After parting with the Tribulation Venerable, Zhang Ruochen headed straight for the Boundless Divine Sea.
The Funeral Gold White Tiger hidden in the starry sky quietly returned to Zhang Ruochen’s side.
For a god to infiltrate the Heavenly Court through the Heavenly River was obviously impossible. Precisely for this reason, the Funeral Gold White Tiger had not followed Zhang Ruochen into the Heavenly Court.
…
The Boundless Divine Sea floated in the cosmos, spanning between the starry skies of the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms and the Infernal Realm’s Yellow Springs.
It was not without boundaries; the boundaries were piled up from countless planets. Upon these planets were built holy cities and fortresses, gathering saint realm soldiers from various realms.
Holy ships could be seen flying out from the planets at any time.
It was impossible to calculate how many cultivators the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms had amassed along the coastline of the Boundless Divine Sea, how many formations they had set up, or how many geniuses and powerhouses were tempering themselves here.
Compared to ten thousand years ago, the Boundless Divine Sea had become quite peaceful recently.
But the so-called peace referred to a comparison with ten thousand years prior.
In reality, the struggles between the Heavenly Court and the Infernal Realm over the Boundless Divine Sea had never ceased. These struggles even surpassed those on the Merit Battlefield.
Zhang Ruochen altered his appearance and entered one of the planets on the edge of the Boundless Divine Sea, arriving in a majestic holy city.
Although this holy city had been established for war, it also had a trading market.
However, the market sold only specialties from the Boundless Divine Sea, or healing pills and holy artefacts.
Zhang Ruochen purchased a star map and then quietly followed a squad of saint realm soldiers into the Boundless Divine Sea for patrol.
After venturing deep into the sea domain, he separated from this saint squad and went off alone.
After flying for three days, covering roughly several hundred million li, the sea domain ahead remained boundless and endless.
Zhang Ruochen landed on a lush, verdant sea island and only then opened the star map to examine it carefully.
This star map was quite valuable; Zhang Ruochen had spent a high price to acquire it.
The star map itself was a treasure inscribed with spatial inscriptions. When fully unfolded, it measured a full hundred zhang in length. Even so, it still could not encompass the full panorama of the Heavenly Court and Infernal Realm, capturing only a corner of it.
At the centre of the star map was a blue region, precisely the Boundless Divine Sea.
Zhang Ruochen roughly estimated that the Boundless Divine Sea was three hundred billion li wide at its broadest point. Even at its narrowest, it exceeded one hundred billion li.
The map marked a total of three hundred and twenty-one major worlds and hundreds of thousands of stars, including the position of the Kunlun Realm, locations of some ancient civilisations, the Dark Great Triangle region, the Hundred Clans Royal City, and certain cosmic secret realms.
In addition, the positions of spatial wormholes were marked with black dots and crosses.
Spatial teleportation arrays were marked with black circles and crosses.
Dangerous forbidden zones were indicated with red patches. Moreover, the danger levels were divided into nine grades. Reaching the seventh grade meant a life threat even to false gods.
Reaching the ninth grade meant a life threat even to true gods.
Such dangerous forbidden zones were everywhere in the Boundless Divine Sea, with some reaching seventh grade and above.
On the star map, there were also markings of vein-like lines, recording the “cosmic veins”.
The so-called “cosmic veins” were akin to the spirit veins and saint veins within major worlds.
Generally speaking, sects were built atop spirit veins and saint veins for sufficient spiritual qi, allowing the sect to develop.
Cosmic veins were even more important than spirit veins and saint veins, representing the veins of heaven and earth rules. A major world or planet could only give birth to life and various precious cultivation resources if located upon cosmic veins.
The more and thicker the cosmic veins, the more prosperous the major world would be.
This was the reason why the top great gods of the Kunlun Realm back then had not taken the Kunlun Realm and fled. The position of the Kunlun Realm had extraordinarily active cosmic veins, capable of nurturing divine veins and countless saint veins within the major world.
If the Kunlun Realm lost these cosmic veins, even if it could linger for a few tens of thousands of years, it would ultimately decline.
