Realm of the Great Void

There had once been a Divine Bridge on Mount Kunlun as well. It connected to the Jade Capital, but that bridge had fractured, and the span leading toward the Jade Capital had vanished without a trace. With the Divine Bridge severed, Qi Refiners could no longer reach the Jade Capital. The Xu family, guardians of Kunlun's Jade Void Peak, cultivated a secret method of longevity that could bridge the gap between the Divine Bridge and the Jade Capital. That secret method was none other than the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body, known as the Nuo method. "The Nuo method opens the secret depositories within the human body to reach the other shore directly. How could Kunlun's Divine Bridge appear in the void of the other shores? Could the Divine Bridge have belonged to the other shore from the very beginning?" Xu Ying suddenly recalled something: when he had set foot upon the Divine Bridge, all around him had been empty void. The sights he had witnessed were entirely different from what one saw standing atop Mount Kunlun, as though he had stepped into a higher realm of space. And upon entering the Jade Void Palace of the Kunlun Realm, one saw the myriad realms like duckweed adrift upon an ocean, with the vast cosmic wilderness unfolding entirely before the eyes. Did this mean that the Divine Bridge, the Jade Capital, and even the Kunlun Realm itself had always existed within this mysterious void where the other shores lay? "And why did the Divine Bridge break in the first place?" Xu Ying was deeply puzzled. The era in which the Divine Bridge broke must have predated the Xu family's arrival at Mount Kunlun. Only after the bridge was severed were the six great other shores pioneered. In the beginning, the purpose of pioneering the six great other shores was likely just to reconnect Kunlun's Divine Bridge with Kunlun's Jade Capital! Only later did the pioneer discover that the six other shores could evolve into a path to longevity—that even without refining qi, one could still achieve eternal life. Thus, the Nuo method was passed down, and the Xu family became the lineage on Kunlun's Jade Void Peak responsible for linking the Divine Bridge with the Jade Capital. 'So the development of the ancestral method of the six secrets must be connected to the ancestors of the Xu family!' Xu Ying mused, 'Besides the ancestral method of the six secrets, that person who pioneered the six great other shores might also have had ties to our ancestors. I just don't know whether that founder was a member of the Xu family or someone else entirely.' Such ancient secrets were things even his first incarnation might not have known. The only person who might hold the answers was his father. 'Where did Father go, though?' Xu Ying looked out toward the fragment of the Divine Bridge beyond the world. It moved with astonishing speed, disappearing from view before long, leaving him no time to attempt retrieving that section of the bridge. The Divine Bridge was essentially a ray of light possessing form but lacking substance, devoid of physical solidity. A person could stand upon it and maintain a foothold in the void, protected from being swept away by the emptiness. Yingzhou was a self-contained world. Flying out of this miniature immortal realm required immense dharmic power to pierce through the world membrane—a feat Xu Ying might not currently possess the cultivation to achieve. The so-called world membrane appeared tangible, but was in truth intangible, formed from a mass of qi. Flying to its outer boundary met with powerful resistance; the stronger one's cultivation, the greater that resistance became. Xu Ying had previously managed to leave Yingzhou for the other shore only because a torrent of geomagnetism had punched through the membrane's barrier. But the Divine Bridge carried no such weight, and its geomagnetic power was naturally nowhere near as strong. Furthermore, even if he managed to break out of Yingzhou, violent void storms raged everywhere outside. With nowhere to borrow leverage, it would be easy to lose one's bearings. Coupled with the fact that Yingzhou was perpetually in motion, falling behind meant drifting in the void until death claimed him. "Kunlun possessed the Divine Bridge and the Jade Capital drifting through the void. Does that mean Mount Kunlun was also once part of this void world? If so, could we catch sight of Kunlun out here?" Xu Ying gazed into the expanse, but the void was simply too vast. Though he searched for a long time, Mount Kunlun was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, an enormous multi-decked tower ship traveling in the opposite direction, several hundred li in length, brushed past Yingzhou. The vessel even breached Yingzhou's atmosphere, sailing across the sky at incredible speed. Xu Ying, Ningqing, and Jijue unleashed their respective divine powers, desperately giving chase, yet the vessel only accelerated, leaving them far behind. *Whoosh—* The tower ship pierced through Yingzhou's world membrane and vanished into the void. The three stood in stunned disappointment. "That vessel was man-made, yet there wasn't a single person on board!" Ningqing said, bewildered. "Who could have built such a ship? There were even marks of battle on its hull. Who would wage war out here?" No sooner had the words left his mouth than an even more shocking sight appeared: another continent drifting through this mysterious void, ancient beyond measure, hurtling straight toward Yingzhou! The two continents grazed past each other. The peaks of the approaching landmass jutted into Yingzhou's sky, their azure, pillar-like mountains slicing through the heavens as they scraped along. That continent dragged along an extinguished sun—a dead, lightless sphere that plunged directly