In the demon tribe of the Wanhe, inside a dark and vast hall, black flames continuously burned from stalks of straw, which soon intertwined and formed a shadowy figure.
Opposite the black-flamed figure, there was a table. A white-robed old man did not lift his head, "Jin Yan, the preparation funds you left are insufficient. This assignment requires an additional payment."
"Insufficient?" The man named Jin Yan frowned, "I left 500,000 Five Emperor Coins in the Dark Hall. Zhao Xing is only at the Primary Origin Realm; how could it not be enough?"
"We engaged in a Battle of Causality with him," the white-robed man said. "Winning this battle consumed a lot of resources. If you want to obtain the 'perfect timing,' you'll need to increase the commission by ten times."
"Are you joking?!" Jin Yan was incredibly upset. "Even if he wrote the legal theories of the Land Power Sect, that theory only allows one to enter the Nine Sutra Pavilion, not enough to warrant such an amount, right?"
"That's the price. You can choose not to buy the information," the white-robed old man said coldly. "However, if you abandon this deal, you will no longer be eligible to make any future requests regarding him."
Jin Yan was stunned. "Let me think this through."
In the Reincarnation Divine Palace, a monument inscribed with dark golden runes spun continuously, the runes twisting like worms. In front of the monument sat a man in a blue robe, his legs crossed, surrounded by gentle winds.
Beside him was a man leaning on a cane, a gourd hanging at his waist.
Strangely, there was a mist beneath his feet, which connected to the runes on the monument.
"Qing Yuzi, including the last time, this is the second time I've taken action," the man said.
"After one more time, you will have to let me go."
Qing Yuzi opened his eyes and looked at the old man. "Hu Xian, as long as you fulfill the agreement, I will release you. But you must be accurate."
Hu Xian snorted. "Rest assured, the Battle of Causality you had me participate in has already been won."
In the Black Sky Barren Domain, a bald man in purple-striped robes holding a staff sat on a black lotus, exploring the deep, endless darkness.
The surroundings were entirely dark, with only the faint glow of a common oil lamp he held in his hand.
Suddenly, the oil lamp shook, and Wu Tian stopped moving.
He opened his palm, and a circular light moved within his hand, seemingly illuminating the Black Sky Barren Domain.
"A multi-nation chaotic battle," Wu Tian murmured.
"And what's the matter?" A voice full of impatience came from the black lotus. "Are you leaving or not?"
"A Battle of Causality," Wu Tian smiled. "Zhao Xing's causality has become a mess, and I fear that my little heart's flame won't be enough."
"Why do you care?" The voice in the black lotus complained. "I just want to go home; stop meddling in other people's business."
"Right here?" Wei Tianchen looked ahead at the Blue Jacaranda Nebula.
"Yes, right in this star region," Zhao Xing nodded.
"The area is too vast," Wei Tianchen frowned. "I need a more precise location."
A star region includes many boundary stars and small worlds, and even someone of Wei Tianchen's caliber would need a long time to search.
Moreover, this was the Barren Domain, where the effects of spells and treasures were diminished. It would take thousands of years to complete a search.
"I need some time to discern," Zhao Xing said.
"You've never been here?" Wei Tianchen asked.
"No," Zhao Xing shook his head. "I only know that this is a world on the brink of extinction."
"You've never been here, yet you tell me there is a Taiyi Heavenly Poison origin here?" Wei Tianchen's expression grew serious.
"Tian Ningzi, don't try to play any tricks."
"I know you have ties with the Divine Realm. Killing you would have great consequences, but if you keep toying with me, the price for killing you is one I'm willing to pay."
"The origin of Taiyi Heavenly Poison is something I must obtain!"
Zhao Xing smiled bitterly. "Old Doctor, don't misunderstand me. I'm not stalling for time."
"Locating something in the Barren Domain isn't easy. Stars and regions change positions over time; it's very normal. I really need some time to confirm."
"I gain nothing by lying to you."
"Old Doctor, you must know that what I'm saying is the truth."
Wei Tianchen nodded slightly. "I believe you're not lying. I'll give you some time to locate it. How long do you need?"
"At most, thirty to fifty years."
