Chapter 175: Even Better than Life; A d.a.m.ned Romance Plot!
— — —
The stone wall was obviously an illusion.
Gu Changge saw through it the instant he laid his eyes upon it. The illusion rippled as he walked through it.
A small stone chamber came into view.
The surrounding four walls were engraved with many ancient carvings that have lasted since the Immortal Period, depicting the ancient rites of sacrifice that the Ancient Immortal Races once performed.
Accompanying it were archaic visions of vast and glorious scenes that permeated the empty s.p.a.ce, as the Supreme Immortal Dynasty came into view.
Countless living beings, subjects, bowed in reverence and knocked their heads upon the ground as one, giving rise to a sound that would echo throughout the Upper Realm.
At the forefront of the central-most wall was the Immortal Road[1].
[1. Quick Recap: Immortal Road is a portal to reach other realms or minor worlds.]
Within the portal lay a gap in the door, reflecting a vast ancient world.
Immortal aura fell like rain as wisps of immortal mist escaped from the gap in the portal.
‘The Fairy Gate.’
‘It would seem that although Mingkong knew its location for quite some time, she had no way of entering it.’
Gu Changge looked at the portal, as a meaningful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He soon noticed Yue Mingkong, who had followed him inside.
The smile on his face disappeared and returned to its usual calm.
“Since you don"t believe me, you can go in first once the Fairy Gate opens.”
Gu Changge casually said as much when he glanced at Yue Mingkong.
“Of course, if you"re worried that I"m plotting against you, you can also choose to stay outside.”
He didn’t seem to have taken her prior comments to heart.
However, Yue Mingkong had already sensed several changes in Gu Changge"s expression.
Before, Gu Changge would always speak to her with a smile on his face.
However, his eyes were now like ice.
Such an att.i.tude brought greater discomfort to Yue Mingkong than his typical indifference.
“I believe in you.” Her voice subconsciously rose a pitch higher.
Gu Changge glanced at her again, as he spoke with a smile, “That would be best.” It wasn’t much of a response.
Yue Mingkong’s clear and cold eyes were seemingly unchanged.
In truth, however, she felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
Obviously, Gu Changge didn’t believe that she believed.
Such an att.i.tude was plain to see.
‘Why did I say that?!’
Gu Changge"s usual temperament was cold, unfeeling, arrogant to the extreme. However, he was finally coming around.
But now, with one word, she had pulled them back to stage one, perhaps even worse than that.
Yue Mingkong felt a deep sense of regret, despondence even.
She must have misunderstood Gu Changge; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so sensitive to her comments.
The Fairy Gate in front of her seemed to have lost its temptation to her.
Her preparations over the course of the month were now meaningless.
At that point, Yue Mingkong began to reflect.
Since her regression, she didn’t want to take revenge on Gu Changge… she wanted his heart.
It seemed as though Gu Changge was clueless as to Yue Mingkong’s current thoughts.
He tossed his hands in the air with a look of resignation[2].
[2. Gu Changge threw his hands in the air, like “Duck this; I"m out.” It’s all part of his keikaku to make Mingkong think he’s given up.]
He paced back and forth around the Fairy Gate, recalling all of the information he knew.
‘There are only two ways to open the Fairy Gate as of this moment. Either wait for it to open on its own, or urge it to do so through the Immortal Record[3]…’
[3. Language from the Immortal Period.]
‘I don"t know when it will open, but the Ancient Immortal Continent is bound to be in a state of chaos by then. Such an event would easily attract the attention of many powerhouses.’
As these thoughts flashed through Gu Changge’s mind, he came up with a plan.
The Immortal Record is the term used to describe the writing system used in the Immortal Period. It was used in sacrifices, specifically to pray to the immortals and enlighten the mundane mortals.
‘As it happens, there’s a rather expensive copy of this script in the system mall, selling for 18,000 Destiny Points.’
Without hesitation, Gu Changge quickly bought the item.
