Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin While the outside world was in chaos due to Sky Emperor Mountain’s potential connection to the Successor of Demonic Arts, the Immortal Gu Family Residence was rather harmonious. Following the end of the birthday banquet, another great issue has occurred. Therefore, the other factions found it only appropriate to leave. After all, none could tell whether the Successor of Demonic Arts was hiding among them. Thus, they all left. Those from the Ancient Immortal Clans were the first to leave as they intended to hold a conference with their clan members upon returning to their respective clans. In fact, it was getting apparent that the Successor of Demonic Arts was backed up by a giant organisation rather than working alone, but there was no telling whether Sky Emperor Mountain was behind him as the matter remained under investigation. Accordingly, the guests from the Ancient Ye Family, the Undead Lake Clan, and Skyward Schloss gradually left on their large magic artifacts, which faded away from the territory of the Immortal Gu Family. “Brother Gu, be wary. You might be the next target of the Successor of Demonic Arts.” Wang Zijin bid Gu Changge farewell with a beaming smile before departing with fellow members of the Immortal Wang Family. Soon, her life would be quite hectic. Having received news that Jiang Chuchu left the Mortal Palace, she predicted that Jiang Chuchu intended to look for Gu Changge to interrogate him, but judging by her personality, a clash would be inevitable. After smilingly watching as the Wang Family members leave, Gu Changge speedily withdrew the smile on his face. “Take note of Lady Zijin’s whereabouts,” he instructed a few experts from the Gu Family. At the end of the day, Wang Zijin was the Fortuitous Lady, so paying attention to her whereabouts would only be advantageous to Gu Changge. Besides, he wasn’t at all afraid that Wang Zijin might notice him. “Yes, Young Master.” After receiving their order, those experts speedily departed without questioning Gu Changge’s reason. As of now, Gu Changge’s position in the Immortal Gu Family was only inferior to that of the Leader of the Gu Family, and even Elders were subservient to him. Though, that did not include the Ancestors since they usually conceal themselves underground and in coffins, not revealing themselves unless the need arose. Thus, Gu Changge’s words were now equivalent to those of the leader of the family. [Yue Mingkong left rather quickly on the second day. She seems to be in a rush, but to prevent me from sensing anything off, she even chose to return to Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty instead of heading directly to where the Mortal Reincarnate is.] Gu Changge squinted his eyes as he swiftly arrived in his palace. He then revealed a grin. While Yue Mingkong thought that she was being smart, to Gu Changge, she was just pulling off a childish trick. [The Mortal Reincarnate wouldn’t be defeated so easily. Yue Mingkong may be harmed in the process. It seems I’ll have to make some preparations.] As he was contemplating, Yin Mei’s voice came from outside the palace. “Senior Brother Gu.” In public, she had always referred to Gu Changge as ‘Senior Brother Gu,’ and for her to speak in that manner meant that someone else was with her. “What is it, Yin Mei? Do enter,” Gu Changge leisurely replied. And so, Yin Mei walked into the palace alone. “You were right, Master. My clan has received news that the Sky Prince has sent some men out.” “Sent some men, huh? I figure the Sky Prince is trying to eliminate the horse feeder but doesn’t know where he is.” Gu Changge nodded, seeming indifferent to this news. [It seems the Sky Prince is no fool, sending men in his stead. Well, avoiding interactions only makes sense since he wouldn’t be able to explain what happened to him. Right now, his priority must be to destroy all evidence that might expose his true identity. Yet, his reputation was incidentally damaged at the same time, and since he would be threatened anywhere he goes, he’s now too much of a wimp to come out.] “Let’s follow the original plan. Have your clan members disclose the whereabouts of the horse feeder to the Sky Prince, and tell him that he has somehow grown insane,” Gu Changge stated with a knowing smile. Regardless of whether the horse feeder was insane, Gu Changge’s plan was to let the Sky Prince know that he was in possession of the horse feeder without revealing whether he was alive or dead. In other words, Gu Changge was holding the Sky Prince’s greatest secret, and with such leverage, he could now drain the latter of his value with every method he could think of. “Yes, Master.” After receiving her order, she walked away and headed back to her clan. Nonetheless, before she could leave, Gu Changge pondered for a second before placing a jade flask in her hands. “Master, this is…” Yin Mei was stunned, but she could already sense the vigorous energy contained within the jade