Chapter 749: News of an Old Acquaintance

"Fast? It’s been more than ten years. That’s not fast at all. By comparison, for you in the outside world, time probably didn’t pass so quickly. A year? Maybe half a year? When you look at it that way, what do we so-called ’favored children of heaven’ even amount to?"

Chu Shaocheng sighed wistfully, but he quickly shook off the melancholic mood.

Ye Tianling watched him but didn’t explain the reasons behind it.

Gazing at the Thousand Shadows Pool, Ye Tianling’s spirits were low. The joy of seeing Chu Shaocheng couldn’t dispel the desolation in his heart, nor the grief he felt over Feng Chaoge’s death.

He clasped his hands behind his back and stood for a long moment before speaking. "I’m planning to establish a new faction. It’s still just an idea, but I’ve already chosen a name: the Ancestor Dragon Holy Land. Are you interested in joining?"

Chu Shaocheng froze for a second, then a look of excitement spread across his face. "I’ve been waiting for you to say those words for a very long time. All the way from the Soul Burial Starry Sky until now. I’m not just interested—I’m more than willing. If you’ll have me, I’ll become your follower right now."

Chu Shaocheng’s decisiveness took Ye Tianling by surprise.

He had known Chu Shaocheng likely wouldn’t refuse, but he hadn’t expected him to be so quick about it.

"But... I heard from Feng Cailuo that you carry heavy burdens. That you’re the only one left from the Chu Family with a chance to rise. Can you truly leave the Chu Family behind?"

Ye Tianling hesitated slightly.

It wasn’t that he doubted Chu Shaocheng; he just didn’t want to put him in a difficult position because of the Chu Family.

Chu Shaocheng gave a carefree smile, but his tone was filled with a chilling killing intent. "It’s not that I’m the only one from the Chu Family with a chance to rise. It’s that I’m the only one from the Chu Family left. Of course, there are a few others still alive, but they are all traitors. They all deserve to die!"

Ye Tianling instantly understood a great deal. He said at once, "In that case, it’s settled!"

Chu Shaocheng said, "Right. When to start, when to join, when to swear the blood oath—just give the word. I’m at your beck and call.

However, during this time... after the assessment at the Hidden Dragon Demon Cave, the events at the Taiyin Ancient Tomb will cause the Buried Soul Star Domain to truly merge into our current Cosmos.

During this period, I need to wrap things up with the Chu Family. Some people need to be cut down, and if there are any innocents, I need to take them in..."

Chu Shaocheng laid everything out clearly.

Ye Tianling could certainly understand.

With everything settled between them, Chu Shaocheng was clearly invigorated, his entire demeanor glowing with newfound purpose.

"Chu Shaocheng, what major events happened in the Soul Burial Starry Sky after I left? Are Ouyang Ruoxue and Ye Yuemei all right?"

After a moment’s thought, Ye Tianling asked.

There were a few people from the Soul Burial Starry Sky that Ye Tianling still cared deeply about, with Ouyang Ruoxue and Ye Yuemei being chief among them.

"Ouyang Ruoxue was the target of several assassination attempts and nearly underwent Transformation Dao. She was later rescued by the Ancient Fairy, the Jade Fox Goddess of Sumeru Mountain. Her situation wasn’t ideal, I believe, but she should be fully recovered by now."

Chu Shaocheng explained some of what had happened.

Realization dawned on Ye Tianling.

"Ye Cangqian has reappeared. The circumstances are very strange, and we don’t know why, but he’s incredibly domineering. Of course, he’s no longer ’Ye Cangqian.’ He’s changed his name to ’Jiang Lin.’ And that Duan Qianji has changed his name to ’Jiang Wanji’... It’s obvious they’re the same people as before.

This whole affair has always been a huge mystery. I tried to investigate it once, but I had two of my Void Bodies destroyed.

If my Void Bodies weren’t so good at Concealment and completely disconnected from my true identity, I’m afraid I would have met with disaster by now..."

Chu Shaocheng provided another piece of information, one that was enough to put Ye Tianling on high alert.

"I’ve heard whispers about those two. The Jiang Family, the Ji Family, and the other major powers were the ones who initiated and founded the plan in the first place."

Ye Tianling mused, nodding slightly.

"What about Ye Yuemei?"

Ye Tianling asked.

Chu Shaocheng thought for a moment, his expression turning much more solemn. "Ye Yuemei’s situation is... complicated. This... you’ll find out when the time is right. I truly don’t know where to begin, and even if I did, I can’t speak of it."

Chu Shaocheng looked conflicted, his expression grim. It seemed he was holding something back.

"Is this about the Divine Hall of Destiny?"

Ye Tianling asked, hesitating slightly.

"Yes, exactly. That’s why some things can’t be spoken of, even if they’re known. Such words cannot be spread lightly. You should be able to appreciate the Laws involved here. However, you don’t need to worry about her safety."

Chu Shaocheng sighed.

"I understand."

"If you want to know more... rest assured, another part of my true self is still in the Soul Burial Starry Sky. I can go to the Divine Hall of Life personally and try to make contact with her."

"That won’t be necessary. You’d probably just get targeted for assassination yourself. Someone is trying to prevent certain events from unfolding. We’ll know if that’s the case when the Taiyin Ancient Tomb emerges. But since Ye Yuemei is my chosen dao companion, I don’t mind teaching a lesson to anyone who gives her trouble."

"With your strength, if you can find a powerful Dao Body, you could completely unleash the might of an Unparalleled Divine Soldier. Ever since you created that method of fighting across Realms back in the Small World, many powerful cultivators have made a special study of that path. They hunt down other experts, leaving them barely alive, and then enslave them with special techniques. Their goal is to use Refinement to turn them into Puppets, which can unleash heaven-defying Battle Power at a critical moment."

Chu Shaocheng’s words made a shiver run down Ye Tianling’s spine, and his thoughts immediately turned to the deceased Feng Chaoge.

’What’s even more terrifying... I can see an even more horrifying possibility. If an enemy truly wanted to kill me, but did it using the ’shell’ of an expert from another major power... in the end, even if the Thunder Inference King himself investigated, he probably wouldn’t find a single trace. It would be impossible to track.’

’This method is completely different from Transformation or simple disguise. It’s a true ’incarnation’.’

’It would be like if the Ji Family wanted me dead. They could get Feng Chaoge’s body, revive her with a Secret Technique, and then use their own will to control her and attack me.’

’In the end, everyone would think that Feng Chaoge was the one who killed me. No one would ever suspect the Ji Family!’

The information from Chu Shaocheng had made Ye Tianling consider a host of terrifying possibilities.

Although the chances of something like that happening were low, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

’I hope that day never comes... I hope my dao companions are all safe... But if I’m ever truly pushed to the brink, I’ll come back here, retrieve Feng Chaoge’s body, and unleash the Dark Matter Soul Poison. I’ll slaughter this entire Cosmos and have it serve as her funeral offering!’

In that moment, a sliver of viciousness, a hint of madness, was born in Ye Tianling’s heart.