Chapter 270: Mirrored Flowers; Rumours about the Empress.
Following that, the old monsters quickly excused themselves, before leaving with the brother-sister pair, Qing Xiaoyi and Qing Feng, preparing to lay their foundations and teach them cultivation.
After all, neither of them had ever practised before.
Qing Xiao was naturally gifted. As for Qing Feng? He was brought into the sect to cultivate together with his sister, which made many cultivators envious of him.
They were afraid that from now on, the little beggar they had looked down upon, would transform into someone they couldn’t reach in their lifetimes.
The place soon returned to tranquillity.
Immortal mist surged, as the breezy mountain wind blew, overflowing with a divine fragrance.
“Thank you for your saving grace, Young Master Changge.”
That Elder in white wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and tearfully thanked Gu Changge.
He had almost turned away a peerless prodigy just now.
If Gu Changge hadn’t interceded for him, saying that he was only following the rules, he would have undoubtedly been punished by the elders and lost a lot of face.
Thus, he became even more grateful towards the scholarly youth.
“There’s no need to thank me, Elder.”
Gu Changge nodded nonchalantly. He wasn’t really paying much attention to the old man’s words.
“This old man’s name is Wang Zhongyong. If Young Master Changge needs anything in the future, this old man will do everything in his power to help.”
Wang Zhongyong smiled and bowed respectfully.
Gu Changge half-nodded in acknowledgement, as he flew towards the True Immortal Academy with Su Qingge behind him, not wanting to stay any longer.
In his mind, he was still thinking about Qing Xiaoyi.
Possessing such a unique physique, it stood to reason that a sect or force should have long found her out, and she wouldn’t be able to remain anonymous like she was until her enrolment here.
Any cultivator worth his salt would notice an abnormality so exaggerated.
Could it be that these siblings are hiding some sort of secret?
That said, the elder brother, Qing Feng, didn’t show any particularly odd shifts in luck.
Logically speaking, with a younger sister like Qing Xiaoyi, his luck should have eclipsed most of those weaker cultivators present here without issue.
With all that in mind, to Gu Changge, what happened in front of the True Immortal Academy’s mountain gate today was still just an insignificant interlude to something much greater.
‘The Immortal Demon Physique…’
He’d vaguely heard of this Physique before, one said to have only appeared once in the ages.
At this point in time, an Immortal Demon Monarch was created.
With great power and fearsome might, many estimated the Monarch’s cultivation to have surpassed that of even the Immortals, reaching another unfathomable level.
The speciality of this physique was in its ability to integrate both the Divine and Demonic, reversing Yin and Yang, breaking through the shackles of Samsara.
Thus creating a monster with an Immortal Body, even if they had never practised. A body nourished by various elements and natural treasures of the world, stronger than any ordinary cultivator.
As for the matter of reversing Yin and Yang, Gu Changge presumed that it must have something to do with rebelling against Life and Death, or perhaps the reversal of Time and rebelling against Fate.
In short, he needed to keep an eye on Qing Xiaoyi.
— — —
Soon, the news of Gu Changge’s arrival at the True Immortal Academy quickly spread from word of mouth throughout the Young Geniuses at the Mountain Gate, causing quite a stir.
And although numerous cultivators also paid attention to the brother and sister pair, they were still far from creating the type of shockwaves the mere mention of Gu Changge could generate.
His status alone was worthy of note, even if he wasn’t the first to arrive.
Before the gathering, there had been rumours of Gu Changge being one of the top ten seeds of the True Immortal Academy placement ranks.
His strength, in the eyes of most, could even overwhelm several other top seeds simultaneously.
It was due to this fame that all the immortal mountains and islands of the True Immortal Academy went on high alert at once. Furthermore, a varied collection of Young Supremes from every sect of renown also showed up, intending to see a glimpse of Gu Changge in person.
The terrain of the True Immortal Academy was vast and boundless, sacred trees stretched into the sky, and divine mountains floated overhead; it was like an ancient world that had existed before the dawn of time.
