“In a blink, it’s already been sixty years…”

In a valley with clear mountains and beautiful waters on the eastern side of Mingri Xinghai, pavilions and towers had been built layer upon layer.

Duobao Daoist Zhou Jun, who had served the Miracle Doctor for many years, looked up at the plaque above his head inscribed with the three characters “Saochen Studio” and couldn’t help but sigh.

This plaque was entirely black, made from the “Three-Branch Wood” that grew exclusively in the Eastern Sea Strait.

Sixty years ago, to celebrate the Miracle Doctor’s successful refinement of an eighth-grade treasure pill, various forces in Mingri Xinghai had all sent congratulatory gifts to show their goodwill.

That new Sword Emperor with blood on his hands hadn’t come in person, but had also sent this piece of Three-Branch Wood.

The Miracle Doctor had stared at this piece of wood for a long time, finally sighing deeply, and using Heavenly Square Ink, inscribed the three characters “Saochen Studio” on it, hanging it above the main gate of Saochen Valley from then on.

Once hung, it had remained there until today.

Sixty years was almost a lifetime for short-lived mortals.

But for the land of the Nineteen Continents, it was merely enough to make yesterday’s saplings taller and thicker, to let yesterday’s small paths be covered by wild grass, and to add a trace of time’s marks to mountains and rivers…

Sixty years, and Yashan’s solitary peak still stood tall with dangerous swords; sixty years, and Kunwu’s eleven peaks still surrounded like stars around the moon; sixty years, and Mingri Xinghai still hadn’t welcomed the legendary most brilliant “tomorrow”…

Here, prosperous buildings were constructed in huge basins, covering the dark corners.

People living in drunken dreams frequented brothels and entertainment quarters, filled with worldly atmosphere; there was no lack of long-bearded, white-haired elders flying through the clouds on artifacts, their traces untraceable; occasionally there were drunken swordsmen singing while holding their swords, carrying wine gourds and stumbling by the roadside in elegant poses…

Today, however, the autumn was crisp, with clear winds and blue skies.

It was the time when Saochen Studio annually led medicine boys to gather herbs in the eastern mountains.

These were all medicine boys who had just entered Foundation Establishment stage, currently waiting at the mountain gate.

Duobao Daoist Zhou Jun looked at that plaque for a while, recalling the various ups and downs of these years, finally shaking his head. Calculating the time, he turned back to organize things and called for the medicine boys to set out.

“Mingri Xinghai is located in Right Three Thousand, the eastern part of the Central Region.”

“I’m sure you all know that the easternmost part of the Nineteen Continents is the legendary entrance to the Extreme Realm, though it has been sealed for many years. Across a strait, that side is the isolated island of the mortal realm. A sky-covering peach tree grows in the strait, cutting off the path of passage, so from then on mortals seeking immortality could only come through the Western Sea Immortal Road’s thirteen islands.”

“Therefore, going east from the Star Sea, all are extremely dangerous places, producing medicinal materials, but also claiming lives.”

With a serious expression, wearing a brown robe fluttering in the wind, Zhou Jun held a whisk in his hand. While speaking, he had already stepped on a cloud, leading the medicine boys to fly into mid-air, pointing to the vast mountains in the distance and explaining to them.

The medicine boys immediately restrained their excitement from departing.

They had all apprenticed under the Miracle Doctor.

Over the years, power in Mingri Xinghai had frequently changed hands, but among the three great figures, only the “Miracle Doctor’s” position had never wavered.

This was because he was one of the rare master-level alchemists in the Nineteen Continents, seldom targeted or troubled by others.

Even the “new Sword Emperor” who had made his name sixty years ago and could stir up winds and clouds in the Nineteen Continents treated him with special courtesy.

They were all talented individuals, naturally understanding what promising prospects lay in being favored by the Miracle Doctor’s discerning eye. At this moment, they immediately pricked up their ears and listened carefully.

Only then did Zhou Jun’s face show a satisfied expression.

He had finished explaining the basic situation when they had already crossed the easternmost edge of Mingri Xinghai and in a blink entered the range of the eastern mountains: “We’ll descend from here and begin gathering according to the ‘Hundred Herbs Manual’—”

“Boom!”

