Zhimeng gazed long at Gu Qing's still slightly youthful profile, silent.
She had been so eager to accept a disciple simply because she could not endure Luo Rou constantly urging her disciples to defeat her. She thought to take in one of her own and crush Luo Rou's disciple without mercy. That way Luo Rou would know—elder sister would always be elder sister.
Yet who could have imagined her new disciple turned out to be Luo Rou's disciple's lover? How then could she suppress that detested sister's pupil? Had she taken a disciple for nothing?
Gu Qing did not notice Zhimeng's eyes. At that moment he was staring in shock at the floating palatial complex in the void.
The palaces were vast beyond measure, sun and moon and stars circling around them, celestial mountains and jade pavilions suspended in the sky, divine radiance flooding the heavens.
To call it a celestial palace of heaven was no exaggeration.
At the gates of the Star Temple, like the Southern Heavenly Gate itself towering into the clouds, light buzzed forth.
The five-clawed true dragon coiled about the gate pillars came alive, bursting with dazzling brilliance.
At once Gu Qing's Starry Cosmos Divine Body was activated, his vision manifesting into reality.
He seemed to stand within a vast cosmos of his own, surrounded by myriad stars, like the progenitor of the heavens.
Endless starlight surged into his body, condensing into countless runes of the Great Dao.
This was the Star Temple's legacy art, the Starry Cosmos Codex.
Legend said it was the innate cultivation art of a primordial god-demon, the founding patriarch of the Star Temple.
Any Starry Cosmos Divine Body who came here would receive its inheritance.
Gu Qing fell into epiphany as the Starry Cosmos Codex ran on its own.
His constitution ascended, his essence grew strong.
"Hmm?"
"Starry Cosmos Divine Body?"
"None of you fight me for this. I have not taken a disciple in tens of thousands of years."
"Brother, this child is fated with me—"
"Fated your head. Younger sister, I've yielded for tens of thousands of years. It's time you yielded once!"
"Silence. My cultivation is the highest here. It is only right this child become my disciple."
The fossil-level elders of the Star Temple, upon seeing the Starry Cosmos Divine Body, grew wildly excited.
How many ages had passed? And now, in their lifetime, they again saw the legendary Starry Cosmos Divine Body.
This was a dazzling golden era, when every mythical supreme physique emerged one after another.
"All of you, Gu Qing has already entered my tutelage."
Zhimeng's voice drifted like divine music.
"You?"
They recalled that three months earlier Zhimeng had indeed said she would take Gu Qing as disciple, and had even dispatched her follower for it.
But—
They had not known he was a Starry Cosmos Divine Body.
"Zhimeng girl, hear your grand-uncle's advice. You are still young; you cannot guide him well. Leave it to me."
"Indeed, indeed."
"Zhimeng, do not be foolish. Focus on cultivation; do not let this delay your ascension to the Immortal Realm."
"But he has already taken me as master, and even gave me a disciple's gift." Zhimeng lifted the storage bag.
"You…"
"Why won't you listen? Put down that bag, forget this matter, and hand Gu Qing over to me."
"The ancestor speaks well. With his ability, he could guide Gu Qing. But a master once accepted is a master for life…"
"You… very well, disperse!"
The ancient beings nearly burst their coffins in fury, but could do nothing. Leaving a few hateful words, they dispersed and peace returned.
"Little one, your talent is fine, and so filial. Very well, as your master I shall reluctantly accept you."
Zhimeng smiled lightly, her mood suddenly bright. A disciple was not bad after all.
So she could not crush her sister's disciple? She would just take another.
Her gaze shifted across the cosmos—was there not a Taiyin God Body within the flying vessel?
That was a supreme constitution.
With proper cultivation, it could evolve into a supreme physique.
Then she could indeed match her sister's disciple.
At the thought, Zhimeng swept her sleeve, transporting Gu Qing to a secluded cave.
With one step she crossed endless galaxies, her Saint aura rolling vast, Dao laws reflecting the heavens.
"Little girl, would you take me as your master?"
"Master, this disciple is willing to serve by your side forever."
Su Qingyue fell to her knees with a thud, her face alight with fervor.
Ji Ning had told her—Zhimeng was a Saint-realm sovereign whose Dao pierced heaven and earth.
Before coming here, though she was a holy daughter of her sect, the Saint ancestor had long since perished countless years ago.
In her world, the Saint realm was legend.
Now she stood before a living Saint—how could she not tremble with joy?
"Phew, good thing, good thing!" Seeing Su Qingyue offer no disciple's gift, Ji Ning sighed with relief. This time she had given clear instructions.
"Good, very good."
Zhimeng nodded, bringing her to the Star Temple, where Su Qingyue also triggered visions.
Though she gained no legacy, endless lunar essence poured into her body, raising her foundation.
"Zhimeng, must you rip open my coffin before you'll be satisfied?"
