Chapter 136: Revelation of the Divine Path

Gu Xiaoyao swept a gaze across the land from above. The once-glorious Sword Qi Continent was now nothing but a field of corpses, devastation everywhere you looked.

A flood of mixed emotions welled in his heart, but war was always ruthless—one side was destined to be wiped out. He let out a long sigh and slowly descended.

Seeing this, Xie Jinxuan ignored his own injuries and ran over joyfully, throwing his arms around Gu Xiaoyao in a tight embrace.

“Brother Xiaoyao! It’s been ages since we met, I’ve missed you. It was all thanks to you that we’re still here—otherwise, our Human Race would’ve been wiped out today.”

Xie Jinxuan let go and his eyes grew a bit forlorn. He sighed again, then forced a smile onto his face.

“Let’s not dwell on that for now. To think in such a short time, you’ve already reached the peak of the Sword Saint Realm! You have no idea how envious I am, hah!”

“Haha, Brother Jinxuan, I just got lucky. What about you, are your injuries serious?” Gu Xiaoyao patted Xie Jinxuan on the shoulder and glanced at him.

Xie Jinxuan shook his head and laughed heartily. “Just some scratches! Don’t worry, I’m far from dead. It’s nothing!”

As the two chatted, a petite figure came running up to them, panting. She spotted Gu Xiaoyao and tossed aside her bloodstained longsword.

The next second, she threw herself into Gu Xiaoyao’s arms. Startled by the sudden impact, he looked down and realized it was Bai Ting.

Gu Xiaoyao looked surprised. “You are…? Wait, Miss Bai! How did you end up here too?!”

Bai Ting tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her face lighting up with joy.

“This is wonderful! Young Master Gu, I never thought we’d meet again here. It’s all thanks to you—otherwise, we would’ve lost our lives today.”

“Haha, I just did what I could. It wasn’t worth mentioning. Honestly, I never expected to run into you here either, Miss Bai. Seems we’re meant to cross paths.” Gu Xiaoyao scratched his head.

Just then, something occurred to Gu Xiaoyao. “Brother Jinxuan, Miss Bai, there’s something urgent I must attend to. Please excuse me.”

He cupped his hands in a salute, then with a swoosh vanished from sight, appearing beside Gu Qingxiao. He gently touched her forehead and spoke softly.

“Xiao’er, are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort?”

Gu Qingxiao was so startled by his sudden gesture that she took several steps back, eyes filled with confusion as she looked at Gu Xiaoyao.

“I’m fine, thank you for saving my life. But… may I ask who you are?”

“The moves you used look just like my brother’s, but you aren’t him. Or maybe I’m imagining things.”

Gu Xiaoyao was about to explain, but then he remembered his promise to Li Xun and realized it wasn’t the right time. He sighed helplessly.

“As long as you’re safe, I can rest easy.”

“Anyway, take care of yourself. I’ll explain everything later.”

Retracting his hand, Gu Xiaoyao turned and shot into the sky like a shooting star, disappearing from everyone’s view.

Gu Qingxiao was still deeply puzzled, her frustration growing. She turned to Li Xun and asked,

“Senior, do you know who that young man was?”

Li Xun smiled gently. “I know him—or rather, you know him even better. He’s the one closest to you. But as for who he truly is… I can’t tell you yet.”

Gu Qingxiao wanted to ask more, but Li Xun just smiled and remained silent. Nearby, Xie Jinxuan watched Gu Xiaoyao’s retreating figure, sighed, and left. Bai Ting followed soon after.

………………

Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoyao teleported straight to Xuanwu City, hovering above Tianwu Academy.

Looking at the safe and sound Xuanwu City, Gu Xiaoyao couldn’t help but marvel. It seemed the only part of Sword Qi Continent left untouched was here.

When the disciples of Tianwu Academy spotted the lone figure overhead, they rushed out to gawk and chatter among themselves.

“Who’s that standing up there? He looks unfamiliar, but I can sense he’s incredibly strong.”

“Yeah, the pressure from him is even stronger than the Headmaster’s… Can’t tell if he’s friend or foe,” another disciple said, eyes wide with fear.

