The Fortuitous One's Hidden Identity — I Am Merely a Concubine
The Fortuitous One’s Hidden Identity — I Am Merely a Concubine
By the Boundary Marker Sea, atop a sheer cliff, Gu Changge stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His figure was tall and slender, his white robes whiter than snow, transcendent and otherworldly, with divine bones and an immortal bearing—yet his expression was exceptionally cold.
With a sweep of his sleeve, great stars seemed to fall from the cosmos beyond the realm.
Fire rained from the heavens, hurricanes rose from the earth, and black Grand Runes flooded in, wave upon wave, vast and boundless, with no end in sight.
This was a power of immeasurable might. Even the most ancient of runes could hardly construct such a terrifying spectacle.
Countless living beings across this universe felt dread welling up from the depths of their hearts, as if they were facing a demon of world-ending calamity.
Amid the howling, it was as if billions of heavenly demons were shrieking in fury. Grey Fog abruptly swept in, enveloping all eight directions of heaven and earth.
This was a fog surging forth from an indescribable, inconceivable dimension.
In an instant, all that remained between heaven and earth was an endless expanse of grey, interwoven with all manner of chaotic, disordered, madness-inducing auras.
Beneath such an aura, let alone ordinary Cultivators—even Sacred Emperor Realm beings who had cultivated for tens of millions of years would feel their hearts palpitate in terror, their Dao Hearts corrupted by demonic energy.
“The legendary Morphing Demonic Domain, traceless and formless, one of the Nine Wonders of the World. It is said that any living being that falls into the demonic domain will ultimately become lost within it.”
“Yet from ancient times until now, Cultivators who have personally witnessed the Morphing Demonic Domain have been vanishingly few.”
“I always believed the Morphing Demonic Domain was some mysterious space from legend. I never imagined it would actually be a technique.”
“And so this is the identity you have been hiding. In the end, I was careless.”
The Sky Deer Goddess gazed at the Grey Fog blotting out the sky. Her slightly altered expression quickly calmed, and a Zen-like, Buddhist nature emerged from her body.
She spoke softly, sighed, and then radiance surged across her face as she began to chant ancient scriptures.
Her immortal skin was crystalline, accompanied by a delicate fragrance. Sheets of runes evolved from beneath her skin, like an ancient immortal scripture blooming with light, dazzling and resplendent.
It was more like a Buddhist lamp in the darkness—solemn and majestic, brilliant and not to be underestimated—capable of driving back this Grey Fog.
Yet it still appeared feeble, unable to achieve much.
This sight was like a single candle flame within a great abyss of darkness, able to illuminate only a small area around her.
The Sky Deer Goddess furrowed her brows, growing ever more solemn in her heart, and began to sit cross-legged where she stood, treasure-light shining brilliantly.
One Emperor Script character after another, containing supreme divine might, branded itself into the void, attempting to resist this power.
At this point, she had already abandoned any thought of attack, knowing that with her current means, she could not contend against Gu Changge.
The moment Gu Changge revealed his true identity, she had already understood.
The methods Gu Changge had hidden were simply beyond imagination; they could no longer be measured by common sense.
An ordinary True Daoist would absolutely not be his match.
“Your insight is not bad, to actually recognize the Morphing Demonic Domain.”
Gu Changge raised an eyebrow slightly, though his expression remained cold.
Weng—the next moment, billions of jet-black rays of light gathered in his palm, then crushed forward, as if they could suppress heaven and earth itself.
Within the surging Grey Fog, two other colors were interwoven—the black and white representing life and death.
Black and white swept forth, transforming into Great Millstones of World Destruction, flowing with terrifying auras of annihilation, rumbling down from all eight directions of heaven and earth.
Within this Morphing Demonic Domain, Gu Changge was the absolute sovereign.
Even a True Daoist could not hope to sense the rules of heaven and earth, the traces of the Great Dao, or draw upon any power.
