Elder Wangxian's attitude was very humble. He dared not underestimate Gu Changge in the slightest. Every word was clearly weighed and considered, standing from the perspective of the greater good of all living beings.
If Gu Changge were to directly refuse on these grounds, then what would become of the Heaven-Slaying doctrines he had so widely propagated? Would it be self-contradiction?
At that time, a great war would inevitably erupt between the various Super Multiverses and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Even knowing full well that the outcome would be catastrophic, with countless cosmic beings perishing, they would still have no other choice.
Thus, the only method for now was delay.
The End of the Path-level figures of the various Super Multiverses also deeply understood this principle. If they clashed head-on, they were no match for Gu Changge, and on the contrary, they might perish in the ensuing battle.
But if they sided with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and chose to slay Heaven, then in the future, when the Heavenly Dao's Will awakened and the epoch of heaven and earth ended prematurely, no matter how vast their divine powers, they would still be unable to escape the Reckoning and would inevitably face a tribulation.
No matter which path they took, there was no good outcome.
To invite Elder Wangxian to step forward and sacrifice an End of the Path figure to test Gu Changge's attitude, thereby negotiating with him and proposing a pact, was the only method they could think of at present.
They would not interfere with the affairs of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, but the Heaven-Slaying Alliance could not forcibly coerce them either.
Whether this method could be realized depended on Gu Changge's attitude. How could he not see through their intentions? But it would all come down to whether he truly intended to give the living beings of the Vast Expanse a chance.
After Elder Wangxian finished speaking, he fell silent, waiting for Gu Changge's response.
The Lifeless Hall Master and the other End of the Path existences also did not speak much. The Divine Lord, who had been intimidated earlier, still had a shadow over his heart. Gu Changge, with just a glance, had extinguished an unknown number of his divine kingdoms, illustrating the immense disparity in their cultivation and strength.
It was estimated that even if several True Path-level figures joined forces, they would still be no match for Gu Changge.
Gu Changge still stood with his hands behind his back, quietly within the spacetime void, offering no response. His robes seemed to flutter gently, stirred by the void winds.
A stifling and terrifying atmosphere suddenly shrouded this place.
Elder Wangxian's expression gradually grew solemn.
The group of End of the Path existences behind him also secretly prepared themselves.
Fire God Zhu Rong was incredibly shaken inwardly. He had not expected that the masters of the various Super Multiverses would appear for such a matter.
He too was extremely nervous, holding his breath. This situation was truly unprecedented, for whether Gu Changge agreed or not would likely determine the entire ensuing situation in the Vast Expanse.
If he refused, would all the Super Multiverses be drawn in, erupting into an unprecedented, world-shaking war?
In such a scene, who knew how many beings would die? Countless billions would not suffice to describe it; even Dao Realm beings would be reduced to mere weeds.
At this moment, Yan Ji had already fully regained her senses. Her jade hands clenched tightly, feeling the unprecedented tension in the air. Subconsciously, out of habit, she spoke out: "Young... Young Master..."
Hearing this form of address, the hearts of all the End of the Path existences present jumped. The Divine Lord was even more terrified.
They had only deduced that this woman had considerable karmic entanglements with the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, with some existing ties. Could she have been his maid before?
If so, did she know something of Gu Changge's origins?
And after Yan Ji uttered those two words subconsciously, she immediately regretted it.
This place was filled with the most supreme figures of the current Vast Expanse, standing at the very peak. How could she possibly interrupt them? Moreover, so many years had passed. Gu Changge was now the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, whose single word could decide the fate of all worlds in the Vast Expanse. He was already completely different from the young master of the Gu Family in the Shanhai True World from back then.
She had to admit, facing Gu Changge now, she could not suppress the fear in her heart.
"Hm?"
However, to Yan Ji's great surprise, just as she had subconsciously called out that form of address due to excessive nervousness, Gu Changge actually responded to her. A faint smile hung on his face, as gentle as ever.
"N... Nothing..."
In an instant, Yan Ji felt her eyes redden slightly, and her moist lips trembled gently.
"I understand your intentions and plans. By principle, there is no such thing as unearned benefits in this world. Sitting back and reaping rewards without taking risks is impossible."
