Chapter 179: Years in the Mortal World, Before Ascending to the Immortal Realm!

The news of Red Lotus Demon Venerable snatching the young daughter of the Dragon Race, Long Xi, spread throughout the Four Wilds and Eight Desolations in a short span of time.

Those Enlightenment experts still active between Heaven and Earth have had new fodder for conversation these days; these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings have long lifespans, and since they have not yet reached the stage where the Great Dao erodes their own selves, they mostly sit in command of their races or wander the mortal world.

Seeing Gu Jiangming snatch Long Xi from the Dragon Race, each of them harbored different thoughts.

Some Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who have been on good terms with the Human Race for nearly a decade have recently been visiting Old Man Taicang and the Daoist Master of Longhu Mountain, asking in their speech whether that Red Lotus Demon Venerable still has any intention of taking more wives.

Even if they could not enter the inner sanctum, it would be fine if they could just establish some connection with Red Lotus Demon Venerable.

Old Man Taicang and the Daoist Master of Longhu Mountain were annoyed by these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings, yet these beings were genuinely on good terms with the Human Race, so they were in a dilemma whether to see them or not.

If they did not see them, the relationship between the Human Race and these races would inevitably be affected.

But if they did see them...

Old Man Taicang and the Daoist Master of Longhu Mountain explained tirelessly that they truly could not help these races put in a word before Red Lotus Demon Venerable.

Furthermore, besides that Red Lotus Demon Venerable, Beidi also had other Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings like Liu Moran and Jiu Jiu.

Old Man Taicang told those visitors more than once that if they were truly not afraid of their own race's female prodigies dying prematurely, then he would go and pass on the message.

The many Enlightenment beings still active between Heaven and Earth were very interested in the domestic affairs of this Human Supreme, Red Lotus Demon Venerable.

After all, Jiu Jiu and Liu Moran would arrange to fight a fierce battle every few months, and such a massive commotion would naturally and inevitably attract the gaze of some Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings.

These Enlightenment beings who came to visit Old Man Taicang and the Daoist Master of Longhu Mountain also knew that Liu Moran, from Red Lotus Demon Venerable's household, was not someone to be trifled with.

But isn't the situation different now?

Red Lotus Demon Venerable could snatch the young daughter of the Dragon Race, so what would be the harm in adding two or three more? Not everyone in this world was like those small races, scrambling to curry favor with the Human Race; there were also some Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who found Gu Jiangming, this Red Lotus Demon Venerable, quite unpleasant.

Not only did they hold those Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who curried favor with the Human Race in extreme contempt, but they were also recently colluding to visit the old Dragon King at Haiyu Longgong together.

The Dragon Race and the Qilin Clan were both truly great races whose heritage had lasted for an unknown amount of time between Heaven and Earth.

These Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings still would not give up; each of them wanted to pull in the old Dragon King, or even the old dragons who had been slumbering in the Dragon Race for who knows how long, to think of ways to launch a campaign to slay Red Lotus Demon Venerable.

These Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings involved were basically from powerful races themselves.

It is true that the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm will undergo Dao-transformation once it passes its peak, but throughout history, how many living beings have been unwilling to die? Especially those Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings—how could they not want to step into the Ascension Realm?

Throughout the ancient and long years, races with long-standing heritage basically had their own ways of preserving those Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who had entered the state of Dao-transformation.

These races used various methods to prevent the further spread of Dao-transformation, and the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings in their twilight years of Dao-transformation were invited into the depths of their races, waiting for the day when the race encountered a catastrophe to ask these old ancestors to emerge.

If even those races that were not yet great races could have such foundations, they naturally felt that races like the Dragon Race and the Qilin Clan also had such old ancestors slumbering in the twilight of Dao-transformation.

These Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings felt that within races like the Dragon Race and the Qilin Clan, there might still exist those old dragons who had already stepped into the Supreme Realm but had entered the twilight of Dao-transformation!

The thoughts of these people were very simple: they wanted to ask those old dragons of the Dragon Race who were Supremes in the twilight of Dao-transformation to take action.

They had tried this method before by visiting the Qilin Clan, but Zhou Kai simply ignored this group of Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings; not to mention that he viewed Gu Jiangming as his own tribulation for truly stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm, why would the old ancestor of the Qilin Clan act as a stepping stone for these people? They could not convince the Qilin Clan, so seeing the Dragon Race suffer such an event, they turned their gaze toward the Dragon Race.

However, if Zhou Kai was unwilling to ask his own Supreme Dao-transforming ancestor to emerge, how would the old Dragon King be willing?

Not to mention that whether the old Dragon King acknowledged it or not, Red Lotus Demon Venerable was his son-in-law; even if his own ancestor were truly unsealed and learned that he, the old Dragon King, wanted him to fight a Supreme who was about to step into the Heavenly Human Realm, he might just beat up the old Dragon King first after hearing it.

Not to mention, the old Dragon King was also thinking: if Long Xi conceived, perhaps he would have a grandson born with natural anomalies? That group of Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who visited the Dragon Race came with high spirits, only to return in defeat.

