Eaten Clean and Wiped His Mouth, Yet His Actions Are Still So Honest
Eaten Clean and Wiped His Mouth, Yet His Actions Are Still So Honest
When Gu Changge read aloud that the Jade Tablet in his hand was Sequence One, the expressions of the other Ranked Disciples shifted slightly, and they all lowered their heads to check the Jade Tablets in their own hands.
Even the mysterious King of Six Crowns had a flicker in his eyes as he looked at the Jade Tablet in his hand—crystal-clear like jade, with a very translucent texture.
His gaze changed somewhat, no longer as still and waveless as before.
No matter who ended up in the same squad as Gu Changge, they would gain a huge advantage, and their chances of surviving this trial would increase considerably.
After all, Gu Changge’s strength was plain for all to see. Among the many young prodigies of the True Immortal Academy, countless wanted to become his followers.
The Elders had also given advance warning about the difficulty of this trial, saying that there might be quite a few casualties.
“What a pity...” the King of Six Crowns shook his head softly, his voice carrying an indescribable cadence.
The Jade Tablet in his hand showed Third.
“It is indeed a pity.”
On the other side, the Phoenix Lady also withdrew her gaze, rubbing the number on her tablet with some regret.
“Thank goodness it’s Sequence Three.”
The moment he saw his own sequence number, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang let out a sigh of relief, the stone in his heart finally hitting the ground.
His greatest fear had been being placed in the same squad as Gu Changge—that would have been his worst nightmare.
After all, his senior brother had gone to the Lake of Reincarnation to fetch water. If a conflict broke out with Gu Changge, no one would be able to help him.
“Sequence Two.”
Yue Mingkong glanced at Gu Changge and shook her head gently, her emotions not particularly stirred.
Gu Changge couldn’t help but chuckle. “What, are we two really that out of sync?”
Yue Mingkong rolled her eyes at him lightly and said nothing.
“I’m also Sequence Two. How about we swap, Chuchu?” On the other side, Wang Zijin looked with a beaming smile at Jiang Chuchu beside her, who was feigning composure.
“Since these are the rules of the True Immortal Academy, how could they possibly be swapped at will?”
Jiang Chuchu gave her a casual glance, gripping the Jade Tablet in her hand very tightly, and said indifferently, “Princess Mingkong’s strength is not as simple as you imagine. Being in the same squad as her, you can look out for each other.”
“Two-four-three,” Wang Zijin couldn’t help laughing. “You didn’t even see the way she looks at me—she clearly can’t stand me.”
Jiang Chuchu fell silent. At this moment, she appeared calm, but her heart was actually in turmoil. She had never expected that she would draw the same sequence number as Gu Changge.
Didn’t that mean she would be accompanying him on this trial?
What would happen?
Would Gu Changge remain cold and indifferent toward her, or would he... bully her like before?
Jiang Chuchu herself wasn’t sure what she was feeling right now—apprehension, unease, nervousness, anxiety over gains and losses, anticipation? Perhaps all of them.
Soon after, atop the high platform, the figures of the Elders flashed and appeared.
A tall Elder whose hair and beard were entirely red waved his sleeve, signaling everyone to quiet down, and began announcing the contents of this trial.
The eyes of all the disciples turned toward him in unison.
“This trial is once again related to the Absolute Yin Heaven. In several regions where the Absolute Yin Heaven has erupted, Yin Kingdoms are suspected to have been born. Within them, Yin Emperors have gained sentience, commanding the numerous Yin Spirits beneath them to attack the great ancient cities and powers. Up to now, the Vermilion Bird Empire has already suffered the invasion of Yin Spirits—many Cultivators have died tragically, and vast swathes of its territory have fallen...”
“Besides the Vermilion Bird Empire, the other ancient nations—White Tiger, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and Scarlet Blaze—have also suffered invasions with heavy casualties.”
These great ancient nations were all subsidiary nations of the True Immortal Academy, closely tied to the families and Dao lineages behind many of the prodigies present.
Hearing now that these great ancient nations had suffered the invasion of Yin Spirits, many people’s faces showed righteous indignation, fists clenched tight, killing intent surging.
When the Absolute Yin Heaven descended, it not only devoured the surrounding worlds and lands, but also bred Yin Spirits within it—and for all the races, that was the greatest calamity.
