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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The deaths of the three True Daoists were such a big deal that they caused shockwaves across the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. The Black Tortoise War God Clan, Lu Clan, and the Nine-headed Golden Bird Clan in particular were extremely saddened by the news.
Strange phenomena appeared up above, at the Ancient Life Stars, including blood rain and mourning, which stretched for millions of kilometres. These occurrences were caused by the deaths of True Daoists who were closely linked to the Fortuity of their respective clans.
Many members from the clans were highly impacted by the news, falling to their knees with tear-streaked yet angry or vengeful faces. These were members who were the core of each clan; one of them dying would be an unimaginable loss. Their mysterious deaths were unexpected since they had basically reached the peak of cultivation.
Back in the battle with the Upper Realm Army in the Aether Abyss, they had eventually followed Gu Changge into the depths of the universe. However, Gu Changge had emerged with serious injuries while the three of them managed to escape. Many thought they had gone back to the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains early because their injuries were too grievous, so the sudden news of their deaths was unbelievable.
Since Gu Changge couldn’t possibly kill the three of them judging by their respective strength, there was only one possibility—they had been ambushed by experts from the Upper Realm while returning and couldn’t fight back.
Even if True Daoists couldn’t appear in person, the utilisation of several Dharma Bodies and Forbidden Weapons could conceivably easily kill a True Daoist, especially when the other party was seriously wounded.
The explanation gained support from most of the people in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, further fueling their hatred for the Upper Realm. Besides, their knowledge of the path through the Aether Abyss showed that the other side had put in plenty of possible schemes in store, which worried many.
*Boom!* A few days afterwards, beams of light shot through the atmosphere, past the sea of clouds like they had torn the universe apart. Many clans began to gather in the Eight Domains to chant ancient sutras.
Old voices from a distant time and space requested a historical being to show within the clans.
Thus, ancient beings began to appear. They had been sealed away since the existence of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. Their Life Forces were weak and sputtering at first before eventually awakening. Once awake, their auras surged and caused the surrounding countless stars in a sight to react, which shocked the whole universe.
The War God clans were also chanting their ancestral scriptures to awaken their True Blood inside their bodies, attempting to request the Souls of their Ancestors to manifest and protect them. The Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were now on the brink of war, with ancient battleships flying across the sky. They gathered and headed to Sky Deer City.
“I don’t know how to say this, but this is what happened.”
It was raining lightly outside the grand yet ancient pavilion, where Lin Wu sat opposite a woman in a white dress. His expression was filled with helplessness and bitterness. Numerous young men and women who looked like the woman’s followers stood behind her in shimmering clothes, whom she dismissed with a wave of her hand. She and Lin Wu were then alone in the room.
“If your claims are right, my Master may really be in trouble.” The woman looked beautiful and had an ethereal aura, while her expression was filled with pain and confusion.
Her name was Song Chan, the new generation’s Sky Deer Goddess. Lin Wu had seen her when meeting with the Sky Deer Goddess in Sky Deer CIty. She had stood quietly behind the Sky Deer Goddess like a servant, but with the Sky Deer Goddess’s disappearance, she became the undisputed new Sky Deer Goddess. No one else in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains knew of the previous Sky Deer Goddess’s disappearance, plus Song Chan didn’t dare say anything for fear of causing an unnecessary upheaval.
“I should’ve told you about it earlier…” Lin Wu sighed, feeling several emotions at once. If it hadn’t been to save Lu Luo, he wouldn’t have wanted to shoulder the blame or betray the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, nor did he want to manipulate Song Chan. However, he had no other choice since the time Gu Changge had given him was running out.
When fighting between the young generation took place back at the Hunting Ground in the Aether Abyss, his opponent had said something strange. It had stunned him before he understood that Gu Changge had ordered the other man to give him a message. That had sent chills all over his body since he could feel himself being manipulated by Gu Changge with nothing escaping the other man’s attention.
He had felt so desperate that he wanted to end it all, but he voluntarily made contact with Song Chan for the sake of Lu Luo and the others still imprisoned by Gu Changge. After they had become more acquainted, he finally informed her about what had happened on the shore of the Border Marker Sea, including how the Sky Deer Goddess had lost, been tricked by Gu Changge, and eventually taken prisoner in order to save them. He didn’t mention too many details, but it was enough to make Song Chan uneasy since her revered Master was in danger.
“I see. So my Master has been captured by the Upper Realm?” Song Chan quickly calmed herself, recalling how her master had told her not to take revenge. Could she just do nothing when things had turned out this way? She wouldn’t have become who she was today without her Master.
