A Corner of the Future—He Probably Could No Longer Control Himself?
A Corner of the Future—He Probably Could No Longer Control Himself?
The mountain range was tranquil and peaceful, immortal mist drifting about, spiritual springs gurgling, silver waterfalls cascading down.
All manner of auspicious beasts and birds cried out, drinking in the fragrant air, their feathers reflecting divine chains of light, gleaming brilliantly as they played.
It was like the backyard of a celestial household from myth.
Gu Xianer passed through island after island, arriving at the Godly Island where Changge usually rested.
The guards on duty, seeing her arrive, did not dare stop her, nor did they go to announce her.
Because Xianer was one of only two exceptions in the entire Family of Immortals—she did not need Gu Changge’s permission.
The other exception was Qingyi.
“Changge isn’t in the palace?”
Xianer made her way to the bedchamber where Gu Changge cultivated in seclusion, but she did not see him there.
She was slightly taken aback. She wandered around the area for a while, unable to figure out where Changge had gone.
Could it be that he had secretly left the Longevity Gu Family without telling anyone, and was now somewhere plotting something?
As she guessed this, Gu Xianer’s expression suddenly grew somewhat downcast.
On her way here, she had already planned out how she would find Changge and how she would broach the subject with him.
Because saying those words required tremendous courage.
But now she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Gu Changge.
The words she wanted to say could only remain in her heart. The next time she saw Gu Changge, who knew whether she would still have the courage to say them to him.
If, in the near future, Gu Changge truly brought calamity upon all the heavens of the Beyond, then what exactly should I do?
Recalling the many visions of the future she had seen within the Lake of Rebirth,
Xianer couldn’t help but shudder again and again, feeling deeply unsettled.
She truly could not believe that in the near future, Gu Changge would plunge the entire Beyond into a Dark Era.
All living beings would live under his terror and his shadow.
At the very least, the Gu Changge she knew would absolutely never do such a thing.
It was more like the Gu Changge from their childhood—the one controlled by his demonic nature, his whole body suffused with terrifying Demonic Energy.
This left her heart both aching and conflicted.
The Lake of Rebirth had let her learn in advance of the fate of the entire Beyond in the future—what exactly was the meaning of that?
Was it meant for me to stop all of this?
Xianer couldn’t help murmuring softly, a trace of sorrow showing in her crystalline eyes.
Even now, she still remembered that scene back in Peach Village.
Tao Yao had told her about Gu Changge’s demonic nature, explaining that Gu Changge bore an innate demonic nature.
Gu Changge needed to suppress his Demonic Energy to stay lucid—just like how he had dug out her Great Dao Bone back then.
Although the Demonic Energy was in control, many of those things were actually done by Gu Changge subconsciously.
In the Nirvana Pool of the Longevity Gu Family, it was because Gu Changge had returned the Great Dao Bone to her that he could no longer suppress his Demonic Energy and nearly caused a great disaster.
But at that time, Gu Changge would rather destroy his own arms than harm her in the slightest.
Every one of these scenes was still vivid in Gu Xianer’s mind today.
Back in Peach Village, when she had insisted on digging out the Nirvana-reborn Celestial Bone to give to Gu Changge to suppress his Demonic Energy,
Gu Changge had shown unprecedented gloom and violence, threatening her, forbidding her from doing so, ordering her to keep the Celestial Bone safe—otherwise he would make her understand what it meant to wish she were dead.
Xianer understood that those were Gu Changge’s threatening words, not the truth. His real intention was to make sure she absolutely did not do something so foolish.
He even said back then that he would rather die himself than let me be hurt like that.
Gu Xianer murmured softly to herself.
For a moment, a faint blush surfaced on her lustrous, delicate face, and a thousand thoughts swirled in her heart.
Unknowingly, she left the palace complex and headed toward the mountain peak.
There, clouds and mist roiled, as if hidden within the deepest layers of cloud—vast and boundless, from which one could overlook the magnificent grandeur of the Longevity Gu Family.
Suddenly, Gu Xianer froze. Beside a green boulder at the mountain peak, she saw a familiar figure.
Black robes, ink-dark hair, handsome features—more ethereal than a banished immortal.
