Chapter 459 - 458: Follow-up Arrangements
Of course, all of this came with a prerequisite.
That prerequisite was the annihilation of the Great Sun Profound Light Heaven-Opening Demon Ancestor, the Celestial Demon who had descended upon the world ten thousand years ago and unleashed a world-ending calamity.
If the Demon Ancestor succeeded, he would reshape heaven and earth, turning this world into a Demon Realm. At that point, not only would human Ascension and Cultivation be a distant dream, but even the Demon Race would be finished as well.
At this thought, the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits could no longer sit still.
"My injuries have yet to recover. If the Celestial Demon emerges, I won’t be able to help."
The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits said to Gu Zhao, "Searching for Demon Cultivators is too time-consuming, so I’ll have to rely on you. I’m going to Mo Lake to enter seclusion and heal. If you find a Demon Cultivator you can’t handle, come to Mo Lake and call for me."
"Alright!" Gu Zhao agreed at once.
The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits nodded, then looked toward Bi Yingying and Ye Ruyan not far away. With a flick of his finger, two streams of spiritual light entered their Seas of Consciousness.
"These are some of my insights on cultivation. They will benefit any of dragon or serpent lineage."
"Thank you, Dragon King!" Bi Yingying and Ye Ruyan were thrilled, hastily bowing in gratitude.
The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits was one of the most supreme masters in the world. With Ten Thousand Years of Dao Practice and the hope of Ascension, even a sliver of his cultivation insights was a priceless treasure to them.
Although they had their own inherited techniques, their bloodlines were thin and their Cultivation Techniques incomplete. Ascension was essentially hopeless for them in this lifetime. The best they could hope for was to achieve a thousand years of Dao Practice and live freely in the world for a few hundred years.
’Who would have thought that not only would I join Daluo Palace, practice Daoist Techniques, and see my Power skyrocket, but now I’ve also received a True Dragon’s cultivation insights? By combining the two and drawing parallels, maybe... maybe there’s a chance for Ascension after all?’
’Even if I can’t achieve Ascension, a great increase in my Dao Practice and lifespan is wonderful, too!’
...
After seeing off the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits, Gu Zhao once again convened a meeting with the old Daoists and shared the news the Dragon King had just brought.
Everyone became incredibly excited.
"So there are that many Demons! Think of all the Evil Qi!"
"And it’s not just powerful Demons, but also some Demon Cultivators who only practice Demon Techniques and aren’t important enough to be the Demon Ancestor’s pawns?"
"Perhaps there’s another one hiding in Yazhou?"
"Compared to the Central Plains, the Southern Border Mountains are vast and not under the jurisdiction of a unified Court. It’s actually a perfect place to cultivate Demon Techniques."
"Wanling Jiangnan is made up of five prefectures. South of Shanzhou, there’s also Yuezhou."
"You should focus on taking down that Illusory Flower Hall in Shanzhou first!"
The old Daoists chattered one after another, their faces filled with excitement, not a hint of fear among them.
"Then we’ll proceed according to plan," Gu Zhao said. "Martial Uncle Gao Yue and the others will continue their push in Shanzhou. Martial Uncle Yan Song and Martial Uncle Yan Qi will go to Yazhou to see if any Demon Cultivators are hiding there. Martial Uncle Yi Hong can go to Yuezhou to scout ahead. And Martial Uncle Ming Yu and Martial Uncle Ming Chong can take a trip to the Southern Border."
"Yes!" the old Daoists replied in unison.
Gu Zhao then looked at Taoist Ming Yu. "Martial Uncle, you can also bring the Heart Chakra and Eye Sword with you. You might even be able to find the remaining disciples of the Six-Headed Divine Monarch."
Taoist Ming Yu smiled and nodded. "Excellent!"
"And of course, there’s Zhan Qing’s wedding." Gu Zhao’s expression softened into a smile as he looked at Taoist Shen Hao, Taoist Han Zheng, and Taoist Han Xuan. "When the time comes to go to Snow God Mountain for the bridal procession, the three of you must be there."
Taoist Han Zheng and Taoist Han Xuan were overjoyed. Taoist Shen Hao stroked his beard and laughed, his white eyebrows fluttering. "Definitely! Definitely!"
...
"Hooo—"
’It’s finally over.’
The important guests had left, as had many of the old Daoists. A few old friends remained as temporary guests, such as the Purple Cloud Monarch of Wuya Ridge, Lu Ping of Silent God Mountain, and Bi Jingjing of Green Water Pool.
