Chapter 1674. Things can’t go so smoothly, can they?

Signing the covenant.

The contents of the Xiyuan Covenant were all written in the Covenant Gold Book. Each word sparkled brilliantly, with powerful strokes, silver hooks, and iron drawings, shining across the heavens, appearing in the depths of the universe, arranged in rows, as if to alter the laws of the universe.

The Covenant Gold Book unfurled, its light illuminating every inch of void and corner, even the darkest depths of the Xiyuan civilization, filled with brilliant light. This was an indescribable great power, as if the Lord of the Heavens personally wrote on the ancient scroll, creating the heavenly laws, with vast waves crossing space and time, radiating through ancient and modern eras, spreading to every corner of the land.

At that moment, the entire Zhongmiao Mountain seemed to be enveloped by a celestial melody, with ancient images appearing, colorful clouds interweaving, divine trees swaying, and dazzling light. One after another, Great Dao symbols flashed, wrapping around the ancient and eternal leaves.

All the cultivators and beings looked up at the sky, hoping to see the contents of the Covenant Gold Book. However, for ordinary beings, the words were too brilliant to gaze at directly.

A single glance would cause intense pain in their eyes, even tears. Only those in the Dao Realm could barely make out some of the symbols and characters within. The ancient beings who participated in the refining of the Covenant Gold Book also raised their heads, looking towards the depths of the universe.

This included many Dao Realm beings from the Fentian Alliance, all of whom looked on with astonishment.

Many sect masters and leaders were also looking intently, carefully examining the provisions and contents of the Covenant Gold Book, not missing any word.

“It seems that a relatively peaceful period will finally come. The contents of this Xiyuan Covenant are just as we hoped.”

Finally, someone finished reading the content of the Covenant Gold Book and let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on their face.

Before this, many people had been worried. Although they had heard some of the contents of the Xiyuan Covenant from others, they still weren’t at ease, fearing there might be clauses unfavorable to them, or worried that the Yu Xian Palace ancestors and the Fentian Alliance might conspire to harm everyone.

But when the Covenant Gold Book appeared, the weight in their hearts finally lifted.

“Great, this is how it should be—different races and Dao sects living in peace, adhering to the rules, not making any trouble. There might be a great catastrophe coming to the Xiyuan civilization in the future, and it’s best not to have internal conflicts before then.”

“Only by uniting can we have more possibilities to survive the future disaster.”

The leaders of many smaller tribes also had expressions of joy, feeling relieved.

Unlike those immortal Dao sects with Dao Realm experts stationed, the smaller tribes had only a few Dao Realm beings and had no hope of resisting a giant like the Fentian Alliance.

Before, they might have sought protection from other immortal Dao sects, but now the situation was unstable, and even the immortal Dao sects couldn’t guarantee their own safety. They had no choice but to rely on themselves.

The appearance of the Xiyuan Covenant had, in some ways, helped them solve their urgent problems and concerns.

At that moment, many small tribe leaders wished they could immediately sign the Xiyuan Covenant, pledging their family’s name and swearing an oath to the Heavenly Dao.

“It seems the clauses are quite well thought out, and they even considered the ordinary beings and tribes.”

Shang Chongming, the second-in-command of the Jie Kong Ridge, finished reading the contents of the Covenant Gold Book and smiled with some meaning.

“Predecessors worry about the world, attending to every detail, ensuring that no one is overlooked.”

“Indeed, this consideration has earned our admiration.”

The surrounding ancient beings, upon hearing this, all showed expressions of admiration and respect for Ling Yuling. If it were them, they wouldn’t bother to consider the ordinary tribes and forces.

For the entire Xiyuan civilization, those ordinary tribes and forces were like endless sand in the Ganges, countless and insignificant.

Beings like them, standing at the peak, wouldn’t care about such matters.

“In the future, the situation is unpredictable; I’m just doing my best,” Ling Yuling smiled faintly.

