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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
“He chose to sacrifice his body and merge with the world to protect everyone…”
All the Gu Family Ancestors inside the ancestral hall were stunned.
After hearing what the Black-Robed Elderly man said, they became lost in their thoughts about that Great Purge.
What had the Gu Family’s Early Ancestor been like? He had saved all of existence by himself.
They saw the darkened skies as the universe collapsed. The world had been destroyed. Endless darkness caved in with nothing but the flames of battle and the spilling of blood in sight…
Yet, someone stood tall beneath the horizon and resisted the enemies without ever backing down. He had to have such steely resolve and unwavering determination to do something as great as that.
Though they had never seen this Early Ancestor before, they grew solemn with their newfound respect for him. It was as if his greatness and indomitable will were still flowing in their blood.
“I never thought our Family would have such origins.” one of the Ancestors could not resist commenting quietly with admiration in his voice.
“Countless years have gone by, and our Early Ancestor was lost to the universe, turning into thousands of worlds. The Mountains and Oceans True World only came about because of his blessing…”
The Black-Robed Elderly man’s solemn and aged voice rang out once more as he shared the hidden truths about the world.
Once again, everyone was thunderstruck.
Even the Mountains and Oceans True World came about due to the lingering blessing after the death of their Early Ancestor.
What unimaginable and unspeakable power he must have had possessed. Even Immortal Kings and Immortal Emperors seemed infinitesimal compared to a being capable of doing this.
“Our Family moved here for the sake of protecting the True Spirit that our Early Ancestor left behind so that he could one day come back to life again. Even though countless years have passed and so much has happened, there is still a chance for our Early Ancestor to return.”
The Black-Robed Elderly man’s gaze swept across the crowd. His voice was filled with unshakable resolve.
He explained these things to the current Ancestors of the Gu Family because he wanted them to understand the secrets of the past.
The Gu Family of Mountains and Oceans True World was only one of the lineages in this vast world.
As the Great Purge approached, he worried that the Gu Family would fall into chaos if they were not informed of the truth beforehand. They might not even know what they were supposed to do in this era.
In any case, they needed to be aware of these things.
“The world barrier protecting the Immortal Domain can’t hold out for much longer. There are already signs of cracks. Even though I am unafraid of the Hunters from the Boundless Expanse, I don’t wish to see our Gu Family suffering losses in this Great Purge. I told you these things because I want to take all of you out of Mountains and Oceans True World and into the Nine Heavens. That is where our true lineage lies and the final resting place of our Early Ancestor.”
Noting their shock, the Black-Robed Elderly man addressed the crowd again with a gleam in his eyes.
Only he, the Ninth Ancestor who founded the Gu Family in Mountains and Oceans True World, was aware of this.
Prior to this, the other Gu Family members, including the other Ancestors, had not known about this.
They did not know that the Gu Family not only had such an extended history but also bore the heavy responsibility of reviving their Early Ancestor.
“The Nine Heavens? The origins of Immortality?”
“The land where all Immortals first came from…”
One of the Ancestors found it hard to quieten his agitation. Never would it have occurred to him that the Gu Family’s true roots could be traced back to the legendary Nine Heavens.
Naturally, they had heard of rumours about the Nine Heavens before this. They were aware of its otherworldliness. Even before the Celestial Ancient Times, there had been cultivators who spent their lives searching for the Nine Heavens.
All manner of rumours abounded too. One such rumour claimed that a person could enter the Nine Heavens through some unexpected spot. Such rumours fuelled the fantasies of the later generations.
Even the Immortal Palace who once ruled over Mountains and Oceans True World had attempted to find the location of the Nine Heavens. There were even those who managed to head over there.
In the eyes of everyone, the Nine Heavens represented holiness and sacredness, and it held an even more profound meaning to the cultivators.
“The Nine Heavens is not as sacred and divine as you think it is. It is merely a resting place with many things buried there…” The Black-Robed Elderly man had a nostalgic look in his eyes. He could not help shaking his head, but his tone was finally calm again.