"But within this Vast Expanse, there are indeed many people I care about. Therefore, I will give you this one opportunity. I will wait for the day when the Heavenly Dao's Will truly awakens. On the day of the Grand Heaven-Slaying Ceremony, I will personally judge it."
"Before that day, I give you time to make your choice and place your bets. However, during this period, no End of the Path existence is allowed to intervene. If any end-of-the-path existence interferes in the affairs of the Vast Expanse, I will not hesitate to refine them into pills again and bestow them upon my subordinates."
"I grant this opportunity to you, and to all living beings of the Vast Expanse."
Gu Changge spoke at this moment. His tone was still as casual and indifferent as ever, as if discussing a trivial matter, devoid of any worldly smoke.
But upon hearing these words, Elder Wangxian breathed a sigh of relief, then gave a deep bow and said, "On behalf of all living beings in the Vast Expanse, this old man thanks the Alliance Leader."
"Thank you, Alliance Leader."
The group of End of the Path existences behind him—the Three Pure Ones Dao Lords, the Great Luo Dao Lord, the Yuan Lord, the Barbarian Lord, and others—also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the great mountain hanging over their heads had finally been removed.
For the current phase, they had managed to buy some time. This was the most they could achieve.
As for what to do next, they could only take things one step at a time.
"People I care about?"
Fire God Zhu Rong also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze, however, stealthily flicked towards Yan Ji. Could it be that her words just now had caused Gu Changge to change his mind? He had thought a great battle was inevitable, and his whole body had tensed up.
"May I ask, Alliance Leader, on which day do you intend to hold the Grand Heaven-Slaying Ceremony?" Elder Wangxian asked.
The Heavenly Dao consciousness had not yet fully awakened; there was only a faint sign. Once the Heavenly Dao's Will fully awakened, that would essentially mark the beginning of the Heaven and Earth Epoch Cataclysm.
At that time, even the Reckoning Envoys from the Land of Truth would not dare to obstruct it.
Before the Heavenly Dao's Will, the Reckoning Envoys amounted to nothing, unless they could obtain the decree of those three. But could a Reckoning Envoy even make contact with those three?
"On the day the Heaven-Slaying Platform is erected, the Heavenly Dao's Will will be awakened with the blood of the Nine Heavens. That day, we shall slay Heaven..." Gu Changge said casually.
Elder Wangxian understood that the Nine Heavens referred to the Heavenly Avatars buried in the Land of the Nine Heavens. Those avatars had manifested during the Great War Against Heaven before being sealed. It seemed that before the Grand Heaven-Slaying Ceremony, the Heavenly Avatars sealed in the Land of the Nine Heavens would be released in advance to serve as sacrificial offerings for the ceremony.
Throughout history, Heaven could never be killed, only sealed.
Even the weakest Heavenly Avatar possessed power comparable to an End of the Path existence. As long as the Heavenly Dao's Will existed, after a Heavenly Avatar was killed, it would still reappear.
But the number of Heavenly Avatars was fixed, corresponding to a certain mystical number.
In the legends circulating among some True Worlds, there had appeared so-called Heavenly Tombs, within which were buried Heavenly Avatars and the Lesser Six Paths Reincarnation. In truth, these were merely projections of the true Heavenly Avatars. For example, a single thought from an End of the Path existence like the Three Pure Ones Dao Lords or the Tathagata Buddha Lord could, in some cosmic worlds, give rise to what were known as projections, transmitting Dao arts and myths. The passing of their projections did not mean the passing of their true selves.
Without the suppression of the Heavenly Dao's Will, the current End of the Path existences would already possess countless supreme powers—supreme across the myriad heavens, unparalleled in all realms, eternally carefree and indestructible, capable of consolidating past and future.
"The Heavenly Avatars sealed in the Land of the Nine Heavens are merely the lesser Heavenly Avatars. The five great Heavenly Avatars—August Heaven, Vast Heaven, Azure Heaven, Supreme Heaven, Merciful Heaven—have never appeared..."
"In past Great Wars Against Heaven, it was never necessary for the five great Heavenly Avatars to appear. Any one of these great avatars possesses power comparable to the True Path Realm. Throughout history, no True Path Realm existence has ever dared to slay Heaven."
"Those who slay Heaven have always followed the Heretic Dao..."
