Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin This Little Wang Yue was brought out from Purple Mountains by Gu Changge while he was searching for the Seven Tools of World Domination. He had ‘so much on his plate’ back then that he had no time to care for the child. Besides, he recalled that Gu Qingyi had some leisure time on her hands. Thus, he brought Xiao Bai over for her to raise on his behalf. Thus, Gu Qingyi had raised the child until now. She naturally did not forget to bring Xiao Bai along with her when she left the Upper Realm. Thus, they departed the Upper Realm together. It was a complete coincidence for Gu Changge to meet Xiao Bai here, but it was not an unreasonable occurrence either. “Master…” At this moment, Xiao Bai was snivelling loudly with an absolutely aggrieved expression on her face. Not only were her eyes reddened with tears, but her nose also twitched between her sobs. Who could have known that Gu Changge would press his hand firmly against her forehead to prevent her from approaching him? Seeing Gu Changge appearing here had filled her with unimaginable joy, so she quickly ran over to greet him. She had wanted to surprise him with an unexpected reunion and express all her grievances to him. In the end, he turned out to be as cold and ruthless as usual. He held her away from him without hesitation and refused to allow her to get closer. Gu Changge glanced at Xia Bai and shook his head. “I am not your Master. Did you mistaken me for somebody else?” “No course not…” Xiao Bai gave him a grievous look with tears in her eyes and a muffled whimper. [How could I have mistaken him for somebody else? If not because he refused to raise me in the first place, I would not have gone with Master Qingyi instead!] Both Luo Yanxi and Queen Lunar standing nearby were shocked by the scene before them. They did not expect the silver-haired girl to be acquainted with Gu Changge. Not to mention, she had called Gu Changge ‘Master’. They just dared not to ask too many questions, so they could only watch in silence from the side. “Where is Qingyi? Where is she right now?” Gu Changge ignored Xiao Bai’s emotional outburst and asked. He had a pretty good understanding of the young girl’s personality. If Gu Qingyi had been nearby, she would never have addressed him as ‘Master’. On the contrary, she would have avoided him like the plague. Her aggrieved appearance was purely for show. The most likely scenario was that she could no longer bear staying in this place and wanted him to take her away with him, so she was showing him these expressions. Xiao Bai sniffled loudly and answered his question. “Master Qingyi sank into a deep slumber after she brought me here. There has been no movement for the last several hundred years.” “Sank into a deep slumber?” He raised his eyebrows at those words. “That’s right. Master Qingyi is currently sleeping in that palace. Even I do not dare to disturb her for no reason. Unfortunately, I have no idea when she will awaken from her slumber…” She added. At the same time, she pointed at the towering ancient tree located deep in the Lake of Reincarnation. Only a vague outline could be seen in that direction. Nevertheless, both the lofty silhouette of the gigantic tree and the infinite Chaos Qi raining down which seemed to be supporting the entire sky were certainly an amazing sight to behold. Luo Yanxi was once a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, so it was not surprising that her insight was extraordinary. She quickly noticed the peculiarity of the tree. [Is that a sapling from the World Tree or the Tree of Epoch?!] She secretly wondered in her heart. The World Tree and the Tree of Epoch were basically the same thing. It was just that people from different worlds had different names for this primordial Divine Tree. According to the legends, the Tree of Epoch gave birth to all the living creatures in the world. Each leaf on the tree supposedly supported a distinct ancient world. However, those were simply rumours and legends. In the True World where she originally came from, the Tree of Epoch had long since lost its vitality and withered away. They had tried every single method they could conceive, but they could not bring the tree back to life. Therefore, she was extremely shocked to see a sapling that resembled the Tree of Epoch in such a place. Queen Lunar might not have seen the Tree of Epoch before, but she could guess what it was. It was said that the Immortal Domain’s Tree of Epoch was guarded by the Immortal Palace. However, the Immortal Palace collapsed before the start of the Forbidden Epoch. The Tree of Epoch had gone missing at the same time, so it was always suspected that the Tree of Epoch had either been destroyed or stolen. [Why is there a sapling of the Tree of Epoch here?] The presence of this tree combined with the silver-haired girl’s words made Queen Lunar’s astonish to the point of being wordless. She had the feeling that she had gotten implicated in an ancient secret involving many confidential matters of the Immortal Palace… “As expected… Did that happen after you left the Upper Realm?” Gu Changge nodded at the answer and glanced in the direction of the Lake of Reincarnation. The current situation was not very different from his initial speculation, but he had not expected Gu Qingyi to fall into such a deep slumber. On the contrary, he had simply assumed that she was planning something and could not make an appearance in the world for the time being. If she were to appear in the world once more, it would be as the former Grand Palace Master of the Immortal