Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin “Even though I don’t want to interfere with the Demon World, I have to take care of Yao Xi’s affairs. After all, I’m a good person who loves helping others. How can I just watch you bully and take advantage of others?” Gu Changge smiled. “Why try to cause trouble for yourself, Gu Changge? As a Junior, there are many things that you can’t get involved with even if you want to.” The Night Demon’s face fell. Even though he didn’t understand what Gu Changge meant, it didn’t stop him from knowing that Gu Changge was going to meddle with the Demon World. Gu Changge taking care of Yao Xi’s affairs was the same as concerning himself with the Demon World. [What exactly is the difference?] the Night Demon thought. “Do you really think you can poke your nose into everything because you’re the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family?” Jun Fan, who had been paying attention to the conversation from the side, couldn’t help sneering. He knew that Gu Changge was far stronger than he was. However, Uncle Ye had an Nirvana Grade Artifact. The power of his Sacred Emperor Realm cultivation combined with the Solar Heavenly Blade, could only fail against a true Master in the Quasi-Nirvana Realm. Still, if he had to place bets, he would bet on Gu Changge going to the Demon Realm this time without the mysterious guardian by his side. He also didn’t have to worry if he lost the bet. After all, he had already thought of a way out, albeit something he wished he did not need to go through with. “It seems that you are determined to get yourself killed. I told you, Yao Xi might have killed your entire family, but you can’t touch her.” Hearing the Night Demon’s words, Gu Changge couldn’t help lightly shaking his head. His tone still seemed nonchalant when he said, “I could spare your life if you seal your cultivation and beg for mercy on your knees right now.” “You!” The Night Demon’s forehead throbbed. He had never met anyone as arrogant as Gu Changge. Gu Changge’s cultivation level was far inferior to his, but he always acted as if he already had the Night Demon’s life in his hands. Jun Fan, too, couldn’t hold back the anger on his face when he heard that. [Damn it! How conceited can he be to humiliate Uncle Ye like this!] Right when the Night Demon started to speak, Gu Changge raised a peerless Celestial Sword that seemed to be condensed by countless Principles and slashed towards Ye Yao. Like a sea of stars, a Five-Hue Divine Light soared into the sky, and the vast sword energy flooded the sky. This overwhelming force was so terrifying that it made everyone pale and tremble. It no longer was something that the living could compete against. Faced with such mighty fluctuations from it, any living being would instantly turn into ash. “You…” The Night Demon was taken aback. He never thought that Gu Changge would strike first. Quickly, he struck back from above the sky when a machete with a peerless aura, which seemed to be made of Immortal Divine Gold, appeared in his hands. He swung it downwards. The movement was not very fast, but a Heavenly Dao Sound suddenly fell from heaven and immediately extended across the endless space. “This is the acoustic Resonance of the Great Dao. Its might can even penetrate universes! The power of a true Nirvana Grade Artifact!” Every great figure in the Demon World had chills running up their spines. They were aware of things that the common people do not know of. Naturally, this included this Forbidden Artifact. [Why does he have the Solar Heavenly Blade!?] Even Empress Yao Xi’s face had fallen. Resonance of the Great Dao, an ability that belonged to those in the Nirvana Realm. It had only appeared in the oldest of legends. And yet, everyone was witnessing it for themselves now. As if it was the purest energy from a battle between Nirvana Realm Masters, a terrifying projection began to emerge out of nowhere between heaven and earth then. Countless were suppressed by the resonance of the Great Dao. There were leaping dragons, gliding phoenixes, and piercing Divine Screech trying to eliminate all living beings. However, it was all the more frightening when all of these were accompanied by the Heavenly Dao Sound. The real killing move was still the black Heavenly Sword that seemed to cross spaces as it pierced through the sky, and it slashed between Gu Changge’s eyebrows in the blink of an eye. The sky was broken, and everything else turned to dust in that instant. The scene was horrifying enough to leave even the Quelling Chaos King and every other Sacred King Realm expert in fear. This was the divine sense that shook all. This sword was swarmed with countless black threads, each of which was a trace of Principle that could cut through someone in the Sacred King Realm or even the Sacred Emperor Realm. The countless threads condensed on the black blade were concentrated on Gu Changge’s forehead. One could easily