Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin A clear fragrance was still spreading through the sky as divine light showered across the lands like a storm that was enriching everything. The divine light that cut through the sky behaved like chains that connected the void, and sucked up the essence of Heaven and Earth. Everyone was still too thunderstruck to react. Just moments ago, those three True Daoists had come off so strong as they arrogantly shouted at Gods’ Ruins. They gave off the terrifying aura of True Daoists, but in the blink of an eye, they had been refined into a pill. Not a single trace of them remained now. It was as if they had been wiped from existence. It was truly a shocking turn of events. Everyone was shaken to the core and could not quieten their emotions. Atop the ancient battleships, the army of riders on their beasts, armed with heavenly weapons, were also sporting looks of horror. They never considered the possibility of such an alarming being hiding inside Gods’ Ruins. None of them had seen how the being struck, but alas, three True Daoists had been turned into a Life Pill right there in front of their eyes. Their Source had been turned into medicine to nourish Empress Huang Yu. “We can only wait until the True Ancestors and the others arrive. Otherwise, we would only be marching to our doom. Just that woman in white alone is more powerful than a True Daoist. She is definitely comparable to a hidden expert.” “The Lord of Gods’ Ruins is even more terrifying. Could it be that the being was once an Immortal?” Some of the Quasi-Nirvana Realm experts who stayed hidden this whole time were sporting expressions of fear and unease. They trembled in terror as they did not expect this trip to be this perilous. As the vanguard, it seemed as if they were indeed marching into the valley of death. At the very next moment, a monstrous fluctuation shot out of Gods’ Ruins. An enormous black hand appeared. It seemed to be made out of solidified Grand Runes. The void around it shattered and Principles exploded. Even the world itself could not withstand such an aura. Rumble! As soon as that alarming hand emerged from Gods’ Ruins, all the stars began to shake. It felt as if the entire Resplendence Universe was on the verge of collapsing from the mighty aura. The ancient battleships began to crumble like ice under a blazing sun. Cracks webbed across them. All on board were filled with dread and despair. They had no time to escape. They did not even have the time to cry out in horror. Puffing sounds were all that could be heard and they turned into clouds of blood. In just the blink of an eye, the ancient battleships that loomed over the Northern Dipper Star Territory exploded into a shower of dust. Then, silence! All at once, everything fell dead silent. Those who witnessed what happened were gaping in shock. What kind of terrifying power was that? Just a single strike alone was all it took to take out the massive army. “They’re all gone…” “The army that came was wiped out just like that.” The ancient beings hiding inside their Forbidden Areas spoke with trembling voices. They never thought they would ever witness such a sight in person. If they had not been mistaken, there were a few True Daoists hidden among the ancient battleships. For that brief moment, the aura and fluctuations that exploded out of them rocked the universe. Alas, it had all been in vain. What was destined to be destroyed had indeed been destroyed. Their bodies crumbled, their weapons shattered, and all that became of them were a sky full of dust. “Is that the power of an Immortal…” “There’s an Immortal inside Gods’ Ruins.” They could not resist getting on their knees and bowing in respect towards Gods’ Ruins with the utmost humility. “Prime Ancestor…” Over at that platform deep within the Ascension Celestial Dynasty, a myriad of Grand Runes bloomed as the shocking smell of medicine spread out. It felt as if everyone could ascend to heaven and become Immortal right there and then. The Emperor of Ascension Celestial Dynasty kneeled humbly as he paid his respects with excitement in his eyes. He was not the only one. All of the Ascension Celestial Dynasty’s citizens had seen what happened. Divine light breached the sky and a clear, bright light interweaved in the air as well as little flames in the shape of Celestial Phoenixes flickered in the air. It looked like a Nirvana rebirth. Empress Huang Yu was about to be reborn! This was what all the natives inside the Northern Dipper Star Territory thought. The shocking pill earlier that the Lord of Gods’ Ruins had given her was giving her a new life. Right now, that place was coursing with life. The entire universe felt the fluctuations of a peerless Immortal. “The vanguard has died. None of them survived. It seems to me that Resplendence Universe isn’t as simple as we thought.” “We didn’t even get any of