Gu Luohe's finger landed on Venerable Lanchuan. Sitting nearby, Zhao Xing quietly let out a sigh of relief.
This version of Gu Luohe clearly looked much younger. It'd be strange if he actually recognized Zhao Xing. Not recognizing him was perfectly normal.
"Alright. Venerable Lanchuan and the divine guards under his command will now be under Luohe's supervision. High Divine Official Luohe will also take charge of the exploration of the Ten Thousand Souls Well." High Divine Official Yuan Yuan then announced a second matter.
After that, Gu Luohe left with Venerable Lanchuan, following Yuan Yuan out of the hall, while the banquet continued as usual.
Zhao Xing remained at the table, still processing the fact that Gu Luohe had appeared.
'His choice was so direct. It felt like he already knew Lanchuan. Could it be that Lanchuan is actually someone from the Primordial Hill? Lanchuan Lán God? Don't tell me he's the teacher of Venerable Meishan?'
That seemed very likely. When Zhao Xing broke through to the Reincarnation Realm, Venerable Meishan had suddenly sent him a high-quality earth vein through the Earth-Communion Technique, allowing him to complete the third layer of the Extreme Land.
Later on, when Zhao Xing's Primordial Clone went to the Primordial Hill to study the Life Earth Palace method, he was well taken care of. He even got to visit the prison of the Life Demon God Aruoga—a privilege usually reserved for demigods.
At the time, Zhao Xing thought it was just a bonus from carrying the treatise. But thinking more carefully, the A Theory on the Origins of the Triassic Boundary Mountains in the Mesozoic wasn't even a complete theory yet. So why was he treated with such high regard?
Thinking back to his experience in the Transmission Realm Tower, and the time-loop he completed, Zhao Xing came to a strange realization.
'If Venerable Lanchuan is actually the later Lán God, then the line from the Thousand Lands Wonders—"Other than forceful destruction, the only way to shake the Ice-Flame Lake is to start from the Stone Embryo Method within the Earth element laws"—could it be that I'm the one who told him that?'
It felt uncanny.
Zhao Xing had indeed mentioned the "Stone Embryo Method" to Venerable Lanchuan back when he was about two hundred li into the Extreme Earth path. But that method originally came from a record attributed to Lán God.
So who had told whom?
'Is this a paradox of cause and effect?' Zhao Xing wondered. 'But seriously, which era is this?'
He'd been in the Bone Yin Realm for decades, yet had never received any solid information about the Xuanhuang Realm.
Previously, he guessed this was a time when the Xuanhuang Realm had sealed itself off, which would explain the lack of contact with powers outside the universe.
But now that Gu Luohe had appeared—and possibly even Lán God in disguise as Lanchuan—Zhao Xing had to reconsider his theory.
'Maybe the Xuanhuang Realm was closed off in general… but people with strong backgrounds like Gu Luohe or Lán God could still come in.'
'Ancient God Guxiao had two sons—Gu Luohe and Gu Tianyang. One founded the Primordial Realm, the other created the Primordial Straw Puppet Method.'
'And Wang Tianzhi once said that during the Desolate Domain era, the Xuanhuang Realm did indeed have a figure called Guxiao, who was worshipped as a patriarch of the Xuanhuang Divine Sect.'
'Right now, the living world even has a sect called the Xuantian Divine Sect. Could the Xuantian God be Guxiao himself?'
'Wait… don't tell me Gu Luohe is also from the Xuanhuang Realm? Damn, could the Emperor be from my hometown too?'
Zhao Xing remembered that when he first entered the White Bone Divine Domain, his world's core had been protected by the Hunyuan Dao Tower.
Based on Gu Luohe's apparent age now, he hadn't created the Primordial Realm yet. That realm was built alongside the Red Star Empire.
Looking at the timeline, the Primordial Realm should've been created after the Five Emperor Era ended. So the current era must be during or even before the Five Emperor Era.
As for whether the Emperor existed in this time-space—Zhao Xing had no clue. He didn't dare to probe too much either.
The "Historical Void Event" from the Transmission Realm Tower was still fresh in his mind. This place was crawling with demigods and actual gods. If another anomaly happened, it could be way worse than what occurred in the tower.
'Where the hell am I now? Can I even go back…?' Zhao Xing thought bitterly.
"Emperor Chen'an, I've heard so much about you."
Just then, a man walked up to his table holding a wine cup.
Zhao Xing looked up and immediately sneered inside—it was Ai Yisuo.
"Greetings, Ground Divine Official," Zhao Xing stood up, feigning surprise and humility.
"No need to be so polite." Ai Yisuo flashed his perfect white teeth. "In just forty years at Wangyue City, you refined that many Bone Spirit Crystals. Venerable Lanchuan clearly values you highly. And now you're even under High Divine Official Luohe's direct command. Your future is limitless."
Although this newly arrived High Divine Official was still just a Venerable, being granted a Great Dao weapon by Yu God and becoming the fifth High Divine Official was no small feat.
Even though he hadn't reached the Godhood Realm yet, following him now would certainly bring more benefits than sticking with an old-school High Divine Official.
"I just got lucky," Zhao Xing said modestly.
"No need for false humility," Ai Yisuo said warmly. "Your achievements are undeniable. Actually, I have a favor to ask."
"You're a Ground Divine Official. What could I possibly help with?" Zhao Xing asked with fake surprise.
