Gu Lianqian had struggled for a long time before coming here.
After returning muddle-headed to the Prince's Residence, she shut herself in her room. Although she had accepted the truth, her heart still felt heavy...
She had truly lost the wager she made with that man.
How could it have turned out this way?
In just a little more than twenty days, the world had shown her, in the cruelest way, a series of completely different truths.
When she had lived in the Northern Garrison Prince's Residence before, she had always believed her father to be the greatest man in the world, respected by all, the legendary "Saint of War," renowned across the land, invincible in battle, the great hero who fought against the Qing Barbarians.
Since childhood, the person she admired most had always been Gu Yuye. Whenever she heard people on the street praising the Northern Garrison Prince, she would stop to listen proudly for a while, her heart swelling with pride.
But when she was surrounded by enemies in that stone forest, the great hero she had placed in her heart never came to rescue her.
She knew her father better than anyone.
So she knew clearly that as long as Gu Yuye wished it, he could have acted, he could have found her and saved her.
But he hadn't come.
Even when he returned today, when he came to see her personally and explained the situation, saying that he had been framed and forced to meditate within the Hall of the Violet Extremity,
Gu Lianqian did understand those reasons. She even sympathized with her father's predicament.
But the image Gu Yuye had built in her heart had never been like this. Before her, he was a loving father who adored his daughter, a hero who never placed power or profit above his family.
When faced with a choice between his kin and his status, he should have chosen family.
But he hadn't.
Even a fool like Gu Lianqian could see that now.
Her father wasn't the man she had thought he was. She consoled herself that after all, he was the Northern Garrison Prince, a powerful minister with his own constraints.
Then what about her second brother?
Gu Lianqian had once felt most relieved when the person she hated, Gu Fangchen, the shame of the entire residence, had been replaced by the gentleman everyone admired.
But in the end, she found that her admiration had been nothing but wishful thinking.
That so-called true gentleman... had actually raised his sword against their mother!
Even Gu Fangchen would never have done such a beastly thing!
And yet, Gu Yuandao had not hesitated at all, his sword had pierced forth, and the killing intent within it had been utterly real.
Others might be deceived by the excuse that Gu Yuandao had been bewitched or controlled by the Demon Sect.
But when he came to her and asked her to pretend to take Ning Caiyong hostage, there had been not a trace of confusion in his eyes.
That day in the Hall of the Violet Extremity, she had thought of exposing him, but the moment the Sage of the Confucian Dao arrived, she could not open her mouth...
The martial world was not the one she had imagined.
Not everyone was clearly good or evil, black or white. Those detestable villains she had dreamed of defeating as a chivalrous heroine... such things did not exist.
Gentlemen were not truly gentlemen. Heroes were not truly heroes.
And because she had trusted Gu Yuandao, that "gentleman," she had fallen even deeper into the mire.
"If he had been a true gentleman," she murmured bitterly, "I wouldn't have lost that wager. I wouldn't have lost to that terrifying beast..."
In Gu Lianqian's eyes, the two people who could have saved her, both times, neither had come.
She thought about it for a long time, yet she still couldn't understand.
Everything had become too complex, far beyond what her mind could comprehend.
But as night gradually fell, she remembered what that beast had said.
If she failed to fulfill her promise... who knew what terrible thing he might do to her next?
And so, after hesitating for a long while, Gu Lianqian finally crept out under the cover of darkness, toward Xiefang Courtyard.
Of course, in the Prince's Residence, her movements could hardly escape notice.
But she hadn't planned to hide anyway. She went straight to Ning Caiyong and told her she had misunderstood Gu Fangchen and wanted to apologize.
Ning Caiyong even praised her for being sensible...
Gu Lianqian didn't know how to face her mother anymore. Ashamed and flustered, she arrived at the courtyard and knocked on Gu Fangchen's door.
Gu Fangchen didn't seem surprised. His tone was indifferent.
"Come in."
Gu Lianqian took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered, keeping her head down. Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her skirt, crumpling the thin fabric into a wrinkled mess.
Gu Fangchen chuckled, his voice laced with mockery.
"Well, if it isn't our little princess who despises despicable scoundrels. What brings you, in the middle of the night, to this scoundrel's courtyard? Don't tell me you're planning to sack me again and give me another beating?"
He added lazily, "Fair warning, you might not even be able to beat me now. If you end up crying after getting hit, don't go tattling to Gu Yuye."
Gu Lianqian's face flushed crimson. Her teeth clenched tight. The shame and fear she had been suppressing suddenly gave way to irritation, this man was still so infuriating!
She instinctively refused to bow her head before him, snapping,
"Such boastful nonsense! You've only been at the Sixth Rank for how long? I, I'm not afraid of you!"