Before he could finish speaking, across the originally clear and cloudless sky suddenly streaked a earth-shaking thunder, directly interrupting him!

The medicine boys, who had only recently learned to control artifacts, almost all lost their composure under such a terrifying thunderclap, their bodies swaying, unable to steady the magical tools beneath their feet.

Even Zhou Jun, a Golden Core late-stage cultivator, nearly fell headfirst from mid-air!

This shock was extraordinary!

He was utterly terrified, forgetting everything else, hastily casting a spell to stabilize his aerial state before looking up.

With this look, his expression changed dramatically in an instant!

The originally azure sky curtain had completely disappeared at this moment.

After the thunder rolled past, black heavy clouds pressed down, covering the sky and blocking the sun. The vast mountains were swept by fierce winds, all covered by shadows, as if plunged into deep night.

Moreover, countless deep purple lightning bolts wandered among the layered clouds, carrying an aura of annihilation!

Tribulation clouds—these were actually tribulation clouds!

And from their position in the air, they couldn’t see the edges with a single glance, not knowing how vast the area covered by these tribulation clouds truly was—

Probably no less than a hundred li!

Upon seeing those wandering lightning bolts, Zhou Jun’s heart turned cold with terror. When had he ever seen such terrifying tribulation clouds? Searching his memory, only thirty years ago when Yinxue Pavilion’s Sword Emperor Qu Zhengfeng broke through Soul Separation and advanced to worldly realm had there been such a spectacle!

Heaven…

Could it be that another “old monster” level great figure was about to break through?

At this critical moment, Zhou Jun dared not delay. He couldn’t spare time to think carefully about what high-realm great figures remained in Mingri Xinghai, so he immediately shouted sternly to the medicine boys: “Quick, quick, hurry away from this tribulation cloud area!”

If they were unlucky enough to be within this tribulation cloud’s range and be affected, how could he, a Golden Core stage cultivator with these Foundation Establishment youngsters, leave behind complete corpses?

As soon as he spoke, more than ten medicine boys were all terrified, fleeing like birds as they controlled their artifacts back toward where they came from.

Zhou Jun immediately followed behind them, preventing any medicine boy from falling midway. His heart was beating like a drum, only praying that none would fall behind, while wishing he could abandon these medicine boys and run first.

Those who could survive in Mingri Xinghai were actually not good people.

In his early years, he had done countless deeds of killing and robbing. Only after taking refuge with the Medicine King and breaking through to Golden Core did he restrain himself somewhat and begin cultivating his character.

So at this moment, having such thoughts was perfectly normal.

But unexpectedly, while his heart was in turmoil, after running for less than two breaths, he discovered that the tribulation clouds overhead were also moving!

In just ten breaths, before anyone could react, this vast, sky-covering terrifying tribulation cloud had already moved majestically away from above their heads.

The azure sky curtain reappeared.

The ground-sweeping fierce winds also disappeared.

The terrifying aura that had just shrouded the entire land seemed like a dream.

In his bewilderment, Zhou Jun looked back and discovered: contrary to their direction of movement, these tribulation clouds like raging tidal beasts were heading toward an even more eastern direction.

In the blink of an eye, only a dark shadow remained.

That location…

In his lingering shock, Zhou Jun calculated with his fingers and immediately broke out in cold sweat: “Ghost, Ghost Gate…”

No way?

That place was legendarily somewhere only the last three realms—Void Return, Boundary, and Heaven-Reaching—great powers could safely traverse!

Someone was actually crossing tribulation in that place?

Almost at the same time Zhou Jun calculated the tribulation cloud’s center position, great cultivators throughout the Nineteen Continents also sensed the terrifying changes in heaven and earth’s power, looking in this direction.

But those tribulation clouds were too thick, and the location was special, near the Extreme Realm’s Ghost Gate entrance.

Even with heaven-reaching, earth-penetrating power, they temporarily couldn’t see clearly.

Only moments later, this terrifying tribulation cloud became ink-like in color, and instantly thick lightning bolts crashed down like violent storms toward the sky below!

That momentum was as crazy as if someone had taken the wrong immortal medicine!

Even from such a distance, they could feel that terrifying might!

Zhou Jun watched from afar, cold sweat streaming down.