Palace. She would only need to raise a call for action, and the remnants of the Immortal Palace lurking in the shadows would definitely come out of hiding. So many years had passed, and the remnants of the Immortal Palace were still existing in the Floating Nether Realm. What more the countless other ancient worlds and Small Universes? “Let’s go and visit your Master.” After some time, Gu Changge shook his head and asked Xiao Bai to guide him to the Tree of Epoch Sapling. In the past, the Tree of Epoch Sapling that once belonged to the Immortal Domain was stolen and brought to the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. It was the reason for the great war between the Upper Realm and the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, which lasted for countless epochs. When the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains was later breached, Gu Changge snatched the Tree of Epoch for himself and planted it in his Inner Universe. The Tree of Epoch being stolen was the main reason how the entire Upper Realm feel into such a sad state, with all its World Principles broken. The Tree of Epoch was currently planted in the Upper Realm. More specifically, it was located at the Lake of Reincarnation which was personally developed by Gu Changge himself. Needless to say, the Lake of Reincarnation in the Upper Realm and the Lake of Reincarnation in this place were not the same. The cycle of rebirth and reincarnation they governed was also different. Gu Changge had the feeling that Gu Qingyi was planning to develop and create a brand-new True World. Unfortunately, the creation of a brand-new True World was a long and arduous process. Everything was just a prototype at the moment. Even the Land of Reincarnation was only at the beginning stages of its evolution. It was still incomplete. Nevertheless, she was clearly preparing for the future of the Mountains and Oceans True World. Even if the Mountains and Oceans True World got completely destroyed during the Third Great Purge, her efforts would preserve a glimmer of hope for the future. His gaze deepened considerably. He did not actually wish to waste time on such things. The Mountains and Oceans True World was nothing more than a tool he could discard at any time. Despite that being the case, she had paid a huge price to carry out this plan. She did not hesitate to nurture the Tree of Epoch Sapling, even at the expense of falling into a deep slumber. It did not take long for Xiao Bai to guide them to their destination. The silvery surface of the lake seemed quiet and peaceful. Furthermore, there were millions of twinkling lights gathering and drifting in the air before sinking into the middle of the lake. The tranquillity here was a stark contrast compared to the barren and desolate scenery from earlier. The Tree of Epoch Sapling stood tall in the depths of the Lake of Reincarnation. Although it was not yet fully matured, it was already giving off an air of ancient majesty. There were newly-born World Principles growing within the tree as though waiting for the day of their birth. The enormous canopy filled the entire sky, and Chaos Qi rained down from above. Each leaf on the tree contained a Small Universe within them, and they released thunderous rumbling sounds whenever they collided with each other. Queen Lunar could sense the aura of untouched Daos in this place. It was distinctly different from the Daos she felt when she was in the Immortal Domain. Meanwhile, Gu Changge stood at the foot of the tree and raised his head to look at the lush canopy. A magnificent palace sat at the top of the tree, exuding great solemnity and sanctity. The Tree of Epoch might only be a seedling, but its majestic aura was enough to oppress Immortal Kings to the point where they could barely breathe. The ancient and knotted branches shone brightly, surrounded by Immortal Lights and Dao Radiance. He took a step forward, and the golden path extended all the way to the crown of the tree. The majestic oppression simultaneously vanished. It was now impossible for these effects to have any impact on him. Queen Lunar and Luo Yanxi quickly followed behind him. Similarly, Xiao Bai stuck close to him without regard for the disgusted look on his face. In her opinion, he was currently the only person who could take her away from this Hellish place. She did not wish to remain stuck here for another moment longer. Inside the palace, Gu Changge found the sleeping Gu Qingyi lying quietly on the bed with the curtains fluttering gently around her. Her facial features were slim and exquisite while her eyes were bright and clear. These details made her seem like a figure in a drawing. Not to mention, she seemed very peaceful. There was an ethereal atmosphere around her, almost as though she was completely uninvolved in worldly affairs. “Master Qingyi…” Xiao Bai stood by the side and called out softly. She did not know how much longer Qingyi was going to sleep. Queen Lunar did not approach, but she was absolutely stunned by the scene before her. The situation completely subverted her previous understanding of the truth. The person sleeping inside the palace turned out to be the former Grand Palace Master of the Immortal Palace. According to the rumours, she had supposedly perished at the hands of Gu Changge during the Forbidden Epoch. Not even her bones remained after her death. However, she appeared to be in perfect condition. It would seem that she was alive but sleeping here for some inexplicable reason. There were countless rumours claiming that the Grand Palace Master of the Immortal Palace was the Demon