The boundary ship hovered in the starry sky, surrounded by drifting meteors. A black whirlwind slowly swept across the shattered crescent ring.
Sensing that the ship had stopped, Zhao Xing immediately looked up.
[You have entered the ruins of the Daye Dynasty: Starhail Pass (coordinates: Solar 3, Fernshade 1, Wood Armor 4).]
"I didn't expect Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword to trade me here."
The Daye Dynasty's star pass was the first star-realm-level dynasty Zhao Xing had encountered after leaving Great Zhou.
Back then, the highest-ranking guardians, Nalan uncle and nephew, were merely at the Origin Realm.
"Everything's changed."
Gazing at the broken remnants scattered across the starscape, Zhao Xing sighed.
After the Dongyan Ancient Clan's sacrificial ritual, even the vassal states of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom were wiped out. The Daye Dynasty no longer existed. The Barren Domain had expanded further, and now this place had become a no-man's land.
"I wonder what Wei Tianchen meant by choosing to make the deal in the Shenluo Barren Domain."
Different Barren Domains had different "traits." The Heitian Barren Domain was known for its "eternal night." This "darkness" wasn't just due to the scarcity of Yin-Yang twin stars—it also made even basic true spirit exploration and mechanized detection almost completely ineffective.
The Siyue Barren Domain's trait was the abundance of "small worlds," like various kinds of [Origin Realms] and [Extinction Realms], and it held the most overlapping mountain realms.
The Sacred Sea Barren Domain was defined by chaos, home to the most void rivers and an ancient ocean from the Dao Era. The Mirage Sea Alliance was born near this domain.
As for the Shenluo Barren Domain, its traits were "isolation" and "descent."
Causality was isolated. Fate was hidden.
Back when the Dongyan Ancient Clan prepared their altar, they had chosen the Shenluo Barren Domain precisely because of this.
It was secluded and couldn't be predicted or tracked by Fate Masters.
Its "descent" trait was the origin of the name Shenluo. It came from the Sifarming Office of the Primordial Hill, and was suspected to reflect the gravitational pull of the Great Land, like the Heitian Barren Domain supposedly being a shadow cast by the Extreme Star.
Of course, that latter theory had no proof. It was just the Primordial Hill trying to hype up their own ideas.
After all, if your Heavenly Timing School's Extreme Star could affect the Barren Domain, why couldn't our Primordial Hill's Great Land do the same?
In this world, your identity is often self-proclaimed.
Seeing that Wei Tianchen would arrive any moment, Zhao Xing decided not to sit and wait. He chose to try saving himself.
"Senior Bamboo Sword."
"Don't call me that."
"Yes... Venerable Bamboo Sword," Zhao Xing corrected himself carefully, then asked, "Can you give me a chance?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable turned his head slightly and listened quietly.
"You captured me simply because Wei Tianchen offered you a price you couldn't refuse."
"At your level, what you seek is nothing more than breaking through to the Divine Realm."
"I'm guessing the task came from the Shadow Sanctuary. The bounty was likely a sword-type divine artifact."
Bamboo Sword Venerable glanced at him. "You're quite aware of your own value."
"That's right. You guessed everything correctly. So, what's next?"
Zhao Xing continued, "Comprehending a divine artifact doesn't guarantee a breakthrough. Venerable, you must've seen it in the Bai Han Realm—Venerable Bai Han had a divine artifact but still didn't break through after so many years."
Bamboo Sword Venerable replied coolly, "Becoming a god in the Barren Domain era is just seeking a sliver of hope. In this world, only a few monstrous talents nurtured by superpowers—like your teacher Gu Luohe—can speak of certainty."
Zhao Xing pointed to himself. "Suppose what I offer is more valuable than a sword-type divine weapon. Something that increases your odds of breaking through. Would you let me go?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable let out a light laugh. "You're trying to bribe me?"
Zhao Xing nodded. "Yes."
Bamboo Sword Venerable said, "Stop dreaming."
Zhao Xing was stunned. "You're not even asking what I'm offering? Or do you not believe I have that kind of bargaining chip?"
The Venerable thought for a moment. "I believe you. But I won't do it."
Zhao Xing was puzzled. "Why?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable said calmly, "I follow the Way of the Sword. Betrayal would cloud my Heart-Sword."
