Maybe a humble name would be easier to raise it on, since we're destined to end up on opposite sides anyway
Maybe a humble name would be easier to raise it on, since we’re destined to end up on opposite sides anyway
“After all that talk, in short, this little guy is easy to raise, right?”
At this moment, seeing everyone chattering away and arguing over Little Wang Yue’s origins, Gu Changge couldn’t help but wave his hand, interrupting to ask.
“It is indeed very easy to raise. And because the Wang Yue is inherently a Celestial Beast, it only needs to devour the various spiritual qi of heaven and earth to survive.”
One of the clan elders nodded and said.
“In that case, just find a star territory and let it roam free within it. With its abilities, it shouldn’t starve to death.”
Gu Changge said indifferently.
“You don’t plan to raise it yourself?”
Hearing this, one of the clan elders couldn’t help but ask in surprise.
This was something Gu Changge had brought back himself, and a rare Wang Yue offspring at that—otherwise they wouldn’t have all crowded around like this, so curious.
“Since it’s easy to raise, raising it any way is all the same.”
“I don’t have that much time to keep it by my side either.”
Gu Changge shook his head. If not for this reason, why would he have brought the Wang Yue offspring back to the family in the first place?
Wasn’t it precisely because he found it troublesome?
Hearing this, the clan elders fell somewhat silent.
The Wang Yue offspring belonged to Gu Changge—how to raise it was his business, and they had no grounds to interfere.
Besides, the Wang Yue offspring was inherently a Celestial Beast. Though not yet grown, its own strength already far surpassed that of other fierce beasts.
Even if left to roam free, it could live very well.
The Gu Family’s territory was boundless, with countless prosperous star territories beyond number.
Unless some cultivators were outrageously bold and unafraid of having their clans exterminated, who would dare come snatch the Wang Yue offspring? Little Wang Yue clearly understood the meaning of Gu Changge’s words, and grievance welled up in its large, clear eyes.
But it seemed somewhat afraid of him, not daring to show anything, so it could only lie there, quiet and motionless.
It remembered very clearly—back in the Tower of World Domination, Gu Changge had not... said it like this.
Back then he had sworn up and down that letting it eat up a hundred thousand star territories would be no problem at all, yet now he wasn’t even willing to raise it. As expected, the words of a pretty man could never be trusted.
“What, little thing, are you actually unwilling?”
Noticing Little Wang Yue’s change in mood, Gu Changge couldn’t help but ask with great interest.
Little Wang Yue clearly hadn’t expected Gu Changge to ask it either. Instantly, as if startled, it shrank back behind the pool on the Platform.
It looked so weak, pitiful, and helpless, its big eyes brimming with fear of him.
“This...”
Watching this scene, the clan elders didn’t know what to say.
This Wang Yue offspring had no reaction to any of them, yet toward... Gu Changge alone, it was deeply afraid.
Could it have experienced something before? Gu Changge couldn’t help but chuckle. “Follow me and you’ll eat well and drink well—a whole star territory all for you to devour, and that’s still not enough... Don’t tell me you actually want to follow that trash?”
Hearing this, Little Wang Yue hurriedly shook its head, its big eyes fixed on him.
Although Gu Changge was terrifying, following him at least meant it wouldn’t go hungry.
If it followed that... mortal it had seen in the Tower of World Domination, it would probably starve to death.
“Then what are you unwilling about? You want to stay by my side?”
Gu Changge asked with a smile.
Little Wang Yue gazed at him hesitantly, and finally nodded.
Though it knew Gu Changge was dangerous, its instincts told it that following this man would never leave it at a loss.
“And do you think I’d let a burden follow me around?”
Gu Changge countered with great interest.
Hearing this, Little Wang Yue drooped its head in dejection, bubbles gurgling from its mouth.
“If you don’t want to raise it, I’ll raise it for you.”
However, just then, accompanied by a cold, clear voice, a figure suddenly appeared within the palace.
Her features were blurred and hazy, her figure tall and slender, dark hair dancing in the air, exuding an aura of transcendent, peerless grace.
It was none other than Gu Qingyi.
The many clan elders clearly hadn’t expected Gu Qingyi to appear either, and were somewhat startled. Their attitude toward her was markedly different from their attitude toward Gu Changge.
Although Gu Changge was the Young Master, he was ultimately still a junior.
Gu Qingyi’s seniority, on the other hand, was clearly far more ancient than theirs, and her cultivation was unfathomable. There were even rumors that she would achieve Dao before Gu Changge’s father—the current head of the Gu Family, Gu Lintian.
