Chapter 557: The Unbreakable Thread Of Destiny; The High Priestess Of Destiny'S Next Move

"Who was I?"

The chamber was filled with a serene silence as the gentle glow of light illuminated the space.

The woman in white appeared to have just awoken from a long slumber. Her countenance initially perplexed and muddled, before eventually settling into a serene and lucid state. Her mind felt like a chaotic vortex, filled with an array of surreal and peculiar visions.

"I was the High Priestess of Destiny, who possessed the Nihility Destiny Physique, trekked through the River of Time and deduced the fate of the Immortal Palace..."

"I am Xiao Ruoyin."

Her visions converged, coalescing into a single point of light. The woman in white visibly relaxed. Thousands of lights shimmered in her eyes, like countless sparkling shards.

As she softly murmured to herself, the ancient runes between her eyebrows shone brilliantly akin to a tiny rising sun, before gradually fading away. With each passing moment, she appeared increasingly ethereal and otherworldly.

The air around her fluctuated as countless enigmatic lines from unknown dimensions weaved together. It was a profound and mystical power that seemed to transcend time, space, and even destiny itself. A wealth of memory fragments emerged from the depths of her soul, like a treasure trove that had been sealed away for ages.

A deluge of images surged forth. Xiao Ruoyin let out a soft sigh and rose to her feet. "Is this an ill fate? Or is this my inevitable karma?"

Had the Immortal Palace not crumbled and brought an end to the era, she would have remained in the Sanctum of Destiny, dutifully carrying out her responsibilities. However, with the collapse of the Immortal Palace, it became a forbidden era, buried in the River of Time. Countless eons had since passed, yet even she remained bound by the fated karma that was set in motion during that time.

"Much like a fish forever bound to its river, I too, find it challenging to escape the pull of my destiny." Her words held a depth of meaning known only to her, and her countenance reflected a complex mix of emotions.

Countless threads emerged in front of Xiao Ruoyin. Some shimmered like silver, while others were as black as ink, and a selected few were sparkled like gold. Each thread emitted a radiant and luminous glow, illuminating the palace with a breathtaking radiance.

These Threads of Destiny were all connected to someone, intertwining their fates together. She reached out, wanting to touch the threads, but her fingers passed through them. The threads began to blur before slowly dissipating into nothingness, as if they had never existed in the first place.

As someone with a Nihility Destiny Phyqisue, all the Threads of Destiny she touched would inevitably dissolve into nothingness. It was a power that made it difficult for her to connect to anything related to destiny and even more challenging to intertwine with someone else's. As long as Xiao Ruoyin willed it, she could erase herself from the memories of all who knew her, leaving no trace of her existence behind.

In the midst of all the threads, one stood out with an unparalleled thickness. With hue as dark as the deepest night, it refused to fade into nothingness like the others. This particular thread of destiny seemed to transcend time itself, weaving its way through the ages and connecting to this very moment in history.

"Is that so?"

Xiao Ruoyin was not surprised by the thread at all. She merely sighed softly and withdrew her hand. Despite her power, a searing pain coursed through her when her palm came into contact with this particular Thread of Destiny, accompanied by black smoke. This was no ordinary karmic connect. It was something she could not erase even if she wanted to.

"Gu Changge... That's his name now?" Xiao Ruoyin murmured the name softly. Her face was calm and composed, exuding an air of elegance and sophistication that almost seemed otherworldly. Memories began flooding her mind, causing her to crease her brow.

Her recollection of events prior to her current existence came naturally to her. The disparity between her present self and her former self was not significant. The most notable dissimilarity was that she had regained her memories of being the High Priestess of Destiny and had also awakened her Nihility Destiny Physique.

Even so, Xiao Ruoyin's past twenty years of memories no longer held sway over her present self. She was fully aware of all the events as well as all the thoughts and decisions made by her former self in order to attach herself to Gu Changge. After all, they were the same person. Although she did not agree with her actions, she could no longer do anything to the past.

"Gu Changge probably kept me by his side because he already knew of my identity... It appears that he is just waiting for me to awaken to my physique. I must not let him know that I have already regained my memory as the High Priestess of Destiny..."