Hum!
One by one, characters of the ancient script shone brightly like miniature stars in his mind, emitting a dazzling golden colour.
Before long, the characters became clearer as his understanding grew. In his mind, the characters seemed to have evolved into a vague immortal shadow.
An additional piece of text appeared in Gu Changge"s mind.
‘I have the keys now.’
A smile laced with a deeper meaning found its way to his face.
Unfortunately, Yue Mingkong had yet to notice such a change.
She was still caught up in her thoughts, wondering how she should speak, wondering how she could apologize and make up for what just happened between her and Gu Changge.
She truly didn"t want their relationship to reach a freezing point yet again because of something like this.
“I’m about to open the Fairy Gate. Do you want to go in first or should I? Once we’re inside, we’ll go our separate ways and deal with the Fairy Spirit within, on our own terms. Do you agree?”
Soon, Gu Changge gently made his offer.
His words seemed to snap Yue Mingkong out of her thoughts. She was a bit surprised, for it seemed that Gu Changge really could open the Fairy Gate ahead of time.
She had waited in vain for over a month.
But after hearing Gu Changge’s words, she became torn for a short while.
It didn’t make any difference whether she went in first or second.
How long did she prepare for the Fairy’s arrival?
Over a month.
She even borrowed the Immortal Qi of this place to cultivate, her cultivation base had increased by leaps and bounds.
In truth, she would find it difficult to accept, if she just gave up.
However, when Yue Mingkong looked at Gu Changge, who stood right in front of her. She had decided.
She opened her mouth and said, “I won"t go in.”
“I"ll stay outside to protect this place. Don’t misunderstand, I’m just doing this to apologise for what I said. I’ve misunderstood you, and I won’t compete with you for the Fairy Spirit.”
“If this doesn"t prove my sincerity, then you can also kill me.”
“I can guarantee that I won"t fight back. After all, even if I fight back, I wouldn’t be your match.”
Yue Mingkong calmly declared.
She had actively chosen to give up.
As she said, this was the only way she could think of to prove her sincerity to Gu Changge.
If Gu Changge didn"t believe it, he could kill her.
When that comes to pa.s.s, she would have no choice but to accept her fate.
After all, she knew too many of his secrets.
However, Yue Mingkong was actually not as calm as she seemed on the surface.
The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became… she was afraid that Gu Changge would truly leave her, never to return.
She would rather Gu Changge harbour murderous intent for her, to kill her like he did in her previous life, rather than live a life where they were strangers to one another.
For her, the latter was simply a torment worse than death.
“How decisive of you…”
Even Gu Changge was slightly taken aback.
As a matter of fact, he’d never expected Yue Mingkong to make such a choice.
For her to allow a blatant strike loaded with killing intent?
He’d considered many possibilities. At most, he thought Yue Mingkong would grit her teeth and weep, tearfully apologizing as she admits her wrongdoing.
But this… the thought never occurred to him.
If he didn’t believe her, she would rather die.
‘Is she stupid?’
Naturally, Gu Changge didn’t take Yue Mingkong’s doubt to heart in the slightest.
After all, she wasn’t wrong. In fact, she was absolutely right!
It’s true that he’d always schemed against Yue Mingkong. For a person like him who valued personal gain and rationalism, it was difficult for him to be attracted to someone.
The so-called heart is nothing more than a gluttonous body.
There was no door to his heart, for him to truly be in love would be nothing short of a miracle[4].
[4. Direct Translation: “To a woman, it is even more difficult to walk to his heart, there is no possibility.”]
‘Why must you be so stupid?’
Gu Changge sighed slightly, “How can I kill you?”
She was so stupid that he felt a bit bored.
At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to tease her anymore.
Today"s incident may be a trivial joke to him, but to Yue Mingkong, it is a matter of life and death.
This woman loved him more than her own life.
This was the kind of plot Gu Changge only ever expected to take place in romance novels in his previous life. He never thought that it would one day happen to him.
