The "Boundless Ocean" mission was temporarily on hold.
Since Zhao Xing couldn't continue with that task, he shifted his focus to two other activities: "Island Fishing" and "Deep-Sea Treasure Hunting."
Deep-Sea Treasure Hunting mainly involved collecting Five Elements Origin Stones and Yin-Yang Origin Stones, which could be exchanged for points in Seaweed City or used for personal cultivation.
However, the buyback price was only half of the selling price, so most people preferred to keep them for themselves.
Island Fishing worked in a similar way. Using his Dao Field as the fishing rod and spiritual power as bait, Zhao Xing could reel in various sea creatures. But if he traded them for extra points, the exchange rate would also only be half of the selling price.
At that moment, in an uninhabited island of the Primordial Ocean, a barely visible fishing rod swayed with the ocean's movement. Zhao Xing stood on the island, guiding his spiritual power through the fishing line, letting it sink into the sea.
With a sudden whoosh, Zhao Xing jerked the rod, pulling up a massive fish with a segmented, bony structure. The creature broke free, slashing through the void with its razor-sharp fins before turning its cold, pale eyes toward the island. In its reflection, Zhao Xing's image flickered, and for an instant, a murderous intent flashed through its gaze.
"You've got to be kidding me. A mere Five Elements Dao Domain fish wants to eat me?"
Zhao Xing was about to make his move when the sharp spikes on the fish's head suddenly emitted a gray glow. In the blink of an eye, the creature tore open the void and vanished into the distance.
It had seen the piles of colorful fish bones scattered across the island—so many that they had formed a small mountain.
Among them were even its natural predators. Behind the bone mountain stood a strange tree with leaves that resembled eyeballs, and a twisting vine that gave off a sinister aura.
Its instincts told it this was no place for hunting—it was a slaughterhouse.
Choosing survival over greed, the bony fish fled.
"Another one got away! These fish are getting too damn smart!"
A voice echoed from within the Thousand Illusions Tree, belonging to a scholarly-looking young man.
"Your Majesty, why are all the fish in the Primordial Ocean so slippery? Have they all attained sentience?"
Zhao Xing smirked. "Makes sense. The Primordial Ocean has existed for countless years. Who knows how many people have tried fishing here? Of course, these fish learned their lesson over time."
The Thousand Illusions Tree chuckled. "Haha! Your Majesty is right."
"For a fish to escape your Dao Field, it must be a rare prodigy among its kind. But seeing the mountain of its kin's bones—and even those of its predators—at your feet, it's no wonder it ran away in terror."
"I wonder what tale it will tell when it returns to its school."
Hearing this, Zhao Xing couldn't help but laugh.
He could already imagine the legend that fish would spread:
"I, the Fish Emperor of the Heavens, declare that ascension is a trap! The human's bait is a lie! Do not take the hook! Do not take the hook!"
Fishing was no longer an option. With the bony fish gone, it had likely alerted the entire area.
That was the challenge with fishing in the Primordial Ocean—once a single fish escaped, the surrounding waters would be empty for months. If Zhao Xing wanted to keep fishing, he'd have to change locations.
With a flick of his mind, countless clones emerged from his Source Space, diving straight into the ocean.
"If fishing won't work, then we'll go for deep-sea treasure hunting instead."
"No way am I going home empty-handed today."
With a series of splashes, multiple Juyang Straw Puppets plunged into the depths, scouring the seabed for origin stones.
"The 90,000-li zone of the Primordial Ocean still has a dense concentration of Five Elements Origin Stones, but Yin-Yang Origin Stones are much rarer."
"Deep-sea treasure hunting is extremely difficult. The pressure of the ocean alone is enough to crush the body of a Five Elements Dao Domain cultivator as they near the seafloor."
"On top of that, there are powerful underwater currents, subterranean volcanoes, and other deadly hazards. If one isn't careful, they'll be obliterated instantly."
"Even a Juyang Clone would be torn apart by these forces."
But Zhao Xing had a massive number of clones.
As long as even a small fraction survived, the rewards would be immense.
Several Months Later
Zhao Xing's clones emerged from the sea, carrying glowing origin stones of various colors.
"This time, I collected 520 Five Elements Origin Stones and only 34 Yin-Yang Origin Stones."
"But during my first dive, I collected over 10,000! Looks like it's almost time to leave."
Beneath the Thousand Illusions Tree, Zhao Xing slowly opened his eyes.
"In the beginning, accumulating points was relatively easy."
"But if my strength doesn't improve, reaching Coral Rank just from treasure hunting is impossible."
"In the first 100,000-li waters, the maximum I could gather was 1.5 million points."
Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The Primordial Realm always regulated its resources.
