Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin In the meantime, Gu Lintian was protecting Gu Changge outside the palace when he suddenly felt a strange energy coming from inside. He had sealed the fluctuations here, so whether it was him or anyone else, it would be difficult for anyone to notice the things happening in the Nirvana Pool in the ancestral palace, but at this moment, he started to become wary. To a powerful cultivator like him, this vague instinct was usually the most accurate, so without hesitation, he waved his sleeves and immediately opened the doors of the ancestral palace. However, before he entered the place, he was instantly hit by a wave of surging Demonic Nature, causing his expression to change. “Damn it!” The thing that he most feared had happened. The Nirvana Pool contained many profound auspicious energies that could cause Gu Changge’s Demonic Heart to undergo another metamorphosis, enabling the growth of his Demonic Nature, but clearly, Gu Lintian was too late. He could feel from how frightening Gu Changge’s Demonic Nature had become, that his son’s current metamorphosis must have done more harm than good. He quickly arrived at the depths of the ancestral palace and saw Gu Xianer, who was in a daze by the Nirvana Pool with tear marks on her face, so he asked with some concern, “Xianer, are you okay?” What he was most worried about was that Gu Changge had done something to her, just like what he did more than ten years ago. Thinking about what would happen now that Gu Changge couldn’t suppress his Demonic Nature, he felt a shiver down his spine. However, when he saw that Gu Xianer was fine, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Uncle Gu, I’m fine.” When she saw him coming in, she also came back to her senses and said hurriedly, “Uncle Gu, you should take a look at Gu Changge quickly. He doesn’t seem right, and…” Her voice began to tremble again. “And he shattered his own arms so that he wouldn’t hurt me…” At this point, she didn’t have to say much because Gu Lintian also noticed Gu Changge was sitting down with his eyes closed on the other side. His arms looked flattened with multicoloured-blood stains on them. As stunning divine energy intertwined and his life force began to surge, his wounds had already started to heal themselves. After reaching this level, Gu Changge could regenerate a severed limb with just a thought as long as his Original Soul was still intact, so this injury was actually nothing to him. As for Gu Lintian, he wasn’t surprised, and by the looks of it, Gu Changge’s breathing was now very calm which was no different than before. However, he also couldn’t tell whether the current Gu Changge was the same as the Gu Changge in the past. Worse, he couldn’t help him to suppress his Demonic Nature. “Changge is fine. You don’t need to worry about him. I’m glad that you are safe.” Gu Lintain sighed and said to her. He then noticed the other three young prodigies of the Gu Family had passed out in the corner, but they weren’t severely harmed. Nonetheless, in order to be on the safe side, Gu Lintian still made a move to erase this section of their memories. “Uncle Gu…” Looking at the scene, Gu Xianer didn’t know what to say as her mind was a complete mess. There was so much confusion and disbelief that it was impossible for her to not worry for Gu Changge even though Gu Lintian told her to calm down. [If Gu Changge didn’t shatter his own arms at the most crucial moment, I’d probably be dead by now, right? Has he been fighting against his Demonic Nature for all these years?] On the surface, Gu Changge seemed like a shining star among the younger generation, but no one knew how torturous it was for him. She still remembered clearly the violence on his face, as if he was about to slaughter everyone! However, under that kind of emotion, he was able to maintain his sanity, especially just now when he kept on protecting her, so how could she not feel touched? Thinking about it, she looked at Gu Changge’s expression while her face became filled with mixed emotions, including guilt, confusion and various other feelings. Even though Gu Changge normally seemed annoying, and his attitude was hot and cold at times, he still treated her quite gently. All of a sudden, she felt that the truth she had been searching for was right in front of her eyes. “Uncle Gu, why is Gu Changge suddenly like this? You seem to know all about this from the very beginning,” she asked. In the meantime, Gu Changge also seemed to be hearing everything as he sat there with the wounds on his arms quickly healing. She didn’t know what personality he would display once he opened his eyes again. Listening to her, Gu Lintian first glanced at Gu Changge before looking at Gu Xianer and sighed with a shaking head. “It’s exactly what you’ve seen with your own eyes, but I’ll let Changge tell you about it himself. I’ll stay out of such matters.” The Demonic Heart was a serious matter, and even if he wanted to explain to her, it must be a decision made by Gu Changge himself. As his father, he would never overstep his boundaries. Besides, even if he refused to say, according to her personality and