Chapter 160: Having Others Make Connections For You; What A Big Harvest I’ve Received!
Bang!
The Eight Desolate Demon Halberd swept through the void with dust that fell and trailed behind it.
When the dust settled and the surroundings cleared…
Gu Changge stepped forward and unhurriedly collected the abundance of Dao Runes sparkling in the nearby void.
His robes looked as good as new as if he had not just been through a heaven-shaking battle.
“The Ancient Deity’s phantom was only worth this much….” Gu Changge shook his head and looked up at the glowing silver abode in front of him, radiating endless light.
A peerless palace supported by three white jade columns.
“These treasures are all mine now.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
After all, everything had gone according to plan.
Buzz!
Gu Changge then mercilessly stored the Eight Desolate Devil Halberd back into the system’s storage s.p.a.ce, not caring a single bit about its whining and reluctance.
The time to expose it will come, but not today.
[Ding! The Fortune Plundering Card succeeded in plundering. The host has gained 5,000 Fortune Value and 25,000 Destiny Points.]
[Ding! The task ‘Kill the Favoured Son of Heaven, Ye Ling’ was completed. Rewarding 3,000 Fortune Value and 15,000 Destiny Points.]
[Ding! The host has triggered the Kill-Drop Rule for the Favoured Son of Heaven. A bonus reward of Heavenly Dao Treasure Chest*1 has been awarded.]
[Finalizing rewards…]
At the same time, a burst of system prompts sounded in his mind.
‘40,000 Destiny Points and 8,000 points of Fortune Value, Ye Ling sure knows how to impress me.’ Gu Changge showed a satisfied look.
He had used the Fortune Plundering Card the moment he suppressed the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s phantom with his Void Talent, and thanks to the desperation Ye Ling felt, the effects of the card were triggered successfully.
In an instant, he’d obtained 5,000 Fortune Value.
As such, it also triggered the Kill-Drop Rule for clearing Ye Ling’s Fortune Value.
Thus, the bonus reward was dropped, a Heavenly Dao Treasure chest related to Ye Ling.
‘Open.’
Gu Changge immediately opened this box of wonders.
A familiar light flashed before his eyes.
Soon, a set of brilliant black and white lights flashed representing the Yin and Yang. As they materialised in his palm, they glimmered like a ma.s.s of immortal light that shone as brightly as the galaxies above.
Hidden within it were many profound mysteries.
The cycle of life and death, the rise and fall of the great realms, and the rumbling of the heavens above….
In a trance, Gu Changge witnessed several miraculous sights.
The secrets of the universe revealed themselves to him. The World Tree that stretched outwards past the heavens and all the ages, the many eons and light-years. And at the bottom of the tree, a luminous and vast ocean of stars where souls from across the realms joined together.
’How wonderful, a treasure to reveal the true meaning behind the cycle of life and death, one of the supreme laws that keep the universe running.’
Gu Changge grew even more satisfied.
After having plotted against Ye Ling for so long, he now got to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
Furthermore, Gu Changge now had the opportunity to refine the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s phantom, something that could be put to very good use.
Originally, he’d planned for the worst.
Since fortune is such an illusory and fickle little thing, even in a situation where one could’ve easily died 10,000x over, Ye Ling still managed to retain his incredibly high Fortune Value.
It was obvious that the cards he held were not weak.
As such, Gu Changge guessed that the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation had left Ye Ling a powerful life-saving talisman, speculating that it might’ve very well been a piece of his own Dao Law Dharma Body.
Unfortunately, in the end, it turned out to be just a phantom.
Gu Changge felt a bit of regret. With his prior arrangements and calculations, he was prepared to take on such an opponent. However, he ended up facing a mere phantom, barely 1% of what he’d expected.
In other words, he’d severely overestimated Ye Ling’s pitiful ‘Trump Card.’
Gu Changge felt that he thought a bit too far ahead this time.
It was obviously a foolproof plan, but because he was so worried about any potential accidents that may happen along the way, he ended up wasting his time on pointless preparations and countermeasures.
