The day after the council in Profound Ice Realm concluded, several high-Rank Realms launched major expeditions, causing panic among some low-Rank Realms in the Yin Realm Starfield, who feared they would become the next Night Shadow Realm, annihilated in an instant.
Especially the low-Rank Realms near the Night Shadow Realm, everyone felt insecure, believing that disaster would strike at any moment.
Until another piece of news arrived: the target of several high-Rank Realms was not the Yin Realm Starfield, but the Yang Realm Starfield next to it.
Some people who knew the inside story also took action, including the Profound Ice Realm Master and the Shadow Realm Master, who had received permission from their Master, the Evil God Realm Master. They each went to their respective Opportunities, quietly waiting for their own promotion Opportunities to arrive.
While undercurrents surged in the Yin Realm Starfield, the Yin Realm King seemed unaware, still immersed in his gentle embrace.
In the Mist Hidden Realm, Li Mu was certainly not idle; a group of people were gathered, discussing the next plan.
“The Three Thousand Realms Map records that the Origin of the Bone Realm is a major anomaly in the Yin Realm Starfield.”
On the Lieyu Battleship bridge, Ji Yu unrolled the Three Thousand Realms Map, pointing his fingertip at a grayish-white glowing spot: “This place was originally an ancient mass burial ground, where the Yin Realm Starfield discarded corpses. Over millions of Years, countless skeletons were thrown here, eventually giving birth to intelligence, and finally evolving into an independent Realm.”
Li Mu’s gaze followed, falling onto the map.
Seeing that Li Mu did not speak, Ji Yu continued: “Even the land of the Bone Realm is paved with the earliest batch of corpses. Bone Clan Cultivators take skeletons as their bodies and soul fire as their consciousness. They have no Lifespan limit and can live forever.”
“No Lifespan limit, then shouldn’t they be very strong?”
Li Mu asked at the appropriate time. They were currently choosing the next Realm to attack and had to be fully prepared. If it was a very powerful Realm, it would certainly not be a good choice.
Ji Yu shook his head, saying with a playful expression.
“That’s not the case. Although Bone Clan Cultivators have infinite Lifespan, their cultivation will not increase with time because the cultivation of the corpse before death limits their upper bound. They often cannot exceed their cultivation before life, and they are also one Realm lower.”
“What Realm is the Bone Realm Master?”
“The Bone Realm Master should be in the Ultimate Dao Realm.”
“Ultimate Dao?”
Hearing Li Mu’s questioning tone, Ji Yu did not keep him in suspense.
“It’s not that the Bone Realm Master reached beyond the Ultimate Dao before his death; he was only in the Ultimate Dao Realm before his death.”
“Then how did the corpse advance?”
“Bone Clan Cultivators have countless Years of Lifespan after all. In these infinite Years, the Bone Clan researched a new method of Cultivation: devouring other Dao bones that had not yet developed intelligence. The stronger the corpse, the longer it took for intelligence to be born. The current Bone Realm Master is the first Ultimate Dao Realm corpse to Awaken intelligence. Although he was only in the Mahayana Realm after Awakening, he could still crush all other Bone Clan members.”
“What did the Bone Realm Master devour to advance to the Ultimate Dao Realm?”
“Intelligence shows that within ten thousand Years of Awakening consciousness, he used a Dragon Clan spine as his spine, Phoenix wing bones as his hands, White Tiger leg bones as his legs, and the skull of a Realm Master Cultivator who had gone very far in the Ultimate Dao Realm as his skull. He fused with several corpses that were all in the Ultimate Dao Realm before death, and only then did he advance to the Ultimate Dao Realm.”
“So, besides the spiritual consciousness, everything else was replaced?”
Li Mu was truly enlightened; it was his first time seeing such a bizarre Cultivation method.
Ji Yu nodded: “Precisely. So, the Bone Realm can be our next target, but the Realm Origin Power of the Bone Realm will likely be much weaker.”
He pointed his fingertip across a sunken area on the map: “This is the ‘Nether Bone Plain,’ where the Bone Realm Master resides, and also where the Bone Realm’s strongest power lies. If we want to Breakthrough the Bone Realm, we can start here, a single decisive strike.”
Li Mu nodded: “Although the Realm’s formation is somewhat unusual, it is still Realm Origin Power, which should provide a significant boost to the Lieyu Battleship.”
After Li Mu finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling Ji Yu to continue.
Ji Yu’s fingertip landed on the Realm Map, on a glowing point adjacent to the Bone Realm, emitting a deep blue luster, as if carrying a bone-chilling coldness: “The Cold Water Realm is a purely liquid Domain. The entire Realm is composed of Profound Yin True Water. This water can freeze the Primordial Spirit of low-Realm Cultivators, and even Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators will have their Meridians frozen if they touch a single drop.”
