Chapter 1263, The Mysterious Leader Behind the Heavenslayers Alliance; Sending a Coffin at the Birthday Banquet

Translator: Fate

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

As the host and the main character of the birthday banquet, it was only natural for Chu Gucheng to go around and offer a toast to each of his guests. It stood to reason that he would inevitably reach the Imperial Celestial Palace towards the end. Although he had no intention of having much contact with Gu Changge at this point in time, he had no choice under these circumstances. He could only force himself to act natural and walk over with a smile.

 

Ling Yuxian was shocked. She had been glaring at Gu Changge fiercely when she suddenly noticed Chu Gucheng walking towards them. Hence, she quickly gave up and restrained her expression.

 

Likewise, the Imperial Celestial Palace Elders hurriedly stood up and offered Chu Gucheng a toast.

 

Chu Gucheng raised his glass with a smile. “You have travelled far to come here. I hope you can forgive me for any inadequacies in my hospitality.”

 

Unfortunately, he did not know Ling Yuxian’s identity. As she was different from the other young Disciples in that she could sit at the same table as the Elders, he immediately assumed that she was the Daughter of the Imperial Celestial Palace Master, Ling Qiuchang.

 

He raised his glass towards Ling Yuxian and smiled, “Please give my regards to your Father, the Palace Master.”

 

The expressions of the Imperial Celestial Palace Elders twitched slightly as soon as the words left Chu Gucheng’s mouth. On the other hand, Ling Yuxian answered calmly, “Thank you for your concern, King Chu. But, Ling Qiuchang is not my Father.”

 

Chu Gucheng had not expected to guess Ling Yuxian’s identity wrongly, much less for Ling Yuxian to expose his mistake so bluntly. Therefore, the smile on his face stiffened in embarrassment for a moment.

 

Meanwhile, the expressions of Chu Xinyue and the other retainers standing beside Chu Gucheng changed drastically.

 

Regardless of Chu Gucheng’s mistake, he was the main character of the birthday banquet. Even if he had guessed Ling Yuxian’s identity wrongly, she should not have pointed out his mistake in such an impolite manner. How could she humiliate the Land of Celestial Suffering in front of so many people!?

 

Upon hearing the exchange between Chu Gucheng and Ling Yuxian, the other guests started to show interest in their conversation.

 

“Hahaha! Please forgive me; I only had the chance to meet Brother Qiuchang on several occasions. There was some resemblance in your looks, so I wrongly assumed that you were his Daughter.” Needless to say, Chu Gucheng was not an ordinary person either. It was impossible for him to lose his composure over such a trivial matter. In the end, he simply laughed off the matter.

 

His reaction did not bother Ling Yuxian. She simply nodded slightly in response. Then, she raised her glass and downed the contents in a single gulp.

 

She had neither a good nor bad impression of Chu Gucheng in the first place. The only reason she came to the Land of Celestial Suffering was as a replacement for her Older Sister, Ling Yuling. Nevertheless, the combination of Gu Changge and the incident from a few days ago had left her feeling slightly uncomfortable with Chu Gucheng. That was why her statement earlier had been intentional.

 

“Speaking of which, although this is the first time you and I have officially met, I have heard about you often, Young Master Gu.” After Chu Gucheng finished his greetings with the Imperial Celestial Palace Elders, he smiled and shifted his gaze to Gu Changge, who was standing beside Ling Yuxian.

 

The guests gathered in the palace immediately glanced over at that moment. It felt as though there was a phenomenon of chaos, death, and the destruction of the universe unfolding in the void.

 

Similarly, the tall and slender Primary Hope Saintess glanced over from not too far away. Her eyes were indescribably charming. Beneath her veil, her skin was as delicate and exquisite as jade. Her flowing black hair fluttered gently with her movements.

 

“Oh? That’s such a coincidence. I have heard much about you too, King Chu.” Gu Changge sat there with an easy-going expression and toyed with the glass in his hand. His clothes were as white as snow. His hair was as black as obsidian, glowing with a faint hazy light. He looked like an Immortal who came out of an ancient painting, walking among nature without being affected by worldly affairs.

 

Chu Xinyue glared at Gu Changge fiercely. Her hands clenched tightly together underneath her sleeves as she forced herself to endure the situation. After all, the culprit who caused her Younger Brother’s death was right in front of her. There was nothing she wanted more than to personally tear him to shreds.

 

“Hahaha! What am I compared to your fame, Young Master Gu? Who in Primary Hope Civilisation doesn’t know the name of the Heavenslayers Alliance? Even in the vast Boundless Expanse, the Heavenslayers Alliance is famous throughout the various lands. Daring to take the name ‘Heavenslaying’ means that you have the courage to bear the karmic consequences. Just based on that point alone, you have the admiration of countless cultivators like myself.”