into Yingzhou's airspace. The geomagnetic force radiating from that dead sun sent immortal mountain after immortal mountain spinning wildly out of control, tumbling across the sky. As Xu Ying, Ningqing, and Jijue struggled to steady themselves, an alien Great Dao suddenly washed over them like a deluge, rendering their Dao methods completely ineffective in an instant. Swept up by the dead sun's geomagnetic pull, the trio tumbled helplessly toward its surface! Tumbling alongside them were countless immortal peaks, careening violently into one another. Xu Ying poured every ounce of strength into clutching the base of a mountain; Ningqing grabbed hold of his leg, and Jijue held tight to Ningqing's waist. Before their eyes, an immortal mountain was captured by the dead sun's gravity, slamming into its surface and disintegrating into fine powder. All three hearts skipped a beat. Fortunately, the alien continent drew away from Yingzhou, and the dead sun exited the atmosphere to trail after its parent landmass into the distance. Feeling their cultivation return and their Dao methods regain power, the three released their grips, shaken and uncertain. "Could that alien realm be a relic of an ancient era?" Ningqing murmured. Xu Ying shook his head. "The laws of its Great Dao do not belong to the ancient era." Ningqing looked at him in surprise. Beyond cultivating the Immortal Dao, Xu Ying possessed profound mastery over the Great Dao of the ancient era—perhaps even higher than his Immortal Dao cultivation. Whether something belonged to that ancient era, he could tell at a single glance. 'Could there be a Great Dao of heaven and earth even more ancient than the ancient era of the Immortal Realm?' Xu Ying could not help recalling the pair of ox horns with nine bends and eighteen turns he had seen in the ancient Nether Sea. A deeper question gnawed at him: Were the Dao methods of the Ancestral Court and the Immortal Realm the true Dao? If so, why were they affected by the Great Dao of an alien realm? If not, then what was the true Dao? For so long, Xu Ying had applied himself diligently to learning, mastering Immortal Dao divine powers, deciphering Immortal Dao runes, and exploring the ancient era's Great Dao of heaven and earth. Yet now, for the first time, doubt crept into his heart regarding everything he had studied. Just then, another bizarre phenomenon emerged from beyond the world: a multitude of black stone coffins drifted silently through the void, etched with ancient totems that flickered occasionally with an uncanny brilliance. Each black stone coffin stood thousands of zhang tall, arrayed like a silent forest. As Yingzhou drifted through this grove of coffins, even the Immortal Dao within Yingzhou went utterly still, offering no reaction whatsoever. Xu Ying, Ningqing, and Jijue wisely kept their mouths shut, daring not make a sound. The number of black stone coffins was unimaginably vast. Yingzhou traveled at incredible speed, yet after nearly half a day of drifting through that stretch of void, it still had not cleared the region. Xu Ying's eyes suddenly lit up. Pointing toward a black coffin floating just beyond the realm, he whispered, "Look! One of the coffins is open! Do you think something crawled out?" Ningqing's voice trembled with sharp annoyance. "Shut your mouth!" Xu Ying chuckled. "Even if something comes out, we still have Senior Brother Jijue." Just then, they saw a humanoid entity half-crouched, half-seated atop the open coffin, its hands gripping the rim. Black vapors coiled around its body like dark flames, writhing with terrifying ferocity. In the next instant, the humanoid figure vanished from their sight. Once Yingzhou finally sailed out of the forest of black stone coffins, Xu Ying and the others let out long sighs of relief, their Dao methods returning to normal once more. Along their journey, they encountered several more bizarre occurrences. At one point, an immense magic treasure swept past Yingzhou, unleashing massive geomagnetic tides! Judging by its aura, it was likely a supreme treasure, yet its power was so overwhelming that the pressure it exerted far surpassed that of the Returning Dao Jade Platter. It was impossible to tell which Supreme had left it behind. To think such a treasure drifted all alone through this ancient, mysterious void. "If the world knew an unowned supreme treasure was drifting here, who knows what madness would ensue," Young Master Ningqing muttered. Suddenly, another other shore came into view, resembling a white butterfly suspended in the void, radiating dazzling brilliance like shimmering wings. Between the two wing-shaped swathes of light sat a small Dao platform—the excavated other shore. Xu Ying gazed into the distance, his expression abruptly turning ecstatic. "It's the Other Shore of the Martial Dao! It's the Other Shore of the Martial Dao!" Thrilled beyond measure, Ningqing and Jijue leapt into the air, manifesting their ten-thousand-zhang primordial spirits and waving their arms toward the distant shore. "Hey! Is anyone there?" they shouted with their divine consciousness, projecting their thoughts through Yingzhou's world membrane toward the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. Xu Ying also soared upward, manifesting his sixteen-foot primordial spirit and waving vigorously. *Shen Luo! Wu Tianzun! Zhai Wuxian! Are you there?