The discovery of "The Art of Repairing the Sky" made Gu Pinglin unable to sleep. The shadow left by the fight kept lingering in his mind and could not be shaken off.
This "Heaven-Repairing Art" is not incompetent, but too overbearing. Its fierceness and sharpness make even the devil pale in comparison. This is something Gu Pinglin had not expected. After all, no matter how powerful the "Heaven-Repairing Art" in the previous life was, it was an undisputed righteous skill. However, the "Heaven-Repairing Art" in this life...
Seems like the right way but it is not the right way.
There are many techniques that can launch soul attacks, but to refine one's soul power to such a strong level in such a short period of time, no righteous technique can do it. No matter whether it is the Xuanming sect's technique which is famous for its sharpness, or the Tiancan sect's technique which is famous for its evilness, no matter how extraordinary they are, they always adhere to the path of righteousness.
It seems like the magic way but it is not the magic way.
Demonic cultivation techniques have always been radical and extreme, this "Bu Tian Jue" is radical, but it is not out of control, and it even reveals many characteristics of Lingxin school's techniques, being steady and conservative. This characteristic is like the string that ties a kite, pulling it back from the extreme. Gu Pinglin knows "Bu Tian Jue" too well, so he could find the problem with it. Others would only regard it as a powerful righteous technique.
Gu Pinglin was also very puzzled. The new "Bu Tian Jue" was sinister but not poisonous, cruel but not harsh, and somewhere between good and evil. It was hard to say whether it was good or bad. He immediately thought of the destroyed "Nine Chapters of Refining the Spirit" - Duan Qingming had only glanced through it at that time and it was impossible for him to remember it all, but he already had the outline of a new technique in his mind. As for the "Nine Chapters of Refining the Spirit", he probably focused on studying it in detail. With his ability, it was not difficult for him to remember the key parts in a short time.
"Nine Chapters of Refining the Spirit" is the masterpiece of Bailian Demon Ancestor. In his previous life, Xin Ji only practiced the "Pupil Technique" in it and became famous throughout the world, which shows how powerful it is. This technique requires souls to practice. Duan Qingming has no chance to kill people to refine souls. Could it be that... he improved "Nine Chapters of Refining the Spirit"
The more Gu Pinglin thought about it, the more frightened he became.
This person is a genius. In his previous life, he was able to create the "Bu Tian Jue" based on the Xuanming School's skills. It is not impossible for him to improve the "Nine Chapters of Refining the Spirit" in this life.
Facing an unknown Duan Qingming and the brand new "Bu Tian Jue", Gu Pinglin couldn't tell whether he was relieved or nervous. He also felt a little excited and expectant. This excitement actually loosened the bottleneck of cultivation that had been blocked for a long time. After realizing it, Gu Pinglin immediately discarded all distracting thoughts, sat cross-legged and practiced Qigong, and indeed made a lot of progress after a night.
Nanzhu's subordinates were also very efficient, and they brought the news that Gu Pinglin wanted the next day. Recently, there were many guests on the main island of Penglai, most of whom were going to the sea. In addition to disciples from well-known sects, there were also some unidentified independent cultivators. Penglai Island belonged to a righteous sect, but it had a special location and a large demand for supplies, so it was not surprising that some transactions were done secretly.
However, Jun Muzhi said that Duan Qingming did not go to the main island.
Gu Pinglin was really surprised and couldn't help but wonder: "Is this true?"
Although Jun Muzhi was puzzled, he still answered: "He did only go to the Fairy Snake Island."
The result was totally unexpected, and the previous guess was completely wrong. Gu Pinglin walked slowly to the table and calmed down.
Xianshe Island is the territory of Lord Pingcang. The news is absolutely true. Many guests visited the island yesterday. Some of them were guests of Guo Feng from the main island. Two groups of them were related to Duan Qingming.
One group was from the Xuanming Sect, led by Yun He, the head of the Zhengyang Academy, and Cheng, the chief. They had been on Penglai Island for some time and were guests of Guo Feng. They usually lived on the main island. Yesterday, Cheng brought two maids to Xianshe Island to visit an old friend from Penglai and stayed for a day.
The other group was from the Duan family, led by the head of the family, Duan Pin, who had just arrived two days ago. The Duan family was known as the "first family" and had a long-standing relationship with Penglai Island. Guo Feng personally hosted a banquet for them. Last night, the eighth son Duan Qinghou and the two elders had visited the Fairy Snake Island.