"Good." Wei Tianchen nodded, this wasn't a long time and was a reasonable request.
Of course, Zhao Xing was lying to Wei Tianchen!
He had the panel to pinpoint the star coordinates, and they had already arrived at the specified star region. How could he still need thirty to fifty years?
Even if he needed time to search, it would only take a few years at most.
The reason he said thirty to fifty years was purely to buy time.
Zhao Xing wasn't foolish enough to believe Wei Tianchen. Could this man really let him off?
"He's a madman. I've found that your causality is already linked to him. Being too close to him puts your life in danger. Even if you die, you won't be able to come back."
These were Qing Yuzi's exact words.
Zhao Xing had also learned from Qing Yuzi that the ancient doctor, Wei Tianchen, had deep connections with the Ancient God Clan.
No one knew what purpose this old doctor, who survived from the Five Emperors era, had.
If he hadn't known all this, Zhao Xing could have completed the exchange, allowing the ancient doctor to get the Taiyi Heavenly Poison origin. After all, Wei Tianchen had gotten it in his previous life as well.
But now that he knew, he couldn't let Wei Tianchen have his way.
Zhao Xing could never tolerate being coerced, especially when Wei Tianchen had manipulated him using the Great Zhou to pressure him.
"Master Qing Yuzi, Master Qing Yuzi."
Inside Zhao Xing's Destiny Palace, his soul chanted frantically.
At this moment, his Destiny Soul merged with the Earth Soul, constantly reciting these words through the Reincarnation Divine Palace's Reincarnation secret method.
Zhao Xing believed that he had deep causality with Qing Yuzi, and even in the Barren Domain, he could still hear him.
Moreover, leaving Ji Yuan alive was also a self-preservation move.
He believed that both the Ancient Hill and the Original Realm would know if he disappeared.
So, he would drag out the time if he could.
Zhao Xing continued to act like he was struggling hard to explore, but in his heart, he thought: "Thirty to fifty years, for searching a Barren Domain star region, it's a very short period. No matter how harsh Wei Tianchen is, he can't force me to hurry up."
However, the reality was quite the opposite.
Three years later, the zombie general controlled by Wei Tianchen was becoming increasingly impatient.
"Tian Ningzi, I can only give you five more years," Wei Tianchen suddenly warned.
"Don't tell me it's impossible!"
"If it's impossible, then you'll die here!"
Zhao Xing didn't rage in frustration nor did he rebut. He simply nodded calmly, "Alright, I understand."
Although he didn't know why Wei Tianchen was so urgent, since the other party was in such a hurry, Zhao Xing couldn't delay any longer.
"Five years... I wonder if anyone will be able to find this place in that time."
Five years later, knowing he couldn't delay any further, Zhao Xing had no choice but to reveal the correct star coordinates.
"We've found it."
Wei Tianchen immediately looked ahead. A strange boundary star appeared in front of him, resembling an ancient ship.
It was enormous, with half of it seemingly hidden in the void, distorting the surrounding space with swirling void currents, the destination unknown.
"This is the Heavenly Ship Boundary Star—" Zhao Xing was about to introduce it when he noticed that Wei Tianchen's expression suddenly grew excited.
"The Heavenly Ship opens its doors, the gathered waters swirl in the star river, the Upper General, the Left Protector guarding the Heavenly Darkness, the gathered corpses pass through the Great Mausoleum of the Seven Giant Stars, hahaha."
"Tian Ningzi, you truly didn't deceive me."
Zhao Xing didn't know what to say. Although he knew the coordinates, he had no idea what Wei Tianchen was reciting because he had never been here before.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
Originally, these coordinates had been obtained from Wei Tianchen in his previous life.
Logically, Wei Tianchen should indeed know quite a lot of information!
"Old Doctor, can I leave now?" Zhao Xing, seeing that Wei Tianchen had figured it out, stopped speaking nonsense and voiced his desire to leave.
"Tian Ningzi, don't be in such a rush." Wei Tianchen smiled. "We've finally arrived here. Don't you want to witness its grandeur?"
"I don't want to." Zhao Xing shook his head.
He really didn't want to; his life was more important than curiosity.