The terror of this power lay in the fact that it ceaselessly devoured the strength, life, Source, and cultivation of the Cultivators within it.
It could be called all-pervasive, seeping into everything, fundamentally impossible to resist.
Many uninformed Cultivators had always regarded the Morphing Demonic Domain as one of the world’s wonders, like the Absolute Yin Heaven.
But none of them knew that it was merely one technique within the Taboo Demonic Arts.
Moreover, the Morphing Demonic Domain displayed by the Successor of Demonic Arts was but a mere embryonic form, utterly incomparable to what Gu Changge wielded.
Whether in might or in level, there was no comparison.
Zheng zheng—in an instant, dazzling, resplendent light erupted here, its momentum towering, shaking the firmament.
All the fog surged to devour, seeking to envelop the cross-legged Sky Deer Goddess and drag her into an abyss of eternal damnation.
Within the Morphing Demonic Domain, there was not only terrifying devouring power.
There were also all the demonic thoughts and wayward intents of this world, penetrating everywhere. Even those with the firmest Dao Hearts would find it difficult to endure.
“How much longer can you hold on?”
Gu Changge stood in the distance, watching her coldly, making no further moves.
He was in no hurry to kill the Sky Deer Goddess.
Moreover, compared to killing her, a living Sky Deer Goddess was clearly of greater use.
The barrier of Sky Deer City had been in the Sky Deer Goddess’s hands for generations.
Therefore, if Gu Changge wished to breach Sky Deer City and open its Formation Core, he could be said to have no choice but to start with the Sky Deer Goddess.
“You cannot disturb my Dao Heart.”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s face was slightly pale, but her expression remained calm.
She had great confidence in her Dao Heart. Having cultivated for countless years, the myriad states of the world and the rolling mortal dust were all like passing smoke and clouds to her.
Weng—the void trembled.
Buddhist light and Daoist rhythm interwove, and boundless radiance emerged here.
In the void beside her, those lit Emperor Script characters burned continuously, seeking to grind away the fog flooding toward her.
It was as if stars were falling one after another here, colliding at last and exploding.
Such fluctuations were too vast and majestic, as if the very heavens were crashing down.
Aside from True Daoists, no one could withstand it.
Even she had a pale face, her body swaying unceasingly.
“The so-called Dao Heart—is it truly that firm?”
Gu Changge was utterly cold. Almost in an instant, his figure appeared before her.
He raised his palm and pressed it down, an ancient universe seemingly evolving within his hand before rumbling down.
This aura was incomparably terrifying, ceaselessly grinding away the Emperor Script around the Sky Deer Goddess. Their radiance dimmed, rapidly shattering.
Faintly, it was as if billions of heavenly demons howled forth, seeking to pierce through her lungs and spirit platform, to descend into her Spiritual Palace and Dao Heart.
Chi chi—“If the Dao Heart does not endure, how can one trudge forward on the path of cultivation?”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s expression did not change. To Gu Changge’s words, she merely replied simply.
At the same time, she once again displayed other Daoist techniques and divine abilities.
Clear light misted from her sleeves, transforming into ten million Dao Swords. Each Dao Sword was enough to cleave apart the firmament. Ten million fell in unison with brilliant, inextinguishable might, mounting a resistance.
At the same time, above her head, a peaceful and holy radiance emerged.
It was a lotus flower with nine petals, golden and dazzling, containing profound and unfathomable meaning.
This golden lotus was clearly some kind of innate object, bearing innate patterns and runes.
Daoist rhythm formed chains that pierced through with chi chi sounds, as if to subdue demons.
Yet at this moment, one could clearly see wisps of black qi flitting across her face.
She was suppressing it with all her might.
The longer one remained in the Morphing Demonic Domain, the more severe the corruption of demonic energy became—even with her constitution, it was so.
Given enough time, she would inevitably suffer tremendous effects.
If she could not escape, she would surely fall into a crisis of life and death.
