Fairy, please don't do this!

As soon as he entered the backyard, Lin Qingci, dressed in a light blue dress, greeted him: "Senior brother, you've been gone for more than half a month this time. What is the purpose of your trip?"

Gu Jinzhao said softly, "I was just ordered by the Empress Dowager to resolve a long-standing case."

"It's all resolved now, junior sister, there's no need to worry!"

He didn't tell Lin Qingci about the Misty Swamp, only saying that he was out on business, so as not to make her overthink it.

Lin Qingci suddenly realized: "So that's how it is!"

As if remembering something, she took out a warm jade slip from her bosom: "Qingci has written down all of Master's notes from the past few days."

Gu Jinzhao took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

It then revealed that every word and every detail of Tantai Xuanji's explanation of the art of cause and effect was recorded in detail.

The techniques recorded inside were all complex secret arts that he had carefully selected beforehand, and Tantai Xuanji's explanation was clear and logical, without any flaws.

Gu Jinzhao put away the jade slip and asked casually, "During the lectures, did Master ever lose focus or do anything unusual?"

Lin Qingci recalled carefully, then shook her head: "Master taught every day from Chenshi (7-9 AM) to Youshi (5-7 PM), during which time he was completely focused."

"Why do you ask that, Senior Brother?"

Gu Jinzhao smiled and said, "It was just a casual question."

Although Lin Qingci found it strange, she did not investigate further. She chatted with him for a few more minutes about the scenery of the northern border before leading him to his room.

It was late when she left.

Hot water was already prepared inside, and steam rose from the huge wooden bathtub. A few cedar leaves, unique to the North, floated on the surface of the water, emitting a refreshing pine scent.

Gu Jinzhao took off his outer robe and inner garment, stepped into the warm water, and let out a long sigh.

After days of travel and facing life-or-death situations in dangerous places, my mind remained constantly on edge.

Only when you immerse yourself in hot water do the fatigue wash over you like a tide.

At this moment, a deep purple light surged and gradually condensed into a bewitching and graceful figure.

A sheer purple gauze bathrobe, as thin as a cicada's wing, clung to her voluptuous and mature body, outlining her long, slender figure that was at least eight feet tall.

Beneath her slender, snowy neck, two incredibly full and soft mounds were faintly visible, like snow-capped peaks shrouded in mist, majestic and towering!

"Let me help my young husband bathe!"

An Wanxi stepped barefoot into the bathtub, her heavy, plump buttocks pressing against Gu Jinzhao's legs, squeezing out large patches of trembling soft flesh from her pear-shaped buttocks.

The soaked purple gauze clung to her skin, water droplets sliding down her delicate collarbone and disappearing into her deep cleavage—it was incredibly alluring.

Gu Jinzhao embraced her slender waist, feeling the soft body in his arms, and handed her a jade slip: "Wife, can you take a look and see if Tantai Xuanji was distracted when explaining these causal and fate techniques?"

An Wanxi took it, carefully reading it as she reached for a cotton towel from the edge of the bucket, dampened it, and gently wiped his chest.

Her delicate hands moved gently and meticulously, washing every part carefully, from the collarbone to the chest and abdomen, and then to the arms.

A moment later, she withdrew her divine sense and placed the jade slip on the rim of the bucket: "Judging from these notes alone, the instructor was focused at the time and showed no signs of distraction."

Gu Jinchao let her serve him as he bathed, and asked softly, "If it were you, my wife, could you teach your disciples magic techniques while simultaneously controlling a wisp of divine sense to fight against two first-grade Dao Integration Realm experts?"

An Wanxi paused slightly in her wiping motion: "It's a bit difficult."

"When clashing with a top-tier expert, the situation can change in an instant, requiring us to be fully prepared."

"If I were to teach at the same time, and the content of the lessons involved such subtle principles as cause and effect and destiny, even at my peak, I could not guarantee that I would not make a mistake."

"Does my little husband suspect that Tantai Xuanji is the Heavenly Mother?"

Gu Jinzhao nodded slightly: "Tantai Xuanji has a mysterious background. Even Aunt Ruo had never heard of her before."

"Her being consumed by mad desires proves that her cultivation level is at least first grade."

"The Heavenly Mother is also of the first rank. Both of them have mysterious origins and both cultivate the Path of Destiny."

