Chapter 1320: A Desperate Situation—All of This Was Caused by Her
Chapter 1320: A Desperate Situation—All of This Was Caused by Her
In the past, the Primary Hope Saintess would have disdained the elixirs and immortal materials she now shoved into her mouth without regard for her dignity or bearing.
Ling Yuling, though knowledgeable about the records and divine might of the Mirror of Reincarnation, was not its master. For now, she could only do her best to shield the Primary Hope Saintess from disturbances.
A hazy curtain of light, like a transparent barrier, was woven from one ancient rune after another, forming the only illumination in this dark domain as it resisted the encroaching black mist.
Members of various orthodoxies and factions desperately pressed toward the center, seeking shelter.
Above them, a terrifying howl shook the heavens as sword radiance crisscrossed the sky and earth before crashing down with a thunderous boom onto that curtain of light.
Everyone watched with trembling hearts as the barrier twisted violently, seemingly on the verge of shattering. Their hearts clenched in fear—but in the end, it held firm.
Yet the Primary Hope Saintess suffered the backlash, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. Her once pure white robes were now stained red, her face deathly pale.
After all, she was protecting the vast majority of people here, not just a select few. The pressure she bore was immense. Had it not been for the Mirror of Reincarnation's formidable strength, any other Dao artifact would have shattered instantly under that strike.
Many watched with lingering fear. That had merely been a casual slash from Gu Changge—if he truly unleashed his full power, would the Primary Hope Saintess still be able to shield them?
The appearance of the Mirror of Reincarnation had briefly kindled a sliver of hope in their hearts, but now, that hope was extinguished once more.
"You can protect them for a moment—but can you protect them forever?"
Gu Changge's gaze remained cold as he regarded them all. With a sweep of the tree of seven colours in his hand, divine auroras and thunder surged forth like the birth and destruction of worlds within the chaos.
Terrifying visions unfolded—the heavens splitting, divine beings bleeding, Dao Ancestors lying dead. Countless divine lights, like heavenly tribulations or bolts from the highest firmament, rained down endlessly upon the barrier.
The Primary Hope Saintess had barely caught her breath before she was forced to rally her spirit once more, controlling the Mirror of Reincarnation to withstand this assault.
The mirror trembled faintly as a hazy radiance surged forth, expanding into an even larger curtain of light.
Many ancient existences watched with trembling hearts as those terrifying visions crashed down, striking the barrier again and again. The light warped and fractured under unimaginable force.
Cultivators near the front coughed up blood, their qi and blood roiling from the shockwaves. Some even had their skin split open, blood seeping through the cracks as if their bodies were on the verge of collapse.
The members of the Heavenslayers Alliance shuddered at the sight. Such power, if unleashed upon the Great Universe, would be nothing short of apocalyptic—enough to annihilate any cosmic realm.
The Mountain of Wonders, originally a terrain fortified with natural formation runes, was now a wasteland of fissures and craters. Ancient divine trees had been obliterated, reduced to splinters in the wake of the earlier shockwaves.
BOOM!
Endless thunderous roars echoed through the land like the descent of divine retribution, as if the heavens themselves had come to pass judgment. Every rule and order crumbled into oblivion.
With every swing of Gu Changge's silver immortal sword, it was as if he wielded the fury of the Nine Heavens—each strike earth-shaking, each sword radiance blotting out the sky.
Every slash seemed to cleave through the cosmos like a sweeping galaxy. The mere sight of it was enough to shatter the courage of any cultivator, striking fear even into the hearts of supreme beings.
Before the Mirror of Reincarnation, the Primary Hope Saintess trembled, coughing up more and more blood. Her once pristine white robes were now drenched crimson, and even the light in her eyes dimmed.
Ling Yuling, standing close to her, could clearly see fine cracks beginning to spread across the Saintess's jade-like skin. She resembled a flawless porcelain vessel on the verge of shattering.
Ling Yuling's own heart clenched in dread.
Even with the Primary Hope Saintess—who had endured eight Decay Tribulations—wielding the Mirror of Reincarnation, the struggle was this intense. It was proof of just how terrifying and unfathomable Gu Changge's offensive was.
At this moment, if any Ancestral Dao Realm existence stood in his path, they would be obliterated in an instant, leaving not even ashes behind.
Ling Yuling had never seen Gu Changge truly unleash his power before, nor had she witnessed his wrath. Though his expression now was cold—even calm—she knew he had resolved to kill without mercy.
Back in the Immortal Chu Vast Land, when he fought Chu Gucheng, had Gu Changge displayed even a fraction of his current strength, Chu Gucheng would never have survived. The entire Immortal Chu Vast Land could have been wiped out in an instant.
A bitter sense of helplessness rose in her heart. Perhaps, as her younger sister Ling Yuxian had said, her initial assumptions had been wrong from the start?
She had vastly overestimated her own capabilities, pushing Gu Changge—who could have spoken with her peacefully, even shared wine and conversation—into direct opposition against the entire Primary Hope Civilisation.
All of this... was her doing.
