sanqian, like a startled bird, suddenly looked toward the direction of the newcomer.
The light dissipated, revealing two graceful figures.
The woman on the left wore a light purple dress; she was tall with features as beautiful as a painting. A faint medicinal fragrance swirled around her, and her temperament was as gentle as water.
The woman on the right was dressed in green martial attire; her figure was exquisite, her face refined, and her eyes held a hint of sharpness and pride.
Formations swirled around her body. Looking at Han Sanqian's position, she frowned slightly, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes.
They were Jiang Nian and Xu Lingwei.
The two Protagonists of Fortune from Han Sanqian's script.
"Sanqian!"
Jiang Nian's expression changed drastically. In a flash, she reached Han Sanqian's side and supported his swaying body.
"Sanqian, how did you get injured like this?!"
Looking at the shocking bloody hole in Han Sanqian's chest, her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled.
"Who hurt you like this? Who?!"
Seeing Jiang Nian appear, Han Sanqian finally breathed a sigh of relief, a weak smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"It's okay, Xiao Nian. Don't worry too much; it's nothing major."
*Cough, cough...*
Han Sanqian struggled to sit up, but the movement aggravated the wound in his chest.
He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.
"You call this 'nothing'?"
Tears streamed down Jiang Nian's face. She and Han Sanqian had grown up together, depending on each other since childhood; seeing him like this caused her immense heartache.
She hurriedly took out several healing pills from her robes—all of which were high-quality life-saving treasures—and stuffed them into Han Sanqian's mouth without hesitation.
"Sanqian, hurry and eat these. These are the sacred healing medicines of my Danxia Peak; they will definitely help you..."
As Han Sanqian swallowed the pills, a hint of color returned to his pale face.
He took Jiang Nian's hand and patted it gently.
"Xiao Nian, I'm really okay... it just looks scary."
"I have my own trump cards; a small injury like this won't take my life."
Jiang Nian's tears fell like rain as she gripped his hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Sanqian, why are you so foolish? Didn't we agree to find us as soon as you entered?"
"Why did you run here alone and get yourself into this state?"
"How else could it have happened?"
"Isn't it just having eyes bigger than his stomach and getting taught a lesson by someone?"
"Xiao Nian, I told you long ago, there was no need to bring this dead weight along."
A cold voice drifted over from the side. Xu Lingwei stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping over Han Sanqian with eyes full of contempt and disdain.
"Reduced to such a state, yet you have the nerve to say you're fine."
"Looking like this, you're truly an embarrassment to our Xuanji Sacred Sect!"
"Xiao Nian, those medicines of yours are just a waste even if you feed them to him."
"The resources of Danxia Peak aren't meant for raising useless trash."
From the very beginning, Xu Lingwei had disagreed with bringing Han Sanqian—a fellow who couldn't even rank on the Xuanji Sacred Sect's Heavenly Formation Peak—into the Tomb of Emperor Bailian.
As the Eldest Senior Sister of Heavenly Formation Peak, she bore the heavy responsibility of reviving the Xuanji Sacred Sect and did not want any extra burdens.
However, because Jiang Nian insisted, she had reluctantly agreed.
She hadn't expected that right at the start, this Han Sanqian would screw up so catastrophically. He was truly the trash of all trash.
"Senior Sister Xu, how can you say that?!"
Hearing Xu Lingwei's words, Jiang Nian's expression changed, and she became very upset. "Sanqian is already so seriously injured. As fellow disciples, shouldn't we help each other?"
"You are the Eldest Senior Sister of his own peak. If you won't help, fine, but why are you standing there making sarcastic remarks?"
"Hehe, fellow disciples?"
"If we had to risk our lives for every single disciple, our Xuanji Sacred Sect would have been wiped out from the Three Thousand Dao Domains long ago."
"Certain people who lack judgment and provoke those they shouldn't deserve their fate. They should have some self-awareness and get as far away as possible so they don't cause trouble for the sect."
Xu Lingwei didn't have a single good thing to say to Han Sanqian.
Despite possessing a top-tier constitution like the Heavenly Formation Sacred Body, he spent his days in idleness, showing disdain for the sect's techniques and scriptures and being hypocritical toward the teachers' instructions.
He was never seen during sect missions, and in the sect competitions, he either withdrew or performed perfunctorily.
Almost all the elders had gone from being full of expectations to being numb, leaving behind a six-word evaluation—"
Rotten wood cannot be carved."
"Senior Sister Xu, how can you say that? We..."
"Enough!"
Xu Lingwei gave a cold laugh. "Why should the sect care about someone who doesn't even care about his own sect?"
"Jiang Nian, stop wasting time on him."
"Let's go. Let him fend for himself here!"
Xu Lingwei grabbed Jiang Nian's hand, intending to lead her away by force.
But Jiang Nian stood her ground firmly, refusing to budge an inch.
"Senior Sister Xu, I'm not leaving!"
She raised her head stubbornly, her eyes red but filled with an unprecedented determination.
"Sanqian is injured like this; I can't just leave him behind!"
Xu Lingwei stopped and turned back to look at her.
In those beautiful eyes, anger flickered faintly.
"Jiang Nian, do you know what you're saying?"
"I do!"
