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

Chapter 525: Mission Completed

Half an hour later.

Gu Heng looked at Yin Xueling's painting in the courtyard and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm, not bad. It seems you've learned quite a bit from studying with me these past few days."

"Young Master Gu's teaching is excellent; what I have learned is merely the tip of the iceberg."

Yin Xueling smiled happily, all thanks to Young Master Gu's guidance. She felt that her understanding of the Dao was becoming more and more profound.

Although she wasn't yet his disciple, Gu Heng was already the most important person she would ever meet in her life.

"I really want to leave the desolate city and go out to see the world." Of course, her strength is improving more and more, but staying in the desolate city all day long, no matter how much she improves, she doesn't even have a worthy opponent to test her skills. Yin Xueling can't say she doesn't feel frustrated.

I'm quite frustrated.

Before long, Yin Rufeng and Si Chen returned to the courtyard. However, Si Chen suddenly walked up to Gu Heng and gave him a proper bow: "This old man greets Young Master Gu. Young Master Gu has settled in the desolate city, yet I have been slow to pay my respects. This is truly an oversight!"

"Oh dear, old man, there's no need for such a grand gesture."

Seeing that another important figure from a prominent family was bowing to him, Gu Heng was the one who dared not be negligent and quickly stood up to return the greeting.

Strange, when this old man Si Chen came over just now, he was in a hurry and didn't seem to care about me at all. Why is he suddenly so humble now?

He didn't know what Yin Rufeng had said to him.

"Of course! Of course!" "I heard from Old Yin that Young Master Gu is willing to protect my desolate city. This is an unimaginable gift and favor! If I don't express my gratitude, wouldn't I be wasting Young Master Gu's kindness?"

If Si Chen had any doubts about this young man before, they vanished long after seeing the painting that Yin Rufeng had brought out.

Si Chen almost went blind after just one glance at that painting, because the Daoist aura within it was so powerful that even a mere wisp of it nearly blinded Si Chen, a peak Yuan Immortal. If the painting were fully unfurled, allowing the Daoist intent within it to erupt completely…

Si Chen simply couldn't imagine it.

How powerful would that force be?

The painting he created in just one night possessed such immense power; even Yin Rufeng broke through his cultivation realm after merely glancing at it and sensing a trace of its Dao. Just how powerful was Gu Heng? It was beyond imagination.

Si Chen then realized that he had been in seclusion for hundreds of years, immersed in cultivation, but had not realized that the truly powerful figures had actually settled and lived here.

Of course, it won't work if we don't adopt a humble attitude.

"Old Master Si, you flatter me. It's not that difficult. I just want this place to remain peaceful."

Gu Heng shook his head.

It seems that this old man Si is similar to Yin Rufeng; they both sensed that something big might happen outside and began to worry that the desolate city would be in trouble.

To put it bluntly, it's just needless worry.

He had already analyzed that even if the Lesser Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm were to go to war, no matter how fierce the fighting, it wouldn't spread to the Ancient Wilderness Great Vein.

Since everyone's energy is limited, and war is not a matter of drawing lines and pushing forward, it is natural to choose strategic locations, then deploy heavy troops, and use all available frontal surprise attacks to create a stalemate.

The ancient wilderness veins are not worth fighting over at all.

It's really dangerous.

Gu Heng thought they were at most bandits and thieves, nothing to worry about.

The old man was covered in the ink of calligraphy, which suggests that he had never practiced calligraphy in his life and had never experienced the dangers of the outside world, hence his unfounded worry.

"That's excellent. If needed, I, Si Chen, will certainly do my utmost!"

Si Chen was very serious, his expression extremely earnest.

"Then thank you, Mr. Si."

Gu Heng pointed to the empty seat next to him: "Since we're here, would you like a cup of tea?"

"I am very sorry, I am busy with family affairs, but if Young Master Gu would be so kind as to visit me, I will definitely come often in the future!" Si Chen was startled out of seclusion by Gu Yun's announcement of his emergence. Now that he knows that there is such a great god in the Desolate City, who does not even take the Void Immortal World seriously, he can go back with peace of mind and finish comprehending the Daoist principles he has not yet mastered.

But Si Chen would never refuse such a good opportunity to sit and drink tea with Young Master Gu a second time.

"alright."

Gu Heng didn't care about being rejected. Si Chen said goodbye and left in a hurry. Yin Rufeng and Yin Xueling also took their leave.

The courtyard fell silent again.

"Tsk, it seems the mystery has been solved as well?"

With them gone, Gu Heng finally had a quiet environment and began to ponder the question that had been lingering in his mind.

That is, the person who called himself "Gu Yun" and had several titles in his name just now broadcast a megaphone to the entire Xuan Tian Realm. In fact, Gu Heng had keenly caught the content he wanted from what he said... Among the tasks issued by the system, there was a temporary task called "The Fish That Escaped the Net," which was to "investigate the conspiracy of the forces behind the Blood Shadow Tower and take this opportunity to obtain the key information of the task 'Xuan Tian Taboo'!"

but.

The Blood Shadow Tower is backed by the Blood Soul Holy Sect. According to the intelligence gathered by Old Gu and his gang, the Blood Soul Holy Sect is backed by the "Evil Cultivator Alliance." The Blood Soul Holy Sect's "betrayal" of the Evil Cultivator Alliance during the "War to Exterminate Evil" was merely a last-minute act and a charade.

Although this force has changed its appearance, it is still part of the evil cultivator alliance!

Therefore, the clues gradually revealed more and more behind-the-scenes forces, from Blood Shadow Tower → Blood Soul Holy Sect → Evil Cultivator Alliance...

What's behind that evil cultivator alliance?

If what the person who shouted through the loudspeaker said is true.

The "backing force" of that evil cultivation alliance is the Demon Realm! The Demon Realm, ah, it's recorded in ancient books, another, even more powerful world!

Gu Heng felt that once they reached the Demon Realm, there probably wouldn't be any behind-the-scenes forces anymore. After all, there were still "behind-the-scenes forces" over the entire world, and just hearing about it made him feel shudder.

He opened the system interface and saw that the "Tasks" section was highlighted. He clicked on it and found that the "Fish That Escaped the Net" task had been completed!

"It's already finished?"

Gu Heng found it strange.

But this is only a temporary task, and it shouldn't be complicated. He's just overthinking it.

Click to open.

Then, upon completion of the task, a line of text appeared from the system:

"The temporary mission 'The Slippery Fish' has been completed. Now, key information will be unlocked for the host..."

"The Blood Shadow Tower is backed by the Blood Soul Holy Sect, and the Blood Soul Holy Sect is backed by the Evil Cultivator Alliance."

"The Evil Cultivator Alliance is a vassal force secretly supported by the Demon Realm in the Xuan Tian Realm. Its cultivation methods are completely compatible with the Demon Realm's cultivation path. The purpose of being supported is to allow the Demon Realm to regain its strongholds and informants in the Xuan Tian Realm... Based on the consistent hostile relationship, the Evil Cultivator Alliance is extremely hostile to the Immortal Realm and also to any force whose cultivation methods are compatible with the Immortal Realm's cultivation path."

"After the last Five Realms War resulted in all five realms being severely damaged, the Demon Realm has never given up its plot to continue to covet the Xuan Tian Realm."

"The purpose of everything is to seize the oldest and most unknown 'secret' of the 'Mysterious Heaven Realm'."

That concludes the key information.

I read it carefully.

Gu Heng felt as if he had suddenly been drawn into a massive conspiracy.