Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin Chu Lian and the Artifact Spirit’s hypothesis inspired Gu Changge. After giving it some thought, he had a feeling it would get easier for him to carry out his subsequent plans. It was just that he had not found a second suitable target yet, so he had to set this aside for now. Half a month later, the Spirit Empress exited from her seclusion. Initially, she had only recently surpassed the First Decay Tribulation. Thus, her accumulated strength was nowhere near enough for her to reach the Second Decay Tribulation. During her seclusion, she refined that wisp of Indomitable Matter and Evolution Matter, and her cultivation was greatly strengthened. Now, she had reached the limits of what she could bear. In other words, she reached the peak of her current cultivation realm, which was in the Early Stage Quasi-Dao Realm. She still had a long way to go before the Second Decay Tribulation, but her strength had visibly increased already. She only managed to refine less than a hundredth of the substances Gu Changge had given to her, and had not truly refine everything. Nevertheless, the Spirit Empress figured that with her current power, it would take her thousands of years to completely refine everything, or maybe even more. She was pleased and not at all greedy. All she needed to do now was slowly refine it and take things one step at a time. After coming out of her seclusion, she came to see Gu Changge. As per his instructions, she tasked people with creating Arrays and forging vessels to gather all the Power of Fortuity that the Spirit Ruin Royal Family had amassed over time. Wan Yanxiu, the White Bone Ancestor King, and the others could clearly sense the change in the Spirit Empress. They were thunderstruck, especially Wan Yanxiu, who knew the Spirit Empress well. They had invested a lot of resources into developing her and had watched her grow. They naturally knew what kind of talent she possessed. She had already surpassed herself by reaching the Quasi-Dao Realm and overcoming the First Decay Tribulation. Yet, after following Gu Changge, her strength increased by leaps and bounds. To Wan Yanxiu and the others, this was unthinkable. They made all sorts of speculations. Many of the Ancestors wanted to ask the Spirit Empress to find out the reason behind this. The Spirit Empress thought she had gained a lot from Gu Changge. Not only did she gain his trust, but she also had a ‘heartfelt’ discussion with him. Therefore, she would not divulge such information. Furthermore, she had Gu Changge to back her up now. Ordinarily, she would have to treat the Ancestors with respect and be cautious around them, but now, she could not even be bothered to deal with them. Instead, she focused on carrying out Gu Changge’s orders. Though the Ancestors were discontented, they could not do anything. They groomed the Spirit Empress in the hopes of creating a puppet that would enable them to easily control the Spirit Ruin Royal Family. This way, her presence would greatly cut down the amount of time they needed to spend on cultivating. At the same time, they would be able to use the ‘puppet’ to gather more resources. But now, after having received Gu Changge’s regard, their puppet no longer respected them. Apart from feeling resentful and vexed, they felt helpless. “That being comes from mysterious origins. He could very well have access to things that could aid in our cultivation. By giving such an item to the Spirit Empress, in a way, he’s telling us that we stand to gain a lot if we focus on carrying out his orders.” As the Grand Ancestor of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, Wan Yanxiu was indeed a shrewd man. He was able to swiftly deduce Gu Changge’s motives. He quickly instructed the other Ancestors to wise up the situation and stop disturbing the Spirit Empress, lest their actions displease Gu Changge. Either way, the Spirit Empress was now serving Gu Changge. She was no longer a puppet at their mercy. If the Spirit Empress took into account her past relationship with the Spirit Ruin Royal Family, she would put in a good word for them in front of Gu Changge. If not, it could result in a lot of trouble for them instead. Gu Changge took in all their reactions, unsurprised. When confronted with the means of increasing one’s cultivation, even the White Bone Ancestor King could not resist the temptation, let alone them. Thus, when Gu Changge gathered his army, some of the Ancestors from the Spirit Ruin Royal Family would come to visit him and voluntarily pledge their loyalty. Some of them had the feeling that they would soon be facing their Second Decay Tribulation. However, considering their present cultivation, they would not be able to survive the Decay Tribulation. They would die and be lost for good. The massive increase in the Spirit Empress’ strength gave them hope. Naturally, Gu Changge would not be giving out Indomitable Matter and Evolution Matter so easily. It took time for him to create them, and it was not enough for his own cultivation. Otherwise, he would not have instructed the Spirit Empress to gather the Power of Fortuity. The desires of these Ancestors from the Spirit Ruin Royal Family