Moreover, from beginning to end, Gu Changge had not actively attacked; he merely watched her resist.
This made the Sky Deer Goddess’s heart sink ever deeper.
Boom—“I would very much like to see just how long your Dao Heart can hold.”
Gu Changge spoke indifferently, once again shaking his robe and striking out rays of divine light—like divine swords, like heavenly blades, like heavenly thunder—bearing supreme divine brilliance, blasting toward the Sky Deer Goddess.
The Emperor Script around her rapidly dimmed; the Dao Swords she slashed out also collapsed; the light upon her body swiftly faded.
“I don’t believe you can maintain this Morphing Demonic Domain forever.”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s gaze remained fixed on his face, calm as an ancient well, like an old monk in deep meditation.
“However, in my view, your current state is not good.”
Gu Changge struck again. Behind him, billions of strands of Grey Fog surged and billowed, vast and mighty, completely enveloping her.
Buddhist shadows crumbled; heaven and earth fell silent, as if plunged into boundless darkness.
This was a power from the unknown, seeking to drag her into it.
Yet the Sky Deer Goddess still resisted. Billions of golden lotuses emerged behind her.
Buddhist light shone universally, seeking to disperse the greyness of this place.
Golden lotuses accompanied her, utterly astonishing. Each golden lotus seemed rooted in the cosmos itself, vast and boundless.
For a time, her surroundings seemed to transform into a Buddhist Kingdom, where heaven and earth resonated, auspicious light misted, and gods and Buddhas chanted in unison, seeking to take her in.
It had to be said, the Sky Deer Goddess’s methods were truly astonishing—worthy of a veteran True Daoist.
Were it not for the constraints of the world’s environment, perhaps she would have already stepped into an even more profound realm.
To resist for so long within the Morphing Demonic Domain, and even continue displaying powerful techniques.
“Truly surprising.”
“But what meaning is there in futile persistence?”
Gu Changge’s expression was cold and calm. He shook his head and reached out his palm once more.
This time, he employed no other techniques. Instead, divine light blazed in his palm, forming a crystalline divine mirror.
The mirror rapidly expanded, finally projecting images within the void.
“What—”
The instant she saw the images within, the Sky Deer Goddess’s expression changed.
The very moment her state of mind wavered, all the demonic energy here surged and swept toward her.
The Sky Deer Goddess finally could not hold back a mouthful of blood, spraying it out. Her white robes were dyed red, and the Buddhist shadow manifested behind her crumbled inch by inch, turning to dust.
Her body trembled lightly. The black qi grew denser and denser, covering her entire face, black and heavy, as if she had been poisoned.
But looking closely, one could see wisps of black qi darting back and forth across her body.
At this moment, she could no longer even see the scene before her clearly; everything became incomparably blurred.
“You—”
She, who had always been calm and untroubled, could not hide the fury on her face, glaring fixedly at Gu Changge.
“What is it? Is this not exactly how things should develop?”
Gu Changge could not help but laugh, though his eyes remained cold.
“You truly are despicable.”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s eyes were icy, filled with rage.
In the scene before her were none other than Lin Wu, Lu Luo, and the others whom she had expended great effort to rescue.
But now, Lin Wu and the others were in a terrible state—some wounded, some dead.
Lin Wu especially was grievously injured, a wound across his chest that had nearly torn him apart.
His face was filled with grief, shock, fury, and disbelief.
And the Lu Luo she had painstakingly rescued was now a woman with an entirely unfamiliar face.
The woman wore a cold sneer, a long sword in hand, piercing through Lin Wu’s body.
How could the Sky Deer Goddess not understand now? The Lu Luo she had rescued back then had been nothing but an impostor.
The real Lu Luo—Gu Changge had never brought her out at all. Whether she lived or died, there was no way to know.
She had never imagined Gu Changge could be so insidious and despicable. When rescuing Lu Luo, she had never even considered such a thing.
