"So that's how it was."
After hearing this, Ling Yuxian couldn't help but nod, finally understanding.
When Ling Yuling explained Jing Tianyuan's origins, she didn't avoid Gu Changge or Jing Tianyuan, speaking openly and directly.
"Back then, I truly owed my life to the two young ladies. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Jing Tianyuan stood there respectfully, appearing deeply reverent toward the two women.
Regarding the origins Ling Yuling had explained, he didn't say much, and his expression remained unchanged.
"Since Elder Jing has already escaped, I can rest easy."
Ling Yuling's face showed a gentle smile as she turned and patted Ling Yuxian's shoulder, signaling her to stop borrowing power from the elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace.
"Sister?"
Ling Yuxian was momentarily stunned, her expression slightly surprised. She noticed that, in that brief moment, her sister's brows had furrowed, her smile fading, replaced by a hint of heaviness.
Of course, this change in expression lasted only an instant, disappearing so quickly that she almost doubted whether she had seen it correctly.
"It's nothing. You've been borrowing power from the elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace for so long. It must have been exhausting."
"You've worked hard."
Ling Yuling shook her head gently and smiled.
Ling Yuxian's confusion deepened.
Why did her sister seem more troubled and burdened after Elder Jing arrived, rather than truly relieved?
Was something wrong?
"Sister, you look a bit off."
She spoke in a low voice.
Ling Yuling replied softly, "Don't worry. It's just that the previous consumption and losses were significant, damaging the foundation of my true soul. Once I escape, I'll naturally recover."
Hearing this, Ling Yuxian let it go and didn't dwell on it further.
However, this scene caught the attention of Gu Changge, who had been observing Ling Yuling from a distance. His eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity.
He smiled nonchalantly, as if he had noticed something, but he didn't say anything.
Then, Ling Yuling turned to Gu Changge, showing a curious expression, and asked softly, "And who might this young master be?"
Gu Changge's gaze rested on her face as he replied indifferently, "My surname is Gu. I'm here to retrieve something that belongs to me. I mean no harm, so there's no need to worry."
"Surname Gu?"
Ling Yuling's pupils contracted slightly, as if she had thought of something, and her expression changed subtly.
"What's wrong, Sister?"
"Is there something unusual about this surname?"
Noticing Ling Yuling's change in expression, Ling Yuxian asked in confusion.
Ling Yuling shook her head, her expression returning to normal. "I just thought of a certain clan. I wonder if this Young Master Gu has any connection to that clan."
Gu Changge raised an eyebrow, then asked with interest, "Which clan might that be?"
"I'm also a bit curious."
Ling Yuling showed a hint of apology and shook her head with a smile. "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. There are many clans and surnames in the world. It's probably just a coincidence."
Hearing this, Gu Changge simply smiled and didn't press further.
Then, Ling Yuxian glanced at Gu Changge and whispered to Ling Yuling, "Sister, like me, he has a great origin from his past life and possesses past-life wisdom. He's here to retrieve the Gate of Eternal Life. In fact, he's the original owner of the Gate of Eternal Life."
She was somewhat worried, fearing that Gu Changge might find out that it was her sister, Ling Yuling, who had joined forces with others to seize the Gate of Eternal Life from him, causing him to reincarnate and start over.
"The owner of the Gate of Eternal Life."
Hearing Ling Yuxian's words, Ling Yuling was stunned once more.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked at Gu Changge again. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, as if he tacitly acknowledged Ling Yuxian's explanation, she fell silent for a moment before smiling and saying, "So that's how it is. Since Young Master Gu is the owner of the Gate of Eternal Life, it's only right to return it to him."
"However, Young Master Gu might not know that the Gate of Eternal Life was corrupted by a drop of blood from the Lord of the Black Calamity and tainted by dark energy. It's no longer the Gate of Eternal Life it once was. My being trapped here is also closely related to the Gate of Eternal Life."
At this point, her tone shifted, carrying a hint of regret and helplessness.
"Miss Yuling, there's no need to worry. Young Master Gu already knows about this. When we were in the Demon-Sealing Tower, it was he who helped me expel the part of my soul that had been tainted by the dark energy of the Gate of Eternal Life's spirit."
At this moment, Jing Tianyuan spoke up, explaining their experiences in the Demon-Sealing Tower.
Ling Yuling's face showed a trace of surprise.
"Is the Jing Clan's secret also related to the spirit of the Gate of Eternal Life?"
Ling Yuxian also asked curiously.
Jing Tianyuan nodded, sighing helplessly. "To be honest, after Miss Yuling entrusted me with guarding the Gate of Eternal Life, I also fell victim to the schemes of the Eternal Life Spirit. I had no choice but to create a Demon-Sealing Tower to seal myself away."
He then recounted his experiences in the Demon-Sealing Tower over the years, holding nothing back.
This included how he had been ensnared by the Eternal Life Spirit, the choices he had made afterward, and how even some of the Jing Clan's descendants had nearly committed ancestor-slaying, among other things.
If it hadn't been for Gu Changge's arrival and his help in expelling the dark energy, Jing Tianyuan would likely still be trapped in the Demon-Sealing Tower, enduring endless torment.
After hearing this, both Ling Yuxian and Ling Yuling seemed shocked, then fell silent.
"So this is the method the Eternal Life Spirit spoke of."
After a long while, Ling Yuling let out a sigh that seemed tinged with lingering fear.
"I never imagined there were so many hidden secrets. The Eternal Life Spirit is truly terrifying, leaving so many backup plans."
Ling Yuxian also felt a lingering fear and couldn't help but look at Gu Changge. She hadn't expected him to play such a significant role in this matter.
If Gu Changge hadn't stepped in to help, what kind of consequences would there have been?
She didn't even dare to imagine.
Thinking of this, Ling Yuxian suddenly felt a bit guilty and somewhat embarrassed.
After all, during this time, she had been wary and guarded against Gu Changge, never giving him a friendly look and suspecting him of ulterior motives, even warning him to stay away from Jing Xiao.
But before coming to the Land of Eternal Life, her sister had repeatedly warned her to be cautious of Gu Changge, believing him to be dangerous. What was the reason for that?
Was it also intuition?
Or was her sister hiding something from her?
"I never expected Young Master Gu to be capable of expelling dark energy. Your methods are truly unfathomable and admirable."
"For this matter of escaping, we'll have to trouble Young Master Gu to lend a hand."
As Ling Yuxian's thoughts raced, Ling Yuling spoke again, her tone gentle and graceful.