Whoosh!
Between Heaven and Earth, immortal rainbows swept over the wondrous mountain peaks, before transforming into handsome men and beautiful women, returning to their sacred mountains and independent abodes.
Some Quasi-Supreme disciples even had resting areas as large as an ancient city.
Palaces and mansions lined the vicinity of the True Immortal Academy, majestic and overbearing, a carnival of spectacles, where divine springs erupted from the earth, and immortal flowers bloomed.
The aura of Heaven and Earth was especially dense here, coalescing into liquid form. It fell from the top of mountain peaks into surging waterfalls, as visions of Phoenixes and Qilins soared through the heavens above.
Nevertheless, the people who converged to see Gu Changge were only disappointed in the end.
Since the scholarly man had long disappeared from the gate.
Gather when you are happy, and scatter when the feeling’s lost.
The territory of the True Immortal Academy was simply too large. Before the respective areas of sects and forces were determined, it would be next to impossible to determine where any specific Young Supreme resided.
This was intentionally done in order to give the Young Supremes who came early more opportunities to cultivate and compete.
It can be said that the True Immortal Academy had taken great pains to establish such a rule, where even the areas where one practised or cultivated needed to be fought for by oneself so that no one would dare become complacent or lazy.
The strong will devour the weak.
This sentiment could be felt most vividly in the boundaries of the Academy.
On the other side, after Gu Changge left the Mountain Gate, he went straight to a group of palaces in the depths of True Immortal Academy.
Chaotic mist permeated the air here, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. He stared at the tower in the sky, floating between Heaven and Earth, an ancient existence from a long-gone era.
The scholarly man asked Su Qingge and his followers to wait for him here, before heading off once more.
Inside the Peach Village, within the Land of Immortal Abandonment, Taoyao had given him a token, saying that it could resolve his Demonic Nature.
After Gu Changge accepted it at that time, Taoyao told him that the one who owed her a favour lived in the True Immortal Academy.
‘Go meet him once the time comes. He will know how to help you.’
Obviously, Gu Changge didn’t even consider his Devil Heart a problem. What he did care about was how exactly he should use this favour of hers.
Although Taoyao had a problematic condition and an incomplete memory, this favour of hers was most likely made when she was at her peak.
To that end, the origin of this old expert in the True Immortal Academy shouldn’t be anything to scoff at.
Soon, Gu Changge’s figure passed through the many sacred mountains and ancient peaks, arriving at a lonely peak beyond the void.
None dared to impede his passage.
As of now, there were hardly any in the Upper Realm that hadn’t heard of him.
This place was actually already part of the True Immortal Academy’s forbidden areas. Ordinarily, only elders and other such figures would venture here.
Gu Changge’s figure descended from the sky and appeared at the gate of a palace.
[Solitary Peak]
The palace was relatively simple and quaint, covering merely a radius of a hundred miles or so, but Gu Changge knew that there had to be a universe of mysteries hiding within. There was clearly more to it than meets the eye.
At the gate of this palace, there were many guards clad in golden armour and immortal clothes, their swords planted firmly into the ground in front of them.
Every member of this guardian force was a Great Sacred Realm cultivator.
Wisps of divine light filled their eyes, and the powerful wills of the Sacred Realms filled each inch of the surrounding space.
“Young Master Changge?”
Seeing Gu Changge coming here, they were a little surprised, but none of them showed any hostility.
It would appear that they are, at the very least, informed about the younger generation’s geniuses training at the True Immortal Academy.
To put it bluntly, the scholarly man in front of them was one of, if not the strongest, in that category. Even some elders would not dare show off in front of him.
Thus, they treated him with the utmost respect.
“I’ve come to find an elder.”
Gu Changge nodded slightly, speaking concisely and straight to the point.
Not daring to stop him, the guards let him enter.
Inside the main hall, a deep and vast space expanded outwards, as if a boundless universe unfolding towards infinity, intertwining galaxies and nebulae, surging with endless chaos!