Should he step forward and take her into his arms? Should he speak warm and gentle words to her?
Gu Changge did none of that.
To behave in such a manner would simply be pushing the bounds between reality and fiction. Even if Yue Mingkong was stupid, she easily would be able to see through such a facade.
To do so would disrupt the game of chess he enjoyed playing.
“Gu Changge, why can’t you kill me?”
Yue Mingkong was stunned, unable to comprehend Gu Changge"s words.
Did he accept her apology or not?
She was bewildered.
“What would I kill you for? You’re far more useful alive than dead.” Gu Changge gave a gentle smile.
“Then you are really cruel.” Yue Mingkong replied, her heart in tatters.
The only thing she wants to do now is to determine Gu Changge’s true feelings for her.
Nothing else mattered.
Yue Mingkong believes that everything has a reason.
She wanted to find out why Gu Changge was so distant, why he didn’t seem to care anymore.
Gu Changge raised his hand…
Hundreds of millions of brilliant lights bloomed in the palm of his hand. They blurred into one as a gorgeous immortal flower emitted rays of black light, its roots spreading across the four directions.
Hum!
One after another, ancient and mysterious characters emerged from the void as Gu Changge began to recite words from the Immortal Period.
Blurry figures appeared all around. Figures of renown and ancestors, all kneeling on the ground, as they prayed and bowed to the immortals.
“Will the Fairy Gate truly open?” Yue Mingkong stared, looking over as well.
These ancient and mysterious characters seemed to be attracted by a strange force, all headed for the stone gate ahead.
Click!
In the midst of her shock, a splendid rain of light burst forth!
The stone gate opened!
A path opened up.
An immortal light rushed to the skies as hundreds of millions of Immortal Qi were released all at once, containing an unbelievably rich essence as thick as the mountain range they were in.
They felt as though they’d become immortals themselves.
If it weren"t for the runes and arrays Yue Mingkong had prepared in advance, which blocked every inch of the void, the aura from here would have reached into the sky and sent great waves in all directions. Such a sight would have guaranteed the arrival of countless people.
And yet, in spite of the preparations, the place still became flooded with rich Immortal Qi in an instant.
The Fairy Gate opened, and with it, the Immortal Road.
From Gu Changge’s point of view, a vague and hazy road seemed to run through the Fairy Gate, as if connecting to a vast and unfathomable world.
Immortal trees stood tall, immortal flowers bloomed brightly, and the winds carried the scent of divine medicines.
‘For the Fairy Gate to be opened by Gu Changge in such a manner… how? What did he recite? Had he done this in the previous life?’
Yue Mingkong’s dress fluttered, her eyes profound, as her entire body was enveloped by the immortal rain.
She could feel her body being flooded by the dazzling immortal light, her skin turning almost crystal clear from the Immortal Qi it received.
Just standing there was a great blessing.
However, deep within lay a terrifying aura, enough to crush all living beings and break them.
The Immortal Road is not a journey ordinary cultivators can take.
If Yue Mingkong wanted to try it, she would have to pay dearly.
However, since she said she would protect Gu Changge from the outside, she did not need to do so.
In the event that other cultivators arrive, she would be able to buy time for Gu Changge.
As she thought of all this, Gu Changge had already entered the Fairy Gate, one step at a time.
Above his head floated a Black Dao Bottle, floating up and down. It manifested into a divine light, seemingly drawn to the terrible pressure within the Fairy Road.
‘Based on the memories of my previous life, the Immortal Road will open for only half a month, after which it will automatically close. Only those who stood at the top of humanity could walk this road and explore the secrets of immortality…’
Yue Mingkong frowned.
It was fortunate that the aura here was concealed for thousands of miles by the formations she’d prepared beforehand.
Unless the cream of the crop were to approach this area, it would be impossible to detect them.
