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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The Eternal Overcast erupted at a breakneck speed, sweeping towards the surrounding Star Territories with terrifying speed, causing large portions of Star Territories to decay and stars to fall.
The sky was covered with grey mist, like an old mirror that was cracked and rusted, constantly fragmenting and falling.
Although various Forces responded promptly, dispatching a large number of cultivators and ancient battleships to the surrounding Star Territories to set up formations, attempting to stop the spread of the Eternal Overcast, it still seemed insignificant under the eerie and terrifying force.
All over, there were scenes of devastation, with mountains collapsing and continents splitting apart, with hardly a living person to be seen.
The living almost went extinct, either being contaminated by the Eternal Overcast Fog, with their soul corrupted, or their bodies torn apart by other Eternal Overcast Creatures.
Now, all eyes of the Upper Realm were on the Eternal Overcast, ready to face the catastrophe together.
The major Immortal and Formidable Forces dispatched True Daoists to the edge of the Eternal Overcast after much deliberation, attempting to explore the root cause of this outbreak.
*Sizzle, sizzle…*
Divine rainbows tore through heaven and earth as ancient battleships thundered across the universe, and many young prodigies, such as the Phoenix Lady, Chosen Monk Jin Chan, Jun Yao, the Taboo Prodigy Jin Yun, and Lan Yifei, rushed over from all corners of the Upper Realm.
To them, the sudden eruption of the Eternal Overcast was not only an opportunity but also a test for they could gain fame and accumulate popular support for both hunting Eternal Overcast Creatures as well as resisting the Eternal Overcast Fog.
“The Saintess of Mortal Palace has entered the Eternal Overcast. She sure has guts,” Jun Yao muttered emotionlessly to himself as he stood in a desolate Star Territory. He was followed by many followers and several powerful guardians, who guarded him on either side, fearing that he might encounter unexpected events here.
To the Immortal and Formidable Forces, Jun Yao and others were seeds of hope for the future, and they could not afford to lose them. After all, no one could guarantee whether their Successors would become the next Gu Changge and be targeted by all the Forces.
At this time, all Forces kept a close eye on their own Successors for fear of any accidents.
“Amitabha, the Saintess of Mortal Palace may have acted rashly this time,” said Chosen Monk Jin Chan with praying hands as he rode on a nine-headed golden lion, looking dignified.
“The Saintess of Mortal Palace is very close to Gu Changge. Does her lone venture into the Eternal Overcast have to do with Gu Changge’s recent disappearance?” The stunning Phoenix Lady, dressed in red, mused as she stared at the terrifying Eternal Overcast Fog ahead.
They couldn’t help thinking so, for Gu Changge had been missing in the Upper Realm for some time now, and many speculated that he would appear on the day before his wedding with Yue Mingkong.
Now that the Upper Realm was in turmoil, with rumours spreading everywhere that Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts, causing widespread panic, and many cultivators, including some True Daoists, thought he disappeared just in time to avoid the limelight.
Meanwhile, many Immortal Forces, such as Sky Emperor Mountain, Purple Cloud Valley, and Endless Fire Kingdom, were discussing how to deal with Gu Changge. After all, they were in dire times.
…
At the same time, Gu Changge was discussing the identity of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being with several Gu Family Elders in the Gu Family Residence.
On the way back to the Family, he had already agreed with the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being on how to explain his identity.
Many Gu Family Elders knew that Gu Changge was the Successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, but they never expected that this colossal figure from the Celestial Ancient Times would actually appear in the present world.
Many Family members were shocked and had a hard time believing it. Several True Daoist Ancestors even showed up with excitement.
“Since you are Changge’s Master, then you are our guest in the Immortal Gu Family.”
The Elders were still very polite to the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, but they did not show too much awe. After all, this was the Immortal Gu Family’s territory, and no one had the right or ability to behave recklessly. The Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being was no exception.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” The Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being nodded and smiled in response. Though appearing calm, he was actually surging with various emotions.
He had already heard of the mystery of the Immortal Gu Family during the Celestial Ancient Times, but it was only after he truly set foot in this place that he understood its vast and profound foundation. Even he felt an unnatural sense of horror. Especially when something immensely powerful, something capable of crushing the heavens and the eternal ages, seemed to be sleeping in the depths of the Gu Family Residence. Furthermore, there was more than just one such aura!
He quickly realised this was the invincible foundation, allowing them to have the confidence to stand firm in the face of heaven and Immortality.
This was also something that none of the Immortal or Formidable Forces could compare to.
As such, even the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being couldn’t help but feel a sliver of awe towards the Immortal Gu Family and dared not explore it at will.
After the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being was taken to his resting palace by attendants, several Elders and Ancestors surrounded Gu Changge and couldn’t help but ask. “Changge, have you suddenly disappeared to look for the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being?”
They were genuinely curious about the story of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being. After all, the Celestial Ancient Times were aeons away from the present time, and who’d have thought the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being actually existed and was still alive today?!
If it weren’t for Gu Changge’s explanation just now, they would probably still find it hard to believe that this was the legendary Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being. It was just that unbelievable.
