Who Is This So-Called Ye Ling? Gu Changge's Explanation
Who Is This So-Called Ye Ling? Gu Changge’s Explanation
The One-Eye Daoist was himself a Hidden Expert of Sky Emperor Mountain.
So even though he had met Changge just yesterday, that did nothing to stop him from tripping Changge up at a moment like this.
Besides, he didn’t believe Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, was the reckless sort—there had to be a reason behind this.
At this moment, the One-Eye Daoist simply wanted to watch the show, to see how Changge would handle it.
“The One-Eye qianbei speaks truly. With Young Master Changge’s standing, why would he fear such gossip and slander?”
Hearing these words, the rest of the people in the central great hall all showed expressions of interest.
The Sect Master of the Endless Fire Kingdom, in particular, spoke up directly, carrying a faint trace of schadenfreude.
He was a handsome man dressed in red robes, his features blurred, with heavenly runes swirling at the spot between his brows, and a terrifying scorching aura permeating his surroundings.
Some time ago, before the Absolute Yin Heaven, a True Daoist of the Endless Fire Kingdom had his Dao foundation crippled by Changge, his cultivation reduced to nothing.
The matter had caused enormous waves throughout the entire Beyond, with all the various Dao traditions and forces discussing it heatedly.
The Endless Fire Kingdom had become the laughingstock of everyone, its dignity swept completely away.
“This concerns the grave matter of the Successor of Demonic Arts. I think it would be best to ask the Supreme Being to confirm things once more, lest we leave behind a great calamity for the Beyond in the future.”
“Since Young Master Changge is so confident, he naturally has no fear of our doubts and speculations.”
On the other side, the Sect Master of Purple Cloud Valley also gently stroked his long beard, speaking with a somewhat meaningful and amused air.
He wore a Grand Luo Daoist Robe, his sleeves wide and billowing, his whole body seemingly wreathed in starlight, as if the stars of all the heavens were revolving around him.
“How audacious! What status does Young Master Changge hold now? By doing this, are you not afraid of throwing the Beyond into chaos, of triggering an Immortal War?”
An old emperor of the Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty now darkened his expression as well, berating the Sect Masters of Purple Cloud Valley and the Endless Fire Kingdom.
“Qianbei, please calm your anger. This matter arose because of me—how could I trouble you over it? Besides, since everyone is so eager to know about the matter Fellow Daoist Jin Chan raised, then why shouldn’t I oblige? I shall satisfy everyone’s curiosity.”
This latter sentence was naturally addressed to the crowd within the central great hall.
Hearing Gu Changge say this, the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being glanced at him with some surprise.
His earlier display of displeasure had, in a certain sense, actually been him protecting Gu Changge.
Because he sensed that Gu Changge harbored no small number of secrets.
Including this so-called Successor of Demonic Arts—he had no idea whether it was connected to him or not.
Better to avoid extra trouble. If something were accidentally exposed, it would invite unnecessary complications.
Yet who would have thought Gu Changge would take the initiative to say such a thing, taking the matter onto himself? It left the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being quite puzzled.
“Young Master Changge is certainly a straightforward man. This old Daoist is impressed.”
Seeing this, the One-Eye Daoist also smiled faintly, intending to enjoy the spectacle and see what means Gu Changge had to respond.
Everyone in the hall looked over with varying expressions—some surprised, some gloating, some grim, some perplexed.
“Amitabha. Then this humble monk would very much like to ask Young Master Changge—do you know a Cultivator by the name of Ye Ling?”
At this point, Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, wasted no words and concisely posed his question.
His eyes were clear and spirited, like limpid lake water.
Though dressed in monk’s robes, his entire being exuded a transcendent bearing. As he asked this question, Buddhist light shone brilliantly, condensing behind his head into the phantom image of a Buddha.
The name Ye Ling also left everyone in the great hall puzzled, searching their memories for it.
The Gifted Lady, the King of Six Crowns, Jiang Luoshen, and many other Young Prodigies were all trying hard to recall whether they knew this person.
