Jing Yan extended a mechanical arm, resembling an octopus tentacle with eight blade-like appendages at its tip.
The tentacle's segments were crystal-like and completely transparent, swiftly piercing a target over a hundred miles away.
"Damn, this thing is heavy!" Inside the shifting barrier, Jing Yan, with multiple mechanical tentacles sprouting from his back, staggered, almost falling to the ground.
"What's so heavy?" Zhao Xing glanced over. The Wandering Gods Formation was mobile, but allowed observation from within. He saw that one of Jing Yan's mechanical arms was pulled completely straight, embedded into the ground.
"Didn't a Divine Ability Realm Book Puppet just die? I tried grabbing its decree scroll, but I couldn't pull it up," Jing Yan's face turned red, and the spiritual energy surging from his back intensified.
"This piece of paper is way too heavy."
"Did it contain a Divine Ability?" Yu Tianqing asked.
"Unlikely." Zhao Xing shook his head. "The tomb's owner was likely at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm, not a Daoist Scholar spreading knowledge. There wouldn't be an abundance of Divine Abilities here. More likely, it's because of the material of the decree scroll."
"However, this decree might indeed contain a portion of a Divine Ability; otherwise, Jing Yan wouldn't be struggling so much."
Lower-tier Divine Abilities and Martial Techniques often had follow-up stages, while others didn't.
For example, Zhao Xing's Three Divinities Destiny Palace had follow-up advancements.
However, Heavenly Sight of the Soul did not.
The Three Divinities Destiny Palace was far more valuable than Heavenly Sight of the Soul, both in function and rarity.
If a complete Divine Ability had surfaced, Yu Tianqing's Eye of Breaking Illusions wouldn't be so dominant in this place.
"So, what, are you saying I'm weak?" Jing Yan was annoyed. "This time is different—it's really too heavy! My mechanical arm can't even move it."
"Tianqing, check what it actually is." Zhao Xing became interested.
"It's a yellow decree scroll, with characters and patterns like this." Yu Tianqing sketched its details.
The entire scroll was covered in dense characters and symbols, circling around a bronze gate.
"Zhao Xing, do you recognize it?"
"Yes." Zhao Xing's eyes lit up. "If I'm not mistaken, this should be from the Divine Ability 'Historical Great Wall'—specifically, 'Bronze Pass'."
"It belongs to the Ten Tables, classified under the 'Bronze Chronicle Law'. Do you remember the moat and city gates we saw before entering the city?"
"I remember." Yu Tianqing nodded.
"That was part of the 'Historical Great Wall'. Even Bai Yang and the others at the Divine Ability Realm had to enter properly according to the Realm-Inscribing Brush's script—they couldn't break through."
"The thickness of history determines the strength of the barriers—that's the Historian's Divine Ability."
"Jing Yan, your mechanical tentacle is being pressed down because it's literally pinned by the weight of history. Do you think you can lift the entire history of the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom?"
Jing Yan was puzzled. "But this is just a fragment—why is it this powerful?"
"'Bronze Pass' is one of the most crucial components of the 'Historical Great Wall.' Other parts of the wall can be easily reconstructed, but there are only four gates."
"Moreover, since many fragments have already been excavated, we might be able to purchase the missing pieces once we leave. Completing a full Divine Ability would be easy."
Hearing this, Yu Tianqing and Jing Yan became excited.
They had searched for so long but hadn't found a complete Divine Ability—only incomplete remnants.
First, after the movement of the Proclamation Scripture, the realm's power had weakened, making it impossible to fully retain Divine Abilities. Even if a technique was once complete, its Dao principles had eroded, making it impossible to learn fully.
Second, the tomb's owner wasn't some great Daoist Scholar—he was only at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm. There was no way he had an excessive number of Divine Abilities scattered throughout the tomb.
"But if we can't lift it, what do we do?" Jing Yan asked.
"Let me try." Zhao Xing said. "Guide the formation over."
"Got it."
The three quickly moved to the site, where they saw a gigantic bronze gate-shaped decree scroll, slowly sinking into the pit.
Jing Yan's mechanical arm was already crushed flat, with visible cracks forming.
"Hurry! Use more mechanical arms to hold it up, or it's going to sink completely!" Yu Tianqing shouted.
"Got it, bro." Jing Yan obediently followed the instruction. If this thing was lost, Yu Tianqing might actually lose his mind.
Swoosh—
Zhao Xing leaped into the pit.
The decree scroll was about fifty meters tall and ten meters wide.
But it was absurdly heavy.
The ground beneath it kept collapsing, forming a vortex-like depression.
