Chapter 1102: Who is the So-called Ye Ling? Gu Changge’s explanation
The Daoist ‘One-Eyed’ himself was a figure deeply rooted in the history of Heavenly Emperor Mountain. So, even though he met with Gu Changge with a friendly manner yesterday, it doesn’t stop him from trying to trip him up at this moment. Moreover, he doesn’t believe that Jin Chan would be like some reckless person. He must have some evidence to dare to confront Gu Changge just now. At this time, the Daoist ‘One-Eyed’ is surely looking to stir up trouble and see how Gu Changge handles it.
“What the Daiost ‘One-Eyed’ said is absolutely right. Why should Young Master Changge be afraid of these rumors?” Upon hearing this, the others in the central hall also showed keen interest. Especially the sect master of the Endless Fire Nation, who was an attractive man in a red robe with a blurred face and a fiery rune lingering at his brow, exuding a terrifying heat.
Some time ago, in front of the Absolute Heavenly Extinction, one of the Dao Building experts from the Endless Fire Nation had her cultivation base destroyed by Gu Changge’s subordinate, turning her into nothing. This incident caused a huge stir in the entire upper realm, with various immortal sects discussing it extensively. The Endless Fire Nation became the laughingstock of everyone, losing all of their face as an immortal force.
“As this matter concerns the inheritor of the Demonic Arts, I think it’s best to have the Heavenly Lord confirm it again, to avoid causing a great disaster in the upper realm in the future,” [Ed note: Heavenly Lord here was the Reincarnated Heaven Lord, Gu Changge’s cheap master.]
“Since Young Master Changge is so confident, he must not fear our doubts and speculations.”suggested the sect master of the Violet Sky Valley with a meaningful and playful tone. He wore a grand Daoist robe with wide sleeves, and his body seemed to be surrounded by starlight, as if the stars from various heavens were orbiting around him.
“How dare you! Considering Young Master Changge’s current status, aren’t you afraid that your words might incite chaos in the upper realm and trigger the Immortal War?” The face of an old emperor from the Peerless Immortal Dynasty frowned and he chastised the sect master of the Violet Sky Valley and the Endless Fire Nation.
The Gu Family and the Peerless Immortal Dynasty were united in marriage, and they shared both honor and disgrace. Naturally, he stood on Gu Changge’s side.
“Indeed, in my view, you are all provoking Young Master Changge. Could it be that you want to stir up chaos in the upper realm and lead to the suffering of all living beings?” Another ancestor from the Grand Yu Immortal Dynasty spoke with a hint of mockery.
Apart from many influential figures with deep connections in the central hall, there were others who held real power in the upper realm. They were either the sect master of various sects or the heads of the prominent families, and any misstep could trigger a ma.s.sive upheaval and earthquake in the world.
What they said now was naturally representing the different wills of the forces behind them. Some stood with Gu Changge, while others wanted to drag him into the abyss. The Golden Sun G.o.ddess of the Supreme G.o.d Clan, at this moment, furrowed her brow slightly, sensing the challenges Gu Changge faced from various forces. She showed a hint of displeasure on her face and said, “As seniors, shouldn’t both of you feel ashamed for bullying such a junior in mouth?”
“Senior Jin Yang, your words are wrong. This matter concerns the inheritor of the demonic arts, which is a major issue involving the entire Upper Realm. How can you say we are playing with verbal bullying?” Hearing this, the sect master of Heavenly Emperor Mountain also opened his eyes, so deep and mysterious, as if with terrifying scenes of stars sinking and the moon collapsing within them. As a junior, he dared to speak this way to Jin Yang due to the support of the Daoist ‘One-Eye behind him.[Ed Note, Jin Yang is the name of the Golden Sun G.o.ddess. In Chinese, Jin = Golden, Yang = Sun.]
“How dare you speak to me this way?” Golden Sun G.o.ddess’s clouded old eyes narrowed as looking at him, and a terrifying aura spread out, causing many to feel uneasy and a soul-deep sense of fear as the surrounding void collapsed in an instant. However, at this moment, Gu Changge, who had been silently watching, suddenly raised his hand and interrupted her with a faint smile.
He said, “Senior Jin Yang, please calm down. This matter originated because of me, so please do not be angry by their words, it’s not worth it! Moreover, since everyone is so eager to know what Jin Chan asked, I don’t mind sharing the information with all of you.”
