I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 692 Self-imposed Hundred-Year Seclusion
"Senior Gu is too kind. How could we dare to lay a hand on you!" Ye Haichen said repeatedly.

The other elders echoed this sentiment.

They naturally dared not fight Gu Yuanqing; just now, when their eyes met, all the celestial beings of the Underworld Palace were seriously injured.

Moreover, everyone knew that this was only because Gu Yuanqing had held back.

Qin Tianyang was killed by this very move when he was in the Ancient Realm.

The heavenly punishments falling from the sky seemed completely ineffective against Gu Yuanqing. Even though Gu Yuanqing appeared to speak with sincerity, who would dare to actually try it? It was tantamount to playing with one's life.

Gu Yuanqing remained silent for a long time. The power of heavenly punishment that fell upon him naturally strengthened him considerably, but it seemed to be of little use to him at this moment.

His own essence was too profound, and the amount he received after being neutralized by ordinary heavenly punishment was too little. Compared to cultivating using the power of the Northern Spring Cave, it was not much faster.

For him now, perhaps only by using the Five Directions Grand Array in such a vast realm and mobilizing the Heavenly Punishment formed from the origin of the world can it be of great use.

Now that the Underworld Palace has withdrawn the power that the Underworld Realm had bestowed upon the Ten Directions Token, Gu Yuanqing had also stated beforehand that he would spare their lives after this move.

It's not a good time to go back on your word at this point.

However, having achieved his goal, Gu Yuanqing said nothing more. Suddenly, he flicked his finger, and Zhang Rui, who had attacked him, was completely destroyed.

"That's enough for today. I hope you'll behave yourselves. If there's a next time, I won't be as accommodating as I am today."

Gu Yuanqing's figure then disappeared.

Inside the Underworld Palace, Ye Haichen and the elders both let out a long breath, feeling a sense of relief after surviving a great calamity.

An elder said with a wry smile, "Gu... the matter here in the Qian Yuan Realm is over. Now it depends on how the Taigu Divine Sect will explain itself."

"How can we explain this? How else can we explain this? It was the Ancient Divine Sect that attacked the Qian Yuan Realm. We were just responding to their orders. Now that Gu Yuanqing has come to question us, no one from the Ancient Divine Sect has stepped forward. Do they expect us cultivators, whose strength is at most at the Yin-Yang level, to dare to fight against a Hun Tian Grandmaster?"

"Indeed, I also personally went to the Ancient God Mountain to visit, but I never received a reply from beginning to end. Yesterday, I couldn't even see the face of a true disciple."

"Right now, all the experts of the Flame God Sect who held the Domain Token have died, but the result is still that they withdrew their power. Do you expect my Underworld God Sect to suffer the same fate?" Duan Yan, the Supreme Elder of the Underworld Sea Palace, snorted.

"Alright, let's discuss this matter further and see what the Ancient Divine Sect is really thinking!" Ye Haichen frowned. The Nether Sea Palace was considered a major sect, but it had no power to resist Gu Yuanqing and the Ancient Divine Sect.

He even said he was very fortunate that the Flame God Sect was there to protect him; otherwise, Qin Tianming would be just like himself now.

……

Inside the North Spring Cave.

Li Chengyi was both amused and exasperated: "Truly, flowers come in a hundred colors, and people are all different. This Underworld Palace is... far too pragmatic."

“This is also a way of survival!” Gu Yuanqing said.

Li Chengyi chuckled: "Then Father's plan is likely to fall through. With the Flame God Sect and the Underworld Sea Palace withdrawing their Domain Tokens one after another, other sects probably won't dare to resist at all, especially since we haven't heard of the Ancient God Sect taking action yet."

Li Chengyi's words were not wrong. In fact, when the Flame God Sect withdrew the power of the Domain Token, some sects could not withstand the pressure and quickly withdrew the Domain Token's blessing on the Ten Directions Token.

After the Underworld Palace did the same, these realms withdrew their blessings to the Ten Directions Decree faster and faster, fearing that if they were even a little slow, they would be targeted by the Qian Yuan Realm.

Therefore, when Gu's clone withdrew from the Nether Sea Realm, the originally sealed teleportation array had already started operating again, but there was no connection between any realm and the Qian Yuan Realm for the time being.

The outcome was even smoother than originally expected.

Gu Yuanqing said, "It's alright. In fact, these powers are just icing on the cake for me right now. I originally intended to do it incidentally, but what I find most strange is that the Ancient Divine Sect has been holding back until now. What are they waiting for?"

Li Chengyi also looked slightly strange; the reaction of the Taigu Divine Sect was truly beyond everyone's expectations.

The silence of the Ancient Divine Sect left the Linglong Realm with no hope of confronting Gu Yuanqing, thus lifting the blockade on the teleportation array of the Qian Yuan Realm.

Moreover, the impact of this matter goes far beyond simply lifting the current ban.

This incident will severely damage the prestige of the Ancient Divine Sect. If they were to try to take action against Gu Yuanqing again, they would likely find themselves without much support from other sects, let alone the possibility of completely imprisoning the Qian Yuan Realm.