Zhao Xing enlarged his body, then planted one hand beneath the decree, attempting to lift it.
However, it wouldn't budge.
Zhao Xing adjusted his stance. He bent his knees slightly, activating Treasure Mountain Technique's Sky Pillar Stance, rooting his legs deep into the earth.
Both hands dug into the soil, gripping the two edges of the decree.
"Bigger… Bigger… BIGGER!"
His Juyang Clone rapidly expanded, and Zhao Xing pushed with all his strength, his body leaning backward.
Boom—!
Using every ounce of power, the decree scroll finally lifted.
The moment it was off the ground, Zhao Xing immediately stored it in his Qiankun Storage Pouch.
"Success!" Zhao Xing smiled.
The challenge wasn't just about lifting it—it was that 'Bronze Pass' was magnetically linked to the city itself.
Since it was a part of the city's structure, Yu Tianqing was right—the ground itself was a scroll.
When a Book Puppet perished, its decree scroll would sink back into the ground, regenerating a new Book Puppet, repeating endlessly.
It couldn't be directly stored into a Qiankun Pouch while still attached to the ground.
"This thing was ridiculously hard to lift. Good thing I have my Juyang Clone—otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible." Zhao Xing said proudly.
"Insane!" Yu Tianqing and Jing Yan marveled—that clone was truly incredible.
A Qi Cultivator Warrior could literally wrestle an entire city—this wasn't just an exaggeration. Pure strength could crush all techniques!
"Book Puppets are approaching." Yu Tianqing remained alert.
"Let's go." Jing Yan immediately controlled the Wandering Gods Formation, ascending into the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The battle grew increasingly intense as towering structures collapsed at an astonishing rate.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, from the eastern side, a sea of flames erupted, within which a decree scroll unfurled. From its depths emerged a three-eyed humanoid monster, covered in spikes, muscular scales, and exuding an ancient, terrifying aura, as if it had stepped out of the primordial void.
Even within the Wandering Gods Formation, under the protection of the Grand Historian's Crown, an overwhelming sense of danger filled the air.
"Brother, what the hell is that?" Jing Yan felt his breath tighten, his body burning up from the intense heat.
"It should be the decree left behind by Ruan Chang," Zhao Xing said. "And also the execution ground's formation."
"Can we go grab it?" Jing Yan's eyes lit up.
"Grab your ass—do you have a death wish?"
Zhao Xing pointed at the Realm-Inscribing Brush, which had begun writing once more:
[...The execution ground was breached, but it was already too late. Ruan Chang ultimately perished under the 'Five Elements Divine Fire Seal.']
[Upon hearing of the attack on the execution ground, the Tyrant and the Demon Consort flew into an even greater rage, deciding to annihilate the Fire Seal Execution Ground in the Eastern City District...]
"The Eastern City's Fire Seal Execution Ground—whoever goes there is dead," Zhao Xing said.
"What a waste." Yu Tianqing felt a pang of regret. Ruan Chang had reached the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm, and to sustain a spirit of his caliber, the decree had to be extraordinary.
In other words, his decree must have contained a complete Divine Ability.
"Yeah, it's a real shame," Jing Yan agreed. "We've seen plenty of decrees fall, but even Five Elements Dao Domain Realm Book Puppets don't necessarily drop Divine Abilities. Instead, it's more common for Divine Ability Realm Book Puppets."
"But Ruan Chang was a main character, not some side character. His decree might contain an absolute top-tier Divine Ability."
"Jun Yichen might have one too," Yu Tianqing added. "He may be a side character, but he's an important one."
So far, they had witnessed many Five Elements Dao Domain Realm and Divine Ability Realm decrees drop, but the only true Divine Abilities they had found—including 'Bronze Pass'—totaled just three.
"There's nothing to regret." Zhao Xing shook his head. "Each of us has five decrees already. We've struck gold—there's no need for greed. And definitely no need to go back to the palace."
"Yeah." Both Yu Tianqing and Jing Yan quickly discarded their greed under Zhao Xing's firm reasoning.
If anyone among them had truly seen the world, it was Zhao Xing.
People die for wealth, birds for food. Only Zhao Xing had managed to stay clear-headed throughout, unshaken by the allure of treasure.
Jing Yan had felt tempted upon seeing Ruan Chang's decree—so how could Yu Tianqing not be?
Swoosh!
The three began escaping toward less chaotic areas of the battlefield.
Along the way, they occasionally stumbled upon Book Puppets fighting, dropping decrees, and they would stealthily sneak over to pick them up.
For Divine Ability Realm Book Puppets, decrees almost always contained at least a minor Divine Ability.