He felt that any random lightning bolt from within could strike him dead, exploding his body and shattering his core!

It took a full two quarters of an hour before the tribulation thunder power contained in the tribulation clouds gradually exhausted.

The crazy lightning became sparse, the thick tribulation clouds also thinned, and soon transformed into wisps of cloud qi, dissipating under the sky curtain.

At the horizon’s end, a patch of azure blue was finally restored.

The Foundation Establishment medicine boys behind had long been watching with pale faces.

Zhou Jun also couldn’t speak a word, but looking at that horizon’s end, he suddenly felt intense curiosity: Who exactly was crossing tribulation? Did they succeed? Should he…

Go over and take a look?

But that place was the “Ghost Gate”…

“At the eastern extreme of the Nineteen Continents, there is Mount Dushuo. Above grows a great peach tree, its twisted coils spanning three thousand li, between its northeastern branches is the Ghost Gate, where myriad ghosts pass in and out…”

This passage of text emerged from the depths of memory.

But there was no record stating that this Mount Dushuo was originally at sea.

An island-like mountain.

In the strait between the easternmost Nineteen Continents and the isolated island of the mortal realm, shrouded in thick sea mist, only vague outlines could be seen, along with that largest and only great peach tree on the mountain.

Flowers brilliant as rosy clouds bloomed all over the tree, like a giant umbrella, almost covering most of the strait.

The sweet flower fragrance, mixed with the ocean’s tidal air, combined into a strange scent.

At this moment, Jian Chou, covered in bloody wounds, lay beside this peach tree on the mountain.

Looking at those endless cloud-like flowers, then smelling that strange scent, intense pain pulled her dazed consciousness back. Finally understanding her situation, she could only smile bitterly—

She had thought that breaking through while in the Extreme Realm, advancing to Nascent Soul in one step, would mean not having to cross tribulation.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t that retribution wouldn’t come, but that the time hadn’t arrived; it wasn’t that she wouldn’t cross tribulation, but wait until you exit the Extreme Realm, then I’ll bombard you wildly, striking you until you can’t even find north!

This was her first time facing such a major spectacle completely unprepared.

After all, she had just opened her eyes from that dream-like “drifting,” not yet having time to be happy about seeing such beautiful skylight again and smelling fresh flower fragrance.

All around, thunder rolled like the end of the world.

A barrage of tribulation thunder crashed down crazily from the sky.

Jian Chou, who hadn’t even understood the situation clearly, was directly struck to the ground, temporarily having no power to resist.

If not for her cultivation to Jade Nirvana realm in the Extreme Realm, and having practiced the “Human Vessel” to the sixth level, she would probably have already become a wisp of departed soul under this tribulation thunder!

Just returning to the Nineteen Continents, she received such a “great gift”—it was truly…

Quite a surprise.

She blinked with some effort, smiling wryly in her heart, but her eyes reflected the azure blue that had returned to the sky above, with a trace of faint sentiment passing through.

Long time no see.

Familiar Nineteen Continents, familiar sky curtain.

The grim Extreme Realm had always only gray-yellow skies that never brightened, day and night almost unchanged. How could one see such transparent skies there?

A smile slowly appeared at the corner of Jian Chou’s lips.

She lay on the moist earth for a moment without moving, just gazing at this sky, at the brilliant cloud-like canopy overhead, quietly waiting for the spiritual power in her body to expel the residual force of tribulation thunder and repair her bodily injuries.

After a full half hour, when her injuries recovered, she finally rose from the ground.

Surrounding this one frighteningly large peach tree, not a trace of other vegetation could be seen—it was completely a mountain made of reef stones.

It was surrounded by sea on all sides, like a solitary island.

On the sea surface were no ships coming and going, no traces of cultivator activity, and no signs of any life existing on the sea could be detected.

Truly the “Ghost Gate.”

Jian Chou turned back, looking toward the northeast of this sky-covering peach tree, where there was obviously a branch much more vigorous than the other trunks extending diagonally, but she couldn’t sense any unusual aura.

This was within her expectations.

The Shitian Creation Array had sealed off passage between the two realms. Even if the “Ghost Gate” still existed, it probably could no longer be traversed.

Otherwise, for her to return, why would she need to expend such great effort?

