While night had fallen over the primary realm, three suns still hung high above the Desolate Realm.
Deep exhaustion showed between Wei Yuan's brows as he stumbled toward Nine Eyes, stepping unevenly across the rugged ground. Nine Eyes had closed eight of his eyes by now, leaving only the smallest one open to look Wei Yuan up and down. "So many tricks just for sunbathing. Hmph! Ugly shamans make the most trouble, and you humans are full of melodrama!"
Wei Yuan let out a sigh. "Let's not get into that. What did you want to show me?"
"Follow me. We're going to take a look at Molten Dragon."
Wei Yuan's heart sank. Reaching out, he took hold of one of Nine Eyes's tentacles, and in the next instant, they were standing upon the mountain range beside the Heavenly Pillar. Nine Eyes withdrew his true form, transforming into an ordinary, ugly Great Shaman. Climbing the steps, he led Wei Yuan slowly toward the peak. Judging by the contours of the mountain, they had landed at Molten Dragon's neck and were now ascending all the way to the top of his head.
Upon the main peak sat a burly figure, towering and motionless, subtly radiating imposing might. Though his back was turned to Wei Yuan, a single sweep of perception told Wei Yuan that this was indeed Molten Dragon.
*Molten Dragon isn't dead?* Surprised and overjoyed, Wei Yuan took two steps forward, only to realize that the figure lacked any spiritual vitality. It was not even a remnant thought left behind, but merely an afterimage stirred up by residual aura.
Before Molten Dragon lay an indescribable entity—a mass of gray liquid that squirmed ceaselessly, reaching out in every direction as though trying to breach an invisible barrier, only to fail at every attempt.
Looking at that dark gray shade, Wei Yuan suddenly felt it bore a resemblance to the shadow upon the full moon of his fifth grotto-heaven. Both were clearly not products of this realm, yet both were unmistakably of a higher plane, perceivable only indirectly, neither truly visible nor tactile.
Staring at the squirming gray mass, Nine Eyes asked, "Guess what this is."
"An extraterrestrial evil entity?"
Nine Eyes replied, "Not quite accurate. In fact, you've seen it before. This is a severed Heavenly Pillar of the Flame Demons."
"A Heavenly Pillar?!" The thing before him did not appear very large, and its form and aura differed so drastically from the Heavenly Pillar that day as to be worlds apart.
"What you are seeing is the Heavenly Pillar's last trace of vitality. Molten Dragon annihilated and assimilated almost all of it, but this final remnant exceeded his ability and proved impossible to destroy. If we cannot contain it, it will completely resurrect before long. When that happens, Molten Dragon's death will have been in vain."
"What do you need me to do?"
Nine Eyes, currently in humanoid form, opened an eye at the center of his brow and peered toward Wei Yuan. In an instant, Wei Yuan once again had the feeling of being seen through from inside out.
Yet this time, the outcome was different. A world-shaking sword aura suddenly shot from Wei Yuan's left eye, while a wisp of entwined black and white qi burst from his right eye, tearing Nine Eyes's gaze to shreds in unison!
Nine Eyes grunted, his central Heavenly Eye snapping shut as burning tears streamed from its corner. He vaguely sensed something extraordinary about that black and white qi, but its presence had been entirely obscured by the earth-shattering sword aura. Thinking back now, his mind held only endless sword light and not the slightest memory of the black and white qi.
Wei Yuan hurriedly apologized. "My apologies. I currently have the artifact spirits of two former palace masters residing within me, and at times even I cannot control them."
Every word Wei Yuan spoke was absolute truth.
Nine Eyes gave a heavy snort and muttered crossly, "I'm just an ordinary Heavenly Shaman who wants a stable job, wants to draw my stipends on time, and wants no drama or accidents! Is it really that fun for you people to do this? By age and cultivation, you're all seniors, aren't you? What great benefit is there in beating me? Does it make you look glorious, or does it add to your fame?"
This barrage of soul-searching questions struck Xihe into complete silence.
Back when she had roamed the world unopposed, she probably wouldn't have bothered lifting a finger against a Heavenly Shaman like Nine Eyes. Of course, they wouldn't normally have crossed paths anyway; wherever she appeared, the Shaman Clan would have had to deploy their top few Heavenly Shamans to meet her, and sometimes even one wouldn't have been enough.
It was just that before she could fulfill her ambition of emulating the Patriarch and venturing deep into the Wu domain to challenge the First Heavenly Shaman, her closest friend and confidante had poisoned her with Immortal-Severing Powder, leading to her fall under an ambush by a multitude of immortals.