Changge was actually leaning against the green boulder, eyes gently closed, asleep.
So incomparably serene and transcendent, untouched by even a speck of dust.
How could he have fallen asleep, and here of all places?
Gu Xianer watched Gu Changge quietly, making no sound to disturb him.
A Gu Changge like this was truly a rare sight, and she couldn’t bear to break this tranquility.
The last time, during the campaign against the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, it seemed to be just like this—Gu Changge had fought several True Daoists single-handedly and suffered no small injuries.
And when she went to visit him, he had been asleep just as quietly, leaning against her shoulder.
That clear and steady sound of breathing—Gu Xianer remembered it even now.
Having tasted all the splendor the world had to offer, he must be very tired in his daily life.
At this moment, a wave of tenderness couldn’t help but rise in Gu Xianer’s heart.
Before others, Gu Changge was glorious beyond compare, suppressing all ages, dazzling to the utmost.
But who else was qualified to see this side of Gu Changge?
For a moment, the scenes from within the Lake of Rebirth surfaced once more in her mind.
Although her own ending was tragic, by that time, Gu Changge probably could no longer control himself, could he?
If I dug out my Celestial Bone and gave it to him, would that suppress his Demonic Energy,
and stop all of that from happening in the future?
This thought surfaced uncontrollably in Gu Xianer’s heart, leaving her staring blankly at Changge, not knowing what to do for a moment.
If her Celestial Bone could truly rewrite the future, then wouldn’t that be a blessing?
When her Great Dao Bone was dug out in her childhood, she had still survived.
Now, what did a mere Celestial Bone count for?
“What’s wrong? Xianer, why are you looking at me like that?”
Just as Gu Xianer was lost in a daze, an unhurried voice suddenly sounded from ahead.
Changge opened his eyes, looking at her with a faint smile as he asked.
Although he had been napping, that didn’t mean he had sealed off his five senses.
So the moment Gu Xianer stepped onto the mountain peak,
he had already sensed it and woken up.
“Did I disturb your rest?”
Gu Xianer hadn’t expected Gu Changge to wake up at this very moment. Her eyes flashed with a hint of panic, and she hurriedly looked off to the side.
It seemed she felt guilty about having been caught staring at Changge all this time.
“Well, am I good-looking? Since you were staring at me for so long, how could I not notice?”
Changge rose to his feet, walking toward her with a smile.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Who was staring at you for that long?”
Gu Xianer was somewhat flustered and exasperated, her face tinged with embarrassment, and also the fluster of having her thoughts punctured by Gu Changge in a single sentence. She hastily denied it flat-out.
She had originally had so many things she wanted to say in her mind.
But after being teased by Gu Changge like this, she couldn’t get a single word out.
“Then maybe I saw wrong.”
Gu Changge smiled, looking her up and down.
He noticed her cultivation was considerably more refined than the last time he had seen her.
It was clear she had encountered quite a few fortuitous opportunities during this period and improved greatly.
Among the current younger generation, there were probably few who could match her anymore.
“You definitely saw wrong. You were sleeping so soundly you got muddled,” Gu Xianer huffed.
Gu Changge paid no mind to her little sulking, smiling as he said, “Right, where have you been running off to during this time? If you hadn’t come back soon, I’m afraid I’d have had to send people to track you down.”
Although he said it as a joke, he was indeed a bit curious about what Xianer had encountered.
Why, after returning to the Gu Family, would she look at him with such a complicated gaze?
“Where I go is none of your business. I can’t compare to you, annihilating the Nether.”
Gu Xianer naturally wouldn’t mention the matter of the Lake of Rebirth. Her expression returned to its usual coldness, not much inclined to pay Gu Changge any mind.
She still hadn’t figured out how to explain things to Gu Changge.
Although the visions in the Lake of Rebirth foretold that Gu Changge would become the enemy of the entire world in the future,
even being framed as the Successor of Demonic Arts, jointly crusaded against by all the great powers and orthodoxies,
none of that could do anything to Gu Changge.
On the contrary, those powers and orthodoxies would pay a grievous price for it, and afterward the entire Beyond would be shrouded under Gu Changge’s terrifying shadow.
