Chapter 793: Exploring the Hidden and Subtle

Chapter 793: Seeking the Hidden and Exploring the Deep

Within the vast expanse of the Sea of Sand lay a secret realm. Though the Vulture Fang Tribe knew well that Temur was hiding here, they had searched for ages to no avail, only to be abruptly decapitated by Temur in a sudden burst of violence.

Yet to Zhao Changhe, who had drilled through countless caves, and to Sanniang, who belonged to the Brotherhood, finding a secret realm was almost like returning home—altogether too effortless.

Upon reaching the Sea of Sand, Sanniang rubbed her sleep-laden eyes and rose from the man’s embrace, only to witness him execute a casual strike. Myriad blades of light blanketed the sky and earth, falling across every single corner of the lakebed without leaving a single blind spot.

Then, as if having detected a peculiar locus of power, he leapt straight into the waters with a splash, holding Sanniang in his arms.

Sanniang was too lazy to rack her brains, smiling radiantly as she wrapped her arms around the man's neck while they submerged, pressing her cherry lips against his as though offering to share her breath.

In truth, at his current stage, how could Zhao Changhe possibly need anyone to share breath with him... Yet sometimes, reflecting upon it, becoming powerful seemed to diminish the subtle romance of two mortals walking hand-in-hand.

If everyone had possessed their current strength back when they were across the ocean, perhaps many things would never have come to pass.

What a pity that would have been.

While Sanniang's mind was still wandering in celestial realms, Zhao Changhe kissed her even as he drew forth the Astral River, thrusting it suddenly toward a certain point on the seabed. A spatial rift tore open, and before the seawater could even rush inward, Zhao Changhe had already slipped through with Sanniang, the spatial barrier swiftly sealing shut once more.

Sanniang was somewhat astonished by the omnipotent aura her young man now exuded, and she leaned back slightly, pulling away: "You... have also mastered space?"

"No, but the essence of the Astral River naturally encompasses space—the profound weight and layer of the night sky. The heavens are not a flat surface; when it was forged, this very aspect had to be specifically addressed to succeed." Zhao Changhe smiled. "Thus, my Astral River can easily break and mend a simple spatial barrier like this. It is only more troublesome when the realm has a master, much like the Secret Realm of Tengri, which requires the Divine Axe of Tengri to breach."

Sanniang grew thoughtful. "The Astral River possesses space as well... This is something we did not pay much attention to before. The various lineages of the Four Symbols do not seem to possess a very intuitive mastery over time and space, and we assumed the Night Emperor had nothing to do with it either. Looking at it now, did the Night Emperor inherently possess this direction, only for us unworthy descendants to fail to fully explore it, or was the Night Emperor also lacking in this aspect at the time, and you completed it after forging the Astral River?"

A shadow of Jiuyou flitted through Zhao Changhe's mind... If the spatial anomalies capable of connecting even Xiangyang to Kunlun were caused by Jiuyou, though it was described as 'chaos' back then, how was that not also 'space'?

The Blind Girl dragging people here across boundaries was an even more classic application of space, by no means achieved through brute force alone.

It was not a lack back then that was now made whole. As the strongest known entity at present, this was an inherent capability the Blind Girl had always possessed.

Every time he delved deeper into these mysteries, he felt that she was too powerful, completely unfathomable. He could not help but wonder if, toward the very end of his rebellion, Old Xia had felt a faint trace of despair in his heart, merely refusing to admit it out of stubbornness... In the end, it manifested only as the resentment in his casual notes, determined to disgust the Blind Girl even in death, because he could only disgust her, unable to shake her foundation in the slightest.

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment before finally replying, "If we speak of any single lineage of the Four Symbols, it might indeed lack space, but the collective concept of the Four Symbols is space itself."

Sanniang’s eyes went blank for a brief second. "Oh..."

"Not only is there space, but also time. The four directions and the four seasons are the foundational concepts upon which the Four Symbols are constructed... Of course, if you try to comprehend them in isolation, it vanishes; they must be fused together."

"...Why does it sound to me like you're just expressing a desire for a foursome?"

"I didn't, I don't, don't talk nonsense..."

"Heh..." Sanniang did not expose him. In truth, her urging Yue Hongling to replace the White Tiger was precisely in anticipation of this day; what kind of sense would it make to have a male White Tiger anyway?

She turned her head, and together they surveyed the space.

Despite the vastness of the Sea of Sand, this hidden realm at its bottom was but a small pocket of space. The largest secret realm Zhao Changhe had seen to this day remained that of the Spirit Race, which was practically the size of a small province, encompassing a sacred mountain, ancestral tombs, the Ao Pond, various tribes, and vast plains, forming a miniature world. As for the rest, only the hidden realm of the Xiangyang temple carried a similar sensation, which was the vastness after being connected to Kunlun; once isolated again, only a single mountaintop remained.

Thus, most secret realms encountered so far were merely "spatial fragments," still a great distance away from a complete and original Heavenly Realm.

Ying Wu was occupied with the task of gathering these fragments; one wondered how large a structure of building blocks he could assemble by now, and whether it could compare to the size of the Spirit Race's realm?

