Chapter 397: The Scheme to Steal Heaven

A dark blue light curtain slowly unfolded before Gu Yuan's eyes.

On the light curtain, rows of golden characters formed from Dao runes shone brightly.

【Ding!】

【A new vacation world coordinate has been locked.】

【World type: Blood Moon Cultivation】

【World name: Blood Moon Netherworld】

【World background:

Originally: the Heavenly Dao was contaminated by unknown evil entities; cultivation became mutation. The spiritual qi was mixed with indescribable mad babble; the higher the realm, the closer the flesh and soul approached monsters.

Top-tier experts were all irrational, unspeakable beings; lower beings could only rely on faith in evil gods to exchange for brief clarity and fragmented power.

Now: the five supreme immortal kings of the Immortal Realm descended, laying down the 'Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Seal Demons Great Array' to completely transform it into the Immortal Realm's exclusive medicinal garden and mine.

The native beings of this world were regarded as 'Blood Essence Great Medicinal' livestock; only by constantly cultivating could they hope to be selected in the immortals' 'harvest' to trade their lives for a brief respite for their clan.

【Main Quest 1: Secretly Chencang.】

【Explanation: Before the ancestral source-extinction toxin fully erupts, find its core and make your choice—purify or seize.】

【Reward: depends on the host's choice and completion degree. If choosing purification, reward 【Merit Golden Lotus】; if choosing seizure, reward one 【Primordial Seed of the Source-Annihilating Power】.】

【Main Quest 2: Guide the Correct Path.】

【Explanation: Help an immortal king walk the correct path.】

【Reward: depends on the number and realm of immortal kings aided by the host. At minimum obtain 'Grand Dao Forge' (fragment x1) Heaven-Deceiving Cloak (prepaid).】

【Ultimate Quest: The Scheme to Steal Heaven.】

【Explanation: Seize or correct the Heavenly Dao Laws of the Eleventh Land, and in the Eleventh Land, forge your divine throne.】

【Reward:???】

Staring at the three glaring question marks on the light curtain, Gu Yuan's brows furrowed deeply.

"None left?"

【None left.】

Xiao Ai's voice carried a hint of vengeful pleasure,

【The level of the final reward has exceeded the current system's parsable range; only after the host completes the first two loops of tasks can it be unlocked.】

Gu Yuan stared at the three question marks, fell silent for a moment, then broke into a relieved smile.

"Interesting."

He stood up, drained the remaining tea in his cup, and said, "Just decided like this."

Next, it was time to convince the old fellows at home.

……

……

Purple Bamboo Grove, Blue Stone Table.

When Gu Yuan laid out the plan that would drive any immortal king mad—the 'Primordial Immortal Realm Eleventh Land Unification Plan'—even Gu Lin Tian, the Gu family patriarch who had long been accustomed to great storms, holding his teacup, couldn't help but tremble.

The tea splashed onto his robes, instantly evaporating without leaving a trace.

"Yuan'er, you…"

Gu Lin Tian opened his mouth, but for a moment didn't know what to say.

Should I scold him for being crazy, or praise him for his daring?

Infiltrate the Primordial Immortal Realm?

Replace the Heavenly Dao Laws?

Let the Divine Kingdom descend?

Any one of these three, taken alone, would be enough to be recorded in history, becoming a topic of ancient taboo.

And yet his own son actually wanted to accomplish all three at once!

"Nonsense!"

Gu Lin Tian slammed the teacup onto the table, his face grim as never before,

"This is sheer nonsense! Do you know what the Primordial Immortal Realm is? It's the core of the Immortal Realm; not to mention you're only at the Seventeenth Realm now—even if you reached True Immortal or Immortal King, sneaking in alone would be no different from seeking death!"

He didn't doubt his son's ability; on the contrary, precisely because he knew Gu Yuan's flawless, monstrous intellect and endless trump cards all too well, he felt even more apprehensive.

He feared not ten thousand things, but the one chance.

The Gu family now is vast and prosperous, thriving day by day, with over thirty vassal worlds crying for sustenance, the expeditionary army's lines spanning the heavens; all this foundation rests on the two divine stabilizing needles—Gu Yuan and the old ancestor.

Exactly.

Namely, Gu Yuan and Gu Cangsheng, these two divine stabilizing needles.