This last sentence was, of course, addressed to everyone in the central hall. The Reincarnated Heaven Lord heard and respected Gu Changge’s decision but still found it somewhat surprising. His earlier displeasure had, in a way, been a form of protection for Gu Changge because he felt that he held many secrets, including the ident.i.ty of the so-called Inheritor of the demonic arts, and he wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble. But to his surprise, Gu Changge took the initiative to handle the situation which puzzled Reincarnated Heaven Lord.
“Young Master Changge is indeed straightforward, and I admire it,” the Diaost One-Eyed remarked with a faint smile, intending to watch the spectacle and see how Gu Changge would respond and handle the situation.
Inside the hall, the expressions of the people varied, showing surprise, schadenfreude, gloominess, and confusion.
“In that case, may I ask Young Master Changge if you are familiar with a cultivator named Ye Ling?” Jin Chan, without further ado, directly asked his question.
His eyes were clear and spirited, like a pristine lake. Despite wearing ordinary monk’s robes, he exuded an otherworldly aura. As he asked this question, a radiant Buddha figure seemed to form behind his head, with an aura of brilliant light.
The name Ye Ling had puzzled everyone in the grand hall. They searched their memories for any trace of this name. Heavenly Phoenix Maiden, Six-Crowned King, Jiang Luoshen, and many other young supremes were all trying to recall if they knew this person. However, even including many background figures, both older and younger, none of them recognized the name Ye Ling, and it had never been mentioned before.
At this moment, Reincarnated Heaven Lord raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised by Jin Chan’s words. If he remembered correctly, Gu Changge had indeed mentioned to him before that the true successor he had chosen was a young cultivator named Ye Ling.
“Could it be related to this matter?” Reincarnated Heaven Lord cast a glance at Gu Changge and suddenly became curious about how Gu Changge would resolve this situation. It seemed that Jin Chan knew who the real successor of the Reincarnated Heaven Lord was. If that were the case, Gu Changge’s claim as the chosen disciple would soon be exposed.
“I kindly ask Young Master Changge to clarify the confusion for me. Do you know a cultivator named Ye Ling?” Jin Chan spoke again, his gaze fixed earnestly on Gu Changge. He held substantial evidence in his hands, and if Gu Changge denied it, he had ways to make the Chana Ancient Buddha reveal the truth and expose Gu Changge’s lie.
“It seems that this person Ye Ling is not simple,” the Daoist ‘One-Eyed’ remarked with an indifferent expression, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.
“A cultivator named Ye Ling? I do indeed know someone by that name, but I’m not sure if the Ye Ling you’re referring to is the same one I know,” Gu Changge replied calmly, as he had antic.i.p.ated that Jin Chan would inquire about this matter. He showed no change in his expression.
Jin Chan’s expression subtly shifted, as he didn’t expect Gu Changge to be so composed. He continued, “The Ye Ling I mentioned should be the same Ye Ling as Young Master Changge knows.”
“In that case, do you, Young Master Changge, know the ident.i.ty of this Ye Ling?” He had previously conducted an investigation into this matter in the ancient immortal Ye family.
Ye Ling was a collateral disciple of the ancient immortal Ye family, with a mother who was a maid and a father who was the head of a collateral line. He was not treated well from a young age and had distanced himself from the family after his mother’s death, having no further connections with them.
This person was indeed the true disciple chosen by the Reincarnated Heaven Lord. Moreover, numerous signs had shown that the relics left by the Reincarnated Heaven Lord originally fell into his hands. The evidence and information Jin Chan had gathered personally were genuine.
Gu Changge nodded and said, “I’m well aware of it. When I was cultivating in the Ancient Immortal Continent, this person concealed his true ident.i.ty, infiltrated the forbidden area behind the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace on the back mountain, and entered the Ancient Immortal Continent. There, he stole the ancestral remains of various ancient clans and devoured their origin essence.”
“Later, I had a confrontation with him and almost killed him, but his occult technologies were astonishing, and he managed to escape from my grasp.”
“Furthermore, I suspect that he may still be alive today, hidden somewhere in the Upper Realm. It’s possible that he is the true inheritor of the demonic arts.”
Upon hearing Gu Changge’s words, the expressions of the people in the hall underwent a drastic change.
“What?”
“The real inheritor of demonic arts?”
Heavenly Phoenix Maiden, Six-Crowned King, Jiang Luoshen, and other young supremes were taken aback, nearly losing their voices in shock. They had never expected Gu Changge to know the ident.i.ty of the true inheritor of the demonic arts, including his name and origins. Gu Changge had never revealed this information before. How did Jin Chan come to know all of this?
“The inheritor of demonic arts?”
Jin Chan clearly hadn’t expected Gu Changge to explain it in this way. He furrowed his brow and said, “However, in my investigation, this person is not the inheritor of the demonic arts but rather the chosen disciple of the Reincarnated Heaven Lord.”
