Chapter 512: The Third Layer of Yang God, Void Realm Lord

Chapter 512: Yang God Third Layer, Void Realm Master

Within the Immortal Cloud Temple, Master Hengshan wore a boar mask upon his face, obscuring his features from view. He stood in silence, flanked by several men in cloaks.

"This rain vexes the heart," spoke a man as lean as a monkey, a sleeve arrow hidden within his robes. He was a master of hidden weapons, bearing many such devices upon his person.

"Because of the Water Lord, Ye Mountain Lake will likely see rain for some time yet. That Shen Lingxuan… she stays ever near the masters of the Heavenly Sect, making her difficult to capture," Master Hengshan said, his voice rasping.

"Then let us first seize her worthless husband," the sleeve-arrow man replied. Shen Lingxuan was hard to catch, but her son-in-law Qi Yuan, lacking any cultivation, seemed in their eyes a mere plaything to be crushed at will.

"Such an act would startle the snake and stir the grass—most unseemly," Master Hengshan said, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes. Why had Feng Tie not yet arrived? Had some matter delayed him?

For reasons unknown, as he listened to the pattering rain, a nameless irritation swelled within his heart.

But just then, a card within his bosom suddenly flickered with light. Master Hengshan’s expression shifted violently.

"Not good!"

This mysterious card was something he had uncovered while exploring an ancient ruin. It possessed arcane powers; his illusion arts had been learned from it. Beyond that, the card also served as a warning talisman. It was precisely because of this card that he, the foremost flower thief of the Moshan Kingdom—who had even plucked the kingdom’s princess and survived the pursuit of a Heavenly-Level Imperial Weapon Master—still lived and breathed.

Yet now, the light upon this card blazed brighter than ever, surpassing even the time when that Heavenly-Level Imperial Weapon Master had hunted him. How could Master Hengshan not be alarmed?

Without a moment’s hesitation, he shot upward like a cannonball, seeking to flee the Immortal Cloud Pavilion. The other men around him stood dumbfounded, utterly unaware of what was happening.

At that very instant, a bone-chilling sword intent suddenly descended. The three men present widened their eyes as the curtain of rain halted, and a crystalline water sword pierced through the downpour, thrusting toward them.

It was a sword of extreme speed, fierce and swift as thunder, leaving them no time to react. The sword aura swept across, and their necks were severed.

The water sword did not pause; its blade pursued Master Hengshan in a killing strike. Master Hengshan fled with great speed, but how could he outpace that water sword? Even with the card’s forewarning, he could not escape. The water sword pierced his throat, blood spattering as his face filled with disbelief.

"How can this be?"

His body crumpled, his eyes revealing deep confusion and regret. Having received the card’s legacy, he had a bright future ahead, one that should have transcended the bounds of the Moshan Kingdom—yet now he died inexplicably. Even before his death, he knew not whom he had offended, nor by whose hand he had fallen.

On the other side, Shen Lingxuan’s eyes narrowed.

"That sword…"

Such a sword, in terms of sheer might, naturally fell short of her former self at her peak. After all, in her past life, she had once turned back an army with a single sword, founding the Heavenly Sect as its first Dao Lord. But in its subtlety and refinement, it far surpassed her.

She gazed at Qi Yuan, ripples stirring within her heart: "A single sword slaying four Earth-Level Imperial Weapon Masters… who are you?"

Curiosity about Qi Yuan’s identity burned within her, mingled with a trace of wariness. After all, though that sword was exquisite, its power clearly had not yet reached the realm of Heaven-Man Unity. If he coveted her Profound Yin Body, she would find it hard to contend.

Qi Yuan smiled. "If you become my mount, I…"

Before he could finish, the smile froze on his face. For Shen Lingxuan’s form had dissolved into nothingness.

She… had fled!

Indeed, she had simply run away.

This left Qi Yuan speechless. He watched her slender figure vanish into the rain, murmuring to himself, "Do I really look that much like a villain?"

"Alas, mortals fear the divine when they see them," Chen Kangbao sighed.

"After all, I am her husband. I only wanted to ride her once—how dull."

"She is… Shen Lingxuan?" Chen Kangbao was taken aback. Clearly, he had not recognized her.

"Come, let us do some good deeds and look after their legacies."

Stepping through the mud, Qi Yuan entered the Immortal Cloud Temple. The three Earth-Level Imperial Weapon Masters carried little in the way of silver notes; Qi Yuan found only a hundred thousand or so taels in total. This disappointed him, much like a thief who, upon caring for a "friend’s" widow, finds her plain and even somewhat ugly.

He turned his gaze to Master Hengshan’s corpse.

"I hope you bring me a surprise."

He opened Master Hengshan’s storage artifact, and a thick scent of rouge and powder assailed his nostrils. Peering inside, he saw it filled with women’s undergarments, gaudy and colorful.

"Such a vile taste," Qi Yuan remarked flatly.

Within the storage artifact, he found six hundred and twenty thousand taels in silver notes. A gleam of delight flickered in his eyes.