"I was just appointed. I'm in charge of gathering herbs at the 'Three-Bend River Bay' of the Nine Yin River." Ai Yisuo put on a driven and ambitious look. "You know how it is—new officials need to prove themselves. But I'm still getting my footing, and compared to the seasoned Ground Divine Officials, the divine guards under me lack experience."
"Then please, speak plainly."
"There are a few Shennong divine guards under me. I was hoping you could teach them a thing or two," Ai Yisuo said in a lowered voice. "Of course, I wouldn't ask you to help for nothing. I'll pay you one hundred thousand Soul Crystals. You won't need to submit that tribute to anyone."
Zhao Xing immediately understood the real message—this was a private job. The one hundred thousand Soul Crystals would be his, no strings attached.
Honestly, if it weren't for the Eight Directions Divine Mirror already revealing Ai Yisuo's identity, Zhao Xing wouldn't have found anything suspicious about this request.
Ai Yisuo had just taken office and wanted results. That made sense. Zhao Xing had built a solid reputation over the past forty years. Even Venerable Jin Yue had offered a gift to form good relations. Ai Yisuo doing the same wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
Plus, he was asking Zhao Xing to share his "advanced experience." It sounded completely reasonable.
"Lord Ai Yisuo, it's not that I don't want to help—" Zhao Xing pulled a hesitant face. "As you saw yourself, Venerable Lanchuan originally served under High Divine Official Dongjun. But now he's been reassigned to High Divine Official Luohe…"
Zhao Xing lowered his voice. "Who knows what kind of temper this new High Divine Official has? Of course I want to help if you ask, but this kind of thing… it's against the rules."
"I understand, I understand." Ai Yisuo smiled politely, but in his heart, he was already sneering.
Zhao Xing's hesitations boiled down to two words: more money.
'Greedy, huh? That's good. I was worried you might not be greedy,' Ai Yisuo thought.
After a bit of back and forth, he raised the offer to three hundred thousand Soul Crystals.
Half paid upfront. The rest upon arrival.
Zhao Xing didn't pretend anymore. He agreed right away.
So before the banquet even ended, Zhao Xing had earned himself an unexpected windfall.
"Seems Ai Yisuo's got deep pockets. Well, makes sense. Dan Ye the Free God sent him here. Of course he'd be well-funded." Zhao Xing weighed the bone ring in his hand, a small smile curling his lips.
'Taking some of his resources before taking his life… now that's a welcome bonus.'
'Once Ai Yisuo is dead, his stuff won't necessarily end up in my hands. Most of it will go to the Heavenly Divine Officials. No way I'll get a cut.'
'There are still a few months left before our scheduled meeting. Better prepare for the worst. With the Soul Crystals he just gave me, I can push another three soul clones to breakthrough. Plus, I still have one more Divine Power Baptism left to use…'
On the other side, Ai Yisuo was plotting too.
'Once I lure him to the Three-Bend River Bay, we'll already be out of Yushenzhou territory. I'll capture him there and immediately transport him into the fog barrier. Even if Venerable Lanchuan comes after me, he won't be able to find me.'
…
"Greetings, High Divine Official," said Venerable Lanchuan with a respectful bow.
"No need to be so formal, Brother Lan," Gu Luohe replied with a small smile.
"Brother Gu, I didn't expect to see you in the Bone Yin Realm." Lanchuan looked a bit emotional. "You've only grown stronger since we last met. You even completed the trial Yu God left behind."
"So Brother Lan, does that mean you accept my Dao now?" Gu Luohe asked, still smiling.
Lanchuan shook his head. "I acknowledge your strength, but your Dao… it's too far-fetched."
"A world within the body can't grow forever. One day, it'll reach stillness and decay. Decline is irreversible. For the Great Dao of Life to work properly, it must coexist with the Great Dao of Stillness. That's the natural law."
"You reversed a dying world seed. That's impressive. But there's always a price. If not now, then in the future."
"I don't know how you managed it, but reversing a decayed seed is different from reversing an entire internal world."
Gu Luohe listened silently, then replied calmly, "What you say makes sense, Brother Lan. That's why I need your help."
"Your Earth Refinement Method is also a method of proving the Dao through the world itself. I'd like a copy. And a little soil from the Primordial Hill."
Lanchuan shook his head. "The Earth Refinement Method is my own creation. I'll share it with you. But asking me to dig up one of the three main veins of the Primordial Hill… that's digging out my sect's very foundation. I can't agree to that. It's impossible. And besides, I can't even get in right now."
"You have a chance," Gu Luohe said sincerely. "Invite me as your protector. When the time comes for your breakthrough, I'll act. Whatever consequences come, I'll take them."
"The three great veins—Primordial Vein, Origin Vein, and Dao Manifestation Vein—losing a little won't be a huge loss."
"You know my ambition, Brother Lan."
"I don't want to follow the path of those who came before. I want to forge a path of my own, to make this life count. Even if it shatters me to pieces. Even if I'm damned forever."
Lanchuan stayed unmoved. His tone was as calm as always. "I'll give you the newest version of the Earth Refinement Method. But that's as far as I can go. I can't grant the rest."
A flash of disappointment crossed Gu Luohe's eyes, but he didn't push further. For a descendant of the Earth God Duke, he had plenty of patience.
"Very well. We'll leave it at that for now. Today, let's just discuss the Dao."
