True Mountain and Sea World/Mountain and Sea True World ➡️ Shanhai True World
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Inside the ancestral shrine, all the old ancestors of the Gu Clan looked upon Gu Xian'er with the utmost reverence. However, after the First Ancestor finished speaking, Gu Xian'er's brows remained tightly furrowed, and her face seemed to carry a trace of annoyance.
"I am not the Ancient Ancestor of the Gu Family."
She repeated it once more.
Then, ignoring all the old ancestors, she walked out of the ancestral shrine on her own.
Ever since she had been brought back to the Gu Clan's ancestral grounds, she had not yet learned many truths before the First Ancestor of the Gu Family sent her straight into that spacetime turbulence. In truth, this had secretly accumulated some resentment in Gu Xian'er's heart.
If, within that spacetime turbulence, the Ancient Ancestor of the Gu Family had reappeared and fused with her will, would she still have been herself then?
Although such a situation had not occurred, the First Ancestor of the Gu Family must certainly have known that it could. To send her in without her knowledge—what did that count as?
What did they take her for?
For all these reasons, Gu Xian'er still harbored some resistance and reluctance towards the Gu Family here.
Even in the Gu Family of the former upper realm, she had never truly felt a deep sense of belonging. She had always been used to solitariness and had never once thought of relying on a family.
Watching Gu Xian'er leave the ancestral shrine, the faces of all the Gu Clan's old ancestors were complicated, hesitant to speak.
The First Ancestor of the Gu Family sighed softly and waved her hand. "All of you, withdraw for now. The Ancient Ancestor will eventually figure everything out on her own."
"No one is to disturb her at this time."
"The Ancient Ancestor is eternally the Ancient Ancestor. Though she has not yet fully returned, within the Gu Family, she is the supreme existence."
"Yes, First Ancestor."
The old ancestors of the Gu Clan withdrew as instructed.
However, Gu Wuwang hesitated for a moment, then stood still, not leaving with the others.
He cupped his hands and said, "First Ancestor, I have something to say, though I am unsure whether it is appropriate."
The First Ancestor of the Gu Family looked at him and nodded. "Gu Wuwang, the Ancient Ancestor came from the Shanhai True World, which you were once ordered to investigate and search for. By all rights, with the Ancient Ancestor returning to the Gu Family, you have rendered great merit and deserve the proper rewards. Yet the Ancient Ancestor was not found by you. Without the family's message, you would likely still not know the Ancient Ancestor's identity even now…"
Gu Wuwang suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "The Ancient Ancestor is an existence of such magnitude—how could I possibly deduce it? During all those years I guarded the Shanhai True World, I never once sensed Xian'er… the Ancient Ancestor's aura. Speaking of it, this matter is truly shameful. Without the clan's information, I might still be in Dao Chang… no, I mean, in the Shanhai True World right now…"
The First Ancestor might still be unaware that the Shanhai True World had been renamed the Dao Chang True World.
Because of Gu Changge's existence, the Dao Chang True World could not be deduced; many related causes and effects were obscured like mist.
Moreover, Gu Wuwang suspected that even the First Ancestor before him had no memories related to Dao Chang, and knew nothing of what had once happened in the Dao Chang True World.
In her deductive perception, she likely thought he was still stationed in the "Shanhai True World," which was still a Newly Born True World that had weathered two Cataclysmic Tribulations.
The truth that the First Ancestor deduced and saw was simply not real.
Before leaving the Dao Chang True World, Gu Wuwang had never imagined such a situation could occur…
"This truly cannot be blamed on you. Still, I do not blame you. After so many epochs away from the clan grounds, if not for meritorious deeds, you have at least endured hardships," the First Ancestor of the Gu Family still nodded, believing Gu Wuwang was worried about being punished, and so reassured him, telling him not to overthink.
Gu Wuwang cupped his hands. "The First Ancestor is discerning, but what I wish to say is not about this…"
He was also quite frank, not claiming any credit for himself. Back in the Shanhai True World, he had actually once suspected that Gu Changge might be the Ancient Ancestor of the Gu Family.
