The World Rages in Fury — Even in Death, He Must Keep Carrying the Blame
The World Rages in Fury — Even in Death, He Must Keep Carrying the Blame
At this moment, it wasn’t just the Ji siblings who wanted to know what exactly had happened down in that underground cavern.
Everyone else was staring at Gu Changge with intensely curious and puzzled gazes, unable to resist speculating about the scene back then.
After all, at the time, everyone had been too busy fleeing for their lives — who could possibly know whether the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor had truly been trapped down in that cavern?
They had long since completely forgotten the original purpose of their expedition into Kun Mountain.
And most importantly, all the great sects and powers that had entered Kun Mountain had now suffered devastating losses — even several Great Sect Leaders had perished.
At a time like this, simply staying alive was a struggle. Who had the leisure to care about how the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor was faring?
Seeing everyone’s eyes fixed on him, Gu Changge wasn’t surprised in the slightest — he had long since prepared his story.
So he shook his head gently and said, “After entering the cavern back then, I pursued in the direction Jiang Chen had fled. But before I’d gone far, I was caught in a strange fog that swept in from who-knows-where.”
“I was trapped within it for several months. After finally breaking free, I did sense the sounds of battle in the distance, but I could feel that the aura involved was far beyond anything I could contend with, so I didn’t approach.”
“I suspect that was where Ji Shengchu qianbei was fighting the Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage.”
“In all these days since, I never encountered that Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage again. Perhaps he was sealed away once more within Kun Mountain by Ji Shengchu qianbei. It’s just a pity about everyone else...”
A look of regret and sorrow appeared on Gu Changge’s face, as though he truly lamented his failure to rescue Ji Shengchu.
The expressions of Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue both dimmed.
Although they had long anticipated this outcome, hearing Gu Changge say it still left their hearts heavy and stifled.
Their Founding Ancestor, Ji Shengchu, might still be trapped within Kun Mountain even now.
Or perhaps he had already perished together with that Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage.
And the culprit behind all of this was none other than Jiang Chen — the one Ji Chuyue had once trusted so completely.
That detestable Jiang Chen! So many experts had died because of him this time. From now on, there would be no place left for him anywhere in the Beyond.
After hearing these words, many people were utterly enraged, their righteous indignation surging.
Not only had Jiang Chen sealed off everyone’s escape route, he had also released the Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage sealed within the Mysterious Jade, causing countless cultivators of the great sects to die miserably at his hands — even True Daoists had not been spared.
For the monstrous crimes he had committed, even being torn to pieces, having his tendons pulled and bones stripped, would not be excessive punishment.
“Little sister, this isn’t your fault. That Jiang Chen hid himself far too deeply — even you were kept in the dark by him all along.”
“I told you long ago he was no good person. If you ever run into him again, you must be careful.”
Seeing the deep guilt on his sister’s face, Ji Yaoxing couldn’t help but sigh softly.
He guessed that Jiang Chen had likely already fled Kun Mountain and escaped far away.
With his methods, the Restrictions and Prohibition Arrays within Kun Mountain would hardly be enough to stop him.
“It was I who harmed the Elders and our clansmen...”
Ji Chuyue said dejectedly, secretly blaming herself.
She had always felt that Jiang Chen didn’t seem like a villain — everything about his conduct radiated a carefree, confident bearing, resolute and decisive.
But the facts proved that she hadn’t just been wrong — she had been catastrophically wrong.
Jiang Chen was the deeply hidden Successor of Demonic Arts, and the number of Young Prodigies who had died miserably at his hands was beyond counting.
Who could say that Jiang Chen’s purpose in approaching her hadn’t been to covet her physique’s Source?
One day, when she let her guard down, he would strike at her.
“Chuyue guniang need not blame herself. To be honest, before this, even I had no idea Jiang Chen was the Successor of Demonic Arts.”
“That you were deceived by him is entirely understandable. But from now on, Chuyue guniang will have to learn to be more discerning.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled gently and comforted her, “Jiang Chen exploited your kindness and deceived you for so long.”
Ji Chuyue hadn’t expected Gu Changge to actually comfort her, and she was momentarily stunned.
