Thousands of miles away.
The ancient Gu Clan received a ssage from their ancestor, announcing the arrival of distinguished guests. The entire clan gathered to welco them with utmost reverence. But when those figures took their seats in the grand hall, the clan's prodigies and elites were left utterly dumbfounded.
A half-sized skeleton sat in the seat of honor, spouting nonsense with his feet clad in flashy sneakers.
Beside him lounged an arrogant-looking dog, posturing like so pompous elder, while a centipede also occupied a place of honor, its countless legs fidgeting restlessly, eyes gleaming with mischief. A spectral king drifted about like ghostly flas, and a bear—no less ridiculous—sat with a vacant, foolish expression.
This motley crew bore no resemblance to distinguished guests whatsoever.
The Gu Clan had stood tall in this domain for tens of thousands of years, a prestigious lineage renowned across the Cloud Star. Their mbers were well-traveled and worldly—even the arrival of true saints was nothing unusual.
But this? This was sothing else entirely.
A spectacle straight out of a circus troupe—and they were supposed to be honored guests?
Outside the hall, the clan's prodigies exchanged bewildered glances, utterly lost for words.
Yet within the hall, the Gu Clan's ancestor, Gu Taiyuan, stood unperturbed, completely indifferent to the incredulous stares from afar. His face bore a serene smile, his deanor the picture of deference.
"Esteed guests, please enjoy so immortal tea while you wait. We shall soon arrange for you to et the most exquisite maidens of our clan!"
Ao Qing, however, was far from pleased.
"You said there'd be beauties waiting. Why do we have to go to them? Shouldn't they co to us?"
Gu Taiyuan forced an awkward smile and hurried to explain.
"My apologies, great one. Our clan's finest maidens are young and sheltered, still unbetrothed. They rarely receive guests..."
The explanation made sense, but it only made Ao Qing and the others feel like bandits storming in to claim brides—scaring the old man half to death.
Lu Benwei, ever the picture of patience, offered so sage advice.
"Qing, my boy, you must have grace. Grace, understand? Acting like a desperate fool will only scare away the finest ladies. We are cultured individuals—grace is key!"
"We are n of refinent. We must respect local customs!"
Ao Qing and the centipede nodded fervently, as if enlightened by divine wisdom.
Gu Taiyuan quickly signaled for the immortal tea to be served. The serving maidens, though re attendants, were all talented and stunning—handpicked from the finest in the clan.
As the graceful maidens entered, carefully presenting the tea, the atmosphere lightened considerably. Cheers erupted, and the bizarre guests cast eager, appreciative glances their way.
The most beautiful of the maidens approached the seat of honor, trembling slightly as she placed the tea beside Lu Benwei.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, Lu Benwei extended his elegant skeletal hand, palm down.
"My lady, this is the back of my hand."
The maiden froze at the sight of the ghastly bones, stamring, "Y-yes..."
Lu Benwei then lifted his sneaker-clad foot.
"And this, the back of my foot."
The sa eerie whiteness. The poor girl was too terrified to respond, her delicate hands shaking uncontrollably.
With a flourish, Lu Benwei removed his cloak and—sohow—produced a rose, clasping it between his teeth with a dashing, if unsettling, grin.
"But you, my dear... are my treasure."
The maiden, staring into the horrifying skull before her, was petrified. Barely registering his words, she bowed hastily, her voice trembling.
"G-great one... p-please enjoy your tea..."
The scene was nothing short of surreal.
Gu Taiyuan stood dumbstruck, his mind struggling to process the absurdity. Outside, the watching clansn were equally frozen in disbelief.
Ao Qing, however, was thoroughly impressed, his eyes alight with admiration.
"Brother, that was legendary! A few words, and you've got them all flustered! Masterful!"
The centipede bobbed its head in agreent.
"Yes, yes! We’ve learned well! Truly, the master knows best!"
