Within the void of this boundary wall, the sensation of distance simply did not exist. Though one might walk for hundreds of zhang forward, looking back revealed only a single step taken. At times, advancing a mere ten zhang could place one a hundred zhang away from the starting point.

It was discovered that this 'Spirit River' also possessed several 'tributary mouths' where sections of the 'river water' were diverted elsewhere. This naturally included some of the spiritual beasts, evil spirits, and demonic entities within the Spirit River itself.

Nor was this river of spiritual power entirely unobstructed. Innumerable layers of invisible force barriers prevented any powerful spiritual beasts or wicked entities above the eighth rank from entering at all.

Even among those below the eighth rank, some—whether fortunate or not—could only surge into the flow by squeezing through the gaps in these invisible barriers.

“Legend states that in the early days of the ancient Cloud Barren Era, a great war left the Cloud Realm scarred and riddled with holes. Thus, five supreme experts of the Cloud Realm established these Five Great Vaulted Realms, each suppressing one direction to become a barrier for the realm.”

“This rumor is likely more than half true.”

As Zong Shou pondered this internally, he scanned his surroundings until he spotted another confluence in the distance. This was not a tributary diversion, but rather where several surging Spirit Rivers merged into one spot. It was precisely at the center of a spiritual tide convergence, atop a resulting vortex, that he stabilized the Seven Star Altar.

“This is it! Further ahead should be the Boundary Abyss!”

“Boundary Abyss?”

Zong Yuan’s brow twitched; he had never heard that name before.

Zong Shou offered no further explanation. While he was unfamiliar with this particular Spirit River, the Boundary Abyss was something he knew intimately.

In later ages, without achieving the Immortal Martial Realm, the only way to travel to other worlds was by piloting a spirit skiff, starting from this Boundary Abyss. One Boundary Abyss connected over a dozen worlds.

He had entered and exited it more than ten times; sometimes purely for sightseeing in other worlds, and other times forced to temporarily flee the Cloud Realm to evade enemies. Thus, although he couldn't claim to know the place like the back of his hand, he was certainly familiar with it.

He understood that in this current era, the Abyss likely held countless formidable evil entities that his current self could never handle.

Once the altar was secured, countless spirit meridians converged and were drawn into it.

The sheer abundance of spiritual energy in this Spirit River far surpassed what even the Vaulted Realms could attain. At the moment the spiritual array on the altar was activated, Zong Shou instantly felt as if his soul power could command infinite spiritual energy—as if he himself was the deity of this location, his strength surging dramatically.

Aware that this was merely an illusion caused by the extreme density of spiritual energy, Zong Shou paid it no mind. With a casual sweep of his sleeve, the few spirit pets he carried all soared out.

The Thunder Winged Flood Dragon and Xiao Jin attached themselves directly to his body. The Demon-Eyed Silver Bear, when not manifesting, transformed into a soul stone. As for the Shadow-Shifting Lion, it was concealed within a pouch he carried. This item, acquired from that Ant Daoist, was a type of Qiankun Pouch known as a Spirit Beast Pouch.

It was made from the hide of a spiritual beast that had attained the seventh rank and possessed simultaneous mastery over time and space divine abilities. Although the materials were infinitely more valuable, the space inside measured only a hundred zhang square.

However, this Spirit Beast Pouch allowed not only inanimate objects but also living creatures to enter and exit the space, and even cultivate within it.

The Ant Daoist had carried two such pouches to transport his Demon Fire Crystal Ants across the Cloud Sea, traveling from the Central Cloud Continent to the Eastern Shores. When Zong Shou obtained them, thousands of the ants were still inside. Though the Ant Queen was dead, these crystal ants were still lively, and cleaning them out had taken him considerable effort.

Near the vortex, quite a few spiritual beasts and evil spirits were also being drawn in by the swirling power.

Zong Shou glanced around, his eyes suddenly lighting up. Not far away, a seventh-rank Snow Spirit Whale was being swept downward along the Spirit River.

He knew these creatures were immensely large but possessed only ordinary combat power. They relied solely on their robust physique to oppress their peers, proving utterly helpless against spiritual beasts that were smaller in stature but possessed formidable strength and swift speed.

Yet, their entire body was filled with treasures. A single one was generally worth as much as four seventh-rank spiritual beasts combined.

Zong Shou rejoiced inwardly, momentarily forgetting that he himself was only at the sixth rank of Spirit Law, the peak of Rejuvenation. With a thought, the Thunder Flood Dragon charged forth.

In the previous battle with the Demon Fire Crystal Ants, this Thunder Flood Dragon had been fully restrained, unable to unleash its full potential.

Now, displaying its full might, it shook hundreds of zhang of violet lightning from its body. Some surrounding fifth and sixth-rank spiritual beasts, merely brushed by the residual electricity, became paralyzed, unable to move, with some even perishing on the spot.

Then, with a loud boom of thunder, the surrounding spiritual energy violently churned.

The Thunder Winged Flood Dragon and the Snow Spirit Whale slammed into each other. The former was sent flying backward, its dragon soul entirely retracted into its flesh. The small Thunder Winged Flood Dragon, less than twelve zhang long, had blurred eyes and stars circling in its vision.

