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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Gu Changge stepped out of the Immortal Domain. The River of Time flowed beneath his feet. Time intersected and scenes of destruction seemed to emerge.
In just the blink of an eye, he came to the border where many desolate universes gathered and crossed over the Boundless Battlefield.
There was nothing but darkness all around as chaos weaved together to form Seas of Chaos. Countless ruins of stars hovered within them.
The damaged worlds were vast but dead and cold. There was no longer any vitality in them.
In fact, not even the shadow of a living being could be found.
Even the environment had been destroyed. Terrifying rifts could be seen all over. All manner of divine light shone out of them, and corpses hovered among them. Even the weakest of these corpses had the aura of a True Immortal.
There were numerous disintegrating bodies of Immortal Kings. They bore an alarming aura of destruction. It was clear they had been killed by a terrifying being.
This was the ruins of an old battlefield, though it was unclear from when or where. It was pushed out of the chaos and exposed to the world.
Some of the strange living beings in the Boundless Expanse were devouring the corpses of Immortal Kings. Some looked like crows while others looked like vultures and wolves. They were not fully sentient and seemed to be relying on instincts alone as they scavenged for food in the Boundless Expanse.
That being said, the fact that they could easily rip apart bodies of Immortal Kings proved just how powerful they were.
Even an Immortal King in his prime would have to cautiously avoid this group of peculiar beings. They would not dare challenge them.
Gu Changge stood above the embankment. The dark waves were coming in repeatedly before him, looking like boundless stretches of fog that threatened to drown everything in its path.
A strange and suppressive aura shrouded the sky and made it hard to breathe.
However, Gu Changge could see the rising Fortuity of Prosperous Dao True World. It was like a dazzling lamp amidst the dark sky that was particularly striking.
After pausing briefly in thought, Gu Changge ignored the living beings who were eating the bodies of Immortal Kings and left the ancient battlefield, arriving above the Boundless Expanse.
Under the pressure of his strength, the torrential waves and unceasing World Energy stilled.
The ancient worlds gave off a rumbling sound as they kept turning.
Gu Changge could sense that there was no vitality in these worlds. There was nothing but silence.
Many ancient worlds came to be in the Boundless Expanse. However, only a few had the means to become a True World.
As time went by, these ancient worlds crumbled from the calamities that beset them. Drowning in the aura of the Boundless Expanse, they ended up buried in chaos.
The ruins of these ancient worlds stretched on like a never-ending obstacle course that obstructed passage through the Boundless Expanse.
However, Gu Changge paid no attention to these things. He merely stared into the dark depths of the Boundless Expanse. His eyes flickered with golden light.
[This close to the Prosperous Dao True World? How convinent. Saves me a lot of trouble…] A golden path appeared beneath his feet that cut straight through the Boundless Expanse.
The concept of space and location did not exist in the Boundless Expanse. Some parts of it were entirely lawless voids where even time and space did not flow. Even Dao Realm ancient cultivators could not ascertain the specific location of a place if they did not have its precise coordinates.
This was why many of the ancient Forces of the Prosperous Dao True World concluded that fleeing into the Boundless Expanse before the arrival of the Great Purge was a doomed choice.
They did not know where they could go once they entered the Boundless Expanse. Even though they had powerful cultivators among them, who could keep everyone safe whilst travelling through the Boundless Expanse, where could they go?
Even the Gu Family’s Founding Ancestor was hesitant. He could not be certain that he could protect everyone in the Family. No one wanted to make such a decision unless they had no other choice.
Plus, even if they had a precise location and path ahead of them, the vast Boundless Expanse was filled with dangers and unknown mysteries. Even Gu Wuwang, the Gu Family’s Founding Ancestor, was not certain he could cross the Boundless Expanse safely, let alone others.
Many years ago, several Ancestors of Immortal Emperor Families in Prosperous Dao True World’s Other Domain sensed that something was about to happen. With heightened alertness, they began planning a mass migration.