“The beings of this Realm are all condensed from Profound Yin True Water. High-Rank ones can transform into human form, but their skin is always covered with a thin layer of ice, and their breath turns into frost.” Then Ji Yu pointed to the vortex mark at the core of the Realm, his tone becoming more solemn: “This is the Gui Xu Sea Eye, ten thousand miles in diameter, continuously gushing Profound Yin True Water. Legend has it that its depths connect to the Nether Ice Prison. In ancient times, a Realm Master-level figure attempted to explore its bottom, was frozen into an ice sculpture, and still floats beneath the Sea Eye, becoming the Cold Water Realm’s guardian Divine Monument.”
Li Mu gazed at the deep blue, his eyes dark and unreadable.
A Realm Master-level figure should at least be in the Ultimate Dao Realm. If this Profound Yin True Water can freeze even an Ultimate Dao Realm expert, then the beings born from Profound Yin True Water are probably of the same Realm. Even if not in the Ultimate Dao Realm, they should at least be Mahayana Realm beings from birth.
However, according to the equivalent division of Realms, the Cold Water Realm is only a low-Rank Realm, which is quite abnormal. That leaves only one possibility.
“I’m not sure if it connects to the Nether Ice Prison, but there must be something wrong with this Gui Xu Sea Eye.”
A strange glint flashed in Li Mu’s eyes, but it was well hidden and not noticed by Ji Yu.
Ji Yu then pointed to the edge of the Realm Map, where a particularly striking glowing point was enveloped in dense blackness.
“The Night Shadow World is the most mysterious low-Rank Realm in the Yin Realm Starfield. Since its birth, it has had no daylight, eternally shrouded in a mist called Light Eating Mist. This mist can devour all light. Even the top person under the Yang Realm King at that time could not make light remain in the Night Shadow World.”
“Shadow Clan members are composed of pure shadow energy and can merge into any shadow, even penetrating a Cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness to launch a surprise attack.” He pointed to a twisted forest-shaped marker on the map: “The trees in the Light Eating Forest are entirely black, and their leaves can absorb light. The Nether Udumbara flowers that grow in the forest bloom once every thousand Years. When their petals unfold, they illuminate a hundred miles. This light is a potent poison for the Shadow Clan while it exists; contact causes immediate disintegration. The petals left after the light dissipates are invaluable Cultivation resources.”
Ji Yu paused, then added: “Shadow Clan Cultivation requires devouring the shadows of living beings. High-Rank members can strip their own shadows and transform them into Clones. These Clones are Eternal and indestructible unless the main body is destroyed. In the ‘Lightless Abyss’ deep within the Realm, an ancient existence is Sealed. Legend has it that this ancient existence is the source of the Light Eating Mist.”
After listening to Ji Yu’s introduction, Li Mu frowned, as if deep in thought.
Ji Yu keenly noticed Li Mu’s confusion.
“Fellow Daoist Li, do you have any questions?”
“Why are there so many anomalies in what are clearly just a few low-Rank Realms? Almost every Realm has its own unusual characteristics.”
Li Mu said, pointing to a much dimmer glowing spot.
“The Night Shadow Realm, according to our intelligence, is one of the most insignificant low-Rank Realms in the Yin Realm Starfield. Does ‘most insignificant’ also include the Night Shadow World, Cold Water Realm, and Bone Realm?”
“Yes, this entire Star Domain belongs to the lowest Rank of low-Rank Realms, like a desolate land. Otherwise, the destruction of the Night Shadow Realm wouldn’t have caused such little stir.”
Ji Yu instantly understood Li Mu’s meaning. These low-Rank Realms, more or less, all had something illogical about them.
For example, the Light Eating Tundra in the Night Shadow Realm could even devour shattered Realms. Originally, Li Mu thought the Light Eating Tundra was generated by the Shadow Ancestor’s power, but now it seemed it was definitely not that simple.
And then there was the Gui Xu Sea Eye in the Cold Water Realm, which supposedly connected to the Nether Ice Prison. Even if it didn’t connect to the Nether Ice Prison, it must be a very terrifying existence.
The Night Shadow World, where an ancient existence was Sealed, produced Light Eating Mist that even the top person under the Yang Realm King of another Star Domain couldn’t break through. What Rank of existence then must this ancient existence be?
Compared to them, the Bone Realm was much more ordinary; its anomaly couldn’t even be considered an anomaly. The Three Thousand Realms had existed for an unknown amount of time, yet the Bone Realm, a mass burial ground, only had one Ultimate Dao Realm Cultivator. A place that even had Dragon and Phoenix bones was controlled by a Bone Clan member born from an Ultimate Dao Realm corpse—it simply made no sense.
Considering all this, the Bone Realm, in Li Mu’s mind, was the most dangerous place among these Realms.
“Besides the Bone Realm, Night Shadow World, Cold Water Realm, and Night Shadow Realm, there is also one mid-Rank Realm and fourteen low-Rank Realms nearby. Without exception, all fourteen of these low-Rank Realms have something unusual about them.”
Ji Yu’s tone was solemn.
