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Translator: Fate
Proofreader: Silavin
“Why is Prince Ying so cruel? I haven’t done anything to offend him, yet he’s hunting me down and killing me!?” Qi Lin Zi shouted angrily, trying to make his voice heard further away. However, the other two Lords’ gazes were cold as they made his voice only heard within the local area.
“Prince Ying? You are thinking too much of him. He’s not our master.” The dark figure laughed and refused to admit to it.
“Why are you still denying it? Do you think I wouldn’t know even if you did not admit it?” Qi Lin Zi stared at them coldly. A light began to spill from between his eyebrows, shining in different colours like an ancient god about to awaken. His energy was changing quickly, and an unrivalled Being seemed to appear behind him. It was the Unrivalled Demon Emperor, looking slightly indistinct as it walked out from the River of Time. Its gaze was penetrating and could break the universe.
At this sight, Qi Lin Zi’s remaining followers became bright with hope.
“The young master still has more techniques!”
“We still have a chance!”
“Fight them!”
They struck once again, planning to use their godly weapons in order to self-destruct and give Qi Lin Zi a chance.
The Heavenly Demon Umbrella, large enough to block out the sky; the Bright Whip, which was several hundred metres long; the Sky-Turning Seal, as large as mountains; and the Great Blood-Coloured Sword, which could tear the sky apart. All of the weapons shone brightly with murderous intent. The followers lit the flame, preparing to self-detonate.
“Is this the Qilin Demonic Emperor’s life-preserving tactic?” The gazes of the dark figure became colder as if they had expected it. “It’s fortunate that our master has given us this!”
An infinitely large dark palmprint came down on the weapons, not afraid of the power that might exude from the self-destruction of the weapons. These followers were merely in the True Enlightened and Enlightened Noble Realm, rendering them powerless against the Sacred Lord Realm experts.
As the figure spoke, the other two struck once again. The flower of Dao bloomed between their eyebrows. The flowers shone with dark light, then turned into a hovering Grand Flask. It wasn’t a real flask but was one made of condensed runes. As the three struck in unison, the silhouette of the Grand Flask appeared immediately. It exuded a terrifying aura which encompassed the entire place. Within it, stars seemed to shimmer, and the patterns of Dao intertwined. The inside was like a black hole, ready to consume everything.
“It’s the Grand Flask!” Qi Lin Zi’s expression changed as he recognised the silhouette above. The Demonic Emperor’s phantom stepped forward with a surge of energy to fight the Grand Flask and made the first hit.
Soon, a terrifying wave of energy never seen before surged from the confrontation. Heavenly light lit up the sky and made the mountains shiver and almost crack. It was a fight that seemed to cross the boundaries of time.
The energy exuded by the three could kill a Sacred King Realm expert, and the Demonic Emperor’s phantom was still a manifestation with no power to maintain it. The phantom was mighty in its own right, but it soon became indistinct and ready to evaporate.
“Umph!” Qi Lin Zi spat out blood, and his face turned pale. As if remembering something, he became determined and started to activate his secret technique. He knew that he might not come out alive from this fight.
A message was left there using a secret technique which involved burning the power of his bloodline, and any powerful Qilin Clan members would sense it when they arrived!
“Prince Ying is the murderer!”
The spot between his eyebrows shone with the energy of an awakening godly weapon. It was a small three-legged golden cauldron floating within his conscience; the divine being within became infinitely terrifying.
At that moment, however, a strange vibration made itself known. It was as if someone was walking from within time and space, and the sounds of footsteps resonated. Then, shiny purple petals bloomed everywhere.
*Pop! Pop! Pop!…*
Dark Celestial Flowers sprouted from thin air, rooting themselves in the many living beings below as if they were sources of their nutrients.
*Puff!* Qi Lin Zi felt his brow sting as if pierced by a powerful sword. His expression became stricken, and his last sight was of a blurry figure appearing before him. Its fingers were held together in the shape of a sword, and the Bronze Celestial Sword dropped down from the sky and stabbed him.
