The next day, after Yin Mei's injuries had almost fully recovered...
Gu Changge moved separately from her.
Yin Mei went to the Ancient City alone, where Ye Ling agreed to meet. She was currently preparing to follow Ye Ling to find the Immortal Cave that the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation left for him.
The value of such a thing need not be said.
It was no exaggeration to call it an Immortal Cave since it was probably a Minor World that one could carry on themselves.
Ye Ling searched so hard for so long, so it was only natural that he was unwilling to give it up.
To help Gu Changge, Yin Mei had to find Ye Ling first so that she may determine the actual location of the Immortal Cave.
As he watched Yin Mei's figure gradually disappear into the mountains…
Gu Changge's expression could not help but reveal a playful look.
'Currently, Ye Ling should be feeling quite guilty that he didn't come for Yin Mei right away.'
'If he sees Yin Mei rushing to his side at this moment, he'll be even less suspicious.'
'There is a knife on the head of the word "sex" [1].'
'What an accurate phrase.'
[1. The Chinese character for sex has some strokes that resemble a knife on the top.]
All Gu Changge needed to do now was to enjoy the show. And when the time comes, he can collect a bountiful harvest.
'Ye Ling still needs to live a few more days.'
'Otherwise, how can he carry the black pot waiting for him in the Ancient Immortal Continent?[2]'
[2. Changge is talking about the corpses he left in the ruins after devouring the Origin Essence.]
'My assumptions shouldn't be that far off. Once Chi Ling and Ye Ling formally cut ties, she should leave this place first. By now, the followers of both Chi Ling and Yin Mei should already be quite suspicious of who "Ye Lin" is...'
'Even if they were to consider Chi Ling's previous explanation, I'm afraid no one will believe it.'
'The news of Ye Ling's presence on the Ancient Immortal Continent will attract a large number of cultivators who want to fight against the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts.'
'Since Ye Ling is already being hunted by the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan, the events that took place in their Ancestral Tomb should be "crystal clear" to them. What a wonderful show this is looking to be.'
'When people notice the overlap of these events, even if they are by mere coincidence… Ye Ling, I'm afraid that you will not be able to defend yourself even if you jump into the Yellow River.'
Gu Changge stood on the mountaintop with his hands behind his back, looking at the outline of the distant city ruins as he couldn't help but laugh.
He then left the place, planning to call on his followers and participate in the battle against the Forbidden Demonic Arts' Inheritor as a "righteous man".
At the same time, a petite figure with a delicate face quickly walked across many mountains among the ancient trees in the hills, avoiding the chase of a Heavenly God Realm existence behind her.
It was Chi Ling, who was just recently separated from Ye Ling.
She looked a little tired, pale even, but these things pale in comparison to the icy cold she felt in her heart.
She met Ye Ling again on the path to her escape, but Ye Ling didn't even bother. He simply turned and ran as the being in the Heavenly God Realm chased her instead.
'Indifferent, running away with his back turned…'
'He even dumped this being in the Heavenly God Realm on me?'
Ye Ling's actions left Chi Ling speechless, she was foolish to allow her kindness to be eaten by a dog.
Fortunately, she was by no means weak, and she belonged to the upper-middle level among the Young Supremes and had many Secret Treasures and Medicine Pills.
Although the situation looked dangerous, in the end, it was not a major issue.
This made her feel that the gravely injured Yin Mei from before, must also be in a dangerous situation.
'Ye Ling cared about her from the bottom of his heart, but he ran away as soon as we were ambushed. He didn't care about whether Yin Mei lived or died.'
'This alone is enough to see through this character.'
'It seems that Brother Changge is the only one I can rely on now. I must inform him.'
At this moment, Chi Ling was heavily considering this issue.
'Brother Changge said that he wished to foster the world's justice, considering all the souls and beings, and eradicating the Inheritors of the Forbidden Demonic Arts. It is only natural that he would pay attention to Ye Ling.'
'After all, Brother Changge said that he also suspected Ye Ling.'
