Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin Chu Lian was doubtful and puzzled, which was why he was cautious. He tried to converse with the Artifact Spirit of the Sphere of Ambition in his mind, but it did not respond to him as though it had fallen asleep. Left with no choice, he could only calm himself down and play it by ear. He did not know whether the horrific being that the Artifact Spirit had mentioned was one of these people. He noticed the Spirit Empress’ behaviour. She was close to this good-looking young man. It seemed like that they were friends. Just now, the two of them were even whispering among themselves on the hilltop. The black-robed old man whose power was inscrutable was probably the young man’s old servant who was responsible for ensuring his safety. As for the alluring woman with a curvy figure, she was probably his maidservant. It seemed that the young man surely had a powerful background. He was probably from a wealthy Family. Just as Chu Lian was ready to ask some questions, Ming Xiu took the initiative to introduce Gu Changge to him with a smile. “Senior Brother Chu Lian, he’s Young Master Gu. He’s Lady Huang’s Cousin. Lady Huang was waiting for his arrival earlier.” “They’re Cousins?” Chu Lian was startled when he heard that the young man was surnamed Gu. It was a rare surname, and he had never heard that any powerful Family had the surname Gu. Therefore, he was vigilant. Just then, Gu Changge stopped sizing Chu Lian up. As though knowing what was on his mind, he said with a smile, “Ling Huang has told me a lot about you, Brother Chu Lian. I admire your great ambitions very much.” The Spirit Empress put on a smile and explained, “You don’t have to worry, Young Master Chu Lian. My Cousin admires people like you. He always compliments any ambitious person. Previously, I talked about what you had achieved to him and he was all praise for you. He found it necessary to meet you. It so happened that he was coming to this place as well, which was why I was waiting for his arrival.” Chu Lian swept a glance over the Spirit Empress and Gu Changge. It did not feel like they were Cousins. That was because Gu Changge only looked dispassionately at the Spirit Empress. It did not seem like they were close. He looked like a condescending person who had the power to end anyone’s life as he pleased. Chu Lian snapped back to reality and cupped his fists. “I see. Are you also displeased with the atrocities that the Spirit Ruin Royal Family has committed, Young Master Gu?” Regardless of the relationship between Gu Changge and the Spirit Empress, the most important thing for Chu Lian was to quickly leave this place. The Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit did not answer his question. He speculated that the horrific being had probably returned. The Artifact Spirit did not dare to show any anomalies to prevent the other party from discovering it. “With great power comes great responsibilities. Unfortunately, the Spirit Ruin Royal Family has been making the people suffer. The different Clans are displeased with them. They’ll surely suffer a backlash sooner or later.” Gu Changge kept a faint smile on his face. He was surprised that something seemed to have noticed him when he arrived earlier. Then, he restricted his aura and showed no anomaly. He speculated that it was because of the Supreme Treasure that Chu Lian carried with him. The Supreme Treasure had a spirit of its own and had chosen an owner. The moment he arrived, the spirit detected his presence and informed its current owner about it. Supposedly, a Supreme Treasure with an Artifact Spirit would choose a new owner when there was a more powerful cultivator. Just like people, Artifact Spirits preferred to follow stronger cultivators. Most of the time, it was the Supreme Treasures choosing their owners, not the other way around. Although Chu Lian was slightly special with an unpredictable fate, he was too weak. He could not keep the Supreme Treasure if someone else snatched it away from him. It was likely that the Supreme Treasure could not choose a new owner for some reason for the time being, which was why it decided to warn its current owner. Or, perhaps Chu Lian had gotten the Supreme Treasure’s acknowledgement. Gu Changge found the second possibility unrealistic. He decided to look for a chance to communicate with the Supreme Treasure. After all, it was a Supreme Treasure which could turn an ordinary person into a Variable. Given his power, Gu Changge still could not make such a treasure. Thus, it must have a profound background. When he was sizing Chu Lian up earlier, he could confirm that Chu Lian had broken free from the limits of