Thirty-Six Lands of Opportunity

"After a thousand days, when Realm Lord Biluo returns, it will be the day the Immortal Realm is unified." The flames of power burned in the eyes of the Second Society Master of the Ultimate Principle Society. Once Realm Lord Biluo reached greater heights in the Universal Void Realm and returned to the Immortal Realm, the Immortal Realm would revere him as supreme. In the Second Society Master's view, even the Sole Palace would have to bow its head. Given his relationship with Realm Lord Biluo, he would naturally stand below only one person, yet above billions. "Senior Brother, how could lying low ever compare to sitting high upon a throne?" "The world knows the Great Sun, everyone knows Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns, but who knows me, Supreme Venerable Aotian?" the Second Society Master muttered to himself. He had transmigrated to this world at age six, reached Foundation Establishment at thirteen, formed his Origin Core at twenty, achieved the Divine Infant at thirty, and stepped into the Yin God realm before turning a thousand. He had slain the Ten Thousand Demons Patriarch and toyed with the Ancient Origin True God; his glory had once been boundless. *** After an unmeasured span of time, the true spirits of Realm Lord Biluo and Supreme Venerable Longgui stepped into the Universal Void Realm. "Is this the Universal Void Realm?" Realm Lord Biluo cautiously surveyed his surroundings, his heart stirring faintly. He had already reached the Rule Realm and wielded cosmic rules. The Universal Void Realm looked entirely different to him than it did to others. Supreme Venerable Longgui kept his head lowered, an expression of wary vigilance on his face. "Realm Lord Biluo, you must be extremely cautious in the Universal Void Realm. There are many formidable figures here." Realm Lord Biluo nodded, his expression turning solemn. "I never thought we would be like frogs at the bottom of a well." Just moments ago, he had sensed three experts passing by who were stronger than him. And within the Cosmic Spirit Sea, there was no telling how many mighty beings lay hidden. "The Cosmic Spirit Sea can temper the true spirit. With your strength, Realm Lord Biluo, you might even have a chance of reaching the hundredth layer," Supreme Venerable Longgui said. His own strength was meager; the last time he had visited the Cosmic Spirit Sea, he had stalled out at merely the fiftieth layer. "How many layers are there in the Cosmic Spirit Sea?" Realm Lord Biluo asked. Longgui shook his head, awe evident on his face. "No one knows. However, all those who can enter the thousandth layer are Heaven-Opening Realm Lords." Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed through Realm Lord Biluo's eyes. Heaven-Opening Realm Lords? It was not impossible that he might attain the Heaven-Opening Realm in the future. He felt brimming with confidence. Yet in the very next breath, a bucket of freezing water was poured over his newly ignited confidence. "Realm Lord Wufo of the Palace of All Saints has arrived! All bald donkeys, make way at once!" A majestic voice rang out. Hearing this vast, thunderous proclamation, the Realm Lords outside the Cosmic Spirit Sea parted one after another, opening a wide avenue. Realm Lord Biluo looked in that direction and saw a pervasive haze of Buddhist radiance and golden light. Five terrifying Buddha corpses, transformed into steeds, pulled a golden cloud carriage. Although their souls were extinguished, their remaining bodies made it plain how terrifying these five Buddhas had been in life. Every single one of them had been vastly stronger than Realm Lord Biluo. "The Palace of All Saints is a major power in the Universal Void Realm, presided over by a Heaven-Opening Realm Lord. Realm Lord Wufo is the palace master's disciple and has always detested monks. Under no circumstances should he be offended." Supreme Venerable Longgui pulled Realm Lord Biluo aside to yield. Various great factions existed in the Universal Void Realm. Any faction anchored by a Heaven-Opening Realm Lord was already considered a genuine titan. Of course, true behemoths required the backing of a Dao Lord. "A real man should be like that," Realm Lord Biluo murmured with deep emotion as he gazed at Realm Lord Wufo seated within the cloud carriage. "The Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm is vast and boundless, yet compared to other universes and planes, it is still too weak," Supreme Venerable Longgui lamented. "The Immortal Realm has no future, while other universes and planes do. The disparity is simply too great." Saying this, he turned solemnly toward Realm Lord Biluo. "I hope that in the days ahead, you will reshape the future of our Immortal Realm." "I hope so as well," Realm Lord Biluo replied. Ahead, Wufo seemed like a true heavenly god; every Realm Lord lining the path stepped aside without exception. After all, Realm Lord Wufo was already a Myriad Things Realm Lord, as well as the disciple of a Heaven-Opening Realm Lord. Only after Realm Lord Wufo entered the Cosmic Spirit Sea did the other Realm Lords file in one after another. Realm Lord Biluo stood to the side, his thoughts complicated, feeling like a mere lackey. Half a day passed. Realm Lord Biluo withdrew from the Cosmic Spirit Sea. Pale-faced and staggering, he said, "A pity. On my first day, I only managed to enter the twentieth layer." Supreme Venerable Longgui hurriedly consoled him. "The last time I came, I only reached the tenth layer on my first day." "Even