"Utterly shameless."
"Truly a misfortune for the sect."
"I would appoint her as Holy Maiden. Elders, any objections?" Zhimeng laughed softly.
"None."
"As you wish."
Though Su Qingyue's cultivation was meager, her methods paltry, perhaps weaker than an inner disciple—
Her constitution was undeniable.
The Star Temple had peerless arts and treasures.
She could swiftly be raised, cultivate the Taiyin Dao Scripture, and rise as another invincible prodigy with the potential to ascend.
Besides, with Zhimeng personally guiding her, even a mortal body could be forged into a genius.
Zhimeng was famed as the Divine Lady of Ten Thousand Treasures, and not without reason.
…
Gu Qing awoke from his epiphany three days later.
His cultivation had risen to the third level of the Purple Mansion Realm.
His true essence surged vast as an ocean.
Looking about, he saw a palace with a peerless woman seated, wreathed in divine light so her face could not be seen.
Beside her stood a girl of otherworldly beauty.
"Did you gain the complete inheritance?"
Zhimeng's voice carried laughter.
Three days in epiphany—Gu Qing's comprehension surpassed even past Starry Cosmos Divine Bodies.
And they had all ascended within three thousand years.
"I gained it all, and many divine abilities besides."
Gu Qing replied, yet seeing her obscured figure, he felt stifled.
Did even great ones fear others so much that they must always veil their faces?
Zhimeng: "Not bad. This is a disciple I just accepted; you two should look after each other."
"I greet Senior Brother. Please take care of me in the future." A faint smile appeared on Su Qingyue's face.
Things were just as she had guessed.
When she saw Ji Ning slaughtering beasts, she suspected it was done for Gu Qing's sake, and that his physique was even better than hers.
He was very likely a supreme physique.
"Junior Sister is too polite."
Gu Qing smiled in reply, his attitude improving toward her, since they were now of the same sect.
"What are your plans next?" Zhimeng's gaze flicked to the longsword on Gu Qing's back. She could not gauge its grade; it seemed a mortal weapon.
Yet if even she could not see through it, it had to be a supreme treasure.
It seemed her disciple was richly blessed by fortune and had gained great opportunities.
"I wish to go into seclusion and cultivate to raise my realm," Gu Qing said without hesitation.
He had so much beast liquid that he would not emerge before reaching the Profound Core Realm.
The starry radiance here was dense, the best blessed ground for cultivating the Purple Mansion Soul Palace.
Moreover, his cultivation methods had reached a point where they had to be fused.
To train art after art was time-consuming; he could not keep retraining in cycles—that was putting the cart before the horse.
In principle, one should cultivate a single primary method.
With only one body, conflicting attributes among arts would cause true essence to clash, leading to qi deviation or even exploding to death.
Other arts could at most be referenced, or their divine abilities practiced.
But Gu Qing had the Boundless Dantian, able to contain boundless true essence, and his meridians were constantly washed by the primal yin-yang energy—broad, resilient, and without attribute.
No matter how many arts he cultivated, there would be no problems.
Still, this could not go on forever; he could not condense multiple Profound Cores.
Otherwise strength would be scattered.
A fist must clench to strike with greatest power.
Gu Qing had already comprehended the introductory parts of the Yin-Yang Dao Song, the Indestructible Heavenly Art, and the Starry Cosmos Codex.
He planned to fuse these three peerless arts before the Profound Core Realm.
These three were apex methods in their respective domains; who knew how powerful their fusion would be.
The more he thought, the hotter his blood burned. He wished to shut himself away and cultivate till the end of time.
"Good. Your heart for the Dao is sincere."
Zhimeng was inwardly surprised. She had not expected one so young to scorn flaunting himself and instead choose hard seclusion like the old guard.
With such a fervent heart for the Dao, he would surely achieve greatness.
With a thought, three jade bottles floated before Gu Qing.
One held Jade Pure Soul-Nourishing Pills, fifth-grade medicines that dispelled heart demons and strengthened the soul.
Even Void Dao cultivators could only look on with envy.
Another held the Three-Lights Divine Water, condensed from sun, moon, and stars.
It could enhance physique, bolster life essence, and cleanse the soul.
It was also a sacred healing item and could be used to rebuild a body.
It was a treasure that prodigies dreamed of.
There was also a divine Star Fruit; a single one could transform a mortal into a Star Spirit Physique.
An ordinary divine physique could become a middle-grade divine physique.
Even for a supreme physique it had great use, further elevating one's foundation.
Each of the three was more precious than the last.
"Master is truly wealthy."
After Zhimeng departed, Gu Qing mused privately.
She had casually taken out three treasures that prodigies longed for. Zhimeng's wealth was evident.
He took out the storage ring Ji Ning had given him.
Inside, beast corpses piled like mountain ranges.
