"Man is the spirit of all creation; Gu are the true essence of heaven and earth."
"In antiquity, there existed a divine Gu named the Live-and-Die Together Gu, possessing miraculous effects beyond measure. A God Transformation mighty being once decreed that this Gu held the true meaning of the law of life and death; thus, disregarding disparities in cultivation realms, it could bind a mortal and a mighty being to live and die as one."
"This Gu was exceedingly rare, seemingly singular in existence, and ultimately vanished into the long river of time."
"Yet the Gu cultivators of the Southern Border craved the legendary wonders of this Gu beyond measure. Through ceaseless research, they bred several similar Gu worms: the Consonance Gu, the Demonic Heart Gu, the Qi-Devouring Gu..."
"Though appearing diverse in kind, they shared the same ultimate destination, all striving toward living and dying together. Thus, upon advancing in rank, different Gu worms gradually assimilated."
"The Consonance Gu was originally a benign Gu, capable of granting mutual consonance between both hosts. Yet it possessed a fatal flaw: once it reached the third rank, it would transform into a Demonic Heart Gu. A Demonic Heart Gu itself would be manageable, yet a Demonic Heart Gu Emperor still survived in this world. Once implanted with a Demonic Heart Gu, one would fall under the Gu Emperor's control!"
Atop Motian Cliff, a warm red jade box opened, and a wax pellet dropped to the ground.
Holding the letter in hand, Luo Chen carefully read the correspondence that Perfected Tianshan had entrusted Gu Zuokai to deliver.
Perfected Tianshan was the last cult leader of the Southern Border's Tianshan Cult, deeply versed in the dao of Gu insects himself.
Regarding the bane of the Consonance Gu within Sima Huiniang, he was the most authoritative voice among everyone Luo Chen knew.
The result did not disappoint him. The man indeed possessed an intimate understanding of the Consonance Gu's origins, development, breeding methods, and even hidden perils unknown to ordinary people.
He also validated Luo Chen's earlier suspicion: upon reaching the third rank, the Consonance Gu would transform into a Demonic Heart Gu.
However, upon reading that a Demonic Heart Gu Emperor still existed, Luo Chen's fair, flawless hands could not help but tremble slightly.
Unlike the low-rank Consonance Gu, he had long known the true nature of a Demonic Heart Gu.
Once a cultivator was implanted with this Gu, they became a so-called "vessel," "nourishment," or even "food"!
Whenever the master so desired, they could recall the Demonic Heart Gu at any time while siphoning away every drop of the implanted cultivator's life essence.
Legend had it that the emergence of the Demonic Heart Gu had once whipped up a reign of blood and terror across the Southern Border, until the cultivators of the Southern Border joined hands to eradicate all demonic cultivators who crafted and employed it.
He had never imagined that, according to Perfected Tianshan, while the Demonic Heart Gu was no longer circulated in the world, a Demonic Heart Gu Emperor still endured.
Luo Chen suppressed the shock in his heart and continued reading.
In the latter half of the letter, Perfected Tianshan provided solutions.
"The Demonic Heart Gu is not insoluble. During the era when the demonic cultivators wielding this Gu were being purged, the predecessors of the Southern Border had already devised several solutions."
"The first is for the subordinate to overthrow the superior: refine the Gu Emperor and claim the supreme power for oneself. The contemporary Demonic Heart Gu Emperor survived in precisely this manner, using it to ascend to the Nascent Soul realm!"
Luo Chen pursed his lips. This method was simply too difficult.
He did not know how powerful the rumored Demonic Heart Gu Emperor was today, but he knew that such an arch-fiend was universally reviled in the cultivation world. How could they ever show their face?
Merely locating the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor would be exceedingly difficult.
Furthermore, the other party was hidden somewhere in the vast Southern Border. Where could he even begin to search?
The second method soon caught Luo Chen's eye.
Reading it, Luo Chen could not help but let out a bitter smile.