intellect, Gu Xianer would probably still be able to guess all of it. With that, he waved his sleeves and brought Gu Changge away from here. There were some things that he needed to ask him personally to be clear. [This might be the secret Gu Changge has been keeping from everyone.] Seeing that Gu Lintian said nothing, Gu Xianer wasn’t surprised at all as she was already clear on what was going on. [This might have something to do with the Talent he possessed when he was born, causing the root of his Demonic Nature to run deep and affecting his consciousness and actions on a regular basis. That is why he dug up my Daoist Bone when I was young. Afterward, he was able to gradually advance his cultivation and control his Demonic Nature so that he wouldn’t be affected by it.] “Maybe the reason why he dug up my Daoist Bone back then was to suppress his Demonic Nature. Over the years, he felt guilty about it and tried to make amends to me. Also, he seems to know that he will one day no longer be able to suppress his Demonic Nature, so he forced me to train my cultivation harder so that I won’t be killed by him in the future… He is clearly a very gentle person, but why does he always have to pretend to be cold? You… you are such a fool…” she mumbled to herself, thinking about how she got into arguments with him before over trivial matters and not knowing that he meant well. She couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. [So that’s why he is so disappointed in me…] She cleverly figured out everything and realised that what happened today was an example of Gu Changge not being able to control his Demonic Nature. If not for that crucial moment where Gu Changge used his astonishing willpower to suppress his Demonic Nature, the consequences would be devastating for her. [Can my Celestial Bone help suppress his Demonic Nature… But from now on, based on his personality, he probably will ignore me forever… He’ll say that I’m good for nothing…] This sudden thought made her feel a bit frustrated and hesitant. Even though she figured out everything in the end, she still had no idea what caused the root Gu Changge’s Demonic Nature, which ran so deep since he was born. In short, she only understood the big picture, and if she wanted to know more about him, she would have to ask him personally. However, based on her understanding of Gu Changge, he definitely wouldn’t tell him even if she already knew his deepest secret. [Although the process will be difficult, I will help him solve this problem. Gu Changge, I won’t give up on you!] She made a firm promise to him inside her heart. She remembered that the masters behind her knew far more than her, and might have a solution to this matter. Not only that, she also had the extremely ancient and mysterious Sister Tao Yao. [Seeing that even Gu Lintian is keeping it a secret for him, I can tell that it must be something ominous. For his sake, I can’t simply tell anyone about this, but it’s definitely fine for me to inform my masters.] … “Father.” Inside an ancient grand palace, Gu Changge, who had recovered from his injuries, stood face to face with Gu Lintian. He opened his mouth and greeted him respectfully while his expression was no longer different from the one he had in the ancestral palace. As for his two arms, they were both restored and unaffected. “How did the Nirvana Pool affect you this time?” Gu Lintian asked while carefully examining Gu Changge. From his appearance alone, it was indeed difficult for him to notice anything. Also, he didn’t know whether the sudden burst of his Demonic Nature this time would have any effect on Gu Changge, but luckily, he blocked off the ancestral palace at that time. Otherwise, the outcome would be unthinkable. Listening to him, Gu Changge calmly answered, “It’s alright. I underestimated the Demonic Heart’s influence on me, but now, I’ve already suppressed it.” Actually, he was laughing quietly inside his heart. At this point, he definitely wouldn’t tell the truth, so he simply fooled Gu Lintian as well. There was no Demonic Nature that could affect him. In fact, what he did just now was all just an act, to make Gu Xianer trust him completely. It was an old fashion of winning someone’s heart, and he was confident in his own acting skills. Even though his actions just now looked frantic, it was actually all meticulously planned. Even during the crucial moment where he fractured both his arms, it was all within his plan. He was absolutely certain that if he struck at her at that time, the powerful masters behind her would definitely show themselves. That was why he decided to go with this plan instead. Since he injured himself and it seemed like a tragedy, even Gu Lintian was filled with sorrow and resignation, let alone Gu Xianer. As for Gu Changge, he didn’t feel guilty at all because it would leave a lot of trouble for him in the future if he didn’t do so. Besides, he could just put all the blame on the Demonic Heart, and by the looks of it, it was working very well. When looking at the notification of the System, he saw that the Fortuity he gained from Gu Xianer almost reached 10,000. “Xianer will probably ask you about some things. As for the Demonic Heart, you decide yourself how you are going to tell her. It’s not wise for someone old like me to interfere with such matters.” Hearing his answer, Gu Lintian nodded his head. “Don’t worry, Father. The Demonic Nature will no longer affect me.” Gu Changge continued, “As for Xianer, I know what to do.” “Now that you’ve put it that way, I’m relieved, but it must have been difficult for you over the years…” Gu Lintian let out a faint sigh. After all, none of this was Gu Changge’s fault. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done something like destroying both his own arms to stop himself. [Xianer is also smart enough to know not to blame Changge.] Gu Lintian didn’t want any misunderstandings on Gu Changge since it wasn’t easy for his son to suffer the unwarranted hatred from Gu Xianer over the years. [If the Demonic Heart is not taken care of, it will pose a huge problem.] Gu Lintitan thought of the many secrets related to the Demonic Heart. It was a sign of ominousness, and no matter which faction it resided in, it would bring terrible and unimaginable consequences. Even though Gu Changge was now a famous star, once his Demonic Heart was exposed, he would still be affected more or less even though it wasn’t as horrendous as the Successor of Demonic Arts. After that, Gu Changge bid his farewell and returned back to his place. On the way back, many members of the family looked at him with eyes filled with confusion and curiosity. Even though Gu Lintian had taken care of what happened inside the Nirvana Pool, it was impossible for him to conceal everything since it was an important matter that even the Elders of the family were focused on. The news of Gu Changge experiencing cultivation deviation was immediately spread out in private, leaving many confused. After all, why would the Avatar of a True Immortal, Gu Changge, actually have a heart demon, and it even burst out when he was in the Nirvana Pool? This was a serious matter that could cause an uproar. Although it wasn’t strange for a cultivator to have a heart demon, it would only appear within someone old or cultivate for an extremely long time. However, Gu Changge’s age was just a little over than 20 years old, so it was strange for him to have a heart demon. Many of the members of the family felt resigned and thought that Gu Changge was still guilty about digging up Gu Xianer’s bone back then, to a point where he couldn’t remove such an emotion even after he had already returned the bone to her. They believe his mind was filled with many thoughts when he was in the Nirvana Pool, and when he saw Gu Xianer’s new bone, it triggered his heart demon to act out. Many agreed with this explanation, and it spread out privately in the family. Then, the higher ups of the family received news about it and agreed that this might be the truth, but from another perspective, the explanation was shockingly normal… After all, if Gu Changge didn’t feel any guilt about what he did back then, there would be a problem. Besides, it was easy to deal with a heart demon. In the blink of an eye, many days had passed. The matter seems trivial now. In fact, the incident in the Nirvana Pool didn’t seem to cause much of an uproar. Instead, Gu Xianer took the opportunity to break through to the Partial Enlightened Realm and increased her strength tremendously, surpassing many of her peers in one go. Looking at the entire Immortal Gu Family, only a few people in her generation could surpass her in terms of cultivation. In private, there was also news that Gu Changge’s true cultivation had already broken through to the Enlightened King Realm or even the Quasi-Sacred Realm. However, he had always kept it a secret from the public, not revealing it to anyone. Thus, it became a rumour, which shocked a lot of people. The cultivation level of the younger generation was the priority of any faction. Even though Gu Changge was very public with his actions, not many knew about his true cultivation level. The strength that he displayed to the public was just slightly higher than some of the young prodigies, but lately, more things shone light to it. The Saintness of the Mortal Palace, Wang Zijin, had once said that she couldn’t even see through his strength, and if the two of them were to fight, the outcome would be hard to decide. Naturally, her words were noted with the recent assassination attempt on her by someone in the Sacred Lord Realm, a henchman of the Successor of Demonic Arts. At that time, Wang Zijin was noted to be in the Quasi-Sacred Realm. This news had caused a huge stir as countless young cultivators, as they were all left in awe. Before this, the Walking Taboo, Gu Changge, was already secretly crowned as the best among his generation, which left many in despair. He was like a huge mountain above their heads, but now, after the appearance of the Successor of Mortal Palace, who was in the Quasi-Sacred Realm, it has left the people speechless. It was truly a golden age with many shining stars. Therefore, as soon as Wang Zijin’s words became known, it caused a huge stir, and Gu Changge’s true cultivation level immediately became a topic