Chapter 4251: Fortuitous Encounter

Chang Tu was known as the strongest expert in the Longevity Civilization, while their ancestor only existed in legends.

Chang Tu was the guardian of the entire civilization.

Awe Gate and Lu Yin stood at the highest point, beside Chang Tu. All three of them looked down at the scene below. From their vantage point, they could see everyone.

Lu Yin looked ahead and then glanced at Chang Tu. The old man had not been wrong; they were indeed being shown great respect. Standing in this position and observing as the winner received Divine Sight was an honor in the Longevity Civilization, just like when he had stood atop the Heavens Sect’s Stairway to Heaven.

That staircase had been lined with the greatest experts of humanity in the Tianyuan.

This treatment did slightly improve Lu Yin’s mood.

Awe Gate’s expression also softened a bit.

Chang Tu quietly let out a breath. In truth, he did not really care if Lu Yin and Awe Gate were angry, as they would have no contact with humanity in the future. However, the Longevity Civilization had its own pride. If their Immortals were blatantly exposed, while that humiliation might not spread through their entire civilization, it would still be quite embarrassing for Chang Tu personally.

The best he could hope for was that everyone who was aware of the truth would choose to not lay matters bare.

“Senior Chang Tu, what about your Longevity Civilization’s ancestor? Will he be attending?” Lu Yin suddenly asked.

Chang Tu paused and then gave a small cough. “No.”

Lu Yin sounded regretful. “I was hoping to meet that ancestor. After all, we’ve already had a bit of contact.”

Chang Tu was left speechless. How was that not simply exposing everything? This brat was beyond infuriating.

Awe Gate showed a faint smile. Chang Tu was greatly underestimating them. His tricks were too obvious. Even if their mood had improved slightly, it was far from enough.

Lu Yin merely brought the matter up in passing and did not pursue discussing the ancient powerhouse. Leaving things where they were was enough.

Did the old man really think that he could handle them with just this? Or that they would never interact again? Lu Yin preferred to always leave himself with a bit of leverage. He would not allow the old man to assume that humans could be easily fooled.

While it was true that civilizations generally did not interact, in Lu Yin’s perspective, that only applied when civilizations never encountered each other. Since they had already met, their situation was an entirely different matter.

He actually had a fairly good impression of the Longevity Civilization. They might be a bit underhanded, but they at least knew what it meant to maintain their dignity. This was a civilization that he could deal with.

Through Chang Tu, it was possible to see the extent to which the Longevity Civilization was willing to go to avoid endangering themselves. But through Chang Tian, it was also possible to see how strong the bonds of affection between their people could be.

This civilization was not much different from their human civilization.

At this thought, Lu Yin glanced back at Chang Tu again. Their appearances were not all that different either.

Chang Tu coughed again. “Girl, keep that little piece of Longevity Vine that Chang Tian gave you safe. It is very important.”

Awe Gate asked, “How do you use it?”

Chang Tu stared at her. “Keep it on your person. At a critical moment, it can save your life.”

A glint flashed across Awe Gate’s eyes. “Save your life? To what extent?”

Chang Tu averted his gaze to look at a distant light. “To every extent you are currently aware of.”

Awareness. It was a word that appeared far too frequently in the Aevum Inch. The more often it appeared, the more it highlighted a creature’s ignorance. That was precisely why the concept of “awareness” existed at all.

In the distance, within a halo of light, 100 people stood in a neat formation. The ten at the very front were undoubtedly the most outstanding winners of the latest vine-climbing contest. Young War King stood among them, though Chang Yi was positioned farther back.

Everyone standing there was staring at the highest point ahead of them. They could see Chang Tu, as well as Awe Gate and Lu Yin, who were still disguised as Longevity lifeforms. All of them were curious as to just who these two were; why were they able to stand at such a position, side by side with Elder Chang Tu?

There was no way a new Immortal could have appeared within their civilization without anyone noticing anything.

Everyone was very curious.