If a cultivator implanted with a Demonic Heart Gu could reach the Nascent Soul realm through their own ability, their sea of qi would evolve into the Purple Mansion, giving birth to a Nascent Soul. At that point, the divine soul would merge into the Nascent Soul, and shielded by the barrier of the Purple Mansion, it would no longer be affected by the Demonic Heart Gu; severing the Gu would then be trivial.
However, this method came with a prerequisite: the cultivator could not be too deeply tainted by the Demonic Heart Gu. The corruption had to be confined strictly to flesh and magic power, never allowing the divine soul to bind with the Gu.
Otherwise, even upon achieving the Nascent Soul realm, when the divine soul retreated into the Nascent Soul, it would carry the consciousness of the Demonic Heart Gu along with it. How could they shield themselves from each other then?
Huiniang's current state was already bound to the Demonic Heart Gu, including her divine soul!
It was precisely for this reason that Luo Chen dared not let Huiniang continue cultivating, lest the bond deepen beyond any hope of cure.
Thus, this method was also unviable.
Amid his bitter smile, Luo Chen looked at the third solution proposed by Perfected Tianshan—the one the man had described in great detail and placed particular emphasis upon.
"The Demonic Heart Gu binds a cultivator's entire cultivation, including magic power, divine soul, and flesh. Yet from the very beginning, this Gu requires nourishment from qi and blood, growing little by little before finally tainting magic power and divine soul... If one reverses the process, using the method of bloodline to purge it from the body, this has the highest feasibility, and for a female cultivator, it is the best solution."
Luo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, murmuring under his breath.
"Purge the Demonic Heart Gu through the bloodline?"
He frowned, his eyes half-closed, as he read the third method once more.
Gradually, a clear direction formed in his mind.
...
The peak of Motian Cliff.
This was Luo Chen's place of cultivation.
It was also the most refined spiritual ground in the entire Luotian Domain. The worldly spiritual qi was extraordinarily pure and limpid, exceptionally suitable for absorption.
Its grade reached perhaps only the threshold of the mid fourth rank, meaning the spiritual qi was not particularly dense, but owing to its pure nature, a cultivator refining magic power here would achieve twice the result with half the effort!
Back when Luo Chen arrived here to evade the fallout of the God Transformation battle, he had discovered the wonder of this place purely by chance.
For a time, he had even wondered why Old Ghost Motian, having occupied such a place, made such pathetic progress in his cultivation.
This was also one of the reasons Luo Chen had specifically chosen the Motian Domain as the target for the Luotian Sect's expansion.
With such a special spiritual land, the robust growth of the Luotian Sect's future Nascent Soul cultivators would be assured!
Naturally, since Luo Chen had not yet departed, this place currently belonged to him.
On this day, as dawn broke.
Luo Chen concluded a session of cultivation with satisfaction.
Just as he had anticipated, cultivating here made his refining of worldly spiritual qi and conversion of magic power far more efficient.
He had taken another firm, steady step toward the fifth layer of Nascent Soul.
Two figures ascended the mountain side by side.
With a wave of Luo Chen's hand, a pot of spiritual wine and three cups appeared on the table.
"Fellow Daoists, please!"
Old Fu and Jiuling Yuanjun exchanged glances and sat down with ease.
"Grandmaster Luo seems to have known we would come today?" Old Fu asked.
Luo Chen smiled. "I do not specialize in divination; how could I foresee everything like a god? But I know that the opening campaigns are an urgent matter. If not today, then in a few days. So I have long been waiting for you both."
Jiuling Yuanjun nodded and said in a clear voice, "Indeed. We have rested in the Luotian Domain for two months now; it is time to set out."
Old Fu sighed with emotion. "The Five Elements Divine Sect has already fought its way back into the Five Elements Domain and begun reclaiming lost territory. Perfected Shenyuan took the field personally, aided by Nascent Soul True Persons like Peng Xiang and Shenhuo, fiercely clashing several times with Great Demon Emperor Bi Zheng, who refused to abandon his foothold. We naturally cannot delay any longer, or the pressure during our subsequent opening wars will only be greater."
Luo Chen smiled and voiced his agreement.
At their height, the current situation was crystal clear.
Of the demon race's three ancient demons, one was dead and one captured; only the one at Mount Cangwu remained motionless.