“Impossible…How could it be you, Gu…” Qi Lin Zi’s voice was shaking, his spirit was about to break from the fear. He looked shocked, disbelieving, and desperate; he hadn’t realised it wasn’t Prince Ying who gave the orders. As it turned out, Prince Ying had been framed, and the real mastermind manipulating everyone was Gu Changge!
He shivered at that thought, becoming fearful for the first time. He could face death without fear, but this fear came from deep inside him.
Gu Changge stared at him calmly, not affected whatsoever. He then lowered his head slightly. “Rest in peace, Brother Qi Lin. I’m taking your Source.”
A dark glittering light shone down, concealing the figure of Qi Lin Zi.
“Master!”
“Master!”
Having finished their fight, the three Sacred Lord Realm experts dropped down and knelt respectfully behind Gu Changge. They were all puppets the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being had left behind for Ye Ling, but now he had converted them into his Demonic Puppets.
He remained silent, eyes half-closed. Qi Lin Zi’s Talent had its unique characteristics, including the Talent To Attract Good Fortune And Avoid Bad Luck, as well as a Divination Talent. However, his power had not attained the level where he could divine the future, or he wouldn’t have been killed by Gu Changge so easily.
“Let’s go.” Gu Changge opened his eyes as soon as he sensed that the Grand Flask had completed its digestion. His gaze was dark, as he had no use for the Talent To Attract Good Fortune And Avoid Bad Luck. What he really wanted was the Divination Talent, as he had done some research and cultivated in the Dao of Time. The Power of Reincarnation was, after all, linked to time. He would be even more powerful with the Divination Talent, but he couldn’t attain it with his current cultivation level. He might need to reach the Sacred Lord Realm for it to happen.
After that, he moved on to find the second target on his list, who was currently in the Eternal Overcast Battle. She was a young royal preserved in the Endless Fire Kingdom—Yan Ying, currently in the middle of the Quasi-Saint level, whose talent was Consuming Fire. He mainly wanted to know what the difference was between that talent and his Forbidden Demonic Arts.
Several days pass.
It was all calm in the area of the Eternal Overcast Battle, and nothing big had happened. Many new Eternal Overcast Battles had been found in some other places, and many young beings from the outside world were rushing towards them. Even those from faraway places had come, including Yue Mingkong. The Eternal Overcast Battle she eventually headed to, however, was not the one where Gu Changge was. Southern Flourishing Heaven had been extremely crowded these few days as a result.
In the outside world, a group of terrifying beings knelt within a pavilion. They looked extremely fearful as they prostrated themselves, backs damp with sweat and scared to raise their heads.
“The young master’s Soul Lamp has gone out. We are all done for!”
Standing before them was a calm-looking old man, whose expression was dark with extreme fury. However, that emotion was also mixed in with fear, shock, and uneasiness. He was Qi Lin Zi’s guardian, but hadn’t followed him into the Eternal Overcast Battle since the Immortal Academy had a rule—all contestants had to gain their points using their own power. That was the reason he chose to wait outside.
However, he didn’t get to see Qi Lin Zi’s return but instead received the news of his death from within the clan. It felt like a beam of lightning had struck the old man, rendering him stunned. How could the youth have died when he had so many life-preserving techniques?
“Something bad had happened, and all of us cannot deny that we played a role in it. I just hope that he had encountered something dangerous in the Dangerous Yin Battle, instead of being assassinated…” The old man’s expression was stony, his terrifying aura nearly powerful enough to destroy the place. Soon, the old man forced his way into the Eternal Overcast Battle, ignoring the rule made by the academy.
The news of Qi Lin Zi’s death could no longer be hidden, and soon sent great shockwaves throughout the Eternal Overcast Battle and out to Southern Flourishing Heaven. Many cultivators were shocked when they heard the news, and their entire beings were filled with fear. Qi Lin Zi had been a famous ancient monstrosity, and many considered him great enough to compete with Gu Changge and other powerful beings. However, he died in the Eternal Overcast Battle.
