You Might as Well Take a Bold Guess, the Fish That Slipped Through the Net

Xiao Yang, Lin Wu, and the Luo Feng before him—the three of them were connected by countless intertwined threads of karma.

The Family of Protectors, the Four Powerful War God Clans, and this Luo Feng of unknown identity before him—the greatest connection between them was the separation of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains from the Beyond countless years ago.

For Gu Changge, this was quite convenient for rounding up all three in one fell swoop.

Once he finished dealing with the Family of Protectors, he would set about handling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Four Powerful War God Clans and locating the Tree of Epoch.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

“You’re courting death. How dare you threaten me?”

Just as everyone in the great hall was utterly shocked by Luo Feng’s words, Yan Ming’s face twisted with fury, and he struck directly.

A surging aura swept forth like raging waves of a furious sea, threatening to drown Luo Feng entirely.

In his view, Luo Feng must have gone mad, still not having snapped out of his earlier state.

He actually dared to threaten him, and didn’t even hold Gu Changge in the slightest regard.

Did he not know how the word “death” was written?

Boom!!

This was Yan Ming’s wrathful strike, containing unimaginable divine might.

In a mere instant, the entire great hall began to shake. Numerous runes interwove, and the four walls that had already cracked earlier now collapsed and exploded apart.

All the guests’ expressions changed as they hastily retreated in every direction.

Although Luo Ying’s shifu had been furious earlier, she had not spread her aura elsewhere and had not destroyed this place.

Now that Yan Ming struck, he naturally had no such scruples, not caring in the slightest about the lives of the many guests present.

This left them both shocked and enraged, and even more so, terrified.

“Stop!!”

The Luo Clan Head was still reeling from the contents of what Luo Feng had said after regaining his senses.

He had never expected Yan Ming to strike so abruptly, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Once he reacted, his figure flashed, appearing before Luo Feng to block and neutralize Yan Ming’s strike.

“Father, there’s no need for you to stop him.”

However, Luo Feng grabbed hold of the Luo Clan Head and shook his head.

The expression on his face showed no change whatsoever; instead, he was remarkably calm, as if completely unworried.

This left everyone even more astonished and doubtful. Luo Feng wasn’t worried at all?

Had he gone stupid, or where did this confidence come from?

The next moment, before everyone’s stunned eyes, with a hum, a faint golden light emerged at Luo Feng’s brow—what appeared to be an ancient mark.

A mysterious and profound aura interwove around it.

But the moment it appeared, it radiated a soul-stealing, terrifying pressure that made one’s blood run cold, making people want to prostrate themselves before him.

Such a method shocked everyone.

In an instant, everyone in the hall was frozen in place, hardly able to believe their own eyes.

“This... this can’t be...”

Watching this scene, Luo Ying’s mouth fell wide open in utter shock, unable to even form complete words.

As a direct-line clanswoman of the Family of Protectors, she naturally knew many secrets, and naturally understood what this mark represented.

At this moment, her mind roared, and she could hardly believe her own eyes.

Boom!!

And at the very instant this golden mark manifested in the void, Yan Ming’s attack descended.

Faintly, everyone saw visions of gods and demons roaring and immortals chanting scriptures within it. The void itself grew blurred, and then an incomparable force erupted from this place.

It was as if stars were exploding before everyone’s eyes. Runes shot skyward, and the blinding radiance made it impossible to open one’s eyes.

Many people even burst into tears, hastily turning their heads away, not daring to look directly.

One could imagine just how terrifying that fluctuation had been.

But what shocked and disbelieved them all even more was—what exactly was this golden mark, and how could Luo Feng activate it to block Yan Ming’s strike?

Pfft...

Then a muffled grunt sounded from the scene, and Yan Ming, who had struck first, spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a tattered sack.

This sight shocked everyone. One had to know, Luo Feng had never cultivated before!

“This...”

“What in the world is this...”

The members of the Luo Clan stood with mouths agape, voices trembling, unable to form complete sentences.

Everything they had witnessed today had shaken them far too deeply.

No one had imagined that Luo Feng, who had been a fool for over twenty years, would suddenly regain his senses, and even activate such a strange mark, directly grievously wounding Yan Ming.