…
After Zhao Xing finalized his secret deal with Ai Yisuo, the banquet gradually came to an end.
Lanchuan reappeared, but there was a trace of worry on his face, as if something was troubling him.
Zhao Xing had planned to leave already, but he still needed Lanchuan to bring him back to Moyuan City to receive the Divine Power Baptism from Dongjun.
"Venerable Lanchuan, what's troubling you? I'd be honored to share your burden," Zhao Xing said.
Lanchuan looked at him. "Chen'an, you're at the demigod stage now. Do you understand the path to godhood?"
"I know a little," Zhao Xing replied. "One way is to refine origin and become a Free God. The other is to prove the Dao through the world and become a Tribulationless True God."
Lanchuan nodded slightly. "Usually, proving the Dao through the world is harder. You need a method, and you also need something to prove it with."
"Now, what if someone asked you for your Dao method… and the thing you use to prove it… all for the sake of the world and its people? What would you do?"
Zhao Xing froze. He had a guess.
Dan Ye had once wanted to take Wei Tianchen's Dao. And now, after Lanchuan met Gu Luohe, he was saying this?
Hard not to overthink it.
Zhao Xing understood Gu Luohe's Eternal World theory. It was basically a plan to reboot the universe.
To do that… what would you need?
You'd need to collect tons of Great Dao origins and store them inside your inner world.
In other words, Gu Luohe's path to proving the Dao relied on plundering resources—and not just any resources, but the highest-quality ones.
He had suspected before that Lanchuan's Earth Refinement Method was a way of proving the Dao through the world. And now, was Gu Luohe trying to take Lanchuan's method and the items he used to prove it?
Was Gu Luohe eyeing Lanchuan's Dao?
And what was he planning to refine with the Earth Refinement Method?
If it were anyone else, this wouldn't even be a question. Who gives up their Dao? That'd make someone your mortal enemy—no room for mercy.
But if it were a Shennong from the Primordial Hill… maybe it wasn't so far-fetched. Maybe sacrifice and devotion were part of the package.
Zhao Xing thought for a moment and said, "My lord, I don't know what kind of disaster would justify making a sacrifice that big."
"For me, it's better to become the one who saves others through my own effort than to wait around hoping to be saved."
Venerable Lanchuan fell into deep thought.
After receiving Dongjun's Divine Power Baptism, Zhao Xing pushed the number of his soul clones that had broken through to nine.
That meant he now had a ninefold demigod True Spirit boost.
And thanks to Ai Yisuo's bait, that number jumped to thirteen.
By the time Zhao Xing returned to Wangyue City a year later, he was no longer the same.
[Name: Zhao Xing]
[True Spirit: Nine Tribulations (thirteenfold boost)]
[Solar Law Body: Ninth Stage]
"Boosting strength on top of a demigod base… the soul-splitting from the Primordial Straw Puppet Method, originally a drawback, is now a full-on amplifier. This is insane," Zhao Xing couldn't help but mutter.
No wonder this path couldn't handle more than one person walking it.
"Yuuu~"
Just then, Ai Yisuo sent another message via the Sky Patrol Token, urging Zhao Xing to hurry up and head to the Three-Bend River Bay.
"In such a rush? Fine, I'll grant your wish."
Zhao Xing stowed away the token and flew straight toward Three-Bend River Bay.
The Nine Yin River was diverted by three massive mountains, forming three winding shoals—this area was known as the Three-Bend River Bay.
In the first year Zhao Xing arrived, Ai Yisuo made no moves. Zhao Xing found himself wondering when he'd act.
"Senior Divine Mirror, can you predict when Ai Yisuo will strike?"
"First, put on the palm bone of the Free God Xuerui," Eight Directions Divine Mirror replied.
"Alright." Zhao Xing replaced the bones of his right hand.
The more known factors and advantages he had, the more accurate the Divine Mirror's predictions.
Once Zhao Xing's Fortune reached Derivation Thirty, Eight Directions Divine Mirror easily produced an exact answer.
It not only pinpointed the day Ai Yisuo would act but even detailed the method.
"Just putting on a divine bone makes such a difference?" Zhao Xing was shocked. Without it, the predictions were vague and the timing couldn't be narrowed to a single day.
Fortune Derivation Twenty-One versus Thirty—they were worlds apart.
"You and Ai Yisuo are separated by a full seven stages of fortune. The Dao of Fortune affects the Daos of Cause and Time. You're standing on high ground. He's down in a pit."
The Divine Mirror's spirit displayed a diagram. "All living beings in the world move within the web of time and cause. They cultivate the Five Elements, Yin-Yang, and interact with Daos like Soul and Life."
"This is a chaotic net of fate. People crawl along it like insects on a web."
"As long as you're not a god, you can't escape the Heavenly Daos. That means your actions are predictable."
"What is fate?"
"When you cultivate, your path leaves a chaotic imprint on the world. Based on your past habits and character, your actions can be anticipated. That's 'fate.'"
"But when your choices break from that pattern—when they no longer match your nature or path—that's when 'fortune' comes in."
"Ai Yisuo wants to kill you. His actions, his spirit, his mind, they're all fixed on that goal. And yet his actions betray his beliefs. He once worshipped Dan Ye the Free God… and now he's a Sky Patrol Guardian, forced to serve a demon god…"
Zhao Xing was starting to feel dizzy. "Senior, can you make it simpler? This is going way over my head."