On the human side, the mighty beings of the Mingyuan Sect had returned to their sacred land, and the sect's powerhouses no longer mobilized on a massive scale. Instead, they dispatched Nascent Soul cultivators like Lin Yonghua and Gu Hong to quietly and unobtrusively take control of the prime cultivation grounds throughout the Eastern Barrens.
The intensity of the war had dropped dramatically in an instant.
A small number of demon emperors were reluctant to part with the territory they had conquered, and believing that God Transformation mighty beings would not easily intervene again, they were still testing the waters.
They wanted to see whether the human powerhouses were truly resolute in reclaiming the Six Far East Domains.
If the humans were determined, the worst the demons would have to do was flee back into the Million Mountains once more.
Under these conditions, a single sect conducting an opening war alone would face immense pressure.
But what if two, or even three sects moved together?
With three domains opening simultaneously, the demon race would have to bear pressure from three sides, and the difficulty of the opening wars would naturally decrease by a wide margin.
"How are your preparations?" Luo Chen asked with concern.
Jiuling Yuanjun said with confidence, "I have already sent people to scout the Medicine King Domain thoroughly. Although the demon beasts there are numerous at present, there are only three formidable demon emperors. With my current strength, taking it will be well within reach!"
Old Fu cleared his throat lightly. "The Divine Talisman Domain is somewhat thornier; five demon emperors currently linger there. However, on my side, I have already invited Fellow Daoist Deng, Fairy Fenghua, and Lin Qingxuan to go together. It should not pose a problem."
Luo Chen asked with curiosity, "Lin Qingxuan actually agreed to help?"
Old Fu said in a low voice, "He has now taken charge of the Wan Jian Pavilion. Although he is their sole Nascent Soul sword cultivator, the internal resistance within the pavilion remains considerable. It would be inappropriate for him to use thunderous, bloody means to suppress them, so he can only ally with us, using external pressure to compel the cultivators of the Wan Jian Pavilion to submit to him."
Luo Chen came to a sudden realization. Though Old Fu spoke simply, the underlying details of the bargain were surely far from straightforward.
After a moment of thought, Luo Chen said, "My Luotian Sect is currently waiting for everything to be rebuilt, and our hands are rather tied, so we cannot offer you too much help. How about this: I will send Lingfengzi to your side, Jiuling."
Jiuling Yuanjun nodded readily. Lingfengzi's combat strength was only average, but his skill in gathering intelligence was something Jiuling respected immensely.
He needed precisely that kind of supporting talent!
"For your side, Old Fu, I will send Wang Yuan. How does that sound?"
Old Fu was overjoyed. "To have young friend Wang Yuan's assistance is more than I could hope for."
Two months ago, during the battle in the Taihu Domain, the strength Wang Yuan displayed was by no means inferior to an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
Moreover, the man possessed an ardent fighting spirit; with his help, the morale of the low-tier cultivators below would be greatly bolstered.
"Additionally, if you have any need for pills, you may speak directly to me; this sect will never be stingy."
"Should you encounter a troublesome foe, I can also descend the mountain in person and lend my full support!"
These last two promises set their minds even more at ease.
Jiuling Yuanjun felt a touch of curiosity. "Now that the Luotian Sect's mountain gate is established, will you not head directly to the Mingyuan Sect, Fellow Daoist?"
To this, Luo Chen offered a faint smile.
"Though the mountain gate is established, there are still many major matters that require my decision, such as nurturing the spiritual lands, planning the sect's future development, and organizing our heritage. How could I simply walk away?"
That was reasonable.
The two did not press further. After drinking heartily with Luo Chen, they took their leave.
Three days later, Luo Chen personally went to the border to see off the cultivators of both sects.
In the sky, flying boats circled and thousands of streaks of radiant flying light surged forward, advancing in grand, sweeping arrays toward the Six Far East Domains.
Their numbers were not necessarily fewer than when Luo Chen had opened the Motian Domain.
Jiuling Yuanjun and the others had their own networks of connections; during the preparatory phase over the past year, they had invited many large and small forces to assist them.
