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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The atmosphere in the courtyard was heavy. Xiao Ruoyin and Jiang Chen had come to a deadlock, and because of that, there was now a crack between them. However, Xiao Ruoyin quickly regained her composure as she spoke softly, her eyes cold and distant.
“Don’t worry. I promise I won’t tell Young Master Gu what you said to me today. You should go. Go to a place where no one can find you. Young Master Gu is not someone you can afford to make your enemy. If you don’t want to die, don’t even think about getting your revenge on Young Master Gu.”
Jiang Chen’s eyes were filled with anger and disappointment, and he threw a question back in a regretful voice. “Because of Gu Changge, you would disregard our friendship and side with him? How are the souls of Niu Tian and the others supposed to rest in peace?”
“I think there is something we don’t know. Are we sure that Niu Tian is really dead? The Young Master Gu I know is not the kind of person you say he is. It would be bad if there is some kind of misunderstanding,” said Xiao Ruoyin as she shook her head. She had a calm expression on her face. And yet, her calmness felt extremely unfamiliar and eerie to Jiang Chen.
He couldn’t help letting out a bitter laugh. Suddenly, he covered his chest, as if his heart was being torn apart.
Xiao Ruoyin only sighed softly before she turned around and left the courtyard without saying anything. Jiang Chen looked at her back with a pale face, but he didn’t say anything to stop her. He understood that there was a gap between him and Xiao Ruoyin, one which would never be fixed from now on. The current Xiao Ruoyin was no longer the cold and untouchable goddess he once knew.
The Ice Goddess had long since fallen to the mortal world.
<You can’t just let her be! Mistress is bewitched by Gu Changge and confused! You must not let her get herself burnt!> The Artifact Spirit of Celestial Boat of Creation in Jiang Chen’s mind urged. It was riddled with anxiety and worry.
After listening to the conversation between Jiang Chen and Xiao Ruoyin from the beginning to the end, the Artifact Spirit thought that the current Xiao Ruoyin only hadn’t thought things through because of how hard it was for her to accept the cruel reality. It was certain that she would realise how dangerous it was to stay by Gu Changge’s side the moment she figured it out and calmed down.
“Just stop…” Jiang Chen interrupted it bitterly. His face had turned pale as he tightly clutched at his chest when the intense pain hit him.
The person precious to him was quietly leaving right at this moment.
After Xiao Ruoyin and Jiang Chen parted, she went straight back to her residence in Skyward Schloss. With how messy her thoughts and emotions were now, she needed a little time to regain her composure.
[I can only pretend that I don’t know about what is going on with Jiang Chen. I can’t mention it to Young Master Gu. Young Master Gu must be tougher than he looks for him to reach where he is today. I was too naive before.] She sighed and massaged her headache away.
Before this, she never thought that this mysterious Successor of the Divine Source Master would be Jiang Chen. Things had gotten complicated and tricky. The most important thing for her now was to act out her previous identity in front of Gu Changge. This time, she vowed to succeed, but Jiang Chen obviously had a lingering grudge towards Gu Changge. She hadn’t figured out how she could explain this to Gu Changge.
…
At the same time, Gu Changge was preparing for the Divine Rock Conference in three days. After this conference, the Ji Family would join hands with other Forces to invade Kun Mountain. It was also an extremely rare event for the entire Upper Realm. Gu Changge himself was not really interested in this conference. But now, he was interested in a few especially miraculous Divine Rocks, which supposedly would be at the conference.
One Divine Rock even breathed like a living being in the middle of the night, actively absorbing the starlight and devouring the brilliance of the sky. Some people who saw it flying among the clouds called it an Immortal Foetus. The other rock was rumoured to be a star-crossed Foetal Rock, which caused the destruction of the Great West Holy Land. Back then, the Prime Ancestors of the Great West Holy Land risked his life to come out of Kun Mountain. After leaving the stone in the Sect for a few days while he was away, the Great West Holy Land had an unfortunate incident. Overnight, the huge Sect got annihilated.
Many said that it was related to the unknown Foetal Rock. Over the years, the Foetal Rock had been sealed in the depths of Dark Kun City and was restrained by True Daoists. But some time ago, there was a strange fluctuation in that Foetal Rock, and it was said to have happened at the same time there was abnormal activity detected in Kun Mountain. Therefore, people wondered if the Foetal Rock was hugely related to the fact that Ji Shengchu, the Prime Ancestor of the Ji Family, was trapped in Kun Mountain.
These Sacred Rocks would be brought out during the Sacred Rock Conference this time. All Immortal and Formidable Forces had recruited many Source Masters to cut out these Sacred Rocks during the conference despite the high risks.
[All the major Forces will be joining. There may be surprises waiting to happen at this Divine Rock Conference.] Gu Changge had some guesses. He didn’t think that Xiao Ruoyin could persuade Jiang Chen to lend him his strength. Though, Gu Changge didn’t even need Jiang Chen in the first place. On the contrary, he predicts that a rift would appear between Xiao Ruoyin and Jiang Chen because of this matter. Although he didn’t really care for this bit of Fortuity and Fatum now, it could serve useful in one way or another.
