Xi Yin stood in the valley, seemingly arguing with Gu Changge about something. Her expression alternated between anger and frustration, her delicate hands clenched tightly under her sleeves, clearly agitated.
Gu Changge, on the other hand, remained calm and composed from start to finish, his gaze steady and unperturbed.
Ling Yuling, her long dress fluttering in the breeze, exuded a faint fragrance as she approached. Her arrival immediately caught Xi Yin's attention. Xi Yin was momentarily surprised but quickly regained her composure and greeted Ling Yuling.
"Greetings, Senior Ling Yuling."
Many cultivators outside believed that Ling Yuling was still imprisoned in the dark cage by Gu Changge.
Xi Yin's earlier surprise was due to this, but she hadn't expected Ling Yuling to already be free, looking no different from usual.
Ling Yuling nodded slightly and walked over. She maintained a calm and composed demeanor, trying to appear as she always did, though her gait was slightly off.
However, Xi Yin didn't pay much attention to this. She returned to the topic at hand, trying to argue her case with Gu Changge.
"I've already followed your instructions, impersonating my junior sister to make the Xiyuan Sacred Hall submit to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. But now, many forces are starting to grow suspicious. Recently, quite a few cultivators have been lurking around the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, trying to find out if the Mirror of Reincarnation still exists..."
"If this continues, I'm afraid my identity will eventually be exposed. The Mirror of Reincarnation is no longer in the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, and my junior sister is still missing. Although the Xiyuan Sacred Hall no longer cares about its reputation, if the various forces find out that my junior sister is still missing and the Mirror of Reincarnation is still lost, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"Moreover, without the Mirror of Reincarnation to protect it, the Prime-Origin Civilization will likely become a prime target for other civilizations..."
Some time ago, Xi Yin, in order to protect the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, had reluctantly agreed to Gu Changge's demands, impersonating the injured Saintess Xiyuan and leading the Xiyuan Sacred Hall to submit to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
This matter had been quite suspicious from the start, and many forces had doubted the authenticity of the Saintess Xiyuan's identity.
However, due to the fearsome reputation of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, no one dared to investigate further.
Xi Yin had thought this matter would blow over, and the Prime-Origin Civilization would enter a relatively stable period.
But the Mirror of Reincarnation, as one of the Supreme Treasures of the First Civilization, was an irresistible temptation for many civilizations in the Vast Expanse. They were willing to take great risks and pay a heavy price to send experts to infiltrate the Prime-Origin Civilization and probe around the Xiyuan Sacred Hall.
This time, Xi Yin had come to find Gu Changge precisely because of this matter.
But Gu Changge's attitude toward this issue was extremely casual, showing no concern for the consequences of the Saintess Xiyuan's identity being exposed.
This left Xi Yin both anxious and furious, yet utterly powerless.
"Without the Mirror of Reincarnation to protect it, the current Xiyuan Sacred Hall indeed cannot stop the covetousness of other civilizations."
Although Ling Yuling had just arrived, her sharp mind allowed her to understand Xi Yin's concerns after hearing her words.
She couldn't help but smile gently and comforted her, "However, don't forget who is in charge of the Prime-Origin Civilization now. Even if the civilizations in the Vast Expanse know that the Mirror of Reincarnation is no longer in the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, so what?"
"They wouldn't dare to act recklessly, nor would they dare to show even the slightest hint of their intentions."
"The only thing you need to worry about is ensuring that the whereabouts of the Saintess Xiyuan remain unknown to them."
Xi Yin was slightly stunned. She hadn't expected Ling Yuling to say such things to her. This was completely unlike the former hero who had once been so opposed to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
What had happened to her during this time? Had she changed her previous stance?
Had she truly been brainwashed and converted by the Heaven-Slaying Alliance?
Gu Changge glanced at Ling Yuling, then looked away.
In the past, Ling Yuling would never have spoken so favorably of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, but her words were indeed true.
When Gu Changge had asked Xi Yin to impersonate the Saintess Xiyuan, it was merely to stabilize the situation in the Prime-Origin Civilization and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Now that the situation had stabilized, even if the impersonation of the Saintess Xiyuan was exposed, so what? It would no longer have any impact on him or the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
As for the civilizations coveting the Mirror of Reincarnation, they currently didn't have the courage to reach out in front of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Before Gu Changge even began to target them, they should consider themselves lucky.