Then, recalling his actions back in the dungeon, her pretty face flushed slightly red.
In her impression, Gu Changge’s temperament had always been cold and domineering — he rarely ever comforted anyone like this.
This caused a strange emotion to stir in her heart. She nodded and softly murmured an “Mm.”
Over the following days, the group traveled together, making their way toward the outskirts of Kun Mountain.
Along the way, they encountered quite a few scattered cultivators and living beings, and from their words they learned what had happened during this period.
Everyone’s experiences were more or less similar, though this particular group had been rather unlucky — on their journey they had run into that True Daoist-level Water Dragon from before, and many had died miserably in its maw.
They themselves had only survived by sheer luck. Some had even personally witnessed the Sky Demon Sovereign being swallowed by that Water Dragon, his fate unknown.
This news left many people horrified.
The Sky Demon Sovereign — that was one of the foremost figures of the current younger generation, standing at the very peak of his peers, with limitless future achievements ahead of him.
And even he had met with disaster?
This silenced the group who had just narrowly escaped death, their hearts growing heavy. They could already foresee what enormous waves the events within Kun Mountain would stir once word spread.
First, on the way into Kun Mountain, the forces of the An Clan and the War Immortal Manor had met with calamity, dying tragically within.
Then the true identity of the Successor of Demonic Arts, Jiang Chen, was exposed — he had released a peerless fiend and trapped and killed numerous Great Sect Leaders and True Daoists.
And now, even the Sky Demon Sovereign had perished in the Water Dragon’s maw.
This news would absolutely shake the entire Beyond.
The An Clan, the War Immortal Manor, the Sky Demon Palace, and other such powers and sects would never let this rest.
Half a month later, the group finally left the territory of Kun Mountain and saw the light of day once more.
Cut off from the terrifying aura within, the sky outside was clear and cloudless for ten thousand miles, with divine rainbows occasionally streaking past, leaving everyone indescribably overjoyed and excited.
“Wonderful! We finally made it out! Kun Mountain — I never want to set foot in that place a second time!”
Someone was so excited they were incoherent, their voice trembling.
Ji Chuyue and Ji Yaoxing were also deeply moved, feeling as though an entire lifetime had passed.
If not for Gu Changge, who knew how much longer they would have remained trapped within Kun Mountain.
They might even have met the same fate as their Founding Ancestor — trapped inside for the rest of their lives, unable to escape.
“I just wonder whether Father and the Elders managed to escape...”
The two of them looked back toward Kun Mountain, still feeling lingering fear.
After that, everyone cupped their fists toward Gu Changge in thanks and farewell, expressing their gratitude for everything during this time, then transformed into divine rainbows and departed without delay, hurrying back to their respective powers to report what had happened within Kun Mountain.
“Young Master Changge’s great kindness — my sister and I will never forget it. If Young Master Changge ever has need of anything in the future, just say the word. Even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of flames, my sister and I will not refuse.”
Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue then composed themselves as well, took their leave, and headed back to their family.
After the affair of rescuing the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor, their Ji Family could be said to have suffered catastrophic losses — the few remaining Ancestors had all perished within Kun Mountain.
The whereabouts of the rest were unknown, their fates uncertain.
From now on, even if the Ji Family managed to rescue their Founding Ancestor, they would still decline to a second-rate or even third-rate power, never to regain their former glorious peak.
“Yaoxing xiong, Chuyue guniang, take care.”
Gu Changge wore a faint smile as he quietly watched them leave.
The main reason he had rescued everyone from Kun Mountain was precisely so that, through their mouths, word of what happened within Kun Mountain would spread.
Although Jiang Chen was already dead, Gu Changge still intended to create the illusion that the Successor of Demonic Arts was alive and had merely fled.
After returning to Kunwu City, Gu Changge first had Ah Da summon An Yan.
When he had gone into the underground palace to hunt down Jiang Chen, he had ordered Ah Da to take An Yan and leave Kun Mountain — after all, this chess piece was one he still intended to keep for controlling the An Clan.
With An Xi dead, the An Clan would henceforth fall into An Yan’s hands.