“Forget it. Since you don’t want to say, I won’t press you. Perfect timing that you’re back—in a few days I’m going to make a trip to Peach Village. With you coming along, it’ll be much more convenient.”
Changge smiled and didn’t continue asking.
As it happened, he had been planning to visit Peach Village before the wedding date, to ask Tao Yao about some matters.
At the same time, he could check in on that cheap little disciple of his, Tiantian, whom he had brought up from the Overworld.
Of course, Gu Changge also remembered that at the True Immortal Academy, there was a Lao Shi, who had once been a figure of the same era as Tao Yao, Chan Hongyi, and the others.
Hearing these words, Gu Xianer’s gaze dimmed slightly, thinking of the future she had seen in the Lake of Rebirth.
Her masters, seeking to avenge her, had all been brutally slaughtered by Gu Changge in the end.
Even Sister Tao Yao was left as nothing more than a charred peach tree stump, standing in the desolate village.
The resolve in her heart wavered once more.
If the scenes manifested within the Lake of Rebirth were all true,
then in the near future, not only she, but also Gu Changge’s fiancée Yueming, her masters and family—far, far too many people—would face tragic fates.
Peach Village was located deep within the Land of Abandoned Celestials, with a stretch of savage wilderness in between, home to many terrifying fierce beasts born since ancient times.
Especially in recent years, as great upheavals shook the Beyond and numerous ancient True Daoists revived one after another,
the danger level of that savage wilderness had risen by who knew how many hundredfold.
In the past, the strength of the Sacred Lord Realm was enough to cross straight through it.
But now, even Sacred Emperor Realm beings felt their hearts quail, filled with dread, not daring to set foot there.
This place was utterly tranquil, as if cut off from the rest of the world. Rosy clouds dotted the sky, mist curled and twined.
An emerald-green little lake lay nestled there, verdant grass swaying gently, with many spirit deer lowering their heads to graze.
At the village entrance, a group of children were frolicking and playing, while a few old men sat together smoking their long-stemmed pipes, utterly at leisure.
An extremely lush and resplendent peach tree bloomed at the head of the village, blossom upon blossom of peach flowers bearing a rouge-like hue, beautiful and moving. Wisps of divine light could be seen cascading down, Chaos Energy flickering in and out of sight—sacred yet bewitching.
Some fierce beasts of incomparably terrifying cultivation, when passing by in the distance beyond the village entrance, couldn’t help but cast looks of fear and reverence toward this little village.
Besides that peach tree of terrifying and unfathomable attainment,
the cultivation of many of the village’s elders was also impossible to fathom.
Casually slapping a Sacred Emperor Realm being to death would pose absolutely no problem.
And today, above the sky beyond the village entrance, divine light descended, and two figures—a man and a woman—slowly drifted down.
# 704 Return to Peach Village, Speculation About Gu Changge’s Identity
“It’s Sister Xianer! Sister Xianer is back!”
Peach Village was not large. The children playing at the village entrance were the first to spot the appearing Gu Changge and Gu Xianer.
They cried out in delight and hurriedly ran over to welcome Xianer.
Although Changge had only come once before, they were not at all unfamiliar with him.
The last time Gu Changge came to Peach Village, he had even given them many toys and spirit fruits to aid their cultivation.
So toward this young man who seemed like a banished immortal, they all held great fondness.
“Little Hua, Little Hu, you’ve all grown taller.”
After returning to Peach Village, Gu Xianer shed her earlier cold demeanor entirely, her face bearing a beaming smile as she greeted the children.
A few villagers at the entrance also came over, delighted, greeting Gu Xianer warmly.
It had been a long time since Xianer last returned to Peach Village.
They had missed her dearly.
“So the girl Xianer still knows to come back and visit us old men, eh?”
Several old men all crowded over together, wearing kindly smiles, their gazes carrying a certain ambiguous, hard-to-read meaning as they kept sweeping back and forth between Changge and Xianer.
This left Xianer feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, and she shot them a fierce glare.
“Greetings, Gongzi.”
However, they also knew Gu Changge’s identity and dared not be too presumptuous, offering him a slight bow.
“You are all Xianer’s family, there’s no need for such formality.”
Gu Changge, however, looked completely indifferent to all this, a faint smile hanging on his face the whole time.
