North Sea Dragon Palace.
Schools of fish swam through the exquisite coral, and the gauzy curtains in the corridors moved without wind.
Ji Yutang followed behind the Dragon Lord, walking all the way to the hall of law before taking a gentle breath and respectfully saying, “Thank you, Dragon Lord.”
The Dragon Lord glanced at Ji Yutang indifferently and said casually, “Now that you’ve cultivated a dragon core, you’re part of our true dragon clan.
Naturally, I can’t let those Daoists bully you.
From now on, you should cultivate well in the Dragon Palace.” Seeing the worry deep in Ji Yutang’s eyes, she added, “Do you have any other questions?”
Ji Yutang pressed her lips together.
She was extremely worried about her parents’ situation.
Ran Jingri said he hadn’t gone for the kill, and with the vague sense she had, she knew her father and mother were still alive, but she didn’t know where they were or how they were doing now.
“Are you worried about your parents?” The Dragon Lord raised an eyebrow and suddenly changed the subject, “They’re both in the Nascent Soul stage, so they might be fine.
But you—” She crossed her arms and looked at Ji Yutang, “After today, the Taiyuan Dao Palace won’t let you go just because of the North Sea dragon clan.
They want Tai Shang to return, and as long as you leave the North Sea, you won’t have peace.
If you leave, not only will you not find Ji Mingcheng and the others, but you might also fall into the hands of the Taiyuan Palace, causing your parents more trouble.”
“I’m not planning to leave,” Ji Yutang shook her head.
But the Dragon Lord’s merciless words pierced her heart like thorns, causing waves of pain.
Her face turned pale, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
Taiyuan Dao Palace… Tai Shang’s lineage… Their actions shattered her previous understanding of the Immortal Sect.
Is it just the Taiyuan Palace? What about the Taishi Palace and the Palace of Supreme Mystery? The so-called enforcers of Tai Shang’s lineage, are they as just and impartial as Ran Jingri? The Immortal Sect is unreliable, and the demonic path is clearly not benevolent either.
Is the entire Jiuzhou out of control, driven to such an extent by obsession?
“Just cultivate,” the Dragon Lord said slowly.
She looked at Ji Yutang and added, “In the past, only Foundation Establishment cultivators roamed outside, and Golden Core cultivators could roam Jiuzhou freely.
But now it’s different.
The great calamity looming over the paths of the mystic and the demonic is about to arrive, and with the matters of the Demon Ancestor and the Dao Ancestor, true Nascent Soul cultivators will appear.
It’s not safe for you outside.”
Ji Yutang nodded slowly.
She met the Dragon Lord’s golden eyes and asked, “The Demon Ancestor and the Dao Ancestor have already passed down the great path.
Why do they insist on their return?”
“You have a lot of questions.
Why didn’t you speak up last time?” The Dragon Lord glanced at Ji Yutang with annoyance and explained, “The Demon Ancestor and the Dao Ancestor are both of the innate path, and who knows what the ancestral source constructed by the path of the Dao and the demonic looks like now? Some people simply worship their ancestors, while a very small number want to see the ‘essence of creation’ to further their cultivation.” As she spoke, a mocking smile appeared on the Dragon Lord’s face.
In that moment, Ji Yutang thought of many things, but she quickly came back to her senses, understanding that the “few people” could only be the top few existences in Jiuzhou.
Suppressing the storm in her heart, she suddenly looked at the Dragon Lord and asked, “The celestial beings are already as long-lived as heaven and earth.
Can they continue to advance?”
“The celestial realm is in harmony with the great path, and the next step can only be to collide with the heavenly path, to transcend the principles of the heavenly path and stand above the great path.
But no one has ever walked this path successfully since ancient times,” the Dragon Lord said leisurely.
“But this is not something you should be concerned about now.”
Ji Yutang nodded.
When she connected with the lofty place, she sensed some principles of the great path, but those principles were not something she could comprehend.
Too much contact would only cause her to dissipate on the path of seeking the Dao.
The Dragon Lord lifted her eyelids and asked, “Any more questions?”
Ji Yutang hesitated for a moment, furrowing her brows, “Since the Supreme Dao Ancestor is related to the essence of creation, they won’t give up.
What about the North Sea Dragon Palace—”
“You don’t need to worry.
Once your injuries are healed, I’ll send you to the Chaos Shadow Realm for training,” the Dragon Lord raised an eyebrow.
“Chaos Shadow Realm?” Ji Yutang was stunned.
