This Assist Came Right on Time—Everyone Was Dumbfounded
This Assist Came Right on Time—Everyone Was Dumbfounded
Outside the mountain gate of the Celestia Holy Land.
Clouds and mist swirled about, the scene grand beyond measure.
Gu Changge, bringing Yao Yao along, had traveled and sightseen all the way, and had finally arrived here.
During this time, he had seriously played the role of shifu. It couldn’t be said he was overly devoted, but he was diligent and responsible, leaving no one able to find the slightest fault.
Although Yao Yao couldn’t cultivate, that didn’t matter.
As her bargain-bin shifu, he simply took her sightseeing all along the way—vast mountains and rivers, magnificent landscapes, ancient Divine Cities—they left their footprints everywhere.
At the same time, he made Yao Yao understand one truth: although she couldn’t cultivate, with a shifu like him around, no one could bully her.
Ancient Forbidden Areas, primordial Mystic Mountains—Gu Changge took her through all of them.
The little girl was now extremely attached to him, saying that shifu was the person who treated her best.
Even Grandma Yin Hua, who followed behind them, basked in the reflected glory and broadened her horizons considerably, and she couldn’t help but envy Yao Yao.
And under Gu Changge’s deliberate care, Yao Yao now practically regarded him as her closest kin.
She even felt that her brother wasn’t as attentive to her as shifu was.
Still, her brother had, after all, depended on her and Grandma for survival for so many years, so his place in her heart remained significant.
Gu Changge was well aware of this, so he wasn’t in any hurry.
At this moment, he raised his eyes to gaze upon this majestic, ancient Holy Land of wondrous grandeur, holding Yao Yao’s hand at his side, a strange look on his face.
Honestly speaking, in his eyes, the Fortuity of the Celestia Holy Land was changing at a peculiar rate.
It showed signs of a soaring dragon, yet just some time ago, he had clearly sensed the Fortuity here was fading away.
But in the blink of an eye, it began to revive.
Such a change could only mean that what the Celestia Holy Land was doing had begun to align with the natural order of heaven.
“Could it be that this change is due to the Reincarnation of the Mortal One? It seems the Reincarnation of the Mortal One isn’t merely a Child of Fortuity—he might also be the Child of the Heavenly Star Realm itself?”
Various thoughts flashed through Gu Changge’s mind.
He stood there, his figure tall and blurred, as if standing within another world entirely.
Dressed in a moon-white robe with wide sleeves, his hair drifting, immortal grace ethereal.
His features were indistinct, making him seem all the more transcendent and otherworldly, compelling people to prostrate themselves in worship.
“Reporting... reporting to the Exalted Immortal, we have already sent someone to make the announcement.”
Looking at him, the group of Celestia Holy Land disciples before him stammered, their voices trembling.
They could barely even keep standing.
None of them had ever imagined that the terrifying Exalted Immortal rumored throughout the Sky Domain would personally come calling today, arriving at the mountain gate of the Celestia Holy Land.
This left them shocked, horrified, worried, and frightened—a whole tangle of complicated emotions.
Because during this period, numerous Forbidden Areas and ancient Mystic Mountains had all been visited by this Exalted Immortal and his entourage, who demanded many fine treasures; those who refused were annihilated with a single palm strike.
Truly domineering and tyrannical beyond bounds.
Within the Ethereal Mystic Mountains, several ancient beings of the Sacred Noble Realm had held dominion, having launched several Dark Turmoils that made countless forces and living beings tremble with dread.
Yet even they were casually wiped out by this Exalted Immortal.
Now he had brought this little girl to the Celestia Holy Land—could he be setting his sights on them?
This terrified them; they felt their mountain gate simply could not withstand this Exalted Immortal.
Unless the supreme means left behind by their Ancestor were to awaken.
“What’s the matter? Now that we’re here, you’ve become a little worried instead?”
At this moment, Gu Changge suddenly spoke, asking with a smile.
He paid no mind to the group of Celestia Holy Land disciples before him.