Divine books made of Daluo silver and gold shimmered on a pure white bookcase. It stood tall from the centre of the hall, shimmering brilliantly.
A few old men with wrinkled faces sat around a circular table, their faces blurred by chaotic energy. It seemed like they were currently discussing something of importance.
Suddenly, an old fellow wearing a fluttering Daoist robe closest to the entrance raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he had sensed something.
“What is he doing here?” His expression was a little unnatural.
“Hm? What are you referring to, Senior?”
Another old man next to him, this time with a pair of dry dragon horns on his head, was puzzled at the abrupt question, and asked while still flipping through the ancient scroll in his hand.
“That guy from the Gu family, what is he doing here?”
However, the old man in Daoist robes simply snorted coldly, his expression contorting slightly as he continued, “Ugh. No matter where that kid goes, chaos always follows.”
“Huh. According to the rumours, the Gu Family kid’s temperament is gentle and elegant. How did he suddenly become like so under our Daoist friend’s mouth?”
“Could it be that the rumours are wrong? Having said that, it’s true that he dug out his own sister’s Dao Bones when he was a child, so he may not be a person with a bright heart.”
The other old antiques also looked up for a while, and then nodded slightly.
They held a considerable amount of respect for the Old Daoist, which helped add some weight to his words.
It was during that time when Gu Changge’s figure finally appeared at the main hall’s entrance.
He casually stepped into the lavish hall, smiling faintly at the elders gathered in the middle, and paid his respects, “Disciple Gu Changge greets the Elders.”
Gu Changge naturally became a disciple of the True Immortal Academy the moment he entered.
The elders in front of him came from all corners of the Upper Realm. Although most of them probably would not act too familiar, they wouldn’t blame a powerful disciple for trespassing if they were first greeted.
“Not bad, such a cultivation level… it seems there are quite a few deviations in the rumours.”
“Why did you come to see us?”
At this moment, the peaceful, yet observant gazes of the Elders fell onto Gu Changge’s person.
However, they found that a misty aura was gradually emerging from his body, as if his entire person was actually standing in a different dimension, not privy to their eyes.
Even they couldn’t easily see through him.
This method surprised them a little. After all, they were Supreme Realm beings, with some of them even approaching the Quasi-Emperor Realm.
But for now, they had other concerns.
Furthermore, Gu Changge was the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family.
On the occasion that they did look and found that he had nothing on him, it would be impossible to justify. Furthermore, hiding traces of one’s Qi and the act of shielding oneself from prying eyes was completely normal for a cultivator.
“Great Elder, long time no see, your complexion is much better than before.”
Gu Changge’s eyebrows raised as he happily greeted the Great Elder, as if he had just noticed the old acquaintance among the table of elders.
The Old Daoist was naturally the Great Elder from the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace.
And he was still clearly very uncomfortable with Gu Changge’s presence.
“Is it not natural for my complexion to be good given that you have not appeared before this old man in so long?”
The Great Elder snorted coldly, annoyed at the fact that Gu Changge would poke at his scabs as soon as he arrived. Back when he was still in the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, Gu Changge was quite the thorn in his side.
He still remembered that day when Gu Changge left the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace.
To think that he’d run all the way to the top of the mountain where he lived, and remind him that he still owed him a favour, as if fearing that an Elder like him would deny it!
“Great Elder’s words are rather hurtful. As the successor of the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, I feel that I have not done anything wrong to the Palace.”
Gu Changge retorted calmly, “In fact, this junior had even helped the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace in unifying the remaining clans from the Ancient Immortal Continent, achieving peace and tranquillity in the devilish place…”
“Urk. Stop talking, there’s no need to go around in circles in between us.”
The Great Elder hurriedly waved his hands, with a threatening look, asking him to stop.
Gu Changge’s shamelessness was something he was well aware of.
