This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder-Chapter 691: The Anti-Death Alliance

Unknown to Gu Longyu, he had two voyeurs observing him at this very moment. Though, if asked, one of them would vehemently deny the voyeurism.

“Is that guy really planning on experiencing a romance while overthrowing an empire?” Granted, the Temple of Death wasn’t an empire, but the analogy still worked.

Tianyi rubbed his temple. “Yinian is practically torturing himself to get stronger, while this guy is enjoying life. If it were not for the trouble of raising another nemesis, I would have killed him already.”

“Are you sure it’s not because you’re afraid of appearing in front of your son after seeing how devastated he became after your death?” Daoyi asked. The leader of the Temple of Death was naturally her clone, Nuyi.

“I thought the Dragon Emperor’s love interest was supposed to be Springsnow, yet here he is, having a tryst with her mother.” Tianyi pointedly avoided Daoyi’s question. He glanced at Daoyi. “I suspect that the Dragon Emperor and Wintersnow will get together in the future. Do you think Springsnow will object to her new stepfather, fight her mother, or… join his harem?”

Daoyi gave him a speechless look. “Does it really matter? In the end, they’ll die.”

Tianyi didn’t deny that. The entire Death Goddess Planetary Alliance was created for Yinian’s tempering. The only reason Yinian started on Dragonsleep Planet—a planet Tianyi used as a prison for his enemies, including but not limited to demons and members of the Numinous Sword Sect—was because the Death Goddess Planetary Alliance had not reached the right era.

In order to create a suitable environment for Yinian’s growth, Tianyi created a process where cultivators who reached the Immortal Realm would automatically be transported to one of the planets within the newly created Temple of Death’s influence. This concentration of immortals accelerated culture and history, spawning countless forces.

He even accelerated time within the Death Goddess Planetary Alliance to grant it a deeper history. Before this, the most powerful cultivators within the Nine Heavens Universe, outside of those connected to the Heavenly Immortal Court, were merely immortal monarchs. It was no wonder, since they had to create cultivation methods by themselves.

This was a purposeful design by Tianyi in order to see a new branch of cultivation. It was both an experiment and a test, but Tianyi put that on hold for Yinian. Only when the Death Goddess Planetary Alliance reached a suitable age did Tianyi teleport Yinian onto Planet Heavensong.

Originally, Tianyi wanted to teleport Yinian and the Dragon Emperor to the Death Goddess Planetary Alliance when they reached the Immortal Realm—deviating from the script he and Daoyi wrote. It turned out for the better, since the two might have felt something was off because Planet Dragonsleep had immortal monarchs. Even if the script went as planned, Yinian would never discover the truth until he reached the Extremity Immortal Realm or the Origin Immortal Realm.

As for the Dragon Emperor, Tianyi didn’t care. He just had to play his role well, and if he didn’t want to play along, Daoyi could manipulate his memories to steer him toward his role in the script.

So far, the Dragon Emperor had played his role quite dutifully with no prompting.

After a while, Daoyi continued, humoring Tianyi. “I think the outcome will turn out how the Dragon Emperor wills it. He already stands at a great advantage with how much more powerful he is compared to the other two. Even if Springsnow rejects him, she might cave under his advances. The Ancient Sky Sect would not turn away an immortal emperor for a true immortal, especially if that true immortal’s mother is an immortal emperor and has a deep connection with him.”

Tianyi clicked his tongue.

“Are you jealous? The Dragon Emperor is going to charm a mother-and-daughter combo. It does wonders for a man’s confidence,” Daoyi teased.

Tianyi rolled his eyes. “I’m not an immoral bastard like him. Who does that?”

“Emperors, princes, nobles, businessmen—generally anyone with enough power and will,” Daoyi said.

The eye roll continued.

It took nearly ten years for Gu Longyu and Empress Wintersnow to heal from their wounds—mostly Empress Wintersnow, as Gu Longyu’s immortal body offered greater regeneration, and she suffered a more severe, singular wound.

When the two returned, they were immediately met with Springsnow’s worried gaze. For immortals, ten years was akin to a few days for an ordinary mortal, maybe even shorter. That didn’t mean time flowed differently for them. Things that take mortals a few minutes might be faster for immortals, but the consequences of their actions came just as swiftly.

So, Springsnow was worried about Gu Longyu and her mother after hearing about the death of one of the Temple of Death’s immortal emperors. Yes, before the two came back, word of an immortal emperor’s demise had already spread. One good thing about the Xiyinet, for rebels at least, was that news spread faster than the Temple of Death could anticipate. Once it spread, it was too late, even if they tried to bury the truth.

Gu Longyu and Empress Wintersnow could not send word of their safety back through the Xiyinet. Once used, it risked exposure—far too dangerous just to send an update. And because of the vast distance between solar systems, the Ancient Sky Sect had no way to transmit messages.

It was not that other forces did not attempt to create their own version of the Xiyinet, but only after attempting the feat did they realize how difficult it was to maintain it. And that was not accounting for the cost of producing talismans capable of connecting to the new net. Even if they overcame such hurdles, they would despair upon realizing that the coverage of their version of the Xiyinet could not extend much beyond their solar system. Just covering their solar systems could bankrupt them if they maintained it for too long.

So, it was a consensus that the Temple of Death possessed a powerful treasure at the divine level dedicated to this one task. There were other rumors and conjectures, but none of them could be verified.

For over ten years, Springsnow waited for news. Many nights, she could not help but stare into the starry sky and think of the worst. Maybe the Temple of Death had murdered the two after they assassinated the immortal emperor belonging to the Temple of Death.

