Chapter 1260, Don’t Be Too Concerned About Chu Gucheng; Only One More Step Left

Translator: Fate

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

Gu Changge’s figure vanished quickly. In the blink of an eye, there was no trace of him left.

 

Inside the pavilion, the Primary Hope Saintess slumped weakly on the soft mattress. A panicked expression remained on her face. It seemed as though she had yet to recover from the shock of the events just now. After all, she had thought that she was bound to suffer unimaginable humiliation just a few moments ago.

 

Even if she had struggled with all her might, she was no match for Gu Changge. She was as weak as an ant in the face of his absolute strength. Her painstaking efforts of cultivating for so many years seemed to evaporate into nothing at that moment. It was completely useless. There had never been a time when she was as scared or helpless as she was just now. She didn’t even have the opportunity to commit suicide and perish together with the other party. Her resistance had been utterly futile.

 

Although she greatly regretted her rash and thoughtless decision, her feelings of regret would not have changed anything. To her surprise, Gu Changge had stopped and departed without doing anything. His actions were completely unexpected, causing her to become so flustered that she froze on the spot.

 

The humiliation she expected had not come, but his teasing words mixed with his laughter continued to echo in her ears. She did not believe that he would be so kind as to let her go so easily. Based on her understanding of his personality that she gained from the Mirror of Reincarnation, he was not a benevolent man. On the contrary, he was constantly moody and unpredictable. He would do anything for the sake of profit, but he would never do anything unnecessary.

 

“I guess his actions were just to frighten me. He must have deliberately made me panic and lose my composure to satisfy his sick humour.”

 

“I have always been distant and untouched by worldly desires to the public, yet he managed to frighten me so badly that I lost my composure. Thinking about it, bullying others at will is certainly something he would do.” Afterwards, the Primary Hope Saintess gradually calmed down and glanced at the coat Gu Changge had casually thrown around her shoulders. Half of her milky and flawless shoulders remained exposed, making her appearance seem rather enchanting.

 

She took a deep breath and secretly gritted her teeth. Then, she reached up and straightened her clothes so that she returned to her usual cold and dignified appearance.

 

The incident in the pavilion had caused her to become confused. She originally thought that she would only be attending Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet, so she was going through the motions without much care. It never occurred to her that she would encounter Gu Changge in advance.

 

[As the leader behind the Heavenslayers Alliance, shouldn’t he be in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation at this time? Why would he appear in the Land of Celestial Suffering, much less stand beside the people from the Imperial Celestial Palace in such a grand manner?]

 

[Judging by the situation, it seemed that the mysterious young man in white who caused a huge sensation in the Southbarren Ancient Territory recently was none other than him. Had he already arrived in Primary Hope Civilisation at that time?]

 

The Primary Hope Saintess frowned deeply. Following that realisation, many other events suddenly came to mind.

 

The conflict between the Beast Court and the Land of Celestial Suffering had intensified after the incident in the Southbarren Ancient Territory. In that incident, Chu Gucheng’s most beloved child, Chu Xiao, had been slaughtered by the Seventh Crown Prince of the Beast Court, Di Kun.

 

The crux of the incident was caused by the competition between Chu Xiao and a mysterious young man in white at a location of pleasure. Their competition inevitably caused his identity to be exposed. His whereabouts were later discovered by the Seventh Crown Prince of the Beast Court, Di Kun.

 

Afterwards, Di Kun quickly rushed over and killed Chu Xiao.

 

[If that mysterious young man in white was Gu Changge… Then could he have secretly orchestrated the entire conflict between the Beast Court and the Land of Celestial Suffering?]

 

As soon as the possibility came to mind, the Primary Hope Saintess was certain that her conjecture was most likely true. The fact that Gu Changge had appeared in the Land of Celestial Suffering once more must mean that he was scheming to obliterate the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

Although the Mirror of Reincarnation could deduce the future trajectory of the Land of Celestial Suffering, it did not have the power to change the fate of the Land of Celestial Suffering. That was especially true since the future trajectory of the Land of Celestial Suffering would shift and change with every deduction that she performed.

 

She could not help feeling worried. After all, the Mirror of Reincarnation was not an omnipotent treasure. There were limitations to its abilities. Take what happened today for example. If she were to encounter the same scene again, the results might not have been as fortunate as today.

