The flagship slammed headfirst into the seabed. The impact at that speed was terrifying. The defensive arrays shattered on the spot, and even the incomparably sturdy Daluo Red Gold was dented inward. Cracks spread across the hull and continued widening.
Seawater poured into the flagship through the cracks and damaged sections. Under the immense pressure, the main cabin was flooded almost instantly.
Seeing that the flagship was too badly damaged to be used again, Bao Gu hurriedly stowed it inside her oversized storage bag to prevent further damage. She switched to a Cleaver Gang command-class warship, immediately activated its defensive, concealment, and teleportation arrays, and departed at top speed.
Bao Gu and Yu Mi each possessed many books from Xuantian Library describing the Upper Realm. However, those books mainly recorded cultivation resources, along with a map of the Upper Realm from tens of thousands of years ago.
Their knowledge of the Upper Realm was not as blank as that of other cultivators, but having just arrived, they were still nearly blind. They did not even know where they were, and they did not dare act rashly. They feared that the slightest mistake might bring them into contact with some unknown danger.
The command-class warship, built from Daluo Red Gold, teleported from the seabed to the high sky in an instant. Only after scanning the surroundings and finding no immediate danger did they conceal the ship above the clouds.
Bao Gu contacted Si Ruo, Qu Yirou, Feng Yi, Hua Sheng, Feng Menglong, and the others inside the oversized storage bag. She moved all the Cleaver Gang experts of branch hall master rank and above into the command ship’s main cabin.
The command ship was a thousand-zhang-class warship, second only to the Cleaver Gang’s flagship. There were only three such warships in existence, and they were mainly used as command headquarters during faction wars.
The main cabin was where troops and generals were summoned and battle plans were discussed.
The cabin was enormous, resembling a palace. The main seat stood at the very front, with a desk constructed from an artifact. Once the artifact was activated, the desk could be used as a sand table. Without activating it, it functioned as an ordinary desk.
Hundreds of seats lined both sides of the cabin, and each seat had a similar sand-table desk in front of it.
The Cleaver Gang was headed by the Order Lord, the Order Envoy, the Young Order Lord, and the Left and Right Envoys, followed by ten halls. Each hall was further divided into numerous branch halls.
More than one hundred and fifty branch hall masters had accompanied Bao Gu to the Upper Realm. Even in a main cabin capable of accommodating a thousand people, the space still seemed empty with so many people standing inside.
Bao Gu casually raised a finger and pointed toward the seats on the left.
“Sit.”
The members of the Cleaver Gang did not even dare breathe loudly in Bao Gu’s presence. One by one, they silently took their seats, sitting stiffly and anxiously.
They desperately wondered whether they had already reached the Upper Realm, why they were on a command ship instead of the flagship, whether something had gone wrong, what the Upper Realm was like, and what was happening outside. Yet no one dared ask a single question.
They did not even dare release their divine sense to investigate the outside while in front of the Order Lord.
However, the aura seeping in from outside the ship was completely different from that of the cultivation world. It made them realize that they had most likely arrived in the Upper Realm, because only the Upper Realm could possess such dense spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy was extremely similar to that of the cultivation world and could likewise be divided into the five elements. However, the vitality and life force contained within it were countless times denser than in the Lower Realm. There were also other unfamiliar auras mixed within it.
Many cultivators could not resist quietly absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.
After a while, Bao Gu moved the people from the Yue Kingdom, Soul Chasing Pavillion, and Xuantian Sect out of the oversized storage bag and into the main cabin as well.
“Everyone, sit wherever you like.”
After speaking, she turned around and sat down on the main seat. Then she looked toward the people from the Yue Kingdom, Soul Chasing Pavillion, and Xuantian Sect, who had taken seats on the right.
Bao Gu was not very familiar with the current Xuantian Sect. Apart from Hua Sheng, Feng Menglong, Lu Lei, Chang An, and Chu Chen, she did not recognize anyone else. All of them appeared to be in the Void Tearing stage, so they were likely powerful figures capable of standing on their own within Xuantian Sect.
Among the more than one hundred people from the Yue Kingdom, the only person Bao Gu recognized was Si Ruo. Half of them were in the middle-to-late Void Tearing stage or the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Most of the others were also in the Void Tearing stage, but their auras revealed that their lifespans were nearing their ends.
They were probably ancestors of the Yue Kingdom from the era when spiritual energy had withered and cultivation was extremely difficult. Anyone selected to enter the Yue Kingdom’s sealed grounds had undoubtedly once been a peak expert of their generation.
Although their lifespans were nearly exhausted and their cultivation realms were even lower than those of the younger cultivators who had risen over the past thousand years, anyone who had reached the Void Tearing stage during those difficult years could not be underestimated.
The situation in Soul Chasing Pavillion was similar to that of the Yue Kingdom. However, Bao Gu had lived in Soul Chasing Pavillion for a time, so she recognized several of them.
She saw Pavilion Master Qu’s master, the former pavilion master, and the Grand Elder. Another elder was also present—the same elder who had once bought monkey wine from her through Jade Shura.
Bao Gu could not even recognize all the Cleaver Gang’s branch hall masters. Naturally, she had even less interest in identifying the experts from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion.
Her gaze swept across the cabin before she got straight to the point.
“Yu Mi successfully survived the Ascension Tribulation. We reached the Upper Realm through the Earth Immortal Gate aboard the flagship, but the flagship was severely damaged and can no longer be used.”
Although everyone had already guessed that they were in the Upper Realm from the spiritual energy that differed from that of the Lower Realm, hearing Bao Gu say it aloud still stirred up a wave of excitement.
Those whose lifespans were nearly exhausted were especially unable to conceal their joy at escaping certain death.
Bao Gu herself was surprisingly calm about reaching the Upper Realm. She was not even as excited as she had been years ago when Yu Mi had taken her to become an immortal and enter the cultivation world.
At the same time, she understood the dire situation of the Upper Realm more clearly than anyone else.
“The Upper Realm is incomparably vast. Its races and factions are countless, and its circumstances are tangled beyond measure. The map we possess is tens of thousands of years old. Whether the factions have changed, whether the territories have undergone upheaval, or whether certain places still exist at all is completely unknown.”
