Chapter 119 Farewell

"Setting off in a moment?"

Jiang Wanyin looked up, waves of emotion stirring in the depths of her eyes.

Her bare feet touched the jade tiles, and the red string around her ankle trembled slightly with the flow of air.

As the Divine Sense Incarnation of the Human Race Imperial Preceptor, Jiang Wanyin had grown accustomed to the ways of those in high positions over these long years.

Major matters involving crossing realms or competing for Opportunities would take anywhere from several years to a century in the halls of the Divine Court or great clans, just to deduce heavenly secrets, deploy troops, and probe the situation. No one would treat a cross-realm war like going downstairs to buy a bowl of noodles.

Moreover, the target this time was the Original Realm, an ancient wasteland where the Demon God Emperor had once fought, and there was no telling how many eyes were still hidden in the shadows.

"What? Too fast for you?"

Gu Heng sat down on a jade throne, his elbow resting on the armrest and his chin propped in his hand.

Di Shitian crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and gave a low grunt. "It's not too fast. It's just... Master's style of doing things is indeed unexpected."

Behind the two of them, the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors broke into a commotion.

Thunderous light crackled around the Thunder Emperor. He rubbed his hands and sent a voice transmission to the Star Immortal Emperor beside him, "Listen to that! That's what you call boldness! Leaving just like that! When I was serving in the Thunder Domain back then, that group of Elders below me could argue in the hall for five hundred years over the mining rights of a single Thunder Vein!"

The Star Immortal Emperor stroked his beard and nodded. "Tell me about it. Subordinates are always dilly-dallying, overthinking everything. They weigh all sorts of factors, where one move affects the whole. Sometimes even if I personally gave the order, they would feign compliance while dragging it out for months."

Li Tiantu grinned. "That's why I say Master usually keeps a low profile, but when he really wants to do something, he's as swift as thunder and decisive to the extreme. He never gives the enemy even a moment to react."

The group of Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors nodded one after another, the look of awe in their eyes growing more intense as they gazed at Gu Heng.

Hearing the discussion below, Gu Heng gave a light scoff and shook his head.

He picked up a cup of tea that appeared out of thin air and blew away the floating leaves.

"I simply want to get to the Original Realm quickly. Once the heaven-reaching tower is complete and the Creator Origin feeds back, and my cultivation is sufficient, I'll charge straight into the Dragon God Domain. It's that simple; there's no grand scheme."

Simple and direct.

These words fell upon everyone's ears like a sudden clap of thunder. No probing, no schemes. If the power is sufficient, then just flatten the path ahead.

Inside the great hall,

The atmosphere became heated.

The Immortal Emperors whispered among themselves, shifting from marveling at Gu Heng's efficiency to their own past experiences.

"Speaking of which, if those few worthless disciples of mine back then had even a ten-thousandth of Master's decisiveness, I wouldn't have been so infuriated by them that I went into death seclusion," the Red-Eyed Demon Emperor complained.

The Star Immortal Emperor paced back and forth in an open area of the hall with his hands behind his back.

His brows were locked together, his eyes filled with worry.

"The Su Clan..."

He murmured, "I wonder how my vast Imperial Clan is doing now."

The Star Immortal Emperor stopped and looked up at the Dragon Clan totems carved on the hall's ceiling, laughing self-mockingly. "Being away for so long, they are like a group of dragons without a leader. And that arch-enemy of mine... I don't know what the situation is now. He's probably taken advantage of the void and swallowed up the Su Clan's territory."

Gu Heng set down his teacup. Hearing this sigh, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Gu Heng's gaze crossed the void and landed on the Star Immortal Emperor, his tone playful.

"You offended someone too?"

The Star Immortal Emperor's face turned red, and he gave a couple of dry coughs, his gaze drifting elsewhere.

"Cough... Well... when one travels the Jianghu, how can one not get cut? I was high-spirited in my youth and offended a few... just a few..."

"A few?"

Gu Heng looked at him with a half-smile.

The Star Immortal Emperor felt uneasy under his gaze, his voice growing smaller. "Just... three or four Immortal Emperors of the same rank. But that's all ancient history now; Master needn't concern himself with it."

Gu Heng did not reply.

He stood up, moved his gaze away from the Star Immortal Emperor, and slowly looked around.

Thunder Emperor, Li Tiantu, Red-Eyed Demon Emperor, White Bone Demon Emperor...

Everywhere his gaze landed, the temperature in the air dropped a few degrees.

"Aside from the Thunder Emperor," Gu Heng crossed his arms, a curve hooking his lips, "Who else among you has made mortal enemies or caused trouble out there?"

The hall fell into silence.

Even Di Shitian took half a step to the side, leaving this group of subordinates exposed.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Li Tiantu swallowed hard and tremblingly raised his right hand.

Immediately after, the Red-Eyed Demon Emperor also sluggishly raised his hand above his head.

One after another, over a dozen arms were raised.

Watching this scene, Gu Heng felt his temples throbbing.

He raised his hand and supported his forehead.

"Very good..."

"I think I understand now. All of you usually act so arrogant and show off your power in the Lower Realm. It turns out that up there, you're all just a bunch of wanted criminals who stir up trouble everywhere?"

