Gu Changge simply ignored Gu Xian'er's indignant look as her thought of stabbing him to death became more and more appealing.
With a shake of his head, he stood up and sighed slightly.
As her dear elder brother, he'd merely given her a bit of a boost, helping her sharpen her cultivation so that she could break through and take her revenge sooner.
Was that so wrong?
Sooner or later, she will understand his good intentions and be deeply moved by them.
And with that, his worries for Gu Xian'er and her fight with the cultivators in front of her had vanished.
RIght then, runes of light rushed into the sky, exploding like a star, so brilliant and bright that people couldn't even open their eyes.
"The Tiangou Clan… could it be that you are trying to provoke a war against my Gu Family?"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Gu Changge looked towards Yu Jing and spoke calmly.
But before he could finish his words, his face paled as he let out a cough. It seemed like his injuries were agitated.
The people behind him immediately handed him a handkerchief, their eyes clouded with incomparable worry.
Could their injured Master even stand up in his current state?
This was the train of thought that many of Gu Changge's followers shared after seeing his current state. The injuries he had sustained showed no signs of getting any better at all.
When they thought of this, their hatred for the Tiangou Clan grew even deeper.
'How dare they take advantage of this situation, going so far as to even use a Sacred-grade Artifact?'
To describe it as heartless would be no exaggeration.
Gu Changge is an open-minded individual who cares deeply about the world and its people.
It was only thanks to his fight with the Forbidden Demonic Arts' Inheritor that he was severely injured. And yet, the Ancient Immortal Races took this opportunity, using even a Sacred-grade Artifact just to kill him.
If word of such a thing got out, weren't they afraid of invoking the anger of the people?
Many of the outside cultivators glared furiously at the Tiangou clansmen in front of them.
However, Yu Jing did not seem to notice these gazes.
Her eyes were cold as she stared at Gu Changge and said, "Gu Changge, when you struck and killed my clan members, had you ever considered this day would come? When you killed Lord Long Teng, you should have thought of this even more. You brought this on yourself, and you will pay for your mistakes."
"If you knew all this, why did you do it in the first place? Wicked people like you will get their retribution sooner or later."
Her words were full of righteousness, skillfully placing her cause above even justice itself.
To them, Gu Changge was their greatest enemy, a slaughterer of the young heavenly geniuses of the Ancient Immortal Races.
However, when Gu Changge asked if they wanted war, this meant he intended to suppress her with his terrifying background.
Yu Jing's heart leaped with joy.
It could only mean one thing… Gu Changge was at the end of his rope.
'If Gu Changge still had strength and a trump card left in his possession, why would he say such words?'
'To pit the Ancient Immortal Continent against the Immortal Gu Family behind him?'
'The entire Ancient Immortal Continent is now enraged because of Gu Changge. Even if the Immortal Gu Family is so powerful, would they be able to break the rules and attack the whole continent in one fell swoop?'
'Besides, this was something that was agreed upon before the Ancient Immortal Continent was opened.'
'The life and death of the participants were left in their own hands!'
"Long Teng deserved to die, if you wish to avenge his death, there is nothing more I can say."
"Only I didn't expect that you would actually use a Sacred-grade Artifact… in that regard, are you truly not afraid of crossing the bottom line?"
Gu Changge slowly said, with a calm face.
In the eyes of the crowd, however, it seemed to harbor an implicit look of a tiger being bullied by a dog.
"Master…"
The group of followers behind him all felt a sense of suffocation and discomfort at that moment, some even clenched their fists and let out a low roar.
It was a scene of immense sorrow.
The scene resembled a hero at the end of his journey, a beauty at the end of her days!
Who of the younger generation would not bow their heads at the sight of the once mighty and domineering Gu Changge?
Even the Great Elder of the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace didn't dare to scold him, how confident and invincible he was.
But now, because of his severe injuries, he was being cornered by a mere Tiangou Clan.
The Tiangou Clan was not weak by any means. Among the Ancient Immortal Races, they were powerful enough to be ranked in the top 15.
'Is he really out of options?'
Even Gu Xian'er, who was busy fighting against a group of the Tiangou Clan's young heavenly geniuses, was puzzled by Gu Changge's words.
'Could it be that Gu Changge's injury was really that serious?'
'Had it reached a point where he could only use the forces behind him to deter the opponent?'
She had a feeling that Gu Changge's words were hiding a terrible murderous motive unknown to anyone.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At this moment, divine rainbows came from the sky in all directions, as the rest of the Young Geniuses who heard the news had arrived.
The place where Gu Changge was recuperating had been raided and attacked by the Tiangou Clan.