Xiao Ruoyin furrowed her brow, deep in thought as she pondered her next move. Memories flashed through her mind. She was far more informed now than her former self, even with knowledge of Gu Changge's terrifying origins.

If it weren't for that unbreakable Thread of Destiny, Xiao Ruoyin might not be able to uncover this information. Gu Changge was the one who caused her to reincarnate, so naturally his true identity was now ripe for discovery. With utmost certainty, Xiao Ruoyin knew that this was the inevitable truth.

She couldn't comprehend how such a powerful and invincible existence like Gu Changge ended up reincarnating just like her. Nevertheless, she could not afford to ponder over such matters at present. Gu Changge must have regained his past memories very early on. This was the only plausible explanation for his meteoric rise to power in just two decades.

Xiao Ruoyin clearly understood Gu Changge's immense strength. Although she had awakened to her past memories and her Physique, going against Gu Changge remained a lofty and unattainable goal.

"He must be planning to devour my Source as the final step toward reaching enlightenment... I must not let him succeed. Now that peace has finally been restored to the world, must it be ravaged by him once more?"

Xiao Ruoyin let out a soft sigh as she finally made sense of everything. The weight of her predicament was far greater than she had anticipated upon awakening to the memories of her previous life.

At present, her most viable option appeared to be either delaying the inevitable or devising an escape from Gu Changge. Both paths presented significant challenges, especially in the presence of her Master, Yan Ji, who was appointed by Gu Changge to keep a watchful eye on her every move. If she was acting suspiciously, Gu Changge would immediately notice it.

Before this, Xiao Ruoyin always thought Yan Ji's actions were purely out of kindness. With newfound clarity, she realized that Gu Changge had ulterior motives from the moment he reached out to her. It was now evident that everything was a carefully crafted trap, set by him.

"Playing the sweet and naive persona won't be effective and may backfire. The Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation should be in Jiang Chen's possession. I must retrieve it in order to have any hope of success."

Xiao Ruoyin's aura gradually shifted. The haze that surrounded her dissipated, and her body gradually took on a more solid form, until she looked like her usual self. She walked out of the chamber, and gazed at the bustling streets of Dark Kun City, now teeming with life and activity.

"Junior Ruoyin, are you going to look for Young Master Changge?" The disciple who was responsible for guarding the chamber noticed Xiao Ruoyin and approached with a flattering smile on his face.

Xiao Ruoyin was momentarily caught off guard, but after a brief pause, her usual gentle smile returned to her face as she nodded in agreement. "Yes."

She was still a little unaccustomed to seeing the sky outside. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue, adorned with fluffy white clouds and illuminated by the warm glow of the sun. It was a stark contrast to the lonely and cold Sanctum of Destiny she was used to.

...

Meanwhile, somewhere on the streets...

A sense of terror gripped everyone's heart, causing them to back away. Even the ancient beings looked on with solemn expressions. Fear was evident on their faces as a large amount of black mist flooded and filled the air.

Palaces and pavilions were now shrouded in a thick veil of ominous black mist, ancient vines and plants now lay withered and lifeless. The Cursed Rock quivered ever so slightly as tendrils of black mist continued seeping out from its jagged crevices.

"Could the Cursed Rock be affected by the anomaly in Kun Mountain just now?

"Maybe we should cut it open and have a look. We can't let things go on like this."

"The Great West Holy Land was destroyed overnight because of this thing. I don't want to be cursed by it!"

A discussion broke out among the cultivators in the area as they stared at the Cursed Rock fearfully. No one expected the sudden movement from it. The black mist was demonic in nature, seemingly hinting at the existence of a fearsome demonic entity lurking within.

"Who would dare to go forward and cut the rock open at this moment?" An old man took a few faltering steps back, his aged voice was trembling with fear.

As the change on Kun Mountain unfolded just now, many rushed out to witness the spectacle. All they saw was a dark light soaring high into the sky. Darkness enveloped tens of thousands kilometres of the sky, covering even the sun. The magnificent Kun Mountain, which was usually a picturesque scenery, now appeared eerie with a daunting demonic aura that seemed to engulf everything, rising to the sky.

