Chapter 688: She'S Ultimately Only A Pawn; The Real Instigator

As the voice rang out, the entire courtyard was suddenly enveloped into an unknown dimension, causing the breeze to stop and time to freeze. Even the moonlight sprinkled in the distance became more blurred and hazy.

The terrifying pressure and aura caused Lan Yifei's countenance to suddenly change. Chills ran down his spine, causing him to shiver as he looked towards the voice.

The world seemed to tremble as space twisted and everything became fragmented.

[Young Master Gu...] Su Qingge, whose face was covered by black mist and could not be seen clearly, also immediately turned pale.

This voice was too familiar to her. However, she couldn't figure out how Gu Changge knew she was in the Battlefield of Hundred Worlds and how he managed to locate her.

That said, she would have no way of escaping now that Gu Changge had personally come for her. After all, there weren't many who were worthy opponents to Gu Changge, given his current powers. In fact, he just had not dominated the entire Upper Realm - yet.

Bitterness and desolation laced the corner of Su Qingge's lips as the many memories of her and Gu Changge flashed across her mind. [I'm ultimately nothing but a pawn to him.]

A slender figure appeared out of nowhere and walked to them through the courtyard. He appeared to be from another distant world, as his visage was incredibly blurry. The only thing clear was his interest-filled gaze.

"Who in the world are you?" Lan Yifei asked, backing up inadvertently as he looked at the person who appeared suddenly. Chills ran down his spine as he thought he was facing an endless abyss or a boundless void. At the same time, he thought he was like a withered leaf in a raging storm, ready to be crushed at any moment.

This aura was far more terrifying than when he faced the True Daoist Ancestors of the Immortal Dao Alliance.

"Who am I? Hadn't you just asked for me?" Gu Changge asked, looking at Lan Yifei with interest, surprised that he would stumble upon an unexpected gain when he followed Su Qingge's aura here.

Additionally, the man even attempted to use Su Qingge to figure out who the true Successor of Demonic Arts was. After becoming a True Daoist, this worry hadn't occurred to him for a long time.

"Y-You're the... the real Successor of Demonic Arts! What are you doing here!?" Lan Yifei forced himself to calm down, but his voice still trembled slightly, containing an incredible fear.

[He's so different from the Successor of Demonic Arts I had imagined! His aura... no doubt even True Daoists would tremble before him. This mysterious man is certainly a True Daoist, but not a simple one!]

"To think the real Successor of Demonic Arts is this powerful... Unbelievable..."

He dared not think too deeply right then as fear enveloped him. In fact, he wondered if Su Qingge was actually scheming against him. After all, the previous Successor of Demonic Arts, who caused chaos and devoured the Sources of various Successors was definitely a young man. There was no way any of that had to do with the man before his eyes!

"The real Successor of Demonic Arts?" a chuckle escaped Gu Changge, and he shook his head. "You're not entirely wrong in thinking that."

With that, he ignored the fearful and ghastly pale Lan Yifei and turned towards Su Qingge, who had been silent all this time.

"What's wrong? Are you still not going to face me as your genuine self now that I am standing before you, Qingge?" he asked with a smile.

"Young Master..." Su Qingge fell silent for a moment. The mist shrouding her suddenly dissipated, revealing her beautiful and graceful features. However, her gaze was complex, with a mix of sadness, struggle, and pain. But these emotions quickly dissipated, leaving behind a calm and cool demeanour, like the moment when she first met Gu Changge.

"You..." Lan Yifei was dumbfounded. He never expected Su Qingge to be an aloof beauty.

But in the next moment, he couldn't help widening his eyes in surprise. He realised that Su Qingge looked very familiar like he had seen her somewhere before.

"I didn't partake in Divine Rock Conference held in Dark Kun City, but I did see the handmaiden who attended to Gu Changge at the time. Are you... It can't be..." Lan Yifei took a few steps back involuntarily when he came around, and incredulity enveloped his face when he gazed towards Gu Changge.

