The Divide

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions shook the heavens as thunderous cannon blasts crashed violently against the barrier surrounding the Blood Moon Holy Land, shaking it to its core as if it might collapse at any moment. Hundreds of airships burst forth from the void, descending upon the sacred land like a frenzied pack of wolves hunting prey.

"Damn it all!! The Sect Leader is dead! Wake the Ancestors up now!!"

A furious roar erupted from one of the high elders of the Blood Moon Holy Land. With a sweeping motion of his arm, he opened a path for the weaker disciples to retreat inward and immediately ordered the activation of the innermost defensive formations.

Meanwhile, things fared no better at the Immortal Feather Holy Land. Relentless assaults had left them with no time to breathe. Their barrier shattered completely, and an overwhelming fleet of airships surged in without hesitation.

At that very moment, a colossal black dragon parted the clouds and soared toward the Wu Clan's estate. But what it encountered caused it to stop mid-air.

A thick pink mist blanketed the entire territory. Dozens of airships from various Holy Lands hovered above the ruined estate of the Wu Clan, circling like vultures awaiting a feast.

Atop the dragon's head, Sui Zimeng mother of Wu Zhao narrowed her eyes as she observed the pink fog swirling below.

"Poison… is it?"

Her voice was as soft as the wind, yet carried an undeniable weight. The mist contained a complex mix of toxins. Even with her elevated cultivation, directly inhaling such a concentrated blend could still cause her body to fall ill.

She stood silently for a moment, then slowly raised her hand and waved it lightly.

Fwoosh...

In an instant, the poison mist was dispersed as if it had never existed. The destruction of the Wu Clan estate was laid bare before her eyes.

Wu Wen, father of Wu Zhao, descended into the heart of the wreckage. His face was expressionless, and his gaze icy as he took in the ruins around him.

"Who… did this?"

He spoke in a quiet tone, but the pressure in his voice halted the flow of air itself.

No one answered.

His eyes turned to the airships from the various Holy Lands surrounding him, and he spoke again, clearly and coldly.

"Kill."

With a single word—

Boom!!

All members of the Wu Clan mounted atop the black dragon launched themselves at the airships like a pack of ravenous wolves!

"Wait! We're not the ones who—"

Boom!!

That airship exploded midair, vanishing in a fiery blaze.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Wu Clan's Great Emperors hunted down their enemies without discrimination. Wu Wen knew full well... these people weren't the true culprits. But he didn't care about the truth anymore. What he wanted now was blood.

An ocean of blood... to bring his son back to life.

In a matter of moments, not a single soul remained. Saints, Half-Emperors, even Great Emperors—if they were not of the Wu Clan, they were executed without mercy on the spot.

Above them, Sui Zimeng remained still, but her power was already sweeping through the past, tracing the threads of fate to identify who had truly destroyed the Wu Clan. But suddenly, an unusual message echoed within her mind.

"Looking for your dear daddy's story?"

Her eyes changed color instantly. A jet-black aura surged from her body, erupting out of control.

"Which damned insect dares toy with me like this!?"

[ (•̯́ ₃ •̯̀) ]

She flicked her hand with a twitch of fury.

Fwoosh!

In that instant... countless people who did not belong to the Wu Clan were reduced to a mist of blood. Regardless of cultivation level, if they were below Great Emperor, they were instantly obliterated.

The blood mist swirled as if sentient, returning to her and flowing into the body of her son without resistance.

Then... she drew out a mysterious vial and poured its contents onto Wu Zhao's corpse.

Blood from the air surged into his body at once.

In the blink of an eye... Wu Zhao's body began to regenerate rapidly. His head slowly began to grow back.

Suddenly, Wu Zhao's eyes snapped open.

He had been resurrected! Though his body still trembled from the confusion, the very first thing he did was reach up and touch his own forehead before shouting in panic.

"System! System!! SYSTEM!!!"

There was no response... only a floating message appeared within his mind.

[The system is currently undergoing self-recovery. Estimated downtime: 1 year. Please be patient, Host.]

Wu Zhao's face turned deathly pale.

"LEI CHENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!"

Wu Zhao screamed Lei Chen's name in sheer rage. But in that very moment, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Urghaaaaaah!"

His cultivation began to disintegrate. In just the blink of an eye, Wu Zhao had been reduced to little more than a cripple. His entire cultivation had collapsed, and the unique foundation of his body had been completely destroyed along with it.

Sui Zimeng raised her hand to steady his body before muttering quietly, "Poison again...?"