Cultivators might still be able to escape.
But for ordinary people, it was utter catastrophe.
“The Absolute Yin Heaven has erupted again. I wonder if there will be a Source of the Eternal Overcast this time...”
“Last time it was found thanks to Wang Zijin. Could it be that this time we’ll have to rely on Jiang Chuchu?”
Hearing this, Gu Changge’s expression turned somewhat thoughtful. He had been longing for such a rare Source.
Last time, after devouring and refining only a portion of it, he had felt his Grand Flask shed its mundane luster, its immortal essence turning inward, giving birth to a new vitality.
“Gu Changge—he’s actually not on the same team as Mingkong-jie? And when did that Successor of Mortal Palace show up? Why are there so many women around that guy Gu Changge?”
“How did I never notice before?”
On the other side, at some distance from Gu Changge, Gu Xianer couldn’t help but mutter.
She suddenly felt that she had underestimated Gu Changge’s attractiveness to heaven’s favored daughters.
Setting aside his fiancée Yue Mingkong, even a heaven-blessed maiden like the Successor of Mortal Palace—a born saint—seemed to have a close relationship with him.
On top of that, that little girl said to possess the Celestial Demonic Physique, Qing Xiaoyi, also seemed to hold considerable affection for Gu Changge—her eyes were not lacking in admiration.
This left her feeling, for some reason, rather gloomy.
And this time, she had even been placed in the same squad as the siblings Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng. Did that mean she would have to babysit these two weaklings?
“If Gu Changge offered to swap with Qing Xiaoyi and her brother, they might actually agree...”
Thinking of this, Gu Xianer stared at Gu Changge with wide, hopeful eyes, the expectation in her gaze practically written all over her face.
Gu Changge naturally noticed her, but chose to ignore it, pretending he hadn’t seen.
Bringing Gu Xianer along—wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?
As a Daughter of Fortuity with profound blessings, she needed to learn to grow on her own, to seek out her own opportunities.
Gu Changge had even been hoping she might bring him some pleasant surprise—like going out on a trial and coming back with one of the Seven Tools of World Domination or something. And yet this girl was waiting for him to carry her?
She must be dreaming.
“Damn it, that guy clearly saw me, and he’s ignoring me again.” Gu Xianer waved her fist at him indignantly.
This scene was naturally noticed by Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
His fists clenched tight, jealousy burning in his heart. When had his always cold and proud little junior sister ever shown such an expression toward a man?
And yet Gu Changge acted so dismissive toward her. What kind of love potion had he fed his little junior sister?
It made him want to grind his teeth to dust. He could only comfort himself in his heart—his junior sister’s memories of her past life had yet to awaken, so this wasn’t her fault. The only one to blame was Gu Changge for hiding too deeply.
Soon, the Elders finished explaining the requirements of this trial. In essence, it was still about resisting the Absolute Yin Heaven, but with the various Ranked Disciples leading the teams.
And because Qin Wuya, who had emerged from the Wondrous Stone, had temporarily left the True Immortal Academy, quite a few Unranked Disciples also got the chance to draw lots—such as Yue Mingkong, Gu Xianer, and others.
Their cultivation realms were all at the Enlightened King Realm level.
But as for their true strength, even the Elders couldn’t say for sure. After all, no one knew what methods each Young Prodigy possessed.
Until the final moment, who knew what trump cards they could unleash?
In the end, for this trial, the King of Six Crowns and Heavenly Monarch Ziyang formed one team, while Prince Shen and Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, formed another.
Yue Mingkong and Wang Zijin were teamed together, and as for Gu Xianer, she was grouped with the siblings Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng.
“Saintess Chuchu.”
“It’s been a long time. I trust you’ve been well.”
Gu Changge walked over and greeted Jiang Chuchu with perfect composure.
“Young Master Changge is too courteous.”
Jiang Chuchu nodded, her expression very calm.
This was the first time she and Gu Changge had exchanged greetings since leaving the Eternal Overcast last time, and neither of them showed anything unusual.
Gu Changge didn’t mention past events at all.
She naturally said nothing either.
To everyone else, nothing seemed amiss.