Unfortunately, Wei Tianchen completely ignored his words.
"Rest assured, I'll let you go. But you should come and see, after all, it was you who helped me find it."
This old man definitely wouldn't let him go. Zhao Xing's heart sank.
He didn't believe that if he went inside to see the secret, he'd be allowed to leave.
Wei Tianchen was definitely not so kind-hearted.
But why didn't he kill him right away?
Zhao Xing didn't understand this.
What was even more confusing was, even though they had found the place, and Wei Tianchen was so excited, he still didn't rush to go inside.
They waited outside for another two and a half years.
After two and a half years, an ancient Wuling Boundary Ship emerged from the swirling void currents.
The ship was surrounded by ten kinds of air currents—red, white, black, yellow, green, and others—but the ship's body was made of white jade.
The air currents gradually faded, and a flag fluttered in the wind. Zhao Xing couldn't help but pause.
That was one of the Five Emperor Flags, the Li Emperor Flag.
"Could it be that this ship is a divine item?"
At that moment, Zhao Xing finally understood why Wei Tianchen had been waiting.
It turned out that Wei Tianchen had been waiting for his true body to descend.
Looking at the situation, it seemed there was a massive secret hidden here.
Realizing this, Zhao Xing wanted to run even more.
Boom~
The great ship stopped moving. A glazed starry coffin forged from Seven Star Ancient Coins floated down through the ship's air currents.
On either side of the coffin, there were a hundred figures. To Zhao Xing's eyes, they all seemed to be in the same "Yán Lìng Jūn" state.
They either wore armor, ceremonial robes, or carried giant swords. But their realms were even stronger!
Two hundred zombies, all showing as Wei Tianchen, and their realms were all at the Reincarnation Emperor level!
"Hiss—."
After seeing this, Zhao Xing's scalp instantly went numb.
In terms of life essence, these "people" were not from the same bloodline. Their auras differed greatly, and some of their bodies bore "time" marks that gave Zhao Xing an ancient feeling.
The one thing Zhao Xing could be certain of was that all of their souls were Wei Tianchen's!
If Zhao Xing wasn't mistaken, these "people" were the two hundred reincarnated bodies of Wei Tianchen's past lives!
Normally, when someone reincarnates, their old bodies vanish, and it's rare for someone to keep their previous life's body.
Because in the Reincarnation Realm, true spirits are immortal, and their bodies reach the limit of lifespan as decreed by the Heavenly Dao.
But Wei Tianchen's reincarnation secret method was able to preserve his previous body? This difficulty was too great.
Why did he do this?
A multitude of doubts surged through Zhao Xing's mind.
"Tianning Dao Friend, thank you."
A voice from within the starry white jade coffin brought Zhao Xing back to reality. He turned his gaze and saw a person inside the coffin slowly sit up, twisting their neck.
Zhao Xing saw clearly. It was the face of a sickly pale young man, his hair had completely fallen out.
A black collar was fastened around his neck, seemingly very tight, making his voice slightly hoarse.
What made it eerie was that the skin beneath the collar was covered in death-like marks and pustules.
It seemed that something was wriggling under his skin, and his ceremonial robe bulged, not due to the wind, but as if something parasitic inside his body was moving.
"Old Doctor, you... you—"
This was the first time Zhao Xing saw Wei Tianchen's true form across two lifetimes. The strange appearance made him feel uneasy, and for a moment, he couldn't say anything.
"Since you're so nervous, let's communicate using a familiar body." Suddenly, the white jade starry coffin was enveloped in mist, obscuring the situation inside.
The first Wei Tianchen to walk in front of the coffin flew up to Zhao Xing's face.
He wore a crown called the Tian Liang Crown, with three beams, dressed in a black robe with red and purple borders, the treasure of the Five Emperors era's Taiyi Order.
A jade belt was fastened at his waist, adorned with the Myriad Spirits Divine Medicine Cauldron and the Lingyun Revival Needle, his feet adorned with Black Cloud Boots. This entire ensemble was the standard attire of the ancient doctor and the appearance familiar to those who knew Wei Tianchen.
"Old Doctor, you lived through two hundred lifetimes?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but ask.