The contents of the Xiyuan Covenant were all based on righteousness, and there wasn’t a single clause that didn’t align with it. Especially in some places, she intentionally referenced the teachings of the Fentian Alliance, not wanting Gu Changge to find fault later.

This way, if Gu Changge refuses to sign the Xiyuan Covenant, how would he explain the founding purpose of the Fentian Alliance? Wouldn’t that be a contradiction?

“Exactly, it must be this way. The future is uncertain, and I hope all parties will abide by their duties and refrain from doing anything out of line.”

“Otherwise, we also have the right to eliminate any destabilizing factors.”

The sect master of Shouyang Tianzong also nodded slightly.The other sect masters nearby had long known most of the content of the Xiyuan Covenant, so they were not surprised.

The content of the Xiyuan Covenant was discussed and drafted by everyone, and they had all participated in its formulation. They sought to secure benefits for their respective Dao traditions while trying not to influence the current situation too much.

However, some clauses and rules were later vetoed by Ling Yuling, the ancestor of the Yu Xian Palace, who felt they were inappropriate.

The Xiyuan Covenant should stand on fairness and justice, considering the interests of the entire Xiyuan civilization, and must not include private benefits.

“Does young master Gu have any changes he would like to make?”

Ling Yuling looked towards Gu Changge again, with a hint of inquiry on her face. Since she had revealed the Covenant Gold Book earlier, Gu Changge had been looking up at it, but he had not expressed any opinion, and his facial expression remained unchanged, making it hard to tell what he was thinking.

“The content of the covenant is naturally fine.”

Gu Changge smiled faintly, withdrawing his gaze from the Covenant Gold Book.

Ling Yuling was slightly shocked, seemingly surprised by his response, while the surrounding ancient beings all revealed expressions of joy.

In their view, as long as Gu Changge agreed to sign the Xiyuan Covenant, the matter would be largely settled.

So his attitude was crucial.

Now that Gu Changge was neither angry nor upset, did that not mean things would proceed smoothly?

The other sect masters and leaders also looked surprised. Many had expected there to be some conflict, possibly even a great battle, and many had come prepared, bringing many of their key resources.

But unexpectedly, the leader of the Fentian Alliance, Gu Changge, seemed so indifferent.

It was obvious to anyone with keen insight that the content of the Covenant Gold Book was somewhat unfavorable to the current Fentian Alliance, even specifically drafted to counter the expansion of the Fentian Alliance.

For example, the covenant required all forces to respect their territories and not easily annex other lands, preventing unnecessary bloodshed.

This was clearly aimed at curbing the development of the Fentian Alliance.

The many immortal Dao traditions of the Xiyuan civilization had evolved and survived for countless years, long past the time of fighting for territory and expanding borders.

Now they were content with their own territories and had little conflict with each other.

The last time a shocking battle erupted was when the Xiyuan Holy Hall issued the Xiyuan Order, leading various Dao sect forces to unite and eliminate the Xian Chu Haotu.

Before that, the battle between the Demon Court and the Xian Chu Haotu was considered by many as an accident; no one had expected the situation to develop in that way.

During this time, the sudden rise of the Fentian Alliance had been astonishing. In just a few hundred years, it had achieved what those immortal Dao traditions would take hundreds of epochs to accomplish, annexing many Dao sects and continuing its aggressive expansion.

It was clear that the next step would be to continue expanding its territories and encroach on the lands of other Dao sect forces.

Not far away, the Xiyuan Holy Maiden, Qiong Qiong Jizi, stood alone, her gaze cold as she watched everything, with a fleeting look of surprise in her eyes.

“I wonder what trick he’s going to play; things can’t be so smooth.”

The sect master of Shouyang Tianzong’s gaze deepened, with traces of Dao aura emanating from his eyes, staring at Gu Changge not far away with a malevolent expression.

