But suddenly, Gu Yu realized that his vision was gradually blurring. Black stars began to flicker before his eyes. This was something he had only experienced before, when running a thousand meters during an exam. A quick check revealed that his heart had been pierced, causing a massive outflow of vital blood. Normally, even with his heart pierced, Gu Yu, as the peak combat force of the entire book with his Nascent Soul stage cultivation, would not be greatly affected. He could survive even if his physical body was destroyed and only his spirit remained.

However, this time, Gu Yu had focused all his attention on Qing Ying and had accidentally forgotten to seal off his vital blood pathways. As a result, his vital blood flowed out just like ordinary blood, and by the time he noticed, he had lost a significant amount. For an ordinary cultivator, losing even a drop of vital blood would lead to considerable weakness. Yet Gu Yu had lost a large amount before realizing it, which underscored his immense strength.

Quickly, Gu Yu sealed off his vital blood pathways, halting the flow. However, the effort required to do so exhausted the little strength he had left. At that moment, his vision darkened, and he collapsed towards Qing Ying.

Seeing this, Qing Ying reached out in panic, holding Gu Yu's sturdy body tightly. "Master!!! Master!! Don't!! Don't die!! Master, Master, Master!!!" she cried out, pressing her own body against his in an attempt to stem the bleeding from his heart. But all her efforts were in vain. The blood from Gu Yu’s heart completely soaked Qing Ying, turning her black dress a deep crimson.

Gu Yu felt Qing Ying's voice becoming more distant, as if she were moving away. Listening to her frantic and tender cries, he soon lost consciousness.

When Gu Yu opened his eyes again, he found the room dimly lit. Night had fallen. Sitting up, he saw that he was lying in his room, with his upper body wrapped in numerous bandages, indicating severe injuries. A glance at the floor showed that the blood had been cleaned up, though he did not know when. This time, he had genuinely lost consciousness.

"Ah..." He exhaled, completely relaxing, a relieved smile forming on his face. He had passed this critical juncture. Qing Ying might not fully trust him yet, but at least she would not be as hostile as before, even calling him Master. If it had been any other disciple, he would not have dared to gamble like this, as the other three did not share the initial two years of bond he had with Qing Ying.

In the original work, his first disciple often recounted to her junior sisters how gentle he used to be, though she stopped after losing all hope and genuinely wanted to kill him. Now, with those early memories still intact, Gu Yu had dared to take such a risky bet. Otherwise, he would have been truly dead by now.

His other three disciples were much harder to deal with. The youngest, Liu Wanyue, was only nineteen and relatively easy to handle, often listening to Qing Ying. As long as he refrained from his past behaviors, she would revert to her sweet self, calling him Master instead of trying to avoid him out of fear.

However, the second and third disciples were the most challenging. One had already given up hope completely, and the other was on the verge of doing so. If it had been either of them holding the blue crystal sword, Gu Yu would not have survived. Of course, with his strength, even if his body was destroyed, his spirit would endure, making it very hard for him to die.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Yu checked his body and, finding no major issues, began channeling his spiritual energy to remove the bandages. As the bandages came off, his sturdy body was exposed to the air. He saw that the wound at his heart had completely healed, as if nothing had happened. Such was the power of a peak Nascent Soul stage cultivator—his body would automatically heal even without conscious effort.

He discarded the bandages, dressed in a white robe, and headed to check on Qing Ying, who had been moved by his grand gesture. He hoped she had truly been moved, as he did not want to be suddenly betrayed. She was a future supreme villain, after all, and he could not afford to be careless.

In the future, Qing Ying would awaken her Demon Sword Saint Physique, becoming an incredibly powerful Demon Sword Immortal, capable of defeating top-tier Nascent Soul cultivators even at the peak of the Golden Core stage. This was an exceedingly formidable ability. Demon Sword Immortals, unlike ordinary sword cultivators, possessed a demonic psychological attack that could affect the opponent’s mind, causing them to lose rationality briefly. Losing rationality in battle was akin to courting death, as fights between cultivators were not won by random strikes; one could be instantly killed due to the numerous openings.

Thus, Gu Yu knew he had to first stabilize this future Demon Sword Immortal. The other disciples could wait. Changing their perceptions required a step-by-step approach, with no shortcuts. He couldn’t blame them, given the extreme actions taken by his character over the past ten years in the original story. If only he had transmigrated ten years earlier, things would have been different. These disciples would have become super righteous cultivators alongside the female protagonist, instead of villains.

But since things had already happened, he had to deal with them properly. Opening his room door, Gu Yu stepped out into the hallway outside his attic room. There, he saw a petite figure in a black dress, with white legs and long purple hair, standing by the window, gazing into the distance. The breeze gently swayed her purple hair.

At twenty-one, she exuded the charm of a beautiful young woman, though her youthful appearance made her more of a little lady than a true one. Seeing her like this, Gu Yu was momentarily taken aback. Previously, he hadn’t looked closely, but now he realized that when calm, this disciple possessed an astonishing charm.

Having reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, her body had been completely cleansed of impurities, making her more beautiful and charming than any celebrity from his previous life. On the nearby tea table was a pot of freshly brewed tea. This sight made Gu Yu smile inwardly. Even after ten years, this disciple still remembered his love for tea and had brewed some for him.

Hearing the door open, Qing Ying turned her head slightly, looking towards the entrance.