Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin In the blink of an eye, numerous days had passed. The entire Southern Flourishing Heaven was in distress thanks to the Successor of Demonic Arts. Among the forces, two powerful forces, the Golden Qilin Clan and Endless Fire Kingdom, were most furious. They allocate most of their time scouring for the whereabouts of the Successor of Demonic Arts. After all, the three Sacred Lord Realm experts who appeared previously shouldn’t have taken Ying Shuang far, so the two forces believed that he was still in Southern Flourishing Heaven, though his exact whereabouts remained unknown. Speaking of Ying Shuang, he was now regarded as a public menace and everyone was searching for him every day. Although Sky Emperor Mountain had claimed to be unrelated to Ying Shuang, the incident whereby he slaughtered countless young prodigies by using the Golden Ancient Bell remained widely discussed across the world, drawing massive turmoil, and such grudge couldn’t be dismissed simply by denying affiliation with Ying Shuang. Thereupon, Sky Emperor Mountain had been rather tormented lately. Although the Ancient Immortal Races perceived them as a sacred land with supernatural possession and devoted their reverence to them, at such a moment, many forces still stormed to the gates of Sky Emperor Mountain to demand justice. Inevitably, they had to shoulder substantial compensation in order to satisfy the vengeful visitors and thereby faced a drastic loss, hence their growing hatred for Ying Shuang. Incidentally, Prince Shen, another prince of Sky Emperor Mountain, also surfaced in the outside world recently. On the day the Prince Shen appeared, vibrant lights scattered all around the world, forming thousands of anomalies in the shapes of the True Dragon, the White Tiger, and the Celestial Phoenix as well as blossoming golden lotuses in the air. Simultaneously, war chariots occurred in the sky, as if they were welcoming the arrival of a young Sky Emperor. As for the Prince Shen, he wasn’t exactly a stranger to cultivators. His father, known as Sky Emperor Shen, was another Sky Emperor who was many generations older than Sky Emperor Ying. Furthermore, Prince Shen possessed the Blood of the Gods, and his eyes, the Eyes of Gods, filled with stunning hues, allowed him to perceive every corner in the world. And so, with numerous domineering methods, many grew to fear him. At the same time, he even declared that he would personally capture Ying Shuang in order to clear Sky Emperor Mountain of its humiliation. Accordingly, the news startled the entire world. Without question, the might of Prince Shen was no inferior to any abomination of ancient times, and his tone of speech was inexplicably reassuring. In the meantime, some Elders arrived at the Eternal Overcast Battleground, where Immortal Academy was located, to pursue the truth behind the disturbance as they sensed something was off. However, even these Elders couldn’t identify what the actual problem was as their tracing methods failed to replay the scenario back then, which was indicative of the wariness of the Successor of Demonic Arts. If it weren’t for the tracks left behind by Qi Lin Zi, everyone else would still live under the deception of Ying Shuang, oblivious to his true colours. As such, news about the matter too dispersed across the land. Followingly, the matter regarding the coming of the Successor of Demonic Arts in Eternal Overcast Battleground was announced by Immortal Academy to the outside world. Young prodigies that managed to secure any kills on Eternal Overcast creatures in the Eternal Overcast Battleground would be able to exchange for points and earn the reputation to enter Immortal Academy. At once, Southern Flourishing Heaven grew frenzied once again. The young prodigies who were agitated by the spotting of the Successor of Demonic Arts in Eternal Overcast Battleground immediately left the area upon killing the Eternal Overcast creatures as they were afraid of being targeted by the Successor of Demonic Arts. … At that moment, in the depths of Land of Eternal Overcast, Gu Changge’s figure appeared out of the void. It was three days after he parted ways with Yue Mingkong. During those days, he broke through to the Intermediate Sacred Noble Realm. As the Grand Flask was refining the Symbol of Reincarnation, his ascension speed was remarkably higher than the usual rate. For an ordinary being in the Sacred Noble Realm, breaking through a Minor Realm would take thousands of years. From Yue Mingkong, he indeed received news regarding the Demoness in red, which was possibly related to Demon-Burying Abyss that would soon occur. As its name suggested, Demon-Burying Abyss was where True Demons of the Nine Realms were buried. Since ancient times, innumerable Demon Lords were slaughtered in Demon-Burying Abyss and it eventually gained its name. Nevertheless, its position was mysterious and ambiguous as it was ever-changing instead of staying at a fixed place. As a matter of fact, an ancient prophecy foretold that there was an unknown space sealed within the depths of Demon-Burying Abyss. It was also said that even the legendary Nine Nethers was nowhere as