Jiangnan, Gushu Road.
Between the mountains and rivers, a tall, gaunt, and refined man emerged from underground. He wore a robe of pure black, his gaze cold as frost, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Raising one hand, he placed upon his face a mask of heavy black wrought iron, hiding his features entirely.
That tall man was none other than Gu Yuye, or rather, the second puppet-body he had stationed here in Jiangnan.
With Gu Yuye's caution, of course he would never put all his eggs in one basket.
Of the three puppet-bodies: one was his usual vessel, already killed by Gu Fangchen through a "secret method"; one was near Huangtian City, now serving as the body shown publicly; and this third one was hidden in Gushu.
Jiangnan was the economic heartland of Great Wei, and also the most active ground for the Demon Sect. Since he cooperated with the sect, he naturally had to keep a constant grip on their movements.
Of course, the locations of these three puppet-bodies changed constantly, never remaining in one place, to ensure absolute safety.
Now, only two remained.
Although he still had his final safeguard, unless the situation became utterly dire, he would not use it.
Gu Yuye had become even more careful; unless the matter was truly critical, he would never let this body move.
And now, clearly, the time was critical.
"Swish-"
Gu Yuye stepped forward and vanished.
In moments, he appeared within the Weichuan Merchant Guild, guided by a cultist of the "Emotion Path" who had long prepared for his arrival, and was led toward the secret chamber where the Demon Sect's leaders met.
Gu Yuye's expression was grave, his heart filled with an unprecedented, murderous resolve.
The heavens were high, and the emperor was far away.
If Gu Fangchen were to appear before him now, he would not hesitate, he would strike him down on the spot!
But this was clearly not yet the time... Gu Yuye suppressed his turmoil, narrowing his eyes.
"I wonder what kind of madness these lunatics plan this time..."
This gathering of the Demon Sect's Tenfold Dao concerned a complete redirection of their future path, a matter of utmost importance.
Especially since Gu Yuandao's reputation had collapsed after his collusion with the Demon Sect was exposed, and with Master Juehui's verification, he had fallen to ruin, beyond recovery.
This meant their previous long-laid plans were now useless, and the backup plan to seize the Mandate of the Nation had to begin.
The true goal of the Tenfold Dao, after all their elaborate schemes, had always been singular, to reverse the celestial order, use the power of the nation's fate to break open Ying Baishou's fleshly seal, and unseal the half-opened Heaven's Gate.
Though each Dao Lord of the sect harbored his own ambitions and secret purposes, the final shared objective, the reason they gathered here now, was precisely this.
Within the Tenfold Dao, some sought power; some wished to destroy the world; some hungered for knowledge; some desired answers; some sought to realize their grand ambitions.
Whatever the motivation, their first necessity was always the same, obtain sufficient strength to sweep aside all obstacles.
And before them stood an insurmountable mountain: the "Saint of Scholars," Xie Qian!
At their current level, several of the Dao Lords were but a single step short of reaching First Grade.
But that single step, so long as Xie Qian stood guard, could never be crossed!
Ordinary people believed that "Half the Rivers and Mountains" only limited the power of the Qingman tribes, serving as Great Wei's protective wall and its greatest blessing.
Only cultivators like them, who had glimpsed the threshold of First Grade, understood the truth.
Second Grade could have many practitioners, but First Grade, in theory, could be limited to one alone.
For a First Grade had already transcended time and space itself, capable of crossing endless ages to realize their will.
If the first to reach First Grade so desired, he could slay anyone about to ascend to that same realm before they succeeded.
This, at least, was the conjecture of the Sixth Division Star Lord and the Thousand-Year Elder.
Neither of them had truly reached First Grade, so they could not know what such an act would cost.
But their reasoning was not unfounded, it stemmed from calculations the Sixth Division Star Lord had personally made.
However the future evolved, the road ahead was already blocked. Whatever path they took, they would inevitably clash with the Saint of Scholars at the end.
In other words, "Half the Rivers and Mountains" sealed not only the Qingman's cultivation, it sealed Great Wei itself.
To the Demon Sect, the only remaining thread of hope lay beyond the Heaven's Gate.
The "Revelation Path" theorized that behind the Heaven's Gate lay a higher order of power, very likely the true Heavenly Dao itself.
If opened, it could allow one to surpass the boundary of First Grade and attain enlightenment directly.
At that point, what would Xie Qian matter?
Though the theory seemed rootless, the fact that Ying Baishou, the former Sword Saint, chose to seal the Heaven's Gate and perish rather than break through himself, gave it frightening credibility.
If the secret truly risked plunging the world into chaos, was it any wonder that the former Sword Saint took such extreme measures?