 

Chu Gucheng laughed loudly and gestured grandly, exposing Gu Changge’s identity in front of the crowd without the slightest hesitation. His figure was tall and large, but the dark golden cloak that stretched across his wide chest gave him an illusion of slimness. Moreover, there was a vague sense of majesty radiating from him that stood above the world.

 

His words sounded louder than the tolling of a bell, seeming to contain a terrifying power. Not only did they resound throughout the palace, but they also spread far into the lands. Those words immediately caused a huge commotion. Whether in the palace or outside the palace, the distinguished guests in attendance were stunned.

 

“The Heavenslayers Alliance!?” The True Buddha Ku Ji of the Tathagata Buddha Realm stared at Gu Changge intently, Buddha Aura flickering in his eyes.

 

“King Chu, are you referring to the Heavenslayers Alliance that was recently suspected to be related to the remnants of the Black Disaster?” One of the Dao Realm Elders of the Towering Divine Cave jumped to his feet with a sharp and cold look in his eyes.

 

The Elders from various Forces, such as the Bright Light Temple, also turned towards Gu Changge in shock. If anybody else had said those words, they would have been sceptical. However, the fact that Chu Gucheng revealed the information at this time definitely meant that he was confident in the truth. He would never disclose any unfounded information in front of so many people after all.

 

Even the guests from other Forces were stunned. Some of these areas were located extremely far from the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, so they did not know much about the Heavenslayers Alliance. Be that as it may, that was not the case for Primary Hope Civilisation.

 

At the time, Chu Gucheng had specifically issued a warning to the various Forces in the Primary Hope Civilisation regarding the issue of the Heavenslayers Alliance. He was hoping to gain their cooperation to help quell the war in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.

 

Unfortunately, those Forces were unmoved by his pleas. They wanted to wait and see how the situation developed first.

 

In the end, the Land of Celestial Suffering abandoned their rescue efforts because they did not wish to risk the danger either. Who could have imagined that the mysterious leader behind the Heavenslayers Alliance, who caused such panic in Primary Hope Civilisation at the time, would be none other than Gu Changge?

 

The revelation shocked everybody. As a result, they began to look at Gu Changge with a mixture of astonishment and fear. The Imperial Celestial Palace Elders were no exception. They, too, were extremely flabbergasted by the situation.

 

Even Ling Yuxian glanced at the man beside her in confusion. The truth was that she did not know much about the Heavenslayers Alliance, but she had heard the Elders discussing and speculating whether the mysterious Force that emerged out of nowhere was related to the remnants of the Black Disaster.

 

“It’s just a name. You are praising me too much, King Chu. On the contrary, I heard that the Land of Celestial Suffering originally planned to change its name to the Heavenly Court. Why did you give up on the idea, King Chu?”

 

Gu Changge smiled faintly. He remained sitting in place, seemingly unmoved by the gazes of the people in the palace. Moreover, he did not deny the statement. His actions were equivalent to acknowledging what Chu Gucheng mentioned.

 

In other words, he truly did establish the Heavenslayers Alliance.

 

The guests, who initially harboured some doubts and scepticism, were even more shocked.

 

Meanwhile, Chu Gucheng detected a hint of mockery in Gu Changge’s words. He replied with a nonchalant laugh, “I’m afraid I don’t have the same courage and ability as you, Young Master Gu. If I take the name of the Heavenly Court, I will probably face my reckoning.”

 

Such matters involved various taboos in the world, so they could not be discussed in detail

 

Even the guests knew that just establishing the Heavenly Court would bring about terrible consequences, much less the name ‘Heavenslaying’. Hence, the fact that the Heavenslayers Alliance was actually established was extremely hard to believe.

 

Although there was a Force called the Heavenslayer Sect in the Nine Heavens, its existence was only possible thanks to the special properties of the Nine Heavens.

 

“You seem like a brave man to me, King Chu.” Gu Changge smiled faintly.

 

Chu Gucheng grinned. “It is nothing compared to you, Young Master Gu. If I had your bravery, I would have already changed the Land of Celestial Suffering’s name to the Heavenly Court.”

 

When the incident at the Southbarren Ancient Territory took place, Chu Gucheng had not confirmed that Gu Changge was the leader behind the Heavenslayers Alliance. He had dispatched the Eight-Headed True God and several others to the Immortal Spirit Civilisation to investigate the situation, but they did not find anything in particular.

 

All they learned was that the mysterious man who established the Heavenslayers Alliance possessed a mysterious origin. Nobody knew where he came from.