“To be exact, she’s been captured by Gu Changge.” Lin Wu sighed. He felt that the sudden appearance of the Upper Realm Army from within the depths of the Aether Abyss was linked to the Sky Deer Goddess since she didn’t seem right when he met her back then.
“Gu Changge…” Song Chan became pale. She could never forget the terrifying power he exuded when she saw him in the Aether Abyss. How was she going to rescue her Master when she was imprisoned by him?
“Do you think the path through the Aether Abyss is linked to her?” Song Chan suddenly thought of another possibility and couldn’t help a shiver.
She couldn’t believe that since her Master, being the guardian of Sky Deer City, would never betray it. She knew the Sky Deer Goddess well and knew the other woman would never do such a thing, but there was no other explanation. This meant that the Sky Deer Goddess had somehow gone over to the other side and become the enemy of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. She felt stunned and wondered if she was crazy to think of such a possibility.
“You should know her better since you are her disciple.” Lin Wu shook his head without saying anything else. He was just here to inform her about this and wouldn’t talk about anything else. If Song Chan were really worried about the Sky Deer Goddess’s safety, she would know what to do. He could only gain access to an Array Core of Sky Deer City via Song Chan since he couldn’t think of another way.
“Alright.” Song Chan’s voice shook slightly as she realised that her Master had betrayed the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. She couldn’t believe it even now, her mind filled with static.
Lin Wu left the place afterwards, planning to return to his clan and make internal arrangements. After witnessing Gu Changge’s frightening capability, his clan should know their odds of winning this war. If the Upper Realm Army closed in to attack Sky Deer City, it wouldn’t just be Gu Changge attacking them. He had to think of his future for his clan.
Meanwhile, Gu Wudi and Xiao Yang were discussing something important with many ancient beings. They were both disciples of the Nine Great Mountains and besides, Gu Wudi was its Chosen One. However, it would be hard for the two of them to contribute any effort in the battle now that the Nine Great Mountains were gone.
After some discussion, they decided to find the mysterious Supreme Mountain Elder. According to what the other Mountain Elders had said, he was terrifyingly strong, with nothing that could bar his way. His existence could be traced back to the founding of the Nine Great Mountains, plus he was more powerful than the other eight Mountain Elders combined. Finding him might yield some surprising results in the final battle with the Upper Realm.
Besides, Xiao Yang had other motives. The Second Mountain Elder had told him about his background, and he had researched the Family of Protectors via various avenues. However, the only thing he discovered was a sudden accident twenty years ago, where his family had been ruined after being attacked and killed by a mysterious group. A raging fire could still be seen in the mountain range where the family had lived.
Many doubted that the Protector bloodline had gone extinct and this shook Xiao Yang somewhat. The only saving grace was that he didn’t have a lot of memories of his family. Besides, he had been a baby more than twenty years ago and was still ignorant about everything. The family servants had fought valiantly to send him to the foot of the Nine Great Mountains, leaving him isolated from the world.
However, he didn’t believe that he didn’t have any other blood relatives. According to the Second Mountain Elder, his bloodline could only be awakened via a special technique. He would only gain unimaginable power after that. If he couldn’t find any of his family members, his Protector bloodline would be useless. That was why he was planning to look around and find clues regarding their whereabouts. The Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were in an upheaval about the invasion of the Aether Abyss.
The Great Bone Domain was a dark and barren place with soil which had been burned and turned black. The aura of the place was extremely ancient, transforming into Mist of Chaos which spread towards every direction. It was filled with terrifying energy, so even Sacred Realm experts would be wary when entering the place.
The Great Bone Domain was unique in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, since very few people inhabited the place. It was significant in size yet the number of forces it had were extremely few compared to the other Domains. Rumour has it that the Great Bone Domain had evolved from a piece from the mysterious Gloomy Burial Ground when it split apart.
*Boom!* In the deepest part of the Domain, a pair of eyes opened, revealing terrifying scenes, including the rising sun and setting moon, seas transforming into the land, lightning fading to ash, the collapse of the universe, and the sobbing of people. The eyes were enormous and seemed to be the only thing in the black fog, their gaze cold without any other emotion.
“The Aether Abyss has been invaded and the Upper Realm leader is surnamed Gu. I see. Is the final decisive battle about to begin? Our long-term mission is about to be completed…” muttered the terrifying figure. His voice became relieved yet excited towards the end.
“Ancestor, why have you summoned me here?” An indistinct yet slender figure suddenly appeared outside the cloud of fog, her voice equally cold and emotionless even with her Ancestor.
“I’ve sensed the aura of the Protectors’ bloodline. They haven’t died out completely, which means that the mission isn’t finished.” His gaze landed on her, speaking in a frigid tone.