"Whether this Heaven-Slaying Platform can be built is still an unknown."
Elder Wangxian sighed inwardly.
After that, having obtained the desired result from Gu Changge, he took his leave along with the group of End of the Path existences.
The various Super Multiverses would also, in accordance with Gu Changge's demand today, restrain all their members.
End of the Path existences were not allowed to intervene. That meant they could not contest the surging fortunes, various opportunities, and creations currently emerging in the Vast Expanse. They had to leave those opportunities to the other beings of the Vast Expanse and were even forbidden from setting foot in it.
To be honest, the only thing the various End of the Path existences cared about now was the Authority of the Heavenly Dao. They did not care about the wellspring of opportunities and creations surfacing in the Vast Expanse.
As for walking the path to Supreme Shattering, it was far too difficult. A single misstep could turn everything to nothing, reducing one to dust, leaving nothing behind. Very few could accomplish it.
Moreover, there was no experience to draw from on this path. Even if a Supreme Shattering existence imparted all of their life's wisdom, knowledge, and experience, it would still be useless. If Zhang San walked a certain path and Li Si tried to walk it again, Li Si would undoubtedly die. All experience told them that the path to Supreme Shattering was wrong the moment one spoke of it, mistaken the moment one thought about it, and fatal the moment one walked it. One could only grope and attempt it alone...
In contrast, the Authority of the Heavenly Dao carried almost no risk. Unfortunately, there were only nine positions, and now only the Karma Authority had yet to appear.
The reason many End of the Path existences had emerged was precisely because the Karma Authority was highly likely to manifest during this great upheaval of heaven and earth. This was their opportunity.
The Master of Fate had also been scheming for the Karma Authority all along, but unfortunately, he encountered Gu Changge, and in the end, everything turned to nothing.
"Many thanks to the Alliance Leader for your assistance."
"I have come on behalf of Lord Strength Master behind me."
After Elder Wangxian and the other existences had departed, Fire God Zhu Rong regained his composure and respectfully stated his purpose for coming.
"You need not say more; I already know. Yan Ji once followed me and did many things for me. During these years in the Endless Fire Domain, she has been under your care. I will remember this kindness."
Gu Changge waved his hand, then with a casual beckon, Number Two of the Lifeless Hall, who had been turned into a sheet of scrap paper, fell into his palm. An indescribable, majestic power then enveloped him, as if altering his very essence. Number Two was filled with terror and despair. In the next moment, a hazy gray light covered him. Though he could not scream, Fire God Zhu Rong still felt that despair and shuddered involuntarily.
Before the Lifeless Hall Master had left, he hadn't even glanced at this Number Two. It seemed he had already withdrawn the power from him, and Number Two had now fallen from the End of the Path domain.
Afterward, a wisp of pitch-black flame, brimming with murderous aura, appeared. Spacetime scorched around it but did not collapse, instead riddled with countless broken holes. Gu Changge casually tossed this wisp of flame to Fire God Zhu Rong.
"Thank you for your bestowed gift, Alliance Leader."
Seeing that the previously arrogant and indifferent Number Two had been refined into a wisp of flame, Fire God Zhu Rong's emotions were complex. To be one's own Dao, one's own law, and to alter the essence of a living being with a single thought—such methods were already beyond his cognition and understanding.
"Let's go."
Spacetime silently split open, and a portal appeared. Gu Changge stepped into it, with Yan Ji obediently following behind. After hesitating for a moment, Fire God Zhu Rong also followed with his mount, Buting Huyu.
In an instant, the group returned to the palace where the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was located.
Fire God Zhu Rong tactfully withdrew with his mount first, waiting outside the hall.
Yan Ji's eyes were red, her head lowered, unsure how to express her longing and other emotions. Various thoughts swirled in her mind. In a daze, the scene seemed to freeze on that first meeting, in the damp and gloomy dungeon of the Taichu Holy Land. The gears of fate had shifted from that moment.
In a trance, she saw again that noble and extraordinary, handsome and peerless young nobleman of that day. He had descended with a smile, bringing pills and offering to recruit her. Feeling gratitude for Ye Chen's kindness, she had politely declined his goodwill. In the blink of an eye, he was now the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, a man who intimidated the entire Vast Expanse and was unparalleled throughout the ages. Even her own ancestor, Fire God Zhu Rong, was respectful and fearful towards him.
