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Translator: Fate
Proofreader: Silavin
“You brazen scum, claiming to be some almighty being, yet you lied to Yao Yao!? You don’t deserve to be her brother! Return my body, damn it!” After returning to the cave, the calm look on Jiang Yang’s face disappeared as there was a hint of anger on his scowl.
“Silence! Who are you to point fingers at me?” He reprimanded the voice in his mind.
Jiang Yang knew the matter was growing more troublesome, and perhaps even out of his control, as Gu Changge, who suddenly descended from the Upper Realm, wasn’t here for him. Furthermore, the cultivators of Mortal Palace had yet to reach him, so he thought it was mere coincidence. Nonetheless, he could feel that Gu Changge bore only ill intentions for him, though he wasn’t certain if he was overthinking whether Gu Changge was actually a threat and what was the latter’s true motive.
“Regardless, I can’t afford to have Yao Yao with him. It seems I’ll have to earn her trust.” A light flashed across Jiang Yang’s eyes. He intended to retain his final principle, not to meddle with the other’s conscience. However, if he does not fully integrate with the original host’s soul, Yao Yao would definitely find the flaws in his behaviour and speech. The incident back at the palace made a good example, wherein Yao Yao, for no reason, was unwilling to hear his problem out.
In hindsight, he realised he was too hasty back then, and then there was the surprise appearance of Gu Changge that caught him off guard.
“I was so distracted by such trivial matters I forgot the big picture. Since when have I been this nitpicky in my ways… a sacrifice is no big deal compared to the peace of the world.” Shaking his head, Jiang Yang revealed a grin as he collected his cool.
“What are you doing? You swore not to touch me! I can’t die yet. I have to protect Yao Yao!” In his mind, a reluctant, irritated voice sounded and gradually faded into silence.
“From now on, we are one and the same. Giving in to me is your biggest blessing yet. Worry not, I will take good care of your sister and grandmother, for I, too, am Jiang Yang.” Jiang Yang muttered. Light surged from between his brows, as though it was a golden beam illuminating the darkness.
*Whoosh!* Numerous complex, abyssal Symbols of Reincarnation suddenly appeared with brightness that could light up the entire world were etched firmly in his soul, followed by the sound of cracking. One of the Symbols of Reincarnation cracked and emitted vibrant light that glistened like mystical raindrops.
“Borrowing a hundredth of the power from one Dao Fruit shouldn’t prove too strenuous.” Jiang Yang whispered to himself in a calm state.
He didn’t wish to have to resort to his final move, using the Symbols of Reincarnation, unless he was in absolute danger, but if he were to wait any longer, he would appear insignificant before Gu Changge, the deviation in his plans. Since the usual cultivation method was no longer usable, he would have to turn to using one of Mortal Palace’s signature move, Dao Fruit Extraction. Though, he was only extracting the Dao Fruit from another life of his as his current body wasn’t optimally durable yet.
At that moment, Jiang Yang’s aura was undergoing a change, ascending from Transcendent Realm towards Mighty-Transcendent Realm, onto Honoured Nobility Realm at a terrifying pace. Simultaneously, he shut his eyes and intended to manipulate the forces of Celestia Holy Land with a secret technique to prevent what happened earlier, which he was slammed to the ground and humiliated before he could make a move.
…
[I see tonight is not a peaceful night. The entire luck formation of Celestia Holy Land is rapidly shifting. It seems the Mortal One’s reincarnation is thinking up ways to deal with me. The embarrassment must have gotten to him, huh…] In the meantime, Gu Changge revealed an odd grin as he was standing above a palace of Celestia Holy Land and overlooking the entire scenery of the region. Black and white light surged in his eyes that harboured wafting runes containing the Principles of the World. He could vividly perceive the current formation of Celestia Holy Land being gathered from all directions, as if they were living things that were unanimously flowing towards one specific spot.
Evidently, that spot was where Jiang Yang was currently cultivating. He was definitely using some sort of method to take down Gu Changge at an opportune moment. Alas, his plan was predicted by Gu Changge, who planned to use it against him.
“I guess this is for the original Jiang Yang?” Gu Changge withdrew his gaze and glanced at the green-faced, fanged living being kneeling below him.
“Yes, Immortal. That is all. I wouldn’t dare to hide anything…” That kneeling living being was Qing Gui, the man who took Jiang Yang away from Northern Mountain Village.
Upon Yao Yao’s mindless question, Gu Changge eventually found Qing Gui, who then told him everything about Jiang Yang.
Afraid that he might get murdered by Gu Changge, Qing Gui, naturally, could only surrender every single information he held, including Celestia Holy Land’s secret plan to build the Immortal Path.