For Five Elements Dao Domain Realm Book Puppets, it was pure luck.
The reason for this was simple—both minor and major Divine Ability Realms belonged to the third realm of cultivation.
A minor Divine Ability Realm cultivator could still reach Dao Domain Realm.
The difference between minor and major Divine Ability Realms was like the difference between a Qi Refining ninth-level cultivator and a Qi Refining tenth-level cultivator—both had the potential to reach Foundation Establishment, but their power gap was immense, which led to the distinction between minor and major Divine Abilities.
To be classified as a Divine Ability Realm cultivator, one had to be backed by a complete Divine Ability.
By normal standards, a Divine Ability Realm cultivator should have mastered a full Divine Ability, rather than just a single technique or partial form.
However, due to the limitations of the tomb's owner, this wasn't fully achievable in this realm.
For background characters or unimportant side characters, their power had to be artificially boosted through abilities like 'Symbiosis,' 'Super Regeneration,' 'Blind Sight,' and 'Deaf Hearing' to inflate their combat strength.
"This tomb's owner is really disappointing—another Dao Domain Realm Book Puppet, and all it dropped was a minor Divine Ability? Trash." Jing Yan stood atop a dome-shaped palace, scoffing as he tossed a decree to the ground.
"You're calling him trash?" Zhao Xing chuckled. "You're not even at the third realm."
"If the tomb's owner heard you, he'd probably be so mad he'd come back to life," Yu Tianqing added coldly.
Hahahaha.
Jokes aside, the three of them were having a great time looting treasures.
But their careful looting was soon noticed by Chen Xuan of Sparks Unit.
The moment Jing Yan sneakily looted his third corpse from the aftermath of a battle, Chen Xuan became completely certain.
"Yue Nu, stop wasting time! The treasure's already been taken—Bai Yang's team got to it first!" Chen Xuan cursed in frustration.
"What?" Yue Nu quickly appeared beside the palace walls with her squad. "Other than Bai Yang, who else could have taken it?"
"Jing Yan!"
"The Jing Yan from the Beiye Star System?"
"Yes, that fool who loves flipping Fortune Coins to settle fights."
"That's impossible," Yue Nu said in disbelief. "He's barely at the second realm. Bai Yang only let him in because they're from the same homeland."
"How the hell would I know? What I do know is that the treasure is in his hands—that bastard is looting outside the city!"
"Retreat!" Yue Nu ordered without hesitation.
As a Divine Ability Realm expert on the Path of Souls, Yue Nu quickly locked onto Jing Yan's presence.
She possessed Causality Transmission, a high-tier communication technique, but it only allowed her to contact Chen Xuan and Bai Yang, as it required pre-established connections.
Jing Yan? He was never worth considering.
"JING YAN!"
Chen Xuan roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
But amid the chaotic combat, his voice was drowned out before it could reach a hundred miles.
They could only watch as Jing Yan slipped into the Wandering Gods Formation, vanishing from sight.
"Damn you!" Chen Xuan cursed furiously. He wasn't even sure who he was cursing at anymore—he just needed to vent.
"That bastard is too weak—he can't even hear me!"
"Chase him!" Yue Nu commanded immediately.
She and Chen Xuan led their squad, fighting while retreating—they had to retrieve the Grand Historian's Three Treasures, or they'd be trapped here forever.
"Ah-choo!" Jing Yan shivered slightly and rubbed his nose.
"What's wrong? You used just a few spells, and you're already drained?" Zhao Xing teased.
"I feel like someone is cursing me," Jing Yan muttered.
"Excuses. You're just weak."
"Bastard, I'm gonna fight you!"
"..."
The three of them continued weaving through the battlefield while Yu Tianqing remained fixated on the Realm-Inscribing Brush, carefully observing the subsequent developments of the Transcendent Realm's storyline.
As they walked, Yu Tianqing suddenly froze in place.
"Zhao Xing, am I seeing this wrong? Look at what the Realm-Inscribing Brush is writing..."
"Let me see." Zhao Xing turned around and translated the emerging text:
[After eliminating all obstacles, the Lord of Moonfall Kingdom, under the pretense of constructing a Reincarnation Altar for Ruan Chang, secretly used living sacrifices to forge the Rebirth Coffin and the Ancient God Offering—both meant for himself and the Demon Queen.]
[He buried the prepared Reincarnation Altar and sacrificial treasures deep within the Imperial Mausoleum, sinking them into the Nine-Luo Imperial Tomb, where they were guarded by divine beasts such as the Flamefire Tortoise and the Nine-Headed Golden Lion.]