Those few drops of True Blood of the Hidden Celestial were still of some use to Gu Changge.
Beyond that, the An Clan’s strength in the Beyond was not insignificant. Bringing it under his control would cost Gu Changge very little.
“You should return to the Skyward Schloss. Since I said I would let bygones be bygones regarding what happened before, I won’t blame you any further.”
Then, sensing Xiao Ruoyin’s aura, Gu Changge’s brow furrowed slightly before relaxing, and he spoke indifferently toward the empty space behind him.
Ever since leaving Kun Mountain, Xiao Ruoyin had been following behind him, merely without revealing herself.
Possessing the Nihility Destiny Physique, if Xiao Ruoyin wholeheartedly concealed her aura, even a True Daoist would be unable to sense her.
She had followed behind with exactly that intention, hiding her aura well.
Yet she hadn’t expected Gu Changge to notice her presence anyway.
Hearing his words, Xiao Ruoyin’s figure materialized out of the void. She nodded, not saying much of anything.
As for the Skyward Schloss — after recovering the memories of her past life, there was actually no longer any need for her to remain there.
But since it was Gu Changge’s request, she certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Right now, she could take this opportunity to sort through her memories and make plans for what came next.
Soon after Xiao Ruoyin departed, Ah Da arrived with An Yan.
“Greetings, Young Master Changge.”
An Yan stood respectfully in attendance. After leaving Kun Mountain, she had remained in Kunwu City, awaiting Gu Changge’s return.
Having personally witnessed An Xi, the Young War Immortal, and the others being slain by Gu Changge, she had come to understand one thing.
In the Beyond of today, one must never, ever make an enemy of Gu Changge.
“Regarding the An Clan, I’m leaving everything to you. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Gu Changge glanced at her and said casually.
An Yan nodded, her face full of solemnity. “Please rest assured, Young Master Changge. I will certainly not fail to live up to your regard.”
After the events within Kun Mountain, the entire An Clan was shaken with fury and dispatched large numbers of people to investigate the matter.
The loss of an Ancestor and the Eldest Miss within Kun Mountain, along with the many experts who had accompanied them, was no small blow to the An Clan’s overall strength.
But this was precisely an opportunity for An Yan — she could take the chance to consolidate An Xi’s power and thereby seize control of the An Clan.
Her ambition was in no way smaller than her sister An Xi’s — she had merely spent all these years hiding her talents and biding her time, enduring hardships to nurse her vengeance.
In the days that followed, just as Gu Changge had predicted, news of the great sects and powers assaulting Kun Mountain and suffering devastating losses spread to every corner of the world — like a meteor crashing into the deep sea, setting off unimaginable towering waves.
The Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor had not been rescued; instead, a terrifying Daoist Sage sealed within the Mysterious Jade had been released — a bloodthirsty killer with murderous aura soaring to the heavens. Fortunately, that terrifying Daoist Sage seemed not to have left Kun Mountain in the end. Many speculated that he had been dealt with by the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor, and that the two might even have perished together.
All manner of speculation abounded, causing an enormous sensation.
After learning the full story of how the Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage had been released, practically every sect and power was enraged.
The identity of the chief culprit, Jiang Chen, was dug up once more — Successor of Demonic Arts, Successor of a Divine Source Master, the one who had trapped and killed the leaders of the great sects...
Every single one of these deeds was enough to provoke the wrath of both men and gods, making people wish they could slice him into a thousand pieces.
The various sects and powers immediately dispatched people to search everywhere for any trace of Jiang Chen.
In every ancient city, sky-high bounty notices for Jiang Chen could be seen posted.
There were even righteous warriors who spontaneously banded together, vowing to crusade against Jiang Chen.
Many people felt that he hadn’t died in Kun Mountain, but had instead escaped amid the chaos and was now hiding who-knows-where.
Later on, many details of Jiang Chen’s origins were also unearthed.
As a result, many people were shocked to discover that his experiences from more than twenty years ago seemed to have vanished into thin air.
No one knew where Jiang Chen had been born, where he came from, or what masters or sects stood behind him — there was no trace of any of it.
