Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin Having experienced his First Spiritual Transformation, the strength of the person standing next to Zhuo You was comparable to cultivators in the Immortal Dao Civilisation who had gone through their First Decay Tribulation. However, there remained a trace of fear and horror in his eyes when he opened his mouth to speak. He clearly had not forgotten what happened back then. With just a single palm strike from afar, those who was only slightly weaker than Zhuo You had been obliterated. If they had not escaped quickly enough, they would have been buried there forever and their Spiritual Energy would have been erased from the world. “Why was such a person in a Nascent True World!? Unbelievable! Normally, only the Supreme Civilisations have the qualifications to produce such an existence…” Another person inside the cabin fearfully exclaimed. The figure next to him whispered, “Regardless, we are safe for the time being. That mysterious man has not caught up to us. We only need to pass through the barrier ahead, and then we can safely return to our homeland. Lady Zhuo You has already sent news back to the Clan, so I’m sure somebody powerful will come and help us soon enough.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the others calmed down considerably and stopped being as tense as before. Meanwhile, Zhuo You stared intently at the crystal wall in front of her. Those reassuring words did not make her relax nor lose her vigilance. After all, her memories of the incident in the Prosperous Dao True World remained vivid in her mind. She could not forget that horrifying figure. Just his Dharma Body alone was already powerful beyond imagination. If his True Body were to arrive in person, how much more unimaginable would his strength become? Even if her Grandfather were to come, he would definitely be as scared and horrified as she was. It was impossible to even think about resistance! Besides, she remained uneasy even after escaping from the Prosperous Dao True World. It felt as though she was being watched from the shadows. She suspected that the mysterious man had not chased after them, but he was paying close attention to her actions and whereabouts through another method. Her suspicions made her unease grow stronger and stronger. She repeatedly looked into herself but did not discover anything unusual. Nevertheless, she had an intuition that things would not end so easily. “As long as we pass through the barrier ahead, we can safely return to our homeland. I hope none of my concerns will come true…” She softly sighed. Then, she suddenly recalled the words of Gu Wuwang. He had claimed that she would bring unimaginable disasters and catastrophes to the Civilisation supporting her, and that she was the sinner of the entire Civilisation and her Clan. All of a sudden, she involuntarily shuddered in fear. The mysterious man could easily kill Zhuo Hua, who was only slightly weaker than her, with a single palm strike. So, why did he leave them alone? Was it because he was being compassionate? Or, did he have other intentions? “Could it be that he allowed us to leave on purpose? Was his target not us, but the Civilisation behind us?” The thought abruptly struck Zhuo You, and the chill running down her spine grew stronger. In fact, she could not hide the expression of suspicion and horror on her face. From the beginning until the end, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation had always been the Hunters targeting and invading other True Worlds. But now, they had become the hunted instead. “Oh, no…” As soon as she understood everything, her expression changed drastically and her whole body went cold in fear. Boom! At this moment, the ancient battleship that resembled a round flying shuttle, abruptly began to tremble violently as though struck by a monstrous force from the sky. Countless complicated and ancient patterns ignited with blazing lights in an instant, but they were swiftly extinguished and became very dim. This phenomenon caused the entire ancient battleship to violently shudder, like a star caught in the middle of a boundless Dao Storm. The expressions of Zhuo You and her Clansmen changed drastically. Simultaneously, a petrifying sense of fear appeared out of nowhere and quietly flooded their hearts. “An enemy!? Has that mysterious man caught up to us?” The strong men in the cabin looked extremely terrified and horrified. It felt as though there was an unparalleled force attacking the battleship, tearing apart the numerous Arrays to reach towards them. Even Zhuo You could not hide the fear on her face at this moment. The powerful force resembled a violent storm, tearing them apart like dried and withered leaves. It was completely beyond their means to resist. Boom! The ancient battleship began to shake violently again, and the crystal wall in front of them shattered. A horrifying gap emerged in the crystal wall, and then a stooped old man in black robes appeared before them with his face hidden under the hood. His aura was very ancient and rotten, almost as though he had been buried in the ground for countless years. Be that as it may, this rotten aura could not conceal the terrifying malice that could cause a person’s Soul to freeze from fear. A fierce light shone brightly in his deeply sunken eyes, making him resemble a ferocious beast that could devour a person at any time. “Heh, heh, heh… You are really good at hiding, aren’t you? I can’t believe you were hiding here. I nearly couldn’t find you.” The Black-Robed Elder gave a strange cackle and walked out from the crack in the shattered crystal wall. Sweeping his gaze over the frightened Zhuo You and her Clansmen, he