Gu Changge This, Gu Changge That — Is Something Green Growing on Your Head?
Gu Changge This, Gu Changge That — Is Something Green Growing on Your Head?
Weng!
Radiant light spread out, accompanied by violent spatial fluctuations. Soon, a passage appeared, and several figures emerged from within.
It was none other than Gu Changge and his party.
The expressions of the nearby cultivators all changed drastically.
Even those who didn’t recognize Gu Changge understood that someone who could travel with several Mighty-Transcendent realm attendants was not someone they could afford to provoke, and they quickly left the area.
Watching this scene, Gu Changge couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It was just as he had expected.
At a time like this, there were no foolish fools who didn’t know their place jumping out to provoke him.
Being mocked wherever he went — that was the standard treatment for a protagonist.
Inside the secret realm.
Mountains and rivers rose and fell, emerald lakes gleamed like jade, presenting an extremely vast and magnificent landscape.
Dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth permeated the air, almost as if it were about to liquefy.
For Gu Changge, who was accustomed to living in the Beyond, this level of spiritual energy was barely comparable to what lay outside the gates of the Gu Family’s mountain.
Nothing worth caring about.
Of course, for the cultivators of the Overworld, this place was like a paradise of fortune — cultivating here for one day could equal many days in the outside world.
This left them deeply shocked and envious.
“A secret realm like this is truly a stroke of fortune! No wonder so many people are scrambling to get in...”
“If it stayed open forever, cultivating here all the time wouldn’t be bad at all. What a pity it will close sooner or later.”
Behind Gu Changge, the group of Mighty-Transcendent realm attendants from the Lin Family couldn’t help but sigh with such emotion.
Of course, sighing was all they could do.
They had followed Young Master Gu in to work for him, so naturally they couldn’t wander around as they pleased.
If they could earn Young Master Gu’s favor here, their future opportunities would be no less than what this secret realm offered.
They were quite clear on this point.
“This matter is very important to the Young Master. If any of you mess up even the slightest detail, you needn’t bother going back,” Ming Lao said to these descendants, his expression stern.
He had also suppressed his cultivation to enter alongside Gu Changge — otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt at ease staying outside.
“Rest assured, Founding Ancestor. Even if we have to stake our lives here, we will help the Young Master obtain what he wants.”
Hearing the Founding Ancestor’s words, the Lin Family elders all voiced their assurances, nearly dropping to their knees to swear oaths.
Ming Lao nodded, finally satisfied.
“The secret realm has only been open for a few days. No matter how fast Ye Chen moves, he can at most have groped his way to the edge of the core region...”
“He must already have a map in hand. But that’s just fine — the name ’treasure-hunting rat’ isn’t for nothing. Let him scout the path for me first.”
Gu Changge paid no mind to the chatter of the people behind him.
He was pondering Ye Chen’s situation in his heart, an inscrutable look at the corner of his mouth.
Then, he sensed Ye Chen’s exact location in his mind.
Neither near nor far — just about ten thousand li from where he had landed.
Although Gu Changge couldn’t see Ye Chen’s every move, he could actually guess what Ye Chen was doing.
Though you look rather pathetic doing all this work for nothing, the way you search for opportunities on my behalf is truly dashing.
Gu Changge couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
“Let’s go.”
Then, he said to the group, transforming into a divine rainbow and heading toward the core region of the secret realm. Where they currently were was merely the edge.
...
Elsewhere, in an area shrouded in boundless mist.
Mountains rose and fell, ancient trees towered into the sky, and there were many ruins — numerous palaces had collapsed, with pillars scattered about, covered in fallen leaves.
Chi!
Blood splattered in all directions!
Ye Chen slashed his blade at a bizarre ferocious beast before him, splitting it in two, then gazed contentedly at a plant beside a cave.
The plant was dazzling all over, burning like flames, exuding a scorching aura.
“A Fiery Blossom, and thirty thousand years old at that. It can help me condense a strand of fire intent, making my fire-element Transcendent techniques even more powerful...”