Hearing this, everyone put away their excitement and listened with rapt attention, afraid of missing even a single word.
Before this, everyone had been so busy preparing for their ascension that they had not had time to find out what the Upper Realm was like. Bao Gu had been occupied with gathering the Cleaver Gang’s resources, so she naturally had no time to educate them about the Upper Realm.
What she was saying now was therefore extremely important.
Being weak was not frightening. What was frightening was being completely ignorant of one’s surroundings.
“Overall, the Upper Realm is divided into four domains: the Immortal Domain, the Demon Domain, the Nether Ghost Domain, and the Devil Domain. Their relationship is even worse than the relationship between us and the Demon Domain in the Lower Realm.
“The Immortal Domain and the Demon Domain require immortal spiritual energy for cultivation. Their currency is immortal spirit stones. One middle-grade immortal spirit stone can be exchanged for a thousand low-grade immortal spirit stones.
“Many things involving pills and refining materials are shared between the Lower Realm and the Upper Realm. A great deal of the cultivation resources from the Lower Realm can still be used in the Upper Realm. In that respect, the two realms are connected.”
Bao Gu paused before continuing.
“Based on the auras outside, we can determine that we are currently in either the Immortal Domain or the Demon Domain. I possess a map of the Immortal Domain from tens of thousands of years ago.
“The Demon, Ghost, and Devil Domains are places where even Daluo Golden Immortals can be killed. They are not places where ordinary immortals can set foot.”
As she spoke, she opened a jade slip and placed it on the desk. Then she activated the sand-table artifact.
The jade slip melted into the desk, and a curtain of light appeared above it. Bao Gu sent out another surge of spiritual power, and the sand-table desk before her suddenly projected countless curtains of light onto the sand tables in front of everyone else.
In an instant, every person present saw a vast and boundless world unfold before them.
The cultivation world was a broad expanse of land. Everyone lived and struggled on that single piece of land.
The Immortal Domain of the Upper Realm, however, seemed to be composed of countless great lands scattered throughout the heavens.
Although it was called a map of the Upper Realm, it was actually a chart showing the distribution of various factions throughout the starry sky.
The people of the Wilds Realm lived on a single star suitable for cultivators and mortal beings. In the Immortal Domain, however, the various races lived in different places according to their strength and nature.
Some races lived on stars. Some built cities on meteors. Some powerful existences lived within nebulae. There were also countless small worlds, secret realms, and other regions carved out from the void.
Bao Gu had drifted through the starry sky of the Wilds Realm for hundreds of years. She had explored countless stars and drawn star maps, so looking at the map of the Upper Realm was not difficult for her.
For most of the people present, however, the only feeling it inspired was dizziness.
Compared to the map of the cultivation world, the map of the Immortal Domain was like a solid structure floating in the air rather than a flat surface. It was a world within a world, with smaller worlds nested inside even smaller worlds. In many places, there were even distinctions between inner and outer layers.
One race might live on the outer shell while another race lived inside it. The complexity was enough to leave everyone dizzy.
“Even within the Immortal Domain, there are not many places suitable for human cultivators and mortals to live. As everyone knows, humans are not the only race capable of cultivation. There are also other races, such as demon immortals and ghost immortals.
“Demon immortals and ghost immortals follow the path of cultivation. After ascending, they belong to the Immortal Domain rather than the Demon Domain or the Ghost Domain.
“Many demons, ghosts, and races from the Spirit Realm—including many races that have ascended from the Wilds Realm—make humans their food. Even if we are within the territory of the Immortal Domain, entering one of their settlements and being captured and eaten would still be a pointless death.
“This map has already marked the major human settlements. For now, we will not consider the territories outside the human settlements. Those places are too dangerous. With our current strength, going there would very likely result in the complete annihilation of our forces.”
Si Ruo pondered briefly before speaking.
“So, Bao Gu, even if we are in the Immortal Domain, entering territories outside the human settlements still carries the danger of annihilation.”
“Even within human territory, we are still in great danger. We have more than a million people, all from the Desolate Heaven Realm, where no one has ascended for tens of thousands of years.
“Whether it is the resources we possess or the chance to learn about the Desolate Heaven Realm through us and seize control of that realm, which has escaped the control of the Upper Realm’s various factions, we are an extremely tempting piece of prey to the factions of the Immortal Domain.”
Qu Yirou thought for a moment before asking:
“If the Desolate Heaven Realm is such a tempting piece of prey to the Immortal Domain, then it should be the same for the Demon Domain. Why didn’t the Snow Qing Empress take control of the Desolate Heaven Realm while she was there?”
“Because she was merciful and unwilling to commit a massacre. If the Demon Domain unified the Desolate Heaven Realm, how many people would die? If the human race resisted to the death, how many demons would have to be killed?”
Bao Gu paused before continuing.
“Back then, she was hunted across the realms by the Demon Domain of the Upper Realm. The Xuantian Grandmaster led the cultivators of Xuantian Sect in protecting her to the death, and the entire Xuantian Sect was destroyed as a result.
“Demonkind repays both kindness and enmity. With that history between them, even if she possessed the strength, she would never do such a thing.”
The corners of Bao Gu’s lips curved slightly in faint mockery.
“Many cultivators look down on demons, but in many matters, humans are worse than demons.”
Qu Yirou nodded lightly, her voice filled with emotion.
“The Snow Qing Empress is a powerful figure worthy of respect. She remembered the old ties and spared the cultivators of the Desolate Heaven Realm, but the various races of the Immortal Domain may not be so merciful.”
“The Desolate Heaven Realm is no easy bone to chew. In the past, countless experts from the Upper Realm went to the Desolate Heaven Realm, and almost all of them never returned.
“I believe it has become a forbidden zone even in the eyes of the Upper Realm. Otherwise, Qing Ying and my Grandmaster’s wife would never have fled to the Desolate Heaven Realm.
“As long as we do not loudly proclaim throughout the world that we came from the Desolate Heaven Realm, I doubt anyone will think of that possibility.”
Bao Gu paused before continuing.
“There is one more matter. Everyone must keep my origins—and Little Monkey’s—secret. Little Monkey has made countless enemies in the Upper Realm. As for me…”
She looked across the cabin.
“I possess a priceless treasure, and I am even more coveted than Little Monkey. In this realm, I still have a way out.”