He felt that signing the Xiyuan Covenant could not be so easy. He had always held deep animosity toward the Fentian Alliance. In the past, when he was in the Yu Xian Palace, he had attempted to incite others to deal with Gu Changge.

The former ruler of the Xian Chu Haotu, Chu Gucheng, had once done him a favor. However, when Chu Gucheng held his birthday feast, the sect master was traveling and missed the event.

Upon returning to the Xiyuan civilization, he had already heard of the fall of the Xian Chu Haotu. He then personally took action, investigating the Fentian Alliance, though he had found nothing, but he became even more certain that the Fentian Alliance had a deep connection with the remnants of the Black Calamity.

Gu Changge, the leader of the Fentian Alliance, was most likely a remnant of the Heavens’ disaster.

The sect masters and leaders around him furrowed their brows upon hearing the sect master of Shouyang Tianzong’s words. They also felt that things couldn’t be so smooth. When had the ruthless figures behind the fall of the Xian Chu Haotu been so easy to deal with?

“Since young master Gu doesn’t see any problems with the content of the covenant, can we sign it?”

Ling Yuling came back to her senses, raising her delicate hand, and suddenly, a brilliant divine light from the Covenant Gold Book in the depths of the universe descended toward Zhongmiao Mountain, like a vast canopy, falling deep into the hall.

She was also surprised by Gu Changge’s attitude. She had anticipated many possibilities, but never had she imagined Gu Changge would be so calm and indifferent.

Furthermore, the expressions of the other members of the Fentian Alliance in the hall seemed just as casual and natural.

Didn’t they realize that the content of the covenant was extremely detrimental to the future development of the Fentian Alliance?

Even Ling Yuling, who had considered many possibilities, could not help but feel a bit confused. Had she been overly cautious and misjudged Gu Changge and the Fentian Alliance?”

You plan to join forces and set a trap to kill the alliance leader—your heart is despicable!”

“Big sister, Senior Brother Gu is not what you think he is…”

Ling Yuxian, sensing her sister Ling Yuling’s thoughts, couldn’t help but shake her head, her heart full of complex emotions.

During this time, Ling Yuling’s methods against the Fentian Alliance had been apparent to her, and she had wanted to stop her, but didn’t know how.

No matter how much she explained to her sister, Ling Yuling refused to listen, thinking that Ling Yuxian had been captivated by Gu Changge’s words and was caught up in an emotional dilemma.

The Xiyuan Covenant was, in fact, her sister’s bold gamble, betting that the Fentian Alliance would expose its flaws.

If the Fentian Alliance refused to sign the Xiyuan Covenant, Ling Yuling would then unite all the forces of the Xiyuan civilization to deal with the Fentian Alliance. This would likely result in mutual destruction, and the Yu Xian Palace could even be annihilated in the process.

This was the outcome Ling Yuling had expected all along, and she was willing to pay any price for it.

Of course, there was another possibility—that the Fentian Alliance would sign the Xiyuan Covenant, coexist peacefully with other factions, and abide by their duties.

This was the result Ling Yuling truly wanted, but she knew it was almost impossible—barely any chance. However, in Ling Yuxian’s view, the second outcome was actually the most likely, because she knew Gu Changge’s true goal: to walk a thorny and muddy road that would ultimately lead to nowhere.

To Gu Changge, the Xiyuan civilization was at most just a scenery along his path, or perhaps a journey he had to pass through.

“Naturally, there’s no problem with signing the covenant.”

“Miss Yuling has been so considerate of all beings, so meticulous and thoughtful. It’s truly a pity that you don’t join our Fentian Alliance.”

Gu Changge gently shook his head with a smile, then walked up to the curtain that had descended from the sky. With a slight wave of his hand, a brush made of condensed rules and order appeared.

“To receive such attention from Young Master Gu, Yuling is truly humbled. If given the chance in the future, I will consider it.”

Ling Yuling smiled slightly, her demeanor still graceful and calm, but her gaze remained fixed on the hand holding the brush. She felt that Gu Changge wasn’t just joking—he genuinely intended to sign the Xiyuan Covenant and had no other plans or ulterior motives.

