Chapter 809: You Lost

After saying all this, Gu Zongren suddenly felt his heart lighten significantly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

This feeling left him both shocked and terrified. It turned out that the other party had been invisibly exerting such immense pressure on him all along! Yet, before speaking those words, he had been completely unaware of it.

He thought to himself in absolute horror, “Has her cultivation level… reached such a terrifying degree?

“Since Luo Tian has such a terrifying expert by his side, why didn’t he bring out this Great God back at the ancient ruins?

“A terrifying powerhouse who has surpassed the Celestial Venerable realm would only need to release a sliver of her aura to send everyone targeting him fleeing and wetting themselves.

“Why didn’t she appear when I captured him?”

Gu Zongren was filled with doubt. He really wanted to test her! If the other party was truly that strong, then his compromise and surrender today would be a wise choice. However, if she was faking it… then his choice today would become a massive joke! Once word got out, how would he have the face to vie for supremacy over the world? To be so scared by a young girl that he bowed his head and admitted defeat—even his Dao heart would likely be left with a shadow!

“I know you won’t be satisfied until you try,” the Blue-skirted Maiden, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said calmly as she raised her head to look at Gu Zongren.

“That’s right… This junior… has never seen a powerhouse above the Celestial Venerable realm take action. The thrill of the challenge got the better of me, so please forgive me, Senior,” Gu Zongren replied, bracing himself as he looked at the Blue-skirted Maiden.

“Since you know that those above the Celestial Venerable realm are powerhouses, then you must also know that powerhouses don’t make a move lightly.” The Blue-skirted Maiden’s voice was crisp and ethereal, as pleasant as pearls falling onto a jade plate. Her bright eyes, pure as water, stared at Gu Zongren. “If you want me to act, you have to pay a price!”

“Wh-what price?” Gu Zongren suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

He thought, “This girl is beautiful and pure to the extreme. If she walked down the street, she would definitely cause a sensation. People would be astonished by her heavenly appearance and involuntarily feel that she is too sacred to be profaned.

“Yet, not a single trace of aura leaks from her body…

“Why do I feel such immense pressure when she says nothing, and even greater pressure when she speaks?”

Gu Zongren found it hard to believe that such a pure and breathtakingly beautiful girl could be a terrifying powerhouse.

“If you want to verify the guess in your heart, then you must become my slave,” the Blue-skirted Maiden said, looking at Gu Zongren. “For your entire life, without exception!”

*What?* A surge of intense anger suddenly erupted in Gu Zongren’s heart. He raged inwardly, “You want me… a top-tier Celestial Venerable, to become your slave?

“Are you kidding me?!

“I am a direct, orthodox descendant of Ancient Celestial Valley!

“I am the actual controller of Divine Maiden Tower!

“I harbor the grand ambition of unifying the world!

“How could a Great Celestial Venerable like me ever be someone else’s servant?”

“You refuse?” Lan glanced at Gu Zongren, her expression as nonchalant as if she were asking if he didn’t want to eat.

“Of course I refuse!” Gu Zongren snapped, abandoning all concern for the pressure as he glared at Lan. “This demand is too outrageous! Even if you truly are a powerhouse, Senior, I, Gu Zongren, am no Nameless nobody!”

“Hehe, then forget it.” Lan linked her arm through Xu Luo’s and said softly, “Brother Fu, I’m hungry. Take me to get something to eat!”

“Alright!” Xu Luo smiled, casting a doting look at Lan before turning back. “Ancient Celestial Venerable, we have an agreement. You chose peace, and I am very pleased. From now on, we will stay out of each other’s way. Remember, return Divine Maiden Tower to Xue Chuqing. If you so much as entertain the thought of touching her, I will absolutely make you regret being born into this world!”

“Wait… wait!” Gu Zongren was furious, but he continued to hesitate and struggle internally. After hearing Xu Luo’s words, he finally made a decision.

Divine Maiden Tower was the most crucial component in his bid for worldly supremacy! If he returned it to Xue Chuqing, he would be like a giant without eyes and ears—possessing terrifying strength but not knowing where to direct it. Therefore, he absolutely could not return Divine Maiden Tower to Xue Chuqing!

Since that was the case, he might as well test the depths of this Blue-skirted Maiden. If she was the real deal, then being the servant of a powerhouse didn’t seem like such a big deal! Besides, he didn’t believe that a true powerhouse would cling to Luo Tian all day like a girl next door. There would eventually come a day when she had to leave!

When that time came, the sea would be vast enough for him to leap, and the sky high enough for him to fly! Who could truly keep him in check then? A restrictive seal? Give him a break. What kind of place was Ancient Celestial Valley? One of the Three Great Holy Lands! Ancient Celestial Valley also had terrifying powerhouses! When that time came, it was hard to say who would be keeping whom in check!

Having made up his mind, Gu Zongren spoke up, “Please… enlighten me, Senior!”

“You agreed?” Lan turned her head back and looked at Xu Luo. “Brother Fu, I’ve found an old Celestial Venerable servant to protect you!”

“Whatever you wish,” Xu Luo smiled gently.

On the other side, Gu Zongren was so angry he nearly spat blood. They hadn’t even fought yet, but she was already so certain, calling him an old Celestial Venerable servant…

He roared in his mind, “Just you wait, you two brats! If you’re tricking me, see how I deal with you!”

