"Among the five leaders who once resisted the Black Calamity Catastrophe, one had a very special origin. Even now, I still haven't been able to investigate any information about her…"
The forest was silent. Wu Yue spoke calmly, her eyes shrouded in mist gazing upon Nan Zun before her.
"Are you referring to the West Sage?"
"But coming to ask me, I can only say you've asked the wrong person. I'm also not very familiar with the West Sage. I can only tell you that she is very mysterious. Do you suspect she comes from the Palace of Fate Defiance?"
Nan Zun smiled gently.
She had reined in all her thoughts. Ever since being imprisoned here, she had not kept up with any events of the outside world.
Grand High Priest Wu Yue very rarely came to see her, let alone to ask her for any information.
Only sometimes, when Nan Qing met with her, would Grand High Priest Wu Yue appear, opening a passage for the two of them to meet.
It had been like this for so many years, without any exception.
But judging from Grand High Priest Wu Yue coming on her own to inquire about the Palace of Fate Defiance, it was likely that the external situation was already completely under the Heavenly Faction's control.
Thus, the Heavenly Faction now had the spare mind to consider and ponder those hidden forces and territories unknown to most within the Vast Expanse.
But the Palace of Fate Defiance had always been shrouded in mystery; even cultivators who knew the name of this force were exceedingly few, so what could she possibly know?
"Even if the West Sage does not come from the Palace of Fate Defiance, she still has countless ties to it. Otherwise, after so many years, it would be impossible not to have found any clues or information about her," Wu Yue said calmly.
Nan Zun smiled and said, "If the West Sage is truly connected to the Palace of Fate Defiance, how could you possibly find any leads?"
Wu Yue said, "It seems you do indeed know something about the Palace of Fate Defiance."
Nan Zun did not deny this, continuing, "For the sake of the courteous treatment you've shown me all these years, Grand High Priest, I can tell you one thing. The Palace of Fate Defiance truly does have countless ties to the Land of the Nine Heavens."
"Perhaps you could order the Heavenly Faction to invade the Land of the Nine Heavens and seek out the Sect Master of the so-called Heaven-Overthrowing Sect; then you could learn of the Palace of Fate Defiance's existence."
"However, as for now, I don't know who exactly holds authority over the Heaven-Overthrowing Sect."
Wu Yue's gaze moved slightly. She had indeed heard of the Heaven-Overthrowing Sect. However, the Land of the Nine Heavens was indeed quite special to the outside world of the Vast Expanse; investigating it was exceedingly difficult. Even the Dark Clans found it very hard to infiltrate and find a path there.
But at present, Nan Qing being in the Land of the Nine Heavens gave the Heavenly Faction a perfect opportunity.
She said, "It seems you know quite a lot about the Land of the Nine Heavens, Nan Zun. As it happens, I also have a piece of news I want to tell you."
Nan Zun looked at her with some surprise and asked, "What news?"
"Nan Qing has already entered the Land of the Nine Heavens. If nothing goes wrong, she should retrieve the Mirror of Reincarnation and scout the path for my Heavenly Faction army…" Wu Yue said.
Nan Zun's expression changed, losing the calm and composure she had just moments before.
She stared deathly at Wu Yue and asked, "Did you send Qing'er to the Land of the Nine Heavens?"
"No. She unexpectedly encountered some people, and by a confluence of circumstances was able to enter. If you do not wish for any mishap to befall Nan Qing, you would do best to tell me everything you know."
"I am very fond of Nan Qing, and I do not wish for her to encounter any danger," Wu Yue said calmly.
Nan Zun's chest heaved; only after a long while did she calm down and say, "The Land of the Nine Heavens is very dangerous. You had best not act rashly. It is one of the most dangerous places in the Vast Expanse, and also where the waters run deepest. Without the Lord of Heaven's Proxy to lead the Heavenly Faction, no matter how many Dark Beings you send, it will be a futile effort."
"Is it because behind the Land of the Nine Heavens stands the Palace of Fate Defiance?" Wu Yue asked.
Nan Zun nodded.
Wu Yue said, "Then tell me everything you know. I will judge for myself."
…
Time passed. From the collapse and disintegration of the Alliance of Righteous Unity to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance consolidating its various territories, building dikes to resist the Dark Clans and contend against the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual, several decades had gone by.