Perhaps all along, she had been too cautious and suspicious, harboring too many misunderstandings and prejudices against Gu Changge. But there were still too many doubts surrounding him. The current ancestor of the Jing clan, Jing Tianyuan, was no longer the same person.

In fact, it was likely that the immortal being, previously corrupted by the dark origins, had taken control of his body.

The immortal being corrupted by the dark origins now recognized Gu Changge as their master. His true identity was undoubtedly not simple. However, it was Gu Changge who helped her escape from that dark space and also helped resolve the dark origin problem.

By all rights, Gu Changge had shown her favor and had been kind to the Yu Xian Palace. But for some reason, she could never bring herself to feel grateful towards him.

Yet, if the Xiyuan Covenant was signed, it might prove that Gu Changge did not harbor any ill intentions towards the Xiyuan civilization.

Then, the various Dao traditions of the Xiyuan civilization could at least rest easy for a while.

“Things are never simply black and white. We cannot judge a person just by whether they are good or bad. I’ve been a bit too obsessed with this.”

Thinking this way, Ling Yuling couldn’t help but sigh, her emotions complex and filled with unspoken regret.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll wait for the day when Miss Yuling decides.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Changge smiled lightly, his other hand adjusting his sleeve as he raised his wrist, preparing to sign the covenant on the illuminated curtain in front of him.On the vast curtain above, many names of Daoist sects had already been inscribed, with auras of the Great Dao emerging. One after another, symbols of the Great Dao flickered and intertwined, emanating a terrifying and oppressive aura.

In every moment, scenes of starry seas dissolving, the collapse of the universe, and the creation of chaos appeared, carrying boundless, immense power.

To leave one’s name on it meant to bear the boundless karma and the great power of heaven and earth. If one breached the agreement, the consequences would be unimaginable. Even an existence in the ancestral Dao realm could not endure such repercussions.

In the hall, the representatives of various Daoist sects, including the Guangming Temple, the Buddha Kingdom of the Tathagata, the Ling Shen Cavern, and the Yu Xian Palace, were all staring intently at Gu Changge’s actions.

The Xiyuan Holy Maiden’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on Gu Changge, trying to read every subtle change in his expression.

Elder Qian Yun of the Yu Xian Palace clenched her slender hand under her sleeve so tightly that her bones began to whiten. Sweat poured from her forehead, sticking some of her hair in place.

But at that moment, almost everyone was focused on Gu Changge, who was writing on the curtain with a brush in front of him. No one noticed her.

At that moment, many were astonished and surprised. They had not expected the signing of the Xiyuan Covenant to go so smoothly without any obstacles.

“How could it be so smooth…”

“This shouldn’t be the case.”

The sect master of Shouyang Tianzong furrowed his brow, his eyes shifting between uncertainty and disbelief, his shock barely concealed.

Outside the hall, countless beings and cultivators were eagerly watching this moment, as if witnessing something that would be remembered in the annals of history.

At that moment, countless gazes from all around Zhongmiao Mountain focused on the scene unfolding in the hall.

“Perhaps we really misjudged the leader of the Fentian Alliance…”

“Perhaps it’s precisely with such magnanimity and grandeur that he has been able to win so many strong followers.”

Many tribal leaders couldn’t help but murmur, their eyes filled with admiration. Before coming here, they had prepared for a great battle, but who could have imagined the leader of the Fentian Alliance to be so calm and broad-minded?

Even though the rules of the Xiyuan Covenant were unfavorable to the Fentian Alliance, he signed it without hesitation.

This boldness and magnanimity earned the respect of everyone.

As for the members of the Fentian Alliance, they showed no surprise. It seemed they had already anticipated this outcome.

Whether it was Chu Heng, Hunyuan Jun, Zhuo Fengxie, or the Demon Emperor Di Kun, as well as other ancestral Dao existences, they all looked serene.