Of course, as for what cultivation level Gu Qingyi actually possessed now, none of the clan elders knew.
They couldn’t even tell whether this was her true body.
The moment Gu Qingyi appeared, her gaze fell upon Little Wang Yue within the Celestia Jade Platform, seemingly somewhat complicated.
But this expression flashed by in an instant, quickly returning to calm stillness.
“In that case, many thanks, Aunt Qing.”
Gu Changge smiled. Though Gu Qingyi’s voluntary appearance was somewhat unexpected, he didn’t ask why.
Gu Qingyi glanced at him and nodded.
Meanwhile, Little Wang Yue in the Celestia Jade Platform’s pool was quite affectionate toward her, even swimming forward a distance to get closer to Gu Qingyi.
A rare smile appeared on Gu Qingyi’s face. Though it lasted only a fleeting moment, Gu Changge saw it clearly.
His brow arched slightly. He understood Gu Qingyi’s temperament well—he rarely saw her show such an expression.
Could there be some history between her and this Little Wang Yue? At this thought, he quietly made a mental note of it.
“Since Little Wang Yue is yours, then as its master, give it a name.”
Then, Gu Qingyi withdrew her gaze, looked at Gu Changge, and said in a cold, clear voice.
“A name, huh.”
Gu Changge thought for a moment, and indeed... didn’t hesitate. “Since its whole body is pure white and beautiful, let’s call it Baibai.”
Speaking of this name, he thought of the Eight Barren Demon Halberd. When he found it back then, Gu Changge had also given it a name.
Obby, Baibai—quite catchy and simple, really.
“Baibai?”
Gu Qingyi tilted her head, dark hair cascading down to cover half of her immortal countenance, seemingly asking whether Gu Changge was certain.
As for Little Wang Yue, it was extremely... dissatisfied with this name.
Even though it was quite afraid of Gu Changge, it still protested, shaking its head nonstop.
“Is this name not good?”
Gu Changge smiled.
“How about giving it a humble name instead—easier to raise that way?”
Gu Qingyi herself didn’t much care about... the name; mainly, she had sensed Little Wang Yue’s aggrieved discontent.
“Your naming skills are truly hard to compliment.”
Gu Qingyi shook her head, her expression unchanged. But since Little Wang Yue had been brought back by Gu Changge, the naming was naturally up to him, and she didn’t object.
As for a humble name—forget it. Comparatively speaking, Baibai sounded much better.
And just like that, Little Wang Yue’s name was settled. No matter how aggrievedly it protested, Gu Changge had no intention whatsoever of changing his mind.
It wasn’t some twisted sense of humor—he purely found it troublesome.
Afterward, Gu Qingyi took Gu Changge and Little Wang Yue away from this place, heading to the small world where she usually cultivated.
Within the vast world, there was nothing but seas of clouds and mountain ranges, magnificent and boundless, like... an immortal paradise.
As far as the eye could see, the sea of clouds rose and fell as if breathing along with the firmament.
Aside from... Gu Qingyi, there was no one else in this world.
Even the living creatures were merely ordinary beasts that had just gained sentience. The flowers, grass, and trees, though ancient in years, had never become spirits.
In Gu Changge’s view, Gu Qingyi must have employed some method to prevent the plants and trees of this world from becoming spirits.
For her, altering the rules of heaven and earth was nothing more than a trivial effort.
Her temperament was cold and quiet, and she disliked being disturbed by outsiders. If she hadn’t led the way, Gu Changge would never have found this small world.
Upon arriving in this world, Little Wang Yue was released from the pool. Its slender, moon-white body darted into the sea of clouds, looking utterly delighted.
Though this place was only a small world, the density of its spiritual qi was incredibly rich.
“Letting it roam free here—you should be at ease now.”
Gu Qingyi spoke.
She stood atop the mountain peak, her dress fluttering, watching Little Wang Yue regain its freedom, the corners of her lips unconsciously curving into an arc.
“What’s there for me to be uneasy about? Even if I tossed it out anywhere, no one would dare covet it.”
Gu Changge said with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject. “Speaking of which, Aunt Qing, what is your relationship with the Immortal Palace?”
Hearing this, Gu Qingyi’s expression visibly stiffened.
Then she turned her head to look at Gu Changge, her eyes filled with complicated, unreadable emotions.
“Have you remembered something?”
She didn’t ask why Gu Changge was inquiring about this, but instead asked this.