And he, Gu Lin Tian, is merely a useless 'second-generation clan member'.

He has a father above and a son below.

If any one of them falls, the Gu family's vessel, just setting sail, could capsize instantly.

"Dad, I'm not being reckless."

Gu Yuan calmly looked at his father, personally refilling his tea, and said, "This matter, I must go."

"Why?!"

Gu Lin Tian suppressed his anger, "Just for that so-called ultimate reward? Our Gu family lacks nothing now! You need resources, Dad will find them! You need cultivation arts, we'll seize them! No need to take such a huge risk!"

"Dad, this isn't about risk."

Gu Yuan shook his head, his gaze deepening, "It's a matter of the Dao."

He paused, then spoke each word clearly:

The path of cultivation: one step slow, every step slow. You understand this principle better than I. The eleventh region of the Primordial Immortal Realm is the most suitable and also the most perfect piece of the puzzle I can currently see. Miss this chance, and who knows how many eons will pass before the next?

Gu Lin Tian fell silent.

He looked at his son's clear and determined eyes; the anger in his heart unknowingly dissipated by half, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.

He realized that he could no longer keep up with his son's steps.

Just as the father and son reached an impasse, a figure with hands in sleeves, walking with a step that disregarded kin, swayed in from outside the bamboo grove.

Yo, everyone's here?

Gu Cangsheng plopped down on the nearby blue stone, pulled out a handful of freshly fried melon seeds from his pocket, and with a crack, he ate them until shells littered the ground.

Dad.

Grandpa.

Father and son rose together and performed a salute.

Sit, all of you sit, what's with being polite to me?

Gu Cangsheng waved his hand, his murky old eyes sweeping over the two of them, and gave a heh-heh laugh,

What's this? One glares with beard blown, the other sits silent like a sealed gourd—did you two argue?

Gu Lin Tian sighed, then briefly outlined Gu Yuan's crazy plan.

He had thought that his fearless father, after hearing it, would at least advise Gu Yuan to think twice, even if he didn't join him in opposition.

But he hadn't expected...

"Pfft—" Gu Cangsheng spat out a melon seed shell far away, slapped his thigh, his eyes widening bigger than copper bells, his face full of excited light.

"Good! Good lad! You've got guts!" He thrust a big thumb up at Gu Yuan, praising nonstop: "Not bad for my good grandson! This idea is grandson-worthy! Grandpa likes it!"

"Dad!" Gu Lin Tian nearly choked on his breath.

"Why are you shouting so loud?"

Gu Cangsheng glared at his own son and said angrily,

"What's the big deal? It's just going to the immortal realm to poke a hole. Who's scared! If the Primordial Immortal Realm dares to drag the tumor of Zang Tian Ge back home, don't blame us for showing up and cutting them open!"

He turned his head to look at Gu Yuan, and his expression softened into kindness.

"Well... my good grandson, if you go alone, I'm still a bit uneasy. How about I accompany you? We grandfather and grandson could overturn that Supreme Immortal Hall and capture the Supreme Immortal King to be your gatekeeper."

Hearing one crazy plan after another, Gu Lin Tian only felt his temples throbbing.

What kind of people are these!

"Grandfather, if you go, the commotion will be too great."

Gu Yuan gave a bitter smile and shook his head,

"This time I'm going to steal, not to rob. If you make a move, the whole immortal realm will shake; by then, they won't even call it theft—they'll just shut the doors and set the dogs on me, and I won't be able to escape."

"Moreover, you're currently our family's stabilizing divine needle; the expedition army elsewhere still needs you to hold the fort, and as for Senior Wan Yao and the others... they're still not enough."

"That's also true."

Gu Cangsheng stroked his chin, feeling that his grandson's words made sense.

"So then, Yuan'er, you can't go!"

Gu Lin Tian seized the opportunity to emphasize again.

"Dad, Grandfather."

Gu Yuan knew that without producing something real, he couldn't convince the two of them.

He rose to his feet, and with a thought,

A faint golden rune, containing the aura of the supreme law, flashed across his brow.

"This object is called Absolute Homecoming."

Gu Yuan's voice was calm and confident,

"As long as my soul remains intact, even if my body is crushed to ashes by the Giant Head Immortal King in the immortal realm, I can in an instant return to Divine Island and reform my flesh."