The Nascent Soul Realm’s fifth layer? This was Gu Hai’s first thought when he woke up.
In the fire deity palace, Gu Hai’s fire nascent soul manifested some magnificent robes using fire, exuding an aura severalfold stronger than before. It also formed a fire rope, tying the large calabash, which was nearly as tall as it, behind it.
Gu Hai’s fire nascent soul was still hugging Fairy Waner’s fire nascent soul.
Outside, Fairy Waner lay on Gu Hai’s chest. She seemed to have woken up before he did. As she looked at him, mixed emotions flashed in her eyes.
Gu Hai opened his eyes, and their gazes met. Some fluster immediately appeared in Fairy Waner’s eyes.
“Waner, thank you. My cultivation increased again. My fire nascent soul has already reached consummation, and I can now suppress the fire calabash, albeit barely. I still cannot control it fully.”
Fairy Waner bit her lip while blushing. “Why? Why is it that my cultivation increases every time we…after every time?”
“Probably because of my cultivation technique,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Fairy Waner nodded and did not pursue the matter any further.
“Where did you get that fire calabash? You did not have it previously.” Fairy Waner looked at Gu Hai.
“It was the thing sealing the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor and the others.” Gu Hai did not hide anything.
“Ah? Wasn’t it just a small section of a vine? Why was there a calabash?” Fairy Waner exclaimed.
“Oh? You know about it?” Gu Hai appeared slightly surprised.
“Yes. Back then, it was my Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance that helped to form that seal. There are records of it. The Supreme Ascendant of that generation used a section of a vine to draw over the fire of the void. It was just tinder for kindling the fire. How did it form a calabash?” Fairy Waner exclaimed.
“Oh? The Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance helped to form the seal?” Gu Hai exclaimed.
Fairy Waner nodded. “Don’t casually show others your fire calabash, especially the people from the Myriad Age Daoist Sect.”
“Oh?”
“My Myriad Age Daoist Sect also has a fire calabash. However, that calabash is broken. If the Myriad Age Daoist Sect’s people know about yours, they will try to obtain it at all costs, so hide it well,” Fairy Waner said worriedly.
“The Myriad Age Daoist Sect also has one?” Gu Hai said in shock.
“Yes. Our records seem to have mentioned it. During ancient times, a calabash vine with a few calabashes on it formed. Among these, my Myriad Age Daoist Sect obtained the fire calabash. The other calabashes are missing now. Oh, wait, there is a known metal calabash, called the Immortal Slaying Calabash,” Fairy Waner said after recalling.
This slightly startled Gu Hai. “The Immortal Slaying Calabash? Does it have a command that goes, ‘Treasure, please turn around’?”
Isn’t this a story from Earth’s Investiture of the Gods?
[TL Note: Investiture of the Gods was previously mentioned in Book 04 Chapter 047. In Investiture of the Gods, the Immortal Slaying Calabash had a mysterious treasure sealed within it, the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber. When the command Gu Hai mentioned was called out, the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber would fly out and chop off the target’s head, and the target could not reincarnate. Despite its name, the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber in Investiture of the Gods was a small humanoid with wings. Of course, this might not be the case in this novel.]
“There is no command!” Fairy Waner shook her head.
“Huh? Alright. Perhaps I recalled wrong.” Gu Hai smiled faintly. It looks like it is not the same one.
“Is the Myriad Age Daoist Sect’s fire calabash the same as mine?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.
“No. That calabash has a hole in it. Now, it is a pill-concocting furnace for my Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance. However, I have never seen it for myself; I have only heard about it. The records state that the fire calabash is broken. I do not know where it is located. However, I do know that the vine that suppressed the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor was from that fire calabash. Unexpectedly, it formed another fire calabash,” Fairy Waner said in surprise.
Gu Hai remained silent for a while, a trace of amazement flashing in his eyes.
“The Myriad Age Daoist Sect assisted the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor in sealing them? You probably know about the Slaughter Nation’s treasure beneath too. Why did no one ever come for it?” Gu Hai asked, feeling bewildered.
“You also know about that?” Fairy Waner looked at Gu Hai with a complicated expression.
“My master mentioned it to me before I came here. The Myriad Age Daoist Sect elders all know about it. However, they did not come for it because the Slaughter Heavenly Dynasty’s treasury is too bloody, carrying too much negative karma. They do not want to get involved with this negative karma. In my master’s words, the Slaughter Heavenly Dynasty is guilty of monstrous crimes. It will suffer retribution sooner or later,” Fairy Waner recalled.
“Oh? Why did you come here, then?” Gu Hai asked, feeling curious.
“My master sent me here to retrieve something from the Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance. I did not manage to find it previously. However, now that Major Metropolitan City has been reduced to rubble and the terrain is clear, I should be able to find it,” Fairy Waner said softly.
“Alright. Waner, don’t go back to the Myriad Age Daoist Sect. Come back with me to the Han Royal Dynasty.” Gu Hai softly caressed Fairy Waner’s fine hair.
At first, this invitation startled Fairy Waner. Then, some fear and panic flashed in her eyes. She did not reply. Instead, she tightly hugged Gu Hai all of a sudden. “Love me!”
Loud, high-pitched moans rang out in the hall again.
——
Gu Hai’s manor:
Li Shenji caught another wave of intruders. Then, he looked in the direction of the hall where Gu Hai was with an upset expression.
“How long is your discussion going to take? It has already been ten days, and you still refuse to come out? Are you washing your hands of this? Am I just protecting you?” Li Shenji appeared depressed.
