Chapter 273 Return (Three in One)
During the time that Gu Fangchen entered the "Tianmen", only three days had passed in the present Wei Dynasty.
These short three days seemed as if three years, or even three hundred years, had passed, allowing all those waiting for his return to truly experience what it meant to live every day like a year.
However, although Gu Fangchen disappeared along with the sweeping sky, he had already arranged everything perfectly before leaving.
All the plans he had made early on were still proceeding step by step.
He had originally planned to enter the "Heavenly Gate", so naturally he could not leave a mess behind to avoid a situation where there was no leader at the most critical moment.
During these three days, every chess piece moved according to his expectations, just like a carefully choreographed drama. Even if the protagonist temporarily leaves, the plot will continue to move forward.
As the main force in attacking the imperial city, the eldest princess actually made very fast progress.
The White Dragon Army she led was almost unstoppable and invincible.
However, Xie Qian reacted too quickly. In addition, he was misled by Gu Fangchen before and mistakenly believed that Gu Fangchen wanted to use the country's destiny to kill him. He made the defense of the imperial city his main goal and arranged most of the main forces of Yaoshan Academy in the imperial city. Some surviving "Jie" Dao demon cult believers came to help.
The fact that the imperial city could not be captured for a long time was the result of Yaoshan Academy’s full efforts.
Those court officials who were brainwashed by Xie Qian were like puppets, causing trouble and obstructing things in the local area, distracting Xiao Yinghao's attention.
Their purpose was not to defend the imperial city, but to protect the seriously injured Xie Qian.
As long as Xie Qian recovers from his injuries, he can use his real body to attack. Even if Gu Fangchen has ten second-grade warriors, they will not be his match in one round.
This is also the reason why Xiao Yinghao feels that all efforts may be in vain.
But except for the imperial city, all other places have now been occupied by the White Dragon Army.
Apart from not ascending the throne, everyone who witnessed this battle had already tacitly acknowledged that Xiao Yinghao, the eldest princess who called herself "Yingtian Dragon King", was already the future new emperor.
Outside the battlefield, the people sang her name and silently prayed for her victory. Merchants had already begun preparing gifts to celebrate the new dynasty. Even those aristocratic families who were unwilling to accept the defeat secretly submitted letters of surrender.
However, those who have a deeper understanding of this war know that the only unknown variable, which is also the key factor that determines the final victory or defeat, is not actually on the battlefield.
But will the disappeared Gu Fangchen return first, or will Xie Qian recover first... This game has reached the most critical moment.
"Look! What is that?!"
"The sky! Why is there another strange phenomenon in the sky?! Could it be... could it be that old bastard Xie Qian has come out of seclusion?!"
As the monks exclaimed, the soldiers looked up in horror.
There was an uproar all around, and everyone looked up at the spreading golden ripples and the slowly unfolding brilliant galaxy, talking about it.
In that magnificent and vast flowing galaxy, every star sparkles with mysterious light, as if responding to some ancient motto with its silence.
The vision was not just mysterious on the surface, but as the golden ripples spread, an extremely terrifying aura emanated from it.
The aura pressed down on them like a substance, making it almost impossible for these soldiers who were usually decisive and bloody to breathe!
Among these cultivators, there are many third-grade masters, but at this moment they even have difficulty raising their heads!
Many people's faces changed, their hearts turned pale with horror, thinking that the "Confucian Sage" Xie Qian had finally recovered.
After all, apart from the First Rank, who else could give them such a terrifying pressure?
Thinking of the horrific scene that swept across the world three days ago, they suddenly felt despair in their hearts, and the already somewhat sluggish atmosphere became even heavier.
Some people have begun to retreat quietly, while others have clenched their weapons, preparing for the final resistance.
"No, not Xie Qian!"
A resolute yet joyful female voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
A beautiful woman in black armor flew up, her eyes flashing with an extremely bright light, and her cold and stern brows suddenly relaxed and softened.
She stared at the figure gradually appearing above her, feeling extremely happy. The heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart for days could finally be lifted off the ground.
Xiao Yinghao raised the corner of his mouth and said word by word: "It's Gu Fangchen! He's back!"
Xiao Yinghao's voice spread, and everyone was stunned.
Gu Fangchen is back from "Tianmen"? !
Although they did not understand the inside story these days, they also knew that it was impossible to be promoted to the "first rank" in the current Wei Dynasty.
After all, before Xiao Zhenwu changed his mind, he was indeed strictly implementing his original idea.
The squeeze of the "Heng Chang" way filled the entire world, squeezing out other "ways". Only Xie Qian was the last fish that escaped the net.
It is impossible for others to be promoted.
If you want to go further, you must open the "lid" and enter the "heavenly gate".