“It’s a long story, honestly. After becoming his Successor on the Celestial Ancient Continent, I always felt as though he never died, and recently, I heard his calling me, saying that he was trapped somewhere…” Gu Changge explained softly as he shook his head.
His explanation is very similar to the statement the Hidden Ji Family used when they rescued their Ancestor on Kun Mountain. So, with the precedent set, the Elders did not doubt him. They also believed Gu Changge wouldn’t choose to hide away just because of the rumours spreading outside.
“I see. I’m sorry to have put you in a difficult position.” The True Daoist Elders nodded in recognition after hearing Gu Changge’s words, feeling quite emotional. Even in their time, they had heard of the legend of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, but none of them thought they would one day find the man standing right before them.
They had no doubt that news of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being’s appearance would cause a huge sensation and trigger a major earthquake.
Subsequently, some Elders began to analyse the current situation seriously. “The appearance of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being at this time is actually a good thing for you, me, and the entire Gu Family,” one elder said.
Other Elders nodded in agreement and offered words of comfort to Gu Changge, “Don’t let the rumours out there get to you. We all know that the various Forces are deliberately tarnishing your name.”
“Accusations are easy to make but hard to prove. As long as people are clear-sighted, they will know what is really going on. If the Upper Realm think they can bully us and our Family’s Young Master, we will do whatever it takes to beat them back!”
As they spoke, ill-concealed anger and malice crept up on their faces, and they wanted nothing more than to slaughter each and everyone of these Forces to the end of time.
“Thank you all for your concern, Elders. Actually, I’m the cause of this whole thing. The Family was implicated because of me. If I hadn’t insisted on destroying Neraka, I wouldn’t have attracted the attention of all the Forces and caused such a huge reaction. I was too reckless this time.” Gu Changge smiled with a hint of apology as he spoke.
“What are you talking about, Changge? How can you say that?! Your affairs are the Family’s affairs; how can you separate the two?!”
“Are you saying the Family can’t support you?! We have never feared anyone or any Forces since our founding!”
The several Elders frowned, extremely displeased with what Gu Changge said.
“Everyone knows that you have nothing to do with the Successor of Demonic Arts. If anything, you have always been the one hunting him down. I swear those bastards are hell-bent on defaming you.”
“Honestly, this is why so many brilliant young prodigies failed to grow throughout the ages.”
“For something like this to happen to the Gu Family is utterly unacceptable!”
The Elders rambled one after another, indignantly exposing the hypocritical faces of the various Forces. They didn’t believe Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts either. Never had, never would.
“I appreciate all of your concerns, but I still don’t want to get all of you involved.” Gu Changge shook his head helplessly, then smiled. “Actually, I’ve already come up with a solution.”
He would only resort to using the Family’s hidden power if there was really no other choice. But at that time, it would probably lead to even greater troubles. After all, they weren’t as simple as people think, and by then, the many secrets Gu Changge had been hiding all along would likely be exposed. There were pros and cons.
The Elders could only leave it be when Gu Changge had already put it that way. They knew what Gu Changge meant—don’t alarm the Gu Family’s hidden power unless absolutely necessary.
“Since you have other arrangements, we will do as you say,” the several True Daoist Elders looked at each other and nodded, agreeing to Gu Changge’s request.
After leaving the main hall, Gu Changge returned to the Divine Island, where he usually resided and ordered that no one disturb him.
At the same time, he also laid down a Deception Array in the surrounding area to prevent the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being from being restless and prying over.
[All Forces will gather where the Eternal Overcast erupted, and it’s been a long while since I last showed myself as well. I should wander about over there, and while I’m at it, I should let them know the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being is still around and also establish my prestige. No way am I taking the Successor of Demonic Arts blame for no reason.] Gu Changge mused with his eyes closed and sat cross-legged on a cushion.
Meanwhile, the Grand Flask floated above his head, and wisps of grey mist drifted down from it. These mists seemed to have a life of their own, floating in the surrounding void and containing a terrifying corrosive power.
The void constantly collapsed into nothingness and then began to reshape itself, as if trapped in a cycle of reincarnation, making people shudder with fear.
Even True Daoists avoided anything to do with the Eternal Overcast, much less the thing which was its origin. Even a wisp of it contained unimaginable destructive power capable of destroying an ancient world.
That said, the grey fog coming out of the Grand Flask right now was many times more terrifying than the Eternal Overcast Fog after it consumed the two ancient wells. It was like there were millions of strands of such terrifying mist within the Grand Flask.
If Gu Changge wished, he could easily use these mists to destroy many Immortal Forces, even causing the universe to fall into decline and wither away forever, never to be revived. However, he was in no hurry. He was waiting for the big fishes to fall into his trap on their own. [But… so far, all these Lower Realm Worlds fail to meet the requirements…]
Then, Gu Changge opened his eyes, and various scenes flickered in his gaze.
The vast Power of Faith turned into a silver Sun floating around him.
Although the Dark Heaven was only established not long ago, it has already accumulated many believers, and they came from the Upper Realm and billions of Lower Realms Worlds, among which, even had Fortuitous One, molded by Gu Changge himself.
