Translator: AnubisTL
Clear water flowed gently, its mist mingling with the delicate fragrance of flower petals, filling every corner of the room.
Within the swirling mist, two figures intertwined, occasionally splashing water droplets.
It was a moment of deep emotion.
Gu Feng held the woman's slender form, kissing and caressing the woman who had waited for him for five long years.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes glazed with passion as she responded with equal fervor.
"Let's... let's go to bed..."
"Yes..."
Splash!
The two entwined figures leaped from the Wooden Bucket, scattering a cascade of flower petals as they tumbled onto the bed.
"Youhuan..."
"Mmm—"
"I've kept my virginity for five years, and tonight, I give it to you..."
His hot breath echoed in her ear. Chu Youhuan gently pinched Gu Feng's arm, shooting him a playful glare, her eyes brimming with joy.
"Mmm~~~~~"
At the entrance of the Rosy Cloud Pavilion, a figure paced back and forth, glancing inside every now and then, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.
The numerous Sunset Glow Sect disciples, who had been driven out, stared at the Academy Master of the Grand Harmony Academy with bewildered expressions, unsure of what was happening.
"Cough, cough... Has Gu Feng returned yet?" Prefect Chu asked the Sunset Glow Sect disciples, his voice strained, as if something urgent was on his mind.
"Reporting to Prefect Chu, he has returned," one of the disciples replied.
"Then... what is he doing now?" Prefect Chu's expression grew increasingly anxious.
"He's taking a bath!"
Taking a bath???
Hiss————
We're doomed!
Chu Youhuan wasn't here, and the Sunset Glow Sect disciples had been driven out. Even a fool could understand what was happening inside.
"What should I do? What should I do..." Prefect Chu, who usually remained composed even when faced with a collapsing mountain, now resembled a hot pot of ants, desperate to rush inside but fearing it might be too late.
He didn't care if his daughter had relations with Gu Feng, but it couldn't happen before she received the Great Chu Royal Family's inheritance!
Just then, Hua Wenyue, having learned that Gu Feng had returned to the Grand Harmony Academy, squeezed through the crowd. Seeing this bizarre scene, her heart skipped a beat.
"Prefect Chu, what's happened?"
As if seeing a savior, Prefect Chu unleashed a wave of Spiritual Power to isolate the surroundings.
"Hua Wenyue, this is urgent. I'll cut to the chase. Gu Feng and Youhuan..."
Whoosh!
Before Prefect Chu could finish, Hua Wenyue's expression changed drastically. Gritting her teeth, she charged inside without hesitation.
"Gu Feng... Gu Feng!"
She ran, shouting his name, searching for him.
This can't happen! I haven't even stolen back my Chastity Token yet!
On the bed, Gu Feng had just finished the foreplay and was about to proceed to the next step when Hua Wenyue's piercing voice reached them.
"Why is she here?"
Gu Feng's heart sank. Chu Youhuan, beneath him, momentarily regained clarity in her eyes.
"Hurry, get up and get dressed."
Like a cat caught with its paws in the cream, she pushed Gu Feng away and quickly began putting on her clothes.
Seeing Gu Feng lying on the bed, looking utterly defeated, she picked up his clothes from the floor and tossed them in his face. "Get up. I'm leaving first."
Clang!
The atmosphere was shattered. All desire vanished in an instant, leaving Gu Feng on the verge of tears.
Sunset Glow Sect's Main Hall!
"Where's Gu Feng?" Hua Wenyue sat beside Chu Youhuan, sizing her up from head to toe. She couldn't help but be captivated by the woman's beauty, a knot of frustration tightening in her chest. No wonder that scoundrel had been so eager to cause trouble the moment he returned.
Chu Youhuan walked slowly forward and sat opposite Hua Wenyue, her eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze burning with intensity.
Inwardly, she thought: For Gu Feng to resist such a stunning woman for five years, his willpower deserves praise.
"He's exhausted from earlier and is resting now," Chu Youhuan said with a slight upturn of her lips, dropping an earth-shattering bombshell.
Hua Wenyue's fingers clenched slightly, but she maintained a casual facade. "I know his stamina better than anyone. He wouldn't tire even after several more hours."