The Divine Mirror's spirit chuckled. "Fine. Think of it like this—you and Ai Yisuo are locked in the same chaotic battle ring of fate."
"Your fortune outweighs his by far. In the Dao of Fortune, you've already crushed him. All I do is tell you what I already see. I'm not changing anything."
"Each of your fates moves along the path of time."
"But when your fortune is nearly equal, that chaotic battle ring is huge, with tons of possibilities. That's why I can't give precise answers."
Seeing Zhao Xing still half-confused, the spirit snorted. "You're terrible at the Dao of Fortune. Better than Wei Tianchen, but honestly one of the worst hosts I've had."
Zhao Xing was speechless. Even a spirit weapon was roasting him.
"Senior, I admit I'm bad at it. I'll introduce you to someone—he's a real fortune genius," Zhao Xing said, thinking of Ji Si.
With Ji Si's talent, he might just be able to impress the Divine Mirror.
Zhao Xing had always felt the mirror had more locked features. The spirit was also unusually mysterious. Maybe Ji Si could unlock something new.
As he waited for Ai Yisuo to act, Zhao Xing focused on his usual fieldwork. Wearing Xuerui's divine fortune bone and with the help of Eight Directions Divine Mirror, he wasn't worried at all. He even knew the exact day Ai Yisuo would make his move.
With the Divine Mirror, it was like having X-ray vision. At least, when it came to Ai Yisuo.
On the fifth year after the second banquet, Ai Yisuo finally made his move.
He invited Zhao Xing to a place called Fuhé Valley within Three-Bend River Bay. His reason? Zhao Xing had done an excellent job with the collection tasks these past few years, and it was time to settle the final payment.
"What a textbook excuse," Zhao Xing muttered as he tunneled to Fuhé Valley and noticed something odd.
The earth veins had been tampered with. They were hard to pass through. Clearly, some sort of trap had been laid.
Ai Yisuo wasn't taking chances. He remembered how Zhao Xing, even as an Emperor, could dive two hundred li into the ground. If Zhao Xing escaped that way, it'd ruin everything.
"Brother Zhao, you're here! Come, come, have a seat and a drink," Ai Yisuo greeted him warmly, inviting him into a courtyard.
"Thanks to you, things at Three-Bend River Bay have really taken off. Collection progress has been amazing."
"My friend, here's the rest of your Soul Crystals. Please accept them."
Zhao Xing almost laughed out loud. This guy really thought he could lower his guard with a bit of money?
Still, if Ai Yisuo was willing to pay, Zhao Xing wasn't about to refuse.
"Then I'll gratefully accept," Zhao Xing said with a smile as he took the pouch.
Ai Yisuo beamed even wider. "Come on, one more drink to show my thanks!"
"Hahaha, cheers, Dao-bro!"
Zhao Xing raised the cup and downed the wine in one go.
Seeing this, Ai Yisuo set his own cup down, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
After sixty-seven years, the mission was finally complete.
Of course the wine was poisoned. Once consumed, Zhao Xing would soon pass out, and Ai Yisuo could take him away.
If Zhao Xing had sensed something wrong, Ai Yisuo would've just used force. But he hadn't expected it to go this smoothly.
"Ugh… you… you poisoned me…" Zhao Xing suddenly clutched his throat, a terrified look spreading across his face.
"Boom!"
A massive wave of energy burst from his body. He shot through the door, then slammed deep into the ground, carving out a large pit.
Ai Yisuo gave a faint smile, slowly placed his cup down, and walked out with ease. "You figured it out now? Too late."
Inside the pit, Zhao Xing's aura vanished. In its place, a thick, sticky poison began to seep into the soil.
Ai Yisuo stepped into the crater, intending to retrieve Zhao Xing—only to find the body missing.
Swish—
Suddenly, a muscular arm—dark green-black in color, veins bulging, and claws tipped with gray nails—shot up from below.
It moved so fast that Ai Yisuo only saw a flash of black before the hand grabbed him completely.
"You—"
Shock flickered in Ai Yisuo's eyes.
"Hou Transformation? How is this possible? How is he fine?"
Boom—
Zhao Xing's body rose from the depths. Horns jutted out from his head, thick hair extended from his scalp down his back, and his muscles looked like solid rock. His whole body was a deep, dark color. On his chest, pale violet demonic markings circled downward like flowing rings.
There were nine total secret patterns, representing Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Time, and Space—nine innate talents.
On his back, beneath his fur-covered body, three bone needles were embedded.
"What the hell are you?!" Ai Yisuo shouted, stunned. He tried to break free, but Zhao Xing's grip didn't budge.
It was like being held not by flesh, but by space itself.
Zhao Xing glanced at his panel.
[Name: Zhao Xing (Hou Transformation State)]
[Race: Nine Marsh Divine Descendant]
[True Spirit: Eleventh Stage]
[Nine Marsh Divine Body: Twelfth Stage]
[Innate Abilities: Ten Thousand Tribulations Golden Marrow (Locked), Longevity Wheel (Locked), Xuanming Transformation (Locked), Earthly Divine Travel (Locked), Body of Thunder (Locked), Eternal Instant (Locked)]
[Innate Ability 1: Space-Cleaving Claw (Unlocked) – The right claw of a Nine Marsh Divine Descendant can tear through space barriers. Its palm contains a singularity that binds heaven and earth.]
