Chapter 1293
Chapter 1293: Let you bear the infamy of the world, shake the world of a catastrophe
Gu Changge’s eyes briefly registered a moment of confusion, fleeting bewilderment that caught him off guard. However, the change was temporary, quickly replaced by calmness. He gazed down at Qing Yi, gently stroking her blue hair in silence, relishing this rare moment of peace.
“It seems that the Upper Realm and the Immortal Domain have settled down, so I feel a little relieved,” Qing Yi remarked, breaking the quietude.
A smile graced her lips, and her dignified, beautiful eyes sparkled with genuine happiness. The weariness and exhaustion that had been present earlier vanished utterly.
Gu Changge nodded slightly and smiled, “In the past hundred years, the Immortal Domain and the Upper Realm have experienced peace. I’ve temporarily dealt with the unsettling factors, but completely unifying the real world of mountains and seas will take some time. Additionally, hunters outside the vastness may have noticed this place and could arrive in the real world of mountains and seas later. Given the current strength and background, it might be challenging to contend with them.”
“Thanks a lot,” Qing Yi expressed grat.i.tude, showing no surprise and adding, “After losing my protection, it’s expected that the mountains and seas will reveal their coordinates in the boundless sea. Over the years, I’ve made preparations. The powerhouses who perished in the battle against heaven have all reincarnated smoothly. It won’t be long before they can return from reincarnation.”
However, when she mentioned this, a sense of guilt washed over her, causing her to hesitate.
Gu Changge understood the unspoken concern, smiled lightly, and rea.s.sured her, “It’s okay; it’s just a misunderstanding. It will be resolved sooner or later. You know, I’m not someone who gets bothered by such things.”
He sensed a tightening of the hands around his waist as if Qing Yi found solace in his words.
“I’m sorry; you’ve borne the weight of infamy and crimes for so long. Not only were you reincarnated alongside, but you also carry this ceaseless curse and misunderstanding,” Qing Yi expressed, her eyes reflecting sadness, guilt, and pain.
“Even your original apprentice turned against you, let alone the others. In the eyes of the world today, you’re perceived as an outright devil, the source of chaos and destruction. However, only I know that you bear all of this, and no one will understand you.”
Qing Yi’s gaze held a deep sense of remorse, yet she felt compelled to make these choices to safeguard the ordinary people and spirits in the real world of mountains and seas, especially under the looming second calamity. She had to wrong her loved one, forsake her small family, and protect everyone. As the true spirit of the natural world of mountains and seas, her options were limited.
Gu Changge smiled gently in response, embracing her and saying, “You don’t need to apologize to me; it has nothing to do with you. Besides, it was I who proposed this method in the beginning. Don’t feel guilty; it troubles me as well.”
Hearing his words, Qing Yi clung tightly to him, lost for words. Reflecting on the first calamity, which was the initial battle against heaven, Gu Changge unexpectedly appeared and rescued her from the clutches of an ancient cultivator in the Void Dao Realm. This cultivator had survived the second decline.
Qing Yi had just embarked on the path of detachment at that time, and her realm was not yet stable. Facing peerless figures in the Void Dao Realm who had endured multiple declines, she found it challenging to contend.
Gu Changge’s arrival effortlessly defeated those catastrophic existences that threatened the real world of mountains and seas. The Void Dao Realm seemed an unattainable realm for the real world, and at that time, only Qing Yi, the true spirit, and Gu Changge could combat with a combination of luck and the world’s power. Even the Realm of Mountains and Seas struggled to contend.
Such a calamity was akin to a catastrophe for the real world of mountains and seas, still in its infancy. Behind the formidable figure in the Void Dao realm lurked an even more terrifying power.
To be blunt, had Gu Changge not intervened during the first calamity, the mortal world of mountains and seas might have faced extinction, like numerous new worlds disappearing in the river of time, buried in the ruins of chaos. There would be no subsequent immortal palace, no immortal domain.
The mortal world of mountains and seas owes its existence entirely to you.
Qing Yi murmured softly, acknowledging the pivotal role played by Gu Changge in the early days.
Only those who had lived through those tumultuous times could truly comprehend the significance of Gu Changge’s intervention during the first calamity.
“That’s in the past. What matters now is how to confront the next calamity, the third calamity, much like heaven’s decline, each tribulation more formidable than the last,” Gu Changge explained, shaking his head.
The trials for cultivators were the nine declines of heaven, from the first to the ninth. In contrast, the natural world confronted large-scale liquidations, with subsequent calamities following the first.
This process was a continual cycle of cultivation, fostering stronger cultivators and more robust real worlds through the tribulations of Heaven’s Decline. The final significant liquidation brought the harvest. Yet, no mortal-world had ever survived all nine calamities nor achieved the One True Realm—an aspiration often deemed a mere rumor. Attaining the One True Realm would allow transcendence beyond the world, immunity to calamity, true freedom, and eternity.
Many real worlds aimed for this achievement, strategizing to annex other real worlds to establish their uniqueness.
“The third calamity is likely approaching soon,” Qing Yi expressed concern upon hearing Gu Changge’s words. The mountain and seas world had yet to fully recover from the aftermath of the last calamity, still recuperating.
The impending arrival of the third calamity cast a heavy sense of terror and oppression, suffocating those in its shadow. In response, Qing Yi contemplated cultivating an epoch tree seedling through her own origin as preparation for the approaching tribulation.
Even if the world of mountains and seas faced destruction, she hoped to safeguard the ordinary people, allowing them to reincarnate. However, this process was prolonged.
Calmly, Gu Changge stated, “The third calamity is indeed approaching soon. Without proper preparation, the real world of mountains and seas may vanish this time.”