Everyone present knew what route she was referring to: the War King Clan.
It was a powerful force with an ancient inheritance, one whose legacy even extended into the Wilds Realm. It could obtain enough five-element immortal stones to construct a Realm-Breaking Portal.
If Bao Gu truly found herself with nowhere else to go, the Xuantian Sword she carried would be enough for her to join the War King Clan and secure a place there.
Anyone who betrayed her would have to face the retaliation of Bao Gu, who always repaid kindness and vengeance. The one who betrayed her would not have even the slightest path of retreat.
Everyone had already experienced how terrifying the Cleaver Order Lord could be.
Take the most recent incident as an example. After her immortal tomb was bombarded, the final result was that she sold the Cleaver Gang and moved away nearly all the cultivation resources that the various factions of the cultivation world could mobilize.
They knew perfectly well that Bao Gu intended to empty the cultivation world’s resources, yet they could only leap into the pit she had dug.
If they did not buy the Cleaver Gang, someone else would. The buyer could then use the Cleaver Gang to destroy them and recover the resources they had spent.
If they bought it, their existing liquid cultivation resources would be exhausted, but they could preserve their foothold.
If they did not buy it, annihilation would be right before their eyes.
It was an open scheme—obvious to everyone, yet impossible to avoid.
Bao Gu saw that no one had anything to add and organized her thoughts before speaking again.
“Human settlements are not difficult to find. They have already been marked on the map of the Immortal Domain, and everyone may make their own copy.
“Our most urgent task is to determine our current location. If we had arrived through a Realm-Breaking Portal, our arrival point in this realm would have been fixed, and we could have used a teleportation portal to travel directly to a human settlement.
“However, we came through a passage torn open by the power of the Heavenly Dao’s laws. We could have landed anywhere. The fact that we did not fall into the Demon, Devil, or Ghost Domains is already a blessing.”
She turned her gaze toward the people from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion.
“We have reached the Upper Realm, but there is only so much I can help with. I hope all of you will make arrangements for your future as soon as possible.”
She could let them take advantage of the same opportunity to travel here, and she could help them when they encountered difficulties. However, how they established themselves in the Upper Realm and what path they took in the future would ultimately depend on them.
Her gaze shifted to the people from Xuantian Sect.
“Xuantian Sect should choose someone to speak on its behalf—”
Before she could finish, every member of Xuantian Sect turned to look at Yu Mi.
The synchronized movement was so abrupt that Bao Gu swallowed the rest of her words.
Feng Menglong coughed lightly.
“Bao Gu, we decided before coming up that everything would follow Senior Sister Yu Mi’s orders.”
Yu Mi rubbed her nose and looked at Bao Gu.
“I’ll listen to you.”
Bao Gu pondered briefly, then nodded.
“The Cleaver Gang and Xuantian Sect will stay.”
She stepped down from the platform and walked over to Qu Yirou and Si Ruo, who were seated beside each other.
“The matters of the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion are not something I should interfere in. Keeping your people inside my oversized storage bag would make it inconvenient for you to deploy them.
“I have two command ships. You may borrow them to house everyone who came with you. Once you have established yourselves, simply return the command ships to me.”
Si Ruo spoke with embarrassment.
“You have helped us so much, yet we have no way to repay you. We truly feel ashamed.”
Before the Cleaver Gang’s ascension, the Yue Kingdom had paid an enormous price to control the strength that had remained in the Yue Kingdom after the Cleaver Gang was sold. It had nearly emptied the kingdom’s treasury.
It was impossible for the Yue Kingdom to bring all its wealth to the Upper Realm. They had not been allowed to move their entire foundation, and the amount of resources they had carried with them was extremely limited.
Now, they were travelers without roots, foundation, or support, and they were completely ignorant of their surroundings.
Bao Gu had already done them an enormous favor. Now she was even lending them a command ship so they could establish a foothold. Even Si Ruo, who had always prided himself on having thick skin, felt deeply embarrassed and moved.
This was help offered without asking anything in return. They did not even possess the strength to repay her.
In the Lower Realm, they could still claim that their alliance was based on mutual protection before entering the Upper Realm. But now that they were here, they were truly taking advantage of Bao Gu.
What moved them most was that Bao Gu had not used the opportunity to annex them. Instead, she had sincerely helped them establish themselves in the Upper Realm with almost no selfish motives.
Bao Gu’s thoughts were exceptionally sharp. She did not want Si Ruo and Qu Yirou to feel indebted to her.
She smiled faintly.
“When I built the Realm-Breaking Portal, I accepted a large amount of cultivation resources from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion. The portal was not completed before I ascended to the Upper Realm, and I even split the construction blueprint into ten portions and sold them.
“You also know that once the Cleaver Gang leaves, given the way the cultivation world operates and the conflicts that will follow, it will be very difficult for the Realm-Breaking Portal to be completed.
“From one perspective, the resources that the Cleaver Gang and the Yue Kingdom invested in the portal have been lost.
“I was the one who pulled you into this business, and you trusted me so deeply. I cannot allow you to suffer a real loss.
“By coming to the Upper Realm with me, you have indirectly completed this business involving the Realm-Breaking Portal. That gives me an explanation to offer you and saves me from carrying guilt or lingering worries in my heart.”
After hearing Bao Gu say this, the people from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion could no longer say anything.
However, they understood that although Bao Gu had ascended without completing the Realm-Breaking Portal, she had left behind the five-element immortal stones and the construction blueprint. They could completely take over and continue building it, and they might even succeed.
This transaction could only be considered Bao Gu withdrawing halfway through after taking their money.
If anyone had benefited, it was them.
Once the portal was completed, they would be the ones using it—not Bao Gu. Even if the portal could not be completed, that would be their own problem and had nothing to do with Bao Gu.
Bao Gu used her divine sense to contact the people in the oversized storage bag who operated the command ships and had them board their vessels.
After they activated the defensive and concealment arrays, Bao Gu moved the two command ships out of the oversized storage bag and placed them not far from the ship where she was.
The three command ships were connected through their onboard teleportation portals.
Bao Gu then opened the entrance and exit of the oversized storage bag, allowing the people from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion to board the command ships they had borrowed.
