Yue Mingkong's Awareness as a Wife, Encircling the Demon Master Bai Kun
Yue Mingkong’s Awareness as a Wife, Encircling the Demon Master Bai Kun
Jiang Chen knew that the Ancient Divine Tombs of this world were completely different from ordinary Partial-Enlightened or True Enlightened Realm cultivators.
Those were a race that possessed Divinity, and their numbers were extremely scarce.
Within such a Divine Tomb, the opportunities contained were beyond imagination.
He believed that with his abilities and those of the Celestial Boat of Creation’s Artifact Spirit, he could more or less reap quite a few benefits.
“Benefactor, where did you get all these things?”
Just as Jiang Chen was lost in thought, a grinning monk suddenly appeared before him.
The monk didn’t look particularly young, his face shiny with oil, the kasaya he wore quite tattered, and in his hand he held a somewhat battered alms bowl.
At this moment, he was pointing at several weapon fragments on the street stall as he asked.
Without even thinking, Jiang Chen opened his mouth and said, “These... naturally, I picked them up all over the place.”
“Is that so?”
The monk asked in return.
Jiang Chen nodded. “Naturally.”
“Hehe, in that case, this poor monk sees that Benefactor has fate with our Buddha. Why not come along with this poor monk for a trip?”
The monk said with a chuckle.
“What do you want to do?”
Jiang Chen raised his head, staring at him warily, quietly gripping a weapon hidden in his sleeve.
The items on his stall had all been carefully selected by him—there shouldn’t be anything special about them.
Yet this monk before him had clearly noticed something, otherwise he wouldn’t be speaking to him like this.
Hearing this, the monk’s gaze fell upon Jiang Chen’s face. Noticing his cultivation, he appeared quite intrigued and said, “Benefactor’s methods are extraordinary. This poor monk happens to have a matter here that I could cooperate with Benefactor on.”
“Rest assured, when the time comes, your share of the benefits will not be lacking.”
Jiang Chen’s heart sank. He could only feel that the cultivation of the monk before him was unfathomable. As for what kind of cooperation he was talking about, how would he know?
“Monks do not speak false words. Benefactor, please rest assured—this poor monk has never deceived anyone in his life.”
Seeing Jiang Chen fall silent, the monk once again guaranteed earnestly, “If Benefactor still doesn’t believe me, then this poor monk can only say his apologies.”
With things said to this point, how could Jiang Chen not understand? If he refused again, the monk before him would resort to force.
He couldn’t help but give a bitter laugh. “I’m just an ordinary man who resells these broken trinkets. Why must Master trouble me so?”
“No, no, no. In this poor monk’s eyes, Benefactor is anything but simple. Your cultivation is not high, yet you were able to enter a tomb with such terrifying yin energy and find these weapon fragments. How could your methods be compared to those of ordinary people?”
The monk paid no mind to Jiang Chen’s self-deprecation, still chuckling as he got straight to the point, directly pointing out Jiang Chen’s extraordinariness.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s heart sank, though his expression remained calm and composed.
When he had descended into that tomb, he had indeed encountered quite a few troubles.
The dangers within were enough to make any ordinary cultivator’s face change, with the risk of spilling blood and perishing.
Inside the tomb, although he had obtained quite a few good things, he had also nearly lost his life.
It was all thanks to the help of the Celestial Boat of Creation’s Artifact Spirit—otherwise, it would have been very difficult for him to escape alive.
Yet the monk before him had seen through all of this with a single glance. He was truly no simple figure.
Afterward, Jiang Chen had no choice but to follow the monk away from this place, even abandoning his street stall. Anyway... they weren’t anything precious.
The monk led him through twists and turns until they arrived before a magnificent and imposing mansion. The cultivators guarding the entrance all possessed powerful cultivation, their entire bodies shrouded in divine radiance, their blood qi astonishing.
Upon arriving here, the monk’s attitude clearly became much more cautious, no longer as casual as before.
“In a moment, Benefactor, you must not speak carelessly here. Otherwise, even this poor monk won’t be able to protect you.”
The monk spoke in a low voice to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen’s expression also grew somewhat grave. Being inexplicably dragged into something like this, he felt quite aggrieved as well.
“Who are we going to meet?”
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.
“The Godly Illusion Clan.”
The monk glanced back at him, seemingly to make Jiang Chen pay attention, and only then explained.
Jiang Chen’s pupils contracted, his expression shifting slightly as he suddenly connected something.
These past few days, news of an Ancient Divine Tomb about to emerge had been causing an uproar everywhere.
And he had heard that this so-called Divine Tomb actually buried a powerhouse of the Godly Illusion Clan.
The Godly Illusion Clan was extremely mysterious.
Even across the entire Beyond, they were an exceedingly rare race, with very few clan members.