But even if Ying Baidu sealed the "Heavenly Gate", it must be extremely dangerous. Even if they could get in, it would be extremely difficult to get out... They actually didn't have much hope, so they wanted to kill Xie Qian before he recovered.
Unexpectedly, Gu Fangchen actually came back from "Heaven's Gate"?!
"Then... doesn't that mean he's been promoted to the 'First Rank'?!"
In the sudden silence caused by shock, someone suddenly swallowed and started to speculate.
This speculation was like a spark, instantly igniting the originally quiet and decadent atmosphere of the entire battlefield.
…
"He's back!"
Xu Fu's heart moved, and she suddenly opened her eyes because of the restless sounds in the army and the vibration of her life plate.
She was now sitting high in the center of the altar, surrounded by formations carved in blood, and in the center were the jade seal and the shriveled head of Emperor Yong'an.
After Gu Fangchen left, Qing Man brought these two things.
Xu Fu used the remaining part of the national destiny and Xiao Ying's good blood - after Xiao Sheng's death, the remaining national destiny gathered on the eldest princess due to the general trend. She had become the prototype of the new carrier of national destiny - to set up the "Heaven and Earth Furnace" formation.
In the original plot, this formation was launched by the state master in desperate situation to resist the invasion of the Demon Cult and the Qingman.
But now, it is to fight against Yaoshan Academy and Confucian disciples and seize the ownership of the imperial city.
It was precisely because of the support of Xu Fu's "Heaven and Earth Furnace" formation that Xie Qian was repeatedly suppressed and unable to recover so quickly.
The cold and beautiful nun raised her head, the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows was extremely gorgeous, and the look in her eyes as she looked at the figure in the sky was extremely tender.
She traced Gu Fangchen's figure with her eyes and found that he was safe and sound. She let out a long sigh and subconsciously raised her hand to gently stroke her lower abdomen.
——Although the probability of producing offspring becomes smaller and smaller, even close to zero, after a cultivator reaches the upper three grades, don’t forget that the State Master is the head of the “Dao of Heaven’s Destiny” and she is a professional when it comes to manipulating probability.
When she took the initiative to look for Gu Fangchen that day, she had already made full preparations in advance.
Since I want to sever the karmic connection with "Chan Liao" and descend into the mortal world, of course I have to do it thoroughly...
After that day, Xu Fu somehow sensed that the cause and effect between her and Gu Fangchen had already borne fruit.
Now, although it is faint, she can already feel its presence.
Fortunately, Gu Fangchen returned safely.
But Xu Fu stared at Gu Fangchen, and his expression quickly became heavy again.
She could see that most of the countless causes and effects on Gu Fangchen had disappeared, and not only that, they were still disappearing.
This is not a good thing... Xie Qian is not dead, but the cause and effect of Gu Fangchen is dissipating. It is obvious that someone wants to erase Gu Fangchen's existence.
Moreover, this is not the work of Xie Qian... there are others!
Xu Fu was about to step forward, but he saw Gu Fangchen step out from the brilliant galaxy, glance at the golden and red causal lines around him, sneered, stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and with a flash of white light, he cut all the causal lines in half.
Xu Fu: “……?”
If she didn't know Gu Fangchen well, she would have almost thought he was going to commit suicide.
Sure enough, when she took a closer look, she discovered that although Gu Fangchen seemed to have no cause and effect at the moment, in fact, every circle of golden ripples that spread out in the sky behind him would retract into him after expanding outwards.
"Buzz—"
The subtle buzzing sound is becoming more and more obvious.
The ripples spread and converge, like a heart made up of cause and effect, beating continuously.
Xu Fu raised his hand and tried to pinch his fingers, but the movement got stuck halfway.
She couldn't figure it out.
All the concluded causes and effects, carrying the weight of the entire world, fell on Gu Fangchen.
With Xu Fu's cultivation level, he could see a vague future even when calculating the direction of the entire world.
But now, the whole world, like Gu Fangchen himself, has an uncertain future and cannot be measured by cause and effect.
Xu Fu saw that what covered the sky was an unprecedented huge causal magic.
Once successful, Gu Fangchen will be bound to the entire world.
…
"Huh?"
Yier looked at the golden ripples across the sky, her eyes widened, her mouth opened into an "o" shape, and there was uncontrollable surprise in her eyes.
"He actually succeeded!"
Then she looked at the sky, nodded again, and murmured to herself, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is. He is 'true' and 'false'. Xiao Zhenwu created an 'infinite void' that blocks all cause and effect, so even I can't see it."
Then Yier didn't feel annoyed, but laughed instead.
"No wonder I liked him the moment I saw him. No wonder he's so interesting."
However, she was only halfway through her smile when the expression on her face turned solemn and vigilant.