Jiang Nian bit her lip. "I know Senior Sister Xu means well for me, but Sanqian... he is the only family I've had since I was a child!"
"After my parents died, he was the one who looked after me and protected me..."
"If not for him, I would have died in the wilderness long ago!"
"Now that he's so badly hurt, you want me to abandon him and leave?"
"I can't do it!"
Xu Lingwei fell silent for a moment.
She looked at Han Sanqian and sneered mockingly, "Han Sanqian, have you no shame?"
"Haven't you dragged Xiao Nian down long enough?"
Facing Xu Lingwei's questioning, Han Sanqian only smiled faintly. "The ignorant are not to be blamed. One day, you will realize how foolish your choice today was."
"When that time comes, unless you kneel on the ground and beg me, I will never forgive you for your actions today."
Xu Lingwei: "..."
Jiang Nian: "..."
Even Jiang Nian was stunned; she never expected Han Sanqian to say such words.
"Sanqian, you..."
"Xiao Nian, do you see now? He's already started talking nonsense."
"What's the point of continuing to waste your time here with him?!"
Jiang Nian's talent in alchemy was truly extraordinary, so Xu Lingwei wanted to make one last effort to convince her.
Just as she was about to take Jiang Nian away by force—
Suddenly, her expression changed, and she abruptly looked up toward a certain spot in the void.
There, four figures were slowly emerging.
His ink-colored robes fluttering and his black hair flying, Gu Yun stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Beside him, Snow Thousand Years was dressed in white as pure as snow, holding the frost snow divine sword, her aura cold and sharp.
Flame Princess wore a fiery red dress, flames swirling around her as the departing fire tassel in her hand swayed gently.
Moon Dance stood at the very front, her lively eyes sweeping over Han Sanqian with a hint of playfulness. "Young Master Han, you certainly run fast."
She spoke sweetly, her voice as pleasant as a silver bell.
"We almost let you get away."
Han Sanqian's face changed drastically; he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar!
"It's you!!"
He instinctively took a step back, which aggravated his chest wound and caused him to cough up blood.
"Im-Impossible... Why? How did you track me here?!"
Jiang Nian hurriedly supported him, looking at the newcomers with wariness.
"Who are you people?!"
Xu Lingwei's pupils also constricted slightly.
She looked at Gu Yun and felt an indistinct pressure that sent alarm bells ringing in her heart.
"And who might you be?"
Gu Yun didn't look at her.
His gaze fell upon Han Sanqian.
"Han Sanqian, is it?"
"Some things don't belong to you. Since you've taken them, hand them over. Perhaps... you can keep some of your dignity."
This man!
He hadn't seen him before. Could he be the one who locked onto his location?
Han Sanqian's face was ashen as he responded, "Are you joking? Your things?"
"I, Han, have never had the habit of taking other people's things. If you have truly lost something, please go search elsewhere and don't waste any more time."
"Exactly. Who are you, and why are you making things difficult for Sanqian?"
"I know him very well. It is absolutely impossible for him to take someone else's things for no reason."
Jiang Nian supported Han Sanqian, also looking at Gu Yun with a wary expression.
[xuan qing treasure mirror Page 98]
[Name: Jiang Nian]
[Favorability: -40]
[Cultivation: Quasi-Emperor Second Layer]
[Constitution: Danxia Physique]
[Identity: Protagonist of "Path of Formations and Longevity"]
Gu Yun glanced at her; she was another Protagonist of Fortune.
However, his expression didn't change at all. A favorability of -40... if not for his Supreme Charm Halo, it would probably be -100. Why keep someone with such low favorability? For the New Year?
A brainless little girlfriend with no unique traits other than being exceptionally stupid.
Boring. If they were all of this quality, he might as well just kill both of them on the spot. Han Sanqian's destiny value should drop below the kill threshold then.
Just as he was about to make a decision, Xu Lingwei, who had been observing from the side, couldn't hold back any longer.
"Han Sanqian!"
"If you took someone else's things, return them immediately! Is this how our Xuanji Sacred Sect taught you?"
The girl's words were like a thunderclap exploding in the air.
Han Sanqian's face changed drastically, and he looked at her in disbelief.
"What did you say?!"
Jiang Nian was also stunned, her hands supporting Han Sanqian trembling slightly.
"Senior Sister Xu, you..."
Xu Lingwei ignored them. She took a step forward, looking directly at Han Sanqian with a cold and sharp tone.
"Han Sanqian, I'll say it one more time."
"If you took someone's things, hand them over now."
"Though our Xuanji Sacred Sect has declined, we cannot afford such a disgrace!"
Han Sanqian's face was livid, and anger burned in his eyes.
"Xu Lingwei, do you even know what you're saying?!"
"These people were trying to kill me just now! And you want me to hand the item over to them?!"
"It's just an object, what does it matter if you give it up? If you feel wronged, the sect will naturally compensate you once we return!"
Xu Lingwei spoke with a cold laugh. The auras of the four newcomers were extraordinary; there was absolutely no need to provoke such enemies in this secret realm.
In that case, let Han Sanqian suffer a bit.
But Han Sanqian clearly didn't want to suffer. He stared at Xu Lingwei with a livid face, the anger in his eyes almost erupting.
