Gu Family
Gu Bei unlike in the story didn't really appeared as a good for nothing after he saw his friends like Lu Piao rose to 4th heavenly fate, being a heaven spirit root he also tried and quickly reached the same realm. But his own strength is good but not enough for challenging Gu Heng or gaining followers.
But the rapid rise of people like Nie Li and his association with Gu Bei didn't go unnoticed and yesterday when he single handedly outbid Long Tianming, he was ofcourse closely monitored. When I just did the casual sweep of my spiritual sense every few hours, I saw people following Gu Bei, because of that I did a check on him. Currently something is wrong with him. He was poisoned and his sister only just learned, she was heart broken seeing the ambitious man also falling to same plight just when everything seemed going in their directions. This happened within his premises and been a few hours.
Were they able to fool him for a long time for the poison to act or is it a new one?
It seems may be his actual realm is found out by men sent by interest groups and repeated the old trick done on his sister. He has been absent for a few hours in guise of cultivating until his sister found him like this. It seems attackers were prepared for making sure the trick worked, and confined any ways to alert others also. If Gu Lan were to treat him using prescription provide by Nie Li without perceiving those that were responsible for poisoning hasn't left, it will be a greater mishap.
For not letting others know, he hasn't even placed the fate soul in the soul hall but only used some methods to conceal himself. After the previous exchange, he did had some genuine understanding on sword dao and his cultivation broke through, that might be the trigger of letting others know and so now he can't even recover back to his normal physique anytime soon. Outside, I also saw some rumors spreading around the servants that it was a disaster and run through family genetics blaming their lineage.
I had a few laugh with him previously so seeing him like this, it is genuinely due to my interference somehow. Having more strength is also not ideal. Stories are run by coincidences prearranged by fate. Disrupt that, it all goes spiraling elsewhere. This just happens the night before the clan tournament arranged. It appears malicious just by thinking about it, but without evidences accusations were good as empty words.
I went there.
Just as I predicted when attackers were taken back by the crippled Gu Lan who now recovered and standing up from her chair to treat her brother, they decided to report back, and was about to go, when they found they couldn't move. It was a barrier made by me when I partially unlocked my strength.
I appeared in front transforming to my female self. She was taken back and was about to attack when she saw me sending an attack elsewhere in the air above. Two of those who hide reappeared. Both were dao of dragon realms, possibly sent by Long Tian Ming's men.
A flick of my finger condensed sword cut of their heads. Since I don't like to keep any traces left, I simply burned them off into ashes with sprite flames.
" They are dead." I announced the fact to her, still reeling in the power displayed killing dragon dao realms as simple as that.
" I am his friend. Don't mind the small details." She understood. "Let me help him." Before she could resist, I ran myriad purification divine dao with life divine dao, directly refining any trace of ailment left on him under my divine sense. The colorless and odorless poison affecting his mind stood no chance. He woke up soon.
" I am fine. "He was only gaining his senses back and mind is still a little muddled.
" The poison you were infected is also trace-less, a nectar of the flower named nether blue, colorless odorless mist of it possibly. But one that affects mind and heart of cultivation to make you go qi deviation. It was only recently applied just after the exchange." I told him.
" Thank you.. but who are you? How are you here? Those people are dead. They may be important. " Gu Lan frowned.
" You don't have to worry. There is no one currently sensing here. I noticed suspicious people around him since the exchange." I pointed to Gu Bei who is still trying to make sense of what is happening.
" His realm is probably known by them by some accident. People like Chi Tao, Nie Li, Xiao yu, Lu Piao, Li Xingyun and your brother are genius going beyond that person's designs. Gu Heng is simply his minion to control Gu clan. Tomorrow it is clan tournament right? It seems he tried to nip the problem in bud.....
" I am going, control your servants before letting them spread rumors and act as if nothing happened tomorrow. I was never here. Win the trial; if you show potential may be your higher-ups might change their minds, you will gain some protection too." I turned to Gu Bei who woke up now.
" Who are you benefactor?"
" ... " Leaving silence, I disappeared from their house and returned back.
Return
The next morning brought representatives from the Skyblaze sect to Xiao Ning. She negotiated quickly, agreeing to lend them what they needed in exchange for spirit stones until her departure.
Time had a way of moving faster when important things were happening successively.
Gu Bei made his dramatic entrance at the clan competition, displaying his five fate heavenly soul cultivation alongside his God-level growth rate dragon bloodline demon spirit. The elders' jaws practically hit the floor. Within hours, he'd been promoted to first in line for the Gu Clan succession. But power came with expectations ~ he needed to establish his own faction before earning the clan's protection and successor-ship;
The day of separation with Xiao Ninger arrived sooner than either of us wanted. I'd already bound the token access to my Myriad Miles painting directly to her soul corridor. When she activated the connection, I would know instantly.