Logically speaking, such a thing should never happen.

Even Gu Yuanqing himself was prepared to confront the Ancient Divine Sect head-on, and even made the worst-case scenario plan.

But what they least expected was this situation, because it was completely contrary to the interests of the Ancient Divine Sect.

"Could it be that they knew they were no match for Father, and therefore dared not make a move?" Li Chengyi asked.

"No, although my strength is not weak, what I have shown should not be enough to make the Ancient Divine Sect wary. The Ancient Divine Sect may have a powerful expert in the Divine Path. Even without mentioning that, Mu Tianheng himself is also extraordinary in cultivation and strength. The one who attacked me back then was just an avatar. His true body may have mastered the Heavenly Law Bell to the fifth level. Otherwise, he would not be able to confront the Demon Lord head-on," Gu Yuanqing said.

Li Chengyi said, "Could it be that he was seriously injured in the battle with the Demon Lord and hasn't fully recovered, so..."

Gu Yuanqing shook his head: "The war between humans and demons was entirely under the control of the Ancient Divine Sect. Moreover, when I met him ten days ago, I didn't see that he was seriously injured. After the war between humans and demons, the Ancient Divine Sect spread rumors that I deserted the battlefield. In fact, this was to prepare for an attack on me. But their current actions seem to contradict their original plan!"

Li Chengyi said, "Could it be that something has happened within their sect? Or do they have other plans?"

Gu Yuanqing also had many guesses in his mind, but in the end he put them aside and laughed: "No matter what, the current situation is ultimately a good thing. If the Ancient Divine Sect wants to attack us again, it will not be as easy as before."

The changes in the Qian Yuan Realm were naturally noticed by Li Shi'an, Ji Dai, Li Haotian, and others, and their feelings were inevitably complicated.

Back when the Ancient Divine Sect was about to take action against the Qian Yuan Realm, even though they all wanted to believe in Gu Yuanqing's strength, they were all filled with trepidation. The same was true some time ago.

Today, the teleportation array is fully operational, marking a victory for the Qian Yuan Realm.

Meanwhile, Linglong's various realms also caused a sensation.

The news of Gu Yuanqing's actions against the Crimson Flame Realm and the Underworld Palace spread rapidly through the Ancient Realm.

The Flame God Sect and the Underworld Palace rarely spoke of their internal affairs, but they did not hide the extent of Gu Yuanqing's strength and power; in fact, they exaggerated it considerably.

The stronger Gu Yuanqing was, the more justifiable their submission seemed.

According to rumors, Gu Yuanqing crossed over from another realm, rendering the Five Directions Grand Array useless. The power of heavenly punishment could not harm him in the slightest. When Gu Yuanqing struck down with his palm, the entire realm seemed about to shatter.

If they do not agree to his demands, it may not just be the death of a few elders of the Flame God Sect, but the destruction of the Flame God Sect, or even the destruction of the entire Crimson Flame Realm.

The fact that the Taigu Divine Sect never showed up further proves these things.

From the perspective of the many Linglong sects, it was no different that the Ancient Divine Sect feared Gu Yuanqing and therefore dared not make a move. In an instant, it seemed as if the entire Linglong Realm was about to undergo a cataclysmic change.

Under these circumstances, the Ancient Divine Sect suddenly announced that it would be closed for a hundred years!
It is said that in the war between humans and demons, all the sect's experts were seriously injured, and the sect was sealed for a hundred years to recover its strength.

This news caused another huge uproar.

Leaving aside what the other realms of Linglong might think, Gu Yuanqing was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this news: "You mean the Ancient Divine Sect is going to close down?"

“That’s right. From today onwards, the teleportation array of the Primordial Realm has been sealed. Apart from the cultivators who went to participate in the Demon Clan battlefield back then, everyone else in the Ancient God Mountain of the Ancient Realm has been expelled,” Li Chengyi said.

Gu Yuanqing frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll go take a look inside the Divine Ruins."

The Heavenly Fishing Technique tore through space, and a clone of Gu Yuanqing landed in the Dao Source Forbidden Land.

He used his Heavenly Eye of Insight to look into the distance, but there seemed to be no movement in the direction of the boundary gate. After a moment, it left again.

"Father, did you see anything?" Li Chengyi asked when his father opened his eyes.

Gu Yuanqing shook his head.

"Then what should we do? Just ignore him?" Li Chengyi asked.

Gu Yuanqing chuckled: "That's right!"

……

Gu Yuanqing has always been a calm and collected person, as can be seen from the fact that he has never truly left Beiquan Cave Heaven in the past few hundred years.

In truth, he had already vaguely guessed what was going on, but there was no need to tell his son.

After Li Chengyi left the main peak.

Gu Yuanqing sensed the existence of the Primordial Realm.

This world can be considered the core of the Linglong Realm. Although it is only through the connection between realms, Gu Yuanqing can feel that it is completely different from other worlds.

