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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The thick Eternal Overcast Fog surged towards the middle-aged Daoist Robed man’s withered figure, as if it had found an outlet. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as something cold grabbed him tightly by the neck.
He helplessly struggled, his veins visibly protruding. Yet, he was unable to break free.
Despite not having fully ascended to the status of a Corpse Emperor, he was still a Quasi-Immortal Emperor. Throughout all eras and True Worlds, Quasi-Immortal Emperors basically reigned supreme, commanding all creatures and overseeing vast territories. Yet, he found himself powerless against the young man standing before him. His hands seemed to be tied, unable to move or resist.
Not only that, what left him utterly hopeless was the fact that the Dao Fruit he had spent years condensing was crumbling rapidly, being absorbed by the young man.
The immense gap in strength left him terrified and unable to believe what was happening. He tried to scream, only to realise that his Soul was trapped, and he could not even send out his thoughts.
He felt like he was bound to a singular point or line, with no potential for rebirth. In the next moment, a mysterious and still Divine Flame swirled around Gu Changge’s hands, enveloping his opponent in its eternal embrace.
“The Soul Realm, huh?” Gu Changge shook his head lightly and raised his palm.
Endless Principles began to gather, covering the sky and completely enveloping this whole region. The Eternal Overcast Fog let out a piercing hiss as it rushed into his opponent’s body, surging violently like the force of a thousand rivers returning to the sea.
Although the Soul Realm was vast, it was still attached to the Source Realm. The Soul Clan that inhabited it was one of the ten Strongest Clans in the vast ocean of True Worlds. In fact, their Ancestors once presided over the Great Ritual. The man initially attempted to divulge his background to intimidate Gu Changge. After all, even the most powerful rulers of the True Worlds had to show respect to the Soul Clan. Unfortunately, he had underestimated Gu Changge and was caught off guard by his complete disregard for the Soul Clan.
The world around them gradually fell silent, and the Eternal Overcast Fog began to thin out. The altar, which had once been used to syphon the Fortuity of the Mountains and Oceans True World, now lay in ruins after being destroyed by Gu Changge. Consequently, an abundance of Fortuity was scattered throughout the Azure Sea Realm and Gu Changge claimed his opponent’s Dao Fruit without hesitation. With the demise of this man, the thick fog that covered the sky cleared up completely.
Beyond the Azure Sea Realm, Gu Changge faintly saw a blurry passage. The blood-red glow surrounding it made it seem as though it was formed with flesh and blood.
His opponent from earlier probably arrived here through that passage. Gu Changge had no interest in exploring what lay beyond the passage. It was where the Boundless Fallen Ocean was, the former battlefield of the Great War Against Heaven.
With a wave of his sleeve, a black light descended, and the Dao Fruit was swiftly collected by the Grand Flask. He planned on refining it after leaving this place.
“The Demonic Energy in the Azure Sea Realm has dissipated…”
“The bodies of those Demons are also crumbling…”
“What happened in there? Was there really a great battle just now?”
The Immortal Kings from the City of No Return, who did not venture into the depths of the Azure Sea Realm, were stunned. Some could not even believe their own eyes. This Demonic Energy that had plagued them for ages was now dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
They could not help but connect it to the great energy fluctuation that appeared in the Azure Sea Realm just now. One of the Immortal Kings speculated with a conflicted expression on his face, “Could it be that he has taken action to eradicate the Demonic Energy?”
Cen Shuang fell silent too. She had battled against the Demons here for countless eons. thousands of years outside the Azure Sea Realm, so she naturally understood what the dissipation of the Demonic Energy here meant. Even so, she found it difficult to accept the reality of the situation.
“W-Why… would he take it upon himself to eradicate the source of the Demonic Energy?” She fixed her gaze upon the depths of the Azure Sea Realm. Though the Demonic Energy was dissipating, that place remained beyond their reach. The other Elders remained silent, for they too were at a loss for an answer. They could not fathom why Gu Changge would do such a thing.