"Shit... the Reincarnation..." Jing Yan clamped his hand over his mouth mid-sentence.
Yu Tianqing's face also filled with shock. They hadn't expected to uncover clues about Moonfall Kingdom's Reincarnation Altar here.
"No wonder..." Zhao Xing murmured.
A mystery involving Reincarnation Altars and the secret of resurrection—no wonder this tomb was later tightly guarded and completely closed off to visitors.
Shhhh~
The Realm-Inscribing Brush continued writing:
[A tyrant this cruel—how could the dynasty have a future?]
[In the grand path of history, with countless lives at stake, how could the Tyrant and Demon Queen be allowed to manipulate fate?]
[I, Heng Ji, following the command of the Grand Historian, buried this record within the tomb of this realm.]
[To all who come after—spread word of the Tyrant and Demon Queen's deeds, destroy the Reincarnation Altar and the Imperial Tomb, and completely sever the Moonfall Kingdom Lord's path to resurrection.]
[Place the Realm-Inscribing Brush and the Preaching Book into the mouths of the two guardian statues at the Southern City Gate, and you will be able to exit the city safely. The Grand Historian's Crown will summon a Mausoleum Boat from the moat to lead you out of this realm.]
"We found the exit!"
The three of them shook with excitement, momentarily setting aside any thoughts about the Reincarnation Altar's clues.
They immediately changed direction and headed south.
Their current harvest had already far exceeded expectations. Not only had they acquired the Grand Historian's Three Treasures, but they had also uncovered crucial clues about Moonfall Kingdom's Reincarnation Altar. Now, their priority was escaping to preserve their spoils.
"I didn't even know about Moonfall Kingdom's Reincarnation Altar in my past life, and yet, I've found leads on it this time. The Sparks Unit's mission was really worth it," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
There was still one more great treasure hidden in this Transcendent Realm—a page from the Xuanling Chronicles.
However, Zhao Xing neither understood the conditions for its formation nor knew how to claim it.
"Know when to quit while you're ahead," Zhao Xing reminded himself. "I've warned Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing countless times—not to get greedy. I can't lose control either."
The Xuanling Chronicles was an artifact of the highest tier, practically a divine relic.
According to legend, it was crafted by an ancient god of history from the Xuanling Star Domain, and every epoch, a new page would automatically be generated.
Even though that ancient god had long perished, the artifact continued to produce pages, recording the major events of Xuanling Star Domain.
Zhao Xing knew he wasn't qualified to take such a thing. Even standing near it could be dangerous.
"I don't even know whether a new page has already formed or not, but I've gained more than enough. No need to be greedy."
The three of them quickly reached the Southern City Gate.
At this moment, the area was already a chaotic mess, with countless Book Puppets crowding the entrance.
"The Tyrant and Demon Queen have locked down the Royal City. There's a heavy guard here—how do we get close?" Jing Yan asked.
Yu Tianqing, with the Grand Historian's Crown, was completely invisible to the Book Puppets. But if they just rushed in blindly, they would expose themselves immediately.
"Our options are: fight our way through or wait it out," Zhao Xing said.
"Can we win?" Yu Tianqing asked.
"No," Zhao Xing shook his head. "The three of us combined could barely handle a single Divine Ability Realm Book Puppet. The Southern City Gate has fifty of them, plus three Five Elements Dao Domain Realm experts. Not to mention thousands of lesser Book Puppets."
"So, we just have to wait?"
"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded. "The purge and riot will eventually settle down. Once things calm down, or when the number of guards decreases, we'll have a chance to escape."
"Sigh..." Jing Yan sighed deeply. "We don't have protagonist-tier strength, but we have to do protagonist-level tasks. Life is too damn hard."
"Jing Yan, did you forget?" Yu Tianqing said. "Sparks Unit has two other squads besides ours."
"Wait, what?" Jing Yan was surprised. "I thought Sparks Unit only sent one team. Bai Yang is already dead!"
Yu Tianqing looked at Zhao Xing. "Zhao Xing, you remember, right?"
Zhao Xing nodded. "Yeah, I remember. But I don't think seeking them out is a good idea."
"True." Yu Tianqing agreed.
If Bai Yang died that easily, then what chance did the other two squads have?
The only reason the three of them survived was because they had the Grand Historian's Crown, which protected them from the purge and riot events.
The other two squads were most likely dead.
Besides, they had no way to contact them.
Bai Yang might have known how, but as outsourced members, they had no access to the communication methods of the core team.
This Transcendent Realm did not allow them to use mechanized communication devices, nor could they leave marks, messages, or signals for others.