Once they came to their senses, even more clansmen grew terrified, filled with dread and worry.

After all, Luo Feng had now injured the Young Master of Crimson South City before everyone’s eyes. After today, would the Swallow Clan let them off?

In all of vast Crimson South City, would there be any place left for their clan to exist?

At the thought of this, they almost wished Luo Feng had never recovered.

“Just who is Luo Feng? What is his relationship with the Founding Ancestor?”

“Why has the mark from that embroidered handkerchief the Founding Ancestor treasured so dearly appeared on Luo Feng?”

On the other side, unlike the worried and uneasy Luo clansmen.

Luo Ying was utterly shaken at this moment, her gaze fixed on Luo Feng, her breathing growing rapid.

At this moment, the threat posed by Gu Changge and the others before her had become insignificant in her eyes.

This mark alone was enough to prove that Luo Feng’s identity was anything but simple.

“Showing me disrespect—consider this a small punishment!”

Luo Feng paid no heed to everyone’s shocked, disbelieving expressions.

His demeanor was now quite indifferent, tinged with a hint of coldness. He glanced at Yan Ming in the distance, who was being helped up by several members of the Swallow Clan, and spoke flatly.

And as his words fell, the mark at his brow gradually dimmed and vanished.

It was as if everything everyone had just witnessed had been nothing but an illusion.

“Feng’er, this... this is...”

The Luo Clan Head looked at Luo Feng in utter astonishment, his mind in chaos, still unable to process everything.

“These matters—once I’ve dealt with this trouble, your son will naturally explain them to you, Father.”

Luo Feng gently shook his head, not saying much more. His gaze remained primarily fixed on Gu Changge.

He felt he had already revealed his origins. If Gu Changge had any sense, he would retreat in the face of difficulty—otherwise, the one who would regret it would absolutely be Gu Changge!

In an instant, the great hall fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared in shock at Luo Feng, standing there at ease with an air of distinction, their minds in complete disarray.

“Gongzi...”

Yan Ming had never expected Luo Feng to possess such means either, and had suffered a great loss.

He now came before Gu Changge, filled with guilt.

He had no idea what kind of method that was, that it could actually block his full-powered strike.

“So it’s that thing. I should have thought of it long ago.”

However, at this moment, Gu Changge had no mind to listen to Yan Ming.

His gaze fell upon Luo Feng, as if murmuring to himself, his words carrying a trace of regret, and even an emotion he himself couldn’t quite describe.

Gu Changge had still been guessing at Luo Feng’s true identity, believing he was inextricably linked to the ancestors of the Four Powerful War God Clans.

But upon seeing this mark today, he realized—wasn’t this the legendary ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Symbol of Epoch?

This kind of mark could be said to share a wondrous similarity with the Symbol of Reincarnation.

But the origins of the Symbol of Reincarnation were even more mysterious, while the only way to obtain a Symbol of Epoch was to cultivate and comprehend through the Tree of Epoch.

He was now almost certain that the one who had stolen the Beyond’s Fortuity, and even stolen the Tree of Epoch, was none other than the Luo Feng before him.

As for why Luo Feng had fallen to his current state, there were far too many possible reasons, and Gu Changge had no interest in knowing.

For him, knowing that Luo Feng was the one who had stolen the Beyond’s Fortuity was enough.

Truly, what one seeks high and low in vain comes without effort.

“You recognize this mark?”

The indifferent expression on Luo Feng’s face faltered slightly, and he couldn’t help but ask flatly, feeling that things seemed to be exceeding his expectations.

Gu Changge’s expression, in his view, showed little change, and he hadn’t grown wary because of this mark.

On the contrary, that gaze was very much like one fixed upon some prey of great interest.

This made him extremely uncomfortable.

As one of the former four Ancestors of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire of the Immortal Palace, not only was his cultivation world-shaking, but his audacity was boundless—he had dared to steal the Beyond’s Tree of Epoch when the laws of heaven and earth shattered, and had then waged the Heavenly Dao Authority War.

At his peak, who would dare look at him with such eyes?

“Naturally I recognize it. After all, this is a rarely seen Symbol of Epoch.”

Hearing the question, Gu Changge’s face carried a smile of keen interest as he spoke.

“What...”

