The bright moon hung in the sky, stars twinkled, and clouds spun clockwise as a black-and-white pavilion slowly rose within the vortex.
"This is the Transmission Realm Tower?"
"It's been gone for countless ages… Can't believe it's reappeared today."
"A divine artifact of history. In terms of ranking, it's second only to the complete Xuanling Chronicles."
"Black and white in color… maybe it represents the alignment of the Dao of History with the Dao of Yin and Yang."
"Doesn't look all that magical to me."
"Where'd this clueless martial artist come from? Don't speak if you don't understand!"
Above the cloud layer, human figures flickered.
Ji Che, Yun Tiandao, and Liu Tianning stood together among the crowd.
Ji Si stood by a quiet cloud passage, gently pushing a flower-carved chair.
"Lord Ji, how many people have gathered here?"
"The first batch of entries allowed by the Scholar City for the Transmission Realm Tower has already exceeded three hundred million. There are more than fifty thousand at the Reincarnation Realm alone," Ji Si replied.
"So many at the Reincarnation Realm?" Zhao Xing was surprised.
"The benefits are huge," Ji Si said. "Exploring the Barren Domain might not yield results in the short term, but the gains from the Transmission Realm Tower are clear and guaranteed."
"Many at the Reincarnation Realm aren't interested in Barren Domain exploration, but when it comes to the Transmission Realm Tower, everyone's tempted."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Exactly. Everyone's smart. They only fight for things with guaranteed value."
Between pioneering a barren world and entering the Transmission Realm Tower, which had greater allure? Of course, it was the latter!
After all, the exploration of the Barren Domain had so far only yielded a single Lingxu Origin Realm, and the cost of investment had far outweighed its value.
Besides, the development of the Siyue Barren Domain had already been monopolized by the superpowers of the Xuanling Star Domain. Lone cultivators had no real chance to profit.
The Transmission Realm Tower was different. Scholar City belonged to the entire human race, and Bowe sold entry passes openly—anyone could buy one.
"Grand Shennong, look! Bowe is opening the entrance to the bottom three levels!"
Suddenly, Ji Si pointed ahead. A white-robed figure appeared beside the tower.
Bowe had once had a cold, stern demeanor, with a black three-leaf clover on his forehead. But ever since becoming one of the Eight Domain Scholars, his temperament had softened. Now, a golden ancient character appeared on his forehead—symbolizing "Realm."
Only scholars, priests, and celestial historians could activate the Transmission Realm Tower. As Bowe began his spell, eight gateways appeared on the black-and-white tower. Scenes swirled inside, like mirages.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
A flood of figures rushed into the portals.
The Transmission Realm Tower had nine levels. The bottom three levels were only open to those at the Origin Stage.
Levels four through six corresponded to the Dao Domain Realm and the Reincarnation Realm, with an upper limit at the Samsara Emperor level.
Levels seven to nine had yet to be opened.
Zhao Xing and Ji Si continued to wait. One reason was for the middle three levels to open, the other was for someone to arrive.
Soon, a third figure stepped out onto the cloud path—it was Yang Baihe.
Seeing him, Zhao Xing struggled to rise, but Yang Baihe quickly stepped forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled gently. "You're injured. No need for formalities."
Zhao Xing blinked and said, "Captain, what are you talking about? I was just shifting my weight from sitting too long."
Yang Baihe: "—"
At that moment, Ji Si stepped forward to greet him. "Greetings, Lord Yang. We'll be counting on you this time."
"You're too polite, Lord Ji," Yang Baihe nodded. "This is already my third time working with Zhao Xing. This time should be the easiest."
Yang Baihe and Ji Si were the two protectors assigned to Zhao Xing by the Red Star Empire.
Though Ji Si cultivated both Fate and History, her strength lay in the Dao of Fate.
So a reliable historian was also needed.
During the exploration of the Lingxu Origin Realm, Yang Baihe broke through to the Reincarnation Realm. His Starlight Squad forcefully breached the passage between the Sifour Yang Realm and the Xiangxing Realm, earning him a massive contribution.
Over the next three hundred years, he converted that merit into vast treasures, sparking a period of explosive breakthroughs.
Zhao Xing glanced at Yang Baihe's profile. His True Spirit had reached veteran level. Within the Starlight organization, his overall evaluation placed him at Lord-level combat strength.
