My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty
Chapter 854 - 854: The Recognition of the Great Path

Turning his head to glance at the secret place, Shadow sighed helplessly.

He did not say much, and with one step, he vanished.

Gu Lan was like this; he hadn't anticipated it either.

But some things were beyond his control.

In the Jing Nation's palace, Mu Yuyan's expression turned grim.

At that instant, Mu Yuyan's heart trembled violently.

A wave of unease surged within her, and her face shifted in response.

Looking up in anxiety, a bloodstained sword appeared before her.

"Hongmeng Sword!"

Mu Yuyan quickly stepped forward and seized the Hongmeng Sword into her hands.

As she felt the lingering aura upon it, her composure unraveled.

"Why hasn't he returned?"

Mu Yuyan's voice carried an edge of impatience as the Hongmeng Sword responded with a faint hum, almost like it was mourning.

The sword's humming ceased, and Mu Yuyan's face went pale, unintentionally stepping back.

"How could this be?"

"He promised he'd come back!"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she muttered to herself.

At that moment, the Hongmeng Sword lay still, and its aura had dissipated.

Staring at the sword in her hand, Mu Yuyan reminisced about the moments spent with Gu Lan.

"Why did you have to do this?"

"If you don't live in this world, what do I have left..."

Mu Yuyan had already raised the Hongmeng Sword.

But in that instant, Gu Lan's voice suddenly reached her ears.

"Although I may be gone, I will always watch over you. Take care of our daughter for me!"

As his voice faded, the Hongmeng Sword fell heavily to the ground, and Mu Yuyan collapsed.

Tears streamed down her face as she was utterly heartbroken.

At first, she had hoped Gu Lan would return victorious.

Instead, she was left with his final words.

"Mother!"

Suddenly, Gu Simu's voice rang out from outside the palace, and Mu Yuyan quickly stood up.

She wiped away her tears and forced a faint smile onto her face.

At that moment, Gu Simu entered.

"I sensed the aura of the Hongmeng Sword. Has Father returned?"

Gu Simu asked curiously, her gaze sweeping around.

But seeing no sign of Gu Lan, her face showed confusion.

Seeing her full of hope, Mu Yuyan swallowed the words she was about to speak.

"It is the Hongmeng Sword, but your father has not yet returned."

"But did he bring good news?"

Mu Yuyan suppressed her inner pain and nodded.

"Your father will return soon. He's temporarily facing some difficulties."

At these words, Gu Simu's energy visibly perked up.

"Difficulties?"

"Then I'll go help him!"

Gu Simu exclaimed eagerly, her energy already beginning to radiate.

As she moved to leave, Mu Yuyan caught her by the arm.

"Your father can handle it. He told me not to let you interfere."

Hearing this, Gu Simu clearly felt disappointed.

But she didn't argue, instead sensibly withdrew her energy.

"Alright, I'll wait here."

"Then I won't disturb you, Mother. Farewell!"

Saying this, Gu Simu walked out.

As soon as she left, Mu Yuyan's inner sorrow surged uncontrollably.

She had no idea how to speak to Gu Simu. She never expected things to turn out like this.

...

In the secret place, Gu Lan lay in a pool of blood.

His consciousness shattered, and the aura surrounding him had long since dissipated.

"Are you content with this?"

"Who's there!"

Gu Lan's vision was consumed by darkness, and the voice came from all directions.

"Are you content with this?"

The voice echoed again, and Gu Lan's face darkened.

Gu Lan instinctively tried to summon his energy, but he felt nothing.

"Are you content with this?"

The voice repeated, and Gu Lan, utterly helpless, managed a bitter smile.

"Even if I'm not content, what can I do?"

He wasn't content, but he had no other choice.

If he didn't do this, many others would be dragged into it.

He would rather die than involve more people.

"Interesting!"

"Who are you?"

"Why are you here?"

Though Gu Lan was extremely weak, his mind was still alert.

This was his realm of consciousness, and no one should have been able to enter, except for the Blood Demon.

"I am the Dao of Heaven."

Gu Lan hadn't expected a response, yet it came.

"Dao of Heaven?"

"Zhuge Qingyun?"

Gu Lan was shocked, but what followed was a burst of laughter.

"He was the previous Dao of Heaven, the one I chose."

At this, Gu Lan became even more confused, his face clouded with doubt.

"Then why are you here?"

Gu Lan was puzzled about this strange presence.

"You've passed my test, and I will assist in your rebirth!"

Gu Lan remained confused.

"You still haven't told me why you're here."

Gu Lan was eager for answers, but this time he was met with silence.

In the endless abyss, Gu Lan's consciousness suddenly began to sink.

In a daze, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure.

The figure wasn't clear, and he couldn't make out who it was.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the secret place.

His body was already soaked in blood.

Gu Lan tried to rise but felt a sharp pain in his chest.

At that moment, he realized his heart's door had been pierced.

Logically, once the heart's door was pierced, he should never awaken.

But now, his consciousness was remarkably clear.

What surprised him even more was that only his consciousness remained.

He tried to control his body, but it was futile.

He could feel no power within him, not even a breath of life.

"Is this how it's going to be? Am I to remain like this forever?"

If that were the case, he might as well be dead.

Lying here like this, he was no different from a lifeless corpse.

Just as Gu Lan despaired, a golden light flickered in his chest.

As he focused, the Great Path seed moved toward his heart's door.

The golden light spread out, and a powerful aura enveloped him.

With this force surrounding him, Gu Lan's aura slowly began to return.

The process was painless.

On the contrary, Gu Lan felt a profound comfort from the energy.

After a long while, the golden light dissipated around him.

Gu Lan tested his limbs and could feel them again.

He struggled to rise from the ground, and the wound on his heart was gone, leaving only a sword scar.

"Is this it? Am I really alive again?"

Gu Lan was still unsure, as if he were dreaming.

"The Great Path seed has merged with you. From now on, you may cultivate the Heavenly Dao Technique!"

A distant, ethereal voice reached Gu Lan's ears.

Only then did Gu Lan come to his senses, and images began to appear in his mind.

"Heavenly Dao Technique!"

Gu Lan murmured, his eyes filled with confusion.

This technique was certainly powerful, containing an incredibly terrifying aura of the Dao of Heaven.

But Gu Lan didn't pay it much mind and quickly regained his focus.