At the time, Gu Changge knew of their plans, but he was unbothered as he knew they would not be able to safely reach a new homeland.
Meanwhile, a True World without the protection of its True Spirit was like a blazing fire amidst the dark Boundless Expanse. A beacon of light that was forever lit. It was a clear marker for all the living beings in the Boundless Expanse.
…
Mist continued to roll about the fragmented ancient worlds that seemed like wisps of cloud. The ancient battleship thundered as it suppressed everything around it and made even the sky shudder.
The many experts of Spirit Ruin True World were currently aboard the ancient battleship. They had their own caves and palaces. All of them were shrouded in Chaos Qi, which made their silhouettes hazy.
Some of the large figures looked like the ancient deities found in legends. Their skins glowed with a golden light and ancient runes covered their foreheads.
The ancient battleship was as massive as a boundless continent with worlds of its own. There were palaces, mountains, and lakes. Each region had a different landscape. Apart from the powerful beings at the very front, many living beings lived in the vast lands in the back.
Most of these living beings came from ancient worlds affiliated with Spirit Ruin True World.
There were also many enslaved Forces whose Families had lived on board this massive ancient battleship for numerous generations. As the battleship moved through the Boundless Expanse, they were in charge of maintaining the battleship and repairing damaged runes and Arrays.
For them, the battleship was their homeland. It was all that they basically knew. The rolling mountains and vast lands were home to islands, lakes, and a civilised community, just like an ordinary cultivation world.
Naturally, compared to the Boundless Expanse, it was still merely an ancient battleship.
Though it was vast and featured land and Principles of its own, it was minuscule compared to a True World and could not do much.
For those travelling through the Boundless Expanse, all they saw were endless clouds and waves. However, these clouds and waves had birthed countless living beings and worlds.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
In a corner of a city, the dull sound of hammering rang out from an unassuming Artifact shop. The moment the fiery hot metal plunged into the icy water, a sizzling sound filled the air as steam rose in a puff.
A young figure was standing by the pool of water used for tempering. His rolled-up sleeves revealed his bronze arms. He was muttering to himself, “99,991, 99,992, 99,993…”
He counted each time he struck down with his hammer.
The young figure’s outwardly appearance was similar to Humans. His eyes were grey and his hands were covered in fine, metallic-looking scales.
Meanwhile, the figures that passed by him looked more similar to an ‘Alien Race’. Their body frames were a lot larger than ordinary Humans, and they had the characteristics of other species. However, these figures seemed completely used to this scene.
Many would hang around the Artifact shop and look through the ready-made wares, such as blades, swords, bows, spears, shields, and more. However, they would soon leave without making a purchase.
At last, after counting the 100,000th strike, the silhouette who was busy tempering his new creation finally stopped.
His long and messy hair nearly covered his entire soot-streaked face. Still, he did not care. He turned to the pool and scooped up some water to give his face a quick rinse.
“I heard that the Spirit Ruin Royal Family has been going all around recruiting Artifact Refining Masters from the Ghost Axe Clan and Array Masters from the Celestial Crafts Clan . Who knows what they want to build this time…”
“Over the years, many of those from the Ghost Axe Clan and Celestial Crafts Clan have been recruited, but few ever came back. It’s said that they’ve been working on something the whole time.”
“Why do I get the feeling that something’s not right, though? I’ve heard of our Elders mentioning a similar situation in the past…”
“Hush! Keep your voice down. I can’t believe you even said that. Aren’t you afraid that someone from the Spirit Ruin Clan might overhear you? You could lose your head.”
The moment the young figure who was washing his face overheard the muttered conversation between the passersby, he froze with his hands hovering mid-air.
Beneath his long and messy hair, his deep eyes grew cold as ice.
“Senior Chu, it’s time to eat…”
The curtain in the back of the Artifact shop was suddenly drawn.
A young female with delicate features skipped into the shop and called out to the young male figure.