[Innate Ability 2: Five Viscera of the Void Ruins (Unlocked) – Though retaining human anatomy, each internal organ becomes its own realm. Can devour most non-divine objects and convert them to nourishment.]
[Innate Ability 3: God-Eye of World Incineration – Eyes emit flames capable of melting divine power.]
[Heaven-Altering Bone Needles: External Attached Artifact]
[Hou Transformation Duration: Three Days – exceeding this will result in unknown side effects]
The Nine Marsh God Hou Transformation had nine stages. Zhao Xing had completed three, unlocking three innate divine abilities.
In this form, his True Spirit had temporarily surged to Stage Eleven, while his physical body hit Stage Twelve!
The Nine Marsh God was a true celestial deity. If he fully mastered all nine transformations, he'd possess a complete divine body and unlock every divine skill.
But Zhao Xing could only hold the form for three days. His True Spirit couldn't handle longer. Any more, and he might not be able to change back.
The skill that grabbed Ai Yisuo was the "Space-Cleaving Claw"—its singularity trap prevented escape.
Rumble—
Ai Yisuo didn't just sit still. His eyes glowed green, reflecting Zhao Xing's transformed body.
He was a Thirteenth-Stage Grand Physician and also a Martial Venerable.
His body began to change. Five medicine vials hidden in his stomach shattered.
Gold, blue, violet, green, and red liquids spread through his limbs.
His flesh tore, but he resisted the Space-Cleaving Claw's crushing force.
"I underestimated you… You even resisted my poison?"
"You mean the True Soul Heavenly Poison? Hah! That's not the first time I've been hit with that," Zhao Xing growled with a grin. His voice was deep and rough, like a villain.
That's right—Ai Yisuo had used True Soul Heavenly Poison.
But Zhao Xing had already taken the antidote crafted by Wei Tianchen.
Eight Directions Divine Mirror had warned that Wei Tianchen's legacy would neutralize Ai Yisuo's methods. This was what it meant.
"Not the first time?" Ai Yisuo found it absurd—Zhao Xing made it sound like being poisoned was a hobby.
He glared hard at Zhao Xing. But it wasn't just anger—he was also activating the poison source hidden inside Zhao Xing's cells.
As a demigod physician, he could trigger dormant toxins at the cellular level.
Humans hadn't existed for long, but toxin microbe strands could be traced back to the earliest oceanic life.
"Give it up, bumpkin," Zhao Xing snorted. "Your toxin-triggering technique—Taiyi True Element Method—isn't half as good as my friend's Wei Yuan Method."
He looked completely unaffected. In fact, he tightened his grip, tearing Ai Yisuo's flesh open even further and crushing his deep-layer defenses.
"You— AHHHH!"
Ai Yisuo howled in pain. His bones were cracking.
He couldn't understand it.
A physician's poison-triggering method could detonate dormant toxins in the target's body. These included parasites, toxins accumulated from rare spiritual herbs, and more.
The True Element Method worked by activating reactions at the particle level. Visibly, it resembled the Hou Transformation Technique's exterior changes.
The difference was that Shennong used external force—pulling on heaven and earth—to restructure internal realms. They could even change a man into a pig.
The Wei Yuan Method was a counter to the True Element Method.
One was the Shennong's Hou Transformation, the other was the reverse. Both were core combat arts within their respective professions.
Zhao Xing didn't actually know the Wei Yuan Method. His transformed body was new—there was no way he could.
But he'd hidden a talisman inside himself. A Dao talisman made by Wei Tianchen: the Wei Yuan Talisman.
So Ai Yisuo had no chance of triggering any transformation—if the Nine Marsh Divine Descendant even had any toxins at all.
"Aaagh—!" Ai Yisuo let out a sharp cry of pain as he forcefully yanked his arms from Zhao Xing's claw.
But all he managed to pull out were stumps—everything below the elbows was still trapped in the beast-like hand.
"Rooaaar—!"
A furious roar came from the underground river below.
Zhao Xing stomped hard, unleashing his bloodline power. Earth veins cracked beneath his feet, blocking the creature below from surfacing.
Ai Yisuo had a turtle beast—a demigod-level one, bred by Dan Ye Free God, known as a medicinal turtle.
It had never appeared publicly in Yu Shen Zhou and had been hiding in the Nine Yin River the entire time.
Originally, this turtle was one of Ai Yisuo's backup escape plans. Now he had no choice but to summon it for rescue.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!
The earth shattered in countless places. The underground river space began collapsing as Zhao Xing continued to stomp, stopping the turtle from rising.
Ironically, Ai Yisuo had reinforced the ground beneath Fu River Valley to prevent Zhao Xing from using his earth-travel technique. Now that very design blocked his own rescue.
"Die!"
Zhao Xing grabbed Ai Yisuo tightly. His eyes burst into flame, setting Ai Yisuo ablaze.
The God-Eye of World Incineration unleashed a flame of terrifying grade—even Zhao Xing's own hand was scorched, peeling away skin. Let alone Ai Yisuo.
His flesh quickly vaporized, leaving only bone behind.
Bang!
From within the skeleton, a heart and five blobs of potion lit up in brilliant color, pushing back the fire.
'No flesh left but the drugs are still working? The medicinal power is stronger than his own physical strength. This must be the protection Dan Ye Free God gave him,' Zhao Xing thought.
