Ling Yuxian quietly left the Imperial Immortal Palace, carrying the notes left by her sister, and headed toward the territory where the Heaven-Slaying Alliance headquarters was now located.
She didn't plan to alert anyone, as she wasn't sure if there were still people in the Imperial Immortal Palace who had been in contact with her sister.
The Chaotic Sea of Time and Space was located deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace. If her sister could cross it, then the beings within it could also find a way to come to the outside world.
So, what she was most uncertain about now was why those forces or individuals wanted to deal with Gu Changge. Was it because he had established the Heaven-Slaying Alliance? Or was there another reason?
Although the Prime-Origin Civilization had experienced some turbulence in recent years, with many clans and forces completely disappearing, in some ways, it had actually helped stabilize the future situation.
Under the rule and governance of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, no force or clan dared to act recklessly. Such orderly governance had not been seen for many years.
The overall situation in the cultivation world was thriving, presenting a completely new and vibrant scene.
No matter how bad the reputation of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was, it had ended the chaotic situation of various forces in the Prime-Origin Civilization, achieving a true unification of the civilization. This was something even the Prime-Origin Sacred Hall at its peak had failed to accomplish.
Ordinary cultivators and beings, who wouldn't be grateful for such peace and stability?
A faint glow flashed in front of an ancient cross-domain teleportation array, and Ling Yuxian, along with other cultivators and beings, quickly disappeared into it.
After several cross-universe teleportations, Ling Yuxian finally emerged in an ancient land near the Heaven-Slaying Alliance headquarters.
She hadn't chosen to send a message to Gu Changge from the Imperial Immortal Palace, instead making the trip to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance in person, fearing that someone might learn of her intentions beforehand. Fortunately, no one had followed her along the way.
This put Ling Yuxian slightly at ease.
This ancient land was vast and expansive, with many ancient spiritual veins and unimaginably dense spiritual energy. Several massive ancient cross-domain teleportation arrays were located here, though compared to the central regions of those ancient universes, it was still considered remote.
After arriving, Ling Yuxian immediately headed to the nearest city. Getting to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance headquarters was no simple task.
She now regretted not asking Gu Changge for a communication jade talisman back then.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a crimson light streaked across the sky, catching the attention of Ling Yuxian and many other cultivators nearby.
Within the crimson light, a large bird with bright red feathers soared through the air at incredible speed, like a divine rainbow racing across the heavens. It was utterly terrified, fleeing for its life as if something soul-chasing was pursuing it.
The bird cried out for help as it fled, its eyes filled with terror and despair.
"That's Ling Wu, a prodigy of the Feather Clan..."
"Why is he being hunted?"
The cultivators who noticed this scene were shocked, and many even prepared to step forward to save the bird.
"A being with phoenix bloodline and half-step True Immortal cultivation, why is he being hunted in this region?"
Ling Yuxian was also startled, her brows furrowing. After a moment of hesitation, she was about to intervene.
A blinding arrow suddenly shot from the distance, carrying a terrifying force like wind and thunder, instantly piercing the bird and causing it to explode into a bloody mist, scattering across the sky.
This scene froze the cultivators and beings who had been about to step forward, their faces filled with fear and horror.
"Ling Wu defied the teachings, harbored heretics, and challenged the authority of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. He has been executed as a warning to others."
An old man in a black robe, with a long hood covering his face, appeared on a distant mountain peak, his voice cold and godlike as he pronounced the judgment.
Beside him, a burly man with True Immortal cultivation sneered as he slowly put away his longbow.
"In Xiangyun City, my grandfather is the temple priest of the Heaven-Slaying Shrine. How dare you, Ling Wu, compete with me for a woman?"
A young man with a delicate face, sunken eyes due to blood deficiency, sneered as he spoke.
They watched the scene of the bird exploding into a bloody mist, then left satisfied, paying no attention to the terrified and trembling cultivators and beings around them.
"As expected..."
"Sigh..."