He felt a chill all over his body, and his scalp tingled as if someone had pried his head open and poured in endless ice water into it.

[Impossible!]

"You were the handmaiden who served Gu Changge..." Lan Yifei blurted towards Su Qinggge with nothing but fear and incredulity. He thought he had just discovered a terrifying secret that could shake the entire Upper Realm.

He dared not ask Gu Changge, still holding onto a last bit of hope.

"Indeed, I am," Su Qingge monotoned as she glanced plainly at him.

She only felt bad for Lan Yifei, for even she didn't expect Gu Changge to show up. After all, Gu Changge caught Lan Yifei insisting on knowing who was the real Successor of Demonic Arts. She had nothing else to say to the man other than he had just sought his own death.

That said, Gu Changge paid no attention to Lan Yifei's multitudes of expressions. He only focused on Su Qingge, smiling, "It seems that you still remember your place. So, why still hide from me?"

His voice was gentle, with no malice at all, like he was talking to an old friend, and Su Qingge glanced at Gu Changge before drooping her eyelids gently once more. "I worry you will kill me..."

Given how shrewd Gu Changge was, he should have already learned that she had met with Chan Honyi. She still remembered when she asked Gu Changge at the Immortal Academy what he would do if she really was the Successor of Demonic Arts back when her identity was nearly uncovered.

Gu Changge jokingly said that he would obliterate the demon and restore peace to the Upper Realm, but he would accompany her afterwards.

She had been touched by his words for a long time back when she still didn't know that Gu Changge long knew her so-called Successor identity was fake.

Later on, she thought Gu Changge would seize the chance and kill her when her identity could no longer stay hidden. However, he didn't. In fact, he still gave her the same answer and helped her resolve the issue and conceal her identity.

She was deeply moved at the time. But who'd have thought she was a pawn Gu Changge used to mess with the Upper Realm all this while?!

There was a time when Gu Changge was her only hope in the vast Upper Realm. Without him, she wouldn't be who she was today. But in the end, she was told the truth, and she realised that she was just a pitiful pawn in Gu Changge's game.

Just like that, all her emotions and hopes collapsed overnight, turning into ashes.

During this time, she had felt hatred and resentment, as well as moments of clarity and confusion. She had even wondered about the purpose of her future existence, wondered if she should seek revenge for the harm that Gu Changge had caused her, as Chan Honyi had suggested, or if she should confront him openly and ask why he had done what he did.

However, all of that seemed meaningless now, for Gu Changge would also only dismiss her with a casual smile and abandon her without hesitation. But everything she had done over the years, even now, was to make Gu Changge take notice of her and not see her as dispensable.

"Kill you? That has never even crossed my mind," Gu Changge shook his head, then cupped Su Qingge's cheek and whispered, "Do you hate me?"

"I did. But..." Su Qingge said as pain and sadness flashed across her eyes before returning to calm. "I don't hate you anymore. It's my own fault that I ended up a pitiful pawn."

"You have always been sharp," Gu Changge sighed, then turned to Lan Yifei. "Looks like he's already cultivating Demonic Arts. You should rest for now."

"Young Master Gu—" Su Qingge wasn't quite sure what Gu Changge meant, but just as she was about to ask, she blacked out and collapsed into Gu Changge's arms.

"Y-You... You're Young Master Gu!?" Lan Yifei stuttered in unadulterated fear, despite being a peerless Chosen One from Immortal Dao Alliance after seeing what had happened before him.

He was now absolutely certain of Gu Changge's identity!

Actually, not even the Ancestors of the Immortal Dao Alliance would be able to escape if they were here now.

Who'd have thought the Successor of Demonic Arts and the leading character of the Upper Realm were one and the same!? In other words, all this time, Gu Changge had been deceiving everyone in the Upper Realm and playing them in the palm of his hand.

He was the true mastermind behind everything!

"The Immortal Dao Alliance's Chosen One, huh?" Gu Changge's gaze fell on him, his tone calm, "That's a fitting identity, especially since you've had some experience with the Demonic Arts. I'll give you a chance to live..."