He was asking Yao Yao beside him, noticing that her little hand felt somewhat cold at the moment.
Of course, this was a question he already knew the answer to.
Along the way, through his deliberate inquiries—especially after seizing a few Celestia Holy Land disciples—
he had indeed managed to ask about some news concerning Yao Yao’s brother.
Jiang Yang.
His current status and position within the Celestia Holy Land was extraordinary—surpassing even the Holy Son and Saintess.
This differed from what Yao Yao had guessed. Her brother was doing extremely well, having encountered no troubles or hardships whatsoever.
As for why he hadn’t chosen to return home in glory to visit Yao Yao and her Grandma—
that reason no longer mattered.
Perhaps he had forgotten them, unable to share his wealth and honor.
Or perhaps he truly was too busy to spare the time...
Throughout this process, Gu Changge had already sensed that, somewhere in the unseen fabric of fate, some Fortuity was draining away from the Reincarnation of the Mortal One and converging upon himself.
And the System’s notifications confirmed that his guess was correct.
Under his various hints, Yao Yao had indeed grown somewhat disappointed in her brother.
Even Grandma Yin Hua, who had always known Jiang Yang well, sighed, feeling that Jiang Yang had changed, and was somewhat disappointed in him.
“Shifu, do you think big brother has forgotten about Yao Yao and Grandma?” Yao Yao softly asked Gu Changge.
“How could he have forgotten you? He must be in the middle of cultivation and can’t spare the time to see you.”
Gu Changge patted her head, his expression gentle as he comforted her.
“Shifu, please don’t try to comfort Yao Yao. Big brother was never like this before. He’s changed...”
Yao Yao’s voice was somewhat downcast.
In the past, Grandma always told her that people’s hearts were hard to fathom, and no one knew what might happen given enough time.
Compared to the mortal world, the cultivation world held far too many temptations.
During this time, Gu Changge had shown her all kinds of splendor and magnificence, enough to make even a child her age yearn for it.
It was understandable that her brother would become lost amid such splendor.
Still, Yao Yao hoped to see him with her own eyes, to get an answer, and then she could leave with shifu.
Shifu had already accompanied her for quite some time; she couldn’t keep troubling him and wearing him out.
“It seems the memories of the Reincarnation of the Mortal One really have begun to awaken somewhat—otherwise it wouldn’t be like this.”
“I thought I’d need to scheme a bit more, but I never expected things to become this simple.”
Seeing Yao Yao’s expression, Gu Changge couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, thinking this.
Though his face showed not the slightest abnormality.
Boom!!
Boom!!
And soon, from the peaks ahead, divine rainbows shot into the sky as several powerful auras rushed over.
The one leading them was none other than the current Celestial Archbishop, his figure imposing, his aura mighty, with numerous elders following behind him.
A vast and mighty procession, astonishing in momentum, shocking all directions, coming to welcome Gu Changge.
“We pay our respects to the Exalted Immortal!”
“The Exalted Immortal’s personal visit is truly an honor for our sect! It brings glory to our humble halls!”
“If there has been any neglect, we beg the Exalted Immortal to be magnanimous and not take offense!”
“Might we ask what brings the Exalted Immortal to our sect?”
Before the people had even arrived, respectful, fawning, ingratiating voices rang out from afar.
Outside the Celestia Holy Land, quite a few cultivators who had no idea what was going on stared wide-eyed in shock at this scene, completely clueless about what was happening.
Grandma Yin Hua and Yao Yao, on the other hand, were already quite accustomed to such sights and weren’t surprised in the least.
During this period, wherever Gu Changge took them, it was always like this.
No matter how noble the status of the cultivators in those places, they all but fell to their knees to welcome him.
“Let’s go. Time to meet that brother of yours.”
Gu Changge held Yao Yao’s little hand and waved his sleeve.
All the runic formations before them vanished beneath his feet as he led her inside.
He paid no heed to the Celestia Holy Land crowd before him.
