On the way here after being captured by Bamboo Sword Venerable, Zhao Xing received some information from the Xuanling Chronicles, and many of his sealed memories were also unlocked.
Back when he was in the Ancient Kingdom of Yuanhai, he had learned the names of four Divine Realm beings: Sword God Diyi, Bone God Yuan, Heaven God Guxiao, and Earth God Yaojun.
Later, the names of those four Divine Realm figures vanished completely, as if wiped from the world.
Now that those memories had returned, Zhao Xing recalled his dream encounter with Wang Tianzhi.
He suspected that those four Divine Realm beings were most likely hiding in the Xuanhuang Realm.
So when Wei Tianchen called the Xuanhuang Realm secretive, Zhao Xing agreed. But safe? Not even close.
Originally, Zhao Xing should've asked Ji Si to perform a ritual and then contacted Wang Tianzhi again to gather intel before returning.
But now he was just going back in a muddled rush—that was completely against Lord Zhao's usual principles.
After thinking it over, he chose to respond with a deterrent: "Grand Physician, my hometown was destroyed. Not long after we ascended, it exploded."
Wei Tianchen shook his head. "Not necessarily. The Shenluo Barren Domain has the characteristic of 'illusory concealment and broken reality.' Your hometown wouldn't be so easy to blow up."
He knew that too. Zhao Xing felt a bit awkward—Wei Tianchen really was an old relic.
But from Wei Tianchen's perspective, Zhao Xing looked just like someone who was unaware and then stunned after learning the truth.
Zhao Xing said, "You're talking about illusory concealment and broken reality. Doesn't that mean it's dangerous?"
Wei Tianchen replied calmly, "Even if it's dangerous, Qing Yuzi went there. Are you saying we can't? His cultivation level back then was lower than mine and Bamboo Sword's."
"Your hometown can't be that dangerous."
The more he tried to dodge, the more suspicious it looked.
It was clear—Wei Tianchen had already made up his mind to go to the Xuanhuang Realm.
Zhao Xing stopped trying to dissuade him.
From his perspective, returning to the Xuanhuang Realm with two demigods in tow wasn't entirely a bad thing. At least the safety factor would go up a notch.
Zhao Xing entered the formation core of the white jade Wuling Ship and input a set of reference coordinates.
"How long will it take?" Wei Tianchen asked.
"About four years," Zhao Xing estimated after entering the data. "If things go smoothly, maybe even faster."
"Just four years? No rush then." Wei Tianchen thought for a moment and pulled out a golden circlet from his robes.
"What's that for?" Zhao Xing had no idea what weird plan he was hatching now.
"Put it on."
"This is—?"
"A School Artifact. Enlightenment Gold Circlet."
"Grand Physician, you actually managed to get your hands on a treasure like that?"
Zhao Xing obediently put on the gold circlet.
"When caught in the Heavenly Net, you can't cultivate or even use your magic power."
"But the Enlightenment Gold Circlet is different. You can still cultivate the Heart-Seal Method."
Once Zhao Xing put on the circlet, Wei Tianchen reached out and withdrew the divine artifact Heavenly Net from his law body.
The Enlightenment Gold Circlet only allowed one specific technique to be cultivated; all others were sealed.
Wei Tianchen chanted an incantation.
A ring of script glowed on the circlet. Then not only did a golden band appear on Zhao Xing's body, but one appeared atop his soul as well.
On his panel, almost all skills turned gray.
Only the mana section of the Heart-Seal Method was still accessible.
The Enlightenment Gold Circlet was originally created by scholars to help people focus on cultivation. But Wei Tianchen was using it to prevent Zhao Xing from escaping.
Now, Zhao Xing couldn't do anything except cultivate the Heart-Seal Method.
If breaking the divine restriction failed, Wei Tianchen's plan was for Zhao Xing to fully master the Heart-Seal Method and then unseal the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet himself to obtain the god-killing poison inside.
"Take a few steps."
"You want me to walk now? Physician's professional habits are acting up again, huh?" Zhao Xing grumbled inwardly but still did as he was told.
Wei Tianchen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. From now on, focus on cultivating the secret technique here on the ship. Don't wander around."
Zhao Xing had gained a bit of freedom. Of course, he wasn't going to stay stuck with Wei Tianchen. He immediately stepped outside and headed up to the deck.
At that moment, Bamboo Sword Venerable already had a sword in her left hand and was reaching into the flames with her right to grasp another.
"Drawing a sword from fire—you've already retrieved the first one so soon?"
"You're quite knowledgeable. You even know the properties of the Seven-Star Li Huo Divine Sword?" Bamboo Sword Venerable didn't even look up.
