Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin The Talent Gathering Village was hidden within the deep mountains, in an ancient forest. There were numerous Arrays in the surroundings, shrouded in dense fog. Even if somebody were to reach this place by accident, they might not leave this place alive. Both Chu Lian and Ming Xiu were amazed by the planning that went into this place. The auras of the guests who came and went were all extraordinary. Moreover, traces of divine light could be seen with every blink of their eyes. Their auras, which resembled a boiling cauldron, was so oppressive that it was suffocating. The Spirit Empress had instructed her subordinate to lead the way upfront, and guide both Chu Lian and Ming Xiu inside. At the same time, this subordinate was to prepare their accommodations for them. After she finished these tasks, she smiled faintly and swiftly vanished among the courtyards. “Senior Brother, I can’t believe such a mystical place exists. It looks like they are really recruiting talents from all over the world. I can sense that every single person gathered here is unfathomably strong.” Ming Xiu’s eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity. She could not help looking around constantly. Chu Lian had relaxed considerably once he arrived. Nevertheless, he secretly nodded in agreement. Not only were there strong men from some Foreign Race with exposed muscular arms, there were also people in Daoist robes holding geomantic compasses and making calculations all the time. If the Spirit Empress did not show them the way, they were not certain they could have discovered this place. It was simply that mysterious. He suddenly recalled what The Spirit Empress mentioned earlier: This place was something her Cousin, the mysterious Young Master Gu, built a long time ago. Would that not mean her Cousin had already been considering whether or not to overthrow the Spirit Ruin Royal Family’s rule from very early on? The idea was certainly in line with his own thinking. Unfortunately, his current strength and resources were not enough to support him in making such plans. “Bringing us here… Young Master Gu must really trust us.” “I guess he has really taken a liking to you, Senior Brother,” Ming Xiu happily said. Chu Lian smiled and glanced around. When he saw that nobody was following them, he shook his head and answered, “That might not necessarily be true. Young Master Gu is too mysterious. Furthermore, he has many powerful subordinates under his command. The reason he brought us here… Rather than him trusting us, it’s better to say that he doesn’t think we can cause any trouble here. Even if we leaked out the secrets hidden here, he can easily dispatch his men to hunt us down. It will neither affect him nor cost him anything.” Ming Xiu immediately looked rather displeased at those words. “Senior Brother, why must you think so badly of them? Didn’t you see what kind of treatment they gave us along the way?” He knew his words would make her angry, but that was the harsh reality. Secretly plotting to overthrow the Spirit Ruin Royal Family was a heinous crime that could easily cause one’s entire Clan to be sentenced to death. If these secrets were leaked and became known to the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, even the mysterious Young Master Gu would fall into deep trouble. He did not believe that Young Master Gu would fully trust him and his Junior Sister with just a few good words from Lady Huang. However, that was not something he could openly speak about. “I think Young Master Gu is trying to recruit me. The capable and talented individuals under his command are extraordinary. In fact, many of them have strength that even I cannot fathom.” After parting with Ming Xiu, Chu Lian returned to his own courtyard. The first thing he did was to carefully observe his surroundings out of fear that he might be watched. Then, he went back into the house and quickly closed all the doors and windows. At the same time, he shot out numerous simplistic flags that were no bigger than his palm in all directions around him. The flags trembled slightly and glowed with a halo that shrouded his surroundings. An obscure aura permeated the air, causing the immediate area to become hazy. Even an existence whose strength greatly exceeded him would not be able to spy upon this place now. “The Eight Directional Cloud and Rain Flags that I’ve obtained from the Sphere of Ambition can prevent the divine sense of others from spying into the area. I guess it can finally play its original purpose…” He finally breathed a sigh of relief. His experiences during his childhood had made him very cautious. Even if the mysterious Young Master Gu had not shown him any malicious intentions so far, it was necessary to be wary of others. In particular, he could not forget the words that the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit had said to him in the Ancestral Land of the Ghost Axe Clan. “Caution is the parent of safety. Young Master Gu’s origins are unclear. What’s more, the Black-Robed Elder beside him makes me uneasy. It feels like he is constantly watching me out of evil intentions.” “The great horrifying existence that the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit mentioned to me… Could it be referring to the Black-Robed Elder beside Young Master Gu?” Chu Lian sat cross-legged on the bed, his expression abruptly changing at a certain realisation. The Sphere of Ambition was his greatest reliance and secret. Hence, it must not be known to others. If the Black-Robed Elder had perceived everything and reported the matter to Young Master Gu, would he be able to retain possession of the Sphere of Ambition under those circumstances? [Artifact Spirit…] When the thought occurred to him, he began to call upon the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit in his mind. He