Chapter 1295: A Mere Flick of the Finger, Yet Daring to Defy the Divine
Chapter 1295: A Mere Flick of the Finger, Yet Daring to Defy the Divine
Chu Xinyue was obliterated by Gu Changge with a single strike, leaving everyone aboard the flying vessel stunned. The many disciples of the Chu Clan, who had still been hesitating and conflicted, now wore expressions of terror and trembling. None had expected Gu Changge to act so decisively—without even a word of negotiation.
In that instant, many collapsed to their knees, legs giving way beneath them, and began pleading for mercy, desperate to survive.
Even Ouyang Ji and the rest of the Unfettered Heavenly Palace's members were frozen in shock, their faces pale with fear.
"I gave you all a choice."
Gu Changge shook his head lightly, flicking his sleeve. In the next moment, those who had been begging for their lives turned to ash, not even a trace of them remaining.
To him, erasing Chu Xinyue was as effortless as crushing an ant.
As for the thoughts harbored by these remnants of the Chu Clan, he saw through them clearly. Naturally, he would not allow them to remain and become future troubles.
After leaving the scene, Gu Changge immediately ordered the Skeletal Ancestor King to deliver the white jade vial containing a wisp of Chu Wushang's True Soul to Champion General Chu Heng.
Upon seeing this vial, Chu Heng would understand what needed to be done. There was no way he would continue fighting for the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
After all, aside from the ruler Chu Gucheng himself, Chu Heng was the most prestigious figure in the Immortal Chu Vast Land. As long as the ministers who refused to die for their cause weren't fools, they would soon realize what choice they had to make.
Gu Changge had no intention of personally involving himself in the aftermath. He would leave the cleanup to others.
The Zhuo Clan and Hun Clan of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation had already infiltrated and stationed themselves in various regions. With the Immortal Chu Vast Land now in chaos, this was the perfect opportunity for them to fish in troubled waters.
For Gu Changge, it was also the ideal moment for the Heavenslayers Alliance to infiltrate, seize control, and occupy the territories of the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
As for the other orthodox forces hoping to take a share of the spoils, Gu Changge had no intention of stopping them. Sooner or later, these factions would be subdued and absorbed into the Heavenslayers Alliance.
Whatever resources they plundered now, they would eventually be forced to spit back out.
With Chu Gucheng dead, the Immortal Chu Vast Land was doomed to collapse.
Champion General Chu Heng was the candidate Gu Changge had chosen to stabilize and manage the aftermath.
On the side of the Beast Court, there was the Seventh Prince Di Kun, and for Purple Sky Mountain, there was Zi Wanhe. These were all carefully selected chess pieces under Gu Changge's control.
Unlike his approach in the Dao Chang True World, he did not intend to fully unify the Primary Hope Civilisation. Instead, he planned to divide and rule, ensuring that all these orthodox forces became part of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
His only task was to maintain control over these chess pieces and ensure they served his purposes.
The grand scheme against the Immortal Chu Vast Land had finally reached its conclusion. Now, all that remained was to erase any traces of his involvement and truly withdraw from the matter.
"Master, what should be done with this one?"
The ethereal figure of the Spirit of Eternity flickered as it withdrew from Fu Bo's forehead. It stared coldly at the hunched old man, whose face was now filled with desolation and defeat.
"The Immortal Chu Vast Land... has truly fallen..."
Fu Bo paid no attention to the Spirit of Eternity. Instead, his aged eyes, filled with bitterness, confusion, and sorrow, were fixed on the distant lands of the Immortal Chu Vast Land, now engulfed in war and flames.
Though he had been aware of the Spirit of Eternity's actions while it possessed his body, he had been powerless to stop it. At times, however, his strong will had managed to interfere with the spirit's control.
Still, to avoid disrupting Gu Changge's plans, the Spirit of Eternity had refrained from fully consuming Fu Bo's consciousness.
"Yes, the Immortal Chu Vast Land has fallen."
Gu Changge nodded slightly, his tone indifferent.
To him, Fu Bo was now the only person who knew the full extent of his schemes against the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
During the time the Spirit of Eternity had occupied Fu Bo's consciousness, the old man had overheard its conversations with Gu Changge and learned of his many machinations.
This realization filled Fu Bo with dread, horror, and trembling disbelief. He had never imagined that the conflict between the Beast Court and the Immortal Chu Vast Land had also been orchestrated by Gu Changge.
The Sun Shooting Bow, the divine treasure obtained by Chu Bai, had actually been forged by Gu Changge himself and deliberately scattered into the world.