"Not just that." Wei Tianchen shook his head. "Exactly how many, I've forgotten. But in any case, it's been a very long life."
The Five Emperors Era spanned the Mesozoic Triassic period, ending in the late Baiwei period.
And the late Baiwei period was over three hundred million years ago!
This person was undoubtedly an ancient relic!
"Are you at the Semi-God realm or the God realm?" Zhao Xing asked with hesitation. If Wei Tianchen was at the God realm, then his situation would be very dangerous.
"The God realm? Could a person in that realm look like me, about to wither away?" Wei Tianchen shook his head, "However, I am indeed not afraid of most Gods."
"I've lived long enough and gathered enough divine items. A new god like Qing Yuzi couldn't possibly kill me. Have you ever hoped for him to save you?"
"If I did, it would be quite a long wait."
"How could I dare? I've always respected you, Old Doctor. I only want to honestly fulfill the agreement. I've never thought of anything else."
"Hahaha, Tian Ningzi, I told you a long time ago, you are a very interesting person." Wei Tianchen laughed loudly.
It was unclear whether he was mocking Zhao Xing for having ulterior motives or praising him.
In any case, Zhao Xing was beginning to break into a cold sweat.
The old monster's strength was beyond imagination. If he held many divine items, even the old Qing might not be able to save him.
"Let's go." Wei Tianchen said, "Come inside and take a look."
"Yes," Zhao Xing said with bitterness in his heart.
Once on board, the ship quickly entered Heavenly Ship Star, one of the Seven Giant Stars, following the chaotic void currents toward their next destination.
A year after Zhao Xing left.
Over a dozen figures appeared under this starry sky.
Among them were Zuo Qiyu from the Original World, the Five Venom Emperor, and the Semi-God Gu Luohe.
There was also the Hongshan Emperor, Lushan Lord, and two other Semi-Gods from Primordial Hill.
Along with them were a Fate Master and a Physician, both dressed in imperial armor.
"Is this the place?" Gu Luohe asked the Fate Master beside him.
"Yes, it's confirmed that Zhao Xing's last known location is right here." The Fate Master, Jing Yue, with silver hair and deep eyes, answered.
"The karmic protection of all the Coral-level members of the Original World was done by me. So Zhao Xing's karmic trace is quite clear to me."
"What about now? Where did he go?" The Five Venom Emperor quickly asked.
"Still unknown," Jing Yue shook his head.
"How can it be unknown?" The Five Venom Emperor was frustrated. "Aren't you the senior disciple of the Heavenly Master?"
"There's a force that has cleansed this entire starry region," Jing Yue said. "Everything in this world leaves traces, the ship should have left traces, the energy should leave traces, and even people's karma leaves traces."
"Karma traces are the hardest to clear. Tracking by karma traces is reliable, but if divine items are involved, it can no longer be traced."
"The powers of the God realm and divine items transcend all dimensions. It's impossible to detect the presence of the God realm from any dimension."
Thus, Jing Yue knew it was impossible to track divine items or a God's realm.
Gu Luohe understood this, and so he looked toward Zuo Qiyu: "Qiyu, it's up to you now."
Unable to track using this metaphysical method, they would have to search manually—step by step, measuring the space. For this, Zuo Qiyu was the fastest.
"Leave it to me."
Zuo Qiyu's figure swayed, then split into two, then four, and then eight—this splitting continued without end. Before long, Zuo Qiyu's avatars exceeded the visible stars in the sky.
If finding Zhao Xing was like searching for a needle in a haystack, then Zuo Qiyu's puppet avatars could fill the sea and search every corner.
With so many avatars, and each retaining strength, he could perform detailed sand-level searches.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, a Semi-God from Primordial Hill spoke up. The avatars of Zuo Qiyu, which had been jumping and splitting, immediately stopped.
Soon, everyone gathered before the hidden Heavenly Ship Star, concealed in the void.
The two Semi-Gods from Primordial Hill exchanged glances and quickly came to a conclusion.
"This is a man-made Heavenly Ship Boundary Star, using very ancient techniques."
"How ancient?" The Five Venom Emperor asked.