"Don't make that surprised face."
"Taking jobs from the Shadow Sanctuary doesn't conflict with upholding my code."
Zhao Xing had no retort.
The Way of the Sword didn't allow him to go back on his word. If he did, he'd be completely betraying his path.
If his Dao heart crumbled, there'd be no point in even talking about proving the Dao or ascending to godhood.
That might be why Bamboo Sword Venerable had never joined any faction.
Sure, joining a superpower meant living large. He wouldn't need to lift a finger for many things. A half-god like him—
If he were willing to serve an empire, getting a sword-type divine weapon probably wouldn't be too hard.
But once he joined, he'd have to follow orders. Maybe even do things that went against his own heart.
Since the path of bribery was sealed, Zhao Xing felt a heavy weight in his chest.
Truthfully, he really didn't want to fall into Wei Tianchen's hands again. That old pervert was terrifying.
Just then, Bamboo Sword Venerable added, "Still, I'm interested in what you said. If Wei Tianchen doesn't plan to kill you right away, I could come back and rescue you."
"Eh? So what you mean is—"
Bamboo Sword Venerable said, "If I hand you over, the job's done. After that, I can fight him. But of course, you'll have to pay the price."
It made perfect sense. The task would be complete, so rescuing him afterward wouldn't count as betrayal.
Zhao Xing immediately seized the opportunity. "Venerable, have you heard of the Ten Directions Mountain?"
"Of course."
"If I can obtain the First Hexagram of the Ten Directions for you, wouldn't that be worth something?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable laughed. "Are you daydreaming? Let alone the First Hexagram—once I get the Lihuo Divine Sword, even the Second Hexagram will be more than enough."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Alright, then the Second Hexagram."
Bamboo Sword Venerable's smile gradually faded, his expression turning serious. "Are you being serious?"
"Absolutely," Zhao Xing said. "The Second Era of the Barren Domain is ending soon. Once the Third Era begins, the Ten Directions Mountain will soon emerge."
"You're not a Fate Officer. How will you help me?"
"I have a Fate Officer friend. By working with him, we'll be able to locate the Ten Directions Mountain in advance and ask for a hexagram on your behalf."
"That's impossible." Bamboo Sword Venerable shook his head. "When the Ten Directions Mountain manifests, all Fate Officers will sense it simultaneously. That's the moment its location is fixed. There's no such thing as finding it early."
"Anyone ascending the mountain at any time will have a fair chance at obtaining a Ten Directions Hexagram."
"The Ten Directions Mountain is still a mountain," Zhao Xing said.
"And?" the Venerable asked.
"I am a Shennong," Zhao Xing said, pointing to himself.
Bamboo Sword Venerable showed no reaction.
Zhao Xing added helplessly, "Perhaps you're not familiar with me, Venerable. You can look into my record. Just check what I did in the Siyue Barren Domain. It won't take much time."
He realized that Bamboo Sword Venerable must have only recently emerged from seclusion. In other words, this guy had just gotten "online."
Explaining it all himself would be exhausting. Better to let Bamboo Sword verify it.
Without another word, Bamboo Sword Venerable walked to the Star Mirror and contacted someone from the Shadow Sanctuary for a detailed inquiry into Zhao Xing's achievements.
About half an hour later, he turned back and scrutinized Zhao Xing with a new gaze, as if re-evaluating him.
"'Dao Tree Codex,' 'Eternal Spring'—you actually solved the problem of the Overlapping Realms Mountains."
He had just spoken to a Shennong from the Shadow Sanctuary and learned about Zhao Xing's "glorious accomplishments."
Bamboo Sword Venerable found Zhao Xing's fame to be surprisingly widespread. That Shennong, who was an Eight-Tribulation Emperor Lord, held Zhao Xing in extremely high regard.
They had enthusiastically recounted Zhao Xing's two great works in detail.
Bamboo Sword Venerable now understood just how significant solving the problem of the Overlapping Realms Mountains was for the Shennong profession.
No wonder, during Wei Tianchen's first attempt to capture Zhao Xing, even half-gods from both the Primordial Hill and the Origin Realm had taken action.
Even Gu Luohe had personally gone to rescue him.
Back then, Zhao Xing had just broken through to the Dao Domain Realm. Bamboo Sword Venerable had wondered why someone so low-ranked warranted involvement from Gu Luohe and half-gods of the Primordial Hill.
