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Translator: Myuu
Translation Checker: Silavin
Inside the chamber, the Young War Immortal’s face contorted with fury. His eyes blazed with intense anger as he tightly balled his fists. It took him a long time to finally compose himself and took a deep breath.
“How should we respond to this? Do we not have the choice to decline?” An Xi gazed at the invitation letter in her hands with an unpleasant look on her face. She had no interest in joining this so-called trip to Kun Mountain. After all, who knew what potential dangers lay ahead? Besides, the An Clan had no ties to the Ji family, and thus, had no obligation to rescue Ji Shengchu. So why would she want to be part of this rescue mission?
“We can only take things one step at a time. Declining it would only give Gu Changge an excuse to attack us, and we cannot let him succeed.” The Young War Immortal swept his eyes over An Xi, Jiang Chen and Niu Tian.
Jiang Chen and Niu Tian fell silent upon hearing him. They had actually already planned to depart, but with the situation being so critical, it was unlikely that Gu Changge would let them leave in peace.
An Xi was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “I’ve been wondering, why does Gu Changge keep targeting you?”
She remembered how shocked the Young War Immortal looked during the Divine Rock Conference. Despite his attempt to brush it off, her intuition led her to believe there was more to the situation than met the eye.
“This is a serious matter, you all must promise me that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. If we were to alarm Gu Changge, he would stop at nothing to find a way to eliminate us all. Not only that, his method would definitely be far more extreme than the last assassination attempt.” The Young War Immortal’s expression was grave, and he even dismissed everyone else from the chamber before confiding in the three of them.
He believed that everyone present harbored a grudge against Gu Changge, so they would know about this sooner or later. The Young War Immortal’s prudence made An Xi and the others nervous. They paid close attention and listened intently, fearful of missing any detail.
“Rest assured, our lips are definitely sealed,” An Xi nodded and promised.
The Young War Immortal took a deep breath and began recounting his recent encounter with the Successor of Demonic Arts. He only narrowly escaped with his life thanks to the timely intervention of his guardian, but not without sustaining severe injuries and nearly shattered his Source. During the attack, he managed to use his innate eye technique to get a clear look at the true face of the Successor of Demonic Arts.
“Are you saying that the Successor of Demonic Arts is actually… someone close to Gu Changge?” An Xi’s face changed drastically as everything suddenly made sense to her. She turned pale as a chill ran down her spine, fear filled her heart. Her voice even trembled as she spoke. Jiang Chen and Niu Tian were equally stunned by this shocking revelation. Their eyes went wide and they felt their scalps crawling.
The Young War Immortal took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly as he could. “Yes, I am very certain that the Successor of Demonic Arts is actually someone close to Gu Changge! In fact, it is none other than the maid who has been faithfully by his side all this time.”
He was aware of the magnitude of this matter and the gravity of this situation. If it were to become public knowledge, it would undoubtedly create chaos in the Upper Realm and lead to unfathomable repercussions.
“I understand now. It’s no wonder the Successor of the Demonic Arts was able to repeatedly escape from Gu Changge. This explains everything.” After some time, An Xi managed to compose herself and make sense of the various rumors she had heard. Despite this, she couldn’t shake the fear that lingered in her heart. Had it not been for the Young War Immortal’s explanation, she never dared consider such a possibility.
[What exactly is Gu Changge planning? The Successor of the Demonic Arts who has been causing a stir in the Upper Realm turns out to be his maid?] An Xi suddenly regretted ever crossing an enigmatic and unpredictable man like Gu Changge.
“All of you must not speak of this matter to anyone until we have gathered sufficient evidence. If Gu Changge knows about this… we will definitely die,” the Young War Immortal emphasized in a grave tone again. Sometimes, knowledge could be a double-edged sword. How he wished that he had kept his composure and not displayed any suspicious behavior during the Divine Rock Conference.
An Xi understood the gravity of the situation. The slightest leak of this information could land them in disastrous situations. Without concrete evidence, disclosing this knowledge would hold little credibility and be easily dismissed by many.
“We understand.” Jiang Chen and Niu Tian looked at each other before falling into a contemplative silence. Jiang Chen’s mind drifted to thoughts of Xiao Ruoyin, causing a chill to run down his spine and his limbs to grow cold.
The fact that Gu Changge was actually the master of the Successor of Demonic Arts came as a complete shock to him. How did he come to get the Successor of Demonic Arts to be under him? The mere thought of the Black-Robed Elder who bestowed him with the Everchanging Demonic Arts filled him with fear.