During this period, the Dark Clans did not cease their Grand Sacrificial Ritual; as always, they continued to harvest the various great realms and universes.
"The Alliance of Righteous Unity has been annihilated. Even Progenitor Xu's whereabouts are unknown…"
"Could it be that I was truly schemed against by him? Is my Black Lotus Sacred Realm doomed to failure as well?"
"That Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, could he truly be…"
Deep within the dim underground palace, Wuxiang's expression was hideous, a mixture of alarm, fear, and dread.
He stared intently at the scene before him. The final black lotus shrouding the sky over the Ethereal Sacred Domain, under the combined assault of many mighty experts, began to collapse and disintegrate.
Numerous threads of faith power snapped. He even sensed a gaze traveling along the faith power, trying to pinpoint his location.
Wuxiang was very decisive; he immediately severed all sources of the faith power and thoroughly concealed and suppressed his own aura.
On this day, phenomena at last came from the Ethereal Sacred Domain, which had long been without any stir. The terrifying black great cocoon split open, and the pervasive black mist, as if illuminated by warm sunlight, continually dissipated and receded.
Through the combined efforts of all the guests trapped within, the conspiracy of the Black Lotus Cult was finally resolved.
Those heaven-shrouding, terrifying black lotuses ultimately vanished without a trace; only those beings and cultivators whose minds had been corrupted by the Black Lotus Cult's teachings remained unconscious. To truly bring them to their senses would require at least several hundred years.
To resolve this calamity, the various great families of the Ethereal Sacred Domain had suffered catastrophic losses, and the Ethereal Sacred Sect was no exception.
Even the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor, by the end, was utterly exhausted and directly sat cross-legged atop Ethereal Peak, beginning to rest. The other guests did the same.
As for the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain, it was devastated beyond recognition, with ruined universes everywhere. It could be said to be completely wasted; for the next several hundred or thousand years, it would be unsuitable for cultivators to dwell and train in, requiring relocation.
On Ethereal Peak, watching the receding black mist, the many guests at last revealed long-absent smiles; the stone in their hearts had finally landed.
A few decades' time to them was but the snap of a finger, not worth much concern. The only thing still unclear was the situation outside. With the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Clans joining hands, and Gu Changge, the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, trapped here, the external situation was surely not good…
Therefore, many people were still weighed down with anxiety.
The many high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were somewhat better off, because toward the end, Gu Changge had intervened, helping to shoulder much of the pressure. Facing the terrifying black lotuses and those Ancestral Dao Realm Dharma Protectors that seemed nearly impossible to kill, it had not been so taxing.
Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God had also contributed significantly; their strength was not the slightest bit inferior to the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor's. Though they did not know Gu Changge's true purpose, seeing that he showed no sign of striking against the people here but instead seemed to be staging a self-directed play to purge the massive black lotus, they tactfully followed suit and joined in.
And as the vast black mist outside the Ethereal Sacred Domain receded, the various True World civilizations took notice. Many ancient figures immediately appeared and rushed over, trying to investigate.
Everyone also quickly learned, firsthand, of the massive changes in the Vast Expanse's situation over this period, and were successively stunned and deeply shaken.
No one had imagined that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, which they thought would face a crisis, would instead see the Alliance of Righteous Unity collapse first. As for the Grand Sacrificial Ritual stirred up by the Dark Clans, that was well within everyone's expectations.
After all, with such a situation unfolding, how could the Dark Clans sit still?
Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God, however, were shocked and trembling, especially Luo Zhu. He could vaguely guess what had happened on the Heavenly Faction's side, given that he had once been one of the Lords of the Eight Legions.
Gu Changge had sat guarding the Ethereal Sacred Domain, clearly doing nothing, yet the external situation had no impact whatsoever on the chessboard he had laid out.
He must have long anticipated the startling changes that could occur on the Heavenly Faction's side.
The collapse and annihilation of the Alliance of Righteous Unity meant that the mastermind behind it had either been defeated and perished, or fled. In any case, he had lost in the contest and gambit against Gu Changge.
As for other matters, he dared not speculate rashly.