Xi Yin still had a look of concern on her face and couldn't help but say, "But wouldn't this cause the recently stabilized situation to become turbulent again?"
Even if the reputation of the Xiyuan Sacred Hall had declined, it was still the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, holding an unshakable and irreplaceable position in the hearts of the people of the Prime-Origin Civilization.
If the people of the Prime-Origin Civilization were to find out that even the Xiyuan Sacred Hall had deceived them, the resulting collapse of faith would be absolutely devastating.
"This isn't something you need to worry about. As for the consequences of your identity being exposed, whether for the Xiyuan Sacred Hall or for you, that's not something I need to consider."
"Since you chose to agree back then, you should have known the consequences of being exposed." Gu Changge spoke casually, but his words were direct and ruthless.
The fact that Xi Yin was impersonating the Saintess Xiyuan was known to very few people besides him, including many elders and ancient beings within the Xiyuan Sacred Hall.
So her current worries and anxieties were not unfounded.
"I understand..." Xi Yin's face turned pale.
She had thought that she and Gu Changge were in a cooperative relationship, but now she realized that she was just a disposable pawn.
Now, within the Xiyuan Sacred Hall, she didn't even have the face to meet with the other elders and ancient beings. She spent her days secluded in the depths of the hall, wearing a veil and claiming to be recovering from her injuries, refusing to see anyone.
The elders and ancient beings were furious and ashamed that the Saintess Xiyuan had ultimately submitted to Gu Changge and colluded with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, feeling that this was a great disgrace and that the Xiyuan Sacred Hall had abandoned all its principles and righteousness.
Xi Yin felt guilty and remorseful, but she had no way to explain herself.
Fortunately, she and the Saintess Xiyuan were very close, familiar with each other's habits and daily details, so impersonating her was relatively easy, especially with Gu Changge's help.
For the time being, she didn't need to worry about her identity being exposed.
However, paper could not contain fire forever, and sooner or later, she would be exposed.
"Instead of worrying about these things, why don't you focus on finding the whereabouts of the Saintess Xiyuan? Since she could become the Saintess Xiyuan, why can't you, as her senior sister? Why be so bound by rules and so fearful? The position of Saintess can be filled by anyone."
"If you're worried about not having enough strength, I can send someone to help you. He would be very willing."
Gu Changge smiled faintly.
"No need."
Xi Yin quickly shook her head, her face growing even paler. She knew who Gu Changge was referring to—none other than Eternal Illumination Dao Lord.
Although Eternal Illumination Dao Lord was a being who had survived eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations, he had quite a few grievances with her. It was inevitable that he would cause trouble for her behind the scenes.
When she had been imprisoned in the dark cage, Eternal Illumination Dao Lord had been one of the first to express his willingness to submit and serve Gu Changge.
Someone like him, who appeared righteous but was actually scheming, could not be trusted.
Xi Yin had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. Watching her departing figure, Ling Yuling, who had been standing quietly after speaking, couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Human hearts are truly complicated..."
She had noticed that when Gu Changge mentioned that anyone could take the position of Saintess Xiyuan, Xi Yin had been momentarily stunned, a flicker of desire flashing in her eyes.
This indicated that she had indeed considered such a possibility.
The two of them were supposed to be close senior and junior sisters, yet when it came to matters of interest, they might end up tearing each other apart.
"What's complicated isn't the human heart, but inequality." Gu Changge smiled faintly.
Ling Yuling nodded in deep agreement, then suddenly thought of her sister, Ling Yuxian. If Ling Yuxian found out about what had happened between her and Gu Changge last night, what would she think?
She sighed softly, burying these complicated thoughts and unwilling to dwell on them.
"Last night, I lost control. I didn't expect such a thing to happen after getting drunk."
Then, Ling Yuling turned her clear, otherworldly eyes to Gu Changge. With her cultivation restored, she exuded an ethereal aura, surrounded by immortal energy and Dao rhythms. "You were sober at the time. Why didn't you stop me?"
"Why should I stop you? Food and lust are human nature. I am no exception."
Gu Changge smiled casually, "Besides, you were so proactive. How could I refuse?"
A faint blush appeared on Ling Yuling's face, but she said nothing more. After all that had happened, she remained calm.
Gu Changge was the same, treating it as if it were a trivial matter.
Yet this indifference still left her with an indescribable sense of落差.
By evening, Mu Yan, who had gone to meet Luo Xiangjun, returned to the valley. She had received many good things from Luo Xiangjun and had specially picked out a protective ancient talisman to give to Yao Yao.