"I know a little," Zhao Xing said modestly.
"The Seven-Star Li Huo Divine Sword is trash in the hands of outsiders. Only in the hands of a Sword Sect member can it reveal its divine power. It isn't a physical sword, but the true spirit of swordsmanship."
"You draw the true spirit from the departed fire seven times. Each time you draw it, its true spirit grows stronger, and you gain control over more of the sword's origin."
"If you can draw it seven times, you become a Sword God."
Bamboo Sword Venerable glanced at the Enlightenment Gold Circlet on Zhao Xing's head. "So this is the price of freedom?"
"Not exactly what I'd call freedom," Zhao Xing shook his head and sat cross-legged beside her.
"What are you cultivating?" Bamboo Sword Venerable was clearly in a good mood after retrieving the divine sword, and her words became more frequent.
"Condensing a certain kind of mana."
"I noticed your true spirit hasn't undergone tribulation, yet you've got combat power on par with a Four-Tribulation Imperial Lord. Is it because of that?"
"Pretty much," Zhao Xing nodded.
Blue Flower Mana encompassed everything and could enhance all secret techniques.
Red Lotus Mana contained the Dao of Destruction, with extraordinarily terrifying power.
Azure Abyss Mana strengthened the mind and will, focusing on the protection of the true spirit's will.
These were all spell techniques developed by Fan Qianrou based on her own Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart. Just the mana chapter alone had endless wondrous applications—its value was immeasurable.
"I need to start cultivating first," Zhao Xing said, then closed his eyes. The Enlightenment Gold Circlet was taking effect.
It had a forced focus effect. Now, Zhao Xing had no desire to do anything except cultivate the Heart-Seal Method—not even concerned with life-or-death danger.
Bamboo Sword Venerable also lowered her head again, continuing her study of the Seven-Star Li Huo Divine Sword.
"Zhao Xing, wake up! Wake up!!"
The voice carried a strange heat. Feeling his body suddenly grow hotter and hotter, Zhao Xing abruptly opened his eyes.
What he saw was Bamboo Sword Venerable holding a blazing red Heart Sword and pressing it against him.
"Huh? How did I fall asleep?"
"Where are we?"
Opening his eyes, he found that he was no longer on the ship but standing on a barren hill.
Zhao Xing immediately realized something was off. He was clearly cultivating Azure Abyss Mana on the ship. How did he suddenly end up in the wilderness?
Wei Tianchen was sitting cross-legged a short distance away. His expression was grave—he clearly didn't know what had happened either.
"Zhao Xing, do you remember anything?" Bamboo Sword Venerable asked.
"I remember putting on the Enlightenment Gold Circlet, then sitting next to you and chatting, then starting to cultivate mana," Zhao Xing replied, confused.
"He doesn't remember either," Bamboo Sword Venerable looked toward Wei Tianchen. "Grand Physician, with all your treasures, you still couldn't detect anything unusual?"
The divine artifact beside Wei Tianchen had changed again, clearly indicating that he had been trying one method after another before Zhao Xing woke up.
"Nothing. Bamboo Sword, do you feel anything strange?"
"Your Heart Sword Technique sees through all illusion. Are we trapped in some sort of illusion or dream?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable waved the sword in her hand—a Departed Fire Sword. Its blade reflected her own image.
"Everything is normal. We are neither in a dream nor in an illusion."
"Wait, why are you both asking that?" Zhao Xing looked puzzled. "A dream? You two top-tier experts can't even tell the difference between a dream and reality?"
"We don't know when we arrived here," Bamboo Sword Venerable said in a low voice. "The last thing I remember was studying the Li Huo Divine Sword. The Grand Physician was reading a scripture."
"Then suddenly we snapped out of it and found ourselves on this mountain."
"Neither of us can figure out where this is or how much time has passed."
"It all feels like a dream."
"We don't remember how the dream started, just as we don't remember when we entered this place."
Wei Tianchen stood up. The seven or eight radiant divine artifacts floating around him were all stored away.
Then he stared hard at Zhao Xing.
"Zhao Xing, are you sure you didn't feel anything?"
"No," Zhao Xing said helplessly. "Grand Physician, why are you suspecting me of pulling something?"
"My strength isn't even close to yours. If I had the ability to pull this off, wouldn't I have just run away already?"
Wei Tianchen didn't reply. He just frowned and scanned the surroundings. Bamboo Sword Venerable was also looking at the sky, as if trying to familiarize herself with this realm.
Zhao Xing snapped out of his brief daze and quickly opened his panel.
There was a notification there:
[You have entered the Xuanhuang Realm. Coordinates: Extreme Yang 3, Divine Moon 4, Yuan 342.]
