Chapter 267, Overly Discreet Creator of Demonic Arts, Dark Horse

"Young Master Changge, you're joking… How could we ever suspect you?" Feeling an agonising ring in his head, Jun Gou hastily replied as his face turn pale. His voice trembled, and he could hardly finish his sentences as he finally got to experience Gu Changge's spine-chilling, terrorizing intimidation.

"Qingge, release your Knowledge Sea and let them see whether you're related to the Successor of Demonic Arts." Disregarding Jun Gou's response, Gu Changge then repeated with an unwavering tone. "Since they are too much of a coward to check mine, I shall visit Confucian Saint School once again someday and have someone more courageous do it." 

In that instant, forget the disciples of Confucian Saint School, even all the nearby cultivators were terrified. They felt menaced by his tone of speech, thinking that Gu Changge was angered. After all, him coming to Confucian Saint School might indicate that he wouldn't mind starting an Immortal War with them. This would mean chaos within the trillions of kilometers, every inch being bathed with blood.

As for scrutinising his Knowledge Sea, not even the founder of Confucian Saint School would dare to do so. As a matter of fact, that was the same reason why none dared to investigate Ying Shuang when he was suspected to be the Successor of Demonic Arts. After all, all Young Masters were the representation of their respective families. Furthermore, Gu Changge's identity was indubitably more significant than that of Ying Shuang. 

Hearing that, Jun Gou and the rest were startled and subconsciously shivered. Their lips paled and their legs uncontrollably trembled, as though they were forced to insanity. In a rather derisive way, although Confusion Saint School was a sect that stood since ancient times, possessing endless legacies, they were nothing compared to an Immortal Family, especially the ever so enigmatic yet almighty Immortal Gu Family. 

"Yes, Young Master." Upon those words, Su Qingge obediently closed her eyes and opened up her Knowledge Sea. 

Nonetheless, there was nothing but silence. The disciples and cultivators were too timid to speak a word as they deliberately lowered the sound of their breath, bearing not the courage to search Su Qingge's Knowledge Sea.

"Are you mocking me?" Gu Changge's voice, filled with coldness, sounded again as he glared at the people of Confucian Saint School. At that moment, terrifying anomalies surged in the sky. Even the bystanders who were far away were frightened, so it was certain that the dread in the hearts of the people of Confucian Saint School was unfathomable. 

*Thump!* The next second, the people of Confucian Saint School, including Jun Gou, immediately knelt down despite their reluctance and the humiliation. 

"We are at fault in this matter! We shouldn't have doubted Lady Su! We beg for your mercy and forgiveness, Young Master Changge! We shall make it up to Lady Su!" Seeing that, the bystanders were confused and nervous. Regardless, it was only deserved that the humiliators faced such an outcome. Moreover, compared to a search of someone's Knowledge Sea, kneeling was hardly shameful.

After fifteen minutes of silence, as usual, none dared to let out a word, while the people of Confucian Saint School were shaking, growing immensely anxious from thinking about the other possible outcome.

"Nevermind. I have my understanding of the Successor of Demonic Arts. If Qingge is actually related to it, I'll be the first to stop her without any mercy, but if anyone dares to mess with her, do not blame me for being ruthless." With that, Gu Changge waved his hand as he reverted to his calm look.

"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master Changge!" The people of Confucian Saint School, as if they were just dragged out of the waters, were drenched in cold sweat.

Followingly, with the misunderstanding settled, the people of Confucian Saint School compensated Su Qingge handsomely, offering weapons and Sacred Herbs. Wordlessly, Su Qingge followed Gu Changge as they left Confucian Saint School behind. 

As for the Successor of Demonic Arts, none had any idea what disguise he was now donning. Back in the Celestial Ancient Continent, the Successor of Demonic Arts was spotted imitating the appearance of others and hiding among the innocent. As such, the masses had no way of dealing with the Successor of Demonic Arts, and all they could do was keep their guards up at all times so they wouldn't perish like Zhao Xiaoyao, who fell into the hands of the Successor of Demonic Arts.

