Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

Inside Zhenbei Pavilion.

The black and white pieces on the chessboard are intertwined, and the endgame has reached its most crucial point.

However, neither Gu Xuansong, nor Shen Guhong, nor the Iron-Clad Old Man had any intention of making any more moves at this moment.

The three men's gazes pierced through the layers of pavilions and landed in the direction of the council hall.

From the moment Gu Changjin led his men into the palace, to the moment the grass and wood armored soldiers took over key locations, and then to the moment he displayed his human cultivation in full view of everyone, forcing all the old officials in the hall to bow their heads, everything was witnessed by the three of them.

"What a fine second son of the Gu family."

The old man in iron armor spoke first, his voice filled with undisguised admiration.

"His father and brothers died for their country, the royal palace was in chaos, and the people of Beishuo were filled with fear. Yet he was able to stabilize the situation in such a short time, seize military power, win over the people, and suppress the clan elders, without making a single wrong move."

"More than just not going the wrong way, it's not!"

Shen Guhong stroked his long beard, shook his head and chuckled.

"This was clearly premeditated. In my opinion, this second young master's previous scoundrelly behavior was mostly an act. How could someone who could hide under everyone's noses for so long be a complete fool?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xuansong's face also showed a complex smile.

"That Cang Yue kid has raised a fine son."

"He remains calm in the face of crisis and unperturbed under immense pressure. If he can truly bring the Xuanwang Mansion back into his grasp today, he might be more suitable for that position than Changming."

None of the three knew the truth behind the crushing defeat at the front.

In their view, with Gu Cangyue and Gu Changming dying in battle, Gu Changjin was entrusted with a critical mission and stood up to support the Xuanwang Mansion when Beishuo was on the verge of collapse.

This kind of character alone is enough to make him a remarkable person.

Just as the three were sighing, the light outside Zhenbei Pavilion suddenly dimmed.

The three of them looked up at the same time.

The towering ancient tree that covered the entire Xuanwang Mansion had changed once again.

Countless branches converged inwards, and the thick trunk twisted and overlapped, gradually transforming into limbs and torso. Green leaves fell in a flurry, then joined together in mid-air, coalescing into a full-body azure armor.

Finally, a giant of grass and trees, over a hundred feet tall, stood above the Xuanwang Mansion.

Its face is ancient and simple, its eyes are closed, one hand hangs at its side, and the other hand holds a wooden sword made of hundreds of intertwined roots.

Even before the wooden sword was drawn, its heavy, sharp aura had already silenced the entire palace.

Inside Zhenbei Pavilion, the three of them stood up at the same time.

"wrong."

The smile on Shen Guhong's face gradually disappeared.

"These are not soldiers from the immortal sects!"

Immortal soldiers are, in essence, nothing more than a more sophisticated form of puppetry.

They can be forged from spiritual metal, refined from ancient corpses, or driven by talismans and soul seals. They can obey orders, form killing formations, and even use their formations to surround and kill high-level cultivators.

But they lack true intelligence of their own, and even less the shared will to entrust their lives to each other.

The spirit of the military is precisely the unity of the people!

Without intelligence, how can there be will?

Without willpower, how can a military spirit be forged?

If the puppet soldiers of the immortal sects could also condense military spirits, how could the armies of the Great Cang have suppressed the immortal sects of the world for tens of thousands of years?

"But if they aren't Dao soldiers, then who are these nearly a thousand people?"

The old man in iron armor stared intently at a grass-and-wood armored warrior below.

"Plants and trees come to life? A new alien race? Or...?"

No one answered for a moment.

The three terrestrial immortals, who had lived for countless years, looked at the spirit of grass and wood standing with a sword in hand, and for the first time, genuine astonishment and doubt appeared in their eyes.

At that moment, new activity finally broke out inside the council hall.

"We, your humble servants, are willing to venerate Your Highness as the Xuan King!"

It's unclear who spoke first, but the next moment, their voices merged into one in the hall.

No one objected anymore.

Gu Changjin walked calmly up the steps to the throne that belonged to the Xuan Kings of all generations.

Then, he turned around and sat down.

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on the pale-faced noblewoman kneeling beside Lady Liu.

That was Liu's cousin.

