For Gu Yuye, once the dragon vein was formed, it would mean that the plan had been fully realized, and there would be no further concerns.
Even if there were hidden traps, as long as the dragon vein was in his hands, he could control the situation.
Thus, whether his true body was exposed or not would no longer matter.
He had always kept his true self hidden out of caution, not out of fear.
His true body's strength was far greater than that of his avatars. Unless he had the misfortune of encountering the Saint of Yaoshan upon his release, no one could kill him with a single strike.
And even if the Saint did emerge, as long as the national fate rested upon him, the Saint would likely have to protect him, to prevent the Demonic Sect from using the national fate to open the Heavenly Gate.
Therefore, Gu Yuye pondered for only a moment before reaching his decision.
As long as he could confirm that this Dao Lord of Emotion was not Gu Fangchen, then all would be fine.
No matter how powerful Gu Fangchen might have become, he was still someone persecuted and exploited by the Demonic Sect. The grudge between them was no less than that between Gu Fangchen and Gu Yuye.
People like Ding Xingfeng and Princess Prajna could be called old acquaintances or parties with intertwined interests.
But no matter what, a Dao Lord of the Demonic Sect would have no reason to shield Gu Fangchen, right?
So, letting another Dao Lord verify the truth, Gu Yuye felt reassured.
Gu Yuye made his Heart Demon Oath and looked toward Gu Fangchen.
"Dao Lord Feiwei, does this sincerity of mine count as trust?"
Gu Fangchen's expression eased slightly.
"That's more like it..."
"In terms of mastery over illusion, besides myself, the Dao Lord of Craft is the strongest. However, since I have ties with his founder, it would be improper of me not to avoid suspicion."
He smiled pleasantly and turned to the silent figure standing beside them, the one wearing a straw raincloak and an iron hat from the Rusted Sword Mound.
"In that case, let Lord Decay bear witness for me. Does anyone object?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Lord Decay's nature was eccentric and solitary. He rarely interacted with the other Dao Lords and had no close ties with anyone.
Having him serve as the witness was the most suitable choice.
They had originally thought that "Feiwei" would choose someone with closer connections, such as the Dao Lord of Craft, but instead, he chose Lord Decay, who maintained only indifferent relations with everyone.
This showed that "Feiwei" truly stood confident and without guilt.
When Gu Yuye heard that he had chosen Lord Decay as witness, he secretly sighed in relief, realizing that his suspicions had been excessive.
Anyone else might have been questionable, but Lord Decay, absolutely not!
After all, he had personally coordinated with Lord Decay's trusted subordinate, Wu Hui, to plan Gu Fangchen's assassination.
Later, the Path of Death itself had been one of the main forces pursuing Gu Fangchen.
The hatred between Gu Fangchen and the Path of Death was irreconcilable. There was no way Lord Decay would help Gu Fangchen fabricate anything.
Lord Decay remained silent.
Beneath the iron hat, the void where a face should have been stayed expressionless. He lifted his rusted sword and tapped it lightly against the floor.
"Clack."
In an instant, the domain of "Death" unfurled, spreading outward from the tip of that corroded sword. A chilling blood-red light radiated through the entire chamber, engulfing both him and Gu Fangchen.
To ordinary eyes, such a sight would have been enough to stop a heart cold.
The Path of Death was the death of all things, but not their end.
The Path of Annihilation was the ultimate conclusion of all.
The Path of Death, by contrast, was the process leading toward that conclusion.
Countless deaths together formed annihilation.
Death and annihilation were inseparable, yet distinct, like the difference between a point and a line.
Rust, decay, aging, withering, these were the manifestations of Death.
Cultivators often did not fear instant destruction. A destroyed body could be reborn, but the aging of one's lifespan was almost irreversible.
There were very few ways to extend life. Even the smallest loss of it pained one deeply.
Meeting Lord Decay, the greatest fear was not being killed, but having one's lifespan shaved away in battle.
Not to mention, his entire being was steeped in poison. Even the slightest touch was nauseating.
Gu Fangchen understood well that, for players, fighting Lord Decay was horrifying, not because of instant death, but because he directly reduced your maximum health bar.
Who could bear that?
After spending half a battle whittling down the boss's health, one stray brush and half your bar vanished, plus, you'd be poisoned, losing health continuously.
It was pure nightmare.
Fighting Lord Decay allowed no margin for error.
But precisely because of that, Gu Fangchen had developed a kind of muscle memory. The moment the "melon-headed public official" raised his hand, he could tell whether it would be a normal attack, a combo, a feint, a slow strike, or a downward cleave.
This preparatory motion clearly indicated a feint.
Within this domain, no poison had been released at all. Its color only appeared terrifying, it was merely for intimidation.
The purpose of the domain was simple: to create a private space for conversation.
Gu Fangchen lifted his head and smiled.
"This should be your first time truly seeing me, right, Xuanming?"
