Chapter 525: Compared To A Cultivator'S Second Life, Final Gains

The war ended with an expected outcome. Even if the Supreme Mountain Elder was unrivalled in his abilities and also the closest to the Immortal Realm out of everyone in this world, he ended up dying after being attacked by True Daoists in unison.

With an earth-shaking shout, the ground split open to form an enormous crevice while blood splashed. Many inscribed runes had been erased as the entire underground cave collapsed with a crash that spread through the whole of Sky Deer City. Many shivered after sensing the aura and couldn't stop themselves from falling to their knees, frozen with fear.

Blood rained down from the sky, visible from thousands of kilometres away despite it being night. This was due to the world sensing that a supreme expert had died. Many experts in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains as well as the distant Upper Realm felt this as well and unconsciously looked towards that direction.

"It's been so long but this is the first time I sensed such a powerful disturbance. The one who died must have had extraordinary abilities," someone sighed from a distant universe.

Even though the underground dungeon was in a hidden and isolated space, it was still destroyed by the battle. The space had been built by Gu Changge with a secret treasure and even contained parts of ruined universes. Now, even those universes were broken and expelled an all-encompassing yet chaotic energy. Anyone who stepped inside this space would explode instantly into powder.

"Young Master Gu, what are we going to do with the Supreme Mountain Elder's accomplices? They were outside the dungeon but have yet to be taken into custody."

The Bone Ancestor and the other cultivators were all injured, yet it didn't matter to beings like them. They had already captured many of the Supreme Mountain Elder's accomplices and decided to ask Gu Changge for advice. Many of them were members from the Three War God Clans, where the most powerful ones were True Daoists. Naturally, the others who came were also not weak by any means.

"Capture all of them. I'll decide what to do with them afterwards." Gu Changge glanced at the unfortunate group. After the death of the Supreme Mountain Elder, they all looked terrified and desperate. The man had been undefeatable in their minds and had unrivalled abilities, even considering him the last hope of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. However, that hope had been extinguished with his death.

Gu Changge truly didn't have any wish to deal with these people. The Supreme Mountain Elder might have died but his Source had scattered all around this isolated space, which enclosed the dungeon.

[Well, that had been part of the reason for building this place using an artifact to isolate this place.] He rolled up his sleeve to withdraw the space. [Seems like I will have to consume and digest the Sources inside when I have the time.]

[At this rate, I may be able to enter the peak of the Quasi-Nirvana Realm, meaning that I'm just a step away from the Nirvana Realm,] Gu Changge thought to himself before leaving the space.

It was destined to be a sleepless night for Sky Deer City. Those of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, as well as cultivators of the Upper Realm, felt like they were facing a drastic catastrophe and felt terrified. Even a single vibration from a battle of that magnitude was enough to destroy the world. Even though they didn't know what had exactly happened, they could already make vague guesses, which made them quiver.

Those inhabitants of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were even more frightened. To them, the event in Sky Deer City had to be linked with the True Daoists of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. A devastating fight just when the two realms were discussing a truce? How could they not worry?

There was plenty of conjecture regarding the issue, but soon the truth reached the masses. Many became frozen with shock, eyes wide with disbelief.

"The Supreme Mountain Elder broke his promise and decided to go save the Second Mountain Elder and the others but was savagely killed within the dungeon that housed the prisoners..."

"His death must have caused that strange phenomenon."

The people of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were all stunned, shivering with fear at the news. They hadn't expected the Supreme Mountain Elder to break his promise by secretly rescuing the Second Mountain Elder and the others, only to end up being killed by Gu Changge's experts. The shock resulting from this was like a bolt of lightning to many who still refused to believe this.

The Supreme Mountain Elder was a powerful and otherworldly being who had existed since the birth of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. He was an invincible existence. His cultivation level was unfathomable. He was also the backbone of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains and gave a sense of assurance to those from this land.

How could he have died? How?