Her thoughts scattered for a moment.

Jian Chou inevitably recalled the strange and dangerous journey to the Extreme Realm, those new friends and new opponents she had met, those “old friends” and acquaintances she had encountered again, and those heavy doubts that had yet to receive answers…

Like Immortal Wuzhong’s identity.

Like the secrets hidden in Zhong Lanling.

Like Fu Chaosheng’s purpose in disguising himself to enter the Extreme Realm.

Like the circumstances before and after the Yin-Yang Realm War.

Like Snowy Region Holy Son Jiye’s words: “Eighty-one years later, you will become my close friend, completing my nirvana.”

Like…

That old residence in the City of Wrongful Deaths.

Who exactly was the old residence’s owner?

Who was the person who interrupted her incense burning, seemingly giving a warning? What mysteries were hidden in the words left on the window?

Jian Chou had no clue about that half “卩” character.

But that sentence “Kill Xie Buchen, sever seven souls” reminded her of the various scenes she had seen when her spirit wandered the Nineteen Continents before Nine-headed Bird’s possession at Black Wind Cave, that figure through the bamboo curtain gap, that hand reaching toward the ink ruler…

“Perhaps, returning to the Central Region will reveal the truth…”

For some doubts, Jian Chou already had guesses in her heart, but she would have to wait until returning to Yashan to report the details to Fudao Shanren and ask for clarity.

Only she didn’t know…

How much time had now passed, and whether her old friends were safe?

At this thought, she actually felt an urgent desire to return home.

Fighting for life and death in the Extreme Realm—wasn’t it all for returning?

Although she still had some desire to explore this Extreme Realm Ghost Gate, how could it compare to her longing for Yashan?

At this moment, she turned around, looking again at the sea surface locked in thick fog, about to cross the sea and return to the land of the Nineteen Continents. Unexpectedly, just then, she heard a “whoosh” sound of something breaking through the air!

Jian Chou was now a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Having experienced that extremely strange period of “drifting,” and still carrying hidden injuries left by Lord Qin Guang’s palm, her cultivation hadn’t regressed but had actually grown somewhat.

She felt it was like reaching Nascent Soul middle stage.

But she wasn’t familiar enough with cultivation at this realm to be certain.

What she could be certain of was her reaction.

In this instant, she almost struck out with a palm, but in just a flash of thought, she laughed and allowed this sound to attack toward her ear.

The next moment, she felt her shoulder grow heavy.

“Wu wu wu!”

In the familiar calling sounds was excitement of “This young master has finally seen daylight again!” That wet tongue directly attacked Jian Chou’s neck!

Who else could it be but Little Marten, who came and went without a trace and had just shown great power in the Extreme Realm?

Jian Chou grabbed it by the neck, pulling it in front of herself, stopping its “saliva attack.” Seeing it was completely intact, not missing any limbs, and actually seemed to have gotten fatter, she was quite puzzled.

“I didn’t see you earlier, where did you go?”

“Ao wu wu wu!”

Little Marten called out, its furry paws pointing at Jian Chou, then rolling its eyes to play dead, then pointing at the great peach tree, finally pointing at itself. Its two dark round eyes were even covered with a layer of teardrops, looking extremely aggrieved.

This gesturing…

Jian Chou guessed and was somewhat surprised: “You’re saying I fainted on the way out of the Extreme Realm, but you came out first and waited here for me for a long time?”

“Ao wu!”

Yes, exactly!

Little Marten nodded vigorously, also presenting like a treasure the silly Guyu from its dental “treasury,” handing it to Jian Chou to show that it had protected this little fellow very well.

Guyu’s two large and small eyes were closed, somehow sleeping soundly.

Jian Chou silently looked, seeing the saliva stains on poor Guyu’s body, and against her conscience, didn’t reach out to take it.

After a long silence, she said: “It’s good that you’re fine. We still don’t know the situation in the Nineteen Continents, let’s go back first.”

Having said this, she put Little Marten back on her shoulder.

She smiled slightly. Standing at the highest point of Mount Dushuo, she originally wanted to fly through the air, but suddenly remembered she was now Nascent Soul and had “teleportation” abilities.

So with a thought, she spread her spiritual consciousness.