Now, it seemed, he was a millionaire.

Just then, his attention was drawn to a card tucked within Master Hengshan’s sleeve.

"This material feels out of place with this game."

The card was gray overall, covered in many patterns, its material resembling plastic.

[Illusion Card, from the Void Paradise, with functions including recording, warning, inheritance… The password is… There are three hundred and seventy-five improvement schemes.]

Qi Yuan's eyes instantly perceived a great deal of hidden information.

"Void Paradise—what is that?" Qi Yuan had never heard the name before.

"Your old servant does not know either," Chen Kangbao shook his head.

"Since this card has a recording function, perhaps if I enter using the password, I can obtain a lot of useful information."

Qi Yuan picked up the card and activated the illusion card according to the information he had received.

Although Master Hengshan had possessed this card for many years and had studied it constantly, his understanding of the illusion card remained only superficial, allowing him to acquire some illusion techniques.

As for Qi Yuan, his eyes could see hidden information, enabling him to directly access the heart of the illusion card.

In an instant, a wealth of information surfaced before Qi Yuan's eyes.

"Zhao Bailong, a Void Walker?"

The owner of this card was named Zhao Bailong, according to the information he had recorded.

He was a being from another universe, chosen by the Void Paradise to become a Void Walker.

This information also surprised Qi Yuan, because this Void Paradise resembled the main god space he knew.

That universe was called the Zhou Universe.

In the Zhou Universe, many powerful beings had arisen.

Among them, the master of the Void Paradise, the Void Realm Lord, was the strongest being in the Zhou Universe.

"The master of the Void Paradise, known as the Void Realm Lord, is a powerhouse at the third layer of Yang God, the Heaven-Opening Realm?"

The recorded information indicated that the third layer of Yang God comprised three levels: Rule, Myriad Things, and Heaven-Opening.

The Rule Realm meant that a powerhouse at the second layer of Yang God condensed their ultimate principles into universal rules; once they condensed one, they stepped into the Rule Realm of the third Yang God layer.

The more rules one condensed, the stronger the rules' power, and the greater one's strength.

The Myriad Things Realm meant recognizing all beings, comprehending all things, and mastering at least nine universal rules. As for the Heaven-Opening Realm, it was the legendary act of creating heaven and earth.

A Yang God Realm Lord at the Heaven-Opening Realm was capable of splitting heaven and earth and creating living beings in the world.

"This Heaven-Opening Realm... finally seems somewhat divine. This Void Realm Lord is quite formidable."

Currently, Qi Yuan's combat power rivaled that of a Great Ultimate Principle, but he could not create heaven and earth.

Swallowing a star, however, was no problem.

The Void Realm Lord was the strongest being in the Zhou Universe. The Void Paradise he created recruited Void Walkers, who continuously trained in the Zhou Universe and also discovered the "nascent universe" where Green Mountain Realm was located.

According to the records of the illusion card's owner, the Void Realm Lord had discovered this "nascent universe" over a hundred million years ago.

The Void Realm Lord had constantly tried to incorporate this nascent universe into his domain, but failed due to unforeseen reasons.

Nevertheless, he kept sending Void Walkers to enter the nascent universe repeatedly, carrying out missions to deepen his karmic ties with it.

It seemed that once the karmic ties were deep enough, he could incorporate this nascent universe into his territory.

"Doesn't that mean that by holding this card, I also have karmic ties with the Void Realm Lord?" Qi Yuan said calmly.

This Void Realm Lord was the strongest in his universe. The owner of the illusion card, that Void Walker, was not qualified to meet such a great figure as the Void Realm Lord.

"Indeed, my guess was correct. In this world, I am an Earth-level Weapon Master, which translates to a Divine Infant in the Zhou Universe."

Although, in this world, an Earth-level Weapon Master seemed to have destructive power inferior even to Foundation Establishment.

But that was because he was inside this nascent universe.

If he went to the Zhou Universe, he would likely gain combat power at the fourth realm, that is, the Divine Infant Realm.

A Void Walker at the Divine Infant Realm in the Zhou Universe, upon coming here, would only have the combat power of an Earth-level Weapon Master.

This was normal and easy to understand. Although he was now less than two meters tall, if he went to the Zhou Universe, he might find that the stars there were not even as big as him—such things could happen.

"According to what is written above, there are two reasons why the Void Realm Lord has not swallowed this nascent universe: first, the karmic ties are too shallow, and he has not gained the approval of Heaven's Mandate; second, he is wary of... other terrifying powerhouses?"

This was not some obscure secret; almost all Void Walkers knew that the Void Realm Lord intended to swallow this nascent universe and make it his path to enlightenment.

"This nascent universe is indeed a tempting prize. I'm afraid more than just the Void Realm Lord has his eyes on it."

"I am still too weak."

"I am just a weak and helpless kitchen knife. I'd better play the game first. This Void Realm Lord is far too distant from me."

Nevertheless, this card not only allowed Qi Yuan to learn some game background but also gave him a clearer understanding of the path to the third layer of Yang God.

