Translator: AnubisTL
When Gu Feng spoke, he saw no surprise or shock on Prefect Chu's face. The man simply sat there, motionless and silent.
After a long moment, he finally spoke in a low voice, "Take Youhuan and leave. Go as far away as you can."
"Why don't you come with us?" Gu Feng asked softly.
Prefect Chu didn't answer, but instead began to recount his past. "That year, I persuaded the Late Emperor to establish the Grand Harmony Academy..."
"There was fierce opposition from the court, and even the Late Emperor hesitated. Someone took Youhuan's mother hostage... I watched her fall with my own eyes... sob..."
At this point, the Academy Master of Great Chu's foremost academy couldn't hold back his tears any longer.
"Do you regret it now?" Gu Feng asked.
"Would it make any difference?" Prefect Chu replied with a self-deprecating smile.
"Gu Feng, you must treat Youhuan well from now on. Don't let her suffer again..." His tiger-like eyes filled with tears as he made his final plea to Gu Feng.
Seeing Gu Feng nod firmly, Prefect Chu wiped away the tears welling at the corners of his eyes and walked over with a smile, patting the young man's shoulder.
"Go bid farewell to your friends. In ten days, I will deliver Youhuan into your care!"
"Yes!"
Gu Feng nodded. Once he left, he would likely never return. He needed to ask his friends, regardless of whether they wished to leave with him or not, to at least say goodbye.
"Prefect Chu?"
"Yes?"
"Can I call you Father-in-Law now?"
"Of course, of course!" Prefect Chu's face crinkled into a smile, his gaze filled with unusual tenderness.
"Father-in-Law, see you in ten days!"
"Go now!"
After Gu Feng left, Prefect Chu summoned the Elders and Vice Prefecture Lords still stationed at the Grand Harmony Academy.
He announced the academy's dissolution.
Then, returning to his residence, he retrieved an Emerald Crimson Pill—a domineering pill that consumed lifespan to force out hidden potential within the body.
He murmured to himself, hesitated for a moment, then swallowed it without hesitation.
A figure sat cross-legged, suspended in mid-air, a violent aura surging around him like raging waves...
Gu Feng first went to the Rosy Cloud Pavilion and gathered all the Sunset Glow Sect disciples who had remained behind.
That night, he changed course for the Northern Border, bid a hasty farewell to Sima Juncong, and used the Violet Starlight Sky-Piercing Disc to transport Yan Yexue and the others, who had been waiting for him.
Silently, the entire Sunset Glow Sect retreated from the Northern Border.
Along the way, Gu Feng announced his decision: he would pass the position of Sunset Glow Sect Master to Dou Xiaojian!
This was entirely expected. Wu Qi and the others held deep affection for the Great Chu Dynasty and were unwilling to leave now that a formidable enemy was eyeing the border.
Gu Feng did not force them, understanding their loyalty. He selected several cultivation methods from his Sea of Consciousness and imparted them to them.
Back at the Sunset Glow Sect, he visited Liu Wuxiang's grave to pay his respects. Liu Wuxiang had fallen during the Northern Border battle, along with Elder Wu, Elder Chu, Elder Shi, and other elders who had once shown Gu Feng great kindness.
After completing these tasks, Gu Feng gave Dou Xiaojian some final instructions: if a major upheaval occurred in the Chu Kingdom, he was to immediately release a certain announcement.
It was a statement clearly severing Gu Feng's ties with the Sunset Glow Sect.
Finally, Gu Feng retrieved a large quantity of Spirit Stones from the Sunset Glow Sect Treasury—the sect's share of profits from Swamp Fortress during the years Gu Feng had been missing. Elder Liu had saved them all.
"Let's go," Gu Feng said, casting one last look at the Sunset Glow Sect, where he had lived for several years. He then vanished into the night with Yan Yexue, Monk Wu De, A Fei, and Long Xun'er and her brother, disappearing forever.
"Sect Master, remember to come back and visit!" the Sunset Glow Sect disciples called out from behind him.
In the southwest of the Great Chu Dynasty, a mountain forest shrouded in miasma.
Gu Feng channeled his Spiritual Power and, guided by Long Xun'er, easily located Hua Wenyue and the others.
"Follow me!"
Standing beside Hua Wenyue was her older sister, Hua Qinxin. Seeing her sister's reluctance to leave, Hua Qinxin took her hand and led her to Gu Feng.
"I'm entrusting my sister to your care!"
"Yes!" Gu Feng nodded firmly.
"There's more to the Crown Prince's death than meets the eye." Before leaving, Gu Feng said to Hua Qinxin, who nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I never believed he would harm us. He must have been forced..."
Hua Qinxin was remarkably strong. As she spoke, she gently stroked her swollen belly, a loving smile gracing her lips.
With the child as her anchor, Gu Feng believed she would find the strength to live on.
