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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Dead silence filled the prison. Occasionally, deep growls would come from its depths, as though a menacing, spine-chilling beast was confined within. In this area, World Principles were sealed up, hindering even True Daoists from detecting anything unusual.
Holding Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s neck with one hand, appreciating his suffocating paling face, Gu Changge revealed a pondering look. Right now, it was still undecided whether Xiao Ruoyin, the High Priestess of Destiny would be able to sacrifice Tuo Ba Xiao Yao to reforge the Sword of World Domination.
Prior to this, Tuo Ba Xiao Yao did say some things that rose Gu Changge’s suspicion. [If he is merely a simple regressor, how is he so confident that no one in the Upper Realm can deal with the bond he has with the sword?]
“It seems there are still secrets hidden within your body.” Gu Changge stared at Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s forehead with his dark eyes, intending to peek into his soul.
However, right at that moment, he seemed to have sensed danger.
*Whoosh!* Blinding lights that resemble crimson dawnlight surged as Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s skull glowed, emitting radiance that allowed one to see the flowing blood under his bones. A palm-sized sword talisman whirled and emerged. It was tiny, yet the Sword Qi it exuded was dazzling, as though a divine sword was appearing that could slash everything in half.
“So, you merged the Sword of World Domination and your Primordial Spirit into a Foetal Sword.”
After assiduously observing the light, Gu Changge came to recognise the item, which was stained by Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s Life Force. There was a brand unique to the Seven Tools of World Domination. If he were to force a Soul Search, he might destroy the Foetal Sword and damage the Sword of World Domination.
“Will you believe me now?” Despite Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s blanched face, reluctance and determination remained in the depths of his eyes.
Thereupon, Gu Changge unhanded his throat and flatly stated, “I don’t care how you pulled this off, but if you fail to hand me the Sword of World Domination in half a month’s time, be it Yu Feiya or your siblings, they will pay a severe price for your actions.”
As Gu Changge said, even being left with no choice, Tuo Ba Xiao Yao would have to come up with a solution. After all, he imposed the path of death upon himself from the very beginning, and now, he had to reap what he sowed.
If he were to fail to surrender the Sword of World Domination after half a month, Gu Changge would definitely take action. Besides, half a month’s time was sufficient for Xiao Ruoyin to hurry over here.
“Half a month’s time?” Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s face grew taut, given how Gu Changge only allowed him half a month’s time, it would be extremely difficult for him to come up with a solution in such a short span of time.
He understood that it was an ultimatum Gu Changge gave him. If he were still unable to hand over the Sword of World Domination after half a month, be it Yu Feiya, Tuo Ba Ling Qiong, or Tuo Ba Qing Yu, his loved ones would have to pay an excruciating price for his actions.
“I understand…” Tuo Ba Xiao Yao blurted, seeing how Gu Changge had no intention to say more to him. The man just turned around and vanished into the void.
After a moment of wordlessness, he heaved a long sigh as he touched his neck, which had almost snapped. The feeling of death still lingered, causing his entire back to be drenched in sweat. Had he not fused his Primordial Spirit with the Sword of World Domination, Gu Changge might have had searched his soul and looked into his secrets of regression and reincarnation.
Although Gu Changge allowed him half a month’s time, the time also included his time being confined in Emperor Yu’s prison, so to be precise, he didn’t have much time left. As such, revenge was now nothing but a distant dream.
In the meantime, after returning to the palace, Gu Changge ordered his men to summon the scar man from the Hunting Event.
The scar man’s name was Song Ye, and he was a ranked disciple cultivated by Nephrite Breeze Pavilion. He possessed the strength to slaughter young kings and was a master of disguises, escape, and naturally, assassination.
Back then, he safely escaped the inescapable net set up by Emperor Yu before donning a new disguise, hiding in Capital.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
Very soon, Song Ye hurried over. As of now, he was wearing the disguise of a puny scholar. His face was snowy and feeble, as though he had just recovered from a critical illness.
He appeared highly respectful toward Gu Changge.
As one of the ranked assassins in Nephrite Breeze Pavilion, he possessed the right to interact with the higher-ups. He came to know that the Master behind Nephrite Breeze Pavilion was Gu Changge himself. In other words, Gu Changge was the true mastermind behind Nephrite Breeze Pavilion.
“Bring me the youngest daughter of the Tuo Ba Family,” Gu Changge blandly ordered. Although he had given Tuo Ba Xiao Yao half a month’s time, he would still have to retain some sort of threat in order to prevent Tuo Ba Xiao Yao from committing any unwanted moves.
“Yes, Young Master.” Hearing that, Song Ye nodded and replied, not daring to question Gu Changge’s reasons.