He believed that Ye Ling was a Level 10 Boss, but it turns out he was merely Level 1.
It must also be noted that the Black Dao Treasure Bottle Gu Changge had previously used was not a mere fabrication constructed from condensed runes.
It was the authentic Black Dao Treasure Bottle.
The refinement of this bottle was said to have brought down a calamity...
A terrifying fog of blood permeated across the worlds, enveloping even the fiery stars.
The endless Blood Essence that rushed out of the strongest corpses of ancestors and giants, one by one they turned the sky red with thick crimson, before submerging into the depths of the infinite universe.
This was how the Black Dao Treasure Bottle came into existence.
One of Gu Changge’s trump cards.
If he hadn’t been so worried about the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s tyrannical means and methods, he would’ve never used this trump card of his so willingly.
Its breath alone could easily attract the unwanted attention of monstrous beings.
It was precisely because of this that Gu Changge created a barrier using theVoid Talent.
For the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation to believe that Gu Changge created the barrier to deal with him was naive.
[Name: Samsara Talent.
Description: The Immortal Light contains the profound meaning behind the mystery of the cycle of life and death. It contains the Time attribute, both its essence and the path to its mastery...”]
Gu Changge checked its description.
The info was similar to the Rainbow-Coloured True Dragon Blood of Long Teng and the Void Talent he encountered before, meaning it, too, was some sort of Innate Heavenly Gift, a Talent.
Additionally, the Samsara Talent was something comparable to the Void Talent, meaning the two were at the same level of profundity.
The Samsara Talent contains the Supreme Law of Time.
On the other hand, the Void Talent contains the Supreme Law of s.p.a.ce.
Gu Changge began to fuse with the Samsara Talent.
A warm feeling enveloped his entire body, like wading in an ocean of mysterious laws.
In the end, Gu Changge chose to fuse it into his two eyes.
One on the left, the other one on the right. Life and Death; intertwined, yet separate.
‘Merge.’
A familiar feeling soon swept across his eyes.
Inside his pupils, an endless miasma of profundity gathered, as the sky filled with everlasting radiance and never-ending darkness.
The Immortal Light receded as the Runes of Reincarnation emerged from within, a force capable of wielding the terrifying Power of Time.
One thought to create life, and one thought to grant death.
If someone were to look directly into Gu Changge’s eyes at this moment, they would not be able to hold back the thumping of their hearts as their very souls would threaten to collapse.
A sight that allowed people to witness the evolution of the whole universe, the birth of the infinite cycle and all kinds of scenes across the ages with just a snap of a finger.
Profound. Mysterious. Vast. Unknown...
Gu Changge blinked as the Immortal Light flashed within his eyes.
The void in front of him suddenly blurred as black and white switched places, the Power of Time swept the area.
A strange power emerged.
It was a power that could deprive everything of life and lead them to the embrace of death.
“The Power of Time is worthy of being a Supreme Law.”
“With this power, it will be much easier to face Great Sacred Realm Cultivators.”
Gu Changge spoke with great satisfaction, casually shutting off the visions that appeared from deep within his eyes as the shocking sights disappeared, reverting back to normal.
Even Yin Mei, who was not far away, did not notice Gu Changge’s abnormality just now.
‘Did he just…’ The Old Turtle’s spirit still resided within the pendant, witnessing everything. And as it did so, it couldn’t help but tremble.
It saw the power that Gu Changge displayed.
Black and white colours signalled the abilities of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation.
The Power of Time.
‘How terrifying…’
Ye Ling was dead, perishing together with his final and greatest trump card, both of whom were crushed by Gu Changge like ants.
The young man in front of him was so powerful that it horrified him. Since the Immortal Period and to this day, it had seen far too many young talents.
Yet this was the first time he felt something like this.
‘Hiding, scheming, and plotting…’
‘Calculating benefits and extracting them flawlessly, so perfectly executed that he had even outplayed the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation.’
‘Even his strength is unfathomable.’