Still, it was just water without a source. It couldn't withstand continuous burning.
The protective barrier on Ai Yisuo's body quickly weakened. Most of the bones burned away. Only the golden light around his skull remained, shielding the final vital spot—his True Spirit Flame Seed.
'A Thirteenth-Stage demigod really is hard to kill. I've already gone all out, and I still can't destroy his skull.'
'Looks like I really do need a Dao Artifact, just like the mirror spirit said.'
Zhao Xing activated a thought. He pulled out a three-inch-long hollow crystal from his red jade thumb ring. It looked like a needle tube.
This was the Soul-Stripping Divine Needle, named by Wei Tianchen. It could extract a person's soul.
Zzzzt!
The sharp tip flared with fire. Both Ai Yisuo's skull and the needle turned red-hot.
Eventually, it drilled open a tiny hole—enough to crack Dan Ye Free God's final safeguard.
Zhao Xing had no intention of capturing Ai Yisuo alive. As soon as the hole opened, the flame from his God-Eye surged into it.
Whoosh—
Ai Yisuo's True Spirit Flame Seed was burned away.
Groooooan—
A low, mournful sound echoed underground. Zhao Xing saw the medicinal turtle fleeing at full speed—it clearly realized its master was dead and gave up completely.
Shhh shhh shhh—
Just as Zhao Xing finished off Ai Yisuo, powerful auras surrounded Fu River Valley.
Among them was a man riding a giant dragon skull. It was the Celestial Divine Official Yi Qing.
Next to him stood a strange demon divine official with a snake's head, a ram's body, covered in scales, and wreathed in violet flames.
They had arrived just in time to witness Ai Yisuo being burned to ash.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Many Divine Guards and Earth Divine Officials had already been stationed near the Three-Bend River. Hearing the commotion, they rushed over.
"Everyone! Ai Yisuo was a traitor—" Zhao Xing called out, making his explanation clear to avoid misunderstandings.
"Huh? That's Sky Patrol Divine Guard Chen'an? He killed Ai Yisuo?"
"Ai Yisuo was a planted spy from the Free God faction? Had a personal grudge with Chen'an?"
"But Ai Yisuo was a Thirteenth-Stage Grand Physician, and Chen'an is only Ninth-Stage. How'd he pull that off?"
"That's a Hou Transformation! But I've never seen this kind before. It let a Ninth-Stage demigod fight across multiple tiers?"
"Interesting. I wonder how they'll handle this."
"Ai Yisuo was under Celestial Divine Official Qizi. This is going to stir things up."
In the air, divine senses clashed. The Earth and Celestial Divine Officials didn't speak up right away—they all turned to the demon divine official, Qizi.
Ai Yisuo had been under his command. And Qizi himself was a subordinate of High Divine Official Zhiguan.
"Zhao Chen'an, whether Ai Yisuo was a traitor or not can't be judged by your words alone," Qizi said coldly, his vertical eye fixed on Zhao Xing. "You, on the other hand, are a Ninth-Stage cultivator who just killed a Thirteenth-Stage one. Very suspicious! Surrender and come with me to see the High Divine Official."
As he spoke, he exhaled a purple mist that lunged toward Zhao Xing to restrain him.
Zhao Xing didn't flinch. His face was expressionless, his body motionless.
Just then—
"Hold it."
A puff of green smoke rose from the ground. A figure emerged as layers of soil arched upward, forming a mountain that blocked Qizi's capture technique.
Boom!
The mountain stood firm. The purple mist was sucked into it.
Right on cue—just as the Eight Directions Divine Mirror had predicted—Venerable Lanchuan arrived to save the day.
"Divine Official Qizi, if there's to be an arrest or interrogation, that's my responsibility," Lanchuan said. His voice was calm but carried great weight.
"Lanchuan, you're just an Earth Divine Official! You dare stand in my way?" Qizi snapped. "Move!"
Lanchuan looked unbothered. He didn't respond, just traced a circle at his feet.
The circle suddenly became a vacuum, glowing gold. A figure stepped out from it.
'That's a seriously advanced Earth-Tunneling Technique,' Zhao Xing thought. He now realized that Lanchuan's spell was similar to the ones taught at the Primordial Hill.
So it was true. Lanchuan was the later Meishan Venerable. The future Lord of Storms?
He had once said that only he and one other person could master the third layer of the Earth Refinement Method. Did that other person already exist in this era? Was it the young Meishan Venerable himself?
Buzz— Before the figure even appeared, the voice arrived first.
A vine whipped out from the underground circle and smacked Qizi aside.
"What kind of thing are you to talk to Lanchuan like that?"
The one who came was Gu Luohe.
Qizi was sent flying thousands of meters before crashing to a stop. But he instantly realized something and lowered his head. "Greetings, High Divine Official."
In his heart, though, suspicion bloomed. 'This is too coincidental… Ai Yisuo was fine just a moment ago, but as soon as this Gu Luohe arrived, he's exposed? Is this some kind of power play against our faction?'
Still, even if he thought that way, he had no choice but to yield. A High Divine Official was still a High Divine Official. Even if Gu Luohe was just a Venerable, he wasn't someone Qizi could afford to offend.
"Scatter. You all have a lot of free time, huh?" Gu Luohe swept his gaze around. A shadow flashed, a streak of green flickered through the air, and everyone instantly backed away, dazed and mumbling to themselves.