Xuanming, that was Lord Decay's true name.
He was the "Puppeteer" controlling this puppet body.
Although Lord Decay had expected something unusual, hearing that name still made his pupils contract. He fixed his gaze sharply on the man before him.
"So, you mean this isn't your first time seeing me?"
Gu Fangchen sighed softly.
"I've seen you many times. And I've killed you many times."
"And likewise... I've met your daughter many times. I once thought I had found her a path to survival."
Once thought?
Then there was no path, after all.
Lord Decay fell silent for a while, then asked,
"You sent Duan Qicang to deliver me a message, 'The one who ties the bell must untie it.' What did that mean?"
His daughter's name was Xuanling.
But the meaning behind that message went beyond a name, the other surely knew much more.
The world believed that a hundred years ago, when Ying Baishou opened the Heavenly Gate, it first appeared then.
But they did not know that because of his own foolishness, his daughter Xuanling had been the first to come into contact with the Heavenly Gate.
Since then, he had sought every possible way to extend her life.
For that, he had searched for a thousand years, until now.
Gu Fangchen spoke truthfully.
"Return to the beginning, close the cycle of cause and effect, and Xuanling will awaken... That's what I once believed."
Lord Decay did not question how one could return to the beginning. Instead, he caught the implication and murmured,
"Then now, you believe that to be the wrong path?"
Gu Fangchen could only answer honestly.
"I don't know."
If he followed the Six Dusts Return to Purity ending, then by doing as he once thought, Xuanling would indeed awaken.
But now, after uncovering the Heavenly Gate's final words, he had a feeling, if he did that, the one who awakened might not be Xuanling.
Just as the one who returned from the underworld might not be the same player.
Lord Decay did not grow angry. Instead, he exhaled slowly, shook his head, and said in a low voice,
"At least, you've helped me rule out one false possibility."
He could sense that Gu Fangchen spoke the truth, and within himself, he too felt confusion.
Gu Fangchen thought for a moment and asked,
"Could you let me meet Xuanling?"
Not as a player, but as Gu Fangchen.
In the game, Xuanling was a character who could not be investigated. Many of her details were hidden from the player's perspective.
But as Gu Fangchen, perhaps he could now uncover some of those hidden clues.
Lord Decay looked at him and said bluntly,
"You're still too weak."
Just like the untouchable Heavenly Gate, Xuanling was connected to it. Approaching her would cause one's mind to fall into madness. Only someone who had reached third-grade strength could endure it.
Gu Fangchen blinked and grinned.
"Understood. So once I'm strong enough, I can meet her."
That was indeed what Lord Decay meant, but seeing this youth's smug, fearless smile gave him an inexplicable irritation.
Still, if it was for his daughter's sake, so be it.
This person likely possessed some prophetic ability and knew far more than he should. Perhaps he really could find a way to awaken Ling'er.
If there was even the slightest chance, he would exhaust everything to try it.
Their brief conversation ended.
Lord Decay tapped his rusted sword once more. The blood-red domain receded instantly.
He nodded and said indifferently,
"He is indeed of the Emotion Path."
Gu Yuye's last doubts were dispelled. The remaining Dao Lords also relaxed.
Though they had been impressed by that illusion's power, Gu Yuye's suspicion had made them uneasy.
Fortunately, now they could confirm their judgment had been right.
"In that case, we proceed according to plan! Seven days from now, the dragon vein will emerge!"
The Sixth Division Star Lord made the final declaration. As he looked around, the others nodded one by one and vanished.
Gu Yuye remained, saying gravely,
"I have men stationed in Jiangnan who can coordinate with the noble houses. When the uprising begins, they'll mobilize under the pretext of suppression."
Gu Fangchen smiled.
"In that case, in a few days, Prince, you can accompany me to the Dugu Clan."
...
Gu Fangchen stepped out of the chamber, where Guanyue greeted him at the door.
"Dao Lord, the impostor pretending to be you has been placed in your room as instructed."
She had slipped into her role quickly, calling him "Dao Lord" so smoothly, without the slightest trace of hesitation.
Gu Fangchen nodded.
"Take me there."
He followed Guanyue to the room. After instructing her to stand guard outside, he pushed the door open and entered.
The first thing he saw was Ying Liangxin, tightly bound in five layers of rope.
And the method of tying, familiar and indecent.
Truly, it was to his taste.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Ying Liangxin's mouth was stuffed with a knot of rope. Her terrified eyes looked up at him.
Gu Fangchen smiled slightly and stepped forward.
"Don't be afraid, I won't do anything."
...
At the same time,
Ning Caiyong and the others finally arrived at the Gushe Dugu Clan's estate.
The news that the Northern Garrison Prince's heir had come to Gushe to investigate the truth of the past had already spread far and wide. Jiangnan was the stronghold of the noble clans, filled with cultivators everywhere.
Many well-known figures from the Lesser Heaven List personally came to present their greeting posts.