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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
[If the Vermillion Bird Empire wants to get out of that situation, they can only use their power to put pressure on me. Is that really effective against me though? Chu Hao, you have overestimated the power of popular sentiment. Who will dare stand up against absolute strength when their lives are at stake? How amusing.]
Gu Changge stood with his hands behind his back, clothes fluttering slightly as he looked out of the window of the palace. There was an indiscernible smile on his face. Everything was going according to plan; he already considered every idea Chu Hao had. He had already consumed the Dragon Vein inside the Vermillion Bird Empire. Thus, its demise was inevitable. Chu Hao could not reverse this even if he was a Fortuitous One. Human strength was limited after all and this could not be altered in any way. The only thing Chu Hao could do was witness the demise of his precious Vermillion Bird Empire with desperation.
Just as Gu Changge was immersed in his thoughts, a report from one of his followers came from outside. “Young Master, the current Successors of the different clans from the Celestial Ancient Continent are asking to see you.”
Gu Changge reeled in his thoughts and he replied, “Let them come in.”
Soon, the sound of footsteps was heard as several people walked into the palace. Their auras were powerful like boiling clouds, each of them shining in different colours, and had unbelievably strong vitality. They were the young and brilliant Successors of their respective clans, and behind them were their Ancestors.
Their Ancestors’ strength exerted pressure on the void, as if it could fill every part of that empty space at any time. All were in the Sacred King Realm before, and had stood against Gu Changge in the Celestial Ancient Continent. However, they had been tricked by Gu Changge.
After they started cultivating the Entanglement Immortal Might, Gu Changge had gained control of everyone. They now could not escape their fate, and had become his slaves. Nonetheless, they still looked at him with reverence.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
“No need for such courtesy.” Gu Changge slightly nods. He glanced at them with some satisfaction. The Black Hawk Family, the Ancient Flying Snake Family, the Divine Crocodile Clan, the True Dragon Clan… All of them here had more powerful cultivation, which meant they hadn’t been defying him behind his back.
His sweeping gaze stopped on one of them. “How’re you dealing with the task I have assigned you?”
“Young Master, I am doing just as you’ve ordered. I would never dare defy you. I’ve brought the results of the task here from the Continent and it is ready for your inspection.” The person speaking was clad in a black dress with a veil over her face. Her face was pale and her eyes were clear, while her hair was smooth. These features made her look so beautiful, she could accidentally ensnare any man.
She was looking at him as she spoke, her voice filled with respect. She was none other thanHei Yanyu, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the Celestial Ancient Continent. She was the current leader of the Black Hawk Family and was extremely valued and trusted by Gu Changge despite her youth. This, she held great status in her family. Even those young prodigies from the other clans had to all lower their heads in deference when with her.
“Really?” Gu Changge smiled carelessly. “Since you had said so, I’ll believe you for now.”
He had tasked her to secretly gather various Sources, a job similar to what he had tasked Yin Mei. She was to find young prodigies with rare physiques and Sources. However, his cultivation level quickly rose to the Sacred King Realm, which meant that these ‘resources’ were not that useful to him now. Nonetheless, since Hei Yanyu had gathered them, he might as well check them out.
“I will never forget about the task you have assigned me.” Her eyes were lowered, her voice soft and respectful.
“Come closer. You don’t have to be so far away from me. Am I some sort of monstrous beast or something?” He smiled.
“Yes, Young Master.”
Hei Yanyu looked surprised and pleased, walking to his side with light footsteps and a calm expression. She had been a little worried that he wasn’t satisfied with her work, which might result in the Black Hawk Family getting into trouble. She already knew what abilities and identity he concealed, meaning there was no one else more terrifying than him. Combined with the events happening in the Upper Realm, this made her extremely anxious. Her calm demeanour was merely a facade, as both her and her entire clan’s lives were within his control. In fact, they could die at any time because of a change in his emotions.
As for the other clans, they all deferred to him since they thought he was the Successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being. Only Hei Yanyu knew this wasn’t the truth, as the real Successor had been killed by Gu Changge a long time ago, and he had merely stolen that identity.