At this moment, he hated this heartless woman even more than Gu Yun.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Han Sanqian and Protagonist of Fortune Xu Lingwei have completely broken ties. destiny value decreased by 3000 points.]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Han Sanqian's anger has reached the limit. Reward: 3000 villain value.]
Watching a dog-eat-dog show and getting an unexpected bonus.
Gu Yun was very satisfied.
"Xu Lingwei."
[Ding! New Protagonist of Fortune detected.]
[xuan qing treasure mirror Page 79]
[Name: Xu Lingwei]
[Age: 349]
[Favorability: 70]
[Cultivation: Quasi-Emperor Eighth Layer]
[Constitution: Spirit Formation Body]
[Identity: Protagonist of "Path of Formations and Longevity" (Voided), Protagonist of "Reborn in a Fantasy World, I Can Simulate Infinitely"]
"The update is so fast. An infinite simulation system? Isn't this similar to Zhong Lingyu?"
"I've detected this fellow so many times, yet I haven't met them. Could they be hiding in some corner preparing to backstab me?"
The future simulated by a simulator was both false and real. He possessed the [Otherworldly Visitor Halo (Colorful)]; theoretically, the other party shouldn't be able to pull his real self into a simulation and would only be able to use the [Gu Yun] model set by the Heavenly Dao.
However, many things had changed now, so it was hard to say for sure.
"Infinite simulation... I should at least be a final boss. According to the script's timeline, the other party has only recently transmigrated."
"The Emperor Road is about to open. I expect the time for us to meet isn't far off."
Gu Yun was quite looking forward to it. Compared to such a big fish about to debut, the Han Sanqian before him was practically tasteless—hardly worth eating, yet a pity to throw away.
The group was still arguing.
While Moon Dance, Flame Princess, and Snow Thousand Years watched from the side with great interest.
In the void, the atmosphere was tense.
"Xu Lingwei, you bitch! What grudge do I, Han Sanqian, have with you that you would harm me like this!"
"Han Sanqian, how dare you speak to me like that."
"Young Master, please wait a moment. Since he is so stubborn, I will... clean up the sect today!"
"Be my guest."
Seeing that Xu Lingwei was about to attack the heavily injured Han Sanqian, Jiang Nian could no longer sit still. She let go of Han Sanqian's hand and blocked him, staring intently at Xu Lingwei. "Senior Sister Xu, you've gone too far!"
"Sanqian is definitely being framed. If you won't help him, fine, but why are you helping outsiders and being so aggressive?!"
"Do you have any sense of fellowship left?!"
"Xiao Nian!"
"Move!"
Xu Lingwei said coldly. To be honest, her patience had almost reached its limit.
"I won't! If you want to touch Sanqian, you'll have to step over my corpse!"
Jiang Nian spread her arms, firmly shielding Han Sanqian.
In those red eyes, there was only stubbornness and resolution.
Xu Lingwei stopped and looked at her.
Her gaze was cold and complex.
"Jiang Nian, is this your decision?"
"This is my decision!"
"If you want to touch Sanqian, step over my corpse first!!"
Jiang Nian spoke with finality.
*Swish—*
Just then, a flash of spiritual light swept past, directly severing Jiang Nian's head.
The beautiful head tumbled to the ground, the expression at the moment of death shifting from resolution to disbelief.
Xu Lingwei was terrified and stood frozen in place, not daring to move.
Gu Yun's figure slowly approached. "Send her to her death?"
"This is the first time I've heard such a pathetic request."
"Miss Xu, why haven't you acted yet? Is this request really that hard to fulfill?"
//767//
Chapter 767: You Summon, I Summon Too
[Ding! The Host has successfully killed the Protagonist of Fortune Jiang Niàn. Reward: 1 Orange Treasure Chest. destiny value of the Child of Destiny Han Sanqian has decreased by 2,000 points.]
Thud, thud. Jiang Nian's head fell to the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop, by sheer coincidence, right at Xu Lingwei's feet.
Those eyes were wide open, and they hadn't closed even in death.
Xu Lingwei froze on the spot, her entire being felt as if struck by lightning, and her mind went completely blank.
She looked at Jiang Nian's head by her feet, at that familiar face with its expression now frozen in time, and a bone-chilling cold rushed from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head.
"You... you..."
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her tongue felt as if it were frozen, unable to make any sound at all.
Han Sanqian was similarly stunned.
He watched blankly as Jiang Nian's headless corpse slowly collapsed. Blood gushed from the neck, staining his robes, his face, and his entire world red.
"Xiao... Xiao Nian..."
He murmured, his voice hoarse and trembling.
"Xiao Nian!!!"
A shrill, agonizing roar exploded in the void!
[Ding! Having witnessed his childhood friend die before his eyes, Han Sanqian is driven to madness by rage. Reward: 5,000 villain value points.]
Like a madman, Han Sanqian lunged with all his might toward Jiang Nian's corpse. His hands trembled as he cradled that still-warm head, tears mixing with blood to blur his vision.
"No... NO!!!"
He howled at the sky, his voice strained to the breaking point!
The shocking wound on his chest split open again due to the intense emotional upheaval, and blood gushed out!
But he no longer cared!
He glared fixedly at Gu Yun, his eyes now filled with madness, venomous resentment, and murderous intent!