‘This generation’s Demonic Arts Inheritor is so strong that it seems almost hopeless to go against him. In the near future, it looks like the world will be met with the most terrifying and merciless existence!’
The Old Turtle shuddered in its tiny boots. It also knew that there was absolutely no chance Gu Changge would let it leave alive. Its desperation peaked.
“Congratulations, master.”
Seeing that Gu Changge had finished dealing with Ye Ling and the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s phantom, Yin Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief as she congratulated him with a smile.
“You’ve worked hard.” Gu Changge surprisingly smiled back, a colourful medicinal pill soon appearing on his palm.
“This is the antidote to the Heart Demon. Starting today, you will no longer take the antidote you usually take twice a year.”
“It was nothing. Thank you, master.”
Yin Mei spoke gratefully before taking the pill, swallowing it right in front of Gu Changge without even stopping to inspect the authenticity of the pill.
Gu Changge nodded.
The existence of the Heart Demon was only to limit and restrict Yin Mei, since he feared that she might not give her all to fulfill his commands unless it directly involved her life and death.
But now, this trick is no longer necessary.
Not only could he use the Dao Bottle, but it was a fact that Yin Mei had now sincerely surrendered to him now. She was almost completely trustworthy.
Hence, Gu Changge felt that he should solve the issue of this Heart Demon for her, a reward of sorts.
Yin Mei understood his meaning, relieving her of the Heart Demon is Gu Changge’s way of showing that he was beginning to truly trust in her.
Obviously, no one would expect a person like Gu Changge to ever trust anyone completely.
This unexpected development was more than enough for her.
“If you see anything you like in this cave, just pick it up.” Gu Changge casually spoke and, with a wave of his sleeves, he wrapped his arm around Yin Mei’s waist as he led her to the abode ahead.
“Thank you, master.” Yin Mei giggled sweetly when she heard his words.
‘That Ye Ling kept spouting repeatedly how much he loved me, yet he hesitated to let me inside the abode at the mere thought of the boundless number of treasures that lay within. He even asked me to wait outside!’
The thought made Yin Mei sneer.
‘And he wanted to earn my love like this? Such dreams…’
Although Gu Changge used her as a p.a.w.n, he still let her choose what she wanted at will.
If one didn’t have a sudden lapse in judgment, there was no doubt which of the two she should follow.
Yin Mei couldn’t help but wonder.
‘How did someone like Ye Ling get to where he was with just his meagre skills?’
Gu Changge put away Ye Ling’s pendant, tucking away the remnants of the Old Turtle for now. He planned to wait a while before solving this issue.
Afterwards, the two arrived at the abode. Although separated by a certain distance, all kinds of divine treasure lights were seen emitting out from the entrance of the cave.
The inside of the cave was simple. Many weapons with flickering runes hung on stonewalls like divine treasures. Divine light beamed out from the various axes, tomahawks, knives, forks, seals, tripods, furnaces, swords, and many others…
Every weapon here possessed spiritual Dao marks and could exert tremendous power.
In the centre was a platform woven from black and white branches and leaves. The atmosphere surged with the power of the rules as a figure seemed to calmly sit on the mattress.
At the same time, one could hear grand chants being sung near this unseen person.
Like the great bell of Yin and Yang, the contrasting colours roared in defiance. The profound meaning of life and death permeated the surroundings as endless runes flickered, causing the world to flicker and change around them.
An enlightening scene.
The Enlightenment Platform.
Gu Changge immediately recognized this platform, the most precious item for any cultivator seeking the Dao.
But to him, it was just a normal mat, nowhere as good as the nearby weapons.
“Master, I want this.” Yin Mei suddenly revealed a hint of surprise in her eyes, pointing to a crystalline-looking, ancient picture scroll hidden in the corner of the room.
Strands of divine light intertwined within the words and drawings as runes flashed, showing an extraordinary heavenly might.
“Choose whatever you want, you deserve it.” Gu Changge smiled slightly and walked to the middle of the cave where shrunken stars dangled and twinkled.
