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Chapter 578: Chapter 570: Settling Scores
Gu Jinlai, Lin Yuan, Jin Haoran, Liu Yuxi descended from the sky.
Seeing a group of people land, the people from Lingxiao Palace and the Daqian Royal Family immediately greeted them, their expressions filled with excitement and joy.
"Congratulations to the Palace Master! A great victory indeed!"
"The King of Tian Nan not only strikes awe to Tian Nan but can also shock the world!"
Lu Zhanxian and Jiang Chongshan congratulated them with clasped hands.
Emperor Master Tai Yuan, who had almost seen no hope due to the appearance of a True Immortal before, now bowed deeply to Gu Jinlai with sincere joy, "Today I truly understand what it means for Devas to descend to the mortal realm, and what a True God’s descent entails. For Daqian to have Master Gu as our magic stabilizer is both a fortune for Daqian and the Human Clan."
As for the Sanqing Hall...
Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian exchanged glances.
For a moment, they did not know whether to greet Lin Yuan, the Earthly True Immortal renowned a hundred years ago, or Gu Jinlai, who alone had defeated two top-level powerhouses.
Eventually, the two of them forced a smile; even if they harbored other thoughts, at this moment they also had to stiffen their scalps and step forward to offer congratulations.
Otherwise, it would not just be a matter of accountability afterward.
...
"During my journey after accepting the legacy of the Aries Star Lord, I also traveled the outside world. I personally witnessed demons wreaking havoc, causing countless people to be displaced, homes destroyed, and lives lost. I deeply felt the grave threat these demons pose to the Human Clan."
Gu Jinlai looked at the people who had come to greet him and announced loudly, "Currently, the Qiantian Demons surround us, and though not as precarious as a stack of eggs, it is hardly far from it. Under such circumstances, if the forces within Qiantian Territory remain divided and fight independently, it will only unnecessarily deplete our Human Clan’s own strength. Therefore, I intend to integrate the Thirty-Nine States of Qiantian, clear out local forces—what are your thoughts on this?"
Tai Yuan’s heart trembled.
So soon...
Has it come to this moment already?
However, reflecting on the astonishing combat power Gu Jinlai displayed by defeating a residing True Immortal and a Strongest Void Immortal, who could stop him if he truly decided to forcibly unify the earth?
At that moment, he too forced a smile, not daring to refuse.
Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian exchanged glances again, and glanced at Lin Yuan.
But Lin Yuan sighed inwardly and shook his head.
For a moment, the two Monarchs looked dejected, and finally, Immortal Wunian stepped forward to say, "We of the Sanqing Hall dare not ask for much, only that Master Gu, for the sake of your senior, Master Wushi, allows our Sanqing Hall to preserve its legacy..."
Gu Jinlai’s gaze fell on him, "The legacy of Sanqing Hall will indeed be preserved, but not in your two hands. As to who the real Hall Master of Sanqing Hall should be, I believe you are clearer than I am—Xuan Yue, is the disciple of Master Wushi, the World Sword Master, and the next successor of Sanqing Hall."
His gaze was piercing, "You two have merely relied on your power, pulling rank, and unlawfully occupying the Daoist lineage of Sanqing Hall; moreover, you have constantly schemed to kill the true Hall Master of Sanqing Hall to maintain your rule!"
Immortal Wunian and Immortal Wu Zhong, hearing such blunt scolding from Gu Jinlai, immediately turned slightly pale.
Lin Yuan, however, was somewhat shocked, "Master Gu, what are you saying? Master Wushi has a successor? The World Sword has a new master? And this master was also..."
"Nearly killed by these two."
As Gu Jinlai spoke, he called out loudly, "Xuan Yue."
At that moment, Xuan Yue, who had reached the level of Devas, stepped forward, wielding the World Sword.
The interaction between his own fluctuations and those of the World Sword emitted a faint spirit brilliance.
This scene was sufficient to prove his connection with the World Sword.
"Truly the World Sword Master."
Lin Yuan’s gaze shifted to Immortal Wunian and Immortal Wu Zhong, his complexion somber, "Is what Master Gu said true, that you actually treated the successor of Master Wushi like that?"
Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian glanced at one another and quickly said, "This matter involving Xuan Yue and the death of Master Wushi was entangled; we merely..."
"How deeply involved this matter was with Xuan Yue, you could have investigated. Ultimately, you just didn’t want to give up your power and benefits in Sanqing Hall," bluntly declared Gu Jinlai.
Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian immediately looked as beaten as frostbitten eggplants and hung their heads, "We too were momentarily blinded, thus committing some inappropriate acts..."
"You..."
Lin Yuan’s eyes burned with anger.
"I also have faults in this matter; somehow, I bear responsibility for the death of Master Wushi."
At this time, the silently observing Xuan Yue suddenly said, "As for Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian... the matter between them and me, let us resolve it ourselves."
"You..."
Gu Jinlai glanced at Xuan Yue.
Having just recently broken through to Devas, even armed with the power of the World Sword, his combat power as a top Saint was his limit; to contend against Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian...
Yet Xuan Yue’s face showed a rare stubbornness, his gaze towards Gu Jinlai also filled with a plea.
After a moment’s thought, Gu Jinlai then realized something.
Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian were not as strong as he had imagined.
Their strength was built on the Divine Weapons and Dao Artifacts in their possession.
Without these weapons and artifacts,
They were no better than Xuan Yue wielding the World Sword.