Right now, the people of Confucian Saint School were filled with remorse. Not only did they embarrass themselves, but they also offended Gu Changge. At once, all sorts of discussion and opinions regarding Gu Changge's actions surged, whereby many expressed that his actions were justified, whereas Confucian Saint School was at fault for drawing conclusions without getting their facts straight.

…

After departing from Eternal Overcast Battlefield, Gu Changge brought Su Qingge back to his temporary manor, though he was rather distant with her on the way back. His eyes were visibly deep and calm as numerous thoughts flashed across his mind. 

[My setup this time around is basically flawless in terms of what I did and the timing. No matter how smart Su Qingge is, she'll never notice that I'm the one who pinned the blame on her. And with me coming to defend her in the nick of time, I'm sure she likes me even more now.]

Right now, Gu Changge was pretty much certain that Su Qingge was the new Successor of Demonic Arts. After all, his Grand Flask was highly sensitive to any traces of the Demonic Arts. Although Su Qingge couldn't detect his presence, as long as they weren't too far apart, he would be able to detect her Grand Flask that was condensed by runes. It was as if a genuine product met its counterfeit, and a really cheap one at that. 

As such, even Gu Changge was tempted to question her whether she learned at least a hundredth of Forbidden Demonic Arts, which he seriously doubted. In fact, succeeding the Forbidden Demonic Arts wasn't simply condensing the Grand Flask to absorb powers as it involved countless other Secret Techniques such as Entanglement Immortal Might, Demonization, Supreme Freed Mind, and Against the Heavens Technique, the names of which Su Qingge possibly never heard of, let alone learnt about them.

Thus, Gu Changge reckoned that Su Qingge only succeeded barely a fragment of the legacy of Forbidden Demonic Arts, which was probably the case for every former Successor of Demonic Arts. After all, the creator of Forbidden Demonic Arts was overly discreet. Though, judging from the clues Gu Changge could find, he thought that the creator of Forbidden Demonic Arts might have created a few inferior copies of himself, given how similar they were, in that they wanted to keep their abilities secret. 

Seeing Gu Changge's deep, tranquil eyes, Su Qingge, who was following behind, could vaguely figure out what he was contemplating, though she didn't quite know what to say to him.

Although the conflict was dealt with, judging by Gu Changge's reaction earlier, he only showed up upon obtaining certain information. In other words, he hadn't the slightest idea that she would be coming to Southern Flourishing Heaven, and him claiming that his mother instructed her to look for him was only an excuse he fabricated in order to defend her. Thanks to her intelligence, Su Qingge quickly understood Gu Changge's motive, to which she tactfully played along. 

And now, Gu Changge was clearly waiting for her to start explaining herself. After organising her thoughts, Su Qingge subconsciously blinked her eyes as she pulled Gu Changge's sleeves, after which she spoke in a kittenish tone.

"Young Master, I'm sorry for lying to you…"

"Oh, you did what now?" Withdrawing from his contemplation, Gu Changge casually asked without turning back, as if he was awaiting Su Qingge's confession. 

"Young Master, I shouldn't have lied to you, saying that I've come to Southern Flourishing Heaven to look for you," she honestly answered, knowing very well that lying straight to his face would undoubtedly infuriate him. 

"Oh, since you weren't here for me, does that mean you don't have the intention to see me at all?" Gu Changge blandly asked.

"It's not like you're keen to see me anyway. I wouldn't know what to do if you were to reject my visit…" Su Qingge sounded somewhat frustrated. 

Enthralled, Gu Changge then questioned, "But why would I do that?" 

"You've never paid me a visit ever since you left me in Primal Celestial Temple. I'd thought you had forgotten about me. I'm sure women are lining up for someone like you. Young Master has Princess Mingkong, and the Successor of the Mortal Palace for instance, and I'm aware that I have no place in your heart."