These four words were completely unfamiliar to her.
The Dragon Lord saw through her expression at a glance and chuckled lightly, “It’s a newly born world, with incomplete laws and principles, inhabited only by chaotic monsters and the first people.
We cultivators enter it to slay chaotic monsters and hone ourselves, and also to spread the Dao and law in the Chaos Shadow Realm.
As the first people of the human race gain wisdom, so too must our demon kind.”
Ji Yutang: “Can everyone go?”
The Dragon Lord nodded, “Naturally.
But Nascent Soul cultivators cannot enter.
It’s safer there than in Jiuzhou.” She waved her hand and said, “Go on,” not wanting to hear any more of Ji Yutang’s questions.
— Southern Border Huoxin Palace.
Li Jingyu sat on the throne, listening absentmindedly to the “battle report” delivered by her subordinates.
Song Wanzhao of the Wangqing Sect had escaped, but the Tianhai Demon Sect had indeed suffered heavy losses.
Perhaps fearing the sect master’s blame, those people directly attributed the severe injuries of the Ji Family’s two members and Ran Jingri to themselves, counting it as one of their achievements.
According to their usual behavior, it would take some time for them to settle down.
“I wonder how the two seniors of the Ji Family are doing,” Li Jingyu frowned.
She had looked through the palace’s records and learned that Ji Mingcheng’s Daoist techniques included a divine ability called “Life Transmission and Revival,” which was akin to being reborn from a desperate situation.
Although Nascent Soul cultivators falling into spatial turbulence was also dangerous, it wasn’t as hopeless as it would be for those below the Golden Core stage.
“The Taiyuan Palace isn’t hiding the matter of Tai Shang anymore,” Shi Qingchen stepped into the hall of law, speaking clearly.
She met Li Jingyu’s gaze and continued, “This matter has returned to the Taiyuan Palace, and their own people are handling it.
As for Ran Jingri, he was probably completely ruined by the Dragon Lord, beyond the help of any heavenly treasures.”
“What does the Dragon Lord have to do with my mother? Why would she avenge her?” Li Jingyu furrowed her brows.
The Dragon Lord’s emergence from the North Sea was not only a concern for the Immortal Sect but also made the Demon Sect wary, fearing she might disrupt the balance of the world.
However, the current Demon Sect was inclined to cooperate with the Dragon Palace, at least to capture Ji Yutang.
Unfortunately, they had already thoroughly offended the Dragon Palace at the North Sea Demon God Stake, but perhaps the Immortal Sect still had some goodwill.
“You should ask her yourself when the time comes,” Shi Qingchen replied casually, then added, “The Heaven and Earth Chessboard rotates every nine years, and a crack has appeared, meaning the Chaos Shadow Realm is about to open.
What are you planning to do? Stay in Jiuzhou or take a trip to another world?”
“Isn’t that the place where the Demon Sect spreads the Dao?” Li Jingyu’s eyes flickered, and she smiled, “How could I miss it?” Moreover, Ji Yutang needed to avoid being hunted by Jiuzhou cultivators, so she could only go to the Chaos Shadow Realm.
Half a year later.
A loud explosion suddenly erupted from the Extreme Heaven, and countless meteors streaked across the sky, dyeing the firmament a brilliant yellow.
The continuous clouds were like shattered tiles, filled with cracks, and behind the cracks, flickering golden light moved back and forth, emitting a rumbling sound like thunder.
At this moment, cultivators who had reached a certain level of cultivation all looked up at the sky, vaguely seeing a massive chessboard falling onto the sky, with purple energy flowing and forming a connection with the faint light within, as if they were being bound within it.
In the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace’s great prison.
Shen Zao lay with her head resting on her hands, her legs swinging leisurely, looking quite at ease.
When she heard footsteps, she turned her head to glance and sneered, “What? You came too? To see if I’ve fallen into demonic ways?”
After the Ran Family incident, they learned about the “Supreme Dao Ancestor” from the Taiyuan Palace elders.
Shen Zao couldn’t hold back and didn’t even return to Bailu Academy, instead going directly to the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace to question the grand palace master.
“Supreme Dao Ancestor” is the ultimate Dao, and if it were to descend into the world, it would be as traceless as the Dao, as unnameable as the Dao.
How could it be forced into existence by the Taiyuan Dao Palace? If they really succeeded, would it still be the “Supreme Dao Ancestor”?
The result was obvious; she was thrown into the great prison to reflect, only allowed to return once she had gained enlightenment.
