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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
There wasn’t actually any need for those with ulterior motives to set anything off when there were already hidden currents rising in the Upper Realm during this period. Many Forces had begun searching for Pagoda since the fall of Neraka. Following their investigations, they also found clues about the many secrets Nephrite Breeze Pavilion held. Countless Ancient Beings proficient in divination and deduction began to use their skills to trace the origins of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion.
Naturally, Gu Changge had long anticipated this. That was why he had already instructed Bai Lian’er to have Bai Hua and Bai Kun use their abilities to hide the secrets of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion a long time ago. Then again, this was not a long-term solution. Gu Changge never expected to have the secrets hidden forever. He only did it to delay things for a while longer.
Rumours spread like a wildfire throughout the Upper Realm that Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts. These rumours were only circulating among the various Forces initially. But as time went on, they grew increasingly exaggerated and widespread. Not only were these rumours being discussed among disciples and Elders of various Forces, but even ordinary cultivators and wandering cultivators were also talking about them.
“As long as the situation continues to develop in this direction, I believe that it won’t take long before Gu Changge can’t resist coming out to deny the rumours.”
“That will also be a good opportunity for us to make our move.”
“He would never allow such a smear campaign to go unanswered.”
In the deepest parts of the territories belonging to many Immortal Forces, terrifying figures shrouded in Mist of Chaos looked towards the end of the sky and couldn’t help snickering. Things were happening as they had expected. In fact, there was such a big impact precisely because they had planned and influenced the situation. Ultimately, they were forced to resort to such a plan because of how intimidated everyone was by Gu Changge’s overwhelming brilliance.
Of course, such occurrences were not uncommon throughout the ages. One too many exceptional young prodigies throughout history had stumbled on their journey and failed to truly become invincible for various reasons. In their eyes, Gu Changge’s fate had already been determined. No matter how brilliant and dazzling his present might be, he was destined to be nothing more than a fleeting firework or a passing meteor. In the grand river of history, the most Gu Changge could leave behind was a faint ripple that would quickly faded away.
…
Within the majestic palace of the Gu Family Residence, numerous Elders convened upon receiving the news. They had solemn faces with hints of coldness and murderous intent.
“Are they joining hands to destroy our Family?”
“Could their goal be to annihilate all beings and overturn the world?”
Numerous terrifying figures stood tall deep within the grand hall. Each of them seemed to have emerged from another world and had ice-cold gazes as they stood surrounded by horrifying scenes unfolding around them. The moon fell and stars crumbled, and people wailed as the universe collapsed.
They were all senior figures of the Immortal Gu Family who had exited seclusion in this era for the opportunity to become Immortals. To them, Gu Changge was not just any other descendant; he was the hope of the Gu Family that spanned countless epochs. They wouldn’t allow the Forces of the Upper Realm to scheme against him like this!
“How could Changge possibly be involved with the Successor of Demonic Arts? This is nothing more than an attempt to frame him. They want to accuse him without evidence!” An Elder grunted, his expression grim. He was well aware of what the various Forces were up to.
There was no other explanation than that they had seen how outstanding Gu Changge was, and they were concerned that he would disrupt the balance maintained in the Upper Realm throughout the years if he were to continue growing more powerful. Still, the primary reason was that they couldn’t bear to see someone so young rapidly developing to the point it left others trembling in fear.
The annihilation of Neraka was the best example.
“After all, Gu Changge attracts too much attention. He didn’t even give us a chance to make a move. Yet, he single-handedly wiped out Neraka. They are all filled with fear and deep unease. They want to eliminate this potential threat in advance.” A sigh escaped from the lips of an Elder who spoke in the depths of the palace. Although he had only recently exited seclusion, he had already learnt about the overall situation.
Beside him, another Elder spoke slowly as his eyes turned exceptionally cold. “I would never have expected this. A lot of Forces have almost forgotten about us after so many years. Do they truly believe that they will be able to suppress our Gu Family?”
“It seems that we have remained silent for far too long. If the Immortal Gate opens and those from the Immortal Domain come, I don’t see a problem with us toppling the Upper Realm.” Another Elder spoke, his voice filled with killing intent and anger.
The Immortal Gu Family had existed since a time so ancient they could be traced back to before the Forbidden Epoch. However, after the Forbidden Epoch, the Great Dao collapsed with many World Principles shattering. It caused the connection between the Immortal Domain and the Upper Realm to be severed, making it difficult for the two parties to communicate.