After all, as an Exalted Immortal, he wasn’t obliged to bother with every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
The group of Celestia Holy Land elders watched Gu Changge with awkward expressions. Though this was their own territory, none dared to stop him.
“May I ask, Exalted Immortal...”
The Celestial Archbishop, possessing Sacred Realm cultivation, recovered his senses, his expression shifting several times as he tried to inquire.
“This Venerable One wishes to see a person named Jiang Yang.”
Gu Changge swept a glance at him and spoke indifferently.
Jiang Yang?!
How could it be Jiang Yang?
What was so special about him, that this Exalted Immortal would personally name him?
Hearing this, the entire group of Celestia Holy Land elders, including the Celestial Archbishop, felt their minds explode with a buzz, all staring wide-eyed in shock.
“That’s the little girl I saw back in that small village...”
Qing Gui, for his part, recognized Yao Yao. She looked completely different from her mud-caked appearance back then, but one’s aura never changed.
“Could this Exalted Immortal have come to the Celestia Holy Land because of this little girl?”
“I must have been blind back then! To think I failed to notice anything unusual about this little girl.”
Thinking of this, Qing Gui’s eyes widened even further as he sighed inwardly.
Speaking of which, that disciple named Jiang Yang was this little girl’s brother!
How could his luck be so good? Not only was he valued by a bunch of old fossils, but now his sister had even encountered such a terrifying Exalted Immortal.
With this connection, wouldn’t he be able to speak with this Exalted Immortal, perhaps even climb into his good graces?
This filled Qing Gui with boundless envy and jealousy.
Noticing Qing Gui’s expression, the Celestial Archbishop’s eyes flickered, and he glanced at him.
Qing Gui understood at once, quickly grasping the hint, and hurriedly transmitted the details of the connection between Jiang Yang and this Exalted Immortal to the Celestial Archbishop.
“There’s actually such a connection?”
The Celestial Archbishop was secretly delighted upon hearing this. He never expected that the little girl beside Gu Changge would actually have such a relationship with Jiang Yang—that she was his sister.
Wasn’t this heaven itself aiding the Celestia Holy Land?
“Jiang Yang is currently cultivating within the Holy Land and is highly valued by all the Ancestors. Whether in aptitude or talent, he is a prodigy rarely found among billions...”
“I fear it won’t be many years before Jiang Yang can succeed as the next Celestial Archbishop of our Celestia Holy Land and lead us toward glory.”
At once, the Celestial Archbishop spoke respectfully, guiding Gu Changge toward the interior of the mountain gate.
At a time like this, he naturally had to find every way to convey that Jiang Yang was doing wonderfully in the Celestia Holy Land, with a status above millions.
As for the matter of throwing Jiang Yang into slave labor some time ago—he didn’t dare breathe a word of it.
“Oh, is that so?”
Gu Changge nodded with a calm expression, his gaze growing ever deeper, making it impossible to discern his joy or anger.
But Yao Yao, at his side, felt that her shifu seemed somewhat angry at this moment.
This made her, who had been feeling a bit sad, suddenly feel considerably better.
Yao Yao felt that shifu was angry at her brother’s behavior because of what the Celestial Archbishop had said.
Although her brother had abandoned her and Grandma, she still had shifu caring for her now!
“Indeed, the Exalted Immortal may not know this, but during this period, Jiang Yang triggered the phantom of our Celestia Holy Land’s Ancestor, which shows his talent has earned the Ancestor’s recognition.”
“With talent like Jiang Yang’s, how could we possibly fail to see it? We’ve certainly poured the greatest resources into him...”
And at this moment, the Celestial Archbishop, still unaware of Gu Changge’s thoughts, continued rambling on to himself.
...mentioning how wonderfully Jiang Yang was doing in the Celestia Holy Land these days.
After all, he had no idea what Gu Changge’s real purpose was in bringing Yao Yao here, and had subconsciously assumed Yao Yao had come to visit her brother.
“It seems Jiang Yang has been living quite comfortably.”