But to protect someone recovering from injuries, they couldn't send a Samsara Emperor. Considering his past collaborations with Zhao Xing, Yang Baihe was chosen.
After consulting both parties, they officially assigned Yang Baihe to guard Zhao Xing's path.
"With Captain here, I feel way more at ease," Zhao Xing grinned.
When it came to entering the Transmission Realm Tower, someone like Yang Baihe was far more useful than any brute at Lord-level.
"Don't flatter me like that," Yang Baihe waved him off. "I'm treating this mission like a vacation."
"The differences between the Tower's levels lie mainly in the exchange limits and how your identity is positioned within historical time-space."
"Your name is listed in the Six-Pillar Jade. I probably won't be needed at all."
This "positioning within historical time-space" was akin to a character card or plot role.
In the Tower's levels one through three, an Origin Stage cultivator could hardly participate in any major historical events. They couldn't even meet famous figures.
Back when Zhao Xing and the members of Starlight entered the Realm Transfer within the Moonfall Mausoleum, aside from Starlight's members, everyone else played mere "supporting roles."
Only Yang Baihe entered directly as a "Grand Tutor."
The Six-Pillar Jade guaranteed Zhao Xing a high-level role within the Realm Transfer. For example, upon entry, he might appear as a royal heir of an ancient kingdom.
This gave him considerable freedom, allowing him to quickly gather treasures or reach specific locations.
The number of Six-Pillar Jade slots was limited—only ten thousand entries could be registered at a time.
Unlike the obscure Realm Transfer within the Moonfall Mausoleum, having Six-Pillar Jade privileges meant Zhao Xing had the highest survival rate within the first six levels of the Transmission Realm Tower. Yang Baihe and Ji Si, by contrast, only held Five-Pillar Jade.
The medical fees covered by Zuo Qiyu, the Five Venom Emperor, and Emperor Hongshan were partially used to purchase Zhao Xing's Six-Pillar Jade slot. The remaining funds contributed to his "exchange quota"—the number of treasures he could bring back from within the Tower.
That Yang Baihe treated this protection mission as a vacation showed how light he believed the task would be.
Rumble—
As they talked, the fourth level of the Transmission Realm Tower activated. The swirling clouds accelerated, space and time seemed to ripple, and illusions flickered rapidly behind the portal gates.
Yang Baihe gave it a glance and asked without looking back, "Zhao Xing, the middle three levels have opened."
"I didn't ask about the mission specifics before coming."
"So, where's our first destination?"
Since Zhao Xing couldn't speak easily, Ji Si answered on his behalf: "The sixth level of the Transmission Realm Tower. The target is the Realm of the Medicine King, in the 22nd era before the Barren Domain."
Mist swirled and a cool breeze blew. The blurred world before them sharpened into clarity in an instant.
Zhao Xing found himself standing within a grand, golden palace. Beyond its walls, clouds stretched into the distance, where fairy maidens carried baskets to gather clouds and heavenly officials rode steeds across the skies.
There were mountains in the clouds, waterfalls tumbling down, spirit rivers encircling floating isles covered in flowers. Cranes perched on the isles, preening their feathers.
Peace reigned beyond the palace, but within, it was lively and bustling.
Zhao Xing withdrew his gaze. The hall inside gleamed with radiant light. Jade goblets filled with luminous nectar reflected the finely carved jade walls.
Rare and exquisite dishes covered the banquet table, exuding mouthwatering aromas. The drifting incense brought a sense of calm that made Zhao Xing instinctively take a deep breath.
Clang~ A clear note of music rang out, and Zhao Xing felt his thoughts flowing more smoothly.
Looking around the hall, he saw a group of beautiful dancers gliding into the banquet center.
The lead fairy wore a multi-colored robe of divine silk, every step casting flickers of rainbow light.
Her sleeves flowed like a long rainbow across water, and her swirling ribbons stirred even the clouds outside the palace.
Zhao Xing's gaze returned to his own table, where he saw an endless stream of fragrant dishes.
The plates glided from either end of the long table, continuously replaced with fresh delicacies and wine. If the guest used their chopsticks, the food paused; if not, it rotated again.
Zhao Xing recognized a few dishes—Cold Crystal Phoenix Breast, Five Immortal Spirit Pouches, Ganoderma Broth with Immortal Ginseng—many others he didn't know, but all clearly used top-tier ingredients.
