The Existence of the World's Will — No Effort Required at All
The Existence of the World’s Will — No Effort Required at All
Inside the great hall, everyone’s attention turned toward him. Princess Xuan Die and Ah Qing were also somewhat surprised as they looked at Gu Changge, not expecting him to suddenly say such a thing.
Princess Xuan Die, in particular, was secretly pondering, carefully savoring the words Gu Changge had just spoken.
Not all forces and orthodoxies favored invasion and conquest; some pursued longevity and lasting vision, remaining aloof from worldly strife.
Was he talking about the force behind him? Was that why he bore no malice toward the Profound Sword World?
And what did he mean by those words?
The Cultivators of the Profound Sword World had made things out to be far too complicated and terrifying — the Otherworldly Sky Demons were merely a group of ordinary Cultivators?
The several Elders of Sword Cliff also fell into deep thought, feeling that there was more to Gu Changge’s words, as if he were hinting at a way for them to break the deadlock.
“May I ask Gongzi to enlighten us?”
At once, the Southern Light Emperor’s expression turned extremely solemn, and he bowed deeply and respectfully toward Gu Changge.
The other Sword Cliff Elders likewise grew unprecedentedly serious, pricking up their ears for fear of missing a single word.
Gu Changge was not surprised by everyone’s reaction. He merely smiled faintly and said, “During this time you’ve spent resisting the so-called Otherworldly Sky Demons, haven’t you noticed something?”
“What is it that Gongzi is referring to?”
The Southern Light Emperor was slightly taken aback, and the other Sword Cliff Elders were also completely baffled. They exchanged glances, each seeing confusion in the others’ eyes.
To them, these Otherworldly Sky Demons possessed terrifying strength and endless tricks up their sleeves.
Not only did they have fearsome secret treasures and artifacts, they also had all kinds of powerful and ferocious mounts.
Their numbers were practically inexhaustible — after fending off one wave, the next would soon descend, even more powerful than before.
That was why they had fallen into despair, unable to find any solution at all.
Ah Qing, however, seemed to be deep in thought. Back in the Beyond, Gu Changge had mentioned to her that karma cycles and retribution never misses.
Could it be that the invasion of the Otherworldly Sky Demons would lead to some consequence — and that consequence was the turning point for the Profound Sword World?
“Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life; in all things, a sliver of hope is always left behind. Although the Otherworldly Sky Demons are numerous, no true powerhouses have descended, because they are wary of this world’s Will.”
“I wonder — have the powerhouses of your world noticed this point?” Gu Changge said with a faint smile.
“This world’s Will?”
The Southern Light Emperor and the others were all shaken, their eyes revealing traces of shock.
In truth, at their level, they had more or less come into contact with beings of the Earth Sword Immortal level.
So they had heard a little about matters concerning the World’s Will from such beings, though they didn’t understand it well.
They had all been wondering why a terrifying aura, seemingly capable of splitting the universe apart, had emerged from the Outer Territory, yet in the end had never descended upon the Profound Sword World.
So this was the reason!
“Then does Gu Gongzi mean that... the World’s Will of our world is the key to resisting the Otherworldly Sky Demons?”
Princess Xuan Die’s bright eyes flickered as she couldn’t help but ask.
The Southern Light Emperor and the others also looked thoughtful. Could this be what Gu Changge intended to point out? What was his purpose in saying this?
“You could put it that way. Regarding this matter, you can also ask the powerhouses of your world — they should have had some contact with it,” Gu Changge said, a strange glint in his eyes.
“The World’s Will...” The young girl Ah Qing furrowed her brows, suddenly recalling what her father had once mentioned to her.
The Profound Sword World did indeed harbor an unfathomable, mysterious power that protected the living beings and Cultivators of this world.
Although her father had never explained exactly what kind of power it was, judging from the current situation, it should be the World’s Will that Gu Changge spoke of.
“Thank you for the reminder, Gu Gongzi. We will definitely report this matter truthfully to the Cliff Master,” the several Sword Cliff Elders said with solemn expressions.
“Your Cliff Master should know more about this than you do. However, from what I understand, although the world has a Will, it will not manifest easily — unless things truly reach a certain point, or unless you can find something through which the World’s Will can manifest.”
Gu Changge smiled faintly, deliberately revealing this secret to them.
Ancient worlds that possessed a World Source would generally give birth to a portion of Will.
However, a World’s Will as distinct as that of the Profound Sword World was extremely rare.
There were only two possibilities: first, the World Source was enormously vast.
Second, the World’s Will had been born an extremely long time ago, traceable back to a distant era.
So he could borrow the hands of these people to locate the World Source, thereby saving himself some time.
Furthermore, if the Cultivators of the Profound Sword World awakened the World’s Will, the various orthodoxies and forces that had descended upon this world would inevitably end up in a great war against it.
And Gu Changge could take the opportunity to play the fisherman and reap the profits.
The several Sword Cliff Elders wore extremely grave expressions. Not daring to linger, they soon transformed into divine rainbows and departed, intending to return to Sword Cliff to report this matter.
The Southern Light Emperor also dared not delay. He issued orders to dispatch even more armies to resist the Otherworldly Sky Demons. Because of Gu Changge’s words, hope rose once again in his heart.
This battle was not entirely without a chance — after all, they still had their final trump card: the World’s Will.
“We should inform the other Thirteen States of this matter. Only by uniting together can we persevere until the day the World’s Will manifests,” Princess Xuan Die also said, a glimmer of hope surfacing in her beautiful eyes.
“So this is the sliver of hope that Benefactor mentioned before?” Ah Qing finally came to her realization at this moment.