Now it was Chu Youhuan's heart that skipped a beat, though she kept her expression serene. "The same person doing different work will expend different amounts of energy depending on their level of engagement.
It's like an Alchemist. The fatigue from refining different grades of Pills varies greatly.
Surely the effort required to refine a Mortal Grade Pill isn't the same as refining a Spirit Grade Pill!"
Having said this, Chu Youhuan couldn't help but feel proud of her quick wit. To come up with such a profound analogy—truly worthy of Chu Youhuan.
As expected, Hua Wenyue's expression darkened upon hearing Chu Youhuan's words.
Her gaze darted across Chu Youhuan, then suddenly, she smiled, her laughter as radiant as blooming flowers.
Hua Wenyue possessed the inheritance of nine senior masters, including a miscellaneous skill—a Secret Technique for discerning a woman's chastity.
In an instant, she saw Chu Youhuan's current state and realized it was a false alarm.
Confidence returned to her face. "No matter what Pill you're refining, success is all that matters. What's the point of expending so much effort if the refinement fails?"
Uh...
Chu Youhuan was momentarily speechless. Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Hua Wenyue, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
Hua Wenyue met her gaze without flinching, and the two women engaged in a silent standoff.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Just then, Gu Feng slowly approached.
The moment he stepped into the hall, he sensed the strange tension. He ducked his head, froze in place, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
The three remained locked in this stalemate until Prefect Chu entered, finally breaking the impasse.
Seeing the scene before him, Prefect Chu looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Cough... Gu Feng, come with me."
"Oh, right! Okay!"
Gu Feng averted his gaze, trying his best not to look at either woman's face, and trotted after Prefect Chu.
Soon, the two arrived at the pavilion where Prefect Chu resided.
The former plopped down onto the Grand Preceptor's Chair, his expression grim. Gu Feng dared not speak, awkwardly finding a chair to sit on.
The atmosphere here was even more oppressive than in the Sunset Glow Sect's main hall; each breath felt like torture.
After an unknown amount of time, Prefect Chu's expression shifted several times before he finally asked the question: "What happened between you and Youhuan just now...?"
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I'm a traditional man. I wouldn't do anything like that before marriage."
Gu Feng stood up abruptly, thumping his chest.
Prefect Chu's lips twitched, and he desperately wanted to slap the man senseless.
What the hell kind of upright man is this? If Hua Wenyue hadn't arrived in time, who knows what might have happened?
That's good! he thought, nodding with satisfaction.
"Mm-hm!" Gu Feng chimed in, quickly changing the subject to avoid further awkwardness. "Did you call me here to give me instructions?"
"At the Heavenly Pride Battle, there were too many people and too much noise. I didn't have a chance to tell you everything... about the Chu Kingdom Royal Family's heritage!"
"Speaking of which, we must discuss the origin of the Chu surname. The Chu surname can be traced back to the Mi surname, which originated from the Gao Yang Clan of Emperor Zhuan Xu in ancient times. Emperor Zhuan Xu was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor..."
"It's a pity that the Chu Royal Family Cultivation Art has lost its ancient power over the ages, preventing the Great Chu Royal Family from producing truly exceptional talents..."
"Among this generation, only the Crown Prince has shown any real promise. The rest are rather unremarkable."
"Youhuan's talent is exceptional—perhaps even surpassing the Crown Prince's. Her current obscurity is merely due to her not yet undergoing the Ancestral Image's cleansing. If—"
"But the prerequisite is that she must remain a virgin before the cleansing. Even for a year after, she must maintain her purity. Only then can she fully unleash the potential of the inherited cultivation art."
"Are you even listening to me?!"
Glancing up, Prefect Chu saw Gu Feng's pained expression and roared, "Are you paying attention?!"
"Yes, yes, I'm listening! I swear I won't ruin Youhuan's future!" Gu Feng sprang to his feet, his voice brimming with conviction.
Prefect Chu, already in a foul mood, remained unconvinced. "Once she's received the inheritance, you're to leave immediately. I'll have Youhuan secluded in the palace for a year to prevent you from corrupting her."
