Even their ancestors in the Quasi-Supreme Realm had no means of contending against Gu Changge.
This scene pushed the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan to the brink of despair.
No one wanted to be a slave-like existence. After becoming so used to their high status, to allow someone to trample over them was unacceptable.
So when the Ye Ling appeared as the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation's heir, they did not greet him. Instead, they hunted him down to avoid the troublesome future he represented.
But in Gu Changge's hands, they suffered far more than a mere slave seal.
It would be difficult for them to attack Ye Ling while their cultivations were being suppressed by the slave seal.
However, that was nothing compared to Gu Changge's methods where he controlled their very lives, including their ancestors in the Quasi-Supreme Realm, with no solution in sight.
He came out of nowhere and suppressed them with a mere thought.
Such bizarre methods horrified them.
'No, that's not possible. He's not the Supreme Being, and yet his aura…'
Hei Ming was shocked at the scene he found himself in.
He didn't know who Gu Changge was.
However, he could vaguely recall how it felt when he faced the mysterious Supreme Being back then.
Then, a sudden feeling of shock came over him.
'Perhaps… perhaps Gu Changge is also valued by the Supreme Being?'
It was at that moment when Gu Changge glanced at Hei Ming, an inexplicable smile at the corner of his mouth.
'Such a valuable chess piece must be put to good use.'
"Master Gu, please…"
Deep in the mountains, a brief moment of silence ensued, before an old man wearing a white robe appeared. His face was old and withered, but full of vitality.
His eye sockets were deeply sunken, his expression carrying a great degree of shock.
The terrifying aura of a Quasi-Supreme that surged through him quickly subsided.
He was one of the ancestors of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan. Meanwhile, the other ancestor who was also suppressed by Gu Changge's Immortal Binding Technique had yet to show themselves.
Gu Changge casually nodded, his hands behind his back in his natural posture.
As soon as he moved, the void in front of him blurred, as the ancestor led the way.
[Inside the Central Shrine, Black Heavenly Eagle Clan]
A few moments later…
While the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan were busy alternating between fear and awe at what they had just witnessed, Gu Changge arrived at the shrine.
The senior members of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan quickly arrived. It didn't matter whether they were cultivating or dealing with something important.
The moment they heard the news, they rushed here with fearful expressions, trembling as they did not even dare speak.
As for the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan's younger generation, most of them stayed outside.
Those in the younger generation had yet to be informed of what transpired, only knowing that Gu Changge had showed up for a "visit".
Moreover, their ancestors had personally invited him in fear of what he might do.
They were shocked.
'Gu Changge is the enemy of the Ancient Immortal Races! Why should we treat him with courtesy? Out of fear?!'
The situation was too complicated to explain, as those present have yet to recover from the shock themselves.
Out of the younger generation, only Hei Yanyu and Hei Ming were allowed to enter the hall thanks to their special status.
"Master Gu, please take your seat."
It was then that another, rather embarrassed, Quasi-Supreme elder arrived in the hall.
She was a gloomy old woman. Similar to the rest of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan, she had large feathered wings growing off her back that seemed to cover the sky.
Her gaze was locked on Gu Changge, filled with a deep sense of dread.
In her long years of cultivation, it was the first time she had ever encountered such strange methods.
'At that time, I felt it. I'm sure of it, he could have obliterated my mind and even my Quasi-Supreme Primordial Spirit with a mere thought.'
'Such a terrifying feeling…'
'Gu Changge is just a young man, so why does he have such terrible methods?'
Gu Changge casually sat at the top of the hall, playfully overlooking everyone below.
A deep silence ensued.
Even the elders in the Sacred Realm had cold sweat covering their foreheads, not daring to speak.
Who knew what scheme Gu Changge had come up with?
Angering him would not be so simple as a quick death.
Having your life and death at the mercy of the other party's thoughts is like walking at the edge of the abyss with your eyes closed and a sword hanging over your head.
One careless moment is all it takes for you to lose your life.
"Yanyu, serve some tea for Master Gu." The Quasi-Supreme ancestor opened his mouth, looked at Hei Yanyu on the side, and gave his order.
"Yes, Ancestor." Hei Yanyu's heart was full of fear for Gu Changge.
After having guessed his true identity, this feeling of hers only grew.
However, she did not dare disobey her ancestor's order.
Her jade hand trembled slightly as she smiled, carrying the tea to Gu Changge.
Although she was normally proud and elegant in front of her fellow clansmen, she was merely a woman in her twenties.
It was natural for her to fear death.
"Gu Cha- Master Gu, please have some tea."
Just as Hei Yanyu was about to open her mouth and address Gu Changge, she remembered his character.