It was as if there had been no record of him at all for over twenty years — a blank sheet of paper.
Such a bizarre matter sparked heated discussion, leaving the cultivators of every ancient city speculating that there must be some great figure backing Jiang Chen.
He had simply hidden himself far too deeply.
All of this was within Gu Changge’s expectations — after all, even in death, Jiang Chen had to keep carrying the blame.
And during this period, purging the calamity of the Absolute Yin Heaven and crusading against the Successor of Demonic Arts became the top priorities of all the great sects and powers.
The once-turbulent Kun Mountain gradually fell deathly silent, returning to its status as a Forbidden Area, with no living beings daring to trespass any longer.
Gu Changge didn’t stay in Kunwu City for long. After instructing An Yan to handle the An Clan’s affairs, he returned to his family.
It could be said that this expedition to rescue the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor had yielded him a bountiful harvest.
Setting aside things like fame and reputation, merely devouring the Sources of the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor and the Feathered-Robe Daoist Sage was enough to keep him digesting for a long while.
Beyond that, the drop of True Blood of the Hidden Celestial contained many of the law fragments and insights of that Hidden Celestial of the An Clan. After devouring it, Gu Changge found that it helped him stabilize the foundation of his recent breakthrough to the True Daoist realm.
He had not announced to the outside world that he had broken through to the True Daoist realm — for Gu Changge, there was no need.
The Beyond had long been wary of him. If word suddenly spread that he had broken through, the resulting sensation would likely be no smaller than the Kun Mountain affair.
So Gu Changge decided to wait a while longer.
Atop the mountain peak, the mountain breeze blew gently, clouds and mist drifting ethereally — like an immortal realm fallen into the mortal world.
Looking out as far as the eye could see, the sea of clouds churned endlessly, and heaven and earth seemed a vast expanse of gray, with only a few mountain peaks revealing their outlines.
“You’ve achieved the Dao?”
The cool, calm voice seemed to carry little emotional fluctuation — or perhaps it had always been this way.
On a slab of bluestone, Gu Qingyi sat with her legs folded to the side, her clear, luminous eyes watching the direction from which Gu Changge approached as she asked softly.
She was still dressed in her plain cyan robes, her figure graceful and slender, her snow-white neck long and elegant, dark hair cascading over her shoulders, willow-leaf brows like dark ink, a delicate jade nose — exuding a flawlessness and beauty that the Creator could hardly put into words.
“Just lucky, that’s all. Though it seems you saw right through me anyway.”
Gu Changge chuckled, walked over, and plopped himself down on the very slab of bluestone she was sitting on.
Gu Qingyi shifted over slightly and shook her head gently. “The word ’luck’ doesn’t suit you.”
“Qingyi, you really think highly of me. Though even now, I still can’t see through your cultivation realm.”
“This time, I happened to come across something. Perhaps you’ll recognize it.”
Gu Changge smiled nonchalantly, and as he spoke, an object suddenly appeared in his hand.
A palm-sized boat, crystalline and ancient, with a dense aura of vicissitude emanating from it.
It seemed capable of voyaging along some mysterious river.
“The Celestial Boat of Creation?”
Gu Qingyi’s gaze fell upon his hand, and something seemed to shift in her eyes — though she quickly returned to calm.
She didn’t ask how Gu Changge had obtained it.
Because she already had her suspicions in her heart.
“It seems you really do recognize it.”
Gu Changge smiled, then put away the Celestial Boat of Creation.
“This time in the mortal world, I also brought you some nice things. I think you’ll like them.”
With that, he waved his hand casually, and light flashed.
The bluestone before them was suddenly covered with all sorts of little trinkets from the mortal world — rouge, sachets, hairpins, jade pendants, wooden combs... all things that women loved.
Watching him like this, Gu Qingyi’s expression suddenly grew somewhat dazed. Then she picked up one of the sachets embroidered with mandarin ducks.
“I remember you gave me something similar once before.”
“Back then, you told me these were mandarin ducks, not wild ducks.”
As she spoke, a faint curve rose at the corner of her lips, as though she had remembered something — and then it quickly returned to normal.