Gu Changge nodded, though he likewise didn’t answer, still smiling. “Aunt Qing, you haven’t answered my question.”
“When you’ve remembered something, come ask me then.”
Gu Qingyi clearly didn’t want to answer this question, her face returning to that usual... cold expression that kept everyone a thousand miles away.
“Is that so?”
Gu Changge smiled, not minding at all.
From the probing just now, Gu Changge had already confirmed that Gu Qingyi clearly had some connection to the Immortal Palace.
And she seemed to have known him from very early on.
And this “him” was certainly not the current him. Whether it was the Demon Lord remained to be verified.
“Little thing, from now on you’d better behave and stay right here. If you dare run off, I wouldn’t mind finding out what Wang Yue meat tastes like.”
Then, Gu Changge opened his mouth and delivered a round of threats to Little Wang Yue, which was frolicking freely in the distance.
Seeing it immediately frightened into frozen stillness, looking all weak and pitiful, he finally smiled and turned to leave this world.
Seeing this, Gu Qingyi shook her head gently.
Though she found his scaring of Little Wang Yue somewhat mean, from another perspective, it also showed that Gu Changge didn’t actually plan to just dump it here and never care again.
This, to some degree, made her feel that Gu Changge had gained a bit of human warmth...
After sending Little Wang Yue back to the Gu Family, Gu Changge returned to the True Immortal Academy.
During this time, the Hidden Ji Family had obediently delivered the Wheel of World Domination, not daring to delay in the slightest.
Besides that, the secret treasure he had sent to the Heavenly Arms Domain to be forged had also been completed.
Only, the delivery process would be somewhat troublesome.
Because someone had leaked the news, quite a few people now knew that a world-shaking secret treasure had emerged from the Heavenly Arms Domain.
The merchant caravan responsible for transporting it was ambushed midway by bandits from the Chaotic Star Territory. Though casualties were heavy, fortunately the item... was kept safe and not lost.
“Daring to rob even my things—these Chaotic Star Territory bandits really do have... some nerve.”
Gu Changge narrowed his eyes.
His long, pale fingers tapped the tabletop at an unhurried pace.
He had long heard that the bandits of the Chaotic Star Territory were bold and reckless, acting without scruples and committing all manner of evils. Many merchant caravans had suffered their attacks.
But due to the terrain of the Chaotic Star Territory, once these bandits fled into it, they quickly vanished without a trace, making them extremely hard to hunt down. Even many Cults of Immortality had suffered losses at their hands.
However, the Chaotic Star Territory bandits weren’t stupid either. Once they learned that certain escorted goods... belonged to Longevity Families or Cults of Immortality, they wouldn’t provoke them.
Yet this time, the other side dared to rob his secret treasure. There were two possibilities.
First, they didn’t know the item was his. Second... greed moves hearts, and someone was instigating them from behind the scenes.
But no matter which possibility it was, neither gave these bandits grounds to touch his things.
“Attendants.”
At this thought, Gu Changge wrote out a decree and summoned his followers to pass down the order.
For him, this could only count as a minor interlude, so after arranging everything properly, Gu Changge paid it no further mind.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. News of his return to the True Immortal Academy also spread under the deliberate inquiries of many disciples.
Many people didn’t know what Gu Changge had gone off to do during his absence from the True Immortal Academy.
On the contrary, the likes of the King of Six Crowns Jun Yao and Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, caught wind of rumors—the yet-to-emerge Tower of World Domination was suspected to have fallen into Gu Changge’s hands.
Adding to that the Flask of World Domination previously in Qing Feng’s possession, and the Wheel of World Domination delivered by the Hidden Ji Family.
That meant Gu Changge held at least three of the Tools of World Domination, which shook them considerably.
Perhaps the Seven Tools of World Domination really would all be gathered by Gu Changge.
During this period, Gu Changge was also closely monitoring Qin Wuya’s movements, based on the news sent over from Tang Wan’s side.
Though Qin Wuya had the heart to avenge his junior brother, he was utterly powerless to do so.
And with Tang Wan tying him down, Qin Wuya hadn’t chosen to leave for the time being, still serving as a Retainer by her side.
So Gu Changge was considering Qin Wuya’s final value.
Now, though Qin Wuya and Chu Hao had become enemies with mutual conflicts, Chu Hao had clearly wisened up, returning to his sect for secluded cultivation and not showing his face.
The struggle between the two, though involving their respective fortuitous encounters, was overall inseparable from Tang Wan.
After considering for a while, Gu Changge decided to shelve the two of them for now, waiting for the right moment to carry out the final harvest.