"You like him so much, you won't want to protect him, will you? He caused my 'Sea Tribulation Wheel' to dissipate, and I haven't settled the score with him yet. Don't get in my way when the time comes."
Obviously, this means that the Lord of the Robbery's consciousness has the upper hand.
And now, she has formally communicated with Yier and realized that this self of hers is actually not simple.
However, it is more obvious that the threat from the robber master has no effect on Yier.
She said with a smile: "No problem, no problem. I will definitely not be a problem. You can go find him boldly. I can help you suppress him. You can take revenge and settle the score as you like."
"That's more like it!"
The robber master murmured, "This guy is really abominable. He deceived me the first time we met and even stole my 'Sea Robbery Wheel'..."
Yier listened to her nagging about Gu Fangchen's "crimes" and brainwashing herself to strengthen her determination. She just thought in her heart that she was a super fool.
It's so hard to guess who was the one who repeatedly tried to figure out whether he was going to kill Gu Fangchen, and then breathed a sigh of relief when he found out that it wasn't him.
If he says he wants to settle the score at that time, he will probably be won over by Gu Fangchen after just a few words of coaxing.
Yi'er fell into deep thought and decided that she would have to help this idiot when the time comes...
…
"Dad, he's back!"
Qiqige cheered and pulled Sule to point to the sky.
The greatest Khan of the grassland was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Upon hearing this, he raised his head and saw the figure.
Suler took a deep breath.
Mahamudra, you are right… He has returned from the “Gate of Heaven” and he is the “God of Heaven”.
When Ding Xingfeng attacked the grassland, they had all evacuated and entered the holy mountain, where they settled on the altar among the bones left by the "God".
To do so is to give up everything on the grassland.
But the last prophecy left by Mahamudra told them that Gu Fangchen was the "God". If he could return from the "Heavenly Gate", he would be the real "God", without a doubt!
Since everything on the grassland was given by the "God", it is only natural for them to dedicate everything to the "God".
And "God" will give them a whole new world.
Sule looked at the figure in the sky with a determined light in his eyes. He knew that the future of the grassland was decided at this moment.
…
Prajna Lianyue had a cold face, and her green eyes hidden under the veil were extremely indifferent as she looked at the Confucian academy students who were constantly dying in front of her.
She floated in mid-air, with a huge, pale image of Tara behind her. All twenty-one images were displayed, arms like blooming lotus flowers arranged in sequence, and eyes opened in the palms with no sadness or joy in them.
Beside her, the Xiyin attendants, with their robes and ribbons fluttering and holding magical instruments, uphold the boundless majesty of the Buddha Mother of Salvation.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
The sound of heaven was mighty, and the sound of drums like thunder spread in the void, announcing the coming of disaster.
The Xiyin servants save people from suffering, and they themselves bear the pain of countless people they have saved over the past few hundred years.
And now, when they spread their pain, almost no one can bear it.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
Wherever the sound of the heavenly drum reached, there were hellish howls of pain.
The skin of those Confucian disciples of Yaoshan Academy quickly festered, bled, and festered, and every inch of their limbs began to break and fold. It was the most extreme and terrifying pain.
Many people were even killed in agony, their eyes wide open, in a miserable state.
But when those who came later saw these scenes, they did not feel the slightest fear, only anger and hatred.
Their eyes reddened as they cried out, "Demons! This is what the Master meant by demons wreaking havoc in this world!"
"'Eternal Heaven' is the real Peach Blossom Spring! And now it's all been destroyed by them!"
"These demons and evil ways that reverse cause and effect, and deceive the people with their lies, we are the last line of defense for this world's sanity, and we must never give up!"
Xie Qian's prestige has accumulated for 1,300 years, and he has become an unbreakable idol in the hearts of these Confucian disciples.
In their view, whatever Xie Qian said was right. If the enemy objected, it meant that Xie Qian was right.
If someone objects, they become enemies, which further proves that Xie Qian is right!
These Confucian disciples are hopeless and hostile to the world, which only makes them more determined in their own ideas.
At the beginning, some Confucian disciples who stood on Gu Fangchen's side hoped to persuade them, but they soon found that it was futile.
So, we can only kill them all like we are doing now.
"Buzz—"
Prajna Lianyue's heart moved, and she raised her head and looked at the sky which was changing dramatically.
When the familiar figure appeared in her field of vision, the Holy Maiden of the Tara sect, who had always maintained a stern face, was shocked. Her eyes felt sore and she actually shed tears.
She didn't care and flew up like this, crossing the sky and the earth, and threw herself directly into Gu Fangchen's arms, hugging him tightly, burying herself in his chest, and crying:
"Dad, I thought I was going to watch you leave again..."