 

Be that as it may, he managed to conquer and unite the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation in an extremely short period of time. Even the ancient Forces such as the Zhuo Clan, the Hun Clan, the Wu Clan, and the Gou Clan had either surrendered or perished.

 

Afterwards, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation fell into his complete control. No other Force in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation dared to fight back against him.

 

In the past, Chu Gucheng once gave a token to the Wu Clan. It was thanks to that token that he had some contact with the Wu Clan. He used the token to instruct the people of the Wu Clan to investigate Gu Changge, hoping to determine whether the other party remained in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.

 

If Gu Changge was absent, then he planned to dispatch the Eight-Headed True God to the Immortal Spirit Civilisation once more. Unfortunately, his plan was seen through by Gu Changge.

 

Gu Changge deliberately pretended to leave the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, tempting the various Forces into action. When the time was right, he then came forward and destroyed those Forces that dared to rebel with great decisiveness and ruthlessness.

 

It was during that period when Chu Gucheng suddenly developed a strong sense of fear and anxiety, so he stopped investigating the Immortal Spirit Civilisation at will. All he knew was that the mysterious leader behind the Heavenslayers Alliance had the surname ‘Gu’. Apart from that small piece of information, he knew nothing else about the Heavenslayers Alliance.

 

After Chu Xiao’s death, Chu Gucheng dispatched his men to the Purple Return City in the Southbarren Ancient Territory. He wanted to investigate the identity and origin of the mysterious young man in white, but the investigation did not produce any results either.

 

It was only recently that he heard the name Gu Changge from Lady Bodhi and several others in the younger generation. At that moment, he felt as though he had awoken from a dream. He almost instantly concluded that the mysterious young man in white who caused Chu Xiao’s death was also the man with the surname ‘Gu’, who established the Heavenslayers Alliance in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.

 

He originally had some doubts as to whether there had been a plot behind Cu Xiao’s death, but he was now certain that Gu Changge was the mastermind behind the incident. It was impossible for such coincidences to occur otherwise.

 

The guests in the palace experienced different emotions and concerns as they listened to the conversation between Gu Changge and Chu Gucheng. Many were secretly on guard, fearing that something bad might happen.

 

If they had not known about the grudge that existed between Gu Changge and Chu Gucheng, they might have been deceived by the current scene. It was easy to mistakenly assume that those two were chatting away happily because of their friendship with each other.

 

It was previously thought that Gu Changge simply had a special status in the Imperial Celestial Palace. Who could have imagined that he would be involved with the strange and mysterious Heavenslayers Alliance? Could it be that even his identity as the Senior Brother of the Xian Yun Practice Grounds in the Imperial Celestial Palace was problematic?

 

The Imperial Celestial Palace Elders inevitably began to have such thoughts, and they glanced at Ling Yuxian in concern. If Gu Changge was the mysterious leader behind the Heavenslayers Alliance, then how could he be the Senior Brother of the Xian Yun Practice Grounds? There was definitely something that did not add up.

 

More importantly, Ling Yuxian had gotten very close to him recently. They even sat together during the birthday banquet. Could it be that she was being deceived and used by him?

 

“I came here empty-handed, so I don’t have anything suitable as a birthday gift. I hope you don’t mind, King Chu.” At that moment, Gu Changge seemed to sense something and smiled slightly.

 

“Just coming here is enough, Young Master Gu. Why would you need to prepare a birthday gift?” Chu Gucheng laughed heartily, seeming unbothered.

 

*Boom!* A horrible explosion rang out just as Chu Gucheng finished speaking, sounding as though the sky had shattered into pieces. Meanwhile, the entire Spacetime shuddered as though numerous stars were colliding and exploding in the depths of the universe.

 

“What is happening!?” The guests in the palace were startled by the commotion.

 

At the same time, an overwhelming aura abruptly came from outside the capital city of the Land of Celestial Suffering. Countless streams of Divine Light immediately flew out of the palace and came to stand above the palace.

 

Chu Gucheng’s expression changed drastically. Having also perceived the aura, he left the palace and came outside.

 

A bloodstained coffin appeared in the distant sky. It was unimaginably large, spanning several thousand kilometres. The sight of the coffin was even more impressive than most of the stars in the sky. Slicing through Spacetime, the coffin fell through the terrifying hole and descended towards the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

“A bloodstained black coffin?”

 

The guests were shocked, staring at the scene in disbelief. A bloodstained black coffin had fallen out of the sky on the day of Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet. What’s more, the coffin seemed to be heading in the direction of the Land of Celestial Suffering’s capital.

 

“How impudent!”

 

Many generals were furious and quickly soared into the air. Their auras glowed brightly, and their Dao Principles surged like the turbulent sea. Billions of chains emerged as they activated their Artifacts to destroy the falling coffin.