Now the theory awaited proof, and at last, that day had come.
Before Ying Baishou opened the Heaven's Gate, the Revelation Path had been ridiculed as heresy, its doctrine dismissed even within the Demon Sect itself.
But now, Ying Baishou's actions had indirectly validated it, and the Revelation Path's status soared, almost to the level of a spiritual authority.
Its cooperation with Gu Yuye dated back twenty years.
The sect needed someone of impeccable background under the very nose of the Saint of Scholars, a righteous man to climb step by step, gather the will and faith of the masses, and then use illusion and spectacle to shape a false savior.
In the decaying empire of Great Wei, they would forge a new saint.
That saint had to be spotless, even acknowledged by Xie Qian himself, to withstand the enormous faith the sect would channel into him.
At the right moment, when the weight of that collective will surpassed that of the emperor in the people's hearts, faith would become national fate.
Gu Yuye, ambitious and long-discontented, had played the loyal minister for years, watching the Yongan Emperor grow dim-minded, driving away loyal officials while indulging sycophants. In his heart, he had coveted the Dragon Throne for years.
Thus the two sides struck their bargain.
Their chosen vessel, the unborn Gu Yuandao.
Gu Yuye knew perfectly well that within the sect's plan, Gu Yuandao was nothing more than a container for the nation's fate.
Simply put, to use the Mandate to shatter Heaven's Gate Mountain's seal, they needed to craft a bomb with the destructive power of a First Grade.
And Gu Yuandao was to be the warhead.
Once launched, the result would be beyond imagining.
Yet Gu Yuye didn't care in the slightest.
No matter what, he fancied himself the most capable mind in the empire. Were his contributions to Great Wei not greater than those of the useless nobles and courtiers rotting in luxury?
Could that senile Crown Prince be more fit for the throne than he?
Of course not.
To realize the plan, they first had to deceive both the Yongan Emperor and the Saint of Scholars, ensuring Gu Yuandao's record remained unsullied and his growth unhindered.
Fortunately, Xie Qian was still in seclusion; with only a thought's reach, he could not be omniscient.
And so the great switch was made, the exchange of true and false heirs.
The deed was done by the Demon Sect itself. Gu Yuandao, as victim, could hardly be accused of colluding with them. Would he abandon wealth and rank to study in poverty, climbing step by step as he had?
Surely he was innocent, a righteous gentleman devoted to the Way.
By their original design, so long as they smeared Gu Fangchen and killed him, Gu Yuandao would emerge pure as jade. After a few more years of grooming, the great plan would succeed.
Yet precisely at that final, simplest step, the reversal of the switch, everything went wrong.
Not only did Gu Fangchen survive, leaving the Demon Sect with a dangerous loose end, but Gu Yuandao's actions were exposed, and their saint-making plan collapsed overnight.
Now, with their perfect design ruined, only the backup plan remained.
That plan was far riskier, far more direct, and far harder to execute.
It had two stages.
First, ally with the Qingman tribes and shatter "Half the Rivers and Mountains."
Second, incite rebellion to hasten Great Wei's downfall.
Beset by internal chaos and foreign invasion, the empire's fate would begin to leak. The sect could then intercept it in the name of the uprising.
At that time, they would have to face the Grand Preceptor Xu Fu head-on, a direct confrontation.
Compared to slowly crafting a false saint, this was a reckless move, easily thwarted by Xie Qian.
But given the sect's reputation for sowing chaos, disguising their true intent, to break the Heaven's Gate seal, beneath the banner of toppling Great Wei was at least plausible.
And at this point, they had no better choice.
As their long-time ally and the key to the Qingman defense line, Gu Yuye remained a main pillar of this backup plan.
His earlier cooperation with the Qingman had always been to ensure a seamless transition should the Saint Plan fail.
Yet after Gu Fangchen's last interference, the Qingman no longer trusted Gu Yuye entirely.
To win them back, he would have to offer another gift.
"No matter what, that unstable factor Gu Fangchen must be removed first, only then can the plan proceed safely."
Gu Yuye's expression was stone-cold. His steps halted.
The door to the secret chamber opened a crack, and out came a greasy, rotund man carrying an unconscious, alluring woman dressed in black, a stranger to Gu Yuye.
He recognized the fat man immediately: Guan Yue, a senior of the Emotion Path.
But the woman in his hand, he had never seen her before.
Gu Yuye frowned, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
How could a stranger appear at a meeting of the Dao Lords? And her cultivation, only Fourth Grade?
He raised a hand to block their way and asked coldly,
"Who is this? Why are outsiders present when the Dao Lords are in council?"
