“Is this some sort of pact between the Sun-Blind Clan and the Bone Sect? Heh.” Garuda nodded, then turned and walked with the bird-man toward the outskirts of Mount Sumeru. The true meaning of war was that its end ushered in a new era of hope.
“Waaah…” Old Liu and Ye Xiu were utterly exhausted. So, when they once again stumbled onto the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome, both nearly collapsed beneath the stone slab, only to find two people already waiting for them there.
“Ye Xiu… Are you alright?” Mei Yi, who had been pondering the secrets of the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome, looked up just as they materialized and rushed over to steady Ye Xiu. “You’re badly hurt. What on earth happened?”
“Nothing, just a tough fight,” Ye Xiu managed, suppressing the agony from his numerous non-fatal injuries. He grinned weakly at Mei Yi. “Didn’t expect you to turn up here too. By the way, do you know the real story behind this Red Cliff Heavenly Tome?”
“What time is it for stories? Come back with me, now.” Mei Yi tried to pull Ye Xiu away.
“Hey, hey! Nobody’s checking on me here.” Old Liu finally managed to haul himself up from the ground. He was about to grab Mei Yi when a figure clad in red and white stood coldly before him. “It’s you! The Underworld Blood Master, Ming Luo Sheng.”
Ming Luo Sheng showed no malice; instead, he asked with genuine concern, “What exactly did the two of you encounter in the Infinite Realm?”
Ye Xiu held his sword aloft, his eyes immediately filling with hostility. This man had leveraged Ye Xiu’s power to gain the might of the Nether River Sea; how dare he show his face here now? “Ming Luo Sheng, what are you up to now? What is your objective?”
Ming Luo Sheng spread his hands and smiled. “What objective could I have? I came to find you specifically to tell you that the Mortal Realm is definitely not as peaceful as it was before. Your opponents aren't just the Underworld; there are other realms too!”
“Are you the Demon Realm’s Killing Monarch, Tian Xia? Heh.” Old Liu chuckled smugly and raised the Ghost Executioner sword. “We already took care of that fellow, Tian Xia, in the Infinite Realm.”
“Oh, impressive strength. You managed to defeat the incomplete Embryonic Origin of the Demon Realm.” Ming Luo Sheng showed no surprise. He looked at Ye Xiu. “I know that a new power was gestating from the Infinite Realm just now. That energy has already fled to the Mortal Realm. Do you know where it’s headed?”
“Are you talking about the awakened Heavenly Emperor!” The thought of the Heavenly Emperor immediately brought Jia Yun Xin to Ye Xiu’s mind—who could have guessed that such a delicate girl was a crucial factor in the Emperor’s awakening? “The Heavenly Emperor is a being of the Heavenly Sea Realm. Where did he flee?”
Ming Luo Sheng paused, then spoke slowly. “The Mortal Realm is no longer so tranquil. The fundamental passage between the Heavenly Sea Realm and the Mortal Realm has been opened. While those beings cannot arrive directly in the Mortal Realm, they have another method.”
Old Liu gasped in astonishment. “What? You’re saying beings from the Heavenly Sea Realm are also trying to invade the Mortal Realm? But they don't have the Heavenly Revelation Passage of the Ten Thousand Demon Saint Empress. How can they manage it?”
“Just like the Underworld relying on the Nether River Sea for invasion, the Heavenly Sea Realm has its own means,” Ye Xiu closed his eyes. This was too complicated, and it directly endangered the Mortal Realm. “If you want me to listen, you had better tell me everything, slowly.”
“Alright! Alright! We’ll discuss it all when we get back.” Mei Yi looked at Ye Xiu’s injuries, her heart aching. She helped him immediately begin the journey back. “Susu, come out and send us all home.”
In a city within the Mortal Realm.
Following the fluctuations emanating from Bermuda, nearly the entire world was focused on this flow of energy. This phenomenon was no longer just about magnetic attraction; the energy signatures appearing here were something even the US aircraft carriers couldn't withstand.
Ye Xiu and Old Liu returned to Mei Yi’s home, a place where everything they needed was present—truly an earthly paradise.
Some time had passed. Seeing the two of them safe and sound, Mei Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. “How was it? I bet you two had quite the adventure in the Infinite Realm.”
“I only want to tell you one thing: the story of the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome.” Ye Xiu had wanted to explain it clearly to Mei Yi from the start. “The Red Cliff Heavenly Tome really is connected to Zhu Yun Wen.”
“I know all about that; it’s on the news. Someone already cracked the secret of the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome,” Mei Yi, being a news reporter, was naturally well-informed. “Isn’t the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome just a document expressing grievance?”
Old Liu shook his head while eating. Thankfully, Ming Luo Sheng had disappeared by this time. “Mei Yi, I’m not saying this to be mean, but you girls are just too unromantic. The Red Cliff Heavenly Tome is perfectly suited for the two of you.”
“Just keep eating,” Mei Yi playfully threw a cushion at Old Liu. She looked at Ye Xiu with a smile and asked, “Then tell me, what exactly is the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome?”
“A love letter…” Ye Xiu nodded in confirmation. “If I told you that Zhu Yun Wen was once a Death God, and that the Red Cliff Heavenly Tome is actually a love letter he wrote to the Ten Thousand Demon Saint Empress, would you believe me?”