Once she formally cuts ties with Ye Ling, Chi Ling was considering whether or not she should tell Gu Changge about all this.
At that moment, it would be up to him. Gu Changge can either choose to help Ye Ling clear his name or simply choose not to intervene in Ye Ling's affairs.
Chi Ling soon crushed yet another Divine Talisman as she felt a slight pain in the depths of her heart.
Even if only one talisman was used, the count would still be lessened.
She didn't plan on using them unless it was necessary.
Buzz!
After crushing the Divine Talisman, a hazy brilliance rose from Chi Ling's body as her figure seemed to grow a pair of Vermillion Bird Wings, gorgeous and colourful as she quickly escaped.
"Damn it. She escaped again!"
The Heavenly God Realm creature behind her screamed fiercely but thought nothing of it.
She was a Young Supreme, why wouldn't she have something to save her life?
Soon enough, Chi Ling found her followers in a valley through her connection with them.
Many Young Supremes were gathered here, and to her surprise, there was also Wang Wushuang, an extremely mysterious young man from the Immortal Wang Family.
In addition, the Young Supremes of the Immortal Lake were also here.
There was also Ye Langtian of the Primordial Immortal Clan...the person she thought was the most suspicious, the one closest to being the true Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts.
Chi Ling didn't expect so many people to have gathered here to attack Ye Ling.
"Miss, are you okay?"
The many Young Supremes in the valley were the first to notice Chi Ling's figure stained with both blood and fatigue as she descended.
A group of her followers also rushed in, especially Kong Yang of the Peacock clan, who was the most excited.
It can be said that it was all to his credit that the news of Ye Ling had spread so far to attract so many Young Supremes.
The rest of Chi Ling's followers were also incredibly relieved. They were most afraid of what had happened to Chi Ling after her disappearance in the past month or so.
But at this moment, Chi Ling seemed relatively fine.
"Miss Chi Ling...our Young Lady, have you seen her?" Currently, however, the people of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Family were beginning to get worried.
Along with Chi Ling, their Young Lady, Yin Mei also went with Ye Ling.
Chi Ling was now safe and sound from the clutches of that demon.
However… Yin Mei was nowhere to be seen.
'Where is Miss Yin Mei?'
Upon hearing this question, Chi Ling's expression also changed slightly. She carefully considered her words before speaking, "At this moment, Yin Mei might still be with Ye Ling..."
"But she might not be with him either."
She didn't even get to finish her words as a sudden uproar emerged.
"What?!"
A group of people from the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Family instantly exploded.
It was a known fact to all that Ye Ling, the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts, was here.
Therefore, it was unnecessary to say how dangerous Yin Mei's situation was.
At this moment, the Young Supremes - Wang Wushuang of the Immortal Wang Family and descendant of the Immortal Lake - Ye Langtian, and the others who also heard Chi Ling had solemn expressions.
"Chi Ling, are you sure about this?" Wang Wushuang asked with golden eyes that burned with divine-gold fire.
"Ye Ling not only dared show himself here, but he also dared kidnap the Holy Maiden, Yin Mei. This matter has just become far more complicated." Ye Langtian frowned.
As a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Ye Family, failure to properly handle this scenario would mean that he must face the wrath of - not only the White Tiger Clan - but also the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Family.
The consequences would be dire.
So when he heard that Ye Ling was here, he hurried over.
Chi Ling frowned as she put together the words to properly explain the details of the matter.
Even she didn't know what had happened to Yin Mei, so she merely explained what she might have encountered.
Chi Ling knew that Yin Mei believed Ye Ling was not the true Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts… but it wasn't like anyone would believe it now.
So she excluded such unnecessary details.
Instead, she spoke of how the three of them were chased by the Ancient Immortal Races, clans such as the Black Heavenly Eagle, the Ancient Serpent, and the Divine Crocodile[3].
[3. The author noted that there were 5 major clans, we are unsure if this is a major clan or one of the minor subsidiaries.]