were spelt out on their faces. Some were even planning on handing over their Souls in exchange. They were willing to serve Gu Changge and do whatever he wanted. At a time like this, survival was more important than anything else. Naturally, Gu Changge did not accept them. He did not want to waste his resources on them. For the time being, having the Spirit Empress and the White Bone Ancestor King to carry out his instructions was enough. If they did come to blows with other Civilisations in the future, these Ancestors of the Spirit Ruin Royal Family were cannon fodder to Gu Changge. Meanwhile, the battle between the Prosperous Dao True World and the Immortal Spirit Civilisation went on for numerous years. Beyond the Boundless Battlefield, the horrid sounds of death and slaughter echoed daily as blood was shed over and over again. Bodies fell like rain and formed massive stretches. The runes above the embankment sustained a fair bit of damage as well. It was no longer as brilliant as before. The experts from the Immortal Spirit Civilisation kept studying the runes to try and decipher its secrets. During this process, they began to understand its mysteries. Their experts, who were more powerful than Immortal Emperors, soon made their move and ripped a terrifying rift in the border of the Boundless Battlefield. The massive army charged in through the rift. The armies of the Prosperous Dao True World had no choice but to seclusion to the Boundless Battlefield to hold back the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. Both parties suffered heavy casualties in the battle. The Prosperous Dao True World had lost several Immortal Kings. The Immortal Emperor from the Other Domain, who joined in the battle earlier, had suffered a serious injury as well. He had to enter seclusion in the Prosperous Dao True World to tend to his injuries. That being said, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation also lost many of its forces. One of the terrifying Demonic shadowy figure atop the ancient battleship had personally joined the battlefield and ripped apart the Arrays outside the Boundless Battlefield so that the army could descend more easily. However, at a crucial moment, one of the Tranquil Primate Sage’s disciples launched an attack. A streak of alarming sword light rolled across the universe and made the terrifying Demonic shadowy figure retreat and stop its advances. In the years following that, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s army did not mount a full attack. They kept testing the waters to see just how strong the Prosperous Dao True World’s hidden powers were. Even so, the Forces of the Prosperous Dao True World have suffered serious losses. Some of the Immortal Kings had died in the battle, along with many of their people. Even if the battle paused for a moment, it would be hard for them to recover. The ancient beings of the Prosperous Dao True World deduced their opponent’s motives. As long as the battle continued, their opponent would continue to devour the Prosperous Dao True World’s strength. Many alarming auras remained on that ancient battleship. They had not joined the battle yet. In an all-out battle like this, the ones who decided the outcome were usually the mightiest of both parties. Such beings could easily kill Immortal Kings with a flick of their hands. They could wipe out countless cultivators and living beings the moment they stepped onto the battlefield. “I can sense four auras of experts in the Dao Realm in this True World. The strongest among them should be my equal, but if it does come down to a fight, he might not be able to defeat me. As for the other three, there is also another that is powerful. However, if we send two of our people who have undergone their Second Spiritual Transformation, they should be able to deal with that being.” Zhuo You’s gaze was cold. Strange matter dazzled across her flat face. There was a glowing screen before her. She could clearly see the tragic battle happening outside the Prosperous Dao True World. The endless loss of lives was merely like scattering leaves to her. She was unmoved by it. Behind her stood a crowd of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s experts. They were also keeping a close eye on the battle displayed on the screen. This time, Zhuo You brought many experts from her lineage. Six of them had undergone Spiritual Transformation, which meant there were seven of them when including her. In other words, she had seven beings who were in the Dao Realm on her side. That made up a terrifying and invincible force capable of overpowering any new True World or Civilisation. Nevertheless, Zhuo You had always been a cautious person, even though her Grandfather had helped her deduce the outcomes of this battle. That was why she had their people constantly probe the power of the Prosperous Dao True World. She was only going to make a proper move once she fully unearthed her opponent’s strength. She wanted to take them down in one fell swoop. “We can make our move now. They are at a disadvantage with fewer Dao Realm experts, and I also brought a secret Artifact. In a moment of crisis, it can be used to wreak havoc on their Souls.” While speaking, Zhuo