"When we get out, I'm gonna train like hell!" Jing Yan clenched his fists. "Especially in Willpower Divine Abilities... This feeling sucks."
It really did suck—he kept forgetting things. Watching Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing strategizing made him feel completely useless.
"Don't stress it," Zhao Xing patted his shoulder. "You'll forget you said that in a few minutes anyway."
Jing Yan: "..."
Jing Yan internally cursed.
"Jing Yan, I'll remind you once we're out," Yu Tianqing said.
"Good brother!" Jing Yan glared at Zhao Xing before giving Yu Tianqing a grateful look.
At least Yu Tianqing had a good heart... unlike a certain someone.
Boom!
Chen Xuan threw a punch, his Starfall Fist crashing down like a meteor, obliterating a vast swath of Third Realm Book Puppets ahead.
The sheer force of the impact cleared a ten-thousand-mile radius in an instant.
"Yue Nu, where is he?" Chen Xuan asked.
"He went south." Yue Nu's heterochromatic eyes flashed, reflecting Jing Yan's image.
"Damn it, why did he go south again?" Chen Xuan's temper flared.
Jing Yan was like a rat, scurrying everywhere, completely ignoring their calls. It was driving him insane.
"Save your breath and chase," Yue Nu's team stood within his ear chamber, their voices calm.
"You just know how to talk! Get down here and help me fight!" Chen Xuan internally roared, but he knew Yue Nu's group wasn't suited for direct combat.
Each had their role—Bai Yang was the one for navigating story checkpoints, while Yue Nu was the team's communication link and backup for treasure hunting.
As for Chen Xuan, a Martial Artist of the Qi Sect, his job was pure brute force—charging straight through obstacles.
"Hmm?"
As Yue Nu and Chen Xuan approached the Southern City Gate, Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing simultaneously looked north.
A colossal figure had appeared on the horizon at some point.
His head pierced the thunderclouds, his body crackling with electricity, and towering buildings collapsed under his presence.
With a single sweep of his hand, countless Book Puppets were blasted away.
With a step, the earth quaked.
Many Book Puppets clung to his legs and waist, like ants gnawing at an elephant.
But the giant didn't bother with these minor nuisances. Only when their numbers grew overwhelming did he shake them off, scattering them like dust.
"That… that's a Divine Ability Qi Sect cultivator?" Yu Tianqing's face twitched in awe.
"Only Qi Sect martial artists can pull off something like this," Zhao Xing was equally astonished.
The Sparks Unit had sent some ridiculously high-level members.
In Zhao Xing's eyes, Bai Yang was already an extraordinary genius.
But now, seeing this Qi Sect prodigy, he realized how vast the gap truly was.
His Juyang Straw Puppet paled in comparison to this colossal warrior.
As they moved closer, Zhao Xing's detection frame finally locked onto the figure, revealing Chen Xuan's information.
[Chen Xuan]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Realm: Divine Ability Realm (Perfected)]
[Golden Body: Solar Tier Three]
[Age: 82,425]
[Remaining Lifespan: 1.8 Eras]
[Lesser Divine Abilities: Starfall Fist (Ninth-Tier), Primal Sword Finger (Perfected), Qi Swallowing Sun and Moon (Perfected), Blazing Sun Furnace (Eighth-Tier), Titan True God (Seventh-Tier), World Origin Physique...]
[Greater Divine Abilities: Primal Indestructible Physique (Tier Three), Universe in the Palm (Tier Two)]
"Damn… another powerhouse?"
Zhao Xing was shocked.
A Solar Tier Three Golden Body—that was an ability only seen in Dao Domain Realm Martial Artists.
At this level, Chen Xuan could literally move small stars.
"Primal Indestructible Physique, Universe in the Palm… He doesn't just train externally, but internally too. He even has a devouring technique similar to Gluttonous Furnace."
"Even if someone entered his body, they'd be instantly incinerated by his Five Visceral Flames."
"He's only been cultivating for eighty-two thousand years, and he's already mastered this many Lesser Divine Abilities. No wonder he's one of the Empire's prodigies," Zhao Xing thought.
"Primal Indestructible Physique might not be as good as Du Yun's Void Ancestor Golden Body, but even in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, there aren't many like Chen Xuan."
Comparing him to Du Yun—Du Yun's Golden Body was already at Solar Tier Six, with his Greater Divine Abilities at Tier Four and every Lesser Divine Ability perfected.
"Normally, a Divine Ability Qi Sect cultivator reaching Lunar Tier is already impressive—ignoring the influence of Lunar Light and relocating lunar stars."
"But Chen Xuan isn't just stopping at Lunar. He's pushing his Golden Body toward Solar Tier."