flask. Couldn’t be bothered to explain, Gu Changge simply shook his head and signalled her to leave. Since he acknowledged Yin Mei’s loyalty and capabilities, he would naturally treat her right. Essentially, she was equivalent to a little secret affair of his in his past life. “Thank you, Master.” Glee and excitement was all over Yin Mei’s face. To her, it didn’t matter what the content of the flask was, and what was important was that Gu Changge proactively gave her a gift, and that was a huge sign that Gu Changge’s perception towards her had changed. … In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed. The Immortal Gu Family also started to get busy for one very reason. Ding dong! Upon the bell’s ring, the family members halted everything they were doing and took a sincere bow towards their ancestral palace. “The Nirvana Pool has been activated. I wonder if they can break through the bloodline shackles and get even stronger Talents?” “Those from the Gu Family have always been exceptional. In every five young prodigies, one of them is bound to be someone who dominates the world.” “We now have Changge and Xianer. I’m afraid the other three would just be perceived as ornaments.” At the top of the mountains on a Divine Island, divine rainbows flashed by as numerous figures were seen landing in the sky, staring at a beaconing beam far away. They were all conversing with eagerness and joy on their faces. That place was a sacred land, where towering Mystic Mountains stood with ambiguous clouds and anomalies drifting around, as if it was a primaeval land where the world was first created. Dense essence of the universe was wafting, forming shapes of a dragon, phoenix and other mythical creatures, as if it was condensating. Amidst the forest, the branches of divine trees were swaying as their trunks towered through the sky, while the heavenly herbs were twinkling like stars among treasures. However, that was only a fraction of the uniqueness of the land. In an spectacular ancient palace in the centre of the sacred land, five young individuals were standing, with their leader being Gu Changge. He was currently donning a simple white robe without any ornaments as his ebony hair was tied with a plain band. Yet, he appeared extraordinarily handsome, as though he was a god walking among mortals. On the other hand, coldly standing beside him was Gu Xianer, whose Celestial Bone was glowing. Her garment was swaying along the wind as she was obviously scornful towards Gu Changge, having no intention of standing in the same spot with him. Apart from them, there were three other young prodigies, who were also elites of the Immortal Gu Family, and all three of them possessed intimidating Talents and daunting strength. “This is the Nirvana Pool’s entrance in the ancestral palace. Only five people every generation is blessed with the opportunity to break through our bloodline shackles, understand the Prime Ancestor’s path, enhance our cultivation level, and master numerous divine techniques…” Gu Changge explained to the three young prodigies beside him with his strange light flashing across his eyes. The aura in the palace was ancient, and the carving on the floor was of another era, outlining the World Principles, as though it would grant enlightenment to those that read it. “I know already. You don’t have to talk this much, you know.” Wanting to deliberately oppose Gu Changge, Gu Xianer talked back to him. Nevertheless, Gu Changge did not care to entertain her and completely ignored her. Accordingly, Gu Xianer grew frustrated. Back then, her brother even brought her on a shopping spree in Skyward Ancient City, but once they returned to Immortal Gu Family Residence, it was as if Gu Changge had encountered a major personality shift given that his apathetic attitude from a long time ago had returned. It had caused Gu Xianer to be perturbed and vexed, but knowing that he had his own reasons for doing so, she didn’t bother to make a big fuss out of it. “I see that we are all here. Let us begin the activation of the Nirvana Pool.” In the meantime, many Elders were waiting around the palace with a huge number of precious treasures and materials they prepared. Each of this treasure would make a cultivator from the outside world go crazy. Among those treasures, there was a drop of precious blood comprising different colours, emitting projections of ancient beasts that looked like they were about to travel across dimension to hunt their prey. Of course, there were also unseen heavenly herbs that were shining with golden lights as mist wafted around them and their fragrance could make a man fly. Behind them, mysterious yet terrifying eggs that resembled miniature suns could be seen. Within these eggs were intertwining gleams and celestial energy. Also, mesmerising, golden light that resembled golden jade as it contained shiny liquid that was frightening. Other than those, there were countless more treasures that the cultivators had never seen or even