What could one say about the impression this current hidden realm evoked... The primary sensation was the pure pressure of astral qi, though such environmental pressure was virtually imperceptible to the two of them now.

On the ground lay a skeleton shimmering with a golden hue... The spine of the remains had already been removed, and the rest lay scattered across the floor. It was evident that the original pressure would have been much heavier, but it had dissipated significantly after the spine was extracted.

The skeleton was not human... it resembled a giant wolf.

"The totem of the Golden Wolf Tribe..." Sanniang stroked her chin in contemplation. "It ought to be a type of ancient exotic beast. This spine does not look as though it was removed after death, but rather violently ripped out while it was still alive, leaving it to perish here."

"Temur’s inheritance was obtained from the astral qi suffusing this place and some residual imprints within the skull." Zhao Changhe crouched down to examine it for a moment, shaking his head. "It has mostly dissipated by now, making it difficult to perceive anything. Temur was hardly devout either; if I am not mistaken, he even extracted parts of the skeleton to concoct body-tempering medicine for himself..."

"Did Temur leave behind any records on his corpse?"

"I took a look, and there are records of his Golden Wolf Astral Qi cultivation, but is that what we came here to find?"

Sanniang said, "Stones from other hills may serve to polish jade... Such a combat method could serve as a supplement for you as well. Take a look when you have time."

"Mm." That being said, such a method of astral qi cultivation was certainly not their primary purpose in coming here; everyone was mainly looking for a reference to break through to the second stage. Judging from the current situation, there was little content... Though brewing medicine from this skeleton might hold some value for their body tempering, it would not bring about any qualitative transformation, so it was not particularly important.

In the end, it was merely a hidden realm that had been discovered and plundered for decades, and whatever good things it once held had long been exhausted. Furthermore, the remnants left behind were no longer precious to their current level of cultivation... Had it been found a few decades earlier, it could have forged a master of the Heavenly Ranking.

Remembering that in the new Demon God Rankings, there was still such a line: "There remain numerous entities of the Imperial Realm, various Vajras, Maras, exotic beasts, and residual souls, which are temporarily omitted..."

One truly wondered how many such powerful lives existed in antiquity, some completely unrecorded in history, making it utterly impossible for modern people to fully grasp the ancient lore gathered through various means.

For instance, that eighth Demon God, the "Cold Chi," was something no one had ever heard of to this day. Judging by the name, it was also a type of exotic beast Demon God.

Who was it that tore out this Golden Wolf's spine?

"This action carries a bit too much hostility; it doesn't quite resemble the actions of the White Tiger in our records. In other words, if it truly was the White Tiger, its final days carried a hint of demonization." Sanniang furrowed her brows slightly, a trace of worry in her voice. "A demonized White Tiger... He might have mingled with Jiuyou... But if he mingled with Jiuyou, why did he not appear in this battle?"

Zhao Changhe thought to himself that if it were truly so, his absence was only natural. This battle was essentially a confrontation between Jiuyou and the Blind Girl; would the White Tiger dare to face her?

Of course, this was merely Sanniang's conjecture and could not be taken as absolute truth. It was entirely possible that this ancient White Tiger had always been acting under the Blind Girl's commands.

Come to think of it, why guess... wasn't this the perfect opportunity to temper his karmic abilities?

Zhao Changhe’s eyes grew deep and ghostly as they focused on the skeleton. Ripples began to rise within his vision, as though he were witnessing light and shadows from a time long past.

"Fake! Everything is fake! I am fake, and you are fake too!" A hulking man roared frantically upon the ice plains. "What Night Emperor, what Jiuyou? It's all a self-deceiving hoax! What Four Symbols? Just chemical compounds in a smelting furnace!"

"You have gone mad, which is just as well." The Golden Wolf's eyes gleamed crimson. "By seizing your demon core, I shall become the Four Symbols. If you refuse the mantle, I shall take it."

"I told you, you are fake too! If you don't believe me, I will rip out your spine and lay it before you, and you will find that you can still fucking live! So what does the shattering of heaven and earth have to do with the likes of us!"

"...Dead? How is it dead? Fake, it is the accumulation of battle intent, how could it die? I didn't kill it, I didn't kill it, they are all lying to me!"

The man howled in a frenzy, actually pulling out his own spine and flinging it violently toward the vault of heaven: "Hahaha, look, even I can rip it out, and I won't die..."

He would not die, yet he could no longer stand. Suddenly catching sight of the Golden Wolf's spine in his hand, he pressed it back into his own body: "Look, isn't this perfectly fine?"

"You have discarded your most core sword-bone; it will manifest as a most devout swordsman. As for you... you will only become a demon." A faint voice drifted down from the sky, and a jade-like hand descended with lightning speed: "Therefore, you may die first."

"What absolute nonsense... Compared to you, how far have I even gone!" The White Tiger fought back frantically against the heavens. "You resist in the most resolute manner, so why can't I!"

"Bang!" A violent collision of astral energy erupted, and the vision vanished.

Zhao Changhe was drenched in sweat.

That jade hand was far too familiar; it was undoubtedly the Blind Girl.

Sanniang had also shared what Zhao Changhe saw, and the two looked at each other in mutual astonishment.