“Conversely, this sole mid-Rank Realm looks quite ordinary, with nothing special about it.”
The others present also looked grim upon hearing this.
A circle of low-Rank Realms, all with unique characteristics—this was definitely not good news.
And then there was the Mist Hidden Realm, the most peculiar low-Rank Realm of all. A low-Rank Realm that never had any contact with other Realms, yet managed to remain untouched. Even the Yin Sha Guards didn’t bother to look at the Mist Hidden Realm when they came to warn others.
If the only reason was that the mist in the Mist Hidden Realm would harm a Cultivator’s foundation, that would be complete nonsense. If it harms the foundation, then they just wouldn’t come themselves. Would they not even send anyone?
However, Li Mu already had a guess in his mind. The Mist Hidden Realm was a passage between the Three Thousand Realms and the Misty Sea, so its geographical location was self-evident—definitely not comparable to an ordinary Realm, not even a typical high-Rank Realm.
The Yin Realm Starfield’s lax jurisdiction over such an important place could only mean one thing: the Yin Realm’s reach didn’t extend that far. If anyone could contend with the Yin Realm on equal terms, it would undoubtedly be the other eight Great King Realms.
A glint of light flashed in Li Mu’s eyes as he looked at the glowing point representing the Cold Water Realm. He was extremely curious about what was hidden beneath the Gui Xu Sea Eye in the Cold Water Realm.
“Everyone, this Cold Water Realm is quite unusual. With the current situation, it’s not suitable for the Lieyu Battleship to be deployed. I plan to go to the Cold Water Realm alone.”
As soon as Li Mu said this, the others immediately objected.
“Fellow Daoist Li, think twice. This place is not like the Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty; there are many powerful individuals. It’s truly inappropriate for Fellow Daoist Li to go to the Cold Water Realm alone to explore.”
The Sword Sect Old Ancestor was the first to object, offering sincere advice.
Blood Slaughter Divine Lord and others beside him also spoke up.
“Fellow Daoist Li, it’s not advisable to act this way.”
“Fellow Daoist Li, going alone is ultimately dangerous; there’s no one to watch your back.”
…
Everyone chattered, calling him Fellow Daoist Li one by one, all disagreeing with Li Mu going alone.
Although they knew Li Mu’s strength, they were still worried, as he would be going by himself.
In the end, everyone still couldn’t dissuade Li Mu, after all, his strength was undeniable.
Half a day later, outside the Cold Water Realm, a ripple appeared, and a figure stepped into the Cold Water Realm.
The Cold Water Realm had already closed its great formation at this time. After all, the Yin Sha Guards had been dispatched, so they naturally no longer had to worry about high-Rank Realms invading.
However, because Nether Slaughter had taken action that day, killing many high-ranking officials of the Cold Water Realm, the forces of those Cold Water Realm Elders and Clan Elders killed by Nether Slaughter were now plotting revenge for their Elders. The Cold Water Realm was in turmoil for a time; the current calm was merely the brief quiet before the storm.
In such an environment, and with Li Mu’s intention to conceal his traces, no one discovered that an outsider had appeared in the Cold Water Realm.
Upon entering the Cold Water Realm, what greeted his eyes was an boundless expanse of blue-black ocean. To call it an ocean, it should actually be called a Realm; the entire Cold Water Realm, besides Profound Yin True Water, was still Profound Yin True Water.
This Profound Yin True Water, rumored to be able to Seal the Meridians of Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators, was no different from bathwater to Li Mu. The only difference might be that it was a bit cold for bathwater, after all, who wouldn’t want a nice warm bath?
After entering the Profound Yin True Water, even before Li Mu began to investigate, he clearly felt a special fluctuation emanating from the distance.
“That must be the legendary Gui Xu Sea Eye.”
Li Mu muttered to himself, while his figure flickered forward.
When he was only about a few miles from the Gui Xu Sea Eye, Li Mu finally felt a bone-chilling coldness. This coldness was not actual cold Qi, but originated from a deeper Law, a power of stillness that could freeze the flow of spiritual energy.
He circulated Chaos Qi to protect his body, his figure moving like a fish, heading towards that special fluctuation.
The closer he got to the Gui Xu Sea Eye, the deeper the color of the Profound Yin True Water became, changing from deep blue to almost inky black.
Ice-like crystals began to appear in the water, reflecting an eerie blue light. When they touched Li Mu’s Chaos Qi, they made a “sizzling” sound of dissolution.
Li Mu flicked a wisp of Chaos Qi from his fingertip, striking an ice crystal.
The moment the ice crystal burst, he caught a faint spatial fluctuation.
“Sure enough, there’s a problem.”
These ice crystals were clearly not naturally formed products of the Realm, but remnants of a Seal placed by someone.
The core of the Sea Eye was a vortex ten miles in diameter. The Profound Yin True Water here swirled into a funnel shape, its center pitch black, as if connected to a bottomless abyss. (End of Chapter)