His whole body trembled, and his teeth ground together with a clicking sound.
"I'm going to kill you!!!"
He roared, pushing the remaining spiritual power in his body to its absolute limit.
Qiongqi Array Pattern!
Taotie Array Pattern!
One of the Four Fiends Array Pattern!
Taowu Array Pattern!
The array patterns representing the Four Fiends manifested simultaneously, exceeding his previous limits.
As expected of a Child of Destiny, exploding with power through rage was practically a common occurrence.
Sacrificing the girlfriend to the heavens grants boundless magical power.
Han Sanqian felt as if everything had returned, even though he was still covered in blood, his chest was torn open, and he looked incredibly wretched.
But his current feeling was unparalleled. His limbs and bones were filled with infinite power; he... lacked nothing now!
"You damned bastard, I'll show you exactly what kind of ferocious beast you've provoked!!"
Han Sanqian was drenched in blood, his chest mangled, looking utterly miserable.
But his current aura was even more terrifying than when he was at his peak!
Qiongqi, Taotie, One of the Four Fiends, Taowu—
The phantoms of the Four Fiends emerged behind him, howling at the sky with overwhelming malevolence!
That terrifying pressure caused the entire void to tremble violently!
"Are those... the Four Fiends Array Patterns?!"
Xu Lingwei's eyes widened, watching this scene in disbelief.
She had always thought Han Sanqian was just a piece of trash, a burden who only held others back.
But the scene before her completely overturned her perception!
How could one person possibly have four Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns inscribed on them at the same time?!
Even though she considered herself a genius, she had currently only inscribed a single Qingluan Array Pattern. While it could be considered an Emperor-Grade Formation Pattern, it was one of the weakest among them.
Compared to the notoriously fierce Four Fiends, it was practically a little girl.
She couldn't even win a one-on-one, let alone face four of them?
What a joke. This wasn't real; this definitely couldn't be real.
The young girl felt her balance falter and stumbled back a step.
A palm pressed against the center of her back. Turning around, she saw the young man's calm face.
"You, you should leave quickly. He has inscribed the Emperor Patterns of the Four Fiends. The combat power he's unleashing now would force even a Great Emperor below the Third Tribulation to temporarily avoid his edge."
Xu Lingwei said. She had already completely offended Han Sanqian earlier, and now she could only pin her hopes on this young man.
"Thinking of leaving now? Too late!!"
Han Sanqian was completely insane. He roared, his gravelly voice sounding like a monstrous beast.
"You actually dared to kill Xiao Nian. I will definitely make you... pay in blood!!"
"Four Fiends—tear him to shreds!"
As his voice fell, the phantoms of the Four Fiends went on a rampage simultaneously!
Qiongqi flapped its wings, and a malevolent aura swept in all directions.
Taotie opened its mouth, and a giant maw that could swallow everything descended toward Gu Yun.
One of the Four Fiends surged, and a domain of chaotic disorder instantly expanded.
Taowu roared, and destructive power condensed into a pillar of light, heading straight for Gu Yun's face.
The terrifying momentum made everything in the vicinity teeter on the brink of collapse.
In an instant, meteors shattered and the void collapsed.
Xu Lingwei's expression changed drastically. Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns—this was truly the power of Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns. She had really misjudged him.
"It's over."
Her hands dropped powerlessly, her eyes full of despair.
"What's over?"
Gu Yun still had that same carefree look.
Xu Lingwei was very annoyed: "To be so good-looking yet so brainless, what a waste of that face."
"Those are Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns, and he's even gathered all Four Fiends. He's practically stepping on his own feet to fly to heaven, do you understand?"
"To think I'm going to perish here with you today. Oh Heavens, why are you so unjust—"
Seeing her look of grief and lamentation, Gu Yun found it amusing in his heart.
"Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns? Are they very powerful?"
He continued to play dumb.
"Nonsense! Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns are the top-tier array patterns in the world, and the Four Fiends are the best among beast-type array patterns."
"Just one of them is enough to tear an ordinary Half-step Great Emperor to pieces, let alone four of them now."
"Is that so?"
"But I feel like his 'ferocious beasts' aren't very authentic."
Gu Yun spoke with a smile.
"Are you kidding? Those are phantoms of ferocious beasts constructed from Emperor-Grade Formation Patterns, possessing a sliver of the true intent of the original Four Fiends. They're enough to suppress any cultivator below the Immortal level. Where else in this world could there be..."
Her words came to an abrupt halt, because behind the young man, four figures with equally terrifying auras appeared.
Solid, terrifying, malevolent, and tyrannical!
A complex mix of emotions intertwined, as if dragging her entire being into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood in an instant.
Qiongqi.
Taotie.
One of the Four Fiends.
Taowu.
Four identical phantoms hovered quietly behind the young man. Their malevolence was overwhelming, yet they were as docile as domestic pets.
Xu Lingwei's eyes widened, watching this scene in disbelief.
"This... how is this possible?!"
She murmured, her voice trembling.
A slight smile curled at the corner of Gu Yun's mouth: "How about you take another look now? Between my Four Fiends and his, who exactly..."
"Is more authentic?!!"
As the young man's voice fell, the four giant beasts behind him instantly erupted with terrifying power, soaring into the sky as they each charged toward their respective fake counterparts.