Guan Yue's face twitched oddly upon seeing Gu Yuye, but she merely giggled twice, lifted the limp woman slightly, and said in a singsong tone,
"This woman dared impersonate our Emotion Path's Dao Lord, attempting to steal her position!
"Fortunately, the Dao Lord herself returned in time and exposed her true identity, otherwise the imposter would have taken her place!"
Even as she spoke, Guan Yue felt disbelief stirring within her.
Moments earlier, though she had cooperated calmly with Gu Fangchen on the surface, inwardly she had been utterly stunned.
For she alone knew the truth, the person inside was Gu Fangchen, and the woman in her hand was their true Dao Lord.
And yet, it now seemed that the Dao Lord they had served all this time had also been a fake!
Within their own Emotion Path, few even knew their Dao Lord had been replaced, and now Gu Fangchen had appeared as though already aware of it, calmly walking in to take the seat himself...
It almost made him seem more legitimate than they were!
After all, what was the Emotion Path if not a den of trickery and deceit?
"..."
Gu Yuye's face twitched; he was speechless.
As absurd as it sounded, this was exactly the sort of madness the Emotion Path was known for.
Lunatics all of them, how else could they be called the Demon Sect?
The only question was whether the woman just brought out was truly the fake, or whether some Emotion Path schemer had turned the real one into the "false."
Either way, it was none of his concern.
So long as the sect stayed united and the grand plan moved forward, that was enough.
He turned away, withdrawing his gaze.
Guan Yue shrugged and left with Ying Liangxin in tow.
Yet Gu Yuye's frown deepened; for some reason, the way Guan Yue had looked at him seemed off, not mocking, but as though she found something amusing.
A chill glimmer crossed his eyes.
Those Emotion Path bastards were always so obnoxious.
When success finally came, he swore he would wipe them all out.
He drew a long breath, pushed open the chamber door, and stepped inside.
---
The chamber within was vast and dim.
All around, the Demon Sect Dao Lords sat in a circle. Their auras were vast and oppressive, like mountains and deep seas, ancient, weighty, and murderous.
Every gaze turned toward Gu Yuye as he entered.
Each of these figures, whether smiling or silent, was a monster who had taken countless lives. The chill in their collective stare was enough to freeze one's soul.
Yet Gu Yuye was no ordinary man.
He strode in calmly, hands clasped behind him, scanning the faces one by one, until his eyes halted on one that struck him with a shock like lightning.
That face, he knew too well.
For nineteen years, though he had cared little for this substitute, he had interacted with him under the guise of father and son.
Lately, he had hated that face so much that he wanted to tear it apart with his bare hands.
And yet, how could that face appear here?
How could it possibly be here?!
Gu Fangchen raised a brow, grinned brightly, and waved a hand.
"Hello," he said cheerfully.
Then he sighed and remarked, "Truly, life brings strange meetings, doesn't it, Gu Yuye? Never thought you'd see me again so soon, eh?"
Gu Yuye: "...?!!?!!!"
The mighty War Saint, Northern Garrison Prince, commander of fifty legions, his eyes bulged, his pupils contracted to pinpoints, his face twisting as though he'd seen a ghost.
If before he had merely thought Gu Fangchen devious and unpredictable, now he felt something genuinely supernatural.
What in hell's name was this?!
This was the Demon Sect's headquarters!
Five Dao Lords were seated here, half of the sect's total power gathered in this one room.
And what was the Demon Sect's relationship to Gu Fangchen?
Nineteen years ago, they had switched identities, forcing him to live as a cripple in Gu Fangchen's place.
Nineteen years later, to secure Gu Yuandao's rise, they had attempted to assassinate Gu Fangchen multiple times.
They were mortal enemies, hatred to the death!
And now, before his very eyes, Gu Fangchen was standing there in the seat of a Dao Lord, smiling and waving at him like it was a friendly reunion!
Were he not a Third Grade cultivator, whose senses could not be deceived, he would have thought this was all a fever dream.
But it wasn't.
This was real, terribly real.
Gu Yuye exploded on the spot, aura surging outward like a tide. He glared at Gu Fangchen with killing intent so sharp it could flay the air.
"You little bastard! I wasn't even coming for you, and yet you've thrown yourself into my hands!"
"Since you're so eager to die, I'll oblige you!"
Before anyone could react, Gu Yuye vanished.
In the same instant, his sword was drawn and descending straight toward Gu Fangchen's skull.
Though sudden, the blow carried his full power. The air shrieked as the blade cleaved down, leaving behind a streak of deep, cold swordlight.
This strike, unstoppable.
With Gu Fangchen's cultivation, death was certain.
"Clang!"
Gu Fangchen's smile did not falter.
At his side, Lord Decay stepped forward without a word, raising his sword horizontally to meet Gu Yuye's blow.
