I am just a mortal, why do you all worship me as a saint?

"It's exactly the opposite of what you hoped for."

Gu Heng had no liking for Gu Ce's "timely appearance"; this Grand Tutor certainly didn't know how to read the atmosphere and timing.

Unless the Grand Master has something important to entrust to him, he's really unhappy.

"I must apologize for disturbing you."

Gu Ce's words carried a hint of apology; he couldn't quite grasp the temperament of this lord when chatting with him.

Gu Heng hadn't bothered to hide his feelings, which only made Gu Ce feel more overwhelmed.

He was well aware that the great enemy of the era was hot-tempered and needed to be treated with caution.

"If the Imperial Preceptor has any needs, please speak up immediately. My disciple and I have just reunited."

Gu Heng spoke frankly.

"Then please come and have a chat with me, Mr. Gu. After that, you will have plenty of time to deepen your relationship."

"Now?"

Gu Heng silently glanced at Qin Yiyao.

"It would be best if it were now."

"There are some things that Mr. Gu should know as soon as possible."

Gu Heng immediately fell silent upon hearing this.

The tender moment of their reunion was abruptly interrupted, and he was quite displeased. However, he knew that Gu Ce wouldn't bother him for no reason, so he could only let her suffer a little.

"Girl, take these two things."

Gu Heng retrieved the True Dragon Blood Heart and the Demon God Embryo from the Eternal Crystal Sphere.

A crimson "heart" like flowing magma, its surface covered with fine dragon scale patterns.

It was like a piece of dark jade, warm and smooth as cream, with a faint humming sound emanating from within.

Upon handling the two treasures, Qin Yiyao immediately sensed their immense power. The True Dragon Blood Heart was as hot as the sun, while the Demon God Embryo was icy cold to the bone; both were extraordinary.

"This is?"

Just from this feeling, she knew that these two were no ordinary objects, and were definitely treasures on par with the God Emperor's Battle Formation!

"Give the True Dragon Blood Heart to Xiaobai, and give this Demon God Embryo to Jinxi."

Gu Heng handed the two items to her, saying, "I originally intended to give them to them personally, but the Imperial Advisor wants to see me, so please pass them on for me."

She pursed her lips but still asked, "He really doesn't waste a single moment."

"Give him some time, and the rest will be yours."

Gu Heng laughed and said, "We can't afford to get angry with him, can we?"

Qin Yiyao turned her face away: "No."

Gu Heng shook his head and chuckled at this insincere look, and could only say, "Then I'll have to trouble you to bring the things over."

"Bringing something to that mother cat, pshaw..."

The little girl's eyes were slightly indifferent, but Gu Heng was not worried about it.

He had long been aware of the subtle "conflict" between his own disciple and Su Jinxi. One was his beloved disciple, and the other was his close-knit demon cat. Although they both cared about each other, they always ended up exchanging a few sharp words whenever they met.

But as for resolving the conflict, Gu Heng felt it was unnecessary.

He had heard these constant nagging many times, but they never affected the relationship between the two of them.

Perhaps this is just how they get along. He'd better not interfere too much, otherwise it's hard to say whether it will be good or bad.

"Master, please come back soon."

Qin Yiyao gave him a watery look, then turned and left gracefully.

"must."

Gu Heng nodded slightly.

Watching the little girl's figure gradually disappear into the distance, a sense of bewilderment arose in my heart.

Having not seen each other for more than ten years, the master and apprentice naturally got along easily and comfortably after their reunion, without any formalities or pretense, and were even more casual than before.

He had forgotten how many years it had been since he had asked her "How are you doing?" or thought about caring about her progress in cultivation or her experiences in the world. Now, the relationship between disciple and master no longer required such things.

The little girl had already exceeded his expectations, traversing a long road that he no longer needed to worry about.

Unless, of course, all of this was predetermined by him long ago.

If that were the case, even Gu Heng would be afraid of his former self.

I hope so.

Perhaps I'm not as infallible as I thought.

Gu Heng was still feeling melancholy when a spatial rift suddenly opened up beside him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Heh, they really don't waste time."

He sighed and walked inside.

Beyond the spatial rift lay an abstract, otherworldly realm, surrounded by countless chaotic and fragmented overlapping shadows. Gu Ce stood ten steps in front of him, his back to him, looking every bit the hermit.

"What does the Imperial Advisor need me to do?"

Gu Heng stepped forward and said irritably.

"Mr. Gu and his beloved student truly have a deep and supportive relationship."

Gu Ce had not yet turned around; his gaze was fixed on the overlapping shadows, and the topic did not veer in the direction Gu Heng had intended.

"Yes, that's how it is when you raise an apprentice."

Gu Heng frowned, feeling that there was something strange about the Imperial Advisor's words.

“I once had a beloved disciple. I taught him everything I knew, but I still felt it wasn’t enough. I wished I could pass on all my life’s cultivation to him, so that he could surpass me.”

Gu Ce said leisurely.

Upon hearing this, Gu Heng didn't know how to respond and could only wait for the other person to continue.

After a long pause, the Grand Preceptor said in a low voice, "If he hadn't been plotting to eliminate me to seize the secrets, I wouldn't be all alone now."

If Gu Heng hadn't seen the ruthless smile on Gu Ce's lips, he would have felt sorry and sorry for Gu Ce because of his words.

The story of the traitorous disciple killing his master was hardly a new tale, but he dared not be sure of anything Gu Ce said.

God knows what sinister purpose he might have had in suddenly telling this story?

"It sounds like the Imperial Advisor has had difficult times in the past, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with me."

Gu Heng silently took half a step back.

Gu Ce suddenly looked at him, his smile faint: "That's true. After all, my wicked disciple deserved to die. But never mind, it was just a feeling."

"Mhm." Gu Heng nodded repeatedly.

"Let's get down to business."

Gu Ce's smile faded, and he lowered his eyes. "I need you to do something."

"Are we going to act again?"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had been hiding in the deep mountains and forests for several months. If he were to come out and still have to put on a good show with Gu Ce's people, it wouldn't be too bad. At least his life wouldn't be in danger.

"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult, just like before."

Gu Ce turned around, his gray cloth robe motionless amidst the fragmented shadows, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

"Then please, Imperial Preceptor, explain further."

For some reason, Gu Heng always felt that the easy job Gu Ce mentioned must be more complicated than it seemed.

"Several months later, the Qinggu Divine Kingdom will hold a grand divine sacrifice, a once-in-a-millennium sacrificial ceremony. The Divine Lord will appear and, through his own cultivation, invoke divine power to forcibly replenish the increasingly weakened fortunes of the dynasty."

Gu Heng's heart stirred slightly: "Will the Divine Lord himself appear?"

It seems that the elusive and mysterious Qinggu Divine Lord has no choice but to reveal himself.

He subconsciously considered a certain possibility and his expression froze: "You don't want me to attack the God-King, do you?"

"Yes and no."

Gu Ce took two steps closer, lowering his voice.

"The ostensible purpose of this sacrificial ceremony is to stabilize the people's hearts, but His Majesty has other motives. I want Mr. Gu to ruin this good show at the most crucial moment of the ceremony!"

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PS: I was a bit busy the past couple of days (referring to the DNF raid), but I will make up for the missed updates in double updates!

Absolutely no cancellations!