[Well, it seems like the really pleased by my work. Phew…] A smile appeared beneath her veil. She had gathered the Black Hawk army as soon as she received the order. Gu Changge had handed her a cultivation method and asked her to spread it, something she didn’t dare disobey although she knew it wasn’t anything good.
“You won’t miss out on any benefits when you work with me.” Gu Changge smiled.
“It’s an honour to work for you.” Her eyes were lowered but the action did not hide her happiness.
“Really?” He put an arm around her waist, still smiling.
“Yes.” A blush spread onto Hei Yanyu’s face as she felt embarrassed by the gesture, but she went with it and leaned against him.
The other Successors felt envious at this sight, since such an intimate action meant she was greatly favoured by him. They did not know what task Gu Changge had given her and so they couldn’t do anything but envy her. Her reputation as the greatest beauty of the Celestial Ancient Continent was clearly advantageous after all, and after seeing this sight, the other clans knew they needed to be more respectful towards her.
Hei Yanyu was smart enough to understand Gu Changge’s motive in making that gesture after seeing the envious and respectful gazes of the others. He wanted the others to understand that she belonged to him, and was greatly trusted. That way, her power among them would be much greater and no one else would dare disrespect her, which would make it extremely convenient if she worked for him.
[So, this is the benefit he mentioned…] She realised, suddenly feeling dejected. [True, judging by his character, he would never be this intimate suddenly for no reason… I’ve been expecting too much. Thinking too deeply and romantically about this.]
Gu Changge then explained some more issues before waving his hand and allowing them to leave except for Hei Yanyu.
“Young Master, are you planning to meet those captured cultivators?” She asked softly while looking at him.
“Yes, let’s go.” He nodded and let go of her. They left the palace with her leading the way. She felt a little dejected but did not dare show it.
The ancient battleships belonging to those from the Celestial Ancient Continent had stopped in the sky about eight hundred thousand kilometres away from the Vermillion Bird Empire’s imperial palace. The cultivators with unique Sources that she had brought him were all locked in there, which did not take much time for Gu Changge to reach.
“Ah, Young Master. I have captured a group of mysterious people outside the Forbidden Area of the Continent who were taken there by something unknown. No material from the Forbidden Area was effective on them. They were dressed in strange clothing and held some mysterious metal weapon, which could shoot some kind of silver-like metal. It is highly lethal, and it helped them easily take down the beasts roaming around over there. But, they probably have never cultivated before since they all have weak physiques. In fact, even the weakest child in my clan can probably kill them.”
Hei Yanyu suddenly recalled something on their journey to the battleships and reported it to Gu Changge.
[Mysterious people outside the Forbidden Area? Dressed in strange clothing? Taken there by something unknown? Metal weapons?] Gu Changge frowned after hearing this. These things sounded familiar. [Hmm… are they people from Earth?]
He could already smell the scent of prey. The Celestial Ancient Continent had been a continent moved there by an Absolute Being from Skyward Schloss using a Supreme Ability. The Forbidden Area was part of the continent, which was moved. While the continent had always been hidden deep within Skyward Schloss, with no one being able to enter, after those events, with Gu Changge having taken control over all the clans, it had been opened up. Now, many cultivators of the outside world could be seen heading inside to cultivate, looking for opportunities.
However, there was a reason for areas to be called a Forbidden Area. This area was a place where even experts in the Sacred Emperor Realm would never go recklessly, as they felt there was something frightening inside. The area was always filled with swirling fog, which belied a mysterious energy field. Thus, any cultivator who came near would be reduced to a bloody mist by the energy field, with both their body and soul being destroyed. Even those who had the luck to escape would be cursed, and would have been better off dead.
Many guessed that there was a Remnant Immortal, from a bygone era, hidden there. Someone so frightening, that even the Absolute Being who had shifted the continent there, had refused to go and identify. With such rumours piling up, it gave the Forbidden Area a mysterious air to it.