"Like Du Yun, he probably feels he's reached his absolute limit before making the leap into Dao Domain Realm."
Excavating the hidden potential of the body is best done at Divine Ability Realm.
Once a cultivator ascends into Dao Domain Realm, their Golden Body stabilizes, and they stop excavating, focusing instead on reinforcing the existing framework.
"That's Chen Xuan?" Jing Yan froze.
"I remember now—that means Yue Nu must be nearby too!"
"Who's Yue Nu?" Yu Tianqing asked.
Jing Yan explained, "She's a Divine Ability Realm Soul Master—also one of Sparks Unit's team captains. She has a lot of blood on her hands."
"How much?"
"Chen Xuan and Bai Yang together probably didn't kill even one percent of the people she did," Jing Yan said.
"Her mission success rate in Sparks Unit is the highest."
"She has the Causality Transmission Divine Ability. As long as she prepares in advance, she can maintain communication with her team even inside this realm, and she can even contact other Sparks Unit members outside."
"Then we should..." Yu Tianqing glanced at Jing Yan, then at Zhao Xing, implying: Should we reach out to these powerhouses?
"Jing Yan, your call," Zhao Xing said. "But one thing—if we contact them, Yu Tianqing and I won't contribute any more."
"I get it," Jing Yan nodded.
Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing had secrets, and they couldn't afford to reveal them in front of outsiders.
"Don't worry, Sparks Unit values credibility."
"Besides, I'm a royal, my word carries some weight," Jing Yan smirked.
"I'll go talk to them."
"Jing Yan, are you deaf?! Huh?"
Chen Xuan, having shrunk down, grabbed Jing Yan by the collar, shaking him violently.
"I called your name so many times, and you didn't hear a single one?! You little bastard!"
"Chen Xuan, that's enough," Yue Nu's voice was sharp and commanding.
"Show some respect to a royal."
Chen Xuan released Jing Yan.
"Kid, was I disrespecting you?"
"N-no," Jing Yan forced a grin.
"Big bro was just messing with me."
"See?" Chen Xuan grinned, patting Jing Yan's shoulder.
In reality, he and Jing Yan were quite familiar, otherwise, he wouldn't have recognized him so quickly.
"Alright, let's get to business."
Yue Nu ignored Chen Xuan and stared at Jing Yan.
"Do you have the items?"
"They're with us."
Jing Yan nodded.
"The Grand Historian's Crown, the Preaching Book, and the Realm-Inscribing Brush—we got them all."
"We?" Yue Nu's gaze sharpened, glancing behind Jing Yan.
"There are two others. Who are they?"
"Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing."
Jing Yan waved a hand.
"My brothers. I brought them in, and they followed Bai Yang."
"How did you get into the palace?" Chen Xuan asked, intrigued.
"This isn't the place for that discussion," Jing Yan said.
"The mission's goal is complete—let's leave first and write the report later."
"Jing Yan is right," Yue Nu said. "Let's get out of here first."
With Chen Xuan as their powerhouse, things were much easier.
Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing both jumped into Chen Xuan's ear, joining Yue Nu and the others inside.
Chen Xuan then carried the Grand Historian's Crown and stealthily approached the Southern City Gate.
Once he reached the point where he couldn't proceed unnoticed, he abandoned his stealth and launched a surprise attack on the Book Puppets guarding the gate.
Boom!
Starfall Fist blasted three Dao Domain Realm Book Puppets into the air.
Seizing the moment, Chen Xuan swiftly tossed the Realm-Inscribing Brush and Preaching Book into the mouth of the tomb beast statue.
Buzz—
Time seemed to freeze around them. It felt like the story had reached its conclusion.
Chen Xuan was ready for a counterattack, but nothing came.
When he looked up, he realized he was already outside the city.
Pop!
The city wall seemed to regurgitate, spitting out the Realm-Inscribing Brush and Preaching Book.
"Success! Hahaha!" Chen Xuan burst into laughter.
Yue Nu, Zhao Xing, Jing Yan, Yu Tianqing, and the others emerged from his ear, landing outside.
At the same time, the Realm-Inscribing Brush, Preaching Book, and Grand Historian's Crown radiated with brilliant light.
Whoosh—
The water in the moat suddenly began to boil, as if something deep below was breaking through the surface.
The experienced members of the Sparks Unit quickly averted their gazes, not daring to look into the moat.
But Zhao Xing and Yu Tianqing couldn't help but steal a glance.
A massive, Mausoleum Boat—like a phantom ship drifting through the river of time—slowly emerged from the water.