The news soon spread, causing many to be shocked, followed by rage and anger. This group was but the first of those who would come in his aid.
After all, Gu Changge now represented the face of the younger generation in the outside world and was severely injured because of the Forbidden Demonic Arts' Inheritor.
If they did not come forward to help at this time, it would hurt their conscience.
"Don't even think about hurting the Young Master Changge!"
A Young Genius shouted, his entire body shining with divine radiance as he arrived, followed by many others, all with majestic auras.
"With us here, the Tiangou Clan will not be able to run wild! Young Master Changge may be severely injured, but we are still here!"
In another direction, several divine rainbows also rushed in, their mighty voices resounding through the sky.
Upon hearing these words, Gu Changge faintly laughed in his heart, just as he had expected.
However, his face remained unchanged.
"With the help of my fellow Daoists, I am afraid that your Tiangou Clan will find it difficult to succeed today…" he slowly said.
"Gu Changge, no matter how many more people come today, it will not matter."
Yu Jing spoke coldly, not caring at all about the Young Geniuses of the various Daoist Sects that had rushed in.
All at once, Young Geniuses from various Daoist Sects appeared in the sky on all sides, their faces filled with anger at her words.
They didn't expect the Tiangou Clan to be so arrogant even at this time, to not even acknowledge their presence.
"It seems that the Ancient Immortal Races truly do intend to provoke us. They would even sacrifice their Sacred-grade Artifacts…" a Young Genius said in shock, noticing the Sacred-grade Artifact in Yu Jing's hand.
Once the power of the Sacred Realm was involved, it wasn't something that the younger generation could resist.
This enraged them even further… even a little frightened.
The Tiangou Clan was now blatantly disregarding the bottom line, trying to drive them to death!
"Damn it. I must report today's events to my Daoist Sect and let the elders know that the Tiangou Clan is filled with deceitful bastards!" At that moment, someone exclaimed in anger.
The Ancient Immortal Continent was the land of the Ancient Immortal Races.
They had come to gain experience, but there was one rule that everyone agreed on. The older generation was strictly forbidden from interfering.
The reason for it being the older generation was simply far stronger than they were, and if their venture suffered the interference of the older generation's elites, then it would become meaningless.
Now that the Tiangou Clan had used a Sacred-grade Artifact, they had practically broken the agreement already.
How could this not shock and enrage them?
"Cut the crap, so what if we kill you?! How many of our clansmen have died at your hands during this period of time?"
Yu Jing said with a cold smile, "Do it!"
Buzz!
The moment her words fell, the several figures behind her did not hesitate, appearing in various parts of heaven and earth, taking on their original forms as if there were gods and demons, striking altogether.
Strange sounds echoed across heaven and earth, the roar of a dragon, the roar of a tiger…
Then, they immediately unleashed their divine arts, like a tidal wave that overshadowed the sky.
The terrifying fluctuations instantly caused both heaven and earth to rumble.
The surrounding cliffs collapsed and were smashed into the ground.
"Damn it! You think we're afraid of you? Kill them!"
"Take this opportunity today to exterminate these Ancient Immortal creatures…"
"Young Master Changge has a great heart and was injured for the sake of all the cultivators of the world, now is the time for us to stand up for him."
"When Young Master Changge wasn't injured, none of you dared show yourselves, but now you do? A bunch of cowards who bully the weak but fear the strong."
Seeing this, the rest of the Young Geniuses raged, rushing forward to kill these formidable figures.
"I am truly grateful to you all for your help."
Gu Changge revealed a slight smile, showing a very touched look.
However, Gu Xian'er, who was fighting with the enemy, noticed a deep malice in his smile.
Even if Gu Changge was weak, he was not someone that the Tiangou Clan could bully so easily.
The aura he had revealed in the hall earlier was so powerful that it had taken her breath away.
So what exactly was he scheming?
Gu Xian'er was suspicious, from her perception, Gu Changge was terrifying in more ways than just his strength.
Rumble!
Many young and powerful members of the Tiangou Clan struck out, all of whom were in the False God realm.
In an instant, the place exploded.
It was as if a river of stars had fallen from beyond the sky, like an ancient star had exploded.
Terrifying energy fluctuations swept through everything, the astral winds raging as it tore apart both heaven and earth.
The might each of these elites held were akin to a being in the True God Realm!
Then, one of the Young Supremes who rushed to support them transformed into its original form, resembling a flaming sparrow.
As it opened its mouth, monstrous flames covered the sky, transforming into a terrifying and vicious flaming sparrow.
With its feet in the void and eyes like bronze bells, it rushed forward like molten fire with a boom.
The scorching heat caused the void to burn with a charred black edge.
