Chapter 279

Past events rose vividly, as if yesterday.

The meeting between the Holy Church's Holy Maiden and the Shushan sword cultivators became a celebrated tale in this land where all worlds converged.

Though both fiercely denied it, all could see they had fallen in love at first sight—until the Church's high-ups interrupted them, snapping them out of their gaze.

"What a pity I wasn't there, and never had the chance to meet the legendary Da Lingye." Gu Yue Fang Yuan poured Seeing Qu Yanping a cup of immortal wine, smiling warmly:

"But if these two truly relate to the vision Qu Brother traced with the Eye of the Heavenly God—"

"Storms are gathering."

"A great being's reincarnation—or the world born from his past-life flesh—I personally believe this is fortune for the sword cultivator, but not necessarily for us."

"Still, Fang Yuan Brother, don't you find it romantic?" Gao Sheng sighed. "Had Qu Brother not told me, I'd never known these two were tied to the Sword Tomb. Now it seems we've witnessed the fated cycle of a forbidden love."

"But this situation also means Qu Brother—or all of us—may well be drawn into a conspiracy." Gu Yue Fang Zheng looked at Seeing Qu Yanping, whose brow was clouded with worry, and analyzed:

"Our immediate priority is to leave Penglai and return to our world—it's safer."

"Otherwise, we must at least figure out how to shake off the monster clinging to Brother Qu."

"From the Yuzhe Sect's attitude, they seem unafraid of that monster—do they have confidence? Or is the monster merely a paper tiger, incapable of stirring up real trouble?"

This time, Seeing Qu Yanping did not hide the secrets he knew. He felt no coincidence could be so vast—could it really be that the moment he arrived here, he encountered the reincarnations of those two?!

Don't joke. It's almost certainly tied to the monster who granted him the Eye of the Heavenly God.

Faced with life-or-death peril, he weighed the pros and cons briefly, then decided to share the secrets he'd uncovered with the cultivators who had come with him.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. That time monster transformed his Heavenly Eye technique into this world's Eye of the Heavenly God—surely it had its own scheme.

And Seeing Qu Yanping was merely a minor Nascent Soul cultivator; even with some tricks, one misstep against such a monster meant eternal ruin.

Accepting benefits from the righteous path is fine; accepting benefits from demons and devils is not—this has always been the rule.

"I've also gathered news on Li Daozi. You might not believe it, but his reputation isn't much better than mine." Gu Yue Fang Yuan chuckled, pulling out a jade slip:

"I've sent someone to find him. In the best case, half a year; worst case, ten months—we'll reunite."

"Qu Daofriend, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Gu Yue Fang Zheng raised his cup. "Regarding the information you've shared with us—could you report it to the higher-ups?"

"Fang Zheng!" Gu Yue Fang Yuan raised his voice. "Are you trying to put Qu Brother in danger?"

"I swear upon my Dao heart: no one shall harm Qu Brother—unless they step over my corpse!" Gu Yue Fang Zheng declared sternly. "This matter is of grave consequence."

"No problem." Seeing Qu Yanping waved a hand and smiled. "The Yuzhe Sect already knows. I have nothing to hide—beyond this technique, I have no secrets worth concealing."

"Qu Daofriend, you're a man of great righteousness!" Gu Yue Fang Zheng downed his wine in one gulp, exclaiming cheerfully. "Rest assured, I'll fight for your rewards—there'll be plenty!"

"We're all on the same boat. Besides, I'm the one most terrified. This matter must be handled with caution." Seeing Qu Yanping shook his head and drained his cup.

The wine's potency was strong, yet it greatly benefited both body and soul—no wonder only top-tier figures could access it.

With a thud, Seeing Qu Yanping collapsed onto the table.

"Fang Zheng, why don't you take Qu Daofriend back?" Gu Yue Fang Yuan smiled. "Looks like he can't hold his liquor."

Gu Yue Fang Zheng replied: "Let Gao Daofriend take him—he shares quarters with Qu Daofriend."

Thud.

Gao Sheng also collapsed onto the table.

"I'll do it." Gu Yue Fang Zheng directly stowed the immortal wine on the table, then hoisted both Gao Sheng and Seeing Qu Yanping and walked out.

On the Mirror Peak, where the flow of time in the present world is measured.

"Hey! That's a prop from the set!" Su Lin watched the jade bottle pass among them, his eyebrows twitching: "Save some for me!!!"

"Stingy. Learn from Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan—he always calls us out to drink whenever he gets something good." Ye Fan's face was flushed; he swirled the jade bottle in his hand.

"Do you think he's generous with his own stuff?!" Su Lin snatched the bottle, poured himself a small half-cup of the remaining wine: "Damn, it's gone—next time we'll have to get him another bottle."

This isn't Drunken Immortal Wine—it's the Divine Core of Light!

