Chapter 1717. She still had a move up her sleeve and planned to set off.

“I understand, Alliance Master. Don’t worry, I will ensure the Pool of Creation is brought back safely.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xuan immediately straightened, his entire demeanor solemn, and responded with complete seriousness.

This time, the Dark Beings had descended upon the Xiyuan Civilization from the Chaotic Temporal Sea, likely to contend for the Gate of Immortality and the Mirror of Reincarnation.

After all, these two treasures of civilization were both in the Xiyuan Civilization.

As long as the Alliance Master remained here, the Dark Beings would absolutely dare not intervene for the time being. But once he left… who would stop the oncoming Dark Beings? The consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhu Xuan understood this clearly. At this moment, the weight on his shoulders felt even heavier. Now, he bore not only the blood vengeance of his clan and master, but also the safety of all the boundless worlds.

“Rest assured. During this process, I will instruct people to accompany you and ensure your safety.”

“Also, this is an ancient tAh Lisman I personally inscribed, containing a portion of my power. In critical moments, it will save your life.”

Gu Changge smiled faintly, raised a finger, and traced patterns in the void. Streams of flowing light gathered to form an ancient rune, which, with a whoosh, entered Zhu Xuan’s brow.

Zhu Xuan was slightly startled, then felt an ancient, magnificent, boundless aura materiAh Lize in his brow, constantly emitting a gentle and soothing power.

This force could protect his soul, keeping him clear-headed at all times, immune to the corruption of dark matter.

“Thank you, Alliance Master. I will not betray your trust.”

A deep sense of gratitude immediately surfaced on his face.

The others on the Floating Continent, seeing this, could not help but show a bit of envy. Zhu Xuan was so highly regarded by Gu Changge—not only entrusted with such an important mission, but also given such a life-saving method.

Watching all of this unfold, Ah Li felt that things had just become much more complicated. It seemed that the matter of the Pool of Creation could not be hidden from this mysterious and unfathomable Alliance Master.

With him involved, the future would inevitably become fraught with many unpredictable changes.

What eased Ah Li slightly was that, until they bid farewell and left, the Alliance Master had not asked anything about her identity or background.

At last, the string of tension she had been holding finally loosened. Otherwise, she would have worried that over time, she might reveal some abnormAh Lity or flaw.

Ling Yuling did not leave together with Zhu Xuan and the others. She simply assisted them in leaving, then returned to Gu Changge’s side.

“Are you really confident that Zhu Xuan will find the Pool of Creation?”

She showed a trace of puzzlement, unable to guess Gu Changge’s intentions.

“I’m simply optimistic about him. After all, he carries the aura of a protagonist,” Gu Changge said casually.

Ling Yuling nodded thoughtfully.

Actually, she felt that what Gu Changge had just said was correct. The Dark Beings had suddenly appeared across the Boundless Realms, certainly with some purpose; seizing the treasures of civilization might just be one of their objectives.

In the near future, there would undoubtedly be even greater calamities awaiting everyone.

No matter what, the Pool of Creation must not fall into the hands of the Dark Beings.

“Recently, several ancient figures from the Xudan Civilization have come to me, seeking to form an alliance to jointly resist the Black Calamity, but all wanted to bypass the Path-Cleaving Alliance…”

Ling Yuling recalled another matter, frowning slightly.

“They want the protection of the Path-Cleaving Alliance, but do not want to be governed by it. Is that it?” Gu Changge smiled faintly.

Ling Yuling nodded lightly and said, “Yes.”

“So, what do you intend to do?” Gu Changge asked.

“I’ll just follow your instructions for now,” Ling Yuling replied, shaking her head.

Gu Changge said calmly, “Then things are simple. Take my imperial decree with you. If the Xudan Civilization submits, all the better. If they resist, then use my decree to summon the Path-Cleaving Alliance’s army to punish them.”

“With the cautionary example of the Xudan Civilization, other civilizations will surely think twice.”

Ling Yuling nodded, quietly sighing.

If unnecessary, she truly did not wish to provoke a war between two supreme civilizations.

In terms of foundation, the Xudan Civilization was not much weaker than the Xiyuan Civilization. But unlike the currently unified Xiyuan Civilization, Xudan was fragmented. Without the treasures of civilization to guard them, Xudan could not resist the Path-Cleaving Alliance’s punitive forces.

