Gu Changge's Long-Planned Scheme, the Tools Right Before His Eyes
Gu Changge’s Long-Planned Scheme, the Tools Right Before His Eyes
The environment here was extremely dark and gloomy, the world shrouded in haze, just like the legendary Neraka.
Great stars hung suspended in the firmament, each one wreathed in thick grey mist, vast and heavy, enough to crush everything.
Swathes of Neraka assassins lay dormant among the mountain ranges, their auras astonishing, surging killing intent spreading outward.
“Gu Changge has no grievance or enmity with us, yet he moves against our Neraka. Then we shall naturally show him some of our colors!”
“All disciples of Neraka, heed my command! In this battle, we fight Gu Changge to the death!”
The Third Palace Lord was clad in Dark Iron Battle Armor, a Heavenly Dagger in hand, riding a black nether flood dragon of True Daoist level as he emerged from the depths of the palace complex.
By his side followed Meng Po.
Neraka had Ten Palaces in total; this place was merely the small world where the Third Palace resided, and it was not located within the Beyond.
Now, having received the news, the Third Palace Lord intended to lead the Neraka disciples of this place to intercept Gu Changge’s army.
The various Palaces of Neraka did not communicate with one another; only when facing a major crisis would they all mobilize together.
“What a pity the First Palace Lord’s cultivation is insufficient. Otherwise, if we laid down the Immortal Fiend Grand Array, we could absolutely force Gu Changge to submit,” Meng Po sighed.
She too was a True Daoist, though her cultivation fell short of the Ten Palace Lords.
But over all these years, no small number of peerless experts had died miserably at her hands; even the leaders of some supreme great sects had once been assassinated by her.
To this day, those skulls were still displayed within her bedchambers.
“Kill!”
“Uphold Neraka’s might!”
As the Third Palace Lord’s command fell, sky-piercing killing intent rose from the mountain ranges and islands everywhere, piercing through the heavens.
Ancient battleships stained with blood appeared, spanning the heavens and earth, blotting out the sky.
Ferocious beasts let out heaven-shaking roars, emerging from the distance like a flood, their eyes scarlet red, carrying boundless killing intent.
Countless Neraka assassins appeared—some rushing over through spatial portals, others awakening from their secluded cultivation.
Their numbers exceeded ten million... no, several billion, endless and without limit.
Among them were quite a few existences serving as hidden trump cards, brought aboard the ancient battleships.
The ocean-like fluctuations of divine sense made everyone’s hearts palpitate.
This was an unimaginably terrifying force, enough to sweep away any great sect.
And this was merely one of Neraka’s Ten Palaces.
Similar scenes were playing out in the various small worlds of Neraka. The other Palaces of Neraka had world-shaking armies assembling, intending to strike down all enemies.
Of course, in the shadows, some of Neraka’s higher-ups frowned and made other decisions.
Many of Neraka’s foundational treasures and inheritances were quietly sent away by them, worried that this battle would end with others taking a share of the spoils.
Many cultivators and living beings felt that this time Neraka could not escape even if it grew wings. Even if it avoided annihilation, it would likely suffer devastating losses, unable to recover its former peak.
Many of Neraka’s higher-ups hated Gu Changge to the bone, completely unable to comprehend his reasons for doing this.
After all, before this, they and Gu Changge had been in a state of staying out of each other’s way.
Yet Gu Changge had suddenly sent people to purge Neraka’s many practice grounds and training facilities in the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
This move was utterly unexpected, swift and ruthless, catching everyone off guard.
By the time Neraka’s various Palace Lords came to their senses, their informants and contact points in the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds had already been completely uprooted.
From this, one could see that Gu Changge had been plotting this for a long time; it was not a spur-of-the-moment action.
Boom!!
A vast and mighty army assembled from across the heavens of the Beyond, passing through large-scale Transportation Arrays to arrive outside the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
Upon these ancient battleships stood countless cultivator armies, holding all manner of weapons and riding ferocious beasts.
They were waiting for a single command to charge into the various ancient worlds below and carry out a judgment-like slaughter against Neraka.
