Chapter 379: The Melon Path Runs Wild

The Fourth Heaven!

It was thought that after Lu Ye ascended, the Fourth Heaven would become harmonious and beautiful.

But the ideal was rosy, while reality was harsh.

All because of one woman’s outburst!

Rumor #1: One hundred and seventy-nine years ago, Zhao Tianyang, the Sect Leader of the Wuji Sect, killed the Formation Master Dingzhen Daoist of the Tianxuan Sect at the Primordial God Ruins to monopolize the treasures within.

Rumor #2: The Emperor of the Longyou Empire had a secret affair with the cultivation partner of the Imperial Preceptor, Cangmeng Daoist!

Rumor #3: The Grand Elder’s son, Duan Musheng, wasn’t actually his own flesh and blood. Instead, his mother used the Sect Bloodline Method to infuse the Grand Elder’s vital blood into him. The Grand Elder seemed to know but, for some reason, not only did he not stop it, but he gladly accepted it…

…

Rumor #69: Liu Ruyan, the Sect Leader of the Meirou Sect, had flings with forty-nine high-profile cultivators, including Xiang Tianyou of the Luota Sect, Gu Duanxin of the Mengzong, and Sha Shan of the Poshua Sect…

No!

Calling them mere rumors doesn’t do justice.

The scariest part wasn’t just the rumors—it was the details.

Every leaked detail was ripe for scrutiny.

Thus, the entire Fourth Heaven was sent into an uproar.

Some things, when done in secret and not made public, could still be swept under the rug.

But now, the truth was out for all to see…

Take, for example, the affair between the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor’s wife. The Emperor knew, the Imperial Preceptor knew, and some within the palace knew.

But who would say it?

Who would dare speak up?

Now, everyone knew—and everyone was talking.

Everyone knew the Imperial Preceptor had been betrayed—humiliated, utterly shamed…

It was said that on the first day the news broke, the Imperial Preceptor coughed up a mouthful of heartblood and looked like he’d aged a decade overnight.

Chaos!

Total chaos!

Scandals kept dropping like dominoes, each starring the most renowned figures of the Fourth Heaven.

Though they had already gorged themselves on the Celestial Lord’s drama, these new scandals, while not as juicy, were still irresistible.

Under these circumstances, Shangguan Huanling had a much smoother time selling Heavenly Silkworm Transformations.

With Sun Ruowei taking care of Yue Hongling, she could relax a little more.

But this time, she wasn’t just bartering Heavenly Silkworm Transformations for treasures—she was also after healing treasures for Yue Hongling.

Of course, some still tried to mess with Shangguan Huanling.

However, Shangguan Huanling's escape skills were top-notch, keeping her constantly on high alert.

At the slightest sign of trouble, Shangguan Huanling would bolt immediately!

Meanwhile, Sun Ruowei had her own money-making scheme.

She spread the word:

Anyone with skeletons in their closet could pay for protection with resources.

Prices scaled with how dirty their secrets were.

Of course, Sun Ruowei wouldn’t collect the resources herself. Instead, she had the other party place them in a teleportation array along with their name.

After spreading this message, Sun Ruowei received teleported spirit stones every day.

Naturally, some tried to take her out, but Sun Ruowei was far too clever. With her unique concealment techniques, every would-be assassin came up empty.

Before even returning to his home, he noticed everyone staring at him with weird, judging stares.

His stomach dropped.

He finally realized—his world had ended!

His secret had been exposed. Some people were still alive, but he was already dead—dead to the world!

Some were dead, yet they lived on—their names dragged through the mud forever!

He was done for!

The people of the Fourth Heaven also made a shocking realization: focusing on these circulating rumors actually boosted their cultivation speed.

In some cases, the increase was as much as 10% or even 20%.

This revelation sent the Fourth Heaven into a gossip craze.

Even those who previously disliked gossip began getting hooked on the drama.

However, not all rumors were true. Some were complete lies, offering no benefit when followed.

Only one person’s rumors were always juicy, sweet and fresh!

That person was the "Gossip Queen"—Sun Ruowei!

Yet Sun Ruowei quickly clarified that she wasn’t the Gossip Queen, merely the "Gossip Girl." The true Gossip King was someone else.

And so, both women kept their operations running smoothly.

With ample resources, Yue Hongling gradually started acting more like herself.

Still, she still cultivated at a snail's pace.

The days rolled by.

Lu Ye stuck to his cultivation routine.

The Stone Sword and the Human Emperor Banner gradually absorbed their power. Killing demons gave them an incredible rush—and the rewards were immense.

But it was precisely because the gains were too immense that things ended up like this.

The Human Emperor Banner bubbled with purple mist, a state that had lasted for ages.

The improvement of the three main souls was so massive it was almost unbelievable.

Lu Ye could say with absolute certainty that the three main souls were strong enough to kill even Immortal Realm experts!

The stone sword wasn’t just absorbing blood—it was also absorbing the leftover materials from imperial weapons, feverishly leveling up.

All of this contributed to Lu Ye’s overall power.

Lu Ye’s cultivation had already reached the eighth level of the Carefree Realm.

Just as he was about to push straight into the Cosmic Realm, the Drunken Sword Taoist sent a desperate plea for help.

"Sect Master, Sect Master! The Bright Buddha Temple has somehow discovered the location of the Celestial Gate—now the Bright Buddha Temple has—"