But Yue Mingkong sensed a trace of unnaturalness in Jiang Chuchu’s expression. Back when the Elder was preaching that day, she had noticed these things.
Between Jiang Chuchu and Gu Changge, it seemed to be more than simple acquaintance.
“Is Princess Mingkong worried that her fiancé will be stolen away?”
Wang Zijin wore a smile as she took the initiative to greet Yue Mingkong, acting very familiar.
Yue Mingkong’s expression was placid. “No. I’m merely concerned for Saintess Chuchu’s safety.”
Wang Zijin was taken aback, but still smiled brightly. “Oh? It seems Princess Mingkong understands Brother Gu quite well.”
Toward this woman before her, whose beauty was no less than her own, Yue Mingkong felt somewhat complicated emotions. She felt that this woman liked to meddle in everything, completely unafraid of trouble, and loved watching the show—the bigger the drama, the better.
And now she was even deliberately sowing discord between her and Jiang Chuchu. Clearly the Successor of Mortal Palace, yet she acted just like a seductive enchantress.
“It seems Princess Mingkong truly trusts Brother Gu. But I feel that Brother Gu is no gentleman who can sit still with a beauty in his lap...” Wang Zijin continued with a chuckle.
“Anyway, the one who gets eaten clean and left with a wiped mouth won’t be me.”
A rare smile appeared on Yue Mingkong’s face, serene and tranquil, like the most flawless piece of fine jade.
This answer left even Wang Zijin, a Transmigrator, momentarily stunned in disbelief.
Yue Mingkong, as Gu Changge’s fiancée, was actually this tolerant of him?
Or was she simply that confident in herself?
For a moment, she couldn’t quite figure out what Yue Mingkong was thinking. Or was she saying that a playboy like Gu Changge could never truly give his heart?
After that, the disciples began choosing which squads they wanted to follow and join. This was not mandatory.
Because the Elders were well aware that the disciples the True Immortal Academy mainly intended to cultivate this time would be selected from among the Ranked and Unranked Disciples.
To put it bluntly, the rest of the disciples were just there to make up the numbers.
So without question, the most disciples wanted to follow Gu Changge. Whether Unranked Disciples, inner disciples, or outer disciples, they all chose his squad first.
Although Gu Changge’s personality was domineering, he had never mistreated his own people—this was evident from his followers, who far outnumbered those of other prodigies.
Next in popularity were the squads of the King of Six Crowns, Prince Shen, Yue Mingkong, and the others.
Gu Xianer, Qing Xiaoyi, and Qing Feng, on the other hand, found themselves in a very awkward situation—not a single disciple went to them, not even the outer disciples.
Many people were aware of Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng’s situation. Although Qing Xiaoyi’s talent was highly regarded by the Elders, how long had she even been cultivating?
When the time came during the trial, she would be nothing but a burden.
As for Gu Xianer, while her strength wasn’t weak, compared to the other young Ranked Disciples, she was still a notch below—especially with two burdens in tow.
“What is going on...” Even with Gu Xianer’s cold and proud personality, she was somewhat dumbfounded at this moment, unable to react.
Besides Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng, there was no one else by her side...
This made her spot look extremely deserted, standing out far too much compared to the crowds of disciples gathered elsewhere.
Even Heavenly Monarch Ziyang—that waste who had been brutally slapped down by Gu Changge—had quite a few disciples gathered around him.
Why didn’t she?
Was she really that unpopular?
She couldn’t figure it out. Whether in looks or cultivation, she was in no way inferior to the other heaven-blessed maidens—in fact, she far surpassed many of them.
So why had no one chosen to join her squad?
This made a blush creep onto Gu Xianer’s porcelain-white, flawless little face—embarrassed, humiliated.
“Xianer-shijie...”
Although Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng had long grown used to this kind of situation, at this moment they still felt their faces burning, somewhat embarrassed.
Strictly speaking, this was entirely caused by the two of them.
Gu Xianer forced a nonchalant expression onto her face and said indifferently, “It’s fine. They simply have no eye for talent. Fewer people doesn’t matter—it saves me from having to expend extra effort protecting them later.”
“We definitely won’t hold Xianer-shijie back.”
Qing Feng smiled bitterly and hurriedly assured Gu Xianer.
If not for the two of them, Gu Xianer wouldn’t be in such an awkward position right now.
