Finding the World's Will Requires the Seven Tools to Become One
Finding the World’s Will Requires the Seven Tools to Become One
The terrifying pressure that had blanketed the sky finally dissipated, but a rift stretching thousands of miles still remained.
Boundless Grey Fog surged out from it, accompanied by Chaos Energy, billowing up to the heavens and blotting out all eight directions.
The scene was one of utter desolation, the surroundings reduced to ruin. The once-flourishing grounds of the Shu Sect had been turned to ash and dust.
The place had exploded into complete chaos. Screams echoed everywhere, flames spread, and withered bones and bloodstains lay scattered about.
The aftershocks from the clash between Gu Changge and the World’s Will had been horrifying. Even Earth Sword Immortals could only flee with their heads in their hands, let alone everyone else.
The Shu Sect’s protective Grand Array had collapsed and exploded in the very first instant, dissolving into smoke and ash that scattered between heaven and earth.
Countless Shu Sect disciples had burst apart like weeds beneath the divine might of that single aftershock, reduced to bloody mist, body and soul annihilated.
It was a scene that could only be called a tragedy of the mortal world.
The many Earth Sword Immortals who arrived afterward watched all of this in silence, speechless for a long time. The Shu Sect, which had stood immortal in the Profound Sword World for hundreds of thousands of years, had suddenly become ruins today, erased from the world.
Many of the surviving Shu Sect elders and disciples gazed upon it all with grief-stricken faces. Many wailed toward the heavens, unable to bear the tremendous blow.
The Shu Sect Master, the Abundance Sword Immortal, had a pale face as well, his fists clenched tight, his body trembling.
“Everything has vanished into smoke... nothing remains...”
He murmured, endless sorrow showing in his eyes.
The Snow Sword Immortal and the others stood in the distance, silent.
The fluctuations just now had been far too terrifying. Whether it was Gu Changge or the manifested World’s Will, neither was a force they could possibly withstand.
That they had managed to survive at all was already a heaven-sent stroke of luck.
“So this is the hope we placed our faith in? Then why would it try to kill us as well?”
Princess Xuan Die said, still shaken.
In their eyes, the World’s Will was the final hope sheltering the Profound Sword World.
Yet just moments ago, those blood-red eyes had been incomparably cold and merciless. The instant its gaze swept past, all living beings had vanished into nothing, reduced to ash.
This shook many of the beliefs in their hearts, and it all felt far too dreamlike and inconceivable.
Soon, more divine rainbows rushed to this place—all of them the supreme experts of the various powers of the Profound Sword World.
Gazing upon the scene here, they were shaken beyond words, their hearts unable to settle for a long time.
Especially when they looked at Gu Changge, who seemed to be pondering something over there—their hearts trembled with dread.
Such a terrifying manifestation of the World’s Will had still been no match for this young man in the end. If he wanted to destroy the Profound Sword World, it would likely be an effortless task.
Countless people looked at Gu Changge with fear and unease in their eyes.
“From this day forward, I’m afraid no one in the Profound Sword World will dare question Gu-gongzi ever again.”
The Snow Sword Immortal came back to her senses and sighed softly in her heart.
Fortunately, Gu Changge bore them no malice. Otherwise, for everyone here, this would have been the most terrifying catastrophe imaginable.
“It seems he was carried away by the World’s Will and escaped.”
At that moment, Gu Changge, who had been pondering for a long while, finally came back to himself. He gazed at the broken rift in the sky, looking somewhat thoughtful.
Although the Sword of World Domination was already in his hands, he was a man who liked to pull up weeds by the roots.
Although Tuo Ba Xiaoyao posed no threat to him, Gu Changge still had no intention of simply letting him escape.
“Follow this rift, find where he is, and kill him.”
Gu Changge spoke casually, ordering Ah Da to go hunt down Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
“Yes, Master.”
Ah Da received the order and did not linger. His figure turned into a streak of black light, and with a single step he shot straight toward the rift, quickly disappearing into it.
The many cultivators in the surroundings watched this scene, their hearts trembling, not daring to say a word.
“Gu-gongzi...”
The Shu Sect Master, the Abundance Sword Immortal, and the others walked over, their faces showing grief. Although the Shu Sect’s destruction into ruins was connected to Gu Changge, they did not dare blame him.
“Today’s events were my oversight. That the Shu Sect became ruins was not my wish either.” Gu Changge’s gaze shifted slightly, and then he spoke with a tone of some regret.
The Abundance Sword Immortal smiled bitterly. “We understand. If that man hadn’t suddenly attacked, such a calamity would never have been drawn down upon us.”
At these words, the rest of the Shu Sect members showed expressions of hatred, feeling boundless loathing toward the escaped Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
That the Shu Sect had become ruins could, in the end, all be traced back to Tuo Ba Xiaoyao. Nearly every elder and disciple wished they could tear out his tendons, rip out his bones, and hack his corpse into ten thousand pieces.
“That man may have escaped, but as long as he remains within my Shu Sect’s territory, I will definitely catch him.”
The Abundance Sword Immortal’s gaze was ice-cold, a terrifying sword intent surfacing in his eyes, as if it could split mountains and shatter stone.
“Why would the World’s Will attack the living beings of our world?”
Doubt rose in the hearts of the Snow Sword Immortal and the others, and they couldn’t help stepping forward to ask.