This was the core of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s abode.
Only by refining this place can he truly be in charge of this cave.
Buzz!
Gu Changge sank his subconscious into it.
He started the refining process, utilizing his primordial spirit.
Refining the core of the cave wasn’t too difficult of a task.
When she heard Gu Changge’s words, Yin Mei smiled even more happily, her nine fluffy and snow-white fox tails waving behind her as she searched for tiny trinkets everywhere.
The Ancient Deity of Reincarnation had a terrifying background.
In addition to the circle of magic weapons, there are many ancient elixirs and pills in the cave, sealed inside jade pots. Various rare elixirs and pills were unearthed as Gu Changge smashed these pots open one by one.
That being said, from Gu Changge’s perspective, the most important items were the five puppets shelved deep within the cave.
Creatures of the living dead, varying in appearance and structure.
Three puppets of the Sacred Realm and two puppets of the Great Sacred Realm.
‘For one of Ye Ling’s cultivation to be equipped with such a puppet... it seems that the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation is quite the protective person. This should have been a big deal for Ye Ling, but it seems I’ll be the one to benefit since he’s dead.’
‘No matter how well you prepare for your descendants, in the end, you are doing nothing more than making wedding suits for dead men.’
When Gu Changge finished refining the abode’s core, he then refined the five puppets as well.
The breath of these puppets intrigued him.
Obviously, they’re dead. Even if a person stood directly in front of them, they wouldn’t notice any abnormalities, proving that they are indeed dead.
Yet it wielded terrifying power, enough to crush those in the Sacred Realm.
However, the most crucial point is that these puppets are not afraid of life and death, and they are most definitely not afraid of pain. As long as they are not completely destroyed, they could be slowly repaired within the abode.
This treasure could be described as a timely rain for someone like Gu Changge, who was currently a bit short of manpower.
‘Now that a part of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s Inheritance is in my hands, I can take advantage of Ye Ling’s former status…’
Gu Changge narrowed his eyes.
Unlike Ye Ling who did not dare to expose the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s Inheritance, he was neither powerless nor lacked a good background. He didn’t need to fear the covetous eyes of others.
As such, if he were to publicize this matter right this instant, telling the cultivators of the world that he was Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s heir, there would be none to raise their hand in protest.
After all, who would dare attack him?
Everyone has to acknowledge that Gu Changge was not only the irrefutable Heir of the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace but he is also the unshakable Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family.
As far as the entire Upper Realm is concerned, unless one were the reincarnation of an Ancient Deity or the child of a True Immortal, there were none whose status could compare to him.
However, Gu Changge also realized that Ye Ling’s death could not be hidden indefinitely.
He needed another scapegoat to take the black pot, so that his t.i.tle as the successor of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation could finally and fully erase all suspicions that the eyes and ears of the ma.s.ses may have for him.
‘As expected, the records here state that the Ancient Immortal Continent’s clans such as the Black Heavenly Eagle, the Ancient Serpent, the Divine Crocodile Clans all had slave imprints planted on them by the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation, a pity that these were reserved for Ye Ling.’
Gu Changge then casually flipped through a messaging jade slip.
Recorded on the slip were the final words that the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation had left behind for Ye Ling, alongside the slave seal.
It was evident that the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation took great care to ensure his descendant’s prosperity to the point of establishing an entire faction just for Ye Ling.
‘The slave seal needs to be triggered by the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation’s Inheritance. The part of the inheritance was acquired by Ye Ling, unfortunately, it would’ve disappeared immediately after his death.’
Gu Changge felt it was a pity.
However, that feeling vanished after a quick minute. After all, he had already taken care of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan in advance.
Even if he can’t enslave those ethnic groups through the slave seal, the result would still be the same as he possessed the Immortal Binding Technique.
Furthermore, unlike the slave seal that can only suppress those under its influence, the Immortal Binding Technique could directly decide the life and death of those afflicted with it.
The terror of the Immortal Binding Technique was incomparable to that of the slave seal.