Gu Changge was not surprised by Ye Suyi's reaction.
The secrets hidden within this white-robed girl were more numerous than he had anticipated. If he hadn't probed her earlier, he might have overlooked her entirely.
After all, the transcendent fate of ascending from mortal to immortal was, in some ways, similar to the "anomaly" fate—both were peculiar and rare.
Like the anomaly fate, the future and past of such a being were shrouded in mist, making it impossible to deduce or predict their achievements and destiny.
Even those who controlled the fates of all living beings in the world could not fully comprehend the future of an anomaly.
It was impossible to know what heights an anomaly could reach or what opportunities and fortunes they might encounter.
In contrast, those with ordinary great fortunes, though favored by heaven, had their encounters and opportunities laid bare before the eyes of powerful existences.
When and where they would obtain what kind of opportunities, whom they would meet in the future, and what enemies they would face—all of this was clear.
Scheming and plotting against them was thus incredibly easy.
The strong grew stronger, while the weak grew weaker.
Every truly powerful existence had, at some point, absorbed the opportunities and fortunes of countless individuals with great destinies.
But Ye Suyi was completely different from those with great fortunes.
The eerie and terrifying aspect of her transcendent fate lay in the fact that she appeared no different from an ordinary person, with no significant fortune to her name.
Yet, through various means, she could alter her own fate and future, becoming a being who broke through her limits.
For example, her innate talent might have destined her to reach only the peak of the mortal realm, but through some unknown cause, she could break through her talent's limitations and ascend to immortality.
Or, her lifespan might have been destined to be only ten thousand years, yet she could somehow extend it to hundreds of thousands of years.
Her future seemed simple and unremarkable, like that of an ordinary mortal, yet this very simplicity could give rise to unimaginable miracles and fortunes.
It was precisely for this reason that Gu Changge suspected she might be part of someone's scheme or even that "someone" herself.
Of course, in Gu Changge's view, there was another possibility—that the transcendent fate was an illusion created artificially.
That is, Ye Suyi herself had endured countless trials and dangers, achieving enlightenment in the future, and then altered her own past, making it smooth and uneventful.
Even with the talent of an ordinary mortal, she could break through her limitations and become a being who surpassed her innate potential, rivaling anomalies.
If this were the case, then Ye Suyi herself was someone worth Gu Changge's attention.
The future was not set in stone. A single moment of change could trigger a tsunami of transformations in the future.
Gu Changge couldn't possibly see through and fully comprehend all possible futures.
He still remembered the time in the Dao Prosperity True World when a Son of Destiny from the future, at the Immortal Emperor level, descended, believing Gu Changge was not yet at his peak and sought to eliminate him to prevent the despair and darkness of the future.
However, that Son of Destiny from the future underestimated Gu Changge's strength. Even if Gu Changge wasn't at his peak, he was far beyond what an Immortal Emperor could handle.
Gu Changge saw despair in the eyes of that Son of Destiny from the future.
Yet, even now, Gu Changge hadn't determined exactly which future timeline that Son of Destiny had come from.
If Ye Suyi's true self was similar—a being from a fragment of the future—then it could explain the peculiarities of her transcendent fate.
Seeing Gu Changge remain silent, Ye Suyi grew increasingly anxious.
She thought Gu Changge might misunderstand her hidden cultivation as a sign of ulterior motives and quickly explained in a soft voice, "I didn't mean to hide it from you, Young Master. This cultivation came about strangely, and even I don't fully understand it."
Hearing this, Gu Changge snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at her with slight curiosity, then shook his head. "I'm not blaming you."
Ye Suyi breathed a sigh of relief, then hesitated before continuing in a small voice, "Back at Purple Mist Mountain, Miss Zi Susu often used me as an experiment, making me practice a certain cultivation technique."
"That technique is strictly forbidden at Purple Mist Mountain, treated as a forbidden art. Practitioners meet tragic ends, and it leads to terrifying consequences."
She didn't know where Zi Susu had obtained that technique.
Often, Zi Susu would hide in her cave abode to practice it, not daring to let her clan members know.
Moreover, fearing that practicing the technique would lead to drastic personality changes and other harmful effects, she frequently used servants as test subjects, observing their changes after practicing the technique to decide whether to continue herself.
Ye Suyi only learned of this by chance.
A few years ago, while cleaning outside Zi Susu's cave abode, she accidentally witnessed Zi Susu making a servant practice the forbidden technique.
Ye Suyi watched as a robust, living cultivator, after practicing the technique, seemed to age tens of thousands of years in an instant. The power of time flowed through their body in a flash.
Their once youthful and glowing skin withered instantly, becoming dry and wrinkled, like tree bark clinging to bones.
Then, their vitality rapidly drained away, as if devoured by some terrifying force.
Soon, they turned into a dried-up corpse, crumbling into dust at the slightest breeze.
That horrifying and chilling scene left a deep impression on Ye Suyi.
After being discovered, Zi Susu didn't kill Ye Suyi. Instead, she passed the technique on to her, making her the new test subject to continue the unfinished experiments.
The mysterious disappearances of many servants around Zi Susu had already drawn the attention of some Purple Mist Mountain clan members.
Zi Susu didn't want to arouse suspicion but also didn't want to give up practicing the forbidden technique, so she made Ye Suyi, who stayed by her side, her new test subject.
Ye Suyi, naturally terrified of Zi Susu, didn't dare to disobey her orders.
So, despite knowing the forbidden technique was eerie and ominous, she had no choice but to practice it.
Moreover, Zi Susu didn't give her the complete technique.
She only provided fragments intermittently, making Ye Suyi practice them without caring if she made mistakes.
Surprisingly, under these conditions, Ye Suyi managed to make some progress in her cultivation without suffering any backlash.
In contrast, Zi Susu made no progress, as if the forbidden technique was completely unsuitable for her.
"My hidden cultivation likely comes from that forbidden technique. I don't know how it appeared, and most of the time, I can't even control it myself."
Ye Suyi explained softly.
"Zi Susu doesn't know I have cultivation. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sold me off so easily."
Moreover, Ye Suyi suspected that if Gu Changge hadn't appeared, Zi Susu would have sent someone to Riverside Pavilion to retrieve her within a few days, not allowing her to stay there indefinitely.
After all, Zi Susu's intention was only to humiliate her. She wouldn't let someone who knew her secrets escape her control.
Gu Changge listened to her explanation, seemingly unfazed.
"Since you've practiced this forbidden technique, do you know its name?" he asked casually.
Ye Suyi shook her head in confusion.
She only knew it was a forbidden technique of Purple Mist Mountain but had no idea where it came from.
If Zi Susu hadn't coldly threatened her, she wouldn't have known such a thing as a forbidden technique existed.
"It's called the Bridal Robe Immortal Technique,' though the world likely calls it the 'Bridal Robe Demon Technique,'" Gu Changge said.