Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin Gu Xianer was still puzzled while all the Direct Disciples congratulated Gu Changge. She was the only one who stood rooted to the spot, as if she was shocked. After quickly recovering her senses, she looked behind her. Gu Changge had already reached the spectator seats. He didn’t even spare her a glance, much less talk to her. Of course, he didn’t act like he used to, going up to her and putting on that despicable face which made her mad. Now, Gu Xianer was a little worried. Logically speaking, Gu Changge had willingly accepted her blow and suffered the pain. Many of his bones were broken, and he almost lost his life. He had already compensated for part of her pain. Could she hope for anything more from him? After all, there was no one in this world who would be genuinely nice to someone else. Gu Changge wanted to bear the consequences of his crimes, and he had paid the price for it. Even though the debt wasn’t completely settled yet, this should have dissolved a large part of the hatred. Her people were already accepted back under Gu Changge’s orders. Even the imprisoned members of her side of the family were also set free. Gu Changge had expressed kindness to her right from the start, but she only felt that he was acting high and mighty, and that he had ulterior motives in mind, so she didn’t accept it. Her teachers had told her to be more careful when she went out, so she was wary towards many things she encountered. It was exactly because of this that she accidentally injured Gu Changge. So, now, she was just unwilling to submit… She had put in so much effort and painfully cultivated for so long with so many years of hatred within her, so how could she let it go so easily on account of Gu Changge? [I hadn’t won against him in a fair fight yet, so how can he act like everything is now over? How can he treat me like a stranger, a passerby, not even an enemy?] At that thought, Gu Xianer fell silent. She felt a little worried and at a loss. Soon, the Canonization Ceremony came to a successful end. Gu Changge left the stage and went to the spectator seats, then proceeded to chat with the numerous youthful prodigies. The Great Elder waited until the other elders had disappeared before leaving the place to the younger generation. In an instant, the crowd began congratulating Gu Changge. After all, he was the successor of Skyward Schloss. It wasn’t an easy position to bear. Also, Gu Changge’s other identity was the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family, which was as powerful as his identity as the successor of Skyward Schloss. Now that they thought of it, in the various regions of the Beyond, there were rarely any youthful prodigies like Gu Changge, who had multiple high positions. He was truly a rare specimen. Also, his fiancée was the future empress of the Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty. With qualifications like that, as long as there weren’t any accidents that ruin his reputation, he would definitely stand at the top of the world in the future. He would be in control of countless lives and the fate of the outside world. His power would be extremely staggering. A fact everyone knew very well. “Congratulations, Brother Gu. Your might is truly unfathomable! When I see you today, I realise that you really are an example to us all. Now that you shoulder more responsibilities as the successor of Skyward Schloss, we are exceedingly envious.” The one who spoke up was Peng Fei, the Successor of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan. His hair was golden and his entire body emanated a golden light. Despite his words, he was usually unruly and proud, belittling everything else. However, he behaved better in front of Gu Changge, and his words were also genuine. His words also gained the approval of many from the young generation who also voiced their agreement. After all, even the unruly and self-pronounced unparalleled Peng Fei had humbled himself in front of Gu Changge and spoke such words of kindness. The extent of Gu Changge’s power was as clear as day. Of course, saying those words didn’t mean that they automatically feared Gu Changge. If it were a real battle and they were about to fight, they definitely wouldn’t fear him. Still, they were not fools. Why would they offend him for no reason? He wasn’t a commoner with no prominent background, so no one could just go up to him and mock him for no reason. That was impossible. Hearing those words, Gu Changge also smiled lightly. “You flatter me, brothers.” This was the advantage of holding a position. Everyone was on the same level, so they wouldn’t do something that would ruin their own reputation or mock their own intelligence. Still, it was a little boring because there were no lessons to be taught. However, it was a good thing for Gu Changge. At least until now, he hadn’t encountered anyone foolish enough to doubt him and subsequently get taught a lesson themselves. Compared to this, he was usually the one who challenged other people. Now that he thought about it, the rise of the underdog was no longer a popular theme these days. If the underdog in front of these people couldn’t rise high enough, they would only get stepped on and thrown out. At that thought, Gu Changge remembered Ye Ling, who was his scapegoat. He was the Fortuitous One who was the successor of the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being from the Ancient Times. He was destined for greatness, for he started out as a weakling and taught all the youthful prodigies a lesson as he paved history with his supreme achievements. Now, he had fallen to ruin and was on the run. He was missing the one last step, which was to prove himself and to fight against the entire world. In regards to that, Gu Changge had no words to say, and he only had a meaningful smile on his face. After that, he began chatting with the youthful prodigies with an easy air about him. Sometimes, he caught sight of Gu Xianer, who was