Gu Changge nodded and spoke indifferently. Though his face remained perfectly calm at this moment,
inwardly he was already laughing, and he very nearly cast an appreciative glance at the Celestial Archbishop.
What a clever fellow. He probably had no idea of the backfiring effect his own words would have.
Still, this assist came at just the right time for Gu Changge.
It saved him a good deal of effort in sowing discord.
Yao Yao, by nature, held her family very dear.
Her brother was living so well in the Celestia Holy Land, yet back then he had promised to come back and visit her and Grandma.
But Jiang Yang had not done so. Instead, it was as if he had forgotten and abandoned the two of them.
This made her heart ache.
Now, the Celestial Archbishop’s words were no different from rubbing salt into the wound, further confirming all her earlier suspicions.
On top of that, Gu Changge had been at her side from time to time, hinting and fanning the flames with various remarks.
For Yao Yao to think this way was entirely within reason.
“Then have you ever heard Jiang Yang mention anything about his sister?”
At this moment, Gu Changge looked at the Celestial Archbishop, a trace of inscrutable meaning at the corner of his mouth as he asked.
The Celestial Archbishop froze at these words. That look from Gu Changge sent a chill down his back and brought out cold sweat. He did not understand why Gu Changge would suddenly ask such a thing.
He himself was not very clear about such matters.
What he had answered just now had indeed been true.
But if he answered this current question poorly, who knew what consequences might follow?
Before this, he had not even known there was a disciple named Jiang Yang.
The fact that Jiang Yang had a sister was something he had only just learned from Qing Gui’s report.
In an instant, the Celestial Archbishop’s expression turned rather sheepish, and he simply stopped answering, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
And this scene of silence, falling into Yao Yao’s eyes, made her little face go pale.
In her view, this silence was the Celestial Archbishop’s denial—her brother had never mentioned her, his sister, in the Celestia Holy Land.
As for the reason?
She was afraid it was because he disdained her and Grandma’s humble origins.
<*Ding!* Yao Yao’s regard for her brother has declined. The Fortuity of Jiang Yang, the Reincarnation-Style Fortuitous One, has been damaged. Gained 6,000 Fortuity Points and 30,000 Fatums.>
<*Ding!* The rift between family members has widened. The Fortuity of Jiang Yang, the Reincarnation-Style Fortuitous One, has been damaged. Gained 500 Fortuity Points and 2,500 Fatums.>
At this moment, the System’s notification sounds made Gu Changge’s eyes narrow slightly, his expression deepening.
The Celestial Archbishop’s reaction was well within his expectations.
This large haul of Fortuity Points and Fatums made him feel that the key truly lay with Yao Yao and Grandma Yin Hua.
After all, both of them were Jiang Yang’s family, holding extraordinary significance to him.
Especially Yao Yao herself, who was, in a certain sense, an Absolute Being.
Something like the Dao Fruit was simply too mysterious; no one could say clearly what it truly was.
Perhaps one day Yao Yao would suddenly awaken and instantly possess the power of her peak.
One had to know that in Peach Village of the Land of Abandoned Celestials, something had definitely gone wrong with that Peach Tree.
Yet its cultivation was still heaven-shaking and earth-moving.
From this, one could see how terrifying it must have been at its peak.
Gu Changge felt that the Peach Tree’s strength had likely surpassed that of a True Immortal.
Given Yao Yao’s current trust in him, and Gu Xianer’s present attitude... the possibility of that Peach Tree being of use to him was very high.
“Going by the usual tropes, Jiang Yang probably has some unspeakable difficulty; otherwise he wouldn’t leave his family in danger... but this unspeakable difficulty must not be let known to Yao Yao.”
“First a misunderstanding, then the misunderstanding gets cleared up—that would only make things more troublesome.”
“But since it is a misunderstanding, then let it remain a misunderstanding. Yao Yao doesn’t need to know any of this.”
For a moment, Gu Changge’s gaze grew deep.