Even the Innate Artifact Spirit within the bow had been placed there by Gu Changge.
The spark that ignited the war between the Immortal Chu Vast Land and the Beast Court—every single aspect of it—had been manipulated from the shadows by Gu Changge.
All of it had originated from him, pushed forward by his unseen hands.
Chu Gucheng had long suspected that an invisible, terrifying force was guiding the Immortal Chu Vast Land toward its doom.
Now, it was clear that his intuition had been correct. It was not by his own will that the Immortal Chu Vast Land had met such a fate, but because of a mastermind plotting behind the scenes.
"So this is the Great Calamity that the Dharma Sage foresaw... Even I was already part of the scheme..."
Fu Bo's face was a mask of despair, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks, his heart filled with anguish and regret.
But what use was it to understand this now?
Even if he had known earlier, would they have had any means to resist an enemy like Gu Changge?
He had once witnessed the Immortal Chu Vast Land rise from a weak nation into an Immortal Kingdom that overlooked the myriad realms.
And now, he had also witnessed this once-glorious kingdom crumble in a single day, vanishing like a shattered illusion, leaving nothing behind.
"The Immortal Chu Vast Land no longer exists. Do you still wish to avenge it?"
Gu Changge gazed at the old man weeping in despair, his eyes devoid of emotion.
Logically speaking, Fu Bo was the only one who knew the truth behind the fall of the Immortal Chu Vast Land. If Gu Changge erased him, wiping away all traces of his existence, he could truly step away from this matter without anyone ever knowing of his involvement.
The Heavenslayers Alliance could then rightfully seize the Immortal Chu Vast Land's place.
Champion General Chu Heng would never learn that the true mastermind behind his downfall was none other than Gu Changge.
Yet, as he looked at this old man, broken by despair and grief, Gu Changge inexplicably thought of another figure. His raised hand slowly lowered.
"How could an old man like me still seek vengeance? Dust returns to dust, ashes to ashes. Everything has already scattered. I no longer have the strength to avenge it."
Fu Bo laughed bitterly.
During the time the Spirit of Eternity had possessed his body, his True Soul had been continuously eroded. Now, his strength was likely inferior even to an ordinary Dao Realm cultivator.
To expect him to avenge the Immortal Chu Vast Land? To expect him to oppose Gu Changge? That was nothing short of delusion.
"Young Master Gu, if you intend to kill this old man, then do it. Whether I live or die now... it no longer matters."
Fu Bo slumped to the ground, his clouded eyes reflecting the flames devouring the imperial capital of the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
Gu Changge looked at him calmly and said, "You once mentioned that if not for Chu Gucheng still needing your assistance, you would have long sought a peaceful mortal village to live out your remaining years in contentment, enjoying the simple pleasures of doting on grandchildren."
Hearing this, Fu Bo's eyes flickered with dazed recollection. He hadn't expected Gu Changge to remember those words.
Originally, this was something he had said during their conversation in a teahouse when Gu Changge visited the Immortal Chu Vast Land on the day of Chu Gucheng's longevity banquet.
"To think Young Master Gu still remembers this old man's words from back then..." A bitter smile surfaced on Fu Bo's face.
"I was once just a servant of the Chu Family, attending to the Ruler's father's generation. Later, if not for his cultivation achievements allowing him to take me away from the Chu Family, I would never have been exposed to such a vast and boundless world. I wouldn't have lived this long—I would have turned to dust long ago."
"This old man is grateful to the Ruler. But to speak the truth without fear of Young Master Gu's mockery... I never had any aspirations for cultivation. I never cared about living long or possessing earth-shaking abilities. In the beginning, all I wanted was to dutifully serve the Ruler's generation, earn a good reputation, and then retire in my old age to brag about my youthful experiences to the village elders and children, watching their awed and admiring gazes. Just imagining such days brought me comfort..."
"But later, the Ruler brought me into the cultivation world, turning me into an immortal who could soar through the skies in the eyes of mortals. Yet... such a life never brought me happiness..."
Seeing Fu Bo lost in reminiscence, Gu Changge remained silent, not interrupting him.
"Perhaps these words are unworthy of being spoken to someone like Young Master Gu. But tell me—does that supreme Great Dao you all pursue, that endless cultivation with no visible end, truly bring you joy?"
"How long has it been since you, Young Master Gu, felt genuine happiness? When the Ruler was still young, he would rejoice for days over a minor breakthrough or the comprehension of a new divine ability. But as his cultivation grew stronger, he could no longer feel satisfaction. The smiles on his face grew fewer and fewer."