‘Gu Changge shouldn’t have any problems for a while. With his meticulous mind, I can rest a.s.sured.’
Yue Mingkong understood that the two of them were working in the area of darkness under the lamp.
If they are detected by these elites, the Ancient Immortal Continent will be engulfed in a storm.
Even the ancestors themselves would be alarmed.
And soon, the entirety of the Immortal Road showed itself to Gu Changge.
Yue Mingkong turned to look, but only saw a fraction of the scene.
[Within the Fairy Gate, in a vast world]
Below the sky, a large lake br.i.m.m.i.n.g with Immortal Qi appeared out of thin air, spanning tens of thousands of miles in radius.
The lake was covered in mist, as thousands of auspicious rainbows burst forth to give it an incomparably divine appearance.
The waves seemed to sparkle, as though time had stopped. Above the waters grew ancient heavenly lotuses.
It was around this area that Gu Changge’s figure appeared.
He stared at a few lights at the bottom of the lake.
His eyes held a peculiar look to them.
Deep underneath the lake laid a blue glow, like a dense ancient star residing at the bottom of the lake.
Sometimes, this strange and mysterious haze of blue would sink into the lake, and other times it would soar high into the sky.
Despite its inherent mystery, both Gu Changge and Yue Mingkong could tell, this was none other than the so-called Fairy Spirit!
Even among Quasi-Supreme Realm cultivators, such a thing was an extremely rare sight.
So rare, in fact, that a small piece of it is enough to cause a desperate battle between them!
It was at this moment that Gu Changge sat cross-legged.
Above his head floated the terrifying Black Dao Bottle, like a waterfall of black light, allowing him to withstand the majestic yet tyrannical pressure within this world.
At the same time, an aura with the pressure of a black hole appeared.
At this moment, Gu Changge’s cultivation that lay at the pinnacle of the G.o.d King Realm unveiled itself!
The blue rays of light, as if imbued with a spiritual nature, were birthed from the Immortal Lake.
And now, Gu Changge devoured it in a mad frenzy as the Black Dao Bottle absorbed everything.
Even the Inner World his body contained was revealed, as the Immortal Qi began to wildly rush toward it.
A vast and ancient divine aura emerged from within his Inner World, as a heavenly palace-like building appeared.
It looked like a scene straight out of the myths and legends of the Southern Heavenly Gate.
It would seem that Gu Changge’s cultivation base had found a suitable source, as it cathartically began to improve.
Not only were these strands of Immortal Qi incredibly rare, each strand was unique, unusual. And these weren’t just strands of Immortal Qi, these were strands of True Immortal Qi.
A breakthrough to the pinnacle of the G.o.d King Realm!
[Half-Step of the Sacred Realm!]
[Early stage of the Sacred Realm!]
[Mid-stage of the Sacred Realm!]
— — —
[At the same time, underneath a tall ancient tree]
“You’re my ancestor? And you say your name is Gu Nanshan?”
Gu Xian"er, who was dealing with several natives, stared with suspicion at the old man who suddenly appeared in front of her.
To be precise, he’s more of an old peasant than an old man…
He was hunched, unkempt, had a gloomy look on his face, and his yellow teeth were stained with vegetable leaves. Even the rusty kitchen knife he bore had a hole in it.
He looked like he was thrown on the streets to sell vegetables. Who would buy such a claim?
‘Dirty.’
So when he suddenly appeared out of thin air and claimed to be her ancestor, Gu Xian’er was almost frightened.
Either fortunately or unfortunately, Gu Xian’er was blessed with great ability… in accepting strange “eccentric” powerhouses like this. After all, her old masters had similar traits, and she was with them since childhood.
However, it was still a bit difficult for her to connect her ancestors with the old peasant in front of her.
“Xian"er, he is the ancestor of your family’s branch.” At this moment, the figure of the Great Elder walked out from the void and gently smiled.
“Master.” Gu Xian"er hurriedly paid her respects, ensuring proper treatment of one who’d taught her well.