deep as Demon-Burying Abyss, where the most ancient immortals failed to crawl out of upon falling. In fact, the whereabouts of Demon-Burying Abyss was related to Golden Cicada Temple, a mysterious temple at the peak of Buddhist Mountain. However, since the beginning of mankind, only a few had the pleasure of seeing Golden Cicada Temple, yet the disciples of Golden Cicada Temple ventured into the outside world and amassed great reputation, leaving the masses impressed and astounded. Every generation, Golden Cicada Temple would send a monk to guard Floating Ghost Temple that was above Demon-Burying Abyss. Titled the Abyss Guardian, the monk was in charge of observing the changes of Demon-Burying Abyss. Not long after Gu Changge retrieved information from Yue Mingkong, a disturbance erupted in Demon-Burying Abyss, destroying the Floating Ghost Temple that was above it. The Abyss Guardian became a casualty from the disturbance, which then concerned the people of the world. Although Yue Mingkong mentioned nothing about it, Gu Changge could already figure it out. [The Demoness in red must have a hand in the disturbance in Demon-Burying Abyss. Her priority must be to take revenge on me, but given my current strength, I have no chance against her. Though, with these forces behind my back, I doubt I’d have anything to worry about. Typically, such a menacing Demoness wouldn’t be fully conscient upon her rerising, so this is a good opportunity for me…] All sorts of ideas flashed across Gu Changge’s mind. Then, a bold idea came into his mind, releasing demons. Instead of defying, he would rather adapt. Since he was already informed about where and when the Demoness in red would surface, he might as well take the initiative to find her. After all, he was completely different from the former Successor of Demonic Arts. Of course, there was no reason for him to be scared of the Demoness in red finding out his secrets. Therefore, right now, his main goal was to figure out ways to advance and come up with a suitable excuse while he was at it. Essentially, not just any person could enter Demon-Burying Abyss; even if they did, they would instantly be noticed by the monk guarding Floating Ghost Temple. Thus, Gu Changge was still formulating a flawless plan, though he never thought about the consequences if he were to release Demons, which should be optional since the Demoness in red would surface sooner or later. As for resealing the Demoness, hence giving up the potential Fortuity and Fatums, he never once considered it. Besides, if resealing the Demoness in red were to go south, the aftermath would be abysmal. Since the Demoness in red already bore resentment as deep as hell towards him, there was no point for him to reseal her. After collecting his thoughts, Gu Changge, as his eyes grew deeper, turned to the space that was obviously corroded by energy from the Eternal Overcast. It was a region unimaginably deep underneath the Eternal Overcast Battleground. Judging by the distance, it was more than one million kilometres. In the space before him, spectacular mountains could be seen, but due to the corrosion of the energy from the Eternal Overcast, Yin energy, causing no slightest trace of life could be found. Nonetheless, the silhouette of a massive force was visible. Taverns and palaces of utmost grace were now turned into a ruined site as they collapsed under the dense Yin energy. Not a single cultivator could be seen, as there were only the exponentially spawning Eternal Overcast creatures, all powerful creatures with strength ranging from Enlightened King Realm to Quasi-Sacred Realm. If any young cultivator were to venture into the area, they could get themselves killed anytime. Naturally, Gu Changge wasn’t here to kill the Eternal Overcast creatures, but because he knew that Wang Zijin came to the depths by sensing the rune he left on her. [As the Successor of Mortal Palace, it’s highly likely that she manages to locate the core region of the Eternal Overcast. With her leading the way, things become much easier,] Gu Changge thought to himself. Somewhere within the core region of the Eternal Overcast lay a trial, so it would be virtually impossible for Gu Changge to devour the entire Eternal Overcast now. Though, he could first try devouring a part of it. With experience of that, he could more precisely locate the whereabouts of the Eternal Overcast and thus gaining more control of certain situations. Swiftly, Gu Changge disappeared into thin air as he used the Power of Void to hide in the void so he wouldn’t have to worry about Wang Zijin detecting his presence. … Meanwhile, in the depths of the Land of Eternal Overcast wasn’t exactly peaceful. The ground was shaking, as if the sky was about to explode. Thick, relentless Yin energy was wafting everywhere, much like a fog. There, an abyss was apparent; lights from within beaconed through the sky as runes possessing vigorous magic intertwined. Out of nowhere, the might of Quasi-Sacred Realm erupted as unrivalled power was cast towards the Eternal Overcast creatures. A golden miniature tower occurred in the air, emitting terrifying beams in all directions. With an expression colder than ice as her hair