Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin [It seems I’ll have to set up a plan. Among those who returned with the Third Prince of Vermillion Bird Empire this time, there’s a Sacred Lord Realm expert in hiding, who is probably his Guardian. Though, the cultivation level of the Third Prince seems to be above the Sacred Lord Realm and around the Sacred King Realm.] On the eave of a palace, Gu Changge stepped forward and appeared. His garment waved while his hair glistened, as if he was a fallen god levitating in the sky. In his vision, he could see the Fortuity changes in the entire Vermillion Bird Empire was undergoing. Some manors were undergoing unusual spikes, seemingly highly exuberant, while some palaces projected the silhouettes of an emperor absorbing the prosperity of the world, and the occurrence was apparent even under the burning sun. Nonetheless, Gu Changge could only perceive these fluctuations of the world as he refined the Dao of Reincarnation into his eyes, whereas other cultivators, even experts of the changes of Heaven and Earth, would not be able to see such occurrences. “Huh, a Serpentine Hawk devouring a Dragon…” Gu Changge revealed an enthralling smile. Be it a Serpentine Hawk or a True Dragon, in his eyes, they were nothing but abnormalities in the Vermilion Bird Empire caused by the Fortuitous One. Prior to that, the Fortuity of Vermilion Bird Empire was merely a tiny quail, but thanks to Chu Hao’s birth, it drastically grew into a Serpentine Hawk. And now, Vermilion Bird Empire seems to be intent on developing further by engulfing a Dragon. Since even experts that mastered how to look into the changes of Heaven and Earth couldn’t perceive such aberrance, Gu Changge presumed that the ruler of Vermilion Bird Empire had yet to detect it as well. If this took place in the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty or any Immortal Sects, specialised formidable cultivators would be assigned to safeguard and observe the fluctuation in the Fortunity Dragon Veins, and they would constantly pay attention to the Fortuity changes in order to predict what were to come in the future. Typically, sects would then speculate their future Fortuity, but Vermilion Bird Empire, oblivious to the happening, simply let it develop naturally. “Theoretically, if it weren’t for the birth of the Fortuitous One, then the quail would still remain a quail. If it grows into a dragon, it would be akin to those great Sects…” Then, as Gu Changge realised where the Fortuity Dragon Vein was, he took a step forward and the air turned blurry. Very soon, at a land that was thousands of metres deep from the surface, Gu Changge appeared. Before his eyes, a vast Dragon Vein was forming, dense and grand, as if a True Dragon was swimming in darkness. However, what left him surprised was that the Dragon Vein already possessed the shape of a dragon. There was a dragon’s head, whiskers, claws, tail, while only the body remained to be solidified. If it were given more time, it would most likely develop into a True Dragon. As a matter of fact, without a Sacred Emperor Realm expert, it was unimaginable how Vermilion Bird Empire grew into such a state from a tiny quail. “This Dragon Vein… Well, don’t mind if I do.” A heavenly beam erupted from Gu Changge’s hand, resembling a terrifying wave that was to engulf whatever was before it. Upon his swift movements, the beam turned into a terrorizing, pitch black giant palm of the void, sealing off the space, prohibiting the Dragon Vein from escaping. Essentially, the outcome upon Vermilion Bird Empire’s loss of the Dragon Vein was of no concern to him. Growl… At that moment, it was absorbing Fortuity in the dark, and had noticed Gu Changge’s presence. From the infiltrating young man’s body, it detected an alarming sensation. Possessing sentience, it subconsciously let out a deep growl to intimidate Gu Changge. The repressing, daunting aura gushed in darkness, and if Gu Changge didn’t seal off the place with his giant palm, cultivators outside this space would have detected the disturbance. “Easy now, I come in peace.” With a grin, Gu Changge traversed through the void to approach the dragon. “See what’s in my hand? Do you want it?” A jade jar was opened in his palm, releasing green mists and a dense aura as celestial energy wafted into the dark. It was the celestial energy he found back in the Celestial Path, which he had yet to finish absorbing. To beings like this Dragon Vein, the celestial energy was equivalent to an unspeakably alluring, addictive drug. “I just wanna be friends.” Retaining his smile, Gu Changge noticed that the Dragon Vein was fully attentive to the jar on his hand. “I’m not a bad guy, alright?” At the same time, covered in dark gleams, the Grand Flask appeared behind Gu Changge, emitting traces of dark glows as well as an ambiguous engulfing sensation of utmost terror. “You don’t trust me?” Sensing doubt flashing across the Dragon Vein’s eyes, Gu Changge shook his head and sighed. “Honestly I don’t either.” Whoosh! As soon as he finished talking, a terrifying, thick grey fog arose behind his back, engulfing everything, and instantaneously surrounding the gloomy underground. Startled, the Dragon Vein intended to escape further underground, but Gu Changge already cast a palm in the sky and slammed on the Dragon Vein. In that instant, as if the Grand Flask morphed into an endless black hole, it immediately devoured the Dragon Vein. “Alas, fallen is the to-be-True Dragon… But damn, that lizard is delicious.” Then, Gu Changge sat down with his legs crossed. His cultivation, which was already Peak Sacred Noble Realm, drastically ascended and broke through to Sacred Lord Realm upon the consumption of the Dragon Vein. … Meanwhile in a quiet courtyard, where the swishing of the swaying bamboos could be heard… What Su Qingge had to relay was, to be truthful, not specifically important. To her, they were merely what was the norm during her days of cultivating, which pertained to Gu Changge’s personality, hobbies, habits, and certainly, the ways she would interact with the man. For instance, Gu Changge liked his tea brewed with Oak Sap that aged for a million years, and each of the tea leaves must be picked from an ancient Divine Mountain. The tea must not be brewed for too long, and the heat to brew it must be a third of the winter sun’s temperature. Also, he liked eating spirit fruits that had grown for more than 800,000 years, but not the ones with too many seeds. Regardless, Gu Changge was quite strict with such details, and that was his definition of enjoyment. Carefully listening to her instructions, Ji Qingxuan missed not a word, visibly dedicated towards the matter. “Can you remember them?” Finished, Su Qingge smiled looking at the pondering Ji Qingxuan. “Yes, Qingge. Don’t worry, I won’t let Young Master Changge notice anything strange.” Ji Qingxuan nodded, as if she just accepted a mission of absolute piority. Su Qingge then replied with a smile, “Very well.” “Then, let me tell you about my situation. Except for Senior Chu Hao, you have to be wary of everyone, especially Wang Xiao. Wang Xiao is no good man, and you must be careful of him. The Guardian that followed me out of the sect this time is actually from the Wang Family, not the Ji Family.” “Even your Guardian isn’t from the Ji Family…” Su Qingge was taken aback as sympathy arose in her eyes. In other words, despite Ji Qingxuan’s remarkable Talents, the Ji Family did not gain any respect, and even her Guardian was assigned from the Wang Family. Such a situation was truly abysmal. Even from Ji Qingxuan’s tone, Su Qingge could tell that the disciple named Wang Xiao bore some kind of thoughts towards Ji Qingxuan, which was why he deliberately followed her and it was highly possible that he would attempt to oppress her with his background. “Alright, I’ll be cautious.” Su Qingge smilingly comforted, “Don’t you worry. With me here, this so-called Wang Xiao won’t be able to bully you any more.” Hearing that, Ji Qingxuan was somewhat dazed as there was stupefaction in her eyes, seemingly surprised by Su Qingge’s assurance. [How is she so bold to say that? Is it because she is under Gu Changge?] “Understood, Qingge.” Nevertheless, she nodded and replied without questioning any further, since everyone had their very own secrets. “This ancient talisman helps to conceal the aura on your body. I normally use this to conceal mine, so you don’t have to worry about anyone catching you.” Accordingly, Su Qingge pulled out an ancient talisman from her garment and handed it to Ji Qingxuan. Although their faces were the same, their aura was definitely different, and it was the talisman that usually helped Su Qingge conceal her own aura. Essentially, she was the Successor of Demonic Arts, and for safety purposes, a lot of preparations were needed. “Mm, understood.” Accepting the talisman, Ji Qingxuan was rather confused by how Su Qingge had so many cards