I originally planned to let him sip it until filming ended, just swapping the bottle.

"Stop nagging! Fill my cup again! Feed me! Burp~" Yi Leina, bound to the Magic-Nullifying Cross, was flushed crimson. What could she do? She attacked indiscriminately when drunk.

"Too late?" Zhong Li descended slowly from the sky, glanced at the empty jade bottle, and smiled. "I still have some Liyue wine—since everyone's here, let's share a taste?"

Han Li, Zhang Chu'an, Xing, and others arrived late as well.

"Perspective," Kleine sipped the wine he'd plucked from a historical projection, speaking with pointed meaning.

Su Lin glared at him, then summoned three more bottles of two-liter Drunken Immortal Wine. "Normally, drinking is forbidden on workdays!"

"Today's Friday. We of the Yuzhe Sect work four days, rest three." Kleine said, expressionless.

"I'm a student—summer vacation now." Zhang Chu'an sat down, rubbed his hands excitedly, and poured himself a cup. He'd long heard Su Lin possessed a wine that boosted cultivation.

One sip: the flavor was mild, but an exquisite floral and fruity fragrance exploded on his tongue. His entire spiritual power stirred just from the aroma.

Two sips: the wine's strength emerged, its fragrance arriving late—suddenly, he felt as if floating in clouds, sensing his Qi steadily growing.

After two cups, the wine's flavor emerged, its aroma following afterward; in a daze, the whole body seemed immersed in clouds and mist, feeling the Qi continuously growing.

Thud.

"I wouldn't dare chug it like that. Carry him off, next." Su Lin pointed his thumb at the grass beside him. "Let me be clear—I'm not being stingy. After filming wraps, I'll treat everyone. But I'm afraid I'll end up like last time."

Lu Mingfei laid Zhang Chu'an aside, nodded, and said: "Agreed. Next time, we should set up a large array and seals before drinking this—so we can't run away."

Han Li took a small sip of Drunken Immortal Wine and deeply agreed with Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan's suggestion—he should also secure his storage bag and valuables in advance.

"Where's Weigong Shilang?" Ye Fan looked around and asked.

"Don't disturb his good time." Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan roasted a skewer of pork belly with beastfire, grease dripping from his lips. He took a sip of wine and pointed toward the large screen, where the sword cultivator Weigong Shilang was bickering with Holy Maiden Dada Liya in the Penglai Mystical Realm:

"Your blood factory isn't open today anyway. By the way, what matters most these days? Quality matters most! Listen to me—run an honest business."

"I didn't know, Kleine. Su Lin—is this your doing? Good brother, single as you are, still thinking of your brothers."

Ye Fan's lip twitched, pointing at Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan, then at Su Lin.

"He drank a whole flask before he came." Su Lin, avoiding embarrassment and not wanting to waste, was busy using dimensional magic to create a small space and pouring his share into it. "Stay back—don't let blood splatter me."

"He drank a whole flask before he even got here." Su Lin, eager to avoid embarrassment and not waste it, was busy using dimensional magic to create a small space into which he poured his share: "You two, keep your distance—don't let the blood splatter on me."

Today isn't a gathering, when you drink doesn't matter.

"No wonder his aggression is so strong today," Ye Fan cracked his knuckles, the joints popping, then gave up on the idea of sparring with Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan.

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan: "Huowang, little brother, you're not here today either? Brother Yan invites you for a drink—have one? @Li Huowang"

Yi Leina: "Someone hurry up and fill my cup to the brim! @everyone"

Meng Qi: "Another day of being left out. Sigh—someday if I become Yuanshi Tianzun, warmth will fill all worlds."

Su Lin: "Open the door. Bring warmth."

A jade bottle flew out of the teleportation gate, half-filled with Zui Xian Niang, landing smoothly in front of Meng Qi in a parabolic arc.

Meng Qi: "You're my Youlemei—you're so warm!"

Su Lin: "But my heart is sealed by twelve seals; even on a scorching day, I feel not a trace of warmth."

Meng Qi: "Big boss, speaking of this sword, I feel a deep connection between it and me."

Su Lin: "You're giving up being Yuanshi Tianzun to join the Western Teachings as Zhen Ding Rulai?!"

Meng Qi: "Cough, cough—not what I meant. Thanks to everyone's help, after I left Yu Xu early, I advanced into **First Difficulty. I've sensed the seals on this sword have changed from before."

Meng Qi: "Could I borrow it a little longer?"

Due to the presence of many modern people in the group, and Meng Qi's constant posting lately, everyone had grown familiar; speech was no longer as humble as before—when to boast, one boasted; when to be subtle, one was subtle.

He subtly mentioned that after entering **First Difficulty, refining all his meridian points, and stepping into the Third Heavenly Layer, he had made some progress studying the sword's seals—but had yet to produce tangible results.