However, whether it was the many Hidden Experts, the leaders of great sects, or the younger generation—not a single one knew who Ye Ling was. None of them had ever heard the name before.
At this moment, it was instead the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being whose brow furrowed slightly, somewhat surprised by Jin Chan’s words.
If he remembered correctly, Gu Changge had indeed mentioned to him before that the true successor he had chosen was actually a little Cultivator named Ye Ling.
Could it be because of this matter?
The Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being glanced at Gu Changge, suddenly quite curious to see how Gu Changge would respond.
It seemed this Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, knew who the true successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being was.
If that were the case, the fact that Gu Changge was not his chosen true successor would soon be exposed.
“I implore Young Master Changge to resolve this humble monk’s confusion. Do you know a Cultivator named Ye Ling?”
At this point, Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, spoke once more, fixing his gaze earnestly on Gu Changge.
He did indeed hold quite a bit of evidence in his hands.
Of course, if Gu Changge refused to admit it, he also had ways to have Ancient Buddha Sha Na see through everything, thereby exposing Gu Changge’s lies.
“It seems this Ye Ling’s identity is not so simple.” The One-Eye Daoist, looking very much like someone who didn’t mind making things bigger, smiled meaningfully.
“A Cultivator named Ye Ling—I do indeed know one. However, I don’t know whether the Ye Ling the Chosen Monk speaks of is the same one this Gu knows.”
Gu Changge, who had long anticipated that Jin Chan would ask about this matter, showed not the slightest change in expression as he smiled faintly.
Jin Chan’s expression shifted slightly, seemingly not expecting Gu Changge to be so candid. He continued, “The Ye Ling this humble monk speaks of and the Ye Ling in Young Master Changge’s mouth should be the same person. Then does Young Master Changge also know that Ye Ling’s identity?”
He had once gone to the Ye Family of the Ancient Immortal Races to investigate this matter.
Ye Ling was a branch-line disciple of the Ye Family of the Ancient Immortal Races. His mother was a servant girl, and his father was the head of a branch lineage. He had been disliked since childhood, and after his mother later died of illness, he severed ties with the branch line entirely, with no further relations.
This person was the true successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being—the art of fate divination could not be wrong.
Moreover, many signs had shown that the token left behind by the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being had fallen into his hands back then.
This evidence and information had all been personally uncovered by Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk—there could be no falsehood in it.
Gu Changge nodded and said earnestly, “Naturally, I know. Back when I was training on the Celestial Ancient Continent, this person concealed his true appearance and entered the Celestial Ancient Continent from the forbidden area behind Skyward Schloss’s mountain.”
“Within it, he stole the ancestral remains of the various Celestial Ancient races, devouring their Sources to cultivate.”
“Later, I fought with him and nearly killed him, but his methods were astonishing—he forcibly escaped from my hands.”
“Furthermore, I suspect he is not dead even now, still hiding somewhere in the Beyond. Of course—the true Successor of Demonic Arts may well be him.”
Hearing Gu Changge’s words, the expressions of everyone in the great hall changed.
The true Successor of Demonic Arts?
The Gifted Lady, the King of Six Crowns, Jiang Luoshen, and the many other Young Prodigies had their expressions change drastically, nearly crying out loud in utter shock.
They had never imagined that Gu Changge actually knew the identity of the true Successor of Demonic Arts—and even knew his name and origins.
Before this, Gu Changge had never revealed this information.
And how had Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, learned of all this?
“Successor of Demonic Arts?”
Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, clearly hadn’t expected Gu Changge to explain it this way either. His brow furrowed as he said, “But in this humble monk’s investigation, this person is no Successor of Demonic Arts—he is the successor chosen by the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being.”
He simply laid out the truth of the matter, no longer wishing to keep things obscured.
At this point, he wanted to see how Gu Changge would still explain and argue his way out.
“What? The successor chosen by the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being?”
As soon as Jin Chan’s words came out, they immediately triggered enormous waves within the hall.
Everyone was stunned, somewhat unable to believe it, unable to recover their senses for a long while.
Changge was not the true successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being?
And the true successor was actually someone else?
