"Umm… first, let me explain what a universe is," Mu Feng said, reaching into his sleeves and pulling out a wooden bottle.
"Do you want some?" he asked, holding it out toward Zixiao.
"Umm… no, thanks," Zixiao replied, shaking his head gently from side to side.
Hearing this, Mu Feng took a deep drink from the bottle, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Alright… imagine you have a bubble," he began, his voice calm and steady. "Inside that bubble is everything you can see and touch—the sky, the stars, the trees, the planets, people, animals… even you. That bubble… is called a universe."
"Ohh…" Zixiao let out a soft, awed sound, his eyes sparkling with excitement, showing that he truly understood.
"But guess what?" Mu Feng's voice deepened, echoing slightly as if revealing a grand secret. "There isn't just one bubble… there are many, countless bubbles. Some are huge, some are small, and some contain worlds stranger than you can imagine. Each bubble has its own people, its own rules… even its own kind of magic and technology. All these bubbles, floating together… form something even greater—the multiverse."
"So… the universe is just a single world-bubble," Zixiao repeated, his eyes wide with wonder, "and the multiverse is the entire collection of bubbles, each holding a world of its own."
Mu Feng shook his head slowly.
"Well… sort of," he said gently. "You see, a universe doesn't always hold just one world. It's true that some universes might contain only a single world, but others… they can contain countless worlds and realms. There is, however, one rule every universe shares: no one—except for beings of extremely high power—can cross from one universe to another."
He paused, letting Zixiao absorb the weight of his words. "For instance, our universe contains countless worlds, but only intelligent beings inhabit what we call the Great Thousand Worlds."
Mu Feng let out a long sigh and started cutting a narrow path through the thick forest with his machete.
"Let's go, Hero," he said, turning toward Zixiao. "And remember—stay close to me. There are countless dangerous beings in here," he added, leaning in close and making a scary face to startle him.
Zixiao flinched for a moment—but then suddenly burst out laughing.
It was the first time Mu Feng had heard Zixiao laugh, and seeing that unrestrained joy made something stir deep inside him. A warmth he hadn't felt in years spread through his chest, and a faint, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"What does the Great Thousand Worlds mean?" Zixiao asked as they walked along the narrow path Mu Feng was cutting through. His voice was higher than the first time he had spoken to Mu Feng, showing how much closer he had grown to him.
"Well, to put it simply…" Mu Feng replied, slicing through the thick undergrowth with measured, heavy breaths. "In our universe, there are territories—the Great Thousand Worlds—divided into two halves, five hundred worlds on each side. These two sides are called the 'Holy Soul Realm,' governed by the Holy Soul Hall, and the 'Starry Sky Realm,' governed by the Starry Sky River Court."
"What realm are we in?" Zixiao asked, almost slipping on the wet grassy ground.
"Well, hero, we're in the Starry Sky Realm," Mu Feng replied, crawling carefully under a fallen mid-air tree. Moss and small plants had grown along its surface. "And here's something important: in every world of the Great Thousand Worlds, there's one common rule. No matter how many clans, sects, cities, or villages exist, each world has only one empire governing it. So, one world equals one government—basically, one empire."
"So… when those people earlier shouted 'the Sunrise Empire,' that means it's the ruling empire of that world," Zixiao said, crawling under the massive tree behind Mu Feng, grunting as he followed.
When Zixiao got up after crawling under the tree, a slight smirk appeared on Mu Feng's face. Zixiao didn't understand at first, but when he looked down, it hit him—his entire body was covered in mud and green moss.
"Yuck!" Zixiao grimaced, shaking his hands violently to try to get the mud off.
"Wait… wait, hero," Mu Feng said, forcing a smile to keep his composure. "The place we're going to can fix that."
The two of them continued walking, and since the path was clear of thick wilderness, Mu Feng slid his machete back into his sleeves.
"And yes," Mu Feng said, gently shaking his head, "what you said about the Sunrise Empire was completely right. Any more questions?"
Zixiao hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… what is our world called?"
Mu Feng paused, taking a deep breath. He leaned closer to Zixiao, his voice dropping low and serious. "Hero… our world is called the… Phoenix Empire."
"Gasp…" Zixiao took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. "Gulp… well then—" He hesitated, trying to form another question, but before he could speak,
"We're here… hero," Mu Feng said softly, almost in a whisper, his lips curling into a slight smile. He was pointing toward a bush, its branches cascading like a green curtain down to the ground.
Zixiao felt a little off. What's so special about a bush? he thought.
"Ahh, I know what you're thinking, but nope," Mu Feng said with a teasing grin. "It's not the bush—it's what's behind it."
With that, he pulled the curtain of branches aside. The sudden sunlight blinded Zixiao for a moment. Until now, the forest had been beautiful but still dim; now his eyes sparkled like stars.
Before him lay a vast open area. The ground resembled soft, golden sand, and further ahead, a lagoon shimmered with crystal-clear blue water. Fish darted beneath the surface, crabs scuttled along the shore, and beyond, massive green mountains encircled the lagoon like ancient guardians.
It seemed that no one had ever set foot here—until now, with Zixiao and Mu Feng.
Zixiao stepped onto the sandy beach, taking the lead slowly. It felt like he had stepped into paradise. Birds of countless colors soared across the sky, their wings catching the sunlight. The gentle scent of the sand and the lagoon mixed into a heavenly fragrance that filled his senses, evoking a feeling he had never known.
How can a place this beautiful even exist? he thought, spinning slowly with a smile on his face. The warm sunlight brushed over him as he stood there, feeling joy—paradise—and, most of all, freedom.
"Go on, take a swim. It'll wash the mud right off you," Mu Feng said, a big smile spreading across his face as he sat on the open beach, watching Zixiao.
Zixiao glanced at the lagoon. Somehow, Mu Feng's words made him feel completely safe. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the water, his eyes sparkling with excitement. His legs splashed through the shallow waves, sending droplets flying in all directions. Fishes darted away in fear beneath the surface, but Zixiao didn't notice—this was his moment to feel pure joy.
Mu Feng took his pipe out and slowly sipped from it, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos about to unfold.
As for Zixiao, he waded into the lagoon with his muddy clothes still on, scrubbing them clean while the cool water rinsed away the grime and clinging plants. Once his clothes were spotless, he dove in and began swimming freely, reveling in the sense of liberation.
But suddenly, an earth-shaking noise rolled across the area like a series of thunderclaps—boom… boom… boom! The sound grew closer by the second. Birds screeched and forest animals scattered in panic, fleeing in every direction.
Zixiao froze, eyes wide, scanning the surrounding forest. Confusion turned into alarm as a scream pierced the air.
"Hero… Hero…"
It was Mu Feng! He was waving his hands frantically, shouting for Zixiao to come to him.