 

After silently standing in front of the pavilion for a long time, the Primary Hope Saintess withdrew her gaze and heaved an almost imperceptible sigh. She was beginning to doubt whether she had made the right choice.

 

The Land of Celestial Suffering was currently at the peak of its strength. Be it in terms of influence or power, it was on the verge of becoming the strongest Force in the Primary Hope Civilisation. Nevertheless, she had chosen not to intervene in the affairs of the Land of Celestial Suffering. The Land of Celestial Suffering would have to fend for itself without her help.

 

Her reasoning mostly stemmed from the fear and anxiety surrounding her own death after she witnessed the future simulated by the Mirror of Reincarnation. Even though she was the Saintess of the Primary Hope Holy Church, she was not without emotions or desires. She was just like any other cultivator, possessing both selfish desires and opportunistic thoughts. Despite the fact that she was willing to die for the Primary Hope Holy Church, she would never sacrifice her life in vain by intervening in unnecessary affairs.

 

“I am far from reaching the level of the Great Dao that Master previously mentioned. If Master were here, what would she have chosen?” The Primary Hope Saintess suddenly felt a little disappointed.

 

The meeting between the Imperial Celestial Palace and the Primary Hope Saintess had not escaped the notice of the various Forces in the Land of Celestial Suffering. Many of them were shocked by the news.

 

The Primary Hope Saintess had refused to meet anybody in the recent period. Why were that man and woman able to meet with her? Not to mention, they were not accompanied by the Elders of the Imperial Celestial Palace but two rather young-looking servants.

 

Most of these Forces subsequently began to investigate the identity and origins of Ling Yuxian and Gu Changge. However, the information on their origins turned out to be very vague for some reason. Even the people in the Imperial Celestial Palace were uncertain about the truth.

 

It was not so bad for Ling Yuxian’s case. After all, she was well-known among the members in the Imperial Celestial Palace. Countless Disciples, who knew her background story, even speculated that she might be the Palace Master’s descendant.

 

Naturally, most of the Elders actually knew that she was actually the Founder’s Younger Sister. Her status and identity were shockingly grand. It was only due to certain reasons that she had to reincarnate and had to cultivate once more.

 

Be that as it may, the Imperial Celestial Palace had yet to announce the news that the Founder was still alive. That was why some of the Elders who did not know the truth had mistakenly assume that she was the direct descendant of the Imperial Celestial Palace Founder.

 

The various Forces inquiring into her identity consequently received two completely different answers from their investigation. Either she was the descendant of the Imperial Celestial Palace’s Palace Master, Ling Qiuchang, or she was the descendant of the Imperial Celestial Palace Founder.

 

After analysing the answers, most people leaned towards the second possibility. They guessed that the Primary Hope Saintess had known about Ling Yuxian’s identity, so she agreed to meet with Ling Yuxian. At the same time, it was enough to explain why the Elders of the Imperial Celestial Palace would pay attention to such a young Junior.

 

Ling Yuxian’s value was soon revealed, but Gu Changge’s identity and origins remained unclear.

 

Most of the Disciples only knew Gu Changge as the mysterious Senior Brother of the Xian Yun Practice Grounds. His Talent was peerless, and his appearance was extremely graceful. He was also very close to Ling Yuxian. As for why most of the Elders of the Imperial Celestial Palace showed him such great respect, they did not know.

 

The various Forces were extremely curious about the mysterious young man. Could he be in a similar position as the descendant of the Imperial Celestial Palace’s Founder? Did he also come from incredible origins? Was that why they were so close?

 

These speculations were soon confirmed.

 

Among the younger generation from the Bright Light Temple who attended the birthday banquet, there was a prodigy known as the Lady Bodhi. She once encountered Gu Changge in the Purple Return City at the Southbarren Ancient Territory, so they could be considered friends.

 

In the beginning, she was unaware that he was also in the Land of Celestial Suffering. It was not until the Elders in the Temple mentioned his name that she abruptly remembered their encounter.

 

“We don’t know his origins either. At the time, he appeared together with Zi Yunchuan of Purple Sky Mountain. It seemed that he had rescued Zi Yunchuan along the way. According to Zi Yunchuan, the mysterious young man in white possessed a shocking background. It was even suspected that he might have come from the legendary Forbidden Strange Lands.” She honestly told the Elders in the Temple about everything she knew, not daring to hide anything from them.