The news left everyone aghast, and soon many hypotheses were made. Many of the young beings entering the Battle were shocked and uneasy as a result.
“Prince Ying is the murderer!”
Soon, Qi Lin Zi’s guardian arrived at the scene with some followers. He sensed the secret energy wave that Qi Lin Zi had left behind, something only the Qilin Clan could sense. No one else present could sense it, except for him. That message made him look murderous and angry.
“Sky Emperor Mountain dared kill our young master. This is extremely unforgivable!”
His furious growl and terrifying energy resonated throughout the heavens, and even the few Elders who had come with him chose to remain quiet. If Prince Ying wasn’t the culprit, why did Qi Lin Zi leave this message? They didn’t know the secret technique of the Qilin Clan, but they knew QI Lin Zi’s guardian would never say this without any proof. After all, they weren’t stupid enough to offend and blame Sky Emperor Mountain. No matter how powerful their clan was, they were still weak compared to Sky Emperor Mountain.
After that, many powerful beings arrived to investigate the energy of the place. They soon noticed that the culprit had been careful in erasing all his remaining energy, making them unable to deduce anything from it. However, they hadn’t expected Qi Lin Zi to leave such a message.
Very quickly, this news shocked everyone in the Eternal Overcast Battlefield. They were all worried and terrified about it. Prince Ying was the one most suspected of being the Successor of Demonic Arts, and he might have killed Qi Lin Zi!
However, many could recall the defeat of Prince Ying at the hands of the Successor of the Mortal Palace. Had he been showing his weakness back then, just to lower everyone’s guard and thus act in secret?
Just a few days later, another great shocking event occurred. The shockwaves it sent rivalled that of the previous one, a young ancient royal of the Endless Fire Kingdom named Yan Ying had also died in the Eternal Overcast Battlefield. Her death was similar to that of Qi Lin Zi. Yet, there was no evidence at the scene to prove who the culprit was.
These two incidents were earth-shattering news to everyone in the community; many younger prodigies entering the Eternal Overcast Battlefield became uneasy and wary, as they didn’t know if the next target would be them.
“How dare Ying Shuang do this so openly? Did he think his strategy was flawless?”
“Or was he not even scared of being exposed…”
Within a mountain range, Ye Liangtian, Ye Liuli, Wang Wushuang, and Chi Ling were silent with fear. The news had left them shocked and anxious, as they had always suspected Ying Shuang of being the Successor of Demonic Arts. He definitely had something to do with those incidents. What would his behaviour be now? Continue keeping up his act, or tear off his mask and declare war with everyone? This made them worried. Besides, even though two ancient monstrosities had passed, no one knew for sure if they were next.
“Also, there are other Successors of Demonic Arts besides Ying Shuang…” Ye Liangtian felt more uneasy.
…
“You keep claiming that it had something to do with me, but have you seen me attack him? I’ve always been here with my sister and the others without separating from them. What evidence do you have to prove I killed Qi Lin Zi?” asked Ying Shuang calmly, standing before Qi Lin Zi’s guardian without any hint of fear.
In a remote plain, the Sky Emperor Mountain entourage were hunting down Eternal Overcast creatures to gain a place in the Immortal Academy. They had been furiously accosted by the guardian and members of the Qilin Clan. Ying Shuang did not know why he was being accused for no reason while the other side was sure he was the culprit. He had heard the news of the incidents but had attributed it to someone framing him. He hadn’t expected the Qilin Clan to be so certain that he killed Qi Lin Zi.
He felt uneasy about the whole thing, yet he knew he could not show it as it would confirm all those accusations. So, he argued with them reasonably; Ying Yu and the rest could confirm that he had never left them. Where would he have the time and opportunity to kill Qi Lin Zi? Even if he had the power, the timing would not match up. It was obvious that someone was framing him, and it made Ying Shuang angry and unhappy. However, he could not do anything about it.