Given her past disposition, now that Nine Eyes had put it like that, Xihe likely couldn't bring herself to slash at him again and could only watch him walk away.
Wei Yuan offered continuous apologies, his manner earnest and sincere.
To be fair, ever since he had participated in the immortal sect entrance examination at six years old, Wei Yuan had frequently had to apologize. Most of his apologies, however, were not readily accepted. Lines like "You almost hurt me," or "I really didn't mean to beat you," or "I slowed this spear thrust down as much as I could, so why couldn't you dodge it? Any slower and it would look too fake."
Fortunately, Wei Yuan's apology this time was relatively normal. Nine Eyes begrudgingly accepted it, allowing Wei Yuan to breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, this excursion to the Desolate Realm had yielded remarkable body-tempering results for the cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning. After Cui Yu's dharma idol advanced into the Twelve Liuren Night-Patrol Heavenly Soldiers, its grade had climbed another step; he was now at the peak of the Heaven Tier, finally flinging open the gate toward Scenery Command.
Even Xu Yi, the weakest among them, showed signs of impending breakthrough with his dharma idol. A few more sunbathing sessions would be enough.
Physical body and dharma idol complemented each other. Wei Yuan had first forged a body unrivaled under heaven before attaining a dharma idol unrivaled under heaven. A massive enhancement in the flesh would naturally elevate the dharma idol, even if the margin was slightly smaller.
Thus, for the sake of the cultivation journeys of his fellow Palace of Grand Beginning peers, Wei Yuan had to swallow his pride. He could not afford to offend Nine Eyes and lose access to a body-tempering sanctuary like the Desolate Realm.
Whether Nine Eyes had genuinely forgiven Wei Yuan in his heart was impossible to tell from his face, but proper business took precedence.
Pointing toward the indescribable mass, Nine Eyes said, "You studied *Preliminary Exploration of the Desolate Realm*, which makes you a successor to Molten Dragon's mantle. Protecting the Desolate Realm was always his wish. I wonder if you are willing to fulfill it for him?"
"What do I need to do?" Wei Yuan turned solemn.
"I just looked... well, caught a brief glimpse of your mindscape world. It truly is extraordinary, already possessing five grotto-heavens, though as for which five they are, I didn't see clearly at all."
*Senior, you really didn't need to add that last part,* Wei Yuan thought to himself.
Nine Eyes continued, "After seeing it, I understood why Molten Dragon gave you *Preliminary Exploration of the Desolate Realm* back then, and why he carved out an independent Heavenly Shaman position from the world of the Desolate Realm. This vitality from the Heavenly Pillar is scorchingly hot and profoundly toxic. Using it as a core, it can naturally draw in the ambient worldly essence and eventually transform into a blazing sun.
"Once removed from the Desolate Realm, its activity and might will drop drastically, but it still won't be something you can destroy at your current stage. Only after you ascend to immortality might you find a way to eliminate it entirely. For now, you can only temporarily trap it and expend all your efforts wearing down its vitality. The moment you fail to suppress it, you will be consumed by it."
Nine Eyes paused, his expression solemn. "This is a massive responsibility that will accompany you for a very, very long time. As of now, only you have received the Desolate Realm's recognition and hold its authority, making you the only one capable of suppressing the Heavenly Pillar. But if you do not wish to accept, that is completely understandable. Your ancient Human Sovereign chose not to accept this burden back then."
Wei Yuan offered a wry smile. "Such a momentous matter... let me think about it."
"Naturally," Nine Eyes said. "I never expected you to decide right this second. Return, consult with your sect elders, and let me know once you have reached a decision."
Wei Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "If the Flame Demons are so terrifying, why not simply abandon the Desolate Realm altogether?"
Nine Eyes asked, "Did Molten Dragon ever show you what the Desolate Realm truly looks like?"
"No."
"Then let me show you." Nine Eyes pointed a finger, and an image manifested before Wei Yuan's eyes.
The vision revealed a colossal orb of light, of which only a single corner was visible. On its surface was an irregular protrusion, resembling an inverted large bowl or a swelling left by an insect bite.
Perched atop the swelling were three hideous, monstrous insects, each extending a spike from its tail and driving it deep into the mass. For reasons unknown, the moment Wei Yuan laid eyes on those insects, an unspeakable revulsion and distress washed over his heart. Every part of his body began to itch intensely, and tiny patches of tissue underwent mutations, beginning to grow in chaotic disorder.