The map itself could transfer to her soul realm since it functioned as a soul artifact. The space inscriptions in the token would let her portal directly into the painting ~ essentially like giving her a shared room with the token as her key.
I'd added several protective inscriptions to shield her soul realm, barriers strong enough that even deity realm cultivators couldn't penetrate her defenses. We were connected now, bound by more than just affection. If anything happened to her, I would sense it immediately.
Nie Li approached her shortly after, carrying several demon spirit souls. "These are for Ye Ziyun," he said simply. She nodded and accepted them without question.
She pressed her lips to mine one final time before stepping through the portal, disappearing into whatever adventures awaited her in her own sect.
Demon League
Events unfolded according to their preset pattern. The Demon League formed with surprising efficiency. My presence was only required on the first day for appearances ~ after that, Nie Li assumed control as league master. Lu Piao, Gu Bei, and I served as his immediate subordinates, while Li Xingyun allied with us without officially joining.
Nie Li's expeditions into the Myriad Miles had yielded deity roots and spirit stones, but the monthly incentives proved most attractive to potential recruits. Random sect members flocked to join, and our numbers grew rapidly. Instead of rushing into action, Nie Li wisely ordered extended training periods to prepare everyone properly.
Gu Heng had begun pressuring his allied clans to threaten the Demon League, but his schemes would have to wait.
When I was just chilling in my rented room spending days in peace like that, watching over the progression of events like this with occasional cultivation Ling Xie summoned me after I attended Hierarch Martial Sky's monthly sermon at the central institute for some mission. The mission she described required delicate handling.
Mission
"In the far eastern territories under Divine Feather Sect's control," Ling Xie explained, "Demon God Sect operatives have been targeting our allied minor sects. They're systematically killing axis realm and dragon dao practitioners whenever they venture into the outer world. This situation requires careful handling ~ involving higher realm cultivators might trigger massive retaliation, and dragon dao practitioners can't afford permanent losses since their fate souls are fused. You, on the other hand, can go and eliminate them in the 'guise' of your cultivation realm."
The mission parameters were straightforward: eliminate the Demon God Sect presence near our allied territories and reclaim control of the deity lakes they had occupied.
At my request, the mission details remained classified. I would use only my apparent strength during travels, and I would appear in my feminine form to prevent any connection back to my true identity or the Divine Feather Sect. If information about my combat abilities leaked back to Long Tianming, it would create complications in my peaceful life.
My divine sense located their presence immediately upon arrival ~ no investigation required. At the first deity lake, I made my presence known to the occupying forces. After the usual posturing and threats, they attacked, attempting to freeze me using heavenly principles of higher cultivation realms. My superior soul strength shrugged off their efforts effortlessly.
I utilized the Space-Time Elk's portal abilities to move between targets rapidly, cutting down the demon cultivators with surgical precision. When heavenly axis realm opponents appeared, I relied on sword dao techniques to finish them cleanly. Any survivors received a physical strike that reduced their heads to mist. A few days later, I reached the second lake.
The second deity lake proved more challenging. Word had spread about a star realm cultivator capable of killing axis realm opponents, so they had gathered larger numbers. I welcomed the increased challenge, but the results remained consistent.
The third and fourth deity lakes brought dragon dao realm opponents, forcing me to push my physical strength and speed beyond my apparent cultivation level to overwhelm them. Any retreat attempts were met with swift pursuit and elimination.
This represented only a minor force from the Demon God Sect ~ no ancestor realm cultivators had been deployed. I remained in the area for a full month until their activities ceased permanently. After collecting several dragon dao realm heads as proof and notifying the allied sects of mission completion, I began my return journey.
Gu Heng
Coincidence brought me face to face with Gu Heng on the return path. He approached with several heavenly axis realm cultivators trailing behind him, clearly having followed me deliberately. I stopped and waited.
"Brother Gu Heng, what a pleasant surprise. Why are you following me?"
His expression hardened. "Junior Brother Tao, there are rules about traveling in the outer world that you apparently don't understand. First rule: don't enter another faction's sphere of influence without proper notification unless you possess overwhelming strength. I'm here to teach you this lesson personally."
I drew my sword without hesitation. "My apologies then."
My lack of fear seemed to anger him further. He released his heavenly aura in an attempt to restrain me, but I shook it off easily. My sword moved in a small, precise arc. The next moment, Gu Heng saw me upside down. His head was off from his shoulders.
