"A solution?"
Ji Hanjing's lips still held a hint of cold smile. She glanced at Zhu Cangning and said, "There is, naturally. And that is to kill Jiang Yun and let him be completely freed."
The smile that had just appeared on Zhu Cangning's face froze entirely upon hearing this answer, stiffening in place.
Probably only this Ancestor in the entire Weiyang Immortal Dynasty would dare to speak such treasonous words so directly and without reservation.
"Is there truly no other way, Ancestor?" Zhu Cangning's words were bitter.
"However, that is also the worst-case outcome. If Jiang Yun's will is firm enough, it is not impossible for him to awaken from the boundless darkness, break free from his prison, and find the path back to the present world." Ji Hanjing said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, hope reappeared in Zhu Cangning's eyes.
Since the Ancestor said so, there must still be hope.
After all, this Ancestor was the direct offspring of Zhong Jun, a former sage who had fought against the Black Calamity catastrophe.
Her understanding of the Black Calamity catastrophe must far exceed that of ordinary people.
"I had been wondering why the Emperor Lord, who in your words was wise, sagely, and adept at governance, would commit so many foolish acts. Now, all of this makes sense. No wonder he became the Alliance Lord of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, colluding with the Dark Beings, joining in evil deeds, and even signing a humiliating and sovereignty-compromising peace covenant…" Ji Hanjing showed contemplation in her eyes, speaking as if to herself.
Zhu Cangning's face was ashen. Although there was still no direct evidence that the Weiyang Emperor Lord had fallen into darkness and become a Dark Being, all these signs pointed to it being an ironclad fact.
"Do not publicize this matter for the time being. Once the news of Jiang Yun's contamination by dark substance becomes public, it will greatly impact the situation of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty. Before I have fully taken control of the situation, this matter must be kept secret."
"In addition, withdraw the wanted order against the Weiyang Princess. The Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom is very close to the Alliance of Righteous Unity, and Jiang Yun at this time has betrothed his daughter to the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom's Ninth Prince. These two matters do not seem unrelated." Ji Hanjing swept her gaze over Zhu Cangning and instructed.
"Yes, Ancestor. I understand." Zhu Cangning's expression turned solemn, shedding his previous ashen heaviness.
In its peak and heyday, the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom's foundation was in no way weaker than those Supreme True Worlds. Although it had declined now, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse, and its strength could not be underestimated.
Moreover, from these various signs, it seemed that the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom was also deeply involved with the Dark Beings.
It was even possible that the ruler of the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom had already fallen into darkness.
"I do not want any mistakes to occur at this time." Ji Hanjing's gaze was full of majesty, her tone severe.
"Rest assured, Ancestor. I swear by my Dao heart that I will never reveal any related information." Cold sweat appeared on Zhu Cangning's forehead, and he quickly replied respectfully.
Although this Ancestor had only taken over the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty not long ago, he could fully feel the power and terror of her methods.
Under her governance and control, the order of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty was stable, everything was orderly, in no way inferior to the time when the Weiyang Emperor Lord presided over it.
"You may go." Only then did Ji Hanjing nod and say coldly.
Zhu Cangning left the great hall as if granted amnesty, not daring to stay a moment longer.
He had a premonition that the coming Vast Expanse would usher in the greatest turmoil and chaos since time immemorial. He seemed to already see the scene of boundless bloody rain, the entire sky dome covered and drowned by darkness and war.
"Is all of this within your plan? Even the matter of the Weiyang Emperor Lord being contaminated and defiled by dark substance cannot escape you?"
After Zhu Cangning left, the cold expression on Ji Hanjing's face also disappeared. A contemplative look appeared in her eyes. Her elbow rested on the desk before her, a few strands of hair falling from her temples, which she listlessly wound around her fingers.
She did not know how Gu Changge knew all this. Before she had taken human form as the true form of the Supreme Treasure of Civilization, Gu Changge had already paved the path for her. She only needed to faithfully follow everything he had said.
This included her appearance in the world as the princess of the Radiant Ancestral Court, and everything up to now — all within Gu Changge's plan and arrangement, without revealing any flaw.
Even though Ji Hanjing believed she understood Gu Changge somewhat, she could not help but feel a recurring chill, finding it utterly terrifying.
If one were to encounter such an enemy, one could not imagine how desperate it would be.
Whether in strength or methods, he left no possibility or hope for any resistance.
But what was Gu Changge's purpose in doing all this? With his strength and methods, even unifying the Vast Expanse would hardly be a difficult task.
Ji Hanjing could not fathom Gu Changge's thoughts or ideas at all, let alone know his purpose.
Could it be that, as the name of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance suggested, he truly intended to "slay heaven"?
"If that is truly the case, can this destined arduous and thorny road of no return actually be traversed?" Ji Hanjing murmured to herself.
The Weiyang Immortal Dynasty withdrew its wanted order against Princess Jiang Weiyang. This matter quickly spread among the surrounding universes and civilizations, causing quite a stir.
