[Outside the domain of the Black Sky Eagle Family.]
Gu Changge perked his ears and sensed approaching creatures as he hid in the ruins and refined and devoured the essence of a sacred, ancient corpse.
From their conversation, he heard his name!
[Hum!]
Gu Changge stepped forward and suddenly appeared in their location. In the next moment, a massive palm fell down and directly suppressed the young creatures who were discussing different matters.
"Forgive…spare my life…"
Horror covered their faces, and some were scared to the point of peeing themselves.
Gu Changge was too lazy to talk nonsense with them and directly searched through their souls.
Before long, he received the news he was looking for from the minds of their group.
Since he was mostly in seclusion over the past few days, he didn't know about the happenings in the outside world.
'Long Teng, the Heir of the True Dragon Family, wants to challenge me?'
Gu Changge couldn't help but raise his eyebrow when he saw those memories.
He wondered how he caught the attention of this Long Teng when he had never crossed him, to the point that the other party said that he would slaughter him and take everything away from him.
Gu Changge's first reaction to his actions was: 'he was mentally retarded.'
But soon, he aggregated all the memories from the creatures and concluded: 'Yue Mingkong was using him as a shield.'
Gu Xian'er just used him as a shield not too long ago, and now Yue Mingkong was doing the same — Gu Changge felt that he treated them too well, and that's why they believed they could do whatever now!
'Still, I can't contest the fact that there's something wrong with Long Teng's brain.'
'He's even more arrogant than Long Aotian[1], but then again, he's an actual dragon…he wants to take everything from me? More like, he wants to send me some warm coal on a snowy night[2].'
Gu Changge sneered and no longer paid attention to such a trivial matter.
[1: Long Aotian is the overpowered, arrogant Mary Sue of cultivation novels.]
[2: as in sending himself as fodder to increase his talents and cultivation.]
He already understood Long Teng's reasoning: 'fool fell in love with Yue Mingkong at first sight and now wanted to steal his fiancee.'
Well, it couldn't be helped since Yue Mingkong's face and figure could probably seduce even a Buddha.
Why else would Gu Changge 'eat and keep her' by his side?
There wasn't any man in the world who wouldn't be tempted after seeing her.
Long Teng, who was based on a stallion template[3], was no exception.
[3: those harem-seeking protagonists who collect every pokebeach in the novel and only think with their schlong.]
No matter the place or the era, a good face always helped one get far in life.
If Yue Mingkong was an ugly duck, Gu Changge wouldn't have bothered spending so much effort on her, nor would he indulge her the way he did — once he squeezed her dry of all her Fortune Value, he would've thrown her away.
Although Gu Changge wasn't a superficial person, it was a fact that he was a handsome bruh.
It was because of this that he felt Yue Mingkong was worthy to be with him!
As for ordinary women? He couldn't be bothered about them.
Yet this nameless mutt? He dared to plot against him.
Gu Changge narrowed his eyes.
'Forget it! I won't embarrass her for the sake of her great performance a while ago. As for this Long Teng…he's courting death…'
Gu Changge laughed out loud as he thought about this.
All this time, he was the one coveting other peoples' stuff, yet this 'courageous' Long Teng popped out of nowhere and started aiming at him.
Gu Changge felt that he had been far too low-key over this period, or this bunch of trash would never dare step on his face like this.
In the next moment, Gu Changge closed his eyes and used the [Binding Immortal Art] to spy on Hei Ming, who was in the Black Sky Eagle Family's territory and looked at his current progress.
At the same time, he decided to go and get rid of that annoying bug called Long Teng if he found some free time.
[Inside a dimly-lit courtyard on a mountain peak inside the Black Sky Eagle Family's territory.]
A pair of black wings with brilliant black light flowing around them spread out behind Hei Ming.
Amid his cultivation, Hei Ming muttered to himself with a frenzied expression, "I only planted the [Binding Immortal Art] on three people, and it already brought me such great profits! Now, even if I cultivate by myself, my speed is several times faster than before."
"This is too heaven-defying! Soon, I will surpass everyone and become an existence standing above all!"
Hei Ming was thrilled by the terrifying power of the [Binding Immortal Art] after he verified it for himself.
He taught the [Binding Immortal Art] to three of his attendants, and the next day, he found that his Cultivation Talent had improved, and even his Cultivation Base had broken through a minor realm.
With this, it won't take long for him to improve his Cultivation Base and breakthrough to the Great-Transcendent Realm, and then to the Saint Realm, and then the Conferred Realms beyond that…it won't take long for him to catch up with his sister and become the brightest star in the younger generation of the Ancient Immortal Continent's aborigines.
All those were minor matters to him now.
Now, Hei Ming held greater ambitions.
[Thump! Thump! Thump!]
Right then, Hei Ming heard knocking on the door outside his courtyard.
