Chapter 1336: Just Like the Remnants of the Black Disaster, It's Almost Enough to Make One Cry
Chapter 1336: Just Like the Remnants of the Black Disaster, It's Almost Enough to Make One Cry
Ling Yuxian quietly left the Imperial Immortal Palace, carrying the notes her elder sister had left behind, and headed toward the territory where the Heavenslayers Alliance headquarters was currently located.
She had no intention of alerting anyone, as she wasn't even sure whether there were still people in the Imperial Immortal Palace who had once been in contact with her sister.
The chaotic Spacetime Sea lay deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace. If her sister had been able to cross it, then the living beings within it naturally could also find a way to emerge into the outside world.
What she was most uncertain about now was why those factions or individuals wanted to target Gu Changge. Was it because he had established the Heavenslayers Alliance? Or was there some other reason?
Though the Primary Hope Civilisation had experienced some turbulence in recent years, with many clans and factions vanishing entirely, in a way, this had actually helped stabilize the future situation.
Under the governance of the Heavenslayers Alliance, no faction or clan dared to act recklessly. Such orderly discipline had not been seen for many years.
The entire cultivation world was thriving, presenting a scene of renewal.
No matter how poor the reputation of the Heavenslayers Alliance might be, it had still brought an end to the chaotic fragmentation of the Primary Hope Civilisation's factions, achieving a true unification—something even the Primary Hope Holy Church had failed to accomplish at the peak of its power.
Which ordinary cultivators or living beings wouldn't be grateful for such peace and stability?
A hazy glow flashed before an ancient cross-domain Transportation Array, and Ling Yuxian, along with the other cultivators and living beings, quickly vanished within it.
After several teleportations across Great Universes, Ling Yuxian finally emerged in an ancient land near the Heavenslayers Alliance headquarters.
She had deliberately chosen not to send a message to Gu Changge from the Imperial Immortal Palace, instead personally traveling to the Heavenslayers Alliance, fearing that someone might learn of her intentions in advance. Fortunately, no one had followed her along the way.
This eased her mind somewhat.
The ancient land was vast and boundless, filled with numerous ancient spiritual veins, its spiritual qi so dense it was almost unimaginable. Several massive, ancient cross-domain Transportation Arrays stood here, though compared to the central regions of the Ancient Universes, this place could still be considered remote.
After arriving, Ling Yuxian immediately headed toward the nearest city. Getting to the Heavenslayers Alliance headquarters was no simple task.
She now regretted not asking Gu Changge for a communication jade talisman back then.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a streak of crimson light streaked across the sky, instantly drawing the attention of Ling Yuxian and the surrounding cultivators.
Within that crimson glow, a massive bird with brilliant red plumage spread its wings and soared, moving at incredible speed like a Divine Rainbow streaking across the heavens. It was fleeing in sheer terror, as if something soul-chasing was hot on its tail.
The bird screamed for help as it fled, its eyes filled with horror and despair.
"That's Ling Wu, the prodigy of the Ling Clan..."
"Why is he being hunted?"
The cultivators who noticed this scene were stunned, and many even prepared to step forward to save the bird.
"How could a living being with the Bloodline of the Phoenix Clan and half-step True Immortal cultivation be hunted in this territory?"
Ling Yuxian was also shocked, her delicate brows furrowing. After a moment of hesitation, she was about to intervene when—
Thwip!
A blinding arrow suddenly shot from the distance, carrying a terrifying force like wind and thunder, instantly piercing through the bird before exploding with a bang, tearing it apart and splattering blood across the sky.
The scene froze all the cultivators and living beings who had been about to step forward, their faces filled with shock and horror.
"Ling Wu defied doctrine, harbored heretics, and challenged the authority of the Heavenslayers Alliance. He has been executed as a warning to others."
An old man clad in a black robe, his face concealed beneath a long hood, appeared on a distant mountain peak, his voice cold and godlike as he pronounced judgment.
Beside him stood a burly man at the True Immortal realm, who retracted his drawn bow with a cold smirk.
"In Fortune Starfall City, my grandfather is the priest of the Heaven-Slaying Shrine. How dare a mere Ling Wu like you compete with me for a woman?"
A young man with delicate features, his eye sockets sunken from depleted vitality, sneered from the side.
They watched the scene of the bird exploding into a mist of blood with satisfaction before departing, utterly indifferent to the terrified and trembling cultivators and living beings around them.
"As expected..."
