The emperor’s study, Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Gu Hai, Sima Changkong, Shangguan Hen, Long Shenying, and the Mosquito Daoist stared at Long Sanqian, whose cultivation was sealed.
“Imperial Emperor Gu, I thought it through. I’m willing to join the Han Imperial Dynasty. I can be your corps commander and help you expand your territory! With my soul exchange ability and Imperial Emperor Gu’s impeccable plans, we will sweep our way through the world!” Long Sanqian said as he looked at Gu Hai in anticipation.
“Oh?” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes at Long Sanqian.
“Your Reverence, you can’t do that! This person’s nature changes frequently, showing multiple faces. He just has no other choice at the moment, losing all forms of support. That’s why he resorted to this. Once he recovers, he will bite back like a venomous snake. This official was bitten previously!” Long Shenying argued with a ferocious expression.
“First Uncle, I know my mistake now. However, I did not submit to you because you do not have the ability to make me submit. Now, I am fully convinced of Imperial Emperor Gu. I’m willing to be at Imperial Emperor Gu’s beck and call!” Long Sanqian said immediately.
As Long Sanqian explained himself, he also exalted Gu Hai. However, how could Gu Hai be convinced by some flattery?
Gu Hai said nothing, only looking at Long Sanqian quietly as though sizing up prey. The study fell deathly silent.
Long Sanqian could not fathom Gu Hai’s thoughts. Feeling anxious, he turned his head to look at Sima Changkong.
“Mister Sima, we have worked together in the past. Do you remember when we plotted against Borderless Heavenly Capital? My ability will bring countless unexpected results for the Han Nation. We will destroy all external enemies!” Long Sanqian wanted Sima Changkong to plead for him.
Sima Changkong had worked with Long Sanqian before as Long Sanqian’s subordinate, so he understood Long Sanqian well enough.
Sima Changkong ignored Long Sanqian. Instead, he looked at Gu Hai and said, “Your Reverence, do you recall Long Shenwu and Long Shenying? Long Sanqian used to be willing to follow them. However…”
Sima Changkong’s words needed no explanation. Long Sanqian had tricked the Long brothers. Long Sanqian had surrendered for only one reason: to exchange souls with Gu Hai.
Sima Changkong’s words helped Gu Hai decide. Gu Hai nodded. “The ability to soul exchange is indeed unique in the world. However, we can do without him.”
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly at Long Sanqian, causing Long Sanqian’s expression to change.
When Long Sanqian sensed that Gu Hai would not care about him, his face immediately turned savage.
“Hahahaha! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Gu Hai? Sima Changkong? Since you are not willing to take me in, then never mind! Humph!” Long Sanqian glared ferociously.
“You are now a prisoner. Why be cocky now?” the Mosquito Daoist sneered slightly.
“Humph! Do you think I cannot escape? I still have my descendant, Yun Mo! His mark is planted deep in his bloodline. Soul exchange!” Long Sanqian shouted, his eyes opened wide.
Buzz!
A blue light immediately rushed out of Long Sanqian’s body.
“Oh no!” Long Shenying’s expression changed.
The expressions of Sima Changkong, Shangguan Hen, and the Mosquito Daoist also changed. They wanted to stop it but were too late; the blue light had already shot out.
Boom!
A red net suddenly appeared in the study out of nowhere, bouncing the blue light back.
Buzz!
The blue light returned to Long Sanqian’s body.
“How can this be? How can this be?! Soul exchange, go!” Long Sanqian’s expression changed. Then the blue light shot out again.
Buzz!
The web in the study again bounced the blue light back.
Long Sanqian’s souls could not escape.
“What-what’s going on? What is this ritual array in your study?” Long Sanqian exclaimed.
“The Unborn Man laid the Soul Locking Lifespan Ritual Array!” Gu Hai said.
“Soul Locking Lifespan Ritual Array? What? What? You…your hesitation earlier was fake? You intentionally brought me into your study, knowing that I could escape?” Long Sanqian felt flustered.
However, Sima Changkong and the others were delighted as they turned to Gu Hai in shock.
Gu Hai coldly eyed Long Sanqian. “You already escaped once. How could we not investigate you? How could we let you escape a second time? Yun Mo said his bloodline is useful to you, so we suspected you could exchange souls with him. Furthermore, if we guess right, you also prepared a few other substitutes you can soul exchange with in the Ying Imperial Dynasty, right?”
“You…how did you know that?” Long Sanqian asked in wide-eyed shock.
“The more impure the motives a person has, the more cowardly he will be, and the more escape routes he will leave himself. You have already escaped death twice, which would make you even more careful. Did you think we would not guess it?” Gu Hai replied seriously.
“You figured out my intentions?” Long Sanqian said in shock.
“You are just a zitherist in the end. Your performance was too exaggerated,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
Long Sanqian: “…”
Exaggerated? My acting was exaggerated?
“Long Sanqian still cannot forget about Your Reverence’s body and wants to repeat what he did once. Hah!” Sima Changkong sneered.
“Your Reverence played it by ear and brought him to the study to prevent him from escaping?” Long Shenying said with a slight, wry smile as he looked at Gu Hai.
“We had considered recruiting you and even gave you a chance. However, you had impure motives from the start. Mister Sima is right; your heart is too evil. The Han Imperial Dynasty does not need people like you,” Gu Hai said coldly.
As Gu Hai spoke, he waved his hand. A hole suddenly appeared in the air; he had opened the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
Long Sanqian’s expression changed dramatically. From wanting to plead for mercy, he slowly turned berserk and ferocious.