…
After Gu Fangchen swung his sword to cut off all the causal lines on his body, he looked down at the long-lost Wei. Before he could figure out anything, he saw a figure flying quickly from afar, crashing into his arms and hugging him tightly.
Wow, even the incarnation of “Swift Tara” is used.
Gu Fangchen quickly raised his hand, stroked Prajna Lianyue's hair, and said softly, "I'm sorry, but I can't help it.
"Okay, you're already a grown-up and you're still crying."
Prajna Lianyue also lost control of her emotions for a moment. She hugged him tightly, rubbed her cheek against his chest, took a deep breath, opened her eyes again, and her face turned red when she heard the words.
She quickly let go of his hand and pursed her lips: "I'm not crying."
"Okay, our little Mingzhu didn't cry. Let's solve the serious matter first. This time, I will take you home and won't let you cry again."
Gu Fangchen looked down. In Huangtian City, an elegant old man with white hair and beard appeared in mid-air and stared at Gu Fangchen.
That was Xie Qian.
His expression was ugly at first, and then turned into horror.
"First rank... No, you are not first rank!"
…
at the same time.
Shi Qingguang stood in front of a huge withered sycamore tree and reached out to touch the ancient lines on it.
The rough bark left a slight tingling sensation on her fingertips, as if reminding her that everything that emerged in her memory was real.
This paulownia tree has been withered for who knows how many years. From the birth of Baidi City to its decline, it still stands tall, just like the dusty memories in her heart, which are vague but have never disappeared.
A breeze blew by, lifting her green skirt and bringing the faint sounds of fighting from the distant battlefield.
But Shi Qingguang turned a deaf ear to it, and all her attention was focused on the ancient sycamore tree.
This ancient tree witnessed her childhood, her growth, and also her most painful farewell - even though that no longer exists in the current causal line.
Now, it will become a witness to her rebirth.
Shi Qingguang recalled her own memories. She had forgotten, but the ancient sycamore tree where the phoenix lived had not been forgotten.
It is as ancient as the Conch Book and has a similar ability to record everything it sees.
In other words, because they have existed for long enough, they have been imbued with the principle of "constancy" and have unchanging characteristics.
Even if the cause and effect are changed, it can still find the most authentic history.
Those images diluted by time and those truths distorted by fate have all left traces in this tree.
She closed her eyes and felt the faint pulse coming from the tree trunk, which was the last trace of life left by the phoenix's rebirth.
Shi Qingguang originally left Jiange with the intention of hunting down Gu Fangchen.
However, when she arrived, Gu Fangchen had already entered the "Heavenly Gate". She came back empty-handed and felt depressed, so she chose to return to her hometown to take another look.
Baidi City was once glorious, but the arrival of the Phoenix that day was like a last gasp of light, and it soon ended in nirvana.
Without someone waiting for you, the paulownia tree will soon wither.
When Baidi City lost the Phoenix, it lost its meaning of existence, quickly declined and disappeared.
Only Shi Qingguang's reputation gradually grew.
But soon, the Human Emperor went mad and wanted to seal the "Honglu Great World". The "enlightened ones" either chose to fake their death or give up their memories and cultivation to avoid that catastrophe. Shi Qingguang was one of them.
She found the wind chime inside the tree, the wind chime that once hung on the branch of the sycamore tree and swayed in the wind.
It is already rusty, but still retains its original shape.
It seems like just an ordinary wind chime, but that's the most extraordinary thing about it!
Because it was not in Shi Qingguang's original memory at all.
And the moment he touched the wind chime, Shi Qingguang saw the phoenix fire wrapped around it.
Shi Qingguang felt dazed. She saw her younger self standing under the phoenix tree, looking up at the phoenix tail feathers hanging down from the sky.
At that time, she didn't understand what separation and pain were. She only knew that the phoenix's feathers were beautiful and the sound of wind chimes was pleasant.
And now, she finally understood that those beautiful moments were gifts given to her by someone.
The phoenix flames burned in her palms, but did not burn her.
Instead, it brought a strange warmth, like the warmth of that person's palm, gently covering her eyes.
Shi Qingguang looked at the images emerging from the flames. Those were her altered memories and her distorted past.
"I see……"
Shi Qingguang whispered softly, with tears glistening in his eyes.
"Stupid Master."
The phoenix's flame gradually died out, and the wind chimes turned into ashes in the flames and drifted away with the wind.
She raised her head and looked at the figure in the sky, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
This time, she will not forget or get lost again, because that person has returned with all the answers and all the truth.
The paulownia tree trembled slightly in the residual warmth of the phoenix flame, as if responding to her heart's voice.
Shi Qingguang knew that a new era was about to begin, and she would become a witness and participant of this era.
She gripped the sword tightly and took a deep breath.
On the battlefield in the distance, the golden light became brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire sky.
(End of this chapter)
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