At these words, Gu Feng's face flushed with indignation. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, Do I look like someone who doesn't know what's at stake?
"Enough! Remember this matter well. Now, get out!"
This old man is just too difficult to please, Gu Feng muttered, quickly leaving Prefect Chu behind. The Academy Master's face was now as black as charcoal, his breath coming in ragged gasps from his fury.
"Come on, dig! Dig!"
A large group of Sunset Glow Sect disciples surrounded the back mountain, several of them wielding hoes and digging up a grave.
"I'm your Sect Master, and this is all the burial goods I get?"
Gu Feng's face darkened as he opened the coffin and saw the items inside.
What a joke! There were hardly any valuable items. What infuriated him most was that the Spirit Stones were just painted rocks.
This was far too perfunctory.
"Be glad you got anything at all," Chu Youhuan scoffed beside him.
"You didn't get into a fight with Hua Wenyue yesterday, did you?"
At this, Chu Youhuan puffed up with indignation. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the Ancestral Image for the baptism. I'll defeat her then!"
"Are you sure you're okay? You actually fought?" Gu Feng asked, stunned. Chu Youhuan was no match for Hua Wenyue in her current state.
"No, she actually said my cultivation was too weak and told me to come back after I'd undergone a transformation. It infuriated me!" Chu Youhuan grew angrier as she spoke, pinching Gu Feng's arm.
"That's good," Gu Feng sighed in relief. At least they hadn't fought. That would have been a headache he didn't need.
The next day, early morning!
Before dawn, Chu Youhuan led Gu Feng to the palace gates.
Soon, they were escorted inside by guards.
The palace was vast. It took them the time it takes to burn an incense stick to reach the rented land at the back mountain.
Gu Feng's expression grew solemn as he sensed several hidden, vast auras.
"Are there Soul Core Realm Ancestors within the palace?"
"Among the three nations, there are no complete Origin Palace Realm cultivators. These Ancestors are at the Half-Step Origin Mansion Realm. They are the Great Chu Royal Family's foundation..."
Chu Youhuan tugged at Gu Feng's sleeve, signaling him to keep his voice down.
Weaving through rows of ancient tombs, they soon reached a stone gate.
The gate was carved with ancient patterns, radiating an aura of antiquity.
Chu Youhuan bit her finger, squeezed out a drop of crimson blood, and smeared it on the stone gate.
Boom!
The stone gate trembled violently and instantly swung open, revealing a downward passage.
Gu Feng produced a fist-sized night pearl, linked arms with Chu Youhuan, and followed the stone steps into the depths.
The passage was narrow. They had to press close together to squeeze through.
After climbing several hundred steps, Gu Feng saw a massive bronze gate. The Runes etched into it were far more intricate than those outside.
"This is where they test talent. Many Heaven's Chosen with the Great Chu Royal Family bloodline fail at this stage."
"Mm!"
Following Chu Youhuan's instructions, Gu Feng pressed his palm against the gate.
Two golden, tadpole-like light spots flickered into existence, dancing across the gate's surface.
One quickly vanished into Chu Youhuan's body, while the other hesitated a moment, hovering a yard from Gu Feng's palm before finally merging with him as well.
"Phew—that scared me! I thought my talent wasn't good enough," Gu Feng wiped the sweat from his brow. If he had failed this test, he would have immediately gone to find a block of tofu to smash his head against.
"Let's go in!"
"Mm!"
The two entered hand in hand, the gate sealing shut behind them.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Two rows of night pearls simultaneously ignited, illuminating the dim space.
Gu Feng looked up, his gaze sweeping the surroundings in confusion.
"Where's the Ancestral Image?"
"This is it," Chu Youhuan said, extending a slender finger to point at a stone statue that was only half complete.
The stone statue stood about three meters tall, as if split in half by a single sword strike. Had Chu Youhuan not guided him, Gu Feng would never have guessed this was the Ancestral Image of the Great Chu Royal Family.
"Are you sure?"
"Do you think I wouldn't recognize the Ancestral Image of the Great Chu Dynasty?" Chu Youhuan glanced at him.