“You want to kill me? Well, go on! As long as I have a chance, I will leave. Then your Han Nation will never have peace!” Long Sanqian said hatefully with a ferocious expression.
Gu Hai swung his Life Executioner Saber down.
The moment the saber strike landed, Long Sanqian revealed a cocky sneer.
“You cannot kill me. Even if you kill me, my soul will reincarnate very soon. I am the best zitherist in the world. The music Dao has already tempered my souls and merged them with the laws. As long as the music Dao does not get destroyed, I cannot die. Hahaha!” Long Sanqian raved with hatred.
Boom!
The saber strike knocked Long Sanqian into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, where he exploded.
Buzz!
Right after Long Sanqian’s body exploded, his spiritual souls trembled and strangely entered Gu Hai’s dantian.
“I…why am I here?” The expressions of Long Sanqian’s spiritual souls changed dramatically.
This shouldn’t happen. Shouldn’t I be reincarnating? Shouldn’t I reincarnate?
Then Long Sanqian raised his head and saw the Spiritual Progenitor deity king in Gu Hai’s dantian.
“Gu Hai? This…this is your dantian?” Long Sanqian said in shock.
“We spared your spiritual souls for a while just to tell you no one can revive the people we kill, no matter who it is!” the Spiritual Progenitor deity king said seriously.
After Gu Hai spoke, the Spiritual Progenitor’s right eye, the Eye of Death, immediately sucked in Long Sanqian’s spiritual souls. The Eye of Death’s pupil was the Karmic Energy pool, which would convert Long Sanqian’s spiritual souls into Mending Heaven Energy.
Sizzle!
Long Sanqian suddenly discovered his music Dao was useless. Even though his spiritual souls had merged with the laws, he was helpless. He would truly die soon.
“No! No!” Long Sanqian shouted in regret and hatred right before he got destroyed.
Long Sanqian’s spiritual souls disintegrated in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps he had sinned too much, but Long Sanqian’s spiritual souls filled the Mending Heaven Energy pool in the left eye significantly despite being just one person’s souls.
Whoosh!
Long Sanqian completely vanished. Teacher Yinyue no longer existed in this world, and the strange soul exchange ability came to an end.
Outside:
Gu Hai put away the Gu’s Immortal Firmament with a flip of his hand.
“Your Reverence, Long Sanqian…,” Long Shenying said somewhat worriedly.
“I have already destroyed his spiritual souls. Rest assured,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“Yes!” Everyone inwardly released a bated breath.
Long Sanqian’s appearance during this time had a tremendous impact on everyone’s heart.
“Long Shenying, your injuries are severe, right?” Gu Hai looked at Long Shenying.
“My internal organs are shattered, and I will need a long time to recover.” Long Shenying smiled bitterly as he nodded.
“Drink this. It will speed up your recovery.” Gu Hai handed over a small bottle of Mending Heaven Energy.
Long Shenying felt slightly doubtful, but he immediately drank it.
Buzz!
The Mending Heaven Energy restored Long Shenying’s internal organs at a visible pace.
“This…this…,” Long Shenying stammered in shock.
Long Shenying knew Gu Hai had a panacea for treating injuries, but he had not expected it to work this quickly. In mere moments, his internal organs had already recovered. He remained somewhat weak but would recover in a few days at worst.
“Have you recovered?” Gu Hai smiled.
“Yes!” Long Shenying immediately said with a solemn expression.
Shangguan Hen and the Mosquito Daoist smiled. The two naturally knew it was Mending Heaven Energy and how powerful its effects were.
“Since that is the case, we will not keep you. When you returned earlier, not many saw you, right?” Gu Hai asked.
“Yes. I used a technique to disguise myself.” Long Shenying nodded.
“That’s good. You can return to Ying Divine City now. I will send Sima Changkong to contact you later to absorb the Ying Imperial Dynasty into the Han Imperial Dynasty.” Gu Hai looked at Long Shenying.
The Mosquito Daoist and Shangguan Hen frowned slightly, still somewhat worried. After all, Long Shenying had already regained everything. Would he be willing to hand the Ying Imperial Dynasty to the Han Nation? That was a vast nation with blessings no inferior to the Han Imperial Dynasty.
“Your Reverence, rest assured. This official will not betray Your Reverence’s expectations.” Long Shenying bowed extremely respectfully.
Long Shenying did not fall out with Gu Hai. After the past events, he already understood he was indeed much inferior to Gu Hai. His eminent father was right. He could be a superb commander, but he was inadequate as an emperor.
Furthermore, he had seen Long Zhanguo recently, hence his shift in attitude.
“Also, here are letters that Long Zhanguo wrote for us back then. They are addressed to some old officials of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty. Mo Yike already used some in the Wu Imperial Dynasty. I’ll hand these letters to you in case any old officials object.” Gu Hai handed over a stack of letters.
“Yes, Your Reverence. Rest assured; there will not be any problem.” Long Shenying received the letters.
Gu Hai nodded.
After saying goodbye to Gu Hai, Long Shenying left the study. Then he took to the sky while shrouded in black fog, flying towards Ying Divine City.
Long Shenying returned to Ying Divine City in no time.
Boom!
He landed outside the earlier banquet hall.
“Your Reverence!” the surrounding guards saluted extremely respectfully.
“Your Reverence, you left in a rush earlier. Was there something urgent?” an official asked worriedly.
“There’s no need to worry anymore. We are fine. Are the envoys from the six factions still around?” Long Shenying asked.
“They are still around and waiting for Your Reverence’s return!” that official immediately answered.