And at that time, he did not even know whether the Gu Family's Ancient Ancestor was male or female, always referring to "It." Only upon returning to the Gu Clan's grounds now did he understand that the Ancient Ancestor of the Gu Family was a woman.
Even the First Ancestor of the Gu Family was a woman.
What bloodline origins lay in this, he did not know.
So how exactly had the Gu Family's descendants come to be? The Ancient Ancestor had never married in her entire life, nor had the First Ancestor, who followed by her side. So how did the Gu Family's descendants emerge?
The Gu Family was filled with far more than just this much fog and mystery.
The First Ancestor of the Gu Family furrowed her brows slightly. "Then what is it?"
"What I wish to speak of actually has nothing to do with Xian'er, the Ancient Ancestor. It is about another person." Gu Wuwang hesitated, then spoke frankly, deciding to openly reveal many things related to Gu Changge.
Now, within the Vast Expanse, countless beings and existences wanted to know the origins of the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Although Gu Wuwang had never seen his face with his own eyes, he could firmly conclude that the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was certainly Gu Changge.
When Gu Changge had established the Heaven-Slaying Alliance in the Dao Chang True World, Gu Wuwang had found it absurd and unbelievable—a great heresy.
Yet Gu Changge's strength made his heart palpitate; he even thought he was comparable to the Ancient Ancestor, so he could not voice any objection.
Now, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had grown to an unbelievable extent, influencing the great trends of the Vast Expanse.
Gu Changge's strength had probably recovered… to a level he could not even imagine.
That's right, Gu Wuwang used the word "recovered," not "grown," because in his understanding and knowledge, after Gu Changge left the Dao Chang True World, his power had leaped and transformed at a speed the world dared not and could not imagine.
That speed could no longer be described as growth. Since ancient times, no matter how heaven-defying a figure, it would have been impossible to possess such strength in merely a few thousand or tens of thousands of years.
The realms that ordinary people had to step into step by step seemed nonexistent before him.
Aside from using "recovery," Gu Wuwang did not know how else to describe it all.
"Speak," the First Ancestor of the Gu Family said, her eyes brilliant as two eternally unfallen bright moons, fixed on Gu Wuwang.
Gu Wuwang immediately began recounting everything he had seen, heard, and known in the Dao Chang True World, without any concealment.
Yet the moment he touched upon these matters, a terrifying chill instantly enveloped Gu Wuwang's entire body, making his hairs stand on end and cold sweat pour down his back.
"He sensed it…"
Gu Wuwang stiffly raised his head. This was still within the Gu Clan's grounds; even those End of the Path figures from the Palace of Fate Defiance could not probe inside.
But across countless spacetime dimensions, countless planes, and an immeasurable distance, merely mentioning related experiences was detected—he had not even mentioned his name yet.
The expression on the First Ancestor of the Gu Family's face turned extremely grave, a rare sight.
She too had sensed that terrifying aura that made one's hairs stand on end just now. Although it quickly dissipated and retreated, the feeling seemed engraved deep in her spirit.
How many years had it been? She could no longer recall how long it had been since she had felt such a thing.
"With how ruthless that fellow is, who knows if he will remember old ties," Gu Wuwang suddenly hesitated.
In the Dao Chang True World, Gu Changge could easily rename it, reverse the heavenly momentum, causing its fortune to surge and grow greatly, giving birth to many brilliant figures. By now, many Dao Realms existences had already emerged in the Dao Chang True World.
For a Newly Born True World, this was definitely an inconceivable miracle and creation.
And now, he could awe the Vast Expanse, dissolve an End of the Path figure's cultivation with a mere gesture, and refine them into a pill.
Though his own strength was decent, compared to the current Gu Changge, the word "ant" would be no exaggeration.
"Is this about the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance?"
The First Ancestor of the Gu Family was silent for a moment, then abruptly asked.
In the present Vast Expanse, aside from that one, there was likely no other existence. And the Lord of Heaven's Proxy…
She shook her head.
"Yes, within the Dao Chang True World, there was also a Heaven-Slaying Alliance. The person who established it, speaking of which, has deep ties with my Gu Family…"
After thinking it over, Gu Wuwang gritted his teeth and began to speak. In truth, even if he did not say it, it would most likely become known to the world later.