flew along the breeze, a slender figure donning a robe swaying to the winds was slaughtering the huge number of Eternal Overcast creatures, as though she was set to obliterate them. “Jiang Chuchu, are you out of your mind? Are you seriously trying to seal up this opening? There’s no way you can do that with your current strength!” Standing behind the slender figure, Wang Zijin was also drawing her hands as she was screaming towards Jiang Chuchu in front of her while repelling the countless Eternal Overcast creatures charging at her. Nonetheless, the number of Eternal Overcast creatures was too great. High up in the sky, the abyss was surrounded by dense, grey fog, as if the fog gushed out through opened gates. With the strength of those two women, there was no way they could overcome so many Eternal Overcast creatures, let alone the tenacious ones in the Sacred Realm. Furthermore, behind the Sky Abyss, an even more powerful aura was awakening. The beings within the Land of Eternal Overcast were nothing they could handle. However, for some unsound reason, Jiang Chuchu, instead of looking for the Mortal Reincarnate or dealing with the Successor of Demonic Arts, came to Land of Eternal Overcast, as if slaughtering Eternal Overcast creatures was now her sole way to cleanse the world and honour the Mortal Palace. As such, Wang Zijin was puzzled, unable to figure out what it was that caused Jiang Chuchu to behave this way. As Successors of Mortal Palace, they were indeed obligated to protect justice in the world, but there was no need to resort to such drastic measures. “Leave, Wang Zijin. This is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with you.” Upon Wang Zijin’s yell, Jiang Chuchu responded. She turned around to look at Wang Zijin with a calm face, showing no signs of remorse. Though, she was clearly fatigued, unlike the persistent facade she put up. There was even blood on her garment, the result of her strenuous massacre. Wang Zijin, as her ally, wasn’t able to understand her. Now that the Mortal One was forever dead, Gu Changge the Successor of Demonic Arts was still walking as he wished yet she could do nothing about it. Thus, the only thing she could do was to murder Eternal Overcast creatures so that she could feel that she was worthy of her position. Even if she were to die doing that, she wouldn’t feel so ashamed of disappointing her Elders who raised her. “What do you mean a personal matter? Have you forgotten that I’m a Successor of Mortal Palace too? Why are you so foolish yet so stubborn? Do you wish to die here?” Wang Zijin helplessly shouted in response, feeling as though Jiang Chuchu was one of those depressed women she knew who were dumped and lost all rationality. No matter how she persuaded Jiang Chuchu, the latter wouldn’t listen, insisting on wiping out the Eternal Overcast creatures despite her exhaustion. “Since you found the Successor of Demonic Arts, why don’t you look for him instead of coming here and wasting your time and energy? Jeez, I wonder what’s going on in that mind of yours…” Wang Zijin then conjured a magic weapon that shone brightly and illuminated the entire sky. She was still trying to convince Jiang Chuchu, but seeing that that was to no avail, she decided to look for an opportunity to knock her out and get her out of here. Nonetheless, their strengths were on par, so if she were to turn to her ultimate hand, an uncontrollable backlash might occur. [If only I stopped Gu Changge back then, things would be different now… Though, he doesn’t seem to care about Jiang Chuchu’s life, so I doubt that would be of any use anyway.] Wang Zijin was perturbed, but given her personality, she couldn’t just ignore her fellow successor. [Successor of Demonic Arts…] Hearing those words, Jiang Chuchu, who was concentrating on fighting a Sacred Realm Eternal Overcast creature,gotstunned. A surge of coldness gushed in her eyes as she almost clenched her teeth. Alas, at that split second where she lost her focus, she was swung by the Sacred Realm Eternal Overcast creature and was sent flying away. Spewing blood in the air, she was obviously, severely injured. To be fair, her magic power was almost depleted. Indubitably, she knew who precisely was the Successor of Demonic Arts Wang Zijin mentioned, and Ying Shuang was merely an unfortunate scapegoat. As a matter of fact, Gu Changge, the true Successor of Demonic Arts remained as free as a bird, yet none knew of his true identity, let alone the fact that he had already killed the Mortal One, who no longer had a chance of reincarnating. Thus, Jiang Chuchu’s emotions were complicated whenever Gu Changge was involved. Certainly, she abhorred him to the bones, but she couldn’t forget about him, his expressions and utterance, his behaviours and actions, as well as his apathetic and irresponsible attitude. “Careful…” At that moment, seeing as Jiang Chuchu was standing stunned, not caring about the Eternal Overcast creatures prancing onto her, Wang Zijin was startled. At once, she conjured an elegant mirror forward to take down the living being. Still, Jiang Chuchu, having slaughtered many Eternal Overcast creatures, was stained by a heavy amount of Yin energy from the