He straightforwardly revealed the truth and didn’t want to continue concealing it. At this point, he wanted to see how Gu Changge would explain or defend himself.
When Jin Chan said this, it caused a ma.s.sive commotion in the hall. Everyone was shocked and had a hard time believing it. Gu Changge was not the true disciple of the Reincarnated Heaven Lord? Was someone else chosen?
Then, how did Gu Changge come into possession of the Reincarnated Heaven Lord’s inheritance? Didn’t Gu Changge say earlier that this Ye Ling was the true inheritor of the demonic arts?
Jin Chan was not foolish; he dared to ask this question at this moment because he undoubtedly had solid evidence and certainty.
With this revelation, Gu Changge’s words seemed contradictory, leaving everyone perplexed, suspicious, and speculative. They felt that a thick fog had enveloped the situation. Many people shivered, finding it hard to accept, sensing that a significant event might unfold today.
The Daiost ‘One-Eye, Golden Sun G.o.ddess, and others quickly regained their composure after the initial shock. They stared at Gu Change with highly complex expressions.
“So, there’s such a matter, and with this, this guy seems like the true inheritor of the demonic arts.”
The Daiost One-Eyed narrowed his eye and a cold smile formed on his lips, his interest growing even stronger. The sect master of Immortal forces like Violet Sky Valley and Endless Fire Nation also had meaningful glints in their eyes, silently chuckling to themselves. They felt that today’s events provided them with a significant opportunity. Even if Gu Changge tried to explain, it might be challenging for him to escape suspicion.
At this moment, after asking his question, Jin Chan didn’t wait for Gu Changge’s response. Instead, he turned to the silent Reincarnated Heaven Lord and asked, “I wonder if the Heavenly Lord is aware of this matter?”
It’s possible that the Reincarnated Heaven Lord still didn’t know that Gu Changge was an impostor and not the true disciple of him.
At this moment, everyone in the hall felt that the Reincarnated Heaven Lord might be genuinely angry and displeased. Some people began to take pleasure in the situation, thinking that Gu Changge had quite the audacity to deceive the Reincarnated Heaven Lord.
“To inherit my legacy naturally means being my successor, I don’t care how he got it.”
“But before this, Gu Changge did inform me that he had acquired part of the inheritance from someone else.”
However, at this moment, the words spoken by the Reincarnated Heaven Lord made Jin Chan’s expression stiffen, as he seemed puzzled.
“What……”
The expressions of those who had been taking pleasure in the situation also suddenly froze on their faces. They wondered if they had misheard something. Why did the situation seem completely different from what they had expected?
The cold smile on the Daiost ‘One-Eyed’ face also froze suddenly, and his brows furrowed quickly.
Did the Reincarnated Heaven Lord already know about this matter? Did his previous anger stem from what Jin Chan had said?
Many people suddenly realized what was going on and were greatly astonished.
“We still hope that the Heavenly Lord can clarify?”
Even the Chana Ancient Buddha, who had remained silent until now, had to speak up, his tone tinged with a hint of probing. However, the Reincarnated Heaven Lord did not respond to him. His face grew slightly darker, causing an uneasy feeling to settle in the hearts of everyone present.
“What Brother Jin Chan suspected, I can also understand. Initially, the inheritance I received from my master did indeed include some from a cultivator named Ye Ling. However, it seems you have not fully understood my words,” Gu Changge explained calmly, addressing both Jin Chan and the others.
“The Ye Ling from back in time was not the same Ye Ling later.”
“The true Ye Ling, who possessed my master’s inheritance, had already been murdered by the true inheritor of the demonic arts. Therefore, part of my master’s inheritance did fall into his hands. Later, the inheritor of the demonic arts disguised himself as Ye Ling and infiltrated the Ancient Immortal Continent. After our confrontation, he fled with injuries, and I got inheritances belonging to Ye Ling at that time.”
At this moment, Gu Changge smiled faintly, explaining the origin of the inheritance, how he obtained it, and why Jin Chan had reason to doubt him.
With his words, a momentary silence fell upon the hall, dispelling the confusion that had hung in the air. Everything became clear. The true inheritor of the demonic arts had murdered the Reincarnated Heaven Lord’s chosen disciple, taken his inheritance, and a.s.sumed his ident.i.ty. Subsequently, he had encountered Gu Changge, been exposed by him, and lost the Reincarnated Heaven Lord’s inheritance. Therefore, Jin Chan’s suspicion of Gu Changge being the demonic arts inheritor had no basis.