"Either way, I'm only here to kill some Eternal Overcast creatures so that I could enter Immortal Academy, instead of meeting with you." At that moment, Su Qingge was pretty upfront, expressing whatever was in her mind without fearing Gu Changge's rebuke. 

"Very well, Su Qingge. I see that you've grown a pair, saying such indecent words to me." Finally, Gu Changge turned around and grabbed her delicate chin. There was not a trace of emotion on his face. 

"Not only did you not come see me, you even caused such a problem for me. I'll make you sure you learn your lesson…"

"Teach me the lesson then, Young Master." Su Qingge was strangely bold, perhaps because she was touched by how Gu Changge unconditionally chose to believe her. In that instant, flickering her eyes, she stared back at him with a provoking look.

"Ah, you knew I wouldn't, yet you still provoke me that way…" Hearing that, Gu Changge helplessly shook his head.

"Young Master…" Su Qingge deliberately extended her voice, smiling delightedly. "May I ask you a question?" 

"What is it?" Gu Changge tensed his brows.

"What would you do if I'm really the Successor of Demonic Arts?"

"What's with that question? Isn't Prince Ying the Successor of Demonic Arts? Are you perhaps related to him?" Gu Changge leisurely asked with an unbothered look.

"Of course not. I'm just simply asking to know where I stand in your heart…" Su Qingge's eyes were fixated on him. 

"Is that even a question? I'll have to kill you, of course. I can't have you terrorising the people of the world." Gu Changge peered at her as if he was looking at an idiot. 

After a moment of silence, Su Qingge replied, "You're so heartless, Young Master." 

She looked somewhat sad. "But I guess it's a blessing to die in your hands." 

"If you're really the Successor of Demonic Arts, I won't be able to shake off my connection with you since I'm the one who brought you to the Upper Realm. Thus, after I killed you, it won't be long until I come to accompany you." Gu changge casually smiled as he pinched her nose.

"Don't spout such nonsense, Young Master! You're destined to be the leader of this world. I'm not worth dying for." Despite knowing Gu Changge was only joking, Su Qingge sternly looked at him.

"It's nonsense, as you said. Why are you so worked up?" Gu Changge innocently smiled, though in his heart, he was very fascinated.

As time rapidly flowed, a few days had passed. Following the hiding of Ying Shuang, the occurrence of the Successor of Demonic Arts in Southern Flourishing Heaven grew less.

Many youths, be it young prodigies or ancient monstrosities, formed a small team to hunt down Eternal Overcast creatures. Since they moved as a unit, they successfully prevented many troubles such as encountering the Successor of Demonic Arts. As such, their hunting was quite efficient. And for quite a while, the name of the Successor of Demonic Arts was no longer heard.

Meanwhile, the Immortal Academy, which was located in Hong Yu Sky, began accepting disciples across the Upper Realm. Anyone, regardless of their origin and race, under the age of fifty, was gladly welcomed. Though, the only condition was that the applicants were obliged to slaughter enough Eternal Overcast creatures to exchange for points that could win a seat in the Immortal Academy. At once, the youths that accumulated enough points gradually hurried towards Hong Yu Sky.

Therefore, as of late, daunting ships could be seen soaring through the skies, grand and divine. Some cultivators rode on ancient beasts across regions, and their presence was absolutely shocking. As if clouds were billowing while stars were gathered, things were highly exuberant in Hong Yu Sky.

Hong Yu Sky's was named after a formidable cultivator, Hong Yu, whose cultivation level was said to have surpassed that of a True Immortal, and achieved an entirely different Realm. Though, that was simply a baseless rumour.

The terrains of Hong Yu Sky were vast and mysterious, containing massive divine mountains and heavenly trees. From high up in the sky, dense celestial energy could be perceived, surging across the lands. At the same time, innumerable anomalies appeared, including the hopping Qilin and the soaring Celestial Phoenix.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't without reason that Immortal Academy was based in Hong Yu Sky. Be it cultivation resources, legacy of Sacred Emperor Realm experts, extravagant manors or rich treasures such as Celestial Herbs and Sacred Trees as well as heavenly lakes and godly metals, Hong Yu Sky was one of the rare places that offered abundant quantity of such treasures and resources, hence Immortal Academy was regarded as the mandatory Land of Immortalisation.