But to be granted the title of a Godly Clan showed just how powerful they were.
If their numbers were just a bit greater, becoming the number one strongest clan of the Beyond would not be impossible.
And now, the people he was about to meet were actually the Godly Illusion Clan.
This made Jiang Chen’s heart pound uncontrollably, unable to suppress his nervousness.
“When we go in, you must not speak carelessly.”
The monk still seemed uneasy, turning back once more to carefully remind Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded, cold sweat appearing in his palms.
Faintly, he could see divine light flickering deep within the mansion, where an incomparably noble, slender figure sat upright, a gaze that seemed to pierce through everything, as if it could see him completely inside and out.
As Jiang Chen stepped into this place, the Elderly Man in Black Robes who had been hiding high in the sky all along shifted his gaze slightly, but did not follow...
True Immortal Academy.
While Gu Changge dispatched his terrifying army to hunt down the remnants of Bandit Thirteen.
Within a magnificent Mystic Mountain.
Inside a palace, several Elders with blurred faces, shrouded in Chaos Energy, were also discussing matters.
“This time, a burial ground of the Godly Illusion Clan has emerged. For the prodigies of our academy, this is also a fine opportunity for a trial.”
“Last time, the Absolute Yin Heaven calamity was sabotaged by the Successor of Demonic Arts. Hopefully, this time things will go smoothly.”
“Then for the leader of this expedition, how about we settle on the King of Six Crowns, Jun Yao? Gu Changge’s wings have grown full now—the True Immortal Academy can no longer contain him. He likely won’t take a matter like this to heart.”
The several Elders spoke, deciding on the leader for this trial.
Gu Changge had now been excluded from consideration—not because they felt Gu Changge wasn’t... qualified.
Rather, it was a question of whether Gu Changge would even be willing.
The opportunities of the Divine Tomb were incomparably precious to... the other disciples, but to... the current Gu Changge, they weren’t worth mentioning.
Soon, this decision was finalized. Once the news spread, it immediately caused a sensation among all the disciples of the True Immortal Academy.
The emergence of a Divine Tomb naturally meant both opportunity and danger.
And this time, the leader was actually the King of Six Crowns, Jun Yao—not Gu Changge.
This shocked many people, who speculated whether Gu Changge’s recent brilliance had been too dazzling, causing the True Immortal Academy to decide to suppress him, lest he cover the sky with one hand within the academy.
However, this speculation was quickly overturned, because an Elder subsequently announced that Gu Changge need not participate in this trial.
Many disciples suddenly understood, finally realizing.
Gu Changge’s current status and position were already completely different from theirs—he could no longer be treated as an ordinary True Immortal Academy disciple.
The gap between them and Gu Changge...
had already, imperceptibly, widened further and further, forming an invisible chasm.
Gu Changge’s position in the True Immortal Academy had already reached the point where he could sit as an equal with the Sacred Emperor Realm Elders!
Over the following days, the True Immortal Academy began to bustle, streaks of divine rainbows piercing the sky, blood qi shattering the clouds.
The many disciples began preparing for this trial.
The King of Six Crowns Jun Yao, the Divine Phoenix Maiden, Yue Mingkong, Gu Xian’er, Jiang Chuchu, Wang Zijin, Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, and others would all enter the newly emerged Divine Tomb to contend for their own opportunities.
When Gu Changge heard this news, he didn’t take it to heart. Just as the Elders had guessed, even if they let him participate, he would refuse.
A trial of this level, to him now, was merely a waste of time.
What interested him more was the whereabouts of the Bandit Thirteen remnants.
Of course, if he heard that something good appeared within the Divine Tomb, that would be another matter entirely.
“The Divine Tomb of the Godly Illusion Clan—are you really not interested?”
Inside the hall, Yue Mingkong was somewhat puzzled.
In her memories, within this emerging tomb of the Godly Illusion Clan, there was a Divinity Crystal—something equivalent to a Sacred Emperor Grade Dao Fruit.
By all reason, Gu Changge would not let it slip by.
“For now, I want to catch that... remnant more. If something good appears in the Divine Tomb, I will naturally go when the time comes.”
Gu Changge smiled as he explained.
Yue Mingkong nodded. “Then I’ll keep an eye on it for you.”
With those words from her, Gu Changge was naturally at ease.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
He said with a smile.
Yue Mingkong shook her head slightly. “This is what I should do.”
Although the two had not yet wed, she already possessed the awareness of a wife.
Afterward, she departed.
Not long after Yue Mingkong left, a piece of news arrived.
“Master, the mysterious strategist behind Bandit Thirteen—we’ve found traces of him. Troops are currently being dispatched to intercept him.”
A follower reported respectfully.
Gu Changge rose, narrowing his eyes as he asked, “Where?”