Mei Yi naturally believed Ye Xiu. She only felt a sense of regret. “With such creativity, I really should have gone with you to see it. Zhu Yun Wen, a respectable emperor, was a Death God!”
“What I’m trying to say is that people in this world you don’t know about might actually originate from other realms!” Ye Xiu affirmed the Witch’s words. Though he didn’t know where the Witch and the Demon Realm Embryonic Origin had gone, one thing was certain: he wouldn't be resting for long this time.
Mei Yi was also interested in Ye Xiu’s weaponry. He pointed to the Sky-Dominating Myriad Abysses. “I’m familiar with both those weapons, and I never realized they could merge into one. What is the Infinite Realm really like? Can we go in again?”
Old Liu yawned lazily. “Of course you can go in, but the Infinite Realm isn't what it used to be. Give us some time, and maybe we can take you there for a vacation.”
“Crack…” Just then, the news report on the television started again. This particular broadcast was highly classified information Mei Yi had paid a fortune to obtain.
“Look! Another report on Bermuda,” Mei Yi said, watching the screen with interest. A huge liner sailed into the Bermuda region, and as the screen flickered, the ship began to shake violently. Suddenly, a beam of light shot down from the sky, slicing the liner cleanly in half.
“Is this a movie? Holy cow!” Old Liu dropped his food in shock. He sat up straight, pointing at the severed ship. “What was that light just now? It destroyed the liner in an instant!”
“That was sword light!” Ye Xiu collected himself. That was unmistakably a flash of sword energy. He was a master swordsman himself, but even a strike from his Sky-Dominating Divine Sense wouldn't have bisected the liner so cleanly. “There must be a power from some realm existing in the Bermuda area. Just as Ming Luo Sheng said, that spot is where the Heavenly Sea Realm and the Mortal Realm intersect!”
“But if those beings possess that kind of power, why are they only destroying ships near Bermuda?” Old Liu licked his lips and wondered aloud. “If I were from the Heavenly Sea Realm, I could just charge into the Mortal Realm and operate freely. Why stay confined there?”
“Whoosh…” At that moment, Ming Luo Sheng leaped in through the window. His face was cold, his gaze fierce, yet there was no hint of hostility. “Because the beings of the Heavenly Sea Realm do not yet possess sufficient power to breach the dimensional barrier!”
Mei Yi, captivated by the story, asked, “If they continue like this, what will be the final outcome?”
“The Bermuda area will continue to expand. Although the process is slow, there will come a day when the Heavenly Sea Realm, via the Bermuda phenomenon, overtakes the entire Mortal Realm,” Ming Luo Sheng seemed to have investigated everything thoroughly.
Ye Xiu squinted at him and sneered, “After giving us all this intelligence, you aren't a resident of the Mortal Realm. What benefit is this to you?”
“I already explained it. Suppressing the invasion from the Heavenly Sea Realm is also a major benefit to my Underworld,” Ming Luo Sheng offered his well-rehearsed reason. “I intend to use the power of the Heavenly Sea Realm to accelerate the rebirth of the Nether River Sea. How does that sound?”
Old Liu summoned the Ghost Executioner sword and pointed it directly at Ming Luo Sheng. “Even if you are the ancestor of the Ancient Strange Blood Path, we have no inherent bond. We are not so easily fooled by you now.”
“Put that away. He isn’t lying to us,” Ye Xiu understood clearly. Ming Luo Sheng would assist them in actions to suppress the Heavenly Sea Realm, but ultimately, he would seize some form of power to turn against the Mortal Realm. “I still want to know what kind of help you intend to offer us.”
“I know how to enter the Heavenly Sea Realm!” Ming Luo Sheng clenched his hands and smiled coldly. “It’s a method you have used before.”
“Nonsense, you go in directly through Bermuda!” Mei Yi pointed at the television. “As long as we can dodge that sword light, can’t we just charge in?”
Old Liu stood up and jabbed a finger at Mei Yi. “That’s why women have long hair but short sights! If we could just go in like that, the guys from the Heavenly Sea Realm could just come out that way!”
Ye Xiu agreed with Old Liu’s logic, but why should he risk heading to the Heavenly Sea Realm now? Curiosity? That seemed gone. Was this new mission to save the Mortal Realm? “Ming Luo Sheng, you also know we have every reason to persuade ourselves to enter the Heavenly Sea Realm. Give me a reason to go.”
“A force that emerged from the Infinite Realm—I believe it is connected to you!” Ming Luo Sheng waved his dazzling blade and smiled. “I have successfully tracked a strand of cultivation energy that was ejected from the Infinite Realm. It originates from the Heavenly Sea Realm!”
Ye Xiu thought back carefully. During the Heavenly Emperor’s return cycle, only one person was forcibly expelled: the now-awakened Heavenly Emperor. He glanced at Old Liu. “Are you saying it was the former Heavenly Emperor, the creator of the entire Infinite Realm?”
“Oh, so that’s the creator of the Infinite Realm,” Ming Luo Sheng nodded and smiled again. “Don't you want to know what kind of figure the creator of the Infinite Realm represents in the Heavenly Sea Realm?”