Chapter 229: Grab and Refine in an Instant (Three-in-One)
Gu Fangchen carried the exhausted and unconscious Prajna Lianyue in his arms and landed below at the Garuda City, which had regained its former prosperity and grandeur due to the leakage of the power of time.
He did not go to the magnificent palace, but found the small house of the centurion in his memory.
This room has also been restored to its original appearance, small but neat and clean.
There was only a cabinet filled with miscellaneous items, a simple bed, and a cellar underneath, which was where Prajna Lianyue had hidden.
Gu Fangchen pushed the door open and walked in, looking at the dust flying quietly inside.
Because now the whole city has turned into a dead city, in this silent atmosphere, there is a feeling that time has stopped.
But soon, from farther away, people's fanatical shouts and prayers could be heard.
That was because the people of Fatuma discovered that the huge lotus in the sky had disappeared and the power of time in the vicinity had also been completely restrained, so they ran over to worship around the city.
Once Prajna Lianyue shows up, she will probably be able to take over the entire Fatuma directly.
In the game, it means completing a major event, and the regional reputation will be maximized. Others will bow down to her when they see her.
However, Prajna Lianyue has consumed a lot of energy at this time, and it will probably take some time to recover.
Fatuma will definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble because he excludes Prajna Lianyue's faction.
After all, five hundred years ago, Vatuma was established by consolidating the worship of Garuda, and later became the new overlord of the Western Regions.
But five hundred years later, it is not certain that the Garuda religion is really willing to hand over the ruling power of Vatuma to the orphan of Garuda.
What's more, there is a Tara religion behind Prajna Lotus Moon.
The Garo religion is the only dominant religion in Fatuma, but they cannot defeat the mother religion and are destined to be eroded and suppressed.
Definitely try to resist.
Gu Fangchen naturally would not allow such a thing to happen, as it was a good opportunity to reveal his identity as the messenger of "God".
He gently placed Prajna Lianyue on the bed and carefully checked her physical condition.
"It's okay, just a bit of spiritual energy drained, and mental exhaustion. The rest are just superficial injuries. I'll probably recover after a night's sleep."
Gu Fangchen sat on the edge of the bed and squinted his eyes.
The woman lying on the bed was completely defenseless, her brows furrowed, tears still in the corners of her eyes. It seemed that because she was in Gu Fangchen's arms before she fell into a coma, she had let down all her guard, which was in stark contrast to her previous bad attitude towards Gu Fangchen.
Prajna Lianyuetang was a second-rank boss, so it was certainly not his turn to worry about her, not to mention that she used suffering as nourishment to advance in her cultivation.
Gu Fangchen transferred his previous pain to Prajna Lianyue, which did not exceed her endurance limit. Therefore, it was actually very beneficial to her cultivation.
The knot in her heart has been completely untied. Now that Prajna Lianyue has recovered, it's probably time for her to pack up and prepare for promotion to the first rank.
However, her vision must not be just to resurrect Gu Fangchen.
It has to be the "Daddy" who has been repeatedly beautified in her memory, who renews the friendship with her.
However, the previous experience with Gu Fangchen, which was full of exploitation and threats, and a tense situation on the brink of danger, had nothing to do with this...
I don’t know how she should accept the contradiction between the two.
Gu Fangchen thought about it and stood up, but was grabbed by the corner of his clothes by the unconscious Prajna Lianyue.
Prajna Lianyue murmured:
"Daddy...don't go..."
Gu Fangchen reached out and held the Saint's hand, waiting there for a while until Prajna Lianyue's brows relaxed and her expression became calm again, then he slowly put it back on her flat belly.
He turned around and walked around the room, picking up familiar objects and playing with them for a while, then sighed.
Most of the things in this house were bought by him for Gu Mingzhu, as well as small toys he made himself. Some of them were based on modern designs and were unique in the world.
It can be seen that although Gu Fangchen was playing a cultivation game at that time, he really put his heart into it.
After all, he had just "traveled through time" not long ago and had been in the illusion for more than 20 years. Those 20 years were equivalent to the life he had experienced, and there was no difference at all.
The feelings he had for Prajna Lianyue were naturally genuine.
Especially now that I discover that this so-called illusion is actually real, it can’t be more real.
However, after escaping from the illusion, the vague memories are also real.
Gu Fangchen knew what he had forgotten——
He knew what Prajna Lianyue meant by the look she gave him just now.
Logically, I really shouldn't use Prajna Lianyue's love and hate as part of the plot, at least I shouldn't do it so drastically.
But the calamity of "inner demon" is not so easy to break.
Gu Fangchen is now on the way to resurrection. He has overcome the six external demonic tribulations of the "Refining Tribulation Realm" and his physical cultivation has reached perfection.