Immediately, his body flashed with brilliance and he restrained his aura. After that, he put on a smile on his face and strode towards the door and opened it.
"Welcome, Big Sis…"
He greeted his visitor.
Although the girl outside was Hei Ming's elder sister, she looked like she was only a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. She had an exquisite visage and was dressed in white, with clouds and mist surrounding her figure.
Her jet-black hair flowed down her back like clouds and nine phoenix hairpins adorned them. Wrapping her figure were robes embossed with mountains and rivers that accentuated her delicate, unparalleled appearance, and made her resemble a holy lotus untainted by the filth of the mortal world.
She was the Black Sky Eagle Family's favored daughter of heaven, Hei Yanyu, who had reached a high level of Cultivation.
"Hei Ming, why did you call for me?"
Hei Yanyu asked with a soft tone.
She held no excess emotions of familial love for her useless brother.
[TL/N: so I presume the 'his sister and grandpa were the only ones who treated him well' was the author's way of saying 'his sister and grandpa were the only ones who didn't spit on his face every time they met.']
After all, he was her younger brother from a different mother, so she was already doing him a favor by taking care of him on normal days and making sure no one bullied him.
It's just that her little brother Hei Ming's cultivation talent was subpar, and even after so many years, he failed to make substantial progress with all the resources at his disposal, so she was getting tired of taking care of him — that was why she let him be a dandy outside.
Still, Hei Yanyu did take time out of her day to visit him to see what happened after Hei Ming sent her a message saying he had something important to discuss with her.
"Big Sis, quickly come inside! I have something important to show you~"
Hei Ming looked left and right with a serious expression, and after making sure there was no one behind Hei Yanyu, he put down his guard and invited her in.
According to the [Binding Immortal Art], there was no danger in the [Binding Immortal] part of the Art, and it won't cause any damage to its cultivator — on the contrary, one could gain profound insight into the mysteries of the Dao.
Hei Ming planned to pass that part of the [Binding Immortal Art] to his sister; after all, it would be a win-win situation for both Hei Yanyu and him.
Hei Yanyu showed a doubtful expression but still went inside after listening to Hei Ming's words and asked, "Hei Ming, just what's wrong with you? Did you get into another accident?"
She subconsciously thought that Hei Ming encountered some trouble and needed her to solve it for him.
"Big Sis, that's not the matter! This time, I asked you to come here to show you something good."
Hei Ming said with an excited tone, and then took out the manuscript of the [Binding Immortal Art] from his sleeve while giving the excuse that he found it at a stall by accident when he went out to play.
"What is this? Is it an ancient art?"
Hei Yanyu showed a frown of disapproval.
At first, she didn't quite believe his words, but when she took a second glance at it, she couldn't help but take one more…
Soon, surprise and shock filled Hei Yanyu's eyes as she read more and more through the manuscript.
"This is such a profound ancient art! You have great fortune…"
Hei Yanyu was thoroughly shaken and couldn't hide her feelings of shock and joy.
At the same time, she felt somewhat relieved.
She didn't treat Hei Ming all that well anymore, yet he still told her before everyone else as soon as he chanced upon a mysterious and powerful ancient art.
"Big Sis, please memorize this art! If it's useful, then you should pass it on to our father and the Elders…"
Hei Ming also calmed down and restrained his inner excitement to make sure he wouldn't give himself away.
"Hei Ming, you have a big heart! The Family never treated you well, yet your first thought after finding an ancient art is to give it to the Family…"
Hei Yanyu couldn't help but sigh, and the gaze she used to look at Hei Ming turned gentler than before; Hei Ming's actions truly made her admire him from the bottom of her heart.
"Big Sis, you also know that I am just a bastard with a mediocre talent for cultivation, so it will be a complete waste for me to hoard this art to myself! Giving it to the Family will be much better, and it will also make the Family stronger…this way, I can live the life of a dandy as a rich second-generation brat…"
Hei Ming said with a calm-yet-self-deprecating smile.
The scene in front of her silenced Hei Yanyu for a while, and then she said, "You had a hard life all this time Hei Ming! But fret not, for I will let our father and grandfather know about your contribution and make sure that you receive due credit without anything missing!"
"I am relieved to hear that from you, Big Sis."
Hei Ming nodded with a happy and satisfied smile.
After that, the two talked about other trivial matters and whatnot.
After Hei Yanyu expressed her concern for Hei Ming, she left his courtyard with the plan to go to the Family Elders to discuss the matter.
After all, the matter involved a potential upgrade to their Family's overall strength, so she couldn't take it easy.
At the same time, Hei Yanyu felt that the ancient method they got their hands on had something to do with the Immortals!
That fact excited Hei Yanyu beyond measure.
"Success…"
Hei Ming finally couldn't bear it anymore and trembled in joy after Hei Yanyu left his place!