"The Alliance of Righteous Unity has now been extinguished and destroyed. The Immortal Dao Alliance exists in name only. In the future, we can only rely heavily on the Alliance Leader…"
"Our original intention was to establish the Immortal Dao Alliance to restrain the Dark Clans. But now the Dark Clans have already begun their Grand Sacrificial Ritual; mending the pen after the sheep are lost is already too late."
The Ethereal Sacred Ancestor himself did not have much ambition. In supporting the Immortal Dao Alliance behind the scenes, he had merely been acting on the West Sage's instructions.
Now that the Alliance of Righteous Unity was dead and the Immortal Dao Alliance had waned, it had no qualification whatsoever to be mentioned in the same breath as the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Rather than maintaining an alliance that existed in name only, inviting suspicion from various True World civilizations, it was better to throw in their lot entirely with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
During the years trapped in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, the various guests had witnessed the might of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance with their own eyes and dared not harbor the slightest thought of resistance.
Gu Changge had not even acted; the two mysterious existences at his side had, with a single palm strike, easily suppressed the Ancestral Dao Realm Dharma Protectors of the Black Lotus Cult, their strength comparable to the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor.
Now, to resist the Dark Clans, they could only rely on the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and treat it as their backbone. Otherwise, the strength of a single True World civilization alone was far from sufficient.
With the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor taking the lead in submitting, the many guests present, each representing their respective True World civilizations behind them, also echoed their agreement, expressing willingness to pledge allegiance to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and join forces to face this Black Calamity Catastrophe.
The former Deputy Alliance Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, Zhao Tianqi, along with other high-ranking members, also spoke up, showing no disloyalty; they would submit and attach themselves to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
During those years in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, Zhao Xiuyan had laid out the truth that Gu Changge was her master. Zhao Tianqi, overjoyed and deeply shaken, naturally had no objections to attaching themselves to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
As for the matter of purging the remaining remnants of the Black Lotus Cult, Gu Changge did not intervene, leaving it still to the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor and the others. Although he was in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, the many events unfolding across the Vast Expanse were all within his sight and expectations.
In short, the development of events was all within his plan. For now, he still had use for the Black Lotus Cult, so he did not follow the threads of karma to seek out trouble with Wuxiang.
Of the former Eight Tribes, only a few remained now. Wuxiang was also one of the former Lords of the Eight Legions. Compared to Progenitor Yan, who had fallen in the Nightmare Demon Domain, Wuxiang was far luckier.
Progenitor Xu, knowing full well Wuxiang's greed, had used him to deal with the Master of Fate, making him agree to the transaction and then joining forces to go to the Nightmare Demon Domain to deal with the Heavenly Faction.
If Gu Changge had not sent Jing Tianyun to deliver a strand of his origin aura, Wu Yue would have suffered a huge loss this time. Progenitor Xu was extremely cautious and cunning; even when appearing in the Nightmare Demon Domain, he had only used one of his false wombs. His true body was still hidden away in some corner of spacetime.
As for the Master of Fate, his decisiveness earned a slight hint of appreciation from Gu Changge; he had severed that main body in time without any hesitation.
However, in Gu Changge's eyes, the Master of Fate was merely a hopping little insect. No matter how many methods he had to flee for his life, he could not stir up any significant waves.
"Alliance Leader, my father he…" Jiang Weiyang had always been deeply concerned about the Weiyang Emperor Lord's whereabouts and situation.
Especially after learning from Zhao Tianqi that within the Alliance of Righteous Unity, the Weiyang Emperor Lord had been most highly valued by the Master of Fate. Now that the Alliance of Righteous Unity was destroyed, the Weiyang Emperor Lord and many other high-ranking members had vanished just like the Master of Fate.
Gu Changge looked at her and said, "When he gave you that brocade pouch, he already knew his own fate."
"No matter how many times you ask, his fate will not change in the slightest. And as for what that outcome is, you are well aware in your heart."
Over these years, Jiang Weiyang had often asked about her father's fate and end.
After all, the day she had opened that brocade pouch before the many guests in the Ethereal Sacred Domain,
it had been akin to the Weiyang Emperor Lord betraying the Master of Fate.
The Master of Fate must have already learned of this matter. How would he handle a traitor afterward? One had to know that he had placed great expectations on the Weiyang Emperor Lord and had been cultivating him as his chess piece all along.
"Father will die, won't he…" Jiang Weiyang's expression was filled with sorrow.
