Chapter 268: Already in the Form of a Goddess

The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs trained by the Four Ghosts of Xiangxi possess the Phantom Shadow Art and the ability to jointly neutralize Qi; a normal strike against them feels like hitting a wall of bronze and iron, and when they unite, their capacity to neutralize Qi is nine times stronger than that of the Four Ghosts of Xiangxi.

"Kang Long You Hui!"

Gu Qing swept his hand out and delivered a palm strike.

The leading group of Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs stood firm, preparing to resist, but as the blow neared, they realized it was unstoppable; they urgently used the Phantom Shadow Art to dodge aside. The two nearby partners, seeing the danger, each launched their own attacks, and together they barely avoided it—but those behind were caught off guard and took the full blow, their bodies instantly exploding apart!

"What happened?"

The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs were divided into groups of four, some close, some distant; when one in this group fell dead, the others immediately grew furious.

"His palm technique is dense and profound—truly unstoppable."

The first group withdrew, speaking these words.

In an instant, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs became thirty-five; their formations shifted, and seven hands and eight feet attacked Gu Qing.

Gu Qing's posture drifted lightly; his left hand wielded the Palm Art of the Yihua Palace—three false, one real, secretly concealing the Yihua Jie Yu technique; his right hand continued with the Divine Dragon's Tail from the Eighteen Dragon-Palming Techniques—one light and ethereal, intricate and unfathomable; the other thick and pure, solid and unyielding. Merging these two, Gu Qing guided the formation, slashed at enemy legs, and collided to trip them; the thirty-five Heavenly Gangs pulled and tugged at each other, their formation collapsing into chaos, and a great wave of them tumbled down.

Gu Qing's form floated lightly as he circled swiftly among the thirty-five Heavenly Gangs, striking with palms and poking with fingers—each blow landing on the skull. After this whirlwind circuit, all thirty-five Heavenly Gangs perished. Gu Qing then spun his body upward, his palm sweeping with the blood of the thirty-five Heavenly Gangs, rushing toward the Iron Dan Divine Marquis!

"Heavenly Gang Boy's Art!"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis naturally manifested his Gangqi, taking Gu Qing's palm strike head-on.

"Indeed."

Seeing the Heavenly Gang Boy's Art, Gu Qing knew Cao Zhengchun had indeed met his end, yet he teased: "Iron Dan Divine Marquis, you're no longer a virgin—how can you use the Heavenly Gang Boy's Art?"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis's face turned cold. He had been deceived by Gu Santong—his non-virgin state had prevented him from practicing the Vajra Indestructible Art, a lifelong regret. Gu Qing's taunt struck right at his wound.

"Gu Qing, who lives and who dies is still uncertain!"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis roared.

For years, the Iron Dan Divine Marquis had endured, nurturing, watering, and waiting patiently for the right moment—but Gu Qing's arrival shattered his plans entirely, especially his attempt to clear Gu Santong's name, which pierced the Iron Dan Divine Marquis's most vulnerable point.

Thus, taking advantage of Cao Zhengchun's critical injuries from Gu Qing's assault, the Iron Dan Divine Marquis struck decisively, seizing Cao Zhengchun's entire cultivation and immediately forcing the palace, aiming to seize the Emperor first and claim everything.

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

Near the palace gates, drumbeats sounded, each beat synchronized with a heartbeat—a supreme sound-wave art. Once activated, it immediately shook Gu Qing's spirit.

At that moment, the Iron Dan Divine Marquis reached out, drew in, and flew forward, reaching for Gu Qing's forehead.

Vajra Indestructible Art!

Gu Qing immediately activated this art; his entire body glowed golden, and as the Gangqi circulated, his eyes sharpened, fixing on every move of the Iron Dan Divine Marquis, while his mind foresaw the subsequent changes.

"Dǒu Zhuǎn Xīng Yí!"

Gu Qing twisted his hand; the Iron Dan Divine Marquis, rushing forward, suddenly felt his Qi reverse and surge toward him. Mid-air, before reaching Gu Qing, he flipped head over heels himself.

The Murong family's Dǒu Zhuǎn Xīng Yí emphasized rebounding: if one strikes a wall with force, the damage rebounds with equal intensity. But this art easily redirects physical weapons; redirecting formless Qi is extremely difficult. Yet Gu Qing's Dǒu Zhuǎn Xīng Yí, in its mastery, far surpassed all Murong ancestors.

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis flew again, bare-handed; Gu Qing pushed forward with another Yihua Jie Yu. Before the palm reached Gu Qing's chest, it struck the Iron Dan Divine Marquis's own chest. The Iron Dan Divine Marquis used his fingers, but then saw Gu Qing's palm drift mysteriously; as he brushed his wrist, a single finger struck him again—on his own body.

These two moves left the Iron Dan Divine Marquis bewildered—he felt his Qi was wrong, his techniques useless. Gu Qing had activated the Vajra Indestructible Art, his defense invincible, yet the Iron Dan Divine Marquis could no longer even touch him.