Soon, from within the village, Xianer’s several shifu also appeared.
They still had that same inscrutable air as before—some lame, some blind, each of them bearing different injuries.
In truth, at their level, for those with powerful cultivation, regrowing a body from a single drop of blood was a trivial matter.
Only certain extremely severe Dao injuries, ones that damaged the Source, would cause wounds to persist, making it impossible to regrow severed limbs.
However, each of Gu Xianer’s shifu had their own stories and experiences, and they were unwilling to simply let their severed limbs heal.
“Da Shifu, Er Shifu, San Shifu, Xianer has come back to see you.”
Gu Xianer obediently greeted each of her shifu one by one, a complete change from the proud and lively manner she showed in front of Gu Changge.
“Xianer, your cultivation has improved quite a bit.”
“It seems you’ve had quite a few fortuitous encounters during this time.”
The several shifu wore expressions of approval, looking her up and down several times. Confirming that her cultivation had not slackened during this period, they were extremely satisfied.
As for Gu Changge standing off to the side, in their eyes now, he had already reached a level they could not see through, could not fathom—a level they had to be wary of.
Back when Gu Changge first came to Peach Village, his cultivation had not even reached the Sacred Emperor Realm.
Yet in just a few short years, he already stood at the very peak of the Beyond, and even True Daoists were no match for him.
This struck them as utterly inconceivable.
They had seen many prodigies in their time, but they had never seen a monster like Gu Changge, one who dazzled across the ages.
“Greetings, qianbei.”
Gu Changge, for his part, behaved quite naturally, cupping his hands slightly toward Gu Xianer’s several shifu, and then once again carefully surveying the village.
Compared to the last time he came,
he could now perceive even more clearly the strength of Gu Xianer’s several shifu—nearly all of them possessed the power of True Daoists.
Among them, the village chief, who was also Gu Xianer’s Da Shifu, had the most terrifying strength.
He was in no way inferior to Yan Luo, the Fourth Palace Lord of the Nether.
This was a figure of the same era and same caliber as the Great Elder of the Dao Heaven Immortal Palace.
If the environment of heaven and earth permitted it, he could absolutely take that final step.
The many Cults of Immortality and Supreme Dao Lineages of the Overworld would probably never imagine that, in the deepest reaches of this Land of Abandoned Celestials, such a terrifying village was hidden.
Not to mention, at the village entrance, there stood a bewitching and mysterious Peach Tree.
And just then, from within Peach Village, a little girl wearing a floral-patterned jacket came running over in pleasant surprise.
Her features were as delicate as a painting, her skin white as porcelain, her hair tied in little horn braids. Her dark, crystalline eyes carried a pitiful, endearing look, making her seem all the more well-behaved.
It was none other than Tiantian, the disciple Gu Changge had taken in back in the Overworld.
After bringing Tiantian to the Beyond, he had fostered her in Peach Village, and had not looked after her since.
Of course, a large part of the reason was that Tiantian and the Peach Demon at the village entrance were one and the same entity.
The two were like sisters, living together here. For Tiantian, this was also a peaceful life.
Looking at Tiantian running toward him, who compared to before still had not grown much,
Gu Changge’s face took on a gentle expression. He crouched down and lightly stroked her head, saying,
“Shifu never had time to come see Tiantian. Does Tiantian blame shifu?”
“No, no, Tiantian doesn’t blame shifu. Although Tiantian misses shifu, Tiantian knows shifu is very busy and never had time to come see Tiantian.”
“Tiantian is living very well in Peach Village. The uncles and aunties in the village are all very good to me, and Tiantian also has jiejie here. Every day is very happy.”
The little girl’s face still wore that same obedient, sensible expression as always, carrying a happy smile as she spoke, enough to make one’s heart ache with affection.
“As long as Tiantian likes it here.”
“Look what shifu brought you.”
Gu Changge smiled gently. As he spoke, light flashed in his hand,
and in an instant, before them appeared many little trinkets and small ornaments that only existed in the mortal world, as well as all kinds of delicious pastries and spirit fruits.
Looking at these things, Tiantian’s eyes lit up considerably, curving into happy crescent moons.
“Thank you, shifu!”