If she unfortunately fell into demonic ways in the great prison, the “Sword of Justice and Judgment” hanging in the prison would take her life.
“The Chaos Shadow Realm has opened, and I’ve received the order.
We’re going together,” Yan Shouxia said calmly, looking at Shen Zao with a faint expression.
But seeing her nonchalant demeanor, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Her thoughts were actually not much different from Shen Zao’s, but with Ran Jingri involved, it indicated traces of the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace.
How could questioning the grand palace master yield any results?
“I haven’t reflected, so how can I leave?” Shen Zao said sarcastically.
Yan Shouxia frowned, “White Palace Master and Yue Palace Master pleaded for you.” They had both reached the Golden Core stage, and according to reason, they should be stationed in the academy as lecturers.
However, given the current turbulent times, the disciples of the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace were dispersed, and they still focused on external training.
Glancing at Shen Zao, she added, “This time, we need to preach and spread the Dao in the Chaos Shadow Realm.”
“What Dao? What law?” Shen Zao stood up with a roll, sneered, and then reached out to Yan Shouxia, quickly changing the topic, “The key?” Since there was a chance to leave, she naturally wouldn’t stay in the great prison as a prisoner.
Yan Shouxia glanced at Shen Zao helplessly and silently opened the door of the great prison.
— North Sea Icefield, vast snow covering the ground, stretching endlessly.
Ji Yutang walked on the waves, followed by a group of aquatic cultivators.
On the rocky shore, stood a group of non-aquatic demon cultivators, all under the protection of the North Sea Dragon Palace.
Now they were to follow Ji Yutang to the Chaos Shadow Realm for training.
“Your Highness, they are all ready,” said a beautiful young girl, her eyes adorned with tiny silver scales.
She was a cultivator of the deep-sea Merfolk clan, named Liansheng, and was to accompany Ji Yutang on this journey.
Ji Yutang nodded.
In half a year, she had met many aquatic cultivators she hadn’t encountered on her last visit to the North Sea and had grown accustomed to their address of her as the dragon girl.
She nodded slightly and took out a mysterious pearl glowing with golden light from her sleeve.
When the rift in the starry sky was at its largest, she would throw the magical artifact into it, directly transporting the Dragon Palace’s group.
The Chaos Shadow Realm rotates every nine years, and when the rift opens wide again, it will be nine years later.
This means she will have to train in it for nine years, with only two paths: life or death.
After a stick of incense, Ji Yutang waited for the right moment and suddenly threw the mysterious pearl in her hand.
A mysterious smoke enveloped Ji Yutang and her group, instantly taking them away from this place.
In the light smoke, Ji Yutang’s vision and senses were not deprived.
She saw several figures moving, some nodding to her, while more snorted coldly.
After learning about the Chaos Shadow Realm, she knew these were the previous batch who had entered and were now returning.
After all, a world with newly born laws could not accommodate too many cultivators.
Half an hour later, Ji Yutang and her group landed in an unfamiliar territory.
The blazing sun hanging high in the sky shone like countless flames burning everything, even Golden Core cultivators felt the unusual heat.
Ji Yutang endured the heat and looked towards the fiery ball, glimpsing ten overlapping figures.
“Ten suns?” Ji Yutang furrowed her brows and murmured.
“Your Highness, let’s first find our Dragon Palace’s city base,” Liansheng whispered.
In this unfamiliar territory, the North Sea demon cultivators felt a bit uneasy.
Ji Yutang nodded at her words and took out a talisman, casting a spell on it.
The North Sea demon cultivators had been in the Chaos Shadow Realm for quite some time, carving out a territory through battles with chaotic monsters.
However, due to the endless nature of the chaotic monsters, the territory sometimes retreated until the cultivators gathered enough strength to reclaim it.
The North Sea base relied on a city of ordinary people, but the city walls were extremely simple and crude.
Since the North Sea forces only aimed to enlighten the demon kind, these ordinary people, although protected by the North Sea demon cultivators, had no opportunity to enter the Dao.
Occasionally, a few human cultivators would come to seek suitable seeds for spreading the Dao, but it was difficult to change the situation here.
“I’ve heard from seniors that anyone who comes here to train, even demonic cultivators, has their own people to protect.
Actually, it would be more suitable for them to go to the Three Supreme Palaces or the righteous path, but these people don’t have that ability and are unwilling to leave their homes, preferring to live in this place rather than change.
