Chapter 68: Colonies In The Upper Realm; Beloved Fiancé!
Colonies in the Upper Realm; Beloved Fiancé!
The sudden tide of beasts inside the Ancient Heavenly Secret Realm scared the cultivators of the Middle State — the whole Azure Lower Realm, even — and everyone thought that a terrifying catastrophe was at their doorstep. Monstrous Devil Qi surged out from the Secret Realm, acting as a sign for the birth of some peerless devil of mass slaughter. After all, the records inside the Secret Realm said that it was a place where a Demonic Weapon was sealed by an Honored Supreme.
They wondered if the seal was about to break? Wouldn't the Demonic Weapon regain its freedom, sweep through the world, and push all living beings into Hell?
Countless cultivators trembled at this realization, and deep panic gripped their hearts. But after waiting for a while, they realized that nothing worse happened. On the contrary, the Devil Qi from the Ancient Heavenly Secret Realm seemed to weaken by every passing moment. It was as if the Demonic Weapon that was about to be released was sealed again by someone.
This caused a massive sensation everywhere!
Some people had doubted the authenticity of the records left behind in the Ancient Heavenly Secret Realm, but it indeed contained signs of mass death. There were ancient ruins, fallen cities, and grotesque skeletons and corpses everywhere.
They couldn't find fault with the claims laid in the ancient records!
In the end, many came to a single conclusion: 'The Young Lord from the Upper Realm had actually descended upon their Lower Realm to seal that Demonic Weapon!'
Many cultivators had seen the Young Lord from the Upper Realm enter the Ancient Secret Heavenly Realm, and he had left around half a month or so later. It was exactly when he left that the Devil Qi began to diminish. It couldn't be a coincidence, they thought. After all, the timelines were too consistent.
The cultivators felt deep gratitude towards Gu Changge as they came to this realization, and even built an honorary statue of the Young Lord from the Upper Realm in the Middle, to pay homage to him forever after.
Of course, Gu Changge didn't know about this matter. Had he known, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from laughing out loud. Their ability to self-supplement 'facts' was truly beyond ordinary — it was incredible. Why did they think he sealed the weapon, and didn't just take it away with him?
Right now, he was with Old Ming and the others, and was preparing to head back to the Upper Realm.
[Hum!]
A brilliant ray of light flashed in the surroundings, and a tunnel in space opened up in front of them. At the same time, a magnificent, ancient palace-like structure showed itself.
"Is this how we will go to the Upper Realm?"
Su Qingge and Lin Qiuhan were shocked by the scene in front of them, for it was the first time they saw something like this. It was completely different from their imagination. They had thought that they would tear open a rift in the Void, experience a calamity, and Ascend like the other cultivators who had Ascended in the past.
They had never thought that a spatial tunnel would open directly in front of them, as if it existed specifically for Gu Changge.
"This is the Gu Family's Shrine of Reception that's responsible for bringing the Young Master back to the Upper Realm. It can easily travel through the myriad realms, and tear through the Void to go anywhere in the Universe."
Old Ming explained to the two. At the same time, his way of referring to Gu Changge also changed from "My Lord" to "Young Master."
It showed a completely different status.
"It can travel through the myriad worlds, tear through the Void, and go anywhere in the Universe..."
Su Qingge was shocked. Gu Changge had never explained this to her before, and only said that she would understand when the time came for their Ascent. She understood it somewhat now.
For False Gods, just tearing the barrier between the Lower Realm and the Upper Realm was already a mighty feat, while traveling through the Void at will was completely impossible.
This method, on the other hand, was phenomenal.
"The Young Master's family must be amazing..."
Lin Qiuhan was also shocked by such mighty means, and could only stand and watch the sky above her. She could only describe her current emotions and experience as 'amazing!'
Old Ming agreed with her words.
The Ancient Immortal Gu Family, the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace, the Supreme Immortal Dynasty, and Ancient Immortal Ye Family...these were the behemoths that stood at the peak of the Upper Realm. There were others that could compare to them, but none that surpassed them.
With that kind of power, they were obviously Heritages with eons of history behind them. The centuries they had gone through wouldn't be less than the grains of sand inside an ocean. They were so ancient that none of them could tell each other's true beginnings or background.