He couldn’t help but wonder if all the incidents caused by Successor of Demonic Arts all these years had taken place without Gu Changge’s knowledge, or even worse, with his tacit consent.
“Young Mistress! Bad news…! The True Blood of the Hidden Celestial you sent someone to retrieve from the ancestral star has been intercepted by Lady Yan en route!” One of the servants from the An Clan suddenly rushed into the chamber, his face fraught with worry as he relayed the news.
“What?” An Xi’s eyes widened in shock for the first time because of An Yan, as disbelief filled her.
“How dare An Yan do that! How did she do it?” An Xi gritted her teeth in anger. She could hardly believe her ears when she heard her younger sister, whom she had disregarded for so long, had the nerve to intercept her True Blood. Her action only served to exacerbate her already dire circumstances.
As per the An Clan’s rules, An Yan was indeed rightfully entitled to contend for the True Blood of the Hidden Celestial from the ancestral star. But An Xi didn’t expect that An Yan would go as far as to intercept her stuff while she was not around! Her anger boiled within, wishing so badly that she could rush home immediately to confront her younger sister. Unfortunately, the current circumstances prevented her from doing so.
“I’ll make sure that the damn brat regrets her action once I’m done here in Dark Kun City,” An Xi seethed with an extremely unpleasant look on her face.
Two days passed in just the blink of an eye. The entire Dark Kun City was abuzz with excitement as news of Ji Family’s impending invasion into Kun Mountain spread like wildfire.
Located in the northernmost corner of Dark Kun City, the Starcatcher Pavilion derived its name from the idea that anyone could catch a star for themselves. The magnificent structure was constructed entirely from Immortal Stones. Its antique architecture, glimmering facade and the Immortal Mist enveloping it made it a true marvel to behold. It resembled an ancient immortal tower amidst the mortal realm.
The Starcatcher Pavilion was bustling with life today as Gu Changge was hosting a banquet for many young prodigies. At the entrance, many cultivators eagerly awaited the arrival of guests, some esteemed Elders also graced the occasion with their presence. Although it could not be said that all of the cream of the crop from the entire Upper Realm was gathered here today, the majority were present.
The young prodigies all adorned themselves with treasured artifacts and exuded an air of confidence. Their heads shone with a divine light, a clear indication of their strong spiritual power.
Each of them had either a guardian or an entourage accompanying them. It was no surprise, as receiving an invitation from Gu Changge meant they were the Successors of various Immortal or Formidable Forces, a status that was beyond measure. In fact, they were undoubtedly the best candidates to lead their respective Forces in the future, and their potential was limitless.
“The Phoenix Lady has arrived!” The Starcatcher Pavilion was suddenly filled with exclamations of awe as a divine rainbow appeared in the sky, resembling a magnificent phoenix spreading its wings. It was a breathtaking sight.
A tall and slender young woman descended. Despite her fiery red hair, her cool demeanor exuded an air of dignity. She was none other than the Phoenix Lady. The moment she arrived, the waiting servants quickly led her inside the pavilion.
After the Phoenix Lady made her grand entrance, another group of young prodigies arrived too. Among them were the King with Six Crowns, Chosen Monk Jin Chan, and the Sky Demon Sovereign, each with their own entourage, appearing extremely formal and cautious.
Truth be told, not many were eager to attend the banquet of the day. Then again, declining the invitation would signify a lack of respect toward Gu Changge and disregard for the security of the Upper Realm. Being accused of either would no doubt significantly damage their reputation.
“It appears that you all feel the same way as I do.” The King with Six Crowns smiled as he looked at the Chosen Monk and the Sky Demon Sovereign.
“Do you even have to say that, Brother Jun Yao?” The Sky Demon Sovereign shook his head. Even so, he was relieved to see the majority of the young prodigies in Dark Kun City showing up here. It provided him a small sense of comfort amidst the current situation.
“Hmph, Gu Changge is determined to make us accompany him into Kun Mountain. That mountain is fraught with peril at every turn. He may be fine given his formidable prowess, which rivals that of a True Daoist, but what about us? We’re probably going to die there. What a cunning and despicable man!” The Young Holy King, an extremely burly man, strode over from the other side and sneered coldly. His tone was filled with defiance and disdain.
“Perhaps you all should save this for Gu Changge later,” Chosen Monk Jin Chan clasped his hands together and shook his head lightly.
