Now that he had a million billion merit in hand, Gu Changqing had a new idea.
Gu Changqing left the land of luck and met with Di Xin and Jiang Si. "Do you know that no matter how hard you try, Great Shang will only grow weaker by the day?"
"Zi Shou does not understand."
Di Xin was also deeply puzzled. No matter how he had struggled these past years, he had found it difficult to reverse Great Shang's decline. In fact, it had worsened with every passing year.
Gu Changqing sighed inwardly and replied, "Replacing Shang with Zhou was decided by the Saints. In this world, the Saints have the final say."
"Replacing Shang with Zhou?"
Di Xin's heart stirred, and he asked, "Then, Teacher... why did you still take me as your disciple?"
Gu Changqing continued, "In truth, I do not care whether Zhou replaces Shang. But after you, there will be no more Human Kings. That is what I do not wish to see."
"I do not merely want you to become a Human King. I want you to become a Human Emperor. I want to defy Heaven and change the fate of the Human Race. That is why I took you as my disciple, why I gave you the Human Emperor Seal and the Human Emperor Sword."
"You will not disappoint me, will you?"
"Zi Shou thanks Teacher!"
Di Xin immediately knelt in gratitude.
"For the great cause of the Human Race, Zi Shou will not shrink from death ten thousand times over."
"Jiang Si is willing to follow Teacher and seek the great cause of the Human Race together!"
Jiang Si also bowed to the ground.
For their sake and for the Human Race, Gu Changqing did not hesitate to contend with the Saints. How could they not be moved?
"If we succeed, our names will live through the ages. If we fail, we will perish in body and Dao. Are you prepared?"
"Even a hundred deaths would bring no regret!"
"Good!" Gu Changqing helped them both up and continued, "Everything is in place now. All we lack is the east wind."
"The east wind?"
Di Xin did not understand.
"Indeed." Gu Changqing continued, "Five Saints now wish to put Great Shang to death. Only Master stands on our side."
"The Four Swords of Zhuxian cannot be broken without four Saints. They can restrain four Saints, but there is still one Saint who must be dealt with."
"You must hold on for another ten years. Ten years from now, I will be able to fight a Saint!"
Upon hearing this, Di Xin rejoiced. "Not to mention ten years—even twenty would be possible!"
"Enough, you may leave." Gu Changqing added, "Do not tell anyone what I have told you. Do not even think about it."
"Mm."
After Di Xin left, Gu Changqing brought Jiang Si to the land of luck.
Burning merit for cultivation also benefited others.
Before entering seclusion, Gu Changqing exchanged one hundred billion merit for ten thousand Limitless Creation Pills and gave them to Xuan Ye in the Heavenly Mystery Abode.
This time, Gu Changqing burned merit directly at the level of one hundred billion.
The blazing Merit Sacred Fire burned fiercely, while the Luck Golden Dragon let out excited dragon roars.
Jiang Si was dumbfounded.
Burning merit to cultivate—what an extravagant method of cultivation!
Teacher was truly going all out to contend against the Saints!
Beyond her shock, Jiang Si felt even more moved.
Beneath the Merit Sacred Fire, her thoughts became exceptionally clear, and the Primordial Creation True Scripture became effortless to comprehend.
A fortunate opportunity!
This was a heaven-sent opportunity!
Jiang Si seized the chance and hurriedly cultivated.
As immense amounts of merit burned, Gu Changqing's vision suddenly broadened. The myriad laws of the world all came into view.
Burning merit was not useless. It was simply useless if too little was burned.
As he beheld the myriad laws, Gu Changqing suddenly gained enlightenment.
The Primordial Creation True Scripture did not cultivate the Creation Laws.
True creation could evolve all things.
He had previously cultivated only the Creation Laws, but he had actually entered a misconception.
All laws lay beneath creation.
Only with creation could there be time and space, could there be the five elements.
Creation was the beginning of all things!
Gu Changqing began comprehending every kind of law.
Cultivation knew no passage of time. In the blink of an eye, five years passed. Gu Changqing did not know how much merit he had burned, but he finally comprehended every law thoroughly.