Any easy-to-obtain materials had a fixed limit.
If Zhao Xing continued farming origin stones, his luck would plummet, and eventually, he wouldn't find a single one.
"It's time to go."
"For now, the Primordial Ocean holds no further value for me—unless my strength advances another step, allowing me to venture beyond 100,000-li."
Zhao Xing had now spent 58 years in the Primordial Ocean.
He had worked tirelessly, almost without rest. Even his Juyang Clones were reaching their limits.
But his efforts had yielded huge rewards—
250,000 Five Elements Origin Stones and 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones.
This harvest was exactly proportional to his power.
Since he had squeezed everything he could out of the Primordial Ocean, it was time to leave.
With a flash, Zhao Xing departed the Primordial Ocean, heading back to Seaweed City.
Upon his return to Huai Liu Courtyard, two figures rushed forward to greet him—
"Your Excellency!"
"Bagel, Xinda." Zhao Xing nodded in acknowledgment.
"How was your trip to the Primordial Ocean, Your Excellency?" Xinda asked curiously.
"It was decent." Zhao Xing waved his hand—
And a mountain of origin stones appeared before them.
"…What?!"
Bagel and Xinda were stunned, staring at the massive pile of glowing Five Elements Origin Stones stacked across the courtyard lawn.
The brilliance was blinding.
"Around 250,000 Five Elements Origin Stones and over 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones…" Bagel gasped.
"Your Excellency must already be close to the Yin-Yang Dao Domain level!"
"In the Primordial Realm, the amount of resources one can obtain is always tied to their strength."
"To gather this much in 58 years… Your Excellency definitely has the power to advance to the next stage!" Xinda marveled.
"That's incredible. Back in my day, it took me 500 years to squeeze the first stage of the Primordial Ocean dry," one of them remarked.
"I was about the same," Bagel added.
Everyone knew that Primordial Realm was filled with endless opportunities, but members below Coral Rank were only allowed to stay for 2,000 years.
That was too short of a time. If they couldn't secure a permanent place, the resources they could consume and refine were ultimately limited.
Within the given time, how much one could extract from the Primordial Realm depended entirely on individual talent!
From Zhao Xing's harvest in the Primordial Ocean, it was clear that his potential was at least ten times that of Bagel and Xinda.
His two sparring partners were naturally full of admiration.
"Your Excellency, if you exchange all of these origin stones for points, you'd get approximately 1.75 million points," Bagel estimated. "That would be enough to reach Seaweed Rank Six."
"If your Source Space has already reached its limit, you could convert them for points. But if you still have a need for them, I'd suggest keeping them for personal use," Xinda advised.
Zhao Xing nodded.
Five Elements Origin Stones could be sold for 10 points each, while Yin-Yang Origin Stones were worth 1,000 points each. However, the buyback price was only half of that.
If he exchanged them now, it would be a major loss.
Only those who had undergone reincarnation and maxed out their Source Space would trade them in for points since they no longer needed the origin stones.
People like Tuo Sen, Pu Guangrui, and Fairy Youling had long stopped needing these resources, so they had converted everything into points early on, quickly advancing in rank. Now, they had already reached Seaweed Rank Nine.
But Zhao Xing still needed them. Using the Five Elements Origin Stones to accelerate the progression of Hunyuan Realm was his top priority.
After returning from the Primordial Ocean, Zhao Xing immediately entered seclusion in Huai Liu Courtyard.
A deafening roar echoed through his Source Space as 250,000 Five Elements Origin Stones and over 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones hovered like a constellation of stars.
With the Domain-Stabilizing Towers circulating their energy, the entire void began to form an illusory reflection of the Primordial Ocean.
"Life originates from the Primordial Ocean. The first layer of the Hunyuan Realm must capture the essence of the primordial stage—so, the first thing to take shape within the Source Space is a phantom ocean."
As Zhao Xing observed the four Hunyuan Diagrams, he meticulously constructed his Source Space.
The Five Elements Origin Stones and Yin-Yang Origin Stones transformed into celestial bodies, their energy weaving into lines of fate that extended downward—
Connecting to the land, merging with the foundation, and eventually giving birth to a vast, murky ocean shrouded in silence.
"Domain Stabilization—Primordial Ocean, complete!"
With a seal formation, Zhao Xing's hands formed a mudra.
In an instant, the soil of his Source Space boiled like magma, and the four Domain-Stabilizing Towers erupted with golden radiance.
The cultivation progress of Hunyuan Realm, which had been stalled, suddenly skyrocketed—instantly breaking through the 100% threshold.
"First layer, breakthrough—Primordial Ocean formed!"
Zhao Xing thought to himself.