“Hard to say right now,” a third disciple sighed. “He doesn’t seem hostile, so let’s wait and see.”

As the crowd speculated, Nangong Wentian stepped forward, facing Gu Xiaoyao.

Nangong Wentian was visibly anxious. He knew exactly how powerful the man before him was—there was no way he could win.

Even so, the stranger didn’t seem hostile, which let him breathe a big sigh of relief. Furrowing his brow, he asked with caution,

“May I ask who you are, and why you’ve come to my academy?”

Gu Xiaoyao smiled. “No need to be so tense. I came today to ask if Murong Qingxue is still here. I have some urgent business with her, so I hope the Headmaster can help.”

“So, you’re looking for our Vice-Headmaster. Unfortunately, you’re too late. She left the academy some time ago and we’ve had no news since,” Nangong Wentian replied, turning away with a sigh.

Gu Xiaoyao was taken aback. “What?! She’s not here? Then how am I supposed to set foot on the Divine Path?”

“Don’t worry, young man. If you want to walk the Divine Path, I can lend you a hand,” Nangong Wentian grinned and patted Gu Xiaoyao on the shoulder.

“What solution do you have, Headmaster?” Gu Xiaoyao asked, excitedly turning to him.

With a sudden surge of pride, Nangong Wentian replied, “I have my methods. Please, follow me.”

Without another word, Nangong Wentian vanished. Gu Xiaoyao quickly followed. In a blink, they arrived one after the other at the seventh floor of the Epiphany Tower.

Nangong Wentian pointed to a book lying atop a stone at the far end, then turned to Gu Xiaoyao with an air of mystery.

“The answers you seek are in that book. I wish you luck. Farewell.”

Gu Xiaoyao wanted to ask more, but when he turned around, Nangong Wentian was already gone. He could only smile bitterly. “Same old Headmaster. Oh well.”

With a swoosh, he appeared beside the stone and picked up the book, leafing through it carefully—only to discover it was a blank scripture.

Baffled, Gu Xiaoyao tried every trick he could think of. Just as he gave up and turned to leave, the book slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

As it soaked up some water, several lines of text slowly emerged: ‘Sword Saint Ninth Layer. The Divine Path appears. Use your spirit power to shake heaven and earth, and only then will the Divine Path manifest.’

‘To walk the Divine Path is to entrust your life to fate. There is no turning back. Reflect well before stepping forward. Let future generations remember this.’

Startled, Gu Xiaoyao snatched up the book, a grin tugging at his lips as he read the lines. All at once he burst into laughter.

“Haha! They say heaven always leaves a way out! Turns out all I needed was this method to unlock the blank scripture. No more delays.”

“It’s time to ascend and break free from this prison of heaven and earth!”

Tucking the blank scripture away, Gu Xiaoyao burst from the seventh floor of the Epiphany Tower like a shooting star, leaving no trace behind.

Nangong Wentian watched Gu Xiaoyao’s departing silhouette, smiled quietly, then turned and vanished as well.

………………

Elsewhere, Gu Xiaoyao sped toward Jade Pool Mountain, where a massive golden gate suddenly appeared in his path—he nearly crashed into it.

Raising his head with anger, he glared at the gate, about to curse—when the golden gate swung open. Out strutted the Stone Statue with a swagger.

The Stone Statue, taking in the sight of Gu Xiaoyao radiating fury, suddenly lit up with excitement and began sizing him up.

“Hey there, kid! Hasn’t been long, but you changed outfits and your cultivation’s at the Ninth Layer Sword Saint now! Not bad!”

“It’s about time for you to take the Divine Path. Need me to tell you how? Give my shoulders a massage and maybe I’ll spill the secret,” the statue sneered.

Gu Xiaoyao snorted. “No thanks, I already know. I’m just here to find a good spot to open the Divine Path!”

“Sword Saint Ninth Layer. Divine Path—show yourself!”

Unleashing his full spiritual power, Gu Xiaoyao’s energy roared into the sky. Instantly, a vast golden vortex opened above the clouds.

Without hesitation, he became a streak of golden light and shot into the vortex—and as soon as he entered, the vortex disappeared without a trace.

The Stone Statue was left alone, jaw dropped in shock, unable to utter a single word.