Boom!

However, just as Gu Changge wrote the character “Fà” (Fentian) on the curtain and had not yet started on the character “Tiān” (Tian), a terrifying and overwhelming momentum suddenly erupted, as though the heavens were collapsing and all worlds were being destroyed.

A vast, boundless aura of destruction emerged from the Covenant Gold Book in the depths of the universe. The ancient words within began to shine brightly, as if coming to life. Within each ancient word, figures seemed to sit in meditation.

With a whoosh, the Covenant Gold Book tore through space and time, releasing billions of divine rays that fell upon the area. The space and time around it seemed to tear apart, and the surrounding universe shattered.

No power could resist this force—it was an infinite power that could destroy everything.

Even an ancestral Dao existence would be shaken in fear at this moment. If struck by this force, they would surely die and vanish.

At the end of the heavens and earth, one after another, immense Dao order veins intertwined, drawing upon the vast power of the universe’s space-time.

Then, that immense power merged into the Covenant Gold Book, turning it into an eternal holy light that descended from the heavens, following the curtain of light, and crashing toward Gu Changge in the hall!

With a loud boom, the shockwaves spread. The entire Zhongmiao Mountain trembled violently, as if about to collapse.

The divine trees rattled, their branches and leaves quaking. Terrifying cracks appeared on the trunks, and many floating stars were destroyed, crashing to the ground and shattering into countless fragments.

At this moment, everyone was stunned, as if they had been petrified by the sight before them.

Ling Yuling, the Xiyuan Holy Maiden, Daojun Changming, and the second-in-command of Jie Kong Ridge, Shang Chongming, along with other ancient beings, all stared blankly in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening.They only saw a divine light filled with an unimaginable sense of destruction, wrapping the Covenant’s golden book and piercing through the vast cosmos, crashing down with a thunderous roar, engulfing the figure of Gu Changge, who was in the process of signing the Xiyuan Covenant.

The oppressive power made people’s hearts tremble, filling them with fear and terror, as if it would destroy the entire world, causing eternal downfall.

The area was instantly filled with an unbelievable aura of destruction. Everything turned to dust and vacuum, ceasing to exist.

Countless cultivators and beings could only feel that everything before their eyes suddenly turned white. They could neither hear nor see anything.

Whether it was their five senses or divine consciousness, they were all drowned in a vast expanse of divine light, knowing nothing at all.

The terrifying aftermath continued to shake the surroundings. Though it did not directly affect them, it still caused many people to bleed from their mouths and noses, being thrown back in agony.

“What exactly happened?”

Numerous sect leaders and important figures also had no idea what had just happened, looking at Ling Yuling with shock and confusion.

The Master of Guangming Temple had a face full of fear, dreading the power they had just witnessed. If a Being of the Ancestor Dao realm had been hit, they would probably meet their end, perishing completely.

“How could this be…”

However, Ling Yuling was also filled with astonishment and disbelief. She looked at the area still engulfed by the overwhelming aura of destruction, uncertain why things had turned out this way.

Although it was she who had taken out the Covenant’s golden book, it was originally an item with no owner, beyond anyone’s control.

She never expected the golden book to suddenly fall toward Gu Changge with such a terrifying destructive power.

Who was secretly controlling the golden book, causing such a drastic shift in the situation?

“How dare you!”

“The alliance leader had good intentions, wanting to form an alliance with you all, planning to coexist peacefully. Yet, you all colluded to set a trap, betraying the alliance leader in such a vile manner.”

“Despicable and shameless, your hearts deserve to be condemned!”

Suddenly, a roar resounded, accompanied by a sky-reaching killing intent, snapping Ling Yuling, Xiyuan Saintess, and the others back to their senses.

They saw that the people from the Fatian Alliance, who had been shocked and stunned earlier, were now filled with rage and murderous intent, approaching with a look of vengeance, ready to take revenge.

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