gave a satisfied nod as though he was taking stock of the goods. Zhuo You and the others felt their skulls tingling in fear. Even their Spiritual Energy seemed to become stagnant. The strength of this Black-Robed Elder was far beyond them. Even their Founding Ancestor, who had experienced his Fifth Spiritual Transformations, was nothing in front of this Black-Robed Elder. They did not know when they had offended such a strange individual that he would tear apart their defensive Arrays and appear before them with such arrogance. Furthermore, his expression indicated that he thought nothing of them at all. He was acting as though he could crush them to death at any time. Such hostility inadvertently reminded them of an existence in the Boundless Expanse known as the ‘Lunatics’. “Senior, what is your reason for coming here? I am a member of the Zhuo Clan of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, and my Ancestor is Zhuo Fengxie…” Zhuo You did not know the purpose of the Black-Robed Elder, so she could only force herself to maintain her composure and introduce herself. At the same time, she mentioned the name of her Ancestor in hopes of intimidating the other party. After all, the Zhuo Clan of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation was quite famous among several Civilisations. Their Founding Ancestor, Zhuo Fengxie, was an existence comparable to a figure in the True Dao Realm. In other words, a person who had essentially survived Five Decay Tribulations. Zhuo You, herself, was comparable to a Dao Realm expert, who had survived Three Decay Tribulations. If she could obtain the embers of the Immortal Dao Civilisation’s Immortal Flame Core and refine the Source Matter from those embers, then she would have hope of undergoing her Fourth Spiritual Transformation and reaching the level of her Grandfather. Be that as it may, there were differences in one’s strength even among those who had undergone the Fourth Spiritual Transformation. Although the gap was not meticulously divided into Minor Realms like the Early, Intermediate, and Advanced Stages, the years spent cultivating and accumulating would naturally affect the difference in strength within the cultivation realm. Nonetheless, any individual who had just survived their Fourth Decay Tribulation would still be able to easily slaughter an existence who had only survived until their Third. The feat was possible due to the overwhelming change in strength between each Decay Tribulation. In other words, the more advanced one progressed, the greater the gap in strength between each Decay Tribulation. Zhuo You was hoping to use her Founding Ancestor’s name to intimidate the Black-Robed Elder, but it was clear that her hopes were dashed. The Black-Robed Elder simply cackled strangely and reached out his hand toward Zhuo You and the others as though he was grabbing at a group of chickens. Meanwhile, Zhuo You and the others were horrified to realise that they could not move a single muscle. It was as though they had been imprisoned in place. “I don’t care who your Grandfather is. If you know what’s good for you, then quietly follow me. At the very least, you’ll be able to live. The Young Master has instructed me to capture you alive.” Needless to say, the Black-Robed Elder was the White Bone Ancestor King. It could be said that he regarded the Founding Ancestor that Zhuo You mentioned with great contempt. If not for Gu Changge’s existence, he could have dominated and ruled over the nearby Civilisations by now. After all, he was on the verge of reaching the Ancestral Dao Realm. He had gotten accustomed to the freedom of anarchy before he encountered Gu Changge. The number of True Worlds and Civilisations that he destroyed in the past was not small. Therefore, for him to be sent by Gu Changge to capture these people was akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. When Zhuo You heard those words, the realisation suddenly struck her. She could already guess the identity of the ‘Young Master’ whom the Black-Robed Elder mentioned. [To think such a person is merely one of his servants…] Bitterness filled her heart. At this point, she knew that it was impossible for her to escape. The concerns that plagued her earlier had come true. She had truly brought an unimaginable catastrophe down on the Civilisation and Clan behind her. The White Bone Ancestor King was not aware of what had happened between Zhuo You, Gu Changge, and her Clansmen. He only came here under orders. With a wave of his large hand, he immediately captured Zhuo You and the others. Then, their figures became hazy and swiftly vanished from the crack in the crystal wall. Inside the ancient battleship of the Spirit Ruin Civilisation, Gu Changge sat in the highest seat with his eyes closed as though resting. However, his slender fingers constantly tapped against the handle unhurriedly. Each finger was as fair and flawless as jade. Moreover, his rhythmic movements seemed to control the endless Dao Principles. The Spirit Empress, Wan Yanxiu, and the others were also standing respectfully in the great hall. It was just that nobody said anything, so much so that one could hear a needle falling to the ground. “You’ve finally returned.” All of a sudden, Gu Changge opened his eyes and glanced outside. Upon hearing his statement, the others also glanced in that direction. The void turned hazy, and a slightly stopped figure in black robes appeared. It was the White Bone Ancestor King, and he seemed to be holding something in his hands. At his current cultivation, he could control the size and dispersion of matter as he pleased. He might have randomly reached out to grab with his hand earlier, but he had