Lieyu Battleship glided steadily through the Void Realm passage, the frequency of its Yin and Yang wings gradually slowing, and the bronze patterns on its hull glowed with a gentle luster.
The Origin power of Night Shadow Realm had completely fused with the core furnace of the Spirit Ship, and the chaotic currents encountered along the way melted away like spring snow upon hitting the light shield.
Ji Yu and the others watched this scene, their hearts filled with endless amazement; the first time Lieyu Battleship traversed the Void Realm passage, they still needed to help stabilize the passage, but after fusing with the Origin power of Night Shadow Realm, entering the Void Realm passage was no different from ordinary navigation.
According to Ji Yu's estimation, Lieyu Battleship's strength had probably increased by nearly twofold; when they first constructed Lieyu Battleship, it was merely piled up with various rare materials, and Lieyu Battleship's true energy core was not particularly strong, but after absorbing the Origin power, everything changed.
And they, too, gained a new understanding of Li Mu's strength.
After all, the previous owner of Night Shadow Realm's Origin power had been annihilated by Li Mu with a single punch.
Li Mu stood at the highest point of the bridge, his fingertips lightly twirling a wisp of Chaos Qi. This wisp of Qi flowed erratically in his palm, at times transforming into a miniature galaxy, and at others condensing into a point of Grandmist at its inception.
Most of the Night Shadow Realm Origin swallowed three days ago had transformed into Lieyu Battleship's power, with only a trace of the purest Yin-Sha Origin being absorbed by the Chaotic Dao Tree.
“Dao Friend Li, ahead is the ‘Mist Hidden World’ Domain Gate.”
Ji Yu's voice carried a hint of caution; the star map on the jade plate showed this realm enveloped by thick, grayish-white mist, so dense that even the Three Thousand Realms Map could only outline a blurry silhouette.
“Ancient records state that ‘Qi steams into mist, mist condenses into shadow’ in this place. The Cultivators within the domain are skilled at imitating forms with mist, and their temperament is reclusive, never contacting the outside world. It seems that since the last epoch, no living beings have entered or emerged from the Mist Hidden World.”
“Sounds somewhat similar to the Shadow Clan of Night Shadow Realm?”
Blood Slaughter Divine Lord asked with some doubt, while Ji Yu shook his head.
“Not so. Although both are ethereal, the beings in the Mist Hidden World are all condensed from the mist generated by the realm itself. One could say that all living beings in the entire Mist Hidden World share the same Origin and belong to the same clan.”
Ji Yu glanced at Li Mu, hesitated for a moment, then continued.
“Ancient records also state that, apart from the Mist Hidden Clan, there are no other living beings in the Mist Hidden World, and resources are scarce. The Mist Hidden Clan are all born from the mist, and the mist is generated by the realm's Origin power.”
Everyone also understood Ji Yu's unspoken meaning: there was not much to gain from this realm, and it was unnecessary to waste time attacking it.
Li Mu looked up, and indeed, a rolling expanse of white mist appeared at the end of the Void Realm. That mist was not naturally formed, but woven from countless tiny spiritual threads, and where sunlight penetrated, it refracted colorful yet eerie light patterns.
As Li Mu lightly flicked his fingertip, a wisp of Chaos Qi floated out like a wisp of smoke, rippling across the realm barrier.
“First, bypass the realm barrier and explore the edges. Also, search for all nearby realms; it’s best if we find a place to settle first.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Yu immediately stepped forward.
“Dao Friend Li, the Star Domain we are currently in belongs to the Yin Realm Star Domain. Night Shadow Realm, including the recent Mist Hidden World, all belong to the Yin Realm Star Domain. And the Dominator of the Yin Realm Star Domain is one of the Nine Great Royal Realms among the Three Thousand Realms, the Yin Realm.”
Ever since entering the Three Thousand Realms, the information that Ji Yu's Three Thousand Realms Map could probe had become increasingly extensive. Now, it could not only view all realms within the entire Yin Realm Star Domain, but also investigate the Dominator races within each realm, as well as their Origins and so on.
This was undoubtedly very good news for Li Mu and his companions.
“The destruction of Night Shadow Realm will surely attract investigation from the Yin Realm. The Mist Hidden World has long had no contact with other realms, and even the Yin Realm does not set foot in the Mist Hidden World. This place would make a good place to settle.”
Ji Yu had just wanted to persuade Li Mu to first find a realm as a resting place. They couldn't keep fighting non-stop. Besides, not to mention the Nine Great Royal Realms, even some more powerful realms were definitely not something they could launch a large-scale attack on at present.
Scheming for the Three Thousand Realms was by no means an overnight affair, so upon hearing Li Mu say he was looking for a place to settle, Ji Yu made up his mind to recommend the Mist Hidden World as a foothold.
After all, a realm that was resource-poor, desolate, and had no contact with any other realm was too suitable to serve as their base camp.
“Alright, then let’s investigate thoroughly.”