"Gu Yuye," said Lord Decay, his tone flat and frigid. "Look carefully where you stand."
A rasping sound filled the air.
Gu Yuye felt the vibration through his blade, a grating, corroding hiss that made his teeth ache. From the crimson steel of Lord Decay's sword, a dark red corrosion spread across his own weapon like creeping rust, eating it away in moments.
It reached his hilt before he could even react. The killing heat in his chest turned to shock.
He instantly let go.
"Clang!"
His sword fell to the floor, already turning black and brittle, disintegrating into a pile of rust.
Cold sweat dampened his back. He forced his breathing to steady, face pale.
He had long heard of Lord Decay's mastery of poison and swordsmanship, but had never faced it directly, until now.
Now he understood.
The sword he'd used was a supreme-grade weapon, yet it had lasted barely a single breath before being reduced to scrap.
And he hadn't even seen Lord Decay's draw.
He inhaled deeply.
If he ever fought Lord Decay for real, without using every ounce of strength, he would have no chance at all.
Truly terrifying.
But though shaken, his hatred burned undiminished.
Gu Yuye retreated several steps, glaring at Gu Fangchen, then at Lord Decay.
"I know very well where I stand," he said coldly. "But you all, what are you doing?"
He pointed sharply at Gu Fangchen.
"Explain this to me! Why is he here? Don't tell me you arranged this!"
"Of course not," replied the Coal Seller lightly.
"You misunderstand, Prince. That's not Gu Fangchen. That's the Dao Lord of the Emotion Path. Someone recently tried to impersonate her, so she disguised herself as Gu Fangchen with the Mirage Array to prove her true identity."
Gu Yuye's expression twisted with fury. He didn't believe a word.
He spat, "Don't be fooled by this little demon's tricks! That's Gu Fangchen, without doubt! Kill him now, and our plan will remain secure!"
The Sixth Division Star Lord frowned slightly.
"Gu Yuye," he said, voice cold and calm. "Are you saying the five of us together lack your discerning eyes?"
"That we cannot tell truth from illusion?"
The Dao Lord of the Craft Path chuckled softly. "I understand the Prince's feelings, but that one truly is the Dao Lord of Emotion Path. Gu Fangchen could never possess such ability."
Gu Yuye looked around.
All five of them, every one, showed the same expression of certainty.
His face turned dark, but in his heart, the unshakable conviction began to waver.
It made no sense.
This was the perfect chance, Gu Fangchen himself, delivered right into his hands!
Kill him here, and all hidden dangers would vanish!
Yet these fools, these five Dao Lords, looked at that face and felt nothing!
Could it be... had he somehow mistaken him?
The Sixth Division Star Lord saw his hesitation and said,
"Just now, she demonstrated her Mirage Array's mastery. She could perfectly imitate even the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity without flaw.
"That is not something Gu Fangchen could ever do. You may rest easy."
Gu Yuye paused. The fury in his heart dimmed somewhat.
Indeed, if it were an ordinary disguise, it could have been Gu Fangchen's work.
But to perfectly mimic the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity before five Dao Lords, without being exposed?
That seemed impossible for Gu Fangchen.
If he truly had that kind of power, he could have escaped his false identity long ago, using deception to reverse his fate.
Why would he have been forced to seek help from others?
At that moment, Gu Fangchen smiled.
"Gu Yuye," he said, "how's my disguise? Flawless, isn't it? I even made a bet with the Dao Lords here, whether you'd see through it or not.
"Well, looks like we have our answer."
Just hearing his voice rekindled Gu Yuye's rage.
Yet seeing the approving nods of the Dao Lords, he suppressed it again and spoke coldly,
"I've met the Dao Lord of the Emotion Path before. She had no such power. How can you prove the one you sent out just now was the fake?"
The Sixth Division Star Lord said evenly,
"Since he won the contest, that makes him the Dao Lord."
In other words, victory defined truth. The fake became real.
Lord Decay sheathed his sword and added quietly,
"Still, we do not yet know the Dao Lord's name."
Gu Fangchen replied smoothly, face unchanging,
"You may call me Feiwei."
He smiled faintly. "The 'Feiwei' of 'to act without restraint.' That's what we Emotion Path folk are, after all."
Lord Decay blinked once, then repeated inwardly: Dao Lord Feiwei...
"Feiwei", the word also meant "not."
So this man had openly introduced himself as "Not the Dao Lord."
The entire room fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then a few of the Dao Lords chuckled softly.
Gu Yuye stood stiffly, fists trembling, heart seething with fury and disbelief.
No matter what name he used, he would carve this moment into memory.
When the time came, he would erase every last one of them.