All he had to do was pass the [Binding Immortal Art] to his sister and have her pass it on to the rest of the Family. Once the rest of the Family started cultivating it, they would become his Bound Immortals…
Hei Ming couldn't suppress his excited smile as he thought of that.
"This is all a blessing from the Supreme Being!"
Hei Ming's emotions were in turmoil and he felt even more awe for the Supreme Being he had only seen once!
Gu Changge, who was tens of thousands of miles away from him, couldn't help but show a deep smile as he witnessed everything through Hei Ming's eyes.
'He's a good actor!'
'It seems that even wastes are useful every now and then! Hei Ming didn't disappoint me by having such plans and ambitions.'
Gu Changge laughed out loud with satisfaction.
Hei Ming performed exceptionally well, and it came as a pleasant surprise to him.
After all…he was the source of the [Binding Immortal Art], while Hei Ming was nothing more than one of the branches, so all the branches created by Hei Ming will fall under his control, too.
It was true that the [Binding Immortal Art] didn't contain the slightest danger for the prey, nor would it affect them — on the contrary, it contained countless mysteries and secrets of the Dao…but that was all a bait.
The [Binding Immortal Art], in reality…was like a thread that controlled the life and death of its cultivator.
As long as Gu Changge willed for it, the thread would break in an instant and all the branches would fall into ruin.
All of this was part of his overarching plan!
'My time to shine will come when all the high-level members of the Black Sky Eagle Family turn into Bound Immortals! The benefits I get at that time will far outweigh what I get after searching for ancestral tombs left and right all day long.'
Gu Changge smiled.
However, the process would take some time, so Gu Changge got up and left the place to deal with the trouble named Long Teng.
...
[At the same time.]
The news of Long Teng's departure quickly swept through the Ancient Immortal Continent and caused a massive sensation throughout the aboriginal heritages.
Outsiders might not know, but for the aboriginals of the Ancient Immortal Continent, Long Teng was the most powerful cultivator among his peers and a symbol of absolute might.
Even those listed in the top-ten ranks were envious of Long Teng and questioned themselves if they could even be Long Teng's opponents.
Now that Long Teng stepped out, it naturally shocked the ancient creatures, so much so that even some from the older generation paid attention to his movements.
"Lord Long Teng said that he's going to suppress the young man named Gu Changge from the outside world."
"He said he's going to take everything from him!"
The Ancient Immortal Continent's creatures discussed such words, but when the young people from the outside world heard them, they were shocked and horrified.
The creatures of the Ancient Immortal Continent might not know much about Gu Changge, but the Heavenly Geniuses from the outside were very clear about one thing…Gu Changge was so strong they said he was already a Young Sovereign now.
It wouldn't be false to say that he was the leader of the younger generation of the world outside the Ancient Immortal Continent.
"What kind of brain-dead trash is this Long Teng? He's threatening to kill the Young Master of the Ancient Immortal Gu Family? That's the biggest joke in the world."
The Heavenly Geniuses in different places ridiculed the clown.
"Hahaha…I am going to laugh my head off! I would still believe him if he said he wanted to suppress the rest of the Young Supremes, but…"
"But he said he wants to kill Young Master Changge! I am afraid he doesn't know the greatest taboo for the younger generation!"
"Crazy! He's crazy! I am finally going to witness what it means to 'pretend to be a bigshot and receive the biggest thrashing!' I want to see how this fool named Long Teng gets his face smacked in the ground…"
The Heavenly Geniuses who heard the news couldn't help but laugh out loud, so much so that tears almost burst out from their eyes.
How massive was the Inner Region of the Upper Realm? It was indescribable.
In terms of vastness, everything seemed tiny in front of it.
Yet, even in the Inner Region, Gu Changge was known by everyone and everything and was a taboo existence said to be the Reincarnation of a True Immortal.
How dare a random mutt from the streets clamor in front of him?
That's right! In their opinion, the trash named Long Teng was nothing more than a clown prancing around for attention.
After all, which of Gu Changge's achievements didn't rely on terrifying strength and slaughter?
Just a while ago, he easily slaughtered the Seventh Princess of the Sea King Palace who held countless means and resources up her sleeve.
Who would dare take him lightly with such a ruthless record behind him?
Of course, the main reason they were disgruntled by Long Teng's actions was that Gu Changge was an outsider and not an aborigine.
How could they not feel rage when an aborigine tried to prance in front of someone from their side?
Although the average cultivation levels of creatures from the Ancient Immortal Continent were strong, it was only because they were born at the right place at the right time.
"Daoist Brother Changge's strength is unfathomable, but this Long Teng's said to be a tricky character as well."
"I just don't know how much strength he can force Daoist Brother Changge to show…"
Ye Langtian couldn't help but shake his head as he muttered that while raising his palm to obliterate a python in front of him to pick a strange flower.
To be honest, he didn't care about all this news.