already formed a world that encompassed everything in that movement. “Greetings Young Master.” When the White Bone Ancestor King arrived at the great hall, he immediately bowed at Gu Changge who was sitting on the main seat. Only then did he toss the captured Zhuo You and others on the ground before him with a wave of his hand. Gu Changge nodded slightly. “You’ve worked hard.” After that, he glanced at the scared and distressed Zhuo You and others who seemed to be in shock. He might have only shown his Dharma Body in the Prosperous Dao True World, but they clearly recognised his figure at this moment. Their emotions fluctuated wildly at the realisation, and they could not conceal their fear. The living creatures in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation had strange methods of survival, but Zhuo You and the others had maintained their Humanoid Form. It was just that part of their faces was flat compared to normal. “Do you recognise me?” Gu Changge casually asked. Zhuo You and the others had already guessed that the ‘Young Master’ mentioned by the White Bone Ancestor King was Gu Changge. Even so, they could not conceal their fear at this moment. “O-Of course, we recognise you.” Zhuo You answered, forcefully suppressing the terror in her heart and doing her best to remain calm. Nevertheless, her trembling voice and emotional fluctuations revealed the fear in her heart. The Spirit Empress and Wan Yanxiu watched the scene curiously. They did not know what had happened between Gu Changge and these creatures that the White Bone Ancestor King brought back for them to be so scared of him. After all, the aura of these creatures was not inferior to the Ancestors of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family standing in the great hall. They were comparable to Dao Realm existences in strength. In any case, neither Spirit Empress nor Wan Yanxiu dared to ask any questions despite their curiosity. Gu Changge’s abilities were beyond their speculation. “That’s good. Then, you should know why I sent my subordinate to capture you.” Gu Changge continued to speak in a nonchalant manner with barely any fluctuations in his voice. Zhuo You’s mouth went dry, but she mustered her courage to answer. “I believe I already know.” At this moment, she was filled with utmost regret. She believed that her coveting the Prosperous Dao True World was the cause of the disaster looming over them, and they honestly deserved the punishment. Everything had turned out just as the Gu Wuwang had predicted. Even the weakest among those who had gathered in the great hall were in the Dao Realm, and their numbers were not few either. Zhuo You did not know how many other subordinates Gu Changge had that were on a similar level. Besides, Gu Changge’s strength alone had already surpassed the extent of their imagination. “Good.” Gu Changge stood up from his seat and leisurely walked down the steps with a faint smile. “I originally planned to destroy the Civilisation behind you, but I’ve changed my mind now. I want to make use of your Civilisation instead. Will you help me?” When Zhuo You and the others heard those words, they involuntarily shuddered in fear. The topic was obviously about the annihilation of an entire Civilisation, but Gu Changge made the conversation sound like a task that was as simple as crushing an ant to death. His tone clearly indicated his utter contempt and indifference. The expressions of Wan Yanxiu and the others also twitched slightly in response. “Hmm? Are you unwilling?” Seeing the frightened expressions on the faces of Zhuo You and the others as well as how they did not dare to make a sound, Gu Changge placed more emphasis on his words with another small smile. Zhuo You’s expression changed greatly. It felt as though she was drowning in extreme fear, and her mind was about to wither away from the pressure. She did not dare to make the slightest sound at this moment, let alone contemplate anything. After all, she did not know what consequences she might face if she shook her head or even dared to say the word ‘No’. The Clansmen behind her were equally as terrified. Some of them could no longer withstand the oppression and tremblingly collapsed to the ground. They hurriedly answered. “W-We agree.” Seeing that, she could only bite the bullet and hastily agreed. “Of course, we’re willing.” Even ants would strive to survive, let alone them. However, she had the feeling that Gu Changge was perfectly capable of forcing her to agree even if she refused. She could feel it in the depths of her Soul, she never had a choice in the first place. Gu Changge was not surprised by their reaction and simply smiled faintly. “I’ve always appreciated intelligent people. If you’re quick-witted, that will save me some trouble.” Needless to say, he was not worried that they might refuse. Even if they refused, he was perfectly capable of controlling their Wills. It was just that those methods would be more troublesome. Not to mention, it was much easier for variables to appear using this method and attract the attention of more than his first targets. Unlike the Spirit Ruin Civilisation, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation was not a lone entity. It was subordinated to a Supreme Civilisation known as the Primary Hope Civilisation. If he chose to take direct action, unexpected troubles might arise. He might even cause unnecessary trouble and attract the attention of other more powerful Civilisations in the Boundless Expanse. Although he himself did not care for such concerns, the power that he had amassed so far was not enough to dominate the Boundless Expanse just yet. It was only natural that he had to be more careful than usual.