Grand Harmony Academy!
At a certain moment, Prefect Chu opened his eyes, and two beams of incomparably sharp light shot forth.
His figure flickered erratically, and waves of qi aura emanated from his body.
Half-Step Origin Mansion Realm!
He had forcibly pushed his body's potential to reach this miraculous realm.
Whoosh—
Prefect Chu glanced at the empty Grand Harmony Academy, the culmination of his lifelong efforts, which now seemed so laughable.
"Academy Master!"
"We'll stand with you!"
Outside the Imperial Palace, Ouyang Qi and several other Vice Prefecture Lords, along with dozens of Elders, had been waiting for a long time!
Looking at these old friends who had followed him for years, Prefect Chu's heart stirred. "You don't need to do this!"
"We've already taken care of our affairs," Ouyang Qi said with a smile.
"Founding the Grand Harmony Academy with the Academy Master has been the greatest honor of my life," another Vice Prefecture Lord added with a smile.
"The Academy Master has devoted his entire life to this cause. The Chu Kingdom owes you a debt. We will definitely help you reclaim your daughter."
The many Elders wore solemn expressions.
"Thank you... thank you! In this life, Chu Tianshou has been blessed to have such loyal friends. It's been worth it!"
Boom—
As the words fell, Chu Tianshou shattered the Imperial City gate with a single palm strike!
Before him lay a sea of golden-armored guards, along with many Sect masters renowned throughout the Great Chu Dynasty.
"I'm here for my daughter!"
Chu Tianshou strode forward, his aura dominating the entire Imperial City!
Kill!
Without exchanging a word, the two sides clashed directly.
In an instant, a large section of the Palace Feathers collapsed, shaking the Imperial City!
Great Chu Ancestral Land!
In a dark stone chamber, Chu Youhuan lay slumped on the ground, her breath shallow and her body devoid of any Spiritual Power fluctuations. Her face appeared to have aged by more than a decade.
Hearing her father's call, she crawled forward with great difficulty, tears streaming down her face.
Standing nearby, a man watched coldly.
He now wore a Dragon Robe, his aura as vast and profound as the deep sea. His eyes shone brightly, radiating intense light.
"Indeed, the Cultivation Method cultivated from the Myriad Tribulations Physique far surpasses anything the Great Chu Dynasty's ancestors ever comprehended!"
"Hahaha— Youhuan, Third Brother truly must thank you for providing the foundation for my Martial Dao. It has allowed me to undergo a complete transformation, leaving me only a half-step away from the legendary Origin Palace Realm. I will become the most powerful emperor in Great Chu history—" Chu Xiu laughed wildly, his arrogance unrestrained.
Chu Youhuan gritted her teeth, glaring at the man she had once admired and even pitied. Her eyes burned with hatred.
"You... you've been plotting against me all along?"
"Congratulations, you're right!" Chu Xiu's face twisted into a grotesque grin, bordering on madness. "During the five years Gu Feng was missing, who do you think worried the most? You? Wrong! It was me! No one in this world wanted Gu Feng to live more than I did!!!"
"Hahaha, Heaven has pitied me! After five long years, Gu Feng has finally returned. I was on the verge of giving up, ready to seize the Foundation from my foolish elder brother..."
"What a surprise! A truly earth-shattering surprise!!"
"You're so ruthless! To seize the Foundation, you callously murdered the Late Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the entire younger generation of the Great Chu Royal Family, extracting their bloodlines..." Chu Youhuan's voice was choked with hatred, regretting her failure to recognize the Third Prince's wolfish ambition in time.
"Blame me? Blame your bloodline for being too powerful! Without refining my own bloodline's purity, I could never have completed the Foundation Seizure!"
"Why was my Martial Dao foundation damaged from birth? Why do you all get to live such vibrant lives? My foolish elder brother clearly didn't want to be Emperor, yet Imperial Father forced the role upon him..."
"In talent, strategy, and cunning, I surpass him a thousandfold!"
"I must admit, my elder brother showed a flash of brilliance at the end, attempting to turn the tide. Fortunately, Brother Gu's patience is extraordinary... I must say, he's truly remarkable!!"
"Brother Gu... you're not worthy of calling him your brother!" Chu Youhuan ground her teeth, wishing she could tear the Third Prince to shreds.
"Indeed, it's impossible to call a dead man your brother," the Third Prince sneered.
"You can't kill him. You'll die a miserable death," Chu Youhuan spat out, her voice thick with resentment.
"Really? I've studied Gu Feng for years. Beneath his arrogant exterior lies a delicate heart. He never fights a battle he hasn't prepared for, and when he strikes, he's sure to succeed!"
"However, before me, all of this is mere child's play. As long as I evade his Thunder Tribulation, there's nothing to fear."
"It's a pity that if Senior Zhu from the Sunset Glow Sect were still here, I wouldn't dare to confront him. But alas, she's already gone."
