Chapter 857: Yu Fuli Takes Action

Han Gucheng's actions left Xiao Nanfeng's scalp tingling with unease.

He had sacrificed his son, and then his wives. Han Bing was swallowed up by the primordial altar, whereas Gan Qing and the other two women followed soon after.

Even putting aside familial love, these three women were all Boundless Immortals. Sacrificing them for the Superior's cursed effigy—was it worth it at all?

Xiao Nanfeng had never seen anyone so deranged.

Han Gucheng's main body began to wail as Saint Lun Hui clapped mockingly from nearby. It wasn't clear whether he was applauding Han Gucheng or ridiculing him.

Han Gucheng's sacrifice of his loved ones—his familial bonds and his love—finally elicited a response from the primordial altar.

With a hum, a white spherical object slowly emerged from the black fog surrounding the altar. It radiated with a dazzling light, illuminating the entire realm once more. The temperature of the air plummeted as snowflakes began to drift down.

The object floated toward Han Gucheng and, with a loud boom, merged with his main body. Strangely enough, there didn't seem to be a conflict at all. The fusion was eerily perfect.

"No, no! Have you gone mad all for the sake of a mere cursed effigy? Give Qing'er back to me! Give Bing'er back to me! I'll kill you!" Han Gucheng's good body howled.

"Are Han Gucheng's two bodies going to be at odds with each other now? Is the Heartslain Bodies technique really this bizarre? To think he would be at war with himself—people who cultivate this technique must be insane!" Xiao Nanfeng turned to Yu Fuli incredulously.

"Not quite. Han Gucheng's cultivation of the heart is still relatively weak. His two bodies don't yet possess independent personalities, and their current conflict stems from severing their heart connection. Once they reconnect, all memories will merge, and their emotions will harmonize. Then, they'll be able to empathize with each other."

"Empathize? Over killing his wife and child? Han Gucheng's clearly a lunatic!" Xiao Nanfeng muttered in disbelief.

"No, he's not crazy at all. In fact, he's being extremely calm and rational. Every action he's taken is calculated," Yu Fuli said, shaking his head.

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"I suspect Han Gucheng holds a pessimistic view of the upcoming calamity of the era. He believes that everyone will die—me, himself, his wives, and his son. In his mind, whether they die sooner or later doesn't matter."

"You mean that he's letting his family die now to spare them prolonged pain? He plans to fuse with the Superior and revive himself in the next era?" Xiao Nanfeng surmised.

"Indeed. The cursed effigy he's chosen to fuse with may not be as potent as one obtained from the world away, but it's likely the best option available at present. He can die in this era but return in the next. As for his family, he might attempt to retrieve them from the primordial altar someday, though the emotional cost would be just as great—if not impossible to foot altogether."

Xiao Nanfeng pursed his lips. "The Superior's cursed effigy is among the most potent even as far as cursed effigies go. Did he choose it in order to rise quickly in the next era and seize the initiative?"

Yu Fuli nodded. "That's likely the case."

Nearby, Han Gucheng's good body was wracked with grief. He collapsed to the ground and began to sob uncontrollably, utterly broken.

Meanwhile, in the projection, Han Gucheng's main body was undergoing a transformation. His entire body turned a radiant white as he fully merged with the spherical object.

"Han Gucheng, now that you've fused with the cursed effigy and achieved your goal, it's time for you to fulfill your promise and merge all the Enlightenment Grounds together for me," Saint Lun Hui demanded.

Han Gucheng's main body slowly opened its eyes, which glinted with an icy detachment. He rose into the air and hovered over one of the Enlightenment Grounds. With a wave of his hand, a beam of white light surrounded it.

"Merge!" Han Gucheng's main body commanded.

A hum resounded as the nearby Enlightenment Grounds slowly began to merge with the targeted one. The first to merge caused the target to grow larger.

Saint Lun Hui's eyes lit up. "As expected, it does work. I initially thought that only the heart force of the Yuqing Grandmaster would be able to cause these Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds to merge, but it looks like the cursed effigy you fused with can, too!"

Han Gucheng's main body didn't respond. He took a deep breath. "Heart connection, open. Good body and main body, synchronize consciousness."

Han Gucheng's main body stilled.

At the same time, in Yu Fuli's study, Han Gucheng's good body stilled as well.

The two bodies' hearts reconnected, their minds flooded with each other's thoughts and memories.

"Argh!" Han Gucheng's main body screamed in pain.

He hadn't anticipated that his good body would have witnessed everything he had done, which had overwhelmed him with grief. Although he believed that his actions were justified, the emotional toll was immense.