It was at this moment, a figure emerged from the depths of the Azure Sea Realm which was obscured by a thin veil of purple fog. Gu Changge glanced at King Luo, the Blood Owl Immortal King, and the others before speaking in a calm and collected tone, “Let’s go. It’s time to get out of here.”
“Yes, my Lord.” King Luo and the Blood Owl Immortal King had no idea what Gu Changge did after venturing into the depths, but they refrained from probing further and instead quickly followed behind him.
Meanwhile, Elder Turtle, Grandma Medicine, and other Immortal Kings from the City of No Return were at a loss for words. They just stood there in a daze and only regained their senses after Gu Changge and his companions were very far away.
The current situation was vastly different from what they had initially expected. Gu Changge’s demeanor and conduct did not align with the ruthless and malevolent image they had conceived of the great Demon Lord. Despite his initial display of power, which involved destroying the surrounding Star Territories and forcing the Floating Nether Realm to emerge, he did not cause any harm to the inhabitants there.
Everyone in the City of No Return had braced themselves for a fierce battle, yet the turn of events was far from what they had anticipated. Furthermore, even the source of the Demonic Energy in the Azure Sea Realm had been eradicated.
After departing from the Azure Sea Realm, Gu Changge went off with King Luo and his companions, with no intention of returning to the Floating Nether Realm. His sole purpose for visiting was to confirm the whereabouts of Qingyi. If his intention were to destroy the Floating Nether Realm, he would not have to go through all this trouble.
Unfortunately, fear had led the people of the Floating Nether Realm to paint him as a cruel and unpredictable villain. Through all the plans he had made alongside Qingyi, it was evident that he was not a villain. After all, the destruction of the Mountains and Oceans True World and the Immortal Palace were part of their well-calculated plans. Despite all this, Gu Changge did not care how the people in the Floating Nether Realm viewed or treated him.
“He left just like that?” In the City of No Return, the ancient creatures, including the Golden Winged Roc in his Human Form and the Ancestral Crocodile, were left in utter disbelief. They had steeled themselves to battle with Gu Changge to death, even at the cost of their Bodies and Souls. His sudden exit left them feeling surreal, almost as though they had been dreaming.
“What? He left just like that?” Everyone who had resided in the City of No Return for generations were equally taken aback. They had already accepted their fate, told their children their final words and even left instructions for their funeral arrangements. Sadness and sorrow once filled the City of No Return, but now it seemed like they were overthinking about the situation. Gu Changge did not care about them at all.
“Did he not come to destroy the City of No Return?” Some who were wide awake still could not believe they were alive. All the worries and fears that had plagued them turned out to be unfounded and unnecessary.
“Perhaps he is not bothered because to him, killing us is no different from trampling on mere ants, or maybe we are spared because we hardly pose any threat to him.” Many attempted to decipher the reason, but failed to find an answer no matter how hard they racked their brains. In the end, they believed that Gu Changge did not bother because they could be easily disposed of.
“Putting that aside, why did he decide to eliminate the source of the Demonic Energy?” An Immortal King standing beside Grandma Medicine shook his head with a perplexed look on his face. Elder Turtle, Grandma Medicine, Cen Shuang and even the Old City Lord had the same question in mind.
“Could there be some secrets behind the previous incident?”
“I heard that upon assuming control of the Immortal Domain, he not only unified the Source World and the Immortal Domain, but also devised a plan to unite the Other Domain and restore the Mountains and Oceans True World to its former glory.”
“The Immortal Domain is showing signs of awakening. There is hope for it to regain its glory like before the Celestial Ancient Times.”
“Indeed, it is all thanks to his arrival, the Immortal Domain is showing signs of awakening. Otherwise, no one knows how long it would have remained dormant,” another Immortal King Elder chimed in, his words laced with complex emotions. Despite residing in the Floating Nether Realm, they were well-informed of the happenings in the Immortal Domain.
From a certain perspective, everything Gu Changge did was beneficial for both the Immortal Domain and its people. Even the Floating Nether Realm had been blessed with his fortune aid.