The bow of the ferry broke the surface first, revealing a fierce, grotesque beast head, its intricate carvings exuding an aura of dread.
The hull was made of a strange black wood, its surface weathered and scarred, like the wrinkles of an old man, whispering countless forgotten stories.
Dark mist seeped from the cracks in the wood, carrying with it faint, sorrowful wails, as if trapped souls were writhing in agony.
Hanging along the sides of the ferry were ancient bronze bells, each one unique in shape and size, inscribed with mystical runes.
"The Realm-Crossing Mausoleum Boat," Yue Nu's eyes gleamed. "This is it. Everyone, get on!"
At her command, the group swiftly boarded the ferry.
Whoosh—
As soon as the Mausoleum Boat stabilized, it began drifting down the river.
Everything around them—the world, the city, the sky—slowly faded away.
Zhao Xing stood on the deck, scanning the area. There were thirty-seven people on board.
Each team had originally started with thirty members. Now, there were only thirty-seven survivors total.
Bai Yang's team, in particular, had been wiped out, leaving only three survivors. This mission had truly cost them their lives.
Fortunately, it was all coming to an end.
Yue Nu finished counting the survivors and said, "We are now entering a Void River. Soon, we'll exit this realm. Once we're out, we'll find a safe route back. You don't need to worry anymore."
"Once we return, merits and rewards will be distributed accordingly. Sparks Unit will not shortchange you."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, with some even cheering on the spot.
"Jing Yan, your team will report to me for now," Yue Nu said, glancing at Jing Yan, Zhao Xing, and Yu Tianqing.
"Understood."
"For now, everyone should rest where they are and avoid unnecessary movement," Yue Nu ordered.
"Yes."
The Realm-Crossing Mausoleum Boat was clearly a treasure, its interior spacious and filled with various chambers.
But after such a brutal mission, no one felt like exploring.
Instead, they sat down near Chen Xuan, seeking safety in numbers.
Zhao Xing also sat cross-legged, though he noticed something odd—it seemed like Yue Nu had glanced at him twice.
"Did she notice that I cultivated the Three Divinities Destiny Palace?"
However, as Yue Nu soon closed her eyes, Zhao Xing dismissed the thought and simply waited for the journey to end.
Their time in the Realm wasn't actually that long.
Even factoring in the waiting time, it had been just over a decade—but their gains were immense.
"The Sparks Unit has secured the Three Treasures of the Grand Historian. Once we return, we can negotiate with the Great Zhou Dynasty to allow their people to relocate to the Red Star Empire first."
"With preparations, it'll take about a few dozen years to reach Red Star Empire."
"On top of that, Jing Yan, Yu Tianqing, and I have obtained several high-quality Divine Ability edicts."
"And we uncovered clues about the Reincarnation Altar—this was a huge success!"
"Good. Now I can focus on the Scholar's Imperial Mausoleum at Southfall 21."
"The treasures there are no less valuable than here. But I need to prepare more carefully this time. Otherwise... Hmm?"
Zhao Xing's thoughts were interrupted as the Mausoleum Boat suddenly shook violently.
The surrounding Void became uneven, and the river grew dangerously turbulent.
"What's going on?"
"Something's wrong!"
"Are we stuck? Are we trapped?"
"Everyone, stay calm!" Chen Xuan roared. "It's just some turbulence!"
Rumble—
However, within seconds, the tremors grew far worse than 'normal turbulence'.
Everyone snapped to attention, their faces filled with alarm.
The unease in the air made it impossible to remain calm.
"Zhao Xing, what's happening?" Yu Tianqing instinctively asked.
Jing Yan also leaned closer.
Between Sparks Unit and Zhao Xing, he trusted Zhao Xing more.
"I don't know either," Zhao Xing transmitted. "After all, the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom existed in the distant ancient era, back when the Grand Historian's Dao was still intact and unweakened. Maybe it's really just the array formations deteriorating over time, causing the Mausoleum Boat to shake."
Jing Yan looked worried. "Nothing can withstand the erosion of time. Wasn't Moonfall Cemetery exposed because the Starry Sky Formation failed, turning into the Phantom God Star System?"
"The tremors are getting worse... I feel like the ship is about to capsize."
"Shut up! Can you say something less ominous?" Zhao Xing glared at him.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything." Jing Yan raised his hands in surrender.
The violent shaking continued for three months straight.
Zhao Xing kept checking his interface but found that he still hadn't received a new coordinate.
That meant the Mausoleum Boat was still trapped inside the realm, going in circles.
Rumble—
A deafening explosion echoed in their ears, making it impossible for anyone to focus on cultivation.