Clan Leaders, Domain Rulers, and Wasteland Leaders all gathered at the Sky Deer Sanctum with feelings of uncertainty, skepticism and fear. They had to decide on accepting the terms of the truce. Nevertheless, none of them felt calm; instead, they felt anxious and terrified even within the Sanctum as they awaited Gu Changge's arrival.

"The Great Cloud Domain Ruler has the foresight to yield to him before this. Do we even have that chance now?"

"Judging by the strange phenomenon from last night, there is a great possibility that the Supreme Mountain Elder has passed away."

Many leaders discussed among themselves, feeling unsettled for the first time in their countless years of cultivation like they were about to be sentenced to death. They had dared to barter with Gu Changge because of the Supreme Mountain Elder; now that he had died, they didn't dare to discuss any conditions with Gu Changge. Their only option now seemed to be submission.

Gu Changge eventually arrived under their anxious gazes.

"Young Master Changge, we've already discussed over the past three days. We understand your kindness, so we've decided to sign in agreement to the truce so that the war could quickly be resolved." Several Wasteland Leaders spoke up first, expressions reverent. The rest looked at each other, sighing internally since someone had taken the lead, and made the same decision.

"Everyone here seemed to be intelligent, which is something I've always admired." Gu Changge smiled and inclined his head slightly. He wasn't taken aback by their choice. After all, anyone with a functional brain knew what to decide in such a situation. Unless, they wanted to follow in the Supreme Mountain Elder's footsteps or be exterminated like the other War God Clans.

Of course, the most important factor was the Supreme Mountain Elder's death. He was the last hope the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains had and with his death, the place would be unsettled and divided to the point they wouldn't have the courage to fight.

"You've seen us humiliated, Young Master Changge. From now on, we are willing to submit to the Immortal Gu Family and do whatever you request of us." Many clan leaders quickly pledged their loyalty. It didn't matter if they truly meant it since they had to show submission.

"If so, that saves me plenty of trouble." Gu Changge smiled before letting someone write out the contents of the agreement. It had been based on a Heavenly Dao Oath, so no one would dare go back on it. Except for him, obviously.

The so-called Oath didn't just involve the Immortal Gu Family; the other Upper Realm Forces weren't about to let go of such an opportunity and wanted their share of the benefits. Besides, the Immortal Gu Family couldn't just take the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains for its own, though Gu Changge would get the biggest share while the others would decide how they were going to divide the remaining part.

After resolving the Oath, Gu Changge put his attention on the Fortuitous Ones - Luo Feng and Xiao Yang. Luo Feng still had a wisp of his Soul left and was comatose, so Gu Changge reaped him first without much hesitation. Besides gaining a great amount of Fortuity and Fatum, the Heavenly Gift Treasure Chest yielded something that amazed him.

The Symbol of Epoch!

It appeared as a ball of light surrounded by swirling gold smoke and exuded an obscure and overpowering aura. It seemed very old and historic with pieces of Time appearing within. A mysterious river was flowing from it through Heaven and its Thousand Worlds.

Gu Changge's conscience already had two Symbols of Reincarnation, which worked as lifesaving tokens. The Symbol of Epoch had a different effect compared to those Symbols but bore similarities in terms of its lifesaving effect. It contributed to Luo Feng escaping the Heavenly Dao Authority War alive since it was the condensation of all traces of a cultivator's life including birth, death, rebirth, and other experiences. It could be compared to a cultivator's second life though, Gu Changge knew that this wasn't the only characteristic it possessed.

Compared to the Symbol of Epoch, the item that the other Fortuitous One Xiao Yang yielded was much simpler.

"A Summoning Altar. It can use karmic links including bloodlines to summon Ancestral Spirits."

Gu Changge didn't really need such a useless artifact with his current strength, but he retained it as part of his hidden stash. He might try to summon the spirits of Gu Family Ancestors when he encounters an undefeatable enemy.

The Fortuity and Fatum he gained were all exchanged for the Absolute Detachment Bone. Now he had more than two hundred such bones in his body, making his understanding of the Dao Principles even higher than the average True Daoist.