From a moral standpoint, it was the duty of many Forces in the Upper Realm to rescue the Prime Ancestor of the Ji Family, Ji Shengchu. As future Successors of those Forces, it was even more imperative for them to take responsibility for his rescue, especially since Gu Changge had taken the lead in this endeavor. Gu Changge’s actions had no doubt made it difficult for anyone to find a valid reason to decline this mission.
Under the guidance of the cultivators stationed at the entrance, the guests were ushered into the Starcatcher Pavilion. The tables in the banquet hall had already been set. A team of stunning waitresses, who appeared to have been eagerly awaiting their arrival, served up all sorts of delectable delicacies and exquisite wine.
The Sky Demon Sovereign and his companions were reunited with many familiar faces here, all of whom were exceptional individuals of the younger generation and formidable adversaries on any occasion. Among them were Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue, the siblings from the Ji Family.
However, the host’s seat remained unoccupied. Everyone was a little unhappy that Gu Changge had yet to arrive.
Sensing the Sky Demon Sovereign and his companions’ dissatisfaction, an old man approached them. With a smile on his wrinkled face, he said, “Dear esteemed guests, please rest assured. Young Master is on his way here.”
As soon as the group laid their eyes on the old man, their eyes widened in shock. They quickly kept their attitude in check as they knew immediately that the old man was a True Daoist!
Despite his butler attire, the old man’s cultivation was unfathomable. He had a Nirvana Realm aura, so he was definitely a True Daoist. Everyone was shocked. They were unable to identify whether he was the esteemed Ancestor of the Gu Family or simply a humble butler Gu Changge had hired.
It was at this moment, another commotion erupted outside the Starcatcher Pavillion. The Young War Immortal, An Xi, Jiang Chen and the others were ushered into the banquet hall. The Young War Immortal was unusually pale today, as if his injuries had yet to fully heal.
“Greetings, my friends!” The Young War Immortal forced himself to smile and cupped his fist respectfully to the Sky Demon Sovereign and the others.
“Your injuries don’t seem to be healed yet. The assassin who attacked you the other day must have been quite formidable.” The sight of the Young War Immortal’s weakened state stirred feelings of compassion among those present. It was only recently that he had narrowly escaped death from the Successor of Demonic Arts, and now he had been struck down once more by an assassin, leaving him with grave injuries.
Many were left wondering the identity of the person whom the Young War Immortal had managed to upset, ultimately resulting in his assassination attempt the day after the Divine Rock Conference and a close brush with death. None of the other young prodigies had faced a similar situation.
The Young War Immortal smiled wryly. “Thank you for your concern, my friends. My injuries may seem serious, but with some good rest, I will recover in no time.”
Despite his optimistic tone, he felt gloomy on the inside. He gazed ahead, but Gu Changge’s presence was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, everyone has arrived?” While the young prodigies were conversing with each other softly, a pleasant voice interrupted their conversation, causing all heads to swivel toward the source.
There stood Gu Changge, clad in a black attire that accentuated his statuesque frame. His silky dark hair framed his chiseled features. He wore a dazzling smile on his face.
Upon hearing the voice, An Xi was overcome with an inexplicable sense of fear and unease, yet she fought to maintain her composure. Standing behind Gu Changge were Yin Mei and Su Qingge, both exuding an ethereal beauty that seemed almost otherworldly. With their hands clasped and their eyes lowered, they looked like statues sculpted from the finest jade.
Jiang Chen and Niu Tian gazed at Su Qingge silently and warily. To think that the notorious and merciless Successor of Demonic Arts, who had caused chaos in the Upper Realm, was actually such a gorgeous woman. If they hadn’t seen her with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it.
“Greetings, Young Master Changge!” The Sky Demon Sovereign, the King with Six Crowns, Chosen Monk Jin Chan and everyone else were struck with terror in their hearts. None of them sensed Gu Changge’s presence until now.
With a smile, Gu Changge graciously waved off any formalities. “I was informed that you suffered grave injuries from an assassin two days ago. I promptly arranged for someone to deliver you some potent divine medicines, but it appears they were not effective in your recovery.”
His eyes quickly settled on the Young War Immortal as he expressed his concern for his well-being.
The Young War Immortal was taken aback by Gu Changge’s public display of concern. Although he felt disheartened, he merely smiled wryly and said, “Thank you for your concern, Young Master Changge. The divine medicines you sent hadn’t been very effective, but I should be able to recover after getting enough rest.”
These were carefully chosen words he had prepared to politely decline the invitation to Kun Mountain. He was not naive and understood that leaving Dark Kun City and entering the perilous Kun Mountain would mean his death. After all, Gu Changge could easily snuff out his life in that treacherous place if he wished to.