 

Such a spectacle was a disgrace to the Land of Celestial Suffering. How could a coffin be sent here on the day of the King’s grand birthday banquet!? Moreover, it was done in public! That was clearly blatant disrespect to the Land of Celestial Suffering!

 

A mixture of rage and murderous intent appeared on Chu Gucheng’s face. He immediately suspected that this unsightly spectacle was Gu Changge’s doing. After all, Gu Changge had just claimed to have come empty-handed only for a bloodstained black coffin to fall from the sky in the next moment.

 

[What is the meaning of this!? Is Gu Changge intentionally insulting me!?] Since today was his birthday banquet, he had been patiently enduring Gu Changge’s presence because he did not wish to cause trouble. He even maintained a calm and friendly attitude without showing any hostility or murderous intent although he was facing the enemy who caused the death of his dearest Son.

 

[I have been extremely benevolent, yet Gu Changge dares to insult me in such a manner. He has crossed the line!]

 

Most of the guests were also looking at Gu Changge strangely. They, too, thought that the appearance of the black coffin that suddenly fell from the sky was related to him.

 

Unexpectedly, Gu Changge looked equally as surprised as everybody else. He walked outside the palace and studied the coffin with some interest. “Who would be so discourteous as to send a coffin during the King Chu’s birthday banquet? Isn’t that an intentional insult?”

 

Chu Gucheng’s descendants glared daggers at him. On the other hand, the look in Chu Xinyue’s eyes became frigid. She was on the verge of taking action, thinking that he was trying to divert the attention from himself.

 

Similarly, most of the guests in attendance thought that he was being too disrespectful towards the Land of Celestial Suffering. Despite knowing that Chu Gucheng secretly wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible, it was shocking that he would deliberately say such words to fan the flames.

 

“Young Master Gu…”

 

No matter how tolerant Chu Gucheng was, even he could not stop his expression from turning cold at this moment. He was just about to speak when a mighty and terrifying aura suddenly emerged from the bloodstained black coffin.

 

At the same time, the generals who charged forward began to cough up blood before exploding in mid-air. It was almost as though they had been crushed by an invisible force.

 

A hazy figure appeared above the coffin. He stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a Purple Gold Star Crown on his head and Starry Robes on his body.

 

The figure had a deep gaze and an overwhelming aura. Moreover, he was as tall and large as the sky. His clothes swayed in the wind behind him. Combined with the interweaving Principles and the Fragments of Time spreading beneath his feet, he resembled a peerless monarch walking in the world.

 

“Chu Gucheng, how did you like the gift?” He threw his head back with a hearty laugh, his tone overflowing with self-satisfaction and mockery.

 

“It’s him? The Sect Master of Purple Sky Mountain, Zi Wanhe?” Upon seeing the figure, most of the Elders from various Forces in the Primary Hope Civilisation immediately recognised him. They were filled with shock and disbelief at the sight.

 

A huge uproar instantly broke out in the palace. The Sect Master of Purple Sky Mountain had appeared at Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet in person to deliver a black coffin. What was the meaning of his actions?

 

However, people soon noticed that the figure was not Zi Wanhe’s True Body but a Dharma Body. His True Body probably remained safe in Purple Sky Mountain. After all, it was impossible for him to endanger himself by coming here.

 

In any case, it was shocking for the Sect Master of Purple Sky Mountain, who was one of the strongest beings in the Primary Hope Civilisation, to do such a thing at Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet. Just how much hatred did he harbour towards Chu Gucheng?

 

“Zi Wanhe!? You are going too far!!” Chu Gucheng was incandescent with rage. His expression was extremely cold, and his voice was filled with murderous intent. It never occurred to him that the black coffin would come from Zi Wanhe.

 

The hatred between them could be said to be too deep.

 

Zi Wanhe once attacked him in an attempt to seize his Dao Fruit before he reached the Ancestral Dao Realm. If he had not received help from Elder Jin, who was a friend of the Dharma Sage, he would have been severely wounded by Zi Wanhe at the time.

 

Even after becoming the King of the Land of Celestial Suffering, he had not forgotten his grievances against Zi Wanhe. He was simply waiting for the right timing and opportunity to take revenge on Purple Sky Mountain.

 

Many Forces in the Primary Hope Civilisation were aware of the bad blood between the Land of Celestial Suffering and Purple Sky Mountain. Be that as it may, they did not expect the situation to reach this point.

 

Who could have imagined that the Sect Master of Purple Sky Mountain, one of the strongest beings in the Primary Hope Civilisation, would send a coffin to Chu Gucheng at his birthday banquet? Wouldn’t that mean the coming confrontation would persist until one party was dead?