After all, Gu Xian'er had also lived in the Dao Chang True World… but if she was the Ancient Ancestor of the Gu Family, then what was Gu Changge's attitude toward her?
In the Dao Chang True World, he had doted on and cared for her so much—was it really just simply kindness, with no other schemes or intentions?
And as Gu Wuwang spoke, the expression on the First Ancestor of the Gu Family's face grew increasingly solemn.
Toward the end, her pupils even continuously contracted and trembled; given her mental fortitude, it was hard to maintain any calm.
When she closed her eyes and attempted to deduce, she found that everything related to the Dao Chang True World seemed shrouded in mist, impossible to see clearly.
Even in her cognition of the past, the Shanhai True World still existed, and its most powerful force now was the Immortal Palace, whose palace lord had deep ties with the Ji Chan Clan of the Ancient Treasure Civilization.
In the last Cataclysmic Tribulation, the Shanhai True World had been severely damaged, its Dao severed, and it was now in an era of recovery.
It was as if an invisible force, akin to a nightmare, shrouded their minds, distorting their cognition of the past.
The past was the foundation of the present, immutable. The slightest reckless move could trigger inconceivable consequences…
Yet the fate and past of the Shanhai True World had silently been twisted, so much so that even their cognition had been distorted and tampered with in the same way.
"According to what you say, the existence of the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance has become so powerful that he can influence the cognition of all beings in the Vast Expanse regarding the past. Or could this be deliberately done by the Heavenly Dao? To make us know that it is precisely the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance who has altered the predetermined course of the world, and that he must be eliminated to return all realms to the right track…"
The First Ancestor of the Gu Family's expression was unprecedentedly grave.
Gu Wuwang dared not respond.
Such a matter—how could he dare to interfere and say more?
Outside the ancestral shrine, the mountain ranges were lofty and majestic. Amidst the divine mountains and islands, silver waterfalls cascaded, and immortal mist shrouded everything, like a mythical immortal sacred land.
After Gu Xian'er left, a golden avenue of light appeared beneath her feet, extending continuously until she reached an island. Here were several people who had come with her to the Land of the Nine Heavens initially: Lan Xin, Qing Nan, and that amnesiac yet unfathomably powerful white-robed woman.
However, when she returned here, she only saw Lan Xin and Qing Nan, not the white-robed woman.
Lan Xin was very delighted to see her.
"The Gu Clan's people treat us very well, with proper care and respect."
Gu Xian'er also put her mind at ease. Back at the Crescent Moon Sect, Senior Sister Lan Xin had always taken care of her and shown concern. She had hurried over precisely to find out about their safety.
Qing Nan still wore a wide cyan robe, her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, slightly disheveled. Her features were clear and bright, and her eyes especially limpid.
"Your cultivation has broken through to the Dao Realms?" She seemed to see through Gu Xian'er's current change at a glance.
Lan Xin was surprised, not having paid close attention to Gu Xian'er's cultivation. Now that she looked, she realized she could no longer see through her strength.
How long had she been in seclusion, yet she had already broken through to the Dao Realms?
Gu Xian'er did not hide it and nodded.
Her gaze swept over Qing Nan, secretly astonished. Before, her cultivation had been inferior to Qing Nan's and she could not see through her. But now, having broken through to the Dao Realms and possessing strength comparable to the Void Dao Realm after crossing three Heavenly Decline Tribulations, she still felt Qing Nan was shrouded in mist.
"Xian'er…"
At that moment, a fiery red streak flew from deep within the mountain range—Big Red Bird, flapping his wings as he flew over and circled around Gu Xian'er.
Gu Xian'er smiled, extending her hand to let him alight on the back of it.
Big Red Bird chattered away in human speech, unable to change his talkative nature.
"Xian'er, something's not right with this Gu Family. Do you have some secret?" he asked with concern.
"I'll explain to you all later. Where is that white-robed senior? Why haven't I seen her?" Gu Xian'er waved her hand and asked.
Both Lan Xin and Qing Nan fell silent. It was Big Red Bird who spoke bluntly, "That senior was taken away…"
Gu Xian'er was puzzled.