Now, after hearing all that, he understood.
Bamboo Sword Venerable even felt that the bounty offered by Wei Tianchen was too low.
Even offering two divine artifacts for Zhao Xing would have been reasonable!
Seeing that the Venerable finally had a grasp of his worth, Zhao Xing let out a small breath of relief. "Would you be willing to take this task, Venerable?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable didn't respond right away. Instead, he fell into deep thought.
After that, he didn't bring it up again. He just waited silently for Wei Tianchen to arrive.
About half a day later, near the edge of the Shenluo Barren Domain, a vortex in the void suddenly appeared. A white jade Wuling Vessel, fluttering the banner of the Glazed Emperor, emerged and approached Bamboo Sword's boundary ship.
This Wuling Vessel was Wei Tianchen's personal craft. It held many of his Reavatar Avatars and could be considered his mobile stronghold.
Zhao Xing remembered it well. It was the very ship he had once boarded, and even half-gods from the Primordial Hill hadn't managed to break its defenses.
"Whoosh—"
Bamboo Sword Venerable gripped Zhao Xing and appeared in the void.
Soon, Wei Tianchen also jumped down from the ship.
His gaze landed on Zhao Xing, who wore a faintly helpless expression. The corners of Wei Tianchen's lips lifted slightly. "Shennong Zhao, long time no see."
Zhao Xing remained silent. What was with that friendly greeting? Who the hell wanted to see you again?
But Wei Tianchen didn't get closer. He was clearly waiting for something.
Soon, the void trembled once more. A palace with a dark, shadowy hue emerged.
A stairway extended from the palace, and a black-robed figure descended.
Upon seeing the Shadow Sanctuary and the robed man, both Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable stepped forward and ascended the stairway platform.
Once both sides were in position, the black-robed figure asked routinely, "Old Healer, Bamboo Sword—did you bring what the contract stipulated?"
"He's right here," Bamboo Sword Venerable said, pushing Zhao Xing forward.
The robed man took out a token and performed a spell in the air that swept over Zhao Xing. He then nodded. "Confirmed. This is Zhao Xing's original body. All ninety-six split souls are present, bound by the Heart-Sword Technique."
"The goods are here."
Wei Tianchen waved his sleeve, and the Seven-Star Lihuo Sword appeared before him.
However, it didn't look like a sword at all. It looked more like a gentle flame, with only a faint sword embryo silhouette inside.
"Seven-Star Lihuo Divine Sword—verified," the black-robed man said. "Both parties, proceed with the exchange."
Wei Tianchen pushed the divine sword toward Bamboo Sword Venerable.
Bamboo Sword Venerable took the sword, then pushed Zhao Xing forward as well.
Wei Tianchen pulled out a multicolored net. The net emitted a light, airy melody and transformed into a square-shaped cage.
Zhao Xing realized that once he was caught in the net, he could no longer use the distance-free teleportation of the Primordial Straw Puppet Technique.
He immediately understood—this had to be another divine artifact.
With that, under the supervision of the Shadow Sanctuary, the transaction between both parties was completed.
"Employment task concluded. You two may now leave freely."
Once both parties had retreated to a safe distance, the black-robed man watched as the stairway retracted and the Shadow Sanctuary once again vanished into the void.
But neither Wei Tianchen nor Bamboo Sword Venerable left immediately.
Though they weren't close, the two had long known each other.
At that moment, Bamboo Sword was transmitting a message to Wei Tianchen.
After a brief exchange, Wei Tianchen's expression turned interesting. He looked at Zhao Xing. "What did you promise Bamboo Sword that he actually wants to keep you alive?"
Zhao Xing said nothing. He had no way of knowing what Bamboo Sword had just said to Wei Tianchen.
Wei Tianchen chuckled. "Zhao Xing, you really are something. You actually talked Bamboo Sword into this with nothing but words."
Zhao Xing replied flatly, "Hardly. I could never compare to you. You've survived under a superpower's bounty and managed to catch me twice."
Wei Tianchen stroked his beard. "If you'd been honest back then, things wouldn't have come to this. Still, you're overthinking this time. I don't plan to kill you."