“Now do you believe me, girl?” Gu Nanshan scratched behind his ears, his face a little red with embarra.s.sment.
The two have never met before, so she didn’t believe him. Instead, she quietly held onto one of her trump cards.
He was pleased with her vigilance, but he was a bit distressed as well.
Over the years, this girl had been wronged. She must’ve suffered plenty of grievances from the outside world without the protection of her family.
‘She was born to an Ancient Immortal Family, destined to be a little princess.’
‘However, that guy, Gu Changge dug out her Dao Bones and exiled her, causing her much suffering..’
‘It wouldn"t have been easy for her to get this far.’
Gu Nashan’s heart grew complicated, as he felt a bit of regret for not being there when she needed it.
‘This old ancestor is unqualified!’
‘I was buried for too long, and I’d only recently come out for a breath of fresh air. If not for my recent awakening, I wouldn’t have even known that a wolf cub like Gu Changge was among the descendents of our family, much less the acts he committed to those in the same generation.’
The mere thought of the incident enraged him.
Fortunately, it was found that Gu Changge hadn’t gone that far, giving him a bit of relief.
However, he still felt guilty for his junior, Gu Xian’er.
“Xian"er greets her ancestor.”
Thanks to the appearance of the Great Elder, Gu Xian’er believed the old peasant’s claims, behaving herself well.
“What a smart and sensible little girl.”
Gu Nanshan nodded, smiling.
The more he saw, the more pleased he became.
She was smart, clever, and charming.
[TL/N: SUS?!]
[Zain: SUSSY BAKA!!]
Although she was no Young Supreme, her cultivation was no weaker than her peers.
Her body was marked with many scars left by strong opponents.
‘Truly, this girl is blessed with great fortune.’
“Xian"er, don"t worry, now that you have the backing of this ancestor, there are none who can harm you. And that Gu Changge is no exception. Although he is the Young Master, he wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble with this old ancestor around.”
Gu Nashan spoke, feeling that as her ancestor, he should help Gu Xian’er by solving some of her worries.
The reason why he came to the Immortal Ancient Continent was entirely because he wanted to support Gu Xian"er, fearing that she would suffer from Gu Changge’s poisonous hands.
“Um, ancestor…”
“Is what you said true?”
Gu Xian’er was stunned when she heard of this. Her bright eyes blinked with antic.i.p.ation as she asked, “What did you say regarding Gu Changge?”
“Don"t worry. With this ancestor here, Gu Changge wouldn’t dare kill you,” Gu Nanshan a.s.sured.
“That"s it?”
Gu Xian’er felt like this ancestor was quite… unreliable.
The cute look on her face disappeared, replaced with a look of disappointment.
“Yes?”
Gu Nashan was surprised, “Xian’er, could it be that you plan to have this ancestor of yours kill Gu Changge for you? This is…”
Having said that, he felt a bit troubled.
In truth, he found it difficult to kill a member of the younger generation. He was an ancestor, after all.
“Who asked you to kill him?”
Gu Xian’er was a bit anxious at what he said, as with a small look of antic.i.p.ation, said, “Ancestor, how about this? Help me by suppressing Gu Changge’s cultivation base for me…”
“If he could just be suppressed to the same level as me, no… below me…”
She thought about it carefully.
Even if they were to be at the same level, she still wouldn’t be able to beat Gu Changge.
‘That guy is outrageously strong…’
However, Gu Nashan was even more surprised when he heard her words, his eyes narrowing slightly.
‘What?’
‘Shouldn"t Gu Xian"er hate Gu Changge to the core?’
‘Did I get it all wrong?’
Upon seeing this scene, the Great Elder on the side merely laughed. He’d obviously expected this turn of events.
After all, he has always paid close attention to the events unfolding within the Ancient Immortal Continent.
Gu Nashan’s understanding of the grievances between Gu Xian’er and Gu Changge was incomplete.