Besides the Canglan World, the other worlds also hid traces of Neraka.
Aboard the ancient battleship, Gu Changge listened to his subordinates’ reports, somewhat lost in thought.
He did not intend to act personally. He wanted the forces and Dao lineages that had come at his back to clash with Neraka first.
When the timing was about right, he would reap the benefits as the fisherman.
Therefore, he had generously shared all the information he had about Neraka with the various Dao lineages and forces.
Of course, with the power Gu Changge currently held, sweeping away Neraka would be more than easy.
But he did not wish to incur excessive losses.
With tools right before his eyes, wouldn’t not using them make him a fool?
“Young Master Changge.”
“While we besiege Neraka, there’s also news from Pagoda’s side. It seems they’ve been frightened.”
A ripple spread through the void.
Bai Lian’er, the mysterious master behind the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion, appeared aboard the ancient battleship and spoke to Gu Changge.
A rare trace of a smile showed on her face; clearly, a weight had been lifted from her heart.
Once Neraka and Pagoda were dealt with, the entire dark world of the Beyond would thereafter follow the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion’s lead.
“Oh, Pagoda has shown itself too?”
Gu Changge was somewhat surprised, though upon reflection, it was not unexpected.
After all, the various forces and Dao lineages of the Beyond were now converging for the siege, and Neraka was in imminent peril.
Pagoda’s foundations were even inferior to Neraka’s, so it would naturally feel uneasy.
“I’ve already sent people to investigate their traces. It shouldn’t take more than a few days to find where Pagoda is located,” Bai Lian’er replied, full of confidence.
This was because she had enlisted the help of her junior brother Bai Hua. Through the faint clues, he had deduced the world where Pagoda was most likely hiding and obtained a rough area.
Gu Changge nodded and said nothing more.
In the current Beyond, aside from the Dark Heaven and the Epoch Dao Fruit, only the troubles of Neraka and Pagoda remained unresolved.
But he believed none of this would take much longer.
Moreover, the signs of the Epoch Dao Fruit’s ripening had grown increasingly obvious these days. There were even traces of worldly law intent seeping out through his Inner Universe.
The heavenly laws of the entire Beyond were undergoing clear and tremendous changes.
Those ancient existences with profound cultivation, standing at the pinnacle of the Beyond, likely felt it most keenly.
After dealing with Neraka and Pagoda, Gu Changge would begin laying out his plans concerning the Epoch Dao Fruit.
Things proceeded without mishap. In the half month that followed, a world-shaking war erupted across the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
Neraka armies that had descended through Transportation Arrays clashed here with the various clans and Dao lineages.
The vast fluctuations of battle shook heaven and earth, raging in all directions, as if the firmament itself had been punched through.
Great stars shattered into ash one after another. Chaos Energy surged skyward, spreading toward the Eight Wastelands of the universe.
Endless blood and corpses piled up—a scene of utter devastation.
Just as Gu Changge had predicted, Neraka split its forces into two routes. Some appeared outside the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds to intercept the various forces and Dao lineages here.
Others seemed to be escorting something and did not participate in this battle at all.
“It seems Neraka also knows this battle has only one outcome. They’re already thinking of retreat routes, trying to preserve their embers.”
Gu Changge did not show himself, much less take action. He merely observed everything from a living ancient star.
With a raise of his palm, he smashed a distant Neraka ancient battleship into countless fragments, but found no trace of any True Daoist within.
In this great war, the strongest experts Neraka had dispatched were merely at the Quasi-Emperor level. The true True Daoists were all clever, choosing to hide within their worlds of refuge—to say nothing of Neraka’s Ten Palace Lords.
“Neraka’s Ten Palace Lords are said to know a combined assault formation called the Immortal Fiend.”
“That would make fine material for refining puppets.”
Gu Changge smiled, waiting until the various Dao lineages and Neraka had fought each other nearly to exhaustion before he would act. “You haven’t disappointed me.”
The army crusading against Neraka was vast and mighty, practically endless.
Experts of various clans and Dao lineages piloted ancient battleships, charging in from the ends of the firmament.