Then again, from another perspective, this Reincarnation of the Mortal One, as a leek to be harvested, was truly fat.
Just in terms of Fortuity Points alone, he had already surpassed any Fortuitous One Gu Changge had encountered before.
After harvesting the Reincarnation of the Mortal One, he could begin considering the matter of the Absolute Yin Heaven.
After all, Fatums were omnipotent; he could entirely rely on Fatums to refine the Absolute Yin Heaven.
His own Immortal-Devouring Demonic Art could also serve to resist and withstand the Absolute Yin aura.
And very soon, news of Gu Changge’s arrival at the Celestia Holy Land spread like wildfire from the mountain gate.
Hearing that he had named Jiang Yang, the many elders immediately rushed, in the most bootlicking, sycophantic manner, to the place where Jiang Yang cultivated, intending to bring him over.
At this point, who cared about Jiang Yang’s cultivation talent or his status in the Celestia Holy Land? None of that mattered anymore.
Since the Exalted Immortal wished to see him,
that was his honor, and he had to be brought over at once!
Inside the great hall, Gu Changge sat at the head seat, sipping tea, his expression calm.
Beside him, Yao Yao appeared deeply uneasy and nervous.
And the crowd of Celestia Holy Land members below were even more nervous and uneasy than Yao Yao, their backs completely drenched in cold sweat!
At this moment, they clearly sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
The Celestial Archbishop’s expression also turned somewhat pale. He had a feeling—had this Jiang Yang brought calamity upon them?
...
Meanwhile, at this place.
Deep within the Celestia Holy Land, inside a cave dwelling, divine radiance flickered, essence energy surged like a tide, and hazy light rose and fell like water.
In the center, a delicate-featured young man sat cross-legged, his face very calm, appearing quite indifferent as he cultivated here.
Various phenomena emerged, manifesting at his Dantian.
Qinglong, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, True Phoenix... all sorts of terrifying ferocious beasts floated and sank beside him like guards, letting out deafening roars, dreadful and astonishing.
Huuu huuu huuu!!
With his breathing, a shocking phenomenon appeared above his head.
The stars of the heavens, all things of the universe, seemed to be bowing in worship toward a majestic figure at the center, emitting the sounds of kowtowing sacrifice.
A grand and ancient world-sound reverberated throughout the cave dwelling!
Had anyone been here, they would surely have been frightened stiff by such a sight.
Yet the young man himself appeared quite indifferent.
At the entrance of the cave dwelling, a beautiful woman in palace dress was staring intently at him, letting out sounds of admiration.
“Truly worthy of the Barren Sacred Physique that has broken its curse. Such phenomena are truly astonishing.”
The beautiful woman in palace dress was none other than Zhao Yi, the current Supreme Elder of the Celestia Holy Land, whose cultivation was at the Sacred Noble Realm.
Though she looked very young, she was in truth an existence of extremely ancient seniority.
She could be considered Jiang Yang’s current guardian.
After all, his talent had alarmed the phantom of the Ancestor, making him worthy of such treatment from these old antiques.
The future of the Celestia Holy Land rested upon the Jiang Yang before her.
Hearing Zhao Yi’s words, Jiang Yang’s expression remained calm, paying it no mind.
Instead, he sighed slightly and said, “A full month, and my cultivation has only reached the Transcendent Realm. This speed is still too slow.”
The corner of Zhao Yi’s mouth twitched involuntarily. She felt his words were meant to discourage people.
Leaping across several realms in a single month—such a record had simply never been heard of in anyone besides Jiang Yang.
He was a monster who could not be measured by common sense.
Jiang Yang glanced at Zhao Yi before him and said, “These resources are not enough. I intend to break through to the Honoured Lord Realm within half a year. I’m still far from it.”
Breaking through to Honoured Lord in half a year?
Zhao Yi’s expression stiffened again. He actually said such words, and so naturally at that.
Transcendent, Mighty-Transcendent, Honoured Noble, Honoured Lord.
The further along these realms, the more difficult they became.