Instantly, it expanded outward, covering over a hundred li, already faintly able to reach the eastern coast of the Nineteen Continents. But the spatial force she could sense was only a short two or three li.

This was the range Jian Chou could “teleport.”

For Nascent Soul stage cultivators, their teleportation range, depending on the strength of their spiritual consciousness, was generally within ten li, not very exaggerated.

Exceeding ten li, reaching hundreds or thousands of li, or even half the Nineteen Continents, would be “Great Teleportation.”

That was something only touchable after Soul Separation, related to rule comprehension.

Jian Chou calmed her mind, only carefully feeling that vague power, communicating with it through spiritual consciousness, and surprisingly sank into it in moments.

Swoosh!

In just a thought, her figure directly disappeared from the original spot, appearing on the sea surface.

Looking back, Mount Dushuo was already two and a half li behind her.

Sea wind blew, the smell fishy and salty.

Actually not pleasant.

But at this moment, Jian Chou truly had a feeling of “seas vast for fish to leap, skies high for birds to fly,” recalling her initial entry to the Nineteen Continents, standing on Fudao Shanren’s “Nothing” sword, traveling from Western Sea Plaza to Yashan with that heart full of vastness and shock…

Since teleportation distance wasn’t enough and currently only suitable for combat, she simply abandoned teleportation and instead took out Xie Buchen’s Human Emperor Sword, stepping on it and flying all the way!

Sword light sharp and cold!

In a blink, it swiftly pierced through the rising and falling waves on the sea surface, emerging from the heavy mist on the sea, heading toward the Eastern Sea coast carved into strange shapes by the waves!

Duobao Daoist Zhou Jun, who was standing on the seashore looking out, was immediately startled!

Heaven!

There really was someone!

He had come out of curiosity.

Thinking that with such mighty tribulation thunder, the person crossing tribulation was probably facing nine deaths and one life, so he dared to come look.

How could he expect such an incomparably sharp sword light to shoot out from the sea mist?

Just sensing the aura overflowing from that sword, Zhou Jun’s soul nearly fled his body.

Without thinking, he wanted to run, but his mind was actually intimidated by that aura, his body’s meridians’ spiritual qi stagnant, unable to move even a bit!

Run?

Where could he run?

Zhou Jun was filled with despair, thinking this person from the sea mist must be a great killer, and his curiosity had finally caused trouble!

My life is over!

With a wail in his heart, he only waited for that sword light to rush over and remove his head.

But unexpectedly, though that sword light truly rushed over, it actually steadily hovered two zhang away in front of him!

“This dao—”

“Senior, spare my life! This junior only saw the hundred-li tribulation clouds gathering earlier and was truly curious, so came to the seashore hoping to admire senior’s bearing, absolutely no intention of spying! Please have mercy, senior…”

Zhou Jun didn’t even hear the other party’s words clearly, closing his eyes and hurriedly bowing to apologize.

The two words “dao friend” stuck in Jian Chou’s throat, not yet emerging.

She had seen there was someone on this seashore and thought since this was the easternmost part of the Nineteen Continents and she knew nothing about the situation, she should descend and ask someone first to be prepared.

Who would have expected that just as she came over, before finishing her words, this middle-aged male cultivator dressed as a Daoist threw a “senior” at her.

Honestly, for that instant, Jian Chou was confused.

Just like when she was suddenly called “Senior Sister” and “Senior Martial Uncle.”

She reacted for a moment before remembering she was now Nascent Soul middle stage. Even though she appeared only in her early twenties, in others’ eyes she was an “old monster” type existence.

This Daoist appeared to be Golden Core late stage, so calling her “senior” was normal.

Understanding this, she felt relieved.

But…

This Daoist seemed to have misunderstood something?

Hearing his endless explanations, she felt a headache and finally interrupted, smiling kindly: “This dao friend, please don’t be nervous. I stopped only to ask for directions and inquire about the situation, with no ill intent.”

“…”

Ask, ask for directions?

Zhou Jun was stunned, finally stopping, only feeling this voice was clear and pleasant. Looking up, he saw the female cultivator standing on the sword before him wore moon-white robes, with features like a painting and a gentle smile.

Though her sword carried sharp sword qi, she herself was entirely mild.