Its world membrane is incredibly stable, and the aura of the entire world is vast and boundless.

Compared to it, other worlds are like the light of a firefly or the brilliance of the sun and moon.

Gu Yuanqing still felt that he could break through this world with the Heavenly Fishing Technique, but he did not do so because he could vaguely sense a threat, a threat that was even greater than when he broke into the Divine Forbidden Mountain Range!
He wasn't surprised. Such a vast world, if activated with the Realm Token to unleash the Five Directions Array and summon Heavenly Punishment, would be far more powerful than any other exquisite realm.

"This may be the true strength of the Primordial Divine Sect!"

Gu Yuanqing's eyes sparkled as his words with Ning Xuxuan resurfaced in his mind.

After a long while, he smiled wryly and muttered to himself, "It seems they really do regard me as the chosen one of the Linglong Realm. Right now, the Ancient Divine Sect is sealing off the realm and the mountain, intending to hand over the entire stage of the Linglong Realm to me. It seems they feel that I am not yet at the point where they can reap the benefits!"

"So... their decision to seal themselves off for a hundred years is actually a message to me. They will take action a hundred years from now. By then, the new Linglong Realm will have been born, and they will have nothing to worry about. This is also a way to put pressure on me and make me grow as much as possible within these hundred years."

"They're certainly confident! I just wonder if this decision was made by Mu Tianheng, or by someone else?"

Gu Yuanqing stood with his hands behind his back, his expression slightly mocking.

Although this was just his guess, Gu Yuanqing thought it was close to the answer.

Some people within the Ancient Divine Sect seem to have seen themselves as an opportunity, waiting to grow strong before reaping the rewards. However, it remains to be seen who the prey will be a hundred years from now!
……

The Ancient Divine Sect sealed off its territory and mountains, severing all contact with the outside world.

This was unprecedented for the Linglong Realm, but they seemed relieved, as it meant that the Ancient Divine Sect would not blame them for withdrawing the power they had added to the Ten Directions Token within the next hundred years, and they would not be forced to choose sides between the two.

At the same time, although the Qian Yuan Realm is ranked tenth among the realms, it has become the uncrowned emperor because of Gu Yuanqing's existence.

However, no other realm has taken the initiative to establish contact with the Qian Yuan Realm.

The lingering influence of the Primordial Divine Sect remains, and these realm lords only wish to sever ties with both sides and remain neutral.

At the same time, Li Chengyi, Li Shi'an, Li Guanrong and others had already gathered in the mountains to discuss and make decisions.

Since the Ancient Divine Sect has closed its mountain, Gu Yuanqing is the strongest in the Linglong Realm, so he naturally needs to take advantage of this time to do something.

A day later, Li Chengyi sent a message to the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce.

After the teleportation array in the Qian Yuan Realm was sealed, the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce has basically lost contact with the Qian Yuan Realm.

Upon hearing Li Chengyi's message, the fourth manager of the Tianbao Chamber of Commerce rushed to Jiuqu Mountain overnight to pay his respects.

Looking at Li Chengyi, who was once nothing more than a mere mortal, the fourth manager Qiu Han was filled with emotion.

He used to be polite to Li Chengyi because he was Gu Yuanqing's son, but now, he himself is still only at the second level of the Heavenly Transformation, while Li Chengyi is already capable of fighting against Yin and Yang.

With the passage of time, the feelings are completely different.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Chengyi handed over a jade slip and said, "Manager Qiu, these things are needed in my Qian Yuan Realm. I don't think they will be a problem for your Tianbao Chamber of Commerce, will they?"

Qiu Han glanced at it, his face showing difficulty, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "Since His Majesty has spoken, everything is not a problem, but it will take at least ten days, and many things need to be transported from other realms."

Li Chengyi chuckled and said, "I haven't been emperor for many years. Now I'm the sect leader of the Qian Yuan Sect. Is your Tianbao Chamber of Commerce still headquartered in the Wanbao Realm?"

Qiu Han said, "Yes."

Li Chengyi smiled and said, "How about we set up a teleportation array connecting our two realms tomorrow? That would make future transactions much easier."

Qiu Han said, "That would be best. I was instructed before I came to do everything I could to meet the needs of the Qian Yuan Realm. It is an honor for our Tianbao Chamber of Commerce that the Sect Master has this intention."

Li Chengyi then asked, "I've heard that there are two other major forces in the Myriad Treasures Realm who jointly control the Realm Token. They won't have any objections to the matter of connecting the teleportation array, will they?"

"Being able to communicate with the Qian Yuan Realm is something they would be more than happy to do. There's no need for the sect leader to worry about this. Even if they have any misunderstandings, my Tianbao Trading Company will explain them to them clearly," Qiu Han said.

Li Chengyi smiled and said, "In that case, I'll trouble Manager Qiu. Tianbao Chamber of Commerce and Daqian have been cooperating for a long time, and I hope that this cooperation will be pleasant and mutually beneficial for everyone."

(End of this chapter)