“Coming.” At the sound of her voice, the male snapped out of his thoughts and responded. After washing his hands clean and drying them with a rag, he walked over to the young female.
There was a fairly small courtyard on the other side of the curtain. There were clothes hanging on a line and some livestock as well which gave the place a homey feel to it.
A burly Elderly being with ungroomed sideburns was sitting on a rocking chair while munching on peanuts.
“Master.” The young figure called out respectfully before sitting down at the table and picking up his cutlery.
“You seem troubled…” The burly Elderly being glanced at the young figure and seemingly saw right through him. He gently shook his head and straightened up.
“Master…” For a while, the young figure remained quiet. Then, beneath his hair, a terrifying gleam flashed across his eyes. His voice was cold and sharp as he said, “I think you know what’s happening outside…”
The burly Elderly being nodded and said slowly, “Of course. The Spirit Ruin Royal Family is once again going all around recruiting those from our Ghost Axe Clan and the Celestial Crafts Clan. Every now and then, they would do this, though it’s become a lot more frequent lately.”
“Master, you know fully well it’s a trap. You know what is happening, so why don’t you stop it?”
“Our Ghost Axe Clan and the Celestial Crafts Clan have always pledged loyalty to the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. We tirelessly make their weapons and construct their buildings and Arrays for them. But in the end, the so-called recruitment is merely their way of slaughtering all of us, and they do it just for the sake of hiding a startling secret so that others won’t discover their sinister plot.”
“The Spirit Ruin Royal Family is truly ruthless.” It was as if the young figure could not hold back anymore. Every word he said was laced with resentment.
“Senior Chu…” His heavy words made the young female beside him pause. A thought occurred to her, and her expression grew sorrowful.
After all, who would have thought that the place their Clan has called home for many generations was merely a prison?
All of their Ancestors and descendants were and would forever be caged in here. Every generation would be made to create Arrays and repair damages for the Spirit Ruin Royal Family.
To stop them from spilling the truth, the Spirit Ruin Royal Family would mercilessly slaughter all those who repaired the Arrays.
The Ghost Axe Clan and Celestial Creation Clan were unknowingly setting up the Sacrificial Grand Array for the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. At some point, the living beings of this land would become nothing more than sacrificial offerings.
Though there was no telling when that day would come, it would not be too far in the future.
“This is the fate of our people. We can’t escape it.” The burly Elderly being’s expression was grim and sorrowful too as he shook his head.
How could they free themselves from the Spirit Ruin Royal Family and not be used and controlled by them anymore?
As the most powerful being in the Ghost Axe Clan, he knew full well just how terrifyingly strong the Spirit Ruin Royal Family was. Throughout all these epochs, many of their Ancestors who discovered the truth had been the most powerful beings of their era, but what was the outcome?
Their efforts had been as futile as tossing a grain of sand into the ocean. Not a single ripple formed. Since the outcome was clear, what was the point of doing anything? It was nearly impossible to go against the Spirit Ruin Royal Family.
“Chu Lian, it’s not that I don’t care. It’s that I can’t do anything about it.” the burly Elderly man sighed.
Chu Lian was his disciple. Chu Lian’s Father was an Artifact Refining Master from the Ghost Axe Clan and his Mother was an Array Master from the Celestial Crafts Clan.
However, the Spirit Ruin Royal Family had forcefully taken his parents away many years ago, and there had been no news of them since.
After hearing what his Master said, Chu Lian wallowed in a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration. Even the most powerful being in the Ghost Axe Clan could not do anything. Did it not mean they could not escape the Spirit Ruin Royal Family’s control and their destined fate?
[No! I still have that light sphere. It told me that as long as I do something repeatedly a million times, I’ll be able to open it up and become its Master. That I would receive the strength of an entire Civilisation. I only have the last 100,000 times left to go!] All of a sudden, Chu Lian thought of something, and his gaze grew hopeful once more.
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