After dismissing Qing Gui, Gu Changge revealed an uncanny look as he came to a realisation. He assumed the Mortal One’s reincarnation to be a decent character despite his boastfulness, but that might no longer be the case. Essentially, such a reincarnation method was basically a bodily invasion where a soul forced its way into a vessel and ultimately conquering the body by the time it awakened.
[A purposeful reincarnation whereby everything is predetermined. The Immortal Path, going against the order of the universe, Barren Sacred Physique, inability to cultivate… Huh, it appears, it wasn’t just me that is the deviation in Heavenly Star Realm, but the Mortal One’s reincarnation as well. The way he reincarnates is by no means just and upright.] Gu Changge almost burst out of laughter.
[Judging by how such cliches work, while Jiang Yang was dying of fatigue while constructing the Immortal Path, Yao Yao should be growing stronger. Although she is incapable of cultivating, she is still a Dao Fruit of a certain Absolute Being, hence she needed to exert only a tiny fragment of her power to avenge her brother, which was certainly effortless. By then, she would obliterate Celestia Holy Land and be pictured as a dominator in the legends of Heavenly Star Realm. That should have been the story, and Yao Yao was the true Fortuitous Lady of Heavenly Star Realm.]
[Nonetheless, Jiang Yang became the Mortal One’s reincarnation while also being Yao Yao’s brother, who turned the fate of the Immortal Path around. As such, every advantage and luck were drawn to him, including his notable relationship with Yao Yao. I have to commend him, what a great plan that is.] Gu Changge subconsciously let out a chuckle as he saw through the Mortal One’s grand scheme.
In Gu Changge’s eyes, the Mortal One should stop dreaming if he thought he could succeed in subduing him. In the end, not only would the Mortal One achieve nothing, but he would only end up trapping himself.
[Right now, Jiang Yang has grown defensive against me, but I’m sure he wouldn’t treat Yao Yao the same. With the luck of Heavenly Star Realm within the two of them, the Mortal One’s usage of the world’s Fortuity would still prove futile, and thereby saving my time. So I should first get to him with Yao Yao…] As Gu Changge was contemplating, he took a step forward. The air before him turned hazy as anomalies dispersed before he entered his Inner World. Some mystery regarding the Mortal One remained, which Jiang Chuchu should be able to answer.
Meanwhile, like a sage that was meditating, Jiang Chuchu, who was sitting with her legs crossed on a cliff in the Inner World cultivating, sensed Gu Changge’s arrival and opened her eyes. Her eyes were filled with utmost tranquillity without any sort of disturbances.
“You look quite content with this Inner World,” Gu Changge smilingly said as he looked at her. At his will, a stone stool was conjured behind him.
Seeing how he created something out of thin air, Jiang Chuchu was taken aback, but remembering how it was a space related artifact of his, she realised it wasn’t impossible for him to pull off such a trick.
“What do you want?” she blandly asked.
Despite being the Saintess of the Mortal Palace, she was trapped in the Inner World for quite a while, so there was nothing she could do except to cultivate. She even started to think that Gu Changge forgot about her, and she might have to die of old age in this place. Thus, Gu Changge’s sudden visit left her somewhat surprised.
Gu Changge sat down on the stool and looked at her. With a grin, he said, “I have some questions for you. If your answers satisfy me, I might consider releasing you.”
Jiang Chuchu peered at him as disbelief flashed across her charming eyes.
“What is it? If it’s about the Mortal One, you can forget it. I know nothing, and I’ll tell you nothing even if I do,” she faintly replied.
“Why be a foolish woman when you can cooperate to regain your freedom? Do you really wish to live here for the rest of your life?” Gu Changge let out a light chuckle as he reached out to hold her chin. He had always been condescending towards her smug yet ignorant attitude. It was the same as before, how she could only maintain her bravado until she faced actual terror, which, by then, was already too late.
“You sly bastard… What do you know other than threatening others?” Jiang Chuchu was startled upon Gu Changge’s gesture as her fine composure reached its limit.
Gu Changge faintly leered at her. “Tell me, or I’ll pay you a visit every single day, though I doubt you could handle it for long.”
Upon those words, Jiang Chuchu’s face turned white as she could only feel immense detestation for him. Eventually, she could only compromise and give him what he asked for.
“Does Mortal Palace’s Dao Fruit Extraction originate from the Mortal One’s Symbol of Reincarnation? Or rather, the Mortal One’s reincarnation’s ultimate card is his Symbol of Reincarnation, yes?” Gu Changge fascinatedly asked. [As I thought…]
“Refining the Symbol of Reincarnation is virtually impossible, but each one of them possesses the strongest Dao Fruit of every Mortal One, so don’t go thinking you could defeat the Mortal One. Forget it, Gu Changge,” Jiang Chuchu flatly stated.