——
Mo Yike and the others felt even more conflicted.
Gu Hai closed the doors and refused guests, not even taking a step out. Whenever Mo Yike came to visit, Li Shenji said that Gu Hai was recuperating from his injuries with a cold expression.
Are you really injured? Do you have to keep pretending like this?
More spies were placed around the manor, but Gu Hai did not come out at all.
Mo Yike felt very conflicted, while Xi Yong boiled with hatred.
Ever since that day, his reputation was in the gutter. Not to mention open dislike for him in the streets, countless people pointed at him, whispering.
Before this, it was Xi Yong doing the framing, never the other way around.
“Gu Hai!” Xi Yong clenched his fist tightly in hatred.
Xi Yong currently stood on a floating island near Gu Hai’s manor, watching it.
“Young Archduke, Gu Hai has not come out at all. There is also no further news from the people we sent in,” one of the guards behind said sullenly.
Two guards stood behind Xi Yong, the same two Heavenly Palace Realm experts who protected him ten days ago. Archduke Xi Kang had sent them to protect Xi Yong, which clearly demonstrated his love for Xi Yong.
“He will come out. When Gu Hai comes out, I will have to trouble the two of you.” Xi Yong looked at the two behind him.
The two frowned slightly, not replying.
“Ha! So long as Long Wanyu lives, Gu Hai’s death does not matter. By killing Gu Hai, I can take revenge for my father and help the Yuan Nation obtain the Han Nation’s twenty-four cities earlier,” Xi Yong said.
One of the guards protested with a frown, “But the archduke ordered—”
“Right now, Major Metropolitan City is in such a mess. Who would know that we did it? Furthermore, Mister Dongfang will assist us. What are you worried about? Just find a secluded place and don’t leave any evidence behind. It is not like you have never done this before,” Xi Yong said.
The two guards still felt slightly worried.
“Gu Hai is just in the Nascent Soul Realm. The two of you are already in the Heavenly Palace Realm. There is also Mister Dongfang and me. What are you afraid of? The previous Zhang Sanfeng was merely the product of Mo Yike’s ritual array. Just make your move. After that…haven’t the two of you been lusting after that new concubine that I just took in?” Xi Yong smiled coldly.
“Huh?” The two guards felt slightly startled.
“That concubine was the wife of that general that you helped me assassinate. It is not the first time you have done something like this anyway. I’ve already had my fun with her. How about I give her to you?” Xi Yong suggested with a cold smile.
The two guards’ eyes immediately lit up; they were obviously tempted.
“Young Archduke, Gu Hai is out.” One of the guards suddenly pointed to the distance.
——
Gu Hai’s manor:
After being in bed for another eight days, Gu Hai opened the door and stepped out.
Fairy Waner appeared to be in a deep sleep in the hall. When Gu Hai left, she suddenly opened her eyes and watched Gu Hai leave. As she bit her lips, her eyes slowly turned determined, as though she had made a decision, then reddened.
Gu Hai closed the door and sought out Ju Lu.
“Your Majesty, during your ten days of closed-door cultivation, sixty percent of Major Metropolitan City was rebuilt. The city walls have all been completed and the underground ritual array activated. I can no longer tunnel easily into the ground,” Ju Lu reported with a bitter smile.
“Oh? You cannot tunnel into the ground?” Gu Hai said.
“Yes. The ritual array forms a tight net underground. I will be discovered the moment I start tunneling. Fortunately, Your Majesty made arrangements early. While the city was still in chaos, I managed to dig one tunnel leading out of the city. However, that is the only one,” Ju Lu said gravely.
“There’s one. That’s enough,” Gu Hai said with a faint smile.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Li Shenji landed before Gu Hai.
“Mister Gu, your discussion took a long time,” Li Shenji said.
“Hey? Your aura is withdrawn. Did you make another breakthrough in your cultivation?” Li Shenji’s expression suddenly changed.
Gu Hai looked at Li Shenji and said, “Battalion Commander Li, it has been ten days. The princess should be safe by now, right?”
“Yes?” Li Shenji looked at Gu Hai through narrowed eyes.
“Since the princess is already safe, it is time we left as well,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
“We are leaving now?” Li Shenji immediately appeared unwilling.
Gu Hai nodded while smiling.
“Gongyang Sheng sent word. He has found some clues pertaining to the Nine-by-Nine Sun Sealing Ritual Array. The ritual array will soon be activated, opening the Slaughter Heavenly Dynasty’s treasury. Yet, you are leaving now?” Li Shenji asked.
“I am just in the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if there is a treasury, I won’t obtain a share, so I think I will just skip it. Battalion Commander Li, you can remain if you want. I will be leaving with the men I brought,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
“Humph! It’s up to you,” Li Shenji said coldly.
Then, Li Shenji turned and walked away.
“Your Majesty, are we really leaving?” Ju Lu asked, feeling a little disappointed.
“It’s time to go. Make arrangements for everyone to leave first using the tunnel. I have to deal with something in the city. I will meet you outside the city later,” Gu Hai said.
“Yes.” Ju Lu nodded. Then, he reported the location of the tunnel to Gu Hai.
After that, Gu Hai returned to the hall he was in.
Fairy Waner had already gotten out of bed by now and packed everything.
“Let’s go, then. Let’s go and get the thing you were seeking first. Then, come back to Chaoge City with me,” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Fairy Waner stared at Gu Hai. Eventually, she smiled faintly and nodded.
After some simple tidying up, Gu Hai and Fairy Waner stepped out of the manor.