The same person who just publicly insulted him, calling him a good-for-nothing.

The noblewoman trembled violently, and just as she was about to beg for mercy, Gu Changjin's indifferent voice came from above.

"The Liu family controls the power of the royal palace, and with the heir apparent's old decrees, they intend to undermine the main lineage of the Xuan King."

"His clansmen disregarded social hierarchy, publicly insulted the king, and defied their superiors."

"The crime is equivalent to treason."

He paused slightly, then uttered four words.

"The entire Liu family shall be executed."

boom!

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire hall seemed to be struck by a giant, unsheathed sword of grass and wood, leaving everyone's minds blank.

The noblewoman's body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.

But the one who truly couldn't believe it was the Crown Prince's wife, Lady Liu.

She slowly raised her head and stared blankly at Gu Changjin, who was in the main seat.

She first lost her husband, then suddenly lost power, falling from the position of the Crown Princess in charge of the Prince's Palace to a prisoner forced to kneel in the palace.

Now, Gu Changjin even wants to exterminate her mother's clan!

The successive blows finally shattered her gentle and dignified facade.

"Gu Changjin!"

Liu struggled to her feet, her eyes bloodshot, and shouted angrily:

"Your father and elder brother's bodies are barely cold, yet you can't wait to seize the throne and declare yourself king!"

"Now they even want to exterminate my entire Liu family!"

"Your elder brother treated you well when he was alive, and I am your eldest sister-in-law! Aren't you afraid that the world will gossip about you, calling you heartless, disloyal, and unfilial?!"

A sharp sound echoed within the main hall.

Gu Changjin simply watched her quietly.

Scenes from his original destiny flashed before his eyes.

After Gu Cangyue and Gu Changming "died in battle," the woman in front of them took control of the treasury, military registers, and royal seal, claiming that the royal palace could not be without a master for even a day.

He said he wanted to take over the old troops, but she said he was young and ignorant and didn't understand military affairs.

I wanted to use the treasury for cultivation, but she said that the Northern Shu was in turmoil and everyone in the royal palace should tighten their belts.

Later, when Princess Qiyang entered the mansion and publicly humiliated him, she remained gentle and demure, only advising him to prioritize the greater good and not to offend the imperial family.

However, cartloads of spiritual materials and batches of armor were quietly sent out of Beishuo under her personally signed transfer orders.

Later, Gu Cangyue and Gu Changming returned.

She stood beside the father and son, repeatedly saying that it was for the sake of the Xuanwang Mansion and the overall situation of Beishuo.

On the contrary, this other self became the only outsider in the main branch of the Gu family.

Admittedly, at this moment, Madam Liu was unaware of the father and son's scheme.

But Gu Changjin had seen how she would choose.

That's enough.

While Liu was still berating him, Gu Changjin, sitting in the main seat, was already getting impatient.

He slightly raised his hand.

Clang!

Chen Xiao's black iron sword suddenly unsheathed itself, turning into a streak of black light and falling into Gu Changjin's palm.

The next moment, the main seat was empty.

Liu's voice stopped abruptly.

She lowered her head, looking at the black iron longsword piercing her chest, the anger in her eyes gradually turning into confusion.

"How...how dare you..."

Gu Changjin withdrew his longsword expressionlessly.

Liu swayed and fell heavily onto the main hall.

The hall was deathly silent.

The minds of the Gu clan elders were reeling, and the former officials of the Prince's Mansion and the generals who remained behind even held their breath a little lighter.

No one expected that Gu Changjin would kill his own sister-in-law in front of everyone.

Inside Zhenbei Pavilion, Gu Xuansong and the other two fell silent.

They had previously thought that this was a remarkable person who had shown his talent in a crisis.

Only now do I realize that what lay hidden beneath that playboy exterior all those years ago might not have been a sword waiting to be drawn.

Instead, it is a ferocious beast that has only now finally loosened its claws and fangs!

In the main hall, Gu Changjin casually tossed the Xuan Tie longsword back to Chen Xiao and spoke indifferently.

"Issue my decree."

"Exterminate the Liu clan."

"In Beishuo Prefecture, anyone who dares to take advantage of the chaos—their entire clan will be exterminated!"