“Does the Symbol of Reincarnation not have any weakness?”
In response, Jiang Chuchu shook her head. “Beats me.”
“Don’t lie to me. I can already see that it is indeed difficult to fuse the Dao Fruits within the Symbol of Reincarnation as it would require a body of unimaginable strength. It is through such a method that the Mortal One can regain himself.” Gu Changge subconsciously chuckled.
Jiang Chuchu was shocked given how Gu Changge figured out the plan and her mind wavered.
[Why is he so confident? Does he really intend to kill off the Mortal One and replace him?] She felt a chill up her spine.
After finding out what he needed, Gu Changge left the Inner World and went to look for Yao Yao, only to find the little girl still awake at midnight as she was chatting with her grandmother about the incident back in the palace. At the end of the day, Jiang Yang was their family, so they wouldn’t give up on him so easily.
“Master…” Yao Yao was surprised at Gu Changge’s presence, after which she hastily greeted him.
Gu Changge nodded affectionately.
Tactfully, Grandma Yin Hua was about to leave, knowing that Gu Changge had things to tell Yao Yao, but to her surprise, the man stopped her.
“You should hear about this as well,” Gu Changge calmly said.
“Yes, Immortal.” Dazed, Grandma Yin Hua respectfully replied.
Yao Yao was also curious about what her master had to say to them in the middle of the night.
Followingly, Gu Changge disclosed to the two everything that took place in Celestia Holy Land for the past years. Even if he didn’t do that, Jiang Yang would probably find a time to tell Yao Yao of his trouble, so he might as well take the initiative, which would prove more beneficial to him.
Hearing that, Yao Yao widened her eyes in dismay. She exclaimed with anger on her face. “Brother was sent to become a slave? Celestia Holy Land is evil!”
Nonetheless, at Gu Changge’s pondering look, she thought something was off, after which she testingly asked, “Master, you have more than this to tell us, don’t you?”
Gu Changge turned to him and softly answered, “I didn’t want to tell you this as you might not be able to bear it…”
After listening to Gu Changge’s story, Grandma Yin Hua instantly grew restless, while Yao Yao, being the little girl she was, was even more stupefied.
Back in the mountains, the slaves working on the Immortal Path were exposed to miasma and was later killed by it. However, Jiang Yang was the only survivor, and his speedy improvement earned him a respectable position in Celestia Holy Land.
[Was he that fortunate to have been blessed with so much luck?] Grandma Yin Hua shook her head. Even though Jiang Yang was her grandson, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about his story.
“There is too much to suspect. How did Jiang Yang survive? By physique alone? But he wasn’t even a cultivator back then.” After a moment of thought, she sternly stated. Ages ago, she was an elite disciple of a certain holy land, so she had an extent of knowledge regarding miasma.
Hearing that, Gu Changge nodded as he revealed a deep look. “Having been exposed to miasma is indeed very dangerous. Judging by what I know, even someone in the Honoured Nobility Realm would die upon the corrosion of miasma. Thus, how did Jiang Yang, an ordinary individual that didn’t know how to cultivate, survive through it? This is truly suspicious.”
“Immortal, does that mean something was off about the miasma that day? Jiang Yang… is no longer the Jiang Yang we knew?” At once, Grandma Yin Hua’s face paled.
Frankly, she could already figure out what was up without Gu Changge’s explanation. The term ‘body possession’ was no stranger to the entire Heavenly Star Realm. Nonetheless, Celestia Holy Land showing no response might mean that the person that possessed Jiang Yang’s body bore a huge connection with them. Bearing that in mind, Grandma Yin Hua was frantic with sorrow, helplessness, anger, and bitterness.
“Master, do you mean to say that Brother is no longer with us, and it is someone else that controls his body?” Yao Yao was comparably calmer than Grandma Yin Hua, though her face, too, was awfully pale as she bit her lips, speaking with a shivering voice. Evidently, the news was completely out of her expectation.
Truthfully, she would rather have Jiang Yang’s personality change than have him disappear from the world with his body left behind for a complete stranger to control. She had no doubt regarding her master words, and since her grandmother also agreed, there was no other possibility. Furthermore, Jiang Yang’s behaviour in the palace earlier, and even his pattern of speech was entirely different from that of her brother that she knew.
“I’m not too certain either. This matter requires further discussion. Regardless, Yao Yao, do be wary when you come in contact with your brother. But don’t worry, with me on your side, you won’t be able to harm you even if he has actually become a problem. I only pray that I am overthinking it,” Gu Changge helplessly said, heaving a sigh as he caressed Yao Yao’s head.
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This is starting to turn into Death Notesque show down of schemes
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