I had executed a sword slash with power comparable to my four - star heavenly realm cultivation, opening a portal directly beside his head. My superior law control eliminated the usual activation time, allowing for an unexpected killing strike despite his eight-star heavenly realm cultivation.
"It seems I'm stronger than expected," I remarked to his corpse. "See you at the Soul Hall."
The heavenly axis realm cultivators attempted to restrain me with various law powers and demon beast techniques, but a portal opened behind me. "Goodbye," I said, stepping through and vanishing before they could react.
Back at the Divine Feather Sect, I reported successful mission completion. The Demon League had grown stronger during my absence, accepting control of many deity lakes with support from Li Xingyun's Heavenly Path League.
I informed them of Gu Heng's death and warned Gu Bei that his clan might take offense against the Demon League upon learning of it. But on the other end people were actually happy.
"No problem," Gu Bei replied with a grin. "That's actually quite the achievement."
I returned to my courtyard for cultivation in the open space once again.
Since the restrictions on the Myriad Miles had been fully unlocked, it could deliver heavenly energy directly to my soul realm. I only needed to refine and condense the energy into new fate stars. Unlike the ring world, which required drawing heavenly spirit stones to cultivate outside outside as a soul-bound tool rather than a true soul artifact, this process was seamless.
My shield prevented anyone stronger than star realm from entering the cultivation area. I continued cultivating until a new star condensed completely. The energy fed back to millions of individual body units, energizing them with noticeable improvement. I consumed a Phaseless Fruit to fully consolidate the star's strength, advancing to the five -star heavenly realm.
In the meanwhile, I recognized Xiao Ning requesting access for cultivation, and I let her later.
The Middle Grade Deity Lake Campaign
A week of peaceful cultivation later, I was called to assist in fighting for control of the middle grade deity lake. The events unfolded much like in the original timeline, Nie Li trying to extract deity root, while Gu Heng's team followed behind as prey, except this time I intentionally shielded Nie Li to accelerate the deity root extraction and later portaled him directly to where Gu Heng waited.
I only showcased my apparent strength. Many of us died and later the sky dragon dao realm followed Nie Li and end up chasing him. The story followed its course and Gu Heng died again. During the time it took for the sky dragons to pursue him, I portaled the rest of our group to safety, explaining that Nie Li possessed methods to preserve roots even after death and the chase of dragon. Our casualties remained seven hundred compared to nearly two thousand on their side.
In the following months, conflicts escalated with both league members and opposing factions. My name became well known in cultivation circles for allowing people like Gu Heng to be killed four times in succession while letting some followers escape even when opposing sides joined forces to target us.
My attacks remained within the realm of possibility for my outwardly shown strength, and I made our members focus on targeting opposition leaders through coordinated group tactics. Yeah ganging up like thugs. This approach proved more interesting and attracted many new recruits to our cause.
I encouraged Long Yuyin to create her own faction and compete for patriarch position herself. She slowly began assimilating the warriors left by her father and those willing to support her. The Profound Note League League began taking shape. After the initial phase where they needed protection from Li Xingyun's faction at my request, they rapidly gained strength and established their identity.
I promised her I would remove her doubts soon.
People attempted to target me within the institute many times, but I appeared oblivious most of the time. Through apparent coincidences, none of their arrangements seemed to work against me. My cultivation increased by one more star during this period.
Nie Li was summoned by Hierarch Skycloud, and similar to the original story, he was confronted by a jealous Venerable Flameless during competition. However, this time due to his obviously higher cultivation at eighth fate soul realm, he was made to fight a star realm opponent to prove himself. The power gap was larger, but he still won the battle against a one-star realm cultivator. Few more ranking higher, he can get into central institute.
The hierarchs didn't ask him to fight additional opponents may be because seeing someone like me, they decided it is best to test him in private. Venerable Flameless's decision to prevent his entry to the eastern institute was later overruled, and Nie Li entered the eastern courtyard upon Hierarch Skycloud's instruction.
Unexpected Visitors
I sensed the presence of two concealed women outside my courtyard. Opening the door and looking at them clearly staying in the void, I asked, "Why are you here, Long Yuyin? Is this your relative?"
"How can you detect me while being at Heavenly star realm, brat?" The older woman attempted to use heavenly principles to lock me in place after becoming visible.
I shed the restraint as easily as brushing off dust.
"Hey coming to my place and playing hide and seek? Judging by your aura, you must be ninth stage dragon dao realm and someone from the dragon seal family. Come in. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, elder?"
"Answer my question first." This time she genuinely released her heavenly energy to attack my soul realm and bind the energy channeling within the body. I just channeled my essence energy instead, it easily shaken of, and the one that try to get into soul realm, it was crushed into oblivion without me even trying.