The sounds of slaughter shook heaven and earth, causing many star domains to tremble.
As the battle progressed, even experts at the Sacred Emperor Realm and Quasi-Emperor level could no longer stay uninvolved and were forced to join the fray.
This was an extremely terrifying chaotic war. The domains involved could only be described as boundless.
Even Sacred Realm cultivators could hardly preserve their lives in this great war.
Ordinary cultivators fell in swathes like weeds, batch after batch toppling down.
At the edge of heaven and earth, Sacred Emperors clashed, Sacred Emperor artifacts suspended above their heads, draping down billions of resplendent rays of light.
The aftershocks they unleashed could be called world-destroying.
To ordinary cultivators, existences of the Sacred Emperor Realm were no different from gods—with a raise of their palms they could annihilate domains tens of millions of miles wide and shatter countless stars beyond the realm.
The fluctuations of Quasi-Emperor level clashes were even more terrifying. Their dharma bodies were magnificent and towering, a full hundred million feet tall, standing erect among the nebulae.
Around them, gates of light stood one after another, permeated with world-shaking spatial fluctuations, connecting to various universes.
From within the gates of light, flood-like armies surged forth, like terrifying black giant pythons rampaging through the universe.
Such a great war was exceedingly rare; practically every force and Dao lineage participated.
Even the Immortal War that erupted between the Family of Immortals and Purple Mansion last time had not been this brutal and terrifying.
This war practically swept across the entire Beyond.
Neraka’s traces spread through countless corners of the Beyond, sprawling like a spider’s web.
Though the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds was its center, the scope of domains involved was immeasurably vast.
No one could guarantee that Neraka would be completely uprooted.
“As long as Neraka exists for one more day, we cannot rest in peace for one more day. Today we shall annihilate Neraka!”
“Give me back my grandson’s life!”
Amid the great war, an old man roared, his entire body glowing, his blood qi pushed to the extreme.
Toward this assassin organization, he could be said to harbor hatred to the bone.
His most beloved and promising grandson had died at Neraka’s hands back then.
Even now, he did not know who had paid a great price to hire Neraka’s assassins to murder his grandson.
Cultivators with such deep enmity toward Neraka were actually not few in number; their hatred for Neraka was endless.
Besides some Cults of Immortality and Supreme Dao Lineages, the descendants of some powerful rogue cultivators had also once been assassinated by Neraka.
“The timing is about right. Even with its foundations holding the fort, Neraka cannot escape its doom this time.”
Gu Changge gazed at the tragic scene here, his expression barely changing.
His figure stepped forward and vanished, directly tearing through this universe, heading toward the world where Neraka’s headquarters was hidden.
The Canglan World was one of the countless lower worlds surrounding the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
In terms of ranking, it didn’t even make the top hundred.
Yet it was precisely this ancient world that hid Neraka’s greatest secret.
A Space Altar manifested, as if summoned from primordial times, traversing the cosmic passage, tearing through chaos and nothingness.
Within this cosmic passage, a vast and mighty army was likewise descending, intent on slaughtering its way into the Canglan World.
It was a world-shaking scene. The cries of slaughter shook the firmament, as if the various ancient worlds were all converging.
The world gates of the hidden worlds were found, then smashed apart by several mysterious True Daoists, causing Neraka’s various Palaces to have nowhere left to hide, forced to expose themselves beneath the heavens.
From the shattered world gates, countless Neraka assassins charged out.
Ordinarily they dwelled in the dark world, but from the moment the great war erupted, they had nowhere to hide and could only fight the experts of the various clans.
“Neraka’s Fortuity has declined. Today it shall surely perish. Do you still refuse to accept death?”
Above the firmament, a Quasi-Emperor existence spoke.
A golden great bell hung above his head. A wisp of bell-pattern spread out like ripples, sweeping across—every Neraka expert it touched coughed up blood and burst apart, body and soul annihilated.
Opposite him was a Quasi-Emperor existence of Neraka, shrouded in darkness.
Only a blood-dripping divine sword could be seen, as if cleaving open the world—with one strike came endless blood and Chaos Energy, submerging everything.
