"It was Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. We really were fated to meet." Gu Changqing smiled. "What happened?"
"Imperial Preceptor, you came at just the right time!" The armored soldier pointed at Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva and replied, "He killed our marquis!"
Upon seeing Gu Changqing, the armored soldier was no longer afraid.
Though the other party was Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, a highly esteemed figure of the Western Sect.
The Imperial Preceptor was not only Great Shang's Imperial Preceptor, but also an eminent expert of the Intercepting Sect. His status was no lower than the other man's.
The armored soldier leaned close to Gu Changqing and recounted what had just happened.
Gu Changqing frowned. "Was that truly what happened?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva smiled bitterly. "If I said it was merely a misunderstanding, would Junior Brother Changqing believe me?"
Gu Changqing said helplessly, "In principle, I should believe the Bodhisattva. But Chong Heihu is a disciple of my Intercepting Sect and a Great Shang marquis. How am I supposed to believe you?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva smiled bitterly. "Would I, the dignified Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva of the Western Sect, need to sneak attack an Earth Immortal?"
Gu Changqing asked, "Did the Precious Flower that killed him belong to you?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva nodded.
Gu Changqing continued, "Could the Precious Flower have run off and killed someone on its own?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva nodded again.
In truth, it had been his own Precious Flower that had inexplicably flown out and killed Chong Heihu.
"Heh." Gu Changqing sneered. "Do you think the Two Sages of the West would believe that?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva shook his head bitterly. This time, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he would never wash himself clean.
Killing an Earth Immortal was nothing much. Even killing some unknown disciple of the Intercepting Sect would have been nothing much.
But Chong Heihu had been granted the title of Caozhou Marquis, one of the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.
Even if he had wanted to kill the man, he could not have done so openly, much less in front of Gu Changqing.
The problem was that he was genuinely innocent!
Unfortunately, only he knew he was innocent. Chong Heihu was dead, slain by his exclusive magic treasure, the Precious Flower!
Gu Changqing continued pressing him. "Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, shouldn't you give me an explanation? Give the world an explanation?"
"An explanation? What explanation?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva was miserable inside. He really had not killed anyone. He had never expected that on his first visit to the North Sea, he would run into such a mess.
"Under all heaven, is there any land that does not belong to the king? Within the borders of the realm, is there any subject who does not belong to the king?" Gu Changqing declared righteously. "You entered my North Sea, and beneath Vulture Peak Mountain, you killed a key minister of Great Shang and slaughtered a loyal and filial disciple of the Intercepting Sect. Shouldn't you give an explanation?"
"What do you take Great Shang for? What do you take the Intercepting Sect for?"
Gu Changqing was imposing, and the armored soldiers shared the same hatred.
"I... I truly didn't kill anyone!"
Under Gu Changqing's questioning, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's momentum faltered. The Precious Flower in his hand made his explanation appear weak and unconvincing no matter how he looked at it.
"You dare do it but not admit it?"
"I..."
"For the sake of our acquaintance, and for the sake of the two Western uncles, if you surrender without resisting, I can still deal with you leniently."
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva had long since lost his momentum. He said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Changqing, I truly did not kill anyone. Why must you press me so relentlessly?"
Gu Changqing smiled bitterly. "It is not that I am pressing you relentlessly. Justice lies in the hearts of the people! If Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva refuses to turn back from the wrong path, do not blame me for showing no mercy."
"Junior Brother Changqing intends to attack?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's brows furrowed slightly. It was not that he feared Gu Changqing, but he already owed Gu Changqing a karmic debt.
It was inappropriate to attack Gu Changqing now, but circumstances forced his hand.
Gu Changqing said helplessly, "Since justice does not lie in people's hearts, but in cultivation, Senior Brother, forgive my rudeness."
As Gu Changqing spoke, he reached out toward Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva.
Endless Creation Laws surged forth, forming an Azure Sky-Covering Giant Hand that seized at Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva.
"Creation Laws? Aren't you a disciple of the Intercepting Sect?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's expression changed in shock. He had never seen such pure Creation Laws.