Then how had the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being’s inheritance in Gu Changge’s hands been obtained?
Didn’t Gu Changge just say that this Ye Ling was the true Successor of Demonic Arts?
Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, was no fool. Since he dared to ask this question at this moment, he must have conclusive evidence and certainty.
If that were the case, weren’t Gu Changge’s words self-contradictory?
One doubt after another flashed through everyone’s hearts, turning into suspicion and speculation. They felt as though this matter was shrouded in a thick fog of mystery.
Quite a few people shuddered, finding it hard to accept for the moment, feeling that something huge might happen today.
After their initial shock, the One-Eye Daoist, Jin Yang, the Gifted Lady, and the others quickly reacted, their gazes toward Gu Changge incomparably complicated.
So there was such a matter at play. In that case, this fellow really did seem like the true Successor of Demonic Arts.
The One-Eye Daoist narrowed his eyes, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, growing even more intrigued.
The Sect Masters of immortal Dao traditions like Purple Cloud Valley and the Endless Fire Kingdom also had deep meaning flash through their eyes, sneering inwardly.
They felt that today’s events could be made into a big deal. Even if Gu Changge had an explanation for it, he would find it hard to escape suspicion.
At this moment, after asking his question, Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, didn’t wait for Gu Changge to answer. Instead, he turned to look at the expressionless Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being and said, “Does the Supreme Being know of this matter?”
He felt that the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being probably still didn’t know, even now, that Changge was an impostor—not the true successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being.
At this moment, everyone in the hall also felt that the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being seemed genuinely angered and displeased.
Some people began gloating inwardly, thinking Gu Changge truly had enormous gall—to actually dare deceive the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being.
“Whoever obtains this Venerable One’s inheritance is naturally this Venerable One’s successor.”
“Before this, Changge also informed this Venerable One that part of the inheritance he obtained was indeed seized from another person.”
However, the words the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being suddenly spoke at this moment caused Jin Chan’s expression to stiffen, seemingly somewhat uncomprehending.
The expressions of the others who had been gloating also froze abruptly on their faces, wondering if their ears had misheard.
Why did it feel like things were completely different from what they had anticipated?
The One-Eye Daoist’s cold smile also froze abruptly, and then his brow quickly furrowed.
The Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being had actually known about this matter all along?
Then his earlier anger—wasn’t it because of the words Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, had spoken?
Many people suddenly figured it out, feeling greatly enlightened.
Ancient Buddha Sha Na, who had remained silent all along, now had no choice but to speak up, his tone carrying a few traces of probing.
However, the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being paid him no heed, his expression slightly darkened as if extremely displeased, which left everyone present feeling somewhat uneasy and apprehensive.
“I can understand the matter Fellow Daoist Jin Chan speaks of. Part of the inheritance I obtained from my Shifu did indeed come from that Cultivator named Ye Ling. However, you seem to have misunderstood my words.”
“The Ye Ling of that time was not the Ye Ling of before.”
“The Ye Ling who truly possessed my Shifu’s inheritance was killed long ago—slain by the true Successor of Demonic Arts. Thus, the portion of the inheritance on his body fell into that person’s hands. Afterward, the Successor of Demonic Arts disguised himself as Ye Ling and entered the Celestial Ancient Continent. After I fought with him, he fled wounded, and the token my Shifu left behind was seized from his hands at that time.”
At this point, Gu Changge suddenly smiled faintly and unhurriedly explained to Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk—and at the same time, to everyone present.
He made clear exactly how the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being’s inheritance in his hands had come to him.
At the same time, he also made clear why Jin Chan, the Chosen Monk, had suspected him so just now.
As these words came out, the great hall instantly fell silent for a moment, as if the fog that had shrouded everything just now had been pushed aside.
Everything became clear—the explanation made sense.
The true Successor of Demonic Arts had killed the successor chosen by the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, seized his token, and disguised himself in his appearance.
Later, he encountered Gu Changge, was seen through by him, had the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being’s token taken from him, and only then fled heavily wounded.
Jin Chan’s suspicion that Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts naturally had no basis at all.