That did not apply to just the 100 winners; even the Ortusers and Dukkhans who stood beneath Chang Tu were curious. Among them was the ancestor of Chang Shi’s family.

He also wondered who the two strangers could be, though he only glanced at them before turning his attention back to the swaying figure who stood at the very back of the formation within the halo of light: Chang Shi.

Chang Shi had placed last in the vine-climbing contest, but the old man was already quite satisfied with that. Little Shi had won honor for their family. Otherwise, even he, despite being their ancestor, would not have been qualified to stand where he currently was.

Those within the light were curiously examining Lu Yin and Awe Gate, while the two humans were studying the two women who stood at the very front of the formation beside Young War King.

One woman was grotesquely ugly, to the extent where she hardly seemed like a cultivator. They had never seen a cultivator this unattractive. Even a Seven-Treasure Anura was easier on the eyes than the woman. At the least, a toad was not so jarring to look at.

The other woman was the complete opposite, beautiful to the point of radiant. Her beauty was unlike any that Lu Yin had seen before. It was not just her face, as her entire being overflowed with vitality. It was like looking at the rising sun—dazzling to the point of pain, yet impossible to look away from.

One ugly, one beautiful: the two extremes stood side by side, creating such a stark contrast that they drew everyone’s attention.

It could be said that everyone outside of the light had examined the two women.

“Old man, what’s the story with those two women?” Awe Gate asked curiously. As a woman herself, she was not sure if she would have the courage to keep such a hideous appearance. It was an ugliness that did not seem natural, but rather fabricated. That thought made her tone grow even heavier.

Glancing over, Chang Tu sighed. “The ugly one is named Chang Ling (长灵), while the beautiful one is also named Chang Ling (长铃). Their appearances each came from the other.”[1]

Lu Yin and Awe Gate were both startled. “What?”

Their names were almost identical.

Chang Tu slowly shared a story that seemed ordinary, yet was anything but.

Chang Ling (长灵) was born beautiful—radiantly so, with the exact face that Chang Ling (长铃) currently possesses. Her beauty drew the attention of far too many, while her family lacked the strength to protect her. Consequently, she suffered endlessly. Even when she sought to cultivate, nothing went smoothly. It had felt as if every gaze in the world stared at her.

Chang Ling (长铃), on the other hand, was born hideous, exceptionally so. Her face was the one that Chang Ling (长灵) currently has. Her ugliness was so extreme that people had no desire to look at her even once, and yet her fate was identical to Chang Ling’s in one aspect: she suffered endlessly, facing humiliation from all sides. She was unable to even find a master who would accept her.

Chang Ling (长灵)’s beauty had made it impossible for her to live her life in peace, while Chang Ling (长铃)’s ugliness had had the same effect.

One day, the two had met, on what each believed to be the most difficult day of their life. They saw each other and, as if their hearts were linked, drew together and exchanged appearances, each taking the other’s face for herself.

Chang Ling (长灵) believed that, as long as she lost her beauty, she would finally be at peace and that her past misfortunes would leave her.

On the other hand, Chang Ling (长铃) believed that, as long as she became beautiful enough, no one would humiliate her, and her past misfortunes would be driven away.

They had then each set off down a path that was the complete opposite of their original one, only to discover that the life they were living—the other’s life—was no different from what they themselves had lived. The suffering was still endless. Whether praise or ridicule, they remained forever exposed to countless eyes.

Over time, the lives that they had endured served as nourishment for their hearts. They saw through worldly prosperity and the warmth, and the coldness of relationships. Then, they finally started walking down their own paths. Finally, they had made a stunning debut, taking first and second place in the vine-climbing contest.

“Actually, when they first exchanged faces and lives, someone had wanted to accept them as disciples, but they both refused. That person was a Dukkhan.

“Later, when they discovered their own paths and began to cultivate with astonishing determination, another person tried to accept them as disciples. That person was a peak Dukkhan who could break through to the Immortal realm at any moment. Such a cultivator is tempting for everyone, as when they become an Immortal, their disciples’ statuses will change completely.”