Let alone half a year—even given three more years, it would be impossible.
However, considering that the Jiang Yang before her truly possessed terrifying talent, she nodded half-believingly.
To think that she, a dignified Supreme Elder, felt unable to hold her head up before Jiang Yang, a young disciple, involuntarily suppressed by him.
Who exactly was the junior here?
She could not figure it out either, and found it utterly baffling.
Jiang Yang carried an aura that made people involuntarily submit.
“Truly impossible to see through. What a mysterious fellow.” Zhao Yi shook her head.
Jiang Yang paid no mind to Zhao Yi’s opinion of him.
At this moment, he closed his eyes again and turned his thoughts to cultivation.
At the same time, he spoke indifferently within his mind, “Do you see? This is everything you can obtain once you accept me.”
“Do you still want to return to that dark place and continue toiling away as a digger?”
Another voice, filled with unwillingness and stubbornness, rang out, “You are you, and I am me. We are not the same. I cannot possibly accept you!”
“Young people really are stubborn. Have you forgotten who it was that couldn’t hold on back then and finally yielded to me? If not for me, you would have been eroded by the Miasma back then. How could you have survived until now?”
Jiang Yang’s expression was indifferent, as if nothing in the world concerned him.
Once he had taken over this body, how could mere Miasma possibly do anything to him?
He was the Mortal One, worshipped and kowtowed to by billions upon billions of living beings, his faith spread across every world.
His believers were like the sands of the Astral River, beyond counting.
Back then, with just a slight manipulation—altering the lay of the land and provoking a clash of Dragon Veins—he had instantly destroyed the Celestia Holy Land’s Immortal Path, reducing their entire plan of ascension with the whole sect to nothing.
And the Celestia Holy Land remained oblivious to this even now.
Afterward, he displayed powerful talent and, through special means, drew forth a phantom of the Celestia Holy Land’s Ancestor, whereupon his status rose like a boat on swelling tides.
Without him, the original Jiang Yang would probably be dead by now, worked to death on the Immortal Path.
He was magnanimous and unwilling to erase the boy’s Original Soul, which was why he had kept it until now, waiting for him to come to terms with all this and dissipate on his own.
Of course, part of the reason the original Jiang Yang’s consciousness could remain until now also involved the matter of the unification of his Symbols of Reincarnation across his many lives to come.
Just as Jiang Yang sank into contemplation, a voice from outside the cave dwelling made his brows furrow.
“Jiang Yang! Get out here, quickly!”
“Did you hear that?”
“Jiang Yang, the Exalted Immortal wants to see you. Come out at once, and don’t you dare slight the Exalted Immortal!”
Accompanied by streak after streak of divine rainbow light, elder after elder rushed over, transmitting their voices into the cave dwelling.
“Exalted Immortal?!”
Hearing these words, Zhao Yi’s expression shifted slightly as she immediately realized what was happening.
As the Supreme Elder of the Celestia Holy Land, she naturally knew of the Exalted Immortal who had been causing such a stir throughout the Sky Domain recently.
Why would he come to the Celestia Holy Land, and even name Jiang Yang for an audience?
“The Exalted Immortal?”
“So he’s finally come?”
At this moment, Jiang Yang’s reaction shocked her even more.
It was as if he had known all along. His expression was indifferent and calm, and a smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.
This scene made Zhao Yi’s eyes bulge. How could Jiang Yang possibly know? What exactly was his origin?
Then, Jiang Yang rose of his own accord and walked toward the outside of the cave dwelling.
Looking at the crowd of elders before him, he said indifferently, “Go tell that so-called Exalted Immortal to come over himself. Tell him I’ll be waiting for him here. As for bystanders, they need not come.”
“What?!”
Hearing Jiang Yang’s calm and confident words, all the elders were dumbfounded, hardly able to believe their own ears.
Have that Exalted Immortal come over himself?
And wait for him here?
Had they misheard?
Had this Jiang Yang’s brain been addled by his recent cultivation?