Thus, she hastily corrected herself, addressing him as "Master."
It would be far too unfortunate if she died because she addressed him incorrectly.
The idea was very simple.
Even the ancestors in the Quasi-Supreme Realm were helpless.
Thus, the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan's submission to Gu Changge was ironclad, unchangeable.
She might as well show her willingness to surrender in front of Gu Changge himself.
Such a scene complicated the hearts of many senior members of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan, as they sighed in silence.
Hei Yanyu's thoughts were not the same as theirs, but they were powerless and could only accept their fate.
At this moment, Gu Changge examined Hei Yanyu.
She was 17 or 18, and she had delicate features.
Her black hair was like a cloud, held in place by a nine-phoenix hairpin. She wore a jade robe, embroidered with rivers and mountains. Her appearance was like a divine lotus, a peerless beauty indeed.
'She looks good, thinks quickly, and is quite knowledgeable about current affairs.'
'She had even guessed my true identity.'
"What's your name?"
Gu Changge asked as he casually took the tea.
A casual remark, nothing more.
He'd already known of her name, her identity, and even her thoughts.
However, Gu Changge had no plans to let the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan understand that he could read their minds.
After all, that would break them, giving them a puppet-like mentality of a walking corpse.
What Gu Changge wanted was a faction that he could control.
Puppets would obey, yes, but only to the letter and nothing more.
If that happens, he might as well just devour them all.
Moreover, the Immortal Devouring Demonic Art needed more than the group assembled before him if he wanted to break through to the Sacred Realm.
At most, he would be at the Half-Step of the Sacred Realm.
To devour two Quasi-Supreme slaves like this would be, quite frankly, a waste.
"Greetings Master, my name is Hei Yanyu." She smiled, a slight joy on her face when she heard his question.
When Long Teng had taken an interest in her, she resisted, unwilling to surrender as she schemed her way out of it.
She was a woman with strong ambitions, and now… she couldn't even save herself.
Although Hei Yanyu didn't want to see herself reduced to such a state, there was nothing she could do.
Gu Changge merely nodded, saying nothing in reply.
His eyes swept the crowd below.
"I greet Master!"
With Hei Yanyu taking the lead, many of the other high-level officials of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan changed their tune as well, attempting to demonstrate their loyalty to Gu Changge.
For a time, the hall was full of such voices.
"I know you guys hate me and want to kill me." Gu Changge sipped his tea with a light smile on his face.
"So…"
He pointed.
"You, you, and you…"
In an instant, the faces of the people targeted had drastically changed, terrified.
With a bang, they exploded on the spot, as the mist of blood began to clear. Both their bodies and spirits were destroyed.
"If you possess even the slightest ounce of hate for me, I will know." Gu Changge smiled.
"Just remember that though heaven and earth are great, I alone am the best. As for those who defy me, they tend to have quite the terrible ending."
Gu Changge used simple words that were spoken in a light-hearted manner.
However, it held a tyrannical meaning. In other words, "if you dare to resist, I will kill you."
Hiss!
When they saw this scene, everyone in the hall felt a deep chill, their hairs rising on end.
Suddenly and without warning, people had died.
Gu Changge's methods were terrible and yet truly awe-inspiring to even allow him to sense their hatred.
When they thought of this, the people paled even further, completely intimidated by this turn of events.
The two ancestors in the Quasi-Supreme Realm also changed their tune, hurriedly changing their words, "I pray that Master will be merciful! Our clan is more than willing to surrender!"
These two ancestors have lived for so long that their eyelashes were empty. Naturally, they didn't want to lose their lives over such a matter.
Even a gnat clung to life, let alone a human being.
Not only that, but their ancestors had submitted to the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation a long time ago.
To have their descendants become subservient to Gu Changge was well within the realm of possibility.
'As long as we readily cooperate with Gu Changge, I'm sure he wouldn't kill people for no reason.'
Gu Changge, still smiling, stood up with his arms folded behind him. He said, "A bit of cooperation leads to fewer deaths, so why not?"
Everyone shuddered at that smile of his.
"We understand, Master."
At that moment, everyone in the hall spoke in unison, not daring to have second thoughts.
Gu Changge couldn't help but nod in satisfaction when he felt their hateful thoughts quickly vanish into nothing.
He enjoyed such a crisp and clean means of subjugation.
It saved a lot of time, and it didn't require much effort at all.
Naturally, Gu Changge had no intention of letting them know how he was controlling their life and death.
'The fear of the unknown is the greatest deterrent.'
'And the existence of the Immortal Binding Technique will be quite difficult to expose.'