All of them were cultivators, and they had teleportation arrays, so the transfer proceeded extremely quickly.
Soul Chasing Pavillion had only a little over three thousand people, and they were transferred to the command ship in the time it took half an incense stick to burn.
The Yue Kingdom had one hundred thousand people, yet they needed only two incense sticks.
After Bao Gu finished arranging the people from the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion, she returned to the main cabin and sat down in the main seat to make the next arrangements.
Her gaze fell on the people from Xuantian Sect.
“Who is in charge of intelligence gathering for Xuantian?”
Chu Chen, the elder in charge of Xuantian Sect’s Discipline Hall, stood up.
“The Discipline Hall under my command specializes in tracking and gathering information.”
When Xuantian Sect disciples committed offenses, or when people from other factions did something that harmed Xuantian Sect, the Discipline Hall was usually responsible for investigating and handling the matter.
As the sharp blade that maintained order within the sect and guarded its safety, the Discipline Hall was second to none in both combat ability and intelligence gathering.
Bao Gu nodded lightly.
“Is the Hall Master of the Shadow Pavilion here?”
A masked man in a black robe stood up. His aura was completely restrained, without the slightest trace leaking out.
“Your subordinate is here.”
Bao Gu glanced at him.
She did not recognize this man at all.
She was secretly mortified. Below the three envoys, the Cleaver Gang had ten hall masters governing its ten halls, yet she did not even recognize the Hall Master of the Shadow Pavilion.
It was like an emperor not knowing the heads of the six ministries.
Fortunately, she had always been good at keeping her composure.
“You and Elder Chu will go out and scout the area. First, find out what the situation outside is like.”
She looked toward Wang Ding.
“Wang Ding, assign them ten ten-zhang light warships.”
Wang Ding clasped his fists.
“Yes!”
Bao Gu looked toward Sun Dilong.
Sun Dilong hurriedly rose, bowed, and clasped his fists, waiting for Bao Gu’s instructions.
“Although we have arrived in the Upper Realm, for us this is no different from being in the Lower Realm. The businesses of Earth Dragon Fortress must still be established. You should mobilize your people as well.”
Sun Dilong answered:
“Yes!”
Bao Gu then looked at Bao Nianhui, who was seated beside Yu Mi.
“Nianhui, come up here.”
Bao Nianhui froze.
“Me?”
Bao Gu nodded.
“Come up.”
Bao Nianhui answered uncertainly:
“Yes!”
She walked nervously to Bao Gu’s side. She was about to clasp her fists and await her master’s instructions when Bao Gu suddenly rose from the main seat and pressed her down into it.
Bao Nianhui instinctively tried to stand.
Bao Gu held her down.
“From this moment on, you are the Cleaver Order Lord.”
Bao Nianhui was startled again.
“Master, I…”
Bao Gu placed one hand on Bao Nianhui’s shoulder, preventing her from getting up.
“You have governed the Cleaver Gang for more than eight hundred years. You can carry this burden. From now on, you will stand in the light, and I will work from the shadows.”
Bao Nianhui met the unquestionable look in her master’s eyes. Her lips trembled, but in the end she said nothing.
Sun Dilong, Wang Ding, and the other founding elders who had followed Bao Gu from the beginning were not surprised by her decision.
Their Order Lord had never been the sort of person to shout, “Everyone, charge with me!”
She was the sort of person who said, “The world is vast. Go wherever you like. Charge, explore, expand your strength, and develop your influence! Do not be afraid. Whatever happens, I will cover you from behind!”
To the Cleaver Gang, the Order Lord was their strongest, most reliable support and their greatest trump card.
No one tried to stop Bao Gu.
The death rate in the cultivation world was extremely high. Even hall masters who had once wielded power over entire regions had fallen one after another.
The current hall masters had all been promoted later. They had followed Bao Nianhui for a long time and were accustomed to obeying her orders.
Bao Gu, however, was a lofty legend to them. The pressure they felt when facing her was enormous, and they found her unpredictable way of doing things difficult to adapt to.
Ever since Bao Gu returned, the Cleaver Gang had soared into the heavens, but it had also been dragged through one frantic upheaval after another. Everyone had been pulled forward by the Order Lord’s pace, and most of them were still in a state of confusion and panic.
If the Young Order Lord handled the affairs, there would already be mutual understanding between her and the others. She could also act as a buffer between Bao Gu and the gang, giving everyone time to adapt.
It was not that they were unwilling to keep up. They simply lacked the ability to follow the footsteps of an exceptionally fortunate, overwhelmingly powerful, and unusually solitary Order Lord.
The first reaction of the hall masters and branch hall masters present when Bao Gu gave the position to Bao Nianhui was relief.
Their second reaction was worry that the Young Order Lord might refuse.
When they saw that Bao Gu had truly transferred the position to Bao Nianhui, everyone in the main cabin stood and saluted.
“Greetings, Order Lord!”
Bao Nianhui looked uneasily toward Bao Gu.
Now that she had become the Order Lord, what position would her master hold in the Cleaver Gang?
Former Order Lord?
The title sounded strange when applied to her master. With her master’s appearance—whose beauty could not be concealed even when she deliberately blurred her features with divine abilities—it was impossible to put the word “former” or “old” before her.
Bao Nianhui asked:
“Master, what should the people of the Cleaver Gang call you from now on?”
Bao Gu glanced at Bao Nianhui, then looked toward Yu Mi.
“The Order Envoy.”
Everyone’s hearts trembled.
The status of the Order Envoy in the Cleaver Gang had risen once again. From now on, this would be an existence on the level of a former Order Lord—an existence whose position surpassed that of the Order Lord herself.
Although Bao Nianhui was surprised, she felt that it was only natural. She immediately nodded.
“Yes!”
Bao Gu took the Cleaver Order token that Bao Nianhui had returned to her after her arrival and handed it back to Bao Nianhui.
“You will preside over everything that follows. Work with Wang Ding, Sun Dilong, and the hall masters and branch hall masters to carefully consider our next steps.
“Prepare a plan and a list of the people and resources you need to mobilize, then submit them to me. I will allocate everything from the Xumi Treasure Realm.”
Bao Nianhui nodded.
“Yes!”
