Chapter 1323: Reaping What One Sows—Holding the Emperor to Command the World
Chapter 1323: Reaping What One Sows—Holding the Emperor to Command the World
Moreover, it was precisely due to the profound mysteries of the Scavenger Tome that Gu Changge was able to learn in advance the various materials Ling Yuling needed to forge the Golden Book of Covenant and even capture traces of its aura from the River of Time.
He had extracted a wisp of the Scavenger Tome's Artifact Spirit's clone in advance, then fused the Golden Book of Covenant's aura into it, allowing that wisp of the Artifact Spirit's clone to attach itself to the materials used in forging the Golden Book of Covenant.
Through this method of deception, he successfully ensured that the Scavenger Tome's Artifact Spirit would take control of the completed Golden Book of Covenant.
Thus, the scene during the signing of the Golden Book of Covenant had unfolded as it did.
Apart from the Scavenger Tome's Artifact Spirit and Elder Xian Yun, no one else knew of Gu Changge's machinations.
Now, the situation in the Primary Hope Civilisation was evolving exactly as he desired. In the coming days, the Heavenslayers Alliance would completely supplant orthodox forces like the Primary Hope Holy Church and truly take control of the Primary Hope Civilisation—moreover, in a manner that was entirely justified.
High in the heavens, golden radiance surged as clouds churned. Ancient warships and battle chariots rumbled past like a mighty army on the march.
Ancestral Dao Realm existences took action, carving golden pathways through the cosmos. The vast forces of the Heavenslayers Alliance departed from the now-ruined Mountain of Wonders, showing no hostility toward the surrounding Star Domains and their factions.
The terrified factions, feeling the overwhelming pressure that had loomed over them finally recede like a tide, let out long sighs of relief.
The surviving cultivators and living beings, still shaken, quickly transformed into streaks of divine light and left the area without lingering.
In the following days, many factions dispatched scouts to the Mountain of Wonders to investigate what had transpired. However, upon arrival, they were all stunned by the remnants of the battle and the horrifying sights they witnessed, filled with shock and dread.
Especially the immortal orthodox factions that had participated—they trembled in fear, overwhelmed with terror.
The sect leaders, leaders of their factions, and numerous elders who had come to sign the Primary Hope Covenant had all vanished as if evaporated from existence.
Many orthodox factions and clans sent envoys to inquire about the events, desperate to learn what had happened.
Though many ancient beings had managed to escape, none dared return to their factions during this time. Instead, they sought secluded places to recover from their injuries, waiting to see how events would unfold—lest they return only to be ambushed by Gu Changge and the Heavenslayers Alliance.
As a result, many immortal orthodox factions in the Primary Hope Civilisation remained completely in the dark about what had truly happened on the day of the Primary Hope Covenant signing, living in constant tension and unease.
Several days later, after concerted efforts by various factions to gather information, the truth of that day's events finally spread throughout the Primary Hope Civilisation. In an instant, all who heard it were left dumbstruck, unable to believe it.
No one could have imagined that in those few short days, the Primary Hope Civilisation had undergone such a cataclysmic upheaval.
The so-called Primary Hope Covenant had not been intended to secure a period of peace for the myriad clans—it had been a conspiracy orchestrated by Ling Yuling, the founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace, and various orthodox factions to trap and kill Gu Changge, the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
Ling Yuling had tampered with the Golden Book of Covenant during its forging, intending to kill Gu Changge when he signed it.
Yet this scheme had failed spectacularly. The might and terror of Gu Changge, leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, far surpassed everyone's expectations.
Not only had the Golden Book of Covenant failed to harm him, but he had effortlessly torn it apart, reducing it to ashes.
Subsequently, the supreme existences of the various orthodox factions joined forces to besiege him—only to be grievously wounded and defeated, one after another. Even Ling Yuling, founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace, suffered a crushing defeat and was captured.
Every orthodox faction that had participated in the scheme was suppressed by Gu Changge. Their sect leaders and leaders either met gruesome deaths or were sealed away—all now in the hands of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
This news struck like a meteor plunging into the depths of the sea, instantly stirring monstrous waves across the cosmos.
Countless cultivators and living beings stood frozen in shock. The leaders of minor clans who had failed to attend the Primary Hope Covenant signing felt their hearts pounding with terror and lingering dread.
In the days that followed, the events at the Mountain of Wonders inevitably spread throughout the Primary Hope Civilisation—and even beyond the Boundless Expanse to other civilisations, triggering earth-shattering repercussions.
Countless factions that had been observing these events were left speechless, unable to believe what had happened.
Many Civilisations and True Worlds had considered the Primary Hope Covenant a model worth emulating. Yet none had anticipated that the founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace would possess such audacity and cunning.
Alas, the best-laid plans often go awry. Though she had calculated every move, she had failed to account for the fact that Gu Changge's strength had already reached unfathomable heights.
A single misstep overturned the entire gameboard. As the mastermind, she had ultimately reaped what she sowed—reduced to a prisoner.