“He is currently within Northcreek Ancient City. The Transportation Arrays in the surroundings have all been sealed by us. All cultivators and living beings have been intercepted—none may leave the city.”
“Even if that man grew wings, he could not escape our Inescapable Net!”
The messenger said confidently.
“Good. Well done.”
Gu Changge nodded. With a wave of his sleeve, he strode away from this place. Then, a vast procession of figures soared into the sky—he directly opened a Space Tunnel, traveling through the void.
The terrifying commotion resounded across the firmament.
The disciples and Elders of the True Immortal Academy watched this scene in shock, silent in their hearts for a long time.
Then they all began speculating about where Gu Changge was rushing to and for what purpose.
“It should be that the Bandit Thirteen remnants have been located.”
Wang Zijin said with certainty.
Jiang Chuchu beside her glanced at her and said calmly, “You seem to understand Gu Changge quite well?”
Wang Zijin smiled brightly. “It’s not understanding. I can simply guess what he’s going to do.”
“Does it suddenly occur to you that I understand him better than you do?”
She provocatively revealed a shallow pair of dimples.
Jiang Chuchu paid no heed to her provocation, turning and walking away.
Gu Xian’er, who had just emerged from seclusion after breaking through to the Sacred Realm, stared blankly as Gu Changge led his people away. Then she lowered her eyes, a lingering sorrow seemingly coiling between her brows...
Northcreek Ancient City.
This was a vast and magnificent ancient city with a population of several billion.
It sprawled across nearly a hundred thousand li in every direction, like a... ferocious beast crouching upon the earth. Its city walls alone stretched endlessly like mountain ranges.
At this moment, beyond the four gates of Northcreek Ancient City, dark masses pressed down upon the city like black clouds.
Among them, colorful plumes flowed, demonic wings blotted out the sky, and scales gleamed.
All kinds of powerful and terrifying creatures appeared in the heavens, completely sealing off all eight directions.
Riding clouds and mist, their bodies alone were like small mountains, wreathed in purple lightning and crimson radiance, their might astonishing.
No cultivator or living being could take half a step away from this place, nor enter the city.
Any who defied were executed on the spot.
Just moments ago, a cultivator had been displeased and attempted to resist—only to be slapped to death in the sky, body and soul annihilated on the spot.
Everyone trembled in fear, their backs chilled with dread, their souls shuddering.
They didn’t know what had happened, why so many creatures and armies had suddenly descended.
Even the Lord of Northcreek Ancient City, at this moment, appeared outside the city walls, carefully wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, not daring to utter a single extra word.
He naturally recognized who the master behind these... terrifying creatures was, which was why he responded so carefully, not daring to offend.
The cultivators behind him were all prominent figures of Northcreek Ancient City.
But now, they too accompanied him cautiously, not daring to reveal the slightest trace of displeasure.
The enormous Northcreek Ancient City was deathly silent at this moment, everyone worried about suffering a devastating strike.
The force outside the city was simply too terrifying—vast and mighty, blotting out the sky and sun.
Let alone a single ancient city, even a minor Dao lineage could be easily annihilated.
“My master has ordered: anyone who dares to shelter the remnants of Bandit Thirteen shall be regarded as opposing him, and will bear the consequences.”
At this moment, a Yaksha-like creature stepped forward, its entire body wreathed in crimson radiance, grinning coldly as its voice echoed through the high skies.
“Bandit Thirteen is despicable!”
“Damned Bandit Thirteen, to actually drag us down with them!”
Hearing these words, many cultivators’ expressions changed as they finally realized.
So this matter was actually related to the remnants of Bandit Thirteen.
During this period, Gu Changge’s pursuit of Bandit Thirteen had caused an uproar throughout the Beyond.
Given that, there was no need to say more about who stood behind these creatures.
Many cultivators smiled bitterly. Besides... Gu Changge, who else in the current Beyond possessed such overwhelming might—dispatching such a terrifying force just to hunt down a single man?
At that, many people also relaxed. Since this was about hunting down the Bandit Thirteen remnants, it surely had nothing to do with ordinary folk like them.
They had not sheltered any remnants, so naturally there was nothing to worry about. They just... hoped not to suffer undeserved calamity.
“Everyone, rest assured. Since the Bandit Thirteen remnants have appeared within Northcreek Ancient City, I will certainly cooperate with you all to search them out and give Young Master Changge an accounting.”
The Lord of Northcreek felt somewhat... relieved in his heart, then spoke up, guaranteeing earnestly.
In his heart, he also hated this Bandit Thirteen remnant to death.
Of all places to go, he just had to come to his Northcreek Ancient City—wasn’t this purely bringing calamity down upon him?