"My soul is much stronger than yours, senior." I momentarily released a spiritual aura exceeding hers before withdrawing it just as quickly. "You didn't tell her about me before coming here?" I turned to Long Yuyin.
"Master, Hierarch Linglong had strict orders not to reveal your combat power to anyone else. This is my mother, Long Shuyun. I only revealed our relationship," Long Yuyin explained.
"How strong exactly?" Long Shuyun, abandoning her previous casual attitude, turned to Long Yuyin, who looked to me for permission before continuing. "The test arranged by the hierarchs required him to fight against a dragon dao third realm cultivator. And he won." She provided additional details to build credibility.
Long Shuyun looked back at me with an expression that clearly asked whether I was truly that capable.
I invited them into the courtyard and arranged seating.
"My daughter has been quite lively these days. Great progress in cultivation, creating the Profound Note League faction, fighting for the patriarch position. I couldn't persuade her to pursue this path before, but you have accomplished more than I could. I can tell she's also very fond of you. You're talented and genius enough to enter the central institute on your own merits. Hierarchs taken person interests on you too. So I plan to marry her to you. What do you say?"
"I thought she was already engaged."
"That's just a matter of tearing up an engagement. I can handle it as I see fit."
"Hierarch Linglong once asked me the same thing. I made myself clear back then. Long Yuyin and I have a master-disciple relationship, so I don't intend to cross that boundary now. She's a talented and exceptional person. She will find someone she likes eventually."
"....Then what is your motive in letting her run a faction? Do you intend to enter the competition for acting sect master through her connections?"
"No. If that were my goal, why would I work under the Demon League led by Nie Li? Can't I take leadership myself purely through my strength and relationships with people like Gu Bei and Li Xingyun? My intent is only to create unity and trust between the three major families in our sect."
"Are you really such a noble person? Do you believe you can achieve what the sect leaders have been unable to accomplish for decades?"
"Noble? No... My cultivation speed is exceptional. My combat power is unusual. Judging by this pace alone, how long do you think I need to reach martial ancestor realm if I really tried? A decade or even less? How young would I be then? What would make me stay rooted here? What I do with your daughter is just a way of repaying the sect that led me out of the tiny world into this bigger reality in my own way. But what deeper reason can I offer?"
She questioned, " Well you ... wouldn't that be very unfilial leaving the sect so early?"
I paused before asking. "Unfilial?, If it weren't for my luck and resources gathered before coming here, people like me and my friends would just be stepping into heavenly fate realm by now. How many geniuses have fallen over the years in this sect stuck in faction wars?"
After another pause, I added, "I heard that one hundred years ago, our sect was ranked in the top third. Look where the sect stands now ~ at the tail end. The sect is plagued by lack of unity among the three major families and numerous factions competing for their own interests. People like Gu Heng, Long Tianming, and Li Yunfeng are exact reflections of how each family pursues self-interest. If they became patriarchs of their respective families, you can imagine how this divide would widen and the sect would destroy itself from within."
This gained their full attention.
"The hierarchs who genuinely wanted progress, like Skycloud, lost hope and withdrew from sect matters like hermits. I'm friends with Gu Bei and Li Xingyun. I know their character and trustworthiness. They're currently working together leading the Demon League. Supporting them and helping them reach patriarch positions will only benefit the sect. The Dragon Seal family, with all its power, needs a patriarch like Long Yuyin who shares that vision. She acknowledged me as her master. In return for my help, she's willing to do what I ask."
"What are you suggesting? You don't want to be sect leader, but you're doing this just to repay the sect? In the end, if people like Situ Beiyan or Long Tianming gain such power, how long do you think such efforts will persist?" Long Shuyun asked.
"For that reason, I need your support in helping her gain standing within your household. I'm not interested in the position of acting sect master. I have my own interests. And the sect won't be able to hold onto me for long given my strength. Meanwhile, I'll fulfill my duty while I remain here."
"But someone like Nie Li, the leader of the Demon League faction, or the people I mentioned ~ Gu Bei, Li Xingyun, or even Long Yuyin if she truly achieves the necessary strength and leadership ~ they're much more suitable candidates who share my vision for unity, or at least will reach that understanding eventually. I'm willing to support whoever aligns with this goal during my stay here, far more than Situ Beiyan or Long Tianming. That's all."
"I still think it's best for you to marry into my family. Your vision can be achieved by yourself, and my daughter would get someone she likes."
" .... "
" We can discuss that in the long run"
...