To Gu Changge, Jiang Chen was just a chess piece that he wouldn’t use just yet. The reason he had his Demonic Puppet plant the Demonic Seeds on Jiang Chen was to wait for the time the Demonic Seeds grew.
Gu Changge’s main target at the Divine Rock Conference this time was Jiang Chen’s friend, Niu Tian. He was someone with Hidden Celestial Bloodline. According to his investigations these days, the Lady from the Hidden An Clan was currently in Dark Kun City. Clearly, they had come to join in the fun and participate in this Divine Rock Conference.
There was no news from An Yan just yet, but Gu Changge thought that she should be able to obtain that drop of True Blood from the Hidden Celestial. He had no use for someone so useless they couldn’t even get the job done. Such a person was of no value to him.
Right then, Yin Mei came from outside the palace and reported back to Gu Changge. “Young Master, as you said, the Hidden An Clan has been looking high and low for a Source Master. They seem very interested in the Immortal Foetus.”
[Interested in the Immortal Foetus?] Gu Changge nodded thoughtfully. If his predictions were correct, the Hidden An Clan would get to Jiang Chen in the end. [Jiang Chen and Niu Tian may just have a reunion between old friends.]
He was very familiar with this kind of cliche. To Jiang Chen and Niu Tian, he was their common enemy. It was natural for them to share the same hatred at a time like this. Nevertheless, knowing this, he added casually, “I want you to help me keep an eye on that Xianer. See what she is up to these days.”
A strange expression appeared on Yin Mei’s face when she heard that. She seemed to be holding back her laughter. “Lady Xianer has noticed my men, and she warned me to not follow her. She also said that she would settle accounts with you someday.”
Gu Changge shook his head and chuckled, “That lady sure is asking for a beating.”
Yin Mei smiled and didn’t answer, but she was envious. She had been with Gu Changge ever since he was still a Direct Disciple in Skyward Schloss. It had been a long time since then. Later, she helped him set the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan up to his death. He also deceived those in the Celestial Ancient Continent into killing the Successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being…
Yin Mei actually knew Gu Changge’s personality very well. He looked gentle and refined on the surface, but in reality, he was cold and ruthless, and he had the cruellest of ways to do things. Only a handful of people could enter his heart. She knew that she was a disposable chess piece to him right from the beginning, but she felt the envy that any woman would feel after knowing that Gu Xianer was the only one Gu Changge pampered and cared for in this huge Upper Realm.
“Where is she now?” Gu Changge asked.
“Lady Xianer is at the stone-gambling square owned by our Merchant Alliance… She is gambling stones.” An odd expression appeared on Yin Mei’s face. “Also, Lady Xianer seems to have some kind of superb Source Technique.”
“Oh? Is she into stone-gambling? I sure hope she doesn’t lose.” Gu Changge raised his eyebrows in surprise. Speaking of which, most of the power over the Alliance of Thousand Merchants was in Yin Mei’s hands. So even if Gu Xianer lost all her money, the money would go around and about, and would eventually still go into Gu Changge’s pocket.
“Lady Xianer has never lost. According to the shopkeeper’s report, Lady Xianer’s Source Technique is more akin to that of a Divine Source Master. Like that mysterious young Divine Source Master from a few days ago.” Yin Mei shook her head and replied, the admiration in her tone could hardly be concealed.
“She is more like a Divine Source Master? Could there really be a Divine Source Master among her several Masters?” Gu Changge was surprised now. [I have underestimated that silly girl.]
Gu Xianer had never shown her Source Techniques in front of him. However, she had always been used to being by herself. Even if she possessed a Source Technique, she probably rarely used it in front of others. If she really bore the Legacy of a Divine Source Master, Gu Changge would have to find a way to force her to his side no matter what during the Divine Rock Conference three days later.
However, Gu Changge had a nagging feeling. [But that brat is so unreliable. Could she be acting like Jiang Chen? Is she using some external means to cheat?]
…
At the same time at the Stone Gathering Square, many gathered here were intently staring at the centre. As one of the three major stone-gambling stalls in Dark Kun City, it had a collection of stones from all over the world. There were many from Kun Mountain itself, which were filled with brilliance in different colours. They appeared extremely bright as wisps of dawnlight surrounded them.
Many important figures from the Upper Realm and young prodigies had now gathered here. Ji Yaoxing, Ji Chuyue, the King with Six Crowns, Phoenix Lady, Chosen Monk Jin Chan, Sky Demon Sovereign, Successor of Holy King Palace… All the most promising youths in the Upper Realm had come here today. They were either staring ahead with interest, displeasure, or shock and doubt.
“Lady Xianer, should I cut this stone open?” A few faltering elderly men were holding stone knives with trembling hands as he stood in front of a greenish-grey stone as tall as half a person. His voice shook, and his face was flush. He was obviously excited to the extreme, and it was difficult for him to hide his excitement.
A young lady who was as indifferent and cold as ice with a big red bird sitting on her shoulder nodded lightly when she heard those words.
“Cut it,” she easily replied.
There was an uproar in the place as soon as she said that. Many of the older generations were even more shocked. With solemn faces, they stared ahead closely, for fear of missing any details.
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