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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The lingering worry of the Upper Realm Forces regarding Gu Changge was something every True Daoist present internally agreed with. Now that Neraka was tricked and trapped by him, no one could ensure that their own Force would not follow in its footsteps. The only way was to destroy such a threat when he hadn’t become unrivalled yet.
“If I recall correctly, a peerless young prodigy had been born at Northern Profound Lake millions of years ago. It was said that he was the descendant of the unparalleled giant Peng and had reached the Nirvana Realm after just several thousand years. His power exerted enough pressure on his peers and Elders that they couldn’t catch their breath. Just when Northern Profound Lake was about to return to its former glory, the young prodigy somehow died in an unknown place for an unfathomable reason. This is a constant sore spot as well as a forbidden subject in Northern Profound Lake. Gu Changge’s current strength far exceeds that young prodigy, yet no one has dared to take action on him yet. How amusing.”
Terrifying energy stirred above the skies like an ocean full of waves, which covered the entire place and made it hard for everyone to breathe. Many True Daoists had made the suggestion as they looked towards the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds, secretly plotting to get rid of Gu Changge.
Even if every Force had its own prodigies and Successors, with plenty of competition among them, there had always been an understanding and balance, which they would never be easily destroyed. They would never attack their own young prodigies and Successors but Gu Changge’s presence had broken that balance, so they had to consider doing something about him. Otherwise, he would become the nightmare of every Force when he truly became unrivalled.
“He achieved this at such a young age. It is as though he is the reincarnation of an Immortal King. If the Immortal Gate reappears, Gu Changge may be the first one to enter it,” remarked a True Daoist bathed in golden flames.
He looked like a fire god, with an undying fire burning within his eyes. He belonged to an Immortal Force known as the Endless Fire Kingdom and had been a peerless prodigy who was unparalleled among his peers back in his youth. After achieving Dao, he had reached an obstacle in his cultivation and could not progress. He couldn’t deny that he was envious of the fact that Gu Changge was already gaining on them in terms of cultivation despite his age.
“If we want to take action on him, what method do you prefer?” asked the female True Daoist. Her gaze was calm, not showing any emotion.
“Ha! That’s easy. We’ll act both in the shadows as well in plain daylight. Unless the Immortal Gu Family really wants to be unrivalled and taken down the rest of the Upper Realm on its own, it would have to find a way to eventually concede,” suggested another True Daoist, who had dragon horns growing from his head and sunken eyes. He looked extremely skinny as if he could be felled by wind. He was from Sky Emperor Mountain. His seniority and abilities were unfathomable.
“Both in the shadows and in plain daylight?” A True Daoist raised his eyebrows as he pondered this carefully. Suddenly, his eyes flashed as he thought of something. A strange smile suddenly appeared on his face.
“You’re right. Since Gu Changge’s cultivation has already reached this stage, we only need an excuse to silence the masses. There’s no sign of the Successor of Demonic Arts recently, so we can frame him. Hasn’t he been looking for the Successor? We could give the public a different explanation—the reason Gu Changge reached such a level in a short space of time is because he is the real Successor of Demonic Arts.”
His words made many True Daoists look somewhat affected, with several of them shaking involuntarily. They hadn’t reached this stage without underhanded tactics of their own, their hands dirtied by countless terrifying sins. However, harming and framing others so obviously made them fall silent, feeling that it was a truly evil and cunning act though it was most likely the most effective.
As long as they had this excuse, they could commit a witch hunt on him in the name of justice. Even if anyone thought he was being framed, they could also claim them as someone trying to cover for the Successor of Demonic Arts. As for the proof? The collective statement of the various Forces was the best evidence and they didn’t have to worry about not having enough to back up their claims. Gu Changge had simply grown far too powerful.
[If you want to blame someone, blame the fact that you are far too outstanding.] The True Daoists’ eyes flashed before they disappeared into the heavens. They had come here, firstly to discuss the distribution of the resources acquired from Neraka after the event, and also how to deal with Gu Changge.
The World Principles of the Upper Realm were slowly changing, with many beings who had been in seclusion since ancient times now waking up. They had thought that the era belonged to them and contained the hopes of them becoming Immortals, but did not expect someone from the younger generation to suppress their fame and also their Dao. This made their hope of reaching the Immortal Gate much more distant.