Moreover, with Gu Changge personally present, any other supreme civilization that wanted to aid Xudan would need to seriously consider whether they could withstand Gu Changge’s wrath and the Path-Cleaving Alliance’s counterattack.

Furthermore, with the Black Calamity now descending, each civilization was too busy defending themselves. How could they spare energy to help other civilizations?

“The Dark Beings will not attack Xiyuan Civilization for now, but they will certainly seek other targets. You should know the final resting place of the First Armor and Spear, from when you and the sages resisted the Black Calamity,” Gu Changge said casually, picking up a teacup from the stone table and taking a sip.

“The First Armor and Spear?”

Ling Yuling was startled, frowning tightly. “Do you mean the armor worn by the Lord of Heaven and that demonic spear?”

Gu Changge nodded, lightly placing down the teacup, his fingers tapping the table slowly.

“You should know what significance they hold for the remnants of the Black Calamity,” he asked with a faint smile.

“Of course I understand.”

Ling Yuling nodded. “After the Lord of Heaven was sealed, his corpse was locked in the Burial Coffin. The armor, stained with black blood, tried to escape once separated from the body. But the Central Lord and his followers, anticipating this, set a net of Heaven and Earth, along with the Yin-Yang Rotation Array, drawing the energies of the Eight Extremes to trap it.”

“But the Lord of Heaven’s weapon could not be stopped. Its blood-stained energy was boundless; even a trace of its aura could obliterate entire worlds. No one at the time could resist it, so it ultimately flew away and disappeared without a trace.”

“The Central Lord? So, was that armor ultimately taken by him?”

Gu Changge asked, nodding slightly as he listened.

Ling Yuling said, “As for what happened afterward, I’m not too clear. Whether the Central Lord destroyed it or sealed it, I don’t know. But I guess he eventually found a suitable place to seal it. That armor is indestructible, probably impossible to destroy.”

Gu Changge smiled. “If that’s the case, after so many years, the Black Calamity remnants may have already found that armor.”

Ling Yuling sighed lightly. “If that’s so, there’s nothing to be done. The Shining Court that the Central Lord built has long since collapsed into the dust of history. If one wants to find clues from back then, the only hope is that his bloodline descendants still exist.”

“Such a pity, but also fortunate. If all clues are gone, the Black Calamity remnants likely cannot recover that armor,” Gu Changge said, nodding as he stroked the teacup.

Ling Yuling appeared to fall into thought, frowning. “Compared to that armor, I am more worried about the spear. Even the combined efforts of the sages and the treasures of civilization couldn’t stop it; it flew away.”

“If the Black Calamity remnants obtain that spear, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. Its ferocity would be unimaginable. At that time, even you might not be able to resist it…”

Her worry was not unfounded. She had personally witnessed the terrifying power of that spear. Wherever its light passed, worlds collapsed, the universe crumbled, obliterating everything. Nothing could withstand it.

Even now, in the Boundless Realms, could anyone resist such horrifying might?

“You’re actually worried about me now,” Gu Changge said, reaching out to touch Ling Yuling’s face.

Her face blushed, tinged with a slight glow, long eyelashes trembling, gaze lowered, seemingly too shy to meet his eyes directly.

“I understand what you must do, and I only want to help…” Ling Yuling said softly.

Gu Changge smiled faintly, saying nothing further.

Then, with such concern, Ling Yuling left. She needed to go to the Xiyuan Sanctuary next, taking Xiyin—disguised as the Xiyuan Saintess—with her to the Xudan Civilization.

After Ling Yuling left, Gu Changge’s smile faded. He went to the courtyard, hands behind his back, gazing at the flourishing peach trees. His expression grew deep and contemplative as he pondered Ling Yuling’s gradual change in attitude.

At first, he thought Ling Yuling had genuinely let go of her defenses, so he relaxed, willing to let her act on his behalf.

Yet, when he casually mentioned the Six Harmonies Abyss and the Eight Desolate Demon Spear, Ling Yuling showed no doubt or suspicion.

This gave Gu Changge a trace of suspicion.

He had spared Ling Yuling’s life partly because his calculations had sensed a deep causal connection between her and the Six Harmonies Abyss. But now, she seemed completely unaware. Moreover, she hadn’t lied just now.

After all, if Ling Yuling had lied, she could never have deceived Gu Changge.

“It seems you still have a move hidden. Let’s see if your backup can come into play,” Gu Changge thought.