Due to that incident, the vast majority of the immensely talented Family members had no choice but to leave their ancestral lands and live on in the Immortal Domain.
Throughout countless ages, the Immortal Gu Family and the Immortal Domain had a deep connection and were not afraid of any Upper Realm Force. If any Force dared to lay their hands on Gu Changge, they would undoubtedly have them pay an extremely heavy price.
“With your words, I can rest assured. Changge is not in the Family Residence for the past few days. So, even I, his father, do not know what plans he has in mind. However, Changge has been wise and mature since childhood. I believe he has already devised a strategy before he took out Neraka. We don’t need to worry too much.”
The person who spoke solemnly with a nod was Gu Lintian, Gu Changge’s father. Although he was inferior to Gu Changge in terms of cultivation now, he still held significant influence in various matters.
Soon, numerous Armies began to gather on the Divine Islands and mountain peaks of the Immortal Gu Family. Brilliant rays of light emanated from various small worlds as space portals appeared. Not only that, the sky tore open when countless knights exuded a murderous aura and enveloped in billowing smell of blood emerged. Among the Immortal Forces such as the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty and Primal Celestial Temple, Ancient Beings began to discuss countermeasures in response to the news circulating in the Upper Realm.
Primal Celestial Temple was the staunchest ally the Immortal Gu Family had. There were even rumours that it was a branch that had split from the Immortal Gu Family many years ago. Of course, whether this rumour was true or false remained unknown. In any case, there was no doubt that the Immortal Gu Family and the Primal Celestial Temple would stand together if an Immortal War or Immortal Calamity were to break out in the Upper Realm.
As for the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty, they had a close relationship with Gu Changge due to the marriage between the current Empress Mingkong and Gu Changge. In times of need, the Empress would definitely stand with the Immortal Gu Family. In addition, there were many Forces in the Upper Realm who had intricate connections to the Immortal Gu Family and Gu Changge.
…
This surging undercurrent was quietly sweeping across the entire Upper Realm. Many had the uneasy feeling that they were in the calm before a storm, and they didn’t want to be swept up in it.
Meanwhile, various Forces were now closely watching Gu Changge’s movements as they were eager to know his actions and reactions. But to the disappointment of many, Gu Changge seemed to vanish from thin air after he took out Neraka. Not even the Elders of the Immortal Gu Family knew where he was.
Many speculated that Gu Changge had sought a place to take cover as he had a premonition that there was a great calamity targeting him would soon befall him. However, there were also a lot of people who found this notion implausible. Given Gu Changge’s personality, he definitely was not the kind of person who would hide from the world.
At the same time, Gu Changge, who was a prominent figure of his generation, had silently left Peach Village. He intended to head to the Eternal Overcast Kingdom, following the keepsake given to him by Jia Nan, the Eldest Princess of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom.
Gu Xianer was in Peace Village when she first found out that he had left without saying goodbye. Upon realisation, she felt like she could explode from anger and resentment. For the past few days, she had been contemplating a way to approach Gu Changge and prevent the impending disaster in the future. But to her surprise, Gu Changge had secretly left Peach Village without her knowledge. She didn’t even know where he had gone.
[Damn it…] Gu Xianer couldn’t accept what had happened. She was filled with unbridled resentment toward Gu Changge for his decision to leave.
…
The Eternal Overcast Kingdom was located in the deepest and most mysterious part of the Eternal Overcast, which did not belong to the Upper Realm.
Almost all living beings in the Upper Realm were aware of and intimidated by the Eternal Overcast’s fearsome reputation. The depths of the Eternal Overcast was an extremely frightening place that had all kinds of unimaginable dangers. There were too many Forces that were devoured by the Eternal Overcast and had completely disappeared.
Several years ago, many Forces in the Upper Realm joined forces to establish the Immortal Academy. It was solely to cultivate a True Immortal in this world to stop the Eternal Overcast Scourge. Even the Mortal One from Mortal Palace once took it upon himself to subdue the Eternal Overcast.
When it came to the Eternal Overcast, there was not one cultivator who could remain calm and not have their expressions change into that of fear.
And now, Gu Changge stood on this mysterious land while holding the Space Piece given to him by Jia Nan.
The land was pitch-black, devoid of any vegetation. One cannot see its end nor any signs of life. There were only piles of various-coloured corpses. The blood had even dyed the land black. A mist that shrouded the vast expanse engulfed the heavens and the earth in darkness that knew no end.