"Perhaps she sensed my scheme, but she was too confident—confident that Gu Feng could overcome any obstacle. Little did she know that this would lead him to an irredeemable abyss."
"Ah, yes, I've already dispatched experts to pursue Gu Feng and expose his Thunder Tribulation trump card! Hahaha—"
Chu Xiu!!!!
Come out and face me!
"Wait here. I'll kill your father first!"
As Gu Feng left the Black Myanmar Region, he was immediately surrounded by a large group of black-robed cultivators.
They all radiated the fluctuations of the Soul Core Realm, with their cultivation reaching the sixth or seventh level of the Soul Core.
The leader, however, was a heaven-defying Soul Core Ninth Level cultivator.
"Shu Wentao, I never expected you to be Chu Xiu's lapdog!" Gu Feng said coldly.
"Gu Feng, the hatred of killing my son is irreconcilable!"
Enemies meeting, no words were needed. They immediately engaged in battle.
Without hesitation, Gu Feng activated his Thunder Tribulation!
After a single wave, every cultivator, including Shu Wentao, was reduced to nothing but ashes!
After briefly adjusting his breath, Gu Feng arrived at the agreed-upon location to meet Chu Tianshou.
He began refining the Divine Fluid within the Three-Mouth Incense Burner to enhance his strength while patiently waiting.
The appointed time passed, but Chu Tianshou did not appear.
Gu Feng's heart sank. He was about to head for the Imperial Capital when a stumbling figure fell from the sky—it was Ouyang Qi.
Gu Feng immediately recognized that Ouyang Qi was carrying Chu Youhuan on his back.
She had aged considerably, and only faint traces of her former peerless beauty remained on her wrinkled face.
Her essence, energy, and spirit had dissipated, leaving not a trace of Spiritual Power in her meridians. Her life force was rapidly fading, and it seemed she wouldn't last much longer.
"AHHHHHHH!" Gu Feng roared to the heavens, his eyes blazing with blood-red fury.
"Chu Xiu, you're dead!"
"Gu... Gu Feng, Prefect Chu asked me to give Youhuan to you. He told me to tell you to leave the Great Chu Dynasty and not to... seek revenge!" Ouyang Qi struggled to grasp Gu Feng's arm, his words broken and halting.
"Senior Ouyang, don't speak. I—"
"It's no use. I'm already beyond saving. Remember, you must leave!
Don't... don't go to the Imperial Capital. The Great Chu's most powerful warriors have gathered there. You can't defeat them!
Don't—"
With these final words, Ouyang Qi's outstretched hand fell limp, his eyes rapidly dimming, and he fell silent.
"Heh... heh—"
Gu Feng's throat convulsed, emitting a laugh that seemed to rise from the depths of hell. A torrent of killing intent surged within him, wave after wave crashing against his soul!
"Patron Gu, this is not the time for grief. Layman Chu needs immediate medical attention!" Monk Wu De examined Chu Youhuan's condition and couldn't help but gasp.
What a ruthless Foundation-Seizing Great Art!
Not a single shred of mercy was shown.
If not for the fact that the bloodline within her body hadn't been fully extracted, Chu Youhuan wouldn't have lasted this long!
Hoo— hoo— hoo—
Gu Feng suppressed the killing intent raging within him, cradling the life force rapidly draining from Chu Youhuan's body. His mind was a chaotic mess.
"Long Xun'er, come out! Think of a way! Any way to save Youhuan's life, and I'll immediately remove the 'Child Slave Seal' from my Thirteen Consciousness Seas!"
Long Xun'er remained silent, squatting nearby with one hand on Chu Youhuan's wrist.
Yan Yexue and Hua Wenyue stood frozen nearby, tears streaming down their faces.
This is too cruel!
They still remembered her radiant smile, but now...
"There's a way!"
After a long moment, Long Xun'er spoke softly.
"Hurry up and say it!" Gu Feng's eyes were bloodshot as he choked Long Xun'er. At this critical moment, she was still playing coy, making him want to kill her.
"Gu Feng, Gu Feng, don't be rash! Let her finish speaking," Yan Yexue pleaded through tears, pulling Gu Feng's hand away.
"Just say it already! What are you hesitating for now?" Hua Wenyue urged impatiently.
"We can replenish her Martial Dao Foundation to slow the loss of her life force. Then, we must find the legendary Holy Maiden's Tears for her to refine..."
As she spoke, Long Xun'er glanced at Gu Feng from the corner of her eye before quickly looking away.
The implication was clear to everyone present.
Replenishing the Martial Dao Foundation was no easy feat, requiring extremely strict conditions. Among those present, only Gu Feng met the requirements.
Hua Wenyue opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.
Yan Yexue remained silent as well.
This was essentially trading one life for another—a terrible bargain!