And although he did appreciate Gu Changge very much as an individual, his shameless character, his unwillingness to take even the slightest loss, and his schemes, really made him feel helpless.
Alas, he was still the heir of his Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, and since he had decided to come to the True Immortal Academy to serve as a Guest Elder…
He would naturally take care of Gu Changge, this… fellow.
Moreover, he’d heard that this time, the Gu Family had sent over three ancestor-level figures, all of whom were to arrive at the True Immortal Academy soon.
The other forces usually only sent one ancestor.
Sending three ancestors from the Gu Family, not to mention ancient ones of unknown age, seemed a little overkill in his opinion. It was as if they were afraid that the younger generation of the Gu Family would suffer in the True Immortal Academy.
“Haha, the relationship between Senior and Changge seems to be quite good.”
“Yeah, it’s rare to see a senior talking to a junior like this.”
Several old antiques in the hall couldn’t help laughing when they saw this, but their deep respect for the elder was very evident as well, as they spoke with the tone of a junior.
The way the Great Elder and Gu Changge talked now made them a little surprised, even envious.
“In the days when the Great Elder lived in the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, he took good care of those of us in the younger generation, perhaps that is why this junior dares to speak so casually.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled and replied, his demeanour gentle and elegant, rich as jade.
“Good relationship my a*s. Tell me, why are you looking for us at this time?”
The Great Elder snorted, speaking concisely, since he understood that someone with Gu Changge’s character wouldn’t have come to the Three Treasure Hall for nothing.
“Actually, this junior came here to ask the Elders about the whereabouts of a person.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge’s expression also changed slightly, “I just don’t know whether or not the Elders have met this person before.”
He took out the token Taoyao gave him.
A crystal-clear peach leaf appeared on the scholarly youth’s hand. It emanated a pure aura of rules and order, overflowing with the ever-changing principles of the Dao.
“This is…”
“The existence that left behind this peach leaf… their cultivation base is unfathomable…”
Seeing this spectacle, the expressions of the old antiques changed a little, becoming more dignified.
“Is this from the mysterious Peach Tree backing Xian’er?”
The expression of the Great Elder also changed slightly as he recognized it.
His knowledge was obviously far superior to the others.
As such, he’d naturally heard the rumours surrounding the Peach Tree.
Gu Xian’er had never hidden it from him either, telling him about the masters in Peach Village early on.
Back then, the reason he accepted Gu Xian’er as his apprentice, was exactly because of one of those hidden masters from Peach Village.
“This token is related to the Demon World. If the person you are looking for is in the True Immortal Academy, then it should be that guy.”
The Great Elder’s eyes glimmered with a thoughtful light.
He didn’t know why Gu Changge was looking for that person.
“Oh? Then I’m afraid I must trouble the Great Elder, for I must ask that you lead me there.”
Gu Changge raised his eyebrows slightly, he didn’t expect things to go this smoothly.
Originally, he thought it would take a few days of asking around.
Fortunately, it seems that he’s been saved the trouble.
“That guy has a very eccentric personality. He doesn’t see anyone other than those from the Demon World. Must you truly see him?”
The Great Elder shook his head slightly, looking at Gu Changge, “Don’t blame me for not reminding you first, I won’t help you if you get kicked out later.”
“It’s alright.”
Gu Changge didn’t take it to heart. A favour token given by Taoyao wouldn’t be defective.
Unless the other party doesn’t give Taoyao a face, they would definitely meet him.
Seeing his determination, the elder waved his sleeve, blurring the space in front of him, as their figures vanished instantly into the void.
When they finally reappeared, they stood before an emerald-green lake.
The Immortal Aura was particularly dense here, and the rug-like grass seemed almost alive, as many auspicious animals gathered around in the distance, drinking water without a care in the world.
A half-person-tall odd rock also stuck out from the side of the green lake.
However, it seemed very ordinary in comparison to everything that surrounded it. There were zero acupoints on it, nor did it receive the energy of the Heavens and Earth, like how a normal rock from the mortal realm would behave.