After this incident, the supreme figures and ancient beings of various Civilisations and True Worlds deeply suspected that Gu Changge's power had already surpassed the limits of the Nine Decay Tribulations—that he was, in fact, a Path's End-level existence of the present era.
Meanwhile, within the Primary Hope Civilisation, the situation continued to fluctuate violently. The various immortal orthodoxies and ancient clans and families had suffered devastating losses after the events of the Primary Hope Covenant. Countless experts had perished, and even patriarchs and sect masters had been captured and imprisoned by the Heavenslayers Alliance. Even if they sealed their mountain gates and recuperated, it would take hundreds of epochs for them to recover to their peak state.
Many clans and factions were also filled with anxiety, fearing that Gu Changge, the master of the Heavenslayers Alliance, would settle accounts with them later and subject them to retaliation.
Though they hadn't initially known that Ling Yuling, the ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, had conspired with their sect masters and patriarchs to scheme against Gu Changge, the matter still implicated their factions. At this point, how could this debt truly be written off? How could their factions remain unaffected?
Of course, some clans and orthodoxies secretly plotted to mobilize all their hidden resources and unite to rescue their sect masters and elders before the Heavenslayers Alliance could retaliate. They refused to sit idly by and await their doom.
However, such cases were rare. Most clans and factions dared not act rashly, fearing that any move that provoked the Heavenslayers Alliance would lead to the persecution—or even death—of their captured sect masters and elders.
This situation was unprecedented in the Primary Hope Civilisation, an event that had never occurred in countless epochs. Even in other civilised nations, it was nearly inconceivable.
Nearly all the patriarchs and sect masters of the top-tier clans and factions had been captured and imprisoned by a single force, instantly halving the pinnacle strength of the entire Primary Hope Civilisation.
Holding the emperor hostage to command the world—this was precisely the case.
Naturally, because of this, the Heavenslayers Alliance's influence continued to rise, even approaching the peak glory once held by the Primary Hope Holy Church.
During the events of the Primary Hope Covenant, Gu Changge, the master of the Heavenslayers Alliance, had not only displayed incomparably terrifying strength but also demonstrated a magnanimous and benevolent heart that sought to benefit all under heaven.
To prevent the situation from escalating into widespread war and affecting innocent star domains, he had spared the lives of many cultivators and living beings, refraining from targeting smaller clans and factions. He had truly considered the welfare of all living things.
In contrast, those immortal orthodoxies and factions that claimed to protect all living beings appeared utterly hypocritical. To deal with Gu Changge, they had resorted to all manner of despicable methods, earning nothing but contempt.
Gu Changge's views on righteousness and the greater good, as expressed during the Primary Hope Covenant, had now spread across countless star domains through the retellings of many cultivators and living beings. Countless beings regarded him with solemn reverence and deep admiration.
For a time, Heaven-Slaying Shrines sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain across the cosmos, their incense thick and their faith flourishing.
Many clans and factions voluntarily joined the Heavenslayers Alliance, becoming part of its ranks.
The alliance expanded at a rate hundreds of times faster than before, rapidly spreading deeper and farther into the territories of the Primary Hope Civilisation.
At the same time, many of the alliance's experts led armies to enforce order, ensuring the peace and stability of the factions that had joined them.
The Heavenslayers Alliance's influence and prestige reached unprecedented heights.
From Dao Realm existences down to ordinary cultivators and mortals, there was no one who did not know of the alliance's existence.
As for the orthodoxies and clans that had participated in the Primary Hope Covenant, they remained in a state of constant unease. Though the Heavenslayers Alliance had not yet come to settle accounts, they dared not leave their territories, instead sealing their mountain gates and observing the situation quietly.
During this period, some clans and factions secretly gathered experts to discuss plans to infiltrate the alliance's headquarters in the Primary Hope Civilisation—formerly the territory of the Immortal Chu Vast Land—hoping to uncover the whereabouts of the imprisoned Dao Realm existences, elders, and disciples of various orthodoxies and devise a rescue plan.
Unfortunately, their schemes were detected by the alliance's spies before they could be executed.
Subsequently, the Heavenslayers Alliance's experts led vast armies to encircle and annihilate those orthodoxies and clans under the pretense of retaliation.
For a time, blood and carnage filled many star domains of the Primary Hope Civilisation as ancient clans and factions vanished into the river of time.
The Heavenslayers Alliance's might and iron-fisted authority inspired not only reverence but also deep fear among countless clans and factions.
Of course, they understood clearly that as long as they obeyed the rules and order set by the alliance, they need not fear such purges.
After the Primary Hope Covenant, the various orthodoxies and factions tacitly avoided mentioning the incident. None dared to send experts to the alliance's headquarters to demand the release of their people.
Without a central figure like Ling Yuling, the ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, to command the situation, the immortal orthodoxies and factions were nothing more than a scattered mess. Forces like the Towering Divine Cave, Bright Light Temple, and Tathagata Buddha Kingdom could only remain silent.