Bao Gu finished speaking, stepped down from the platform, and walked to Yu Mi’s side.
“Senior Sister.”
She then called Feng Yi, Hua Sheng, Feng Menglong, Lu Lei, Chang An, and Chu Chen from Xuantian Sect and led them into the small hall beside the main cabin.
After taking her seat, she asked bluntly:
“Are you truly planning to have Senior Sister become Xuantian Sect’s spokesperson?”
Hua Sheng smiled.
“Are you unwilling?”
Yu Mi asked with amusement:
“Do I look like someone with the patience and skill to serve as the spokesperson?”
The spokesperson was essentially an acting sect master. At this crucial moment, the spokesperson also carried the heavy responsibility of establishing a foothold and rebuilding the sect.
Bao Gu possessed the means and courage to control the overall situation, but she had no patience for trivial administrative matters. She was not suitable for the position.
Feng Menglong pondered briefly before speaking.
“Let us use an elder council to deliberate and make decisions. Since we are all fellow disciples, I will speak plainly.
“Bao Gu, in the Lower Realm, Xuantian Sect was able to establish itself because of your support. Now that we have come to the Upper Realm, we have even less ability to establish a foothold or protect ourselves. We will still have to rely on you.
“We all know that you dislike dealing with trivial administrative matters. The sect’s internal affairs and routine matters can be handled by the elder council and the peak masters. As for major decisions, you can make them yourself, and we will follow your arrangements.
“What does everyone think?”
Hua Sheng said:
“Bao Gu, if you need anything, just give the order to the few of us. You can carry the burden of spokesperson for now. Once the Sect Master ascends, you can throw the burden back to him.”
Bao Gu regretted leaving Yu Jianming behind as a tireless laborer.
She gave Yu Mi a resentful glance, as if asking whether her master had truly ascended to the Upper Realm without bringing her own disciple.
Yu Mi felt Bao Gu’s gaze. She lowered her head and stared at the floor without raising it even once.
Ever since Yun Ling Xuantian Sect had been destroyed, its continued existence had depended entirely on Bao Gu’s support. The inheritance, cultivation resources, and place to establish itself had all been provided by Bao Gu.
Even the appointment of the sect master and elders required Bao Gu’s tacit approval. Yu Jianming, despite being the sect master, had to behave respectfully before Bao Gu.
Although Bao Gu was not officially the sect master, abolishing the sect master with a single sentence would have been enough for her. Her authority, strength, and influence were all greater than those of the true sect master.
If she did not shoulder such a heavy burden, who else could?
No one else dared to take it, and no one else was capable of taking it.
Besides, placing this responsibility on Bao Gu would allow her to arrange Xuantian Sect at the same time as the Cleaver Gang. Xuantian Sect was self-sufficient and much easier to settle than the Cleaver Gang.
Lu Lei laughed.
“Bao Gu, you are Xuantian Sect’s Supreme Sect Master. If you refuse, no one will dare or be able to take over.”
Feng Yi said:
“Bao Gu, you are the only suitable person for this burden. Do not try to push it away.”
Bao Gu looked at everyone and thought for a moment.
“All right!”
After a brief moment of consideration, she quickly made her arrangements.
“Chu Chen, take the disciples of the Discipline Hall out as soon as possible and investigate the area. Gather as much information about this realm as you can so that everyone can understand it better.
“The Cleaver Gang, Soul Chasing Pavillion, and the Yue Kingdom will all send people out to gather information. When they return, exchange what you have learned and fill in each other’s gaps.”
Bao Gu paused.
“With our current strength, the powerhouses of this realm are strong enough to annihilate us without effort. We must conceal ourselves and keep a low profile as much as possible.
“Senior Nanshan and Jun Ye will be a tremendous help. Martial Uncle Feng has a good personal relationship with Senior Nanshan. Go and ask him to become a guest elder of Xuantian Sect and protect the sect for a while.”
Hua Sheng asked:
“Why are you not going yourself? Wouldn’t it be better if you negotiated with them?”
“If I go, even if Senior Nanshan and Senior Jun have their own difficulties, they will find it hard to refuse me. If they have other considerations and wish to leave, we will not force them. We will simply see them off.
“If they are willing to stay, then naturally everyone will be happy, and everything will be easy to discuss.
“However, I believe there is a very high chance that Senior Nanshan and Senior Jun will stay for now. They do not understand this realm either, and leaving rashly would not be wise.
“Passing through this most difficult period together and relying on one another is a good choice.”
Feng Yi nodded.
“This will be easy to arrange. I will take care of it.”
“As for the formation of Xuantian Sect’s elder council in this realm, I will not interfere. Just notify me once you have reached a decision.”
Of the ten elders, only four had arrived in this realm. Even with Feng Yi and Chen Yu added, there still were not enough people.
Feng Yi and Chen Yu had also led more than five thousand scattered disciples of the Xuantian Order for over eight hundred years. They now needed to reintegrate with Xuantian Sect.
Xuantian Sect had become the Xuantian Order, then split into Xuantian Sect and the Xuantian Order, and after going around in circles had finally merged back into Xuantian Sect.
The twists and turns were difficult to describe, leaving everyone feeling both emotional and speechless.
After that, the Cleaver Gang, the Yue Kingdom, Xuantian Sect, and Soul Chasing Pavillion all became extremely busy.
For them, arriving in the Upper Realm meant starting over from nothing. There were far too many things to do and far too many unknowns.
Bao Gu had “retired,” but she also had countless matters to deal with.
Her first task was to use the immortal spiritual energy of this realm to break through the seal she had placed on herself in order to remain in the Lower Realm. At the time, she had deliberately avoided ascending and had not absorbed enough immortal spiritual energy.
Although Yu Mi had ascended immediately after crossing the tribulation, her foundation was still unstable.
The two of them therefore focused first on cultivation—one on breaking her seal, the other on stabilizing her realm.
Bao Gu also released the Duobao Spirit Monkey from the oversized storage bag.
After emerging, it hopped around joyfully for a while before rushing happily away from the command ship. No one knew whether it had gone somewhere to hide and break through the shackles imposed by the laws of the Lower Realm’s Heavenly Dao, or whether it had gone to gather information.
Bao Gu did not bother with the Duobao Spirit Monkey. This realm was its place of growth, and it would feel more at ease here than any of them.
