Wencai, you're truly a genius.
You turned such a tragic history into a comedy routine with the comedic timing of a crosstalk performer.
Li Wencai was thin and scholarly, with a long goatee and a folding fan in his hand that he waved as he spoke, looking like a great Confucian scholar steeped in literature.
"Enough."
Gu Qing interrupted Li Wencai's endless chatter and asked with confusion, "Why do they harm lower realm cultivators? Wouldn't it be better for the sect to have more powerful experts?"
Li Wencai paused, then sighed, "Your thinking is sound, but it doesn't apply to the Starlight Dao Sect."
"The Starlight Dao Sect's lineage dates back to ancient times, even to the Primordial era when heaven and earth were first opened. The founding ancestor was the Starlight Saintess."
"The sect has supreme cultivation methods that point directly to the Great Dao of Immortal Emperors, shocking secret arts, ancient secret realms, heavenly treasures, and even innate spiritual treasures. As for various heavenly materials and earthly treasures, divine treasures, and immortal rarities, they are simply too numerous to count."
"Any one of these would be enough for a cultivator to defy heaven and change their fate."
"It can be said that the Starlight Dao Sect lacks for nothing except peerless heavenly prodigies."
Gu Qing glanced at him sideways, speechless.
He never would have thought that the handsome and scholarly Li Wencai was such a chatterbox who also enjoyed riddles.
Gu Qing understood now.
The Starlight Dao possessed countless treasures, and the blessings left by their ancestors were too great. Their foundation was so profound that they simply didn't lack for heavenly prodigies to join.
But no matter how many treasures there were, they would one day be used up. That was why the cultivators of the Immortal Realm joined forces to scheme against lower realm ascenders, monopolizing the remaining legacies.
However, Gu Qing still asked with some confusion, "Besides our lineage, are all the other lower realm Dao lineage cultivators dead? Are they still capturing ascenders to mine? Just mining? And they haven't died?"
Hearing this, Li Wencai's face showed sorrow, "They're all dead. Those captured to mine didn't last long before they perished as well."
Gu Qing frowned, feeling that things weren't that simple, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
The Immortal Realm's native powers had been utterly ruthless. They were of the same Dao lineage as the Starlight Dao, yet they were being exterminated. This was strange from every angle.
When he had time, he would ask Jiang Yu to have her divine the situation, and then everything would be clear.
"Gu Qing, you are now the only hope for our Three Thousand Realms, but at the same time, you are a thorn in the side of the despicable natives."
"Our Patriarch You Kui, though the strongest Profound God, can fight three Profound Gods alone without defeat and withstand the aftermath of an Immortal King's divine ability without dying."
"But mortal strength has its limits. In the face of the great tide of the times, even a Patriarch with divine might is helpless."
After all, You Kui was just one person. He couldn't possibly contend with all the Profound Gods of the Starlight Dao Sect, let alone the Immortal King Patriarchs above them.
Although the Immortal King Patriarchs paid no mind to such trivial matters, focusing solely on comprehending the Great Dao, their reputation alone was enough to deter everything.
For these reasons, the Desolate Ancient Star Domain lineage could not recruit any heavenly prodigies. Even if they did, they would either defect, die unexpectedly, or be killed by heavenly prodigies from other lineages.
In short, You Kui could only protect Gu Qing from being persecuted by the great Profound Gods. As for the rest, Gu Qing would have to rely on himself.
Gu Qing nodded slightly in understanding, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. After a moment, he laughed.
"This is interesting. The moment I join the sect, I'm an enemy to everyone. Did I join a sect or a bandit's den?"
Li Wencai was taken aback, feeling that Gu Qing's description was too apt.
To them, wasn't the Starlight Dao Sect simply a den of man-eating bandits that didn't even spit out bones?
"Notify the sect. I want to become a core disciple of the sequence. I want to see who dares to stop me."
Gu Qing's expression was cold. It seemed he would have to start a killing spree.
He was deeply disappointed. He never imagined the Starlight Dao Sect in the Immortal Realm would be such a mess.
His heart for becoming a Divine Son instantly cooled.
But whether he became a Divine Son or not, he had to obtain some of the blessings left by the ancestors. He couldn't have come all this way for nothing.
Li Wencai nodded.
To become a core disciple of the sequence, one first had to suppress the inner disciples, then ascend the one thousand steps of the Starlight Path, and finally gain the approval of the Sect Master and a majority of the elders.
"Take me to the Life-and-Death Arena."
"This..."
"Just do it."
Although he had taken on the protagonist's mess, he wouldn't follow the protagonist's path. He wouldn't offer the other cheek after being slapped on one. Only after both cheeks were slapped would he sneer coldly and counterattack.
Gu Qing had no masochistic tendencies.
If he was going to be a villain, he would do it properly.
If they didn't submit, he would kill until the sect bowed its head.
"How ridiculous."
"He just arrived at the Starlight Dao Sect and dares to be so arrogant. He clearly doesn't hold us in any regard."
