Chapter 186: Gu Changge is Cold on the Outside and Warm in the Inside; His Disguise Will be Torn Off One Day!
On that day, in front of the Ancient City of Heavenly Dao, the great army of the Sea King Palace was eradicated.
Only the scattered wracks of their ancient warships remained, as well as some residual of the terrifying aura that recounted this great and horrible battle.
The news spread quickly, like a boulder slamming into the deep sea, causing enormous waves.
The cultivators that witnessed it all were shocked beyond belief. Even now, they still felt chills when they recalled the events that took place.
Even though the Sea King Palace was extremely powerful, in the end, it didn"t get the slightest advantage, instead they completely offended the Immortal Gu Family, and in some ways, even humiliated themselves.
Many cultivators even speculate that the situation in the Immeasurable Heavens will undergo a terrible change in the future.
That day, the Golden Dharma Decree shrouded the sky, holding as much divine might as a Heavenly Tribulation.
Even the Sea King"s phantom from the Sea King Palace appeared in person, but it failed to change anything. And in the end, even his Decree was smashed into ashes by the Gu Family’s ancestor.
The Ancient Immortal Gu Family demonstrated to everyone its horror and might.
There was no room for humiliation!
In the following period, news of the event rapidly fermented, spreading like wildfire.
Regardless of who they were, they were shaken to the core, unable to stay calm.
No one expected that such a secret past would be involved.
Whether it was by Gu Changge’s words or Gu Xian’er’s origins and tragic childhood, many were left shocked.
The stir caused by this incident was no less than the appearance of the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor some time ago, who killed many Young Supremes.
Some even felt that Gu Changge"s ruthlessness in certain areas were comparable to that of the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritors.
However, such a narrative was soon drowned in the waves of diverse opinions.
As a result of the bone digging incident at a young age, Gu Changge"s reputation had taken a great blow, and his perfect image in the hearts of many of the younger generation had been tainted.
Many of the younger generation couldn"t believe it and found it hard to accept, but the fact remains that Gu Changge did it with his own hands. He said it with his own mouth, and he even dug out the bones, the sight of which caused the eight directions to shake.
However, Gu Changge’s bold confession of his past actions to world made many people swell with admiration. Some people even began to think that his actions were even justified.
Is there really a perfect person in this world?
Unlikely.
No one is perfect, not even the greatest of saints are.
Gu Changge carries a stain that would be hard to erase, but isn"t that normal?
From this perspective, the many young women who practically worshiped Gu Changge before felt that he only became more “real”. Thus, their admiration for him was no less.
Compared to the previous Gu Changge, who was a transcendent immortal-like being above the nine heavens, unstained by even a speck of dust…
This version of Gu Changge made them feel as though the gap between them was no longer as wide.
Besides, not even saints are without fault, and Gu Changge had been open to the whole world.
Is this not a sign of his guilt and atonement? He will make up for his previous mistakes and compensate for his debt to Gu Xian"er.
Why shouldn"t they choose to forgive him?
After all, were Gu Changge’s words not convincing?
Over time, people began to praise Gu Changge"s transparency and unspeakable courage.
Who else could’ve done what he did? Who would admit their past mistakes and dig out their own bones in front of the whole world, in order to repay their debts?
Throughout this period of time, various opinions rose: praise, anger, sorrow and ridicule…
The younger generation, in particular, never stopped debating such opinions.
The Young Supremes who were in the Heavenly Dao Ancient City and witnessed everything, were even more devastated by the events.
Even though Gu Changge had dug out the bones of the Great Dao, he retained his absurd strength, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.
They wanted to catch up to Gu Changge, but it was simply impossible. The cultivation level that Gu Changge revealed at present was already at the late-stage of the False G.o.d Realm.
However, the rest of the Young Supremes were just beginning to touch the barrier of the False G.o.d Realm. The gap between them was so immense that many had become desperate.
There was a great mountain weighing down on the peers, difficult to overcome, impossible to turn over.
To this day, there hasn"t been a single Young Supreme that can be given the t.i.tle of Young Asura, the same Gu Changge has.
The mysterious and ruthless Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor, Ye Ling, had vanished into obscurity, but no cultivator had forgotten his strength. After all, he was powerful enough to escape from Gu Changge.