Zhao Xing didn't believe a word of it. But then, Wei Tianchen actually opened the boundary of his vessel and let Bamboo Sword Venerable on board.
"Bamboo Sword," Wei Tianchen said, "once I've accomplished my goal, I'll hand him over to you unharmed."
Bamboo Sword Venerable nodded. "Besides guarding this fellow for a while, I now owe you a personal favor."
Zhao Xing had only expected Bamboo Sword to look for an opportunity to rescue him or, at worst, notify the Empire's Primordial Realm.
He hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
Could it really be that easy to survive?
But thinking more carefully, Wei Tianchen might not need to kill him after all.
Things had changed. Zhao Xing now knew the secret of the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet. Wei Tianchen was already wanted. Silencing him was no longer necessary.
As long as his objective was achieved, passing Zhao Xing off to Bamboo Sword as a favor would be no trouble.
More so since Bamboo Sword had promised to offer protection.
Wei Tianchen might possess many divine artifacts, but as a healer, he wasn't particularly good in combat and couldn't act too often.
Having a Sword Venerable nearby to assist was actually ideal.
Bamboo Sword Venerable didn't mind. He had just obtained the Seven-Star Lihuo Divine Sword and needed time to study it anyway. Where he studied it didn't matter.
And since Wei Tianchen was an expert in hiding, tagging along with him saved the trouble of finding a hiding place himself. Plus, he could still harvest a chance at the Ten Directions Mountain from Zhao Xing.
In short, keeping Zhao Xing alive was a win-win for both parties.
But for Zhao Xing, the danger wasn't over.
Wei Tianchen had said he'd let him go—after achieving his goal.
And that goal didn't seem easy to reach.
"~"
Bamboo Sword Venerable was on the deck, studying the Seven-Star Lihuo Sword. Wei Tianchen, meanwhile, brought Zhao Xing into the ship's interior.
The two sat across from each other as the fragrance of tea filled the air.
"Zhao Xing, you should know why I've invited you back this second time." Wei Tianchen poured a pot of tea and slid it over.
"I know."
Wei Tianchen gestured outside. "Things aren't what they used to be. I have no need to kill you now. And with Bamboo Sword Venerable backing you, you'll survive."
"As long as you return what rightfully belongs to me, we can all be at peace. What do you think?"
Zhao Xing remained calm. "What do you want?"
He needed to see how much Wei Tianchen already knew.
Wei Tianchen said, "The unsealing technique left by Fan Qianrou. Her Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet—there's still a final layer I can't unlock. Since you healed and your power has actually increased, it's impossible that you didn't get her secret method. I'm a healer. I can sense it—your magic power is of the same origin as the aura on the chest."
Hearing this, Zhao Xing knew he couldn't hide it anymore.
There was no helping it. Wei Tianchen was knowledgeable and a semi-divine healer who had passed through fourteen tribulations.
Not as extreme as Bo Wei, perhaps, but in this Barren Era, that was already peak-tier among semi-divine beings.
Deceiving him wouldn't be easy.
Still, Zhao Xing didn't intend to hide. He was going to tell part of the truth.
"You're right. I did get Fan Qianrou's secret technique," Zhao Xing admitted.
"I'd like to cooperate with you, but I can't teach it to you. It's not that I don't want to—it's that I can't."
"It's protected by divine prohibition. It's like a law of heaven and earth. It doesn't allow me to pass it on."
Wei Tianchen asked, "Can you at least tell me the name of the technique?"
Zhao Xing said, "Heart-Seal Method. I've cultivated the basic magic power chapter."
Wei Tianchen flipped his hand and brought out the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet. "Since you've learned it, then unlock this for me."
Zhao Xing held his breath. "I can't."
He knew exactly what was inside.
That was the terrifying poison that had caused Fan Qianrou's death—Desolate God Poison.
Even gods would die from it. To let it out?
Seeing Zhao Xing hesitate, Wei Tianchen frowned. "You know what's in here, don't you?"
"Answer me!"
Zhao Xing's law body was bound by the colorful net, and he immediately felt a wave of pain.
But Wei Tianchen soon released the restraint of the divine net.
"Don't make me take action again."
"It's a kind of deadly poison."
"A poison that can kill beings of the divine realm."
He was hoping to see fear on Wei Tianchen's face—but instead, the man only grew more excited.