And just as he was pondering, a report came from outside the hall.
“Master, the Saintess of Mortal Palace requests an audience.”
“The Saintess of Mortal Palace—Jiang Chuchu or Wang Zijin?”
Gu Changge came back to his senses, guessing in his heart which of the two it was.
Jiang Chuchu wasn’t very likely.
“Let her in.”
Gu Changge said lightly, rising and walking toward the outer hall.
The True Immortal Academy had been peaceful for quite some time.
And though rumors of the Successor of Demonic Arts appearing occasionally circulated in the outside world, they all had nothing to do with him anymore.
So Gu Changge guessed that the one looking for him should be Wang Zijin—he just didn’t know what business she had.
As for... this tool of a fellow countryman, unless there was something he absolutely needed her for, Gu Changge never wanted to deal with her.
Skimming Fortuity points off her was easy, but the gains were meager.
And Wang Zijin’s temperament was one of staying out of worldly strife. Though she loved joining in on the excitement, once you tried to obtain some fortuitous opportunity from her, it became very difficult.
Because her life had been smooth sailing from start to finish, she basically lacked for no opportunities, so Gu Changge couldn’t be bothered to waste time on her.
For... Gu Changge, Wang Zijin’s only use was the Source of her Celestial Spirit Physique.
At his level of cultivation, ordinary physiques were already of no use whatsoever. Even special physiques had to approach great completion to barely be of use to him.
Soon, footsteps sounded from outside the hall. The newcomer wore snow-white robes, her face calm, mist seemingly coiling around her body, making her features hard to discern.
It wasn’t Wang Zijin, but the other Successor of Mortal Palace—Jiang Chuchu.
Gu Changge was somewhat surprised.
Though Jiang Chuchu strove to maintain her composure, he could tell she was entirely putting on this expression deliberately—her heart was nowhere near this calm.
Ordinarily, Jiang Chuchu avoided him like the plague.
Yet today she actually dared to come see him of her own accord.
“Have you run into some trouble?”
Gu Changge waved everyone away, sat down casually, and asked with a smile.
Jiang Chuchu’s eyes fixed on him, but she didn’t speak, just standing there.
“Speak. Where has another Eternal Overcast calamity erupted? Have you found the source of the calamity?”
“But let me make this clear first—don’t dream of getting something for nothing. I can help, but the payment can’t be short.”
Gu Changge asked offhandedly. It just so happened that his cultivation had recently reached the peak of the Sacred Lord Realm, just a step away from breaking through to the Sacred King Realm.
If he could find a Source of the Eternal Overcast, he could break through faster.
That said, Gu Changge thought of that princess of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom, Jia Nan. The Source of the Eternal Overcast she had promised him still hadn’t been delivered.
A sliver of her split soul was in his hands—Gu Changge didn’t believe she would forget.
Could something have happened in the Eternal Overcast Kingdom? “Gu Changge...”
At this moment, hearing these words, Jiang Chuchu was clearly stunned as well, not expecting Gu Changge to open with such a question.
In his eyes, was the only reason she would come looking for him because she’d run into trouble she couldn’t solve?
Was there no other possibility? “Hm? Don’t tell me you really do plan to get something for nothing?”
Gu Changge noticed this shift in her mood, but still asked with great interest.
Honestly, for Jiang Chuchu to seek him out over something other than an Eternal Overcast calamity surprised him a little.
Still, Gu Changge had no intention of puncturing the matter himself.
He could clearly feel that Jiang Chuchu no longer held the bone-deep hatred toward him she once had.
“Gu Changge, can you stop playing dumb?”
“Can’t I come find you for something else?”
Jiang Chuchu asked, looking at him with a calm expression, though her heart held some grievance.
She had originally planned to do as Wang Zijin suggested, only to discover that if she really ignored Gu Changge, given his personality, he truly would just not care about...
her.
She had been back at the True Immortal Academy for so many days, yet he had never once asked after her.
This was hard for Jiang Chuchu to accept.
Clearly, before this, Gu Changge had saved her again and again, helped her resolve the Eternal Overcast calamities, and sought not the slightest bit of fame for it.
So why was he still so cold toward her, so indifferent? “Between the two of us, could there be anything else?”
“Don’t forget—you’re the Saintess of Mortal Palace who upholds justice, while I’m the wicked demon who plagues the world.”
“In the end, we’re destined to walk onto opposite sides and fight to the death.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge laughed, seemingly not the least bit polite.