"I knew it would be for this reason. Ever since the Cloud Clan spent a great deal to build the Heaven-Slaying Shrine and gained the recognition of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, they've been acting recklessly. Now they don't even care about the Feather Clan, killing their prodigies at will."
"What's the difference between the current Heaven-Slaying Alliance and those demonic cults? It's just like the remnants of the Black Calamity..."
"Quiet! Do you want to die? How dare you say such things?"
Only after that group had left did the surrounding cultivators and beings dare to whisper, their eyes filled with indignation and helplessness.
Ling Yuxian, listening to their conversation, was utterly stunned, unable to believe it.
Why did the Heaven-Slaying Alliance in the eyes of these ordinary cultivators differ so much from what she had imagined?
How could the Heaven-Slaying Alliance be like the remnants of the Black Calamity?
---
"Luo Xiangjun? Who is that?"
"She once pretended to be a saintess of the Eternal Divine Clan? But I've long since severed ties with the Eternal Divine Clan. Did she come to the wrong person?"
Meanwhile, in the quiet valley, Mu Yan, after learning from Gu Changge about Luo Xiangjun's request, widened her eyes in confusion and disbelief.
"I'm just relaying the message. Whether you agree or not is up to you."
Gu Changge sat calmly on a stone stool, leisurely blowing on the tea in front of him. Yao Yao was eagerly showing off the results of her recent cultivation and refinement of the Destiny Furnace, waiting for Gu Changge to praise her.
Then, he flicked her forehead with his thumb and index finger.
"You're still far from fully refining the Destiny Furnace. Don't get arrogant. Those who are full will inevitably suffer losses."
Yao Yao, feeling the sting, rubbed her slightly red forehead and gave Gu Changge a resentful look.
Mu Yan was hesitating whether to agree to Luo Xiangjun's request, especially since Gu Changge had mentioned that she was a "person of some significance" with many valuable items.
Suddenly, Gu Changge's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"The tea today wasn't brewed by you, was it? It's a bit bitter."
Gu Changge frowned slightly, then set down his teacup.
"Someone brewed it for you, and you still complain?"
Mu Yan rolled her eyes at him but still walked over, carrying the teapot with a faint fragrance, intending to brew a fresh pot.
Gu Changge ignored her. He glanced at Ling Yuling, who was standing nearby, looking slightly stunned and embarrassed, her flawless face showing a hint of shyness.
She seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
"You're not suited for serving others," Gu Changge said indifferently.
"I'm sorry..." Ling Yuling's face flushed with even more embarrassment and shame. This was indeed her first time brewing tea. She had thought it would be easy after learning the method from Mu Yan, but she had underestimated the task.
Watching Mu Yan brew tea had always seemed effortless, with simple yet elegant movements.
Her eyes had learned, but her hands hadn't caught up.
No wonder Gu Changge could tell the difference with just one sip.
"If you're really bored, you can go water the peach trees outside the valley and pull out the weeds."
As Gu Changge spoke, he stood up from the stool and began guiding Yao Yao in her cultivation for the day.
"No... that's not it..."
Ling Yuling was momentarily stunned, realizing Gu Changge had misunderstood her. She hadn't brewed tea out of boredom.
She quickly explained, "I noticed you seem to enjoy tea, so I thought you'd like it. But I didn't expect it to turn out like this. I've already tried brewing many pots and chose the best one."
As the founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace and a former hero who had resisted the Black Calamity, when had she ever gone out of her way to study someone's preferences and even brew tea for them?
But... the truth was, she had brewed many pots, desperately wanting to do it well, only to be criticized.
Gu Changge frowned slightly, looking at her with calm eyes. "If you think lowering yourself to brew tea for me will please or compensate me, then there's no need."
"Your status, in my eyes, isn't as noble as you imagine."
"Moreover, the tea you brewed is the most bitter, astringent, and worst-tasting tea I've ever had. Don't try such unsuitable actions in the future."
His tone was unhurried, calm, as if discussing a trivial matter with a friend.
But even Yao Yao could feel the coldness in his words, her little face tightening as she focused on her cultivation, not daring to listen further.
If her master had said such things to her, she would have been so frightened and hurt that she might have cried on the spot.