Many speculated that the current ruler of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, that Ancestor, was dissatisfied with the Weiyang Emperor Lord's act of choosing a son-in-law and forming a marriage alliance.
After all, she had flown into a rage in the great hall before many ministers, denouncing the Weiyang Emperor Lord's act as unworthy of a father.
However, without the Weiyang Emperor Lord's consent, the marriage alliance between the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty and the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom could not be canceled.
Even though the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty had withdrawn the wanted order against Princess Jiang Weiyang, nominally speaking, Jiang Weiyang was still the fiancée of the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom's Ninth Prince Ye Wudao.
The Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom still had reason to pursue this princess who had fled on the day of the engagement.
Yinchuan Ancient Domain, Xiling Prefecture, Chaotic Corpse Forest.
Amidst the towering and majestic mountain ranges, ancient trees touched the sky, ancient peaks stood lofty, and miasma filled the air. A caravan laden with goods was hurrying along the road.
Ferocious beasts as large as small hills, resembling Zhu Yan, covered in chains and runes, carried goods and cleared the path at the front of the caravan, proceeding very cautiously.
This place was a notorious dangerous ground in Xiling Prefecture, fraught with dangers. Dense miasma filled the air, pervading all directions of the sky, obscuring vision and spiritual sense.
Cultivators and living beings could not cross through the air, making this place the only route for traveling between the various prefectures.
"Little Ancestress, please don't make things difficult for us. Trying to pass through this merchant route without an Immortal King realm existence guarding it is practically the same as courting death."
"I still have a ninety-year-old mother at home and young children crying for food. If I die here, there will be no one to take care of them." A gaunt old man looked pleadingly at a young girl dressed in a red skirt, with fair skin, delicate and pure features, and a peach blossom mark on her brow. He was nearly kneeling on the ground to beg for mercy.
However, the red-skirted girl's expression remained unruffled. She seemed deaf to the gaunt old man's words, sitting there leisurely.
"I'm only asking you to provide escort, not to give up your old life. What are you afraid of?" The red-skirted girl glanced at him indifferently, utterly ignoring the gaunt old man's pleas. "Besides, aren't I here? No matter how terrifying this Chaotic Corpse Forest is, it's not like it can eat you, right?"
Her words were full of disregard for this place.
The gaunt old man sighed again, lamenting with a face full of worry. "Little Ancestress, this old man only escorts simple goods to earn a living. Even if you switched to those large sects or ancient traditions, they wouldn't necessarily dare to deliver this shipment of yours."
As he spoke, he could not help but look toward the vehicle in the caravan wrapped tightly in black cloth. The wheels rolled, crushing over stones, occasionally emitting the crisp sound of clashing chains. Faintly, from within the carriage, one could hear a few low growls and hisses that did not sound human.
Apart from him, no one in the entire caravan knew what was inside that carriage wrapped in black cloth.
The others in the caravan did not dare approach that carriage. Even from a distance, one could feel a bone-penetrating chill, as if blowing from the land of the Nine Nether, icy cold to the bone.
During the escort, having only passed through a few cities, they had already encountered ambushes and attacks from many mysterious cultivators of unknown origin. Those cultivators had all tried to snatch the "goods" inside or destroy them.
He was just the head of an ordinary caravan, usually escorting simple goods. He had never imagined being drawn into such terrifying events.
These past few days, he had been trembling with fear every day, afraid that at any moment they would be ambushed by mysterious cultivators.
"As long as you help me deliver this thing to Yinchuan Ancient Domain, you'll be well rewarded. Not just for this lifetime, but even your next life, you won't have to worry about food or drink. And even if danger arises, aren't I here? This is a one-shot, high-return business. What are you worried about?"
The red-skirted girl had delicate features, a small nose, and glossy, lustrous red lips like flower petals, with quite a charming and smiling appearance.
But despite this, the gaunt old man still looked troubled and worried, not daring to relax at all.
He hadn't realized initially that the goods for this escort would actually be that kind of thing.
Logically speaking, how could that kind of thing appear in such a place? Under normal circumstances, who would dare to provoke it?
The red-skirted girl paid no more attention to the gaunt old man's sorrowful expression. She turned around and slipped back into her carriage.
Her delicate palm opened flatly, and light flickered and flowed within it. A vague, mysterious furnace emerged, filled with pervasive destiny aura, interwoven with divine radiance, where ancient imprint crystals were condensing, extremely mysterious.
"This training expedition has yielded a good harvest. The Destiny Furnace has also condensed quite a few destiny crystals, enough for my next stage of cultivation."
"Moreover, I've discovered something unexpected…"
The red-skirted girl's gaze grew calm. She waved her jade hand to set up a barrier restriction, then sat cross-legged with her five centers facing heaven. That mysterious furnace floated and sank before her, wisps of destiny aura mist surrounding her with her breaths.
Meanwhile, at the very back of the caravan, a simple black carriage was also following along.
Caravans like this, constantly traveling, often had powerful figures guarding them, and they also became targets for many small groups to follow, provided they paid a certain fee.
The driver of the black carriage was a gaunt, sallow, thin man. His clothes were simple, his features upright. Inside the carriage were four women.