Jun Muzhi explained: "Master Duan and the Eighth Young Master have just arrived in Penglai. Grandfather only told me about it when he met Brother Duan last night. I saw that it was getting late, so I planned to tell Brother Duan today. There are exceptions, so it is not a bad etiquette to meet him today."
Duan Pin has publicly acknowledged Duan Qinghou's identity as the heir. The status of Duan Qingming, the legitimate eldest son, seems very sensitive. Duke Pingcang and Duke Shunshi did not mention Duan Pin's presence in Penglai last night, perhaps because they did not want to spoil the fun. Thinking more deeply, in Duke Pingcang's eyes, the Duan family is close to Guo Feng. As a guest of Nanzhu, it might be better for Duan Qingming to be at odds with his own family. These old guys are all shrewd people.
Who did Duan Qingming go to see? Gu Pinglin didn't dwell on this question.
Both the Cheng and Duan family elders support him. It doesn’t matter who he meets. What matters is his purpose.
The position of the Patriarch? Gu Pinglin sneered.
It should be that he deliberately showed his intention to compete for the position of the head of the family. He and he agreed to decipher the letter from the Demon Realm as a bet. The content of the letter is likely to be related to the matter of the Sea Realm. He has more information about the trip to the Sea Realm than he does. He is very clear about this. The Cheng and Duan family elders still have hope for him, and he will certainly not let go of these resources that can be used. Those people support him wholeheartedly, but Gu Pinglin has no doubt that he will abandon them immediately after this trip.
In his past life and this life, he is still the heartless and manipulative Duan Qingming.
His eyes brightened again, and Gu Pinglin tapped the table twice: "Since you want to put on a show, I will help you and make your fake show come true."
Jun Muzhi was also secretly observing his expression, closing the fishbone fan in his hand, and stepped forward to test: "Master Duan Liu and you..."
Gu Pinglin knew his concerns and smiled: "He is on the same side as us."
Jun Muzhi breathed a sigh of relief.
If Duan Qingming wants to make friends with Guo Feng together with his family, things will become troublesome.
Nanzhu stood alone in front of the window, her face as gloomy as water, and she said nothing. Most of the guests who came recently were representatives of large sects and families, but they only visited the Sixth Imperial Lord Guo Feng. No one cared that there was a young master on Penglai Island. Or maybe Guo Feng deliberately created this situation.
Gu Pinglin saw it but said nothing.
Guo Feng was so arrogant that he must have had the intention to kill. The future overlord of the sea had already learned to be patient and would soar to the sky in time. On the other hand, Guo Feng, the Sixth Prince, abused his power to bully the young lord and his rebellious intentions were obvious. At the same time, he was restrained by his reputation as a "loyal minister of Penglai" and lacked the ability to make decisions. He could not even be called a hero.
Jun Muzhi wanted to say something but stopped himself. The three of them turned around at the same time and saw Duan Qingming and Bu Shuihan walking in.
Bu Shuihan was rarely seen wearing a loose white Taoist robe today, with long sleeves trailing down, but he still didn't look like an immortal. He walked too fast with long strides, and held a long sword in his hand. His chin raised high made him look proud and confident, and he looked very heroic.
Duan Qingming is different. No matter what he wears, he looks relaxed and at ease. He has a bookish air and a smile on his face. He is simply gentle and harmless to the extreme.
Nanzhu returned to her normal state and asked the two if they slept well. They both praised them politely. Duan Qingming apologized again: "I'm very sorry for disturbing the master by accident last night."
Bu Shuihan also hurriedly said: "My two junior brothers are impulsive, please forgive me for making fun of you."
"Even brothers can argue, as long as the overall situation is good," Jun Muzhi tapped his palm with the handle of his fan and said with a smile, "Although Penglai Island is not as good as the Duan family, it is not difficult to build a few houses. Brother Duan is being polite."
Duan Qingming said: "Brother Jun is too modest. Penglai Island is a great island in the East China Sea. It is rich in natural resources and has beautiful scenery. Everyone knows it."
The words were compliments, but not exaggerated. Nanzhu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Brother Duan, you are too kind."
Jun Muzhi recalled, "Last night, my grandfather received news that the Patriarch of the Duan family and the Eighth Young Master seemed to be visiting the main island. Will Young Master Duan go to see your father?"