* Though his primordial spirit was smaller, his divine consciousness was vastly stronger, far more potent than those of Ningqing and Jijue combined. Waves of consciousness surged through the void, hurtling straight toward the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. Upon the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, not only was the plain-robed Emperor Wu, Shen Luo, present, but Wu Tianzun, bearing the Five-Colored Immortal Mountain, and Zhai Wuxian were there as well. The assembly of martial artists was diligently cultivating, honing their strength and refining their skills. Suddenly, Shen Luo tilted his head, seemingly catching faint cries. Surprised, he asked, "Did you hear something?" The others looked up one after another. Shen Luo listened closely for a moment, but the faint cries grew softer and softer until they faded into complete silence. He shook his head. "Strange phenomena abound in the void beyond the other shore. We must remain vigilant during our cultivation to guard against external demons disturbing our Dao hearts." "Understood!" the martial artists roared in unison. Zhai Wuxian said, "Word has arrived from the Little Celestial Venerable. The Ancestral Court is about to mend the heavens, and he invites the Martial Emperor and Heavenly Venerable to attend this grand occasion." Shen Luo was surprised. "Senior Brother Xu is ready to mend the heavens so soon? As the co-founder of our Other Shore of the Martial Dao, his gracious invitation is one we must honor." Stepping across the void, he led the group away from the Other Shore of the Martial Dao to return to the Taichu Great World. Zhai Wuxian, whose martial cultivation now rivaled Wu Tianzun's, remarked, "I hear three distinguished guests from Yingzhou spent two years helping the Little Celestial Venerable and Heavenly Artisan Zhu forge divine artifacts for mending the heavens." "Three guests from Yingzhou?" Shen Luo was astonished. Ever since fully opening the other shore, he had crossed his heavenly tribulation to become a true immortal. Yet instead of ascending, he chose to remain an earthly immortal, continuing his cultivation on the other shore. His cultivation had steadily deepened beyond measure. Looking back at the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, he paused in thought, then closed the Martial Dao cave-heaven. Within Yingzhou, Xu Ying, Ningqing, and Jijue shouted until their throats were hoarse, yet no response ever came. Despair gradually crept over the three of them. "There has to be another way off Yingzhou!" Xu Ying muttered. "There must be! I was always so shrewd, I definitely left a way out... Wait, where did Sword Monarch Jinhe and Heavenly Monarch Pingnan go?" He had an abrupt realization: ever since Sword Monarch Jinhe left, neither he nor the overwhelmingly powerful Heavenly Monarch Pingnan had been seen again! "How did they leave?" Xu Ying surveyed their surroundings. The sky bore numerous traces of Immortal Dao pollution, some left behind from when he had pursued Ningqing and Jijue, others from Jijue delivering corpse immortals into the cycle of reincarnation. "Sword Monarch Jinhe and Heavenly Monarch Pingnan are mortal enemies, and their strength far surpasses ours. If they clashed, they would have left behind far more severe Immortal Dao pollution." Xu Ying's eyes gleamed. Calling Ningqing and Jijue to his side, he searched everywhere with them. More than ten days later, they finally discovered the pollution wrought by the divine powers of Sword Monarch Jinhe and Heavenly Monarch Pingnan along the coast. The pollution left by the two powerhouses trailed across the ocean surface, coming to an abrupt halt right at the water's edge where the sea sheared off. "The sheer cliff of the sea might be an exit portal," Xu Ying said. "Or it might be a dead end." Ningqing replied, "Whatever it is, we have to take the gamble." Xu Ying looked to Jijue, who gave a gentle nod. Xu Ying plunged into the sea to wash up and straighten his clothes. Jijue burned incense and bathed. Ningqing shaved his beard and scrubbed the Returning Dao Jade Platter clean. Clean and refreshed, the three young men stepped together into the ocean's sheer cross-section. In the next instant, the world transformed completely, and a colossal stone stele filled their vision. It was the boundary stele of the Heavenly Sea Earth Immortal Realm. The three looked up at the monument, lost in thought. "Who erected such a misleading stele?" Young Master Ningqing laughed heartily. "This is clearly the mysterious sea connecting the myriad worlds! How could it be any 'Heavenly Sea Earth Immortal Realm'?" He felt high-spirited and triumphant. Having obtained the Returning Dao Jade Platter and mastered the Great Cavern Creation Origin Returning Scripture, his future was bright; leaving Yingzhou meant a meteoric rise lay just ahead. Buddhist Child Jijue pondered, "If this mysterious sea connects the myriad worlds, why does it also connect to Yingzhou? Wasn't Yingzhou severed from the Immortal Realm? Does connecting to Yingzhou mean it connects to the Immortal Realm as well?" Young Master Ningqing froze. Xu Ying murmured, "Which means the Immortal Realm and the myriad worlds were originally one whole. Perhaps the Immortal Realm is merely part of the Earth Immortal Realm." Young Master Ningqing opened his mouth, wanting to refute them, but could find no words to do so. Xu Ying thought of something else: back when he, Yuan Qi, the big bell, and the others ventured into the mysterious sea in search of the Penglai Fairy Realm, they had crossed wave after wave, entering one world after another. One of those worlds had turned out to be the Southern Heavenly Gate! The immortals guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate had moved to capture them the moment they laid eyes on the intruders. 'In other words, there must be a smuggler's path between the myriad worlds and the Immortal Realm. And that path lies right here in the Heavenly Sea!' Buddhist Child Jijue rounded the back of the stele and called out in surprise, "Come quickly! There are words on the back of the stone!" Xu Ying walked around. Carved upon the reverse side were four large characters: Realm of the Great Void.