In the Immortal River Holy Land, atop Pure Light Peak, the golden light of dusk streamed gently through the towering trees. A cool breeze whispered through the leaves. The scent of fragrant rice and warm dishes drifted lazily through the air. The atmosphere was so peaceful, it was hard to believe that a brutal war had just ended not long before.

Lei Chen sat with his four junior disciples. Across from them was Han Ming. All of them were eating quietly, without formality. This was not a training session, nor a meeting of masters and disciples, but something... different. Something difficult to put into words.

The five of them had taken restorative pills to help their bodies recover fully, as well as purge the aftereffects of the energy-enhancing pills they had consumed earlier. Not even the slightest side effect remained.

Lei Chen, having just killed his former master and vanquished his enemy, sat with eyes as calm as ever. His expression, his demeanor none of it had changed. Cold. Silent. Unshaken. The same as he had been for the past seven days.

Han Ming looked across at Lei Chen and spoke with a relaxed tone.

"How do you feel, Lei Chen?"

Lei Chen offered a faint smile before replying softly.

"I feel good... though, a little empty inside."

Han Ming smirked at the corner of his lips.

"Your story isn't over yet. Your enemies haven't all been defeated. The force behind Wu Zhao... comes from the Upper Realm. Right now... I'm sure they've already brought him back. But his body must be ruined, and his cultivation likely destroyed too... from the poison on your blade."

Lei Chen continued to smile. His sword had been coated with several potent types of poison. Even if Wu Zhao had been brought back, he would remain crippled for quite some time. He'd received the poison from Han Ming, and if he remembered correctly, Han Ming had once told him that the poison worked by altering white blood cells normally used to eliminate foreign invaders—into devouring the host's own cells instead.

But upon hearing the words "Upper Realm," Lei Chen immediately asked,

"What is the Upper Realm, Master?"

Han Ming set down his chopsticks before replying.

"The world we live in… its true name is the Twenty-Third Boundless Spirit World, a satellite realm orbiting the true Boundless Spirit World."

Lei Chen raised an eyebrow. "A satellite realm?"

Han Ming nodded.

"Put simply, realms like ours are known as Lower Realms, or Minor Worlds. There are at least a thousand such worlds. Among them, our world is especially rich in spiritual energy and resources. We're ranked among the top ten Lower Realms, which is why so many Great Emperors have emerged from here."

"Su Baining, Rong Lixian, Feng Huangjun… all three of them are originally from the true Boundless Spirit World, the so-called Upper Realm."

Upon hearing that, Rong Lixian and Feng Huangjun visibly flinched. One of them had memory loss, and the other had never known in the first place. But Su Baining remained as calm as ever—her eyes, her expression, unchanged in the slightest.

Lei Chen was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Master… for dragging trouble to your doorstep."

Han Ming chuckled softly.

"It's nothing. Our Holy Land's current leader is actually the eldest granddaughter of the main branch of the Holy Land in the Upper Realm. And she… was even nominated to become the next Sacred Daughter of that Holy Land."

"In the end, don't waste your energy overthinking. Let whatever's going to happen, happen. I know each of you has your own burdens to bear, but as long as you're strong enough… there will always be a way forward. If not directly… then indirectly."

The four disciples who had been listening silently stood up in unison and spoke with firm voices.

"Understood, Master!"

Han Ming gave a slight nod and smiled faintly before pulling out a jade slip and activating a certain function.

"From now on, the Combat Pavilion will be open 24 hours a day. As for any resources you need, go ahead and take whatever you want from behind the mountain. There's no limit—use as much as you need."

With those words, the five disciples each turned and disappeared into the dimension of the Combat Pavilion, leaving only Han Ming sitting quietly alone.

A trace of boredom flickered in his eyes as he reflected on the outcome of the recent battle. He was far from satisfied. The unexpected variable Wu Zhao's mother had completely overturned their advantage. Just when victory was within reach, everything had been twisted out of their hands. In the end, it felt like all they had done amounted to nothing.

He still didn't understand Su Zimeng's true reason for not attacking the Holy Land of the Immortal River. But he was fairly certain… it had something to do with Mu Nansi.

Han Ming stood, taking a deep breath to fill his lungs before murmuring,

"System, isolate this area. No one is to be aware of my presence."

[Got it, Host.]

In the blink of an eye, the exterior of Pure Light Peak remained unchanged, but within, it was as though the space had been severed from reality itself. It floated in silence, completely cut off—like a realm of its own.

Han Ming extended his hand and drew a strange force out of the air.

It was a fragment… of Wu Zhao's villain system.

[W-Wait when did you take that!? No, more importantly how did you even manage to steal it!?]

Han Ming simply smiled coldly, his expression empty and emotionless. He gave no reply.