The night was as dark as ink. Above the mountain peaks, clouds and mist churned, flowing like water, while jagged rocks were scattered across the wilderness.
When the night wind blew, it emitted a low, mournful sound, creating an atmosphere of vast emptiness and distant solitude.
At this moment, on a relatively flat patch of land, two figures stood facing each other at a distance.
The woman was draped in a red cloak, with a battle skirt underneath. Her legs were exceptionally long and straight, and her porcelain-like skin had the texture of flawless jade under the night sky.
Her stunningly beautiful face was calm, her eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuations.
Across from her stood a young man in a white robe that stood out even in the darkness. A faint smile seemed to linger at the corners of his mouth.
If one ignored the current expressions of the two, some disciples of the Imperial Immortal Palace might even mistake them for a pair of lovers meeting secretly at night.
"Speak. What is your true purpose?"
"What will it take for you to agree to let Jing Xiao go?"
Ling Yuxian couldn't stand Gu Changge's calm and composed demeanor, as if everything was under his control. She finally couldn't help but ask coldly.
In her eyes, Jing Xiao was just an ordinary person.
If it weren't for the friendship they had shared since childhood, the two of them likely wouldn't have had any interaction at all.
But Gu Changge was someone even she found intimidating and unfathomable. If he wanted to deal with Jing Xiao, it would be effortless.
That's why, when Gu Changge used Jing Xiao to threaten her earlier, Ling Yuxian felt both anger and helplessness.
Being dragged into such inexplicable danger, Jing Xiao could easily meet a tragic end, her Dao extinguished.
"You seem to have misunderstood something. This isn't the time for you to be asking me questions," Gu Changge glanced at her and said.
Ling Yuxian's expression stiffened, and she gritted her teeth. "Then why did you call me here to talk?"
"My goal is actually the same as yours. You want to rescue the trapped Founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace, while I merely want to retrieve something that belongs to me."
"You don't need to be so wary or suspicious of me. I've already said that I bear no ill will toward the Imperial Immortal Palace. On the contrary, we might even become friends," Gu Changge said with a light laugh.
Ling Yuxian frowned slightly and asked, "Retrieve something that belongs to you? What exactly is it?"
Could there be something in the Imperial Immortal Palace that belonged to him?
But judging by Gu Changge's demeanor, he didn't seem interested in anything within the Imperial Immortal Palace.
At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through Ling Yuxian's mind, but she couldn't figure out what it might be.
Could it be the Gate of Eternal Life, which was related to her sister?
"As for what it is, you don't need to know. You rescue the trapped Founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace, and I retrieve what belongs to me. There's no conflict between these two goals," Gu Changge said with a faint smile, as if he knew what Ling Yuxian was thinking.
Ling Yuxian's beautiful eyes stared intently at Gu Changge, her mind racing with thoughts.
If her guess was correct, and Gu Changge was here to retrieve the Gate of Eternal Life, then he likely didn't know the origins of the Imperial Immortal Palace or that the Gate of Eternal Life had been taken by her sister in the past.
He also didn't know her true identity.
Based on what Gu Changge had said, if the Gate of Eternal Life belonged to him, then his true identity should be the former owner of the Gate of Eternal Life?
After being surrounded and killed by numerous peers, a remnant of his true soul survived, wandering through countless epochs before gradually reincarnating and awakening his past memories, just like her?
If that were the case, then everything seemed to make sense.
After figuring this out, Ling Yuxian felt somewhat relieved.
"You're right. There's no conflict between these two goals. You retrieve what belongs to you, and the Imperial Immortal Palace rescues its trapped Founder," she nodded, her beautiful eyes flickering with a hint of understanding.
From the current situation, Gu Changge should indeed be the former owner of the Gate of Eternal Life.
That his origins were unfathomable to her was only natural. After all, those who once possessed treasures of civilization were figures who stood at the pinnacle of the vast expanse, qualified to touch the Land of Truth.
Even at her peak, Ling Yuxian was still far from reaching the level of such beings.
And Gu Changge likely didn't know that among those who had joined forces to seize his Gate of Eternal Life was the current Founder of the Imperial Immortal Palace—her sister.
After her sister seized the Gate of Eternal Life, she was tricked by the artifact's spirit while trying to refine and control it, forcing her to seal herself away.
Gu Changge had likely gone through countless epochs of reincarnation before gradually awakening his past memories. Then, guided by an inexplicable connection to the Gate of Eternal Life, he had come to the Imperial Immortal Palace.
The reason he had approached Jing Xiao was because the Jing Kingdom behind her had been tasked with guarding the Gate of Eternal Life for generations, reinforcing its seals. There was some karmic connection between Jing Xiao and the Gate of Eternal Life.
He wanted to gather information about the Gate of Eternal Life from Jing Xiao.
But if Gu Changge were to find out that her sister was one of those who had joined forces to seize his Gate of Eternal Life, how would he react?
Would he still remain as calm and composed as he was now, claiming to bear no ill will toward the Imperial Immortal Palace?
"...I think we can indeed cooperate," Ling Yuxian said, not dwelling too much on this matter.
She planned to stabilize Gu Changge first. After rescuing her sister, they could discuss further steps.
Even if he had once been a End of the Path-level existence, after such a great battle, he certainly hadn't returned to his peak.
"Oh? How do you propose we cooperate? I'm all ears," Gu Changge smiled, appearing completely unaware of Ling Yuxian's plans.
"The thing you want, I know where it is. Not only can I tell you, but I can also help you obtain it. You won't need to approach Jing Xiao anymore. She knows nothing about all this. What she knows, I know, and what she doesn't know, I also know," Ling Yuxian said bluntly.
A hint of interest appeared at the corners of Gu Changge's mouth as he said, "Such a good deal? Then what do you need me to do?"
Ling Yuxian's beautiful eyes stared intently at him as she said, "I need you to stay away from Jing Xiao and, when the time comes, help the Imperial Immortal Palace rescue the Founder. In return, the entire Imperial Immortal Palace will do everything in its power to help you retrieve what you want."
"This is a win-win situation. You can think about it carefully. If you don't believe me, I can swear on my Dao heart."
Gu Changge smiled and said, "Compared to what you've said, I'm more curious about your identity. Why are you so certain that the entire Imperial Immortal Palace will help me?"
Ling Yuxian shook her head and said, "You don't need to worry about that. I can swear on my Dao heart that everything I've said is true and that I won't deceive you."