“They refused then as well, didn’t they?” Awe Gate interjected.

Chang Tu nodded.

Awe Gate’s eyes shone as she looked at the two women. They had experienced everything that a woman could in terms of desire for appearance, which was incredibly rare.

Some female cultivators would deliberately grant themselves beauty or would deliberately become ugly, just to experience certain things.

That was completely different from these two women.

Their experiences had been real.

One had given up peerless beauty. Just how firm must her will have been to do that?

The other had gained beauty, yet because of her former ugliness, she had seen through everything and cultivated an equally unshakable will.

The two women were perfect candidates to become Awe Gate’s disciples.

What a pity. It was a shame that they belonged to the Longevity Civilization.

Lu Yin looked at the two. Did he feel admiration? Not exactly. There were countless people who suffered throughout their lives, and these were just two more of them. Instead, he felt a flicker of envy; at the lowest point in their lives, they had met the someone who they felt could help them most, and that had allowed them to change their destinies.

He looked up at the stars in the sky. Had something unseen predestined all of this? Had those two women been intended to meet? Even their names were nearly identical.

If it was fate, who orchestrated it? If it was not, then why did everything fit together so perfectly?

He had wondered countless times if there was some being beyond the omniverse who observed the entire Aevum Inch, controlling the flow of ages as they wove karma. That feeling had only grown stronger over time, as these countless coincidences should not exist naturally.

Everyone was the protagonist of their own life, but whatever they experienced all seemed to be controlled by some unseen power. If he died, would the cosmos still continue to exist?

Did the cosmos exist only because he existed?

“I want to take them with me,” Awe Gate suddenly announced.

Chang Tu turned a wary eye to the woman. “Do nothing reckless. They are part of my Longevity Civilization.”

Awe Gate looked over at him. “Old man, me taking them away would be for their own good. The Longevity Civilization cannot give them what they want.”

Chang Tu sneered. “Girl, you think too highly of yourself. My Longevity Civilization is stronger than your human civilization.”

“Setting aside strength for the moment, at the very least, they will never reach the pinnacle within your Longevity Civilization,” Awe Gate retorted.

“Nonsense!” Chang Tu retorted.

“Believe it or not, but even if you step forward to take them as your disciples, they still will not agree,” Awe Gate countered.

Lu Yin was taken aback. Not even he believed that.

Naturally, Chang Tu was the same. “Are you asking to make a wager with me?”

Awe Gate looked at the two women. “We should not gamble over them. If you truly care about them, let them leave with me.”

It was at that moment that Chang Fu arrived. “Then let me go and accept them as my disciples. We can see if they are willing.”

Awe Gate and Lu Yin both turned to look at Chang Fu, who smiled at them. “Girl, it has been a long time.”

Awe Gate averted her gaze. “...Another old man.”

Chang Fu showed no hint of embarrassment. He simply turned his smile to Lu Yin. “I am Chang Fu. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lu Yin.”

Lu Yin cupped his hands. “Greetings, Senior.”

“You are far more polite than this girl. I once guided her at least a bit, but then she turned around and forgot. She even mocks me with a few comments now. That’s really going too far,” Chang Fu said, casting a sideways glance at Awe Gate.

Her voice turned to ice. “Should I be thanking you for selling me and Chang Tian out back then?”

Chang Fu let out a helpless sigh. “I didn’t sell you out. At worst, I informed someone.”

Awe Gate let out a cold laugh.

Chang Fu sighed again. “I was genuinely afraid that you would steal Chang Tian away, girl. He is an Immortal of my Longevity Civilization. His leaving would be a terrible loss for us.

“Additionally, I am quite fond of your daughter. That little girl is incredibly cute. I even thought of taking her as my disciple and passing my legacy on to her.”

Awe Gate raised an eyebrow. “We don’t want the legacy of someone who sells others out.”

Chang Fu was left speechless.

1. These two names are pronounced the same, so there is no way to distinguish them in English. We are adding the Chinese characters to allow for easier differentiation. ☜

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.