What's more? He had heard that a few millenniums ago, the Ancient Immortal Gu Family had gotten involved in a war that resulted in death over millions of miles. One couldn't even estimate the number of Lower Realms that perished during that era. Countless creatures from various Lower Realms simply turned to dust just from the aftermath of the clash.
That's just how terrifying these behemoths of the Upper Realm could be.
[VILFIC: although it is said that there are 3000 Minor/Middle/Major Lower Realms in the s, it doesn't mean that there are exactly 3000 of each of those. 3000 is an expression used to mean innumerable. For example, there are 3000 DAOs, but, in reality, there are far more. It's just a number used to mean innumerable.]
"This old man was lucky back then, and met an Elder from the Young Master's family who saved me. Otherwise, I don't know which corner of the Upper Realm I would be mining at right now..."
Old Ming's sudden words shook Su Qingge and Lin Qiuhan to the point of breathlessness.
He was mining in a corner of the Upper Realm?
The mighty Ancestor of the Ancient Lin Family, a legendary figure in the Lower Realm, received such degrading treatment in the Upper Realm? No wonder all the creatures of the Lower Realm were nothing more than ants to the residents of the Upper Realm.
Gu Changge was already giving them extremely preferential treatment!
Afterwards, Old Ming further explained to the two girls, "Young Master is the heir of the Ancient Immortal Gu Family, so what does this little Shrine amount to? You must know that the Young Master's identity is at the pinnacle of the Upper Realm. Not only is he the heir of the Ancient Immortal Gu Family, but he's also a True Disciple of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace, and might even become its heir, too. With these two top-tier identities, there's no one more honorable than the Young Master."
"It's your great fortune to be recognized by the Young Master. Countless noble ladies with great backgrounds in the Upper Realm have desired the Young Master's affection, but they were ignored..."
"Make sure you have some self-knowledge, and don't do anything that would embarrass the Young Lord."
Naturally, he had to be the one to explain all of this to them, as his Young Master would surely not toot his own horn and explain such minor details to them.
It was only right for someone like him to be the one to reveal his identity.
Su Qingge and Lin Qiuhan were shocked by the revelation, and couldn't help but continuously nod as if they were chicks pecking on rice. Back in the Lower Realm, they had already felt that Gu Changge had a terrifying identity, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as a supreme being. But now...they couldn't describe what they felt when they realized just how monstrous his identity and background were.
Su Qingge, especially, felt the impact from the realization. She had recently started to recover more and more fragments of memories through her second soul, and all of them contained vague knowledge about the Upper Realm. She seemed to have some relationship to the Upper Realm, and had been looking for an opportunity to tell Gu Changge about this matter.
"Let's go; it will take a while for us to reach the Family."
Right then, Gu Changge finally opened his mouth, and said to the two women. At the same time, he took the lead in stepping into the Shrine of Reception.
[Hum!]
Soon, everyone entered and the Shrine entered the spatial tunnel, closing it after it disappeared inside. If one could see it from the outside, they would find it traveling through the darkness of space at extreme speed. It tore through the turbulent Void around it, and moved towards the core of the Upper Realm.
Gu Changge watched the turbulent Void outside the Shrine, and sorted the memories regarding the Upper Realm in his mind.
The Upper Realm was an extremely vast place. In his opinion, it was more like a collection of many major and minor realms and planets. The core of the Upper Realm was an extremely prosperous place where many ancient Heritages and Races co-existed.
Every Heritage and Race reigned over boundless territory with countless realms and planets.
......
By now, they had already arrived in the territory of the Upper Realm — it was just that they were currently at its extreme borders, and terrifying world laws tried to press down on them. Many worlds approached and repelled each other to create an extremely turbulent and disastrous region that could easily obliterate cultivators who hadn't reached a certain level.
This was the reason Ascending from the Lower Realm wasn't all that easy. Only extremely powerful beings or artifacts such as the Gu Family's Shrine of Reception could shuttle through this region where barriers of many worlds collided.
[VILFIC: our boi Lin Tian got f!ck!d exactly around here, if my guess isn't wrong, which I doubt it is.]
They passed by innumerable worlds as they neared the core of the Upper Realm. Every passing realm was far higher in level than the Azure Lower Realm, and was closer to the core of the Upper Realm. Obviously, they were occupied by the powerful Dao Lineages. The wider a Heritage's territory, the more Realms they controlled.