Gu Changge remained silent. This was the Weiyang Emperor Lord's own choice.
Although he could intervene, locate the Master of Fate's current whereabouts, and rescue the Weiyang Emperor Lord, doing so would affect his subsequent plans.
Jiang Weiyang was but an insignificant minor figure to him. If not for certain schemes involving the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty at the time, he would not even have met her.
He could not change anything just because of Jiang Weiyang's entreaties.
"You may go to the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty and seek out your ancestor. She can help you," Gu Changge said.
Ji Hanjing was a descendant of Zhong Jun, so Jiang Weiyang could be said to carry that bloodline within her as well. The curse that had blinded her eyes was originally left by Ji Hanjing.
"Ancestor…" Jiang Weiyang was lost in thought for a moment, quickly understood, bowed, and departed hastily.
Yao Yao followed by her side and left as well.
After the matters of the Ethereal Sacred Domain concluded, Gu Changge led the many high-ranking members back to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Ling Yuling reported the changes in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and their numerous actions over the years. Gu Changge paid little attention and simply let her do as she saw fit.
Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God both remained in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance without question, ready to serve at command. As for their origins, no one inquired.
Zhao Xiuyan also stayed in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance for a time. She had always regarded meeting Gu Changge once more as the goal of her cultivation.
Now, knowing his true identity, she felt the vast gulf between their statuses and strength more keenly than ever, thus she became ever more diligent and assiduous, not daring to slack off.
During her time in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, she became friends with Mo Tong, whom Gu Changge had taken away from the arena in the Immortal Spirit Civilization.
Although Mo Tong cultivated the Dao of slaughter and was like an ice sculpture, never smiling, after spending time with Zhao Xiuyan, their relationship grew quite good, and they often sparred.
Originally, Zhao Xiuyan had considered her a hunting target, believing Mo Tong to be rich in fortune and deep in blessings, certain to bring many destiny values to her Golden Tome of Primordial Chaos.
But upon learning that Mo Tong had also received guidance from Gu Changge and been bestowed with a Dao technique, she dismissed such thoughts, coming to regard her as something akin to a fellow disciple under the same master.
When facing Yao Yao, she strictly observed propriety, addressing her as "Senior Sister." Yao Yao, though inwardly a little unhappy, feeling that Gu Changge had taken on a few too many disciples—she was no longer the only one, and the doting affection was being divided—had, with increasing age, matured considerably. She no longer threw the little tantrums of her youth and simply nodded in acknowledgment of Zhao Xiuyan's greetings.
After Ling Yuling's reorganization, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had grown much stronger than before.
The many territories and civilizations left behind after the Alliance of Righteous Unity's collapse and disintegration were also gradually devoured and annexed by the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, in addition to the Immortal Dao Alliance's voluntary submission and attachment.
In just a few short decades, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had reorganized the various regions, creating an overwhelming trend toward unifying the Vast Expanse. Other True World civilizations, large and small, also chose to submit under the threat of the Dark Clans.
Previously, with the Alliance of Righteous Unity still existing to counterbalance the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, there had been room for survival in the cracks.
Furthermore, with the Dark Clans not so brazenly and arrogantly conducting the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual, many races and civilizations could still adopt a wait-and-see attitude, choosing sides at their leisure. But now the situation was no longer the same as before; there was no room for choice.
Ordinary race forces, without the protection of Dao Realms existences, could not even traverse the Vast Expanse, let alone migrate and join the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Moreover, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance did not accept the races and civilizations that came to pledge allegiance indiscriminately. The threshold had been low before, but now the conditions were very stringent.
Under the current overwhelming momentum, without shelter, there was only the fate of being swallowed and annexed by the Dark Clans. Although the vast Vast Expanse, with its endless spacetimes and trillions of universes, always had places to hide, given enough time, the Dark Clans would eventually locate their positions…
There were powerful beings who wished to emulate the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and establish so-called safe zones, but without absolute power to deter the Dark Clans, these safe zones were nothing more than sheep pens.
As with the Divine Dao Civilization, it was the best example. After being attacked and invaded by the Dark Clans, it rapidly collapsed and perished. Only a few Ancestral Gods remained, abandoning their Divine Kingdom and fleeing far into chaotic spacetimes, vanishing without a trace.