Condensing ultimate principles into universal rules was the next step in cultivation for the third layer of Yang God.

The more one condensed, the stronger one became. Ultimately, by mastering endless rules, one could create heaven and earth and give birth to all beings.

Even mastering the way of time and space could allow one to travel into the river of time and resurrect beings who had fallen in this universe.

Of course, there were limits.

"Old man, let's go. Quickly find a cook. Today, I'm going to be a diligent kitchen knife and become a god fast!"

As for riding Shen Lingxuan, that could wait for now.

"Right away!" Chen Kangbao said hurriedly.

...

In the marketplace.

Chen Kangbao straightened his back and shouted loudly.

"Peerless divine kitchen knife! Only 999 taels, and you can take it home.

It can cut vegetables above and chop firewood below. Come take a look—you won't lose out, you won't be cheated."

"Hey, old man, a kitchen knife for 999 taels, and you say you won't lose out?"

"That's right! Where in the world is there such an expensive kitchen knife? It costs as much as those Weapon Masters' magical artifacts!"

"What do you know? This is a divine blade that can create delicacies of the world!" Facing all the doubts, Chen Kangbao argued vehemently, spittle flying.

"Liar!"

But what he received were mostly looks of contempt and suspicion.

After all, where in the world would an ordinary kitchen knife sell for a thousand taels of silver?

"Alas, the young master is waiting for a destined person like this. If it doesn't work, as the young master's advisor, I must use my wisdom to help him find that destined person," Chen Kangbao thought to himself.

As for the kitchen knife's destined person, Chen Kangbao had an idea—it had to be a female cook, not a male one.

Someone willing to spend 999 taels of silver to buy it would have to be both wealthy and a little "foolish."

"Preferably a rich young lady who is naive and has run away from home to play."

"But which rich young lady knows how to cook?"

"I need to help the young master package this properly."

Chen Kangbao's thoughts raced, and he even stopped eating his steamed buns.

He surveyed the young women around him, looking for a target.

With his years of experience living in the madhouse, he was good at judging people.

After about two hours, his eyes lit up.

"This girl looks really gullible!"

"Can't cook? No matter, I'll teach her how to make buns!"

"In this world, no one knows buns better than me!"

He quickly spat into his palm, smoothed his hair, slicked it down and made it shine, then grabbed the cleaver from his stall and immediately followed her.

At the same time, Jiang Yunxi's gaze was drawn to the various trinkets along the street, her big eyes blinking, utterly adorable.

With a candied hawthorn stick in one hand and a little flower drum in the other, she was like a child.

Just then, an aged figure appeared before her.

"Young lady, this old man roams the world, slaying spectral fiends. Passing through here, I suddenly saw purple qi coming from the east—seems I've met a benefactor."

Jiang Yunxi looked at Chen Kangbao, her beautiful eyes tinged with wariness: "Old sir, what do you want?"

She was inexperienced in the world, but not foolish.

"I have here a cleaver, a cleaver unparalleled in the world.

It lacks a destined owner, and I see it is fated with you," Chen Kangbao said.

"A cleaver?" Jiang Yunxi eyed the cleaver oddly. "If it's fated, then give it to me."

Seeing this, Chen Kangbao felt hopeful: "This young lady clearly has a chivalrous heart. Wielding this cleaver, you will surely create the finest flavors in the world and slay countless spectral fiends."

He flattered her.

"I don't like cooking, but I'm interested in killing spectral fiends. Give me the cleaver."

"Only nine hundred and ninety-nine taels." Chen Kangbao handed the cleaver to Jiang Yunxi and extended his hand for the silver.

Jiang Yunxi paused, then grew angry: "Do you really take me for a fool?

Just now, another old man said I was the reincarnation of a savior and tried to sell me a secret manual for only ten taels. How dare you ask for a thousand?"

Such things had happened to Jiang Yunxi several times already.

She felt a bit aggrieved—did her face have the words "I'm easy to fool" written on it?

Why did these swindlers and con artists all come to her?

"Stop following me! If you keep it up, I'll have you taken to the yamen!" Jiang Yunxi was angry and irritated.

Chen Kangbao looked disappointed.

He was no good anymore—couldn't even fool a fool.

But just then, suddenly Qi Yuan's voice rang in his ears, and Chen Kangbao's face regained its confidence.

"Alas, Jiang Yunxi, if you miss this cleaver, you will have the greatest regret of your life." Chen Kangbao resumed his charlatan demeanor.

Jiang Yunxi's expression shifted: "How do you know my name?"

"I not only know your name, but also that you still wet the bed when you were six. The bracelet on your hand is a Xuan-grade magical artifact, a birthday gift from your mother when you turned six, meant to stop you from wetting the bed."

"Shua"—Jiang Yunxi's face turned red, and she looked shocked: "You... how do you know?"

Such childhood embarrassments were known only to those close to her—how did this old man know?

"Because I am a true immortal!"

(The chapter ends)