heard of. “Each of these treasures would cause an uproar in the outside world. No wonder we could only activate the Nirvana Pool once every generation. Who could withstand such enormous cost!?” Among the crowd, a young prodigy from the Gu Family exclaimed in astonishment. “Indeed. Perhaps only the Gu Family is able to afford it…” Another young preodigy nodded as his eyes glistened. “We have prepared these treasures for a long time. We even captured the last offspring of the Pure-Blood King, though they have yet to hatch, but that’s not important,” an old man stated before letting out a dry cough, as if he was out of his mind. Another person beside him nodded and added, “Take that drop of precious blood for instance, we had to force a peerless being into surrendering it. In fact, it was the purest blood in his horn, and only one drop could be produced after millennia of cultivation.” The drop of blood contained different hues, as if it contained a little world that was full of shocking divine energy. A trace of the energy could create an unparalleled prodigy, and an abundant amount of energy was harboured within the drop of blood, containing World Principles, hence its pricelessness and rareness. Looking at the drop of precious blood, Gu Xianer was taken aback. Back when she was in Peach Village, she also saw numerous treasures, but those were nothing compared to what she was seeing now. [I wonder if I could break through twice in the Nirvana Pool and have a boost in my cultivation level and ultimately beat Gu Changge?] “Dream on.” All of a sudden, Gu Changge faintly stared at her and blurted, as though he could tell what she was thinking. Despite scoffing in her heart, Gu Xianer retained an unaffected look and replied, “Just you wait, Gu Changge.” At the same time, an Elder caught their interaction and subconsciously smiled. “With these treasures, in addition to the secret techniques of the family, you may encounter bloodline mutation. Of course, since Talents are closely related to our bloodline, your Talents may also be enhanced. Gu Changge nodded. On the other hand, the rest of the talents were immensely thrilled at the invaluable opportunity. Nonetheless, how much they could make out of it solely depended on their effort. After all, only Immortal Families could possess such unwavering influence and provide such shocking offerings. Each of these offerings could wreak havoc in the outside world as they were desired even by Sacred Kings. “Alright, once the Nirvana Pool is activated, absorb everything you can while we assist you in your bloodline mutation. The process will last a few days. Break a leg.” Upon the words of the Elders, the five young prodigys grew visibly stern. As of now, Gu Changge advanced into the Sacred Realm, so the Nirvana Pool wouldn’t be of great use to him, but in his eyes, it could be a device of manipulation as it allowed him to reveal more of the strength of his surface cultivation level. Besides, since Wang Zijin had already broken through to Quasi-Sacred Realm, him feigning power of similar level wouldn’t be overboard. Regardless, currently, no one would suspect that he was the Successor of Demonic Arts. Most importantly, Gu Changge saw it as a fine opportunity. Since it was related to bloodline Talents, he wanted to see what changes his innate Demonic Heart could go through. Furthermore, there were rumours that entering the Nirvana Pool could allow one to take a glimpse into the future, so he, too, was curious and intended to discover the validity of the rumour. Soon, the five young prodigies walked into the palace. Then, a massive Grand Rune surged and shone above a pool surrounded with thick mists. Within the pool were traces of energy that felt surreal, unlike those from their original world. Followingly, the pool amidst the mists started to glow. Formed by numberless runes, that was the Energy of Creation. It seemed incomparably wondrous with its silver beams as World Principles intertwined. “Sit by the pool and absorb the energy that it emits. How much you can take in depends on you,” an Elder sternly claimed. Hearing that, Gu Changge, Gu Xianer and the rest immediately sat by the pool and awaited the awakening of the Nirvana Pool. Whoosh! The Elders refined the treasures in their hands before tossing them into the Nirvana Pool. One after another, the treasures were inserted in the pool. The first treasure was a mystical plant that resembled the sun. Rolling down the branches, every drop of its delicate dews was as big as one’s thumb and they possessed heat that was higher than the core of a star. Instantly, a frightening sound thundered across the sky as though chaos erupted. The delicate liquid that was inserted into the pool caused a massive disturbance. The second treasure, the third, the fourth, and so on… Accordingly, more and more treasures were tossed into the Nirvana Pool, which then let out a terrifying aura. Nonetheless, right at that moment, the air suddenly trembled as shocking celestial