//768//
Chapter 768: Real and Fake Four Fiends
Four against four, point to point, like the tip of a needle facing the beard of wheat!
Han Sanqian's eyes widened, watching this scene in disbelief.
"This... how is this possible?!"
He muttered, his voice trembling.
That was the Emperor-Grade Formation Pattern of the Four Fiends!
It was one of his greatest trump cards!
The immortal who had left the inheritance to him back then had truly witnessed those four existences; because of that, the formation patterns he recorded were even more lifelike and powerful.
But now... compared to Gu Yun's four—
His four weren't even as good as damn little brats.
"Why do you also have the formation patterns of the Four Fiends? Why?!!"
Han Sanqian shook his head frantically, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.
"Who told you these were the formation patterns of the Four Fiends?"
Gu Yun's voice was incredibly flat. High in the sky...
Qiongqi flapped its wings, its malevolent aura condensing into substance, shredding that phantom into dregs in an instant.
Taotie opened its bloody maw and swallowed the phantom into its belly in one gulp—crunchy, tasted like chicken.
The ball-like body of the Hun-dun rolled, and the power of chaotic, disordered laws turned into tangible ripples that spread outward, instantly assimilating everything in front of it into nothingness.
The moment Taowu roared, the terrifying sound waves instantly squeezed the opposing phantom until it exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
*Pfft—*
Han Sanqian spat out blood, his whole body seemingly drained of all strength. His legs gave way, and he knelt directly on the ground.
The four formation patterns were linked to his lifeblood!
With the patterns broken, the backlash was like four heavy hammers smashing simultaneously into his already battered body!
"Ah—!!!"
He let out a shrill scream as his old wounds reopened, blood spraying out like a fountain.
He lay prone on the ground, twitching incessantly.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for abolishing an important inheritance of the Child of Destiny Han Sanqian. Han Sanqian's destiny value has decreased by 3000 points. Han Sanqian is in agony. Reward: 5000 villain value.]
"Be careful, he still has the Phoenix Formation Pattern on him; he should still have a chance to return from the dead."
At this moment, Flame Princess stepped forward and said, "Back on the Heavenly Tier Arena, he used Phoenix Nirvana once."
"I thought I had burned him to ashes, but I didn't expect him to escape anyway."
"This time, we definitely have to be more thorough."
Gu Yun gave a faint smile. "The Phoenix Formation Pattern is indeed powerful, but the reason you let him escape before wasn't because of that."
Flame Princess's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean..."
"In this world, there is just such a group of people who can always turn danger into safety and encounter constant opportunities."
"What would normally be a desperate situation instead stimulates the infinite potential within them, causing a burst of power far exceeding their previous strength."
Gu Yun's words left everyone present completely dazed.
"It's fine if you don't understand; you will all understand later."
"The Phoenix Formation Pattern could play its part before, but now that it's in my hands..."
"...it will have no place to display its prowess!"
As he spoke, Gu Yun directly waved his sleeve, and the heaven and earth furnace instantly flew into the air.
It sucked Han Sanqian's heavily injured body inside.
"You... you're refining him?!!"
To the side, Xu Lingwei watched this shocking scene, her expression trembling.
*Swish—*
Right at that moment, a cold flash gleamed. Snow Thousand Years had already drawn her sword in a split second, prepared to silence the witness.
"Millennium, wait a moment."
The frost snow divine sword stopped in mid-air, but it had already startled Xu Lingwei into a cold sweat.
"What... what are you going to do?"
"I'm telling you, a scholar can be killed but not insulted. There is no way I will be coerced by a demon like you."
Xu Lingwei stiffened her neck, putting on an act of being ready to die for her cause.
In those beautiful eyes, there was nothing but vigilance and wariness toward Gu Yun.
Snow Thousand Years's sword hung three inches behind her head; the chill radiating from the frost snow divine sword made her hair stand on end.
But she just gritted her teeth, refusing to bow her head.
"Stubborn and incorrigible. Better to just kill her," Flame Princess said indifferently.
"That won't do. This woman is a good key; she'll be of great use later."
The Xuanji Sacred Sect and Great Emperor Xuanji—any fool knew there must be a connection between the two.
Xu Lingwei didn't get along with Han Sanqian before, but she ultimately became a Protagonist of Fortune because something happened in this tomb. In the end, Han Sanqian would have obtained Great Emperor Xuanji's legacy and won the beauty as well.
That was how things were supposed to go, but with Gu Yun here, those were nothing more than delusions.
"Using a Demon Seed to control her might also change her state, which could be detected by the methods left behind by Great Emperor Xuanji."
"It's better to just keep her under control."
Gu Yun quickly made a decision. "I will place her in the Great Luo Dao Pagoda and call her out when needed later."
"Heh... another case of hiding a beauty in a golden house. Can't you come up with some new tricks?"
Flame Princess snorted coldly.
Snow Thousand Years's pretty face flushed slightly; this turn of events was indeed somewhat similar to her own situation back then.
Gu Yun turned his head toward the Queen. "Sorry, this time I'm just treating her as a tool."
"Tch, who would believe that?"
Seeing that Gu Yun didn't actually refute her, Flame Princess crossed her arms and looked away, muttering while a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
...
