Gu Chengyu casually stepped into a minor world.
Below was a city bustling with traffic, and in the distance, a winding coastline stretched out, bearing a strong resemblance to the world of his previous life.
"Hey, this place looks a lot like the minor world you came from!" Xiao Qi exclaimed noisily as he followed out, floating around him.
"It's just that the technological level is much lower. Maybe one day, a prodigy like you will show up, and it could even become an interstellar civilization."
Gu Chengyu couldn't be bothered to respond. He lazily conjured a cloud-couch in the sky and reclined upon it, his divine sense idly sweeping over every corner of the world.
"I wonder how the richest person in this world compares to my former self in terms of wealth?" he murmured to himself.
He was certain that he must have been richer.
He selected the most opulent estate with the best feng shui and, with a mere thought, teleported there.
However, being new to this place, Gu Chengyu forgot to conceal his form.
He landed right in the garden of the estate's main residence. Not far away, a beautiful woman wearing loose clothing, her abdomen noticeably rounded, was being supported by a maid as she took a stroll to enjoy the sunshine.
The woman suddenly saw Gu Chengyu materialize out of thin air, an aura of pressure still emanating from him. She was so frightened that her face turned pale. With a gasp of alarm, she clutched her stomach and slumped weakly to the ground.
"Madam! Madam, what's wrong?" the maid's panicked cry rang out.
Gu Chengyu was stunned.
He sensed the woman's vital signs becoming erratic and rapid. Was she going into premature labor?
Despite having lived two lifetimes, being decisive in battle and execution, Gu Chengyu now felt a rare pang of guilt.
In his first life, he had dominated the business world with ruthless methods. In his second, he had slain demonic foes and old enemies with his sword, never showing mercy. Yet, he had his own principles and had never indiscriminately harmed the innocent.
If his very arrival in this new world indirectly caused the death of an innocent pregnant woman and her unborn child, his Dao heart would likely be tarnished.
Instinctively, he wanted to intervene. With his abilities, stabilizing a mortal's condition would be effortless.
But at the very moment his fingertips twitched, the repulsive force of the entire world's will suddenly pressed down upon him.
The consciousness of this world had detected him, a high-plane intruder, and would not permit him to arbitrarily disrupt the minor world's operations.
Two formless forces confronted each other in the air.
If Gu Chengyu forced his intervention, he might very well tear a hole right through this fragile minor world.
He didn't want to cause trouble, but he also wasn't ready to leave just yet.
For a moment, a stalemate ensued.
"Oh no, oh no! We've caused trouble!" Xiao Qi fretted, spinning around in agitation before suddenly slapping his own forehead.
"I've got it! Boss! Quickly, negotiate with it! Ask it to impose a law restriction on you!"
"As long as you are in this world, you exist in a state of nothingness. You can see, hear, and go anywhere, but you cannot touch anything, nor can you perform any magic. Others cannot see or perceive you either."
"That way, you won't be able to interfere with the world's operations, and it can tolerate your presence."
Gu Chengyu frowned. This restriction was utterly frustrating, but it seemed to be the only way to stay without causing conflict at the moment.
After a moment of contemplation, he agreed.
The power of the law descended, like invisible shackles, binding him.
All his power was tightly sealed within his body, and his form gradually grew ethereal, undetectable by ordinary people.
Only after the world's consciousness judged that he could no longer interfere with others did it withdraw.
Gu Chengyu watched the chaos as people hurriedly sent the woman to the hospital. A sense of responsibility, rarely felt by him, stirred.
His form drifted, silently following them.
Outside the hospital delivery room, the atmosphere was tense.
A group of well-dressed people waited anxiously, clearly the woman's family. Among them, a handsome man pacing incessantly was likely her husband—this world's richest man, Mr. Su.
Gu Chengyu stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the corridor wall like a ghost.
Xiao Qi chattered beside him, "It'll be fine, Boss. Modern medicine is very advanced. Even premature babies can survive..."
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
Finally, a nurse emerged. "Congratulations, Mr. Su. It's a baby girl. Mother and daughter are both safe."
The waiting crowd outside immediately let out a collective sigh of relief.
The faint trace of guilt in Gu Chengyu's heart finally dissipated.