Duan Qingming was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you for letting me know, I'll be there later."
Gu Pinglin had been watching his expression and couldn't help but sneer when he saw this.
This person was pretending to be surprised. He had known about this for a long time. The two Duan family elders went to Fairy Snake Island yesterday, and it was probably not a whim. Even if there was no accident with the Hanying Twin Swords yesterday, he would have visited Nanzhu on the island. He had expected this a long time ago. Being able to contact the elders meant that he had a secret agent in the Duan family.
Nanzhu turned to Gu Pinglin and said, "There is something I forgot to tell you. To reach the sea, we have to pass through a turbulent river area. In recent years, the area has been occupied by eye-eating gulls and night-crying monsters."
"Is this really true?" Bu Shuihan was surprised.
Gu Pinglin was also surprised. The mechanism in the previous life was not activated in advance, and the clues to the sea realm were not leaked in advance. The time was just right, so there was no trouble in the turbulent flow area. The eye-eating gulls and night-crying monsters were high-level beasts, and even the inner alchemy monks had difficulty dealing with them. It might be difficult for everyone to get through.
"You don't have to worry," Nanzhu said with a smile, "In fact, there is an underwater secret passage in Penglai that can avoid the turbulent waters. It is used exclusively by the island owners of all generations. I also plan to go to the sea area, so you can just go with me. What do you think, Brother Gu?"
Jun Muzhi frowned imperceptibly.
Gu Pinglin took in the change in his expression and nodded: "That's great."
Duan Qingming smiled and said, "Thank you, Young Master Nan."
"Brother Gu and I are inseparable, so there's no need to be polite," Nanzhu waved her hand, "I'll be leaving in a few days, so you guys should get ready first."
Just as he said this, the guard outside came in to report that Lord Pingcang wanted to see him, so Nanzhu hurriedly took Jun Muzhi out. Duan Qingming also asked Bu Shuihan to leave, but was stopped by Gu Pinglin: "Stay, I have something to tell you."
Duan Qingming looked at Bu Shuihan.
Last night's incident was a big deal, Bu Shuihan had been looking for an opportunity to persuade the two of them, but now that Gu Pinglin had taken the initiative to speak, he immediately went with the flow and said, "I'll go find Brother Yao Feng first."
Duan Qingming said: "Then I will come back to find you."
Bu Shuihan patted his shoulder heavily as a gesture, then walked out.
Gu Pinglin watched coldly.
Bu Shuihan had disliked him before, but after only a few days of this trip, he was able to make Bu Shuihan completely let go of his grudges and treat him sincerely.
Duan Qingming turned around and looked at him: "Junior Brother Gu, what do you want to say by keeping me here?"
Without waiting for Gu Pinglin to answer, he smiled and said, "Come to think of it, I had a really good dream last night. I'm sure you had the same dream."
Gu Pinglin said: "It wasn't a good dream."
"Oh?" Duan Qingming walked to his side and leaned down, "Did you have a bad dream, or did you really forget it?"
His gaze fell on the lips ambiguously, and there seemed to be a cool temperature. Gu Pinglin couldn't help but recall the feeling of being licked by a snake's tongue again. His scalp suddenly felt tingling, and deep inside his body he shuddered slightly.
Duan Qingming smiled and said, "Perhaps you have already remembered it. That dream was quite exciting and interesting. What do you think, Gu Xiaojiu?"
"Yes, it's exciting." Gu Pinglin retracted his gaze, "If you want to irritate me, then you're making a wrong idea."
Duan Qingming said: "You really don't mind."
"I'm not a woman, so why should I mind?" Gu Pinglin said with a half-smile. "It's you, Duan Liu, who resorted to all means to avoid me, which is really eye-opening."
Duan Qingming said slowly, "Don't tell me that in your heart, I am not the kind of person who will do anything to achieve my goal?"
Of course, but the Duan Qingming in his previous life never used such a ridiculous method. Gu Pinglin did not argue with him and directly changed the topic to business: "I will go to the main island with you."
"Oh?" Duan Qingming seemed surprised and interested, "You want to go with me to see father?"
Gu Pinglin ignored his teasing and said, "Xin Ji agreed to exchange letters at Yongbi Bay. I plan to go and take a look. The main island is Guo Feng's sphere of influence. Your identity will be more useful there."
"You are too direct to use my identity."
"Don't you want to go?"
"Let's go."