“Ha, I knew you would never admit to it. Is that why you are so calm and unafraid?” The old man sneered as he got angrier. Ying Shuang’s attitude showed his confidence and lack of worry, as he probably thought they didn’t have proof to back up their claims.
“If you want to frame me, at least give some proof for that. I’ve been here with my entourage the whole time; who had seen me attacking him? Ask everyone here with me!” Ying Shuang frowned and tried to maintain his calm.
However, the expressions of Ying Yu and the rest of the entourage changed as they remembered what Gu Changge had said, Ying Shuang planned to take Sky Emperor Mountain down with him. So, they remained quiet as they became wary of him. After all, the incident at the Immortal Gu Family showed that Ying Shuang still had other strategies such as sending someone to do the job. Even if he hadn’t attacked Qi Lin Zi himself, he would find other ways to kill him. That was probably why he was confident and so sure of himself.
“You might have the Sky Emperor Mountain backing you, not to mention, your father is Sky Emperor Ying. That doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. You will be antagonised everywhere you go because you are the Successor of Demonic Arts!” The old man looked cold now, looking nearly ready to take Ying Shuang down himself.
Ying Shuang’s expression changed minutely as he sensed something suspicious. Did his entourage suspect him too? Why would that happen when he hadn’t done anything?
“I’m binding you right now, so we can take you back to my clan to await your punishment! We will find justice for our young master.” After speaking, the old man’s gaze cooled as he attacked Ying Shuang suddenly. His Sacred Noble Realm power surged out, trying to take Ying Shuang down and capture him.
Ying Shuang became stricken as he sensed the terrifying aura. The unchanging Godly Spirit Weapon within his consciousness quickly shone with blinding light. The energy it exuded exploded from him and spread everywhere. It was a force exceeding that of the Sacred Realm, and the scene felt reminiscent of a Sacred Emperor Realm expert awakening to destroy everything.
“How…What’s this?” The old man looked shocked and disbelieving.
…
Ying Shuang’s Fortuity was dropping with the speed of an avalanche.
Gu Changge, who had disappeared for some time, showed up at the entrance of the Eternal Overcast Battlefield under the gaze of many cultivators. His smile looked intrigued. “Something big must have happened when I was gone.”
A Prodigal Damsel, having heard his muttering, mustered up the courage to approach him anxiously. Her face was red as she stuttered, “Young Master Gu, something had actually happened…”
She proceeded to recap everything that had happened in the days he was gone. In her opinion, he had fought the Successor of Demonic Arts and left him severely injured. Gu Changge might be the only one who could give everyone reassurance.
Gu Changge smiled slightly as he listened. His expression became more and more serious before eventually sighing. “I’ve heard of Brother Qi Lin and Damsel Yan Ying. I thought they were my rivals and would get the chance to compete with them, yet now such bad things have happened, Thank you for informing me.”
He shook his head and took a step, disappearing on the spot.
“Master Changge is as gentle, polite, and humble as they say. His power is much greater than that of Qi Lin Zi and Yan Ying, yet he didn’t say that. The Successor of Demonic Arts might become alert and stop his actions if he returned to the Battle…” The damsel watched him leave, her gaze full of admiration. The other young prodigies became slightly envious and admiring of her, as she was brave enough to speak with him. They did not have such courage at all.
Soon, the news of his appearance in the battlefield spread. Many younger prodigies were happy and relieved, having seemingly found their backbone.
Meanwhile, Gu Changge had summoned his followers, heading towards where Ying Shuang was currently residing. Everyone believed that he was seeking justice for the two dead ancient monsters.
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Many thanks
I know it’s partly down to tropes and partly down to plot, but I still find it bizarre that everyone is so convinced Ying Shuang is the culprit when there’s genuinely no real evidence that it’s him. It’s kinda funny that this guy incriminate him with his last act when there was never any indication that Ying Shuang was ever there, and no evidence tying him to those attackers.
Well I think it’s because of his suspicious behavior such as hiding himself instead of trying to prove his innocence and having a dubious backstory such as memory loss
Many thanks
Many thanks
Many thanks!