"What just happened? Why did the High Divine Official show up here?"
"What's going on?"
"No idea… but if a High Divine Official descended, something big must've happened with the Nine Yin River."
"Let's head back—fast."
Zhao Xing stared at Gu Luohe's back with only one thought in mind: Dominance.
He'd whipped a Fourteenth-Stage Celestial Divine Official like he was nothing, then casually wiped everyone's memories. That was next-level.
And according to Zhao Xing's status panel scan, this wasn't even Gu Luohe's real body—it was just a Primordial Straw Puppet clone!
'Wait, he already learned the Primordial Straw Puppet Technique at this time? But that doesn't make sense. How can his straw puppet manifest an internal world? Unless… he's growing plant-type soldiers inside the puppet?'
Zhao Xing couldn't figure it out. Something felt off.
As far as he knew, only Jin Yan and Zuo Qiyu had mastered the Straw Puppet Dao. He'd never seen Gu Luohe use it in the Desolate Domain era. Back then, Gu Luohe either appeared as his true self or a mana clone—never a puppet.
'Five Venom Emperor once said only Gu Luohe could suppress the bloodlust of two Primordial Straw Puppet cultivators… what kind of connection is there?'
Sensing Zhao Xing's gaze, Gu Luohe turned to glance at him.
This was the third time he'd looked at Zhao Xing.
"What's your name?"
"Reporting to the High Divine Official, my name is Zhao Xing."
"Zhao Xing?" Gu Luohe repeated, then nodded slightly. "Not bad. One day, I might let you train in my inner world."
—Dan Ye Free God's stronghold—
"Master, Ai Yisuo is dead," reported the mourning medicinal turtle. Its true master was Dan Ye, but Ai Yisuo was the one who had raised and accompanied it.
"Who killed him?" Dan Ye Free God frowned.
"A human named Zhao Xing."
"Impossible. He's only Ninth-Stage. How could he kill Ai Yisuo?" Dan Ye waved his hand and scattered the mist before him, revealing a soul well. "Even the soul well shattered. There's no way he did it alone."
"But I saw it with my own eyes—"
"Enough. Only divine methods could kill Ai Yisuo outright. Someone else must've interfered… Wait?!"
Just then, Dan Ye noticed Ai Yisuo's soul fragment, though damaged, suddenly sprouted a small sapling.
Dan Ye's expression changed. He raised his hand and pointed at the soul well.
Boom!
The soul well shattered again.
"A Void Seed tracing karma? What a powerful Derivation Seed! We can't stay here!" Dan Ye barked. "Leave now!"
—Back at Fu River Valley—
A half-burned purple vine appeared in Gu Luohe's puppet hand. He turned to Lanchuan and said, "He really did offend a Free God. He wasn't lying."
Lanchuan also glanced at Zhao Xing, who was meditating nearby. "Can you tell what Hou Transformation method he used? It looked impressive."
Gu Luohe, being the son of a Celestial God, should've recognized the technique. Hou Transformations were Heavenly Timing spells, after all.
"I don't know," Gu Luohe admitted, thinking. "He used an artifact to assist it. It's merged with medical principles. I can't trace its origin. Haven't you asked him his identity?"
"He said he was reborn in a soul well. Lost a lot of memories."
"Once he's recovered, ask him properly."
"Alright."
Zhao Xing was panicking—not because of Gu Luohe and Lanchuan's chat or fear of interrogation.
But because, as he meditated, he suddenly felt an intense summoning.
The divine artifact he had sensed since arriving in the Xuanhuang Realm was approaching—fast—and now it was about to arrive.
'Right now?! Are you kidding me?!' Zhao Xing groaned inwardly.
Rumble…
Thunder cracked through the sky.
Zhao Xing looked up and saw both the Sun Star and Moon Star in the sky—together.
Then came a sail—stitched with celestial symbols.
An ancient warship soared across the sky with three banners. One bore an archaic character, and another showed a soaring bird on the hull.
Time and space froze.
It wasn't just a feeling. Everything had literally stopped. Gu Luohe and Lanchuan were frozen mid-movement, heads bowed.
When Zhao Xing clearly saw the warship breaking through the boundary, his heart shook.
"That Yin-Yang Warship? Why that one?!"
An intense pull came from the warship. Zhao Xing couldn't resist. His body floated up and boarded the vessel.
Then—
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the warship tore through the sky and vanished.
—Xuanling Star Domain, Desolate Era, in the Primordial Realm—
At the top leaf of the Primordial God Tree—Gu Luohe's cultivation site.
As Zhao Xing departed on the warship, inside Primordial City, the statue-like Gu Luohe who had been staring at a cosmic map suddenly stirred.
A new memory had just entered his mind.
Flash—
Gu Luohe's figure vanished from the city and reappeared in another space.
There stood a towering figure, like the center of the universe, with all the world's light drawn toward him.
"Gu Luohe, why have you suddenly come to my Moyuan Realm?"
"Great Emperor, a memory of time and space suddenly appeared in my mind," Gu Luohe replied.
"What did you recall?"
"I don't know why, but I remembered a period of time spent in a place called the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Great Emperor, did I really go there?"
"Yes. You and I both have been there."
Gu Luohe's eyes filled with doubt. "Great Emperor, what exactly is the Xuanhuang Realm? Why would even my memory of it be blocked?"