imagine how painful this attack was that even time and space were cut off, and a sturdy Vacuum appeared in the Heavenly Path. Even the Celestial Sword that took shape in Gu Changge’s hands couldn’t help but shatter at this moment. They were of completely different levels. Clank But at the next moment, a peerless Heavenly Sound and a small golden nine-story pagoda emerged. It was as if it was cast by Immortal Gold, and it had the power to suppress the world. As it quickly appeared behind Gu Changge, the pagoda dripped with vast golden Principles, each one indestructible. The moment the blade made contact with Gu Changge, it made a terrifying sound, and yet, no damage was done. Not even Gu Changge’s robe fluttered as he continued to stand there motionless. Without any changes to his expression, he calmly stated, “How are you going to defeat me when you can’t even break through my defences?” The Night Demon immediately paled when he felt the vibration from his Solar Heavenly Blade, and his arm almost convulsed as his bones trembled. “That’s… the legendary Tower of World Domination! Why do you have that!?” After all, with him not being in the Nirvana Realm, it would be difficult for him to unleash the true power of the Solar Heavenly Blade. On the other hand, the Tower of World Domination in front of Gu Changge was said to be from the Immortal Palace. It was a majestic, powerful artifact that had the effect of suppressing Fortuity itself. Some even said that the Tower of World Domination was actually an Immortal Grade Artifact. Even if Gu Changge couldn’t use it to its full potential, it could easily protect him for a short period of time without any hindrance. The rest of the big figures in the Demon World were also horrified at this moment. Hearing the peerless Sound of Heaven during that brief collision alone almost shattered their souls. They couldn’t begin to imagine how strong Gu Changge was to withstand such an attack. However, not only was Gu Changge unscathed, he even managed to use his other abilities because of his unfathomable strength. The Tower of World Domination might have protected him, but artifacts would still be useless if he didn’t have the strength to support the usage of the artifact. [He has the Tower of World Domination! Just how many more tricks does he have up his sleeves?] Empress Yao Xi wondered, flabbergasted. She was just about to tell Gu Changge to be careful when all her worries were proven to be excessive. Gu Changge was more competent than she thought. She doubted she would be Gu Changge’s opponent even if she was in her heyday, when she wasn’t poisoned, and had fought him with all her might. In fact, his strength lay in the fact that no one knew what he was truly capable of. [How is this possible!? Why does Gu Changge have the Tower of World Domination!?] Eyebrows pulled into a frown, Jun Fan also had a look of disbelief on his face. He quickly took out another Jade Amulet from his sleeve and sneakily sent a message to inform the others to start their plan soon. Gu Changge had become the biggest game changer. He had taken Gu Changge into consideration at first, but he didn’t expect Gu Changge to have so many tricks ready, and he even insisted on protecting Yao Xi. “We’ll let Uncle Ye hold Gu Changge off. The rest of you, take the chance to strike.” Jun Fan’s eyes had a glint when he used the Communication Rune to inform everyone else. The battle below the tip of the Sacred Mountain was also extremely eerie. While everyone was fighting, the overwhelming killing resulted in bones being piled up. Soon, the battle between Gu Changge and the Night Demon broke out again. When Gu Changge released his Abyssal Dharma Body, it was as if it was morphed from the Great Dao itself. Its mysterious and endless fluctuations were from the Divine Talents in Gu Xianer’s Dao Bone. “Just hold him back.” The Night Demon who had received Jun Fan’s message also understood how difficult it would be to take down Gu Changge now. As his eyes flashed, his figure soared into the sky. Gu Changge let out a chuckle when he saw this. “Are you trying to slow me down?” In fact, he had some other techniques he wanted to use, but wasn’t able to in front of all these people. The Night Demon taking off into the distance was equivalent to stepping into the lion’s den himself. Turning to Tian Ze and the rest, Gu Changge instructed them, “Protect Empress Yao Xi well. You no longer have to work for me if the Empress is harmed in the slightest.” “Yes, Young Master Gu. Please leave it to us. We will keep Empress Yao Xi safe.” Tian Ze and the others were actually as strong as they looked vicious. They were all bandits who had killed more than a handful of times in the past. Afterwards, Gu Changge’s figure disappeared from the spot as his Abyssal Dharma Body evolved, resulting in the trembling of the void. The two of them rushed out of this place and moved to the outside of the city, where the most