After he finished speaking, he looked around the ancestral hall in silence to give them some time to compose themselves.
They had abruptly been informed of so many secrets. Even though they were powerful cultivators, it would take some time for them to digest the new information.
“Are we going to move away now? Are we going to give up on everything in the Mountains and Oceans True World just like that?”
One of the Ancestors asked after giving it some thought. After living here for so many years, it was only natural to develop some fondness for this place. It would be physically easy to leave on a moment’s notice, but the heart was different.
“Move away as quickly as you can. It is unsuitable to linger in the Immortal Domain for much longer. Even though I’m not afraid of the Hunters from the Boundless Expanse, I don’t wish to expend that much energy on such matters before the Early Ancestor is revived.”
The Black-Robed Elderly man calmly shook his head. To him, nothing was more important than reviving the Early Ancestor.
He did not detail how they could revive the Early Ancestor and the Gu Family Ancestors did not ask about it.
“Based on what you said, Ancestor, does it not mean that the Immortal Domain will soon be completely destroyed?”
“Does it mean that even though so many ancient beings have reawakened, they can’t stop that from happening?”
There were still those who could not be resigned to giving up on the place where the Gu Family had lived for all these generations.
The Black-Robed Elderly man shook his head once more.
There were a lot of things he left unsaid.
His origins could be traced back to the birth of the Mountains and Oceans True World, which came before the Primordial Mythical Era. Therefore, he was able to see things that others could not and could easily predict the level of destruction this Great Purge would bring to the Immortal Domain.
In terms of cultivation, he surpassed Immortal Emperors and was in the Quasi-Dao Realm as he had gone through two Decay Tribulations.
He could not find anyone more powerful than him in the present Mountains and Oceans True World, except for Gu Changge, the reincarnation of the Demon Lord. Therefore, he believed in his own judgement that remaining in Mountains and Oceans True World would only result in unnecessary losses.
The Gu Family Ancestors all fell silent. With the Founder of the Gu Family standing before them, it was clear that their decisions did not matter.
“I’m doing this to protect the Gu Family…” His voice was filled with the wisdom of age, but he did not explain any further.
“Why are you abandoning the Gu Family Residence if your desire is to protect the Family?”
Just then, a voice rang out from outside the ancestral hall, and Gu Changge’s silhouette appeared. He stepped into the hall with ease and eyed the Black-Robed Elderly man with interest.
“Changge…”
The other Ancestors in the hall were shocked. They did not expect Gu Changge to show up here now.
Even though they were technically Gu Changge’s Ancestors in terms of their respective generations, Gu Changge’s true identity was the World-Destroying Demon Lord. His origins were just as difficult to trace, and they were all much younger compared to him.
The Black-Robed Elderly man’s gaze hardened slightly. Amidst his slight startlement, he began to study Gu Changge.
Even when he was in the Immortal Domain, he heard about Gu Changge. However, he had not planned on showing himself then.
Now, even though he was now meeting Gu Changge, the World-Destroying Demon Lord who reincarnated into the Gu Family, he was unable to decipher the latter’s origins.
Gu Changge had already been around during the first Great War Against Heaven. He was even once a Heavenslayer who saved the physical embodiment of the True Spirit of Mountains and Oceans True World.
The Black-Robed Elderly man was aware of these things. He had witnessed them himself, though the Gu Family did not partake in that battle. He was even a bystander who witnessed the founding of the Immortal Palace before the Forbidden Epoch.
Nevertheless, he did not understand why Gu Changge annihilated the Immortal Palace and had a falling out with its Grand Palace Master. He did not know and could not understand the reason behind that.
“How should I address you?”
The Black-Robed Elderly man shook his head slightly. Even though Gu Changge had reincarnated recently, he still failed to see through him.
He did not know what cultivation Realm Gu Changge was at right now.
Gu Changge seemed to be shrouded in a mist. His silhouette could not be found in any instance of time. This was something unimaginable.
He would not have felt stunned and incredulous in the past for he had not been as powerful as Gu Changge, so it was natural that he could not discern Gu Changge’s origins. However, it was clear that Gu Changge had yet to regain the strength he had at his peak.