At its perfected state, the Yuanhai Realm had turned his Source Space into a thriving microcosm—with spiritual mountains, ley lines, lakes—
Much like a world contained within his body.
But now, cultivating Hunyuan Realm, the first layer created something different—
A vast ocean covering a thin layer of soil, representing the very beginning of self-realization.
The difference in techniques was immediately evident.
With a single thought, Zhao Xing activated his divine sense.
A thunderous crash followed.
The once dead ocean suddenly came alive, its waters churning violently, as if they had gained sentience.
Like a conscious entity, the ocean expanded outward, pushing against the boundaries of his Source Space.
"First Wave Expansion—Source Space increased to 1.5 Star Domain Units."
The Star Domain Unit was a measurement used by Hunyuan cultivators to determine the size of their Source Space—
Equivalent to how martial artists measured body size based on Extreme Formations.
Normally, a cultivator at the Five Elements Dao Domain level would only have 1 Star Domain Unit of Source Space.
Before this, when Zhao Xing cultivated Yuanhai Realm, his Source Space was so tiny that it didn't even register on the measurement scale.
Then came the second wave.
With a resounding crash, the ocean expanded again, though this time with less force, adding only 0.5 Star Domain Units.
Zhao Xing continued circulating the Hunyuan Diagrams, triggering a total of four waves.
When the fourth wave ended, his Source Space had expanded to 2.3 Star Domain Units.
"First layer of Hunyuan Realm, complete. Now, I just need to expand the Source Space framework—preparing for the future construction of an internal world."
"As the best technique for mass-producing warriors, Hunyuan Realm, at its fourth layer, reaches the Life-and-Death Dao Domain level—its ultimate record is 10,000 Star Domain Units."
"In terms of Source Space size, this technique surpasses all others."
"Looking back at Yuanhai Realm, it's really just trash compared to this."
While Zhao Xing was deep in cultivation within the Primordial Realm, turmoil brewed in the Red Star Empire, specifically in its northwestern territories—
At Jiachen Pass Fourteen.
This fortified checkpoint was one of the key defensive barriers blocking the spread of the Siyue Barren Domain.
It was the empire's final line of defense against the expansion of the Barren Domain's corruption.
Beyond Jiachen Pass, numerous smaller kingdoms served as buffer zones.
At that moment, a tattered realm vessel staggered into a port at Jiachen Pass Fourteen.
It barely made it past inspections before crashing onto the solid land below.
The realm vessel had been forged from Primordial Hill materials—incredibly sturdy—
But despite that, the ship fell apart upon landing.
With a series of crashing noises, the vessel broke apart, scattering debris everywhere.
Dozens of silhouettes quickly emerged from the spiritual mist, immediately retrieving the wreckage and restoring order—
Desperate to avoid being fined by the realm port officials.
Soon, a small flying vessel arrived.
A powerful figure emerged from its deck—
It was none other than Martial Emperor Ji Che.
His arrival was swift, his gaze sharp.
Before him, a kneeling figure spoke in shame—
"Your Majesty, I have failed. Please, deliver your punishment."
It was Grand Engineer Lu Ying, visibly exhausted, his face filled with guilt.
The surrounding officials and generals were just as weary, their once imposing auras now dimmed—
Some were even being treated inside medical pods.
Ji Che's sharp eyes scanned the scene, then he helped Lu Ying up.
"Lu Ying, if not for your piloting, they might not have made it back alive from the Starfall Corridor."
"How could I possibly blame you for this?"
"However… what exactly happened?"
King Shenluo gritted his teeth. "Your Majesty, it was the Carlos Family from the empire! The forces under their control ambushed us."
"We must avenge this! We can't let the thirty-six star cities of Great Zhou fall in vain!"
Long Xiao's eyes were bloodshot. "Your Majesty, that despicable Carlos Family set up a trap—we should immediately gather our forces and strike back!"
On his back, he carried a medical pod, inside which lay Xia Jing, who had been severely injured, with only half of his body remaining.
Behind Lu Ying, another spherical medical pod was being carefully guarded—inside rested Ji Si, a high-ranking Fate Officer of the empire.
Ji Che looked around at the core officials and generals of Great Zhou. Many were shouting for vengeance, yet some remained silent—such as Lu Ying, along with Shennong Priest Ling Tianchen and Chen Shijie.
Taking a deep breath, Ji Che declared, "Revenge is inevitable—but our first priority is to treat the wounded."
"Cui Chengzhi, Li Fuhan, begin assessing the injured and ensure they receive immediate treatment."
The Imperial Medical Commanders and Great Physicians swiftly took over the medical pods.
After returning to their residences within the star pass, Ji Che gathered the survivors for a detailed interrogation.