These people only knew that Gu Jiangming was a Supreme, but they had no idea that this Supreme, Gu Jiangming, was clearly about to step into the Heavenly Human Realm; the old Dragon King looked at their backs, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery.

Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings have long lifespans; while there are those who are unwilling to be suppressed by Red Lotus Demon Venerable, there are also those who are content with their lot.

These Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings had become acquainted after dealing with each other several times previously.

Added to the fact that there was a Human Supreme in the Four Wilds and Eight Desolations like Red Lotus Demon Venerable who appeared to have a great penchant for killing, these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings connected even more closely with one another.

It was not for any other reason, but simply thinking that if they could get to know a few more friends, perhaps they could have two or three friends to help them if they encountered Red Lotus Demon Venerable coming to kill them in the future.

They dared not think of killing Gu Jiangming in return, but escaping with their lives would be a victory, would it not?

These Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings who huddled together for warmth also had their own gatherings, and this incident caused by Gu Jiangming made these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings unable to help but gather in one place.

They were also idle, actually placing bets on whether the offspring of Gu Jiangming, this Red Lotus Demon Venerable, and Long Xi would also be born with natural anomalies.

If it were still born with natural anomalies, these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings might have more people taking the initiative to lean toward the Human Race.

Things in the world happen once, twice, and three times; those who are stubborn could still say this is a coincidence among coincidences, but if there is a fourth...

Even the most stubborn guys would probably be unable to say anything about coincidences.

The bets of these Heaven and Earth Enlightenment beings were also interesting; nearly half of them were actually betting that the offspring of Red Lotus Demon Venerable and Long Xi would still be born with natural anomalies! The outside world was chaotic, and Gu Jiangming did not know about, nor did he care about, the trouble caused by those Enlightenment beings between Heaven and Earth.

Following Long Xi and Gu Jiangming's return to Beidi, Liu Moran and Jiu Jiu did not give Gu Jiangming a good look for several consecutive days.

Good heavens, you said you were going to complete your state of mind, and this is how you go about completing your state of mind? Although they had expected it early on, Liu Moran and Jiu Jiu were still extremely dissatisfied with Gu Jiangming gathering the four of them together.

Long Xi was also happy not to see Jiu Jiu; she and Jiu Jiu were already tired of looking at each other in the future, and naturally, it was the same in this era. Long Xi was also curious about the Human Race of this era, and every day she would follow Gu Jiangming, watching him handle the affairs of the Human Race.

It was just that no one could say for sure whether Long Xi was truly curious about the affairs of the Human Race, or if she just did not want to leave Gu Jiangming's side for even a moment.

Come to think of it, it was interesting that the first to break the ice with Long Xi was actually Wang Qinghe! Among Gu Jiangming's four wives, only Wang Qinghe had not yet stepped into the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm, and coupled with the fact that Long Xi's temper was not very difficult to get along with, appearing more like someone who was ignorant of the world, Wang Qinghe became familiar with her after interacting a few times.

Wang Qinghe had been working very hard at cultivation; she had also discovered that in this household, it was really not easy to go out without being in the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm. Liu Moran's temper was too bad, and Jiu Jiu had the air of a head wife, so Wang Qinghe could not be bothered to interact with them much.

Long Xi was different; Wang Qinghe felt that Long Xi had come even later than her, and coupled with Long Xi's guileless appearance, Wang Qinghe felt that she and Long Xi were both the disadvantaged ones in this household.

Since they were disadvantaged, they naturally had to unite.

Gu Jiangming was also happy to see Long Xi and Wang Qinghe getting along harmoniously, and time, too, flowed away in such a scene.

Another ten years of time flashed by; although Gu Jiangming had been intimate with Long Xi for a long time, Gu Jiangming did not know for what reason, but Long Xi's belly never showed any signs of movement, which made Gu Jiangming somewhat helpless.

After all, even if Gu Jiangming's heart were divided into four pieces, Gu Jiangming still wanted to treat everyone equally.

Everyone else had offspring, so Gu Jiangming naturally also wanted to have an offspring with Long Xi.

It was a pity that things in the world did not go as wished; after a bout of helplessness, Gu Jiangming could only accept this fact.

In these ten years, the atmosphere among the four people in Gu Jiangming's household could not be called harmonious, but it could not be called incompatible as fire and water either.

They each had their own conflicts, but the relationship between Wang Qinghe and Long Xi was good, Wang Qinghe could also talk to Liu Moran, and the relationship between Wang Qinghe and Jiu Jiu was also passable.

The tit-for-tat between Jiu Jiu and Liu Moran had also eased in recent years.

This was not because the two found each other pleasing to the eye, but because the guidance of Gu Shengxi and Gu Mingyue had both reached a critical juncture.

As time flowed, the Gu Shengxi of the past had already grown into a graceful young gentleman; in just twenty years, Gu Shengxi's cultivation had also remarkably achieved the late stage of Spirit Transformation.