"I took you in as servants to bolster my prestige! Now it seems I've opened an enemy shelter?!"

The group of demons and immortals lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.

In this atmosphere, a weak voice spoke up.

"That... well, Master..."

The White Bone Demon Emperor was huddled in a corner, the soul fire in his eye sockets flickering unsteadily. His two skeletal hands were clasped together, looking very constrained.

"Actually... this subordinate has no enemies."

Gu Heng paused.

He glanced sideways at the White Bone Demon Emperor.

"None?"

Gu Heng delivered a kick. "Then why did you raise your hand!"

The White Bone Demon Emperor was like a shooting star, tracing a parabola through the air before crashing into a coiled dragon jade pillar at the end of the hall.

Gu Heng hadn't used any cultivation at all and had even restrained ninety-nine percent of his Physical Body strength; this kick didn't harm his Origin.

The White Bone Demon Emperor slid down the jade pillar. With a crisp clattering sound, his bones scattered all over the floor.

He skillfully pieced himself back together, the soul fire in his eye sockets dancing as he muttered softly, "This subordinate just... saw the atmosphere was too gloomy and wanted to make a joke with Master..."

Seeing this scene.

The Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors who had just been raising their hands moved in unison, instantly putting their hands behind their backs.

Each one stood straight, eyes fixed forward.

"So none of you have enemies now, right?"

Gu Heng patted his robe and laughed.

The Immortal Emperors shook their heads frantically.

Looking at this bunch of clowns, the trace of anger in his heart mostly dissipated. He sat back down in his chair, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

"Oh?"

Gu Heng's eyes lit up. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you do."

"At most, we'll just take a trip there on the way. Star, once the business in the Original Realm is done and the Dragon God Domain is flattened, we'll take a trip to the Immortal Realm on the way and visit your Su Clan."

Gu Heng clapped his hands. "While we're at it, let a person like me who hasn't seen the world go to the Immortal Realm to broaden my horizons. Let's see just how many heads those mortal enemies of yours have."

Though spoken casually, the meaning within caused waves to surge in the hearts of all the Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors present.

The Star Immortal Emperor's body jolted, and his eyes turned red.

Master is... going to stand up for them.

Just then,

Lin Qingyue, who was standing behind Gu Heng to the side, moved.

She took half a step forward, her gaze falling directly on Gu Heng.

In those eyes, emotions surged, and she seemed to want to speak but hesitated.

She said nothing.

But the unspoken meaning in her gaze was already clear enough.

Gu Heng sensed the change in atmosphere. He turned his head and met Lin Qingyue's gaze.

At that moment, he seemed to understand that she had something to say. Moreover, it was something she didn't want others to hear.

Gu Heng withdrew the smile from his face.

He raised his hand and waved it casually.

"Alright, stop being so sentimental here."

Gu Heng gestured to the people below. "Those Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors, as well as Ao Lie, Jiang Wanyin, and Di Shitian, all of you get out. Wait outside the hall."

Everyone was stunned.

The White Bone Demon Emperor, having just reattached his jawbone, looked at Gu Heng and then at the quietly standing Lin Qingyue.

The two looked at each other, then quickly looked away after their gazes met.

The soul fire in the White Bone Demon Emperor's eye sockets suddenly brightened.

"Oh~ I get it!"

He let out a strange laugh and, without a word, reached out his two skeletal claws, grabbing the collars of Li Tiantu and the Red-Eyed Demon Emperor on either side, dragging them toward the hall exit.

"Let's go, let's go! Master has private matters to discuss; let's not be an eyesore here!"

The Star Immortal Emperor reacted immediately. He gave a dry cough, grabbed the arm of the still-dazed Thunder Emperor, and transformed into two streaks of light, disappearing from the hall.

Jiang Wanyin and Di Shitian exchanged a look and each disappeared from where they stood, exiting the hall's formation.

In just three breaths,

The originally crowded and noisy Longyuan Hall became empty and desolate.

The hall doors closed silently under the pull of spiritual power, completely cutting off the wind and noise from the outside.

Silence fell within the hall.

There was only the sound of two people's breathing.

The setting sun spilled through the side window lattices of the hall, like spilled dye, reflecting on Lin Qingyue's profile.

She stood there quietly.

Gu Heng only noticed now that her black hair, which had been draped over her shoulders, had at some point been tied up with a wooden hairpin into a bun.

A few stray hairs were tinged with a golden, blurry halo in the backlight.

"I might be leaving."

Lin Qingyue was the first to break the silence, her voice as flat as if she were speaking of something that had nothing to do with her.

Gu Heng remained seated, maintaining his original posture, and did not immediately reply.

He looked at Lin Qingyue quietly.

He looked at her long hair tied up by the wooden hairpin, and at her silhouette bathed in the setting sun.

Gu Heng only felt that this scene seemed somewhat familiar.

He was dazed for half a breath.

The broken images flashing in his mind could not be pieced together, so they dissipated.

Gu Heng blinked, suppressing that trace of stir back into his heart.