“Had we known earlier that a Bandit Thirteen remnant was in this city, we would have long sent people to search everywhere. How could we trouble Young Master Changge to mobilize on such a scale? If anyone is sheltering a Bandit Thirteen remnant, we will certainly seize them and execute them without mercy!”
After the Lord of Northcreek finished speaking, the other prominent figures behind him also spoke up one after another, making their positions clear—they had absolutely not sheltered or hidden any Bandit Thirteen remnants.
Hearing these words, many young cultivators were deeply shaken.
Such great figures were people they normally could never even meet.
Yet today, because Gu Changge wanted to search for the Bandit Thirteen remnants, they had all appeared together, making such solemn guarantees.
Such power and influence was simply too terrifying—unimaginable.
“With those words from the Lord of Northcreek, we are at ease. We are not unreasonable people either. Our master sent us here only to capture the Bandit Thirteen remnants—we will not make things difficult for the people of Northcreek Ancient City.”
Seeing how sensible the Lord of Northcreek and the others were, the Yaksha-like creature also revealed a faint smile.
“Everyone, please rest assured. We will certainly cooperate fully with the search and will not let a single suspicious person slip by.”
The Lord of Northcreek guaranteed.
Afterward, the vast army descended upon Northcreek Ancient City, beginning to search mansion by mansion, palace by palace.
The entire Northcreek Ancient City was in an uproar. Everyone was on edge, fearing that a Bandit Thirteen remnant was hiding beside them.
Nephrite Breeze Pavilion, Raindrop Pavilion.
This was the pleasure quarter of Northcreek Ancient City, usually bustling with orioles and swallows, fragrant with powder and rouge.
But today, it was exceptionally quiet.
In a private room toward the back, a middle-aged man with a pale face, coughing up blood incessantly, sat upright in a wheelchair.
His eyes were covered with black cloth, and beyond that, his lower limbs were entirely crippled, without any ability to move.
These were no ordinary external injuries—even numerous sacred medicines could hardly cure them.
Just like his eyes, these were the backlash suffered from peering into the secrets of heaven too many times—something he could never escape for the rest of his life.
Behind the middle-aged man, a young man with a grief-stricken face couldn’t help but lament, “Shifu, are we only able to wait for death today?”
These past days, they had been hiding and fleeing.
Every moment spent in fear and caution, like rats living in the shadows, unable to see any light.
This kind of life filled him with despair. He couldn’t understand why his shifu, who could predict everything like a god, would one day be hunted down like this.
In the entire vast Beyond, there was no longer any place for them to stand.
Hearing these words, the middle-aged man seemed to aggravate his injuries again, coughing out another mouthful of blood.
He shook his head slightly, his voice appearing very calm, as if he had long foreseen all of this.
“I didn’t expect Gu Changge to find us so quickly. I thought we could hide a few more days. This is all my fault. If not for greed, how would all of this have come upon us...”
“Disciple, you should go. Take Lian’er and leave. The one Gu Changge wants to capture is me—it has nothing to do with you two.”
“This is a secret treasure I refined back then. After the two of you use it, hide within the void and leave quietly. No one will be able to detect your traces. Then take the opportunity to flee to the Demon World and find a man named Jun Bufan. Give this Brocade Bag to him.”
The middle-aged man spoke of all this very calmly.
At the same time, he took out two items from his bosom.
A very ordinary Brocade Bag, and a very ordinary Jade Talisman—nothing remarkable about them at all. Even if thrown on the ground, no one would spare them a glance.
Yet now, these two items were being solemnly entrusted to the two of them.
Behind the young man stood a woman with a graceful figure, enchanting features, snow-white skin, and dark hair like fine silk, glossy enough to reflect light.
At this moment, her expression also seemed somewhat reluctant, but in the end, she didn’t say anything more.
“Shifu, if we leave, what will happen to you? You’re gravely injured now. Once we leave, if Gu Changge captures you, that’s a dead end!”
Hearing these words, the young man’s face grew even more sorrowful, his eyes reddening as if tears could fall at any moment.
“Disciple, you have now received my true teachings. Even without me, you can live well. There is no need... for you to throw your life away in this place for my sake.”
The middle-aged man’s smile seemed somewhat gratified, but his words were resolute, brooking no question.
“Lian’er, you... sigh... The ones your father owes the most are still you and your mother. But your father had no choice in what he did. All these years, your father didn’t come to find you—not because he didn’t want to see you, but because he didn’t want to implicate you.”
“Though it... must have been hard on you, building the enormous Nephrite Breeze Pavilion all by yourself...”
Then, he looked toward the graceful woman and said with some guilt. Although he could not see, he knew his daughter was actually watching him.
This brought the middle-aged man some measure of comfort.
Who could have imagined that the master behind the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion, the renowned assassin organization, would actually be the daughter of him, the Demon Master Bai Kun?