The Ancient Immortal Continent can be considered the best breeding ground for the Forbidden Demonic Arts Inheritors; who knows how far his cultivation skyrocketed there?
On the other hand, quite a few cultivators began to ponder, discovering a… contradiction in the story.
Why did Gu Changge choose to dig out his own cousin"s Dao Bones; what exactly was he trying to achieve? What was his intention? To make himself stronger with Gu Xian"er"s talent?
But if so, why did he dig out the Dao Bones and return them to her, in front of everyone?
Is it because the Dao Bones no longer had any use to Gu Changge?
The entire thing was simply too bizarre; it was too suspicious.
Some people speculated that this incident was due to the pressure from the Ancient Immortal Gu Family. Gu Changge was the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family; thus, his every word and action represents them.
Unless this matter was not resolved, it would come to light sooner or later. When that time comes, Gu Changge will be forced to acknowledge Gu Xian’er’s ident.i.ty one way or the other.
In addition, many people felt that such a secret was only the tip of the iceberg.
— — —
[At the same time, Supreme Peak]
The mountain breeze blew, and the clouds and mist, like jade ribbons, wrapped the eight directions.
The already magnificent scenery now resembled a heavenly paradise.
Immortal flowers were in full bloom, as the sounds of freshwater flowing filled the area.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
Gu Changge stood at the top of the mountain with his arms behind his back, his robe fluttering, his expression profound.
With a calm voice, he turned his back to Gu Xian"er. Her expression reflected her complicated emotional state, as she found herself at a loss for words.
At present, Gu Changge"s body no longer showed the slightest injury, not even a trace of change in his breath.
Digging out the Dao Bones had no effect on Gu Changge whatsoever.
However, even now, his face still seemed a little pale.
It was the third day since he revealed the truth to the world.
That day, after Gu Nanshan exterminated all the creatures from the Sea King Palace, Gu Changge ordered a group of powerful individuals from the Primordial Divine Sect to clean up the battlefield.
He returned to the Supreme Peak and hadn’t spoken a word to Gu Xian"er during that time. So naturally, there were no interactions between the two.
He and Gu Xian"er appeared to have become strangers who did not know each other in an instant.
Her blue skirt fluttered, as the mountain wind blew.
Gu Xian"er"s delicate face was in a daze. When she looked at Gu Changge, various thoughts swirled in her mind.
She squeezed the corner of her skirt, her heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface. At this moment, her knuckles were a shade whiter.
‘It’s been three days since he’s acknowledged me…’
Initially, Gu Xian"er wholeheartedly believed that Gu Changge would explain to her what truly happened back then.
Since Gu Changge clarified what happened back then in front of the whole world and said that he would make it up to her…
‘Isn’t it clear that he feels guilty?’
In addition to his previously damaged origin, he dug out the Dao Bones and returned them to her. He even declared that he would protect her…
In front of all the Daoist sects no less, such a statement truly shocked the world.
Such a strong and indifferent att.i.tude made her head buzz, as she felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
Although Gu Changge has a black heart and vicious hands, having such a big brother seemed rather appealing.
Therefore, she planned to reluctantly forgive Gu Changge for what he had done more than 10 years ago. “Let bygones be bygones.”
From then on, the grudges between the two would come to an end, with neither of them owing each other anything.
However, Gu Xian’er never expected Gu Changge to suddenly act as if he had completely forgotten her. Let alone explain himself, he didn’t even pay attention to her.
His indifferent att.i.tude reminded her of what she was like in the beginning, back when she didn’t even want to speak with Gu Changge.
She was confused, unable to make sense of any of it.
She thought that Gu Changge really wanted to make amends because he felt guilty for the bone digging incident in the past. He practically announced the secret.
So why does the current situation differ so much from what she had imagined?
It seemed as if… Gu Changge had only shown up to fend off the Sea King Palace’s retaliation and doing all of this simply to acknowledge her ident.i.ty, simply to do her justice for what happened back then.
Or perhaps it was for the sake of the family"s reputation.
After returning the bones to her, the two seemed to have no further relations with each other.
The two had settled their grudges and became complete strangers.
The superficial brother-sister relationship, naturally, no longer seemed necessary to be maintained.
Gu Xian’er couldn’t believe it had come to do this, nor could she accept it.
‘Gu Changge must have more secrets. That’s why he’s pretending; that’s why he’s treating me like this.’