standing a distance away, her expression sullen and a little lost. He didn’t seem to care on the outside, but in his heart he was chuckling. He could imagine the many thoughts rushing through Gu Xianer’s mind right now. After all, everything had happened because of him, be it intentionally or not. No matter how fortuitous Gu Xianer was, or how many lessons she took from her mighty and mysterious teachers, she was still just an innocent and soft-hearted girl. He knew that she could never best him at scheming, for he was a cunning man, and he would surpass her by a mile. So, Gu Changge was in no rush right now. Everything was moving in the direction he had planned. Next, he would have to wait for the golden opportunity… “Brother Gu, what do you think of the matter with the Successor of Demonic Arts?” Just then, a cold and clear female voice sounded. Hearing that, Gu Changge lifted his head, the smile remaining on his face. The person who spoke up in front of him was of quite a small stature. She seemed to be a girl of about 13 or 14, and she wore a multi-coloured coat. Her features were porcelain and exquisite, while her black hair was like silk which shone and cascaded over her shoulders. She exuded a cold sende of pride. She was Chi Ling, the Successor of the Vermillion Bird Clan. In his previous life, she would be considered a cute girl. “Everyone wants to kill this Successor of Demonic Arts. Why do you ask this question, Gifted Lady Chi Ling?” Gu Changge looked at her and smiled as he spoke. When the other youthful prodigies heard of this, they also expressed uneasiness. The matter with the Successor of Demonic Arts had caused a huge uproar, so the long-lasting peace in the Beyond was broken as it was thrown into chaos. Many cultivators were terrified as well. Even the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan was murdered by this man. Bai Lie’s followers that were involved in this matter suffered the wrath of the White Tiger Clan. The Ancient Royal Families were exceedingly strong, and their power reached all the regions of the Beyond, the lands in the Middle Domain, and even the many corners of the intertwined and complex lands in the Outer Domain. The branches of the Ancient Royal Families were even more expansive. They had Ancient Immortal Races within, which had once produced Emperor-Grade beings, which they refer to as Ancient Emperors. In the Ancient Royal Family, there were also clans like the Ancient Ye Family, whose ancestor was an Ancient Emperor and had become an Immortal. Hence, they were revered as the Ancient Immortal Race. They were even more respected than the Ancient Royal Families. Of course, the main reason was that there were too many in the Ancient Royal Families, so if they ever joined forces… Their combined might would be world breaking, every clan and faction would treat it with gravity. Even clans like the White Tiger and the Vermillion Bird had ancestors who were akin to an Immortal, so their status was on par with the Ancient Immortal Race. “The matter concerning the Successor of Demonic Arts got exposed, so isn’t that a bit too careless and out of the blue?” When Chi Ling heard Gu Changge’s words, her pretty eyebrows creased as she said, “When we look back in history, every time the Successor of Demonic Arts got exposed, it would shake the heavens and spur the factions to action in order to kill them. The power of the successor is mighty and unbelievable.” “But this time, isn’t the Successor of Demonic Arts a little too weak? I heard that he hadn’t even reached the Honoured King Realm yet. How did he manage to kill Bai Lie, who had all sorts of live-saving techniques?” This was the suspicious point she discovered, even though evidence points to the fact that the Successor of Demonic Arts was indeed Ye Ling. The White Tiger Clan also announced that they would find traces of Ye Ling in order to avenge their young master. Recently, they even sent out strong members of their clan, who brought various treasures which could reveal the true form of a cultivator. However, she didn’t believe it, because she knew Ye Ling. They had met once, and she had a good impression of him. He had a strong and good-natured heart. He was a resilient and intelligent man, and even though he was quite crafty, he didn’t have the cruel coldness of a Successor of Demonic Arts. She knew that the power Ye Ling inherited resembled a certain Ancient Supreme Being more. So, how could he suddenly become the Successor of Demonic Arts now? “Yes, that Ye Ling hasn’t reached the Honoured King Realm, so how did he kill Bai Lie? I’m wondering about that too. Brother Bai Lie is the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan, so he would have more live-saving cards up his sleeve. Brothers, he would have no lack of hidden tricks, so how could he have been murdered so silently? Even though I have never met Ye Ling in person, I have heard about him from Brother Ye. He knew some eerie tricks, and he didn’t have much resources, but he raised his cultivation at an alarming speed. Also, lots of young talents with great potential have gone missing recently. The Successor of Demonic Arts had made his appearance again at the same time, so it’s only natural to link these two incidents… To be honest, when I last talked to Brother Ye, I was also suspicious of this Secondary Disciple he mentioned.” Hearing that, Gu Changge also seemed to be in deep thought, then nodded as he spoke, relaying all the ‘suspicious points’ he knew. Then, he analysed them in detail. No matter what, at this moment, he had to ‘take’ Ye Ling’s side. Even though Ye Ling wanted to challenge him, he had to express his generosity at times like this. In the eyes of the crowd, he and Ye Ling couldn’t have many chances to meet, for they were from completely different worlds. Also, when Chi Ling heard those words, she expressed her agreement as well, a smile breaking through her prideful exterior as she said, “It seems that Brother Gu surprisingly has the same concerns as