The most obvious improvements included the shift in the World Principles and heightened Spiritual Energy. With such changes, the Immortal Domain was becoming an increasingly suitable place for cultivators to train. One could reach enlightenment even in distant universes and Ancient Worlds of the Immortal Domain. All things considered; Gu Changge truly deserved the title of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.
“If he harboured no ill will, why did he destroy the Array protecting the Floating Nether Realm and force us to reveal ourselves? Besides, what could he possibly change by doing all these? Things wouldn’t be this way if he hadn’t destroyed the Immortal Palace and the Immortal Domain in the first place.” Upon hearing words that seemed to defend Gu Changge, Cen Shuang gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with frustration.
“If we look at it from his perspective, this was the only viable option to get us to show up. I believe that he wasn’t lying when he said he was here to find someone. Although we may never know the true motive behind his actions, what’s important is that he harbours no ill will towards us and poses no threat to our lives. Truly, this is the most favourable outcome we could hope for.” The Immortal King Elder let out a sigh while shaking his head.
His opinion was not driven by fear for Gu Changge or death. From the many events that had transpired, Gu Changge had not shown any intention of eliminating the remnants of the Immortal Palace. Their assumption that Gu Changge was seeking revenge was merely a product of their worry and desperation.
They had even used the bones of their Immortal King Ancestors to summon their Dharmic Bodies, and provoked Gu Changge outside the Queen Lunar Residence. If Gu Changge’s intention was to seek revenge, his immense power would have allowed him to easily destroy the Floating Nether Realm with a flick of his wrist. There was no need for him to come to Floating Nether Realm in person and even take such drastic measures to eradicate the source of the Demonic Energy.
Unfortunately for them, they never learned that Gu Changge’s true intention for eliminating the source of Demonic Energy was solely to acquire the Dao Fruit. He was not as noble as everyone in the City of No Return believed him to be.
“Did he do all this out of guilt?” Another Elder could not help but shake his head and speculated. Despite saying that, he was amused by his own words.
“Impossible, he must be plotting something… It’s impossible for him to have hidden reasons. He’s the epitome of evil, a despicable fiend!” Cen Shuang was unable to accept all these speculations, especially when the person in question was her archenemy.
“Why is he acting this way?” She pondered. She recalled the conversations she had with her Father when she was just a child. Among them, he told her the most about a certain peerless Demon Lord.
His mere existence was enough to deter any invasion from the other True Worlds. Even the most fearsome entities from other True Worlds, who the Grand Palace Master had to treat as superior to herself, had to be respectful before the Demon Lord. This was something that had been imprinted in her mind since she was young.
She still remembered the day her Father took her to the Immortal Palace. The Grand Palace Master had invited all the Star Kings and ministers to witness the ripening of the flat peaches she planted.
The serene courtyard was enveloped in a celestial haze. The crystal-clear springs flowed upwards and lush bamboo groves swayed in the gentle breeze. The Star Kings watched from afar, not daring to get too close as the Grand Palace Master and the peerless Demon Lord who strolled next to each other.
At the time, they were both dressed in white and looked like a lovely pair. As the petals of the flat peach trees fell, one landed delicately on the Grand Palace Master’s hair. The Demon Lord reached out and plucked it off with a smile on his face. The Grand Palace Master seized the moment and took his hand, gazing into his eyes with a look of pure adoration, as if there were no one else in their world.
As a young girl, Cen Shuang did not understand what was going on between the two. She only thought that it was wonderful and yearned to experience it. However, the greatest cruelty and tragedy in the world was to tear the beauty apart after revealing it.
When Cen Shuang learned of the Grand Palace Master’s demise at the hands of the Demon Lord, she was struck with disbelief and heartache. When she thought about it, this was what led to the Immortal Palace’s destruction and the downfall of the Immortal Domain.
“How could someone so cold and heartless possess even a shred of kindness?” Cen Shuang’s eyes were filled with defiance.
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