"What the hell? Xuanhuang Realm?!"
Zhao Xing was completely stunned.
When did they come back?
And what was with those strange Xuanhuang Realm coordinates? He didn't understand them at all.
"What are you so shocked about?" Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable immediately noticed Zhao Xing's expression.
"I…" Zhao Xing hesitated.
"We're in your hometown, right?" Wei Tianchen pressed him.
"Yeah," Zhao Xing forced a smile. "But I'm not totally sure anymore… because things have changed a lot."
"Grand Physician, you never said Zhao Xing's hometown was this dangerous," Bamboo Sword Venerable frowned. "This place is much larger than I imagined. My Heart Sword power extended for nearly three quarters of an hour just now and still didn't reach the edge."
"Bamboo Sword, that's exactly why I came here," Wei Tianchen said. "Do you know Qing Yuzi used to be just a lantern-holder tending graves at the Reavatar Divine Palace? But after the Barren Domain Era, he became a Divine Realm expert."
"In this era where cultivation is difficult and tribulations are deadly, for him to achieve such a level—there's no way it was just his own strength."
Zhao Xing was stunned. "Grand Physician, you came here not to unseal things, but to seek opportunities?"
The Xuanling Chronicles had revealed the history of the Ancient Kingdom of Yuanhai. Some were shocked by the Dongyan Ancient Clan's arrogance. Others were furious and lost a lifetime of cultivation. Some mourned the disaster.
But others—like Wei Tianchen—saw the strange and sudden rise of Qing Yuzi to godhood and wanted to find the reason behind it, to replicate his path.
Bamboo Sword Venerable's expression turned cold. "Grand Physician, whatever schemes you're cooking up, I want no part of it."
In a flash, she grabbed Zhao Xing with one hand and pointed her sword at Wei Tianchen with the other. "The deal is off. He's mine now, and we're leaving."
Wei Tianchen didn't stop them. He just watched quietly as Bamboo Sword Venerable flew off with Zhao Xing toward the sky, muttering to himself:
"So naive. This is definitely the work of a Divine Realm expert. If you don't even know how you got in… what makes you think you can get out so easily?"
As expected, Bamboo Sword Venerable flew up with Zhao Xing but quickly descended at an even faster speed.
Wei Tianchen didn't dwell on it. He glanced at Bamboo Sword Venerable, who looked somewhat disheveled, and quickly asked, "What did you find?"
"Cough cough—pfft~" Bamboo Sword Venerable first coughed, then spat out a mouthful of blood.
Zhao Xing was still bewildered. Bamboo Sword Venerable's speed was too fast, and with the Enlightenment Gold Circlet restricting him, he couldn't use any techniques to investigate. In a short amount of time, Bamboo Sword Venerable had taken him up into the sky and brought him back down.
"The laws of the Xuanhuang Realm are off," Bamboo Sword Venerable said, shocked. "With my strength, I can't break through and ascend."
"What?" Both Wei Tianchen and Zhao Xing were startled.
Wei Tianchen was shocked because the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm were so strong. Bamboo Sword, a Sword Venerable, couldn't break through to ascend?
Zhao Xing, on the other hand, was shocked by the unknown changes happening in the Xuanhuang Realm. Originally, one could ascend just by reaching the Dao Domain stage, but now even a half-god couldn't ascend.
"This is completely out of line. What version is this? Why have I never played this?" Zhao Xing was bewildered.
He knew the Xuanhuang Realm wasn't simple, but he hadn't expected it to be this terrifying.
If even half-gods couldn't ascend, did that mean only a Divine Realm expert could ascend?
"Zhao Xing, this is your homeland."
"Don't ask." Zhao Xing said impatiently to Wei Tianchen, "Do I look like I know what's going on? I told you not to come, yet you insisted on coming."
Now that Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen had differing opinions, Zhao Xing no longer treated Wei Tianchen kindly.
"Wei Tianchen, let's part ways here! You go your way, and we'll go ours!"
Wei Tianchen wasn't angered. He just slowly shook his head. "We can't part ways."
Bamboo Sword Venerable raised an eyebrow, and the tip of her sword slightly rose.
Wei Tianchen pointed to the Enlightenment Gold Circlet above Zhao Xing's head. "I had a scholar friend of mine craft this. If it leaves a certain range, it will self-destruct. Bamboo Sword, you're not a Mechanist; you can't undo the restrictions of this ancient cultivation artifact."
This wasn't a creation from the current Learning City; it was made by scholars from the era of the Five Emperors.