You’s eyes flashed coldly. Pieces of crystalline scales emerged and latched onto her to form a beautiful armour that glistened with icy light. She planned on joining the battle in person. The moment she finished speaking, her silhouette disappeared from the ancient battleship and appeared in the universe. The other figures within the ancient battleship swiftly put on their spiritual armour and hoisted their weapons. They too disappeared from the battleship. Inside the majestic palace of the Heavenslayers Alliance’s headquarters in the Prosperous Dao True World, the leaders of the various Forces sported solemn expressions as they discussed the serious situation. The atmosphere was tense and heavy. The Dao Realm experts, such as the Tranquil Primate Sage, Gu Wuwang, and the Drunken Sword Immortal were all present. They had had differing expressions. There was a crystalline and ancient mirror in front of the. Flickering with light, it depicted the situation outside the Prosperous Dao True World. The massive army swept over like endless waves. The attacks had become even more horrifying than before. Furthermore, to their great unease, the Demonic shadowy figures standing atop the ancient battleship had made their move. They were now joining the army to descend upon the Prosperous Dao True World. “Are they launching their final onslaught? Do they not intend to probe any further?” A veteran Quasi-Immortal Emperor spoke up with a grave expression. “They must’ve gotten a clear understanding of the Prosperous Dao True World and feel confident enough to attack us. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made taken such a huge risk.” An ancient being grimly said. Many of their hearts turned cold. They did not know what to do. Was there a way of dealing with such a calamity? The atmosphere in the hall became impossibly heavy. The Dao Realm ancient cultivators did not speak either. Throughout this battle, many of Forces had suffered grave casualties. They thought they could still drag things out. Alas, their enemy was mounting a frenzied attack after having deduced their strength. “Looks like we’ll have to do whatever we can and make all possible sacrifices to defend ourselves.” Someone sighed. The battle seemed hopeless. They had a very slim chance of winning. Their opponent was only attacking in full force after having gained confidence from noting just how powerful the Prosperous Dao True World truly was. Even though the Forces had formed armies to fight back, it did not matter. Too many had been lost over these years. The Forces had been urgently developing their young prodigies, and many remarkable ones had emerged. However, sending them out was a heavy price to pay, and no one was willing to bear it. Just then, the leader of an Ancient Sect could not resist asking Gu Wuwang, “Deputy Alliance Leader, do we still not know the whereabouts of the Alliance Leader?” Everyone grew alert. Their eyes fell on Gu Wuwang. There was a flicker of hope in their gazes. Even the new faces that emerged in recent years could not help but look at Gu Wuwang as well. They were deeply curious about the Alliance Leader whom everyone seemed to fear and respect. These younger faces were the prodigies who rose up in recent years. There were both males and females. They either possessed astonishing talent or startling Fortuity that changed their fates. During the battle against the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, their incredible performance led to them being brought to the Heavenslayers Alliance for further cultivation. Dressed in a black robe, Gu Wuwang stood in the centre of the hall. His face was shrouded, so the others could not see his expression. He simply shook his head and said, “The Alliance Leader has important matters to attend to. We can’t rely on his help for this.” Gu Wuwang’s response made everyone’s expressions dim. Over the years, whenever this question was raised, Gu Wuwang had given the same answer. He always said Gu Changge had important matters to deal with. Initially, everyone assumed this was true. However, later on, they figured that even Gu Wuwang did not know where Gu Changge was. He merely answered in this manner to assure everyone and make sure they did not lose hope. “It seems like the Alliance Leader is no longer in the Prosperous Dao True World. He has given up on this place. Previously, some have already guessed that he started the Heavenslayers Alliance on a whim and had no intention of getting involved…” “That’s right. Considering how powerful he is, he could easily reign over the Boundless Expanse. He would not need to waste his time and effort on such things.” Soft murmurs rippled across the palace. The tense atmosphere grew even more suffocating. In the past, no one dared to slander Gu Changge and make such groundless speculations. But now, he was no longer in the Prosperous Dao True World, and with this calamity was upon them. There was no telling if the Prosperous Dao True World would even survive much longer. At a time like this, no one cared anymore. Even Gu Wuwang simply frowned without stopping them. The only ones who could maintain the harmony among them now were the Tranquil Primate Sage and his disciples.