[So, why is it that I still can’t get a clear view of him?]
Even Immortal Emperors could traverse through time and understand both the past and the future. They could deduce Heavenly Secrets and see through karma. He was someone who exceeded Immortal Emperors. His power was beyond what others could deduce.
“It doesn’t matter how you address me. You can call me Demon Lord, or you can do as the other Ancestors do and call me Changge.”
Gu Changge had a faint smile on his face.
This was the real fish he was baiting. In his eyes, the other beings from ancient times who were reawakening now were mere shrimp that were not worth his time. There was not even a true Immortal Emperor among them.
On the other hand, the appearance of the Founder of the Gu Family was something significant to Gu Changge. It was connected to his next chess piece…
But that was not important right now.
For a moment, the Black-Robed Elderly man fell silent. He did not expect Gu Changge to speak so bluntly.
“I shall refer to you as Demon Lord then…” He decided.
Gu Change smiled faintly and said, “Feel free to use any form of address you prefer. I didn’t come here to discuss that.”
The Black-Robed Elderly man was more powerful than an Immortal Emperor. He was in the Quasi-Dao Realm and had passed the Second Decay.
It was well within reason to say that he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in the history of the Mountains and Oceans True World. Even when Qingyi was at her peak, she merely had the ability to hold her own against him in a fight.
“I can guess what your goal is, but there’s no hope in saving the Mountains and Oceans True World. Otherwise, I would not have come to the decision of abandoning the Family’s homeland.”
The Black-Robed Elderly man shook his head and said as if he knew what Gu Changge’s intentions were.
Gu Changge sighed softly and said, “Why are you saying this, Ancestor? Do we not have a hundred years left? That’s ample time for the Mountains and Oceans True World.”
The Black-Robed Elderly man’s gaze stiffened, and his expression grew solemn. He knew that someone like Gu Changge would not say such things carelessly. Therefore, did it not mean that Gu Changge had some other plan in mind?
Still, how could a hundred years change anything? Nothing could be changed, not even if they had a hundred centuries or even a hundred epochs.
“Who would choose to abandon their homeland if they had a choice? I built this place myself. I founded the Family myself. Your parents and relatives in this life are all my descendants. How can I bear to see them being sacrificed along with this world? I don’t know what your plan is, but I can tell you this clearly. The Hunters from the Boundless Expanse are extremely powerful. There is no doubt that they have an Ancient True World behind them. Furthermore, I sense a frenzied and manic aura… Perhaps there is a Lunatic among them.”
Since things had come to this, the Black-Robed Elderly man did not hide the rest of what he knew. He did not expect the Gu Family to understand the danger his words implied, but he knew that Gu Changge would surely understand what he meant.
Hunters who had the support of an Ancient True World would not be much weaker than him.
Furthermore, those who were termed Lunatics were ruthless beings who had personally destroyed True Worlds before. They had long since lost all of their conscience and emotions, so they had no regard for anything.
In the current Mountains and Oceans True World, who apart from him and Gu Changge could stand a chance against the Hunters?
That was why the Black-Robed Elderly man decided to evacuate the Gu Family and lead them to the Nine Heavens. He did not want them to stick around and be sacrificed with the rest of the Mountains and Oceans True World.
He was being rational about this. He knew the horrors that were in store for Mountains and Oceans True World due to this impending Great Purge.
The other living beings were unafraid because of their ignorance. They were not at the level where they could understand these things. They knew far too little.
However, Gu Changge should understand what these things meant.
“The Mountains and Oceans True World is far from being as weak as you think it is. All that should return will return. Do you think this calamity can be compared to the Great Purge?”
Gu Changge chuckled faintly. His tone remained light despite the Black-Robed Elderly man’s words.
“I underestimated Mountains and Oceans True World? Are you saying that there’s a plan I’m unaware of?”
After hearing Gu Changge’s words, the Black-Robed Elderly man frowned. His fingers moved beneath his sleeve as he began to use the deduction technique.
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