me.” Before this, she heard that Gu Changge was a cold and aloof person. But now, with this meeting, she realised that the rumours weren’t true at all. She thought that the rumours must have started from people who wanted to ruin his reputation. When she spoke with Gu Changge, she could feel an ease likened to the breath of a fresh spring breeze. His handsome features were gentle, and he seemed quite unworldly as well. If this was all faked, then Gu Changge must be formidable indeed. Chi Ling would rather believe that this was Gu Changge’s real personality. In Chi Ling’s eyes, rumours of him being a tyrant of Skyward Schloss was simply caused by Gu Changge’s extreme power and great might, so no one dared to provoke him. Now that the crowd of youthful prodigies had heard Gu Changge’s words, they nodded in agreement as well, their expressions changed as they saw the logic in his words. However, at that moment, Ye Langtian, whose brilliant body was entirely enveloped in divine rings, stood up and glanced at Chi Ling. Then, with a slightly sunken expression, he said, “We have to treat this appearance of the Successor of Demonic Arts with seriousness. It’s not about believing it or not. Also, some time ago, when I was discussing with Brother Gu, this topic came up as well.” As he spoke, he saw the confusion in the faces in the crowd, so he explained the suspicious points he had noticed all along, which attested that Gu Changge’s analysis just now was true. Ye Ling was a Secondary Disciple, but he didn’t have the support of numerous cultivation resources, so how could he compete with a successor like him? However, some time ago, Ye Ling’s cultivation had risen at an alarming speed, and he had left the family for a long period of time. No one knew where he went to cultivate in that period of time. Also, there was no news of Ye Ling entering any faction. The suspicious points weren’t without problems. “As a member of the Ye Family, now that Ye Ling had done something like this, the Ye Family will take responsibility and provide a satisfying answer to the factions.” Ye Langtian continued, saying that he had already spoken of this with the elders of the family, and he was placed in charge of handling this matter. Recently, he was continuously trying to come up with a way to trace Ye Ling. Originally, he wanted to take Ye Ling’s side of the family hostage, but Ye Ling had been mocked and isolated since young, so he probably wouldn’t care about his own family. Thus, it wouldn’t be an effective way. Ye Ling’s father had also succumbed to a disease some time ago, and his mother had remarried even before then, when Ye Ling was still a child. So, he thought that Ye Ling’s circumstances had birthed the personality he now possessed. “You have a point, Brother Ye, but isn’t it too rash to decide that Ye Ling is the Successor of Demonic Arts just by those points?” Hearing that, Chi Ling spoke up with a frown. She didn’t know why Ye Langtian was so hostile towards Ye Ling, so much so that he concluded without hesitation that Ye Ling must be the Successor of Demonic Arts. However, she couldn’t tell them that Ye Ling was a successor of a certain Ancient Supreme Being. Thus, she had to pin it on whether the others would believe it or not. At that point, they might even ask why she would know so much. The allure of being a successor to an Ancient Supreme Being was even greater than that of being the Successor of Demonic Arts. When that happens, even more cultivators would be motivated to look for traces of Ye Ling. If this sort of secret got revealed, Ye Ling’s circumstances wouldn’t get better, and would take a turn for the worse instead. “Since Ye Ling is the Successor of Demonic Arts, of course he would fake his strength so that we couldn’t get a clear understanding of it. It would be a piece of cake for him to kill Bai Lie.” Just then, a youthful prodigy spoke up. His entire body seemed to be covered in fog, and only a pair of eyes shone through, deep and dark. He was Wang Wushuang, the youthful prodigy from the Immortal Wang Family. “Who has really seen Ye Ling’s power? These are all guesses and estimates. We cannot accuse an innocent person…” Chi Ling frowned deeply, an upset expression appearing on her cold and exquisite face. She still wanted to defend Ye Ling, but the other youthful prodigies began to frown now. Why did Chi Ling speak up for Ye Ling so many times? “Innocent? Chi Ling, why don’t you tell that to the White Tiger Clan?” Peng Fei, the Successor of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan, couldn’t help but sneer. Ye Langtian didn’t look too happy either and he spoke up, “When I was investigating Ye Ling, I did discover that he had cultivated in a certain domain. You were there too, weren’t you, Gifted Lady Chi Ling? Could it be that you knew Ye Ling, and that’s why you keep defending him?” As soon as he spoke those words, the atmosphere turned a little awkward. Chi Ling’s expression changed as well. Now that Ye Ling was called the Successor of Demonic Arts, nothing good would come out of being involved with him. Even if she was the Successor of the Vermillion Bird Clan, she wouldn’t be able to do anything if she was involved. Even her clan might get affected by this. Thus, Chi Ling fell silent. “Brother Ye, let’s not talk about that now. Gifted Lady Chi Ling must be worried that we might wrongfully accuse a good man. If not, the cultivators might be so focused on capturing Ye Ling that they let the real Successor of Demonic Arts slip by them. Then, that would be a disaster! We have to tread carefully. So that there is no room for mistakes. Let’s take it as her being concerned. There’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s not mind that too much.” Gu Changge shrugged and smiled as he spoke. However, his smile had some meaning behind it. When Gu Changge heard what Ye Langtian said, he finally found out that Chi Ling knew Ye Ling. [No wonder she’s willing to speak up for Ye Ling. This is something I didn’t know of.]