After all, with our protection, it’s much better than being exposed in the wilderness,” Liansheng explained, knowing that Ji Yutang had transitioned from a human to the dragon path, so when she saw her gaze fall on the city, she explained.
Ji Yutang responded, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
The ordinary people who fell into the hands of demonic cultivators might have one or two who could enter the demonic path, but the rest were probably just human resources, right? She pondered for a moment and said, “I’ll go preach to the ordinary people later.”
Liansheng was surprised, “The dragon path?”
Ji Yutang shook her head, “I may not be able to enter the Qi path, but my family has many Daoist texts.
When I preach to them, how much they can comprehend will depend on their talent.”
Liansheng understood.
She had no aversion to ordinary people.
If the demon path could be cultivated by them, it would be fine to pass it on, but there were too many limitations, ultimately not as good as the Daoist techniques of human cultivators.
Chaos Shadow Realm.
Endless chaotic monsters roamed everywhere, and most cultivators here chose to band together with fellow cultivators, such as the Three Supreme Palaces, the righteous path, and even demonic cultivators who usually had conflicts with each other, cooperated here.
Outside the Demon Palace, black smoke billowed everywhere, and sounds of drinking and merriment occasionally echoed.
Li Jingyu didn’t plan to greet other demonic cultivators but instead took a big tour of the city behind the Demon Palace.
This was the Demon Sect’s base, and the people behind it had adopted the lawless habits of those demonic cultivators, with the entire city characterized by chaos.
Arrogant and unruly people were everywhere, and when they saw Li Jingyu and her group, some fearless mortals even approached to flirt and amuse themselves.
At this moment, Li Jingyu had no time to deal with them.
With a blank expression, she finished touring the entire city, her eyes flashing with a cold light.
“Senior sister?” Feng Yuan and Feng Wang were also accompanying her this time.
Feng Yuan looked at Li Jingyu’s somber face, feeling uneasy.
“Chaos and disorder.
If this continues, it will only become a second Tianhai Demon Sect,” Li Jingyu said bluntly.
Feng Yuan was startled and asked seriously, “What do you plan to do, senior sister?”
Li Jingyu’s eyes flashed with a murderous intent, and she said slowly, “Chaos Shadow Realm, life and death are unpredictable, and fate cannot be calculated.”
Feng Yuan looked at Li Jingyu with suspicion, while the silent Feng Wang fiddled with his prayer beads, a hint of enchantment flashing between his brows, “You want to kill them?”
Li Jingyu chuckled lightly, “They are not of the same path as us, only getting in the way.”
“But if we act against them, the strength of our base will be weakened,” Feng Yuan frowned.
Although Huoxin Palace had sent many cultivators this time, there were three sects of the Demon Sect on the other side.
Even if they could wipe out the other side, it would cost them most of their strength.
“It’s alright,” Li Jingyu said in a deep voice.
In the Chaos Shadow Realm, the main enemies are chaotic monsters.
Although there are skirmishes between the Xuanmo, they are very measured.
Unless there’s a way to completely swallow the opponent’s base, starting a large-scale war would cost the lives of the people in this world.
The Demon Sect cultivators naturally don’t care, but the Immortal Sect people do.
She pondered for a moment and then said, “Just in case, we still need to find allies.”
“Wangqing Sect?” Feng Yuan mentioned the name and immediately shook her head.
They might cooperate with us, but there’s a 100% chance of being backstabbed afterward.
She wasn’t keen on dealing with the cultivators of Wangqing Sect.
Li Jingyu crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze passing over the blazing sun like a red wheel, and softly uttered four words: “Beihai Demon Cultivators.” The Demon Sect is at odds with Beihai, but what does that have to do with Huoxin Palace? Moreover, the leader of the Beihai Demon Cultivators is likely Ji Yutang.
Would she easily refuse me? Feng Yuan muttered, “Going to their base means crossing many obstacles, and we might be discovered by the cultivators of the Three Supreme Palaces.”
Li Jingyu calmly said, “I know.” After a pause, she added, “I’ll go myself.
You all stay at the base and clear the surrounding chaotic monsters.”
Feng Yuan knew that once Li Jingyu made a decision, it couldn’t be changed, so she didn’t try to persuade her further.
Instead, she advised, “Senior sister, be very careful.”
Li Jingyu smiled and said, “I know.”
Although she decided to seek out Ji Yutang, she needed to make some preparations first, such as intimidating the group of demon cultivators traveling with her.