The two of them sat cross-legged before the statue, simultaneously circulating their internal Cultivation Methods to communicate with it.
This step was crucial and the most time-consuming.
Time flowed. About three months passed.
At a certain moment, the Ancestral Image trembled slightly. The pupil in the half-face suddenly lit up.
Rays of light enveloped them, creating a mystical sensation. It felt as though they were standing beneath a starry sky, gazing into the vast expanse of the universe.
A towering, indescribably majestic figure appeared, blurred and indistinct. His feet trod the Nine Netherworlds, his head brushed the starry sky as he wandered through the desolate, icy cosmos.
He walked aimlessly, and wherever he passed, stars shifted and constellations changed, transforming the heavens and earth.
With a casual gesture, he plucked ancient stars from the sky and absorbed them into his body. The starlight swirling around him refined his physique, causing his cultivation to surge.
Simultaneously, Chu Youhuan's aura began to swell.
Crown Prince's Palace!
Chu Shaoheng frowned, floating high in the sky, gazing at the Ancestral Land.
Starlight shimmered above, and a beam of aurora descended from the heavens, plunging straight down from the void.
"Sigh..."
He sighed deeply, his fingers forming a mystical hand seal that drifted into the Ancestral Land.
"Did it work?" Gu Feng opened his eyes, his face alight with joy as he looked at Chu Youhuan.
"Yes, it worked! I feel starlight coursing through my body, transforming me from the inside out!" Chu Youhuan's face was also radiant with happiness. Seeing the faint fluctuations in Gu Feng's aura, her heart skipped a beat. "How do you feel?"
"I feel starlight too, but it seems to be encountering resistance."
Gu Feng's eyes flickered, his expression turning serious.
He didn't tell Chu Youhuan that the starlight entering his body was being locked down by several Lawful Order Chains, preventing his transformation.
"It's probably due to your unique constitution," Chu Youhuan said, trying to reassure him, though she didn't fully understand.
"It's fine. I have another inheritance," Gu Feng replied. He possessed the Great Ming Dynasty's supreme cultivation method, the Thirty-Three Heavenly Celestial Palaces, passed down by Zhu Qingyan, so he didn't need another inheritance.
He hadn't cultivated it yet, only because of Zhu Qingyan's request.
"Do you feel a little hot?" Chu Youhuan suddenly asked after a long silence.
At first, Gu Feng didn't pay much attention, assuming it was due to the confined space.
But as the heat intensified, he felt an overwhelming urge rising within him, his expression changing drastically.
He looked at Chu Youhuan, who was now flushed and her eyes glazed over.
A sense of foreboding surged in his heart.
No way, not this again!
The feeling was identical to the one he'd experienced during the Dragon Clan Inheritance.
"Why do all these Great Powers love this kind of trickery!" Gu Feng thought, utterly speechless. This was a disaster.
What made it even worse was that this time, the feeling was several times stronger than the last, almost breaking through his defenses.
Mmm—
A soft moan reached his ears as a fiery body crashed into his arms, clinging to him as if trying to merge with his own.
"Damn it!" Gu Feng cursed, fighting the urge within him while using both hands to press against Chu Youhuan's back, helping her suppress her desires.
Soon, both their faces turned crimson.
Gu Feng gritted his teeth, his body trembling uncontrollably. This was torture!
He felt truly magnificent, so magnificent he could cry.
Time flowed on, oblivious to the passage of days and months.
The world outside underwent a cataclysmic transformation.
His Majesty the Great Chu Emperor had fallen!
The Crown Prince ascended the throne!
The former Crown Princess, Hua Qinxin, was stripped of her title and imprisoned. She was rescued by Hua Wenyue, and under the cover of Flower Sect cultivators, they fought their way out of the imperial city!
The Flower Sect suffered a brutal purge, leaving rivers of blood in its wake.
Great Li launched a swift and fierce invasion of Great Chu, threatening the northern border!
The Grand Harmony Academy and various sects simultaneously mobilized, marching north to resist the enemy!
Overnight, the Chu Kingdom erupted in chaos.
(End of the Chapter)
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