Upon hearing Li Mu's words, Ji Yu immediately directed Lieyu Battleship to prepare to enter the Mist Hidden World.
Lieyu Battleship slowly turned, like a fish gliding into a crevice in the misty sea. Inside the bridge, the strong Cultivators held their breath, gazing through the portholes at the scene outside—floating islands were vaguely visible in the mist, with silver-gray trees growing on them, their leaf edges flowing with liquid light, and occasionally figures draped in mist veils walked beneath the trees, their steps as light as if treading on clouds.
“The spiritual essence of these mist people blends with heaven and earth, allowing them to evade Formation detection.”
Blood Slaughter Divine Lord stroked the edge of his blood banner, his tone filled with surprise. He tried to release his Divine Thought, but it was refracted layer by layer in the mist, eventually dissipating without a trace.
Kushan Buddhist Lord softly chanted a Buddha title, the golden Buddha Light circulating in his palm: “The Spiritual Qi of this realm actually contains components that can harm one's Primordial Spirit and damage one's Dao Foundation. If we stay here for long, even we might be affected.”
“It's not Spiritual Qi, it's mist.”
Sword Sect Old Ancestor's voice was low and serious: “This mist contains something that can damage our Dao Foundation.”
Li Mu said nothing, his gaze not on the surrounding mist, but on the depths of the misty sea.
There was an isolated peak there, its summit shrouded in purple mist distinct from elsewhere. Within the mist, a stone hall was vaguely visible, with a fist-sized luminous pearl suspended above its roof, continuously exhaling and inhaling purple mist.
The purple mist, not only different in color from the mist emanating from the Mist Hidden World, but also vastly different in its composition.
If the substance contained in the mist born from the Mist Hidden World could harm one's Foundation, then that purple mist was undoubtedly a treasure that could repair one's Foundation and raise one's limits, an absolutely rare and precious treasure.
This situation was not consistent with what was recorded in ancient texts.
Everyone followed Li Mu’s gaze and also noticed the difference in the purple mist.
“What is this?” Ji Yu consulted the jade plate records: “There’s no mention of this in the ancient texts.”
Ji Yu was somewhat surprised, because ever since entering the Three Thousand Realms, the ancient texts had been unfailingly useful, even being able to trace the Origin of a realm, but they contained very little information about the Mist Hidden World, and absolutely no mention of this purple mist.
Lieyu Battleship silently stopped in the clouds a hundred miles from the isolated peak. Li Mu's fingertip Chaos Qi transformed into a fine thread, silently probing towards the purple mist. The moment the thread touched the purple mist, it was silently swallowed, without even a trace of feedback returning.
“Interesting.” Li Mu’s eyebrows slightly raised. The devouring power of this purple mist was somewhat similar to the Deva Race he had once fought, yet it possessed a vibrant vitality, vastly different from the deathly stillness of the Deva Race, almost diametrically opposed.
Just then, the misty sea suddenly surged. The silver-gray trees all turned towards Lieyu Battleship, the liquid light on their leaves suddenly brightened, weaving into a giant net of light that swept towards the Spirit Ship. The mist people beneath the trees shed their light veils, revealing their true forms condensed from mist, gripping condensed mist spears in their hands, their eyes as wary as a hunting eagle.
“Dao Friend Li, shall we act?” The Grand Marshal gripped the token at his waist, the ship's main cannons already silently charging.
Li Mu shook his head, lightly tapping the Formation eye at the center of the bridge. The bronze patterns on Lieyu Battleship's surface suddenly lit up, Chaos Qi flowing along the patterns, forming a thin layer of gray mist outside the hull. This gray mist appeared thin, yet it was like an impenetrable wall; the light net shattered silently upon impact, and the mist spears were instantly assimilated by the Chaos Qi upon penetration, turning into harmless white Qi.
Seeing this, the mist people all took half a step back, a look of fear flashing in their eyes. The leading mist person raised his mist spear towards the sky, uttering ancient syllables. In an instant, the purple mist at the top of the isolated peak surged violently, the spirit pearl burst forth with dazzling light, and the entire isolated peak slowly lifted from the ground, drifting towards Lieyu Battleship.
“Are they inviting us to ascend the peak?” Ji Yu interpreted the mist people’s gestures, his tone filled with surprise: “This is contrary to what the ancient texts recorded.”
“The mist spears just now, were they perhaps a test for us?”
King Zhenhai observed meticulously, noticing that after the mist spears' attack failed, the vigilance on the faces of the mist people completely vanished, replaced instead by a subtle anticipation.
Li Mu gazed at the approaching isolated peak, the outline of the stone hall within the purple mist becoming increasingly clear.
Above the hall door were carved three ancient runes, resembling birds and beasts, subtly emitting fluctuations that resonated with Chaos Qi.
“Let’s go see.” Li Mu turned and walked towards the cabin door: “You all wait here.”