wanted to communicate with the Artifact Spirit and inquire about certain things. However, the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit remained completely unresponsive. It seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber ever since he left the Ghost Axe Clan’s Ancestral Land. No matter how he called out to the Artifact Spirit, he received no response in return. Even now that he had used the Eight Directional Cloud and Rain Flags to conceal the Heavenly Secrets of this place, the Sphere of Ambition’s Artifact Spirit continued to show no reaction whatsoever. [Could it be that something has gone wrong? Did it really fall into a deep slumber?] Chu Lian pondered hard about the matter but ultimately could not figure out a different solution other than to continue waiting. … Inside a quiet courtyard on the other side, the Spirit Empress was standing in front of Gu Changge and reporting about the events in the Talent Gathering Village. Needless to say, the Talent Gathering Village had nothing to do with Gu Changge. She was the one who secretly built this place and attracted talents from all around the world. The purpose was to monitor the entire world and solve some of the problems that the Spirit Ruin Royal Family could not resolve through honest means. It was her secret weapon. As for why Gu Changge told her to inform Chu Lian and the others that the Talent Gathering Village was established to overthrow the rule of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family… It was simply a means to take advantage of the situation. After all, Chu Lian wanted to be a saviour and rescue the world from dire straits. Gu Changge was merely fulfilling his wish and making his dream come true. In fact, Gu Changge could even arrange for him to execute everything with his own hands. He would be the one to push the Spirit Ruin Royal Family off their pedestals, establish his own dynasty, and become the saviour of the current epoch. Gu Changge was more than willing to set the stage for Chu Lian to lead the change and rescue the ‘world’ from suffering. That was because he wanted to have a proper conversation with the Supreme Treasure in Chu Lian’s possession. The best method for him to achieve his goal was to bring out his sincerity. It would be easier for him to negotiate the terms once he showed his sincerity to the other party, then they could move toward an open and honest conversation. As soon as he noticed that the Supreme Treasure had an Artifact Spirit when he was in the Ghost Axe Clan’s Ancestral Land, he began making plans to make contact with the Supreme Treasure. He had first concealed his aura and waited until the Supreme Treasure’s Artifact Spirit relaxed its vigilance, and then he suddenly revealed his aura once more. As expected, his actions had completely shocked the Supreme Treasure’s Artifact Spirit. It had responded by hastily cutting off all contact and perception with the outside world, and then entering a state of deathly silence. Therefore, it was impossible for the Supreme Treasure’s Artifact Spirit to perceive the events that took place later or even realise that Gu Changge was the source of its fear. “I have carried out everything as you have instructed, Young Master Gu.” The Spirit Empress did not know what Gu Changge was planning. She was simply following the instructions given to her. After the Spirit Empress withdrew from the room, Gu Changge flicked his wrist with a deep look in his eyes. Ripples immediately spread throughout the void before him, transforming the void into a smooth surface that reflected the events in another location like a mirror. An overwhelming army was swarming toward the Prosperous Dao True World like a giant horde of locusts that blocked out the entire sky. Moreover, a constant stream of troops poured out from the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s ancient battleship as though their numbers would never be exhausted. Meanwhile, the embankments outside the Prosperous Dao True World trembled. Countless runes flashed like a raging torrent, transforming into ancient words that constantly evolved and intertwined. At the same time, light pillars after light pillars blasted outward. They shook the universe and tore apart the World Principles, causing large patches of the Fragments of Time to disintegrate in an instant. It was an extremely brutal war, and both sides fought desperately. Corpses either fell into the boundless darkness like raindrops in a storm or exploded into a cloud of blood mist on the spot. Even further in the depths of Spacetime were existences in the Immortal Emperor Realm, clashing against each other. The aftermath of their battle, which threatened to break the world, spread from one end of the River of Time to the other end. At the same time, the entire River of Time was illuminated by the battle. They stood in the depths of the fog, their Dharma Bodies towering overhead more than several million metres tall. When their large hands sliced downward, the Great Universes were torn apart and exploded on the spot. Then, an infinite sea of blood flooded the Great Universes in the surroundings. On the other hand, the Dao Realm ancient cultivators remained unaffected by the battle for the time being. They were currently doing nothing but waiting and watching by the side. After all, a war on this scale was a rare occurrence throughout history. Moreover, once they begin fighting, their battle would easily cause Spacetime to become even more chaotic and the Great Dao to fall into ruins. Numerous worlds and universes were bound to be destroyed in an instant. There were many shadowy figures standing on the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s ancient battleship. Like ancient shadows of Demons, they were watching the Prosperous Dao True World and waiting for the right opportunity to take action. The auras of these