Run!
Without hesitation, Ye Xuan grabbed Qin Guan and fled the Dimensional Universe!
In the starry sky, Ye Xuan lay on the ground, battered beyond measure. Just moments ago, he had activated the Guanxuan Armor. Without it absorbing most of the attack’s force, he might have been obliterated, body and soul.
Damn it!
The Dimensional Universe didn’t know Ye Xuan! Better to go scare Boundless Lord instead!
Boundless Lord: “…”
Qin Guan approached, eyeing him. “You alright?”
Ye Xuan opened his mouth to speak, but blood spurted out.
Qin Guan blinked. “Looks like you’re not alright!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Crouching beside him, Qin Guan wiped the blood from his mouth with a silk cloth. “Seems we’ll have to take it step by step.”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Does the Dimensional Universe fall under the Master of the Great Dao’s control too?”
Qin Guan nodded.
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Qin Guan smiled. “Don’t overthink it. Step by step, there’s no harm in that!”
Ye Xuan nodded softly. “I’ll listen to you.”
Qin Guan smiled faintly. “To the pagoda. I’ll help you reach the Clear Mind Realm!”
Ye Xuan said seriously, “I just reached the No-Tribulation Realm!”
Qin Guan laughed. “What’s the difference?”
She added earnestly, “Little Xuan, I need you to hold off Chu Nan, the Great Chu Patriarch. If you can keep him at bay, I’ll go on a killing spree!”
A killing spree!
Ye Xuan said firmly, “I can do it!”
Qin Guan looked straight at him. “It’ll be dangerous! Even if you reach the Clear Mind Realm, you might still not match him!”
Ye Xuan grinned. “If you say the word, I’d take on not just Chu Nan but the Master of the Great Dao himself!”
Master of the Great Dao: “???”
Qin Guan looked at Ye Xuan softly. “Thank you.”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile. “Saying that makes us sound like strangers!”
Qin Guan laughed. “Alright, I won’t say it again!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Let’s get started!”
Qin Guan nodded, and they entered the pagoda.
Cultivation.
…
Other Shore Star Region, Great Chu Realm.
Chu Nan sat in the grand hall, surrounded by Great Chu’s powerhouses. His expression was calm. “Any movement from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion?”
An elder stepped forward. “In the Other Shore Star Region, all members of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion have withdrawn. Those who didn’t make it out are now cold corpses!”
Chu Nan gave a faint smile. “I hear the Immortal Treasure Pavilion amassed countless riches in the Boundless Universe.”
The elder glanced at Chu Nan. “Yes!”
Chu Nan said calmly, “The Ancient Wilderness Expedition Army we established consumes hundreds of billions of cosmic divine veins yearly…” He closed his eyes slowly. “Before, the Boundless Universe was Boundless Lord’s territory, and Great Chu had to give him face. But now, I’ve learned he’s left the Boundless Universe, meaning that juicy piece of meat is ours for the taking!”
The elder nodded slightly. “Indeed, it’s possible now!”
Chu Nan asked, “Are the Immortal Treasure Pavilion and Guanxuan Academy the strongest forces in the Boundless Universe?”
The elder nodded. “Yes!”
Chu Nan opened his eyes. “Then destroy those two first!”
The elder nodded. “I’ll prepare!”
Chu Nan nodded slightly and vanished from the spot.
…
Ancient Temple.
Compared to other forces, the Ancient Temple seemed rather modest—just a temple nestled in the mountains with only about twenty monks, all at least at the Empty Realm or Clear Mind Realm. The temple rarely involved itself in external affairs, keeping a low profile.
In a courtyard, an old monk was sweeping the ground. A monk approached, clasped his hands, and bowed slightly. “Abbot!”
The old monk asked, “Is Great Chu making a move on the Boundless Universe?”
The monk nodded. “Yes!”
The old monk nodded slightly. “Noted.”
The monk hesitated, then said, “The Boundless Universe is a juicy prize!”
The old monk continued sweeping without a word.
The monk wanted to say more, but the old monk suddenly asked, “Why did Boundless Lord abandon the Boundless Universe?”
The monk froze.
The old monk swept toward the distance. “Let them fight. If the Boundless Universe wins, we pick up scraps in the Other Shore Star Region. If Great Chu wins, we sip some broth in the Boundless Universe.” He chanted a Buddhist mantra, “Amitabha, cultivation is about one word: survive!”
Survive!
…
In an unknown star region, Boundless Lord and his two companions stopped. He gazed into the distance where a massive ancient city stood in the starry depths. Its walls stretched tens of millions of miles wide, its height a million miles tall. Even the starry sky seemed small before it.
Above the city were three large characters: War Wilderness City.
The city was piled with the corpses of countless powerhouses, its walls marred with breaches.
Divinity, beside Boundless Lord, said gravely, “This city’s grandeur is unmatched in the world!”