Promptly, Big Red Bird explained what had happened in the Land of the Nine Heavens during the previous days. The Dark Clans had invaded in force and broken through the lower heavens. In the end, only after several End of the Path-level figures appeared and supremely powerful existences hidden in the depths of the Land of the Nine Heavens acted were the Dark Clans driven back.
But that time, the revived Lord of Heaven's Proxy had also acted, taking away an ancient mirror from her person. Following that, the white-robed senior seemed to recover some memories and was taken away by a mysterious figure from deep within the Land of the Nine Heavens.
"Many people are now saying that the white-robed woman senior actually is Saintess Xiyuan of the former Prime-Origin Civilization. The ancient mirror taken away that day was the supreme treasure of the Prime-Origin Civilization, the Mirror of Reincarnation."
Big Red Bird flapped his wings, explaining in a chattering manner.
"So that's how it is…" Gu Xian'er recalled when she first picked up that white-robed senior—the simple ancient mirror in her embrace.
Who could have imagined that such an inconspicuous mirror was the Mirror of Reincarnation, one of the The Six Supreme Treasures of the First Civilization that so many sought?
"What a pity, Xian'er, you didn't take that mirror for yourself back then…" Big Red Bird lamented greatly.
Gu Xian'er knocked his head. "Since when have I been such a greedy person who takes advantage of others' misfortune?"
Big Red Bird mumbled, "Aren't you?"
In front of Lan Xin and Qing Nan, Gu Xian'er resisted the urge to beat him up, her fair face seemingly turning dark with lines.
"Things are different now. The current me… is no longer the same as before," she said.
Unable to argue with her, Big Red Bird could only roll his eyes repeatedly.
Seeing this, both Lan Xin and Qing Nan smiled. Gu Xian'er had finally come out of seclusion; the two seemed genuinely happy for her, having originally fled together from the pursuit of the Dark Clans to the Land of the Nine Heavens—they had shared hardships.
Especially Lan Xin and Gu Xian'er, both of whom had once cultivated in the Crescent Moon Sect.
Afterward, the three of them had a small gathering. In a serene purple bamboo grove, they laid out fine wine and dishes. Over the years at the Gu Clan grounds, Lan Xin and Qing Nan had focused on cultivation and never left. Their knowledge of the outside world came only from what the Gu Clan members told them.
It was also unrealistic for Gu Xian'er to try to learn about outside events through them.
However, she did not bring up her ties to the Gu Family, much less reveal that in the eyes of the Gu Clan, she was their Ancient Ancestor.
"The Heaven-Slaying Alliance grows mightier by the day and is now unstoppable. There is no one in the entire Vast Expanse who dares defy the Alliance's words."
"I heard that the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance personally appeared in the Ancient Treasure Civilization this time, overturning clouds with a flip of his hand and summoning rain with another. With one hand, he detained and suppressed the Grand Priest of the Ancient Treasure Civilization, and with the other, he refined the Master of Fate, the culprit behind the downfall of the Radiant Ancestral Court, into a pill…"
"He even declared that all forces in the Vast Expanse must submit, including the Land of the Nine Heavens."
"Revenge for the Crescent Moon Sect and for Master… seems more hopeless than ever."
In the purple bamboo grove, white mist lingered, serene and quiet. After a few cups of wine, Lan Xin's cheeks flushed, her eyes hazy, as she began recounting the news she knew, her hand clenching the wine cup, seemingly full of indignation and helplessness.
Gu Xian'er did not know how to respond.
Before the Crescent Moon Sect was destroyed, they had dispatched Lan Xin's master, Chen Yi, with the Alliance of Righteous Unity's envoy group to negotiate with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Afterward, Chen Yi's life or death was unknown, with no news at all.
"I did hear, however, that the person behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity in the past was none other than the Master of Fate. The Crescent Moon Sect was destroyed because of the Alliance of Righteous Unity's decision. With the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance killing the Master of Fate, could that be considered avenging the Crescent Moon Sect…" Qing Nan, holding her wine cup, gently swirled it, speaking as if casually or with intent.