his aptitude and could be considered a Variable. This Variable was not like Ni Chen from the Prosperous Dao True World who he had helped deliberately concealed his Heavenly Secrets and fate to form the illusion of him being a Variable. Instead, Chu Lian was a true Variable after becoming the owner of this Supreme Treasure. “Young Master Chu Lian, have you found the valuable item left behind by your parents?” said the Spirit Empress caringly to cleverly change the topic. Upon hearing that, Chu Lian came to his senses and shook his head. “I searched around the area where it was most likely lost but could not find anything. I guess it was taken by someone or lost somewhere else.” At the mention of this, he appeared sorrowful. Ming Xiu promptly consoled him by saying, “Don’t be too sad, Senior Brother. Perhaps you’ll discover you didn’t lose it. You might have forgotten where you had put it.” Chu Lian forced a smile. He did not seem like he was in a good mood. Although he was doubtful about Gu Changge’s identity, he did not ask any questions. Be it the black-robed old man or the alluring woman, he could not defeat either of them. He told them he decided to leave this place and asked the Spirit Empress where she was going. They could be companions if they were heading in the same direction. The Spirit Empress had asked someone to keep an eye on Chu Lian, so she was aware of where he was going. As such, she directly told him a place. “That’s great! We can be companions, Lady Huang.” said Ming Xiu cheerfully. Chu Lian had a good impression of the Spirit Empress. He was pleased to have such a beautiful woman as a companion. However, he was not certain about the relationship between Gu Changge and the Spirit Empress. They did not only use the same carriage, but the Spirit Empress also followed behind Gu Changge when entering it. Chu Lian had noticed it, which was why he was curious about Gu Changge’s identity. Moreover, the Spirit Empress also seemed fearful and respectful of the black-robed old man. Since the Spirit Empress and Gu Changge were Cousins, their statuses were supposedly the same. Why was she so subservient? [It’s a shame that the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit has stopped responding to me. Otherwise, I could ask the Artifact Spirit about it.] Chu Lian rode atop the horse and stayed at the back of everyone as they left the hill. He did not consider that Gu Changge might be the horrific being that the Artifact Spirit had mentioned. In his opinion, the black-robed old man or the alluring woman was more likely to be the horrific being. There was plenty of space inside the carriage. It was not as small as it seemed from the outside. Gu Changge was seated on a mat while in his thoughts. The Spirit Empress was seated on her knees and preparing tea. She did not dare to interrupt him. This space was protected by a Prohibition Array that could block out any probing or deduction. Even a Dao Realm expert could not look into what was going on inside. Gu Changge snapped back to reality and took a look at the Spirit Empress before asking, “How’s the enlistment of soldiers going on now?” “The Ancestors have ordered that the powerful cultivators of the Advanced Thousand Worlds immediately return. They’ll gather soon enough.” replied the Spirit Empress respectfully. She still had no idea which True World Gu Changge had targeted. If it was the True World they had already set their eye on, they did not need so many soldiers. Although the Spirit Ruin True World was not a powerful Ancient True World in the Boundless Expanse, its true power should not be underestimated. The Spirit Ruin True World was easily much stronger than an average True World. Still, she dared not ask any questions. Gu Changge nodded and looked at the Spirit Empress’ face which was covered with a veil. He extended his hand with a smile as though trying to take it off. The Spirit Empress was preparing tea when she suddenly stiffened. She did not dare to move a muscle. “Y-Young Master…” She was afraid, not knowing what Gu Changge was trying to do. Her voice was shaky. She did not want to become Gu Changge’s toy or a person he could use to improve his cultivation. Moreover, he had told her that he was not interested in her. “I don’t like anyone concealing themselves in front of me. You don’t have to worry. Also, you look better this way.” Gu Changge kept a smile on his face. He did not care that she was anxious as he directly took off her veil. The Spirit Empress was relieved upon hearing that, but for some reason, a strange feeling made her face burn. Although she had been a cultivator for many years, it was her first time having this feeling. She could