With such an att.i.tude, it was clear to her that Gu Changge simply didn’t want her to understand him!
For this reason, Gu Xian"er took the initiative to come to the Supreme Peak. She was determined to find Gu Changge and ask him about the truth of what had happened back then.
At that moment, after hearing Gu Changge’s words, Gu Xian"er took a deep breath and regained her former calm and composed demeanour.
“Gu Changge, what was the purpose of your actions three days ago?” Her tone of voice was incomparably calm, with a serious look on her delicate face.
Gu Xian"er felt the need to tear off Gu Changge"s disguise.
‘What is it, that it’s so hard to say; can"t you just say it? Do you have to hide all by yourself?’
Gu Changge treated her so well before; she didn"t believe that it was all a façade that Gu Changge put on.
Gu Changge was, in fact, cold on the outside and warm on the inside!
“What was the purpose? Gu Xian"er, this is what you came to ask me about? I thought it was a big deal.”
“You disappoint me.”
“Instead of wasting your time, why don"t you go back to your cultivation? Or do you think that, from now on, I won"t be able to suppress you? No more motivation to practice?”
Upon hearing these words, Gu Changge appeared to be slightly frustrated.
Then he turned to look at her and spoke with a snicker in his voice.
It was as if he had witnessed something stupid.
Gu Xian"er was angered by his carefree and contemptuous att.i.tude. With her nose wrinkled, she said in a clear and plain voice, “Gu Changge, stop pretending. Don"t think you can hide it from me like this.”
All this time, Gu Changge used various means to force her to work hard on her cultivation, in order for her to surpa.s.s him.
Even now, this has remained unchanged.
With such an obvious flaw, did Gu Changge really think she wouldn"t notice?
Gu Xian"er stared at Gu Changge"s eyes as if she was trying to see through him.
“Gu Xian"er, did you think that after I said those words and swore with my Dao Heart that I wouldn"t strike at you? I haven"t beaten you for a while, so you"ve grown bolder.”
Gu Changge snickered and looked at her, “Don"t try to provoke me; otherwise, I really will throw you down a pit for the next few years.”
“Gu Changge…”
Hearing these words, Gu Xian"er"s voice rose abruptly, and her eyes were filled with anger, glaring at him fiercely, “I have already forgiven you, why are you still treating me like this?”
Although she knew that Gu Changge was deliberately trying to anger her, she couldn"t help but be angry.
Gu Changge indifferently replied, “You forgave me? Last time, I offered you my life, you didn"t want it, we don"t owe each other anything.”
“You…” Gu Xian"er didn’t know what to say. Gu Changge was right; their grudge had already been settled.
Only, for such matters, how could it be said to be settled so easily, even forgetting it ever happened?
“But what about your words to the rest of the world? You even dug out the Dao Bones and returned them to me.”
If she was strong enough to beat Gu Changge, she would’ve taught this tsundere a lesson by now.
‘What’s the point of being so arrogant even now? Why can’t you just be honest?’
“You don’t really think that was true, do you?”
“Don"t you know the bitter meat trick? As for what I said, Gu Xian"er, how can you be so stupid and naive? Were you really touched by them?”
“Those words were just for the world to hear, in order for me to maintain my image and give a reasonable explanation to the family.”
He remained calm and relaxed, as though he was stating a matter that had nothing to do with him.
However, his words were chilling.
Gu Xian"er"s face turned pale.
The more Gu Changge spoke, the more she refused to believe.
He was clearly hiding something!
‘Why does he have to be like this? Can’t he just appreciate my good intentions?’
“Can"t you just appreciate my kindness?” Gu Xian"er grit her teeth and truly wished to cut open Gu Changge"s heart to see what he was really hiding inside.
Gu Changge was simply unfathomable otherwise.
“Kindness? No need, a person like me doesn’t need kindness.” Gu Changge shook his head.
“Do you still not understand? Is that why you’re asking?”
He had a faint look of mockery on his face. A completely different look than when he was protecting Gu Xian"er.
“Gu Changge you…” Gu Xian"er was fuming at Gu Changge"s words.
What did he mean he didn’t need her kindness? He practically accused her of carrying hatred and bitterness.
If she didn"t know he was doing it on purpose, she would’ve definitely thrown a tantrum by now.
She vowed to tear off Gu Changge"s disguise one day!