At the same time, Han Gucheng's good body, though initially hollowed out by despair, regained a measure of clarity as the connection restored his mental faculties.

"No wonder you erased my memories. You're ruthless!" Han Gucheng's good body shuddered.

He embodied Han Gucheng's benevolence, so he remained more distraught than Han Gucheng's main body despite having regained his composure.

Han Gucheng's good body stood up and bowed deeply to Yu Fuli. "Your Majesty, my heart is now reconnected to my main body. You should be able to locate the primordial altar now. I implore you to take action against Saint Lun Hui."

Yu Fuli, unfazed by Han Gucheng's skepticism about his ability to counter the heavens, nodded. "As you wish."

By the primordial altar, under Han Gucheng's main body's control, the Enlightenment Grounds continued to merge together as the central Enlightenment Grounds grew increasingly massive.

Saint Lun Hui's expression twisted into a mocking sneer. He thought to himself, "You sacrificed everything to fuse with the Superior's soulless cursed effigy—but you've been naive. Once you finish merging the Enlightenment Grounds, you'll be useless to me. Then the Enlightenment Grounds will be mine, as will the Superior's cursed effigy!"

In the central Enlightenment Grounds, Saint Lun Hui's avatar served as overseer.

Around him, Han Gucheng's subordinates began to emerge one after another.

The overseer sneered inwardly, murmuring to himself, "Han Gucheng had so many of his subordinates cultivate the Yuqing Yin Body... How considerate of them to transform everyone in the green knoll hidden realm to the purple-furred monsters. Unfortunately, just like Han Gucheng, they'll all be useless soon enough."

Han Gucheng's subordinates had served as masters of the respective Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds, but once they were all merged together, the saint's avatar would take control as overseer.

Unaware of the overseer's disdain, several of Han Gucheng's subordinates flew toward him. "Saint, do you need us to do anything else?"

"No. Just wait here," the overseer replied coldly.

"Understood!"

Then, Han Gucheng's subordinates simultaneously attacked Saint Lun Hui, unleashing beams of white light at him.

"What are you doing?!" the overseer boomed, retaliating with a powerful strike.

With a thunderous boom, the white light scattered, only to quickly reform into ice crystals, trapping the overseer in a frozen prison.

"An Ice Casket? Impossible! Wasn't Han Gucheng's casket devoured by Xiao Nanfeng's black coffin?!" the overseer exclaimed in disbelief.

Last time, Han Gucheng had used the Ice Casket on the overseer, allowing Xiao Nanfeng and Madam Rouge to take advantage of the situation. Now, he was doing it again!

Han Gucheng's subordinates ignored him as they channeled their spiritual power into the Ice Casket, sealing the overseer and preventing him from drawing on the Enlightenment Grounds' strength.

"What are all of you waiting for? Come help me!" the overseer roared.

Afar, superior yin pearls rushed over to the overseer, but Han Gucheng's subordinates had come prepared. Soon enough, the pearls were all encased in ice as well.

"More Ice Caskets? Impossible! Just how many of them do you have?!" the overseer roared.

The crowd ignored him.

The overseer struck at the Ice Casket furiously, only to blanch. "This Ice Casket is even stronger than the one that trapped me last time! Damn it, are you all planning to turn against me?!"

Meanwhile, outside the Enlightenment Grounds, Han Gucheng stopped merging more together.

Nearby, Saint Lun Hui's main body narrowed his eyes. "Han Gucheng, you're done for."

A murderous aura emanated from his body, creating ripples in the void as he prepared to attack.

Han Gucheng's main body laughed coldly. "Saint Lun Hui, our partnership ends here. Your purpose is fulfilled. Now, it's time for you to die."

"What did you say?" Saint Lun Hui muttered, stunned.

He was a saint's main body! How did Han Gucheng expect to take him down? Was Han Gucheng attempting to challenge his authority? Did he want to die?

Before he could act, the void trembled violently. An overwhelming aura emerged from it.

"Yu Fuli's aura? Han Gucheng, you called Yu Fuli here?!" Saint Lun Hui roared.

A void rift opened up where Saint Lun Hui's main body was. He fell in.

"No!" Saint Lun Hui shrieked. He desperately tried to escape.

"You've already exposed yourself. You might as well stay," Yu Fuli called out from the void rift.

Meanwhile, a fishhook suddenly shot out from the rift and embedded itself in Saint Lun Hui's body. With a sharp tug, it reeled him deep into the abyss before the rift snapped shut and everything returned to normal.