The Law Body also had to merge with the Dao.
Only by fusing all laws into one could he transform them into true Creation Laws.
Another five years passed, and all laws finally merged into one.
He had finally Proved the Dao of Mixed Origin!
Of the million billion merit, half was directly consumed.
The price could not be called small.
One hundred billion merit could create a Merit Saint.
Yet to cultivate to the Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, he had used a full five hundred thousand billion merit.
There were no flowers falling from the heavens, nor golden lotuses springing from the earth.
That was for the best!
It was time to leave seclusion.
Gu Changqing stopped burning merit. At the same time, Jiang Si awoke from cultivation. She had now also reached the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
"Very good. From today onward, you no longer need to hide here."
"Teacher, you... you succeeded?"
"Indeed. I have cultivated to the Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, equivalent to a Saint's cultivation."
"Congratulations, Teacher."
"Come, let us go to Chaoge!"
As Gu Changqing spoke, he directly brought Jiang Si into the royal palace.
"This..."
"Is that not the Queen?"
No one in the royal palace recognized Gu Changqing, but no one failed to recognize Jiang Si.
"I have returned!"
Jiang Si declared loudly.
Jiang Si's appearance threw the entire royal palace into turmoil.
Who could have imagined that the Queen, believed dead, would reappear in the world more than a decade later?
The heavens were about to change!
Di Xin was the first to rush over.
"Teacher, you succeeded?"
Di Xin knew that if Teacher had not been certain, he would not have brought Jiang Si out as well.
Jiang Si's appearance signified a formal declaration of war against the Saints.
"Mm."
Gu Changqing nodded, then looked at Da Ji beside Di Xin. "Your task is over, and you have failed."
"I..."
From the instant Da Ji saw Jiang Si, she knew she had long since been exposed.
The victor became king, the loser a bandit.
Da Ji's face was full of bitterness.
She had thought she had already controlled Di Xin, only to discover that she herself had been the clown.
"Nüwa the Saint has the merit of creating humanity. When the great flood came, she smelted stones to mend the heavens, earning boundless merit."
"As the mother of the Human Race, she should receive the gratitude of every human. But the Human Race also has its own path to walk."
"The movement of Heaven is ever vigorous; a noble person must strive without ceasing. The path pointed out by the Saints may not necessarily be the best path for the Human Race."
"Take your two sisters and return to Wa Palace. The mortal world is not suited to you. Also, please tell Nüwa the Saint that replacing Shang with Zhou will not do! I hope Nüwa the Saint will cease interfering in mortal affairs."
After Gu Changqing finished speaking, he looked at the hesitant Da Ji and added, "Gu Changqing has said all there is to say."
If Da Ji returned now, she could still escape disaster. If she remained in the mortal world, her life and death would be uncertain.
Da Ji looked at Di Xin beside her, not knowing where to begin.
"Great King, I..."
"You should go. I will not make things difficult for you."
"Great King!"
A tear slid down Da Ji's cheek.
It would have been a lie to say that she had developed no feelings for Di Xin after being with him all these years.
But when she thought of how Di Xin had long seen through her identity, an inexplicable pain pierced her heart.
Seeing Da Ji like this, Di Xin could not bear it. In the end, he turned his head away.
Some feelings were destined to have no ending.
"Great King!"
Da Ji called out once more, then left for Wa Palace with her two younger sisters.
After returning to Wa Palace, Da Ji told Nüwa everything that had happened in the mortal world.
"Useless! You could not even handle such a trivial matter!"
"What use are you!"
Killing intent flashed in Nüwa's eyes as she struck at Da Ji with her palm.
Da Ji neither resisted nor dodged.
The moment she left the mortal world, her heart had already died.
Before Nüwa's palm, capable of destroying everything, could strike Da Ji, someone caught it, preventing it from advancing even an inch.
"Please calm your anger, Nüwa the Saint."
"Da Ji is your disciple, but she is also my student's wife."
The one who had come was Gu Changqing.
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