so, the benefits are truly immense." Sharp determination shone in Realm Lord Biluo's eyes. He needed half a day of rest and recuperation before he could enter the Cosmic Spirit Sea once more. Just then, a casual voice drifted over. "Are you two newcomers? Where are you from?" A Realm Lord wearing a uniform black robe appeared, asking nonchalantly. Sensing the newcomer's vast aura, Realm Lord Biluo's heart tightened. Seeing who it was, Supreme Venerable Longgui answered immediately, "It is his first time entering. We come from the Immortal Realm." "The Immortal Realm?" the Realm Lord murmured. Seeming to recall something, he followed up, "Not the Nan Ke Universe?" "No," Supreme Venerable Longgui answered quickly. Realm Lord Biluo asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist, what matter do you have with the Nan Ke Universe?" "There is no harm in telling you. The Nan Ke Universe's Dao Lord vanished, and the Realm Lords of the Nan Ke Universe disappeared from the Universal Void Realm as well. This has become an eternal mystery, and many major factions wish to uncover the truth," the Realm Lord said. "Because of that, whenever I see new faces, I drop by to ask." Naturally, he did not question just anyone. He only approached those who looked like soft persimmons. "I see," Supreme Venerable Longgui replied. In truth, he felt somewhat curious inside. His disciple, Hong Yun, hailed from the Nan Ke Universe. Of course, he would never disclose such things. Having finished his inquiry, the Realm Lord vanished without a trace. Realm Lord Biluo and Supreme Venerable Longgui exchanged a glance and spoke no further. *** Meanwhile, within the Cosmic Spirit Sea. At an unmeasured depth. Qi Yuan gazed forward with a complicated expression. "Is this my true spirit?" "This sort of tempering is rather interesting." After reaching the Yin God realm, advancing Qi Yuan's strength had become extraordinarily difficult. Yet within this Cosmic Spirit Sea, he continuously tempered his true spirit, and his strength grew at a rapid pace. This tempering constantly integrated everything, fusing his essence, qi, spirit, and intent into a single whole. Divine sense, divine soul, divine abilities, ultimate principles, rules, and his physical body were all being tempered and engraved onto his true spirit. "The fourth tier of the Yang God realm involves abandoning everything, even the true spirit." "Possessing all, discarding all, pursuing the ultimate." "The more one possesses, the stronger one becomes after discarding it." "I can step into the fourth tier of the Yang God realm at any time right now. If I discard everything I have, just how strong would I be?" Of course, Qi Yuan had no intention of discarding anything. He would never walk the path of true spirit annihilation. "Three thousand layers." "All unified as one, the unique true spirit... and yet it still isn't the end." Dressed in his usual clothes, Qi Yuan continued walking forward. He passed a three-headed elder. The elder had his eyes closed in cultivation, his expression shifting between agony and ease. Seeming to sense something, he glanced toward Qi Yuan. Then, upon seeing that Qi Yuan was actually wearing clothes, shock appeared in his ancient, unruffled eyes. Watching Qi Yuan step into the 3,001st layer, he finally muttered, "The boundless universe holds all manner of wonders; there are actually beings that grow clothes." Qi Yuan paid no mind to the old man's mutterings and pressed deeper. "There are fewer and fewer people." Originally, he would encounter a being every so often. Now, after traversing another three thousand layers, he had run into fewer than ten people. At the six thousandth layer, an old man suddenly appeared. He was stark naked, with a crazed look in his eyes. Spotting Qi Yuan, he asked, "Have you seen my underwear?" Qi Yuan glanced at the mad elder and said earnestly, "You don't need to wear underwear." "I don't need to wear it?" The elder looked puzzled and wanted to ask more. Unfortunately, Qi Yuan had already stepped into the next layer. As time went on, his true spirit grew steadily stronger and increasingly pure. "What exactly is a land of opportunity?" "In just this short while, I feel my true spirit has more than doubled in power." For Qi Yuan, doubling the strength of his true spirit translated to far more than a twofold increase in combat power. "In the past, I thought the fourth tier of the Yang God realm was invincible." "Now... why do I feel that Heitian isn't really all that much?" Back then, Qi Yuan had fought and clashed continuously against Heitian. Granted, he had been at a disadvantage. If his master, Ruan Yixi, hadn't gifted him A Branch of Spring, his true spirit would certainly have been wiped out. Now that his strength had increased, however, he felt that facing Heitian wouldn't be so hopeless anymore—at the very least, his true spirit would not be annihilated so quickly. "I'm constantly growing stronger, whereas those at the fourth and fifth tiers of the Yang God realm have remained stagnant. How can they compare to me?" Confidence rose within Qi Yuan once again. In the past, he had felt that the fourth tier of the Yang God realm was completely insurmountable, beyond even catching a glimpse of. However... his strength was growing exponentially. An ant couldn't defeat a tank? What if that ant grew larger than the universe itself? What if its form filled the past, present, and future? Eventually, after an unknown amount of time, Qi Yuan arrived at the deepest recess of the Cosmic Spirit