"What kind of poison?"
"I can't say."
"What does it do?"
"I don't know."
"What exactly did Fan Qianrou tell you?"
"She told me to bring the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet to the current Divine Sovereign. She said only the Divine Sovereign could handle it."
Wei Tianchen's breathing quickened.
Clearly, the contents of the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet were beyond even his expectations.
To be able to kill Fan Qianrou, and to require the Divine Sovereign to handle it?
"I can't open it. Really—I can't," Zhao Xing said. "It's not an unsealing technique, it's a reinforcement sealing method."
Wei Tianchen believed him.
If it was really that terrifying—enough to poison a god—then there was no way Fan Qianrou would casually allow such a dangerous substance to be released.
If it were Wei Tianchen himself, he'd have made the same arrangements.
And even if it were possible, Zhao Xing's current cultivation wasn't high enough to manage it.
So things fell into a stalemate once again.
Zhao Xing had the secret technique, but couldn't open the chest.
Wei Tianchen had the cultivation and background, but not the method.
And the Heart-Seal Method couldn't be passed on.
It was a soul-bound secret technique.
After verifying everything, Wei Tianchen quickly began thinking.
Soon, he came up with two potential solutions.
The first was to find a way to break the divine prohibition, making the Heart-Seal Method transferable.
If he could learn it, he'd have a shot at unlocking the chest.
The second was to help Zhao Xing fully master the Heart-Seal Method, making him stronger, and then work with him to open the chest.
There was no such thing as an absolutely unbreakable seal. Everything could be cracked eventually.
Wei Tianchen had divine items, so the first option might be feasible in the short term.
The second was a last resort—and very time-consuming.
Raising Zhao Xing's strength also came with major risks.
The Primordial Straw Puppet Technique was too powerful. If Zhao Xing became stronger, it'd be hard to guarantee he wouldn't use it to escape.
Wei Tianchen carefully confirmed the details of Zhao Xing's contact with the chest. After some silent consideration, he had made up his mind.
Zhao Xing, on the other hand, was growing nervous. He had no idea what Wei Tianchen might do next.
He'd seen the man's writings in the white jade Wuling boat's library—shocking ideas, like how the Barren Domain was a kind of cosmic illness, and cultivators were parasites. Kill off enough parasites, and the Barren Domain would heal on its own.
Wei Tianchen had even casually critiqued the Gu brothers.
It was obvious—this man never followed the rules, and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.
If he couldn't get what he wanted this time, he might really just kill him on the spot.
And he wasn't guaranteed to honor his promise to Bamboo Sword Venerable.
"Zhao Xing, I remember you ascended from the Shenluo Barren Domain, right? It must've been hard, surviving such a harsh place."
The question came out of nowhere, and Zhao Xing didn't expect the topic to change so suddenly. How did they go from discussing the Seven Stars Fighting Cabinet to small talk?
"Yes, I did ascend from the Shenluo Barren Domain. It was quite difficult," Zhao Xing said.
"I'll find a way to remove Fan Qianrou's divine prohibition so you can pass the technique to me," Wei Tianchen said.
"Now that Bamboo Sword and I are both wanted, we'll need a secret and safe place to work on removing the divine restriction."
"For the time being, we plan to stay in the Shenluo Barren Domain."
Wei Tianchen looked at Zhao Xing and suddenly brought up the past. "The resurrection preparations for the Gu God of the Dongyan Ancient Clan were carried out in the Shenluo Barren Domain."
"The Dongyan Ancient Clan hid there for a long time. That place must've been secure and well-concealed."
"And Qing Yuzi, who orchestrated everything, had an even more secretive base back then."
Zhao Xing paused. Was this guy implying…?
Wei Tianchen chuckled. "You were chosen by Qing Yuzi during the Yuanghai incident to help with the Dongyan Clan's plot. That allowed Shunfeng to revive and break into the divine realm."
"I went through your history. You ascended from the Shenluo Barren Domain, joined the Purple God Sect, returned the reincarnated remains of Qing Yuzi, and everything else followed from there."
"So, I'm guessing that Qing Yuzi's safe hideout is actually your hometown, right?"
"Zhao Xing, you'll lead us there!"
Zhao Xing's expression turned odd.
The Xuanhuang Realm was definitely secretive… but safe?