not help but take a look at Gu Changge before quickly shifting her gaze. “I usually wear a veil when I’m away from the palace to conceal my face. I didn’t mean to disrespect you, Young Master,” she explained in a small voice. Nevertheless, Gu Changge only looked out the carriage as though he did not hear her. He said casually, “I know you’re afraid and worried, and I understand that all of you are curious about my background and plans. You’re also eager to know why I’ve told you to gather so many soldiers.” Upon hearing that, the Spirit Empress quickly cast away her wild thoughts and listened attentively. She did not know why Gu Changge suddenly said such things to her. Usually, he was taciturn in front of her and the Ancestors of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. It seemed that he might have recalled some sorrowful memories. “Young Master, your power is inscrutable. No one is a match for you in the entire Boundless Expanse. We don’t want to be annihilated and buried in the River of Time for going against you,” said the Spirit Empress cautiously after measuring her words. She had heard some news from the Ancestors. They believe Gu Changge was a Lord of a Forbidden Area who wandered around the Boundless Expanse. Wherever he was, the place would be a Forbidden Area. He awakened after countless years and tried to look for a suitable True World to serve as a meal so that he could restore his energy. If the Spirit Ruin True World dared to go against him, it would become the meal for him to devour. “Those who submit themselves to me will flourish, and those who go against me will die a horrible death. All of you from the Spirit Ruin Royal Family are clever, especially you. However, I always feel that rather than making people terrified of me, I’d want them to revere me. It seems that no one will ever understand me.” Gu Changge smiled. For some reason, the Spirit Empress felt that there was a hint of loneliness in his words. It was as though he was looking down at everyone under Heaven, and there was no one by his side. She gave it some thought and said, “But I feel that you’re not going to do such a thing, Young Master. You surely have bigger ambitions. The Spirit Ruin True World is too insignificant to you.” “Really? I didn’t expect you to think this way.” Gu Changge put on an emotionless smile. The Spirit Empress now felt that her Clansmen had been too fearful of Gu Changge since the beginning. They had some misunderstandings about him. After coming into contact with him, she could feel the changes in his emotions. Gu Changge must have gone through a lot. Although he looked young, he had experienced countless challenges. It seemed that he had been doing all these to achieve a particular goal. That was the reason he even said such things to her as though he had recalled some past events. At this moment, the Spirit Empress felt relieved as though some pressure had been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer had to be cautious and fearful when speaking to him. Gu Changge noticed the changes in her emotions, but he still kept a faint smile. He was still emotionless deep within, though. Since he had decided to make a name for himself in the Boundless Expanse as the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, he needed a reason for his existence to be acknowledged. He knew that it would be a good choice to start with the Spirit Empress. It might seem that he had said such things from the bottom of his heart to get closer to her. In truth, he had merely sown the seed in advance to establish a particular image in the hearts of people like the Spirit Empress and the others. Since the Heavenslayers Alliance intended to destroy Heaven, they would have to bear the horrifying karma and suffer endless calamities. Why would he be willing to build the Heavenslayers Alliance to destroy Heaven? He used to wander around the Boundless Expanse as the Demon Lord, but he was eventually killed by some beings from the Source Realm. Was that why he was resentful? That reason was not good enough. After all, no one knew what had happened before he became the Demon Lord. Therefore, he would not have to trace back to an even more distant past. As for what the truth of the past was, it did not matter. They just had to know there was this past and he had a reason for establishing the Heavenslayers Alliance. It was because of this past that he had the great ambition of building the Heavenslayers Alliance and uniting everyone in the Boundless Expanse to go against Heaven. He had always been cautious in everything he did. There had to be a cause for every effect. Now, he was trying to come up with a cause for this effect.