 

As a result of that encounter, the Elders in the sect repeatedly approached her and investigated her Knowledge Sea to determine Gu Changge’s identity and whereabouts. In the end, they found nothing. They eventually gave up when their efforts proved to be futile.

 

It could be said that meeting Gu Changge again in the Land of Celestial Suffering was a coincidence.

 

Lady Bodhi had the feeling that her memories of Gu Changge were particularly blurry. Unless she saw him with her own eyes, she simply could not remember how he looked in her memories.

 

“In other words, the young man in white accompanying the Young Ancestor of the Imperial Celestial Palace is none other than the mysterious young man who appeared in the Southbarren Ancient Territory recently.”

 

The high-ranking officials of the Bright Light Temple were shocked by the revelation, and their expressions suddenly became uncertain.

 

Afterwards, other young prodigies such as the Ming Ying of the Jade Void Palace and the Fairy Cai Yun of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion also came forward to confirm Lady Bodhi’s words.

 

This news immediately caused a huge uproar in the Land of Celestial Suffering. It was not only the distinguished guests who came to attend the birthday banquet. Even the ministers and generals of the Land of Celestial Suffering were so shocked by the news that they became speechless.

 

At the Waterfront Chamber of the Purple Return City, Chu Gucheng’s descendant, Chu Xiao, was forced to reveal his identity after he was involved in a quarrel with Gu Changge.

 

At the time, many of them received Chu Gucheng’s command to conduct a strict investigation into Gu Changge’s identity and whereabouts. In the end, they failed to discover anything. Gu Changge seemed to have vanished from the world after the incident at the Southbarren Ancient Territory. Nobody could find any information regarding his location or his whereabouts.

 

Who could have imagined that he would suddenly show up in the capital of the Land of Celestial Suffering several months later? Moreover, he appeared among the distinguished guests who came to attend the birthday banquet. Wasn’t he worried that the Land of Celestial Suffering might retaliate against him?

 

Numerous Imperial Celestial Palace Disciples were similarly stunned by the news. Who could have thought that the mysterious Senior Brother of the Xian Yun Practice Grounds once appeared in the Southbarren Ancient Territory? Not to mention, he had a direct connection with the death of Chu Xiao, the Son of Chu Gucheng, the King of the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

“Is the death of Chu Xiao related to you?” When Ling Yuxian received the news, she was stunned. Then, she went straight to Gu Changge and questioned the other party in a rather incredulous tone.

 

On the other hand, Gu Changge seemed as relaxed and carefree as usual. He was peacefully drinking tea in the courtyard when she arrived.

 

Upon hearing her question, he laughed. “What do you mean whether it is related to me? Wasn’t Chu Gucheng’s descendant, Chu Xiao, killed by the Seventh Crown Prince of the Beast Court, Di Kun? How is that related to me?”

 

After leaving the residence of the Primary Hope Saintess, he returned to the courtyard. He seemed relaxed and unbothered even though various rumours were swirling around the capital of the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

Even if he had killed Chu Gucheng’s descendant, there was nothing Chu Gucheng could do against him at this time. It was Chu Gucheng’s birthday celebration after all. There were simply too many distinguished guests watching.

 

More importantly, although the capital of the Land of Celestial Suffering was a dangerous place for ordinary cultivators, it was nothing more than a child’s playground to Gu Changge. He could come and go whenever he pleased. Who could stop him?

 

“That may be true, but the death of Chu Gucheng’s Son is somewhat related to you. Aren’t you worried that Chu Gucheng might retaliate against you? Even my Sister does not dare to enter the Land of Celestial Suffering at will.”

 

“Chu Gucheng is blessed by Heavens. Not only does he possess great Fortuity but also the image of an eternal sage. Under these circumstances, he is practically invincible in the Land of Celestial Suffering. Even the predecessors who lived for countless years might not be able to defeat him.”

 

Her expression was unusually serious. She had inquired into the entire story before she came to visit Gu Changge. It turned out that that particular descendant of Chu Gucheng was indeed a scoundrel, but he was ultimately still Chu Gucheng’s descendant. What more, he was very much loved and cherished by Chu Gucheng.

 

“Can I take that as concern for me?” Gu Changge laughed and added, “It’s just Chu Gucheng. Don’t worry too much about him.”