"Since you plan to settle matters with them, I’ll leave it to you. You all can duel each other to death. However, while Sanqing Hall will in future merge into our Lingxiao Palace and maintain the name ’Sanqing Hall,’ in this scenario, the Dao Artifacts and possessions of both Wu Zhong and Wunian shall belong to the Lingxiao Palace’s Sanqing Hall..."
Gu Jinlai spoke.
Before he could finish, Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian were the first to beg for mercy.
"Master Gu, we..."
"Zzz!"
The lightning flashed.
The power of the Thunder Light Domain instantly swept up the figures of the two saints from the Sanqing Hall.
Even though they were somewhat prepared, they were still too late to react.
Under the flashing lightning, the Dao Artifacts and Storage Treasures on their bodies seemed to be stripped away by an invisible force.
Especially on Immortal Wunian, a Treasure Bead emitting a fierce brilliance flew out and landed steadily into Gu Jinlai’s hand.
This was another Divine Weapon of Master Wushi—the Star Heart.
After being stripped of these Dao Artifacts, Storage Treasures, and Divine Weapons, the two saints who originally appeared powerful quickly revealed their true nature.
The Undying Will, the Immortal Golden Body, it turned out none were perfected, and their combined combat power was merely between high-level Saint and top Saint.
In comparison to their Elder Brother, Monarch Wushi’s talent, these two...
Clearly fell too short.
Even with the abundant resources of the Sanqing Hall, the future didn’t hold much hope for them to overcome the Heavenly Tribulation and achieve the status of Void Immortal.
After a moment, the lightning gradually subsided.
Yet even after a brief moment had passed since Gu Jinlai ceased his moves, it took Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian quite some time to recover from this paralysis.
The huge gap made them fully realize that if Gu Jinlai decided to kill them, they wouldn’t even know how they died.
In an instant, their eyes filled with fear.
"Compared to what you planned to do to our Lingxiao Palace, I have already shown enough mercy."
Gu Jinlai voiced calmly, then turned to Xuan Yue, "Go."
"Thank you."
Xuan Yue responded, his gaze shifting to Immortal Wu Zhong and Immortal Wunian.
"Master Gu has said that everything in the Sanqing Hall now belongs to you, we accept that, but what if we win against Xuan Yue in a fight?"
Immortal Wunian spoke solemnly.
"If you win, you may choose to leave Qiantian."
Gu Jinlai said.
"Good."
Immortal Wunian faced Xuan Yue, "Let me see just how much of World Sword’s power you, who have become the World Sword Master, can actually unleash."
As he spoke, his figure soared into the skies, heading straight for Yunxiao.
Xuan Yue followed closely behind.
Immortal Wu Zhong fell silent for a moment, then followed as well.
Seeing the two saints from the Sanqing Hall not daring to refute the commands of Gu Jinlai, the other forces’ Primordial Spirit Monarchs came forth in succession, bowing their hands: "We wish to join Lingxiao Palace, and henceforth, we will heed the commands of Lingxiao Palace as our priority."
Even the Star Emperor Jiang Chongshan stepped forward at this time: "I believe that under the governance of Lingxiao Palace, the Devas Qian Race can live better than under my rule, and I am willing to abdicate in favor of a peaceful transition."
"Jiang Chongshan, I have no intention of replacing the Daqian Royal Family to rule Qiantian,"
Gu Jinlai said, "The Daqian Dynasty still needs to exist as it is the cornerstone of local governance. However, the talented people of Qiantian can be sent to our Lingxiao Palace for cultivation, and their duty is to be responsible for external wars, vanquish Demons, and protect the land and heaven of Daqian."
Jiang Chongshan quickly understood, "Is Master Gu saying that the Daqian Dynasty is essentially the rear and logistics for Lingxiao Palace, continuously providing talents and resources for Lingxiao Palace while Lingxiao Palace ensures the safety of Daqian by expelling Demons, defending against foreign enemies, and guarding Daqian heavens and earth?"
"Exactly."
Gu Jinlai nodded, "The specific operations, I will summon Xin Tianqi and others later for a collective discussion."
He truly had no intention of becoming the Emperor Daqian.
The myriad trivial matters of a single Lingxiao Palace were already countless, and if he were to manage the entire Daqian, he wouldn’t have any leisure time left.
Therefore, treating Daqian similarly to the relationship between an Immortal Sect and a secular nation is clearly the most appropriate.
"Before discussing the specifics, there is one more thing we need to prepare for."
Gu Jinlai glanced at Jin Haoran, Lin Yuan, and Liu Yuxi who were not far away, saying, "I plan to choose Star State to establish a Grotto Heaven."
Jin Haoran and Lin Yuan, who had been anxious about how to convince Gu Jinlai to establish a Grotto Heaven, were suddenly surprised by his abrupt mention of it.
"Master Gu..."
"Don’t celebrate too early; the Grotto Heaven I want to establish is not the same as the ones you know of. Also, until I understand the specifics of the Immortal Country, I won’t agree to you transporting the Spirit Mechanism collected from the Grotto Heaven to the Immortal Country,"
Gu Jinlai said.
Although Jin Haoran was somewhat anxious inside, he still maintained a calm expression on his face and earnestly said, "Please rest assured, Master Gu, everything our Immortal Country does is to counter the Demons, and in this endeavor, we will surely not disappoint you. Furthermore, our Immortal Country also welcomes Master Gu to come to the Immortal Country for inspection, to prove that my words are true."
"I will visit."
Gu Jinlai spoke and then said, "Now, to Star State to establish the specifics of the Grotto Heaven and the detailed implementation methods for consolidating and integrating Qiantian."