their last images before they died. An Absolute Being has cut off that universe to prevent any divine senses from transmitting messages out…” “It’s quite possible that a being like that brought the Tree of Epoch here back then.” The formidable figures on board the other ancient battleships that were rushing over to Resplendence Universe were engaging in quiet discussions. Shrouded in light, their true bodies were not clearly visible, but their unparalleled aura gave off fluctuations that made all the surrounding stars crumble into dust. There was no doubt that they were from the same Force. However, they were not the hidden experts who only came forth because their lives were nearly coming to an end. They were still at the peak of their cultivation. Their aura flourished in all their glory. Hidden experts were vastly different from True Daoists even though they were currently all in the Nirvana Realm. The difference was akin to Heaven and Earth. The hidden experts were as close to the Immortal Realm as they could possibly be. One could even say that they had a foot in the doorway already. All they needed was to comprehend a little more about the Immortal Dao and quench in Immortal Principles. It was undisputed in the Upper Realm that a hidden expert could kill a True Daoist with a single strike. “No matter how strong of an opponent there is, they can’t possibly be stronger than us. Once we charge over with our Immortal Grade Artifacts, even those of the same cultivation level as us would end up with nothing but hatred and resentment.” “The Tree of Epoch is over there. Once we get our hands on it, find a way to comprehend the missing Principles, and become the first to become Immortals, we would then have to consider how to put up a resistance against the other Forces who come after us.” They began discussing their plan of action. None of them thought that there was a being within Resplendence Universe that would pose a threat to them. This confidence stemmed from the fact that they were the most powerful in this era. They would not die unless others of the same cultivation level ganged up on them. Meanwhile, Gu Changge was sitting inside Gods’ Ruins with a quiet and profound expression. He did not pay any attention to the living beings inside the Northern Dipper Star Territory. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the distant edge of the universe. The vanguard had been eliminated but the army behind them was his real target. All his efforts would be in vain if none of the hidden experts showed up. He went to great lengths to set all of this up specifically for this very day. So what if the Age of Immortal Ascension was upon them? These leaks were meant to be his for the reaping. He was not going to let a single one of them escape. Right now, he was waiting for the hidden experts to fall into his trap. His plans would get affected by other things if the Immortal Domain began to establish a connection with the Upper Realm. Therefore, what he needed to do now was have a breakthrough into the Immortal Realm as soon as possible. Then, he would use the Dao Fruits and resources the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being left behind to reach even higher cultivation realms, as well as refine that drop of Demon Lord’s True Blood. These were Gu Changge’s next steps. Whoosh! A gentle breeze was followed by wisps of mist as Tao Yao returned to Gods’ Ruins with a look of confusion on her flawless face. She did not understand. Based on her knowledge of Gu Changge, he would not have chosen to revive that Empress from the Ascension Celestial Dynasty. At a time like this, a True Daoist was no help to him at all. She was entirely of no value. Did he simply pity her? In the past, Gu Changge would never have displayed such emotion. “You’re a lot more human now than the person I knew you as in the past,” Tao Yao said softly. Gu Changge laughed and looked at her. “In that case, you should tell me what you think of me.” His remark made Tao Yao sink into her memories. At the time, she had merely been a tiny Demonling peach tree living on a riverbank within the Nether. The mist and miasma ate at her all year long, but her cultivation was too low for her to change her form and leave. She could only put up with the torment. There were many Demons along the riverbanks of Nether, and no shortage of brutal ones at that. One day, a little girl who loved wearing red was hunting down a Demon and suddenly barged into the Nether. She was extremely powerful. Even though she was young, she was not any less skilled than the Elders of Sects. She was able to kill off a Demon who had been cultivating for many years. Later on, Tao Yao often saw that girl in red coming over to kill Demons and cultivate her Sword Technique. The girl in red had a beautiful face with clear, bright eyes. Her willowy brows matched her soulful eyes and jade-like nose. If