Chapter 653: You Finally Came for Me, I Missed You So Much, Dad
Sure enough, when Shen Mo arrived at the small island, he could easily sense slight spatial fluctuations ahead using only his own void power.
He casually picked up an Earth-grade artifact and tossed it forward.
The artifact was cleanly sliced in two.
"Shi Tianhao passed through this spatial rift, drifted through the chaotic void currents, and eventually reached East Province."
"I can't afford to rely on luck—so I'll have to use a cheat."
Shen Mo smiled.
His cheat was the Shijie.
Back when he was beyond the heavens of Guzhou, he encountered a void beast known as the Shijie.
After slaying it, he refined it into a puppet using the Saint-grade formation Taiyin Puppet Array.
He then injected Sui Xing into it to serve as its soul.
Later, while continuing to comprehend void power amidst the chaotic void currents, he inadvertently discovered a fluctuation and followed it, arriving at the Tiannan Archipelago.
Originally, he had intended to cultivate the Shijie properly.
With the Shijie's ability to traverse the void, he could freely come and go through the chaotic void currents.
There were countless treasures in the void.
Many cultivators, after reaching the Supreme Realm, would enter the chaotic void periodically in search of rare materials and heavenly treasures.
For example, even when the demonic lands erupted near the Tiannan Archipelago, only Supreme Realm cultivators who resided locally arrived.
The others were either roaming the provinces or wandering the void, unaware of what had happened in Tiannan.
Shen Mo wasn't as lucky as Shi Tianhao. If he recklessly entered the chaotic void, there was no telling what might occur.
Shi Tianhao had managed to reach East Province by chance. Shen Mo, on the other hand, might be swept away into some forbidden zone, deadly region, or hopeless abyss.
To play it safe, he decided to summon Sui Xing to escort him.
Shen Mo enveloped his hand with void power and reached into the spatial rift.
He and Sui Xing were closely connected.
Even if he was in the Sacred Profound World and Sui Xing was in the chaotic void, he could still sense their bond.
Now, with his hand extended into the void—
it felt like dipping it into water.
Void power spread outward, and he began earnestly calling for Sui Xing.
One day, two days passed.
He could sense their connection growing stronger and stronger.
Clearly, Sui Xing had heard his call and was rushing toward him.
On the fourth day, Shen Mo finally felt a slight nudge on his hand deep in the void currents.
At the point of contact came a moist sensation—like a tongue gently licking him.
Joy welled up in Shen Mo's heart.
Sui Xing had arrived!
He wrapped his entire body in void power and fully stepped into the spatial rift.
The scenery around him changed rapidly.
All was obscure, ethereal, vast, and empty.
What entered his vision was a massive body.
It resembled a pitch-black giant crocodile.
But it had four pairs of limbs.
A small pair of fleshy wings grew on its back.
Its tail was massive, lined with reverse spikes like a spiked mace.
It was the Shijie.
Compared to before, its body had clearly grown significantly.
Shen Mo checked the beast panel and found that its realm had reached peak ninth rank.
A ninth-rank beast was equivalent to a Nirvana Realm cultivator.
Peak ninth rank equated to a Nirvana cultivator with a hundred Dao markings.
"Looks like you've made quite a leap while I wasn't around."
Shen Mo clicked his tongue in wonder.
As expected of a void beast destined to devour a world—
its growth rate was truly monstrous.
Sui Xing eagerly lowered its massive head and circled around Shen Mo with enthusiasm.
It opened its giant mouth, and a sword manual flew out from its belly.
Words appeared on its surface:
"Dad, Dad, Dad! You finally came for me! I missed you so much, Daddy!"
Shen Mo let out a hearty laugh.
Man and beast shared an affectionate moment.
Seated atop Shijie's massive head, Shen Mo was immediately enveloped by the power within its body.
He no longer needed to expend his own void energy to resist the corrosion of the chaotic void currents.
Only then did Shen Mo ask, "Sui Xing, do you know where East Province is?"
Text appeared on the sword manual.
"Is Father going?"
"I know of twenty-four rifts that lead directly to East Province."
"Some rifts are guarded by void beasts. Others open into dangerous lands…"
Sui Xing explained everything in full detail.
He truly held nothing back.
Shen Mo was quite surprised.
He had only asked casually.
Yet his adopted son could rattle off detailed information about so many spatial rifts all at once.
"The one near the Thunder Prison Clan… That'll do. Let's take that rift."
Shen Mo gave a slight nod.
Though he had never visited East Province, he had heard bits and pieces over time and received descriptions from friends—enough to gain a general understanding.
Compared to the Tiannan Archipelago, the five domains of East Province were teeming with sects and factions.
The most powerful force was the Dongli Dynasty, which dominated the central domain of East Province. Its founding ancestor was the Flame Emperor.
However, the Dongli Dynasty's control over East Province was weak.
It resembled the Great Zhou during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of ancient Huaxia.
Everyone acknowledged the Dongli Dynasty in name and paid it surface respect, but privately, they all had their own agendas.
Beneath the Dongli Dynasty were four major powers, each controlling one of the four outer domains of East Province.
These were: the Reincarnation Holy Land, the Creation Heaven Sect, the Thunder Prison Clan, and the Heaven-Searing Divine Sect.
The Thunder Prison Clan was a massive family clan, overseeing over a thousand smaller sects.
Their control over subordinate forces was relatively loose.
Unlike the Reincarnation Holy Land, Creation Heaven Sect, and Heaven-Searing Divine Sect.
That was precisely why Shen Mo chose the Thunder Prison Clan.
He had no intention of joining a sect, only to be shackled to its cause.
This was all the information Shen Mo had.
Anything more detailed was beyond his knowledge.
"Hu Xinyue still owes me that Eight Desolations Battlebreak Talisman—I'll let that go for now. But word has likely already spread that I possess three high-grade saint artifacts."
"Even the Supreme Realm cultivators would covet high-grade saint artifacts. I can't go near the Blood God Demon Court."
"For now, heading to East Province is the best course."
Shen Mo had long thought it through.
"Alright! Follow me, Dad!"
Sui Xing carried Shen Mo and sped through the chaotic void currents.
...
At the same time, in North Province of the Sacred Profound World.
Compared to East Province, Central Province, Tiannan Archipelago, and Westsun Sea, North Province was a unique region.
During the ancient war between gods and demons, the demon race was nearly exterminated. The survivors, too difficult to kill, were driven to North Province by the many Saint Realm cultivators.
From then on, North Province was completely cut off from the southern regions.
The demons could no longer take a single step south.
They could only attempt to influence the south through indirect means—through infiltration, temptation, and long-term covert operations.
Over tens of thousands of years, the demon clans of North Province reorganized repeatedly, eventually forming a unified nation.
The Five Sacred Demon Kingdom.
At this very moment, in the central region of the western domain of the Five Sacred Demon Kingdom—
A towering Bone Tower stood firm.
It pierced the gloomy heavens.
In midair, countless wisps of gray mist twisted and darted through the skies.
Dong, dong, dong!
Suddenly, a harsh bell rang from within the Bone Tower.
All across the land, countless demons, regardless of what they were doing, abruptly froze and instinctively looked toward the great tower with reverent expressions.
They knew that was the meeting place of the Corpse Division Demon Saints.
The most supreme place of the entire Corpse Division.
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