"You can all rest assured that I, Gu Changge, have a gentle nature. The thing I dislike the most is killing innocents for no reason."
"If you all readily cooperate, then I'll let you annex the rest of the Ancient Immortal Races. After all, to dominate the entire Ancient Immortal Continent in one fell swoop is not impossible."
Gu Changge cheerily opened his mouth and spoke, gracefully and powerfully.
He didn't care about grace, but there was nothing to lose with a bit of verbal assurance.
"Many thanks, Master!"
At these words, the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan took on a more grateful look, excited at the opportunity to come.
They naturally didn't know how much of what he said was true, and Gu Changge didn't bother informing them of the specifics.
Gu Changge was the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family, and he was also the Heir of the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace.
To have someone with his background say such things was far more convincing than if someone like Ye Ling had done so.
And so, the people believed.
Later on, one of the Quasi-Supreme ancestors stepped forward, announcing the matter to all members of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan.
The Black Heavenly Eagle Clan had submitted to Gu Changge. They will serve him as their master, following him at his pleasure.
When the order was given, the entirety of the clan was shocked, shaken by this sudden turn of events.
Many of its members found such an order hard to believe, and others even raised their voices in rebellion.
'No matter who Gu Changge is, he is only a part of the younger generation!'
What kind of virtues and abilities does he possess to have the entire Black Heavenly Eagle Clan follow him?
Their ancestors were able to spread their wings and blacken the skies, standing at the top of humanity, invincible.
With how their ancestors' invincible blood flowed in their veins, how could they so easily surrender to the will of others?
In this regard, the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan used relatively simple means, using their great strength to suppress any and all resistance, expelling them from the clan.
Gu Changge is ruthless, he would never let go of those who resist. Thus, the ancestor behaved ruthlessly as well.
Soon, the rebellious voices all across the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan were resolved.
Gu Changge was satisfied at the speed of this resolution.
'I can see that the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan wants to live!'
"You're a smart woman. In the future, you will help me collect various young geniuses with various origins."
"Any clan is fine. After a short amount of time, the Ancient Immortal Continent will be opened…"
"And when that time comes, this place will be a most excellent location."
"If you do well, you will be greatly rewarded."
On his way to the depths of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan to retrieve the Reincarnation Platform, Gu Changge spoke with interest to Hei Yanyu, who respectfully accompanied him from behind.
Hei Yanyu was momentarily stunned when she heard his words. She then trembled and hurriedly replied, "Master, please rest assured. I will definitely complete this task."
She hadn't expected Gu Changge to suddenly speak to her in such a manner.
To even arrange such a task for her…
'Collect geniuses of various origins?'
She felt a chill crawl up her spine. Gu Changge's meaning was obvious.
He didn't elaborate, but she knew.
Did the two of them share a tacit understanding? No, Gu Changge was probably just too lazy to clarify the details of their relationship.
And it just so happens that Hei Yanyu was not stupid. She understands that some things were better left unspoken, locked away to rot in her stomach forever.
Gu Changge's hidden identity as the true Inheritor of the Demonic Arts was too terrifying.
Everyone in the world was deceived and was now merely dancing across the palm of his hand.
The mere thought numbed her scalp as her whole body shivered.
To say that he was a terrible man would be an understatement.
After passing through many mountains, pavilions, and palaces…
Gu Changge finally caught sight of the Reincarnation Platform that the Ancient Deity had forged with Reincarnation Stones.
According to the legend, the Reincarnation Platform was left behind by the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation when he taught all the beings of heaven and earth.
There were many imprints of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation on the platform itself.
"Master, we have arrived at the location of the Reincarnation Platform. Ordinarily, only our most profound clan elders can approach this place and experience the mystery behind the Rules of Reincarnation." Hei Yanyu respectfully said.
When they arrived here, Gu Changge had dismissed the others, leaving only her to lead the way for him.
Although the Reincarnation Platform was precious, it was nothing compared to the lives of the entire clan.
However, Hei Yanyu felt that if Gu Changge were to utilise the platform, then the Ancient Snakes, Divine Crocodiles, and other clans were bound to be enraged.
The Reincarnation Platform was marked by the various clans for fear that someone would emerge and steal it.
"The Reincarnation Platform…"
Gu Changge stood on a cliff, squinting as he looked up.
Between the layers of cloud and mist, he could vaguely see a platform looming high above.
Buzz!
At that moment, his eyes burst with black and white divine lights, transforming into a supreme immortal sword that cut its way to the lofty platform above.
"The power of Reincarnation…"
Hei Yanyu was stunned to see how accurate her guess was.
The true heir of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation had already been killed by Gu Changge.
That's why he possessed many of the Ancient Deity of Reincarnation's methods.