However, in the realm of refining calamity, there is an even more important calamity, which is the calamity of the "inner demon".
For martial arts practitioners, the ratio of external demons to internal demons is approximately 80:20.
If he only overcame the external demons, he could probably reach the late fourth grade. Considering the intensity of his tribulation, it was understandable that he reached the peak.
However, he vaguely felt the barrier of "Heaven's Way", not just the peak of the fourth level.
This means that he is already in trouble.
Thus, Gu Fangchen realized that he had indeed been affected by the "inner demon".
A few days ago, when he saw Gu Yuandao's iconic red lightning appear, he was already wondering what the meaning of this lightning was.
After all, this world is real. It cannot be just a simple lightning effect. It must represent something happening.
Gu Fangchen recalled the past plots in the game, including all the red lightning that appeared in Gu Yuandao's later period, as well as the related impacts.
And soon, he discovered the commonality.
Generally speaking, except during battles, Gu Yuandao is often asked to do the "persuasion" at other times.
As mentioned earlier, if the player chooses to take the Confucian route, then Gu Yuandao is the best teammate. He has excellent character, solid strength, a deep background, and extensive connections.
As long as you increase Gu Yuandao's favorability, many tasks can be completed just by saying hello, which is very convenient.
The key point is - having a wide network of contacts.
The judgment of "persuasion" is very loose, which is a reflection of Gu Yuandao's "connections".
Every time Gu Yuandao was asked to "persuade" someone, there was no possibility of failure.
As a player, you might think that this is a character trait of your teammates.
After all, as an RPG game, the role that teammates can play is also very important, and each of them must have their own strengths.
But now it seems that Gu Yuandao's "succubus"-like behavior is not normal.
Although he does have a wide network of contacts in the court, it is a bit too outrageous that he can succeed in every "persuasion".
Of course, under normal circumstances, he doesn't have many opportunities to "persuade" others.
However, the player can continue to go back and open a new file, which means that after so many times of "persuasion", there is still no possibility of failure.
And each time, it would be accompanied by the appearance of red lightning.
Because the red lightning will only flash in the background and there are no extra prompts, so generally speaking, people will not pay attention to it at all.
Gu Fangchen now knew that the red lightning must be related to persuasion.
In other words, the later Gu Yuandao, or the person who replaced him at some unknown time, may have the power to interfere with other people's inner thoughts.
After Gu Fangchen realized this, he immediately began to examine himself.
And he immediately realized that there was something wrong with his behavior pattern.
The turning point came when he discovered that Zhao Daniu had died in his hands.
He had almost no hesitation in handling this matter, being too calm...
Based on Gu Fangchen's understanding of himself, if he had a normal personality, after something like this happened, he would probably make the same decision in the end, but he would definitely not be so decisive.
The most difficult thing in the world is to let go.
Therefore, he concluded that he was most likely influenced by Gu Yuandao through unknown means and entered the "inner demon" calamity.
So, his "inner demon" at this moment is most likely nothing else but the doubt about his own identity, and the inconsistency between his knowledge and action caused by different cognitions.
He also knew exactly how to break free from the "inner demon" calamity.
Since it is the "inner demon" caused by the inconsistency between knowledge and action, it is natural to make one's understanding of things return to unity.
No matter whether you choose the identity of a player or the identity of Gu Fangchen, as long as the cognition is unified, the "inner demon" calamity will naturally be resolved.
However, such a choice will definitely have a huge impact in the future.
In the game, Gu Fangchen also came into contact with similar NPCs and helped them identify with a certain identity. The two branching plots of the choices were completely different.
Gu Fangchen was sure that he had returned to the mentality of a player at this moment, treating the world as a game, and because he inherited his previous thoughts, he decided to have a good ending.
So you can make the right choice without hesitation.
But in fact, this is very dangerous, both for the world and for himself. If he suddenly feels that a good ending is meaningless and plans to perish together with the world, then he will perish along with the world.
After all, at this moment, he felt that he was a player, so the fake prince Gu Fangchen was just a character he controlled.
It doesn't matter if I die.
Moreover, the possibility of such extreme thinking is very high.
After all, this is called "inner demon".
Gu Fangchen analyzed his inner demons and immediately decided that he could not continue the game simply as a player.
Since he had just been possessed by the devil and still had a lot of inertia left, he could quickly free himself from it.
And Prajna Lotus Moon is a good opportunity.
He took advantage of Prajna Lianyue's love and hatred to reveal his own identity. This was a plan he made to break the calamity of the "demon in his heart".
If we talk about the depth of affection, apart from Ning Caiyong, Prajna Lianyue, whom he raised with his own hands, is undoubtedly the one he has devoted the most attention to.