"Oh? You're not afraid?"
Gu Fangchen smiled faintly, then suddenly flicked his sleeve.
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
Gu Lianqian's heart jolted. She turned her head, only to see a flash of cold light.
Gu Fangchen had already drawn the White Steed Sword, pressing its edge against her neck, his gaze as cold as ice.
Terror shot through her. Just as she tried to back away, the oppressive might of a Sixth Rank Martial Courage Realm cultivator crashed over her like a tidal wave.
Her body froze. Her mind went blank. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Gu Fangchen tapped her shoulder with the sword, his tone mocking.
"Gu Lianqian, you really are useless. We're both Sixth Rank, yet you can't even withstand a single strike from me. Haven't you realized that your skills are slipping, nearly to the point of falling in realm?"
"You remember that you're Sixth Rank, but you've almost forgotten that it's called the Martial Courage Realm, haven't you?"
Gu Lianqian's face went pale.
She couldn't believe it, but the truth was right before her. She truly couldn't block even one sword strike from him.
Once, she had called Gu Fangchen a worthless failure. But now, that title belonged to her.
Fear and doubt had hollowed her out, robbing her of all courage.
What pride did she have left to cling to?
Even without that beast's threats, she was still utterly useless.
I'm so useless...
Tears began to fall, one after another, until they broke loose completely. Her voice trembled.
"I'm sorry... I was wrong. It was my fault before. I just, I just came to apologize..."
And then she burst into uncontrollable sobs, crying so hard she could barely breathe.
Gu Fangchen stared silently.
...Perhaps he'd gone a bit too far this time.
Her fragile psyche, already battered by recent shocks, was about to collapse entirely.
She'd cried more in these few days than in her previous sixteen years combined.
This little princess had once been nothing like her delicate name implied, she'd been a domineering little tyrant, not a pitiful crybaby.
But now... she really had turned into one.
Gu Fangchen sighed, sheathing his sword, speaking with calm amusement.
"So, how exactly do you plan to apologize?"
Gu Lianqian sniffled, then raised her head. Realizing she had nothing left to lose, she dropped to the ground and barked at him like an angry little dog. "Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!"
Gu Fangchen blinked.
Well... no one ever said what breed she had to imitate, right?
She sounded like a beagle.
"Alright, I'm a little dog! Are you happy now?!"
Her face was burning red, she felt as if she'd lost all her dignity forever. She jumped up, turned, and ran out.
Halfway through, she tripped with a loud thud, landing face-first on the ground, then scrambled up and fled into the night.
She finally stopped behind a wall, squatting down, burying her face into her knees.
WUuuu...
She had actually knelt and barked like a dog to apologize!
But after a while, the girl raised her head slightly, her tear-filled eyes unfocused and glistening.
And yet... for some reason, she felt a faint sense of relief in her heart.
It was as if, for that brief moment, her burdens had vanished.
If she could just be a dog, eating, drinking, sleeping, and barking whenever unhappy, wouldn't that be easier?
"No! No!"
Gu Lianqian shook her head hard, biting her lip.
"I'm human! I'm the princess of the Northern Garrison Prince's Residence! How could I be someone's dog? I was only forced by that beast, how could I actually want it? That would be disgraceful!"
"Absolutely not!"
She repeated it several times until her mind steadied. Then she stood and walked back toward her courtyard.
"That's right... I will never be anyone's dog again!"
Gu Fangchen's gaze flickered as he watched the disappearing figure in the distance.
Hmm... for now, it seemed the effect was quite satisfactory.
Constant pressure alone wouldn't work; it could easily lead to Gu Lianqian's complete mental collapse. But detonating everything in one go, forcing her to release it all, was actually safer.
The change in Gu Lianqian's world had been too drastic. If she kept trying to think through it on her own, she'd inevitably spiral deeper and deeper into a dead end.
So, the solution was simple: don't let her think.
As long as she experienced that moment of emptiness, that instant of mental release, she would feel the pressure lift. After a few more times, she'd start to crave that feeling.
It was all part of preparing for the fusion of the three personas.
This way, the three roles would form a closed system, one exerting pressure, one serving as emotional support, and one responsible for decompression.
Even if the first two failed, the third, Gu Fangchen's role as the emotional pressure valve, would keep her dependent on him, unable to break free.
Gu Fangchen instructed a maid outside to quietly follow and keep an eye on Gu Lianqian, then returned to his room to resume the cultivation that had been interrupted.
His newly reconstructed meridians and dantian were of exceptional quality, comparable to those of a born prodigy. His efficiency in absorbing energy was now several times higher.
Combined with the fact that he hadn't wasted a single moment during his journey back, he had already reached the peak of the Seventh Rank, Wandering Spirit Realm.