"Based on the earth's veins, its modification traces should date back to the early Baiwei period," one of the Semi-Gods from Primordial Hill concluded.
"Can Zuo Qiyu use his avatars to scout and find the correct path?"
"No," both Semi-Gods shook their heads in unison.
"It stirs the surrounding void currents, connecting to many void passages that lead to unknown places."
"Even with Zuo Qiyu's many avatars, it's impossible to exhaust all the void passages. This method of arrangement is very advanced, a technique to counter avatars."
"What? What kind of place is this?!" The Five Venom Emperor was infuriated. "Why is it so advanced? Could it be a divine technique?"
"You're right." Gu Luohe's gaze swept across the void. "To be able to manipulate the void pathways so seamlessly in the Barren Domain, it indeed feels like the hand of a God."
"If the earth veins here can be traced back to the early Baiwei period, then it matches the descriptions from the ancient Xuanling Chronicles."
"In that period, the Moonless Barren Domain wasn't so vast. This place used to be the frontier of the Five Emperors Era."
"Fellow Daoists, don't worry." The Hongshan Emperor said with a solemn voice, "My senior brother never said there was no solution."
The Five Venom Emperor glared furiously, his eyes wide like a bull. Though he didn't speak, the meaning was clear: Well, hurry up and say something!
The two Semi-Gods from Primordial Hill discussed for a moment, then turned to Gu Luohe and said, "We can use the earth-changing method to figure it out."
Gu Luohe, with a puzzled look, asked, "Are you referring to Zhao Xing's treatise?"
"Yes. The treatise he wrote on the Origins of the Triassic Boundary Mountains can be applied to this Heavenly Ship Star. If the person who set this up has left other stars or boundary stars ahead, we will definitely be able to find traces and determine the correct path."
Gu Luohe had just emerged from his seclusion, and naturally, he had heard of Zhao Xing's treatise. But he didn't expect it to be so important.
It made sense now why, the moment Zhao Xing disappeared, two Semi-Gods came knocking on his door.
"Then it's up to you both," Gu Luohe said.
Zhao Xing, accompanying Wei Tianchen, journeyed through the void currents, witnessing everything that filled him with unease.
He had now reached the Life-and-Death Dao Domain stage, with his power conversion having achieved Ten Realms, allowing him to perceive the various Daos of the universe more clearly.
The chaotic void currents here had already affected space and time, and their flow speed had reached a dangerously high level.
He hadn't expected that the thing Old Doctor wanted would be hidden in such a dangerous place.
"The Heavenly Ship opens its doors, the accumulated waters scatter the starry river. Tian Ningzi, look, we have already passed Accumulated Water Star, and if we take a wrong step, we'll die."
"The heavy water around Accumulated Water Star can crush even the Reincarnation Emperor. There's no way to escape."
Zhao Xing observed in silence. He was merely at the Life-and-Death Dao Domain stage, so he couldn't see such advanced things.
"To the left and right, the two giant stars rotate counterclockwise, crushing space-time. This area also uses the Shennong Daoist techniques from your land division."
At this point, Zhao Xing could see two yellowish stars ahead, twisting the fabric of space-time.
He didn't forget to learn from the situation: "How can you tell?"
"Stars and land masses in the universe are formed and shaped by the earth veins. A slight change in the earth veins, whether higher or lower, will result in very different outcomes."
"You've seen Overlapping Boundary Mountains and dealt with their issues, so you should understand—earth veins can affect the great path of space-time."
"Stars formed from weak earth veins create habitable environments, but if they are too strong, they'll tear life apart, even ripping the Dao itself."
"I see," Zhao Xing said, suddenly enlightened. He began observing the two giant stars, preparing to train in the Extreme Earth technique.
At such a critical juncture, he was no longer afraid and even focused on cultivation, which made Wei Tianchen admire him a little.
"The two giant stars, Heavenly Yin and Accumulated House, what role do they play?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Heavenly Yin corresponds to Heavenly Yang. Only in a land of Yin energy should it be to isolate the things inside," Wei Tianchen explained.
Zhao Xing nodded in understanding: "Yin cannot give birth alone, and Yang cannot grow alone. If you want to stop something from spreading, this environment would indeed be the best."