"This is even better. It saves us the trouble of scheming."
"As the Sect Master says."
"The lower realm ants must be exterminated."
The great Profound Gods communicated across spacetime.
Suddenly, one of them said, "Who will go and slay this arrogant brat?"
At these words, everyone fell silent.
Killing Gu Qing wouldn't be difficult. After all, he was only at the second level of the Celestial God Realm, though Gu Qing was indeed very strong.
But among their disciples, there were plenty of heavenly prodigies. If they bestowed some great treasures upon them, victory would be assured.
However, after Gu Qing died, they might have to face the wrath of three Profound Gods.
That was the most troublesome part.
"Don't try to shirk this. This concerns our grand plan for the ages; it is everyone's responsibility."
"Very well. Let us advance and retreat together, each sending out some disciples."
"Agreed."
"Quick, get out of the way! I heard the Gu Qing who ascended from the lower realm is here to challenge the inner disciples."
"Is that true?"
"Of course it is."
"Tsk, tsk. This is going to be a good show."
The news spread quickly, instantly drawing countless disciples to come and watch, all wanting to witness Gu Qing's prowess.
They wanted to see if Gu Qing was truly as invincible as the aura he exuded.
BOOM!
On the arena stage, Gu Qing slapped a third-level Heavenly God Realm cultivator to death.
"Hisss."
"That's terrifying."
He went all out right from the start.
The disciples who had come to watch couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
Even though they had long anticipated that Gu Qing was exceptionally powerful, a fact that could be glimpsed from the aura he radiated, they were not weak themselves.
After all, those who could become disciples of the Starlight Dao Sect were not weaklings to begin with. They were heavenly prodigies, possessing powerful physiques, one in a billion.
Those who became inner disciples were the elite among them.
And those who became personal disciples to the various Peak Masters were even more outstanding, possessing brilliant futures.
Yet even such individuals were casually swatted away by Gu Qing like mosquitoes.
This wasn't just being strong; he was clearly a monster.
"Come on up. Don't waste our time."
Storing the man's storage ring, Gu Qing spoke with a cold expression.
Damn it, who would dare to go up and die?
After all, cultivating to the Heavenly God Realm was no easy feat.
They were already immortals, possessing infinite lifetimes and brilliant existences.
"Gu Qing, do you dare to challenge a mid-stage Heavenly God Realm cultivator?"
Someone said provocatively.
The higher the cultivation realm, the greater the gap between each level. The early, mid, and late stages were like a chasm.
Even if Gu Qing was formidable, they didn't believe he could defeat a mid-stage Heavenly God.
Although making such a demand was shameful, when compared to their lives, that bit of face meant nothing.
"I can."
Gu Qing nodded, then said, "However, I want to first challenge thirty early-stage Heavenly God Realm cultivators. After there are no more opponents, I will challenge the mid-stage."
The smug smile on the man's face instantly froze, and a wave of fear surged in his heart because he was next.
The crowd of disciples, however, felt that Gu Qing must be crazy.
Not to mention whether Gu Qing had the strength to challenge a mid-stage Heavenly God Realm.
Even if he killed thirty early-stage Heavenly God Realm cultivators, would the Starlight Dao Sect still tolerate him?
On the stage, the elders' faces twitched as they watched Gu Qing with deep gazes.
Don't be fooled into thinking that Godfire Realm cultivators were a dime a dozen in the Starlight Dao Sect and Heavenly God Realm cultivators walked everywhere.
That was only after countless years of cultivation and nurturing with countless treasures.
Every single Heavenly God Realm cultivator was extremely precious.
They were the backbone of the sect.
Furthermore, a Heavenly God Realm cultivator was a dominant existence in the outside world.
It was only because the Starlight Dao Sect had a long and storied history, being a transcendent sect in the Immortal Realm with profound foundations, that it could treat Heavenly God Realm cultivators as disciples.
"Why is everyone silent?"
Gu Qing swept his gaze around, looking at the elders on the high platform and said with a smile.
"Since no one is challenging me, does that mean I can be promoted to a core disciple of the sequence?"
Deliberate.
Gu Qing was absolutely being deliberate.
The act of "playing the pig to eat the tiger" was only suitable for the protagonist, not for him.
He deliberately displayed his invincible might, forcefully killing his opponent, just to make the elders continue to send their disciples to their deaths.
To cause discord among them.
If they didn't comply, he could rightfully become a core disciple of the sequence.
After all, those one thousand steps would absolutely not be able to stop his progress.
Everyone present was well aware of this.
Now it was up to the elders to make their choice.
No matter what they did, he was the winner.
As for whether this would offend the Starlight Dao Sect to the point of no return, Gu Qing didn't care at all.
He only wanted the legacies left by his ancestors, to use these divine treasures to grow stronger.
Once the Starlight Dao Sect had no more divine treasures worth coveting, he would pat his and leave. Such a den of thieves of a sect was not worth staying in anyway.
To say it again, he was not the protagonist and had no hobby of subduing enemies and then whitewashing them.
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