Muttering to himself, Ye Chen plucked the plant.
He was quite satisfied.
On this trip into the secret realm, he had already obtained quite a few good things right after entering — all of which could greatly increase his cultivation.
This delighted him and gave him a few more cards to play against Gu Changge.
Of course, the main reason was that Ye Liuli had come to find him.
A few days ago, after Ye Liuli suffered a setback in Moonward Metropolis, he had found someone to deliver a message to her, telling her where he was so she wouldn’t worry.
Although many cultivators had learned that Ye Chen had offended Gu Changge and didn’t dare associate with him, avoiding him like the plague,
there were still quite a few cultivators willing to work for him — righteous-hearted people moved by Ye Chen’s personal charisma.
Just like the Garuda Holy Son before, upholding the righteous path and delivering messages for him.
So within a few days, Ye Liuli had found Ye Chen.
Ye Liuli had brought quite a few people with her, all divine servants of the Ancient Mystic Mountains, every one of them at the Mighty-Transcendent realm.
This put Ye Chen’s heart even more at ease.
Once Gu Changge entered the secret realm, with his thorough preparations, he would make sure Gu Changge died here.
This day next year would be the anniversary of Gu Changge’s death!
However, there was one thing that puzzled Ye Chen.
Ye Liuli’s attitude toward him was no longer as intimate as before. She no longer ran up to him, asking this and that.
She even kept a distance of three paces from him.
But Ye Chen didn’t think much of it. After all, Ye Liuli had grown up — she was no longer the little girl she used to be.
Besides, their statuses were different now; such changes were normal.
After storing the Fiery Blossom into his ring,
Ye Chen looked at the breathtakingly beautiful, otherworldly girl not far away — her lovely face fair and crystalline, dressed in purple — and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
She had grown up, and become even more beautiful.
Her temperament was ethereal, shrouded in a hazy radiance, like a goddess.
“Close those dog eyes of yours. Is the Young Miss someone the likes of you can covet?”
“A descendant of servants, and a toad lusting after swan meat at that?”
At that moment, a piercing, disdainful, angry voice reached Ye Chen’s ears, making his brow furrow and his expression darken.
His face turned ugly.
It was that damned woman again.
Every other word out of her mouth was “ant” this and “toad” that.
Although Ye Chen had been mocked plenty along his journey, he had slapped every one of those mockers in the face in the end.
But the one speaking now was Ye Liuli’s servant.
That made it hard to strike back, leaving him furious yet unable to vent.
The speaker was none other than Ye Liuli’s Xue Yi.
Although Ye Liuli had scolded her after they returned, she had cared for her devotedly for over a decade.
Ye Liuli couldn’t really blame her much — at most, she gave her a talking-to.
So when Ye Liuli came to find Ye Chen this time, Xue Yi naturally suppressed her cultivation and followed her into the secret realm.
She had no goodwill toward Ye Chen whatsoever.
He was someone with wandering hands.
When he was young, thanks to her constant vigilance by the Young Miss’s side, every time this brat tried to get handsy, she stopped him in time and never let him succeed.
Otherwise, who knew how much advantage this brat would have taken of the Young Miss.
She had even considered crippling this brat, but the Young Miss said no — otherwise, she wouldn’t even have anyone to talk to.
But lately, Xue Yi could barely hold back anymore.
For the sake of a mere Ye Chen, the Young Miss had made an enemy of the Gu Family’s Young Master.
That was an utterly stupid thing to do!
But now, in front of the Young Miss, with her cultivation suppressed to the Mighty-Transcendent realm, she couldn’t casually kill Ye Chen without the Young Miss noticing.
“Don’t look down on people. Everyone who once looked down on me has been trampled beneath my feet.”
Ye Chen frowned, his tone far from polite.
Xue Yi sneered. “You? A little ant who’s never even seen a True Dragon of the Nine Heavens, and you want people to think highly of you? Take a look in the mirror first. Someone like you — how could you ever compare to Young Master Gu?”