"Ah..."
"I knew it would be for this reason. Ever since the Yun Clan spent a fortune building the Heaven-Slaying Shrine and gained the recognition of the Heavenslayers Alliance, they've been acting without restraint, doing whatever they please. Now they don't even spare the Ling Clan, another major clan, killing their prodigy as they see fit."
"What's the difference between the current Heavenslayers Alliance and those demonic cults? To me, they're just like the remnants of the Black Disaster from back then..."
"Quiet! Do you have a death wish? How can you say such things?"
Only after the group had left did the surrounding cultivators and living beings dare to whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with indignation and helplessness.
As Ling Yuxian listened to their conversation, she stood frozen in disbelief.
Why was the Heavenslayers Alliance in the eyes of these ordinary cultivators so different from what she had imagined?
How could the Heavenslayers Alliance possibly be the same as the remnants of the Black Disaster?
"Luo Xiangjun? Who is that?"
"She once impersonated the saintess of the Divine Eternal Clan? But I've long since had nothing to do with the Divine Eternal Clan. Did she mistake me for someone else?"
Meanwhile, in a quiet valley, Mu Yan, having learned from Gu Changge the reason behind Luo Xiangjun's search for her, widened her eyes in confusion.
"I'm only relaying the message. Whether you agree or not is up to you."
Gu Changge sat leisurely on a stone stool, calmly blowing on the tea before him. In front of him, Yao Yao was proudly showing off the progress she had made in refining the Fortuitous Furnace during this period, waiting for Gu Changge to praise her.
Instead, he flicked her forehead with his thumb and forefinger.
"You're still far from fully refining the Fortuitous Furnace. Don't get complacent. What remains unbroken when full?"
Yao Yao winced in pain, rubbing her slightly reddened forehead as she shot Gu Changge a resentful look.
Mu Yan was still hesitating over whether to accept Luo Xiangjun's request, especially since Gu Changge had mentioned that she was a "figure" of some significance with plenty of valuable treasures.
Suddenly, Gu Changge's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"This tea wasn't brewed by you, was it? It's a bit bitter."
Gu Changge frowned slightly before setting down his cup.
"You should be grateful someone brewed tea for you at all, yet you still complain?"
Mu Yan rolled her eyes at him but nonetheless carried the teapot away with a faint fragrance trailing behind her, intending to brew a fresh pot.
Gu Changge paid her no mind. His gaze shifted to Ling Yuling, who stood not far away, looking slightly stunned and awkward, her flawless face tinged with embarrassment.
She seemed to want to say something, hesitating as if holding back.
"You're not suited for servile tasks," Gu Changge remarked indifferently.
"I'm sorry..." Ling Yuling's face flushed deeper with embarrassment and shame. This was indeed her first time brewing tea. She had thought it would be effortless after learning the method from Mu Yan, but she had underestimated what appeared to be a simple task.
In the past, watching Mu Yan brew tea had seemed so effortless and graceful—her movements simple yet brimming with an ineffable elegance.
Her eyes had learned, but when it came to actually doing it, her hands simply couldn't keep up.
No wonder Gu Changge had noticed the difference at first sip.
"If you're truly idle and bored, you can go water the peach trees outside the valley and pull up the weeds while you're at it," Gu Changge said as he rose from his seat, turning his attention to guiding Yao Yao in her cultivation.
"N-no, that's not..."
Ling Yuling froze for a moment, realizing Gu Changge had misunderstood. She hadn't brewed the tea out of boredom.
She hurried to explain, "I noticed you seem to enjoy tea, so I thought... you might like this. But I didn't expect it to turn out like this. I'd already brewed many pots before this and chose the best one."
As the founding ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, a Progenitor who had once resisted the Black Disaster—when had she ever gone out of her way to study someone's preferences, let alone brew tea for them?
And yet... here she was. Not only had she brewed countless pots, but she had also been desperate to do it well—only to be met with disdain.
Gu Changge frowned slightly, his gaze cool and unreadable as he looked at her. "If you think lowering yourself to brew tea for me is a way to please or compensate me, then don't bother."
"Your status isn't as lofty as you imagine in my eyes."
"Moreover, the tea you brewed is the bitterest, most astringent, and worst-tasting I've ever had. Don't attempt such unsuitable gestures again."
His tone was unhurried, light as a passing breeze, as if discussing an insignificant matter with a friend.
