262: The flawed jade is the king (Part 1)

With the passing of the Gu Family's Grandmist Saint, the Qi of fading that had enshrouded the Five Domains for countless millennia seemed to have finally reached its end.

A glorious era, known to later generations as the "Golden Great Age," quietly arrived amidst the anticipation of countless slumbering Prodigies.

The Spiritual Qi of the world began to recover at a slow and steady pace.

Once-dried Spiritual Veins regained their vitality, and some Heaven And Earth Treasures that had long been extinct began to grow quietly in various corners of the Five Domains.

Vegetation flourished in the spring, and all things vied for growth; it was an era full of hope.

The Prodigies sealed within Divine Source awakened one after another under the arrangements of their respective families, embarking on a new journey with aspirations and ambitions for the future.

However, no matter how brilliant this era became, or how many stunning figures would be born in the future, the name "Gu Yun" remained like an insurmountable monument, etched into the heart of every Cultivator.

He rose against the heavens during the Dharma-Ending Age, single-handedly forcing several immortal factions to bow their heads; amidst the decline of all Daos, he forcibly attained the Dao and became the only Saint of this Fading Small World.

His legend was written into books and sung throughout the Five Domains.

More importantly, after his fall, dozens of mysterious Secret Realms appeared without warning throughout the Five Domains.

Within those Secret Realms, some contained supreme Cultivation Techniques, some held divine Sharp Weapons, and some even flowed with pure Primordial Qi, injecting new life into this parched land.

Great experts deduced that these Secret Realms were all left behind by that Grandmist Saint, Gu Yun.

No one knew why he did so... a familiar coldness.

A familiar void.

Gu Yun's consciousness returned once again to that familiar Reincarnation Space.

His true soul, which had dissipated due to the exhaustion of his Lifespan, was reconsolidated here.

Beside him, that ancient and mysterious small tower still floated quietly, emitting a faint glow, just as it always had.

[Beginning evaluation...]

A grand and solemn voice resounded within Gu Yun's Sea of Consciousness.

[In your ninth life, you were born into the Gu Family, an Immortal Ancient Saint Clan of the Central Continent, under the name "Gu Yun." Born with the Primordial Chaos Sacred Body and accompanied by the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, on the day of your birth, purple Qi arrived from the east for thirty thousand miles, golden lotuses surged from the earth, and ten thousand stars bowed in worship; you were hailed as the Qilin child of the Gu Family. During your first birthday ritual, you cast aside thousands of divine objects and chose only common iron. With a single thought, you intimidated the geniuses of the branch families, first showing the posture of an "Innate Sword Core" and revealing your innate extraordinary Dao Heart. At the age of six, you first entered the Falling Star Mystic Realm of the Eastern Region, but were ambushed and surrounded by the Ji and Wang families along with the "Renjian" assassin organization; this was the first tribulation of your fate. Your Dao Protector, Gu Zhan, fought a bloody battle for you, eventually burning his own life to carve out a path of survival, trading his life for yours. In this battle, you awakened memories of your previous lives in a moment of desperation. Amidst the emotional turmoil, with a child's body, you employed thunderous methods to carry out a bloody revenge within the Secret Realm, slaughtering your enemies and laying the foundation for your invincible Dao Heart in this life. Later, in the depths of the Secret Realm, you found the ancient divine object, the "Chaos Heaven-Mending Stone." Faced with the temptation of reaching the heavens in a single step, you ultimately chose to give it up, gifting it to Gu Zhan, whose Dao foundation was completely destroyed, helping him recast his foundation and transform into the eternally rare "Primordial Chaos War Body," gaining a loyal follower. Upon your return, you went into seclusion for twenty years and broke through to the Guiyi Realm in one go. During a Family crisis, you presented the "Sixteen-Character Policy," turning the tide of a century-long immortal war with thunderous momentum, demonstrating a strategic vision beyond the era. Afterward, you entered the Northern Plains alone, making a name for the Human Race on the battlefield of the two races, and later encountered an open scheme in the Black Wind Canyon, being forced into a corner. Facing the combined killing blow of five Demon Venerables and one Demon Saint, you, with the body of a Venerable, hard-resisted the Saintly might. Though heavily injured, you retreated safely, and your feat shook the Five Domains. By chance, you were drawn into the Life Forbidden Zone, the Burial Ground of Immortals. There, you not only refined the remains of a Primordial Chaos Sacred Body Senior and primal origin fluid but also caught a glimpse of the Forbidden Zone's secrets at the edge of life and death. After fifty years of seclusion, you stepped into the Earth Venerable Realm in one go. Upon your return, you transformed into the "Venerable Butcher," using the Dao fruits of enemy Venerables as nourishment. Your cultivation base skyrocketed. Although you nearly fell into madness due to the "Azure Heaven Indestructible Art," you stabilized your Realm with the power of the small tower and your own steadfast Dao Heart, accumulating the thickest capital for your future act of Punishing Heaven. To break the cage of this world, you underwent tribulation against the heavens, using yourself as bait to draw out the forbidden existence of the Burial Ground of Immortals, forcibly tearing through the tribulation of the Heavenly Dao, and finally became a Saint against the heavens in the Dharma-Ending Age, becoming the only light in this Fading Small World. For ten thousand years of loneliness, you cultivated bitterly amidst the fading, forcibly condensing three Dao Lotuses and finally becoming a Three-Lotus Saint. As your life approached its end, you spent your last Origin to forge the Saint Weapon "hongmeng sword" for your Family, leaving behind a supreme foundation. Finally, before the arrival of the Golden Great Age, you transformed your eternal accumulation into dozens of Secret Realms and scattered them across the Five Domains, leaving a glimmer of hope for the common people of future generations, and then passed away with a smile, ending this legendary life that moved from overbearing dominance to protection.]

[In this life, you saw through the confusion of Reincarnation, found your true heart, and even realized the Dao of "Punishing Heaven" in a desperate situation. You are no longer a pawn of the Heavenly Dao, but a rebel who dares to swing his sword at the heavens.]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Saint-Grade Three-Star.]

[Reward: 160,000 Reincarnation Points.]

Saint-Grade!

Looking at that evaluation Rank on the light screen which had never appeared before, Gu Yun's conscious state of mind remained calm.

The experience of this life had completely solidified his Dao.

It was not the plundering of the Python Sparrow Swallowing Dragon Record, nor a paranoia for power, but the Dao of Punishing Heaven—daring to swing a sword at all injustice for the sake of protection.

In his previous life, he had gone astray, pursuing the trivial while neglecting the essential.

In this life, he had found his true heart and seen through the truth.

Then in the next life, what he had to do was to make this sword stronger and sharper.

[Please allocate your Reincarnation Points and begin the next life.]

Aptitude: 0 (+)

Comprehension Ability: 0 (+)

family background: 0 (+)

Luck: 0 (+)

Looking at the light screen before him, Gu Yun already had a decision in his heart.

In the Golden Great Age, eternal Prodigies would rise together; what he wanted to fight for was that supreme emperor seat.

family background was no longer the first choice.

The Secret Realms he left behind were his greatest foundation and trump cards for the next life.

What he needed was talent that surpassed all ages, as well as that ethereal yet crucial... Luck.

With a firm will, Gu Yun made his choices on the light screen.

Aptitude: 50,000.

family background: 10,000.

Comprehension Ability: 50,000.

Luck: 50,000.

As the point allocation was completed, Gu Yun's consciousness, along with the small tower, turned into a streak of light and plunged into the endless vortex of Reincarnation.

A new Reincarnation began.