Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin Gu Changge did not stick around in the Ten Thousand Clan Arena. He instructed the Spirit Empress to take the woman with grey hair and eyes with her before leaving. Elder Zhuo Ju of the Zhuo Clan volunteered to handle the rest of the matters. Naturally, even if Gu Changge wanted to take the woman away by force, the Venerable Hong Gui would not dare to stop him. However, since he came under the guise of travelling leisurely, he could not take the woman away without giving anything in return. Since Zhuo Ju wanted to please him by settling everything, he was more than happy to oblige. Of course, Hong Gui dared not seek anything from Gu Changge. She figured that simply establishing a connection with him was beneficial enough. Because of this connection, the Zhuo Clan would look out for her in Breeze Ancient City too. Once they went back to their dwelling, Gu Changge instructed the Spirit Empress to get the woman cleaned up before bringing her over to see him. Though he did not scorn her, when it came to certain things, he thought it was necessary for him to begin with the smaller details first. Gu Changge could easily place a Slave Mark on her heart to force her to submit to him. However, he did not intend to do that. Though a person’s heart and loyalty could easily change, sometimes, the power of the heart was even stronger than any other power. Gu Changge more or less figured out the woman’s past based on what Hong Gui had said. He also divined it himself, and many things coincided with his guesses. Though the woman seemed fierce and violent, it was merely her way of defending herself during her time in the arena, when she lived a life of constant fighting and was surrounded by death. In a place like the arena, she could not protect herself if she did not make herself seem fearsome and ruthless. Similarly, she would rather remain covered in blood than allow herself to be cleaned up. It was also a form of defence. She was actually quite a shrewd individual. She was simply used to hiding under a mask of cruelty and viciousness to protect herself. Naturally, Gu Changge would not have bothered if he had not seen her aptitude with the Dao of Carnage. He needed to nurture people who could be of use to him in the future. Since she was suited to the Dao of Carnage, Gu Changge was willing to be generous and help her. In the future, she would certainly be a useful weapon. [The Zhuo Clan must have heard of this already. Zhuo Fengxie is a lot more cautious than I thought. Still, does he think I won’t notice that he joined Forces with those from the Hun Clan?] Gu Changge did not dwell on this for so long. He began to think about other matters. During his time in Breeze Ancient City, the Zhuo Clan did not do anything. Even though Zhuo Fengxie clearly figured out what he was here for, the latter did not dare to come and confront him. Well, the further along one was in terms of cultivation, the more cautious they would be. After all, they start valuing their lives greatly. Zhuo Fengxie dared not risk his life and the Zhuo Clan’s future, so he could only wait until Gu Changge made his stance known. During this time, the Hun Clan, which was also one of the top Forces of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, started to move. If Gu Changge’s guess was accurate, the hidden experts of the Hun Clan had sensed something and were preparing for it. Thus, what he needed to do now was wait for an opportune moment. If Zhuo Fengxie and the Hun Clan combined Forces, it would be precisely what Gu Changge wanted. Knowing how cautious Zhuo Fengxie was, he would only attempt to figure out Gu Changge’s motives once he was confident enough. Gu Changge was waiting for that moment to come. Before that, the Zhuo Clan and Zhuo Fengxie would continue to interact harmoniously with him. [The combined strength of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family pales in comparison to the Zhuo Clan. So, I can’t rely on them…] Gu Changge shook his head. He would not have needed to consider these many factors if the Spirit Ruin Royal Family had been powerful enough. From the looks of it now, he simply needed to take down the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. It would make it much easier for him to carry out his subsequent plans. Meanwhile, the Primary Hope Civilisation, which the Immortal Spirit Civilisation was subordinate to, did not seem to have noticed what was going on. As a Supreme Civilisation, its power and legacy were far superior to that of Ancient Civilisations. They were able to control destiny and Fortuity. If the Primary Hope Civilisation paid close attention to the changes in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s Fortuity, they would certainly notice that something was amiss. Previously, Gu Changge had simply spied on the Rising Dawn Civilisation, another Supreme Civilisation, from a great distance away. That one action alone was enough to catch the attention of numerous beings. That led to him considering if he should start setting other things up, such as the Source Realm… Meanwhile, after leaving the Ten Thousand Clan Arena, the grey-haired woman brought along by the Spirit Empress was feeling rather dazed. It had been so long since she felt such peace, and it seemed surreal to her. However, she was greeted by the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. She was no longer inside the humid and blood-soaked arena, which was perpetually shrouded in darkness. The clear sky above her was filled with Spiritual Energy. She had not stood peacefully under the sun for a long time now. As she enjoyed the warmth of the sun, she could sense an indescribable yet wonderful aura. This feeling made her recall her childhood. Back then, she lived a carefree life. If she had a choice, she would not have chosen to live like a gutter rat hiding in the shadows surrounded by blood and dirt. Still, she did not know what was going on either. She did not know who Gu Changge was. All she knew was that the owner of the Ten Thousand Clan Arena and the Elder of the Zhuo Clan treated him with respect. Evidently, Gu Changge was someone of great importance. What did he mean by saying she would be joining him from now on? What aspect of her did he take an interest in? Did he want her to kill others for him, or was it something else? Gu Changge was temporarily residing in a palace in the northeastern part of Breeze Ancient City. It was an extremely exquisite location with billowing Immortal Mist. All kinds of Immortal Flowers were in bloom, and the mountains and palaces stretched on into the distance. It was a tranquil location separated from