"Shaolin Bodhi Palm."

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis tried repeatedly, but Gu Qing's movements were swift as wind, always anticipating his next move and striking first. Before the Iron Dan Divine Marquis could finish half his technique, the remaining half struck his own body. Though his cultivation had greatly improved and he possessed the Heavenly Gang Boy's Art as protection, against Gu Qing, his hands were no longer hands, his feet no longer feet—every motion felt like a mistake.

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis raised his Heavenly Gang Boy's Art shield, but felt himself spun like a top, utterly unable to counter—watching helplessly as Gu Qing struck him at will.

"Bang!"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis crashed into the city tower. The massive impact made his head ring; recalling past battles, he realized he had once suppressed Gu Qing with inner strength—but now, with Gu Qing's Vajra Indestructible Art enhanced, his martial arts had firmly surpassed him.

"Break Qi Technique!"

Gu Qing extended two fingers like a sword, thrusting straight at the Iron Dan Divine Marquis's chest; a faint electric current flickered at his fingertips. With a thunderous thrust, he pierced through the Heavenly Gang Boy's Art shield and struck the Marquis's chest.

"Pu!"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis spat blood, then felt Gu Qing's hand draw—his vast Qi surged outward like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, rushing into Gu Qing's body.

"Absorb Qi Great Art!"

Gu Qing applied this technique without mercy; under the Absorb Qi Great Art, all the Qi from countless masters the Iron Dan Divine Marquis had absorbed—every method of Qi circulation—appeared clearly in Gu Qing's mind: the Heavenly Gang Boy's Art, the Qi-Transferring Great Art, the Phantom Shadow Art—all now mastered by Gu Qing.

As the Iron Dan Divine Marquis's internal Qi diminished by one part, Gu Qing's grew stronger by one part. After transferring the internal Qi of over two hundred cultivators into Gu Qing's body, Zhu Wushi's hair turned white, his breath shallow, barely alive.

His imperial ambitions had all turned to dust.

"You… you…"

Zhu Wushi crawled on the ground, looking up at Gu Qing; the bright moon haloed behind Gu Qing's head, casting a divine aura around him.

"Good deeds bring good retribution, evil deeds bring evil retribution—not unclaimed, just not yet time."

Gu Qing said calmly: "Gu Santong is about to recover. Su Xin will return to his side. The child Su Xin bore for Gu Santong now rests beside him. As for you—you may soon enter the Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Prison."

Su Xin bore Gu Santong a child?

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis had never known this—but when Gu Qing spoke it, he understood what "killing with words" truly meant.

For his entire life, the Iron Dan Divine Marquis had bested Gu Santong—yet he never realized he had always been inferior to him.

The chaotic night in the capital passed at last; the sun rose as usual.

Inside the palace, Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang stared at the chained Iron Dan Divine Marquis, stunned that the mastermind behind this chaos was their own foster father.

But now, with witnesses and evidence in place, the Iron Dan Divine Marquis sat slumped, offering no defense.

"The Japanese assassins who attacked the Eastern Depot are here."

Guihai Yidao entered from outside, holding two men clad in black robes, his voice cold: "They've confessed—they were the ones who attacked the Eastern Depot, set the fire, and used the sound-wave art during Master's battle with Zhu Wushi."

Guihai Yidao looked at the Iron Dan Divine Marquis, his eyes filled with hatred.

His mother's death, and the appearance of the sword manual in the Eastern Depot—all were Zhu Wushi's schemes.

The Emperor looked at the two men, seeing them dazed, trembling; he asked for an explanation.

"It's the Three Cuts of Avici."

Guihai Yidao's gaze held dread: "Master saw my will to live, so he implanted the Three Cuts of Avici upon me—a sword art from hell. Master's blade never touched these two, yet they already felt mountains of blades crushing them, retribution imminent—they were instantly terrified into madness."

The Three Cuts of Avici was a demonic sword art; Guihai Yidao admitted he could not control it.

The Emperor understood, then asked: "Where is your master?"

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis was finished, Cao Zhengchun was finished, the Emperor's throne was secure. He thought of his greatest contributor: Gu Qing. "Master acts without striving. Seeing peace restored in the capital, he took the two mistresses and wandered the Jianghu."

Guihai Yidao replied honestly.

The Emperor rose from his throne and asked: "Did he say where he's going?"

"Master is a free cloud, a wild crane—nowhere to call home."

Guihai Yidao answered.

The Emperor nodded thoughtfully: "Grandmaster Gu is free-spirited and unbound; wandering the Jianghu, he may be misunderstood and make enemies. Thus, I hereby appoint Grandmaster Gu as the Imperial Protector and Grand Dharma Master, granting him the Imperial Sword of Authority, empowering him to oversee officials and execute first, report later—so that no Jianghu cultivator will dare trouble him."

Duan Tianya heard this and smiled bitterly.

Who in the world would dare trouble the number-one martial artist?