This was mainly because, in the Divine Path, the lower realms demanded little of one's techniques.
At those stages, few divine abilities could be used anyway. Progress was just a matter of accumulating experience.
And, conveniently, the Jade Nectar Essence from the Spirit-Nurturing Bottle worked best for those who had only recently begun using it.
Like antibiotics, the more you used it, the less effective it became.
Now, with both advantages overlapping, the effect was greater than one plus one.
When Gu Fangchen examined himself just moments ago, he had clearly felt a loosening in his realm.
He felt a sudden surge of inspiration and decided to follow his instincts, to attempt a breakthrough.
In the Divine Path, the realm above the Seventh Rank was the Sixth Rank: the Realm of Realized Intent.
To gain intent and forget form.
Just as martial cultivators at the Sixth Rank, the Martial Courage Realm, developed the courage that formed their overwhelming aura, so too did the divine soul at this stage begin to manifest its own intent.
It was no longer a mere thought or notion, but something tangible, something real.
A divine soul that had formed intent could transcend the confines of its body, taking on the forms it envisioned, either to intimidate others or to fight through spiritual projection.
Only at the Sixth Rank did Divine Path cultivators truly acquire offensive capability.
Before this, all they had were simple mental strikes or minor manipulations of the physical world, moving small objects, bending a few threads of reality, nothing more than weak tricks.
Gu Fangchen swallowed the Jade Nectar Essence, calmed his mind, and sat cross-legged.
Normally, breaking through to the Sixth Rank took time, two to three days of seclusion, patiently waiting for the divine soul to undergo transformation.
But Gu Fangchen knew every shortcut there was.
And for the Divine Path, there existed a particularly efficient one, the "Butterfly Transformation Method."
Simple in concept, it resembled visualization techniques: by imagining a vivid scene, one could guide the condensation of intent.
The method had been created by an unknown minor cultivator, and though it was never widely spread, it was undeniably effective.
Before long, Gu Fangchen felt a gentle warmth at the spot between his brows. His Mud Pill Palace pulsed and swelled as though something inside were about to burst forth.
He focused, envisioning a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
His divine soul strained, then broke free, transforming into a fluttering butterfly.
Sixth Rank, Realm of Realized Intent!
At this moment, Gu Fangchen's perception changed. He was no longer a drifting thought but a conscious being with form, attached to the body of that butterfly.
He could feel its wings beating, its antennae twitching, its delicate movements, all under his own control.
Whirr... whirr... whirr...
The little butterfly danced erratically through the air, swaying left and right like a drunken creature.
The sound of its wings echoed like a storm in Gu Fangchen's ears.
It took him quite a while to adapt to the form.
From outside came the soft laughter of a few night maids.
"Look! Such a pretty butterfly!"
"It's blue! How beautiful!"
"Shhh, let me catch it!"
As soon as Gu Fangchen heard that, a gust of wind swept toward him. A massive circular object, a hand fan, came crashing down.
"Huh? I was sure I caught it!"
"Ha! Bragger! You couldn't even catch a butterfly, next time it's my turn!"
...
Inside the room, Gu Fangchen's eyes snapped open. He reached up to touch the spot between his brows.
So this was the Sixth Rank. At this level, the divine soul's manifested form could be seen by others, so lifelike it could deceive or terrify them.
Well... except for butterflies.
This butterfly manifestation had been designed specifically for breakthrough purposes, it had no real combat value.
If he ever needed to sneak around, he'd be better off turning into a fly or mosquito instead.
This floating butterfly, slow and graceful, was far too conspicuous.
"When I visit the Sky-Eye Division, I'll ask them for a few visualization diagrams," he murmured, rubbing his chin.
Though he cultivated both the martial and divine paths, walking a "stat-scaling monster" route, he wasn't one to waste opportunities for improvement.
If there was a chance to grow stronger, he would take it.
And when it came to collecting techniques, no one surpassed the Sky-Eye Division.
Other sects had powerful visualizations too, but those were too advanced, and frankly, he doubted he could comprehend any of them.
He'd rather start with something simple, practical... and perhaps a little underhanded, no, efficient. Efficient.
Gu Fangchen stood and stretched. Having just advanced, his mind felt sharp and clear, his spirit refreshed, no hint of fatigue.
He decided to stay up a while longer. When midnight arrived and his profession refreshed, he would plan the next step of his growth.
He had promised Ding Xingfeng that he would kill Maha Wuliang. Even with some delay, he couldn't stretch it beyond a year or two, otherwise, the old man would get suspicious.
If he couldn't draw another profession like "Emperor," with its instant-kill ability, he would have to rely on his own strength.