She had no interest in cultivation; living carefree and without worries was her only pursuit.
Therefore, Gu Changge had not brought her anything related to cultivation.
Afterward, the little girl shared with Gu Changge many of the joys of her life in Peach Village over the recent years, and along the way distributed the various little things Gu Changge had brought her to the many children of Peach Village.
Gu Changge could tell that she was indeed living very happily in Peach Village, and that everyone treated her well.
And during this period, the Peach Demon had even taken her on a trip back to the Overworld where she used to live, and found the grandma who had taken her in back then.
Unfortunately, Tiantian’s grandma was unwilling to come to the Beyond. Back then, her entire clan had been slaughtered by enemies, and after her great vengeance was later avenged, she stayed to guard the graves of her kin.
Because of the arrival of Gu Changge and Gu Xianer, Peach Village became incomparably lively.
Many old folks and aunties brought out their own treasured delicacies and fine wines to entertain the two.
Although the Land of Abandoned Celestials was desolate, the outside world had no shortage of all kinds of fierce beast meat.
Although Gu Changge and Gu Xianer had long since grown accustomed to every kind of exotic delicacy, immortal fare and divine cuisine,
tasting meat cooked by these other methods in Peach Village still had a flavor all its own.
The Peach Tree at the village entrance swayed, its blossoms crystalline and bewitching, and when the breeze blew, strands upon strands of immortal silk drooped down.
Night fell, bonfires flickered, and even Gu Xianer drank quite a bit of wine, revealing a charming, tipsy demeanor.
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing flawless arms whiter than snow, and tore at the fierce beast meat with her hands.
There was none of the cold, immortal-like appearance she usually showed the world.
Her large eyes seemed to hold a rippling, watery gleam, reflecting the bonfire, and also reflecting Gu Changge’s face.
She stared blankly at Gu Changge, as if she had thought of something, an indescribable emotion on her little face that was hard to conceal.
“Gu Changge, you’re not allowed to bully me anymore...”
Her words were slurred, as if she were mumbling in a low voice.
The many surrounding villagers all burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Even Gu Xianer’s several shifu could not help but smile.
Because of her tragic childhood experiences, they doted on and pampered Gu Xianer to no end.
The last time Gu Changge returned to Peach Village with her, they had all worried whether Gu Xianer was being threatened by Gu Changge.
After all, Gu Changge was the culprit who had dug out her Great Dao Bone in their childhood and nearly killed her.
Yet she paid no mind to any of this, and was instead extremely close to Gu Changge.
Although later, from the Peach Demon’s mouth, they learned that Gu Changge possessed an Innate Demonic Heart, and that what he did in his childhood was not actually under his control,
they still remained guarded against Gu Changge, deeply uneasy.
“Are you drunk, you girl?”
Watching Xianer leaning over toward him, Gu Changge shook his head somewhat speechlessly.
Xianer glared at him, seemingly very displeased with how much Gu Changge appeared to disdain her.
Gu Changge sighed, took out a clean plain handkerchief, and gently wiped away the grease at the corner of her mouth.
“I’m warning you, you’re not allowed to bully me anymore.” Her eyes were slightly closed as she mumbled again, finding a comfortable position to lean against Gu Changge.
“That I can’t promise. You’d better not provoke me.” Gu Changge laughed.
However, Gu Xianer paid him no heed, and soon emitted soft, steady breathing sounds.
She was still clutching a greasy fierce beast thigh in her hand, and then, caring about nothing at all, she grabbed at Gu Changge’s sleeve, ending up smearing grease all over it.
The people of Peach Village watching this scene were truly scared out of their wits.
Although they had never ventured into the outside world, they would occasionally run into some itinerant cultivators while out hunting, and learn bits of news about the outside world from them.
How terrifying was Gu Changge’s current might?
Even True Daoists would tremble and sit on pins and needles before him—who would dare act as presumptuously as Gu Xianer?
Yet Gu Changge seemed long since accustomed to it, drinking his wine with a perfectly composed expression.
The night deepened, the moonlight shone bright, making Peach Village seem all the more tranquil and peaceful.
The bonfires died down, and the many villagers returned to their own homes one after another.