up her sleeves, including a talisman that could conceal one’s aura. [As one of Gu Changge’s people, is there even the need to hide her aura? Would anyone in the world dare to bully her?] But of course, Ji Qingxuan did not say her thoughts out loud as she was only curious about what other side there was to Su Qingge that required more out of her than to solely depend on Gu Changge. Followingly, the two exchanged their clothes and accessories, and in order to make their disguises flawless, Su Qingge even had Ji Qingxuan put on a subtle makeup. Thereupon, not even their closest people would be able to tell them apart. “Now, we’re literally dopplegangers.” Su Qingge sounded somewhat astounded as she touched Ji Qingxuan’s cheek. “Mm.” Ji Qingxuan gently nodded. “Then, Qingge, I shall take my leave. In response, Su Qingge nodded, and she watched as Ji Qingxuan left the courtyard, slowly fading away towards the Vermilion Bird Palace. With that, she heaved a sigh, seemingly somewhat perturbed. “Qingxuan, don’t try to be smart. Young Master isn’t someone you can manipulate…” As the older sister, Su Qingge could already tell what was on Ji Qingxuan’s mind, but she didn’t bother to stop her. Frankly, her real intention wasn’t genuinely to assist her sister, since she could feel that Ji Qingxuan bore some unusual interest in Gu Changge. However, also because Su Qingge was the older sister, she decided not to expose Ji Qingxuan as she intended to find out what she was planning to do. In fact, Su Qingge was no cutesy airhead, be it back in the Lower Realm or after becoming the Successor of Demonic Arts in the Upper Realm. She always had her own opinions and strategies. Although Ji Qingxuan was undoubtedly her sister, the two had never met once before. Thus, wholly relying on their blood relation to open their hearts up and have them trust each other was nothing but fantastical nonsense. Besides, Su Qingge didn’t expect Ji Qingxuan to fully believe her either way. Ji Qingxuan’s experience ever since she was a child was indubitably richer than that of Su Qingge, and her craftiness would always be beyond her older sister. In other words, she was no way as simple as she looked. As for Ji Qingxuan’s confession that she was envious of Su Qingge’s life, that was possibly because she figured out her older sister’s relationship with Gu Changge that led her to say that. If it weren’t for how Gu Changge had influenced her when she was by his side, Su Qingge, learning about cultivators’ methods and rumours, she wouldn’t have seen through Ji Qingxuan’s underlying motive. “Are you going to deceive your own little sister as well?” At that moment, the other voice in Su Qingge’s voice sarcastically asked, letting out a scoff. Calmly shaking her head, Su Qingge replied, “This is no deception. We are simply taking advantage of each other. As I’ve been by Young Master’s side and have been unable to leave…” As the Successor of Demonic Arts, Su Qingge had no plans of hunting down Eternal Overcast creatures to rescue the Vermilion Bird Empire, like the rest of the young prodigies. She had her own affairs to tend to. Moreover, after her numerous encounters with Elder Mo, she was now aware of the fact that many of the Elders in the secret Cult of Demonic Arts, originated from formidable forces throughout the Upper Realm. Even though she was not acquainted with any of them, they would still provide assistance to her at critical times. Additionally, Elder Mo had informed her that some other members of the Cult were also hiding in the Immortal Academy. Therefore, Su Qingge subconsciously assumed that the heated matter regarding the Successor of Demonic Arts previously was planned by the Cult to stir up chaos in order to allow her the space to grow. “To me, the trial is the best time for me to fish in troubled waters, and with Ji Qingxuan in my place, I’ll be able to clear the suspicion on me in front of Young Master… Since Sky King Zhi Yang hates Young Master so much, he shall be my first target.” With that in mind, Su Qingge unintentionally revealed a smile, a stone cold smile. … Meanwhile, in a pavilion, Wang Xiao, who stared at Ji Qingxuan as she entered the manor, was growing impatient after waiting for so long, only for nobody to show up. There was no telling what was happening right now, so he decided to go for an interrogation, to discover who Ji Qingxuan was secretly meeting with. In his eyes, Ji Qingxuan would eventually become one of his tools, despite