At least before she returned, they should push the base’s territory forward by a hundred miles instead of focusing on tormenting the mortals in the city.
Among these demon cultivators, some were defiant towards Li Jingyu, thinking she was only acting under the title of “Ji Yue Saintess.” She is the vessel of the Demon Ancestor, but currently, the one controlling the body is not the Demon Ancestor.
In this place, encountering life-threatening danger means there’s no protection from a master.
The defiant ones planned to teach Li Jingyu a lesson, but in just a few moments, the defiant one turned into a puddle of soulless mud.
In the short term, they wouldn’t dare defy Li Jingyu.
However, demon cultivators are unruly and hard to tame.
Once their cultivation improves and they think they have a chance to defeat Li Jingyu, they will continue to challenge her.
Outside the base’s territory, twisted and indescribable chaotic monsters roamed.
They were born from the world itself, without their own consciousness, only the chaotic instinct to devour external things.
Upon sensing the presence of living beings, these chaotic monsters swarmed, trying to consume them.
Li Jingyu hovered in mid-air, with a rolling tide beneath her feet.
Her eyes scanned the perimeter, mostly low-level monsters, which were easily dispersed by the tide.
She frowned as she looked ahead.
After walking for a while, she quickly realized that in this daylight, the biggest challenge wasn’t the chaotic monsters but the blazing sun hanging in the sky.
This sun resembled the sun of Jiuzhou in appearance, but its heat was hundreds or thousands of times more intense.
The parched, scorched earth showed no signs of life, with crisscrossing cracks resembling a web covering the entire land.
Li Jingyu furrowed her brows, and with a turn of the Jewel of the Rising Tides, a cool aura of the moon surrounded her.
She no longer paid attention to the blazing sun and instead flew towards the Beihai Demon Cultivators’ base.
As she traveled, she didn’t intend to hide her presence.
The water vapor trailing behind her in the air formed a long tail, like a river suspended in the sky.
“Which sect’s cultivator is running on Chiyuan?” In the Three Supreme Palaces’ base, a figure appeared, murmuring as they looked at the spiritual energy floating in the air.
“Water tides flowing, accompanied by lightning and thunder, it’s my Tai Shang water technique.” Qin Ruoshui emerged, his expression somewhat complex.
No Tai Shang sect cultivators were moving on Chiyuan, so there was only one possibility: they were from the Demon Sect! Perhaps a disciple from Wangqing Sect’s Tai Shang sect who had fallen to demonic ways? Qin Ruoshui quickly dismissed the thought.
When he saw the direction the light was heading, he immediately had an answer in his heart, “It’s Li Jingyu!”
“Is it her?” Shen Liaozhi’s expression suddenly darkened, a hint of gloom passing over his brows.
In the past, the Palace of Supreme Mystery had ordered her death, but now they had changed their minds.
But letting a demon seed become the “Dao Mother,” how absurd is that? He didn’t really understand the intricacies, but the masters all said it was fate, that welcoming Tai Shang’s return was the common duty of these Tai Shang disciples.
“We’ve been here for nine years.
In the end, can we bring them back?”
Qin Ruoshui chuckled lightly, muttering to himself, “Who knows?”
The scorching sun hung high in the sky.
The blazing rays battered the spiritual light on their bodies.
With fewer chaotic monsters, cultivators wouldn’t choose to go out but would stay at the base to preach or cultivate.
After watching the path left by predecessors and experiencing it firsthand, Ji Yutang vaguely understood the power of this sun.
At its peak, even chaotic monsters would avoid its edge and hide in the shadows.
But since she came to this realm to temper herself, hoping to reach the Primordial Spirit realm faster, she couldn’t retreat due to the harsh environment.
In such circumstances, cultivators were weakened, and so were the chaotic monsters.
As long as she could find the chaotic monsters hiding in the dark crevices, she could almost always kill them.
At dusk, Ji Yutang returned to the base with a bag full of chaos beads.
In this resource-poor small realm, the chaos beads dropped by chaotic monsters were considered valuable materials for refining.
“Your Highness.” Liansheng looked at Ji Yutang, noticing a bloodstain on her cheek.
Her eyes twitched, and she hurriedly took out a piece of shark silk to wipe Ji Yutang’s face.
But as she raised her hand, a thunderclap exploded in the sky, and a sudden downpour of raindrops pelted down.
Liansheng was startled, quickly stepping back.
She looked up at the figure standing on the water in mid-air, a look of confusion passing through her eyes.