There was an indescribable feeling: several of the seals on the blade were linked to Yuanshi Tianzun, while others were not. In short, if he could advance further—

Su Lin: "I can allow it, but when I need it for filming, you must return it."

Meng Qi: "I'd like to join too—can I make a cameo?"

Meng Qi: "Can you hand me the camera? I'll shoot a clip and return it, then you edit it—deal?"

Su Lin: "Hmm…"

Su Lin: "Not impossible. By the way, you've got the Huang Quan Hand Bone, right? Borrow it for me."

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan: "You haven't even mentioned the plot—this is turning into a TV series. If released, it'll be a total bomb."

【Group member Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan has been muted by admin for 4 hours】

"Little Yan!" Su Lin raised his cup: "Down it in one go—drink!"

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan perked up: "Brother! Drink!"

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

"Take him away."

Zhang Chuanyan had a pillow companion on the grass.

Su Lin caught the hand bone thrown from the teleportation gate, examined it, and said to the group: "Keep drinking—I'll go add some special effects."

The next moment, Su Lin appeared high above the mortal world. He sensed the other cultivators of Hengyu Realm and the newly arrived immortal, a faint smile curling on his lips.

Under Su Lin's activation, the black bone, faintly streaked with white luminescence, suddenly blazed with radiant light—ten thousand rays of brilliance, alternating between darkness and purity.

A slow, ancient, deathly, yet secretly vital aura emerged. Beyond the solar system, a blood-yellow river manifested, its origin unknown, hurtling toward Earth at incredible speed—brimming with despair, death, loss, and corruption. It was none other than the legendary Huang Quan.

Spiritual energy revival? Great ones returning? Or the center of all worlds? None of these.

This script was actually a horror film.

Oh, by the way, one more thing.

【Su Lin: Amitabha, Master Tunyun, are you there?】

【Master Tunyun: Elder.】

【Su Lin: I have a friend.】

【Master Tunyun: Little monk understands.】

Seeing Qu Yanping awoke from his seclusion. Cultivation knows no years—time flowed swiftly, and he had already trained here for a considerable while. (In truth, only the flow of time in his location had been artificially accelerated.)

He sensed the seals on the entrance to his seclusion chamber had been disturbed. It seemed the high-ranking elders had made their decision.

As compensation for providing information, all manner of spells, upper-tier cultivation techniques, and cultivation resources were abundantly provided.

His cultivation had reached the Body Union Stage, and he felt a pang of emotion. How short a time it had been—he had already reached a realm he once dared not dream of. But he didn't know whether his cultivation would remain after leaving this place and returning to the surface world.

Like Gu Yue Fang Zheng's case, there was a possibility his cultivation could not be taken out.

He left his seclusion chamber and stepped outside the side courtyard. Many starships had already split apart, no longer fused as they had been before his seclusion.

"Brother Gao, long time no see," Seeing Qu Yanping greeted the figure ahead. "Where are we headed?"

"Congratulations, Brother Qu—your cultivation has advanced further," Gao Sheng bowed in greeting. "You've arrived just in time. Look ahead."

Seeing Qu Yanping followed Gao Sheng's gaze and saw only an endless wasteland of swords and a distant horizon. He narrowed his eyes, and his Divine Eye of Heaven subtly shot out a beam of divine light.

Soon, the scene ahead returned to him.

In the center of the seemingly sword-only wasteland, ten thousand li away, lay a barren land where sword qi surged wildly—merely gazing at it filled one with hopeless despair.

Yet on that wasteland, there were no swords.

Seeing Qu Yanping's gaze sharpened.

No—there was one sword, embedded in a crimson-black scabbard, carved with the twin Sala trees, its hilt pure white.

The relic of that sword cultivator's past life? Had they truly decided to explore further?!

"Brother Qu, correct?"

While Seeing Qu Yanping was stunned, a presence suddenly descended—intent on annihilating him on the spot.

"Don't say what you shouldn't."

Gu Yue Fang Zheng instantly appeared beside Seeing Qu Yanping, nullifying the oppressive aura. His face brimmed with murderous intent as he gazed at the heavens: "If you want to harm him, first fight me!"

"Hehe, Brother Gu, I merely came to offer a kind warning," the ethereal voice faded away.

After surviving a life-or-death crisis, Seeing Qu Yanping's expression was far from pleasant.

"Brother Qu, I'm sorry." Gu Yue Fang Zheng personally adjusted Seeing Qu Yanping's Qi, his face filled with regret. "I didn't expect this to happen."

"What exactly happened?" After regaining his composure, Seeing Qu Yanping asked Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

"They plan to..." Gu Yue Fang Zheng paused, then said, "seize that peerless divine weapon."

Sorry, a bit late.

End of chapter.