Nanshan Yijian and Jun Ye readily agreed to Feng Yi’s request.
The moment Jun Ye emerged from Bao Gu’s oversized storage bag, he asked for a resting chamber on the command ship. He needed to repair the damage caused when Qing Ying’s refining cauldron had stolen the crucial final bolt of heavenly lightning from him and stabilize his cultivation.
Nanshan Yijian, however, gained insight as soon as he arrived in this realm. He began preparing to undergo his tribulation and crossed the Ascension Tribulation the very next day, becoming the first among them to achieve the True Immortal realm in the Upper Realm.
The Cleaver Gang, Soul Chasing Pavillion, Xuantian Sect, and the Yue Kingdom all sent large numbers of scouts in every direction to gather information.
As the scouts continued to die, the information they managed to obtain was sent back in time.
“There are powerful creatures in the sea. Their auras are too strong, and we did not dare approach!”
“The seabed is covered with many enormous cities shrouded in light curtains…”
Nothing followed that report. Three groups of scouts had been sent out, and all three had been annihilated.
The cultivators who had grown up on land had no interest in establishing themselves on the seabed. After learning that the sea was extremely dangerous, they naturally stopped provoking those deadly obstacles.
After traveling roughly ten thousand li east, they saw an immortal city looming faintly amid the clouds. Before the scout could approach, it was crushed and annihilated by an unknown force.
More often, the scouts encountered powerful creatures hunting along the way and became food in their bellies.
Scouts from the cultivation world who were in the God Transformation Stage or the Void Tearing stage could not even conceal their movements from these powerful creatures, whose realms were measured in immortals. Many died before they even sensed the approach of danger.
These casualties made them understand even more deeply how important a Realm-Breaking Portal was for anyone trying to ascend from the Lower Realm to the Upper Realm.
If they had possessed a Realm-Breaking Portal, they could have landed in a safe place upon ascending instead of paying such a terrible price merely to determine their location.
The cultivators who experienced all of this personally looked back at the Lower Realm and found the struggles there laughable, tragic, and lamentable.
All the battles over cultivation resources, all the desperate pursuits of strength—compared to the Upper Realm, they seemed absurd.
The experience also strengthened their resolve to form alliances, advance and retreat together, and never again slaughter one another or waste their strength through internal conflict.
Bao Gu smoothly drew in the immortal spiritual energy and broke through the seal she had placed on herself to remain in the Lower Realm.
As the seal dissolved, immortal spiritual energy poured into her body. She felt an endless stream of powerful energy surge through her, washing over every bone, tendon, blood vessel, and meridian.
Even her pores seemed filled with comfort.
Her divine sense also appeared to expand after breaking free of its restraints. At the same time, she felt the Xuantian Sword grow even more active, as though her entire body were proclaiming:
I am finally alive again!
Bao Gu knew that immortals were divided into the Earth Immortal, True Immortal, Profound Immortal, Golden Immortal, and Daluo Golden Immortal realms.
A Daluo Golden Immortal possessed an undying and indestructible golden body. Their battle strength was powerful enough to make them a regional sovereign, which was why that realm was also called the King Realm.
A king weapon referred to an immortal weapon belonging to the King Realm.
Above the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, the Immortal Realm also possessed even more powerful existences. Their strength was unfathomable, comparable to that of gods. These existences belonged to the Emperor Realm.
A King Clan was a race that had produced a King Realm expert, possessed a king-grade immortal weapon to guard the clan, and could contend with King Realm experts while ruling over a region.
The War King Clan was one such race.
An Imperial Clan, on the other hand, was a powerful race that had produced an Emperor Realm expert and possessed an Emperor artifact to protect it, such as the Celestial Fox Imperial Clan that had once ruled the Demon Domain.
Bao Gu knew these classifications, but she did not know which realm her own cultivation belonged to.
She could only sense that her strength surpassed that of Yu Mi, Senior Nanshan, and Jun Ye.
She had fused with a supreme-grade king weapon and had become a True Immortal after crossing the Ascension Tribulation, but she did not know how much of that strength she could truly display.
As usual, she habitually restrained her aura as much as possible. That way, others could not see through her true strength. If she encountered danger or an enemy, she could catch them off guard and preserve another trump card for saving her life.
The immortal spiritual energy in the air interfered with divine sense.
Bao Gu had tested it. Her divine sense could reach at most a thousand li, while her senior sister’s could reach only a pitiful three hundred li.
After asking Nanshan Yijian and Jun Ye, she learned that their divine sense also covered only around three hundred li. Bao Gu silently said nothing.
She merely thought to herself:
“On this vast cultivation world, divine sense that reaches three hundred li is barely a few large strides away. From this, it is clear just how empty the air of the Lower Realm is compared with the Upper Realm, and how thin its spiritual energy must be.”
Bao Gu left the resting chamber and found Bao Nianhui.
“How is the investigation going?”
Bao Nianhui rubbed her aching forehead.
“There is land three thousand li to the south, but the creatures there are truly…”
“What about them?”
Bao Nianhui answered:
“The entire area is filled with powerful existences that the scouts we sent out could not withstand even once. The moment the scouts approached, they were discovered and killed.
“In three days, the Shadow Pavilion has already lost more than two hundred elite scouts, and that number is still increasing.”
She picked up an artifact from the desk and handed it to Bao Gu.
“This was collected by a Shadow Pavilion scout who risked his life. None of us can understand the sounds those creatures make. They go ‘woo-woo, howl-howl,’ like wolves.”
“Wolf calls? Did you not have the wolf demons from the Beast Warfare Hall listen to them?”
“We did. We could only determine that their pronunciation resembled that of wolves, but it was much more complicated. Even the wolf demon cultivators could not understand them.”
Bao Gu thought for a moment.
“Perhaps the vocal organs of demon immortals are more refined than those of wolves or wolf demons in the Lower Realm, allowing them to produce more sounds.
“The wolves of the Lower Realm have only a limited range of sounds for communication. After cultivating into demons, they either communicate through consciousness and divine sense or use human speech. They never had the opportunity or the conditions to develop their own language.”
As she spoke, she activated the artifact Bao Nianhui had given her.