Boundless Lord said calmly, “You’ve seen nothing.”
Divinity: “…”
Monk Wu suddenly asked, “Is there a grander city?”
Boundless Lord replied evenly, “This is just the edge of the Ancient Wilderness. Compared to the entire Ancient Wilderness, this edge is like a grain of sand in a desert. Billions of years ago, countless ancient superpowers thrived here, their strength beyond your imagination. In that era, Empty Realm experts were as common as dogs, and Other Shore Realm was just so-so. All fought for the Ancient Wilderness’s first holy city: Ancient Wilderness City.”
Divinity frowned. “Ancient Wilderness City?”
Boundless Lord nodded softly. “A very special city, because it holds the corpse of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor!”
Divinity scoffed, “Emperors? This world is full of self-proclaimed emperors!”
Boundless Lord shook his head. “This Ancient Heavenly Emperor was different. He was personally crowned by the Master of the Great Dao. The first emperor of all time, he single-handedly challenged the Holy King Hall in the Ninth Dimensional World, keeping its nine Holy Kings cowering for a million years!”
He added softly, “That Ancient Heavenly Emperor was truly a figure.”
Divinity asked, “Is the Holy King Hall powerful?”
Boundless Lord said calmly, “The universe you’re in is just a parallel one. Only those at the Broken Mind Realm can barely touch the First Dimensional Universe and draw power from it. Only the No-Mind Realm can enter the Second Dimensional Universe to harness its power. The highest realm here, Other Shore, can only reach the Third Dimensional Universe. Each step up is a hundred times harder!” He looked at Divinity. “The Holy King Hall is in the Ninth Dimensional World. You tell me, are they formidable?”
Divinity said gravely, “Insanely formidable!”
Boundless Lord continued, “The Ancient Heavenly Emperor was born in such a world but fought his way to the Ninth Dimensional Universe and won! That’s almost absurd!”
Monk Wu asked, “He died?”
Boundless Lord nodded, sighing softly. “He died in battle.”
Monk Wu, curious, asked, “Who killed him?”
Boundless Lord shook his head. “I can only say… his fate wasn’t kind.”
Divinity suddenly asked, “Who’s stronger, the Holy King Hall or the Backer King?”
Boundless Lord’s expression froze. Monk Wu also looked at him, curious.
After a long pause, Boundless Lord said, “Can you not mention him in front of me?”
Monk Wu clasped his hands. “Boundless Lord, Divinity and I are curious about this Backer King’s origins…”
Boundless Lord raised a hand. “Stop! Don’t talk about him! His name alone gives me a headache!” Thinking of Ye Xuan’s threats, he fumed, “Damn it! Curse it all!”
Monk Wu: “…”
Divinity hesitated, then said, “Still, mind your manners!”
Boundless Lord glared. “I don’t have manners?”
Divinity hesitated, then nodded.
Boundless Lord snapped, “In the Milky Way, ‘curse’ is just a plant! A plant, got it?”
Divinity: “…”
Monk Wu asked, “Boundless Lord, have you been to the Milky Way?”
Boundless Lord took a deep breath to calm himself, then said, “Yes.”
Monk Wu, curious, asked, “What’s that world like?”
Boundless Lord said casually, “The nightclubs there are nice.”
Monk Wu and Divinity froze. Nightclubs?
Suddenly, the distant starry sky trembled violently. Monk Wu and Divinity turned, startled, to see a horde of powerhouses charging toward them—tens of thousands strong!
Their faces grew grave. These powerhouses were terrifying! The weakest were at the Divine Tribulation Realm, and the leader, a middle-aged man in white, was at the Broken Mind Realm. Beside him was a young man in blue, his face cold and eyes radiating icy killing intent, holding a massive thousand-zhang flag with two bold red characters: Great Chu!
Great Chu!
Boundless Lord said softly, “This is the Ancient Wilderness Expedition Army founded by Chu Bihan. The middle-aged man leading them should be Chu Tianxing, a prodigy who once stunned an era!” His gaze fell on the young man beside him. “That must be Chu Tian, a heaven-defying figure with a protagonist’s aura… Interesting!”
Monk Wu asked curiously, “What’s a protagonist’s aura?”
Boundless Lord said calmly, “It means he’s exceptionally formidable.”
Monk Wu: “…”
Divinity said, “Still don’t get it!”
Boundless Lord explained, “You know the Backer King? He used to have it!”
Divinity blinked. “He doesn’t anymore?”
Boundless Lord paused, then said, “Since he gave up striving, he’s no longer under the Master of the Great Dao’s control. He’s completely free now, doing whatever he wants… Damn it! Curse it!”
Divinity asked curiously, “Who’s stronger, the Backer King or someone with a protagonist’s aura?”
Boundless Lord pondered for a long time. “Those with a protagonist’s aura are chosen by fate. The Backer King is the one fate relies on. Figure it out yourself!”
Divinity: “…”