Hearing these words, Luo Feng was first stunned, then his pupils couldn’t help but shrink slightly.

His mind roared, and he nearly cried out, taking a step back.

He had never imagined that Gu Changge would not only recognize this mark, but name it outright.

This set off monstrous waves in his heart. He couldn’t believe it—things were now developing in a direction he dared not predict.

Something like the Symbol of Epoch was known only to a very small number of people, and those who could recognize it at a glance were even fewer.

The vast majority of people in this world had never even heard of such a thing.

This scene left everyone in the hall baffled. What Symbol of Epoch? They had no idea, and had never heard of it.

That was simply not something they could come into contact with.

Rather, judging from Luo Feng’s reaction, the Symbol of Epoch seemed to be something extremely formidable.

“Just who is he?”

Luo Ying had also calmed down by now. She could tell that Luo Feng’s identity was anything but simple.

At the very least, he was a figure from the same era as their Founding Ancestor.

But Gu Changge’s identity remained a mystery to her.

Powerful and mysterious, making one unable to suppress their trembling and dread.

“Just who are you?”

Then, Luo Feng forced himself to calm down, his gaze locked tightly on Gu Changge, trying to detect the slightest change in his expression.

“Who am I? Well then, you might as well take a bold guess.”

Gu Changge merely smiled faintly. That expression, in the eyes of Luo Ying and the others, was like a cat toying with a mouse—casual and dismissive.

However, now that things had come to this point, he naturally had no intention of wasting more words on Luo Feng.

“Seize him. Take him away.”

Then, Gu Changge instructed the Bone Ancestor behind him.

Now that he knew Luo Feng’s identity and understood he was merely an empty shell of his former self, Gu Changge certainly would not let him go.

There was no need to drag this matter out any further.

“Yes, Gongzi.”

At this moment, the Bone Ancestor, who had stood silently behind Gu Changge all along, nodded and stepped forward, his gaze deep and placid.

Hum!!

But in this instant, everyone in the great hall felt as if they couldn’t breathe. Their faces turned pale, their souls trembled, and their spines seemed about to bend beneath the presence of the grey-robed elder before them.

This entire stretch of heaven and earth seemed unable to bear the aura of this unremarkable-looking grey-robed elder, suppressed into dead stillness.

Only now did they realize that the tall, burly figure who had struck earlier was actually the weakest in cultivation among the group.

This grey-robed elder’s cultivation was absolutely, boundlessly powerful.

This left them horrified to the extreme. Just what kind of terrifying existences had they come into contact with today?

“What do you mean by this?”

Luo Feng’s expression also changed drastically at this moment. He had still been guessing at Gu Changge’s identity, never expecting Gu Changge to suddenly order someone to strike and seize him.

Boom!!

The mark at his brow emerged once more, dazzling light interweaving, within which ancient ages and epochs seemed to surface, transforming into fine fragments to block the terrifying pressure bearing down on him.

But the next moment, the color drained from Luo Feng’s face, turning even to horror and disbelief.

With a wave of the Bone Ancestor’s sleeve, that terrifying pressure seemed to vanish into thin air, dispersing with ease.

There was even an indescribable suppression enveloping this space—all rules and order seemed to freeze, unable to shift in the slightest.

Even the Symbol of Epoch was subjected to terrifying suppression at this moment, rapidly dimming and fading.

“How is this possible...” Luo Feng’s entire skeleton crackled, blood mist seeping from his pores.

His eyes were wide, fixed on the Bone Ancestor before him.

He had not sensed wrongly—this power was already approaching the Immortal Realm. In the current Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, this was absolutely an invincible existence, without the slightest rival.

How could such an existence appear in a small place like the Luo Clan of Crimson South City, and show such reverence toward a young man like Gu Changge?

He simply couldn’t comprehend it, couldn’t believe it. His eyes were wide with horror.

“Pfft...”

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his whole body toppling backward, every pore seeping blood, his entire body dyed red.

This horrifying and dreadful scene left everyone in the hall trembling uncontrollably.

“How is this possible...”

Luo Ying’s lips quivered as well, her face faintly pale. She had never imagined that even Luo Feng would be helpless against ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this.

She had just breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking today’s matter could probably be resolved by Luo Feng.