"The finest items in the world are already few and far between, so such a coincidence is hard not to arouse suspicion..."

"How did my little husband know that the Heavenly Mother also cultivates the Path of Destiny?"

An Wanxi slipped her hands under his armpits, pressed her body against his, and continued to wash his back.

Its abundant and accommodating presence pressed down, overflowing with soft flesh, yet it also seemed to float and sway in the water like a full moon.

While enjoying his wife's service and inhaling her sweet, honey-like fragrance, Gu Jinchao slowly said, "In the Misty Swamp, I used the [Earthly Branch Mirror] to conceal the secrets of heaven. Even Shi Youming's wisp of divine thought could not detect the anomaly in the Nine Nether Rift, but the Heavenly Mother saw through it at a glance."

"Such methods can only be used by those who have achieved mastery of the Heavenly Mandate Dao."

An Wanxi gently kissed his earlobe and whispered, "So, my little husband sent Qingci to test him, just to see if the two of them are the same person?"

"indeed so!"

Gu Jinchao turned his head and pressed his cheek against hers: "If she really is the Heavenly Mother, how can she teach so perfectly while fighting against two first-grade divine senses?"

An Wanxi shook her head: "Not necessarily."

"Those who cultivate the Way of Destiny are most adept at deducing heavenly secrets and differentiating their minds."

"If she had been prepared, it wouldn't have been impossible."

Gu Jinzhao remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling: "This matter cannot be determined for the time being; we can only try again later."

An Wanxi gently raised her soft hand and touched his chest: "If Tantai Xuanji is really the Heavenly Mother, then she must have some ulterior motive for deliberately getting close to my husband like this."

Gu Jinzhao revealed his guess: "If the two are really the same person, I suspect she is after the power within me that can suppress my mad desires."

The opponent is a first-grade Dao Integration Realm cultivator.

The goal is nothing more than to break free from constraints, reach the highest level, and achieve the Great Dao!

But to reach the top level, one must also confront their insane desires.

Even those with exceptional minds, such as Xiao Qingyi, Zen Master, and Dao Master, found it difficult to resist.

The Heavenly Mother must think so too!

If one could obtain this power from him, perhaps one could overcome the erosion of mad desires and have the potential to transcend the ordinary and attain enlightenment.

An Wanxi's jade-like fingers, wreathed in spiritual energy, massaged various acupoints on Gu Jinzhao's chest, relieving his fatigue: "So, what are your plans, my little husband?"

Gu Jinzhao narrowed his eyes slightly: "She won't make a move until she's sure whether the power within me can be taken."

"And I can only use this time to grow up as quickly as possible so that I can cope with all the uncertainties that will follow..."

The power within him is something even he cannot control, let alone others.

Of course, he wouldn't act rashly until he figured out whether Tantai Xuanji and the Heavenly Mother were the same person.

Chapter 387, Gong Lingyun: Is Gu Jinzhao the Lord of Chixiao? (3K)

Clouds and mist over mountains and seas, evening clouds in the forest.

Luo Ling'er wielded a three-foot-long sword, its blade gleaming like snow, its cold light flashing as she slew the attacking demonic beasts.

After the battle ended, she skillfully removed the demon core, skinned and deboned it, leaving only the most tender hind leg meat of the demon beast.

His movements were fluid and graceful, clearly indicating that he had done it countless times.

Gu Jinzhao patted her little head, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "Ling'er is becoming more and more proficient in mastering the Xuan Yin Sword Qi."

After a year of instruction, Luo Ling'er's cultivation has reached the late stage of the ninth rank, just one step away from perfection.

Her cultivation speed was so terrifying not only because of her exceptional talent, but also because the Taiyin Sword Manual could transform the cold poison in her body into nourishment.

Luo Ling'er's eyebrows curved into crescent moons as she tilted her head up and asked, "Then... will I be able to condense sword intent very quickly?"

Gu Jinzhao took the monster meat, sat on a nearby bluestone, and began to roast it with spiritual fire while explaining gently:

"To condense sword intent is not something that can be done overnight. It requires refining the sword energy day after day to bring about a qualitative change, transforming it from a tangible sword into an intangible intent."

"This process is like water dripping on a stone; it cannot be rushed."

Luo Ling'er sat down next to him, resting her chin on her hands: "Master, how long did it take you to condense your sword intent?"

Gu Jinzhao flipped the grilled meat: "Three years!"