The Snow Spirit Whale, seemingly unaffected, remained rooted in place. Only its consciousness appeared stunned from the impact of the purple lightning. In that instant, the Demon-Eyed Silver Bear suddenly roared fiercely. Three streaks of silver light shot sequentially from the center of its brow, striking the same spot, directly piercing a massive bloody hole in the whale’s head. The Snow Spirit Whale jolted awake, roaring in fury, attempting to twist its body to smash toward the Seven Star Altar. A Shadow-Shifting Lion, intermittently visible, suddenly appeared beneath its belly. It lashed out with its sharp claws, tearing open another astonishing wound in the whale’s abdomen, striking directly toward the giant creature’s heart.

This Shadow-Shifting Lion, Xiao Zhi, had advanced to the fifth rank a month prior, strengthening its body using the Blood of the Spirit Origin.

Afterward, Zong Shou had even dotted its body with several drops of Profound Yin Dragon Blood. However, the path the Shadow-Shifting Lion chose was not fusion, but ‘devouring,’ similar to Xiao Jin.

Though the process was incomplete, its form was now completely like mist, and the lion’s divine abilities had become exceptionally subtle. It was like a powerful assassin whose true form was nearly invisible when concealed, only appearing when a single, fatal strike was necessary.

Wielding its lion claws like massive chisels, it burrowed deeper into the Snow Spirit Whale’s body.

The whale was greatly alarmed and violently thrashed its body, flinging the Shadow-Shifting Lion outward. Then, with a furious roar, countless ice arrows gathered in the void and shot toward the lion’s location.

Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly drew his sword. Behind him, the silhouette of a golden dragon appeared. An incomparably sharp beam of white sword light manifested in the void. With a single flash, it shattered all the myriad ice arrows! Simultaneously, he let out a muffled grunt, and a trace of blood leaked from the corner of his lips.

“Zong Yuan!”

Without needing instruction, Zong Yuan soared upward. A purple spear silhouette abruptly pierced the sky. First, dozens of zhang of purple lightning exploded, then it converged into a single point. It moved with no thought of return, expended with all its strength.

In the very next moment, this section of the Spirit River was filled with crimson light, punctuated by a cry of pain. Zong Yuan struck in through the wound pierced by the Demon-Eyed Silver Bear using the Geng Metal Flying Shuttle, widening that injury and driving straight toward the whale’s brainstem.

This sent the giant whale into a state of frenzied delirium. At this moment, Zong Shou’s Thunder Winged Flood Dragon had recovered and once again manifested its Dragon Soul form, smashing into the whale with a ferocious impact.

Zong Shou felt a slight easing of his mind, knowing that after this battle, at least fourteen hundred Merit Points would be secured.

The Snow Spirit Whale was not an evil entity, so killing it did not yield Merit Points directly. However, items from its body could be exchanged at the Merit Pavilion.

There was also the whale oil within the Snow Spirit Whale, which could be used to refine Snow Spirit Dragon Saliva Incense—an incense whose effects were several times superior to even the finest purple sandalwood, making it excellent for either combat or cultivation. However, Zong Shou could not rejoice at the moment. His body was wracked by surging blood and qi. Slicing through the ice arrows and rescuing the Shadow-Shifting Lion had subjected him to such a massive recoil force that his body was injured.

Without borrowing Wei Xu’s power, and lacking the protection of the Dragon Shadow Elder, he was shockingly fragile against a true seventh-rank entity; he had overestimated himself far too much.

Obtaining the thirty-five thousand Merit Points would likely not be easy. Even with the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon, whose combat power surpassed this Snow Spirit Whale by at least two grades, killing this clumsy, flaw-riddled seventh-rank giant beast still came at such a cost. He dared not even consider confronting stronger spiritual beasts or evil entities. However, this place seemed an excellent ground for honing his swordsmanship!

Zong Shou gripped the Fire Yin Sword, the sharp glint in his eyes gradually receding, replaced instead by a surging battle intent.

※※※※

At the terminus of this ‘Spirit River,’ within the Spirit Sea where over a dozen massive spiritual tides converged.

Xuan Ye’s brows were tightly furrowed, tinged with clear anger.

“So, you attempted to ambush someone but ended up getting severely disciplined in return? That person used your own methods against you, turning your lust upon yourselves? Using the Three-Colored Charm Heart Grass to completely incapacitate all of your senior sisters?”

Seeing the two women before him, Yong Qin and Chen Rou, both flushed with unmistakable embarrassment.

Xuan Ye couldn't help but rub his temples in frustration.

After a long moment, Yong Qin mumbled, “We were only trying to stand up for Junior Nephew Xuan Ye! Everyone in the Three Sects and Six Gates of the Mortal Dao knows Xuan Ye’s innate talent and character; who doesn't admire him? Those elders simply refuse to see it, allowing a stinking brat to reside there. A mere fifteen-year-old child, what qualifications does he have to become the Chief Disciple of our Mortal Dao? Even those pigs Xie An and Luo Shi would be better suited than him!”

She fiercely clenched her fist, hating, “That person is truly despicable! Doesn’t he know that disciples of our Seven Spirits Sect fear the tribulation of desire and emotion the most? Once moved, there is no turning back! It would have been one thing if he had only used the Three-Colored Charm Heart Grass on our seniors, but he just left without a care, which is abominable! He clearly intends to torment them…”

Hearing this, Xuan Ye could only shake his head helplessly. Then, he sharply tapped Yong Qin’s forehead with a sharp rap. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)