Even though the memory is vague, it is still deeper than simple liking.
If he had not witnessed with his own eyes the pain and sincere tears shed by Prajna Lianyue over his death, which also touched his heart, he would not have been able to separate himself from that pure player mentality.
"But it seems... it's not enough."
Gu Fangchen put the object in his hand down again.
He was indeed touched by Prajna Lianyue's feelings for him, and confirmed that he did not regard everyone as NPCs.
But his understanding of himself is not comprehensive enough, because there are deeper doubts in his heart.
The identity of "player" is just derived from the illusion. His real identity is probably only known by "Master Hengchang".
Only when he truly understands who he is, can he break free from his inner demons.
Gu Fangchen felt something in his heart, flipped his palm, and took out a communication jade slip.
The message from the eldest princess was immediately displayed.
Before leaving Fancheng, he asked the princess to find and control Shenxiu. The princess acted decisively and the news came out.
Unfortunately, it brings both good news and bad news.
The good news is that all the Buddhist disciples in Futu City, including those in Galan Temple, are still alive.
The bad news is that they have already shown symptoms of madness. They are all muttering to themselves and look like they are possessed. No matter what outsiders do, they don't respond.
If the Shinto monks were to intervene, they themselves would go crazy.
Shenxiu himself was found dead on the city wall of Futu City.
However, it is certain that he has never been to the small village near Tianmen Mountain.
In other words, the problem was Shenxiu himself, not the small village.
Originally, Gu Fangchen thought that the small village near Tianmen Mountain that Shenxiu had visited should also contain some clues about "Tianmen".
But the current situation proves that this is a wrong guess.
In other words, the only clue about "Tianmen" and "Honglu" at the moment is on Xuanling.
"I must reach the third rank as soon as possible."
Gu Fangchen narrowed his eyes, looked at the people cheering with joy in the distance, and flew up.
…
"Your Majesty, are we really going to welcome that so-called Saint?"
"For the past five hundred years, we have been the ones who built Fatuma into the greatest nation in the Western Regions!"
"This Garuda is just a Buddha that never existed. It should just sit on the shrine and receive worship. How could it come down to earth and rule over us?"
Beside King Mori, an old man whispered excitedly.
This old man is the Grand Elder of the Garo Cult, a third-rank poison master, and is considered highly respected.
They knew very well that from the very beginning, the Garuda Cult had only wanted to use the name of Garuda to bring others together and give itself the legitimacy to establish a country.
Just like the emperors of the Central Plains always said that they were "appointed by heaven", after the fall of Garuda, the countries in the Western Regions were in disarray, and they naturally wanted to take the opportunity to get a piece of the pie.
But the people below don’t understand this. Over the past five hundred years, due to their day-to-day propaganda, their worship of Garuda is even deeper than that of real Garudas.
Who knew that Garuda might actually reappear one day?
After all, Prajna Lianyue herself was unwilling to come back before, and she was the only Garuda orphan in the world.
Then, Garuda should be sealed underground forever!
"Your Majesty, we can't make wedding clothes for others!"
The old man persuaded earnestly, his eyes flickering as he whispered:
"Your Majesty, that lotus contains the power of time. With such a large formation, Prajna Lotus Moon must have consumed a lot of energy. And she didn't come out to meet us immediately. I think she must have been seriously injured and didn't dare to come out!"
"Now is our best opportunity. She came alone, with only a few attendants, and no Tara high-ranking members. If we seize this opportunity to kill Prajna Lianyue, this huge Garuda City will be ours to use as we please!"
King Mori was also somewhat shaken.
He actually didn't think that Prajna Lianyue could really dig Garuda out from the ground, so he let the other party enter the desert.
——After all, if it could really be dug out, it should have been dug out five hundred years earlier.
However, now that it has been dug out... he has to accept his fate.
The one opposite them is Prajna Lianyue, the saint woman in the legend, and the twenty-one incarnations of Tara, each with great magical powers. How many of their lives do they have to sacrifice?
But now, Prajna Lianyue did not appear in front of them immediately, and it seemed that she was seriously injured.
Otherwise, there is no reason why he has not accepted the pilgrimage yet...
Naturally, he was unwilling to give up Fatuma.
If...it's okay to give it a try...
King Mori was struggling internally, his facial expression changing constantly. He gritted his teeth and was about to make up his mind.
But suddenly, a figure flew out from the magnificent ancient city.
King Moli was shocked. He thought it was Prajna Lianyue who came out and was almost scared to death.
But when I looked closely, I found that the other person looked a little familiar.
"This...this guy, isn't he the male favorite presented to Prajna Lianyue?"
The elder next to him was stunned for a moment, then he was the first to recognize the figure, and then his face changed:
"How could he be in Garuda with Prajna Lianyue, and...this level of cultivation...this level of cultivation..."