"I wonder what's in it that could frighten Hong this much." Gu Xianer stood close behind Gu Changge, craning her neck out to catch a glimpse of the rock but was distracted by the big red bird quivering violently at her feet. This was an unprecedented display of terror from the creature, as if there was a formidable beast hidden within the Cursed Rock.

Gu Changge frowned slightly then turned around and instructed Ah Da, "It may not be safe here for a while. Ah Da, you take Xianer, Yin Mei and the others and leave first."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the sky beyond Dark Kun City and a foreboding sensation crept over him. The thing in this Cursed Rock stirred a sense of familiarity within him, yet he knew all too well that familiarity did not equate to safety, just like him and Chan Hongyi...

There is a possibility that something big might occur in Dark Kun City soon, and the area around this Cursed Rock was going to be the most dangerous spot.

Upon hearing Gu Changge's instruction, Gu Xianer quickly grabbed onto his sleeve and said, "I'm not leaving, I'm staying here..."

Gu Changge frowned at her, but she met his eyes with a hard stare and muttered softly, "Unless you come with me."

She realized that the Cursed Rock posed a great danger, so the best course of action was to leave the area as soon as possible, but she could not be at ease if Gu Changge stayed here.

"Stop fooling around. I'll be fine." Gu Changge understood Gu Xianer's concern. He shook his head lightly and made her let go. Turning to Ah Da again, he instructed, "Take her and the others away from this place."

"Very well, Master." Taking Gu Xianer and the others away from here was no challenge for a Quasi-Nirvana Realm expert like Ah Da.

Gu Xianer shot Gu Changge a resentful look, miffed that he had tore her hand off him. Despite her irritation, she complied with his request and departed without causing any further commotion. She rarely saw Gu Changge showing such a guarded expression.

The remaining Sect Masters, Elders, Family Heads also instructed the younger generations to withdraw to safety, sensing the imminent danger of this place. Only a handful of young prodigies like the King with Six Crowns, Yu Feiya, Chosen Monk Jin Chan and An Xi chose to stay behind. These skillful experts were unafraid of any harm coming their way.

In just an instant, the bustling street fell silent again. The remaining divine rocks were swiftly taken away by several ancient beings.

*Buzz!!* The Daoist Artifacts hovering above the sky shook as they attempted to suppress the Cursed Rock with strands of Nirvana Realm Principles. However, just as they were about to make contact with the rock's surface, they were abruptly repelled and dispersed like ripples. Despite this, their frightening force continued to surge outward like a powerful wave, prompting the other ancient beings to rush in and neutralize it to prevent any further damage to the surrounding area.

"Could the entity within this Cursed Rock have surpassed the Nirvana Realm...?" One of the Sect Masters wondered aloud. A golden rune glowed in his eye as he tried to catch a glimpse of what was inside the rock through the crack on its surface.

Suddenly, a beam of dark light shot out of it from the crevice, striking the Sect Master's eye with speed faster than lightning. A blood-curdling scream escaped his lips as he instantly disintegrated into ash leaving nothing behind.

The scene shook everyone on the streets. They felt a chill down their backs as fear grew even more in them. That dark light had easily obliterated a Sect Master who was at least a Sacred Emperor expert, annihilating both his body and soul.

If there was a godly weapon concealed within this Cursed Rock, it undoubtedly surpassed the Sacred Emperor Grade. The Daoist Artifacts could barely contain its power. Although it had yet to awaken fully, it was clear that this entity was both strange and frightening.

*Rumble!!* A massive dark demonic cloud rolled into the eastern sky of Dark Kun City. Terrifying silhouettes loomed within it, their wings adorned with vibrant feathers that swayed in the wind.

"Are they from Devil Mountain?" The faces of many Sect Masters contorted with fear and apprehension at the sight of the cloud. The arrival of the black demonic cloud also stirred up unease and alarm among cultivators and other inhabitants of Dark Kun City.