“Mm.” Gu Xianer nodded and said nothing more.
High in the sky, the Elders watched this scene, and for a moment none of them knew what to say.
Since the founding of the True Immortal Academy, this was the first time they had encountered such an awkward situation.
Especially since Qing Feng and Qing Xiaoyi were disciples they held in extremely high regard.
During this period, strange changes had appeared in Qing Feng’s body—within his bloodline, bones, and organs, faint traces of chaos had actually begun to emerge.
From time to time, sounds of wind and thunder emanated from him—a sign of astonishingly vigorous blood energy.
This greatly surprised the Elders. After studying it for a long time, they finally concluded that Qing Feng also possessed a mysterious physique, which had simply never awakened because he had been unable to cultivate before.
In other words, the siblings Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng were both deeply blessed by fortune, each possessing a special physique, which delighted them greatly.
That was why they had allowed the two of them to participate in this trial as well.
But they hadn’t expected the other prodigies to be so pragmatic—truly displaying the phrase “currying favor with the powerful” to its fullest extent.
Just look at Gu Changge’s side—it was already overcrowded, practically bursting at the seams.
Yet as his cousin, Gu Xianer’s side could only be described as utterly miserable.
“Elders, rest assured. When the opportunity arises, I will naturally look after those two siblings.”
At this moment, seemingly aware of the Elders’ helplessness, Gu Changge smiled faintly and spoke up on his own initiative.
Whether it was the siblings Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng, or Gu Xianer, they were all people of great Fortuity—how could they possibly come to harm so easily?
This so-called “looking after” was naturally just empty talk.
But hearing Gu Changge’s words, the Elders couldn’t help but smile, breathing sighs of relief, taking it as Gu Changge’s guarantee to them.
“Wonderful. Young Master Changge truly understands the bigger picture.”
“With Young Master Changge’s word, we can rest easy.”
“Indeed. We’ll be troubling Young Master Changge greatly when the time comes.”
Their expressions were kind, faces wreathed in smiles, deeply gratified, finding Gu Changge more and more pleasing to the eye. He really knew how to conduct himself.
The grievances they had harbored a few days ago over Gu Changge’s forceful suppression of Heavenly Monarch Ziyang and his disregard for them now vanished like smoke.
“Elders, rest assured. I will definitely bring them back safely,” Gu Changge said, still smiling.
“Brother, look how good Young Master Changge is—he’s still looking out for us at a time like this...” Hearing this, Qing Xiaoyi’s eyes were full of reverence and admiration as she whispered to Qing Feng.
“Young Master Changge is only doing this because of Miss Xianer. Xiaoyi, don’t overthink it,” Qing Feng said with a wry smile, hurriedly correcting her mistaken notion.
“I don’t need Gu Changge’s looking after anyway. He’s just being a busybody.”
Hearing the conversation between the Qing siblings, Gu Xianer’s face maintained its cold, disdainful expression as she spoke, but in her heart she was actually a little smug and happy.
Saying with his mouth that he wouldn’t care about her, yet Gu Changge’s actions were still so honest.
...
Soon, a dazzling, resplendent radiance spread out. Before the vast and enormous Transportation Array, spiritual energy was incomparably dense.
Rune after rune interwove, accompanied by a heart-palpitating, majestic pressure, as if an ancient gateway had swung open.
Numerous young prodigies gathered here. Their figures flashed as they appeared on the Ancient Battleships before the Transportation Array, faint excitement in their eyes.
“Set off!” an Elder shouted, waving his sleeve as five-colored light emerged.
Immediately, the Ancient Battleships vanished one after another, shuttling straight into the gateway, heading for the trial grounds.
Boom!
One Ancient Battleship after another rose into the sky, passing through the gateway, quickly disappearing from sight, traversing the void and instantly crossing billions of miles.
“I hope they all come back this time. Casualties had best not exceed fifty percent,” an Elder sighed, worry in his eyes.
After all, the trials of the True Immortal Academy were unlike those of other Dao lineages—the so-called law of the jungle was displayed here more truthfully and thoroughly than anywhere else.
This eruption of the Absolute Yin Heaven far exceeded previous ones. Without Quasi-Sacred Realm strength, who could guarantee their life?