What she feared the most was not Gu Longyu’s death, but the departure of Empress Wintersnow. Ever since her father died, her mother transformed from kind and gentle to a chilling individual who rarely revealed her emotions. Even toward Springsnow, Empress Wintersnow only showed perfunctory care and concern, more like an obligation than love.

More than once, Springsnow imagined how it would be if her mother died instead of her father. It wasn’t until the realization that Empress Wintersnow might leave her forever, like her father, that she realized her own feelings.

The stone hanging in Springsnow’s heart for ten years finally fell, and she ran forward to embrace her mother. Empress Wintersnow took a few minutes to process the hug. How many years had it been since mother and daughter had shared such intimate contact? In her memory, it was right after she learned of her partner’s death.

Gu Longyu watched from the side, not walking away, basking in the warmth radiating from the mother-and-daughter pair. And Springsnow was so engrossed in the embrace that she did not catch the flash of awkwardness on Empress Wintersnow’s face when she glanced between her and Gu Longyu.

This was not missed by the Autumn Night Emperor. Like Springsnow, he was worried about Empress Wintersnow, especially after learning that she had left Planet Whitesky. Still, he kept his silence and decided to talk to her after everything settled.

The interplanetary teleportation array was a strategic-class weapon. If she had only teleported Gu Longyu to Planet Heavensong with it, she might have only gotten a slap on the wrist once word of Gu Longyu’s success reached them—but she had brought it with her to Planet Heavensong.

Gu Longyu’s achievements could not diminish the risk she took. If the Temple of Death captured her, the Ancient Sky Sect would have lost the interplanetary teleportation array, significantly impacting the time it would take to overthrow the Temple of Death.

Naturally, she could not escape punishment.

The disciplinary hall members arrived to escort Empress Wintersnow to be judged, ending the touching reunion between mother and daughter.

Empress Wintersnow said nothing. She had already known what consequences awaited her whether or not she returned successfully. Even the Autumn Night Emperor said nothing. It was Springsnow and Gu Longyu who showed the greatest reaction.

Gu Longyu almost came to blows with the disciplinary members. In his eyes, Empress Wintersnow deserved no punishment since she successfully returned. The process did not matter—only the results. Were it not for Empress Wintersnow’s reassurance, the consequences would have definitely escalated.

Afterward, the sect master arrived to talk with Gu Longyu. Despite almost coming to blows with the disciplinary members, the Ancient Sky Sect Master only showed a little displeasure. Overall, he showed more appreciation and intimacy.

For Gu Longyu to almost come to blows with the disciplinary members showed that he had a close relationship with Empress Wintersnow. And his act of killing an immortal emperor of the Temple of Death had verified his stance. There was no reason for the Ancient Sky Sect to turn away someone like Gu Longyu.

When the discussion ended, Gu Longyu saw Springsnow. The anxious immortal fretted over her mother. She had talked with the Autumn Night Emperor. Despite his reassurances, she was still worried, so she came to the person she had come to trust most after her mother and uncle.

Gu Longyu swore to absolve Empress Wintersnow of her punishment and imprisonment, quelling Springsnow’s anxiety immensely. She didn’t know why, but his words gave her a sense of safety and reliance.

From that point onward, Gu Longyu periodically left the Ancient Sky Sect to carry out secret missions. He traveled to many planets, sabotaging the Temple of Death and making contact with like-minded allies. Had it not been for his trust in Empress Wintersnow, he would have suspected that the Ancient Sky Sect had deliberately acted out a play to make him trust her and use him like a beast of burden.

Despite his best efforts to remain hidden, rumors of his deeds still spread. There was no concrete proof, but that did not prevent people from whispering about his actions on the forums. The Temple of Death even dispatched investigators because of the rumors. Although they may be rumors, behind each one was often a glimmer of truth.

Once again, the reborn Dragon Emperor cursed the pervasiveness of the Xiyinet.

Traveling so much wasn’t so bad. Gu Longyu experienced danger many times, almost getting exposed, but he managed to survive. He met kindred spirits and became sworn brothers with two other cultivators. They were only immortal monarchs, but Gu Longyu saw immense potential in them. One was from a top force on a planet, while the other was a loose cultivator who could not stand the Temple of Death’s tyranny.

Gu Longyu also tried to encounter Yinian and get rid of him once and for all, but it was as if fate itself was obstructing their meeting. He didn’t mind too much. Gu Longyu had a feeling that once the war against the Temple of Death’s oppression broke out, the two would meet.

He also encountered more clones. Whenever he did, he would quietly eliminate them and absorb them. Despite killing many more clones in the Death Goddess Planetary Alliance than on Planet Dragonsleep, his gains were only about equal at best. Part of it was because most of his clones were below the Immortal Realm, and the other half was because he himself was too strong.

A thousand years later, Gu Longyu returned to the Ancient Sky Sect once more. Once there, he was met by Empress Wintersnow and her daughter. Gu Longyu’s actions had long offset the punishment the immortal empress should have received, allowing her to walk freely.

Although he greeted mother and daughter normally, there was a noticeable tension between the two. Gu Longyu pretended not to notice and made his way toward the meeting. There, he saw the Ancient Sky Sect Master, their hidden elders, grand elders, and blurry projections of representatives from other forces united against the Temple of Death. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The first agenda was to select a suitable name for their alliance against the Temple of Death and the great Death Goddess Planetary Alliance. And what name did these forces settle on?

The Death Defier Alliance.