"The tremors are getting stronger... it's reached a terrifying level," Zhao Xing observed his surroundings.
Many people suffered injuries just from the violent shaking.
The thunderous noise never ceased, as if something massive was ramming and scraping beneath them.
Yue Nu and Chen Xuan stood at the edge of the deck, staring into the distance, trying to make sense of the situation.
Zhao Xing activated Heavenly Sight of the Soul, attempting to scan beyond the ferry.
But then—
Boom!
The turbulence suddenly peaked, unleashing an immense shockwave.
Zhao Xing's heart pounded in horror as he saw cracks appearing on the Realm-Crossing Mausoleum Boat.
The entire ship lurched to one side.
"Damn it, Jing Yan, you jinxed us!"
A terrifying force surged through the Void, forming whirlpools that ripped apart everything—people, objects, the ship itself.
Within moments, the Mausoleum Boat completely capsized, losing its protection.
Everyone aboard was swept away into the chaotic Void currents!
"Zhao—"
Jing Yan tried to shout something, but in the next second, he vanished into nothingness.
Yu Tianqing, who had been watching Zhao Xing the whole time, had a look of regret and finality in his eyes.
Before he was dragged into the vortex, Zhao Xing understood his gaze—it was a plea to take care of his homeland.
After all, Zhao Xing's real body still lived, while this was merely his avatar.
Whoosh—
Zhao Xing's Juyang Avatar held on longer than most, resisting the pull for a while.
He watched as Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing were torn to pieces the moment they entered the whirlpool.
The chaotic Void currents were simply too extreme—even powerful cultivators couldn't withstand them.
"Damn, damn, damn!"
Zhao Xing expanded his form, refusing to give up even though this was just his avatar's life.
But the force was too overwhelming.
As the Mausoleum Boat flipped completely, even he couldn't escape.
He, too, was swept away into the Void currents.
Yue Nu was the first to be shredded.
But Chen Xuan...
Zhao Xing saw that even after being dragged into the currents, Chen Xuan remained unscathed.
"What's going on?!"
Back in Hurai Star Land, Zhao Xing's real body shot up from his chair, his eyes red with urgency.
"Why is this Void current so strong? Even Chen Xuan couldn't resist it?!"
Quickly calculating, Zhao Xing estimated that his Juyang Avatar could only survive for fifteen more seconds inside the Void currents.
"Could it be that the Mausoleum owner never intended for us to leave alive?"
"Or did something unexpected happen?"
Zhao Xing had seen plenty of death before.
In his past life, he had ventured across the cosmos and had died many times.
Going into dangerous ruins, he was always mentally prepared for the worst.
"No one ever knows if tomorrow or death will come first..." Zhao Xing sighed.
"Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing... they're really gone."
Three months ago, they had been cheerfully collecting treasures.
Now, as they were leaving the Realm, an unexpected catastrophe had struck.
Zhao Xing's Juyang Avatar struggled against the chaos, rushing toward the epicenter of the disturbance.
He had to know—what exactly caused the ship to capsize?
Whoosh—
The violent Void currents ate away at his avatar.
A blinding white light filled his vision.
His body was falling apart, limbs torn off, yet he remained conscious.
His soul projection trembled, feeling the biting cold of the Void.
"Can't see anything..."
His soul shadow floated in the Void currents, unable to perceive anything clearly.
One of his severed hands seemed to grasp onto something, but before he could process it, his vision blurred.
Everything turned black.
Back in Hurai Star Land, Zhao Xing's real body slumped into his chair, silent.
Even though he knew that accidents were uncontrollable, even though he knew that Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing had always been in danger, he still felt a heavy weight in his chest.
"Yu Tianqing... He was supposed to be the future ruler of an ancient kingdom."
"But because of me, because I invited him, he died here..."
Huh?
Just as he was mourning, something inside him stirred.
A subtle wave of energy coursed through his body, making him sit up rigidly.
His eyes flickered with countless overlapping visions, flashing scenes at high speed—
Then suddenly, it all stopped.
Zhao Xing's expression froze in disbelief.
…
Inside the Realm, somewhere within the ancient tomb.
Zhao Xing's Juyang Avatar suddenly opened his eyes.
His body instinctively activated a protective barrier.
Then, he noticed—
There were thirty pillars of light surrounding him, slowly dissipating.
Bai Yang glanced at him and nodded slightly.
"You're not bad."
Zhao Xing's fingers tightened into fists.
In his palm, he felt the texture of a thin, smooth sheet of paper.
"So that's what happened…"
"This page of the Xuanling Chronicles… it actually has the ability to reverse time!"