Eternal Overcast. The huge gang of Eternal Overcast creatures, with their eyes reddened, vengefully swarmed and rushed towards her, intending to suffocate her. Even when she realised it, she couldn’t bring herself to react in time. Despite defending herself in the nick of time, she was instantaneously blown away, with her injuries aggravated. Boom! The Sky Abyss quaked once again, letting out an even more frightening aura. From the aura, an enormous grey palm occurred. Covered in grey smoke, the palm did not resemble that of a human, but its aura was in the Sacred Noble Realm. Once again, Wang Zijin was dumbfounded as she never expected the Eternal Overcast creatures to have reached the Sacred Noble Realm, a level that was totally out of her and Jiang Chuchu’s league. If they didn’t flee now, it would be more difficult once the Sacred Noble Realm creature showed up. “Don’t be stupid, Jiang Chuchu! You’ll die if you stay any longer!” Wang Zijin subconsciously yelled with an anxious look as she noticed the grey fog-covered giant palm was about to plunge onto Jiang Chuchu. At that moment, Jiang Chuchu had still yet to recover her senses, but once she did, the terrifying giant palm was already right in front of her. As the terrorizing Yin energy was about to engulf her, her face blanched. Although she was prepared to die, she couldn’t help but tremble when she actually faced her end. Nevertheless, in that instant, something flashed across her mind. It wasn’t her mentors, but the face of Gu Changge, whom she loathed to the bones. Whoosh! All of a sudden, a deafening ring reverberated in the sky as a blinding beam pierced through the chaotic gleams. Carrying the vibrant sword-like beam through the sky, it scattered the grey fog and speedily plummeted. An intense murderous aura instantly surged. Thump! Following an agonised shriek, the terrifying grey giant palm was broken, immediately disintegrating. As ever, the sword-like beam persisted, as if it was a heavenly blade that originated from the universe, emitted a sharp energy that could split the world apart and directly slashed the alarming Sky Abyss. Before the Eternal Overcast creatures could scream out in pain, they were instantaneously turned into dust. Wordlessly, Wang Zijin turned to where the sword-like beam came from in stupefaction. An emotionless young man walked out of the void with his arm raised as the sword-like beam flickered on his palm. “Gu Changge, why are you here?” Regaining her senses, Wang Zijin questioned in shock as she didn’t expect Gu Changge to show up at the most crucial moment and even rescued Jiang Chuchu. [Besides, how is his attack so shockingly powerful? Has he perhaps broken through to the Sacred Noble Realm? Is that his true power, which he has been hiding for so long?] “Saintess Zijin.” Gu Changge turned to Wang Zijin and nodded before revealing a scowl. Although he didn’t explain why he came over, Wang Zijin could figure out it probably had something to do with the Land of Eternal Overcast, or perhaps, to rescue Jiang Chuchu. However, not giving her the chance to get ahead of herself, Gu Changge leisurely answered, “One is only obliged to witness the occurrence of the Land of Eternal Overcast. Plus, I might even be able to contribute in some way.” Truthfully, he was already here for quite a while, but what surprised him and forced him to intervene was how suicidal Jiang Chuchu was. Although he claimed to not care about her life and death, saying it was one thing, fulfilling his words was another. Therefore, Gu Changge never had the intention to leave her by. After all, they had their share of ‘intimacy.’ He couldn’t simply watch as the harmless woman whom he bore relation with perished before his eyes. Nonetheless, Wang Zijin was sceptical about his reply. Essentially, nobody with a sound mind would ever come to the Land of Eternal Overcast, let alone Gu Changge, who tended to stay away from burden. Yet, he came, and he seemed to have come for Jiang Chuchu. Evidently, something unrevealed must have happened between the two of them. As for herself, Wang Zijin was still self-aware that she couldn’t move Gu Changge. “Gu Changge…” At that moment, Jiang Chuchu recovered his senses and made out the young man who was walking towards her to be Gu Changge. The fact that he rescued her under the wire baffled her. However, coldness speedily surged in her eyes as she gazed at him. “You said you no longer cared about my life and death. Why did you save me? I didn’t ask for it.” Nonetheless, Gu Changge, as if he didn’t notice her, was still observing the Sky Abyss with his deep eyes as a large number of Eternal Overcast creatures was continuously spawning. The abyss was most likely connected to Eternal Overcast. Hearing Jiang Chuchu’s words, Wang Zijin immediately grew silent. [I knew there’s something between them, or Jiang Chuchu wouldn’t have said that. It’s as if… Gu Changge abandoned her?” “Gu Changge!” Feeling that she was ignored by Gu Changge, Jiang Chuchu, almost gritting her teeth, yelled once again as her eyes grew icier. Only then, Gu Changge turned to her with a calm look, seemingly unaffected. “Seek death all you want, but not in front of me. It’s annoying.”