Great Luo Dao Pagoda.
Sixth Floor.
Xu Lingwei stumbled as she landed, nearly falling over.
"What... what are you doing? Where is this?"
She steadied herself, warily surveying her surroundings.
This was a vast, boundless space where the spiritual energy was so dense it almost condensed into substance, like an otherworldly paradise.
"You can understand it as... a small world under my control."
"You'll stay here for a while. When I need you later, you'll come out."
"On what grounds? Why should I listen to you?"
Xu Lingwei said indignantly, acting like a complete rogue.
Gu Yun's eyes narrowed, and he was about to use some means to teach her a lesson.
Suddenly, an intellectual and soft voice drifted over: "Gu Yun? Why are you here?"
"I... my insights haven't finished accumulating yet, I can't temporarily..."
Zhong Lingyu walked in. She had grown accustomed to being idle in the Great Luo Dao Pagoda; her waterfall-like black hair was draped wetly over her shoulders, left unstyled.
She was wearing a white gauze dress made of thin material. Soaked by water vapor, it clung tightly to her body and drooped off to the side, revealing half of a fragrant shoulder.
The hem of the dress only reached mid-thigh, revealing a pair of straight, slender legs. Her skin was so white it almost reflected light, carrying a faint pink glow from her bath.
She was barefoot, her ankles slender and delicate as she stepped on the warm jade floor, every step exuding a lazy and casual air.
"Ah—!!!"
Upon seeing that Gu Yun wasn't alone, she let out a startled cry, ducked behind a nearby screen, and immediately changed into more formal attire.
Gu Yun helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead. After waiting a moment, Zhong Lingyu stepped out from behind the screen.
*Cough cough.* "Why is there someone else? This is..."
"You... you're Zhong Lingyu?!!"
Gu Yun recovered from his embarrassment and was about to introduce her, but Xu Lingwei beside him jumped up first.
//769//
Chapter 769: Changing Faces (Two-in-One)
She stared with wide eyes, not blinking for a second as she watched the figure walking out from behind the screen.
With her wet long hair draped casually, Zhong Lingyu had changed into a light purple dress. Her entire being exuded an intellectual temperament that made it impossible to look away.
"Yes, I am Zhong Lingyu. What is it?"
Seeing that the newcomer was just a young girl, Zhong Lingyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She gathered her still-damp long hair and asked calmly.
"It really is you!"
"The one who single-handedly guarded the Human Race's southeastern borders, the greatest Array Dao expert of this era?!"
Xu Lingwei's breathing instantly became rapid, her eyes sparkling with little stars.
"He-hello, Senior. I... I am Xu Lingwei, a disciple of the Heavenly Array Peak of the Xuanji Sacred Sect."
After a brief moment of excitement, she immediately stood up straight, behaving as properly as a young girl meeting her idol.
"I... I've heard of your deeds since I was a child, cracking ancient remnant arrays and creating the Lingyu Array Dao."
"When guarding the Demon Suppression Pass, you held back an attack from a demon army of three million by yourself, including many Great Demons at the late stage of the Great Emperor Realm."
"In my heart, you are the number one person in the Array Dao today, a living legend!!"
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled.
Zhong Lingyu was a bit dazed. She looked at Gu Yun with an inquiring gaze.
This person... you brought her?
Gu Yun's mouth also twitched. He hadn't expected things to develop to this point.
"What do we do now?"
"What else can we do? You're her idol, help me handle her."
"But—"
"I won't ask you for the array insights this time."
"But I've already..."
Zhong Lingyu made eyes at him, her pretty face slightly flushed.
Gu Yun acted as if he hadn't heard, remaining persistent.
Zhong Lingyu had no choice but to cough lightly and look at Xu Lingwei: "Um, calm down first and speak slowly."
"O-okay..."
Xu Lingwei took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down.
But those eyes still stared at Zhong Lingyu without blinking, as if afraid her idol would disappear the next second.
"Se-senior, why are you here too, and what exactly is this place?"
Looking around, an inexplicable sense of unease welled up in Xu Lingwei's heart.
"Him?"
Zhong Lingyu looked at Gu Yun and coughed lightly: "He can barely be considered my employer."
"This place is a small world that belongs exclusively to him. I'm here helping him set up some simple defensive arrays."
"Wow—"
"To actually have Senior Zhong personally take action, this guy really got lucky."
"It's a transaction; both of us got a good deal."
Zhong Lingyu spoke indifferently: "Alright, I'm going to continue setting up the arrays. You two chat."
"Eh, wait, why so sudden?"
Before Xu Lingwei could react, her idol's figure had already disappeared before her eyes.
"What, can't bear to let her go?"
Gu Yun stepped forward and smiled.
"Of course."
Xu Lingwei said: "I've liked Senior Zhong since I was a child; it's been several Thousand Years now."
"I didn't expect to actually have the chance to meet her in my lifetime... Sigh, I should be satisfied..."
"What if I said I could have her give you some guidance?"
Gu Yun suddenly said.
"What kind of joke is that? Who is Senior Zhong? How could she..."
Looking into Gu Yun's serious yet playful eyes, Xu Lingwei's voice carried a hint of suspicion: "Can you... really do it?"