In exchange, she had given a large bowl of her blood.
Mu Yan didn't know how her half-Eternal Divine Clan bloodline could help Luo Xiangjun.
The other party, out of respect for Gu Changge, had reluctantly parted with many valuable items, which made Mu Yan quite happy.
However, Gu Changge frowned, noticing a mark on Mu Yan's body that she herself was unaware of.
This mark was like a spatial coordinate, allowing the other party to sense Mu Yan's location no matter where she was.
Gu Changge didn't inform Mu Yan of this. Instead, he added his own mark over it, completely covering the original.
This way, when the other party tried to locate Mu Yan, they would only detect the location of his mark.
This naturally became a perfect bait. There was no need to cast a net; he only needed to wait by the mark.
Three days after Xi Yin left, a figure Ling Yuling had never expected suddenly appeared outside the valley.
Ling Yuxian, her long dress fluttering in the wind, her hair tied with a simple red ribbon, stood on a small hill outside the valley. The breeze lifted her skirt, revealing her slender, snow-white legs. Her ethereal, glowing face was bathed in a soft light as she gazed into the valley.
However, the valley was shrouded in mist, with chaotic fog spreading at its edges. Even a Dao Realm existence would find it impossible to peer inside.
Beside her, a high-ranking member of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had led her here, knowing she was familiar with Gu Changge.
"The Alliance Leader usually secludes himself here. Unless something major happens, we dare not disturb him."
"Miss Yuxian, if you wish to see the Alliance Leader, wait outside the valley. Someone will take you in."
The high-ranking member of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance left after bringing Ling Yuxian here, not daring to stay long.
Even in the eyes of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's upper echelons, this picturesque valley was like a forbidden zone, filled with endless terror.
"Thank you."
Ling Yuxian nodded, watching the high-ranking member leave. Just as she was hesitating about how to proceed, a familiar figure emerged from the thin, drifting mist in the valley.
"Sister?" She was overjoyed.
"Yuxian."
Ling Yuling was also filled with joy and smiled at her, then led her into the valley, asking about her purpose for coming as they walked.
"I'm here because I need to speak with Senior Brother Gu."
"I thought you've been suffering all this time, locked in that dark cage..."
Seeing her sister regain her freedom and even her cultivation restored, Ling Yuxian was naturally ecstatic and eagerly asked about Ling Yuling's experiences during this time.
Ling Yuling briefly recounted her time in the valley. Although it felt somewhat like being imprisoned by Gu Changge, her life had been quite leisurely and free, reminiscent of their days cultivating on Xiantai Mountain.
Hearing this, Ling Yuxian felt a weight lift from her heart.
However, she hadn't forgotten the purpose of her visit to Gu Changge, as it concerned clearing her sister's name.
She still didn't know why her sister had chosen to keep this matter hidden.
Meanwhile, deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace, vast clouds of mist gathered like tides, rising and falling. Layers of time and space, like bubbles of varying sizes, stacked and collapsed, expanding and contracting.
The rules and order there were like a tidal ocean, and even the Dao seemed to twist into countless fragments.
This was an endless Chaotic Sea of Time and Space, where the shattered time and space of various universes were piled together, colliding and annihilating, filled with endless chaos and destruction.
At this moment, wisps of black mist, like a tide, seeped through the cracks in the shattered time and space, spreading and engulfing everything.
The already cold and profound Chaotic Sea of Time and Space was now swept by a terrifying, dark aura that made one's heart tremble.
The black mist seemed alive, twisting and writhing, as broken pieces of flesh reassembled into grotesque, evil forms.
This suffocating, oppressive terror swept from afar, causing many ancient beings living in the Chaotic Sea of Time and Space to cry out in fear, fleeing desperately to avoid being engulfed.
"The darkness has returned..."
"That wisp of black mist has reappeared..."
The divine thoughts of many ancient beings collided, filled with despair and fear. They fled toward the cracks in time and space, trying to escape the Chaotic Sea of Time and Space.
"The sacred relic of the Ancestral Saint is reacting violently. A large number of terrifying beings are approaching. An unprecedented catastrophe has arrived."
"After hiding for so long, we've finally been found..."
On a floating continent deep within the Chaotic Sea of Time and Space, an old man named Elder Zhu, dressed in ancient robes, looked out at the terrifying scene beyond the light barrier, his face filled with gravity and fear.