For instance, Qin Baixiang of the Hundred Beasts Sect, who had previously declined the Five Elements Divine Sect's invitation, had joined the Nine Spirits Sect's side.
After they departed, Luo Chen returned alone to Motian Cliff.
In the days that followed, Luo Chen did not immerse himself solely in cultivation.
Just as he had said before, he began frequently meeting with Li Yingzhang and the other Golden Core cultivators of the Luotian Sect atop Motian Cliff to chart out the sect's future development plans.
Black King was also released by him to slumber in the depths of the core three-thousand-li spiritual vein, inhaling and exhaling the worldly spiritual qi.
Even the batch of dragon earthworms subdued back in the North Sea were all released, burrowing into the mountain gate's earth veins to cultivate high-grade spiritual soil.
Bai Meiling had wished to stay by Luo Chen's side, but the yang qi pervading Luo Chen was now too potent; being too close severely hindered her cultivation in her Ghost Emperor form. Therefore, a Ghost Emperor Peak was specially designated for her personal cultivation.
Not only that, but in his leisure, Luo Chen began retrieving the various cultivation methods of all shapes and sizes he had gathered over the years.
He categorized them while amending omissions and making revisions.
From first-order to fourth-order arts, along with the fifth-order Myriad Firmaments Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture, everything was organized.
In particular, he transcribed complete copies of the series of primary arts, secret techniques, and body refinement methods he personally cultivated.
In the future, these arts would form the foundation of the Luotian Sect's heritage, available for tens of thousands of low-tier disciples to cultivate.
Time flowed slowly by.
Battle reports from the Six Far East Domains arrived one after another.
On Luo Chen's end, the days were peaceful and serene, making even the passage of time seem far slower.
It was under these circumstances that Sima Huiniang, supported by her disciple Yao Mingyue, entered a newly erected hall on Motian Cliff.
Looking at the white-robed man buried amidst mountains of scrolls and jade slips, Huiniang spoke with a radiant maternal glow on her face:
"Husband, I'm with child!"
Luo Chen lifted his head from the densely piled jade slips, froze for a moment, and then looked at her still-flat belly with an unreadable expression.
"You are already carrying?"
As he spoke, he had already risen to his feet and walked toward Sima Huiniang, his face brimming with a warm smile.
Sima Huiniang withdrew her arm from Yao Mingyue's support and let Luo Chen wrap his arm around her soft waist.
"I felt something a few days ago. Today I checked myself, and had the sect's physicians feel my pulse as well; I am indeed with child."
Luo Chen reached out to stroke her lower abdomen, feeling a spark of vitality within—tiny, yet so vigorous and thriving.
"Now that you are with child, you must be careful. You need not handle sect affairs anymore; let Mingyue take over for you. Rest well every day, and never overexert yourself..."
"Husband, you worry too much. I am a Golden Core cultivator, after all; how could anything easily go wrong?"
"We cannot be careless. One slip, and giving birth could severely damage your vitality. I have a few methods for nurturing the fetus that can now be put to use."
Inside the hall, an atmosphere of tender affection blossomed.
Yao Mingyue tactfully retreated to a corner, watching the scene with genuine joy.
Yet some confusion lingered in her mind.
When he first heard the news, why hadn't the Supreme Elder seemed surprised or delighted at all?
Furthermore, when he had cast that glance at her master's belly—a glance her master had missed while looking down to stroke her stomach—Yao Mingyue had seen it with absolute clarity.
That glance held an emotional complexity beyond words.
It was as if he had expected it all along, yet also like he was looking at some object, carrying even a faint, chilling detachment. In short, it was nothing like the joyful delight of a father learning he was to have a child.
Because of these doubts, Yao Mingyue's joyous mood was somewhat dampened, and the tenderness Luo Chen was now displaying seemed to carry a hint of falsehood.
She looked closer and subconsciously shook her head.
His gentleness toward her master could not be faked; it truly came from the heart.
Then why...?
Just then, the white-robed man turned his head and looked at her.
A cold glance, there and gone in a flash.
Yao Mingyue shuddered all over, falling as silent as a cicada in winter.
Chapter 875