Wei Yuan immediately mobilized the power of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World to forcibly suppress it, only then subduing the bodily anomalies. Opening his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of foul, grayish-black blood, finally purging the true intent of the extraterrestrial evil entity from his body.
Wei Yuan was thoroughly horrified. He had merely looked upon an image projected by Nine Eyes, yet it had exerted such a pronounced effect on him!
At that moment, endless sword light surged from within Wei Yuan's body, sweeping through every inch of him and causing him to vomit another mouthful of blood. This blood was pale pink, filled with countless minuscule white nematodes wriggling within.
Xihe had intervened to purge the hidden perils remaining inside him. Wei Yuan had thought he had already cleansed the entity's influence, never imagining that so much corruption still lingered.
Surprise flickered across Nine Eyes's face. "That senior truly is formidable; I seem to have heard of this sword aura before. In truth, the Desolate Realm is the product of these extraterrestrial demons corroding our primary realm. You can view it as a defensive mechanism of our world. By creating an extreme environment like the Desolate Realm, the strength of the extraterrestrial demons is constrained.
"You asked earlier why we don't simply abandon the Desolate Realm. In fact, a million years ago, the Shaman Clan did abandon a realm once, and the result is the Nether Cold Realm you've seen. The physical substance of the Nether Cold Realm has already been destroyed; all that remains there is void, completely defenseless against the extraterrestrial demons. Nether Shamans may be willing to abandon it, but we Strength Shamans cannot!
"If we abandon the Desolate Realm, the extraterrestrial demons will continue their advance. Once they breach the primary realm, where else can we retreat? Thus, in the hearts of us Strength Shamans, though the lands behind us are vast, we cannot take a single step back!"
At this, everything clicked into place for Wei Yuan. He finally understood why the authority of the Desolate Realm had been continuously transferring onto him—the realm was preparing him to carry away the Heavenly Pillar's remnant.
In that split second, myriad thoughts flooded Wei Yuan's mind. Countless calculations, schemes, and weighings of pros and cons ultimately settled upon the silhouette of Molten Dragon's back. It was a lonely, weathered silhouette, yet possessed the strength to uphold heaven and earth. Wei Yuan seemed to once again witness that ancient Molten Dragon fiercely coiling around the Heavenly Pillar, tearing it down by sheer force. At that time, Molten Dragon had only just advanced to Heavenly Shaman; within the lifespan of a Heavenly Shaman, he was merely the equivalent of an eighteen-year-old mortal.
Wei Yuan drew a deep breath. "I accept!"
Nine Eyes had not expected Wei Yuan to make his decision on the spot. Beside himself with astonishment, he was also deeply moved.
At this moment, further words were unnecessary. He simply clapped Wei Yuan on the shoulder. "Molten Dragon wasn't mistaken about you—you're a born Strength Shaman! What a pity you were reincarnated into the wrong belly and ended up with the humans. Sigh, humans are so ugly, weak, and full of melodrama; it must be truly hard on you."
Wei Yuan cursed inwardly. *Heavenly Shaman, couldn't you have swallowed that last sentence?!*
Sure enough, a burst of sword aura abruptly erupted from Wei Yuan's shoulder, piercing straight through Nine Eyes's palm!
Immediately after, an immortal sword manifested in Wei Yuan's left eye, its crisp chime ringing out from between his brows: "How dare a mere whelp with nine eyes and eight tentacles bluster so shamelessly here?! Who are you calling ugly and weak?!"
Wei Yuan felt helpless. Saying the words "ugly" and "weak" in front of the Fourth Generation Palace Master was truly seeking death in style. Even if only a wisp of the Fourth Generation Palace Master's remnant thought remained, she could still wield her former sword to unleash a heaven-defying strike—the only cost being draining Wei Yuan dry.
Nine Eyes's reaction, however, took Wei Yuan entirely by surprise. The shaman fell into sheer panic, crying out in shock, "How do you know my true origins?!"
Xihe sneered. "Not only do I know you are nothing more than a whelp right now, but I also know that once you evolve to ten eyes and ten tentacles, you can challenge the seat of Ancestral Shaman!"
Wei Yuan's heart tightened, and he grew inwardly wary. Sure enough, these seemingly pure, honest fellows who claimed they just wanted to slack off and lie flat all harbored an ambition to hollow out and usurp their boss!
Chapter 1016