"Grand Physician, we don't actually want to leave. In this situation, parting ways would be dangerous. Cooperation is the only way for a win-win situation," Zhao Xing's attitude changed immediately.
He had no choice. This sick pervert, Wei Tianchen, actually had someone craft a "self-destructing Enlightenment Gold Circlet."
Was the punishment for running away being exploded to death?
That friend of yours must be some sort of demonic scholar!
Bamboo Sword Venerable fell into thought, then flung four bamboo swords out.
One flew upwards, one burrowed into the ground, and the other two swept across the surroundings.
The result was that the sword in the sky quickly fell and broke into three pieces, as if struck by lightning.
The one burrowing into the ground got stuck in a crack in the rocks.
The other two flying swords never returned.
A terrifying roar came from the distance.
Although it was just an ordinary mountain, it sent a chill down the spines of all three of them.
"Alright, we'll cooperate. Let's leave this mountain first," Bamboo Sword Venerable agreed.
In reality, Zhao Xing wanted to separate from Wei Tianchen because he was more familiar with this world.
Moreover, Wang Tianzhi was still around. As long as they could leave and find Old Wang, they could find a place to settle down and get a better understanding of the new situation in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Now, though, they couldn't even leave this mountain. They still had to rely on the two big shots leading the way.
"Zhao Xing is from the Xuanhuang Realm. He should lead the way," Bamboo Sword Venerable suggested.
"I can lead the way, but can you take this off?" Zhao Xing pointed to the Enlightenment Gold Circlet on his head.
"No," Wei Tianchen shook his head. "My cultivation has been suppressed, and I can't take it off."
Zhao Xing looked skeptical. "Suppressed cultivation?"
"He's not lying. It really has been suppressed," Bamboo Sword Venerable confirmed.
The flames in her hand had dimmed considerably, and the divine sword that had been mostly drawn out was now left with just the hilt.
"How much cultivation do you have left?" Bamboo Sword Venerable asked.
"We can't say it like that," Wei Tianchen said. "This suppression isn't singular. I haven't felt any reduction in the level of my cultivation, but my true spirit is being restricted. Some techniques can't be used."
"In some aspects, we're still half-gods. For example, my mana, I still have endless mana, but some aspects are restricted by the laws of this world. For example, the technique to control artifacts no longer works. It's like this world doesn't allow such techniques, so I can't take off your Gold Circlet."
"Is that so?" Zhao Xing tried, but the Enlightenment Gold Circlet still couldn't be removed.
According to Wei Tianchen's explanation, it was like the lock was still there, but the key was missing?
"My restrictions are different," Bamboo Sword Venerable thought. "When I threw out the four bamboo swords earlier, only the Heart Sword Technique's enhancement effect still worked. The power of the other sword techniques was greatly reduced, especially in the southeast and the sky."
"There are even directional restrictions?" Zhao Xing also fell into thought.
With the Enlightenment Gold Circlet on, he didn't feel anything special, but when he opened the panel, he saw that many of his skills had turned gray.
All of his techniques, except for the Heart-Seal Method, had turned gray. His inner world was still glowing, but it showed that it was highly restricted.
Zhao Xing had a vague guess in his mind.
"What did you think of?" Bamboo Sword Venerable asked, noticing the shift in Zhao Xing's spirit. She could feel his mind had stirred recently.
"I can't think of much. Everyone is restricted, and this is definitely a god's method." Zhao Xing avoided the question. "I don't know anything about the powers of the Divine Realm. You two probably know more than I do."
Bamboo Sword Venerable said, "I once met a sword god in a certain place. He called himself 'The Lonely Swordsman' and used a bamboo sword to demonstrate thirteen sword techniques for me."
"I only learned four of them, including the Heart Sword Technique."
"He said that the Thirteen Sword Techniques could cut through causality and fate, and it was thanks to them that he helped me cut through the ninth True Spirit tribulation, allowing me to achieve half-god status."
Zhao Xing was stunned. To cut through the ninth True Spirit tribulation with a bamboo sword and help someone attain half-god status? That sounded too fantastical. But then, Wei Tianchen gave a more detailed explanation: "The Wheel of Reavatar's Emperor controls the realm, and a half-god controls the realm of the law. Every path draws from the universe's origin, mastering the origin of the universe. The difference between the realm and the law is that the realm is closer to the essence of the universe's great way."
"When talking about the Divine Realm, one cannot avoid discussing how to become a god."
Wei Tianchen had a broader understanding. As soon as Zhao Xing and Bamboo Sword Venerable heard him talk about the way of becoming a god, they immediately fell silent and listened closely.
"There are three distinct ways to become a god, which were clearly defined in the Five Emperors Era," Wei Tianchen continued.