But even if she had been suspicious, she likely would have found it very difficult to detect anything amiss.
Given Gu Changge’s shrewdness, he would absolutely never have allowed her to notice anything unusual.
In the end, all her efforts had been in vain. Not only had she failed to kill Gu Changge, she had dragged herself, Lin Wu, and the others down with her.
“Tell me—like this, how can you still fight me?”
Gu Changge’s words held no ripple of emotion, yet at this moment they seemed to stir the billions of demonic shadows between heaven and earth, all rushing toward the Sky Deer Goddess.
Faintly, she beheld a terrifying, hell-like scene.
Hordes of demons ran rampant, heavenly demons ravaged, devastation stretched as far as the eye could see.
The once prosperous and ancient Sky Deer City had become a wasteland—corpses everywhere, flames burning everywhere, walls collapsed, pavilions reduced to ash.
Her disciples lay dead in pools of blood, their bodies covered in wounds, long since devoid of life.
The great army slaughtered its way in; the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains fell; endless flames of war swept over everything.
The ancient city she had once guarded, its territories, its living beings—all had turned to ash, reduced to ruins in this battle.
She even saw herself personally opening Sky Deer City’s barrier, bringing about the city’s ruin.
This was the scene she least wished to see in her heart. Though her heart told her this was all an illusion, not truly happening,
she still felt regret and anguish.
It was as if she had already foreseen what the future would bring.
“Impossible...”
“This is all fake. I am still trapped within the Morphing Demonic Domain.”
“This is merely your trick.”
The Sky Deer Goddess shook her head, as if telling herself what was happening.
But her face was covered in black qi, and the light upon her body gradually dimmed. Black qi entwined her, and at last she slowly fell into silence.
“True or false, false or true—how can you be certain that what you see now is not a corner of the future?”
“This so-called Dao Heart of yours is, in truth, nothing but a flaw.”
Gu Changge’s eyes remained cold. With a single palm strike, the Emperor Script, Buddhist shadows, and Zen images around the Sky Deer Goddess snapped inch by inch, rapidly collapsing.
From all eight directions of heaven and earth, countless strands of Grey Fog wrapped around her, seemingly forming an enormous black cocoon.
Threads of rules descended; the Great Dao rumbled with astonishing momentum; black demonic energy permeated the air.
The Sky Deer Goddess raised her head somewhat blankly, her gaze gradually shifting from blurred to clear.
However, the golden lotuses behind her abruptly turned pitch-black, sinister and wicked.
Demonic energy had seeped into her bones. But unlike a Demonic Seed, hers was a Heart-Possessing Demon.
Though the two differed by only a single word, they were entirely different. A Demonic Seed was planted by an external party and could be controlled by another.
A Heart-Possessing Demon, however, was the self turning demonic—a deeper fall, acting entirely according to one’s own will.
“It seems you have come to an understanding.”
Gu Changge looked at the woman whose aura was utterly different from the Sky Deer Goddess of before, and asked with some interest.
The former Sky Deer Goddess had given off a holy, Buddhist nature—transcendent and untainted, like a Buddha Lotus.
But the current her possessed an entirely different wickedness, more like a Demon Lotus, rooted and growing where demonic energy billowed.
“What you said is right. Why could that scene not be a glimpse of the future?”
“If I wish to prevent all of this from happening, the only way is to make Sky Deer City surrender and minimize the casualties.”
The Sky Deer Goddess nodded, her gaze restored to calm.
If one did not sense the aura upon her, one might think she was not much different from before.
“However, I do not believe you.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge gazed deeply at her, as if to see straight through her, then smiled faintly.
“I will prove it to you through my actions.”
The Sky Deer Goddess met his gaze frankly, her eyes calm and serene, her flawless, peerless face showing little ripple.
“Is that so?”
Gu Changge smiled, then said indifferently, “If you wish to prove yourself to me, then go now and open Sky Deer City’s barrier, and while you’re at it, tell me the correct route through the Aether Abyss. Otherwise, how can I trust you?”
“No problem.”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s eyes rested on his face. Hearing this, she showed no hesitation or resistance whatsoever; instead, she nodded very earnestly.
“You agreed so decisively—how am I supposed to trust you?”
“After going to such lengths to capture you, do you think I would let you leave so easily?”
Gu Changge was somewhat surprised at her words, but he still smiled, not believing the current Sky Deer Goddess.
Even corrupted by demonic energy, she could not possibly change so quickly.
If he let her go, would all his efforts not have been wasted? As for control—at the level of a True Daoist, how much effect could it even have?
The current Sky Deer Goddess, though her Dao Heart had turned demonic and her conduct might differ considerably from before,
her starting point remained unchanged: to block the Beyond’s invasion and protect Sky Deer City and the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
“Then what must I do for you to believe me?”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s brows furrowed, then quickly relaxed as she asked, as if seriously considering the question.
“That is not something I need to consider.”
“What you should be doing—is figuring out how to make me believe you, no?”
Gu Changge raised an eyebrow, then reached out to cup her exquisite chin, leaning down to stare into her eyes.
Seeing that the Sky Deer Goddess’s expression did not change in the slightest, showing not the faintest resistance, he could not help but smile. “Now you do not even resist? Yet it is precisely because of this that I trust you even less.”
With that, he released her chin. With a sweep of his sleeve, the sky-blotting Grey Fog enveloping this universe dispersed, as if it had all been an illusion.
Heaven and earth returned to clarity. From the Boundary Marker Sea not far away, rumbling sounds once again drifted over.
The battle fluctuations here had alarmed many Cultivators and living beings, but before they could set foot in this place, they had already been slain by Ah Da, who had received prior instructions—none would disturb Gu Changge.
The Sky Deer Goddess seemed to fall into deep thought, seriously pondering Gu Changge’s words.
“I will persuade the Cultivators and living beings of Sky Deer City to abandon resistance and surrender to the Beyond.”
“But you must guarantee that you will not harm them, and minimize casualties as much as possible.”
Then, she spoke again, laying out her intentions.
“Do you think any of that is possible?”
Gu Changge still smiled, somewhat mockingly.
“When the city falls, nothing is impossible.”
The Sky Deer Goddess said.
“Round and round it goes—you still want me to let you go. Before I trust you, I advise you to abandon that notion.”
“Otherwise, I really will kill you.”
Gu Changge’s brows furrowed, and he swept a cold glance at her.
“Why won’t you believe me?”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s brows knitted tightly. Gu Changge did not believe her. Right now, she was, in the end, merely a prisoner.
The fall of Sky Deer City was only a matter of time. Unless a miracle occurred in this epoch, the scene she had witnessed was a true corner of the future.
To save the people of Sky Deer City, certain sacrifices were absolutely necessary.
“I do not need you to breach Sky Deer City.”
Gu Changge said indifferently. In his plans, even without the Sky Deer Goddess, as long as Lu Luo was in his hands,
he could force Lin Wu to submit.
As a Fortuitous One, Lin Wu could surely gain access to Sky Deer City’s Formation Core.
Now, with the Sky Deer Goddess added, it was equivalent to holding one more bargaining chip.
When the time came, what choice could Lin Wu make? It was not hard to guess.
For most Fortuitous Ones, loyalty and sentiment were usually reserved for themselves and those close to them.
The lives and deaths of everyone else were, in truth, unimportant to them.
Moreover, from the earlier incident where Lin Wu would rather hand over the Immortal-Killing Gourd to save Lu Luo, his temperament was already plain to see.
Among those who came to rescue Lu Luo this time, there were no other clans or forces; they all chose to stand by and watch coldly, uninvolved.
Even if Lin Wu said nothing aloud, he surely harbored resentment in his heart.