she were any older, she would have been the breathtaking beauty who could bring nations down with just her looks. In the beginning, Tao Yao had been very afraid of her. She felt that the girl’s murderous aura was particularly intense. A lot of the formidable Demons died at her hands. She was merely a tiny Demonling who could not even change forms. One day, for some reason, that girl in red noticed her, and after tiring herself out from her training, she sat under the peach tree and said that peach blossoms were beautiful. She even asked when the peach blossoms would bloom. Tao Yao did not speak. She simply listened in silence. Then, the girl in red began to tell her a lot of stories. It was as if the girl had found someone to vent all the things on her mind to. Out of everything, what she spoke of the most was her Master. Her Master was an incredibly powerful and impossibly enigmatic person who often sat atop the mountain peak as if he had his eyes on eternity. Everyone feared him. Even the most formidable of all Demons would tremble at the mention of his name. The Successors of the most ancient Forces dared not fly when passing through this area. Even those who taught Dao to everyone were too afraid to say his name. Everyone called him Mo (Or Devil in Chinese), the Lord of all Demons. “Honyi told me that her Master was very strict with her. Sometimes, he would even punish her for her mistakes in her mastery of the Sword Technique by tossing her into the abyss behind the mountains. He also often withheld her meals. Even so, Honyi said that since her Master had rescued her from bandits, when she grew up, she wanted to marry him. She didn’t want him to be alone…” Gu Changge had a rare look of calmness on his face as he quietly listened to Tao Yao’s story. However, memories flooded his mind, and they slowly overlapped with what Tao Yao was telling him. “Later on, once Honyi and I became well-acquainted, she wanted to take me away from the Nether. She said it was too lonely on the mountains and there wasn’t anyone else to accompany her Master when she left to focus on her cultivation.” “At the time, I really wanted to leave the Nether too. I was also curious to know what kind of person her Master was. Therefore, Honyi took both me and the rock where she rested all the time on, which was about to become sentient, back to the mountain.” As Gu Changge listened to these words, images began to form before his eyes. Tao Yao, that ancient rock at the Immortal Academy, and the Demoness in red, Chan Honyi… This was the abyssal connection between them. Gu Changge knew what followed next and did not need Tao Yao to tell him. However, he was still interested in finding out what he was like in Tao Yao’s eyes. Many of the old memories that had been sealed up for a long time were like old mirrors that showed nothing more than a fuzzy silhouette. They were all hazy scenes, and if the dust could not be wiped off them, then the memories were nothing more than dust too. “The Immortal Palace, Qingyi…” All of a sudden, Gu Changge recalled something. He named Chan Honyi, Honyi because of someone. His initial meeting with Qingyi happened far too long ago, so long that there was no such thing as the Immortal Palace back then. Rumble! Suddenly, outside Gods’ Ruins. Inside the Ascension Celestial Dynasty, a formidable aura suddenly emerged and light pierced through the sky. Then, everyone heard the cries of a Celestial Phoenix that rocked the universe. Dew-like petals began to dance in the air as dazzling Godly Flames lit up and a Celestial Phoenix glittering with divine light flew out of the flames. Just a wisp of her aura was enough to make the entire Northern Dipper Star Territory tremble. This scene was akin to a living being suddenly reaching enlightenment. All kinds of strange and shocking sights appeared. Everyone bowed humbly in respect. Empress Huang Yu had awakened. She had been reborn in fire. The tall, slender figure dressed in a phoenix dress stood proudly and peerlessly in the air. “Thank you, Senior, for reviving my body and giving me the chance to live again. Huang Yu will never be able to repay you for your kindness.” She could not hide her agitation and sense of gratitude from her captivating face as she bowed towards Gods’ Ruins. Although her body had died, she left a bit of her soul and her obsessive attachment within her skull. Nevertheless, she did not think she would come back to life in this manner countless years later. This was a Heaven-defying move. Even she could not see through the mysteries of this. However, Empress Huang Yu knew full well that the Senior inside Gods’ Ruins had only taken her in for a time and taught her for a while. He was not her Master. Her relentless search had only been a one-sided desire of hers. That being said, the Senior was willing to bring her back to life once more. His act of kindness had given her new life.