"After becoming the Ruler of the Immortal Chu Vast Land, he was busy every day. Sometimes, a single seclusion would last thousands, even tens of thousands of years. His strength grew mightier, the divine abilities he grasped became increasingly terrifying—yet he never again wore the same heartfelt smile of his youth. I once asked him: 'Is this the life you once sought?' That day, the Ruler remained silent for a long time. In the end, he couldn't answer me."
"He had realized it too—he had changed. What he pursued now... even he no longer knew."
Fu Bo gazed at the buildings being devoured by flames, at the galaxies gradually dimming in the depths of the cosmos, and finally fell silent.
"As you said, everyone has different pursuits. Cultivation and strength are not the only goals—but in this vast world, they are the only path to survival for all living beings. To live, one must grow stronger. You may think it wrong, but it is not." Gu Changge spoke calmly.
"This old man understands such matters. Everyone interprets them differently. But in my view, I don't need to live long. If, looking back, I have no regrets about people or events in my life, and if recalling certain memories can still bring a sincere smile to my face... then this life of mine has been enough."
Fu Bo no longer looked at the Immortal Chu Vast Land being ravaged by war. In his final moments, as if recalling something, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his lips before he closed his eyes.
He chose to end his own life, not letting Gu Changge strike the final blow.
"Master, this old man dared to shake your Dao Heart even in death. Letting him die like this was far too merciful." The Spirit of Eternity hovered midair, watching Fu Bo's self-inflicted demise with disdain.
Gu Changge ignored it. After a brief silence, flames ignited in his palm, landing on Fu Bo's corpse and reducing it to ashes.
The drifting ashes scattered like snowflakes, burying themselves alongside the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
By a tranquil, mirror-like emerald lake shrouded in immortal mist, a woman of peerless beauty sat quietly plucking the strings of a zither. A veil obscured her face, and her dark hair swayed gently in the breeze.
Her slender jade fingers danced across the strings as if plucking the threads of the Great Dao itself, exuding an unfathomable aura that inspired reverence.
"The Heavenslayers Alliance's momentum in recent years has grown increasingly alarming. Compared to it, the Immortal Chu Vast Land was insignificant—not even worthy of comparison."
A stunning woman in palace robes, her hair adorned with jade hairpins, stood atop the lake's still surface, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
"The Heavenslayers Alliance has remained peaceful in recent years, showing no signs of recklessness. Though their expansion is indeed startling, it's not unreasonable. Does Senior Sister intend to intervene and obstruct them?"
The zither-playing woman released the strings and lifted her bright eyes, her tone calm as she spoke.
"I wouldn't dare. But the Heavenslayers Alliance's rise does unsettle me somewhat. Meanwhile, ever since your escape from the Immortal Chu Vast Land, Junior Sister, you've devoted yourself to quiet cultivation, scarcely concerning yourself with the affairs of the Primary Hope Civilisation anymore."
The beautiful woman was none other than Xi Yin. She gazed at the Primary Hope Saintess before her and sighed faintly, assuming that her once-proud and peerlessly talented junior sister had been disheartened by past events.
"Whether I concern myself or not makes no difference. Senior Sister, on the other hand, hasn't rested since emerging from seclusion. You barely finished handling the aftermath of the Immortal Chu Vast Land's fall before worrying about new matters. Don't you fear exhausting yourself?"
The Primary Hope Saintess stood, tucking away her zither. Her jade-white hands clasped behind her back, she stepped barefoot onto the lake's surface, her tone lightly teasing.
Xi Yin had always doted on this junior sister of hers and could only shake her head helplessly at her jest.
"A thousand years have passed since the fall of the Immortal Chu Vast Land..." she murmured with another sigh.
The Primary Hope Saintess's expression grew slightly complicated.
"Yes... To think a millennium has passed since that battle. Yet it feels as though it happened only yesterday."
A thousand years had gone by since the Immortal Chu Vast Land was besieged and destroyed by a coalition of orthodox forces.
In that earth-shattering war of annihilation, the land's Ruler, Chu Gucheng, perished in battle, as did his master, the Dharma Sage.
Countless Divine Generals, ministers, and Dao Realm experts also suffered heavy casualties.
Already weakened, the Immortal Chu Vast Land stood no chance against the united assault.
The old woman from the Ardent Ruins Cave, Xing Ying, managed to escape and vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, her junior brother—the White-browed Star Lord of the Immortal Chu Vast Land—was captured alive after being besieged by Ancestral Dao Realm experts from various orthodox forces.