Yet even Yao Yao, standing nearby, could feel the icy indifference in his words. Her small face stiffened in fear, and she focused entirely on her cultivation, not daring to listen further.
Had her master spoken to her like that, she would have burst into tears on the spot.
Hearing this, Ling Yuling first froze in shock, then paled. A mist seemed to gather in her glistening eyes as she bit her cherry lips tightly, staring at Gu Changge in disbelief.
She had never expected him to be so brutally direct, tearing into her without the slightest mercy.
In the past, Gu Changge had always treated her with gentle courtesy.
Even when he had helped her expel the Dark Origin substance in that abyssal space, he had maintained a gentleman's decorum, never overstepping.
Later, during the Primary Hope Covenant, even when blades were drawn, he had shown her leniency—never striking to kill.
She had always believed that had they not been on opposing sides from the start, they could have become close friends, even kindred spirits.
Even now, she still held that belief. But she had never imagined Gu Changge's resentment toward her ran so deep—deep enough for him to wound her so cruelly.
It seemed their relationship was beyond repair, let alone returning to what it once was.
"I... I..."
Ling Yuling didn't even realize her voice was trembling slightly.
Gu Changge shook his head faintly, withdrawing his gaze from her and returning to guiding Yao Yao's cultivation.
"I'm sorry..."
Ling Yuling lowered her head, her nose stinging as an unfamiliar wave of bitterness surged in her chest, blurring her vision with unshed tears.
She pressed her lips together tightly, forcing back the flood of emotions threatening to spill over, then turned and walked away.
She had hoped that brewing tea might ease the tension between them.
But she had never intended to flaunt her status or use it to curry favor—let alone as some form of compensation.
She wanted to make amends for her past misunderstandings and prejudices toward Gu Changge. But before that, she needed to mend their relationship—to stop him from treating her like thin air.
Yet her sincerity had been twisted into something else entirely.
"The founding ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, on the verge of tears—now that's a rare sight. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd done something unspeakably cruel to her."
"Though I'll admit, she really has no talent for brewing tea. But it was a genuine effort. You should've seen how clumsily she fumbled with the kettle, burning herself in the process..."
Mu Yan approached, carrying a freshly brewed pot of tea, her expression brimming with mischief.
Gu Changge glanced at her. "And what does this have to do with you?"
"When I first met you, I never took you for such a heartless man."
"Don't you know a woman's sincerity shouldn't be trampled on?" Mu Yan smiled, her stunningly beautiful face carrying a fox-like slyness.
"That's also not an excuse for you to sneak into my room at night," Gu Changge replied evenly.
Mu Yan's cheeks flushed pink. Glancing at Yao Yao, who had frozen in shock beside them, she lowered her voice. "Your disciple is right here..."
"Once Yao Yao leaves for her training, I'll have to send you away too. I wonder when I'll finally have some peace and quiet." Gu Changge rubbed his temples slightly, as if genuinely vexed.
Mu Yan giggled. "The mighty leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, feared by countless civilisations across the vast expanse—intimidated by little old me?"
"You and Wang Zijin would get along famously."
Gu Changge truly hadn't expected the "Sovereign Empress" of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation—who had once been destined to succumb to darkness—to turn out like this.
Mu Yan didn't recognize the name, but from Gu Changge's tone, she could tell this was destined to be a future "sister" of hers.
With a soft humph, she pinched Yao Yao's stunned little cheeks affectionately before sauntering off, still smiling.
"...It's actually drinkable."
After Mu Yan left, Gu Changge picked up the teacup he had barely sipped from earlier, his gaze lingering in the direction Ling Yuling had departed. A thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.
The timing, he felt, was almost right.
Ling Yuling was unlike others. Outwardly gentle as water, she was in fact prideful to the extreme.
Her Dao Heart, tempered over countless epochs, ensured her emotions remained still as a mirror—untroubled by ripples in all but the most extreme circumstances.
To truly subdue her required precisely this kind of relentless pressure—forcing her into self-doubt, reflection, remorse, until cracks finally appeared.
The grand performance he had orchestrated during the Primary Hope Covenant wasn't just a scheme for the Primary Hope Civilisation—it was also a trap laid specifically for Ling Yuling.
Everything, from releasing the Imperial Immortal Palace's members to freeing Ling Yuling from the Dark Cage, had been part of his design.
Now, her every reaction and action only further confirmed the success of his machinations.
To Gu Changge, Ling Yuling would be a crucial piece—a chess piece of immense value.