horrific battle then broke out. Thousands of kilometres around the place they arrived at were desolate and inhabited, full of burned-out stars, broken continents. The Night Demon heaved a sigh of relief after arriving outside the territory. “Gu Changge, why do you insist on helping those evildoers? Empress Yao Xi’s rule is cruel, and she’s angered even the heavens! If the Great Demon World stays under her reign, it will be destroyed sooner or later.” He didn’t actually plan on fighting Gu Changge, and that was why he was now starting a conversation to delay Gu Changge, and give others the chance to murder the Empress. “Doesn’t really matter to me what happens to the Demon World. I told you I won’t poke my nose into any of the Demon World’s affairs. I’m not the least bit interested.” Gu Changge then casually added, “I know that you’re trying to drag this fight, but you don’t have to go through all this just for that.” “What do you mean?” The Night Demon frowned, the Black-Gold Heavenly Robe on his body glowed. There was an Immortal aura surrounding it as if it could withstand time. “Because you’re going to die very soon.” As Gu Changge threw that out, the Tower of World Domination fell from above his head to his shoulder. “How cocky of you to put away the Tower of World Domination. You underestimate me too much, boy!” the Night Demon sneered. He didn’t think Gu Changge would be so arrogant as to put away the Tower of World Domination right after they reached this desolate place. [Just how confident in his powers is he?] “Earlier was just a cover-up. I didn’t want to alert everyone, otherwise, you’ll end up thinking I need artifacts to beat you,” Gu Changge drawled with a smile seemingly mockingly. The next moment, a monstrous Demonic Energy suddenly appeared in his hand. It was like a halberd made of flawless black crystal that exuded a terrifying aura capable of destroying eternity and slaughtering the Gods. [What is this feeling of impending doom!?] The Night Demon suddenly spotted a wary look when he noticed something was wrong. This was a strong sense of danger that seemed to freeze his soul as the monstrous halberd threatened to fall at any time. At this moment, the Solar Heavenly Blade in his hand, started to showcase more power when it seemed to have sensed the danger. The aura it showcased was shocking and even brought on a menacing divine light. Soon, a black light shone as it delivered a powerful blow. “That’s a lot of questions for someone who’s about to die.” Gu Changge’s expression remained calm as he took a step. The void blurred and disappeared from the spot in an instant, the Eight Barren Demon Halberd swept down, and the nearby galaxies exploded all of a sudden. The terrifying fluctuation caused the Solar Heavenly Blade to make a bone-chilling ‘crack’ in that instant. It seemed that it would be difficult to continue the fight. “Ugh…” The Night Demon was severely injured, and with a muffled groan, he coughed up blood. His internal organs were in severe pain, and the hand holding the Solar Heavenly Blade almost burst open. This was a destructive force that would turn anything and everything of all levels into powder in a second. His face then was twisted in horror. He couldn’t make sense of why Gu Changge had more frightening means to fight against him, even though he now holds the Solar Heavenly Blade. In the next moment, Gu Changge started stalking towards him amidst a Chaos-like grey mist that spread and enveloped the surroundings as he walked. The exhausted land held not a hint of the living as it fell into eternal silence. A pitch-black Grand Flask dripping with black light floated above Gu Changge’s head like a frightening black hole devouring up the sky. The Night Demon was hit by realisation the instant he saw all this and found out Gu Changge’s identity. Face pale, he exclaimed, “How is this possible!? The Successor of Demonic Arts… is you!?” This threw him into despair and disbelief. It creeped him out that Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts. Despite his discouragement, he raised his hand, and all the power he poured into the Solar Heavenly Blade tried to gush out of the artifact. The glow from the sword then pierced the sky as the Sword Principle coursed. Gu Changge’s face remained unchanged when his Eight Barren Demon Halberd swept down and the void exploded. Even the universe seemed to have ruptured and split into two. Afterwards, the place was filled with grey fog that covered all the galaxies, and there were horrifying screams that slowly turned silent. … After Gu Changge and the Night Demon rushed out of the place, more assassins invaded the Sacred Mountain in an instant. With their power, many young prodigies couldn’t even put up a fight before they were defeated. All of a sudden, the place was filled with battle cries as everyone unleashed the might of their artifacts to fight each other. “I have sent orders to the army at the imperial