But Gu Changge sensed the hidden complexity of this rock at a glance.
The surging vitality that lingered within it, similar to a vast sea of stars, silent and unmoving.
A stone of the universe itself, it wouldn’t be damaged even if it underwent thousands of tribulations!
And beside this rock, stood a slender, elegant woman, wearing a long phoenix robe.
The woman had her hands still behind her back. Her facial features resembled the calm oceans, with a set of eyes as deep as the endless abyss. Her features were natural and void of distortion, with just the slightest bit of red makeup between her brows, making her look even more enchanting.
It was a kind of grace and nobility akin to an Empress commanding the very Heavens.
She glanced at the two intruding figures, her eyes curious, but not speaking a word.
“Fellow Daoist.”
Ever since he’d brought Gu Changge here, he avoided looking directly at the woman.
Instead, he nodded his head at the odd stone and spoke lightly, “Is this token related to you?”
He placed the leaf atop the stone’s head as he finished his sentence.
Gu Changge’s gaze also flickered casually over the majestic woman, before locking onto the stone as the Great Elder’s did. The scholarly youth felt a pain pierce his skull.
He frowned a bit, feeling strangely familiar with this normal rock, as if he’d seen it before in the past.
Perhaps it was at that time, when he was refining the All-Devouring Sky’s Origin?
Fragments of memories flashed through his mind.
On the top of that mountain, where he watched the little girl in red practising her sword… the stone that he had sat upon while observing, strangely enough, seemed to be this exact rock?
Although it was now far more ancient than it was then.
“…”
For a moment, his expression was a little inexplicable.
The Demon Lord of the past and the Gu Changge of now… shouldn’t have any direct connections.
The memories emerged, but only vaguely…
And if this rock still had its memories, it wouldn’t be so silent. It was almost as if it had been damaged heavily.
Like Taoyao, the stone was not complete.
Gu Changge felt that his title of Demon Lord had sure left a pile of hot messes behind. Even this rock was probably a form of cause and effect from his past life.
Thus, he chose not to make a sound, deciding to respond to the situation as it unfolded.
Buzz!
The peach leaf soon fell off. A tremor ran through the entire lake.
The dead rock suddenly rocked on its axis, followed by a terrifying aura that permeated throughout.
Every single mystical beast in the area stopped moving completely.
An astonishing mystical energy, soaring and covering the sky, threw the universe into turmoil.
Almost as if heralding the awakening of an unrivalled monster, aiming to consume all things.
Thankfully, this breath disappeared as quickly as it came.
The odd stone—now shrouded in a layer of black light—soon transformed into a short old man with a hunched waist, dark complexion, and wrinkled features.
He grabbed the peach leaf on the ground and looked over it carefully, before smiling to himself.
“Old friend, did you survive?” The stone figure murmured.
Speaking until here, he abruptly clutched his head, seemingly having a splitting headache.
“Alas, I can’t remember again…”
The old man sighed, before looking at the scholarly youth standing in front of him.
“You seem rather familiar—!!!”
His onyx pupils constricted drastically, as the stone couldn’t help but take a few steps back, gasping in disbelief. Even his ashen complexion turned a little pale.
He couldn’t believe his eyes!
“The Demon Lord is not dead?”
The old man blurted out these words in shock.
“Master…!”
The expression of the phoenix-clothed woman also changed in an instant.
She didn’t understand why her usually apathetic master was suddenly behaving like this.
She looked at Gu Changge again, having already vaguely realized his true identity in her heart. With a cultivation level like so, there were probably not many in the younger generation he could be.
As for the Great Elder, who had been staring at the grey old man with a vigilant expression, he took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions.
The words “Demon Lord” had given him a massive scare.
He couldn’t help looking away, his gaze now landing on Gu Changge.
The taboo existence of the Demon Lord was no stranger to them. Even if the world were to be wiped out, the imprints left by such a monster could still be found in the long river of time.
