Be it Red Tail or White Mist, of course it was necessary for both to prepare in advance. Daoist Sect Realm wasn't a weak force and was on the same level as Star Realm in its earlier years. It belonged to the second echelon of Realm Level planes.
Based on Gu Nan's level system, Daoist Monarch Wu Tian was probably around Tier 8. The current Gu Nan naturally wasn't capable of defeating him, but running away wasn't a problem.
In other words, Gu Nan wasn't afraid of Daoist Sect Realm.
This was perfectly reflected in his following attitude.
"No need to care about their identities." Gu Nan's saint clone was just sitting deep in White Mist's headquarters. "As long as Wu Tian himself doesn't come, treat any other uninvited guests the same way."
No matter how powerful Daoist Sect Realm was, it was merely a Realm Level plane that couldn't possibly have Star Ruler subordinates, so Wu Tian's underlings were at most Void Cutters.
And if Void Cutters came over to attack White Mist… White Mist might even be able to take care of all attackers itself without needing Gu Nan's help.
Gu Nan spent so much effort raising forces with the Time Arena and recruiting people from Crescent Moon World and the World of Gods precisely because he wanted capable subordinates.
Tier 4 was the highest level for mortals. It was impossible for divine servants to reach this level anytime soon, so he could only rely on apostles.
Today's White Mist included a Void Cutter Realm Red Tail, three Legend Rank vampires stationed here, Crescent Moon World's Transcendent Realm martial artists, as well as locally recruited experts from White Bones Realm…
To put it bluntly, if not for the deterrent called Daoist Monarch Wu Tian standing behind Daoist Sect Realm, Red Tail could've captured Wen Congdao and his companion on the spot.
So Red Tail largely agreed with Gu Nan's attitude, but she asked, "What if Wu Tian actually decides to come in person?"
Gu Nan thought about it and answered quite earnestly, "Then I'll take a stroll around Daoist Sect Realm."
...
Although Gu Nan all but ignored Lou Wanying's karma, other people didn't have the same thoughts.
After Bai Qiaozhen left White Mist, she informed Daoist White Bones of the current situation. The latter's comment on this was simply a single sentence: "Help Gu Nan with whatever he wants."
Daoist White Bones had never been a ruler who shied away from troublesome matters. A mere Daoist Sect Realm wasn't enough to make him change his mind.
On the other side, there was another person paying attention to Gu Nan.
Zi Luo Heaven.
Duan Wenqi was quite an interesting person. He was a relatively strong Star Ruler and also one of the leaders of Astral Gate.
Very few people knew that Duan Wenqi was actually one of Astral Gate's founders, and the earliest Astral Gate was established in Zi Luo Heaven.
As the founders from back then either died or entered Star Ruler Realm, the only one still willing to invest a lot of energy in Astral Gate was Duan Wenqi alone.
In a sense, the current Astral Gate was about to become Duan Wenqi's sole possession. If he wanted, it was possible to take over the entire organization with just a little preparation.
Duan Wenqi was now sitting inside Astral Gate, and the documents placed in front of him were all regarding Gu Nan.
From the time he killed Lou Wanying, to his brief appearance in Jin Lin World, to the visit from people of Daoist Sect Realm heading to White Bones Realm—all the information was laid out in full in front of Duan Wenqi.
"Really, what youthful vigor!" Duan Wenqi certainly saw White Mist's response and couldn't help revealing a smile.
In his opinion, since people were already coveting the inheritance in Gu Nan's hands, he should find a way to resolve it.
The best method was naturally to prove that Gu Nan had nothing worth coveting—that is, to prove he didn't have the inheritance, but this was very hard, and there was always bound to be people who didn't believe him.
The next best method was to shift the target, such as handing over the inheritance or seeking a powerful figure's protection. As long as someone else was standing in front of Gu Nan, at least he wouldn't have to face these pressures himself.
But Gu Nan's current solution was undoubtedly the worst kind—he was simply opposing everyone head-on!
"Daoist Sect Realm is merely the tip of the iceberg. So many more people are also interested in the inheritance. How long can you hold out?" A cold smile flashed across Duan Wenqi's eyes.
Daoist Sect Realm actively sought out Gu Nan with the intention of asking for the inheritance because of their claim over it, but they didn't expect to be barred from meeting Gu Nan. The other forces, on the other hand, wouldn't actively expose themselves like this.
In fact, Duan Wenqi had no reason to pay so much attention to Gu Nan; there was no direct conflict between the two.
It's just that the previous several confrontations made Duan Wenqi naturally resent Gu Nan, and if he could see Gu Nan suffer, he would be happy to do so.
"How about adding some more fuel to the fire…"
...
On the third day since the two emissaries from Daoist Sect Realm left White Mist, a suicide team shouting the slogan "ancient inheritance" broke inside White Mist.
Of course, this team, which didn't even have a single Void Cutter, was taken down in a flash, but the implication was significant.
It meant that the first shot in the fight over ancient Void Grotto Heaven's inheritance had been fired.
Early the next morning, Wen Congdao and Guan Feng stood in front of White Mist's gates once again.
"This time, I think Daoist Friend Red Tail will make a wise decision." Guan Feng still had a kind smile on his face, only it looked more mocking.
It was only a few days, but it was already enough for them to gather the information they wanted.
It wasn't just one or two forces eyeing the inheritance. The number of spies currently lurking outside White Mist might even surpass the actual members White Mist had.
With so many astral worlds and Star Rulers watching, not even their Daoist Sect Realm dared to oppose everyone here head-on, so what power did a mere White Mist have to resist to the end?
Even if Gu Nan ascended to Star Ruler Realm and controlled an astral world, his astral world was still far from becoming a Realm Level plane, let alone the fact that there were even a few Realm Level astral worlds currently watching him.
"If she isn't sensible, then someone will teach her to be sensible," Wen Congdao said with an icy expression.
This martial uncle and nephew pair carried out the carrot-and-stick act well. They'd been working together quite well all year long.
But contrary to their expectations, the person who walked out of White Mist this time wasn't Red Tail, but a silver-robed man with a calm face.
The two couldn't help exchanging a smile after recognizing the other party's face—in the end, the other side decided to compromise.
It wasn't easy to meet a Star Ruler's true body. The fact that Gu Nan was willing to meet them through a clone was enough to satisfy their mission. In any case, even if they wanted to make a deal over the inheritance, that wasn't a job for two lowly Void Cutters.
The smile on Guan Feng's face thickened. "Lord Gu Nan, I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. This humble Daoist and Martial Uncle—"
"Want the inheritance?" Gu Nan, however, interrupted him bluntly.
Such directness stunned Guan Feng slightly, but he then came back to his senses and smiled. "Exactly."
Gu Nan nodded and shouted behind the two again, "Anyone else who's here for the inheritance, come out. Don't blame me for not warning you. Those who don't show themselves now will never have another chance to get the inheritance."
As Gu Nan's words fell, dozens of figures instantly appeared behind Guan Feng and Wen Congdao, each of them at Void Cutter Realm.
Naturally, only Void Cutters could ensure any urgent messages were sent back immediately.
Wen Congdao still said stiffly, "Hand over the inheritance, and we can try to satisfy your conditions."
His words also represented the attitude of the entire crowd. After all, the one before them was just a clone, so they weren't afraid of sudden attacks from Gu Nan. Moreover, this crowd included dozens of astral worlds…
Before he could finish such thoughts, the crowd felt the sky suddenly darken as a giant hand made of shadows descended from above.