In the meantime, within Immortal Academy, things weren't exactly peaceful either. In an ancient palace surrounded by Chaos Energy within the void, a number of menacing Elders, whose eyes were filled with Chaos Energy, were reading ancient archives. The documents beside them recorded the details of every young prodigy that was less than fifty years old. At that moment, the Elders' faces were serene, as if they wouldn't be affected even if they witnessed wonders such as the reincarnation of an ancient prodigy, a new-born Sacred Emperor Realm expert, ancient Eye Techniques, Unrivalled Battle Physiques, or even the tethering between one's heart and soul. Essentially, In their eyes, such shocking occurrences were nothing notable but an established norm. 

All of a sudden, stupefaction flashed across one of the Elders' eyes, and after taking a better look, he was visibly stunned.

Another Elder next to him also tensed his brows, muttering, "An Immortal and a Demon sharing a body could overturn the flow of Yin and Yang and escape from reincarnation.

 "immortal Demon Physique. It's been a while since I last saw such a physique," another Elder joined in and softly said. "But I can't remember how long ago it was…" 

Surprise surged in the eyes of the Elders. "It seems another monstrous entity is about to spawn. As of now, only a few displayed the might of the Quasi-Sacred Realm. One from the Gu Family, one from the Wang Family, one from the Phoenix Mountains, Prince Shen from Sky Emperor Mountain, as well as a disciple from Golden Cicada Temple. Anyone of them could possibly be the Successor or Demonic Arts. Perhaps an exceptional dark horse is about to rise." 

"By the way, I figure it's almost time for the Wondrous Stone we've sealed off for so long to return. With such a great competition, I believe we should start with them. Though, there's no telling what will happen to the Successors from the Demon World."

As 'Demon World' was mentioned, the Elders intuitively grew stern and fearful, not because they were scared of Demon World, but because there was an ancient being in the Demon Race in the Immortal Academy who came from the Demon World. His disciple was now the empress who ruled Demon World, Empress Yao Xi.

As a matter of fact, he never accepted another disciple after Empress Yao Xi, causing a rather awkward situation, wherein no other Elder of the Immortal Academy dared to accept a Successor from the Demon World as their disciple, and that included the Elder from the Demon Race, who would reject all applicants despite their aptitude and Talents.

Furthermore, since it wasn't quite appropriate for the other Elders to take over his responsibility, the number of Successors from the Demon World coming to the Immortal Academy gradually decreased. Hence, the Elders were wondering if anyone from the Demon World would come.

Right as the Elders were discussing, in a region within Demon World that was millions upon millions of kilometres away…

In a traditional-looking room, a man of the Demon Race suddenly woke up from his dreams and screamed. His face was blanched and his forehead was drenched in cold sweat. With a devastated look, he painfully shouted, "Oh, Yao Xi, my true love, how could you kill me?"

Thereupon, a young maid of the Demon Race that was in charge of taking care of the man was startled as she was shocked stiff, baffled by how her young master suddenly passed out and blurted nonsense once he regained his consciousness. 

[Yao Xi? Is he referring to Empress Yao Xi, who is the ruler of the Demon World?] 

"Young Master, what are you talking about? We shouldn't be yelling Empress Yao Xi's name out loud. We'll get our heads severed!" Understandably dumbfounded, the young maid stuttered.

"What…" Hearing that, the Demon man on the bed was stunned, as his eyes were filled with disbelief. After some time, he finally recovered his senses.

 He was the heir of the Solar Demon Overlord, who was once one of the Six Demon Overlords, while Yao Xi, his best friend growing up, was the daughter of the Lunar Demon Overlord

[Didn't I drink Yao Xi's poison right before she killed me with her blade? Why am I still alive? And Yao Xi… is now the Empress?]