Chapter 1287, The Illusory Image of the Land of Truth; Drawing Attention From There

Translator: Fate

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

“I’ve been a cultivator for a long time. I encountered countless crises and experienced the vicissitudes of life. Regardless of how powerful my enemies were, I could always get out of the woods in the end. With Heavens on my side, I’ll keep on going. I’m the Fortuitous One who is destined to take on this Tribulation. So what if you’re more powerful than I am now? I’ll defeat you and become far stronger.”

 

Chu Gucheng hovered below the portal, showered in flashes of lightning and True Aura as he looked impassively at Gu Changge.

 

He was pained by the eternal calmness on the face of this archnemesis.

 

“Is that so?” Gu Changge was still as dispassionate as ever upon hearing his words. He waved his sleeve and extended his hand, penetrating the galaxy.

 

His palm seemed to carry with it a calamity. The bolts of lightning disappeared the moment his palm came into contact with them.

 

He did not make a move against Chu Gucheng. Instead, he directly struck the vague portal.

 

With a boom, the entire area turned into ruins as the immense energy burst. The contorted portal outside the world was on the verge of falling apart. The True Aura exuding from it also blurred and disappeared.

 

The clouds in the sky dissipated. The Signs of the Five Immortal Decays on Chu Gucheng disappeared as well.

 

A myriad of expressions came over him as he was in a state of disbelief.

 

“How dare you disrupt my Decay Tribulation!?” He said through clenched teeth, finding everything inconceivable.

 

The people in the capital were flabbergasted when they saw that.

 

“How is that possible? The Decay Tribulation was stopped and had disappeared!”

 

Chu Gucheng could not accept what just happened. He was about to get through the threshold of the Eighth Decay Tribulation when the portal fell apart and left him.

 

The True Aura also rapidly disappeared. It was as though everything that had happened was merely a dream.

 

“It’s not so easy to get through a Decay Tribulation.” Gu Changge said emotionlessly.

 

The people in the capital felt cold all over their bodies. Gu Changge even had the guts to disrupt a Decay Tribulation, not caring that he might be troubled by karma. It was inconceivable that such a powerful person could exist. They wondered his true identity.

 

The next moment, Gu Changge pushed out a finger as the immense energy pressed against Chu Gucheng, causing him to growl in pain and fury.

 

Chu Gucheng could feel his body coming apart. The cracks in his Dao Fruit deepened.

 

The Dao Fruit looked so unstable that it might explode at any moment.

 

His cultivation had improved and he had the hope of getting through the Eighth Decay Tribulation. However, he still felt so powerless against Gu Changge.

 

“Stop!” A growl was suddenly heard as the badly injured The Dharma Sage charged forward from a distance. Although he was covered in blood, he still fended off the fatal attack in Chu Gucheng’s stead so that the latter could get through the Decay Tribulation.

 

When Gu Changge heard the Dharma Sage growl, he turned to look dispassionately at him. His finger shifted from pointing at Chu Gucheng to the Dharma Sage.

 

“I’m moved by the bond between you two. Unfortunately, you can’t save yourself like he does.” There was no hint of emotion in his voice.

 

The next moment, The Dharma Sage exploded into a blood mist and his Dao Fruit flew into another Spacetime. The Dao Fruit was full of cracks, looking like it would come apart at any moment.

 

“Master!” Chu Gucheng shouted mournfully over what happened to his Master.

 

The people in the capital were shocked and terrified. Many ministers and guests turned pale. They could not believe it. The Dharma Sage had lost his life just like that.

 

Just then, a deafening sound was heard coming from outside the world. The Boundless Expanse outside the Primary Hope Civilisation seemed to have turned transparent. A strange, supreme, and indescribable aura descended.

 

From a mysterious place far away from this world, an angry voice was heard coming forth.

 

The contorted portal formed again. An altar stained with black blood took shape behind the portal. It was as though a hideous living being had awakened in shock and started growling.

 

The people in the Land of Celestial Suffering trembled in fear. They felt as if an unbelievably horrifying being was watching them.

 

A mysterious living being was sweeping a terrifying glance over them through the contorted portal.

 

“That place has been alerted. I knew there would be karma.” Old Lady Xing Ying’s expression changed drastically. Her face was livid with fear. She tried to conceal her aura, afraid that she would be detected.

 

She looked incredulously at Gu Changge outside the world. Initially, she thought that, by disrupting the Decay Tribulation, Gu Changge would attract an even more horrifying Decay Tribulation which would drag him down.

 

Much to her surprise, the Decay Tribulation did not come. Instead, Gu Changge had drawn the attention from a place that should not be spoken of.

 

This meant that a Decay Tribulation could no longer threaten Gu Changge. He might be a Last Stage expert. Or, he might even have transcended the Last Stage.

 

If Old Lady Xing Ying had known Gu Changge was such an expert, she would not have come to the Land of Celestial Suffering and joined forces with Chu Gucheng to deal with him.