"Exactly. The Life Dao is blocked. Not even a seed would sprout here. The Shennong Division would be useless in such a place," Wei Tianchen said. "The Heavenly Yin Giant Star is the worst environment for our division."
Zhao Xing quickly sensed it. They were passing through this area, and Wei Tianchen slowed the ship. He no longer had the energy to talk, focusing on controlling the Boundary Ship.
The Original Space was very inactive, and even the Thousand Illusions Tree inside felt oppressed.
Finally, they passed through this area, and three years later, Zhao Xing sighed in relief.
"Old Doctor, what about the Accumulated Corpse Giant Star?"
Wei Tianchen turned and smiled at Zhao Xing: "Your curiosity is quite strong."
Zhao Xing shrugged: "Since you have no intention of letting me go, I might as well die with clarity."
Wei Tianchen laughed loudly: "The Accumulated Corpse Giant Star is not a physical entity. It is a mass of dead energy that has condensed."
"I also like to use the Accumulated Corpse method to set traps."
"By using the corpse energy of powerful beings, I can create a deathly forbidden zone. The more people die, the stronger the trap becomes."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing began to understand what Wei Tianchen was looking for.
"So the Taiyi Celestial Poisonous Origin Body is not what you're truly after."
"You're looking for a sealing item from a divine physician from the Five Emperors Era."
Wei Tianchen chuckled happily: "Haha, Tian Ningzi, you finally understand."
"I've been looking for it for many years. Now you should know how shocked I was when I received your letter."
"Even when you tried to manipulate me twice, I willingly came."
"Because the Taiyi Celestial Poisonous Origin Body is just my smallest goal."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile bitterly. In his past life, he never knew this matter was even connected to the Divine Physician.
He only knew that the ancient physician, Wei Tianchen, had offered a very high price to find the Taiyi Celestial Poisonous Origin Body.
"Manipulating people into dangerous situations is all part of fate."
Zhao Xing had already accepted it. To come this far without dying once was already a significant achievement in his past life. He had already considered countless possibilities, even the likelihood of sudden death along the way. After all, what's perfect in life?
Once he accepted the inevitability of life and death, Zhao Xing only wished to understand: "Old Doctor, what exactly are you looking for?"
Wei Tianchen became silent again. They were approaching the Accumulated Corpse Giant Star, and they had to be even more cautious now.
It wasn't until a year later that Wei Tianchen's Boundary Ship finally flew past it.
Zhao Xing didn't feel anything this time, but Wei Tianchen's nine bodies exploded, unable to recover.
The bodies Wei Tianchen had painstakingly preserved were, to some extent, the culmination of his life's cultivation.
This ordeal had cost him the equivalent of nine lifetimes of cultivation.
Wei Tianchen's mood darkened significantly, and he stopped answering Zhao Xing's questions.
"Old Doctor, do you think you can just take the sealing item left by the God Realm physician?"
"If even a God Realm item has to be sealed, you might not be able to handle it," Zhao Xing continued, babbling.
"Shut up!!" Wei Tianchen suddenly roared, his voice shaking Zhao Xing's soul.
Zhao Xing thought Wei Tianchen was going to strike, but instead, the imagined death didn't come. He was still alive.
Wei Tianchen seemed to lose his mind, muttering to himself: "How is this possible? Where is the Great Tomb Giant Star?"
His bodies shot out again, and once more, nine exploded.
But there was still no result.
Zhao Xing curiously glanced outside. What he saw was an emptiness.
There were no stars, no light.
Nothing at all.
Wait… something was there!
Zhao Xing's gaze shifted, locking onto a specific direction.
Wei Tianchen, keenly sensing this, grabbed Zhao Xing by the neck.
"What did you see? What did you find? Speak!"
His expression twisted, revealing a hint of madness in his eyes.
Zhao Xing wanted to speak, but how could he, with his neck being squeezed? Was Wei Tianchen insane?
After a long while, Wei Tianchen finally realized, loosening his grip.
Zhao Xing collapsed to the ground and closed his eyes.
Just now, through his panel, he had seen a spot in the void where seven stars were flickering, and they were carved into a gray wooden chest of drawers.