The Red Star Great Emperor was silent for a moment. "I don't know."
"I only know that when Void Ancestor rebuilt himself under the name 'Yuan,' he founded the White Bone Divine Domain there and tried to create a second path to becoming a god through martial cultivation."
"But what happened afterward, I have no idea. I only retained eight hundred thirty-one years of memories from that place."
"The Moon Palace Lord retained slightly more, about one thousand two hundred years."
A flash of shock crossed Gu Luohe's otherwise calm face.
Even the Great Emperor and the Palace Lord of the Origin Heavenly Palace remembered so little. No wonder his own memories were sealed away.
"Great Emperor, I saw Zhao Xing in those memories. Why would he appear there? Is there something special about him?"
"I know no more than you. Perhaps the Lord of Reincarnation or the Palace Lord knows," the Great Emperor said, seemingly staring into the river of time.
"Judging purely from predictions made by the Grand Derivation Divine Armament, Zhao Xing, Wei Tianchen, and the Bamboo Sword Venerable just happened to stumble in. When the temporal chaos is resolved, they'll automatically leave."
Gu Luohe fell silent. The Great Emperor was already the strongest in their era, yet even he didn't know what the Xuanhuang Realm really was?
"Maybe one person does."
"You mean Bowe?"
"Yes. In the Desolate Era, the only one able to see through chaotic history was Bowe. Even a God King couldn't make sense of it."
"Where is Bowe?"
"Imprisoned in the Reincarnation Tomb. I once asked what he saw, but he refused to say anything."
Gu Luohe already knew that Bowe had broken a domain seal and released a God King's incarnation.
"Bowe caused the imbalance of the Realm Transmission Tower, and time and space became wildly disturbed. The Palace Lord chased the divine incarnation and found it fleeing toward the Shenluo Barren Domain."
"At that time, the Xuanling historical records issued a warning in that direction. But the chain reaction was already in motion."
"The passage at the Reincarnation Temple also started to show signs of disturbance."
"What kind of consequences will that lead to?" Gu Luohe asked.
"Right now, it's unknown," the Red Star Great Emperor replied grimly. "But the natural disasters of the Third Epoch can no longer be avoided."
"Gu Luohe, you may need to ascend to godhood before the Desolate Era loses its stability. Otherwise, I may not be able to protect you."
Gu Luohe's heart sank. "So things have come to this…"
The Great Emperor nodded lightly. "If your newly surfaced memory includes seeing Zhao Xing, then it proves the barrier between realms has failed. Only by becoming a god can you secure your independence."
Gu Luohe said solemnly, "Great Emperor, I want to meet Bowe."
At first, the Red Star Great Emperor was going to refuse. He thought it would be pointless.
But suddenly, something in his mind stirred. He looked toward a part of the Shenluo Barren Domain.
"Very well," he said. "The Grand Derivation Divine Armament just detected a temporal fluctuation in the Shenluo Barren Domain."
"Zhao Xing has emerged. Take him with you to meet Bowe."
"If anything can compel Bowe to speak, it'll be the innate curiosity of divine scholar nature."
Gu Luohe nodded and vanished from the Primordial City.
—Shenluo Barren Domain, ruins of the Great Ye Dynasty, Starhail Pass—
Zhao Xing stood beneath the starlit sky. He looked around at the sparse spiritual energy, expression dazed.
At that moment, a coordinate prompt appeared on his panel.
[You have entered the ruins of the Great Ye Dynasty, Starhail Pass (Coordinates: Solar 3, Fernshade 1, Woodarmor 4)]
"I'm back?" Zhao Xing muttered. "I was just in the White Bone Divine Domain. How did I suddenly return here?"
His thoughts were scattered. After a while, he finally remembered—after killing Ai Yisuo in the White Bone Divine Domain, he had summoned a warship. Then, somehow, he ended up here again—at the very place where Wei Tianchen and the Bamboo Sword Venerable had once made a deal with him.
"But where's the ship?"
He patted himself down but didn't see the Yin-Yang Warship. A moment later, his pupils shrank. On the panel, he noticed a new ship icon labeled with four characters:
[Fengchan zhi di — Land of Sealing and Worship]
"Land of Sealing and Worship? What kind of new feature is that?" Zhao Xing was caught off guard. "I didn't make it to godhood in my last life. Looks like I missed out on a ton of versions and functions…"
This new panel function hadn't existed for him before. Now it was grayed out. Even tapping it twice didn't work.
Clearing his thoughts, Zhao Xing decided to return to the empire first. He had no idea how much time had passed in the outside world while he was inside the Xuanhuang Realm's time-space instance.
How was the Yanxing Ancient Path doing? How was Great Zhou?
Had Ji Si completed the Four Realm Trials at the Celestial Master Manor?
What about the Five Venom Emperor and Hongshan Emperor—had they passed the True Spirit Tribulation and reached the Half-God stage?
And Bowe—he'd ascended to godhood. What had become of him?
His mind was overwhelmed with questions. Zhao Xing immediately took out the Star Mirror to contact his friends and allies.
"Whistle~"
Right at that moment, the Star Mirror lit up on its own.
A beam of light projected from the mirror, forming Gu Luohe's holographic image.
"Senior Gu." Zhao Xing greeted him respectfully. He'd always maintained a degree of reverence for Gu Luohe.
"Zhao Xing, meet me in the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom."