This So-Called Double Standard—Now It's Your Turn to Be Magnanimous
This So-Called Double Standard—Now It’s Your Turn to Be Magnanimous
“What is this?”
Lin Wu felt a sudden burning heat on his forehead. Some inexplicable aura had branded itself into his soul. Before he could even make out what kind of technique this was, he felt the aura vanish.
What shocked him even more was that even his Martial Arts Space showed no reaction whatsoever.
His heart sank, deeply unsettled. It felt as though his very life and death were now held in the palm of Gu Changge’s hand.
“Rest assured. What I promised you, I, Gu, will deliver.”
“Once the matter is done, I will naturally remove this Restriction for you.”
“Moreover, as long as you don’t entertain any crooked thoughts, this Restriction will not activate.”
Gu Changge smiled faintly, his expression natural and casual, paying no mind to Lin Wu’s darkening face.
Lin Wu fell silent. He knew Gu Changge could never fully trust him, but the situation was stronger than the man—he had no way to refuse.
Besides, from where things currently stood, it wasn’t as if he had no chance to respond at all.
“I’ll give you half a year.”
“During this half year, do not attempt to undo this Restriction. In this world, no one but me can remove it.”
“If, after half a year, you still haven’t accomplished it, then the Restriction will erupt. Not only will you die—”
“—your beloved Lu Luo will also be dragged down by you. And don’t think I’ll simply kill her.”
“This world has ten thousand ways to torment a woman. A pair of jade arms pillowed by a thousand men, a single vermilion lip tasted by ten thousand—such a scene, I imagine, is not one you’d wish to see.”
Gu Changge continued speaking in that same unhurried tone.
With Lu Luo as a hostage in hand, he wasn’t worried in the slightest that Lin Wu would defy his orders.
“You truly are despicable.”
“A leader of the Beyond, yet you stoop to such vile and shameless conduct.”
Hearing these words, Lin Wu’s face rapidly shifted through several shades before settling into an ashen green.
However, Gu Changge paid him no heed and ordered his men to send Lin Wu away.
As for how Lin Wu would evade the armies of the other Daoist forces and safely return to Sky Deer City—that was Lin Wu’s own problem.
As a Fortuitous One, if he didn’t even have this much ability, then it would truly be Gu Changge’s miscalculation.
In half a year, the Boundary Marker Sea would likely welcome its final wave, after which it would rapidly wither away.
In other words, in half a year at the latest, the Beyond would raise its armies and march upon the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
During this period, Gu Changge planned to make arrangements for the forces currently under his control.
The Ancient Clans of the Immortal Ancients, the Skyward Schloss, and the Primal Celestial Temple would all dispatch their armies here.
This slice of the pie that was the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains—even touching upon the secret of becoming an Immortal—he absolutely had to seize the initiative on.
“Since the Sky Deer Goddess is in my hands, the correct route through the Aether Abyss will sooner or later be mine as well.”
“All that remains now is breaking through Sky Deer City’s barrier.”
Gu Changge narrowed his eyes. He had other plans in mind.
Since the Sky Deer Goddess wanted him to trust her, he might as well test her with the matter of the Aether Abyss.
With that, Gu Changge pointed a finger forward. Radiant light bloomed before him, a portal materialized, and hazy clear light continuously spilled forth, as though leading into another world.
The Sky Deer Goddess was, after all, a True Daoist. The place of her imprisonment was naturally different from where Lu Luo and the others were held.
Gu Changge quickly stepped inside.
The small world within was desolate and withered.
It had originally been a minor world seized by the Longevity Gu Family during their campaigns across the eight directions, taken after slaying its powerful masters. The interior was covered in the scars of battle.
The light was dim, lacking brightness, with grey mist drifting about.
In the distance stood twelve terrifying pillars, like objects propping up the heavens, carved with all manner of ancient runes—True Dragons, White Tigers, Vermilion Birds, Kunpeng, and the like.
Wrapped around these pillars were chains forged of Immortal Black Iron, thick as a man’s arm and wreathed in radiant light, capable of sealing and suppressing supreme experts.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
When Gu Changge appeared in this place, the numerous experts stationed on guard all spoke in salute, their expressions reverent.
A True Daoist of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains was currently imprisoned here.
They didn’t know much, but they knew that this... powerful True Daoist had been personally suppressed by the Young Master’s own hand.
To possess such terrifying strength at such an age—one could truly say he looked down upon all of history, past and present, with no equal.
“Leave this place to me. You may all withdraw.”
Gu Changge nodded, his figure striding forward, crossing over to the region where one of the pillars stood.
A beautiful woman in white sat cross-legged there, her hands and feet bound by Immortal Black Iron.
Her figure was exceptionally tall and slender, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall, her white robes whiter than snow, spotless and unstained.
She was beautiful beyond dreams, ethereal and otherworldly, with wisps of radiant light surging across her body.
Yet faint traces of black qi could be seen lurking within, impossible to purge, as though they had taken root inside her.
Seemingly sensing Gu Changge’s arrival, her eyes snapped open.
Within those lovely, beautiful eyes, a vast white mist suddenly surged forth—it was a cascade of terrifying runes, containing supreme divine brilliance, annihilating the void itself.
It was as if even the universe would tear apart and collapse because of it.
This was a horrifying technique, like an infinite Astral River exploding, intent on slaughtering its way to Gu Changge.
However, Gu Changge merely raised his hand.
From this place, crimson divine firmaments like beacon smoke suddenly erupted, piercing through heaven and earth, sweeping across like heavenly swords, extinguishing her strike.
“You’ve fallen to the demonic path.”
A strange glint flashed in Gu Changge’s eyes as he walked forward.
Yet the Sky Deer Goddess acted as though she hadn’t heard him at all.
Seeing that she still intended to attack, Gu Changge stretched a palm forward, which seemed to transform into a universe within his grasp. Boundless Chaos Energy spread out, capable of suppressing and refining all things.
The Sky Deer Goddess’s gaze was not lucid; she seemed to still be trapped in some kind of state.
She was merely acting on instinct, yet even so, she remained overwhelmingly powerful. Among those at the True Daoist level, she was enough to look down upon the world, with few able to match her.
The Sky Deer Goddess’s strength was evident from this alone.
The formations, runes, and even the Immortal Black Iron chains of this place could hardly truly suppress her.
And as Gu Changge moved to suppress the aura on her body...
Her entire body began to glow. Every inch of her skin seemed to emit a delicate fragrance, becoming lustrous like jade.
Her jade-like body, long and graceful, swayed there, laid out before him, her full head of hair scattered loose, her countenance seductive to the extreme.
The Sky Deer Goddess had fallen into some strange state; her consciousness was not clear.
Though her gaze rested on Gu Changge, it was as if she were looking at a stranger.
Her whole body radiated light, a crystalline fragrance wafting from her. This aura was deeply soul-captivating, even somewhat bewitching, like the natural scent of her body.
Ordinarily it would never reveal itself, but at this moment it was alluring beyond measure.
Even Gu Changge felt a strange aura invading his Knowledge Sea.
Amorous visions surfaced, enough to cause many cultivators with unsteady hearts to lose themselves.
However, his gaze showed little change. Instead, he carefully examined the Sky Deer Goddess several times over, and finally confirmed one fact.
Su Qingge possessed the Mysterious Nine Maiden Physique, that... extremely special Human Cauldron constitution.
And the Sky Deer Goddess before him clearly also possessed an extremely special constitution. As for exactly which kind, Gu Changge couldn’t yet determine.
But judging from the amorous visions just now, it was more or less on par with the Mysterious Nine Maiden Physique.
Moreover, because the Sky Deer Goddess’s cultivation was profound—being a True Daoist—
The strength of her constitution and the depth of its influence clearly far exceeded Su Qingge’s.
If this situation had occurred anywhere else, it would absolutely be a catastrophe sweeping across a million miles in every direction.
The terror of this kind of constitution lay in causing cultivators to be harmed by their own amorous desires.
Their heart-fire would blaze, their souls would turn to ash, and they would die in utter silence.
At this thought, a strange look entered Gu Changge’s eyes. He struck out once more, walking forward.
Rune after rune descended like a boundless downpour from the heavens, suppressing the Sky Deer Goddess’s aura.
She herself seemed to notice as well. The confusion and haze in her eyes gradually dispersed as she began suppressing it on her own.
Before long, the Sky Deer Goddess’s gaze regained its clarity. She looked at Gu Changge before her, then glanced at her own current posture, and gently tucked back the strands of hair before her forehead, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Yet such a gesture, performed by her in this state, carried an utterly bewitching charm.
“For what happened just now, thank you.”
She parted her red lips slightly, her hair smooth as silk, sleek and glossy, as she spoke to Gu Changge.
“No need for thanks. After all, it also gave me quite the feast for the eyes.”
Gu Changge smiled faintly, his expression still utterly unchanged.
The Sky Deer Goddess’s gaze fell upon his face. “Young Master Gu sat with a beauty in his lap yet remained unmoved, his heart firm as bedrock, an ancient well without ripples. I am filled with admiration.”
She knew how special her constitution was.
At a moment like that, even a genuine True Daoist would find it difficult to remain calm and composed.
Yet Gu Changge was merely at the first heaven of the Quasi-Nirvana Realm, and he could keep his face unchanged, utterly unmoved.
This had nothing to do with cultivation or strength—it was purely a matter of one’s temperament and state of mind.
She couldn’t help but suspect whether Gu Changge’s heart was made of stone, that he could remain so indifferent.
“No. I was merely worried it was a trap of yours.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge only shook his head slightly.
The Sky Deer Goddess’s expression stiffened imperceptibly for an instant. Then her delicate brows furrowed tightly. “Young Master Gu, is this how little you trust me?”
Her hands and feet were still bound by Immortal Black Iron; there was no possible way she could break free.
At a time like this, how could she possibly harm Gu Changge? Even at her peak, she was no match for him—let alone now.
“A cautious man sails his ship for ten thousand years.”
“If I were to capsize in your hands, who would ever know?”
Gu Changge still smiled and shook his head, the very picture of someone impervious to persuasion.
He also intended to use this opportunity to see whether he could extract information about the Aether Abyss from the Sky Deer Goddess, so naturally he had to sound her out now.
Moreover, Sky Deer City was one of the oldest cities in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
As its guardian, if the Sky Deer Goddess had no other tricks up her sleeve, he wouldn’t believe it.
Being cautious was no fault.
The Sky Deer Goddess sighed, then suddenly laughed. Upon that dreamlike, illusion-beautiful face bloomed a charm that made one’s heart tremble.
“Young Master Gu is so wary of me—which part of me do you distrust? My identity? Or my methods?”
“You’ve locked me up here. How am I supposed to prove to you that I’m worth trusting?”
She fired off three questions in succession, her eyes resting on Gu Changge’s face. A demonic quality emanated from her, utterly different from the holy transcendence she’d possessed at the start.
“The method is actually quite simple. First, tell me the correct route through the Aether Abyss.”
Gu Changge didn’t answer her questions. Instead, he smiled faintly and brought up the matter of the Aether Abyss.
However, the Sky Deer Goddess seemed to have anticipated this long ago. “Very well. But the route through the Aether Abyss is useless to merely tell you. I must personally lead you there for you to know it.”
Seemingly afraid Gu Changge would doubt her, she continued, “Because the Aether Abyss changes at nearly every moment. The route is not fixed. Each passage through it requires a Guide.”
“Unless your realm can find the correct route on its own, you will only be lost within it forever.”
“A Guide?”
Gu Changge’s brows furrowed. He glanced at her, weighing in his heart whether her words were true or false.
But those beautiful, moving eyes of hers simply stared back at him, without any other ripple of change. It was difficult to judge truth from falsehood by her expression.
In the past, when the Beyond invaded the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains and crossed the Aether Abyss, it had indeed taken an enormous amount of time to deduce the correct route.
But that route could only be traversed once; the second time, it would change.
As for the people of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains returning to Sky Deer City, they required special methods of guidance—extremely troublesome.
“If Young Master Gu doesn’t believe me, then there’s nothing I can do.”
The Sky Deer Goddess nodded gently. Her current temperament was completely different from before—there was a demonic quality to her, yet her consciousness was perfectly clear, not the least bit muddled. Her words were reasonable and well-founded, with no flaw to be found.
“So what you’re saying is, if I want to cross the Aether Abyss, I’ll have to rely on you?”
Gu Changge fixed his gaze on her once more. Divine light blazed within his eyes, and visions of reincarnation emerged. Heaven and earth seemed to grow hazy as an inexplicable aura descended.
His face became blurred, flowing with radiance, as though a river flowing through all the heavens in the unseen had manifested. Within it, rain of light fell in profusion, throwing even the Great Dao of heaven and earth into disorder.
“The embryonic form of the River of Time—you’ve actually touched upon this level?”
The Sky Deer Goddess’s brows furrowed, then she became quite composed, allowing Gu Changge to probe her.
She knew this was one of Gu Changge’s methods—mysterious and profound, touching upon the most abstruse of mysteries, capable of tracing the marks left between heaven and earth, which naturally included karma.
Based on these things, Gu Changge could easily determine whether her words were true or false.
For a time, the rules and order of this place, along with the many auras of heaven and earth, all grew blurred.
Numerous scenes surfaced before Gu Changge’s eyes. Strange threads, one after another, became clear, as though connecting to that mysterious river.
His brows knitted tighter and tighter, and all the brilliant splendor in his eyes vanished.
“I did not lie to you.”
The Sky Deer Goddess knew Gu Changge hadn’t detected anything. She reined in all her emotions, though a faint smile still lingered at the corners of her mouth, as if she had expected this all along.
“What you said just now was indeed no lie.”
Gu Changge’s brows relaxed. Then he swiftly struck out with a palm. Hazy sword light emerged, and with a kacha, the Restriction on the Immortal Black Iron was removed, loosening from her hands and feet.
Seeing Gu Changge so decisively undo her chains, the Sky Deer Goddess was momentarily stunned.
She clearly hadn’t expected Gu Changge to release her so quickly.
“You finally believe me?”
she asked.
“The Aether Abyss—it seems I really will need you to take me through it. But not now.”
Gu Changge shook his head, a strange look in his eyes, answering a question she hadn’t asked.