Sea. The 9,999th layer. Here, he was the sole, solitary figure. "Is this the limit?" He looked ahead and saw only an expanse of sea. The most ordinary of seas. "So this Cosmic Spirit Sea... is also a so-called fourth-tier Yang God?" His eyes perceived a wealth of useful information. The ability he had awakened after reaching the Yin God realm also allowed him to merge into all things. Through these two abilities, he learned that the Cosmic Spirit Sea was actually a rare treasure formed from a fourth-tier Yang God. However, this treasure differed from the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. "There are other lands of opportunity?" Qi Yuan's gaze grew complicated, yet filled with anticipation. "Who on earth created the Universal Void Realm, and why did they leave behind so many lands of opportunity? What was the purpose?" Qi Yuan pondered. Just then, his gaze locked onto something. Out in the sea ahead, there seemed to be a drifting bottle. With a wave of his hand, the drifting bottle flew into his grasp. Instantly, a message flooded into Qi Yuan's true spirit: "Latecomer, if you traverse all thirty-six lands of opportunity, unite your true spirit as one, and return to the Cosmic Spirit Sea, you may obtain my legacy." "A Dao Lord?" Qi Yuan was astonished. The hidden information revealed by his eyes indicated that the one who had left this drifting bottle was indeed a Dao Lord. "Could it be that a powerful Dao Lord wanted to break through the limits of the fifth tier of the Yang God realm, and thus created the Universal Void Realm?" Qi Yuan deduced as much. "Then that Dao Lord must have been terrifyingly strong." If the other lands of opportunity were like the Cosmic Spirit Sea, formed from fourth-tier Yang Gods, that meant there were thirty-six treasures in the Universal Void Realm derived from fourth-tier Yang Gods. The fourth and fifth tiers of the Yang God realm did not even exist on the same timeline. Finding thirty-six treasures formed from fourth-tier Yang Gods would be exceedingly difficult. After all, clever as Qi Yuan was, he currently possessed only a single Gate of Myriad Manifestations. *** Within the Cosmic Spirit Sea. The chubby elder craned his neck, peering far into the waters ahead. "Strange. Just which layer did that fellow reach?" "Could he really be stronger than me?" Standing at the 3,700th layer, he looked ahead. Yet he saw no sign of Qi Yuan anywhere. "His talent is greater than mine... which is only normal." "Still, one must remain cautious... After all, not everyone wishes to see a genius emerge." The Myriad Changes Society had the backing of many Dao Lords. Yet not all Dao Lords wished for the society's research to succeed. To certain Dao Lords, being omniscient and omnipotent within their own lineage and universe was already good enough. Not all Dao Lords wished to shatter these cycles. As a result, the Myriad Changes Society had many rival factions. Their research was far from smooth sailing, and they even faced assassinations. Outside the Universal Void Realm, assassinating a Heaven-Opening Realm Lord was extraordinarily difficult. Here in the Universal Void Realm, however, one could not draw upon the rules of a lineage or universe; everyone relied purely on their true spirits. Clashing here was far more direct and far simpler. Just then, he received a transmission, and his expression shifted slightly. "He returned to the Myriad Changes Society?" Without hesitation, he departed for the Myriad Changes Society. With a shift of space, the chubby elder reappeared. He spotted Qi Yuan immediately. A broad smile spread across his face. "You rascal, you made me take a wasted trip!" He naturally assumed Qi Yuan had never entered the Cosmic Spirit Sea at all. Otherwise, how could he have failed to run into him? "Qi Yuan, this is Senior Su Feng," Realm Lord Chuibei introduced. "Didn't you want to enter all the lands of opportunity? Senior Su Feng might be able to help you." "Really?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. "Naturally." The chubby elder patted his chest. "I have three Dao Lord scriptures in my possession. If you can help me adapt and perfect them, I guarantee you can enter the remaining three lands of opportunity." "Three Dao Lord scriptures for three lands of opportunity? What about the others?" Qi Yuan asked. "What others?" The chubby elder looked confused. "Aren't there thirty-six lands of opportunity in the Universal Void Realm?" Qi Yuan said. The chubby elder froze. "When you said 'all,' you meant the entire Universal Void Realm?" "Yes." The chubby elder looked at Qi Yuan with a bizarre expression. "You certainly dare to dream." "There's nothing wrong with daring to dream, nor is there anything wrong with confidence," Qi Yuan said. "If you become the Society Master of the Myriad Changes Society, you might... have a chance to enter twenty-nine of them. Don't even think about the remaining seven—not even if you were a Dao Lord," the chubby elder stated without hesitation. A Dao Lord could indeed manage it. However, Dao Lords could not enter the Universal Void Realm. "What would it take to enter those remaining seven?" "Those seven are controlled by the White Xuan Palace and the Black Xuan Palace. Those two palaces... are not at all friendly toward the Myriad Changes Society." The Dao Lords backing the White Xuan Palace and the Black Xuan Palace were precisely the kind who had no desire for change. "Unless you can beat them into submission." Was that possible? Completely impossible! So thought the chubby elder.