As for Gu Mingyue...

Gu Mingyue was indeed pampered at home; Wang Qinghe held no prejudice against Gu Mingyue, for even if her own good-for-nothing son reached the late Spirit Transformation stage, he would still be a sister-obsessed fool day in and day out.

Coupled with the fact that Gu Mingyue would affectionately call her "Auntie" at every turn, Wang Qinghe was also extremely doting toward Gu Mingyue.

As for Long Xi, there is even less need to mention her; in recent years, Gu Mingyue had been forced by Jiu Jiu to cultivate, and every time she had free time, she would run over to Long Xi.

Long Xi did not care about Gu Mingyue's cultivation; on the contrary, she would occasionally transform into her dragon form to take Gu Mingyue out to wander around. Compared to her clumsy second brother and her eldest brother who had been in seclusion for a long time, Gu Mingyue had an even better relationship with Long Xi at home.

As for Gu Nianmo, he had reached the critical point of breaking through to Heaven and Earth Enlightenment.

According to Gu Jiangming's original estimate, Gu Nianmo should have been able to break through to Heaven and Earth Enlightenment before the age of thirty, but after Gu Mingyue began cultivating, she begged Gu Nianmo more than once not to cultivate so quickly.

Gu Nianmo also doted on his younger sister, forcing himself to spend an extra twenty years solidifying his foundation.

As for why Gu Mingyue begged Gu Nianmo not to cultivate so quickly...

That was naturally because Gu Mingyue was currently only at the strength of the Nascent Soul stage...

Gu Mingyue was born with the divine office of the Taiyin Star; her cultivation was different from others, and even if she did not cultivate, she would be able to grow to the Heavenly Human Realm as time passed.

The power of the Taiyin Star would actively help Gu Mingyue improve her strength, which naturally led Gu Mingyue to slack off in her cultivation.

If Gu Nianmo broke through to Heaven and Earth Enlightenment, to say nothing of anything else, Gu Mingyue felt that she would once again be dragged over by Jiu Jiu for a lecture.

Calculating the time, Gu Nianmo had already been in seclusion for three years; during these three years, the Heaven and Earth principles in the place where Gu Nianmo was in seclusion had gathered more and more densely.

According to Gu Jiangming's calculations, in another three to five years, Gu Nianmo should break through to the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm.

In the fifth year of Gu Nianmo's seclusion, Wang Qinghe also stepped into seclusion.

There was no other reason; it was just that Wang Qinghe felt that if her cultivation were surpassed by Gu Nianmo, she would probably be very embarrassed...

As for Gu Jiangming, he still had not stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, but whether it was Liu Moxuan or Jiu Jiu, both had recently discovered that the ethereal, immortal-like aura on Gu Jiangming was constantly intensifying.

This also meant that Gu Jiangming was truly not far from the Heavenly Human Realm.

Although Jiu Jiu would fight a battle with Liu Moxuan from time to time, Jiu Jiu had not let her own cultivation slide; with the assistance of Gu Jiangming's Four Thousand Bureau, Jiu Jiu's cultivation could be considered to have initially broken her limits, reaching the level of eighty-one or eighty-two points.

As for Liu Moxuan, her strength had also reached the perfection of the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm.

But if she wanted to contend with Jiu Jiu, Liu Moxuan's current strength was clearly still not enough!

This era was the era of Gu Jiangming, the Red Lotus Demon Venerable; in the past few decades, the Human Race had continuously multiplied and grown, and beyond the original one hundred and eight great cities of Beidi, Dongzhou, Western Lands, and the Southern Kingdom, city after city had sprung up.

According to what Gu Shengxi said while walking the human world, within the current Human Race territory, the number of cities alone was no less than a thousand.

These cities were all major cities inhabited by ten million people, and there were countless other small cities; the entire Human Race territory was in a state of extreme prosperity.

After Gu Nianmo and Wang Qinghe successively broke through to the Heaven and Earth Enlightenment Realm, Gu Jiangming also became increasingly reclusive.

And in the territory of the Qilin Clan near Beidi, a surge of energy was also growing more vigorous and erupting day by day! Whether it was Zhou Kai or Gu Jiangming, both of them knew very clearly that to truly break through to the Heavenly Human Realm, they still needed the assistance of some external forces.

Zhou Kai had the Pseudo-Heavenly Human Realm, and Gu Jiangming had the Four Thousand Bureau.

If Gu Jiangming were willing to spend the time, truly passing a thousand or several thousand years, he would not need to rely on external forces to break through to the Heavenly Human Realm on his own.

It was just that Gu Jiangming did not have such a long lifespan.

Zhou Kai wanted to use the Breaking Limits Realm during his battle with Gu Jiangming to step completely into the Heavenly Human Realm, and Gu Jiangming also held this thought, intending to use the power of the battle with Zhou Kai to step into the Heavenly Human Realm.

And Gu Jiangming and Zhou Kai both knew very clearly that this time was not far off!

(End of this chapter)