Blood Slaughter Divine Lord and the others hesitated to speak, but ultimately suppressed the urge to follow. They knew that with Li Mu's cultivation, even if there were tricks in this Mist Hidden World, it wouldn't harm him in the slightest.
If the Mist Hidden World posed a threat to Li Mu, then their following along would be of no use, only hindering him.
Li Mu's figure moved through the mist, the clouds beneath his feet automatically parting. The silver-gray trees seemed to possess sentience, their leaves gently swaying, and liquid light cast winding paths on the ground, guiding him towards the stone hall.
The hall door opened without wind; the interior was not as dark as imagined, but permeated with soft purple light. On the stone platform in the center of the hall, the spirit pearl floated in mid-air, and within the pearl, a Dragon Shadow actually coiled, its scales formed from mist, each one refracting different realm scenes.
“Chaos Dao Body…” A venerable voice echoed in the hall, ripples spreading across the surface of the spirit pearl, revealing an old face composed of mist: “Three thousand years, and finally the one who can unseal this pearl has arrived.”
Li Mu lightly tapped the stone platform with his fingertip, and Chaos Qi, like a fine needle, probed into the pearl. The Dragon Shadow suddenly raised its head, letting out a silent roar, and cracks instantly covered the pearl's surface.
“It wasn’t sealed; it chose to guard this place.” Li Mu withdrew his finger, his tone calm: “This pearl is a realm passage, connecting to the ‘Misty Sea’ beyond the Three Thousand Realms.”
The misty old face churned violently: “You can actually see through it? Indeed, in ancient times, my Mist Hidden World was a transit point between the Misty Sea and the Three Thousand Realms. Later, when the Deva Race passed through, the Mist Dragon blocked the passage with its body, thus preserving this realm.”
The Misty Sea, also known as the Realm Sea, is a star sea formed by the accumulation of fragments from numerous shattered realms, and at the same time, it is a general term for Star Domains beyond the already explored Three Thousand Realms.
The Misty Sea is impassable; this is the consensus of all living beings in the Three Thousand Realms, for it contains great terror.
Li Mu looked at the Dragon Shadow inside the pearl; its scales were dissipating at a visible rate, evidently at the end of its tether.
“It is waiting for an existence that can take its place.”
The misty old face's voice was low.
Li Mu condensed a drop of Chaos Origin at his fingertip and lightly flicked it into the pearl.
The moment the Origin fell, the Dragon Shadow let out a Dragon roar that shook the hall, its surrounding mist suddenly exploded, transforming into countless streams of light that merged into the Spirit Gathering Pearl. The cracks on the pearl's surface began to heal, and complex Chaos patterns appeared on its surface, subtly echoing the bronze Formation patterns of Lieyu Battleship.
When the misty old face saw this scene, it was almost moved to tears of excitement.
“Indeed, the prophecy was correct! A Chaos Dao Body will come to the Mist Hidden World, and he will lead the Three Thousand Realms toward light!”
Although Li Mu could see through the spirit pearl and its function, he had no understanding of what the old face was talking about. At this moment, he quietly waited for the old face to continue.
“Originally, the passage here would have opened three months later. With Fellow Daoist’s help, the opening time has been delayed by ten thousand years.” The old face’s voice carried a sense of relief: “At that time, the mist tides of the Misty Sea, as well as the beings within the Misty Sea, will surge through the passage. I hope Fellow Daoist… will protect the Three Thousand Realms completely.”
“You… haven’t left the Mist Hidden World for a very long time, have you?”
Li Mu said subtly. The old face seemed not to have anticipated Li Mu's words, and the misty old face actually showed confusion.
“What does Fellow Daoist mean by this?”
“Nothing. Ten thousand years is enough time for me to grow. By then, I will naturally sweep aside all enemies.”
Although Li Mu's tone was calm, the words he spoke were like a thunderbolt from the clear sky.
After seeing Li Mu's demeanor, the last breath the misty old face was holding finally dissipated, and the old face transformed into countless specks of light, merging into the pillars of the stone hall.
The entire isolated peak began to tremble violently, sinking towards the depths of the misty sea, with only the Spirit Gathering Pearl still suspended on the stone platform, emitting a gentle purple light.
When Li Mu walked out of the stone hall, the mist people all knelt on the ground, their mist spears angled towards the ground, performing the most solemn etiquette. He did not look back, his figure flickering several times before returning to Lieyu Battleship.
“Is there an anomaly in this realm?” Ji Yu, seeing his return, quickly stepped forward to ask.
They, who had been outside just now, clearly felt the anomaly in this realm, and it seemed to be changing for the better.
“The substance in this mist that could originally harm one's Foundation seems to have disappeared?”
Sword Sect Old Ancestor was the first to notice the change in the mist, his expression surprised, and his gaze towards Li Mu filled with shock.
The changes in this realm only occurred after Li Mu entered the stone hall, and the reason was self-evident.
Everyone who had originally worried about long-term residence in this realm harming their cultivation now had no more concerns. (End of Chapter)