to discuss among the many factions. Naturally, many started to realise that they had missed something. The supposed Successor of Demonic Arts that had recently appeared, Ye Ling, was brave enough to sneak into the Celestial Ancient Continent and attack many young prodigies. This meant that he definitely had something up his sleeves, but in the end, he still escaped severely injured by Gu Changge. By the looks of it now, Ye Ling wasn’t arrogant. Rather, he had encountered a very powerful opponent called Gu Changge, whose cultivation had already reached unfathomable levels already. Suddenly, every faction began to look deeper into Gu Changge. Some even claimed that the methods he displayed in the Celestial Ancient Continent seemed utilising World Principles, which could only be controlled by someone in the Sacred Realm. Many kinds of guesses started to emerge, pushing Gu Changge to the spotlight once more, and the person who started it, Wang Zijin, felt that there was nothing wrong with it since she was helping him build up his reputation. … “I really wonder if this Wang Zijin is actually an idiot, or if she is just faking it…” Inside the palace, Gu Changge furrowed his brows when he heard the news. He only revealed his cultivation to be in the Enlightened King Realm, which was still extremely distant from the Quasi-Sacred Realm as of rumours. He initially wanted to develop in a fast and hidden manner, but Wang Zijin took it upon herself to make him famous, which was something he already had too much of. [It isn’t a good idea to attract too many people’s attention because someone might find out about the flaws in my plan.] Gu Changge though, with another plan in mind already. [It would be even better if one or two ancient monstrosities appeared at this time and looked down on my cultivation so that they’ll come to challenge me to make a name for themselves. It just so happens that I now lack an opportunity to continue advancing my cultivation, but after what Wang Zijin has done, it means that she is telling those monstrosities that I’m not easy to deal with… I’ll definitely remember you for foiling my plan.] He couldn’t help but squint his eyes. He knew this cliche very well and was planning to use it, but unfortunately, Wang Zijin knew about it as well and took the liberty to do so, feeling that it would be less troublesome for him and thinking that Gu Changge might become fond of her. Naturally, she wouldn’t know that he actually wanted to let these troubles come to him because no one was responsible for one’s death in a battle between young prodigies, so if someone died in his hands… their Source would be there for his taking. “Young Master Gu, the matter that you ordered me to investigate is starting to come to light. Over the years, Lady Xianer’s parents have indeed been trapped in the One Dimensional World.” During this period, Yan Ji went to investigate Gu Xianer’s parents after receiving Gu Changge’s orders and came back with this news. “Good.” He nodded. “According to your instructions, I dispatched a lot of people to protect them in secret, but Lady Xianer’s parents are very powerful and have noticed us…” she continued. “It’s fine. I want them to notice us. I want them to feel that we have been searching for them over the years and spent a lot of energy doing so.” He couldn’t help but smile since he didn’t like to do a good deed without letting everyone know about it. He couldn’t wait to let the entire Gu Family know about this so that they could understand the good intentions of their young master. Listening to him, Yan Ji somewhat understood and nodded with her gorgeous face. “Young Master Gu, I can’t help but wonder why you won’t go there yourself. Why are you doing this in secret without letting the Gu Family know?” She asked, a bit confused. [Won’t it have a better effect if he goes there himself?] “It’s about the persona. If I go there myself, there won’t be any effect. Instead, it will be counterproductive, making people think that I’m up to no good. That’s why I’m doing this in secret. Do you understand?” Gu Changge casually smiled and said some words that she couldn’t understand. Listening to him, she looked a bit in a daze while her ruby glazed eyes were full of confusion and disbelief. Clearly, she didn’t quite understand the situation of the Immortal Gu Family very well, and his words confused her even more, but at this point, she still nodded her head and said, “I see.” Hearing her reply, Gu Changge looked at her and started laughing. “Yan Ji, when did you learn how to talk nonsense in front of me?” “Young Master Gu…” After being made fun of by him, she couldn’t help but blush a little. Meanwhile, outside the mountain gate of the Immortal Gu Family, a figure with a face blurred by mist appeared wearing a moon-white robe. She seemed to have travelled a long way, during which she made a trip to the Ancient Ye Family, and now, she was finally here. Looking at the glorious and huge mountain gate in front of her, she went towards the divine guard in front of the mountain gate and said, “I’m the Successor of Mortal Palace here to visit Young Master Changge. Please inform him of my presence.”