This meant that the ancient White Tiger had gone mad and fallen into demonhood, and the Night Emperor had executed him to clean house, but failed to finish the deed completely—perhaps intercepted by Jiuyou or some other unforeseen variable, leaving him alive.

"Compared to you, how far have I even gone..." The White Tiger was clearly accusing the Night Emperor of falling into demonhood.

Looking at it this way, why did it feel like a delusion that the ancient Four Symbols might have all perished at the hands of the Night Emperor himself...

Look at Qinglong, who harbored intentions of independence and even played the scoundrel to deceive the Night Emperor's personal guard, Shuanghua; wouldn't the Night Emperor have a very strong motive to clean house there as well?

But were these actions merely cleaning house, or a demonic slaughter... And what of the death of Piao Miao back then...

What exactly was the Blind Girl doing?

It would be truly fascinating if the collapse of the era turned out to be your own doing.

"You resist in the most resolute manner..."

Resist?

Resist whom?

The couple stared at each other for a long while, filled with a sense of dread and missing the point entirely. After a long silence, Zhao Changhe scratched his head: "Consider it a clue. We might be able to ask when we see the White Tiger... Forget it, let's bury this Golden Wolf skeleton first. It feels rather unfortunate."

“What’s so unlucky about it?” Third Lady spoke up for the ancient White Tiger. “It wanted to replace the White Tiger, so it got killed… But the White Tiger was at most only the Second Realm of Imperial Domain, yet it could casually draw out its own bones and replace them with others—such skill… Eh, wait…”

She murmured to herself, “You can inhabit all things, be everywhere… Didn’t your previous split-soul avatar also rely on your own blood?”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “Yes, otherwise it would just be an empty soul, unable to do much.”

Third Lady gently squeezed out a drop of her own blood, watching it transform into a serpentine form. “Then what my Second Realm lacks is precisely this, isn’t it?”

The serpent body gradually took shape, becoming a flesh-colored luster identical to her original form, naked, with an enchanting demeanor, grinning as she bit her lip. “Where are my clothes?”

“None. What need has a wanton vixen for clothes?”

The serpent body spun once, conjuring a set of clothes to cover itself, but not very carefully, with glimpses of spring, then wrapped its arms around Zhao Changhe’s neck. “Changhe, kiss me.”

Zhao Changhe stared wide-eyed as the auras of the two Third Ladies surged, shattering some invisible barrier with a roar, vast and boundless.

Third Lady, in the midst of laughter and talk, had reached the Second Realm of Imperial Domain.

Zhao Changhe was truly in awe… The people around him—Third Lady, Qing’er, Hongling, Wanzhuang, and even Chichi—were all the most outstanding prodigies of this age, not only in insight but also in their ability to draw parallels at any moment. She was watching something else, something important enough to command her full attention, yet she found her own enlightenment from the mere fragments of others.

Some things were never that difficult; the key was whether one thought in that direction. Once the thought came, with their accumulated experience, it was only natural.

Having broken through to the Second Realm of Imperial Domain, Third Lady had no awareness that she was now truly the strongest under heaven. Both bodies leaned cheerfully against Zhao Changhe. “Changhe, you’re really my lucky star.”

Zhao Changhe grinned and said sincerely, “Third Lady, you’re truly incredible.”

“Ah? That part of me isn’t bovine.”

“?”

Third Lady’s two bodies spun and merged into one, laughing. “Alright, a breakthrough is nothing to make a fuss about. The biggest discovery this time is clearly the Night Emperor’s secret. Resistance… hehe.”

The word seemed to lift Third Lady’s spirits… but in truth, it signified something far more perilous.

Even the Night Emperor had to resist, and in the “most resolute” way—what about others? They could only go mad like the White Tiger. And the key was that going mad was useless; they would still be personally suppressed by the Night Emperor. What was she after?

It was becoming increasingly murky… The key was that the Blind One still refused to respond or communicate, having been out of contact for days.

But looking at Third Lady’s smiling face, Zhao Changhe had to admit that he, too, felt a bit lighter.

Nothing else—he had thought before: as long as you’re not the boss, it’s fine.

In two and a half years together, she had helped and taught him things. Regardless of the cause, even a stone could be warmed a little… If they could avoid being enemies, that was certainly for the best.

But he had earnestly asked her to be open and honest, and she had promised to speak after breaking the Eternal Heaven—yet she had broken her word.

In the end, her emphasis on the battle for Eternal Heaven was only for that page of the True Illusion Book… Once she got it, she fled like a fairy bride who had tricked the bride price, more adept than any fairy.

He always felt that a battle with her was inevitable… Whether conspiracy or resistance, unless he beat her down, he would never pry open that mouth.

“Taking the bride price and still trying to run? You really think I’m a turtle?” Zhao Changhe muttered to himself.

Third Lady fluttered her peach-blossom eyes and pointed at her own nose. “Calling me?”

Zhao Changhe smiled, all his heavy mood vanishing without a trace. He scooped Third Lady up in his arms. “What Night Emperor? Who’s cuter than my little turtle? Come on, let’s go home and cultivate together.”