all the bustle. The Spirit Empress led the woman in to change her clothes and clear the dirt and blood on her. This time, the woman did not resist. She complied obediently because she knew there was no use in resisting. She lay inside the bathing pool. Fog rose from the surface of the water that was filled with floating petals. Her grey hair was scattered all around her. It had been too long since she last felt so relaxed and at peace. She wanted to close her eyes and take a nap. The Spirit Empress stared at the woman. She only looked to be about 17 or 18. From her appearance, it would be more apt to call her a young woman. Naturally, she was undoubtedly older than she looked. Despite not understanding why Gu Changge wanted to take in this young woman, the Spirit Empress could vaguely sense that the young woman was special. The method she used to kill her opponent in the arena was not something someone of her cultivation level should be able to do. Now that the stains and blood had been cleared off the young woman’s face, her features could be clearly seen. She had a small face and nose. Her eyes were grey, which gave off a sense of coldness and aloofness. However, there were gruesome scars all over her face, though it was unknown whether they had been inflicted by others or she had done them to herself. It was quite horrifying to look at. Furthermore, her body was also covered in scars left by various weapons. They had left clear marks on her. The grey-haired young woman had the power of a True Immortal. If she wanted to, she could have gotten rid of these scars, but she left them on purpose. The Spirit Empress shook her head. She took out a white porcelain bottle from her sleeve and set it down while saying quietly, “The Young Master instructed me to leave this for you. The medicine in this bottle is the best for treating injuries. It will heal all your injuries and restore you to your old self.” “When you’re with the Young Master, you don’t have to worry about anything. You don’t need to rely on your old methods to protect yourself.” “Well, I’m leaving the medicine here. It’s up to you whether you wish to take it. No one will force you. Once you’re done with your bath, you’ll find some clothes suitable for you over here, so you can get changed. I’ll wait for you outside.” The Spirit Empress left after she finished speaking. On the other hand, the young woman in the bathing pool was a little stunned by what she had just heard. She did not expect the Spirit Empress to say those things and feel at ease enough to leave her alone in the palace without fearing that she would seize this chance to escape. That being said, the young woman figured the Spirit Empress had unfathomable power and need not worry about such things. Still, it felt like a blessing to have a moment of freedom without anyone keeping an eye on her. [Restore me to my old self?] The young woman turned to look at the white porcelain bottle sitting nearby. Her gaze was both yearning and hesitant. If not out of necessity, who would not choose to keep themselves clean and pretty? But, those were luxuries that her past self could not afford. On the first day she was threatened and forcefully brought to the arena, she saw the blatantly greedy looks in the eyes of the other deathsworns and knew what could happen to her in the future. Thus, without even hesitating, she carved up her face right before the crowd of deathsworns and allowed the blood to flow all over her. True enough, once she did that, those greedy lustful gazes vanished. However, that was not enough. Some did not mind an ugly face. They could simply avoid looking at her… Thus, blood and dirt became her constant companion. She gave off a foul stench all year round that would make others vomit. Thanks to that as well as her cold and vicious temper, the others finally stopped setting their sights on her. With great difficulty, she managed to protect herself throughout her time in the darkness of the arena. She did not know how much longer she could hold on. She did not know how long the endless days of killing would go on and when she could finally see the end. Sometimes, she longed for death. It was better to be killed by her opponent than to continue living in torment. However, she could not do so. She had to protect her Little Sister and her Clansmen. If she died in the arena, either her Sister or her other Clansmen would be captured to replace her, and they would live out the life she lived. She could not bear to see her Little Sister going through the things she did. “Can I… really?” She stared at the white porcelain bottle with longing eyes. … Meanwhile, over at Elder Zhuo Wu’s territory deep within the Zhuo Clan. Inside a resplendent palace, a captivatingly beautiful woman was expressionlessly combing her hair. She did not wear any rouge or powder. She had slender brows, a dainty nose, and red lips. Her long hair added to her beauty, and her fair and slender neck was enchantingly beautiful. However, if one looked closer, one would notice the sternness hidden in her dark golden eyes. “As expected of the disciple I chose. Who would’ve thought that such a breathtakingly beautiful face would be hidden under your previous features?” Zhuo Wu stood with her hands behind her back and nodded in satisfaction as she observed Mu Yan. She chose Mu Yan to be her disciple as well as her vessel. Mu Yan’s talents and appearance satisfied her greatly as the former was far more beautiful than her current appearance. Back in the Frost Fire Hell, Zhuo Wu had not noticed that Mu Yan had disguised her features. She only realised it after bringing Mu Yan back to the Clan. Mu Yan listened to Zhuo Wu without reacting. She continued to comb her hair without any expression on her face. Zhuo Wu did not mind. She continued, “For now, continue to hone your cultivation with the Techniques I taught you. In a few days, I’ll announce that I have taken in a disciple. Don’t embarrass me during the initiation ceremony. I’m counting on you to make me proud.” “Also, don’t forget who you are now. You’re someone I stumbled across during my travels. You no longer have anything to do with your past self.” As a Heavenly Elder of the Zhuo Clan, Zhuo Wu had high standing. She was as powerful as a Dao Realm expert, who had passed through their Third Decay Tribulation. Therefore, the fact that she had taken in a disciple was something that needed to be announced to the world. She was going to hold an initiation ceremony. It was not just the Zhuo Clan who would be attending. The other Major Clans and Forces of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation would also be attending and offering congratulatory gifts.