Laughter erupted once more among the bizarre assembly, their rrint only deepening Gu Taiyuan’s despair. His face twitched violently—were it not for his dignity, he might have facepald.
Flustered? That girl wasn’t flustered—she was terrified out of her wits!
But with no choice but to humor these terrifying beings, Gu Taiyuan forced another smile.
"Ah... such refined tastes, great one!"
After a few more hollow complints, he excused himself to "gather more exquisite maidens," leaving the attendants to manage the chaos.
Once outside the main hall, the clan’s elders quickly followed. The clan leader, Gu Daohai, could no longer contain himself. Erecting a sound barrier with his divine sense, he bowed in frustration.
"Ancestor, why must we show such deference to these... ruffians? Qingcheng’s death remains unavenged, and yet—!"
Before he could finish, Gu Taiyuan whirled around.
His eyes blazed with terrifying authority, his earlier ekness gone—replaced by the piercing gaze of a predator. That single glance silenced Gu Daohai instantly.
After reinforcing the barrier and confirming the "circus troupe" inside remained oblivious, Gu Taiyuan let out a cold, mocking sigh.
"Hmph!"
"You’ve led this clan for centuries, yet your discernnt fails you so utterly? Can you not sense even a sliver of their power?"
Gu Daohai was no fool. His pupils shrank at the implication.
"Ancestor, you an...?"
Gu Taiyuan studied his descendant. Though Gu Daohai lacked his son Gu Qingcheng’s prodigious talent, he was still a capable leader—one who could safeguard the clan’s legacy. Softening slightly, Gu Taiyuan recounted his earlier encounter.
By the ti he described the scene of a finger shattering the void, Gu Daohai’s face had paled.
So those bizarre creatures were beings of such monstrous power!
Swallowing hard, Gu Daohai bowed again, his voice laced with dread.
"Ancestor, if their strength is so fearso, their visit bodes ill. Without treasures of equal value, even our Gu Clan may not withstand their wrath..."
"After losing a genius like Qingcheng, must we suffer another calamity?"
His words were heavy with grief.
Gu Taiyuan, however, smirked.
"Who said this is a calamity? Daohai, your vision remains shortsighted. Their power is undeniable—but so too are the treasures they carry, far surpassing anything our clan possesses."
"This is no disaster. It is an opportunity—one that could elevate the Gu Clan to unprecedented heights!"
Gu Daohai shuddered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"An... opportunity?"
Then, realization dawned—and with it, horror.
"Ancestor... you can’t an... to activate the ancestral grand formation—Stellar Chess Array—against them?!"
Before he could finish, Gu Taiyuan nodded, his smile chilling.
"Precisely."
"Though your talent is limited, your comprehension is passable. I expected no less. Those outsiders may be strong, but under the Stellar Chess Array—our ancestors’ legacy—even they cannot escape death."
"Fortune favors the bold. For the Gu Clan’s future, I have endured this humiliation to lure them into our trap. The rest... is up to you."
With just a few words, Gu Taiyuan painted himself as the hero of his clan, as if all his previous actions had been part of a grand sche—his earlier flattery now appeared as nothing short of brilliant strategy.
Gu Daohai listened in awe, imdiately nodding in agreent before hurrying off.
"Elder is truly wise! I shall head to the ancestral tomb to prepare the grand formation!"
Without needing further discussion, the two n understood each other perfectly and split up to carry out their tasks. What was once a crisis had now been transford into an opportunity, and their plan was set into motion.
In re monts, Gu Taiyuan stepped out of the barrier and made his way to the main hall. Timing it just right, he announced,
"Esteed guests, the fair maidens of our clan have all gathered and await your presence in the blessed lands of the rear mountain!"
Hearing this, Lu Benwei nodded in satisfaction and reluctantly released the delicate hand of the serving girl.
"Farewell, my dear… until we et again."
With that, he rose to his feet, leading his brothers away with a dashing, wind-like departure.