Xianer was carried off to rest by several aunties. She slept very deeply; back in Peach Village, her whole being settled into peace, with nothing to consider or worry about—a rare chance to rest properly.
“Aren’t you going to come out and see me?”
Gu Changge did not rest. Instead, holding a wine cup in one hand and carrying a wine jug in the other, he unhurriedly made his way toward the village entrance.
Then, paying no mind to the astonished gazes of Gu Xianer’s several shifu, he sat down on a rock to the side.
He seemed to be talking to himself, but in fact he was speaking to the Peach Demon.
Shalala!
Under the caress of the breeze, the leaves fluttered lightly, emitting a sound like ocean waves. The Peach Tree grew ever more crystalline, every single blossom suffused with hidden Chaos Energy.
Mist arose here, quickly enveloping the surroundings, making it so the few old monsters of Peach Village could no longer see the scene here clearly.
They tactfully withdrew their gazes and looked no more.
The Peach Demon’s cultivation was even more unfathomable. As the guardian deity of Peach Village, she was absolutely not someone they could pry into.
Ordinarily, even the village chief treated the Peach Demon with utmost respect.
A figure of breathtaking grace slowly emerged from within the Peach Tree, her form slender,
her surroundings seemingly suffused with three thousand divine kingdoms, hazy and sacred, yet carrying a demonic, bewitching air.
“Long time no see. I trust you’ve been well.”
The Peach Demon appeared, dark tresses flowing with radiance, glossy enough to mirror one’s reflection. Her glass-like eyes looked at Gu Changge, revealing a complicated emotion.
Gu Changge felt there seemed to be another meaning hidden in her words.
That phrase “I trust you’ve been well” instantly sent flashes of many images through his mind like lightning.
To be precise, it was not images, but a single figure.
It was not a person, but a demon. She sat hugging her knees upon a boundless wilderness, behind her a tree that had already withered dead.
She was born very beautiful.
Her dark green hair was like a bright mirror, glossy enough to reflect one’s image.
She gazed into the distant sea of clouds, her pupils reflecting the clear sky and mountains, yet her expression carried loneliness, as if she were waiting for someone.
Gu Changge knew this figure was the Peach Demon before him.
She was one of Chan Hongyi’s rare friends, and had once been brought back by Chan Hongyi to the mountain where her master resided, planted beside a slab of bluestone.
Before the Forbidden Epoch, because she took a strike from her master in Chan Hongyi’s place, she suffered grievous wounds and nearly perished.
Then, through a series of coincidences, she came to become the guardian deity of Peach Village.
Perhaps because of Tiantian, compared to the last time Gu Changge saw her,
the Peach Demon now seemed to have remembered many things.
However, the Peach Demon was different from Chan Hongyi; she did not seem to harbor any deep hatred toward the Demon Lord.
“Aren’t you going to see your old friend?”
Gu Changge poured himself a cup of wine with a composed expression, drinking at his leisure.
The Peach Demon looked at him with some complexity. She knew the old friend Gu Changge spoke of was none other than Chan Hongyi, who had escaped from the Demon-Burying Abyss.
Even now, she was actually still unclear about Gu Changge’s identity—was he the reincarnation of the Demon Lord, or what?
If he truly was the Demon Lord,
then why would even the Demon Lord, who crushed everything in his path and buried an entire epoch in darkness, end up reincarnating in the end?
One must know, back when she was still an incomparably weak little demon,
the Demon Lord already stood at the very pinnacle of the entire world, his cultivation unfathomable, beyond words.
Even after she later became an immortal and walked far along that realm, she still felt herself as tiny as dust before the Demon Lord.
In truth, if the Demon Lord had really wanted to kill Chan Hongyi, it would not have taken him any effort at all.
Her strength could never have withstood a single strike from the Demon Lord.
Just how many secrets were hidden in all this?
The Peach Demon truly wanted to ask Gu Changge about all of it in person.
But right now, she was also unclear in what capacity Gu Changge was speaking with her.
That she had been able to walk this far was, truth be told, entirely thanks to the Demon Lord’s guidance back then.
Otherwise, as a mere ordinary little peach demon without much talent, let alone anything else, how could she ever have touched the Celestial Realm and walked so far within it?