The Great Elder, even at his level, would be unable to do anything but tremble.
Fear and Despair. It seeped into one’s bones through just the stories that have been told of ‘him’.
These two dreaded words.
Because his existence and actions, had a deep effect on every Realm, and every piece of Heaven and Earth, Time and Space, throughout all domains and myriad spaces.
Recite his true name, and you shall know fear.
The higher the lifeform, the deeper the fear that would be felt.
“What does Fellow Daoist mean?”
The Great Elder asked in a grave tone.
“Oh… It turned out to be just a similar temperament, and that thing, no wonder…”
The tar-coloured old man, staring at Gu Changge closely at this moment, calmed down instead and began talking to himself fervently.
“If there really is a similar flower in this world, it’d be impossible for it to appear on Master.”
“Alas…”
The dark old man’s expression became more and more collected, ignoring the elder’s words.
He then asked Gu Changge, “This old man’s name is Lao Shi, what is yours?”
Gu Changge, who still seemed calm, replied respectfully at this moment, “Gu Changge.”
Yet he was not actually as peaceful as he appeared on the surface.
‘The Demon Lord is not dead?’
Just now, the tar-like old man had blurted this out the moment he saw him.
And Gu Changge felt a terrifying chill that enveloped his whole body at that exact same moment.
To the point where even his Black Dao Bottle couldn’t help but emerge from his Sea of Consciousness, shining with endless black light, intending to fight and resist the inevitable attack.
But the breath of Qi vanished before he knew it.
Therefore, he formed a faint guess in his heart, combined with the memory fragments that emerged in his mind during this period of time.
‘I… am the Demon Lord’
In the life Yue Mingkong experienced, his actions were probably not much different to a demon.
The old stone in front of him was familiar with the Demon Lord, so logically speaking, it shouldn’t be exuding such a frigid killing intent towards him.
Unless the Demon Lord was the one who caused its current state.
In other words, caused by Gu Changge himself.
As for the favour he owed Taoyao?
Filling up the blanks a bit, it was most likely for the kindness of blocking the Demon Lord’s attack.
Of course, this was just his own conjecture, and could be wrong.
Having said that, it was basically undeniable that the Scarlet Demoness, Taoyao, and the Old Stone Lao Shi before him… all possessed inseparable ties to the Demon Lord.
‘How intriguing.’
The scholarly man chuckled nervously, but excitedly as well.
“Gu Changge? It really is you!”
The expression of the woman in phoenix clothes became somewhat clear.
“Gu Changge? So it’s you? I do hope… the flower was mirrored in the end.”
“In this case, it is also a bit reassuring.”
Lao Shi was taken aback again, and said something that the woman in phoenix clothes and the Great Elder both could not understand, before sighing, “Did Taoyao ask you to come to me?”
“Yes, she said that you might be able to solve my problem.”
Gu Changge answered truthfully, showing nothing unusual in his expression.
Hearing the other party speak, it seemed that his guess was not wrong.
Taoyao and Lao Shi’s memories had evident holes.
Otherwise, there would be no confusion about names.
The Great Elder also remained silent at this moment. He understood that Gu Changge was born with a Demonic Nature, but this old stone in front of him was obviously a spirit, so why did it also possess such a frightening Demonic Nature?
Could this be why Gu Changge came to look for him?
“Actually, I’m not too clear about this matter either… Taoyao might think that I have the answers to solve it, since I wasn’t controlled by the Demon Lord even after being contaminated by my master’s blood… But that was just mere happenstance. A superfluous bit of unintended luck…”
“By the way, in Taoyao’s, she probably couldn’t remember anything correctly.”
Lao Shi laughed brightly, “You can’t rely on others for this thing, you can only rely on yourself, and no one can help you. No one at all.”
His tone was ruthless.
Born with a Demonic Nature, how many times has such a thing appeared in the world?
However, without exception, such a person wouldn’t meet a good end.
An ominous star!