 

Ling Yuxian stared at Gu Changge intently for a moment. The other party did not seem to be joking. Moreover, his demeanour was as nonchalant as ever. Seeing his carefree attitude, she couldn’t help snapping frigidly, “I apologise for meddling. It seems I was overthinking the situation.”

 

After saying that, she turned around and stomped away. [Damn it! To think I was worried about him when I first heard the news! How could he be so indifferent to the news?]

 

“The Land of Celestial Suffering can be destroyed at will, so why would I care?” Gu Changge gently shook his head and placed his teacup down on the table.

 

A ball of black fog condensed in the void and transformed into a miniature image of Uncle Fu.

 

“Master, I have more or less completed the task according to your instructions. I have to say, his status in the Land of Celestial Suffering is certainly useful. Practically nobody dares to question my actions. The troops of the Zhuo Clan, the Hun Clan, and the other Civilisations in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation have safely snuck into the Land of Celestial Suffering. We can strike at any time now.”

 

A cold and sinister laughter came from within the ball of fog.

 

“It seems that everything is ready except for one last step.” Gu Changge chuckled faintly.

 

Although Uncle Fu had been alienated by Chu Gucheng, he had overseen many affairs in the Land of Celestial Suffering over the years. As a result, he was highly respected across the Land of Celestial Suffering. That was part of the reason why Gu Changge ordered the Spirit of Eternity to occupy Uncle Fu’s body.

 

Instead of engaging in a never-ending skirmish at the borders of the Land of Celestial Suffering like the Beast Court, he decided that he might as well secretly take action from the inside.

 

Naturally, he did not prepare this hidden chess piece just to cooperate with the Beast Court in the annihilation of the Land of Celestial Suffering. Rather, he planned to keep his trump card hidden until after the destruction of the Land of Celestial Suffering so that he could quickly take control and stabilise the situation in the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

…

 

“The culprit who killed Xiao’er is currently in the capital. How can you ignore this!? Xiao’er’s Soul in Heaven has yet to rest in peace!”

 

At this moment, in the Royal Palace of the Land of Celestial Suffering, a graceful and beautiful woman stood in front of Chu Gucheng with tears in her eyes. Several men and women stood beside her. Their expressions were equally filled with a mixture of hatred and anger.

 

“Father, if you have other concerns, why don’t you allow us to avenge Ninth Brother instead? If any punishments are required, then you can directly hand down the punishments later. In this way, you will also be able to provide an adequate explanation for the distinguished guests.”

 

A tall and slender girl pleaded. Her appearance was quite similar to the crying woman. She was none other than Chu Gucheng’s Second Daughter. Her name was Chu Xinyue, and she was the ‘Second Sister’ whom Chu Xiao claimed to love dearly.

 

“So many distinguished guests are watching right now, how am I supposed to avenge Xiao’er? In the first place, the entire incident arose because of Xiao’er’s provocation which exposed his identity. I have no evidence that that person was deliberately scheming to harm Xiao’er.” Chu Gucheng’s expression was troubled. He himself had only just learned of Gu Changge’s identity.

 

[No wonder the young man in white had observed me with such interest when we were on the city walls that day. He clearly knew that he was ultimately the reason why Chu Xiao was killed by the Seventh Crown Prince of the Beast Court, Di Kun. So, how dare he boldly step foot in my Land of Celestial Suffering!? Furthermore, to appear in front of me!?]

 

Even if he did not say much, he was burning with indescribable rage. It felt as though he was being provoked by Gu Changge.

 

“How could it be such a coincidence for the Seventh Crown Prince of the Beast Court, Di Kun, to appear in the Southbarren Ancient Territory at that time? It is obvious that there is either a Force behind him or somebody helping him. Besides, you saw it too, Father. How terrifying was the strange Ancient Array that Di Kun constructed the other day? That is not something the Beast Court would or should have.” Chu Xinyue calmly stated.

 

She was highly favoured by Chu Gucheng. Even among Chu Gucheng’s talented descendants, she was incomparably outstanding. In terms of cultivation, she had already broken through to the Dao Realm. Moreover, she often refined various Dao Realm Artifacts for Chu Xiao as protection.

 

When Chu Xiao perished in the Southbarren Ancient Territory, she was the first person to realise that something was wrong. Unfortunately, it was too late for her to rescue him.