When they heard these words, they instantly became angry as they held icy looks in their eyes.
'Those who inherit the Forbidden Demonic Arts must be punished!'
They didn't expect Ye Ling to be so arrogant that he actually targeted Yin Mei right after killing Bai Lie.
"Damn it! What the hell did Ye Ling do to offend all of these clans?"
"Did he capture some of them to cultivate the Forbidden Demonic Arts?"
Many of the Young Supremes were full of murderous aura as they asked aloud.
These Young Supremes came from a myriad of great sects, so it was only natural that they knew more about the Inheritors of the Forbidden Demonic Arts than the rest of their peers. However… the news of Yin Mei missing had only reached them now.
They knew how terrifying the Forbidden Demonic Arts were, and given time, it would spell disaster for the world.
"Chi Ling, do you know why Ye Ling is here...?"
"His entry into the Ancient Immortal Continent is bad news, but it also presents an opportunity to us."
Wang Wushuang, Ye Langtian, and others asked one after another with a solemn tone.
In their view, this battle against the Inheritors of the Forbidden Demonic Arts was bound to affect the rest of the younger generation on the Ancient Immortal Continent.
Perhaps even some experts of the older generation would appear.
When she heard this, Chi Ling merely shook her head and replied, "He told us to meet up in a small town[4]. After that, we were separated, and I'm left unaware of his current status."
[4. Recap: Ye Ling told them to meet up at the Ancient City.]
She didn't want to intervene in Ye Ling's affairs any longer.
As she said this, however, she stared at Ye Langtian, observing the changes in his expression.
Alas, there was no such abnormality on his face.
Before, Chi Ling had been very suspicious of Ye Langtian, but after cutting ties with Ye Ling, even she believed that Ye Ling was highly suspect.
After all, she knew that he could easily hide his very Origin.
Chi Ling firmly believed that Ye Ling was not the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts since Ye Ling's power involved the mystery of time.
'However, the Forbidden Demonic Arts is a strange and mysterious power. Maybe Ye Ling's ability to hide his Origin…'
When she considered this line of thought, Chi Ling felt that the possibility wasn't by any means negligible.
At this moment, Ye Langtian shook his head slightly after hearing the words before saying,
"It seems that this matter needs to be discussed. I have just heard that Brother Gu has received word and is also coming here."
If Gu Changge took the lead, their chances of winning against the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts would skyrocket.
Needless to say, Gu Changge's strength was recognized as the best in the younger generation.
When these words came out, a slight shock came over many people.
"Really? That's great!"
Even Wang Wushuang agreed, "Indeed, I heard that Brother Gu is coming for this matter. If he is here, we will have more certainty in dealing with the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts."
"It's great that Young Master Changge is also coming. If he comes forward, even the young and powerful creatures of the Ancient Immortal Races will be shocked!"
"Those who inherit the Forbidden Demonic Arts must be punished. The Young Master Changge will definitely be on our side."
Many young people breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.
Those who inherit the Forbidden Demonic Arts would naturally be strong; otherwise, they would not survive being constantly chased by so many groups without any problems.
In their hearts, they didn't dare face Ye Ling.
But if Gu Changge came, it would be a different story altogether.
Nowadays, there were rumours of him in all parts of the Ancient Immortal Continent, causing a great disaster for the Ancient Immortal Races as he slaughtered all the natives' younger generation.
Most natives of the younger generation immediately fled when they heard his name.
In this regard, they also admired him.
Although there were also some nasty rumours, such as robbing peers of opportunities or something.
But such things didn't matter here.
Inside the Immortal Road, The Weak are Prey for the Strong. It was a dreadfully normal occurrence.
"Really? That's great. If Brother Changge comes, things should go much smoother." Chi Ling's cold and arrogant face also showed joy at this time.
She happened to have a lot of things she wanted to discuss with Gu Changge.
Throughout this period, she naturally heard the news about Gu Changge, and she greatly admired Gu Changge.