The shock in the Great Elder’s heart was even deeper. The Old Stone Lao Shi in front of him actually called the Demon Lord his Master? How could that be?
And how did Gu Changge end up getting involved with him? Mirrored flowers?
His heart grew cloudy, full of doubts.
Lao Shi’s origin was older than his own. Although the Great Elder claimed to have lived an extremely long life, undergoing various tribulations and vicissitudes of life…
He himself knew that it wasn’t even worth mentioning in front of the old stone.
Someone who had lived through the rise and fall of entire eras.
The era of the Demon Lord?
How far back was that? No one could tell clearly, since it was a chaotic, unrecorded ancient history.
Gu Changge nodded with a calm expression, but didn’t say much.
What Lao Shi said was exactly what he wanted to hear.
The problem of the Devil Heart and Demonic Nature was no longer an issue to him. All he really had hoped for was obtaining the favour of this old stone man.
Mirrored flowers? What bullshit was that? He was the Demon Lord, and none can argue otherwise!
Of course, Gu Changge would not say this out loud. According to the current events, apart from Taoyao, Lao Shi, and even the Scarlet Demoness that was now just about to awaken from her deep slumber, all possessed deep feelings of hatred towards him.
Lao Shi just regarded him as a mirrored flower, so he didn’t do anything to him in the end.
However, according to the system prompts, the Scarlet Devil would make no such distinction.
A Demoness seeking vengeance only saw blood as blood!
Nevertheless, Gu Changge wasn’t all that worried. Lao Shi wouldn’t dare. Whether it was power or status, Lao Shi would only end up dragging everyone down to hell alongside him. Comparatively, Gu Changge would be able to at least struggle and survive.
“Senior, have we met before?”
The scholarly man masked his thoughts with an indifferent face, and asked calmly:
“Why does Senior give me a sense of familiarity?”
“What?”
Lao Shi’s face changed slightly again, a little surprised.
He frowned, then asked, puzzled, “A sense of familiarity?”
“When I was practising in the Family, the younger generations always liked to sit cross-legged on some azure stones for one reason or another…”
“But I was never really satisfied with the azure stones they provided.”
“In the end, the azure stone I found for myself was very similar to Senior’s original form…”
On Gu Changge’s face, there was also a ray of confusion as he continued, “It is precisely because of this that I feel a sense of familiarity with Senior.”
Hearing Gu Changge’s words, Lao Shi was stunned, speechless for a long time.
He didn’t doubt the truth of Gu Changge’s words.
Many beautiful and cruel memories faintly passed through the old man’s mind, and he finally let out a long sigh, filled with extremely complicated, conflicting emotions.
Matters of the world have always been two sides of the same coin.
One good and one evil, one beautiful and one ugly.
If it weren’t for that man with red and silver hair, who often sat cross-legged on him to cultivate, and eventually gave rise to his wisdom… wouldn’t he still be a simple azure stone right now?
Compared with those Seven Aperture Immortal Stones, Strange Holy Spirit Stones, and so on…
He was just an ordinary, normal rock.
A butterfly that flapped its wings had caused an earthquake a thousand miles out.
The cause and effect was apparent to him, whether or not he wanted to admit it.
“Perhaps this is the so-called Fate.”
Lao Shi looked at Gu Changge with a much gentler expression now, seemingly for no reason.
In his opinion, the Demon Lord was the most evil existence in the world, and the Gu Changge in front of him may be the mirrored flower that reflected the opposite of his nature.
The ultimate good, birthed from the ultimate evil.
At least, that, was what he so dearly hoped for.
“If you don’t mind, Changge, in the future, should you encounter any difficulty inside the True Immortal Academy, you can always come here to find this old man. After all, I’m sure the Academy still pays attention to this old man’s words somewhat.”
“Outside, I won’t be able to help much, since I can’t leave the Academy in my current state…”
Lao Shi then continued to speak, babbling on to Gu Changge.