He did not stand up, nor did he show any urgency to make her stay or question her. He just lowered the hand propping his chin and waved it casually.

"Go then."

Two words.

That was all.

Lin Qingyue tilted her head slightly and raised her eyes.

"You're not going to ask me why?"

A trace of emotion finally appeared in her voice, and there seemed to be a bit of searching as well.

What she carried was too heavy, heavy enough to crush any giant in these Three Thousand Great Worlds.

She thought Gu Heng would be curious, would ask about her hidden identity, and would question why she chose to part ways at this critical juncture of going to the Original Realm.

Gu Heng looked at her, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

He shook his head.

"That is your choice. You have your secrets, and I have mine."

In this world, everyone carries Karma that cannot be told to outsiders.

If she was unwilling to say, he wouldn't strip away that layer of disguise.

Hearing this, Lin Qingyue's eyes flickered slightly.

She looked at the person before her, and the hard ice in her heart seemed to be melted by these words, leaving a small gap.

She didn't speak again.

She just withdrew her gaze, turned around, and faced the shadows deep in the hall, preparing to leave.

But the moment she stepped out, she paused.

With her back to Gu Heng, Lin Qingyue's voice was cold but mixed with a trace of emotion that even she hadn't noticed.

"Going to the Dragon God Domain is fine. Just... don't die."

Gu Heng laughed upon hearing this.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Qingyue's figure froze in place.

She didn't turn her head.

But she could feel a Law fluctuation from the space behind her.

Immediately after,

A streak of green light hovered in front of her.

It was a bracelet.

The Nine-Turn Exquisite Jade Bracelet.

Formation patterns flowed on the bracelet, emitting a spatial aura.

Because it had been suppressed within the Chaotic Primordial Qi of the heaven-reaching tower for a long time, the surface of the jade bracelet was even tinged with a trace of vast Dao charm, making it even more profound than when it was first in her hands.

Lin Qingyue looked at this familiar object, a trace of astonishment flashing in her eyes.

Back then,

Because this jade bracelet involved immense Karma, exposing its aura would bring about a fatal disaster.

Gu Heng had taken the jade bracelet on the grounds that it "would expose her location," keeping it for her and suppressing it in the deepest part of the heaven-reaching tower all this time.

And now...

He had taken it out.

Lin Qingyue slowly raised her hand and grasped the jade bracelet.

She turned around and looked at Gu Heng.

Her red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

In those eyes that were always calm, a thousand words were intertwined, yet they were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Gu Heng looked at her like this and waved his hand with a loud laugh.

"Alright, don't look like we're parting forever."

He tilted his chin and returned the words she had just given him, exactly as they were.

"The same goes for you; don't die out there. Otherwise, this bracelet I've gone to such great lengths to keep for you would really become a losing business."

The joking words diluted the sorrow of departure in the hall.

Lin Qingyue's hand holding the jade bracelet tightened slightly.

She stared at Gu Heng for a long time, as if she wanted to carve this face into the depths of her Divine Soul.

Afterward.

She raised her empty hand and reached behind her head.

Her fingers lightly pinched the wooden hairpin.

With a soft sound, the wooden hairpin was pulled from her hair.

Instantly,

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, dancing in the afterglow of the setting sun, scattering over her shoulders and back.

Lin Qingyue's fingers loosened slightly.

Under the pull of some kind of force, the wooden hairpin slowly floated through the void and hovered in front of Gu Heng.

Gu Heng looked at the wooden hairpin floating before him. He didn't reach out to take it, but just raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Lin Qingyue.

Lin Qingyue just looked at Gu Heng and said one sentence in an extremely soft tone.

"Wait for me."

As the words fell,

Her figure began to become illusory.

Her entire being seemed to melt into the light and shadow of the hall, dissipating from the edges.

In just two breaths,

Not a trace of her aura could be felt in the hall anymore.

Only the wooden hairpin floating in mid-air remained, proving she had once been here.

Gu Heng propped his chin in one hand, his gaze falling on the void where Lin Qingyue had disappeared.

The patches of sunlight gradually dimmed, and the hall fell into darkness.

A long time passed.

He reached out, and the floating wooden hairpin fell into his palm. It was cool to the touch and seemed to carry a unique, faint fragrance.

He tucked it into his sleeve.

Then, Gu Heng stood up and stretched vigorously.

"It's about time."

He murmured to himself, clearing the thoughts from his heart.

The road ahead was still long. The Dao Foundation Fragments of the Original Realm, the settlement with the Dragon God Domain, and becoming supreme—only then would he be free from all constraints.

These were the matters that had to be resolved right now.

Gu Heng's gaze became sharp once again.

He took a step out and arrived on the long stairs outside.

Outside the hall.

The seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors, the two God Emperor Incarnations, and the newly subdued God Lord Ao Lie were waiting at the edge of the square.

The Five Great Dragon Emperors were also standing not far away, not daring to breathe loudly.

Sensing Gu Heng's appearance,

Everyone's gaze instantly converged on him.

Gu Heng looked at the Blue Mystic Old Ancestor holding the golden cage, a smile hooking his lips.

"Hey, old man..."

"I'm going back to the Original Realm. Do you want to come?"