"The way of self, the way of heaven and earth, and the way of fate."
"After the Five Emperors vanished, the way of fate no longer exists, so it's unnecessary to mention it."
"The way of self is what martial artists like Bamboo Sword practice, focusing on cultivating the small self and attempting to comprehend the Great Dao."
Bamboo Sword Venerable coldly said, "Your words are a bit offensive."
Wei Tianchen responded, "I don't look down on martial artists. Those who walk the way of self, regardless of occupation, all seek the same goal. Whether through physical body techniques, martial arts, mechanisms, or mind, anyone who seeks only the self is walking the way of self."
"Such gods can be called 'Autonomous Gods.'"
Bamboo Sword Venerable snorted, "Then what about the way of heaven and earth?"
Wei Tianchen answered, "That's the way I follow."
Bamboo Sword Venerable snorted dismissively.
Zhao Xing, however, had an inkling of something.
Wei Tianchen raised an eyebrow, looking up at the sky. "The Dao nurtures the heavens and earth, its heart shines through the ages, its power is vast and boundless. That's the way of heaven and earth."
Zhao Xing seemed to have an epiphany. "Old Physician, does the Red Star Emperor count?"
"Count, but also doesn't count." Wei Tianchen nodded. "He created the mechanism soldier Dao, the [Hunyuan Dao Tower]. This object can suppress the inner world. His Dao is beneficial to the Shennong of the Self Way. The stronger the Shennong, the stronger the Emperor will be."
"But he's essentially usurped someone else's Dao. The absence of Divine Realm records in the Primordial Realm isn't without reason."
"His Dao is also narrow and doesn't directly benefit the universe."
"On the other hand, Gu Luohe—forget it, he's doomed to fail."
Bamboo Sword Venerable listened in confusion, but Zhao Xing understood.
Wei Tianchen must know Gu Luohe's ideology.
If Gu Luohe succeeded, then once he reached the Divine Realm, he would be incredibly powerful.
And since Wei Tianchen said he himself was following the same path, it meant he too wanted to address the issue of the Barren Domain's transformation.
However, Wei Tianchen's methods were far less arrogant than Gu Luohe's.
That's why Wei Tianchen believed Gu Luohe wouldn't succeed, but he had hope for his own success.
"The way of heaven and earth is extremely rare. Such gods are called 'True Gods without Tribulation.'" Wei Tianchen looked at Bamboo Sword Venerable. "The way of self can still have divine tribulations. Autonomous Gods are not truly free."
"The way of heaven and earth, however, has no tribulations or disasters, and these are True Gods."
"Bamboo Sword, I'm not looking down on you."
In Zhao Xing's heart, he added a remark: 'I'm saying that everyone here is trash.'
It was clear that Wei Tianchen looked down on the path of becoming a god through the way of self.
He wanted to obtain the Barren God Poison from the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet because he wanted to become a 'True God without Tribulation'!
Eliminating parasitic Divine Realm beings was beneficial to the universe, and he could become a True God without Tribulation among the healers!
"So what you're saying is, a True God without Tribulation is stronger than an Autonomous God?" Bamboo Sword Venerable asked.
"No, I'm talking about the methods of becoming a god and the categories of the Divine Realm, not the specific power rankings," Wei Tianchen said.
"In the Five Emperors Era, those who had just achieved the Great Dao were often weaker than a divine weapon. These were mostly 'Autonomous Gods.' The so-called divine weapons and generals of ancient times were of this tier."
"After the Great Dao stabilized, some became kings of the Dao in certain directions, and that's another tier. These are called Autonomous God Kings or True God Kings. Unless there are particularly outrageous divine objects, they can crush all other Divine Realm beings, regardless of whether they possess divine objects."
"The Five Emperors surpassed all other Divine Realm beings."
"Each of them was a True God without Tribulation."
Zhao Xing looked at the lonely and desolate mountain ridge. "So, you mean, there are people in my homeland who are becoming gods through the Dao?"
Wei Tianchen shook his head again. "With the laws of heaven and earth pressing down, there must be powerful beings in the process of achieving True God without Tribulation. It's likely that Autonomous Gods have already appeared."
"The southeast, where Bamboo Sword sensed, the sword technique's power was reduced. The only reason for that is that his sword Dao was weakened by the presence of someone else."
Zhao Xing was dumbfounded. Which version is this? How come I've never played it before? Not only are there Divine Realm beings from the way of heaven and earth, but there are also Autonomous Gods?
"Zhao Xing, your Xuanhuang Realm has great secrets. Bamboo Sword Venerable and I know nothing about this place. From now on, we'll have to rely on you to find a way out."