Looking at himself, he was still seated in his flower-carved chair, but now wore splendid ceremonial robes.
Beside him were three palace maids. One fed him wine, one fed him food, and one lay draped across his lap, her chest bare under a sheer black silk gown, ready to serve his whims.
Zhao Xing: "…"
Such extravagant luxury made Zhao Xing wonder—just who was he in this world?
"Zhao Xing, stop staring. You're a prince of the Great Qian Ancient Kingdom. This is your personal palace."
A voice rang in his ear. Zhao Xing looked toward the source and saw a middle-aged man in a dark-blue robe seated in the first position to the left of the hall, raising a wine cup.
It was Yang Baihe. Zhao Xing recognized his energy signature, though his appearance had changed drastically.
"Captain, who are you now?"
"I'm your brother-in-law. King Taoshan of the Great Qian Ancient Kingdom."
"That person standing three seats to your right is Ji Si. His current identity is likely a Palace Attendant of the Ministry of Works, one of the instructors assigned to teach the princes."
"This banquet is probably one held by you in your palace."
Sure enough, Yang Baihe lived up to his status as a top-tier Starlight agent. He had figured everything out in moments.
Ji Si, though a little slower, confirmed Yang Baihe's analysis.
"Grand Shennong, that's correct."
"To speak more freely, please dismiss the others first."
Zhao Xing complied, sending everyone away except Ji Si and Yang Baihe.
The hall quickly quieted.
Ji Si and Yang Baihe each began casting their techniques.
Ji Si opened the vertical eye on her forehead to inspect the top of Zhao Xing's head, while Yang Baihe swiftly pulled out the Grand Historian Crown. Streams of characters poured from it into space-time.
Within moments, they exchanged findings.
"The 94th solar year of the 22nd era before the Barren Domain. The timing matches."
"The 13th prince born to the eighth monarch of the Great Qian Ancient Kingdom, named Zhao Changling. The character matches the level of the Six-Pillar Jade."
"Any signs of a historical void event?"
"I sense none," Ji Si shook her head. "Lord Yang, please confirm."
"I don't sense anything either. Seems like this time-travel entry is normal," Yang Baihe nodded. "But I do sense two other historians in this time-space. Not sure if they're allies or enemies."
"Forget it, let's first figure out what this Tianfeng Palace is for," said Yang Baihe.
"I've already looked into it. Historically, Zhao Changling was a sickly prince, and right now, we're on the road to find the Medicine King Realm," said Ji Si.
Yang Baihe shot Ji Si a surprised glance. "Isn't Lord Ji a top disciple of the Celestial Masters Hall?"
He was genuinely surprised by how well Ji Si understood the Path of History, able to keep pace even with someone like him who had reached the Reincarnation Realm.
As for Zhao Xing, he was a bit lost.
He was a total outsider when it came to the time-travel mechanics of the Transmission Realm Tower. Without having historians as teammates, he'd be completely in the dark.
"What are you talking about?"
"Let Lord Ji explain," Yang Baihe said. "I'll try sensing the other two teams."
He closed his eyes, his body swaying slightly. Space-time around him seemed to distort, and suddenly, eight Chronicle Avatars appeared.
The eight avatars held Boundary Brushes and began writing something. A torrent of script poured into the air and vanished.
Ji Si stepped over to Zhao Xing and began explaining.
"Grand Shennong, we are now inside the Medicine King Realm Transfer. You, I, and Yang Baihe all landed in the eastern part of the Xuanling Star Domain, within the Great Qian Ancient Kingdom."
"The Six-Pillar Jade assigned you the identity of Prince Zhao Changling in the Medicine King Realm Transfer."
"Historically, Zhao Changling was born with a congenital illness. He is currently traveling to the Medicine King Realm for treatment."
"The Medicine King Realm was the top medical force of this era. It perished in the 12th era before the Barren Domain."
"Is there anything you're still unclear about?"
Zhao Xing shook his head. "No, I get it now."
In his previous life, he had also entered the Transmission Realm Tower, so he wasn't unfamiliar with this instance. He just hadn't reacted as quickly as Ji Si and Yang Baihe.
Now that Ji Si had explained it, everything clicked.
Because the second stage of treatment inherently had strong directionality, his identity, status, and even the time and location—all of it—was practically perfect.