"Senior Zhong said your relationship is just a transaction. How could a person like her be at your beck and call?"
"Believe it or not, I have a bit of confidence in that."
Gu Yun said indifferently, waiting for Xu Lingwei's reply.
"You should have said so earlier..."
Xu Lingwei suddenly beamed with joy: "Isn't this just a misunderstanding? If I'd known you knew Senior Lingyu, I wouldn't have acted like that before."
"...A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated."
"Who said that phrase? Could it be that you're the type to forget honor when faced with profit, ready to submit yourself under this demon?"
Changing faces fast, aren't you, buddy?
Where did that unyielding person from just now go?
You imposter, get out of our Protagonist of Fortune's skin right now, hey.
"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated, but you didn't humiliate me."
"That's Zhong Lingyu! Do you know how many array masters in the Three Thousand Dao Domains would pay a fortune just for a single word of guidance and still find it impossible?"
"Even with a thousand top-grade spirit stones, it's hard to get her careful guidance. Now I have this opportunity."
"This Young Master... no, Big Brother. From now on, you are my Big Brother."
"If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west. If you tell me to catch a dog, I'll never chase a chicken. From now on, this little sister will follow your lead."
"I only hope you can put in a few good words for me in front of Senior Lingyu."
Xu Lingwei made a gesture of rubbing her hands together like a fly, her face full of flattery.
This action performed by such a beautiful girl was incredibly discordant and looked extremely sleazy.
"Alright, alright, stop with that."
Gu Yun said helplessly, "That gesture doesn't match your temperament at all."
Xu Lingwei immediately stopped, stood up straight, and looked well-behaved.
"Yes, Big Brother! No problem, Big Brother!"
"Whatever Big Brother says goes!"
Gu Yun: "..."
At this moment, Xu Lingwei's image overlapped with Bai Hao's.
No... she wasn't even as good as Bai Hao. At least Bai Hao wouldn't do something that looked so stupid.
Sigh, so be it. As long as she's useful. I just hope that when Great Emperor Xuanji sees that I've turned his descendant into this state, he won't be so enraged that he tries to kill me.
"Alright, come out with me first."
"In this tomb, I indeed still need to use you. After we get out of here, I'll have Zhong Lingyu teach you for a period of time."
"Ah~~"
Xu Lingwei said dissatisfiedly: "Are you trying to trick me? A divine person like Senior Zhong, it's already your honor to collaborate with her."
"You've already made a promise, and now you're stalling. Is it... because you can't do it at all?"
Changing again?
This girl really is the type who won't do anything without seeing results first.
Gu Yun was too lazy to continue arguing with her; anyway, time flowed fast inside the Great Luo Dao Pagoda.
Arranging for Xu Lingwei to stay with Zhong Lingyu for a few days was no problem. Before leaving, he saw Xu Lingwei pounce directly into Zhong Lingyu's arms. The intellectual beauty cast a look for help toward him, but Gu Yun remained completely unmoved, turning around to go to Gu Zhaojun's residence.
Inside the Great Luo Dao Pagoda, although the flow of time accelerated, the child's growth rate remained consistent with the outside world.
In the outside world, Gu Zhaojun had only been pregnant for less than half a year, and it was the same in the pagoda. Compared to the ten-year gestation period, there was still a long time to go.
"Xiao Yun, why are you here?"
Gu Zhaojun had been meditating in cultivation, but sensing Gu Yun's arrival, she slowly opened her eyes.
Those beautiful eyes held a hint of soft light.
In the outside world, because of the child in her womb, her strength had begun to stagnate. This was because the little fellow was too fierce; even the spiritual energy in the Immortal Ancient Gu Family's secluded cultivation grounds was hard-pressed to supply her pregnancy. Fortunately, Gu Yun had a divine artifact like the Great Luo Dao Pagoda. Cultivating inside, Gu Zhaojun not only had no more worries but also thoroughly enjoyed the benefits brought by the little fellow's massive suction power.
Her cultivation level also rose steadily as a result. Not long ago, she stepped into the Great Saint Realm, only one step away from becoming a Quasi-Emperor.
Gu Yun stepped forward and gently put his arm around her waist: "Time flows fast in the pagoda. I thought I should come and spend more time with you and our daughter."
Gu Zhaojun smiled slightly: "The spiritual energy here is dense. I always fall into a state of secluded cultivation without realizing it, completely unaware of the passage of time."
"In my impression, your last visit feels like it was just yesterday."
Gu Yun gently stroked her lower abdomen, feeling the faint rhythm coming from his palm.
"The little one is still in the gestation stage; you definitely can't feel anything yet."
As if knowing Gu Yun's thoughts, Gu Zhaojun spoke with a smile.
Gu Yun was slightly startled, then he laughed.
"True, there are still several years left."
He lowered his head, pressing his face against Gu Zhaojun's belly, closing his eyes to quietly feel that faint yet resilient rhythm of life.
Gu Zhaojun looked down at him, her eyes full of tenderness.
She raised her hand and gently stroked Gu Yun's black hair, her movements as soft as if she were touching the most precious treasure in the world.
Suddenly—
"Ah, what are you doing?"
"Sister Zhaojun, we haven't... in a long time."
"No, it's not okay."