The Heavenly Court and Infernal Realm were locked in a war of survival. The Kunlun Realm at that time could not retreat either and had to hold the line. If everyone retreated, if all were cowardly and fearful of death, fleeing at the sight of battle, then the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms would surely collapse and ultimately be at the mercy of others.
“The Boundless Divine Sea is too vast. How long would it take to reach the Infernal Realm’s coastline? Flying alone clearly will not do.”
Zhang Ruochen found some spatial teleportation arrays and spatial wormholes on the star map but discarded them one by one.
His identity was rather awkward: countless enemies in the Heavenly Court, yet still countless enemies in the Infernal Realm.
Most importantly, the one guarding the Boundless Divine Sea for the Infernal Realm was Hai Ke’s master, the Profound Ancient Nine-Eyed Dragon God, a top-tier giant figure among the Death Clan.
Hai Ke had died at Zhang Ruochen’s hands in the Origin Divine Temple.
Although this matter was secretive, it was not guaranteed that no rumours had leaked out.
With the Profound Ancient Nine-Eyed Dragon God’s status, he might not personally act, but any of Hai Ke’s senior brothers, coming at random, would pose a massive life threat to Zhang Ruochen.
After much deliberation, Zhang Ruochen decided to temporarily find a secluded place for closed-door cultivation.
After some time passed and the Ten Realms War arrived, the Undying Blood Race would surely have gods coming to the Boundless Divine Sea. At that point, he could reappear without delay.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen arrived in a relatively remote sea domain, entered an uninhabited island, set up a concealment grand formation, then activated the sun dial, took out the Divine Dragon Enlightenment Chamber, and began cultivating.
…
After the Middle Ages truce, the Infernal Realm and the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms continued to clash over the Boundless Divine Sea.
But it was not war.
It was merely contention for control over the sea islands.
A single Boundless Divine Sea was larger than hundreds of major worlds combined, with cultivation resources far richer, exceeding some major worlds by a thousandfold or more.
After ten thousand years of struggle, half the islands on the Boundless Divine Sea had been fully controlled by the Infernal Realm.
Another third of the islands were still in contention.
Ji’en Island was the seventh largest island in the Boundless Divine Sea, stretching thirty-seven thousand li north to south and fourteen thousand li east to west. Placed on a planet, it would solidly qualify as a vast continent.
Ji’en Island was nearly one hundred and eighty billion li from the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms’ coastline and also separated by hundreds of billions of li from the Infernal Realm’s coastline, counting as deep within the sea’s hinterland.
Because this island was close to the largest forbidden zone in the Boundless Divine Sea, “Return to Ruin”, after being occupied by the Infernal Realm, armies from all ten clans were stationed on the island.
When the Blood Absolute War God was young, he had made his Heaven-Challenging Oath in the nearby sea domain of Return to Ruin, challenging the Heavenly Court’s heroes.
If there were no mishaps, the Ten Realms War would also erupt in the nearby sea domain of Return to Ruin.
As the Ten Realms War drew near, more and more cultivators from the Infernal Realm arrived at Ji’en Island, making this island suddenly bustle with prosperity and liveliness.
“Splash!”
A Blue Luan Beast Sovereign, spreading wings hundreds of li long like a patch of azure cloud, flew across the boundless sea domain and arrived outside Ji’en Island.
Upon the Blue Luan Beast Sovereign’s back stood a strikingly beautiful figure.
She wore azure feather heavenly robes, with a碧 blood jade flute at her waist, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her temperament ethereal, akin to a goddess from the ninth heaven.
“Open the formation.” She said coldly.
“Greetings, Your Excellency Yu!”
The cultivators guarding Ji’en Island recognised the identity of the arriving woman and dared not obstruct her. They hurriedly activated the formation, opening a gap in the All-Heavens Guardian Grand Formation.
After the Blue Luan Beast Sovereign flew into the island, the cultivators below the formation tower still felt lingering fear.
“What a terrifying aura. Her cultivation must have reached the half-god realm.”