He seemed to still be him, yet he also seemed completely different...
"Time truly flies. Even you, Yan Ji, are about to reach the True Dao Realm." Gu Changge spoke with a smile, seemingly nostalgic.
When he had just returned to the upper realm, Yan Ji was at the Great Sage Realm, far stronger than Su Qingge, Jiang Chuchu, Yue Mingkong, and the others. Her innate talent was actually inferior to theirs, but now her cultivation and strength were in a league of her own.
A large part of this was because after arriving in the Vast Expanse, the Strength Master had given her many opportunities.
Of course, that was a favor and a gesture of goodwill given on account of Gu Changge's face.
At this moment, Yan Ji also understood why an existence like the Strength Master had once summoned her and treated her with some politeness.
She lifted her head and said softly, "Young Master, you've changed so much. I had only imagined it, because I once heard from your own lips that you intended to establish an alliance to slay Heaven. But I truly never imagined that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was indeed founded by you..."
Gu Changge laughed. "So you are surprised?"
"Only you, Young Master, possess such boldness and supreme power. After knowing it was you, I'm no longer surprised." Yan Ji shook her head in reply.
Gu Changge smiled without speaking. Yan Ji was among the earliest group to follow him. Even Ling Yuxian, the White Bone Ancestor King, and Hun Yuanjun now were far behind her.
After that, he asked about her experiences over these years. He could have learned all this with a single thought, but if everything were handled that way, it would be a bit too dull.
He could tell that after so many years apart, Yan Ji still held some fear towards him. This emotion stemmed from her broadened horizons.
She had, after all, spent some time in the Endless Fire Domain. Whether it was Fire God Zhu Rong or the Strength Master, both were top-tier figures of the current age. The Strength Master was someone that even many True Path-level figures feared.
Under their influence, Yan Ji had more or less learned some of the secrets of this world.
So the more she knew, the more fearful she became of Gu Changge.
Gu Changge had long grown accustomed to this attitude from all living beings, and he was not surprised. But Yan Ji was someone who had followed him for a very long time. In the past, Yue Mingkong had even secretly investigated the relationship between him and Yan Ji and, at the Divine Consort Conferment Ceremony, had given him a small booklet, even attempting to confer upon Yan Ji the title of Flame Consort.
This showed that in Yue Mingkong's eyes at the time, the relationship between Yan Ji and him was ambiguous and unclear.
Gu Changge actually disliked it when those close to him were too afraid of him.
Perhaps it was the experience of living as a mortal that had given him a deeper understanding of humanity and more insights, granting him a bit more patience now to give those around him some warmth.
When Elder Wangxian proposed the deal, Gu Changge's first reaction was, in truth, a laugh. But the sight of Yan Ji speaking out of turn due to nervousness and fear instantly reminded him of many faces.
At least before the Grand Heaven-Slaying Ceremony, he ought to give them an explanation.
"In the Shanhai True World, I accidentally found the prayer mat left behind by my ancestor, awakening some of his will..."
Yan Ji slowly recounted her experiences. In the process, her emotions gradually calmed down.
Gu Changge was still that Gu Changge. It was only some of her views and perceptions that had changed.
Outside, aside from the various End of the Path existences, almost no other beings knew that an agreement concerning the stability of the Vast Expanse had been reached in that spacetime beyond the heavens.
This matter concluded very quickly. The various Super Multiverses soon issued corresponding proclamations about the agreement: End of the Path-level existences were not to intervene or set foot in the Vast Expanse.
This caused immense uproar and shock among the various True Worlds and civilizations. Many ancient existences speculated that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the various Super Multiverses had likely reached an agreement.
In this way, the situation in the Vast Expanse was temporarily stabilized, and no major conflicts would erupt.
The Land of the Nine Heavens also soon issued a corresponding restraining proclamation, stating they would abide by this agreement. The Nightmare Demon Domain had no reaction, and the Ancient Treasure Civilization remained utterly silent.
Several days later, the Dark Clans in the Nightmare Demon Domain stirred. Qiluo, the Fourth Sacrificial Priest, representing the Dark Clans, intended to deliver the Mirror of Reincarnation and expressed that the Dark Clans were willing to abide by the agreement.