Luo Ling'er pursed her lips, a hint of disappointment on her face: "Then won't it take even longer for Ling'er?"

Gu Jinzhao shook his head: "Your talent for cultivation is stronger than mine. One year will be enough."

"really?"

Luo Ling'er blinked her adorable big eyes, her heart filled with anticipation.

Her desire to become stronger stemmed not only from her desire to control the Xuan Yin Cha Body and transform into a beautiful butterfly.

More importantly, we must repay our master properly.

Take him to see the most beautiful scenery in the world and eat the most delicious food in the world...

"Of course it's true!"

When has your teacher ever lied to you?

Gu Jinzhao handed her the golden-brown skewers of meat and sprinkled them with special spices.

Luo Ling'er took the meat skewer and ate it in small bites.

The aroma of oils mingled with the scent of spices, permeating the forest.

After eating for a while, as if she had thought of something, she raised her head and said, "Master, the Luo family is going to hold a martial arts competition for its members. Anyone who is ten years old or older must participate."

Gu Jinchao wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and asked softly, "How many age groups are there for the competition?"

Luo Ling'er felt her master's gentleness, and her voice became lighter: "Ten to fourteen years old, fifteen to nineteen years old, twenty to twenty-four years old, and twenty-five to twenty-nine years old, divided into four groups."

What are the benefits of winning the championship?

"You can obtain a lot of cultivation resources and enter the ancestral temple for seven days to comprehend the sword intent left by your ancestors on the sword stele."

Gu Jinzhao seemed to be deep in thought when he heard this.

The Luo family is too cold and ruthless. Even though Luo Ling'er is secretly taken care of here and won't be openly bullied, she will still be treated like a servant and suffer cold looks.

As her master, he naturally didn't want to see his disciple suffer, and had previously planned to take her away.

However, Luo Ling'er said that every member of the Luo family would have a wisp of their divine essence extracted at birth to create a soul tablet.

The soul tablet can not only determine life and death, but also be used by family secrets to curse and kill those who betray the family.

It was for this reason that Gu Jinzhao did not force Luo Ling'er to leave.

Thinking of this, Gu Jinchao asked again, "Are the soul tablets of the Luo family members all kept in the ancestral temple?"

Luo Ling'er gave a soft "hmm": "I heard from the elders of the clan that all the soul tablets are enshrined in the deepest part of the ancestral temple, guarded by the spirits of our ancestors."

Gu Jinzhao narrowed his eyes slightly: "When does the competition begin?"

He had previously used his divine sense to explore the Luo family ancestral temple, where two fifth-grade Yang God realm elders were stationed, making it heavily guarded.

But with his current abilities, if he plans properly, he might be able to pull off a "switcheroo" and get his hands on the Soul Tablet.

In this way, he can leave the Luo family completely with his young apprentice.

But the prerequisite is that the disciple must come out on top and qualify to enter the ancestral temple.

Luo Ling'er said crisply, "In half a month."

Gu Jinzhao nodded: "Then I will teach you swordsmanship every night during this period."

Luo Ling'er frowned slightly: "If Ling'er reveals her strength and uses the Taiyin Sword Manual, won't someone have designs on her?"

Although she was young, she had experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships, and with her master's careful guidance over the past year, her mind was already far beyond that of ordinary children, and she deeply understood the principle that possessing a treasure is a crime.

No amount of competition, cultivation resources, or even entering the ancestral temple to comprehend swordsmanship can compare to a fraction of what Master has achieved.

Gu Jinzhao couldn't help but smile: "We don't need the Taiyin Sword Manual, the Luo Family Sword Technique will suffice."

Yunyan Mountain and Sea was once the place where the ancient sword ancestor attained enlightenment and lived in seclusion. Influenced by it, almost all the cultivators in this small world cultivate swordsmanship, and the Luo family is no exception.

Although the family's inherited "Luoqian Sword Technique" is not top-notch, it is not bad either.

Luo Ling'er then asked, "If they ask me how I embarked on my cultivation journey, what explanation will I give?"

Previously, she was not only physically weak, but also had a Xuan Yin constitution, and every time the moon was full, her cold poison would erupt, causing her unbearable pain.

If I hadn't met my master, I probably wouldn't be alive today.

Now that he is not only alive and well, but has also cultivated his skills, it naturally arouses suspicion.