“Half-god? Hmph! You underestimate Her Excellency Yu too much. She is now the Vice Camp Master of the Blood Sovereign Divine Demon Camp, one of the top five figures below the divine realm in the Undying Blood Race. She has entered the Absolute Beauty Volume of the Red Dust Peerless List, with unfathomably deep cultivation.”
“I wonder why Her Excellency Yu suddenly rushed to Ji’en Island in such haste.”
…
Over the past millennium, Xia Yu’s cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, making her one of the supreme overlords among the Undying Blood Race’s mortals. Coupled with her title as the number one beauty of the Blood Heaven Division, naturally, seeing her even once stirred excitement and chatter among these cultivators on Ji’en Island.
Upon entering Ji’en Island, the Blue Luan Beast Sovereign’s body rapidly shrank, landing on the ground and becoming just over two metres long.
Xia Yu saw the Blood Empress standing by the sea and immediately walked over.
“You should be leading the great saints of the Blood Sovereign Divine Demon Camp at the Asura Star Pillar Realm. Why have you come to Ji’en Island?” The Blood Empress asked.
Xia Yu’s expression showed slight urgency. She cupped her hands in salute, her red lips parting lightly as she said: “Master, I received news that Zhang Ruochen is not dead.”
“Where did the news come from?” The Blood Empress said.
Xia Yu said: “News from the Heavenly Court! It is said that Zhang Ruochen disguised himself as a Confucian Dao cultivator named Shu Qianchi and caused a huge commotion at the Red Dust Conference in the Heavenly Court, killing many powerhouses from the Paradise Realm. Even the three Archangels fell at his hands. Originally I did not believe it, but seeing Master appear on Ji’en Island, I suspect this news is very likely true. Master is here to receive him, yes?”
The Blood Empress was silent for a moment before saying: “Chen’er is indeed still alive. He once entrusted Si Kong Gong Nanfeng of the Fate Divine Temple to bring a message back to the Blood Absolute Family. But as his master, I did not know he would dare go to the Heavenly Court and even dare to cause a commotion at the Red Dust Conference. It truly worries one.”
A gleam of joy appeared in Xia Yu’s bright almond eyes as she said: “According to the intelligence this disciple received, he has already escaped. I think he will most likely return to the Infernal Realm via the Boundless Divine Sea.”
The Blood Empress asked: “Where did you obtain your news?”
Xia Yu understood why the Blood Empress asked this and hurriedly said: “This matter has already spread in the Heavenly Court. I believe the major forces of the ten clans will receive the news one after another. It is just that this matter is too incredulous, so few will believe it.”
“Right! On the way here, I encountered the Fate Goddess.”
“She is one of the participants in the Ten Realms War and has come to Ji’en Island, which is very normal.” The Blood Empress said.
Xia Yu’s gaze grew a few degrees colder as she said: “Travelling with her was also Blood Slaughter.”
Blood Slaughter was originally the Blood Empress’s disciple, Xia Yu’s senior brother.
But a millennium ago, Blood Slaughter had entered the Origin Divine Temple with Zhang Ruochen, obtained a tremendous opportunity, caught the eye of the Death God Venerable, and been taken as a disciple, instantly becoming a scorching hot figure in the Fate Divine Temple.
After a millennium of cultivation, Blood Slaughter was no longer the same as before and was one of the Infernal Realm’s top ten kalpa-level representative figures.
In recent years, Xia Yu had encountered Blood Slaughter several times. This person had become utterly arrogant and extremely condescending. Moreover, after apprenticing under the Death God Venerable, Blood Slaughter had not returned to the Blood Absolute Family nor paid respects to the Blood Empress, his former master.
In Xia Yu’s view, this was undoubtedly ungrateful and naturally displeased her.
The Blood Empress said faintly: “For him to apprentice under the Death God Venerable is his good fortune. At present, what we should do most is to quickly find Chen’er. Some forces in the Infernal Realm harbour deep enmity towards him and will surely intercept and kill him in the Boundless Divine Sea.”