A curtain of light spilled out of it and formed a scene that was both lifelike and dreamlike.
Two exceptionally muscular men stood by the sea. Their upper bodies were bare, and each wore only a fur apron around the waist to cover the front of his body.
They were battling a giant, round-headed creature with eight tentacles.
An octopus, perhaps? Bao Gu remembered seeing something similar in the sea.
As the two sides fought, the shouts from the men’s mouths truly sounded like wolves howling.
Bao Nianhui said:
“Near the place where those two men who spoke wolf language appeared, there is a village covered by an array. We cannot see what is inside. Every scout we sent there died.”
“No other creatures?”
Bao Nianhui pressed a hand to her forehead.
“The scouts we sent are simply too weak compared to the creatures of the Upper Realm. Before they can discover any other beings, they are discovered themselves. They are either killed, or their enemies escape long before we arrive.”
She was practically on the verge of tears.
All she had wanted was to ask, “What kind of place is this?”
Yet scout after scout had died, including many painstakingly trained elites, and they still had not managed to find out.
Bao Gu returned the artifact to her.
“Recall everyone. I will go.”
Bao Nianhui felt that this was inappropriate.
“Master, you are the backbone of all of us. It is not suitable for you to take such a risk.”
“If even a small village can kill me, then I have no business establishing myself in the Upper Realm.”
After saying this, Bao Gu left the warship and flew south.
She merged with the wind and rode it at unprecedented speed. In moments, she crossed the three thousand li of sea and arrived at the coast.
At a glance, she saw a small village thirty li from the shoreline.
Outside the village, the scouts they had sent out had been discovered and were being hunted.
A group of exceptionally muscular men wearing beast-hide armor had surrounded more than a dozen scouts from the Shadow Pavilion, the Yue Kingdom, Soul Chasing Pavillion, and Xuantian Sect.
They drove the scouts around like toys, occasionally killing one for amusement.
Bao Gu reached the ground almost instantly. She kicked away a muscular man who had raised a knife and was charging at the scouts with their backs pressed together.
The entire knife shimmered with light. It had been polished from an immortal bone so smooth and translucent that it resembled jade.
Bao Gu’s speed was so fast that the muscular man had only just felt the breeze brush past him when a powerful force struck his chest and sent him flying.
The man rolled across the ground before scrambling back to his feet. He stared at the unexpected intruder in surprise and cried out in a series of woofs and howls, as if asking a question.
The more than twenty muscular men around him were startled when they saw him kicked away. After confirming that he was unharmed, they shifted their gazes to the woman who had suddenly appeared.
The surrounded scouts saw Bao Gu and rushed to her side as if she were their salvation.
The wolf-speaking men immediately understood.
They were allies.
Bao Gu sent her voice through divine sense.
“We only came to ask for directions. Why go so far as to slaughter us?”
The muscular man she had kicked away frowned.
“Human?”
Bao Gu nodded.
“Why have you humans come to the territory of our Heavenly Wolf Clan?”
“Heavenly Wolf Clan? The Heavenly Wolf Clan of the Heavenly Wolf Star Domain?”
The man barked impatiently.
“Obviously!”
“We encountered an accident while traveling through the void between realms and lost our way.”
Bao Gu looked around.
“Do any of my subordinates still live?”
“According to the rules of the Heavenly Wolf Clan, humans who trespass are always killed without exception!”
The implication was clear: Bao Gu would not survive either.
Bao Gu calmly swept her gaze across them.
“If you dare touch even one more of my subordinates, do you believe I will massacre your entire village?”
The Heavenly Wolves burst into laughter as though they had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
The man pointed toward the scouts beside Bao Gu.
“With these subordinates of yours?”
The moment his words fell, a powerful aura descended from the sky.
A Vermilion Bird wreathed in Southern Bright Lihuo suddenly appeared before them and landed beside Bao Gu.
Yu Mi looked at Bao Gu.
“Nianhui said you came out to scout the way. Why did you not call me?”
One of the men narrowed his eyes.
“A True Immortal?”
Bao Gu explained:
“I only came out to ask for directions. I will be back shortly.”
Yu Mi gave Bao Gu a faint glance.
She still remembered the time Bao Gu had helped Little Martial Aunt cross the Dragon Tribulation. Bao Gu had claimed that she would be back shortly then as well.
But what had happened afterward?
This was the Upper Realm. No one knew what kind of experts they might encounter. If a battle broke out, Yu Mi was genuinely worried that Bao Gu might suffer.
With Yu Mi’s appearance, the more than twenty men immediately became vigilant.
Their careless encirclement changed into a coordinated hunting formation. The auras around them suddenly rose, and each of them resembled a powerful, vicious beast ready to pounce and kill its prey in a single strike.
Bao Gu released Xuantian sword qi, forming a protective barrier around the scouts beside her.
Her cold voice flowed from her lips.
“What? I came only to ask for directions, yet you truly intend to force me to massacre your village?”
Her beautiful eyes swept across them.
“The strongest among you is only a True Immortal.”
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly.
“That is not enough for me to crush with a single palm. What is the point of throwing away your lives?”
A True Immortal who was taller and more powerfully built than the others shouted:
“Enough talk! Once you trespass into the territory of the Heavenly Wolf Clan, you cannot possibly leave alive!”
As his voice fell, he transformed into a streak of lightning and shot toward Bao Gu.
At the instant he moved, Yu Mi moved as well.
She drew the Southern Bright Lihuo Sword and swung it down toward him. The two immediately clashed.
Bao Gu swept her sleeve and pulled the dozen scouts into the oversized storage bag.
Then she gathered all her strength and struck toward the Heavenly Wolves surging in from every direction.
A hurricane instantly formed around her. With overwhelming force, it blasted outward in all directions.
The surrounding trees were torn from the ground and flung away. The Heavenly Wolves who had just leapt into the air were swept up by the hurricane and sent flying.
They flipped through the air and stabilized themselves before stepping against the gale and charging at Bao Gu once again.
Seeing that they refused to stop, killing intent flashed in Bao Gu’s eyes.
Powerful killing intent spread from her body.
She suddenly crouched and slammed both palms onto the ground. Instantly, she connected with the earth energy contained within the land’s veins.
Her divine sense also discovered that more than a dozen li beneath the ground lay an underground cavern connected to the sea.