Lord’s lover. As for why they eventually became enemies, the reason remained an eternal mystery. Nobody knew the truth. On the other hand, Luo Yanxi was not as surprised as Queen Lunar. She did not originate from this True World after all. She had only heard some of the rumours about Gu Changge. She speculated that many of the events from the past contained various hidden reasons and secrets. It was just like what she previously mentioned when she first started to follow Gu Changge: Gu Changge had his own goals, and everything he did was only to achieve those goals. From the perspective of these two women, Gu Changge stood quietly by the side and was silently studying the sleeping Gu Qingyi. He stretched out his hand as if to stroke the hair around her ears only to suddenly freeze in mid-air. That simple action seemed to contain millions of emotions and complexities. [Is what I’m experiencing a mixture of love and regret? Am I hiding an enormous sense of guilt? Or is this the feeling of helplessness? Could it perhaps be a bit of everything?] Queen Lunar never imagined that Gu Changge, who not only seemed cold and heartless in her eyes but also regarded all living creatures like ants, would ever show such an expression. As a result, the scene before her strengthened her suspicion that many unknown things had happened before the Forbidden Epoch. Innumerable secrets must have been hidden and buried in the flow of time. Otherwise, Gu Changge would not have attacked the Immortal Domain and the Immortal Palace for no reason. “Wait for me outside.” Gu Changge abruptly ordered them to leave the palace. Despite their confusion, they did not dare to question him. It was obvious that there was something weighing on his mind or that he wanted to take this opportunity to say something. After watching the others leave, Gu Changge finally withdrew his palm that was hanging in the air and calmly murmured, “How much longer are you going to sleep?” As soon as the words left his mouth, the eyelashes of Gu Qingyi, whose eyes were originally shut tight, trembled slightly in response. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced at him. Her eyes were calm and peaceful, resembling warm and clear jade or the bright and flawless Moon. “You’re here.” She sat up on the bed. Her complexion seemed rather normal, but she could not conceal her pallor and fatigue. He gave a small nod. He knew that she had not actually fallen into a deep slumber. On the contrary, her consciousness had entered a state of recuperation. She could be awakened from that state by an external stimulus at any time. It was almost like an instinctive ability. When a person was in extremely poor condition, their consciousness would fall into such a state so that they could slowly recover their strength. Considering that Qingyi was the True Spirit of the Mountains and Oceans True World, it was very normal for her to recuperate and recover with such a method. After pondering for some time, he finally shook his head and said, “There is no need for you to squander your Source to nurture the Tree of Epoch Sapling.” She did not answer him. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and stared at him for a moment. She ultimately changed the subject and asked, “Are you going to call me Aunt Qing or Qingyi?” “Is there a difference between the two names?” He seemed a little annoyed by the question. “Of course, there’s a difference.” A mischievous smile appeared on her face, and she continued, “If you call me Aunt Qing, then you might not have regained your previous memories yet. On the other hand, if you call me Qingyi, then you have probably remembered everything by now.” He shook his head and said, “In that case, I will call you Qingyi.” “It would seem that many things have happened in the Upper Realm and the Immortal Domain during this period. That’s great. I can sense your aura again. How reassuring.” Hearing that, she smiled. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against him. He lowered his eyes and glanced at her. His hand that was about to come down stiffened slightly. After further consideration, he chose to place his hand on her head and gently stroke her hair. “There have indeed been many changes in the Upper Realm and the Immortal Domain, but they are probably within your expectations. They won’t have much impact on what happens next,” He softly said. When he incarnated as the Demon Lord, he had travelled across the vast Heavens as a Heavenslayer and rescued Qingyi during the First Great Purge of the Mountains and Oceans True World. The girl, who had always been gentle and compassionate, fell in love with him from that moment onward. That moment also marked the beginning of her fall into depravity. Unfortunately for her, he had always regarded her as a chess piece that could be used or discarded at any time. During the dark ages that took place countless epochs ago, he had taken advantage of the situation and used her emotions against her. He had put on an act for her, effectively keeping the truth hidden from her and fooling the entire world. Even now, she remained completely ignorant of the truth and innocently believed that he was helping her. For that purpose, he even went to the extent of becoming the so-called villainous Demon who brought disaster to the world and bore the alleged crimes for countless epochs. Gu Changge had never felt remorse before, but at this moment, there was a slight reluctance and sadness in his heart for some reason. [Is it because I am reminded of Yue Mingkong, Jiang Chuchu and Gu Xianer, who all went through a similar experience?]