“Your world’s Will seems to have developed some problem. It differs considerably from the World’s Will as I understand it.” Gu Changge shook his head lightly, his expression carrying a trace of something inscrutable.
Seeing that everyone still looked puzzled, he couldn’t help but chuckle and continued, “If you want to find out what that problem is, it seems you’ll have to first find the place where it slumbers.”
“The place where it slumbers?” The Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, and the others were all greatly astonished.
This was the first time they had ever heard that the World’s Will had a place of slumber. Could it be that the Will of Heaven and Earth that had awakened just now was not the true World’s Will?
“We beg Gu-gongzi to enlighten us,” the Abundance Sword Immortal said with a solemn expression.
Gu Changge chuckled softly. “As for where the World’s Will slumbers, I don’t know either. I’ve only come across occasional mentions of it in ancient records. Besides, my purpose in coming to this world has actually been fulfilled. It’s time for me to return to the Beyond.”
“What? Gu-gongzi, you’re leaving?”
Hearing this, not only were the Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, Ah Qing, and the others shocked—even the many Earth Sword Immortals who had rushed over wore looks of disbelief, wondering if they had misheard.
Gu Changge truly harbored no designs on the Profound Sword World? He was leaving just like that?
“Could it be that Gu-gongzi came to this world for that sword?”
The Snow Sword Immortal recalled that cyan immortal sword imbued with immortal dao intent from earlier, and understanding dawned on her.
If explained that way, it did make sense. It was just that hearing Gu Changge suddenly announce his departure caught her off guard.
Even the Abundance Sword Immortal was extremely surprised.
If Gu Changge left just like that, it actually wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Profound Sword World.
After all, his strength was utterly terrifying—calling him invincible would be no exaggeration. If he remained in this world, who knew what other accidents might occur.
That said, judging from the current situation, Gu Changge bore no malice toward the Profound Sword World. He was not like the other Otherworldly Sky Demons, who would invade and slaughter on a massive scale.
“Gongzi, you’re returning to the Beyond?”
Comparatively speaking, Ah Qing, who had followed Gu Changge for quite some time, couldn’t help but ask, a feeling of reluctance welling up in her heart.
In truth, she should have anticipated this day long ago, but she hadn’t expected it to come so quickly.
Gu Changge’s arrival in this world had much to do with her. If not for escorting her home, he likely would never have set foot here.
From beginning to end, she had never doubted Gu Changge’s intentions.
“There’s no real meaning in me staying in this world any longer,” Gu Changge said, shaking his head lightly, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.
Ah Qing’s expression dimmed somewhat. “Alright then. Gongzi, you belong to the heavens above after all. You would have left this place sooner or later.”
In truth, she very much wanted to beg Gu Changge to stay and help them resolve this calamity.
But she also knew full well that Gu Changge had no obligation to help the Profound Sword World.
Princess Xuan Die and the others wanted to say something upon seeing this, but the words reached their lips and they didn’t know how to begin. Instead, it was the Snow Sword Immortal who, after a moment of silence, suddenly turned her gaze from behind her mask toward him and said,
“Gu-gongzi, could you offer us some guidance? We are willing to pay any price.”
She was certain that what Gu Changge had said about the World’s Will’s place of slumber concealed something—he simply didn’t wish to tell them.
“A price?” Gu Changge chuckled lightly, his expression showing a trace of indifference.
The Abundance Sword Immortal and the others also looked over, their gazes full of expectation.
In their view, Gu Changge definitely knew something. After all, even that blood-red eye manifested by the World’s Will had been torn apart by his bare hands.
What in this Profound Sword World could possibly be worth his attention?
Toward Gu Changge’s words, they basically held no doubt at all.
“Forget it. No price is necessary. For Ah Qing’s sake, I’ll give you one more piece of advice. The only way to break this deadlock lies with the World’s Will itself. You must find the place where it slumbers as quickly as possible,” Gu Changge said with a soft sigh, seemingly somewhat helpless.
“So we really do have to find where it is?”
The many Earth Sword Immortals had already guessed as much in their hearts, and hearing it now still sent a shock through them. Many of them did not hesitate, immediately taking out Jade Talismans to pass the orders down.
Although the Thirteen States of the Profound Sword World were boundlessly vast, as long as enough people were sent out, some clues would eventually be found.
“Thank you for your guidance, Gu-gongzi.” The Snow Sword Immortal and the others’ expressions turned solemn, and they too did not hesitate, swiftly passing down their orders.
Gu Changge nodded lightly, then gazed somewhat thoughtfully at the rift in the sky beyond.
Although he had fooled the people of the Profound Sword World into searching for the World’s Will’s location, there would likely be no results in the short term.
After all, having been wounded by him, the World’s Will was unlikely to manifest at a time like this.
In the days that followed, the entire Profound Sword World was thrown into commotion. Many powers abandoned their plans to fight the Otherworldly Sky Demons and began scouring ruins everywhere—especially the various perilous Forbidden Areas—attempting to find that final sliver of hope.
During this time, Gu Changge also ordered his men to send the Seven Tools of World Domination in his possession back to the Beyond, delivering them to Yue Mingkong.
Merging the Seven Tools into one still required a process, and he couldn’t gather all the necessary materials in a short time, so he could only ask Yue Mingkong to help with it.
As it happened, once the refinement was complete, the key to the Immortal Palace Treasury could also be kept in her care. Once the matters of the Profound Sword World were resolved, Gu Changge could then go open the Immortal Palace Treasury.