“What am I? Don"t you know the difference between old and young?”
Gu Changge’s cold gaze landed on her. With a wave of his sleeve, a large palm appeared in the void, instantly slapping Gu Xian"er off the mountain and sending her flying.
“Gu Changge you are going too far, I will definitely suppress you in the future!”
“I will unravel your secrets and find the truth…”
Gu Xian"er"s cold and angry voice came from a distance, her teeth itching with anger, but in an instant, she was slapped away by Gu Changge and even her shadow was nowhere left to be seen.
“Then I will wait for you to find the truth.”
The mountain winds blew, making his robes flutter with it.
His indifferent look vanished, replaced with interest.
His words just now were half-truths and half-lies.
However, for Gu Xian"er, it was enough.
— — —
During this period of time, the entirety of the Immeasurable Heaven was solemn, as if an ominous sign had appeared just over the horizon.
Many cultivators and creatures were afraid to show their faces outside casually.
What"s more, the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ inheritor, who had been in hiding for a long time, had reappeared.
This time it was the most elite and powerful of the clans that had suffered!
In the Immeasurable Heavens, outside of the great Immortal Daoist Sects and Supreme Sects, there was no peace at all!
“For Daoist Brother Changge to have such a past is truly unexpected!”
“It"s a pity that I was unable to see him in person that day, digging out his own bones and returning them to his sister. To toy with the Sea King Palace requires great courage, he really is the best of the younger generation of today!”
[Inside a Palace, Ancient Immortal Ye Clan.]
Radiant body, fiery crystalline hair, like a demiG.o.d of the sun, Ye Langtian.
When he heard these events, he practically sang Gu Changge’s praises, his eyes filled with admiration.
In his opinion, Gu Changge truly deserved to be called the number one of the younger generation. For now, at least, there was no Young Supreme who can be compared to Gu Changge.
The only one left was the mysterious Yue Mingkong, whom Ye Langtian felt had the ability to compete with Gu Changge.
But the two are an engaged couple, so why would they fight?
A private spar was not likely to be known to the world.
“But what could Daoist Brother Changge’s true power be? The Dao Bones didn’t originally belong to him, so could it be a spatial type talent?”
Ye Langtian"s eyes narrowed, thinking that Gu Changge"s hidden talent was probably related to s.p.a.ce.
The speed that Gu Changge demonstrated in the several battles he had fought was mind-boggling and inconceivable.
It would make sense to say that he was travelling through the void.
As for the matter regarding the bone digging?
As a matter of fact, many Young Supremes, including Ye Langtian, did not care.
The world is a place where the strong feed on the weak, devouring the weak to strengthen themselves is the law of nature.
He himself was not entirely a good person; therefore, he considered Gu Changge"s actions in the past to be completely understandable.
After all, young people don"t know any better. On that note, there was little to be said.
Gu Changge’s confession was already out of his expectations.
If it were him, he would’ve never had the guts to do such a thing.
“I knew that there was a grudge between Gu Changge and Gu Xian"er. However, for a person like Gu Changge to actually do such a thing as digging up his own bones and returning them to his sister, is truly unexpected.”
Beside Ye Langtian, a purple-skirted, stunningly beautiful girl was also in shock.
It was none other than Ye Liuli.
When she mentioned Gu Changge, she remembered the scene when Gu Changge forced her to apologize in the Lower Realm. As for the memories with Ye Chen, she could only vaguely make out a few images.
She only remembers that Ye Chen had offended Gu Changge, and although she wanted to help, in the end, she was unable to do so.
Ye Chen was killed by Gu Changge.
Other than that, Ye Chen in her opinion, was a small, insignificant person.
Not someone worth caring about.
Instead, she often couldn"t help but think of Gu Changge, which made her very troubled.
If there was any disrespect towards him, there would be a feeling comparable to facing all the glory of heaven.
“Brother, will the Sea King Palace really start a war with the Ancient Immortal Gu Family? I feel even though the Ancient Immortal Gu Family has a profound heritage, the Sea King Palace is also not to be underestimated. They’ve ruled the Infinite Sea for so many years and have never broken its legacy…”
Ye Liuli asked, mentioning matters, which in her opinion, will affect even the upcoming situation in the Immeasurable Heavens.
“This war is impossible to win; the Sea King Palace will not dare.” Ye Langtian replied with a strange smile on his face.