"Don't worry, it hasn't been that long. Besides, my child... isn't that fragile."
...
A month passed inside the Great Luo Dao Pagoda, and Gu Yun dragged away the chattering Xu Lingwei.
"Oh, no, I don't want to. I want to stay with Sister Lingyu for a few more days."
"Let's go. Your Sister Lingyu has things to do; you can't keep bothering her."
"Besides, it's time to fulfill what you promised me. Otherwise, not only will I not let you see her now, you won't even think about seeing her in the future!"
Gu Yun's voice was incredibly calm, but the words he spoke were no different from a bolt from the blue to Xu Lingwei.
"Don't, don't, don't. Big Brother, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong."
She immediately let go of her hands clutching Zhong Lingyu's arm, becoming as well-behaved as a little lamb.
"I'm just saying, whatever Big Brother wants me to do, I'll do it without hesitation."
"Going out, right? Let's go! We're going out right now, immediately, this instant!!"
As she spoke, she also turned back to wave at Zhong Lingyu.
"Sister Lingyu, I'm leaving first! I'll come back to find you after I'm done with my business!"
Zhong Lingyu's mouth twitched slightly as she forced a thin smile.
"Okay... go then."
She looked at Gu Yun with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
Gu Yun winked at her: "I've exempted you from one month of array Dao insights; aren't you satisfied yet?"
Zhong Lingyu rolled her eyes at him and turned to disappear from the spot.
"Let's go."
Dragging the reluctant Xu Lingwei, Gu Yun's figure flashed and disappeared from the Great Luo Dao Pagoda.
...
The heaven and earth furnace roared, which also attracted a few blind fools.
The three women weren't ambiguous either; they made quick work of them and sent them into the furnace to keep Han Sanqian company.
Swish—
Right at this moment, Gu Yun's figure flashed, appearing together with Xu Lingwei.
"Brother Yun!"
"Gu Yun!"
"Master!"
The three women surrounded them at the same time, their gazes falling collectively on Xu Lingwei.
Then, they were stunned.
They saw Xu Lingwei standing obediently by Gu Yun's side, her hands hanging properly in front of her, a polite smile on her face.
Moon Dance rubbed her eyes.
"Is... is this that 'tough bone' who said 'a scholar can be killed but not humiliated' just now?"
Snow Thousand Years was silent for a moment, then said indifferently: "Swapped for someone else?"
Flame Princess's gaze swept over Xu Lingwei and then landed on Gu Yun's face. Her beautiful eyes were full of scrutiny and suspicion.
"Gu Yun, be honest. What exactly did you do to her inside the Great Luo Dao Pagoda just now?"
Gu Yun spread his hands innocently.
"What could I do? I just let her meet Zhong Lingyu."
"Let her meet Zhong Lingyu?"
Flame Princess raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him.
Gu Yun had no choice but to briefly recount the sequence of events.
"Just meeting this so-called idol could cause someone to undergo such a world-shaking change?"
Flame Princess was dumbfounded; this kind of thing simply overturned her understanding.
"Alright, stop obsessing over this."
Glancing at the heaven and earth furnace, Gu Yun beckoned with his hand.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully slaying the Child of Destiny Han Sanqian. Reward: Red Treasure Chest *1, recovered 19,000 destiny value points, rewarded 30,000 villain value points]
[heaven and earth furnace refining complete. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Heavenly Array Saint Body Source, Quasi-Emperor Second Layer Cultivation Pill *1]
The heaven and earth furnace shrank to the size of a fist and fell into Gu Yun's palm, spinning rapidly.
He casually put it away, then beckoned again, and the great dao heavenly evolution diagram appeared out of thin air.
The high-brightness points Gu Yun had specially marked earlier now had only two left glowing.
In other words, besides the three supreme emperor weapons in his own hands, four other emperor weapons already had their owners.
"Qin Xiang, Luo Shui Xian."
The Child of Destiny and the Protagonist of Fortune would be marked after he appraised them; now their locations were clearly displayed by the great dao heavenly evolution diagram.
And besides those two, the other two light points probably didn't have much to do with destiny.
"It should be two of the three: Holy Light Son, Luo Lie, and Shi Potian."
Gu Yun had some guesses. Among these three, the one Gu Yun least favored was Shi Potian. This Ancient Freak from the Chongyue Immortal Palace held a heavy sword, had a robust body, and a powerful aura. Although he looked very formidable, in the many destiny scripts Gu Yun had read, this type of cultivator was basically cannon fodder.
However, these didn't affect Gu Yun's judgment. Before entering the final room, he could still take down one more of the emperor weapons—
Seeing the subtle changes occurring in the diagram, the young man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There's no time to lose, let's move out quickly."
After confirming the direction, Gu Yun put away the great dao heavenly evolution diagram and sped off directly in a certain direction.
The four women looked at each other and also chased after him one by one.
And at this moment, somewhere in the void.
Chu Ruoyao's condition was not good. In the outside world, she was an absolute powerhouse of the Great Emperor Sixth Heaven, but in this secret realm, she was just an ordinary member of the Quasi-Emperor Ninth Heaven.
Even though she had plenty of experience in battles within the same realm, being besieged by so many cultivators, even she could only avoid their sharp edge.