“Even if Neraka faces destruction today, all of you will pay a grievous price.”
“Moreover, the fire of Neraka shall never be extinguished. Wherever there is darkness, there shall be Neraka’s inheritance.”
Neraka’s Quasi-Emperor expert laughed coldly and sinisterly, casting life and death aside, utterly unconcerned.
“Obstinate and unenlightened. Facing the crusade of all the forces of the Beyond, do you still think you have a way to survive?”
Facing Neraka’s Quasi-Emperor existence, even as a peer of the same realm, this man’s expression was grave, not daring to be careless.
Soon, the two clashed once more, the radiance surging in all directions, crushing down upon all living beings around them.
Besides the great battles erupting between Quasi-Emperors, the fighting elsewhere was equally brutal.
Aside from True Daoists, cultivators of practically every realm were locked in slaughter.
The thick stench of blood permeated the air. The entire firmament seemed dyed crimson, suffused with heart-palpitating bloody light.
Living beings were plunged into misery.
“What a pity. It’s of little use to me.”
Gu Changge appeared at this place. Looking at the scene before him, he gently shook his head.
If his cultivation had not yet reached the True Daoist realm, he could have used the Grand Flask to refine the broken Source of this place and turn it to his own use.
Unfortunately, his current cultivation was already approaching the late stage of the Nirvana Dao.
Even the Source of an ordinary True Daoist was of little use to him now.
Gu Changge strode past, his figure seemingly fading into nothingness as he passed through this battlefield.
Everyone fighting around him seemed unable to see him at all.
Even Quasi-Emperor existences could not sense the slightest trace of Gu Changge’s aura, even when Gu Changge paused beside them for a moment.
“It’s here.”
Gu Changge paused briefly, but did not linger. He reached out his hand toward the space below.
Boundless, vast divine power erupted at this moment, as if cleaving open chaos. The world ahead split apart at once, and even this universe was torn in two.
It was an utterly horrifying sight. Even the battling Quasi-Emperor existences felt their courage turn cold, their hearts palpitating, their whole bodies trembling.
Within another deep and vast expanse of space, palaces stretched in clusters, black mist roiling.
Figure after figure of towering, fiendish aura stood erect, like unchanging devil mountains of ages past.
But at this moment, they all felt a chill run through their bodies, unable to resist looking up toward the firmament above, as if a gaze was slowly descending from there.
“He still found his way here.”
The tall figure seated in the center of the great hall spoke calmly, then slowly rose, a black Heavenly Dagger in hand. His towering aura boiled, as if it could slice through eternity and pierce through the ages.
All the figures prostrated themselves in unison, their gazes filled with killing intent and resolve.
Neraka had Ten Palaces, but the one universally acknowledged as the strongest was the Fourth Palace.
The Fourth Palace Lord was named Yan Luo. No one knew how long he had existed, nor did anyone know what stage his cultivation had reached.
They only knew that he had existed since before Neraka was even called Neraka.
Even the Lord of Hell was exceedingly courteous when summoning the Fourth Palace Lord.
“The most inconceivable person of these myriad ages—today, I shall see him for myself.”
The Fourth Palace Lord’s figure was tall and imposing. Holding his Heavenly Dagger, he stepped out of the great hall and gazed toward the firmament, his heroic face bearing a thirst for battle.
He knew Gu Changge had definitely found this place. Otherwise, there would not have been such a terrifying, astonishing aura descending just now—one that even made him feel danger.
One must know, his cultivation had already reached the step of Remnant Immortal. Over these countless years, though he had no way to advance another step, it was enough to sweep aside the strongest experts of the various Dao lineages and forces of the Beyond.
“We are willing to stand with the Fourth Palace Lord, to resist the foreign foe together and slaughter all enemies!”
The moment the Fourth Palace Lord Yan Luo rose, mountain-roaring, sea-surging voices sounded behind him.
Many of Neraka’s higher-ups shouted, killing intent surging, casting all caution aside.
The Fourth Palace Lord Yan Luo roared in fury. Heavenly Dagger in hand, he charged toward the edge of the firmament in a single step.
