I'm Going to Find Him — The Crisis of the Blue Flood Ancient World Group
I’m Going to Find Him — The Crisis of the Blue Flood Ancient World Group
(Seeking subscriptions)
Above the island, immortal qi curled and divine light shone brilliantly. Everywhere was filled with radiance and mist, dreamlike and illusory, as though it were a realm of immortals. Auspicious beasts cried out in harmony, birds soared and wheeled, verdant pines and ancient trees stood tall, and wondrous stones jutted at striking angles.
The ancient well-like spirit pool was clear and crystalline, wreathed in coiling qi, carrying a strange and ineffable rhythm, with Principles of Dao interweaving within it.
“Why... why would it be like this...”
Xianer murmured as if in a daze. Her little face had gone somewhat pale from sheer disbelief, and she stood frozen on the spot, as though struck by lightning.
The somewhat scruffy-feathered Big Red Bird glanced sideways at her, seemingly quite disdainful of her reaction.
“You silly girl, what exactly did you see in there? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
The voice coming from its beak was extremely childish. Then it waddled, step by swaying step, toward the spirit pool.
What exactly Xianer had seen within it, it actually didn’t know either—because it couldn’t see anything itself.
The origins of the Lake of Rebirth were extremely mysterious and profound. There was a saying that it was forged in a very ancient era by a supreme Mighty-Transcendent who was proficient in the Principles of Time and Reincarnation.
The Big Red Bird’s origins were far from simple. It knew many secrets and had some understanding of the various mysterious places of the Beyond.
That was why it had brought Xianer here to try their luck, to see if they could find anything good.
Xianer and it had accidentally triggered a trial formation left behind by this place’s former master, and had become trapped within the island.
If not for Xianer’s extraordinary talent and formidable strength, they likely wouldn’t have been able to break through these Restrictions and Array Patterns in a short time.
As for this Lake of Rebirth, it was only after the Big Red Bird had examined it for a long while that it finally recognized it.
At first, it hadn’t quite believed it either—how could a divine object like the Lake of Rebirth appear in a place like this?
One had to know that even beings who had fully transformed into immortals would have no secrets whatsoever before the Lake of Rebirth—their past lives and futures would be laid bare.
The current Gu Xianer was merely at the Sacred Realm of cultivation, so naturally she could not escape the mysterious power of this Lake of Rebirth, nor conceal herself from it.
“Why would it be like this... why would the future be like this...”
However, at this moment, Gu Xianer still seemed not to have recovered from her earlier state. She kept murmuring, unable to comprehend the scene she had witnessed.
“What exactly did you see, girl?”
The Big Red Bird came over and asked in great puzzlement.
Gu Xianer’s little face was pale, and her expression seemed somewhat pained.
She shook her head, then suddenly grabbed the Big Red Bird’s wing and said, “Quick, tell me—everything I saw was fake, none of it was real!”
The Big Red Bird looked thoroughly exasperated and said, “What exactly did you see in there? How could you react this strongly? This really is the Lake of Rebirth—it can reflect the future. Even if you don’t believe it, what you saw is indeed real.”
Hearing the Big Red Bird say this, Gu Xianer seemed to deflate all at once, slumping down in a daze.
On her pure, immortal-like little face, tears began to stream down—a sight that would tug at anyone’s heart.
“This isn’t real... How could Gu Changge become like that... He would never be like this...”
She murmured as if in a trance, her words trembling uncontrollably, as though she were in immense pain, a sobbing tone creeping into her voice.
“The future you saw—it’s related to that fellow Gu Changge?”
Hearing these words, the Big Red Bird’s eyes widened in shock.
It was well-informed and of mysterious origins, yet it had never encountered anyone like Gu Changge—so unfathomable, so immeasurably deep, impossible to deduce or speculate about.
That was why it had always wanted Gu Xianer to stay far away from Gu Changge, feeling that his motives were impure and his intentions sinister.
But Gu Xianer had never taken its words to heart, and instead cared about Gu Changge immensely, holding him in her heart.
“You... what exactly did you see in the Lake of Rebirth?”
The Big Red Bird’s expression grew grave as it asked again.
Gu Xianer shook her head and said no more. She sat on the ground for a good while before she seemed to recover, though her eyes remained red.
“I’m going to find him.”
She lifted her stunningly beautiful little face and gazed into the distance as she spoke. Her porcelain-like skin shimmered with a lustrous glow, streaked with tears not yet dry.
...
Gu Changge did not yet know that in a faraway land, Gu Xianer, having glimpsed a sliver of the future, had been deeply shaken and was now planning to come find him.
At present, he was following Qing’er toward the Battle Arena deep within the main city of Vermilion Bird Hall in the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
The sky had darkened, and the entire ancient city appeared majestic and ancient.
Among the various pavilions and palaces, lights blazed brilliantly, with dazzling lightning radiance permeating the air.
The taverns and wine houses lining both sides had hung up lanterns, their flames burning bright and casting a warm glow.