“They haven’t died out completely? I destroyed them personally twenty years ago.” The slender figure frowned, her voice filled with confusion.
“Don’t underestimate them. I could sense the Fortuity of the Protectors’ bloodline growing by leaps and bounds.” The voice came from within the fog. Scenes began to appear within the frightening gaze as if about to deduce traces of the Protectors’ bloodline. However, a popping sound rang out as a beam of brilliant light containing incomprehensible energy shot through time and space and struck him down. Blood spattered and made him grunt slightly. The place quieted down briefly before a murderous aura shot up into the clouds.
“That must be someone secretly possessing great Fortuity or that someone back then had reappeared.” He smiled coldly, not surprised by this.
“I see. The person who had evaded me must have appeared again. I’ll get rid of them.” The slender figure didn’t seem surprised either and nodded, tone cold and without inflection. A crack appeared in the space in front of her and she stepped through, disappearing instantly.
“The days where we have to lie in wait here are finally about to end.” The figure surrounded by dark mist became silent again. The enormous Great Bone Domain was filled with thick fog which was impossible to blow away, lacking the sounds of birds or insects calling.
In contrast to the grave and sombre atmosphere in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, the Upper Realm camp was filled with pomp and noise. Nearly every force was organising a victory banquet to celebrate their overwhelming win, with divine rainbows streaking amongst the giant cluster of ancient battleships while carrying dishes and alcohol.
In the centre of it all, the numerous forces had constructed several majestic thrones seemingly made from black and gold divine stones. They shimmered brightly with an otherworldly aura and emitted clouds of mist, all branded with sacred patterns. This also symbolised ultimate power, since even a True Daoist wouldn’t have the right to sit on one. Only those who had contributed greatly to the Upper Realm could sit there.
Of course, Gu Changge was undeniably the only one currently qualified to sit on one of the thrones. His expression was careless as he picked one and sat down, sensing a strange energy which gave him a feeling of nourishment. It was clear how extraordinary its material was. Such a throne was a rare treasure that the forces had paid a handsome sum to construct. Each one contained runes and arrays, which constituted the force of the world.
Seated beneath him were the experts from each force, even the Dharma Body of supreme experts, who weren’t qualified to sit at his level. Nevertheless, no one found anything wrong with this or complained about it.
The banquet was filled with song and dance from beautiful female attendants from each force, as well as prodigal damsels, showing off their skills and charm. Meanwhile, the King with Six Crowns, Chosen Monk Jin Chan and others from the young generation sat separately from the older generation, drinking amongst themselves while chatting with close acquaintances.
The battle hadn’t satisfied them—not because Gu Changge had suddenly interfered, but because the younger generation from the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains didn’t have many people who required their full effort.
As the effects of the alcohol began sinking in, many members of the young generation stood up to spar, which emitted brilliant light and surging energy. Powerful runes flew everywhere as the older generation watched this with a smile, hoping that the young prodigies from their own force could become famous. After all, everyone gathered here was the most powerful or the most talented in the Upper Realm, making it a rare opportunity.
After that, many came up to give Gu Changge a toast, including attractive women from different forces, who had cultivated for a long time and also been prodigal damsels with superior looks and numerous admirers. They shot admiring and seductive looks at him, to which he responded with a smile and a nod. Other cultivators and beings approached him as well, asking him about cultivation. Even those from the older generation listened closely, refusing to miss a single word.
“Xianer, aren’t you going to give Young Master Changge a toast? The two of you are still from the same family and are very close.” An Yan, beautiful and silver-haired, smiled.
Gu Xianer, whose gaze had been distant as if she was pondering something, quickly recovered and looked towards the throne. She gritted her teeth secretly, maintaining her cold demeanour. “Why should I? All these people just want to flatter him. I don’t need to do that.”
Her mind was still haunted by the memory from yesterday. Somehow she had fallen asleep, waking up to see Gu Changge lying on his side on the bed, supporting his head with one hand while looking at her awkwardly. She was even clinging tightly to his neck while huddling close to him. Recalling that scene made her feel embarrassed, and she had the urge to bury herself in the ground.
“You are still the princess of the Gu Family. Besides, Young Master Changge sent a Quasi-Nirvana Realm expert to protect you. You don’t have to flatter him but don’t you think you should show him some respect?” An Yan smiled slightly enviously before adding, “It’s a pity I don’t have such a good cousin like him. Xianer, do you think he would refuse if I go up to him for a toast?”
Gu Xianer quickly remembered herself and stared at her doubtfully, sensing something unusual happening here.
“He has to maintain his public image so he won’t refuse it,” she replied directly instead.
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