Hearing this, Ling Yuling was first stunned, then her face turned pale, her eyes glistening as if tears were about to fall.
She bit her lip tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Gu Changge, never expecting him to say such harsh and direct words, ruthlessly criticizing her.
In the past, Gu Changge had always been gentle and polite toward her.
Even when he helped her expel the Dark Origin Substance in that dark space, he had maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, never overstepping.
Later, during the Prime-Origin Covenant, even when they clashed, Gu Changge had shown her mercy, not striking to kill.
She had always believed that if they had started on the same side, they could have become close friends.
Even now, she still held this belief, but she never expected Gu Changge's resentment toward her to be so deep, to the point of saying such hurtful words.
It seemed their relationship could no longer be repaired, let alone return to what it once was.
"I... I..."
Ling Yuling didn't even notice her voice trembling slightly.
Gu Changge shook his head slightly, withdrawing his gaze from her and continuing to guide Yao Yao in her cultivation.
"I'm sorry..."
Ling Yuling lowered her head, feeling a sourness in her nose. A wave of unprecedented委屈 surged in her heart, making her vision blur with tears.
She clenched her lips tightly, forcing back the overwhelming emotions, then turned and left.
She had indeed wanted to use the act of brewing tea to ease the tension between her and Gu Changge.
But she had never intended to use her status to please or compensate him.
She wanted to make up for her previous misunderstandings and prejudices against Gu Changge, but before that, she needed to ease their relationship. She couldn't let Gu Changge treat her as if she were invisible.
But her intentions had been completely misunderstood by Gu Changge.
"The founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace, almost crying—what a rare sight. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd done something heinous to her."
"Though she really has no talent for brewing tea, it was still a gesture of goodwill. You didn't see how clumsy she was, getting burned while brewing..."
Mu Yan, carrying the freshly brewed tea, approached with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying the drama.
Gu Changge glanced at her. "What does this have to do with you?"
"When I first met you, I didn't know you were such a heartless person."
"Don't you know that a girl's feelings shouldn't be trampled on?" Mu Yan said with a sly smile, her beautiful face radiating a mischievous charm.
"That's not a reason for you to sneak into my room at night," Gu Changge replied calmly.
Mu Yan's cheeks flushed as she glanced at Yao Yao, who was standing frozen nearby. She whispered, "Your disciple is still here..."
"Once Yao Yao goes out to train, I'll have to send you away too. I don't know when I'll finally have some peace and quiet," Gu Changge said, seeming slightly exasperated.
Mu Yan giggled. "The feared leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, scared of a little girl like me?"
"Wang Zijin and you would probably get along well."
Gu Changge truly hadn't expected that the "Pingtian Empress" from the Immortal Spirit Civilization, who was destined to turn dark, would become like this.
Mu Yan hadn't heard the name before, but from Gu Changge's expression, she could tell this was definitely a future "sister" of hers.
She snorted, pinching Yao Yao's little face, which was still frozen in shock from Gu Changge's earlier words, and walked away with a smile.
"It's actually still drinkable..."
After Mu Yan left, Gu Changge picked up the teacup he had only taken a sip from earlier, gazing in the direction Ling Yuling had left, his eyes filled with contemplation.
He felt the timing was almost right. Ling Yuling was different from others. Though she appeared gentle and soft, she was actually extremely proud.
Her Dao heart, tempered over countless epochs, allowed her to remain calm in any situation, rarely stirred.
To truly subdue her, she needed to be constantly suppressed, made to doubt herself, reflect, and feel remorse, revealing her vulnerabilities.
The self-directed drama during the Prime-Origin Covenant wasn't just a scheme Gu Changge had set up for the entire Prime-Origin Civilization—it was also a trap for Ling Yuling.
Including later releasing the members of the Imperial Immortal Palace and freeing Ling Yuling from the dark prison, all were part of Gu Changge's plan.
Now, her reactions and actions were gradually confirming Gu Changge's schemes and calculations.
Ling Yuling would be a very important and valuable piece in his plans.