He had already sensed that Gu Changge was tearing apart this world, about to descend upon this place.
However, a sword light was even faster than the Fourth Palace Lord Yan Luo—like the first ray of dawn before the creation of heaven and earth, crystalline and brilliant.
The beam of light was incomparably dazzling. Sword Qi spread out like an ocean, shaking the starry skies of myriad ages.
This entire world was collapsing and disintegrating, unable to withstand the power of this sword light.
All of Neraka’s higher-ups felt their gall bladders split with terror. They themselves seemed to have become ants, their lives and deaths beyond their control.
“A Remnant Immortal, as expected.”
“You truly haven’t disappointed me.”
Following right behind this sword light, Gu Changge appeared here, having torn through the barrier of this world.
His gaze fixed on the Fourth Palace Lord Yan Luo with keen interest.
Yan Luo’s gaze grew heavy, an ominous feeling arising in him—like prey being stared down.
Meanwhile, at a place extremely far from the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds.
Above another stretch of firmament, many figures with terrifying auras likewise stood.
They gazed toward the distant great war, their gazes deep and vast, like universes evolving within, with scenes of sinking moons and falling stars emerging.
“This crusade against Neraka—since Gu Changge is secretly driving it, he must have another purpose. We must be careful. In recent years, the rise of that Nephrite Breeze Pavilion has been unstoppable.”
“I suspect the reason Gu Changge moved against Neraka is largely connected to the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion.”
They spoke softly, discussing the pros and cons of the siege against Neraka.
Without a doubt, these people were all True Daoists—ancestor-level figures of the various Dao lineages and forces.
Though they had not personally come to the battlefield, they knew everything that happened there down to the slightest stir.
“That goes without saying. Behind the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion is definitely Gu Changge.”
“On the surface he’s purging Neraka, but in truth he’s eliminating his rivals. What a pity we only realized it now.”
Another ancient existence shook his head, his words carrying regret.
“In just a few short years, Gu Changge’s wings have gradually grown full. I reckon it won’t be long before he moves against us.”
Another terrifying figure, whose appearance was entirely different from Humans, spoke coldly, his words carrying a trace of killing intent.
This was not baseless speculation, but an inference drawn from various clues and traces.
Though Gu Changge appeared gentle and refined before everyone,
the things he had done in the shadows—every clan and Dao lineage could actually see them clearly.
Just the lightning-swift launch of the crusade against Neraka alone was enough to make everyone feel palpitations and terror, a wave of unease.
If Gu Changge had not moved against Neraka this time, but against some other force instead?
Who could guarantee their fate would be any different from Neraka’s?
Many immortal Dao lineages and supreme great sects, since their founding, had no shortage of enemies.
Moreover, the Beyond was just such a place where the weak were prey to the strong. When a wall fell, everyone pushed it; no one would be soft-hearted.
At the end of the day, it was the power and influence Gu Changge now wielded that made everyone deeply wary.
“Gu Changge is no good sort... Now the Celestial Path is about to manifest, and the Beyond will undergo upheaval. Who knows whether it will be for good or ill.”
“He has already grown to the point where he can threaten all of us. If we don’t deal with him, I’m afraid there will be endless trouble ahead, breaking the balance that has held since ancient times.”
Another figure, entirely shrouded in golden divine flames, spoke. His eyes blazed brilliantly like two glorious great suns, carrying terrifying pressure.
“The Longevity Gu Family’s foundations are unfathomably deep, and they have countless ties to the Celestial Domain...”
“This matter cannot be rushed. If we don’t make proper arrangements first, I’m afraid we will suffer heavy losses.”
“When the Longevity Gu Family annihilated Purple Mansion last time, they only revealed part of their foundations.”
Hearing these words, another female True Daoist spoke. Her voice was soft, yet it caused everyone present to shudder involuntarily.
Though all were True Daoists, considerable gaps still existed between them.
This female True Daoist before them had, back in the day, been a ruthless figure who slaughtered until all four directions fell silent.
She had not shown herself for tens of millions of years. Now, at a glance, her strength was even more unfathomable—she was likely not far from the threshold of the Immortal Dao.