…
Somewhere else gloomy and shrouded in mist, there was a frightening space rift. The tiny world which held the Fourth Palace of Neraka was falling apart, with web-like cracks appearing on the horizon. The place looked extremely barren without any signs of life, just like Hell itself. Deathly white flowers grew in the dried-up yellow riverbed, chillingly bright and seductive.
Everyone screamed and shivered in desperation as they were confined by the terrifying aura above the sky, feeling as though their bodies were about to collapse. Even True Daoists could not see the battle clearly, only sensing an all-encompassing energy strong enough to split chaos, time, and the world apart. Each beam of light could tear apart space and the universe to destroy all beings.
Gu Changge had shown up here to engage in a momentous battle with Yan Luo.
“Is that your all, Gu Changge? Impressive,” Yan Luo, who was already at the level of a Remnant Immortal shouted. His strength was overwhelming as he wielded the black Heavenly Dagger. Red runes bloomed in its wake to form an ocean that fell downwards, about to drown Gu Changge out. Yan Luo had never expected the day when he would be considered prey.
However, Sword Qi swirled around Gu Changge, about to transform into an immortal-killing sword. There were sounds of clanging as it reduced the runes to ashes, emitting unimaginable waves as Principles wove and techniques clashed. Ancient worlds seemed to form and dissipate as he raised his hand, with even the river of time flowing indistinctly. Shards fluttered in the air, the past flowing together and the future flickering away as waves came rolling in to erase traces of everything.
“Pledge your loyalty to me and I will let you retain your sanity.” Gu Changge’s expression still did not change much as the sword formed from Dao Principles was falling apart within his hand after the violent clash. He didn’t mind it since another enormous world appeared behind him once more with a brilliant and burning light. Infinite numbers of divine weapons, bells, and cauldrons materialised, looking extremely realistic as they shoot out and crash down.
Such an ability was beyond the understanding of a True Daoist. It was already within reach of the Immortal Realm. Life and death faded in and out while Principles condensed. He was the personification of the Great Dao itself. His every word contained unimaginable divine power which commanded everything.
The world was rapidly collapsing and disintegrating due to the shockwaves from the battle, with many palaces and mountain ranges turning into dust. The disciples within the Fourth Palace didn’t have the chance to scream before they faded away like smoke, their bodies and souls erased from existence.
“Don’t be so confident. I will kill you today.” Yan Luo looked extremely cold as he swung the Heavenly Dagger. The cold blade shattered all Principles in its path, while the Great Millstone of Life and Death appeared behind him. It blocked out the entire world due to its sheer size, with distinct colours of black and white resembling Yin and Yang. It contained a strange power that could manipulate life and death and alter everything.
*Mmmmm!*
Ripples of alternating black and white spread out, causing the void to disappear, Principles to fade away, and techniques to rapidly disintegrate. Even True Daoists would end up dead in the face of this Great Millstone.
Gu Changge’s expression didn’t waver when he saw Yan Luo’s forbidden technique. Instead, a Primal Light brilliantly glowed around him. Thousands of worlds manifested indistinctly, making him resemble a young deity. As he brought down his hand, the Primal Light glowed brighter while a binding power suffused the air.
Instantly, countless celestial plaques surrounded Yan Luo, which rose into the universe and trapped him, resulting in a terrifying sight. The plaques were far too enormous yet they continued to rise vigorously till they reached the stars and moons. They looked sombre, sacred, commanding, and frightening.
Each plaque represented an ancient world, so the three thousand plaques fell with an unimaginable force, which caused Yan Luo’s Great Millstone of Life and Death to disintegrate. Yan Luo himself spat up blood as his body shook violently due to his Source being wounded. The Heavenly Dagger in his hand quivered, unable to withstand the force despite being made of Dark Immortal Gold.
Gu Changge disappeared at the sight of this and seemed to step through time and space to swat his hand down on Yan Luo.
Yan Luo was unprepared and so couldn’t defend himself. He flew back with an enraged scream as his ribs were broken, causing whatever blood that was leaked out to explode. The space between his eyebrows was grazed by the aftershocks, which caused his forehead to crack and his Spiritual Palace to nearly collapse as a result.