The prospect weighed heavily on Qing Yi, as any plans and preparations seemed feeble in the face of such overwhelming strength. To contend against the third calamity with the current state of the natural world of mountains and seas was akin to nonsense.
No cultivators had reached the detachment stage, and their strength had not yet recovered to pre-first calamity levels. Moreover, the third calamity was far more formidable than the first.
However, Gu Changge offered a pragmatic perspective: “Actually, you don’t have to think too much about it. For the vast world, countless ancient worlds disappear every day. It’s part of the law of circulation. Unless there is an anomalous occurrence, this situation cannot be broken. The birth of an anomaly is incredibly rare, and even ancient real worlds may not produce one for countless years. Surviving the second calamity as a newborn in the real world is already a stroke of luck for the Mountain and Sea Realm.”
While his words were realistic, Gu Changge believed the situation was predestined. In the past, he would never have uttered such sentiments. However, a sudden change of heart led him to dissuade Qing Yi from investing excessive effort in this endeavor. This was mainly because the original plan was to abandon the world of mountains and seas once its utility was exhausted.
In Gu Changge’s eyes, the world of mountains and seas was no different from the ancient worlds vanishing daily in the vast heavens. He could effortlessly protect those around him, and even if the final calamity struck, he would be unaffected.
From Gu Changge’s standpoint, Qing Yi’s efforts were unnecessary. Yet, he acknowledged the selfishness of this perspective, as it disregarded Qing Yi’s sentiments.
“But I can’t disregard all the spirits and common people in the real world of mountains and seas. I am the True Spirit of the Mountain and Sea Realm,” Qing Yi declared, understanding the implications of Gu Changge’s words. Despite his perspective, she shook her head, resolute in her commitment.
Gu Changge remained silent, having conveyed what needed to be said. His purpose in seeking Qing Yi in the land of reincarnation was to confirm something specific. While she was overseeing the land of reincarnation, it did not encompa.s.s the entire heavens.
For instance, Luo Yanxi’s reincarnation outside the palace had no connection to Qing Yi. This darkness harbored others who wielded influence, attempting to revive the most influential figures of the past. As for the ident.i.ty of this individual, Gu Changge remained uncertain.
“Since you came to find me, help me heal in the meantime,” Qing Yi suddenly suggested, a slight smile gracing her face as she looked at Gu Changge. A faint rosy glow adorned her fair and flawless complexion.
Slightly stunned, Gu Changge hadn’t grasped the significance of her words. Upon realization, he chuckled. The fluttering curtain, the pervasive immortal mist, and the bright, spring-filled hall set the scene for their interaction.
Gu Changge departed from the palace a few days later, leaving Little Moon Guardian behind. Qing Yi had awakened, and her injuries significantly improved, though not fully healed. She no longer needed to enter a state of recovery through sleep.
Although Qing Yi had not planned to leave the lake of reincarnation, Gu Changge contemplated his initial idea of having her reveal herself to draw out survivors from the previous immortal palace. However, he reconsidered, realizing whether those survivors appeared held little relevance for him.
As the impending catastrophe loomed over the world of mountains and seas, Gu Changge pondered before deciding to take action.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Changge integrated the Heaven Slaying Alliance, a force he had contemplated before. In the impending battle against heaven, such a force was crucial. It needed to bear the banner of conquering the heavens and unite the mighty power of the celestial realms. The current Mountain Sea Realm was the precursor to the Heaven Slaying Alliance.
Outside the Reincarnation Lake, Luo Yanxi and Moon King awaited Gu Changge. However, they didn’t linger long near the canopy of the Epoch Tree, sensing the unspoken nature of Gu Changge’s connection with Qing Yi. They wisely refrained from probing further, recognizing the secrecy surrounding their history.
Upon returning to the Immortal Domain, Gu Changge instructed Moon King to summon the remaining Immortal Kings from the boundless battlefield. Simultaneously, he directed them to inform all parties in the immortal domain about an impending catastrophe within a hundred years. The endless sea’s “hunters” would breach the realms, bringing overwhelming strength and sacrificing everything, sparing not even the Immortal Kings.
The news spread rapidly, causing an uproar across all Immortal Domains. The Immortal King families disseminated the information, instigating panic among all souls. A hundred years might seem brief to powerful cultivators, but it was merely a fleeting moment in their eyes. The announcement shook Dao-building experts and cultivators, inducing shock and anxiety in the Immortal Domain and reaching the upper realm.
The authenticity of the news, spread by the Immortal King himself, left little room for doubt.Though some questioned its credibility, many Immortal Domain families corroborated the revelation. They recounted the phenomena that occurred at the world’s end many years ago.
During that time, the heavens and earth seemed to vacate, transforming into a frothy substance, while the boundless sea surged toward the extremities of the vast and distant cosmos. Faint outlines of ancient warships manifested in the sky, hinting at a terrifying specter that had remained unchanged since immemorial.
Several knowledgeable true immortals, well-versed in ancient history and dedicated to studying the boundless sea, affirmed that these signs foretold an impending catastrophe. Similar ominous visions had manifested in numerous universes, instilling a trembling horror in all who witnessed them.
The Immortal Domain, having finally regained a semblance of calm, now faced the looming threat of another catastrophe. What hope remained for ordinary cultivators if even the esteemed immortal kings were not spared?
As the news a.s.serted, it seemed that they were destined to be instantly reduced to ashes, denying even the recognition to qualify as sacrifices.
This newscast transforms all realms within the Immortal Domain into a maelstrom of chaos, fear, and unease. Was this flourishing world on the brink of an abrupt demise?
The denizens of this realm were far from reconciled, grappling with the unsettling possibility of their imminent end.