figures were no weaker than the Immortal Emperors who were fighting nearby. In any case, it was impossible for the war to end soon. The Immortal Spirit Civilisation was only testing the waters for now, and the leaders inside the Prosperous Dao True World were quietly observing how the situation would unfold. Gu Changge silently watched the battle without the slightest change in his expression. However, he suddenly frowned when he noticed a certain spot in the battlefield outside the embankment. “That mischievous brat.” A tall and slim figure travelled back and forth through the army like an invincible female Sword Immortal, accompanied by a sword-like beam that weaved across thousands of kilometres. Her sword shook the universe with loud clanging sounds, tearing apart her enemies. Moreover, the boundless sword energy surged and exploded. The impact resembled a Sword Dao Sun, illuminating the sky with great power. Even those with similar cultivation would have great trouble defending against her sword. Her enemies were slain instantly. Their Souls dissipated into nothing, and their bodies exploded to pieces. For a time, there were excited cheers coming from various locations across the battlefield. However, even more troops rushed toward the slim and dainty figure outside the Prosperous Dao True World. Some of those shadowy figures standing on the ancient battleship also noticed the commotion and glanced over in that direction. “As long as I am here, nobody can take a single step into the Prosperous Dao True World!” Her tone was extremely cold. Riding her sword, she looked absolutely ethereal and gorgeous. Furthermore, her voice spread throughout the battlefield even though the volume was not very loud. “Charge!!” Even more troops swarmed toward her. Their malicious aura surged into the sky, forming some sort of Grand Array with shocking power. The pressure on the rest of the powerhouses from the Prosperous Dao True World on the battlefield was reduced significantly thanks to her actions. Thus, they immediately looked thankful and worried at the same time. Gu Changge observed the scene reflected in the mirror. The expression on his calm and unfazed face darkened considerably. “Gu Xianer, must you always make me worry? Can’t you obediently follow the path I’ve arranged for you to the end? Do you really want me to bind you by my side?” He muttered under his breath. The figure stood tall in the middle of the universe. Her hair and her white dress were completely stained with blood, but these factors did not affect her speed or the murderous intent spilling from her eyes. In fact, her original ethereal appearance had long since transformed to become a blood-drenched female Asura. Her attacks were also extremely sharp. It was obvious that the years she spent fighting in the war had greatly honed her skills. Gu Changge watched her for a moment. When he saw that she was not acting arrogantly and that her strength seemed to be steadily improving, his emotions calmed down. Gu Xianer often appeared stupid in front of him, but that did not mean she was actually mentally challenged. She would not overreach herself or take unnecessary risks. There was no denying that the intense battle was filled with various life-threatening dangers. Not to mention, for her, the battlefield was also a suitable training ground that would allow her to grow rapidly. Seeing as Gu Changge understood Gu Xianer’s personality very well, he did not say anything else. She would never allow the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s army to invade the Prosperous Dao True World while she idly stood by without doing anything. It was just that… compared to the safe and easy path he had prepared for her, she would rather choose the thorny and dangerous path that led into the unknown instead. Hummm! Gu Changge flicked his wrist again and erased the scene in front of him. As the saying went, “’Out of sight, out of mind.’ If he kept looking, the young girl would keep making him worry. In the beginning, he had felt nostalgic and missed her because it had been a long time since he last saw her. However, he was tempted to hold her down and punch her from across Spacetime right now. [At any rate, it seems like somebody has reached out their hands toward the Prosperous Dao True World. I do not condone anybody touching my territory.] Gu Changge recollected his thoughts. When he perceived the Prosperous Dao True World earlier, he was surprised to see another Dao Realm ancient cultivator lurking nearby. Although he left a Dharma Body in the base of Heavenslayers Alliance, it was only to prevent himself from being unable to protect the important people around him should something happen. The Dharma Body usually sat cross-legged in the depths of the boundless Spacetime without caring about anything else. If he had not perceived the situation earlier, he would not have known that somebody had reached their hand toward the Prosperous Dao True World. [To set their eyes on the Prosperous Dao True World right under my nose… I wonder who has the courage?] “I’m curious to see just who is making these plans.” The look in his eyes was deep. He immediately began to deduce hundreds and millions of times in an instant, spanning endless time, space, and latitude. In fact, he began to trace every corner of the void and the world. Starting from the past all the way to the future, he was determined to discover the cause of this entanglement. As long as this person was scheming against the Prosperous Dao True World, a vague causal connection would exist between them. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to deduce the other party’s whereabouts. This was especially true for certain Dao Realm existences, who were not only capable of escaping all causes and effects, but also protecting themselves from becoming contaminated by the consequences of Spacetime.