Even now, the Master of Light of Bright Light Temple remained imprisoned by the Heavenslayers Alliance, yet the temple dared not take any action.
As for the other ancient clans and factions, they lacked even that much courage, praying only to avoid retaliation from the alliance. Some even considered abandoning their sect masters and elders.
Within a dark, mist-shrouded prison cell, Elder Xianyun sat in a daze, as if still unable to process the events that had transpired in the Mountain of Wonders.
The prison cell wasn't particularly large, with hazy black mist swirling around it, accompanied by a bone-chilling aura that seemed capable of piercing straight through one's soul.
At this moment, faint ripples spread before her eyes as Gu Changge's figure stepped leisurely inside.
Elder Xian Yun's hollow, vacant gaze finally focused when she saw his arrival. Her previously numb expression suddenly twisted with grief and icy fury, her fair sleeves trembling as her hands clenched into fists beneath them.
"Why have you come to see me now?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom as she glared at Gu Changge. "You're faithless. Despicable."
She seemed utterly fearless now, beyond caring about consequences. Even if Gu Changge threatened the lives of everyone in the Imperial Immortal Palace again, she would never compromise or trust him again.
"Elder Xian Yun, what do you mean by that?" Gu Changge replied lightly. "Have I not kept my promises? Not a single member of the Imperial Immortal Palace died this time."
"But the Ancestor—"
Elder Xian Yun's icy gaze faltered as she suddenly recalled Ancestor Ling Yuling's attempt to take her own life at the Mountain of Wonders to prove her innocence. A pang of agony shot through her heart, followed by overwhelming guilt and self-reproach. If not for her, would Ancestor Ling Yuling—that proud, untainted existence—have suffered such humiliation and misunderstanding?
"Ling Yuling's life is tougher than that. Those injuries won't kill her—at most, they'll teach her a painful lesson," Gu Changge said indifferently.
Naturally, he couldn't kill Ling Yuling. She was still the key to retrieving the Heavenly Abyss.
"You promised me you wouldn't harm anyone in the Imperial Immortal Palace, yet you still hurt the Ancestor..." Elder Xian Yun's grief and fury remained unabated as she watched Gu Changge's utterly unbothered demeanor.
Why had Gu Changge chosen her? Why had she been dragged into this?
Back at the Xian Yun Practice Grounds, she had never intended to expose his identity or oppose him. She had only wanted to cultivate in peace, avoiding trouble and staying uninvolved. Yet Gu Changge had sought her out repeatedly, bringing endless problems in his wake.
"That was her own doing. Don't blame me for it."
Gu Changge shook his head, his gaze calm as he observed Elder Xian Yun. Then he raised a hand and placed it on her forehead.
"You—what are you doing?" She recoiled slightly before glaring at him, her eyes wide and unblinking, filled with defiance and resolve. "Kill me if you must. I won't aid your tyranny anymore. I won't help you with anything—not even if you threaten the lives of everyone in the Imperial Immortal Palace."
"Relax. You're of no use to me now. Whether you live or die means nothing to me."
Gu Changge's tone remained as placid as still water. His palm began to glow as if passing straight through her brow, and soon, he withdrew a seed as black as ink, wreathed in dark mist. With a light pinch between his fingers, the seed burst apart, scattering into ashes.
Elder Xian Yun stared blankly at his actions, feeling an abrupt lightness in her mind. Her previously muddled Sea of Consciousness suddenly cleared, becoming limpid and serene.
"That was... the Restriction you planted in me..."
Her expression grew complicated as she realized Gu Changge had just removed the shackles from her soul.
Back at the Xian Yun Practice Grounds, to control her life and prevent her from exposing his identity—while also monitoring her movements—Gu Changge had planted a Restriction in her Sea of Consciousness. Through it, he could control her life and death at will, even detecting any thoughts she harbored against him. The moment such intentions arose, he could instantly perceive them and end her life.
"You're not particularly clever, but you're obedient. Step by step, you've cultivated to this point—no small feat."
Gu Changge flicked a finger lightly across her neck, and the collar around it, along with the shackles at her feet, shattered instantly into dust.
"I doubt you'd do anything foolish now."
Elder Xian Yun was still puzzling over his words—obedient?—when she noticed the restraints vanishing and her suppressed cultivation surging back, filling her limbs and meridians.
She froze.
Did this mean... Gu Changge was letting her go?
Without another glance at her confusion, Gu Changge turned and left the cell after removing her shackles.
Whether Elder Xian Yun's existence would expose his schemes during the Primary Hope Covenant no longer mattered. In fact, his "magnanimous" release of the Imperial Immortal Palace's members would prove far more useful for his next plans.
The swirling black mist dissipated as Gu Changge vanished.
Elder Xian Yun was still reeling from her sudden freedom and his cryptic words when familiar figures appeared before her.
"Elder Jiulin... Elder Liyu... Elder Qiufeng..."
