The Gu Lineage of the Royal Capital, the Elders' Decision

While Gu Fan immersed himself in cultivation in Guangyang City.

The royal capital, the Gu Lineage.

As one of the Great Qian Dynasty's seven great Lineages, the Gu Lineage occupied an expansive estate even in the royal capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

And with its influence extending throughout Great Qian, it was immensely wealthy.

Thus, magnificent halls and jade palaces, pavilions and terraces could be seen everywhere throughout the Gu estate.

In some cultivation grounds, Spiritual Qi was so dense that it formed mist, making the surroundings breathtakingly beautiful.

At that moment.

Inside a side chamber.

The Gu Lineage's second elder suddenly frowned.

"Yanshan Commandery City? What is he trying to do?"

He had received word from Guangyang City, essentially saying that Gu Fan intended to go to Yanshan Commandery City and take over its Profound Heaven Auction House.

Such news undoubtedly displeased the second elder.

In his view, Gu Fan should have stayed obediently in Guangyang City and waited for death. Why had he instead begun leaping about as the Lineage competition approached?

Could he still be unwilling to accept his fate?

A dangerous look suddenly entered the second elder's eyes.

If anyone had the strongest claim to inherit the Gu Lineage in the future, it was undoubtedly Gu Fan, the main branch's sole remaining scion.

However.

Ever since learning twelve years ago that Gu Fan could not cultivate and would die young because of his constitution.

The elders had begun harboring certain thoughts.

The descendants of their respective branches had all achieved success in cultivation, while the main branch had no successor. Why could their branches not inherit the position of Gu Lineage patriarch?

Although the Gu Lineage owed everything it had today to successive generations of the main branch pressing forward as their predecessors fell, even paying with their lives.

Gu Fan's parents, for instance, had fallen on the battlefield during a dynastic war, earning the royal family's favor and allowing the Gu Lineage to survive a great calamity.

But even so.

Surely the Gu Lineage, one of the seven great Lineages, could not be inherited by a cripple like Gu Fan?

As the saying went, the capable should rise to the top.

The Gu Lineage ought to be taken over by the outstanding young talents of their respective branches!

And now.

That most legitimate heir intended to go to the commandery city at this critical moment, leaving the second elder feeling that trouble was brewing.

Thus, he immediately sent messages summoning the elders to discuss the matter, without informing the aged patriarch.

It was already the hour of Hai that night.

The elders were all cultivating or occupied with other matters.

Thus, after receiving the second elder's message, they only reached the side chamber half an incense stick later.

"Second elder, why have you summoned us here?"

Seeing all eighteen elders of the Gu Lineage gathered there, a rugged-faced elder could not help asking.

At his words, the other elders also turned their gazes toward the second elder.

"Word has come from Guangyang City. Gu Fan intends to go to Yanshan Commandery and take over the auction house in the commandery city."

The second elder spoke.

"What?!"

The elders were immediately shocked to hear this.

"Wasn't it said that his body was already a lamp running out of oil before he left? How does he still have the strength to go to the commandery city?"

"He must want to struggle a little longer because of the Lineage competition. Hmph!"

"Heh, even if we agree to let him go to the commandery city, he might well die along the way."

"..."

The elders spoke one after another. Even the most respected first elder sneered, "A brat who knows neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth. How can we allow him to act willfully in the Lineage's affairs? Let him remain in Guangyang City and await his final hour. That way, he can still enter the Gu Lineage's ancestral shrine."

The Gu Lineage's elders knew nothing of what had happened in Guangyang City.

Nor did they know that Gu Fan had already awakened his God-Devouring Physique, was long free of the danger of backlash, and had even become the master who controlled his divine physique!

Guangyang City was far too remote, and its people were all ants. With so many matters to attend to, the elders naturally would not concern themselves with what happened there.

Thus.

Upon hearing that Gu Fan, already a lamp running out of oil, actually wanted to go to the commandery city without knowing what was good for him, they immediately felt anger smoldering within.

"First elder, do you mean... we should refuse?"

The second elder asked then.

"Naturally."

The first elder spoke indifferently.

At these words, the elders all nodded slightly.

There were still fifteen days until the Lineage competition. If they could avoid introducing complications, that would be best!

Having decided to keep Gu Fan in Guangyang City.

The elders took the opportunity to sound one another out.

"Ninth elder, has that granddaughter of your branch returned?"

"Of course, she returned long ago. She cultivated in the Butterfly Transformation Sect for eight years and has now broken through to the Spirit Sea Eighth Heaven. Naturally, she will contend for the patriarch's position!"

"Haha, that good-for-nothing grandnephew of mine has returned as well. He is now a core disciple of the Flying Feather Sect. As for the martial techniques he cultivates... tsk, tsk, even I must admit my inferiority!"

"Hmph! Mere grandstanding! Gu Tiange of the first elder's branch was taken as a disciple by the Holy Heaven Sect's sect master when he was little. Now that he has returned, he is the strongest of the younger generation!"

"Indeed! His innate aptitude certainly is extraordinary! It is just a pity that the Lineage's treasure was given to that cripple back then... Had it been Gu Tiange, his aptitude would likely have been even more extraordinary..."

"..."

The elders spoke one after another.

Meanwhile.

Inside a cultivation chamber in the Gu estate, a young man slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was like a sharp blade, making even the surrounding air vibrate with a burst of noise.

At the same time, an immensely powerful presence radiated from his body. Even the chamber walls, which could withstand the Divine Treasury Realm, trembled slightly.

"Another breakthrough..."

The young man murmured.

He... was Gu Tiange, whom the elders had been discussing!

In cultivation, the passage of time went unnoticed.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Fan slowly opened his eyes.

At the same time.

He drew the pitch-black devouring power that had swept through the entire cultivation chamber back into his body.

Having awakened his God-Devouring Physique, he could already control that terrifying devouring power at will. Naturally, the incident where he devoured the surrounding walls would not happen again.

Sensing the Spirit Sea within him, which had grown once more.

Gu Fan smiled slightly. "The Spirit Sea Fourth Heaven."

By devouring the Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus and the other nine treasures, he had broken through two realms in succession, rising from the Spirit Sea Second Heaven to the Spirit Sea Fourth Heaven.

This was mainly because Gu Fan's Spirit Sea was too vast, and because he had awakened another manifestation. Thus, even such an immense quantity of Spiritual Qi had only allowed him to break through two minor realms.

Even so, this was already terrifying.

Across the entire Mysterious Heaven Continent, there likely had never been a single cultivator who cultivated as he did.

Of course, this was also because only one God-Devouring Physique would appear in an era. Since he possessed the God-Devouring Physique, there naturally would not be another on the Mysterious Heaven Continent.

After briefly adapting to the power of the Spirit Sea Fourth Heaven.

Gu Fan immediately began practicing the Bright Moon Sword Record in the chamber.

This had already become his cultivation routine. Besides devouring, he practiced this top-grade third-tier sword technique every day.

And after practicing the Bright Moon Sword Record for several hours.

Gu Fan put away the Heart-Questioning Sword and pushed open the cultivation chamber's doors.

He was going to prepare to set out for Yanshan Commandery City!