Chapter 687: The Road to the Realm of Imperial Control

Chapter 687: The Path to the Imperial Realm

At this moment, Zhao Changhe was also in battle.

No matter the turmoil and bloodshed at the capital, Taihang, or the banks of the Yellow River, Zhao Changhe could not see it now, nor did he wish to think of it.

What needed to be done was already done; the affairs of the world could not be shouldered by one man alone, nor could he bear that burden. Wanzhuang and Zhuque had their own methods—they were top-tier experts who could stand on their own, having shaken the world long before he had even crossed over.

Ah, come to think of it, they were all his superiors...

And Chichi was no pushover either... If he couldn't trust their abilities, then there was no point in establishing this nation.

But this Wang family secret realm was a troublesome landmine. The moment he entered, an overwhelming pressure surged at him, nearly crushing him to bits. If not for his dual cultivation with Sanniang, which made him extremely attuned to the power of water essence, anyone else would likely have been squeezed to death on the spot.

The water pressure here was even greater than at the deepest ocean floor. All the water was still, utterly pure, devoid of even a single microorganism—completely different from seawater. Yet its oppressive weight was truly terrifying, making one feel as if their entire body would be ground into pulp.

Amid the pressure, there was also gain. Here, one could clearly perceive the forces of air pressure and water pressure, pondering their application. This was the origin of the Wang family's art of Pai Tian Zhen Hai.

He truly wondered how the Wang ancestors had managed to stay here. Had Wang Daoning ever entered? This water pressure was far too formidable, stronger even than the power of gods and demons.

When natural forces reached a certain magnitude, they were inherently the power of gods and demons.

In truth, Zhao Changhe felt that if he could come here to temper his body from time to time, it might effectively improve his weak defense, so he wouldn't end up battered like a dead dog every time. But clearly, now was not the time; the priority was figuring out how to defuse this colossal bomb.

He looked around. The waters stretched endlessly; he had no idea how vast they were. If he were to guide them out to the sea, how would he do it? Would the East China Sea be enough to contain them?

"Blindie."

"...Don't disturb me; I'm composing poetry."

"Stop messing with poetry. How do we drain this water?" Zhao Changhe said. "Piaomiao said, 'Help someone together.' That someone is you, isn't it? You said you protect the mortal world."

This was the apocalyptic flood, pouring down as the era collapsed, drowning the world. Every civilization's doomsday legend had this part, but because Piaomiao had suppressed it with the Sea-Calming Sword, the flood was grudgingly confined within a space, compressed into a mass, unable to spill out.

And Blindie had a hand in this... Just for that, Zhao Changhe's aversion to her could diminish by eighty percent.

Blindie didn't answer. Zhao Changhe continued, "This counts as your unfinished business. This time, how should we do it? I'll be your assistant?"

"Being your superior brings no good. Get lost."

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded: "Hey..."

Blindie said, "This place is vast. The easternmost part overlaps somewhat with the seabed. Of course, compared to the entire ocean, the water here is just a drop in the bucket. If guided and drained properly, the water level won't rise even a fraction, and there will be no impact. But you must drain it slowly, not let it burst out abruptly—that would be a disaster."

Wasn't this a case of saying one thing but meaning another?

Blindie added, "And this task is actually most suitable for you. First, you can perceive the difference between the ocean and this place, finding the true outlet. Second, you have the Wang family's techniques, allowing you to manipulate external qi and guide it well."

As they spoke, Zhao Changhe was already struggling to hold on. His muscles had unconsciously begun to tense, clearly nearing his limit.

But this kind of "saving the world" endeavor stirred something deep within Zhao Changhe. He forced himself to endure, advancing eastward to find the point of exit.

Blindie followed beside him and said, "There's no need to push too hard. This process is also part of your mastery of 'qi.' External qi and the internal qi within you are connected, just manifested differently. As long as you can control it, it's also a part of 'imperial control.'"

Zhao Changhe was startled: "What... suddenly teaching me to break through to the Imperial Realm?"

Blindie said flatly, "Even if I didn't say it, you would realize it yourself. Your comprehension is too high; I'm just doing you a favor."

That was true. Zhao Changhe had already been pondering the connection between internal and external qi. But it was surprising that Blindie would say such a thing.

Understanding the difference between internal and external qi, pressure, and the counteraction of gravity had a significant meaning... It was the foundation of flight.

Flight had several modes: one was like Feng Yin riding the wind, or An Mie merging with shadows—these relied on their unique attributes; another was mastering the power of flight, contending with air and gravity. Pure brute force was just leaping, not flying, and he could already do that now.