He looked hesitant and uncertain.
The aura of that person seemed to be of the fourth grade, but in a trance, it seemed to be of the third grade.
This doesn't seem like a half-step to the third rank, because even if it is a half-step to the third rank, it is still the third rank, and there will not be such a vague feeling.
The boundary between the middle three grades and the upper three grades should have been very clear, but it became blurred in this person.
In the blink of an eye, the figure flew in front of them and was stopped by the guard, who looked at the two of them with a smile.
"Old Morley, are you welcoming the Saint? But why are you so tense and on high alert? It seems like you have bad intentions."
King Mori looked grave:
"Who are you?"
The man grinned:
"Of course I am the Saint's favorite male lover. It was your eunuch who personally sent me to the palace. Have you forgotten?"
The Great Elder had just received news from the Central Plains and Qingman in the past few days. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the man's appearance carefully. Suddenly, he was startled, and then his heart was startled, and his pupils constricted.
"You are... you are Gu Fangchen, the one who killed Emperor Yong'an and defected to Qingman!"
Gu Fangchen clapped his hands and sighed:
"Alas, I've known for a long time that Fatuma wasn't very well-informed, but I didn't expect him to be so uninformed."
"Or maybe I rose from a small role too quickly, and you guys haven't been able to react yet..."
It is indeed too fast.
Although Gu Fangchen was originally very famous in the Wei Kingdom, he was not a very important figure after all.
At best, it is just gossip that the people enjoy.
In other countries, of course, we have only heard of their names, but don’t even know what they look like.
His recent deeds are quite significant, but since they involve the succession of the throne of the Wei Dynasty, they will definitely be covered up in order to maintain stability, so it will take time for them to spread.
Therefore, it was not until this time that the people of Fatuma recognized that this so-called "male favorite" was actually the central figure in the recent controversy.
King Mori was also startled, and then said in a deep voice:
"Gu Fangchen, you're not in Qingman, why are you here in Fatuma?"
The smile on Gu Fangchen's face disappeared, he looked at them sternly, and said with his hands behind his back:
"Old Morley, don't you know that I am a messenger from the 'God'?"
The Great Elder came forward and sneered:
"Although the Qing Man is powerful, the 'God of Heaven' cannot control us, Fatuma. If you want to use the power of the tiger to bully others, you are doing it in the wrong place."
"You are now pretending to be a servant and approaching Princess Prajna. Could it be that you are doing something bad to Her Highness?"
"How can Fatuma allow you to be so presumptuous! Come on! Capture him!"
Although Gu Fangchen's deeds are impressive, the title of this so-called "God" messenger currently has little value.
It is more like Qingman's attempt to assassinate the emperor of the Central Plains for his own benefit, adding a touch of mystery.
Su Le was such a great man, how could he possibly recognize a person from the Central Plains as the so-called messenger of the "God"?
What's more, Gu Fangchen's appearance made him more convinced that Prajna Lianyue was definitely seriously injured and exhausted at this moment.
Otherwise, why would a fourth-rank Gu Fangchen come forward?
Gu Fangchen's expression remained unchanged. He sneered and said calmly:
"How can an ignorant person know the will of the 'God'? God has already placed His will upon me. He says that only the divine body is eternal and indestructible, holy and untainted, immune to all poisons. The vile and filthy snakes, insects, rats, and ants will melt away like ice and snow encountering the scorching sun."
The great elder snorted coldly and said:
"Ridiculous! This is nonsense! I don't know what Mahamudra told you to create such an illusion. That 'god' has been lying on the snowy mountain for thousands of years. How could he have performed any miracles?"
"Since you believe his lies, then come and try the most potent poison, the most terrifying Gu in the world!"
"If you can remain unscathed today, I'll take your lies as the truth!"
As he finished speaking, a golden-armored centipede emerged from his sleeve.
The centipede was covered in golden light, with several pairs of wings growing out of its back, and it looked extremely scary.
"Buzz buzz buzz—swish!"
The centipede flew towards Gu Fangchen in the blink of an eye, rushing towards him like an oversized southern cockroach.
Gu Fangchen grinned, stretched out his hand, and grabbed the golden-armored centipede.
The Great Elder saw this scene and a cruel smile appeared on his face:
"Looking for death! My golden-armored centipede is..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw the centipede caught by Gu Fangchen twisting and struggling violently, making a shrill scream, and then turned into a pool of pus in Gu Fangchen's hand!
————
ps: First posted and then revised, the protagonist has not yet broken through the third level, but the experience bar of the fourth level is longer than that of others, missing a heart demon tribulation, and the pseudo-third level incense realm does not need to cross the tribulation, so it is a pseudo-third level
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