“Only someone like Young Master Gu is a match for the Young Miss. You don’t even qualify to be crushed to death by Young Master Gu’s casual flick.”
She was, of course, speaking from the heart.
Naturally, she had no idea that her words had just multiplied Ye Chen’s hatred for Gu Changge many times over.
“Shut your mouth...”
Hearing this, the veins on Ye Chen’s forehead bulged, his fists clenched tight.
He practically roared those words out.
No matter how much he could endure, he couldn’t take this anymore.
Saying the girl he liked was a match for his enemy? What was that supposed to mean?
Was something green growing on top of his head?
Gu Changge again!?
Gu Changge again!
Gu Changge this, Gu Changge that — Ye Chen’s eyes reddened slightly, his teeth gritted tight.
I will kill you!
“Ye Chen-gege, don’t listen to her.”
“Xue Yi, what nonsense are you spouting now?”
Hearing this, Ye Liuli also walked over, her delicate brows furrowed, somewhat displeased.
Although Ye Chen had changed quite a bit, in her eyes he was still the same Ye Chen-gege as before — this much change was still within her acceptance.
Xue Yi’s words, though, had gone too far.
“Young Miss, I’m only speaking the truth. If not for this fellow, Young Master Gu wouldn’t treat you this way. Between the two of you...”
Xue Yi explained, but before she could finish, Ye Liuli cut her off.
Her delicate brows knitted, displeasure surfacing on her face. “Xue Yi, don’t mention Gu Changge in front of me. I don’t want to hear that detestable name.”
“Liuli, did you and Gu Changge have a Marriage Agreement or something?”
At this point, the somewhat calmer Ye Chen suddenly thought of something.
He was a little nervous, a little uneasy.
Otherwise, why would Xue Yi deliberately bring up Gu Changge in front of him?
After all, both of them came from the Beyond, with terrifying backgrounds — such a possibility wasn’t out of the question.
Thinking of this, Ye Chen felt very uncomfortable.
“What are you imagining? How could I possibly have any marriage agreement with that detestable guy? Even if there were one, I’d have Father call it off...”
Ye Liuli was speechless as she explained, also somewhat exasperated. How could Ye Chen-gege’s thoughts run in that direction?
She hated Gu Changge to death — he was a villain who had humiliated her and brought her endless shame.
“Then why do you say he’s detestable? What exactly happened at the Lin Family that day?”
Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help asking.
Making someone as gentle-natured as Ye Liuli hate him was no easy feat.
But it also deepened his killing intent toward Gu Changge.
“Gu Changge comes from a very ancient Family of Immortals in the Beyond, and he’s that clan’s Young Master. His background is even above mine. Ye Chen-gege, if you’re going to deal with him, you have to be careful...”
“I can’t offer you any help.”
Ye Liuli said.
Hearing this, Ye Chen’s fists clenched even tighter, but he thought to himself:
This secret realm will be where Gu Changge meets his death!
Inside the ring, hearing these words, Yan Ji couldn’t help but grow interested.
She was somewhat curious about information regarding Gu Changge.
“So Young Master Gu is the Young Master of a Family of Immortals. No wonder...”
“Then he must have plenty of life-saving means. I don’t need to worry.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, though her heart was somewhat conflicted.
If Ye Chen and Gu Changge ended up fighting to the death, whom should she help?
“I hope that situation never comes. Otherwise, I can only stay out of both sides...”
Yan Ji sighed.
Back then, she had been in an extremely faint Remnant Soul state. How important was that Mind Convergence Pill to her?
Its value was simply immeasurable.
She would never forget this kindness.
There was also one thing she had never understood: why had Young Master Gu spared Ye Chen, who had already offended him at the time?
For now, she could only attribute it to Ye Chen’s incredible luck.
Or... did Young Master Gu wish to recruit her, and thus, for her sake, spared Ye Chen’s life?