Only after their figures had vanished into the distance did the serving girls collapse to the ground, finally able to breathe.
Guided by Gu Taiyuan, Lu Benwei and his dog-brothers set off in high spirits, chatting and laughing along the way. They even tossed out a few flirtatious verses, the atmosphere brimming with excitent.
But when they arrived at the so-called rear mountain, all they saw was an empty plaza.
In the distance, at the foot of the mountain, stood a colossal gate towering hundreds of feet high.
Not a single maiden in sight—not even a female fly!
Lu Benwei blinked in confusion before turning to the old man.
"Are you sure there are maidens here?"
Gu Taiyuan sneered inwardly. These fools pretend to seek won when all they really want is the Gu family’s treasures. Who wouldn’t suspect that massive gate leads to a treasure vault?
What a pointless question.
Fine, I’ll humor them a little longer.
Convinced he had seen through their act, Gu Taiyuan maintained an air of calm, his aged face creased with earnest wrinkles as he spoke with even greater deference.
"Reporting to the esteed one,"
"Our Gu family’s heritage is extraordinary, but our 'maidens' are exceedingly rare and not to be shown lightly. They have resided here for generations. If you would kindly step closer, you shall see for yourself."
Lu Benwei and his brothers’ eyes sparkled with excitent, as if they had just discovered a whole new world!
"Oh? There are actually maidens like this?"
"Living inside a mountain? First ti I’ve heard of that! The customs of this realm truly are different!"
"Didn’t Second Brother say the people here are open-minded? Maybe we’ll get to see sothing wild today—like… untad primal training?"
"Mm-hmm! That makes sense!"
The group of simpletons chattered away, their minds already conjuring up all sorts of delightful fantasies.
Having just arrived in this world and fueled by rumors, their curiosity had long been piqued. Now, faced with such an unusual dwelling, their imaginations ran wild.
Without a second thought, Lu Benwei strode forward eagerly.
"If that’s the case, this playboy is about to show off his skills…"
The dog-brothers and the centipede were equally excited, even helping adjust his cloak and attire with brotherly enthusiasm, instantly transforming into the ultimate support squad—determined to ensure their big brother’s romantic success!
In the blink of an eye, they had everything ready—mirrors, props, grooming tools—as if preparing a general for battle!
Gu Taiyuan’s face twitched uncontrollably.
Having lived for millions of years and encountered countless eccentric figures, this was the first ti he had seen such absurdity. He had initially worried they might suspect sothing, but it seed these idiots were blissfully unaware even in the face of death.
They really must be a bunch of brainless cultivators!
Too naive.
Despite their terrifying cultivation and ticulous actions, they’re still no match for .
After all, cultivation isn’t just about brute force.
To encounter such foolish experts—this is truly heaven’s blessing upon the Gu family!!!
The thought of these powerful figures perishing here, leaving behind countless treasures for the Gu family, filled Gu Taiyuan with such excitent he nearly gave himself away.
Quickly stepping forward, he bowed and extended a warm invitation.
"Esteed one, please follow !"
By now, Lu Benwei was fully grood—his bean shoes polished to a mirror shine, his cloak spotless, his entire being practically glowing. It was his most dashing appearance in recent mory.
Even a fly landing on him would slip and split its legs!
With a series of bows to his brothers, he looked every bit the dashing groom, playing the part flawlessly.
"Congratulations to us all!"
With that, he followed Gu Taiyuan’s lead, striding across the plaza with his brothers in tow, their hearts brimming with anticipation. So absorbed were they that they failed to notice the towering inscribed pillars surrounding the plaza.
Just as they reached the edge of the plaza—
Gu Taiyuan suddenly tore through space, vanishing in a flash and reappearing alone outside the plaza!
Turning back with a maniacal laugh, his eyes filled with malice, he roared—
"HAHAHAHA…!"
"This is the greatest mistake of your lives! A year from today shall be your death anniversary!!!"
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