In the Creation Dao, the only one who could likely stand shoulder to shoulder with Gu Changqing was Nüwa, who had already attained the Dao.
Could this fellow be Tong Tian's disciple in name, but Nüwa's successor in truth?
There was no point thinking about that now. He had to overcome the immediate danger first.
"Amitabha!"
A Buddhist Seal expanded with the wind, becoming the size of a small mountain in an instant as it crashed toward the azure giant hand.
Boom!
The golden Buddhist Seal shattered instantly, while the azure giant hand continued reaching down from the sky.
How was that possible?
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's heart shook violently. He had once assumed that Gu Changqing merely possessed many magic treasures, but he had never imagined that Gu Changqing's own strength was so monstrous.
How many years had this fellow cultivated for?
A hundred years?
Or ten?
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva had no time to think further. The Treasure Vase above his head flew out.
Bang!
Before the shrinking azure giant hand, the Treasure Vase was crushed in one grip before it could unleash its power.
Pfft!
With his treasure destroyed, his mind was affected in turn.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
How monstrous!
An Innate Spiritual Treasure had actually been crushed in one grip. It was unbelievable.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva raised one hand and scattered the Precious Flowers in his hand.
Five hundred Precious Flowers formed an array and crashed toward the azure giant hand once more.
Bang!
The array shattered, and the Precious Flowers scattered across the ground.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta opened his mouth and spat out a treasured sword. It was the Mid-Grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure Gu Changqing had given him before.
Bang!
Though the treasured sword did not shatter, its spiritual radiance had dimmed greatly.
No matter how Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva resisted, it was all futile.
So this was what it felt like when strength alone overcame ten thousand techniques?
This was Gu Changqing's first time relying purely on cultivation to crush someone.
He had not expected that his first strike would directly overwhelm Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, a Peak Great Luo Golden Immortal.
The Primordial Creation True Scripture truly had not disappointed him.
Products from the system really were damn awesome!
"Do not try to resist any longer."
Gu Changqing said coldly, "All your resistance is futile."
Upon hearing this, Mahāsthāmaprāpta truly gave up resisting.
Gu Changqing was too monstrous. He was simply not someone Mahāsthāmaprāpta could contend with.
"You... what exactly is your cultivation?"
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva had now been suppressed by the azure giant hand. He asked with a face full of shock.
"Great Luo Golden Immortal!"
Gu Changqing did not hide it from him.
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
Even if beaten to death, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva would not believe Gu Changqing possessed the cultivation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.
He himself was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and a peak one at that.
Among all Great Luo Golden Immortals, he did not dare claim invincibility, but he was certainly among the small number at the very top.
Yet he had been mercilessly suppressed. He could tell that Gu Changqing had not even used his full strength, at the very least not his magic treasures.
Thinking of magic treasures made his liver tremble even more.
What Great Luo Golden Immortal could crush an Innate Spiritual Treasure barehanded?
None had ever appeared since the creation of heaven and earth!
"Whether it is possible is no longer important." Gu Changqing smiled. "What matters is that you lost."
"Yes, I lost."
"So whether I killed anyone is no longer important either."
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva felt bitter inside, knowing the situation was beyond saving.
He had not expected that this trip would leave him inexplicably bearing infamy, only to be suppressed with one hand.
This was more than mere bad luck.
It was simply...
Simply absurd!
Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva was speechless as he gazed at the heavens.
Gu Changqing raised his hand and sealed Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva's Three Flowers Above the Head and Five Qi Within the Chest, then threw him to the armored soldier leading the troops.
"Take him away!"
Seeing that the armored soldier had not moved, Gu Changqing added, "Take him back to the great camp. Bring Caozhou Marquis's body back to the great camp as well."
"Yes... yes!"
The armored soldier finally came to his senses.
He had never expected the Imperial Preceptor to be so formidable. The famed Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva of the Western Sect had actually been suppressed with a flick of his hand.
So this was their Imperial Preceptor?
With the Imperial Preceptor guarding the North Sea, what was there to fear?
Before you continue