Half an hour later, Ji Che's expression turned grim. "Lu Ying, are you certain it was the Carlos Family who attacked our territory?"
"Your Majesty, without a doubt. The forces that ambushed us were under the control of the Carlos Family," Lu Ying confirmed.
"Did you make your identities clear?" Ji Che pressed further.
Interstellar exploration beyond the empire's borders was a common endeavor. Many factions participated, not just Great Zhou. Normally, imperial forces wouldn't engage in internal conflicts unless the stakes were too high or the power gap was overwhelming, making retaliation irrelevant.
Despite its modest strength, Great Zhou had strong backers—Liu Tianning was apprenticed to Lord Qianhua, while Zhao Xing had entered the Primordial Realm and was mentored by a Demigod.
"Yes," Lu Ying said. "Lord Ji Si immediately used the Soul Mandate Wheel to identify their origins and called out to their leader."
"He invoked the name of Lord Qianhua, but they ignored it. Then, he mentioned Grand Shennong Zhao Xing, yet the enemy responded with an even more ferocious and swift assault."
Ji Che's brows furrowed. "It seems my brother's name didn't go unnoticed—but instead, it backfired due to the immense stakes at play."
They didn't just steal thirty-six star cities—they had clearly aimed to silence everyone involved. If it had been a simple raid, they would have taken what they wanted and left.
"What exactly did the Carlos Family set their sights on in our territory?"
Within the empire, the Carlos Family was a powerful first-class force, widely recognized for its strength and influence.
Ji Che's mind raced. Great Zhou had now made an enemy of the Carlos Family—with their territories seized abroad, could the conflict escalate domestically and disrupt Great Zhou's internal growth?
"You may go," Ji Che dismissed the others and fell into deep thought.
Ultimately, he took out his Star Mirror and sent a message far into the Primordial Realm.
In the vast expanse of the Hundred Fathom Void, a white flying vessel drifted aimlessly, as if it could be swallowed at any moment by the violent currents of chaotic space.
Aboard the vessel, Zhao Xing steered while continuously channeling his techniques to resist the crushing pressure from the surrounding void turbulence.
A massive wave of pure void energy crashed against him, and Zhao Xing felt his World Law being compressed back into his body.
"Not good!"
A golden glow flared up around the vessel's exterior.
The next moment, unable to withstand the pressure, Zhao Xing was forcefully expelled from the Hundred Fathom Void—thrown out at its entrance.
At the edge of the dark abyss, Zhao Xing checked his Star Mirror.
[Seaweed Rank Member Zhao Xing, you lasted for three quarters of an hour in the 'Manifestation Layer' of the Hundred Fathom Void, Second Depth. A new record has been set. You have earned an additional 150,000 points.]
"Three quarters of an hour—not bad," Zhao Xing nodded in satisfaction.
The Hundred Fathom Void was another popular training ground. Last time, he had reached the Third Depth under the protection of Emperor Chenjiu.
Now, relying solely on his own abilities, he could only reach the Second Depth.
"After mastering the first layer of Hunyuan Realm, my World Law has significantly improved in resisting void turbulence. My Yin-Yang Partition proficiency is also steadily increasing. Once it reaches Grand Divine Ability Stage Four, I should be able to challenge the Third Depth of the Manifestation Layer."
Zhao Xing sat on the vessel, carefully digesting his recent gains.
Suddenly, his Star Mirror trembled violently.
"Mm?"
His expression darkened.
"It's Ji Che's emergency transmission."
Zhao Xing had deliberately set Star Mirror communication permissions to different levels. When in secluded cultivation, he blocked all social interactions and refused to receive any messages.
Only a select few had the authority to bypass this barrier and send emergency transmissions.
These included Ji Che, Ji Si, Liu Tianning, and Yun Tiandao.
Since granting Ji Che this privilege, his brother had never used it before.
A sense of unease crept into Zhao Xing's heart. Without hesitation, he activated the Star Mirror.
A hazy projection flickered into existence—Ji Che's figure appeared before him.
"Brother, Great Zhou is in trouble."
"Fifth Brother, did something happen to Great Zhou's expedition forces?" Zhao Xing asked.
The last time Zhao Xing had returned to Great Zhou, Ji Che had already taken a force to explore the empire's northwestern territories. That was nearly four hundred years ago.
Since entering the Primordial Realm, nothing major should have happened within Great Zhou's controlled region in the Northern River Star System.
The only likely cause was a conflict during exploration.
"Yes," Ji Che sighed. "I didn't want to disturb your cultivation, but during our expansion efforts, we offended one of the empire's top forces—the Carlos Family."
"What? The Carlos Family?" Zhao Xing's heart sank. "What exactly happened?"