Amid the storm of sword radiance, terrifying dark divine light surged forth like a tide once more. Gu Changge remained cold and composed as the Sphere of Ambition before him released another streak of light—this time transforming into a pitch-black heavenly blade.
He released the immortal sword in his hand with a sharp shout, flicking his sleeve. The heavenly blade and immortal sword instantly shot forward like twin suns—one yin, one yang—rumbling down as the void shattered, freezing space and time around them.
An unparalleled might roared forth, crashing onto the light screen like the entire ancient firmament collapsing.
Even a single ripple of the shockwave pulverized nearby cultivators before they could scream.
This time, even hiding under the protection of the Mirror of Reincarnation was utterly useless. The black divine radiance blotted out the sky, surging and rolling down in endless waves.
The pitch-black heavenly blade cracked, and the immortal sword chipped, yet they continued their unstoppable descent.
The Sphere of Ambition rumbled as it slowly pressed forward, its vast interior containing countless phenomena, suspended above the Mirror of Reincarnation. Threads of light descended, each one dense and profound as if carrying the mysteries and truths of myriad worlds, manifesting unimaginable divine might.
The light screen expanded like a dome, encompassing heaven and earth, yet under the crushing weight of the divine radiance, it began to distort.
Everyone within—representatives of various orthodoxies and forces—felt their hearts tremble with dread, sensing an infinite, suffocating pressure as if ten thousand mountains loomed overhead, ready to crush them into paste.
"This is bad..."
Suddenly, the Master of Light from Bright Light Temple noticed a tiny crack forming on the light screen, his expression shifting drastically.
The other leaders and sect masters around him also paled.
"Ugh—"
The next moment, the Primary Hope Saintess choked out a mouthful of blood, her delicate frame swaying unsteadily.
Ling Yuling hurriedly reached out to steady her, while the other ancient beings stepped forward in shock. Many immediately braced themselves—they hadn't expected the protective barrier to last only this long.
Boom!
The Mirror of Reincarnation trembled violently as the light screen shattered like glass, dissolving into fragments. The Primary Hope Saintess, now stained in blood, could no longer shield them, suffering severe backlash.
"He's too strong... Even with the Mirror of Reincarnation, I can barely protect everyone. In just this short time, my heart meridians have been shattered multiple times..."
"I won't be of much help to you for a while."
Her lips stained with blood, the Primary Hope Saintess barely managed to steady herself, her beautiful eyes filled with complexity as she gazed at the distant, indifferent Gu Changge.
She had thought—hoped—that he might show her some mercy, given their past camaraderie.
But now, it was clear he saw her as complicit with Ling Yuling, conspiring to trap and harm him. Naturally, he no longer cared for their former ties.
This reminded her of when Chu Gucheng had trapped her in that temporal prison.
Back then, Gu Changge had still been able to laugh and converse with her like a close friend.
The Primary Hope Saintess sighed imperceptibly. She knew she had lost her gamble. After her conversation with Ling Yuling, she had made a resolute decision—a grand wager.
She refused to believe the Mirror of Reincarnation's omens and future. She wanted to rewrite the fate of the Primary Hope Civilisation and the Primary Hope Holy Church herself.
But now, it was clear she had failed. Against the unstoppable torrent of fate, she—a fish trying to swim upstream—had been battered and broken, paying a heavy price.
"He truly is too strong. We've both lost this gamble."
Ling Yuling also sighed softly, handing the Primary Hope Saintess over to Xi Yin beside her. She gripped her Dao Sword once more and soared into the sky, her armor outlining her graceful figure, shimmering with eternal radiance.
She faced Gu Changge again, her sharp sword intent saturating the heavens and earth, freezing time itself.
Simultaneously, her aura surged once more, her battle intent blazing fiercely. An ancient mark glowed between her brows, emitting a primordial, supreme presence.
Beneath her feet, True Forms of the Great Dao manifested one after another. In this moment, she stood atop the pinnacle of all Daos, as if the cosmos itself revered her. Ling Yuling unleashed her terrifying, overwhelming power once more, letting out a clear cry as she brandished her Dao Sword and charged.
Gu Changge watched her coldly. With a swing of his treasure tree, heavenly winds howled, dispersing swirling Mist of Chaos that engulfed Ling Yuling's figure. Sword beams flickered within, slashing and piercing, struggling to break free.
Seeing this, the other ancient beings and sect masters steeled their resolve, following Ling Yuling's lead and charging forward.
They all knew—if they didn't unite now, once Ling Yuling fell, they would have no chance left.
Even the Dao Realm experts roared as they joined the assault. Without the Mirror of Reincarnation's protection, they were once again suppressed by the dark divine radiance—yet this did nothing to diminish their determination and Will of Carnage.
RUMBLE—
An Ancestral Dao Realm existence swept his hands through the air, channeling the flow of Dao rules. The black haze in the distance scattered as he summoned a tattered, ancient banner and hurled it forward.
The small black banner rapidly expanded midair, soon blotting out the sky, soaring to the heavens as it hurtled toward Gu Changge.