“Yes. I was cultivating inside of the Black Hawk Family’s territory when I heard the report from our people regarding a strange and powerful quake from the Forbidden Area. I rushed there but did not expect to see more than ten mysterious people running out from the area. They all looked terrified, as if they had seen something frightening…” Hei Yanyu nodded and then described how she had captured the group outside the Forbidden Area. She did not know how to resolve this matter and had taken them with her after coincidentally receiving the order from Gu Changge.
“Did you see what took them there?” Gu Changge asked with a look of interest.
“No. I wanted to get information from them after the capture but they didn’t seem to understand our language. I tried searching their souls but realised that their souls were too weak and shattered upon light contact. So, I couldn’t find anything and gave up,” Hei Yanyu explained.
“I see.” He smiled, already having some idea about this situation.
It wasn’t important whether or not they were visitors from Earth. Many of the innumerable Lower Realm worlds were more inclined towards technology, whereby it was rare for a cultivator to appear from there. Any cultivator from these worlds would never amount to much, though. They would only get to live several hundred years more than a normal human. Going up into the sky from the ground, or harvesting the moon and stars were too far of a goal for these cultivators, much less ascending to the Upper Realm.
However, there was unquestionably some sort of prey that he wanted among these mysterious people. If they were really visitors from Earth, he could take this opportunity to understand the reason for his transmigration. He did not believe that the incident had no reason, especially after knowing he had some relation to the Demon Lord. [Still, the possibility of them being from Earth is extremely small though. They are most likely from some faraway Lower Realm world.]
…
“Chu Hao, this isn’t urgent. If we go see Gu Changge, we will still be in a disadvantageous position whether or not he agrees. If we use our power to pressure him, it may be effective… No matter what, the reputation he has built up in the eyes of the public is an extremely honourable one. He would never act on us directly unless he wants his reputation to be destroyed. This is our only chance.”
The Vermillion Bird Emperor, seeing Chu Hao ready to confront Gu Changge, suddenly thought of an idea and stopped his son. He had ruled over the empire for so long, which meant he was quite wise. He could tell that using the power of the people of the empire to force Gu Changge into taking Sky King Zhi Yang away, was the most suitable approach. The empire might be small but still contained billions of people. If Gu Changge did not agree and let them get harmed, he would have to bear the blame for having killed them. Unless, of course, he didn’t care about that.
“That idea is a good one, but I am worried that Gu Changge really doesn’t care about the lives of those in the empire…” Bai Yang’s eyes lit up, looking approvingly at the Vermillion Bird Emperor. This strategy might not measure up to absolute power but might be useful in this situation.
“We’ll do what you suggest, Father.” Chu Hao nodded, smiling a little. He finally saw a change in the situation and no longer felt depressed.
The Emperor, Chu Hao, and Bai Yang all gained confidence and began to discuss strategies. They knew that their own power wouldn’t be enough and if they wanted to use the people to put pressure on Gu Changge, they had to gather it first. Thus, the Emperor gave an order.
Soon, every sect of the Empire received an invitation to a banquet at the Palace in three days. He did not conceal his purpose for inviting them, ‘Sky King Zhi Yang’s incarceration within the Empire would mean Purple Mansion would invade at any time to rescue him. The aftershocks of the battle between Gu Changge’s army and Purple Mansion would destroy the empire a million times over.’
The news shocked the sects of the empire, but this soon led to a rare show of unity for the Vermillion Bird Empire. This was regarding their survival after all, and if they did not want to relinquish their foundations and leave their home in the empire. Thus, they had to attend the banquet and think of a way to make Gu Changge move Sky King Zhi Yang away.
The sects were all shocked after getting wind of this, knowing that this was no trivial matter. The empire was like a mere ant compared to Gu Changge, and he wouldn’t care about it, much less think about the empire’s survival. However, this was the place they had built their families and sects. If these were destroyed, it would be no different from them dying..
With that intention in mind, powerful beings from each sect appeared without daring to hesitate. These powerful beings were ancient Elders in the Sacred Realm, with the highest only being in the Sacred Noble Realm, still some distance away from being in the Sacred Lord Realm. Such people came together to discuss the situation.