"...I will do my best to help you, provided you do is beneficial to my daughter. But if I hear you've bullied my daughter, then don't blame me for being impolite to you. "
Private Revelations
After the meeting with Long Shuyun that didn't convince her too well because I am not the protagonist, Long Yuyin met me alone. "Master, you haven't told me the things you promised. It's been several months, and I've started assembling forces within my family. When do I act?"
When I was having a bit of Deja Vu saying what Nie Li said in story, I got a sense that, I will be meeting an interesting person soon. I did a calculation and found out who that was. Back to the present:
"That's fine, but we need to change locations. Let's talk outside."
I led her to the outer realm, to a remote location near one of the Demon League's outside bases at a deity lake. When we arrived, I asked her to demonstrate her technique cultivation while I waited for someone to reach us.
"How is your cultivation of the new technique progressing?" I asked when my attention returned to her.
"I've already reached nine fate soul realm on my own."
"Did you share the technique with your mother?"
Her hesitation provided the answer before her words. "I couldn't."
"I already knew you couldn't. I was the one who placed the soul seal on you. Do you resent me for it?"
"You should have told me directly, Master Tao. I'm disappointed, yes. But I can't resent you since you've helped me cultivate."
"Some knowledge isn't meant for everyone. Like what I'm about to tell you now. What was your initial reason for accepting me as your master?"
"You have deeper comprehension of martial dao than anyone I've met. You're also unparalleled in power for your realm despite originating from a tiny world."
"That doesn't make me exceptionally knowledgeable. I would only have the comprehension of a normal cultivator then. What makes me different is that I have access to information that most people of this world are unaware of. According to the martial dao you know, what's the most powerful realm you can conceive of?"
"Martial Ancestor?"
"In terms of spiritual cultivation within this reality, martial dao doesn't stop at Martial Ancestor. Above that lies Deity, then Emperor, Supreme, World Lord, Void King... the progression continues indefinitely. The Draconic Ruins Realm ~ this entire space encompassing all the sects combined ~ is nearly two thousand times larger than the tiny world I came from. Yet it's just a speck of dust in the grand outer reality."
"Then why can't we see those cultivation stages here?"
"I'll answer that, but first ~ your late master, Venerable Witch Feather, cultivated the Heavenly Divination Technique. Do you believe it was your senior sister who killed her for some agenda you might not understand?"
Fire flashed in her eyes. "She definitely did it. That demon girl killed him. The only reason I haven't struck against her was my master's dying wish asking me not to."
"It seems she hasn't approached you in this timeline. Your master wasn't murdered ~ she died by choice, by design. To understand why, you need to know about someone else."
"Sometimes," I continued, "there are intrusions from the higher realms. Take, for example, something that happened one or two million years ago. An expert from the higher world descended here, gravely injured. Even in his weakened state, he annihilated numerous supremacies that came for his life, hoping to steal his treasures. No one knows for certain how he died, but his arrival created a ripple that changed the course of history. From the remnants of his belongings and comprehension, a figure we now know as the Sage Emperor rose."
I paused, watching her eager expression. "The Sage Emperor. He's an Emperor realm Demon Beast with Primordial Bloodline. The 'Demon God' that the Demon God Sect worships refers to none other than him. Most demon beasts worship him as the God Ancestor, though he probably doesn't care about them in the least. They're nothing but tools to him."
I let her process this before continuing. "He has sealed endless time and space, intending to refine several hundred realms including the Draconic Ruins Realm. He's also the true ruler of the Ancestral Demonic Saint Land. Because of the Heavenly Dao Inscription Array of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths seal, no matter how many times the Sage Emperor dies, he can reconstruct his body and return stronger. Only by breaking this seal can anyone hope to destroy him permanently."
I produced the temporal page I had obtained from the Tomb-land. "He was only able to form this seal using power and knowledge gained from three remnant pages of a treasure like this one."
She sensed the space-time aura emanating from it immediately.
"Now, how does this relate to your master's death? " I gave a pause and then continued, "He controls the three worlds within the Draconic Ruins Realm completely. When someone emerges with potential to threaten his absolute authority, he eliminates them. Over hundreds of thousands of years, countless people have divined fate and fought against time and space just to confront him. Because of this, those who practice the Heaven's Divination Technique must die before the Sage Emperor discovers them and destroys their entire sect."
"That technique constantly evolves within the practitioner. Once you reach its pinnacle, you can manipulate space-time to a limited degree and even reincarnate people across different eras. But your destiny becomes known to him. He'll send deity servants to hunt you down along with anyone connected to you, preventing future complications. Currently, your senior sister practices this technique. Once she serves her destined role, she'll either kill herself or venture outside to die at their hands."
Tears welled in Long Yuyin's eyes. "So master was right all along."