The leading woman had a slender and graceful figure and wore a bamboo hat, but there was a bluish-black mark covering most of her face, looking somewhat frightening. The other three women were dressed as maidservants, ordinary in appearance.
"Miss, that's wonderful! The Weiyang Immortal Dynasty has withdrawn its wanted order against you. I expect they will soon cancel your engagement with the Ninth Prince of the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom as well. Then you'll be able to return to the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty…"
"That's so wonderful! We've worked so hard during this time to avoid the pursuers. Now we can finally catch our breath."
At this moment, one of the maidservants had an expression of pleasant surprise on her face. She lowered her voice, speaking with great delight.
The other two maidservants also had faces full of joy, feeling extremely happy and excited about the news they had received.
"Can we go back to the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty…"
One of them even had a look of longing and hope in her eyes. Clearly, she was also tired of this period of fleeing and hiding, longing to return to the peaceful and quiet days of the past.
As the personal maidservants of the Weiyang Princess, they themselves were naturally no ordinary people. In any tradition or civilization, they would be treated as prodigies.
During this period of flight, they had endured hardships they had never experienced before, even ending up on the streets and being treated as beggars.
"Why would they withdraw the wanted order against me at this time?"
The woman with the bluish-black birthmark covering her face was naturally the Weiyang Princess Jiang Weiyang.
At this moment, she seemed deaf to the chattering of her three maidservants, lost in thought instead, feeling no joy at this news whatsoever.
She even suspected that something had gone wrong on her father's side.
Because this flight and wanted order had been arranged by the Weiyang Emperor Lord himself. Why would it be withdrawn for no good reason?
Could it really be, as rumored, that the current Weiyang Immortal Dynasty was now controlled by that Ancestor, and that she had withdrawn the order?
"But regardless, I am not returning to the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty now. Yinchuan Ancient Domain is already very far from the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty. Although I don't know where I'll go next, I will listen to Father and stay far away from the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty — as far as possible."
Jiang Weiyang raised her beautiful eyes, which could not see anything, and quietly gazed outside the carriage.
Yinchuan Ancient Domain was no longer within the territory of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty. It was independent of any tradition or civilization, a place where different elements mixed and various sects and factions stood side by side. The most powerful forces were the Yinchuan Sacred Cult and the Ancient Corpse Manipulation Sect.
If they passed through the Chaotic Corpse Forest, they would reach the border area of Yinchuan Ancient Domain, where there were cross-domain teleportation arrays that could allow them to flee to further realms and universes.
And just as Jiang Weiyang's thoughts were in disarray and she found it hard to calm her heart because of this news —
She suddenly felt that the sound of the wind outside the carriage seemed to have stopped. The sound of the carriage wheels rolling and crushing on stones had vanished.
The entire world had gone silent.
At this moment, some inexplicable force seemed to descend, peeling the surrounding noisy and quiet environment around her from the time and space of just a moment ago.
Even her three maidservants, who had been lowering their voices to chatter, suddenly seemed frozen in that time and space, their faces still wearing expressions of excitement and joy, as if they had turned into clay sculptures.
The expression on Jiang Weiyang's face changed, her pupils constricted repeatedly. She was about to rise to her feet and step out of the carriage.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
A slightly panicked and uneasy voice came from outside the carriage.
The thin man driving the carriage was none other than the disguised Zhu Fuyi.
He, too, felt this terrifying change — the entire time and space at this moment seemed to have frozen solid.
Everyone was unable to move. Even the flow of time and the traces of spiritual energy had disappeared.
It was as if someone had extracted them from the time and space of just now, isolating them from all the worlds and universes.
"I am fine. It seems the visitor is targeting me specifically." Jiang Weiyang's voice remained calm and composed.
After all, she was the princess of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, the daughter of the Weiyang Emperor Lord. Her perspective was far beyond that of ordinary people.
Her father could easily perform such a means of freezing time and space.
But Jiang Weiyang was slightly puzzled: why was Zhu Fuyi not affected?
"As expected of Her Highness the Princess, remaining calm and composed even now, not panicking in the slightest."
Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded in the void before the two of them.
Zhu Fuyi looked up in astonishment and saw an old man wearing a white robe and a hood, his entire body pure white, but with an exceptionally rosy complexion and a childlike face with bright eyes, walking out with a smile.
"You are…" His eyes widened slightly, somewhat incredulous, as if he recognized the old man's identity.
"The State Preceptor Xingming?"
Jiang Weiyang's surprised voice also sounded at the same time.
Although she was blind and could not see, her perception was exceptionally keen, and she could discern the visitor's identity from slight changes in aura.
This person was precisely the State Preceptor of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, of mysterious origin. He had assisted her father in establishing the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, and had also aided her father in raising an army to rebel against the Great Yang Ancient Kingdom, causing the Yang Emperor to commit suicide within the imperial capital.
It could be said that the State Preceptor Xingming was the Weiyang Emperor Lord's guide. Everyone in the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty held him in the highest respect.