Anyway, he was feeling it harder and harder to see through Gu Changge.
Long Teng, on the other hand, was nothing to him even though he held a terrifying reputation in the Ancient Immortal Continent.
The truly powerful existences were the ones you could tell were mighty strong, but couldn't tell just how strong.
Gu Changge gave him that feeling.
'It will be a good time to go and have a look if the two of them fight each other! It will be a worthwhile trip if I can get a glimpse of Brother Gu's true strength.'
With that thought, Ye Langtian turned his head in a different direction with an eager expression and hoped for the two of them to meet sooner rather than later.
Similar scenes played out in different directions, and the Young Supremes from the outside world couldn't help but feel their hearts quiver.
Long Teng's strength was his strong talent and profound cultivation, but Gu Changge's strength…it was the kind of unknown and unfathomable might that made their hearts palpitate and sent chills down the spines of the younger generation.
No matter who one might be, they wouldn't dare to look down on Gu Changge — on the other hand, they would want to run far away from him.
Now, this Long Teng's threat made their eyes light up in anticipation.
"Those fools dare to say that because they don't know Gu Changge's situation!"
"This is good! He's doing what we have always wanted to do but dare not to…Young Sovereign…is Gu Changge really at that level?"
Various Young Supremes whispered among themselves.
They had long wanted to challenge Gu Changge, but because they didn't have bottomless guts, they kept on procrastinating on the matter.
[Boom!]
Divine lights and hazy, Immortal brilliance flickered in front of an emerald lake. An Immortal, crystal-clear plant bearing several fruits stood tall in the center of the lake.
A world-shaking battle broke out on the scene as many people tried to snatch the Immortal Flower!
There were Young Supremes from the outside world and creatures from the Ancient Immortal Continent.
In the end, when Yue Mingkong was besieged by several people in the Void, her figure swept across the sky and she pointed her slender finger that filled Heaven and Earth with an unparalleled aura of an Empress' majesty.
'I am the only one worthy to be the world's Empress!'
Terrifying Mystical Arts bloomed like large swaths of immortal rain covering the world and stunned everyone.
Her figure flew through the sky and stepped on the lake, and then she snatched the Immortal Flower.
'These Immortal Fruits contain the aura of Immortals…'
Yue Mingkong nodded in satisfaction as she took away the fruits without much effort.
She was already confident of entering the False God Realm before long, and now, with the Immortal Fruits in her hands, she would be able to obtain a flawless Immortal Foundation when the time came for the breakthrough.
"Princess, about the threat of the True Dragon Family's Long Teng…"
Just when Yue Mingkong planned to leave the place and find somewhere for seclusion, a follower behind her stepped forward and reported that matter.
Yue Mingkong wasn't surprised by their report, and said with a flicker moving through her eyes, "Do you know what Gu Changge's up to?"
In her last life, she didn't come to the Ancient Immortal Continent, so she never encountered Long Teng.
As for the various opportunities and whatnot? Those were all calculated by her based on the rumors and news she received in her previous life.
Back then…Long Teng didn't hold a grudge against Gu Changge.
Yue Mingkong guessed that Gu Changge was plotting something major back then and that was why he ignored Long Teng.
In this life, however, Long Teng made too much noise and even planned on snatching her away from him, so…with Gu Changge's character, it would be impossible for him to ignore Long Teng.
After all, this matter…she deliberately mentioned Gu Changge's name at that time — sending some trouble at Gu Changge's door now and then was a matter of great pleasure for her.
Gu Changge loved to tease her, so she had to get some payback.
Of course, this kind of insignificant trouble couldn't actually trouble Gu Changge.
No matter how powerful Long Teng's talent might be, he would never be Gu Changge's opponent; once he met Gu Changge, Long Teng would have no choice but to die.
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Yue Mingkong never considered any other possibility.[4]
[4: like Long Teng winning or keeping his life.]
'Pretend to be a bigshot and receive the biggest thrashing!'
Yue Mingkong had the same thought as the others.
Long Teng's character was such that he saw himself as invincible and didn't put anyone in his eyes.
What Yue Mingkong wanted to know, however, was Gu Changge's location. After all, he hadn't shown his face for quite a while now.
"Reporting to the Princess! We weren't able to find Young Master Changge's whereabouts over this period…"
Yue Mingkong wasn't surprised by her follower's response. Gu Changge wouldn't be Gu Changge if someone could track him down, after all.
'With his shrewdness, it won't be hard for him to guess that I plotted against him and pushed him to the cusp of the storm…'
Yue Mingkong felt that it would be better for her to avoid Gu Changge for a while!
After all, he was acting with…great caution.
It was clear that Gu Changge planned to develop his might in secret.
She, however, directly went out and sent a rabid dog after him even after knowing that. It would be strange if Gu Changge was still in a good mood after all that and didn't want to settle the account with her…