"It's useless, you're all too weak!"
"Apart from Gu Changge, you are all simply too weak to fight."
Yu Jing sneered, raising her hand to perform her strongest technique as ancient characters[1] filled with great energy arranged themselves in the void.
[1. Quick recap: Ancient Characters are characters from the Ancient Immortal Continent.]
The Young Supreme who had taken his original form instantly spurted blood and flew backwards, filled with resignation.
The gap in their cultivation realms was too great, and he was no match for Yu Jing.
At the same time, the Sacred-grade Artifact whose appearance was like a miniature golden sun, floated above Yu Jing's hand as it gradually grew.
It was as vast as the ocean, pressing down in all directions, causing everyone's heart to palpitate, and their souls to tremble. They had felt an urge to kneel so great that they were unable to stop their legs from going weak.
This was the might of the Saint.
Yu Jing was on guard against Gu Changge, mainly against the crystallized pill that hid a ray of terrifying sword Qi.
However, she also guessed that Gu Changge no longer had many underhanded methods left.
"Gu Changge, today will be the day of your death!"
Yu Jing looked at him with a cold smile, in her opinion, the present Gu Changge no longer had the power he had back then.
"The Ancient Immortal Races, are they truly not afraid to place themselves in the eyes of the many Daoist Sects of the outside world?" Gu Changge asked indifferently, his face looking weak and pale, yet his expression was calm.
As he stood at the top of the mountain, he looked as though a gust of wind could blow him away.
At the moment, the light in his eyes flickered as it seemed like he was desperately trying to overcome the situation.
However, in reality he was merely putting on a show.
After all, he had to show a severely injured and somber atmosphere, thus igniting everyone's hatred towards the Ancient Immortal Races to its fullest.
Such a feat was difficult to manage.
If he overdid it, it would make people suspect him of having malicious intentions.
But who could resist the temptation of acting up at a crucial moment?
The 'brave hero' was severely injured, his origin damaged. And yet, he would resolutely block the might of a Sacred-grade Artifact so that the rest of his peers may survive.
If this little script was performed properly…
Many Young Geniuses would explode and see the Ancient Immortal Races as a thorn in their sight, and their hatred would reach its highest point.
Additionally, he could take this opportunity to increase his reputation, something he could make good use of later.
"Master…"
"You are severely injured, please don't fight any further!"
The group of followers behind Gu Changge all joined the battle by this time.
"Letting you all fight in the front while I, the Master, hide behind? If I did such a thing, where would this Gu place his face?"
When he heard those words, Gu Changge shook his head with a look that said he would not allow for anything less.
The script had already been prepared, how could he not take the spotlight at such a moment?
Boom!
With that being said, his aura changed, and his seemingly weakened body began to ignite with vitality for a moment.
A vast, surging aura resurfaced.
However, Gu Changge's face was becoming paler and paler, almost as if he had lost all his blood.
"Young Master Changge, don't!"
"Alas…"
"Please consider the consequences!"
This scene caused many of the Young Geniuses to turn pale.
How could they not know of secret techniques of this nature? These techniques allowed one to raise its cultivation to its peak for a short period of time.
However, such secret techniques often had terrible after-effects.
With Gu Changge being severely injured and his origin damaged, such a move would likely cause irreversible injuries to him.
An injury of that degree might even affect his future cultivation.
"How long can such a technique last?"
Yu Jing said with a cold smile, the same coldness shining in her eyes.
She could already see the rapid consumption of Gu Changge's Blood Essence, and there was no doubt in her mind that he was drawing strength from an external source.
"Long enough to kill you." Gu Changge replied.
At that moment, it was as if he had returned to his peak state.
Immediately afterwards, several Divine Weapons emerged from behind him.
The surging divine light rushed up to the sky, powerful to no end.
"It's indeed very strong… " Yu Jing was surprised, but she quickly calmed down after remembering the Sacred-grade Artifact in her hand.
"The Tiangou Clan, as well as the entirety of the Ancient Immortal Races, will pay the price for what they did today." Gu Changge spoke indifferently, but no one noticed the playfulness in his eyes.
With that, he took a step from the top of the mountain and instantly vanished.
At the same time, a clang ran out from within his Divine Armory.
Puff!
There were all sorts of weapons, swords, spears, axes, hooks and forks, flying in a stream of light with overwhelming killing intent.
"Die!" Yu Jing shouted, the golden feathered wings flowing behind her as she rushed for Gu Changge's head!
From another direction, the group of Tiangou Clan's Young Creatures who were heading towards him, didn't dare to be careless even for a bit, all of them using all sorts of divine abilities.