His mind remained calm; he was in no rush to recover the Six Harmonies Abyss. Mentioning it in front of Ling Yuling had been a test of her reaction.

Recently, her behavior had been unusually compliant. Gu Changge never truly trusted anyone, especially someone who had once opposed him. Even Jiang Chuchu, Yue Mingkong, and Gu Xian’er were no exception.

Ling Yuling had been with him only a short while. Although she had given herself to him that one drunken night, that did not mean she would submit fully.

She had faced the Black Calamity before, fearless in the face of death. Now, her conduct suggested she had abandoned part of her true self. Over time, the memories tied to that part of herself had been blurred and severed, eventually vanishing.

Hence, she now seemed to lack an important portion of her memory, her words and deeds differing from before.

Her aim was clearly to preempt this moment, protecting that portion of her memory from Gu Changge.

“The Cold Crow doesn’t know the cloaked woman, so it seems someone from the Celestials slipped in. Well hidden, but their temperament is too poor, easily exposed…”

“Still, this underhanded plan is clever.”

Gu Changge returned to the courtyard, sipping the now-cooling tea, recalling the cloaked woman who had kept her head low.

No one could hide their origin from him, especially those from his former Dominion of Heaven.

The woman had some skill, but not much, so Gu Changge had little interest in her and did not expose her.

Now, he was more curious about whoever orchestrated this plan behind the scenes.

At the Path-Cleaving Alliance headquarters, after Ling Yuling sent Zhu Xuan, Shangguan Qing, Ah Li, and the others out, they were temporarily housed in nearby palace halls arranged by the high-ranking members.

After a morning of anxious waiting, finally, a sense of relief settled over them.

Zhu Xuan was visibly the most exhilarated and excited. After properly settling his grandfather, he immediately sought out Shangguan Qing and the others to discuss finding the Pool of Creation.

He felt that, entrusted personally by Gu Changge and granted the tAh Lisman, if he failed to retrieve the Pool of Creation before the Dark Beings, he would betray the Alliance Master’s trust.

Moreover, he could not repay Gu Changge for saving his grandfather.

Compared to Zhu Xuan’s excitement, the others on the Floating Continent were more composed, though on the way out, they marveled at how different the Alliance Master was from rumors.

The Path-Cleaving Alliance Master was notorious, reputedly a “demonic sect leader,” bringing chaos to Xiyuan Civilization, destroying countless lineages and clans with ruthless methods that struck fear in all.

Yet today, seeing him in person shattered all doubts and assumptions.

“From his title alone, one can see his might. The current peace and stability of Xiyuan Civilization, unthreatened by the Dark Beings, is entirely due to the Alliance Master’s protection,” Zhu Xuan said with admiration.

Shangguan Qing and the others nodded, showing their agreement and respect.

“Ah Li, rest assured. I will not forget my promise. As for the Pool of Creation, trust me—I will not let it fall into the hands of the Dark Beings.”

“If you seek revenge, I will petition the Alliance Master on your behalf. He will certainly consider your help in finding the Pool of Creation,” Zhu Xuan said, glancing at Ah Li, who had been silent and preoccupied since leaving.

He sensed that Ah Li was worried because Gu Changge now knew about the Pool of Creation.

From Ah Li’s perspective, she might indeed worry that the Alliance Master would claim the Pool for himself.

But from the perspective of the greater good, it was better for the Pool to serve the Alliance Master than to fall into the Dark Beings’ hands, aiding in resisting the Black Calamity.

“You’ve made quite a calculation, wanting me to act as your tool to find the Pool of Creation?”

“When we were on the Floating Continent, you needed me to survive. Now, having allied with the Alliance Master, you want me to be your tool?”

Ah Li’s eyes under the hood revealed a trace of mockery, her tone calm and indifferent.

Zhu Xuan paused, embarrassed, knowing he had overstepped and was in the wrong.

“I’m sorry, Miss Ah Li, that’s not what I meant…”

He began to explain, but Ah Li ignored him, taking her white True Hound to a distant hall to rest.

Zhu Xuan had no choice but to discuss with Shangguan Qing and the others. They decided to leave part of the group at the Path-Cleaving Alliance and send the rest back to Yuxian Palace to care for the elderly and infirm, including Elder Zhu.

Then, he and the remaining strong fighters would set off, relying on fragmented memories to locate the ancestral site of the Pan Clan and seek clues to the Pool of Creation.

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