Yet his casual words not only surprised the phoenix-robed woman, but also puzzled the Great Elder.
Lao Shi’s attitude towards Gu Changge changed so drastically just because of a few words?
In their view, this situation was too far-fetched
“Senior… what do you mean by this?”
Hearing this, Gu Changge looked surprised, shaking his head, “This is just our first meeting.”
“Hm. It can be regarded as repaying Taoyao’s favour…”
Lao Shi smiled, and waved his hands, “Pay it no heed, Gu Changge.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the woman in phoenix clothes next to him and introduced her.
“This is the old man’s apprentice, Xiyao.”
“Oh? So this is the current ruler of the Demon World, Empress Xiyao?”
“This junior greets Empress Xiyao.”
Gu Changge’s eyes seemed to have noticed it only now, as he bowed respectfully to the woman.
Of course, he had long realized that the woman was Empress Xiyao, and also the fact that the person was merely a Dharma Body filling in for the real deal, not the arrival of her true body.
As the ruler of the Demon World, how could she so easily leave it unattended?
But even the strength of her Dharma Body was at the Quasi-Supreme Realm.
That meant her real body had probably already surpassed the Supreme Realm.
A Supreme Being more than six thousand years old.
It was not an exaggeration to describe this talent as a once-in-a-million-years transcendent.
Six thousand years ago, during the chaos in the Demon World, the name of Empress Xiyao spread from the Demon World into the Upper Realm, shaking all forces and sects, throwing her directly into the limelight at that time.
Then, with great ability and determination, she settled the internal and external troubles, clearing up the chaos amongst the Demonic Clans, and achieving a Great Unification.
Her strength was far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.
Since the birth of the demon world, there have been many demon kings, demon emperors, and even demon immortals…
They naturally held unfathomable backgrounds, for even Supreme Sects and Forces wouldn’t dare to prove them at will, in fear of being completely annihilated or suffering mutual destruction.
Six Demon Emperors were in power before the Great Unification, though in Gu Changge’s view, they were most likely quasi-emperors instead of real emperors.
The luck of the Demon World was not enough to support the birth of six true emperors. Moreover, if they had gone up to the Upper Realm to achieve becoming an Emperor, it would have been difficult to do so without the explicit support of the Demon World.
For Empress Xiyao to unify the Demon World in this desperate situation… truly shocked everyone.
“This Empress also greets Young Master Changge.”
“Although I am far away in the Demon World, I have still heard the many rumours surrounding the Young master. Seeing you today only confirms my suspicion that those rumours are true.”
“In today’s world, I am almost certain that Young Master Changge possesses around 70% of the younger generation’s luck.”
At this time, hearing Gu Changge’s greeting, Xiyao couldn’t help but smile slightly, looking dignified.
As the Empress of the Demon World, flattering her like an ordinary woman was impossible.
Yet she still expressed her good intentions to the young scholar.
With her identity and strength, she didn’t really have to be so.
However, what she saw today from her master, thoroughly shocked her heart and mind.
There were many orthodox cultivators in the Upper Realm, but not many that could really compare with the Demon World’s talents.
After all, the Demon World was located in the centre of the Upper Realm, the place where Dragon Veins gather.
Gu Changge would be just another junior in front of her if not for today.
“Empress Xiyao puts me in too high regard. This Gu is not worthy of the empress’s praise.”
Gu Changge proceeded from there, “Having said that, I have also heard a couple of rumours about the Empress before, though I now know that these rumours are indeed nonsense.”
Xiyao couldn’t help being interested once he said that, and stared at him curiously:
“I don’t really know many rumours about myself, Young Master Changge, just what did you hear?”
The Empress knew what she did six thousand years ago had been spread by some malicious forces to besmirch her reputation and undermine her sovereignty.
For example, rumours that she was rebellious, killed her father, poisoned her fiancé, etc…
“Rumours say that the queen is cruel, merciless, and disrupts the Demon World…”
Gu Changge smiled casually as he spoke.