palace. They will come soon.” Despite the chaos, Empress Yao Xi’s face was calm. It was true that she couldn’t use her Qi now, but her physical body was frightening enough that ordinary people couldn’t get close or even hope to harm her. Not to mention, there were many experts left behind by Gu Changge for her. Thus, this assassination attempt was about to come to an end. During the time she spent thinking just now, she already figured out who it was that betrayed her. It angered her as much as it disappointed her. [It seems that I’ll need to reorganise the trusted aids I have around me next.] Before this, she never thought that the most trusted of her officials, who she trained since she was a child, would one day betray her by poisoning her food. She still remembered how she saved her from the mouth of a large monster and even taught her the ways to cultivate till now. It felt like it was just yesterday, when in fact, she had been by her side for hundreds of years. All those years of accompaniment had ended up in betrayal. “So this was what Gu Changge meant when he called me ‘pure’. He has seen through this a long time ago,” Empress Yao Xi mocked herself. This was no longer a matter as simple as her being blinded by the truth because she was too closely involved. It was pure naivety and foolishness on her part. But now, another question came to mind. [If Jun Bufan isn’t dead, where would he be hiding now? Did he change his appearance or change his name to remain incognito?] However, Empress Yao Xi could be sure that Jun Bufan was definitely behind the assassination this time. The Solar Heavenly Blade was the best proof. 6000 years ago, her mother, the Lunar Demon Overlord, had disappeared, leaving behind only artifacts and a simple letter about how the Demon World would soon go into chaos. The artifacts were left for Yao Xi to fend for herself. She also wouldn’t have reached this point if it wasn’t for the contents of the letter. That was why the Solar Heavenly Blade must have been left behind by the Solar Demon Overlord for his son. [I seem to have misunderstood something. I assumed Jun Bufan faked his death because the body in his tomb has disappeared, and yet instead of being dead, he’s now hiding somewhere. But what if this is part of his plan? What if he deliberately led me in this direction to make me think that he was actually dead at that time, but before the Lunar Demon Overlord disappeared, he reshaped his soul and reincarnated with his original memory? Could that be the reason I have never found him?] Empress Yao Xi couldn’t help narrowing her eyes when her doubts were suddenly cleared. [I’ve been planning this for way too long. Is it all going down the drain?] Just when Empress Yao Xi figured out the key points, Jun Fan’s face turned dark. Even though he was also fighting among the crowd, he had been paying attention to the battles outside the territory, and he wanted to see Uncle Ye come back here after winning against Gu Changge. Uncle Ye was still his biggest pillar of support. If Uncle Ye took action, Empress Yao Xi would have absolutely no chance of surviving. However, now, Uncle Ye was fighting against Gu Changge, and had not come back. It was clear that he was facing difficulties. Jun Fan had underestimated Empress Yao Xi’s power. The many experts he had sent to kill her had all died tragically on the top of the Sacred Mountain, none of them even dealing the least bit of damage to her before their lives were taken. Once the army from the imperial palace arrives, the situation would definitely turn around in an instant, and many of his people wouldn’t be able to escape. Jun Fan might be reluctant to concede, but he had to bite the bullet this time to inform everyone to fall back. Still, the person he had underestimated the most for this assassination was Gu Changge. Without that powerful and skilful man, this assassination plan wouldn’t have derailed. And so, Jun Fan took a deep breath and sent a message to his underlings. “Retreat! Don’t stay here any longer!” He also began to think about his next plan. He couldn’t possibly let Empress Yao Xi off just like this. Fortunately, he had been behind the scenes and did not make himself public during this assassination. He could stay safe and lay low from all suspicion that he was the perpetrator. He was still in the dark, whereas Empress Yao Xi was still in the light. As Jun Fan glanced at Qing Zhu, whose face was a little pale in the distance, he felt a wave of sadness hit him. [I’m sorry, Qing Zhu.] The person most likely to reveal his identity now was Qing Zhu, who was beside Empress Yao Xi. To protect his identity as ‘Jun Fan’, he had no choice but to betray Qing Zhu. Following Jun Fan’s order, many assassins looked at each other before they rushed out of the mountains one after another, choosing to retreat. In the distance, the mighty imperial army finally arrived with a murderous aura to carry out the clean up.