— — —
[The Infinite Sea]
Meanwhile, at the end of a large swamp, there was a dark blue sea.
On this sea were black warships made of bones, as the golden sun sunk into its depths.
Right now, the sound of slaughter echoed in the sky, accompanied by a roar.
A large number of Sea Creatures rushed from all directions, rulers of the Sea King Palace and their many subordinates from all over the world.
A general leading ten of thousands of sea creatures sent to the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace to seek justice, carrying the Sea King’s decree, were all destroyed by an ancestor of the Gu Family.
This incident provoked the wrath of all the Sea Clans in the Infinite Sea. Thus, they gathered here, determined to wipe away their humiliation.
At this moment, a dense fog filled the sky.
The Sea King Palace was built in the middle of the sea.
[TL/N: Thanks, captain obvious.]
[PR/N: No s***, Sherlock.]
Dense Immortal Qi poured, as the leaves of an Ancient Tree danced to create shade. A boundless world was formed around this tree, which seemed to hold up the sea itself.
Inside it, the sun, moon, and stars were all present, and the rules of heaven and earth were intact.
Looking around, mountains and rivers, pavilions, towers, palaces, and courts lined up one after another, as one would normally see.
Inside the ancient palace in the centre, the Sea King wore an Immortal Gold Crown and held an immortal sword imbued with the King’s Dao. He had a gloomy look on his face and shouted, “The Ancient Immortal Gu Family has crossed the line! This is the first time my Sea King Palace has been humiliated in countless years!”
He can still clearly recall his phantom’s encounter just shortly after its manifestation, a rusty kitchen knife slashing down on his head.
If not for the immense solidity of the phantoms that he had refined for a long time, there was no doubt the knife would’ve reduced it to ashes.
However, what truly got under the Sea King’s nerves was Gu Nashan’s att.i.tude. He never once took a step back.
It seemed as if… the Sea King Palace was afraid of the Gu Family!
“Your Majesty, we cannot wage war just yet. If we must fight, we should first gather all the elites of the Sea Clans together to slaughter the Ancient Immortal Gu Family, to let them know that we are not easy to provoke.”
A turtle-sh.e.l.led creature with green bean-like eyes turned and said so.
In his opinion, with the seemingly endless number of sea creatures, even if the Gu Family was strong, they would not be able to withstand it.
After all, the vastest area of the Upper Realm was still the ocean!
The Sea Clan was powerful, although not as strong as the ten thousand clans of the Immortal Period who branched out and made clans of their own clans, they were still superior in numbers!
After hearing these words, the Sea King"s face changed quickly.
However, in the end, he couldn"t help but grimace.
“This King is not the opponent of that old ancestor of the Gu Family, if we really go to war with the Gu Family over this matter… it will not be worth it. The Ancient Immortal Gu Family has been standing through countless wars and chaos. Unless we also have reinforcements…”
“Gu Changge is just a junior, how does he possess such strength?!”
The Sea King roared in a low voice. He was loath to do so, but this was all he could do to vent.
[PR/N: AMOGUS?!]
[TL/N: SUS?! SUSSY BAKA-]
The senior members of the Sea King Palace below were all silent and didn’t dare speak.
However, at that moment, all their faces changed. A terrifying aura was descending upon the Sea King Palace!
The tumultuous sea and the sky trembled!
“It"s the Gu Family’s ancestor!”
The Sea King"s face changed drastically; he never imagined that Gu Nashan would follow him even here.
He walked slowly, one step at a time in the palace. With his monstrous and intimidating aura, a divine chain formed with the power of Rules rushed to the sky, instantly heading for the outer palace. The slaughter had begun.
And this time, there was nowhere to run!
— — —
[Immortal Palace, Supreme Immortal Dynasty]
In the middle of a glorious, ancient and magnificent palace.
Yue Mingkong, who had left the Ancient Immortal Continent and intercepted Yin Mei on the way to confront her, was now sitting on the imperial throne.
She was dressed in a wide imperial gown and was handling the review of a memorial, her brows frowning from time to time.
In her cold, deep phoenix eyes, various emotions flashed before finally returning to their initial calm.
“Empress, that is what happened in the Ancient City of the Heavenly Dao, and that"s how it went.”
A female official respectfully reported to her from below.
— — —
[Demonic Translations]