In Gu Changge's opinion, they were like colonies.
The behemoths in the core of the Upper Realm — such as the Ancient Immortal Gu Family, the Ancient Immortal Ye Family, etc. — stood at the top of the food chain, and innumerable ancient forces were subordinated to them.
Each of those forces had their own colonies of many realms and planets. A force's reach was decided by their background, and this was why the people of the Upper Realm considered the people of the Lower Realm to be nothing more than a bunch of ants when compared to the locals.
Background and identity decide the difference between people, especially in the Upper Realm.
Of course, the ancient worlds in the core of the Upper Realm were in a league of their own.
'This kind of setting is completely in line with the Ascension trope from the novels. Unfortunately, I am already at the peak of the world.'[1]
[1: normally, Protagonists go from their littol world to a bigger Lower Realm and then an even bigger Lower Realm — from Minor to Middle to Major — and then they reach the upper Upper Realm. They reach the top step by step, and gain an identity with which they can look down on everything and anything. Gu Changge is already at that peak and doesn't need to take those steps in-between 'cause he's a villain.]
Gu Changge felt satisfied when he thought about his starting point. Be it talent, background, cultivation base, or something else...he was already at the top in all aspects. He felt that it was awesome!
What's more? His trip to the Lower Realm had brought him a great harvest, so he planned to digest it all as soon as he returned to his Family.
......
[At the same time, in the Supreme Immortal City of the Supreme Immortal Dynasty.]
As the oldest Immortal Dynasty of the Upper Realm, the Supreme Immortal Dynasty had stood unshaken since time immemorial. It governed endless territory, and there were even rumors that the Supreme Immortal Dynasty was the Upper Realm's first dynasty.
Inside a splendid, majestic hall, a beautiful woman wearing a golden, imperial robe stood with her arms crossed before her chest. Her loose, imperial robes fluttered and did nothing to hide her unparalleled bearing, picturesque features, and jaw-dropping beauty.
Her hair covered half of her fairy-like visage, but she still looked breathtaking.
Although she didn't say a word, and her face showed an indifferent expression, one could feel a terrifying might from her that could easily make the world tremble. She appeared to be standing above a sea of stars — it was as if she was holding the sun and the moon in her hands, and stepping over the universe beneath her.
Everything about her radiated 'mighty!'
She was the fourth princess of the Supreme Immortal Dynasty, Yue Mingkong.
"Imperial Brother, you should give up the position of Crown Prince now."
The woman in the imperial robes said with a flat tone. At the same time, she gazed at the man, who was slumped on the ground before her with a bleak face, without a hint of emotion in her eyes. Many Ministers with different expressions stood around the man. At this time, all of them had their foreheads covered in cold sweat, and didn't dare to make any noise.
In just half a year, their Princess Mingkong used many thunderous means to dethrone her brother, the now-former Crown Prince. Every step she took was made with perfection, and they couldn't help but tremble at her methods.
She was so outstanding that many mighty Immortals of the Dynasty couldn't help but praise her.
She made everyone understand that just because she was a woman, it didn't mean she was worse than any man. She was unparalleled, and held just as much ability to be their Overlord.
In the royal family, where the weak were disdained and destined to be eliminated, there were many who admired her. After all, the fourth princess' talent was beyond anyone else, and she had already surpassed her siblings when it came to cultivation.
She will be a peerless Empress in the future!
This was the thought that went through the minds of many Ministers.
"Someone, bring my Imperial Brother away..."
Yue Mingkong indifferently commanded after taking a final look at the slumped man in front of her.
"I will be the Crown Princess from now on! Only I shall reign as the Empress of the Supreme Immortal Dynasty!"
"Retreat!"
Yue Mingkong's eyelids drooped, and an expression of deep contemplation appeared on her face after she finished her words, giving the people around her even more pressure. The Ministers in her presence trembled and felt their hearts palpitate as they quietly retreated. No one could guess what was going through her mind.
Although she was a woman, her might was enough to give them shivers.
"Half a year more..."
"You should have returned from the Lower Realm, right? My beloved fiancé..."
Yue Mingkong muttered to herself. Although her words were spoken with great affection, her eyes showed a deep flash of frost...