The Emperor looked at Duan Tianya and others, decreeing that the Iron Dan Mountain Villa be renamed the People's Protector Villa, to be fully managed by Duan Tianya and continue operations.

"Big brother, I'll keep running the Number-One Villa to help you!"

Shangguan Haitang looked at Duan Tianya, her eyes filled with affection.

Guihai Yidao, seeing this, lowered his eyes silently, recalling when Gu Qing left—he had taught him a set called "Reverse Nine Yin," saying that if he ever suffered heartbreak, he should ponder the principles of Reverse and Correct Nine Yin, and try defying martial norms to practice the Melancholy Soul Saber.

!

"Haitang…"

Guihai Yidao spoke up voluntarily—Master sensed he couldn't win Haitang; Guihai Yidao would prove himself.

Outside the capital.

"Why did you give away your peerless internal power?"

Liu Sheng Piaoxu nestled against Gu Qing, curiously asking.

Gu Qing had used the Absorb Qi Great Art to fully absorb Zhu Wushi's power, but afterward, he transferred that cultivation to Duan Tianya, Shangguan Haitang, Guihai Yidao, Cheng Feishi, and Yun Luo Princess, restoring his own power to its former state.

"I merely comprehended the core principles."

Gu Qing smiled.

The Absorb Qi Great Art's marvel lies in blending all internal Qi into one. With the Vajra Indestructible Art, Gu Qing restructured his internal Qi, greatly advancing his martial arts. As for the absorbed Qi, he didn't care for it—he distributed it to his disciples as a gift.

"But you didn't give any to us."

Liu Sheng Piaoxu pouted.

"Ah…"

Gu Qing frowned: "How could I inject another man's power into your bodies? I'll give you something better."

As he spoke, Gu Qing pulled out a Tian Shan Snow Lotus and said to the Liu sisters: "This Tian Shan Snow Lotus, when consumed, enhances cultivation—perfectly beneficial for both of you."

Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu leaned in, gazing at the Tian Shan Snow Lotus Gu Qing had produced.

"Isn't this something from the imperial palace?"

Liu Sheng Xueji asked.

"Of course!"

Gu Qing said.

Did the Emperor give it to you?

Liu Sheng Xueji asked.

No one wants it just sitting there.

Gu Qing said calmly: "I picked it up."

"..."

"..."

The Liu Sheng sisters fell silent.

"Don't worry."

Gu Qing embraced both and said: "No one knows about this. Even if the Emperor investigates, he'll likely assume it was the evil Zhu Wushi who did it."

Liu Sheng Xueji grew even quieter, while Liu Sheng Piaoxu burst out laughing.

After all, the Iron-Dan Divine Marquis had done far too many wicked deeds; one more blame wouldn't matter.

The carriage rolled forward, and Gu Qing saw a man standing ahead on the road, his face flushed with alcohol, gazing at Gu Qing and bowing repeatedly.

"Zhang Jinjiu, what a coincidence."

Gu Qing greeted him with a smile.

"Not a coincidence, not at all."

Zhang Jinjiu, wine flask in hand, stepped forward and said: "I heard what happened in the capital; I came here specifically to meet you."

Gu Qing looked surprised—he had barely interacted with Zhang Jinjiu.

"I've heard rumors about the incident involving Gu Santong in Taihu. I sensed something suspicious, but the Iron-Dan Divine Marquis was known for his impartiality, so I never investigated further. Only now do I learn there was injustice—and that the true culprit is the Iron-Dan Divine Marquis."

Zhang Jinjiu felt his lifelong confusion resolved, and offered Gu Qing a flask of wine.

"This is a jar of the finest Daughter Red, brewed in Shaoxing over twenty years ago."

Zhang Jinjiu spoke with visible regret: "I'd been searching for it for years. Only recently did Wan Sanqian relent, and I obtained this from the greatest winemaker in the world. Great Master Gu, you've cleansed the court of corrupt officials and now retire in triumph—I deeply admire you. This is my humble gift to you."

Gu Qing accepted the wine solemnly.

Zhang Jinjiu swayed unsteadily as he bid Gu Qing farewell.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu leaned close to Gu Qing, cheeks flushed, and asked deliberately: "What does 'Daughter Red' mean?"

"In Shaoxing, Zhejiang, families brew wine the moment their daughter cries for the first time, bury it beneath a osmanthus tree, and only open it when she marries—gifting it to her husband's family. Hence the name Daughter Red."

Gu Qing explained to Liu Sheng Piaoxu.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu's fingertip lightly traced Gu Qing's chest and asked: "So when can we drink this jar of Daughter Red?"

Gu Qing gazed at Piaoxu's charming expression and immediately pulled her into the carriage to attend to matters inside.

"My sister is still young."

Liu Sheng Xueji, who had been silent until now, cried out at once.

"She's not young!"

Liu Sheng Piaoxu exclaimed urgently.

"Even if she is, it doesn't matter."

Gu Qing said: "I can accelerate her maturity!"

After all, she had already become round and plump.

(End of Chapter)