“Can’t you see the difference between us now? The extinction of Neraka is just something the world is progressing towards. What can you do despite being a Remnant Immortal? You are just making futile attempts.” Gu Changge approached slowly from the horizon, their battle having covered such a wide area that the depths of the universe of the current world were impacted as well.
He looked somewhat pityingly at Yan Luo, who was trying to heal his body, sounding unhurried. He had plenty of techniques he hadn’t used yet since he had only wielded the power of Principles which he currently controlled. Yet, Yan Luo already stood no chance against it.
Yan Luo’s expression became extremely dark. Looking back, he saw that the world behind him had completely disintegrated into the ocean of Chaos. While the battle had seemed short, it was a total catastrophe for the surrounding living beings.
The disciples of the Fourth Palace were almost all gone, unable to withstand Gu Changge’s might despite numbering in the millions. Only several high-ranking members, who were True Daoists, had fled with severe injuries, having survived the aftershocks. However, Gu Changge’s consciousness was already focused on them, so he wasn’t scared that they would get too far away.
There were already several True Daoist Puppets pursuing them and blocking their paths of retreat.
“Who exactly are you?” Yan Luo stared fixedly at Gu Changge. He had seen all kinds of young prodigies during his long life, but a remarkable being like this had never appeared before even when Neraka had existed in this world and controlled the dark side. It was as if such a being shouldn’t have existed.
Neraka now had ten Palaces, and he was its second-most powerful expert and the most powerful one among the Ten Palace Lords. The extremely mysterious ruler of Neraka might be much stronger than him, but it was improbable that he could hurt him so easily. Frankly, no one in the Upper Realm could beat Gu Changge unless they wielded and activated a real Immortal Grade Artifacts.
“It doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is that you have two options here. Either you die, or you have to bind yourself to me and pledge your loyalty.” Gu Changge smiled blithely. Yan Luo was a true Remnant Immortal, who ranked among the strongest in the Upper Realm. Naturally. Gu Changge was somewhat reluctant to erase his consciousness and make him a puppet. After all, Yan Luo’s abilities would deteriorate after becoming a puppet and it would be difficult to restore the puppet to his current strength.
Gu Changge had plenty of plans to carry out, so having a Remnant Immortal serving him would save him plenty of trouble.
“Serve you?” Yan Luo’s expression became conflicted. What kind of person was he? He had been a formidable being that commanded everything even before Neraka existed and controlled the darkside of the Upper Realm. Forcing him to serve Gu Changge loyally naturally did not please him. Even the ruler of Neraka himself treated him courteously without daring to cross any boundaries.
“So you are unwilling, then?” Gu Changge was still smiling, but Yan Luo could already sense a freezing aura which chilled him to the bone. He knew that if he didn’t make his choice now, he would truly die here. Furthermore, his instincts told him that Gu Changge still had plenty of cards that he had not shown.
“I agree to your offer, but you have to let all the remaining subordinates of Fourth Palace go.” Yan Luo looked extremely dissatisfied, but he had no choice since he didn’t want to die in such a fashion. The Immortal Gate was about to appear, which meant that he had a chance to finally reach the Immortal Realm!
“The remaining subordinates of the Fourth Palace? Of course.” Gu Changge smiled without refusing his request.
Now that even the Fourth Palace Lord had chosen to submit, the other experts could only follow in his footsteps despite their reluctance. Gu Changge wasn’t such a kind person though. He would naturally control everyone’s lives with a secret technique, especially those belonging to the Sacred Emperor Realm and above. That included the escaped True Daoists.
“Thank you.” Yan Luo inhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.
“Your name shall be Ah Er from now on.” Gu Changge glanced at him with an unreadable smile as a black light appeared in his palm. Patterns of Dao wove together to form a black mask that fell into Yan Luo’s hand.
“What…” Yan Luo was taken aback as he sensed a frightening energy contained within the mask. It was as if he would become a completely different being once he put it on.
Silavin: Ah Da and Ah Er.
In short, Ah First and Ah Second.
Ah third when?)