Apart from the cultivators and beings who resided here, the most numerous figures on the streets were the patrol guards responsible for inspections and maintaining the rules of this place.
They rode terrifying fierce beasts, running rampant without restraint, and all pedestrians had to yield to them.
“The Battle Arena—apart from those vicious men accumulating points, quite a few are sinners sent in by various orthodoxies and powers, here to atone for their crimes.”
Along the way, Qing’er—lightly made up, her figure slender, her features appearing even more exquisite and moving—led the way for Gu Changge while explaining to him.
“Around the Battle Arena, there are actually many dungeons. Imprisoned within them are sinners from ancient clans, supreme sects, primordial royal families, and even immortal orthodoxies. For various reasons, they must come here to earn the corresponding points and exchange them for certain things before they can be pardoned and allowed to leave. Of course, there’s also a saying that these people are Deathsworn of the orthodoxies behind them, which is why they’re specifically trained within the Battle Arena.”
“Here, these sinners slaughter each other for the entertainment and wagers of other cultivators. Or they catch the eye of a guest, get bought, have a Slave Mark planted in them, and spend the rest of their lives as slaves and servants. Of course, there are also guests who personally enter the arena to fight death row prisoners, tempering their life-and-death combat skills.”
Seeing Gu Changge nod, Qing’er smiled and continued her explanation.
They walked along the city’s main avenue. Though it was night, the surroundings were brightly lit, dazzlingly luminous.
Many of the patrol guards recognized Qing’er’s identity and were extremely shocked, never expecting that even she would personally accompany a young man.
Although Gu Changge had not used any secret technique to conceal his true appearance, at his current realm, unless he willed it, no one could clearly see his face.
The crowd could not make out Gu Changge’s features, but from Qing’er’s attitude, they could faintly guess at his identity. Their expressions grew all the more reverent, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
Gu Changge was quite satisfied with this. He actually didn’t want to be too high-profile—otherwise it would draw swarming crowds and easily alert his quarry.
However, since he had already appeared in the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds, the orthodoxies and powers behind him were probably watching his every move.
The Battle Arena was located in the deepest part of the main city. It was actually a small island where several grandmaster formation masters had spent tens of thousands of years of effort, nearly locking down the earth’s spiritual qi and the rules of heaven and earth.
However, along the way one had to cross a vast, boundless lake, which held many dangers.
It was said to have been built at enormous expense by the various powers behind the Battle Arena, with numerous extremely powerful Array Patterns inscribed within it.
The lake also housed many ferocious exotic beasts. Even a Sacred Realm cultivator forcing their way across would be severely injured.
The night grew deeper, and many figures hurried over from all directions.
Waves of divine light shot into the sky here, Array Patterns lit up, flickering with killing intent. A layer of mist rose over the lake, its shimmering waves like scattered silver.
Jade boats and wind vessels sped across, heading swiftly toward the small island at the lake’s center.
Many more cultivators were still on their way.
But without a certain level of cultivation, attempting to cross this emerald lake would likely result in being torn apart by the exotic beasts beneath the water.
Enormous black shadows swam in the depths, waiting for their chance to devour someone. So everyone was extremely cautious—if one carelessly fell into the water, no one would save them.
Among these cultivators, many actually came from the Overworld, here to broaden their horizons and see just how brutal the slaughter within the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds truly was.
The group from the Blue Flood Ancient World was currently here as well—including Lu Ming and Xue Yan of the Mysterious Rainbow Sect, as well as young seeds from other powers. Their expressions were all grave, and they were extremely careful.
They had all chosen to join Vermilion Bird Hall, unwilling to collide head-on with the ancient worlds they had already been hostile toward.
Compared to the other halls, Vermilion Bird Hall’s environment was indeed considerably more peaceful.
It was said this was because the master behind Vermilion Bird Hall was a woman, and compared to the other masters, her methods were far gentler.
“In a moment, all of you follow behind me. Once we enter the Battle Arena, just watch quietly. Remember—no matter what, do not get into conflicts with anyone. No matter what happens, you must endure it. Otherwise, if a life-and-death clash breaks out, I won’t be able to protect you.”
Lu Ming, Xue Yan, and the other young prodigies of the Blue Flood Ancient World were all following behind a scholarly-robed man, faintly regarding him as their leader.
The scholarly-robed man’s expression was extremely grave. All along the way, he had been repeatedly admonishing them, worried they would stir up trouble here.
He warned them again and again, being incomparably cautious.
Although his ancestors had ties to the Blue Flood Ancient World, and he had now accepted many benefits from the group in exchange for helping them here...
Within the vast Battlefield of Hundred Worlds, he was merely an insignificant nobody, hardly daring to offend anyone.
All he could do was serve as a guide.
Right now, his palms were covered in cold sweat. He felt that among these prodigies behind him, quite a few were thorny troublemakers who could easily cause problems.
What unsettled him most was that several of the young women among them were extremely beautiful.
In this Battlefield of Hundred Worlds, notorious for its chaos and slaughter, that could easily draw the covetous eyes of other powerful figures.