Zhao Xing touched the jade pendant in his hand. This was the Threshold Jade granted by the Learning City. With it, he could exit this Realm Transfer at any time. But once he left, he wouldn't be able to re-enter the Medicine King Realm Transfer again for a while.
"According to Lord Yang's detection, no 'Historical Void Event' occurred. However, he did sense that there are two other teams in this same time-space," said Ji Si.
Plenty of people entered the Transmission Realm Tower. Anyone landing in the same point in time and space would be competitors.
Because the rules of the Realm Transfer were very strict—certain treasures in a specific time-space could only be exchanged once.
Zhao Xing could already see some of this information from his Threshold Jade.
[Name: Zhao Xing]
[Exchange Quota: 1,000,000 Realm Spirits]
[Current Time-Space Available Items (See List)]
The Transmission Realm Tower's spirit had marked many items as "exchangeable."
The item Zhao Xing was aiming to find in the Medicine King Realm was the Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill.
Displayed in the Threshold Jade like this:
[Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill]
[Required for Exchange: 30,000 Realm Spirits]
[Available Quantity: 8]
"To balance past and future, many rare treasures have limited exchange quantities in each starting time-space."
"These 1,000,000 Realm Spirits function like currency—paid by Zuo Qiyu, the Five Venom Emperor, and Emperor Hongshan."
"The Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill is a poison pill. No one else is likely to fight me for it, right?"
According to the Learning City's physicians, the Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill was a poison pill—its toxicity second only to True Spirit Heaven Poison.
By using poison to fight poison, it could clear a portion of the True Spirit Heaven Poison in Zhao Xing's soul.
But by the 2nd era before the Barren Domain, the materials for crafting the Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill no longer existed—only the recipe remained.
So if Zhao Xing couldn't exchange for the pill directly, he could still execute a backup plan—to search for its crafting materials in the Medicine King Realm.
"Ji Si, you were staring at me earlier—were you divining something? Will this journey go smoothly?"
The Duke of Integrity had suffered so much already that he now felt danger could be lurking everywhere.
"It'll go smoothly," Ji Si replied. "As long as Grand Shennong reaches the Medicine King Realm, you should be able to exchange for the Nine-Turn Soul Dissolving Pill."
"That easy?" Zhao Xing still seemed doubtful.
"You paid a huge price for the Six-Pillar Jade. No way this will have twists," Ji Si replied. "The only question is whether you want to get any extra benefits while you're here."
The Five Venom Emperor and the others had prepared extremely well for Zhao Xing. With an exchange quota of 1,000,000 Realm Spirits, even if he redeemed everything on the list, it would be more than enough.
Stocking up extra was simply for contingency—in case Zhao Xing's first-choice path failed, he could still pursue a second-best route.
"Extra benefits?"
Ji Si's casual comment sparked a thought in Zhao Xing. He realized that they were now near the end of the 22nd era before the Barren Domain. That meant a significant event in the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom—the Li Xing River Mutation—had already taken place.
"Is there a chance we could find Soul-Devouring Grass in the Li River?" Zhao Xing thought of a book he'd read, The Tianyou Suppression Chronicles.
The Soul-Devouring Grass had been confirmed to be a plant-type lifeform comparable to a demigod, discovered in the 21st era before the Barren Domain—already long dead by that point.
"It's demigod-level, so I definitely can't exchange for it. My quota isn't enough."
"But what if I only take part of a living root? The cost should be way lower then, right?"
Zhao Xing was extremely tempted. Who wouldn't want a legendary plant-type soldier?
Bringing back just part of a living root system might actually allow it to grow into a seedling!
"But forget it. I should finish the main mission first," Zhao Xing quickly dismissed the idea.
In the void layer, aboard a simply designed realm vessel—
"Brother Sangdao, there are two other groups in this time-space." A man wearing a Grand Historian Crown, with a fire phoenix embroidered on his robe and a Boundary Brush in hand, opened his eyes.
"One of them already probed us."
A man clad in a black ceremonial robe with a green beetle embroidered on the back—Lord Sangyu—sat at the main seat. When he heard Lord Fengyang the historian say this, he immediately frowned. "Do you know what kind of strength they have, Brother Fengyang?"