Some were as large as mountains, with thick blood qi and surging baleful aura.
There were also over a million herbs, dozens of treasure medicines, and various ores.
Gu Qing's mouth twitched, shocked by Ji Ning's largesse.
Even the lowest herb here was enough for Qi Condensation cultivators to fight to the death, not to mention the rarer herbs and treasure medicines and ores for forging.
Ji Ning had simply given them to him.
Truly the saying fit: some die of drought, others drown in flood.
Gu Qing put all the beasts and herbs and treasure medicines into the Golden Gourd, smelted them into liquid, and poured it out directly.
This was a seclusion cave with sealed heavens and earth; spiritual energy could enter but not leave.
Thus there was no loss in pouring it out.
"He Ni, have you finished rebuilding your body?"
Gu Qing suddenly sent a voice transmission.
"How could it be so fast? Rebuilding a body takes at least a few years," He Ni said helplessly.
"Then I will share some good things with you," Gu Qing said after a moment's thought.
The liquid refined from this batch of beasts and medicines was too much; he did not know how long it would take to absorb.
And the precious liquid was not rare to him—he could have as much as he wanted with time.
But for He Ni, it was exactly what she needed now; rebuilding a body required a vast essence of life, which the liquid could provide.
With it, she might improve even further.
"Huh… what treasure is this? The vitality is so pure, and there is no resistance."
He Ni was startled the instant she saw the liquid.
She had seen greater treasures and bathed in them often—but that was in the past.
Now she was down and out, poor save for one sword.
In this lower world, this liquid was absolutely at the highest tier.
And it was of great use to her now.
Before, she was unsure she could rebuild an Innate Dao Body; now she had confidence.
"Thank you!" He Ni was deeply grateful. Such a fine young man—pity he could not be her disciple.
"Think nothing of it. We will be together for a long time; I will be relying on your guidance," Gu Qing said with a smile.
"Rest easy. With me here, no one in this lower world can harm you. Ask me anything you do not understand. By the way, take this Small-Thousand Sword Art."
He Ni sent a strand of sword qi into Gu Qing's mind.
Gu Qing's divine sense swept it and his expression shifted.
The Small-Thousand Sword Art opened three thousand acupoint cave-heavens, nurturing three thousand divine swords, forming a Sword Formation of Three Thousand Worlds—a self-contained world of the sword, unmatched in slaughter, with power to cleave heaven and earth.
"What is this woman's background? The sword art she gives so casually is even more terrifying than the divine abilities of the Starry Cosmos Codex."
"And this formation is a perfect match for my Starry Cosmos Divine Body," Gu Qing thought.
He planned to study the Small-Thousand Sword Art when he had time; for now, improving strength came first.
Settling his mind, he swallowed a Jade Pure Soul-Nourishing Pill and ran the Starry Cosmos Codex to refine it.
Though fifth-grade, it targeted only the soul, with gentle efficacy—safe even for mortals.
Time flew; a year passed in a blink.
Su Qingyue, in a moon-white dress, was more ethereal than before, like a fairy from the Guanghan Palace, holy and transcendent.
She arrived outside Gu Qing's seclusion cave and asked the cross-legged Ji Ning at the door, "Has Senior Brother not emerged yet?"
"No," Ji Ning said, puzzled.
A monster of Gu Qing's caliber, with treasures to aid him, should break through in days, not remain in seclusion for a year.
Young prodigies brimmed with vigor.
After a major breakthrough, they would normally venture out to make a name and temper their foundation—two birds with one stone.
But Gu Qing, upon entering the Star Temple, had remained in seclusion for a full year.
He seemed to be in deep seclusion, madly absorbing the radiance of sun, moon, and stars.
She kept watch here to harvest that radiance for him.
Gu Qing needed an immense amount, like a bottomless pit.
She had to constantly monitor, ensuring he absorbed enough without overwhelming himself with spiritual force.
She tended him like a delicate little white flower.
Such was the benefit of a great sect; beneath a great tree, one rested in cool shade.
"Senior Brother truly is a cultivation maniac, with a heart for the Dao pure and true."
Su Qingyue sighed in admiration.
She considered herself aloof and disinclined to socializing, yet even she could not endure such long seclusion.
At times she would stroll out to view the Star Temple's immortal scenery, or gaze at the vast, mysterious starry sky to relax her heart.
Sometimes she wanted someone to confide in.
Here she knew no one. Since Gu Qing also hailed from the Northern Region and shared the same master, she felt a natural goodwill.
So she wished to speak with Gu Qing.
For example, about the several Star Spirit Physiques who entered the Star Temple with them.
One arrogant youth who always looked down his nose was defeated by an outer disciple in two moves.
Upon returning to his cave, he did not last the night, his life shredded by sword qi within, and died then and there.
That youth had once dominated a region as its foremost prodigy.
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