energy drifted out of the pool. Gu Xianer was the first one to respond to it as her new Celestial Bone was glowing with blinding lights. She appeared as if she was about to fly like an angel that walked among humans. Her Celestial Bone then started to resonate with a new kind of celestial energy. Boom! All of a sudden, blaring noises came from Gu Changge’s side. His blood was gushing within his body, producing sounds of the violent current of a river. That was an unimaginable might, trembling the crowd and almost shattered the Nirvana Pool. As he sat still, his cells were like an abyssal ocean, they looked especially lively as they were radiating vibrantly while a mysterious black substance was floating on top of them. In that instant, as if he became one with the world, he could devour all lives as deafening noises thundered through the sky, and even the pool was unsettled. The Energy of Creation floated with vague gleams as a Grand Rune surfaced in the pool, but it was then engulfed by Gu Changge’s cells. Such an alarming speed caused some of the Elders to believe they were hallucinating. As he remained stationary, his entire body glowed with colourful aura as though he was covered by a giant fog. Meanwhile, his Celestial Chant that was sitting within his conscience opened its cold eyes and mouth. At once, a black hole-like anomaly occurred and let out a terrifying suction force. Simultaneously, his Primordial Spirit was undergoing different changes of colours. Apart from Gu Xianer, the other three young prodigies couldn’t bring themselves to settle down at that moment as they were disrupted by Gu Changge’s aura. Despite their frustration, they dared not express it. “Changge’s Talents are indeed too powerful. It’s been years, yet we still can’t tell what they are. Perhaps today offers us the opportunity to discover them. His flesh, his life force, and the strength of his Primordial Spirit are just too frightening. There’s even a shockwave in the void. What Talents does he actually possess? It’s really bewildering. I wonder if they will be revealed today…” As Gu Changge’s reaction left the Elders dumbfounded, they began discussing about it, and the more they looked at him, the more immersed and astonished they grew. Whoosh! Nevertheless, a mighty figure with a calm face appeared outside the palace, and that figure belonged to Gu Changge’s father, the current leader of the Gu Family. “Sir!” Upon his appearance, the Elders grew nervous and somewhat guilty as they greeted him. After all, Gu Changge’s Talents had always been a secret, and even his father had told the Elders not to investigate it. “There will be no next time.” Gu Lintian blatantly stated. His face and figure was ambiguous, as if he was in another world. Yet, his tone remained overbearing, leaving the most respected Elders anxious as they dared not to defy him. In fact, their actions were rather intolerable. Immediately, the Elders saw no point of lingering after having fulfilled their tasks, to insert countless heavenly treasures and materials into the Nirvana Pool. Besides, they grew fearful since the leader of the Gu Family was now here. Watching as the Elders left, Gu Lintian revealed a complicated expression as he stared at the Nirvana Pool with his worried eyes. He knew something was going to happen. Given that his son’s Demonic Heart was a secret that could never be revealed, the Nirvana Pool that was filled with immensely dense Energy of Creation might trigger change to the Demonic Heart. By then, Gu Changge would find himself in trouble if the Elders were to detect even a trace of his true aura. Having thought of that, Gu Lintian came to the ancestral palace to personally guard his son, and at the same time prevent anyone else from witnessing what might happen. [I hope I’m merely overthinking it. There’s no telling whether the Nirvana Pool is a blessing or curse to Changge. Previously, he could hardly suppress his demonic nature. But a second mutation might hopefully revert him back to his former state…] Gu Lintian hoped with a concerned look on his face. In his opinion, not only was suppressing the demonic nature of an Innate Demonic Heart tremendously difficult, but it would also be a gruesome torment to Gu Changge. Essentially, it would be virtually impossible for Gu Changge to suppress his demonic nature with sheer will. Silavin: Man… I always wanted to change the Nature God’s Chant, which should now be Celestial Chant (But the author used Nature God’s Chant here). 先天神祗念 仙祗念 But the author uses it as though it is a Talent, in other words, a skill. Yet, he seems to also use it as though it is a manifestation of his soul or something. Heck, there is no explanation of what it is. It bugs me at times when I have to settle for it being a Chant… Which does not give a clear image of what it is. Then again, that is an issue with this novel. So many words spent just describing how glorious a thing is, fluffing it up, without any real substance on how things work.