Once he mastered free flight, that was the hallmark of the Imperial Realm.

In other words, Zhao Changhe could indeed break through to the Imperial Realm through this method... But Zhao Changhe didn't really want to use this approach. His ambitions were wilder; he wanted to control more. Blindie's sudden kindness—was it to guide the apocalyptic flood here out of necessity, or did it hide some other intent? Perhaps she was urging him to take a shortcut, narrowing his path...

But the problem was that Zhao Changhe still didn't have a clear idea of his own path to breaking through the Imperial Realm. What direction should he focus on? Forget it, he'd set it aside for now. He really couldn't hold on any longer.

Since he had already used his rear eye earlier, Zhao Changhe stopped hiding and recklessly unleashed all five senses.

Like a radar spreading through the dark waters, invisible ripples radiated in all directions.

He could truly sense the seawater outside, different from this place. Though they seemed to merge, they were clearly distinct. Between them was an extremely strong air pressure barrier, seemingly nonexistent yet very real, forcibly separating a secret realm.

External qi and internal qi were actually the same thing...

People weren't crushed by air pressure because they had qi inside them—basic physics taught that, and it applied here. Zhao Changhe carefully sensed the air pressure isolating the secret realm, reached out his hand, and found the common rhythm between his own qi and the external world.

This was also the core of the Wang family's Pai Tian Zhen Hai technique. Once mastered, it was the foundation of controlling qi. With his foundation in this technique, Zhao Changhe easily gained related insights. Even his internal qi began to take on a highly condensed quality. Though his cultivation hadn't improved much, Zhao Changhe felt his strength had advanced a step.

Then, gradually, his qi merged with the external qi.

The isolated secret realm suddenly had a connecting bridge, as if two different dimensional planes were glued together.

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred. This feeling was interesting.

Both planes were water. As the slayer of the old Sea Emperor and the one who took the new Sea Emperor's first blood, Zhao Changhe once again became the bridge fusing the waters of the two planes, channeling them through his body into the sea.

Zhao Changhe clenched his teeth tightly.

This was even more grueling than the previous pressure. His entire body, from skin to meridians, felt as if it were being plowed through. But he held on stubbornly, not uttering a sound.

He just had to endure the initial phase. At first, he needed to guide it himself, not letting it flood all at once. Once the channel gradually widened, he wouldn't be needed anymore.

Blindie stood by with her arms crossed, watching Zhao Changhe's body take on a watery appearance, her lips pressed slightly together.

She knew how much this hurt, but this man seemed, from the very start of his journey, to be at odds with his own pain, as unyielding as iron.

"Actually, doing all this—no one in the world will know. It only moves yourself. Why bother?" Blindie suddenly asked.

Zhao Changhe was a bit taken aback: "Huh?"

Blindie wanted to roll her eyes.

But Zhao Changhe smiled and said softly, "I show off hoping others will see, but doing good deeds doesn't require that. I'm happy just doing it."

Blindie retorted, "That statement itself is showing off."

"Yeah, because you're watching. I said showing off hopes others will see."

Blindie: "...I'm blind."

"Rumble!" The channel gradually expanded. The apocalyptic flood surged violently, rushing straight into the sea.

Zhao Changhe, acting as the bridge, could no longer hold on. Swept away by the flood, he was like a kite with a broken string, tumbling into the deep sea.

Blindie instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrist. No flood, no matter how fierce, could overcome Blindie's strength. She easily pulled him back.

Zhao Changhe's momentum didn't diminish, and he nearly crashed into her. Blindie kicked him aside, turned, and walked into the seabed, step by step, until she vanished.

Zhao Changhe burst out of the sea with a splash, gasping for air. Feeling the flood merge into the ocean and dissolve without a trace, his mood was excellent. As Blindie had said, no one knew what he had done—not even the Wang family might know about the colossal bomb buried in their home. But doing good wasn't about being known.

He just had to do what he thought was right...

Besides, he had gained a lot this time. His understanding of controlling qi and water had risen by more than one level. And his body tempering, which had stagnated for a long time, had also seen great improvement. The immense pressure resistance and the back-and-forth scouring of water essence had strengthened his weakest defense, as if he had been beaten by a group of strong men for ten years and then sandpapered for another ten.

Doing good always has its rewards... Wait, rewards being beaten by strong men and sandpapered—wasn't that a bit off?

And... Zhao Changhe raised his wrist and looked at it.

The touch just now was exactly like a real person... Yes, a long, long time ago, he seemed to have touched her hand too.

Wasn't she a spirit? Why did she have the touch of a real person, so delicate and smooth?