Her voice turned cold.
“We accidentally entered this place and asked only for directions, yet you refuse to let the matter go. Do not blame me for showing no mercy!”
As her voice fell, she simultaneously activated earth and water cultivation arts, coordinating them with the energy of the underground leyline.
The Heavenly Wolves charging toward Bao Gu suddenly felt their bodies tremble.
An extremely dangerous and powerful aura spread from Bao Gu.
The Heavenly Wolf fighting Yu Mi sensed the immense power permeating heaven and earth. The feeling of disaster approaching from every direction terrified him.
He roared, abandoned Yu Mi, and charged toward Bao Gu.
At the same time, furious shouts came from the nearby village.
“Who dares make trouble here?”
“Stop!”
How could Yu Mi allow the Heavenly Wolf to approach Bao Gu?
She stepped forward, and in an instant moved to the wolf’s side. Her sword slashed toward the back of his head at an extremely vicious angle.
If that strike landed, the Heavenly Wolf would not even have the chance to drag Bao Gu down with him.
The Heavenly Wolf sensed the danger. He twisted his head and swung his body aside, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The moment he moved, he felt a terrifying force radiate from the white-clad human woman.
It was the aura of a king-grade immortal treasure.
His powerful divine sense clearly sensed that the king-grade treasure’s aura had surged into the earth. In an instant, it ignited the power hidden within the leyline.
A force as mighty as mountains collapsing and seas roaring rose from the depths of the earth.
The sea surged upward in a reverse flood, roaring into the sky. The mountains were torn apart and scattered by the immense force. Trees, grass, and living creatures on the ground were shredded beneath the violent power.
The village nearby was engulfed in the same disaster.
Its protective array and the entire village were torn apart and swallowed by the force surging from underground.
The village experts did not even have time to think of the children. They fled for their lives toward the high sky.
Then, above them, tens of thousands of immortal swords descended like the vault of heaven pressing down.
Each sword radiated the might of a king-grade weapon.
The experts who had just reached the sky were slaughtered almost instantly.
Massacring a village?
If Bao Gu said she would do it, then she would do it.
It was not empty bravado, nor was it merely a threat.
It was a warning.
If they refused to listen, they would be massacred.
“No!”
A shriek of incomparable grief burst from the Heavenly Wolf’s mouth.
Suddenly, he felt the gaze of the white-clad human woman lock onto him. That gaze chilled his entire body.
Then he saw the woman move.
At the same time, he moved as well.
The instant he did, Yu Mi moved too.
Powerful sword intent descended over him. His strike had only just been launched when the sword qi from the two women tore his body apart.
He did not even have time to regret his actions.
Who would have thought that this seemingly weak group of humans possessed king-grade weapons?
After confirming that there were no survivors nearby, Bao Gu swept Yu Mi into her grasp, anchored herself with the Xuantian Sword, and left the coast at top speed toward the command ship.
In an instant, she returned to the ship.
“Contact all the scouts outside immediately and order them to return at top speed! Contact the Yue Kingdom and Soul Chasing Pavillion as well. We have determined our coordinates. We are leaving at once!”
Her voice spread through her divine sense and reached the entire ship.
Bao Nianhui rushed out of the living chamber.
“Master, what happened?”
“I massacred the coastal village three thousand li away!”
As she spoke, Bao Gu took out a jade tablet and engraved the coordinates onto it.
Bao Nianhui let out a startled cry.
Bao Gu handed her three jade tablets engraved with the route and coordinates.
“These are the coordinates. Take them to the main control room immediately and tell them to prepare for departure.”
Bao Nianhui accepted the tablets and hurried away.
Yu Mi stared at Bao Gu in shock.
“You actually massacred the village just because you said you would?”
“They hunted humans to the last and left us no room at all. Was I supposed to leave them alive and give them time to bring endless reinforcements to surround and attack us?
“If the Heavenly Wolves had been willing to let us leave, I naturally would not have wanted to commit a massacre. But once the matter could no longer be resolved peacefully, it became a matter of life and death.
“Showing mercy to enemies is suicide.”
The scouts sent outside all carried teleportation platforms with them. After receiving Bao Gu’s message, they immediately activated the teleportation arrays and returned.
The outside world was simply too dangerous. Moreover, the order to return had been issued with extreme urgency. They knew that something serious had happened and did not dare delay.
The moment the main control room received the route and coordinates, the scouts outside began returning through the teleportation platforms they carried.
A few of them even had tails following behind.
By an unfortunate coincidence, the ones followed were the scouts from Xuantian Sect, and they all landed on the command ship where Bao Gu was.
Bao Gu noticed the hidden followers the moment they stepped through the teleportation array.
She rushed to the teleportation site at top speed and slammed a sword formation down upon the location where the strange auras were gathered.
The Heavenly Wolves and sea demons that had followed the scouts had not even had time to react before countless swords erupted and pierced them into minced flesh.
The scouts who had just emerged from the teleportation array, along with the Cleaver Gang elites standing guard nearby, only felt a powerful sword aura suddenly explode around them.
Then a large mass of bloody flesh fell from the air with a wet slap, piling into several small hills.
A moment later, the Order Lord appeared before them, her body radiating murderous energy.
No—she was no longer the Order Lord.
She was now the Left Order Envoy.
Bao Gu carefully searched the entire command ship with her divine sense. She then used the command ship’s main control array to search it once more, confirming that no beings from the Heavenly Wolf Domain had followed the scouts aboard.
She teleported to the command ships of Soul Chasing Pavillion and the Yue Kingdom, briefly explained the situation, and searched both ships thoroughly.
She caught several creatures that looked somewhat like fish but were not fish at all. She killed them on the spot.
Bao Gu then returned to the Cleaver Gang’s command ship.
The command ship, already prepared for departure, activated its domain-breaking teleportation.
Three powerful fluctuations of energy and space erupted from within the clouds.
In the blink of an eye, everything became calm again.
Bao Gu had fled so quickly that by the time the Heavenly Wolf Clan discovered that the village by the sea had been massacred, she and the others had already vanished without a trace.
All they knew was that a group of humans whose origins were unknown and whose strength appeared weak had suddenly appeared—and then suddenly disappeared.