Some were engulfed in flames, some cast soul-extinguishing rays, and some used unfathomable ancient techniques that threatened to kill all!
Every single one of these techniques were powerful and terrifying, unrivaled in the outside world to the point of being able to suppress the entire heritage of a clan.
Yet all of them were now being poured out on Gu Changge, being thrown at him as if they were nothing.
This scene shocked many creatures and cultivators who had made their way here.
This was enough to show how scornful the enemies were of Gu Changge.
Even in his severely injured state, he was still someone that no one dared underestimate.
"Yu Jing actually brought a Sacred-grade Artifact, no wonder she has such confidence. But I'm afraid this might not be a good thing…"
On the top of a distant mountain, Hei Yanyu appeared with the rest of the Ancient Immortal Races' younger generation, watching the scene from afar.
She was shocked.
At the same time there was an unpleasant feeling.
Even she hadn't expected that Yu Jing would bring a Sacred-grade Artifact. This was something that crossed the line.
It would be fine if she was able to kill Gu Changge, but if she failed… then there would be a major threat to deal with..
And at that moment, there was a puff in the middle of the battlefield… as a miserable cry followed.
Blood splattered, creating a horrific scene as several of the Tiangou Clan's Young Creatures were torn apart, their bodies crumbling as their bodies and souls were destroyed!
The Divine Armory shone brightly, as all kinds of Divine Weapons rushed forward in all directions to slaughter all.
Though pale, Gu Changge's face remained unchanged as his fist fell and his enemies perished!
His figure dashed across the battlefield without any sign of stopping. In between steps, he raised his hand to the sky with Sword Intent as terrifying Sword Qi spread out across nearly a hundred miles in all directions.
With one horrified cry after another, all of the Tiangou Clan's powerhouses that surrounded him collapsed in the midst of the battle.
The scene caused Yu Jing's pupils to shrink, her heart horrified.
'Gu Changge really is absurdly strong, even in his severely injured state. If I were to fight him by myself, I'm afraid I might not be his match…'
Without hesitation, she fiercely pushed her body to its peak, even consuming her blood essence to invoke the Sacred-grade Artifact in her hand.
Naturally, she had a spiritual connection with the Artifact.
Otherwise, with her current realm, she would not be able to activate it.
At this moment, everyone's face changed.
Even Gu Changge, who was slaughtering the enemies before him, frowned, as if he had encountered something troublesome.
Boom!
A tyrannical pressure erupted.
A golden figure like a sun rose up into the sky, with wings on its back. It covered the sky with its monstrous aura as an endless sea of golden fire burnt around it.
This was the spirit of the Sacred-grade Artifact!
The golden, blinding sun wheel, flickered with countless divine symbols.
Yu Jing's face was pale, but she succeeded in unveiling its monstrous divine might.
Floating in the sky, it appeared as if it could pierce through heaven itself!
"This aura…"
"A Sacred-grade Artifact! And it's not just an ordinary Sacred-grade Artifact!"
The many Young Supremes who were currently in a rush to get there, including Wang Wushuang, Ye Langtian, and all the others, felt the aura and couldn't help but be surprised.
"This aura… it's right on top of where Brother Gu is recuperating! Could it be that the Ancient Immortal Races have used a Sacred-grade Artifact for the purpose of killing him?"
Chi Ling's face had a sudden and drastic change as well, becoming incomparably furious and cold.
"These Ancient Immortal Races are simply COURTING DEATH! For them to dare push us around like this…"
"To even use a Sacred-grade Artifact, it's simply outrageous!"
At that moment, she disregarded the venture and directly took out a transmission talisman, intending to send a message to the forces behind her to inform them of the situation.
"Brother, these Ancient Immortal Clans are so shameless in their efforts to kill Gu Changge, are they not?"
"To use a Sacred-grade Artifact so openly and brazenly, are they not putting our various clans and Daoist Sects in their eyes? They are not even upholding their own end of the bargain anymore!"
The purple-clad maiden beside Ye Langtian felt just as indignant and angered.
"The Ancient Immortal Races have indeed gone too far. I will ensure that the clan is informed that this venture has turned sour…" Ye Langtian's face was also as sullen as water.
For a while, scenes like this were unfolding all over the place.
The use of the Sacred-grade Artifact by the Ancient Immortal Races had clearly breached the terms of their agreement, provoking the wrath of the Daoist sects.
Gu Changge had already been severely injured since he had dealt with the Forbidden Demonic Arts Inheritor.
And yet, the Ancient Immortal Races dared take this opportunity to use a Sacred-grade Artifact with the intent to kill him.
This incident instantly caused a terrifying earthquake in the Ancient Immortal Continent, causing irreparable waves!