Standing beside Gu Changge was a middle-aged Eternal Overcast Being who resembled the human race. He had come to guide Gu Changge. Usually, only the Eternal Overcast Beings with the Eternal Overcast Royal bloodline would have an appearance similar to that of a human.
“Greetings Young Master Gu. I am Jia Mingle. I am a servant of Her Highness, the Eldest Princess. She instructed me to come here and welcome you.” Knowing Gu Changge’s identity, the middle-aged man spoke respectfully. The Eternal Overcast was incredibly mysterious, and very few living beings from the outside world had ever set foot in this place.
“Where is Jia Nan? Why didn’t she come to personally meet me?” Gu Changge felt somewhat surprised when he casually glanced at the man before him.
“The Eldest Princess is currently busy with the ancestral worship ritual. She couldn’t get away to personally welcome you, Young Master. I hope you won’t hold it against her,” the middle-aged man hastily explained. His expression was slightly solemn out of worry that Gu Changge might get angry.
“Ancestral worship ritual?” Gu Changge raised an eyebrow. It was both his first time visiting the Eternal Overcast Kingdom and hearing about an ancestral worship ritual.
Seeing Gu Changge’s confusion, the middle-aged man quickly offered more explanation. Jia Nan had already given him permission to reveal information about the Reincarnation Platform to Gu Changge. “Yes, the ancestral worship ritual, Young Master. It is related to the construction of the Reincarnation Platform. The number of the Eternal Overcast Clansmen has been dwindling in recent years. Even if they are buried deep in our homeland for millions of years, it is difficult to give birth to pure-blooded Eternal Overcast Beings.”
“Pure-blooded Eternal Overcast Beings?” Gu Changge was even more astonished upon hearing those words. [Could it be that Eternal Overcast Creatures are divided into pure-blooded and non-pure-blooded? Is there a difference between the two?]
“Young Master, our clan is not as straightforward as the outside world perceives. The process of giving birth to a being in our clan is actually quite challenging. Those living beings in the outside world who have been stained by the Yin Energy only have a trace of the Eternal Overcast in them. Those are not true Eternal Overcast Beings. They are mere creatures. Even if they are in our world, they are akin to slaves. They can only survive at the lowest level and will never reach their full potential. True Eternal Overcast Beings, on the other hand, can only be born and nurtured in the deepest part of our homeland or be born from the bloodline of extremely pure-blooded Eternal Overcast Beings…” Jia Ming continued his explanation by elaborating on the differences between the Eternal Overcast Beings.”
When Eternal Overcast erupted and swept across the various worlds of the Upper Realm, the lingering Yin Energy would transform many living beings into Eternal Overcast Creatures. However, those Eternal Overcast Creatures were not truly pure-blooded and could not be considered real Eternal Overcast Beings. Due to their incomplete consciousness, some even retained only their nature of cruelty and killing.
“In the deepest part of the homeland?” Gu Changge couldn’t help but ponder upon hearing this explanation. The Eternal Overcast Source he needed might just be from the deepest part of the homeland of Eternal Overcast. The Reincarnation Platform that Princess Jia Nan wanted him to forge should also be related to the birth of Eternal Overcast Beings.
[If that’s the case, could it involve the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being? I had a feeling when I was in the Celestial Ancient Continent that the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being left behind many hidden techniques and legacies. He shouldn’t be someone who would die so easily. The Dao of Reincarnation is extremely special as it involves the mysteries of life and death. No one will be able to detect him even if he has been hiding among the various worlds all this time. Just what could he be plotting?]
Gu Changge suddenly had a feeling that this trip to the Eternal Overcast Kingdom might turn out differently from what he imagined. He might gain something unexpected. He had experienced the handiwork of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being when he was in the Celestial Ancient Continent. Apart from the Dragon Clan, all the other Clans were set up to their demise by him. If it weren’t for Gu Changge’s intervention, the true Successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being would have smoothly inherited everything, and he would already be standing at the top of the Upper Realm.
After all, the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being was a True Immortal. As one proficient in the Dao of Reincarnation, he had mastered the power to control time as well. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to catch a glimpse of fragments of the future. Gu Changge looked intrigued when he thought about this.
The middle-aged man led him through this desolate and dark land, and they soon arrived outside the grim and lifeless barrier. The Eternal Overcast, which was isolated from the outside world, contained immense dangers and crises. It was difficult for ordinary people to reach this place, let alone pass through the barrier outside.
“Greetings, sir.” A Eternal Overcast Being was already standing beside a grand black jade carriage, awaiting Gu Changge’s arrival.