The truce had been co-signed by the strongest and oldest clans as well as Domain Rulers and Wasteland Leaders of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. Many Upper Realm Forces who had joined the war immediately got a share of the profits.

The news soon spread from Sky Deer City to the rest of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains and caused waves. Many were shocked by this, some reacting with delight or sadness at the news. Some were enraged by it as well, thinking that those who had signed were cowardly enough to submit to the Upper Realm, to be willing to do their bidding. However, this did put an end to the war which had swept through the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.

Countless had conflicting feelings about this—unburdened yet frustrated. The Supreme Mountain Elder had died in Sky Deer City and caused their last hope to disappear, so what could they do? There had been nothing surprising about this outcome.

Meanwhile, the various Upper Realm Forces took the opportunity to send their members around the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains in search for the rumoured object. Invading this realm had only been a necessary step in their plan to find this item. It would all be meaningless if they couldn't find it. After all, their ultimate aim was to allow the True Daoist to ascend to the Immortality Realm.

However, no one knew besides several high-ranking Gu Family members that Gu Changge had already acquired a mysterious tree after massacring the Blood Dragon War God Clan. The Tree of Epoch was now concealed in Gu Changge's Inner Universe, as he waited for the fruit to ripen.

Naturally, they nor Gu Changge were not about to expose its existence before they could attempt to make contact with the Immortality Realm. Doing so would only bring unwanted trouble.

After that, Gu Changge arranged for Gu Family members to take charge of things in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains while he consumed and digested the Sources he had gained to improve his cultivation. Sky Deer City was currently under the Sky Deer Goddess's control and despite his confidence in her, he did send several family members to check on things. No one would dare object to anything since she was one of his people.

Gu Changge also rewarded all his subordinates and family members who had done great deeds in the war with many gifts according to their contributions. Even Gu Wudi had a unique Quasi-Nirvana Grade Artifact and this gesture somewhat surprised him.

Besides that, the Bone Clan was cleansed of their sins and regained their identity as a subsidiary clan to the Immortal Gu Family, like in ancient times.

Gu Changge's reputation reach unimaginable heights thanks to the war, with several Elders suggesting that he could try slowly taking control of the Immortal Gu Family when he returned home. That way, his father, Gu Lintian could concentrate and spend more time

on cultivating. However, many felt that it was inappropriate since becoming the head of the family would interfere with Gu Changge's own cultivation.

None of them was worried that he would lead them astray, though. He had already proved with his abilities that there would be no issues with him taking charge of the family. Instead, many of them were concerned that letting him take charge of the family at a young age would distract him. They all felt he should spend more time on cultivation since many of his brilliant peers were competing with each other in order to improve their strength.

Gu Changge wasn't worried about that, though. With his current status and reputation, it didn't make a difference whether or not he took charge of the family. Many of the Elders who had been wary of him now all respected him and asked his opinions on various issues, not to mention all the Immortal Forces.

"I did hear that Mingkong has inherited the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty and is now known as Empress Mingkong, even defeating many of her royal uncles in a fight for the throne." Gu Changge smiled, looking interested as he mentioned it suddenly.

"You're right. While she didn't join the war, she already has most of the power of the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty within her grasp. Once the two of you officially consummate your marriage, the Upper Realm will truly fear you." The Elder before Gu Changge smiled, extremely satisfied with their family's future daughter-in-law.

"The Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty is recognised as the strongest and oldest Dynasty in the Upper Realm and its origins could be traced back to before the Forbidden Epoch. She's not that weak if she was able to achieve such things." Gu Changge nodded, a smile reaching his eyes.

He was thinking of something else though. [Out of the Seven Tools of World Domination, six are now with me and Mingkong. The only one left is the Sword of World Domination. While I hadn't paid attention to the Sword, Mingkong would certainly not have forgotten about it. She must have already formulated a plan to acquire it.]