So, he needed to become stronger.
There was also his upcoming duel with General Qianmo over the formation-breaking challenge. By his estimate, that wasn't far off either.
With his current Divine Path cultivation, he had little to fear.
But the Demon Sect's recent silence wasn't a sign of weakness, it was preparation. They were surely plotting to strike back.
Their plan with Gu Yuandao had failed completely. Their next move would definitely be to eliminate him, the one who had ruined everything.
"Heh... well then, it's about time I struck back," Gu Fangchen muttered, narrowing his eyes.
He sat down before the table, fiddling with a bronze mirror, watching his own reflection.
"Grand Preceptor should have already divined the location of one of the Sixth Division Star Lord's incarnations, right?"
The moment the Grand Preceptor contacted him again would mark the start of his next mission.
"The last time the Demon Sect acted so quickly, it must have been because of that Sixth Division Star Lord's divination. The man's presence in their ranks is like a fog over the world itself. Combined with Between the Weft and Warp's mobility, it's impossible to locate their base."
"Only by clearing that fog can we strike directly at their core."
"But come to think of it," Gu Fangchen mused, his face twitching slightly, "Grand Preceptor doesn't like appearing as a soul projection, he prefers possession. Next time... he wouldn't happen to possess Xuexiang again, would he?"
The thought made his expression rather strange.
Judging by Xuexiang's behavior on the road, and Ning Caiyong's eagerness to arrange a marriage, someone had clearly instructed the maid beforehand.
If the Grand Preceptor possessed her again... that would be awkward beyond measure.
It wasn't that he enjoyed being mysterious; the truth was, the Grand Preceptor was a bit of a recluse.
A disciple from a secluded mountain sect, elegant and aloof on the surface, but in reality, just socially anxious.
He didn't even live in the Grand Preceptor's residence, preferring solitude in the Pillar of Silence, rarely speaking to anyone.
And although a divine soul could project its image freely, choosing to appear in one's own likeness was perfectly possible, essentially creating a spiritual duplicate.
Such a projection was indistinguishable from the real person.
Just like the one now standing silently behind him.
"..."
"Wait, what?!"
Gu Fangchen's eyes flew wide open.
What the hell?!
He stiffened, staring at the bronze mirror.
In its reflection, besides his own face, a figure stood in the corner of the room, a woman in a light blue gauze dress.
A breathtaking beauty.
The same woman whose lifelike body had lain within the stone coffin surrounded by a sea of blue flowers.
Now, she stood serenely, eyes closed, her posture graceful and tranquil. At her feet, blue blossoms were blooming, spreading slowly outward.
Gu Fangchen's heartbeat thundered. Cold sweat gathered on his forehead. His chest tightened as if his heart had leapt into his throat.
This was... even more horrifying than seeing his own face appear!
If it had just been another version of himself, fine, but this, this was a real corpse!
And not just any corpse, he knew her from the records.
The butterfly effect of his transmigration... had finally arrived.
And it was a big one.
By historical record, this founder of the Sword Pavilion, no, this Patriarch Granny, had indeed been a righteous figure.
But that only applied to others.
To him?
He remembered, with growing dread..
He had touched her sacred hands for five entire minutes, stripped her of her robes, stolen the sword she forged, the sword intent she left behind, and even the spiritual veins beneath her resting place.
What now?
Was it still possible to give it all back?
Gu Fangchen took a deep breath, stiffly turning his head to glance at the corner.
The dim room was glowing faintly with blue light. The flowers there were spreading beautifully across the floor.
And the blue-clad woman suddenly opened her eyes.
They were vast as the night sky, deep as the Yellow Springs, utterly emotionless.
But Gu Fangchen could tell, with dreadful clarity, she was closer.
"!"
Oh shit!
She was coming closer!
Gu Fangchen froze, not daring to move.
He must not have seen her before because his divine soul had been too weak.
Before breaking through to the Sixth Rank, he hadn't even been able to perceive her existence.
Now he wished he hadn't.
He should have stayed ignorant, now it felt like he'd wandered straight into a horror story.
"But wait, why would she come to me? With her power, if she'd wanted revenge for me seeing her naked, she could have killed me on the road."
"Then... it must be something else, something she wants from me."
His mind raced.
Slowly, he turned his wrist and produced the Sky-Piercing Sword of the Seventy-Two Peaks.
His tone grew solemn.
"Senior Shi... I did not mean to offend you. I was forced by circumstance, cornered and desperate. It was the only way to survive, and I had no choice but to take your sword."
He raised the blade with both hands.
"Now, I return it to you."
Taking a deep breath, Gu Fangchen stood, and with all the calm he could muster, began to walk slowly toward the "female ghost" standing in the corner.