The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Gu Jue was undeniably a very clever man.

Meeting the Heavenly Dao Will was enough to fill anyone with ecstatic joy.

He was shocked, too, but he was quick to sense that something was amiss.

’Lu Sangjiu and Ye Zhiyao had both just seen this painting, yet neither of them had any strange reaction. Why was I the one chosen to enter it?’

’Even if this was a stroke of fortune, there had to be a reason for it.’

He was less concerned with any vague benefits he might receive and more focused on the reason behind it all.

The woman could clearly see the wariness and caution hiding beneath Gu Jue’s calm facade.

She smiled candidly. ”There is indeed a special reason, but you needn’t be nervous.”

She turned, gazing out at the boundless lake, and said softly, ”My name is Yuan Xin. It’s the name my master gave me.”

”I am the Heavenly Dao of this world. But you can also think of this world as a Magic Treasure, and I... am its Artifact Spirit.”

Gu Jue had never heard anything like it. He stood stunned, his eyes wide with shock, and couldn’t help but murmur, ”A Magic Treasure that can contain an entire world? Then its master... just how powerful must he be?”

Yuan Xin’s gaze softened, and she gave a faint smile. ”He is very powerful indeed. He... is the mightiest person I know.”

Amidst his shock, Gu Jue couldn’t hide a flicker of longing. But he quickly collected himself and asked hesitantly, ”Is he... one of the Upper Realm Cultivators we would meet after Ascension?”

Yuan Xin didn’t deny it, only offering an ambiguous reply. ”In the past, it was indeed possible you might have seen him after your Ascension.”

Gu Jue opened his mouth, wanting to ask if that meant they couldn’t see him now. But the words died on his lips as he realized that was probably not a good question to ask.

So he wisely didn’t pursue the matter further and instead said, ”Then... why are you telling me all this?”

”Because...” Yuan Xin turned to Gu Jue, her expression filled with sorrow. ”Because I am about to fade away.”

Gu Jue froze. ”Fade away... what do you mean?”

Yuan Xin sighed softly and dropped another bombshell. ”While my master was away, someone forcibly seized my true form and attempted to destroy my Spiritual Body, hoping to replace my will with his own and project it onto this world.”

Gu Jue was shocked once more. ”You mean the one ruling this world now isn’t you, but someone else?”

Yuan Xin shook her head. ”Not entirely.”

”My Spiritual Body is indeed under their control, and at this rate, it won’t be long before it dissipates completely.”

”But at the time, I managed to split off a part of my Divine Sense and hide it in the spatial rifts of this world... which is the me you see now.”

”As long as I exist, that person can never completely become me, nor can they gain absolute control over this world.”

”He only possesses a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s authority. He can project his will into this world and influence its course to some extent.”

”But he can’t take complete control, nor can he directly harm the people of this world.”

After a pause, Yuan Xin looked at Gu Jue. ”Does that make sense to you?”

Though shocked by these revelations, Gu Jue remained relatively composed. He nodded hesitantly. ”So, for our world... this person is an enemy, right?”

Yuan Xin nodded. ”He intends to create a Child of Fortune and have her ascend to the Upper Realm with the great fortune of the Spirit Void Realm.”

”That way, he can finally reap the tangible benefits this world has to offer.”

To put it simply, this world is like a bottle with a narrow neck. It’s filled with gold, but no one on the outside can reach in and take it.

Only by tricking someone inside to bring the gold out can he kill them, seize the treasure, and get what he wants.

Gu Jue’s expression turned grim as he realized a critical problem. ”Then... what will happen to this world once it loses its great fortune?”

Yuan Xin looked at him and said with utter certainty, ”It will devolve into a lesser world. From that point on, no one will ever be able to achieve Ascension again.”

This consequence made Gu Jue’s expression even more grim. ”Then is this also why no one has successfully achieved Ascension for nearly a thousand years?”

”Yes. He has been stockpiling the fortune and Spiritual Energy required for Ascension, waiting for the Child of Fortune to harvest it all in one fell swoop.”

Yuan Xin looked at Gu Jue earnestly. ”I am powerless to do much more for this world. I cannot even reveal too many Heavenly Secrets. Your only hope of changing your fate is to save yourselves.”

A realization dawned on Gu Jue. ”So... you chose me because you hope I can save this world?”

Yuan Xin fell silent for a moment, seeming to consider her words.

After a moment, she said, ”If we must speak of a chosen savior, then I should say you are not the only one.”

Gu Jue was startled. ”There are others?”

Yuan Xin smiled. ”That’s right. Lu Sangjiu... was the first person I chose.”

Gu Jue was dumbfounded.

’In just a few short moments, his entire worldview had been shattered. His head spun, and he began to wonder if this was all a dream.’

But since it concerned Lu Sangjiu, he had no choice but to pull himself together.

He frowned slightly, his expression serious and intent. ”So, you need us to defeat this so-called Child of Fortune and prevent her Ascension?”

Gu Jue’s mind worked quickly, and he immediately identified the key to foiling the plan.

But Yuan Xin shook her head. ”Not you all. Her.”

She looked at Gu Jue. ”As for you, what I need you to do is not defeat the Child of Fortune, but... take my place and become this world’s Heavenly Dao.”

”Heavenly Dao?!”

Gu Jue could hardly believe what he was hearing. ”You want me to become the Heavenly Dao?” he asked, incredulous. ”I’m just an ordinary Golden Core Stage Cultivator. How is that possible?”

Yuan Xin’s gaze was firm. ”Because I have chosen you. The day your cultivation reaches Divinity Transformation, you can become the Heavenly Dao and resist that outsider’s will in my stead.”

She said, ”My true form and Spiritual Body are in the Upper Realm, which is how he was able to capture them. But you are different. You are of this world. He cannot reach you here.”

”Once you become the Heavenly Dao, you will be able to do a better job than I can.”

”Then, you can expel the will of that Upper Realm Cultivator, and he will no longer be able to influence the people of this world.”

”That way, Lu Sangjiu will have a much better chance of killing the Child of Fortune.”

Gu Jue paused. ”...So, I’m to become the Heavenly Dao Will... to help Ms. Lu?”

Yuan Xin nodded emphatically. ”Yes.”

”But...” She looked into Gu Jue’s eyes, her expression grave. ”But you must understand that in this world... there is no gain without sacrifice.”