At this moment, an incredibly vast wave suddenly came from the east as a group of divine rainbows rushed at them.
The young man in the lead was none other than Gu Changge.
Just in the nick of time. Once he and Yin Mei went their separate ways, he gathered all of his followers with the intent of being a "righteous man."
He was dressed in a moon-white feather robe with wide sleeves embroidered with the sun, the moon, mountains, and rivers. The universe and the stars intertwined as they gave him an incredibly exquisite and gorgeous appearance.
The person himself descended from on high as he revealed an unspeakably noble aura.
"Greetings, Young Master Changge!"
"Greetings, Daoist Brother Changge!"
At that moment, all the people in the valley who beheld this scene had bowed in courtesy.
Even the Young Supremes such as Wang Wushuang, Chi Ling, and Ye Langtian were no exception.
The arrival of Gu Changge made all the people's morale soar as the expedition's courage grew to an uplifting degree.
"Brother Wang, Brother Ye..."
"Sister Chi Ling."
Gu Changge landed on the ground as he greeted them with a warm and natural smile.
Frankly, he was not surprised to see Chi Ling here.
Afterwards, everyone exchanged greetings.
Ye Langtian took the lead, cutting straight to the heart of the topic and asking, "Brother Gu, what are your plans for this crusade?"
Gu Changge pondered and said, "Truthfully, I still have a few doubts regarding this matter, which I shall ask Miss Chi Ling of later. Aside from that, Ye Ling has shown himself and even took away Sister Yin Mei. As both her senior brother and the Heir of Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, I can't just sit back and do nothing."
As he spoke such righteous words, his face didn't change in the slightest.
The Young Supremes couldn't help but express their admiration, "As expected of Young Master Changge! Such a profound sense of righteousness!"
They knew that the Holy Maiden, Yin Mei of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Family had angered Gu Changge in public.
But at this moment, he set aside his grievances and resolved to simply deal with the current situation!
"Young Master Changge is truly noble!"
Many young clansmen of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Family spoke with gratitude.
They were also worried that because Yin Mei had previously offended Gu Changge, he would stumble and refuse to intervene.
But now it seemed that they were all thinking too much!
"There are some things I also want to talk about, which I shall discuss in detail with Brother Changge later." Chi Ling also nodded, impressed by Gu Changge's words.
'Sure enough, Brother Changge is the same as he's always been, not like that Ye Ling.'
When she was with Ye Ling and Yin Mei, she asked about Gu Changge from Yin Mei.
She answered that Gu Changge bullied others and covered the sky with his one palm in the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, leaving none who dared to provoke him.
For this reason, she felt that Gu Changge would not intervene in the matter because of his relationship with Yin Mei.
When she thought of this, Chi Ling admired Gu Changge even more
When compared with Ye Ling's behaviour, she only became more and more suspicious of him.
Although Gu Changge has a bad reputation, his character was far from Ye Ling's.
Soon, a group of Young Supremes, including Ye Langtian and Wang Wushuang, discussed for a while.
"That's right...how about Daoist Brother Changge lead this crusade? We will eradicate the Inheritors of the Forbidden Demonic Arts, restore peace to the world, and regain the stability of the world for people to practise in peace."
Many people looked at Gu Changge feverishly as they spoke, hoping that he would preside over this act.
When he heard these words, though his face remained unchanging, he was laughing up a storm in his heart.
'Lead the people to attack me? Perhaps it is more accurate to say that we will attack Ye Ling who took the fall for me?'
'Such a heartless thing and they want to be responsible… oh no, how could I ever do such a thing?'
"Everyone trusts me so much that it's difficult to keep my composure. That said, it sounds like quite a difficult job to take."
After a bit of careful consideration, Gu Changge showed a look of righteousness as he slowly opened his mouth and declared, "But since the vote is unanimous, how could this Gu refuse? None of you needs to worry, for I will definitely help bring the Inheritors of the Forbidden Demonic Arts to justice that we may all find a more peaceful world to cultivate in."
Thanks to:
Samael - Proofreader.