 

[My Master must be aware of this. He must have speculated or felt it. Still, he told me to come here. Has he abandoned me? Is this his intention all along?] At the thought of this, she turned pale.

 

At that moment, the Land of Celestial Suffering and even the entire Primary Hope Civilisation fell into silence. The world trembled slightly.

 

Chu Gucheng felt a crawling sensation on his scalp. He was full of fear, not daring to move a muscle. He felt like he was a weak rabbit while a wolf with a salivating mouth was right in front of him. The predator was looking viciously at him, ready to pounce on him and devour him.

 

He looked away with difficulty, trying to find Gu Changge. Much to his surprise, Gu Changge had already disappeared from this world.

 

The terrifying gaze was looking for Gu Changge, not him.

 

“Did I attract the attention from there?” Gu Changge appeared in an empty Spacetime.

 

He fell into his thoughts, not caring about the Dao Fruit of the Dharma Sage which had flown into another Spacetime. Even when The Dharma Sage was at the peak of his power, he posed no threat to him.

 

Now, Gu Changge had achieved his goal.

 

He was surprised that his action of ruining Chu Gucheng’s Decay Tribulation would cause the illusory image of the Land of Truth to appear and draw the attention of some living beings there.

 

He did not want to be seen by those from the Land of Truth, which was why he had left in secret.

 

The gaze could not find him, but it would cause him some trouble if the gaze noticed him.

 

Things had come to an end in the Land of Celestial Suffering. Some other people would clean up the mess for him.

 

He did not kill Chu Gucheng because he had considered the mess that had to be cleaned up, which was why he let Chu Gucheng live for a few days more.

 

Then, he tore apart the Spacetime and disappeared. When he reappeared, he was already on a peak outside the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

People like the White Bone Ancestor King, Zhuo Fengxie, and Hun Yuanjun had been waiting for him as per his order.

 

“Bring this jade to the Champion General Chu Heng who is at the border between the Land of Celestial Suffering and the Beast Court.” A light flickered on Gu Changge’s palm as an ancient jade, used to match couples, appeared. He passed it to the White Bone Ancestor King.

 

“Yes, Young Master.” The White Bone Ancestor King nodded and took the jade before disappearing.

 

Gu Changge had let people like Mu Yan and the Spirit Empress handle the affairs in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.

 

It hadn’t been long since the Heavenslayers Alliance was established, so there were many things to deal with. Although he had been staying in the Primary Hope Civilisation during this period, he had been paying attention to the happenings in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.

 

It had to be said that, despite being the Empress of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, the Spirit Empress was not good at managing affairs.

 

The rest, like Mu Yan, was not interested in handling the affairs of the Heavenslayers Alliance.

 

Gu Changge did not trust the others. Therefore, after he was done with the matter here, he intended to return to Prosperous Dao True World and tell people like Yin Mei, Gu Nanshan, and the Drunken Sword Immortal to handle the affairs of the Heavenslayers Alliance. Also, he had to refine the Sphere of Ambition in advance.

 

The Heavenslayers Alliance had a foundation in the Prosperous Dao True World, so those people could easily blend in.

 

In short, Gu Changge was currently not satisfied with the progress of the Heavenslayers Alliance so far. He needed to put more capable people in more effective roles to speed things up.

 

…

 

Time went by quickly. Half a month had passed since the epic battle between the Land of Celestial Suffering and Gu Changge.

 

The battle had caused serious damage to the Land of Celestial Suffering. In the end, even though Chu Gucheng managed to get through the Eighth Decay Tribulation with the Power of the People’s Will and the Natural Fortuity, he had to pay a huge price. His Dao Fruit was damaged to the point where he had no idea how to mend it.

 

His Master the Dharma Sage was badly injured as well. His Dao Fruit fell apart and his cultivation plunged. It would take him dozens of epochs to return to his peak.

 

Besides that, a large number of Dao Realm experts from the Land of Celestial Suffering had lost their lives.

 

This kind of loss was unbearable for any Force.

 

Other than many resources and opportunities, a long time was also needed to nurture a Dao Realm expert.

 

Around 70 percent of Dao Realm experts who had been nurtured in the Land of Celestial Suffering over the years lost their lives during the war.

 

The rest had survived because they were busy dealing with those from the Beast Court and Purple Sky Mountain at that time.

 

The guests had seen everything. Many were gleeful that those from the Land of Celestial Suffering could no longer hope to rule over the entire Primary Hope Civilisation.

 

Their hope was not just crushed. It would take them dozens of epochs before they could restore their strength.

 

Although Chu Gucheng had successfully gotten through his Eighth Decay Tribulation, he was left with a Dao Injury caused by Gu Changge that could not be healed. He could not fully activate his power. In fact, he was even weaker than before he went through his Eighth Decay Tribulation.