Its power was terrifying, unleashing earth-shaking energy. Upon impact, its divine might erupted into countless mushroom clouds, annihilating everything in its wake.
It was clear that this was an incredibly terrifying secret treasure. Even a single wisp of its divine might carried world-destroying power, capable of annihilating an entire Ancient True World with ease.
At this moment, the other Ancestral Dao Realm existences also unleashed their own methods, holding nothing back now. These were their ultimate trump cards—desperate measures for survival.
The scene here was chaotic and earth-shattering, as if the very heavens and earth were on the verge of collapse.
Seeing this, the members of the Heavenslayers Alliance roared in fury and charged forward, engaging in a great slaughter within this dark domain.
Above the sky, the black lotus slowly descended once more. The lotus seed at its center spewed forth a tide of dark divine light, surging like a tsunami with a deafening rumble. The sight was terrifying—black mist billowed and churned as if boiling.
All manner of eerie, swirling mists emerged, carrying boundless energy as they surged forward, drowning everything in their path.
Clang!
Another beam of divine light descended from the Sphere of Ambition—an ancient spear wrapped in the radiance of order. Gu Changge discarded the shattered Heavenly Blade and Immortal Sword, gripping the spear instead. He pointed it diagonally toward the southern sky and swept it horizontally through the air.
The tattered banner, its surface rippling as it descended, twisted space itself to the point of shattering. Yet under this single strike, it exploded instantly, riddled with terrifying cracks before being completely pierced. With a slight flick of Gu Changge's wrist, it turned to dust.
The Ancestral Dao Realm existence who had summoned this treasure was horrified. Struck by Gu Changge's spear, his chest exploded on impact, scattering bone fragments and blood as he was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, grievously wounded and unable to fight.
The other Ancestral Dao Realm existences trembled in fear, but they had no retreat left. They pooled their strength, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy as if draining the essence of countless eras and universes, attempting to break through this dark domain.
Yet as the dark tide spewed forth from the lotus seed drowned everything, endless streams of radiant mist rose, assimilating all energy and matter into pure, flowing power—only reinforcing the dark domain, making it even more unbreakable.
"The seal of the Gate of Eternal Life grows stronger... It cannot be forcibly destroyed..."
Ling Yuling's figure closed in. She had broken through the Mist of Chaos, her Dao Sword slashing down to clash against the spear Gu Changge had swept toward her.
The collision was utterly silent at first—then the ten thousand Daos roared, the heavens quaked violently. The terrifying shockwave nearly tore the sword from her grasp, but her formidable willpower kept her grip firm, preventing it from flying away.
Yet the consequence was that the shockwave instantly spread. The spear's tip pierced forward, tearing through her armor and leaving a ghastly wound on her shoulder, nearly running her through.
Ling Yuling let out a muffled grunt, hastily retreating. Her shattered armor was now stained with blood, droplets scattering through the air. But Gu Changge showed no mercy, his gaze icy as he flicked his wrist, sending the spear hurtling toward her like a frigid, blinding light—aimed directly at her brow.
Sssshhh—!
The cold gleam of the spear streaked through the darkness, carrying a strange, tragic beauty. Ling Yuling's pupils contracted.
At the last moment, she twisted her head aside—but the spear still grazed past, shattering the faceplate of her helmet. Her long hair spilled free, stained with blood, a heartbreaking sight.
Her face paled as blood dripped from her forehead, obscuring half her vision. The wound there was horrifying—deep enough to reveal bone.
Her jade-like hand, gripping the Dao Sword, trembled slightly. For that brief moment, she had truly felt the despair and terror of death.
Yet she sensed that Gu Changge had held back. Otherwise, she doubted she could have dodged at all.
"Ancestor—!"
"Senior—!"
Many cried out in alarm at this sight, especially the elders and disciples of the Imperial Immortal Palace, their eyes filled with dread and unease.
No matter how Ling Yuling surged with power, no matter what techniques she employed, she could not last more than a few exchanges against Gu Changge.
"Sister—!" Ling Yuxian was equally frantic with worry. No matter what, Ling Yuling was her sister—how could she not be anxious seeing her in such peril?
"I'm fine." Ling Yuling glanced at them, shaking her head before taking a deep breath to steady herself, quickly healing her wounds.
Though her armor was in ruins, she had no intention of stopping. Her beautiful, gentle face hardened once more with resolve and frosty determination as she raised her sword and charged at Gu Changge.
"Even now, you refuse to give up?"
Gu Changge watched her coldly as she attacked. The spear returned to his hand, and with a mere flick, he knocked the Dao Sword from Ling Yuling's grip, sending it tumbling into the distant dark mist.
Wounds inflicted by him were not so easily healed. Ling Yuling was no longer in her peak state, merely suppressing her injuries as best she could.
Yet she still refused to yield. Even without her weapon, she threw herself at him like a moth to flame.
Thud!
Blood splattered across the sky. Gu Changge's gaze remained merciless as he tilted the spear skyward—this time, it pierced straight through Ling Yuling's body, lifting her high into the air.