Boom!
Accompanied by a loud boom, a sudden burst of light appeared in front of them, immortal energies spreading in all directions.
The vague image of the Reincarnation Platform began to grow clearer. It was as majestic as a divine mountain, an incomparably large structure.
Ancient characters began to appear in the void. With silver hooks and iron strokes, the pen moved like a dragon and a snake.
Within the characters laid the great mysteries of evolution, shining as brilliantly as a miniature sun.
Gu Changge took a step forward, standing on top of the great Reincarnation Platform.
Its main body was composed of dazzling immortal stones[2] as multicoloured bursts of auspicious light spewed forth and intertwined, creating an atmosphere perfect for cultivation.
[2. It was forged from a Reincarnation Stone, but the entire thing isn't made of the material.]
Black and white divine lights fell, containing the great mysteries of Reincarnation within.
Gu Changge sat cross-legged.
Time slowly passed.
None dared to disturb him.
Hei Yanyu watched this scene from afar, shocked to the core.
The Rules of Reincarnation that they painstakingly used their senses to absorb and comprehend… were the very same that Gu Change now directly consumed and refined!
Such boldness made her heart tremble.
Buzz!
Gu Changge's body was as motionless as a bell.
A pitch-black Dao Rune floated in the void, coalescing and transforming into a Black Dao Bottle that devoured the black and white divine lights!
Rumble!
In an instant, the place was flooded with vast amounts of divine light.
It was like a river of stars were falling, containing a terrifying amount of power.
Gu Changge refined these lights, increasing his control over the Samsara Talent by leaps and bounds.
And finally, the Reincarnation Mark, composed of countless black and white runes, began to quickly materialise.
Then, it was merged with his Innate God's Spirit Temple (Talent).
'The Reincarnation Mark is a life-saving method. Even if my Primordial Spirit is broken, this mark will allow me to safely return to my Inner World…'
'And now, I have yet another life-saving method.'
At that moment, Gu Changge opened his eyes, black and white divine light flashing in his pupils.
During this time, he felt that he had even managed to vaguely touch upon the threshold of the time aspect.
The Samsara Talent encompassed many aspects, but the main parts were life, death, and time.
Gu Changge then took a step forward, returning to where he was before.
Without the Profound Truth of Reincarnation, the Reincarnation Platform was now useless to him.
Even if it could be refined, its material wasn't on par with Immortal Gold.
"Congratulations, Master."
Having seen Gu Changge finish refining the Rules of Reincarnation, Hei Yanyu's eyes could not help but reveal her shock.
That said, she stepped forward and congratulated him.
"Show me your clan's heritage…"
Gu Changge issued this command and left.
With the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan having been around for so long, there was bound to be plenty of good treasures. He adhered to his good habit of not taking on a needle and thread[1]. Naturally, he wanted a tour of the place.
[1. He wants to rob them of every single treasure, not leaving even a needle or thread.]
While Gu Changge was busy refining the many Rules of Reincarnation on the Reincarnation Platform…
Several of the other major clans, including the Ancient Snake and Divine Crocodile, began to experience huge changes.
"What is the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan doing? Someone touched our clan's mark on the Reincarnation Platform." An old man with slender eyes, wielding a sneak-head crutch spoke grimly.
He briefly sensed that the mark on the Reincarnation Platform was touched, lightly but enough to trigger the mark nonetheless. It seems that the Reincarnation Platform was not moved.
This incident has made him wary of the Black Heavenly Eagle Clan.
Anyone could organise a theft if they had the ability to do so.
"With the Ancient Immortal Races in turmoil, the outside Daoist Sects plan to descend. My clan must find a way to survive in the shadows."
As he spoke, he summoned a group of his clansmen, there was much to discuss.
At the same time, outside the Ancient Immortal Continent, the Ancient City, Immeasurable Heavens were also brimming with activity.
The Young Geniuses of their clans had sent a report of what had taken place, how the Ancient Immortal Races disregarded their former agreement and slaughtered with reckless abandon.
Such news immediately triggered the outrage of their various backers, as they sent the first wave of elites to come.
This incident led to a huge sensation.
Even the Great Elder who had personally spoken to several of the most ancient existences in the Ancient Immortal Continent couldn't help but shake his head at this troublesome issue.
This was something he couldn't do anything about.
Rumble!
The sky was clouded with terrifying divine light that seemed to engulf the skies!
Ancient warships, huge flying boats, floating divine mountains…
Even powerful cultivators with equally powerful auras to match.
Their divine senses swept the area as the many ancient cities of both cultivators and spirits began to tremble with horror.
The venture had gone sour, and something big was about to happen!