her resentment and apathy towards him. One day, he would make her kneel down before him and beg for mercy. Apart from that, her poor position in the Hidden Ji Family would also ultimately drive her into becoming his wife. By then, all he needed to do was signal his family, and the Hidden Ji Family would obediently surrender Ji Qingxuan over. At that moment, Wang Xiao suddenly saw a familiar figure walking out of the manor. A slender figure in a robe whiter than snow; a serenely impeccable visage, snowy skin, and a delicate face as flawless as a jade carving. It was Ji Qingxuan, but in a different outfit. “Oh, so she does know how to come back out. I’ll have her tell me who she met.” Visibly annoyed, Wang Xiao instantaneously disappeared from the pavilion as his body flickered, and as he took a step forward, he appeared right before Ji Qingxuan. “Junior Sister Ji, who was it that you met with?” Wang Xiao immediately asked with a dull, disaffected voice. Nonetheless, Ji Qingxuan was now disguising as Su Qingge, so despite being startled when she saw Wang Xiao, she responded with a frown and a cold voice. “Who are you?” “Playing fool, are we, Ji Qing Xuan…” Surprised by her response, Wang Xiao was stunned for a second. And when he regained his senses, he intuitively chortled aloud, thinking that Ji Qingxuan was pretending to not know him. After all, his stalking behaviour was indeed suspicious, but her behaviour was certainly questionable as well. “Sod off, pervert. What gave you the courage to mess with me? Do you know who I am?” Ji Qingxuan’s frown grew even deeper, and her voice was icier than eternal winter. As a matter of fact, she had nothing but disdain for Wang Xiao, and words couldn’t describe how much she wanted to slaughter him. Since the opportunity presented itself, she would rather die than to miss it. Essentially, she was now her sister, Su Qingge, who had the backing of Gu Changge. Even with the courage of a dragon, Wang Xiao wouldn’t dare to touch her. “Ji Qingxuan. Quite ballsy today, aren’t we? Don’t you forget that the ancestor of the Ji Family is—” Wang Xiao froze again, seeing how Ji Qingxuan continued to pretend as if she didn’t know her, and her acting was growing more convincing by the second. [Who is she? The Ji Family behind her is no longer as prosperous as they were before, let alone the fact that none in the family holds any respect for her. Other than her beauty and cultivation Talents, what does she truly possess?] Thinking that, he coldly laughed aloud. “Just because I called you ‘Junior Sister Ji’ in front of Senior Chu Hao, you think you’re some sort of big figure? Who’s your supporter? The Ji Family? Can the Ji Family even protect you?” Wang Xiao was failing to hide his true nature and revealed his true colours. Ji Qingxuan’s eyes grew even colder while her fists were clenched. Those were the adversities she was currently facing. The Ji Family’s disrespect and Wang Xiao’s desire for her. Yet, given her personality, she would never compromise with Wang Xiao. “You must be seeking death!” However, at that moment, she was no longer Ji Qingxuan, but Su Qingge, so she didn’t have to worry about the outcome. As soon as she was done speaking, she drew her longsword which turned into a terrifying beam, as if the sky was to tear apart upon the blade’s sharpness and the blaring ring. “Ji Qingxuan, you dare attack me?” At that sight, Xiao Yang’s changed, paling and filled with disbelief. He never expected Ji Qingxuan would suddenly attack him with such a ruthless expression. At once, he was frantic with panic. Although he was always blatantly pompous before her, when it came to a real fight, he had no chance of defeating her. “Die, pervert!” There was nothing but chilliness in Ji Qingxuan’s eyes as she was intent on slaughtering Wang Xiao. Such a perfect opportunity must not be missed. Zap! The sword-like beam was unimaginably frightening, as if it came plunging from the heavens, harbouring her immense hatred. Even the air was trembling due to the overwhelming pressure, as if it was to explode. In the nick of time, Wang Xiao conjured a golden shield glowing with blinding godly lights. The shield expanded high up in the sky by metres in length as World Principles swirled around it. Evidently, the materials used to forge the shield were extraordinary and invaluable. Crack! Alas, at Ji Qingxuan’s strike, Wang Xiao’s shield could only withstand the blow for a second before cracking and blowing up into pieces.