It seemed…

She really wasn’t going to kill anyone. Moreover, she called him “dao friend,” extremely polite. With her cultivation level, if she wanted to act, his little life would be long gone.

Zhou Jun’s mind stirred, finally reacting. He hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling both embarrassed and fearful: “This junior’s cultivation is minimal, surnamed Zhou, named Jun, currently serving Mingri Xinghai’s Saochen Studio. Fairy can just call this junior Zhou Jun. May I ask what you wish to inquire about?”

Here it comes.

Another “fairy.”

Jian Chou sighed inwardly, thinking she had just returned from the Extreme Realm still covered in blood, but didn’t correct him. She was about to ask about Yashan’s situation when she noticed his mention of “Star Sea” and had a change of thought, taking back her words.

Mingri Xinghai had always been a place of chaotic killing.

Various third-rate characters or scattered cultivators who failed tribulation, traitors from major sects, or fierce criminals who had committed monstrous crimes, even hidden masters from Southwestern aristocratic families and Southeastern wilderness in the Southern Region, strange people from the Northern Region…

There were always people you couldn’t imagine, but no people Mingri Xinghai didn’t have.

Though she had Nascent Soul cultivation, she still didn’t know the current situation in the Nineteen Continents, not to mention the Eastern Sea coast bordered Mingri Xinghai. Being cautious in all matters was best; she dared not be careless.

Her eyes flashed as she smiled and replied: “I’ve been in seclusion for a long time, only emerging today, so I want to inquire about everything.”

Oh.

Understood.

Another old monster who went crazy with seclusion!

Seclusion could be months at the least, years or even decades at most. Zhou Jun had even heard of someone who secluded for a hundred years and actually died in seclusion.

Connecting this with the hundred-li tribulation clouds just now, he guessed this fairy must be the latter type.

He hurriedly said: “Then there have been many things happening in recent years. But not knowing what year you entered seclusion, I can’t pinpoint the time frame. Could you mention some major event from before your seclusion, so this junior can think about it?”

A major event?

The Left Three Thousand small gathering in the Central Region, Fudao Shanren using an Imperial Heaven Mirror to slap most of Jianzhu Sect to death, their group going to Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm, killing a group from Southwestern wilderness’s Shanyin Sect in the hidden realm, and later she and Xie Buchen should both be counted in the “had accidents” category…

Each event seemed significant.

But…

They also didn’t seem that big. The small gathering had all Golden Core cultivators, Jianzhu Sect was too small, being mostly slapped to death by her master didn’t create big waves in the Central Region. As for hidden realm related matters, they were too closely connected to her and might arouse suspicion.

After thinking in circles, Jian Chou lowered her eyelids and suddenly smiled: “Before my seclusion, I heard Qu Zhengfeng advanced to Soul Separation, stole the giant sword, and betrayed Yashan.”

Qu Zhengfeng was the first on the Fourth Heavenly Tablet for hundreds of years, a Nascent Soul old monster.

Not to mention when he betrayed Yashan, he had already advanced to Soul Separation, directly stealing Yashan’s giant sword and using it to destroy Jianzhu Sect with one sword. Only then did Kunwu’s bloody “cleansing” occur at Yunhai Plaza by Fudao Shanren…

Whether viewed from his identity as a Yashan disciple at the time, his outstanding cultivation, or the various impacts it caused, it was absolutely a “major event.” It had shocked the entire Central Region and even unsettled the Northern and Southern Regions…

Jian Chou thought Zhou Jun in Mingri Xinghai should have heard of it.

But she never expected that after she finished speaking and looked up, she saw Zhou Jun looking at her with a horrified expression, as if she had mentioned something absolutely unmentionable, committing some enormous taboo.

“What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong?

Zhou Jun had unspeakable suffering, opening his mouth but not knowing how to explain directly:

In current Mingri Xinghai, who would still mention past events?

Even when conversation inevitably touched on that person, they would mysteriously and respectfully call him “Sword Emperor.” Who the hell had eaten leopard gall to dare call him by name?

This fairy before him had entered seclusion before that person became Sword Emperor.

This…

“Your seclusion, counting the years, was probably around sixty years. Many things happened in between, it’s a long story…”