 

The Dharma Sage helped fend off the attack for him, which resulted in part of his Dao Fruit breaking apart. Although he managed to flee, his cultivation dropped.

 

Now, the guests were speculating how much of the Land of Celestial Suffering’s true strength was left after the war.

 

Chu Gucheng had sacrificed a lot of people just to deal with Gu Changge, resulting in many territories falling into eternal darkness.

 

Many people wondered if Chu Gucheng had considered the consequences before making the decision.

 

If he had known the outcome, would he still have chosen to deal with Gu Changge? Was he regretful of his decision at that time?

 

Although he was at an absolute advantage, he still suffered immense losses. Instead of receiving any benefits, the Land of Celestial Suffering became a laughing stock following the war.

 

Naturally, they had some doubts regarding the war.

 

Why did the mysterious Old Lady from the Ardent Ruins Cave not make a move? She had been watching everything from the sidelines.

 

It was the same case for the Primary Hope Saintess. Although she had claimed that the Heavenslayers Alliance Leader had collaborated with the remnants of the Black Disaster, she never made a move even when people like Chu Gucheng and the Dharma Sage were badly injured.

 

Many doubted her intentions.

 

Anyway, some felt that she never made a move because she had to intimidate Gu Changge to prevent him from harming the others in the capital. After all, the Primary Hope Saintess was considered one of the most powerful cultivators in the Primary Hope Civilisation.

 

Naturally, they could see that Gu Changge was mighty as well. So much so that even the mysterious Land of Truth had been alerted.

 

All the guests in the capital were certain that even if all of them joined forces at that time, they would not be a match for Gu Changge.

 

As such, they were glad that they were not fooled by Chu Gucheng and did not charge forward alongside him.

 

As for whether there was a connection between the Heavenslayers Alliance and the remnants of the Black Disaster, no one was certain.

 

On the other hand, many ministers and residents of the Land of Celestial Suffering were conflicted deep within. Although Gu Changge had threatened to destroy the Land of Celestial Suffering, he did not slaughter them in the end. Instead, he left without harming them.

 

Why would he show them any mercy if he had indeed collaborated with the remnants of the Black Disaster?

 

To deal with Gu Changge, those from the Land of Celestial Suffering had to pay a huge price. Many were disappointed by Chu Gucheng’s actions.

 

Half a month after the war, many people in Primary Hope Civilisation were still discussing where Gu Changge had gone in the end. They wondered if a war would break out again between the Land of Celestial Suffering and him.

 

The Land of Celestial Suffering had suffered severe losses, so they were not as confident as before when the Beast Court came to attack. Furthermore, Purple Sky Mountain was even more powerful than the Beast Court. How were those from the Land of Celestial Suffering supposed to deal with this trouble?

 

At this point, some people were paying attention to the Primary Hope Holy Church. After all, there were rumours saying that Chu Gucheng and the Primary Hope Saintess were going to get married. They also intended to establish the Primary Hope Alliance to go against the remnants of the Black Disaster.

 

Although the Land of Celestial Suffering was badly damaged, the Primary Hope Saintess was still around. Her identity and status could not be challenged or blasphemed.

 

If she insisted on marrying Chu Gucheng and establishing the Primary Hope Alliance, the other Forces in the Primary Hope Civilisation would have no choice but to follow her lead.

 

In the following days, many Forces were watching the activities in the Primary Hope Civilisation.

 

Many cultivators from other Civilisations and True Worlds had not left Primary Hope Civilisation just to observe the changes here.

 

Primary Hope Civilisation was one of the Supreme Civilisations in the Boundless Expanse, after all. Its rise and fall would affect countless surrounding universes as well as those Ancient True Worlds and Nascent True Worlds.

 

Naturally, many were also keeping an eye on the Heavenslayers Alliance.

 

During the war, they were terrified and shocked by the Heavenslayers Alliance Leader, Gu Changge.

 

Although it had only been a few years since the Heavenslayers Alliance was established, those Supreme Forces had to be wary of it.

 

Chu Gucheng had the ambition to rule over Primary Hope Civilisation, but Gu Changge had the power to do just that if he truly willed it.

 

For this reason alone, countless Forces were uneasy, feeling that it might not be a bad idea to build the Primary Hope Alliance.

 

While the undercurrents were violent in the outside world, the Land of Celestial Suffering was not at peace either following the war.

 

The old minister had joined forces with some officials to request that Chu Gucheng give them an explanation. Why was Chu Heng’s trusted aide, Han Feng, almost killed by Chu Gucheng’s men while on his way back to the capital? Who killed the old minister’s Daughter? Why was Chu Gucheng protecting the culprit?

 

The incident caused a commotion in the capital.

 

Everyone thought that there would be some peaceful days following the war, but as one incident happened after another, they felt a sense of unease too.

 

The old minister’s request had further unstablize these troubled times, with the conflict between two sides—the Divine Generals and the Champion General—further intensifying.