“This issue concerns the extinction of the empire. If it is destroyed, we will be close to extinction as well. Our purpose in gathering everyone here is to prepare for the banquet the Emperor will hold after three days. What suggestions do you have to make Gu Changge move Sky King Zhi Yang? We have never wronged him before, so why is he targeting us? This is his evil plan to destroy us without him getting his hands dirty.”
Inside the Royal Tutor’s mansion, a white-haired old man was speaking in a serious voice. He looked extremely dignified and strong despite his age. He was Tutor Wang, who had taught the current Vermillion Bird Emperor as well as Third Prince Chu Hao. He was greatly respected as he had taught many students in his time. Standing below him were the current authoritative figures of Royal Tutor Mansion, all of whom held key positions within the Vermillion Bird Empire. There were also many young prodigies among them, who were his direct disciples. They all had infinite potential, with the responsibility of making the Royal Tutor Mansion even greater.
The others were experts of the Royal Tutor Mansion, the most powerful being a middle-aged man clad in a long-sleeved shirt. His eyes shone with golden light as he blinked, with runes flowing within. He exuded Sacred Realm aura, clearly in the Sacred Noble Realm. He was Yi Tian, a servant of the Wang Family.
“Father, we all know what you were talking about. If the Empire is destroyed, where shall we go?” A middle-aged man, who looked quite similar to the Royal Tutor, asked. He was the eldest son of Tutor Wang.
“If the Empire is going to be destroyed, we will naturally have to find a way to survive. We will never be destroyed along with it.” Someone beside him spoke immediately.
“The actions of the Empire are all offensive to Gu Changge. Will he change his mind for a mere ant like this puny kingdom? We are in a completely different league compared to him, so why would he care about our opinions and ideas? Father, I think the important thing is to leave quickly.” This was the second son of Tutor Wang, who also held an important position within the Empire. His words gained the support of the other family members since they did not want to put themselves at risk.
“When there’s life, there’s hope. Father, let’s just leave overnight. It’s obvious that this is Gu Changge’s revenge against the Third Prince Chu Hao for offending him.”
“Don’t you understand this? The Empire cannot be saved.”
The Wang Family members began to persuade him, having gotten over the situation. Who would be so stupid as to die along with the Empire? They certainly did not.
“But… but where can we go after leaving the Empire? The foundations of our sect, which we have built all this time…” Tutor Wang sighed deeply.
“Fine, fine. I’ll listen to your suggestions. We shouldn’t stay here. After offending Gu Changge, there will be no place for us in the Upper Realm.” He made up his mind, no longer indecisive about this.
Thus, those from the Wang Family began to pack up, taking what they had to and leaving behind what they couldn’t take with them. The empire would be destroyed sooner or later and so would these items. No one would miss them. And so, during the night, a flying ship cut through the sky with a bright beam of light, making a loud rumbling sound as it headed into the distance.
The same scenario occurred in the other sects of the empire. Anyone would know what to choose when it came between protecting their own homeland or offending Gu Changge. Most of them chose to leave. The invitation from the emperor had become a warning for them to flee, for which they were grateful for. If the Emperor hadn’t explained it so clearly in the invitation, they wouldn’t have realised the gravity of the situation. It would be horrible if they died in the ensuing disaster without knowing the cause. At this time, no one would be stupid enough to die along with the empire. After all, patriotism was pure nonsense compared to the survival of their families and sects!
The next day, many cultivators of the empire were stunned to find several ancient and glorious families and sects were already gone, their quarters and mansions empty. It wasn’t just one; many others with enough power and history had vacated their homes overnight, refusing to stay here for another second. It was clear they had been panicked as some precious items hadn’t been taken with them and were left behind. It was like staying another moment would invite grave danger.
The sight sent shockwaves through the empire and many cultivators were anxious that something drastic was about to happen. In fear of the impending disaster, they left in haste as well, without asking the reason behind the phenomenon.
Some smarter cultivators had figured out the cause. The million strong army stopping within the empire’s borders as well as the enormous ancient battleships was enough of an explanation. Thus, chaos and fear swept through the Empire, as even robbers took advantage of the tumultuous conditions.
The empire was now close to falling apart.
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Didn’t they just dig their own grave with such invitation?