Following this event, the Southern Light Empire rebuilt its conviction. The Emperor personally issued orders, gathering armies from all regions to reinforce the various sects and factions resisting the Otherworldly Sky Demons at the borderlands.
In an instant, vast and mighty armies surged out from every city, riding flying vessels and divine swords, heading off to slaughter the Otherworldly Sky Demons.
A tragic great battle that swept across all of Southbarren State erupted at the ruins of Southbarren City.
The various forces and orthodoxies that had descended from the Beyond were astonished to discover that the beings of the Profound Sword World, who had previously been in despair, now fought them with reckless abandon, as if injected with chicken blood.
It was a kind of tragic courage — fighting with one’s back to the wall, seeking life in the face of death.
“I heard from that Sacred Emperor Realm expert of the Silver Wing Clan that when he breached Southbarren City and was about to capture that princess, he encountered Gu Changge and was frightened away by him.”
“Gu Changge couldn’t have come to this world for no reason. He definitely has some goal. But what exactly is his goal? And why does he have that young girl by his side?”
The Eldest Princess of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty, Yu Feiya, was leading numerous young prodigies, resting within an ancient city in Southbarren State.
Her delicate brows were tightly knit, her heart full of puzzlement.
Back in the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty, she hadn’t thought carefully about this matter. But after hearing that the Silver Wing Clan’s Sacred Emperor Realm expert had been scared off by Gu Changge, she suddenly understood.
Gu Changge definitely had some plan or purpose — it was just that no one knew what it was.
After all, for them, this Profound Sword World wasn’t particularly hard to chew; at most, it would just take some time.
The ancient city before her had already been captured by them, and everywhere were armies that had descended from the Beyond.
Even though the Cultivators of the Profound Sword World resisted desperately, they still collapsed quickly in the end.
They couldn’t hold out for long — the gap between the two sides was plain to see. With armies continuously descending from the Outer Territory, the complete fall of Southbarren State was only a matter of time.
“That guy Tuo Ba Xiaoyao — ever since coming to this world, he’s also disappeared without a trace.”
Yu Feiya’s younger brother, Yu Ming, spoke from the side, full of displeasure.
He had never had any goodwill toward Tuo Ba Xiaoyao to begin with, and now, in the midst of the war against the Profound Sword World, that guy had actually vanished without a trace.
This made a surge of anger rise in his heart.
“He probably has important matters to attend to,” Yu Feiya said, shaking her head gently, unable to help but speculate.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao was now in disguise. He had left Southbarren State and was heading straight for the territory where the Shu Sect was located, intending to reach the Shu Sect’s Sword Pavilion before the appointed time and find the method to break the deadlock.
In his previous life, he had been a core disciple of the Shu Sect. Now, with his disguise, sneaking in would be all the easier.
Moreover, he was incomparably familiar with the Profound Sword World, knowing the environment and terrain of every region. Even if he encountered danger, he could find a way to resolve it.
So the journey had been perilous but ultimately safe. Tuo Ba Xiaoyao had also learned that a full five hundred years had passed since, in his previous life, he had watched the Founder undergo tribulation and perish.
In other words, there were probably few of his old acquaintances left in the Shu Sect.
This left him with considerable regret. Although he had undergone reincarnation and changed bodies, his original soul was still that of a Shu Sect disciple.
“Now that the Profound Sword World is facing this great calamity, perhaps there’s something I can do in all of this.”
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao gazed into the vast territory in the distance. At the thought that once the flames of war spread here, this place would become a scene of utter devastation, his heart filled with unbearable sorrow.
For a moment, he felt the responsibility on his shoulders grow heavier — it concerned not only the fate of his family in this life, but also the survival of his homeland from his previous life.
“Reporting to the Cliff Master — these are the exact words that Gu Gongzi spoke at the time.”
At Sword Cliff’s location, atop a windswept, bitterly cold peak, two figures stood.
One wore a Daoist robe with hair tied up in a bun, looking extremely aged, yet his eyes were exceptionally clear and spirited, like a divine sword tempered over countless years.
The figure beside him was exceedingly graceful, dressed in simple, plain clothes, wearing a moon-white mask. Her skin was crystalline, surpassing snow in its fairness and translucence, revealing only a pair of clear, cold eyes. Her dark hair danced in the wind, like thousands of strands of Sword Qi interweaving through the void.
It was none other than the Cliff Master of Sword Cliff — the one known to the world as the Snow Sword Immortal, the most beautiful woman of Southbarren State.
The old man was an Old Sword Immortal of the Shu Sect, whose strength was extraordinary and unfathomable.
“The World’s Will...”
Listening to the Sword Cliff Elder’s report, the Snow Sword Immortal’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she pondered those four words.
“It seems that world already understands us quite well — they even know that our world has given birth to a Will. This is not a good omen.” The Old Sword Immortal shook his head gently, stroking his beard. “That Gongzi surnamed Gu most likely harbors no good intentions.”
“However, there is reason in what he said. Judging from the signs at the Ancient Altar, the World’s Will is indeed our last hope,” the Snow Sword Immortal said, contemplation showing in the eyes beneath her mask.
“You actually believe a fellow like that?” The Old Sword Immortal frowned.
The Snow Sword Immortal shook her head. “I merely think there’s a certain logic to his words. Moreover, I captured one of the Otherworldly Sky Demons and searched his soul. I learned that in their world, that Gongzi surnamed Gu has a background so immense it’s beyond imagination.”
“To put it bluntly — if he wished it, destroying our world would require no effort from him at all.”