Then, the Bone Ancestor struck—a colossal hand descended from the sky, terrifying beyond measure, and naturally, without any mishap, seized Luo Feng in one grasp.

All the Luo clansmen watching this scene felt their bodies about to be torn apart by that vast and terrifying aura. Let alone stepping forward to stop it, they didn’t even dare raise their heads, their souls on the verge of collapse.

“You are definitely not of this world...”

Luo Feng, gripped in the Bone Ancestor’s hand, his face pale, coughing blood incessantly, bones crackling, in a wretched state to the extreme.

At this moment he finally realized, staring at Gu Changge, unable to help speaking coldly, his voice unable to mask his pain.

Apart from this possibility, he could think of no other.

In all the vast Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, there was absolutely no young man as terrifying as Gu Changge. Now, with Sky Deer City fallen and the Beyond’s army driving straight in, slaughtering their way into the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.

In this way, it reasonably explained Gu Changge’s origins.

And once Luo Feng spoke these words, everyone in the entire hall, including Luo Ying, couldn’t help but have their expressions change drastically, even more shaken and terrified than before.

In their eyes, the might of the Beyond was simply not something the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains could compare to.

Moreover, the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains stood in opposition to the Beyond. If Gu Changge wanted to kill them all, they couldn’t even resist.

The entire Crimson South City could be reduced to ash in an instant, turned into scorched earth.

Yan Ming’s expression also shifted slightly. In truth, he had already guessed at Gu Changge’s origins earlier, but had pretended not to know.

Now that Luo Feng had spoken it aloud before everyone, it could be said to have directly pushed Gu Changge into opposition with everyone present.

“I do indeed come from the Beyond. Perhaps you’ve all heard my name. My surname is Gu.”

Seeing this scene, the expression on Gu Changge’s face still carried a faint smile, without much change, and he didn’t seem to mind.

“Surname Gu... could it be the one who killed the Young Master of the Great Cloud Domain...”

“The leader of the Beyond...”

“You... why have you come here...”

Hearing these words, the minds of everyone in the hall roared once more.

Many whose faces were already bloodless were now filled with even greater dread, trembling uncontrollably, utterly despairing.

“My reason for coming here is naturally to find her.”

Hearing this, Gu Changge merely smiled faintly, then looked with keen interest at the equally pale-faced Luo Ying.

“Looking for me...”

Luo Ying had yet to recover from her earlier shock. Hearing Gu Changge’s words now, she jerked her head up, a terrifying chill sweeping up her spine.

“The fish that slipped through the net of that clan over twenty years ago—tell me, if I don’t come looking for you, who would I look for? Though I truly didn’t expect to stumble upon another pleasant surprise.”

Gu Changge shook his head lightly, a faint smile on his face. And as his words fell, Ni Shang’s figure behind him abruptly vanished into the void.

Immediately after, terrifying fluctuations spread out, and from the shadows came a succession of muffled pfft-pfft sounds, blood mist billowing out, its stench overpowering.

Many people watching this scene were so frightened their eyes rolled back, and unable to bear it, they fainted on the spot.

“Over twenty years ago...”

“So it was you...”

Luo Ying’s face instantly turned completely bloodless. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, as if her greatest secret had been laid bare before the public.

Her face carried dread, along with anger and hatred she couldn’t conceal. She should have realized long ago that Gu Changge had come for her, that he already knew her identity.

Moreover, the agents she had planted in the shadows had, in this very instant, all been finished off by that coldly beautiful black-dressed woman—not one remaining.

Even that old servant of the Sacred King Realm had perished in an instant, without even the chance to scream.

This left Luo Ying in despair, and she collapsed directly onto the ground.

Everyone in the entire hall now wore expressions as if facing the end of the world, despairing to the utmost.

The Luo Clan had never imagined that Luo Ying was hiding another identity, and had concealed it from everyone, laying her plans for all these years.

“Over twenty years ago...”

“Could it be that incident...”

Only Yan Ming knew much about it, immediately thinking of a great event that had shaken the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains over twenty years ago.

His body trembled slightly. He had never imagined that the near-annihilation of the Family of Protectors was also so deeply connected to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gu Changge.

And that Luo Ying was hiding such an identity.