The Imperial Capital’s inescapable net was impeccably secure. It might not be completely perfect, but it wasn’t far from that either.
Nonetheless, as a ranked disciple of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion, Song Ye was confident that he could easily take Tuo Ba Qing Yu away without anyone’s notice.
After watching Song Ye leave, Gu Changge sank into deep thought.
He wasn’t worried that Tuo Ba Xiao Yao might have warned Tuo Ba Qing Yu and the rest in advance, raising Tuo Ba Family’s alertness. Simply, he was contemplating his next moves. The Epoch Dao Fruit was almost mature, but he had yet to fully implement his giant net.
The opportunity of Immortalisation was greatly alluring, and forget others, even he was tempted. Though, a place to cast the giant net remained undiscovered.
Of course, Gu Changge thought about making use of his Inner Universe, turning it into a spot for a massacre, but the current state of his Inner Universe wasn’t stable just yet as it was unable to fulfil his needs. So, he planned to refine a few Eternal Overcast Sources and enhance his Inner Universe before making further decisions.
Right now, his priority was the Seven Tools of World Domination and the ruins of the Immortal Palace. Now that his current strength had reached a bottleneck, he wouldn’t be able to break through his level without a True Daoist’s Source.
It had been days since Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s imprisonment, as the entire Imperial Capital gradually calmed down.
Following Emperor Yu’s deliberate instruction, Yu Feiya, the Eldest Princess, who was being grounded, was eventually released in order to accompany Jia Luo, the Prince of Eternal Overcast Kingdom, in his stroll around the Capital for them to ‘get to know each other’.
Nevertheless, Emperor Yu remained highly reserved as he had yet to agree to the marriage. Thus, inferences and rumours arose among the higher-ups.
Some of them guessed that Emperor Yu was still insistent on taking advantage of Gu Changge, and if Gu Changge were to feign even the slightest interest toward Yu Feiya, he would forgo Jia Luo, the Prince of Eternal Overcast Kingdom, as a marital candidate without any hesitation.
However, Gu Changge’s temporary stay in Great Yu Capital the past few days had been unpredictable. Even the princes had a hard time trying to meet with him, let alone the rest.
Meanwhile, some also noticed that the Prince of Eternal Overcast Kingdom frequently paid Gu Changge visits, though no one knew whether he managed to meet him.
Over the same course of time, something significant, too, had happened in the Imperial Capital.
One day, Tuo Ba Qing Yu, the youngest daughter of the Tuo Ba Family, suddenly vanished. The servants in charge of serving her were silently murdered within their mansion. Even the guards that were patrolling outside the premises failed to notice such an incident.
Having been dejected and pressured by the experience of being shunned by Emperor Yu, Tuo Ba Yun Tian grew even more devastated by her daughter’s abduction within his own home, and he almost passed out.
Many suspected that the scar man from the Hunting Event was behind this, and his actions were deemed sacrilegiously audacious. However, no one witnessed the abduction, and not a trace of the incident was found. Moreover, as the Tuo Ba Family was being ostracised by Emperor Yu, not many people paid attention to the matter.
And so, days later, Emperor Yu appeared notably calmer during the banquet. Remembering how Tuo Ba Yun Tian contributed massively to his cause in the early years, and now that he was depressed due to his daughter’s abduction, Emperor Yu felt sympathetic and ordered the release of Tuo Ba Xiao Yao.
Originally, he was somewhat interested in the secrets within Tuo Ba Xiao Yao’s body, but after the incident, he felt sympathetic and refrained from troubling him any further. But of course, another reason was that he caught how Yu Feiya had been feeling down the past few days, so his heart melted and he felt guilty toward her.
“Qing Yu was kidnapped within our own mansion?” Having left the dull prison and returning home, Tuo Ba Xiao Yao was finally informed of the incident. At once, his face instantaneously grew sullen.
As his eldest brother was still at the border and had yet to return home, there were only his father and his second sister Tuo Ba Ling Qiong mopping at home, while the other Elders didn’t even care about the incident.
“Sigh… I don’t even care about restoring our Family’s prosperity anymore. All I want is for you, my children, to be safe.” Tuo Ba Yun Tian actually had a lot to say to Tuo Ba Xiao Yao, but at that moment, he could only let out a long sigh of frustration with an awfully long face.
Hearing that, Tuo Ba Xiao Yao clenched his fists and remained wordless, though deep in his heart, he already knew who ordered for his sister’s abduction.
“Xiao Yao…” Tuo Ba Ling Qiong, too, actually had a guess in her heart. She emotionally turned to Tuo Ba Xiao Yao with a questioning gaze.
“Qing Yu will be alright. Father, sister, please be at ease,” said Tuo Ba Xiao Yao sternly.