Lord Fengyang shook his head. "I only know the other group's historian is quite capable—probably about the same as me. We both used Bronze History Arts to glimpse each other's appearance, but it was just a preliminary test."
"However, their target is also the Medicine King Realm."
Lord Sangyu then turned to look at another person seated in the vessel's chamber. Her skin was pale, her eyes hollow, cheekbones high, and her figure rather plump, stretching her loose Celestial Mechanism Robe into a tight fit.
"Lady Renqiu, are you able to calculate the strength of the other two groups?"
Lady Renqiu rasped, "I'm already working on it. But Lord Sangyu, I must remind you—the other side possesses a Six-Pillar Jade. Their authority is high."
"Should we continue the divination?"
"Six-Pillar Jade?" Lord Sangyu's brows furrowed tighter. Entry into the Transmission Realm Tower was already expensive—Six-Pillar Jade access was even more so.
Usually, only extremely powerful lords or even emperors had the qualifications to buy a Six-Pillar Jade. Most people wouldn't even recover their investment on a single transfer. Lord Sangyu himself also had one.
"Continue the calculation!" Lord Sangyu quickly made the decision.
"This life is my tribulation life. If I survive it, I can use it as a stepping stone to become an Emperor. If I fail, I'll vanish into dust."
"No matter where they're from, they won't stop me!"
"I must be the first to enter the Medicine King Realm. Lord Fengyang, Lady Renqiu, just focus on removing obstacles. Leave the fighting to me. I won't let you be troubled. When this is done, there'll be a treasure reward for you both."
Lord Fengyang and Lady Renqiu exchanged a glance. "Alright."
Inside the Tianfeng Palace, Yang Baihe opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flickering across his face.
Zhao Xing noticed Yang Baihe's odd expression and quickly asked, "Captain, something wrong?"
Yang Baihe paused a moment, then said, "Nothing major. I just had a brief clash with another team's historian."
"I was using the Boundary Brush to clear the obstacles for our path, and they were doing the same."
"But we both stopped early. Things stayed calm."
Yang Baihe was using the Boundary Brush to smooth Zhao Xing's route to the Medicine King Realm.
Realm Writing techniques were exclusive—if someone else was also targeting the Medicine King Realm, then Zhao Xing's smooth journey would directly make theirs bumpier.
Zhao Xing said, "The Medicine King Realm is huge. There are a lot of things up for exchange. What we want might not be the same as what they want. Maybe we can coexist peacefully."
Yang Baihe nodded. "That's what I thought too. So I didn't take further action."
"Lord Ji, how long until we reach the Medicine King Realm?"
Ji Si cupped his hands. "If things go well, with the speed of the Tianfeng Palace, we'll arrive at the Medicine King Realm in about half a year."
Yang Baihe said, "To avoid any conflict, we need to get there first. Lord Ji, can we pick up the pace?"
Zhao Xing was puzzled. "How can he make us move faster?"
Yang Baihe explained, "Zhao Xing, do you remember our experience at the Yue Luo Mausoleum's Realm Transfer? Even though the Transmission Realm Tower connects directly to historical timelines, it still has Realm Transfer characteristics."
"So as people not originally from this time-space, we face some rejection. The Transmission Realm Tower filters out most of it, but some minor interference and resistance remains."
"Lord Ji is a Fate Officer. He can use 'Speech Arts' to clear out these accidents."
Ji Si nodded. "Yes. For example, if I declare: 'Grand Shennong's journey will go smoothly and take only half the time'—"
"Or say, 'The other group's trip slows down due to delays and unforeseen circumstances.'"
"Right now, these are just casual remarks. But if I use advanced Fate Arts to turn them into 'Words of Fate,' they will manifest as reality. We'll get faster. They'll encounter all sorts of delays."
Zhao Xing looked at Yang Baihe, a bit puzzled. "Captain, is that really necessary?"
Before Yang Baihe could speak, Ji Si's face suddenly turned serious.
"What's wrong?" Yang Baihe and Zhao Xing both turned toward him.
Ji Si's fingers rapidly formed seals, as if casting a spell. "Someone just used Causality Arts to attack me—they turned my earlier second sentence, the 'casual remark,' into an actual Word of Fate."
Yang Baihe's expression changed. "Then that means—"
"Yes," Ji Si nodded. "There's another Fate Officer stirring things up—using my own words to strike at the other team."