Yet Gu Feng didn't hesitate. He immediately carried Chu Youhuan into the Violet Starlight Sky-Piercing Disc.
"You protect me, Monk Wu De. I entrust the Violet Starlight Sky-Piercing Disc to your care!"
"Patron Gu, rest assured!"
"Gu Feng!!!"
Hua Wenyue and Yan Yexue finally couldn't hold back and called out to him.
"Don't worry. Elder Sister likely foresaw this day when she left. She has passed down the Thirty-Three Heavenly Palaces to me. This cultivation method thrives on destruction and rebirth, allowing me to build palaces from the ground up within my Dantian. I'll be fine!"
Gu Feng smiled faintly. Before entering, as agreed, he released the 'Child Slave Seal' from his Thirteen Consciousness Seas.
Following the method Long Xun'er had taught him, Gu Feng condensed his Martial Dao Foundation within his body.
A vast ball of energy, radiating the aura of life, appeared in Gu Feng's palm. Without hesitation, he injected it into Chu Youhuan's body.
Since they were cultivating the same Cultivation Method, the fusion proceeded surprisingly smoothly.
Watching Chu Youhuan's eyes remain closed as his complexion gradually flushed, Gu Feng smiled with satisfaction.
After placing Chu Youhuan in a crystal coffin, Gu Feng began to comprehend the Great Ming Dynasty's supreme Cultivation Method, the Thirty-Three Heavenly Palaces!
Constructing the first palace was particularly challenging. Gu Feng spent ten full days before successfully erecting a golden octagonal palace in his empty Dantian.
Runes shimmered across its surface, suffused with a sacred aura.
The instant the first palace was completed, the four White Jade Bridges representing Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night entered his Dantian and settled beside the golden octagonal palace.
A round moon radiating a mysterious, ethereal aura drifted into place, spanning the upper reaches of his Dantian. This represented the Bright Moon Nether Visualization Art.
Both of these Cultivation Methods originated from the Great Ming Dynasty and perfectly complemented his primary Cultivation Method, the Thirty-Three Heavenly Celestial Palaces!
Gu Feng sat cross-legged on the ground, his body radiating a brilliant glow. A thunderous rumble echoed from within him, as if ten thousand drums and bells were striking in rhythmic harmony.
Layer upon layer of celestial palaces rose from their foundations.
His cultivation was gradually recovering.
At a certain moment, a world-shaking dragon roar reverberated through his Soul.
A five-clawed Azure Dragon spiraled forth, hovering beside the full moon!
At this point, the Dragon Ancestor's drop of Essence Blood had completely merged with his being.
When the fourth golden celestial palace appeared in his Dantian, his cultivation had recovered to roughly the Soul Core Realm, third stage.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Feng absorbed all the remaining Divine Fluid from the Three-Mouth Incense Burner into his body and began refining it!
The fifth White Jade Bridge of the Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night slowly took shape!
The Bright Moon Nether Visualization Art unveiled its third Soul Skill after 'Asura' and 'Netherworld King Steps on Nine Nethers': 'Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour Souls'.
Most unexpectedly, the Immortal Eye in his right eye awakened a Heaven-Defying Divine Art: Immortal Eye Forbidden Art: Sword of Judgment!
This was a single-target killing technique distinct from the Immortal Eye Forbidden Art. Candle Sun.
With this divine art in his grasp, Gu Feng was confident he could defeat any individual from the Three Kingdoms!
After adjusting his state to its peak, Gu Feng vanished in a flash, reappearing outside the Violet Starlight Sky-Piercing Disc.
"I'm going to the Imperial Capital!" he announced calmly to the waiting crowd.
"Gu Feng, when we were preparing Senior Ouyang's remains, we found an Image Stone left by Prefect Chu!" Yan Yexue said softly, handing him the stone.
Prefect Chu's haggard figure materialized: "Gu Feng, I intended to kill Chu Xiu, but he's the last remaining bloodline of the Great Chu Royal Family..."
Gu Feng only listened to the beginning before crushing the Image Stone.
"Whether the Great Chu Dynasty collapses or not has nothing to do with me!" he said coldly.
"Monk Wu De, I'm leaving these people to you. Wait for me at the entrance to No-Man's Land!!!"
With that, he leaped into the sky, his body flickering a few times before vanishing from sight.
"Chu Xiu, are you ready?"
As he spoke, a terrifying killing intent swept across the land, its overwhelming pressure dimming the very sky.
Gu Feng made no attempt to conceal himself, openly charging toward the Imperial Capital!
The moment he appeared, sects from across the Great Chu Dynasty mobilized in unison.
Kill!
Kill!
Kill!
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [FD] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c364. [+6/+11.7k]
🎁All [3] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [600] Chapters and [1.05M+] Words.
🔔 Become a member before 8 August to enjoy 50% off. Just $3.