However, they had Taoist Ming Chong, Taoist Jing Feng, Bi Yingying, and others to keep them company, so Gu Zhao was finally free.
As a Cultivator, despite being the master of a major power, Gu Zhao’s fundamental nature was still unaccustomed to such hustle and bustle. It was, after all, mentally and physically taxing.
Now that the New Spring Grand Rite had successfully concluded, the disciples of the palace would handle all subsequent matters, so he returned to the Sect Leader’s small courtyard.
It was now afternoon. Zhuo Qingyan and Li Qingshuang were playing chess under the old tree in the courtyard, while the Silk Embroideress, having warmed a pot of tea, was arranging freshly baked pastries on a nearby table.
Bai Ke first watched Zhuo Qingyan for a bit, but she couldn’t make heads or tails of the game. So, she ambled over to the Silk Embroideress’s side and reached for a Spring Welcoming Cake.
But her hand was slapped away by the Silk Embroideress, who pointed to a food box not far away. "Those are for the Young Master. If you want some, go get them from the box yourself."
Bai Ke pouted. "My, my. Almost eighteen and about to be eligible for bed-warming duties. Your temper’s gotten bigger than before."
The Silk Embroideress was about to retort when she looked up and saw Gu Zhao walking into the courtyard. A blush flashed across her face and vanished just as quickly. Acting as if nothing had happened, she said, "Young Master, you’re here!"
"Eh?" Bai Ke looked up, her right hand already in the food box, and waved to Gu Zhao with her left. "We were just talking about how the Silk Embroideress is almost eigh—Ouch! Why are you stepping on me?"
Bai Ke turned and glared at the Silk Embroideress.
The Silk Embroideress simply took a mung bean cake from the plate on the table and stuffed it into Bai Ke’s mouth.
"Mmmph mmmph—" Bai Ke couldn’t speak, but her eyes were full of confusion. ’Didn’t you say everything on the table was prepared for Gu Zhao?’
Zhuo Qingyan pursed her lips in a light laugh, while Li Qingshuang’s mouth curved into a smile. The two women exchanged a knowing glance, then rose and walked toward Gu Zhao.
"Finished with your official business?" Zhuo Qingyan asked.
Gu Zhao nodded. "Finished."
"Sit down and rest," Zhuo Qingyan said, taking Gu Zhao’s arm and leading him to the table.
Gu Zhao picked up a piece of mille-feuille pastry, and the Silk Embroideress quickly poured him some tea.
Taking a bite of the pastry, Gu Zhao gave the Silk Embroideress a thumbs-up, which made her beam with a brilliant smile. Only then did he casually bring up the recent events.
Neither the descent of the Celestial Demon nor the Daoists’ heroic quest were secrets. There was no reason not to talk about them.
"Ah!" The Silk Embroideress’s mouth fell slightly agape, a little frightened. "A Celestial Demon from the Upper Realm? What are we going to do?"
Li Qingshuang found her expression adorable and couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. "Don’t worry. Do you know who your Young Master is? A Spirit Realm Upper God imparted a Technique to him via Dream Transmission, and in three years, he achieved several thousand years of Dao Practice. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the Son of Destiny of this era."
"A mere Celestial Demon? If it stays hidden, fine. But if it comes out, it will just be a stepping stone for your Young Master." Li Qingshuang smiled. "How can the Son of Destiny of this era not have an opponent of sufficient caliber?"
Gu Zhao waved his hands dismissively. "You’re exaggerating, you’re exaggerating."
Zhuo Qingyan squeezed Gu Zhao’s hand. "Now that we have the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits on our side, we’ll have a helper the next time we encounter a powerful Demon."
Gu Zhao gave a noncommittal nod.
The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits was indeed a master who could act as their safety net, but they couldn’t just call on him for every situation. Otherwise, where would they get their Evil Qi and Thunder Seeds?
’Besides, there are so many back home I must guide to the True Dao!’
As he thought of this, Gu Zhao subconsciously began to ponder the distribution of the eight Thunder Seeds in his Sea of Consciousness.
...
「The sun set in the west.」
The tea had grown cold, and the pastries were all gone.
The Silk Embroideress cleaned up and pulled Bai Ke away with her.
Zhuo Qingyan gave a slight smile and drifted away.
Gu Zhao glanced at the sky, then returned to the bedroom with Li Qingshuang.
The moon rose to its zenith, and a kingfisher chirped softly!