Gu Zongren forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart. In reality, even he hadn’t noticed that, given his cultivation at the pinnacle of the Celestial Venerable realm, getting angry so easily and displaying his emotions and desires as clearly as an ordinary mortal… actually proved a lot!

But at this moment, Gu Zongren had only one thought in mind: to test whether they were real or fake!

Xu Luo stood there without even trying to dodge. This only fueled Gu Zongren’s anger. Two great experts were about to exchange blows, yet a puny Peak of Great Saint Realm cultivator dared to stand there without taking cover? Was he not afraid of being crushed by a stray burst of aura? When that happened, Gu Zongren certainly wouldn’t care about him!

With these thoughts in mind, Gu Zongren attacked!

A surge of Formless Sword Intent slashed directly at Lan! There was no holding back and no probing. His very first move… was an all-out strike! If the other party was faking it, then this burst of Sword Intent from a top-tier Celestial Venerable would be enough to reduce her to ashes! If she was the real deal, then this Sword Intent was also his strongest attack. If it was ineffective… he could just stop fighting!

There was no oppressive might spreading in any direction, nor did any aura leak out. Xu Luo’s eyes flickered with light, and his expression turned solemn.

This was the full-force strike of a Celestial Venerable, locking directly onto Lan. It looked harmless, without even a hint of aura leaking, but in reality, all that terrifying pressure was squarely aimed at her!

Lan stood quietly where she was, completely motionless, her pure, water-like eyes fixed on Gu Zongren.

He bellowed in his mind, “She really is a fake, isn’t she? Then die!”

Immediately after, he roared aloud, “Kill!”

In his imagination, this breathtakingly beautiful girl should have been instantly reduced to ashes, obliterated into nothingness by his terrifying Sword Intent! However, after his loud roar, he found that the stunning girl opposite him was still standing there completely unscathed. Not even a single strand of her hair had moved!

The young man beside her was even more expressionless, staring at him with a blank look that seemed to say: *What are you doing?*

“Crap!” Gu Zongren’s heart instantly sank. He was a top-tier Celestial Venerable! The other party had zero reaction to his full-force strike! And his Sword Intent… was still there!

“That’s it?” Xu Luo asked from the side, somewhat surprised.

Gu Zongren nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. He cursed internally, “Fuck! What do you mean, ‘that’s it’? How is it over? You little turtle! You little beast! If you have the guts, why don’t you try taking it?! If this Sword Intent had been aimed at you, you’d have been turned into dust long ago!”

“Too weak,” Lan remarked softly from the side.

PFFT!

Unable to hold back any longer, Gu Zongren spat out a mouthful of blood. Standing there, teetering on the verge of collapse, he muttered, “This is impossible! How could you be completely unharmed? Even a Saint Venerable… wouldn’t dare be so arrogant!”

“You lost,” Lan said.

“I don’t believe it! You must have a powerful artifact on you!” Gu Zongren’s eyes shot out a gaze of unwillingness. He really wanted to try again, but he had lost the courage to strike.

“You lost,” Lan repeated.

“What realm are you at, exactly? There are almost no true Great Powers in all of Jiuzhou that I haven’t heard of! Where exactly are you from?”

“You lost,” Lan said.

“Please tell me, Senior… perhaps you have some connection with the ancestors of Ancient Celestial Valley. Let’s not…”

“You lost,” Lan said.

PFFT!

Gu Zongren spat out another mouthful of blood. He stared at this stunningly beautiful girl, who seemed to only know how to say one sentence, with immense reluctance and absolute despair.

“You lost, so you should fulfill your promise and become my Brother Fu’s servant,” Lan finally added.

“But…”

“You lost.”

“…”

Gu Zongren was completely speechless. Looking at the breathtaking Blue-skirted Maiden before him, he wanted to cry but had no tears left. A sense of endless regret suddenly welled up in his heart.

He thought, “Why the fuck did I have to be so stupid? Why did I have to test her?

“I knew she could be a real powerhouse, but I never imagined she’d be this kind of powerhouse!

“They clearly lowered their stance to reconcile with me. What kind of madness possessed me to go and test her?

“I’m a fucking idiot!”

Gu Zongren suddenly wanted to wail out loud. He felt he was being bullied far too miserably!

He lamented internally, “You fucking have such a terrifying powerhouse by your side; what are you pretending for?! Why did you let me capture you alive? Why didn’t you bring out this Great God earlier?

“You even faked your death to deceive me, using a corpse to fool the Bounty Guild! You took the money, you took the divine materials, and then you left me to take the blame!

“There’s no such thing as bullying someone like this!

“This is… this is just too fucking bullying!

“And in the end, you even want to make me, an orthodox successor of Ancient Celestial Valley, your servant… Where is the justice in that?!”

Looking at Lan, Gu Zongren could no longer hold back his tears of grievance. With a SPLASH, they poured down as he pleaded, “Senior, Great-Grandma… have mercy and let me go! I am a direct successor of Ancient Celestial Valley; I can’t be someone’s servant! If the ancestors of Ancient Celestial Valley find out about this, they’ll definitely kill me to clean house…”

“Brother Fu, he called me old!” Lan pouted, looking very displeased.

PFFT!

Gu Zongren finally spat out his third mouthful of blood.